hadriel_logs | people ask me how I do it, I say there's nothing to it...

Entry tags:

people ask me how I do it, I say there's nothing to it...

Who: Armitage Hux and YOU (open and closed prompts)
What: come bother your resident evil angry ginger
Where: around the cave
When: first week of March
Warnings: mentions of torture, genocide/murder, etc. will edit for other warnings as needed.

peaches and plotting: closed to anakin

[Fruit was always a nice thing to come home to, especially when it was a bowl of peaches. He didn't have to guess who it was who had gotten them- only he and Anakin seemed to really appreciate how nice it was to have fresh fruit around.

It was such a simple thing but to them but it was a treat given one of them had grown up on a desert planet and the other on a star destroyer in the middle of the depths of space.]

I can't believe you found more of these. [He said as he picked up three of the peaches before sitting down at the table opposite Anakin.]

Your grandson went out a bit ago, I'm not sure where. He may not be back in time for us to save him one of these.

----

more imperial bonding time: closed to maketh

[It was wonderful having a project to work on once more. Granted it wasn't Starkiller, the superweapon which would always a be a part of him. But he could push aside the grief as he worked on the designs Maketh had provided him.

The empty apartment they had decided to take over had been transformed into a neat workspace, parts organized and laid out. He currently sat at the table with the Mandalorian armor Maketh had turned over to him, parts laid out neatly by him as he heard the door open.

His blaster lay beside him, he paused to put his hand over the weapon until he could tell it was Maketh.

Their attempts to rip each other to shreds had become a new alliance- they had a common adversary and recognized that it would be more advantageous to join forces for the time being. It was only practical as they both thought and worked alike as products of their Imperial background, they would be able to work together with each other better than anyone else.]

There is some power left in the suit but not enough to power any weapon like you showed me. But I think we can still get something out of it.

[He mentioned as she came into the room. He had lost track of time when he worked and his back felt stiff as he sat up straighter. It tended to happen whenever he was caught up in a project, he had often spent hours consumed in his plans for Starkiller and Finalizer, forgetting to eat or sleep.]

----

ok, maybe this is what it looks like: closed to kylo

[He wasn't sure how they ended up like this but Kylo's head was on his lap as he sat on the couch. He had one hand in Kylo's dark hair, idly playing with it as he brought up another holo recording up on his datapad for them. It was quiet in the house which they had all to themselves for a change, something they both had taken advantage of while they could.

It felt good and that was what mattered, he hadn't had a chance to really think about what they were doing beyond that.]

I don't know how much I have on this aside from HoloNet news broadcasts from the Core, I'll look for something.

[He stroked the side of Kylo's head without thinking about it, just behind his ear as he looked through the holo recordings. This was comfortable and he actually seemed to be at ease, a small smile on his lips.]

-----

morning visitor: closed to maedhros

What are you doing here?

[Seeing the tall Elf in their kitchen the first thing in the morning was not something that put Hux in the best of moods. All he wanted was a strong cup of hot caf and eggs but instead, he found Maedhros sitting on the living room couch as if he lived with them.

Not only had the Elf had made himself at home but Eclipse was looking rather cozy with him which just made it worse.]

Who let you in and told you it was acceptable for you to just settle in as if you lived here?

[He watched Maedhros warily as he made his way to the kitchen to start heating up water, he had a feeling he would need some strong coffee this morning. If Maedhros thought he was getting any he would be disappointed. The knives were also within easy reach if the need arose. He turned to face the Elf once the water was started, crossing his arms.]

So are you going to tell me why you're here?

----

around the city: open

[Despite his obsession with his latest project to make the gods suffer, Hux actually does get out once in awhile. He's started dressing in other clothes other than his uniform but his appearance is neat as always- black pants, a button up shirt with his boots under a longer coat. But his blaster was always with him, within easy reach at all times.

He can often be found at various stores stocking up on household supplies, food for the cat. He's never cared for a kitten but he gets what he believed to be most suitable. His other stops are any stores that sell parts, chemicals, anything he can get his hands on that may be remotely useful.

What he would really like is a kyber crystal but the chances of coming across one of those are sadly disappointing. But at least it forces him to be creative in the meanwhile.]

---

wildcard

[have another idea? hit me up here! i'm always available at

illuminations for plotting.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[He glanced at her with surprise, taking a moment to think about his answer as he held his glass.]

First, I plan to restore stability to the galaxy. And then I will become Grand Moff.

[And he would do more, if he had anything to say about it. He been on Palpatine's star destroyer, sat where the Emperor had once sat and he felt as if he belonged there. He had been raised to know that he was destined for something far greater than following in Tarkin's footsteps.

Starkiller was only the beginning.]

If you get a second chance after being dead, what will you do?

