003. THE FIRST OFFENSE

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KORIA'S MIND WAS FILLED WITH FOG AS THE MASKED DARK APPRENTICE STARED AT HER WITH A HEAD TILTED AS IF CURIOUS. She could feel a drop of blood falling from the cracks of her bruised, chapped lips. The resistance spy had been beaten and physically tortured the moment she was restrained aboard the First Order Vessel. She'd eventually fallen unconscious and was just now beginning to stir.

"I had no idea we had the best pilot in the Resistance on board," Kiya Reo's distorted voice filled the echoing silence. She sounded smug as her masked face leaned closer. "Comfortable?"

Koria's battered lips thinned and she winced. "Not really. I don't suppose you have a bacta tank I could borrow."

Kiya Reo took a step back, her cape swished for effect. "I'm impressed. No one has been able to get out of you what you did with the map."

Koria scoffed, spitting some of the blood that had pooled in her mouth onto the ground. "You might wanna rethink your technique. I've been told I got my mother's eyes and my father's obstinate personality."

Kiya Reo didn't reply. She held out a hand, reaching through the darker veils of the force to pry open the secrets locked away in the rebel's mind. Koria flinched as the process wasn't entirely painless. The more force applied, the greater the agony. The rebel's face contorted and twisted in horrific silence.

"Where is it?"

Finally permitted to speak, Koria gasped. "The Resistance will not be intimidated by you."

Kiya Reo intensified the applied pressure. "Where... is it?"

Koria's jaw tensed and her teeth grinded. She closed her eyes, yet it was like they were forced back open. Her mind clawed at the answers that were being torn from her head, but it was a battle which she was losing her ground. The psychological pain turned physical as it felt like every single cell within her being was lit on fire. She released a raw scream which tore at her vocal cords.

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THE CELL DOOR SWISHED OPEN, AND KIYA REO EMERGED FIERCE YET TRIUMPHANT. She paused, only staying long enough to glance over at the General and the Captain who'd patiently been awaiting her orders.

"It's in a droid," she informed them. "A BB unit."

"Well then." General Hux nodded his head. "If it's on Jakku, we'll soon have it."

"I leave that to you," Kiya Reo agreed. "Anything else will be discussed once the droid is within our possession."

Captain Faust's shoulder's slumped—as if disappointed by her final comment—however, he immediately straightened and saluted her, accepting the command. "As you wish."

The dark apprentice turned on her heels, striding down the corridor toward her own chambers. Her cape dramatically made her presence that much larger as stormtroopers dove to the side, refusing to be the cause of interference. They'd witnessed what happened to those who stood in the dark apprentice's path and it wasn't a pretty sight.

Hux swallowed. His eyes drifted toward the captain, meeting the masked gaze of a man staring him down. The chrome soldier stepped forward, tapping the medals lining the general's uniform as if threatening him. "I see through your little charade."

Hux paled. Panicked thoughts swirled through his mind as his eyes briefly darted toward the cell door. How could the captain possibly know what he had planned, he didn't even really understand his own plan.

"Your father might have been a war hero, but you are a coward," Captain Faust continued. "It's only a matter of time before the dark apprentice recognizes that you're unworthy of your station and no more than the unloved bastard of a mediocre officer."

Hux was only slightly relieved to hear his plan had not been discovered. He bristled at the sound of the jarring insults that touched on sore subjects of his personal life. He clenched his fists and his posture went rigid while he sneered, "At least I know where I come from. Which has greater prestige and privilege than the slums from which you were charitably pulled from."

Captain Faust lost his decorum, ramming his way past Hux with his armored shoulder. The general slammed against the ground. He only kept the faux smug look on his face for as long as the captain was present. The second the chrome soldier turned the corner, Hux released a breath of pain and grasped his shoulder while rolling over onto his back.

It was a telling sign that his body already ached from the brief exchange. As he rose to his feet and dusted himself off, he winced only once or twice before massaging the bruised muscles. He took a deep breath and reevaluated whether he really ought to go through with an idea that hadn't even been halfway thought out. And then he recalled how easily the dark apprentice had procured the information she needed from the rebel. Who's to say she didn't already know his own traitorous thoughts and was simply awaiting the moment he was no longer useful...

