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Kylo side-eyed Ariel as she decided she wanted the painting, not sure of his opinion on it, but absolutely not wanting to own it. Especially not after that story of it being about love…on the inside. Which, those insides were definitely a bit too clear in that picture. He wouldn’t want to wake up to that sort of macabrely erotic art. He didn’t know if Ariel was getting it to spite him, or if she genuinely enjoyed it. He was willing to bet on the former.

‘At least it isn’t too expensive.’ Not that they really even had that, as Ariel soon proved as she made a show of digging out her money, from her cleavage, of all places. Kylo still eyed her, the judgment clear, before he rolled his eyes and looked away as Scoresby accepted the 15 credits. Likely, he cut it because they were friends of Paquin.

He started to rise when the exchange was done, their work here done, but paused with his hands on the table to push up as Scoresby commented on Gnaeus and Paquin. He snorted, as if it were amusing, but he didn’t feel any amusement as Gnaeus stumbled over his words, “Ah, we—I….,” and then Paquin spoke so he decided to just ignore it and brush it off as she did.

“Yes, we should be going,” Kylo said, an edge returning to his tone. “Thank you, professor,” curt, as he turned on heel to get back to the ship, and not tear the painting to pieces just to remind Ariel and the rest of them about attachments. It would be a useful prop later if that sort of lesson was needed. He would enjoy rending it to pieces and showing them exactly how far 'love' got them. Of proving that Gnaeus and Paquin's love meant nothing in the scheme of things.

Gnaeus sighed, “Sorry about him,” he said to the professor, and pulled himself up, “Thank you for the hand…I didn’t think I would be able to get one so soon after…,” he didn’t want to think about it. “Not the sort I wanted, anyway.” It would take time getting used to it, and the lag associated with it. He released the icy cup, and looked to the others, “Let’s go after our fearless leader.”

Who was steaming. At least they were getting out of there without incident, though. Did the Resistance not keep spies here any longer? Or perhaps they were just moving faster than the Resistance could – they were just going to get a hand after all.

~***~

Mace remained hostile, after Johann tried to calm it. August relaxed his grip, and Mira pulled her hand back with Hux’s touch. She did not step back, but the roll of her shoulder hinted that she would let Hux take the foreground. Her own posture relaxed.

“The Emperor defending the Knight,” August said, amused, “I believe you have your role reversed, Hux,” the Tarkin noted, “Johann is correct, I was coming to confirm things – and yes, I know of the Grakkus incident, that does not change my intentions. I have good spies on my staff, and I know better than to not watch a Hutt crime lord who dabbles in Jedi artifacts.” Honestly, far too many people ignored Grakkus. “You have Organa to thank for me knowing that name, though. Lando was asking who you were.” He refreshed, “And I had my spies look into it. Quite the history of political activism…it’s no wonder the story turned that they were killed by the Acolytes of the Beyond.”

“Acolytes of the what?” Mace asked.

Tarkin waved it off, expression darkening just a bit, “A splinter group of Dark side adherents with no Force powers whatsoever, but too many lightsabers and artifacts they didn’t understand. They basically destroyed themselves. Regardless,” he smiled again, too easily. He noticed Mira's gaze shift briefly back to Mace, something like 'I told you'.

Mace just sneered, before Mira's gaze returned to him, not at all softened under his implications. She should have killed him. If she were, indeed, a Knight, she would have cut him down for knowing that name and being a liability.

Yet, she was not a Knight any longer. August continued, “I did not come to cause any harm, only to make sure things were all right. Lares was not under my orders to find what I didn’t know there was to find.” The stone which Mira then tucked back into an interior pocket of her coat. “The matters of how easy the information on the Mandon family was to find, in light of all the shock news out there right now, is one that can wait to be addressed…before the Senate.” He let his gaze shift back to Mira.

“We’ll work on strategy for the Senate then, and,” he lifted his gaze to Mace, “perhaps you’ll want to return, as well.”

“Oh, you want a Jedi in the Senate now, Tarkin? I thought you didn’t support that.”

“I support you, seeing Snoke as the Greater Evil, and wanting nothing to do with Luke Skywalker’s Jedi Order.” His smile was almost coy, “and I think you know what that means by now, or you wouldn’t be sharing drinks with Master Vallens. You just like playing hard to get.” He teased, the play coming off in his posture as he took his step back, keeping the environment light in spite of the tense postures, “And by the looks of it, so do you,” spoken to Mira with a wink, before he turned on his heel to leave them in the tension, the warnings hanging with the subtle advice in the air.

The Mandon family information had been too easy to access. That meant, Snoke was going to use it – and try to destroy Mira with it. And the only way the new Order was rising above those rumors, was with Mace Windu backing it.

Mira didn’t bother covering the tanktop back up. She simply asked, “Do I get demoted if I punch him in the face?” in a deadpan monotone. She didn’t lose her temper, at least, still keeping her emotions contained even with the void stone near.

~***~

Cibor wasn’t known for wasting time when he wanted something, even if he did waste a lot of time otherwise. Like with the guild he and August were in – that was a huge waste of time – or betting on pod races. Rigging pod races, better said. He saw the shadows of the twins as they descended upon him, but didn’t look up to meet their gaze. “You seemed to need a wingman, Alexander,” Cibor noted, “You crashed and burned with the Admiral pretty badly. And made Julia lose a bet – and Ransolm.” What else did the Tarkins do but watch their parties and bet on nonsense?

It was a way they honed their people-reading skills, though.

“But I suppose I need something of a wingman,” he gestured idly to the table where Phasma was, “Woman with blonde hair. Silver bits of armor. Lieutenant-General Phasma – probably the only one here that actually deserves her rank,” he felt no shame in saying it. Hux wasn’t a General. Mira wasn’t an Admiral. Despite that respect he may have for Phasma, that didn’t change his intentions. "Well, and Terex, but fuck him." Terex being an agent who was somehow fucking better than him. Cibor wouldn't admit it, but he did know it, and it pissed him off to no end.

“She’s been drinking, and information on her is a black hole, like she doesn’t exist. I’d like some information on her. Assume I want to date her,” he rolled his eyes a bit then, “So, you know, the basics…full name, where she’s from, anything that could help.”

Nothing like First Order secrets, no, that was hands-off. “Get me that, I’ll help you with…whatever,” he shrugged. There was always something. Information was as good of currency as credits. “An I-Owe-You if you need nothing now.” As always. And he was always good for it.
 
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Paquin sighed at Kylo’s sudden change in mood. She didn’t understand what caused it, other than him being Kylo. Gnaeus beat her to apologizing for him. Paquin rose as her old professor spoke, “Don’t worry about him! I’ve taught kids worse than him.” Scoresby had a knowing tone to his voice, eyeing the man as he stormed off. “I’m glad that I could help you out, Mr. Ren! Let me know if there’s anything else you lot ever need! Keep in touch, Ms. Kent.”

“Will do, Professor Scoresby.” Paquin held out her hand for him to shake, and of course he used both his hands to shake hers. “Thank you.”

“Yeah, thanks, professor!” Ariel chimed in as she gathered her new art piece, standing.

“No problem. Enjoy the painting and the hand. Not at the same time, though.” The man joked.

Ariel snorted. “I like him.” Ariel turned then. “Let’s not keep Kylo waiting. I wonder where he got the stick and when he found the time to shove it up his ass.” Ariel grumbled as she followed after the man.

Paquin gave a final wave to her former teacher, giving the place a quick glance, looking for Maz. Paquin had some questions she wondered if Maz could answer. But alas, there was no time. Paquin followed after the redhead, not thinking until they were in the ship about trying to beat her to the front passenger seat. But Ariel was already ahead and took the spot. Paquin pouted ever so slightly, taking up the seat behind her.

Paquin couldn’t stop the thought that it was her seat, not Ariel’s. She gently shook her head. It was stupid, it was just a seat. Nothing more. It didn’t have her name on it. ‘Maybe I should put my name on it.’ That was dumb. Besides, she didn’t think she had enough time served to be claiming anything.

So, she sticked to pouting behind Ariel.

-

‘Emperor and the Knight.’ Hux wasn’t an Emperor and Mira wasn’t a Knight. Hux didn’t like the feeling that he was being mocked.

Hux wanted to flat out tell Mira that she couldn’t attend the Senate meeting with August. Not because her name and family was so easily accessible, but rather because August was doing nothing to earn the General’s trust. But he wouldn’t do that. He knew this would be good for Mira and hopefully the Order. Besides, it didn’t seem like Mira liked him that much at all. Anymore, anyway. He wasn’t quite sure of her thoughts of him before.

And what did he mean by Mira liked to play hard to get?

He shook his head, no longer caring. “Only if you get to punch him before I do.” Hux watched the Tarkin disappear into the crowd, his son following after him. Hux’s posture relaxed. He turned to Mira, releasing her arm. “Are you alright?” Hux looked over her, ginger eyebrows furrowing at her outfit. “What are you wearing?” And what did ‘White Cherry’ mean? Was it a band? He was so not with the times.

“Never mind, it doesn’t matter.” Mira’s fashion choices were her own. It just…wasn’t something he expected her to wear. “I’m beginning to think I should talk to August about setting more boundaries.” Not that he figured the man had any concept or care for them.

How much longer did they have to work with him?

Forever. Probably. Long enough to get the First Order in power. Or some form of acceptable power situated. Not the New Republic.

But first, they’d have to deal with Snoke. Which who knew how long that would take. It took the Rebels thirty years to overthrow Emperor Palpatine. Situations were different, Hux knew that. But he’d like to be alive when the First Order and their allies prevailed.

Hux looked to the others then. “Finn, Mace Windu.” Hux nodded in greeting. “Didn’t you fall out of a windu? I—er, meant window.”

-

Alexander and Caius looked to where Cibor gestured, both of their eyes widening. “That’s Phasma? Damn!” Alexander expressed his shock. That’s not what he expected to be under all that silver armor. He expected some homely looking woman, but Phasma was not homely. She was surprisingly stunning. And Alexander had to admit, he admired the woman. She was worthy of her rank.

“Fuck Terex, Terex doesn’t deserve anything.” Alexander snapped back to reality. No one liked Terex.

The brothers turned back to Cibor. Glanced at each other, almost as if they were talking telepathically. Many theorized that they could, thinking they had some connection through the Force. The twins never confirm or deny that theory, liking to have the illusion of mystery. But in reality, they spent their entire lives together. They knew how to read each other.

And they knew that Cibor’s offer was one sweet deal.

“You’ve got yourself a deal, Yularen.” Alexander grinned. “You stay back, brother. I’ve got this. I don’t need a wingman when I actually want someone.” Hey, maybe after getting Cibor’s information for him, something else would flower from the conversation. The younger Motti really wouldn’t mind slipping away with the woman, First Order and all.

Alexander stood from his seat, already springing into action. He stopped by the bar, grabbing two shots. He figured that was safe enough, no acquired taste really needed for it. Not like whiskey or something along those lines.

He made his way to the woman and her partner. What was his name? Marshmallow or something? Didn’t matter. “Greeting, pretty lady,” his plan was to act like he didn’t know who she was, figured she wouldn’t become suspicious of his intentions that way. And it wouldn’t be hard to believe since no one outside of the Order even knew what she looked like. “The name’s Alexander," He placed the shot in front of her. "Yours?” Phasma, he knew. He figured that’d be the answer he got, as well. He might be able to press on the issue.

“Um,” Mitaka looked from Alex to Phasma but said nothing more.
 
Gnaeus did flush a bit at Scoresby’s parting comment of the hand and the painting, shaking his head, “No,” even as Ariel commented that she liked this one. He was pretty sure he would not be using this fake hand for such activities. He’d likely end up hurting himself more than enjoying himself, with its lag and lack of sensation. He wasn’t going to try and find pleasure with that hand, ever. Not to mention the whole taking it off thing…he was pretty sure it wouldn’t slip off his stump, but that’d be pretty awkward to deal with.

It was going to be awkward enough learning to fight with it.

When they got to the ship, Ariel took her place at Kylo’s side, and Gnaeus slipped into the seat behind, sighing a bit and looking down at the mismatched arm in his lap, while Kylo just started the ship silently once they were all within its confines.

“So what are we doing first?” Gnaeus asked, noting that Paquin now seemed to be pouting. He wasn’t sure why. Did she want to linger more with Scoresby? ‘Probably.’

“Grakkus first, then we’ll get the ship,” Kylo said. “And split between it. I’ll be taking Ariel’s ship, and Ariel will come with me,” it was her ship, after all, even if he still disliked the thought of Paquin and Gnaeus alone together in this ship. “You two will continue in this ship.”

“And we’re going to Korriban after, right?”

“Yes,” he answered. They had supplied it with food. Until new orders came from Snoke, that was where they’d have to be.

Gnaeus tried to relax in his seat. He looked back down at the hand and took it off, set it aside. He would wear it around Grakkus, but he didn’t want to wear it then. He didn’t like it. He wouldn’t like it.

Kylo heard the ‘pop’ as the suction was released, after he’d shifted them into lightspeed, and he looked back and saw what Gnaeus had done. “You’re not going to get used to it that way,” he pointed out.

Gnaeus didn’t answer. He didn’t want to get used to it.

“Put it back on.”

“I don’t—”

“That wasn’t a request.”

Gnaeus glared at him for it, grabbed the arm, and twisted it back on.

~***~

Mira did smirk a bit at Hux’s comment on how she’d get demoted. “Understood, General.” No punching August before Hux. At least it lightened the tension a bit, and when Hux let her go, she did relax, even if she hadn’t minded the gesture. She looked away from the ginger, and back to Hux, the rest of the table, “I’m all right,” she answered, “and these…were all I had.” For the clothes. She needed to fix this clothing problem.

Finn kept silent on what it meant, thankfully, though she saw the smile on his lips. Lack of Force wouldn’t have saved him if he said anything. She shook her head though as Hux mentioned setting boundaries. It wasn’t necessary. August was, perhaps, expressing his power in the wrong way, but he was also making a very clear point, one Mira had understood through the haze of anger.

She actually needed Mace. She was glad she’d made her offer about involving him, rather than pushing him away. So far as the Gray Jedi was concerned, she did need him…because she couldn’t stand on her own in the senate with her history.

Attention shifted then to the people with her, and Mace scowled at Hux’s words, especially as Mira tried to cover her lips and cover her laugh, “Yeah, laugh it up, Vallens. You survive a fall from the Emperor’s apartment in Coruscant.”

“No thanks….” Did not want to try that.

He looked to Hux then, “Yes. I did. What’s your point, Emperor?” He might not like Tarkin, but he liked his nicknames right then, and he didn’t like Hux. First Order who had taken his son? Not to his tastes. Working with Vallens? Also, potentially, bad.

“Master Windu,” Mira spoke more calmly then, “Aren’t you forgetting the whole peacekeeper aspect? He is General Hux, not Emperor. Not yet.” Smirked, as if it could ever be a possibility. She knew it couldn’t. Wouldn’t. It wasn’t what they’d discussed with Leia, though they had discussed options for centralizing things a bit better than they were. “You’re not going to maintain peace if you insult everyone you disagree with, and the General has agreed to work with the Resistance, and has removed the Knights of Ren from the First Order. He is in favor of changing things for the better.” And he would be respected for it.

“He also destroyed an entire system of planets,” Mace reminded, but did change his tone. Fine. Peacekeeping. He supposed if he was ever going to preach on the Jedi ways of peacekeeping, he should start exhibiting diplomacy. “Fine. General Hux, what is your point? Do you not believe I’m Master Windu, or are you just a fan of stating the obvious?”

~***~

Cibor was amused with the reactions of the twins to Phasma, though it seemed a fairly common one. No one expected her to be a beauty. ‘Hux has a thing for blondes.’ Cibor was fairly certain of that. He was making sure to feed all the right propaganda to the tabloids. Soon, enough people would know how Phasma looked, and those lovely stories that Julia loved would be popping up everywhere. Love triangles for the General, his Admiral and his Lieutenant-General in a feud…trashy nonsense.

Necessary, trashy, nonsense. It was a way of humanizing Hux, even if it also shamed him a bit. August dealt with all kinds of things like that, even some Cibor himself had initiated. Mostly it was initiated by his enemies, but now and then, an idea was just far too amusing.

