So I wasn?t sure I?d post this or not, because there is no Legion in it at all. But I worked extremely hard on this for 3 years and Reboot and Thoth Lad convinced me it would be alright so here I go.
Introduction:
This story I will re-write the entirety of last Jedi book where I see fit, I might keep certain parts the same but I will right it in my own words. I am taking inspiration from the movie, the novel, the junior novel, some YouTube theory videos (Supercarlinbros, Screenrant, different Star Wars channels.) and most importantly my own imagination. It will begin similarly with minor changes but by chapter 6 major changes will occur which change the course of the story.
I don't own Star Wars, I have a few characters that I'll introduce further on in story that are mine and I'll let you know, but I don't own any characters that the characters might mention or be related too. For characters that I've altered there story or created I'll release a profile at the end of the book so you know the changes, but only major characters or changes.
Just for reference, the original trilogy, the prequels, the Clone Wars, Rebels, the first season of the Mandalorian, Rogue One, and of course the Force Awakens are all canon to my story. Solo, The Last Jedi, and The Rise Of Skywalker are not considered canon along with the plot of The Resistance, but Resistance stuff might still be mentioned. I might draw inspiration from other Star Wars media which will remain nameless. If ever there is a scene that contradicts the above mentioned canon I promise that is a thought out change that is needed for my plot. I hope you all enjoy.
The First Order reigns. Having decimated the peaceful Republic, Supreme Leader Snoke now deploys his merciless legions to seize military control of the galaxy.
Only General Leia Organa's small band of Resistance fighters stand against the rising tyranny, certain that Jedi Master Luke Skywalker will return and restore a spark of hope to the fight.
But the Resistance has been exposed. As the First Order speeds towards the Resistance base, the brave heroes mount a desperate escape....
Rey exited the old smuggling freighter known as the Millennium Falcon onto a rocky island surrounded by blue sea. The island she had seen in her dreams. Something here was calling her but she didn't know what and she had a mission. Leaving Chewbacca behind to check the ship she turned to climb the ancient stone stairs with her staff.
She started climbing. The stairs and stone path went all over the Island so she decided to climb to the very top to get a better view. On the way she came to an abandoned village of small round stone buildings with lightning rods on the roofs. Maybe a dozen of the ancient shelters. No one appeared to be here at the moment so she continued climbing.
Not far from the small primitive village was a mysterious building built on a small flat clearing near the edge of a cliff. Although made from the same stone materials, this building seemed more recent. It was square instead of round and it was slightly bigger. Her curiosity getting the best of her, Rey entered.
With no lights it took her a second to adjust to the dark. What was in the centre of the building amazed her. An old X-wing starfighter, identical to those she had scavenged on Jakku. Just like those ships this one appeared to be a little over 30 years old, but unlike the ones on Jakku this one was intact, the building protecting it from the elements.
A singular flashing light in the cockpit indicated it was in low power mode just like the Falcon had been on Jakku for years. It wouldn't have much fuel but probably enough to get off world and one hyperspace jump. No sign of who she came for, she exited and continued the climb to the top.
Luke stood on a cliff overlooking a raging sea, sometimes still amazed by the amount of water. He wore sackcloth robes under a woolen cloak. A hood protecting his face from the wind. Hearing footsteps approaching him he realized that after many years of being left alone he had been found.
He turned slowly to see a girl on the other side of the plateau. She approached but stopped a few feet from him. He paused for a second then with both his metal and flesh hands, took his hood down.
He took a good look at her. Her hair was a light brown in a triple bun. Her gray vest and tunic were of simple style. She wore dessert gauze around her arms and carried a salvaged gear axle quarterstaff. A satchel dangled from her hip.
She took a good look at him. He looked sad, wrinkles burdened his forehead. A white beard separated him from his youth. His blond hair was unkept, peppered with white and gray. His robes were disheveled and grimy. It had probably not been washed in a long time, same with Skywalker himself. But he still had Sky blue eyes despite the troubled look in them.
The girl stopped and reached into her satchel and brought out an item he thought he'd never see again. She held out to him a lightsaber, his lightsaber. The lightsaber had belonged to him and his father, Darth Vader.
He had lost the weapon in the same instant he had lost his hand, in a duel with his father above the clouds, he had thought he had lost both forever. Now however, right in front of him stood a young girl, the same age he was when he left Tatooine for the first time, and she was holding his weapon out to him.
War was coming to D'Qar. More specifically it was coming for Leia and her Resistance. Supplies, fuel, and soldiers were boarding escape shuttles to mostly the Raddus, but some were heading for the medical frigate Anodyne, Ninka, and cargo hauler Vigil that were also orbiting the planet.
There only hope was light years away. Rey, a scavenger girl from Jakku, who is strong with the force left the day before to find Leia's brother. Luke Skywalker was the last Jedi Master and Leia hopes that he would havethe ability to help lift the Resistance spirits, and that he would help defeat the First Order. But for now all Leia could do was wait.
While waiting for her shuttle, the former Princess of Alderaan was standing in a clearing surrounded by officers and other Resistance crewmen as she slowly read the names of the pilots who gave there lives blowing up Starkiller Base. She read all of them and finished with Han, she could barely say his name.
She was about to walk off the podium when Ackbar spoke out.
"Do a speech for Han."
'NO,' she thought.
She hadn't had any time to grief, and the last thing she wanted to do was give the final address to her distant husband, but she knew that's what everyone would wanted, and deep down she knew she had to do it eventually. She took a deep breath and than spoke from her heart.
"Han wouldn't want a long speech, he was a 'do now and think later' man who had no patience for anything."
Some old friends of Han in the crowd smiled.
"Han might not have always done the right thing but when it counted he'd be there by your side to save the day. Some considered him a Scoundrel, including himself, but deep down he wasn't. He cared about freedom for himself and everyone, he cared also for his family despite time and distance and will be missed."
With that she left to board her shuttle.
Huddled in a ball turret of a Cobalt Hammer, Paige and Rose Tico were doing there best to forget about the preparation for war right outside the ship.
"I hate the thought of you flying without me."
Rose said eventually, looking up at her sister. Paige just smiled.
"You just checked the guns, all I have to do is pump these triggers, and the TIE Fighters go away."
Rose had an uncontrollable yawn. Her sister gave her a concerned look.
"You were up late last night, nervous?"
Rose was now the one who smiled.
"I had this horrible feeling something was wrong with the bombers, so I went and checked all of them, once I knew everything was functioning I felt better and went back to sleep."
"Will you be ok today on the Raddus?"
Rose just nodded, she than held her teardrop Haysian ore Otomok Medallion that there parents had given them many years ago, right before...
"I will see you on the Raddus, right Paige?"
A nervous laugh.
"Of course, what have the past two years of us being reunited taught you, no matter what happens the Tico sisters will always find each other again."
She took her matching medallion out of her flight suit and placed it near Rose's.
The Tico sisters had a bond that would be extraordinary even for twins. Cobalt squad found it odd that two sisters that had not seen each other in 20 years could continue right where they left off and be as close as ever, but they soon excepted that nothing could separate them again. Nothing could change that.
The Cobalt Hammer made a chime sound saying it was fully fueled.
"You better get on the Raddus Rose, they'll need you in engineering now that you've been promoted to work on the lead ship. I'll see you after the evacuation."
She hugged her sister tightly.
"I'm just a maintenance tech, and of course I'll see you when we get to the next base."
They hugged for a few seconds more then Rose got up and left the ball turret. She would later wish she had hugged Paige a little tighter and a little longer.
They had known that the First Order was coming, but not how fast they'd get to D'Qar. On the surface Lieutenant Kadel Ko Connix was the first to know of the First Orders arrival from being near the deep space monitor.
She contacted General Leia on the Raddus.
"They've found us."
Commander Dameron was the voice she heard respond, he talked to both her and presumably General Leia.
"Well, we knew that was coming, Connix, is the base fully evacuated?"
Connix took a second to think. 30% of deep fuel reservoirs remained to be siphoned, surface computer purging was still incomplete, and 30 pallets of cannon shells hadn't been loaded yet.
"We need more time, they'll be in range in 6 minutes, we need ten."
She heard the General speak to Commander Dameron.
"You've got an idea, but I won't like it, go."
Once the transmission was ended Connix started barking orders to the crewmen around her.
"Jones, tell the purging team to use the computers for target practice then get out of there." She turned to her droid.
"PZ-4CO, make sure we siphon as much fuel as time allows, but I want it and it's works on a shuttle with everyone else in ten minutes."
Finally she opened her com.
"Quartermaster Prindel, Bollie, get any cannon shells you are already loading on board, but then leave the rest, the First Order is here."
Connix looked up in the sky and could see the little dots that would be everyone's doom if Commander Dameron's plan didn't work. "I hope they know what they're doing up there." Connix thought before getting to the last shuttle to prime its engines.
Far up above the plant General Armitage Hux stood on the bridge of the Finalizer, gazing at the shuttles frantically trying to get to the bigger Resistance ships. From just a glance he classified all the ships and new the insignia of the flag ship, the Raddus.
The Finalizer gleamed with efficiency, the controllers and monitors briskly exchanged information with the other First Order ships targeting computers and sensor units. Hux smiled at the thought of his slim, dignified figure in a perfect black uniform in the middle of such activity that he helped create.
"We've caught them in the middle of their evacuation."
Veteran Captain Peavey exclaimed.
"The entirety of the Resistance in one fragile basket."
Hux kept his frustration against the old man concealed. Edrison Peavey was old, Imperial old. He served with Hux's late father over twenty five years ago, the father who was a good strategist but had beaten him regularly, and Peavey knew this. He was apart of the handful of Imperial loyalists that had managed to escape the New Republic bounty hunters by venturing into the uncharted space of the Unknown Regions, and formed the First Order, and most former Imperials thought it was the same thing. But the First Order was something new, and the Imperials, including Peavey, were all obsolete.
"Perfect. I have my orders from Supreme Leader Snoke himself. This is where we snuff out the Resistance once and for all. Tell Captain Canady to prime his Dreadnought. Incinerated their base, destroy those transports, and obliterate their fleet."
On the Fulminatrix Dreadnought, Captain Canady started giving orders to his arrogant, young crew.
"Reorient the topside cannons to target the Resistance fleet, and Prep our fighter squadrons for launch."
The annoying young officer Bascus objected.
"General Hux ordered no fighter deployed, he feels like demonstrating-"
Canady cut him off.
"Do I need to explain the difference between 'prep for launch' and 'deploy' to you?"
Canady was at his wits end with the stupidity of his crew when a scope monitor called out.
"Captain!"
The lighting of the bridge turn red, the scope monitor continued.
"We have a single Resistance X-wing fighter approaching. It's moving to an attack formation."
Black One was no ordinary X-Wing. Black fuselage and orange flare, already the fastest and most agile fighter in the Resistance, Black One had just been upgraded with an experimental booster engine. What really made it special however was who was flying it. A well equipped orange BB-8 unit in the droid socket, and Commander Poe Dameron, the greatest flyer in the Resistance, possibly in the Galaxy sat in the cockpit.
Poe was doing a few inflight checks when BB-8 beeped with displeasure, Poe translated it in his head to something like, 'I've got a bad feeling about this'. Poe didn't like this negative thinking,
"Happy beeps, buddy. We've pulled way crazier stunts than this."
Poe tried to convince himself that that was true, but most of those stunts didn't involve turbo-lasers pointing at his head.
"Happy beeps,"
General Organa talked through a private com channel.
"For the record, I'm with the droid on this one."
"Thanks for your support General."
Poe found it odd that she sometimes listens into cockpit conversation, but that's what makes her a good General, eyes and ears everywhere.
On the Finalizer, a confused conversation was taking place.
"A single light fighter?"
Hux squinted into space to see the ship he wasn't even sure was an X-wing.
"What is this?"
Everyone on the bridge kept looking back and forth at each other until Hux finally gave the previously implied order.
"Well... Shoot it!"
As soon as he gave the order a transmission from the X-wing was received, a bridge member allowed for the message to be heard.
"Attention, this is Poe Dameron of the Republic fleet, I have an urgent communiqu? for General Hugs."
Dameron. Hux's inside intelligence informed him that he had fired the final shot that blew up Starkiller Base. Besides currently pronouncing his name wrong, Dameron was responsible for countless destroyed TIEs and was the first pilot to Hux's knowledge to escape the First Order. Hux wanted him back in an interrogation cell so that he could personally torture him until his demise. For now the ship continued on its course but was still very far away.
"Patch him through. This is General Hux of the First Order. The Republic is no more so your fleet is rebel scum and war criminals. Tell your precious princess there will be no terms, there will be no surrender!"
Silence for a second which baffled Hux, than finally Dameron replied.
"Hi, I'm holding for General Hugs?"
Hux tried keeping a calm collective face but frustration and curiosity were seeping out.
"This is Hux. You and your friends are doomed! We will wipe your filth from the Galaxy!"
Silence again.
"Ok, I'll hold."
Hux reacted to this with a burst of rage.
"What?!"
Dameron responded quicker this time.
"Hello? Hello? I'm still here."
To this Hux turned to the communications officer with confusion and a little embarrassed.
"Can he hear me?"
The officer nodded. Hux's entire attention span was on Commander Poe Dameron and his communication problems, but Peavey was paying more attention to how the little X-wing was slowly getting closer.
Dameron responded again.
"Hugs, with an H, skinny guy, kind of pasty?"
Alarms in the back of his head were starting to go off but his ego, arrogance, and curiosity were getting the best of Hux.
"I can hear you, can you hear me?"
"Look, I can't hold forever, if you reach him, tell him Leia has an urgent message for him."
Dameron, clearly smiling through the com, had a dramatic pause.
"About his mother."
Something inside Hux snapped, how dare Dameron bring his forgotten mother into this. He also finally clued into what Dameron was doing, but annoyingly so did Peavey.
"I believe he is tooling with you sir."
Everyone on the Finalizer were looking at Hux. His rage boiling up until he screamed.
"Open Fire!!!"
Poe severed the transmission and braced for what happened next.
"Beebee-Ate, punch it!"
With the sudden newly found speed thanks to the experimental booster, Poe was heading straight for the massive Siege Dreadnought.
"Whoa, that's got a kick."
When he reached the hull he prepared to take out the cannons. He opened a link to all Resistance ships.
"Taking out the cannons now. Bombers, start your approach."
On the Fulminatrix, Canady had one ignorant child swapped for another as Hux's hologram came up in front of him.
"Captain Canady, why aren't you blasting that puny ship?"
Canady couldn't hold back all of his annoyance, he sternly replied to the young General.
"That puny ship is too small, to fast, and at too close range. We need to launch our fleet!"
"Five bloody minutes ago."
He said under his breath. Goneril, another idiot crewman, decided to open her mouth.
"He'll never penetrate our armor."
For a single moment Canady envisioned kicking his crew out of the nearest airlock but that would have to wait until after the battle was won.
"He's not trying to penetrate our armor, he's clearing out our surface cannons!"
From behind Bascus called out.
"Captain, Resistance bombers approaching!"
Canady sighed in frustration.
"Of course they are."
Paige had been waiting in her cramped ball turret for hours, and now that she was in space headed for the Dreadnought her anxiety was through the roof. She could almost feel the thousands of Stormtroopers heading to there TIEs. All the cobalt squadron had to do was get to the ship and drop there pay load, but the simplicity of the task wasn't what it seemed.
Usually Paige piloted but the more experienced Finch Darrow was in the big chair. Finch would pilot and Paige would make sure they got there, for the Resistance and Rose's sake.
After a systems check and little crew banter Squadron Commander Tallie Lintra cracked in Paige's headset.
"Bombers, keep that formation tight, Fighters, protect the bombers, don't get dragged into dogfights, we must buy our evacuees some time."
On the Raddus Admiral Ackbar relayed the news he had just received from Connix to General Leia.
"The last transports are in the air, eta 4 minutes."
Leia didn't dare breath her sigh of relief yet but this was a good sign, she opened a transmission with her trusted Commander.
"Poe, the evacuation's almost complete, just keep them busy a little longer."
The second these words left her lips the sky suddenly started to become much more crowded, Poe had managed to blowup almost all the cannons, but he now had company.
"One cannon left, and here comes the parade."
The Dreadnought had finally launched its TIE Fighters. Hundreds, upon thousands of TIE Fighters left the Dreadnought and the other star destroyers. All but three made a beeline for the Bombers, what was left headed straight for Poe.
Poe wanted to go after the swarm of TIE Fighters, but he knew the best way to protect the bombers was to take out the final cannon. Destroy the Cannon, save the bombers, destroy the dreadnought, save the whole Resistance, and Leia and Finn.
As he approached the last cannon the thought of Finn stuck in his mind. The former Stormtrooper, who had rescued him from First Order captivity, and helped blow up Starkiller Base, now was unconscious in a medical coma recovering from a battle with the demon Kylo Ren.
Poe's focus on Finn was only an instant, but he paid for it dearly, he hadn't noticed the weapons lock on his ship until it was to late. An explosion rattled the small ship as Poe was just reaching the last cannon.
"Damn! Beebee-Ate, my weapons systems are down, we need to take out that last cannon or our bombers are toast. Work your magic little buddy!"
In the starfighter's droid pocket, the little orange and white astromech received Poe's request and got to work. He lowered himself inside of Black One, and a smoking junction box was in clear view and reach, most likely a short from the blast, an easy fix. He extended a welding arm, but as soon as he started repairing the single sparking short, another revealed itself.
'This can't be good,' the astromech squealed in frustration.
"Tallie, heads-up!"
Poe informed his close friend through his com set. She in turn warned her pilots.
"Here they come! Gunners! Look alive!"
Like a swarm of black insects the Starfighters surrounded them in an instant.
X-wings blinked off the radar so fast it was sickening. One pilot, Jaycris Tubbs, had his last words belted into everyone's ears.
"They're everywhere, I can't-"
Tallie had faith in her her friend, but fellow pilots were dying.
"We're not gonna get old out here Poe. Gimme good news!"
"Negative. Hold tight, Beebee-Ate, we've got to kill that last cannon. I need my guns!"
BB-8 was currently working on just that, using every single extending part of his body to try and fix the short. The original problem still remained and he had yet to think of a way to fix it.
As Canady looked out into the battle, part of him just wanted to admire the bright colours of the explosions, but the rest of him knew better. His pilots were dying, pilots that actually did there job unlike his bridge crew, and they deserved better deaths then in the vacuum of space.
"Are the auto cannons primed?"
"Primed and ready Sir."
Although he knew this was going to be the answer, this infuriated Canady.
"What are we waiting for? Fire on that base!"
What all sentient life saw next from space was a single shot of an intense laser shoot down to where some had called home for the past few months, and was now completely obliterated. All life the laser hit was gone; forest, birds, mammals, reptiles, insects and fish for miles where instantly incinerated alone with all soil and water.
A small miracle in all the madness came as a transmission for Poe from Admiral Ackbar and General Leia.
"The last transports are aboard, evacuation is complete." Leia has her pre-victory sigh of relief and complimented her best pilot.
"Poe, you did it, now get your squad back here."
This hit Poe like a Wookiee's punch to the gut. This Dreadnought would help enslave thousands and kill millions of more. He also couldn't believe the General wanted him to disengage now when lives had already been lost trying to take it out, did there sacrifices not matter?
"No, General, we can do this, we have a chance to take out a Dreadnought!"
Leia just fought back against this insubordination.
"We need to get the fleet out of here Poe."
Poe shot right back at her.
"These things are fleet-killers, we can't let them get away!"
The last words Poe heard before he disconnected his receiver was Leia's angry voice yelling at him.
"Disengage now, that's an order!"
On the Raddus bridge many turned there heads in the Generals direction to see her facial reaction or possibly what she'd do next, but all she did was turn toward her trusty companion droid and long time friend C-3P0.
"Threepio, wipe that nervous look off your face."
"Oh, well, I will certainly try General."
An X-wing right next to Commander Lintra suddenly exploded as it was hit with a laser attack from the Finalizer, the fiery remains spiraled into a bomber and tore it in half. Tallie knew that if that last cannon wasn't destroyed, in twenty minutes there would be no Resistance.
Poe knew that too, and deep down he also knew that Leia's orders probably should have been followed, so he made a decision. No matter what, this cannon has to go because the Resistance fleet is already way to far into this battle to retreat. He was taking out this cannon no matter what the cost, so that the Resistance, Leia, Finn and even the whole galaxy have a better chance at survival. He aimed his ship at the final cannon for a collision course.
"Beebee-Ate, it's now or never!"
Desperation can over the little droid and an improvised scenario entered his matrix that was most likely now his only hope. After a quick diagnosis on his own systems he retracted all his extensions and demagnetized his head from his ball body. Using his welding arms he thrusted his own head into the junction box, the instant the head made contact with the box he sent an electrical surge through his head causing the primary photo-receptors to have an electrical feedback, rebooting all ship systems.
The guns back to life Poe pulled the trigger and the final Dreadnought cannon went up in smoke. The heroic sacrifice would have to wait, he swerved out of the way.
Poe yelled joyously into the intercoms. Tallie responded instantly.
"Happy to, here we go!"
In the bottom turret of a Cobalt Hammer, Paige was blowing up TIE after TIE. She had a knack at piloting but even she knew her true talent was behind a gun. She could almost feel the pilots in the black TIE Fighters, she knew where each one was and where they were going to be.
Just because she was doing extraordinarily well did not mean everyone else was though. Three bombers had already been destroyed, forcing the Crimson and Cobalt Squadrons closer together.
Another X-wing exploded. Over the shared channel, the Abnedish pilot known as C'ai Threnalli spoke in his native tongue which was translated by his ship for all to hear.
"We can't hold them."
Poe, who is a personal friend of Threnalli tried for some inspiration.
"Yes we can, stay tight with the bombers."
At this moment, Paige's thoughts went out to Rose. In all this stress, pain, and death, the thought of her sister calmed her. For 20 years Paige thought she was dead, but the second they were reunited it was like they had never been separated by the First Order. Thinking of cheerful Rose gave Paige the strength and will to keep fighting.
Dead ahead the nose of the Dreadnought was approaching fast. This was the moment they had all waited for. Tallie gave the command.
"We're almost there, Bombers, begin your drop sequence."
Above Paige, the pilot Nix Jerd would be arming the magno-charges and preparing for deployment all while still keeping them on course and doing his best to dodge laser fire. Paige, just for an instant, she thought that everything was going to be ok. That was when the TIE struck a Bomber.
There was an explosion as the TIE slammed into a bomber, than the remains of that ship tipped into the next ship which tipped into the next ship which tipped into the next. Paige's bomber had been on the opposite side of this chain reaction but it wasn't any less deadly. There was a brilliant white light as all the Bombers exploded in unison. Paige's Cobalt hammer was all that was left.
On the Fulminatrix, Bascus gave an update. "Auto cannons aimed. Three minutes until fully charged."
For a second Canady relaxed and let himself bask in his success, but then he shivered as he realized he was thinking like Bascus, Goneril, or even worse, Hux himself. He realized that the battle wasn't over yet.
"Destroy that last bomber."
Paige was still destroying TIEs with the help of many X-Wings, but she was surprised at how she was still alive. Her bomber, the only bomber, was now over the Deadnought, heading for the weak spot on the torso. A black X-wing flew under her and she instantly received a message from Poe Dameron himself.
"Cobalt bomber, why aren't your bay doors open?"
"Paige, come in!"
Paige rotated her ball and realize the horrid truth, the bay doors really weren't open. She opened her com for Nix, but no reply.
She opened her hatch and the ball instantly filled up with smoke and stale air. The power was also on reserves, this meant there must have been a malfunction or explosion that let all air out and shut down systems, but why was there air now?
She didn't have time to find out, they were approaching the drop zone and Paige didn't know how long the ship or its remaining oxygen would last. She opened the bay doors and headed for the ladder.
Poe yelled from Black One.
"Drop the payload, Now!"
She climbed the ladder that lead to the cockpit, as she reached the top she called out to her trusty pilot even though she knew he would never call back. The cockpit was a mess, a gaping hole showed Paige just where all the air went, but now there was a forcefield. That shouldn't have been possible because StarFortresses weren't equipped with that technology.
She couldn't worry about that now, she grabbed the remote from Nix's stiff hand and prayed he had already armed the bombs.
To Paige's luck he had, but just then a TIE landed a hit on her bomber and Paige lost her grip on the 7 meter ladder and fell to the base of it.
This should have killed her, or at the very least left her unconscious, but she willed her body to stay awake and somehow it did. She could feel broken rids and probably many fractures in other locations, but she still tried to look around. She could hear the sound of the remaining ships system deactivating, and at the very top of the ladder, taunting her by being half off the platform, was the remote.
On the Fulminatrix, Bascus once again gave a status update.
"Auto cannons fully charged."
Captain Canady gave his final order.
"Fire!"
She knew she couldn't climb the ladder, heck, she knew she couldn't sit up. So with her legs she kicked the ladder. The remote rattled slightly. She kicked again with all her might, nothing. She finally took a deep breath and tried to kick the Ladder again but her legs gave out as they touched the pole.
In that instant she picture the remote at the top of the ladder with all her might, and then forcefully imagined it tipping over and to her astonishment, it did. Tumbling down the remote came, she reached for it and missed, it fell right passed her.
'No, No, No, No,' Paige thought as she still reached out with her hand, and suddenly the remote levitated into her hand. Without a moment to spare she pressed the button.
Rows upon rows of magno-charges fell towards the dreadnought. Some had silly messages for the First Order like 'Hi Snoke' Rose and Paige had painted on together.
Rose. The StarFortress bomber lost power and so it started its descent into the fiery explosion below, all lights went out and the forcefield lost its power. In these last few seconds Paige grabbed her medallion and thought of her sister.
Here she learned that she could actually see Rose, she was looking out a window, looking at the battle from a distance. Paige could see her sister for all that she was, the good and the bad. Paige could also see everyone on the Raddus, and the First Order ships, and all life on D'Qar, and all life everywhere. Paige could see everything and then nothing.
The dreadnought broke apart in multiple explosions and implosions until it was just a large hunk of fiery space debris.
The Resistance wasn't out of danger yet. The remaining X-wings sped for the hangar. Poe knew they needed to get out of there as soon as possible but also knew he'd be the last one in the hangar.
"Dameron to Bridge, get ready to launch into lightspeed as soon as I give the word."
He was coming in hot.
"Beebee-Ate, prepare emergency landing procedures, we are landing the second we enter the ship."
BB-8 gave an affirmative reply as they sped towards the Raddus with the First Order TIEs right on there tail. They entered the hangar, and Black One found an empty spot and slammed it's self down.
"Go, Go, Go, Go!!!"
Poe yelled into his com and a second later they were in hyperspace.
General Hux watched from the bridge of the Finalizer as one of the best ships in his fleet crumble to ashes and then the culprits get away. First his beautiful Starkiller and now the Dreadnought, Hux was in complete shock.
A young communications monitor called out to Hux.
"General, Supreme Leader is making contact from his ship."
All Hux wanted to do was head down a few decks to his chambers and take the communication there, but he knew Snoke did not have that amount of patience. He gathered himself together the best he could. Despite desperately trying to sound professional, Hux's voice rang as sarcastic.
"Excellent. Patch him through."
Suddenly a huge holographic image of the Supreme Leader's deformed huge humanoid head was in the center of the bridge for all to see. His eyes were almost ablaze with anger and annoyance.
"Supreme Leader, I-"
Hux suddenly couldn't breathe, his airway was not being blocked, but crushed by the force that Armitage really wished didn't exist. As he gasped for air he could not reach Snoke spoke.
"General Hux, My disappointment in your performance can not be overstated."
Although his vision was starting to go black and white Hux gestured to speak. Snoke scowled at him for a few seconds longer but reluctantly released his force grip on the General.
After falling to his knees and partially gaining his breath back he gasped at what he was trying to say.
"They can't get away Supreme Leader, we have my spy giving us there constant location, they are tied to my string."
"Splendid."
Finn regained consciousness, he was confused and only had his last thought on his mind.
"Rey!"
He sat straight up and whacked his head on something, twice, which did not help him regain clarity. He pushed the object out of the way and shifted his wait to try and sit up. As he did so he lost his balance and fell off some sort of table.
The fight he was having with the First Order's blood thirsty Kylo Ren was still fresh in his mind, the gash up his back and the smell of his own burnt flesh was the last thing he could remember, that and Rey laying motionless in the snow.
The translucent bacta suit was currently leaking everywhere but Finn did not care, he needed to find Rey and make sure she was alright.
He went out the door in a haze and started his search for somebody to make sense of what was going on.
"Well done pal."
As Poe opened his cockpit to let in somewhat fresher air BB-8 started rapid firing statements at him. He tried to make sense of his companion's statements.
"Finn, naked, leaking bag, what, are your chips alright?"
That weird fragmented sentence did get Poe's attention however and as he began to look around he discovered BB-8 was right. There was indeed a disoriented Finn walking in the hall outside the hangar in a mostly transparent leaking bacta suit.
Poe leaped down from Black One and ran to greet the confused ex-Stormtrooper. He puts his arms around him but then takes them off because the bacta liquid was squirting everywhere.
"Finn, buddy, It's so good to see you. It's, ahh, we need to-"
Poe stammers as he realized just how naked Finn was.
"Let's get you dressed, you must have a thousand questions."
Rey stood there, lightsaber in her hand outreached to the Jedi Master she thought was a myth only a few days prior. Hope was flowing through her, hope for the Resistance, hope for Finn and Leia, hope for the Galaxy, and hope for herself.
Luke reached out and cautiously took the hilt of the blade that Ben Kenobi had given to him all those years ago. So many old memories came flushing back. The first time he turned it on in Ben's hut, the brief training in the Milenium Falcon before Ben's death, when he first force grabbed it on Hoth to save his life, training on Dagobah with Master Yoda, and finally that fateful duel with his father on Bespin's Cloud City.
Rey watched as the Jedi Master looked at her with confusion, then his lightsaber with reminisces in his eyes, then back to her. Then she watched in shock as Luke dropped the lightsaber, that was rightfully his, to the ground and then walk right by her.
"Uh, Master Skywalker?"
Rey called out to him as she quickly grabs the lightsaber and tries to go after him. For an older man Skywalker was quick, Rey rushed to catch up but barely saw which hut Luke entered in the village. The door to his hut was locked so Rey knocked.
"Master Skywalker, I'm from the Resistance, Leia sent me. We need your help, we need you to come back."
There was only silence.
"Master Skywalker, hello?"
Still nothing.
"Are you ok in there Master Skywalker?"
"Go away!"
This left a bad taste in Rey's mouth, she had come all this way to help the Resistance and herself but whatever was wrong with Skywalker he wouldn't budge.
'Time to bring out the big guns,' Rey thought, as she turned to run down the island.
Luke had just finished changing outfits to prepare for the coming weather when there were more knocks on his door. Not particularly looking forward to talking to anyone he called back out to the girl.
"I said, go away."
Suddenly the door flung across his hut and slammed against the back wall. Moments later a familiar Wookiee storms in and roars in his face.
"Chewie what are you doing here?"
Chewbacca, still very mad at Luke for many, many reasons just yells at him again. Rey decided to translate.
"He says you're coming back with us."
Luke just replied sarcastically to her.
"I got that."
He turned to Chewbacca.
"You shouldn't be here."
Luke, more focused on his old friend then the random girl is subjected to another small growl before asking a question he hoped would never come.
"How did you find me?"
Rey, feeling like she was in a rush, responded.
"Long story, we'll tell you in the Falcon."
Luke suddenly noticed someone missing in this conversation. A panicked Luke looked to Chewie, but his furry friend had his head down in mourning.
"The Falcon? Wait, where's Han?"
Rey just now remembered Han once mentioning that he and Luke were good friends and felt ashamed she didn't think about Luke not knowing. She then took it upon herself to explain the horrific circumstances of which Han Solo had passed away.
As the turbolift carrying Hux rose, so did Hux's anxiety. If he kept thinking about what might happen to him when he reaches Snoke's throne room then he'd be a nervous wreck when he arrived. So instead, Hux turned his thoughts to the beautiful ship he was in.
The warship known as the Supremacy is the galaxy's first Mega-class Star Destroyer and currently the largest star ship in the known galaxy with a wingspan of 60 kilometers. Being on this ship meant a great deal to Hux.
Within the Supremacy held factories making armour, foundries making other star ships, research and development labs coming up with many ways to better the lives of everyone in the First Order, and training facilities producing the best soldiers in the galaxy. In short, the greatest minds, bodies, and machines possible and General Hux was in the centre of it. It even had enough food, medicine, and resources to keep it and its residents sustained for a decade before having to restock.
Snoke had made himself clear that he did not want one fixed location to be his Capital. It had been Hux's, and many others, hope that Starkiller Base would be the new Capital, but thanks to Commander Dameron, the beautiful Supremacy would have to do.
Fixed locations would only cause difficulties anyway; Hosnian Prime, home of the New Republic had proven that. In a Millennia it will only be known as a monument of when the First Order staked its claim to the galaxy. The New Republic will soon be forgotten but the First Order will go down in history.
The name General Armitage Hux will go down in history as well. He will be known for building their armies to the peak of perfection, as the architect of a technological revolution, and the sole destroyer of the New Republic and the minuscule Resistance.
With The New Republic destroyed and the Resistance soon to follow Hux could only assume a promotion will be his reward. Commander Hux of the Supremacy would be an excellent title... surpassed only by Supreme Leader Hux.
Hux suddenly turned pale again, he was getting close to the Supreme Leader's throne room and although Hux hated the idea of the force, he knew his master was strong with it and the abilities he had access to. Even one's thoughts weren't private with close proximity to him.
The doors were now open; although he was one of the few living beings granted to see Snoke, Hux did not feel like it was an honour at this moment. He kept a stiff upper lip though; with back straight and face forward, Hux strode into Snoke's throne room.
Snoke sat on his giant throne. His hideously scarred, giant, humanoid body was draped in dark purple robes that were only a few shades lighter than black.
They were not alone in the room, eight of Snoke's crimson-armoured Elite Praetorian Guards were spread out along the sides of the walls, ready to defend their master if he were ever attacked. Each was armed with a weapon they had mastered that had been enhanced with plasma photonic energy shields so they could resist lightsabers. Hux had convinced Phasma to add these features when he started seeing Ren as a threat.
As Hux approached, knowing how much thin ice he was walking on, he decided bowing on one knee in front of Snoke would be the first step into getting back into the Supreme Leader's good graces.
Snoke looked down upon Hux with disappointment and spoke.
"General, I handed you a war hammer and you pointed it to a nug-gnat!"
He wasn't even yelling but his voice boomed to the same effect.
"As I assured you Supreme Leader, my operative is just standing by for when their ship exits hyperspace. She will then transmit their locations. The setback is merely temporary."
"Are you sure your confidence is in her skill or the nights you spent with her."
Hux controlled his emotions and prevented himself from showing emotion or having a shaky voice.
"She has proven herself time and time again to both myself and you, Supreme Leader, as a reliable First Order spy and assassin. She won't fail, and our intimacy has not occurred in years."
A smile made its way to Snoke's face.
The turbolift doors opened once again as Kylo Ren emerged as Snoke finished up his conversation with the General who was now standing up. He had just gotten out of surgery, he would never admit to how close the scavenger girl, traitor, and Wookiee had managed to get him to his death.
"Tied on a string indeed General Hux. Well done. The Resistance will soon be in our grasp."
Snoke chuckled.
"Thank you, Supreme Leader."
Hux said this rather loudly to make sure Kylo Ren could hear. He knew it was childish but he loved his hard earned successes to be observe by Ren. He wished he could see the punishment Kylo was about to receive but knew he was over staying his welcome. He couldn't help but smirk at Ren however as he passed by him on his way to the turbolift.
Kylo Ren continued to walk towards his master, a slight limp was still apparent despite his best efforts. When he reached proper talking distance with his master, he bowed.
The First Order had existed before Snoke had joined, even before the Empire had completely fallen. It was no more than a cult however until Gallius Rax, Rae Sloane, and Brendol Hux molded it into something that more resembled the First Order today. They were powerful leaders that wanted to bring peace, stability, and balance into the Galaxy, but had too much Empire in them and had their own agendas. So when they crossed paths with Snoke, a powerful outsider, they eventually made him their leader thinking him as the new Palpatine.
Kylo and his Knights of Ren had been a terror on their own but it was clear to Kylo from the very first time he made the official acquaintance of Snoke why he needed him as his master and that his sole destiny lied with Snoke. The master who fine tuned him in the dark side that Skywalker would never teach him, who taught him who he was meant to be.
