Disheveled torn dress, tousled hair falling out of braids haphazardly, black grease on her cheek and down the front of her skirts, the princess blew at a stray frizzed lock out of her face in a frustrated puff. On hand on her hip, she wielded a man's hair clipper with her other hand in the same manner Lord would have a lightsaber. The two rather-unsettled Hapes women followed the razor's movement with widened eyes. Then again, the scarlet haired River appeared largely unsettled, her brunette sister watched the device almost creepily enthralled.

Cheeks angrily puffed, Apple stared down the two stronger-appearing women. Despite the Hapes females being on their knees before her, the women's height in comparison to her small size was still more than apparent. Whereas, the top of the princess's head would have come up to just below Hux's shoulder, the Hapes women would have—if standing—be able to almost stare him in the eye as it were. Only just hand's breath shorter than him, their height alone would've deterred most other imperial women. Yet, the much smaller princess—a diminutive fragile-appearing figure—brought her feminine fury to bear upon the two prisoners, more than making up for the height difference.

"Now you tell them the truth!" She lifted an electric razor, flipping it on with her thumb, ""Tell them why you violated their privacy and cyberhacked into their infrastructure. Or you are getting a new haircut."

Hux jerked his upper body back, eyebrows shooting to the ceiling. And careful observation demonstrated that the Lord Ren most likely was just as astounded as he was.

A grin unfolded on Kylo's lips. "Now that is…" He turned the grin on the general snidely, "my Apple."

The young general shot him a narrowed eyed glare. The son of a murlak was needling him.

"Talk," Apple raised the electric razor with an expression of major stink face. The buzzing increased in warning. "Because I'm feeling the urge to shave something."

River's eyes went wide. "Alright. Alright! I'll talk just don't cut my hair."

"Third sister!" Blaze hissed at her.

"You stay out of it," Apple chided her, bobbing the clipper at her, "Or you're getting a mullet just for my benefit."

Blaze blanched with a jerking flinch then dropped her head.

Hux flicked his eyes to the Dark Lord whom appeared more amused than the young general felt at that moment. Rather, Hux felt… shocked. In a single word, shocked. Strangely, this new side of the princess was… rather, he felt a smile curl up on his lips… appealing. Fiesty.

Apple amped up the razor. It's buzzing increased in fury. "Now, spill."

"It was us!" River bawled, cowering away from the razor waving inches from her red curls. "Only us! Our brothers weren't involved—They did't even know about the mission."

Blaze snickered, giving her sister an exasperated look, "They're men. Of course they didn't know anything." her aqua-colored eyes formed slits at the general, "How could men," the word was stressed disparagingly, "be involved in important matters? Do you consider us stupid: We keep our men in the dark—as they should be," she sneered, "Because they know their place."

Hux pierced his lips until they formed a white line, careful to clutch his curling fists behind his back. So this was the extent of Hapes femininism. He glowered down at the impudent woman. She met his hateful glare with one of her own. Disappointing. Flawless beauty scarred by such an abhorrent expression that it was almost contemptible. Spiteful witch.

"And your is in the kitchen," Mainframe snarked out the side of his mouth, sparking a ruckus of chuckles from the soldiers.

Blaze torqued her upper body towards him, straining against the stormtroopers' grip on her shoulders. "Say that to my face, neckbeard!"

Eyebrows popping upward amused, Mainframe smirked, "Neckbeard? Seriously? Is that the best mansult you can come up with?"

He bent forward at the waist to whisper loud enough for the soldiers outside the door to hear him, "Surely you can do better than that or is your mustache," He flicked his fingers above his upper lip, "stealing nutrients from your wee little girlie brain."

A few of the soldiers snickered much to the woman's chagrin.

"You will die at my hand!" She scraped her bound claws at his throat.

"A little off the top, dearie," he made another mustache gesture at her.

"Enough!" Hux barked, "Save the needling for academy." He paced slowly and deliberately. "Now…" he stopped before them, cold and severe, "you will talk."

"We're not telling you poodoo!"

Hux's eyes flashed.

"Oh, you are just begging for a new haircut," Apple snipped at her, drawing the general's attention, "Tell him the truth, or it is going to be a whole lot more than a little off the top."

"But he's a man!" Blaze gasped horrified.

"Well," the princess chuckled, anger mollifying, "that's obvious! Even a blind woman can see that's he's a man."

The way that she said that brought a proud flush to the general's face.

River grinned maliciously, "The Shakal makes a valid point." She winked at him and blew a sultry kiss.

Hux's face reddened in a different manner.

Blaze swung her head to face her sister aghast. "Really? Really, River? He's the enemy."

"He's not the enemy," the scarlet haired sister made a disapproving mewing sound, "look at him. He's like a sweet little cherub." She cooed at him, "aren't you? Yes, you are in your spiffy little uniform."

"By the Imperial standard!" Hux gasped taken back. "Is she insane?"

"Do you have to flirt with every male you see?" Blaze chastised with a condescending sneer. "It's mortifying."

"But he's so adorable. Look at him in his pretty uniform." River shimmied with a flirtatious squeal, "So cute!"

Hux groaned and smacked a palm against his face. Spinning on his heel, he stalked away, "Lord Ren, you deal with them. I'm too tired for this."

"Are you sure, general?" The dark lord smirked, "You seem to be handling this interrogation…" the smile widened cruelly, "quite… adorably."

