[ It takes a few tries, as he looks for Steve the usual way. Meaning: not prodding into his mind. Eventually, he passes by his room, knuckles rapping against the frame. It's still too weird that there aren't any doors. Aren't they exposed enough with all of their mental barriers down? ]
[ Steve's seated on the bed in his pocket of a room, lacing up his boots. Training's on his mind. They'd done a lot of running around on Avera, but he's ready to get back into the rec wing again.
He glances up at Hux, head cocking slightly to one side. ]
Sure. [ With his laces tied he stands, straightening. ] Need something?
[ Briefly, he eyes the boots being laced up. The troopers don't wear laces anymore, too in the way. But it's reminiscent anyway. ]
I thought it would be prudent for you to have some information about Kylo Ren. [ They're broodmates, after all. And while Hux isn't close in that sense, he's worked with him long enough to have forged a similar bridge. ]
That situation on Avera shouldn't be allowed to repeat.
[ Well, they sure don't disagree on the last part. However, there's a wariness to his response. ]
What sorta information? [ In some ways, Ren isn't exactly the most private person, projecting across their link like an awful headache (and sometimes doing exactly that on purpose), but there's still a lot that Steve doesn't know about the guy. ]
[ They aren't so close, but Hux can tell there's hesitance in his answer. In a way, to be expected– he could be here to tell Steve anything.
But, he'll stick to facts, because there's not a use for anything else. ]
How to handle him better. You're in his brood, so you'll be most exposed to his less than stellar control. [ Understatement of the year. ] It might help to know where he's coming from, though there's no guarantee he'll be any more understandable.
[ He's known him for a while and he's still puzzled. Frustrated, mostly. ]
[ He frowns, glancing down at the space between them for a few seconds. ]
How's it that you two know each other? [ Lifting his gaze again. He ought to know that first, give some context to whatever else Hux wants to tell him. ]
We've worked together for a while. In lieu of him having a military rank, he's something like a secondary command.
[ And quite frankly, when his head was in the game, he wasn't bad at it. The gamble was just whether he was in a good mood or a sour one. Usually it was the latter. Still, they got things done. ]
[ Hux had learned very quickly that trying to pull his rank over Kylo Ren meant absolutely nothing. It was infuriating to say the very least, but he supposes he's learned to work a little more creatively since Ren had been assigned to the Finalizer. ]
His loyalties originally lay with a powerful source where we're from. Coming here, he's found someone to replace that source, in their absence. [ From Leader Snoke to Cathaway. The idea behind both is the same, he thinks. Power. Validation. ]
It's why I brought up Cathaway. He's pledged his allegiance to her, for better or worse. If there's one thing that remains true, it's that he's not looking to disappoint whomever he's loyal to.
[ Even though he shifted from the First Order to this without so much as blinking. It still makes his skin crawl, just thinking of how fast it happened. ] He'll act under the impression that his decisions are a benefit and genuinely helping the cause. Occasionally, he misses the mark.
[ More than occasionally, but he's trying to be as nice as possible. Or rather, factual. This is what he's observed in the near year of working close quarters with him. ]
[ Cathaway had sort of confirmed the something similar when they spoke. He's not sure what he can do with the information though. Respect is one thing. It makes him uneasy that Ren - that anyone could be so easily held under someone else's sway like that, just because of the power they hold.
Reminds him too much of the state of things in Europe.
He goes silent for a moment, then : ]
Thanks. I'll keep that in mind. [ He doesn't mean to sound dismissive. The problem is, even with Cathaway as a buffer there's only so far he's going to get with Ren while the guy has no respect for him whatsoever. And if all Ren respects is power, Steve's not sure how this is going to go. A beat, and he inclines his chin at Hux. ] You talk to Cathaway since we've been back?
[ Vaguely, he can feel Steve's discomfort. It's easier to see in his posture, his expression. Hux can't offer anything to help alleviate it, considering the subject. He's had a hard enough time trying to get the Force-user to control himself and hasn't made much progress.
Certainly, things are a little easier now that he knows where to hit, but he really wish he had better tools at his disposal to head off the chaos before it started. ]
Of course. If all else fails– [ Well, he's willing to step between whomever Ren is trying to shred. So long as it's a nest member who is unprepared to deal with him. At the very least, he has a wary truce in place with Ren so they hopefully will both never push as hard as they did on Avera. ]
We've spoken. [ His expression goes a bit flinty, only relaxing as he pulls himself mentally away from his conversation with her. ] Did she seek you out as well?
[ Steve doesn't intend to ever make Hux or anyone else stand between the two of them. He means to sort this out on his own, one way or another.
His gaze fixes on the shift in Hux's expression, there and gone before he can decide what it means. He nods. ]
She's a hard one to read. [ Worse than the Prince, in some ways. That man's a wall. Cathaway - she's a different sort of distant, a cold shiver down his spine. ] I guess she wanted our side of the story.
[ He figures she must've talked to more of them. Especially considering what happened to Parker... ]
[ Cathaway is a different sort of distant. More purposeful with how she keeps herself from them. Prince, of course, keeps his walls up. But his process is something Hux feels like is more habit than anything else.
