【kylux】It's a Part of the Plan 这是计划的一部分 (4-6)
Chapter 4
Kylo soon discovered he had made a stupid mistake. He shouldn’t directly visit Hux’s personal quarters when he returned from Exogol. As Hux said “You have no idea how many eyes around you are Pryde’s men”. Fortunately, they have found a way to cover it up. but ...
Kylo blushed when he recalled Hux proposing his plan hours ago. He knew Hux is a cunning rival from the start, but he never thought he could sacrifice to this extent.
“Supreme Leader, how arduous you are for joining the morning meeting.”
Pryde’s voice interrupted his thoughts. He hoped Pryde didn't suspect his unusual blush. Damn! He should get his helmet back.
“General Pryde.”
“I hope had a smooth journey, my lord? ” Pryde folded his hands in front of him as his cane point to the ground.
“Yes. Thanks to your useful information.”
“My pleasure.” The grey hair general bowed with a smirk.
Kylo pretended to look around the room and asked: “where is General Hux?”
“No idea, sir. He’s not used to be late.” Answered by a general Kylo never mind remembering his name.
“He’d better not miss this meeting since I’ll announce what he may interest.”
“Indeed, my lord.” Pryde sat on his seat. “I believe Armitage will join us soon… Here he is.”
Dozens of eyes all looked at Hux as he rushed into the Supreme Council conference room.
“You came just right, General Hux. Please, take a seat.” Kylo lazily pointed at the empty seat. “We are all waiting for you.”
“Forgive me, Supreme Leader, I was ….”
The young leader of the First Order silenced him with a finger.
“I found the true power of the galaxy which will lead us to victory. To make this day come as early as possible, now, I name General Pryde the Allegiant General of the Order!”
Everyone applauded except Hux.
“Thank you for your trust, Supreme Leader. I will not disappoint you.”
“Please excuse me, General Pryde hasn't been on the front line for a long time, he knows nothing… ”
“Are you questioning my decision, Hux?” Ren narrowed his eyes dangerously.
“I dare not question you, sir, but I humbly suggest you choose a more qualified person for this important position.”
“More qualified person? Do you have any recommendations?” Kylo laughed dryly.
“I designed the Starkiller Base and …”
“Don’t shame yourself, Armitage! It’s your fault that we lost our most precious weapon.” Pryde interrupted him and said with a smile. “I may be old and ‘unqualified’, but I’m loyal and useful to the Order, unlike someone.”
“Are you implying I’m useless to the Order?” Hux raised his voice.
“Nonsense. You have your own use at least to me, my dear General Hux.” Kylo tries to make his next words sound frivolous. “Why not come to my quarters again tonight and show me your loyalty?”
The meeting room was filled with suppressed laughter. Hux shivered uncontrollably because of that. Pryde stared at Hux with a knowing look as if saying “I know you have no different from your whore mother”.
Hux chewed his lower lip but did not fight back. He deliberately dodged those dirty looks and sat straighter.
“Congratulations Allegiant General Pryde. Let’s back to things with real meanings.” Kylo Ren stood up and announced, “Good news for all of you. An unstoppable fleet will join us soon. The fleet of the Final Order!”
Pryde made no attempt to conceal his joy in the force. Kylo felt it in disgust.
**
Hux arrived when the food and drink were delivered to Kylo's quarters.
“Looks like I interrupted your dinner,” Hux said after the door closed.
“Not at all. In fact, they are for you too.” Kylo smiled and pulled a dining chair out for Hux.
“I have eaten…Fine! If you insist, Supreme Leader.”
“I need to keep my priceless adviser in fit.” Kylo lifted the lid of a plate. “Meal first, then work.”
“How considerate you are, sir.”
Hux's eyes lingered between dishes considering which one he could eat. It has been a while since the last time he ate a “meal”. Energy bars were good enough for him.
“Stop calling me ‘Supreme Leader’ or ‘sir’ in this room, or I’ll call you Armitage.”
Kylo seemed to see his hesitation and helped him make a choice. A soup was placed in front of him by invisible hands.
“Thank you, s… Kylo.”
Kylo’s heart lost a beat when he heard the soft voice. He really should have his helmet repaired soon.
Hux enjoyed his soup without noticing the pink appearing in Kylo’s face.
Chapter 5
“Interesting, this thing is not as fancy as I expect.”
Hux carefully observed the pyramid-shaped wayfinder with a electro-magnifying device. His coat and jacket were left aside casually, not caring the fabric would wrinkle-Kylo knew he was intentional. When he came out of the Supreme Leader’s bedroom, every passer-by should think the youngest general just had a mind-blowing fuck.
“I can’t make an entire copy of this wayfinder, the assembly is too outdated, but I’m sure an additional tracker will work. I’ll bring an external tracking module next time we meet.”
Hux turned off the detection light and put his portable tools back in a box.
Kylo knew Hux was an engineer, otherwise Snoke would not let him take charge of the Starkiller base project, but this was the first time Hux show his professional skills under his eyes. Hux always amazed him when he thought he knows the general well.
