Chapter 9: Banquet
A priceless urn smashed to pieces where Hux had been standing only five minutes ago. His stupid romantic posturing and hasty goodbye had been the final straw on Avin's back. She was so angry she would have killed him if she saw him. She picked up a small figurine and smashed it at her feet. It didn't help at all. All those years. All those plans. And what had it gotten her? A dreary, restricted life. Governing a place that wasn't allowed to laugh, sing, dance. She replayed the conversation in her mind and began to pace around the room, the fast movement stirring her rage further. Was it even true? Had he just found a younger woman? Someone where he worked who wasn't as soft as Avin? Did he simply have no interest in her anymore and had no way to say it past his bullshit discipline? A wave of horror and sadness rose up again and she stood stock still, almost afraid she would break apart if she moved. She picked up another priceless artifact and tried to stopper the questions rising in her by loudly smashing it. Why now of all times? She had almost been grateful when communication had ceased. Everything was always so intense with him and it had been a welcome relief to get a little time to herself but life without Armitage seemed dry, boring and colourless. Perhaps she had been ignoring the feeling all this time, now it rose up in her like a tsunami. She was terrified to name it. Granted, he had huge flaws. Sometimes she felt she didn't know him anymore, but she remembered that lonely boy who desperately wanted his father's approval. The turn of his neck as he bent over his studies in his bare room, the way he twisted leather gloves in his hands when he was pleased, the hard-won quirk of his lip when she had amused him. Most of all the tenacious care he had always had over her and every aspect of their relations. He would have been a good husband, in his own way, she thought. In some ways she knew this to be untrue, his cruel demeanour, his almost vicious obsession with the new Republic were all red signals that clamoured for her attention when they talked. But she grew up with him, he knew her. The last real tie to her old world was gone. She was all alone now. As if she was moving in slow motion, she made her way to the access panel and summoned a droid to clean the mess. Then she went to bed and cried. You are allowed at least one kitschy broken-hearted cry in bed, she told herself, and the thought made her smile faintly before she drifted off.
She woke up late the next morning with a loud beeping sound telling her that someone was calling at her quarters. She struggled into a dressing gown, knowing her hair was dishevelled and her eyes were still puffy. Thankfully, an etiquette droid stood outside, hands clasped together in serene patience.
"Governor Shuah, Lord Ren requests a tour of the Empire archives in one standard hour. He will expect you outside his quarters at this time."
Damn, she thought, I did promise him yesterday. She knew intuitively there was absolutely no way she could turn down the request. She had always been at the beck and call of the military ranks of the order.
"Yes, I will be there." She said, waving the droid away in a decidedly unprofessional manner. The door closed again and with a sigh she jogged back into her sleeping quarters to throw herself on her bed. She remembered practicing this with Korellia when they were young girls, dramatically throwing themselves onto beds like they had seen heroines do in romantic holovids. One-time Korellia threw herself so hard that one of the bearings snapped and her mother had shouted at both of them. It all seemed so long ago and silly now. Like she was a different person with someone else's memories. Now she threw herself on the bed because she just felt so, so tired of it all. Power had given her very little happiness. She allowed herself to lie on the bed a few more moments reminiscing before crawling to her wardrobe to dredge up a tight black uniform. If she was going to have to pander to Lord Ren today she might as well do it in style.
He was outside his quarters when she arrived and they took off without a word. Instead of the usual casual nods of respect she normally received while walking around the palace today every single person snapped away their eyes from the pair in fear. People were very afraid of Lord Ren. She had no idea how he felt about this as he strode forward. She didn't even know if he was human although she knew he wouldn't be allowed into the First Order higher ranks if he wasn't. Perhaps he is horribly disfigured like Darth Vader, she thought. Perhaps he is as lonely as me, a much quieter thought whispered. He turned his head in her direction.
"How much time do you spend in the archives?" he asked, making the question into a command. Obviously, he and General Hux did have some things in common.
