[closed] we'll all go together when we go

[therewillbeorder]

Who: Armitage Hux & various
What: there is yelling and drinking
Where: house & his and Maketh's work space
When: May 9th/10th
Warnings: drinking, mentions of genocide, death, torture, pretty much just bad things all around



May 9th-closed to Kylo Ren (and possibly Anakin)

[He only flinched slightly as the lamp broke against the wall only a few inches away from him, refusing to show fear. He wasn't sure what the fight had started with, there was a broken coffee cup shattered in the kitchen but he wasn't going to clean up after Kylo Ren's temper tantrum.

He still held one of Kylo's shirts, clutching it tightly. He wasn't sure how long this argument had lasted so far but he refused to back down.]

And so you just decided to act like some kind of rampaging rancor? You're such an idiot sometimes, I wouldn't be surprised if it's because your father dropped you on your head a few too many times. That would explain a few things.

[He bunched up the shirt in his hands before throwing it in Kylo's face as hard as he could.]

May 10th-closed to Maketh.

[Maketh Tua was a traitor to the Empire and one of the most infuriating people he had ever met but she had strong whiskey and he needed a drink. He hadn't been able to focus on his work, staring at the components for the power casing before finally deciding that he wasn't going to figure this out anytime soon.

He put his hand on his blaster, listening to the door open but stood as soon as he was certain it was her. The blaster was tucked into his coat pocket as he finished tidying his workspace for the day, making sure everything was in place before he made his way out to the common area. He grabbed the two glasses on the kitchen counter, drinking in their lab had become a habit lately.]

I'm glad you know to bring the strongest whiskey you could find.

[He sat the glasses down on the table before sitting on the couch.]

Just hand me one of the bottles.

Comments

May 10

[mismanagement]

As if I would bring anything less.

[Maketh shrugs out of her jacket and leans the rifle against the wall. She doesn't care to maintain uniform standards around Hux. That would involve caring what he thinks of her. She claimed her chair - somehow it had become her chair - with a groan, and handed one of the bottles over. The other she kept for herself.]

These people are infuriating. Nothing they do makes sense.

[therewillbeorder]

[He opened the bottle that she handed him, glancing down at the glass before deciding to just forego it just to drink straight out of the bottle. If she was forgoing a jacket, then he could damn well drink out of the bottle even if it wasn't what a proper Imperial officer did.]

What happened?

[He could guess the gist of what happened, no one else here thought like they did.]

[mismanagement]

There is a psychologist here. He thinks I'm dangerous. [Maketh grimaces. There's more to it, but there are limits to what she feels like sharing with Hux.] Because I follow protocol when putting contingency plans in place.

[She raises the bottle in grim salute.]

Apparently I am a psychopath. I did not realize.

[therewillbeorder]

Isn't it how wonderful that they judge us without understanding that we were trained that way? If that makes you a psychopath, then every Imperial officer is one.

[And no matter what anyone's feelings on the Empire were, he doubted that there was anyone who felt that every single Imperial officer was a psychopath.]

I cannot believe I am saying this but I wouldn't concern yourself with the opinion of someone who couldn't possibly understand. Even though you betrayed the Empire, you are still an Imperial officer.

[mismanagement]

The training is everything.

[Maketh eyes the bottle unhappily. She respects Hux as an opponent. It's inevitable that they'll end up killing each other before the end. Unless she's very careful and very clever, Hux will have the advantage. He has Kylo, after all. But in the meantime, they have these moments. Their drinking and their conversations. Maketh has found herself craving the simplicity of them more than once.

How--odd. ]

But the Empire is not here.

[Maketh watches Hux a moment. They've discussed this before. Come to certain conclusions.]

I thought I could be someone else if I tried hard enough. Assigned myself a new mission, a new duty. Not an Imperial. But I'm not very good at it. Maybe I should have stayed. I could have shifted the blame if I really needed to. Gotten Kallus killed instead. I probably should have done that.

[therewillbeorder]

No, it's not but we are. The Empire isn't just the star destroyers and it's not even the Emperor and the moffs and grand admirals but you know that just as well as I do.

[He had been raised being told that he would have to carry on the tradition of the Empire, that he had to hold it close and never let it go no matter what. And so that is what he had done and would always do. He could never let it go.]

We can't- it's too much of who we are even if we take the uniform off.

[He took a long drink from the bottle. It had been that kind of week.]

