Chapter 9

Refusing to leave without Hux, and refusing to leave without his son, they go in search of the General.

Stepping off the catwalk lifts a weight from Kylo's shoulders; he dares to let himself hope. Jolted from his thoughts by his father's voice, it's fascinating to watch him burst into action. He never got to see this as a child, either too young to be in amongst the hustle and bustle of the Resistance base, or old enough to spend his hours training. Even after Luke left, when his mother, admittedly, tried her best to help him harness his powers, he never got to see Han Solo like this. With a sense of exhilaration on his face, the older man instructs Chewbacca to finish setting the explosives and what do to next. Then he looks up.

Kylo hadn't noticed them before, but following his father's eye line he sees them. The girl and the traitor. Except FN-2187 isn't the only traitor now, Kylo himself has joined the ranks and guilt pangs deep in his chest. He doesn't know if it comes from his betrayal of the First Order or his initial defection from the Light, the Resistance, from his family. He listens to Han commanding them to return to the Falcon, telling her, Rey, to prepare for take-off. Bitterness floods his system, never had he been allowed to do such a thing, no matter how much he begged. The backseat was the closest he ever got.

The resentment and ugly images of his childhood twist into an overwhelming need for something stable, something he can rely on, something… Hux. Unable to look Solo in the eye, Kylo is silent as he slips away; down the corridor and through the door into the belly of the beast. Schooling his features now he's without his helmet, he is murderous stalking through the Base. No one will dare approach him.

Hux stands on the bridge watching his world crash down around him. X-wings swoop and dive, squadrons of TIE-fighters that he ordered hot on their tails. It's difficult to see through the smoke and debris but each X-wing that falls is a blast to the gut. Another chance of leaving Starkiller alive gone, now a million pieces soaring through the sky.

He can hear the chaos around him, people shouting to be heard across a distance over the battle taking place outside. Machines beep angrily, lights flash, alarms sound sporadically as a new problem occurs. It all blurs together, barely audible against the pounding of his blood in his ears. Either from someone around him or inside his own head, the sound of Kylo's name echoes loudly. Louder than the shouting. Louder than gunfire and death.

His stomach knots painfully, knees weakening and he steadies himself with a hand on the console in front of him. Gripping the unforgiving metal, his fingers ache despite the leather protection of his gloves. A tightness constricts his chest as his consciousness is ravaged and torn apart. He can't stop the onslaught of questions running through his mind.

What does his future hold?

If he stays, will he get to keep his position — probably, he's popular amongst the high ranking of the fleet and other bases. His power — unlikely, considering he'll be forced to watch his mate be used, abused, for the nefarious purposes of the maniac he calls Leader — absolutely powerless to stop it. All he'll be good for is being Snoke's whipping boy. Yet if he flees, he can only look forward to spending the rest of his life hunted like an animal by the First Order, or eventually captured by and have his fate decided by the Resistance.

He knows the less preferable outcome.

In his peripheral vision he catches an officer approaching from both sides; high ranking and ambitious, baying for his job and his blood since they stepped foot into his command. Their faces are cool, stern, but Hux can see the lie. They're practically salivating with the orders they've received, from Snoke no doubt. Straightening himself, they won't see him weak as they close in on him.

He nods to each one in turn, "Colonel, Major."

"Supreme Leader Snoke has entrusted me with your orders, General," Colonel Datoo sneers.

The Major butts in, "You are to collect Kylo Ren and begin your journey. You'll be sent the coordinates of your destination aboard Ren's shuttle."

"That's Lord Ren to you, do not forget your place," Hux bites.

"For how much longer, General?" Datoo grimaces as his nose twitches around Hux's scent, different from normal. It's disgusting.

Hux can hear the threat from the other Alpha and now he knows exactly what he has to do. He looks down on the leeches one final time, turning to march off the bridge without acknowledging the orders from Snoke. He needs to find Kylo Ren for himself.