Hux shot him a hateful look.

River flipped her red curls back over her left shoulder then over her right shoulder. With a twitch of her eyebrows at Kylo, she began to flirt with him.

Bored, he crossed his arms across his broad chest. "I'd kill you as soon as look at you."

The women snapped their attention to Apple for verification.

The princess shrugged with a sheepish look, "He's right, he probably would." Not to repentant over her nephew's callousness, she added as if it explained everything, "he is a sith afterall."

"But he's so pretty," River pouted, then flashed him a sultry smile, "all dark and dangerous. Like a fabulous black hole."

"Of course he is," Apple countered, impatiently, "he's my nephew. Now enough of flirting with every man in the room—"

"She hasn't flirted with me yet," Mainframe stepped forward to supply with a twisted grin.

Apple dropped her head with a groan. "River please flirt with him so we can finish this interrogation and finally get some sleep."

The breathtaking red-head blew him a kiss.

"Thank you," he grinned broadly then stepped back in line.

Taking a steadying breath, Apple closed and opened her eyes before calmly continuing, "Ladies, must I relay to you again your list of offenses against the First Order. First off, you nearly caused an interplanetary incident, and by my Imperial grandfather's Black heart, I still don't know if you haven't entirely botched the entire amalgamation altogether."

The other two women withered under her penetrating stare.

The princess continued, her voice a sharp whisper, the kind a courtier would employ in reprimanding children while at court, "Not to mention, your antics nearly cost seven noblemen…" She searched for a moment before saying, "and the however many countless other soldiers tied to this diplomatic interlude, their lives." She shook her frazzled blonde curls in absolute disbelief, "And yet, you say, the men should know their place?"

A terribly disappointed expression crossed her face more damning than if she had roared at them. Instead, her voice was soft and calm, "No. The men were not foolish enough to get caught with their hands in another government's data. You were and your enterprising could've cost your cause everything. It is embarrassing and as you are supposed to be my handmaids, how will I recover from such an absurd quandary?"

"We had our orders!" Blaze burst, almost uncharacteristically desperate. Up until that point, she appeared to be the steady one. Yet at that moment, her eyes widened and her face contorted into an expression of such frenzied horror that Hux found himself in awe of the princess's simplistic technique.

"Your orders?!" She stomped her foot, eyes flinching at the pain the movement caused. "To hack into the First Order's security interfaces while your prince was aboard?" Apple bristled, then softened her tone into a stern reprimand, "To embarrass me and make trouble for my most beloved nephew? To nearly destroy this beautiful ship's engineering? To make a mockery of everything that I stand for and hold dear? Were those your orders? Who was senseless enough to lead you on that preposterous mission?" She lifted the razor. "Now talk or you two are getting some nasty haircuts by a blind woman."

"Alright!" River cried, trying to cover her hair with her handcuffed hands. "Just don't cut my hair. Don't cut my hair!"

Blaze shot her a hateful look. "Coward."

"Shut up, Blaze," River spat at her, eyes streaming tears, "This is all your fault. If you were better at hacking!"

"Me?!" Blaze spouted nearly gasping, "You went on an online shopping spree!"

"Those bikinis were 50% off!"

Apple raised the razor, saying simply, "A little off the top, or should I start with the sides?"

"Alright!," River confessed, "it was us. Only us. We acted entirely alone on orders from our mother."

"Your mother?" Apple gasped horrified. "What kind of mother would send her own daughters into such a dangerous situation?"

"She had us hack into the First Order's systems to determine if you were legit or just a clone. We had to know if we were to accept you as the future Queen. "

"Reasonable, but you wouldn't find that in the First Order systems," Apple waved dismissively, "I was frozen in carbonite for nearly 30 years. Why didn't you just ask? The only place that you would find such records was at my father's fortress on Mustafar."

Kylo swung his upper body to face her, expression unreadable. "Mustafar?"

Apple waved his question off, impatiently, "A volcanic sooty place, but you'll like it. The fortress even has a sith cave underneath connecting to an ancient sith temple. We'll visit it later—I'll show you the holocron vault."

An almost gasping-choking sound erupted from Kylo's throat but he made no further comment. Spinning his back to them, he shoved the knuckles of his left hand into his mouth, surpassing his excitement.

Hux pressed his lips together. For such a Vader enthusiast as Kylo Ren was, the fact that he didn't know about Mustafa and it's fate was surprising. But Hux would be blasted before he told either of them that the fortress was practically burnt to the ground by the Republic decades ago.

The princess leveled her gaze at the two women, "I assume discovering my lineage wasn't the only reason why you ventured to almost ruin everything, was it?"

"We were sent to assess the future Shakal's worthiness," Blaze explained.

That warranted a serious crusty from her sister, and a lofty yawn out of Apple.

"A mute point," the princess lifted an eyebrow, "you didn't need to dig around in First Order files to determine my credibility. Excuses. Keep talking, you're going to have to do better than that to convince me not to give you a shave."

"Our mother and aunts thought an organization run by men would be weak and useless…" River spilled rapidly then paused to make a quirky look, "I mean really can you blame them. Men maybe cute…" she winked at Kylo then blew a kiss at Hux, "But intellectual…" She made a grimacing face. "…not likely."

Blaze added, "Everyone knows that males are lacking in superior intellect."

