Next Morning
Anika wakes up to a bed that is quickly growing cold. She cranes her head off the pillow, looking around with bleary eyes. When she spots Kylo pacing the room, shirtless, she sits up fast enough to give herself whiplash. Sweet baby gizka… That is… glorious…
It looks like he showered and only got half dressed, his hair still a damp mess. But her eyes barely take in his hair, instead getting stuck to the expanse of flesh she's never gotten to see before. She'd assumed he'd be muscular, but she wasn't expecting this... I could get used to waking up with a view. She lets her gaze roam him shamelessly, lingering on his back and arms with appreciation. Damn… One of his titties is bigger than my head.
Kylo stops walking, turning to give her an incredulous look. "Are you done?"
Blushing, she realizes he must have been listening to her thoughts. Anika attempts to look somewhere other than his muscles, forcing an innocent expression onto her face. "Hmm? What do you mean?"
He rolls his eyes at her, but she catches the little smirk as he turns to head back into the bathroom. A moment later, and he's regretfully fully clothed. She huffs a sigh of disappointment, moving over to make room when he sits at the edge of the bed.
"I was trying to make sure all the shipments will arrive in time for tonight," Kylo explains.
"If not, we could always improvise," she says.
He looks at her doubtfully. "There is no we in the execution of the plan. You're staying here, where you'll be safe."
Anika glares at him. …Excuse me? "I came up with the plan!" she protests. "I should at least get to see if it works!"
"I would much rather know you are out of harm's way," Kylo argues.
"Yeah, and I would much rather you still be topless," she snaps back. "But clearly, we can't always get what we want."
The look Kylo gives her is nothing short of incredulous. She stares back stubbornly, until he gives up with a shake of his head.
"You're ridiculous," he accuses.
"And yet, you know I'll just sneak out and go anyway. Whether or not you want me to," Anika points out. She's not getting left out, not when it was her idea. Plus, Darial will be at the dinner, and she wants to make sure her friend is okay. She couldn't warn her, so the least she can do is make sure Hux looks out for her.
Kylo takes a deep breath, the irritation plain in his voice when he responds. "You'll stay with Ap'lek at all times. You'll remain on one of the balcony levels, nowhere near the main ballroom. If things go badly, he will get you to safety, and you will listen to whatever he says. Do you understand?"
"Sure, yes," Anika agrees immediately.
Later
Anika dresses very warmly when she leaves her quarters a bit earlier than planned. She is growing more and more convinced that she isn't imagining the unusual chill in the air. Of course, it could just be an adjustment to the environmental regulation system that sets base temperature. There were plenty of other technicians who monitored things like that. But she wants to do a diagnostic herself, just to be sure.
She hasn't seen Kylo since he left that morning, but Ap'lek is waiting when her door slides open. He doesn't move when she steps out into the hall, standing still as a statue.
"We have got to stop meeting like this," Anika tries to joke with him. He says nothing, and she shifts uncomfortably. "Um, so I am going to admin level to run a diagnostic really quick. I can come back here, when I'm done."
He steps forward. "I'll go with you. We will go from there to our position above the ballroom."
"Oh-or, yeah, that works, too," she stutters, falling into step with him as he leads them towards the elevator. Will she ever stop feeling so awkward around the Knight? It doesn't help that they read minds. There's nowhere to hide the gutter bucket that is my brain.
The ride to the administration level is silent. Ap'lek looms like a shadow behind her when she exits the lift, and starts down the hallway. Anika tries to keep from thinking about anything she doesn't want overheard, focusing on finding the console.
This level is unusually quiet for the time of day, but that makes sense. Most of the people who would usually be crowding these offices and corridors are getting ready for their fancy dinner. There's just a skeleton crew working, the bare minimum to run things. It at least makes Anika's mission convenient, as she doesn't have to worry about someone stopping her to demand what she's doing.
She recognizes the computer bay as soon as she spots it, logging on quickly. Environmental isn't really her area of expertise, but she knows enough to run a basic diagnostic. Anika gets to work, then taps her foot impatiently while she waits.
A few minutes later, and she frowns. Guess it is just my imagination, then… The system says everything is fine. According to all measures available, there are no problems. She sighs with defeat, logging out.
