Of course, the Republic was so inefficient and ineffective that they couldn't even manage to kill someone in decent time.

His trial was expedited. Not that he had any connection to the outside world, but he was certain his capture was big news. The cameras present at the trial confirmed his suspicions. They rushed his trial to give the Republic citizens some sort of relief, some sort of closure that their leaders were doing their job and justice would be served. The verdict was exactly what he expected the moment the three officials had walked onto Mila's ship: death.

He expected to feel something when it was announced. Something like sadness or grief or depression... or even happiness, that it was all going to be over soon and he wouldn't have to sit in one of their little cells much longer. He didn't feel anything.

And then the worst part came: The stretch until his execution. They didn't even bother to give him a date. They threw him in his little cell and locked the door and never gave him a date. He realized it was likely their way of further punishing him - he would sit in limbo, and one day someone would walk through the door and tell him it was time. No time to make amends, no time to find... mental peace or whatever it was he was supposed to be doing.

He was in the cell for 53 cycles, and then they gave him the date. He had one more week, they said.

He asked them what took them so long. They didn't think it was a funny question. He did.

The next day, they told him he had a visitor.

"Who?" He'd asked the guard. The word came out sounding far more shocked than he'd intended it to.

They told him they didn't know, that they weren't privy to the information. He suspected they were lying.

The room where he was to meet his guest appeared normal at first glance - a table in the center and one chair on either side. The guard made sure to point out to him - it might look clear, but there was an electronic shield. Looking at the wall, he could see the source: a slim, glowing line cutting the room in half. When it was quiet, he could hear the light hum of it operating. He tapped it and could see ripples in the shield. He sat in the chair and noticed the table wasn't even one full table - it was two separate pieces, one on either side of the shield, matched up perfectly to appear normal.

He sat, and waited, wondering who in the entire galaxy would actually want to come visit him. Contrary to what one might think, he did have friends, except that they were all Order-affiliated and wouldn't make their way into Republic territory even if their own lives depended on it.

The door opened and he forced himself not to lean to peek at the person.

A little girl walked in.

She hesitated at the door for a moment, then walked to the chair and sat.

"Really?" It was just the two of them in the room, but he had no doubt there was surveillance. He turned to whatever one-way mirror or cameras there may have been behind him and threw his hands up, "Really?! What is this?"

The wall didn't answer him.

He turned back to the girl, who looked back at him, tight jawed.

"Okay, okay I'll bite. What is it? Was your family on Hosnian Prime? Did I kill everyone you know? They sent you in here to cry to me and make me feel bad?"

She glared at him. "No."

He'd never been fond of children. It was really a slap in the face that this would be his last visitor. "Well, enlighten me then. How exactly are you relevant to me?"

"My mother was in the First Order. She left."

He nodded slowly. "I see. A defector. Or a traitor, depending on which word you prefer. I prefer the second."

He'd give the girl this much: she knew how to shoot a deadly glare. "Her name was Vale Mazelle."

He was about to make a snide comment about how the girl's mother was likely a low-level official he never had time to meet, but the name threw him.

"Did you know her?"

Why did he suddenly feel like this child could see straight through him? She was watching him uncomfortably closely. "I..." He cleared his throat, "Yes, actually. I did know Vale. I wasn't aware she defected to the Republic." He needed to either ask a burning question or vomit. He wasn't sure which. "How old are you?"

"Eleven."

He must have been distracted by his anger when she first walked in. Somehow he hadn't noticed, until that moment, that the little girl had bright orange hair.

"Oh."

She looked at him like she was picking apart everything on his face.

"Name?" He meant to assemble a coherent sentence, it just didn't come out that way.

"What?"

He shook his head quickly. "Your name. What name did your mother give you?"

"Cerys."

Cerys. Thank god, it's not some ridiculous sounding name. He actually liked it. It suited the girl well.

"Your mother... where is she?"

The girl blinked a few times, looking away from him. "She died. A few months ago."

Fuck. Why this? Why now? "I... I am sorry to hear that."

"Are you?" She brought her eyes back to his, that same loathing expression on her face.

"Yes. Yes, I am. Who is taking care of you now? She must have remarried..."

"No. I have a new home. One for kids who don't have parents."

An orphanage. She was in an orphanage. With the New Republic.

"She watched your speech."

"Hm? What? Oh." He couldn't focus.

"I watched it with her. She cried." Her eyes welled with tears a little. He'd always hated crying. It was weak. But this... it crushed him. He felt like he couldn't breathe.

Too many thoughts crowded into his head, but he couldn't get his mouth to cooperate to say any of them.