Apple turned the setting up on her razor, "What was that again?"

The women's eyes widened, and River burst, "Men are just as smart as women." If a broad grin was any faker than hers, the young general had never seen it.

Apple turned off her razor. "That's more like it."

"Our honorable mother," Blaze continued in the explanation, not nearly as rattled as her sister, "sent us to determine the strength of the First Order, whether it was worth an alliance and rebellion against the Queen Mother. We were not willing to lose everything for an alliance with fools."

With a curt smile, Apple flipped the razor back on, "I'm thinking bangs. How about you?"

"It's the truth!" River burst.

Apple's expression went dry. "And?"

"We faked the whole fight to acquire the security codes to hack into their system," River blustered on, eyes shooting to the razor in the princess's hand.

Apple's expression flattened even further. "We already figured as much."

"It was our job as your protectors," River's words tumbled out in a garbled mess, "if you were the Shakal—then we were to acquire the information to protect you at all costs. We were assigned to protect you, even if it meant taking you from the First Order, if they weren't worthy of protecting you. It's the truth!"

Hux stiffened, shifting his eyes to the princess as she returned his glance.

Apple blinked her eyelashes rapidly then smiled a strained smile. Turning back to the Hapes sisters, she said simply, "Ladies, the First Order is an extension of the Empire. I am an imperial and these men…" She circled her index finger at the room of soldiers, "are my family. So if you or anyone else thinks that you can pry me from here then you've been sniffing way too much spice."

Several of the officers exchanged proud smirks.

The princess's professional demeanor melted into that of a petulant child. "And if anyone even tries to take me away from my nephew," she opened her hand to Lord Ren, "he will beat the living saarlac out of them."

The Hapes noblewomen glanced at the knight of Ren. The murderous glare turning his blue eyes a site's amber caused them to blanch. The two women leaned back away from him.

Apple waved the razor again. "Now tell what else…?"

"I used a First Order officer's credits to purchase bikinis and a couple pairs of shoes…" River babbled, large eyes zeroed on the razor.

The princess flipped on the device again.

"Alright!" River burst, "ten pairs of shoes and seven purses!"

"And the officer's name?"

"I don't know."

The buzzing increased in vibrating.

"I swear, I don't know!" She practically shrieked, "I don't know!" She covered her head. "It was just some random guy that I was making out with in the hall."

Hux and Kylo exchanged a disgusted look. The girl was a blatant tart.

"He just had great lips," River babbled, "I didn't bother to get his name. I mean is it wrong that," the last came out in a pathetic bawl, "he was just some guy I wanted to mack on?!"

Hux rubbed his dry eyes, a major headache coming on. He said out the side of his mouth to Kylo, "Remind me to never allow women aboard this ship again."

"The officer's name was Ensign Li'u," Mainframe supplied then added for the looks sent his way, "The code was easily traceable in their cyberhack—Li'u didn't have the security authorization for the information they were attempting to access."

Apple returned her attention to the confessor, "And the officer will be properly reimbursed with interest?"

"Yes! Yes!" River burst, rattling over herself, "Of course!"

"Anything else?" The razor buzzed.

"I'm not twenty-one," she started to bawl even louder, "I lied on my pilot's exam and when I crashed the practice fighter, I blamed it on Blaze!"

Her sister snapped her head to her aghast. "That was you?!" She lunged at her, handcuffed claws ripping for her hair. "I'll kill you! I had to forfeit my allowance for a whole year!"

Stormtroopers jumped into action, separating the she-devils.

Apple sighed, beyond exasperated, "I meant anything else, concerning your offenses against the First Order."

The two women stopped trying to strangle each other.

River scooted further away from her sister and confessed further, "I proposed to thirty of your officers, not intending to marry a single one of them. And I'm supposed to go to sexual harassment courses because I smacked their bums." She prattled on, "So I liked their bums. They were cute! I mean, can't a girl look? There's nothing wrong with looking at a little eye candy. But I swear that's all! On the grave of my grandmother, I swear it!" She curled up into a ball attempting to cover her hair with her bound hands. "Now please don't shave my head. Please don't shave my head."

Hux covered his face with his palm. He was definitely too tired for this.

"We don't know the rest," Blaze answered glaring at her hysterical sister then focused on the princess. "That is the truth. We don't know anymore."

"Yes, but I know who does," Apple told them then shot her eyes to Mainframe. He nodded in response and swiftly strode out the door.

The princess turned a beautiful smile on Hux and Kylo despite the black grease smearing her cheek. "Now gentlemen, that's how you get women to confess."

She curtsied, opening her arms outward in a dramatically self-satisfied flourish. Too bad, she still had the razor turned on. And even more unfortunate was its close proximity to the mass of red hair on River's head.

Zip! A thick red curling lock fell to the ground, to the princess's and River's horror.

"My hair!" River shrieked.

"Yikes!" Apple grimaced, hurriedly shoving the razor into a stormtrooper's hands. "He did it!"

The unfortunate trooper fumbled with the device as River bawled, big fat tears. "My hair!" She shrieked, wailing at the loss of her front curl.

The princess grimaced further.

With a loud hydraulics hiss, the doors slid open as Mainframe escorted a shackled breathtaking brunette into the room by her forearm.

