35 ABY

When the siren went off, she was drinking tea. She momentarily closed her eyes, breathing in and letting it go. She slowly walked to the bedroom, where she saw Armitage changing out of his loungewear. She took off her robe, and pulled her favorite knee-length dress out of the closet.

"Good idea." He called over, unbuttoning his lounge shirt. "The kids are safe. It'll be another drill" He assured her.

Maree nodded. "I'll get Linnea. She's probably scared. Why didn't we have one last month?"

"All of the changes-it's a fair question, but we were a bit busy."

She couldn't help but let out a small growl under the siren. "Right."

A voice came over the speaker system. "This is not a drill. I repeat. This is not a drill. Inbound Resistance."

Hux's eyes widened. "Kriff. Hand me my belt. We need you to evacuate."

She walked over to the utility belt and removed his comm and pistols.

"Maree. Give it to me."

"No. All of the changes," she mocked. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"What do you mean? Please, we don't have time, Maree. We have an emergency."

"You blew up a planet, Armitage. What planet are you going to blow up next?"

He frowned, his eyes widening. "Maree. That's not fair. Please. We are in this together." He took a slow step forward to try and close their distance. "I need the belt."

She stepped back, holding the stun pistol at his eye level.

"Maree, put that down." Hux held out a hand. "You need to get our younglings to safety."

"They'll never be safe with you around."

"How can you say that? Maree, please. I know it's stressful right now, but I have made sure your family was safe. Corellia is not and never will be on our target list." He stepped forward again. "Lower the blaster."

She took a much larger step back, and held it much straighter, shaking her head.

"Maree. Maree, what are you doing?" He wanted to yell. It wasn't an easy time with the destruction of Starkiller base so close behind them. He closed his eyes and counted to five. When he opened them he smiled small. "I really need you to give me my weapons and my belt."

"You're killing people," she shouted. "Do you understand what you've done?"

"Maree, I've only done what was necessary."

"You won't be happy until everything else is gone too."

"How could you say that to me," Hux yelled back. "We have a beautiful family."

"You kidnapped me," she shouted. "I was seventeen years old."

"I didn't kidnap you! We were married!"

"That is a fascinating version of the events of the last five years."

"Give me the kriffing blaster."

She shot a stunner to his chest, holding herself still and straight.

He clutched where she had shot, eyes widening as the lowest level stun hit his bare skin. He fell to his knees, looking up at her in shock. "W-why?"

She moved the weapons out of reach and kneeled next to him, trying to shift him so that his head could rest on the bed.

"P-please," he whispered, his whole body tense and tight.

"You hurt my mom. You raped me."

"N-no." He trembled, and his eyes went glassy as he fell back, limp.

She couldn't help but linger for a second before she stood. She quickly searched him for weapons of his own, and put everything into her already packed tote. She grabbed a holodisplay of family pictures and put on her shoes, leaving the apartment.

"Mrs. Hux- I can escort you to the emergency evacuation. Where is the General?" She heard a voice ask as soon as she exited her apartment.

"Lieutenant Mitaka," she greeted. "Armitage told me to go ahead. He is on his way to command. I need to get Linnea from the nursery and Willem from the playground."

"Okay." He nodded quickly. "I'll escort you. Would you like me to take your bag?"

"I've got it," Maree said, rushing with him to the nursery room. "Can you swipe?"

He nodded, beeping them into the nursery. The nurse looked up from the rocking chair where she was trying to buff a stain out of one of the baby's onesies. "She is ready to go." She gestured to the child carrier beside her.

Maree exhaled, running to the baby's side.

"Dada," Linnea asked.

"Thank you," Maree told the nurse. "Get somewhere safe."

Maree picked up her daughter, grateful that the baby was somehow not crying from the sirens. "The playground," Maree asked Mitaka.

"We'll have someone bring him," he said. "We need to get you to Evacuation Bay B."

"C. Armitage said C, and I'm not leaving Willem."

"Okay. Alright. He is in the east playground right?"

"I think so," Maree said. "Yes."

"Right." He opened the door for her again, checking the hallway. "Right this way through the access tunnel."

She tucked in, wrapping Linnea tighter in her blanket.

"Dada," Linnea tried again.

"Daddy is working," Maree told her.

"She's very vocal," Mitaka commented as they navigated the hallway between the main corridors. "Perfect." He opened the door and revealed another hallway. It was covered with blaster marks, but now empty. The door to the playground was open- most of younglings huddled behind a bench

"Willem," Maree called, while the lieutenant looked for the caregiver.

"They took Willem." A young boy said. "A big scary resistance man."

Maree frowned. "What did he look like?"

"He was a human, he had brown hair and brown Eyes, he was tan and uh. He had curly hair and sideburns." An older kid piped up. "He was a little short."

Lieutenant Mitaka called for aid for the children on his comm, and took out his blaster. "This way, ma'am," he said, taking hold of Maree's upper arm and leading her back into the access hallway. She exhaled hard, and pulled out the stunner, pressing a charge to his gut.

