In Time Gone By...

~ 17 ~

Bailee stood outside the general's ship as everything was loaded onto it, directing a trooper where to put her bag so that it wasn't being crushed. The two who had been escorting her stood on either side, both with guns drawn, towering over her. She was dressed to travel, hands on her hips where her cargo trousers and t-shirt met, a pair of sturdy boots having kept her going through all the back and forth of preparing their departure. 

Their trip had been moderately successful, though she had barely seen her boss who had been caught up in meetings and negotiations and all sorts of chaos. He was completely engrossed which she respected. Distant, yes, but things had gotten done and wasn't that all that mattered? 

"Is everything ready?" Hux walked onto the landing platform similarly dressed, the two troopers following his assistant when she walked to meet him. They flanked the two of them as they went. 

"I believe so, sir. We're on track to get back to the ship for 2100 hours." 

"Good. You two," he said, turning to the troopers when they reached the ship's ramp. "You can return to your squadron leader...Thank you." 

They nodded and left, Bailee turning to him as they walked up into the ship. "You're in a good mood." 

"They did their job, you're in one piece." 

She smiled to herself, leaning through the seats in the cockpit to speak to the pilot quickly before taking her seat beside the general. "All set. Hope you've got plenty to be getting on with." 

"You know me..." 

Later she woke to the ship jolting out of hyperspace, turning her head groggily to the cockpit where the pilot was flicking switches, relaying some communications. The ship creaked a little in the quiet, settling as they slowed. 

"Why have we stopped?" she asked, the general beside her having not registered they had until she spoke. 

"Just need some fuel, ma'am." the pilot replied as she got up to speak to him. "We can stop at Arkanis. It's a little contested but we'll be fine if we stop in the right city." 

She looked back at the general who looked up for a moment at the mention of the name but shook it off and returned to his work. "How long will it-" 

She was cut off by the whizzing of an x-wing to their right, circling round in front of them, rattling the bones of the transport and running a shiver down its occupant's spines. 

"Shit." 

The pilot immediately sprung into action, the ship shooting forward to get lower into the atmosphere of the planet. Hopefully they could lose them... 

The ships raced after then, firing red bolts that just about skimmed past them thanks to the skill of their pilot. Bailee stumbled when they rushed in one direction and then the other. 

"Latt! Come here!" the general shouted to her as the ship shook around them, the pilot making urgent communications. She fell back into her seat, Hux gripping her shoulders to steady her. "Are you okay?" 

"I'm fine. We have X-wings on our tail, we can lose them, right?"

"I don't know... But it'll be okay." he said, seeing the panic in her eyes, swimming with fear and a type of loss. He took her face gently in his hand. "It's okay...stay here." 

"Sir-" 

"Stay here." 

Well...if anyone knew what they were talking about it was him and she trusted him infinitely. 

He got up to talk to the pilot, falling into the seats and gripping onto the headrests to give him various commands. He asked rapid fire questions that went straight through Bailee's head, hardly processing a single word in the last few minutes. She held onto the walls of the ship instead, trying to slow her breathing. Was this it? After everything, was this how she was going to die? At the hand of those who had betrayed her? She couldn't.