“Do you think this wayfinder is an orphan?”
Hux gave the Sith Holocron back to Kylo.
“I’m not sure about that. Sith knows what’s in Palpatine’s collection .”
“If that’s the case, you must ensure that the Resistance will not reach Exogol before us. We need time to get ready.”
“Get what ready?”
Kylo Ren was confused. After shaking hands on the other night, they all agreed the Resistance should not be left out of the picture of their plan. Although he didn’t want to admit it, the fact is that he couldn't beat Palpatine on his own. He needed Rey. They killed Snoke and his guards together, so may the same thing happened again on Palpatine. So, Hux will play a traitor giving information to the Resistance. He confessed he accidentally found a spy called “the Mole”. He secretly killed this guy and substituted his position in the information chain.
Kylo didn’t bother to ask why he disposed of the spy privately instead of public execution. Hux was always hiding something even before he took the throne. Given that he himself has used countless tricks to deceive his ex-master, he had no right to judge Hux's conspiracy.
“Our forces.”
“Did you forget that we can't trust anyone in the First Order?”
“Except for my ex-crew boarding the Finalizer. Thanks to you, they were reorganized and served in different places.”
Kylo couldn’t defend himself. In the rash, he made many irrational decisions. Replacing the Finalizer with the Steadfast as his flagship is one of them. Although he didn’t get along well with Hux as co-commander of the Finalizer, his sense of belonging to this Star Destroyer maybe second only to Hux. His indignation peaked when it was crippled at Batuu. At that time, he only wanted to get the support of the Supreme Council to make the enemy pay bloodily. Eric Pryde was a representative high ranking former imperial officer, so the newly crowned Supreme Leader unquestionably thought transferring his flagship to Pryde’s Steadfast was a wise move.
Now, Kylo Ren had no choice but paid for his inexperience.
“I’m sorry.” That’s what he could say to Hux.
“Don’t be. In some ways, this situation is a mixed blessing. We should conserve our forces, making them avoid to fight with Palpatine or the Resistance face to face. If the Finalizer still serves as our flagship, she can’t survive it.”
“You said as she’s alive.”
“If the Sith Lord can climb out of his coffin, why not my beloved ship?”
Hux almost laughed out loud. Cunning and pride flashed in his eyes.
“How? I see …”
“I faked her dismantling report. In fact, she has three sisters now. I haven't named the new beauties yet. The beauty of the Finalizer’s design is she can be adapt to smaller ships when the whole structure won't hold. ”
Kylo was speechless in surprise. He was a little thankful that he didn’t stand up to the opposite of this dangerous person. He didn’t know whether he should kiss or kill the ginger. How could he foresee everything without the force? Was this Hux’s repertoire? Or, this is a fraction of it?
“You son of a bitch!” Kylo couldn’t hold his smile.
Hux shrugged. “I need time to find and transfer my ex-crew. They’re the last hope of the First Order, we must keep them safe. We’d better find one or two planets to hide them.”
“I have an idea may help, but I need to check it.”
“Take your time. Use this to contact me. I have removed the chip so it’ll not be detected by the First Order’s public network.”
Hux pulled a datapad out of his coat pocket and re-dressed his uniform. He messed up his hair, intentionally left his collar open.
Kylo swallowed. He never found charm in other men before and didn't think there was anything special now. This was all for ensuring their plan go smoothly without unwanted attention. He excused himself.
“Here. To make our meeting more convincing.”
Kylo Ren kissed hard on his ally’s lips.
Chapter 6
Hux sincerely missed his shifts on the bridge of the Finalizer. Work gave him a sense of belonging. He once felt that he was married to his job, he’s the Order’s househusband until he boarded the Steadfast with Ren.
Looking at the unfamiliar faces of the officers, he knew he’s an outsider.
He still gave orders from time to time. In theory, he’s the highest rank officer of the bridge, but even without Ren ’s mind-reading power, he could feel the disdain of each of them. They’re Pryde’s pets, but they thought they’re superior because of their master.
Pathetic but not worthy of any sympathy. They will be buried with their master.
Even if he must fall, Hux would watch them die out before embracing his own death.
After he made sure the Order shall run at full speed without him.
After Ren transformed into a mature leader.
Ren did become more and more reasonable excluding his momentary impulse, aka that kiss.
Hux agreed the messy hair, blushing cheeks, and swollen lips caused by their fierce kissing were more persuasive-this was evidenced by the change in the expression of a petty officer he encountered on his way to his own quarters. It’s a mystery whether this person was sent to wait near the Supreme Leader’s quarters by Pryde, or it’s a coincidence. Either way Ren did a good job to make their affair look real.