Kylo barely makes it down the corridor before hearing his name called, but it's not his name. Ben; his blood runs cold into blind fury. He turns sharply, raising his hand — relief sparking through his system as the Force responds to his command — to squeeze anything else from Solo's lips.

With hate burning on his face, he strides forward, stuttering to a halt as his powers fizzle out, watching his father drop to one knee spluttering and choking for air. Guilt boils in the pit of his stomach. Their eyes connect and, no longer convinced, Kylo whispers, "That's not my name."

Staggering back to his feet, Han approaches without caution. He's not afraid, yet Kylo takes a step back. Turning on his heel, in a sweep of his cape and robes he marches away. He only manages a few steps when Han calls for him again, "Kylo, please."

The Knight turns his head, the tears in his own eyes matching the grief in his father's. He had warned him that his son was gone, but Han still pushes forward. "You don't have to do this alone."

Kylo drops his head in surrender and slows his pace to allow Han to catch up to him.

Walking the length of Starkiller was not what Hux had planned, but a few cycles back — when things had been relatively calm and at least predictable — Kylo found and removed the tracker from his belt. It had made life a lot easier knowing what part of his base was being destroyed and when. At times he would sit and watch the tracker on his datapad, the blue dot pacing back and forth in his quarters or darting around the training rooms. He thought it was anger or frustration that lead him to do it but now he knows it to be the undeniable bond between them; his stomach flips and his heart flutters.

The halls are mostly empty, those he comes across are given new orders towards the main control centres. Hopefully Kylo will have enough sense to stay away from areas with higher concentrations of Alphas and high ranking officers. He rounds a corner headed for the oscillator; if the Resistance have made use of the information from their reconnaissance pilot, and he assumes Han Solo, or at least General Organa, is intelligent enough to have done so, they will start there. He hopes Kylo is somewhere close.

Passing a weapons vault, he ducks inside to arm himself. The blaster he picks is less refined than his personal one and more awkward as he clips it onto his belt; he berates himself for foolishly leaving his own in Kylo's quarters. He makes do, hand-to-hand combat isn't his strong suit. He's especially glad when he steps into the new hall, stopping almost immediately upon seeing the distinctive shine of Captain Phasma's armour.

"I have orders, General," her voice echoes from the vocoder of her helmet. The sound is familiar, yet her tone is off.

"Snoke?" Hux asks.

She nods in affirmation, "He's sent me to escort you to your ship."

"I won't be following orders, Captain."

Openly sighing, she had hoped this would go another way, but had been expecting it after receiving Snoke's semi-cryptic message. "I've been authorised to use force if necessary. You're dispensable to the Supreme Leader, Lord Ren is the only one he needs on that shuttle."

"He won't be either."

Silence falls.

Both raise their arms: Phasma in offensive mode, Hux in surrender. She has a job to complete, despite the trivial affection she holds for the General. Attachment in the Order is unwise, leading to trouble more often than not. If she has to, the weapon she points at him will be used.

Phasma inclines her head when Hux asks her to pause, to let him explain. Lowering her blaster slightly, she nods; it's unclear as to where this loyalty to Ren has come from. The Knight is obviously the catalyst for this whole debacle. They were never close, at each other's throats constantly in their fight to please the man Hux is now denouncing.

"Snoke has hidden his true intentions, Captain." Hux begins and stops when he hears her scoff.

"Are you surprised?" She finds it almost laughable to hear. "A being of such immense power is hardly likely to be all truthful."

"Does that not bother you? The cause you've been fighting for all these years is based on a lie." He's appalled and she can't believe it.

This isn't the General she has risked her life serving. "And what is this lie? You used to have a backbone."

"And you had respect. I am still your General."

"Not for much longer."

In frustration, Hux reaches for his own weapon but Phasma is fast in her reflexes, blaster raised with a warning shot fired before he has time blink. He lifts his hands in surrender again, stuck in a standoff with his life in her hands.

