Boy, get your own.
Leave that one alone.
That beautiful stranger belongs to me.
Hux refused to take the risk. He couldn't leave Lucilla on her own; Ren would no doubt know where to find her. In fact, he was certain he would. The General's boots pounded purposefully on the polished metal of Finalizer's floors; his usual staunch demeanour and posture in place. To watch the General, no one would think his mind was dreadfully frenzied. Being unwavering in his loyalties to the First Order, Supreme Leader Snoke and the rise of the new Imperial Empire; Hux never disobeyed an order. But now….. He was thinking about it.
Had this been how Lucilla felt the night he marked her? The mark that was only starting to subside now? That struck a chord with him; it seemed he and Lucilla were not so different after all. They had both been taught to do one thing from an early age: Obey. The details didn't matter; obey who or why was immaterial as long as it was done. That night, Lucilla had risked herself for her master and disobeyed. If Hux disobeyed, he wouldn't be doing it for Snoke. He would be doing it to protect a fragile creature that could not defend herself.
No doubt, Kylo Ren would be ruthless. He would probably be callous in how he'd use her then leave her; traumatized more than likely. The General had been guilty of that once upon a time but he was doing everything in his power to change it; the last thing he needed was Ren setting her back. If he sat back and let it happen, it would damage his own relationship with Lucilla, not just reduce her to what she had been. She wouldn't trust him anymore; a consequence he couldn't bare thinking about.
The redhead hesitated outside his quarters. What if Ren was already in there? Whatever he would be doing – Hux would be powerless to stop him. All it would take would be an intense stare or a wave of his hand to render the General helpless to allow whatever Ren was doing to Lucilla. Then it struck him: Kylo Ren might tear up his ship, he might torment his soldiers but he would not lay a finger on Hux's companion.
When Hux entered the living area, panic struck him when Lucilla wasn't there. She was always there. Where was she? The increased rhythm of his heart hammering against his ribcage was soothed ever so slightly when he remembered that Lucilla only waited for him in the evening. He'd only left her barely an hour ago. His suspicions were confirmed when he pulled back the sliding door.
The relief was unparalleled when his gaze found the pale toes pointed from under the sheets that barely covered her. She lay on her side, hair splayed across both pillows with her nose buried in his one as if seeking comfort from the scent with one arm tucked at her side and the other thrown across where her General should have been.
You're a very messy sleeper. He thought to himself with mild amusement as he shifted her gently to lie down beside her. Messy and all as she was, she was charming. The longer he watched her, the more endeared he became. Looking at her now, innocent and unassuming; she could have been anything. A mother, a teacher, a doctor; not necessarily a servant of a sexual nature.
When Hux settled and laid his forehead against Lucilla's, his eyes closed in both gratitude and solace that his little dove was safe. He felt her move beside him, leaning back slightly but for no more than a few seconds. He felt her soft, delicate hand cup the side of his pallid face and caused him to pry it off before laying an amicable kiss to her palm.
"You're back."
"I'm back." He replied, still holding her hand and give it gentle strokes with his thumb. Reluctantly, he opened his eyes to the beautiful creature he'd been worried about looking back at him with a soft, sweet smile. If he thought Ren having his way with her was a nerve-wracking thought before; it was amplified a thousand times by being with her now.
"Is everything alright?" She was referring to his sudden reappearance. He couldn't tell her the truth. That there was a possibility she was going to be hounded by a man that she had absolutely no chance of escaping from. The mere thought would terrify her and she would be left alone to deal with it since he would have to return to the bridge at some point.
"Everything is fine." Hux lied, leaning in to claim Lucilla's lips with his own; it was half a distraction, half a genuine need. "I came back to see if you had gone back to sleep, little dove." That was also a lie. Lying to anyone had never been a problem for Hux but it never occurred to him that it might be a problem with Lucilla. He felt disgusting.
Lucilla lay back with a glorious sigh, eyes closed at the gratifying pull to her muscles as she stretched then settled against her General again. He embraced her and laid another kiss to the bundle of dark curls that rested on his chest.
"Mitaka will be here soon." She murmured against his tunic, eyes closing again in utter relaxation.
That was something at least. He would wait until Mitaka arrived with her breakfast then make his late arrival to the bridge. At least she wouldn't be alone, not as vulnerable.
"I should get up. It would be rude to be so sluggish in front of him." The little murmur disturbed his musings though she seemed to have no intention of doing what she had just said. Maybe seeing her in the mornings would be more difficult than originally anticipated.
"Little dove, sleep if you need to. I will contact Mitaka and tell him to bring your meal later."
"But I'm hungry." A slight, uncharacteristic chuckle broke the General's stoic but affectionate disposition.
