6/15/2020: "Black Lives Matter: Analyzing/Criticizing the Use of Black Characters in My Most Popular Fanfiction" link in bio

The Finalizer is a massive, triangular-shaped First Order star ship, floating in the far reaches of space. Having just seen battle against their military rivals the Resistance, the usually pristine Finalizer is badly damaged, various parts of its gray exterior scorched black from laser fire. Safe and hidden from their enemies in the mostly empty and desolate Unknown Regions, repair ships dart around the Finalizer's exterior, their size and movements flea-like compared to their enormous, lumbering mother ship.

While its exterior is slow, sluggish, and monocolored, it's bustling with life within. Platoons of white-armored Stormtroopers march along the tight, fluorescent-lit corridors of the Finalizer's interior. In the loading bay, the ship's smaller attack cruisers are being docked in or otherwise repaired. On a high catwalk in the main hangar, a towering figure in a gleaming silver helmet and armor, still wielding a two-handed blaster, oversees the operations.

However cold and sterile the hallways of the ship appear to be, in the unmonitored mess halls and barracks the Stormtroopers and support crew celebrate their hard-won victory, breaking out smuggled beverages and sweets. Even the officers, secluded away in their lush dining hall towards the center of the ship, raise a glass to the First Order, and to its Supreme Leader.

All except one. For the chair at the head of the table in the officers' dining hall is empty. In the otherwise empty command deck, one person still remains. A tall, gaunt man in an all black officer's uniform leans over the command console, looking out into the vast nothingness of space, the dark circles under his eyes made even more apparent by his ghostly pale skin.

"You wish to speak with me, General Hux?"

Hux turns around, straightening his back, both arms stiffly behind him, the slightest movement of his fingers stretching his black gloves. The large figure bounding toward him is also wearing all black, but his uniform is quite different. The thicker, heavier fabric, long cloak and hood, and sturdy black boots weigh down his body to the point where he naturally hunches at the upper torso. A black helmet completely obscures his face, the front breathing piece doubling as a voice modulator.

"Is it true, Ren? Your plan to deal with our current…defector problem," Hux asks with both curiosity and disbelief.

"Yes. I intend to investigate our troops from within. To sniff out any possible treason."

Kylo Ren, standing a few inches taller than the general, takes a moment or two to examine him, before reaching up to grab his helmet. The airlock hisses, as Kylo Ren removes his helmet, revealing his unkempt black hair and stern growl.

"I just think it's a little…unorthodox," Hux explains, as he follows Kylo Ren to the command deck's hologram projector, "are you sure something like this will yield results-"

"Are you questioning a Knight of Ren, general?" without the voice modulator in his helmet, Kylo Ren's voice is almost unrecognizable, not carrying the same deep, intimidating quality, "Your fancy ships and gadgetry are nothing compared to the power of the Force."

An amused snicker crosses the general's face, "Your overreliance on your little magic tricks will be your downfall, Ren-"

"Quibbling again, I see?"

Kylo Ren and Hux turn to find the soldier in the silver armor standing at the entrance to the command deck, the automatic doors sliding close behind her.

"Ah, Captain Phasma. Commander Ren believes that going undercover among the soldiers will be an effective method of finding any possible traitors," Hux explains, his smile dropping completely.

"I think it certainly would be…entertaining. Effective, however? Commander Ren, you are not a subtle figure-"

"I can be subtle!" Kylo Ren snaps with a childish petulance, "And with my disguise no one will suspect me!"

Hux stifles a laugh of disbelief with a cough, "Regardless of what you choose, I'll have a list of potential suspects sent to your chambers for you to investigate."

"Suspects…yes, good. I am going to go put on my disguise now," Kylo Ren fishes a pair of glasses from the pocket of his robes before marching out of the command deck, leaving Hux and Phasma.

Keeping to the upper level of the command deck, Phasma walks towards the top of the stairs, her helmet giving her voice a muffled, robotic quality.

"General, a word. The newly appointed Chief Engineer is a fool. I strongly suggest that you-"

"You should not speak on matters that are none of your business, Captain," Hux refuses to look in her direction, instead returning to observing the view of space from the window.

Phasma's shoulder pads heave up, then down, "My matters are the survival of the First Order. This is not the end of our conversation, general. You'll be hearing more from me after my mission to Mustafar has been completed."

Phasma turns around to exit the command deck, but as the doors slide open, revealing the garish light of the hallway, Phasma turns her head back to the general.

"Or, I could just talk to her myself."

Without another word, Phasma exits the room, leaving General Hux, as he looks out into the vast emptiness of the Unknown Regions and a sigh escapes his lips.

