The Patron Saint of Lost Causes

Chapter 14


Hux wasn't waiting for her in the hall the next morning. Rose found him instead at the table in the canteen they'd shared before for morning drinks. He was sitting with his back rigid as usual, but his gaze was cast down, focusing on a datapad and his tall, black mug. He was so engrossed in reading he didn't even hear her walk up until the last moment.

"You don't seem like the kind of person who usually loses track of time," she needled playfully, sliding down into the seat across from him.

Surprise flickered briefly over his delicate, pale features before he frowned.

"The Resistance's alacrity and lack of order seems to finally be corrupting me."

"Oh, of course," Rose replied, in an overly-serious voice. His mouth twitched up into a little smile, even as he looked down towards the table.

"What are you reading?" She asked.

"Dispatches. News cables. Things I've missed since my arrival here."

Looking at the datapad upside-down, Rose could still see one of the headlines included the name 'New Republic'.

"Are you nervous?"

"Hm?" Hux's eyes flicked up to Rose.

She tried again. "Are you worried about tomorrow?"

The mission to Lira was the next morning.

Hux narrowed his eyes. Not in malice; only as he appraised her.

This was her roundabout way of telling him she was worried, wasn't it?

"I've been reading about them. The New Republic, I mean," she said quickly. Hux watched her with a very careful, hesitant expression. "Did you know that when the Empire fell, the New Republic allowed for leniency in the majority of sentences? They even invited former Imperial governors to join the New Republic!"

Despite her look of optimism, his heart felt heavy.

Was that before or after they'd all been vaporized? Is what he wanted to say, but he couldn't hurt her.

"That's encouraging," was all he allowed, taking a long sip of his tea.

Rose looked undeterred by his less than enthusiastic tone.

That made him nervous. Not so much the mission, but her unwillingness to be clear eyed with what was undoubtedly about to happen. It was reminiscent of her over-optimistic release of him into the Resistance's general populace. Perhaps she'd forgotten, but he'd almost been beaten to death.

That bit of Rose he loved, that caring, hopeful passion— too much of it was dangerous. Especially if one used it to hide from uncomfortable truths.

Was she in denial? Or was she simply trying to keep positive?

"Would you like help with the Y-Wing engine today?" He asked gently, smiling a bit. If this was his last day as a free man, he wanted to spend it with her. Just the two of them. Tinkering away.

Rose smiled broad.

"Yeah," she said. "That would be nice."

They worked the entire day together. To Rose's begrudging delight, Hux always seemed to have the tool she needed before she could even ask for it.

"Can you hand me the—"

Rose pulled her head out from inside the engine, but found the multi-tool she'd required already hanging in front of her face. Hux was holding it out to her without looking, eyes trained upon his datapad as he perched on top of the ship's side panels, legs drawn up slightly.

"Cheeky," Rose mumbled, snatching it from his gloved fingers and trying very hard not to smile.

"Pardon?"

"Whatever," she puffed, ducking back under before a wickedly broad grin broke across her face. She could almost forget the mission, like this.

As the afternoon drew to a close, they both had to admit that the Y-Wing's coolant system had been fixed hours ago, and now they were simply continuing to putter around as an excuse to spend time together. At sundown, they stopped for the night.

At the canteen for supper, they ate at the same table again. It was sort of becoming 'their' table, and it delighted Rose to no end.

"Will you do anything? Tomorrow morning?" Rose pushed food around her plate. "Before we're supposed to leave?"

Hux thought for a moment, running a hand over the barely-there stubble on his face. "I think I'll shave."

Despite the nervous butterflies in her stomach, Rose had to laugh at that.

"Okay, after that. I was thinking we could meet extra early. For caf. And tea," she added.

He gave her a small smile, but a true one. "I would like that."


Poe was taking the scenic route. New planets always did fascinate him to no end, so of course he had to take a look.

Poe was piloting the command shuttle, while Chewy and Finn had gone ahead in the Falcon and met the representative of the New Republic Council. A few light fighters had also followed. They'd all ridden in the belly of the Destroyer most of the way from Ajan Kloss, but had left the larger ship hanging in orbit.

Across the shuttle's passenger compartment, Captain Triss and her Lieutenant sat quietly.

Rose took in the planet over her right shoulder, through the command shuttle's viewport.

Lira.

The planet was shrouded in mist and cloud as they came through the atmosphere. As they flew in closer, Rose saw peatland forests and native woodlands. It looked a bit damp in some places; mossy and rocky with little waterfalls and windswept uplands.

