Mitaka felt hair on the back of his neck stand on end as Finn called for his attention.

"Hey, Mitaka! Come here. Poe and I need to talk to you for a minute." The former trooper stood below an overhanging section of the Millennium Falcon, with Poe nearly out of sight and leaning against a support deeper beneath the ship.

Mind cycling through a dozen uncomfortable scenarios, Mitaka searched for some way to wriggle out of the clandestine meeting with the two men. Seeing no convenient excuses to go elsewhere, he tried to look nonchalant as he approached.

"What is it?" He asked as he came near, still hoping that this conversation might be over quickly.

"We got a question or two for you," Poe spoke from his spot away from prying eyes.

Even if he were back on a First Order ship, Mitaka would have been made uneasy by how suspicious the other two men were acting.

"What is it?" he lingered just beyond the edge of the Millennium Falcon, very aware that venturing further would take him, and whatever these men planned to do with him, out of view.

Finn noticed that the former lieutenant held an air of apprehension. Poe noticed as well, but wasn't going to spare the time to comment on it.

"You were a weapons guy, right?" Poe began.

"Yes. I was a weapons officer. Why do you ask?" Mitaka put an emphasis on the word 'was', careful to appear as if he had no lingering loyalties to the First Order. As he put on his act, he wondered how much of an act it really was.

Poe took a few steps closer to the edge of his hiding place, "So you would know the range of a turbolaser on a First Order destroyer and stuff like that, right?"

As sure as he was that Poe and Finn were picking him over for classified information, Mitaka was surprised at an implied fact. "You don't?" Mitaka looked at Finn.

The former trooper stiffened before trying to appear nonchalant, "I might, but that's not what this conversation is about. We're asking if you know."

That's a no. I didn't realize the troopers were so unaware.

"It's been quite some time since I've been on a ship," Mitaka tried to deflect the question, "there could have been a system's upgrade in the time I've been gone."

"But if you had to ballpark," Poe goaded him.

The rebel leader had slowly drifted closer through the conversation. Mitaka took an instinctual step backwards.

Finn saw the small movement, and took his own in response. He had told Poe that the lieutenant was flighty, and that they would have to be careful if they were going to use him to check how reliable their new source was. Finn wasn't fully convinced that Mitaka and Lori's story was completely true, but the lieutenant had seemed shocked at the First Order's actions towards them on the dropship. Enough so that he could possibly be talked into doing something directly harmful to the First Order.

"I'm going to level with you, Mitaka," Finn took a gamble, "we got a transmission the other day and we're trying to figure out if the information is good."

"What?"

Poe gave a quick and questioning glance to Finn before deciding to just roll with what he had said, "We don't know who sent it or where it came from, but we go a full systems readout for a Resurgent-class destroyer. It seems a little too good to be true, if you ask me."

"A full read out?" Even when he had been Hux's personal aid Mitaka had only had access to half of the ship's systems. There must have been leaks in at least a dozen different offices to gather that kind of intel, "Are you sure?"

"Pretty sure," Finn answered dead pan.

"I…" Mitaka's mind raced for something to say. It seemed unwise to continue deeper down this conversation, but his curiosity about this supposed source got the better him, "I suppose I could take a look at what you've found."

That answer was a little too all-inclusive for Poe's taste, "Just the weapons systems. Unless you know all about the rest of the ship, for some reason."

Even hinting at the idea that he might have been in direct contact with higher ranking officers seemed like a terrible idea. Mentioning being Hux's aid seemed like an especially terrible idea.

"No, I can only tell you about the weapons systems."

"That will d- Oh crap." Poe stopped mid-sentence as his sight was suddenly locked on something beyond Mitaka.

"Poe!" a shout came from deeper within the camp, "I've been looking everywhere for you, we need to talk."

At first jumping at the sudden sound, Mitaka wasn't calmed by the sight he found when he turned around.

Lori was walking up, a stubborn glint in her eye and what would no doubt be a critical remark at the tip of her tongue.

