The incubator had been taken away, never to be thought of again. In its place, stood an austere-looking cot; the epitome of the First Order's take on what a child should want to acclimatize to the severe surroundings it would spend the rest of its life submerged in.

Lily saw the inside of that cot only a handful of times and even then, they were with great and grudging hesitation on her mother's behalf.

"It's horrid!" Lucilla had barked at the protocol droid with her daughter propped against her shoulder. "There is a perfectly fine cot in my quarters, why-?!"

"It goes against health and safety regulations, Miss Lucilla." The droid tried to impart for the umpteenth time to the flare of incensed nostrils. "I'm afraid it cannot be done."

"Just an excuse!" She'd seethed at the time; her husband's ongoing absence continued to be a bone of contention so every obstacle was his fault. "If he's trying to get rid of me, he's going the right way about it!" So she left it lie and resolved for Lily to be subjected to the cot as little as possible. The exceptions were when Lucilla was encouraged and helped to begin walking by herself and from there, visiting the refresher unattended.

From the time Lucilla started getting out of the bed, directly after the birth, she had been warned to "slow down". That sentiment (intended for her own safety and unhindered recovery) continued to be uttered to her, as if each time was her first time hearing it. Now, with her own mobility somewhat restored to her, it still had no bearing on her. As a matter of fact, the warning had never been more necessary. Not when Lucilla hated herself for leaving her beloved daughter in that wretched cot and wanted to minimize her time in there. Like the first night, when the new mother grasped the bar at the end of her bed to help herself along but rushed too quickly to the cot when Lilia began to howl.

Admittedly, the fall had only resulted in a bruised knee and ankle but it could have been a lot worse, according to Dr Craven.

"Hello, papa…."

"How're you doin', angel?" Keir hadn't been back yet, not since before Lilia's release from the incubator but he had things to attend to, Lucilla understood that.

"She's out, papa. She's out of the incubator. The doctor says she's strong enough and we can go soon. I just need to get a bit better at walking on my own."

"That's fantastic, love! You named her then?"

"I have." Lucilla cast a besotted glance to the other shoulder, to where Lily dozed off a meal. "But you're going to have to visit if you want to find out what it is." The exhale from the other end did not fill her with confidence; she was beginning to remember how sparse his presence used to be and now was no different.

"I'm in the middle of somethin' right now, Luce." She bit the inside of her cheek, to remind herself to choose her words carefully. Granted, she didn't need him, per say, not yet. That's not to say she wouldn't.

"I understand, papa. But we'll need you soon. We can't stay here any longer than we need to."

"I know, sweetheart, I know. I'm nearly finished this run; it's a long one but it's nearly done. Keep in touch in the mean-time and if somethin' happens, let me know. If I can't come get you, I'll send someone else."

"Yes, papa." She accepted grimly, resigned to loneliness a little longer and knowing that "someone else" more than likely meant Poe. "I'll stay in touch."

"Love you, princess and I'll see you soon. Give Smallie a big kiss for me."

"I love you too, papa. I will, don't worry." Com call terminated and device laid aside to readjust to the near-silence of the ward beyond her room, Lucilla checked on the little bundle of heat who had (thankfully) belched instead of puking. "Grandpa sends his love." She informed the child conversationally, adjusting the blanket to see her daughter's face properly. "But it looks like it's just you and me for a while, LilyLoo."

"Enter."

Mitaka obeyed the bodiless voice from behind General Hux's office door. He found his General at his desk, lazily flicking through his data pad; through the abundance of reports, reads and datafiles from that day cycle. Dutifully, he waited to be addressed and eventually, his General saw fit to relieve him of the crippling silence in the office.

"I believe…." He began, without looking up. "That you have updates for me. Regarding my wife."

Mitaka fought the urge to swallow with anxiety; he did, indeed he did but the vast majority of the General's attention remained on his data pad.

"Yes, sir…" With no change in the redhead's poise or activity, he continued. "She no longer requires assistance in movement, sir…. Her progress is slow but sure." There was no let-up in the General's scrolling, something Mitaka found unnerving.

