"Your new quarters, my love."
Belly guarded to the new surroundings, Lucilla edged over the threshold with apprehension and wariness, but Orion stayed close to alleviate her. A gloved hand warmed the small of her back to encourage her forward and reassure her without distracting her from her initial assessment.
Sapphire eyes swept the new, larger and more opulent living space already furnished for them and from there, she took her first curious steps. It wasn't unlike Finalizer and Starkiller, the basic layout was fundamentally the same with the fireplace, a larger viewport accompanied by similar armchairs and sofa. In addition, their new home had other amenities that would have been a pipedream previously.
The sprawling lounge included a desk space, a holovision and enough runway for a baby learning to crawl; but most importantly, a second bedroom (which would serve as a nursery), a second bathroom and a compact kitchenette where small meals and bottles could be prepared.
"Well?" He prompted as she wandered from his grasp to inspect the place where (hopefully) her child would call home. "What do you think? Is it to your standard?" Lucilla was already surveying the equipment in the kitchenette; she'd been taught how to cook but hadn't done so in some time.
"It's wonderful." She replied with a twinge of astonishment as she peeked down the hallway where both bedrooms and the second bathroom (the first was joined to her and Orion's room, like on Finalizer) sat waiting to be explored.
"There have been some upgrades on our chambers on Finalizer." He informed her, somewhat clipped (with work mode still in place) but enthusiastic and went about showing her the improvements. "The viewport, as I'm sure you have noticed, is larger but you won't be cold, little dove. The fire-" She breezed to where he stood, to where the fire crackled happily. "is live but it is adjustable, darling. You see, this notch here controls the intensity of the flame. It still takes logs but it is self-cleaning. A fire guard will also be fitted upon the baby's arrival."
"Our bedroom-" He continued with the tour and she readily followed down the hallway she had just peered down. "Is here on the left, our bathroom adjoining. Opposite is the second bedroom; a nursery, if you will-"
"Is our bedroom big enough?" Cue a bewildered turn in the usually concrete General until she brushed past him to release the door.
"Big enough, little dove?" He queried, borderline perplexed. "Big enough for what?"
Lucilla didn't answer immediately; she was far too taken up assessing the size of the bedroom and found it to be to her standard and catering to what she sought. The bed was of a substantial size, larger probably than on Finalizer and she was delighted to see her vanity table had already been unpacked with Varden's skull perched atop. The carpet was rich and warm for bare feet venturing to the refresher in the middle of the night.
"The cot." She answered, almost absentmindedly; like his inquiry took a backseat to finding out what she needed to know. "It seems to be; I can always reshuffle if needs be…. Which side is mine?"
"Whichever side you decide, my rose." The puzzlement still weaving into his tone as he watched her pace the room and evaluate it to the extreme. "I would suggest the side closest to the refresher for efficiency for when the baby starts to put pressure on your bladder." Of course, out of habit, her thumb (on the hand that never left her stomach) stroked where the bump would grow; as she always did when anything of her pregnancy was mentioned. "But the cot, darling…. That will be in the nursery, surely?"
"If the cot is in the nursery, Orion-" She was casual and airy but haughty. "The baby won't be in it."
"I don't follow, my love…."
"The baby will be sleeping with me." Straight to the point and final, Lucilla's pacing ceased and Orion did his utmost not to buckle under the potency of her gaze; not only was she serious, she was determined. "Cot death is far too prevalent and so, I will not be running that risk. My baby, our baby, will be sleeping with us until I am confident that they no longer need or want to. On my chest where I can monitor his or her breathing with ease and attend to them swiftly rather than being blinded by worry all the way across the hall. I flat out refuse."
Orion had always striven (or for the most part) to give Lucilla what she wanted; why should he stop now? Her intentions were not only pure but with their child's best interests and health at heart; barely six weeks into her pregnancy and she was already putting many mothers to shame. How he would cope with a raw newborn in the bed, however, was another question. Still, it needed to be asked.
"If you're so resolute in that, little dove, and I admire it immensely; why have a cot at all? Especially in here?"
"Well, Orion…." Mentally, Lucilla measured the space between her side of the bed and the refresher, attempting to decipher if there would be enough room for the crib there. "I have to put the baby somewhere when I visit the refresher, don't I? I can't bring him or her with me, as much as I would prefer it." Poor, innocent Lucilla; so wrapped up in the care of her baby and the consideration of her husband, she didn't foresee the potential offence her statement would cause.
