PSL for rabidcur

[bestresistancepilot]

Having so many people all pretty much trapped together on the Millennium Falcon was not easy. It had only been a couple of weeks since they had left Crait, but it honestly felt like even longer. There was no privacy on the Falcon which was hard on everyone. Thankfully they had gotten messages out and had finally heard back about a base and were on the way to it. Their allies made sure the base was stocked and that new ships were waiting for them.

Poe was ecstatic. He'd be able to fly. It was currently one of those rare moments when he was pressed into a corner of the Falcon, the most privacy he could get. Everyone else was asleep and he was just staring at scenes on his datapad. He frowned when an incoming call glowed across the screen, hesitating since it was from an unknown source. Who could be trying to contact him?

He glanced around before shifting and answering the call, making sure to put a headset on that connected so he wouldn't wake anyone else. The video that greeted him almost had him throwing the datapad across the ship in shock when he met the brilliant green eyes of none other than Armitage Hux.

"How did you even find a way to contact me!?" He hissed before the other man even had a chance to speak.

Comments

[rabidcur]

He'd been agonizing over it ever since that stupid prank call from the Resistance pilot, and a half a bottle of Corellian Red was what it took for the embittered general to take drunkenly to his datapad--calling the only man who had the stones to prank the First Order. He'd been a good source of information once, so Hux reasoned he could be one again.

But when Poe's offended face appeared on the screen, the general suddenly wasn't so sure. He schooled his expression, attempting to look professional--even if he were in his bathrobe.

"I want the information General Organa has about my mother."

[bestresistancepilot]

He pushed his fingers through his hair before slowly raising an eyebrow. He wasn't even sure what time it was and he wasn't about to try finding out, but didn't this guy have anything better to do? And was he in a BATHROBE!?

"You're insane. It was talk, Hugs. What in the hell do you want?" He asked, looking around again before shifting so the conversation was a bit more private and he was mostly out of sight of anyone who might come looking. "Kriff, you kind of look like hell. Are you drunk? You look drunk." He pointed out, smirking some.

[rabidcur]

The way Poe wrote him off fractured the general's composed expression, an odd sort of vulnerability in his vibrant green eyes.

"I--" He grabbed the bottle beside him, taking another long drink. Yes, he was drunk. "Kriffing hell-- I thought--"

Hux looked away from the feed, hiding a portion of his face against his forearm--he hiccuped as he choked back a sob. An orange tabby meowed from offscreen, carefully working her way into the redhead's lap, bumping his cheek with the top of her head. When he shifted to look at her, his eyes were red from holding back tears, speaking to the cat with a voice thick with emotion.

"Nothing. I don't w-want anything. This was stupid of me."

[bestresistancepilot]

"Whoa....whoa hey wait. Shavit you really...are a mess. Look, just...calm down okay? It wasn't stupid." Something about the vulnerability in the man's strikingly beautiful eyes struck a chord with Poe and he cleared his voice, softening visibly. "Whats going on, Hux?" He asked softly, chewing on his lip before he saw the cat.

And well, that was a surprise. He had never imagined the general as one to have a pet. At least not a cat anyways. "Oh wow. Hey there...what's the cat's name? I like cats. They're good pets. Very intuitive to what we need." He said, trying to get the man to talk instead of just end the vid chat with him.

[rabidcur]

The cat helped Hux calm enough not to start sobbing outright, about to end the call when he heard Poe calling out to him. He lifted the datapad back up, scratching Millicent behind the ears as he looked at the man on the other side of the screen.

"...Her name is Millicent." It was easy to avoid thinking about the present if he could deflect onto his companion. She was purring noisily enough that it could be picked up by the datapad's microphone, nuzzling her human with clear affection.

[bestresistancepilot]

"Millicent." He repeated with a half smile. "Well she looks very sweet." He shifted, slumping down a bit. "Now, I know the mention of your mother can't be the only reason you contacted me. I wouldn't think you would give in to emotion over something like that. What happened to you?"

