Very slight Obi-Wan Kenobi finale canon divergence.
Those two just won’t get out of my head :’(
-
“Anakin’s gone. I am what remains.”
The vocoder crackled, Anakin’s voice intermingling with Vader’s booming, monotone.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Anakin... for all of it.”
The anger drained away from the scarred face encased in the remnants of the mask, leaving only an expression of pain and sadness.
“I’m not your failure, Obi-Wan.”
The harsh, rasping breath was all that filled the silence between them as the suit’s respirator malfunctioned and Vader struggled to draw breath.
“You didn’t kill Anakin Skywalker. I did.”
“Then my friend is truly dead.”
It was hopeless, there was only darkness left-
“Go.” the wheezing voice of the Sith Lord ordered, “If we meet again, I will destroy you.”
The burning scarlet blade powered down as Vader struggled to remain standing, his eyes fixed on his former Master.
“Don’t flatter yourself, Darth. We both know that I’ll always win.”
“You...will...try.”
Was that an attempt at... humour? There was no hate in Vader’s tone now, only resignation. He could only manage a grimace of acknowledgement at the wording, his lips unable to pull up into a smile with such despair in the force around them.
He powered his own saber down, leaving them in gloomy darkness as Vader swayed and fell to his knees, his metal hand clawing at the rough ground as he hunched over and struggled to draw breath. The respirator was whirring to a halt and without it the Sith Lord wouldn’t survive long.
“I won’t leave you to die, not this time.”
The decision was made and thus began the long slog of dragging a barely conscious Vader back to the shuttle he’d arrived in. The oxygen mask didn’t fit around the melted black plastic but he forced it to seal against skin and armour alike, allowing enough pressure for air to begin filtering through.
“Goodbye Darth.”
He stepped back when there was nothing left for him to do. Vader wouldn’t suffocate and he’d positioned him at the console, allowing him the chance to communicate with the star destroyer waiting in the planet’s orbit above.
As he left the shuttle and walked across the rocky ground to his own ship, there was a flicker of life in the long dormant bond between himself and his beloved padawan.
A goodbye perhaps?
Or a promise of a rematch far into the future?
Either way, the Jedi ignored the feeling and tightly secured his mental shields.
Anakin Skywalker was dead and it was time for Obi-Wan Kenobi to live.
As soon as he and his father were aboard the ship, Armitage Hux was left to his own devices in the hold. The freighter was small, clearly not designed for transporting passengers, and the only place for the boy to sit was amongst the cargo as the adults sat upfront in the cockpit. He'd not wanted to leave his home on Arkanis and having his father as a travelling partner did nothing to soothe his anxiety - his father's presence never meant anything good for the young Hux.
"Food." Brendol Hux announced himself with a bark sometime later, dropping a ration bar on the floor beside his only son, "What's wrong with you, boy?"
"I'm c-c-cold, Sir." the child shivered, leaning forward to collect the only food he knew he'd get for hours.
"Ungrateful wretch." the Imperial Academy Commandant sneered, placing his boot over the bar and crushing it to crumbs with his weight, "You're a weakling and I should have left you to die in the Rebellion's attack. Being cold is a luxury compared to the hell you could have been trapped in."
"I-I-I'll do better, Sir."
"I doubt that. You'll try, but you'll never amount to anything, Armitage."
-
"Your skin is like ice." Kylo removed his ungloved hand from the other man's slim arm with a shiver, looking over his lover with concern, "Hux?"
"Hmm?" the General murmured in response, blinking himself out of his thoughts and glancing over his shoulder at the force user, "We're in space, Ren, the cold is to be expected."
The pale ginger had been stood at the viewport in his regulation undershirt and trousers for some time, clearly still struggling with the loss of his career defining weapon - Starkiller Base. Since the planet had exploded and the co-commanders had barely escaped with their lives, Hux had swayed between bouts of anger and distracted inaction.
"You'll catch a chill at this rate, where's your greatcoat?"
"Somewhere. It hardly matters." Hux muttered with a dismissive motion of his hand, "He was right you know, my father, he always said I'd never amount to anything. I should have left the academy when I had the chance and spent all the family money on death sticks and spice, at least then I wouldn't have come so close to proving him wrong before I failed spectacularly."
