𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐎𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐲𝐞 (𝐀 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲)

.[3].

Atlas walked all the way to the hangar, trying to remember all that Leia has taught her. She never really understood the point of Leia teaching her these things till now. She wondered why Ren always wore that mask even on his own ship. Does he not want people to know what he looks like? She was sure that people wouldn't care that he showed his face. In fact, she was pretty sure that they would appreciate it if he showed his face more often, that they would be less intimidated. Or was that the point of not showing his face; he wanted people to fear him, to feel powerful.

She saw the Commanders shuttle. It was huge and black. It looked sleek, yet intimidating. Like if you stepped foot in it without permission, you will surely die or get punished. Before entering the shuttle, Atlas walked over to a little cart with tools; the same tools that she used to practice at the base. She grabbed a handful of the tools and stuck them to the pockets of her belt at her waist. She climbed up the ladder that led to the Commanders shuttle. The door hissed out air as she pressed the button on the side to open it, and she entered.

She walked cautiously to the cockpit since she's never worked on an actual ship, especially one that belonged to the commander. She saw that there was an electrical box under the dash. She squatted down, making sure that her pants were lifted enough to not let anything show on the outside. She grabbed her tools and started doing 'her thing'. She felt a heavy pressure in her head but brushed it off thinking that it was just a basic headache from not eating since this morning. She didn't think anything of it. She continued to do her work. In fact, she was so into doing "her thing", that she hadn't even noticed that the door had opened until she heard a voice behind her.

"Get up," someone said sternly, making Atlas turn around quickly out of shock. She saw the commander in that same dark and intimidating mask he always wore. Just his presence made Atlas's spine chill, she stood up immediately.

"Commander, I was just finishing. I have a little bit more." Atlas played with her fingers nervously.

"That's not why I wanted to talk to you. Why can't I enter your thoughts? What are you doing to block me out," Commander Ren asked as he walked slowly towards Atlas.

Atlas gulped and walked a step back before he could reach her. "Sir, I have no idea what you're talking about." Atlas was now leaning over the dashboard as he stood closer and closer to her.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about, Atlas." Atlas heard the computer-generated voice the mask gave off. Something about hearing that just gave Atlas the urge to rip the mask off his face.

"Truly, sir, I don't know what you're talking about." Atlas was telling the truth. She really didn't know what was going on; even more, what he was talking about.

"Hm, very well. You're dismissed." Commander Ren moved back away from her and shower her out of his way.

"But sir, I haven't fini-"

"I said you were dismissed!" The Commander wasn't necessarily screaming but he did say it in a stern and forceful tone.

Atlas scurried off the shuttle, put back the tools on the cart, and walk/ran out of the Hangar. As she walked back to her personal quarters, she wondered what the commander was talking about. "Why can't I enter your thoughts?" Those words ringed inside Atlas's mind. "What are you doing to block me out?" What was she doing that blocked him out? She began to have a headache, a real one. Not the pressure she had while she was on the shuttle.

She walked into her room and double-tapped the chip in her ear. "General, Its Atlas. Are you there?"

"Yes Atlas, were here. Any information for us?"

"Well, General Hux assigned me an assignment to work on Commander Ren's shuttle but the strange part is as I was working, Ren walked in and asked me strange questions like 'why can't he enter my mind' and like 'what was I doing to block him out?' It was all a very strange first day."

"Yes Atlas, very strange. Contact us tomorrow." Atlas heard a hint of hesitation in her voice as Leia hung up the call.

She was just about to enter the bathroom when she heard that same voice that she heard while she was in the refresher back at the base.

"Atlas, be wary of your intentions?"

It wasn't necessarily a voice heard outside but it was heard inside her mind. She ignored the voice but once she was well into her shower, she thought about it more and more. Trying to understand exactly what that sentence meant and who said it, because it was definitely not her. Why would she say that to herself? It made no sense even if she said that to herself.

She laid down in her small bed, thinking about what the next day was going to bring to her. Was she going to see Ren again or was she going to keep working alone by herself? Only time could answer that for her.