Tamara paid no attention to Ren as she settled down into his shuttle once again. She noticed that the officers weren't there and that Ren was flying on his own, but she didn't give it much thought. Her mind was still reeling after the brief skirmish and she couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt. After all, they had been sent to protect her. Stormtroopers had died for her. Surely, they could've died for something more noble. Phasma would not be particularly thrilled when the news reached her. The stormtrooper captain had been reluctant to release the squadron in the first place, and now the troops were spread thinner than ever. The new corps that were up and coming were still months away from being battle ready, and she had lost some dedicated fighters.

On the other hand, she had seen a different side of Ren. She had never seen him fight before, had never seen the cross guarded red lightsaber in person before. The way he had handled the battle had been in such a way that showed his leadership. She still feared him more than anything, but for once, she felt as though he was trying to protect her, even if he was obligated to.

The shuttle halted, and Tamara glanced up as it carefully lowered itself. The ride had been far too short to return to the Finalizer, and she looked over at Ren curiously.

"Where are we, sir?" she asked, careful to not let formalities slip her mind.

"Jaymiya has forces all over," he explained, rising from the pilot's seat. "The First Order High Command, as well as myself, have safe houses across the Core and other planets should we need to lie low. We will need to keep our movements as limited as possible to assist in tracking her. We cannot kick up dust, for she will flee across the galaxy if she knows of our exact location."

Tamara stood, smoothing out the wrinkles that had formed in her greatcoat and followed him down the ramp of the shuttle. He walked ahead of herm not bothering to wait, but as soon as she walked outside, she stopped. The safe house was near the area that she had called home. She closed her eyes, the sense of familiarity washing over her like never before. Even though Ren was prowling, she didn't even notice him; he was insignificant in the grand scheme of the planet. She felt the rays of Coruscant Prime on her face, slowly beginning to die out as the superstructures blocked its light. There was a slight breeze, one that she had felt many times before. Slowly, she opened her eyes, seeing that Ren was standing off to the side within a blast door frame, clearly impatient.

"Apologies," she said quickly, then walked at a clipped pace by him, her shoulders hunched forward and her body language closed off. She didn't mean for him to be watching her. Though she had only been away from the planet for a mere six days, it seemed like months to her.

Once she was inside, she glanced around, seeing that the apartment was adorned in a way similar to the Finalizer. Sharp, angular darkened walls made up the majority of the design, though there was a couch and an armchair sitting off-centre and a cabinet on the wall to her left.

"Make yourself comfortable, we'll be staying the night," Ren said, brushing past her and into the hallway at the far end of the room. Tamara glanced down at the dark floor, unsure of what to do. Her datapad had been lost in the battle, condemned to remain the rest of its life on the floor of the abandoned library. She ripped her cap off her head and tossed it onto the couch, pulling the pins out of her hair and letting it fall down around her shoulders. The greatcoat came off next, and she folded it carefully, setting it down on the arm of the couch, along with her cap. She shuffled the pins around in her palm, electing to just keep them with the rest of her stuff. She knew that she was in Ren's apartment now, and the last thing she wanted to do was be more invasive than she already was. He was mostly likely equally as thrilled with the arrangement as she was. With a sigh, she dropped down onto the couch, staring up at the ceiling.

She heard him return and instantly sat back up. He had removed his robe, though his mask and gloves remained firmly in place. He ignored her staring as he walked over to the couch, electing to sit next to her. She instantly distanced herself from him as much as she could. She glanced over at the cabinet.

"I need a drink after today," she said, half to herself. "Do you have any alcohol in there, sir?"

Ren looked over at her. "We can drop the formalities, Tamara," he said. She turned her head to hide her wince. She was not used to the idea of him calling her by her first name. "And yes, in the cabinet."

She stood, grateful to get away from him, if only for a few minutes. She pulled the door open and looked through the selection of bottles there were. She needed something strong.

"I need one too," he said from behind her, and she glanced over her shoulder. Deciding that it was best not to question him, she nodded.

"Cornelian whiskey on the rocks?" she asked.

"Fine by me."

She pulled the bottle out before searching for glasses and ice. As she did so, her mind continued to question him in her mind. Surely, he needed the mask. Why else would he wear it? Even Phasma had been unmasked in front of Tamara, twice, yet Ren had kept his on. And now, he was asking her for a drink. Surely, she could not have foreseen a stranger set of circumstances.

