The day started out like any other in the tech department. Your responsibilities always varied slightly, but this morning you sit at your station, monitoring the data for various shuttles and transporters as the First Order carried out one of its standard military operations. Five-hundred troopers were being sent in to raid a Resistance base. It was a fairly straightforward mission assuming all went to plan. All you and your department had to do was track the functionality of each vessel and report any electrical or mechanical damage so that your superiors could strategize a safe and successful return for the survivors.
You were good at your job. You had a knack for recognizing patterns and making quick calculations, and you more or less enjoyed the work you did for the Order.
So here you sit, watching your screen diligently, noting each and every abnormality that occurs.
Power drop on shuttle 4- holding steady at 57%.
Shuttle 37- offline. You shake your head knowingly, silently saluting the fallen soldiers.
Wait, what was that?
Auditory interference on shuttle 9?
Your head perks up slightly as a strange blip occurs on screen, distorting the soundwaves you'd been observing. It came and went so fast however, that you think you might've imagined it.
But just as you begin to settle back into your work, it happens again. It was subtle, but definitely atypical. You cast a quick and discrete sideways glance at your colleagues. None of them seem to have noticed anything off. Perhaps it was a technical glitch on your screen. You aren't quite sure what to make of it.
Ultimately you decide to hold off until you have something more concrete to report.
A few minutes later, someone enters the tech room with haste, their hurried footsteps sparking your curiosity. But you know better than to look up from your station unless directed.
"Captain Lang," an unfamiliar male voice calls out, sounding a bit out of breath. "Has your station picked up any strange readings in the last few minutes?" There is an implied urgency in his tone.
Your superior hesitates. Should you say anything? Could this have something to do with the glitch you thought you'd just seen? "No officer, I haven't anything unusual to report. You needn't have come all the way down here. I could have just as easily confirmed this over coms."
It certainly wasn't standard protocol to relay information by word of mouth. Not unless something was going on…
"General Hux asked me to see to this in person ma'am. He fears it could be urgent."
"Well, as I said Officer, I haven't anything to report."
You can't take it any longer- your curiosity is brimming over. Abruptly, you stand at your station.
"Captain- pardon the interruption," you begin, "but I may have noticed something out of the ordinary."
"Approach, Lieutenant." She waves you over. You nod and cross the room to where your superiors are conversing.
"What did you see?"
"Well, I wasn't sure what to make of it first, but there seemed to be a glitch in the audio signal on shuttle 9. I can't explain it exactly- just that it wasn't standard interference."
The officer nods, seemingly understanding. "We observed something similar on the bridge. I'm going to need you to come with me Lieutenant."
Your eyes widen as you look to your captain for permission. "You're excused," she confirms, immediately making arrangements for another member to take over your workstation.
You follow the unnamed officer all the way to the central command deck, wandering through corridors and suffering through elevator rides in awkward but professional silence.
As the doors to the bridge slide open, you are immediately overwhelmed. There is a solemn sense of urgency unlike anything you'd ever witnessed. The crew seems to work at inhuman speeds, communicating in concise formalities and then promptly returning to their work with laser-like focus.
You'd never seen General Hux in person before- not up close. But you knew who he was as soon as you laid eyes on the back of his head. The combination of his presence, his posture, his ginger hair and of course, his uniform, simply exude confidence and authority.
Just as you are making a mental note of the uneasy feeling he gives you, the General turns around.
"Sir," his first officer addresses, "this is Lieutenant y/l/n, from the tech department. She attests to witnessing something which aligns with your earlier observations."
"Very good," Hux nods, "I'll take it from here officer." The man takes his leave and you suddenly find yourself face to face with the one and only General Hux. This is not how you imagined this day would turn out when you woke up this morning.
"Tell me what you've seen, Lieutenant."
You promptly describe the occurrence in the most technically accurate language you can manage. "In cases like this, it's most likely nothing sir, but-" you stop short, wondering whether to bother him with what was little more than a hunch.
"Yes…" Hux prompts, impatient for answers, and curious as to your line of thought.
"Well, there's a chance that such readings could indicate external tampering. I- in the form of a bug, sir. It's the only explanation I can think of."
Hux stiffens, despite his already rigid posture. He thinks to himself momentarily. You can practically see the options being weighed in his head.
"Are you quite confident, Lieutenant?" he asks one last time for clarification.
"Yes sir."
"Very well. Initiate self-destruction on transporters 11 through 20," Hux instructs Lieutenant Mitaka.
