The Patron Saint of Lost Causes

Chapter 10


Hux woke early the next morning. His internal clock, set from years of military regimentation, shuffled him into his wing's communal fresher just before dawn. To his immense relief, the latrine was empty.

Not for the first time in his life, he was thankful they lived in an age where advanced medical technology was common, even for the cobbled-together Resistance. He peeled off the hydrocolloid bacta patch from his jaw; without it, he would have otherwise been swollen and purple.

Rose had given him the patch before he returned to his room, and it had since become swollen with fluid absorbed from the injury. Hux tossed it away into the waste bin, pleased to see that all remained was a faint bluish bruise and a light wincing ache.

He touched the nearly-healed split in his lip with a finger, but then… he moved his left hand slowly to the opposite side of his face, mimicking the way Rose had held him there. It didn't feel the same. He knew it wouldn't. But, if he concentrated, he could almost feel the echo of her…

He stared at himself in the mirror, hand still resting on his face, and tried to imagine what Rose saw when she looked at him.

A killer? A traitor? An ally?

Something else entirely?

Despite his keen ability to bury his feelings for the benefit of his goals, for his survival, Hux couldn't deny that he was captivated by her. She was attractive, yes, but what he felt when she looked at him was far beyond the mere appreciation of her natural beauty.

Her technological brilliance, her wit, her keen insights, and yes, even her big mouth. And when she smiled true, or gave him words of praise or encouragement, he drank it down like an antidote to poison. Why did she have such an effect on him?

Because…

She was the only person he could ever remember without some ulterior motive for him to serve. Yes, she wanted him to help the Resistance, but her interest in him came only from her own free will. Maybe it was because she actually, foolishly, believed in him. In any event, it made him want to live up to her expectations, if only so she would grace him with that addicting warmth of hers.

She made him want to be better.

It was dangerous, these feelings, he knew that. It was always dangerous to open yourself up to the whims and the words of others. He learned this, painfully, growing up the way he had. Such lowering of defenses could kill you, quite literally. But… he was man enough to admit that he was far beyond being able to stop himself now.

He wanted her.

Despite the discomfort of letting her near, of letting her touch, he wanted her.

He wanted her when she held his face, like his life, in the palm of her hand… Gentle when she had no cause to be gentle.

Even as a nasty voice inside his head screamed how ill-advised it all was, he wanted to consume her like she'd already consumed him; mind and body alike.

Hux let his hand drop from his face.

It had been so very long since he'd felt anything so intense that was neither rage nor fear. Never anything like this, not for anyone save her, but that had been sorrow; a slow drowning of time and memory. No, with Rose it was light, dragging him up from the water.

Such intensity frightened him, but when he thought of her careful, caring touch, it thrilled him all the same.


"Are you sure you have to leave?"

It was early, a little past sunrise. Rose hugged her coat around her as she watched Rey climb down the ladder of Luke's X-Wing, going about her flight preparations.

"I'm sure," Rey said, dusting off her hands on her breeches. Although there was a note of soft regret in her voice, she was smiling.

Rose shuffled forward. "You're not even taking BB-8?"

"He'd miss Poe," Rey said, ducking under the fuselage to check on some of the repairs made in the previous weeks.

Rose wanted to be supportive, but she was worried for her friend. Rey had been so quiet since coming back from Exogol. She'd been absent mostly, trekking deep into the jungle for days at a time. She'd told them it was just her way of making peace; a way to meditate away from the noise of camp. Only Rose knew it was something else. Something more.

"I can feel him. In the Force."

Her far-off looks and increasing isolation hadn't been Rey collapsing into herself out of grief. She was learning; searching. For someone.

Rose knew her friend was strong, both in body and in mind, but could Rose really believe what Rey already seemed to take as certain fact? That there was somewhere beyond this world they inhabited? Somewhere beyond life and death and right and wrong?

"They'll be disappointed you left before they came back."

Finn and Poe.

Rey waved her hand dismissively as she came out from under the X-Wing. "They'll get over it. You've all got plenty to keep you busy without having me to worry about." Rose nodded, looking down. "Hey," Rey's voice was soft, and her hand came out to touch Rose's arm. "If you need anything, I'm just a transmission away, remember? Don't hesitate." A mischievous grin slanted over her mouth. "Besides, I want updates on everything you've got going on with Hux, anyway."

Rose felt heat creeping up into her cheeks, imagining the look he gave her as he pressed the warm, soft side of his face into her hand, but the other woman didn't give her a chance to splutter out any kind of thin denial. Rey snorted a laugh, sweeping the shorter woman into a hug instead. She squeezed and Rose squeezed back.

"Be careful," Rose said, muffled.

"I will."

"I hope you find him."

"Me too."