And he was genuinely curious. And honestly, okay so really should he feel so bad about making a man cry who had killed, literally, billions of people? It took him a moment before he huffed, scrubbing a hand over his face because yes he did feel terrible. He'd heard stories, okay? About the horrible childhood the man had dealt with. He'd heard horror stories about Brendol Hux. He could only have imagined how deeply having such a vile father would have effected Hux.

"You aren't calling from the Finalizer. It would show up on my datapad."

[rabidcur]

"...I've run away."

He didn't look into the camera as he said that, instead focusing on his cat, murmuring kind words to her.

"Ren made it impossible for me to stay. I thought--" He reached over to the bottle, taking another sip. "I thought if General Organa knew anything, I could find my--"

His eyes were shining with unshed tears, just barely keeping himself from utterly coming to pieces.

"...Nevermind. It's stupid now."

[bestresistancepilot]

"You were hoping Leia could help you find your mother." He said softly, feeling even worse now for making any jokes before sighing and pushing his fingers through his unruly hair. "What if...she did know something? Meet with me. I mean, I can't right now. We're...going somewhere but soon. Meet with me. Just me. No weapons. No one else."

Force, he was taking a massive chance in doing this, but maybe, just maybe it would help them out in the end. "Just you, me, maybe Millie if you want and a great bottle of Coruscant whiskey I happen to have found ages ago and still haven't found a reason to break into."

[rabidcur]

Hux didn't deny the suggestion that he'd been looking for his mother, once again looking to Millicent to keep him steady. Even the distant suggestion that Leia might still know something, even after being made a fool of... The redhead had already been burned by this man.

"How do I know you're not going to lure me somewhere and have me executed?" He asked, his voice tired. Not that he supposed it would be so bad if he just died at this point. "A handsome man stealing away with me and a bottle of whiskey sounds a bit too good to be true at this point."

[bestresistancepilot]

"Lure you somewhere and have you executed? I don't know about you, but I'm a man of my word. I don't want to execute you. Honestly, I could have on the dreadnought. The shields were down when I took out the cannons. I could have aimed for the bridge instead. So don't particularly want to kill anyone." He shrugged a shoulder, tilting his head before a smile suddenly bloomed on his face.

"Wait, so you think I'm handsome, huh?" He asked before laughing softly. "Come on, Hugs. Meet with me. Like I said, one on one. No trap."

[rabidcur]

It took Hux a while to respond to Poe, instead looking down at Millicent and asking her what she thought. The cat thought for a moment, turning around and bumping her head approvingly against the screen where Poe's face was. Managing a tired smile, the redhead nodded.

"Fine... I'm sending my coordinates. I'll be waiting."

It turned out that Hux had commandeered an old Empire satellite base on the very edge of the Unknown Regions--he'd spent years commanding a set of reconnaissance missions that aimed to map the Unknown Regions, but most of that project had been shelved when the war began increasing in intensity. Some of the more interesting things he'd found in that time, he saved for himself.

He hoped this place was remote enough that Kylo wouldn't be able to find him, although he was certainly taking a risk by inviting Poe. The satellite base had only really been intended for a half dozen people to live in, meaning it was relatively small and shouldn't appear on most scanners.

[bestresistancepilot]

"We should be....where we're going in another few hours. I'll come as soon as we get there. I'll let you know."

He'd ended the call after that, leaning his head back and really just thinking about the other man. How in the world did he think this was a good idea. He scrubbed a hand over his face.

It was roughly 8 hours later when he sent the message out to Hux, letting the other know he was on the way. When he arrived at the satellite base he landed, looking around slowly with wide eyes. "Wow."

[rabidcur]

Millicent was the first to greet Poe, trotting down the hall to appraise the visitor. He didn't seem immediately hostile, so she meowed up at him inquisitively--which was what had her owner coming down the hall to greet them.

Without his uniform, Hux was wearing civilian's clothes that only somewhat fit--he'd probably left in a hurry. His hair was loose, seeing as there was no point now, not without his army or his daily speeches.

"Of all the people in a galaxy, I can't believe you're the one coming to my rescue."

[bestresistancepilot]

He looked down at the cat, tilting his head before shrugging and bending down to scoop her up like it was nothing. He pet her gently, scratching under her chin just where he knew cats seemed to love it. "You are a lovable thing, aren't you?" He asked her before looking towards Hux as he walked down the hall.