Did she know? He couldn't understand why she was there. Did the little girl understand who he was? Who she was? Even better, did he want her to know? How could he even begin to explain his relationship with Vale to a child? Sorry, I didn't really love your mother. That wasn't what it was like. Great woman, don't get me wrong, but our relationship was purely... well... physical. She was the wife of my superior, and I was young... and stupid... It only lasted a few months until she unexpectedly disappeared.

He realized now why the woman had disappeared. No doubt her moronic husband would have ended her if he found out. That was part of the thrill of it, for both of them.

"I had questions for you, but I can't remember any of them now." She said quietly, looking at her lap. She was crying.

"Stop." The word spilled out of his mouth before he really realized it. Something about her tears was taring him up. She looked surprised by the outburst. "Don't... I... This place they're keeping you now... are they good to you?"

She looked at him strangely for a few moments, then nodded.

"They're treating you well? You have everything you need?"

"I don't know anybody there." She blinked a few times, looking away from him. "I miss my mother."

"She didn't... she didn't have any family here? To take care of you?"

"No."

He looked across the table at her, coming to a second heartbreaking realization in the short amount of time since he'd entered the room: She was alone.

"I don't want to be here anymore." She stood and shuffled to the door.

"Wait." He stood, like he might somehow actually be able to stop her.

Thankfully, she listened. She looked back at him, wiping at her eyes.

He wasn't sure what he wanted to say. His mouth hung open for a moment. "I... I'm sorry."

She gave him a strange look, and walked out the door.

He paced the room, suddenly brimming with an uncomfortable, dizzy energy. He needed to do something. Anything. She couldn't be alone. He couldn't have that. He would not walk to his execution knowing she was alone.

He didn't hear the door open again. He didn't even realize someone else had entered the room until she spoke.

"Take a seat, Armitage."

He nearly jumped. When he realized who it was, he nearly jumped again. Leia Organa.

She moved into the seat the little girl had been in, placing her hands on the table and lacing her fingers together.

She'd gone mad if she actually thought he'd sit at a table with her.

"There's no need for you to assert dominance here," Her expression was flat, controlled. Her tone grew stern, "Sit."

Did she know? She must have known. Organa was not one to underestimate. She was behind this, all of it. "I'm fine standing."

She looked at him for a long, hard moment. "Cerys was very adamant about coming to see you. I didn't think it was a good idea, but I think the least we could do is respect her wishes."

He didn't believe that for a second. Organa set this up. "Is that what this is? Some sort of... attempt to blackmail me? Make me realize the wrongs of my ways right before I die?"

She inhaled sharply. "This had nothing to do with you. It was for her. Her mother reached out to me shortly before she passed."

"You? Why the hell would Vale reach out to you of all people?"

"Believe it or not, Vale and I were actually friends. Casual friends, but friends nonetheless. I suspect she came directly to me because I'm well acquainted with the situation."

"I don't even know what you mean by that." He spat. What the hell was this woman doing interfering in the girl's life? It was none of her business...

"The children of truly evil men have to be cautious in life." She raised her voice, talking over him. "Outshining a shadow is a challenge, but outshining a black hole is nearly impossible."

"Ha. Oh, I see, you're comparing me to your father..."

"I think it might be a slightly unfair comparison, you've killed a great deal more people than he ever did." She looked at him, challenging him to argue with her. "I don't know that you're seeing the whole picture yet. Let me explain to you: If anyone ever finds out that girl is your daughter, she will become a target for those who feel the need to take their anger at you out on someone. For those who feel your death won't be enough to make up for what you did."

He bit his tongue. "Are you threatening me?"

She raised an eyebrow just slightly. "I am not cruel, Armitage." Hearing her say his name reminded him why he hated it so much. "I have no desire to destroy that girl's life. I intend to keep an eye on her. I will do what I can to ensure the information is never released. She doesn't deserve that."

That was... actually a brutally kind thing for her to do. His stomach curdled thinking of it, but she was right. The girl needed to be kept safe. He looked away from her. He would have thanked her, but how does one really go about thanking their sworn enemy? "I saw your son."

"Aboard the ship with the Volkov twins? Yes, I know he was there. Mila was supposed to bring him in with you. She said he escaped a few days before you reached us. One of my constituents ran into him about a month back..." She shook her head. "But I doubt you want to talk about the war right now."

"I assume he went after the Supreme Leader? He has a temper issue, I don't know if you ever noticed that... He didn't take to the betrayal well."

"Neither have you."

"Being betrayed by one individual can be expected. Being betrayed by an entire ship full of people is slightly different."

"I'm certain it is."

"You haven't seen him?"

"Not in many years."

"He has a scar, on his face. Something he got shortly before the base exploded. Refused to let the medics on my ship touch it for some reason."

She was quiet for a moment, then got to her feet. "I believe we're done here."