Error: Program Not Found-Twenty
Summary: You are in charge of programming the droids that work most closely with both General Hux and Kylo Ren. Unbeknownst to you, each of these two men have it in their heads that your relationship extends beyond the workplace. This causes things to escalate quickly when your two apparently secret boyfriends compare notes on their respective partner who is far too similar for their liking.
Read on AO3
Side Notes: Contains all three routes, divided by breaks
Error: Program Not Found
“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” - Helen Keller
Twenty: Workday
[Kylo Route]
Construction on the droids had hit a snag, albeit one that set things back a single cycle. It had been deemed fit to alter the bodies of the anti-procrastination droids so that they were smaller. The more compact versions would be plenty capable of ensuring personnel resumed work with minimal distractions along with reducing the costs of construction. The one downside was a shortage in one of the components, which thankfully was simple enough to obtain. Aelin devoted his time to building the other portions of the beta unit while in the presence of your team.
This placed you, Eddard, Aelin, two mechanics, and one other programmer in a single room together with TeeArr. The droid communicated with the other two droids in the room; one was a test unit for the assassination droid program and the other for the physical therapy droids. The assassination droid possessed no weaponry. What was being tested at current was the ability to blend in. You hoped that it would mimic the physical therapy droid, however if this did not occur you had several lies on hand for the members of your team without proper clearance.
Eddard stood next to one of the mechanics near the physical therapy droid. On the other side of the room, the other mechanic worked alongside Aelin. You, meanwhile, remained by the assassination droid and TeeArr with the other programmer.
“I am a little surprised the officers didn’t order you to have the droids use cattle prods to get people moving,” the programmer said under her breath. You snorted, clenching your jaw to fight off a smile. Your gaze flickered over to the door. She acted similarly and, when she spoke again, kept her voice low. “A small companion droid would be nice for the long nights. Well, them and a cup of caf.”
What she described sounded a lot like what you preferred; it emphasized, for you, one of the reasons you enjoyed TeeArr’s company even when the droid was in a more obstinate mood. That companionship and the fact that he helped to keep you on task. His personality did, you had to admit, cause some distractions. That was nothing you planned to remedy.
“I have been enjoying teas as well as caf,” you stated, tilting your head partway to one side. “They can be more soothing, I think.”
“Hmm. I’ll have to try some,” she replied. You considered her, the way her badge possessed her family name and first initial—Kerti O.—and tried to remember just how old she was. You knew that she was at least two years your junior. Though this was not the first assignment you had worked with her on, it was the first time you had personally requested her presence. Kerti ducked her head in a wince as the physical therapy droid toppled over. “Oh.”
You cringed a bit a well, having seen the act firsthand. The droid had tangled its limbs in an attempt to execute one of its functions to assist a patient in stretching. “I am so glad that we have been given time to run these tests.”
While Kerti hit the switch on the droid, you pulled up the programming on your device and entered a few quick commands to bring up the section requiring review. The droid would need to better understand its own balance and limitations, lest it injure or potentially kill the patient. For the most part this had already been ensured, however it seemed that certain scenarios had been overlooked. Kerti returned to your side to read through the edits you made. Having a second pair of eyes was pertinent; the accidental deletion of other lines was always a possibility. That had happened with the physical therapy droid on its first test, which had then come to an abrupt end and delayed progress for two cycles.
The door to the room opened as you worked on the code, and though you did not look up to see who had arrived, you identified the individual by the sounds of their footsteps. Kerti shifted to your other side as a means of creating distance between herself and Kylo. Thus your peripheral view was unobstructed and allowed you to notice Kylo carried a cylindrical droid. You rightly assumed it was one of the newer training droids that had been completed for him specifically.
“Fix this.” Those two words, that command, spoken in a slightly softer tone than he would have used with anyone else had you holding back a snort.
You passed the datapad that you had been working on to Kerti then held out your hands for the droid. Kylo placed it in your possession as you asked, “What is the issue you are having with it?” Rather than respond, he simply stared at you. Now you were tasked with holding back a grin. There was nothing wrong with the droid that you held. Kylo had brought it as a means of having a proper excuse to see you if anyone reporting to Supreme Leader Snoke should question his presence.
