COMMANDER JERJERROD
If Jerjerrod thought that his own trepidation for Lord Vader's arrival was apparent, Motti's was practically palpable. Through the sweat collecting on his forehead and upper lip, the almost indiscernible shuffle from foot to foot, the shallow breaths that seemed deafening in Jerjerrod's ears, it seemed incredible that no one else had picked up on Motti's unease. Since his trial, Motti lacked composure around the Sith for reasons he still would not reveal to Jerjerrod, though he still boasted his self-confidence and hubris at all other times. His probation period had not humbled him in the slightest, but the manner in which all exterior assertiveness withered and disappeared at the Sith lord's presence was astounding and quite frankly, alarming.
This was not the man Jerjerrod knew, or thought he did. Conan Motti was infamous for being brash, outspoken, cunning, and perhaps overly confident to a fault, but this person he became at the prospect of having to speak to or interact with the Sith in any capacity made Jerjerrod wonder (and fear) what Lord Vader had done to him to cause such an adverse reaction.
Motti could still hold the Sith's gaze and speak when spoken to, but his inner turmoil felt like it was being broadcasted onto Jerjerrod and he did not understand why no one else appeared to notice.
With how he could so strongly sense Motti's discontent, he was properly surprised that the man didn't crumple at the very sight of Lord Vader. He could only offer a single word of comfort that might be discerned as an order and he could almost see Motti's very existence clutching onto that word like a lifeline as the ramp lowered to admit the Sith to the Death Star.
Once in full view of his superior, Jerjerrod temporarily forgot about Motti since any displeasure from Lord Vader was sure to be suffered by him first and not his men, but then he discovered that he was the reason for the unexpected visit. Jerjerrod noted how Motti had tugged uncomfortably at his collar for a moment before being dismissed by the Sith, but that he had bristled at not being acknowledged as a person of any consequence. Motti's unease with Lord Vader was not well known by all but Jerjerrod had been given a rundown that was suspiciously lacking in detail when Motti explained how he had come to survive the Death Star's destruction and that report also noted that Vader and Motti had had "a disagreement". Ever since, Motti had conducted himself professionally as was expected of him in Vader's presence but always looked battle weary and nervous in the aftermath. And the stormy expression behind his eyes suggested something deeply personal as well, something that Motti would like to have retribution for.
But he was now out of the line of fire and Jerjerrod was most assuredly right in front of it, for Lord Vader remarked that he had come all this way–for him. Whether that meant Jerjerrod had done an abysmal or exemplary job, it was hard to say, but he was inclined to believe the former, as he did not believe that the Sith were in the habit of traveling across the galaxy to deliver good news in person.
He could appreciate the cold, falling feeling that other men before him had felt when approached for the same reasons.
"How may I be of service, my lord?"
"I have come at the behest of the Emperor."
Jerjerrod's heart dropped into his stomach. He knew that construction of the Death Star was ever so slightly behind and that its completion was most imperative, but his builders had accomplished more in three years than had previously been attempted in ten. If anything, their efforts were to be commended and he was doing the very best he could in motivating his men short of threatening their lives. He took great pride in the loyalty and dedication his men had shown in their efforts and did not want to ruin his reputation as a fair overseer by having to demote and execute stragglers.
"If I have done something to displease His Excellency–"
"You can stop trembling, Commander. The news I bring does not bode fatal for you–as of yet," said Lord Vader, sounding bored with Jerjerrod's unease.
This statement hardly made Jerjerrod feel any better about whatever news the Sith had brought for him, but he was at least able to stop his right hand from shaking now that it seemed that he would not need to reach for his blaster to defend himself–and that was a ridiculous notion to even contemplate, but it had still admittedly occurred to him.
"What does His Excellency wish of me?" he asked, feeling it was better to offer his compliance rather than his hesitation and trepidation.
"Currently, nothing. It is from me that he desires something, and that is judgment. I have been instructed by the Emperor to observe you, Commander."
