In Time Gone By...

~ 9 ~

Bailee made a few notes as the general spoke to someone on the bridge, nodding along to his assertions before shutting off her datapad to walk with him back to the office. 

"Make sure all of those reports do come through, I need them for the programme revamp: negotiations with Bastion did not go well..." he said, clearly just saying his thoughts as they came to him. "Speaking of the programme, I need to announce the changes to it soon - it's a whole event - so I'll need to write a speech for that. I wanted to ask whether you might draft up a copy and I'll look through it and edit etc..." 

"I can do that, just let me know what to include and I'll get on it." 

"Perfect, you're a life saver, sergeant."

As they continued on their way, shouts began to sound out around the corner as some kind of commotion erupted. Modulated voices overshadowed another that screamed curses and insults, hitting against the storm troopers' armour as they were dragged around the corner at the end of the corridor; Hux stepped forward to meet them. 

Between the two troopers was a figure, dishevelled and stumbling about though he could still run his mouth, clearly. He was momentarily silenced when the captor to his right hit him with their blaster, knocking him to the floor on his knees. His hands smeared a little blood over the shiny floor. 

"What's going on here?" the general asked over the struggling. "Trooper?" 

"Caught this Resistance rat snooping around, thought he could get away with it, sir." 

Hux approached with a stern look on his face, his lip curling in disgust while Bailee hung back for now.  The prisoner kept his eyes on the floor, breathing heavily in anger and fear, though he would hardly admit it. The dark curls of hair that fell over his eyes clung to his forehead with sweat and a little blood, his clothes creased and tatty from being dragged about the ship. 

"...Took you long enough." the hoarse, rough voice replied with a hint of something...familiar in it to Bailee. But then, she had known many people in the Resistance. 

"You were taking him below deck, I presume?" 

"Yes, sir." 

He kept his eyes on the man for a moment as he considered, then turned just a little to his assistant. "Latt, how much space do we have down there?" 

She walked to his side, scrolling through her datapad, her voice seeming to pique the prisoner's interest as she spoke. "Plenty...Including the interrogation room, sir." 

"Excellent." 

"You bitch..." the man muttered and Hux gave him a glare. "You're meant to be dead."

Her eyes flickered down to him properly when she realised he was talking to her and met his, widening at the battered, worn face that met hers. Her heart genuinely stopped for a moment. 

Elliott...

She couldn't let it show that she was at all affected by his presence. Stay stoic, professional... Her revenge would come, the general would deal her her justice. But for now, with all these people about, she had to keep her distance. 

Leave the past in the past and focus on the job...

She was snapped back to what was happening when the general hit him hard, forcing his head to the side and leaving a harsh new mark to Elliott's collection. 

"Don't speak to my staff like that..." His voice was low and serious and even a little unsettling to her. She couldn't look away from the rebel... The general had made the assumption that they knew each other, of course, but didn't know the extent of their relationship or who he was by name. "Particularly her..."