He raised an eyebrow at the way the man was dressed, feeling like he was seeing an entirely different side. "Wow. I like this you better actually. You look...softer. Relaxed." He said as he started walking towards him.

"And what can I say? I'm a sucker for people in distress."

[rabidcur]

Hux was only slightly perturbed that Poe so casually lifted up his cat, eyeing the interactions warily. However, Millicent seemed not to mind, and he was telling her how lovely she was--he supposed it could be worse.

And then Poe turned that charm on the redhead, telling Hux he looked good and insisting that the pilot was attracted to his very condition of needing help. The redhead scoffed some, leading the man back into the small common area in the base, reminding them that this base housed six people at most.

[bestresistancepilot]

He looked around before finding a comfortable place to sit down. He gently sat Millicent down beside him before reaching into his pockets. First he pulled out a fair sized bottle of whiskey, setting it on the table in front of him.

"You have glasses, right? You're probably gonna need a drink for this." He pulled a holo disc out of his other pocket, tapping it against his fingers. "You're gonna want to see this. Drink first though."

[rabidcur]

While Poe made himself comfortable, Hux went and located a pair of glasses, bringing them back and sitting across the table from the pilot. His green eyes flicked over the man sitting across from him, unable to deny that he was a lovely specimen of manhood, especially with that natural charm.

"Do you want to make a toast?" He asked jokingly, feeling that his situation couldn't possibly get more pathetic than this.

[bestresistancepilot]

"No toast." He said, taking the glasses before pouring both of them a generous amount. Then he pushed the holo disc into the reader, taking a sip. Within moments a file pulled up and he started it. A woman was visible then, a beautiful older woman with blonde hair and green eyes like Hux's. "This is Marasha Levhal. She worked in the kitchens at the Arkanis Academy...where she met Brendol Hux. This is your mother." He said before turning it so Hux could see the woman perfectly.

"She is still alive. When the New Republic took Arkanis, she'd been left behind by...well anyone who had fled. Most of the workers on the planet had. Eventually...when the First Order started to rise and she heard that Brendol was working with Snoke, she found a way to approach Leia Organa. She joined the Resistance for a time, having befriended Leia. She worked for her as well, a cook of sorts, but Leia didn't want Marasha to be in danger. She wasn't a fighter so, Leia sent her away. To Naboo. She works there, she has a very good life there." He said, petting Millicent before moving the cat gently towards Hux. Likely he was going to need her.

[rabidcur]

Hux wasn't really interested in whatever Poe wanted to show him, taking a sip of the alcohol, letting it settle over his tongue. It was actually quite nice, the redhead finally looking at the screen--and nearly dropping his drink when he saw the woman's face. He just barely managed to set the glass down, his matching green eyes welling visibly with tears.

Poe didn't have to tell him. Hux could tell that was her.

"She's--" He lifted a hand to his mouth, unable to stop the tears from flowing. Millicent dutifully went to him, nudging into his lap and bumping up under his chin. The redheaded man would need a moment.

[bestresistancepilot]

He cleared his throat before looking away, trying to give him the time he needed as he took another sip of his whiskey. He sat the drink down then before peeking at him. He was hesitant before he reached out and slowly slid his hand over his shoulder.

"I...do you want me to keep going?" He asked softly after several minutes.

[rabidcur]

Poe had been ridiculing him before--he'd been making casual remarks about Hux's mother without knowing a single thing about her. But as soon as he'd known how important it was, he came to Hux with her photograph and her current whereabouts.

There were no words in any language that Hux knew that could describe his gratitude.

The hand on his shoulder was a comfort, wiping away his tears and nodding. Yes, he wanted to know as much as he could.

[bestresistancepilot]

He nodded in return before settling back in his seat again. "She never married. Apparently...she thought Brendol had loved her. She didn't realize it was...that she was just a means to an end." He said quietly, hating having to explain that. He reached out, hitting a few more buttons to pull a video up of her with Leia. She was moving around in the little kitchenette she had and Leia was talking to her. Asking her what she was doing.