"You realize that is the first time I've heard those words cross your lips?" Lucilla slowly picked her head up from Hux's chest and laid her chin on it instead, her almost playful (but sleepy) gaze directed upwards.
"Forgive me, General. I'm not fully awake yet." Forgiveness was granted with yet another kiss but to her forehead this time.
"Lucilla?"
"Hmm?"
"Little dove, what are your thoughts on Kylo Ren?" No doubt this would be telling.
Lucilla stayed quiet and her gaze dropped; she seemed fascinated with the seam in the middle of his tunic. He knew this behaviour. He knew it meant she wasn't comfortable with the question or the answer.
"I have only seen him once." It wasn't very revealing but her tone was enough to make his heart sink. The rest of the answer would not be pleasant. "But he frightens me."
If that wasn't bad enough, the com to the main door buzzed; it could only be Mitaka. Hux bid his companion to stay in bed to tend to it, just in case. However, the Lieutenant carried no plate or tray or even a lunch bag. The smaller, dark haired man radiated fluster and his usually pasty complexion was tinged with red; like overexertion and frustration.
"General…." Mitaka began, almost as if out of breath. "We tried to find you; there was no sign of you on the bridge, sir…." The look of impatience he received was enough to hurry Mitaka to the point. "It's Kylo Ren, sir. Three control rooms. Two in the northern quadrant, one in the east. Completely destroyed; seemingly unprovoked. He's walking the ship with his saber unsheathed and lit…. What do we do, sir?"
Hux was being called out by the man-child he'd been forced to share his vessel with. No, not Mitaka. The Knight was trying to get his attention, to get what he wanted. Lucilla.
"Where is he now?" More bad news.
"He's been scrambling camera feeds, sir. But he was last seen heading for the departure bay."
"I want two Stormtroopers stationed up here on either side of this door and at each entrance to this hallway. Trained ones, not sanitation." Hux attempted to straighten himself from lying down with Lucilla. "The cameras are to be brought back online and I want this entire corridor surveyed. If he is even seen near this corridor, I want to know immediately."
"Yes, sir."
The General glanced back at the door; hopefully she was gone back to sleep, she wouldn't hear any of this.
"Lucilla's safety is paramount. No one gets in and Lucilla doesn't leave." Not that she would. She only left when she was escorted and that was when they left for Starkiller.
"Yes, General. Should I stay?"
"No, fetch the Stormtroopers then go to the bridge. Try and hold resolve up there while I attend to this."
"DON'T EVEN THINK OF RAISING THAT SABER TO ONE OF THOSE FIGHTERS!" Kylo Ren turned to find the ginger General striding towards him; greatcoat flowing and actually wearing it with his arms in the sleeves. Ren called down the blade and stood to face his military counterpart. He had every intention of ripping up a tie-fighter and the destruction would continue until Hux acknowledged the demands.
"What are you trying to prove?!" Hux barked, almost even with the masked male. "That you're incapable of control?! That you cannot bear being told you cannot have something?!"
"The Supreme Leader commanded it." The modulator didn't unnerve Hux like it used to, he was accustomed to it. But Lucilla was a very sensitive subject.
"It was not a command!" Hux argued though he didn't have a whole lot of confidence in it. He seemed to be grasping at metaphorical straws.
"He ordered you to relinquish her to me for one night. It is a simple task, General; why can't you fulfil it?" The redhead didn't answer. Anything Leader Snoke said was to be obeyed and while the General had tried to find a loophole, he'd failed.
"She's not yours to have." Hux's resolve was weaker and the Knight could see it as plain as if he didn't have the helmet with the restrictive visor.
"And what makes her yours to withhold?" The General hadn't thought about that in some time. Had he been asked that question six months ago, his answer would have been somewhat supremical in nature. He didn't feel that way now.
That said, he had a feeling Kylo Ren would only understand the supremical answer.
"She was gifted to me. She gave herself to me. I provide for her therefore she is mine and mine alone. Besides, she said herself that you frighten her, why would allow you to impose yourself on her?"
"Your protests are born of weakness." Ren pointed out, closing what was left of the distance between them.
"The non-existent will of a bed warmer is clouding your judgement. Continue to deny me and I will continue to destroy at will until my demands are met." He decided to test the waters. "And what are these demands?" Hux chimed in though steadily growing more enraged at Ren's sense of entitlement to his Lucilla.
"Nothing more than the Supreme Leader suggested. One night to do what I please."
"And what about what she pleases?" What sounded dreadfully like a laugh filtered through the mask and sent chills up the General's spine. Had he been like this? If he had, he would splay himself on his knees in front of his little dove and beg her forgiveness.