Though he was still chuckling from his successful conversation with Hux, now his master stared down at him with suppressed fury and annoyance.
"Do you wonder why I keep a manipulative, scheming insurgent cur in such a place of power?"
Kylo did not respond. He had opinions but he knew better than to answer this kind of question.
"A cur's weakness, properly manipulated, can be a sharp tool."
This was Snoke both insulting Hux but also making him seem better than Kylo at this moment.
"How are your wounds?"
Snoke asked, making no effort to hind the derision in his question.
"They are nothing."
Lies to avoid the topic was immature, but his master was strong and he didn't what Snoke to see him weak. His face had been healed, but the scar will always remain the droid had said, and his abdomen, shoulder, and leg still hurt from their wounds, though there scars could be hidden behind clothes, he was lucky he still had his dark mask.
"The mighty Kylo Ren."
Snoke began.
"When I found you, I saw your destiny: War!!! Untamed power! And beyond that, something truly special, the potential for you to finish what Darth Vader started by destroying the Jedi."
Snoke than sighed.
"Now I fear I was mistaken."
Kylo Ren's emotions were everywhere; mere hours ago he was lying for dead right after murdering someone he deep down cared about. He was angry, guilty, miserable and accomplished.
"I've given everything I have to you- to master the dark side."
His voice was distorted by the mask but both emotional and physical pain could still be heard.
"Everything."
"Take that ridiculous thing off."
Snoke was disgusted with his apprentice's failure and cowardliness. Hesitantly Kylo took his helmet off, revealing the stitched up scar that surgeon droids had tugged and pulled at for hours.
Now, with great effort, Snoke stood. With the help of his cane the size of Kylo, he hobbled over with his crippled body and bent over in front of him. His crooked finger traced Kylo's eyelid, revealing the tears that had been hidden by the mask.
"Yes, there it is. You have too much of your father's heart in you- young Solo."
Kylo Ren snapped. Anger was dominating the rest of his emotions-anger at Snoke and anger towards himself.
"I killed Han Solo. I killed my... "
Kylo's voice broke but he continued.
"When the moment came I put my blade through his chest, I didn't hesitate."
The truth was, though, he did hesitate, and both he and Snoke knew that.
"Petulance, not strength, and look at you, the deed split your spirit to the bone."
Snoke's anger increased exponentially. He shot a bolt of Sith lighting at Kylo, he howled in pain. Snoke continued to berate him.
"You were weak, like Vader was in his last actions, unbalanced, and you were bested by a girl who had never held a lightsaber!"
Another Sith bolt, causing every nerve in Kylo's body to writhe in excruciating pain.
"You failed, if you don't purge the light you harbor, than I can not finish your training."
Kylo stood, took one step towards Snoke but his master whipped around and electrocuted him back to the floor. The Praetorian Guards snapped into an attack stance, weapons activated, but Snoke waved for them to stand down.
"Skywalker lives, the seed of the Jedi Order lives. As long as its light shines, hope in the Galaxy spreads."
Snoke took a deep breath as he sat back down into his throne.
"I thought you would be the one to snuff it out. Alas you are no Vader; you're just a child in a mask."
Despite his pain and position Kylo tried to bring up a topic he had discussed with Snoke on several occasions.
"Master, the balance-"
"Has been shifted this far many times before; the scale will not fall. Now, get out you disgusting cur."
Kylo walked to the turbolift in a haze. When he entered he did not specify where it should take him but it descended anyway. While still in the haze he stared at the helmet in his hands. A huge wave of rage came over him and without another thought he started slamming his helmet into the wall over and over and over until the turbolift opened and the helmet was now no more than black and silver metal shards. He faced the crewman in the halls.
Luke was still taking in the news of his old friend, they had moved to outside his hut for fresh air. Luke sat on a bench while the Rey girl finished up telling the tragic tale.
"Han Solo was a friend. There's no light left in Kylo Ren, and he's only getting stronger."
Mentioning Kylo had put an even worse scowl on the grieving Jedi's face, he seemed really old in this moment to Rey but she hoped that was only superficial. She wanted to leave Chewie with Skywalker so they could mourn in peace, but she knew she had to bring him back to the Resistance with her.
"Leia showed me estimates of the First Order's Military stock, it is massive. And now that the Republic is destroyed, there's nothing to stop them, they will control all of the major systems within weeks. They will destroy the Resistance, Finn, Leia, Bee-bee-Ate, Chewie, Maz, and everyone I care about. Now will you help us?"
This caught Luke's attention and he almost looked swayed, so Rey continued.
"You have to help us. We need Luke Skywalker. We need the Jedi Order."
Luke's expression went back to being dark, and he must have been prepared for this question because his answer was almost instant.
"No!"
"What?"
"You don't need Luke Skywalker or the Jedi Order."
"Di-did you hear a word I said? Because we really, really do."
Luke scowled at her.
"You think what? That I'm going to walk out with a laser sword and face down the whole First Order? What did you think was going to happen here?"
Rey looked down in shame, she had been very impulsive and now she was upsetting a grieving man.
"Do you think I don't know my friends are suffering? Or that I came to the most unfindable place in the Galaxy for no reason at all?"
This upset Rey, he knew of the suffering his friends and the galaxy were going through but had done nothing?
"Then why did you come here?"
Luke ignored her and just faced Chewie as he stood and headed for his hut.
"I'm sorry old friend, I'm not coming back."
Chewie was no longer angry, but sad, so he let Luke go, but Rey did not.
"I'm not leaving without you!" she called out to him.
"Get comfortable then."
Rey wanted to keep arguing but the sun was setting and she hadn't slept since her interrogation with the dreaded Kylo Ren and needed to rest. She told Chewie to sleep in the Falcon, and that she would find an abandoned hut to rest until sun rise.
Leia sat alone in her quarters staring out into hyperspace, at the stars and planets wiping by so fast they changed the perceivable colour of space from black to a beautiful blue. The Resistance had only a small amount of fuel. Connix and Prindel made the right decisions, but now they only had two days of fuel left, three if they rationed, plus one hyperspace jump.
The plan Ackbar had come up with was a deep space rendezvous point for the ships to meet up and discuss where to go next then follow secret old Alliance space roots to have a greater chance of not being tracked. Ackbar might be getting old but this was a safe and smart plan.
With the bridge crew handling the navigation this left Leia time to think. The first thing they would have to do would be alert the rest of the Galaxy of the dangers the First Order is capable of doing, and protect any surviving New Republic senators. Any politician that need protection would have to be there duty. Wexley was dispatched to recruit his mother and stepfather Wedge for whatever help they could offer. Pava, Kun, and Moradi were still MIA and the Resistance should confirm there status. Recruit anyone willing to help them stop the First Order and enlarge C-3PO's network of droid spies was the final thing Leia could think that her Resistance would have to do once they were out of hyperspace.
It was a daunting list, but Leia found relieve from having a plan for herself and the Resistance even if it was grim.
She still had worries however. The Galaxy was at war again, against a threat that had been secretly growing for 30 years. Now the Hosnian Prime system was destroyed and anything on it was lost for all time. Friends, co-workers, fellow fighters, and Han were dead. Leia also knew many more were about to die in the coming fights and she could hardly stand the ghosts that were always with her.
'Hope is a light brighter than the deepest darkness-but only we can keep it lit.'
Queen Breha Organa of Alderaan, her mother, had said those words many years ago when Leia first joined her fathers Rebel Alliance months before they were both killed, along with her entire home planet, by the brutal Imperial Empire.
'And is that how she'd want me to remember her? To remember them? As mere victims of the Empire?'
After Endor, with the help of Luke, Leia had started to harness the living force. However once she started tapping into it she realized it really had already been a part of her life. It had helped her understand senate sessions and Alliance meetings on a different level. The force helped her read rooms and keep her calm in stressful situations which was one of many reasons why she was such a successful politician.
Luke offered to teacher her how to manipulate the force on a further scale but after a few lessons she declined. She had no intentions of being a Jedi and following there rules. She loved Han, and wanted to have a family. Luke had argued that he did not plan on enforcing the old Jedi rules of having no attachments, but Leia still did not want to align herself with the religious group that in its final decades had made decisions that suppressed its people, had civilians killed, and made the rules that inevitably lead her biological father to turn into the murderous Darth Vader.
On her own however she did learn to perfect the ability to read the living force. She remembered how Luke had explained it to her, telling her to reach out with her feelings. Leia closed her eyes and did just that.
She could feel the living force now, all the sentient crewmen on board and the non-sentient, like micro-organism and the few pets that were snuck on board.
She could feel the emotions they all felt: Joy for there escape, anxiety and doubt for coming battles, mourning and enragement that comes with losing close ones, and fear for the likelihood of an early demise.
Leia let it wash over her, there feelings mixing with her own. She never meant to intrude but those with the strongest emotions brought her in. She saw Ackbar working away hard, he was deeply troubled. Connix was exhausted and taking this time to rest, but sleep wouldn't come to her racing mind. A mechanic in extreme agony and despair, questioning her morals. Fossil dealing with survivors guilt for his lost bombers. She also thought she felt a familiar presence but it quickly passed.
Leia was surprised to see Finn, he should still be recovering in a medically induced coma for many more days yet he was awake, but extremely confused. She could feel him talking with Poe who was overjoyed to be with Finn, and filled with pride of his victory, but also feeling the lose of the majority of his squadron.
'Way to much pride, very little doubt, I will deal with him shortly.'
For the time being she let her thoughts drift farther than the Raddus by tapping into the cosmic force. She could now feel the emotions of the beings on the planets and moons they passed at lightspeed. Hopes, dreams, and fears, but she was once again searching for just on presence.
At one time she had been able to sense Luke from anywhere in the galaxy, in fact some kind of bond always used to connect her to him even before she knew they were related. Then there family fell apart and Luke blamed himself. She could feel his agony and guilt for months, and then she didn't feel him suddenly at all.
She didn't think he was dead, she had felt the deaths of loved ones through the force and this was different, she felt nothing. She could only hope Rey, Chewbacca and R2-D2 had found him and were bringing him home.
Now she tried to reach someone else's, she had tried countless times and always found him but the same thing kept happening-
"Ahhh!!!"
Leia said out loud in pain as she was shot out of the dark mind of her son. Still taking in what had happened Leia hardly notices that they had left hyperspace, but she did notice when a message popped up on her com pad.
It was from Vise-Admiral Holdo from her position down in communications. She confirmed one of Leia's worst fears, so Leia told her to double check. She then sat up and started heading for the bridge.
She contacted C-3PO to find Poe, they needed to talk.
Ackbar stood on the bridge of the Raddus looking down at his console finalizing there plan of escape and rebirth. He looked out into hyperspace, although it retained all its beauty, with his worsening vision it was somewhat blurry.
Ackbar was getting old. If he had lived a normal life, it could have been possible he would have retired back on Mon Cala and be surrounded by grandchildren who would take turns visiting and listening to his war stories. But those weren't the cards he chose. The galaxy still needed him. He would continue to help the cause, probably until he died.
'Self-pity is for humans. You can float in your own tide pool later. For now, stiff fins and sharp teeth.'
Arkbar read the fuel count again, they would reach there rendezvous destination but would probably have to request some local ships to bring them enough fuel to reach a base.
A young crewmen accidentally ran into him, nearly knocking him over.
"Sorry Admiral, are you ok."
"Humph, I am fine, where is it you were heading?"
"To my console, sorry that I'm late for duty."
As the crewmen headed for his console Ackbar studied him. He appeared to be a young Mandalorian with light sandy brown hair with matching brown eyes. But the skin around his eyes seemed to be red, which indicates to Ackbar he is either sick, or has been crying, or at least quite upset. Ackbar decided not to report the youth.
Ackbar had just returned to his work when his dear old friend Princess Leia Organa, now General, entered the bridge. Ackbar felt sympathy for the Woman. Great hardships had been happening to her since she was an adolescent, but now her ex-husband had died and her brother is missing, possibly dead as well.
Leia was keeping a stiff upper lip however to keep everyone else hopeful, but Ackbar could see the pain she held back. Leia walked over towards him.
"Is Commander Dameron on the bridge yet?"
"No General."
"He better arrive soon."
Poe was guiding Finn to his quarters so that he could take the bacta suit off, clean up, and get properly changed.
Finn was still in a daze, but he could feel something important, and managed to take in the surroundings of Poe's quarters.
"Messy."
"You are very messy, that's why you are going to go in the bathroom, taking off the suit, and taking a sonic shower, I'll leave some clothes right outside the door."
"Ok."
After a quick shower Finn was feeling more in tune. He got dressed and left the bathroom.
He now got a good look at Poe's Room. A nice sized pile of random stuff like clothes, books and trinkets were on his bed, some seemed to fall on the floor from when the ship left hyperspace. The only secured items were a very small Uneti tree in a well kept pot and a branch from a similar full grown tree wrapped in fine synthsilk, the baby tree was almost whispering to him.
"I'm guessing you have some more questions now Finn?"
"Yes, but I still want to know where Rey is, she was the only one in the forest with me so I think she saved my life, did she?"
"Yes, but it was a group effort."
"How do you mean?"
And Poe started telling Finn all he had missed. First, because of his curiosity how Rey fended off the loathsome Kylo Ren until the planet itself separated them and she returned to Finn and took care of him until Chewbacca saved them both with the Millennium Falcon.
Poe told Finn about how he and his team had blown up Starkiller Base thanks to Han, and Chewbacca's help. He might have added how he was the final blow.
He also told him about the past 24 hours. The gravity of Finn's surgery. There evacuation which became necessary after presumably a snitch revealed there location.
Finally he told Finn of the Scavenger Girl and how she waited for Finn to stabilize before she, Chewbacca, and R2-D2 took the Falcon on a mission to find Luke, recruit him, and bring him back to help fight the First Order.
"So she is ok? How will she find us if we aren't even sure where we are going?"
"I don't quite know buddy, the General has that covered though, don't worry."
"You blew up Starkiller base, besides your team, myself, Rey, and Chewwie, did anyone survive?"
This was an odd question for Finn to ask, Poe thought, but at one point that was Finn's home and despite deserting the First Order he might have had friends there. So feeling sympathy Poe answered to the best of his ability.
"The General has confirmed that Kylo Ren's slimy carcass somehow made it out, and I just had a pleasant battle with Armitage Hux, and many other small ships were reported getting off world but I don't know the specifics."
Their was silence, after a couple minutes Finn looked like he had a question, Poe decided to call him out on it.
"What is on your mind?"
"Poe, I believe in what you guys are doing is right, but I'm not sure it's my fight, I want to experience the Galaxy through my own eyes."
First off Poe could tell this was not what Finn was originally going to say, but what he did say hurt. It wasn't an attack on him or the Resistance, but Finn leaving just felt wrong to Poe. If Finn wanted to explore the Galaxy though, Poe could understand.
"That might be for the best, but I would suggest somewhere less likely to be attacked by the First Order. Also, one more thing."
"Yes?"
"Most places it would be easier to get around with a last name."
"A last name?"
"You know, like Dameron, Organa, Skywalker-"
"I know what a last name is, I just don't see why I would need one, Rey doesn't have one."
"She might have at one point, either way, it's like your old serial number, it helps your individuality."
"Our numbers just helped sort us out and to be identifiable, besides, you were the one who named me, you didn't give me a last name."
"Well how about I give you a last name now?"
"What?"
"Well, if Finn is off of FN, then that leaves 2187, T, O, E, S. Eight sounds like it begins with an H however. That is shot backwards, and you are pretty good with a blaster."
"So now I'm Shot?"
"No you are Finn Shot, and that's just a suggestion, you can be whoever you want to be."
"No I like it, but I think I will still go by just Finn for the most part."
"Fine by me."
Another awkward pause, the only times they had interacted before was in high stress situations, to have a casual conversation was different for the both of them.
"I almost forgot."
Poe stood up and dug into his large pile of possessions, he pulled out a familiar leather flight jacket and handed it to Finn.
Finn looked over the gifted jacket, the back was sloppily stitched up multiple times, but seemed sturdy. Finn looked up at Poe who was thinking about something foundly, than noticed Finn staring at him. Now facing him, Finn noticed the slightest bit of red in the pilot's cheeks. Embarrassed about the stitching?
"I'm not much of a sewer, but while you were in surgery that's all I could think of doing, I stitched up your jacket while the Doctor stitched up you."
This meant a lot to Finn, but before he could express his gratitude there was a buzzing at the door and C-3P0's voice came over the com.
"Commander Dameron, Princess Leia requests your presence on the bridge at once."
"Finn, go to the medical bay to get a quick go over and to have your name put in the computer, this should only take a few minutes."
Poe couldn't remember a time he didn't know General Leia, she worked with both his parents, and after they died, she sort of filled the maternal role in his life. When the time came she personally recruited him to join the new Resistance.
When he got to the bridge he was expecting to talk battle strategies, instead all he saw was cold fury, fury for him.
He knew mistakes were made, but the galaxy was now safe from one less Dreadnought that could obliterate a planet in a day. So it was quite a shock to Poe when Leia slapped him across his face, very hard for an aging women.
"You're demoted."
Leia was for the first time disgusted by the sight of Poe for the lives he lost.
"What? General, we took down a Dreadnought, it would have terrorized the galaxy-"
"But what cost did it take to blow it up, ten ships, 32 lives. Pull your head out of your cockpit Poe!"
"The mission was almost complete, I had to see it through."
"There are things you can't solve by jumping in an X-wing and blowing something up. I need you to learn that."
"There were heroes on that mission!"
Poe needed Leia to understand this wasn't all about him.
"Dead heroes, no leaders."
Poe was still hot headed, but Leia cooled off a bit.
"Poe, I could have court-martialed you and have you thrown in the brig for what you have done, but I know you just made a mistake , it just was a grave one."
"What are you saying?"
"I'm saying your new ranking is your punishment, but it will also help with the assignment I'm putting you on."
"Now, but we aren't safe yet?"
"The sooner you finish this task, the sooner we are all safe. Several rogue transmissions have been sent, I need you to-"
They were cut off by a panicked Ackbar from across the bridge.
"Proximity alert!"
A crewmen at a near by console yelled at the General a question.
"They've found us? That can't be."
But as soon as the words left her mouth, six Star Destroyers and a Mega-class Star Dreadnought emerged from hyperspace almost directly on top of them.
Poe's jaw nearly dropped in the pure awe and fear when the ship came into view. In fight or flight situations he always chooses fight, but even he knew what the reasonable choice was right now.
"That's Snoke's ship. You've got to be kidding me. Can we jump to lightspeed?"
The near by crewmen was the one to respond.
"We only have enough fuel for one jump."
Poe's senses started coming back to him, he remembered what Leia had said and faced her as she raised her hand for attention.
"Wait, they tracked us somehow through lightspeed, weather device or some other means, we can't jump."
Poe understand the grave situation.
"So if we had jumped to lightspeed, they'd just find us and we'd be out of fuel. We're trapped they've got us."
He had no plan but if it gave them even a percentage of a chance Poe had to take it, maybe he would still die in a blaze of glory. He faced Leia.
"General, permission to jump in an X-wing and blow something up?"
She sighed, she knew this was the end and granted Poe this final request.
"Granted, Admiral, swing us around."
"Full astern! Rotate shields!"
Poe didn't even here that last bit, with that one word he had bolted for the docking bay where Black One would be waiting, BB-8 rolling beside him at top speed. He told his droid to contact his fleet.
A small fleet of special TIE fighters were launched as soon as there Star Destroyer exited hyperspace. This team was lead by a TIE/vn Space Superiority Fighter known as the Silencer, and in it's cockpit was the livid Kylo Ren. He had two goals, destroy the Resistance, and his mother with it.
The cannon fire from Mega-Destroyer rattled every ship even if it missed. The cannon fire however did not miss the Vigil. It exploded as Kylo's fleet passed by, getting ever closer to the flag ship.
Tallie was almost glad the wailing alarm went off, anytime she closed her eyes all she heard was the screams of the pilots and soldiers who died in the last fight.
She and many other pilots, including her long time friend Starck, rose from there cots, flew there flight spots on, and ran for the hanger.
They reached the hanger and started the prelaunch sequence. The scanners on Tallie's ship showed multiple prototype TIE Fighters approaching at top speed. She opened a link to Poe Dameron.
"Boss, are you seeing this?"
An out of breath Poe responded.
"I know, I'm on my way."
Finn had been in the med-bay when the alarm went off. The Med-droid had just given him a clean bill of health when the wail of sirens starts, he looked up with one thought on his mind.
"Poe!"
Finn got up and ran into the halls, pilots would be heading for the hanger, so he had to head there. He had never been almost anywhere on the ship, but he knew he had to find Poe. Left, right, right, left, he just hoped he could find him.
Kylo Ren and his team of TIEs were shooting at the ships, but with there shields up they were only making minimal surface damage. Kylo reached out with the force, found the weakest nearby point in the shield, ripped it open wide enough for his ship to fit through, and he was inside the shields.
He raced within the walls, blowing up everything in his path. Then he found the perfect target and locked his missile on it.
Poe had just turned the corner when he saw the entrance to the hanger explode, the force flung him and BB-8 back. Poe landed on Finn but BB-8 wasn't so lucky, the little droid was flung against the wall and his head fell off.
Poe watched in horror as the doors automatically closed to contain the destruction, but also cutting off the possibility of saving any survivors.
Finn helped Poe sit up as BB-8 magnetically pulled his head back on.
"Poe, are you alright?!"
In a daze Poe responded.
"We need to get out of range of those Star Destroyers."
On the First Order ships, the crews where celebrating this explosion.
"Torpedo! Direct hit on the starfighter hanger!"
The same news was a deviation on the Resistance bridge, Leia couldn't bare to think about the lives they just lost.
"Full engines ahead, get out of range of the Star Destroyers and the Fighters will have to fall back."
Ackbar acknowledged her orders and gave the commands.
"All crafts, full engines, concentrate rear shields!"
A TIE shot the bridge causing an explosion, it missed Ackbar but the young Mandalorian was down. Ackbar knew he couldn't carry or drag this young man all the way to the med-bay, but if he could at least get him to the hall, another crewmen possibly could.
Leia was suddenly caught in a force link, her son was right outside the Resistance bridge, she could feel his murderous intentions.
The brightness she had felt in him since he was a child was replaced with the blackness of space. Currently he was a wave of screaming rage, but not just at the her, but at himself. Leia could feel his remorse for his actions and how much conflict it was putting him through, she reached through the force to comfort him.
In that moment they were just mother and son, suffering pain they did not want to have. In that moment he was back to being Ben Solo and she was just Leia, not a princess or general, but his mother.
Kylo had planned to fire on the bridge just like how he had on the hanger, his finger was even on the trigger, but Ben Solo couldn't do it.
Leia sighed in relief, despite all her son had done even in the last few minutes, she forgave him.
Ren then watch in horror as one of his TIEs lined up for the same shot.
"No-!"
But they fired. The torpedo sheared through the bridge of the Raddus and it exploded. The vacuum of space sucked everyone on the bridge, and all damaged or dislodged equipment, out into space.
The explosion had thrusted Ackbar and the wounded Mandalorian forward. As Ackbar landed he heard a loud crack and knew something was broken. Before loosing consciousness however he saw the door to the bridge slam shut, he realized he might have to lead the whole ship on his own and that terrified him.
Kylo sat in his TIE stunned, if he had known the other TIE would take that shoot he would have stopped it, blown it up with a thought. It had surprised him however, and now there was nothing to be done. He could feel his mothers life force fading away, just like how Han's had.
With the slightest thought he pushed the TIE that had done the deed into range of the Ruddus's guns with the force. Even without his help all his fellow TIEs were being blown up. Then a mini Hologram of Hux appeared in front of him with a message.
"The Resistance ships have pulled out of range, we can't cover you at this distance. Return to the fleet, Supreme Leader's command. They won't last long burning fuel like that, it's only a matter of time."
Reluctantly Kylo changed course.
Leia Organa Drifted through space. The moisture in her body was evaporating or freezing and her lungs were desperate for oxygen that wasn't there. The remains of the bridge were floating around her, whether wreckage, or dead crewmen.
Her son would be heading back to his master, but the short connection they had just had satisfied her conscience. She was ready to be at peace. She was ready to be reunited with Han, her father and mother, and all she had cared about.
Out of the corner of her eye she noticed a blue light. On her wrist, a beacon was glowing. The matching beacon was in the possession of Rey. Leia might die but if she couldn't get this beacon back to the Resistance than the galaxy's only hope dies with her. She couldn't give up.
She out reached her hand. She thought of her teachings and what she had learned on her own.
'Feel the force around you. Life created it, make it grow, let it guide you.'
Even in space there was life. Microscopic life still existed. Tardigrades were scarce, but there. Her crewmen might be dead but some of the cells were still alive.
With this life she made it will her forward, like crossing a bridge. It pulled her to the biggest, closest life source around. The Raddus.
She managed to fly herself to an air lock and commanded it to do its job, than everything went black.
Poe, Finn, and Connix were the ones to get her out of the air lock but a medical team was right behind them. In there desperation to do a full body check, and find a pulse they had removed the glowing bracelet from Leia's wrist and it ended up on the floor.
Once they checked her out they announced to everyone around her status as they got ready to take her away.
"Life signs are weak, but she's fighting."
Once the team had gotten the former princess on a stretcher and were rushing her to the med-bay, did Finn notice the glowing bracelet. He picked it up and showed it to Poe.
"What is this?"
"I'm not sure."
The boys were ready to dismiss the item when Connix got a good look at it.
"That is a cloaked binary beacon, someone would have the twin bracelet so they could find each other."
Finn looked at Poe and spat out his hypothesis.
"Rey!"
Connix returned the beacon to Finn and left the friends to there discussion. Poe spoke what was on his mind first.
"It will light her way home."
"Until then what is the plan."
Poe remembered his task Leia was about to assign him, but wasn't sure if it was the most reasonable plan to do at that moment, so with great though he finally responded.
"We need to find a new base. One with enough power to get a cloaked signal to our allies scattered throughout the galaxy."
Poe's leadership skills impressed Finn, but he was now in charge of where Rey will meet up with them and he needed to make sure his friend would return safely. A friend has got to do what a friend has got to do. Even if he had to leave Poe behind.
Rey tossed and tossed but she could not fight off the dream. Finally she let go and the imagery she had been fighting for the past solar cycle flowed freely through her mind.
"Stay here. I'll come back for you, sweetheart. I promise."
It was the same dream she had had for years, and years. She could never see the face of the man who spoke and she couldn't recognize his voice, but for the first time in as long as she could remember, there was more.
"I love you Kira."
'Kira,' Rey thought, she had never heard that name before, but it seemed so familiar that she could almost feel the sand on Jakku.
Then she was indeed back on Jakku. The place where she had spent all of those years scavenging for Unkar Plutt, all the spots the fat fish couldn't get into. But then for an instant she was back at her little make shift home, holding her pilot helmet.
She was now seeing the blazing temple she had seen in her vision on Takodana. She could see it in the distance from another's eyes. Remorse, guilt, and betrayal washed over her. Bodies of burnt young adults and children were everywhere.
'Stop! Make it stop!' Rey wanted to yell but couldn't.
Thankfully her dream did change, but not for the better. There was only darkness. Darkness that somehow felt warm and safe, until a threatening feeling washed over her and she opened her eyes. Right above her, a green lightsaber activated, and in attack stance was Luke Skywalker, eyes ablaze.
But in a blink she was no one, as if watching from the perspective of a god. All she could see was a battle, both sides trying to end the other. A hundredss were killed on one side, hundreds of thousands were killed on the other. Rey recognized her side, but she was seeing the bigger picture.
Only a small fragment of this was Ben Solo's internal fight with Kylo Ren. The darkness has long since won but has yet to silence completely the light within him. A recent event had also caused the light in him to surface once more.
Rey suddenly was locked in gaze with Kylo Ren, who looked confused and took a step towards her before fading away into darkness. In his place was the purest of darkness with trillions, no quintillions, no decillions of microscopic lights. Something was wrong however, everything was fluctuating and swerving, and bending, it was as if the whole universe was about to snap and shatter.
Rey felt like she was about to throw up but she would have to wait for she was now fighting for her life in an enormous completely red room, fighting warriors in completely red armour. She wasn't alone but she couldn't focus on those who were helping her because a final image kept coming in and out of focus.
She could smell many plant life, it was also very humid but she only felt success and accomplishment. She was sitting on a woven chair talking to an elderly human woman of about 70 years. Her hair was almost completely white but Rey could tell it used to be blonde. The woman's face was aged and friendly, but so oddly familiar. Rey never wanted to stop talking to her even though she couldn't hear a word she or the woman were saying.
Rey woke up in a cold sweat, her dream almost instantly faded into the very back of her mind. Dawn hadn't broke yet but she didn't want to go back to sleep, she wanted to make sure she caught Skywalker when he woke up.
When dawn did break the old Jedi Master emerged from his hut. The weather was grey, wet, and cold, but standing just outside his hut was the Scavenger girl.
"Good Morning."
His only reply was a huff, then with his pack he walked off.
Rey now understood that she would have to put up a fight to bringing him back to the cause. She promptly followed him up one of the many flights of stairs that traversed the island. She continued to follow him when the second sun broke the horizon.
"So this is where they built the original Jedi temple? How long ago?"
He did reply this time, but not positively.
"Go away!"
The path they were on overlooked the sea. Rey was entranced but the beautiful and abondant amount of water.
"I've never seen so much water in my life."
This reminded Luke of when he first approached Yavin 4 all those years ago, but than he shook his head and tried to discourage the misguided follower.
"I don't care!"
They then descended a flight of stairs and reached a narrow inlet that pierced the land, it's cliffs plunging down into a foamy slot of a bay. A ridiculously long pole that went all the way up and down the cliff lay on the ledge they stood on. Luke grabbed the pole and used it cleverly to swing himself to the other side. Rey found this quite impressive.
He braced himself on the ledge then with great, but experienced effort, lifted the pole.
Rey watched as he stared at the water waiting for some sort of sign. Than he thrusted down. She watched in complete awe as he not only lifted a giant fish from the water, but also lifted it up to him, removed it, then lowed the pole back down.
"How did you do that, the force?"
He did not stop or turn even around, his response was like a natural reflex.
"No."
Luke now carried the giant fish on his back. He huffed a little bit but never slowed down, even as he climbed the steep staircase to return to the main pathway.
The rain that had only been a mist ten minutes earlier, was now a down poor. Rey had never seen more the a mouthful of water a day before but in the last three days she had seen lakes, snow, a blizzard, oceans, and now rain. Her amazement gained too much of her attention and now Skywalker was over the hill and probably descending into the village.
As Rey reach the top she watch Luke hand over the humungous fish to a dozen smallest alien folk she had seen in the distance before. This impressed Rey who had thought he was keeping it all for himself.
By the time however she reached his hut it was locked again. She huffed and decided to wait him out. Luckily the rain had subsided, but it was still wet and cold.
The Suns had started to set when Luke finally reemerge from his hut. He was surprised to see Rey there but continued on to his destination. She followed.
Then suddenly Rey stopped. Luke noticed this but kept walking, trying his best to ignore her.
Rey didn't even register his existence anymore. She was being drawn somewhere. From the moment the Millennium Falcon approached Ahch-to she could feel something calling her but right now it was stronger than ever before.
She changed directions and after walking into a medium gap between two cliffy hills she came to an ancient Uneti tree. Because of the time of year the tree was dormant and had no leaves. The tree was quite large, and as Rey approached the tree, she realized that there was a gap and the tree was mostly hollow.
Rey entered, compared to the outside, the hollowing was warm and dry. A window like opening higher in the tree was shining light upon the single shelf in the room.
All her focus was on the books, they whispered to her. They were telling her to touch them, read them, take them. She reached out, complying with their request.
She jumped when Luke Skywalker spoke.
"Who are you?"
Rey was still in a hypnotic daze. Luke had finally acknowledged her, but she was still in shock as she realized where she was.
"I know this place, this library."
Luke seemed to notice the genuine connection between her and the library so he picked up a book.
"Built three and a half million years ago, to keep these."
Luke opened the book in his hand and showed it to Rey. The language was an ancient form of basic, extremely difficult to understand, but not unreadable. "The original Jedi texts. They make up the foundation of the ancient faith. They were the first and now, just like me, they are the last of the Jedi religion."
Luke now asked what was on his mind.
"You know this place, you've seen these books, you've seen this island?"
"Only in dreams."
He repeated his earlier question.
"Who are you?"
She didn't quite know what he meant, he knew her name, what was he after?
"The Resistance sent me."
"They sent you, what is so special about you? Do you have Jedi Lineage?"
Rey did not know the answer to his questions, her family left her when she was so young, she could not remember who she, or they were.
She just looked down.
Luke sensed that she was unsure so he changed the subject slightly.
"Where are you from?"
This Rey knew, but didn't think it of any importance.
"Nowhere."
Luke tried for kindness.
"No one's from nowhere."
"Jakku."
Luke once again remembered the hard life living on a dessert planet in the outer rim was, he knew you could become more than where you were born.
"Alright, that is pretty much nowhere. Why are you here Rey from nowhere?"
"The Resistance sent me, we need your help, the First Order-"
Luke's expression went ice cold. A glimpse of Rey's dream from the night before resurfaced, but then disappeared again. An emotion that wasn't her own told her to defend herself, she resisted this urge and waited for him to respond.
"Why are you here?"
Rey paused and thought. She thought about what to say. She could still hear the whispers, but she was now focused on Skywalker.
"Something inside me has always been there, and now it's awake. And I'm afraid. I don't know what it is or what to do with it. And I need help."
"You need a teacher, I can't teach you."
With this Luke turned to place the book back on the shelf but Rey cut him off.
"Why not, I've seen your routine, you're not busy."
Luke just placed the book down on a large root off the ground and turned around and started to leave.
"I'll never teach another generation of Jedi."
Luke stopped at the entrance and looked back only slightly.
"You asked why I can here? I came here to die, I know only one truth: it's time for the Jedi to end."
Upset, and confused, Rey tried to understand Luke's reasoning.
"Why?"
"You wouldn't understand."
"But your sister. Leia sent me here with hope. If she was wrong, she deserves to know why. We all do."
Luke stared at her a moment longer, then turned and walked away.
Upset, Rey turned too looked at the books. Luke might have wanted the Jedi to end, but she wasn't leaving without knowledge of the force within her.
Carefully, Rey lifted the books and raped them in her poncho. She then returned to the Millennium Falcon. She couldn't find any clean empty storage spaces. The only escape pod had a secret compartment in it and it looked like it had never been used, so she placed them in there.
She returned to the village. She sat on the bench in front of Luke's hut to wait for him. She soon found that she was very tired and lay down with all intentions of staying awake. But soon she found herself drifting off to sleep.
Finn's mind was made up. He did not want to leave the people who welcomed him with opened arms in their time of need, but Rey had been captured by the First Order before and had been tortured. If he could prevent that from happening again to the girl that saved his life on Starkiller base, than he would. Even if he'd regret it the rest of his life.
He couldn't ask for directions to the escape pods or else he probably would be thrown in the brig, so he just walked around and made logical turns and soon enough he found himself near the pods.
As he opened the door to the chamber he thought he could make out voices, but as he entered he soon realized it was someone sobbing. He guessed this person was one of the pod guards. He felt terrible for not comforting them, but if they're distracted then he could walk right by.
This is what he attempted. He casually, but briskly walked by them as if he were supposed to. He didn't even look at them to not give them any suspicion. Out of the corner of his eye he could tell they were a human female and that she was holding something that was hanging around her neck.
He had made it to the pod, opened it, activated it, and threw his bag in there when the guard appeared behind him with some sort of weapon.
"What are you doing here?"
Finn jumped, making him hit his head on the top of the pod above him. He turned around to see the guard.
The woman was about five foot one or two. She had dark, wiry, shoulder length hair, although some was held back. She did not have a soldiers build like any female Stormtrooper he knew, and she wasn't scrawny like Rey, but still looked strong under her baggy jumpsuit. Her skin was light but had a different under tone than Rey's or his own.
And her eyes. Her pupils were a very dark brown, so close to black that they trapped your soul. The skin around her eyes were beautiful but puffy and reddish from crying. The skin slanted up at the very edge, and there was almost something almost seductive about them.
Finn then realized he was staring and that the woman holding some sort of taser had asked him a question. A question that if answered truthfully would get him thrown in the brig. Although just hitting his head, his thoughts were a little scrambled so he said the first things that came to mind.