Kylo stops dead when a blaster shot rings through the corridor. It's close. But so is Hux, he can sense him at the edge of his connection with the Force. Or is it their bond that is telling him he's close? It's still unfamiliar territory for him, but his gut twists all the same.

The tendrils of the Force, or their bond, stretch around the corner and he all but runs straight into a potential firing line. Ignoring the calls from his father, he hardly cares knowing Hux could be in trouble. His stomach lurches when he rounds the corner to see Phasma aiming her weapon at Hux.

In a flurry of fury, Kylo quickens towards them, igniting his lightsaber as he picks up his speed. Phasma hears the distinctive sound and sees Hux looking behind her and reacts quickly, but not quick enough as Ren deflects the bolt of plasma energy with surprising ease. Knowing the Force is acting unpredictably, he cannot trust it to help him; though not physically as strong as Phasma, the intimidating heat of his unstable weapon is enough to give him the advantage. He disarms her and raises the lightsaber to her neck.

Upon seeing the fight unfold, Hux rushes forward to take Phasma's blaster rifle from the floor into his custody. With the lightsaber and her own weapon trained at her neck, the weakest point in her armour, she lifts her hands in surrender. Smugness radiates from Hux seeing her in the position she had previously placed him in.

Phasma looks between the two men she would have called friends, slowly removing the helmet from her head. It won't provide any protection from a close range shot or decapitation anyway. At first she detects a new scent, different than any she has encountered before. With that in mind and with clearer eyesight, Phasma considers the subtle changes to the men in front of her; Hux remains stoic, jaw clenched and lips pursed tightly, but the concern in his eyes is unmistakable. Kylo Ren is more interesting, a thin sheen of sweat covers his brow with a light tremor vibrating through him which she doubts is just from the lightsaber. She glances to the side to see the Resistance member that confronted her earlier and her face creases in confusion — she is forced to look away when the red beam of energy inches closer to her.

For a moment Hux is distracted as he looks at Lord Ren, and Phasma would have been able to disarm him if it weren't for the blaster aimed at her by the older man stood a step or two from them. The concern he holds for the Knight is unusual, yet maybe it explains something. Taking a deeper breath to inhale the scent floating around them, she quickly analyses it, internally gasping in shock when all the pieces come together.

"You've mated." It's a statement rather than a question, knowing it can't be denied; suddenly everything makes sense. She looks to Ren, the Omega, "What does Snoke want with you?"

Kylo disengages his lightsaber and visibly slumps, exhausted, barely thinking to reattach the 'saber to his belt. Phasma has never seen the Master of the Knights of Ren look anything other than dangerous, volatile, but this vulnerability is disconcerting.

Hux detects his reluctance immediately and stretches his arm out to touch Kylo's shoulder. It's risky because his hold on the Captain's blaster is weak, he's practically defenceless, but he needs Kylo to tell her of Snoke's intentions and Kylo needs this from him in return. If anything can rescue this situation, it's the truth.

Dark eyes flick to Han Solo, the Knight not wanting to say it for him to hear; speaking it aloud makes it real. Instead Kylo burrows deep to find a connection with the Force strong enough to project the conversation with Snoke into Phasma's mind. Unable to hold it for long, he only shows her the important segments: the prophecy, his training, what Snoke has planned for him.

All of the emotions felt by Ren crash over her like a tsunami; betrayal, pain, denial, the light… and there is a steady undercurrent that screams Hux. The turmoil stops abruptly when the link breaks, she stumbles back and takes a breath. Her helmet slips from her fingers, ricocheting against the hard metal of the floor; face haunted as she looks between the mated couple.

Hux exhales in relief. Instantly he can see Phasma is no longer an obstacle now that she knows the truth. Without hesitating, he passes the blaster back to her, and with it in hand, she grips Hux's forearm with her own. An understanding passes between them: she still belongs to the Order, but she will not be complicit in the capture of Kylo Ren knowing what will befall him in the Supreme Leader's custody. If Phasma were in the General's position even she knows she would be pushed to desertion.

