Rosella finished drinking her water as she waited for Armitage to come back to her. He had been summoned to a meeting and she had a growing suspicion that things were getting dangerous. Armitage tried to hide it from her, of course, but she could see in his face that he was growing increasingly worried about what they were doing. Sending messages to the Resistance was a dangerous thing and Rosella had no doubt that eventually they would be caught.

Walking back into the quarters, Armitage sighed and moved a hand through his hair. Shaking his head back and forth, he collapsed down on the seat next to Rosella. Placing her glass on the table to her side, she turned her upper body to the side and looked to him. Moving a hand to his arm, she held onto it tightly and he looked down to her. He moved his own hand on top of hers, squeezing it tightly.

"What has happened?" she asked from him.

"It is Ren," he said to her earnestly. "Palpatine has an army, Rose. He has a secret armada that is waiting to rise up and destroy everything. It makes the First Order's army look pathetic. The message we sent about Ren being on Exegol…well…they know that there is a spy in their ranks. They found the pilot who had delivered the message."

"How?" Rosella gasped. "We were careful, Armitage. We were so careful…"

"I don't know," he said to her. "But the Knights of Ren are here. He didn't probe who the traitor is, but he knew that I was uneasy. He suspected that I was uneasy and Pryde is the one who is pushing Ren on. He wants the army and he wants Rey. His mission is to kill her."

"What?" Rosella demanded, voice harsh and low. "But why? She is just one girl, isn't she? I don't understand. What power does she have?"

"I don't know," Armitage admitted to her. "All I know is that we have to be careful now, Rosella. I am serious. Ren has left base, thankfully, so he cannot use his powers on you, but I need you to stay hidden here because Pryde is still suspicious of you. I just need to keep you safe."

"And you?" she asked him. "Who is going to keep you safe?"

"I can keep myself safe," he said to her.

"No," Rosella said quickly. "We need to leave here, Armitage. They already do not trust us. They will not give you anymore intel now. We need to leave before they know for certain it was us."

"And how do you suggest we do that? Rosella, I have nowhere else to go…but you do."

"Come with me," she said to him. She didn't entirely know what she was saying. How could it be possible for him to come with her. He had willingly killed people. He had willingly watched planets be destroyed. He had no place in the Resistance. But she had been guilty too. She was not innocent. Yes, she had not killed anyone, but she had watched children being forced to kill. She had watched them being dragged from their parents and she had done nothing.

"Do you still love him?" Armitage asked her. "Do you still love the pilot?"

"Do not ask me questions that you already know the answer to," she urged from him. "I am trying to save you, Armitage. I know what you have done. I know who you are, but deep down I do not think you want to be that man. I do not think that you want to be who everyone thinks you are."

"Perhaps not," Armitage replied to her, moving his hand to stroke her cheek softly. "But I think too much has happened for me to be anything other than that. I am trapped her, Rosella, but you are not. I have to find a way to get you out of here and I have to do it sooner rather than later."

"I…I don't want to leave you," she admitted to him. "You can go somewhere else and find a new life for yourself."

Moving his fingers into her hair, he let them tangle there for a second and his gaze softened. How had it taken him this long to see what it was he felt for his wife? How was it possible for him to have failed her for so long? He didn't know, but he knew that he was finished failing her now. He had to be.

"A new life without you is not one that I want to entertain," he commented and Rosella sighed at hearing him. She moved tentatively and wrapped her arm around him. He lowered himself down, his cheek pressed to her chest as she cradled him there and he held onto her arm. She stroked a hand through his hair and closed her eyes, wondering just what would happen to her husband once all of this was over.

…..

Poe had retrieved the message that Rosella had sent and had returned to base with the information. He did not believe that Palpatine was back, but clearly it was true. The First Order were now doing Palpatine's bidding and there was nothing more to it than that. Poe shook his head slowly as he went to find Katrine, hauling the little girl into his arms after the meeting. She wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist.

"Did you miss me?" he asked her.

"Yes," she said with a small pout. "I don't like it when you have to go off on missions and leave me behind."

"I'm not too keen on it either, kiddo," he admitted and set her down, ruffling her hair as they began walking along the small path through the forest. "What did you do while I was gone?"

"Princess Leia had me train with Rey. She was teaching me about the Force and she let me hold her lightsaber," Katrine said.

Poe frowned. "Are you not a bit too young to be holding a dangerous weapon?" he questioned. Katrine arched a brow while looking up at him.

"I am eleven," she retorted.

"Point made."

Rolling her eyes, she climbed over a big rock and Poe watched her, making sure that she didn't fall.

"You worry too much," she said and Poe wanted to laugh at that. The reckless flyboy had just been accused of worrying too much. Shaking his head back and forth, he supposed that she had a point on that one. "Besides, Rey was angry with you. She said you damaged the Falcon."

"She damaged BB-8," Poe retorted.

"Honestly," Katrine said.

It was Poe's turn to arch his brow. "When did you become so sassy?" he wondered from her, but he suspected it was because she was feeling more confident in talking to him. She was getting used to him being around and, in a sense, being the one to protect her and look after her. "You're never this sassy to Rose."