He frowned, looking down at her hand. "What is that? Is that a—"

She knocked his hand off her and ran down the hall with the baby.

"Mama," Linnea cried, tugging on her dress.

"It's okay. It's okay." She fished out her comm and put in an earbud, turning it to the radio signal she had been given. "Hello?"

"Hello? Maree, I've got Will, he is okay. Smart kid. Listen, we may have trouble if we aren't quick. What's your eta?"

"Three minutes. Or five. Three to five. Is he okay?"

"He is okay, we are putting him in a ship now. It's a fast freighter, he'll be comfortable and safe. Just on the lookout for TIEs."

"I didn't know someone else was going to get him. I don't know who you are. I said I wanted to get my own younglings."

"We told you the op-plan. I'm sorry, no time to argue- we need to get you out."

"I'm coming. We wasted time. I went to get him, because that was the plan."

"It wasn't the - it's okay. Just hey here when you can."

"We're almost there."

She winced, hard, as another call came over the speaking. "Report all sightings of Maree, Willem, or Linnea Hux to command immediately."

"Did you hear that?" The man came back over the speaker. "Please hurry."

She threw open the door to the evacuation bay. She was, at first, concerned to see the men and women with pistols, but realized from their clothing that they were not First Order. Linnea started to cry, and Maree kept running, spotting her other child across the way, hand held by the brown haired man she had assumed was on the comm.

"We're almost there."

She winced, hard, as another call came over the speaking. "Report all sightings of Maree, Willem, or Linnea Hux to command immediately."

"You hear that? Sh—take cover!" Poe Dameron shouted, ending the call with Maree.

Maree's eyes widened. She dropped behind a boiler, holding Linnea to her chest.

A minute later the call came back through. "Maree where are you? We need to go now."

She took out her husband's blaster, her hands shaking. "W-what happened," she asked. She came out of the hiding spot, peeling around to the evacuation bay door.

"Come out- we. We need you to get here."

She went through the door and ran with Linnea past the defensive fire. A pair of Resistance fighters rushed her onto the ship. She started crying before she even knew why.

"We have to get you buckled up." The Resistance fighter indicated a cabin. "Please, quickly. We have to get out of here." Maree didn't move. "Jessika," the woman introduced herself. "I am Jessika. Please. Strap in."

"Where is that man," Maree asked. Where is Willem?"

Jessika pulled Maree down into the seat and strapped her seatbelt. "Hello," she sang to the baby. "It's okay."

"Where is my son," Maree demanded.

"He is upship." She nodded, locking the belts. "We've gotta get out of the system." She took a seat and buckled herself as they shifted to a faster speed.

"I want to see Willem," Maree said. "I was supposed to get both of my children. I was supposed to."

"We'll reach lightspeed shortly. Once we're in interstellar space, ma'am."

"Maree," she corrected. She covered her eyes, whimpering. "I-is he okay?"

"We'll be in interstellar space soon."

"Tell me about my son," Maree cried. "T-Tell me what happened. Where is that man," she asked again.

"Poe Dameron. He is with your son."

Over the loudspeaker, the pilot's voice came through. "We're about to jump, hold tight."

"P-Poe Dameron is with my son," Maree asked Jessika.

"Yes." Jessika nodded as the ship shifted into light speed. "Okay. We are out."

Maree unbuckled herself, and held onto the baby. She stood, shaking, and tried to leave the chamber.

"This way." Jessika sighed, "we're trying to stabilize." She opened the medbay door.

"W-where's my son," Maree whispered. "Tell me what happened.

"He- a shot came over my shoulder. Caught him right in the chest." Poe Dameron sobbed, holding the boy's lifeless body against his chest.

Maree stopped in the doorway, holding her baby close to her chest. She didn't hear herself start to scream or feel herself sink to the floor.

"I-I tried everything. Bacta, the scanner. He didn't suffer." Poe tried to wipe his eyes with his sleeves. "It was one of those masked men."

Jessika helped Maree more safely, and tried to take Linnea, who was crying. "Okay," Jessika said. "Okay. Maree. Maree?"

Maree shook her head, and then the rest of her shook too. Her mouth hung open, and she wailed.

"Lay back. Lay on your back. I have Linnea."

"No," she yelled, shaking her head. "No, no."

Poe shivered, holding the limp boy's frame in his arms as he forced the tears back down. "I'm so sorry." He knelt beside Maree

"I was supposed to get him," she insisted.

"I w-want my mom."

"We're four hours to the Corellian trade spine, then five to Corellia."

He shifted the toddler so that her head was resting against his mother. Her breath caught and she wailed again, shaking her head.

"It was Ren. Or at least the mask was like Ren's." Dameron stood, shaken.

"He's j-just a kid." She picked up her son, rocking him against her heart.

"They could have hit me. He could have shot me." Poe Dameron shook his head. "I'm so sorry."

She held her son close and fished in her bag for her husband's comm. She called back her husband's office line, the number that had been spamming his own comm for the last thirty standard minutes.

"Maree. Where the kriff are you?"

