A Proposal
Josh studied the white Stormtrooper helmet while Finn pulled his on. "Ugh…" Finn muttered underneath the helmet.
"What?" Amber asked fastening a shoulder piece of the Stormtrooper armor into place.
"I forgot that you can't see anything out of these helmets." He said.
"It can't be that bad." Amber rolled her eyes and then put the helmet on. "I take it back. The vision is terrible. No wonder Stormtroopers can't hit anything and they always die."
Josh, Nathan, and Poe put their helmets on before being joined by Luke who was also wearing Stormtrooper armor. Rey appeared dressed in a regular radar technician's uniform. Her brown hair was pulled into a single bun. If she had worn her hair in her usual three-bun style, it would've been a dead giveaway as to who she was. Her accent could get them killed as well but there wasn't much they could do about that so Ben had told her to just try and not speak if possible.
Leia had decided not to join them in the rescue attempt. She would remain on the Millennium Falcon with BB-8, R2-D2, and C-3PO. Ben walked over to the group wearing a blonde wig and glasses and he was also dressed in the same outfit as Rey. Amber couldn't help herself and laughed at her the sight of her father.
"What?" Ben asked.
Amber just kept laughing. "I'm sorry… I just- Oh my gosh, I can't breathe. So, Dad, when did you get this idea?"
"Many years ago. I ended up going undercover at the First Order to see what everyone thinks of Kylo Ren and to see how their jobs were."
"How did that go?"
"I now have new respect for what my colleagues do. Also, my cover was blown."
"You Force-choked a Stormtrooper and then sent him flying into a machine!" Poe exclaimed.
"He was being disrespectful." Ben said with a shrug.
Amber rolled her eyes behind the mask; thankfully no one could see it. "Alright let's go."
It took a while but they finally managed to land on Mustafar and get into the First Order base located there. "Alright, Rey and I will go and do technician-y stuff, you guys patrol the halls for Seraphina. And remember, you can communicate with everybody else through the Force."
Everyone nodded before breaking apart. Luke, Poe, and Amber made their way down one hall before being stopped by a Stormtrooper.
"Halt! Names!" the Stormtrooper asked.
"AL-1624," Amber said quickly.
"LK-2230," Luke responded.
"PD-1234," Poe said. The Stormtrooper nodded before ordering them to go to Section C.
Once they were out of hearing range from the trooper, Amber turned to Poe. "PD-1234?"
"Yeah, Poe Dameron and then my mind kind of blanked on the numbers so I said the first four that came to mind."
"Oh, brother."
How are you guys doing? Ben asked through the link.
Fine. Poe, Grandpa Luke, and I got stopped by a Stormtrooper. He wanted to know our names. Amber explained.
What did you say? Rey asked.
I decided on AL-1624 while Grandpa Luke told the trooper his name was LK-2230. Poe said PD-1234.
Silence. And then they heard snickering along the bond. It was Josh.
PD-1234? Why 1234?
I panicked! Poe shouted.
Wow, just wow. Finn muttered. How is it that you're calm when you're being interrogated by a Sith lord but not when a Stormtrooper asks for a fake name?
I don't know. Poe answered. I wouldn't say I was calm when I met Kylo Ren. The dude terrified me; I just did my best to hide it.
Not well enough, I'm afraid. Ben said. I could sense your fear.
Well good for you, Solo. Poe congratulated with sarcasm.
Stop it. Rey ordered. Ouch!
Are you okay? Luke asked his daughter.
I'm fine. I just burned myself while trying to repair a wall that a lightsaber had destroyed.
Reminds me of Kylo Ren's tantrums. Finn said.
Don't remind me of my anger issues, FN-2187. Ben warned. I'm sure I could choke you from here.
Probably. Finn agreed.
Would you like to test that?
No. Finn said quickly.
Stop it. Rey ordered. I'm getting tired of hearing you two argue in my head.
Agreed. Poe chimed in.
Let's just focus on finding Seraphina. Josh said.
Yeah, let's do that, JS-2426. Finn said.