[Unsurprising. And perhaps he'll see it through. Hux certainly has the ambition. Maketh considers her glass for a moment, then drinks.]

You might become Grand Moff, but you'll never reach that stability.

[She smiles at him, just a little mean.]

It's been tried a thousand times over. As for myself, I don't intend to return to Lothal or any planet there. I'll go with Henry Percy and serve as a military advisor.

[Maketh shrugs, raising her cup in mock salute.]

I think I'll make him king. Or as close as I can manage.

No one said it would be easy. Palpatine was a Sith Lord and even he couldn't quite get there.

[He took a drink, watching her.]

I can't imagine anyone would willingly want to go back to Lothal so I'm not surprised. [He had never been there but he knew enough about the planet to know he never wanted to.]

Who's Henry Percy? I've never heard of them before but they must be important, at least to you, if you think they can be a king.

[Maketh grimaces.] True.

[There are other reasons she believes it won't work. The tactics Hux employs, for one. But that's not an argument she feels like having right now. In time, perhaps, she might do something about it. But not right now. She still needs him.]

He's a knight. Not as powerful as Kylo, but strong and quick. And he stands close to the king in his own world. The king who happens to be quite ill.

[It's a cold way of looking at the situation. Henry loves Edward, truly loves him.

Maketh is quiet for a moment.]

He's an honorable man. Too honorable to have such ambitions. But he calls me sister and I--am what I am.

So he's here then.

[They may be wary allies for the moment but Hux would gladly use any information he has against her when they are no longer useful to each other. If this Henry Percy was someone important to her he could possibly use that.

He downed the rest of his glass.]

Honorable can get you killed quickly.

[That was just a reality. Honorable didn't one very far in the Imperial ranks.]

I see you've decided to ignore intelligence gathering entirely. [Maketh just gives him a look.] Of course he's here. He commands the guardsmen with me.

[And he's tried many times to urge her onto a different path. Maketh sighs.]

I know. But he's a good leader. I could make him great. [She grins suddenly.] His world has barely invented gunpowder. You can imagine what I could make with his troops. The tactics from our world are superior. I can make his troops smarter, stronger, better. An honorable man can go a long way with the right advisor.

I have Skywalker and Kylo to handle on a daily basis as well as trying to collect information, it keeps me busy. And perhaps he's not as important as you think he is if he hasn't caught my attention.

[Hux had been watching the network closely, he had files on many people but there was always stuff which slipped through the cracks. There had been a lot of distractions lately.]

So he needs someone who won't get so hung up on honor.

[He has no doubts that even if she was a traitor that she still thought about an Imperial when it came to tactics.]

I imagine you could do a great deal if they've barely figured out gunpowder. That's very primitive.

By all means, keep telling yourself that.

[Just because they're working together doesn't mean she has to be nice about it. Besides, Maketh thinks, she's sharing her whiskey. That's downright neighborly of her.]

Something like that. His officers don't even recruit women. [She grimaces and finishes her drink.] Foolish. They've cut their potential resources in half. I can train elite troops and officers - real officers. A leader can be honorable if his army is stronger and smarter than the rest.

[She pauses, eying Hux.]

And I want to see what an honorable leader can do. What might be built. I've never had one before.

What makes him so special other than having honor? That doesn't automatically make him qualified to be interesting, let alone a leader.

[And it didn't mean Hux had to be nice, either. But he's willing to play nice for the time being.]

Why not? That's ridiculous. [It was only practical that women serve in the military. He had been practically raised by a female Grand Admiral so he never thought anything of it.]

I've never encountered on either. [While he had admiration for Admiral Sloane, Tarkin, Palpatine, and other Imperial officers, he knew none of them were close to honorable. They all had to play the game and that meant playing dirty.]

[Maketh frowns at him. She's never had to describe Henry like this to anyone else. Generally, Henry does that on his own.] He's decisive. He works well under pressure and commits fully to his actions. And he can see the larger picture without ignoring the details that put it together.

[None of that fussing and stuttering over a decision. When Henry choses to do a thing, it is done.

She hugs a little, pouring herself another drink.]

Apparently it is how things are done. But I have an idea for that. The common people aren't educated. Especially the women. Their fortunes depend on their husbands.

[Maketh leans back in her chair, pleased with herself.]

I mean to establish an officer corps. They'll train and serve in exchange for an education and if they survive it, a fair commission. Women like that will be easy to recruit, but also the younger sons, the ones whose parents can't afford to give them a trade. They'll learn. At least some of them will make good officers. And they'll be loyal.

Well, that's a start at least.

[He held out his glass so she could pour him another. He wasn't worried about his safety at the moment, he knew Maketh needed him alive. There was also the assurance that he knew that if she did hurt him that Kylo would snap her neck.]

So basically how the Empire recruited officers and stormtroopers. It's efficient and fairly effective, you'll have officers you can reasonably expect to be loyal to you.

