Unwavering Belief, Never Misplaced

In hindsight, FN-2187 should have known it was a bad idea to steal food from the Absolution's kitchens. When asked about the experience later, he was bound to claim that he didn't know what had motivated him to do it, only that he was wrong and deeply regretted his actions. That would accept the punishment assigned to him by the First Order without complaint.

But that wasn't all true, was it? For as much as FN-2187 was bound to hurt when his punishment was over, as much as he knew how unlikely he was to succeed with his schemes, he didn't regret what he'd done. And for all the young trooper attempted to hide it, it showed. For that, he was taken to Captain Cardinal for further reprimanding.

And that's where he was now. Cardinal rarely yelled at anyone, but that was only because he didn't need to. He didn't need intimidation to effectively discipline his charges. He never did. Instead, he was someone who could do it with calm words alone.

"Not only was your act of defiance a brazen violation, it was an unnecessary one. Do you know why?"

FN-2187 made a show of being ashamed, hanging his head. "Because the First Order provides each Stormtrooper with the exact amount of food they need to perform their duties at maximum capacity."

Cardinal nodded, but was clearly unsatisfied. Neither he nor FN-2187 had their helmets on, leaving their expressions exposed for all to see. "By taking more than your optimal amount from the ship's food store, you only reduce your opportunity to do well in training. Not only that, but by taking more food for yourself, you're taking some from someone else. By taking more food than you need, you leave someone else with less than they need." Cardinal's hand went to the boy's chin, tilting the boy's head up to look into the kid's eyes. "Do you understand why that is wrong?"

FN-2187 nodded as soon as Cardinal removed his hand. "I understand."

He wished he were being disciplined by someone else. Anyone else. Captain Cardinal didn't use as much pain in his punishments as others on the ship, preferring to talk the children into seeing the fault of their actions. His genuine dedication to the First Order and their cause was both inspiring and infectious, an ideal set up for his charges to follow and fall short of. He took acts of defiance almost personally, and instilled a sense of remorse in his charges like no one else could. They all looked up to him as the father they'd never have. A father who taught them everything about the galaxy and their place within. Before him, FN-2187 felt even smaller and more insignificant than usual.

"It was a mistake," the boy admitted. "I won't let it happen again."

An exhale. "You aren't a selfish person, FN-2187. For all my pondering, I can't come up with a reason for you to do this. It's unlike you, to take for yourself." Cardinal inched closer, gently forcing the boy to look him in the eyes. "Why did you do it?"

FN-2187 bit his tongue. He couldn't say it. Not in front of Cardinal.

"The truth, please."

"I... can't."

"Can't?" The captain didn't look angry. Just confused. "And why is that?"

"I... don't want to cause any trouble. Any more than I already have." FN-2187 corrected himself at the last moment. "It's not something bad. I promise."

His teacher mulled it over, watching the trooper in training with careful eyes. "You don't regret it, do you? But why would that be? I know you better than that. You aren't a... Unless."

"Unless what?" the boy asked, concerned. Was Cardinal going to say he'd been wrong about him? That he was a bad trooper after all? That Cardinal would fail him for what he'd done?

"Unless you weren't doing it for yourself," Cardinal bent down so that their eyes were level. "Who was the extra food pack for?"

FN-2187 shook his head. "Nobody. I was just-"

"Don't lie to me, FN-2187. Lying to a superior is a grave violation, far worse than stealing food."

Oh no. Did that mean his punishment was going to be worse?

Cardinal must have sensed his fear. "I won't report you for misconduct if you tell me the truth. Who was the extra food pack for?"

"...Nines was throwing up in the middle of the night last night." He couldn't hold it in any longer. "He got it all out of him, and the med droids said he was okay, but he told me he was hungry. He wanted to eat something other than medicine."

Cardinal shook his head. "I visited FN-2199 this morning. He isn't ready for solid food yet." His eyes softened. "Your looking out for fellow troopers is to be applauded, but trust the med droids to know better about these things. The First Order will ensure he's eating normally again as soon as possible."

"Yes, sir."

Cardinal gave him a smile. "Trust me when I say your only fault was taking things into your own hands. It's important that you trust the First Order and their decisions, especially when it comes to someone's health. If you assume to know better, you could end up hurting your fellow troopers."

"I'll trust them," FN-2187 promised. "I won't do this again."

"Good. You will report to the punishing room as soon as you leave here. I'll instruct the administering droid to reduce the original settings. You should be done in under an hour."

"Thank you, sir." FN-2187 saluted. He couldn't believe how lucky he was.

"I expect to see you back at your best tomorrow, you hear? And as long as I don't catch you trying things like this again, I won't enter anything into the reports."

"Yes, sir!"

The red-armored trooper watched as the boy scampered away. He could be accused of going soft on the young trooper, but the captain was sure in his assessments. FN-2187 excelled in physical exercises, and had the heart of a true Stormtrooper. When he graduated, he would live to fulfill the ideals of the First Order well. Assuming he could take to the rules that went along with such service.

But Cardinal had confidence that he'd done the right thing. Throughout the rest of FN-2187's days on the Absolution, that was the only sign of nonconformity FN-2187 ever showed. And throughout those days, FN-2187's sense of admiration for his teacher only grew. He looked up to him not only as a model Stormtrooper but as a model person. For a while, FN-2187 was convinced that Cardinal was everything he wanted to be.

That while lasted until FN-2187 went off to the Finalizer to complete his training. On that ship, his world was shattered.

A/N's: So this is my first time writing for Star Wars ever. I wasn't even a big fan of the movies until a few weeks ago, and look where I am now. I consumed the Phasma novel in under a day, and had to go see The Last Jedi twice to fully take in how much I loved the movie. And what better way to express my love than to open my SW fanfiction journey with an explorative three-shot about two of my new favorite characters?

It's obvious Cardinal was the one to train Finn (or FN-2187, as Cardinal knew him), but what was their relationship? What did Finn think of Cardinal, and vice versa? How do they feel about each other after the events of the Phasma novel and both movies? That's what I want to explore, in this foray into new territory. I have two more chapters left to this story: one set shortly before TFA, when Finn learns of Cardinal's supposed death, and one set after the events of TLJ, when Vi and Cardinal find the Resistance after a long search.

Any and all comments and critiques are highly appreciated. As said, I'm new to the universe of Star Wars, and would love all the help I can get when it comes to being true to the universe. Thanks for reading, please review, and I'll see you on the far side!