Amber stifled a laugh. JS? Is that your Stormtrooper name?
Yes… Josh growled.
Let me guess: 'J' for Josh and 'S' for Seraphina?
No!
Uh huh… sure. Amber rolled her eyes.
Shut up, Amber. Josh grumbled before going silent.
Busted. Nathan said.
Josh said nothing and everyone could feel his embarrassment through the link. Amber could literally feel his face turning red underneath the Stormtrooper helmet.
"You there!" a man in black called. Poe, Luke, and Amber stopped. The man approached the trio and Amber had to fight against every instinct in her body that screamed Run! "Make your way to the hanger and board Lord Sethtis' ship. You will help escort him and Zillah to their destination." They nodded and turned around.
Bad news. Amber announced.
What is it? Ben asked.
My group just got sent to the hanger to escort Sethtis and someone named Zillah to… somewhere. Hey, Josh, does the name Zillah ring a bell?
No, I'm sorry. I don't recognize the name. They must have joined recently. I knew all the Dark Knights since I led them back when I was a part of the First Order. Josh said.
The Dark Knights? Ben repeated.
They are similar to the Knights of Ren. Josh explained.
I see.
Amber, Luke, and Poe made their way to the hanger where dozens of Stormtroopers were boarding a large shuttle. Amber spotted a clock mounted on the hanger wall. Why someone would put a clock there, she didn't know. The time read 4:12 A.M.
Who woke me up before dawn? Amber asked, just now realizing that she was still tired.
That would be Rey. Ben answered.
Aunt Rey… it's too early for this. Amber complained.
The earlier; the better. Rey responded. Most of the First Order will be resting this early in the morning. It was a lot easier to sneak in when only a few of the officers and Stormtroopers are on guard than to try to break in with more of them on patrol.
Fine… Amber sighed. This might actually work out. Luke, Poe, and I can keep an eye on Sethtis and Zillah, whoever he is while you guys look for Seraphina. Josh, you did say she wasn't going to Naboo with the others, right?
Correct. Josh confirmed. She said that Sethtis had his reasons for not sending her with the Knights.
Alright, then we'll spy on Sethtis while you guys find Seraphina. Good luck. Amber and the two men she was with quickly boarded the ship, and Amber tried to shake her feeling of nervousness.
Josh, Finn, and Nathan marched down a stone hallway with doors lining the walls. Two other Stormtroopers passed by, talking about something.
"Did you hear that Lord Sethtis keeps asking Zillah to be his second-in-command?" one asked.
"Yeah," the other answered. "But doesn't she keep saying no?"
She? Josh thought.
"No matter how many times Sethtis asks, she always denies. But he keeps trying, hoping that she will change her mind."
"You think Sethtis has a thing for Zillah?" the second trooper asked.
"I don't know. She is pretty but scary at the same time."
"I don't know. She seems nice. How long has she been here?"
"I don't know. I started this job five years ago. I see her around the base sometimes. Usually when she's here, she's with those creepy Knights, Sethtis, or the library."
They walked by Josh, Nathan, and Finn. Guys, I just found out that Zillah is a she.
Oh… Amber mumbled.
What? Nathan asked.
I suddenly feel really stupid calling Zillah a he.
It's fine. Poe assured her. You didn't know.
Josh rounded a corner and nearly collided with a young woman. Her blue eyes widened in surprise. Josh stopped himself right before he could crash into her. Her brown hair was pulled into a long braid. She wore all black and had a lightsaber hilt that looked strangely familiar clipped to her belt. She stumbled a bit, trying to keep herself from running into him.
Sethtis stood next to her and caught her before she could fall. She looked up at him. "Thank you, sir." She looked at Josh and he nearly forgot how to breathe. "I apologize for almost running into you. Excuse me." She and Sethtis moved past the trio.
Josh stood there, dumbfounded. He couldn't speak. He tried to use the link to say something but couldn't. He mouthed the word 'Seraphina' though no one could see his lips move.
"JS-2426," Nathan shook his shoulder. "Are you alright?"
