Twelve: Out of time

Porgs were not designed for battle. That was the only conclusion Kylo could draw as the feral porg bit and tried to claw at him, wings flapping pathetically in the process. He scuttled back, eyes locked on the aggressor and wished he had his lightsaber. But he knew he wouldn't be able to use it...wouldn't even be able to lift it. All he could do was try to protect the females from the other male porg and try not to get injured in the process.

A lunge had the other porg biting his wing and he yelped, shocked. In that second, the Force flickered through him and he shared a brief insight, glimpsing the creature's past in a flash...

...waking as a bird and being chased from the Base by his uncomprehending fellow Resistance members...increasingly desperate attempts to get back in with another fellow had had been afflicted and try to get them to help him...feeling his mind dull and his chances fading-until the Command Shuttle swooped in and there, in the pouring rain, he watched Kylo Ren slaughter his remaining friends and dash forever any chance of redemption...feeling rage and hatred and a desire for revenge that grew when he saw his friend bite the attacker and pay with his life...clinging to the Base because it was his home...and recognising the ship the black and white porg came from as the one that had brought death...and the feeling of hatred that meant he had to kill the black and white intruder, no matter the cost...

He reeled and stumbled backwards as the feral porg growled. Was this his future, a creature consumed by rage at the curse he had received, clinging to revenge as the only compulsion in an otherwise non-sentient life? Was there any hope now or was it too late to reverse the change? The feral male jumped him again and he kicked him away, receiving a hard bite on the wing in repayment. And then Pudgy-the roundest of the female porgs-jumped forward, cooing gently to try to calm the enraged porg down. But he launched at her and his clawed foot ripped deep into her side. She gave a desperate howl and fell as Kylo bounded forward, seeing Millicent ready to attack to protect him.

STAY! he squawked and accelerated forward, hitting the other porg low and setting the pair of them rolling away from the little colony, clawing and growling. They skittled away, biting each other. Kylo felt a hard impact against his head as they hit a wall...and then they went through a hatchway and found themselves in one of those improbable shafts that seemed to extend as far as the eye could see in both directions. The other porg was up, his claws slashing Kylo's left wing viciously before he planted himself between Kylo and the main duct. Feeling blood soak into his feathers, Kylo wavered and for a second, he felt himself slip. Digging his claws in, he grasped his anger and determination not to give up until the last second-and then he bounded forward and launched, flapping his chewed wings and flying over the other porg. As he cleared the opponent, he kicked out as hard as he could and landed a hard blow to the opponent's head. Unbalanced as he tried to focus on the black and white porg, the feral porg plunged forward, wings flapping pathetically as he skidded over the brushed steel and then vanished over the seemingly-endless drop. There was a final screeching squawk that dopplered away. And then there was silence.

Kylo slowly picked himself up from where he had landed, his wing bleeding and head spinning. He couldn't really remember anything except he wanted to be back with the other porgs so he dragged himself back to the colony, finding the females crooning sadly over the badly wounded Pudgy. Millicent gave an alarmed screech as he reappeared and he stopped, uncertain what to do. But they were all looking to him so he stumbled forward and curled up by Pudgy. Millicent settled behind him and the others formed a warm cordon around him against the breeze as he looked up.

He couldn't really remember why he was fighting as the others cooed. All he could remember was that he wanted a cuddle and a sleep, surrounded by the colony. And maybe a few sardines...

No one reacted as the sounds of steps closed and when Hux and Phasma rounded a corner, they were faced by a wall of porg faces, with big sad eyes and solid little bodies, all clustered around the wounded shape of the black and white porg, with the ginger porg cuddled against him.

"MILLICENT!" Hux spluttered, outraged. "I can't believe you..."

"Ren's injured," Phasma noted, lifting her weapon, thumbing the power to stun and shooting every porg there. As the little fluffy bodies fell with a selection of coos, trills and gently accusing looks, the Captain lowered her weapon. "And now I feel like a total heel. I mean, they are so ridiculously cute..." Hux facepalmed and then walked forward to scoop the limp ginger shape of Millicent in his arms before inspecting the black and white porg. He sighed.

"He looks quite injured," he noted and stretched a hand out to scratch the fluffy head.

"There's another injured one over there," Phasma noted.

"These creatures carry a dangerous virus," Hux reminded her, gesturing with his bandaged wrist.

"And they are unconscious," she sighed. "I'll have my men collect them and put them in cages in a shuttle. They can be returned to the surface in due course. I'll take Ren and the other injured porg." Hux rose and adjusted Millicent in his arms.

"Let's just hope that Grantz can reverse what has happened," he said and then paused. "Um...which way is it?" Phasma gestured to her right.

"A hundred metres down that tunnel is an entrance onto the main corridor, sir," she explained. He nodded.

"Let's go," he said and marched off into the distance. Phasma paused and cuddled the wounded Kylo porg.

"Don't worry, sir," she murmured. "I'll see they get home safe."