She poured the whiskey slowly, the ice snapping as the warm liquid flowed over it. She set the bottle down and passed for a moment before she picked up both of the glasses. Ren watched her as she extended one out to him, and he took it with nothing more than a nod. Carefully, she seated herself back in her spot, unsure of what to do next. Part of her wanted to down the entire thing, but she knew that wouldn't end well for anyone. Instead, she set her glass down before tangling her fingers in her hair, staring out the windows at the airspeeders. Never did she think that she would miss their constant activity. The Finalizer was eerily quiet when the higher-ranked officers were off their shifts. The hallways were quiet. They were in the vast nothingness of space. It seemed as though she was completely alone, but with Coruscant, it seemed to buzz. Activity was everywhere. There was no stillness anywhere on the planet.

Tamara glanced over at the sound of metal clunking and hissing. She nearly dropped her glass. Ren had decided to unmask himself, and he slowly pulled the mask away from his before tossing it to the armchair as though it was simply an object to be discarded. She didn't know what she expected from Ren, but she didn't expect him to be a man not much older than her with loosely-curled black hair, pale skin, dark eyes. The thing that threw her off the most was how innocent he looked. He didn't have the face of a cold-blooded killer. He didn't look violent. But there was one more thing.

"You're Ben Solo," she said, her voice hardly more than a whisper. His eyes immediately turned and his jaw tightened.

"That name is forbidden to speak by decree of the Supreme Leader," he snapped, then reached back for his glass, relaxing as his gloved fingers traced to rim of it before bringing it up to his face. "How did you know anyway?"

"Your mother, mostly," she said. "Politics were a constant topic in my family, as you may have known. You were seen on the HoloNet quite often with her."

The last time Ben Solo had been broadcasted on the HoloNet was when he was in his early twenties, before he had disappeared from the news altogether. The rumours had said that he had gone to train with his uncle. Tamara paid them no mind. She was not one to meddle with the personal lives of senators, nor did she care. She had never even though about Ben Solo until now. It had been about seven years since she had last seen his face on the news.

Ren seemed to be satisfied with her answer. "And now you know why I hide my face," he said, sipping his drink then placing it on his thigh. His features were effeminate, more than she remembered. Then again, her memories were fuzzy.

"May I ask you something?" she asked before she sipped her own drink. She made a face as the bitter liquid touched her tongue, but she swallowed it anyway.

"Depends on what it is," he said. He was much more approachable without the modulator. He wasn't as intimidating. That didn't mean she wasn't still afraid.

"How long have you been part of the First Order?" she asked, hoping that it was safe enough.

"Six years," he said simply. She knew that was going to be all she would get from him. Clearly he wasn't one for small talk. That didn't really bother her, though she had even more questions about the man now that she knew his true identity. Still, she didn't want to push him. He tilted his head back and downed the rest of his drink before slamming the glass down on the table next to him.

"Listen…" She didn't know what to call him. "I just wanted to thank you for saving me. You outrank me and you still put your life on the line for me."

Ren shrugged. "I didn't have much of a choice," he responded. "I was assigned to this mission."

"You didn't have to protect me," she said. "The stormtroopers had to. Some of them ended up paying with their lives. You got me out of there. You didn't have to. They could've come to get me."

Ren leaned back, staring straight ahead thinking. All she could think about was how much easier it was to speak with him in this informal setting. The mask was a welcome absence.

Somewhere in the room, a datapad began to buzz and beep. He stood from the couch and walked behind her. Tamara turned away, doubting that she would get a response from him.

"General Hux," he spoke clearly. Even without the modulator, his voice was strong.

"What is your status, Ren? Where is Miss Vess?" the General asked. He seemed frantic.

"She is with me at my safe house," Ren answered. "The other stormtroopers have gone to their own safe houses further from here. We shall be staying the night."

"We are trying to find Jaymiya," Hux said. "She is proving to be rather difficult to find."

"Hence why I ordered them to lay low," he said. "If there is nothing by morning, we will return to the Finalizer."

"Keep me informed," Hux said, and the line went silent. Ren set the datapad down again, and Tamara turned to look at him.

"Perhaps now that we're alone, you can explain to me what you warned me about when we first met," Tamara challenged. Ren glanced up to look at her.

"My warning doesn't need to be explained," he said simply. "Even I do not know what Hux has in store for you, but I have my suspicions."

"Are you saying I shouldn't trust you?" she asked.

"You already don't – it shouldn't be a major change," he shot back.

Don't argue, she thought to herself. She reached for her glass and took another sip, the whiskey burning her throat and the surpassed the urge to cough. "A refill, sir?"

"You may call me Ren for tonight," he responded. "And yes."

She stood and grabbed his empty glass, the half-melted ice cubes clinking around the bottom of the glass. He was standing at the window, staring out into the bustle of Coruscant.

