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( OPEN )

WHO: Hux & YOU
WHAT: His first month in the Quarantine.
WHEN: Feb.
WHERE: All over! Tag his open prompt or contact me for a private thread.
WARNINGS: tba

i. central perk in space.

[ It has been so long since Hux was planetside (aside from Starkiller Base which doesn't really count because nothing was new there, culturally, after the First Order set down roots) that for his first couple of weeks without duties, responsibilities, or even a timetable, he flounders for what to do with himself. After throwing himself into his work at the Perimeter Guard (training and such menial obstacles that must be overcome with his indictment) and messaging the network only to find a wealth of the Resistance skulking around, determined to sabotage his attempts to do exactly anything, not to mention Kylo Ren running wild with the most common of ruffians available, Armitage decides Kriff this and goes into the city with no clear purpose. It's horrible yet somehow soothing to have no direction and aimlessly wander, discovering this and that along the way. He takes notes of local engineering workshops and purchases what passes for a datapad from some galaxy he's never heard of, spends a little too long outside a pet store watching a young batch of kittens under a For Sale sign (Millicent), and indulges in rating caff-shops. Or coffee-shops, whatever they're called.

He finds one in particular that he likes. No one knows him or looks twice when he steps inside, half-anxious FN-2187 or Dameron is going to pop up like a mouthy sarlacc and shriek obscenities at him, but he purchases a black caff and some cookies and sits down near a window in peaceful silence, greatcoat folded beside him and the new datapad his current focus as he attempts to reprogram its language into Basic. It's a relaxing task and somewhat flexes his technical skills, keeping his head down so that he is soon absorbed in his work, occasionally raking back loose red hair that flops forward without the usual regulation pomade, sweater sleeves rolled up as the heat of the shop seeps into his pale skin. Oddly, he thinks of his quiet talks with Phasma at the end of her shifts whenever she would approach him in his private quarters to log reports, and he misses the subtle humour that would wryly peel through her helmet as he drank his bitter tea, gently ribbing back and forth. He misses ... a lot about home. Yet, even though most of his time was objectively spent alone on the Finalizer, never has he had the time to actually feel lonely. There has always been something to do.

Armitage isn't happy but neither is he despairing anymore, which is as good as he suspects it will get on this moon. At least the caff is decent and no one is adding new bruises to his collection of faded relics. ]

ii. shuttle adventure. (closed to jim kirk)

[ It's a matter of time before one of the Resistance sabotages his attempts to get anything of worth done at Armitage's new job (he still isn't sure what to do with himself, exactly) but before they do he intends to get as good of an overview of what he's dealing with as possible, and that means actual legwork. No longer does he have a star-destroyer to simply scan the terrain on his behalf and relay any salient information; no, today he arrives on what passes for the Guard's shuttle bay with his homemade datapad under an arm, greatcoat buttoned (minus any insignia that might set off an unwanted confrontation) and ungelled hair whipping in the wind as he approaches the owner of the craft.

Not knowing what to expect with the rebels an unknown factor lurking in the shadows, he straightens up near Kirk and clears his throat. Manages a tight smile. (Certain factors run through his mind, taking note of the height and muscle Kirk has on him, comforted by the concealed blaster and knife Hux decided to keep hidden away on his person ... just in case.) ]

Captain. If you and your vessel are ready and willing, I believe I'm a little early for our tour of the Abandoned City.

iii. getting up, close and wet. (closed to valkyrie)

[ The only significant amount of time Hux spends in the public apartments is to shower, distrustful of the showers at the Perimeter Guard which are so close to the hygiene sectors that Stormtroopers use he can't bear to imagine setting foot inside them. So his routine goes as follows; enter the apartment with spare clothes and toiletries in his satchel, head straight to the showers, return to the bedroom and change into fresh clothes. He keeps a hairbrush and spare towel in the drawers next to his allotted bed, which is fortunate because today he doesn't have another towel to dry his hair with and, having discovered Tico is a resident on the same floor, he would rather not linger longer than necessary.