"Understandable, my lord. I would hope that I have carried out the Emperor's plans to his satisfaction–"
"No, Commander, not his plans. You. The Emperor wanted me to observe you, specifically. Why would you imagine that is?"
His mind went reeling at any list of things that the Emperor could have his apprentice watch for, but as Jerjerrod had done nothing to offend the Empire, he was currently at a loss. It did not appear that a promotion was in order, for he knew that he would have received a holographic congratulatory message from the Emperor himself and specialized orders and in any case, he was already at the highest position he could be without becoming grand moff, a title that he had expressed little interest in.
"I could not say, my lord–"
"Of course not. You would know nothing of this, but something has recently awoken with a strong enough power that the Emperor has found the need to express great interest in its source. The presence that resides within me and within the Emperor himself has been sensed in potent form in another aboard this station."
Jerjerrod's first crushing thought was that this power had been located in Motti and that Lord Vader had come to swiftly deal with what the Emperor might have foreseen to be a threat. It would make sense as to why Jerjerrod was able to sense Motti's emotions so strongly to where he was positively broadcasting visible waves of the stuff. If that incredible source of power had been sensed in Motti, unstable and untamed as he was in dealing with such a magnificent force, there was no telling what the admiral might do with it. Such responsibilities should not be given to a man prone to biting outbursts.
"No, not your inferior, as you might be inclined to believe," said Lord Vader as if he had just gone on this mental calculation journey with Jerjerrod. "It is within you that the power of the Force has been detected. You are not attuned to it and you had no idea of its existence within you until now, but make no mistake that the Force has responded to you in such a way that it hardly responds to any since the Sith wiped out all but the last of the Jedi. The Force exists within us all but it only chooses to make itself known within precious few of us and Skywalker was the last and most recent to draw on that presence to become the menace he is today."
Jerjerrod heard ringing in his ears, uncertain that anything that had come out of Vader's mouth was true and as such, he had no answer for his superior.
"I have just presented you with news most could only dare dream of and you have nothing to say, Commander?" Vader prompted.
"Apologies, my lord, but I am not certain I understood correctly. You claim that–"
"It is no claim. The Emperor does not make such mistakes. While previously undetected these many years in the service of the Empire, it has recently made itself known and the Emperor has felt it. You possess a strong connection with the Force. Not as weak as nearly every inhabitant of this galaxy, but not nearly as strong as a Sith or a Jedi. Only enough to sample its power."
"But how–"
"I have just told you how. I was always of the assumption that you possessed higher than average intelligence, but this conversation is leading me to believe otherwise."
It was a rather forward thing to say, but Jerjerrod felt a reckless boldness in hearing that he possessed the same sort of energy as the Sith, if only in a very small quantity. "Were you not slightly dumbfounded when you discovered what you are, my lord?"
He expected a warning from the Sith, perhaps even a sampling of what he had done to Motti, but instead Vader bypassed the question and posed his own. "How have you not noticed a power beginning to rise within you? Are you that consumed by your work?"
"With respect, my lord, before this very moment, it was commanded of me that I consume myself in my work to oversee the completion of this station on schedule," answered Jerjerrod smartly. "But I have noticed...instances of question. I could not spare the time to mull over them but if they are connected to this power, it would make sense as to why I am suddenly aware of them."
"And these instances are…?" Vader prompted.
"Hypersensitivity to the emotions of those around me. Almost–almost as if I can hear their thoughts and feel as they feel. The ability to sense an action in close proximity to me before it occurs similar to a warning, but from my own mind. And finally, what I thought was just a trick of the light or my own overcrowded brain after a taxing day was in actuality the Force, I would suspect."
"In what way?"
"I sat down at the table in my quarters and reached for my tin cup which I believed was several feet across the table from me but as I stood up to access it, I found it just centimeters from my hand. I thought I had just miscalculated the distance but I know that the Sith and the Jedi are able to call upon the Force to bring objects to them and push them away and so it would make sense that this was what happened in this situation. It had never happened before and has not happened since."