"Hi. I was, ummm, just doing a-"
He was stammering badly, but she didn't seem to notice, she instead cut him off.
"You're Finn. The Finn!"
Finn was now more confused than ever.
"The Finn?"
"Sorry, I work behind pipes, wires, and circuitry all day. Doing talking with Resistance heroes is not my forte."
Finn watch as the woman got embarrassed and confused in her point. Under her breath she finished.
"Doing-doing talking..."
She put out her hand, Finn took it.
"I'm Rose. Rose Tico."
After letting go, Finn put up his own hands to signal her it was ok to calm down. Tears were still in her eyes and he wanted to comfort her, even if he needed her to go away.
"Breathe."
She took a few breaths and looked a bit better, but Finn needed her to go, now.
"Look, I'm not a Resistance hero, but it was nice talking to you Rose."
The phrase Leia and Poe both used popped in his head, and he felt it was the proper way to end this encounter.
"May the force be with you."
"Wow, you too."
She turned around and started walking away. As soon as Rose had her back turned Finn turned around himself and had just taken on step closer back to the pod when he felt Rose turning, so he spun on his heel.
"Okay, but you are a hero! You left the First Order, and what you did on Starkiller Base-"
Finn tried to cut her off."
"Listen-"
But she just kept talking.
"When we heard about it, Paige, my sister, said, 'Rose, that's a real hero. Knows right from wrong, and don't run away when it gets hard,' she said."
Finn was shaking his head and said, 'No,' somewhere in there but he was just getting embarrassed and guilty by her words, but also a bit desperate. At the end of her mini rant she took back out her taser stick thing, waved it at him expressively, and continued talking.
"You know, just this morning I've had to stun three crew members trying to jump ship in these escape pods."
"What?"
Yes, they were running away."
"That's disgraceful."
"I know."
Finn noticed Rose looking into the pod, he shifted his position so that his body was in the way of his bag.
"Well, I should get back to what I was doing."
His cover up wasn't good however and she wasn't buying his charm anymore.
"What were you doing?"
Finn started stuttering.
"Checking. Just checking, the...uh, the pods, doing a check."
Rose's face was now void of excitement and wonder, and was instead replaced with seriousness and disbelief.
"Checking the escape pods?"
"Routine check."
"By boarding one, with a packed bag."
"Ok, listen-"
But instead she teased him with her stunner into the back of the pod with great force. Finn would only feel this pain later because the second the bolt hit him everything went black.
With so few high ranking officers left, Poe was quite jealous that he was not invited to discuss the plan of their survival, and who would take charge. It was quite obvious that Ackbar would be taking Leia's place while she recovers, but the other bridge officers would have to be replaced as well.
The rest of the upper middle ranking officers, along with Poe, were now gathering on the emergency bridge in the lower part of the ship. Poe took a seat next to C'ai Threnalli, a good friend of his, and one of the very few pilots remaining from the explosion. Lieutenant Connix stood among the new bridge members. Commander D'Acy and Vise-Admiral Holdo stood next to Admiral Ackbar who leaned on a cane.
Despite the broken leg, Ackbar hobbled forward for his informative speech.
"Some of you might be wondering the status of General Leia Organa. She will be fine and will most likely wake within the next couple days. Tragically everyone else but I, and a lieutenant, has perished."
Ackbar, along with most on the bridge took a sigh of sorrow.
"If she were here, she'd say, 'Save your sorrow for after the fight.' The clear succession of power should be placed to me, but I must inform you all that I cannot take this position."
Nearly everyone gasped, Ackbar continued.
"I have for some time been living with a Mon Calamari cancer, it is caused from not being in a Mon Cala ocean for a prolonged period of time. When I discovered it a month ago it was already in its terminal stage and it is weakening my body and mind. I am not fit to lead but I will advise anyway I can. Now I will let Commander D'Acy give the rest of the new rankings speech."
With that, he sat down and D'Acy took his place. Poe couldn't hear what she was saying, Ackbar was such an amazing soldier, to die from something like cancer instead of battle seemed almost unheard of.
Poe could only make out that D'Acy was giving out everyone's new ranking. It was based on what you were before the incident, what positions need filling, and your qualifications.
Poe, not paying much attention, stood right up when he heard his name called. How many ranks had gone by already, what knew ranking am I getting, I definitely got Commander back but am I any higher?
"Poe Dameron: ... Captain?"
D'Acy sounded just as confused as Poe. Why did he still have his demoted ranking? They need more high ranking officers and he had perfect qualification. Now he was standing, with everyone staring at him, new rank and all. Poe sat down, he almost never felt embarrassed but this was an exception.
Names kept getting called and then there rank was given. Connix was now a first class Lieutenant, D'Acy stepped aside and let Holdo call out her new rank, Vise-Admiral, then continued calling ranks.
Finally it came to who would be General of the Resistance. In normal armies, captains, commanders, and admirals would out rank a general but knew meanings were given to each name when the Resistance started. There were also captains of ships and captains only by rank.
"Leia always left clear instructions in case she died in battle, her secession was to go to Ackbar, but since he has retired, the person next in line to take her place is clear. Someone she's always trusted, and who has her full confidence."
Something in Poe wished it was him, but he knew that wouldn't happen anytime soon. Instead newly ranked Admiral Amilyn Holdo stepped forward as D'Acy sat down.
"Thank you Vice Admiral."
She had a forced half smile on her face. She was older then him, probably 15 to 20 years, but appeared younger then Leia. Her hair was dyed a light purple. She wore a similar coloured dress. Her posture was so profound you would never think she fought and won the battle of Chyron Belt. She stepped into a proper speaking position.
"Look around you. Four hundred of us on three ships. We are the last of the Resistance, but we are not alone. In every corner of the galaxy, the downtrodden and oppressed know the symbol of the Rebellion which we were born from, and they put their hope in it."
Everyone, including Poe was expecting to have heard a plan by now, but Poe was giving her the benefit of the doubt.
"We are the spark that will light the fire that will restore a Republic. That spark, this Resistance, must survive."
Finally she got to a more instructive part of her speech.
"At the level of fuel all our ships are burning we will be out of fuel in less than a day, so I propose we drain the other ships, transfer their energy and crew to our ship, that way we should be sustainable for a few more days. The barracks will be full, so officers with private quarter, you will have to make room. Now, to your stations, and may the force be with us."
This seemed to satisfy most of the crew as they headed to their stations to prepare for the fuel and crew transfer. This did not satisfy Poe however, she was giving them more time, but more time for what?"
As the crowd broke up, Poe pushed through to get to Holdo. When he reached her side and got her attention he thought proper introductions were in order. He held out his hand. She did not take it but he spoke with a smile anyway.
"Admiral Holdo, Commander Dameron-"
"Captain, not Commander, yes? Wasn't it Leia's last official act to demote you? For the Dreadnought plan? Where we lost our entire bomber fleet?"
Poe was ashamed and taken back, but he couldn't let that slow him down at the moment.
"Captain, Commander, I don't care what my rank is, at our current fuel consumption there's a very limited amount of time we can stay out of the range of those Star Destroyers, so what is the plan to shake them before we find a new base?"
She looked Poe up and down then pulls him aside.
"I've dealt with plenty of trigger happy flyboys like yourself multiple times, you're impulsive, and dangerous, but Leia trusted you and has asked me to give you an extra important task and that's what I'm going to do."
Poe remembered what Leia had tried to tell him earlier, but they had been interrupted so he didn't get the whole briefing.
"There is a plan Dameron, we are heading somewhere, somewhere where we can lie low and regain supplies, but we can't safety arrive there under present circumstances."
"Leia had said there were transmissions?"
"Yes, since I first informed her of the situation there have been several rouge transmissions being sent off and to the ship. They were heavily encrypted, but we managed to translate one and it was sent to the flag ship giving them details on our conditions and status."
"Did you block there signal?"
"Yes, but there were so strong we had to block all signals, we can't call allies to our location for assistance."
"We're doomed than."
"No, that's where you come in, I kept you at your current rank so you would have less duties to distract you."
"Distract me from what?"
"A spy hunt."
"What?"
"The whole ship needs you to find the spy or spies, turn them in, and confirm that's all there is before we reach our destination."
"May I request anyone's help?"
"No, you can't trust anyone."
"What about Finn Shot?"
"The First Order Stormtrooper?"
"Former Stormtrooper, and he was in a coma for the past couple days, he couldn't have sent any transmissions."
"He might not be the one who sent those transmissions, but he is the most likely to be a spy out of anyone aboard."
Poe knew this was the exact opposite of the truth, but he could see were the Admiral got her ideas.
"You must investigate quietly, report back your findings, work alone, understand Captain?"
Under the shadow of the Millennium Falcon, Chewbacca sat in front of the fire he had struggled to build. The island had almost no trees, he now understand why the villager's huts were made from stone and the porg nests were made of tall grass. The little wood he found from weak saplings and some shrubs didn't even want to ignite because of all the rain. He had to eventually use some flammable liquids on the Falcon to get it started.
His struggles were about to be paid off however, because he had easily captured a pudgy porg. He cleaned it, put it on a spit over the fire, and it was almost ready to eat. The ships rations were very nutritious, but had no flavour, so Chewbacca welcomed the change.
He took the spit off the flame and gave it a sniff. It was finished, nicely crisped, and it appeared to be cooked all the way through.
He brought the roasted porg to him mouth when he saw something out of the corner of his eye. A small group of porgs had gathered by the fire and were staring up at Chewie with their huge eyes. These birds did not seem to have a fear of bipeds, but were quite sad looking at there roasted friend.
The groups stares were making him feel uneasy. There eyes were so round and wet, there mouths quivering as they stared up at Chewbacca.
He roared at them, striking enough fear into them that they all flew away, but the damage was done. He could not eat the perfectly roasted porg. Chewbacca set it aside and just started thinking. He had not had this amount of time to think since Han's death.
In his deep thought he barely noticed someone climbing the Falcon's ramp, he just assumed it was Rey. He was wrong.
Luke reminiscently walked through the round main hallway of the falcon. At some point some of the rooms used to be crew quarters, but Luke never knew those days, Han might not have even know those days. Now almost every room was filled with parts, junk and mementos, or were extensions of the hyperdrive. Only one quarter remained, the captains quarters, and it remained unused.
This ship had been Luke's ticket off his desert home world all those years ago. With nothing to lose he was flung into a galactic civil war that would lead him to his friends, sister, father, and destiny. Or so he had thought when he was still so young.
This had been where Luke took his first lightsaber training session with Ben Kenobi. Had his first force connection with his father Darth Vader. This was where he knew he was on the right path.
Now he was in the cockpit, the closest thing Han felt was a home. Luke remembered all the adventures they had together in this small space, they had averted death many times. Luke also remembered how a young Ben Solo used to play with Han all around the ship. Han, Leia, and Luke would playfully chase him until he hid in this very cockpit. Those were the good days however, and they were very far and in between.
Before the Academy-
Before Ben-
Before Han-
Luke noticed the old golden dice Han had used decades ago to win the Millennium Falcon from Lando Calrissian. They meant a lot to Han. Luke carefully took them off there hook and moved them around in his metal hand. The artificial flesh had been destroyed years ago so his sense of touch was minimal at best, but he could still feel the inscriptions on Han's only good luck charm.
Luke put the dice in his pocket, turned around, and started walking through the smugglers ship with all intentions of leaving. He stopped however by the holochess table when all the emotions flooded him and he was suddenly caught in them.
Luke thought he heard a familiar noise. It sounded like an R2 unit activating. He almost wondered if he had imagined it, so he looked up and walked towards the sound.
"Artoo?"
And there the droid was, starting to showing the age he was, but still the same droid he had last seen eleven years ago. Luke got up and nearly ran to his oldest companion, than knelt to his level.
"Artoo!"
The droid had his classic chirps and whistles that took Luke a few seconds to readjust to droid speak but even R2's incomprehensible laughs brought a smile to his face.
The droid than started bombarding him with questions and accusations that Luke tried to keep up with.
Luke because seriously again. The last time he had put his arm on this droid was when he used him to support himself after the hut collapsed on him. Now he was patting R2's dome.
"Old friend, I wish I could make you, Leia, and the others understand. I'm not coming back. Nothing can change my mind."
R2 than shifted positions and activated his projector along with a very old file.
A projection of his sister, Leia, appeared, she was only 19, so young. This hologram was the first he had seen of her. She was being held hostage and sent R2 to find Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, the droid by coincidence happened to end up on Luke and his Aunt and Uncles farm.
"Years ago you served my father in the clone wars. Now he begs you to help him in the struggle against the Empire. I regret that I am not able to deliver his message in person-"
The message continued but Luke was now focused on the droid itself.
"That's a cheap move."
The droid sarcastically rotated his head towards Luke and finished playing the message.
"Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi, you're my only hope."
Luke just stared at his beloved sister, it had been just over a decade since he had last seen her, and three decades since he had seen her that young. He missed her, but he could not look her in the eyes after what happened with Ben.
The recording finished so R2 turned off his hologram projector.
"You lead them here, didn't you?"
The droid remained silent.
"I told you too split it up, send it to droids around the galaxy to be destroyed than delete the master copy."
The old droid gave a low sad moan, Luke realize that the poor droid probably didn't want to lose the key to his beloved master.
"I'm sorry, but I can't come back. The girl however could be useful to your cause, if she could just learn how to safely control her raw powers. Maybe."
Luke patted his old droid on the head once more than got up and left the Falcon for the last time.
Rey woke with a start. A presence over her, familiar but dark. Green lightsaber light. She bolted up in a panic, ready to fight, but it was only Luke looking over her.
Slight fear passed over his face as if he were reliving something, but his face went back to stern.
"Tomorrow, at dawn. Three lessons. I will teach you how to access the force, and why the Jedi need to end."
With that Luke went of to his hut. Rey, with a smile on her face, left to go to her own hut, tomorrow would be a big day.
As Finn started to gain consciousness he could feel he was on some kind of trolley being pulled somewhere. He moaned as he tried to get his barring. The trolley thing shifted directions but did not stop.
Finn tried lifting his head, he than realized all his senses were numb and tingly. He could see Rose pulling the trolley with a little effort.
"My stunner must have been malfunctioning, you should have been out for over an hour so I could get you to the brig and have you processed, but it's been only 10 minutes."
Finn still confused tried talking, but quickly figured out his tongue and mouth were as numb as the rest of him.
"You've got to be kidding me. I can't move! What happened?"
Than he remembered everything.
"You stunned me! With a, um, stun thing! Oh my God, you're totally insane. Help."
"Yes, and I'll do it again if you keep talking or try to escape, I'm taking you to the brig and turning you in for desertion."
Maybe Finn's brain was also numb because he kept talking, stalling, and asking stupid questions.
"Why?"
"Because you were deserting."
"No, well I was, but it's not like that."
Rose stopped the trolley which was good, but she took out her stunner thing again which was bad. She waved it in Finn's face as she talked.
"My sister just died protecting this fleet. I heard what you did on Starkiller Base. Everyone was talking about you. You were a hero for both the Resistance and the whole galaxy, and now you are running away from it?!"
"Sorry, but what I did was to protect a friend, and that's what I'm trying to do now, not join another army."
Rose had activated her stunner. Finn had to think fast.
"Look, I've talked to people who work on the bridge, this ship is almost out of fuel, the fleet is doomed."
Finn, with great effort, managed to fling his arm into view of Rose showing her the beacon.
"If my friend comes back to this now, she's doomed too. I've got to get this beacon far away from here. Then she'll be safe."
"You're still a selfish traitor."
"Look, Poe Dameron, Leia, everyone in this Resistance, they've all been so nice to me and saved my life even. If I could save them and Rey I would, but I can't."
Rose deactivated her stunner, but went back to pulling the trolley.
"Yun-huh."
"We can't outrun the First Order."
"We'll just jump to lightspeed."
"No we can't, Poe told me after the bridge explosion, they're tracking us somehow, that's how the Supremacy found us."
Rose stopped.
"They can track through lightspeed."
"Yes, and if we jump 30 seconds later they'll show up and we'd be out of fuel."
"They shouldn't be able to track us, our transmissions and signatures are scrambled and our emissions are cloaked."
"Well they are-I can't feel my teeth. What did you shoot me with?"
"Active tracking."
"What now?"
"A new type of hyperspace tracking, but the principles must be the same. They're single-source to avoid interference. So-"
"-They're only tracking us from the lead ship. What did you say you're job was?"
"Mechanic, I read a lot of tech books."
"Cool."
"Hyperspace tracking takes a lot of computing power. The whole fleet would have to be computer banks, which is impossible. What if..."
"'What if' what?"
"A static hyperspace field generator! That's how they're doing it!"
"A what now?"
"Instead of adding lots of computers, you add lots of processing cycles. If you can safely use hyperspace tech with a computer you could speed it up a millionfold. That's all theoretical of course, crazy advanced tech, but H- the First Order must have gotten it to work."
"So how do we get it to not work? This sounds far to good to be true."
"Well, we could never get to the tracker to shut it down. It would be an A-class process, it would be guarded and protected by a force field, and they'd be controlling it from the bridge."
"Well no, not exactly. If it's that dangerous it would need another way to deactivate it if it's compromised. They'd probably need some kind of-"
"-dedicated power breaker. We still don't know where on the ship it is or how to find it."
"I cleaned every inch of that ship, I don't know exactly where it is, but there's only a very short list of places that I know of where it could be."
"I could easily shut there trackers down. We've got to take this to a bridge member."
Finn and an unfamiliar women had come to Poe who was in the comatose room Finn had been in just the day before, but now it occupied the leader of the Resistance. Leia.
They were explaining some crazy plan so fast Poe barely caught any of it. Something, something active tracking, something, something, A-class process, something, something power breaker.
"Slow down, one more time, simpler."
"We figured out how the First Order is tracking us, active tracking, and how to stop it, destroy the dedicated power breaker."
"That's not how they are tracking us. Finn, a word."
"Um, ok."
Finn was confused, but Poe took him through a door that lead into an empty, tiny closet. After squeezing in, Poe quietly filled Finn in.
"They tracked us because there's at least one spy on board."
"Oh-wait, what."
"Many transmissions, oral, holographic, and text, have been sent from this ship to the First Order. We finally managed to block them but if we run out of fuel than we can't block them, and if the spy is still among us when we reach our destination than we're done for."
"Why are you telling me this?"
Poe looked Finn in the eyes. Finn realized how tired and stressed Poe looked, there was also a new level of seriousness.
"It was Leia's last wish for me to find the spy or spies, to save the Resistance. I wish I could say that I could do it alone, but I can't, and I trust you."
This was high praise, Finn now felt horribly guilty for trying to abandon ship to save Rey. Rey. The beacon.
"Poe, what about Rey's beacon?"
"No signals are getting through. I'm sorry Finn, but as soon as we secure the ship, signals won't be blocked and we can arrive at our secret and safe base."
"Ok, let's do this, I'll tell Rose."
"Rose who? We can't trust anyone."
"The lady out there with Leia and Threepio, Rose Tico. She just lost her sister, and trust me, she is loyal to this army, I have the stun marks to prove it."
"Why did she stun you- wait. Did you say Tico, that's Paige's little sister?"
Finn was glad Poe changed the subject himself, he couldn't look his first friend in the eyes knowing he almost abandoned him.
"I don't know, I know she will personally deal with anyone who betrays the Resistance."
Poe thought long and hard. He knew Paige was honourable and trustworthy, but he did not know anything about Rose. From the small window however, that separated the supply closet from the comatose ward, Poe could see how shaken Rose was from her sisters death. Finn seemed to trust her, Poe trusted Finn, and he had heard Paige talk about a younger sister a couple times. Besides, what was that saying, keep your friends close but your enemies closer.
"Ok, she can come along, but she's not allowed to know about the spies."
"What is she supposed to think we're doing, going all over this ship?"
"Give you a tour? I don't know, but I'm a captain with almost no pilots to captain, so walking around with my friend checking in with people shouldn't sound like a stretch, right?"
"Yes, it does a little."
"Fine, well tell her were patrolling to keep those who are panicking under the stress of this situation under control."
Finn and Poe jumped as a loud knocking came from there door. Rose was the knocker, she had a confused look on. The door deeply scrambled her voice but through lip reading and what little sound they could make out, Finn and Poe could comprehend what she was saying.
"What are you two doing in there, are you ever going to come out of that supply closet?"
Finn realized how odd this must look from Rose's point of view. He opened the door. Rose had a hand to her hip in a questioning stance.
"So what are we going to do about the active tracking?"
Finn stuttered as he started to talk, but Poe, having been taught how to lie like its the truth for several occasions, cut him off and took over.
"The bridge originally came to the same conclusion as you about active tracking, but they discovered that it was a red herring of the First Order. I've since lost my rank so the bridge will not inform me off how they are tracking us, but have assured me that they are working on it."
"Well what is everyone supposed to do until they succeed or fail?"
"There normal functions aboard this ship."
"Many of us did not have any real roles on this ship, it's only made for 250 but there's 400 of us. Some jobs are also to over crowded, there are over 25 mechanics on board, they didn't need me so they placed me as a guard, but now someone has replaced me and I just don't have a job to do. What would you have me do?"
Poe sighed and rubbed his messy dark brown hair.
"Ok, well, here is the thing. I'm a captain of a squad with only a small amount of pilots left in it, I don't serve much of a purpose. So what I'm going to do is patrol the ship and get Finn familiar with his surroundings."
"Patrolling for what exactly?"
"As you well know, many crewmen just lost family, and loved ones, as well as not knowing if they are going to survive. It's cause lots of unrest, I need to help keep the peace, would you like to join us?"
"You, Poe Dameron, best pilot in the Resistance, would like to work with me?"
"Well, yah."
"I'm in."
Ackbar sat on a med-bed as a medical droid examined and treated his leg. As the droid worked, it informed Ackbar of his diagnosis.
"You should have stayed for full treatment, I can not properly heal your leg from your lack of treatment. You will have to remain on the cane until you heal."
"I'm not going to heal, I'm dying."
"I am connected to this ships medical files, I am aware. I also know that you have estimately two months too live, where only the last two weeks will truly be painful, but I also know there are treatments on Mon Cala that could prolong your life by a year or more yet you refuse to leave the Resistance."
"I guess I've come to except that I would die amongst those that I've been fighting with for the majority of my life that I don't wish to leave them. I can't leave now however anyway."
"Well, my professional opinion would be to enjoy the time you have remaining the best way you can. I've done all that I can for your leg, I must tend to other patients."
"Thank you."
With some effort Ackbar got to his feet and made his way out. The med-bay was so over crowded from the last two attacks and all the patients from the evacuated medical cruiser. He passed crewmen with different levels of injury, some waiting for treatment, others receiving treatment, some waiting to know the fate of a loved one, and others recovering from a more serious injuries.
As he walked towards the door he passes a familiar Mandalorian having a protective bandage being placed over the stitches on his head. Ackbar was pleased to see that the lad was conscious and alright, but did not want a confrontation.
None the less the light brunette lad spotted him and rose after receiving the doctors ok sign. Ackbar tried to reach the doorway faster but his leg would not allow it, so the young man caught up.
"Admiral, it's an honour to see that you are-"
"I am no longer Admiral, you don't have to refer to me as such."
"I'm sorry?"
"I resigned my position in the Resistance, and if I survive this journey I might even retire completely."
"I see, well, what I meant to say was that I'm very grateful to you for saving my life. My name is Lieutenant Junior Grade Davu Gev, and meeting you in person, even under these grave circumstance is an honour. You are a hero to so many."
"I am a hero yet so many young heroes are already dead and are going to die on this journey, there is very little joy on board."
"If everyone's morale stays low then we'll never make it, you would be right, someth-"
Another young crewmen, a Lethan Twi'lek, came rushing towards them. She grabbed Gev by the shoulder.
"They found Cuarya."
Before another word could be spoken the two youths ran off, leaving Ackbar alone.
Finally Ackbar managed to reach the door without another incident. It was when the door slid open that he came face to face with C-3P0.
"Oh my, Admiral Ackbar, I bare a message for the medical personal."
"Weren't you and another droid looking over Leia?"
Rey awoke to a painful tugging sensation on her right cheek. She lifted her head and felt her face with her hand. Nothing.
She then opened her eyes. Sitting on a chair that had not been in her hut before was the monstrous Kylo Ren. The last of some high tech stitches were being removed from his face by a droid, revealing a cavernous scar.
Rey just stares for a few seconds, trying to figure out if what she was seeing was true. Then he looked at her dead in the eyes and stood.
"You?!"
Anger now taking over, Rey snapped to her satchel that lay nearby. In a second she had drawn her blaster that Han Solo had given her in her hand, turned the safety off, and fired at the murderous snake.
This seemed to actually hurt Kylo, but he quickly realized it was psychosomatic, and Rey realized it went right through him.
"I knew I had seen you yesterday, how are you doing this?"
Rey's anger temporarily turned to confusion, but only briefly.
"What, I hadn't, I'm not- you will pay for what you did."
Kylo's expression went from shock and curiosity to remorse. He stepped closer, she stepped back.
"I know, but what has been done is now done and can't be undone."
'Even if I wanted it to be.' Thought Kylo. To Rey's surprise she could hear such thoughts. Kylo continued.
"How could are minds be linked over such a distance? Can you see my surroundings, because I can't see yours, only you."
The slightest amount of heat rose in Rey, must be anger at such a comment she thought, than why than did he seem different, almost fragile in a obviously sinister way.
"I'm not doing this, you're doing this to torture me further."
She knew this couldn't be true however because he looked just as surprised and confused as she felt.
"Believe what you want, I'm not the one to change your mind."
"You are the vile Kylo Ren, that is proof enough."
At the statement of his own name, Rey could see him wince.
"If it's not either of us, than maybe, well what if this has to do with the state of the balan-"
Kylo just vanished, and seconds later Luke comes bursting in.
"What is all of this about."
For a second she feared he was referring to Kylo, but she realized his hand gesturing was towards the semi-destroyed wall behind her. She knew she should state the truth, but something, almost like the remainders of a forgotten dream, told her to wait.
"I was cleaning my blaster, I'm not used to it, it went off."
Rey could tell that he didn't quite believe her but that he also didn't care, and more was annoyed at her for it happening no matter the reason.
He steps outside and she followed. Outside the small alien creatures she had seen earlier were out and about, a good portion of them were working now on her hut, many giving her an angry stare once they saw her.
One came up to Luke and frantically asked something, in a language Rey could not understand, and pointing at her. Luke responded, in a rustier version of said language, which seemed to satisfy the aliens.
Luke than walked away, heading for the stairs that were the only safe way up and down the island. Rey realized she was supposed to follow and sprinted after him.
When she got to his side she decided to ask about what had just happened.
"Who are those villagers?"
"They're Caretakers of the island and the temple, there species are native to this planet. They've been maintaining the Jedi temple and its relics since it was first built."
"What did you tell them that made them less mad at me?"
"That your a Jedi in training."
"I don't think they like me very much."
Luke, clearly thinking about the big hole she blasted into the wall.
"Can't imagine why you'd think that."
Luke gestured that he wanted to walk the rest of the way in silence. It was a long walk though and Rey's mind kept wondering to what had happened when she woke up.
Kylo seemed to genuinely not know how there minds had bridged, hadn't she seen him in a dream she had, was she doing this. She had seen his masked face a couple times in nightmares on Jakku and in her vision on Takodana.
He also seemed like he was in great emotional pain, did he actually regret his actions towards his father? That wouldn't excuse him of course. He also seemed conflicted between his own name, Kylo Ren or Ben Solo. When she had first looked into his mind on Starkiller Base the good in him was suppressed to such small part in his mind. This was a mystery however that would have to wait.
On the Supremacy Kylo's mind was on a similar topic, how was there minds connected. He had seen her a couple times when he meditated, wearing a mask that protected her from her dessert work. He had taken these visions as a warning, and told Snoke about them, but now even awake and systems apart he sees her.
It could be a combination of two things, he thought. She is so strong and untrained in the force that when he entered her head and she entered his that she didn't fully disconnect, leaving a residual bound. Although this bound could possibly be being strengthened by the force itself. There had been some type of connection before this, and now the force of the universe just happened to be at risk.
'There's more going on than at first glance, I wonder if one of us could purposely awaken the bound?'
Leia lay on her bed in her personal quarters. The medical team had moved her here so that more patients could be added to the comatose room. She was tired and weak, but awake.
Poe sat by her side, while Ackbar sat in a chair close to her bed. Rose, Threepio, and Finn waited outside her quarters.
"General, I've started what you have asked of me, but I do not know where to start, I-"
"You will do fine, just sweep the entire ship and make notes on everything. Did you enlist the young Stormtrooper?"
Poe looked to the door, where he knew Finn stood behind. The thought of getting to work with Finn made him happy, but after what Admiral Holdo said about what she thought of Finn, Poe wasn't sure on what Leia would say to them working on such a secretive matter.
"Well-"
"That's good, I have a really good feeling about him, I'm not sure why, but I know he's important to our survival, as are you. Now go, time isn't on our side Poe."
Leia reached out and squeezed Poe's hand.
"Thank you General."
With that Poe left her quarters to start his search with Finn and Rose, leaving Leia alone with Ackbar.
"I have been informed of the decision you made on the bridge, I'm honestly a little disappointed in your choice, but not exactly surprised."
"Princess, I wasn't even young when you first joined the Rebellion, I am to sick to lead and to tired to make the right choices this Resistance needs to make to survive. It only made sense to me to pass the torch down to your second choice."
"I can understand not wanting to be in charge of the Resistance in your current state, I'm not taking the mantle back until I'm better, but there are so many crew members aboard right now, and I can feel there pain and hopelessness. They need someone like you to bring there morale up. If we don't have our will to fight than there's nothing worth fighting for."
Ackbar sighed than nodded.
"I'll do what I can, however the bridge crew, the people I worked the closest with, they're all dead."
"Than you will have to work with new people."
Ackbar hesitantly nodded his old head, the thought of having to interact with several of the ships tadpoles was not a comfortable one.
"I see...Princess Organa-?"
However Leia had already fallen asleep.
"Then I really am doing this on my own."
When Poe exited Leia's room, he was greeted by a curious Finn, and a worried looking Rose. Finn approached him first.
"How is the General?"
"She is tired, but with rest I think she'll be just fine, now, if you don't mind, I want to check on my pilots before we start doing our rounds."
"That's fine, but why the rush Captain Dameron?"
Rose had asked.
"The fuel supply is low- Poe's fine by the way- I want to make sure this gets done, because if we can't get where we're going before we run out of fuel it'll never get done."
"Than let's go."
They started heading for the pilots shared quarters. The hallways were quite over crowded with crewmen. Some were half running towards there different assignments, some were talking to each other, but a lot of them were just sitting or standing against the walls, looking completely miserable.
'Rose is right,' Poe thought, 'So many crewmen have nothing progressive to do, nothing to distract them from thinking about the bleakness of there situation, the friends they've lost.'
Poe stopped, his thoughts stuck on his lost pilots, and Tallie. Where Rose kept walking, Finn stopped, concerned about his friend. Finn put his hand on Poe's shoulder which seemed to break Poe's spell, Poe looked at Finn.
"You ok Poe?"
When she heard Finn speak Rose looked back, than stopped to wait for them.
"Yah, I guess I got lost in thought. Don't worry, I'm f-"
Poe was interrupted by the projected voices of two crewmen.
"Crewmen without anything to do, go to your quarters and make sure the lights are off, are set to dim when you enter, and that there's nothing draining power."
They seemed to be Raddus ship electricians, both in standard uniform. The one that just spoke was a caucasian human male, shaggy super blonde hair that cover his ears and almost cover his blue eyes. The other was a Lethan Twi'lek, with a calmer red skin than most Lethans, her brown eyes looked around the hallway for more possible ways to save power.
She speaks next, her Rylothian accent was almost non-existent.
"Drain any unnecessary handhelds, also drain your droids, anything that isn't necessary for our survival of our situation should be drained, any alternative power sources should be turned in to be transferred into energy, every gigawatt will help keep us out of the clutches of the First Order longer."
Poe wasn't one for eavesdropping but he did heard what they were saying to each other as his group walked by.
"Suu, I really think we should go to another deck, this sections lights have already been dimmed."
"We have orders Belac, and of course if we finish everything quickly, we might even get a break, some time alone."
"What about Cuarya?"
"She was friends with Gev, I want to leave him and her friends to grieve for her in peace."
Poe wasn't interested in these two crewmen's relationships, but something Belac said seemed off. He couldn't think of what seemed particularly off so he was just going to take note of him and keep walking, however Rose seemed to have other plans. She walked right up to Suu.
"I really hope this doesn't sound rude, but are those ears?"
Finn was shocked that Rose would ask such a personal question, however when he looked closer at the female Twi'lek he realized her question at least had basis. Suu indeed had ears that seemed to be a mix between human and Twi'lek males instead of the pointed cone horns Twi'lek females have. Finn simply thought this meant that she was transgender, so he put his hand on Rose's shoulder to gently pull her away, Suu made a hand gesture though to suggest that everything was ok. Poe approached.
"Don't worry, I get that all the time. Lethan Twi'leks having slightly mutated genes, and my father was not fully Twi'lek so the weird genetic combination resulted with me having ears. I can also grow real eyebrows but I shave them off and had these tattooed on like most Twi'leks. I'm Suu Leh-Lawquane, this is Belac Cham."
She turns to Poe and puts out her hand to shake his hand, he takes it.
"Commander Dameron, I believe we've met once before, I was a technician on D'Qar."
Poe didn't feel like correcting her, so he just politely responded.
"I think I remember, however I do not recall having the pleasure making your offical acquaintance Lieutenant Commander Cham?"
Hearing his name caught his attention, before that he seemed to be staring nervously at Finn, who didn't look the most comfortable either.
"I throw myself in my work a great deal of the time, but I've attended some of the strategical meeting."
He noticed Rose and his eyes widen for a second than return to normal, she does seem to notice this reaction because she turns from Suu to him.
"Who are you?"
"Rose Tico Sir."
"Never heard of you, oh, aren't you a guarding class of soldier."
"No sir, mechanic, I was also stationed to D'Qar."
"Huh, funny that I've never seen you before, but it makes sense that you are out here with Commander Dameron, the head mechanic is probably a thorn in your side. Anyway, Suu, we really should get going if we want to finish early."
With that Belac rushed off, Suu than followed. Poe started back on the course he was walking before that little interruption. Rose was the first to speak.
"He was weird."
"I agree."
Finn said with a shiver.
"Yes, he must not have been feeling to well, his cheeks and ear tips seemed a little green, and speaking of green his hair roots were green, I've never seen someone dye there roots like that."
"No Poe, I'm talking about this feeling I got off of him, like a shadow, I've felt it before, I just can't remember when."
Before Finn could explain any further, they turned a corner and Connix literally ran him over, her light blue PZ protocol droid turned the corner soon after.
"Sorry, um, Finn right, I didn't see you there."
She helped Finn up. Poe spoke next.
"Shouldn't you be on the bridge Connix, is something wrong?"
"Oh, no Captain, I just heard that the General was awake. I wanted to check in with her."
"When I left she was talking to Ackbar, so I'm sure that it's ok to go in."
"Alright, I will see you on the bridge later than maybe, I'm sorry to hear about Tallie by the way."
"Thanks Connix."
"Come on Peazy."
And with that Connix continued on her way, passing through the crowd of crew members with nothing to do but get consumed in there own grief. She wondered for a second if anyone on board would be praying to the Ulizra, but she knew that there wasn't any Nazzars on the ship and doubted any other humans on board worshiped them.
A few paces away from the generals door hobbled Ackbar. Connix approached the old Admiral.
"How is she Admiral?"
"It is just Ackbar now lieutenant, and she is sleeping, gaining her strength."
"I see, well than I should probably return to the ship."
"Actually lieutenant, er, Connix, Leia has asked me to find a way to interact with crew members like you to bring up there morale."
"Crew members like me?"
"Young, mostly low ranked."
"Ah, I understand. Sadly I'm due back on the bridge in a few minutes, with you and the General down here, I am one of the few fully trained bridge crewmen left."
"Well than I won't take anymore of your-"
Connix interrupted him.
"But, I may be able to introduce you to someone who can help you."