"Are you finished?" Ap'lek asks quietly.
She jumps a bit, having forgotten he was lurking nearby. "Yeah, good to go."
Officer's Dinner- Ballroom
Anika watches the guests trail into the ballroom from one of the balconies that overlooks the space. They're all dressed up in clothing much more formal than anything she had ever owned. Some of their jackets have insignia or pins, while others in attendance lack all the decoration.
She spots quite a few guests that she knows are techs or medics, probably only there as dates. Anika's eyebrows shoot up when she recognizes Darial, entering through the main doors. Her friend is much more done up than usual, and she looks beautiful. Aww!
Her excitement fades fast, however, when she sees Hux drift in behind Darial. He settles a hand on her back, guiding her further into the room. His eyes are glued to his date's face, listening intently to whatever Darial is talking about. Anika rolls her eyes.
She tries to creep closer to the railing to see more, only to feel a tug on the back of her shirt. She looks back, confused, spotting Ap'lek's black glove restraining her. He pulls her back firmly, ignoring her noise of protest.
"You should stay out of sight," he explains lowly. "We don't want to raise suspicion."
Oh. Right. Anika nods sheepishly, a little embarrassed she hadn't thought of that. For one moment she'd nearly forgotten why they were here, distracted by all the decorations and music drifting up from below. But he's right, they need to be discrete. Tonight is about exposing blobs, not about spying on Darial's date.
She withdraws further into the alcove, leaning up against the wall to wait for the dinner to begin. The wall is cold to the touch, however, and she eventually can't stand to remain against it. Anika crosses her arms, trying to warm back up.
"Don't you think it's cold in here?" she asks Ap'lek, still stuck on the fact her diagnostic had turned up nothing.
The Knight's mask turns toward her slowly, but he doesn't say anything. Anika rubs her arms, cocking an eyebrow at him.
"I'm just saying, it's been really cold on base lately. I'm freezing," she complains.
"Unlike Master Ren, I am not your personal body warmer," Ap'lek states flatly.
Anika's mouth falls open. Did he just… seriously!? He knows about that? She feels her cheeks burning with embarrassment. Was nothing private between Kylo and his Knights? Did they share everything? Bet they update each other when they take a piss, too… Hey guys, I didn't miss the bowl this time. Force high five!
"Okay, I wasn't suggesting we huddle together for warmth or anything. I was just remarking, it's cold in here," Anika snaps, once she's recovered enough for a rebuttal.
"And I am explaining there is nothing I can do about that, as your body warmer is presently occupied elsewhere," Ap'lek retorts.
Anika just stares at him in disbelief. Okay, so, Ap'lek is sassy. She glares at his freaky mask for a moment, before abandoning the effort. It isn't going to get her anywhere, as she can't see his expression. The way he talks gives nothing away, either. His voice is so even, she can't get a read on if he's joking or ready to fling her off the balcony.
Maybe I should just talk less…I probably annoy him. But then when I'm not talking, I'm thinking stupid things. Which also probably annoys him. That's probably why one of the other Knights wants to get rid of me. I'm too damn annoying to their mindshare shit.
She sinks down to the ground to sit, resigned to keep her mouth closed for the immediate future. At least on the ground, she can make out some of the party below through the bars of the railing. It looks like almost all the guests have arrived, as the doors are now closed.
People start taking their seats, the music continuing to drift up to the balcony. For a few moments, Anika starts to worry. Has something gone wrong with the plan? What's with the delay?
But then an alarm sounds. After the first screech, everyone freezes in the ballroom with confusion. It goes off a second time, before the lights join in. Flashing warning lights trigger along the perimeter of the ballroom, as the fire suppression system activates. The dinner guests look around uncertainly, but they don't move for the doors.
All at once, the sprinkler system lets loose. Anika gets up, shielding her eyes from the alcohol pouring from the ceiling so she can look down. She sees one officer making a confused face. He hesitantly licks the liquid off his hand, before his mouth forms the words: What the fuck?
Suddenly, someone screams. Anika struggles to see, her eyes tearing up, irritated by the liquid leaking around her hand. On the far side of the hall, a woman is panicking when her date suddenly starts bubbling and frothing. He melts into a puddle within his suit, and she keels backward into a dead faint.