Rose waited at the edge of the clearing until Rey took off, X-Wing rising above the trees, billowing the grass underfoot. Early morning dew spun into the air, glittering in the morning light as the craft arced away into the sky. Rose watched until Rey winked out of sight into the cloudy, blue sky before turning and heading back towards camp to pour herself a cup of caff.

As she stepped inside the canteen, she stopped short. Apart from a few others milling about, Hux was sitting by himself at one of the tables along the far side of the inner wall, facing slightly away from her in profile. It shouldn't have been a surprise, he did strike her as an early riser, but she hadn't thought about the impact of seeing him there, like just another member of the Resistance.

She walked with purpose over to the hot drinks station, reaching for the familiar yellow mug. By the time she turned around, it was obvious he noticed her. Sitting at his solitary table, Hux's green eyes were fixed upon her, hands folded in his lap, back drawn up straight and proper. The black mug before him was still steaming.

"Hi," she said in a rough sort of whisper, once she'd padded her way over to the table, not yet sitting. He followed her movement as she came closer, chin tilting up to keep her in his sights. He was wearing a different sweater; a very dark, almost black kind of green.

"Good morning," he said, carefully amicable.

"You look better," she replied brightly. The bruise along his jaw was merely a shadow thanks to the bacta. "That's good."

The thin-line of his mouth relaxed a bit, as did some of the tension in his shoulders.

The change of demeanor was slight, but she'd noticed anyway. Had he been worried how she'd greet him? They'd parted on pretty good terms the day before. Maybe he was embarrassed; thought she would be cross with him after what he'd done. That's she'd regret it.

Her free hand closed into a slow fist, the one he'd pressed his mouth to so reverently.

No, she wasn't mad. She didn't regret it. In fact, the mere memory of it made her stomach quiver. She'd been floored at how he'd trusted her; it had touched her, deeply. She slid onto the bench across from him, staring at the metal surface of the table to get ahold of herself, before raising her eyes.

His brows pulled together. "You've been to the airfield."

Rose nodded, a little surprised at his correct deduction.

"Rey left. I was seeing her off. I thought she should wait until Poe and Finn got back but she wasn't having it."

"Force users," Hux muttered, eyes slightly rolling with exasperation. He brought the cup of tea up to his mouth, sipping. "The most impatient lot I've ever had the misfortune of dealing with."

Rose snorted, warming her hands with her coffee mug, feeling a comfortable sort of shared silence settle between them. She looked out across the canteen to the where the foliage was encroaching into the building, and then out to the grounds beyond. It would be another warm, balmy day amid their mildly tropical jungle. Rose wondered, if they ever moved the base to a different planet, what kind of place would it be? Would she like it? Would Hux?

She heard him take another long, slow sip of tea, before turning her attention back to the table. He was still watching her. Rose blushed. Had Hux been staring at her the entire time she'd been zoning out?

Under his intense gaze, she fidgeted.

"I was thinking we could work on our computer virus today. I sent a communique to Poe letting him know what we were thinking. I haven't heard back from him yet, but I think we should go ahead and get started. It's a great idea, really," she added with an encouraging expression.

Hux pressed his tongue to the roof of his mouth, hard, finally looking away.

"I hope you don't mind," he said, reaching for something on the bench next to him. "I took the liberty to work on a prototype."

To her surprise, he laid a datapad on the table between them, sliding it over to her.

Rose's eyes lit up, lips parting. "Wh— when did you even have the time?"

She reached for the tablet, pulling it toward her. She didn't even want to begin to ask where he'd found a datapad in the first place. He still wasn't supposed to have computer access.

"Yesterday evening."

"Yesterday eve— Do you ever sleep?" She marveled, waking the screen and seeing what he'd offered her.

"Not really, no," he said with a slight smile, eyes narrowing at her in what could have been fondness. He watched her as she scrolled over the lines of code. She moved to bite her thumbnail in concentration.

"This is a great start," she said after another moment. "Targets the propulsion systems… through the hyperdrive! So, when they access the holonet for jump coordinates—"

"It shuts down the entire engine system, yes." He was leaning forward ever so slightly, drawn in by her enthusiasm. With an air of self-satisfaction, he added, "That way your fighters can engage briefly and then escape. The squadrons will try and follow but be unable to do so. They'll be disabled, but the life support systems remain untouched."

Rose's mouth dropped open. "Hux!" He jumped a little at the strength of her outburst.

"You are really very good at this, you know. Too good." She was almost accusing in her compliments. He went slightly pink.

"It still needs some refinement," he muttered.

"That's fine. We can work it out today. What do you think?"

He nodded. "That is acceptable."

Rose grinned.


"Uh, yeah… I'd say core destabilization definitely counts as 'needs refinement'. Forty-five percent chance of exploding? Really?" Rose adopted a look of horror.

Hux sat back in his chair as the simulation ran again. Rose leaned forward, scrutinizing the screen before them, unaware of how her scooting up in her chair caused her knee and part of her leg to press against his where they huddled close to the terminal.