The aggressive woman known as Valkyrie is, of course, therefore passed out on his bed with her feet in the way of the drawers he needs to get into, dripping and cold in a single towel wrapped around his waist. She's the violent type, he has vaguely heard, so when it comes to waking her up he doesn't take any chances.

Armitage uses someone else's pillow to throw at her head, himself keeping a safe distance. In a cutting tone usually appropriated on the bridge of the Finalizer, he barks, ] Up, now!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ He hesitates for a moment then takes Jim's hand to shake in his own gloved one, unused to the gesture but quick to pick up on it. ]

I'm glad to hear it. [ Any double-entendre is entirely absent, lost on Hux who shifts his attention from Jim to the ship as they head in. ] So, this is the Intrepid. She's about the same size as an AAL or Upsilon-class command shuttle, minus the retractable wings. Bigger than I expected.

[ Not that he sounds unimpressed, it's not a bad ship. ]

[ Aw Hux. He was going to have a bit of fun teasing him, but he's not terribly disappointed that the double meaning goes right over his head. There's a tug to his smile but he's quick to shift his attention to the talk about the shuttle, evidently interested in what Hux has to say. ]

Well, it's not a starship, but she takes me where I need to go on the moon. I wouldn't have minded a warp drive, but can't be too choosy around here. [ He takes up one of the pilot seats at the front, gesturing for Hux to take the other one. He trusts him to know his way around a shuttle so he doesn't ask if he needs help buckling up. ]

I did some alterations to the interface, so it's a little closer to what I'm used to. Still, fairly intuitive to those used to starships and space shuttles. [ He nods to Hux. ] I take it you can pilot shuttles too? Or am I wrong to assume?

Warpdrive sounds like the sister-term of hyperdrive, that's what we call it.

[ His smile quirks once more as he locks into the seat, peering at the controls. ]

I can, it's required of every officer. Not that I've personally done it in a while, [ he defers to Jim here with a glance, ] the benefits of rank and so forth, but I know my way around most control panels and sensor arrays. My field of expertise is engineering.

It is, actually. We used to call them hyperdrives, so the term isn't entirely unfamiliar to me.

[ He's also heard Poe and other people refer to it by that term, so he's all the more used to it around here. ]

Yeah, I get what you mean. [ He nods. It's not often he gets to fly a shuttle either, though he'd wager a guess and say he did it a little more often than Hux, before coming here that is. Here, he does it every week, almost every day. ] Well, if you feel like giving it a try while we're out there, just let me know.

[ For now, he revs up the engines once they're both securely strapped in, opening the shuttle bay doors and flying the shuttle past them at a slow speed at first. With the inertial dampeners online, though, Hux shouldn't feel any acceleration, even when he does pick up speed eventually. ]

Seems we're back-to-front.

[ Warp exists but it's a bystander to ion-drives, an extra add-on and Jim is right that Hux is grateful for the inertial compensators that stop either of them from experiencing the unpleasant transition of ground to air. Thank fuck science and engineering doesn't vary all that much from galaxy to galaxy.

He sets up his datapad on his lap, activating the programs he'll be storing data on. ]

Would your ship allow me to connect with it remotely to download information?

[ Itching to get his hands on the navigation and sensor array. ]

A little, maybe. But we understand each other, at least.

[ It's a start. It's more than what Jim has with a lot of people here, even, to whom space travel is no more than a fantasy, only existing in sci-fi stories, if even that. At least to them it's very much a reality— not just that, but even commonplace. ]

Some information, yes. Some have authorization restrictions of different levels, but... hold on.

