General Orion Hux hesitantly left his beloved dried, in bed and perusing the dessert cart parked at her side; but preparations needed to be made if she was going to return on a long term (and hopefully permanent) basis. Naturally, he did so willingly and gladly, even if he did look back more than necessary as he left. He needed to order meals of quality to nurture her recent procedure, order new clothes (he did falter when maternity clothing occurred to him but decided against it just yet) and ponder materials to make their quarters less boring.
"Your duties will be similar to before…." Mid-stride, Hux paraded one of the many corridors of Finalizer (where privacy was guaranteed) with no particular destination in mind but Mitaka was well adept at matching his superior's pace. "Fetching her meals, her laundry and removing those respective things when required."
"Yes, sir."
"Lucilla is no longer a captive." The General stopped suddenly to face his Lieutenant and thankfully, Mitaka was tuned in enough to cease his march too. He had given it a great deal of thought. Lucilla had become accustomed to freedom of movement in the orphanage and if he wished to keep her there, he must match that freedom; even if her safety concerned him. "She is my fiancé; my wife to be, the mother of my children and she will be treated as such." As though such a menial task were his calling in life, Mitaka's loyalty never wavered in it; as noted by the General.
"Of course, sir." Satisfied, Orion resumed his step, confident that Mitaka would follow.
"She will not be restricted to our quarters, despite my reservations." There was a bite of reluctance in that confession but if he could trust anyone, he could trust his loyal Lieutenant. "I cannot cage her like I did before. Now, if you will excuse me, Lieutenant; I must check on my fiancé."
"You needed rest." He observed quietly when her eyelids finally lifted, when azure met ice. She was where he'd left her, settled on her side of the bed (that had never stopped being her side in her absence) in an abundance of tranquillity with an empty plate on the bedside table. Perched lightly at the edge, a recently ungloved hand caressed the midnight kinks to aid her as she blissfully hovered between slumber and wakefulness; wading from one to the other. "Do you have a chill? Will I summon a medic?"
"No, I'm fine." Twisting her body slightly to accommodate a stretch, Lucilla was not immune to her husband-to-be's adoring watch and it was all too easy to forget he was still ten years her senior. "I don't think I was wet or cold for long enough; the bath may have been my saving grace." Fully awake now but utterly relaxed, Lucilla shared the devoted gaze and returned the light press of his lips against hers. "Where did you get to?"
"Things to be done, little dove." He countered softly with her hand safely in his gentle grasp; that, too, received a kiss. "Preparations to be made for your long-term comfort; ordering new clothes, your meals, boredom breakers and organizing your door codes." Endearing curiosity piqued, Lucilla shuffled upwards in the bed; or as much as Orion would permit with concern fresh since she left Yavin 4.
"Door codes? Orion, I don't-" Her General was resolute in how he approached and steered the situation plainly. Once again, she challenged his nerve with little more than an innocent tilt of her head; regiment was in his blood but she was always the exception to that very stoic rule.
"After much reflection, Lucilla…." He began levelly, certain in his stance and after much deliberation, he felt it was only right to erase the limitations he had placed on her from the moment she arrived as a pleasure slave. "Our relationship has changed significantly since you first set foot here; as much as it could possibly have changed, in fact." Lucilla allowed him the pause, intrigued. "You are no longer a slave, a pleasure object or even a companion in the capacity that you once were; in the purest sense, perhaps but not as you were."
"With that in mind and assumingly, leaving not being your priority, little dove; I have decided that you are not to be confined to our quarters, but free to wander Finalizer if and when you choose." Clearly unexpectant of a statement of such magnitude, Lucilla stared with the barest ghost of a simper tugging at the corner of her lips.
"If you're sure…." Lucilla hesitated, as if a dawning realization had just struck her; encroaching on the good news. "But…. What of Kylo Ren?" It had occurred to him and as of yet, a solution evaded him. The Knight still prowled the ship but aside from enquiring into Lucilla's progress after the surgery, he had displayed no interest in her.
"I do think, darling; and this is just from my own observations, that Ren may be remorseful for what happened all those years ago." Inquisitiveness roused in those bewitching features again; it would be a huge benefit to be able to roam. She could walk him to the bridge in the morning, wait for him there in the evening and meet him somewhere in between during his lunch hour; all without worry about the Knight, if he was truly penitent, of course.
"Actually, little dove; if I am to be completely honest…." Straightening on the bed in a bid to physically prepare himself, Orion felt it was only fair to tell her the truth; she and Ren may be more receptive to each other if she knew. "I would not have found you on Tatooine if it wasn't for him." The quizzical ogle turned to a stare; a reaction for which, he couldn't really blame her.
"I don't understand, Orion….. How did-?"
