A Delusion
Suggested Theme:
Main Theme- Bring Me the Disco King by David Bowie
Blue, green.
Blue, green.
Take one.
Blue.
Take another.
White.
Ben wakes to his comlink going off. He scrambles in the dark for it and sees that it's his mother. The temptation to just turn it off and sleep some more was great, but he knows that she'll send someone to get him, most likely perfect Poe. He wonders if she found about the kiss.
"Ben, get to the medbay."
"Why? It's 0600! And I have the Hapan-Naboo negotiations–"
"Hux went blind!"
Ben drops the comlink and stumbles to the floor; Kylo comes back up and quickly puts on his uniform. He stalks down the dawn-lit halls until he reaches the medbay door that slides open with an arctic hiss. The General, dressed in her standard braids and simple tunic, stands stiffly by the sleeper Hux occupies.
"That's Kylo. His boots are heavy and clunky like Vader's." Hux's eyes are a milky white with a slight swirl of cold blue.
"My how your sense of hearing has sharpen dramatically." His mother says dryly, narrowly avoiding Solo-levels of sarcasm.
"I'm no Daredevil. But I was blind for almost a year, so I've got experience." A swirl of green overtakes the blue for a brief moment, but quickly loses itself as though Hux can sense the pity from her.
"How did you regain your sight?"
"The Dark Sider gave back what she took." Hux cocks his head sideways and chews on his lower lip like he's trying to solve a mystery. "Hmm, since the doctor and medbot couldn't find anything medically causing my blindness; I think this is the work of another Dark Sider. But I'm on good terms with the ones that I know."
"So the First Order fraternizes with the Dark Side?" She needles.
"No, just me, Princess." Hux narrows his blind eyes in her direction.
"General, I believe we should discuss this possibility in private." Kylo diplomatically suggests and regrets it a second later when he feels an angry pinch on his mind from her like he was the one that kissed Hux.
"Perhaps, you should also consider the Light Side. You know blinded by the light!" Hux sing-songs, while they retreat for the sanity of isolation.
They're in the fancy meeting room with floor of scarlet greel wood and clari-crystalline windows. The General never liked to use this room when communicating with fellow Resistance members for it reeked of Imperial corruption, but she does like to use it when Ben or Kylo were in trouble.
"What did you do to Hux last night?" The General inquires with a note of accusation in her voice.
"I did nothing."
"The guards informed me that you were in Hux's suite for one hour and twenty-five minutes." She tersely reminds him.
"I did nothing." Kylo insists upon his innocence.
"Ben, take off the mask." She orders. Kylo obeys because she is his superior.
"I was watching a movie with him." Ben admits vaguely.
"The guards mentioned that you suddenly got fat."
"I smuggled in a picnic basket." She gives him a pointed look. "You feed him nothing but salads and bland chicken; he's going to become bones at this rate. I also thought giving him Hapan wine would loosen his lips."
"And did he?"
"No, he slapped me."
"Why would he do that?"
"Because I kissed him."
"Oh, Ben…."
"The Force told me to."
She looks at him with such disappointment that only the truth could conjure.
"You don't have to listen to the Force all the time. You're not a Jedi anymore." "As much as I wished you remained." Ben hears her think loudly.
"I thought it would lead to something."
She snorts and rolls her eyes.
"Not that." Though I was hoping for that. "All that happened from the kiss was a slap and blindness."
"Ben, did you blind him?"
"No! I didn't get that terribly far into my Jedi training, remember? Blinding one's enemies requires a level of finesse that I don't have."
"Then, what about Kylo? Did you blind him as Kylo?"
"…Kylo wouldn't do something like that."
"You don't sound sure."
"Look, bickering about who's at fault here won't return Hux's sight. I think we need to get Luke here and see if he can work his Chosen One magic on him."
"He's not that skilled in Force-healing, but it wouldn't hurt for him to try. Maybe, Rey can try."
"Do, not try!" Ben mimics Yoda's impish voice.
"You can't do if you don't at least try."
When they return to the medbay, the inky feline demon purrs contently as Hux rubs her soft belly. Kylo wishes that Shelley gave Hux his blindness, so he can finally be rid of that damnable pittin, but he knows that she isn't the source. Hux pulls his fingers away as he lifts his head up as he realizes that they're back. Shelley nearly whines, but her sapphire eyes lock onto the General's. She rolls onto her belly and stares her down.
"I see the pittin has figured out how to use doors."
"No, she came in through the vents. It's more fun to use the vents. Sometimes, you can find a friendly skeleton." The tips of his nails drag across her head, trying to elicit the shameless sounds she was making moments ago. However, Shelley has deemed her dignity more precious than her pleasure.
"Was that a threat?"
"No, Kylo, just a musing from early childhood." Hux purrs for Shelley before continuing. "Did you blind me?"
"He didn't." The General goes to his defense, even though she still doubts him.
"But he has the motivation." Hux's lips turn upward into a smiling conspiracy.
"And what could I possibly gain from your blindness?"
"Revenge." The word bears none of the wrathful heat or pious disgust like Kylo has heard so many times. Hux wrings melancholy from each syllable.
"Force, you're mad! I told you there's nothing between us!" The General raises an eyebrow, and he wishes that he gave more thought to his words.
"….Let's battle." Hux proposes suddenly, causing Shelley to look up at him.
"No."
"If you win, I will tell you something substantial about the First Order."