Hux glanced down at the contact, expecting himself to see the curve of her soft thigh against his and twitch away at the mere sight of it. But as he stared, nothing happened. Well, he reasoned, it was far less intimidating than what they'd done the day before, wasn't it? So, he didn't move.

"Why is it doing that?" Rose wondered at the simulation with annoyance.

But Hux was still looking down at where she was pressed against him, thoughts misfiring.

She grumbled. "Is the engine not running hot enough or something?" She turned her head to look at him, and Hux's gaze shot up fast; before she could catch him.

"We could crank up the power capacity. What do you think?"

"If we allow for more than the bare minimum, other systems besides the life support might go online. Any extra power could be rerouted to the impulse engines. As I have already stated, multiple times, you have to leave the fourth relay disconnected. Otherwise—"

"Ugh, you're right! You're right, damn it," she sighed, slouching back, arms coming up to bend back and hang over the top of her chair.

"Well, you don't have to look so smug about it," she added at the small smirk pulling at Hux's mouth.

His brows jumped. "Smug?"

Rose rolled her eyes. Cocky ass, she thought, with some affection.

"Ten percent power, directed to the life support systems, is plenty to keep them alive," he added, perfunctorily.

"Well, yeah, but we can't have a forty-five percent chance of them exploding. That's insane," she countered, exasperated. "And no impulse engines means they're going to need to be rescued anyway. Maybe we could fiddle with the fuel rods? Have only a portion of them engage?"

She went to pull the terminal keyboard over to her, and in doing so, had to reach way across Hux's lap. He held his breath as her leg pressed further against his own, and as her arm reached out to grab the other side of the keyboard, the whole line of her body stretching out with the gesture.

Hux's vision glazed over for a moment as he tried to mentally shake himself. "Try the encryption controlling the fuel rods. Just make sure to leave the overall command codes alone. We still want them to function, just not all at once."

Rose sat slightly forward with the keyboard in her lap, following his direction and navigating to the appropriate lines. Absently, she muttered, "You know a lot about coding."

"I use to program my own droids"

"Really?"

He nodded. "Modified mouse droids. I taught myself when I was younger. It passed the time."

She hummed with a small smile as she worked, like the image of it warmed her. Hux swallowed.

"Okay," she said, typing in a few last keystrokes and hitting the command/run key. "How about now?"

They watched as the simulation ran though, only half the fuel rods engaging in a small percentage of their maximum capacity. The TIE fighter on the screen did indeed die mid-flight, but the chance of ion destabilization clocked in at a mere fifteen percent. "Hey! Look at that!"

"Excellent," Hux said, satisfied.

"We make a good team, huh Assistant?" She gave him a side-long glance, and he noticed the blush on her cheeks.

Before he could open his mouth to respond, Connix came skidding around the corner.

"Hey!"

Both Rose and Hux looked up, and Hux was taken aback by how close they'd ended up sitting. Not just at the nearness of her leg, but how they'd ended leaning in towards one another. He hadn't really noticed until they broke apart at the Lieutenant's shout.

Rose was on her feet immediately, and her warmth suddenly, regretfully gone. "What is it?"

"The others are back!"


"Unbelievable," Hux muttered darkly, watching as an Upsilon-class command shuttle slowly landed on the airfield next to the Millennium Falcon.

"Wow," Rose said, impressed.

The group of Resistance members that had come out to watch the returning fighters stood in a half circle at the edge of the airfield, but Rose and Hux broke off to walk towards the Falcon and the First Order shuttle.

The ramp on the Falcon lowered and out came Finn and the Wookiee. As the hulking, furry alien came into view, Hux felt a tremble of fear skitter down his spine. He hadn't enjoyed the feeling of the creature's roar on the back of his neck. The beast could easily break him in two. Hux purposely tried to avoid looking at the bowcaster in the Wookiee's hand.

There came a telltale pneumatic hiss as the ramp to the command shuttle dropped slowly to the ground. Out sauntered Poe, dressed in a First Order pilots' uniform, cap askew. There was a faint look of displeasure that flitted across the man's face when he saw Hux, unshackled and roaming free, but he was quick to cover it up with the rest of his troops present.

In a loud, boisterous voice, he spread his arms wide and called, "Well?! What do you think of my new ship, Hugs?!" He motioned with exaggeration.

I hate that man, Hux thought with a sneer, his hands clenched into fists. Dameron had surely been created with the specific intention of make his life a living hell.

"Oh, don't look so grumpy," Poe continued, strolling down the ramp with an air that wouldn't have flown for a second in the Order. "I come bearing gifts," he indicated lazily back up the ramp.

Rose's hands went to her hips. "Where the heck did you guys get a command shuttle?"

Poe shrugged. "Stole it."

"How obvious," Hux hissed.

