chapter 26

                                    

                                          
We travel a good 30 hours before we get to the main ship.
We have an entire fleet of destroyers already, with a few hiding in Kylo Ren's fleet, thanks to Armitage's work before my incident. I step out of the cruiser with a rather large welcoming. Two officers and some stormtroopers walk beside me as  I am escorted to my room. I turn to see Admiral Hux behind chanting orders.
I follow my escort of officers and stormtroopers through various hallways. "General, I need updates on intell and our current stance in resources. Schedule a meeting with our highest ranks and most knowledgeable officers in 3 hours. Provide me with an escort to the selected conference room."
"It is already in preparation, Commander (L/N)."
"Thank you, General- ah... What is your name? I don't believe I have worked with you before."
"General Yosef. I've not had the opportunity to work with you. I am grateful to be in your presence."
"Whether its flattery or idealization, General Yosef, your loyalty and determination is what brought you here. I expect great things from you."
"Thank you, Commander." He nods his head. "Here is your suite. I understand you will be sharing this place with Admiral Hux and an orange creature?"
"Yes, that is correct."
"The requested accommodations have been issued. Please contact me if you require anything else, Commander."
I dismiss my entourage and open the door. I hesitate. "Actually, I do have one more request."
General Yosef turns back to me.
"That orange creature of the feline species is named Millicent. Issue her a proper vest as well as add her into our data bank. She is to be treated with upmost respect."
"Right away, Commander."
"Hm." I nod and enter my place. It's similar layout of Kylo Ren's quarters, but a bit larger. The living area has dark, monochromatic, colors with more floor space. The foyer has room for a shoe rack and a dark table console against the wall. I take off my shoes and place it on the rack. I make my way to the kitchen and instinctually open the fridge. They prepared food for us. I smile at my subordinates' thoughtfulness. I close the fridge and check the cabinet spaces. Our dishes were a beautiful vibrant red with black accents. The pantry is quite empty, but still contains plenty of snacks and spices. I grab a box of cookies and wander back to the fridge. I get myself a nice tall glass of milk. This is just perfect. I turn around and hear a beep of the door. It slides open. Admiral Hux assesses my current binge. He scans the box of cookies and milk with a squint. His boots clomp as he walks into our residence. He takes off his leather gloves and places it on the side table. The door closes behind him. "I suppose we have a bit of time before our next meeting. You scheduled it 3 hours ahead, rather than now. Why is that?"
"To do precisely what I'm doing now. Grab yourself a glass and let's go check out the bedroom." I wink.
A small smile makes way to his lips as he places his boots on the rack. "Time is of the essence, F/N darling. There's so much that needs to be done. Are you certain we can afford those hours?"
"Honestly I'm here to soak in the nostalgia of our ship before I get to work. I have my own agenda to see to before the meeting."
I run up the stairs and open all three doors. The first door is a large bedroom filled with cream colors. It is plain, but roomy. The second door is an empty office space. With a sizable cat tree for Millie. There isn't a speck of dust. The third room is the bathroom. It is equipped with a stand up shower and a large tub with jets. Armitage and I can easily fit together. I close the last two doors, and enter the bedroom. My milk is placed on the night stand, without a coaster. I flop down on the bed and soak in the plush and softness of the mattress. I let out a sigh of relief. 
By the sound of him, Armitage makes his way upstairs. He peeks his head into our bedroom. His eyes dart around at the scenery. "Minimal and comfortable." He wanders in while continuing to gaze around.
I dunk my cookie in the milk. "There isn't much to look at, but it does feel fresh." I take a bite. The sweetness overloads my tastebuds. "Mm...it's been forever since I've had something this sweet."
He nods. "I must decline your snack invitation, (F/N). We have so much information to be updated about." He comes to my side of the bed. His arm extends to take a single pastry. He holds it up as his eyes study the texture. "Maybe just one." He cheers the cookie to me and takes a bite while exiting the room.
"I'll save you some for later!" I yell to him as he walks downstairs. I munch on my cookie as it drowns out the sound of his movement while he puts his boots back on. Eventually I hear the hissing of the door. He's gone.
After a few more cookies, I get up to check out the closet. As expected, there are mostly black uniforms and a few of my preferred tunics.
I take out my datapad and to set an alarm and snuggle back into the soft bed and close my eyes for a quick recharge. With so much to do, there will be little time to sleep in the near future. I doze into darkness.
Whispers of a hundred voices murmer in the dark. It's unintelligible words echo in a black space. 
"Take it." The voices hums
My eyes blur in and out of darkness and a vision. I make out a rather strange black prism from afar. Small bits of lightning light up the shape ever so slightly. 
The many voices clear into a dark raspy sound. "Take your place beside me and  vengeance shall be yours." He demands.
A loud crack of lightning blinds my sight as I see Kylo Ren's face. 
I will kill him.
My eyes open suddenly in a strange room. I flick back and forth at my surroundings. Right. I'm on a ship now. I soak in the beds comfort one last time before checking my datapad. My alarm will go off in a few minutes. I disable it and drag myself into the bathroom. I hesitate on which form of bathing I should try. As tempting as the tub may seem, I only need to freshen up. I strip and turn on the shower. I step in and carry on with my routine.
What a weird dream.
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My shoes echo for each tap it makes. I become antsy as I await for my escort to take me to the meeting.  Finally, I see General...Yosef was it? Yes. General Yosef and a few storm troopers make their way through the hall and then stop to salute to me. We begin our walk and go through various hallways and terminals until we reach our destination. The door slides open. All ships tend to be identical. The nostalgia of monochromatic colors and architecture let's me feel right at home. My people stand as I enter. I walk up to the end of the table and begin speaking. "I would like a full briefing on our current resources." My hands lean on the table. They turn into fists. "I am to know every packet of sugar consumed, every box delivered, every ship's inventory." I nod to allow them to sit down. I turn to my left at an officer listening tentatively.  "Write it all down." She nods and begins to scribble a list together. "I need information on Kylo Ren and his current affairs, his schedule, everything." 
The door slides open. We all turn to the entrance. His black boots thump in. The orange hair I know all too well, is slicked back in his signature look.
"Admiral Hux."
His serious look never falters. "So you've decided to begin without me?" He adjusts his leather gloves and makes his way around the table. 
"We are on a strict schedule, Admiral.  I suggest you be on time." My serious facade breaks as I can only smile at him.
He smirks. "Indeed we are." He turns to the officers rather than me. His hands clap together. "Excellent! Let's begin."