[Lady]

She made a gesture at FL-2216 and directed one finger at the general. A short nod told her the order was received and understood. FL-2216 was now assigned to guard the general. CL-0745 returned to the ramp, standing at the side of it, and turned off the mute for the open comm channel.

Before she said anything, she reviewed assignments. Fire Team 1 stood at north and east: FN-9013 with FN-9028 to the north, FN-9037 with FN-9048 to the east. Electronics Specialist FN-9021, Bigs, was on relief duty, but was currently standing with FN-9037 and FN-9048 – Sharps and Blaze. Blaze and Bigs were virtually inseparable, so she wasn't surprised.

Fire Team 2 had south and west: H-482 was back with TN-1017 to the south, leaving DL-8192 with DL-1364 to the west. That was not good dispersion. DL-1364 needed more direction than she was likely to get from DL-8192. H-482 was choosing his watch partners based on his personal preferences and not what his people needed. She'd need to talk to him about that. FO-1282 was on relief and currently inside the shuttle – also not good. H-482 should have been getting to know his newest recruit, not leaving her to her own devices. She was a private, after all.

"FN-9013, have FN-9021 assign to west guard. H-482, have DL-1364 report to me after being relieved by FN-9021." The fire team commanders acknowledged orders and people moved. The Resistance people stopped talking about the bugs, watching the troopers with a wariness CL-0745 made note of. Unasked, FO-1282 came to the top of the ramp. She seemed to have good instincts. CL-0745 waved her down.

When DL-1364 arrived, CL-0745 told them, "Remove the chairs from the deck in the main compartment and stow them in the cargo hold." The two troopers went up the ramp. The Resistance people came toward her, evidently with the intent of going up as well. CL-0745 stayed where she was in the middle of the ramp and ignored them. She pretended to toggle her helmet, but it was still on the open channel anyway. "Perimeter guards, tighten it up. FL-2216, you're in charge of pulling in the fire teams."

By now, the Resistance had stopped in front of her, milling uncertainly. There was enough room they could push past her, but not enough to walk freely and she was right in the middle on purpose. She had not specifically said they couldn't go in, but there she was anyway. General Hux walked past the traffic jam she was causing. "First sergeant," he said cordially. She stepped to the side and let him by, then followed him up.

"What was that all about?" the shorter of the Resistance women grumbled. Finn made some indecipherable noises in response. Or maybe the woman understood them. CL-0745 did not.

DL-1364 and FO-1282 were working on the second of the four chairs. The deck panels near the cockpit were up, allowing access to the cargo hold. General Hux went to the refresher on the opposite end of the shuttle. CL-0745 stopped at the top of the ramp now, blocking it as she had at the bottom.

The shorter woman asked, "Why does she keep doing that? Are we supposed to walk around her? Push her out of the way?"

Finn was clearer this time. "No. We're supposed to stand here like soldiers until she gives the all-clear."

The slightly-taller Resistance woman, K-nel?, said, "They've got the deck up and are putting the chairs away. We can't really go in there anyway without it being a fall hazard." She was on the left and had a better line of sight to the front of the shuttle than the other woman did.

"We could help put the chairs up," the shorter woman offered. The Wookiee made noises and wandered off in an impatient huff. The rest waited.

Once the deck was cleared and safe for entry, CL-0745 let the Resistance wander in. She went into the rear compartment and considered the sleeping pads. Doubled up, they were softer than a single. Four were softer than two, as far as that went. But how to divide them, if at all? She was pondering that when the door to the refresher opened behind her. She turned back, muting herself from the open comm channel. "Sir. Your quarters." Maybe he would answer the question she wasn't going to ask.

He looked at the room and touched the doorframe. It was not stout like the bulkhead between cockpit and main compartment. It was just a partition – more than cosmetic, but not structural. "No. I'll-, No, we will sleep with our people. We shouldn't be divided."

"Yes sir." That was the answer she needed. With that clarified, she picked up the sleeping pad and pulled it apart. "The sleeping pads?"

