Xiria Orion (sivispacem) wrote in thegalaxy, @ 2016-05-18 18:55:00 |
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Entry tags: | !locale: space, general hux, xiria orion |
Who: Xiria Orion and General Hux
What: Hux catches a teenage Xiria getting up to trouble and investigates.
When: 9 years ago
Where: First Order ship, senior officers quarters
Rating: PG
Status: Complete
It was inexplicable and monstrously unfair. Since being taken under Snoke’s tutelage, Xiria faced much harder academic challenges than even the exacting standards of the Academy. Her training in the Force made up only part of her days. The rest was an accelerated curriculum, fast tracking her education. Her grandfather noted once during one of their occasional holo chess games which he used to teach her about strategy that her study materials were already beyond what was taught at the Academy, and well into training for junior officers in several departments. He offered no explanations or theories as to why that might be, and firmly told her not to question it when she asked. She should be grateful that the Supreme Leader thought she was worthy of taking on as a pupil and do everything she could to meet his expectations.
The higher standards and lack of explanation were not the parts Xiria considered unfair. What was terribly unfair was her upcoming test. Her tutors had not gone over the material with her even briefly or even instructed her to read it in her own limited free time. She’d only been told yesterday about the test, which was happening in three days’ time. To make matters worse, half of it was not even readily available. That portion of the test was covering new security codes and protocols, and information on newly developed droids - all of which were to be released to all troops a week from now. Four days too late to be useful to her. Currently, only upper ranked officers and engineers had access to it, and her grandfather would not break the rules to give it to her. This was not even his primary station. He came here on business sometimes, and there was a room set aside for his personal use when he was here. She was on her own. It had already taken a lot of persistence to learn who had access to that information in the first place.
Most unfair of all were the consequences. If she failed the test, she would have to repeat her past two years of accelerated study over the near year, and have three months worth of labour along with that. There was nothing fair or reasonable about this. There was challenging and there was nigh impossible. Weirdly enough, the consequences for getting caught cheating were more lenient than the consequences for failing. Rather than receiving an automatic fail, she would lose twenty percent off of her test score and get two weeks worth of work.
Rulebreaking was deeply frowned upon within the First Order. Conformity and respect for authority were ingrained into every citizen. And yet...was she not to do her best to meet the Supreme Leader’s expectations? Didn’t his expectations matter more than anyone else’s in the entire organization? Better to risk getting in trouble for cheating than to fail him.
Resolute, the petite teen set out to get the information she needed. Her first step was an attempt to hack the information through a more publicly accessible control panel. Her tutors had her working on them semi-regularly. It would be easy enough to pretend that she was only practicing if anyone happened to notice her there. Unfortunately for her, it couldn’t be found. It seemed like she would have to get into a higher ranked officer’s quarters, hack internally, and then load the information onto a data stick. Even getting there would require hacking. She knew where they were located - her grandfather had her escorted to his room for their occasional chess games. But only mid-ranked officers and up even had clearance to get in there in the first place. A lower ranked officer didn’t, and a teen girl with only slightly more prestige than an Academy student due to being one of Snoke’s pupils definitely didn’t.
Two hours later, she’d successfully broken into a Colonel’s room, gotten the information she needed not only onto a single data stick that she put in her pocket, and also made a backup which she stuffed down her boot just in case. Getting in unnoticed had gone well. Getting out unnoticed was going to be more of a problem. The dinner hour was finished now, and the corridors were busier. She could feel Colonel Geln’s presence nearby. She had to get out of there. Being caught in his personal quarters would be much worse than being caught in a corridor she wasn’t supposed to be in. She managed to get into the corridor without alerting anyone, but at this point, she didn’t see any way to not get caught. She hadn’t advanced enough with her Force studies to make a strong enough willed officer not notice her yet. Now it was just a matter of who she was caught by.
To the left was Major Carrod, a man with a reputation for volunteering to conduct interrogations more than any other officer, who had been written up for excessive force in the past, and whose presence made Xiria’s skin crawl. To the right was Captain Hux, a man who was ambitious, intolerant of rulebreaking, and a fervently loyal soldier. Neither were particularly good options to get caught by, but getting caught by the man who seemed to actually like torture was easily the worse of the two choices. Hux it was. Maybe she’d even be able to bluff her way out of this and get only a warning about being here without an authorized escort. If she was very lucky.
“Well,” Carrod said. There was a glint in his eye that was easily read. Hunger was written in the lines of his body, in the curve of the wolfish smile he leveled at the girl. “What have we here.”