To keep up the pretense of working on the droid, you lifted up a second datapad that you kept with you. This contained the programs for several training droids that you had worked with since coming to the First Order. There were numerous things you wanted to say to Kylo Ren, however your current audience prevented that. Instead you asked him a more generic question; how were the other training droids holding up?
“They are satisfactory.” You hummed in acknowledgment to his words whilst scrolling through the names of the various folders containing the programs.
Eddard walked up just then, diverting your attention. “There are a few limitations on the anti procrastination droids due to their altered physical form.” You chewed on your bottom lip. “Without larger hands, it cannot remove many distracting items from its assignment.”
“A small tractor beam.” Both you and Eddard looked quickly in Kylo Ren’s direction, equally surprised that he had offered input. More than that, it was a wise addition. Kylo’s visor lifted from the droid in your hands to your face. You could not help but wonder what expression he was making in that moment. Shy? Smug? A combination? You imagined that he began to scowl the longer you said nothing and stared at him.
Thus, as a means of lessening any discomfort you might have caused, you nodded sharply. “It would not alter the budget all that much if we do it correctly. Although this means that we will have to speak with the board for approval.” You wrinkled your nose at that. Politics, as always, were far from your favorite thing. Eddard, too, scrunched his face at the prospect of being present for such a meeting.
You looked to Aelin, who occasionally glanced up from his work to consider the group you were a part of. Walking over to him, you relayed what Kylo had suggested. Aelin paused in his current task and drew the plans he had previously scrawled nearer to himself. To finish the entire body of the droid now would be foolish; that would only succeed in increasing his workload when he had to disassemble components that blocked where the tractor beam would be installed. Aelin drummed his fingers on the table upon which the droid parts were sprawled.
TeeArr wandered over to you, the assassination droid following along. It was reminiscent of a baby bird with its mother. A deadly baby bird. Clearing your throat, you asked what TeeArr wanted. He prodded one of the droid parts while questioning the reason behind Kylo’s presence. His optics fell to the training droid still in your possession.
“It has not been damaged by a lightsaber.” A statement of the obvious, one that drew a chuckle from Aelin. You spared him a glance as you readjusted how you held the training droid. “A weapon of that nature would be a potential threat.”
The cleverly stated suggestion instilled in you a sense of pride with how TeeArr’s programming allowed him to better adapt to situations in which you found yourself. You sought Kylo with your gaze, and found that he had been watching you. Kylo Ren stepped forward, crossing the room until he stood nearer to the assassination droid. Its lack of weaponry did not mean that it would pose zero threat if it was triggered to act in a violent manner. All this meant was that it would be easier to subdue as well as any damage it was capable of inflicting would be minimal. Minimal was not zero, no matter how people would wish to sugarcoat it. Kylo’s presence, meanwhile, offered you more peace of mind. He could stop the droid instantly with the Force.
Kylo reached for the lightsaber hilt, removing it from his belt and holding it perpendicular to his body. His thumb skimmed the switch without activating the blade. Nevertheless, Aelin jumped, his limbs jerking in preparation for the hiss of the plasma blade’s emergence. TeeArr had no reaction despite the fact that he had been maimed by the blade before. The assassination droid likewise did not react.
Kerti slipped closer to one of the walls away from Kylo and the droids. She did not know about the assassination droid’s true function, yet that did not make her ignorant to what a lightsaber could do. The reactions of the others in the room varied. Some altered how or where they stood. Others remained in place. Everyone did jump in place the moment Kylo Ren activated his blade, which screamed to life then hummed, crackling.
The assassination droid stuttered in its movements, drawing the eyes of everyone off of the red lightsaber and onto it. It lurched towards the weapon rather than away from it, its limbs darting to seize the blade. You winced upon witnessing the droid maim itself on the plasma, which cut through its right arm. The lightsaber would have damaged the droid further had Kylo Ren not had the presence of mind to deactivate his blade.
Even once the threat of the weapon had disappeared, the assassination droid moved in pursuit. TeeArr stepped to the droid and closed his servos around the other’s remaining arm. The assassination droid whirled around, slamming its skull against TeeArr’s. Metal on metal released an echoing clash that had others covering their ears.