-o0o-

Hux hadn't commented when Grantz took the injured porgs from Phasma and had treated both with Bacta patches. Instead, he had sat to one side with Millicent in his arms, absently stroking her soft feathers and feeling her breathe. He had been surprised at two more porgs in cages though he had started smirking when the scientist had revealed that she had moved them from Medical-and he recognised Peavey and Mitaka. The scientist was also told him that the cure was ready-but that she hadn't run any tests yet.

"The only test is to try it," Hux pointed out. "If you're feeling confident, try Peavey. If less so, you have Mitaka. Take your pick." Phasma stared at him. "The sooner you confirm it works, the sooner we can all be de-porged and get back to normal."

"I presume you are prepared to take responsibility of anything happens?" Grantz asked him pointedly. He waved his wrist at her.

"I have a vested interest for this to work-but by your own testimony, the entire Bridge saw their Captain and Lieutenant turn into porgs," the General pointed out. "If somehow they never reappeared, what can you do?" He looked over at the porgs who were bouncing up and down frantically in their cages. "And I presume they can understand me?"

"I assume so," Phasma commented, seeing them waving their wings and bouncing pathetically. "I'm not sure you've actually given them much confidence." Spinning his chair round and stroking the comatose ginger porg in his arms, Hux scowled.

"I want results," he commented. "Because I have no intention of becoming a porg myself!" Grantz sighed and nodded, then went to the nearest cage and grabbed the squirming porg within. Mitaka whimpered as she jabbed him in the fluffbutt with the injection. Then she repeated the process with Peavey.

Once she had returned them to their cages, she took a seat.

"Now, we wait," she commented, ensuring that all the instruments were taking measurements and documenting the process. "Batch two. Two subjects." Still stroking Millicent, Hux found a screen and reviewed the status reports while Phasma gave orders for the remaining porgs to be collected and taken to a cage in one of the shuttles for transport back to the planet surface unharmed. Then she turned to inspect the scientist.

"How confident are you?" she asked. Grantz frowned, her brow furrowing.

"The curative retrovirus is very basic engineering," she explained. "It's any unintended consequences. How will the reversion affect the subject? Will every aspect of their personality reintegrate or will they lose part of their knowledge or experience? Will they reform as they were or will wounds be healed or magnified? And will the process complete or may they keep a wing or a fluffy butt? Probabilities edge slightly in favour of the straight reversion probability but all possibilities are feasible..."

"You're not giving me much confidence either," Hux pointed out. "Since I have to have the damned thing as Ren ensured that I was bitten." He paused. "And you will restore Millicent?" She nodded.

"We need to confirm the human version works first," she suggested and he reluctantly nodded.

"How long is it likely to take?" he asked, stroking Millicent.

"The dose is much higher than the infecting dose so the effect should be faster-especially if the subjects are close to transformation when they will have a larger proportion of native cells. In fact..."

She got no further as the porgs blurred and suddenly exploded outwards, the cages blowing apart under the pressure and dumping two dazed and naked humans on the floor. Peavey and Mitaka were tangled up with one another and scrambling to get away.

Everyone stared for a long moment.

"How do you feel?" Grantz asked after regaining her composure, activating scanners to detail their physical state.

"Get me some clothes!" Peavey spat, shoving Mitaka off him. "General..."

"Captain-good to see you looking more yourself," Hux said coldly. "I suggest you get in uniform and resume your duties with all due alacrity once the scientist has completed scans and you have been checked out by Medical."

"I..." Peavey gaped. The General deliberately stroked the ginger porg in his arms and then turned to the second naked figure.

"Mitaka-please assist the Captain to the Medical Bay," Hux said. "Now?" Blushing, Mitaka saluted and offered Peavey his hand-but the man grabbed a data pad and held it strategically before he marched out of the room, Mitaka scooting along behind him.

"I should have taken the increase in size into account," Grantz noted, shaking her head.

"And not a word of thanks," Phasma noted. "How long will it take to synthesise sufficient to treat all those requiring doses?"

"About two hours," the scientist replied, turning to her screen and entering details, before starting the synthesis process once more. "Your cat will be easy to modify the retrovirus for and I should have a dose for her in a similar time frame." But then she shook her head. "The problem is...Ren." Hux frowned.

"What problem?" he asked.

"His condition has passed the point where I estimated it could be reversed," she admitted. "Analysis shows only eight percent human genetic code remaining." Phasma looked at the little shape, lying curled up on a diagnostic bed with Bacta patches on his wounds.

"You mean he may be stuck?" she asked evenly as Grantz sighed.

"It is very probable," she conceded. "However, I have procured direct genetic samples from Ren's quarters that hopefully will enable me to synthesise a specific reversal agent for him that may enable you to get him back." Hux frowned.

"I'm not even going to ask what samples you collected," he commented and sighed. "Okay. Captain-I am going to speak to the senior officers and then I will be back in exactly two hours." He stood up. "And Phasma-could you please look after Millicent please?" The Captain accepted the soft ginger porg and watched the General leave before she carefully sat down. Grantz looked at her.

"I am certain they never covered this in training," she commented. "So what else have these porgs been up to?"

-o0o-

When two hours passed, Hux returned and had his shot to prevent any ill effects from Ren's bite. The other patients-who were in quarantine in Medical-were all treated and Millicent was given her shot. It only took fifteen minutes for her to return to being her usual feline self, though Hux ensured he had a little cuddle of her porg self before she changed back.