"I'm sure you could trouble me for a few moments to take the baby while you relieve yourself, Lucilla." Flatly and with a bite of indignance, he made his complaint known and it was the first thing she took notice of that wasn't her new environment. Mildly distressed by the oversight, Lucilla managed to open her mouth in a bid to reverse the insult; but that was as far as she got before Orion swooped in again. "It is, after all, my baby too."
"There are going to be enough disturbances." She offered apologetically, in an attempt to undo the damage and sweeping to close some of the distance between herself and her arm-crossed husband. "Regular feeds during the night will impact your sleep as it is; I don't want to wake you to take the baby on top of it, you'll be exhausted on the bridge."
"It's all part of having a raw baby, little dove." He explained, with more patience and tenderness when he realized that, as always, she was thinking of him before he was. "I will make allowances for such events when the time comes but I would prefer not to miss any of the experience of it. And why should you do it all alone anyway?"
"You're the provider!" She tried to implore, feeling that extra ebb of guilt for her reaction when his arms enveloped her waist and brought her closer. "We wouldn't have any of this if it wasn't for you! We certainly wouldn't have the baby and-!"
"Lucilla." Before the threatening hysteria could kick in, Orion leaned in and pressed a tranquilizing forehead to that of his wife; the light, soothing pressure worked to sedate her. "My angel, we've been through this…. You deserve absolutely everything I can give you and more." With his personal time dwindling and the argument successfully diffused, Orion needed to leave but before he did…..
"Your datapad has unrestricted access to the holonet in each room." He told her in a gentle murmur, cupping her cheek when her eyes heightened to his. "I've left my credit chip on the counter in the kitchen; the codes have already been saved to your datapad so you are to order what you wish to make the apartment your own. Retail therapy without leaving the bed, so to speak." How could he not crack a grimace of a smile when she did? Knowing her as well as he did, however, he knew when she was about to protest. "So I will leave you to that. And remember, little dove; we meet the Supreme Leader tomorrow."
How is one supposed to compose themselves in the wake of a meeting with a seemingly all-knowing being?
One that her husband spoke of with reverence and almost awe?
One that apparently had the notoriously wayward Kylo Ren under his thumb?
That was a feat in itself and the other stories of his master's power did nothing to ease the little dove's thundering heart as the elevator climbed. Their vertical carriage slowed but Lucilla's pulse drummed and when it stopped completely, her breath shortened.
"You're not seeking approval, he already approves of you." Orion reminded her softly before the doors could peel back to unveil the throne room. "You have nothing to fear, darling; calm yourself." The words had no sooner left his mouth and the doors pocketed themselves into their slots, as if that was their cue.
Dingy; that was probably the best way for Lucilla to describe it, when her eyes needed to adjust. The backdrop of scarlet disorientated her somewhat; but at least she had an excuse for the unsteadiness of her footsteps rather than just sheer terror. And that sheer terror shot to another level when a booming drawl erupted from the back but bounced off all crimson walls.
"General!"
Had Lucilla been allowed, she might have seized up but Orion had other ideas; ideas that involved his guiding hand to resume on her back and nudge her forward. She didn't remember telling her feet to move but they carried her regardless with a protective hand parked over the still-flat plane of her stomach; a constant state. They ventured in silence to almost further silence; the only exception being their own footsteps that she had suddenly become conscious of. Why did I wear these shoes, they're so loud…. How have I never noticed….?
Even in her trepidation, she began to notice things in the cardinal-stained surroundings: like the two torture chairs situated on either side of the throne and the ominous looking implements dangling above them. It was also impossible to ignore the cerise-clad guards (human or not was anyone's guess) at regular and measured distances from each other; taking up the entire circumference of the room with various weapons rested but ready.
However, not the torture chairs or the guards were Lucilla's biggest reservation. No, that sat atop a throne at the very back and centre of the room, watching her like a hawk and the closer she got, the more she seemed to shrink.
Scarred. Mutilated. Dented.
He was a humanoid; old, she assumed. But smiling? Was that what that arrangement of his distorted features was supposed to convey? That he was pleased to see her? Still, something unnerved her, grated at her, that something sinister lurked in that carved face.