Josh didn't answer. The bond between him and Seraphina was humming. It was still very faint but a tad bit stronger than before.
"JS-2426," Finn joined in with trying to shake him from his daze. "Snap out of it!"
Josh shook his head. I just saw Seraphina. Josh could feel the surprise from everyone through the link.
That young woman you nearly ran into is Seraphina? Finn asked.
Josh nodded. Amber, they're heading for the hangers.
Got it. Amber responded. But who's they?
Seraphina and Sethtis. Josh told her.
Alright, we'll be ready for them. Thanks. Luke said.
"Zillah, wake up." Someone gently shook Seraphina's shoulder. She blinked her eyes open. A dark silhouette stood over her. With the red glow from the lava outside illuminating part of her room, she could see that it was Sethtis. "Get up."
Seraphina glanced at the clock sitting on the nightstand next to her bed. The numbers read 4:16 A.M. She groaned and laid her head back on the black pillow.
"It's too early." She complained.
Sethtis chuckled. "Get up, Zillah. We have to get going."
Seraphina pushed herself to a sitting position and ran a hand through her tangled brown hair. "I'm beginning to think that you're crazy for waking up this early. What time did you wake up exactly?"
"2:36."
"Yep, you're crazy." Seraphina said standing up and stretching. "I honestly expected a Stormtrooper to wake me up."
"I know how they wake you up and I'm not pleased with the way they act towards you." He growled. "Get dressed and then head to the hanger."
"Yes, sir."
Sethtis exited the room and Seraphina took a quick shower before changing into her black leggings, black tank top, black knee-length skirt, and black boots. As she brushed out her brown hair and did it in a braid, she thought of how the Stormtroopers usually woke her up.
They would usually shout, "Wake up!" and hold a blaster to her head.
She made her way to the hanger, pulling on her cloak as she walked. When she reached her destination, she immediately spotted Sethtis standing near the other Knights. Seraphina joined them.
"I hope you are successful on your journey." Sethtis said.
Agni bowed his head. "Thank you, sir. And I wish you safe travels on your own trip as well."
Sethtis dismissed the Knights and they boarded a nearby shuttle that immediately shot into the sky once all the Knights were onboard. "Come with me, Zillah." Sethtis said before walking away with Seraphina following close behind. "Are you ready for our own journey?"
"I suppose so. I still have no idea where we're going." Seraphina answered honestly.
Sethtis nodded. "You'll see when we arrive there."
"I'm just wondering, it's not Jakku, Tatooine, Hoth, or Ilum is it?"
Sethtis chuckled. "No, Zillah, it's none of those places. We will not be traveling to any desert or ice planet."
Seraphina let out a sigh of relief. "So I can cross Geonosis off that list."
Sethtis laughed at her remark. "I think you might like the planet."
"That depends on what planet it is though. There are plenty of planets where I have bad memories of them."
"Yes, Agni told me how you really hate the planet Malastare."
Seraphina scowled at the mention of that planet. "I just don't like swamp planets. I never know what's in the marshes. And I hate the bugs."
"Then it's a good thing you weren't alive around the time of the Empire. If you were, you might have been sent to Dagobah to be trained by Yoda."
Seraphina made a face. "My old master took me to Dagobah once. I haven't been there since."
"How would you feel if we went to Nal Hutta?" Sethtis asked with a smirk.
Seraphina averted her gaze, looking at her moving feet as she walked. "Hutts and Skywalkers don't seem to mix very well."
"No, I suppose they don't. Then again, Skywalkers have a hard time getting on anybody's good side."
Seraphina ran into Sethtis, not realizing that he had stopped. "My apologies, sir." Seraphina said, looking down.
"You seem to run into me a lot don't you?" By the way his voice sounded, Seraphina knew he was smiling.
"I suppose I should try paying more attention to my surroundings."
"Perhaps you should." Sethtis agreed before resuming his stride. "Come along, young one."
Seraphina felt annoyance bubble up at what he called her. "Sir, I'm twenty-four. I'd appreciate it if you didn't call me 'young one'."
"Accept my offer and I just might stop calling you that."