However, there should be another way to achieve the same goal without invading Hux’s personal space. Hux couldn’t deny Kylo Ren is an attractive man from the public aesthetic’s point of view. Pryde amusedly asked him if Ren’s fighting was beautiful to watch on Mustafar. He can’t allow himself to appreciate a barbarian’s charm because true beauty came from discipline, from order. Well, only a few days later, Kylo Ren showed him barbarism and discipline can coexist. Ren’s not as impetuous as he seems. He can be patient and calculated, a good like-minded partner to Hux himself. Though they still had disagreements mainly about how to deal with the scavenger girl after Palpatine died, Hux didn’t want to clash with his ally for now. He speculated Ren has romantic feelings for the girl, as long as she won’t be crowned as an empress, let her join the Order or simply become Ren's consort was acceptable. This’s Ren's private business, he shouldn't interfere, he just…
“I'm so glad to see you can come to work on time,” mocked Allegiant General Pryde, standing tall beside him.
Hux didn't know when Pryde came to the bridge, he turned back and said, “I always value my work, Allegiant General, thanks for your concern.”
“Nice to know you have found a balance between serving our Supreme Leader and your official work,” Pryde emphasized "serving" deliberately.
Oh, so the mystery was solved. Pryde did send his man to wait outside of Ren’s room.
“Yes, it’s hard to find this balance. Our Supreme Leader is young and energetic, he likes to feel passion rather than an old antique.”
If Pryde thought him as a whore, so be it.
“The Order appreciates your contribution, General Hux. But as Allegiant General, your direct supervisor, I have to take your health into account. We don’t want you overwork, don’t we? So, how about a job transfer?”
“Thank you for your kindness, sir, but I can do my job,” Hux replied cautiously, he didn’t know where this conversation goes.
“No need to thanks me. Satisfying our mighty leader is our first priority,” Pryde smiled. “How does receiving and counting supplies sound? You don't need to attend shifts on the bridge anymore, you just need to welcome cargo ships that boarded MY ship and make sure every item we need is supplied, from troopers’ socks ranging to my tea.”
Hux pretends to suppress anger. Let him manage cargo ships, seriously? Pryde can’t be this careless. The old general didn’t hesitate to dig his own grave in order to humiliate him.
“I think a lieutenant can do this job.”
“But they won’t do it as well as you, Armitage. Prepare your transfer and good luck,” Pryde walked away.
Good luck to you. Hux secretly said to Pryde’s back.
He couldn't wait to tell Ren this good news.
**
Kylo sat down to meditate after his daily training.
It ’s been a long time since he felt the Force so deeply. Every living body has its own force field. Thousands of people boarded this ship, thousands unique fields, thousands different thoughts.
Cold, strange, and independent.
He was too naive to think everyone will follow his lead spontaneously. He can use the force to control a person, even mind trick a squad to die for him, but never be the thousands of individuals on this ship, let alone the entire universe.
But the Force nulls like Pryde can.
Frustration swept Kylo. He used anger as a key to the dark side of the Force. Totally open to it, immerse in it, hope to find an answer to his imperfection.
When he opened his eyes, he saw a familiar figure.
Rey had fixed the broken lightsaber. She seemed to be fighting an invisible enemy. The blue light hit her sweaty face.
“You need a teacher, Rey.”
Rey stopped her training abruptly, turned off the lightsaber.
“Ben?”
“Nice to see you again. As I said, you need a mentor, random training will not make you stronger, ” Kylo looked softly into her eyes. Rey reminded him of being a padawan.
“No, thank you. I already have a perfect one,” Rey said as she looked back. Kylo couldn’t see her surrounding, so he had no idea who’s she looking at.
“Who? Skywalker has died.”
“Not really. Another Skywalker. My honorable master.”
Now, Kylo knew.
“My mother,” he said bitterly.
“Yes, Ben, she’s missing you,” Rey said with teary eyes. “You shouldn’t hurt a kind woman like her. Come back…”
“You know nothing! She’s using you!”
“How dare you saying her like that! She’s your mother!”
“Yes, mother,” Kylo stood up with a wry smile. “She abandoned me when she sensed the darkness inside me. Her own blood son. Tell me, what do you think when she sees the true color of you?” Kylo said as his expression soured.
“Master Leia didn’t abandon you. She loves you, even now. There must be mistakes. Come back to us, Ben. We can make everything right together.”
“Right? What do you mean right?”
Rey walked close to him.
“We’ll bring peace and hope back to the galaxy, together,” Rey smiled warmly.
“So what? What should we do after the war?”
Didn't she find they fell in an infinite loop? His parents’ generation did reap the fruits of victory. Only a few years later, they lost their victory, wars returned.
“Everything you want, everything we want,” Rey reached out her hand and touched his cheek lightly.
Kylo mercilessly slapped her hand away.
“The only thing I want is ruling the galaxy,” He said vengefully, without really meaning it.
“You cold-blood monster!”
Rey’s image disappeared with her wounded voice.
Kylo froze in place, panting.
How blind he was thinking she could be his life companion.
Rey ruined his fantasy that they can be an unstoppable pair when they rely on each other. What he saw was another childish idealist just like past himself.
He will not start another cycle of the infinite loop. A new order must be established.
The screen of his secret datapad lit up indicating a new message from Hux.
“Hux,” he said to no one and let the datapad float to his waiting hand.
At least, he had a comrade.
He’s not alone.