Fandom Star Wars: Rising Tide [closed]

[cleopat]

Of course. Of course the woman could wait, standing there and watching. Phasma would ignore her for the remainder of the training session, or ignore her as much as she could. Of course, on occasion, she would allow the secrecy her helmet provided to shoot a glance in her direction, just to see what she was doing.

Standing, watching, and quiet. Phasma’s suspicions remained.

After the hour, Phasma declared to the troopers that they were done, and as they began to leave, she turned back to the stranger. “The training room is yours, if you so wish.”

She almost wanted to stay behind to watch, just to see what the woman was going to do. What she was capable of. “Is there anything else you need?”

~~

Azra wanted to remain behind just a second longer. She wanted to know what it was Shriv was going to say, and she wanted to know what it was Poe was ambiguous about when he stopped Shriv.

But when Silkie turned her attention to Poe, Azra used that distraction to follow after BB-8 out of Shriv’s place. “You’re not a fan of loth-cats either, aren’t you Beebee?” she asked, glancing down at the droid.

BB-8 trilled its response, a confirmation of what Azra said. It wasn’t a cat toy, something the loth-cats didn’t understand.

“Get a lead where?” she had to ask when Poe joined them. Someone he was looking for? Something? Her natural curiosity yearned to know, but Azra doubted he would tell her, especially if it related to the Resistance.

 

[Lucyfer]

Myka did so wish, and she pushed away from the wall, giving the strange woman a smile, “Thank you,” she said, “I would like to know how it works so I can have it set up, but I suppose we can also go with trial and error, if you’re too busy.”

Myka had a feeling the woman would rather take the time to at least show her the basics, rather than risk the Sith somehow messing it all up in her attempt to start a training session. It would no doubt put the woman behind in training the Stormtroopers, and it potentially risked her getting into trouble.

Perhaps the latter wasn’t much of a concern – Myka got that vibe – but it still would hinder her own progress with the Stormtroopers.

‘Somehow….’

Later, she would find a way to reach out to the one in that group.

Somehow. Someway.

~***~

“Hm?” Poe seemed momentarily confused as he stepped out of the room, then recalled, and waved it off, “Oh, that. ‘Fraid I can’t tell you about that,” he answered, “but uh, yeah, if I do hear anything back from General Organa, I may have to cut this short, but I don’t think that’s gonna happen too soon.”

They had Lor San Tekka looking into things. Poe was more or less cut free from that task, though he was still called upon to follow up on any leads. They were just more and more infrequent ever since they’d caught up with Lor San Tekka, and since Terex was pulled off the case on the Order’s side.

Poe would give Terex credit – the asshole knew what he was doing.

“Don’t worry, next place we go shouldn’t have any cats to bother you,” he chuckled, “What’s up with you and cats, anyways?” He asked as they stepped into the lift.

 

[cleopat]

Phasma indeed had half a thought to leave the woman up to figuring things out herself, but she then had a mental image of everything becoming fried due to a user error. Or because the woman threw a droid at an important panel.

“Come over here,” she begrudgingly said, motioning towards the control panel she stood near. It controlled the droids and the simulations, altering between scenarios and difficulty as its controller, such as Phasma, deemed necessary for the troopers.

And, in cases of emergencies, the panel had an emergency stop button, one that Phasma has not used before.

“Actually,” Phasma reconsidered, “I think I will stay and watch.” Training was done for the evening, and aside from a report that had to be typed up that evening, she could make the time to watch this woman and gauge any potential threat level.

~~

Of course Poe couldn’t tell her that information. Azra sighed, but she would leave it. If someone didn’t want to reveal something willingly, she never pushed it. What she did know is that it was something big, and it dealt with General Organa.

Again, not much, but it satisfied Azra to know that it was indeed something big.

Azra groaned. Of course he wouldn’t drop that. She leaned against one side of the lift and looked over at the man. “I had a bad experience with one when I was very young, and it just stuck with me all these years.” A young Zahra got too curious with the cat her family was watching for a friend.

“I mean, I was five, and I may have petted the cat too harshly, or tugged on its tail, but the memory of being cornered by a hissing cat with its claws scratching at you doesn’t go away.” She shrugged, and despite the memory, a faint smile crossed her lips.

Little Zahra got into a lot of trouble.

 

[Lucyfer]

True to her suspicions, Phasma was not going to leave her hanging. Myka did go over to the panel, and expected to hear some explanations. Instead, it seemed the woman had a change of heart. Myka canted her head at that, curious, but not upset by this.

“Very well,” Myka accepted that and stepped away from the panel.

She moved to the door that was the entrance to the training room, “Then, don’t go too easy on me,” she said, before she would step into the room. She did not pull her lightsabers into her hand, but looked around, and tried to get a feel for where openings were.