"It's for the mission," Poe said to Rose, giving Hux a side-long glance, like he was reluctant to include him in the conversation.

Rose's eyes darted between the two men. She hadn't given Poe any kind of warning about moving Hux into the barracks. And he was bound to hear about the scuffle from the day before, too.

Poe smacked his lips. "So, how's our secret weapon coming along?"

Rose looked at Hux, who was staring at her. Her brows went up, tilting her chin down a fraction, pointedly giving him the opportunity to speak. What was she doing? Trying to get him to report directly to Poe?

Hux felt the back of his neck grow warm. He cleared his throat. "The program to disable the TIE fighters has been refined. We have run a number of simulations in which a subset of the fuel rods have been successfully partitioned. Life support systems will remain functional while all other power, including impulse engines, will remain offline. With only a fifteen percent chance of core failure," he added as an afterthought. There. He'd said it. Was she happy now?

Rose grinned at him.

Of course, she was.

Poe was looking at him very seriously. "Right. Well.. good job… you two. Perhaps we can have a debrief," he said to Rose. "You know, just us."

Rose's heart sunk. There it was. Oh, she was in trouble.

At that moment, Finn walked up. "Hey, do you want us to start taking the crates into the base?"

"Yeah, that would be great," Poe said.

Hux frowned, Finn and the Wookiee turning to move up the shuttle's ramp. "Crates?"

Poe flashed him a grin. "Our disguises!" He waved a hand over his person; at his pilot's uniform. "What, did you think we were just going to waltz our way onto a Dreadnaught without looking the part? Come on, Hugs! Where's your sense of imagination?"

Hux clasped his hands behind his back. "You couldn't look the part if your life depended on it, General," he said in a formal, yet scathing tone.

"Oh, well I know that!" Poe let out a bark of laughter. "That's why we're taking you with us. General."


They parted ways after returning to base. Rose hadn't had a moment to speak to Hux without the others, so she had no idea how he was feeling about being conscripted into the mission. During their return, he seemed to gather everything back behind his cold mask of detachment; she couldn't read him. He gave her no indication of farewell, but walked past everyone and back down the hall towards the barracks, silent.

Rose watched him go with a tight feeling of apprehension, following the others into their private strategy room.

"Don't," Poe said, finger jabbing in her direction as soon as the door was closed and Rose opened her mouth to speak. "I know what you're going to say," he continued, "and I want you to know that I don't like the idea, but I'm going to be overruled anyway, so I don't want to hear it."

Her gaze darted around to the other occupants of the small conference room; D'Acy and Finn.

Rose huffed, folding her arms. "How could you possibly know what I was going to say?"

"You want to come with us. On the mission." Poe's hands went to his hips.

Okay, so… that was actually exactly what she was going to say…

She gave Poe a sheepish smile, but it was obvious that he was cross.

"She already has the uniform," Finn said from his seat at the long table, "and she knows her way around First Order ships."

"She's the only one he'll listen to," D'Acy said in a calm, even voice, perhaps trying to balance Poe's obvious irritation.

Rose straightened up, feeling a burst of confidence. "That's right. He trusts me."

"He doesn't trust you!" Poe slammed his hand down on the table, making everyone jump. "It's not real feelings it's— it's capture-bonding! He's just using you!"

Rose's shoulders shrank. The mere suggestion there, that all that had happened between them was just an act, just him manipulating her; it hurt her deeply in ways she couldn't even articulate. "Ouch."

Poe's fierce expression broke at the small, wounded sound of her voice. He no longer looked mad, but he did look defeated.

"He makes me nervous, Rose," he all but pleaded. "I don't trust him. I can't rely on him."

Rose threw her hands up. "Then why are you even taking him with you in the first place?"

Poe glowered at her. "He has access. You'd rather I cut the idiot's hand off to use the fingerprint scanners?" Before she could respond, he added, "Look, I don't want things to go wrong and for you to end up hurt. Or dead. He's not worth it."

"Yes, he is," she reasoned back, and the emotion in her voice looked to knock Poe back a step. "He's a whole person, Poe. He's done horrific things, yes, but life hasn't been kind to him either. I know it's hard to stomach, but he's not what you think he is. He's not all of what you think he is."

"Has he apologized?"

Rose stilled, lips parting at his words. "Wh-what?"

Poe shrugged his shoulders high before letting them drop. "Has he said he's sorry? For what the Orders done? For Starkiller? For Hays Minor? For any of it?"

Rose winced. "He… he said he was glad I didn't die on the Supremacy…"

"Oh. Well. In that case. We should give him a full-on pardon! What a true change of heart the bastards had!"

"Don't call him that!" Her own voice caught her by surprise, sudden emotion welling up into the back of her throat. Angry heat had rushed her face so fast it made her momentarily dizzy, prickling at her cheeks.