“Kriff,” you swore while reaching for loose components that you did not wish to have damaged if the squabble between the droids hit the table. Kylo stepped forward with his free hand outstretched. The groaning of metal grated on your ears, and here you did cover them as Kylo forced the assassination droid to still.
“The safety protocols on your droid are a nuisance.” You breathed a sigh of relief, nodding in response to his words. They had offered a proper enough lie that the others in the room not privy to the droid’s true purpose were put at ease. You moved over to the droid, which was held in place by both Kylo and TeeArr, and flipped the switch to force it to shut down. “The training droid can wait.”
That was well and good, considering you had dropped it when the assassination droid had attacked TeeArr. It was likely undamaged, however you wanted to ensure that you had not jarred anything loose. This was known to happen with them, a design flaw that Aelin worked to eliminate when he was not preoccupied with other projects. There was a high chance that he would be passing off that assignment to one of his peers now that he was bogged down with a similar workload to yours.
The chance to see Kylo lightened your mood, giving you more energy to focus on the work you had planned to accomplish that cycle. You knew that your spike in mirth was noticeable to those around you, and it gave you not an ounce of embarrassment. Your mood seemed to be contagious as well; the others in the room finished their tasks early, and thus everyone was granted an opportunity to get a headstart on the next day’s work. Even with this, you found yourself with little to do before clocking out and heading for your quarters to get some rest.
~~~~~~~
[Hux Route]
Construction on the droids had hit a snag, albeit one that set things back a single cycle. It had been deemed fit to alter the bodies of the anti-procrastination droids so that they were smaller. The more compact versions would be plenty capable of ensuring personnel resumed work with minimal distractions along with reducing the costs of construction. The one downside was a shortage in one of the components, which thankfully was simple enough to obtain. Aelin devoted his time to building the other portions of the beta unit while in the presence of your team.
This placed you, Eddard, Aelin, two mechanics, and one other programmer in a single room together with TeeArr. The droid communicated with the other two droids in the room; one was a test unit for the assassination droid program and the other for the physical therapy droids. The assassination droid possessed no weaponry. What was being tested at current was the ability to blend in. You hoped that it would mimic the physical therapy droid, however if this did not occur you had several lies on hand for the members of your team without proper clearance.
Eddard stood next to one of the mechanics near the physical therapy droid. On the other side of the room, the other mechanic worked alongside Aelin. You, meanwhile, remained by the assassination droid and TeeArr with the other programmer.
“I am a little surprised the officers didn’t order you to have the droids use cattle prods to get people moving,” the programmer said under her breath. You snorted, clenching your jaw to fight off a smile. Your gaze flickered over to the door. She acted similarly and, when she spoke again, kept her voice low. “A small companion droid would be nice for the long nights. Well, them and a cup of caf.”
What she described sounded a lot like what you preferred; it emphasized, for you, one of the reasons you enjoyed TeeArr’s company even when the droid was in a more obstinate mood. That companionship and the fact that he helped to keep you on task. His personality did, you had to admit, cause some distractions. That was nothing you planned to remedy.
“I have been enjoying teas as well as caf,” you stated, tilting your head partway to one side. “They can be more soothing, I think.”
“Hmm. I’ll have to try some,” she replied. You considered her, the way her badge possessed her family name and first initial—Kerti O.—and tried to remember just how old she was. You knew that she was at least two years your junior. Though this was not the first assignment you had worked with her on, it was the first time you had personally requested her presence. Kerti ducked her head in a wince as the physical therapy droid toppled over. “Oh.”
You cringed a bit a well, having seen the act firsthand. The droid had tangled its limbs in an attempt to execute one of its functions to assist a patient in stretching. “I am so glad that we have been given time to run these tests.”
While Kerti hit the switch on the droid, you pulled up the programming on your device and entered a few quick commands to bring up the section requiring review. The droid would need to better understand its own balance and limitations, lest it injure or potentially kill the patient. For the most part this had already been ensured, however it seemed that certain scenarios had been overlooked. Kerti returned to your side to read through the edits you made. Having a second pair of eyes was pertinent; the accidental deletion of other lines was always a possibility. That had happened with the physical therapy droid on its first test, which had then come to an abrupt end and delayed progress for two cycles.