-
"Idiot boy!" Brendol Hux snarled, dragging his son along by his thin wrist, "I thought you were beginning to learn but you're nothing but a disgrace to my name!"
"I didn't ask for your name. It's you who forced it upon me." the teenager replied with a sneer, allowing himself to be pulled along, "Another round of reconditioning, is it? Your hallucinogens will only encourage me to find another fix!"
"Enough!" the Commandant yelled, backhanding Armitage across the face and shoving him into the dark and cold cell below the academy, "I won't have you spending your allowance on drugs! You'll stay here until you're ready to become the cadet that the Empire requires."
"You'll be waiting a long time, Brendol!" the youth replied, wiping the blood from his face as the door slammed shut and locked behind him.
It was a month before he managed to shake off the spice withdrawals and two further months of isolation before he was ready to resume his training at the academy. At first, he sought to be the best in every class just to spite his father, but as time went on, he forced himself to be better in pursuit of his own greatness.
-
"You haven't failed, this is just a setback." the former Jedi stated, shrugging off his cloak and placing it over the General's shoulders, "Neither of us have failed. The Resistance may still be out there, but we're still alive, so the battle isn't over yet."
"You really think we can win? Your precious force seems to be on their side."
"The force doesn't take sides. We were just unlucky on Starkiller."
Hux sighed, reaching up and pulling the warm cloak closer around him, "Snoke will kill me for Starkiller. I'm surprised he hasn't already. You'll probably be forced to share command with General Pryde."
Ren chuckled, putting his arms around Hux when the ginger leaned back into him, "Pryde wouldn't last an hour in your post, I'd ensure it. There's no need to be concerned about Snoke, he'll be dead soon."
"Dead?" Hux squawked, turning to face him, "Since when?"
"He's no longer useful to my plans. I'll get rid of him and we'll be free to take the First Order in whatever direction we want."
"We? Is this a proposal from my future Supreme Leader?"
"My Grand Marshall deserves a far more romantic propsosal." Kylo murmured, placing a gentle kiss on his lips, "Trust me, it'll all work out in the end."
“Mitaka, would you fetch my coat?” Hux asked, not turning from the control panel beside the viewports as he carefully monitored the data streams on the screens. He was aware of Mitaka rushing from his side and returning a few moments later, but no coat was offered to him.
“Lieutenent?” he questioned with a raised eyebrow, turning to face the man.
“It’s your office, Sir...” the man spoke with both fear and confusion, “Well, you should probably see it, it’s not as it usually looks...”
“If that animal has destroyed any of my things, I’ll have his head!” the General growled under his breath, spinning on his heel and marching off to his office to discover what had gotten Mitaka so rattled.
He knew Ren liked to bring him gifts from missions, but it had never been anything larger than a gemstone or paperweight. When he stepped into his office this time, flowers in red, pink, white and purple lined the walls and covered his desk.
While the delightful scents and bright colours were impressive, it was the message in the flowers that truly overwhelmed Hux. He’d been forced to study the ancient language of flowers in his youth and every inch of his office now screamed love, devotion, loyalty and... marriage.
“Oh.” the General breathed, looking over the flowers again and again to confirm he’d deciphered the message correctly.
Marriage, marriage, marriage...
“Shall I call maintenance?” Mitaka asked from the doorway.
“No.” Hux replied, “Send Ren the message I’m about to dictate to you.”
-
Many decks below, Kylo Ren fought droid after droid in his training rooms as he tried to distract himself from anxious thoughts of Hux brushing him off. Their love for one another had grown over a number of years, but he feared that marriage could be a step too far for the General.
His heart threatened to burst out of his chest as his communicator bleeped at the edge of the room. He powered down the droids with a flick of his hand and rushed over to the device, grinning from ear to ear when he found the oddly formal message that awaited him.
General A. Hux - A meeting is required to discuss terms, but a favourable outcome is desired.
“You’re letting regulations stop us?” Kylo rolled his eyes after listening to Hux’s explanation as to why they couldn’t actually be married, “I’m the Supreme Leader, the regulations are what I say they are.”
“Without processes, the First Order would crumble.” the General insisted, “The regulations are in place for a reason, to stop loyalty to a partner being stronger than to the Order and one’s superior officers. You’re free to make your own decisions, but how would it look if I flouted the rules?”