Your jaw all but falls to the floor, and if it weren't for the combination of your genuine shock and your training, you might've spoken up in protest.
The General was willing to sacrifice an entire portion of his fleet based on the speculations of two people: himself and a low-ranking technician. You knew why he was doing it- that was clear enough to understand. Each of those transporters operated on the same frequency, and if the communications of one had been compromised, then the systems of the rest were also at risk. While extremely unlikely, it was by all accounts possible that the resistance had been able to hack into one or more of the vessels, giving them the strategic information they needed to do significant damage to the First Order. Logically, it made sense. What you couldn't believe, however, was the ease with which the General seemed to be able to make such enormous decisions.
Your mouth goes dry as you watch Lieutenant Mitaka enter a few codes and slide some levers around in preparation to carry out his orders.
"Ready sir."
Hux gazes out the window into the vastness of space. "Detonate," he utters indifferently.
A small beep emanates from the console, and that's all it takes. One man's finger pressing a button to end hundreds of lives.
You cringe internally. It wasn't that these concepts were new to you as a member of the First Order, you'd just never experienced anything like this firsthand.
It was... swift, smooth, efficient. No looking back. No regrets. Just one decision after another after another. The General was almost machine-like in that respect. It was as much off-putting as it was admirable.
You swallow hard, holding in your variety of emotions as the General turns to face you once again. His expression is hardened, and you can't help but wonder what, if anything, he feels underneath that harsh exterior. Or was he simply numb to the violence at this point?
"We have a briefing at the end of the day," he states plainly. "I'd like you to be there with a report on the technicalities of what's just transpired."
This was wildly outside protocol. Low ranking lieutenants were not authorized to attend command meetings. While the General certainly had the authority to change that, you couldn't fathom why all of this was happening.
Hux can see the surprise written plainly across your face.
"I realize it's short notice," he qualifies promptly, "but I've excused you from your station and granted you clearance to the conference room. We convene at 1400 hours. Don't be late."
"Y-Yes sir," you answer, wholly overwhelmed as the General turns and begins to walk away.
You glance sideways at Lieutenant Mitaka, who seems to have resumed his work as if nothing of consequence had taken place.
You spend the duration of the afternoon collecting the data to verify your report. Going back to have another look, the audio stream definitely appeared to be corrupted. However you couldn't help but wonder whether your mind was projecting that conclusion in order to justify the loss of life that you had just witnessed as a result of the glitch.
When you're finally comfortable with the evidence, you save the report to your data pad, shove it under your arm and head up to the conference room.
All of the most highly ranking officials of the First Order were gathering around a large table. You hesitate in the doorway, and though no one seemed to notice anything off about your presence, it felt completely and utterly wrong to be there. General Hux catches your eye from across the room and discretely motions for you to join him by his side.
The meeting goes off without a hitch. You were simply asked to present the evidence, and luckily no one seemed to question it. Whether they fully understood or simply didn't care, you couldn't quite tell.
"Well done, Lieutenant," Hux compliments as the meeting ends and the crowd filters out of the room.
"Uh-" you stumble to find your words. "Thank you sir."
Hux reaches for your data pad and you hand it over without a second thought. He overrides your security system and gives your report a quick inspection.
"Much more competent than your useless colleagues, aren't you?" the General notes wryly, returning the device to your hand.
You're quite stunned by his comment, and you certainly didn't want to put down your fellow officers. "I'm sure I don't know what you mean sir. But I do my best," you add respectfully.
Hux eyes you thoughtfully, perhaps for a moment longer than was completely appropriate.
You hold his gaze, but inside you are crumbling as his blue eyes scan and assess you. You're relieved when he finally breaks the silence.
"Lieutenant, I'd like you to report to the bridge at 700 hours tomorrow."
Your mind spirals into confusion once again. Wasn't this situation settled? "Sir?" you question hesitantly.
"I'm having you transferred to serve as part of my team. As far as I can tell, you're the most competent technician aboard this vessel. Thank you for your commitment to the order."
Blown away by the compliment, you are rendered utterly speechless, completely ignorant of how to respond.
There's a levity in the air as Hux seems almost amused by your reaction. "You're dismissed," he announces. It's subtle, but there's a softer timbre to voice as he excuses you.
"Thank you General," is all you can manage. Clutching your data pad to your chest, you turn and walk out of the room, releasing the breath you felt as if you'd been holding in all day.