Hux still had not heard from his spy, and for the very first time in his hunt of the Resistance, he had doubts. He knew that his bluff was working, that even through hyper space the First Order could track them through a mysterious means. But he now knew that they were expertly blocking all signals and that if the Raddus were to jump into hyper space now, and still managed to block there signals long enough for there minor reinforcements to arrive, the First Order would lose the stand still and the Resistance would live on for the foreseeable future. A bead of sweat trickled down his neck.
'Thorn is far more than capable of handling herself,' Hux thought,' but I do fear they are looking for her, and it's taking all of my persuasive skills to stop the Supremacy from light-speeding in front of the Raddus and blowing it up, with her still inside of it.'
They will succeed no matter what because of there sheer numbers and resources, but if Hux isn't the one to deal the final blow, and quickly, his promotion could be at stake.
He excused himself from the bridge. He decided more planning was to be done to secure all that he worked for. If he worked hard now he might even surpass the dreaded Kylo Ren as the Supreme Leader's most favoured servant.
Kylo Ren was meditating in his quarters, something he often didn't do. Everyone in the First Order was working towards insuring the Resistance's defeat, and yet that did not seem important to him. Instead he was spending his energy on finding Luke Skywalker.
Finding Luke Skywalker was the utmost priority of the entire First Order only days ago, and in Kylo's mind the best way to his former master was through the scavenger girl, Rey.
His mind was always open to the force, but he had never seen the use of projecting his mind, not until now. His force abilities were one of the highest in the galaxy, but it had been over a decade since he'd practised this technique and he seemed to be encountering difficulties. After an hour he could only seem to manage to read the thoughts and emotions of the people on the same deck as him.
It finally dawned on him that it wasn't solely his fault. Realizing what might be going on he took a deep breath and stopped channelling the darkside.
He braced himself for what he was about to do. Deep down he knew that there would be no going back from this. He restarted his projected search, but this time through the light side of the force.
He thought it would be difficult to reconnect, he had suppressed that part of himself so deep into his soul for so long now. But instead it flowed through him as easily as it had when he was a boy. It made him feel warm and at ease, almost like it was welcoming him back with open arms.
Then the visions started.
He saw his uncle, decades ago, screaming in pain on a platform floor as he was being electrocuted by the Sith Emperor. This was the moment he was taught to hate with all his soul. He watched as his grandfather, the intrepid Darth Vader, picked up his master and threw him into Death Star's reactor.
However the vision continued, he witnessed how an injured Luke lifted and dragged Kylo's dying grandfather from the throne room to the closest hanger. Just as they reached an abandoned ship was when the last of Vader's strength and energy ran out, and Vader fell, forcing Luke to drag him to the base of the ship. That was when Darth Vader died. Except to Ren's surprise it wasn't.
Vader reaches out to his son.
"Luke, help me take this mask off."
"But you'll die."
"Nothing can stop that now. Just for once, let me look on you with my own eyes."
Luke slowly disassembles the different parts of the mask until he could see Vader's pale, scared up face. A happy smile came over the Sith Lord.
"Now go, my son. Leave me."
"No. You're coming with me. I can't leave you here. I've got to save you."
"You already have, Luke. You were right about me. Tell your sister...you were right."
Kylo watched as it was only than that Vader died, died in Luke's arms.
"Father...I won't leave you."
And true to his word Luke lifted up Vader's body and drags him into the imperial shuttle and took off.
"Do you finally see, Ben?"
"Who?"
"You were one of few who knew the truth."
His surroundings began to change. He was eleven years old, and was lying in his bed in his small quarters on Elphrona, inside the Jedi temple Luke was using to train the next generation.
He had just woken up from a nightmare and was trying to process it. He had dreamt that his lightsaber had turned red and his eyes a sickly yellow, Sith lightning had crackled from his fingertips. This had not been the first time he had had that type of dream and was starting to think he should tell his uncle.
He took a deep breath and calmed himself down. 'I can not turn to the darkside, my lineage is strong in the light side, I can control this.'
Ren know that this memory was his own, but it must have been suppressed because until now he did not remember this particular event.
His younger self turned towards the window, something had caught his attention. He watched as his mother's Republican cruiser landed. She wasn't supposed to arrive to visit him and his uncle until morning, and yet that was unmistakably her cruiser.
'Something must have occurred.'
Young Ben quickly got dressed and ran to the landing pad. By the time he got there she had already departed so he started searching for her.
When he approached his uncle's quarters he heard both Leia and Luke's voices. He continued towards the open door than stopped, a mischievous smile crossed his face as he decided to jump scare them. He quietly came to the door and prepared to jump, he listened for the right moment.
"We've waited too long Luke; we should have told him by now."
Ben froze.
"I know, every day I tell myself that I will do it, but he then looks up at me with innocent eyes and I cannot bring myself to shatter his reality like mine had been."
"Our father's story might have had an extremely dark part of it, the people he's killed will never live again, but its ending is one of honour, without his sacrifice the galaxy would still be under the Empire's rule and you would certainly be dead."
"I am aware of this, his life's story would also serve as a cautionary tale for all my students. As well as make sure that they know that you can always change for the better no matter how far you've gone. But how would we tell him, 'hey kid, your grandfather, Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker, was also the Sith Lord Darth Vader.'"
Kylo Ren could visibly see his past self's soul shatter. He could remember this event now. After this he had gone back to bed, and suppressed that memory deep with in himself. The consequences of that moment still greatly effected him. When the darkness started to seep into him he barely fought; he was under the mindset that there was no use in fighting it. And when his mother told him the truth about his grandfather over half a decade later, despite being enraged, it did not feel like a surprise.
"Do you finally see, Ben?"
Kylo, oh who was he kidding, Ben turned around and saw his grandfather. Still in his suit, but the helmet removed as it had been when he died. They were both on his private shuttle, the one he had used in the Tehar and Jakku raids. His grandfather's ghost was completely corporeal, with only the slight blue tinted aura surrounding him.
"The destiny of Skywalker's isn't eternal darkness, it's redemption and restoring the balance."
"The darkness has already won; I can't do this alone."
"You won't have to; no one achieves victory alone."
"I will recall the knights, they will follow me."
"Who you need is in the compartment behind you."
And with that Anakin Skywalker faded away, the whole vision was fading as well. Ben whipped around, opening all the compartments with Jedi and Sith relics he and the knights had collected, and just as the vision faded into blinding light he opened the compartment that contained the sole relic of the Tehar raid, the weapon that had given him his first vision of Rey. His namesake's lightsaber.
"Kenobi."
Sharp images flash through his head, the images distorted and cracked; Ben knew the force was tearing apart.
He saw Rey, she was wielding a long double-bladed lightsaber, it's blades a light vilot. But with another crack of the force he saw her falling into a well of darkness.
His mother's voice.
"Ben?"
And than something more sinister.
"Ren!"
Ben Solo's eyes snapped open. A hologram of Supreme Leader Snoke's head was projected just feet from his face.
He fell to the floor as it turned out he had been levitating, than went to his knees.
"Apologies Supreme Leader, I had fallen into a trance."
Ben now realized what his main obstacle was. If Snoke remained in power, all that is good will be destroyed. The balance will shatter, reality will break, and its pieces will fall into darkness. He needed a plan.
Ben stopped channelling the light and let a small amount of darkness to return, because if his master found out what he had done than he would surely die.
"General Hux has made a proposition and I want you in my throne room."
"Yes, Master."
Ben than left his quarters and reluctantly made his way towards his master's throne room.
After almost two hour of walking and climbing up the islands path, Luke and Rey came to the base of the islands peak, which revealed its self to be the dug out Jedi temple. As they walked through, Rey could see a simple but beautiful mosaic in the middle of the floor made entirely from small black, and white stones.
Luke led her outside to a stone ledge. It clearly was the highest reachable part of the island. Rey never had a fear of heights, if she did she would have died years ago on Jakku, but looking over the edge gave her a small amount of anxiety.
She looked at the Jedi Master, and he simply looked back at her. This staring contest went on for almost a minute until Rey broke the silence.
"So?"
"So."
Rey now could feel her frustration boiling, she tried to remain calm however.
"Master Skywalker, I feel like you are still being difficult with me. Last night you said that you would show me the ways of the force, so are you going to keep your word?"
"What do you know about the force, Rey from nowhere?"
"It's just Rey, and not much, only the little Han, Maz, and Leia told me, and the stuff I've experienced myself."
"And that is?"
"A magical power that moves through and surrounds everybody, good and evil. It lets Jedi move things with there mind and will, and can let them enter someone else's mind."
"A lot of what you said is somewhat accurate. The rest...WRONG!"
Rey could see that he actually was impressed, but she was still taken aback by his words.
"Lesson one. Sit here."
Rey sat down on the larger rock Luke had pointed to. She arranged her legs in an awkward crisscross position.
"One, the force isn't magic, there is a science behind it, it just happens to be a stupid science and I'm glad the records of it were destroyed with the Empire. Second, the force doesn't just exist in people and living things, it flows through every planet, solar system, and galaxy. The balance is far more than lifting rocks or reading thoughts."
"Okay. But what is the balance?"
"Close your eyes."Luke instructed.
"Breath, now reach out."
"Reach out, I don't-"
Luke interrupted her.
"If you are going to question every word I say than I won't be able to teach you a thing. Now breathe, just breathe. Reach out with you mind, reach out with your feeling and emotions."
With Luke's instructions Rey quickly found that she could see the whole island, from every pebble to the clouds above. she could see all the life, the life in herself, the Caretakers of the island, the sea beasts lying on the beach, and the little odd birds that covered every inch of the island. That was only the beginning though, she could see so much more.
"What do you see?"
"The island. Life, death and decay, that feeds new life. Warm, cold, peace, violence."
"And between it all?"
"Balance, an energy. A force."
"And inside you?"
"Inside me is the same force."
For a second Rey realized she could not see Luke, even though he stood right next to her. Before she could say anything he spoke.
"This is the lesson. The force does not belong to the Jedi. It's all so much bigger. To say that if the Jedi all die, the force dies, it's a lie. The light and darkness of the force is in everything and every heart. Can you understand that?"
She understood, and she was about to say just that to Skywalker when she sensed a new presence, calling to her, almost like a soft pleading whisper.
"There's something else. There is a powerful light right here-"
"That would be the Jedi temple, A construction, and embodiment of light-"
"And a darkness, beneath the island. A place, a very dark place."
She could see it, wet rocky flats by the sea. A dark hole in the rock, emitting frigid cold.
"Again, all things need balance, powerful light, powerful dark."
Rey could see a mirror like wall inside, the whispers seemed to emanate from it. They spoke to her.
'Come.'
"It's calling me."
The ledge they both stood on shook, and than cracked. Rocks from above fell while the pebbles by her hands rose. Luke began to panic, he saw now not the young women, but his dark nephew.
"Resist it. Rey, fight it!"
But the whispers had grown to a roar, just like the water rushing in the dark cavern.
'The answers you seek are inside, come, and learn your truth.'
Than suddenly she was on the floor of the ledge. Her face stinging, she realized Luke had slapped her. Rey also realized that her hair was soaked, despite the mounting top being the only dry part of the island, as if the water in the darkness had come to her.
"You went straight to the dark."
"That place, it wanted to show me something."
"No, it wanted your soul, it just offered you something you needed, and you didn't even fight it."
He turned and started walking away. Rey decided it was now or never to confront Luke about what she hadn't seen.
"I saw everything on this island, but I didn't see you, nothing from you."
Rey didn't mean to pry, but she found herself trying to read Luke's base emotions and thoughts, only to discover nothing to read. It dawned on her what was going on.
"You've closed yourself off from the force."
Luke turned around, and Rey could finally see his true emotions to this situation he had found himself in, absolutely terrified.
"I've seen this raw strength only once before, in Ben Solo. It didn't scare me enough then, but it does now."
Luke than left with no further statement. Rey did not move from where she lay for a couple minutes, until she regained her thoughts and strength, than she too got up to leave. As she past the mosaic, she finally understood the ancient piece of art, it was equally black and white, completely balanced. This only left a question in her mind.
'If there's both black and white, why is there no grey.'
Lieutenant Connix was leading Ackbar towards the ships mess hall, located in the very centre of the Raddus. When they entered Ackbar was overwhelmed by the sheer number of crew members in there, not a square inch was available at the tables, and even more people were gathered in large and small groups along the walls.
"Do none of these crewmen have a job to do? Or at least been assigned quarters?"
"Most of these crewmen were ground soldiers, the rest were kicked out of there assignments because its to over crowded. They have quarters, but half these people have never stepped foot on the Raddus, let alone know there way around, so sticking with friends is only logical."
"Which tadpoles do you want me to interact with?"
"Do you mean, never mind, my old cadet pod is right over here."
Connix took him to one of the smaller groups huddled against the right wall. There were two Keshiri women, a Yinchorri, and humanoid male. As Ackbar got closer he was shocked to realize that the human was the same Mandalorian he had rescued.
As he approached he could make out more details about the different group members. The Yinchorri was quite tall, one of the Keshiri had white hair and a pure black pupils, the other Keshiri had the same eyes but a more silvery hair colour.
A second later the grieving group noticed Connix and all but the Yinchorri's faces lit up. The Yinchorri might have lit up as well, but Ackbar had trouble distinguishing the reptilian specie's emotions.
They all came to greet her, by this point the young Mandalorian, Davu Gev, had noticed Ackbar as well as his friend. They all greeted Connix first though.
"Kaydel, you are here!"
"What is the news from the bridge?"
"Is there a plan to save us Kadi?"
Connix looked a little panicked, Ackbar knew that even if she had the answers, she could not tell her friends.
"I can say that there's a plan."
She looked nervously at Ackbar, possibly worried that he'd get her in trouble if she spilled information.
"But the details of where we're going, and how long until we get there is strictly confidential."
Everyone's hopes seemed to plummet.
"Thanks Kadi, you now sound exactly like every other officer, completely useless."
Connix clearly felt hurt by this comment. The other Keshiri came to her defence.
"Sasharsi, this is not her fault, she has her orders. You can't take our losses out on her."
Gev turned towards the old Mon Calamari.
"Adm- er, um, Mr. Ackbar, why are you here with Lieutenant Connix?"
The former Admiral actually stopped to think on how he would reply, for the first time in about 40 years he felt awkward.
"I have no where else to go, Lieutenant Connix offered me your companionship, I was not aware that you were a friend of her's Lieutenant Junior Grade Gev."
Although Gev continued to face Ackbar, the others all turned to look at Connix, with negative expressions on there faces, who's own face was now going bright red with embarrassment than anger as she glared at Ackbar.
"Yes, 'I' offered the former Admiral your companionship, that's exactly what I did."
Ackbar was oblivious to the emotion, sarcasm, and slight begging in her voice.
"Kadi, why, just why."
Connix looked like she was about to speak, but she than pulled the Yinchorri close to her and whispered in his species hearing vessel. When she backed up he nodded.
"I'm sorry everyone, I can't stay any longer to talk, I'm already really late to my job on the bridge. Just allow the former Admiral to converse with you. I'll meet up with you all again when my shift is over."
With one more look at both Ackbar and the Yinchorri, hastily she walked away.
Gev decided to initiate the conversation.
"Well, Mr. Ackbar-"
"Ackbar is sufficient, thank you, continue."
"I am Davu Gev, as you already know. This is Lieutenant Junior Grade Sasharsi Talion, and her sister Tasharsi. Tash was the Head Mechanic of the Ninka, of course with all crewmen now on the Raddus her job is, um, well-"
"Being hogged by that greedy nerf-herding plezint."
"Tash! Sorry Sir, she's still upset. The Head Mechanic of the Raddus didn't feel like sharing and there was no where else for her to be stationed."
The Yinchorri stepped forward.
"And I'm Privet Soldier Class Qrayluk. I fight ground battles, but there are no battles to fight."
Gev continued to speak.
"Most people in this room have no job to do because of the over crowding. I'm the only one in my circle with a station, but my next shift isn't for hours."
"Everyone is just grieving in silence, everyone trying to keep themselves together for the sake of everyone else."
Qrayluk nodded to Ackbar's summary, than added on to it.
"It is exhausting."
Tasharsi spoke next.
"What is honestly worse is not being able to do the proper send offs. Every room being as crowded as they are, there is no privacy for prayers."
Ackbar thought about the young Keshiri's words. Mon Calamari didn't have any religion to pray too, so the religious practices, and needs of those around him often slipped his mind. The Calamari, being such logical beings, one aspect of what Tasharsi said didn't make sense to him.
"Why can't they all pray together?"
Poe was surprised to see the pilot barracks full of crewmen, but he quickly realized that they were all crewmen refugees and not his pilots. The four pilots that remained were huddled together in the left corner on there cots. Finn and Rose followed.
Sargent Nodin Chavdri spotted Dameron and stood.
"No."
Chavdri stated firmly.
They all stopped, the other crewmen in the immediate area quieted down. Poe became quite confused.
"No?"
Ensign Pammich Nerro Goode got to her feet and stood by Chavdri. Lieutenant Commander Nien Nunb also stood, but stayed in place, and Poe's old friend Captain C'ai Threnalli stayed on his cot, and would not even look in Poe's direction.
Goode spoke next.
"You heard Nodin. No, don't come here asking for something, or to help you with some crazy idea, we're sick of your ego centric notions."
"I came hear to check up on all of you, too see if you were all alright. You all are my friends."
"Once again, no, we are not all your friends. Threnalli is your friend, but you left him to go argue with the Admiral about your rank. Snap and Vi are your friends, but they are still MIA and you haven't shown to care at all about there fate. Tallie and L'ulo were the closest thing you've had to family but they're both gone now, and you expect us to pick up there slack."
Poe was completely shocked by Chavdri's comments, those weren't his intentions and yet elements of what he said rang true.
"I did not mean for this to happen to us, the entirety of our people were wiped out in a matter of days, but I promise you that I only came here to see how you all were faring."
"But you're still wrong, not the entirety of us were killed, we're still here, and it took you over a day to 'see how we all were faring,' I think it's best if you continue to leave us alone."
"Yes, go."
"But-but, C'ai-?"
The old Abednedo still did not face him, but spoke to him in his native tongue.
"Just leave us alone for now Poe. Tallissan's things are on her cot, take what you want, the rest will be given away."
Despite the shock he was in, Poe nearly tripped over himself as he turned to lean over her cot. It was a mess since she had been in a rush to get dressed, stuff was everywhere. Finn came to Poe's side as he frantically looked through everything.
"What is it you are looking for?"
"Anything I can take that was important to her, one thing in particular is a necklace, but I bet she was wearing it when she-"
Rose was now helping him search, she noticed his stop.
"What is it Poe?"
Poe lifted up a pair of black formal gloves. He stared at them then closed his eyes and held them to his chest. Finn noticed that they were made from synthsilk like the uneti branch in Poe's quarters were rapped in. To Finn's surprise, Poe than flung them back onto the cot and kept searching underneath it. Finn did not comment but Rose did.
"Why did you do that, they clearly have value to you?"
"They had value to her, not me, and look at them, they could never fit my hands. If you want them, take them."
Rose remained silent for the remainder of the search. Finn really wanted to help Poe but none of them could find anything of real interest. Finn stepped back and took a deep breath, and than something under the adjacent bunk caught his eye. He bent underneath and saw a small locket attached to a silver chain.
"Poe, is this what you were looking for, it must have fallen off and slid under her neighbours cot."
Poe's eyes widened. He outreach his hand and Finn dropped the chain into his hand. Poe looked it over, took the locket off of its chain, than pulled out a chain that had been concealed around his own neck. He took it off, to both Finn and Rose's curiosity it held what was obviously a wedding ring. Poe slid the locket next to the ring than put the chain back on. Rose was the one to ask.
"Who's wedding band is that?"
"My mother's, I'm saving it for the right person."
Rose's posture changed suddenly Finn noticed, and one off her hands went to her waist before she spoke again.
"She'll be a lucky women."
"She?"
Poe said before turning, heading for the door. Realization dawned on her face.
"Oh."
Both Finn and Rose turned to leave with Poe, but Chavdri called out.
"You are Paige's sister, aren't you?"
"Yes."
He motioned her to sit next to him. Finn looked between Rose and the leaving Poe, Rose noticed this and gave him a wink.
"Go on ahead, I'll catch up in a minute."
Finn smiled at her, and she smiled back, Finn than jogged to catch up with Poe. The former commander seemed to be in a daze, Finn had noticed that he seemed to be in that daze a lot since the hanger blow up. The PTSD was clearly haunting him, but Finn could not think of a way to help, he knew that this pain would stick with him until he died.
"Where are we headed Poe."
Poe slowed down to allow Finn to walk at the same pace next to him.
"The less crowded areas of the Raddus. If the spy or spies are trying to break through the communication barrier, or make plans they would probably be in the least populated spots on this ship, and that is vary few places at this point."
They checked all locations with the lowest crewmen concentration, covertly interrogating anyone even remotely suspicious, however everyone turned out clean.
"There is only one last location I can think of Finn, and that's the escape pod hanger. It usually only has one guard."
Mentioning this location re-ignited Finn's guilt. His guilt of trying to abandon the Resistance, and abandon Poe was to much, so he turned to look away from him.
"That sounds logical."
So they made there way to the hanger. Because it was a restricted area only the guard, who was clearly doing his job, was there.
They left the hanger itself, but before re-entering the main part of the ship Finn put his hand on Poe's shoulder. Poe turned and looked directly into Finn's eyes.
"Poe, do you need to talk?"
"No, why."
"Because you are hurting, you apparently lost so many people and you've been in a daze since I woke up from my coma. Who was Tallie, was she your, um, your girlfriend?"
Poe out right laughed at Finn saying girlfriend, a laugh he clearly needed.
"Girlfriend! No, she definitely wasn't. Here, sit."
Poe sat on a floor against the hall wall, Finn joined him. Poe took out his chain and held it out for Finn to see.
"My Parents were active members of the Rebel Alliance all throughout my early childhood, I rarely saw them. My grandfather looked after me at the house my parents built on Yavin 4."
"Wasn't Yavin 4 an old rebel base?"
"As well as a Jedi temple. When the war officially ended after the battle of Jakku they came home and my grandfather left. My father officially left the life behind but my mother stayed as a reserve for the Republic Defence Fleet. We started learning how to be a family after that. When Jedi Master Luke Skywalker asked if we would tend to one of his uneti trees we jumped at the chance of having something that united us."
"The branch in your quarters, is that from the same tree?"
"I'm getting there."
Finn was amazed by how open Poe was with him. He felt happy seeing Poe happy.
"My mother started teaching me how to fly, in a real A-wing, when I was about six. Flying and tending the tree with me were two of her most favourite things to do."
Finn could now feel where this was heading, he once again put his hand on Poe's shoulder.
"What happened to her."
Poe took a big sigh.
"I didn't learn the truth until I joined the Resistance. What we did know was that she was called away to escort a diplomat ship heading to the unknown region, no one on that mission returned. I was eight at the time."
"I'm sorry to hear that, it was the First Order, wasn't it?"
"Yes, the diplomats were passing through the Otomok System, the First Order had just arrived there and they didn't what the New Republic knowing about them yet. So the obliterated the diplomats ships and their escorts, my mother died in a hopeless battle. What was so horrible though was that the First Order moved the remains. They tractor beamed the remains of ships and its contents halfway across the Unknown region to lay off suspicion. It was almost a year before the Republic identified the reck."
"Poe, that's truly awful, if someone had done that to Captain Phasma I would rip them limb from limb, like a Wookie."
"What! Captain Phasma is the poster soldier of the First Order, and you care about her?! Didn't you hold her hostage and have Chewie knock her unconscious."
"Poe, she is the reason I managed to rescue you from the First Order."
"WHAT!"
"I'll explain it after you finish your story, I want to hear the rest of your tale."
"If you say so. My dad and I were devastated, we both did what we knew how to try and cope. I tended the Uneti and studied flight manuals while my dad joined the reserves. Because he was away so often he needed help raising me. At first he had my grandfather move back in, but by the time I was eleven he had died from a disease that had entered the colony."
Finn wanted to comment on this loss but he felt like he would sound like a corrupted recording, he also had a feeling that this wasn't the last death in Poe's history.
"Being off saving the galaxy half the time, and drunk the rest, my father wasn't really qualified to raise me on his own, so he asked his old Rebel friend for help. L'ulo L'ampar was a Duros rebel pilot that transitioned to the Republic Defence Fleet like my mother, and the Resistance when that came around. He looked after me when dad was on duty, and they both looked after me when they both were off, but that was very rare. What wasn't rare was when they were both off fighting, so that's where Tallie comes in. Tallissan Lintra's Father, who also used to be a rebel pilot, had become a farmer and synthsilk trader on Pippip 3. When L'ampar was on duty he'd drop me off at the farm. Tallie was only one when I first got dropped off, but she had already suffered like I had, her mother had died in an accident two months before Mr. Lintra let me live there part time. Eventually he started properly flight training me in his A-wing, and I got a sister out of it all, Tallie was always by my side. We were two broken families, but when we were brought together we became a little more whole."
"You said that only L'ampar was dropping you off, what happened to your dad?"
Poe took a big sigh, he subconsciously started rubbing the ring.
"Not long after L'ampar and the Lintra's entered my life, my dad left it. It was the fourth year anniversary of us learning of my mother's death. He was super drunk and that night he decided to go flying. He barely got off the ground before crashing into a Massassi tree at 400 km/per hour. I remember the happy days with him, but it's very hard not to think of him as the depressed drunk man that he was for half of my childhood, the only thing I got from him was my name and my mother's wedding ring that he left on his nightstand before his drunken flight. L'ampar didn't want me to be permanently separated from my home so whenever it was his turn to look after me it would always be at my home on Yavin 4. After my fathers death when neither the Lintra's or L'ampar could look after me, former rebels members would come over for a short while, the alliance was a family, that's how I knew General Leia. When I turned 18 I decided to join the Resistance, I knew that I would most likely almost never be home again so I took a seedling from the Uneti tree to tend to, and snapped a branch off of its parent to always have a piece of home and my mother with me always. Before I left Mr. Lintra gave me a piece of Synthsilk to rap the branch in. That's basically my story, it's been fourteen years since I joined this fight, Tallie joined eight years after me and flew through the piloting ranks, and L'ampar who was the closest thing I had to a uncle died saving hopeless people in escape pods. These deaths have shaped me to be who I am."
"I know a lot of these events must have been traumatizing, but you pushed through them and joined a cause you believe in, it is really inspiring Poe, makes me almost wish I could stay."
Poe looked shocked.
"You still want to leave."
"Poe, you know this isn't where I belong. I respect what the Resistance does, and I'd never betray you guys, but all my life I was raised to kill whoever my superiours pointed at, and currently Holdo is pointing at the people I was raised with. I've come to terms with the fact that the First Order must fall, but it can't be by my hands. I want to see the galaxy, and maybe learn what a normal life is."
Poe sighed again.
"Ok, well, if we survive this whole thing, what if you moved into my house?"
"What, but its your, well, home."
"It really isn't anymore, the Resistance is my home, I've only been to Yavin 4 five times since I joined. I'd like to know that its in good hands."
"Wait, you wouldn't be living there anymore?"
"What, no, it would be all yours, why do you think I'd still be there?"
"Nothing, never mind. Um, why is the locket important?"
"It's not exactly important to me, it was important to Tallie and is something I can have on me to remember her. One side has a holo-image of her mother and the other side shows her when she was a little girl playing with her dad."
"That's not the images it shows."
"What are you taking about, I've seen the holos myself."
"Open it Poe, it was open when I found it, I didn't mean to look, but I did see the two photos."
Poe opened the locket. The holo-image on the left was a picture of Tallies mother and father holding her as a newborn. Her mother was about Finns age, with the same skin tone as her daughter, light blonde hair, and murky greyish-blue eyes. Her father was just younger the Poe, with light brown hair, slightly darker skin tone than his wife, and deep ocean blue eyes like his daughter. The second image was what made Poe gasp, it was a picture of him and Tallie the day he had left to join the Resistance. He was so young, he was sporting a horrible buzz cut because he thought it would be required in the military. He was all decked out in a Resistance pilot suit that was to big for his at the time scrawny body. Next to him, with her arm around his waist, and his flight helmet on her head, was his sister. Only about eight years old at the time, her dirty blonde hair crept out of the helmet, her ocean blue eyes were just barely visible behind the visor. The image didn't capture it but she had just told Poe that she would join him in the fight soon enough, and that they would fly around the galaxy together.
After taking it all in Poe realized that a few tears were now running down his face.
"Thank you Finn, I needed this."
"Anything for you, I would never have escaped the death trap that is the First Order without you. Come one now, there's a spy somewhere on board and just because we missed them on the first sweep just means we need to try again."
Finn Shot stood up and held out his arm, helping Poe to his. They exited the hanger.
"But according to yourself I wasn't the only reason you escaped, tell me more about this traitorous Phasma."
"Captain Phasma is a traitor?!"
Rose Tico had just turned the corner, clearly searching for them, the look on her face was that of complete shock and bewilderment.
"I don't have all the details myself, but yes."
"Sorry, I just find that so hard to believe because she was the one who boarded my families refugee ship, killed my family, separated me from my sister, and took my to the First Order to be enslaved, all when I was only six."
Now it was Finn's turn for surprise.
"Wait, you were First Order."
"Only for about a month, a troubled soldier rescued me and a handful of other taken children, he dropped us off on Naboo. The other children managed to get in contact with distant family members, but Phasma killed the only adult family I had. That's why I joined the Resistance when I learned about it, to get back at the monsters that took everything away from me, turned out my sister Paige was rescued by a kind pilot who raised her and also joined the Resistance."
"That is some story. I won't excuse Phasma's actions, because the galaxy knows of the crimes she's committed, but she was also troubled by the greater evil boiling in the First Order."
"What could possible make you think that."
"Because she is the reason I'm standing in front of you Rose. After my first mission, something awakened in me. The screams of those innocent civilians, I couldn't pull the trigger of my blaster. After the mission Phasma approached me, I thought she was about to rat me out, but instead she told me that if I hated the horrors as much as she did, than I should rescue Poe so he can fly me to safety. She told me exactly where to find him, and what to say to the guards to get him out. Than on Starkiller she lowered the shields, however I had to make sure she wasn't blamed so I made sure it looked like she had no choice. She was always super tough on me in particular, but I was also the only one I ever saw her praise, support, and congratulate."
"If she is a sympathizer why is she still working with them instead of us?"
"I don't quite know, I asked her to escape with me and Poe, but all she said was that she had more work to do, than she turned around and left me. I doubt I'll ever know the truth."
Poe interrupted.
"I hate to interrupt this origin fest, but we have that thing we need to do."
The voice of the Supreme Leader boomed so loudly Ben feared his ears would bleed.
"Recall The Knights of Ren, and send the mission to Spector Ren, I have grown weary of this childish rivalry between you and the General!"
General Hux had just proposed a strategy to cripple the Resistance before they made there move, this greatly troubled Ben. For starters Hux now felt bold enough to give orders for Ben's Knights, which was not a good sign. Second this would crush Ben's plans before they were even fully developed. He had to play along and still plant the seeds of his plan and hope they grow quickly.
"Master, you are aware of the communication shielding on that dreadful ship, Hux's plan has several holes."
"There ship is more than close enough for you to make contact with your Knight through the force."
"Yes Master, It will be done. Though Supreme Leader, it was my impression that we didn't assign my Knights for the plans of a Juvenile General thinking with what's between his legs instead of his ears."
Hux's jaw dropped at that statement, along with his entire face turning a brighter red than his hair. He stuttered for a few seconds, to in shock to speak, but he found his tongue. He quickly approached Ben, clearly preparing to fight, he made his comeback.
"You froxhuving sinion! I know who your mother is, she's the plezint who leads the rodents we're trying to kill."
Just as Hux was within two feet of Ben, he force drew and ignited his cross lightsaber. He held the tip of the blade an inch below Hux's nose.
"And your mother was a kitchen cooking h-"
"ENOUGH!"
With the force, Snoke deactivates Ben's lightsaber and slams both men to the solid floor. Neither man dared make a noise despite there pain.
"I won't tolerate another second of this outrageously immature rivalry. You are BOTH major disappointments. I saw greatness in both of you upon our first encounters, and both of you only sink lower in the shadows of those men. Leave me now and do your duties or I'll rip your heads off by hand."
Both men got up and walked for the lift. Ben was hopeful that that scene would distract both Snoke and the hot headed General enough to buy him some time. He would still have to contact Spector Ren, but his Knight would be following his orders, not anyone else's. Hux on the other had was infuriated, bruised, and humiliated. Twice in a week someone had taunted him with his kitchen slave mother, and he had had failure after failure. No more would he take this degrading behaviour from anyone. It took all his strength not to draw his blaster and shoot Kylo's brains out, but he knew that that would only result in his death. He had to think smarter.
When they exited the lift Hux activated his communicator.
"Captain, I have a task for your best squads."
Phasma's voice answered his immediately, he knew that the old Captain was probably the only person he could trust other than himself. He couldn't even fully trust Thorn, she is a spy and her job is to lie.
"What are your orders General?"
"I want your troops to light speed to any planet or moon within range of the Raddus and take thorough note of any base, and than remain there to catch them if they arrive."
"Understood, do you need me to 'take care' of anyone in particular?"
"No, not yet anyway. That will be all, thank you Phasma."
Phasma was, after all these years, still the greatest warrior he had ever know. The only soldier Hux had thought was her potential equal, had died at her hands just over two weeks prior.
She had saved his father from certain death just over 25 years ago. When his father died about a month later, for a little while anyway, she had become a role model to him. A warrior that came from nowhere flies through First Order ranks, but despite having almost the same rank as himself, she modestly kept the title of captain.
Sure she abandoned Starkiller Base when her orders were to stay, but Hux would have done the same thing in her armour and he knew she hadn't betrayed the First Order because she flew straight to the nearest base immediately after her escape. If she were executed along with all the others who abandoned the base he'd be down his best warrior, and Hux could not afford that right now. He needed friends in high places if his mission failed.
Rey was practicing sparring in the late afternoon against a large human-like rock with her staff. On Jakku she had practiced anytime she wasn't scavenging, flight training, or sleeping, because if she ever got rusty the other scavenger would have shown no mercy. Ever since she left the depressing dessert plant however she had been neglecting her training and decided it was time to get back on schedule.
Her strikes never made contact with the stone however, it was only used to hitting fleshy things, but every false blow she pretended it was something she really wanted to hit. Smack to the reluctant and overly sarcastic Jedi Master, pow to the monstrous Kylo Ren who killed her mentor and comatosed her only friend, and Blam to herself for leaving Jakku when her family had told her to stay.
When she realized that she was beating herself up she took a breath. She leaned on her staff as she recovered, the cawing Porgs were flying all around her, from her new angle she watched as one porg land on her bag.
"Shoo, go on, that's not a nest."
The funny birds landing and take off had jostled Luke's lightsaber free. She starred at it, wondering if it would be alright to practice with it. She made up her mind and picked it up.
Although it had called to her it did not quite feel right in her hands. She was used to the long well balanced staff, along with its grip and fighting technique, but this didn't quite feel wrong either. Something, perhaps deeper within, was what called to her. Something inside worth exploring, it might also be saying the same thing about herself.
She couldn't help remember what it had shown her when she first touched the lightsaber. That it had shown her the helmeted figure of Kylo Ren in the forest of Starkiller base, and yet when that actual event accrued he was not wearing said mask. Perhaps the vision stated that she had to also look deeper into-
"No!"
She ignited the blue lightsaber. She swung the blade in a combination of how she fought Kylo, and her own technique of her staff. The result was a defence so rhythmic it was almost a dance. She got so entranced that the world fell away. She continued until she slashed through the rock she had before been intentionally missing.
"Impressive."
Rey deactivated the lightsaber and turned to see Luke watching her from a higher up point. She was about to comment on his creepy distance watching of her when the top part of the large stone slid off the cliff she was practising on.
Rey peeked over in embarrassment to see that the stone had crushed a Caretaker's cart and what it held, barely missing the two Caretakers themselves. They stared up at her disapprovingly.
She quickly turned back to Luke who was climbing back towards the temple. He gave no signal for her to follow him, but she did so none the less. The climb wasn't as long as the first, but just as silent. Thankfully the silence this time wasn't as hostile as before. By the time they had reached the meditation ledge outside of the temple the two suns were barely over the horizon.
"I've shown you that you don't need the jedi to use the force, so why do you think you need the Jedi Order?"