“So you’re accepting my marriage proposal, but refusing to actually go through with the marriage?” the force user replied.
“Not refusing, just waiting.”
“Waiting for what?”
“For us to no longer be at war. I’ll marry you a hundred times over on a hundred different planets, but for now we must wait and put the Order first.”
“I’ll hold you to that.”
-
“I need information from you, Lieutenant.”
“S-s-sir?” Mitaka stuttered, taking a step back as the Supreme Leader cornered him in a quiet corridor after his shift, “S-s-surely the General would be better placed-?”
“The General does not need to know about this discussion.”
“I w-w-won’t betray General Hux.” the smaller man stood a little straighter as he spoke, “Not even for you, Supreme Leader.”
“I’m not asking you to betray Hux. I need information about marriage customs on Arkanis.”
“On Arkanis...? Oh.” the Lieutenant looked relieved but also unsure, “But Sir, as a serving officer, the General can’t-”
“He won’t be serving for much longer.”
“Is he aware of that? I’m sorry to intrude on personal business, but I don’t think that the General would agree to leave-”
“He’ll be happy with the arrangement I have planned.” Kylo assured him, “He won’t be forced to leave, he’ll remain at my side. It’ll be a promotion to escape the regulations, he won’t lose any superiority.”
-
“Enough chatter.” the Supreme Leader declared as he barged in on a meeting of High Command, “I have a promotion to announce.”
“This is hardly the time or the place for staff promotions-” Hux spoke up, the only one of the officers who would dare to challenge their leader.
“This is exactly the place.” Kylo Ren insisted, “I hereby promote General Hux to Emperor. As with our previous co-commandership over the Finalizer, we will rule together.”
There was uproar around the glass table but Hux was silent, his eyes fixed on Kylo as the news sank in. He’d hoped they’d become equals one day, but he couldn’t quite believe that Ren had gone through with it. He spun his chair as the Supreme Leader approached, watching the force user kneel before him.
“Emperor Hux, I humbly request your hand in marriage in return for all that is mine.” the Supreme Leader reached into his cloak and pulled out a printed parchment, placing it on Hux’s knees, “In keeping with Arkanis tradition, I present you with the deeds to land upon which we may begin a future.”
“All of this to get around a regulation.” Hux chuckled, leaning in and placing a kiss on Kylo’s lips, “I accept.”
He carefully unrolled the parchment and exposed the rings tucked inside, “What are they made from?”
“Kyber, the only material worthy enough to sit on your finger.”
a Kylux prompt! What about something with Kylo protecting Hux? Or Hux protecting Kylo? I’ll leave the details up to you!
“Raise the bridge shields!” Hux ordered, his eyes fixed on the TIE spinning out of control in the blackness of space outside the viewport. The pilots had gone out to run a training exercise, but one of the fighters had developed a fault and was now on a collision course with the Finalizer itself.
“Shields powering up!” one of his officers called back, but the General had already determined the outcome. The shields wouldn’t go online before the ship would collide with them and there was no time to evacuate. He took a breath to centre himself, forcing his back to straighten and his head to rise so he could watch his fate arrive. He’d hoped for a more worthwhile death, but he wouldn’t attempt to run and abandon his men.
“Shields at 55 percent!” a technician chipped in and some of the crew began to move from their posts, but Hux kept silent on their actions. They could run, but it was his job to remain as his beloved ship was wounded, perhaps fatally.
“Sir-”
“Go, Mitaka.” Hux instructed without facing the other man, “Ensure survivors remain ordered and a distress signal is sent to the rest of the fleet.”
“But you-”
“Go.” the redhead repeated with determination, waiting until Mitaka’s footsteps had faded before he closed his eyes and welcomed the fiery end soon to be upon him.
“NO!” the shout seemed to echo through his very being and he was suddenly grabbed by strong arms around his slim waist. He was spun around, a larger form covering his back like a shield and all fell silent.
Was this death? Silence?
Cautiously, he blinked open his eyes and to his amazement found that Ren had wrapped himself around him, an outstretched hand holding back the crashing TIE mere inches from the glass of the viewport with only the power of the force.