"I dedicate one day every week to archival research Lord Ren. Over the last year I have updated the database although there is still a huge backlog of unprocessed material."
"If I wanted to find something how easy would it be?"
"Difficult to say Lord Ren, it would depend on the information itself. Everything can be accessed but you would still have to search through a huge mess of information in all probability."
They walked in silence again. A team of officials strode by obviously on their way to a meeting with General Hux. They looked terrified as they walked by the tall dark figure.
"And can the archive be moved?" He asked again, after a long pause.
"Yes, although it would need to be the biggest ship in the fleet to hold all that information. The Finalizer could take it, I'm sure."
He stops in the hallway and his fists clenched. Avin's heart jumped in her chest.
"You will address me by my title at all times."
"Yes Lord Ren, I apologise, Lord Ren." He is even more of an asshole than General Hux, she thought in frustration. He continued to simply stand there, staring in her direction. The question came tumbling out of her mouth before she could stop it: "Why is everyone so afraid of you Lord Ren?"
"Because I am the most powerful force user in the Galaxy, second only to my Master." He said slowly, enunciating each word crisply. She nodded, not sure what to say to this. The force meant very little to her. The mask was so strange, slightly warped and misshapen, it frightened Avin to stare into it. "Are you frightened?"
"Of course, I am, Lord Ren."
This seemed to satisfy him as they began to walk again until they were at the large doors to the archive. Avin had never felt more relieved to arrive somewhere. They entered and the archive lit up in sections as they moved along. A low hum of the huge network of consoles was the only noise to be heard. The whole place was bathed in a soft blue glow and various work top tables were spread out throughout the room. Normally, she finds this to be the most peaceful place on the planet. Today, it means she is trapped inside an empty room with the most powerful force user in the galaxy. One console was already lit up and thumbnail images of various old texts and historical documents floated above the screen as shallow projections. All of the documents were about the Empire and the death star.
"What is this." he asked waving a hand in a short gesture towards the console.
"Some old material I am re-reading." she said and then elaborated further "That was my thesis project."
"Explain." he ordered.
"I wrote about the first death star. I discussed whether destroying Alderaan was a good military strategy."
"I have read that. It is not." He really wasn't great with conversation. She waited a few moments before taking another stab at their discussion.
"What is not-?"
"Destroying planets. I agree with what you wrote, it is a highly unnecessary tactic."
"You... you read my work." Avin was so shocked she had to hide the expression on her face. The idea of this strange dark figure kicking back with her book and cup of caff rose up in her mind and she desperately tried to stifle it.
"Your chapter on Darth Vader was excellent."
Avin turned away from him, becoming slightly nervous with the passion he put into this statement. She was amazed someone had read her rather unpopular book and nervously bent over the nearest console to choose another text to recommend to him. She felt him behind her now and her back brushed the stiff, heavy material he wore. Out of fright, she stood up straight but now she was pressed into the console. Out of the corner of her eye she saw his arm raise and then a strange hissing sound was emitted directly behind her. In her periphery vision she saw a black helmet thunk down onto the solid table. It must be so heavy, she thought, before she felt his breath on her neck.
"You are an interesting woman. Not beautiful, but interesting." He said, voice completely changed by the absence of the voice modulator. The deepness of his voice ran through her and the feeling in her stomach quivered with curiosity as she felt his lips on her neck. Well, he could be the ugliest man she had ever met, Avin thought, or the most handsome. The morbid curiosity of the whole predicament was particularly arousing, and his frank honesty was somehow more flattering than a hundred cheap lines. She could feel his warm breath on her skin as he nipped at the skin of her earlobe.