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

General Hux sat in his office. Still ground down and barely hanging onto sanity, he had found the tiniest amount of solace in sending secret messages to the Resistance. His first incident of spying had been a spur of the moment decision, made quickly and in a moment of anger and weakness.

But it had been addicting.

Though it wasn't the true power he had wielded only a year ago, he still got a rush from knowing that he was in charge of something. That he was making a difference, even if it was only to spite Kylo Ren.

He still got a rush from feeling so close to Lori.

Hux's hand shook as he slipped his gloves on. He was due on the bridge in half an hour, and his hands had been shaking lately. Whether from the pent-up stress, from the addiction he refused to acknowledge, or from the strange mixture of dread and excitement that came over him when he considered the ramifications of his spying.

He knew he was helping to destroy the only life he had ever known, but the First Order had betrayed him first, had profoundly failed him at every turn. He hadn't any idea what his end goal was, besides wanton destruction. After the First Order fell, he wasn't sure what or who he would be. He wasn't even sure if he would still be alive at the very end.

If his encounters with Kylo Ren had taught Hux anything, it was that he was afraid to die. But he was also deeply uninterested in what was left of his life.

Taking a breath to center himself, Hux retrieved his coat from a hanger near the door. Before putting the heavy thing on, he carefully checked through its pockets.

He'd been meticulous in hiding any evidence that he had been responsible for the information leaks. A wayward data chip in his pocket had been the beginning of this madness, he didn't want the same to be the reason he was caught.

Finding and then sending data had become something of a second job. Hux knew better than to write anything on his own computer. Common sense and an intimate understanding of the First Order's technological capabilities told him that that would be an easy way to be caught. He was also careful not to release any information that could only be traced back to him, instead collecting information from around the order and then sending that out.

In the weeks that had passed since his first message, Hux had told the Resistance the intimate details about the Stormtrooper program, now located on General Engell's ship. He'd relayed the new structure of the First Order's supreme council, the particulars of which were under General Pryde's control. The various tasks of the knights had been sent off last week, which was information that no one person officially knew. He'd sent in patrol maps for the fleet under General Quinn. He'd relayed all of the information that Kylo Ren collected on Emperor Palpatine. And he had added countless details about whatever topic crossed his mind. From fleet numbers, to weapons capabilities, to the locations of First Order supply depots.

Hux had told himself that he would only send one message per week, but that promise had quickly crumbled when he realized the tiny trace of power he felt from spying was the only thing he had left to cling too. Excuses and opportunities to send secret transmissions suddenly appeared everywhere he looked, and he had quickly taken to sending something out every other day.

The constant search for information was a flimsy, but desperately needed, distraction.

Considering what tidbit he would reveal to the enemy next, General Hux left his office and made the short walk to the bridge. Like so many others, he would spend this shift watching the life he had known crumble away.

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

How much did she hear? Mitaka couldn't help but worry that Lori might have misinterpreted his last few words.

"Lori," Poe's face dropped a little, as if he had been purposefully avoiding her, "we'll have to talk later, I was just about to-"

"Just about to run off again?" she cut him off, "you've been avoiding me for three weeks. I need an answer."

Shortly after Ardis had spoken her first word, Lori had gone from floating the idea of her leaving Ajan Kloss to Brixie, to marching up to Poe and telling him that she intended to leave the planet. As far as she could tell, no one was suspicious of her true motive, but the rebels had been dragging their feet.

"I know you do, but now really isn't the right time." Poe talked around Mitaka, who was standing in the middle of their conversation.

It wasn't lost on Lori that the lieutenant looked pained. She hadn't come for the sake of rescuing him, but she decided that leaving him to the rebel's mercy would be a bad idea.

"Then you'll have to make it the right time. But it looks like Mitaka's got something to say first."

"I believe Poe and Finn were contact by a spy from the First Order." He immediately told her what was happening.

Lori wasn't surprised. Spies had been plaguing the First Order since the day it had been formed. She held a special interest in them only because it had been her job to stop them, and because there was a chance that a ring of traitors might try to target Armitage again.

"You don't say?" because it would fit the persona she built for herself, Lori made an effort to seem happy at the news. "did we get anything good from them?"

