#cardinal x hux

[fridayincarnate]

Tell me about Hux and Cardinal?

HUX AND CARDINAL

I'm so glad you asked. I suspect that the only reason they're not a bigger ship is that Cardinal is a book character who hasn't shown up onscreen. (Yet.)

The dynamic Brendol creates between Hux and Cardinal echoes the one Snoke later creates between Hux and Kylo, and it goes back WAY further. I'm convinced this is deliberate both on the author's part and in-universe on Snoke's part.

Cardinal is one of the first stormtroopers recruited into the First Order when he and Hux are both children. Hux's father gives Cardinal all the praise he denies Hux, which is a really sore spot for Hux because Cardinal embodies the idealized physical masculinity that Brendol constantly berates Hux for lacking (too weak, too skinny). But Cardinal is trained to obey Hux's orders even though Hux is younger and Cardinal sees him as "spoiled" and "soft." Despite all the praise Brendol showers upon Cardinal, Hux gets the real power. It's a real brains/brawn dichotomy that makes each feel inferior to the other's strengths. But this works out great for Brendol, for a while - better that they're both focused on earning his approval than realizing how well they complement each other.

Sound familiar?

I also think it's very likely Cardinal was Hux's first crush. I have no evidence for this whatsoever. But their closeness and enmity could be the start of a pattern that Hux later repeats with Kylo. Plus, a side effect of Brendol criticizing Hux's physique and praising Cardinal is that Hux would have been... very aware of Cardinal's physique. Prime gay awakening "do I want to be him, or do I just want him?" material.

The fraught power dynamics between them are interesting in a way that's quite different from Kylux, though.

By the time of the Phasma novel, Hux outranks Cardinal significantly. Also consider this unsettling passage that shows the effect of Cardinal's conditioning on his opinion of Hux:

He's clearly reciting propaganda here, but how deeply ingrained is it? Is he just repeating lines back to himself or does he fully believe all of this? Depending on how literally you take this passage, this pairing could get quite twisted and dark.

Yet even here, Cardinal displays an undercurrent of resentment towards Hux. And while Hux sees Cardinal as an obedient subordinate, I don't think he's outgrown his envy and the sense that he didn't measure up to Cardinal. This in no way neutralizes the power Hux holds over him, but the duality of their relationship is fertile ground for exploration. Their history and present are inextricably intertwined. No one knows Hux quite like Cardinal does.

By the way, that's from the infamous robe scene, in which Hux drapes himself across his furniture in a robe and gives off a vaguely slutty vibe. For an audience of one. Cardinal. I'm just saying.

I could go on, lol, but I'll cap it here for now.

Thanks so much for asking! It's such a rarepair (fewer than twenty fics on AO3! what!) and I'm determined to change that lmfao. Literally ask any time and I will keep going, hahaha, and it'd absolutely make my day to see other people talking about these two.

[venatohru]

Star Wars Short Fic Masterpost

Definitely too long to be called drabbles, but still pretty short and sweet!

Comedown

Pairing(s): Armitage Hux/Cardinal (one-sided)

Rating: Gen

Warning(s): N/A

Status: Complete (1079 words)

It was rare to see Cardinal without his father, though his presence wasn’t necessarily unwelcome. Armitage sipped the last of his tarine tea, taking the time to formulate a plan. He could engage with Cardinal to enquire about his father, but the wrong wording could arouse suspicion. Or, even worse, it could be mistaken for genuine concern. 

Breathe 

Pairing(s): Armitage Hux/Dopheld Mitaka

Rating: Mature

Warning(s): Non-explicit sex, canon-typical violence, minor character death, trauma

Status: Complete (2904 words)

When Mitaka is summoned to Hux's chambers following a series of errors, he assumes the worst - but the general has other plans for him.

Chaos into Order

Character(s): Kylo Ren, Phasma

Rating: Teen and up

Warning(s): Canon-typical violence

Status: Complete (2462 words)

Captain Phasma and Kylo Ren pursue the Ottegan leader in the skies above Arthon, hoping to capture him to extract information about the whereabouts Lor San Tekka and the map to Skywalker. (Based on the Lego TFA level!)

I Really Wish I Hated You

Pairing(s): Armitage Hux/Kylo Ren

Rating: Teen and up

Warning(s): Manipulation (Snoke & Palpatine)

Status: Complete (1518 words)

In another galaxy far, far away, Kylo Ren becomes aware that the voices he's hearing may not be aIl that they seem and comes to the unfortunate conclusion that Hux may be his only hope.

(Written for Kylux Titleception 2020)

[ofcacthuxandkylosaur]

My Big Kylux AUs Tag List (part 1)

ABOUT

Go here to find an INDEX of every lists (including all thematic lists)

All AU’s

+ Others AU (All the non-featured below AUs)

A

ABO AU

Actors [both] AU {combines:}

Actor Hux AU

Actor Kylo AU

Addams Family (the) AU

Adopting Rey AU (also see Parents AU)

Adventure Time AU

Agents [both] AU {combines:}

Agent Hux AU

Agent Kylo AU

AI Hux AU (also see Droid Hux AU)

AI Kylo AU (also see Droid Kylo AU)

Airline AU

Aladdin AU

Alien (film) AU [or see Alien Spices Hux AU]

Alien Spices Hux AU

Alternative Script (Colin Trevorrow) AU

Amnesia AU

Among Us AU

Anastasia AU

Animal Crossing AU

Ancient China AU

Ancient Egypt AU

Ancient Greece AU

Ancient Japan AU {includes Samurai AU}

Ancient Rome AU

Angels [both] AU {combines:}

Angel Hux AU {includes Fallen Angel Hux AU}

Angel Kylo AU {includes Fallen Angel Kylo AU}

Animal Shelter AU [see Animal Welfare AU]

Animal Welfare AU

Anime Club AU

Antlers AU

Apocalyptic AU [see Post Apocalyptic AU]

Archeology AU {except for Indiana Jones AU}

Arranged marriage AU

Art School AU (also see Artist Hux AU, Artist Kylo AU and Uni AU)

Artists [both] AU {combines:}

Artist Hux AU {except for Tattoo Artist Hux AU} (also see Art School AU)

Artist Kylo AU {except for Tattoo Artist Kylo AU} (also see Art School AU)

Assassins [both] AU {combines:}

Assassin Hux AU

Assassin Kylo AU

Assassin’s Creed AU (also see Assassins AU, Assassin Hux AU and Assassin Kylo AU)

