Armitage and Ben clinked their cups together, rose them up to each other, and then downed the putrid liquid. They both made terrible faces. Armitage covered his mouth with his sleeve, coughing.
"What is this crap?" Ben asked, not exactly soberly.
"I d'no," Armitage replied, picking up the glass bottle of green liquor and trying to focus his eyes on the label. "But it's getting the job done, eh?"
Ben took the bottle from him, poured them both two more drinks, and they downed it. Ben shook his head. "Are we sure it's edible?"
Hux laughed at him. "They wouldn't put--I don't know--propulsion fuel--in the kitchen."
"This tastes terrible."
"It's tastes like alcoho--" Armitage cut himself off. "Wait. Kylo. Have you never drank before!?"
Ben flushed, grabbed the bottle, and poured himself another drink. This time he sipped it. "Well, if you count the past twenty or so minutes, yes, I've drank before."
Armitage reached across the table, taking Ben's glass from him. He chuckled. "You are in for a world of hurt, my friend. I'm cutting you off." When Ben glared, he added, "For now, anyway."
"Call me Ben."
Armitage rubbed his face, hard, forgetting about his black eye. The pain was luckily muffled by the alcohol. "Ahhhhh! I can't! That's so foreign to me!"
"Seeing you drunk is foreign to me."
Armitage waved a dismissive hand. "Bah. This is nothing."
Ben leaned forward. "Tell me about your past."
Armitage looked at him evenly and then downed his drink. "What?"
"I want to know why you are how you are. In the months we were together, we never discussed anything except work or sex. I'm curious."
Armitage gave a rueful smile. "So that was your plan, Ben? Get me liquored up and have me spill my deep dark secrets to you?"
"No, not my plan, but here we are."
Armitage rubbed his chin. After a moment, he slid Ben's cup across the table. "Fine. But you have to do the same. I'm curious how Ben Solo became Kylo Ren and then back again."
Ben shrugged. "Fair is fair."
"Well? What do you want to know?"
"If you weren't a First Order officer, what would you do? What have you always wanted to do?"
After drumming his fingers on the table a moment, Armitage replied. "I always wanted to be in a band that traveled to various canteenas throughout the galaxy." Armitage pointed at him. "But not just any canteena--only the really seedy ones."
Ben was shocked. "Really? I never knew that."
A small smile spread across Armitage's lips. "And I never knew how gullible you were." Armitage burst out laughing.
Ben turned red, taking a long drink.
Armitage was in hysterics, nearly falling off his chair. "You should have seen the look on your face! You actually believed me!"
"Well how was I supposed to know!?"
"I just picked what was possibly the most opposite of anything I'd ever actually do, and said it."
Ben rolled his eyes and put down his cup. "Come on, I was being serious."
Armitage calmed himself. Wiping a tear from his eye, he leaned against the table, idly drawing a random pattern on the surface with his finger. "Seriously I've never thought about it."
He looked up at Ben. "When I said my ship and being an officer was all I knew, that wasn't me being dramatic. I grew up on ships--I was born on one." Armitage let his eyes fall, following the pattern his finger was making. "In fact, the first time I went down to a planet as a child I almost died."
Ben rose his eyebrows. Armitage glanced at him and then back down.
"Luckily someone had a med pack and gave me a shot. But I couldn't breathe--my body didn't know how to process allergens. I had grown up accustomed to the filtered air."
He sniffed and sat up, looking at Ben. "The problem was easily solved by a series of antihistamine shots, but..." Armitage shuddered. "Still a rather unpleasant memory."
"So, you grew up on ships..."
Armitage frowned. He then rolled his eyes. "I know where this is going. Yes, I'm sure whatever whispers you heard are true."
Armitage moved his cup in between his hands, staring at it instead of the man before him. "Yes, I'm the product of my father sleeping with a kitchen hand. Yes, he was abusive, physically and mentally. The entire reason I became the officer I am is because he pushed me."
Armitage got up unsteadily, pacing back and forth. "The First Order was my father's brain child. He tried to make the best of the biggest mistake he had ever made--me. From a young age he saw my natural leadership ability, and he used that to his advantage. I was given a child-army to oversee.