For how the environment itself might shift.

And she let her vision double, forcing her sight ahead by a few seconds. It was difficult to maintain, but she was always working on getting a better feel for it – and for mastering shatterpoints, in general.

This was not such a thing. Not this moment – but they were scattered about the ship all the same.

~***~

Poe was delighted to get any bit of information about the cat situation, and though he tried not to laugh – he honestly couldn’t help it, and was glad she had at least smiled a little in her own rendition of telling him the tale of her misadventures with a cats in her past. “I’m sorry – I really can imagine what a traumatic even that must have been.”

BB-8 still called him out for the laughter, not pleased with Poe, either.

That only amused him a little more, but he got himself together, never going into a full-out laugh. Just those little chuckles that he couldn’t help in the least.

“Maybe some day you should get to know some more cats. Try to make some more pleasant memories with them. I promise, most of them aren’t fiends.”

BB-8 disagreed.

“You’re a rolling ball, Beebee, of course you’re an exception to this rule,” he said as the lift came to a stop and they were able to get off.

 

[cleopat]

Phasma watched the woman go into the training room. I wouldn’t dream of it. She never went easy on anyone, and she wouldn’t start on this woman Kylo brought to the First Order.

She had been half tempted to start the woman off with something difficult, but instead, Phasma chose to ease her into the training simulations. The woman prepared herself for battle, that Phasma could see, in a way similar to how she had seen Kylo train.

A press of a few buttons, and the first few droids spilled out, not hesitating in delivering the first few blasts in the direction of Myka. The environment didn’t alter for the moment, but Phasma prepared to change up the simulation after her initial observations.

~~

Azra rolled her eyes at Poe’s failure to keep in his laughter. The chuckles didn’t bother her in the least - she knew how the story sounded. And it wasn’t something she was still traumatized over, even if it did leave a lingering scar over her opinion on all cats.

“Until that day comes, I think I’m just gonna have to agree with Beebee on this one,” she said, following Poe off the lift. Beebee vocalized how it was pleased someone agreed with it.

The poor droid turned into a toy for the loth-cat.

“I’m assuming we’ll rest for the evening, and continue tomorrow?” It had been a long day, starting off at Hays Minor and narrowly escaping the First Order, and Azra wanted some time to go over the information given to her. “What is next, by the way?”

 

[Lucyfer]

Myka drew the lightsaber into her hands as soon as she heard the shift, and in her doubled-vision she saw the droids appear, saw the directions they came from, and their actions before they were taken. Blaster shots.

Nothing terribly difficult to deal with, and both ends of her lightsaber ignited, the magenta casting its light across the floor, before she twirled it around herself. Each end connected with a blaster bolt, and sent it right back at the droid who fired it.

Of course, the training droids were sturdier than others, since it was expected they would get hit. None of them broke from a blaster shot sent back to them, though the hit did momentarily deactivate them, as if they were a real opponent that was hit and taken out of the combat for the time being.

Myka relaxed her saber back at her side when all had been struck.

Waiting.

She hadn’t even taken a step from where she was.

~***~

Poe arched an eyebrow at Azra’s request, “Is it that late already?” he honestly didn’t know, hopping worlds as frequently as he did gave him a questionable sense of time. BB-8 indicated what time it was back on D’Qar. Not that he said D’Qar, but it was how Poe kept track of how long he might have been awake. “I guess we could rest, though we’ll want to get your ship out of here and take it somewhere to rest.”

Somewhere not so close to the Order, or anything, really.

“We can talk about where we’re going in the ship, too,” best not to talk about it too much out in the open. Sure, no one knew what they were here for, but he still didn’t need someone realizing who he was, and then hearing where he was going to next. Not on this planet, at least.

He did have at least a few ideas. They would move outwards from the Core, ending in the further reaches of the galaxy, since they were already here. Best to make their jumps close together, rather than all over the place.

 

[cleopat]

The woman had a lightsaber. But instead of the crosshilt violent red of Kylo’s saber, hers was a double-ended magenta. Phasma didn’t even know they could be that color.

Did the colors mean anything?

Other than the weapon, Myka had performed similar to how Phasma expected. Easily with not a single bead of sweat. “I would’ve been disappointed if you actually exerted any energy on that level.”

Without another thought, Phasma upped the difficulty. The room changed into a simulation of a forest, and more droids appeared. The frequency at which they shot bolts would also increase. She didn’t imagine that the woman would find it very difficult, but she wanted to see how Myka would respond to the steady increase.

~~

Azra chuckled at Poe’s lack of awareness over time. “What, does the great Poe Dameron not sleep?” she teased. He seemed like he wanted to keep going, that the edges of exhaustion weren’t affecting him like they were starting to with Azra.