The shields flickered to life and bathed the bridge in a blue hue, burning the TIE into ash before it could cause any damage.
“Are you alright?” Ren’s tone was strangely soft depsite the helmet, “Hux?”
“Yes.” the ginger breathed, his own hands moving to rest over the large, strong hands that still held him tightly, “Ren, you... you saved me.”
“I did.” the force user replied with a nod, carefully turning Hux to face him, “I can’t lose my most successful General.”
Hux has a change of heart and Kylo doesn’t react well (initially, then it’s just fluff)
A03
-
“You’re thinking.” Ren stated from where he leaned on the doorway of the Finalizer’s viewing deck. He’d been quietly watching the ginger for some time, concerned by how still and silent he’d been whilst staring out at the stars.
“Mmm.” was Hux’s only response, his eyes tracking a shooting star while his mind was clearly pre-occupied. Even deep in thought, he never lost his perfect posture and aura of authority.
Kylo approached and carefully hugged him from behind, resting his chin on Hux’s shoulder and his hands over the growing bump that was barely covered by the former General’s greatcoat, “You’re worried, my Emperor.”
“Always.” Hux huffed a slight laugh, leaning back into his husband’s chest and closing his eyes as he attempted to summarise his thoughts, “I don’t want this for them, Ren.”
“For them to see the stars?”
“War. I don’t want them to live in war, as we have done.”
“They won’t. Another few months and we’ll have won, they’ll never need to worry about war again.”
“You know as well as I that it will be far longer than months, Ren. And after war comes repair; how can I, we, raise our children when we’ll be so busy? It won’t be fair to them.”
“I knew you’d get like this - emotional.” the force user hissed, letting go of his husband and moving a few steps away, “I’ve given you an Empire, yet it’s never enough! You wanted Naboo, so I took it for you. You wanted children, so I’ve given you children too. It’s never-ending, there’s always more you demand!”
“Don’t you dare pin it all on me!” Hux argued, turning away from the viewport, “We discussed our future together, is it so wrong that I want to have one with you and children and a house-”
“A house now too?”
“I want them to have what I never did! A stable home, parents who love them, a childhood without blood and war and fear and hate! You had a family, I had a commander. I won’t raise them in an environment like that, where duty comes before all else.”
“Then you’re in the wrong job, Emperor. You made your vows to our people and territories, that you would serve them until your last breath, if you plan to go back on those then it’ll be treason.”
“I hate it when you do this.” Hux muttered, carefully lowering himself to the floor and pressing his back against the viewport, “Everyone must either be an ally or an enemy, you refuse to accept that there’s a middle ground!”
“You’re starting to sound like them! Like those rebel scum we’ve spent years trying to eradicate!” Kylo accused as he paced, “I see no other option but to have you removed from power until you come to your senses!”
“But that’s my point, Ren. There are other options.” the ginger sighed, rubbing his bump, “I’m merely suggesting that we discuss them and find a path that’s right for the First Order and for us. If it’s treason to explore a path that isn’t war and bloodshed then I’m a traitor. You can have me locked away if you like, but I’ll always choose what’s best for our children so you may as well throw away the key to my cell now.”
“You’re talking about walking away from everything that we’ve built-”
“No, I’m not. I’m suggesting that we should call a ceasefire and begin organising peace treaties. This doesn’t have to be a win or lose situation. We can compromise and live in peace within the confines of our Empire, we don’t need to continue invading and taking systems.”
“You wanted the galaxy.”
“Yes, I did. When I was alone and bitter with nothing else in my life. I want more than an honourable death now, I want a life. With you, our children, a home and a pet loth-cat or five. I want the life that I never dared to dream of before.”
Kylo paced silently for a few moments before he came to a stop beside Hux. He crouched down and gently took his hand, “Would it make you happy? You won’t be able to change your mind once a decision has been made.”
“Could you live with it?” the Emperor asked as he linked their fingers, “Tell me the truth, Kylo. Would a life on-planet be enough for you? Or do you need more?”
“I need you.” the Supreme Leader admitted, “I need you to be happy, healthy and safe.”
“You also need an outlet for the force.”
“Were this house to have a training area for me then I could make it work, alongside fairly regular missions to stop rebel activity within our Empire.”