Poe stared at her, mouth hanging open, unable to gather words.

From across the room, D'Acy cleared her throat. "There's no question Rose would be an asset to the mission. You've done really great work with Hux, Rose. You should be proud of yourself."

It was supposed to be a compliment, but all Rose felt was shame. All the work she'd done for the Resistance, and she'd been enjoying her time with Hux for completely selfish reasons.

She glanced over and saw Finn looking at her with a peculiar expression. She thought it must be disappointment, and lowered her gaze.

"So," she said in a controlled voice, "what happens now?"


Hux paced his quarters, which, given its small size, was not a particularly satisfying endeavor. He'd returned directly to his bunk when Rose had gone off with the others, still uneasy about being seen roaming the grounds without her presence.

He hoped Dameron wasn't giving her too hard of a time. He certainly hoped she wasn't going to be demoted.

There came a chime at the door, stilling him in yet another turn about the room.

He thought it might be Rose, but to his surprise, when he pressed the command panel and the door slid open with a hiss, he came face to face with Finn.

"Hey," the man said, holding a heavy, tightly-wrapped parcel in his arms.

Hux stood in the doorway, unwilling to invite him in. "Can I help you?"

Finn's eyebrow rose up. "Maybe. I'm here to brief you." He glanced around Hux's shoulder to the room beyond expectantly. Hux sighed and stepped out of the way of the door, motioning him inside. Striding in and over to the desk against the wall, Finn deposited the heavy parcel.

"What are those," Hux asked, tone curt, standing at attention with his hands behind his back.

"Your uniform. Well, not your uniform. A uniform. A General's uniform. Coat and all. We found a whole stockpile on one of the ships we captured. We figured you still had your boots," he added, glancing down at Hux's footwear for confirmation.

"And the mission?"

Finn crossed his arms over his chest, turning to lean back casually against the table. A muscle under Hux's eye twitched. Such lack of decorum.

Finn narrowed his gaze for a long moment; cocked his head to the side. "You're really going to help us."

Hux worked his jaw, looking at the floor. "It's my most logical course of action." That was his true reason, surely.

Finn nodded slowly. "Right. So… we'll take the command shuttle to the Dreadnaught. You say you survived, laid low until it was safe enough to join back up with the fleet. Take your rightful place as Supreme Leader or whatever."

Hux nodded, absorbing the information.

"Once we're onboard, we'll jump in the fleet, say the Resistance must have been tracking you. You'll scramble all available fighters so they're off all the ships. That way there's less personnel; less of a chance of us all getting caught."

"You think that whoever is in command is going to believe that I just," Hux made an errant gesture, "survived being shot in the chest—"

"Technically you did do that—"

"—evaded capture for weeks, and yet, as soon as I'm aboard the remaining flagship, the Resistance suddenly appears, having been tracking me all along?"

Finn twisted his mouth to the side. "You think the more believable story is that you sold them out?"

Hux glowered at him for a long moment before replying. "Fine. Continue."

"So, Poe and I will head to the engine room, disengage a few of the fuel rods so the ship's self-destruct fail safes won't engage, while you and Rose—"

"Stop," Hux said sharply, taking a step towards Finn almost unconsciously. "What do you mean Rose and I?"

Finn's brows pulled together. "Uh… Rose and you? Like, you and Rose? She's coming with us."

Hux's heart thudded up into his throat. "That's not possible."

"What? Why?" The other man looked bewildered.

Because she could be hurt. Because she could be killed. Because she could be caught in the crossfire, in the explosion, in any number of untold scenarios that would put her life in grave danger.

Hux bit down on his words, sharp like thorns at the back of his throat. All these things he could not say. It would be admitting, out loud, that he actually cared.

"Look, you can hate the idea all you want," Finn said, before Hux could figure out what to say, "but she's already insisted."

Of course she had, the stubborn fool. Hux glowered at the wall over Finn's shoulder, unable and unwilling to express just why he was feeling so suddenly apprehensive.

Finn pursed his lips. "You want me to keep going?" At Hux's silence, he took a breath. "You and Rose will take the bridge, upload the virus, and prime the main canons. We'll have a large Resistance ship in position as a decoy, so they won't think you're planning on firing on the Destroyers. We don't want to obliterate them right off the bat, just keep them from being a threat until they can be evacuated. You know where to target them for that, right?"

Hux sniffed, straightening his posture. "Yes."

"The fleet will then jump away, and if the virus works—"

"It will."

"— then the TIEs will be disabled. Evacuate all three ships, take out the Destroyers for good, and then initiate the Dreadnaught's self-destruct protocols. That's it. And the First Order fleet will be gone."

Hux bit the inside of his lip.

Gone.

The sting of failure, of betrayal, was still there, but it was a dull throb rather than something sharp and breath-stealing.

"Rose… mentioned retrieving any survivors."