You collaborated with Aelin as well as the others in the room, working to ensure that no one was tipped off to the assassination droid’s true function. It mimicked TeeArr, following along as a child does a parent. You pursed your lips after a time, debating how best to screen for errors in the droid’s programming. You were particularly concerned with safety. What would make the droid go beserk? This question was one you would pose to your other team later.
In the meanwhile, you discussed potential upgrades to the anti-procrastination droid with Aelin so that he could implement them prior to finishing the droid’s body. Afterwards you returned to the physical therapy droid, checking on Kerti’s progress.
Time felt as though it flew by given how busy you were, and when you noticed that your shift had ended, you nearly hesitated to leave. You likely would have spent another hour there had Eddard and TeeArr not practically shoved you out the door. The latter followed you through the halls as you made your way towards Armitage’s quarters. He did not comment on the fact that you had brought along one of your datapads and presently had it powered on, flicking through notes that you had made. Nothing sensitive was displayed where curious eyes could see; you were not an idiot. Despite this, you instinctively drew the device nearer to you any time you passed another human.
This time when you arrived at Armitage’s quarters, you discovered that he was already there. You smiled, glad to see that he was less bogged down with work than you had feared he would be. The desire to see him was nearly always present. You would not be spending the night cycle with him, which made his presence more important.
“What are those for?” you asked, gesturing to the notation cards sprawled across his caf table. It was not common to see handwritten notes; most people utilized their datapads for just about everything.
Millicent sat atop the table, her paw on one of the stray cards that appeared to have scribbles taking up the majority of its surface. No doubt this was an indication that whatever had been on the card before that had been useless to its creator. The object would be burned or shredded later. That much you were certain of, as Armitage had never struck you as someone who would allow his work to fall into the hands of anyone not meant to possess it.
Said man hummed distractedly whilst tapping his fingers against a different card. He offered no other response, and rather than be annoyed by this you found it rather endearing to see just how absorbed he was in the task. That did not eliminate your curiosity, and so you stepped nearer to the table and crossed your arms behind your back whilst leaning down to read a section of what remained written. There were several terms only vaguely familiar to you; projects that he had mentioned in passing or that you had overheard through other conversations. This was not a proposal for those projects nor an update per se despite their mentions. You furrowed your brow, concentrating harder and reading another note card since Armitage had not waved you away.
As it dawned on you just what you were reading, your mouth formed around a silent oh. Warmth traveled throughout your body, your heart hammering in your chest. It was cute, you had to admit. Armitage not only practiced his speeches, he wrote them down and edited them. The pride that he placed in his work filled you with joy. Through it there was once more that sense of camaraderie, the knowledge that the pair of you shared similar views on how one should conduct themselves.
“Is there anything I can help with?” you asked, reaching to the side and stroking Millicent’s head. You lifted your eyes, meeting Armitage’s gaze. He blinked, his cheeks reddening a little. You cleared your throat. “Sorry.”
“There is no need to apologize,” he said, his voice catching. Armitage shifted on the blue couch and made room for you to come join him. You walked around the table and seated yourself next to him, your hip touching his. “One of the officers involved in each of these projects is being transferred so that he can begin work on a different one. The focus is meant to be on what he had to offer rather than the projects themselves.”
“I see.” You tapped your chin, keeping your hands up for a bit as Millicent walked across the table to climb into your lap. You curled your limbs around her, feeling the rumbling of her purrs. “A means of encouraging others not to screw things up while thanking him. Giving a proper send off. That kind of thing?”
Armitage nodded. “Precisely that.” His lips pursed forward and he sat back, his hands on his knees. You rested your head on his shoulder. “He does not want so much attention, nothing that feels forced.” You blinked then, quietly, asked him if he was disappointed the officer was being transferred. “Yes. He is one of the First Order’s better workers.”