Seraphina resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Sethtis had been asking her the same for almost five months now. She recalled the day that he first asked her the question.
Seraphina and the other Knights along with Sethtis had just arrived on the planet Malachor and were splitting up. Sethtis wanted them to find something, though the Knights doubted that they would find something very interesting in the destroyed Sith temple.
Nevertheless, they followed orders, pairing up with the other Knights to begin their search. Sethtis had ordered Seraphina to come with him. She was nervous at first, but soon relaxed, sort of. How calm can you be when in the presence of the leader of the First Order and also the only Dark Force-user who could shoot lightening from his fingers?
"I have a proposal for you, Zillah." Sethtis stated, watching her out of the corner of his eye.
"What would that be, sir?" Seraphina asked.
"I'm looking for someone to be my second-in-command, someone that I can trust. And I would like that person to be you."
"Are you asking me to be second-in-command or are you ordering me to assume this position?"
"I am asking you."
"Then I'm afraid I will have to decline your offer." Seraphina said softly, looking at the ground.
"Why?" Sethtis asked, facing her.
"I don't believe I am the right choice for this sort of thing. Agni would be a better selection. I'm sure he would agree to your offer. Diomedes could lead the Knights while Agni assumes the position as your second-in-command."
"I've considered asking Agni, but I think that the better choice is you, Zillah." Sethtis said, placing his hand under her chin and raising her head to look up at him. Her blue eyes met his green ones. "I won't choose anybody else as my second-in-command. Only you would be the best person for that position. I will not ask anyone else."
"Then I'm afraid you will have no second-in-command at all. I still don't believe that I am the right person."
Sethtis sighed and dropped his hand from her chin. "Very well, Zillah. But this won't be the last you hear of the topic."
And Sethtis had been correct. Every time he had seen her after that, he would ask again and she would say no. He never got upset; only sighed. Seraphina was slightly confused as to why he continued to ask her when she always said no. He was persistent, Seraphina admitted that.
They turned a corner and Seraphina nearly collided with a Stormtrooper. He stopped right before he could crash into her. Seraphina tried to stop, but began to lose her balance at the sudden motion. Sethtis caught her and steadied her.
She looked at him. "Thank you, sir." She turned to look at the Stormtrooper, noticing that there were three of them. "I apologize for almost running into you. Excuse me." She and Sethtis moved past the trio.
"We must be leaving now." Sethtis said, heading back towards the hanger where a ship was prepared for launch and ready for them to board. Seraphina followed Sethtis onto the ship.
Dozens of Stormtroopers were in the shuttle. They eyed Seraphina and she realized that at least two dozen of these troopers were under Alarick's command. Speaking of Alarick, he appeared from the cockpit of the ship and nodded politely to Sethtis. When he saw Seraphina, he sneered at her and she could once again feel anger, hate, distrust, and disgust roll off of him in waves, all directed at her.
Sethtis glared at Alarick. "General, I can feel all of the emotions you have towards Zillah through the Force and I don't appreciate the way you treat her. You will show her respect."
Alarick's eyes widened in fear and he nodded quickly before walking away at a rather fast pace. Sethtis led Seraphina to a door and opened it. "These will be your quarters until we arrive at our destination."
Seraphina nodded. "Thank you, sir."
Sethtis knew what she was thanking him for. "It's quite alright, young one. Let me know if any of the Stormtroopers or Alarick bother you."
Seraphina nodded and then disappeared inside her room. She let out a sigh of relief before sitting on her bed and trying to relax. She thought about the Stormtrooper she almost collided with. Right when she saw him, her bond with Josh began to hum, though it was still faint. Why would it begin to act up when she came face-to-mask with a Stormtrooper? She shook the thoughts out of her mind and flopped onto the black bed.
What in the world is going on? She silently asked herself. What is going on with my bond with Josh?
A knock on her door interrupted her thoughts. She stood up and walked over to the door. It slid open and there stood a Stormtrooper. "Sethtis would like to see you, ma'am."