No, he's fairly sure his conversation with Cathaway involved her distancing as a way to show him the dynamics of the nest. To try and twist his arm. ]
She wanted assistance, when I spoke to her. [ Or cooperation, more than he was willing to give right now. ] Her mind is everywhere until it isn't. I don't believe she's very forgiving to those who want to put up walls.
It sounded like even she doesn't know how far the rabbit hole goes. [ He's inclined to believe her. A shake of his head, a slight edge to his voice. ] I'm not looking to go much deeper myself.
[ Down into that abyss. He's silent for a second, eyebrows furrowed as he gets lost in that space, then shakes his head again. ] Anyway, thanks again.
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station funtimes
Do you have a minute?
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He glances up at Hux, head cocking slightly to one side. ]
Sure. [ With his laces tied he stands, straightening. ] Need something?
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I thought it would be prudent for you to have some information about Kylo Ren. [ They're broodmates, after all. And while Hux isn't close in that sense, he's worked with him long enough to have forged a similar bridge. ]
That situation on Avera shouldn't be allowed to repeat.
no subject
What sorta information? [ In some ways, Ren isn't exactly the most private person, projecting across their link like an awful headache (and sometimes doing exactly that on purpose), but there's still a lot that Steve doesn't know about the guy. ]
no subject
But, he'll stick to facts, because there's not a use for anything else. ]
How to handle him better. You're in his brood, so you'll be most exposed to his less than stellar control. [ Understatement of the year. ] It might help to know where he's coming from, though there's no guarantee he'll be any more understandable.
[ He's known him for a while and he's still puzzled. Frustrated, mostly. ]
no subject
How's it that you two know each other? [ Lifting his gaze again. He ought to know that first, give some context to whatever else Hux wants to tell him. ]
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[ And quite frankly, when his head was in the game, he wasn't bad at it. The gamble was just whether he was in a good mood or a sour one. Usually it was the latter. Still, they got things done. ]
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Arms cross over his chest. ]
Doesn't seem like he's looking to take orders from just anyone.
[ He just acts. Normally, that'd be a good thing. Ren's compass is more than a little skewed. ]
no subject
[ Hux had learned very quickly that trying to pull his rank over Kylo Ren meant absolutely nothing. It was infuriating to say the very least, but he supposes he's learned to work a little more creatively since Ren had been assigned to the Finalizer. ]
His loyalties originally lay with a powerful source where we're from. Coming here, he's found someone to replace that source, in their absence. [ From Leader Snoke to Cathaway. The idea behind both is the same, he thinks. Power. Validation. ]
It's why I brought up Cathaway. He's pledged his allegiance to her, for better or worse. If there's one thing that remains true, it's that he's not looking to disappoint whomever he's loyal to.
[ Even though he shifted from the First Order to this without so much as blinking. It still makes his skin crawl, just thinking of how fast it happened. ] He'll act under the impression that his decisions are a benefit and genuinely helping the cause. Occasionally, he misses the mark.
[ More than occasionally, but he's trying to be as nice as possible. Or rather, factual. This is what he's observed in the near year of working close quarters with him. ]
no subject
Reminds him too much of the state of things in Europe.
He goes silent for a moment, then : ]
Thanks. I'll keep that in mind. [ He doesn't mean to sound dismissive. The problem is, even with Cathaway as a buffer there's only so far he's going to get with Ren while the guy has no respect for him whatsoever. And if all Ren respects is power, Steve's not sure how this is going to go. A beat, and he inclines his chin at Hux. ] You talk to Cathaway since we've been back?
[ Wonders what he thinks of her. ]
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Certainly, things are a little easier now that he knows where to hit, but he really wish he had better tools at his disposal to head off the chaos before it started. ]
Of course. If all else fails– [ Well, he's willing to step between whomever Ren is trying to shred. So long as it's a nest member who is unprepared to deal with him. At the very least, he has a wary truce in place with Ren so they hopefully will both never push as hard as they did on Avera. ]
We've spoken. [ His expression goes a bit flinty, only relaxing as he pulls himself mentally away from his conversation with her. ] Did she seek you out as well?
no subject
His gaze fixes on the shift in Hux's expression, there and gone before he can decide what it means. He nods. ]
She's a hard one to read. [ Worse than the Prince, in some ways. That man's a wall. Cathaway - she's a different sort of distant, a cold shiver down his spine. ] I guess she wanted our side of the story.
[ He figures she must've talked to more of them. Especially considering what happened to Parker... ]
no subject
No, he's fairly sure his conversation with Cathaway involved her distancing as a way to show him the dynamics of the nest. To try and twist his arm. ]
She wanted assistance, when I spoke to her. [ Or cooperation, more than he was willing to give right now. ] Her mind is everywhere until it isn't. I don't believe she's very forgiving to those who want to put up walls.
no subject
It sounded like even she doesn't know how far the rabbit hole goes. [ He's inclined to believe her. A shake of his head, a slight edge to his voice. ] I'm not looking to go much deeper myself.
[ Down into that abyss. He's silent for a second, eyebrows furrowed as he gets lost in that space, then shakes his head again. ] Anyway, thanks again.
no subject
Neither am I. We're not meant to know these things so closely. [ About each other. Everyone deserved peace of mind with their secrets. ]
Of course. [ And with that, he'll leave Steve be. ]