"He told me before that he "tuned" into you on occasion." Orion replied calmly, intercepting her before she could get too flustered; the explanation did something of the opposite. The stare adopted something of nausea and, dare he think it, violation. "I believe it was some sort of lecherous obsession at the time but that seems to have changed. He told me where you were. Not by some previous knowledge or by being in cahoots with my father-" She flinched. "But, and it pains to me to admit it; it seems that the Force had a lot to do with you being found. Not only did he fight through terrible injuries to tell me where you were, he held me there until I found you." Still unswayed and startled, perhaps she would not be leaving the quarters after all.
"He did ask about your wellbeing after the surgery…." Orion continued as sapphire eyes flickered to the side in contemplation. "And from that brief confrontation, I did detect a whiff of guilt but he has not mentioned you since." That was something, at least. Or was it? Knowing Kylo Ren, he could have been intruding on her subtly while aware of the General watching his exterior movements; he would have been foolish to broach her if that was indeed his play. Somewhat reassured, Lucilla sank back into the collection of feathers she called a pillow to evaluate. She hadn't factored Kylo Ren in when she had decided to return to Finalizer; Orion had been the only factor she needed to consider and she wouldn't change her mind but still…. The prospect was unnerving.
"My personal time for today is up, little dove." The redhead informed her attentively, aware he had loaded her with plenty to think about. "The bridge is waiting but I should be no more than a few hours if you would like to rest again." Leaning forward to the drawer of the bedside table, Orion produced something that sat neatly in the palm of his hand with his fingers coiled around it. "This is a fresh communication device. My personal com details are the only ones in it. If, and it is completely at your discretion; if you wish for your old com to be destroyed lest it be tracked, I will accommodate that for you." It was certainly tempting and the way she eyed the com in his hand betrayed it.
"I think I need to sleep on it." The blue eyed beauty declared to the understanding of her fiancé but eyes never leaving the new com. "I just…. It feels like a lot in one fell swoop."
"Say no more, my love." On his feet and body doubled over to kiss her forehead, Orion accepted before rectifying his posture to his full height. "Tonight, we can discuss our impending nuptials. I do not want to seem imposing or pushy but I am very eager to be yours; fully and officially."
Should it have felt like it used to? Being on the bridge and knowing she was waiting to be united when his duties were done? Maybe. He had made it clear that they had evolved as a couple, that their original dynamic no longer existed (perish the thought) and that she was free to do as she pleased. But it still felt the same, even if the context was different. He kept his simmering excitement bundled until the last hour of his command chimed and for the remainder of the time, the little itch of anticipation began to seep in trickles.
With half an hour left in his charge, he was tempted to leave early; to hand over the tail end of the adjure to his resident colonel and surprise her with an early return. But trust Kylo Ren to throw that into disarray. With the covertness of a shadow and footsteps just as light, the Knight appeared at his side; scarred face unreadable. The interaction would not be unlike the one they'd had after Lucilla's surgery; almost exactly the same, right down to the way they stood together.
"Is there anything she can tell us?" There had been a few times before when Hux had been taken aback by Ren's sudden appearance and more so, when he would speak in that brooding growl. Now was one of those times. Facing the same direction and overseeing the bridge from a height, side by side like allies, the General's head turned ever so scarcely to include the dark male who did not allow him the same courtesy. Ren gave no indication of speaking or even asking a question that required an answer; the seemingly unwavering patience a testament of the Supreme Leader's training.
"I am afraid you will have to expand on that, Ren." Hux replied testily, once he'd figured out that he had indeed been spoken to and inclined his head even further to glower. "Is there anything she can tell us? Tell us about what?"
"Their tactics." Ren pressed smoothly, unfazed by the General's borderline incredulity as if it wasn't all that strange a request. "Their squadrons, their manoeuvres, their hidden bases; useful information, General."
"Lucilla was not privy to such information, she ran an orphanage." Cynical, he measured his counterpart and recalled how he promised Lucilla that she had been a minimal component in any interaction he'd had with Kylo Ren; that had been turned on its head. "Her knowledge was limited to her purpose. They intentionally and increasingly kept her in the dark when they realized we had rekindled our relationship. Until they isolated and ostracised her completely." The explanation did not appease.
"Is that what she told you?" Mockery? Incensement started to prick at Orion as his jaw twitched but Ren had the audacity to continue his stare ahead and his assuming, snide onslaught. "Do you not think that she has a personal, moral duty to still protect those children and would therefore withhold information from you to do so? Your naivety is worrying, General." Before he could spill into outrage, Ren finally graced him with the edge of his eyeline; too casual for Hux's liking. "I think I should speak to her."
