ROSE

Rose cursed under her breath, then grimaced. "Sorry Paige," she whispered, knowing her sister always hated it when she used bad language.

She kept her head bowed as she made her way down the halls of the dreadnaught ship. She had no clue where to find General Leia.

The grey walls and rounded doors felt bare and unfriendly compared to her home village, where they'd just come from. The new ship smell reminded her of a job she'd done installing brand new escape pods on a vessel once. This ship must have been pretty new when they got it. And Rose highly doubted the First Order had acquired it through honest means.

She felt exposed walking around the dreadnaught ship on her own, a First Order vessel. Last time her and Finn had snuck onto Snoke's ship, they'd almost been executed. This time she didn't even have a disguise and Finn wasn't with her. He'd gone to find Rey, following the beacon tracker to the other ship on planet. Rose's mission was to find General Leia.

Two First Order Officers headed towards her in the hall and she quickly pulled back behind a pillar to hide. When they passed by they gave her a curious look then kept going.

Rose let out a breath she'd been holding. Right, she didn't need to hide. They were working together now. And yet she just couldn't get used to the idea.

"Excuse me," she said to them before they could get too far. The Officers stopped, looking bothered by the interruption. Suddenly Rose became worried they'd recognize her somehow, from the time she was captured on Snoke's ship. But they didn't pull out any weapons or sound an alarm. No stormtroopers came around the corner to seize her.

"I'm looking for General Leia," Rose said, her guard still up, ready for any sudden movement.

The Officers exchanged a glance.

"Or General Hux," Rose added. That name, they seemed to recognize.

"At the Command Center," the taller officer said, pointing his thumb behind him.

Rose nodded but couldn't bring herself to thank them. They were the enemy. Paige had died in an attempt to stop them. To stop Hux. There was no way Rose was going to exchange pleasantries with the enemy.

But they were already gone and Rose hurried down the hall too, in the direction the officer had pointed. She needed to get to the bottom of what was going on, before it was too late. Poe had offered little in explanation, simply saying that they were all on the "same side" now, before running off to his plane.

Rose got her bearings, now that the officer had sent her in the right direction. She was unfamiliar with the layout of dreadnaughts, but most ships had a logical design and she found her way to the Command Center.

When she entered, her anxiety escalated. Ten Commanding Officers were standing around the control room console, in the middle of the Command Center, staring at a hologram projected at the center. It showed a small scale map with various space stations and red dots making their way toward them, likely the fighter planes going to battle.

Rose's palms began to sweat. She wasn't used to being on the top level of ships, but on the lower levels, in the maintenance wing working on fixing things, alone, without a direct supervisor breathing down her neck. She'd never liked the Commanding Officer types.

General Leia stood at the front, so much shorter than the other officers that Rose wouldn't have seen her, had she not been wearing a high bun on her head. 

Hux noticed her first, as though he'd sensed her approach. His poised concentration on what General Leia was saying faltered for a moment and he looked ready to pounce when he saw her. He probably remembered the last time they'd come face to face on Snoke's ship, when Rose had bit his hand and he'd ordered her to be executed.

General Leia stopped talking and all heads turned to Rose.

"Rose!" Leia hurried over to give Rose a hug. One of the commanders sighed impatiently and Hux continued to look down his nose at her. Rose returned General Leia's hug and felt a sudden concern at how much more frail and older the General seemed, even from a few days before. What had worn her down so quickly?

"I'm so happy you're back," she said to Rose. "Rey was so worried about you two." She pulled back, a concerned expression on her face. "Finn-?"

"He's fine," Rose reassured her. "He went to go find Rey." She glanced at Hux again, wishing she hadn't revealed that bit of information. What if the First Order had Rey locked up at the moment, and now Rose had revealed that Finn was heading to find her.

"Good," General Leia said. "Rey will be glad to hear you're both safe and sound. She was checking that beacon at every moment for a sign from you."

Rose wanted to tell her that Rey hadn't replied to any of their many comm signals they had sent in the last couple of hours. But she wasn't about to offer any more information in front of Hux.

