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Kylo swung at the computer console, his lightsaber pulsing in his hands as it slashed through the metal easily. Sparks flew as it collided with electric wires, bits of burnt plastic flying across the room.
That idiot Officer Col had reported that an engineering error had damaged the Finalizer’s main reactors, meaning their mission was going to be delayed by at least a week. Snoke was going to be angry, in that silent, threatening way of his.
Kylo let out all his anger on the control consoles before him. Nothing could calm him when he felt like this, with anger coursing through his veins-
“Meow.”
Kylo froze, lightsaber hovering over yet another innocent computer. Was that a- cat?
A few seconds later, he heard it again. “Meow.”
He swung around, ready to glare at whoever had dared disturb him.
There was no one there. Kylo stood still and flicked off his lightsaber, the room now in silence apart from the occasional hiss and splutter from the severed wires behind him. When he heard no further noise, he stalked to the doorway and looked out. The corridor was empty, any troopers probably wisely avoiding him after giving him such bad news.
He stepped further out, glancing down each side of the corridor before- There. So quick he almost missed it. A blur of orange shot around the corner at the end of the corridor. Kylo ran around the corner, but it was deserted.
What was that thing? A creature?
No, that was impossible. There were no animals aboard the Finalizer.
Could this be a sign? A message sent through the Force? Kylo spent half a second frantically searching his memory for any mention that Darth Vader ever owned a cat before he threw the thought away.
He pulled himself upright, forcing himself to forget what he saw. It was simply tiredness making him lose his concentration, nothing more. He left the corridor, resolving to return to his rooms to meditate.
---
The engine repairs had finally finished and they were back on track. Snoke had been pleased with this news, and Kylo walked to his quarters feeling slightly smug that he had got to deliver it over Hux. His doors opened for him and he stepped in, shrugging off his cloak. A pile of neatly folded clothes had been laid on his table and he picked them up, ready to put away in his draws, until something caught his eye.
On the top of one of his black cloaks lay a single hair. A ginger hair.
Kylo’s first thought went to Hux, with his bright ginger hair almost as obnoxious as himself, before he dispelled that thought quickly. Hux would not have come anywhere close to the laundry stations, nevermind Kylo’s own quarters. He picked up the hair with disgust and threw it into his garbage shoot. He made a mental note to talk to Phasma about reprimanding the soldiers who had been on laundry duty that day and to make sure they were more careful with his clothes. He was a Knight of Ren, after all.
---
The canteen was busy as Kylo stalked through the middle of the room, tray in hand. He normally didn’t bother eating among the staff, preferring to eat alone in his quarters, but after reports of personnel slacking and the terrible mistakes that had led to the recent reactor failures he had thought it appropriate to make his presence on the ship stronger, turning up amongst the troops when they weren’t expecting it to keep them on their toes.
Kylo saw up ahead the Captain’s table, and seated there was Phasma, her clothes indicating she was fresh from the gym as usual, and Hux, still wearing that overly large overcoat that annoyed Kylo disproportionately. At least he wasn’t wearing that stupid little hat. Kylo hesitated before walking in their direction, resigning himself to having to endure their company for the remainder of his lunch.
I wonder if there’s any way I can eat this without removing my helmet-Ah! What- Kylo stumbled as he felt something quick shoot between his feet. Before he could look down to see what it was he was already stumbling, his tray flying out of his hands and shooting across the canteen floor. The already hushed room went silent, all heads turned towards him. He was suddenly glad of his helmet as he felt his face heat up, his cheeks no doubt flushing furiously. He looked away from the spilt food but couldn’t see any sign of anything that could have moved by his feet.
Two troopers had rushed over and were beginning to clear up the mess as Kylo stood there, embarrassed and confused. As he looked around every trooper looked away, their faces blank. Everyone seemed too scared to continue eating, or express anything but ignorance at what just happened. Except for Hux.
That insufferable idiot was smirking, cutting up his food as casually as ever. Kylo felt like making him choke on his food with the Force, but he didn’t want this to become even more of a scene.
Kylo scowled, knowing that he couldn’t see it through the mask, and pushed his way past the troopers desperately trying to clean. He stalked out the hall and didn’t look back.
---
Kylo had avoided most of the public areas of the ship for a few days after the embarrassing food tray incident and had been sticking to his quarters, definitely not sulking as he had heard Hux mutter earlier in the corridor. But today he had been stalking the bridge, stood by the observation window. He tried to look discrete, simply gazing out at the view, but his attention was on the floor. He was distracted by this mystery, this… something that had infiltrated the ship. He still wasn’t entirely sure that he hadn’t imagined this whole thing, so he didn’t dare bring it up to anyone else onboard. He wondered briefly if this was some sort of test, maybe a distractional test from Snoke to test his ability to focus on his mission-
No. Snoke would never make Kylo hallucinate a fluffy creature, nevermind make a fool of him in front of the troops. That did not seem his style, Kylo thought. And so here he was, stalking the bridge. The workers seemed ridged at their stations, tense at his presence, but he ignored them. He watched as Hux spoke quietly with a woman working on a screen, his tone authoritative yet calm and collected. Kylo had never really watched Hux before, his posture straight as he watched over the staff.
