Shaking her head to get the thought of him out of her mind, she decided to get dressed. Most of what was in this woman's closet was more gaudy nonsense like the pink dress. Luckily, she found some brown pants that must have been the daughter's riding gear. They were high waisted and when she put on the boots, they locked into the bottom of the pants. Weird fit, but good for fighting. She did some stretches in them to make sure they'd work. Then she found a billowy sort of white shirt that looked like something pirates wore. She tucked the front of the shirt into her pants, and then went to dry her hair in the bathroom. It hovered slightly over her shoulders and sprung up in waves as it dried. She was overdue for a haircut. Satisfied for now, she left. She then headed back into her old bosses room and retrieved an energy sword from the wall. It was one he kept in a glass case…another thing she'd always eyed. As she broke the glass and took it, she felt a thrill. Securing it to her side, she returned to the bridge of the ship.

"Hello," the woman said as she saw a young woman sitting in the pilot's seat. It was one of the rowdy children she'd spotted in his cell. He and the droid must have found them.

"Hey," the young fighter said quietly, clearly distracted by something. She did a double take, looking back at the woman, "Wait, who are you?" she said with pointed finger.

The woman crossed her arms, "Oh, I was in a cell across from you."

The young fighter looked at the woman's arm, seeing the shackle. "He freed you?" she said confusedly.

"I guess he did," the woman answered.

The resistance fighter's eyes narrowed, "Be careful…. He's going to want something."

She peered down at the resistance fighter, squinting her eyes to see if she was serious. When she realized she was, she said rather bluntly, "He wouldn't have freed me if I couldn't do something for him."

It was the only truth the woman had ever known. No one does anything out of the kindness of their heart. They all want something. There's a system to the universe, and the only way to survive is to look out for yourself first and foremost. The young fighter didn't like the woman's words, but the woman could see she was naïve. Most of the resistance fighters were. The resistance fighter turned back around in her chair, done with the conversation. The woman shrugged her shoulders and left the bridge.

As she exited, she heard voices coming from the main office. Normally her old boss's office is deadbolted. She wasn't surprised the man had been able to break in. She heard a young man say in a bit of a huff, "I think I'll go sit with Rose." As she entered the room, the young man was walking towards her. When he looked up seeing her, he stopped.

"Who are you?" he asked. He seemed a bit outraged, but his expression was too comedic to be taken seriously.

"No one important," she answered coyly.

The man had been sitting on the couch with his legs crossed, looking at some of the invoices of her old boss. When he heard her voice, he looked up. His eyes widened. Uncrossing his legs, he stood to stare at her. He looked at her as if they were the only two people in the room, and she felt it. His gaze went directly through her. A small smirk came to his lips, as he continued to stare. The word taste began to echo in her mind again. After a moment, she tilted her head, wondering if he'd ever stop.

The young resistance fighter, caught in whatever was happening between them, looked at the man, then back at her, then back at the man, and for a moment kept looking back and forth at them, until he shook his head and left the room disgruntledly.

The man eventually walked around the couch towards her. He stopped, standing very close, almost as close as he'd been in hallway.

"Shadow-lady, you surprise me." She felt a reluctant smile curve her lip at his flattery. His tired, yet observant eyes looked her up and down. He stopped at her wrist, noticing the shackle still there. With no hesitation, he took her hand in his, and with the other examined the shackle. "Oh, that won't do," he said to himself. He leaned in slightly, putting his face very close to hers, though still inspecting the shackle. He had an incredibly intense face when he focused on something. His heavy eyes lit up under his expressive eyebrows. She realized she was studying his face again, as heat rose to her cheeks. She forced herself to look away. Noticing a hat on his head, it read something…

"Don't Join," she said aloud without thinking.

That took him out of his daze, as he looked back up at her. "Good advice," he said. Their eyes met and she felt caught in them again. There was an unspoken energy between them. It was tugging her to him. The man took a deep breath and took a step away from her. With new purpose, he began searching through the drawers of the office.

"You know som-some of this should probably belong to you." He picked up a handful of gold coins and gave them to her.

She didn't know how to respond, "I—" He went over and opened a drawer filled with jewels. "I dreamed of having my freedom, but now that I have it…I'm not sure what to do." She said.

"Well, this always helps." He said, as he picked up an emerald necklace and placed it around her neck. He looked at her, very pleased with himself. She felt the jewels around her neck with her fingers. They were cold and unfamiliar. She'd never owned anything expensive before. Her boss had given her expensive weapons as gifts, but nothing like this…nothing that wasn't practical. She picked up the rest of the necklaces, putting all of them on.

"I think it suits me," she said jokingly to the man. He gave her an approving smile, and went back to rummaging through the drawers. Watching him search the drawers for treasure reminded her of something. She took all the necklaces off, save for the emerald one he had placed on her. "But you know there's one chest you haven't found yet." She said with a tease.

The man turned to look at her in wide eyed wonder, "Ohhh?"

She put her finger up, "But it's a bit of a puzzle."

"Puzzles are my specialty." He said, rubbing his hands together.

She took him to a compartment hidden in a closet at the back of the ship. It was a large chest, key locked, and she told him "not rigged."

"W-w-what's in it?" he asked, then thought better, saying "Wait. Don't tell me."

"He was fiercely territorial over this. Whatever's in it… is yours. Consider it payment."

He seemed surprised, "Payment?"

"For getting me out of there," she explained.

"You gave me this ship," he said bending down to rub his fingers across the chest.

