capnphasma (capnphasma) wrote in thegalaxy, @ 2016-07-21 12:27:00 |
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Entry tags: | captain phasma, general hux |
I might only have one match
Who: General Hux & Captain Phasma.
What: Phasma gives her final report
When: A few hours after this thread.
Where: The Finalizer.
Rating: PG
When Phasma stood outside the door to the General’s office, she hesitated for the first time in a long while. Her hand was raised to press the comm to alert him to her presence, but her fingers hovered there, over the pad. He had been unsurprised earlier, and that had been all the confirmation she needed, and had she gotten her way, she would have submitted this report via datapad and been on her way. Their triumvirate was now only a duo, Hux and Kylo, but she supposed that she had expected it back when Starkiller Base had exploded. She had pretended not to see the disintegration and had chosen to listen to pretty lies, and now, she would pay for that. It was almost a relief, she realized. Nothing as good as this could last forever.
Dismissing maudlin thoughts, she straightened up and pressed the comm. She still wore the black command uniform, but this time, it was for other reasons.
The door slid open, revealing Hux standing just inside. He stood at the holotable, a detailed schematic of the prison on Bastion hovering over it, lit and drawn in blue. Small red dots littered the surface, marking out the places further reinforcement was required. The plans were made, but still Hux felt on edge. An attack was coming, and he felt sure it would come soon.
"Phasma."
Inclining her head in greeting, she answered, “General. I have my report on the attack by the Knight of Ren.” Unlike the encounter on the bridge, her tone did not hold either heat nor ice, no indication of anger. However, there was a muted undercurrent to it, a distance that made her sound quieter. “Shall I deliver it now?”
He studied her for a moment. They were alone now, and yet he still lacked any understanding of how to broach this awful subject. The distance between them was a tangible thing, heavier than he could understand. He gestured, unable to find words.
“Issan Ren breached the Finalizer defenses in a shuttle craft,” she began, outlining the method through which the Knight had boarded. “The shields had been down as we were loading other vessels as well, and furthermore, the shuttlecraft was recognized as belonging to a Knight and therefore was permitted. All codes were up to date.“ She did not need a datapad nor did she carry one, as she reported the number of casualties per level, during Issan’s advance, detailing each group as the Knight passed through, all the way to the command level. “We also lost six TIE fighters, with an additional four damaged but repairable at the current inventory levels. The Knight escaped in her shuttle, as the shield generator on that docking bay was damaged by one of the TIE explosions.”
None of it was particularly surprising. Hux himself had borne witness to the bulk of the attack, but even so he had hoped the damage had not been as great as he had guessed. One disappointment added to many others.
"Did she have any aid from our side?"
Here, she hesitated. “As far as I was able to determine….no. If Kylo Ren knew of her intentions, he would have provided a code change for the docking bay, and put us on alert, and none of my troops show evidence that she was in contact with them. I did not locate any communications to, or from, her ship to the Finalizer, in any form.”
The hard line of his shoulders seemed to soften. If this was relief, it was a small thing, less comforting than he would have imagined. "Very well. I will remain on alert, and I suggest you do the same." His posture eased. He met Phasma's gaze at last, an uncertainty lingering in them, in spite of their hard gleam. "Speak freely, Phasma. Your behavior on the bridge was unacceptable, but here, I would hear what you have to say."
This time, surprisingly so, Phasma shook her head. “I do not think anything else I would say would be…..constructive. I am taking the troop shuttle to Bastion, and then my final orders after that. I feel that expressing my personal opinions now would only serve to undermine the structure that is left.” She met his eyes, but hers were only accepting, perhaps resigned.
"I see. And you don't feel your absence will undermine our structure or cause?"
“I did not write my own orders, General.” It wasn’t said sharply, but it felt that way all the same. “As for undermining us...I don’t know. And I don’t like not knowing.” Phasma’s eyes held the same uncertainty that his did. “This….chaos….was never our cause. The First Order, and everything we have trained for and planned for, is about structure and control and stability. But it seems as though we are being pulled deeper into the madness that typifies the Knights. But perhaps, that is just my perception,” she allowed.
Hux gave a small, noncommittal hum. "Time will tell," he said. "Kylo Ren believes he is regaining control of his Knights and others of a higher station than I continue to have faith in him. I hope their faith bears out." He shook his head and looked to her, his expression more guarded than before. His back straightened, his hands folded at the base of his spine.
"You have your orders, then. I will not seek to alter them unless I see no other option."
“I…” Phasma hesitated, stung by the quick dismissal but regaining her professional equilibrium in a moment. She suddenly wished, desperately, for her helmet back. “Of course, General.” Her eyes did not meet his; instead they flicked over the room, perhaps remembering better times within the walls. “I am grateful that you are recovered,” she allowed, the closest she could come to a farewell before she gave him a small bow to acknowledge the end of the report.
"And I you," he said. Softness lingered in his voice only for an instant. He could allow no more. "Go safely, so that when the time comes you can return to the Finalizer in good order. Your service here is far from ended." It was the closest he could bring himself to the goodbye he knew she deserved; anything else felt too raw, too damaging. "You are dismissed."
If she took hope from the promise, it was not clear; her blue eyes were clouded as she inclined her head in acknowledgement and turned to leave. The door whisked closed behind her as she departed, taking any last impression of her from the room.