"How did you live here for so long?" he asked. "No order, no rest."

Tamara glanced up, measuring how to respond to him. "When you live in a place for twenty-six years, you learn to ignore the actions of others," she said. Ren turned away from the window and resumed his previous spot on the couch. She brought his glass back over to him and he took it from her.

"So what happens now?" she asked. "Am I ousted, as you told me?"

Ren glanced over at her. "That's out of my hands," he said. "Whatever Hux and the Supreme Leader decide past this will be what stands."

"I didn't know the Supreme Leader would be involved," Tamara muttered.

"He is involved in most decisions regarding the higher-ranked officers," Ren explained. "There aren't many, making it much easier."

"Can't help but think this won't look particularly good for me," she said, resting her forehead against her hand.

"If it's any comfort, this risk was realized well before you were sent out," Ren offered. "We knew who this woman was. There was a reason I came with you and not just a stormtrooper convoy. She's dangerous."

Tamara smiled. "I'm certainly not cut out for field work."

"You knew this was not going to be easy."

"I guess so. I had been groomed for this job my entire life – I couldn't just turn it down."

"You you could've always gone against your father."

Tamara sighed, annoyed with his constant pressing of her relationship with Everett Vess.

"Why does it matter so much?" she snapped.

Ren glanced over at her, and for a moment, she thought she had grossly overstepped her boundaries. However, she could read his face, and it was one of amusement than of anger.

"You have no spine," he answered. "Who cares what your father wants you to do? It's not his life."

Acting civil, are we? she thought. While his power had not left him, he seemed to be far more relaxed. Maybe it was the alcohol, maybe it was that he wasn't nearly as scary without the mask. In fairness, it was probably both.

"Again, why does it concern you?" she asked, her voice still carrying an edge to it.

"I'm just speaking my mind," he responded. "You were so afraid of me when we first met that you didn't even realize I was analyzing your movements and mannerisms."

"It's difficult to tell when you're wearing that mask," she shot back.

Ren stood, and Tamara watched him cautiously. "It's what makes it so appealing," he said sarcastically.

She leaned back against the couch, hating the fact that he was so difficult. If anything, she just wanted him to go to the back of the apartment and not come back out until they were to go back to the Finalizer. However, that was not her reality. He was standing at the cabinet, but wasn't pouring himself another drink.

"Can we have an enjoyable evening?" she asked.

Ren turned slowly, clearly amused. "That depends if you're going to be terrified of me all night."

"I'll do my best," she said reluctantly.

While she was still afraid of him, he was a much different person without the mask on. It could also be that they were technically off duty and needed some time to relax. Maybe the mask was a persona. It was certainly seeming like it was.

"Is there any food here?" she asked, suddenly aware of the sudden hunger pangs in the pit of her stomach.

"I can call for a droid to bring something," he said. "This entire block of apartments is First Order property."

"That would be wonderful," she said.

She stood carefully, snatching the glass from the table, and walked to the window. She was far from her own home, but that didn't matter. Coruscant was all one giant city to her and everyone else in the galaxy.

"Where is the safe house for the stormtroopers?" she asked.

"Away from here," he answered, his voice nearing her. "East, somewhere. I'm not exactly sure of its location."

"Why not keep them here?" she asked, turning her head slightly to look at him.

"A few reasons," she said. "First, if the enemy happened to find out that this is where we are stationed, it makes us all sitting ducks all congregated in one spot. Secondly, they are stormtroopers. Like the Finalizer, their barracks are much different and cramped than the suites that you and I have. They do not have the rank to command a safe house like this one."

There was a large pause between the two of them, and Tamara did not care to break it. He was standing close to her; she could sense him just over her shoulder. She downed the rest of the whiskey and made a face as she did so before letting her arm drop.

"They may not have the rank that you and I have, but you know that they saved my life today," she said, turning her head in his direction. "They listened to me and stood by me when I went back."

Ren walked over to her side, and she noticed he had filled his glass again. "I will say that they did go against my orders, and for that, I was angry with them," he said. "But I underestimated you as well as Jaymiya. I didn't think you had it in you to go defy my orders."

"While the two of us may not have the best relationship, you're still part of the First Order," she said. "I want to make sure that my own are safe."

"You should know by now that I'm never safe," he said, turning away and walking over to the blast door across the room. "I can't even unmask myself without someone recognizing me."

"Your personality without the mask is much more pleasant to deal with," she said.

