04. mental link

[exhuxperation]

COMMAND over oneself and others	AMBITION nothing will stand in my way
ORDER chaos will not be tolerated	MANY over the individual

( CODE BY WHAMBAM )

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[exhuxperation]

You'll have to forgive me, having a Commandant for a father has made it easier to know what to look for.

[ Both of them– a lifetime dedicated to an Empire that has crumbled into dust twice over. Years of his life climbing the ladder with only his mind as a weapon. It means nothing here. ]

Either way, I do hope I was able to give you the information needed regarding your original query.

[ They don't have to talk about the past. ]

[narcissithstic]

Hmph.

[Dour, tolerant - a beast of burden shrugging off the pinching contact of sharpened claws where they catch. If he was angry, it'd be obvious; if he wanted nothing more to do with this conversation or current company, Hux would know it instantly.

Instead he dips his gaze to fix on the mirrored surface of Anakin's lightsaber. A promise that regardless of what they were once destined for, here, nothing is set in stone. By all accounts, they should both be free of any prior restrictions.

And yet it's that thought that terrifies him most, transparently so.] I wasn't meant for that kind of reciprocation, General.

The Supreme Leader—

[Wouldn't have tolerated it. Wouldn't have fostered what little humanity there is to be found in companionship rather than complacency. Is Cathaway the same, he wonders.]

[exhuxperation]

[ Neither of them were made for this. Not originally. He's spent years of his life concerned only with climbing the ladder. With the expectations set out for him.

Here they don't have those restrictions. It's terrifying as much as exhilarating. He's spent all this time in the nest being unsure, trying to wall himself off. Feeling lost in parts because he didn't know how to rebuild himself without a solid goal.

But right now it didn't seem to matter. A small test of freedom he's getting used to. ]

The Supreme Leader is no longer here. Neither of us are beholden to his decisions anymore, Ren.

[ Just statement of fact. ] So then, is that a yes or a no?

[narcissithstic]

[It feels as though he's over the edge of a precipice again. His back to it this time, rather than the Scavenger's, a decision demanding to be made.

But inaction isn't an option, much as he might lean towards it, and so...]

Yes. [Ren responds, thumb to the hilt, attention distant as though he might be speaking to Hux through the symbiote rather than in person. Only after a beat does he add, stiffly:] —For now.

[They'll return to the Station once this is done, after all. He'll consult Cathaway, ask for her forgiveness and her favor, and if she accepts (she will, she must) he'll seek out her true feelings on his decision to cede part of his strength to someone else. Perhaps she'll be more tolerant. Perhaps she'll approve of it.

Perhaps she won't.]

[exhuxperation]

[ After so much time working alongside Ren, he should be more familiar with how he operates. And in a way he is—only a moment before, he knows Ren would've left if he really didn't want to be there. He was too stubborn and selfish to be held anywhere against him will, barring perhaps if the command came from Cathaway (and previously, Snoke).

But neither Snoke nor Cathaway were here. Ren remained of his own volition and Hux, well, he was seeing just how much freedom they had.

And apparently, Ren was willing to test that as well. Hux keeps his gaze for a moment before he moves, shifting up closer, bodies nearly aligning. Unlike earlier, he reaches out to lightly cup his fingers along Ren's jaw, thumb laying on his cheek. This is the barest touch but his pulse picks up. ]

For now. [ He can agree to this. Especially when he's pressing his lips against Ren's again. Less hesitant. ]

[snaphiss]

[With the mental equivalent of steepled fingers-]

( What system did you destroy? )

[exhuxperation]

[ At first, he doesn't want to respond, too busy trying to mentally regroup. But, it is Mara. If there's anyone who would understand at least the explanation, it would be her. ]

( Hosnian. Prime, the adjacent moons, the New Republic Fleet within atmo distance. )

[snaphiss]

( A rebel system, I assume? )

[exhuxperation]

( Yes, New Republic abiding. Hosnian Prime was the current seat of the Senate at the time. )

[snaphiss]

[Hm.]

( Give me your justifications. )

[exhuxperation]

( When the Empire fell, the Republic destroyed everything it had built. In many cases, these items were useful and helpful to people who lived outside of the Republic's initial influence in the Core Worlds. Trade routes, for example. Industries and businesses failed when these routes were shut off.

Those who lived in the Outer Rim suffered from these actions. And even further, from the continued inaction of the Senate and New Republic to do anything to alleviate post-war time strife.

There were motions made to ask the Senate for assistance, but nothing was done. It was decided that with the distractions and comfort of the Core Worlds, they would not understand the desperation.