"These are the barest and most impotent forms that the Force can take on and while they are unremarkable to someone as versed in its ways as the Emperor, they are more than anyone or anything else has been able to do since the days of the Jedi Order."
Jerjerrod did not care to delve too deeply into Lord Vader's history, but he it was required that he know and understand the Empire's history and he knew how it had come to be some twenty-odd years ago after the fall of the Republic and the Jedi Order and the rise of the Sith. He knew that Lord Vader had been alive and a younger man than Motti when those events occurred and that all those who had studied as pupils of the Jedi had been wiped out. Anyone who had been taught in the ways of the Jedi had been eradicated, as they posed a threat if they did not adhere to the ways of the Sith. Jerjerrod had not been raised under any such tutelage, but he could guess what sort of fate awaited him if the Emperor perceived him as a threat.
"But why now, after all these years, would it surface?" asked Jerjerrod, trying not to sound desperate in his search for knowledge concerning his newfound status. "What could have summoned it to me?"
"That is the very question the Emperor wants answered. The Force was dormant since the rise of the Sith, but was discovered in Luke Skywalker not long after he succeeded in destroying the first Death Star. A boy then and a man now, he never knew of his powers until my old master enlightened him to the ways of the Force. You are several years older than Skywalker and the Force has only just introduced itself to you, a curious thing in how you are no longer malleable to be influenced by the teachings of one who is familiar with the Force. It is curious that it should present itself to you in a way that you are able to use it without full understanding of it, but now that you are aware of it, it will be easier to harness and more powerful in its usage. Now that you are enlightened to its existence within you, it will guide you whether or not you will it to."
"How am I to know if I am attempting too great a feat? I have been able to do these few things for some time now without consciously being aware of what I am doing, but how am I prevent them from happening? How great of a threat can I be if I'm unversed in using this power?"
He knew he was asking too many questions now, questions that were growing tiresome to the Sith, but he had just been handed a valuable and dangerous source of information with no instructions on how to use it; he needed some sort of direction.
"The Force gives as easily as it takes. You must work with it, offer to it your energy as often as you ask for it. If you attempt to conceal it, it will only grow and expel itself in ways you cannot afford to show. You are able to feel the connection to those who you are most invested in and I would advise you to sever that connection, lest it lead you to make unwise decisions on behalf of someone other than yourself. Serve the Empire first and then yourself and no one else, Commander."
"Am I to keep this information to myself, my lord?"
"It is yours to do with as you wish. There is great power in being known to have influence over the Force, but it may turn just as many against you as it would make many serve you. Use it to your advantage if you will, but know that what you choose to do with this knowledge will be closely monitored by me. Every move you make that takes its power from the Force will be known to me and I shall report it to the Emperor. He will then decide if you are a threat."
Jerjerrod was uncertain what to say after being told that if he continued to use his newfound abilities, the Emperor would have him executed for something he could not control. It was not his choice to have this power, but he would nevertheless be killed for it if he tried to do little more with it than he was doing right now.
At a loss for what else to ask or say, Jerjerrod reverted to formalities to not stand there with his mouth hanging open in disbelief. "Surely the Emperor cannot think that a man whose mind is built for numbers and architecture could ever see the need to rise up against him simply because he can more intimately feel the emotions of others, my lord?"
"You underestimate the threat that you may pose, Commander. The Emperor does not take this discovery lightly. He would not have sent me if did not have further plans for you. I am here to monitor you as you attempt to navigate these new waters and report back to the Emperor on your progress as well as to oversee the completion of the construction of this battle station."
"We are on schedule, as the Emperor requested–"
"And are at your most vulnerable from rebel attack despite the many precautions taken to avoid their interference. Your subordinate made the same costly mistake of thinking so little of the rebels; do not allow yourself to follow in his footsteps." Jerjerrod did not mistake the disapproving quality to Lord Vader's voice. It seemed that whatever he and Motti had argued about had stayed with the Sith as well these past few years.