Finn opened his mouth to try and say that it was none of Lori's business, but Mitaka answered more quickly, "W-we're not sure yet. I was just about to look over the data Poe received. Apparently, our source -or sources- have access to every system in a star destroyer."

A short bit of panic picked at the edge of Lori's features. She tried to disguise it as excitement before hiding behind a faked ignorance. "Every system? That sounds like a lot of info, how many people do you figure it would take to put all that together?"

With that question, Mitaka was sure that Lori understood how dire the situation was. Despite knowing what she had meant, her act was convincing and Mitaka caught himself worrying if he had been unclear.

In the second it took for Mitaka to think past Lori's tone, Poe was able to interject.

"Yeah, I'm sure it's a big deal. Do me a favor and keep this quiet."

Lori looked back at Poe and spoke as if she would have never even thought to tell anyone else, "Sure thing. But while I'm here, did we get anything else from our source? Do we know who it is?"

Finn rolled his eyes, "It was Captain Dumb-enough-to-sign-my-name-on-a-stolen-report. No! we don't know who sent it."

"No need to bite my head off," Lori stepped back from the group slightly, "I was just asking. Whoever it is will probably get a blaster bolt to the back of the head if they get found out, but it'd be nice to know who's putting their ass on the line for us."

"I wouldn't think too highly of them. They probably have their own selfish motive," Finn said with a scoff.

The comment drew an offended look from Mitaka and a dubious one from Poe.

Finn noticed both of them, "What? I had one when I saved you."

"Yeah, I remember that bit," Poe looked away from Finn and back to Lori, apprehension and a hint of dread on his features, "Now, about your request. I'm sorry. I get it, you want off this backwater. I can't blame you for that, but we don't have the ship to spare and I can't risk someone learning where we are."

While she had been expecting that response, Lori still didn't take it well. She'd used up most of her energy with faking and hiding emotions, and very quickly snapped as a result, "Poe! This outpost isn't safe! And I won't tell anyone anything. I just want to leave. For Ardis' sake."

"I know that! I already said I'm sorry, but I can't risk everyone here. You can hate me all you want, but it's too risky. I heard that the First Order had a bounty on your head before. I wouldn't blame you for it, but if they catch you again, I can think of one surefire way they could make you tell them anything they wanted to know."

Lori resented the fact that Poe would suggest that the First Order might threaten an infant in order to manipulate their parents. She knew he was absolutely right to fear such a thing, but hearing it out loud still irritated her.

Poe saw the fresh anger in Lori's eyes, and spoke before she had the chance to act on it, "I know this isn't what you wanted to hear, but I'm not changing my mind on this." Looking away from Lori, Poe addressed Mitaka, "You're coming with me. We still need you to double check our intel."

Mitaka looked nervously between the fuming Lori and the almost defeated looking Poe. Knowing that he should probably do something to calm Lori, but being more fearful of her wrath than of any trouble he might find himself in with Poe and Finn, he took a tentative step in the direction of the two men.

Taking that as a sign, Poe moved on without another word to Lori.

Lori watched the group of them go, so fixated on her roiling emotions that she nearly missed Mitaka casting a series of nervous glances over his shoulder.

She didn't take a deep breath to calm down, she wasn't sure that she could. Instead, she was left to think dark thoughts. A few of revenge, and a few so thoroughly drenched in her own fears that she couldn't hold onto them long enough to finish them.

Poe wasn't wrong when he said there wasn't a ship to spare for her. If she were going to steal anything, it would have to be the Millennium Falcon, and that would be a death sentence all on its own.

The only thing she had to distract her might be exposing this mysterious spy that had volunteered their services.

The realization felt bitter. Armitage and her had both acknowledged that she would have to give up her spy catching ways after they had Ardis.

She should be working a safer job now, rather than being deeply imbedded in a rebel cell, chasing down leads like she had on Armitage's orders. Being forced into the very thing that she had decided to give up, that had once been her sole purpose, felt like a betrayal and an admission that the life she had planned had been nothing more than a hollow dream.