Hux... I call out, using the Force. He would only be able to hear me if he's Force sensitive, but I try anyway. There's no reply. I set my palm against the warm metal of the hallway wall nearest to me and focus my Force energies on the ship. It isn't alive like the forest, but I reach out to it anyway, searching for life within it. I sense the warp core at the center of the ship, its energy strong and powerful. But there is something unbalanced about it, which I don't understand. I search for life forms, specifically Hux and Phasma. I can't sense where they are, but they're alive. And Hux is upset. I can sense that quite clearly. A movement in the left wing catches my attention. Aiden's crew. Then some patrol Stormtroopers, directly above me. They move closer and I stop them. Maybe I can use their headset audio.

"This is Commander Klein," I say, directing my voice into their headsets. "There has been a disturbance in sector five, second level. All the lights are out. Go down and report back what has happened."

They start to move again, going back the way they came. I blink into the darkness, bracing myself as though something I can't see will suddenly reach out and attack me. I didn't get enough sleep or maybe this whole game is starting to make me paranoid. I close my eyes and repeat my mantra as I wait.

I hear the elevator doors open a moment later and I open my eyes to see two Stormtroopers step out. Their boots crunch over the glass as they head down the hall in my direction.

"Hey!" I yell. They stop and raise their blasters. "Lower your blasters and come here."

They start to walk again. I'm getting better at this, the Force manipulation. But then again, Stormtroopers are generally easy to manipulate and generally used to taking orders and not questioning them.

"Clear the glass away from around your feet," I say to them once they reach me. They do as I say, the target light from their blasters lighting up the hall. Once they're done, I command the one nearest me to take off his boots and give them to me.

He sets his blaster down and takes off his boots, then hands them to me. I quickly put them on. "Stay here and don't move until someone comes to get you. Do not respond to anyone on your headsets."

Glass crunches under my boots as I run to the elevator.

* * *

The lighting has switched over to night hours, which means I may be locked out for the night, or maybe I still have time. The thump of my clunky boots down the hall makes me edgy, as though it's someone else making the footsteps behind me and not me.

I glance over my shoulder repeatedly, but no one is there. My hunger and the heavy boots make my legs wobbly, but I continue on. No one answered the call button at Hux's newly assigned quarters. Now I head for Phasma's quarters, which are on a different level, but in the same section.

When I reach the door I hit the call button. There is no answer so I hit the call button again. I imagine them all inside, all going quiet at the same time when they hear the buzzer, then snickering at the fact I'm locked out. I'm getting paranoid. It's impossible to tell if anyone is actually inside or not. I wait for a moment longer, then walk away.

It's like wandering the forest at night, on planet, only much worse. There's one place left to check for my team, then I'll have missed door time for sure and will have to wander for the night. It's too unsafe on the outside to try and sleep, or even sit down in one place for too long.

My assigned quarters are in a completely different sector and it takes me a while to walk there. I've definitely missed door time by now. When the elevator to the level I'm on opens, I hear voices. I brace myself for a possible attack, but then I see three figures halfway down the hall. I recognize Phasma's white tank top and Hux's bright red mop of hair. I let out the breath I'd been holding. They're with Caleb and all talking quietly together and suddenly I feel replaced. But they're sitting in front of my door, so they must be waiting for me.

Phasma sees me first and jumps up to her feet, then Hux turns around. Phasma waits for me to come over but Hux runs down the hall. I clunk forward to meet him, but can't go very fast in the boots. Hux's hurries over and I slow my stride, unable to see his expression clearly in the dim lighting and not sure what his reaction will be. Is he mad? Is he going to shove me or tell me to get lost? But he does neither of those things. He gives me an surprise hug, colliding into me so unexpectedly that I stumble a few steps backwards.

"Ren," he says, squeezing me tight. I wrap my arms around him in response and close my eyes. He smells nice and is so warm. So real and alive. I clench my fists at his back, overwhelmed by how glad I am he's still alive. It's too warm everywhere, but it doesn't matter. I don't want to let go. The emergency lights at our feet pop and turn out, leaving us in the dark. Did I do that? Hux pulls away, looking down at the lights.

"I think I did that," I say. I can't see his face now, just a shadow. He takes in a breath and sighs.

"I thought..." he says, then stops, his one hand still on my back. "I heard you call me, from... I don't know. I thought you'd died and I was hearing a ghost."

"You heard me?"

"Yes."

I want to pull him back into a hug, but don't. Phasma is still standing at the end of the hall, squinting in our direction. The night lighting hasn't gone out where she is so I can see her. She looks worried that something's wrong, but she doesn't come over. Caleb ignores us, his back turned to us. Phasma sits back down again.

Hux's hand drops from my back and I grab his arm. He heard me call to him. He is Force sensitive, he has to be. But if my dream was an actual vision, then I have to listen to what his grandfather told me and not tell him about his Force ability. I smile. He's just like me. This whole time...

"Well, if you're not dead," he says, pulling away from my grasp. "Then give us your passcode for your room, so we can sleep there for the night instead of out in the hall."

"Door time hasn't passed already?" I say.

"Yeah but Phasma can take care of that." Hux takes my hand for a moment, surprising me. His skin is so warm I would have thought he had a fever, but he seems fine.

"Ren?" he says, his thumb running circles over mine.

"Hmm?" I manage, not trusting my voice at the moment. He sighs, stepping away from me and letting go of my hand. "You must be hungry. We have some food and water."

I clear my throat. "Okay."

Hux heads down the hall and I follow him to the room.