─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
fade : chapter one
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
EVERYTHING AROUND HER IS DARK. The only thing she can hear is the beating of her own heart, blood rushing through her veins, her unsteady breathing. There's a blaster in her hand. She could shoot if she wanted to, but there's nothing to aim at. Suddenly, she feels scared. Terrified, even. Hair at the back of her neck stands up, and she looks around her desperately. A voice in her head tells her to do it, and she understands that it means for her to shoot the blaster, but she doesn't want to. She doesn't know at whom.
The space around her lights up for a split second as the gun fires without any help of her finger, and she swears she can see the faces of the countless people she has murdered on behalf of the first order all around her. She can hear the voices of their loved ones, their children crying out in terror, and it echoes through the space. The victims are on their knees, tears falling down their faces as their plead for their lives. She stops listening. Florence closes her eyes, not wanting to hear it any longer. It's killing her. All the death. All the bloodshed. For nothing. Her victims never know anything. Or at least they never get the chance to tell her if they do know. The orders are to kill them. And she does. Mercilessly.
When she opens her eyes, it's quiet. The blaster is no longer in her hand. "You have failed me." A voice says, layered behind apparatus. It sounds robotic, and frankly, she has always hated that mask and the voice-altering that comes with it. "You refused orders," he says. Florence stares out into the dark abyss, the voice surrounds her, echoes throughout her entire body, it consumes her, but she's not scared. Kylo Ren doesn't frighten her.
"You have betrayed me." He speaks, this time without the helmet. She hardly recognizes the voice, for she doesn't often hear him without all the apparatus — but it is without a doubt Ben Solo speaking to her. Florence frowns to herself. She tries extending her arm, tries to find something in the darkness, just something to hold on to. She cannot move.
Her breathing gets heavier as someone towers over her, a breath hot against the skin of her forehead. "Forgive me," he speaks yet again, and before Florence can question what he's asking forgiveness for, the red crossguard lightsaber ignites into her abdomen. She stares into the darkness, searching for her killer, but not even with the red light of the lightsaber can she spot him.
[...]
Florence shoots up in bed, beads of sweat on her forehead and in the nape of her neck. She catches her breath, trying to steady her hammering heartbeat by grasping at her bedsheets, thoughts scattered as she tries to makes sense what she just dreamt about. Once her rapid breathing has slowed down, she glances over at the clock on her bedside table. It is no later than four in the morning, but there's no reason to even attempt at going back to sleep. She's too riled up, adrenaline rushing through her being. Instead, she gets dressed and heads out in search of something to do.
The star destroyer is filled with life even at this hour. There are always people on duty, no matter how late or how early. Anyone around here is lucky if they can catch even a few hours of sleep, Florence would most certainly know. She hasn't slept more than three hours in the past few years. At this point, she can hardly remember how long it has been since she pledged herself to the dark side. Since Kylo Ren told her to let go of her past and embrace her new life. It's exactly what she has done.
Florence always stands out when she walks down the hallways of the star destroyer. Not only is she not wearing a classic officer outfit like everyone else in her ranks, but she is also a woman. There aren't many around this place, and if there are, they're on the bridge. And quite specifically, her hair makes it easy to spot her in a crowd; long platinum locks that reach below her waist, always carefully braided into pretty updos. She was relocated to the destroyer not long ago, and she rather hates it. It is unbelievably large and she often finds herself getting lost.
"Naya!" Someone calls out to her, voice echoing through the hallway. She turns around, trying to find the source, expression softening at the sight of Hux. Yes, he's a pain in her ass, but somehow, they've formed quite the friendship over the years ( friendship is definitely an overstatement, but they have a mutual respect that she quite appreciates ). "Come with me." He gestures.
"What for?" She raises a brow as she catches up to him, falling into a walk beside him.
"Where were you headed?" Hux answers her question with another, something he does quite often which deeply annoys her.
Florence frowns at his question. "The mess hall. Why?"
"We have a meeting." He says simply, as if that isn't a new and strange thing to say to someone who has never been apart of any of these meeting before.
At a loss of words, she just stares at him for a moment, eyebrows knitted in confusion. "We? Who's we? And why am I suddenly a part of this we?"