"He taught me, I taught them. When we failed he publicly humiliated me, and then he beat me in private." He scoffed. "Although I don't know why--it's not like people didn't know what was going on since I was covered in bruises half the time." Armitage stopped walking, clasping his hands behind his back with a sniff. "Suffice to say, failure has never really been an option for me."
"I'm sorry."
Armitage laughed, but it was hollow. "I'm not. I used to be--never seeing my mother. Never feeling good enough. The constant feeling of being a burden and unloved."
Ben flinched.
"But I took all that," Armitage said earnestly, clenching his hand into a fist in front of his face, "I took all the pain, and confusion, and anger, and made me into what I am today. I took all that and turned it into power."
Hux stood straight, eyes gleaming. "I am one of the most feared people in the entire galaxy. My name is known throughout."
"But at what price?" Ben said quietly.
Armitage put his hand down. "Price?"
"How many relationships have you had?"
Armitage colored slightly. "I was a little awkward growing up, but once I got over that I went through a sort of... Rebellious phase. Went out drinking with my fellow cadets as often as I could. Slept around with anyone who would have me."
The General looked off to the side. "Which...Admittedly wasn't a high number. Because by then I already had a reputation for being...unfriendly."
Ben rolled his eyes. "I'm not talking about sex, Armitage. I'm talking about interpersonal relationships. Friends."
Hux, despite his inebriated state, pursed his lips. However, he wasn't able to hide the pain that came bursting out of his body and bombarded Ben through the Force. "Why would I need friends?"
"For the same reason that what happened between you and I has affected you so badly. Because everyone needs interpersonal relationships."
Armitage was clearly uncomfortable now. He came back to the table and sat down. He took what was left of Ben's drink, downed it, took his own, downed that too, and then refilled his glass, pushing Ben's empty glass to him. Armitage narrowed his eyes.
"What about you, Ben? Care to share with the class?"
"Well, my dad was Han flipping Solo. And my mom is General Leia. Imagine how that was."
"I can't. Honestly, I can't."
Ben poured himself another drink. Armitage grabbed the glass. Ben didn't let go, which caused the drink to spill on the table. Armitage glared, taking the cup out of Ben's hands.
"Enough. I don't need you puking all over."
Ben sighed. "Han was never home, and when he was he was either tinkering with his stupid ship or trying to get me to fly. I hate flying."
Armitage looked genuinely surprised. "You do? But you're so good at it."
"Just because you're good at something doesn't mean you like it." Ben drummed his fingers. "Chewie quickly became my best friend. I think he felt sorry for me. He would hang back when he could, but he had obligations to my father."
Ben clenched his fist. Armitage slid his glass back to him.
"No. I'm good. The room is spinning. Is that normal?"
Armitage couldn't help but chuckle. "Yes."
"Anyway, I didn't have many friends. I had even less when I developed a temper. Then I had no friends when I accidentally threw a kid across the room with the Force. Everyone was petrified of me by that point. It was shortly thereafter my mother decided to send me to my uncle for training." Ben narrowed his eyes. "So I wouldn't accidentally throw people out of windows."
"Did you really kill Han Solo?" Armitage blurted out. He then turned bright red. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have--"
"Yes."
Armitage blinked, surprised.
"The only reason I regret it even a little bit is because it hurt my mother." Ben gave a defiant look across the table. "And if that makes me a terrible, heartless person, then so be it."
"I just...wow. I hate my father, loathe him, but I could never have--"
"I had zero attachment to him. The only attachment I grew to feel was resentment and hate. He just sort of forced himself onto me out of some sort of obligation because I was his son, and he only did that when it was convenient for him and fit into his schedule."
"I'm sorry," Armitage said genuinely.
"Then there was the fact that--like you--I didn't want to be weak. My parents feared me, especially after I nearly killed my peer accidentally. They were up front about who my grandfather was, and also upfront with the fact they didn't want me to turn into him."
Ben shifted, looking a bit uncomfortable talking. Even so, he continued.
"Instead I became obsessed with Darth Vader. It seemed like at every junction I was nothing but a failure to them. Nothing I did was correct, everything I did they feared. So since they expected it of me, anyway, why not live up to their expectations?"