More screams erupt across the ballroom. More blobs are disintegrating, bubbling apart and collapsing within their clothes. There's one moment where everyone is frozen, astonished, before all hell breaks loose.
Loud chaos erupts, as everyone starts attempting to flee the ballroom. People are screaming and running randomly, in every direction. Blobs are falling apart as their dates abandon their sides, panicking, or stare in complete shock. All of the sets of doors are locked except the main entryway, and everyone starts funneling for the exit.
The panicked hoard sweeps through the doors slowly, still getting drenched in the alcohol raining down on their heads. Anyone making it out is clearly human, and leaving behind almost two dozen melted blobs. As they leave, they push and trip on one another in their haste.
Anika turns to Ap'lek excitedly, squinting. "It worked!" she shouts to be heard over the racket.
He doesn't respond, staring at her from where he's watching, farther back from the railing. Anika sighs, joining him to escape the torrent of alcohol. She uses the only dry part of her shirt she can find, from under her chin, to rub her face dry.
"We should make our way to the administration level," Ap'lek suggests. "Phase two starts soon."
"Right," Anika agrees, following him towards the exit from the balcony level. The sprinklers stop, the alarm dying down as someone finally shuts the system off.
They've only stepped into the hallway when the floor jumps beneath their feet. Anika throws a hand out at the sudden shaking, grabbing for the wall to keep herself upright. It's over in less than a second, but she lingers in place with uncertainty.
"What the…" she mutters.
Ap'lek looks back at her, shrugging one shoulder. He continues on as if nothing has happened, only for a second quake to almost immediately follow the first. Ap'lek freezes in place, steadying himself. The shaking is already growing stronger, the ground rolling violently.
Anika's eyes widen at the rumbling sound travelling through base. That's not good… That can't be flipping good… The trembling stops about the same time Ap'lek flinches, his hand flying to his head.
"Are you okay?" she asks, concerned.
The Knight straightens. "Yes. We need to move, now."
Anika's surprised when he moves towards her abruptly, grabbing her arm and towing her along so fast she's practically running. They reach the end of the hall and he slams the door open, pulling her down the staircase that takes them back to the main ballroom level.
They've only made it halfway down the steps when an alarm sounds again. This one sounds different, not the blaring single tone that the fire suppression system had made. It's higher pitched, screeching around them. Ap'lek doesn't pause, his grip on her arm unyielding as he herds her downwards. She can hear the crowd from the ballroom as they draw closer to the main level, still loud with sounds of panic.
A blast of cold air hits them when they reach the bottom of the staircase. Anika jerks her arm free from Ap'lek so she can stop. She looks up, eyes scanning the ceiling to land on the ductwork. There's frost forming on the metal ventilation pipe, as it continues gusting frigid air down onto them.
What the fuck…WHAT THE FUCK….
The frost grows, creeping over the surface of the duct in lacy white patterns. It's reversed… Why is it reversed? It's pulling heat from the base into the weapon… But that means…
Ap'lek growls with irritation, snatching her arm again to rip her through the doors. They spill out into the main level, which is a scene of absolute chaos. People are rushing everywhere, unsure what to do. The alarm continues overhead, flashing lights strobing over the crowd.
"The system is reversed!" Anika shouts to him urgently. "The weapon, it's going to overheat!"
"Why do you think we're getting off this planet!?" Ap'lek shouts back at her.
Oh… How did he know that already!?
Ap'lek shoves his way through the crowd, keeping her locked close to him in a bruising grip. Another wave of shaking passes through the base, the building groaning under the strain. They nearly get separated several times as people bump or ram into them.
Then, the announcement system comes to life through the speakers: "An evacuation has been ordered. Please proceed to the nearest-"
Screaming starts as the crowd shifts its tide, pushing in the same way Ap'lek had been leading her. Everyone is trying to head towards the same evacuation station at once, and a bottleneck forms. The people ahead of them start shoving, and Anika hears a woman cry out. A moment later and she spots her on the ground, people stepping on her in their haste to evacuate.