It was too late to go back now. Any hesitation would threaten the longevity of his own life. He'd never be able to show his face among the elite of society again, but alive and ashamed would be better than dead and publicly disgraced.

The cell door swished open as he inserted his credentials into the cylinder opening. He allowed his lips to twist into his signature sneer as he approached the trooper standing guard beside the prisoner.

"There's been a change of plans," Hux explained. "Reo wants the prisoner."

The trooper didn't dare argue, nor did they question the figure of authority. They simply obliged, waking the shackled prisoner to place her in the custody of the general. Hux's eyes only briefly disclosed his true intentions as they met the tormented gaze of the rebel.

She looked more worse-for-wear than she'd originally been at the moment of her capture. Her auburn hair was disheveled, matted to her face which was covered in beads of sweat. Bruises surrounded every cut on her lips and face and her breath seemed labored. Her apparent quick tongue had even been silenced as she lacked the energy for even a simple quip.

Hux blinked and returned to his cold disposition, wrinkling his nose with greater disapproval than necessary to play the part. "Make sure those cuffs are tight. I don't need any ideas going through this one's head about escaping."

The trooper nodded, confirming the strength of the cuffs before handing her over to the general. Hux nodded his head with approval before leading the rebel out of the cell. She limped with exhaustion dragging each step as Hux lead her down the corridor with his blaster pressed into her ribs.

"What's the rush?" she choked with a cough, briefly fighting against the way he pushed her forward.

Hux didn't answer her question, instead gestured with the blaster at the narrow passage to their right. "Turn here."

The rebel listened—not that she had much of a choice while restrained with a blaster jabbed into her side. Paranoia gleamed from Hux's eyes as he poked his head back around the corner, glancing around as if certain they'd been followed. Only once the coast had been proven clear did he loosen his tensed posture while turning back toward the confused rebel.

"Listen carefully," Hux instructed, "Do exactly as I say, and I can get you out of here."

"If—what?" she fumbled over her words, failing to comprehend what the general was offering.

"This is a rescue, I'm helping you escape," Hux interjected, failing to mask his desperate exasperation. "Can you fly a TIE fighter?"

The rebel's brow twisted with disbelief while her eyes blinked as if she were still waking up from a dream. "This is some kind of cruel joke. Can't you imperial wannabes leave me with a shred of dignity and just get on with the public execution already?"

"What?" Hux's confusion mimicked hers. He quickly shook his head. "No, I'm breaking you out! Can you fly a TIE fighter?"

"Don't insult me, I can fly anything!" she snapped, regaining some of that spunk that had driven her to attack the dark apprentice. She then paused, skeptical of the offer placed before her. "Why are you helping me?"

"Because it's the right thing to do," Hux replied with false heroism.

There was a cold chill of silence between them. They blinked, neither one believing the blatant lie.

"You need a pilot," she corrected.

"I need a pilot," Hux agreed.

The rebel looked him over, extending her cuffed hands as if demanding he prove himself. Without hesitation, he unlocked the cuffs and the fell to the ground with a soft clatter which echoed down the hall. Thankfully they were still alone or their escape attempt might be over before it even had a chance to begin.

She massaged her wrists, smiling with a nod of her head. "Alright, let's do this."

Hux sighed. "I'm beginning to think I've made a mistake."

"Too late now," she retorted. Her eyes drifted over his decorated uniform. "General, is it? I've been in plenty of scraps worse than this one, you just can't overthink it."

"No, you haven't."

"I haven't," she agreed, "But you felt a bit more at ease thinking that I had. So which way to the hangar?"

Rather than waste any more of their precious time on semantics, the general led the prisoner down several more corridors before stepping foot in the open expanse of the hangar. The general felt exposed so out in the open, and his fingers trembled over the trigger of the blaster he had pressed up against the rebel's side.

"Easy with the twitching," the rebel hissed out the side of her mouth. "You fire that and neither one of us is getting out of here."

"Okay, stay calm," Hux replied, all color drained from his face. "Stay calm."