In all honesty, it was beautiful.

The base came into view, with a little town set up in the surrounding area, adjacent to the more militaristic buildings of the Council's headquarters.

Close. The landing pad was so close.

"Rose."

She turned to Hux, who was seated beside her.

"Hm? Oh…"

His hand came up to gently cup the side of her face. She caught the look in his narrowed eyes, a desirous flash of green; long lashes fluttering against his skin.

He'd taken off his glove, and his palm was warm.

Rose closed her eyes at the feel of him; the contact alone had her leaning into his touch.

Keeping her face steady, he kissed her.

She responded to his advance, opening her mouth for him with a sigh. As he swept past her lips with his tongue, kissing her thoroughly, Rose realized how much she enjoyed letting him have his way with her mouth. She could just let go, and he was there to catch her. Soft and warm.

Except there was more to this particular kiss, she thought. A desperate tinge; a hint of sadness.

It only made her more determined. She'd make them see. They'd all soon understand who Armitage Hux really was. Who he had become. He'd made progress; he could heal. He could go on to do great works for the good of the galaxy, she knew it.

The command shuttle jerked a bit as it touched down, rocking them. Before he pulled back from her, Rose caught his fingers with her hand, and held his gaze fiercely.

"That's not a goodbye kiss," she said, with a challenging edge.

Hux huffed, lips parted, like she'd tugged the sound from him in one sharp jerk. His eyes were bright with emotion, though his expression was decidedly impassive.

"I sincerely hope not," he said at length, but the way he held her, she might have felt him tremble.

"Alright kids," Poe said, strolling down from the cockpit, hitting the command pad that started the lowering of the ramp. There, as the foggy light and the cool, green-bright smelling breeze whipped into the shuttle, it revealed Finn and Chewy waiting for them upon the ground.

Captain Triss looked at Hux, who gave her a nod. She snapped her wrist at her Lieutenant as she rose to her feet. The younger man followed her down the ramp.

Hux stood, bringing Rose up with him.

She attempted to interlace their fingers.

"We mustn't," Hux said, firm, but with a tinge of regret. Before she could argue, Hux added, "I do not wish you to be associated with the Order."

He gave her a small smile, but she thought it looked sad. "Allow me that, at least."

A shiver ran down Rose's spine, but she nodded, following Hux down the ramp.

There stood their welcoming party: a member of the Council was present, a willowy female with light tawny skin holding a datapad. She was close to human in her features, but taller, and with an elongated neck and arm joints. Accompanying her were a number of Peacekeeper soldiers, dressed in blue and white uniforms, their tinted visors dropped over their eyes like an X-wing helmet, obscuring their identities.

Cowards. He'd broadcast his entire image across the galaxy on Starkiller, and these men weren't even strong enough to show their faces.

Rose thought it was a rather… large number of Peacekeeping soldiers. Eight in total. That was… quite a lot, wasn't it?

Four of the Peacekeepers were already cuffing Captain Triss and her Lieutenant, two attending each, leading them over to one of the two prison transports.

The tall woman, dressed in a long-sleeved, lilac gown, tutted.

"The poor dears," she muttered, looking at the retreating backs of the younger First Order officers. "They will be tried and processed," she said to the Peacekeeper beside her, making some notes on the datapad, "but I believe they may be more valuable if retrained. We shall work on that over time."

Upon seeing Hux, one of the Peacekeepers strode towards them, a pair of stun cuffs hanging in his hands.

Rose bristled, taking a small step in front Hux, looking at the Peacekeeper with a furious expression. "Is that really necessary? Isn't it obvious he's surrendering?"

At Rose's voice, the woman's large, long-lashed eyes swiveled in their direction. As her wide mouth smiled, Rose could see sharp little rows of teeth.

"Hold!" The woman called, before the peacekeeper could cuff him. Her long legs bent oddly under the fabric of her gown as she walked toward them.

"General Hux," she said as she approached, like he was a gift she would no longer be denied.

"And you are?" Hux asked blandly, ridged and cold.

The woman flashed him a sardonic smile. "I am Councilwoman Zeena, member of the New Republican Senate."

"Charmed," he replied, as if he were anything but.

"General Poe Dameron, ma'am," Poe darted forward between them and stuck out his hand, perhaps trying to ease the tension before Hux did anything stupid.

The councilwoman paused, turning to look at Poe with her unnaturally wide eyes.

"Your Commander mentioned you, General Dameron," the woman replied demurely, taking Poe's hand with a limp wrist, rather than a firm shake.