Like Ransolm and Leia. Yeah, that was definitely hitting the tabloids, too. Cibor hoped that Leia’s son would see it, and flip his shit.

“Thank you, Alexander,” he said, and let him leave, grinning to Caius, “How well do you think he’s going to do?” Couldn’t help but ask. Alexander could sometimes be charming enough, but Cibor would have bet on Caius standing a better chance than Alexander.


At the table with the officers, Phasma glanced up as she was approached. Not many dared with those surrounding her, though she’d seen some of the looks. The alcohol had done its work at making her less self-conscious over the course of the night, fortunately, and so with flushed cheeks and bright eyes she looked up at the man who approached and actually smiled. It was still slight, but it was there.

She wasn’t at all accustomed to this. “Phasma,” she answered, and expected him to recoil or become startled, as some others, men and women, did. She glanced at the shot put down in front of her, as she heard Mitaka’s little noise. She looked over to him.

“Alexander Motti?” Mitaka asked then, and Phasma recalled seeing him then, at the meeting with August earlier. Right. She hadn’t paid him much attention, and he wouldn’t know her out of her armor.

“I remember you,” she decided the shot was safe enough. He wouldn’t try poisoning her now, and so she took it up, expecting now that he had her name and might remember her from the same meeting, he’d be disappointed, intentions with his compliment dashed with the name, “you can join us if you like,” though she expected him to go scurry off somewhere. She had the shot at least.
 
Paquin settled into the back seat finally when Gnaeus asked what they were doing first. It wasn’t until Kylo said that they’d be splitting off into pairs that Paquin really listened. Her nose scrunched ever so slightly and she had that feeling again. Not so much that Kylo was hers like the seat was. But she and Kylo had been somewhat of a team these whole time. Albeit they weren’t always a good team, but one nonetheless.

She didn’t like splitting up.

But she rationalized with herself. It was Ariel’s ship in the first place so of course she’d want her ship. And Kylo hated the one that they were forced to use. Not to mention that Ariel, a drunk, and Gnaeus in the state that he was in probably wouldn’t be the best pair to leave alone. Not that she, someone who could barely fly a ship, and Gnaeus would fair much better.

Whatever, she didn’t speak up to voice her opinion. She’d go with it, even if she didn’t like it. Even if she didn’t know why she didn’t like it.

Her attention turned to Kylo and Gnaeus. More specifically, Gnaeus. She shifted herself to face Gnaeus, gently nudging his foot with her own. “Can you please at least try to get used to it?” She asked quietly. “That’s all I ask,” what went unsaid was that it was all she’d ask in exchange for attempting to manifest his actual hand. That and not to put all his faith in her actually being able to do it


Tatooine was a vastly different landscape than the previous planet they were on. Where Takodana was nothing but green, Tatooine was nothing but sand.

“Ugh, we’re so stupid. Why is it that we only have black armor?” Ariel complained. She felt like she’d sweat all the alcohol that was left in her body out as soon as they would step out into the heat. “And how are we actually laying low here? Grakkus’s casino is wildly popular and we’re us.” She supposed all they could do is not make a scene. Either way, she stood up, leaning her new painting against the seat she just occupied.

-

Again with the stupid Emperor nickname. Hux found it silly and would go as far as saying it was childish. And now it was coming from someone who knew the Emperor, was thrown out the man’s window.

And again with the Starkiller thing. Yes, he destroyed an entire system of planets. Yes, it didn’t pan out exactly how he thought it would. But he didn’t regret it. Maybe he should feel bad about it, or at least pretend to. But it was war, measures have to be taken during war. Surely other people would have to understand that by now.

“I’m just a fan of stating the obvious. But, also a bit of both. If the fall didn’t kill you, your alleged age should have. But, I suppose Finn’s—“ it was still strange calling the former Stormtrooper ‘Finn’, “—origin makes a bit more sense.” Obviously Hux had seen his files, but the whole Windu name never led to actual Mace Windu.

First, Mace was going to take the age comment as not a compliment, but not an insult. And second, “What, you think Windu’s that common of a name?” Mace was surprised that Windu was the name Ada had given Finn, not Zain like hers.

“No, but I figured it was more likely than him being the child of Mace Windu, a supposedly long dead Jedi. But, if Mira and Finn think you’re the real deal,” and everyone else, “and with your…personality, I believe it.” And on the subject of Finn, Hux turned to Finn. “By the way, I’m sure you’d be happy to know that the current Stormtrooper program will likely be disbanded.” Hux would still have to discuss other means of acquiring soldiers, but his father’s program was proving to be ineffective.

His father’s program that had been based on a failing program of the Jedi.

And Hux supposed he should apologize to Finn for taking him away from his mother and raising him to be a soldier, but he wouldn’t. Another thing he didn’t actually regret.

“Really? That is happy news.” If only it had come twenty-something years beforehand. Finn glanced at his father as if to say ‘people really do change’.

Hux looked to Mira again, “If you’d like I could get a droid to do a fitting for you,” for an FO uniform. So she’d have something to wear that wasn’t what she was wearing right then. But Hux also knew that Mira had her own…style. And perhaps wearing a First Order uniform to a Senate meeting or to upstart the Gray Jedi wasn’t really appropriate. But then again, she wore his old coat to most places.

Which Hux inwardly smirked at. It was…warming? Hux didn’t know.

“What exactly are you doing here anyway, Hux? Obviously not to get Mira new clothes.” Finn questioned. “I wouldn’t have expected you.”

“I want to see Phasma drunk,” having fun. “And to see August drunk.” And maybe get a glass of wine. The bar had to have some, right? Though he doubted it was any good.

-

“Ugh,” Caius groaned in response as he watched his brother leave. “Honestly, no idea.” His brother was charming, yes, but to a select type of people. Caius didn’t think that Lieutenant-General Phasma was exactly apart of that group.

“Maybe I should’ve gone instead,” Caius admitted as he turned to Cibor. But now he couldn’t because if he went up there after his brother failed, it would look rather suspicious. “Sorry, Cibor.” Caius apologized prematurely on behalf of his brother. But then he turned back to find his brother, spotting him pulling up a chair to sit at Phasma’s table. It didn’t look like anyone was angry yet. That one dark-haired man she’d come with seemed to be confused, but nothing more.

“On second thought, maybe he’s got this?” Caius didn’t sound entirely sure about that.



Meanwhile, Alexander feigned surprise when he heard the name, eyebrows furrowing in ‘shock’. But he didn’t run away as she expected him to. Instead, he pulled out a chair and sat himself down. “Phasma? Really? I’ll be honest…I wasn’t expecting you to be so lovely under that helmet.” Not a lie, as he expressed those thoughts only moments ago to other people. But again, he reiterated for the purpose of the ‘mission’.

Alexander went to take his shot, but saw that Phasma had already downed hers. He instead placed his shot in front of her. “You can have that one if you’d like, all I have to do is raise my hand to get more.” Alexander shrugged it off. Plus, it helped in his plan to get Phasma a little less sober to get a little more information out of her. He glanced to Mitaka then, “Sorry, I didn’t bring anything for you to drink. If you want—“

“I’m alright!” Mitaka insisted, still having barely sipped the beer he had gotten. Mitaka glanced to Phasma then, wondering if he should leave the two alone. It was obvious Alexander’s intentions when coming over here had been to flirt. Or do more than flirt.

Alexander nodded, turning back to the pretty blonde. “I don’t want to sound rude, but are you and the General actually a thing or?” Alexander knew they weren’t. But he wanted to get into asking more questions, so when he asked where she was from or what her actual name was, they wouldn’t sound like they were coming out of the blue. And asking if she and Hux were together, an actual speculation, wasn’t at all suspicious in the case of him pursuing her.
 
Gnaeus caught the hint in Paquin’s tone. He wouldn’t try to get used to it, but he would at least pretend to be getting used to it, for Paquin’s sake, and the sanity of everyone else. He still looked down at it once it had twisted back on with disdain, and he stayed looking at it even as the ship shuddered out of lightspeed and Tatooine must have appeared in sight. He didn’t look to it, though the light around them changed once they entered the atmosphere, becoming horribly bright with the threat of all that warmth. “I’ll try,” he murmured.

Kylo was not at all enthused with the thought of leaving the ship, either. “We’ll get into the casino quickly, we won’t have to suffer this heat long.” And he intended to land the ship near the casino, with its obnoxious fountain outside. Grakkus certainly showcased his wealth as they came nearer to the building.

“That doesn’t answer how we’re laying low.”

“…I’m not concerned with that,” Kylo answered. There was no way they were going to lay low here, but as in Takodana, they would be long gone before anyone from the Resistance showed up. “Just don’t go waving around your lightsabers or use any obvious Force tricks, and that should be sufficient…unless we need to,” but they shouldn’t need to. Grakkus was on their side. Even if he didn’t like that he’d have to give up items, it was the cost of possibly letting Mira get away with something that was helping her to fend off Snoke.

He lowered the ship and landed it quickly, “Remember, we need kyber crystals for new lightsabers for Gnaeus and Ariel, and then anything that seems…useful we’ll be taking, as well. We also need to find out what Mira took,” he told them as he rose from his seat once the ship was parked.

Gnaeus gave a nod. The kyber crystal would be interesting…he was curious as to how the lightsaber would turn out once he made it, with a real crystal, not synthetic. So, he would rise to follow Kylo out once the man made his way to exit the ship and head out to the casino. Though, the heat struck him, painfully. Even Kylo winced.

~***~

‘The Force has its perks.’ Mace didn’t say that, though, just smirked as Hux tried to wrap his head around how he was still alive. By human standards he probably should be dead because of his age, but he felt much younger than he was. Not that much younger…but not as old as he should be. He didn’t feel as if he were dying just yet, though he probably shouldn’t try facing off with a lightsaber with any of these young punks.

Not that his pride would give him a choice if it came to it.

And Mace raised his eyebrows as Hux spoke of disbanding the Stormtrooper program, which even seemed to surprise Finn, but as Mace saw Finn’s look, he also saw the way Mira smiled, and the Jedi Master canted his head. ‘Grey Jedi. Admiral of the First Order.’ Attachments. So many attachments had led her here, hadn’t they? Attachment to Ada had been his fall, but not only that.

Attachment to even the Jedi and the Republic had led to his fall – his anger at Sheev Palpatine had caused him to forsake their traditions because he was afraid that Sheev would use his position to destroy all that he held dear. Yet, that attachment brought about Finn…and it was causing changes in the First Order, turning it from being a new Empire.

Maybe Hux wasn’t an Emperor. He was only here to see people get drunk and be entertained.

“Please,” Mira sighed at Hux’s offer, relieved even to hear it. “I don’t think it’d be appropriate to wear this, or my old armor…,” which she knew was still somewhere in the skiff. Mace just hadn’t given her enough time to find it.

“Well, I think Phasma is drunk,” Finn said, leaning a bit to the side, “Or else she actually likes that Motti guy.”

Mira glanced back, then tried to look to where Phasma was over the other heads, and indeed – Alexander Motti was joining Phasma, and Mitaka was leaving. “That’s…not what I expected.” She made another mental note about why she should never drink again.

“I don’t think August is going to get drunk like that, though,” Finn sounded a bit disappointed. Drunk August might be entertaining. Unless he was an angry drunk, but Finn didn’t think he would turn out to be.

~***~

Phasma did snort at Alexander’s comment on how lovely she was. It wasn’t the first time, nor would it be the last time, people were surprised by her appearance. She was a normal human under it all, like Finn, and the rest. Just because they hid themselves beneath layers of armor did not mean they were repulsive beasts. His shot was offered to her, after she’d downed it, and there was a part of her mind that told her she really already had enough to drink. ‘What’s one more?’ “Thank you,” she took it, and shot it back, as Mitaka spoke about being all right with nothing. “Mitaka’s a light-weight.”

Phasma didn’t consider herself one, even if she did not drink often, and when she did, it was usually wine. Wine was…fairly easy to get on Starkiller.

Phasma shook her head at Alexander’s question, “Negative,” she understood why people thought that, but it couldn’t be further from the truth, “As much as you and Tarkin, I suspect,” he was a leader that she admired, with an agenda she could support. She served Hux to see those ends, and was able to adapt to the current changes. She even supported some. “Hux isn’t seeing anyone,” not Mira, not herself, no one.

Though that was just the present. Phasma was pretty sure she’d know if anything happened.

Mitaka was pretty sure he knew where this was going, so he rose, “I should, er, go…check on food options,” he figured that was easy enough, and Phasma just waved him off. He was pretty sure Alexander wasn’t about to protest.

“Are you trying to find out if I’m actually single?” He knew who she was, and he was asking if she was seeing Hux…this was by far one of the boldest people she’d met. And she normally wouldn’t ask that sort of question, either, just casually dismiss such things, but the alcohol was speaking to her a bit. She spoke ahead of her thoughts.
 
Paquin wasn’t sure if she believed Gnaeus when he said he’d try, but it gave her momentary relief. Paquin let Ariel pass by her first and then followed last, being the last to be exposed to the heat. She almost immediately felt the two suns starting to burn her skin already. ‘I’m too pale for this.’ She couldn’t help but think as she squinted to see in the light. They all were too pale. Except for Gnaeus, probably. He was a lot more tan than the lot of them.

Ariel wished they had stopped to get her ship first, so she’d have something white or at least not black to wear. But she supposed they’d landed close enough to the casino that it wouldn’t matter in the grand scheme of things. And she longed for a sip of alcohol. But she knew not to drink any from the casino, even if Grakkus was supposed to be on their side.

“Well, that’s kind of nice,” Paquin gestured to the fountain. The large, blue fountain. It looked refreshing, Paquin wanted to just step into it. It was extravagant…and likely very expensive. Was there even any naturally occurring water on the planet?

Ariel looked to the fountain, then to Paquin, “It’s gaudy. But if I were that rich I’d have one too.”

And that was the last of their outdoor exposure. The doors of the casino opened for them and they were greeted by sweet air conditioning and incredibly loud patrons. The place certainly smelled like a casino. An alien came by them, offering drinks that Ariel almost accepted out of instinct, but she quickly drew her hand back and waved the alien away.

“So, how exactly are we supposed to find Grakkus?” Paquin questioned as she looked around the place. They were most certainly out of place compared to those finely dressed, but the black helped them blend in, she supposed.

But they wouldn’t have to find Grakkus, as Grakkus found them. Or rather, his people did. Even if the black helped them be not so obvious, they had been expecting the group. What really gave them away was the lightsaber at Paquin’s hip that she attempted to conceal with her hand. Two aliens and one human dressed in suits crowded around the Knights. “Come,” some sort of reptilian creature instructed, seeming to be the leader of the three. “Which one of you is Kylo Ren?” He went on to ask, assuming it was the biggest of the four, with the facial scar. No one had actually seen any of the Knights’ faces before. “Grakkus wants to talk to you.”

-

“I’ll get a droid to take your measurements later tonight and make sure they have something ready for you in the morning.” Hux informed Mira, who seemed rather relieved. He didn’t have his datapad with him, otherwise, he would’ve set it up right then and there. But later would work. He didn’t think Mira was going to get drunk. The only thing she ever got buzzed off of was coffee. Maybe one day he’d get her to try Arkanis coffee.

On the subject of clothes, Hux briefly debated whether she should get her own Admiral jacket or not. Maybe, but for now, he liked her having his coat.

Finn said something about Phasma being drunk, and Hux had to look. And there Phasma was, with said Motti guy. It took Hux a second to think of which one it was, but he knew that Caius was the more put together of the two, and from that decided the one with Phasma was Alexander. “I…don't know if I like that.” Hux wasn’t jealous or anything, but rather disapproving. Maybe even protective. The story might’ve been different if it was the other twin, but Hux didn’t much like either of the Motti’s approaching his Lieutenant-General.

But as long as it was a harmless interaction…Phasma was an adult. And hopefully wasn’t so drunk that she’d sleep with the man or anything. Force forbid Phasma slept with Alexander Motti.

“You haven’t met either of the twins yet, have you?” Hux turned to Mira then. “They were quite critical of you—“ and himself, “—in our meetings.” He thought to tell her.

“Oh, we’ve met the both of them.” Mace rolled his eyes.

Hux frowned. That didn’t sound good.