Hux found his jaw slacken at the woman's raw beauty. Thick black hair tumbled down her back from a careless ponytail. Its glossy shine reflected the artificial lights in such as way as to draw a man's breath from his chest. She flicked her large violet eyes around the office, blinking some of the thickest and longest black eyelashes the general had her seen. And her shape was enough to put Twi'lek to shame. Even the Lord Ren straightened when she focused her gorgeous eyes on him for a fleeting glance.

Roan surveyed the room carefully as if taking in every detail, including her sister's mourning a red curl. "So, you didn't last long under interrogation, I presume?"

"My hair."

Apple grimaced, pointing, "That was an accident."

A corner of Roan's mouth twitched then she removed her attention to the two men before her. "The General and the Dark Sith. I have been briefed on your careers," she said with such little emotion that she could have ben mistaken for a porcelain doll, "I must admit that I've never seen powerful men before." A dark eyebrow arched, "I don't know whether to be impressed or disappointed."

Hux bristled. "Depends on whether you value your life or not."

She smiled a slow impertinent smile, "Of course."

Apple rolled her eyes, exhaling exasperated. "Is there a return policy for handmaids, because I am tempted to shoot the whole lot of you out an airlock."

Roan's smile disappeared quickly with a penitent drop to her knee and bow of her head. "Forgive me, your highness."

Apple waved her hand dismissively, "I'll think about it." Fabric of her gown swishing against the floor, she ventured further into the office, carefully feeling out in front of her for synthetic objects blocking her way.

"Gentlemen," she smiled at the stormtroopers back over her shoulder, "could you please escort the other ladies outside? Ru's please remain."

The officers glanced at their General. Hux nodded and flicked his hand at them waving them out.

Waiting until the stormtroopers and other officers hustled the two sisters out the door, Apple turned a topsy-turvy smile on the eldest Hapes sister. "Lady Roan, tell them the real reason why you hacked into the system. And don't give me the determining my worth or that of the First Order jargon, because we all know that is pure fodder."

"You knew?" She asked, shocked, "Not even my sisters knew."

"No real clandestine operation would be invoked for such a paltry cause." Apple felt for a seat, locating a side stand. Palpating its edges and surface until she was satisfied, she smoothed her skirts behind her to sit down on it. "…It's obvious you were looking for something entirely different."

Roan hesitated, shooting her eyes to the others remaining in the room.

"I trust these men here with my life." She opened her hand to Kylo, "And my nephew has eliminated all the spy devices."

Hux spun to the dark lord, "There were bugs in my office?" A cold rage filled him.

"Four." Kylo answered apparently approving of his anger, "The old Captain had acquired enough enemies that three of them were from his days."

"But one was new," Hux considered then asked furious, "When was it placed?"

"Before Apple and I were out of sick bay," Kylo surmised, "I'd assume perhaps more than two weeks."

Hux moistened his lips, "Right before we transferred to this ship?"

"Correct," Kylo replied.

"And who placed it?" The General felt his blood boil.

"Roan, if you would," Apple opened her hand with a tip down of her chin, "please tell the esteemed general."

"We discovered evidence that the Queen Mother has a spy within the First Order," came the noblewoman's straightforward answer, "Someone high up in the ranks. Our mission was to discover the operative and eliminate him or her."

"And did you discover the identity of the agent?" Apple asked, apparently expecting a negative answer.

Roan dropped her head. "No."

Mainframe rubbed his chin to settle on scratching the side of his face. "I blocked their cyberhack. They wouldn't be able to even determine what size underwear the troopers wear from the construct I trapped them in."

Roan shot him a perturbed look. "But we had access codes and—"

He shrugged. "You should've used a droid. Even then, I could see your cyberhack a solar system away." He apparently was the only man in the room, not affected by the woman's extraordinary beauty. Perhaps, he preferred loose red-heads.

"One, when you cyber sneak into a system next time don't put on such a show beforehand," he told her flatly, "Two, when you use a security code stick to the level the code was designed for. And three, don't play piddley-winks with the data substructures."

Roan flicked her long black ponytail back over her shoulder to give him a seething look.

"Sweetie," Mainframe folded his arms across his chest, "don't ewok yourself. You never had a chance of success to begin with."

Roan jolted, blinking her long eyelashes rapidly. But her lips formed a firm scowling line.

"Oh he is skilled in empathy," Apple answered her unspoken question, "He'd have sensed you were up to something the moment you thought it."

She lifted her eyes to somewhere just above his face, expression reflecting a light-hearted discovery then sobered slightly as she attempted to redirect the conversation back to its original course. "Could you determine the leak?"

"In time," the computer expert shrugged, "but it'd be faster if I had a baseline."

"Kylo," Apple scooted an empty tumbler way from herself then wiped her hands, "do you still have the bug?"

He reached in his tunic to pull out a small broken device. Pinched between his forefinger and thumb, a tiny chip hung out of it by a minuscule wire. "It was about to send it for further analysis."

"You've been carrying it with you all this time," she teased him, "I wonder that you didn't already give it a name and a collar."

The Dark Knight narrowed his eyes in response in a snide look but didn't reply.

Hux seethed at him, "When did you purport to telling me that my office was being spied upon?"

"After I determined its source," the dark knight said lazily, "Obviously not a Republic design," his tone more than questioned Hux's intelligence level, "this is a First Order manufacture, so a traitor placed it. After I send it for further analysis, I will find and eliminate the traitor myself."