She glanced at a nearby clock that read 5:23 A.M. Obviously she had been in the room for longer than she thought. Seraphina nodded and followed the Stormtrooper through the ship. Three Stormtroopers standing at the end of a hall watched Seraphina as she walked by. There was something strangely familiar about those three but Seraphina shook the feeling away.
The Stormtrooper stopped outside a door and knocked on it. "Sir, she's here." The door slid open and the trooper gestured for Seraphina to go in.
Seraphina stepped into the room. The floor was gray just like the walls and ceiling. A black bed sat on the right side of the room while a table and four chairs occupied the other side of the room. A large bookshelf stood against the back wall, covered with books. Seraphina walked over to the bookshelf and gently touched the spine of one of the many books.
"Do you enjoy reading?" a voice asked from behind her. Seraphina jumped and turned around.
"Yes, sir," She answered Sethtis, looking down at her shoes.
Sethtis nodded. "As do I. I try to read as much as possible but I don't have much time to do so as I used to."
"You are busy running the First Order." Seraphina agreed.
"Which is why I am going to ask again: please, Zillah, be my second-in-command."
Seraphina sighed. "Why are you so persistent in having me as your assistant?"
"Why are you so stubborn and always say no?"
"I'm not stubborn…" Seraphina argued. "I'm persistent in all that I do."
This remark caused Sethtis to laugh. "Yes, you are persistent."
"You have not answered my question."
"Ah, but you have given me a response to my proposal."
"Fine, my answer is no."
"Very well. I continually ask you this question because I want you by my side. I've seen how the Knights treat you. I believe they are trying to get rid of you."
"Get rid of me? How so?" she asked, looking up at him.
"For instance, while you were on Hoth, the Knights you were assigned with left you out in the blizzard. Or on Tatooine during the Tusken Raider attack. The Knights retreated without telling you."
"How sure are you that they want me gone?"
"Enough to keep asking you to stay by my side. You would leave the Knights and wouldn't have to worry about them anymore. You would remain safe."
Seraphina looked down again. "I… I don't know. I won't lie: I'm tempted to accept your offer, but that could anger the Knights. They might try even harder to get rid of me or kill you."
Sethtis grasped her chin between his thumb and pointer finger and tilted her head up. "I wouldn't worry about that. They wouldn't dare try to overthrow me. So what is your answer?"
Seraphina hesitated, her blue eyes studying Sethtis' green ones. "Y-yes." She whispered.
Sethtis grinned. "I knew you'd accept eventually." He dropped his hand from her chin. "Come with me." He didn't give her much choice. Sethtis grabbed her wrist and dragged her out of the room, leading her down the hall.
Seraphina stumbled as they passed a trio of Stormtroopers. "Hurry, Zillah." Sethtis said.
Seraphina regained her balance and followed after Sethtis, who was still grasping her wrist. "I'm hurrying."
They reached a communications room and Sethtis entered the room with Seraphina following him. Sethtis contacted Agni who responded immediately.
"Yes, sir?" the holographic image of Agni asked.
"Zillah will no longer be accompanying you and the other Knights." Sethtis said.
"Has she been demoted to being a Stormtrooper? Or have you finally shot her with lightening?"
"Neither. She is now my second-in-command." Agni's eyes widened in shock. "You and the other Knights will treat her with the same respect you show me."
"Yes, sir." Agni said with a bow before Sethtis turned off the communication.
"I'm not entirely sure it's respect that the Knights show you, but fear." Seraphina commented.
"Respect, fear, whatever gets them to obey." Sethtis sighed. "And did you, Zillah, fear me?" he asked, looking at her.
Seraphina avoided his gaze. "Yes," she whispered.
Sethtis stood from the chair he had been occupying and tilted her head upwards. "Please don't fear me anymore. I would never hurt you."
Seraphina nodded. "Yes, sir."
"And since you are now my second-in-command, call me Sethtis."
"Yes, sir-Sethtis." Seraphina said quickly.
Sethtis smiled. "I understand it'll take some time to get used to it."
"Yes, it will."
