Chapter Text
Phasma would never admit that the betrayal of FN-2187, hurt. She would deny it even if she was on the brink of death, and only, the one sentence would spare her life.
As a First Order Captain she knew the limits of her position, her weaknesses, and her strengths. Phasma also knew the importance of shielding her thoughts, a likely side-effect of being under the command of a Sith Master, being in constant presence of his apprentice, scrutinized consistently by the General of the ship, and the bi-monthly visits from different members from the Knight of Ren.
If they had perhaps questioned her loyalty and aggressively searched her mind, during her command of FN corps, before FN-2187 left, Supreme Leader Snoke or Kylo Ren would have killed her. As it stood neither of the First Order Force users knew of her pet project, nor did General Hux. That did not mean they were not beginning to suspect a small amount of misdirection concerning the fugitive Stormtrooper.
After all, Phasma, Kylo Ren, and General Hux, all suffered through the torturous lightening wielded by Snoke. He did not search their minds; rather he had unleashed his fury upon his underlings. Their collective recovery, would likely take far more than a standard galactic year mentally. Physically, they were capable of returning to duty in less than three days.
Perhaps, it was the phantom pains that brought about the brief weakness that lowered her mental shields, and briefly broadcasted the rage and despair she felt due to FN-2187 desertion. It was, with immense control that Phasma did not deck Kylo Ren when he had inquired about the supposed weakness. He had briefly probed her mind and the images and thoughts presented to him were what he expected; Disbelief, rage, determination, and a small amount of despair.
When he had left the Captain, in the middle of the hall trying to regain her breath, she smiled underneath her mask. Her secrets were still safe. It would only be a matter of time before, FN-2187 was back under her tutelage. As it stood Phasma was not stupid, if rather possessive of the troopers under her command. It had taken her less than three months before she knew all of the Stormtroopers designations, when she was first posted. However, that was of the recent past, and her history with 2187 spanned back to her early years as a Lieutenant.
One of Phasma’s first assignments was in acquiring children to serve the First Order, a time when her heart still stirred at the sight of innocence. However, FN-2187 wasn’t among the first to be taken, nor in next waves of abductions. Rather, 2187 was born on Starkiller base, to be a subject in several off-the-record tests. Yet, it was while he was still in the womb that most of the tests occurred and would later be recorded, if he survived. Un-surprisingly Phasma knew a majority of the tests conducted on several infants, and that for each new serum injected, surgery performed, and mental and physical augmentation, FN-2187 always exceeded the standard. As for his parents, they were inconsequential, and had gladly given up their first-born child to ensure that their supposed second child wouldn’t be taken. Yet, when FN-2187 was born, healthy and stable, the parents were taken planet-side and shot. The baby would never know his parents, and thus wouldn’t falter in future missions nor hold split loyalties to the now deceased family. After all, loyalty to the First Order came first and the First Order only creates the best, while disposing of the weak.
Even with this past information, it still completely enthralled her to no end, the performance and dedication that this one soldier displayed. It was during one of these trance-like observations, that Phasma became sharply aware that she could be replaced. She had seen several officers disappear; only to see newly promoted Lieutenants taking their place. While the First Order Captain, was an exemplary Stormtrooper and upheld the values of the First Order, she was not above being murdered in cold-blood should General Hux, Supreme Leader Snoke, or Kylo Ren fancied she was acting out.
It was with these thoughts; the past-Lieutenant began to change FN-2187’s records. She would not die on this planet without leaving a legacy, she would be remembered by her troops, and they would see her shadow while they were led by 2187 in the future. Phasma knew what she was doing was treasonous and that the skills and talents displayed by the experimental Stormtrooper, should be exploited and tampered to hone a human weapon. A weapon that likely, would be continuously moved to ensure the subject had the most exposure in different bases and environments, as well as training in various weapons and scenarios. Which would mean there would be no one, Phasma trusted, to take her place as the leader of the FN corps. It was a moment of human weakness and perhaps it’s what would save the infant trooper in the future, but the Captain was only human, and she was not above fear.