"Would you like to be my lover?" he rumbled into her ear. It was so corny she had to clamp down on her mouth to stop from smiling. She knew they were in a time of war and obviously didn't have any time for romance but had no one learned the proper way to speak to women? She had to be very careful. He could kill her where she stood with very little impunity. The sound of the hushed doors opening called for Avin's attention. A pair of stormtroopers stood there in the dark shadows of the archive entrance. From where they stood they were both silhouetted in shadows thrown up by the holo-projections of the console so the stormtroopers could see very little.
"The General requests your presence Lord Ren." A particularly brave Stormtrooper come forward with way of explanation.
"Tell the General that I and the interesting Governor are very busy right now and cannot be disturbed." The Stormtroopers left without another word. His voice was dark and syrupy like treacle but the slightly petulant lilt of it gave Avin all the information she needed. Lord Ren knew there was something going on between her and Hux. He was trying to get under Armitage's skin. For a brief moment she still contemplated it, purely because Armitage spurned her last night. It was very tempting particularly with someone so infamous as Kylo Ren but it was still as seedy as a canteen in Tatooine. She briefly remembered her Mother and her best friend scolding her for impulsive behaviour and fought off the urge to accept. Being a First Order Leader's lover was not a thing to aspire to especially when it was obviously an attempt to embarrass another First Order leader.
"I thank you for the offer Lord Ren, but I cannot accept."
"You will accept." She felt something brushing over her mind, like a hand passing over her eyes. She shrugged it off.
"I will not accept. There is no fraternisation in the First Order."
"Like I care about Hux's pathetic rules."
"Arm- General Hux implemented that rule?"
"Yes." She felt his hips rub into the small of her back in small circular motions. "Wouldn't you like to break it now?"
She turned quickly to face him and caught a flash of fear across a young man's face before he spun away from her. He deftly picked up the helmet and put it on as he stormed towards the archive doors. As he got to the entrance he turned around, his voice made strange again by the distortion in the helmet.
"You will tell no one of this." He snapped as he walked out.
"I don't have anyone to tell." whispered Avin into the blue silence of the archives.
While Daxam IV buzzed and weaved with the excitement of its first official holiday since annexation the rich and poor took to the streets alike. The sky was alight with all the hovercraft and small ships transporting people to the palace, creating streams of purple smoke in criss-cross patterns above the balcony of Avin's quarters. All the most beautiful, powerful and rich citizens of the Outer Rim would be here to rub elbows with First Order officials. She took a look at her sexless official red robes and sighed. She felt trapped into this role and to this bloody wardrobe. She drummed her fingers along her wardrobe door and looked at the many projected photos along her bedroom walls. Her in bright colours smiling with friends and family. There were no images of her time on this planet, except of an imposing one taken of her maiden speech during annexation. Today was a special night. She carefully removed a long dark blue silk gown from the back of her wardrobe. It was backless and flowy in the typical Naboo style, and she placed it aside when a team of stylists dressed in white tunics flustered into her quarters to help her get ready. While the hairdressers pulled and combed and poked at her long hair she attempted to write a message. A whole page turned into a paragraph turned into a few lines turned into five words.
Armitage, can we speak privately?
She sent it and waited for a reply. Her secretary had made her aware of some of the rather hair-raising requests the Finalizer crew had made during their stay in the living quarters. All types of food and drink, as well as a swarm of prostitutes from every corner of the city. The hypocritical nature of a military which destroyed brothels and then hired prostitutes during celebrations was not lost on Avin. In fact, she found out from her secretary that the group had invited her to join them as senior official. After Lord Ren's behaviour in the archives this didn't surprise her at all. Was Armitage part of that, she wondered? She somehow doubted it. She closed her eyes as the make-up artists dusted powder on her cheeks and the hairdressers curled her hair around her fingers. Before she knew it, it was time to go and two of her dressers helped her into her dress, tying tight at the waist as it flowed down to the ground, her curves peeked out through the silk showing twice as much skin as she normally did for formal occasions. Avin felt like herself for the first time in months. She checked her console before leaving for the banquet. There was no message from Armitage.