"I didn't forget. It's all included. I hope this makes us even."

He stops fidgeting with the chest and looks up at her, "We were never odd."

His way of speaking was peculiar to her. Vague, and with a hidden purpose she wanted to see through. A mystery that's not really a mystery. He had these moments of aloofness that would turn into a quiet intensity, and she could never tell which version of the man she was about to get. He sits in front of the chest, and she crosses her legs and sits next to him.

As he begins to work on the chest, his face changes. His eyes narrow, as his fingers move over the lock with precision. She feels like she could watch him work all day on this. It's fascinating.

"Aahhh," he says as he opens the lock with relative ease.

He opens the lid. He looks inside and his face turns from a childlike wonderment to something she hasn't seen before. She furrows her eyebrows, as she begins to worry it was empty. He closes the lid and rubs his eyes.

"What is it?" she asks.

He opens his eyes and looks at her. Somberly, he pushes the chest in her direction. She opens the box and sees white. The white from skulls. Inside the chest are three skulls sitting next to one another in what looked like ceremonial arrangement. In front of them are three wristbands like the one she wore. She stares into the box, as she realizes what they are.

With a heavy sigh, she picks up one of the bracers. "Farlow," she says weakly. Farlow had been a friend of hers, an older man who had served her boss for twenty years. One day in a training exercise, he slipped and broke his foot. Then, he disappeared. Her boss had told them he had been released from servitude as thanks for his obedience. She only realized now how naïve she had been to believe that.

She catches the man staring at Farlow's bracer, and then at the bracer on her arm. His hands are clenched together, and his face still somber. He puts a hand on her back, briefly. Then, gets up and rushes out of the room.

After taking a moment to herself to put the chest away, she stands. Wondering what's wrong with the man, she leaves to see where he's gone. Eventually, she finds him ruffling through drawers again, picking up random nick knacks and tools to spread on a table. He's got that face again, his face of intense focus. He's building something, but she can't figure out what it is.

Suddenly, the male resistance fighter barges in. He announces they're getting close and need the man on the bridge.

The man glances up and nods his head. Then goes back to his building project.

The resistance fighter turns to the woman and says "BB8 said you can fight. We'll need it."

"Oh, will you?" she says bemusedly.

"This mission is important. Thousands of lives are at stake," he says adamantly pointing his finger to the ground.

"They usually are," she replied. "If he's helping you," she gestured to the man, "then I'll help." Though he was still working, she could tell was listening to their conversation judging by the smirk on his face. After the resistance fighter seemed pleased, he left.

The woman turned to the man and said, "I was going to ask about those two, but I figured I'd find out eventually."

The man sat back in his chair, lacing his fingers as he relaxed. "I may have got-t-t you mixed up in something big."

"Better than being a skull in a box," she replied.

. The smuggler-like man gave her a quick rundown of what they were doing, as he took a break from his project. She wasn't too concerned about the details, which made the man laugh.

"You want me-me to just point at who to-to kill?" he laughed.

"Just make sure to tell me when to stop killing," she said matter-of-factly.

He took his hat off, placing it on his chest, "Well, with your permission then."

The resistance fighter had been right. They were close to their destination. The next thing she knew they were impersonating imperial officers, and onboard one of the most dangerous dreadnoughts of the First Order. She watched as the man used the necklace he had to open a door, and then gave it back to the young resistance fighter who looked relieved. The woman didn't understand it. She didn't understand any of the technobabble they were spewing and barely why they were there, but she was good with a blaster, and even better with her new energy sword. She'd been able to kill a few members of the First Order, which she was finding rather therapeutic.

As they entered the weird energy room, they were quickly found out by the Captain Phasma, who had to be the most intimidating person she'd ever seen. She thought of attacking, but as she looked to the man, he gave her a subtle head shake as if to say "don't do it." So, she obeyed and they were all taken away and separated.

"Great, am I going into another cell? I'm getting really tired of those." The woman said to the stormtroopers dragging her away.

"Shut up rebel scum," a trooper said as he kicked her in the shin.

Just when she thought she was about to meet her end, an actual imperial officer interfered.

Stepping in, he spat at the trooper, "Hux wants her."

"I can be polite," she said with a smile, hoping the officer wouldn't drag her.

"Don't get smart. Just follow me," he ordered.

He lead her to the docking bay of the First Order ship. She passed hundreds of storm troopers. Then, she noticed the two resistance fighters on their knees. They didn't notice her. The officer lead her past them, and to her surprise past Hux as well. Instead, he took her to the ship they'd arrived on, The Libertine. The man was standing next to a stack of boxes being loaded onto the ship. He wasn't shackled, but rather, standing calmly next to the entrance of the ship. The officer let go of her.

"He's a traitor just like FN-2187," he said with disgust.

"218-what?" she asked. The officer pushed her shoulder.

"Move," he snapped.

Unsure of what was happening, she looked up at the man. He raised his hand and beckoned her forward. She went to him, but not without looking back a few times to make sure they weren't about to fire on her. They entered the ship. She felt a huge sense of relief. When she surveyed the man's face, he had that same somber look again.

He stared at the ground, waiting to see if she'd ask him what happened. But the truth was, she knew exactly what had happened, and she didn't really care. The boxes contained weapons and credits. He must have sold the resistance fighters out, to save his skin. They shouldn't have been so trusting or reckless. Her only question was, why did he include her in the deal? And what were they going to do now?