Chapter 10 – Reassignment

Space is cold. Avin knew this objectively but had never truly felt the bone-chill of space, accustomed to her father's luxury ships. She was on track for the Finalizer, abroad a standard ship with other non-essential crew. The sting of demotion was most vicious when she took in her personal cargo limit: two canvas bags. The artwork from her family's extensive collection as well as the Palpatine inheritance had all been left in Daxam IV. Perhaps one day there would be a real museum to those cultural artefacts, but for now they had been left under dust sheets while Avin, the civilian, drew closer to her final destination.

All cargo had been monitored and carefully screened before she was allowed onboard, with personnel throwing out banned items with gusto. She would be trapped in a fitted, black pant suit as all non-military personnel were on the ship. A throat clearing brought her back to the ship she travelled in as a neat woman with slicked back hair stepped into a clearing of her new colleagues.

"Before you board the Finalizer, we have sent a full list of terms and protocols for life aboard the ship to your personal devices. Become familiar with all, to break these protocols will mean immediate termination of your contract."

And your life, Avin thought, finishing the administrative assistant's unspoken sentence. She dutifully scrolled through the vast list of protocols, many of them being familiar to her already. Two rules stuck out to her immediately:

"No animals onboard the ship"

"No fraternising with colleagues"

What a hypocrite Hux was, she thought, running through the last time she had seen him for the 50th time. Her fear about what he might have done to Millicent since their complete separation ran through her again. Now she was entering his domain she could see him stamped over every single decision, the precision of operations and the cold impartiality of her welcome to a new life. It reeked of Brendol Hux's zeal and Armitage Hux's need for control.

A sudden jolt to the flight signalled it was over and they had touched down inside the huge port of the Finalizer. With little ceremony she was led through corridor after corridor with the other transported staff to processing where she was given several medical tests.

"Are you pregnant?" a medical droid asked her, the question repeating to all female members of staff being processed.

"No." she said shortly. She hated medical droids, much preferring the warm professionality of a humanoid doctor. "I have an implanted chip to prevent pregnancy" she stated as she saw several women in similar cubicles wincing from a pressurised shot to the arm.

"This is not protocol for staff members, it will need to be removed." The droid stated, immediately moving to a selection of instruments. Avin turned her face away as the droid began the work on her arm to remove the small implant, she was such a wuss for this kind of thing. She felt a needle and then a pinch as it was removed and wrapped.

"Did that injection contain my contraceptive shot?" she asked as the droid walked away from her to clean the instruments. The droid did not respond, instead moving her out of the cubicle and into the hallway. Several other women, still wincing from their injection, asked her to join them for their first meal on the starship in an adjacent mess hall. She agreed, knowing there was nothing else to do for the day. The location of her quarters had already been impersonally relayed over her electronic device and she assumed she would report to the archives at the start of next day. She took a tray and queued with the women, walking up to receive a bowl that was quickly filled with a strange grey paste.

She had just dipped a spoon into her 'dinner' when a group of promenading high level officers strode by, clearly looking over the new staff. A cruel laugh signalled they were moving towards the table of women. One stopped very suddenly and turned to her with a face full of recognition. It was Lial Gorki, a former neighbour on Port Tarkin, someone Hux and her had avoided at all costs as teenagers.

"Avin Shuah?"

"Eh, hello Colonel Gorki." She said, after briefly glancing at the military ranking on his uniform. She hadn't seen him in over 14 years.

"What is the Palpatine heir doing on the 100th floor eating nutritional gruel?" the Colonel Gorki asked, genuinely baffled. He looked around at the other staff with him in support, but all looked as confused as he did. He reached into his pocket for a communication device and stood out slightly of hearing range of the various eating personnel while he spoke to someone. He looked up several times in her direction and seemed to shake his head. He walked back to her with decided embarrassment.

"The General has confirmed that the placement is correct. Ahem. Welcome abroad Avin." Colonel Gorki said sheepishly and signalled his group to leave.

So, he was punishing her. Of course, he was, she thought, as she heroically swallowed the noxious paste that would make up her meals from now on. After chatting with the other women for an hour she went to quarters, an incredibly cramped grey room with space for one single bed and sink. She sat down on her bed, already giving herself permission to have a good cry when an alert from her doorway rang. She opened it to find three stormtroopers.