Poe nodded to the others. "This is General Finn, Lieutenant General Rose Tico, and Chewbacca.

"My condolences to you all for your Princess' passing," she added, looking at the four of them. "She was a valiant crusader for justice, and an ally to many in the New Republic." Her eyes flashed. "Even if some of her ideas were a little… unconventional."

Rose was confused. She… hadn't liked General Leia? It had never occurred to her that there were members of the New Republic who hadn't liked Leia Organa.

"Ahha… right," Poe said, looking a little on-edge himself.

"Your Commander D'Acy," the woman said as she released Poe's hand. "She has extended to you all our invitations, yes? In joining our new force?"

Everyone was silent, which she must have taken as ascent.

"Good." She smiled, finally turning her attention back to her prize.

"General Armitage Hux of the First Order," she drew in a breath, but it sounded like a hiss. She pointed a long, sharp-nailed finger in his face. "Empire born; Arkanis I believe. Son of a Commandant." Hux did not shrink back or wince. He kept his cold, imposing air as he stared into the woman's large eyes. The accusing finger flicked, traveled down from pointing at his head, to his chin, lower then, to his shoulders.

Rose realized the woman was appraising him.

"Hm, the Starkiller in person," she muttered. "Seeing you here now, I must say… the holos did make you seem a bit more... formidable."

A muscle in Hux's jaw twitched at that.

The woman leaned in, a good few inches taller.

Hux's lip curled up in distaste as he looked up at her.

She smirked then, glancing at the Peacekeepers who had stayed behind. "Strip him."

Rose blanched. "What?"

The woman stepped back as a second soldier came forward. Hux pulled his shoulders up higher, nearly baring his teeth as the four remaining guards moved to descend upon him.

Rose began to step in to stop them, just as Poe made a noise of protest.

"Is that really how the New Republic wants to treat their prisoners?" Poe said in a high, disapproving voice, both eyebrows cocked up. He looked from the Peacekeepers back to the Councilwoman. "We'll be sure to mention conduct in our report. You know, for those who might want to join."

It was a weak play to make; the Resistance was barely a mere militia group compared to the authority of the New Republic.

Still, the woman held up her hand, and the Peacekeepers froze. She thought a moment, then let out a pensive hum as she looked around at the three Resistance members.

"Interesting," she muttered. Then she motioned at the soldiers in Hux's direction. "Search him, then." And to Rose, "Please step aside."

Hux gave Rose a brief look of warning.

Rose backed off; bottom lip caught between her teeth. She watched in horror as they yanked the greatcoat from Hux's shoulders, pinning his arms momentarily, before stripping it down and tossing the coat into a heap upon the ground.

The Peacekeeper then patted down Hux's bodyline rather grimaced, issuing a soft grunt, swaying on his feet, but he kept his gaze fixed on the horizon.

Tears were beginning to gather in Rose's eyes as she looked from the discarded greatcoat back to Hux, worry etched upon her face. She kept trying to get him to look at her again, but he was unreachable.

Her apprehension grew as one of the soldiers cuffed Hux's hands in front of him. His gloved fingers curled into fists.

"Excellent." The councilwoman smiled. "Well," she said to Poe, Finn, and Rose, "you do have our thanks. You may be on your way."

Rose jumped forward, heart in her throat, choking on unshed tears. "W-Wait!"

The council woman's gaze rounded on her. Rose felt a shudder run through her as the woman's wide, glassy eyes pinned her to the spot, but she steeled herself. "What about his trial? We're supposed to be able to speak on his behalf."

"Trial?" The woman looked confused. "For the lower ranking members, perhaps yes. For this man?" She pointed accusingly at Hux. Her eyes flicked to his stoic face.

"You are aware of what this man has done, are you not?" She asked Rose, her tone sharp.

Rose faltered. "I— yes, but I—"

"Armitage Hux," the council woman's air turned formal, her tone calm and ceremonial. "You have been found guilty in the kidnapping of children immeasurable by number, and indoctrinating them in the First Order's Storm Trooper Program."

Hux glowered as the tears in Rose's eyes began spilling down her cheeks.

"You are so too guilty in the designing, planning, and execution of Starkiller base, wherein the Hosnian system, consisting of five planets in total, were subsequently destroyed. Billions vaporized. You have additionally been found as a material accessory to the blockade of the Otomok System, resulting in widespread atrocities-"

Rose tried to hold back her sobs, but they bubbled past her clenched teeth no matter how hard she tried to keep them at bay.

"- and in the subsequent testing of military weaponry upon civilians, resulting in the destruction of Hays Minor."