"Yes. I'll take one."

She took the other for herself. As she came out, she saw the perimeter guard was filing in. She'd heard their chatter. FL-2216 brought up the rear and closed the hatch. It was now just as crowded in here as it had been before. People naturally picked sides – the Resistance went starboard or ramp-side; the troopers went port or console-side.

"I guess we just sleep on the floor," the shorter woman was saying.

CL-0745 did a quick calculation – every Resistance member was armed, as was every present member of the Order. The Order outnumbered them, but the Resistance were likely better fighters – being seasoned veterans of live combat and herself and her unit merely of simulations. Also, they had two Force users, but her knowledge of what they could do was scant.

The general had given her an idea, though. She approached K-nel, since other than Commander Dameron she didn't know who was ranked what, and K-nel had helped with the cups. "Your Force users can have the rear compartment," she offered, hoping this attempt at subterfuge worked.

"Oh," the other woman said. "Okay. Thank you." She turned to the one named Rey and shrugged at her.

"Yeah," Rey said. "That's good. Are there two bunks in there?" She went back to inspect.

CL-0745 turned to the troopers. "Bunk on the floor. We'll have five watches, two hours each-"

"Wait," interrupted the smaller woman. What was her name again? "Where are they standing watch? We're all in the same room."

Finn touched her arm. "Em, Rose." He gestured at the cockpit. "In there. I'm sure. They're not going to be standing right over us."

Rose! Yes. It had been mentioned earlier. Rose said, "But they'll be coming back and forth through here while we're sleeping? We really should have someone standing watch with them. For our sake."

"I agree," K-nel said.

CL-0745 glanced over at the general, but he was minding his own business sitting on the floor, loosening his belt and looking lost in thought. There were only two seats in the cockpit and while she could require the Resistance 'guard' to stand, she didn't see a tactical reason to have three guards. The sensors and comm system were down so there was nothing to monitor aside from each other and whatever they could see out the viewport.

She said, "One guard from our side. One from yours. Two hour shifts."

Rose nodded. She turned to the others as they discussed who would go when. There were eight of them. Three lucky members wouldn't stand watch. For the First Order, she turned and made assignments: "Schedule: FN-9037 on first watch, FN-9028 on second, H-482 on third, DL-8192 on fourth, FO-1282 on fifth."

CL-0745 would be awake by fifth watch (and likely fourth, if she got to sleep soon enough) and thereby have a chance to personally monitor FO-1282. She was due a debriefing for the events that had brought FO-1282 into her unit, but during active deployment wasn't the best time to get it. Maybe she'd have time in the morning.

CL-0745 took off her helmet. The troopers did likewise, stripping to the black body glove they all wore. They lined up by team and rank in standard order, staking out their spots on the floor with their heads toward the hull and feet toward the Resistance. Armor was piled up at their feet, helmet next to their head. FN-9037, still in armor, went to the cockpit for his watch.

The Resistance bickered a bit more about who was lying where. The surface of the ramp was ridged enough to be unpleasant to lie on and then they needed to discuss how much room each of them needed. Apparently, Chewbacca kicked in his sleep. And Rose was concerned they leave a big enough walkway so no one would get stepped on in the dark by someone going to the refresher or the cockpit. (Which wouldn't be an issue if they had helmets, but they didn't.) CL-0745 tried to tune them out.

Just as she was succeeding, Commander Dameron came over and said, "This space open?" She looked up at him in surprise. The pilot was looking at the general, not her.

She and the general exchanged looks. He looked wary, but was it of Poe or her? CL-0745 was just tensing to rise and deal with Dameron as an interloper when the general said, "Yes."

Well. It was of her, then. He and Dameron had arrived together when she'd first seen them on the Finalizer. Clearly there was more to the two of them, but she couldn't fathom what. Maybe they knew each other from somewhere? It didn't matter; it wasn't her business. She rolled on her side, facing away and giving them what little privacy she could.