“Critical seems like an understatement,” Finn mumbled. “Those guys really don’t like Mira. Or even you for that matter. And made quite a few…unflattering comments.” Finn had no problem telling Hux about the two. “They came around right before the whole nexu scene.”

“Is it something I need to speak with Tarkin about?” A growing list, it seemed. But Hux wasn’t going to tolerate these threats or untoward comments coming from any of August’s people. Hux only came to the bar to be amused by the drunks, August hopefully being one of them. He hadn’t wanted to attend to any business, but he would if he had to.

-

Alexander barely acknowledged Mitaka’s leave. It didn’t matter much whether the man was there or not, but it probably helped if he wasn’t.

Phasma shot down the idea of her and Hux being together. Or Hux being with anyone for that matter. Alexander believed that Phasma hadn’t been with Hux, but not so much that Hux isn’t seeing anyone. Alexander was fairly certain Hux had some sort of relations with his supposed Admiral. They had to have. Right?

Even if they hadn’t slept together, it wasn’t going to stop Alexander from implying it or teasing them about it.

“Maybe. Believe it or not, I’m not the type to pursue a taken woman. Alright, that’s a lie. I’m not the type to pursue a woman potentially taken by the General of the First Order.” Alexander would try and keep the First Order and Imperial talk to a minimum. “But now that I know that you’re available…” Alexander trailed off with a wink.

The Motti raised his hand, they needed more drinks. He didn’t look around to make sure anyone saw him, he knew his request had been seen and that drinks would be coming around soon enough. There was the thought in the back of his mind that he could actually still score that night, even after getting what information he wanted out of Phasma. Sure, it probably wasn’t a good idea to sleep with someone he’d have to work with continuously. But wouldn’t it be so worth it?

But that would have to wait until after he finished his questions. And he was sure whether or not Phasma was single was not the info Cibor wanted. Though it did squash a very long running rumor. Not that there still wouldn’t be jokes about it.

It was then that drinks were brought to the table, as expected. This time it was something a little more than shots. Some conception Alexander didn’t recognize. He hoped it would do well to get Phasma just a teensy bit tipsier. “So, Phasma…is that the only name you have? Is there some nickname you wouldn’t mind me calling you by? Phasma seems too formal. And we’re not working here, are we?”

He was. Sort of.
 
“You’d have a vodka fountain, Ariel,” Gnaeus chuckled, “not water.” At least he could joke on that, even under the oppressive heat, before they were welcomed in by the air conditioned building. He took in a deep breath, and shivered as the chill moved through him, then felt immensely out of place. ‘Voids….’ And again, he thought of Kevan.

As did Kylo. He could almost see him there with a glass of champagne, cheating at dice. Kevan had dealt with Grakkus more than any of them ever had. Kylo had never even met Grakkus, and he idly wondered if Grakkus was actually on their side, considering Kevan’s ties, and Mira passing through. “This could still be a trap,” he murmured, “be prepared.” Just in case.

They were approached then by three in suits, and they asked which of them was Kylo Ren. “I am,” he answered, not leaving the question to hang in the air. Gnaeus gave a consenting nod, and the three accepted it without question.

“Come with us. The rest of you—”

“They are all coming with me,” Kylo stated, feeling more on edge when they tried to separate them.

“Grakkus has no business with them.”

“He does, actually. Unless he wants to explain this to Snoke.” Kylo wasn’t going to back down from this, and the three before him obviously didn’t have enough authority to consider getting Grakkus in trouble with Snoke.

“…This way.” The Human was the one to speak, and gestured them on. Kylo followed, with Gnaeus and the rest as well, as they were led out from the casino area and through the halls, into an elevator, and eventually, into a rather lavishly decorated room where Grakkus was reclining on a floating litter.

The reptilian one introduced them, sort of, “Grakkus, these are the Knights of Ren. This is Kylo Ren,” gestured to him.

“I only needed to speak with him.”

“I insisted,” Kylo stated, “You’re not in a position to be giving orders to us,” he stated. “We are here because you allowed the renegade knight Mira to walk away with multiple artifacts that could be used against us, and we need an accounting of those, as well as to make sure any other items of note are more safely kept.”

Grakkus’s eyes narrowed, “How will they be more safely kept?”

“With us,” Kylo didn’t flinch in saying it. “They will be returned to you,” eventually, “or paid for if they are too dangerous to be in your hands.” This was likely not reassuring to Grakkus.

~***~

Mira knew her measurements by heart from all the armor sizing and adjusting, but she didn’t note that. There was the chance for changes, such was the annoying part of the human body, and she hadn’t exactly been on anything resembling a normal regimen for a bit. She would have to fix that. Hopefully, training Finn would help to resolve that.

Phasma was distracting enough, and Mira rolled her eyes when Hux mentioned the twins disapproving of her, “They made their disapproval fairly clear,” Mira stated, “I only let them know they hadn’t proven anything to me, either.” She sipped the coffee.

“Understatement,” Mace noted.

Mira added, “You don’t need to intervene with August. I don’t intend to start any fights with them. They’ll learn, or they won’t – I doubt it will affect much, so long as the alliance stands.” Mira would still go out of her way to protect them no matter how rude they were. She didn’t care if they would or wouldn’t for her – had a feeling they would if only to rub it in her face that they saved her. “But let’s enjoy the scenery instead. Should one of us intervene to save Phasma from that conversation?” She chuckled, “Or should we just see how far it goes, and observe who else gets wasted?”

Mira’s eyes flickered about. She saw Black Squad, Poe, Jessika, and they looked to be enjoying themselves quite a bit, even if there was another she didn’t recognize with them. Poe had a hand clapped over his shoulder as he seemed to be telling a story.

August had been pulled to dance by his wife, and it was definitely not a waltz, considering the music and Julia’s clear disregard for where they were, though he did seem to be gradually lowering her hands and shifting back, though unwillingly.

Leia was elsewhere, reddened cheeks and musing expression as she watched everything from a higher perch. Terex had vanished, or something. “Oh, that reminds me – before you get too drunk, Finn, we’re training at around…4 am or so.” Before dawn.

Finn nearly coughed as he swallowed the drink he was taking. “W-what?” Finn was startled. “Why so early?”

“Because we have to go to Coruscant early.”

“And you’re drinking coffee….” Mace pointed out. Did she expect to sleep.

“Cheers,” Mira toasted Mace, who just groaned and leaned back in his chair. He already made a note to be there, as well. He had to oversee what his son was taught.

~***~

Phasma did arch an eyebrow as Alexander implied he didn’t pursue taken women – implying he would pursue her. She briefly thought that she ought to turn him away then, end this before it was taken too far and the man got his hopes up, only to be dashed, but she didn’t. Perhaps it was the alcohol. It had to be the alcohol, Phasma wasn’t normally this curious to see how far someone would go to try and pursue her. She didn’t care about these things, not that she really…had opportunities to care.

Her head was swimming when more of the drinks arrived, and she canted her head at it, but lifted it up and brought it to her lips as Alexander asked more questions. She drank it down, the burn lighting her body up. “Mm. No. Just Phasma. Well,” she shrugged, “PH-0211.” Such an old name, now. The PH corps remained her favorites, even if once the FN corps had been better.

Not so any longer.

She likely had a name and parents, once. She had the privilege to look at her file, but it didn’t indicate a name. It mentioned the place of birth, it mentioned her parents, but to her they meant nothing. She did not know if they were alive or dead, and it did not matter to her. The best thing in her life had been being taken away from them to serve the First Order, and be a part of something so much greater for the universe. “Elevens, or they tried to call me Elevens,” she never accepted it.

It was too…personal, then. She had wanted and enjoyed being 0211. Her squadmates had been too informal.

“I suppose they call you Alex as a nickname?” Obvious, perhaps, “Or is there a unique spin on Alexander I’m unaware of?” Xander, maybe?

Before an answer could come, Phasma was momentarily startled by the new voice that came over the stereo system, the new singer.

“I’m trying to put you in the worst mood, ah
P1 cleaner than your church shoes, ah
Milli point two just to hurt you, ah.”

Most had faded to the background, but this amused her, and she looked up to see August Tarkin actually on the stage, and she couldn’t help but laugh. Even he was up there singing! Of all the things she didn’t expect, that was one of them.

“All red Lamb just to tease you, ah
None of these toys on lease, too, ah
Made your whole year in a week, too, ah…”

And from Poe’s table, Bertrand shouted, "You fucking hate Lambs!" and then fell back into laughter as Poe looked torn between amused and concerned.
 
Grakkus’s attempt to separate them was unsuccessful. The only thing it was successful in was arising suspicion in both of the female Knights. Ariel was glad she’d had enough strength not to drink anything from the place. Who knows what sort of trick that could have been.

And as they moved through the casino, Ariel took note of all the looks they’d earned, because of course they’d be noticed. But she wondered how many of them worked for Grakkus. Did all of them work for Grakkus? No, there was no way all of them could work for the Hutt.

Ariel was paranoid. Maybe it was the lack of alcohol in her that made her feel such a way, or maybe it was the Force warning her of impending doom. Either way, she didn’t snap out of her thoughts until they were in the same room as Grakkus, having blanked out the elevator ride and weaving through the halls. She glanced around her group from Gnaeus to Paquin, the latter giving off an air of uncertainty.

It did nothing to comfort Ariel.

Grakkus scoffed in response to Kylo’s words. “Too dangerous in my hands? I can’t use the Force. And they’ll somehow be less dangerous in yours? They’ve been perfectly fine in my hands for years up until your uncontrollable Knight came and ruined it.” No, none of it was reassuring to Grakkus and Grakkus’ response was not reassuring to Ariel or Paquin.

Fearless leader, indeed. Gnaeus’s words worked well to describe Kylo, Paquin thought. While she found some of his methods…questionable, he did have moments in which he proved he was a leader. “And if you think money in exchange for priceless artifacts that I’ve spent years gathering will satisfy me—“ Grakkus cut himself off. There was a moment of heavy breathing before he spoke again. “Take them to the room while I gather their list.” Grakkus instructed the three that had brought them into the room. He already had a complete account of things Mira Ren and her accomplices had taken. But Kylo and his Knights didn’t know that.

-

Hux dropped the subject of the Motti twins. If Mira didn’t think it was worth bringing up to August, then he wouldn’t. There was no need for more unnecessary conflicts. Too many and an alliance was sure to fall apart. Surely the Motti twins were smart enough not to let escalate. But if it did, Hux would have it dealt with however it would need to be.

But for the moment…enjoy the scenery.

Hux couldn’t recall the last time he’d enjoyed himself. Maybe when he’d destroyed the Hosnian system. But that wasn’t particularly fun…he was just pleased that his weapon had been a success. But Hux didn’t think he’d ever enjoyed himself in a bar scene. In a party. The only parties Hux had ever even been to were the ones held when someone was promoted or there’d been a big advancement. But those weren’t really parties, nor were they fun.

“We’ll leave Phasma be for now. I’m curious to see how far she’ll let this go,” Hux had never seen Phasma in such a situation before. “I’ll intervene if she tries to disappear with him.” Relations, particularly of the one time variety, would not fair well when they’d all have to work together for who knows how long. Not that Hux really ever cared as long as his Order did their work. But his Lieutenant-General and August’s Admiral? Not bloody likely.

Hux looked to Mira when Mace pointed out she was drinking coffee. He wasn’t surprised, that’s what she always seemed to drink. Though, he did think to mention. “You do realize you don’t have to keep yourself awake anymore, right?” In case she somehow forgot. Maybe she’d be tired enough that not even coffee could keep her from passing out.

And Hux cared little of anyone somehow finding out about Mira’s Forcekiller, as its existence seemed to be realized already.

Meanwhile, Finn looked around the place. “We should dance,” Finn suggested, though he doubted Mace or Hux would dance. Maybe Mira would if she was loopy enough. But even as he said it, he didn’t have much desire to dance with any of them. His eyes found who they were searching for. Poe. Poe would dance with him. But then the song changed into something…else. “Never mind, I’m not dancing to that.”

And Hux had to look to the stage when he heard the familiar voice, snorting at the sight. “This is why I came here.” To see August embarrass himself. Tarkin’s son was up there with him, doing some sort of backing vocals.

-

PH-0211. Well, Alexander could cross one thing off of his list.

“Elevens? Hm…don’t like it. Doesn’t suit you. Phasma has a much nicer ring to it.” Alexander mused. She asked him what nickname he had, as he expected she would. And he was about to confirm his nickname of Alex. Unoriginal. And only his mother ever called him that. But before he had the chance to answer, the music changed and a voice began singing that ever popular Starboy song.

Alexander didn’t even have to look to know whose voice it was. He just laughed, shaking his head as he took a drink. Alexander turned in his chair and clapped for his boss, calling out a few things that were typical for fangirls to call out. Like ‘I love you’ and all that. Jokingly, of course.

He turned back to Phasma, “Say, you should get up there next.” He had to take a break from subtly grilling her about her information. He’d have to get creative to ask her where she was from without getting suspicious. But a woman of her rank, even if she used to be a regular old Stormtrooper, had to have seen her old files. Knew her parents and where she came from. Right?

“You seem full of surprises. How ‘bout you surprise everyone with your singing voice? I’m sure it’s lovely just like the rest of you.” Alexander winked. He knew he was laying it on thick and he’d hoped it would butter her right up in combination with how drunk she was becoming.

This experience was not only informative but quickly becoming an entertaining game for the Motti.
 
‘And because that knight may come back for more, we have to keep them in a place she can’t reach them, or make use of them ourselves.’ Kylo Ren did not say that. He just kept his stare on Grakkus, unflinching, waiting for the Hutt to shut his mouth so he could make the situation painfully clear to the collector that he didn’t get a say in things. Snoke gave his orders, and he was working with Snoke. If he wanted that alliance to continue, he had to accept certain compromises.

Or they’d take it by force.

Either way.

He cut himself off, though. He seemed to realize the stupidity of what he was saying, and Kylo did want to put all the credit on his own intimidating gaze, but something felt…off, just then. He gave orders to have them seen to the room of the artifacts, and the trio who brought them were quick to nod or offer affirming words. “Thank you, Grakkus,” Kylo said, before he would turn to follow the trio as they led them out to go see the room of artifacts.

The room itself, when they arrived, was picked up, but it still told a story. There were empty, glass containers on pedestals, or just pedestals. The floor must have been cut open, because there was a circle in the center that didn’t match the rest of it. “How in the hells….” Gnaeus noted it, and had a sense of the thickness of the floor they were on. “Why?” Perhaps that was the better question.

Kylo was already thinking of that himself, and noted the vents in the room. ‘That wouldn’t bother Mira.’ Not enough to cut a hole in a damn floor to god knows where. She was good at manipulating small particles. Not as good with the heavy things, but definitely good with that. He tried to assess what happened in the room as he walked around it, barely acknowledging the items, though Gnaeus clearly was.

Gnaeus was, after all, in the market for a kyber crystal. So was the red-head, “Ariel,” he called over to her as he found a glass container that seemed to hold several. Varieties of crystals he’d never seen before. He wasn’t sure if they were all kyber, now that he thought of it, but some certainly were, and from more places than just Ilum, “Look at these,” he said, “Real ones. Not synthetic….” Which meant the blades wouldn’t be red.

He’d always wondered a little what color he’d have. He knew Kylo once had blue, and Mira once had green. Boring. Not far, there was another odd crystal, though he didn’t think it was kyber at all, it still seemed…interesting. It looked like there was fire inside of it. “Kylo – what’s this thing?” He called out.

Kylo ceased his walking about and went to look at what Gnaeus gestured to with his not-arm. Kylo approached it, and watched how the flames flickered, trying to rise up to the tips of the crystals, and he canted his head, “I don’t know.”

“Wasn’t the woman interested in that one?” One of the guards at the door couldn’t help but note, before they were elbowed by the reptilian one. Kylo arched a brow.

‘So why not this one?’ What did she take then? Did Grakkus even know what half of this stuff was? “What is this?” He asked the one who spoke up.

The guard shook their head, “No clue, don’t get paid to know what this is.”

Kylo rolled his eyes. Of course. His focus slipped back to the strange crystal.

