General Hux (general_hux) wrote in thegalaxy, @ 2016-05-10 13:13:00 |
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Entry tags: | !locale: the finalizer, captain phasma, general hux |
meet a solar controller
Who: Phasma & Hux
What: Phasma reports on recent recruitment efforts.
When: evening, before this
Where: on board the Finalizer
Rating: G/PG
Hux stood on the bridge of the Finalizer, looking out into the black beyond. The view was soothing to him. A comfort, too, were the sounds of his ship: the steady hum of machinery, the scream of passing TIE fighters in test flight, the low white noise of officers and crew attending to their duties. He had earned this moment's peace. With each passing day they grew closer to the well oiled machine they had been before the fall of Starkiller Base. The success of his project with Phasma was but one cog; Kylo Ren's work with the Knights was another. Success felt so certain Hux very nearly smiled.
Instead he looked down to the holoreader in his hand. He scrolled through a series of reports, scanning for injuries, illness, failures in testing, enrollees in reconditioning. The numbers were promising. Only a handful of cadets had been delayed in their reconditioning due to erratic behavior; the others had been reintegrated into their groups, and performance in simulations had improved dramatically. The small handful who had died in simulations were of little concern to Hux. He thumbed the holoreader off after briefly scanning their designations. This time, he did not curb the small upward quirking of his mouth.
The door to the bridge irised open, and Phasma entered, her boots making surprisingly little sound as she approached. She wore her full armor, as always, her cloak whispering along the metal floor, and her blaster was held comfortably in the crook of her arm. In fact, the only unusual issue was that she was on the bridge at all; her submitted mission flight plan placed her on Naboo for at least another day, after her rendezvous picking up a weapons shipment from the Bha’lir captain. However, there seemed to be no outward sign of distress as she approached the General and came to attention. Not that it would show, for that matter.
“General Hux,” came the faintly metallic tone, filtered through the armor. “I have completed the mission parameters, as instructed.”
“Ahead of schedule, I see.” There was a question in his tone. He turned to face her. His eyes swept over her. She was the picture of poise and composure, as always; he could read nothing behind the black faceplate, and even less from her bearing. He slipped the holoreader into a pocket, his attention focused wholly on her. “Report.”
“The shipment ordered is aboard and secured,” she replied, immediately. “It was routine and without issue. I can recommend that we proceed with further trading with this partner.” Brekker was exactly what she liked; professional and not given to excessive posturing. “Orion is also in place for the initial part of her mission. However, on that front, there was an unexpected complication.” This time, her voice changed almost imperceptibly, giving away a faint interest. “A dangerous creature was discovered on the planet’s surface. A rift traveler. There is some...potential for usefulness with it, I believe.”
Hux quirked a brow. In Hux’s experience the word complication rarely preceded anything positive, but the slight modulation of his captain’s tone gave him a dim flicker of hope. He had heard nothing from Orion directly: further evidence that nothing had gone especially awry. Yet.
“Is there. What sort of creature?”
“A shapeshifter.” The impetuous for Phasma’s change in tone became clear with that word. “One more accomplished than any species I have seen in our galaxy. Sentient, humanoid. She is unaffected by blaster fire, by and large; it damages but will not kill her. She claims to be the only one with those specific abilities, but I believe this warrants a more thorough examination of the records once Orion is in place.”
Hux nodded. His brow furrowed. His thoughts ran immediately to how such a weapon might be turned against them, or worse, how it might turn of its own volition. The First Order, like the Empire before it, had run more smoothly with machines and thoroughly conditioned soldiers; the thought of bringing in a creature they may not be able to control did not appeal to him. But there was always the chance the Supreme Leader would feel differently. He made a note to speak with him about this upon their next meeting.
“A very thorough examination,” he said. “This could be very useful, but if we’re going to use it -- her -- we need a kill switch. How did we learn about her? Does she willingly seek to join the Order?”
At this, Phasma managed to look slightly bothered, although Hux would likely be the only one to notice her change in stance. “She replaced CN-1348 on board my ship. I noticed it immediately upon my return arrival, but not due to any outward appearance. Had I not seen her shift, the illusion would have been complete.” She was unhappy to have lost CN-1348, as she had thought him very promising, but it was done. “She could not mimic his behavior closely enough to fool me, and she indicated by words that she had not studied him enough beforehand when I identified the disparity, which tells me she is not telepathic. She needs knowledge of her target. As for joining the First Order….she is motivated by greed, but her dislike of the Resistance and their beliefs was clear. Her loyalty is more complete in that she refuses to work with them.”
Hux’s lips thinned to a fine line. His jaw worked, clenching and unclenching. He was silent for what felt a long time, his hands folded tightly at his back. “That is troubling,” he said. “Greed and hatred toward the Resistance are useful, but they may not be enough to control a creature such as this. Had you been a less capable officer and not known your troopers as well as you do, that could have ended badly for you all.”
The faint creak of leather carried up to them as he flexed his gloved fingers. “I do not like the idea of rewarding anyone for flouting our methods and proper protocol. There are far better ways for her to have approached joining the Order. And there’s still the question of her vulnerabilities, if indeed she has any. How do you propose we keep our resources and our people secure against such a being? How do we control it?”