Rose kept seeing her mother and her father and Paige. Dead. All of them, dead. Her planet cracked and blackened. And Armitage at the helm, a broken child and a broken man, who knew neither compassion nor a gentle word nor the touch of his mother. Not even her name.

The council woman narrowed her large eyes. "Do you deny these actions?"

Finally, Hux's gaze shifted down toward Rose, and their eyes locked.

She was looking at him like he had the entire galaxy under his boot and was cutting off its air. Mourning, almost. For him. She hated seeing him this way, his crimes laid out bare before her. The monster she always thought he was.

The councilwoman glared. "General?"

"You forgot one," Hux said sharply, attention turning back to the alien woman before him.

"Is that so?"

Something flashed in his eyes

"Patricide."

The breath stilled in Rose's chest.

The councilwoman, for a moment, was taken aback.

"P-Patricide?"

"And he deserved it," Hux growled, teeth clenched, a fire suddenly lit and awake inside him. "Out of everything I've done there is not a day l don't relish the moment that man fell apart to atoms. I want that on record."

The councilwoman drew herself up once more, eyeing him as if he were now just a bit more formidable. With a challenging air, she jotted down his request in her notes.

"And the other charges. Do you deny them?"

He swallowed. "No."

"You see?" She said, as if sharing something precious. "General Hux's death warrant has already been signed by his own actions. Ratified by the entire council this morning."

"No!" Rose choked on her own words, through her tears and her anguish. "He's done terrible things in the past but he's grown. He's lived his entire life in a world without kindness, without a home, without hope. You hold all the cards now; you can at least give him a fair trial. That would be justice," Rose said through teeth-clenching grief.

Hux watched her, rewriting the universe in her image as she spoke.

The councilwoman too regarded her for a very long time. It made Rose feel undignified, there as she stood crying, small compared to Hux and even smaller compared to the spindly woman staring her down.

"The council has already signed the declaration. There will be no trial." At Rose's protests, the councilwoman held up her hand. "But you may speak for him tomorrow during sentencing. To ease his conscience, if you so wish." And then she turned away.

Rose bolted forward, unwilling to let that be the final word, but a Peacekeeper's armored arm knocked her sideways. She stumbled, falling into Finn and Poe, who had come up behind her. They caught her well enough, but the sight of the soldier's connecting blow made Hux's expression turn murderous.

"Rose!" He snarled, and made a start, but one of the Peacekeepers pressed a button upon his gauntlet.

The stun cuffs sizzled to life.

Rose gasped, reeling. "Hux!"

She watched, in horror, at the seizing expression of agony that screwed up his face. The electricity ripped through him, forcing him stiffly to the ground.

Hux let out a sharp, high-pitched breath of pain as the burning feeling slowly faded and his jaw finally unclenched. As the world came back to him, he found himself swaying on his knees, unable to speak.

"Let's be off, General," the councilwoman said, clearly satisfied.

A Peacekeeper came up behind him, gripping Hux by the back of his shirt. At the pull, Hux rose to trembling legs, still twitching from electric impulse. They pushed him forward, and Hux stumbled, almost falling before being caught by the collar and righted once again. He coughed as the fabric choked against his windpipe.

"Hells," he ground out, hoarse.

Disentangling herself from Finn and Poe, Rose got to her feet.

"You can't do this!"

Poe was able to grab hold of her before she bolted, his arm bracing around her chest to pull her back.

"Let go of me!" She struggled against Poe's arm, trying to throw him off. "Poe! Let go!" Her panic spiked as Hux was slowly led away on unsteady feet, looking more than a little stunned.

Her friend's voice was close in her ear. "Hey, cool it, alright? I know, I know, but we have to play the long game. We'll approach the council tomorrow. Right now we can't—"

But she was desperate.

"Hux!"

She saw him try and turn his head back to look at her, but a Peacekeeper jabbed him in the shoulder blades with the butt of his blaster. Even with the distance now between them, she could hear his grunt of pain.

No.

"They can't—they can't!"

Panic.

"Oh god. Hux!"

Fear.

"Armitage!"

He was getting further and further away.

"I love you!"

The words ripped from her chest as she called out to him, her voice breaking, body sagging forward against Poe's arm. He had to slide with her to the ground as her legs gave out.

Across the landing pad, she saw Hux pause, even as the Peacekeepers pushed him onward.

He'd heard her. She knew he did. He had to have. But she could not see his face.