"The rebels destroyed my life's work and I assure you that I do not underestimate them. But if I may–"
"You intend to ask me about the admiral's mishap," Lord Vader guessed and if it was possible, he sounded almost amused by Jerjerrod's inquisitiveness or rather, the fact that Motti had not revealed to Jerjerrod what had gone on in that council room.
"He offered a report that 'a disagreement' was had aboard the battle station and nothing more, my lord."
Vader scoffed, a sound that did not pass over well through his breathing apparatus. "He is as conceited as he is prideful. The details of this so-called disagreement are irrelevant but he has supposedly learned from his error and has done well to not repeat it thus far. If you wish to see what the outcome of a disagreement with me looks like, ask him to show you his neck."
Jerjerrod's blood ran cold. He did not need to ask Motti any such thing; he knew what he would find there, and Motti was a far luckier man than most who had the misfortune to anger Vader. He had tried the Sith and by some miraculous stroke of luck, survived, where others had not been so fortunate.
Admiral Kendal Ozzel, for one, had also had such a disagreement with Lord Vader, and he was now little more than space dust. The fact that Motti had not met the same fate spoke more to the Sith's reasonings than to Motti's actions. As Admiral Piett had told Jerjerrod in strict confidence, Admiral Ozzel had made one too many blunders before Lord Vader and his clumsiness had cost them the battle of Hoth and the chance to capture many of the rebel leaders. As a consequence, Lord Vader had done away with him, paving the way for a promotion for Piett.
Motti, on the other hand, had insulted the Sith, spoke out of turn, and needed to be reprimanded, not killed. Whether it was due to Motti's connections and the influence of Grand Moff Tarkin over Lord Vader or because the Sith did not see Motti's actions as quite so damning at the time, it was difficult to say. Nevertheless, Ozzel had earned himself a death sentence for his actions and Motti had earned–a memory. A traumatizing memory, perhaps a scar if Lord Vader's suggestion was to be believed.
"Be advised, Commander, just because you are now in league with the Force, do not believe that it will save you, should you choose to make grievous errors. You are no safer now than you were before I made you aware of what you are."
"And what am I? Is there a word for what I am or a description, perhaps?"
"Untrained, unpredictable, unproven. Human, a Force-sensitive being, but above all, a servant to the Empire. See that you don't forget that order, lest you need a reminder."
Another threat. How very honored Jerjerrod should be to receive so much undivided attention from the Sith. He didn't believe any officer had ever had such a long conversation with their leader and not been killed. He also had never heard Lord Vader speak so much all in one sitting before.
"Am I free to go?"
"You are, but remember that your actions are no longer solely your own. I will know if you act out of turn, Commander. You can hide nothing from me." The last was said with a menacing finger pointed at Jerjerrod who averted his eyes as if the gloved finger would snatch at him if he held eye contact for too long.
"That was never my intention, my lord."
He was not aware of being dismissed or of where his feet led him following the conversation, but after what seemed like hours, he found himself coming upon Motti on the catwalk overlooking the docking bay. Motti appeared back to normal, conversational, and content, and almost annoyingly so. He had no idea, not the faintest notion of what sort of crippling news Jerjerrod had just received. His world and everything he knew about himself had not just been altered beyond recognition.
"What did he want?" Motti asked Jerjerrod lightly.
"To speed up the construction process," said Jerjerrod. It was partially true, so he did not feel quite as guilty lying about it.
"If he was here to do that, he would have said so in front of me," Motti pointed out shrewdly.
"He would not have sent you away if he wanted you to hear what he had to say to me."
"Is it as bad as all that?"
