AN: I realize this is a second short chapter in a row, and I am sorry. But, to make up for it I have some shenanigans planed for Mondays chapter.

.***.***.***.***.

The morning came with a soft silence to it. Lori and Hux woke up to find themselves one of top of the other on the couch. Neither decided to address it. Not for fear that it would drive the other away, but for lack of something to say. Just the night before, they had said things they had never said out loud before. They had said things they hadn't even let themselves think.

Hux was about to rush out the door for some meeting when Lori stopped him and made him eat breakfast. There was something charmingly domestic in the exchange that neither of them knew how to appreciate.

It didn't last long before they made their excuses and went their separate ways for the day. There was no promise to meet up later, nor a reason for either to draw the moment out. They had each made it to their separate destinations before either had worked up the nerve to tell the other how they really felt.

The door to Lori's suite slid shut behind her with its now-familiar hiss. Her shift wasn't for another six hours.

Predictably, Vanya was in the kitchen.

The lieutenant looked the captain up and down. With Lori's uniform heavy with wrinkles and her hair half way fallen out of its bun, Vanya had so many comments to pick from she found herself trapped by too many options.

Lori was in a haze, though this time it wasn't from worry or liquor. Despite it, she didn't forget to hide her accent with one from the outer-rim.

"You get one question and one comment." She headed her roommate off, knowing that simply walking away would only encourage Vanya more.

"Fine, but only because I was just about to go to sleep." The lieutenant tried to salvage some of her pride.

Lori sat on one of her own barstools, already ready to get the conversation over with.

"Who is it? I have to know, please? It's killing me! Quin and I have a betting pool and I have to know."

"I'm not telling you that."

"You said I got one question!"

"I never said I was going to answer it."

"You're the worst," Vanya gave an exaggerated roll of the eyes.

"…and that sounded like your one comment. Good talk."

"Wait!" the lieutenant pushed herself away from the kitchen counter and followed Lori a few steps towards her room, "one more, I'll play nice, I swear."

"I'm taking a nap. Goodnight Vanya," Lori opened the door to her room

"Lori! Did you at least have a nice night out?"

She paused in the door way, considering the question and fighting a small smile.

"I did." she decided.

Vanya tried to draw the conversation out even more but was met with a shutting door.

Finally having some privacy, Lori found that she was more tired than she let herself realize. Despite not knowing when they had finally fallen asleep, she figured that they hadn't been asleep for long. Peeling herself out of the wrinkled uniform, she couldn't help but notice a hint of the general's cologne on the cloth. Before she let herself get too hung up on last night, she stepped into the fresher.

A shower and a short nap were in order. After that it would be back to business.

Not just in the supply officer, but as a loyal agent for her favorite general.

.***.***.***.***.

Hux's meeting was with the former sergeant Hank Vaylor.

After half a day spent with the finest interrogators the First Order had to offer, Hux was sure that Hank wouldn't have the will to keep a single secret. The walk was long, and the doors to his final destination opened slowly, a security measure to make escaping just that much more difficult.

The room wasn't special, bare besides a torture droid and the adjustable table that held Hux's prisoner. The general had dismissed the interrogator, and his Stormtrooper guard remained on the outside of the doors. With the table propped half way to standing, Hank had his back to the hall.

He assumed it was just another First Order torture expert.

"Back for another round you piece of space trash? I can do this all night."

Hux considered the droid in the corner of the room. Deciding that he couldn't be bothered with it, he took his time to walk around the table.

Despite having his eyes half swollen shut, Vaylor recognized the general in a second. Even without seeing the sneer that he knew had to be there, Hank knew the general by his cartoonishly bright hair and stiff walk.

"As much as I would enjoy watching you suffer for another night, you have information that I want."

"I'll die before I give it to you!"

Hux rolled his eyes. So predictable, these rebellious types. Lazily clicking through options on the tables control panel, the general settled on what he thought was an equally predictable, but classic, response.

Ten thousand volts of electricity arced through the table and the man at just low enough of an amperage not to kill him. Hank couldn't stifle a scream for long, after it came he lost it even faster. All the air was driven from his lungs in an instant and every muscle in his body strained to just below their snapping point.

Waiting until the man had pulled himself as far as the restraints would allow didn't take long. At his leisure the general cycled the shocks on and off, each click bringing another breathless scream or a chance for Hank to greedily gasp for breath.

The control panel popped up a warning, Hanks vitals had entered the critical range. It estimated that additional shocks would result in permanent brain damage. Hux closed the warnings and went on until he was satisfied.

Sweat came off as steam from the overheated and near delirious traitor. Hux took a few lazy steps to the side of the table.

"Name your conspirators. Name your sources. Name your goals. Then this can stop."

A second passed where Hank only gasped for breath. When he finally did form words, he looked Hux straight in the eye and spat two words at him.

"Eat shit."

Hux frowned.

Then he had an idea. A uniquely cruel idea that he wouldn't have been able to consider only a day ago. Without saying anything more to his prisoner, the general left the room.

Due on the bridge, he left simple instructions for the interrogators. They were to continue with their duties until the end of third shift. Then they were to leave and not return until the general gave the all clear.

He had a plan.

If it was going to work, he needed his accomplice.