Sethtis removed his hand from Seraphina's chin and motioned towards the door. "Follow me."
Seraphina followed him towards the room they were in before. "Sit," Sethtis ordered. Seraphina sat down in one of the chairs.
"What are we doing now?" Seraphina asked as Sethtis sat down in the chair next to her.
"I want to try and establish a Force bond with you."
"W-what?"
"A Force bond. Are you familiar with them?"
"Yes. I had one with my old Master before he died. It was simply a Master-Padawan bond that allowed us to feel the other's emotions. Then I found out I had one with Josh. It's the same one that Rey and Ben have. It allows us to sense each other's emotions, communicate with each other, and know when the other is near."
Sethtis' eyes darkened at the mention of Josh. "Have you ever contacted him before using the bond?" Seraphina hesitated before nodding. "When have you used it?"
"W-when I first joined the Order." Seraphina whispered. "The first week I was here, I tried to talk to him because I was lonely. He didn't answer and I kept trying but eventually gave up."
Sethtis relaxed a bit. "I see. So he ignored you?"
"Yes,"
"Let me into your mind and then I'll let you into mine. That should help get a bond between us started. Is your bond with the traitor still there?"
Seraphina nodded. "Force bonds are not easily broken. It has faded quite a bit over the last seven years to where it's almost undetectable but it's not gone. I've never heard of having a bond with two people at the same time, though."
"If you're bond with Josh is faded then that means that you require more focus and energy to speak to each other. It should be easier then for the two of us to create a bond."
"A-alright."
They closed their eyes and Seraphina immediately felt Sethtis try to enter her mind. At first, she resisted, as that was her first instinct. She felt him chuckle in her mind.
Let me in. He gently ordered. His words reminded her of the time when Josh had tried to enter her mind when he was a prisoner of the Resistance. She quickly pushed the thought away and let Sethtis in.
He brushed by her memories. He briefly watched them. Most of her recent ones were of being with the Knights. He watched as one of the Knights began to torment her when she first joined. Sethtis grew angry. He had given them orders not to mess with her. Obviously, they had not followed his directions.
Don't be upset. Seraphina whispered. That Knight was just being immature. And he was only joking around with me.
By calling you 'Jedi scum'? Sethtis retorted. That is not acceptable. I gave them specific orders to treat you with respect.
Then they did a terrible job at it. Even after seven years, I got very little respect but then again, I was still the new person.
Sethtis sighed. Let's just focus on trying to create a bond. I want to be able to know if you are ever in danger.
Amber, Poe, and Luke stood in a hallway, about to turn the corner when Sethtis hurried past them, dragging Seraphina behind him. Seraphina stumbled.
"Hurry, Zillah." Sethtis said, continuing to drag her away.
Amber's mouth dropped. Guys… she spoke through the telepathic link.
What is it, Amber? Ben asked.
Ow! Rey exclaimed.
That's a wire, Rey. You're supposed to find the fuse. Ben reprimanded his cousin.
Then why don't you do this? Rey shot back. I've been burned over thirty times already!
Um… are you guys gonna stop arguing and listen for a second? Amber asked.
Go ahead, Amber. Josh urged.
I found out who Zillah is.
Great. Who? Finn asked.
… Seraphina…
Silence. No one said a word for what seemed like an eternity. Then several voices exploded in Amber's all at once.
What?!
How did you-
When did she-
Is she-
Stop! Amber yelled. I just saw her being dragged somewhere by Sethtis and he called her Zillah. How are things going on Mustafar?
Well… Rey started. Ben and I- Ow!
Amber knew that Ben was snickering.
Stop that! Rey ordered. Anyways, Ben and I were ordered to board the same ship that you're on. They needed a few technicians to help keep the ship running smoothly.
We're on the shuttle, too. Nathan added. We were told to board at the last minute.
So that means that we can all try and keep an eye on Seraphina. Luke decided.
The more; the better. Ben agreed.
Amber spotted Sethtis and Seraphina coming their way again.
I just saw them again. Hey, Josh, does Sethtis ever smile or look happy? Amber asked.