Astronauts AU

Avatar AU

B

Back to the Future AU {part of Time Travel AU}

Bakery AU {includes Great British Bake Off (the) AU}

Ballet AU {part of Dancers AU}

Band AU {includes Black Metal AU} {part of Musicians AU}

Bartender Hux AU

Bartender Kylo AU

Baseball AU

Basketball AU

Batman AU {part of DC AU}

Battle Droid R-E-N AU {part of Droid Kylo AU}

Bear Driftwood AU [see Pacific Northwest Fairytale AU]

Beauty and the Beast AU

Beetlejuice AU

Belly Dancer Kylo AU {part of Dancers AU}

Big Brothers AU

Birds AU {except for Hawk Hux AU and Raven Kylo AU}

Biker AU

Black Metal AU {part of Band AU}

Blade Runner AU {includes Blade Runner 2049 AU}

Blade Runner 2049 AU {part of Blade Runner AU}

Blind Kylo AU

Bloggers AU

Bloodborne AU {part of Fantasy AU}

Bodyguard Hux AU

Bodyguard Kylo AU

Body Swap AU

Book Shop AU

Bounty Hunters [both] AU {combines:}

Bounty Hunter Hux AU

Bounty Hunter Kylo AU

Boxer Hux AU

Boxer Kylo AU

Boyscout AU {includes Moonrise Kingdom AU}

Breakfast Club AU {part of High school AU}

Brooklyn AU

Brother Bear AU

Bunnies [both] AU {combines:}

Bunny Hux AU

Bunny Kylo AU

Burberry AU [see Tailor Hux AU]

Businessmen AU [see Office AU or Suit Porn AU]

Butler Hux AU

C

Call Me by Your Name AU

Camping AU (also see Summer Camp AU)

Canadian AU (also see Hockey AU)

Canto Bright Casino AU

Captain America AU {part of Marvel AU}

Cardinals AU [see Vatican AU]

Cats [both] AU {combines:}

Cat Hux AU

Cat Kylo AU

Cavemen AU

Caving AU

Celtic AU (also see Vikings AU)

Celtic Mythology AU {includes Irish Mythology AU and Scottish Mythology AU} {part of Mythology AU}

Centaurs [both] AU {combines:} {part of Greek Mythology AU}

Centaur Hux AU

Centaur Kylo AU

Chancellor Hux AU

Chef AU

Children Wake Up AU {parted from Fugitives AU}

Chinchilla AU

Cinderella AU

Chinese Mythology AU {part of Mythology AU}

Circus AU {includes Greatest Showman (the) AU}

Classical music AU [see Orchestra AU]

Clone Hux AU

Coffee Shop AU

College AU [see Uni AU]

Coraline AU

Cowboys AU [see Western AU]

Crow Kylo AU [see Raven Kylo AU]

Cruise AU {except for Titanic AU}

Cryptids AU (also see X-Files AU)

Cyberpunk AU {includes Neon AU} (also see Cyborg Hux AU, Cyborg Kylo AU, Droids [both] AU, Droid Hux AU and Droid Kylo AU)

Cyborg Hux AU [or see Droid Hux AU]

Cyborg Kylo AU [or see Droid Kylo AU]

–> D - F (part 2)

–> G - L (part 3)

–> M - R (part 4)

–> S - Z + # (part 5)

[we-are-what-they-grow-beyond]

some seriously self indulgent TROS thoughts that no one asked for: spoilers ahead!

(i’m gonna try tag every spoiler tag I can think of just in case anyone out there does care, but tbh this is really just for me lol)

the following is going to be a very ‘off the cuff’ series of ramblings so I apologise if it’s all over the place 

Overall.. I think I liked it? I left the cinema feeling euphoric, which is honestly all I wanted from ix. While there were very few immediate things that I took offence to as I was watching it [unlike TLJ] I have a bad feeling that some doubts about certain scenes and character choices are gonna creep into my brain in the next few days. Like the longer I think about it, the worse it’s gonna get.

The beginning was a mess. I think every single person who has seen it can agree on that much. There was so much exposition and heavy handed course correction from TLJ that it felt laboured and disjointed. The pacing was at this crazy breakneck speed.. we must have visited at least six different planets in the first fifteen minutes. I think that Poe’s ‘hyperdrive jumping’ [?] sequence really set the tone for the first act - just a constant barrage of different locations and characters.

And I understand that they had to do this. The events of TLJ left them no choice, they needed to establish every main character’s position [both physically and mentally], portray the current state of the war as well as rebuild a believable rapport between our core trio all within the first fifteen minutes if they wanted to give the last act any chance of sticking the landing. And to some extent I think they achieved this. In all that running around on different planets, bickering amongst the trio and the funny asides from Threepio - it really felt like something straight out of the OT. For the first time since TFA I cared about these characters. 

However. In doing this, they continually broke the cardinal rule of screenwriting; show don’t tell. While watching the first act I felt weighed down with information, like every five seconds another character would pop in with a monologue that sent them on another wild goose chase in which they had to find another hundred things that I would inevitably struggle to remember. ‘So now they need to go here, to see where Luke went, because he wanted to find this guy, who has this object, that will bring them to this other place, so that they can see Palpatine?’ It was so heavily reliant on dialogue alone that it ultimately lead to this sense of utter messiness. 

Where the film thrived was in it’s action set pieces. I adored the way the force was portrayed in this film. The scene in the desert in which Ben [yes Ben, but more on that later] and Rey pulled that First Order Transport out of the sky sent shivers down my spine. We have never seen the force used like this before and the amount of power Rey held was absolutely staggering. I loved it.

The saber battle on top of the Death Star was a visual highlight. Even though I felt like I’d seen most of it in TV Spots the urgency never went away. The moodiness of the water and mist cut through by the blue and red light was beautiful. 

The one shot of Poe, Finn and Chewie running through the Destroyer hallway felt like an echo back to everything that lies at the heart and soul of this saga.

We’ve been begging for more space battles and boy did we get a good one. When Lando and Chewie sauntered in on the Falcon with their thousands of rebel support ships set to the theme I was sobbing. There were so many little references in that one shot, from Rebels to Resistance to even Wedge Antilles - My heart swelled. 

But where I really broke was on Ahch-To. One of my biggest gripes with TLJ was its treatment of Luke. Every time I watch it again that shot of his submerged X wing infuriates me beyond measure as Johnson never chose to do anything with it [despite there being an obvious answer]. We finally got that scene in this film, the scene I was so desperate for; a callback to perhaps my favourite moment in the whole skywalker saga entangled with an apology for TLJ’s treatment of our favourite jedi master. Set to Yoda’s Theme, I felt like for a split second like I was watching Empire, and that meant the world to me. Thank you J.J.

The characterisation is perhaps the most divisive part of the film for me. It took so many risks, it’s going to take quite some time for me to properly digest them all. 