And it had, after all, been an eventful day for both of them.

She quickly understood the need to continue their future plans on the ship, and Azra followed a similar line of thought to Poe as she eyed his orange jumpsuit. Not exactly something that blended in well. “Do you have anything less...conspicuous?”

If they were going to continue to hop to planets that had First Order presence, she didn’t want them to be walking targets with that fluorescent orange jumpsuit. And Azra wanted a chance to see Poe in normal clothes.

 

[Lucyfer]

Myka glanced up, hearing the woman’s voice through the speakers. It seemed so far, she wasn’t disappointing anyone. She smirked a bit at that, but held position, waiting. She understood, then, that this would be a gradual increase until she was overwhelmed.

‘Good.’

The environment changed, no longer like that of a ship, but instead, that of a forest. Myka would not allow herself to be distracted by this, but focused on the droids that resumed firing. It was now at a faster pace, but there were plenty of good things about the dual-sided saber. Its reach was one of them, as with its ability to spin around easily and block shots from many directions.

She still didn’t want to do much moving, intent on showing off her own skill by staying grounded, but a touch of the Force did have to come into play for that.

Myka averted or redirected shots. Not to a great degree. She didn’t stop any in mid-air, nor direct them purposefully into another droid. The shots that went back were those blocked by the lightsaber, rather than those turned by the Force. That was simply done to avoid being hit.

~***~

Poe arched a brow at Azra’s question, “Uh, did you see me bring any bags onto your ship, Az?” He asked. He hadn’t, obviously. He also hadn’t brought anything else in his X-Wing since this was initially planned to be just a quick mission and then back to base. Clothing hadn’t crossed his mind.

Going to base also wasn’t going to cross his mind right then.

“I, uh, don’t suppose you happen to have some spare random men’s clothes lying around, do you?” He doubted it, though who knew, maybe the ship had some left behind in it, or maybe a hook-up had fled and left something behind. Doubtful, but he could hope.

He was going to run out of clean clothes soon, and he didn’t want to be in a smelly orange jumpsuit the entire time.

BB-8 couldn’t keep a comment about hygiene to itself, either.

 

[cleopat]

Things were beginning to get difficult. The woman still maintained her cool facade, but Phasma did note some more unusual tactics. Her use of the Force did not escape her keen gaze, and she wondered exactly how Myka’s use of the Force compared to Kylo.

Would they employ similar techniques? Is it different? So far, Phasma had seen dodging techniques that Kylo had used as well. So, not terribly different.

This time, Phasma said nothing as she dialed up the frequency of the blasts from the droids even more. None more came out, but the active ones did also begin to move faster.

Phasma wanted to see the woman sweat, and so far, she was not succeeding. She intended to change that.

~~

Azra shrugged. No, she didn’t see any bags. She had just wondered if Poe thought of anything before agreeing on this galactic adventure to show her the extent of the First Order deeds. Apparently he didn’t.

She raised one eyebrow and looked at Poe. “No, I don’t,” she deadpanned. “Though I may have some shirts that I sometimes use to sleep in that may be large enough for you.” Azra couldn’t even remember how she acquired the shirts in the first place. Maybe they were from old exes…

“And maybe we can find a few things for you on the next planet.” At least one additional change of clothes, or she may ditch him soon just from smell alone.

They stepped inside the hangar, and her ship was still there, untouched. Not that she expected anything else, but sometimes Azra got the thought of ‘what if.’

Like what if the First Order did know where she was.

 

[Lucyfer]

The irritation Myka started to feel mingled with boredom. That was never a good combination, and admittedly, what the Knight of Ren had experienced when Myka got bored of playing with them. When they showed they had nothing to offer her, with their lackadaisical skillset and novice weapon skills.

Myka was getting bored of the droids.

Was all they could do fire blaster shots at increasingly rapid rates?

Rather than break a sweat by moving ever faster with the blades, Myka ducked under the oncoming fire, the blades used to deflect a few low shots, but that was hardly the main reason. Her open hand had sparked with lightning, and she slammed it into the floor. For all its looks of a forest, it was still metal.

And it carried the lightning on it, spreading over the floor within a second and spilling up the walls, catching the droids in its outward net as Myka’s eyes shifted from the vibrant yellow to a more orange hue, suggesting her irritation in the moment of her action.

It would fade.

It always did.

But it took time.

~***~

“Heh,” Poe moved a hand behind his head at the mention of finding clothes on a new planet, and using Azra’s until then. It was usually the other way around, but he supposed he wouldn’t mind all that much being engulfed by her scent for a bit. Not much at all. “I suppose we can make a plan for that at the next stop. I’ll make sure it’s a habited world, then.”

That had been the plan anyways, but there were those on the list that really…weren’t.

At least, not any longer.