Avin swept through the large apex, inclining her head here and there to various business associates and important members of state. Many heads turned in her direction as her dark blue dress traced along the floor. She was in charge here. She was running this show. She saw Lord Ren standing in the shadows beside the dais before they all sat down. Avin was sat at the mid-point of the long upper dais table with Lord Ren to her right and General Hux to her left. Hux had looked at her as she took her place, her low neck-line causing instant disapproval on his face. An incredibly tall woman in formal military wear sat down at the table beside her own chief of security. Her height and the gimlet stare of her chief of security told her this must be Captain Phasma. Her white-blond hair gleamed in the light and U Qwon Dee was hanging off every brusque word she uttered. Everyone was seated when Avin rose her glass for a toast. She had practiced toasting for years under her father's gentle gaze and she made sure to look around the room as she sung the order's praises.
"Tonight, is the first celebration of Foundation. The victorious day when the First Order liberated planets from the corrupt clutches of the New Republic. Even more special we have the chance to honour many men and women who fought for us this day, and who still continue to fight for us now in dutiful service to the Supreme Leader. Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you the great General Hux from the Finalizer."
A thunderous shout rose up in the room as hundreds pumped their fists proudly in the air. General Hux deftly stood up, smoothing his robes down and rose his glass as well and sat down without saying a word.
An older general, one of the first generation who had hidden after the battle of Endor sat to the right of Lord Ren who was sitting like a stone statue at the table. The general, who's name Avin had forgotten immediately, was mumbling about Imperial culture across Lord Ren to Avin when she felt something rustle against her thigh. A hand gently rested on her right leg. For a moment her heart jumped with elation as she thought it was Armitage's but one discreet glance at the large hand confirmed her suspicions. Lord Kylo Ren's round two of sexual harassment, she thought, and rolled her eyes. This was not the first time this has happened in Avin's career. However, it had never happened with a man as dangerous as Lord Ren. His hand squeezed along her lower and then upper thigh and then slowly, painfully pulled up her voluminous skirts to sneak underneath. Her heart was hammering in her chest not knowing when he would stop, if he would stop. She could feel his fingers now, cool against her hot skin. She tried to push his hand away as discreetly as possible but the general was talking straight at her.
"Children." The old general said gruffly. His rheumy eyes staring out at her from a gnarly face.
"Excuse me, General?" she said, completely distracted from the conversation.
"We need children if we want to win this war."
"You mean child soldiers, General?"
He glared at her and took a sip from his glass before answering. The hand on her upper thigh gripped her tightly for a moment before creeping a finger underneath the lace of her underwear. She felt a perverse desire to let him creep into her underwear, genuinely curious to see how far this would go. She knew it was a distraction technique from the very real pain Hux had caused her last night and didn't care.
"Don't be preposterous. We need new blood. The Order is still small. We need our women at home, having as many children as possible." The old general said, eyeing her in disdain as he ripped meat off a bone with his knife. I'll shove that bone you're chewing on right up your arse, she thought venomously, as she caught his meaning. Lord Ren emitted a strange sound behind his helmet, almost between a cough and a sneeze and squeezed her thigh again. The General turned to him.
"I see Lord Ren agrees with me. Do you have a wife, Lord Ren?"
She felt a thick finger push inside her folds and rub along her nub sending a thrill through her stomach.
"Not yet." He said crisply, the two words heavy with implications. Avin couldn't help but let out a snort of laughter.
General Hux was watching this altercation out of the corner of his eye. Avin could just about see the vein above his eye twitching through his heavy frown as he looked down into her lap. From his angle he could see the movement underneath her skirts while both her hands rested on the table. The General leaned over to Avin's side as Hux opened his mouth to say something.
"General Hux, I must congratulate you on your recent engagement. I am sure your father is proud of your devotion to the traditions of the First Order. Soon you will have plenty of children to continue your legacy."