For a few moments all she did was hum, a soft song that could have been a lullaby before turning a wistful smile on the former princess. "Oh, Leia...its his birthday today." In the holo vid there was a moment of confusion on Leia's face before understanding took over and she nodded. "How old would he be now?" Another pause while she pulled a small cake from a cooler, mixing icing for it. She could easily have just let a droid make the cake, but no, she insisted on doing it herself. "Armitage turns 10 today."

She goes back to humming as she iced the cake beautifully, putting his name across the top in flourished letters and a heart beneath. Leia just continued to watch before speaking again. "We'll find a way for you to see him again someday, Marasha. I promise you." Moments later the holo stopped.

He cleared his throat, leaning away again and watching the other.

[rabidcur]

The redhead scoffed at the suggestion that Brendol loved her, knowing that Brendol had loved no one but himself. Thankfully, Poe already seemed to be aware of the reputation surrounding the elder Hux.

The video drew the man's attention quite completely, even Millicent's bright green eyes pinned on the image of Marasha milling about the kitchen, making a cake for her son.

If he was turning ten... this video must have been taken over two decades ago. At age ten, Armitage was controlling his own squad of brainwashed children, commanding them to kill one another for his amusement. It made Brendol proud.

"And she's-- she's still alive?" He confirmed, his eyes red from emotion, hugging a slightly disgruntled Millicent to his chest.

[bestresistancepilot]

"Yes, she is alive. As I said, she lives on Naboo. She has a very good life, very comfortable." He said softly, reaching over and carefully loosening his hold on Millicent. "Careful now. Hey..." He made Hux look at him for a moment by catching the man's chin between his fingers and meeting his eyes. "And I know she would love to see you. Leia has already said...I can take you to see her."

He shifted a bit, taking another sip of the whiskey and licking his lips. "If you'd be interested."

[rabidcur]

He loosened his hold on Millicent, the feline hopping down from his lap to rub herself along the side of the sofa. Poe's fingers were coarse--he'd worked and struggled to survive in a galaxy at war, Hux finding it rather appealing.

This was nice, too nice. There had to be a catch.

"...Why are you helping me?"

There was a vulnerability in his voice that was uncharacteristic of the former general, knowing full-well that this could all be an elaborate scheme to bring him in for war crimes. Half the galaxy would be thrilled to see him dead.

[bestresistancepilot]

He could heard the vulnerability, but also the suspicion and he leaned back a bit while looking at Hux. "I can't promise that everything is just gonna be smooth sailing or anything, but I...well." He sighed, leaning his head back a bit. "I meant what I said. I have a soft spot for attractive damsels in distress." He teased softly, looking at him and winking before finishing off the rest of his glass of whiskey. He grabbed the bottle again, pouring himself some more.

"I'm not here to drag you off to your execution or anything. Leia knows I came. Leia knows very well this could have been a trap for me...but we both understood that if this wasn't that you could easily think the same. Its not. I told her everything you told me...about not wanting to deal with Kylo Ren. Not that he wouldn't have likely tried to kill you if you had stayed. You made the First Order. He would probably see you as competition." He said, shrugging a shoulder. He hesitated a moment, before huffing and frowning. "You know the workings of the First Order. You could be a valuable ally."

[rabidcur]

Hux's face flushed pink as he was called a pretty damsel, knowing he should be more annoyed, but also seeing the current truth in the situation. He wasn't necessarily a damsel, but he was indeed in distress.

And Poe was doing a rather good job of charming him.

"And... I'll have immunity?" It would hardly help if he agreed to go and then was immediately arrested. "I have information for you, but you'll understand if I want to speak with General Organa before I divulge anything."

[bestresistancepilot]

"I promise you that you will. I'll lay myself on the line for that. This is not a trap." He said softly before taking another sip. "I'm going to call Leia and talk to her. I'll be right back." He said before setting the glass down and getting up. He moved out of the room and back down the hall towards his ship, though he stopped halfway down the corridor to call Leia on his datapad.

