[closed] what do those people do?

[chromeyacht]

As if Kylo Ren himself wasn't enough, Phasma thought. As if one uncontrollable, unknown quantity aboard their ship wasn't bad enough, now they were going to be subjected to two.

Both General Hux and Lord Ren were on the surface of Starkiller, leaving Phasma to see to the Finalizer, and, by extension, their new guest. She had no idea what to expect, but that was to be expected by now. Force users were always deliberately mysterious, and it wasn't even clear why another one was coming. In fact, it wasn't even clear what she was - a Knight of Ren? A Sith Lord? There was no detail, just the name and the orders that she be met with respect and given quarters aboard their ship. Phasma detested the lack of clarity, the vagueness of the orders, the implication that they needed some sort of magic to achieve their goals. It was enough of a challenge keeping Ren from shredding this ship some days, and now this woman -

Lady Vanessa Ives. The name felt too mundane, and yet it managed to convey the same sort of dread heralded by any Force user.

She wondered if this was how Hux had felt, watching Kylo Ren's command shuttle sweep into the hangar for the first time. With any luck, Lady Ives would have a more favorable temperament.

Phasma stood straight and tall in front of her stormtroopers, with only her blaster holstered at her thigh. She always felt a little naked without the weight of her rifle in her hands, but even she couldn't go parading around with it all the time. Suffering the small things was part of the job, though, so she could endure the larger injustices. Even with her helmet on, she watched the shuttle clear its landing, and waited, keeping the dread at bay as best she could.

Comments

[chromeyacht]

Of course she didn't know those sorts of ghost stories - she was the ghost. Phasma did wonder how most of her kind were raised, though, if they were told how powerful they were, and other people were just insects to them.

"Regardless, Lord Ren's mission success rate is beyond reproach." It was just his behavior on board that could use some... reconditioning. She wasn't really defending Ren, but actually sidestepping the fact that they had no control of him, and they never would. "One does not serve aboard this ship unless they are the best at what they do."

Signaling the lift to take them to the next deck up, Phasma was silent, considering her response.

"That depends on you, and your standards, which I understand are separate from the First Order's. I imagine we must seem insignificant to you, but everyone here serves purpose even if it does not directly benefit you."

[huntedby]

Yes, Vanessa was the ghost, she was the witch--she was the last of a now dead breed, a creature apart. There are no others like her; even to other force users. It will never be the same again, without her Sisters, her Mother. But perhaps, when the chaos of the current conflict has calmed, she may be able to bring the order back, herself.

Or perhaps she will die alone. It will be as the Force wills--she can not see the path.

Tilting her head, Vanessa listens, processing the information. "I am sure it is," she can hear that Phasma does not approve of everything, still. "I am glad to hear that you expect the best out of your people; though, well. Their minds can't be controlled, fully. At least they are not Clones." Better to have unique creatures, trained and conditioned, than the same person, copied.

"I am aligned with the First Order, now." For better or worse; there is no other way forward for her, for now. "There is no insignificant life, just insignificant thoughts." It is what leads to superstition, to the attempted wipe out of her.

"You seem a woman who holds all to high standards, though. Is that because of personal standards, or how it reflects on you? Or both?"

[chromeyacht]

Phasma was perfectly neutral when it came to the topic of clones, mostly out of necessity. Between Lord Ren and General Hux, there were times she had to play tie-breaker, but that was one she kept out of at all costs. Besides, Hux just assumed she was on his side, what with her running the stormtroopers, but Ren took it as a victory when she didn't immediately rebuke him.

Not for the first time, she hoped the posturing between those two didn't wind up happening between her and Vanessa.

"As you say." Loyalty was not easily won among the First Order, at least not at this level. Phasma couldn't guess at the Supreme Leader's motives in these matters, but she was confident he didn't want any of them blindly trusting whomever he tossed onto their ships. She didn't answer for a long moment. "I should hope it's obvious that it's both. I came from nothing, and the First Order gave me everything. I intend to repay that tenfold. The success of my training and my troopers is a reflection of my standards, and if they are flawed or sub par, then I'll know about it. And then I'll correct it."

She was very, very confident no such flaws existed.