((Considering writing a spin off couple of chapters about the compound which would ultimately end in Lucilla being bought. Thoughts?))

Within you, I lose myself. Without you, I find myself wanting to be lost again.

To be summoned to General Hux's office nearly always ended in reconditioning. No one had ever entered to be commended. So naturally Lieutenant Mitaka was on edge when he walked the shining floors of Finalizer towards his dreaded destination.

Of course, the ever jumpy Mitaka in his jittery state didn't think to assure himself that a request to visit the redhead was not to be reprimanded (or worse) but more to do with his recent mission to Coruscant.

A heavy breath was taken as he pressed the buzzer to request entry and it was granted when the door slid open for him. Spacious and comfortable, it was the envy of the other high ranking officers granted such a privilege. Then again, an impressive office wasn't the only thing General Hux had that other officers on board didn't.

"Sit down, Lieutenant." Came the smooth order but he still hadn't looked up from his datapad. Hesitantly, Mitaka obeyed. His frenzied mind didn't seem to process that to be told to sit down was for his own comfort. If this visit was going to be negative, that luxury would not be afforded to him.

A moment or so went by before the datapad was set aside and the General regarded his officer with his hands clasped on the desk in front of him. Mitaka often wondered how this man, this staunch, unfeeling man could dedicate himself so much to another person.

He knew he doted on Lucilla. He had often seen him at the end of his command; his walk quicker than usual and his face determined to return to his quarters, to her. Not to mention the care and attention that went into her meals, the treatment of her clothes and acquiring little things to make her more comfortable almost a year later.

"Lucilla and I are extremely pleased with you." The statement woke Mitaka from his wonderings and relief flooded him that it was his mission and not incompetence that brought him here. While Dopheld Mitaka did not have the expected disposition of a First Order officer, he was far from incompetent. In fact, he had surprised himself with his willingness to cut off a man's head only a few days previous.

"In fact it was her suggestion to relieve you of your duties for the rest of the day upon your return."

"Thank you, sir." It was quiet, almost reverent.

"Her gift was well received and I'm sure you, as well as I Lieutenant, were pleased to see justice served for her."

"More than anything, sir.

"More to the point, you carried it out."

"Yes, sir. Gladly."

"Tell me about what happened on Coruscant. Speak freely."

Mitaka sat back in his chair. Where to start? He supposed from before he arrived on Coruscant.

"I had collected intel from First Order scouts in the area before I left, contacted them and by the time I arrived, they had a location for him. They also provided me with contact information with rival gangs."

The General nodded; pleased already with the attention to detail Mitaka had taken upon himself in order for this to run as smoothly as possible. He was about to become more impressed.

"I enlisted their help to stalk the compound while I was inside; we devised a system and a signal and they were paid a significant amount, overpaid in fact to ensure the siege on the compound was successful. I felt to request a squadron of Stormtroopers would attract too much attention to the operation."

"Very true, it would have."

"I found Zedar alone in a cantina in the Undercity. I approached him and told him I was interested in purchasing a companion for myself. He looked me over, no doubt taking in the condition of my clothes to determine my wealth. He asked me what I would be willing to spend and I told him I would pay the right amount for the right companion. He asked me if I had a preference and I told him I didn't but I'd like to see what he had so we left for the compound."

"Were you shown a line-up?"

"No, sir. He brought me to another room and asked me a series of questions, such as how I found out about his operation and the like. I simply said word of mouth."

"You wore plain clothes for this mission, am I correct?"

"Yes, sir. The less attention attracted to the Order, the better."

"Very good. Continue."

"I told him I knew of someone who had one of his companions. I had seen her, she was well trained and I was assured value for money by her master if I bought from there."

It was strange to hear Mitaka speak in such a way but the General didn't comment, just nodded along. It seemed that sort of rhetoric had gotten the job done so he wouldn't argue. The Lieutenant had obviously done his research.

"I asked him if he recalled a girl called Lucilla." Mitaka paused and swallowed. "He said he knew of no girl called Lucilla."