After hours of ignoring Kylo, Hux sudddenly looked up at him, almost as if he could sense Kylo staring at him. Kylo scowled and looked away, before realising Hux couldn't have possibly known he was staring at him through the mask and now he had just gave it away. Damn.
Before he could ponder this any longer there was a sudden movement out the corner of his eye and he spun. A fuzz of orange ran straight across the bridge. When it reached one end it squeezed itself behind a wall panel and disappeared from sight. Kylo stood frozen, staring at where it once was.
He knew it. It was a damn cat.
Kylo pulled his cape further around him dramatically and stalked up to the middle of the bridge. “Hux!”
Hux waited a second before casually turning to him. “Yes, Lord Ren?”
“Why is there a cat aboard this ship?”
Hux made a face, the edge of his lips twitching. Did Hux find this amusing?
“I have no idea what you are talking about.”
“Don’t play games with me, Hux,” Kylo said, hearing his anger spill out into his voice even through the voice modulator. “There is a cat aboard this ship.”
Hux raised an eyebrow. “I am unaware of any animal aboard my ship, Ren. Maybe you’re finally going mad.” And with that he wandered off, leaving Kylo angry in the middle of the bridge. He clenched his fists and stalked away, letting his boots stomp against the metal floor loudly, feeling a slight satisfaction when one of the staff jumped.
---
It was dark when Kylo woke up, disturbed unnaturally from his sleep. His cheek twitched as he felt something soft, almost ticklish against his skin. He tried to open his eyes but noticed something was stopping him, almost a weight on his face-
Kylo jumped up, arms waving wildly as he felt something land in his lap.
“What- ugh-” Kylo coughed, spitting out the fur that had floated into his mouth as he’d opened it. He wiped his face before looking down into his lap.
It was here.
The cat ran across his bedsheets and dived to the ground, running towards his door.
“No!” Kylo yelled, leaping out of bed. He chased it to the main living area and looked around frantically, but it was nowhere to be seen. He opened up the doors out of his room and saw it, a blur of a ginger tail shooting down the corridor.
“Get back here!” Kylo yelled, running down the corridor. He managed to keep up for three turns before he lost it. He stood in the corridor, breathing heavy, angry and frustrated. He went to reach for his lightsaber, almost an instinct by now, before realising he didn’t have it. He wasn’t wearing his belt. He blanched, horrible realisation hitting him.
Kylo felt the chill of the air touch his legs and cursed under his breath. In his haste to chase the cat he had left his quarters in only his black boxers and white undershirt. He wasn’t even wearing socks.
There was a cough behind him, and Kylo turned. Three troopers stood at the other end of the corridor, all froze at the sight. Kylo’s fingers twitched, feeling his face grow warm, before he rushed passed them, back to his own quarters.
This cat had to be brought down.
---
“Ren, we need to talk."
Kylo ignored him, keeping his focus on the walls of the bridge, his lightsaber held ready in his hand.
“Ren.”
“What,” Kylo huffed. He didn’t have time for Hux’s nonsense, this was important.
“Your… odd behaviour is disturbing the staff.”
Kylo rolled his eyes, glad this childish action was hidden behind his mask, and stood up from his crouch.
“There have been some… concerns about you.”
“What concerns?” Kylo said gruffly.
Hux cleared his throat. Kylo could see him trying to contain his amusement. “Three troopers saw you, running the halls in only your underwear, shouting at, well, nothing.”
Kylo gritted his teeth. “The cat was in my room. It was on me while I was sleeping. This is a serious hazard that I thought you of all people, Hux, would be taking seriously.”
Hux said nothing, his eyes darting away for a second. Kylo frowned. Why was Hux taking this so casually? He was usually so anal about the cleanliness of this ship, his ship as he liked to call it. Why was he looking the other way now?
Unless.
“You know something about this, don’t you,” Kylo said, his voice low.
“Haven’t the foggiest,” Hux said with a smile, before leaving again.
Suspicious. Not just this cat business, but Hux himself; did he just smile at him?
Kylo reasoned that he could simply extract the information from Hux’s mind using the Force, but that would likely get Snoke on his case. No, he had to figure this out himself. He was Kylo Ren, Master of the Knights of Ren and honourable member of the First Order; he would find out if Hux had a cat or would die trying.