"I'm going h-home."

"You're working with the Resistance?" Hux demanded. "You took my younglings?"

"They're my younglings." Maree tightly held onto Willem, closing her eyes and shaking.

"I want to talk to Willem and Linnea right now."

"Willem's dead." She started crying. "Your people k-killed him."

"No. No that's." He fell silent for a moment. "Let me talk to him."

"He's dead," Maree screamed.

"Then you killed him, you kriffing bitch!"

Maree's eyes widened. She stared front, rocking her son. Jessika passed the infant to Poe, who quickly carried her out of the room.

"I've been nothing but good to you. I've been nothing but caring to our children. You've gotten colder and colder and now you've killed our son."

"No, I didn't," she yelled. "Your people shot him."

"There were cameras in the evacuation bay," Jessika whispered. "You can look at the footage."

"Excuse me? Who the hell are you," Hux shouted.

"You blame everyone for everything except yourself," Maree screamed. "You did this. Y-you're a killer."

"I am a leader. I do what is necessary."

"So don't pretend you give a shit about us. D-did the soldier who shot him do what was necessary?"

"Shut up. Shut up! Someone get me the footage!"

"S-Stop yelling at me! Stop yelling at me. I should be able to leave. Why can't I leave without you killing m-my baby?"

"You want to leave? You want a divorce? Do you know how to use your words?"

"No, I guess not," Maree said. "I guess you should have seen it coming when you married a seventeen year old. You never gave a shit what I wanted. N-never, never."

"I always cared! I tried to keep you happy and safe! Now this is our family's fate?"

"What would you like our family's fate to be, Armitage? You want to blow up half of the galaxy? And then what? Settle on Arkanis? Maybe a beach?"

"Maybe! A beach to relax on in victory sounds nice doesn't it?"

"That is no victory," Maree said. "I can't even look at you anymore. Much less sleep in the same bed."

"How—" he fell silent as someone gave him a datapad with the video. "Kriff. Where is Ren?! One of those Ren bastards killed him!"

Maree started to cry again. "I'm h-holding him. I don't know what to do."

"I don't know. I. Why did you run? He'd still be alive if you just—"

"This is n-not my fault. This is your fault."

"Where is Linnea? Turn on video, let me see her."

"She's in another room. Y-you called me a bitch."

"You're acting like one."

Maree flinched, hard, but only stopped shaking when she saw Jessika sitting there next to her, stoic and strong. "Don't talk to me like that, Armitage."

"You stole our child. Maree. You're acting. You're a predator."

"I am not. I am not. You raped me and I was seventeen. Seventeen."

"You weren't complaining until today, I need to see my baby."

"Not while you're acting like this."

"Acting like a concerned father?"

"Talking to s-someone you say you love like I'm a piece of trash. I am her mother."

"You're stealing my children. You had him killed!"

"Don't talk to me like that, Armitage," Maree screamed. "Why can't I take my younglings off the base without your people shooting them?"

"You kriffing shot me during a resistance raid! Poe Dameron's pathetic swagger doesn't save our son."

"Are speeches like that one you gave on Starkiller really how you wanted Willem to see you," she asked. "Linnea? Y-you wanted them growing up knowing their father is a mass murderer, t-that their great great grandparents died for nothing, that their great grandmother was murdered and nothing changed? That my mother's life was ruined for nothing?"

"I knew you were sympathetic to cowardly causes but this takes the cake."

"Don't talk to me like that," Maree said. "Don't ever talk to me like that. Ever."

"Show me my son."

She bowed her head, wresting her cheek directly against Willem's. She activated the video, immediately starting, again, to cry.

Hux tried to stay strong, but he started to weep himself. "Kriff. I'm. It makes me sick."

She rocked her son like he was crying or feeling ill.

"He. That bastard killed him. He could have taken one of the anarchists."

She hardly heard him. She only heard the tonal shift in his voice. He sounded sadder, now. She peeked up at him over Willem's shoulder, her eyes filled with tears.

8 BBY

"Good morning." Maia folded her hands atop the desk. "Have you been editing my schedule?"

Captain Rourke came inside, clasping his hands behind his back. "Editing? I've been doing my normal management of your military appointments."

"Like my new seven thirty with Prince Xizor."

"Yes. Prince Xizor is on your responsibility docket. Do you prefer to meet with him in the afternoon?"

Maia sighed, rolling her shoulders back. "Okay. I understand there's an ego thing, believe me that's not personal. I grew up a police chief's kid. I get it, but I really, really need you to check with. Someone. Just anyone, me, Lunette, my scheduling crew, Captain Speikre, anyone, before you add things to my docket, because there is clearly a lot of operational and interpersonal history you are not aware of."

"I can't make decisions with information I'm not privy to."

"The man tried to drug and rape me last year," Maia said. "And the tox screen and incident report is definitely in his dossier. Did you check it? Did you ask anyone?"

"He is nobility." Rourke bowed his head. "Forgive me, prime minister."