The General stared at him. It was probably the first time Mitaka had seen his General caught off guard and speechless. His mind automatically cast back to his initial conversation with his father when Lucilla arrived. His father didn't know her name. It seemed it wasn't just about the Admiral not caring enough to find out.

"He said sometimes the girls gave each other names if they couldn't remember their own but he and the compound workers only knew them by numbers." Mitaka continued uneasily. "He said Lucilla might not even be her real name."

Hux shifted uncomfortably in his seat. She'd never mentioned that before. Maybe she was ashamed of it. Perhaps it was the one thing, her name, that she had been given by someone other than those dreadful people that she could hold onto. Before she came to him, of course. He tried not to sound dismayed but he was sure he failed drastically.

"I see. What else?"

"I described Miss Lucilla, told him she was bought by the Admiral. He remembered her, said he had been tempted to keep her for himself." Both males seemed even more uncomfortable by that revelation but Mitaka slightly more. Hux knew nothing of Varden as such but the Lieutenant had the displeasure of dealing with him. The decapitation was a condolence.

"I trust there's nothing left of the compound?"

"Nothing, General. The girls were removed and paid off. The remaining staff of the compound were executed and their bodies burned with the rest of the compound by the rival gangs."

"You're sure none of those girls will be captured?"

"I made it my business to ensure they saw me decapitate Varden. I warned them of scouts in the area who would alert me to foul play. So far, nothing has been reported, General."

"And you found nothing on Lucilla?" If that is her real name. He still reeled from the idea but hopefully he seemed composed enough to the Lieutenant.

"Nothing, sir. He would not divulge her number to me, I tried everything-"

"Even-?" Like decapitation, the idea of Mitaka torturing someone was very out of place with his meek demeanour. But it seemed the officer had a similar dedication to Lucilla that Hux himself had.

"Yes, sir. No photographs, files, nothing."

"Very well. Thank you, Lieutenant. You may resume your duties, I'm sure Lucilla is expecting you soon. And Lieutenant…."

Mitaka stopped on his way to the door and turned around when called again.

"Your mission is to remain secret. You are not to divulge details to anyone. Lucilla is a very private matter, the less that is known about her by the general population, the better."

"Yes, sir."

"Dismissed."

He had every intention of refusing the Colonel's proposal. Both Lucilla and Damten had been correct when they stated it was what he needed but Hux was strong in the resolve that what he needed was not what he wanted.

His command was over until the morning and his companion waited for him; that was far more appealing than applying for personal leave to go and breed a woman he didn't know and maybe wouldn't like. Plus, it would probably destroy Lucilla.

The Colonel wanted to be contacted with an answer and Hux would comply with that request but it was the only request he would obey. He made a stop in his office after the closing command on the bridge and requested the Colonel's personal line.

"General."

"Colonel."

"You're well I trust? You did well on Crucival; the report was on my desk this morning, very impressive and all done by negotiations alone."

"My position was secured with as little bloodshed as possible and I would like to keep it that way for as long as possible though the time will come to besmirch it."

"What can I do for you, General?"

"I wanted to give you the curtesy of responding to your offer in the most personal way possible, Colonel. While I'm flattered by the consideration, I'm afraid I must decline." There was silence for a moment or so and when the Colonel did speak again, the restrained annoyance was palpable.

"I see. She'll be disappointed to hear that. It's an exceptional offer, a match you will not so easily come by again but if your mind is made up, I would imagine there is nothing I can do to change it. May I ask why?"

"As I stated on Crucival, I am already in something of an arrangement that is extremely beneficial to me and foolish doesn't begin to describe what I would be to endanger it."

"You have a companion." Hux swallowed but hoped it wasn't audible. He couldn't begin to find the words for Lucilla and what she was to him but 'companion' just didn't cover it anymore. Not that it was anything to do with the Colonel.

"Simply put, yes, I do." He should have realized every word of this conversation would be reported to his father. Perhaps he didn't care, he knew what he wanted and he knew what he didn't.

"And what is preventing you from having both? My daughter would never see the inside of Finalizer and I'm sure it's all your companion knows." That thought had occurred to him and he hated himself almost immediately after when the implications unfolded themselves in his mind.