A wicked, proud smile stretches across his lips. "We have decided that you're ready to take a further step up the ranks. The supreme leader wants to meet with you."
Breath catches in her throat, the supreme leader wants to meet with her? She is rather no one amongst the rest of the first order. She is not special. She is not worthy of praise so high that the supreme leader would want to see her. But she nods nonetheless, her shock obvious by her expression. Hux pays it no mind, leasing her through the ship and into a large, dark room.
Florence marvels at the sight before her: the supreme leader, present through a hologram that sizes him up to a giant. She swallows nervously, glancing at Hux as she steps forward, heartbeat increasing when she hears him leave the room after nodding curtly at the hologram in front of them. Unsure of what to do with herself, she clasps her hands together on her back and looks up at the supreme leader with cold eyes.
"So you're the one Hux speaks so fondly of." His voice is deep and raspy, rumbling throughout the room, causing her very being to tremble. She inhales a deep breath, clenching her jaw.
She arches a brow. "I suppose I am."
"I hear great things about you and your accomplishments," he stares down at her and she seems to shrink under his gaze, "but I feel the conflict. You're still so drawn to the resistance. It makes me wonder if you're truly right for our cause."
With ever so little anger, she grits her teeth. "My loyalty lies with the first order." She says firmly. The amount of work she has put in to prove herself has been the largest challenge of herself. Mentally, she is completely corrupted. She has gone numb from all of the killing. She no longer feels when she takes a last look at her victims. Killing people does not scathe her any longer. The first order has made her put aside all of her beliefs. How dare this man question her loyalty.
"Ah, anger," he chuckles. Looking at her with authority. "Your kills are impressive, I admit. But they matter not if I do not believe in your loyalty." There's something about his tone that appears taunting. As if he's mocking her, purposely trying to rile her up.
"My loyalty lies with the first order." She repeats through gritted teeth, anger rising in her.
The supreme leader laughs mellowly, leaning forward in his seat to look closer at her. "Prove it. Make me believe it."
Needless to say, Florence is more than annoyed as she walks out of the room, releasing a frustrated huff of hair. Hux raises his brows, almost smiling at her reaction, but he keeps his posture, starting to walk. She glares at him, breathing in through her nostrils to try and calm herself down.
Florence flees to the cafeteria, sitting down in a corner with a plate full of disgusting goo that she has, over time, learned to eat. It's really the only thing they have to offer, and operating on an empty stomach isn't an option in a place where failure equals death. As she sits broodingly with one hand supporting her head, several strands of her white hair fall into her face. She doesn't bother to brush them away.
From her seat, she has a good view of the cafeteria. At this point, it's rather busy. Several cadets are sat, socializing with each other as they eat their breakfast. She remembers when she was little and the meals she would share with her family and the conversations they'd have. She misses them so very much. She has let them down and she knows it. She just hopes they know why she's currently sitting in a star destroyer, clad in black and red.
She tries to forget about her duties, the supreme leader's words and her terrible decision making by punching the hell out of a large black punching bag. Her punches are fueled by anger and frustration, each one harder than the other until she accidentally lets her guard down while catching her breath and the bag knocks her down, the back of her head hitting the soft flooring with a thud. She runs her hands down her face, groaning loudly.
"You all right?" A friendly cadet whom Florence has had short and sweet conversations with before approaches her, extending his hand. She pulls herself up, smiling thankfully.
"Yes, thank you Kez. I kind of forgot it, uh, swings." She purses her lips awkwardly, brushing her hands off on her legs.
"Yeah you should be more careful with that."
She nods, laughing ever so softly, looking up at the sack again. "I will be." She promises, watching as he walk over to his post again. The first order may be bad, but there are good people within. Good people that don't deserve this life and don't deserve to die.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
IT'S NIGHTTIME ON JAKKU WHEN THEY ARRIVE. Tuanul is a small settlement, can't hold more than a couple hundred people. Florence finds herself to be nervous. For a while now, commander Ren has been sending out people, herself included, with one goal; to find the map. She recalls the many people she's had down on their knees as she tried to get them to tell her about the whereabouts of that map. People within the resistance are loyal, it appears. None of them made it out alive. Only one had valuable information.