"Watch out, you fucking nerfherders!" Anika screams, shoving at men to try to get them off the poor lady. Ap'lek flings his arm out, and the guilty parties are blown backwards before they can continue trampling her.
"Thank you! Thank you," the woman sobs, clinging onto Anika as she pulls her to her feet. But the woman's eyes slide right passed Anika's. They widen into perfect spheres of terror, like she sees something terrible behind Anika's back.
Anika winces her eyes closed. I don't want to look. I don't even want to know.
But she gives up when a fresh wave of screaming begins, someone slamming into her and nearly knocking her off her feet. Ap'lek catches her, planting her back on the ground. Anika lets herself look at what fresh horror the evening has brought, turning to face it.
There at the end of the hallway, are three large piles of goop. They're fleshy and semi-transparent, sitting up like giant, jello-y droplets. She realizes that she's looking at blobs, in their natural form. Eugh. As she watches, each one starts to change shape. Her mouth drops open as limbs form from the blobs, heads appearing at the top of each. Their colors shift, darkening to shades of black.
Not a minute later, each blob has turned itself into a different Knight of Ren. She recognizes Ap'lek's mask in the middle of the group, despite the fact that she is standing right beside the real Ap'lek. To the left is a fake Trudgen, to the right one of the Knights she hasn't gotten acquainted with yet. None of the imposter Knights of Ren have weapons, but they storm forward anyway.
Next to her, the real Ap'lek lets his weapon drop, securing his grip on it. "Go," he orders her. "Get to the evac station."
She looks between him and the group of blobs, hesitating with concern. "But-"
"GO!" he commands forcefully.
Anika forces herself to listen, moving with the flood of people towards the evacuation area. She looks back once, catching a glimpse of Ap'lek's weapon flashing in the air. But she trips, nearly falling into the back of an officer in front of her. After that, she keeps her focus forward. The air is downright freezing cold now, not even the mass of bodies enough to block the chill.
She's getting closer to the station, the flow of the crowd moving quicker now. Another strong quake hits, and for a moment everyone stops to try to hang on. Anika can't reach a wall to hold, her balance tested as the ground bucks under her feet. The planet is losing stability, rapidly. Not good, not good, not FUCKING GOOD!
"Anika!?"
She searches the crowd at the sound of her name. A moment later, and she sees Darial's face. She fights through the tangle of people to her friend. When they're close enough, Darial grabs onto her. She's soaked through with alcohol, as is Hux behind her. His red hair is a soppy mess, his face a mix of anger and fear.
"Where's Ren!?" he demands. "Is he with you?"
Anika shakes her head. "I haven't seen him, and the blobs-they're impersonating Knights now." She gestures vaguely back in the direction she'd last seen Ap'lek fighting the invaders.
Hux's face pales considerably at that news. He looks forward as the crowd begins surging once more. "We're almost to the station," he says, like he's reassuring himself. "We can regroup, come up with another-"
"The pods are all used! Turn back!" someone shouts from ahead. Immediately people start relaying the message, a chorus of voices shouting in an attempt to turn the crowd around.
Anika's heart sinks, about the same time another, brutal quake strikes. She stumbles into Darial, who stumbles into Hux. Luckily, the general manages to keep his feet during the shaking. He helps them stay upright, until the ground stabilizes once more. Then they join the crowd in heading back the way they'd come, hoping there are pods left at the next nearest station.
If we even get there in time… Anika can't help but consider how rapidly the temperature is dropping, and how frequently the shaking is happening. How long can the weapon keep from hitting critical overload? It's not designed to handle heat being recycled into it.
"Enough of this," Hux snaps suddenly, grabbing her and Darial. He pulls them from the crowd at an intersection. "We can get to the hangar faster than we'll make it to the next station."
For a couple minutes, it looks like he'll be proven right. The hallways taking them to the hangar bay are much emptier than the one they'd just left. Hux leads them, Darial keeping a frightened grip on Anika. She's shaking, the cold making her tremble uncontrollably in her pretty dress. Anika isn't handling it much better, shivering. They are practically running, the alarms still going off uselessly.
They round a corner, and come to a startled stop. Ahead of them, three Knights of Ren are standing. They are weaponless, giving them away as imposters.