~***~

Mira couldn’t imagine Phasma leaving with the Motti, but if that was the kind of man she liked, more props to her. Mira might intervene as well, if Hux didn’t notice – just in case it was the alcohol talking. Alcohol made people do stupid, stupid things. So, she gave a nod to acknowledge she heard what was said – they would let this play out for now, and Mira relaxed back against the table, not quite sitting, but letting her hand rest on it and leaning back.

Coffee. “I know,” Mira answered. Logically, she knew, but the fight-or-flight wasn’t truly gone. She was…still paranoid. She would likely always be paranoid, knowing now that Snoke was capable of so much more than she expected. Not to mention, she couldn’t count on always having it. She had to…get used to not sleeping. Get used to working under limited amounts of sleep.

She took a last sip of the coffee and set it aside. Perhaps she should just have water, though. Tomorrow would be…interesting. And Finn was still an endearing ray of light in all of this, talking about dancing, and letting his eyes betray who he’d like to dance with, even as the song came on was one he wouldn’t want to dance with. It helped that someone at Poe’s table shout at August. Mira laughed, not at August, but Finn – August hardly looked embarrassed, and from the sounds, this was apparently expected. Normal. His people were laughing and shouting, celebrating.

“Finn, go get me a glass of water and then go see Poe. I’m sure he wants to hear all about where you’ve been.”

“Huh? I…well, are you sure?” He looked between her and Mace, as if thinking he still needed to mediate here.

“I’m sure,” Mira said, “Mace and I won’t kill each other in your absence,” they seemed to have an accord, for now, and Mira was still amused that she was more optimistic than Mace, considering who his son was, about the future. “Go on, we’re not going to be fun and dance, we’re going to be adults and be boring. You go have fun.”

Finn laughed a bit, but his smile was grateful, “Thank you, I’ll be back with that water!” He was quick to dash away towards the counter, and Mira did smile at his departure, before her eyes went back to August. ‘Kylo….’ She couldn’t help but miss him right then, and the smile faltered, as she wondered if he could be saved, or if he would fall…and all she’d ever have would be the memories of him singing, and all that could have been. “So how drunk would you have to be to sing karaoke?” Mira couldn’t help but ask, more to Hux, but Mace was included with a brief glance.

“It ain’t happening,” Mace stated.

~***~

Phasma tried not to choke on her drink as Alexander joined in with other Imperials, shouting his love to August. What should have been something horribly embarrassing – or it would have been in the First Order – seemed to have quite the opposite effect. Their leader was making a fool of himself by singing some atrocious song, but they weren’t at all embarrassed for him. They were encouraging it, and Phasma doubted this was the first time such riotous enjoyment was had by them.

It was not the atmosphere she expected at all from the former Empire.

From Tarkin.

Nor even his son who was adding backing vocals, and it was almost adorable.

Alexander turned back, and Phasma was startled at his suggestion. Even with the alcohol, it was…strange to consider it. “I…I couldn’t, this isn’t what the First Order does,” they had decorum and reputations. ‘Though doesn’t August?’ She reached for her cup to drink more as if it might buy her time for a better answer and not muddle her mind.

It did not help. “I don’t even know what I’d sing,” Phasma said, not the best denial, she realized belatedly, and there was no more alcohol in the cup to try and use for time, either. “Nothing like…that.” Whatever that even was. “Is this normal for him?” How could this be normal for him? How could this be the man leading the Imperials when he was like this? Did he have no shame, no respect for himself?

Apparently not, because he enjoyed every second of it, and it was all too visible.
 
Ariel maneuvered around the circle on the ground as she went to look about, staring down into it. The room below was dark and seemingly empty. “Hm.” She mumbled, turning her attention to Gnaeus as he called her over. She made her way back to her group as Gnaeus pointed out the kyber crystals. Real ones, with no color. She never made a lightsaber with a real crystal before.

“I hope mine turns out to be black.” It wouldn’t. But she could hope. She did wonder what hers would turn out to be, though. Green? Blue? Orange? It’d been a while since she built her original lightsaber, but she was excited to build her new one. Even if she’d always miss her old one. She still hoped to stab Mira with it one day. She held her hand above the broken case of crystals. The glass had been broken but cleaned up. She tested which one called to her more, connected with her. She plucked one up from the case using the Force, twirling it in her fingers.

That one will do.

Everyone’s interest seemed to move toward another crystal, including Paquin’s. Paquin wandered to the crystal as Ariel did. Paquin went to reach for it and the flames inside of it grew, towards her hand. Paquin drew that hand back. And while no one else seemed to know what the crystal was, Ariel did. “Why doesn’t any one ask Ariel what she thinks it is?” Ariel threw out there.

“What do you think it is, Ariel?” Paquin played along.

Ariel grinned. “It’s a healing crystal. Or at least, that’s what the Sith think it is.” It had been mentioned in writings. Crystals with fire in them, the Jedi used them to heal. Paquin looked surprised that Ariel knew what it was. “I research things, believe it or not.” That was one of her main jobs, find things in tombs. “You know, that crystal might be useful for our resident baby Plagueis.”

Paquin went to ask how it worked, but became distracted by Grakkus’s human. He had his hand to his ear, mumbling something. As if he had an earpiece in. And then he turned to look at the door the came through. Paquin suddenly felt like something was wrong. Her hand reached out to tug on Kylo’s arm, tell him of her suspicions. Not even a second later, four more of Grakkus’s workers poured into the room. One went to talk to the human and the reptile while everyone else seemed to spread out around the room. The big door made a noise, as if it had been locked.

Ariel’s attention shifted to the new people as well, eyes narrowing. She looked back to her group. “What is this?” As if they would know.

What it wouldn’t be, was a repeat of last time. There would be no poison this time. Grakkus wouldn’t allow them to escape through the ground. They weren’t taking any more of his artifacts.

-

General Hux watched as August and his son seemed to enjoy themselves, singing a song Hux had never heard. He probably didn’t know any of the songs being played that night. He didn’t listen to any new music. Or music at all, really. Sometimes older music.

Either way. August may not be embarrassed now, but Hux assumed he’d been drinking. Hux wasn’t sure how much or how much he could’ve downed in the time since he’d left their group. Hux hoped the Tarkin would be the slightest bit embarrassed, but by what August’s fellow Imperials were calling out, it seemed this wasn’t the first time. There was probably little shame in it now.

But had any of it been on the HoloNet before? If not, Hux was tempted to pay someone to upload it.

“Never going to happen.” Hux shook his head, echoing Mace. “I have a reputation to uphold. Tarkin has a whole lineage, he can do whatever he wants with little backlash.” If August was caught doing this by the rest of the galaxy, it would be brushed off as a slight embarrassment, a victor celebrating. If Hux did it, his rank and Order would be questioned.

Mace narrowed his eyes at Hux. “You seem like the type to only drink wine coolers.”

“Is that supposed to be an insult? Either way, I don’t drink wine coolers.” He drank wine. Once in a blue moon. And that was it. “I’d ask you how drunk you’d have to be to sing up there, but you’d never drink.”

It was then that Finn came with Mira’s water, placing it in front of the woman. “Yes she would. And she wouldn’t have to be that drunk. She’s a lightweight.” Finn had to reveal. “Well, I’m gonna go. You guys should try to have some fun! Bye!” Finn decided to duck out of there before Mira could react to his words. Luckily, she had Forcekiller on her.

He disappeared into the crowd to go find Poe. They had a lot of catching up to do. And not much time since Finn had to wake up so painfully early in the morning. When the man disappeared from sight, Hux looked to Mira, and eyebrow raised. “A lightweight, huh? What was that about?” When did she ever get a chance to drink? And why would she drink? His tone was serious, but in reality he wasn't concerned. Even ready to tease her.

Hux felt oddly relaxed. Bars were not his thing, but there was no stress. His people weren’t stressed and not everything was going wrong at that very moment. It was a rare, foreign feeling.

-

“Oh, come on! You don’t know what to sing? You don’t have a favorite song? Or one that annoys you but you still know all the words to?” Alexander questioned. Alex dropped it for a second, glancing to the ginger man and his son when she asked if this was normal. “Normal? Well, when we’re celebrating, yeah. August likes the attention,” the Motti twin joked.

He turned back to Phasma. “You’ve got to have fun once in a while. Especially when the fate of the galaxy rests in your hands. Otherwise you end up like my brother, constantly having a stick up your ass.” Alexander knew that would be relayed to Caius. He wanted it to be. Maybe then his brother would loosen up as well. “We know he’s a good, smart leader. Him singing a song doesn’t lessen anyone’s respect for him.

Alexander stood abruptly, grabbing his drink and downing the rest of it. He deserved it. He set the glass back on the table and held his hand out for Phasma, waiting for her to take it. If she didn’t, he was grabbing it. “Come on. You’re next. I’ll even go up there with you. Have some fun for once, Phasma. Half the people here have no clue who you are and the other half are probably very scared of you.”

Respectful, but scared. She was the Lieutenant-General after all. No one would dare make fun of the woman.

“You First Order lot are way too serious.”
 
Healing Crystal – that was probably something Gnaeus should have known himself, but his store of knowledge wasn’t kept in his head half as well as it was with Ariel. He usually took things and examined them in his own time, a more in-depth procedure. Slower, perhaps, but he’d learned a bit. However, when the name was said, it did click in his mind, “Those went missing after the Empire rose,” he commented, nodding slightly as Ariel said it could be useful to Paquin. Indeed, it could, only, “But even then no one knew how to use them….” Not from the holocrons he’d seen, anyway.

More ancient ones might have better answers, but apparently, those answers wouldn’t be found in the Sith artifacts. The Sith seemed to have only heard of the crystals, and even knowing of them wasn’t much – they healed, but where did they come from? How did they heal? Gnaeus didn’t have those answers, but he knew they used to be kept in Coruscant. ‘And none knew how to use them.’ But he could follow a trail. That was what he was good at. How did they get to Coruscant?

He didn’t really care how they got here.

It seemed that Paquin was about to ask more, but then the tension was felt by all – even him, a shift in mood after Ariel commented that the crystal could be useful. Paquin tugged on Kylo’s sleeve, and the man glanced down at her, then looked over her to the guards. And the new guards. There were now seven in the room, and the door shut behind this new group.

It locked. Kylo was fairly certain of that, and he turned more fully as the guards spread out along the walls, eying them as Ariel spoke up. “Grakkus requested Snoke’s help, not for Snoke’s knights to come here and pillage as they like.”

“As the last knight did.”

Kylo could see where this was going, and yet he didn’t reach for his lightsaber. He would not be blamed for escalating the situation, even if Snoke wouldn’t truly fault him under this pressure and tension. “Grakkus works for Snoke. If Snoke has determined that certain artifacts are not safe in Grakkus’s hands, then they will be removed.”

“Grakkus works with Snoke.” The guard thought to clarify. “So that crystal will be put down, and you will all come along peacefully until Snoke understands this.”

“Or what?” The answer was multiple weapons being drawn, and the safety clicking off of some blasters as they were leveled at the knights. “You wanted Snoke’s help and his protection, and you would threaten us?”

“You’re not helping by taking what is rightfully Grakkus’s property.” The last knight had chosen to run rather than fight, and been injured in the process, they all knew. They did not imagine that these ones would do much better, blissfully unaware of what happened with the stone that was taken from them, and how it hindered the Force.

How they would have no such luck this time. Kylo was unimpressed. He picked up the healing crystal, staring down the guard as he did so as a cat might stare down a person, and then closed his fist around it to indicate he was keeping it.

Some idiot fired at him, and Kylo let it get close to his head before it stopped as he looked in its direction. The energy fizzled in the air around him, making it clear exactly what the target had been, “S-shit, open fire!”

And Kylo sent the bolt back at the one who fired it as the others unloaded, without so much as flicking his wrist.

Gnaeus ducked and rolled, the Force moving through him to make him faster than the blaster bolts, and then pulled the vibroblade into his real hand, glaring at the guards. He didn’t need to question if they were allowed to kill them – one was already definitely dead.

~***~

Mira chuckled at Hux’s denial. ‘You watch.’ She couldn’t help but think again of Kylo Ren, and how they’d managed to get him up to sing. With some alcohol, and perhaps some Force persuasion, she might get Hux up there, reputation or not. Of course, the problem was she did have a bit too much respect for Hux to do that to him; he’d be angry. Kylo had been angry, but Kevan hadn’t cared – he faced the brunt of it.

Of course, Finn would choose to return as Hux turned it back on her, and she shot him a glare as he quickly left, leaving her with water and that lightweight comment. She sipped the water, trying to ignore the heat in her cheeks. Of course Hux asked for information.

She sighed, but didn’t seem truly bothered once her gaze settled away from Finn, “I didn’t get so drunk I embarrassed myself,” she told Hux, “But I may have decided to drink while I was trying to blend in at Grakkus’s casino, and I may have drunk so much that I excessively cheated at dice with the Force, and threatened Grakkus. I think I was a billionaire for a minute, though, so it wasn’t all bad.” She sounded amused, even if it was still embarrassing to her. It had been a success, regardless.

“How did you threaten a Hutt with the Force?” Mace had to ask. “They’re immune to our mind tricks.”

“They’re not immune to several thousand shards of glass being hurled at their eyes.” Mira sipped the water again. “Apparently I’m a happy, violent drunk?” She shrugged, “Not happening again, regardless. That incident led to figuring out Terex can keep up with me, and got me that lovely stone you hate, Mace.” She shot him a grin as he scowled, “But, no singing,” glanced back to Hux, “It probably takes a bit more than what I had at the casino to get me to sing, but we’ll never know,” sipped the water, “I learned my lesson. Drinking and I are not a good combination.”

“Maybe if you learned some moderation,” Mace rolled his eyes.

‘That’s what we’re going to be working on, isn’t it?’ But Mira didn’t say that. Business could fall away for now, as the song was ending, and…. “Oh…no,” Mira laughed as she saw Phasma being pulled towards the stage by Alexander Motti. Perhaps he wasn't all that bad, after all.

~***~

Of course Phasma had favorite songs, and even songs that got stuck in her head, but that didn’t mean she ever thought to sing them in front of a karaoke bar, with so many of her Stormtroopers present, and so many other eyes upon her. No, that kind of song, she didn’t have readily available in her mind, and she couldn’t understand how this was so normal to all of them – because apparently it was. August did this regularly – embarrassed himself. Except it wasn’t embarrassing.

He was still seen as a competent leader, even though in the First Order this would be seen as a gross lapse of judgment. Alexander’s brother sounded like he had the right idea about this, though he was probably here somewhere, getting drunk. ‘Like you.’ Because she had to be drunk if it was sounding like a good idea to do something so…ridiculous.

Something so ridiculous was holding together a powerful alliance of people, though. The Old Empire was held together by asinine things, it seemed, as the song was starting to come to its end and Alexander told her she was going up next, “I can—” before she could add that ‘t’ sound, her arm was grabbed and she was pulled to her feet, which rather surprised her.

An Admiral shouldn’t be that strong, or had she fought it? She wasn’t really sure as she walked along, not wanting to create a scene by pulling away, and not sure how to get out of this as he walked her towards the stage.

The only way she was getting out of this was causing a scene, wasn’t it? ‘Half the troopers don’t even know how you look, and Hux isn’t here.’ Little did she know. “If I have to do this, not some stupid love song.” That would look…highly inappropriate considering who she was with.
 
Paquin didn’t roll away from blaster fire as Gnaeus did, nor did she outrun their guns as Ariel did. All Paquin did was drop behind a pedestal. It would do nothing to shelter her from the fire, really, but she managed to avoid the shots already fired by dropping to the ground. Not even a second later a bolt whizzed by her head, breaking the glass behind her.

Paquin scrambled away, behind a new pedestal. ‘What am I doing?’ She knew she should be helping in some way. Doing something that wasn’t just hiding. And so in a bout of sudden courage she stood, nearly getting shot again. Her eyes settled on the first person she saw with a blaster in hand. She knew how to use the Force, kind of, and so she used it, yanking the device out of the alien’s hands.

Before she possessed the blaster, her hair was yanked and she yelped. The blaster hit the ground and went off, but it conveniently hit one of Grakkus’s men in the leg. ‘Lightsaber.’ Her hand went for it, only to find it gone. The man behind her, who grabbed her hair, tossed something. It clanged when it hit the ground and Paquin realized it to be her lightsaber. Instead of panicking, she threw her head back as hard as she could, hitting the man in the face.