“A breach in your defenses, I believe,” Hux answered. “I am reminded of our earlier conversation--”
“That’s enough, Hux.”
The captain frowned, but bit his tongue. He watched Xiria closely, his stark blue gaze unblinking. Carrod moved closer to her.
“May I ask, Orion, what brings you to an area for which you are remarkably unqualified? Do you feel regulations and security clearances do not apply to someone of your… breeding?” Carrod was close enough to touch her. His ill intent rolled off of him in waves, so palpable even Hux must have sensed it. “Perhaps you and I need to have a private conversation about your sense of entitlement.”
The barely restrained malice and desire to see her in pain made Xiria’s stomach churn and her heart beat faster. Were it not for her grandfather’s rank, she likely would have been hauled off already. Even as it was, Carrod hadn’t ruled the possibility out. No other officer would have gotten into the personal space of a General’s granddaughter so brazenly like this. He was dangerous, and that difference in rank meant it would be difficult for Hux to intervene even if he wanted to. She could sense his dislike for Carrod, and knew he respected her grandfather. She could use that. All she needed was to give Hux a valid excuse to intervene. One that officers that ranked above Carrod would support.
“Major Carrod, Captain Hux,” she began. “I am very sorry to inconvenience you.” Her body language showed contrition, but not fear. She refused to give Carrod the satisfaction of knowing how much he scared her. Her head was bowed slightly in deference to the officers’ ranks, but she met Carrod’s eyes and didn’t take a step back even though he was close enough for her to smell his breath. A few snippy retorts came to her that she kept to herself. She needed to seem contrite yet logical. A well intentioned infraction of the rules.
“I did not ask you for an apology, Orion,” Carrod snapped, reaching up to seize her chin and tilt her head forcefully up. “Explain yourself. Now.” Xiria felt a flash of anger, but reminded herself that anger was only useful when utilizing the Dark Side of the Force. Otherwise, it was a useless emotion that blinded people and prevented them from making logical decisions. The gears in her head were turning. She would be respectful for now, and find a way to make Carrod pay for this later. Possibly very soon. If Hux had already raised concerns about the defenses...well, she’d certainly proven that they were vulnerable, hadn’t she? And they didn’t even know she’d gotten into Colonel Geln’s quarters.
“I was just a few feet away from General Orion when he and a few other senior officers were talking about the need to constantly update our security codes during his last visit two weeks ago. I know there is a new release being installed next week, but the problem with our testing is that it’s always being done by people who have proper clearance. How can we really test the security flaws that the Resistance will look for if the person testing them is authorized to be there and thinks what we have in place is already good enough as it is? So...I did my own testing. It was wrong of me to break the rules, but I did it to be helpful.”
There was a brief pause before she continued. This was where she needed to tread carefully. “Captain Hux, if you were working on a report before and would like to add what I discovered to it, I can tell you what I found and then you can escort me to the Supreme Leader so he can have me punished the way I should be.” And not the way Major Carrod would enjoy went unspoken as she met Hux’s eyes for a moment.
His brow was arched, disapproval written on his face; it seemed to be directed at both of them almost equally. But his distaste for Carrod was far more deeply-seated and long-standing, and the Major’s manhandling of the girl only pushed that needle further forward. Hux stepped forward, moving close alongside Carrod and his quarry. His shoulder brushed the Major’s, subtly pushing his hand away from Xiria’s jaw.
“I was indeed,” Hux said, “and he was quite eager to hear my findings. A more thorough report will only reflect well on us both.” He looked pointedly at Carrod. “I will see what she knows and determine how best to present it -- and her -- to the Supreme Leader.” He lowered his voice, leaning in toward the major’s ear. “I would spare you the embarrassment of informing him a child broke through your vaunted security measures. Surely you would not add rough treatment of the General’s granddaughter to this misstep.”
It was a bold move, made bolder still by Hux taking a step closer to Xiria. “If there’s nothing else, sir, I will take care of this for you.”
Carrod straightened his posture, moving away from Xiria with a slight glare her way. He frowned, but had nothing to counter Hux. It was difficult to argue that the security measures needed improvement if a teenager was able to slip past them without setting off alarms. “See that you do,” he said stiffly. “Report to me at once when it’s completed.” With that, he turned on his heels and walked away from both Captain Hux and the troublemaking brat who’d caused all of this in the first place.