Finn gave him an odd look. "Yeah… well, we'll be jumping the fleet back once the coast is clear. If we can force most of the escape pods and TIE fighters to land on Brysis, then we can begin processing prisoners."

The two of them stared for a long moment at one another, Finn's arms still crossed over his chest.

Finn looked slightly nervous then, and leaned forward a degree. "Hey, did you know I was Force sensitive?" His brows furrowed at the last bit.

Completely baffled, Hux opened his mouth in surprise, but then quickly shut it.

"How in the hell would I have known that?" He snapped.

Finn rolled his eyes. "You worked with Kyl—" His eyes shut for a beat. "Ben for years, and he never talked to you about the Force? How to recognize it?"

Hux actually laughed at that; a dark and incredulous sound. After a moment, he composed himself, unable to fully cease smirking. "If you mean as it pertains to Project Harvester, that operation was under my father's purview, not mine."

Finn glowered. "No, you just kidnapped kids indiscriminately. Brainwashing them."

The self-deprecating humor quickly slid from Hux's face, replaced by quiet solemnity.

"Perhaps the taking by force, at such a young age, was, admittedly, a step too far."

Nothing he could say would fix the past; erase the things this man had endured.

"It was a ruthless, iniquitous program, but we thought the sacrifice was worth it." It was the truth, after all.

Finn looked a little surprised. Maybe he thought Hux would have tried to deny the program's immorality.

"Well, it wasn't."

"I am… aware of that now." Hux pressed his tongue against the back of his teeth, weighing his next words. "I am not ignorant as to what you have suffered, but… perhaps it is difficult for me to appreciate the pain of being separated from one's family, seeing as the death of my father, vile as he was, came as such a relief to me."

Now it was Finn's turn to open his mouth in surprise.

Hux cut his eyes away, unwilling to delve into the topic further. "The mission," he said, "when do we leave?"

Finn swallowed, trying to steer back onto the previous topic. "Tomorrow. Early. Poe wants to get the drop on them before they get word about our mission to Fondor."

Hux grunted.

Finn pushed himself away from the desk. "And Rose can take care of herself. You don't need to worry about her so much."

Hux's head whipped back around, choking on the very air he breathed. "I am not—"

"She really stood up for you today, you know," he continued, turning toward the door.

Hux looked confused; taken aback.

"I… excuse me?"

"Yeah. Poe was going off, but she said… she said you were glad she escaped off the Supremacy. Is that true?" The man looked back, eyes narrowed, like he was trying to catch every minute detail of Hux's reaction. Hux's forehead wrinkled, brows pulling together as he frowned.

Finn blinked in surprise. "You really did, didn't you?"

Hux drew in slow, thought-gathering breath. "She's a very talented engineer," he said quietly, meeting Finn's gaze.

The other man nodded, making a low 'humm' sound in agreement as he pressed the door's control panel.

"Oh, and I almost forgot," Finn stopped halfway out the door, fishing into his back pocket as he turned. "You'll need these for any of this to even be the least believable."

Hux reached out and took the pair of standard-issue black leather gloves being offered. He stared down at them; shiny, still crisply pressed; achingly familiar. He swallowed. "I'll need a few additional provisions, if it's not a problem."

"Sure," Finn said. "I'll see what I can do."


Rose tugged on the hem of her First Order uniform, checking herself in the mirror on the inside door of her wardrobe. The thing still fit; tight and snug against her body.

Her stomach did an odd sort of turn as she studied her reflection.

The Order was a terrible organization, but… there was something about their uniforms. The jacket fit like a second skin, which made her a little uncomfortable in how it hugged her, but at the same time, the whole getup made her feel a bit fearless, too. All the sharp lines and stiff fabric, maybe. She could sink into it with little effort if she really wanted to; be cold and unfeeling; unyielding. Formidable. It was dangerous, because it was an easy armor to hide in, an easy shield over one's humanity, but there was something alluring about it all the same.

Well, she always did like the color teal.

Rose huffed, jittery with pre-mission nerves. She adjusted her Major's cap before turning to the desk and taking the small datastick resting there. Dormant within was their precious computer virus. She stowed it in her breast pocket, next to her medallion and her heart.

"Right…" she muttered, taking a deep breath and pressing the panel next to the door. She had to go collect Hux and meet Poe and Finn at the airfield.

It was still very early, so the hallways were most empty, save for a few early-risers yawning their way to the freshers at the end of the hall. Rose marched on with purpose, biting the inside of her lip, trying to run over the plan again, trying to predict what could go wrong and how it could be fixed.

Before she knew it, she was standing in front of his door.

Clamping down on her nerves, she pressed the bell option on the display screen. Within, a chime sounded.

"Come," she heard him say, muffled through the wall.

The door hissed open under her hand, and she had enough time to take just one step before everything around her ground to a complete and breath-stilling halt.