“I think that could be arranged.” Hux replied with a hopeful smile, “We don’t need to decide anything today, but think about it? Please? There is always another path, we just need to forge it.”
“The decision was made when you suggested me locking you up. As if anyone could keep you in one place, you’re as cunning as a fox. I’d end up with you leading a rebellion against me.”
“And I’d win.”
“You would.” Kylo allowed, bringing his hand up to his lips and placing a kiss on the pale skin, “I’ll call for the ceasefire and you can begin negotiations.”
“I love you.”
“I know.”
Kylo laughed when his response earned him a playful shove from his husband, “I love you too, my Hux.”
Watched ‘About Time’ and this happened, no other explanation needed XD
-
“This is going to sound quite mad, but I can travel in time.”
Hux had never told his family secret to anyone, not after being sworn to secrecy in his youth by his brutal father. Of all the families to be bestowed with the gift, he’d struggled to understand why it had fallen on his, but now everything had finally fallen into place.
“We can go back and change things, ensure that we win the war.”
“You can... travel in time?” Kylo repeated, carefully reaching out and feeling Hux’s skin for signs of a fever, “We’ve been in here a long time, perhaps it’s getting to you?”
Since the fall of the First Order, they’d been sharing a cell in the Republic’s highest security prison, awaiting trial and execution. They’d originally been kept in isolation, but General Organa had placed them together once she’d learned of their relationship.
“I haven’t snapped, Ren.” Hux rolled his eyes, “It’s the truth. We can go back right now and change everything, this prison doesn’t need to be our end.”
“If you’ve been able to time travel this whole time, why haven’t you mentioned it before now?”
“I wasn’t certain that I’d be able to take you with me, but after speaking with my father-”
“You spoke with your father, who you murdered?” the former Supreme Leader questioned, his eyes wide with confusion and worry, “Hux...”
“I didn’t tell him about his end, that would have caused a considerable shift in the timeline, but he thinks that it’s theoretically possible for you to return to the past with me as long as there’s skin contact.” Hux continued on confidentally, “So I suggest that we try it. If it doesn’t work then you can declare me insane, but if it does... we could reign over the galaxy.”
“And that’s what you’d want? To walk back into a war and keep fighting?”
“It may take a couple of tries, but the war could be won.”
“And what about an alternate path? Could we walk away and live in exile?”
“I suppose so, but for what purpose?”
“For us.” Kylo replied, joining their hands and carefully giving Hux’s a squeeze, “You’ve spent your entire life at war, why not try something different?”
“You’d want a life in exile with me?”
“I would. I’m tired of fighting, let’s find our own way and our own balance instead.”
Hux nodded and smiled, willing to take the risk for his beloved Ren. He closed his eyes and kept their hands firmly locked as he pulled them both back in time several years, depositing them on their bed on the Supremacy.
“We travelled in time.” Kylo gasped, pulling away and getting to his feet as he looked around the room, “You can travel in time.”
It wasn’t often he let his tail free, but each time brought him a feeling of joy and freedom that would last months. His fairly regular shore leave was carefully calculated to make the most of the tides on whichever planet was closest to the Finalizer, allowing him to indulge in his alternative form for days at a time.
Space travel and life aboard a star destroyer was less than ideal for his body, but he prided himself on keeping his secret close to his chest. No one thought of him as anything other than a standard human, which is exactly what he’d spent his whole life working towards. No one cared if he drank a little more water or eagerly tucked into a seafood dish, he was their General and his quirks went under the radar for the most part.
Until Kylo Ren arrived.
Until his shore leave was cancelled.
Until the urge to swim free brought him to the edge of madness.
“Is something wrong, Sir?” Mitaka asked quietly as they stood together at the viewports on the bridge. The Lieutenant had just finished his report and had apparently noticed the General’s distraction. It was hard to hide the physical trembling that had taken hold of him in recent days, exhaustion bringing to the fore physical symtoms of the turmoil in his mind.
“I need the Officer’s Gym to be closed to the crew tonight.” the ginger forced out, clenching his fists to try to gain control over himself, “I need the pool. To swim. Alone.”
“Of course, General.” Mitaka replied, tapping away on his datapad, “Is there anything else that you need?”
“Fish. Raw. Have it brought to my office for lunch.”