Phasma patiently waited out his internal battle, unmoving as he worked through the information. “I agree with the lack of control of the situation, which left me ill-at-ease at the time. At this point, we have little control over her, and it will require further study before I could even attempt to venture a plan for that. I would prefer assessing methods by which to end her. She is too rogue.” She tilted her head slightly. “However, she remains useful on Naboo, and I would keep her out of contact with any of our people. I have not alerted Orion of her presence, nor tipped off this creature to Orion’s existence, as they should not cross paths in the mission Orion is undertaking. Remotely, without an individual to copy, she can be utilized until we ascertain her weakness.” She paused. “I would also ask that we bring this to Kylo Ren for his assessment. There may be something he can tell from her that we cannot.”
Immediately the general nodded. “That would be my preference as well. I’m meeting with him shortly. I’ll bring this to his attention. He may want to question you further; if so, I will send for you. Whether he personally attends to it or sends one of his knights is inconsequential so long as it’s done.” He looked up, markedly more comfortable now that the decision had been made. “If the situation changes and you find Orion to be at risk, notify us both immediately. Her position is vital, and I would not see it compromised over this.”
“Of course, General. I am at your disposal, and Kylo Ren’s, when you have need of me. The creature has named herself Gemini. It may be that he has heard of her already.” She paused. “The secondary reason I wished to bring this to his attention was that she claims to have completed two missions for Glasya Ren already.”
“If that’s true, then Kylo should certainly know her name,” Hux said. The beginnings of a frown stirred at one corner of his mouth. “I wonder why she has not been brought to our attention already, given that and her unique abilities.” He sighed. “Although of course she might be lying. Others have said more and worse to ingratiate themselves to the Order. More questions to ask, I suppose. I appreciate your thorough attention to this, Captain.”
Phasma merely inclined her head in thanks for his words. “I have given her a communications device to reach me, and I would otherwise prefer to only contact her through such channels. She does not know my name, but she has seen my face and theoretically could pose herself as me.” He knew full well that during the mission to place Orion on Naboo, Phasma had not taken her armor. That was a benefit, as Gemini had not seen it.
Hux openly frowned at this. “I agree,” he said. “Your secure channel only, then. And we must lessen her contact with our troopers and officers, and certainly not allow her onto our ships until we have Kylo Ren’s final assessment. This is precisely the kind of chaos the Resistance would love to see us invite upon ourselves.”
“Yes.” Phasma had been thinking about the interaction with Gemini since she had left Naboo, and the unanswered questions yet plagued her. “I have made contact with two others who I also wish to report on, General. One is another rift traveler, a female named Nebula who appears to be an accomplished fighter and has impressed me with her practicality. I would like permission to do more research into her at this time. The other…” She paused. “Of our galaxy, although not of our time. She claims to be the Empire’s Wrath.” They both knew their history through and through.
Hux hummed as he thought. “The Empire’s Wrath -- if she is even who she claims to be -- is Kylo Ren’s problem, not ours. If the Supreme Leader wishes us to help the Knights of Ren bring her into his service, we will do so. But until I am told otherwise our priorities are elsewhere. Tell me about Nebula.”
“I have not tested her in person as yet, but her desire to join the First Order is much more clear cut than others I have seen,” Phasma replied immediately, accepting his answer about the Empire’s Wrath. “The difficulty with her is that she has an enemy she fears, specifically her father, who from all indications has not traveled through the rift and is therefore an nonentity at this time. But I feel it is her abilities and outlook that make her a natural fit for the Order, and I believe it is why she reached out.” She considered her own words and was satisfied with the explanation. Nebula had expressed a very straightforward interest. “To make my work more efficient, I have actually tasked Nebula with investigating Gemini. Should she succeed, it will give me intel on both. If she does not, then she is not sufficient for our cause.”
At last, Hux actually smiled. “Well done,” he said. “An elegant solution. I am eager to hear the outcome of her investigations and your assessment of her. Her fear of her father could be useful leverage... we can provide resources and training no other faction can. Should he ever come through the rift, with us at her side she’s far more likely to prevail against him than she might be otherwise. What abilities does she have?”
“Cybernetics are her primary power source, and I believe they are augmented. Extensive fighting skills, but I am receiving this information from Naboo’s assessment, so I cannot ascertain yet if their opinion reflects reality.” After all, her rating of someone’s martial training was certainly higher than a Naboo official. “In the recorded instances at the refugee camp, she exhibited superior strength, but after that, she will need to be investigated just as thoroughly. It is part of my plan when I return to Naboo.” It would be some time yet, but she would be maintaining contact with Orion and checking in planetside periodically.
“Excellent,” Hux said. “Evaluate her as you would a prospective officer. We need leadership in this team we’re building. Someone who can bring a measure of strategy and control to the brute force we’ve focused on collecting thus far. It would be ideal if she could provide both, but if not we’ll keep looking.”
Pleased that his thoughts were aligning with hers on the issue of Nebula, Phasma replied, “I will, sir. Overall, I feel that this initial foray was quite successful.” And tiring, but she would not venture that. Between her research and the planned stop with Captain Brekker, she had not slept in the last two days. “My report is complete. I am at your disposal, General.”
He nodded. “Are you, now,” he mused. A small smile tugged at his lips. “Get some rest, Phasma. If I have need of you I will let you know. Otherwise, I expect you to recuperate and be prepared to resume your standard assignments tomorrow morning.”
“As always, General.” Despite the faint thread of amusement in her tone, outwardly she only returned to attention, standing up straight and nodding to show her acceptance of the dismissal. The sounds of the bridge crew swallowed the noise of her boots as she departed, taking the lift back down to her quarters.