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They lost them again. The Resistance scum had flown in under their noses and jumped to hyperspace before they could do anything at all. Fighter pilots had been deployed, but they were too late.
Hux’s frustration at the situation is barely seen with his cool expression schooled into a flat line. You can tell he's annoyed, but he doesn't display it.
Not like Kylo Ren does.
The Dark Warrior has already slammed his fist down on the consul and scared several of the bridge crew to backing away. Throwing a tantrum, and in front of the crew no less. Hux hated when the other got like this in general, but doing it on the bridge was inexcusable.
And for fucks sake, all he wanted was a smoke.
Pulling a perfectly polished silver case from a pocket, he tapped it lightly on the butt of the palm of his hand, staring at Ren as he paced and hissed about the Resistance and Jedi and them getting away. Taking one cigarette out of the case he put it back in his pocket, letting his hand pat down for his lighter.
A flash of red caught his eye and the low hum of the damn fools lightsaber had his attention. The last thing he needed was Kylo Ren destroying the equipment on the bridge of all places. It was bad enough that the cost of the last few rooms he had wrecked was ridiculously high, but everything on the bridge was important.
The General thought he should be worried. He shouldn't be this reckless around the Dark Warrior. It would be easy for the other to lash out, but...
He moved forward, approaching Ren as he raised the lightsaber. A black gloved hand reached out to grasp Ren's wrist and stop the downward movement in mid swing. Strong enough to stop the other from letting it blow into a computer or other equipment.
Hux heard a murmur from one of his men behind them, and a 'please sir, wait...' from another concerned officer. His men were scared of the swift to anger Sith Warrior. Their concern and worry for their General’s well being was good. Loyal.
He paid them no mind. Instead he realized Kylo Ren stopped his movement. The eyes of his helmet turned to him sharply and staring. Or at least he felt the helmet was staring at him. That damn ridiculous helmet that hid a face that seemed far too young to belong to a hardened warrior, then again they said the same about his own at times.
Coolly, while holding the others wrist with the glowing red lightsaber out before him, Hux leaned forward, cigarette in his mouth and brought the end towards the side of the energy blade. He could feel the searing heat radiating off the blade, and feel the anger that seemed to spike off it, to dance and crackle in the recycled air around them. He could also feel the muscles in Kylo’s arm stiffen suddenly as he leaned in so close.
With a small pull in of breath on the cigarette, Hux’s eyes never left the man’s dark faced helmet, though his eyes were cool and flat, staring at him the entire time. As he drew back his cigarette was burning, a cherry of red at the end.
Standing tall again, almost as tall as Kylo but not quite, he let a drift of smoke escape his lips, directed towards the mad Sith warrior.
“Not. On. My bridge.” Hux said, voice cool and even but stern. A strong demanding tone with out a harshness to it at all. This was his bridge. This was his crew. This was HIS territory. He allowed Kylo Ren to ruin other things, but he would not allow this.
Taking another pull from his well needed cigarette, he shoved Ren’s wrist and lightsaber away, turning his hand to rest, palm out, on the small of his very perfectly straight back. Cool but stern eyes staring at the mask that stared at him, chin lifting, as if daring Ren to pull something stupid.
He knows. He knows the other could kill him.
He know it would take a single movement of that blade or a lift of a gloved hand.
He knows that there is the very real chance that he’s still standing here because the two of them have a strange sort of understanding. they hated each other, yes, but somewhere in the dark, out of view of others, they respected each other as well.
He still isn’t going to back down from this nor apologize. He knows the temperament of the other might not stop him from doing it, but this is HIS bridge, and he wasn’t going to back down from this.
As he let out another drift of smoke, curling from his lips, the red light of the saber suddenly shut down. With the hum of the weapon turned off the bridge was completely silent, every crew member seeming to hold their breath in wait and worry.
With a sharp turn, the Sith Warrior suddenly took off, nearly stomping his way to the exit, to leave the bridge. People scampered to get out of the way, even if they were nowhere near him.
Hux stood, back still tall and broad, having his smoke break and looking completely calm and cool, watching the other storm off. With an unamused glance he pointed the two fingers holding his cigarette to a man and said in a General’s tone of voice. “Prepare for hyperspace the moment the last of our fighters have returned to the hanger. We’ll figure out our losses back at base.”
As he turned away to face the forward view just the right side of his lips curled, just ever so slightly into a smile. The crew began to come alive once more with murmurs and comments, commands and work. Just how he likes his bridge to run. Perfectly.
He was very sure his little act today was going to cost him something else, somewhere else on the ship, but at the moment he didn’t care. He’d add it to the man’s growing incident report file. For now… he still had a cigarette to finish before he allowed himself to fall back into the world of paperwork and Kylo Ren’s shitty temperament.
Perhaps when he’s done letting out smoke he would find Ren and help him let off a little steam.