I want to start with our beloved Leia. The CGI, although perhaps not quite as seamless as some reviewers are making it out to be, worked well enough. With the knowledge of Carrie’s passing, it’s easy to poke holes in the performance - I found the beginning of her screen time particularly jarring, with her mostly addressing Rey with one word answers. I knew that there was supposed to be an emotional weight to all her scenes, as there she was, our princess, somehow miraculously on our screens for one final time. But I didn’t cry. I didn’t feel as if she was truly there in body or soul, and the emotional power of her scenes suffered as a result. Maybe in time, as we forget about the circumstances under which this film had to be made, this obvious detachment might fade away. And I sincerely hope it does, because the backstory they gave her is what truly deserves to be remembered about Leia in this film. The flashback scene of her training with Luke was glorious, the cgi really worked well here, and for the first time we saw Leia as a fully fledged jedi. This is something I could never ever have even imagined and I’m so pleased they did it, it would have meant so much to me as a young girl. As for her death, I believe they did the best they could with it. She ultimately died saving her son, protecting both the light and her family - two themes that have been so central to this entire forty two year saga. I don’t think they could have done much more. 

I was shocked to see Harrison in this, surprised isn't even the right word. But this bewilderment that I felt thankfully didn’t overshadow his integral role in the so called ‘Bendemption’ arc, in fact I think it really tied the whole thing together nicely. I have hated the idea of Kylo’s possible redemption since the moment we found out his true heritage during TFA, I thought it was too simple, too obvious. But the way in which it was dealt with here was wonderful. It showed Kylo to be entirely complex and ambiguous, and at the end of it we saw Ben for what he was, a young and vulnerable young man who ultimately made some terrible choices, the conflict in him was brilliantly acted. It was ultimately his parents that pulled him back to the light, not just Rey, and that fact alone saved this story arc for me. 

[I refuse to talk about the kiss. I hated it. It didn’t need to happen.]

Rey is a difficult one. Was the Palpatine bloodline convenient? Yes. Terribly so. Did it make sense story wise? Only kind of. But, I think it drew a definitive line under the nine film conflict which was ultimately at its core just Skywalker vs Palpatine, so in that sense I’m happy it happened in the way it did. 

[Sheev on an aesthetic level looked dreadful I thought. Proper rubbery. And the logistics of how he survived/who all those chanting followers were/where he got all those Imperial star destroyers from is extremely questionable. I try not to dwell on it.]

My mixed feelings about Finn and Poe cannot be overstated. The film did a good job at giving them more to do, we really got to see John and Oscar bounce off each other and at the end of the day, that is my kryptonite. However, Finn had little to no character development throughout the whole trilogy. All he did was figure out that he didn’t want to be aligned with the First Order anymore, deciding he wanted to fight for what is right. But the thing is, we saw him make that decision about ten minutes into TFA. It didn’t need to be rehashed again and again in every film. We wanted more - we wanted him to be force sensitive, we wanted him to form meaningful connections with others. On some level they delivered on that, we saw a little force sensitivity, he got his own back with Hux, he found his tribe in Jannah and the other deserters.. but it felt like an afterthought. Nothing was ever dwelled upon- even his confession to Rey [whatever it was] was completely forgotten about in the end. Finn as a whole felt like an afterthought. 

[Don’t even get me started on Rose, Kelly deserved so much more. I was embarrassed by the amount of screen time she had.]

As for Poe.. Oscar did a brilliant job in this, he successfully harkened back to our favourite scoundrel Han Solo stereotype and I felt that gave the trio’s dynamic a clear anchor. His interactions with both Finn, Threepio and Chewie as he kept crashing the falcon really made me laugh, it was nice to have some actual humour littered throughout, unlike the goofy slapstick stuff in TLJ. But.. the Zorii love interest and backstory made zero sense canonically. Zero. Aside from the ‘can i kiss you’ stuff being extremely contrived, there is physically no actual way Poe could have ever been a spice runner on this new planet that I can’t remember the name of. He lived on Yavin his whole life until he came of age to join the New Republic Navy, and from there Leia recruited him into the Resistance. This much has been documented in countless books and comics. J.J really decided to throw that all away so that they could what.. get that universal key thing? Did they even use it? Was there any other point of Zorii’s character other than that key? Not really. Don’t try to tell me that Kes and Shara’s son ran away from home to become a criminal for no reason. Just don’t. [He was still wearing Shara’s ring throughout and they didn’t do anything with it.. I wonder will we get more of an answer to this in the novelisation?]

[While I’m on the subject of the comics and novels, the decision to kill off Snap was brave. I really loved him in the comics and I’m sad he’s now gone and Karé is now alone. Not that any of that was mentioned but-]

Lando was used just the correct amount. I’m happy he got the ‘I have a bad feeling about this’ line, and I think any more screen time and we could have seen some holes in Billy’s performance. [sorry Billy]

Chewie had some great moments in this surprisingly. He was essentially just an extra in TLJ so it was quite refreshing to have him be a key player again. [I had forgotten about the clips from the trailer that showed him aboard the Destroyer, so when he ‘died’ I really thought he was dead for a moment and I was so angry that that was how he went lol.] But his reaction to Leia’s death was so touching and although it was a tad fan-servicey, I loved the fact that he finally got the medal he missed out on in ANH. It made me chuckle.

The same can be said of Anthony Daniels as C3PO and all of the other droids. I felt as though they really clawed them back into the mix this time - Threepio’s worrisome queries were wonderfully nostalgic and not to mention hilarious, and D-0 was a great new addition. The droids always brought a levity to star wars, it was their job, and they did this to great effect in this film. There was some questionable switching around of R2 and BB8 which I didn’t appreciate - there is absolutely no way that BB8 wouldn’t be Poe’s astromech for the battle against the Final Order but I’m willing to let it slide.. [also why was he on Tatooine with Rey at the end?]

It really sounds like I had more problems with this film than highlights, and I promise that’s not the case. In the end, it made me feel happy, like I was watching something akin to the OT again, and yes some parts of it were clumsy, but the heart of it was there. It all really comes down to whether or not you believe a film must be ‘good’ in order to be.. good. With something as big and sentimental as star wars I think it’s a lot more complicated than that. Return of the Jedi was an utter mess- but yet we all still worship it and the characters it gave us. Why can’t the same thing be said for TROS? It was clunky, but it was surprising, and powerful and fun. It gave us the characters we loved and some interesting new ones, some top-tier lightsaber battles and a conclusive ending to the saga that has defined so many lives. At the end of the day I think that’s all it needed to be. 

[purusintellectus]

What’s in a Name? – “Armitage”

As promised, here's my "Armitage" ramble. I know I am so late to the party that it's not even fashionable anymore, but better late than never, no?

Some TLJ spoilers ahead.

