The next morning dawned bright and clear, with a crispness to the air that promised a turn of the seasons to cooler weather. The staff of the guest house, a mixture of human and droid service had just set out a substantial breakfast for the visitors on the buffet in the dining room.
Upstairs, Armitage Hux was just waking up. He lay in the bed for a few minutes and tried to sort out what the hell had happened to him. The last few days had been - unusual to say the least.
He wasn't all that clear about what had taken place. He had been physically ill with some sort of Force-induced sickness according to the doctor who was traveling with Ren. And that's where things became really strange. Did he actually relive some of his past life? And those bizarre hallucinations, where did they come from? Was it all in his mind? And who was that pretty girl? She said she was Aurelia Galen, but he thought Galen was an older grey-haired woman. Hux shook his head. Maybe he should find Ren and the scavenger girl and see if they could explain.
Then there was that last hallucination, the one where they were on Starkiller Base when it fired on the Hosnian system. Was there really that much pain? It felt like a gaping ragged wound bleeding out in the Force. He had good reasons to destroy those planets. Disrupting the New Republic seat of government, destroying the majority of their fleet - actions that should have brought an end to the war and avoided the massive loss of life and resources a prolonged conflict would have caused. And yes, he had to admit to himself it was a bit of revenge for all the loss and heartbreak the New Republic had inflicted on the remanent of the Empire with its draconian punishments to the systems and people who had supported it. But was it really worth it? All his rationalizations for firing his superweapon seemed abhorrent, repugnant, in the face of what the Force had shown him, let him feel.
At least he wasn't still sick. He had finally gotten an actual night's sleep after Aurelia had left. The bedroom he had been assigned had an en suite fresher with a water shower, an indulgence his ship was sadly lacking. A sonic will get you clean but nothing can really replace the pleasure of cascading hot water.
After finishing his morning ablutions and getting dressed (he'd have to thank Phasma for bringing his travel bag) he meandered downstairs for breakfast and some discrete reconnaissance. Hux was not by nature a trusting soul, and getting the lay of the land was essential, particularly if things went south and he and Phasma needed to make a quick getaway. He was painfully aware that he was a wanted fugitive in a significant portion of the known galaxy. It would be foolish to lower his guard and rely on the goodwill of strangers. He had every intention to leave this place soon - and on his own terms.
When Hux walked into the dining room he noticed that what he was beginning to think of as the 'usual crew' was sitting at breakfast. Phasma and that knight of Ren were sitting at one end of the table giggling together. Well, he knew that Brienne was attracted to women, and the young knight was definitely a looker. It was strange to hear the First Order's most feared Stormtrooper commander giggling though. Kylo and his girlfriend were at the other end of the table talking quietly. No sign of Aurelia. He definitely wanted to sit down with her and have a long talk about what the hell had happened. He needed to know if he was going insane or not. As Hux walked through the door Kylo looked up with a frown.
"We haven't seen anyone besides the staff, Hux," said Kylo dismissively. "Mistress Eirica, the Châtelaine, said that Master Mac Dhomhnuill would meet us in the parlor after breakfast. We haven't seen Aurelia yet. And no, you're not crazy."
"Stay out of my head, Ren," hissed Hux.
"You're thinking rather loudly, Hux," complained Kylo. "It's hard to avoid your thoughts."
"That's right, Slim," chimed in Kateria from the end of the table. "I could hear you coming down the hall."
"Do not use that disgusting nickname again, Knight," snarled Hux.
"You're being rather touchy this morning Armi," commented Phasma as she poured herself some more coffee.
Hux slumped down in the nearest chair and covered his face with his hands. "I'm in hell. That's the only logical explanation."
*TaBa*
Over in the parlor Master Mac Dhomhnuill and Aurelia were discussing What Happens Next in the ongoing saga of Traveling with War Criminals. Morning tea had been brought in and they sat quietly for a while, sipping tea and nibbling on scones.
"I see you survived stabilizing the Starkiller through his bout of Threshold Sickness. Give me your report, please."
Aurelia took a breath. "To begin, Master, my patient has a name. I would appreciate you not referring to him as 'Starkiller.' The Hosnian Catastrophe was tragic, but Armitage Hux is still a sapient being and deserves to be recognized as such."
The Master frowned, then nodded with a sigh. "Agreed."
"Thank you, Master," Aurelia smiled. "I made a Force connection with Hux yesterday morning and remained connected to him until late that evening. We experienced a variety of hallucinations that drew on episodes in his past, as well as several which were from either imaginary scenarios or based on the memories of persons with whom he was acquainted."
"Would you give me a few examples?" asked the Master.