The ship seemed to be just as they left it, undisturbed, and not locked up. They were getting out of here just fine, and he’d step up into it as they came to it, and waited for Azra to get in, before he’d head towards the cockpit.

Once he heard the door shut behind, he offered, “I was thinking of heading to Castilon next.”

 

[cleopat]

Phasma watched with slight awe at the lightning the woman conjured with her own hand. Slight. Never had she seen Kylo use that. Could he? She wanted to ask him.

The woman was bored. Or annoyed. Or both. Phasma couldn’t quite pin down the emotion, but she didn’t like what was presented to her. “Maybe it’s time for a bit more fun,” her clipped voice said. A few more buttons were pressed, and while the scenery stayed the same, more of the droids came out, including some armed with riot control batons and others with shields.

They would be faster, exponentially so from the previous scenarios. Phasma now had her on a level more suited for some of her well trained and experienced stormtroopers. As the first set headed in her direction, more appeared, all similarly armed.

“How much more can you take?” It wasn’t quite a taunt, but more of a genuine question. One woman against a scenario a small team of troopers would go against. And yet Phasma had a feeling the droids wouldn’t win.

~~

“Good,” Azra nodded, pleased that Poe will be getting new clothes. “I don’t want to be smelling you in that jumpsuit.” Not that she did earlier, in the X-Wing. And not that Poe had a distinctive scent she could get lost in. Nope.

Because that didn’t happen.

Azra followed Poe into her ship, and her eyes darted around instinctively, making sure everything looked in order. Everything did. “Castilon?” she repeated, as if to make sure she heard right. “That seems quite the jump from Athulla.” From the Core to the outer edges of Wild Space.

She plopped down in the co-pilot’s seat. “What’s going on there?” Nothing immediately sprung out at her about the ocean planet. It kind of seemed...almost random. “I’m assuming that’s not where we’ll be getting you clothes.”

 

[Lucyfer]

The lightsaber was a fine weapon. Myka always liked it, but compared to the sheer power of the Force, it was little more than a tool. Phasma’s voice again came over the intercom, suggesting that hadn’t been destroyed, before new droids came marching out, these with different weapons than the others.

Their speed was commendable, and the fact they were not living gave them some advantages, so far as what Myka could and could not sense.

The doubled vision aided her in foreseeing what was to come.
This, at least, was more interesting.

Close-range and far-range attacks mingled together were more difficult to deal with, by default. Myka still succeeded, pulling droids into shots or making sure to use the close range ones as shields, while actually striking out with the lightsaber, this time.

The batons were useful weapons that could withstand the lightsaber, but they still couldn’t really stop themselves from being flung across the room with a Force Push. Or into other droids.

Eventually, a setting meant for many, was cleared, though at least Myka was breathing a bit harder, given she had to move quickly to engage opponents and dodge shots this time.

Perhaps she could have just used the lightning again – but she hadn’t. “More than that. Is this the kind of thing that Commander Ren or his Knights find challenging?” She wondered. She wouldn’t be surprised if this bothered his knights, but him? Certainly he was better than that, right?

~***~

Poe shrugged, “Most of the First Order’s more obvious operations are on places like that,” he said, “if they were all here in the Core, or even the Mid-Rim, the Order would have been dealt with by now. We’re lucky to have Shriv here to let us know the situation. On the other planets, well…it might take months to actually get you anything besides rumor.”

Poe knew activity was happening in many places, but getting the proof of it took time. He could tell Azra what was going on, but he couldn’t show her.

She heard enough rumors, no doubt.

“And why not?” He sounded offended she didn’t think he could get clothes on Castilon. “It’s a major port world, I’m sure they have some things in my size.”

 

[cleopat]

It was clear that the woman was using more of the Force now, as the added droids and weaponry made it more difficult to simply use only the lightsaber. But the blur of her magenta weapon still aided in defeating the droids.

Phasma stared at this woman. She was still unscathed, but breathing a bit harder.

She wanted a tougher challenge, but Phasma had reason to believe she wouldn’t be able to deliver on that unless she brought in Kylo Ren and his Knights.

“They often sparred with one another,” Phasma admitted. Once every now and then, she may see some lone Knight make their way to the training rooms, but one another offered more of a challenge than droids. But this woman wanted to see how the training rooms worked.

There would be one more level of difficulty Phasma could offer her. The simulation environment changed from a forest into a jungle, trees and foliage denser. Droids appeared with the same weapons as before, but they seemingly appeared from every corner of the room, surrounding Myka.

~~

Months to get anything substantial. Where would the First Order be in several months? How many more kids would be gone? This was why she liked to face the danger to seek out rumors and tips with her own eyes. Yes, it occasionally resulted in being shot at, but most of the time it was worth it.