  Short (sort of personal) premise. While I didn't mind Hux in TFA, my fascination with this character began with the TFA novelisation – there, he is intelligent, competent and sensible – and it only grew stronger and deeper with his other appearances throughout the canon novels. I started reading about Fandom!Hux and Kylux much, much later; therefore –  long story short – when Aftermath: Life Debt came out, I didn't have any particular commitment to the "Brendol II" theory and I was immediately on board with "Armitage". I am aware that many other fans had an entirely different experience and that the "Armitage" reveal was disappointing for them; they have my sympathy and my understanding – were my circumstances different, who knows where I would stand now.

Yet, I happen to like "Armitage" quite a lot, for the following reason: notoriously, Star Wars' names are descriptive names – i.e. they are somewhat connotative and immediately bring to mind what the character is all about – and "Armitage" is both as descriptive as a three hours documentary and still ambiguous.

At least to my deranged mind, "Armitage" suggests three main ideas: (1) "Army"; (2) "Hermitage"; (3) "Amrita".

    (1) Army

Is this on the nose? Undoubtedly. But we are talking about a franchise in which: Skywalkers were supposed to be called "Starkillers" (yes, the naming of Starkiller Base is an homage to that first concept); the Dark Side is called the Dark Side, just in case you were tempted to embrace any morally ambiguous reading about Force users' factions; and people call "Death Star" their super-weapons of planetary destruction – ok, imperial PR person who okayed that name, you did a great job: that doesn't sound ominous, scary and just plainly evil at all... Overall, names in Star Wars are not exactly subtle.

On the one hand, Armitage has been raised to be an officer – in a way, he is the ultimate experiment in Brendol's training programme. On the other hand, he is the de facto leader of the FO's military forces. The TLJ Visual Dictionary has confirmed what was already evident, i.e. that for all intents and purposes General Hux should be Grand Marshal Hux, but Snoke refuses to give him his rightful title. Besides, as I have been writing elsewhere (here and here), the fact that the FO's army answers primarily to Hux is likely going to be the basis for a new interesting dynamic between Hux and Kylo – not to mention that it's probably the main reason Hux's still alive... Nomen omen.

    (2) "Hermitage"

While Armitage Hux is a masterpiece (definitely in more than one sense), I am not referring to the St Petersburg museum, but to the main acceptation of the term, i.e. the dwelling of a hermit or an remote and isolated place, or a retreat. What does this reading tell us about General Hux?

(2.1) First, Armitage Hux grew up in exile and on the run, in the Unknown Regions, on ships in remote sectors of uncharted space far away from the rest of the Galaxy and what used to be home. 

(2.2) Furthermore, Armitage Hux is somewhat removed from his fellow human beings, beginning with his family (it's canon that Brendol hates him). In other words, Hux – just like Kylo, just like Rey, just like Finn – is incredibly alone.  (Basically, this new trilogy is about very lonely people with lots of issues). Hux is a General above the generals, he is only equal being – until very recently – Kylo Ren. While Phasma has been an ally in recent years, she doesn't seem to have been a friend, not really. As far as we know, the only meaningful relationship that Hux seems to have in canon is with Rae Sloane, the mother and protector he had never had before her – and as far as we know, whatever happened there still stings (see the infamous "robe conversation" between Cardinal and Armitage in the Phasma novel ). Hux seems to want attention, love or at least appreciation – from his father, from Snoke, from Kylo, from the entire bloody Galaxy if that could help – but he never seems to fit in, not really.

(2.3) Or, for the sake of completeness, Armitage Hux could end up being a retreat (other meaning of "hermitage"), the secret refuge, for someone else. (Go ahead, shippers! Have fun!)

    (3) "Amrita"

The following section is more speculative than the previous two. And it is mostly for those of you who enjoy the idea of Hux being somehow connected to Palpatine. While I am not a devoted supporter of Palpatine!Hux theories, I like to toy with the idea for the sake of argument  – and this is an argument surprisingly easy to support: half jokingly, I have done so here and I am definitely going to post more on the subject.

On top of Armitage's operatic conception ("a kitchen lady" sounds incredibly unlikely and melodramatic), of Brendol's hate for his son (why?), and of the fact that Brendol was running Project Harvester (training Force sensitive children) on Arkanis (dedicated post coming soon), you can add Armitage's name to the repertoire of reasons you might have to cheer for Palpatine!Hux.

Naboo names tend to be Sanskrit based: Padmé Amidala, Sheev (!), etc.

Amrita ( अमृत) is the Sanskrit word for ambrosia, the nectar of immortality, and hence for immortality itself. The metathesis of position, in this instance between "m" and "r" (Amrita >> Armita[ge]..), is one of the most common phonetic phenomena in Indo-European languages.

If you want to believe that General Hux is somehow connected to the old Emperor (a clone, a relative, etc.) and he is destined to rule over the Galaxy even by Palpatine's plan... well, he has the right name for that.

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[shop5]

It’s new Star Wars book day so here’s random list of things from Phasma some will be spoilers but guys, it’s great, read the book -- (x)

Space knitting

Droid cozy

Starling to general Organa

Can hear leia’s smirk

The Absolution

New republic doesn’t consider the First Order a threat

No one cares about what happens to children on back water planets or this ship would be empty

Phasma betrayed her brother

Cardinal from Jakku

Water and protein are stormtrooper diet

The republic ignores Outer Rim planets its how they convince people to 

High priced slicers

Torbin picking up hux and carrying him on his back

They consider it a worthwhile trade for a better life (hux sr on stormtrooper numbers vs names)

 Phasma only has one name and doesn’t think she’d like going by a number

Her accent is a mimic of Brendols

Plenty of orphans for which the First order was their ideal savior

The younger hux and phasma are close

There are chickens in space

They put Phasma on the first order posters

Everyone fakes their british accents

Umm umm Brendol mimicking the Anakin sand line??? Is that just a common galatic sentiment???

If they were to die on the mountain they would die fierce

The beetles eating karr after he blew up

Gore stains on the skin wolf

Droids get eccentric if they’re not recalibrated

Con Star Mining Corporation training video

Praise to the creators

Droids were never meant to be people

All the descriptions exploring the mining facility

under that helmet she could be anyone or no one

there’s no greater enemy of justice then a little king on a little hill

the weird mad max tribe

Welcome to oblivion Arena

It was hard when someone had adopted a mask to give it up  

Phasma’s ‘are you not entertained’ moment

The last guardian of the dead land

A radiation explosion destroyed the planet

Shadows of people left on the wall by the explosion

Brendol crashed Palpatine’s shiny ship

Noooooooo Torben

Bredol generally being a coward

The first order can always use strong children

For all it’s faults Con Star could build a hell of a door

Armitage always looking for ways to impress or destroy is father

Cardinal realizing the First Order isn’t what it says it is

Official word was that Brendol is on a long term mission

Armie struck everything from the record regarding his fathers death

ARMITAGE HUX ANSWERING THE DOOR IN A BLACK ROBE

Hux’s personal droid K4

Hux has a stark room and ‘drapes himself over a blue sofa’ looking smug

Hux and Phasma plotted to kill his father and felt no remorse in doing so

Phasma memorizes all of the troopers numbers

Greasy ginger weasel (AKA my new tag for hux)

Tiny children in equally tiny armor

 Phasma’s war scream

Armitage respects results

I know what I am

Phas making her own damn armor out of Brendol’s ship

ok but now I want to know about the other adventures of Vi AKA Starling and Cardinal 

[shadowsong26x]

TLJ Reaction Post!

