AN: Thanks for sticking around this far into the story. Quick update, I'm mostly finished writing and the final chapter count will be 30. I'll be keeping the same M/W/F schedule until then. I also started work on the sequel, so there shouldn't be too much of a delay between this fic finishing and the next one starting. Thanks for reading and I hope ya'll will be back for the next one.
.***.***.***.***.
The chrono read 2200, Quin and Vanya were still awake and chattering over a cup of caf. Sydney had walked into her house to find both of them in the kitchen and had been trying to leave for her room for the last few hours.
"She calls him Armie!" Vanya recounted what she and Quin had overheard for what Sydney felt like was the thirtieth time.
"So you've been saying. Look, what Lori does on her time off is none of our business. Doubly so if it involves the general."
"But Sydney, don't you want to know how it that happened?" Quin pipped up from the side of the bar.
"No! No I do not. For the last time, I'm going to bed." The captain took a step around Vanya and toward her room.
Before she made it very far, and before Quin or Vanya had the chance to make another comment, the front door slid open. All three quickly glanced at the newcomer.
The first thing they noticed was that Lori was alone. The second thing they noticed was how she was dressed.
She and the general had taken their separate paths just before they got near the living quarters. Since it was still an hour until the end of fourth shift, the halls were thankfully empty. On the walk, both Lori and Hux had been silent, being careful not to attract any attention. Lori didn't know how long she would have until Hux sent his next set of instructions, finding all three of her roommates awake and waiting for her didn't give her much hope for a full night's sleep.
The door shut. No one said a thing, but Lori knew she wasn't going to make it to the bedroom without a conversation.
"Ok, just say it." she was only looking for a way to make this quick.
"Goodnight." Sydney was the first to speak, already taking steps toward her room.
Before Vanya or Quin had the chance to be heard, the door to the captain's bedroom was already sliding shut.
That left the three of them, Lori was half wondering if she could do something similar.
Vanya spoke next, "Where did you go?"
"That's a good question, but I'm not answering it." Lori could just give a flat out lie, but it would only be a matter of time before she started contradicting herself.
The lieutenant was about to retort back with her best guess. She and Quin had been making wild assumptions all night long and some of them were extremely personal. Quin didn't want to let Vanya over step herself so she cut her off.
"How long have you been dating?" it wasn't exactly a change in topics, but they both wanted to know besides.
Lori went to the kitchen. Tired from the long day, she would have loved nothing more than to go to sleep, but a cup of hot caf would have to do.
Pouring herself a cup Lori replied, "We're not dating."
"You sure?" Vanya wasn't buying it, "'I love you' seems like a third date kind of thing, at least."
"I've had a long day guys," Lori was trying to steer the conversation into a place where she could get out of it.
Quin felt kind of bad about prying, and she worried about pushing Loir too far besides. Vanya, however, was more than ready to let her curiosity cause some trouble.
"Cool, but I need to know the details. Please? You know I'm just going to get more annoying if you don't tell me."
Lori knew Vanya wasn't bluffing. Still, she wasn't about to give a purely unedited version of events to her roommates.
"Fine," she let Vanya think she had won something, "we started talking a month ago."
"While you were on the Absolution?" Quin interjected.
Lori did a quick mental check over the time line, "yes."
"Are you saying you transferred ships just to stay with him?" Vanya drew her own conclusions.
"Well, I wouldn't say just to stay with him, but it was convenient."
Quin wasn't going to say it out loud, but she thought it was a hopelessly romantic gesture. Lori took a sip of her drink, waiting for one of them to make the next move.
Vanya didn't let the silence sit for long, "So, like. How did that happen? You just ran into in the hall one day and hit it off?"
"It's a long story," more than aware that she couldn't give them the real course of events, she was trying to piece something together that wouldn't be too damning if it got out.
"I got time," Vanya settled against the bar and looked expectantly to Lori.
"No offense, but you've got a big mouth too," Lori pushed back a little, careful to sound more lighthearted than serious, "tell you what, both of you swear not to tell anyone, and I'll talk."
Quin thought Lori was being completely reasonable. In fact she was surprised that her roommate was willing to talk at all, "really? I don't mean to pry-"
"Let her talk." Vanya cut Quin off.
Things were just starting to get where Lori wanted them, "before I do, this doesn't leave the room. Ok?"
Vanya thought about it for a minute.
Before she came up with some new bad idea, Lori spoke again.
