Technical Error

Chapter Two

Part One
Your Plumbing: Needs Repairs

Stormtroopers had numbers, officers had their names or else ranks, and technicians—"Technician!" Multiple heads turned towards the source, much like a flock of small animals perking up at the mention of a treat. The officer who had spoken, his lips twitched in mild amusement. As though he prided himself on being so high above those he deemed low. He directed his gaze on you, hooked two fingers, and summoned you forth. Really, it would have been less of a hassle if technicians had their badge numbers named off more often than their job title.

Not that you commented on this. You were more preoccupied with following along after the officer to see why you were being summoned. That was one thing you prided yourself on, keeping up your image as a professional. There were instances in which you were clumsy, yes, however you attributed that to being human. Everyone had their own downfall in some regard. You could only worry about yourself in that respect, though, and so you kept your facial features under control despite that the officer who was escorting you had a sneer on his face.

You did not know where it started that others in the First Order started to think so lowly of technicians. In your mind, your small job was essential to a great majority of their successes. Working equipment, and not to mention shuttles. Without these things, the officers and stormtroopers would be forced to use more primitive tools and tactics. Your mind wandered to the anti-gravity machine.

Case and point, you thought. While you could not worry about other technicians, some of whom did give others a bad name when they slacked off, it did not mean you never told them where you stood. You sometimes wondered if this was why you found yourself feeling more isolated than many of your peers. Not that you would give up on your own standards or morals for the sake of popularity.

Traveling in silence—save the occasional squeak from your droid, you soon found yourself in a place you had hardly expected to be. The officer dismissed himself, and you slipped into the room.

You did not normally find yourself in the presence of the general. Passing him by in the hallways? Sure, that occurred every now and again. It was bound to happen since, though the Star Destroyer was a rather sizable vessel, there were only so many areas onboard. For him to have his focus on you, however, that was a treat. Or a slow death. It truly depended on the circumstances. Presently it appeared that you finding yourself in the presence of General Hux could be regarded as a pleasant experience. The man, having read over the reports of how you had fixed the malfunctioning anti-gravity machine, now wanted to hear a first-hand account from you.

"You seem quite adept at your job," he remarked, and you were not certain whether he was praising or simply assessing you. Perhaps he had believed you were a failure, and you should thus be insulted by his words. As it was, however, you gave a half-nod while continuing to remain standing still with your arms at your sides. Squeakers was close to your side, though the droid was anything but professional. It beeped randomly. You had to fight off the urge to tell it to shut up. General Hux's attention switched to Squeakers, and the droid at last fell silent. No doubt it sensed that the redhead would have it destroyed without a second thought. Now that the droid was no longer making noises, your superior once more looked your way. "I am assigning the task of routine maintenance on the machine to you."

It was an honor, which caused your heart to stutter in your chest. To be in charge of such an important part of the ship! Wow. You swallowed then managed to say, "Yes, sir. Thank you, sir."

After he dismissed you, you slowly walked off the bridge. Squeakers followed behind you, the droid still very quiet. It was when you were out of earshot of the general that your companion released a solemn beep. You eyed the droid, your lips set in a deep frown. "Well, that was your fault if you were almost destroyed," you countered. Squeakers released a noise of indignation. You chose to ignore this and headed towards where your supervisor was waiting to hand out assignments for the day.