Hux opened his own chambers, on his own ship, held on Naboo until further notice.
He wanted to scream in frustration, wanted to hit something, and settled on kicking his own desk. It shuddered under the blow, but did not break or cry out or fight back, because it was just a desk.
Hux grabbed his own hair and tugged at it uselessly.
Now his foot hurt, too, and it hadn't changed anything. Kylo Amidala wasn't his fiancé, he was a porcelain doll, just because he belonged to Hux didn't mean he could touch him, or hardly really even have him at all!
With a limp, no less furious shudder, Hux slumped against his door.
His mind immediately jumped to revenge, to spite, and in an instant he was up again, shaking, seating himself at his desk and lifting Phasma's communicator. That group of rebels, they'd been keeping their heads down lately, but he knew that Phasma had some information about a planet they still resided on in pockets, one that also belonged to the Republic. Hux paused, his hand hovering over her name.
He could call her.
But, with Phasma's wife such a spitfire, and with a powerful seat near Kylo, there was no guarantee Phasma would keep quiet.
He rotated his seat, facing communications to his far less savory underlings. They could do dirty things, were well qualified for it, and he had a moment before lifting the receiver.
Did he really need to do this?
If Kylo ever knew, ever found out, would it destroy the already-fragile promise of a wedding?
Was it even worth it, the small, spiteful catharsis Hux knew he'd have?
He remembered, then, how quickly Kylo had turned his face away from Hux's hands, that room inexplicably shredded, and found that Kylo didn't seem to care much for collateral either way.
He lifted the receiver, which rang for mere moments before sputtering to life, the voice on the other end unfamiliar, a mere general who watched over a single ship.
"Emperor Hux?"
"Who else would use this line? You have new orders. Pick your best men, your stealthiest, and send them to Ruusan. The rebels still use that planet, maker knows what else it is good for."
"Wh-what would you like me to order them to do, sir?" The voice on the other end stammered slightly. Hux could already imagine the general, somehow similar to how he used to be, already gesturing to anyone nearby that orders were coming from the very top.
He should keep an eye on his generals, he supposed, considering his rank when the last leader of the First Order fell.
"Whatever the hell they want." Hux stated first, before taking a moment to reassess.
"No uniforms. Keep all of this a lethal secret; delete all evidence of your ship's travel both there and back, send all of the troops involved to other ships after they've finished, each one to a separate sector, give no reason, do not allow them to speak to one another. Try to avoid actively killing, but feel free to destroy some sensitive buildings, and if there are citizens inside, well, give at least a fair warning. And you will never speak of this order once it has been carried out."
"I—o—of course, sir, wh-when would you like this order to be carried out?"
This General was too shaky, too nervous. He likely wouldn't last much longer, Hux thought.
"Immediately."
"Yes, sir. May I dare to-"
"-No." Hux interrupted coolly, before the voice on the other end had even asked.
"O-of course. My apologies, s-sir."
"Immediately. Destroy all evidence of your involvement; don't even use regulation weapons."
"Consider it done, sir."
Hux hung up. He stood, drawing a cigarette out of a drawer and lighting it carelessly. He was starting to get a headache.
His heart had stopped pounding, but did he really feel better?
-/-
3: Gems.
Hux glanced at his notebook before closing it, swallowing the flush on his cheekbones. He tucked the notebook into his pocket, making sure it wasn't in the same one as the small velvet box.
He probably should've done this first, sure, but at least it was happening at some point, right?
Plus, it could get him in Leia's good graces, maybe even improve Kylo's attitude towards him, and if Phasma did it, well, so could Hux.
Sleeping wasn't an option last night; he had tossed and turned and tried, but he could not relax enough to even feel the fatigue pressing in at his temples. He'd had the ring for long enough; had it made the day Kylo signed the treaty, even. He'd been planning to present Kylo with it after they'd decided where they would live, but…
What Kylo had said yesterday was true. If Hux wanted to actually be engaged to Kylo, he had to legitimately propose. And, besides, the idea of Hux's ring on Kylo slender hand, glimmering just enough that anyone who saw it would know what it meant, was absolutely intoxicating.
He squared his shoulders and stalked into the conference room.
Immediate regret flooded him as he saw the long table (usually empty) and at least thirty chairs (usually not there) occupied by every Republic planet ruler in the closest three systems.
He had expected-and would have been able to handle- press and Senator Organa, but with all the eyes actually there, truly in the room, Hux was less sure.
Yet, as he scanned the room, there was one pair of eyes that he couldn't find.
"Where is the Queen?" Hux asked flatly, no amount of courtesy or greeting attached.