Once she had answered he started speaking. "It wasn't a trap. He is here alone. BB-8 scanned it..." He sighed, pushing his fingers through his hair. "I know I can't exactly give you orders, General, but...call a shuttle to bring Marasha to our base. I know it won't take long to come from Naboo. Hux is..." He shook his head. "He's a mess. We haven't talked much outside of his mother and...information. Which he has. And he wants to speak to you personally about it, but...I promise him immunity."

Leia chastised him and he winced, shrugging. "Little bit late. I promised. He...he needs a better way."

[rabidcur]

Hux nodded as Poe excused himself, taking the time to compose himself, picking up the glass and taking a swallow of the liquid within. Out of both habit and self-preservation, he went quietly to the doorway, eavesdropping on the conversation.

Poe was defying his General to protect Hux, the redhead still failing to understand why the pilot was showing him such kindness.

Millicent trotted out into the hall, meowing up at Poe as if to ask him what he was doing.

[bestresistancepilot]

He ended the call with the general before looking down when he heard the cat, smiling. He crouched down, not seeing Hux as he started giving her a good scratch. "Well hello there Millie." He said softly, fingers moving under her jaw as he kept scratching and loving on her. "I hope we can get everything settled. You can come live on our base. Lots of people around to show you love."

He stood back up, turning to move back down the hallway to speak to Hux. He was sure the man was still wary and he certainly couldn't blame him. He walked into the room, moving back to sit down.

[rabidcur]

Once the call had ended, Hux moved back to the sofa, pouring himself a bit more whiskey--pretending he'd been there the whole time. It was habit.

"You're a good man, Commander Dameron." Hux noted when Poe rejoined him on the sofa, green eyes taking in the rugged details of the pilot's face. "I can't say I understand it, but I am certainly thankful."

[bestresistancepilot]

He blinked at that before raising an eyebrow. "Why do you say that? And...seriously, call me Poe." He said, getting comfortable while sitting just a bit closer to the former general. "You've been through so much. With the way you grew up. The rumors that fly about your father's treatment." He shook his head, pushing his fingers through his hair slowly.

"But I want to know more. I want to know the things...beyond that. To get to know you."

[rabidcur]

"Anyone else in this position would take great pleasure in killing me," Hux remarked, perking one of his eyebrows. Did Poe not realize he was exceptional by attempting to understand his enemy?

He sighed some, taking a sip of his drink.

"I was born on Arkanis at the end of the war and I'm my father's bastard, but you already knew all of that."

[bestresistancepilot]

"I don't take great pleasure in killing anyone, regardless of what they've done to supposedly deserve it. No one deserves to die." Even if he knew in some cases it just couldn't be helped. He shrugged slightly and then smiled over at the man.

"And gonna be honest with you...don't know why I feel this way, but after our vid call? I feel like you aren't as bad as everyone thinks."

[rabidcur]

It was surprising that a man who had spent his life losing friends and family to war could still be so merciful--Hux had lost his ability to have mercy when he was a child, broken and made into a perfect soldier by his father.

"I've done terrible things," Hux said with a shrug, taking another drink. "But it's war, we've all killed for our causes."

[bestresistancepilot]

"Yes we have. I just hope we can work through that and start working together." He smiled, raising an eyebrow. "Now, tell me more. I mean, you know what I know. Tell me the things I don't." He said, tilting his head as he continued smiling at the other, taking a sip of his drink before setting it down. "I want to know the things you love, Hugs."

He couldn't stop the slight smirk, knowing the name would drive the man insane.

[rabidcur]

"I don't know how to love," Hux said flatly, bottoming out his glass bitterly. The longer he lingered here thinking about his situation, the worse it became.

If he hadn't been beaten out of crying as a child, he might have shed a few tears for his lost livelihood. Picking up on his souring mood, Millicent went to curl up in her master's lap, kneading at the fabric of his trousers.

[bestresistancepilot]

"I don't believe that. I watched your face when you watched the holo of your mom. Even if you've never known her before now, you love her. Even if you don't want to admit it. You love Millie. I can tell that too." He said, tapping his fingers against his glass before he finished it off.

