Lillibet - A Star Wars story

Visiting

Time does heal everything. As the days passed, Lillibet hated being imprisoned in a spaceship thousands of realities away from home less and less. She was actually growing to like it. I mean, who would prefer living in a boring little village on Earth, studying for school and having but one friend to talk to, than getting to learn to fly space crafts, swordfighting and firing Lazer guns? But she still couldn't help but miss her mother and her friend.

On that spaceship the only other face she saw was General Hux's, from time to time, when he would visit her to see her improvement. Everything else was either a robot (that everyone insisted she called droid for some reason) or people heavily dressed in armor. The result was them looking like robots too. Although they consisted of the most human interactions she had, it didn't feel like it. Thus, you could even say she was happy to see Hux, when a knock on her door was heard, and he appeared behind it. Not because she liked him. Not even because she hated him the least. Just because... it was a face.

He stepped in and stood in his regular posture: his back straight and his chin high. That day he also wore a little black hat with the same long, black coat and charcoal grey uniform. Does he ever change? Although, to be fair, all of her clothes looked exactly the same too.

"Good day, Lillibet. How are you?"

The question took the girl by surprise. Hux was already being way friendlier than ever. He walked to the center of the room, where a little table was added, and placed a small metallic box on it. Lillibet's attention was immediately shifted to that, instead of answering him.

"What is that?" she asked, closing in.

Little by little, her room had started to look less like a prison cell and more like a guest room. Her bed acquired a pillow and covers. Her room a table, a couple of stools and hangers. She'd seen the rest of the ship; all that was way more than she could ever ask for. And even though she knew Hux must have at least agreed to it, if not come up with it, he had never brought anything himself.

"It's...uh... A little reminder. Of home," he mumbled, pushing the little tin cup of the box. Magically, it opened up and a plant started rising. It was nothing familiar, but the vibrant green somehow still made her reminicent.

There were no words, or even air for that matter, crossing her parted lips. A smile brightened up her astonished face, and she looked quickly up again. She wouldn't swear of it, but she thinks she saw the tiniest, faintest smile forming on General Hux too. But even if that were the case, it disappeared immediately.

"Someone's cheerful today..." she chuckled.

"Yes, well... I heard you are doing well on your pilot lessons. You are cooperative and a fast learner, they say."

"Always have been..." she boasted.

"How is your training going?" Hux started walking around the table. Maybe he wanted to sit down, but then changed his mind, because he just walked around aimlessly.

"If you mean whether I kick ass, the answer is totally," she laughed.

This time, she was certain she saw a twitch at the end of his lips. Not quiet a smile, but it's getting there.

"I told you, I have a ten year experience of tae-kwon-do, I know what I'm doing," she continued. The General just frowned. It was what he did every time she talked nonsense to him. "Although it's a good thing I'm using a fake sword, because I would have lost five limbs by now..." Whatever it was in Hux's eyes that made him look in a good mood, vanished.

"They are not swords, they're sabers. Just like the soldiers are Stormtroopers, the Lazer guns are  blasters, and the robots are droids. When will you learn?"

Lillibet pressed her lips together, trying not to laugh. Why was it that frustrating him like that gave her such pleasure?

Hux sighed, glancing at the floor. "How is your force sensitivity going? Have you felt anything yet?"

She stopped smiling, acknowledging that this was not something to laugh about. She shook her head in reply. The disappointment in the General's eyes was clear. He turned around to face outside the window, probably because he couldn't face her. Lillibet could see his jaw clenching while studying him carefully.

"What about Kylo?" she finally said.

Hux's strong gaze fell quickly upon her in disapproval. "You have not gained the right to call him Kylo," he said sternly. Then looked like thinking about it. "And what about him?"

"Well, if he has this... force... Can't he just show me?"

He snorted. "Show you? What do you think this is?" And he went back to staring outside.

"Well, my understanding was that he wants me to use the force to crush your enemies, but apparently he doesn't care enough to even meet me."

The General finally moved away from the window and stepped closer to Lillibet, establishing his dominance once more, by peering into her eyes.

"He doesn't want to meet you."

"Why?"

"He doesn't like you." His voice kept becoming lower and lower.

Lillibet frowned. "You're not making any sense. He hasn't even met me. Why doesn't he like me?"

Hux took a few seconds to take a deep breath before answering. He straightened his back, even though it already looked as straight as it could be. "Because you were my idea," he almost whispered.

The phrase, his voice, his breath... It all suddenly made Lillibet realize how close they were. She took a step back, not breaking eye contact. After he was no longer invading her personal space, she could smile.

"You mean he doesn't like you then..." she teased. There was no answer in its way. Just a blank stare. That only made her want to tease him even more. "Do you like me?" she said in a babyish voice.

"No." This time the answer didn't delay at all. Not for a split second. "I don't like people. I only see if they are capable of doing their job, or not. Word of advice; you don't want to be in the later."

"Oh..." Lillibet chuckled. Him trying to be austere only made her laugh more. Not sure why... It hadn't always been that way. "So you're giving me advice now? That sure sounds like you like me. Very friendly move."

The tall, intimidating man, who listens to no one and fears nothing, looked absolutely defeated. "Why are you doing this?" His voice was not disciplinarian, nor virile. It was just... calm.

"Doing what?"

"That. Whatever it is you're doing."

Lillibet had a feeling he might just walk away right now. She couldn't fully understand what had happened. Had she hurt him? Insulted him? Or was he just too tired to take up any more of her teasing? Whatever it was, it made her feel a little guilty. Just a tiny bit. Not enough to even think about it again. But just to make her change the conversation.

"You know, I think you're wrong about Kylo Ren. I don't think he dislikes you," she said casually, her fingers running through the plant in front of her, just so she could have an excuse to look at that instead of Hux. "If he did, he would have downgraded you right after he became the Supreme Leader. Before even the Battle on Crait."

Yes. She was just showing off her knowledge.

Hux's eyes widened. "How do you know about that?" he frowned. Lillibet smiled satisfied in his curiosity.

"I've been keeping myself up to date. This Stormtrooper that guards me when I'm training has been telling me everything." She looked up at him, to check his expression. His face was a combination of shock and bewilderment.

"How did you make him talk?" Why that was the part he couldn't believe, Lillibet didn't understand.

"I just... tell him... to tell me... And he does," she said a little confused. Not so much so of what she was saying, but rather why she had to clarify that specific part. Then she jumped but to looking at him with a mischievous smile. "I even know your name..." She whispered.

Hux stood there, staring in her eyes for a few seconds. And then he ran off.