Rey thought about her answer, she did not want Skywalker to yell 'Wrong' in her face again. She had heard stories of the Jedi Master Luke Skywalker, and the different powers that he had. She had seen, and felt, first hand the cruel powers of Kylo Ren, and on Starkiller base she had started to scratch the surface of her own powers. She had heard older stories how the Jedi had fought against the Sith in the Clone Wars, how without them the Republic wouldn't have lasted as long as it did.
"The Jedi Order is needed to squash the darkness before it grows more powerful. To keep the peace and protect all that is light and good in the galaxy-I'm going to guess from your smirk that every word I just said was wrong."
The Jedi was indeed choking down a laugh behind his not so stoic face.
"Sorry, and you were so passionate about what you were saying. You are on the right track, but that doesn't make you any less wrong. Lesson two. Now that they are extinct, the Jedi are romanticized by the few who remember them. But if you strip away the myth and look at there deeds, from the Knights of the Republic, to the rise of the Empire, the legacy of the Jedi is failure. They thought themselves pure, beyond corruption, this blinded them to the darkness growing from within."
"That can't- is that really true."
For the first time Rey realized something, even though Luke thought he was speaking the truth, he was only one perspective, and how much of what he spoke of did he actually experience.
"At the height of there power they allowed Darth Sidious to rise, create the Empire, and wipe them out. It was a Jedi Master who was responsible for training Darth Vader."
Rey snapped back, Luke wasn't even seeing his side of his own story. She sure hoped that enough of the stories she heard about him were true, or she was about to sound quite foolish.
"And a Jedi who saved him. Yes he was the most resentful man in the galaxy, but you saw that there was conflict in him. You believed that he wasn't fully gone, that he could be turned."
'Like Kylo,' she thought, but quickly pushed that thought out of her head.
Luke now looked miserable, as if his own past successes were now haunting him. Rey once again wondered if this decade alone had driven him even just the slightest bit mad.
"I became a legend. For many years there was balance. My little amount of light did not tip the scale of the natural balance between good and bad. I think it was when I started training the next generation, when I started training Ben, that the darkness started to rise."
Rey took a step closer to the Jedi, showing him her support for him to continue.
"Although I already knew of a couple other force sensitives, I opened the temple for him. Ben, my nephew, with the mighty Skywalker blood running though his veins. In my own pride I thought I could train him. Through him and the others I could pass on my strengths, that I might not be the last Jedi."
Pride did sparkle in his eyes, but it was quickly swallowed up by some sort of dark trauma.
"Han was Han about it, but Leia, Leia trusted me with her son. By the time I realized I was no match for the darkness rising in him, it was to late."
"You mentioned others."
"Yes, over the decade that I ran the training temple I had gathered about thirty students, ranging between the ages of eight and a couple years older than I was at the time. Some families who had force sensitive kids and knew of the old Jedi ways tried to give me their very young children, some less than two years old."
"Why not accept them?"
"I was a teacher, not a parent, and in the beginning I was all alone. I trained the few who were around my age and they in turn started helping me train the younger generation. In the beginning there was a rogue former Padawan, the last formally trained Jedi. She taught us all she knew and even took one of my older younglings on as a Padawan of her own, but a few years before the temple fell she disappeared, I don't think poor Jacen ever recovered."
"How could there have been force users older than you, I heard of the tragedy the Coruscant temple went through. No younglings survived and by the time you became a Jedi Knight all other Jedi had been hunted down."
"They were, almost everyone who survived Order 66 was killed by Darth Vader and his Inquisitors, but in the heat of the end of the Clone Wars the council missed several hundred force sensitive infants and the Empire was just as successful. One of my fellow instructors was a woman from Thabeska who was three years older than me. Her name was Hedala, I miss her ever day. I still remember each and everyone of them. Pypey, Tionne, Jacen, Dorsk, Kam, Hennix, Brakiss, Streen, Gantoris, Corran, Alora, Madurrin, Kyle, Mara, Kyp, Cilghal, Dal, Tai, and Voe. So many who died a needless death, and than there are the ones who didn't die."
The darkness in his eyes reawakened something in Rey, part of her dream she had had yesterday. She looked up at Skywalker with concern and apprehension.
"What happened?"
Luke opened his mouth to answer but before any sound could come out a horn sounded far in the distance. Rey and Luke both turned their heads to see seven wooden ships not that far in the horizon heading straight for the Villager's fishing docks.
"This is what I brought you here for. Those are a tribe from a neighbouring island."
Rey nodded to show that she understood.
"They come once a month to raid and plunder the Caretaker's village."
Rey was shocked at how calmly Luke said that, and wondered why he would bring her to the very top of the island if he knew a threat was coming from the bottom. She strapped her staff to her back and held up Luke's lightsaber.
"Well, come on! We've got to stop them!"
But Luke did not move, instead he spoke.
"Do you know what the Jedi Order would do right now? Nothing. They would sit in their chairs in their almighty temple parsecs away from the issue, and discuss whether or not they should intervene, and until the start of the Clone Wars they rarely did."
"But we've got to help; they could be hurt or killed."
"If you stopped the raiding party with force, they would return to their island and come back with a larger force. Will you alone be able to stop them then, will you even be here? And let's say you go to their source to stop them. As a Jedi you can't intervene with their culture, you would be diplomating with an unfamiliar race, language, and rules where there might not even be a solution. What do you do then 'Jedi' Rey from nowhere?"
Rey did not know what was happening; if this were a test it was a twisted sick one. Those people, who despite not liking her had fixed the hole in her hut that she had made, and provided her with food and drink, they were about to get hurt and have their possessions and provisions stripped away. Rey couldn't believe Luke was telling her to hold back when the answer was so simple in her mind. His negligence filled her with frustration.
"That burning inside you, the Jedi Masters of the Old Republic would tell you to ignore it. Only act when you know you can restore balance."
Rey's frustration had risen to determination. That is what the Jedi of old would do, but she is no Jedi yet. She turned and bolted back through the temple, not even hearing Luke's cries out to her.
"Wait! Rey! Come Back!"
Rey made the descent down the mountain as fast as she could without breaking her neck, but she could see the ships reaching the docks so she had to go faster.
As the ground started to level out closer towards the bottom, anger flooded throughout her, anger at Luke, and at herself. Anger at him never defending his home, anger for refusing to teach her properly, anger at him for refusing to help destroy the First Order, anger at him from the feelings leftover from her dream, and angry at herself for not realizing sooner that Luke was never going to help anyone ever again, and that it was up to her and her alone to save the galaxy. And she could start with this small village.
She ignited her lightsaber.
The ships were no longer visible which meant they must have docked. Rey could see smoke coming from the village as she approached it and this only made her angrier. She charged at a poorly constructed wooden fence, slashing it down with her lightsaber and charging in prepared to fight with her weapon above her head.
Only when she entered she saw that the smoke was coming from roasting fires and strategically placed torches. There were tables full of fried fish, baked bread, roasted porg, sea sow cheeses, spiced seaweed, and stone mugs filled with grog. The Caretakers, in their nicest outfits, were dancing with finely dressed males of the same species.
The party stopped for a second as everyone turned to see what the commotion was. Embarrassed, Rey started lowering her lightsaber but one of the Caretakers closest to her gestured for her to raise it and wave it around. She did and the crowd cheered and returned to there partying.
Her adrenaline was fading, and combined with the worst embarrassment in her life, she wanted to get away from the crowd. At one of the tables both Chewbacca and R2-D2 were decked out in dried seaweed wreaths, Chewwie waved to her with one hand and held a mug of grog in the other. But their presence only made Rey more frustrated, 'did everyone know about this but me?'
"Seriously!?"
She stormed off to a short fence further away from the party that looked over the ocean. Leaning her back against it she could still very much hear the music and celebrating, but she could not see anyone, anyone except for the man who just appeared behind her.
"I would yell at you, but I don't feel like doing anything right now so could you just leave?"
It was not Luke's voice that responded, but Kylo Ren's.
"Sorry to disappoint, but I don't know if I can."
Rey turned her head to see him come next to her, and also lean over the fence, his chin lying on his folded arms. He seemed sad, tired, a little desperate, and looked like he had a lot on his mind.
"Ugh! You are the last person I want to talk to right now."
"But I need to talk to you, you shouldn't believe me, but I need your help over thro-"
"You are right, I don't believe you, you murderous snake. You killed your own father, countless others, and almost killed the only friend I've ever had, and your people are about to kill mine."
He looked away for a second, but then made up his mind and faced her, looking her straight in the eyes.
"I am the monster you think I am, there is no denying that, I just know now how wrong I was, and that I need help making things right. If nothing is done the balance will fall, and the First Order aren't my people, just like the Jedi aren't yours. The Knights of Ren are my people."
"Why should I help you?"
"I don't know why; all I know is that I've seen you helping me in my dre- I know this song."
A sort of goofy smile crossed his face. Rey nearly gagged at how much being happy changed his appearance.
"What?"
"In visions and prophetic dreams I have heard this song in the back of my head, over and over."
"And what could it mean?"
"I'm not sure."
He must have been out of his mind, but he held his hand out to her.
"Care to dance?"
"Not in a million orbital rotations Kylo."
But she couldn't help giggle at this whole situation. It was the first time she'd laughed since landing on Takodana with Han, Finn, and Chewie.
"Ben, my name is Ben."
"Ok 'Ben', why should I trust you? You destroyed Luke's temple, killing everyone."
"You don't know? Has he told you what happened that night, what he did to me?"
"He's told me bits and pieces, but no, not explicitly. Tell me."
"No, you might not believe what comes out of my lips, but you might from him."
"Than I'll ask, and Ben-?"
But he had vanished, Luke now was approaching her, quite out of breath.
"Rey-"
Her anger was rising again. He stopped where he was, and put up his hands.
"Raid and plunder?"
"In a way."
"Was this some kind of joke?"
"I'm sorry, I didn't think you'd- you just ran so fast."
"Tell me what happened that night, what happened to the temple, and its students, and instructors."
"Now?"
He was still catching his breath. He wasn't out of shape, but he was a mid fifties man who just ran down a mountain in half an hour.
"Yes."
"Alright then, after my school began to grow in numbers, I started sensing rising darkness in the force, and for sometime had been sensing similar darkness in Ben Solo, my nephew, who had just reached 18 years. My teachings were less restricted than the Jedi of old but I still needed to know how dark Ben was getting. One night, when I could not sleep from the rain storm I snuck into his chambers. He was peacefully sleeping and guilt washed over me for ever doubting him, and yet just to be safe I decided to peer into his mind. What I found still haunts me. Darkness beyond what I could have imagined, a voice that I would later know to be Snoke's telling him to commit the most heinous actions, and in his dreams he did not resist. I think he sensed my presence in his mind and he woke up. He knew what I saw so he force grabbed his lightsaber, much like the one you currently carry, and with the force brought his chamber walls and ceiling down on me. When I came to, the temple was burning, everyone, my students and my beloved Hedala, were dead. Ben, along with six of my students had vanished, leaving the rest unidentifiable husks."
Rey was tormented by this retelling. Why would Kylo, who wants her help, ask her to hear this tale. Did he think Luke would say something different, or was he just as twisted as she thought, and he had tricked her to let her guard down.
"In the aftermath Leia blamed Snoke because she had sensed his interference with Ben since he was an infant, but it was I who didn't teach my Padawan to fight hard enough, and it was I who hadn't trained my pupils to defend themselves from a familiar adversary. And I did all this while I was Luke Skywalker, Jedi Master, a legend."
"The galaxy may need a legend, but the Resistance needs a real person, a hero, and I need someone to show me my place in all of this."
"And that's what the Resistance needs, a hero, not some old failed husk of a faulty religion. Do you understand what I'm telling you Rey?"
But Rey did not understand; all that she understood was that he had given up.
"I understand that across the galaxy the people who saved my life, your sister, are really dying. That legend of Luke Skywalker you hate so much? I was just starting to believe in it. I was wrong."
She turned and left him at the edge of the party. She did not see this but he was shaking his head.
Lieutenant Connix had been working nonstop on the bridge for 10 hours, she was physically and mentally exhausted. She was glad that with her shift finished she could finally take her mind off of the below 20% fuel gauge. And yet she still had one more task to do, one that was harder than anything she had done all day. She had to confront Admiral Holdo.
She was just finishing up giving commands to another bridge staff member.
"Give the order to start draining power to the U-55 orbital loadlifter."
The crew men nodded than left, so Connix approached the purple haired Admiral, and stood in attention. Peazy walked right behind her trusted companion, the Admiral's own protocol droid was next to her. 2-9NT was a masculine programmed droid with dark blue plating with black details, he was made up of different RA-7 and 3P0 droid parts.
"At ease Lieutenant, you've been dismissed, haven't you?"
"Yes Admiral, but I have been asked to give you a proposal from the crew."
"Lieutenant Connix, you know as I do that if we consume an extra power we won't have enough to reach our destination, and that I need to concentrate on my work to get us there."
"Admiral this proposal comes from former Admiral Ackbar himself."
Holdo sighed.
"Proceed Connix."
"The crew would like to use the tertiary storage bay, which currently is only being used as a hang out anyway, as a multi-stationed religious expo to mourn and give proper send offs to recently deceased loved ones and to pray for our survival. Everything is already prepared and they are just looking for the go ahead."
"But if everything goes to plan there won't be a reason to prayer?"
"You are right, but most of these crew members are without a job, so praying is the only thing they feel they can do to help this crew, and most feel like they can't even do that. It is only scheduled to last two hours so it won't interfere with our plan."
"Fine, granted, as long as you oversee it."
This made Connix want to scream 'NO', but she had to push her cultures horrible brainwashing deep inside her so she could help the greater good of the ship.
"There is one more thing Admiral."
"Yes Lieutenant?"
"The Admiral himself requests that you attend."
"Tell him no, it is imperative that I personally make sure the crew members of this ship survive."
2-9NT looked at Peazy, than at his master and spoke.
"May I make a suggestion?"
Connix was late to the gathering, she had given the go-a-head the second she received it, but procrastinated on her decent to the storage bay. By the time she arrived all the dozens of religious stations were set up, with room for crewmen who wished to pray in private. Despite her bias she was still impressed by how much representation was in one room.
She spotted Qrayluk pretty quickly, Yinchorri stand out in a crowd. As she approached she was surprised to see another Yinchorri doing some kind of spiritual war cry with him. Her skin was a tanned yellow to his green, and her dark brown eyes were noticeable even from several feet away.
Connix had picked up a little Yinnchar over the years of knowing Qrayluk, so she knew roughly what they were saying in there call.
"Wreenda and Sprik, may your spirits be guided to the Within World, and your lives give us the energy to complete our living journey: Discover, Expand, and Aggress!"
"That was lovely-"
The female snapped at her.
"Our people do not believe in descriptors like 'lovely'."
Qrayluk chimed in.
"But the notion is none the less appreciated, right Camil'kil?"
Camil'kil simply huffed in response.
"It's good that you are here Kadi, this is Ensign Camil'kil, she was a warrior in the Republic Defense Fleet until, well, Starkiller, and she was stationed on the Raddus last week. I was telling her that I didn't know that any other Yinchorri fought for the Republic. Camil'kil, this is Lieutenant First Grade Kaydel Ko Connix, she is one of the few surviving bridge crew members and a long time friend."
"You flatter me Lucky, I can't believe you guys, and the Admiral came up with all of this. Speaking of which, I need to speak with Ackbar, do you know where he is?"
"He's in the centre. Also I think the current Admiral is here, I see her droid."
"Thanks Lucky."
Connix turned around to indeed see 2-9NT entering with Peazy, but unlike Qrayluk she knew the Admiral wasn't with them. 2-9NT had suggested that he go and observe everything and report back later. What she didn't know was why they took even longer than her to arrive. The thought that crossed her mind made her want to inform Captain Dameron, but only if he was here, it was so unlikely that she didn't need to go searching the ship for him.
Connix maked her way towards the old Mon Calamari, and got about 2/3rds of the way there when she was interrupted by familiar fighting.
"Skyborn!"
"Protectors!"
"Skyborn you Criiking idiot, do you want to still be spreading Sith lies, and propaganda in the situation we are currently in?"
"No, but these are the deities ALL our people have worshipped for five millennia. To change back would be culture suicide and you know it Tasharsi!"
A small group of Keshiri had gathered around two specific Keshiri. The Talion sisters had sparked a localized version of the bloody Kesh religious debate that had been going on for 30 years. The other Keshiri had positioned themselves behind the sister who had the same believe as them. Sasharsi's side far outnumbered her sisters, and Connix did not wish for them to ruin the religious distraction they helped organize by fighting.
"Yewmen!"
The sisters both turn to stare at Connix, she had gotten there attention.
"You two are here to pray for him, aren't you?"
"Yes, Cuarya Linz as well, and everyone else who's died in the last two battles."
"Well, don't both versions state that the good souls of Keshiri join the Kesh sea of creation, that's were your brother is. The names of what you believe in might have changed, but you all believe you are headed to the same place. Honour that. Everyone here believes in something different, pray your way and respect that others do it differently, that's what I do every day."
Sasharsi looked at Connix almost like she was intimidated by her, but Tasharsi looked at Connix with respect at what she had done. She smiled at her.
"You really know what to say, don't you Kadi."
But Connix did not respond, she was really starting to feel the presence of the couple hundred people in the room, and she felt like the breathable air was quickly running out. Before she just had to check in with Ackbar, but now she needed to find him. She spun around in a circle, looking for the Mon Calamari, and when she finally saw him her vision tunnelled so that he was all she could see. She walked half ran at him, and as she blacked out she became overwhelmingly aware of how many aliens were in the room.
"Connix! Ko, Ko are you alright?"
Connix regained consciousness only a couple seconds after she fainted. She became aware that the aged Admiral had dropped his cane and was the only thing holding her upright, she forced her body to stand, and swallowed hard on whatever was trying to come back up. She nodded to let the Admiral know she was conscious again, but he did not let go of her until she was able to speak.
"I'm good now, but I can't stay here any longer. I know the Admiral wanted me to over see this with you, but I'm going to be sick."
"Come, sit, the private praying section has benches. What was that that just accrued? And where is the Admiral?"
As they walked they past a human male with almost bleached coloured hair praying alone at the Twi'lek shrine, Connix was to distracted to notice at the time, but later came to realize that she did not know language he prayed in despite knowing over twenty.
As they reached the benches and sat down Connix started answering Ackbar's questions.
"Holdo will not be attending, her droid has come and he will relay all the events to her."
"That is a real shame, I invited her because the crew are panicking, and if she were to leave the bridge, and attend a gathering like this, even for a quarter of an hour, I think it would calm the crew. Now, speaking of panicking, what was that?"
Connix always felt subconscious about this, but an explanation was in order. See took a deep breath.
"I am Ulizra, that panic attack was cultural overload."
"Ulizra, but that is only practised by Nazzri, how could a human ever be Ulizra?"
"It's a long and shameful story. A few generations back the Nazzri invaded my homeworld of Dulathia, conquered it, and enslaved all its people. During the Clone Wars the planet was liberated, but the damage was done. Many of my people, including my ancestors, only knew and were used to there old masters ways: the group is greater than the individual, aliens will contaminate the Ulizra, and all other religions which conflict Ulizra must be destroyed. It took me my entire childhood to break from the second two teachings, I now only practice the first, but despite knowing that aliens and there cultures are alright, a room full of everything I was taught to hate makes me very dizzy."
"That is understandable, but I have to now say that you can't leave until it's over."
"Why?"
"You are learning to be better, that is very respectable, but you have to learn not to be sick every time there are two or more cultures interacting in front of you. There is a Mon Calamari saying, 'Webs spread, and gills open.'"
"I don't understand."
"It means be ready and open to change, and to push through it, and to always keep breathing, even when it's hard."
He patted her on the back with his huge webbed hands.
"Stay sitting here, but watch what is happening around you."
Poe, Finn, and Rose entered the religion expo. Poe had taken his branch and pot with him, but why they were really here was to see if they could find someone suspicious they hadn't seen on there previous searches. Finn saw that there were benches at the back which would make a great vantage point, he pointed this out to Poe and the two of them headed over with Rose not far behind.
As they walked Finn felt great darkness. It felt cold, and seductive, and unforgiving, not able to shake it off he turned his head in the first direction he thought of and realized he was now looking at the back of Belac Cham's head. The electrician stopped praying for a second, but shortly after continued, his prayer was softly spoken in some language other than basic, but in Finn's head it sounded like metal screeching. Not knowing what to do he kept walking.
Finn aligned himself so that he was walking parallel with Poe. He hoped that Rose would not hear him because despite trusting her he did not want to burden her with there mission still.
"Poe, the electrician, Belac, all I feel off of him is consuming darkness, there is something really wrong about him."
"I agree that there is something suspicious about him, but what in creations name do you mean by you feeling darkness?"
"Exactly what I said, don't you feel it?"
Poe was about to answer Finn's odd question, but they had reached the benches and Lieutenant Connix was waving them down.
"Captain Dameron, Shot."
"So formal Connix- wait are you ok, you look pale?"
"I'll be fine, but there's something I'd like to bring to your attention, about what you are doing, the thing."
"How do you know about that, also Finn here is helping me search so you don't need to speak in code."
"I had over heard bits and pieces when the Admiral took you aside, but only put it together when I had intercepted a handful of heavily encrypted messages attempting to be sent from this ship and when I brought it up to the Admiral she said it was being dealt with."
"I hate to say this, but how can I trust you."
"Poe, go to the bridge and ask anyone, I've been there 95% of the time, and the other five was with you or Admiral Ackbar."
"Fare point, what is it you wanted to say."
"Spy droids, we thoroughly check every droid when it joins the Resistance and whenever one returns from a mission, but everything was so rushed in the evacuation of D'Qar, and the merging of the three ships crew that one could have been missed. High tech First Order spy droids can even wirelessly interface with ships systems, so it could be sending a transmission while doing its normal functions."
Poe really did appreciated this theory, but his working theory was much stronger than hers.
"I will definitely keep that in mind."
Poe looked behind him.
"However I already have someone else in mind."
"Well, you better apprehend them soon, because-"
Connix stopped and put her hands over her mouth. Finn spoke up.
"Because we have almost reached our destination, don't worry Connix, we won't tell anyone."
She nodded in appreciation.
Ackbar was enjoying himself, Mon Calamari culture was based off of science and creation, but seeing such a colourful room helped him understand what a galaxy full of different believes should truly look like.
Ackbar spotted Davu Gev standing in a small group of fellow Mandalorians, some like Gev wore no armour, others wore armour and held there helmets, but the one that stood out the most was one who wore a standard Resistance uniform, but was wearing a Mandalorian helmet. Gev was waving him over so he decided to join them.
"Mr. Ackbar, this idea of yours has been working very well, it was an honour to help you organize it."
Ackbar beamed with pride.
"It was you and your friends that gave me the idea, and helped me figure out the logistics of it."
"Will you join us, we are about to recite the Resol'nare."
The Mandalorian with just a helmet became upset at that request.
"He is not Mandalorian, if he recites the Resol'nare than he must devote to being a part of the Manda Oversoul. This is the way."
"Whoa, whoa Pizla, I'm not asking him to join any of our clans, just to observe us refreshing our vows, will you?"
"As long as it doesn't complicate anything."
"Than let us begin."
The Mandalorians who were holding there helmets put them on, and the ones with no armour pulled out signets of there respective clans. They all started reciting the Resol'nare.
"Ba'jur bal beskar'gam, Ara'nov, aliit, Mando'a bal Mand'alor? An vencuyan mhi."
The Basic translation was that they must educate there children as Mandalorians, obey the commands of Mandalore, speak Mando'a and defend there clans. It was quite educational to listen to. When they finished Ackbar took Gev aside.
"Why does your comrade wear a helmet but no other armour?"
"Oh, he is of the Tribe Clan founded on Nevarro, it's a branch descended from the Death Watch Clan. There way of honouring our warrior history is to not remove there helmets unless they are completely alone. It's different than the rest of us, but they sponsor most of Foundling Mandalorians, there are big hearts under there intimidating exterior."
"Well thank you for inviting me to observe, however I now wish to return to observing all of the stations."
"As you wish."
Ackbar returned to the middle of the room, and from there the Lethan Twi'lek he had seen earlier caught his eye as she entered the expo. Curious, Ackbar did not see the harm in observing. She approached a human male standing by the Twi'lek station. He seemed agitated.
"You are late Suu."
"Sorry, I was kind of stuck over our quarters toilet for a while Ma Sareen Belac."
The male now seemed overly concerned.
"My gods, are you ok Suu, should you see the ships doctors?"
"No, I'm fine now, and I want to pray to Rytee for our safety in the battles that are about to come."
"Well, you do so, but I'm leaving."
"But I just got here, we've barely seen each other on this voyage."
"Because I'm trying to keep this ship powered long enough to get wherever we are going, I'm sorry Babe but I am needed."
"But?"
"Sorry, love you."
He kissed her on the cheek and than half ran to the secondary exit. Ackbar tended to not always understand humanoid behaviour, but even he knew that that human was acting odd.
A few minutes later General Organa emerged from the main entry way. Happy to see her on her feet Ackbar quickly made his way towards her. As he approached he thought she looked troubled.
"It is good to see you on your feet Princess. Is everything alright?"
"I don't know, I felt something, but now I'm not sure. What I do know is that you really took what I asked you to heart. I knew Holdo would get us to safety but at the cost of a depressed crew, I would definitely say you took the edge off."
She walked with a cane like he did, but she seemed to need its support more than him.
"There are benches to sit on over there, you can witness the whole expo from that wall."
"Thank you Ackbar."
Poe and Finn were still talking with Connix when Rose caught up.
"Where were you?"
Poe's voice was harsh, and accusing, this made Finn stare at him in shock. Finn's disapproving look broke Poe's harshness, but Rose was still hurt.
"I actually have friends on this ship, friends I want to make sure are doing alright after this collective loss we are all currently going through. Now if you will excuse me, I am going to go pray to my sister and for our safe journey, because that is what this section is, the private praying section."
Rose took off her Haysian ore Otomok medallion, held it tightly in her fist, and stormed off to the other side of the benched wall.
Poe sighed.
"She's right."
Poe stood up and walked a few meters to the left. Not knowing what was going on Finn followed him. Poe set his potted tree on the bench, got down on both knees in front of it, and carefully unwrapped his branch. Now realizing what was happening Finn started backing up, but Poe patted the floor next too him inviting Finn to join him. Finn knelt next to the skilled pilot.
"I don't really believe in any religion, more like I don't know one to believe in."
"I don't believe in stuff like that either, I don't believe in Gods or an elaborate afterlife, although I know that our life force joins the Cosmic force when we pass on. What I like to do when I am alone and have the time is just have a mental conversation with my parents, and since the branch and sapling are the embodiment of our connection as a family I like to have them with me. Does any of that not sound crazy?"
Finn put his hand on Poe's.
"It makes no sense, but I think that's what makes belief special."
Poe having the silk-covered branch on his lap, and Finn holding Poe's hand they both started reflecting. Finn, without moving from his current position spoke.
"Poe, I need to tell you something. How me and Rose met, she was guarding the escape pods, and I was trying to escape. I'm sorry."
"I know."
"Really?"
"Yes, I saw you take the beacon, and you had already expressed your desire to leave. I didn't want to stop you, and when it turned out you hadn't left I didn't want to embarrass you, but I really am glad you stayed, even if it's only for a little longer."
Poe squeezed Finn's hand a little harder, the two men remained silent. This didn't last long however because they were than startled by a blaring announcement.
"All crew members please calmly make your way to the lifeboat bay for immediate evacuation."
Luke was scared. He was scared of the path young Rey was going down, but for the first time in over a decade he wasn't going to run away. On a flat cliff outside of the villagers party Luke sat down, and tried to force his old stiffening body into a meditation position. He closed his eyes, breathed, and let the force once again flow through him.
It was like nothing he had ever felt. The force had flown through him his entire life until he arrived on the island, and it always had flown through everything force sensitive or not, so to feel the force enter his mind, body, and soul was something almost no one in the existence of the universe had experienced. The light side of the force had always felt warm, but Luke currently felt like every aspect of him was on fire.
Suddenly the voices of all who had ever mentored him spoke his name, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda, and his father.
"Luke."
Luke focused himself, tried to find his center, but found it impossible, not because of his rustiness, but because the balance currently felt like a twisting, storming ocean. This concerned him greatly, but he had more immediate worries.
He projected his consciousness into the living force. He could she Rey almost immediately, her energy powerful and familiar, but despite giving off great light, darkness was surrounding her. He pushed further, searching for the one thing he had missed all this time, Leia. She was so far away that it hurt him, but he could still sense her, and she was in tremendous pain. Physical and emotional, the loss of her son, husband, and brother had worn her out, and the state of the Resistance was taking its toll on her.
Luke finally realized that Rey spoke the truth, the Resistance needed him. The only problem was Luke didn't know if the Luke Skywalker they needed was the one he was now. He opened his eyes.
Rey stood at the edge of the deep black hole she had seen in her vision that morning. She wasn't sure what she was doing, every logical part of her was telling her that this was the most wrong thing she could ever do, but she remembered what it had told her, and with Luke's sanity or at least sincerity in doubt she needed to hear what it had to say.
Rey stood on the dark, slimy moss that surrounded the hole. To get down she would need some sturdy rope, a climbing spike, and perhaps some warmer clothes for the cold she could feel coming from the cave. She turned to go find said equipment when she losses her footing in the slimy moss and fell into the hole. It was most likely her imagination, but as she fell she swore she heard Ben's voice.
"Rey!"
She hit the water and fell far below the surface. She kicked her arms and legs violently, but growing up on a dessert planet something she didn't know how to do was swim. She hadn't gotten a sufficient breath before going under and her lungs now felt like they were being stabbed. She managed to get to the surface for a few seconds, to cough up water and take a new breath, but the fridged water and violent kicking was sapping her strength quickly, and she soon was under again.
She sunk further and further. She still kicked but it wasn't helping. Her lungs started aching again, and soon she was breathing in water. As the world around her started blacking out she saw a dark figure diving into the water. The last thing she thought was 'Luke?' and than everything went dark.
Coughing, she woke up on the flat stone that lead into the water that nearly drowned her, no sign of whatever saved her. Her long tied up hair had come undone. Turning her head she could see an opening in the cave other than the hole, however it seemed accessible only by boat, or swimming, neither were an option.
She'd have to worry about that later though, because when she looked forward there in front of her was a solid stone wall, and it was calling to her. Rey stood and walked towards it, the wall itself did not seem to be special, just the product of three million years of waves polishing dark stone until it acted like a mirror. What Rey could not see however she could sense, and pure evil was oozing out of the mirror wall, oozing right into her mind.
Rey found that she could not resist reaching out to touch the stone, and as she reached she whispered to it.
"Let me see the truth, let me see who I am."
To her shock and terror her hand passed right through the mirror, and she stumbled in. She could not speak, or move her feet, and all she could see was the black stone around her and thousands of perfect reflections of herself. If she snapped her fingers the one in front and behind her would snap there fingers, and the Rey's in front and behind them would snap there fingers, and continuous for what seemed like eternity.
'I have to go deeper.'
She snapped again but this time mentally projected herself to follow the snap until it's end, and there was an end.
A dark voice she had never heard before spoke in her mind.
"You want the truth, and too know who you are, those two things contradict each other. You will be unsatisfied."
'Just do it!'
The darkness around her changed, she saw glimpses of two men over the course of what must have been a decade or two. It started with a small boy with sandy blonde hair grow to be a young man with dark brown hair beside his most trusted mentor and friend, a man who started out by the boys side the same age she is now until his orange hair began to grow white and lines permanently etched into his face. They were both Jedi and the older one was the boys Master, but something changed.
The scene that was laid out was the two men on a molten planet, the boy now grown up was at the edge of a river of lava, and his Master at the top of an incline, both men had there blue lightsabers ignited. They yelled at each other but Rey did not hear a sound. The apprentice jumped at the Master and the Jedi cut all but one of his limbs off. The Master than took his apprentices lightsaber, watched as he caught on fire, burning his hair, clothes, and skin away, than left him to die.
Rey wanted to throw up after what she just witnessed, but she knew the horrors were not over yet.
The scene changed to a dessert planet, for a second Rey thought it was Jakku but it felt different. The Master was standing next to a woman about his age with the same colour hair as Rey. The man was asking her and her children to leave, to go to some planet called Alderaan. She practically begged him to come with her but he refused. The scene changed to show the woman, heavily pregnant, sitting in a small room all alone.
The vision shifted again, although there was no indication, Rey could sense over thirty years had past. A much more familiar dessert scene formed around her. She saw herself, no older than three years old, standing at the legs of a orange haired man with similar features to the traitorous Jedi Master. She begged to go with the man that she could only guess was her father, but he refused.
"No! I'll come back for you sweetheart, I promise."
But she knew he never did. Tears were now dripping down her face. Her father left her, as his father had left his mother. Was it her destiny to leave love ones behind to a cruel fate?
"You now know who you are, but do you still wish to see the truth, we can show you what truly happened the night the temple burned, the night of Kylo Ren's birth."
Rey could feel the voice manipulating her, and she was terrified of what she possibly was about to see, but she was so fed up with Luke's, Kylo's, and her own lies that she could not resist nodding her head.
Ben Solo-no longer a boy but not yet a man-wakes up from loud thunder and, of a strong sense of danger in the force. He opens his eyes to see his beloved uncle standing over him with his green lightsaber raised, his Masters face twisted in a snarl. As the raised lightsaber starts its descent towards Ben, he desperately uses the force to grab and ignite his blue lightsaber, the two blades collide in a explosion of sparks. Ben, realizing that from his laying position his uncles next strike will surely kill him, he forces the ceiling and walls down upon his uncles head.
'Luke-tried to kill him in his sleep?'
The darkness tried to pull her deeper, but she fought it, pushing until she broke free of her invisible restraints. When she next opened her eyes she was standing next to the dark mirror wall, her hand centimetres away from where it had been. She lowered her hand and stepped away, tears were once again streaming down her face.
All her life she had hoped that her, mother, her father, a brother, sister, uncle, cousin, or anyone would one day come for her, telling her that they had desperately wanted to come back for her but couldn't until now. So many slashes on the wall of the hallowed out AT-AT walker that represented every day that she had survived on Jakku since finding her makeshift home. Each day hoping to see a ship land that matches the sliver one she had seen in her vision on Takodana, but no one ever came back.
She knew who she had to talk to about what she saw.
Rey, with new found determination, ran towards the cave's wall that was at the edge of the water. Everything was soaking wet but she found the best hand and foot holes, and started putting her 16 years of scaling crashed Imperial ships to use, making her way towards the opening opposite to the mirror wall. She lost her footing on the slippery stone twice, but had managed to hold on by her hands each time until she found her footing. When she finally reached the opening she was pleased to see that a ledge was not far away. She reached it, and sprinted towards the privacy of her hut.
When she arrived she closed the door and made up her mind. Taking deep breaths she focused her mind on Ben Solo, finding him through the force, and when she opened her eyes there he was.
He looked confused for a second, than relieved. He came towards her but stopped a few feet away.
"You are alright. I had just gotten you to the shore when I was disconnected somehow, I thought it was because you had died, it didn't look like you were breathing."
"You were the one who dragged me out?"
She spoke as she started assembling kindling in the centre of her hut to start a fire. She also found a makeshift blanket ,and wrapped it around herself as she worked on the fire and listened.
"Yes, I sensed you were in imminent danger. I don't quite understand how I saved you because I could not see your surroundings, but I could see you floating mid air. When I grabbed you I could feel the water so I walked until I could no longer feel it. Than you disappeared from my arms."
Rey finally managed to light the fire.
"I have to thank you than, but from what the cave showed me I almost wish you hadn't. For one it showed me who I am, the granddaughter of a Jedi Master who left his apprentice to burn, and pushed his pregnant lover away. His son, my father is a liar who abandoned me. All that is nothing compared to what I saw of Luke, he tried to kill you in your sleep."
Rey could see him react to that, like he was reliving that moment, but he took a deep breath, and kept talking to her.
"Rey, that vision, it came straight from the darkside, it was feeding you visions that would keep you distracted long enough so it could permanently corrupt your soul. Your Grandfather did abandon mine, but not for the reason you think."
"That boy, th-that was Darth Vader? How do you know who my grandfather was?"
"Because I have also had a vision, one that pointed me in the direction of a Jedi relic I have recently found. The lightsaber of Obi-Wan Ben Kenobi, the vision told me I needed a Kenobi's help. I only put it together that it was you when you mentioned your vision."