"And you must remember that we're off duty right now – I can act as I please," he said, pressing the button to send the door up. On the other side, a droid on the other side. Tamara looked away as Ren attended to it. Though the mask was off, he still seemed to be very defensive toward her. Being recognized as soon as his face was visible for the first time probably didn't help the situation, but she was sure that she could get him to open up, even just a little bit. She glanced down at her empty glass in her hand and crossed the floor to where the depleting bottle sat on the counter under the white light.

Ren shut the door again, passing behind her, the smell of food wafting across the room, and she turned to look. He set two identical trays down on the coffee table, each one with the exact same food. The smell was intoxicating, tempting her

He must've noticed her staring at the food. "Smoked nerf, potatoes," he said. "Standard meal around here. Access to better food isn't an option."

Tamara cracked a small smile. "I'm not complaining," she responded. "Most of the time I just eat whatever is featured on the Finalizer."

"You'll come to see that the Finalizer, while not our flagship, hosts some of the best food," he explained. "Most of our commanding officers are stationed there. It only makes sense to take care of them."

She poured another ounce of the fiery liquid over the diminishing ice cubes, not particularly caring to respond. She didn't want to set him off. Finding that threshold was proving to be difficult. His emotions changed so quickly and without warning, she needed to tread carefully.

"Are you just going to stand there all night?" he asked, his tone dripping with sarcasm. Tamara picked up her glass and walked over to her self-proclaimed spot on the couch, slamming the glass down on the coffee table. She wasn't intentionally trying to make a statement, but she could live perfectly fine without his snarky remarks. However, she would take his comments over him exercising his Force abilities on her. He watched her with one raised eyebrow, as if he was making sure she wasn't about to do anything rash. Considering the events of the day, his skepticism was valid.

The food in front of her was different than anything she had seen before, but it looked appetizing. The savoury smell made her mouth water, and she was painfully reminded of the lack of food she'd had that day. Still, she wanted to be as proper as she could. Old habits died hard, especially when years were spent engraining habits from the Coruscanti elite. However, Ren wasn't even paying attention to her. He seemed too enamoured with his own meal. She figured it was a safe bet to guess that he was in a similar position to her. He seemed to be lost in thought.

Ren glanced down to his datapad as it lit up. Tamara set her fork down. "Is something wrong?" she asked.

He held is hand up as he examined the information that sprawled across the screen. She sat back on the couch, picking up her glass, waiting. There was the very real possibility that Ren would refuse to divulge any information to her, but he had been fairly open with her so far. Even if he didn't, she would likely press him for it, though she was still wary of him. The whiskey was numbing her senses, and she could feel it taking hold of her with every new sip. Her head was starting to swim, though she could still process everything just fine. Her tolerance was higher than it perhaps needed to be.

"Hux thought that he had a lead," Ren said. "It appears that it was false."

"I wouldn't be surprised if Jaymiya has done just as we have," she offered. "She's fleeting – I doubt she's stupid enough to try and flee the planet with the Finalizer still in orbit."

"None of your research accounts for her unpredictability," Ren stated. "She hasn't survived for this long based on figuring out possible outcomes. She always seems to be one step ahead of us all."

Tamara glanced out the window, letting out an exasperated sigh before turning back to Ren. "We'll catch her again," she said, her confidence returning to her in that moment. Ren glanced up from his datapad. She took it as a sign to keep going. "She cannot leave as long as we're around."

"And how do you plan to track her through filtering one trillion residents on this planet?" he asked.

"I was part of the Coruscanti elite. I have contacts I can put a word out to. One of them is bound to find her at some point."

For the first time, she saw him smile, genuinely. "I'll let Hux know we have a lead." Tamara couldn't help but feel pleased with herself. She knew that she needed to make up for this failure, and if she was the one to find Jaymiya, it would save her. Ren looked up at her again, much more at ease. While she did not understand the Force, she could sense that he was much more relaxed. What he failed to realize was how much that simple moment told her. If he took her at her word, she had power over him. Anything that she could use against him would be a welcome turn from what usually occurred between the two pf them. For the first time, she saw the boy that she had once seen on the HoloNet, standing next to his mother.

However, it faded as soon as it appeared. A streak of darkness flashed across his face, as though he was remembering that he could not show any positive emotion. Then it was replaced with conflict. She watched with intrigue. He didn't even seem conscious that he was so obviously bearing secrets to her.

He reached for his own glass, and she watched him partially through her eyelashes. "Cheers, to the First Order," he said, raising it toward her.

"To the First Order."

Apologies again for the super late chapter! Class started kicking my ass nice and early in the semester, and this past week has been the week from hell (fried my laptop plus a multitude of other things). I'll be trying to catch up with uploading now that I have a small break, and hopefully this chapter was worth the wait!