  We present the first ever X-ray data taken of an intermediate polar, FO Aqr,
when in a low accretion state and during the subsequent recovery. The Swift and
Chandra X-ray data taken during the low accretion state in July 2016 both show
a softer spectrum when compared to archival data taken when FO Aqr was in a
high state. The X-ray spectrum in the low state showed a significant increase
in the ratio of the soft X-ray flux to the hard X-ray flux due to a change in
the partial covering fraction of the white dwarf from $>85\%$ to
$70^{+5}_{-8}\%$ and a change in the hydrogen column density within the disc
from 19$^{+1.2}_{-0.9}\times 10^{22}$ cm$^{-2}$ to 1.3$^{+0.6}_{-0.3}\times
10^{22}$ cm$^{-2}$. XMM-Newton observations of FO Aqr during the subsequent
recovery suggest that the system had not yet returned to its typical high state
by November 2016, with the hydrogen column density within the disc found to be
15$^{+3.0}_{-2.0}$ cm$^{-2}$. The partial covering fraction varied in the
recovery state between $85\%$ and $95\%$. The spin period of the white dwarf in
2014 and 2015 has also been refined to 1254.3342(8) s. Finally, we find an
apparent phase difference between the high state X-ray pulse and recovery X-ray
pulse of 0.17, which may be related to a restructuring of the X-ray emitting
regions within the system.
