Technical Error

Chapter Twenty-One

War: It Continues

Water traveled down the length of your body, crawling along your arms before dripping from your fingertips onto the ground. Mere moments ago Kylo Ren had been inside of the shower with you. While he dried himself off to dress, you were giving yourself a handful of seconds longer to enjoy the heat. More than that, you wanted to keep out of mind the fact that time was up, that the battle would begin. Already pilots would be hopping into their TIE fighters. The Commander would be among them in his Silencer. Though you did not want to think about work, your mind betrayed you and ran through possible upgrades that could benefit his vessel. You wanted to propose improved shields to the mechanics and other technicians who had worked on the Silencer. Ensuring that the system was not bogged down, however, could be an issue.

You ran your tongue over your lips whilst reaching for the handle to shut off the stream of water. The steam from its heat did not dissipate immediately. You remained inside of it for another heart beat prior to stepping out and grabbed your towel. Kylo Ren stood there in the doorway to the refresher. His face was unreadable to you. That neutral expression was much different than the torrent of emotions you had seen before.

The Supremacy had not made the jump through hyperspace to arrive in the vicinity of the Resistance base. It was ready to though. The expression on Ren's face made more sense to you when you thought of that. You held your breath and waited. In smaller ships, it was quite easy to feel the transition. In a vessel this large, on the other hand, you could have blinked and missed it. You did not blink, yet still missed it. Kylo Ren nodding was what informed you that things were proceeding. A half second later the siren blared.

A First Order dreadnought had been destroyed. That announcement over the loudspeakers caused your stomach to churn. You scrambled into your uniform without worrying about drying off your body or hair. Ren was quicker; he exited the refresher and his quarters before you has the last of your clothes on. You moved at a jog. He simply walked, his long strides carrying him farther away from you. Your superior split off in a different direction than what would take him to his ship. You had no time to question this, not even mentally, as you stuck to the route that would bring you to the TIE Silencer.

Pilots were climbing into their ships. Technicians and mechanics alike hurried to prepare the TIEs for battle. "Their bombers were taken out along with our dreadnought," the lead mechanic informed you as you arrived at his side. "Supreme Leader has not issued an order for us to assist in the battle. I doubt Kylo Ren will delay until that signal is given."

You did as well. The Force user probably felt that he had much to prove to Snoke. You thought of the cryptic way he had been speaking when the two of you had been alone together. If only he had been more forthcoming. Perhaps it was not time for that yet. He was possibly only in the planning stages of whatever it was he hoped to aim for.

You jumped into the pilot's seat of the TIE Silencer and began a system's check. It was not a necessary task, but more something to keep you occupied. You read through the lines of code, comparing them with other ships you had worked on, specifically the weapons systems. The communications system was improved, its range extending a little farther than that of standard TIEs. Its speed was superior as well.

Gorgeous, baby, I'll give you better weapons, you thought, grinning as you confirmed that there was plenty of memory. You would open that line of discussion with the Silencer's crew once the alarms stopped blaring. The upcoming battle that Kylo would take part in would also determine which new weapons you would recommend. A newer shield could be better. You thought of your own defense. With treason on the plate, you had to be ready. The same upgrades that could be done with the Silencer could be used for...Squeakers. The First Order might not allow you to fully weaponize the droid, however certain modifications would go unnoticed.