"Not that it's on a need to know basis, Colonel but my companion is far more than just that. And I would have thought you would have been advocating more respect for your daughter than to be kept bored in a house on Arkanis and only seen when I have time for a possible conception."

It seemed that didn't go down well. The Colonel's breathing on the com had increased and though he had never seen Damten angry, the sounds of it (as with any human) were unmistakable on the com. Whether it was more about Lucilla or his daughter, Hux couldn't decipher.

"You're turning down my daughter for some urchin whore of unknown backgrounds? No breeding, no guarantees? Am I hearing this correctly?"

"In essence, Colonel, you're correct. And I have no inclination to continue a conversation where I will have to defend my companion from someone who knows nothing about her. So goodnight, Colonel and thank you for your time."

"May your bastards be scrawny and sickly and may your whore die in labour!" The line went dead after that venomous spit.

But she won't.

As always, Lucilla waited for her General at the usual time. Most of the time, he was tired and just preferred to be fawned over. Other times, he was already roused by something when he arrived and she was there to relieve him. When the door slid open to admit him (only he, Mitaka and Phasma had codes; Lucilla couldn't leave if she wanted to), he seemed…. Off?

He accepted the greeting kiss before she went to take his coat and he seemed more hesitant than usual to break apart. She left the coat for a moment and cupped his face in both her soft, dainty hands as those incredible blue eyes swept over him curiously.

"What's the matter?"

"Nothing, little dove." Hux answered quietly, briefly warming her hands with his before attending to his own coat. The movement involved in the action removed her hands from his face and left her standing there while he removed his own gloves. "I've just had a strange day, that's all."

"You know you can't lie to me." He looked up from where he'd decided to pour his own glass. There was no malice or anger, still just curiosity. "Why do you try?"

"Not a lie, little dove." Glass in hand, her General was still quiet as he crossed the room to her and placed an amicable kiss to her temple but he remained close; pressing his forehead to hers. She knew it to be a longing for comfort. "Just…. Still processing."

"I think you should finish that and come to bed." His companion's hand found his free one and the fingers were interlinked and ready to lead him though it was still moderately early. As suggested, he finished the small measure, set down the glass and followed.

Hux sat on the bed to begin undressing but found himself distracted from the task when Lucilla perched herself on his lap. Another gentle kiss was exchanged and she seemed to just hold him; one small hand cupping his face again while the other draped across the back of his shoulders.

"Tell me." She encouraged tenderly, barely moving her lips away from his but just enough to give them room to speak. He was hesitant. The match was rejected but he doubted it would be the last he'd hear on the matter.

"I spoke to the Colonel." She drew back slightly to monitor his face but he continued. "Needless to say, he was far from pleased. He said terrible things…. About you." That didn't seem to faze her. If anything she reclaimed his lips and gave a soothing stroke to his face, a silent declaration that everything was alright.

"They don't understand." Lucilla breathed, pulling back again and locking her eyes with his. "Their world is all about regimen and alliances; scratching someone's back for something in return. Bringing children into their terrible world just as insurance policies and name carriers, it's disgusting." Hux remembered it, that had been his own purpose. His mother had tried to prevent it for him but did not succeed.

"They are so wrapped up in formality, marriage for the sake of securing titles and allegiances that they will never see beyond it. They will never see what we have and they will never accept it." His arms slid around her waist and held her tight. "Because they are afraid of it. Anything outside the norm and considered decent is to be despised."

"You don't belong with them." His blue eyed beauty tucked away a fiery strand that had come loose during his fret and Hux dipped his forehead against her collarbone. "You belong with me. He saw a fine, strong officer and saw the need to incorporate you into their ways; saw the need to dominate you and control you like a puppet on a string but clearly you are meant for better things. Better things you will achieve on your own."

The General lifted his head and searched Lucilla's with his own. He found true loyalty not obligation. He found real devotion and legitimate affection not a servant's bought will to obey her master. He kissed her; full, passionate, adoring then swept her off his lap.

Lucilla's head was settled against the pillow and her lips were reunited with her General's in the same fashion. Their slow, combined efforts had Hux out of his uniform in just the right amount of time to be both efficient and sensual.

