In Time Gone By...

~ 15 ~

"Have those reports signed off, Latt." The general pulled on his coat as he got ready to go to the bridge. His assistant didn't pay him much mind, sat at her desk with her head leaning against her hand while Grace went through some documents from operations with her. Nothing had quite been the same since her indiscretion.

"Yes, sir." 

He looked at her, a little sick of her lethargic behaviour, then made for the door. "Today, if you please." 

She merely sighed in response to this, her eyes fixed on her screen as he left while her friend looked from the door back to her. "I'm sensing things still aren't resolved..." 

Bailee shook her head distantly. She felt like he didn't deserve her regard...not that he probably cared. He, too, was behaving rather childishly, so what did it matter? Though she had to admit she missed their friendly conversations. It felt so much more like a job without them. 

"Is the general here?" 

They looked up to Ren walking in in a huff as usual then back at her screen though Grace stood up straight, not that he particularly noticed. "No...just us." she muttered. 

"Tell him I need to speak to him about the training programme. These troopers are getting worse by the day." 

"I sure will..." 

"Why so glum." He walked to the general's desk, looking through his papers again. 

"Nothing..." She drew the word out in her boredom and irritation, clicking about on her computer. She couldn't be bothered to tell him not to go through Hux's stuff. 

He looked to Grace for an answer. 

"The situation on Bastion, sir." she replied, resting against the desk and he nodded. 

"Yes, I understand it got more heated after I left. Quite the scene." 

"It wouldn't have been if he hadn't made it more of one." she said as he launched himself onto the sofa against the opposite wall, leaning back. 

"You stood him up. Put on a braver face than he ever would. You actually fought." 

"Exactly!" She leaned forward, perking up a little. "And it's not as if he ever cared before what I did, if things were dangerous. Why should he care? He never told me not to help because what does it matter if I'm killed he'll just get a new assistant." 

"B..." Grace said while Ren responded with a 'true'. 

"Then there's that woman...that-" 

"Lady Rose Axos." he interjected, Grace smirking at the regal voice he put on as he picked at the sofa's leather. "Can't stand the woman...What do you think of her?" 

She backtracked. "I'm not at liberty to say, sir." 

"I hate her too."

"I never said I did." she said with a smile, getting up to check some papers on the general's desk. "But she's pushing it." 

"Hmm, indeed. She was telling me how I ought to conduct myself and where and when my meetings are." 

"Really?" Grace asked with a small curl of her lip. 

"'Commander Ren, I do believe you have a meeting now on the bridge, if you don't mind. Don't be late for the admiral'. I was this close to throwing her through the infrastructure of this base." 

The other two chuckled a little. "I don't imaging the Supreme Leader would be particularly happy." Bailee replied. 

"Exactly. She is protected by the position she might hold in the future. Not that even then she would have the power she assumes to have over, not only me, but practically every other superior on this ship."