And she knew there were many First Order activity on various planets in the Outer Rims and beyond. She had seen a few of them, read of them, and created propaganda material for them. She had simply figured there would be other corrupted worlds with their influence.

Azra chuckled at Poe. “I remember you thinking my ship may not be able to make the distance without a stop.” It could make it from the Core to the outer edges of Outer Space. Maybe.

No, it definitely could.

“And what if they don’t have anything in your size?” she teased, eyes glancing over his figure before quickly settling back on his face.

 

[Lucyfer]

Of course the training rooms weren’t set up to satisfy a Force sensitive. Though Myka would have been willing to believe it from the start, it was still terribly disappointing. Not to mention, this all seemed to be taking place in natural environments. “No cities?” she couldn’t help but voice the query.

The criticism.

At least this time the droids were a bit better at using the cover afforded to them by the foliage.

Myka probably could have used it, but at first she didn’t bother with it, tapping into the Force for speed to rush a grouping of those with blasters to get rid of them, before engaging with one of those with the baton that had probably been meant as defense for the blaster party.

Hard to protect against a foe like her, given she could jump over them.

The one with the baton fell quick enough, and she shielded herself from more blaster shots with the lightsaber, before pulling a few of those blasters up, and out of the droid’s hands.

She brought them crashing down onto other droids, more of a distraction than anything else, before she ducked behind cover, and began to weave her way around the remaining droids. She finished the ranged ones up first, before opting to take on the baton ones.

But as before, they all fell. It took more work, of course, but Myka remained unscathed, the Force aiding in that, and the fact these were droids. Far easier to throw across a room, or disarm, than a living being was. The Force didn’t intervene for them, as it did with even those not sensitive.

At least, it did a little.

This had its use, perhaps, for dealing with groups. Myka could see some appeal, but she saw more flaws in it – though that gave her ideas of what the Order trained for. What that training meant, just as well. They were taking over backwater planets, then. Resources.

They weren’t preparing to take over cities. Not like this, at any rate.

Or else they were unfamiliar with how to engage that environment.

~***~

“I still have my doubts,” Poe chuckled as he moved to the cockpit and once again took the pilot’s seat, “but since we got it refueled, we may as well try, right? Besides, we have to take this thing to rest somewhere, so we can see how much fuel that wastes, anyways.” Maybe they would have to make another stop before Castilon.

That wouldn’t be a terrible hardship.

“Besides, if they don’t have anything in my size, we’ll just plan on it for the next place,” he shrugged. It wouldn't be that bad. He at least had some of her oversized clothing to throw on and see how that worked.

BB-8 couldn’t help but wonder about pants, though.

“It’ll be fiiiiine,” Poe said, as he started to set coordinates to jump to in the mid-rim where the could anchor the ship and rest.

 

[cleopat]

Phasma said nothing to the woman over her comment. If she wasn’t too bored and decided to continue the simulation, Phasma would then take her snarky query into consideration.

The woman dodged and attacked with speed and accuracy that reminded Phasma of Kylo and his Knights. She would be well skilled amongst them if that is what Kylo had planned for her.

The droids continued attacking, and Myka continued to effortlessly evade their blaster bolts and riot control batons. She continued to use the Force, and Phasma had to wonder how the woman would be able to fight without that ability. Would she still be as fast? As accurate? As deadly?

She finished off the last droids of this round. “Perhaps our training simulator isn’t of the right parr for you.”

~~

Azra rolled her eyes, lips turned upwards in a small smile. “Well then, I guess I’ll just have to prove you wrong, won’t I?” She could have some doubts about her ship, but not Poe. He didn’t know it like she did. It was her ship, dammit!

Stopping before Castilon didn’t sound too bad though. Just in case.

Azra turned her chair slightly so she could better see BB-8. “See? At least someone thinks about your hygiene.” She shifted her gaze from Poe down to the droid. “You’re his constant voice of reason, aren’t you?”

BB-8 trilled its confirmation.

 

[Lucyfer]

As Myka heard Phasma’s statement, she moved a hand over her eyes and took a breath, letting the doubled vision fade away. “No, it seems not to be,” she admitted, and looked around for where the exit was. With the changing environment, it was a bit hard to see, but nonetheless, she located it and walked towards it to leave.

She assumed Phasma’s comment meant that was all there was in store for her in this environment, which was a pity, but it did give her plenty of ideas about the First Order and what they were training for. What they knew, as well.

Snoke didn’t seem to be offering much about the Force.

Or cities.

“Still, this gives me some insight,” she said, once she’d exit the room, “I thank you for that.” She still had no idea of this other woman’s name. Oh well. She had a feeling the silver armor would remain distinctive.