Kylo remained unconscious, a small curled shape wrapped in Bacta patches. Phasma left to supervise the return of the remaining porgs to the surface and ensure that no one else got bitten in the process. Hux had placed an absolute quarantine on Valpanthus 3, labelling it as a world inimical to colonisation and the Finalizer was deploying First Order warning beacons in orbit to reinforce the prohibition.

Finally, Grantz announced that she had completed the cure and she turned to Hux.

"I can't guarantee it will work," she explained as the little black and white porg finally stirred, his sad face with the scar over his right eye looking hopefully up at Hux. "Anything you want to say to him, you may want to do it now." Hux sighed, then leaned forward to look into Kylo's eyes.

"I know we haven't always seen eye to eye," he began. "But...this isn't how I imagined this to go. If it doesn't work, I will look after you. Though I really have no idea what I will tell Snoke." He sighed. "And you are really, really cute...and I hope you never recall this." Then he gently scooped the little porg in his arms and gave him a final cuddle, looking over to Grantz and nodding. The scientist gave the porg a swift injection in his fluffbutt and he squawked and gave a panicked flap of his wings. Just as swiftly, the porg went limp and Hux laid him on the diagnostic bed and sat back in his chair.

Time passed and Grantz busied herself reviewing the results of her scans and samples of all the porgs while monitoring Kylo's condition. Hux sat in the seat, accepting a cup of very substandard caff and some very substandard rations as he watched over the porg and mentally reviewed the Starkiller Base plans and how he could improve them for Starkiller v2.0. Looking small and vulnerable-and certainly no longer responding like he had at the beginning-the little porg was breathing slowly. Hux pinched the bridge of his nose. He had no idea why he felt protective to the porg-who was actually his bitter rival-but there was something about Kylo the Porg that meant whoever encountered him felt he was extremely cute and wanted to cuddle him. He shook his head. Cute! Not an adjective that could have been applied to the man prior to his transformation...or if he turned back.

He was dozing and Grantz had stepped out to freshen up when he heard something-a sort of moan and groan and then a thud. Hux's eyes snapped open and he was on his feet as he stared at the diagnostic bed. No longer occupied by a cute porg, the tall and muscular shape of Kylo Ren was lying curled on his side, his various wounds taped with Bacta and his eyelids flickering. Suddenly his eyes snapped open and he sat bolt upright.

"AGH!" he yelled. Hux blinked.

"Really?" he commented. "I expected better from you for famous first words." Dark eyes flicked up as Kylo ran his fingers through wildly dishevelled raven hair.

"Hux," he growled, his voice hoarse. He gave small cough. "Kriff, it would have to be you."

"Thank you, Hux. I am very grateful for all the efforts you have made in saving my life several times and ensuring I got turned back to human!" Hux commented sarcastically. Curiously, he felt much more comfortable with the familiar antagonism. Kylo looked up.

"I had the most insane..." he murmured and then he blinked again. "Seriously-was I a porg?" Hux chuckled.

"Oh yes," he said with relish. "There is vid evidence. And multiple eyewitnesses. And scientific scans. And..."

"I get the idea," Kylo sighed, his tone heavy. "And how long are you going to bring this up for?" Hux took a deep breath.

"Much as I would love to enjoy the chaos and excessive cuteness you provided..." he began.

"I was NOT cute," Kylo growled as Hux managed a smirk.

"You were. You really were," he continued. "And let's not even mention the stampede of amorous females after you. And the fact that almost everyone wanted to cuddle you. Everyone. But it would be very detrimental to discipline to keep mentioning this. So in the interests of forgetting this whole debacle-and getting back to business, I am ordering that all mention of this unfortunate incident is expunged from the logs."

"Including the vids?" Kylo asked him suspiciously. Hux snorted.

"Most of them," he commented. "I have a couple I am not going to erase..." Kylo's fists clenched. Hux chuckled. "But I will not share them either. You have my word. No one will ever know this happened." Reluctantly recognising the best offer he was going to get-for now, Kylo nodded and swung his legs over the edge of the bed.

"Agreed," he said shortly. "And Hux? Thanks. I can't recall much...but I do remember you looking after me." Affording him a small nod of acknowledgement, the General accepted the gratitude as all the thanks he would get. Once Ren walked out of the room, their rivalry would be back to how it was.

"Now, we have a mission from Supreme Leader Snoke so I would recommend you get ready for action," Hux told him briskly. "He wishes to speak to you urgently as well." Kylo swung to his feet.

"Then it's time to get back to work," he growled and stomped towards the door. Hux stared after him and rolled his eyes. Perhaps he hadn't completely adjusted after all.

"Ren?"

"Yes?"

"You do know you're naked?"

The End.

A/N: I hope you all enjoyed the porg-related chaos. At times like this, we all need a laugh-and I had a lot of laughs writing this. I hope you had some reading it. Best wishes and take care of your fluffbutts! -harrypanther

A/N 2: In case you haven't had enough SW Porg craziness, Vala411 is writing a short sort-of sequel. Read at your peril! -hp