Not that I know of. Josh answered. Why?
Because Sethtis has this glint in his eyes that make him seem happy.
Now I'm concerned. Josh stated. Was Seraphina with him?
Yes, since I just said 'them'.
I don't like where this is going. Josh muttered.
Neither do I. Nathan agreed.
If you guys see Seraphina at all, let the rest of us know what she's doing. Ben said.
Ben and Rey knelt by the wall with an open panel in front of Rey. "Hand me the wrench, please." She requested.
Ben handed his cousin the wrench and watched as she tightened something inside the panel before a wire began to spark, shocking his cousin when her hand brushed against it.
"Ow!" she exclaimed, both out loud and through the mental link.
"Are you alright?" Ben asked.
Rey nodded, shaking her hand. "I'm alright. I've been through worse while scavenging on Jakku."
A Stormtrooper walked by. "Names."
"Matt," Ben said quickly.
"Reyna," Rey answered.
He moved away and Ben raised an eye at his cousin. "Reyna?"
"I didn't know what else to call myself." Rey explained, going back to fixing the wires in the panel.
Seraphina rolled onto her right side, wrinkling the black blankets of her bed. Her head throbbed from the effort of trying to create a Force bond with Sethtis. Whether it had worked or not, she didn't know.
She sighed and sat up, rubbing her aching head. I didn't think it would hurt this much. She thought.
Are you alright? Sethtis' voice asked her.
Seraphina's eyes widened. I'm fine. My head just hurts from trying to create the bond. I'm guessing that it worked?
Since I am communicating with you right now, I'm assuming so. I can feel your bond with Josh. As you said, it's faded. I almost couldn't detect it.
What do I do about it? It's not like I can get rid of it. It could kill him or me.
Or both of you. Sethtis added. And I'd prefer it if you didn't die.
And why is that?
You are my second-in-command now and I didn't spend almost seven years trying to get you to agree to my offer to have you die.
Seraphina laughed.
You're laughing. Sethtis stated. He sounded surprised. Since the seven years you've been with the First Order you never laughed. Smiled and chuckled, yes. But you never laughed.
Agni told me that you never laughed until I joined the Order.
There's something about being around you that would change anyone's mood.
Seraphina felt her cheeks grow hot at the compliment. Thank you.
We'll be landing soon.
Finally. Seraphina sighed. It's been hours.
Be ready to exit the ship in thirty minutes.
Yes, sir. Seraphina stood up from her bed and walked around her room.
Zillah… Sethtis' voice was a reminder of what he had told her earlier.
My apologies… Sethtis. It's going to take a while for me to get used to calling you by your name.
I understand.
Thirty minutes later, the shuttle landed on the unknown planet. Seraphina hurried out of her room and made her way towards the exit. The ramp had already been lowered and several Stormtroopers were outside. Seraphina didn't recognize the planet. Grass covered the planet as far as the eye could see. The grass was tall, reaching a little past her waist.
Sethtis joined her outside the ship. "What do you think?"
"It's peaceful and beautiful…" she breathed. "But what planet is this?"
"This planet is called Maridun. It was discovered during the Clone Wars."
"So why are we here?"
"I thought it would be a good idea to get away from Mustafar for a while. Perhaps we could work on your training. You need a little more practice in lightsaber combat. We also need to plan a few things for the First Order so I thought that we might be able to do those things while here."
Seraphina nodded. "Sounds like a plan. How many Stormtroopers did you bring, though? There doesn't seem to be anything here that could cause harm."
"That's where you're wrong. There are creatures here that would try and attack us."
"I see. Alright, what's first?"
"We need to set up camp. I'll have some Stormtroopers do that. I have to speak to the General. Don't get into any trouble."
Seraphina smirked. "Who me? Never."
Sethtis looked at her. "Perhaps I should order a few Stormtroopers to watch over you."
"I'll be fine. Go. You know how the General hates being kept waiting."
Sethtis nodded before walking away. Seraphina looked around. A tree-like figure stood a good distance away from where the camp was being set up and Seraphina decided to go see what it was. As she drew nearer, she realized that she was right. It was a tree, a rather large and tall one.
