[Rose]
"First Sergeant?" Hux called out. "Come to the front. Stand with me." Hux turned to the section, which had hastily arranged themselves in formation. They stood at unwavering attention. The gathering was quiet enough that Rose could hear every word, even though she stood at the back at the top of the open ramp. (And it helped that Hux was good at projecting his voice.)
"I have assembled you here to witness one of the most sacred traditions the First Order has – the recognition of merit and accomplishment within our ranks, affirmed through promotion and commission. In the case of the individual known to you previously as First Sergeant CL-0745, her promotion to and commission as lieutenant was approved following the Battle of Crait, contingent upon the successful training of her replacement as commander of the second section squadron of the first platoon, ninth company, Footsoldier legion, Finalizer Internal Security."
Rose leaned to the side, but there wasn't much to see. Hux was standing in front of the hatch to the forward compartment. Next to him stood CL-0745 with her helmet tucked under her arm. Everyone else was in full armor, helmets on, evenly and perfectly spaced.
Hux continued. "It is my honor and privilege as a general of the First Order and a member of the High Command to have the authority decide when that contingency has been filled and to formally implement the resulting transition to an officer. I want to first personally acknowledge her extraordinary performance of duties while serving in combat and under related combat conditions, such as those we are currently enduring."
He turned to CL-0745 and spoke to her directly, his voice still carrying, but pitched differently. "Your service has been commendable. Your leadership, superb. You have been an exceptional stabilizing presence, kept perfect control of your unit and performed every task put to you despite the chaos of our situation, the presence of the Resistance, and me being an unfamiliar commander for you. For this, I am grateful. You are an example to all who find themselves in such trying times."
CL-0745 sniffed audibly and otherwise stayed very stiff and still. Her eyes were shining so much Rose expected tear tracks by the end of the ceremony. Next to her, Kaydel sniffed as well.
Hux continued speaking with her. "An officer is charged with representing the best values of the First Order. Your thoughts must be on advancing the organization and not on personal benefit. We change our frame of thought from worrying about ourselves to mentoring, training, guiding, leading, and instilling discipline in the troops we are entrusted with. We uphold traditions, dignity, and high standards. We willingly accept responsibility for the good or bad of those under our supervision, for the success or failure of our mission is our responsibility alone. That is the burden placed on every officer of the Order. I am proud to say I am convinced of your ability to bear that burden for the benefit of all.
"And so." Hux turned to the side, picking up something from the side console that had hitherto blended in with the standard black color scheme. It was the other basic duty uniform of an officer that they'd pulled out when finding clothes for Finn. "I present you with officer's dress and permission to wear it, although if you prefer armor given our current tactical situation, that is your prerogative. If you wear the uniform, I also grant permission for and direct that you attach one braid to the left sleeve as a temporary marker of rank. If you wear armor, you have the right to a red pauldron which will be acquired at the earliest opportunity. I have entered today's award into the ship's log so it is part of the permanent record. Here is your code cylinder."
Hux handed it over so she stood holding a uniform in one hand and the small metal cylinder in the other, helmet still under her arm. He said, "You are now a lieutenant, with full rank and privileges thereof. You have a place in the rolls for the champions of the Order and a name to be remembered by. Tell us that name, so that all may know it."
She was so choked up that it took two tries before she could speak. And then, the name: "Lady."
That was a weird name. Rose furrowed her brow and looked a silent question at Finn, who had been named semi-randomly by someone he'd just met. Finn shrugged at her like he didn't even know what she was asking. Kaydel, on the other side of him, gave a quick shake of her head and a rapid, negating hand wave like she knew something about this and Rose should drop it. Rose gave a roll of her eyes to dismiss her question and went back to watching.
"Lieutenant Lady," Hux said solemnly. He turned to the assembly. "You are all dismissed. You may return to your assigned duties." Despite the 'go about your business' tone, the troopers broke out in sudden cheers. They crowded around her, yelling things like, 'We can never talk to you again!', 'Good riddance', 'Ugliest mug on deck!', 'About time!', and other cheerful-toned congratulations that sounded odd to Rose's ears, not least because they were filtered through the vocoders of their helmets.
As the Resistance members filed outside, Rose said quietly, "I thought they were going to have some secret meeting about us. You know, the Resistance."
Kaydel was wiping her eyes. "We were mentioned."
Finn shook his head. "Not everything in the First Order is about fighting the Resistance. A lot of it isn't, in fact."
"I want to congratulate her," Kaydel said. "Finn, is that okay? Or would that be rude?"
"Huh? No, that's fine. That's normal. There's usually a party after these things, but …" He gestured at their surroundings. Kaydel headed back up the ramp as soon as she had an opening.