This caused you to smile in understanding. Some of the other officers, namely those that had served the Emperor when he had been alive, remained caught up in old ways. They were more conniving than the younger officers, more stubborn and resistant to changes that could benefit the First Order as well as the galaxy. Certain transfers were not due to requests from more successful officers. At times it was for political reasons that, you believed, was meant to create a more hostile workplace. To bring more tension. It reminded you how Snoke appeared to play Armitage and Kylo off one another.
Your smile began to fade, and you calmed yourself by petting Millicent and rereading one of the visible cards. “I think it will mean a lot, the words coming from you.” Armitage grunted. You rolled your eyes at him. “Think of what you would want to hear.”
As he hummed this time, Armitage grabbed up the pen he had previously placed on the table and drew one of the cards closer. He began scrawling, his handwriting legible yet messier than it had appeared on other cards. You offered him some privacy, pulling Millicent up to where you were able to rest your forehead against hers. Her purring increased, and you kissed her nose then returned her to your lap, where she again curled up.
Though you could not read the entirety of the notecard, you did catch sight of proof that the flaws of the Empire can be overcome and exceptional in his field, inspiring newer recruits. Your eyebrows rose. Mentor. That final word revealed so much, and perhaps that was why Armitage quickly scribbled it out, the light flush of his cheeks transforming into a deeper blush. He huffed.
“There are ways to highlight his ability to mentor others without making it too obvious that you are referring to how he inspired you.” You held out your hand, palm up, and accepted the pen he then placed into it. He passed you a new note card next. You immediately began to scrawl various lines, some paraphrased and others promptly scribbled out. “It will go along with your mention of inspiring newer recruits.”
“I appreciate your assistance.”
You nodded. “No problem at all. I do hope you know, you will be reading these aloud for me to hear.” A mischievous grin twisted your lips upwards. Armitage quirked a brow. “I am completely serious.”
“I know you are.” Armitage began to gather up the other notecards into two stacks, which turned into three. The third consisted of cards that were useless due to how much was scribbled. You were not entirely certain how he had divided the other two, but that did not matter. You were still occupied with writing. You chewed on your bottom lip, your hand pausing. Finding the correct balance to ensure the officer in question did not become flustered and so that others did not tease him for anything overtly sentimental, that was rather tricky.
“TeeArr?” Your droid, who had gone to a corner in the room to recharge, turned his optics to you. “Person or unit?”
“Context?” You read the line. “Unit.” It was just as you had thought; it made the line less personal, more direct. Dispassionate in a way.
Armitage grunted, nodding in approval as he read the sentence. “Droids can be rather clever.” You released an mmhmm, beaming with pride not unlike how a mother would feel towards a child that had been given a similar compliment. “I should have the pair of you come over more often to help me edit speeches.”
“You should,” you agreed, toes curling as more joy swirled inside of your chest. “Especially with more personal speeches.”
~~~~~~
[Poly Route]
Construction on the droids had hit a snag, albeit one that set things back a single cycle. It had been deemed fit to alter the bodies of the anti-procrastination droids so that they were smaller. The more compact versions would be plenty capable of ensuring personnel resumed work with minimal distractions along with reducing the costs of construction. The one downside was a shortage in one of the components, which thankfully was simple enough to obtain. Aelin devoted his time to building the other portions of the beta unit while in the presence of your team.
This placed you, Eddard, Aelin, two mechanics, and one other programmer in a single room together with TeeArr. The droid communicated with the other two droids in the room; one was a test unit for the assassination droid program and the other for the physical therapy droids. The assassination droid possessed no weaponry. What was being tested at current was the ability to blend in. You hoped that it would mimic the physical therapy droid, however if this did not occur you had several lies on hand for the members of your team without proper clearance.
Eddard stood next to one of the mechanics near the physical therapy droid. On the other side of the room, the other mechanic worked alongside Aelin. You, meanwhile, remained by the assassination droid and TeeArr with the other programmer.
“I am a little surprised the officers didn’t order you to have the droids use cattle prods to get people moving,” the programmer said under her breath. You snorted, clenching your jaw to fight off a smile. Your gaze flickered over to the door. She acted similarly and, when she spoke again, kept her voice low. “A small companion droid would be nice for the long nights. Well, them and a cup of caf.”