"I am not at liberty to disclose that information," Jerjerrod lied again. Lord Vader had given him leave to tell whomever he wished that he was a Force-sensitive being and yet had also warned him that revealing his new status might turn his friends and his men against him in more ways than one. He knew Motti had an uncommon hatred for the Sith, so what was to prevent him from turning on Jerjerrod once he discovered that his friend was of the same stock? What was to prevent Piett and Needa from regarding Jerjerrod with fear whenever they looked at him? He supposed that Veers might not care one way or another since he alone seemed to be unafraid of the Sith, but Jerjerrod was not willing to risk exposure on that slim chance.
He would lose what few friends he had, not to mention he would lose the respect he had spent four long years gaining in having his men trust him. They would regard him as they did the Sith, with trepidation that he might snap their necks or cause some other bodily harm to them if they displeased him.
He valued his station far too much to reveal what he was at this time and was not about to undo months of hard work in reshaping Motti's image as well as his confidence to destroy it in one fell swoop by admitting that he was Force-sensitive. There was nothing to be gained in telling Motti, or anyone, that Jerjerrod was less human and something more, something else. This inkling of something that may turn out to be nothing was not worth having his friends and his men suddenly turn their backs on him with derision, fear, and distrust.
"Not at liberty or just too stubborn to divulge it?" Motti challenged. It was the sort of thing he could get away with saying while under Tarkin's wing, but something Jerjerrod would not stand for now. He had given Motti certain liberties due to their friendship, but those allowances needed to be tamed. If Jerjerrod allowed Motti to speak so freely in his presence while on duty, what was to prevent him from verbally lashing out to the Sith? He had to be put in his place and reminded how thin the ice was that he currently walked upon.
"You are on a need-to-know basis and you don't need to know, but it sounds to me like you are questioning my motives, Admiral."
The look Motti gave him was lacking in remorse and told Jerjerrod that was exactly what he was doing, so Jerjerrod gave him one more chance to backtrack.
"If you believe that you are above the Sith's orders, do speak now, Admiral."
"I believe that you think that what he told you would prove to be upsetting news to me."
A brief pause followed these words as Jerjerrod realized that he had had an audience during his conversation with the Sith, even if no words exchanged in that conversation had been overheard. "How long were you standing there watching?" he said accusingly.
"Long enough to see how devastated you looked after."
"Are you ever going to tell me what happened between the two of you?" asked Jerjerrod, hoping to catch Motti off guard by ignoring his statement. Lord Vader had hinted at what had been done to Motti and Jerjerrod had come to his own conclusion, but was leaving the decision to his friend whether or not to trust him with that information. Motti, however, was adamant about pretending it never happened.
"Are you ever going to stop asking me?" replied Motti irritably. Jerjerrod stared at him pointedly and Motti responded further with, "No, I am not ever going to tell you."
"Then we have nothing further to discuss at the moment. You have the command deck. I am going to check developments in the southern unfinished wing."
He had thought that to be the end of Motti's interrogation, as they had come to a stalemate on who was to surrender what information first. His brain could take no more new data today and in any case, he wanted to be kept on alert and not let his guard down for one moment to allow the Force to influence him into doing something irrational. As he retired to his quarters that evening after being unable to eat one bite of supper, he tossed off his kepi, pulled his gloves off one finger at a time, and then sank onto the edge of his bed with his face in his hands, trying to rub the weariness of the day off of him.
His body was begging for routine, for his schedule to return to normalcy, as this was generally the time that he would sit before his windscreen and observe whatever view he had for the night and let his mind wander. He moved to the metal bench underneath the windscreen, willing his brain to let go of the Sith, the rebels, the Force, the uncertainty, and the fear that the day had brought him. For nearly an hour he sat there and then when his leg was starting to cramp from being tucked underneath his other for so long, his peace was interrupted.
He was alerted to a visitor at his door and stood up to greet Motti who was still in his uniform apart from the removal of his own cap and gloves, the former of which he constantly and deliberately forgot (or refused) to don on a daily basis.
Stifling a tremendous sigh at Motti's persistence, Jerjerrod said disapprovingly, "You are not here to ask me again."