[ He pulls up a holoscreen between them, tapping on a few settings, then slides the screen over to Hux, trusting that he'll know how to work with it. ]

There. You should be able to connect with your datapad, and get access to some of the information. [ Not the more sensitive things, mind, Jim's not that stupid. Some areas are for him and Poe alone to access, and a couple can't be accessed by anything other than his personal command code. He intends to keep it that way. ]

[ It isn't caution that makes him hesitant when he starts accessing the basic read-outs of terrain, only a determination to understand it first-try. He blinks when a restriction pops up, snorting through a lop-sided smile. ]

Well. Nothing has made me feel less like a General since I got here, and that's saying something.

[ He doesn't sound angry, more darkly amused as he continues to work quietly on his datapad, logging other statistics. ]

[ He spares Hux a glance when the restriction pops up, keeping his smile small, though a hint amused. ]

Sorry. Things have been fairly peaceful around here, but... doesn't hurt to take a few precautions.

[ Jim focuses on flying them out towards the city in the meantime, leaving Hux to peruse what information he can access. Once they're a good distance away from the guard he ups the speed a notch, starting on their way over the stretch of forest that separates the Quarantine from the Abandoned City. ]

I understand, believe me. How novel it is to suddenly be a civilian, that's all I meant. [ It's probably the most detail of his life he has offered up to anybody on the moon as he watches the view of the emerging jungle and adds, ] The last time I was outside the military was ... when I was sixteen, I think.

[ Jim hums, nodding in understanding. ] Yeah, I get you. I mean, not that I joined Starfleet when I was that young, but— some people have, actually.

[ And also, Starfleet's not a conventional military institution, and very far from the concept that Hux himself is used to. ]

How long have you been an officer, Captain?

[ He pauses just before adjusting the sensors, gesturing to them. This being Hux's self-appointed homework assignment, he wants to take notes on anything that catches his fancy as and when it pops up, and zero in on it. ]

May I?

Nine years, give or take. Captain since I was twenty-five, cadet before then.

[ And no, no other stage or rank in-between, because that's just how James T. Kirk rolls. Go big. No other alternative.

He nods at the request. ] Go right ahead.

[ Who the kriff goes from cadet to captain? ]

Did you save an entire flagship of your superiors?

[ He doesn't mean to sound sassy ... or, well, he does. But it isn't inherently mean-spirited, just appropriately surprised. ]

[ Jim lets out a soft chuckle. He doesn't take the question to heart; actually it's a topic that tends to get that kind of reaction. He's used to it. ]

No. Actually, we lost a number of our ships. [ And a whole planet. Jim's not going to touch the topic of Vulcan, though. ] But I did save the Earth. Well, we did— the whole crew. Not just me.

[ He pauses, ] It was the first time I took charge of the Enterprise. The Captain was taken hostage and the First Officer was... compromised. The crew was almost solely comprised of Cadets aside from the two of them, and I was next to serve as acting Captain.

[ That story ... sort of makes sense, in context. It was essential for Jim to seize power and return anarchy to order; Hux can respect that. ]

Impressive. [ There's a pause, a little awkward where he considers adding his own experiences, but he's fairly sure there's nothing interesting about his own military upbringing. In the end, after a minute or so of taking notes, he adds, ] I was expected to be an officer from a young age.

[ Well, that's one way of looking at it. No ship can be without a captain after all, and in the middle of a crisis, someone had to do something. At the time Jim couldn't have known if what he was doing was right, but now he's glad for the decision he made. ]

That so? [ Admittedly intrigued by that statement. ] And how long until you made it to General?

A few years ago. I succeeded my father's position, but it was ... You might say that I decided to become General even without his influence, expected though it was.

[ Because he had Phasma murder the old abusive bastard. No one could stand Brendol by then, he was a joke whenever he wasn't a bully, and he deserved to die from something as ridiculous as beetle poison. ]

The galaxy was in chaos, my people were thrown into exile around the time I was eight. It was either that or death at the hands of the radicals. Prior to that, every child of an officer was tutored in the Arkanis Academy run by my father, and we were expected to do our duty.