“Fuck!” He briefly loosened his grip, letting Paquin free herself and turn around. But she didn’t have a chance to go for her lightsaber before the guy grabbed her again. This time by her throat. He knocked her legs out from under her, following her to the ground. It was then that Paquin began to panic, pinned to the ground by her throat. His hands tightened. She struggled to think of ways out of her situation. ‘Force.’ Of course. Still wasn’t her first instinct.

Instead of pushing the man off of her, her hand went to the side, calling for her lightsaber. It came to her easily and she pressed it into the man’s side before turning it on. There was no blood from the wound, but blood pooled in his mouth, dripping onto Paquin’s face before he collapsed on top of her. His grip loosened and Paquin was finally able to breathe again.

Where it took Paquin a second to get in on the action at first, it took Ariel no time at all. After easily speeding out of the path of fire, thanks to the Force, she tackled one of Grakkus’s men to the ground. Those around him barely had time to react before Ariel had taken control of the man’s blaster, shooting him with his own weapon. She quickly switched them around, using the dead man as a shield as his buddy finally reacted. When there was a break Ariel tossed the man to the side and pulled herself back up, reaching for her vibroblade when the guy was shot in the leg.

Ariel didn’t complain, simply took the opportunity to easily slice through the minion’s neck. Sure, she could have easily taken them both down a lot faster with the Force and her vibroblade, but where was the fun in fighting without actual fighting?

-

Hux found great amusement in Mira’s story. It was wild and not what Hux expected from Mira at all. He supposed he should be reprimanding her right then. He would have if anyone else had gotten drunk on the job. Especially such a dangerous one. But Hux found it too amusing. She’d gotten drunk and cheated at dice, but then continued on to threaten a Hutt and steal his magical stone.

It earned a snort.

“I wish you’d maintained that billionaire status,” A few billion credits would have served the First Order very well. But he supposed that the void stone would matter more, in this case. With Mira and Snoke’s sudden mind control abilities. So he’d be glad that she managed to keep that and return to them. “I advise you not drink on the job from now on.” Hux at least said that, not that she would after that, it seemed.

“Though, you can drink in your free time. I have an idea of something you might like.” The ginger shrugged. Hux oddly wanted to see her drunk. And one day, he would. Even if she said it wasn’t going to happen again.

But he’d jump off a cliff before anyone saw him drunk. He didn’t even get drunk in private. He remembered the last time he got drunk, years and years ago. That was traumatic.

Hux’s attention turned to the stage once again, as Mira had said ‘oh no’. “Oh no.” He echoed her. “What in the hell is she doing?” Was she really that drunk? And the timing was awful, Hux had just said that he had a reputation to upkeep. That extended to his Lieutenant-General, didn’t it?

But Hux sighed. He’d let it go. Things were about to get very stressful the following day onward. And if anyone deserved to relax and have fun, it would be Phasma. Though, she didn’t look like she was thrilled to be dragged on stage. “Let’s see where this goes.” He wondered what song was going to be sung. What kind of music did Phasma even listen to? Did she even listen to music?

-

Alexander felt satisfied when Phasma allowed him to drag her on stage, even as she told him no love songs. “Don’t worry, no love songs. Not my cup of tea, anyway. I think I have the perfect song for you, Lieutenant-General.” Alexander turned and winked at the woman, leaving her on stage for a moment to go set up the song he had in mind.

He quickly rejoined Phasma on stage, handing her a microphone. “You know this song?” He asked, pointing to the prompter in front of them as it displayed the name of the song and the artist. He waved it off. “I guess it doesn’t matter, it tells you the lyrics right there. And you can follow my lead.” Another wink as the music started and the first of the lyrics showed up on the screen.

“What you want
Baby, I got it
What you need
Do you know I got it
All I'm askin’—“

As Alexander began singing, those in the bar began screaming and cheering again, not because he was good but because he was their Admiral. He stopped singing the first of the lyrics, looking at Phasma to encourage her to sing with him.
 
Kylo Ren humored himself with the thought he could end all of this in a second. Pull all the blasters out of their hands, but he decided not to. The Knights needed the practice, and a group of non-Force sensitive fighters seemed safe enough. So, after the first fell, he made sure to assess the other Knights.

Ariel was quick to run, and quick to act, killing one and using their body as a shield. She still knew how to fight and use the environment to her advantage, so he decided he didn’t need to watch her.

Gnaeus he turned to next, as the man sprang from his roll and let the vibroblade cut through the head of one of the guards. ‘Damn.’ He hadn’t expected Gnaeus to lash out with the vibroblade, considering his hand issue…and he was using his off hand. He gestured with it from where he stood, and the Force pushed out from him, slamming a couple of guards into the wall, hard. They buckled to the ground near Ariel.

She could easily dispatch them, no doubt, or Gnaeus would certainly follow it up on his own. Kylo turned his attention to Paquin who was…on the ground. He was about to jolt to go help her, but he saw the blood dripping down onto her, and the lightsaber pressed to his side, and realized she was getting her bearings.

Still, he offered a hand in a way, reaching out with the Force to quickly pull the one atop her off, and away from her off of her, and on the ground. He made sure to pull the minion so that the lightsaber wouldn’t cut open his abdomen, sliding him off the saber instead of jerking him straight up.

The guards had thinned quite a bit by then. Paquin’s dead one, his own, Gnaeus’s, Ariel’s two…and Gnaeus’s two against a wall, where the man had sprinted over to cut through them.

“Wait.” That would be all of them. Kylo wanted one alive. Gnaeus paused, glanced back, and was rewarded with a blaster shot firing from the gun of one guard.

Kylo stopped it before it pierced Gnaeus’s abdomen, and put it through the stupid guard’s head. Well, that decided which one lived. “Restrain the other. He will return with us to Grakkus, when we’re done here,” Kylo said calmly, and Gnaeus quickly lowered his vibroblade, put it back in its hilt as the remaining reptilian one looked on in fear, hands up. Gnaeus didn’t care much. He jerked the individual to their feet with the Force and pushed them right back up against the wall so they couldn’t so much as squirm.

Kylo moved to Paquin, to offer her a hand up if she needed it.

~***~

Mira wished she had maintained the billionaire status, too. Life would be a bit easier with that much money, but hopefully, they’d rip off some from Snoke to make up for it. ‘Only lost his money, anyway.’ Which was fine by her, too.

She didn’t plan to drink on the job. Or in downtime. Except when Hux mentioned he might have something she would like, and she canted her head just a bit. There was no time to react further, of course, but the cant remained slightly there as her focus shifted to Phasma, and Alexander, on the stage, though her thoughts didn’t hold the scene.

Oh, it was amusing, without question.

But her mind was back with Hux’s other comment, and too many of Finn’s comments and jokes. Other people’s comments and jokes. Hux was in a light mood now, it seemed, and it reminded her of the dinner they shared, somehow. Where this mess began, when she found out what Paquin was, before finding out what Kevan had done…were it not for that dinner, would she be here?

One slip into informality….

‘So what would a second do?’ No. No. No.

Mira folded her arms over her chest as the song came on and Alexander began, Phasma actually joining. “You know, I was going to say you would never get me to drink again, Hux, but then this happened,” Mira chuckled. “So long as it’s off duty, I’ll leave it as a maybe.”

‘What did I just tell you?’

She dismissed that thought by turning her attention to the performance, and, unable to help it, join in a bit with the ruckus, “Get it, Phasma! Woo!” Before succumbing to a bit of laughter, thinking of Kylo’s singing, but not with any pain then. Not with any longing, just…contentment.


Mace moved, barely noticed, perhaps, but he decided that there would be no more business done that day, especially not with Hux around. He may as well take other things into account. This world. This alliance. This situation as a whole. He felt as if he needed to meditate…and if he needed to be up as early as Mira and Finn to see what the hell she was going to do, he may need to get some sleep, as well.

~***~

Phasma stood on the stage when Alexander went to arrange the song, confused, uncomfortable. She wanted her armor again, suddenly, but then wouldn’t more people recognize who she was? The wink worried her. ‘Get off the stage. Get off the stage.’ But she didn’t. Not before Alexander returned, and she heard the melody.

Yes, she knew this song. It was a classic, after all.

She felt her cheeks heat up even more, and wanted another shot, but there was going to be no time for that. Alexander sang out first, and the crowd, of course, went wild. She heard August ‘whoop’, and saw others excited about this, which still seemed so…strange.

Even so, it was intoxicating in a way, and when he gave her a look, clearly indicating she should join him soon, she found the courage to do so.

“Is for a little respect when you come home,
Hey baby - when you get home
Mister,
I ain't gonna do you wrong while you're gone
Ain't gonna do you wrong, 'cause I don't wanna
All I'm askin'….”

She was quite certain she heard Mira’s voice, and her eyes moved out and did see her, as the other blonde faltered into laughter…besides Hux.

Fortunately, she didn’t see Finn taping all of this with his newfound datapad, as she turned her eyes quickly away from the General and the Admiral in order to keep her composure and continue singing along, finding the fun in it again.
 
Paquin felt sick to her stomach. Not because of the blood on her face or the dead body that slumped on top of her. She was used to such things at this point. What she wasn’t used to was killing people. And that feeling that came with killing people. She told herself that he’d been trying to kill her and her companions. And he likely wasn’t a good person.

The man’s body slid off of her and her lightsaber. Paquin wasn’t the one doing it but she didn’t question it. Again, she had a brief moment of wondering what she was doing here. Her, a medic. She was supposed to stop people from dying, not be the cause of death. And again, she had a moment regretting agreeing to this. Not that she had much of a choice in the end. She wondered what would have happened if Kylo had dropped her on Coruscant like he’d threatened to in the beginning.

And then the aforementioned man appeared in front of her, holding his hand out. Paquin realized then that she’d completely spaced out for a second. She shut off her lightsaber, placing it back at her hip before taking Kylo’s hand and pulling herself up. “Thank you,” she squeezed his hand ever so gently before letting it go. She used her other hand to attempt to wipe off the blood, but when all it did was smear it around her face, she used her sleeve.

“Ew,” Ariel scrunched her nose at Paquin’s bloodied face, but in jest. When Paquin only stared at her, Ariel brushed it off with a shrug. “You’ll get used to it, Paq.” When Ariel said ‘it’ she gestured to the bodies. “You handled yourself pretty well, at least.” Ariel encouraged. Still she needed a lot of work.

Paquin did smile at Ariel’s good intentions. “Thanks, Ariel.”

Ariel turned back to the artifacts then. They already had their kyber crystals. And some healing crystal that they had no clue how to work. So they didn’t really need anything now. But what would be useful in their hands? “Is there a special Jedi chalice here? I want a fancy cup to drink vodka out of.” That would make Grakkus really happy.

-

Hux didn’t expect her willingness that easily. He pulled his eyes from Phasma’s scene to glance at the blond. His face showed that surprise, but he wasn’t going to complain. He did say to himself that he was going to get her to drink one day. “I’m going to hold you to that.” He told her, a faint smirk on his face. Though, he had no clue when they’d have a chance to drink together for a long while. Or if he’d even live to that day.

The General shook that thought from his head. He’d try to enjoy the calm before the storm here.

Mira cheered for Phasma, laughed. She too seemed to be at ease. As much as she could be. An actual smile tugged at the corner of Hux’s lips as he shook his head, looking back to Phasma. He didn’t cheer out as Mira did or as anyone else did. But he did clap, a few chuckles leaving him. He wasn’t going to let Phasma live this down. If he weren’t the General, he’d know better than to tease Phasma. But as he was…Phasma was not safe.

Hux didn’t take much notice of Mace leaving, but he did notice as Terex took the man’s place. “Did I just see the General Hux smile? The universe must be folding in on itself.” Terex teased as he easily slipped into Mace’s old seat. And immediately Hux’s smile dropped from his face, into a scowl. “Wow, thanks for the warm greeting, General.”

“Is there something I can help you with, Agent Terex?” Hux asked, unamused. He wanted to tell Terex that nobody here liked him, but didn’t.

“No. Just thought I’d come by, say hi. See how my promotion is going,” he looked to Mira then. “Admiral. I like your shirt. It takes guts to wear such things in public.” Terex understood what it meant. Hux still did not.

Terex had disappeared for the first bit of the celebrations. He’d been called upon by Snoke for the first time. The alien’s hologram was an inconvenience and all he did was complain about his inability to reach Mira’s mind. Terex supposed Snoke wanted him to do something about it. Would he? Maybe. Maybe not. He wasn’t sure he was quite on board with Snoke and his plans yet. But he supposed he’d be patient and let this plan to destroy the First Order become a little more fleshed out.

Hux only glanced to Mira. He supposed this was her business now.

-

Alexander was pleased with himself when Phasma started singing along. He too looked around and spotted the First Order’s admiral. He still didn’t like her so he paid her no mind. But found great amusement in Hux being there to witness his Lieutenant-General’s performance.

His eyes found his brother’s, who still sat next to Cibor. A wink was shot across the room. He better get some points for this. No way would Caius be able to get Phasma to sing karaoke. Not like he’d even think of such things.

The song’s lyrics flowed easily, even if they didn’t sound very nice. The song was a classic, and one Alexander oddly liked. Usually his taste in music was painfully aggressive. Or that’s what his brother called it anyway. And then came the part that popped into Alexander’s mind when he thought of a song for Phasma to sing. It’s what sold him on it, considering the First Order and their whole respect thing.

“R-e-s-p-e-c-t,
Find out what it means to me
R-e-s-p-e-c-t,
Take care, TCB,"

And what would a performance be without a little dancing? Alexander danced himself around Phasma, doing bits of the Macarena, the droid. His favorite, however, was the twerking.
 
Kylo pulled Paquin up in a firm grip, not letting go immediately, but seeming to wait until she had steadied herself. He felt the squeeze, and took that as his cue, though he squeezed back, reassuring, before he did. He would step back then, the strange thought that maybe he should pat her shoulder or something coming to mind, before he discarded it. Her habit of patting people was apparently now infiltrating his mind. He’d have to ignore that. He could not start patting people as she did. He shouldn’t encouraging patting people.

No patting.

Kylo gave a nod at Ariel’s words, “You did. You get used to the environment and fights,” he added, before his eyes swept the room as he wondered what else they should take. He took the crystal back into sight and took Paquin’s hand in his, placed the crystal there, and left it. “Everyone can pick one other thing in the room, if we can’t find anything of interest. Two items, each.” He knew Ariel and Gnaeus already had a kyber. He was considering the healing crystal as Paquin’s.

He went to take a look at what was there, and Gnaeus moved as well, eyes flitting about. In truth, there didn’t seem to be much of importance. Mira had first pickings, though, so he could blame her. His focus was also torn between keeping the guard pinned against the wall, and trying to remember all he’d researched.

Kylo wasn’t all that creative, though.

He just grabbed a couple of holocrons at random.

Gnaeus rolled his eyes at that; sure, holocrons were important, but they were before a trove of potentially grand items. Though, when it came down to it, he wasn’t sure he did much better. He grabbed a pair of gloves. He didn’t care about one, but he pulled the other on over the fake hand. It was like a shockwave went through him; he felt the pull of the Force more strongly in that hand, almost as if it were natural. ‘I shouldn’t….’ He didn’t want to risk liking it. Getting used to it.

He didn’t put it away. He did just put the other glove in a pocket so he wouldn’t feel too…unbalanced.

~***~

Mira noticed Hux’s smile, as well. How he applauded a bit, and in the moment she didn’t think much of it. She was only glad that he could relax a bit. Glad he had come out to see this. It was Terex that joined them and pointed it out, causing Mira to glance back and see him, as the smile on Hux’s face vanished. She was a bit irked by that. ‘Why do I always end up working with assholes?’ Kevan. Mace. Poe.

Well, Finn wasn’t an asshole, at least.

She bit down on her cheek as he complimented the shirt…or the guts it took to wear it, while asking about his promotion. This was why she worked with assholes – the abrasive behavior was still somehow endearing to her. The honesty of it. “I suppose I should officially decide, shouldn’t I?” Likely Hux was against it. Perhaps he had good reason to be, but Terex had knowledge of the Empire and the First Order, and Force knew what else…, “All right. One more test.”