"Miss Lucilla…."
Gracefully, the yellow-wrapped creature rose and stretched his arms in greeting, as if embracing her from afar. Orion was no longer with her, he had stopped several metres behind to sink to a devoted knee and let his master have a closer look at his wife.
"My warmest welcomes, child. Welcome aboard Supremacy." With the way Orion spoke and if his latest actions were anything to go by, it was probably prudent to follow suit. Instead of taking a knee, she selected to curtesy through her fear but her previous training remained: Resist eye contact.
"Remove your hood, little one. There is nothing to hide from here." The command was gentle but Lucilla recognized it for what it was: a command, and the sensible thing to do was obey. As if on autopilot, the raven locked female raised her trembling hands and lowered the light but expensive material, clutched between alabaster fingers. She discovered a distortion in that face, like a curiosity had been satisfied to its fullest capacity and even exceeded.
"A beauty unrivalled, indeed." The drone (supposedly directed at her husband) sent chills racking through her tiny form but still, she held herself firm. Lucilla could almost feel the gliding, interrogative gaze of this…. person?... before her; studying her every micro-movement and more. There was a familiarity to his presence, the way he probed her mind without her really noticing; the way Kylo Ren had done the night he'd had his way with her.
"Tell me, Miss Lucilla…." The inquest continued conversationally on an oral level, much to the blue eyed beauty's discomfort. "Have you met your new medical team? It seemed prudent, and I hope you approve, to put a female medic in charge of that team; someone who is more familiar with female anatomy by actually experiencing it."
"I have…." Lucilla squeaked in reply, though she wasn't sure where she got the strength. To her surprise and Orion's pride, she became more vocal and certain under the expectant glower of Supreme Leader Snoke. "I found them to be most competent and diligent and kind…. I trust them with my care completely; as does Orion." Like Dr. Audin, Snoke did not outwardly react to her husband's name but he did nod along with discoloured eyes intently focused on her and her alone.
"My fondest congratulations, of course." Those words contained the closest things to compassion and sincerity she thought possible in that unsettling voice; even if she did believe his declaration of fond. "It's a wonderful thing." He continued, as if legitimate in his sentiments. "And where better than here for such a journey to begin? Than on the most powerful and feared warship in the galaxy?" Slender fingers drummed on the protruding arm of the throne as he scrutinized the expectant mother still; the little creature who, as his General correctly pointed out, would be the beginning of a new generation for the Order. "And your quarters? They are to your satisfaction, I trust?"
"Thank you. Most comfortable." Lucilla confirmed with a little pull of a smile; one Orion wouldn't have seen but the Supreme Leader definitely did. She'd done as her husband suggested when he left her for the bridge the day previous; ordered things from holo-catalogues to make the apartment homelier. "I cannot thank you enough, Supreme Leader, for your generosity, consideration and hospitality." Orion felt his stomach flutter; not only was she handling herself well, but his master seemed exceptionally taken and pleased with her. "Not only are they a wonderful improvement on our Finalizer chambers but for the long-term and looking to the future, I cannot think of a more fitting place to raise a family. Not just this baby, but more to follow if you permit it."
Convinced and placated, the Supreme Leader inclined his head past the dark haired darling to his waiting General before shuffling himself in his seat before returning his eyes to Lucilla.
"Should you ever require anything, Miss Lucilla, you are always most welcome here." The pause simmered but she was no longer as tense. "I understand you have been burned by the Resistance, little one; but as I'm sure your husband will assure you, we reward loyalty here."
Burned by the Resistance indeed. Such a meeting represented a changing of sides; a nailing of colours to the mast, so to speak. Could it be called revenge? Perhaps, perhaps not. Such attentiveness, praise and near adulation to a clearly evil being could positively be construed as such; whether or not she realized it. Her words, her phrasing and her demeanour, not to mention the lengths she went to describe her gratitude did not go unnoticed; not by her husband or his master.
Indisputably, she would be blackmarked by the people who represented freedom; one in particular who would receive the news with crushing devastation. Lucilla being Lucilla, however, held no allegiance to either side; despite the meeting she'd just had and how she'd appeased the Supreme Leader. No, Lucilla's loyalty lay with family and while that might have been Poe and her father once upon a time, it was now her baby and her husband. Everything and anything, she had resolved to do in order to protect them.