Contract With the Commander: Kylo x OC

Chapter 11

Quinn

My complex feelings about the commander continue to weigh on my mind. I go about my work day as I always have these past years. Thankfully, the Finalizer is actually moving today, so I have something to hold my focus for my shift. And it's an off night from the commander, so I don't have to spend my day in anticipation with a continuous, itchy arousal.

Instead, I go about my day as a First Order employee and look forward to my usual meal with my friends. I still get a twinge of guilt when I see Oh-two and remember my unfounded accusations. Of course, I can't bring it up to her and apologize. I just have to live with it.

As usual, I get to the meal hall before them. The food is about the same as it always is, nourishing but a bit bland. After several minutes, Oh-two sits down with her tray of food.

I look around the busy meal hall with a frown. "Davy late?"

Oh-two shrugs and digs into her food. I do the same, and we eat in silence for a few minutes. But my frown returns. "You think he's okay?"

Oh-two looks around the meal hall with her own frown. "Let's check medbay just in case."

She puts her fork down and pulls up her wristcomm. My stomach twists with worry as she pulls up the medbay register. Sure enough, TIE engineer 7272 is on the list.

My food is suddenly unappetizing. "Fuck, I hope he's okay."

A meal without Davy is weird enough, but knowing that he's sick or injured while we're going about our day and eating sits like a rock in my stomach.

"Would you be able to come with me to go check on him after my debrief?" I honestly have no idea what Oh-two does after we eat. Davy and I head toward the officer's debrief, but Oh-two goes down a different corridor.

Her cheeks flush and she looks down. "Normally I would, but not tonight."

My thoughts perk up at her reaction. It's just as it was when she had a meeting with the commander. "You have a meeting?" I have to know. I have to know as much as I can about her interactions with him. What if somehow the wires get crossed and we run into each other at his office?

She nods once, but disguises it by looking down and picking up her fork.

I glance around the meal hall, but everyone is engrossed in their own food and conversation, and the noise level will make it hard to overhear. Oh-two keeps her eyes down as she takes small bites and chews thoroughly.

"You have to tell me something," I say quietly.

Her lips purse. "I wouldn't be the first unspeakable to disappear."

My heart races, but I have an answer for that concern. "I'm a chief officer on the command deck. I keep dozens of secrets every single day."

She frowns up at me. "Like what, which sector of the galaxy we're headed toward? That's not top security secrets."

Defensiveness burns in my chest. My lips pull down and I stare at her feminine face peppered in sweet freckles over pink cheeks. "It's more than that! I have access to the location of every ship in the fleet. Even the ones that don't exist."

That perks her attention. She glances from side to side before taking a bite. "What do you mean by that?"

I shrug. "I'm not comfortable gossiping if you don't have anything to say."

Her face falls with disappointment. "It's not gossip."

I lean forward and wink. "Yes, it is." Then I remember not to look suspicious, and force myself to eat.