She took the stone out of her pocket and offered it to Hux, a temporary leave of it, “We’ll have to step out of the Spiked, but not for long, I assure you, Terex.” She just had to make sure they were in sync.

~***~

Phasma did continue to sing along, but had to try not to laugh through some of the lyrics as Alexander decided to add dancing to his performance. She vehemently shook her head at that, not being pulled into it, even when the admiral actually twerked. An Imperial. Twerking.

Someone definitely shouted something about throwing credits. And getting Alexander a pole.

Phasma couldn’t help but be amused once she got over the shock of Hux. And how she wasn’t living this down, ever. Not from Mira, nor from Hux – or Terex. She noticed him as her eyes scanned the room again, while trying to ignore Alexander’s antics and not laugh.

“When you come home -
Or you might walk in -
And find out I'm gone -
I got to have -
A little respect.”

At least the song was winding down, and so was her embarrassment.


Cibor was going to give Alexander points for this – though this wasn’t what he asked him for. He assumed if Alexander got Phasma to sing karaoke, though, he would get other information from her, as well. Useful information.

His attention was distracted by Terex and Mira, though. August always wanted Terex monitored, and so he was, at least passively. The stone that had been brought attention to earlier was noted, as well, though Cibor didn’t really understand it. The Force was as foreign to him as some people likely thought of technology.

‘Interesting.’ He tried to tap one of his small droids, to make sure he could continue to follow Terex and Mira. August would want to stay afloat on that alliance – they all would, really. Terex was a goddamn menace. He did not need a Force-sensitive partner. Gods only knew how much mind fuckery and privacy violations could occur.
 
Ariel had the thought when Kylo helped Paquin up and she had it again when she saw Kylo grab Paquin’s hand to place the healing crystal in it. She thought the two were cute. She thought to tease them about ‘holding hands’, but decided against it. Maybe now with their time, place and company wasn’t the most appropriate. But she still thought it.

Paquin was startled the second time Kylo grabbed her hand and wondered what he was doing before he placed the strange crystal in her hand. ‘Oh. Right.’ Her cheeks reddened. She felt silly for thinking he was doing something else. ‘What else would he have been doing?’ She looked at the healing crystal in her hand, the flames in it going wil as she held it.

She supposed it was hers. Even if she had no idea how to use it, she was the medic. She wished it came with instructions. Either way, she apparently had another item she could pick out.

Ariel had tried to look for a ‘Jedi cup’ to no avail. She noticed Kylo take some holocrons and Gnaeus take…gloves? She wondered what they had to do with the Jedi. Maybe they were designer Jedi gloves. Either way, she had to find something else to take. Mira seemed to take all the good stuff already, that bitch. Ariel probably could have picked something better, but she settled for another crystal. She supposed there wasn’t such a thing as too many kyber crystals.

Meanwhile, Paquin found something. Her free hand went out to grab it and when she did…it felt like how it did when she held her lightsaber. But it wasn’t her lightsaber. “Paquin, that’s a stick.” Ariel told her, “If you wanted a stick, we could’ve gotten one from outside.” Well, it was more of a staff. It had little designs carved into it. They were probably more than just designs but…

“I like this stick.” Paquin decided. She didn’t know what she’d do with it. But she liked it. Maybe she’d put it in her room on Korriban. Make it more…her room.

-

“Oh, one more test, huh? Sounds interesting. I mean, I just got here and all, but I guess work comes first.” Terex feigned his complaining. “I don’t mind how long it takes, but our favorite ginger might. Don’t worry, Hux, I won’t keep your lady love from you very long.” Terex had little fear. And he certainly didn’t fear Hux. And he’d already made comments like that to Mira.

“I hope you fail.” Hux stated bluntly as he accepted the stone from Mira, putting it in his pant pocket. Hux was the General, he could say that without repercussions. And Terex would still have to be respectful. Well, if Terex were anyone else, he would’ve been respectful. But Terex was Terex.

“Wow, Hux. Thanks.” Terex smirked. “Why don’t you just tell her not to promote me? You’re the big cheese, aren’t you? Or is Mira the real boss around here?”

“It’s because I don’t care that much.” Hux did care. At least a little bit. Hux barely trusted Terex. Hux didn’t want Mira to trust Terex too much. Terex was good at what he did, but other than that…literally no one cared for Terex. And that had to say something, right?

“Sure you don’t, Huxley.” Terex winked before turning back to Mira. “Lead the way, Admiral. Though, I’m going to warn you. I’m not good at pop quizzes. Try not to have too much fun without us, General Hux.”

The ginger rolled his eyes. “Goodbye, Terex.” That was more or less him dismissing Terex.

And when they left, he’d be all alone at the table. Not that he minded, really. Though, he did think to find Phasma after her performance, she seemed to be ushered off by her singing partner. He’d let them be. He did, however, take Mira’s water, contemplating turning it into wine. Would this place even have nice wine? Should he even trust it.

-

The song seemed to end all too soon. Alexander was genuinely having fun in that moment. And he wished he did have a pole, so he could’ve made a few extra credits. But he seemed to make the all too serious Phasma crack a smile, laugh a little bit. He’d take that as a win. Proved that he was one hell of a charmer.

The music stopped and Alexander pushed his hair out of his face. “You’re not bad, Phasma. You did have a lovely voice after all,” He complimented as he took the microphone from her hands to return them to the stands. When he finished that task he returned to the Lieutenant-General and offered his arm to lead her off the stage. “A little later we can always reclaim the stage. A farwell tour, maybe.” He joked.

But in the meantime, he still had some information to figure out for Cibor. He’d figured out her name before, now he needs to find out where she came from. Maybe she didn’t know, but someone of her rank, she’d had to have seen her own files, right? And he figured he might have a way to get that information from her without being suspicious.

“But first, more drinks. I don’t know about you, but I’m not drunk enough.” Alexander led her back to their previous table, raising his hand for more drinks. He’d just tell the waiter to keep ‘em coming when he dropped off the next round. “So, Phasma, where are you from?” And then he feigned his stupidity. “Right, sorry. Stormtrooper and all. I realize now that regular small talk won’t work on someone extraordinary as you.”

Alexander usually took aggressive approaches. And this was aggressively flirty.
 
Gnaeus definitely took note of the way Paquin’s cheeks reddened, knowing that wasn’t just residue blood, but he didn’t say anything. Kylo clearly didn’t notice. Kylo didn’t notice much when it came to interpersonal relationships, truth told. He was too blunt, most of the time, and clearly expected others to be. ‘Idiot.’ Which meant he probably didn’t know how the Force fluxed, the way Gnaeus did now that he was trying to get used to the feel of the gloves, and reach out with it.

Sure, it was a fake connection.

But it worked.

Paquin picked out a stick as Ariel found another crystal, and Gnaeus sidled over to her, leaned on the wall nearby, watching as Kylo eyed the stick, and then went over to examine it. He knew it had to be more than a stick if it was in Grakkus’s hands. “There’s writing on the stick,” he told Ariel. “I can’t read it,” of course he couldn’t.

“We need to teach you these languages,” Gnaeus sighed, and then, for both dramatic effect, and to be sure to speak to Ariel with some privacy, he spoke up in one of those long-dead Jedi languages, that he knew Ariel understood. This wouldn’t be the first time they’d done it. It had given them a sense of…union, when they were around the ‘main three’ back in the day. “Is it just me, or is there something there with them, Ariel?” They’d understand Ariel. Hopefully, nothing else.

Kylo looked visibly annoyed and just rolled his eyes at the show of language skills.

Paquin’s redness didn’t seem to fade at all when Kylo had drawn close again, and he made a gesture, “Let’s go see Grakkus,” casually, but there was a lingering look to Paquin, not them, before he started to walk off, and then overwhelmed Gnaeus’s focus on the guard to pull him off the wall, and bring him along.

~***~

Mira worried Hux might react more to Terex’s teasing, but fortunately, it seemed he was fairly used to it, only wishing Terex failure. Indeed, it was strange he didn’t just order it – he could, and Mira would have listened, but instead, he was content to let her pick whoever she wanted. Which was, in truth, why she gave him the stone. Terex was obviously skilled at deception, but she wasn’t about to let him trick her too much.

“That’s the point of a pop quiz, Terex,” Mira said when he complained, but gave a nod to Hux. She’d be fine without the stone, around Terex. “I’ll be back soon,” though she wasn’t sure how much longer she’d stay. Might just return for the stone, and to get the measurements done with via droid, and then head off for rest. She had an early morning with Finn, after all.

They exited the Spiked, and it didn’t take too long for Mira to feel the Force come slamming back into her – and that was quite an apt description. The world was teeming with it, and she staggered a step, feeling it again within herself as well.

Dust and small rocks left the ground, the earlier joy not quite exhausted, and felt too loosely then. A droid lifted, too, tiny though it was, it had gotten too close. She took a breath, shut her eyes, and focused, pulled it in. They dropped back, the droid was crushed, and she kept walking, opening her eyes again, moving away from the crowds, “You remind me, in some ways, of my former apprentice,” she told Terex. “We betrayed each other.” To make it clear that wasn’t a good thing.

She paused only when she got to the entrance of the hangar where her ship was, and turned back to face Terex, “If you have anything to confess, do so.” It wasn’t really a question for his mouth, though.

The test was for his mind, with words that would normally spur guilt to rise to the surface, as she grasped at the Force to push a probe into his mind, to draw what she could from it, and to see if he did have any guards – to see just how protected his own mind was, and what she could glean, to determine if he was, truly, trustworthy.

~***~

Phasma was flush from the embarrassment, the heat, the alcohol, and so much more that Alexander’s compliment couldn’t have turned her more red as she descended the stage, taking his arm for a moment more because she felt woefully off balance than anything else. She let him go, though, once she was on level ground again, and walked back to their table. “I’m not sure I’ll do that again,” she should retreat back to their post.

Should, but went to the table.

Didn’t protest more drinks, and when Alexander asked where she was from, she did put on a bewildered expression. ‘Where?’ Starkiller base. That’s what it felt like, in truth. Born and raised in what would become the mobile station. He then realized his own error, laughing it off and calling her extraordinary.

“I consider my home Starkiller,” she answered him, “though of course I wasn’t born there. Some world called Pamarthe,” she shrugged. She’d never visited, never cared to, and she knew little about it in truth. “It does not matter where I was born, my home remains the same.” The First Order. “Would it matter? Does the world someone is born truly impact who they are to you?”


Cibor, where he sat, cursed. It was barely audible over the noise of the cheering crowd, but he saw through his cameras that the droid he sent after the Admiral was broken after a brief stint of it…levitating. Or something. ‘Force.’ Fucking Force. He glared at that broken bit, before he shook his head and deactivated that screen, shifting to others easily and then eying Phasma and Alexander as they moved on together.

“What do you think the current bet is that those two sleep together?”

“Odds are still against Alexander.”

Cibor nearly jumped ten feet in the air as he heard August behind him. He whirled in his seat to see the man with water now. “Calling it a night now?”

“Soon,” August rolled his shoulders, “Thought I’d come say hello. How are things looking on Coruscant?”

“Mm…not great, honestly. Someone was a petty little bitch and they’re going to be running that opera you hate.”

He sighed. Cibor didn’t need to say which one – there was only one that affected his image. The one based on Wilhuff. “Well, we’ll have to endure it, won’t we? Thanks. Don’t stay up too late.”

“Your guild is also missing you. They think you died in the fighting. I told them you didn’t.”

“I’ll sign in before I go to bed,” he laughed.

“No, you won’t,” Julia snaked an arm around his waist then.

“No, I won’t.”

“Get a room,” Cibor rolled his eyes.

“We will.” Julia laughed, “Only because he insists.”

August now shook his head, amused, “I’ll see you tomorrow,” he told Cibor.
 
Ariel couldn’t help the grin at what Gnaeus said. her eyes moving to the two. Specifically at the point in which Kylo’s eyes lingered a little long on Paquin as she stared back, wide-eyed and flushed pink. Paquin’s doey eyes watched Kylo as he began to leave, dragging the guard with him. Paquin tore her eyes away, shaking her head. Ariel wished she knew what the brunette was thinking.

Ariel had thought the two were cute when Kylo helped Paquin up, put the crystal in her hands, but not in the way she saw them now. And it all started to piece together in Ariel’s mind. How Paquin stared at Kylo that one time he was shirtless. How Kylo was nicer to Paquin than the rest of them. Not by much, but as nice as Kylo could be. And Paquin’s touchy feely-ness.

But then again, Paquin was touchy with all of them. Ariel spoke in that Jedi language again, “Definitely something. I bet you ten credits they don’t even realize they like each other.” Ariel put emphasis on like, almost singing it. Because she was sure they did. “We’ll talk later,” Ariel said as she began to follow after Kylo, not going to let this drop.

Paquin looked at Ariel and Gnaeus, curious as to what they were saying. She spoke a few languages herself, but what they spoke was nowhere even close to what she could understand. Paquin followed after Ariel and Kylo then, crystal and stick in hand.

“G-Grakkus is gonna kill you for this!” The guard finally spoke as they neared the room that Grakkus had been lounging in.

Ariel scoffed, “Sure he will.” The door sensed their presence and opened. But they weren’t greeted warmly, rather by blasters pointed at them. Obviously, Grakkus had watched the Knights go through his things…kill his minions. But he still didn’t seem to understand that guns and men would do nothing to stop the band of Knights. Not like Mira and her friends had struggled.

-

Terex wasn’t worried when they seemed to get farther and farther from the bar.

Terex followed next to Mira as she led him a ways from Spiked. After a while, the air seemed to change. Or not the air, but rather the Force. Terex realized when rocks and dirt rose unnaturally before hitting the ground again. ‘The stone,’ Snoke would want that. Would want that dealt with. And Terex was in the position to take care of that. Or, he would be.

Given Mira chose him as her knew right hand.

But he was confident she would. He’d been nice and charming and did what she wanted. Right? She compared him to her former apprentice, but she considered that a bad thing. “Oh.”

The fault with Mira’s plan was her probe for guilt. The problem with that was the fact that Terex didn’t feel guilt. And so when Mira told him to confess, nothing immediate came to mind. Nothing that made him feel like he had to confess. Of course, he did think about his current situation. But he didn’t feel guilty or worried. For one, he didn’t feel bad about it. And second, there was no way she could know anything.

Terex looked at Mira for a moment, before shaking his head. “I don’t think so? Is there something you want me to say?”

And then he pretended to realize something, “Oh, is this about what I said to TM-7891 about your chest? Because that totally was not an insult, I just prefer bustier women. I’m not going to say that I don’t shit talk people behind their backs because I do, I’ll be honest. But that wasn’t it. Don’t take it personally.” He’d said nothing to ‘TM-7891’. But he figured it was a good distraction.

He wasn’t aware of Mira’s probing. Or what she could be getting from his head. But he knew not to trust her. While Terex wasn’t Force-sensitive, nor did he have a trained mind, he was guarded. He had secrets and he was strong-willed. He wouldn’t be the easiest to crack.

-

Alexander got the information Cibor had wanted. It was easier than he expected but Phasma was also drunker than he’d expected. He wasn’t complaining. Now, he really could’ve just stood up and left right then. But that would’ve been suspect. Not to mention he was actually sort of enjoying Phasma’s company. She was nice to look at and wasn’t awful to converse with. When she was intoxicated, anyway.

She asked if it mattered where she was born. If it mattered enough to change someone’s opinion. And Alexander shrugged, shaking his head. “To some extremists, it would. But to most people, to me? No, where you come from doesn’t impact who you are to me. But that’s not that point of the question, Lieutenant-General. To most it’s just a way to get to know someone. Make friends, if you will. It also helps people realize how much things like that, home or whatever, means to someone.” Alexander shrugged again.

The drinks came then, and Alexander was happy for it. “It’s not that deep.” He looked to the waiter then, “Keep ‘em coming. I want to be passed out on the ground before the night is over.” Or rather, passed out on a bed. With a partner next to him. Whether that would be Phasma or someone else was yet to be determined. Though, he didn’t think he’d do that.

Not because she’d be too drunk. Alexander had no qualms taking an overly-intoxicated woman to bed. But she wasn’t just any woman.