"You have been summoned by Supreme Leader Snoke." One of them intoned and moved away immediately, expecting her to follow.

The troopers led the way up and down many shining black corridors towards a set of immense glittery onyx doors. She had to admit Hux kept a clean ship, the bastard. Avin had absolutely no idea what to expect of an audience with the Supreme Leader nor why a demoted civilian was being requested. She had heard that name before, there was no escaping it, but had never seen an image of the Supreme Leader. He existed as some shadowy, all-powerful entity pulling the strings of the vast machinery of the First Order. Avin had always imagined him looking vaguely like Xingotl, the philosopher, an older human male with a furrowed brow and haughty face. As she entered, expecting a large office space, she was taken aback by General Hux speaking inside an absurdly cavernous room.

"- she is decadent and weak Supreme Leader. I do not think this the correct appointment for such an important post."

The strangest looking humanoid Avin had ever seen was projected in huge scale at the end of the cavern, backlit by a cold ray of light, sitting on an ancient looking throne. His face was half-collapsed and impossibly old. His image was flanked by two tall men in black, unmistakably General Hux and Lord Ren, the last of which was kneeling on the floor to the horrible image.

"Ah. She is here." His black glittering eyes turning to her entrance. Both men stood and looked back, only General Hux's frown visible. She slowly stepped forward into the room, standing slightly behind the men. As she moved into the room, she began to feel a thickening in the air as if the oxygen had become foul and greasy. She fought down a blind panic.

"Come, child. Closer." The projected figure whispered, oddly gentle. With trepidation, she stepped between the two men and into the strange red light of the room. Up this close the image towered over her.

"It- it is a pleasure to meet you Supreme Leader." She tried to intone, channelling all the political savvy her father had taught her although the words came out embarrassingly breathless.

"The last Palpatine." He whispered, looking at her as if she was some kind of exotic animal. She desperately wanted to glance at the men to see their reaction but was too terrified to turn her eyes away from the huge creature in front of her. "You have done what many could not and held his precious archives together, yes?"

"Yes." She said, hesitantly.

"I hear you lived on Emperor Palpatine's beloved Naboo before making Daxam IV your home?"

Avin frowned. "Emperor Palpatine loathed Naboo, S- Supreme Leader."

"Just so." He said, leaning back in his chair and smiled greedily at her. After a beat or two of silence, he flicked his hand in a lazy gesture. "You may leave."

She immediately nodded in acknowledgment, but he held up a finger to her.

"Not you child. Them." Without hesitation the two men left the room, General Hux refusing to even glance in Avin's direction.

"And General?" he intoned, causing Hux to freeze mid-step. Hux looked back towards with trepidation on his face Avin had never seen before. "Lady Palpatine will be moved to the Superior Officer's deck."

"Of course, Supreme Leader." He said crisply and turned on his heel to march out of the door. She watched him leave and quickly turned back to the horrible figure who was watching her very carefully.

"I have very little time for sentiment, child." He said, relaxing back in his chair and surveying her again. "I expect complete obedience and demand excellence."

"Yes, Supreme Leader." She stuttered, unsure what else there was to say.

"General Hux considers you undisciplined and poorly suited for this post."

"Yes." She bit out. "He has made that very clear."

"However, you are a Palpatine. Even if you are not strong in the Force, there will be use for you." He paused, his eyes glittering maliciously. "You have amalgamated several priceless archives of Republic, Empire and Sith repositories into a collection which holds the keys to our victory over the New Republic and the rise of the Sith."

She stood silently, waiting for a question.

"You have done a great service to the First Order and continued this service in the annexation of Daxam IV." He leaned forward as he spoke, grotesquely sounding out this praise through his collapsed face. "I can think of no other more suitable candidate. The projects assigned to you now will come directly from me and be of utmost importance."

"Thank you, Supreme Leader."

"Go. You are dismissed."

She made it out to the corridor before her knees gave out on the cold black floor. She thought she was going to be sick. It was now clear to her that Hux had been trying to get her away from this appointment, after several years of pestering her to take a position on his various ships. Why the sudden change? Someone she recognised from the Daxam IV delegation was now making his way to her in the hallway, with a brief look of concern on his face as he took in her waxen complexion.

"Lady Palpatine?" He asked. She was so far gone she just nodded in his direction. "Please follow me to your quarters."