Chapter Text
Brendol Hux was agreeable. He was not happy. He was not nice. Happy and nice did not get things done. Agreeable got things done. Organized got things done. Following orders and going by the book got things done. Brendol Hux had two exactly two friends in this entire world, and only one was human. This is not to say that he was hated. Almost everyone at the Starkiller company liked the Head of Finance, and he liked them well enough; even that one accountant who cried all the time. There was only one person at Starkiller who Hux did not like. There was only one person who he utterly and passionately loathed. This was of course Ben Solo. Ben Solo was the ingénue darling of the international tech scene. He had started his career after he dropped out of Harvard at the age of 19 and moved to California and had been making waves ever since. Ben may have only been a few years younger than Hux, but in Hux’s eyes Ben was an entitled, self involved silicon-valley brat with no regard for the rules. President Snoke and the share-holders were completely under the spell of this charismatic boy genius and even Hux had to agree that he was a valuable asset to the company, but he was moody, eccentric and most-definitely not agreeable. Hux hated him.
“The success of a company like Starkiller lies in one thing and that one thing is people.”
Hux watched from his seat in the boardroom as Ben paced back and forth, gesticulating wildly. He was snowballing into one of his infamous soliloquys again. He always wondered how one man go from perhaps saying two words for a whole month to manic rhapsodizing at such a speed?
“It’s all about the people. It’s about knowing them. Getting into their thoughts.” He tapped his head for emphasis.
“If we tap into that force; into that zeitgeist, there’s nothing we can’t do.”
Everyone wore crisp suits; a sea of gray and navy all except for Ben in his famous uniform of black tees, ripped up jeans and a pair of ancient and abused black converse sneakers. Such disregard for professional dress code made Hux’s blood boil.
“Mr. Solo, if I may.” Hux began.
“Your input is always most appreciated.” Ben’s tone was more than a little sarcastic.
“As head of finances, I must say that the costs of these drones more than offsets any positive outcome from their use. Also, what you are proposing is spying, as well as data-mining. Please consider…”
“If I wanted legal advice I would have asked a lawyer.” He interrupted, running a hand through his messy black hair.
“It doesn’t take a lawyer to know that this is entirely illegal and an egregious breach of security.” There was little inflection in Hux’s voice. He was used to being the voice of reason amidst a company full of mad geniuses with a seeming endless supply of ridiculous ideas. He had almost grown numb to it as the long suffering barrier between these glorified children and the limitless supply of money and resources they wanted to use in their outrageous and sometimes ethically dubious antics, and of course, Ben was always trying to get arise out of Hux.
Ben rubbed his temples and sighed, bowing his head.
“Brendol, Brendol, Brendol…” Ben’s voice was at a whisper. He sauntered over to where Hux was seated and leaned towards him until their noses almost touched, but Hux only stared unblinking at Ben. He would not be intimidated by this lanky man-child. A tense fog and the silence of death fell over the room and all eyes were on Hux.
“If people like you were in charge of the world, we would still be in the fucking Stone Age!” Ben spat, his voice dripping with distain.
“Son of a bitch.” Hux’s jaw clenched.
“I think anyone with half a brain can see that you…”
“That is your problem! You are not a thinker, you are a drone! I am a thinker!” Ben shouted, jabbing his thumb to his own chest.
“Your tiny brain cannot comprehend the depth of my creativity! I am trying to lead this world into the future, and here you are… Clinging to the comfort and banality of your small and insignificant worldview! Brendol Hux, you are everything that is wrong with our society!”
Ben turned on his heel and stormed out of the office. Down the hall, Hux heard the door slam.
“Well, ladies and gentleman.” Hux began while closing his laptop.
“I do believe this meeting is finished. You may all go to lunch now, thank you for your time.”
Yes. Brendol Hux utterly and passionately despised Ben Solo.