Oh, she needed him to look back. Just once. Just so she could see. Was he giving her one of his small, treasured, genuine smiles that would tell her he loved her too?

"Please, please, please," she chanted into the wind, voice carried aloft.

I love you.

He was pushed into the second military transport. Rose watched him stumble into the seats on the far side of the tiny detainment vehicle, the door closing swiftly behind him before she got a glimpse of his face.

Wind whistled along the docked spacecraft as a howl nestled deep in Rose's chest. She slumped against the ground. No, not the wind. The sound was coming from her.

Poe's arm finally released her as the military transport rumbled away.

Falling apart. It was all falling apart.

She shook her head in disbelief as she held herself,

Her eyes fell on the pile of Hux's greatcoat. With a desperate noise Rose grabbed at it, dragging it towards her, the fabric balled up in her arms. Head bowed, she breathed in his scent, her mind racing.

No, it couldn't end like this.

"Damn it," Poe muttered quietly, getting to his feet and dusting off his pants. "Now what?"

Finn looked between his two comrades. "It's not over yet."

Rose sniffed, moaning into the lining of Hux's First Order jacket.

"You heard her, Rose," Finn said. "They'll still give us an audience with the council."

"Yeah?!" Rose said angrily, even as she hiccupped back the sobs in her throat. "And what'll that do? You heard her! He's already been condemned," she spat, her grief turning bitter.

Poe put his hands on his hips, thinking quietly. "We need backup. It's clear they won't listen to Resistance members. We're just rebels with blasters to them."

Rose's heart pounded in her ears, her body freezing where she was hunched over.

He was pushed into the second military transport. Rose watched him stumble into the seats on the far side of the tiny detainment vehicle, the door closing swiftly behind him before she got a glimpse of his face.

Wind whistled along the docked spacecraft as a howl nestled deep in Rose's chest. She slumped against the ground. No, not the wind. The sound was coming from her.

Poe's arm finally released her as the military transport rumbled away.

Falling apart. It was all falling apart.

She shook her head in disbelief as she held herself,

Her eyes fell on the pile of Hux's greatcoat. With a desperate noise Rose grabbed at it, dragging it towards her, the fabric balled up in her arms. Head bowed, she breathed in his scent, her mind racing.

No, it couldn't end like this.

"Damn it," Poe muttered quietly, getting to his feet and dusting off his pants. "Now what?"

Finn looked between his two comrades. "It's not over yet."

Rose sniffed, moaning into the lining of Hux's First Order jacket.

"You heard her, Rose," Finn said. "They'll still give us an audience with the council."

"Yeah?!" Rose said angrily, even as she hiccupped back the sobs in her throat. "And what'll that do? You heard her! He's already been condemned," she spat, her grief turning bitter.

Poe put his hands on his hips, thinking quietly. "We need backup. It's clear they won't listen to Resistance members. We're just rebels with blasters to them."

Rose's heart pounded in her ears, her body freezing where she was hunched over.

He was right.

The four of them; they held no significance, no weight.

They couldn't persuade the Council.

But... maybe there was someone who still could.

A Jedi.

Rose leapt to her feet, all the blood rushing from her head, making her groan and sway.

"Hey," Finn came forward, offering her a hand. "Don't stand up so fast. Take it easy. What is it?"

"Need the comms," she said, gathering up all the anguish inside of her and pushing it into determination. She moved past Finn, back towards the Falcon. Chewy watched her as she passed, warbling a low note of comfort and support.

As she stalked up the ship's gangplank, Rose unfurled the greatcoat around her shoulders, letting the weight of it provide a warm, pressing comfort. It smelled like him; like suede and amber. Spicy like clove but still subtly sweet. It made a lump rise in the back of her throat.

Hadn't she just been fantasizing about him not a few days prior? Yearning over the thought of her legs wrapped around all the sharp angles of him? She'd been thrumming with it. Now it seemed all so far away; mere daydreams.

In the Falcon's cockpit, she fumbled with the communications controls, punching in the appropriate station markers as she wiped furiously at the tears still running down her cheeks.

"Please be there," Rose chanted. She hadn't burned with pain like this since she'd lost Paige. "Please pick up."

The line popped and buzzed with static.

And then—

A woman's voice, laced with concern. "Rose?"

Rose let out a choking breath of relief. "Rey!"

"What's happening? I felt something... Are you alright?"

"Rey." Rose's legs buckled; she had to collapse into the pilot's seat before she tumbled to the floor. "Rey, you need to come to Lira. Now."