Putting everything behind a cut just in case, to avoid spoilers. Also, any TLJ-related posts I either write or reblog will be tagged as listed here.

Feel free to reply/reblog/ask/whatever if you want to discuss!

So, that was an experience.

First, quick reaction--while I was watching it, it was overall engaging/good. I had some issues even in the moment, but most of what I’m going to write up here was of the fridge logic variety?

Things I liked:

- Leia getting a STRAIGHT-UP ACTUAL JEDI MOMENT. Yes, I am talking about her flying through space like Mary Poppins and yes it was ridiculous but again it was a Jedi Moment sooooooooo there it is.

- All of the combat scenes/lightsaber duels in particular were really well put together. The throne room duel (which I’ll talk about that whole scene in some detail later), Finn vs. Phasma, Astral Projection Luke vs Kylo Ren (side note: I had seen a poster or clip or something before this, and I was Very Annoyed that Luke’s lightsaber was blue pretty much for the same reason I get irrationally irritated when Padme is tagged/drawn in the Gothic Peacock dress and the fact that elbows don’t grow back oh my god--minor continuity details that make a difference but don’t really matter in the long run; but the fact that Luke chose to project himself with the Heirloom Lightsaber(tm) that blew up ten minutes ago made that make sense and was delightful in hindsight) the space combat--the red dust on Crait, though, so cool the way it did visual things.

- Pretty much everything to do with Finn and Rose’s plotline (except I was sad that there was no Lando cameo at Canto Bight)

- Most of the stuff with Amilyn I liked a lot too. Especially her flipping badass Last Stand. (I also liked the fact that the bulk of high command was women, and they made a point of showing off all the lady piliots)

- Luke and Leia’s reunion moment made me bawl in a very good way. (Side note: I’m pretty sure she knew all along he was Astral Projection Luke. In part because how else could he have gotten there, in part because, as my friend who I went to see it with pointed out, he projected himself exactly as he would have been the last time she saw him. Also the much shorter and darker hair which I feel is very impractical to manage in an X-wing cockpit)

- That little kid on Canto Bight. Oh, that little kid on Canto Bight, who reminded me so much of TPM!Anakin I can’t even. (There’s a whole potential Thing here, that my friend pointed out to me, re: Light/Dark/Balance a la Daughter/Son/Father from Mortis where we might be going for Kylo as Dark, Rey as Balance, Tiny as Light? I’m not sure if I actually want the story to go there or not but it’s at least interesting as a vague concept!)

- I love Poe. Just...Poe was delightful in this film, as he figures out exactly how Being In Command works, his relationship with Leia, his back-and-forth with Amilyn...

- I liked that the bridge/whatever between Rey and Kylo was clearly set up to parallel Luke and Leia, rather than anything romantic--to the point where Luke and Leia had a Twin Moment that then immediately cut to one of the shared dreams and that can’t have been an accident.

- There was a lot of really great dialogue in this film. Just in general. “Do you think you got him.” “I don’t think they like me very much.”/”I can’t imagine why.” “What are you looking at me for? Follow him!” Leia and Amilyn’s goodbye (which, side note--I read the Leia novel, and I definitely thought she and Amilyn had more chemistry than she and Kier did, also there’s a...something percolating in the back of my brain about Kier and Lando and the similar choices they made when their people were in danger and they felt their backs were against the wall, and what that might mean in terms of added context for Leia’s choices/actions in ESB, but that is a topic for a different post)

- While this was not the Force Ghost(s) I was looking for, I enjoyed Yoda’s appearance a whole heck of a lot.

- Rey and Poe finally actually met! And it was a very nice meeting!

- The fact that, once again, the last intelligible dialogue in the film went to Leia (because Tiny was speaking in another language)

Things I am neutral about but I feel bear mentioning:

- The reveal(?) about Rey’s parentage--I’m not sure whether or not Kylo Ren was lying, but I’m honestly okay with it either way. I mean, I’ve been on team Rey Kenobi, so to speak, from the beginning [partly because I think it makes a more interesting narrative than Rey Skywalker; partly because Obi-Wan’s line of descent, if he has one (and, whether it comes from Korkie and Satine or not, I think it could be credibly written that he does)...it makes much more sense that it would be lost the way Rey’s backstory establishes than either of Luke or Leia’s children being lost. And the potential alternatives (i.e., Shmi having had a child before Anakin and they were sold separately or something, or Anakin’s DNA being used to sire another child because Reasons, would require a lot more setup than we’ve got); also I kind of like the idea of Finn Skywalker though that ship has probably sailed]. Where was I...anyway, while I prefer that story, I don’t actually dislike any of the potential theories (except the reincarnation one). And Rey Nobody (I think is what it was called?) has its own appeal, definitely. So...I guess my reaction to that is a nonreaction? Especially since I can’t make up my mind whether or not it’s true...

- I wasn’t super invested in any shipping in this trilogy, but honestly as far as I’m concerned we now have a third possible endgame pairing for Finn and I like all three. (I’d rather not discuss this particular point in overmuch detail, because as I said I’m not super invested in any ST ships and I know a lot of people are and I’d rather not get argued at on the subject).

- I have no idea how I feel about the Heirloom Lightsaber(tm) being destroyed? But the crystal seemed to be intact sooooooo we’ll see.

- Snoke’s ridiculous golden bathrobe???????

Things I liked less:

- I’m not thrilled with how Luke was written. Like...I can make it make sense. I can draw the roadmap in my brain of how we got from the Luke I know and love to the Luke we saw in this movie (including in the flashback) but it takes a lot of backhacking, so to speak. Honestly, if I ever get this far in a canon-aligned fic timeline, I would definitely go in a different direction (frex, if Masks ever comes back off hiatus and I get to Martyrs, which is the third part of that AU and is set in this timeframe, it would no longer be an In Spite Of A Nail AU from here).

