In Time Gone By...

~ 6 ~

The longer Bailee remained in her position, this position, some could argue of some power and authority with options to manipulate her employer, the more uncomfortable she became in withholding her past, her history with the enemy. 

It was extensive, of course. She had spent a large portion of her life there under their command, grown up there, knew a little about their workings, but not enough to out her. After all, she hadn't been that important just a fighter tasked with missions, a goal, and not necessarily any context as to why. A pawn in a much larger game that she was always far too overlooked to ever be a part of. 

It was just...would they believe that? The Order? That her position was that unimportant? Or even that she was entirely loyal to her new employers. After all, everyone knew there were moles in both sides. 

But telling them now would reduce any fallout if they found out themselves. Being in the position she was meant far more scrutiny. She had nothing to hide though, nothing incriminating in any communication or message she had ever sent. Just that at one point in her life she had been involved with the Resistance, a cause so easy to turn their backs on her. 

Now was the time. 

She was filing some paper documents in a cabinet when the general returned from the bridge, immediately sitting down to review various things with glasses at the ready, only giving her the smallest of nods before getting stuck in. 

Bailee nodded back, distant, fiddling with the corner of a file as she contemplated, gathering her nerves. It had to be done, really. Putting it off would only make it worse. Just say something, one word, and the rest will follow. 

"Sir..." Her voice was soft as she walked to his desk, holding something out for him to sign as some kind of distraction. He took it and placed it beside him without breaking from what he was doing. She swallowed, took a deep breath and looked down. "Sir, may I speak to you about something?"

He looked up at her at this, dragging himself from his monitor reluctantly. His look was expectant. "Yes?" 

"This might take some time..." she muttered, her heart starting to accelerate, stomach tightening, kind of hoping that he'd brush her off for now. 

Except he didn't. Instead, he removed his glasses and nodded to the seat in front of him, moving everything aside. "What's wrong?" 

She shook her head as she sat, straightening her uniform and trying to sit up straight, confident. "Nothing's wrong...I don't think." 

"You don't think?" He looked back at her, half-expectant, half-inquisitive as he cleared his final things aside. 

"Well, no...I'm not sure...um..." The breath catching in her chest, pressing against her lungs made it difficult to get her words out. Just breathe. "I feel I haven't been entirely honest with you." 

His expression became a little colder at this, a darkness setting in as he sat back. "In what way, Latt." 

She swallowed again, trying to keep her eyes on him. Now or never. "Just...my past, sir. My history before the Order uh..." 

He kept his gaze on her as she squirmed internally, trying to find the words she had written and rewritten and practiced in her head for so long. He was completely silent and expectant as he waited which only unsettled her even more. 

"So...before I came here, before I joined...well, I didn't come from a First Order territory or go through the Academy or anything like that. I...well, for most of my life I was a member of...the...Resistance. I grew up there." she blurted out. 

His attention was thoroughly sparked at this and yet somehow he was even more silent, his chin rested on his hand, eyes still entirely on her. Stars, that look...it could destroy star systems.