Alone in the cramped transport, Hux sagged against the row of seating, the military vehicle gliding along towards its final destination. Electricity still twitched through him, making the muscles in his legs bounce, but he hardly felt it.

I love you.

She'd called out those words to him, even after all his charges had been read aloud and she'd been made to picture the carnage of it all over again. It had been laid out before her, like so many dead bodies he'd left in the entire wake of his life and—

I love you.

He didn't deserve it. Even before Rose, before he knew what it meant to want someone with the whole of his heart like he wanted her, he knew his actions, the choices he'd made, precluded him from love.

But she'd refused. Even when he'd pushed her away and cursed her compassion she'd held on tight, weathering the storm of him, continuing to unbend him with her hopeful light.

He should have taken her.

Back when he had the chance, that one night; to feel her move against him, surround him with the entirety of her tender heart.

Damn his weaknesses; his fear.

And—

That's what set his whole existence into motion, wasn't it? Fear.

His father's fear, and his mother's, the Empire's, the Order's, his own. Rage built upon inadequacies built upon sweet-sharp power and terrible pain.

Now, he feared, he'd lost Rose permanently because of it. Before he even knew he had her.

Hux cursed himself, because he couldn't even acknowledge that the things he'd done were wrong. Fruitless, maybe. A waste. He could concede that at least. Pointless.

How could Rose have given him her heart?

He was a terrible person. Didn't she understand that?

"Get out," barked a cold voice, and Hux lifted his head to see a Peacekeeper standing outside the now open door of the transport.

Hux hadn't realized they'd even come to a stop.

Sliding his impassive mask back into place, he bent over to exit out of the vehicle, arms still restrained in front of him.

They were in a large unloading station; a room made of duracrete large enough for vehicles to turn around in. Two Peacekeepers stood guarding the entrance to the main cells, next to an enclosed guard station and a row of electronic body scanners.

It was relatively quiet. And cold.

They were underground, Hux realized, as he cataloged his surroundings.

Interesting.

A small number of soldiers, too. Perhaps ten he'd seen so far, give or take a rounding error; he still could not see their faces.

All he'd witnessed so far hinted that this was likely a smaller, military prison. Meaning the New Republican Council wasn't focused on housing simple criminals.

They held high-value targets only, Hux would have to guess. Rogue bounty hunters; First Order brass.

"Look alive, Imperial bastard," a Peacekeeper gruffed at him, shoving him forward.

Hux made a face, a flickering gesture of distaste. Imperial.

Curiously, with the soldier's other barb, bastard, he'd felt the sting of it less keenly than he'd expected. A dull twinge of annoyance, rather than blistering anger. It both elated and terrified him.

Was he simply coming to accept it now? Or was it something else?

To his surprise, Hux realized he hadn't thought of Brendol in quite some days.

He still bristled at the soldier's taunts, perhaps out of principle, but let the feeling pass through him, allowing them to march him up to central processing.

At the top of the wide, duracrete steps, they passed two Peacekeeper guards standing on either side of the tall, metallic scanner. Ready to wave him though was a guard, safely locked away in a booth of transparisteel and duracrete. One of the Peacekeepers slid through the electronic turnstiles to wait for him on the other side.

During the transfer, there was a moment, an opening, a blaster too close to his cuffed hands as a Peacekeeper strode around him. A thrill went through him at the sight of it, at the calculation he made, whip-quick.

It was a chance. It would be his only chance.

He could fight them until they beat him dead. Electrocuted him to death. Or he could escape. The latter outcome had the lowest probability of success, but he let the idea of it swell momentarily before he let it go.

He could have made the attempt, but it would hurt Rose.

She wanted to try for him with the Council. She deserved that chance, even if he thought it was foolish. He couldn't take that last spark of hope away from her. He simply didn't have it in him.

The Peacekeeper on duty waved him through, and Hux marched stoically forward, pausing in the center of the machine as a lightband swung around him, bouncing electromagnetic waves off his person to provide an image for the Council's search and record.

Through the viewport into the security booth, Hux was sure to keep an unimpressed sneer pulling at the corner of his mouth.

On the other side of the checkpoint there was a small waiting room with a duracrete table and more Peacekeepers awaited him.

Hux glanced at the table, and at the clinical-looking auto injector resting upon a metal tray.

Everything looked relatively new; bright and sterile. A cold comfort, but he'd take it, even for a prison.

It was obvious that the New Republic hadn't been on-planet very long, at least not in this capacity. Perhaps it had been a secret base until Starkiller.

They removed his jacket first of all. Hux clenched his teeth tight as one of the peacekeepers removed the buckle of his belt with no gentle hand.