(This sort of ties into...look, if I was going to assign a cardinal narrative sin to each of the trilogies (looking only at how the story is structured here), the PT has pacing issues, the OT was made up as it went along and it shows in several points; but the ST? The ST relies way too much on It’s All There In The Manual. I’ve read some of the Manual, but not all of it, because I mostly hang out in the PT corner of the fandom, but it was an issue in TFA and it was an issue again in TLJ. Amilyn and Leia, I think, suffered from this the most, but Luke’s headspace probably did, too.)

- I’m not super thrilled with the fact that we got introduced to a lot of interesting new characters, and almost all of them just...died. And I kept looking for familiar faces from TFA in the background of the Resistance and...yeah, they weren’t there.

- This is...this is maybe not going to come off as super articulate when I try to explain myself, but it actually bothers me a lot. And that’s that...there’s...there’s no...

Look. To me, above all things, Star Wars is about Redemption. It is about finding the spark of light in the darkness, and fanning it into a flame. And I say this even as someone who primarily hangs out in the PT part of fandom, which is in some ways structured as the opposite (i.e., find the speck of darkness in the light and feed it until it consumes all). Because it’s still there at the end. We still have that spark--in the twins, and in their guardians--and we are nurturing it until it is ready to burst into a proper flame and it also set up Anakin’s motivations in a way that led to/added to the credibility/impact of the eventual redemption arc. (Like I said, I’m not sure I can articulate this well, but it’s a Thing, okay?) And, yes, I get that the ST is coming at this find-the-light-in-the-dark theme from a different angle which is fine, I guess, I just...I just...

There is no antagonist (who has been at all developed) who is redeemable at this point.

Like--I didn’t really care about Kylo Ren as Kylo Ren. I cared about his (potential and now thwarted) redemption arc because see above about how that’s what Star Wars is to me. And where we left off at the end of TFA, he could still credibly be redeemed. And now, even without all the explicit ROTJ parallels (up to and including straight-up quoted dialogue), that door is closed. A redemption arc for him from here would not be credible.

And no one else in the First Order is developed enough for it, except maybe Hux, who also has credibility issues (to draw a comparison, that would be like trying to write a redemption arc for Tarkin, aka essentially impossible without an AU breakpoint when he was like twelve or younger at which point it’s not a redemption arc it’s a completely different story.) Phasma (assuming she isn’t actually dead, which I think she’s not but ehhh she might be) isn’t developed enough. No one else in the First Order who’s still alive has an on-screen not-All-There-In-The-Manual name, so it wouldn’t have the necessary emotional/narrative payoff.

And that’s...that’s...I don’t like it. I really don’t like it. I mean...it actually weirdly bothers me less than I thought it would, when I was trying to talk about this a year or so ago? I have no idea why, because like I thought that would be something that would make me completely break away at least from the ST era/corner of the fandom. And yet it’s not. But it’s still...Star Wars has always sold itself as straight up Good Vs Evil, but has had that...coming home. Or something? Like I said, not sure I’m too articulate about it. But I don’t like that this happened the way it did.

And also, just...like, think about what it would have been if they had just gone ahead and played the ROTJ aspects straight. If Ben Solo had come home, the way Anakin Skywalker did--without dying. We would get the story we never got with Vaderkin, of clawing his way back and atoning and making amends. We barely even got it with Ventress (side note: there’s a Thing in the back of my head that I’m not sure I can get out in any articulate way about the parallels between Anakin and Ventress because man.) (Also I think there might be a plot like this in Rebels, but I haven’t seen it yet so IDK for sure.)

Sigh. I don’t know. I think we’re going to get an interesting story about the way things did go, which may be part of why I’m less upset than I thought I would be. But I am upset.

(Side note: I do think that Snoke’s death was really well-put-together/well-played. I genuinely didn’t see it coming until the Heirloom Lightsaber started turning. Like...I pretty much figured that it wasn’t going to go how either Rey or Kylo saw it, because (even before Snoke said he made the bridge between them) I pretty much figured they’d both seen what they wanted to see/their ideal ending for the confrontation, so I knew it would be some kind of third option, but I did not expect the one we got and the way it was presented/approached was extremely effective; I just have serious, serious issues with where it went from there).

- I wish there had been more Leia. And Maz. And Phasma.

- I wish it had done more to expand on/develop the relationships/answer the questions/etc. established by TFA. In some ways, it feels more like “this is a series of events that happened in the wake of that,” rather than a continuation? This was mostly a problem with Poe’s storyline--Rey’s did okay at that, though if the backstory reveal was true it was a little disappointingly presented and if it’s not it didn’t resolve enough; and Finn’s did reasonably well. (Also, there were supposed to be Knights of Ren???? Were these the students that Kylo Ren left with after burning Luke’s Temple? What happened to them? Were those the people he and Rey killed in the throne room?????)

- On a much pettier note--what the fuck even was up with the timeline???? HOW SHORT ARE THE DAYS ON AHCH-TO? WHAT ABOUT FREAKING TRAVEL TIME--FTL TRAVEL IN THIS UNIVERSE IS NOT INSTANTANEOUS AND THAT IS EXPLICITLY REFERENCED IN THIS VERY FILM. Congratulations, Star Wars, you now have a film with a timeline that makes even less sense than ESB. [ROTS doesn’t, either, although that one’s more a question of ‘exactly how long is it between the Invisible Hand and Utapau because I don’t buy the ‘less than two weeks’ from the novel, but beyond that it could be anywhere from like a month to like three or four...but that makes sense, it’s just unclear.)

And, because I like to end on a positive note--there’s a lot I do genuinely enjoy/like/even love about this movie. Is it my favorite? Probably not; I don’t know exactly where I’d rank it, but probably in the Bottom Tier (I have sort of three tiers in terms of ‘Which Of These Puppies Licking My Face Am I Most Likely To Take Home If I Can Only Have One’ and they fluctuate a fair amount other than ESB, AOTC, and ROTS are consistently in the top tier). But there’s enough about it that I liked that I’m going to see it again, and while the things I disliked were for the most part serious issues, they weren’t enough to make me want to avoid the film itself. I’m hoping the next movie answers some more things, I’m hoping Phasma and Baby Canto Bight Jedi come back, I’m looking forward to Force Ghost Luke (and maybe the others fingers crossed).

[luke-shywalker]

I just finished reading Phasma. Spoilers under the cut.

Rating it purely on how much I enjoyed it, I’d give it a 7 out of 10.

If you’re reading this book, most likely you’re reading it because you want to learn about Phasma. You’ll probably be disappointed. The book is pretty much 30% Phasma, 70% Dawson’s characters. You have to endure a clunky frame narrative as Captain Cardinal, Phasma’s rival, interrogates Vi Moradi, a female Poe Dameron Resistance spy about Phasma. Cardinal will end up being the one character you relate to most, as he continually gets annoyed at Vi for not telling him anything about Phasma and instead focusing on Dawson’s OCs.

