The meeting was adjourned and all the commanders—including Hux—were dismissed. Jamis and Kylo remained in the conference room. There were things that he would like to discuss with her regarding the manhunt for Skywalker.
"So," Jamis began, "Who's the girl?"
"No one,"
Jamis nodded, immediately dismissing the thought and quitted the assumptions.
"Is there something important you have to tell me that we're the only ones left in the room?"
"I'm here to make a deal with you,"
She squinted her eyes and tilted her head slightly to the side, "Go on,"
"Find Skywalker, tell me where he is hiding, and—if you can—bring him to me alive."
Her eyes widened, "You're making me go after a Jedi? Isn't that more of your caliber? You're sending me to capture the Jedi Master Luke Skywalker?!"
Everything felt so sudden, a rush of adrenaline in the guise of anxiety swept Jamis right off and stole her breath. She was already beginning to imagine things that are bound to happen or possibly scenarios that she is making up in her mind out of intense nervousness—you would be surprised that for such a bounty hunter, she still gets into this kind of episodes but she is only human. She took a huge breath, flushed all the child-like scenarios that her mind invented out of her brain, and then found her professional composure again.
"Can you or can you not do it?" Kylo snapped back.
Jamis carefully thinks this through: she considered every possibly twist and turn hiding in the deal's context, the unpredictable events that may come unexpectedly in her journey, and the overall outcome of the contract. She got the idea that the reason behind Kylo's extensive training plotted out for her was a step in instructing her to hunt down Luke Skywalker.
There is no answer in between, she has to commit to only one answer and she has to deliver it.
"I can—with a contract in this scale, it's going to cost you."
"I am aware and I don't care."
"Okay then." Jamis shrugs her shoulders and ended the exchange with an awkward note. Shortly after, she asked, "When do I start?"
"Whenever you're ready."
Jamis simply nodded, she withdrew the question was already dangling at the tip of her tongue, instead she turned around and headed for the door.
"You just can't stop forging bargains with me, can you, Kylo?"
"Because I see you as someone invaluable."
She walked away with the last thing he said clinging in her mind—another list of the nice things he has said to her and it was not even a very long list. She headed to the hangar where her ship was docked and started equipping the necessary arsenal. Realizing that she does not have to deal much with the rebels, she only brought her rifle and hand pistol, as for dealing with the Master Jedi, she knows that only one weapon is suitable for her confrontation with him—her hand wandered to her waist, her fingertips searched for the metal hilt clipped on her belt, and she sighed with resolve.
Am I even really ready?
Jamis finished her preparations in the ship, she opted to return to her room to fetch the things she has left there. Almost immediately as she entered her room, TC-846 jumped and turned around stiffly to greet its temporary owner, Jamis dismisses its formality in a friendly manner then proceeded to collect her things.
"Err, Miss Jamis?"
"Yes, TC?"
"Uh, if I may ask, do you have any trips today?"
"Yes. Kylo's sent me to find someone,"
"Oh, o-of course," it made a small yet polite bow, "Apologies for prying."
"You don't have to apologize for anything," chuckled Jamis amiably, "Well, I'll see you soon."
"Safe trips, Miss Jamis. I look forward to your return."
Jamis smiled at the droid who was almost sentient despite its programming—you can expect a protocol droid to be so formal, polite, and almost friendly, but it is rare to have one who genuinely thinks of its master's well-being and bids farewell.
"Since I won't be here for quite a while, you can shut down and rest, TC. You've been such a great help, so you have my thanks."
"The pleasure's all mine, Miss."
Obediently, TC-846 sat down on the bench at nook where it usually sits before shutting down or subject itself to hibernation mode. Not less than a few seconds, the light in its eyes went dim; Jamis watched her droid shut itself down, sitting stiffly as a stone, and then left her room.
She marched to the hangar, back to her ship, and she found Kylo standing by the unopened entrance ramp. She walked up to him, while his back was turned to her, and she felt her stomach sink.
"How long have you been waiting?"
"Not long,"
"Here to see me off, I reckon?"
Kylo slowly turned around and met her eyes, she could not read the emotions in his eyes for they were muddled—but if she were to name just one, they showed a glint of puzzlement in a sea of other expressions.
"Yes,"
"Don't worry, I'll be fine."
"I know you will."
Jamis smirked, walked past him but he followed her, she opened the ramp and the young Sith abruptly clutched her arm but his grip was gentle and harmless.
"What is it, Kylo?"
"I…"
Jamis stepped down the ramp, closer to him, closing the distance in between and loosening his grip at the same time. She gently raised her eyebrows, nudging him to continue his sentence.
"I hope you make it back safely."
"Oh… I will. Thanks."
Kylo releases his grip, her wrist smoothly sliding away from his fingers, she proceeded to enter the ship and looked back one more time; they saw each other off as the entry ramp hissed and slowly hoisted until it closes off the open entryway. Jamis went to the cockpit and seated herself behind the control panel, a smile appeared in her face.
"Hey, girl, missed me?"
The engines gave out a brief roar followed by a purr once the fires have settled down, the sound of it was almost nostalgic to Jamis that a laugh escaped her lungs. She gently pulled the lever that allowed the ship to hover before take-off. As the ship gained its momentum, Jamis floored the lever and zoomed out of the hangar as Kylo watches on, from the command center, Hux also watched the ship fly away—in his relief, there was one less brat to worry about for the time being but he saw the childish display of coyness that Kylo and Jamis exhibited on her ship's entrance ramp.
"Hmph, never in the right mind as always that Ren," he scoffed before marching away and continued his command in the bridge.
Sorry it's been a while! I've been busy since I'm still in the job-hunting phase, I have training next week so I'm not technically employed yet since that's part of the application process and this is one of the rare times that I get to unwind and finish the chapter. Thanks for being so patient!