"How can I be assured that you would keep your word? If I let you have her for one night that you would not come looking for her again? That my ship would be left intact? That my men would be unharassed?" He couldn't tell if the Knight was looking at him or not, that bloody mask made it impossible.
"You can't." Kylo Ren answered simply. "But is it not best to try?" Hux found himself in a corner. Lucilla was his way of coping with command but if he didn't do this, he would have nothing to command.
"I have conditions." The General hated himself as he choked it out, defeated.
"Name them."
"I am to be nearby." The thought of hearing it was vile but Hux convinced himself that if it got out of hand that he could step in; he should have known better. "There are certain….. things she has never experienced. If she asks you not to do them, don't." The mask hid Kylo Ren rolling his eyes. He wasn't likely to abide by that condition.
"Lastly…." The General dropped his gaze and his voice adopted a note of involuntary pleading. This was probably the most important one. "She is very delicate. Please don't hurt her."
Arrangements were made for Lucilla to be brought to a neutral room on the same corridor as the General's quarters. Somewhere that Kylo Ren could leave and the General could collect Lucilla from when it was all over. Ren seemed to brush off the mention of contraception; the General knew Lucilla had no womb but the other male didn't know that. The issue went unresolved.
His companion had just finished her breakfast when he hesitantly entered their quarters. She sat happily in front of the fire, digesting whatever it was she had eaten then looked up, surprised to find herself graced with her master's presence for the third time that day. This was getting harder and harder, could he do it? Could he really just hand her over? Even for just one night?
"You've eaten?" He observed almost dryly as he scrutinized the empty tray and the scraps on it.
"Yes, General." He looked more closely, a disapproving frown tracing into his strict features.
"Lucilla, what did you eat?" Confused by the question, his dark haired darling looked over to where the tray waited to be taken away.
"I…. Porridge with berries and milk, General?" Porridge with berries and milk.
He would wait for Mitaka to collect the tray, there was no point being angry with Lucilla but he had already specified her diet. There were two diets: Stormtrooper and Officer. She was not supposed to be on the Stormtrooper diet. It made him cringe! His graceful Lucilla was choking back bland porridge?!
"You're supposed to be on my diet, Lucilla. No wonder you haven't put on any weight."
Hux claimed the armchair he usually did and felt the gracious pressure of Lucilla's head resting against his leg. Ridden with guilt for the arrangement he had just made, his gloved hand stretched out and caressed the obsidian curls; his heart clenching as she nuzzled into it.
"Little dove, there's something we need to discuss."
She didn't seem too perturbed.
"Yes, General?" Gods, how did he do this? How did he tell her he was handing her over to someone who frightened her? He still stroked her gently as if that would make it better. It didn't. If anything, it made it worse.
"Tonight; you're going to Kylo Ren, little dove." As he anticipated, this wasn't going to go down well. Lucilla stiffened under his hand and he automatically relented his strokes. He watched as she just stared ahead blankly for a few seconds and when she turned to face him; he felt like he'd been punched in the stomach.
Those perfect features had become marred by a devastated betrayal but he forced himself to keep his gaze on her. #
"Lucilla?" It seemed she had trouble speaking. The longer she was quiet, the worse he felt about this dreadful situation.
"I need you to bathe and dress and be ready when-"
"I don't want to." Hux breathed a small sigh and averted his eyes.
"Please don't make this harder than it has to be, little dove." Lucilla pulled herself away from her General, over to the corner of the rug and out of his grasp. That stabbed him even more.
"I don't want to."
"I know, Lucilla, but-" The redhead closed his eyes at the little sniffle from the corner of the rug. "Lucilla…. Rose of my Empire-"
"You swore to me!" Her sweet face contorted with a heartbroken sob and a small taint of anger; his remorse only deepened. "You swore you would never make me do anything I didn't want to do!"
"I know." He murmured again, shame and anguish clawing at his chest. "I know. I did and I shouldn't have…." The General slid off the chair and onto his knees, trying to coax Lucilla to him but she only moved away. "Little dove, I don't want this either…."
"So why are you allowing it?! Why are you allowing me to be taken when I don't want to be?!"
She'd never spoken back like that before. If she had done it when she first arrived or even a week or so earlier, she would have been punished severely for it. Now though…. She was stronger, speaking out of passion and the confidence he'd striven to give her. Now she was using it against him; using the mutual devotion to each other against him.
He tried to get closer to her in an attempt to gather his wounded companion into his arms but it appeared the trust was fractured. Nothing could have made that clearer when she dodged his grasp, got up and tore through the sliding door and into the bathroom.
In horrible defeat, the General stayed there for several moments before he forced himself up. He followed her trail through the sliding doors and laid his forehead against the cold metal of the door. He could hear her; she was still weeping.