~***~

Yes, yes Azra would – although Poe imagined he’d be doing much of the proving given he was in the pilot’s seat and anticipated that remaining for a while, as the coordinates were set, and as soon as they were clear of the hangar on Athulla, they went off into lightspeed.

Poe scoffed at the thought of BB-8 being his impulse control, though. “You should see what Beebee does. He is definitely not the voice of reason here.” Poe disagreed, “he just happens to think of things I don’t, sometimes.”

Azra would probably get to see, though.

Although Poe really hoped that she wouldn’t. That would mean things had taken a bad turn. Then again, they were pursing information on the First Order. That always meant a chance of that, no matter how much Poe didn’t like it. At least this time, he wasn’t looking for a fight.

“Though speaking of, do you have a shower in this thing? I should probably at least rinse off before heading to sleep.”

 

[cleopat]

With the woman leaving, Phasma turned off the simulation, the jungle environment disappearing and revealing the durasteel walls and floors. Not a second later, she came back into the control room.

Insight? So this woman was very curious to learn more about the First Order. But why? Everyone had a motive, and this Force user no doubt had one as well.

There was a reason she came back with Kylo.

“Why are you here?” Phasma questioned, looking down at the woman. “Why did you come to the First Order?” She wasn’t there just because she used the Force, unless there was intention in her becoming a Knight.

But something told Phasma that wasn’t the case.

~~

Azra chuckled. BB-8? Not being a voice of reason, but rather Poe? She hardly believed that. And the droid was cute. And resourceful! Totally a voice of reason.

Poe easily switched the subject. Azra nodded as she stood, “Oh good, I was wondering when you were going to ask about a shower,” she teased. Not that he smelled bad, but he would in the morning without a shower. “Just follow me, I can show you.”

She led him into their shared bedroom, where there was the bunk bed she mentioned, along with another door that led into a bathroom. “It’s just through there,” she motioned to the door with one hand, as she headed to a dresser. The bottom drawer was pulled open, and Azra searched through its contents for a moment before she pulled out an olive green shirt with a couple of paint splatters on it. “You can sleep in this. It should be able to fit you.”

She offered the shirt to him and continued, "There's towels in the cabinet in there. Everything should be easy to find."

 

[Lucyfer]

Everyone was curious, once Myka showed them something. It was true with Kylo Ren, and now it was true with the stand-offish silver soldier. Myka could only look amused by her newfound curiosity, when earlier she had been so distant.

Her tone reminded her a bit too much of her old master. Demanding, and expectant of an answer. She wondered how often the woman was told ‘no’.

Often enough, perhaps…but not by people she considered beneath her.

Myka didn’t have a position here. That freed her from any authority. Myka stepped forward, into what most people would consider their ‘bubble’, “Ask nicely,” she suggested in a low voice, just the hint of a threat in it, as she lifted up on tip-toes, and smiled.

There wasn’t a smile in her eyes, though.

She was curious to see what sort of reaction this would garner. She wasn’t expecting positive results – but even the negative would be…insightful.

~***~

The refresher wasn’t the largest, but it had everything Poe would need. Not that he needed much. “Is your soap going to be horribly floral?” he couldn’t help but tease as he stepped in, and took note of the cabinets and everything else. “If I smell like a garden after this, I’m going to have to examine the ship when we land to get that smell back on me.”

BB-8 sounded immediately exasperated, although BB-8 couldn’t deny that the oily smell was pleasant. Of course, BB-8 liked oil baths. And he was owed an oil bath when they got back to base.

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll make sure you get a nice one, Beebee,” Poe promised. “We’ll get you all cleaned up.” Not that he was dirty. He was still pristine, white and orange.

He did take the shirt, “What were you painting?” He assumed the paint was from something she’d done, and that she hadn’t bought the shirt that way, at any rate.

 

[cleopat]

Phasma felt her eye twitch at the woman’s audacity. First, for stepping so close to her. Second, for daring her to ask more nicely. She would never. No one had ever dared to ask Phasma that. Everyone else, except for a select few, were too terrified of the tall woman in chromium to do that.

She looked down at Myka, the helmet hiding the glare she’s sending her. Maybe the woman could feel it with the Force. “I never ask twice.” Her voice was cold, anger not abating.

And yet she admired the woman’s guts.

There was that danger in her, Phasma could see that clearly. But she wouldn’t be intimidated. No one intimidated her. “So if you don’t want to answer me, then stay out of my way.”

~~

Azra scoffed at the tease. “It wouldn’t hurt you to smell like a garden,” she shot back. But she did like that mechanic smell on him, and she wondered how he would look while working on a ship. Getting dirty, sweaty, and...Azra stop that now.

Clearing her throat, her eyes glanced at the shirt Poe asked about. “A painting,” she lamely responded. She didn’t know how else to describe what she was painting, and she wouldn’t show him the piece if he asked. At least, not that night.