"And what do you want if you win?" The General cuts back in.
"I'll tell you after the battle."
Weeds invaded the courtyard gardens decades ago, but Kylo can see that a small patch of green has been freed of the white puff menace. He suspects that Hux spends his outdoor time beautifying the garden.
It would explain the calluses when he slapped Ben because high-ranked First Order officers rarely do the dirty work themselves.
The medbay scrubs, green and sterile as tea, cling to Hux's thin form like a snake skin. The papery slippers outline the toes; the skeletal digits curl, revealing the nervousness that isn't present on his sabacc face.
"I won't use the Force."
Hux responds with a crook of a white finger.
I never said I wouldn't use my lightsaber.
Ben favors Forms II and VI, which are appropriate for the elegant diplomat. However, Kylo is built solely for Form V.
"I smell burning ozone. You intend to end this quickly." Hux finally speaks up. His voice holds no contempt. The General nods in approval for the Resistance, but her eyes hold disapproval. Shelley is by her side with her blue eyes fixed on Hux.
"Surrender now."
Hux shakes his head.
"You can't withstand the force of a lightsaber. Your flesh will burn."
Hux flashes his slightly crooked teeth.
"Maybe you can make my arm match with the rest."
The rest? It's just the left–
And Hux throws a rock at the left side of his mask. Kylo hears the clang of impact, but he's more stunned that Hux wasted his first move on something so childish.
"Were you hoping to break my mask?"
"I was just making sure you didn't become a statue." Hux jokes like they were just two friends sparring.
He thrusts his golden blade forward, aiming for Hux's throat. He intends to scare Hux into submission. Hux responds with an Ataru-like backflip and lands perfectly on his feet.
"You favor the Way of the Krayt Dragon. Unfortunately for you, I favor the Way of the Great Dragon!" Hux winks and cartwheels away, giggling like a wistie. Kylo pursues the surprisingly fleet-footed prisoner, while the General shakes her head with incredulity. Shelley licks at her paws, knowing how it will all end.
The silver-leafed veshok tree knocks the giggles out of Hux. His freckled-face contorts in pain, while a few strands of orange hair get tangled into the harsh bark. Kylo turns his saber off and clips to his belt, knowing full well that bringing the blade down on Hux would just light the century-old tree on fire. He cages Hux with his massive arms and leers down at the soon-to-be traitor.
"I've got you."
"Ack! Damn, I forgot about how hard veshok trees were! The Mandalorians are sure good at making things last."
"Admit defeat."
Hux smiles wryly and lowers his voice.
"I wanted you to hit me, but you decided to whip out your Keyblade instead, so I've come up a better way of mending things between us."
"By spilling the First Order's guts?"
Hux's smile turns into salacious smirk.
"Ben kissed me. I think you something of equal exchange."
Hux hooks a leg over his and drapes his lower half against Kylo.
"Oh."
"Oh!"
Kylo then hears the click of his lightsaber and feels the heat of the blade by his throat. Unfortunately, his hardness refuses to abate. Worse, he's pretty certain Hux can feel him.
"I'm truly sorry for leading you on like that." Hux sounds sincerely sad, which makes it harder for Kylo to be angry with him.
"You've won."
"I guess." Hux sighs as he shuts the saber off and clips it back onto Kylo's belt.
"You get whatever you want, within reason, from beating me."
"Yeah, but I doubt you and Ben are going to make up."
Kylo sighs with relief, Ben with disappointment, when Hux gets off him and lays his back against the tree.
"When he kissed me, I almost kissed him back. But then I thought about you, and I didn't want to put you through such pain."
"I'm your interrogator."
"I know, and when I first met you, I thought you were going to torture me like most interrogators would. Force knows what they would've done to Shelley."
Skinned her alive and pickled her eyes.
"Look, he's a prince and I do the Resistance's dirty work; we weren't going to last." Kylo decides to play along with this delusion, hoping for it to finally end.
"I think he was using us." Hux mumbles.
"What?"
"I think he was using us!"
"For sex?"
"Oh no, I slapped him after the kiss!" Hux gestures defensively with flushed cheeks.
He's acting like a virgin. No, he can't be a virgin, not with his looks and status. Maybe, he's asexual? But I did feel something poking me back earlier and he did say he had a small–
"I think he was using us to rebel against his mother." Hux thankfully cuts through his thoughts like a hot pocket knife.
"That's juvenile."
"It makes sense though. Him having an affair with the Resistance's Shadow and then kissing me, the Resistance's sworn enemy. There's no way General Organa would ever approve of us being with her baby boy."
Finally, he's let go of me and Ben together! Yet, Kylo feels a stabbing sensation from the Force like something worse was about to transpire.
"And when she hears what I want as my prize, she'll be unhappy."
"And that would be?"
Those thin lips upturn into a serene crescent.
"A date with you."
Author's Comments- There are no links this time.
Form II is Makashi aka Dooku's style; it's revered for its elegance. Form VI is Niman aka the diplomat's form; it borrows from all the forms, but it emphasizes practicality over mastery. Form V is Shien/Djem So; it emphasizes strength, but also requires compassion to balance out the intimidating aspects of the form.
Force, this series is going into a direction I didn't think it would go in, but maybe I should thank all those romance scenes in Sailor Moon for it. Next part: Armitage gets the garden ready for his date, while Rey questions aloud Armitage's strange taste in dates. Oh, and Luke is in it.