"We need to find a way to make this transition as productive as possible, and I really think that my previous security team has a lot of information your team could benefit from," Maia said. "We don't need to retread that territory. Just talk to them. For now, though, Xizor was clearly looking to manipulate our transition by finding new ways to be alone with me, and he is going to think that he can manipulate you. So I need either Coylson or Sandierson to sit in on this meeting."

"Of course. Sandierson can sit in and this won't happen again."

"Thank you," Maia said. "Please explain the situation to him."

He nodded again. "Yes ma'am. Have there been other problems I wasn't told about with my scheduling additions?"

"I'm talking to you about this one," Maia said. "But I really encourage you to schedule a meeting with Captain Speikre so that he can fill you in on certain personality conflicts or past issues you may not be aware of."

He frowned. "We did a debrief. I'll have to schedule another one for this express purpose. Yes, ma'am."

"Thank you, Captain, that is all. Let's pick the ball up and not drop it again."

"Agreed. Is there anything else, ma'am?"

"No, Captain, that is all."

Sandierson and Coylson were playing cards in the security office as Rourke came inside.

"Full Sabaak." Coylson smirked.

"Sandierson, Legacy needs you in hers for her 0715 meeting," Rourke said.

"Of course, sir. Did she say why?"

"There have been past issues with Prince Xizor," he said. "She doesn't feel safe meeting him alone."

"When did that meeting come to the schedule," Coylson asked.

"Early this morning." Rourke nodded. "You'll need to ensure she feels safe, but we don't expect problems."

"What problems were there in the past," Sandierson asked.

Rourke sat down at the computer to pull up the report and tox screen. "Yup. Right here. He released a pheromone wave. Her team at the time became aware and intervened."

Sandierson frowned, moving next to Rourke to read the document. "Security threat, sexual violence."

"Yes. But I wouldn't expect it against Legacy. We are keeping her safe."

Coylson frowned, folding his arms and leaning back in the chair. "I can send two guys with you, Sandierson."

"I'm satisfied with that. Permission granted, commander?" He looked up at Rourke

"Yes, of course," Rourke said. Coylson went about the reassignment from his comm.

"She looks good today," Sandierson commented.

Rourke nodded seriously. "She always looks excellent in green."

"She looks good in anything."

"Or nothing." Rourke smirked. "Alright. You're good with your schedule today?"

"Yes," Coylson said quickly. "Sandierson, the troopers will meet you there."

"Yeah." Sandierson nodded, thinking. When he arrived, Maia asked him to wait in the main office to ensure her staff was all right. Soon, he was escorting Xizor to her. Maia looked up from her desk, but did not stand.

"What are those," she asked, staring at the bouquet of flowers in his hands.

"You were viscously and savagely attacked." He frowned, as much as his reptilian visage could. "It's the least I could do. And I have a toy for the youngling."

She raised an eyebrow, turning her head to the side. "This is Captain Sandierson. He's here to make sure you don't drug me again. Don't disappoint me."

He set the vase and stuffie down. "No fear. I'm sorry for the confusion last time."

"I don't think I was confused. But I am confused now, as to why you're here."

Xizor watched her for a moment, determining she was telling the truth. "We finally know the source of the Jedi trouble. A former apprentice was siphoning our resources to the leftists. Seems he was in contact with his master, who's now an Inquisitor. Quite the scandal, but the mystery is solved." He sipped from a flask on his waist with a sweet scented water. "How is your family?"

"We're not here for you to ask about my family."

He scanned over to the crib.

"With her father. Let's move on."

"I wanted you to know - Kira has been an object of fascination for my partners. She is a beautiful girl. I would have liked to gift her the stuffie myself."

Maia scowled, folding her arms. "Do you just not hear how gross you sound when you talk?"

"Hmm?" He frowned blinking his nictitating membrane. "All of us wonder if she will follow in your footsteps."

"We want her to do whatever she wants to do," Maia said.

"Maybe politics, business. The military. Who's to say?"

"Why are you here, Xizor?"

"Checking in. It's been a while and I also wanted to inform you that the caper has been solved."

"Let's keep this speedy."

He nodded. "I wanted to speak to you about the non-human testing bill."

"That sounds like it's probably for the worse," Maia said. "Let's not."

"No, I." He paused. "I actually was impressed with you."

She scowled, her eyes waning, and turned her head to the side. "I would really like to move on."

He exhaled through his nostril slits. "Alright. I admire your attempt." He glanced down and away. "I have information to share."

"That you're talking to people who think like you about my one year old?"

"No. Regarding the attacks on your life." He looked to her, and then cleared his throat and turned to Sandierson. "I think there are elements in Imperial Intelligence who are not reporting information about threats and safety accurately when they are to do with her."

"What do you mean?" Sandierson narrowed his eyes. "A traitor?"

"Why," Maia asked. She narrowed her eyes, but Xizor could feel she was more scared than angry.

"There seems to be a huge portion of the organization who is very angry with your report of and the subsequent termination of Kele Teppin."

"He tried to rape me," Maia said.

"I understand that. I would even say you're perfectly justified."

