In Time Gone By...

~ 13 ~

Bailee sat by the general's side in a meeting room, waiting for the one next door to start, having gotten there early to prepare and getting on with their tasks in a fairly comfortable silence. However, she felt a little tense at being beside him, trying to brush all personal feelings aside in favour of her job but finding the occasional little jolt running through her. Though, of course, he was entirely oblivious, turning the pages of a file indifferently. 

Her eyes flickered over to him occasionally, against her will almost as she filled out some forms, the not-so-entertaining work requiring something interesting to keep her going. This incredibly powerful man just sitting beside her so nonchalantly. There was an element of happiness within her alongside something intriguing. He could do whatever he wanted in the galaxy and here he was, with her. It was...nice. 

But then there was the reality of life and how, and with whom, he was expected to live his. 

"So..." she said, shuffling over to some other papers. "Miss Axos..." 

"Hm...what about her?" he replied without taking his eyes off of what he was doing. 

"Just...well, it's quite the surprise, is all. I had no idea." 

"Well, neither did I until fairly recently...but whatever the Supreme Leader wishes." 

Her stomach flipped at this, at this sacrifice of his personal life for his work one. She couldn't not feel sorry for him. "I'm sure...that it will take some getting used to." 

"Yes...I imagine it won't be easy." 

"Relationships rarely are...I'd know." She laughed a little. "Though marriage even less so, so I've heard." 

"As have I." he sighed then shrugged. "But then I'd be unlikely to find love of my own accord given...everything. Not that I'm exactly a likely candidate for it. Might as well marry for the sake of the Order." 

This saddened her even more, a small sympathetic frown appearing. But, she soon just nodded. "Yes, indeed. I hope when the time comes that she does right by you...and vice versa, of course." 

He looked up at her at this, greeted by a small, slightly hollow, smile, her eyes falling back to her work. "Thank you, Latt." 

"Yes, sir." she whispered, now not wanting to look back at him. 

Her sudden shyness bothered him somewhere within him, but he moved on, flipping his files closed. "We ought to get moving." 

Bailee nodded, gathering her things as he pulled on his coat, taking the datapad she handed him with a 'sir'. She gave him a small smile when he held the door open for her, brushing past him quickly then entering the neighbouring room after him. 

"Good afternoon..." he said as he walked in, all of his officers standing as he did so. He had effortlessly switched back to general mode, the more delicate conversation from before almost vanishing. Ren sat at the end of the table, barely taking any notice and certainly not standing, inspecting his nails instead. 

With a wave of his hand they sat again, Bailee standing at the side of the room to bring up the projections. They took no notice of her. "Right, onto the most pressing topic first." he continued, bringing up some more specifics. "This morning we received intelligence via some informants of a planned rebel attack on Bastion, a territory we cannot afford to lose, despite our tensions, given its industrial significance... Captain Brant, we have units available, correct?" 

"We do, sir." the captain replied from the other side of the table, clearing his throat. He hadn't necessarily been prepared to speak. "We have plenty of pilots, however, which I believe will be more fundamental than foot soldiers."