"Vanya, please. I don't want anyone to know. You know how people talk, and I don't want anyone treating me different," Lori paused, pretending to consider her last words, "for better or worse."
Quin didn't quite follow, "for better or worse?"
Vanya knew exactly what Lori was implying, and she didn't question it for a second. Actually, taking the time to fill Quin in only made her more convinced that Lori's fears were well founded.
"You're breaking my heart Quin." The brown haired lieutenant began, "half the people on the ship hate Hux, and I can definitely see them treating Lori like crap out of petty revenge. Everyone else is a total suck up."
"Then you see where I'm coming from on this one," Lori jumped into the conversation before anyone moved on to a different topic, "please, please don't mention it to anyone."
Quin was quick to comply, "Sure. I won't tell anyone, I promise."
Satisfied with Quin, and knowing that the blond lieutenant didn't have a malicious bone in her body besides, Lori looked to Vanya. After a second of silence, Quin looked to her as well.
"Fine," she buckled under the combined weight of their gazes, "I won't tell anyone, but I want all the juicy details. In real time."
With as much acting as she had done earlier in the day, it wasn't difficult for Lori to hide a little smile. Her roommates were going to be no trouble at all.
"Thanks," Lori dropped some tension from her shoulders, "you have no idea how much better that makes me feel."
.***.***.***.***.
The walk back to Hux's suite was short. Not a second after he was alone in his living room, the general made for his office with a series of orders and messages on his mind. He thought the computer was slow to turn on, but that was only because his thoughts were racing.
On the bright side, Hux had someone who was more than just an ally to rely on. The realization would have brought some joy to him, if it weren't for the heavy clouds that Vaylor's words had brought to him.
Captain Cardinal had a copy of the report, or he was seconds away from receiving one.
The computer finally powered on, Hux quickly skimmed through his messages. None were from the captain. That did nothing to make the general feel better, he doubted that Cardinal's first response to the news would be a calmly written letter.
A final notice for a meeting of First Order high command had gone unread. Cursing his luck for yet another urgent matter to attend to, Hux skimmed through it.
His heart sank while he did. Lori hadn't uncovered the reason, but she mentioned that the conspiracy had a one week dead line to get the information to Cardinal. The date coincided with that for the meeting.
Quickly connecting the dots, the next phase of the conspiracies plan became clear. Once Cardinal read that report there wasn't a chance that he would be working with Hux. He would try to bring the report before the rest of High Command, depending on who showed up to the meeting and what exactly Cardinal said, he might manage to create a fissure. None of the highest ranking members of the First Order military really liked each other, and there was an especially noticeable divide between the former Imperials and the younger generation.
If it came out that Armitage had Brendol killed, that may be what divided the two groups permanently. At the very least, the older officers would be calling for his head. If enough of them joined in, not even Snokes influence would spare Hux.
Knowing that it wouldn't make him feel better, but desperate for something he could call progress or revenge, the general sent a message to the FOSB:
"Have Captain Mina Cray, Logistics officer aboard the Finalizer, arrested immediately. Charges: treason against the First Order and conspiracy to commit murder. Take her to interrogation block B for further questioning."
Despite knowing that the FOSB would be slow to respond, Hux sent the all clear signal to the interrogators:
"Return to your positions, former sergeant Hank Vaylor has outlived his usefulness, execute immediately in the most convenient fashion. Then return to business as usual."
With as much as the general would have loved to take out his cruelties on Hank, he knew it was more a risk to keep the man alive. Especially since he knew about Lori's status as a double agent. Quickly shifting gears back to thoughts of the meeting, Hux checked his schedule. He hadn't been planning on going, not only because he had more important matters, but also because it was to take place on the Absolution.
Canceling his other plans and sending out orders for transportation to be arranged to the Absolution, Hux cursed at his luck. Ren was due to return from his mystery mission tomorrow. Hux loathed the idea of leaving the Finalizer without a commander, but he hated leaving Ren alone at the helm even more.
Telling himself to never mind the force user, the general put the final touches on his orders. He didn't hesitate for a second before adding a second name to the passenger list. The last thing that he could do damage control wise was send word to Lori.
"As far as the Absolution is concerned, you're my aid. 1000, hangar bay seven."
After hitting send the general considered pouring himself a stiff drink. The thought didn't last long, a second look at his inbox reminding the man that he still had his normal work load to keep up with.
Hoping that he would still be at the head of all his projects after tomorrow, the general went back to business as usual.