"They're still angry? How do you know," Maia asked.

"You know we listen for our own reasons." He said slowly. "I'm just passing it along."

"How do you know this," Sandierson asked again.

"It's based on a few whispers. Just look into it."

"You must have a name," Sandierson said.

"A different name. Someone who has been acting in depravity."

She folded her hands, leaning forward to stare at him. "Oh?"

He nodded and paused for dramatic effect. "Senator Ruck Sardan. He has been molesting a thirteen year old girl in his care."

Her breath caught. Still, she watched him. "A friend of yours?"

"He was. Of course I had no idea until I was at his two nights ago. I have thus told you."

"You saw this," Maia asked.

"He offered the girl to me," Xizor said. "Disgusting."

"Are you serious?"

"I am entirely serious. It was troubling."

At her stare, he should his head. "I would never lay a hand on a youngling."

"Who is this girl?"

"She is the foundling of this senator."

Maia pulled up the man's family profile. "Ina," she asked, showing him a hologram.

He nodded. "That's her."

"Are we handling all arrests through the Stormtroopers now," Maia asked.

Sandierson nodded. "Yes, ma'am, we are progressively replacing the Senate Guard."

"Message Colonel Coylson to take care of it."

"Yes ma'am." He nodded. "Is our meeting done?"

"I think so, not that it was much of one to begin with" She looked to Xizor. "You know your way out."

He nodded. "Good day, I do hope you address this travesty in short order. Stay safe"

Maia stayed at her desk once Xizor was gone. She pulled out her comm and gripped it tightly until Sandierson spoke.

"Did you want to make the call, ma'am?" He frowned. "To Imperial Intelligence I mean."

"And say what?" Maia grabbed her forehead and stood out of her chair. "You're supposed to be handling this."

"I told Coylson to take care of the youngling. I'll look into the apparent security lapse."

"By calling Armand Isard and telling him that half of his organization apparently wants me murdered?"

Her security officer fell silent. "I suppose not." The security officer fell silent for a moment. He straightened. "You're right. Ma'am I ask your forgiveness. I still don't know entirely how to navigate this level of intrigue, and it shows."

"I'm the one they want to kill, not you."

Sandierson shook his head. "To kill you they would have to go through all of us. I won't let them hurt you."

Maia bit her lip, turning to try and look at the window screen, but she couldn't stand still. She paced back to her desk and then to stand next to Kira's crib. "I need to go home."

"I'll arrange it, ma'am. I also want to apologize again on behalf of our team for letting this meeting happen."

"My understanding is that Captain Rourke scheduled it."

"That's correct, ma'am."

Maia shook her head slowly. "My husband is going to be very, very angry."

"Would you like one of us to break the news to him?"

"That sounds like a horrible idea."

Sandierson nodded, "Yes ma'am. I'll take care of everything else and arrange transportation home."

Maia went back behind her desk. She waited while the comm rang, rubbing her temple.

"Hi, Ross," she said, nodding to Sandierson. "Put my husband on, please." Maia waited again, exhaling long and hard. "Going home, honey. I can take Kira." She frowned. "You have a full schedule. I can tell you later." She rolled her eyes. "Whatever you want, Dahn. Fine, I love you too." Maia hung up the phone, and fucked her breath in, looking to Sandierson. "He's coming too."

"I'll make sure transportation is ready." He saluted.

Maia sat in the rocking chair, draping one of Kira's blankets over herself.

Dahn popped his head in a few minutes later. "Would it be easier if our offices were right next to each other?"

Maia stretched out her arms. "Where's my baby?"

He swung the carrier into view. "Say hello, Kira!"

The girl waved and then rested her head right on her father's shoulder. Maia took her, and Kira curled against her mother as Maia sat back in the rocking chair.

Dahn frowned, closing the door. "What is it, what's happened?"

"Let's go home, and then we can talk about it."

He frowned, moving beside her. "They're not ready yet. What happened?"

"We'll talk about it later."

He sighed, glancing at Kira. "It can't always be later."

The door opened and Rourke stepped in. "Good you're here. Ma'am, we are ready."

Dahn frowned, chewing on the corner of his lip. "Is it something about them? Is that why later?"

"Let's go to the speeder," Maia said. "Please."

"What about us?" Rourke frowned.

"No—you know."

"So everyone knows but me," Dahn said. "What is it, Captain?"

The captain hesitated. "The Prime Minister would rather not discuss it. I'm going to respect that, sir."

"You don't speak for my wife against me," Dahn said.

"Yes, sir. But she has made her position clear."

Maia grabbed Dahn's arm. "I want to tell you what we have already talked about first. The speeder is here."

Dahn glowered at Rourke. "Okay. This isn't finished."

"Okay, let's go to the speeder," Maia said.

"You do not keep me out of the loop," Dahn said.

"Dahn," she whispered.

Rourke nodded to Maia. "I'll make sure the path is clear."

Maia's eyes widened and she shook her head towards the floor, turning back to Dahn. "Hey." She rubbed his arm, giving him a kiss.