"Sending it out won't be necessary," Apple interjected, "it's source can be discovered simply by touching it."

"Impossible." Kylo scowled. "Nothing can be obtained from merely 'touching it'. I've touched it," he sneered the words, "for over 24 hours and discovered nothing."

"Oh you are ever the optimist, my most-favored nephew," she tilted her head to the side flashing him one of her teasing smiles, "but psychometry is not one of your gifts. It's one of his," she opened her hand to the lieutenant commander… or rather to the wall next to him.

Kylo turned a sharp hateful look on the older man. "Am I to believe that an untrained—"

"Kylo," Apple said delicately, shaking her disheveled blond curls, "every force sensitive is different. Ru 1 is especially gifted in psychometry or otherwise known as force touch. It's a natural part of him."

"Ru 1?" Hux shot his eyebrows to the ceiling.

"Yes, Ru 1," she indicated the lieutenant commander, "and Ru 2," she nodded towards his darker twin. "Ru 1 is the elder twin. Was it by one minute?"

The lieutenant commander blushed, "Two minutes, your highness."

"See. Ru 1." She beamed. "The first-born Ru."

Hux was losing his patience. The past 24 hours has been an entire disaster and now a spy has bugged his office? "Yes… and how will he shed some light on this predicament?"

The princess pouted and smoothed out the fabric of her tattered dress on her lap. "Ru 1 has inherited psychometry and the ability to determine future probabilities, that is what makes him so effective in military strategy and leadership of a ship."

Everyone just stared blankly at her, including the Hapes prisoner.

Apple tried again, as if they were as dense as out-dated droids. "He's what we call a pre-flex." That explanation didn't help either. She tried a third time, "Someone that can determine future possibilities through grasping the past. And in this case, through psychometry—sensing the emotional residue upon inanimate objects."

"Your highness, do you expect me to understand that the Ru twins are force sensitives whom…" Hux swallowed his disbelief at the absurdity of the situation, "through merely touch things sense the past, and then through some magical means…" he racked his exhausted brain, scrunching his features in paltry misunderstanding, "determine statistical probabilities about the future?"

"No," Apple answered then grinned, "Only Ru 1. Ru 2, on the other hand is an empath and has force reflexes—intellectual force reflexes," she corrected herself for further clarification, "hence why he is a cyber genius."

The twins glanced at each other, with the lieutenant commander ventured, "It's true, sir. We just assumed it was some twin fluke. We never dreamt that it was had anything to do with the force."

"But weren't you men routinely scanned for midichlorians upon entering the First Order?" Apple's brow furrowed.

The men stared blankly at her.

"Not a First Order prerogative, I assume," she observed flatly. "But surely the First Order has a listing of force traits?" Still blank stares. "Force capabilities and classes?" She tried a third time, almost exasperated, "Force 101? Force for dummies?"

Roan yawned at her feet. "You are wasting your time, Shakal. No one considers those old ways anymore."

"Silence, woman," Kylo snipped at her, "There are those of us that honor the dark side."

"Yes," Roan bobbed her head, "but that's the dark side. Not the force hoodoo magic like the twin dorks over there stumbled upon."

Kylo straightened, slightly satisfied then strode to his aunt, towering over her, "And yet you kept these observations from me."

"I thought you already knew about them," she pouted at him seemingly discomforted by the idea, "Didn't you notice that I relied upon Ru 1 more than any other officer? Surely you felt the small twinge of the force wafting off him when he would make strategic decisions?"

Kylo scowled, features reddening around the edges.

She tried with a deepening pout, "And he wears gloves constantly, refusing to touch anyone or anything without them." She opened both her hands with a grin as if to say, 'see', "Psychometry. The beloved curse of psychometry, a life without ever touching anything that has negative emotions left upon it." Her expression turned hopeful.

"Wearing gloves continually aboard a ship," Kylo roared, "in space does not give evidence for a force sensitivity!"

Her bottom lip quivered a tiny bit under the power of outrage. "But I really did think you already sensed it. I mean, I realize that the force isn't even remotely as strong in them as in our family, but it is there."

She squinted her eyes questioningly at him, then her expression brightened in childlike realization, "Oh that's it! You are just so used to being around our family. Not all force users can be like us Skywalkers are and you're just not used to sensing the lower force classes."

Kylo drew his head back slowly, inhaling through his nostrils, finally glancing away. He snarked, bitterly, "You could have at least said something."

Apple shrugged, "I just did." She waved her hand rapidly at him, "Come on. now hand Ru 1 the bug."

Kylo telekinetically threw it at the other man's chest. Flinching, Lieutenant Commander Ru stumbled back a step, scrambling to grab the broken device. He glanced up at the princess bewildered, "Your highness, I'm not sure I can…"

"Go on," she encouraged him, "you can do it. Just take off your glove."

"Use your hatred," Kylo coached, lifting a fist.

Apple flapped her hand down at him, "Psychometry doesn't work by emotion, it works by the lack of emotion." She encouraged Ru, "Blank your mind and just… feel."

After a final glance around at the others, Ru hesitantly pulled his glove off and touched the tiny bug. He snapped his eyes to Hux's face, "It was one of the prep staff. I don't know him, but he had brown hair," he closed his eyes, eyelids flickering as if being hit with flashing images, "A sergeant."