She'd caught him standing at the desk, greatcoat slung over the back of the chair, just as he was slipping on the final piece of his uniform; the glove on his right hand. The one she'd bit. He pulled the hem firmly down over his wrist, curling his fingers into a tight fist. In the quiet of the room, Rose could hear the leather creaking.

At the sight of it, at the sound of it, she uttered a small, "Oh," without thinking. It was mostly breath, a barely-there flutter, and it had unfurled from her chest so softly; a rising sound that ended in intense and immediate embarrassment.

She tried to hide it with a kind of cough as he turned, but in seeing him, her situation did not improve in the slightest.

He'd shaved again, perhaps that very morning, and someone must have found him a kind of pomade, because his hair was slicked back into that familiar style from their first meeting on the Supremacy.

It was like he'd been plucked out of an earlier moment in history and grafted onto this one.

The look of him in full regalia, to her immense mortification, made the echo of that 'oh' turn something warm and delicious inside her. He looked more confident than she'd ever seen him. He hadn't even opened his mouth yet she could already tell his demeanor was… different. It was the uniform, she realized. It gave him a certain kind of courage.

She'd seen him cocky before, she'd seen him contemptuous, but she'd never seen him look this good.

Apparently, Rose had been standing still for so long in the room's entrance, that the pneumatic door thought she'd up and gone, and suddenly tried to close on her. She jumped forward with a sound of surprise, and the door slid shut, sealing them both in the quiet of the room.

Finally, she got the courage to drag her eyes up to his face, and was taken aback by his expression.

He appeared caught by her, hands still frozen where they'd been fiddling with his gloves, lips slightly parted and eyebrows drawn together. The very picture of soft astonishment, all at the sight of her.

When she met his eyes, tilting her head back slightly to look up at him, his surprise was quickly burnt away under a sharp and sudden heat.

It reminded her of before, by the escape pod, and then again came that feeling of power. A power from how he yielded to her, unconscious perhaps, or maybe not.

He looked at her like she was his only tether to the entire world around them.

Rose swallowed, trying to think over the loud roar in her ears.

"Your uniform," he said in a low, rough voice, one she could very nearly feel.

"Uh," she turned slightly, pivoting on the ball of her foot, torso and head twisting around to get a good look at herself. "Is… is it wrong?"

And then she did something that, if tensions hadn't been so high pre their mission, she would not have otherwise been so bold to attempt. She might have actually been able to talk herself out of it, been self-conscious enough to know it was a dangerous idea. But no, she was damn near giddy with nerves about the upcoming operation, and all good sense, at seeing him, had promptly vanished.

Hip still cocked, body still slightly twisted away, she moved her head a fraction towards him, still giving him mostly the side of her face.

"I think it looks alright." And then she just… flicked her gaze back over to him, a brazen glance thrown casually in his direction. "Don't you?"

Was it a tease? A dare? For herself? For him?

Maybe she just wanted to take hold of that unyielding, resilient feeling that being in such a formidable uniform could give her. It was obvious it gave him confidence, and she'd be damned if she couldn't do the same; use it as an armor against how vulnerable he made her feel.

Maybe, she just… wanted to see what he would do.

Boldly, she met his gaze, and all Hux's brain could do was conjure a single, inelegant, Fuck.

The feeling from the fresher that morning, of wanting to possess her, roared back to life stronger and more all-consuming than ever.

"Come here, Major," he said, crooking a gloved finger in her direction.

Rose's eyes widened, mentally chastising herself. Well, what kind of reaction had she expected? She'd known how this would wind him up, and she'd done it anyway. So shameless.

"Sure…" she said, trying to play it cool even as the heat in his eyes threatened to consume her. She took a step toward him.

His lip curled up in distaste, wrinkling his nose a bit.

"At attention," Hux admonished.

Rose slid her heels together, willing to play along; to see where this little game led them. She didn't want the sizzling thrill of it all to end just yet.

"You certainly won't fool any First Order Officers with that sloppy posture of yours," he scoffed.

His words were cold, a flickering echo of how she remembered General Hux to sound, but she found his tone lacked any real disdain. She wasn't afraid of him. Couldn't be. Not after what he had shown her, bared to her, over the last month.

He might have been swathed in tight black leather and heavy-spun wool standing there now, but she knew the man underneath. She could still see Armitage. The man who'd lost so much, who'd ground through all that pain; who'd come crawling out the other side, so badly broken, and into her life.

No, the tightening thrill running up and down her spine had nothing to do with fear.

As he watched her straighten at his command, his jaw-clenched with barely-constrained desire. Hux could concede that this was an entirely selfish endeavor. It almost made him feel guilty. Almost.

But hell, he reasoned, they'd probably all be dead in about five hours, so what did it matter if he was selfish just this once? And the way she looked now, eyes wide and lips slightly parted, pink in the cheeks and trying, unsuccessfully, to breathe in any normal rhythm— perhaps he wasn't the only one so affected.