Rey fell backwards, flashes of memories were trying to resurface but were failing. All her life she thought the only name she had was Rey, but now she was learning of a surname she didn't know she had. Something else was bothering her though, if Ben was attacked by Luke, and not the other way around, why did he turn dark and kill everyone?
"What happened after you pulled the ceiling down on Skywalker?"
"Im not going to lie to you, it was moments after the initial shock of what happened that I did turn to the darkside, and I have killed many people, but no one died by my hand that night. I had gone door to door in the dormitory, rounding up my most loyal and trustworthy friends, and told them what happened. I wanted to leave Luke's Jedi ways behind, and have them come with me. It had been storming violently for hours, when we were halfway to one of the instructors shuttles a massive blue bolt of lightning struck the temple. We ran back to evacuate the temple but in the minutes that it took us to reach it the flames were so intense we could not enter it. Although I had already let the darkside in, I hadn't yet let it rule my emotions, but knowing that two dozen of the people I was raised with were dead and dying sparked the raging anger that still lives within me. My only guess as to how Skywalker survived is that my quarters were in the farthest corner of the temple so the flames might not have been as bad, and the rubble he was under might have shielded him. That is what happened that night. Most of my companions had yet to earn the title of Jedi Knight when we left, so many refused to use there lightsabers, they all crafted weapons that matched there fighting styles. Two years of searching for a purpose in the Unknown Region we had come across several legends of a insane, but powerful force user on a quest for one thing, something called 'Wren' or 'Ren', and destroyed anything that got in his way. Although he had reportedly disappeared we all still took on his symbolism, as well as the Unknown Regions fear of the word Ren. I am there master but we all hold the title."
"That is a remarkable journey, but I can't appreciate a title that represents the fear and death of others, going around causing pain, although that seems to be what my father did."
Rey was starting to warm up, but there was a deep shiver she hadn't been able to shake since the mirror.
"I agree that it is far time the Knights change there priorities, when Snoke took me as his apprentice I forced them to recite Sith prayers everyday to darken there souls further from the light that they respected, but I disagree with you that your father purposely abandoned you. The darkside corrupts what you see to bring out negative emotions. Perhaps if you saw it through a purer lens?"
He took off one of his gloves and held out his hand to her. Rey flinched.
"What are you doing?"
"You don't have to if you don't feel comfortable from what I did on Starkiller, I will understand, but if you let me I can try and see this vision, and find the actual memory that is attached to it. Than you can do what you did on Starkiller where you saw into my mind. It would allow you to relive that memory."
"I've always felt so alone, but that doesn't mean I trust the first murderer that offers me companionship."
"I understand, I also understand feeling completely alone. You could have flown back to the Stormtrooper and the Resistance the moment Luke gave you his answer to your plea, but instead you are still here, something is keeping you here and it might just be within you."
Ben could see the change in her eyes. Her defences dropped, she opened herself up to the aspect that the good man buried deep within had started to surface, and something sparked inside her, warming the shiver away. Slowly, she raised her hand, and touched his. Both were surprised at how smooth the other ones hand felt, and how there connection only felt right. Rey gave a consenting nod and Ben entered her mind, after a second she entered his. What she saw shocked her.
I couldn't be older than three. I didn't quite understand what was going on around me, so I just kept squeezing the doll my father had made out of my mother's flight suit.
Unkar Plutt stood by my father, though his attention was greedily on me. I wanted to be next to him, but he had told me to keep my distance from the pirates that he was dealing with, and there silver ship.
Finally he turned to me, and forced a smile. He said one last thing to Plutt and the pirates, handed each a bag of credits, than walked to were I was standing.
He was only in his mid thirties but the desert life, struggling parent, and scavenging had weathered his face and whitened his orange hair. His green eyes never changed however, as long as she had been alive. He still had that black tear shaped tattoo under his left eye. He gently took my hand in his and kneeled down to my level.
"My little Ray of starlight, I'm going to miss you so much."
"Where are you going daddy?"
"Somewhere safer Kira Rey, dear, and once I get there I'll work day and night until I can get you back to me. Plutt is going to take care of you for now, but you are going to have to work hard for him, okay?"
"Okay Daddy."
"You will be alright, you maybe as strong and beautiful as your mother, but it's your Thaney blood that will help you thrive in this desert hole."
He handed me an old Rebel pilot's helmet that had belonged to my mother, who he had crashed with. The helmet was marked 'R?h' on the side and it was his second most prized possession. It was so heavy I could barely hold it.
"But Thaney's also flourish in space, like your aunt Kallie and myself. One day you too will soar through the galaxy."
He hugged me tighter than he ever had before, than stood up. I pulled on his flight suit.
"Please can I come with you daddy?"
"No, it is not safe. Stay here, I'll come back for you sweetheart, I promise."
He gave me one last kiss on the head.
"I love you Kira."
With that he turned around, and headed towards the ship where most of the pirates and passengers had already boarded. The last thing I saw of him was the back of his old orange flight suit with the initials 'S.B.K.T.'
Plutt grabbed my arm and began pulling me away, but I fell from the weight of the helmet. He yanked it, and the doll out of my hands, shoved the doll into the helmet, and continued to forcefully pull me away. I cried and kicked, and screamed.
Than I watched in horror as the ship my father was on began to rise high into the sky, flying away without me.
"Nooo! Come Back!"
But my only response was more pulling from Plutt, and his harsh words.
"Quite girl."
The memory faded, and nothing new arose, however hundreds of memories from before that day resurfaced.
Rey, or Kira as she now remembered, had many answers now, but even more questions. What happened to her mother? Why didn't her father come back? Was her aunt Kallie still alive out there? She would not figure that out now however, because she was brought out of the memory from a loud shout.
"Stop!"
Luke Skywalker had entered her hut. He saw Kylo, he saw him and Rey holding hands.
He flung out his hand, and the newly returned power inside him hurled every stone in the hut in every direction. The fire extinguished from the pouring rain, and Ben faded away. Rey stood, shedding the blanket.
"Is it true? Did you try to murder him?"
Luke did not answer, instead he started walking away at a brisk pace.
"Leave this island. Now!"
From her possession Rey yelled at him.
"Stop!"
He did not answer and kept walking. Grabbing her staff Rey ran towards him.
"STOP!"
He still did not comply, so she raised her staff, and in one swoop hit him hard on his back with the end of her weapon. Luke fell on to the stone path. When he turned around an enraged Rey was pointing the end of her staff at him.
"Did you do it? Did you create Kylo Ren?"
Scared of what she might do, Luke pushed her, and her staff away and got up, and half ran away from her. He did not get far however when she prepared another strike. Through the force he broke a lightning rod off of a near by hut and brought it to his hands, using it to bloke her blow.
'If it's a fight he wants, it's a fight he will get.'
Blinded by anger, Rey recklessly continued to strike at him, but the old Jedi hadn't forgotten his lessons and easily dodged all her attacks, not even needing to use his makeshift staff to block. However Rey quickly adapted to his strategy, and forced him into a duel, still he blocked every strike.
In an attempt to end the duel, Luke swiftly grabbed her staff and force pushed it away. Rey countered however by force reaching for her lightsaber, and before Luke could force grab his own green one she had the blade an inch from his nose.
Luke fell backwards, he knew she was about to strike him down, she had fallen just like his nephew. To his surprise however the darkness left her face, although she still did not deactivate her lightsaber. She stared into his eyes.
"Tell me the truth."
Knowing he could not get away, he finally allowed himself to tell the unaltered truth.
"I saw darkness. I had sensed it building in him. I had seen it in moments during his training. But that night I entered his room, and looked inside his mind, the darkness was beyond what I ever could have imagined. Snoke had already turned his heart. He would bring chaos, and death, and destroy everything that I loved because of what he would become. And in the briefest moment of pure instinct I thought I could stop him. But looking at the ignited lightsaber in my hand the anger depleted like a passing shadow, and all I felt was shame. Ben woke up and saw the blade in my hand, and the last thing I saw before he reacted was the eyes of a terrified child. He was the boy of a Master who had failed him."
Rey lowered her lightsaber.
"You failed him by thinking his choice was made. It wasn't. There is still great light within him now. If he turns away from the darkside it could shift the balance. He could be the Skywalker to restore the balance."
"I agree that his turning could shift the balance, but I know he would never save your Resistance, I see now that they are the hope of the galaxy and they need help."
"Then your mind is made, but so is mine."
She held out her lightsaber one last time, but just as she thought he did not take it.
"May the force be with you Luke Skywalker."
With that she turned and headed to the Falcon, where Chewie would be waiting to take off.
Poe was confused, and desperate. Desperate because it looked like they were escaping to some local planet, and he had yet to catch the spy. Before he could apprehend his suspect he, along with Finn, Connix, Ackbar, and Leia were all over run by panicking crew members making for the exit. Suu Leh-Lawquane accidentally bumped into Poe, who bumped into Leia, causing them both to fall. She immediately went to there aid, with the help of Rose, who had just rejoined the group, they pulled them back up.
"My deepest apologies General. Captain Dameron, we met earlier, have you seen my boyfriend Belac Cham, we were separated, and I want to leave on the same transport as him."
"Sorry Ms. Leh-Lawquane, I saw him leave over an hour ago."
Without even responding she ran back into the crowd. Leia, with a frantic look in her eyes, grabbed Poe's shoulder.
"Does Belac Cham have green hair?"
"He's blonde, although he does have green roots-"
"Oh Lord, Jacen! Poe, that's the spy."
Not another word necessary Poe took off, and Finn took off after Poe. Finn effortlessly caught up to his pilot, and even surpassed him when Poe started doubting.
"I don't know where he went."
Seeing the path in his mind, and without any doubt Finn pointed in a directing.
"He went this way, he's heading for the escape pods."
As they ran, than encountered less, and less people. The lights started to go out as the ship diverted the majority of its remaining power to fuel the lifeboats. While running Poe had to reach into his pockets and turn on a miniature light beam for them to see at all.
They entered the escape pod bay, and had made it down the hall when they were force slammed against the wall. The light from the activated pod indeed showed Belac Cham, but he seemed more annoyed than angry to see opposition.
"I mean you no harm, I am a spy, but I am not the one who's about to get you all killed. The great slayer Rosita Thorn will be your doom if you don't let me go peacefully, or as she's stupidly calling herself 'Rose Tico'."
Finn was in shock, Poe however was not, he had been suspicious of her since the pilot quarters. What did shock Poe however was how Finn suddenly managed to break free of his force bonds and charged Belac.
Belac also seemed surprised, which was most likely the only reason he wasn't able to dodge Finn's force jump tackle. Holding him to the ground, and grabbing at the mans shirt Finn noticed a tattoo peaking out from his sleeve. Yanking the sleeve up Finn saw a depiction of a cross-guarded lightsaber much like Kylo Ren's, except with a light yellow blade.
Belac, no longer in shock, force pushed Finn out of the pod. He force shut the hatch, and a second later it launched. Poe fell to the ground.
"You're a Jedi?"
"What? No, yes, maybe. I don't know, but what I do know is if he's telling the truth, Rose back-stabbed us and is getting away."
He helped Poe back up, and they started the mad dash to catch Rose before she got on a transport. Through deep breaths Finn asked a question.
"Will she be able to send a transmission from the transport?"
"No, the transports are small enough ships that we fitted them all with the best stealth tech we could buy. They have emission cloaking, reflective shielding instead of deflecting, and all transmissions are blocked, none can come in or out. What that means though is that if she gets on a transport without us we can't warn anybody."
They kept running, they eventually made it to where there chase for Jacen had started, which was about three quarters of the distance to the transports. Finn realized something and shouted back at Poe.
"Do you have an extra light beam?"
"Yes, why?"
Poe tossed it forward and Finn stopped, Poe slowed down but did not stop.
"There is something I need to get, keep going, I'll catch up."
"But-"
"Go!"
Not daring to waste another second Poe picked up his speed, pushing himself to run faster. In the dark he nearly tripped several times over his own feet. Finally however he got within yelling distance of the crowd lined up for the transport currently boarding.
"Stop boarding! Don't launch! Let me through. Stop!"
Poe managed to get through the crowd and to the front of the line. Leia, Ackbar, Holdo, and BB-8 who had been helping the bridge crew for the past few days, as well as C-3PO and 2-9NT, were all overseeing the boarding process.
"Its Rose, does anyone have eyes on Rose Tico? Is she in the crowd, or on that transport?"
Leia spoke to the frantic Poe.
"I do not see her in the remains of the crowd Poe."
Poe pushed his way into the loaded transport, which was full and ready to disembark, and asked the same question. From the very front of the transport C'ai Threnalli spoke in his native tongue.
"The girl was a few people ahead of me, she was the second last to board the transport that left five minutes ago."
Poe screamed in frustration.
"Uhg!"
Not an inch of room in the transport Poe was forced to leave, and take the transport next to this one that had just started its boarding, the second last transport to leave the Raddus.
Poe stood at the front of the transport and watched as the ship Rose was on get lower, and lower. The transport was one large open space, with a minuscule bridge/engineering room in the center. Large windows were all along the outer wall, and benches were attached to the wall under the windows and outer walls of the bridge.
Just outside the transport, Leia was making her goodbyes to her oldest friends.
"Amilyn, I am going to take this transport, will you join me, or take the next?"
"For the First Order to be fooled into thinking we are not on Crait someone needs to pilot the ship, make the slight changes and jolts a autopilot, or droid wouldn't make."
"Are you saying that you aren't coming? Amilyn, the Resistance needs you, even if they think you are a careless fool."
"Is that really how they see me? Either way, I'm afraid I outrank you now Princess, and an Admiral goes down with there ship."
"Indeed they do."
Ackbar stepped closer towards the two powerful women.
"Princess Organa is right, you might not be the leader the Resistance wants, but the one they may need. This is a Mon Calamari ship, it was made by my brethren, I chose it now to be where I make my last stance. That is all. Leia, there is a young Mandalorian that deserves my thanks, if you find him let him know. May the force be with you all."
"It's been an honour serving with you Admiral."
Holdo turned to talk to Ackbar.
"I will wait until the last transport then to make sure everyone besides you has gotten on board."
Leia bowed towards both Admiral. She than turned and boarded the transport. She found Poe starring at the planet below.
"It's called Crait, a planet made entirely of different crystals. There is an old Rebel base that was abandoned before it really got used. It'll have communication equipment we can use to contact Vi, Snap, Pava, Kun, Rey, and anyone who will listen to come to our aid."
Poe nodded halfheartedly.
"If they arrive before Rose contacts the First Order and they decimate the planet."
"Poe, we have to have hope, that is what rebellions are fuelled by. I've seen it rise and prevail."
They stayed in silence for some time, the transport filled and would soon depart. Eventually Poe broke the silence.
"Both Belac and Rose were spies, Belac confessed that she is some sort of assassin named Rosita Thorn, but how did you know him to be someone named Jacen?"
"Jacen Syndulla, he's the son of a Jedi Knight and a Twi'lek who was the best pilot in the Rebellion besides Han, I dare say she was better than my brother Luke. His mother realized he was force sensitive from a young age, and he became Luke's first student. He was presumed dead with the rest of Luke's students, the heartbreak killed his mother I'm sad to say. I guess though that he joined my son, and took on an alias. His father's birth name was Caleb, Belac backwards, and Cham is the name of his heroic Twi'lek grandfather who helped free Ryloth in both galactic wars. I now realize I was sensing two force signatures on the Raddus, and not just your friend."
The transport shook for a second as it disembarked and started its planetary descent.
"So you knew about Finn."
"I wasn't completely certain, and it was obvious that he did not know himself, so I was going to wait until I was sure to tell him. Where is he by the way?"
"I honestly don't know where he is."
"Where who is?"
Smiling, Poe turned around to see the out of breath ex-stormtrooper.
"Finn, you made it!"
Poe wrapped his arms around him for a tight hug, he had to eventually let him go to breath.
"You didn't get Rose, did you?"
The smile dimmed slightly on his face.
"Yah, she's two transports below us. Leia was just explaining to me about Jacen Syndulla, who she knew when he was little."
"I saw his tattoo, he's a Knight of Ren, he's probably been deep undercover for years, probably longer than Rose. I still can't believe she's our spy."
"Finn, I know you see the best in everyone but she knew things no low rank mechanic could ever know, and she was unaccounted for at the time Connix said she intercepted those transmissions. I'm sorry I didn't share my suspicions, I just wasn't sure until Jacen called her out."
"You said you knew her sister, was she a spy too?"
"I don't think so, I don't know how Paige fits into all of this."
Finn let this sink in. A question popped into Poe's head.
"Where did you go?"
"Oh right, follow me."
Finn took Poe's hand and excitedly took him to the bench that went around the bridge room. Happily, he pointed to a spot on the bench.
To Poe's amazement and awe, laying on the bench were Poe's sapling, and synthsilk wrapped branch. He had completely forgot that he had left them behind. This was the most heartfelt and selfless thing anyone had ever done for him in his life. What was even more touching was that he hadn't asked Finn to do this, he just did, and Finn now looked happy just because Poe was happy.
Poe realized that the man standing beside him was the most loyal, and kind man he would ever meet, and before he even realized what he was doing he had grabbed Finn by his jacket, and had pulled him into a kiss.
Finn was surprised, but definitely did not resist this confession of attention because he felt exactly the same way about Poe. It was Leia who ended up forcing them to stop.
"Save it for later, Rose will land soon, and she will undoubtably contact the First Order the very first chase she gets, we have to prepare ourselves mentally for what is to come.."
They did stop, but with nothing else they could possibly do until they land, Poe picked up his two possessions, and he and Finn sat where they had laid. Leia returned to the front of the transport, and remained standing. Finn spoke what was on his mind.
"I was disappointed earlier because I wanted to live with you, and I still do."
"I can not abandon the Resistance, not until the First Order is obliterated."
"I know, but I refuse to live in a house alone, so I will stay and fight. Fight as long as it takes so that you and I can go home."
Finn lay his head on Poe's shoulder, resting up before the guarantied chaos that awaited them on the surface ensued. Finn found Poe's hand creep into his and he squeezed it tight.
After days of waiting Hux finally got the transmission he had been waiting all this time for. The beautiful face of his cutthroat flower finally appeared to him. The majority of her pitch black hair was cut, and tied back in a shockingly girly hairstyle, and she wore an ugly yellowish-brown mechanics outfit. He had seen her like this several times in updates over the last two years, but it still appeared jarring compared too her long wavy hair and form fitted specialized First Order uniform.
"You look terrible."
"Say that again, and I'll rip your tongue out - and I'll make you enjoy it."
Hux wanted to talk dirty all day, he'd been wanted her by his side for so long, but he had to focus.
"Play times over love, status report. They're on Crait, am I correct?"
"Correct, track my current location. I'm also sending you information on how to locate there transports heading to the surface, there are still two in the air. Finally there is something you need to know about Captain Phasma, about how FN-2187, and Poe Dameron escaped, as well as who truly lowered the shields of Starkiller base."
Hux threw a chair through a console.
Phasma had been guarding a old Rebel safe house on Sullust's moon with a portion of her troops, the rest were spread throughout the sector on six different orbital bodies. So far no unauthorized ships had landed.
A transmission came in from the First Order, but it went to her troops instead of her. Before any of them could yell 'Traitor' she had shot dead three of them, and had made a sprint for the closest TIE. They shot at her, and most of them hit her, but they stupidly forgot that her armour was made from chromium, which deflects all ray-based weapons, they should be shooting at the TIE, but they weren't.
As she entered, and started the takeoff sequence, she took off her helmet and pulled out her Parnassos knife from her pouch, the two items that embodies her time with the First Order, 25 years worth of working behind there back but still doing there dirty work. She threw them both out of the hatch at the top, closed it, and took off.
Dawn was approaching the island, and Luke had finally made up his mind. He was going to burn the uneti tree, and it's ancient contents to the ground, than use his X-wing to fly to Leia to help. He had tried several times to burn the tree, and disassemble the temple, but the Caretakers would always get in the way, and eventually he just gave up. Strangely through no Caretakers were in sight as he lit his red flamed torch. As he turned the corner on the path the tree now laid straight ahead, however he thought he had seen a small humanoid figure.
He did not look back because he had convinced himself it was a Caretaker here to stop him, but as he reached the tree every fiber in his aging body told him to turn around.
He quickly realized that the figure did not belong to a Caretaker, but instead the longest lived Grand Jedi Master in history, Yoda. He had not seen a force ghost since his father's funeral on Endor, but Yoda did not look like how he did than. Yoda looked how he did when he was alive, fully corporeal with only the slightest blue aura. Luke figured he was here to stop Luke himself.
"Master Yoda."
"Young Skywalker."
"I'm ending all of this. I'm going to burn it down. Don't try and stop me."
Luke turned his back on his old master, thinking he would convince him otherwise. Full of determination Luke took the final steps to the ancient tree, and lifted his blazing torch up towards one of its branches. But he could not bring himself to make the flame contact the branch, for years after Endor Luke had searched the galaxy for different Jedi artifacts, and he just could not make himself burn the oldest of there teachings.
Yoda however could. Closing his eyes, and raising but one of his six fingers, a powerful white bolt of lightning shot down from the sky at his request, causing the tree to Split into large blazing pieces. Luke had been flung back by the explosion, and he now stared speechless at the burning three million year old history. Finally he turned his head to face Yoda, who was giggling uncontrollably.
"Oh Skywalker, missed you have I."
"So it is time then? For the Jedi to end."
"Time it is. Users of light and dark there will always be, but time it is for the Jedi Order, time it is for you to look past a pile of old book, hum."
Luke protested.
"The sacred Jedi texts-"
"Read them have you?"
Never even really touching them Luke bowed his head in defeat.
"Page-turners they were not. Relearn there wisdom any force wielder can. Hiding you still are from what you must do."
"Master, I don't understand. I have failed Ben, Rey, all my students. I plan to return to my sisters side-"
"To hide and cower more."
Yoda shook his head, trying to think of a way to make Luke understand.
"Skywalker, still looking at the horizon. Never here or now. In front of your nose the need is."
"I don't think I can turn Ben or Rey back."
"Heed my words did you not? Pass on what you have learned. Wisdom and strength always the Jedi way they have been, but also openness and failure. Yes, failure most of all, the greatest teacher failure is. Lost not are Ben Solo or Kira Kenobi, but your destiny to find them it is not. Fighting darkness it is."
"Kenobi?"
"Much you still do not know. Luke?"
"Yes Master?"
"Heed me now, told you on Dagobah I did, to stay and help yours friends, and fight you should not, tell you now I do to go fight and help your friends you must. Listen this time young Skywalker."
Knowing he could not fight what he must do anymore he stood.
"I will listen this time Master."
With that he turned away from the fire, and what he thought to be the burning remains of the Jedi texts, and rushed for the village. Reaching the outside of his hut he out reached his hands and mentally told the stones what to do. Each stone separated and floated high above, followed by his few possessions, and finally the stone floor. What remained was a crude but durable lightsaber that he had buried here over a decade ago. He willed it to his hand, than gently placed everything as it had been a minute ago.
The crystal inside still called to him as joyfully as the day he had first acquired it. It's hilt still felt right in his hand of flesh. Not wasting a second more in the rising sunlights, Luke climbed the ancient steps one final time to the cliff clearing where he had left his X-wing.
He had not entered the shelter he had built around his trustworthy vessel once since its creation, and was almost surprised to see it was still there and in perfect condition. What he was surprised by was R2-D2 standing next to it.
"Artoo!"
The old Jedi said overjoyed as he ran over to the droid.
"Does Chewie or Rey know you are here?"
The droid beeped a mischievous negative. Luke chuckled and patted the droids head once more before lifting him up into the droid socket. Finally he himself climbed into the cockpit, put on his old helmet, and started the launch sequence.
"Artoo, I need you to give me the location of an old friend."
Breaking atmosphere, Luke found himself surprised when he punched in familiar coordinate for Bespin. The beautiful lights of hyperspace where more beautiful than he had remembered, and after sometime they ceased and a gassy planet replaced his horizon. The surface contacted him.
"Unauthorized spacecraft, state your name, destination and purpose."
"I am General Jedi Master Luke Skywalker, I am remaining in orbit because I am out of fuel, and I need to speak to Landonis Calrissian the third. I need his help."
Rey, in a new dry outfit she had found, sat in the copilot seat of the Millennium Falcon as it traveled through light speed. She was anxious because of what she was about to do, and for the lie she had told Chewbacca. She had told him that the force had sent her a vision of Kylo Ren turning to the light side and would return if she went to him now, and that the beacon Leia gave her will guide her home, despite knowing that that was far from the truth.
Through the force she had told Ben that she was coming, and he told her what remote part of the Supremacy to lunch her escape pod towards so he could tractor beam her in, and they could secretly find a way to restore balance to the breaking force.
Rey turned, and faced the friend she had come to care about over the past week, she knew how much pain he was in, and felt horrible to be about to cause any more of it.
"Let's go over this one more time. As soon as I launch, you jump back into hyperspace, and stay there until the Resistance contacts you to pick me up. You got that?"
He growled an annoyed yes, she had said this several times. Rey flicked a few controls and then stood. She knew this was most likely the last time she'd ever see him, she wanted to say something touching, hug him goodbye, but if she did any of that he might prevent her from leaving so she had to play it like it was just a 'see you later.'
"Stay safe Chewie."
She turned and as she was about to leave the cockpit she reached to touch Hans lucky golden dice, but they weren't in there normal spot, so she put something in its place and kept on walking. It only took her a couple minutes to reach the single escape pod. Chewie growled loudly from the cockpit to let her know they were almost there.
Rey opened the coffin like escape pod and put her Lightsaber in a small holder inside the escape pod and than got in herself, laying her staff next to her. She put the restraint belts over her waist and chest. She pulled the top of the human capsule down via a hand-gripping bar, and than pressurized and activated life support in the pod via a small panel on the side near where she was keeping her lightsaber. Finally she pressed the com button.
"Chewbacca-"
The Wookiee turned his head in surprise, he had not expected Rey to call to him again. With his head turned he noticed something blue flashing, upon further inspection he saw Rey's wrist beacon, the beacon that was supposed to aid her rescue. Realizing that she was planning something deadly, or stupid he tried to override the escape pod controls but quickly figured out that she had rigged the override.
"If you try, and stop me from launching, I will launch immediately into hyperspace where there is a good chance I will be torn apart or crushed to death. So in a few seconds when we reach our destination you will bring us out of hyperspace so I don't die, than jump back in so you can go help the Resistance. I'm sorry Chewie, but this is the only way to save the Galaxy."
Chewbacca howled in protest.
"I'm not betray the Resistance by joining the First Order, I'm going to try and turn Kylo, I didn't lie about that, I just don't think I'll be coming back."
Rey's thoughts were on Finn as they emerged from hyperspace. The first friend she ever had, and the man who gave her the excuse to leave Jakku. She felt guilty leaving him behind, but she had a feeling that he wasn't alone, and that he was on his own path. Just before she hit the launch button she spoke one last time.
"If you ever see Finn, if he's awake, tell him that he is a hero, and that I am sorry."
She hit the button and grabbed onto the gripping bar as she was shot out of the ship at laser speed. Seconds later a tractor beam indeed began pulling her towards the biggest ship she had ever seen, she just hoped it was the one she was promised, and not one bringing her to her doom.
Looking out the minuscule window in front of her head she could see that she was indeed being pulled to an obscure part of the ship, she allowed herself to let in hope. Finally her pod was brought into a small cargo bay in the underbelly of the ship, and before she even opened the pod she could sense Ben's presence next to her. His presence had grown even warmer and more light than when they touched on Ahch-To.
She grabbed her lightsaber, no matter what outcome she knew she'd need it, and opened the pod. An outreached hand greeted her, Ben offering to help her out, a small but worried smile on his face. She in turn grew a nervous smile but took his hand none the less. Next to him was a single stormtrooper and a floating droid that started scanning her.
"She is just making sure you are perfectly healthy, I programmed her myself so she shouldn't be a problem."
The problem, Rey thought, was that they were both now on a ship that means to kill them.
"AH-0904, take the pod to my personal shuttle through the maintenance chambers, and prime it's engines, and than leave."
"Yes Sir."
The trooper bowed, and pushed the hovering pod away.
"Do you not fear him reporting this in?"
"They are brainwashed since there recruitment, some since birth, they follow orders and never ask questions."
"Why ask me to meet here, and not us both meet up at a neutral location, we could easily be found out and killed here."
"Because the First Order's darkness is close to breaking the balance, close to permanently submerging the cosmic and living force into eternal darkness. It has to be stopped as soon as possible, and they aren't expecting an attack from the inside. However I also think bending of the force is revealing abilities we never knew we had, like our visual and sensual force communications."
"I see what you mean. Well, I agree to help because I also believe the First Order must fall."
"Sadly, neither I, or the Supreme Leader share either of your beliefs."
Ben and Rey turned to see that a door had opened, and hundreds of Stormtroopers were flooding in with General Hux in the middle of them.
"Ren, you know how much I hate you, but collaborating with the enemy is something I never thought I'd live to see."
Countless blasters aiming at both there heads it would be a fatal mistake to even activate a lightsaber. Rey still wanted to fight, but held her impulse back, Ben however looked like he was about to unleash fiery hell. Thinking quickly Rey dropped her lightsaber, and grabbed his hand, his head whipped around in shock and all he could see was Rey's concern.
'Don't fight them Ben.'
'I won't.'
There lips never moved, and yet these thoughts were still heard. Rey let go, and Ben placed his lightsaber on the ground. Troopers surrounded them, and restrained there hands behind there backs, one picked up both there lightsabers.
"I was supposed to be on the bridge minutes ago, but I just had to be the one to capture you Ren, seeing your downfall is something I've waited for year. Take them to Snoke, and secure the lightsabers, they can activate them without touching them."
"I don't agree with Snoke anymore, but he was right about you, you are nothing more than a immature, power hungry, snivelling cur."
Hux walked right up to his face, anger engulfed in his eyes, but than smiled. He proceeded to spit in Ben's eyes, and than walk away without another word.
The troopers escorted them through long compressed corridors, open base, and even longer hallways, and finally after awhile they reached an elevator. It stood out from all the other lifts because it a single soldier waited in front of it.
'It is Snoke's lift, there is no other way to his throne room.'
'I figured.'
When the door opened Rey and Ben, along with the guard holding there lightsabers stepped inside.
"You are trying so hard to let the light side shine through, but I can sense the dark still boiling away inside you Ben."
"The same anger you feel inside me Kira- do you want to be called Kira or Rey-"
"-Rey-"
"There is similar anger inside you, just below the surface, ready to emerge when necessary, I don't know if I can control which I feel. The light is where I wish to be, but the darkness is all I have known for so long, and it gives me such power, the conflict is tearing me apart."
"Like the force is being torn apart."
Rey pointed out.
A wave of anger over came Ben, nothing provoked it, just the bottled up anger had sprung a leak. He slammed himself into the wall, causing the guard to draw his weapon. Before blood could be shed, Rey put herself between the two conflicting bodies. Ren practically growled in pain, and was breathing heavily.
"No! Look at me. Ben, look at me."
He did, and looking into her eyes he found his personal balance again, and calmed down. The guard lowered his blaster but did not return it to his side.
"We are going to survive this, we have to."
'Together, they both thought.
The turbolift doors opened with a hiss, and the two force users were led into the throne room. At the other side of the long red room, Supreme Leader Snoke, in his dark purple robes, was waiting.
Fear managed to creep into Rey as she looked at the Supreme Leader of the First Order for the first time. Several stomach churning scars were present on his head, mouth, and neck. So deep she wondered how he survived the injuries. He was far taller than any humanoid she had ever seen, and despite his frailness he possessed a dark aura of deadly power. His blue eyes were as cold as the desert nights on Jakku.
Along the side walls of the room were eight guards decked out from head to foot in crimson red armour, different weapons at each guards side. The Stormtrooper ran ahead and placed both lightsabers on the Supreme Leader's throne arm, bowed, and than speed walked out.
Snoke grabs Ben's lightsaber, his hand made it appear small. He stood with the help of his cane, and stepped towards the pair of force users.
"Welcome young Solo and Thaney, you are just in time to watch your friends die."
On the bridge of the Supremacy, Hux stood next to Commander Yago with a devilish smirk on his face.
"Has the detection algorithm our spy provided proven to be useful?"
"To a degree General, three transport vessels are still on route to the Crait's surface, however from there size I estimate they only hold a total of 40 percent or less of the Raddus' crew. Should we not just use a laser canon and blast the ships, and surface to ash?"
"No, the very spy that gave us there location, and how to track there escape shuttles, is down there and I will not lose another loyal comrade today if I can help it Commander. Fire on the ships, and prepare a landing party."
"Yes General."
Yago wished to smack Hux's selfish, and arrogant face so hard that it would break his own hand, but the Supreme Leader's favouritism of the young General was well know and Yago did not wish to lose his ship, the only thing he had that Hux did not. He settled just for the mental image of shooting Hux through the chest with his personal blaster.
"Shall we also obliterate the Raddus?"
"It's empty, no need to waste costly ammunition."
Finn was jolted awake by the sound of a turbolader blast, and several impacts to there shuttle. Panicking Poe ran to the window, BB-8 close behind him. To his horror, when he looked up he saw that the debris crashing into them was the fiery remains of the transport above them.
"No, no, no, no, no, no. Beebee-Ate with me."
As Poe ran to the bridge entrance, with his droid by his side, Finn came up behind him.
"What is it, what do you need?"
"Space!"
Poe flung the door open, causing the frightened pilot to quickly turn to face him, with her hands not on the controls, the transport flung to the left. An instant later a laser past right where they were.
Poe grabbed the pilot by the collar, and pulled her out of her seat, and took over flying.
"Beebee-Ate, see if you can give us more power. This ship was only made for steady inclines and declines, but let's how fast she can really go."
Poe could only hope Threnalli was doing the same bellow them, he couldn't lose another pilot, he couldn't lose another friend.
With just the raising of one finger both Ben, and Rey's restraints unlocked and fell to the floor. The black stone tiles were so smooth, and polished that they reflected, just like the dark mirror on Ahch-To. Although Snoke had stepped down from his throne, he still stood quite a distance from them. Pointing at Rey, he spoke.
"Come closer child."
He was speaking calmly but his voice boomed in the large throne room. Rey, fully aware of the danger she was in, did not comply, and stood her ground. Snoke was annoyed at her resistances but simply spoke in response.
"Darkness rises, and the light to meet it. As my power and armies grew, I knew a light counterbalance would form. Despite the darkness in himself, Kylo had been concerned for sometime now of the balance of the force being shattered, but only recently he realized that has always been what I've wanted all along. I have spent the last two decades eradicating every light force that could threaten my darkness."
Ben spoke, followed by Rey.
"You cast the lightning, burning Luke's temple to the ground."
"And that is why you prioritized destroying the Resistance when so few days ago every member of the First Order was after Luke Skywalker."
"I have done far more than that, you small minded fools. I turned the Knights of Ren to solely practice darkness, I ensured the destruction of the New Republic no matter what, and It was I who bridged your minds at key moments to ensure that young Kira would die. Did you really think I did not feel the change in you Solo, I sensed the fading of Kylo Ren, and your scheming the moment they occurred."
"Luke still lives, his light is stronger than when I first came to his island."
"His fate is sealed, and I have confidence his twin's spark will fade with his. Now young Kenobi, I said closer!"
Rey desperately tried to resist his force control over her, but her feet began to walk without her willing them to. She reached an arm back for Ben, but similarly how she was being pulled, he was frozen in a kneeling position. Her legs finally stopped when she was right in front of Snoke. She now found herself also frozen in place.
"I See it now, I see the Kenobi in your face, however the most of him that I see in you is your control over your own actions. I am glad that will die with you."
"You underestimate the light, it's small but powerful. It is strong in the Resistance, it is strong in Ben Solo, and it is strong in me. And my name is Rey!"
"Young fool, combined they might rival some of my assets, but separated I am far more powerful than you, and I am definitely more powerful than him."
Snoke pointed a boney finger at Ben.
"He is weak, and more pathetic than you can imagine. He is more conflicted than when I first met him."
Blue Lightning, aimed at Ben, shot out of his fingers. Ben was still frozen in place on his knees so all he could do was scream. Rey could not turn around to watch, but see could sense his great agony. However that was not all that she could sense, she could feel Snoke's dark lightning forcing the darkness within him to surface and erupt. Ben screamed more, but now they were more screams of rage than pain.
Finally Snoke stopped. Using the force he turned Rey around to see the smouldering Solo rising to his feet, his eyes almost flaming with hate and anger.