Roan grumbled, voice dripping with sarcasm, "That limits things down superbly."

Apple ignored her, attention on the lieutenant commander, "Concentrate on his name."

"Staff Sergeant U—…" he ventured, then shook his head, "I don't know." He opened his eyes, "I am not able—."

"What was his emotional state?" Apple inquired.

Ru tried again, expression close to constipation. "Duty." He shook his head. "Only duty."

"To whom?" Apple questioned, "To a higher ranked officer or to the Hapan Consortium?"

"I…don't…" Ru squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head, "A higher ranked officer…? Probably. I-I'm not sure." He opened his eyes, flitting them nervously to Kylo's face. "I apologize. Lord Ren touched it and I…" He lowered his head embarrassed, "There is no way that I am able to distinguish past his touch. His presence is too powerful and he's…" he made a squeamish face as if preparing to get killed, "wishing to murder the general."

Hux straightened his uniform sleeves taking it in stride. "Tell me something that I don't know."

"Good job!" Apple praised the lieutenant commander happily, and then shifted her upper body to Roan, kicking her feet under herself back and forth like a child, "See why these men are so wonderful."

Roan just blinked. "He discovered nothing."

"He discovered that a Staff Sergeant placed the device even despite my nephew's extremely powerful force presence," Apple summarized. "Now that is talent. Besides, the logs on Staff Sergeants coming aboard the ship during the personnel transfer can be searched for all names starting with a 'U'." She glanced at Mainframe, "Is that enough of a baseline for you?"

"It's a start, your highness," he said after a slight moment of consideration, "A very decent start."

"Splendid," the princess beamed clapping her hands together, only to wince at the pain elicited from the movement afterwards

"A Staff Sergeant is hardly a substantial rank," Roan clipped, "The man was obviously working under the orders of someone higher ranked." She sent a penetrating look at the general and one at the Dark Lord. "Someone with real power."

"The fact that it was discovered in General Hux's office, rules him out." Apple folded her hands in her lap, addressing the other woman's unspoken accusation.

"Just because a spy device was placed in his office doesn't mean that it was from the interloper in question," Roan reasoned, then narrowed her eyes at him, "He could've just as easily had the device planted in his own office for the sith to find, thus pointing the culpability from himself lest he was caught. So this hardly proves his innocence."

Rage widened Hux's eyes. "Never! My loyalty to the First Order is without question! This organization is the future of the universe, not some flawed alliance with a chaotic queen!" He strode towards her to jab his index finger at her, "You will answer for that false accusation, you and the rest of your miserable kind."

"Armitage," Apple called his name softly, snapping him from his fury.

He spun to her, facing a pair of tender blue eyes. Gaping his mouth a bit, he melted under her delicate gaze.

"Please," she implored demurely, placating him with her gentle voice, "Your honor and loyalty are well above reproach. No one that knows you would even consider such a baseless accusation."

Mollified, he jerked his uniform jacket straighter. "You are correct as always, your highness."

Kylo rolled his eyes, all but calling him an egotistical illegitimate-spawn.

Apple laid out the facts. "No real motive exists in this for General Hux." She brushed her bandage hands off her lap in a swiping motion, "Lady Roan isn't it reasonable to note that the general is a child of the Empire—His very culture argues against your theory. Also, the Queen's source would have ties of sorts or incentives based in the Hapes Consortium resources. The general has none. He is by all reason innocent."

She paused, taking a well-need breath and returned to the prior thread of debate, "As a matter of fact, Lady Roan, the spy device itself proves the esteemed general's innocence. And I will demonstrate that fact." She then addressed the darker twin, "Ru 2, open an audio-visual of the device's recordings over the past few weeks."

"Yes, ma'am," Mainframe plucked the bug from his brother's fingers.

Eyes bugging, Hux leapt into action, snatching the device to pop it abashedly in his palm. He chuckled nervously, features flushing up to his auburn roots, "Now, that's not necessary."

Apple grinned, "Point proven," she addressed Roan, "if he had been aware of the device, he wouldn't have a shade of embarrassment at the thought of revealing its contents." She nodded at Mainframe, "Thank you, Ru 2."

"Then the sith," Roan curled her lip with contempt, "He could have just as easily operated in cahoots with the evil queen. Sith are agents of darkness."

Apple tittered waving her hand down at her, "Now, now, complimenting my nephew is not going to substantiate your cause."

"The dark lord," Roan spat in an attempt to clarify her accusation, "could have easily placed the device—"

"Wrong again." Apple cut her off. "My nephew is very loyal to the dark side, enough to kill his own father for it. He follows the orders of his master the Supreme Leader, not some maniacal Queen."

Roan raised her eyebrows, shifting her position causing a nervous tinkling of her handcuffs. "The open destruction of five Republic worlds would argue for the insanity of such a leader."

"An act of war," Apple retorted, but a quavering in her tone reflected her disdain for planetary annihilation, "nothing more. My own imperial grandfather even ordered the abolishment of the rebel planet Alderaan for its treason. Are the Republic planets any different?"

Hux swallowed. Yes, from her trembling hands, he could easily ascertain her contempt for destroying planets even despite her defense of the men ordering the actions. She was a credit to her lineage.

"As for my most-loved nephew, he harbors a marked hatred for the Hapes Consortium, making your assumption hardly accurate," Apple said then added, "but if you require further proof, he has a sound alibi."