"Because Rose never bickers over silly things," she responded to him. "Did she send a message back with you?"

There was a hopefulness in her voice then and Poe gulped. He shook his head slowly, not wanting to tell Katrine that he was just as scared as she was. Rosella was in the lion's den and Poe was counting down the days until he could get her out of it. He needed to get her out of it.

"It would be too dangerous for her to send a message," Poe commented to the small girl and she nodded, kicking a stone out of her way. "But I am sure she is fine. She is strong and brave."

"But she is alone," Katrine commented. "I don't like her being alone. I don't like her not being here…with us…"

Wrapping an arm around the girl's shoulders, Poe nodded his head. He could agree with her on that point. He stopped walking and went to sit back down on a tree log. Katrine hopped up and sat next to him, dropping her head to rest on his arm and closing her eyes softly. Poe continued to peer down on her and he saw that she still wore his mother's ring around her neck, keeping it close to her.

"I don't like it either," Poe said to her. "But things are changing quickly, Katrine. We have to fly out again tomorrow morning to find something that can help us stop the First Order."

Poe thought back to what Rey had said about the Wayfinder and he only hoped that he wasn't been sent on pointless treasure hunt. He didn't think that he could cope with anymore disappointment after years of fighting the First Order.

"And I have to stay here, don't I?"

"It is safer for you here," Poe said to her.

"Promise you'll come back," she urged from him. He nodded his head and gulped loudly.

"I'll do what I can," was all that he could promise her.

…..

"Armitage."

Rosella woke with a start. It was pitch black in the bedroom and she was under the covers, her husband next to her. He had insisted on both of them sharing a bed, needing to keep up appearances now more than ever. She reached for his arm and shook him, hearing him grumble as she continued to hear the footsteps outside of her room. She sat up and reached for the light.

"Armitage," she hissed his name again and he moaned but opened his eyes, looking up to her as his eyes adjusted to the light.

"What is it?" Armitage demanded from his wife, voice groggy.

"There's someone out there," she whispered and he sat up, propping himself onto his elbows. Rosella motioned to the door and Armitage heard the footsteps as well. He climbed from bed, but Rosella grabbed his skinny, pale arm. He looked back to her and nodded once. He wore a black top and long black bottoms while she remained in one of his long dark shirts on the bed. He patted her hand on his arm and prised her fingers from him, moving stealthily to the doorway.

Pulling it open, he switched the light on in the main living area to come face to face with Pryde sat in his living room.

"What is the meaning of this?" Armitage seethed and Rosella climbed from the bed, tugging his shirt down her thighs and padding bare foot to stand behind him. "How did you get in here?"

"You forget who I am," Pryde said back, his tone low and deadly. "I came here to warn you."

"Warn me about what?" Armitage demanded.

"Your wife," Pryde said to him and Armitage extended his arm, moving it across her body as though he could be a physical barrier between her and harm. "You should be aware that she is the number one suspect in our inspection…besides, according to Ren she has a history of spying."

"She has not left this room since she returned here," Armitage said.

"No hidden transmitter?" Pryde asked. "Because we both know she has the ability to lie to you…to use your emotions to weaken you…"

"Do you think that I would allow her to do that?"

"I think you are too weak to know she is doing that," Pryde seethed. "And that is why after speaking with the Supreme Leader, she is to be locked in a cell. He will interrogate her mind when he returns to determine if she is the spy."

"What?" Armitage seethed. "You have no right-"

"-Oh, believe me, I do," he interrupted him and then the door to the room opened once more and four stormtroopers entered. "Take her to the holding cells."

"No," Rosella was the one to snap as Armitage felt her take hold of his arm. He shook his head and pushed his wife behind his body as she clung onto him. But he could not stop four stormtroopers. They managed to wrestle her away from him, hauling her around the waist as she kicked against them and looked to her husband.

"Armitage," she spoke his name lowly, knowing that if Ren looked into her mind then he would know. He would know instantly what she had done.

"I will get you out," Armitage promised her as he was blocked from going near her. "Rose, I will get you out."

She was dragged out the room, still kicking and flailing, her bare legs trying to push against anything possible. Pryde stood up once she was out of sight and he nodded at the two remaining stormtroopers who had blocked Armitage from going after her. He nodded to them and they left after a moment.

"You will not get away with treating her like this," Armitage seethed at the man. "I swear on it."

Pryde chuckled. "Did you think that you could have her and live happily? And as soon as she is here there is suddenly a spy in our camps?"

"She has no access to anything. You can check this room. She is not a spy."

"Then Ren will be pleased to hear it when he gets into her mind," Pryde said. "Until then, you are not to see her unsupervised. Do I make myself clear?"

"You'll pay for this," Armitage snarled.

"I don't think so," Pryde chuckled and began walking away. "Pretty little thing, isn't she, General? A shame she has eyes for another man. I imagine that breaks your heart."

He knew that Pryde was taunting him as he smirked and left him alone. Armitage punched the wall beside him when he was alone, forehead resting against it before he knew what he needed to do. He needed help from the pilot.

….

A/N: Do let me know what you think!