Through the windows in the outer Raddus halls, Ackbar could see the Supremacy firing at Crait, presumably at the base, and the Resistance transports.
"They won't last ten minutes with fire power of that magnitude."
Knowing what he must do Ackbar started hobbling towards the bridge as fast as his leg would allow. With all systems except artificial gravity, and bridge controls completely powerless, the dropping temperature was starting to have its affect on the old Admiral, he could only hope he'd make it in time.
Captain Poe Dameron was giving Tillie, that's what he was mentally calling the transport, a very hard time. She was not meant to fly, turn, or dive this fast, she wasn't meant to dive at all. Poe was swerving and rotating her in every direction to try and evade enamel fire.
BB-8 calculated that it would take twelve more minutes to reach the surface, not counting his dodging. Sadly, with the hundreds of people calculating there demise, Poe knew any laser blast could be the one that did him in. He'd die in a pilot's seat like he had thought, but he was going to try and buy Finn, Leia, and the fifty other people on board as many seconds of life that he could give them.
Snoke's stoic face turned to a sort of focused annoyance as he turned his attention to Rey.
"I do not need a second apprentice, but you might still have worth. Embrace the darkside, and give me the location of the first jedi temple so I can obliterate it, or force me to pry it out of your mind through torture, and than have Ren kill you."
Both these options were horrible, and she refused to accept those as her only options. She could still feel the light in Ren, if she could help it surface she might still have a chance.
"I will not follow you, nor will today be the day that I die. There should not be any pure good or bad in the universe, only Grey. True balance between the light and dark, and I will fight you for that balance."
Rey, with all her strength, managed to reach out with the force for a lightsaber. Snoke must have predicted this, and was force holding hers down on his throne's arm, so she instead went for the unexpected.
Kylo's lightsaber went flying through the air, and ignited the second it was in Rey's hands. All of the guards got into a battle stance, revealing that there weapons had plasma photonic energy shielding that most likely made them capable of withstanding lightsaber strikes.
She was just about to charge the Supreme Leader when she was put off guard, Snoke had chuckled. Suddenly the lightsaber came flying out of her hands, and she turned to see the blade return to its master, Kylo Ren.
"This belongs to me."
"You have made your choice."
Her resistance to Snoke's force grip over her gave out, and she now found herself being thrust into the air, and than held in place. Her arms were glued to her sides, as were her legs to each other, she could only move her head. She yelled.
"Let me go!"
"I think not, your mind will now tell me everything."
Powerful lightning once again shot out of his fingers, this time making contact with Rey's body. Lightning wasn't apart of mind probing, but if your victim is weakened they can not possibly resist, and Rey was now a victim of that strategy.
Rey screamed in agony, the stabbing shocks never ending. She could feel the pain of the dark electrocution in every inch of her body, out and in. It struck her very soul. The darkness sapping her strength, and without the ability to move, Snoke could not miss. Unseen to all but Kylo, the closest Elite Praetorian Guard to Snoke located along the right wall fell to there knees, there vibro-arbir blades fell to the ground next to them. Although the torture lasted less than a minute, Rey felt as if years were ripped away from her lifespan, and yet she still hung in the air.
"The location of Luke Skywalker, and your pledge of loyalty, or your death!"
"I choose life and freedom, and always will."
"Than death at the hands of a comrade it shall be."
Ackbar had finally reached the bridge. The old Mon Calamari threw his cane way and took the helm. He commanded the Raddus to turn around, but for a ship of its size, and ship's current power level, he was not sure if it would realign in time.
Several Resistance fighters watched from the large entrance of the base as laser after laser shot out of the sky towards the surface. They realized not long after the bombardment began that they weren't firing at the base, yet, but instead at there remaining transports. They could see the remains of one falling towards the surface. Some wanted to close the blast shield now, but Lieutenant Connix was trying to convince everyone to keep it open until the last shuttles entered, or she saw with her own eyes the remains of the last two shuttles fall. All they could do was have hope.
"Why aren't those last two transports space dust?!"
"General, we are firing at them with everything we've got, they are just very small, and are dodging with remarkable skill. No mater what today is the end for the Resistance."
Yago was just as mad as Hux, but he knew how to channel his anger into something productive, unlike the former kitchen slave child who had barely entered his third decade. Out from a console a tactical officer shouted a report at them.
"There flag ship is turning around Commander!"
Both Hux and Yago looked out, and indeed saw the Raddus rotating. Hux spoke.
"Scan the ship for any energy signatures, see if there is any concentrations of Rhydonium."
"Sir, one life sign, but I don't know how the ship is even turning. There is only point one percent of fuel remaining to power the entirety of the ship, and barely any hyperspace fuel. Should we fire upon it?"
Hux answered not a second later.
"Not yet, it's empty so we should focus on the shuttles, and the planets surface, we'll blow up the Raddus like she deserves when the Resistance has already burned."
Yago was not comfortable with this decision, even if one rebel escapes, like a cancerous cell, it could multiply and regrow. The Raddus was clearly doing something, and Hux wasn't concerned in the slightest.
Snoke sat back into his throne, he wanted to be comfortable watching the death of the Kenobi bloodline. Still without control of her body Snoke forced Rey to her knees, and pushed her in front of Kylo. She could see that the struggle had returned to his eyes, but Snoke's darkness still dominated him.
"I will not fall."
Snoke chuckled at her comment, but his annoyance could be heard.
"Still that fiery spirit of hope."
Snoke allowed her to be able to turn her head.
"This monitor shows the last two of your Resistance ships, they will be blasted out of the sky any second now. On the one closest in range I sense two force sensitives, one I do not know, but the other is there leader, and she is about to die."
Her head was now forced forward again. Forced to look into the eyes of Kylo Ren, as he held the weapon of her destruction.
"Yes I care for the people of the Resistance, but I am no longer sure if they are my calling. What I am sure of is that you will fall."
"Darkness is apart of you, but you are still to pure, and you have the heart of a fearsome warrior. I have wasted to much time, you die now."
Kylo held out his lightsaber in a way that if it were activated the blade, it would go straight through her chest. Fear was being to creep in.
"Ben-"
He did not respond, but Snoke did in a laugh. Unlike his last laugh, this one was genuine.
"You think you can turn him, darkness will forever be apart of his soul. I can sense his dark thoughts, I will not be betrayed. I see his every intention through the darkness, he is positioning his lightsaber, and with a single thought, he ignited it upon his true enemy-"
Snoke tried to finish his sentence, but he couldn't, for Rey's lightsaber that had been sitting by his side had been turned and ignited Ben through Snoke's torso. Ben had been channeling both the light, and the dark, giving him the ability to manipulate behind Snoke's back. Rey, free from Snoke's control, force grabbed the lightsaber to her hand, cutting the Supreme Leader in half. Some of his species most vital organs having been destroyed, Snoke's upper body fell off the throne, dead.
Snoke defeated, and both force users holding there activated respective weapons, they both prepared to fight the approaching guards.
The Praetorian guards were upon them in seconds. Three on Rey, and four on Ben. Both overwhelmed, all they could do in the infancy of the battle was dodge and block attacks, and push the guards back so that they could push back the next.
Rey had been in many life or death fights in her life, that was how her staff had become apart of her. But now she felt added pressure in the fight, she was not just fighting for her life, but for the life of everyone. She had a purpose now, and the red-headed snazzliers were damned if they thought they were going to take that from her. The force was guiding her, guiding her weapon, it told her where to strike and when to dodge.
A guard, wielding a vibro-voulge, has preparing to charge Ben, which left them open to Rey for only a moment. She thrusted her blade through him and retracted just as fast to block another attack.
All six attackers forced Rey and Ben back-to-back again. Without speaking, without telepathy even, Ben bent over and Rey simultaneously leaned her back on to his and used him as a support as she pushed two guards back with her legs before standing again.
Ben manages to draw four of the guards away from Rey, he could see that she was a skilled fighter, but could tell she was out of her element, and he wanted her to live long enough to perfect lightsaber dueling. He had been focusing on his assassination of the Supreme Leader and it had left him open to a vibro-voulge's attack, if Rey hadn't been as levelheaded and focused as she was, he would have been decapitated. He had to continue to be perfectly attuned to the force and focus on the present, and not the recent past. If he let his true blazing anger out he might end up killing everyone, including Rey.
An Electro-Bisento guard blocked Ben's strike from above, but Ben used this momentum to force both of there locked blades to the side, leaving Ben's right arm free for an attack. He punched the guard in there face, knocking them off balance. He sensed another guard, a Vibro-Voulge, about to strike, so he grabbed the Electro-Bisento by the neck, kicked the Vibro-Voulge in the leg, and than pushed the Electro-Bisento as far as he could, sending him spiraling to the ground.
On the bridge the Commander and General received an update on the Raddus's status.
"Sirs, the Raddus is still rotating, and they are charging there hyperdrive."
Hux responded first to the ensign, followed by Yago.
"There is only one life sign, if they escape they can't resurrect there dead comrades, and who would they turn too for help? There is no where in the galaxy that we cannot find them."
"Regardless I say fire at there engines, better safe than sorry."
"Fine."
Ben might have four guards facing him, but Rey found her two were quite a handful. The guards she was exchanging blows with were a Vibro-air Blade and an Electro-Chain Whip, both clearly were far more attuned to there weapons than she was to hers.
Rey blocked a vicious strike from one end of the Vibro-air Blade's weapon, but as the Whipped guard got threateningly close, and the Vibro-air Bladed guard rotated there weapon to attack from its other end, she had to come up with an evasive action. As she dodged the other end of the Vibro-air Blade, she simultaneously kicked the Whipped guard hard enough to knock them back, freeing her for a needed couple of seconds.
Rey made contact with one end of the Vibro-air Blade's weapon, kicked them in the thigh so they fall backwards, and using the force pushed them further away as they fell. Momentarily free from the Vibro-air Blade, Rey charged the Whip.
Ready for her, the Electro-Chain Whipped guard lashed the end of there weapon around her lightsaber. Rey quickly discovered that the chain portion of the whip worked as safe hand holds for its wielder, but the plasma engulfed portion weren't lightsaber defective like the other melee weapons, but instead fused itself to the lightsabers blade. The pointed metal end of the whip was also enhanced as Rey discovered, because no matter how she or the guard now moved, its tip always pointed straight for her jugular.
Grabbing one hand hold at a time, and pulling with all there strength, aided also by the slick floors, the whips wielder slowly drew Rey closer. When they finally brought her within arms reach they grabbed her neck, and tried to force the tip of there weapon through her neck. Unable to move the lightsaber or herself from her enemies grasp, fear once again set in. However she used her fear to fuel her determination, and with it an idea occurred. She deactivated the blade, freeing it from the whip, than reactivated it, cutting off her attackers arm. In one motion she positioned herself behind the guard and violently stabbed them through the back, and moved the blade up until she had guarantiedly destroyed there heart, and any other vital organ along the way. Only than did she draw back her lightsabers blade.
Rey's aggression rising she turned to see that the Vibro-air Blade guard had recovered, and was in a ready battle stance. They pointed one end of the weapon at her, challenging her to a duel. When they believed she got there message they took one step forward, and with a simple press of button, had separated there Vibro into two daggers.
They started to walk towards her. Rey had not ever been enveloped in darkness like Ben had, but because she was channeling the force as a whole, and not one aspect of it, darkside bursts accrued. Rage at having to kill to survive, and not knowing if she had the moral high ground enveloped her. As the guard went from a walk to a charge she stood her ground, weapon ready, and screamed a war cry so terrifying it stopped the guard in there tracks, but only for a second.
Two Electro-Bisento guards simultaneously locked there blades with Ben's, forcing his blade and body to the ground. A guard, wielding a Vibro-Voulge, started charging at the vulnerable Ben, there weapon raised above his head ready to strike it down on him. Channeling a controlled amount of anger, Ben managed to find the strength to fling his blade up, knocking the two Electro-Bisentos back and disarming the Vibro-Voulge all at once. With one swift motion Ben impaled the Voulge guard, leaving only five guards alive.
Ben, holding his lightsaber with both hands straight in front of him, pivoted to survey the battle scene. The two Electro-Bisento and a Electro-Chain Whip were stocking him in a circle. As he rotated he could see Rey, he watched as a Vibro-air Bladed guard slashed her arm. Nothing that would impede her from defending herself, but it must hurt.
The guard with the Electro-Chain Whip cracked there weapon at Ben, not to hurt him, but to encourage him to make the first move. Ben refused however, not letting his anger take hold, and continue to pivot with his weapon ready. Not waiting any longer, the Whip charged. Ben however was ready, and with one swing of his lightsaber cut the Whip's weapon in half through one of the hand holds. A second later he made contact with the first Electro-Bisento's blade, and than the other.
When Poe felt the laser hit he knew he was done for. BB-8 updated him that the laser only nicked the Transport, taking out one of the engines, but Poe knew it would mean there deaths. With an engine missing they would be slower, and the transport would be harder to maneuver, not even his fancy flying could save him and the crew members aboard. Just after finding a man he would like to spend the rest of his life with, they were both going to die. He could only hope that the rest of the Resistance will somehow survive.
The first Electro-Bisento guard, and the Whip guard attacked Ben from above, so to dodge he was forced to do a back bend as well as swing his lightsaber through the ground causing a fiery explosion of sparks and shrapnel to erupt from his swing. Using this momentum, Ben dodged the second Electro-Bisento's blade and cut the Whipped guards head off. Keeping his weapon ahead of him he prepared for the next wave of attacks as the two Electro-Bisentos charged.
Rey continued to fend off her opponent, but the Vibro-Dagger guard kept pushing her back, and kept her off guard. The guard raised both there weapons for an upper strike, so Rey brought her lightsaber up to block, however this left the crimson guard able to kick her in the right thigh, causing Rey to fall to the floor hard.
On her stomach, Rey forced herself to ignore the pain, and quickly bounce back to her feet. This action had left her vulnerable so to compensate she swung violently and repeatedly at her attacker. The guard however just stayed out of her blades reach, and studied her reckless pattern. One of Rey's strikes did make contact with one of the guard's blades, but they used this as an opportunity to attack her with her other blade. Rey managed to shift positions, but the damage was done, the guard had struck her lightsaber.
Only having gotten the very end of the handle, the weapon did not deactivate, but it did start to spark from the injury. The blade also started to augment it's own length, growing and shrinking, and than started to flicker out, deactivating for a second and than reactivating. It was only a matter of time before the weapon overloaded or deactivated while she was trying to block a blow. She needed to take out the Vibro-Daggered guard as quickly as she could.
Ben was using the force to sense even more thoroughly his opponents intentions. Currently sensing the other Electro-Bisento guard approaching with a strike that he will need all his attention on, Ben manages to cut into his Electro-Bisento guard, and than cut there weapon in half, destroying it, and than shoves the guard out of his way.
Temporarily free from the first Bisento guard, Ben raised his weapon above his head to block the vicious downward strike of the second Bisento guard. Locking weapons, Ben takes the guard for a semi-torso cartwheel, in the process taking there weapon and knocking them to the ground.
Weaponless and injured, the first Electro-Bisento guard rises. Defenseless Ben made an offer he would never make even a day previous.
"Surrender and live, or charge me and die!"
The guard could not speak through there helmet, but Ben was hoping they'd walk away or make some sign of surrender. Instead however the Electro-Bisento guard hit there fists together, activating a small energy field around there forearm and hands, and charged at him. Trying to make there death quick Ben went for an upward strike, but the guard managed to block that with there field. Keeping there arms busy with his lightsaber, Ben reached around and stabbed them through the back with there comrade's blade. He than dropped the blade and cast it aside. Not actually sure there injury was fatal Ben quickly slit there throat to be curtain with his lightsaber.
This deeds karma however immediately took effect for his lightsaber got caught in the guards armour. The second Electro-Bisento, now wielding the first's weapon, swings at Ben. To save his life, or at the very least his arms, Ben drops his lightsaber and jumps back to dodge.
Frustrated that there attack didn't work the guard slashed Ben's lightsaber hilt in two. Ben felt it instantly, the Kyber crystal that he had had since he and the started exploring the Unknown Region, was broken. Knowing the different possibilities of destruction that could occur with a Kyber crystals destruction, Ben ran. As the crystal absorbed all the energy in the halves of Ben's lightsaber, Ben turned to see that the guard was in pursuit. Either to attack him, escape the explosion, or both the guard was right behind him. A bloodcurdling bang could be heard and than all the lights went out. Thankfully the blast was only that of an electromagnet pulse, but now he was defenceless and blind, and became both remaining guards only had plasma projected around a pre-existing blade, Rey was also in danger.
Any visual help in there helmets would be out from the pulse wave, but there swings could still make contact. Ben reached out with the force, and managed to sense his opponents location and actions, making it possible to dodge. He could only hope Rey was having just as much luck.
Lights flickered on, but so did the guards plasma enhanced blades. Trying to take advantage of the discombobulated Electro-Bisento guard, Ben grabbed there weapon arm as they swung and the weapon itself with his other. Unlike before however, Ben could not get the blade out of the guards hand. Fighting for control, Ben did not notice as the guard repositioned his grip, and in one foul swoop brought the weapons long handle forcefully against his neck. Choking, Ben brought his hands to the bar and pushed so he could breathe, but just barely. Eyes starting to bulge all he could see was Rey fighting with her short-circuiting lightsaber.
With only one dagger left, Rey thought her opponent would now be at a disadvantage, but she was wrong. In fact it seemed like when they lost one of there blades, they put all of there energy into there second one. Rey stabbed at the guard, but her weapon deactivated again so the guard grabbed her arm mid thrust and turned the weapon away from them both before it reactivated.
Rey managed to get her blade arm interlocked with the Vibro-Dagger's blade arm, and Rey used her free arm to keep her enemy's blade away from her head, but she didn't know how long she could hold it there.
Brought to his knees, Ben watched as the Vibro-air Bladed guard who had fallen to there knees during Rey's torture now rise. The crimson guard, who's weapon was already separate into the two daggers, started to approach Rey and her comrade in arms from behind. Choking, Ben tried to warn her, but all that emerged was a whisper.
"Rey, behind you."
Rey's guard used there free hand to try and force there blade into her head. Rey continued to try and push there weapon away, or dislodge her own which had started to grow hot, but her survival depended on her focusing completely on forcing her opponent's weapon back. The dagger however was getting scarily close to her face.
Watching in terror as the second Vibro-Daggered guard raise there weapon to strike Rey down, Ben desperately tried to warn her.
'REY!'
With one fatal strike-
The head of the first Vibro-air Bladed Praetorian guard rolling to the floor, Rey didn't even question her saviours reasoning a second, and instead stood and faced Ben.
"Ben-Catch!"
Rey force threw her lightsaber to the gray force user, and he caught it. Activating it right in the Electro-Bisento guard's face, killing him instantly.
Finally aligned with the Supremacy Ackbar finished over-riding the ships collision prevention protocol, and double checked his trajectory. An hour previous he had known he was going to die soon, but now he felt as if his death would have purpose. He thought about the young Mandalorian and hoped him well.
"For the Rebels!"
On the Supremacy it finally occurred to Hux and Yago what was happening. Hux was in shock.
"It's a trap!"
"Fire everything on that cruiser now!"
Rey and Kylo had taken one step towards each other when everything went white.
If a pointed wooden cylindrical stick, twenty centimetres long and with a diameter of one centimetre, got caught in an air storm column of rapidly rotating air, the column rotating at one hundred and eighty kilometres an hour, the stick could potentially be launched from the column at mentioned one hundred and eighty kilometres an hour and be shot clean through a native perennial plant up to three times its density and six million times its weight. The Supremacy is sixteen times the size of the Raddus, however traveling at light speed allowed the ship to do more than just be shot through.
First Order vessels can only keep out objects, or projectiles flying at less than light speed, so the Raddus cut through the Supremacy like a hot knife in bantha cheese. The true damage was caused by the plasma emitted from the disintegrating Raddus as it passed through the Supremacy. The plasma was over 20,000,000 degrees Celsius, causing the Supremacy to melt and explode in half. Any minuscule amount of the plasma that hit the surrounding First Order vessels caused massive damage.
Cutting the Supremacy in half, rendering twenty Star Destroyers inoperable or destroyed, and causing massive damage to the remaining fleet, Admiral Ackbar gave the Resistance fleet a fighting chance. The ships attack was visible throughout the Crait system, as well as the Sullust and Malastare systems, and the shock wave was recorded as far as Mustafar.
The two remaining shuttles managed to escape destruction, but the Resistance was no where near out of harms way. The Raddus cut the Supremacy in half, but for strategic measure the Supreme Leaders throne room and the main bridge where located away from the centre of the ship to the right, and each half had several hundred back up systems in case the primary failed. General Hux and Commander Yago survived, and although the cascading system failures would eventually reduce the ship inhospitable, Hux estimated that would not occur for several hours.
After a very stressful ten minutes Poe finally landed his transport inside the mine base. BB-8 beeped a cheerful congratulations to him.
"Thanks buddy, couldn't have done it without you, but we aren't safe yet."
Poe turned the cockpit back over to its pilot, and made his way to the exit. His mind set on finding Rose, or Thorn, whoever she was, and making her pay for Holdo and the 40 other deaths she caused.
Leia and Finn walked by his side.
"That was the best flying I've ever seen."
"You saved our lives Poe."
"I haven't if Rose continues to relay life or death information."
Poe stormed off the shuttle, Finn, and BB-8 by his side. C'ai Threnalli and Connix were waiting for Poe, and General Organa at the bottom of the transport. For some it is hard to distinguish Abednedo emotions, but Poe could tell that his aging friend was worried. In his native tongue he spoke.
"No sign of the Tico girl, and we've searched everywhere. This base is also severely out of date, half the tech doesn't even work, there is no way to cloak any signals so that the First Order can not read them."
"Close the blast door. Can we send a single through all the armour?"
"Yes General."
Leia held out a small data stick to Connix.
"Take this, it's my signature code. This base was only built to be a hideout, not a fortress. If there are any allies of the Rebellion or Resistance left, we're going to need them. Finn and Poe, gather as many crew members as you can, and find Thorn."
"You got it Leia."
The two man ran off as the blast door closed painfully slow. Connix headed to the communications hub with Leia's data stick, but Threnalli remained.
"There's another problem, isn't there?"
"Yes General, we aren't announcing this so that there won't be a mass panic, but there was a cave in. The mining that occurred here must have destabilized part of the mine shafts because at some point over the last few decades the oxygen tunnel which second as the secret escape route has completely collapsed. Closing the blast doors might save us from an attack, but it will also trap us in here, and unless we can dig out the tunnel we'll have a limited amount of oxygen."
"Halt closing the blast door- We will close it when we see them coming, giving us as much breathing time as possible."
As Threnalli joined the search for Thorn another commotion caught Leia's attention. The Lethan Twi'lek was asking anyone and everyone if they had seen her boyfriend. Leia did not know the woman, nor did she wish to be the one to tell her, but she knew it had to be done.
"Ms. Leh-Lawquane, isn't it?"
"Yes General Organa. Do you have word on Belac? We were separated, and I was forced onto a transport without him. He has very light blonde hair and-"
"I know who your loved one is. Ms. Leh-Lawquane, I have some hard news to relay."
Her eyes filled with tears.
"Oh please don't say he's de- no, I can't say that, he isn't is he?"
Leia hand to make a choice, one scarily similar to one she had to make years prior. To tell her the man she loved was dead would be so much easier than the truth of who he was. Unlike years prior however she chose the hard way.
"Lawquane, you may wish to brace yourself."
Rey regained consciousness, her head was pounding, her ears were ring, and when she opened her eyes she couldn't see. She panicked, but after a few blinks she could make out colour, a few more blinks she could make out shapes, and after a minute or so of blinking her vision returned to normal. However she almost wished it hadn't from what she was now seeing. Half of the enormous room was engulfed in flames, and a good portion of the ceiling had collapsed, exposing damaged ventilation tubes and electrical wires. The fires contrasting the red room made it look and feel as if she were in hell.
Pushing herself up she spotted Ben, who was still unconscious, but coming to. Despite aching all over she forced herself to her feet, and than knelt by the awakening Solo.
"Ben, Ben wake up! I don't think it's safe here! Ben!"
"Mmmmh."
Ben finally opened his eyes, but he seemed to be experiencing the same problems that occurred to her, he blinked wildly. He spoke calmly but loudly, his ears must be ringing as well.
"I can't see!"
"It'll pass, it'll pass. There was an explosion. This is the most secure room in the ship and it's a wreck, I fear the ship might be exploding."
"Not yet, we can't just walk out, we need to get to my shuttle without you being recognized or anyone finding out about what we did until we are as far away as possible from this ship. Help me up."
Rey stood and held out her hands to Ben, he took them and she pulled him to his feet. All of what just happened rushed back into Rey's mind, and looking into Ben's eyes she could tell he was thinking about it to.
"Ben, what you did, I want to say-"
"There'll be time for that when we're safe from the First Order. Our lightsabers are to damaged to use so we'll have to use any of the functioning guard weapons, and-"
"Ben!"
They locked eyes, she could sense his fear, and he could sense her bravery. Other feelings were there, and she almost acted upon them, but last minute decided not to, now was not the time.
"Ben, we are going to get out of this alive. Your filled with darkness but your light makes you no Sith, I'm filled with light but my darkness makes me not a Jedi, together we balence each other out into pure grey. Our parentage connects us but so does this link that was there before Snoke, together we can get through this."
Ben opened his mouth to speak but they were interrupted.
"I know how to get you two out of here."
The guard that had saved Rey's life had awakened. She was sitting on the floor, a piece of rubble pinned one of her legs down. She had removed her helmet. Ben had a face on like he was about to charge her, but Rey put her hand on his chest to signal him that she wished to handle this. Taking the hit he went to collect the remains of there lightsabers. Rey took a step forward.
"Who are you?"
"FN-2509, Elite Praetorian vibro-air bladed guard number 3"
"You aren't a Resistance spy?"
"No, I was born and raised here. Until today I never felt like this, but when I heard you scream in pain something broke inside me. I should call in backup, report the Supreme Leader's demise, but everything inside me says that's wrong and helping you is right."
Rey was now standing over the girl. Rey realized she was young, most likely two to four years younger than her, but very tall, only a couple inches shorter than Ben. Her dark brown hair was as short as Finn's, and her skin was a tone in between her's and Finn's. Her eyes were interesting, there shape was similar to that of the Kanjiklub leader Tasu Leech, although less pronounced, and they were two different colours, her left was brown and the right was an ocean blue. Rey did not know Finn's story but this seemed oddly similar, and she could sense that the girl had a strong connection to the force, how strong only time could tell.
"I believe you, you said you were the third vibro-air bladed guard, but counting you I only saw two, are there more guards?"
"Yes, there are 18 Guards at any time, four of each weapon, one trainee, and one retired guard that acts as a trainer. Not counting myself there are ten left that are most likely heading our way."
"Ben, come help me. I'm Rey, Rey Thaney."
Rey tried pushing the rubble but some was impaled into the floor. Ben came over, handed Rey her lightsaber, and lift the rubble off with the force. This embarrassed Rey because she had not thought to try that.
Ben now took a good look at the former guard and was shocked. Although she had a different skin tone and eyes, the girl had a striking resemblance to holos of his mother when she was young. She did not look like the holos of his maternal grandmother however.
"Where are you from?"
"I was born into the First Order, from two DNA samples of First Order soldiers, I don't know who they are. All I know is from medical scans is that I have a genetic marcher that is solely found in humans descendant from Vodran."
Ben did not know how this young girl was connected to him, but even the force inside her was familiar. A mystery for another time, they had to get off the Supremacy.
"Will you come with us. The First Order will kill you for surviving the death of the Supreme Leader, let alone what you did."
The girl seemed scared, as well as conflicted. Seeing some of her friend in the girl, Rey offered her hand to help her up. After some quick consideration she took it.
"I'll join you. If we are going to get by other guards we are going to have to disguise you, grab different pieces of intact armour and one of the weapons, we'll drag Kylo out of here."
Poe had lost Finn. The crew members that weren't currently working on communications had split up into groups to search for Thorn. Poe had been searching with Finn and a handful of other Resistance members, than one minute he looked over his shoulder and Finn wasn't with his group anymore.
"Anyone have eyes on Shot?"
"No Captain."
"Great, just great."
Where could he have gone. He knew that if he saw something he was supposed to let the group know so they could search together. For a moment something that Holdo had told him resurfaced, if anyone was a spy it was Finn.
'No!'
If Finn was a spy he was horrible at it, doing genuine acts of kindness, confessing to being First Order, calling out a fellow spy of the same army, and seeing the best in people. That was it, he wanted to confront Rosita. Poe thought hard for a couple seconds, Finn is force sensitive and has been able to navigate flawlessly with no direction needed. The last he saw Finn he was facing-"
"Continue around that area but remain quite. If you hear anything loud or I give a signal, converge on my position."
Quite on his feet Poe headed in the direction he saw Finn look, keeping his eyes open, and body ready for anything. After a couple minutes Poe noticed a small hatch, most likely an electrical service compartment. He could only hope that Finn was ok, to find each other, and than have him die would be to much for him to take. He opened it and shown a light down, but he saw nothing. He climbed halfway down when he heard a blaster charging and a harsh voice.
"Close the door behind you or this filthy traitor will die!"
Not even looking Poe complied. He pulled the hatch closed, and than stepped to the bottom of the ladder. Finally he turned to were he heard Rosita's voice and activated his light. Standing on the far side of the server room was Finn, unconscious, and slumped against the wall with a blaster to his head, another blaster was pointed right at Poe.
"The first blast was just a stun, the second definitely won't be."
"He trusted you, even after he learned the truth he trusted you weren't the bad person who'd be the cause of our doom. He thought you were the person your sister believed you to be. I am not Finn, you always stunk of a fake persona."
"Paige didn't know what happened to me, she didn't know about the twenty years of being the First Order's, and Armitage's personal spy and assassin. You think being the cause of four hundred puny deaths is the worst I've done. Nearly a hundred thousand people have died either by my hands, or by my information. This was just a vacation to me."
"I believe you that you have killed that many, but you're lying about this being easy for you."
"You're talking to much. I think I'm going to blow the head off of this traitor, and than yours."
"Rose, that really is your real name right? Paige told me what the First Order did to your planet, what they did to your family. How can you not hate them, to help them repeat the tragedy of Hays Minor over and over again."
Poe finally hit a nerve, Rose's face went from a stone faced annoyance, to sad and angry.
"Of course I don't, but I had to make a choice, one that the whole galaxy is going to have to make. Join them, or die."
"You aren't in there grasp right now, you could slip away and-"
"Die, they would hunt me down, and kill me, just like Phasma, just like Finn. But working willingly insures survival. Did you know that the majority of there original First Order soldiers were adolescents and young adults suffering on inhospitable worlds. The First Order gave them there first steady meals, and a place to sleep at night. Young children are taken from all over the galaxy from broken abusive homes, or from having to survive on there own, and are given a friendly environment and a purpose. And unlike the Empire, the First Order isn't xenophobic."
"Yah, they don't judge who they enslave and brainwash by there species, but they are still abducting and brainwashing children, some younger than a year old. They also take kids that were in a loving family, like you."
"That's it, I'm blasting his head off!"
A blaster went off, but not the one pointed at Finn's head. Rose fell, unconscious. Finn stood up, holding a blaster he had pick-pocketed off of Rose.
"I'm getting really sick of being knocked unconscious."
"Are you alright?"
"I'm fine. Thanks for stalling until I woke up."
Poe started climbing the ladder, and as he opened the hatch he turned back to Finn.
"I'm glad you woke up, because I was ten seconds away from shooting her, and my blaster wouldn't have been on stun."
Finn hoisted Rose over his shoulders, and went to the base of the ladder. Finn looked up at Poe, and instantly could tell something was wrong. Poe's face was panicked, and despite the soundproofing of the server room he could hear an alarm.
"What's happening?"
"TIEs are flying straight for us. Get her, and yourself up here now."
Finn did as he said. One arm he used to climb, and the other he held Rose's limp body over his shoulders. When he reached the top he put her down, Poe had flagged down two buff ground soldiers to restrain, and guard her, leaving them both free to assess the situation.
The Resistance was trying to close the blast door as quickly as possible, but the door being as heavily fortified as it was, could only be lowered at a deadly slow pace. Six TIE Fighters were approaching fast, the sixth much closer than the rest. From inside the base, many of the Resistance were trying to shoot at the approaching TIEs but they were far enough away that it was making aiming almost impossible. The five TIEs in the back were shooting, and there was blaster fire shooting at the front TIE from above the base.
"Do we have men up there?"
"No, but there are a handful of Stormtroopers that had been waiting for our transports to arrive up there. They had fired on the first few, but when more, and more transports landed, and they were outnumbered they ceased firing."
"But if they are stormtrooper, why are they firing on that TIE?"
Finn squints at the quickly approaching TIEs and realized that the five TIEs behind the sixth were also shooting at the sixth in front of them. Finn also realized that the sixth TIE was getting pretty close, and the blast door wasn't lowering fast enough.
"It's going to make it."
Finn said nervously. Poe responded while charging his blaster and jogging to join the firing squad.
"It's not going to make it. Everyone fire on the front TIE!"
Everyone with a blaste,r and a steady hand started firing rapidly at all the TIEs, especially the front on. Poe could see that it's shields were now down, and it's engines failing, but it still had strong metal shielding and great forward momentum. Poe's eyes widened with fear, and realization as it became obvious that the TIE was about to crash into everyone.
"It's going to make it! Everyone fall back!"
Everyone stopped firing, and ran for cover. The TIE crashed through the remaining gap but seconds later the door was to low for the others to fit through, everyone could hear the explosions as they crashed into the blast door at full speed. This TIE however would never fly again. As the firing party reassembled, Poe and Finn took lead.
"Everyone ready-"
The hatch opened.
"Aim-"
Phasma, helmetless, rose from her now fiery TIE. She held her arms up in surrender. Finn jumped in front of Poe, and the rest of the firing squad just as Poe said, "Fire!"
"Wait! Don't fire! Please don't fire! She's on our side! You are on our side?"
Out of breath Phasma barely managed to speak one word.
"Yes."
"She's on our side. She's here to help! You are here to help?"
"Yes!"
From the crowd someone shouted an inquiry that sounded more like an accusation.
"Who is she?!"
Phasma did not dare speak, for she could not think of an answer that was honest that wouldn't get her head blown off. Finn was similarly unsure but he tried.
"She is-She tried-She-Sh-"
Poe put his arm around Finn and took over.
"She lowered the shields on Starkiller Base, without her, me and my squad would never have been able to blow up the most dangerous weapon in our galaxy to date. Do not fire until me, and General Organa have heard her out!"
Everyone lowered there blasters, allowing for Phasma to lower her arms, and leave the fiery hell that was becoming her TIE. Everyone except a small flame control team backed up, and went back to finding a way for them all to survive the next 24 hours, while Finn, Leia, and Poe went to the tall traitor.
"Thanks Poe."
Finn whispered, to which Poe replied.
"No problem, I think."
"Thank you Commander Dameron. General Organa, I have been a secret admirer of your leading tactics for sometime now, and it's an honour to finally meet you other than on the battlefield."
She put out her arm in greeting. She spoke kind words but her face was eternally stoic. Leia hesitate, but eventually did not take her hand.
"You yourself are responsible for the lives of countless people, not just of the New Republic Defense Fleet, and my Resistance, but of defenseless civilians. You can not claim like Finn here that you were brainwashed because from your apparent age you were one of the recruits that willingly joined in there adolescence, the only brainwashing you received was through First Order propaganda."
"I admit to have at a time have agreed completely with the First Order's ideals, and that I definitely have killed enough people that it will haunt my conscience for every waking hour for the rest of my life. But something inside me changed, and I have spent the last twenty five years building a secret army within the First Order's army. So if I survive the imminent attack, I will gladly turn myself in to you for working with a mass terrorist group, but for right now you need me to survive the coming attack. I also have information that might be useful in willing this rising war."
Leia sighed, Poe could tell she didn't like the idea of cooperating with the First Order's poster soldier, but she knew the Resistance needed every ounce of help they could get.
"What do you mean an army?"