"No alibi could provide enough defense for such treachery," Roan narrowed her eyes.

"You are a fool," Kylo snickered, "Apple is my alibi. I have been with her the entire time."

"Except when I was in the shower with Armitage," the princess nodded with a smile, "but Kylo hardly even had the opportunity to place the device while we were in there… not even after the water turned on."

The Ru brothers immediately swiveled their heads to the general. That even perked Roan's attention.

Hux's face colored a darker shade of scarlet. "I was merely showing her how to operate the shower."

Their inquisitive expressions grew more riveted.

"Until it trapped us inside," Apple pressed the tips of her forefingers together.

Eyebrows lifted further at the general. He backpedaled, flushing until the back of his neck was even as red as his face.

"…And nearly ate us," the princess continued, entirely oblivious in her innocence.

The interest morphed into absurd confusion.

"Nothing happened!" Hux snapped at them, his shoulders scrunched up to his ears.

Kylo scoffed. "The Hapes harpie is just grasping at straws." He leaned back against the wall to fold his arms across his chest. "No one aboard this ship is a traitor." He closed his eyes in a stark cold manner that highly suggested that he didn't need his eyes open to strike them to their deaths, "I would have sensed their treachery from the first instant they betrayed the First Order." He opened his eyes sharply, "And their head would've been severed from their shoulders before they blinked."

Hux nodded. The surly shavit had a point. He did have a reputation of terminating traitors within seconds of discovering them. Only one managed to escape and that was a technicality on the part of the soldier-molding system.

The general shifted his weight to his right heel, rotating his upper body to face Roan. "There is no incentive for anyone aboard my ship to negotiate with an unstable Queen when a firm annexation is moments away from establishment."

"No evidence stands towards their guilt." Apple retorted calmly, "but it does towards someone brazen enough to spy on a high ranking general. Someone else that would benefit from such an absurd alliance or perhaps even need it in order to gain power." She gripped the edge of the stand to tilt her upper body towards the men. "So whom ranks above you two? Or at least is in equitable standing?"

Hux made his way to the bar. "None that would perpetrate such treason." He grabbed another bottle of liquor. Blast, he desperately needed another drink.

"Are you sure?" Apple asked in such a matter that hinted she was playing devil's advocate.

The general paused and swirled on his heel bottle in hand to face her. "This is most certainly beneath the Supreme Leader Snoke." He snapped the top off the new bottle, "If he had desired an alliance with the Queen, he would have commanded it openly." About to pour himself a tumbler, he asked, "Anyone else like a glass?"

A resounding "No" echoed from the four force users.

"I would," Roan said in a tired voice, "if its not poisoned."

Hux scoffed, "I don't poison my own drinks." Exhausted, he hesitated to sniff the bottle before realizing what he was doing.

He contorted his features in a plethoric exasperation at his own distraction, taking it out on her. "Are you even old enough to drink?" He snipped. Pouring himself a tumbler full, Hux eyeballed the size of the glass wondering if he should sluice himself two cups instead of just one.

"She's twenty six," Mainframe answered for the prisoner matter-of-factly, "born on Daruvvia, in the northern vineyard regions, where her family owned and operated 32 of the main champagne and wine export facilities. Her mother is the Lady Ter'io and her father, which she shares with her single brother, was the second son of the Duchess Vai'm and Lady Ter'io's third consort before he was executed by the Queen in 25 ABY on Archais as…" He moistened his lips, "as an example for treason against the Queen Mother. Do you want the details of his death?"

About to put the drink to his lips, Hux stopped, eyes flitting to the man. "No, thank you. That was informative enough." He tipped his glass at the Lieutenant Commander, "Promote him again."

"Yes, sir," Ru replied not particularly enthusiastic about it, considering his darker twin was grinning from ear to ear.

"You two are excused," Hux lifted his glass at them, "And take the rest of the day off." He took a long drink, speaking into his glass, "By the Stars, you earned it."

The twins saluted him then bustled out of there.

Roan ignored their exit, eyes on Hux's drink. She licked her lips.

"Would you like a beverage?" Apple leaned down to her, "You do appear quite parched."

"Apple," Kylo massaged his temples irritatedly, hissing, "We don't offer prisoners beverages."

"Very well then," Apple waved her hand in a horizontal line. The hand cuffs whirred and fell off, indicator lights blinking out. "She's no longer a prisoner."

"Your highness!" Hux gasped.

"She's not going to hurt anybody," Apple swung her feet back and forth child-likely, "Her mission was to eliminate the Hapes operative and he is obviously not aboard this ship."

Roan rubbed her raw wrists, "The Shakal is accurate. I'm not here to broker petty fights with foreign men."

"See," Apple beamed. "Besides, everyone knows that my nephew here isn't even as forgiving as my father was if she were to attempt something."

A proud smile twitched at the edges of Kylo's lips.

Hux shrugged. He could accept that. Either he was at his leisure or too fatigued to tell the difference. At any rate, he wasn't interested in arguing the point any further.

The weary Hapes woman made her way over to the bar. "Anything strong?"

"Your definition of strong?" Hux replied, rather intrigued by her request.

"I don't want to remember the last eight hours."

Oh what the black moon, he thought and shoved a clear whiskey in front of her. "2ABY Mandalorian Tihaar. Known for wasting even wookies."