"I defended you!" The redhead hissed; furious, with the proof rushing to his cheeks. Barely conscious of his surroundings and how he was expected to conduct himself in them, he managed restraint. "I told her you told me where to find her! I told her you held me on Tatooine until I could rescue her! I told her you inquired after her after the surgery! I told her you were repentant!"
"I have already clarified that guilt was not my motive, General." Ren rebuffed flawlessly; it may not have been a motive but that wasn't to say the flickers in the previous conversation weren't genuine. "But if you are more concerned with taking your fiancé's word at face value than doing your duty, perhaps you should relinquish charge of interrogation to someone less biased. Myself or Captain Phasma, perhaps."
"I would trust Phasma before I would trust you and we both know Phasma is a brute at the best of times!" Reviled that his loyalty and competence were being questioned by a man who destroyed control rooms for a hobby, Orion decided it would be sensible to end what was left of his bridge time early. "She is disgusted with how she was treated, she would turn over any information gladly as long as she was assured the orphanage remained unharmed!" Preparing for departure and a last-minute challenge, nostrils flared and hackles raised; the General half pivoted on the spot before delivering one more snarl. "And if she does have anything of use, I will extract it myself and not in an interrogation chair!"
"Your dress arrived."
One week and without another word from Ren, it was more pre-marital conversation while he folded his own uniform and she waited in bed with her (own) holopad.
"Orion, I told you a dress wasn't necessary." Lucilla tutted but the stirrings of a sweet smile made him glad he'd applied her measurements to something more symbolic than everything else he'd ordered. "I don't need a fancy dress to marry you."
"Perhaps not but..." Orion paused his counter to allow himself to clamber into bed and find a favourable position to bed down at her side. "It would be something to keep, a novelty for years to come." A fair argument and Lucilla had little to be sentimental with, given her beginnings in poverty and having even less in the compound. She had lost all her belongings on Starkiller and Finalizer, only for her depravation to be reset on Tatooine; maybe to start afresh with a wedding dress would be something of good luck. And something to show her daughters. "I will have it brought up in the morning; the crate arrived late and needed to be searched."
"Crate?!" Lucilla yelped, dropping the holopad in the tenting of the sheets over where her legs were crossed. Orion shuffled closer with amusement. "How big is the dress?!"
"Not huge." He conceded, enjoying the stunned expression. "But the materials are delicate and I wanted to ensure plenty of room for travel."
"I see…." Playfully sceptical with an adapted eyebrow arched, Lucilla stayed her course while her fiancé inched closer. "And how much did this dress cost?"
"That is for me to know…." The provider teased until their lips were mere millimetres apart. "And for you to ponder."
In her darkest moments after Starkiller, when she didn't know where she was or what was going to happen next, Lucilla remembered the waterfall. Whether it was the sterile austerity of Admiral Hux's quarters or on the sand choked lots of Tatooine, the playful splash of the waterfall inspired strength in seemingly broken creature. Bittersweet and all as it had been that she had shared that slice of paradise with the man that had betrayed her, she had nothing else. The smell of the flowers, the cooling caress of the water, the curious intrusion of the fireflies; it helped her overcome one of the loneliest and most testing periods of her life.
It was only fitting, therefore, that they return there for a very special purpose. Those memories of such perfection would take a back seat as the second most idyllic; frolicking by the waterfall and making love on the bank was wonderful but getting married at said waterfall was breath-taking.
Much like Lucilla was when Orion clapped eyes on her in the dress he'd painstakingly teased out with an exceptionally patient seamstress. Long, and light but not as ostentatious as she'd dreaded; it was indeed something she would keep, treasure and show her children when they were old enough to understand.
Orion coughed into his fist; to hide the grin and reroute his emotions, or at least try to. The waterfall's stream greeted her like an enthusiastic guest; waving as the droplets sparked off rocks below, whooping in its natural rush of flow and blowing kisses that randomly landed on the bank. Not as nervous as she'd thought she would be; Lucilla, unlike her intended, did not smother her emotions and beamed at all around her.
Though it was just the two of them and their waterfall, it was all they wanted. What did they need with hundreds of unfamiliar guests, a ridiculously lavish banquet and an extravagantly decorated venue (all the norm of an Imperial wedding, she understood) that could easily be highjacked? In short, they didn't; which was why just those two in somewhere that meant the galaxy to them both was more than they could ask for.
Hand in hand, he lead her to the bank; to their only witness. Lost in wonderment, Orion planted a chivalrous kiss to the ivory knuckle he clutched, as if fearful she would slip away; she did not. Just as sure as he, her stance was equally as certain that this was their destiny. The tedious, official data had been imprinted and sent away to a maze of bureaucracy, never for the couple to think about again but this…. This was for them. To hell with officialdom; the only legitimization of marriage they required was their first, sealing kiss by their waterfall on Naboo.