"I am calm," she retorted. "Maybe you should listen to your own advice."

"Shhh!" Hux snapped, placing the most guilty smile on his face as they passed by a small group of troopers. "Prisoner transport."

"They don't need your life story," she said between grit teeth. "Are we clear?"

"Not yet." Hux held his breath. He waited another beat then pushed the rebel in a new direction. "Okay, go. This way."

He led the way toward the far wall. The rebel quickly followed no more than a step behind as they reached the row of special forces TIE fighters. They climbed the stairs, dropping down into the cockpit of the two-manned vessel with a severe lack of grace.

The rebel's eyes lit up as she looked around at the glowing console. She eagerly removed her leather jacket, rolling the cuffs of her sleeves to her elbows. "I always wanted to fly one of these things. Can you shoot?"

"Blasters," Hux replied. "Though I doubt this is hardly the same."

"They're closer than you might think," she countered, briefly explaining as she flicked a few switches to fire up the machine engines. "Use the toggle on the left to switch between missiles, cannons, and mag pulse. Use the site on the right to aim, triggers to fire!"

Hux's eyes widened with each syllable of her explanation, growing too overwhelmed to even think about trying to figure it out for himself. "This is too complicated."

"It's really not," she had no sympathy in her voice as she called over her shoulder. The fighter lurched forward as she took the controls, yet halted mid-flight and was yanked back by the cable keeping the vessel locked up. The rebel quickly pushed a few buttons to quiet the internal alarm systems blaring at them. "I can fix this."

After another moment's delay, the TIE fighter finally snapped the charging cable. The vessel flew around the hangar interior, crashing against several other large machines while blowing up others as the general began wildly firing on the troopers below. The laser fire was returned from several locations, but none strong enough to stop the chaotic duo.

"I got it!" the rebel pilot exclaimed, steering the TIE fighter out of the hangar into open space. She whistled, catching her breath as the speed was greater than she'd anticipated. "Woah! This thing really moves."

"You're enjoying this far too much for my liking," Hux commented, glancing back over his shoulder with distrust.

She ignored him, focusing on the task at hand while the giddy smile faded into a confident smirk. "All right, we need to take out as many cannons as we can or we're not gonna get very far! I'm gonna get us in position, just stay sharp!"

"Easier said than done," Hux muttered under his breath, still trying to figure out the controls.

The TIE fighter arced back, diving through the opening between the levels of the massive ship as it flew down beneath the ship's underbelly. The rebel pilot directed them toward the cannons.

"Up ahead!" she exclaimed. "Up ahead! You see it? I've got us dead centered. It's a clean shot."

"I've got it," Hux insisted, almost demanding she stop ordering him about even though he was clueless without the direction. He gripped the controls until his knuckles turned white, focusing on the targeting pad before his eyes as he fired. The laser blast from the TIE fighter crashed against a series of cannons which immediately exploded upon impact. The TIE fighter sliced through the debris and the pair released a celebratory shout. There was a blossoming warmth of pride emanating from the general's chest as if he'd finally released his bitter resentment of the First Order in a satisfying blow of destruction. "Yes! Did you see that?! Did you see that shot?"

"I saw it!" she laughed. "What's your name? I can't exactly go on calling you the general, now can I?"

"Hux," he introduced himself. Only after a brief moment of hesitation did her offer a full introduction. "Armitage Hux."

Her nose wrinkled. "You got a nickname, Hux?"

He shook his head. "That's an informal luxury reserved for scum and insubordinates."

"I'll take that as if you didn't mean it like an insult," she replied. "I'll workshop something."

"I'd prefer you didn't—"

"You'd rather stick with a name that could easily be twisted into armpit?" she countered with a sly grin tugging at her lips.

"Could you possibly show some decorum?" Hux requested, his mouth twisting into a displeased frown.

"I'm still a bit lightheaded from the torture, I'll come up with something better later," she replied. "I'm Koria. Koria Dangir."

"A pleasure, Miss Dangir." Hux rolled his eyes, evidently speaking sarcastically.

"Whatever you say, ex-general Hux," she matched his level with a mocking salute before managing the TIE fighter to avoid the barrage of blasts sent in their direction.