"But I'm not asking you about people. I'm asking you about your passions. The things you...at least like. Certain types of foods, holo vids, what you do in your leisure time, come on. I'm trying to get to know you. There has to be something you like or care about outside of the First Order and the weapons and...all that crap."

[rabidcur]

Was that love? The redhead's eyebrows creased together in confusion, idly petting the cat purring in his lap. The only memories he had of his mother were from when he was very young, the woman sneaking from the kitchens to bring her son sweets and treats, kissing him on the forehead before returning to work. She'd been kind to him, and he was certain the woman would have taken him in had Brendol rejected him.

But the Empire needed children, so only Armitage was spared the Rebels taking Arkanis.

"I... I enjoy tarine tea and well-aged liquors--but I've only really eaten military rations. I suppose I enjoy sweets, but I haven't had them since I was a child."

[bestresistancepilot]

"Tarine tea, hmm. Good stuff, though I'm not much of tea drinker myself. More interested in caf." He shrugged, smiling a bit. "Though liquor and sweets I'm all for. And we can change that. We might not have...much really, but its better than military rations. And especially now that we've reached our new base..."

He leaned his head back, watching him for a moment. "We can hunt and fish as well. We will definitely make sure you get to try real food."

[rabidcur]

"I think you're the first person to ever refer to tarine tea as good." To each their own, but most found Hux's plain tea to be unpalatably bitter--ordinary people took it with blue milk and sweetener. "But you do seem like a caf man, I agree."

Poe was talking to him like it was all a done deal, like Leia's opinion came secondary to his own. It was the kind of confidence one could find simultaneously charming and aggravating, Hux briefly looking him over before shifting to edge of the sofa, pouring himself more whiskey.

"You Republic boys have experience in a great many things I don't," Hux mused aloud, sipping off his newly filled glass. "Living planetside being one of them... and eating meat being another."

[bestresistancepilot]

"I mean, it is pretty bitter stuff, but caf can be too when you don't mix anything in with it and most of the time, I don't. I prefer it hot and black. Wakes me up better." He said with a smile, chuckling. "Not saying I don't enjoy it sweetened every now and again, but that is just a preference for me I guess." He said while watching the man.

His head tipped a bit and he shifted when Millicent moved across to his lap, petting her slowly and just giving her love for a long, quiet moment. "You almost sound like some of that is a bad thing. Wonder why...then again, you thought the Republic was some evil thing. You were raised to believe it." He raised an eyebrow as he thought about it. "I mean, I guess its all in a matter of how you were raised and how you are taught. You grew up thinking the Republic had invaded your home. Attacked and killed people. Like your mom. And see, honestly? If that was what he believed happened...then I mean, he left your mother behind to die."

He shrugged a shoulder then, letting it sink in. "But instead of her dying. We saved her. Gave her a real good life. One she is still living and will continue to live until the day she passes on."

[rabidcur]

If Poe had a taste for bitter things that could burn him, perhaps Hux was more his type than the redhead initially thought. It was an interesting option to consider, especially since Hux had just come off a rather... intense relationship. Wiping the slate clean by bedding someone new might be a good way to relieve stress.

It helped that he was not only handsome, but incredibly kind.

"I want to live on a planet and eat real food... I'm so tired of war, Poe." He admitted, finishing off another glass of whiskey, feeling inebriation settling in around his head. One slim hand reached to slide over one of Poe's shoulders, fingers dragging along the side of his neck.

[bestresistancepilot]

"Well, we do tend to travel quite a lot, but...we are planetside now. At a hidden base. Its an inhabited planet as well, so not just some...place like Crait was." He said softly, scooting a little closer before raising an eyebrow at the touch. He leaned into it, smiling. "And we cook. Sure we use rations sometimes when we have to, but most of the time we prefer having cooked meals. Real food..." He caught Hux's hand, turning his head a bit and pressing a kiss to his palm while staring into his eyes.

"Come with me. I can't promise there won't be war. Obviously. We are at war...but no one will treat you the way Kylo Ren did. Its no secret that he had no problem using the Force on you. To throw you around, choke you...no one would do that to you with us. Even if they can use the Force." Though he only knew of one person and that was Leia.