General Leia chuckled suddenly, and shook her head. "If that snarl on both your faces could be harnessed into a weapon, we'd win this war in no time." She winked at Hux and he turned away, his expression remaining unreadable.

"General," Rose said to Leia, grabbing her arm before she could walk away. She lowered her voice. "May I talk to you in private?"

Leia sighed and looked over her shoulder at the impatient faces of the other commanders, now waiting for her.

"Now isn't a good time," she said to Rose. "We're about to launch a series of attacks, all at once."

Rose couldn't believe it. Was Finn right? Was the General on the First Order's side now, controlled by the horrible Hux?

"It's about the Force sensitive boy," Rose said quietly, knowing this would get the General's attention. "The boy from Cantonica."

Hux spoke up suddenly. "What about the boy?"

"I wasn't talking to you," Rose growled at him. How had he even heard what she'd said from where he was standing? "It has nothing to do with you."

"Now, hold on," General Leia raised her hand. "Whatever you need to tell me about the boy, you can say in front of Hux." She motioned for him to step forward and join them.

"No." Rose realized she wasn't going to get through to the General. Whatever influence Hux had over General Leia now was too strong. "It's nothing."

A sharp pain struck Rose's right temple suddenly and she flinched. It was coming from Hux's direction and felt as though he was piercing her with an invisible needle, using only his eyes.

"She has no information about the boy," he said. "It was a ruse to get you alone with her and away from me." He looked at General Leia. "She believes I've brainwashed you to joining the First Order and you have no grasp of your own mind."

Leia turned to Rose, her expression now serious. "I assure you I have full control of my mind and it is as rational as it's ever been." She gave her a reprimanding look, then continued. "We're all working together against a common enemy. I won't have anyone creating a rift in this team, not at this critical time. This battle is too important." Her reproach stung and Rose took a step back.

General Leia hurried back to her place at the front of the Command Console. "You will just have to trust me Rose. Now if you would please see yourself out, I'll talk with you after this battle plan succeeds. And if it doesn't, then this will be the last time we'll be having a conversation."

Rose had nothing left to say. She gave Hux one final glare before storming out of the Command Center. Her hands shook slightly as she hurried out. That loathsome Hux had learned how to use the Force. But how? Had Kylo Ren discipled him in Force Training all these years, that they'd worked together? But the Force couldn't just be taught, could it? And yet, it would explain how the General had suddenly become so delusional and turned against them. 

Rose began to run. She had to find Finn. He'd been right all along and they had to put a stop to all of this, before the First Order took over all systems, and the Resistance was no more.

---------

Rose frowned when she saw Rey on the ground in an uncomfortable looking position.

"She wouldn't listen to me," Finn said for the third time.

Rose sighed. "Neither would the General. They suddenly seem very trusting of the First Order. I think you might have been right. I think they've been brain washed." 

"You think?" Finn said, sounding grumpy.

"So what do you want to do with Rey?"

"Help me get her to an escape pod."

"I don't know." Rose wasn't sure what to do. Finn was convinced that the First Order was plotting evil, which made sense, but General Leia was so confident that the two sides were now peacefully working together. What if they needed the First Order's help to defeat the larger enemy? No, it would be a dishonor to her sister's sacrifice if they worked with Hux and the rest of the scum of the universe.

"You're right," Rose said. "There's something strange going on here." She thought of how Hux had so easily read her mind. But there was no time to discuss it with Finn. "We need to get the Resistance out, before it's too late."

"It might already be too late," Finn said. "They've left for battle."

They both looked down at the gently breathing form at their feet. Rey's brow was furrowed, as thought she was upset, even in her sleep. At least they could save themselves, to start. Then maybe once they talk some sense into Rey, they could come back for the General and get Poe on the Comm System to see what the hell was going on.

"I'll help you get Rey to an escape pod," Rose said. "Then I'll get into contact with Poe and the Cantonian Rebels. Maybe they can help us too."