He sighed, hugging her. "So, what have you already discussed?"

"When we get home," Maia said.

He exhaled again, kissing her deeply. "Rourke is an ass." He whispered against her cheek.

"Stop." She squeezed his hands, eyes widening. She shook her head. She saw Sandierson pretending he hadn't heard.

Dahn looked up and nodded. "Let's go."

When they reached Rourke and the speeder, Dahn wrapped an arm around Maia's waist. Kira was sleeping, but Maia wished she wasn't. It would be a distraction for all of them.

The ride home was nearly silent, and Dahn stared out at the traffic, copping feels to which she wished she could say no. They landed and Maia passed the baby to Dahn, following the troopers into the apartment.

Dahn sighed, looking around at the room and then back at Maia as he lightly cradled Kira. "What's the story?"

Rourke looked at them. "Sir, It has been taken care of, and it won't happen again."

"I'm talking to my wife."

Maia nodded. "Okay. Okay. Captain Rourke scheduled a meeting between Xizor and I. He didn't know, and I told him about what happened. Captain Sandierson and a pair of troopers were with us the whole time."

Dahn went through a rainbow of colors before settling on a light pink. "I see. Well, see that it doesn't happen again, Rourke."

"It won't happen again," Captain Rourke said. "It will not. But my understanding is that the prince gave us some very useful information."

"That isn't an excuse," Maia said. "He should never have been in my office in the first place. We should have known about what he said without him."

"What information? You need to do your damn job. That includes research." Dahn snapped.

Maia's eyes widened. She bit her lip as the room went silent. Maia grabbed Dahn's arm. "Let's put Kira to sleep."

He nodded, shaking his jaw. "I'm very disappointed in the actions of this security team." He let out his heald breath. "Alright. Alright. We'll put Kira to sleep."

She yanked him by the arm out of the room. "Dahn," she whispered. She shook her head again, but ground her jaw when they passed a group of stormtroopers.

"It needed to be said."

"Stop," she told him, firmer now.

He frowned back at her. "I don't like that they exposed you to that risk."

"Can you please wait," she exclaimed. Then she covered her mouth, nodding. "We'll be alone soon."

"Okay. Fine." He nodded, mirroring her. "I'm sorry, but they can't do things like this."

"I told them, Dahn."

"And what the hell is Rourke talking about, that Xizor gave good information, so it was okay."

"It wasn't okay, Dahn, I told him it wasn't okay. Please."

"What information?"

Maia scowled, shaking her head. She didn't speak until they were alone in Kira's room. "Apparently, half of Imperial Intelligence supposedly wants me dead."

"What?"

Maia raised both of her hands by her head. "Xizor wouldn't say anything else. Sandierson asked him a few times and then let him go."

"How would he. What?" His eyes bulged. "What the hells. We have to purge them out."

"I couldn't handle it at the Palace, I needed to come home."

"Right. So what do we do now?"

"I don't know. I don't know. They're angry because of Kele."

"Kele got what he deserved."

"I know that," Maia said. "I know that now. I know, but they're still angry. And we don't even know who they are."

"We can't let them know that we know. You. You know a guy. Right? You trust Aiden."

Maia nodded. She kissed Kira's forehead, and pulled out her comm before she went back into the hall and through the living room, where others usually were now. "Hey," she said, when Aiden had answered the phone. "Can you come over?"

"We have to stop meeting like this." He paused for a beat for the joke. "Is everything okay?"

"Need to talk to you about something."

Aiden paused, typing something. "See you in thirty minutes?"

"Thank you, see you then."

She put her comm away and tracked to the security office, knocking on the open door. "I have a friend from Imperial Intelligence coming in thirty minutes. Aiden Odam, he is on our lists."

"He is." Rourke opened the door. "Is this following up on the situation Xizor brought to our attention?"

"I am meeting with him alone," Maia said.

"Oh. I had thought you'd want our investigations to be concurrent."

Maia tapped on the door, nodding. "I'm meeting with him alone."

Rourke's eyes widened and then he drew himself back. "Yes, of course."

"Thanks." She looked to Sandierson, and then to Coylson, folding her arms. "Just give Dahn some space right now."

"Yes, ma'am." Sandierson nodded quickly.

Rourke cleared his throat. "I'm sorry if I acted inappropriately."

"You did," Maia said. "You need to start—" Maia cut herself off, scowling and shaking her head. "I'm my own person. I have my own life. I'm not just the admiral's daughter, and I'm not nine years old. And this is not a cushy position, I'm terrified every day by the sheer number of people who want me dead."

"I'm taking that under advisement and I am, of course, confident in our ability to keep you safe."

"My husband and I need to be confident too," Maia said. "You shouldn't be taking it upon yourself to make changes to my schedule."

"I'm sorry ma'am. That's always been part of my duties on security teams."

