* PHASMA .

she did not waver, still as stone with an intensity smoldering beneath.  suspicion kept her hackles raised, but the offer of a truce still stood.  news traveled fast to the resistance; a potential ally from within could turn the tide of the war.  thus, rey approached carefully, guard up, one hand held up as a white flag ( she would not attack unless provoked ).   ❝ just me.  the resistance knows which sector i’m in, but not which planet.  so for our purposes, i came ALONE. ❞  she kept the words flat, truthful, yet a sharp warning gleamed off the edges; just because she came alone did not mean she might be an easy target.  

rey speaks as if she’s talking to a cornered animal that’s baring it’s teeth. it’s belittling. ❛ then you’re just a fool. ❜ a fool with a plan unfolding; those eyes are prying and phasma knows her armor is a shield and yet ... fractured trust is the sourness making her lips curl as a sneer. it’s a taste she doubts she will ever learn to enjoy. 

     there’s no flinch at the sudden grip, a response programmed out of a good soldier. thoughts turn to the old code of the sith; through strength, i gain power. was the mere strength of her will enough to become more powerful? thoughts easily brushed aside as thumb brushes over the sensitive skin of inner wrist. fingers linger ‘gainst the warmth of pale skin, stilling their movements but hesitant to leave.

       a smile twitches at her lips, movement returning as nails drag lightly ‘long the smallest bit of exposed skin revealed to curious touches. ‘ nothing terribly serious. a few scrapes, a broken rib or two … maybe. ’ 

     ‘ hux is fine to wait for a few moments, it’s not as if he’s aching to have my company. ’ a veritable side-step of the captain’s words, jadara leans up on the tips of her toes to brush painted lips ‘gainst the gleaming chromium tilted towards her. always treading the line between familiarity and danger, pressing ‘gainst unyielding metal as if it were the warmth of the skin concealed ‘neath. ‘ just a few small things . . . i found a rather lovely blade i thought you would appreciate … and my sketches! they’re in my bag. ’

              ❛ — and i can’t imagine why. ❜ the modulator may not filter a sigh properly, but it has no trouble picking up the complete deadpan in her voice. armitage tended to have less patience than normal when regarding the knights, and phasma suspects it isn’t because of the group as a whole but the association with one particular knight. phasma finds herself silently agreeing.

              ‘    ON THE CONTRARY.    I FIND MYSELF DOUBTING    HIS    ’    Ren admits with little to no care.    Armitage knew their continuous power play had to come to a halt at some point and if his ideologies didn’t match with the leader than that was enough.    He’s not naive enough to believe it would be that easy but to humiliate and strip the title from him,    well,    that was    well within his power.    Excess information would always be crucial encase people started to get interested in why.    Phasma’s own admittance of his thoughts confirm enough    : Hux would be unsuitable to serve under him, it wasn’t in his nature.    The man wanted to be the one to pull the puppet strings.

                    Unlike the Captain he has no way to hide behind a visor,    his emotions are splayed as they formulate and take shape.    The detail seems irrelevant even if they’re subject to her analysis.    With Snoke gone he’s inherited the place of power,    albeit by force,    but by one that’s somewhat respected given his abilities.    They’re scared,    it’s all he needs.    Ren stares right at her as if his eyes are burning away the shell of chrome.    He owes her nothing and he’s not willing to give up his own thoughts to appease her mind.

          ❛ a position that high in command becoming vacant is a noticeable loss. it would need to be filled quickly. ❜ listen to how she builds a sentence with a heavy meaning without ever mentioning it. armitage had a voice but what power that was packed behind it was hereditary, and what trickles down tended to end up diluted. brendol held merciless command, and it would seem his son lacks proper direction that grows more apparent as the years stretch. armitage lets his emotions steer him. he was volatile — and it appears he isn’t the only one.