"No, I'm here because I thought that the middle of the night was the best time to come and ask you what detail I would be working tomorrow," said Motti shortly, though there was some truth and underlying hint in that statement that the middle of the night was the best time to have as private of a conversation as they were able aboard the battle station.
"If you continue pestering me, I can arrange to give you privy detail," said Jerjerrod savagely.
"Whatever Vader told you today scared you," Motti concluded abruptly. "I saw it in your face and I see it now; you're afraid, and you can't wipe that expression away, which tells me that it's quite serious. And as your second-in-command as well as your closest confidant, I believe I have the right to know."
"Use deductive reasoning and you might just arrive at the correct answer."
"It must be news from the Emperor himself to leave you in such a state. You look like you've aged ten years since this afternoon."
Reminding himself to check on that later, Jerjerrod could only hope that he didn't now look like a man in his mid-forties. It was true that his pale blond hair had been prematurely going paler as of late, but he still considered himself youthful and did not want to appear too ripe too soon if it would be detrimental to his career. He was not a vain man, but neither was he one to let his appearance go to waste.
"The Emperor did have news for me and me alone."
"It can't be as terrible as you're making it out to be."
You're right; it's not as terrible as it sounds. It's worse, thought Jerjerrod in his first projected thought since speaking to Lord Vader. He tried to pull back on the thought before it could be pressed upon Motti, but he had already released his hold on it. To conceal his misstep and hope Motti had not heard Jerjerrod's voice in his head, he launched into a counter-inquisition.
"I don't expect that I looked half as terrible as you did at any point during your interactions with the Sith. Lord Vader informed me of what he has been feeling resonate from you lately."
"It's nothing of significance," said Motti dismissively.
"I would beg to differ. I watched you start to die in that cell when you found out the Emperor was to be your judge, for which I sincerely regret telling you. You were dying , Conan. You were that terrified of how the Emperor might kill you that your body tried to shut itself down on its own to avoid having a repeat experience of a Sith using the Force on you. Whatever Lord Vader did to you, it was enough to make you lose the will to live. You, who have loved and enjoyed your life more than any other officer I've known in my twenty years serving as a pupil and a servant of the Empire. You can stand there and tell me that you don't fear the Sith and I will stand here and call you a liar for it."
"Call me what you want, but it doesn't change the fact that you're wrong."
Withholding a groan that longed to escape him, Jerjerrod sat back down on his bed to make himself seem like less of a threat, to give Motti the impression that he was stepping down from the offense in the conversation. "You are singularly the most infuriatingly stubborn man I've ever had the displeasure to meet. What's there to be gained in denying what everyone can see? And even then, I'm the only one who would know the truth of that fear. Not one person aboard this station feels differently where the Sith are involved. Every one of them fears the Sith, and rightfully so. I fear them, and you'll not catch me looking ashamed for admitting it. The only person here who could possibly judge you is me and you'll note that I am not in the habit of judging people for common sense which you seem to be lacking in abundance right now."
A small movement above Motti's lip foretold his displeasure at being falsely accused of something. It appeared to cause him some pain to then admit, "I am not afraid of the Sith in any capacity. I am afraid of dying by the Sith."
The admittance had come so sharply that Jerjerrod was unprepared for it. He didn't know what he had expected to hear from his friend, but this was not it.
"And you still won't tell me what he did to you to cause that fear?"
"I don't see that it would do either of us any good. To summarize, it was nothing short of sadistic torture, and he has held that power over my head ever since. He knows that I can't help reliving those moments whenever he's around me. He never agreed with the Emperor's decision to let me live, so he's making me regret it."
"And you're allowing him to. He has his power with the Force, but the effect that he has on you is only working because you are allowing him to have that power over you. You've done nothing wrong and so you have nothing to fear from him so long as you have me to speak for you."
"I neither want nor need you to speak for me. I've gone through my probation period and proven my use to the construction of this battle station. I don't need you to hover over me to ensure that I don't step out of line," snapped Motti, at long last digging into the root of the issue.