Xiria waited until Major Carrod was out of sight and well out of earshot before speaking. She wasn’t going to push her luck and knew full well that Captain Hux did not approve of her violation of the rules, but it didn’t hurt to show appreciation. He’d intervened for her. Even if at least half of it was dislike for Major Carrod and a desire to look good in the Supreme Leader’s eyes, he’d prevented her from being hurt. No one would have faulted him for standing aside to let a superior officer do what he saw fit.
“Thank you for not leaving me alone with him, Captain Hux.”
“Save your gratitude for when it’s earned,” Hux said. His already thin lips drew tighter still, downturned at the corners. “For all I know Snoke will turn you right back over to him. I do hope you learned something of value, for both our sakes.” He strode past her and moved down the corridor, a quirk of his head indicating she should follow.
“So,” he said, “just how deep into our systems were you able to go? And how much time did it take you to do so?”
Xiria thought that if Snoke wanted her hurt as a punishment that he’d use the Force to do it himself rather than rely on a torturer like Carrod, but kept it to herself. This was not the time and place for opinions. Nor was it the time to hold back. Hux wanted facts, and she was already being reported for being in an area she wasn’t supposed to be in.
“I got deep enough to find everything about the new codes, protocols and droids that are being announced to all of the troops next week. The actual hacking took me about thirty minutes, but in total everything took me two hours. I tried two of the more public control panels that I am authorized to work on first and then some of my time was spent sneaking in here.” She paused, considering how to phrase the rest of what she had to report to Hux.
“I did not try looking for anything else. I think that once I discovered the weakness in the zel five protocol and how to use it, I could have gotten into officers’ personal records and things like that too if I wanted to, but all I wanted was the information on the codes, protocols and droids. My tutors said I’m being tested on that in three days. If I fail the test, I have to repeat two years of accelerated study in one year plus do three months of labour. If I get caught cheating, I lose twenty percent off of my test score and have two weeks of work instead.” She doubted even that would be acceptable to him because rule breaking was rule breaking, but at least her reasons were logical and her intentions benign. There was also something to be said for being a competent rulebreaker rather than a stupid one.
Hux scoffed. “I can’t say I approve,” he said. “There are other means to get the information you required, while working within the confines of acceptable behavior. Though our enemies will not abide by protocol, so I suppose it’s in our best interests to have a few like you, who think like them.” He did not look to her, but his tone made plain the comparison was not a compliment.
“Still, you’ve driven home a point I’ve been trying to make for some time now. So I suppose I should congratulate us both.”
They stopped in front of a single massive black door. Behind it waited their Supreme Leader -- or at least the image of him -- and whatever consequences each of them would face. Hux stopped beside the control panel, his hands still folded neatly behind him. “Is there anything else you’d like to share before we go?”
Being thought of as thinking like the Resistance was definitely not flattering, but she’d at least managed to do something useful. Better to be regarded as a bit troublesome than to be considered stupid or useless. It was on the tip of her tongue to ask him just what these supposed means were. She thought better of it. Disrespect would not help her case. Her redeeming quality here was her intelligence.
“I’ve been thinking about the test and I don’t think the academic part was the real test at all. The Academy, my tutors, any education system I’ve ever read about…no one makes their penalties for failing a test harsher than being caught cheating. No one tests students on material they aren’t authorized to have. It’s not---” she caught herself before she said the word ‘fair’, knowing full well Hux wouldn’t care about that, “--logical. There’s having high standards and there’s setting students up for failure. Maybe it was a test of character or a test of resourcefulness, or maybe it was both...I’m not sure. But I’m positive the situation itself was a test.”
She gave him an inquiring look. “If you created a test like that, what would you actually be testing, Captain Hux?”
Silence stretched between them for what seemed a long time. Hux carefully considered her question, weighing and discarding several responses in turn. At last he seemed to land on something.
“Resourcefulness would be paramount,” he agreed. “Creativity and adaptability as well. Your getting caught was inevitable, so learning how you dealt with that would be valuable. You must be capable of extricating yourself from potentially damaging situations, preferably while remaining in possession of whatever you were sent to retrieve.
“I would also want to see what you did with the information you obtained. Would you use it for personal gain? Or would you have the First Order’s interests in mind even then?”
Xiria listened attentively to what Hux had to say about what he would have been looking for. According to her grandfather plus her own observations, he was a model officer, and thus to her this was a learning opportunity. Something dawned on her with what he had said. The Supreme Leader never told her she was being trained as a spy. She had her Force training with him, and her studies with her tutors taught her about a variety of professions in the military where her academic prowess would be an asset and her below average to average performance in physical training wouldn’t be much of a hinderance. But this, and the specific professions she was being taught about, plus information about other cultures...all of those were like pieces of a holo-puzzle coming together. Even the aspects of her Force training that Snoke most emphasized fit.