But the real purpose of the drinks was to get Phasma drunk enough to not remember any of this. Alexander didn’t doubt that when Phasma sobered up, if she thought back, she’d be able to figure out what he was doing. And that wouldn’t end well. Not just between them, but it probably wouldn’t go over well with General Hux, who would go to August about it.

And that wouldn’t make this any easy alliance.
 
“Does he ever realize anything?” Gnaeus didn’t use names. Kylo could recognize names, and it was likely that Paquin would pick her own out. “Besides things like this.” Meaning actual emotions besides anger. He seemed to get annoyed when other emotions were involved, which meant all his emotions seemed like anger, in some way. Ariel said they’d talk later, though, so he dropped it for now, nodding.

This would be pursued. It’d be a good distraction from his hand. Or lack of hand. He glanced back down at the glove and flexed the fake fingers beneath it. At least the glove did make it feel more real. ‘But it’s not real. Don’t get attached.’ He wanted to rip it off, but didn’t. He had to behave or Paquin wouldn’t help him.

He followed along behind, as the guard was pulled along with them. He rolled his eyes at the guard’s threat. ‘Does he really think we’re afraid of Grakkus?’ Or that Snoke would be that upset if Grakkus died?

The door opened for them, to armed men. Kylo clearly did not care. He pulled the guard into the air, and tossed him right into the midst of it, enjoying the sound as he cried out in pain when he struck the ground, and twisted his body to try and get into a less painful position, which was mostly curled up in the fetal position. Kylo stared at Grakkus, calm, prepared, daring him to give the order to have them all shot.

Grakkus met Kylo’s look as well, for several long seconds, before he let out an irked noise, “Lower your blasters,” he directed. There was hesitation, many clearly thinking Kylo wasn’t finished with them, “Lower them!” He snapped, and they all lowered. Kylo was still glaring at him, clearly looking for an explanation, or rather, an apology. “Those items were just safe right—”

“Not when Mira would come back to collect the rest. You asked for Snoke’s intervention, and his aid, in protecting you, and your items.” Kylo interrupted. “Did you not?”

“I did.”

“And then you attack Snoke’s aid and protection.”

“You were steal—”

“Protecting the assets.” He wasn’t going to listen to this Hutt whine and bitch. “I will be telling Snoke of this, and you will be lucky to see a single Stormtrooper come to your aid after this behavior.”

“So what’s to stop me from shooting you now and reclaiming what you’ve taken?”

This was really the time that Grakkus should have been groveling. “Your continued existence.” Kylo said flatly.

~***~

Terex’s mind was…curious. In truth, Mira would have wanted to examine it, if only because its guards weren’t typical. They weren’t like walls. More like a labyrinth. The probe pushed through without him being aware, but his mind wasn’t straightforward. It was disorienting in a way, but fascinating in another, that Mira couldn’t quite explain. His thoughts were there, in the moment before he spoke.

They were of the current the situation, the stone he now understood, but nothing to hint that there was, indeed, anything to confess. Even his words were lies, that was apparent from his thoughts. He didn’t even seem to know a TM-7891, it was a random number grasped at, though his thoughts of her chest were at least accurate.

She could push further, and break.

She could try to weave through the mind, but she didn’t have the time for such a patient investigation.

Instead, she smirked, shutting her eyes as she pulled herself back from his head, cheeks flushing a bit. “You know…for someone who doesn’t know when his mind is being read, you have an interesting situation in there to protect your thoughts.” Though she knew to be a bit wary with his flippant vulgarity. In many, it was a sign of honesty. Not in him. She opened her eyes, “You’re lucky I’m not feeling ambitious to go digging in there today – though really, you don’t need to lie about shit talking. Just go ahead and do it. If I cared by now, you’d certainly know,” because she’d be annoyed with his comments to Hux. “Regardless,” she turned, “I’ll give you a chance as my left-hand man…but you’re showing me the Carrion Spike schematics tomorrow. I need to recreate my ship, and it used to be a stealth one.” Be good to know what made the Carrion Spike so great.

He wasn’t really morally good enough to be the right-hand. Finn would be the right-hand, of her other organization. “And one of these days, I’ll teach you how to know when someone is looking at your thoughts.” She turned then, from the hangars, and started back towards the Spiked.

~***~

Phasma snorted a bit at Alexander’s comment of wanting to be passed out, “You don’t have…Senate business tomorrow?” She didn’t actually know if either Caius or Alexander were in the Senate. The Senate wasn’t her arena, and she didn’t ever want it to be. She took the drink that was brought. Her goal wasn’t to get that drunk…or really, even this drunk, but with the drink right in front of her, she didn’t seem to have the good sense to stop.

Moderation probably went out the window a couple of drinks ago. Whichever drink made her think she ought to do karaoke.

Then, she considered.

She only knew him as an Admiral. The only battle she could think of in his life, was the Battle of Jakku…but he would have been much too young for that. “How did you and your brother get all this…experience, anyway?” She ran drills, of course. She trained in simulators, and she made sure to do mock battles with the Troopers, but how would Alexander Motti get such experience? She knew they did good – she heard of it. May not have been in the air, but she knew they had done well in making sure as few soldiers as possible made it to the ground…alive.

Though…didn’t she hear something once about August and pirates? ‘The Outer Rim is actually full of them….’ But that wasn’t the same kind of fighting…was it? Hells, she wasn’t an admiral….
 
Grakkus glowered at the Commander of the Knights, his grumble turning into a prolonged growl. “Fine,” the Hutt snapped. “Take my things. Tell Snoke what happened here. I’d like to speak with him on the matter, rather than his glorified errand boy.” Maybe Snoke didn’t think Grakkus’s alliance was important now. But what happens when he cuts off Snoke’s flow of money? Support? When Snoke went to actual war and couldn’t afford it?

Ariel could only hold back her laughter, amazed that Grakkus thought that this could end well for him.

Paquin’s eyes remained on the men surrounding them. It seemed all of their fingers just itched to pull the trigger, their eyes watching them with distaste. “The man before you was better at this. Kevan.”

Ariel’s jaw clenched at the mention of Kevan. In truth, she didn’t hate him. She never could. She loved Kevan, as everyone did. But she’d always feel angry, betrayed. As she was. Mira, though. Mira she’d started to hate. Paquin shifted at the mention of Kevan, as she always seemed to do. She didn’t know who he was as a person. But she killed him.

“Now, I believe you’ve overstayed your welcome. You’ve stolen my things, wasted my time, killed my men. If you’d leave, you’ve caused enough trouble here.” Grakkus really should have backed down. But would he? Of course not. Grakkus gestured towards the Knights with a hand, and Grakkus’s guards moved around them then, blocking them from Grakkus.

One grabbed Ariel’s arm and one grabbed Paquin’s, but no one went to grab Gnaeus and definitely not Kylo. “My men will escort you outside. If you return before I speak to Snoke again, you will be denied entry.” Grakkus decided then that he’d find other means, better means, to protect himself and his things. From Force sensitives specifically. The guards began to usher them out then, the guards dragging along Ariel and Paquin and closing in around the group. Ariel easily ripped her arm from the guards grip.

-

“Thanks, I guess.” Terex wasn’t too terribly surprised that Mira was in his head. That was probably the whole reason she took him out here, handed off her special rock to Hux. He was more surprised that he hadn’t known she was in his head. That wasn’t good. “You’re quite good with your little mind tricks, aren’t ya?”

But fortunately, he somehow had a labyrinth of a brain. He wasn’t entirely sure how. Maybe because most of it was full of lies and things about himself he just naturally kept guarded. But he wasn’t going to complain.

Had Snoke gone through his head to? Maybe if Snoke was as pretty as Mira he wouldn’t have gotten so irked by the thought of it.

Terex played it off cooly, however. “And fine. I really wanted you to know that your chest is unimpressive to me. Like I said, that’s not an inult. It doesn’t mean you’re out of the race yet, if you’re interested. I’ve made exceptions. Just ask August.” Terex smirked and winked. He really hoped she would ask August. The Governor would know what Terex was thinking when he told her that.

And it would so deliciously aggravate him.

He wasn’t the right-hand man. But he liked the left-hand term better, anyway. “Thanks for giving me a shot, boss. I’ll show you the Spike’s schematics,” He supposed he truly didn’t have a choice in the matter, “They’re quite beautiful, really. But don’t go around telling everybody I showed you. I don’t want your friends coming to me, asking to see them, wanting to build their own ships. The Carrion Spike’s one of a kind, I want to keep it that way.”

She told him she might one day teach him how to tell when someone’s doing what she’d just done to him. He wasn’t sure if he should like that idea or not. “But then you wouldn’t be able to slip into my head again!” He pointed out to her, as she walked away. Not that it would really be a bad thing.

Terex shook his head. This whole situation he’d put himself in was getting tricky. But he’d handle it. He followed after his new boss then.

-

Alexander scoffed, shaking his head. “Psh, no. The Senate, politics…that’s all Caius’s business. That fucking nerd.” He rolled his eyes. Politics bored Alexander beyond belief. His brother, however, somehow found enjoyment in it. He could never understand. He never understands anything about his brother, really. “I’m free to get as drunk as I want. Given I’ll be sober enough to do my job when it comes time.”

Which led him into the next subject.

Phasma asked him about his job. How they had any experience.

Some didn’t believe it, but the Motti’s weren’t Admirals simply because their father was. It was because they were good at what they did. And they weren’t good at it because they went to school for a few years and then sat around doing nothing.

“Well, it started with learning. About strategy, warfare, weapons. And in Caius’s case, politics. We’ve done drills and practices just as any soldier would. But that doesn’t earn us the title of Admiral. Believe it or not, a lot more goes on in this galaxy than the wars betweem the Resistance and the First Order. Or them versus Snoke. Sith against the Jedi. Especially out here in the Outer Rim. There’s disputes over territory between planets. Disputes between pirates and planets.”

Alexander really thought then about how he’d been prepared for an actual galactic war. Like one that he’d lost his father to.

Alexander didn’t know his father. But that didn’t stop him or his brother from striving to be like him. To be better than him.

He shrugged, taking a sip of his drink.
 
Kylo’s anger spiked when Grakkus mentioned Kevan. He didn’t care much to be called a glorified errand boy, though he couldn’t really argue that right then. He would certainly be telling Snoke of this – though it was tempting to kill the Hutt then and there at the mention of how much ‘better’ Kevan was. “Not good enough to survive. You won’t either if you insist on behaving this way,” Kylo snapped at Grakkus, before the guards came up and grabbed a hold of some of his companions.

The women.

Kylo felt another sharp spike of anger, and as they turned with the guards closing in, Kylo walked right up to Paquin and grasped the wrist of the idiot holding her. He didn’t even get to pull the arm away. The guard dropped Paquin’s arm immediately, and when Kylo turned to check Ariel, she was already free. He nodded his approval, and cut to the front, ignoring the guards.

They were led out by the guards, all the way to the exit of the casino, which certainly drew some eyes towards them. Eventually, though, they were all but pushed out the door and the guards left them. Kylo was pretty sure he heard the door lock.

Apparently, so did Gnaeus, “Do they really think a lock is going to keep us out?” He couldn’t help but ask, apparently unbothered by what just happened.

“They thought guns were going to intimidate us,” Kylo rolled his eyes, “Come on, back to the ship. We’ll fly to wherever Ariel left hers.” He motioned. He didn’t want to walk all the way to wherever Ariel’s ship was, in this kind of heat. He cast a glance to Paquin then, “Are you all right?”

Gnaeus took a moment, if only to make Kylo momentarily aware of his favoritism – perhaps knock some damn sense into him, “You aren’t going to ask Ariel if she’s okay?” He prodded.

Kylo shot a glare back at Gnaeus, before glancing at Ariel, giving her a once over, “She’s fine,” he determined.

~***~

“Yes,” Mira wouldn’t be humble about her ‘little mind tricks’. Terex was rather lucky all she wanted was a cursory look into his head to check for anything that might surface with the thought he needed to confess. He was also lucky that nothing did, or he may not have been returning to the Spiked.

As he continued, she couldn’t help the amused smirk, “Good to know you at least determined that. Hopefully one of these days you’ll stop thinking I’m with Hux and that’s how I have the position,” she didn’t find that in his head, but she presumed by his comments that he might think that was how she got here.

In truth, it was just right time, right place. And some good advice. “And I won’t tell anyone about the schematics. I just want to update my old ship model,” needed it. Echo would be reborn, even if she couldn’t do it herself now that she had a fancy position. She could update the original blue prints and see about getting it done.

She wouldn’t be copying the Carrion Spike.

She laughed as Terex declared she wouldn’t be able to get into his head. “Terex…I can break into Kylo’s mind. What makes you think I couldn’t get into yours if you knew?” Kylo knew. “If I wanted to, I could go far beyond what I just did, and Snoke’s worse. That’s why you ought to know…but, later,” she dismissed it, as she felt the field that blocked the Force take over. “What I’m going to need from you is the schematics, and then whatever sorts of tools you can dig up on Imperial space battle strategies, First Order ones, and anything else. I may be good at piloting a ship and knowing the types we have in the First Order…but that doesn’t mean I know all about actually leading as an admiral.”

She knew of skirmishes. She knew of plenty of other things, and how to use the environment, but she didn’t know how to direct others into particular formations, nor when particular formations were useful. “In the morning, I’ll be seeing Finn for training, then Coruscant for the Senate, so you should have some time to pull some things together by the afternoon or evening.” She didn’t care if he directed it and lectured, or if he left her with books and holovideos.

~***~

It was somehow as Phasma expected. Alexander Motti did not play in the senate, but left Caius to do it all. Which meant he was likely the better Admiral of the two, unless Caius was just better all around with his poise. Somehow, she imagined they weren’t that way – that they filled in for where the other lacked.

At least Alexander did have plenty of experience, and Phasma nodded along, the heavy buzz in her head seeming to get…more intense. Pirates. She should have expected pirates. She heard of such issues, but it was usually more a political talking point then anything considered reality. A way to show that the New Republic was failing, without ever truly considering what that failing meant.

At least, not for her. Perhaps Hux had considered it more seriously.

“In the First Order, we’re taught that the pirates of the Outer Rim, and other hassles, were the reasons why the New Republic needed to be overthrown. They were weak and ineffectual. I failed to consider their use in your military training – not that it is good they are around, but now I understand how you are skilled.” She said, “And it makes me question more why Senator Tarkin humors the New Republic.”

Why he didn’t join them. Why he seemed to be a respectable senator. So much more –why. And why Caius, as well?

These were the disputes that mattered to the real people – not this nonsense with Snoke. Territory and pirates. These were the issues they saw. The buzzing was giving her a headache, though, and she shook her head as if to disburse it. “Regardless. We are glad to have you on our side, and not against us. I think I’ve had…a bit too much, though.” She needed water, and then she’d find her way back to her ship. She rose to go get the water herself.
 
The heat was draining. Ariel hated it, Paquin hated it. The only thing they missed about Grakkus’s casino was the air conditioning.

Kylo asked if Paquin was okay and she managed to mumble, “I’m alright,” before Gnaeus spoke up, pointed out how Kylo hadn’t asked if Ariel was alright. Paquin turned red, feeling embarrassed and guilty, even though she wasn’t the one to skip over Ariel.

“Wow, thanks, Kylo. I might be okay, but it wouldn’t kill you to ask.” Ariel rolled her eyes. “Maybe I’m okay on the outside, but what about on the inside? A man gripped me harshly without my permission, it affects me.” Ariel actually didn’t care. She was fine. And it’s not like Kylo had ever normally asked if any of them were okay. Especially not over something as simple as her arm being grabbed.

But, since he was doing it with Paquin, it wouldn’t hurt for him to start asking them too. Even if she was pretty sure she knew the real reason Kylo asked Paquin, not her.

They were upon their ship then and Paquin was prepared to hurry ahead of Ariel, but Ariel didn’t even take her seat. Instead, Ariel took the pilot’s seat. She knew Kylo probably would have preferred to fly, but Ariel was the one who knew exactly where her ship would be, wasn’t she? “Buckle up, boys. And girl.” She’d already moved on from the casino drama.

“Are you sure you should be flying, Ariel? Aren’t you…,” Paquin trailed off.

“Drunk? Barely. Besides, I’ve been flying drunk since I was a teenager. I fly better when I’m drunk, actually.” Ariel waved it off.