He nodded stiffly at him and faced away, his face deathly pale. Avin felt her whole-body crash. She violently fought back tears. The noise of the room had suddenly become much too loud and she felt an insane urge to kill one of the men sitting beside her. Rage rose up and crashed down on her. She had been made to look a complete fool. The hand had been removed from her thigh and she saw Lord Ren pick up the silver knife on his right and place it carefully beside her clenched fist. She didn't know whether he was shamelessly trying to tempt her to kill Hux or this was some form of macabre humour but it made her laugh out loud. She could see Hux flinch beside her. So, there it was. Something snapped inside her and she made another one of her stupid decisions.
"Lord Ren, you told me you had wanted to see the palace's famous gardens. Would you like to go now?" she said lying sweetly.
"Yes." Came the answer after only a second of hesitation. She felt his eyes follow them as they strolled towards the direction of the gardens. There was a sort of strange freedom walking around with a man who had no face. She had no illusions that whatever they did now there would be no feelings involved. For the first time since the Finalizer crew arrived Avin felt back in control. She still held power over this planet and she still held power over her own body. She wasn't going to be an old maid anymore. They walked in silence all the way down to the grounds. Lord Ren had even put his glove back on his left hand, she noticed. Manicured bushes rose above them as they entered an atrium with a gleaming silver table. The air was perfumed with synthetic flowers. She spoke out to the warm buzzing air, letting her words float away from her.
"It is strange how quickly love can turn to hate, isn't it?"
"No." the strange voice rumbled, sounding bored. "They are the same."
"Not as enjoyable."
"Hate can be just as enjoyable. Passion is strength."
She looked over to him and felt very strangely at peace. A half-smile quirked across her lips.
"As you say, Lord Ren."
"I can see why he-"
She chose to ignore wherever that sentence was going. She was feeling angry and reckless again. Violently, she pulled down the two straps of her dress to let them pool on the manicured lawn.
"Show me your face." She commanded.
"No. I am not your sweetheart. I will give the orders here." He said and gripped her by the hips, twisting her down and around so she faced away from him bent over. She felt him pull her underwear down aggressively but when she moved to kick off her high heels, he pressed her feet into the ground.
"No," he muttered in a haze of distorted sound "Keep them on." A rustle of fabric and then his hand was rubbing at her large backside, dipping a finger into her core.
"Hux never had you, did he?" he asked, his voice dropping down to a dark timbre that thrilled up her spine.
"No, he didn't."
It seems to be all the encouragement he needed and he quickly lined up and entered her gripping her hips with large hands as he pushed inside her.
"Tight." He gasped, "It's so tight."
He was still only half-way inside her when he began to thrust violently, bracing her against the table. It hurt quite a bit and the mechanical gasping from behind her wasn't sexy at all. She lost her temper but this time allowed herself to go with it, twisting around and pushing Ren away from her with her legs. He stumbled back in surprise and then she was on him, violently pushing him down to the ground. She quickly straddled him and pushed down onto his cock, his moan of pleasure was loud through the mask. She was still angry and pressed his arms down into the grass as she rode him. He didn't struggle so she punched him hard in the chest again and again, knowing it would have absolutely no effect. A strange sound was emitted from the helmet like at the dinner table and Avin realised he was laughing.
"Give me your anger." He gasped out, almost merrily.
"Shut up." She hissed as she found the exact right spot to press down on. She ground down onto him and felt something growing inside of her. She gripped at the lapels of his surcoat as she rode him. Right at the cusp of her orgasm, she almost forgot he was there she was so lost in sensation.
"Say my title." she gasped out.
"Governor." the voice rumbled from behind the mask.
"Again, you peasant." she hissed out at him. That strange sound of laughter rumbled again under the mask.
"Governor Shuah."