To that end, it became about starting over; take out the Senate and the fleet along with it. )

[snaphiss]

[Of course, now that Mara has all the information, she lets Hux know her mind. She prefers to leave people spinning in the wind until she feels confident her judgement won't fall on deaf ears.]

( The people who criticize you for this are soft. They haven't seen war, don't understand fighting for what they believe is right. They think every military action has someone cackling at the helm, glorying in the destruction. )

[exhuxperation]

( Perhaps. Their way of fighting is too different.

However, I wonder if there had been another option. Strategically, the amount a zero-sum should come up is close to nil. I suppose if there had been another case, they would be disappointed in the method. This was still the most effective course. )

[ He'd been proud of the achievement. Of the hard work paying off and the possibility of starting fresh. Now some of that is shaken, especially in the face of being here. With all of his own crew gone. Had it been worth it? ]

[snaphiss]

( The fact that you question yourself shows your worth as a leader. )

( What do you prioritize in battle? Victory? Minimizing losses? Honorable strategy? That's what decides the best course of action. )

[exhuxperation]

( Even if I were to show the questioning, I doubt any will be swayed, considering the circumstances.

My only regret is this will put a damper on organizing the group. I've yet to see anyone else step up– if we can't work together, it's going to ruin us and the mission. I'll hardly stop trying, though regaining trust will not be easy. )

[snaphiss]

( You're a general, not a politician. I don't believe we have anyone here suited for leadership on the scale you're looking for. )

( Do you really believe this mission is in dire straights? )

[exhuxperation]

( Granted. I doubt we'll see Nirad or Carata step in either.

Not currently, but with the amount of disarray, I have little faith in the group surviving if something drastic were to happen. Most if not all have incredible abilities with little knowledge on how to use them. Many are still too pre-occupied with keeping everyone out and therefore not necessarily communicating.

Essentially, it's much like a band of operatives who got transferred out from different leadership. We're under the same banner but that won't mean anything if we can't stop antagonizing each other. )

[snaphiss]

( And you're not content to let the weak fall and the strong rise to the top? That is what would have been done in the Empire. )

( What do the people under your command mean to you, Hux? )

[It's the first time she hasn't called him 'general'.]

[exhuxperation]

( When connected to each other so strongly, leaving the weak behind becomes a last resort. The Empire did not have what amounts to a large group of Force users all mentally chained to each other.

They can mean success. A united force– there's nothing quite like it. My own ambition aside, being a part of something that could make a difference; that is the most potent thing. )

[snaphiss]

( I wouldn't be so quick to say what the Empire did and didn't have. )

[lmao]

( You wish to make the station your ideal Empire, now? The Empire ruled by fear, not inspiration. )

[exhuxperation]

[ Hmm, had there been a giant group of Force users in the Empire? ]

( If I were to be entirely selfish, yes. Currently, I'd rather we could just focus on the mission and move on without more haranguing.

Fear is a great motivator, but it's not ideal for the long term. Give someone something to look forward to and they're more likely to fight for it. )

[snaphiss]

( Did the destruction of Hosnian further that goal? )

[exhuxperation]

( It was supposed to be. At the time it happened, I believe it did what it was set to do. The weapon and planet it was carved into met its destruction though, at the hands of the Resistance, shortly after.

Or it was expected to implode; I was still planetside finding Ren when I was brought here. )

post-apocalypse

[narcissithstic]

Enough—

[Ren can't bear the Nest's struggle atop his own, the hatred and fear screaming in his skull, driving him to respond to a threat he can neither face nor physically rend. He reaches forward, grabbing Hux's forearm with enough force to bruise; an unintentional reaction he has to willfully— bitterly— swallow only a moment later, lips thinned out into a visibly weary line.

He lifts his stare a moment later, breathing shallow through his nose, as he had when he stood before Han Solo himself.]

Sever the connection.

sometime a bit after she pulls herself together after the Ahsoka chat

[adamance]

( I'd like to hear your reasons. )

[Lexa's statement is open-ended, but she hopes her request is clear. Initially, she had no desire to know his reason. She had seen it as taking the act of war too far, but she had removed herself mentally, trying to think of facts and interpersonal relations (the politics of being in the Nest, per se) rather than her own experience with the matter.

The irony of Ahsoka's final words to her is that she is open to sympathizing with Hux.

It's not as if they're so different. She had made a person who could do such a thing out of necessity, and he is that person. If her hand had been on the lever that Clarke pulled, would she have stopped herself? She knows the answer all too easily.]