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“What do you want to do first?” Matt asked Will as they descended from the Finalizer onto a giant floating leaf which led to the port town of Thrinaka.
“Shopping?” Will suggested. “I’d kind of like to get something to wear to the beach.” Though Will was grateful the Order provided him with off-duty and workout clothes, he felt a little bland wearing all grey and black to the beach.
“Good idea,” Matt replied. “Besides, we need to get you a hat and some sunblock so you don’t get any sun-damage.” Matt tended to tan but he could tell Will would burn easily. He would hate for anything like a painful skin condition to mar the memory of his first shore leave. After all Will had been through, Matt wanted him to have a good time for a change.
Will marveled at the sights and sounds of the boardwalk. Vacationers from around the galaxy mingled with off-duty officers and troopers. Merchant droids beckoned, their multiple arms laden with wares, as they spun through the crowd. After eating some fried fish from a local Draedan’s food stall, they found a shop selling colorful beach apparel. Will soon decked himself out in rainbow-striped swim shorts, a long-sleeve yellow swim shirt, a wide brimmed yellow hat, and large rose-tinted sunglasses. He was ready for the beach.
“Matt?” He called, as he walked out of the shop and put his remaining credits and sunblock in a woven tote bag he received free with purchase. He hoped Matt didn’t run off without him.
“Over here!” Matt called, waving. “I got us some beach towels,” he added.
Will’s jaw dropped. Matt must have changed while he was still shopping because Will would have certainly noticed before if he was wearing nothing but blue swim shorts. Though they lived in the same room, Will always averted his eyes whenever Matt changed clothes to respect his privacy. He knew Matt spent a lot of time at the gym but he didn’t realize how sculpted he was under his baggy work overalls. The seedling of a crush he’d developed for Matt since he first brought him crafting wire at work began to bloom into a lush, jungle bouquet of desire upon seeing the great plains of his torso and long, muscular legs revealed.
“What’s wrong?” Matt asked, when he joined Will in front of the shop. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost or something.”
“Nothing’s wrong!” Will answered, his voice cracking up an octave. “It’s just, Matt, you’re shredded!”
Matt blushed and looked down at himself. “Oh, you,” he replied, waving his hand.
Before Will could say more, a tall, muscular brunette in a black wetsuit approached them.
“Hey Matt, Will,” he said.
“Hi?” Will replied, trying to place him.
“Hey,” Matt said. “I’m sorry, do I know you from somewhere?” He thought his voice sounded a bit familiar and he looked a little like a picture of Kylo Ren drawn from memory.
The handsome stranger rolled his eyes. “It’s me, Vicrul,” he said.
“Oh!” Matt and Will said in unison.
“Sorry, I didn’t recognize you without the mask and all,” Matt added.
“Yeah, that makes sense. You two going to the beach?” Vicrul asked.
“We were just on the way there,” Will answered.
“Want to surf? I’m meeting Kylo in a few minutes and we were hoping to catch some waves.”
“That sounds awesome!” Matt replied. “I mean, what do you think, Will?”
“I wouldn’t mind watching,” he answered. “I’m not that into sports but I’m an excellent spectator.” He purchased a meilooran fruit smoothie from a passing merchant droid and followed the other men to the beach. He breathed in the salty sea air and pinched himself. He was on the first vacation of his life and it was better than his most lavish dreams.
Hux watched Kylo and his friends frolic in the waves from the balcony of the Beachcomber Bar. So immature, he thought. Better keep an eye on them in case they drown or get eaten by deadly wildlife though.
“Armitage, old boy! Fancy meeting you here!” Came a gratingly familiar voice from behind him.
“Pryde,” he grumbled in greeting.
“So good to see you taking a break at last,” Enric Pryde, one of his late father’s favorite Imperial toadies, said. Hux eyed his pressed white shorts and loud, floral print button-up shirt with distaste.
“Have a drink, old chum,” Pryde added, pushing a neon pink cocktail into his hand.
Hux eyed the drink suspiciously. “Switch with me,” he said, taking the other drink from Pryde and giving his own back.
“That’s our Armitage. Ever vigilant,” Pryde said with a laugh. “Brendol raised no fool.”
“Indeed,” Hux said. He paused before taking a sip. What if, because Pryde knew he wouldn’t be so foolish as to take a drink from him, he actually poisoned his own drink, knowing he would switch them? “On second thought, switch again,” he said.
Hux and Pryde eyed each other over their drinks as they each waited for the other to drink first. Finally, both sipped at the same time.
“Delicious,” said Pryde.
“Too sweet,” said Hux.
“I say, Armitage,” Pryde said, as he put an arm around his shoulder, “I was so relieved to see your little brother Wilhuff was placed on the Finalizer. Dreadful business, what happened to little Wilhuff. But it seems all is well that ends well as the fates have brought you back together. You must be so pleased. I admit I despaired to even imagine the boy had lived.” Pryde eyed Hux over his drink and waited for his words to sink in.
“My brother Wilhuff,” Hux said, as he tried to hide his surprise. “Yes. Yes, it has been good to see him again, of course.”