[ Jim opens his mouth at that, closes it again, looking away after staring at Hux for a few seconds too long. ] Yeah. Know the feeling.

[ People expected him to join Starfleet too, to follow in his father's footsteps— which is what made him all the angrier and more adamant about staying away from Starfleet. He can't say he shares the experiences of abuse, at least not with his dad. Frank was a whole other matter entirely. ]

Huh. Bit different than where I come from, but... [ He purses his lips and nods. ] I get that. [ Not from personal experience or anything. He just understands that different worlds have different stories, different developments. To him Hux's reality seems too extreme, but he comes from a place where that sort of thing was never a necessity, so. He knows better than to judge. ]

It sounds as though I hate it, I assure you I don't. My command crew have always been excellent.

[ That's the part that makes his memories of the Finalizer so bittersweet, knowing that his crew trusted him to be professional and well-put together, and Hux in turn didn't have to spend every waking second on the bridge. The children of the old empire's regime grew up colder but also more efficient, reliable, and he lacks stability so much on this moon that it's becoming a real source of anxiety.

Quieter as he makes his surveys, he keeps his eyes down to avoid oversharing again. He's only doing so out of stress, he tells himself. Kirk may even understand that. ]

No, don't worry. Your meaning came across just fine.

[ Or maybe Jim just relates, to a degree anyway. Having people expect something of him, and doing it anyway, but not because it was expected. He joined Starfleet on a dare, but he stayed because he wanted to, because he believed in it. Aside from the first foot past the threshold, his father never had anything to do with his decision to be a Starfleet officer, or to rise to the rank of Captain as he did.

He takes the silence as a sign that Hux is done sharing for the moment, and he lets him be. He strikes him as an exceptionally private type, and Jim knows better than to push. After some minutes of silence, he speaks up, gesturing to the distance. ] There's the city, over there. Past those trees— see it?

[ He appreciates the silence, which grows less awkward the longer it goes on and Jim doesn't appear to be restless or uncomfortable. Hux looks up when the approaching city is noted, a ruined thing but more interesting than anything else of late.

He sits up and leans forward for a better look. ]

Are you very familiar with the site, Captain?

[ Jim likes talking as much as he can appreciate silence at times, and he knows it doesn't have to be weird or uncomfortable. At least with him focused on piloting and Hux's attention turned to his datapad, they're both fairly distracted and not just twiddling their thumbs awkwardly. ]

Fairly familiar, you could say. I've explored it extensively, even before I had the shuttle at my disposal. Did a lot of surveying on foot, on my own and with company both. Even camped out there a couple of times. [ He cants his head towards Hux. ] Why do you ask?

[ How very useful the Captain truly is. Still, Hux words himself carefully; that's what happens if someone finds out you've murdered billions of people, in retrospect everything you've said to them will seem ten times worse. ]

I'm supposed to be using my talents to defend the wall, but I'd like to know what lies beyond it first to get an idea of how to do so. Furthermore, if there's any abandoned tech I could appropriate in the future, I'd like to personally know where it is.

[ Well, if Jim knew about that, they sure wouldn't be out here together. He may not be able to force people back through the portal or control the amount of access and freedom they have in the Quarantine, but he wouldn't make the same allowances when it comes to what little he can control.

And he can control his unit; decide on who gets access, and how much. Hux is smart to have sought out this kind of assistance right upon arrival, and lucky that the window of time wasn't enough for anyone to warn Jim about him. ]

There are some parts you can salvage out there. Nothing in perfect or working condition for the most part— finding this shuttle was a miracle, I'll tell you. But it's not impossible. [ He nods ahead. ] We can land, if you want to look around for a little while.

I'd rather stay on-board, if you don't mind. [ Being abandoned in the wilderness is a threat he hasn't forgotten from the responses on the network. He attempts a smile when he glances up from his datapad. ] I simply want to plot the land, thank you.

Do you often come out here on missions?

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