What she described sounded a lot like what you preferred; it emphasized, for you, one of the reasons you enjoyed TeeArr’s company even when the droid was in a more obstinate mood. That companionship and the fact that he helped to keep you on task. His personality did, you had to admit, cause some distractions. That was nothing you planned to remedy.
“I have been enjoying teas as well as caf,” you stated, tilting your head partway to one side. “They can be more soothing, I think.”
“Hmm. I’ll have to try some,” she replied. You considered her, the way her badge possessed her family name and first initial—Kerti O.—and tried to remember just how old she was. You knew that she was at least two years your junior. Though this was not the first assignment you had worked with her on, it was the first time you had personally requested her presence. Kerti ducked her head in a wince as the physical therapy droid toppled over. “Oh.”
You cringed a bit a well, having seen the act firsthand. The droid had tangled its limbs in an attempt to execute one of its functions to assist a patient in stretching. “I am so glad that we have been given time to run these tests.”
While Kerti hit the switch on the droid, you pulled up the programming on your device and entered a few quick commands to bring up the section requiring review. The droid would need to better understand its own balance and limitations, lest it injure or potentially kill the patient. For the most part this had already been ensured, however it seemed that certain scenarios had been overlooked. Kerti returned to your side to read through the edits you made. Having a second pair of eyes was pertinent; the accidental deletion of other lines was always a possibility. That had happened with the physical therapy droid on its first test, which had then come to an abrupt end and delayed progress for two cycles.
The door to the room opened as you worked on the code, and though you did not look up to see who had arrived, you identified the individual by the sounds of their footsteps. Kerti shifted to your other side as a means of creating distance between herself and Kylo. Thus your peripheral view was unobstructed and allowed you to notice Kylo carried a cylindrical droid. You rightly assumed it was one of the newer training droids that had been completed for him specifically.
“Fix this.” Those two words, that command, spoken in a slightly softer tone than he would have used with anyone else had you holding back a snort.
You passed the datapad that you had been working on to Kerti then held out your hands for the droid. Kylo placed it in your possession as you asked, “What is the issue you are having with it?” Rather than respond, he simply stared at you. Now you were tasked with holding back a grin. There was nothing wrong with the droid that you held. Kylo had brought it as a means of having a proper excuse to see you if anyone reporting to Supreme Leader Snoke should question his presence.
To keep up the pretense of working on the droid, you lifted up a second datapad that you kept with you. This contained the programs for several training droids that you had worked with since coming to the First Order. There were numerous things you wanted to say to Kylo Ren, however your current audience prevented that. Instead you asked him a more generic question; how were the other training droids holding up?
“They are satisfactory.” You hummed in acknowledgment to his words whilst scrolling through the names of the various folders containing the programs.
Eddard walked up just then, diverting your attention. “There are a few limitations on the anti procrastination droids due to their altered physical form.” You chewed on your bottom lip. “Without larger hands, it cannot remove many distracting items from its assignment.”
“A small tractor beam.” Both you and Eddard looked quickly in Kylo Ren’s direction, equally surprised that he had offered input. More than that, it was a wise addition. Kylo’s visor lifted from the droid in your hands to your face. You could not help but wonder what expression he was making in that moment. Shy? Smug? A combination? You imagined that he began to scowl the longer you said nothing and stared at him.
Thus, as a means of lessening any discomfort you might have caused, you nodded sharply. “It would not alter the budget all that much if we do it correctly. Although this means that we will have to speak with the board for approval.” You wrinkled your nose at that. Politics, as always, were far from your favorite thing. Eddard, too, scrunched his face at the prospect of being present for such a meeting.
You looked to Aelin, who occasionally glanced up from his work to consider the group you were a part of. Walking over to him, you relayed what Kylo had suggested. Aelin paused in his current task and drew the plans he had previously scrawled nearer to himself. To finish the entire body of the droid now would be foolish; that would only succeed in increasing his workload when he had to disassemble components that blocked where the tractor beam would be installed. Aelin drummed his fingers on the table upon which the droid parts were sprawled.