You would most likely be alive if you were able to shift blame. It's a useful skill to have but it can be tricky to master. Admiral Piett was said to be an expert at it and it's said that is the reason he was able to survive Vader's wrath.

[mismanagement]

[Maketh grimaces. No doubt it's a skill that Hux himself has long since mastered as well. He's alive and holding onto his rank. General at his age. But that time is over for her. She failed, she died. It's become simple.] It doesn't matter. I'm here now. And apparently I cannot be anything but what I was.

[It's a sobering thought. The Empire doesn't have any place in Hadriel. Nor in any other world.]

Perhaps, when this is done, I should simply go back to Lothal. At least I understand the rules there.

[therewillbeorder]

And I'll go back to the First Order. It's where I belong, it's what I've always known.

[There is no question about that. Despite the loss of Starkiller, he is confident in his position and skills. There has never been any other option, never any other possibility of going down another path.

He was a product of the Empire and the First Order through and through.]

Where else would you go? You would just encounter the same frustrations elsewhere.

[mismanagement]

I thought I could go to a different world. Henry's, even. I could be useful.

[Maketh shakes her head and drinks.]

That was foolish. I'd still be an Imperial.

[therewillbeorder]

I'm going to make a guess that you made a try to shed your Imperial training and failed. You may not have literally lived your entire life in the Imperial military but there is no escaping it. If you surround yourself with those who cannot understand, it will always lead to frustration for everyone.

[He took a lot drunk from the bottle before setting it on the table. He wasn't going anywhere tonight, he didn't want to return to the house, so he pulled off his boots, lining them up neatly beside the couch.]

They'll want to change you, tell you you're wrong to be who you are, who you will always be.

[mismanagement]

You're not wrong.

[Much as it smarts to admit that. Maketh gives her bottle a little shake, watching the whiskey shift.]

I miss--being part of something. Isn't that funny? I'm an Imperial still. But I can't serve the Empire.

[therewillbeorder]

I know. I'm not going to convince you back, Tarkin made the decision to execute you for treason and even if he's not here, I'm not going to go against that.

[Chain of command is always important. It was how they knew their place and how things worked.]

It's understandable. Perhaps that is what is the root of what is wrong with this place- it's too small. There is nothing...bigger than us. There is no order to how things are run here.

[He picked up the bottle again but just sat back, looking over at her.]

[mismanagement]

I'm not that foolish.

[At least not in public. Maketh lowers the bottle with a grimace.]

And even if there were, we wouldn't fit in it. A quandary, you might say.

May 9th

[darthvaderfanboy]

[Kylo's fury, as usual, was burning bright and hot. He wasn't sure either how this fight had started. Just another argument about how much of a slob he was, but this time, he wasn't going to take it. The pieces of the broken lamp quivered slightly as he let the Force flow through him.]

At least I had a father! Yours wasn't around long enough to teach you basic human emotions. You act more like a droid than an actual person most of the time.

[therewillbeorder]

[Hux tried not to flinch at the mention of Brendol Hux. There would always be a part of him which would be afraid of the man. But he leaned down to grab one of the shards of the lamp before throwing it at Kylo's head, hard]

Do you want to bring up my father? Fine, let us talk about your nerf herder of a father, you act like a Wookiee most of the time! Or let's talk about how your parents and your uncle couldn't stand you so they just ditched you. My father may never have loved me but at least I wasn't abandoned.

[he looked down to see one of Kylo's boots which had been laying around and he went over to grab it. He knew if he threw it at Kylo he would have stopped it down he hurled it at the remaining lamp just to shatter it before looking back at Kylo.]

[darthvaderfanboy]

[Kylo lifted up the lamp shards with the Force, pelting Hux with them at top speed. He hoped one of them cut up his cheek, the smarmy prick. The mention of his parents, touching on his biggest insecurities, made Kylo throw all caution to the wind. He went for the lowest blow he could think of.]

Don't you dare talk about my parents! At least they gave a damn about me. My father didn't knock up my mother on a whim like yours did. Maybe that's why you act the way you do. You're always compensating for the fact you're nothing but the bastard son of an Imperial officer who was past his prime and a kitchen maid.

[therewillbeorder]

[One of the shards hit him hard in the temple, causing him to stumble back. He reached up to feel blood. He was quiet for a moment, he refused to let Kylo get the satisfaction of knowing that any of that hurt.

He picked up the lamp shard, weighing it in his hand.]