"I grew up in this world," Maia said, shaking her head. "There is no way at all that you would ever—ever—edit my father's schedule without talking to anyone else. Never," Maia said. "And yeah, I'm doing this in front of Captain Dandierson and Colonel Coylson, but come on. And then, you're going to tell Dahn that my meeting with Xizor was worth it because he told us something you should have been on top of anyway?"

"I wasn't saying that it was worth my mistake, only that it wasn't worthless." Rourke straightened. "And I was told that I would be part of of the planning Attache."

"So work with them,"

Maia said. "Part of. Part. Of. Why do I have my Chief of Staff pulling me aside the second I come into my office and told she has no idea who put a meeting on my schedule between me and a man who tried to rape me?"

"I didn't know about that either, ma'am."

"You should have. You should have."

"It was in our computers." Coylson spoke up. "Captain, we found it in three seconds when we looked."

Rourke refrained from looking at the man behind him. "I should have, ma'am. It won't happen again."

She folded her arms, looking to Captain Sandierson. "Thank you for trying to make me feel safer today."

Rourke pursed his lips but remained silent as Sandierson stood and saluted.

"It was the least I could do, ma'am. I'm sorry I couldn't do more."

"He tried to rape me," Maia sounded out, turning back to Captain Rourke. "How do you think it felt when we couldn't even arrest him? And every other woman he's raped, and every time he's gotten away with it. But you scheduled him to meet with me anyway, because he's a prince."

"Men of that station should know better. It reflects poorly on him that he is a scoundrel."

Maia shook her head, and then shrugged. "I guess I'll be waiting for Aiden in the bedroom following this highly productive conversation that came to a very satisfying conclusion."

Rourke straightened and saluted as she left the room. She hadn't made it back to her own room when her parents called. She expected just her mother, but frowned, glancing between her parents when she saw them both at the dinner table with finished dessert bowls. "Dad? You're home?"

"Hello, Maia." Wilhuff waved into the holo. "You look well, how are you?"

She held onto her frown. "I thought you were at the base, you were home last week."

"Your father and I needed to spend some more time together," Thalassa said.

"Okay. Well. Then I'll talk to you later, I guess," Maia said.

"Wait no- anything you need to talk to her about you can say to me."

Maia's brows furrowed. "What's wrong?"

"I've been away too long." Wilhuff said quickly.

"Honey? What is happening?" Thalassa asked her daughter.

"I'm asking you," Maia said.

"You called us, my love." Thalassa frowned. "We love you, are you upset your father didn't think to call you?"

"No. I'm wondering what's going on, mum."

"Do you want me to go into detail about what your father and I do in private?"

Maia's mouth slacked. She pulled up her knees. "What happened before the attack last week? Why was dad on his way home?"

"He was visiting." Thalassa said quickly.

"Why," Maia asked. "And dad? Why did Uncle Gideon say you had something to tell me?"

"What." Wilhuff frowned and exchanged a look with his wife. "Maia, I'm just trying to be here with your mother now."

"Fine. Then I'll go and let you take care of whatever's not going on, that I'm never going to find out about. You can't do this to me."

Thalassa scoffed. "Don't be dramatic, Maia. Why did you call?"

Maia paled. The corners of her lips tightened. "You're right. I shouldn't have."

"This is yet more drama. I didn't say that. I asked why you called."

"Why aren't you saying anything, dad? And why did you yell at me about how important it was that I don't have an affair?"

Thalassa stared ahead.

Wilhuff reached for his wife's hand, gently squeezing it. "Maia. I didn't yell at you. I just. It is important."

"Are you sleeping around?"

"Maia, that's not the kind of man your father is." Thalassa said slowly, but she looked at him.

"This is for us to handle, but." Wilhuff cleared his throat.

Maia's glare darkened, and she immediately ended the call.

"Maia?" Dahn called through the door. "Are you still on the comm?"

She didn't respond. She moved to the bed and pulled up the sheets, staring across the room.

"Terminate?" Rourke exhaled, his mind racing. "Terminate. Okay."

"We should have Doctor Mumted come here," Maia said.

Sandierson nodded. "We will need to do it here to keep it quiet."

"My next check up is in two days," Maia offered.

"Okay - wait." Rourke exhaled. "We need to discuss the implications of this with COMPNOR."

She frowned, turning her head to the side. "Excuse me?"

"I'm saying. This is already part. I'm sure the pregnancy is part of COMPNOR's ongoing strategy."

Maia held her mouth open, looking to her husband.

"If Maia doesn't want to be pregnant anymore, it's no one else's business but mine," Dahn said.

"I understand that, but they'll need to know. They need to handle the angle and ease out the hype vids."

"None is those have been released," Maia said. "Thankfully. Because it's no one else's business and it's only the second month."

"They've invested billions of credits, Ma'am. We'll need to inform them."

"The only reason they know my wife is pregnant at all is because you couldn't keep your mouth shut the second you found out," Dahn said.

"Sir. I'm not sure what you expected, but my reports are reviewed."

"It's not your job to put information about my reproductive system into reports," Maia said.

He exhaled. "I have to include all health data, ma'am. I'm sorry."