“Of course,” Pryde replied. “Good talk but I must be going. I have a massage appointment to get to. Do get a local massage if you have time, Armitage. You always look so stiff,” he added, squeezing Hux’s shoulder.
“I’ll take that into consideration,” he said, thinking that he would do no such thing.
“Toodles!” Pryde called as he walked back from whatever cesspool he’d crawled out of.
Hux turned back to the hunky trio frolicking in the waves and glared at Kylo Ren with all the laser-focused disapproval he could muster. Kylo’s unruly mop of hair fanned out as he snapped his head around to look back at the seething general. “That got your attention,” Hux muttered as he began to stalk to the shore.
Matt fell off his board as soon as Kylo’s head whipped around.
“Whoa!” he cried out, arms flailing. “What happened?”
Vicrul nodded in the direction of the general, striding purposefully and angrily towards them.
“Hey Matt, let’s take a break, yeah?” Vicrul said, pulling Matt aside.
“Good idea,” Matt replied. Though surfing with the Knights of Ren counted as one of the best experiences of his life, the prospect of being in the middle of whatever storm was brewing between the General and Master Ren was a decidedly less enjoyable prospect. Besides, he wanted to spend more time with Will.
Kylo stood silently as Hux approached. He knew from his Force signature Hux was angry but he couldn’t help but feel his breath catch in his chest when he saw the sun reflect off of his shiny red hair and his glistening, pale chest. Hux was a lot more lean and narrow than Kylo but he made up for it in wiry strength and elegance. He was reminded of the romantic ending scene of one of his favorite Empire propaganda holodramas, From Here to Fraternity , when the two cadets threw aside their rivalry and embraced on the beach as they watched Alderaan explode over the horizon.
“Hux,” he said.
“A word,” Hux answered. “In private.” His green eyes flashed under his pale brows as he seethed at Kylo’s deception.
“Of course,” Kylo agreed. “Let’s find a place in the shade. You know how prone you are to star-damage. In fact, I think you may be developing some now,” he added, gesturing to Hux’s reddening chest and face.
“The redness is from rage,” Hux answered.
They found a relatively quiet, shaded table near an ice cream stand.
“Were you ever planning to tell me my brother was onboard the Finalizer?” Hux asked.
“I considered telling you but when you said you had no interest in any of Brendol’s other bastards I assumed you didn’t care either way,” Kylo reasoned.
“Look,” Hux said, pointing an accusing finger, “Thinking about having a long-lost brother and actually having one are two separate things.” Not that Kylo Ren would understand, Hux thought. He was the classic example of an only child.
“I suppose you have a point,” Kylo ceded.
“And more importantly,” Hux answered, “How in the galaxy did General Pryde know about this information before I myself did?” His voice had risen to nearly a shout. The idea that slimy Enric Pryde was privy to any knowledge on his own ship before himself was absolutely infuriating.
“That is an interesting question,” Kylo answered. “I think we should take it up with security personnel. Come on,” he stood up and grabbed Hux by the arm. “I think I see one of them now,” he added, as they walked toward Will.
Will sat under a colorful beach parasol, wrapped in a beach blanket, and blessed his new life as he watched his handsome roommate make a sandcastle with his handsome rescuer as he sipped a fruity cocktail. After a lifetime of suffering and never expecting anything but the worst he was finally feeling something like happiness.
“Security tech!” Kylo Ren called, startling Will from his reverie. Kylo Ren didn’t wear his mask all the time but it was still a shock seeing his face uncovered. What was even more of a shock was seeing the rest of him, which almost made Will spit out his drink. How many muscle-bound young gods was he going to see today? It was enough to give him heart palpitations.
“Yes, sir!” he answered, sitting up straight.
“Could you please tell the general and I how another general from another ISD stationed across the galaxy could have access to the Finalizer’s personnel files?” He asked.
“A general from another ISD would possess an override code that would allow him access to all systems on any other ISD in case he had to take command in an emergency, sir,” Techie answered. He noted how similar Kylo Ren looked to Vicrul, at least if viewed from a distance or with peripheral vision.
“Is there a way to prevent this access override working for a particular general on a particular ship, should it be required?” Kylo asked.
“I could probably make that happen,” Will answered.
“Good,” Kylo said. “There you have it, General. Oh, and by the way, Will, this is your brother, Armitage. Armitage, Will,” with that, Kylo lightly pushed Armitage towards Will and then ran at an inhumanly fast speed to the shore.
“I hate it when he does that,” Hux muttered.
“We should go,” Vicrul said.
Matt looked at Will for guidance. He didn’t want to leave him alone with the General, brother or not, if he didn’t feel safe. Will nodded in reply.
“Okay. We’ll be back soon. With ice cream!” Matt said as they jogged to the shore.
“So,” Hux said, looking at the bundle of bright clothes, red hair, and long limbs that was, apparently, his brother.
“Have a seat,” Will said. He arranged the parasol so it would cover them both and smoothed a beach blanket next to him. So this was the brother he clung to in his vision. Would the wonders of this day never cease?
“Thank you,” said Hux, sitting down. “So, where have you been all my life?”