onlyeverdoubted | TLV Inbox

[Rae follows him out, crossing her arms with her blaster now narrowed at Bodhi's chest as she adopts a more relaxed attitude. She leans against the wall opposite him, eyeing Bodhi up and down.

And finding him wanting. Who is this strange, strange man that her most promising protege has seen fit to align himself with?]

Mmn.

You're not an imperial officer, I take it?

[There's the courage of his convictions and then there's the better part of valor. The blaster expertly leveled at him makes that clear enough. Hux would be upset if he got himself shot. So he starts out gently.]

Well. Ensign.

[Compared to Hux's rank, nothing, but maybe a better place to start than defector with a price on his head.]

[a sharp, startled laugh]

So either you're someone very special, or you have a significant amount of blackmail on him. Which is it?

[As intrinsically inimical to his sense of self as claiming to be special is, Bodhi can't help quirked eyebrows at that one.]

Who could possibly blackmail Hux? The man cross-indexes his sock drawer.

[Sloane purses her lips together rather than give anything away, but it's clear from her expression she doesn't agree that blackmail is impossible]

Don't be naive.

You're an Ensign, in the rooms of a General. That must be quite a story.

[He could point out that, for a different sort of general, that wouldn't be a mystery at all. Easy prey. Wouldn't strike quite the right note. Instead he pinches the bridge of his nose, thinking through the little he knows about this flood.]

How much did you arrive knowing about the place? Just, uh, so I don't bore you with repeat details.

[Sloane seems very much aware of this herself. But she knows Armitage; knows he wouldn't take advantage where others would have, for as much for his sake as theirs. She shrugs, once]

Most details are relevant when coming from new sources of information. I'm here; Hux is not, and I am his replacement. He is grateful to me for whatever stupid, sentimental reason he has, and while I respect his privacy in that, I do not when it comes to his safety.

[Her eyes search Bodhi's, penetrating]

So, Ensign. Is he safe with you?

[There's a starting point he can respect.]

Physically? Um, I don't contribute much in an altercation. He's a lot more use than I am. In, well, less... less tangible ways, he seems to like having me around, that's all.

[Being called on to justify his place in Hux's life is uncomfortable. He can't really do it to himself sometimes, after all.]

I... I can promise I'd never do anything to hurt him. And the way this place works, I'm not really a liability, either.

[She goes quiet, searching Bodhi for some indication of falsehood in his tone, his expression. Finally, Sloane seems satisfied]

He was still small when I left him. Hope he's a bit taller than you, anyway.

[He should probably know about her. The little he does know of Hux's past... well, he doesn't like to talk about it. Neither of them likes to talk about it. They've never needed a past. But he should still know, somehow. Another little guilt for the towering heap of them.

And that makes this... about as close as he's likely to get to meeting any sort of family. Huh. That's an interesting new sense of pressure.]

Quite a bit, actually, not that that's much of an accomplishment. He, um, he never mentioned you, but I'm sure that wasn't--I mean, we don't discuss much about... We mostly talk about books, honestly, engineering projects, that kind of thing.

I'm not surprised. Or offended, not in the least.

[she seems to eye him further, this mousey little ensign who all signs have pointed Hux actually caring for him.]

All right. Ensign....What is your last name?

Rook. I, um, I can show you his open projects if you like, or... well, there isn't a lot to tour...

[Which probably sounds like he's trying to deflect attention from himself. He's nervous and babbling, is what he is.]

Ensign Rook.

[Sloane at last puts her gun back in its holster, crossing her arms to give him a proper once-over]

I didn't come here by choice, and I certainly have no interest in interfering with or commenting on Hux's projects. I'm not an engineer.

I'm more interested to learn the status of the Empire or lack thereof in the future. And I will answer some of your questions in exchange, if you like.

[Alright, a misstep. But he takes a lot of those.]

I'll tell you what I know, but that's only what I've learned here. I've, um, been dead since before you last saw Hux, back home. Time doesn't work right here. Um, obviously.

'Obviously'.

I was going to comment on your wardrobe being woefully out-of-date but admittedly time travel didn't cross my mind.

[Well, she knew she'd last seen Hux when he was a child, and... nevermind. Bodhi is rarely willing to explain his mistakes. Feels too much like defending them.]

Oh. Well. People from our... same, um, general... galaxy are pretty heavily represented here, I think? But scattered across decades.

[He thinks. He knows full well he hasn't spoken to half of them. He might be missing someone who's come from generations before or after.]

Bit disorienting.

You could say that.

[she says, with the barest HINT of a smile]

Where is the canteen on this woeful little ship?

Your choice, directions or a guide, but if it's the latter I'll want shoes and that'll probably rile the cats.

[Logistics are his comfortable refuge when he's busy humiliating himself.]

I would prefer a guide.

[Sloane doesn't like Bodhi, but she prefers his company to walking an unknown ship alone.]

Your cats, or his?

One of each. The simmering pool of Dark Side energy under the desk is mine.

[The one person Dio doesn't want to destroy is the one who led with a blaster under his owner's chin. Seems about right.]

Which means the princess is probably in the bedroom.

[And as that's where his boots are, a bit of cat chaos seems likely. He rises from the desk chair slowly, hands empty and visible, without really thinking about it. Seeming like a non threat is his best defense.]

[A sharp look at Bodhi at Dark Side, before Sloane realizes Bodhi is kidding. Not a usual thing she hears; most Imperials are humorless and uptight.]

I shouldn't be surprised at this show of sentimentality over resources, but you reportedly have an abundance of both here.

Plenty, yeah.

[He absently bends to pet the cat as she slips out to pester Dio and investigate, painfully conscious that the door he's just opened is to a bedroom that clearly belongs to them both. Not that this fact could be a shock, but there was plausible deniability if she wanted to take it. Bodhi hastily shoves his toes into his boots and grabs a sweatshirt from the closet.]

It's, um, not far to the canteen, and we're overlapping normal breakfast hours. I think.

[She eyes the room, and then Bodhi, mind working furiously. Sloane reaches out her hand and stops him from walking, giving him an intense stare that demands honesty]

Is he taking advantage of you, Ensign?

[Did he fall the same way as his father? Sloane wants to know]

[Bodhi's wince is almost imperceptible. Still doesn't like an unexpected touch.

He considers a few answers. The hierarchy that would have made that possible is something they've left behind. That no advantage is being taken anyway, but he's certainly not going to explain that. But he just shakes his head.]

He would never. We... we've known each other for years now. It just... happened this way.

[That flinch tells otherwise. She stares him down, making sure to meet his eyeline]

Tell me truthfully. Has he harmed you?

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