Kylo considered the assassination droid and TeeArr before returning his gaze to you. “The training droid can wait.” You appreciated his method, the way it prevented others from questioning things that were beyond their clearance levels. Kylo gave an almost imperceptible nod in your direction then took his leave. You offered a smile at his retreating form. It meant a lot that he made the time to come see you, no matter how brief the meeting had been. It was sentimental in more ways than he would ever admit to.
The remainder of your work day felt as though it flew by given how busy you were, and when you noticed that your shift had ended, you nearly hesitated to leave. You likely would have spent another hour there had Eddard and TeeArr not practically shoved you out the door. The latter followed you through the halls as you made your way towards Armitage’s quarters. He did not comment on the fact that you had brought along one of your datapads and presently had it powered on, flicking through notes that you had made. Nothing sensitive was displayed where curious eyes could see; you were not an idiot. Despite this, you instinctively drew the device nearer to you any time you passed another human.
This time when you arrived at Armitage’s quarters, he was already there. You smiled, glad to see that he was less bogged down with work than you had feared he would be. The desire to see him was nearly always present. You would not be spending the night cycle with him, which made his presence more important.
“What are those for?” you asked, gesturing to the notation cards sprawled across his caf table. It was not common to see handwritten notes; most people utilized their datapads for just about everything.
Millicent sat atop the table, her paw on one of the stray cards that appeared to have scribbles taking up the majority of its surface. No doubt this was an indication that whatever had been on the card before that had been useless to its creator. The object would be burned or shredded later. That much you were certain of, as Armitage had never struck you as someone who would allow his work to fall into the hands of anyone not meant to possess it.
Said man hummed distractedly whilst tapping his fingers against a different card. He offered no other response, and rather than be annoyed by this you found it rather endearing to see just how absorbed he was in the task. That did not eliminate your curiosity, and so you stepped nearer to the table and crossed your arms behind your back whilst leaning down to read a section of what remained written. There were several terms only vaguely familiar to you; projects that he had mentioned in passing or that you had overheard through other conversations. This was not a proposal for those projects nor an update per se despite their mentions. You furrowed your brow, concentrating harder and reading another note card since Armitage had not waved you away.
As it dawned on you just what you were reading, your mouth formed around a silent oh. Warmth traveled throughout your body, your heart hammering in your chest. It was cute, you had to admit. Armitage not only practiced his speeches, he wrote them down and edited them. The pride that he placed in his work filled you with joy. Through it there was once more that sense of camaraderie, the knowledge that the pair of you shared similar views on how one should conduct themselves.
“Is there anything I can help with?” you asked, reaching to the side and stroking Millicent’s head.
Armitage shifted on the blue couch and made room for you to come join him. You walked around the table and seated yourself next to him, your hip touching his. “One of the officers involved in each of these projects is being transferred so that he can begin work on a different one. The focus is meant to be on what he had to offer rather than the projects themselves.”
“I see.” You tapped your chin, keeping your hands up for a bit as Millicent walked across the table to climb into your lap. You curled your limbs around her, feeling the rumbling of her purrs. “A means of encouraging others not to screw things up while thanking him. Giving a proper send off. That kind of thing?”
Armitage nodded. “Precisely that.” His lips pursed forward and he sat back, his hands on his knees. You rested your head on his shoulder. “He does not want so much attention, nothing that feels forced.”
Certain transfers were not due to requests from more successful officers. At times it was for political reasons that, you believed, was meant to create a more hostile workplace. To bring more tension. It reminded you how Snoke appeared to play Armitage and Kylo off one another. It had to make these speeches more awkward to deliver.
You pet Millicent and reread one of the visible cards. “I think it will mean a lot, the words coming from you.” Armitage grunted. You rolled your eyes at him. “Think of what you would want to hear.”
As he hummed this time, Armitage grabbed up the pen he had previously placed on the table and drew one of the cards closer. He began scrawling, his handwriting legible yet messier than it had appeared on other cards. You offered him some privacy, pulling Millicent up to where you were able to rest your forehead against hers. Her purring increased, and you kissed her nose then returned her to your lap, where she again curled up. You rested against Armitage while he worked, pleased to be watching him.