Azra turned back to her dresser, pulling out clothes to sleep in. She would shower after Poe did, so it was one less thing to worry about in the morning. “I have a few shirts I always wear while painting for that very reason. Unfortunately, I think all those shirts are the only ones I have that may fit you.” Which was why they needed to get him more on the next planet. And pants.

 

[Lucyfer]

Anger. A cold anger that gave Myka plenty of answers. Her suspicions were correct; Phasma did not at all like this approach, and yet, as with so many others, there wasn’t hatred. A flame was stoked, and once it existed, it wasn’t always hard to get it to burn how Myka wanted it to. Anger was such an easy emotion to manipulate and twist.

Her grin became indulgent, touching her eyes as Phasma refused to stoop to the level requested, “Then I suppose you’re the one leaving unsatisfied tonight,” Myka lowered herself back down, and stepped around the woman. Not further, not initially, but fairly close in passing her by to leave the training area. “It was good to meet you, and good to learn more about the training. You can always come around if you ever want to finish.”

She was satisfied, at least. Enough to tease again.

She had more information on the training grounds, on what they trained for, and a bit more about the overseer of all this.

Time to move on and check out more of the Order, then.

~***~

Poe knew it wouldn’t hurt to smell like a garden, might even be nice for a bit, but he knew the smells he preferred. Definitely a perk, given his life and chosen path in it involved all of those smells. He didn’t think that was the main reason he got on that path – but who knew, it may have contributed to it.

He hadn’t expected a painting to be the source of the paint, though.

To be fair, he also didn’t do much painting of pictures, and didn’t know many that did. He didn’t think it was that messy, even if painting ships and homes had shown him how messy painting could be. He’d expected something like that.

“Yeah? I wouldn’t have guessed,” though he supposed it went well with the journalism thing. They were usually artsy sorts in some way. “You’ll have to show me sometime,” he suggested, “but for now, I’m gonna get cleaned up,” he would step further into the refresher and shut the door behind him, leaving BB-8 outside of it.

 

[cleopat]

The grin was unexpected, but Phasma found that the woman was truly an enigma. She didn’t act like anyone in the First Order, which didn’t come as a surprise, but did she work for anyone? Or did she work for herself?

“Maybe for tonight, but I will get what I want to know,” she promised. And it won’t be from being nice to Myka. Phasma would observe the woman from a distance, and she would see what Kylo Ren was willing to tell her.

She didn’t bid farewell to the woman as she had done. Silently she turned and made her way to the exit. There were reports to be written and shifts to schedule. She had duties to tend to, and she couldn’t allow her attention to be directed to the strange woman any longer.

~~

Azra shrugged. “You may find there are many surprises about me.” But she had no intention of him finding out about all her little surprises. They weren’t relevant to their journey, and she didn’t wish to see his reaction to learning of her First Order past.

Not to mention how awkward that would make things.

“Maybe, if you’re lucky,” she shot back before he turned to go into the bathroom. Once alone, sans BB-8, Azra turned to sit on her bed and pulled out her datapad. While Poe was in the shower, she would read over anything she could about Jinata Security and those in charge of it.

Just a start, to determine how far the corruption ran, and if they truly were connected to the missing children.

 

[Lucyfer]

Myka did spend a few more hours roaming about the ship. She did not go to the spark she felt, given the parting words she had caught from the silver soldier, but she would still find a way to learn more about that soldier. A pity she didn’t have their face, and that they wore white. They would blend in – but Myka could feel them.

Soon enough, she’d meet them.

She had patience.

She did discern where the Bridge was, but was unable to get onto it, unfortunately. That was a bit better protected, and not as easy to talk her way in to, but she knew where it was.

Eventually, she would wander back to her quarters, and fall into her bed. Not as soft as she’d like it, but it would suffice for her needs. For sleep. And so, she would drift off, curious what the next day would bring with the Order.

With Kylo.

With the silver soldier.

And with the frazzled ginger she’d seen on the Bridge. He had definitely not been happy to even see her.

~***~

Everyone had their surprises.

Though, Poe knew, he was pretty typical for a pilot. Still, he knew from Leia alone not to judge a book by its cover. ‘And Ben….’ But he tried not to think of Leia’s son right then, or Luke, or anything to do with his larger mission.

His datapad, at least, never pinged while he was in the shower. He got cleaned up and threw on the shirt, realizing that he didn’t have pants besides the jumpsuit ones. So, of course, he still pulled those on, but tied them off at his waist with the sleeves, leaving them hanging over his left leg like a bandana or something.

“All right, it’s all yours!” he said, “Uh, which bunk was mine again?” He’d already forgotten that.