"It's the first kriffing trimester," Maia said. "I could also take pills and come to you with a miscarriage."

"Nobody wants that to happen," Dr. Sandierson said.

"The last time I thought I had to keep information about my pregnancy from my security team, my baby and I almost died. But I can promise you, this is the last time in the world that you want to tell my parents I'm having an abortion."

Rourke frowned. "They'll find out, ma'am. We can't keep it perfectly secret. That's just not the situation. For now, let's focus on getting your care."

"Let's," Maia agreed. She pulled her hand out of its place between Dahn's. "You need to decide what your kriffing job is."

"Ma'am. I know you're upset. I'm just telling you."

"I'm not asking you to tell me anything, I'm telling you. What I'm telling you is that having an abortion. You've been informed."

Rourke stood still and in stoney silence.

"Well? You can leave." Dahn frowned, his lip curling up on one side. "Goodbye."

"If you trust my life experience with my parents more than yours, you'll listen when I tell you not to file that report," Maia said.

"I can delay it." Rourke allowed, resisting the temptation to stare at Dahn.

"Brilliant," Maia said. "Let's talk to the doctor, then."

"I've messaged him to let him know we need him non urgently." Sandierson said quickly

"Do you feel sufficiently informed," Dahn asked Rourke.

"Sir." Rourke set his jaw, holding down a snap. "I do." He saluted and turned to leave.

Maia glowered, and jumped off the bed to follow.

"Yes ma'am?" He turned to look back to her instead of walking out the door.

"Outside," Maia demanded. She didn't turn back to him until they were at the end of the hall. "What's your problem?"

"My problem, ma'am?"

"No, I'm talking to someone else."

He blinked, ignoring that comment and waiting for her to continue

She watched him right back, arms by her side.

"What problem are you referring to, ma'am?"

"The four of us were having a fine conversation," Maia said. "We brought you in to help us plan and problem solve."

"And I brought up some very real concerns, ma'am."

"No, you didn't. You came in talking about how you needed to tell a group of old men private information about me."

"They're going to find out."

"So let them find out," Maia exclaimed. "Looking out for me doesn't mean that when I tell you I need something you need to worry about anyone else's money."

"Why do you want to have an abortion?"

"Is that your business," Maia asked.

"Ma'am, that wasn't my intention to imply that."

"What's your problem with my husband," Maia asked. "Why are you the one of three who is always fighting with my husband?"

He turned a light red. "Ma'am, it's not my place to have an opinion on you or your husband. I think Dahn is threatened by me."

Maia smirked, shaking her head. "My husband's not threatened by you. You're threatened by my husband."

"I'm afraid we are both mistaken, ma'am."

She narrowed her eyes, nodding slowly. "Brilliant. Because you're not the only person who needs to keep me safe. And your team needs to be able to work collaboratively with everyone who cares for me, not just my father."

"I fully agree, ma'am."

"Then you know what you need to work on, and it's not telling more people about my reproduction."

"Yes, ma'am."

Maia waved a hand, shaking her head. She didn't know what else to do.

He saluted. "May I be dismissed, ma'am?"

"I think you have a lot to think about." She turned her head straight and blew her lips out, passing him to the baby's nursery.

He blinked, watching her for a moment before turning to leave and return to his work, absurd and impossible day that it was.

30 ABY

She watched him in shock until he left, and then curled onto the bed to cry. That night, he sent a droid in with her dinner, and only came to join her in bed after she had fallen asleep. He didn't sleep with her for another week, by which time she had settled down. Still, she was hardly saying anything to him anymore. And she still didn't say anything when her period did not come. Had he not been paying attention to supply orders and the state of the trash cans, he may not have noticed the lack of used pads.

After several days of waiting beyond when her period would normally begin, Armitage was in the sitting area, reading a book while she sat nearby. Finally he couldn't take it any longer. "You're pregnant. Aren't you?"

Her eyes widened. She looked back at him, shaking her head.

"You are. Your period hasn't come." He stood slowly and stretched. "I want you to see a doctor. Would you?"

She shook her head again, not responding.

"You need to see a doctor, I'm sorry but this is too important to ignore."

She stood up, staring at him, and flipped her hair as she stormed to the bedroom.

"Maree-why do you always leave without talking to me? This is important." He stood to follow her, brows furrowing. "It may be our first child."

"Right," she muttered, back to him.

"Right," he agreed, a smile growing over his face. "Isn't that exciting? I'll have a doctor come here instead."

She didn't respond, immediately burrowing under the sheets.

He sat on the edge of the bed. "I wonder if it's a boy or a girl. Or. Or maybe we're over reacting."

"I'm pregnant." Her voice was monotone. There was no excitement at all.

"You're sure?" He beamed. "This is good news! It's good news!" He leapt to his feet, calling the doctor.

She stayed curled in the bed, staring blankly at the wall. Hux didn't think he had ever been so excited before. Not in a way that looked and felt like this. He wasn't even driven to hide it or hold it in when the doctor arrived, and when they came in, and when they were struck by the sheer difference between his reaction and Maree's.