Within Vi’s story, the plot is fairly predictable. Pretty early on you figure out who’s going to die in a half-baked attempt to rouse your emotions, but it’s pretty hard to feel empathy when the characters are just archetypes instead of complex personalities. There’s Carr, the funny guy, Gosta, the innocent girl, and Torben, the strong dude and love interest. (Oh yeah, and Siv, who’s the main character of Vi’s story. She has no defining traits except she’s pure and motherly I guess. I didn’t even realize she existed until a quarter into the book, and she’s the narrator in Vi’s story.)

The most interesting characters in the book are Brendol and Armitage Hux. Dawson apparently can’t resist setting her novel on a sand planet without referring to the “coarse rough and irritating” line, so you get treated to Brendol delivering a modified version of the Anakin sand bit. Slow clap.

Also, you learn that Brendol died by exploding. Brendol Hux literally exploded. He got bitten by a beetle that causes you to retain water until you explode. But more interesting than that, Armitage and Phasma colluded in his death (you can predict this pretty early on as well).

Other notable bits include Armitage dressed in a bathrobe, Armitage talking to a child and saying “We’re going to go become good soldiers for the First Order! I was once very little like you, but I took a ride on a ship like this one and now look how big I am!”, Armitage wanting both to impress and destroy his father, Armitage being snubbed over his father treating Cardinal as a son but not him, Armitage being referred to as “Brendol’s hated son,” Armitage calling his father “an old bastard” and saying he’s glad he’s dead... Yeah, in a book titled Phasma the most interesting character is Armitage Hux.

So what do we actually learn about Phasma? We learn she came from a tribal society. We learn she had a brother, whom she maimed on purpose. We learn she killed her family members whenever she needed to rise to the top. We learn she killed Armitage’s dad. We learn she kills a frickton of people. We learn that, yes, she actually does look like Gwendoline Christie under that helmet. We learn that her armor is made of metal from Palpatine’s yacht or whatever, but we already knew that.

Look, if all you want from this book is the tasty, fresh new canon information, just go to Wookieepedia so you don’t have to sit through this narrative to get it.

Take a shot of apple juice every time:

Dawson uses the words “clipped” or “polished” to describe the British accent

You encounter the name of a character you don’t remember

Brendol acts like a prissy sissypants and you wonder how the heck he’s a general

One of the party dies, bonus if you predicted their death

Vi inserts herself into Siv’s narrative and says something like “of course, Siv didn’t know what an x was, but I do, so I’m telling you”

Phasma and Brendol go away to talk by themselves and you don’t get to hear what they say

To the book’s credit, it does set up Phasma as being pretty epic. She’s shown to be am incredible fighter and an pretty good strategist.

...But then how was she taken down by a Wookiee, an old guy, and one of her own men??

At least it’s now clear why she took down Starkiller’s shields so quickly. The book establishes that her loyalties are not to the First Order, but to herself. And that’s the most interesting thing I learned about Phasma from Phasma.

[fridayincarnate]

it is genuinely a CRIME how little Cardinal/Hux content there is, like

??????????

HOW are there not even 20 fics on ao3?! Don't get me wrong, I am a kylux guy at heart, but there is so much untapped potential here. The robe scene ALONE! Not to mention the twisted psychological depths to explore around Cardinal's devotion to Hux... and to Brendol. And as @jaynesilver cleverly pointed out, the way that Brendol sets Hux and Cardinal against each other mirrors how Snoke later sets Hux and Kylo against each other.

I will build this ship with my own two hands if I have to

[fridayincarnate]

Here it is! I promised Hux/Cardinal and after much sweat and toil, it's finally up. Come enjoy this rarepair with me!

By Any Other Name (20521 words) by FridayIncarnate

Chapters: 1/1

Fandom: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy, Star Wars: Phasma - Delilah S. Dawson

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Relationships: Cardinal | Archex/Armitage Hux

Characters: Cardinal | Archex (Star Wars), Armitage Hux, Brendol Hux

Additional Tags: Minor Character Death, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Brendol Hux's A+ Parenting, First Time, Virgin Armitage Hux, Virgin Cardinal | Archex, Light Angst, Power Dynamics, Past Brainwashing, Grief/Mourning, Top Cardinal | Archex, Bottom Armitage Hux, Blow Jobs, First Time Blow Jobs, Anal Sex

Summary:

Cardinal was trained to be loyal to Brendol Hux. When he senses that Armitage Hux requires protection after Grand Admiral Sloane's untimely death, Cardinal is honor-bound to stand guard.

He'll just have to try not to think too hard about who Armitage needs protection from… or anything else that Armitage might want from him. Even if he might want the same thing.

[fridayincarnate]

I need 6. and 37. for Hardinal 😏

(from this otp ask game)

6. When did they realize they loved each other?

They still haven't realized it. I mean, okay, this is complicated because of Cardinal's conditioning and Hux's completely emotionally repressed state.

Cardinal would likely say that he "loved" Hux as soon as the First Order conditioned him to obey and idolize the Huxes, but that's more like some combination of cultish adoration and a knight's devotion to his lord. Due to their age difference, Cardinal's feelings wouldn't have any romantic or sexual dimension until they'd known each other for quite some time. I imagine that shift happened a few years after Hux finished at the Academy and showed himself to be a ruthless and powerful officer, and Cardinal began to think of him as an admirable man in his own right and not simply "Brendol's son." But I don't think that Cardinal is aware of the change in his own feelings. He'd insist that his feelings towards Hux are completely professional even when that's no longer true, partly to preserve his own self-image as a dutiful soldier.

Hux, on the other hand, had a crush on Cardinal pretty much as soon as he was capable of those feelings. He was very embarrassed and angry about it, and he assumed that Cardinal could never reciprocate so he just hoped that no one would ever find out. By the time they're both adults Hux has been stuffing down his feelings for years. He's absolutely shocked to discover Cardinal has become interested, but even when they start getting physical Hux insists to himself that his attraction is no more than lust. This is, of course, bullshit. Cardinal can give him affirmation that he's craved for years that simply wouldn't mean the same thing coming from anyone else, and he is desperate for it. But he can't admit to himself that he needs that. He'd also likely tell himself that any feelings Cardinal has for him are a side effect of his programming and not "real." (Which is a valid concern, but in this case he's just using it to avoid facing both of their feelings.)

tl;dr it's a big fucking mess and they're both deeply in denial

37. What do they like the least about each other?

Hux's answer to this is totally unfair and not even really about Cardinal: it's that Hux's father acts like Cardinal is the son he wished he'd had instead of Hux. Which is not in Cardinal's control, especially when they are children! But Hux is too spiteful not to blame Cardinal for it anyway. Jealousy also makes a very convenient wrapper for his repressed feelings. ("I'm not noticing his perfect physique because I'm gay, I'm just jealous.")