She gasped and moaned and sweated out her orgasm, grinding against him until her limbs felt like butter. As she came down he flipped her over and thrust into her again, pressing her face into the grass. His movements became erratically fast-paced and she knew he was near to finishing. He was mumbling incoherently now and slapped her backside as he thrust. Suddenly he pulled out and knelt down, pumping his come on her folds and backside. She turned to look back at him and he pushed her face forward again while hissing at her not to look at him.
"Now I will have something that Hux will never have." he gloated as they knelt together trying to get their breath back. Her back was incredibly sticky and she couldn't imagine what her hair looked like now. They stood up to go back in and Avin was hit with another wave of immense sadness. Absurd, when did this all get so absurd? She thought as they passed through back into the main apex where she dashed back into the bathroom quickly. Four society ladies were in the luxuriant bathrooms and their eyes widened as they saw Avin's appearance. "Leave!" she barked and they ran out, she still had leaves stuck in her hair. She stared into the mirror, looking at the angry woman staring back at her. She couldn't bear facing that whole crowd again. She left the banquet hall and went to bed.
A message chimed on her private display, and she rolled out of bed to read it stupidly hoping it was Armitage. It was brief.
Governor Shuah, the Finalizer party have been summoned back to the main ship.
U Qwon Dee, Head of Security
Months had passed. Daxam IV was very beautiful in the half-dusk through a haze of distant sandstorms. In the last two months Avin had finished work just at the right time to catch the fading light from the city before the light system would burn out the soft beams for its efflorescent glare. She rarely left the compound of the government building, and she reasoned with herself that it was mainly due to work. Organisation was key in this delicate stage and organisation took so much time. She woke up early, exercised at the official's gymnasium and then began a long day of negotiations, bill reforms and meetings. At three regular intervals during the day all action stopped to accommodate the image projected to every screen on Arkanis, Daxam IV and various parts of the galaxy. The message of the First Order chanted at them by the commanding General Hux. Her Armitage. Not her Armitage. She had not heard from him, and she presumed he had married already and was safely back in the Unknown regions training troops. She hoped the woman he married was incredibly irritating and just as untidy as she was. The information relayed by his presence changed every few days but she knew the image was most probably digitally configured. He wouldn't have time to record these messages even if he could. It was her last meeting of the day, an informal meeting arranged by an offworld official. She hoped it would not take long and she could be out of her heavy robes soon. A tall and very thin woman in First Order black entered the balcony area and briefly raised her fist in greeting before sitting down opposite her. Her dress was immaculate but her prim way of pursing her lips at Avin told her that this was not a friendly visit. She did not even bother to introduce herself before she began to speak.
"Governor Shuah. Your work as Governor of Daxam IV has not gone unnoticed by the Supreme Leader. We would like to extend to you the privilege of working on board a ship of our fleet."
"I still have a lot of responsibilities here, surely you would not ask me to leave-"
"This is what high command has requested." She interrupted her disdainfully.
"And- and what would I be doing on board a ship?"
"Continuing your fine work for our archives department."
"Archives." She stated flatly. The woman's ears perked up as if she was asking a question.
"Yes, the archives of the Empire is being moved for safety. The Supreme Leader considers knowledge to be an infinite source of power. Much is gathered during our recognizance missions in the Unknown Regions. New planets, lifeforms, languages, new economic markets are seen every day but our crew is essentially military and neither has the enterprise nor the interest to divert to this form of work. Right now, we have amassed a huge store of Empire archives, and we need someone to go through them and find an incredibly important piece of information. A map-"
"I have been working in the archives for months. Why was I not informed the archives were being moved?" She cut her off feeling sick to her stomach.
"It was confidential information."
"This is not the work I have been recently accustomed to." She countered with, knowing it sounded pathetic as she said it. Demotion. This was what it was.
"Everyone has their place in the Order," the official stated "Yours has changed." Without a second glance she stood up and swept from the room. The meeting was over. Avin had no choice in the matter. Just like those other people down there in Daxam IV, she thought, as the dusk fell and lit up the meeting room in its quiet dusky glow.