"Perfect," she snagged the bottle in a sliding grasp. Ignoring the glass he offered, she threw it back, putting a Mandalorian merc to shame. His eyes widened at the length of her chugging.

After a considerable amount of time, she ripped the bottle from her mouth with a loud gasp and pained grimace. "Now that could degrease an engine," she said in a gasping voice, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, "Fermented fruit moonshine?"

Hux lifted his eyebrows impressed. "Backyard is the best."

"That's good hooch," she breathed, leaning luxuriously back against the bar, and took another throaty swig, "I'm…" she gasped at the acridness, finishing in a hissing sound, "relieved you're not a traitorous"—murmured some Hapan curse word, he'd never heard before— "scumbag because you have the best booze in the galaxy. And I…" she emphasized pridefully, "know my booze."

Hux struggled against a smile and pushed a bottle of a richly-dark malt towards her, "Try this one. Lum—it has a frothy edge to it."

She went to throw it back, but he caught the bottle.

"Use a cup," he made a grossed face, "I'd prefer to avoid the alien backwash, if you don't mind."

"Priss."

"It's called hygiene." He poured her a glass. "Sanitation. Decorum. Take your pick."

"Thank you professor for the Basic vocabulary lesson," she commented in flat sarcasm then gulped the tumbler down, following it with a Tihaar chaser.

"Good stuff," she arched her upper back onto her elbows on the bar, languidly, "I could die a happy woman with that purchase."

Hux chuckled, quite amused.

Kylo rolled his eyes. "As much as I'd hate to break up this quaint frenemies interlude, but we are leaving." He offered his hand to the princess, "Come, Apple."

Roan tipped the top of her bottle at him in a bobbing motion. "We have yet to determine the likely culprit. And I want the interloper's head on a spike."

Kylo supplied snarkily. "Do it on your own time." He snipped at his aunt, "Come Apple."

Obediently, the princess slipped off the side table and headed for him, hands outstretched before her blindly searching for any possible synthetic obstacles blocking her path.

Crossing towards her, Kylo took her hand to place it on his arm, whispering something unintelligible in her ear. She blushed then smiled tenderly.

Hux scowled, despising their closeness. He swallowed another mouthful of brandy. Such intimacy should be reserved for him and him alone.

Roan smirked at the general, "Didn't expect the Sith to wimp out so early in the game."

He snickered over his drink, nearly snorting some of it. Not bothered by the dark lord's increasingly dangerous expression, the young general threw another swig back, "He needs his beauty sleep."

Kylo stiffened, a deadly air increasing about him.

"You," Roan pointed her bottle at Hux emphasizing the fact, "need your beauty sleep. But maybe after a few more of these," she chugged back a loud gulp, "you might just improve upon the eyes."

Hux snickered, not bothered in the least by her slurred comment, watching her rather amused as she nursed the Tihaar bottle heartily.

"Come, general," she smiled chummily after gulping down nearly half the pint.

She paused in her thought to test the title as only an inebriated individual would, "General. General? I've never called a man that before." She gave him a tipsy once-over, "Yes, general, you do improve upon a pint's worth. Must admit a man that is in power is an intriguing dilemma. You appear not so stupid as most males. I'm sure you may have some sparse ideas as to whom is the collaborator, since the sith here has thrown in his saber."

"Kylo," Apple attempted to calm the angry dark lord.

"You want a name," the dark knight said steely, "Then how about his father."

Hux flared his nostrils. "My father was an imperial before you were born."

"The warlords then. I'm sure with effort you may ascertain as to which one," his tone cut the air icily. "Any number of them would benefit from spying on your replaceable hyde."

"The Knights of Ren," Hux threw back at him. "Perhaps one desires to usurp you."

No change of expression crossed the dark knight's stoney face. "Everyone desires my position, general," he emphasized on edge, "I will not deny that there are possibilities everywhere."

"In any governmental organization," Apple tugged her nephew away from the general and towards the door, "there are several agents trafficking information to outside bodies. But we can investigate this further… after sleep." She grimaced at Kylo's frosty hatred, "A lot of sleep."

"But this traitor forged a loyalty with the psychopathic Queen…" A cold rage entered his blue eyes as he forced the two of them to a firm halt, "Against our cause. Against you. Unforgivable." A dangerous shadow morphed his features. "When I discover this traitor, I will relish his slow and painful death at my hands."

"Ahhh…" She beamed gratefully up at him, "that was the sweetest thing you could have said to me. Have I told you lately how much I adore you?"

The dark expression quickly fleeted and a small smile twitched at the corner of his mouth.

Apple glanced at Hux, "And now how are we to alleviate the pain that has been inflicted upon the innocent Hapan nobles?"

Hux rubbed his jaw considering and paced a few steps. "Of course, this will require delicate political handling."

"This affronts everything the First Order stands for," Kylo said fiercely. "We are to ensure order out of chaos—Not rely on political concessions to achieve our goals."

"And what do you suppose that we do in this instance?" Hux snapped.

"We tell the truth," Apple placed herself between the two glaring men, flashing a particular but tired smile, "All of it. And watch…" Her smile widened, "as all the droids fall into place."

Understanding perfectly well her full meaning, Hux lifted his tumbler to his lips, hiding his own pleased smile, "You truly are an imperial princess."