"We experienced multiple incidences from his school years. I saw several where Hux was subjected to conditioning similar to that used on Stormtroopers. Commandant Brendol Hux, his father, used him as a test subject. Incidences from the military academy he attended suggest that the students were subjected to inordinate and unreasonable pressure to compete. We were also subject to incidences from his career in the First Order. He was a brilliant if ruthless commander. In addition, while I have not drawn up a psychological profile on him his abusive upbringing most likely contributed to his lack of empathy for other sentients."
"What else, Adept Galen?" prodded the Master.
"There were several hallucinations that appeared to be precognition of future events, but they were all rather foggy."
The Master sat back and carefully lit his pipe. "Is that all?"
Aurelia looked down, chewed her lower lip gently, and said "There was one final scenario, Master. We were in a wooded area on the planet where Starkiller Base was located. The weapon fired, and we felt the Hosnian system die. Both of us did."
She stopped and briefly relived the experience. "I tried to protect both of us from the worst of it. Then I felt Hux reach out in the Force and support the barrier I had created."
She stopped again and looked up at the Master. "I believe that we created a Force bond between us."
They sat there quietly and contemplated the implications.
"Have you told him yet?" asked the Master.
"No. I haven't seen him this morning," she answered.
"This may work to our advantage," mused Master Mac Dhomhnuill. "What do you think his potential strength in the Force will be?"
"Not as strong as Kylo Ren or Rey Skywalker, but fairly strong. As strong as I am, I suspect," replied Aurelia.
"He will need training, then," Master Mac Dhomhnuill smiled.
"Well yes Master," responded Aurelia. "It would be dangerous to leave him untrained." she stopped and frowned at him. "Master, you aren't suggesting that I …"
"I'm not suggesting lass," he smiled.
"But I'm not a Master!" she protested.
"That can be rectified," countered Master Mac Dhomhnuill. "The Council has reviewed your work with Kylo Ren and Armitage Hux prior to arriving at the Charterhouse. Based on that they have agreed that an award of Mastery is appropriate." He stopped to take a few puffs on his pipe. "Your handling of his hallucinations was, shall we say, the icing on the cake."
Aurelia bowed her head in submission. "Yes, Master Mac Dhomhnuill," she sighed.
The Master knocked the dottle out of his pipe into an ashtray on the table. As he loaded it with fresh tobacco he cocked his head and looked toward the door. "I hear your new apprentice and his companions coming down the hall. Are you ready Master Galen?"
"Yes, Master Mac Dhomhnuill." She could do this.
*TaBa*
Senior Inspector Peter Falkus stared gloomily at his morning cup of coffee. Once, just once, it would be nice if the break room had something drinkable. Unfortunately, he needed the caffeine so he steeled himself and gulped down the rest of the brew. Gaah, that was awful.
He reached across his desk and activated his comm. "Gracie, would you please buzz Inspector Dameron and ask him to come to my office? Thanks, Gracie." Falkus terminated the call and picked up his datapad. So former General Armitage Hux has surfaced, has he? And on Comraich. Now that's an interesting coincidence. Falkus hasn't been back to his home planet in years. Yes, there's an extradition treaty in force. Guess Hux didn't know that or he wouldn't have gone there. Falkus made a note to verify that a warrant had been issued.
There's a sharp rap on the office door. "Enter." said Falkus briskly. Poe Dameron came in with an extra-large DunkinGulp coffee.
"You wanted me, sir?" he asked.
"Yes." Falkus leaned back in his chair, a look of satisfaction on his face. "Armitage Hux has been spotted on the planet Comraich. It looks like the powers-that-be have decided we have enough evidence amassed to request extradition."
"And you want me to go arrest him, sir!" grinned Poe.
"Not exactly," corrected Falkus. "I want you to accompany me to assist in the arrest. You're one of the handful of inspectors in this department who can find their ass with both hands. I'll need you to pilot and act as a backup as necessary."
"Yes sir!" Poe beamed. "When are we leaving?"
"I need to arrange for a secure transport vehicle and some guards. Plan on leaving tomorrow morning."
"Permission to go pack for the trip and advise my husband, sir?"
"Granted. I'll comm you the location of the transport and departure time when I have it arranged."
"Yes sir." Poe hesitated a moment and added "Are we going in with enough firepower? Hux is not going to be an easy arrest."
"Don't worry Dameron. We can call on the Comraich government if we need assistance. Besides, Armitage Hux is not a Force-sensitive. It's not like we're going after Kylo Ren."
Author's Notes: I'm sorry it took so long to get this chapter posted. I rewrote portions several times before I was satisfied. My husband suggested I make an omake companion piece with the stuff I've thrown out while writing this fanfic.
I've been looking for a way to logically bring back Inspector Falkus. He's a fun OC.
Now if all my characters behave I'll have the next chapter out in a reasonable amount of time.