Who was to deny them this one, momentary diversion?

Hux hummed, thoughtful, and took a step towards her.

Rose held her breath, but let it out again when he pivoted, moving around to her left in a slow, appraising circle. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw his gloved fingers gripping his chin as he studied her.

Of all the times he'd looked downright predatory, this one took the cake.

"At least your hair isn't running away on you this time," she heard him mutter from over her shoulder. Close. He was standing very close.

Rose suppressed a shiver of dark delight; glad she was facing away from him. He couldn't see how she pulled at her bottom lip, trapping it tight between her teeth.

She inhaled in surprise at the sudden pressure of his fingers at the small of her back, his other hand going up to grip her right shoulder, rolling her shoulders back. She immediately responded, letting him position her spine.

"There," he said, with a hint of satisfaction.

Rose blushed, pressing her thighs together almost unconsciously.

He hated to touch, to be touched, but he seemed to hold no such reservations now, there in the quiet of his room.

Why?

Because she was special, Rose realized. Not in some grandiose, universe-altering 'special' kind of way. Not like Rey. Not like Ben. No, it was because Hux had placed some kind of priceless, fragile treasure in her hands. Him. All she had to do was constrict her fist and he'd break, fall to pieces, she realized; no matter what kind of armor he'd wrapped himself in. But she didn't want him to shatter. Quite the opposite. She relished that trust he gave her.

The pressure left her back, but then he gripped the back of her Major's cap, pushing it more forward than she'd originally had it, steadying it atop her head. He used his ring and pinky fingers to balance his hands upon the base of her skull; she could feel the smooth leather of his gloves pressing against the back of her neck.

"It's not some jaunty hat," Hux said, removing his hands. "You shouldn't wear it like Dameron."

Really?! Rose nearly broke her stance; nearly huffed in hot frustration. There was no one else she'd rather think of less, at that very moment, than Poe. Not when Hux was standing so close and touching her like this.

Her anger quickly evaporated, because in the next moment his hands were on her again, one pointer finger on either side of the top of her spine. Slowly, trailing fire through the fabric, he drew his hands horizontally over the top of her back, ending with one finger each on either tip of her austere epaulettes.

It had been a mere stroke of his hand; not even his hand, his fingers, but even so, Rose had to concentrate to keep her legs from giving out.

He drew away. "Your shoulders are in line. Very good. Now," he continued in a clipped, formal tone, coming around to stop in front of her again. "Standing at attention requires but four simple postures. Chest out, shoulders back, stomach in, and chin," he reached out and caught the underside of her jaw with a gloved knuckle, dragging her head higher so their gazes locked. "Up."

He smirked, obviously pleased with himself. In a slow voice, he asked, "Have you got that?"

"Yes," she breathed, without an ounce of hesitation.

Hux cocked his head, unveiled lust simmering in his expression. "Yes?"

"Yes, General. Sir."

That look on his face. Right there. Right then. Right when she'd said those words. Rose thought for sure he was about to pounce. And oh, she wanted him to.

She wanted him.

Rose swallowed, leaning forward ever so slightly, and— and was he tipping toward her, too?

A sharp, shrill noise made them both jump, and Rose made a startled sound in the back of her throat. Hux hissed, looking around her.

There was a call coming through on the room's intercom. Hux dropped his hand, features contorting into sudden annoyance. As he moved past her, Rose tried to get ahold of herself, cursing both her brazenness and her bad luck in getting interrupted.

Not to mention the mission…

How was she going to concentrate when he'd looked at her like that?

She kept chastising herself silently, even as Hux depressed the receiver button on the comms device.

"What," he snapped, sounding horribly irritated.

Finn's voice came into the room.

"We're about done with pre-flight prep. You two ready to go?"

"I'll be there shortly," he said, switching off the comms. He didn't want to give Finn the impression that he'd been right; that she was in his room.

"We should go," Rose said, once she'd gulped down enough air to keep her voice steady. "We can't make them wait."

"Of course," Hux replied, struggling to mask every ounce of disappointment. Such a shame, he lamented; he'd most likely be dead by sundown, on this impossibly-brash mission, before he ever got the chance to claim her mouth.

With a stiff air he came back to grab his coat, pulling it on and adjusting the front of his uniform. He was keenly aware of how Rose watched his every movement.

He nodded curtly at her when he was done.

"Are you ready?"

Rose nodded back, determination flickering over her features.

"Let's do it," she said.

A small smile pulled at his mouth. He turned towards the door, hand commanding it to open.

"With me, Major."


A/N-Thank you for reading! As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Special thank you to Brit Solo ( birchwoods01 on A03) for all your help in proof-reading, editing, discussing headcanons, and general fangirling. I'm so glad to have met you in this wonderful fandom!