There is a reason why much of the Outer Rim is still loyal to the Empire- the Emperor provided many out there with stability, freedom from warlords, and opportunities when so few were available, especially to former slaves. If you can provide those opportunities to a large portion of the population it makes ruling much easier.

Edited 2017-03-09 23:44 (UTC)

[Maketh hands him the bottle instead. She never liked pouring drinks.]

Of course. It was how they recruited me.

[And oh how effective it had been. Maketh gives him a thin smile.]

Though I don't intend to murder cadets who don't meet my standards. Fear breeds resentment and petty squabbling. My officers will be loyal because I will present them with a worthy leader in Henry, and a good life under my command. Not because I'll kill those who don't stand in line.

[She sips her drink.]

And because I will crush his enemies, of course.

[He took the bottle, filling his glass before setting it on the table between them. He had a feeling they would be finishing it off tonight.]

I don't have cadets murdered. And my troopers don't live in a state of fear. But, cadets who don't meet certain standards are usually taken care of by in the course of training or by their fellow cadets.

[Brendol had taught him that lesson very early on.]

But to those cadets who succeed and become pilots, troopers, and officers know that the First Order will provide for them and that makes them willing to go above and beyond the call of duty.

[And while troopers weren't assigned official names, Hux actually knew the value of trained officers and pilots better than Imperial officers before him.]

And I don't let Kylo murder my officers, either.

[The look she gives him is dubious.]

Perhaps I should have clarified. I don't approve of accidents being part of the training program. Drowning your competition during the swim tests only promotes an individualistic attitude.

[Maketh huffs.]

It's counterproductive to unit cohesion. Those officers look only for their own advancement. They're always the first to betray their commanders.

[Of course she was one of them. On both counts. Once she'd been the young officer who got rid of her enemies and then, more recently, she'd been the commander who had been dealt with by ambitious colleagues. It was the Imperial way.

Maketh tips her head back and drinks.]

Oh? What have you given him to assure that? Force users don't play gently.

Those who survive are stronger and more dedicated to the First Order. Weakness had no place in the Empire, and it has no place in the First Order.

There will always be those who are willing to go to any lengths to get ahead no matter what you do.

[Hux had been told many times that he was weak, that he would die. But he had proved his father wrong and not only survived but had become the youngest general.

He smirked as he took a drink of whiskey, swirling the rest of the liquid in the glass for a moment.]

I asked him very nicely and made him promise on Darth Vader's helmet to be on his best behavior and play nice with the other officers.

[He meant that sarcastically, which was obvious in his tone.]

The Empire fell. As will your First Order. [It's said without malice. Maketh takes another drink.] It's only a matter of time.

[The next part makes her pause. Maketh stares at him.]

Why does he have Darth Vader's helmet, of all things?

Both Republics fell too, you realize. And the Rebel Alliance.

[He stared at her for a moment, blinking slowly. He had thought she would have made the connection after the network post but he took for granted that he knew.]

You don't know about his connection to Vader?

As did the Sith, and a thousand others before. [Maketh shakes her head.] No, no. I figured that out. I'm asking why Kylo has his helmet, of all things.

And the Jedi. [Perhaps there was some significant life lesson there but he didn't want to think about that right now.

It's something too deep to think about after two glasses of whiskey.]

He claims it's a Force thing. But I'm fairly certain there are other issues at work and he wanted to think he was talking to Vader.

The Jedi order. The Force, apparently, lives on. [Maketh grimaces and drinks again. She's beginning to feel it, that warm contentment and utter lack of care about what Hux is implying.] I see. And how does Lord Vader feel about this now?

I won't argue that. Even I can admit the Force will always be around even if the Jedi were wiped out.

[Hux's hand is just a little unsteady now as he finished off his glass and set it down.]

It was awkward, to say the least. They seemed to have worked it out, Skywalker is training him now and it seems to be doing both of them good.

[Two exhausted Skywalkers were less prone to cause trouble.]

In one form or another.

[Maketh tips her head back.]

If I had such power, I--hah.

[She grins suddenly.]

I like to think my life would have been different. But probably not.

I've never wanted to be able to use the Force. It's powerful but it can be a weakness.

[He poured himself another glass before he grinned.]

But I will tell you, the only Force ability I want is to be able to use the Force lightning as Palpatine could.

[He flexed out the fingers of his hand as if he were Palpatine himself punishing someone with his great power. He had often imagined using that ability on Kylo or General Organa.]

Skywalker confirmed that the Emperor did have that ability. It had always been a rumor but apparently, it's true.

[Maketh can't help but laugh at that.]

How dramatic. It suits you, General.

It does, doesn't it?

[He chuckled as he sat back, comfortable.]

Until then, I have to settle for trying to find a ysalamiri

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