Lowering the familiar weapon in her hand, Phasma aims it away and fires five random shots at the walls. If her blaster is inspected she can at least say she attempted the capture of Kylo Ren and General Hux. It's hardly difficult to be overpowered by a Force-user. Turning back to Hux with a brief glance to Ren, she graciously nods and begins her route back to the command centre, after all there is still a battle raging on. She doesn't spare them a glance but her mind stays on the General; she knows their paths are diverging, may they once again meet on the field of battle.

They stand in silence until Phasma's clunking boots are a mere echo in the distance. Silence passes over them and Hux can finally look at Kylo. Really look. Staring back with glossy eyes, Kylo falls into waiting arms, heaving in a heady breath of Hux's comforting scent. Fingers comb through his hair and suddenly he feels safe. Not even the awkward cough from behind can make him pull his face from its place at Hux's neck.

Hux, however, does spare the other man in the hall an uneasy glance. His face is hard, yet his eyes are soft, clearly unsure of how to react to his son wrapped around an unfamiliar Alpha. An Alpha of the enemy no less.

Whispering to Kylo, yet loud enough for Solo to hear, Hux keeps his eyes on him to ensure he has his acceptance, his help, "We need to leave before Snoke sends someone less understanding than Phasma."

The nod Hux receives from Solo is reassuring, so he continues to coax Kylo away from him. He wipes away a tear or two with the pads of his thumbs and he kisses the crease of his furrowed brow. Kylo takes Hux's hand in his own and stares at his Alpha seriously. "You're sure?"

"Yes," Hux breathes, "I will not let Snoke hurt you."

Either of you, he leaves unsaid, positive that Kylo doesn't want his father knowing that snippet of information just yet. He does place a hand inconspicuously on Kylo's stomach and they both stare in shock at the bolt of energy that zips along Hux's arm.

They have no time to think as the Base shakes around them, the lights flicker and an alarm sounds through every corridor, every nook and cranny. Kylo twists to look at his father; Chewbacca has detonated the explosives. Han steps forward, "We need to leave, now."

With the Base thoroughly memorised, Hux leads the three safely to the nearest exit and out into the snow; what he wouldn't give in this moment to have his Greatcoat. Almost frozen in an instant, feet buried in deep white and shoulders dusted with snowflakes and ash; he pulls Kylo to him, urging his body heat to transfer to the Omega. Kylo ducks closer, yet it doesn't help either of them. The cold is relentless. Deadly if not alert. Over the roar of the wind they just manage to hear Solo when he directs them to his ship; Hux lets the older man lead into the tundra.

With the battle warring overhead, they instinctively duck when an X-Wing swoops low and disappears into the Base. Hux and Kylo stare in terror — the oscillator — one well aimed blast will send it up in flames; Starkiller will join minutes later. Hux can barely move as he watches the destruction of his life's work, everything he has accomplished for the betterment of the Galaxy. It soothes him to know it can't be used by another: mishandled by the Order or abused by Snoke. After all, a captain should go down with his ship.

Kylo senses Hux freeze and doubts it's from the sub-zero temperature. Calling his name is futile, Hux doesn't respond. A forceful tug on his arm finally gets him moving; the only motivation Hux has left is holding his hand to run for their lives.

From behind several explosions shatter through the air and a sudden rumble shakes the ground knocking the deserters into the snow. Within seconds the ground starts to pull apart, the planet's crust fracturing before their eyes.

Hux struggles to his feet, but before he can help Kylo stand, Han's cries echo behind them, the ground splitting underneath him. He begins descending over the edge and Kylo reaches out with the Force to stop him, but he can't. His connection to the Force is still haywire, uncooperative and useless. He screams back and scrambles to his feet, but Hux is already way out in front of him, skidding to the edge gripping onto his father's arms with all is might.

The ground quakes again.

Snow and rock shift through the air, engulfing Hux and Han and they disappear out of sight.

Into the abyss.