The other man nodded and rushed away with a slight bow of his head in respect for his superior. They’d all started to notice how on edge he was, Hux could feel their nervousness heightening his own.
He paced around the bridge for a while longer, before finally retreating to his office and unbuttoning his uniform jacket in a desperate bid to relieve the itch of the fabric against his skin. He’d never felt that his other form couldn’t be controlled before, but now it was practically clawing its way to the surface. He cautiously lifted his undershirt and glanced beneath, pushing the fabric back down in panic when he saw the glint of scales instead of pale, smooth skin.
He got to his feet, leaving his usually pristine uniform unbuttoned as he left his office and took off at a slight jog towards the Officer’s Gym. Another few hours of waiting would be too long, he needed to swim. He took no notice of the strange looks that followed him through the corridors, the only thing that mattered was freeing his tail.
A cursory glance was all Hux bothered with when he reached the pool, ripping off his uniform and throwing himself into the water. Within a few seconds of being underwater, his legs were gone and his tail with glittering emerald scales was propelling him with ease. A crushing weight felt like it had been lifted from his shoulders as he swam and swam and swam, losing himself to the joy of his natural form.
He came to a sudden halt in the water with an alarmed growl, something invisible closing in on him like a net. He tried to free himself with a powerful bat of his tail, but that had no effect as he was lifted from the water and held above it like a fisherman’s fresh catch.
“It looks like I’ll be having merman for dinner.” the crackle of a vocoder did nothing to ease Hux’s alarm as he turned his head and saw Kylo Ren stood a few feet from the edge of the pool with his arm outstretched, “I knew you were hiding something with your shore leave, but this development is unexpected, General.”
“You cancelled my leave on purpose?!” Hux hissed, sharp teeth flashing, “You had no right to do that, Ren!”
“The Supreme Leader instructed me to look for traitors. What would you think if you found one officer with regular as clockwork shore leave? You needed to be investigated, but your loyalty is no longer my concern.”
The force user lowered his arm and Hux eagerly dived back below the waterline. The water was too clear to hide his form, but it offered him the feeling of safety if nothing else. Slowly, he surfaced and kept himself upright with small, careful movements of his tail, “Then what is your concern?”
“While you were distracted, nothing aboard the ship ran as it should. I need you fully present and engaged if I’m to succeed in finding the girl. I’ll reinstate your shore leave, but I want to accompany you and see how best we can use your form to our advantage.”
“I’m not a siren, Ren. I can’t sing a song and make the Resistance throw themselves out of airlocks. In case you haven’t noticed, this form requires water, of which there is very little in space.”
“But there will be crossovers between your two forms. Instincts that we can use during battle. I’d much rather have the predator on my side than the prey.”
“And what are you in this analogy of yours? My handler?”
“We’re co-commanders.” the Sith apprentice replied after a moment of thought, “No other labels need to be assigned.”
Hux nodded his agreement, pushing himself up and out of the pool so he could sit on the edge, “We should probably get the bantha in the room out of the way before this alliance goes any further. You may touch my tail, but only this once and it stays between us.”
“What-?”
“Don’t pretend otherwise. You feel curiosity just the same as any other being. I won’t bite.”
Kylo Ren seemed initially conflicted, but he cautiously approached when it was apparant that Hux was quite serious. He knelt down and removed his helmet and gloves, studying the ginger before he reached out and carefully placed his palm on the body of the tail.
“Amazing.” he couldn’t help but breathe as he ran his hand forwards and back, feeling the soft scales and hard muscle beneath, “Is this... are all Arkanisians like this?”
“No, only those with High Arkanisian blood, and even then it’s rare. While mostly rainy and gloomy, Arkanis does have a few surprises.”
The force user gathered himself and pulled back, forcing the awe from his expression, “This will stay between us.” he promised.
“You know, if you ever want to touch my tail again, you need only ask.” the General replied with a cautious smile, “No pressure, just an offer.”
“I might take you up on that.” Ren murmured, before he put his gloves and mask back in place and left the room.
“I may not be a siren,” Hux murmured to himself as he grabbed a towel and began drying himself so his legs would return, “But they do say one touch of a High Arkanisian’s tail is all it takes to fall in love.”