"One's coming towards you," Koria warned him of the oncoming missile. "My right, your left. Do you see it?"

"I see it," Hux agreed, shooting the missile before it could collide with them.

"Nice shot." The comment was genuine, a brief moment of peace between them as if they'd silently agreed on a truce until they'd properly escaped death's lingering embrace.

However, panic filled Hux's eyes as he noticed the direction of their flight path. "Where are you going?"

"Jakku."

The reply was simple, but obviously not what Hux wanted to hear. He quickly shook his head. "I know that! My point is that we can't go back to Jakku! We need to get outta this system!"

Koria aggressively avoided another near miss. "I got to get to my droid before the First Order does!"

"A droid?!" Hux incredulously repeated.

"Yes, keep up," Koria retorted. "She's a BB unit! Purple and black: one of a kind."

"I don't care what color she is!" Hux snapped. "Even if rare, no droid can be that important!"

"This one is, pal," Koria contradicted. She was absolutely infuriating, but it's also what made her so alluringly charismatic. Her charm may have been crude, but it was blatantly apparent that she wasn't joking at this time.

"As attached as you are to your droid, I'm more attached to surviving," Hux attempted to sympathize, an act he wasn't particularly good at. "We need to get as far away from the First Order as we can! We go back to Jakku, we die!"

"That droid's got a map that leads straight to Fulcrum!" Koria insisted.

"I know that! But that's hardly more important than—" Hux was interrupted as the TIE fighter jolted.

The smell of burning metal was hardly a good sign as the controls of the vessel flickered off. With a whine and a stutter, the TIE fighter was caught in the atmosphere of the sandy planet and careened toward its surface in a ball of flames.

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KIYA REO STORMED ONTO THE MAIN BRIDGE, SEARCHING FOR THE SOURCE BEHIND THE CHAOS OF THE FLAMING HANGAR. She seethed with an anger which radiated off of her in waves. All refused to look in her direction. None considered even acknowledging her presence until addressed.

"Captain Faust," she called for the attention of the chrome-plated soldier. "Is it the resistance pilot?"

Faust nodded his head. "Yes, and he had help. From one of our own. We're checking the registers now to identify which Stormtrooper it was. I've tried to contact the General as this would fall under his responsibilities, but he seems to have turned off his comms."

"Contacting the General would prove difficult as he was the one to free the prisoner," Kiya Reo replied. Several of the lower ranking officers turned their heads with shock, revealing that they'd been eavesdropping on a conversation which hadn't explicitly been private.

"Oh?" Faust asked. He didn't sound surprised. If anything, he sounded pleased. There was a gloating air about him as the captain straightened. "There were some concerns after his hesitation to follow orders at Tuanul, but I never thought he'd go so far as to defect."

"No prior signs of non-conformity?" Kiya Reo asked.

Faust paused, but she could tell he was holding back a callous laugh. "This was his first offense."

One of the nearby technicians checked her reading, immediately reporting to Faust. "Captain. They've been hit."

"Destroyed?" Faust asked, too sanguine for the dark apprentice's liking. The soldier was good at his job—and heartless at that—but he was a suck up and a leech simply looking to climb the power ladder.

"Disabled," the technician replied and the captain deflated. "They were headed back to Jakku—the fighter's projected to crash in the Goazon badlands."

"They were going back for the droid," Kiya Reo noted.

"Send a squad to the wreckage," the captain demanded.

"I want the droid retrieved, unharmed," Kiya Reo modified the captain's instructions. "That is the primary objective. The resistance spy and the general will be dealt with second. I want that map, Captain, and after the events of today, I won't tolerate failure. For your sake—and that of everyone aboard this vessel—I suggest you get it."

She then turned on her heels, storming from the room just as she'd entered it—cape billowing behind with elegant intimidation. All those left behind took a breath, not quite of relief but of desperation as if they believed they might not get the chance to take another. The dark apprentice was not to be trifled with. She wasn't the most reactive as she would let her anger stew and bubble. It constantly teetered on the verge of snapping and all feared the inevitable moment that she'd finally break, wreaking hell on those unfortunate enough to be in range.

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