"The baby…." Mitaka gave into temptation and wet his lips; curling them together to let his tongue ease them before he spoke again, his nerves climbing. "Doctor Craven is sufficiently pleased with her recovery and she has been granted release from the incubator. She's with your wife now, sir." The flicking stopped.

"I see…." The General took a moment to process it; his eyes lingering on the dim glow of the data pad, seemingly reading the same sentence over and over again. Much more churned in Orion's head, however; the implications, for instance. Lucilla would return to the apartment, with the child she adored in tow, the child he wouldn't really know what to do with or how to feel about. "And…. Has she named the child?" The Lieutenant hesitated. This question was the one he had dreaded.

"She has, sir." More silent seconds ticked by and it appeared the lack of expansion on an answer roused movement in the General. Interrogative eyes heightened from the data pad and fixated on the visibly nervous Lieutenant.

"And…?" Suddenly, upon that expectant prompt, it felt like Mitaka was facing Kylo Ren; saber unsheathed and ready to make scrap out of a state-of-the-art computer console.

"Forgive me, sir…." Mitaka forced a steadying breath. "But Miss Lucilla has asked me not to divulge that information." He forced himself to stand firm, not to take a step back when the data pad met the table; even though it was a gentle and quiet action.

The silence hung, strung out for a few moments longer while Orion tried to piece it all together; the distraction of the data pad almost became too much, his eyes even strayed briefly to it.

"There's more, sir." Mitaka volunteered, hoping that cooperation elsewhere might protect him from his disobedience. That wrangled his attention for sure, enough to seize his eyes from the comforting, bureaucratic temptation of the data pad. "Miss Lucilla has said that when she and the baby are well enough….. Her father is going to take them away."

That revelation may have crushed Orion's gut internally but he let nothing show in that famously stony exterior. Instead, his hands folded on the desk, leaned forward and he stared down his subordinate, his spy.

"She told you this?"

"No, sir." It was true, she hadn't. "She speaks to the baby. I just happened to overhear." The redhead sat back and let his gaze fall away from Mitaka, who relaxed as a result. Orion tried not to look deflated though he could trust his Lieutenant not to breathe a word of it should his demeanour slip. He realized, of course, there would be consequences for keeping his distance, but he had not accounted for them being that severe.

"I see…." He said again, eyes on the desk and deep in stunned disbelief that he managed to carry off as contemplation. Loyally, Mitaka waited quietly, to give his General time to come around from (what Dopheld could only assume was) a blow.

So, she planned on leaving. Just like that. No confrontation, no explanation, nothing. His wife, his Lucilla: leaving. Blankly, he stared at nothing and let it sink in though letting it sink in would make it become reality. That couldn't be right, could it? It couldn't be true…. She'd promised to be his on Naboo, wore his ring and proudly held his arm at the launching of the Dreadnought. Not to mention all the promises that had been made when she returned "home" from the orphanage. Surely that couldn't all be undone just like that? Perhaps Orion didn't quite understand the consequences of his actions; or lack of them, rather.

"Sir?" Mitaka pressed softly, waking him from his perplexed stupor with a balance of the appropriate respect and concern. "What will you do, sir?"

It was Orion's turn to draw a steadying breath; as of yet, he didn't know. But one thing was certain.

"As you well know, Lieutenant…." He began formally, straightening to correct his posture and his composure after that brief slump; a very un-General thing to do. "I have gone to great lengths to ensure Lucilla has the level of comfort that she deserves; before and after she became my wife. It has not always been easy but I can safely say, it has always been worth it."

Perhaps it was too much detail to give his officer but not enough to even begin to cover the vast topic that was his feelings for Lucilla. The General rose from behind the desk and Mitaka stiffened, preparing himself for dismissal. Melancholy and devastated shock forgotten, General Orion Hux recovered with steely determination and finished, resolute:

"And to that end, Lieutenant, I will not be relinquishing Lucilla quite that easily."