Pates Laylesa flies a small repair ship around the Finalizer, doing routine checks. From the seat of her ship, Pates can just barely make out the windows through which the Finalizer's vast platoons and armies within are visible. She catches her reflection in the window for a brief moment, sleek black hair in a tight bun, pale skin and high cheekbones. On her cruise, she spots a small hole towards the bottom of the Finalizer, an asteroid wedged inside it. From above, she grabs the mic on her comms link to radio the storage room.

"This is vessel RE2115, requesting delivery of replacement parts for turbolaser numbered 834. I'm sending you my coordinates."

She looks up at her comms radio, but there's no response for a couple of moments. Then suddenly a loud, distinct voice comes through from the other side.

"Hello! Uhm...hi! You said you wanted...a...uhm…"

The voice blathers on as Pates rolls her eyes, "You're new...aren't you?"

"Yeah. I am a radar technician they picked up in the Western Reaches. But because I am new they have me down in storage. My name is Matt, what's yours?"

Matt's voice comes through as shouty and stuttered, and Pates points this out for him, "You know you don't need to yell into the comms."

"I'm not shouting! It's just how I speak...you know...from where I'm from," he immediately snaps back, almost in anger.

"Oh...I didn't realize. Anyway, there's an asteroid lodged into one of the turbolasers. It's toward the bottom so all I think I'll need is a Thorilide stabilizer. Do you know what that is?" she asks, avoiding Matt's conversation.

Some shuffling can be heard from the comms radio, and Pates leans back in her chair to wait.

"Uh...let me find that...Thorilide stabilizer...it's all labeled here but there's just so many parts here."

Metal clacking sounds come from the other side as Pates looks out her peripheral window and into space.

"Hey...you never answered my question," Matt reiterates.

She grabs the comm mic and waits a moment before speaking, "Your question? ...oh...my name...it's Pates. But right now, I'm vessel RE2115 in need of a Thorilide stabilizer delivered to my coordinates."

There's a long pause before Matt responds, "Affirmative."

Pates puts her feet up on the repair ship's command board, hesitating while looking back at her comms radio. After a moment of thought, she picks the comm mic back up again.

"Hey Matt? You still there?"

"Yes, I am here," he responds, "I'm heading over to deliver your Thorilide stabilizer."

"Where are you from, Matt?" she asks.

Only muffled noises come from the other end as she reiterates her question, "You said you're from the Western Reaches, right? What planet?"

"What planet? Oh...uhm...Craius. The planet Craius...but...but my family traveled around a lot, so I don't really know it well," he stutters.

"Traveling? That sounds exciting," Pates chuckles, feigning interest.

There's a pause from Matt, as only heavy breathing comes through the comm for a good half minute, "...not as exciting as you'd think."

She sighs, "Well...that's a shame, I'm sorry you didn't enjoy it. I would have killed to travel as a kid. It's half the reason I enlisted to join the First Order."

"Was there...any other reason why you joined the First Order?" he asks.

Pates shrugs, thinking the answer over to herself, "Patriotism, I suppose. Things were never really the same after the Galactic Empire fell. At least...that's what my parents told me. The Battle of Endor happened just before I was born."

"Your parents?" Matt repeats, "...where are they now?"

Pates goes silent. She takes in a deep breath, "I...I don't want to talk about it."

As she finishes her sentence, another small repair ship comes cruising her way, its headlights shining at her ship.

"I've arrived with the part you've requested," Matt announces.

Pates gets out of her chair and looks out the back window of her ship. Inside the repair ship behind her, she can make out the faint outline of a pale man with blond hair and glasses sitting in the cockpit. Matt gives her a short, stiff wave, and Pates slowly raises her hand up to wave back.

She then jogs back to the pilot's seat in order to turn her ship to face his. Pulling a lever on the ship's control panel, two thin, robotic arms come out of the repair ship. The arms on Matt's repair ship are already out, holding the part she'd requested.

Pates maneuvers the arms on her ship to take the Thorilide stabilizer out of the hands of Matt's ship. As soon as the part has been exchanged, she takes the comm mic back up to her lips.

"Thanks Matt, I'll take it from here."

"You...you sure? You don't need help with...anything else?" he asks.

"No, that's the only part I need. I'll radio you if I need anything else," she replies.

Pates starts turning her ship around before Matt can respond, engaging the small laser on her ship to start melting away the asteroid stuck to the Finalizer.

Suddenly Matt's voice comes through the comms radio, "Thank you Pates. This has been an impactful conversation."

And with that, Matt's repair ship turns around and heads back to storage. Pates gives his ship only a moment's glance before she shakes her head and returns to her work.

"Hopefully that's the last of that."