When one man told her that an old traveller named Lor San Tekka had it, she was afraid to believe it. Afraid to tell anyone what he said. He could have been lying for all she knows, and they could be heading toward another failure with a hundred troopers and some of the best fighters in the entire First Order. But she remains rather confident, wishing that this mission will go well so that she for once can just rest. If Ren finally retrieves his precious map, maybe, hopefully, she can breathe for just a minute or two.
As the ship lands fully, she gets a clearer view of the place. The very first thing she spots is an X-Wing towards the end of the small settlement. They got here first. She curses to herself, hand resting on her blaster as she follows commander Ren out of the ship, followed by a couple of troopers. Carnation has already ensued in Tuanul, with a handful of shuttles having landed before them. Stormtroopers have taken over the place, the villagers have either been killed or collected in a small area, completely surrounded by troopers with their guns ready.
She swallows the lump in her throat and pulls her eyes off of the chaos, keeping a steady watch on her commander instead. She's here to learn, to prove that she has what it takes, she's not here to feel bad for villagers she has never met before. Empathy is not something she can afford.
Two stormtroopers approach them, dragging an old man between them. Kylo steps up to them, tilting his head slightly as he takes a good look at the man. "Look how old you've become."
"Something far worse has happened to you." Lor San Tekka replies lowly.
Kylo ignores the comment. "You know what I've come for."
"I know where you come from. Before you called yourself Kylo Ren." The old man says, sadness in his eyes. The way he say his name is with distaste. It's rather clear what Lor San Tekka thinks about the first order.
"The map to Skywalker. We know you you found it. And now you're going to give it to the first order."
"The first order rose from the dark side. You did not."
Growing agitated, Kylo grits his teeth. "I'll show you the dark side." He spits.
"You may try. But you cannot deny the truth that is your family."
"You're so right." Kylo says, amusement in his tone before he strikes the old man down without hesitation. Florence must try hard not to flinch. A man to their right fires a shot as he does so, but the commander is quick. He freezes the blaster shot as well as the man who fired it. As he struggles to move, the same troopers who carried Lor San Tekka approach the man and they drag him over, forcing him down on his knees in front of Kylo Ren.
"So, who talks first? I talk first? You talk first?" How the man has the energy to make a quip right now is completely beyond Florence. She watches him carefully, knowing that if it continues like this, he won't make it long. The commander hasn't much patience for people like him.
"The old man gave it to you."
"It's just very hard to understand you with all the..." the man gestures with his hand over his face.
"Search him." Kylo demands and the troopers do as told, performing a rather breezy pat-down.
"...apparatus."
"Put him on board." Kylo says dismissively.
Florence and the man of the resistance lock eyes for half a second. He looks terrified, she looks confident. She watches them drag him over to a shuttle, turning around as Phasma approaches them in all her tall and chrome glory. "Sir, the villagers?"
"Kill them all."
She nods. "On my command," a second of quiet ensues as everyone readies their blasters. "Fire."
Florence feels nothing as she fires into the pit of villagers. Absolutely nothing, not fright, not sympathy, not sadness, regret, or pain. She is just following orders. Taking lives hasn't bothered her in a long time. The pleads and cries of frightened women, men and children don't stop her from repeatedly firing shots. She doesn't stop until they're all down.
Catching up with her commander, she looks at what he seems to be looking at. A trooper at the other side of the village, frozen in place, a bloody handprint on his helmet. he turns away, Florence and Kylo walk in silence back to the shuttle. She wonders what that was all about, but she won't ask, and she doesn't look back at the marked stormtrooper even if she really wants to.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
[ words: 2631 ]
phew, now that's a first chapter. I
didn't wanna waste a lot of time on
things taking place before the beginning
of The Force Awakens, so I decided that
we might as well pick up there right
from the start.
Florence isn't meant to be a very
good character, as in, she's very flawed.
She's torn between good and bad. The
first order has broken her down, she no
longer has much pride. She follows orders
just like everyone else, but she is truly
broken inside. She doesn't want to be with the first order, but there's no way out for her. That's the entire point of her character,
that desperation and longing to be and
do good, but she can't do much from her position.
Hope you enjoyed!