“Thank you, Captain Hux. That was exactly what I needed to understand why I would be tested like this. I’m ready to explain myself to the Supreme Leader now.”
He nodded. He did not feel the same certainty she did. That he had called attention to the inadequate security measures in advance would likely work to his benefit. But while Carrod would ultimately be held responsible for the girl’s intrusion, Hux knew he was not entirely without blame. His lesser rank did not negate his responsibility for securing the areas under his purview, with or without the benefit of sufficient tech. His lips thinned, curving down at the corners. He gave no other outward sign as to his discomfort. His hand was steady as he opened the door, his stride purposeful and without hesitation as he led the girl inside.
The walkway that led to the Supreme Leader’s dais seemed unreasonably long. Hux’s bootheels clicked smartly on the hard, polished surface. When at last they reached the image of their master the captain stopped a pace ahead of Xiria, positioned at her right.
“Supreme Leader,” Hux said, his head briefly bowed in deference. “A moment of your time.”
Xiria bowed not only her head, but tilted her upper body forward in a fuller bow out of respect for the Supreme Leader. She could sense Hux’s uncertainty and discomfort, though he hid it well. She could hardly fault him for his unease. This would hardly be a pleasant conversation. It was still better than being left to the tender mercies of Major Carrod.
“This is unexpected, Captain, but I can spare a moment or two.” The Supreme Leader’s low, rumbling voice revealed a hint of curiosity. He turned his angular, scarred face toward Xiria first. “Report, my pupil.”
“Yes, master,” Xiria replied, before launching into a short explanation. “Captain Hux caught me in the corridor where the superior officers’ quarters are without an escort.” There was a short pause before she added, “Well, Major Carrod was there too, but Captain Hux noticed me first.” By all of one or two seconds. It was still the truth, and it framed Hux in a more flattering light from the beginning. Thanking him for his intervention was one thing. Trying to return the favour spoke more of her gratitude.
“Give me your account of it, Captain Hux,” Snoke ordered, looking at the soldier intently with beady, dark eyes.
Hux’s back was ramrod straight. He met Snoke’s gaze and held it, difficult though it was; he would not be seen a coward, regardless of what might come. “Major Carrod and I did find Orion in the officers’ quarters, alone and without special permission. As I have been investigating the weaknesses in the security in that area and others, I requested Major Carrod allow me to handle Orion on his behalf. Having heard what Orion has reported, I am certain there are major improvements to be made if we are to remain secure.”
Snoke listened silently, revealing nothing in his expression about whether he approved or disapproved. “I want a full report of your findings and recommendations within twenty four hours.” It was not a generous amount of time, but it was do-able. He turned his attention back to Xiria. “Explain what you were doing in the officers’ quarters.”
“It was for two reasons,” Xiria began. “I was only a few feet away from General Orion when there was talk of needing to update the security codes and I thought I could help. Then there was the test, Master. Half of it was on material that wasn’t even going to be released to the troops as a whole until several days after my test. Something that only senior officers would even have access to.” She paused for a moment. “That was the real test though, wasn’t it, master? To see if I could get that information...like a spy would have to.”
Snoke looked at her sternly for a few long moments, but Xiria didn’t flinch. Finally, the corner of his mouth turned up into a faintly satisfied look. “That was part of it. Seeing if you would even figure out the purpose of the test was another part. I was also using you to identify weakness within the Order. Either it would be a weakness in our security systems, or in the willpower of a senior officer who had access to that information.” The look on Snoke’s face became more stern again, and suggested the consequences would have been especially dire for any senior officer that disclosed that information before it was released to everyone. “However. You still broke the rules. In light of the fact that there was no way to pass that test without some violation of protocol, I will be lenient.” He turned to Hux. “In light of you reporting issues with security to me early on and being the one to find her first, I am being lenient toward you as well.” The Supreme Leader let that information sink in for both of them in silence, keeping them in anticipation of what he would regard as ‘lenient’.
“First things first. There is a prisoner, recently captured. An outsider caught all the way out here, snooping around. Captain Hux, you will interrogate him with my pupil present. Show no mercy. I want her to see what it means to cross the First Order. Second, for two weeks after her test, you will be responsible for her. My pupil, you will give Captain Hux a detailed list of all of the skills that you have been trained on within the next twenty four hours so that he can make use of you effectively. Dismissed, both of you.”