The bridge of the Supremacy is twice the size of that of the Finalizer, with black monochromatic walls and equipment only occasionally contrasted against red and white lights. On the lower levels the bridge crew keep the ship running, while on the top platform stand Kylo Ren, General Hux, Chief Engineer Tarkin, and Pates.
"We recently recaptured Bardotta from the Resistance, a vital resource center for the First Order. However, the planet's inhabitants have so far been uncooperative," General Hux explains, as a hologram map of the planet appears before them.
"We shall employ military action then," Kylo Ren concludes, looking up at the map.
Tarkin smiles, before turning towards Pates, "Indeed. Laylesa, will you be accompanying your master-"
"A moment, please, Chief Engineer," Pates snaps back, before glancing at Hux, "general, you said the people of Bardotta have been 'uncooperative', could you elaborate?"
General Hux steals a glance back at Pates, before refocusing on the holographic map, "Well, we've already had our occupying forces request supplies from the Bardottans for the war effort, including their main export: Bardottan silk. But the people have either refused our requests, or directly rebelled against our forces. The planet's people are known pacifists, but there have been whispers of the planet turning to deadly rebellion against the First Order."
"Then we have no time to lose," Kylo Ren's words are certain, and as solid as steel, "we must destroy any hope of a rebellion against us. The Bardottans will give us what we want."
"Why are the Bardottans rebelling against us?" Pates asks, "I think we need to speak with their central government-"
"You speak so much, yet this is only your first mission, Laylesa," Tarkin snaps, "I think you should let the more experienced officers decide this matter."
Pates frowns, scrunching her fists and lowering her head. Kylo Ren continues, "Laylesa and I will lead our forces to Bardotta and quash their nascent rebellion, by any means necessary."
Kylo Ren looks towards Pates, expecting a response from her. She takes a deep breath, and nods, "Yes, by any means."
Pates hangs on to a support beam as a small First Order transport craft makes its way down to the surface of Bardotta. Hanging on next to her is Devil, his Stormtrooper helmet making him indistinguishable from the other Stormtroopers on the craft.
"Not gonna lie, Pates, it's a little surreal seeing you heading down to the trenches with the rest of us," he confesses, the rattling of the ship and his helmet slightly muffling his words.
"Yeah, feels a little funny for me too," Pates replies, just as much to herself as to him.
The transport lands, and the Stormtroopers file out, followed by Pates and Kylo Ren. Bardotta is a planet of beautiful high-reaching mountains, buildings jutting out of their smooth, steep sides. The transport has landed in a small market square, the edges of the town just visible beyond huts of stone and clay.
The Bardottan people are thin, beaked reptile creatures walking barefoot across the dirt ground. However, despite this area clearly being a marketplace, there doesn't appear to be much business happening. Most of the stalls and stands lie empty, with many sickly Bardottans collecting near doorsteps.
The Bardottans immediately freeze the moment they notice the transport and the First Order troops.
As the First Order Stormtroopers begin fanning out, Pates walks up to a small group of Bardottans who're sitting at a nearby doorstep. A Bardottan woman clings tighter to her child as Pates approaches.
"Can you tell me what's happened here? So many people are sick, was there a plague?"
The woman shakes her head, "During Imperial times, we use to trade our silks for medical supplies. Now the First Order just takes them, and with no medicine, people have become too ill to make the silk."
Kylo Ren marches up to the first Bardottan he sees, bending over him, his fists clenched.
"Where are the Bardottan silks the First Order requested?"
The Bardottan, with blue skin and three-fingered hands, nervously gestures, "We are a small farming town, sir. What little silk we had, you've already taken-"
"These are lies," Kylo Ren hisses, before summoning the Force.
The Bardottan is sent flying across the marketplace, smashing into a nearby stall. Kylo Ren whips around to command his troops, "If they will not tell us, we shall find the supplies ourselves. Kill them all."
Stormtroopers begin training their blasters on the townspeople, and Devil begins to shake as the first person his blaster finds is a small child cowering at the edge of a stall. But Pates raises her hand, halting their fire, "Commander Ren, if I may-"
"This better be important, Laylesa."
She puts her hand down, before taking a few steps towards Kylo Ren so she may whisper to him privately, "It appears Bardotta had a previous trade agreement with the Empire to trade their silk for medical supplies. The people have fallen ill without them. I say we reestablish the trade agreement instead of ransacking the village."
"These people are in direct violation of the First Order, and some of them are intending to rebel against us. It would be best to take what we need and leave," Kylo Ren argues, before he begins turning away from her.
Pates's body angle follows Kylo Ren's, "Commander, I must ask you to reconsider. If we kill these people it would just give more fuel to their rebellion. I say we take this issue to their central government, and propose reestablishing the trade agreement with them."
Kylo Ren begins looking around at the villagers, almost all of whom are too sick to pose any threat. He turns back towards Pates.
"…fine. We'll journey to their capital city, and speak with their leader."
He gestures for the Stormtroopers to lower their weapons, and Devil breathes a gigantic sigh of relief. The woman Pates spoke with earlier approaches her.
"You'll find the capital city and Queen Phoebe about three hundred klicks west from here. The queen is a great and wise woman…" the Bardottan takes Pates's hand, placing a peculiar necklace in it, "…may the Force be with you."
The woman turns around, calmly vanishing into the streets of the village before a confused Pates can respond. She dawns the necklace, concealing it under her armor, before taking off her helmet and tucking it under her shoulder. She then rejoins Kylo Ren as they look over the mountainside at the massive capital city resting on the nearby mountain below.