She Force jumped up to the lowest branch which was a good fifteen feet above the ground. She sat on the branch with her back leaning against the trunk and looked in the direction of the camp. She could see the white bustling figures of the Stormtroopers as they prepared the camp.
She reached into the pocket of her cloak and withdrew a thick hard-covered book. She gazed for a few moments at the picture and title on the front. Her gaze lingered on the title of the book. Gray.
She opened the book to her marked page and began reading. The words drew her in, each page begging her to read more and more. Her world melted away, replaced with the universe the author of the book had written about. Seraphina ignored all other sounds as she focused on the descriptions of the worlds, characters, and feelings the novelist wrote about.
"Zillah!" a voice called out but Seraphina didn't hear it. "Zillah!" it shouted again, and this time Seraphina looked up, a bit annoyed from being interrupted just as she was getting to her one of her favorite parts. "Are you here?" the master behind the voice had stopped at the base of the tree.
Seraphina looked down to see Sethtis standing there. "Yes, sir, I'm here!"
Sethtis looked up in the tree. "Come down! The sun is setting!"
Seraphina's gaze immediately snapped to the horizon where the sun was slowly sinking. How long had she been in the tree? It must've been hours because it was early morning when she had arrived on the planet. She often lost track of time if she was training or reading. Mostly if she was reading.
Seraphina slipped the book back into her cloak's pocket and dropped from the branch to the ground. Sethtis studied her. "You've been gone all day. Some of the Stormtroopers began to panic when you hadn't come back to the camp at lunchtime."
"My apologies," Seraphina said, looking down. "I was distracted and didn't realize how long I was actually gone."
"What were you doing up there?" Sethtis asked as he and Seraphina began walking towards the camp.
"Reading…" Seraphina said quietly.
"I see. The story must've been very good for you to have been reading the entire day."
"It was. It's one of my favorites, actually."
"What's it called?"
"What?"
"The book. What's it called?"
"Gray."
"Gray?"
They reached the camp and several Stormtroopers sighed in relief once they saw Seraphina. They were probably afraid that if Sethtis hadn't been able to find her he would've killed them. A Stormtrooper handed Seraphina a bowl of red soup and she sat down cross-legged next to the fire. The pink, purple, and orange sky was slowly turning a dark blue as the sun disappeared behind the horizon.
Seraphina finished her soup and a Stormtrooper showed her to a tent that would be hers to live in while they were here. She exited the tent, not ready to rest just yet. She spotted four technicians huddled in a group working on something. Two of the technicians, a man with blonde hair and a woman with brown hair, seemed familiar but Seraphina shook the feeling aside.
The woman touched something on the object they were repairing, causing her to get shocked from a spark, raising a laugh from the blonde-haired man. The woman glared at him and hit his arm.
Six Stormtroopers stood near the technicians, engaged in a conversation. Again, a feeling of familiarity hit Seraphina but she ignored it. Somebody touched her shoulder and she jumped. She turned to see Sethtis standing there.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
Seraphina nodded. "I was just startled; that's all."
"It's getting late. And we have a busy day ahead of us tomorrow. Get some sleep."
Seraphina nodded and walked to her tent, glancing over her shoulder at the Stormtroopers and technicians she had been watching. Once inside her tent, she opened the chest that had placed in there. She pulled out a black t-shirt and black pants and changed into them, neatly folding her uniform and putting it in the trunk.
She then slipped into the cot, pulling the black blanket over her. She blew out the candle in the lantern sitting next to the cot and darkness flooded the small space. Seraphina closed her eyes, listening to the sound of the wind, the chatter of troopers, and the padding of feet. The sounds lured her to sleep.
Author's Note
I'm sorry it took so long for me to update. I kept rewriting this chapter and adding and taking out a lot of stuff.
What did you guys think? Please let me know.
And if you want to find out more about Matt the radar technician, go to YouTube and type in the search box: SNL star wars undercover boss. It is hilarious!
Thank you for reading!