Ava rolled over in her cramped cot sized bed and smacked her datapad in hopes of turning off her alarm. Despite her attempts, the alarm continued to harass her. For the third day in a row, Ava found herself waking up from a nightmare that spilled into her reality.

Dear God, what did I do to deserve this?

Mustering up enough strength to sit up in bed, Ava reached over to her nightstand and grabbed the datapad. She shut off the alarm and let her eyes adjust to the brightness on the screen.

Four new messages. Lovely. Ava looked down and scrolled through the messages. One grabbed her attention, making her stomach uneasy.

Important
Sender: Armitage Hux
To: Custodial 670
My office, 0800. Sharp. Do not be late this time, Md-670.

Her heart rate elevated, Ava hissed at the use of her assigned name, Md-670. They told her that the letters "Md" didn't mean anything, but she could have sworn they used it as a code name for "maid."

Which is exactly what she was here on the Finalizer. But on her home planet of Coruscant, she was a registered nurse. It was her dream ever since she was a little girl. Knowing how petty General Hux could be, she didn't doubt that her assigned name meant to taunt her of her past life, too.

All those years at the Coruscant Institute just to end up a slave, mopping floors.

The bitterness rose from her chest until she felt pressure on her throat, forcing her to swallow. Tears fell from her eyes as she let the wave of emotion carry her away. A few moments later, Ava tried to gain her composure by reasoning with herself.

You're alive, remember that. Your companions weren't as lucky. Just behave, and play by the rules, and one day you will get out of the First Order's grasp.

Although she didn't quite believe herself, Ava stopped crying anyways. She wasn't anything if not resilient. With a loud sigh, she stepped out of bed and dragged her feet to the refresher.

She winced at her disheveled appearance. Her honey brown eyes looked sunken into her face, tired and strained from the excessive crying. Her sun-kissed, brown hair was messier than usual; her usual soft waves looked like twisted roots. Her normally bright, dewy skin looked pale and splotchy.

Probably because I'm stuck in space and sun-starved. Is this my new normal?

Feeling disgusted with herself, Ava turned away from the mirror and started the shower. She placed her hand under the water, waiting for it to heat up. She started to relax as she felt the water get warm.

Removing her night clothes, Ava stepped into the cramped shower and let the hot water strip away her tension. She spent extra time cleaning her hair and skin, attempting to wash away her grievances. Breathing steadily, she washed her long hair with care and watched the soap suds run down her body. She spent a few more minutes in the shower enjoying the warmth while she could.

Reluctantly, Ava turned off the water and stepped out of the shower to dry off. She revisited the mirror, only to find it completely fogged up. She almost avoided it altogether but decided it was important to look her best for the General.

Ava wiped away the condensation with her towel and was pleasantly surprised. The shower seemed to bring her back to life, physically and emotionally.

Worried about being late, Ava hurried along her process of getting ready and left the refresher. She opened the closet and frowned. Only a small variety of different shades of black attire lined the clothing rack.

So apparently I work at a funeral home now.

Ava got dressed and looked at the floor length mirror at her new appearance. Her uniform hugged her every curve, accentuating her voluptuous chest, small waist, and larger hips. Standing up tall and smoothing out her uniform, Ava turned to the side to get a better look. The all-black uniform wasn't horrible, but it definitely wasn't the most attractive thing ever. Her biggest complaint was that females were required to put their hair up in a neat bun. She loved having her hair down; her soft curls made her feel free and wild. Instead, she was forced to keep every part of her neatly contained.

This is as good as it's gonna get.

With one last look, Ava turned to grab her datapad. She headed to the door and stepped outside, only to crash right into a tall, dark figure.

Oh, shit.