Several faces glanced to one another, unsure of what to do, all coming to rest back at him as he took another step into the room. He looked to the empty seat at the head of the table, where Kylo belonged, feigning no surprise as the seat was taken by Senator Leia Organa. She folded her hands neatly on the table, quite similarly to how Kylo would, and cleared her throat carefully.
"The Queen is tending to his duties elsewhere. I'm sure you've heard that there was an attack against the outer rim of the Republic just a few hours ago."
Hux nodded obediently, taking his own seat.
Stormtroopers without their helmets, how many could they have actually killed? A single building reduced to rubble, hardly an attack.
Kylo did need to remember that he didn't hold Hux in his hands; Hux held the galaxy in his.
Leia's eyes tightened. She cleared her throat.
"Kylo is currently aiding where he can. He has informed us that he will return as soon as all survivors are safe, and all dead are mourned, and instructed that all decisions normally left to him have been passed to the Senate. So-"
The senator pierced Hux with a dangerous glare. "-Do not think you'll be able to cut favors while he is gone, Emperor."
Hux's throat tightened.
"Are you implying something, Senator Organa?"
Hux never actually expected Kylo to be compassionate enough to up and leave his throne, or cruel enough that even his mother knew that Hux had gone after Kylo to keep him in check.
"Only that-"
Leia's remark fell silent, and she looked behind Hux.
The door slid open, and before Hux could turn, his seat was swung about violently.
"Ben!" Leia cried sharply, and Kylo Amidala tucked his legs back together.
He stood before Hux's seat with a fire in his eyes, a dangerous, terse expression, chest heaving.
Hux could only sit dumbly for a second, trying very hard to comprehend that the red on Kylo's robe was blood, and still wet, and not his.
The queen was dressed from his neck all the way to the floor in a robe that had once been white, fading into red, but now the red splattered all across it, practically dripping from sleeve ends. There were bits of dust and debris in the queen's hair, braided back with only strands of white fabric, dust on his bloody red lips and starkly white face, the only decoration clips on his shoulders where Hux assumed a cape had been. The queen wore no jewelry, no extravagance, and had, Hux could only assume, been dutifully tending his people. Hux would have been touched by that, were subjects not so fickle, and Kylo's arms not full of something he was slamming onto the table now.
He practically crunched the artifact into the tabletop directly in front of Hux, and, breathing deeply, backed away so the table could see.
Kylo took another deep breath, shuddering as he crossed the room to stand by his mother's chair, and only spoke after he had calmed substantially.
"Won't you ask me where I found that, Emperor Hux?"
Hux stared down at the burnt husk of a First Order regulation blaster, practically still smoldering on the table.
Hux only stared. The room shuffled and began to rise in anger, and Hux stared.
He looked up at Kylo, who smoldered back fearlessly.
Hux tried to think of something he could say, something that was intelligent and powerful and consoling and shocked and grieving all at once, and instead all that came to mind was now is probably a poor time to propose.
Kylo suddenly let out a wounded sound and keened forward. His hands hit the table unsteadily and he was forced to lean against it, body a rigid and crooked line. His mother's hands crept around Kylo's shoulders, and he closed his eyes weakly, a hand to his forehead.
Hux stood, but before he could speak, the door opened again, and several figures in red pushed past him.
The Knights rushed into the room, practically sweeping up their queen while cooing and calling instructions back and forth as the queen was deposited into a chair and his head was tilted back, almost so he was looking up at the ceiling.
Hux couldn't understand what they were saying with any cohesion, and everyone seemed too intimidated to try to interrupt, but dammit, that was his future husband, and if somebody was going to worry over him, it had better be Hux.
However, no sooner had he tried to step forward than Kylo was standing again, in spite of the loud protests from his loyal servants.
"I promise, I promise, I'm fine, I just didn't catch enough air between leaving the shuttle and ending up here. It just caught up to me too quickly, that's all."
Kylo took a deep, steadying breath, closing his eyes and clasping his hands together. Dust clung to his eyelashes, turning muddy as his eyes watered. He lifted his head calmly.
How many died?
Kylo met Hux's eye for only a moment before turning away.
"There are still citizens to be cared for. In crises such as this, it is most important to think of the people first. I shall return once I have followed through on putting my people first. Mother, I trust you will handle this with a cooler head than mine."
And Kylo walked out, not sparing Hux a second glance as he passed him, that box as heavy as could be in his pocket.
Kylo was at the door before he paused, wavering slightly, dripping blood against the wall.
He turned diplomatically, clearing his throat calmly.
"Perhaps you would care to join me, Emperor. Clearly, you seem a bit behind on the current situation."
Kylo offered, though the challenge was clear.
Hux adjusted his cape as he stood, easily, shoulders back proudly.
"I should be glad to accompany you, my Queen." Hux responded tensely, and Kylo's eyes thinned victoriously before turning again and stalking out, Hux following proudly behind.