As Phasma’s mental ramblings of the past, slowed down enough for her to properly register the present, she became aware of how short on time she had, to apprehend 2187. Her star pupil had been unaware of several factors concerning himself, and the longer he spent away from Phasma and her constant vigilance. The easier it was for FN-2187 to notice several inconsistency and changes. Thank-fully the First Order Captain had ordered the wayward Stormtrooper to visit Medical bay, under the pretense of a monthly check-up, before his disastrous mission to Jakku. It also, went without saying that Phasma, re-administered several doses during the ex-Stormtrooper’s reconditioning session, after Jakku.
By the Captain’s estimation she had four months to capture the traitor, without any repercussions on her part. However, the amount of time it would take for FN-2187 to recover the trust from his superiors, was a thought best forgotten. As well, as the number of re-conditioning sessions he would have to partake in. Most of which would be handled by her personally. Other session, as she was told, would be handled by Kylo Ren and General Hux. It almost made her smile when she thought about how much more loyal FN-2187 would be when this whole fiasco was over. Re-conditioning would be handle with the entire works. Rather than just the physical beat down and sharp reprimands Phasma had in store for 2187. It would be with cold eyes to watch FN-2187, to be subject to the drugs in the First Order's possession. Once the re-conditioning took hold and the trooper's loyalty no longer in question. 2187's recovery would likely take a week and a half. After which, Supreme Leader Snoke had requested to have the trooper be at his side for a standard month. It was an odd request, which had made Phasma suspicious and on-edge, as she did not want her protege to be harmed past the re-conditioning sessions. As it was, he was her superior. Thus, she had made no argument when Hux agreed to the request. General Hux likely had his own suspicion but, as they were both walking a mine-field blindfolded with both their failures and Snoke's displeasure, they kept to themselves.
Still, the years she had dedicated in grooming the young Stormtrooper were not going to be for naught, and the path to capture FN-2187 would likely come with its own obstacles and challenges. The traitor had befriended the Resistance’s best pilot commander, created a bond with the Force-sensitive scavenger, endeared himself to the General of the resistance, and proven himself capable of being active and loyal to the Resistance’s cause. Despite having escaped less than a month ago. If Phasma, was any less loyal to the First Order she would praise FN-2187 for the numerous accomplishments, but as it stood his defection was the catalyst to the destruction of Starkiller base and the razor-thin line she now walks on.
Still, with the objective in mind, Phasma began ordering the troopers who specialized in stealth communications and tracking, as well as the medical Stormtroopers to begin a search for a low-key, blood specific frequency of nanorobotic trackers that was injected into FN-2187 since infancy. Though this wasn’t the only method in finding the traitor, it was the least likely to be detected. Unlike the tracker that was surgically placed next to 2187 appendix, that could be remotely activated. Which would cause a continuous beacon to emit, and send updates every 3 minutes on the proper location of FN-2187, that would appear on her personal data pad. However, such a beacon would be discovered in less than a hour.
Though, there was no assurance that it wouldn’t be found, since 2187 had engaged in a lightsaber battle against Kylo Ren. As such, a medical practitioner would have likely checked for internal wounds. Which would lead to the discovery of the larger tracker. Still even with it being discovered, it wouldn’t do to be impatient despite being short on time. It would take a thorough inspection of FN-2187’s blood to find the nanorobotic trackers, something both time-consuming and costly. Meaning the Resistance was not likely to discover them. Still, Phasma wishes that the trackers could emit a stronger signal.
As it was the trackers signal could only be found when the First Order was within the correct system. Due to this, the likelihood of being attacked by Resistance members and being captured was raised to a point that she only employed a small battalion of FN-troops for this excursion rather than the full might of the FN corps. Still the mission’s main point is in capturing FN-2187 without raising the Resistance alarms, which meant stealth and patience were key to ensure its success.
Musing over, and confident in the pilots and her troopers, Phasma left the command area to run simulation drills with another platoon. She held no doubt FN-2187 will be back in her custody before the four months were out. Thus she did not dwell further on the past, as she assures herself that her future legacy was still intact.