 

[cleopat]

Kylo tossed and turned most of the night. While he never slept well on most nights, this one was exacerbated by the lingering smell Myka left behind on his bed. All he could think about was how she looked lounging on his bed, in that damned scrap of a dress, how soft her lips felt against his.

He still didn’t know if he regretted the decision to bring her onto the ship.

It seemed that she had already made her mark on the ship, though, Kylo mused as he scanned the messages on his datapad. One in particular from Phasma, indicating that she had met the woman the previous night in one of the training simulator rooms.

It hadn’t posed as a challenge for her. No, of course not. She needs a real challenge.

He decided that he should summon her before she got bored again and set off exploring the ship, potentially getting into trouble. After already dressed for the day, Kylo pulled out his datapad and typed up a message for her:

Come to my quarters when you are dressed.

He felt that including the specifics of her state of dress was necessary. He wouldn’t put it past her to come to his room with next to nothing on.

~~

Azra kept to her reading while Poe was in the shower. When she heard the door open, her eyes instinctively rose to Poe, one brow rising at the sigh of his jumpsuit tied around his waist. Well, he didn’t have any other pants, after all.

Even if she had to buy them, Poe Dameron needed some clothes for this trip.

She placed her datapad on the bed and rose to her feet with her pajamas in her hands. “The top one. I believe you had requested it.” She preferred the bottom anyways. It was easier to get in and out of.

Azra went into the bathroom and took little time in washing herself off. She dried off and threw on her pajamas, which were only simple shorts and a tank. Her hair was still damp when she walked back into the bedroom, but she had dried it off as much as she could with a towel. It could be a menace.

 

[Lucyfer]

Unlike Kylo, Myka had slept quite well, and slept in. Not that she had much of a reason to be up early, and she had spent her time wandering around the ship. So she woke with the buzz of her datapad, alerting her to a message from Kylo. She stared at it a few seconds, trying to make sense of this directive to ‘be dressed’.

Technically speaking, she thought she was already dressed in her nightgown, but she supposed he meant ‘day clothes’.

He wasn’t too specific on that, at all.

She sent back a message, indicating she would be there in about twenty to thirty minutes. She did need time to brush out her hair and ‘get dressed’, after all.

Technically speaking, Myka would be well-covered when she stepped out of her room. There was just the fact that much of it was transparent mesh, over her legs, which were pretty much entirely visible from her hip to just above her knees, where they met the black boots. There was a red skirt, of course, but the slits up it made it next to useless. The black bodysuit that covered her top pretty much just covered the bare necessities, with that same dark mesh running between her breasts giving a generous view down to her navel.

It was also, mostly, open back.

But, besides that – covered.

And that was how she arrived at Kylo’s door and knocked.

~***~

Poe nodded, “Got it,” he had been hoping for that. It was true, he did prefer the top, but couldn’t remember if he’d gotten his way. He wouldn’t go to it immediately, but went to the cockpit, to make sure they came out of lightspeed all right in the mid-rim, and would anchor the ship there while Azra was in the shower.

He was at least in his bunk by the time that Azra got out of the shower, the ship anchored.

He was sending a quick message to Leia about his situation when Azra did return. He lifted his hand in a little greeting and gave a lazy smile to her. “Night, Az,” he said, knowing he’d be heading off to bed soon, but it’d be rude not to bid her goodnight while he was still awake himself.

BB-8 also chimed something to similar effect.

He didn’t need to charge yet, but he would still be going into low power mode to preserve his own reserves, too.

 

[cleopat]

Kylo took her response, that she would be there in about half an hour, as a good sign. That she would actually get fully dressed and nothing like how she dressed yesterday. He waited for her on his couch, shifting through more messages in the meantime.

A knock sounded on his door. He rose from the couch and reached the door in a few long strides. On the other side was a sight he was hoping to not see, or maybe he did. Kylo really didn’t know,but he did know the sight of Myka in such revealing clothes brought back the memory of her scent on his sheets.

He didn’t need this so early.

Withholding a groan, Kylo stepped to the side to let Myka in. “Maybe next time I should specify to wear something less revealing.” Not that he didn’t mind the view. But that was also why he wanted her to cover. Kriff.

~~

Azra gave Poe a small smile and a nod. “Goodnight Poe.” And after BB-8 chimed in, “Goodnight to you too, Beebee.” She took her spot in her lower bunk, datapad back in her hands.

She wouldn’t immediately try to sleep. Instead, she continued her research, making note of certain names and other companies on Athulla to look into. The more she read and thought further on what they had discussed with Shriv earlier, the more she wondered at how much she had been lied to growing up. By the Order. By her father.

Were the sides in this war less grey than she believed?

With a soft sigh, Azra put away her datapad and finally tried to go to sleep. Maybe the next few days will help her truly determine the answer to that question.