Cardinal's first impression of Hux when they met as children was that he was a spoiled brat. That opinion was conditioned out of him and may or may not have changed over time anyway (especially if he was aware that Brendol was abusive to Hux). In the present I think Cardinal most dislikes Hux's spiteful nature, though he would not say so - even to himself, I think. His internal monologue seems keen on making excuses for Hux even when they disagree.

[venatohru]

Comedown

Fandom: Star Wars (sequel trilogy) Pairing: Armitage Hux/Captain Cardinal (one-sided) Words: 1079 Rating: Gen.

It was rare to see Cardinal without his father, though his presence wasn’t necessarily unwelcome. Armitage sipped the last of his tarine tea, taking the time to formulate a plan. He could engage with Cardinal to enquire about his father, but the wrong wording could arouse suspicion. Or, even worse, it could be mistaken for genuine concern.

Written for @filigranka for the Star Wars Rare Pairs Exchange 2018. 

Continue reading under the cut, or head over to read it on ao3 if you’d prefer. 

Armitage watched the other junior officers file into the mess hall as he poked and prodded at the food on his tray. It was as grey and uninspiring as the decor, with a texture reminiscent of something one might encounter in the swamps of Vodran. His eyes flickered towards the general’s usual seat, but it was empty. No doubt, his father was in his suite eating something hideously decadent and Republican. He wouldn’t be missed.

For a moment, Armitage had expected to see him, when he caught a glimpse of crimson armour. It was rare to see Cardinal without his father, though his presence wasn’t necessarily unwelcome. Armitage sipped the last of his tarine tea, taking the time to formulate a plan. He could engage with Cardinal to enquire about his father, but the wrong wording could arouse suspicion. Or, even worse, it could be mistaken for genuine concern.

“Cardinal.” The trooper’s posture was stiff as he approached, in stark contrast to the fluidity of movement Armitage had witnessed when watching him train that morning. The black body gloves the troopers wore under their armour looked too tight to be comfortable and more often than not the fabric ended up drenched with sweat...but Cardinal hadn’t made an unpleasant sight.

“The general is overseeing preparations for Empire Day.” Of course he was. Armitage could already envision his father decked out in an old uniform that no longer fit, clinging to his medals as the last remnants of a bygone era. Brendol had always been a pompous ass. Fortunately, not all of the Imperial veterans were so intent on revelling in nostalgia for their old Empire. Armitage found it difficult to imagine the likes of Grand Admiral Sloane or Lieutenant Commander Yago commemorating past failures.

“I see.” It was a little disappointing that he had been quite so quick to mention his father, though he supposed as far as Cardinal was concerned, that was probably all the two of them had to talk about - never mind the fact that Armitage would rather discuss almost anything else. “Actually I wanted to ask about something else.”

“What might that be, Sir?” His tone was polite but, just as it had done when Armitage had first met Cardinal on Jakku, his expression gave away his annoyance at having to deal with a soft, spoiled child. It stung, more than it had done then. Armitage had never been spoiled, and as Brendol’s personal bodyguard, Cardinal ought to have noticed exactly how the man spoke about his “useless” son - and that was when the man was feeling generous.

“I wondered if you’d had the opportunity to run through the new training simulations,” Armitage said, knowing full well that he hadn’t. “I would value your opinion.”

“I haven’t.” He watched intently as Cardinal’s fingers ran through his hair, noticing the way the fluorescent lights brought out the blue tones. “I’d be happy to provide feedback, once I have done.”

“Of course.” Armitage pursed his lips. “I’m considering running through one myself at the end of this cycle. Perhaps you’d care to join me, if your duties allow it.” Cardinal frowned as he considered his options.

“My schedule would allow it.” Armitage allowed himself a thin smile. He’d known Cardinal would be wary of rejecting the offer.

“Excellent. I’ll forward you the details.”

In truth, Armitage rarely ran through the simulations personally, and he had to admit to feeling a little foolish clutching a fake blaster rifle in an empty white room before the simulation was up and running. Cardinal arrived on time and in full crimson armour, polished to perfection. Whoever had crafted his armour had done a fine job - at first glance it wasn’t so different to the regular trooper armour, but Armitage was able to appreciate the smoother, sleeker design of the plates and the way it seemed almost an extension of Cardinal’s own body when he moved. As he recalled the way the body glove had clung to Cardinal’s body during his earlier training session, Armitage felt a little disappointed that he’d chosen to don his armour now.

He nodded to Cardinal in greeting, then instructed the ensign to input the simulation codes. In place of empty white space, the two of them found themselves surrounded by dense vegetation and the sound of heavy rainfall. The scent of rotting leaves was still missing, Armitage noted - the simulation was not quite complete, and so it was expected that they would not yet gain the full sensory experience of the jungle. When the stormtroopers ran through the simulation the room’s environmental controls would ensure a more appropriate level of humidity, but Armitage saw no good reason to do so now when he was wearing a freshly cleaned uniform.

Cardinal crouched beside him, and Armitage fumbled with his blaster rifle while trying to remember the last time he’d been so close to another person. He felt Cardinal’s hand steady his arm, gentle but firm. He wasn’t sure why he flinched at the touch. It wasn’t particularly intrusive - he’d simply aimed to correct his posture the same way he did with the young troopers he instructed.

“I’m not a child,” he snapped. It shouldn’t have bothered him as much as it did, but he really, really didn’t want Cardinal to see him as one.

“No.” Cardinal cleared his throat. “Force of habit. My apologies - I’m sure you don’t require my assistance.” Cardinal nodded in acknowledgement as Armitage sniped an enemy soldier, but his mood had already been soured. The star destroyer was so large that Brendol was most likely miles away, and yet Armitage could almost hear his father laughing at this entire situation, cheeks red and swollen from too much liquor.

They completed the rest of the simulation in near silence, maintaining at least a meter of distance from one another at all times.

“A welcome change of pace,” Armitage said weakly. The usual rush of adrenaline he felt after battle simulations was nowhere to be found. Only the comedown.

“Yes, a promising simulation.” Cardinal took his helmet off and tucked it under his arm. Somehow his hair was ruffled and perfect. “I look forward to seeing it again when it’s complete and compiling a report.”

“Very good. Dismissed.” Armitage turned on his heel, taking in the blank white space instead of golden skin and blue-black hair and beautiful brown eyes, not caring to see Cardinal’s expression as he hurled his blaster rifle at the wall.