She was far easier to undress. The slip was pulled off over her head and tossed aside then the roaming and exploratory touches started; like they didn't know every inch of each other already but this was different.

Arousal climbed simply by the way they touched, how their bodies pressed together under the cool of the sheets and how their lips never seemed to part. They were both ready but they seemed lost in this unique display. Lucilla's leg crossed her General's waist and that was the unspoken signal that she needed him.

They both froze simultaneously, arching into each other at that glorious feeling of oneness. It took them a moment to savour it and that seemingly endless kiss paused for just a second while they revelled in this new but old experience.

When her General finally started to move his hips; it was not rough nor fast nor bruising. Careful and considerate thrusts rocked gently into the significantly smaller female and the kiss resumed once more. That too was gentle.

Lucilla's hand laid palm up on the pillow beside her head and it wasn't long before it was covered by her General's and their fingers became interlinked. She helped him with some small thrusts of her own to contribute to the intimacy but the slow and soft pace remained the same.

Their lips parted and his forehead was laid against hers to stare not only into those magnificent eyes but into the purest soul unrivalled by anyone in the galaxy. She stared back and as she did, he knew his decision was the only one he could have made.

Her free hand found his shoulder where her fingertips ghosted lightly for the comfort of extra touch. Lucilla's eyes closed briefly when the amicable thrusts met a sweet spot but his nose placidly nudged her cheek; an action which caused her to open them again.

There was no moaning, there was no screaming and certainly no filthy rhetoric. Instead, the silence of the room was barely disturbed by a few benign gasps, some genial groans and the only slightly audible noise their lips made when they did eventually meet again.

So wrapped up in the utterly incredible sensations they created for each other; both Hux and Lucilla discovered themselves to be close to their respective edges. The couple panted lightly as one helped the other, their speed increased but only very slightly and it took nothing away from the good-natured way they received one another.

When it eventually happened, one watched the other's post-orgasm expression and each felt a small flutter of something unexplainable as the last kiss was exchanged. He stayed in her but sank down onto his side of the bed and she moved with him to ensure the closeness continued, lying on their sides and facing each other.

Her eyes started to drift closed with her head resting against her General's shoulder in complete bliss and satisfaction with his arms wrapped around her and their legs entangled. Hux, however, stared at the ceiling and wallowed in the delicious silence of exhaustion. Did he want to bring it up? Did he want to ruin it?

"What was your number?" Though he couldn't see her face, her eyes had opened. There was no panic or dismay, merely confusion. Her head lifted and she regarded her General wordlessly for a moment.

"What was your number?" He felt the need to ask again though he was trying to keep the distress to a minimum after such a breakthrough. How could it not upset him though? The mere thought of his precious Lucilla, reduced to nothing more than a series of numbers like a common Stormtrooper?

"One zero four." The answer was quiet and unreadable in expression though she was more confused as to what had made him ask about a number. Perhaps more had happened on Coruscant than just the acquiring of the skull.

"And what does that mean?"

"It means I was the one hundredth and fourth girl brought to the compound."

"Is Lucilla your real name?"

"Yes, I managed to remember it." That was something at least. Relief bubbled when he realized his little dove did have something of herself after all.

"What would have happened if I sent you back? Before I touched you?" The question was an uneasy one but he always seemed to come up with a new horrible question with an equally horrible answer whenever conversation strayed to her past life.

"They wouldn't have believed me." It almost sent a shiver up his spine. He regretted deeply how Lucilla had been deflowered but if there was anything worse, it was in a cantina with money thrown at her.

What could he say to that? There was no comfort to be offered only that she didn't actually endure that fate. At least she'd had the (sort of) relief of privacy, a shower and a warm bed afterwards in reality. He doubted those things would have been afforded to her if she'd been plucked by a cantina stranger instead. The thought was too riling, he had to brush it aside.

"You were right in what you said earlier." His grip on his companion had tightened protectively against the non-existent threat of a random cantina patron. "I am meant for better things. And I will strive to improve on everything I have and to attain those they tell me is impossible. There is only one thing I cannot bring any closer to perfection and that's you, little dove."

"We're going to break those moulds, my darling. And they will watch."