You're right. I'm a bastard child and my father wanted me dead most of the time and god knows he tried. But you know what, at least I don't wallow around and whine about it or talk to my grandfather's helmet. You act like such a martyr because your parents were busy but all you do is whine and complain about everything when it doesn't go your way.

[He hurled the shard down on the ground as hard as he could so it shattered between them.

Grow up, Kylo Ren.

[darthvaderfanboy]

[Kylo's eyes narrowed. He should have never opened himself up to Hux, allowing himself to become vulnerable if this was the thanks he got in return. That would teach him to get close to anyone else again.]

At least I'm not the pathetic sap you are, just standing on the shoulders of those who came before you. You've never had an original thought in your life, just taking ideas that were already done before you. And what has it gotten you? You'll never have the power you really crave. You're just a mediocre officer who got lucky enough to be surrounded by idiots that allowed him to rise up through the ranks.

[Hux is just feeding the fire now, providing more fuel for Kylo's anger. He's run out of shards to throw, so his eyes fall on the couch. That's right, he's just lifted the whole thing up, and is tossing it right at his lover. Hux better duck.]

[therewillbeorder]

[He had been taught from a young age that exposing vulnerabilities would always lead to something like this. He should have known better, especially with someone like Kylo Ren.

Never again.

He didn't have time to say anything before Kylo was tossing the couch at him. He barely had time to duck before it hit the wall hard, leaving a big crack. For a moment he didn't know what to say, his eyes wide.

He looked at Kylo Ren, clutching his hands behind his back to keep them from shaking.]

I'll say what I'm sure we're both thinking. This was a stupid idea, I knew this would end in a disaster.

[darthvaderfanboy]

[Hux's words hit home harder than Kylo Ren thought they would. They'd gotten into fights before, but that was before they were together. He knew this would be a bad one, but to have Hux ready to break up with him made most of his anger evaporate, replaced by a sickening dose of fear.

So this is what he got for showing his vulnerabilities to someone. Just a lot of heartache. No wonder his parents had fought and bickered constantly. If this is what love was, then Kylo never wanted to experience it ever again.]

So that's it? You're just giving up? You-- you-- you coward! [It's all Kylo can think of to call him, too pissed off and upset to come up with a proper insult.]

[therewillbeorder]

You just tried to kill me! And you made it clear what you think of me. You always treated me with disdain before, why should we keep fooling ourselves that this was nothing more than lust?

[Each word felt like a knife in his chest. He didn't think he would ever feel so much pain at the thought of losing Kylo, of not being able to sleep with his feet against Kylo's, listening to the steady beat of his heart. But Kylo had hit every vulnerability and twisted the knife, he felt as if he were going to throw up.]

Did you really think this was going to work given how we are? I don't want to even look at you right now.

[darthvaderfanboy]

I've tried to kill you multiple times. It's never stopped you before.

[Though granted, the attempts had stopped after they'd gotten together. Hux's assertion that it was simple lust driving them makes Kylo just stare at him. Then he just goes on, making it even worse. Kylo's features harden into a mask, his eyes dull without any light reflecting into them.]

Is that all you think it was? Just the mistake of simple lust? Hux, you are the biggest idiot I've ever met.

[therewillbeorder]

We weren't sleeping together before.

[Hux had to look away, he hated how emotional he felt and how much worse it got when he saw Kylo's expression.]

I don't know! [And it had confused him how easy it was to just lay in Kylo's arms, how at peace he felt. How right it had felt.] What did you expect would happen? That we would live happily ever after? Because now we're trying to destroy each other, something isn't working.

[darthvaderfanboy]

So you're just going to give up because things aren't working perfectly?

[Kylo wants to fight those words it protest. But he doesn't because he's hurting and feels like his own lightsaber has been run through his heart. He knows once Hux has made up his mind on something, there's no real way to change it.

Instead, his face betrays no sign of the turmoil he's facing. His voice is stripped of all emotion as he answers.]

Fine. If that's the way you want it, so be it.

[therewillbeorder]

Why would I want to be with someone who thinks of me as nothing more than an emotionless bastard who got lucky? You treated me with disdain before, I was stupid to think that ever really changed.

[He had to turn away, hating himself for his lack of self-control as the emotions threatened to well up. He hadn't cried since he was 5 years old, he refused to do so now but everything about this hurt.

He hadn't even felt this awful since he realized his father hated him, he never knew he could feel this bad.

He finally looked over at Kylo again, his chest hurt when he saw the lack of reaction but he tried to keep his voice even though it was clearly strained.]

Fine then.