"Should have shot him on sight," said a voice over his shoulder; one of the soldiers. "He doesn't deserve the air he's breathing after what he's done."

"Yeah," another peacekeeper voiced as they tossed his clothing into a plastoid bin on the floor. The man sounded regretful.

Ah, direct orders then. He was being kept alive for a reason.

A quick death would be generous, after all, but Hux did not assume the Council's benevolence extended to the likes of him. They'd sentence him in private, but he was certain they'd parade him around plenty before they were done with him.

A reedy young soldier piped up from a station by the entrance. "We could call it an accident. Maybe one of our blasters misfired." The man shrugged. "What do you think of that, Starkiller? Huh?"

Hux leveled his gaze at the man, but kept his expression as neutral as possible, save for the venom in his gaze.

Children and their threats. Hux would bet the young man had never even killed.

Well, they could taunt him all they wanted, but silence was his strength.

Even so, once reduced to his standard-issue three-quarters length black undershirt and pants, Hux could not suppress a shiver at the drastic temperature change.

Uncuffed from the confiscation of his outer layer, they moved for his gloves, but Hux removed them promptly before they had a chance to, handing them over as his final piece of freedom.

"Empire brat," one of the Peacekeepers grumbled, snatching the gloves from him with little care.

Before they could shackle him once again, Hux pushed his hair back into place; any of the bits that had fallen forward since the tarmac.

Even if they were going to throw him into a cell, he would keep his dignity. Not all the strands were cooperating, and reminded him of his time at the Resistance base, during his first few weeks as their prisoner.

The thought conjured Rose's face in his mind. Her soft, warm smile. He could feel her fingertips fluffing the fringe at the back of his neck.

As the cold bite of the stun cuffs clicked around his wrists, Hux let out a pained breath that had nothing to do with the shackles. He flexed his now bare fingers, trying to remember how she'd felt under his touch.

She'd been worth it. Even if the New Republic subverted all his expectations and shot him dead right there, the time he'd spent with her… It was a gift he did not deserve, but he was thankful for it all the same.

Unexpected emotion welled in the back of his throat, but Hux promptly pushed the memory of her away. He nestled the thought of her next to his heart, protected beneath the cold-blooded General he had to be.

Weakness was not an option, not now, no matter how sweet it felt to surrender to her.

They left him his boots, thankfully, but only after a thorough search, after which they took a retina scan and his fingerprints. Hux was sure they took his picture too; probably caught by the security feed.

When one of the on-duty peacekeepers pressed a medical gun against his skin, discharging a small, info-laden microchip into the flesh of his forearm, Hux grunted in pain, grimacing with a flash of clenched teeth.

Now he was truly at their mercy.

"Catalogued and numbered," one of the guards said, voice rife with satisfaction. "Just like your precious slave stormtroopers. Fitting, innit?" The man grinned, showing slightly yellowed teeth.

A muscle under Hux's eye twitched.

"Aw, that's too bad," the man continued. "Looks like he's really committed to giving us the silent treatment, eh boys?" There was a smattering of dark laughter. "Didn't they teach you manners on whatever backwater planet you spawned from?"

Hux stood up a bit straighter. "I was unaware that my making conversation was necessary for you to do your job. Apparently, I was mistaken."

The man's grin widened. Hux glowered.

"Come on, Thif," the man said, one of the younger Peacekeepers snapping to attention at the sound of his name. "Unlock the door. Let's introduce this bastard to his new home."

The older Peacekeeper took hold of Hux's arm, steering him roughly towards the durasteel door at the other end of the room.

"Everyone here is dying to make you eat plasma," the man hissed, sounding rather pleased.

"Delightful," Hux allowed through tightly-pressed lips.

At the younger Peacekeeper's prompting, the door to the cell block slid open with a pneumatic hiss, and they entered into a very long hallway.

"Not me," the man went on as the reinforced door closed behind them, "I ain't rushing to stick a barrel down your throat."

A row of cells on either side extended out before them in the almost overly-bright hallway. Perhaps a hundred cells, if Hux was making an estimate, with thick durasteel bars and doubly-encrypted electronic keypads.

"You might have wiped out my whole family; a lot of these men and women's families, too, but I don't want you dead," the man said. "I want you alive and kicking for as long as possible. Because one day, the Council's gonna forget all about you down here," his voice changed, dripping with violence, "and then you'll really be ours."

Hux set his jaw as he was marched down the corridor, refusing to look either way, even as some of the compound's current occupants began to notice his presence and recognize his face.