Ben signed and paused a moment before continuing. "It was a foolish, childish response...But after time and time again I would lose control of myself. I would do things with the Force I never intended. I hurt those around me. That behavior seemed to come naturally to me, so I just gave in."
Ben me Armitage's gaze with a wistful look. "But the light... The light always called to me. I tried to snuff it out. Half the reason I killed my father was to prove to Snoke that I was fully invested in the Dark Side. But..."
"You were conflicted. You always were." Hesitantly Armitage reached across the table and put his hand on Ben's forearm. "I get it."
Ben looked at the hand holding him, and then looked at Armitage with tears in his eyes.
"I never fit anywhere, Armitage. I don't fit in the light, I don't fit in the dark. I didn't fit in my parent's life. I just--I want to wipe everything clean. I don't want there to be Jedi. I don't want there to be a First Order. This stupid war needs to stop. The universe needs a fresh slate. That's why I killed Snoke."
Armitage recoiled immediately. "You killed Snoke!?"
Bewildered, Ben's eyes grew wide. "I-I. Yes."
"You told me Rey killed him!"
"I declared myself Supreme Leader so I could figure out how to take down the First Order, too."
Armitage wiped his mouth. For a long moment, he simply stared at him. Finally he spoke. "By the stars, Ben, I had no idea you were so... Idealistic."
Ben looked down.
"And now? Do you still wish to take down the First Order? Is that why you joined the Resistance?"
"I don't know what I want." Ben lifted his eyes. "Honestly."
Armitage pursed his lips. "Well, this is a fine mess you've created, Ben Solo."
"Yes--quite the predicament."
A small, impish smile formed on Armitage's mouth. "Well, you know, Ben...There's always the canteena option. I'd be willing to hire you on as my band mate. Do you have any musical inclinations? Play any instruments? Sing?"
Ben laughed, which caused Armitage to laugh. Before long they were reduced to uproarious laughing.
"I think I like you drunk, Armitage."
"I think I do, too."
More laughter.
"There you two are!"
Poe crossed his arms and leaned against the doorway. Rey stood on her tiptoes, peering over his shoulder. Poe narrowed his eyes, and Ben glared at him.
"And he's uncuffed. And you guys are bonding. Or something. Great, just what we need."
Poe and Rey came into the kitchen. Rey made a face. "And you're both drunk. Do you have any idea what time it is? It's the morning--early morning at that! And you're both completely sloshed!"
"Hey," Armitage said, pointing at her. "I'm on vacation. If I want to get day-drunk, that's my prerogative."
She went over to Ben's cup, picked it up and smelled it. She immediately put it down, her entire face crumpled. "It smells atrocious in here!"
Armitage lifted his cup. "Care to have some deary?"
Rey made another face because of what he called her. "I think I'll pass... Thanks."
"Your loss. You'll understand when you're older."
Ben giggled into his cup.
Taking the alcohol from him, Poe handed it to Rey. He put a hand on Ben's shoulder. "Alright. Once people start giggling, I call it. Come on. On your feet, if you can manage."
"Awww," Armitage said as Poe helped Ben to his feet.
Poe slung Ben's arm around his shoulders, supporting his weight. Rey put Ben's glass down, took Armitage's from him, and began to pull the General to his feet.
"But we were having fun. Isn't that the point of being on vacation? To have fun?"
Ben and Armitage leaned heavily on the respective people supporting them. Poe looked at Armitage and frowned as everyone began to shuffle out of the room.
"I don't like you like this. It's humanized you--not okay." Poe adjusted Ben's arm which was slipping. "You're both going to bed and sleeping this off. I want you both being your asshole selves as soon as possible."
Rey smirked.
"Bed?" Ben protested. "But it's morning! The day just started!"
"Awww," Armitage whined again. "Does that mean I have to go back to the brig?"
"You mean cargo hold?" Rey corrected.
"Pfft. Whatever. It was really uncomfortable..."
"You're in such a state that I doubt you pose any threat," Poe said. "I doubt you'd manage to kill a fly right now. And I can't imagine you'd be in better shape once you wake up. No--you can sleep on a cot."
"Thanks."
Poe glowered. "You're welcome."