-

Terex cocked a brow. Battle strategies, schematics. She seemed to be trying to step up into the title of Admiral, wasn’t she? If that would even be good enough. “Tomorrow afternoon, you got it. I’ll have…something…by then.” Depends on what else he was doing that day. But he supposed he’d have to do as she asked, she was his boss now. More so than before.

So, if he wanted to put himself in a sweet position, he’d follow along.

But she should also learn that Terex does things when Terex wants to do things.

“Maybe you should ask Admiral Motti and Admiral Motti about those things, too. I’m sure they’d love to help.” They wouldn’t love to. Terex knew about their little pissing match earlier. But Terex was sure that Caius at least wouldn’t mind too bad about helping a fellow Admiral out. They were working together, after all. Of course, Mira would have to endure a few jabs at her Admiral abilities.

The bar was in sight once again, some people stumbling out already. Off to the side there was a woman throwing up with what was safe to assume was her boyfriend holding her hair back. Terex scrunched his nose. If it were him he’d of left that woman on her own. It was obvious he wasn’t gonna get any at that point. “Anyway, good luck with the Senate tomorrow. I sure hope they don’t eat you up.” Terex encouragingly clapped Mira’s shoulder in a ‘bro’ sort of way.

The stench of Spiked welcomed them, and Terex easily spotted Mira’s favorite ginger, still in his spot. “I’ll leave you two to it. Don’t stay up too late now,” Terex winked. “And for the record, I may joke about you sleeping with Hux to get your job, but I know better than that. Hux isn’t that simple. You wouldn’t be here if Hux didn’t trust you in some way.” Weird, gross. “Though, naming you Admiral? Probably not the smartest decision.” Terex shrugged. “Later, boss.”

It was then that Terex turned and disappeared into the crowd.

-

Phasma didn’t discredit his experiences. Alexander almost expected her to. A lot of people did. Specifically older people, however. Who lived through the Galactic Empire and what not. Nothing he or his brother did, or anyone who was too young to have survived through such things, would ever compare to the older generation. But now, the story would be different.

This war would be much different. It already proved to have greater casualties. An entire system as opposed to Alderaan. Hux was to thank for that.

He shook his head. “Glad to be on this side. Snoke’s a bigger cock sucker than…you know.” He was about to say Hux, but maybe that wouldn’t be the nicest thing to say. But either way, he didn’t think Phasma would remember anything at this point. She was…very drunk. Alexander did his job, he supposed.

“Yeah, that’s probably smart. Shame, I was hoping to get another song out of you. “ Alexander winked, but he stood as she did. “I’ll come with you. I’ll walk you back to…wherever you’re staying tonight. And don’t worry, I’m not going to try anything. You’re a little too drunk for my tastes.” No she wasn’t. She was just not the right person to do such things with.

His brother would probably laugh at him and blow it if he were with them.
 
Kylo let his stare drift back to Ariel as she spoke on, talking about how she could be affected on the inside. His black eyes showed no remorse, just a dull stare that told her he absolutely didn’t believe it affected her. Her lie was bad. If she was so easily affected, then she shouldn’t be a knight. ‘So why waste your breath on Paquin?’ The rules should apply to her as well. Snoke told him not to coddle them. He shouldn’t coddle her, either. He grit his teeth without answering Ariel’s asinine question, looking ahead to the ship again.

Ariel took the pilot’s seat once they got into the ship, so Kylo slipped into the co-pilot’s, sliding by Paquin who had rushed ahead, only to pause. He glared at Ariel, but he did understand. She knew where her ship was. It was better than Kylo asking her for directions constantly. “I’ll be here in case Ariel attempts to kill us all.” Kylo could take the controls.

Gnaeus took his usual seat, sighing, “That makes me feel so much safer. I’m not sure she’s the one I’d worry about with that,” Kylo was a good pilot. He was also reckless and dangerous, which was often what allowed him to succeed in dogfights. He did what people didn’t expect him to do.

It was the Knights who tended to know better with him.

Kylo just rolled his eyes, and Gnaeus glanced back down to the gloves, and then, he pulled out the kyber crystal and looked it over, before he remembered Paquin’s odd thing. “You grabbed a…stick?” He was mostly asking if he could see it by his question. He returned the kyber to his pocket, and looked to her, for the stick, wondering if he could discern what it was, and why Grakkus would showcase a stick.

~***~

‘Maybe another day.’ Mira wasn’t ruling out the twin Admirals. They got off to a bad start, but they should have known that coming at someone with hostility was only going to get it returned – and they were out of their league when it came to that. Mira dealt with Kylo Ren, after all. Insults were nothing – and daddy issues were very familiar to her, as well. “I may, in the future, but I should learn a bit more before I even think of it.”

At least have a working knowledge of terms. She may know the difference between an X-Wing and a Y-Wing, and all different sorts of ships. She may know environments in which each one was good in, but she didn’t know the formations and such. Her knowledge had been spent trying to create Echo, not learn to lead fights.

‘Probably have to apologize for the dad comment, first.’ The thought came with Terex’s sudden hand to her shoulder, and she jumped a bit. Her focus had drifted to looking around the bar, and her gaze fell on Alexander with Phasma, still. ‘Probably better to do it sooner than later lest they think it’s insincere and political later.’

Wait, was Terex actually saying…good things? Mira drew her eyes from the twin to pay attention to him, and a smile cut across her lips, even with his parting insult that her being hired was a stupid idea. ‘Can’t really argue.’ At least not now. She was going to work to make sure it wasn’t a stupid idea. “Thanks, Terex.”

And Mira didn’t go to Hux first. She moved towards Alexander instead.

~***~

Phasma knew who Alexander meant. She wasn’t too drunk to miss an insult directed at Hux, but she decided to pretend she didn’t know since he didn’t specifically say it. Phasma did laugh a bit and shake her head at his comment of another song. “No, I’ve done enough singing for a lifetime.” Although, when they won this war against Snoke…maybe.

They were at the bar when Alexander mentioned walking her back to, wherever. Wherever was a ship. She was pretty sure she knew her way back to the ship, and the thought of Alexander taking her back did lead her to worry of such things. Especially when Alexander mentioned it. “I can get back on my own,” perhaps she wasn’t actually worried about him, but the image.

In a public sphere, people saw all, there wasn’t a huge issue to singing with him and such. Yet if after all of that she was seen walking on her own…it was then her eyes landed on Mira, “Or I can ask Admiral Vallens,” who seemed to be coming over. Wait. That wasn’t a good thing, was it? Phasma considered how she might de-escalate things, but her mind was too buzzed.

That and she was pretty sure she just heard – yes, yes she did just hear Poe Dameron, and that distracted her a bit from thinking of strategy.

“Let's take our time tonight, girl
Above us all the stars are watchin'
There's no place I'd rather be in this world
Your eyes are where I'm lost in
Underneath the chandelier
We're dancin' all alone….”

‘He can actually sing….’ That was, perhaps, the most startling thing.

Mira even paused a moment, then realized she was actually right with Phasma and Alexander again. “Ah.” Right. “Admiral Motti,” she sought his eyes, no matter how angry they would be, “I wanted to apologize for my…behavior earlier.” Phasma’s attention shifted. “I took advantage of what I thought would be a weak point and I should not have done so – you have every right to be suspicious of my qualifications, since I’ve shown you, and your brother, nothing.” She didn’t have nothing to show, but her skillset wasn’t traditionally those of an Admiral.

Phasma didn’t think Alexander would respond well, no matter, and she reached for Mira’s arm, hoping to defuse, no matter. She had her water, and she had downed it quickly. Probably, too quickly, “Admiral Vallens,” she addressed her, “I need you to walk with me. Now.”

Mira wouldn’t hesitate, and would loop her arm with Phasma’s, to let the woman pull away – and Mira couldn’t help but be surprised then at her strength. Without the Force to add to her own, Phasma was…actually impressively strong.
 
“I’m not going to attempt to kill you all! If it comes close to that, it’s all an accident.” Ariel defended herself. “Kylo, you’re the one who actively tries to kill us all when you’re flying. And when we’re doing anything, really.” Ariel shook her head as she started the ship, getting it up off the ground. I’d been a hot minute since she’d flown a ship, but she jumped back into it easily.

They settled into quiet then, until Gnaeus asked about Paquin’s stick.

“Yes, I did grab a stick. It kind of felt like a lightsaber when I picked it up. You know, how it’s kind of an…extension.” Paquin looked at it the strange stick then, before handing it over to Gnaeus. “And you picked gloves? What, did you get cold?” Paquin laughed at her joke, proud of it. “Get it? Because it’s really hot here. And they’re gloves.” Paquin felt awkward as she explained the joke that was probably very easy to understand.

But she was still laughing.

Ariel had to laugh too. Not at Paquin’s dumb joke, but at Paquin herself. Not in a mean way. She was just awkward, cute. Refreshing after Ariel spent so much time with assholes. And Gnaeus. Gnaeus was the only one not an asshole.

Paquin quieted down to let Gnaeus try to read the stick. It didn’t even look like a language to her, but she knew nothing about Jedi or whatever. And Gnaeus had a good amount of time to try and decipher it, as they didn’t shift into hyperdrive to fly a few miles away.

And a few miles away was a little village, vastly different in comparison to the extravagant casino some miles away. It wasn’t very nice, but the people had been nice enough to Ariel. Ariel’s ship was supposed to be a few yards away. It was what she considered home base, where she parked to rest after digging through stupid rubble in attempts to find silly treasures. “My ship!” Ariel cheered when she saw it, lowering their shitty one to land next to it. Ariel was the first one off the ship, anxious to get to her alcohol stash more than anything.

-

‘Admiral Vallens?’ Alexander was lost for a moment before he realized that Vallens had, in fact, joined them. Though she seemed to space out for a second before she noticed them herself. And she looked Alexander in his eyes and spoke. Alexander was not angry in that moment. He was confused. She was apologizing? What did she want from him, was the only thing he could think of.

That was the main reason people apologized to him for. Because they had to or because they wanted something. Rarely because they were ever sorry.

Alexander himself was not sorry for a thing that he said. He meant it all. Sure, maybe Mira was good at something. Force stuff or whatever. But she was not an Admiral. She didn’t have the experience or training in it as him or his brother. And the only way he could think of her getting such a position was by sleeping with the General. He was not going to apologize for what he’d said.

And Mira better not have expected him to apologize in return just because she did. It wasn’t gonna happen. Not from Alexander, anyway. If she’d said such thing to Caius, he’d likely have apologized right back.

But before Alexander could even truly register what was going on, or think of something to say, Phasma was pulling Mira away from them and back out of the bar. Alexander shook his head, fussing up his hair even more. He was simultaneously too drunk and not drunk enough. So, he returned to Cibor and Caius’s table, his job done. “I think I just got cockblocked by Vallens.” He’d said as he joined them

Not that he was trying to do anything with Phasma, really. But that’s what it felt like.

Alexander took his brother’s drink then. Some fruity thing that had barely but a sip taken from it. And he downed it.


Meanwhile, Phasma was eternally grateful for Mira’s appearance, saving her from Alexander. He’d done nothing wrong, in truth. But Phasma felt the need to step away from him before anything escalated.

Leaving Spiked was a breath of fresh air. Literally. It was so stuffy and hot inside the bar, Phasma hadn’t realized until she was outside in the night atmosphere. She had definitely drunk too much. And she was definitely going to regret all of this in the morning. She wasn’t sure if she’d remember anything, but she knew she’d still regret it. She sighed, letting go of the Admiral.

“Thank you for that, Admiral.” Even if Mira’s intentions hadn’t been to save her from Alexander, it’s what she did. “Sorry to pull you away like that. It was time for me to call it a night.” Phasma sighed. “You can go back now if you’d like. Though…what was that, you apologizing to Admiral Motti?” It was certainly her being a bigger person, but was it simply to apologize to him?
 
“I’m not trying to kill you, I’m trying to teach you how to live,” Kylo answered, not at all denying his recklessness as he was accused of trying to kill them all. He wasn’t…but they needed to get better. At least they held up against Grakkus’s forces. Paquin could have done better, though he’d likely be thinking that for a while.

The topic of the stick came up, and with it, Gnaeus’s gloves. And Paquin’s horrible, horrible joke, and the explanation, that caused Kylo to groan almost as if he was in physical pain. Of course it was easy to understand – and he rolled his eyes as Ariel, Gnaeus, and Paquin all laughed, turned his head aside so it wasn’t facing any of them. ‘Idiots.’ But he smiled, all the same, and looked on towards the window, as Ariel drove them along.

Gnaeus took the stick, answering, “The gloves do something similar. Here,” he offered Paquin the glove he wasn’t wearing, since he really only cared to wear the one to make things feel more balanced. It made the fake hand seem more real. “They don’t seem to have any fancy writing on them to tell me what it is, but the stick does,” thankfully, “though it’s broken. There must be more pieces.”

“We’re not going stick hunting,” Kylo stated. “We are not dogs to fetch sticks.”

There was silence then, even as they settled. Kylo rose after Ariel, though he wasn’t as quick to follow. He looked down at Gnaeus, “Well?” He asked.

Gnaeus sighed, “I can’t make enough out,” he said, motioning to where the staff was broken, “there’s words I can read, the Force, and life, and power, but nothing that makes any sense out of context.” He said, holding the stick back out to Paquin, “She is right. It does seem to have a pull on the Force that’s abnormal,” he could feel it easily enough, “It may be worth looking into. There were some lightsabers made with wooden hilts.”

“I don’t see how a broken stick is going to be useful to us,” he shook his head, and followed after Ariel then, leaving behind Paquin and Ariel to go to the other ship, and perhaps stop Ariel from drinking herself into a coma.

~***~

Cibor couldn’t help but laugh at the unexpected comment from Alexander. Cock-blocked by Vallens, “Considering her shirt…perhaps she likes to protect virtues,” assuming Phasma was a maiden. Was she? Could that be possible? Somehow, Cibor didn’t doubt it. The First Order didn’t exactly use a breeding program like the Empire.

They seemed quite a bit more repressed.

Cibor blinked though, dismissing some of the data overlays that always hovered over his vision. He didn’t really care if Alexander didn’t get laid, “What did you find out for me?” He asked, to the point, as ever. He assumed Phasma had been drunk enough to reveal some things, if Alexander got her to sing karaoke. Surely getting information out of her was easier than talking her into karaoke. “Hopefully not just that with enough alcohol, Phasma can be convinced to sing karaoke. I think even Johann could have proven that.”

He didn’t see Johann around. August was gone with Julia now – but that didn’t necessarily mean Johann was. Hells, he wouldn’t blame Johann if he stuck around longer.

~***~

Phasma took Mira outside before she could protest that she wanted to see Hux, and her strength was still nearly overpowering in her drunken lurch and Mira’s lack of the Force. She made a mental note that she really needed to work out a bit more, and not just with the Force. She was going to need her actual strength more with that stone in play – and Kylo would kick her ass without the Force.

She gave a nod to Phasma’s gratitude, glad to be released, and smirked a bit at Phasma’s query, “Bringing General Organa and General Hux together was more difficult than that. They are our allies and I was out of line earlier when I suggested the Mottis only inherited their position from their father.”

She did see Phasma’s eyes narrow at that. It was a bit much. “I should strive to keep good relations. We’ll all need them – even I will.” It wasn’t wholly unselfish. She was going to need those assholes, whether in the thick of a fight, or to learn something, and she had to acknowledge it sooner rather than later.

Phasma managed a slow nod, assessing it, the selfish and the logical. If there was actual guilt, it was overshadowed by the pragmatism. “The Mottis are good at leading fleets,” Phasma said. She had commented on it to Alexander, she should let the Admiral know, “And I did learn from Admiral Alexander that it is not just from running simulations. You are right to presume we will need them.” For the time being.

Mira wasn’t sure if it was an insult at her own capabilities or not, but she was pretty sure it was, which she didn’t expect from Phasma. Drunk or not. Mira didn’t bristle when it came from her, though. She just managed a stiff nod; the words still struck. From Phasma, it was different, not an insult she could brush off. “Well…you should be getting to bed, I still have business here.” Stone, attire, then bed. “Good night, Lieutenant-General.”

She wouldn’t go with her, she seemed to have herself together enough, so she’d let her go on her own way as she’d reenter the bar to scope out General Hux.
 
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