"Knowing you, you're liable to take a daring leap over that line if I'm not there to monitor you."
"Care to explain what you mean by that?"
"I mean that for however terrified you may seem of Lord Vader, you can't keep this look of absolute disgust off of your face when you're near him. It's a wonder that he hasn't said something about it, but in every hologram message, every interface, at any mention of his name, you look ready to commit cold-blooded murder and I am giving you a stern warning to watch yourself if you would like to live to see this war's end."
"Not all of us are so adept at living so emotionlessly," said Motti clippingly.
It was a sad fact that emotions had been stamped out of them at such a young age until they were all but extinct in an Imperial officer, but Jerjerrod's lack of outward expression was the reason he had not butted heads with the Sith and found himself in a similar situation to Motti.
"Learning to hold your tongue rather than waggle it might serve you well, if you cared to try. Your inability to forfeit an argument and your knack for boasting was what undoubtedly landed you in this silent battle of wills with Lord Vader in the first place and I would have thought that you had learned from your mistakes."
"Obviously I haven't."
"Clearly. The manner in which you have spoken to me here in my private quarters is not to be repeated. Had you spoken to any other superior officer, you would have been stripped of your squares and dishonorably discharged from the Fleet. If you do not see fit to heed my warning, then I see no further use in having this discussion with you, but be aware that when you walk out that door, your open insubordination will not be tolerated. I am your commanding officer and most senior member aboard this station and you will obey my orders, do you understand?"
Looking like he had lockjaw, Motti did an admirable job in concealing the hurt and anger he felt just now, but Jerjerrod could feel it like a heat wave resonating off of him despite trying his hardest not to feel it. Lord Vader had warned him against this and the closer he was to someone, the more potent their emotions would be to him, the more he would feel empathy for them, the higher the likelihood was that he would do something stupid for them, and the closer he would come to being a threat to the Emperor in serving others before the Empire. Jerjerrod tried to block out Motti's hurt, but he had no training on how to manage this power and so he received the full brunt of it.
It was a hard lesson both of them had to learn, but if Jerjerrod did not begin instilling order in Motti, he was liable to run amok and test Lord Vader again in a way that not even Jerjerrod could come to his rescue.
The silence following Jerjerrod's command was deafening as he listened to and watched Motti's emotions battle amongst themselves for the best way to respond until finally, sardonic compliance won out. Motti sprang to a salute, awaiting Jerjerrod's leave to go.
"Dismissed, Admiral."
Motti turned to go when a cool female voice announced from Jerjerrod's desk screen, "Incoming transmission." He accepted the call with Motti waiting on the threshold to hear more and saw the pointed, droopy-eyed face of Admiral Piett looking not quite frightened, but not at ease.
"Admiral, to what do I owe this very late pleasure?"
"Rebel forces have come out of hyperspace not far from the forest moon and are headed our way. I have the Fleet in position to intercept them, but it appears that they are launching a full-scale attack. So long as the shield generators on the moon remain guarded, all personnel aboard the Death Star are secure and in no immediate danger."
"Are we anticipating an attempt to land on the moon?"
"Yes, sir, General Veers is positioning his men to defend the generators and the Fleet will do its best to shoot down those ships attempting a surface attack. We await the order to engage from Lord Vader."
"Stand by for further instructions, Admiral."
"Standing by," said Piett, and then his image cut off.
Motti had not moved, listening to the exchange with a light and eagerness for battle in his eyes. He stood with one foot in the corridor and one still in the room, awaiting Jerjerrod's command. Their disagreement was not forgotten, but would have to be temporarily displaced in light of the long night ahead of them.
Adopting his professional tone, Jerjerrod said clearly and precisely, "I will alert Lord Vader. Sound the alarm to prepare the station and send word to ground forces, then return to the command deck and await further orders, Admiral."
With a nod and an equally proficient tone, Motti responded, "Yes, sir," and was gone.