---
Kylo Ren was not a stalker. At least, that’s what he had been telling himself as he followed Hux around the Finalizer, sneaking from corner to corner. One thing Kylo had learned was that it was incredibly hard to sneak around when you were 6’ 3” and wore only black, especially when everyone on the ship knew who you were. He thought briefly about maybe disguising himself, but an image had conjured of him in a badly fitting blond wig and glasses and he had immediately dismissed the idea as ridiculous.
It’s why he now stood on the large stage on Starkiller Base, the wind ruffling his cape around him. Kylo barely bothered coming to listen to Hux’s speeches, but since he was keeping a close eye on him it would have been foolish not too. Hux had given him a strange look when he saw him, but said nothing.
Hux cleared his throat and began to address the masses below them. “Today we stand here in the name of the First Order-”
And that’s when Kylo saw it. In the distance, in a gap between the rows of troopers, a ginger dot. Triumph filled him and he stormed forwards, knocking Hux out of the way mid-speech and grasping forwards with his hand.
There was utter silence as the ball of orange flew through the air, gaining speed, past thousands of stormtroopers unsure what was happening. Some looked around in confusion and some ducked, narrowly avoiding a paw to the head.
After about 20 seconds of this, Kylo began to realise just how big this square really was.
Finally, after the cat had flew past the majority of the First Order’s troops, it landed square in Kylo’s grasp.
“What the hell-”
“Finally! I have proof!” Kylo shouted. He swung round to face Hux, holding the cat out at arms length. It didn’t seem bothered by its airborne journey and simply hung in Kylo’s hands, meowing gently.
“Put her down at once!” Hux said, his face red with anger.
“So you admit it, General. This is your cat.”
“Yes it’s my cat, you bloody idiot,” Hux said petulantly. “Everyone knows it is.”
Kylo frowned. He dropped the cat into Hux’s outstretched hands. “What?”
Hux cradled the cat to his chest and sighed dramatically. “Hands up if you know Millicent!”
Kylo looked round to the lines of troops and watched as a sea of hands slowly raised.
“But- you denied it!”
Hux frowned, his face still red. “I was messing with you,” he said, stroking the cat.
Kylo was still, entirely confused at how this situation had unfolded. “I am… confused.”
“I was just messing about, playing a game with you by pretending I didn't know her. I didn't expect you were going to Force fling her around you brute,” he said angrily, and stormed off the stage.
Kylo stood there awkwardly, unsure what to do. He looked out at the masses of stormtroopers still stood in formation, waiting for a speech. Kylo slowly stepped backwards until he was behind the stage curtain and then ran away, entirely ignoring the voice he heard say “what the fuck just happened” from behind him.
---
Hux had been ignoring him, Kylo could tell. And it wasn’t the normal way Hux ignored him, when he would glance up at him on occasion so that he could check that Kylo knew he was being ignored. This time Hux didn’t look at him at all, he didn’t even acknowledge his existence. Kylo even sliced up a coffee machine on the main deck to try to provoke a reaction, but there was nothing.
Kylo stood on the edge of the bridge, watching Hux read reports. He had left his mask in his quarters as he had been told this made him more… approachable. He cleared his throat and walked up to Hux’s side. The cat - Millicent - was weaving herself between Hux’s legs, clawing slightly at his boots. Kylo thought Hux was hypocritical for criticising him for always damaging First Order property when his cat was clearly damaging it too in the form of those boots, but he forced the jibe away.
“Hux,” he said quietly. Hux turned to look at him, and Kylo noticed the small surprise there at him being unmasked, but Hux quickly looked away.
“What do you want, Ren.”
“I’ve come to, um, apologise,” Kylo said, the words feeling strange in his mouth. Hux snorted, but said nothing, so Kylo continued. “I’m sorry for this… misunderstanding we appear to have had. And for, er, moving the ca- Millicent, with the power of the Force.”
Hux continued to read his report. Kylo sighed. “She is… cute.”
Hux stilled, and looked at him. Kylo felt Millicent rub her head against his leg and he looked down at her, unable to suppress a slight smile. Hux sniffed. “Yes, well, it appears she still likes you, though I can’t imagine why.”
“Can I hold her?” Kylo said, and then after seeing Hux’s expression quickly added, “With my hands. Not with the Force.”
Hux hesitated before nodding. “I guess so.”
Kylo reached down and picked her up, not even minding when ginger fur shed over his black cloak.
“So do you, perhaps… want to eat lunch together?” Kylo asked, still staring at the cat.
Hux rolled his eyes. “Of course I do, you idiot.”
Kylo smirked, and looked down at Millicent when he felt his cheeks begin to flush.
Technician 307 watched Kylo Ren and General Hux, leaning close together and seemingly cooing over the cat. “They’re sickening,” she said to Technician 673.
“20 credits bets they’re banging,” he replied, slapping their hands in a deal.