Mutters, murmurings, followed them as they passed, the low voices of who were most likely former First Order.

"Is that..?"

"Armitage Hux?"

"Impossible."

"Thought the General was dead."

"Spy."

"Traitor."

And then a cry went up, uncouth and jeering, no doubt from one of the more Republican detainees.

"It's Hugs!"

There was a smattering of jeers and laughter then.

Hux ground his jaw at the seemingly pervasive nickname.

Dameron, that son of a bitch.

Despite his near-shaking with concentration, Hux couldn't stop the embarrassed flush from creeping up his neck. With cruel jubilance, some of the inmates had started banging on their bars. The Peacekeeper chuckled, which only made the shame twist deeper.

Up ahead, one of the cell doors stood open, durasteel jaws waiting to swallow him whole.

"Here we are," the Peacekeeper said as they both slowed to a stop, voice calm despite the uproar they had made while walking down the hall. "Make yourself at home."

The man shoved Hux between the shoulder blades, forcing him into his cell, even as Hux maintained as straight a spine as possible.

The door swung closed with an electronic clicking sound behind him, the light from the hallway illuminated the room. Sparse; four walls, a hard metal bed, and a drain in the floor.

Quaint.

"Enjoy your stay, you mass-murdering son of a bitch," the Peacekeeper spat, before his footfalls faded into the din. "Alright you lot!" He hollered into the noise of the other prisoners, voice fading as he walked back down the hall. "Quiet down!"

Well, all that was left for him to do now was to wait.

Hux moved to recline against durasteel cot. It reminded him of the cold, stone-slab bunk he'd been subjected to at the Resistance base.

Except here there'd be no one to bring him ration bars or sneak him thermoses of tea. No one quite so beautiful, anyway.


For the rest of the day, Rose didn't move from her cramped position as lookout in the pilot's chair. Finn and Poe did not come in to check on her, and for that she was actually quite thankful. She needed to be alone.

Wrapped in Hux's greatcoat and exhausted beyond words, she kept her eyes on the radar screen and drifted fitfully in and out of wearied sleep.

Many hours later, as the light from beyond the cockpit dimmed with nightfall, and as Rose dozed, dried tears streaking her face, a figure walked up the ramp into the Falcon's hallway.

Blearily, Rose shifted at the sound, nuzzling at the coat around her, mumbling in her sleep.

"Oh, Rose…" Rey's soft voice said, like her heart was breaking. "We should move her to a bunk. Can you…?"

As she was lifted from the chair by an unknown force, Rose was swaddled in Hux's scent and warm fabric. She felt almost weightless, like she was being carried aloft by pure starlight. It radiated calm and peace, infusing her with a bit of courage.

"Thank you, Ben," Rey said, as Rose felt the cool, hard bunk beneath her.

"Mmh?" Rose shifted, rubbing at her face, peering bleary-eyed to see Rey standing beside her cot. "Rey?"

The woman broke into a small, sad smile. "Hey…"

Rose frowned, looking around the room.

"S-someone else there too?"

"Shh, no, it's just me," Rey said, smoothing out Rose's hair. "Relax. You should sleep."

"But Hux is—" Rose tried to sit up, but Rey pushed her gently down.

"I know, but you need to rest. I already spoke with Finn and Poe; they know I'm here." Rey smiled in the dark, tucking Rose into the greatcoat like she was a child and the coat were her blanket. "I'm coming with you tomorrow. To the council. It'll be all four of us."

But Rose needed to make Rey understand. "Hux, he's— You don't know how he's—"

"Trust me," Rey leaned down, whispering breathlessly to the other woman, "I know better than most." She pulled back, smiling, smoothing the hair off of Rose's forehead. "But you need to get your rest. Regain your strength, so you can fight for him tomorrow."

That warmth, that starlight, seemed to settle back over her, like a warm hand upon her forehead, soothing her to slumber. And she was so bone-wearily tired. Rose nodded sleepily, drifting off there upon the bunk, wrapping herself tighter in Hux's greatcoat.


A/n- This chapter was a bear lol Thanks to Brit for her on-point editing skills, and for listening to me whine about stupid building layouts. Brit is celebrating the finale of her gingerrose fic "Part of Your Pas de Deux," on A03. It's a beautiful, sensual story, and I highly recommend it!

Also, I have to call out Ксения Брагинская on ficbook who remarked that they, "think that the author is also in love with the Armitage," and like, how dare you lol How do you know me so well? I guess it's pretty obvious, isn't it? XD LOL