"Just under twenty five years ago I had an epiphany. I started training children from birth that I believed had the potential to be the greatest soldiers the galaxy has ever known. While I waited for my first selections to reach an age where I could start there training, I studied in secret the First Orders brainwashing system and came up with a way of counteracting it, as well as a training regimen that would make them not only physically the strongest, but also morally and mentally. Now Captain Cardinal ran the training for soldier from five to fifteen while I have fifteen to twenty five, so I learned how to hack into his personal training regimens for each of my selected soldier. I gave them extra puzzle solving exercise to help them with free thinking, janitorial duties on the Finalizer for humility, and to know the layout of that ship. When they aged up and were transferred to me on the Supremacy, I started implementing the counter-brainwashing, set to free there mind of all programming when they hear a real scream of terror from an innocent person. I also personally trained them so they'd be stronger than any of my normal soldiers, I gave them extra holo civilian saving training so they'd have strong morals. I gave them janitorial duties on the Supremacy, as well as each soldier got transferred for a year to a different base or ship to janitor so that combined they would know the layouts of every ship and base in the First Order."
"And how many members of this secret army have you raised?"
"Each year since I started I chose over two thousand infants to begin on the path of being a secret soldier. When they reached my training though at fifteen I assess them, if they hadn't taken to the program yet I released them into the normal regimen. Over the next ten years if at anytime they show that they were not fit for my training I also release them. Finn's year was my first so counting for all the releases, and the couple of deaths, there are only about 500 dormant fully trained soldiers, but the training regimens of a decade of soldier is already set, therefore I don't need to be present to train them, making the total number around 15 500."
"We could use that kind of man power, despite how unethical it may be."
"The First Order fleet that was chasing you wasn't completely destroyed. A couple ships are landing as we speak with the sole purpose of blasting that door open, and than a grand army of stormtroopers will invade and conquer. So you better have a fleet of your own to fend off the ships, and rescue your troops."
"We're working on it, can you contact your army?"
"I told you, they need to be activated. The first generation will be entering battlefields which should activate them, but it will be up to them, and your scouts to recruit them."
Suddenly the whole compound shook. The feeling was familiar to all but Finn.
"What was that?"
"Bombers! Leia, the blast door will withstand that kind of explosion, but what about the rest of this mine?"
"Don't worry just yet, my father was smart when he chose this location. This entire planet in made up of different crystallized elements, this region, including the utmost top layer of this mine, is predominantly sodium based, but as the First Order bombers are now realizing is that this is a Rhodochrosite Crystal mine. Rhodochrosite is close to indestructible and it would take hours of bombing to break even the smallest hole in our ceiling, they aren't going to waste that much ammunition and time, they are going to wait until something stronger arrives. We just have to hope our backup arrives before there's does."
Hux was as angry as a Wookie, and was just as likely to rip someone's head off with his bare hands. Despite this though he had duties to perform, to give a status report to Supreme Leader Snoke, then lead a ground team to demolish the Resistance as painfully as possible.
Something Hux was not expecting was Kylo's unconscious body being dragged away from the lift by two Elite Praetorian Guards. One of Kylo's arms was over one guard's shoulder, while the other did the same with his second. Kylo was scratched up, and despite his head being down Hux could tell he was bruised and sweaty.
There was something peculiar about the guards. One appeared completely normal, clean armour, they stood at the angle all First Order recruits are taught at a young age. The second was a different story, there armour was a mess and covered in scratches, there armour didn't appear to fit them right, and although it was slight, Hux could see that they weren't standing quite at the angle they should be.
After attempting to assist the scavenger girl in deeds that would undermine the First Order, Hux assumed the traitorous Kylo Ren would have been executed by now. The two guards halted in his presence.
"General."
"Where are you escorting Ren?"
"To the holding facility, the Supreme Leader could not make him see reason, but that explosion interrupted his execution. He will proceed after the ship is secure. The scavenger girl is dead."
"Excellent. I am glad that I now will be able to watch him be brutally tortured and than executed, carry on."
"Yes General."
The guards continued to drag the limp body of the Supreme Leader's former prized pupil away, and Hux knew he was now on his way to taking Kylo's place. The lift was long, giving him plenty of time to compose a version of recent events that made him appear as a promotional leader. Perhaps that he ordered the destruction of the Raddus, but last minute ordered the shields to be angled to the front of the Supremacy which minimized the devastating damage.
Finally, after a torturously long silent ride up, Hux finally reached his destination, he composed himself, and started speaking the second the doors opened.
"Supreme Leader Snoke, I- Sweet Nerf Cheese!"
Hux could not believe what he was seeing in front of him. The mighty throne room was a bloody war zone, all the guards were defeated, and in the centre of it all was the Supreme Leader himself, dead, half of him on his throne and the rest of him was unceremoniously lying in front of the throne.
It didn't take a genius, which Hux was, to figure out what just happened, Ren and the girl assassinated the Supreme Leader. Hux opened a com-link to the docking bay where Kylo's personal shuttle resided.
"Kylo Ren has murdered the Supreme Leader, do not permit him to dock his shuttle and leave. The two Elite Praetorian Guards are his accomplices, kill them all."
"Murder, dear god, General they just took off."
"Useless."
Hux got gunners on his com.
"The Supreme Leader is dead, vaporize Kylo Ren's shuttle."
"Yes General."
But they never got the chance, the shuttle went into hyperspace moments later, this Hux did not learn until later. Something did accrue to him however, neither Kylo Ren or Snoke could give him orders ever again, and that made him feel powerful. What can only be described as a malicious smile came across Hux's face.
Hux marched right up to the Supreme Leader's throne, and without even a second of consideration pushed the bottom half of Snoke off of the throne, and sat in his place. His smile only widening, Hux waited for someone else to come, and he didn't have to wait long.
The remaining ten Elite Praetorian Guards, Commander Yago, and a handful of other high ranking officers ranging from Captain to Admiral, exited the lift. Each officer, especially the Admiral and Yago, had a far more significant claim to being Supreme Leader over Hux. All approached Hux. Yago spoke.
"It saddens me to see that your report is true. Sadly we won't be able to deal with Snoke's death until after the Resistance are demolished, but we will destroy Ren for this."
"That we will, but I believe that Snoke's death will be dealt with right now."
Yago clued into what was going on, and he started laughing.
"That is funny, for a moment I thought you were laying claim to the throne. If it were to go to anyone it would be me or Captain Peavey, we'll decide on the matter later, but the throne will never be yours Armitage, you foolish child-"
Hux drew his blaster and shot Commander Yago right between his eyes.
"The decision is already made old man. My father was one of the founders of this military, he founded the soldier program that has built our armies to the glory they are now, and I am his only heir, no matter how scandalous my birth was I still share his name. I am the architect that designed the capital ship you currently are standing on, and It was I who turned this military into the ruling body of the galaxy. Anyone else who challenges me will share the fate of Yago, but if you bow now you will be rewarded. So bow, bow before your new Supreme Leader, bow before Emperor Armitage Hux!"
The guards fell to one knee instantly, which scared most of the others to kneel as well, and finally everyone was on there knees.
"Excellent. Now, evacuate the training soldiers to the non-damaged star destroyers, and I shall personally lead the ground attack on the Resistance. My Empress is waiting for me."
Rey didn't take off her helmet until Ben's shuttle was deep in hyperspace. Up until now she herself was the best pilot she had ever seen, but after seeing Ben take off and punch in hyperspace coordinates as he did she realized she still had much to learn. Thanks to him and the guard they were now free, and had to stop thinking of the past and start worrying about the immediate future.
"Where do we go?"
"I am unsure. We need to meet up with my Knights, to redirect us onto the right path. We will need a rendezvous, somewhere the First Order doesn't know."
Rey thought for a moment and knew what she must do. She sighed.
"Luke's island. The first jedi temple, from back when they practiced both light and dark to maintain the balance of the universe. I sense that Luke has left, leaving it vacant for us to use."
Rey punched in the coordinates. She than gestured backwards, referring to the young guard sitting in the main compartment of the ship on the other side of the cockpit door.
"I sense awakening force abilities inside of her, not unlike how I was only a week ago. She seems so lost and confused, and yet she helped us."
"I also sense a familial bond about her, I can't quite explain it but I feel connected to her, but a very different connection than the one that seems to have brought us together. I have to work in here for a few minutes, and than I'll activate the autopilot, but for right now I think you should speak to her. She seems to relate with you far more."
Rey nodded than stood. She left the incredibly small cockpit and entered the main compartment. FN-2509 had removed her helmet and was starring at it, it was clear to Rey that the shock of her actions were just now being realized.
"I killed a fellow guard, and I did nothing to help defeat the man who killed the Supreme Leader who was my sole purpose, and yet I feel no guilt for him because he was a monster. Why haven't I felt this way before, why couldn't I see the evil of my own home?"
Rey walked over to the girl who was only a few years younger than her.
"I can not give you full answers, the truth of who you are is a journey you must take alone, but I do know that there is something special inside of you, something me, Ben, you, and I regret to say it but Snoke all share. Have you ever heard of the force, or the jedi?"
"I don't know about the force you speak, but once when I was a little girl I did hear the tale of the Jedi Luke Skywalker from another cadet who had been recruited, not born, into the First Order. Until today I would have said he was something that the cadet had made up, but I heard Snoke ask for him, I saw Snoke use his powers on you, and I saw Ben lift the debris off my body. But I am not sure if I believe that I have that power."
A small smile crossed Rey's lips.
"Sit with me."
Rey sat, and the crimson armoured girl sat in front of her.
"You said your designation was FN-2509, would you like me to call you something else?"
"Yes, but I know no other names, other than yours and my former superior officers."
"Would you like me to suggest one?"
"Please."
Rey thought for a moment. The first letters of the numbers were a good place to start, two, five, zero which could also be an o, and nine.
"Well the letters t, f, o, and n come to mind. There was an old scavenger women on my planet that was kind to me as a young child who called herself Tiffony. What do you think of that name, the spelling of it you can decide on your own."
"I like that very much. I would like to incorporate the FN as well, I was thinking Fen?"
Rey held out her hand.
"It's nice to meet you Tiffony Fen."
"It's nice to meet you as well Rey Thaney, but didn't the Supreme Leader address you as Kira Kenobi?"
Rey sighed, it was time to start her lesson. The lesson Luke had taught her only days prior.
"That is a long story, one I do not yet know enough to tell, but you say you do not believe yourself to hold anything special within you, no matter what you are wrong. I want you to close your eyes and breath. I want you to hear your breath and mine, can you do that?"
"Yes."
"Now, reach out with your feelings, can you hear Ben's breath?"
"Yes! How can I do that?"
"The living force connects every living thing, everything has it, but some have the ability to manipulate it. Can you sense anything else?"
"I can sense his sadness, he is guilty, and in mourning. He is also nervous-"
"Wait, are you sensing his feelings?"
"I think so, they are projecting really strong. He is unsure of himself and his own feelings, he is afraid of-"
"Maybe not dip into people's heads just yet, is there anything else you can feel. Just breathe."
"I sense three bright lights, they are singing songs, songs I don't understand. One is by your side, and two are in different compartments in this shuttle. There is one more thing, one more person breathing."
"There is no one else on board?"
"There is about to be."
Ben had exited the cockpit.
"One of my Knights are coming aboard. Rey, that panel, lift it."
Rey removed a floor panel in front of her, revealing a pressurized hatch. The ship suddenly lurched, the feeling of another ship connecting with the shuttle. After a minute the hatch opened, and a man climbed out. He was maybe five years older than Ben, and although he seemed human, there was some potentially unhuman traits about him. His recently shaved hair was green, despite his eyebrows and eyelashes being blonde, and the tips of his slightly pointed ears also had green hues.
Ben offered him a hand, the Knight took it, and Ben lifted him out.
"It's good to see you Spector, I'm grateful that you are safe."
"It wasn't easy to escape that ship, but it's good to see you again old friend, even better to hear that we are leaving the absolute darkness behind, it was changing you into something none of us could recognize."
Ben closed the hatch, and than pressed a few buttons which caused a sound that could only be Spector's ship detaching. Ben than put the panel back and stood next to Spector.
"Introductions are in order. This is Spector Ren, and this is Rey and-"
"Tiffony, Tiffony Fen."
"It nice to meet you ladies, but if you don't mind, I do not feel like socializing right now. Kylo, do mind if I take the pilot seat."
"Go ahead, coordinates are already punched in, just go to light speed."
"Do you mind if I join you Spector, I have never seen hyperspace before. I won't say a word."
Spector simply responded with one word.
"Ok."
Soon the two were in the cockpit, and the door closed. Moments later Rey could feel the rustle that ment they had entered hyperspace. This was the first time they had been truly alone together since her hut, and neither knew exactly how they felt about that.
"I have something that is rightfully yours."
Ben walked behind where she sat, Rey turned to see that he was opening multiple compartments, she rose and stood beside him. The first thing he revealed to her was her staff, her trusted weapon that had enabled her to survive Jakku's harsh population and fauna.
"I am grateful that you had the foresight to keep this safe."
"That wasn't all that was in your pod, I'm not exactly sure what these are."
For a moment Rey believed one of the island's porgs had somehow stowed away but than she remembered one of the first things she had done when she arrived on Ahch-To.
"The original Jedi Texts."
"Unbelievable, you really did go to the first jedi temple. But I'm not sure how useful those books will be with the path we're on."
"Not necessarily. From what Luke told me about the temple, and from what I learned about it myself, is that the original Jedi practiced balancing themselves and the force around them, they did not just use the light. They recognized that both are needed for balance in nature and the cosmos. I think the Sith and Jedi the galaxy knew derived from this unified source, the island and these texts could teach us exactly what we need to restore the balance once and for all."
"This will take a great deal of time, and it will not be easy, that is why you will need this."
The final drawer revealed a lightsaber with an interesting shape, it's handle was made up of several black cylindrical grooves. The colour scheme was of a silvery metal, black, and a small golden component near where the blade ignites. What Rey noticed most of all however was, although she could hear the crystal inside, it did not sing to her like Luke's did.
"Who's was this?"
"This lightsaber belonged to your grandfather, Obi-Wan Kenobi. Even before I left Luke's temple I searched for force artifacts. This I can say sadly that I did not obtain peacefully, but the Tehar raid seemed necessary at the time, and something good did come out of it. When I picked up this blade for the first time it showed me a vision of you. Now I return it to you."
Rey did not need to think about this offer for long, the blade did not resonate with her, and she was not ready to accept a blade that had cost people there lives to obtain.
"The gesture is appreciated, but Luke's lightsaber calls to my, touching it awoke the force inside me with a vision. I would rather use the remains of it to construct my own."
At hearing that she would not be taking the blade, Ben seemed relieved.
"You want it?"
"It's not exactly that I want it, it's more along the line that I do not wish to give it away. My cross-guarded lightsaber's bleeding kyber crystal never resonated with me, I had come across it during my Knights first crusade for force artifacts, and used it to power my newly constructed lightsaber. But even from Tehar's atmosphere I could sense Kenobi's crystal speaking to me, and when I picked it up I too had that vision of you."
A small amount of red emerged from both there faces.
"I think I am going to use the parts of Luke's saber and incorporate them with my staff to convert it into a double bladed weapon. I've already mastered the symmetrical fighting style, and it would be easier to continue using it."
"Good. I am going to use Kenobi's blade to repair my own."
Using the force, Ben disassembled the broken pieces of his blade, as well as all of Kenobi's. Rey watched so she could repeat the process. As she watched him work, a question entered her mind, and despite not wishing to disturb him, she felt compelled to ask.
"Does 'Kylo' have any significant meaning to you?"
"Yes."
His eyes remained closed, still focusing on his weapon.
"What does it mean?"
"It is the ancient Alderaanian word for 'Prince.' Since the planet does not exist anymore my mother never became Queen, and I am a prince of only a thousand people who had been off world at the time, and there descendants. When I first took the name, like all the rest of my Knights, it represented a part of who I am, but now it represents darkness."
"That may be, but I think if you still plan on leading the Knights you should still use that name, you can't run away from your darkness, you just have to accept it and try and be better."
There were small tactical windows at the base of the blast door, too small to fit anyone through if they were broken, just big enough to see what was happening outside, and what was happening was scaring Leia. Several enormous transport ships had landed and were disembarking over a thousand soldier. But what really scared her was what had just been dropped off, a Superlaser Siege Cannon, a smaller version of the Death Star's Mk I Superlaser which would act as a battering ram to the mine's blast door.
Worried, Leia let out an anxious sigh than walked over to Connix who was one of the crew members working the communication equipment.
"Status report."
"Not good, only one squadron has reported in, and its with bad news, Kazuda Xiono and the entirety of team Colossus has had there cover blown, and on a separate note are currently lost in space with a malfunctioning navigational computer and hyperdrive."
Poe spoke up.
"The whole operation is practically run by kids, so they are lucky to be alive right now instead of ending up like the Hosnian System."
"We can't give up hope yet Captain."
Not to far away, Phasma had pulled Finn aside.
"Finn is a nice name for you, did you come up with it?"
"No, Poe did."
"That must make him quite special to you."
Finn simply smiled.
"Yah, he really is. This isn't why you pulled me over here though, is it?"
"It's not, I just fear that my time maybe short, and I wanted to know you are happy."
"Are you sick?"
"No, but there is going to be a fight, and every stormtrooper is going to be aiming at me. The odds are not that great."
"I'm sure Threepio would say there like a million to one."
"So because of that I need to know everything is in order. There is something I need to tell you, and something I need to ask."
"What?"
"When General Brendol Hux first brought me to the Supremacy, he gave me a simple job to preform while I got caught up on First Order training. The job was to observe all the newborns and recent infant recruits, and euthanize the small ones or ones with any mental or physical defects."
"That's horrible."
"I know that now, but I grew up on a planet where if a single clan member was weak or sick we could all die, and because of the radiation most children died before coming to term so I was used to dead infants. I only had this job for a week when you were born."
"I think I see where you are going with this, growing up Captain Cardinal once told me I was so scrawny that I was lucky you let me live, I spent two years bulking up. Why did you save me."
"I almost didn't, you were healthy enough, you had no mental delays or respiratory issues, but you were born a month early, and therefor small and incredibly underweight. I had the needle in my hand, and was about to inject the dose when you opened your eyes for the first time, and when I looked into them I saw something-"
"Like a dream?"
"I wasn't sure at the time but now I believe it was a precognitive vision. I saw a village in flames, and all the townspeople rounded up and surrounded by trooper, the rebels separate from the civilians. I than gave the order for them all to be executed, every trooper except one fired, killing everyone. I immediately ask the trooper why he didn't fire and he responds with not knowing why. I shoot him dead. I did not want to be that chromium wearing Captain that I saw I would become, but I couldn't just walk away either."
"And you did become that soldier, you ordered everyone killed."
"I'm not a good person Finn, small improvements, and painfully setting up the First Order's demise was the only good I could do. I did not euthanize you, right before General Hux's death I made him right a contract that I would rise in rank, lead some ground assaults, and take over training soldiers from age fifteen to twenty five, as well as keeping my original job of inspecting the newborns. I did all of this for you, not for me."
"You spent twenty five years of your life to insure that I would not die in Tuanul?"
"And I built you an army inside of there army for you to confront them with. Finn, you are the future of freedom of the galaxy."
Finn had to let this sink in. He thought he defied the First Order, making him special, but instead he was programmed from birth to defect. He now knew that there were others like him, but it was only because Phasma had played god with her troopers. But what Finn thought about the most was without Phasma's actions he would be dead twice over, or even if he wasn't killed at birth he would still be executing the First Order's orders.
Phasma clearly saw Finn's confliction. She changed the subject.
"Your destiny and decisions are your own, whatever you decide I will be happy for you, but there is something I must ask of you."
"What is it?"
Phasma opened a larger compartment that was attached to her belt and pulled out a small mask made out of organic materials such as wood, small pebbles, dried sea plants, and feathers.
"My people made masks for themselves when they had proven themselves to be a warrior, children do not have masks. My brother and I weren't raised by our people, and I learned that he planned to break there tradition. He had a daughter, the first child in our clan to live to the age of five years, she was dear to us all, I found this mask on my brother after I... after he was killed. I believe he was going to give it to her despite her age. Frey is my niece's name, and she was recruited alongside of me. Fifteen years ago, when she herself was fifteen, I faked her death and managed to smuggle her on a drop ship, where after myself and my troops were deployed she escaped. I don't know if she lived or died. I want you to try and find her, and if she is alive I want you too give this too her, and remind her of how much the Scyre, and how much her father loved her."
Finn took the mask and held it in his hands.
"What planet did you drop her off on, and if she was with the First Order for ten years she might not remember her actual name."
"Her designation was UV-8855, and her fellow cadets called her Warcry. The planet was Castilon in the Tashtor sector, but I specifically left her on the mobile supertanker fuel depot which has since left the planet, and last I heard it was orbiting Nordis Prime."
"You left her all alone on a planet being invaded by your trooper, do you think she wants any of this contact from you?"
Phasma remained stoic as always, but looking up Finn could see some sadness, and perhaps guilt in her cold blue eyes.
"I-"
The entire mine shock, it shock so violently that along with other small crystalline debris, a whole stalactite fell to the ground. Finn nearly fell, and looking around he could see that several crew members weren't as lucky. The shaking did not stop, and a great amount of heat was now coming off of the blast door. Leia managed to grab a com, and set it to transmit to everyone.
"Everyone move away from the door, and stay to the sides of the walls, than I want every non-combatant Resistance member to follow me to the back exit, than all the soldiers."
Everyone immediately did as she said, the more technical or tactical members of the Resistance ran after the General, and Finn started to head off to find Poe when he realized Phasma, although staying along the wall, was heading towards the blast door instead of away from it.
"Phasma?"
"Someone needs to hold them off, kill as many as possible so that your men have a chance at defeating them, and escaping."
"Phasma-"
She turned her head as she strapped four blasters to her hip, and charged the two she held.
"You will be remembered as a hero."
She nodded, and Finn than went after Poe. The superlaser was melting through the blast door quickly, and it wouldn't be long until the hole it forms would cool enough for the stormtroopers to enter the mine base.
Leia lead them to the dead end. She knew it was there, but from the now rising panic among her crew she wished she had told them before now. As horrible as it was her plan was to sacrifice her soldiers to by time until someone, anyone came to there rescue, but deep down she knew no one was coming, and that she just pinned the defenceless portion of her Resistance between the unmovable rocks and there deaths. The only good news was that Rosita Thorn was still unconscious and tied up, the two guards securing her were the best in Leia's army, and from here she could watch her every move.
Suddenly a high frequency yelp, and than a lot of surprised noises coming from different crew members closer, and closer to the boulders where Leia stood. Suddenly a medium sized creature emerged from the crowd, it walked on four paws, it had a long tail, was quite thin and agile, had yellow eyes and very pointy ears. In fact every inch of it was pointy because at least it's fur, but quite possibly it's entire body, was made of crystal. It's fur was made up of thin crystals that were translucent with a silvery hue.
"Hello there, how did you get trapped with us?"
The crystal creature calmly walked past Leia, jumped on one of the boulders, flattened its ears and fur to the rest of it's body, and than disappeared among the boulders. One of the crewmen pointed and shouted.
"It escaped!"
Indeed it had, and this filled Leia with hope and determination. She lifted one hand from her cane and concentrated, she was out of practice, but knew that the size of an object did not matter when trying to lift it with the force. Slowly the biggest boulder rose, and moved away from the others, and towards herself and her Resistance, finally she put it down.
The whole cavern finally stopped shaking, but that was not a good sign, they were running out of time. Despite all this Connix cheered the former princess on.
"You can do it Leia!"
Leia wasn't sure if she could though, she had the power, but she was still physically weakened by her self-rescue in space. She handed the cane to Connix, and with both hands outstretched tried to move as many as she could before she collapsed. First the smaller ones jamming all the others in, this caused her to feel faint. Next she pulled away medium ones from the top, this caused her vision to be hazy, but she didn't need to see to use the force. Finally with the last of her strength she cast aside several large boulders, causing her to fall. Thankfully a strong crew member caught her, but even with hazy vision Leia could see a big problem.
"There are still to many-"
In the distance everyone could hear faint blaster fire.
Leia looked back up to see the bright light of a setting sun. The boulders were being effortlessly lifted away, revealing a figure dressed all in grey. With her slowly returning vision, Leia wasn't sure if she trusted her eyes. Luke picked up her cane and reached out a hand to help her, which she took.
"Luke?"
"I'm here."
He pulled her into a hug, one both twins sorely needed. But than Leia slamming the end of her cane into Luke's foot.
"You Nerf Herding fool! You abandoned the galaxy for over a decade just so you can show up last minute to save the day!"
"I almost didn't come, it was Rey who convinced me."
Leia could see that he arrived in a small shuttle that could at most could hold fifteen people.
"Your help is desperately needed, if only you weren't the only one to come to our aid."
"Who said he was?"
Stepping away from Luke, and taking a few steps through the new entrance, Leia was in shock to see that multiple ships had landed, most of which with high crew capacity, and the man who had spoke now stepped forward.
"Lando!"
"Your majesty."
Before she could indulge in anymore of this reunion Leia turned to Connix.
"Run back and tell the troops to strategically retreat so that we may all evacuate, and get Dameron over here immediately."
"Yes General!"
Leia now had the chance to take in what was happening. Looking to the sky Leia could see several Calrissian flyers, three T-70 X-Wings, an old T-65B X-Wing, and surprisingly the VCX-100 light freighter known as the Ghost, all circling the airspace above the ravine the mine led out too. On the ground there were ten ships, a modified Sheathipede-class transport shuttle, six Tibanna transporters, a modified sienar X-C SSSDS 11-A shuttle, an ARC-170 starfighter and-
"Chewie! You made it you big fur ball. How is Han's ship."
Chewbacca gave a little growl, but it was Lando how truly responded.
"She's fine, I just wish I was flying it under better circumstances."
Lando was clearly referring to Han, but Leia knew that there should be no room for him to fly it.
"Where's Rey?"
Luke did not hide from the truth, not this time.
"She went after Ben, she believed she could turn him, and I was too weak to stop her."
"Perhaps, but you were strong enough to come here, and do what is right. And we really needed you, we needed all of you."
Chewie seemed pleased by this, but for once Lando did not take this to heart, instead he seemed quite sad.
"It greatly troubled me to hear what happened to Han. Ben, he was like the son I never had."
Leia took a deep sigh.
"There will be a time for proper mourning later. For right now Lando, I want you to help with evacuations."
He nodded and started directing crew members towards the Falcon. Leia was pleased to see everyone boarding ships, and even more pleased to see who they belonged too. The Sienar X-C SSSDS 11-A's pilot seemed to be a familiar light brown male Twi'lek in his late sixties, but when Suu Leh-Lawquane walked over to him and he hugged her, Leia recognized him as Head Mechanic Jek Lawquane of the Saleucami branch of the rebellion, she was surprised she didn't put the daughter to the father. The ARC-170 star fighter revealed itself to piloted by Norra Susser, looking up Leia could see her husband and son flying over head, Wedge and Snap. Two blonde furry humanoids were helping Resistance members onto the Sheathipede-class transport, also known as the Phantom ll, she thought they looked like more humanoid Lasats, and from remembering the original Ghost crew they probably were, she wondered if these two used to be friends with Jacen...
Looking to the sky Leia could see the Ghost, most likely piloted by Captain Orrelios or Kallus, patrolling with Wedge's T-65B X-Wing, and the three T-70 X-Wings that most likely belonged to Snap, Kun, and Pava. Also slowly descending from farther above was a First Order AAL-1971/9.1 Troop Transport, despite the threat none of the ships were firing on it, so Leia could only hope that ship was good news.
Luke sat down on a nearby boulder, and gestured her to sit with him. Still weak she gladly welcomed a moment of rest.
"I'm sorry. About Han, if I had been there."
"Luke, you used to always look to the future, but now you are only looking at the past. You can't change it, nobody can, we can only have hope for a brighter future."
"I thought I was finally the wise one."
Leia only chuckled, but after both Luke and Lando mentioning Han, great sadness had resurfaced, and it showed. Luke took Leia's hands in his, she could feel something else between them.
"He might not be with us now Leia, but no one is ever truly gone."
Luke stood and Leia cupped her hands, concealing from herself the item Luke had left. Luke gently kissed her head, and Leia clued in on what was happening.
"You are going to fight, aren't you?"
"They are cramming every soldier that they can into this mine, I'm going to help buy you time to escape."
He turned to head back through the tunnel, but Leia called out to him.
"Luke. May the force be with you."
"And May it be with you, always."
As he disappeared into the base Leia finally opened her hands, revealing the chained together golden sabacc dice Han had used to win his prized ship. Tears began to fall.
Despite not all being professionally trained, Phasma thought that the Resistance soldiers fought valiantly. However dozens had been killed, and almost the entirety of the remaining soldiers had evacuated, leaving Phasma alone to hold an entire army off, and it was taking its toll. Dozens of laser blasts had already hit her armour, she was thankful she picked the deflective, and nearly indestructible chromium as her armour material, but there were gaps and she wore no helmet, making it only a matter of time before a shot found its target.
Three of her blasters had either ran out of ammunition, or had malfunctioned, but she just pulled another one from her belt and kept firing. So far over a hundred stormtroopers lay dead among the thousand others by her hands alone. Adrenaline coursed through her veins, she could only hope it would-
ZEIW
A laser blast managed to hit her between her breast plate and right shoulder plate, immediately, possibly fatally rendering her right arm inoperable. It also put her in shock, she desperately tried to fight it, but all her mind would let her focus on was her injury. She knew this was it, she knew it would take only a second for another shot to blow her head clean off. She waited.
BJWZOO
POW
POW
Not dead Phasma forced herself to focus. Now standing between her, and the First Order was an older man wielding a blade not unlike Kylo Ren's, but green.
"Skywalker?"
"Go! If you leave now you will catch a shuttle!"
Finally able to think clearly again Phasma did not leave, instead she raised her good arm, and started firing again.
"I fought for the First Order for too long, now at least I can kill some of the monsters I helped create. It is an honour to fight by your side Jedi."
Luke felt uneasy about a soldier sacrificing herself in his name, but he understood the need to redeem oneself. Besides, from where he fought there was little he could do to get her to safety.
His lightsaber deflected all bolts that came towards him, but only some of them hit a Stormtrooper. The tall warrior in chromium armour was truly the one who was keeping there ranks from coming any closer, but from her injured arm, and the beads of sweat pouring from her face, he wasn't sure how long she would survive. On his own he wasn't sure how long he would survive either.
From the center of there ranks a tall young man emerged, he wore all black, which signified his rank. He carried in front of him a purple energy shield as tall as he was with one hand, and in the other a blaster with precise aiming enhancements. He poked the weapon through his shield, aimed, steadied his hands, and pulled the trigger.
A single bolt was fired, Luke readied himself in a defensive stance, but he realized too late that the bolt wasn't aimed at him. He quickly turned to see the shocked, and dimming face on the soldier, smoke coming from between her breast and chest plates. Before she could even hit the ground a trooper shot a grappling gun at her and it managed to entangle her right arm. They pulled her into there ranks so quickly Luke could barely see her try and desperately pull at her entangled arm before disappearing into the wall of white. Looking at the slowly closing in stormtroopers, Luke no longer could see the cowardly man anymore, not even the light of his shield. All Luke could do now was fight to save his sister, the Resistance, and to avenge the women he fought beside.
The AAL-1971/9.1 Troop Transporter finally landed, and Leia was happy to see when it opened that it contained her missing spy, and not a platoon of First Order Stormtroopers. Two other women stood in the opening of the ship, one was middle aged with greying black hair, and the other was about Finn's age and was clearly the other's daughter, the only difference was her skin was slightly darker than her mother's. Vi Moradi came directly to Leia, and held out her hand.
"It's good to see you General Leia."
Leia took the woman's hand and shook it.
"It's good to see that you are alive Starling."
Her short curly hair was still bleached blonde, clearly she had lost her favourite black and blue wig sometime in the last two weeks. Her eyes were now amber which complimented her golden brown skin, Leia couldn't tell if she was seeing the spies true eyes for the first time, or if this was just another one of her wide variety of colourful contacts.
"Is it to late to report that there are First Order ships in the area?"
"Sadly yes, but you are here now, and I assume you can help."
"Yes actually. You remember my mission to Parnassos?-"
Gun fire came from over head. Looking up Leia could see that there ships were now in a dog fight with a handful of First Order TIEs. If they didn't leave soon they would be overwhelmed from ground and air. Thankful almost everyone was boarded. Out of nowhere BB-8 came rolling out of the mine, Poe and Finn were right behind him, they were the last of the Resistance in there. The last besides Luke.
"I'll make this brief. The planet is almost completely uninhabitable, half of it now being a barren radioactive dessert. In the centre of that dessert however is an underground shielded mining facility, more armoured than this one even, it has enough supplies to feed an army for almost a decade, and the miners just left behind gallons of already refined fuel. There is a fully stocked infirmary run by droids, and a lowering platform that leads into an area that I believe could hold a few ships. Phasma at some point whipped it from the First Order's databanks, they don't know it exists. Siv and Torbi have been living there for over twenty five years, and they are perfectly-"
Poe spoke up.
"Sorry, who?"
Vi pointed at the open ship which was now filling up like all the others.
"The two women over there in white uniforms, they are the sole survivors of the radioactive portion of the planet. I promised them I'd drop them off on a world where they can start a new life."
Leia spoke next.
"Starling, get in your ship and tell everyone to take off, and to head to those coordinates under my orders. Only the Falcon will stay grounded until we are sure everyone is evacuated."
"Yes Ma'am!"
Vi ran off towards her stolen ship. BB-8 made a couple high pitched beeps that even Leia could tell was a concerned question. Poe's face went dark, and responded to the droids inquiry.
"What guys?"
BB-8 rolled back into the mine, Leia, Poe, and Finn followed. There were some of the large boulders that Leia had cast aside, and hidden between them in the dark were two large male bodies, both with there throats cut. They were Thorn's guards. Leia had a soft gasp.
Through the force Luke could sense that he was surrounded by darkness, and yet looking around only a wall of white stood in front of him. He was deflecting all blasts fired at him, and managed to force push many back, but twice as many were advancing at an alarming rate. His blade moved so fast that to the naked eye it looked like a circle of green light was just emanating from his hands, but Luke knew he was slowing down. He needed to stall the First Order for as long as he could, only one idea came to mind.
"Where is the cowardice boy who hides behind a body shield while all his men die?!"
To Luke's surprise the troops stopped firing, and the man emerged once more. He did not carry the shield, or the blaster, instead he wielded what appeared to be a quicksilver baton contained in some form of field, it was about the length of his forearm.
"Who are you, you worthless scum?"
Hux was annoyed by the legendary Luke Skywalker not knowing who he was, but he remained stoic.
"I am the Supreme Leader of the First Order, Emperor of the-"
"You are shorter than I was told Snoke, but they were spot on for the ugliness."
Heat rose to Hux's cheeks, deep down he knew that the Jedi was toying with him like the pilot Dameron had, but he couldn't resist yelling at him.
"Snoke is dead you miserable old man, I am the new Supreme Leader, I am Emperor Armitage Hux, I am your d-"
"Wrong!"
"I'm sorry?"
"The First Order may have blown up the Republic, but many councilmen survived on there homeworlds, which you, nor anybody else has any claim to, but themselves. So what you meant was you are a young spoiled brat who inherited your job, and havn't worked a day in your life."
Somewhere in the crowd a trooper snickered, Hux made a mental note to later track him down and torture them until there heart stopped. Hux squeezed his baton and it grew to be a little more than half his height, and the ends sharped to a point that could pierce Zillo Beast scales. He than charged at the Jedi.
Hux was more proficient with a blaster, but ever since he met Kylo Ren he knew that he needed to know how to defend himself from a lightsaber wielding opponent. He jabbed at Luke, he missed, but immediately changed his position to prevent Luke from preforming a counter strike.
Luke knew if he could strike Hux down, although not the Jedi way, might cause the First Order to give up and retreat, or it could cause them to all simultaneously open fire, but Luke had little choice. He striked at Hux's baton causing a large amount of sparks to fly, but no damage. He than tried to downward strike him, but this left him open and Hux nearly impaled him. Hux swept at Luke's feet, but he simply jumped over it.
Luke tried to use his lightsaber to push Hux's weapon away, and this caused Hux to become off balanced. Using this to his advantage, Luke stabbed at Hux, the self proclaimed Emperor dodged, but Luke managed to graze part of his right arm.
"Ahg!"
Hux dropped his weapon, but before Luke could finish him off, Hux managed to stumble out of stabbing distance. Luke took a step closer and raised his weapon to point at Hux's head.
"You are defeated, surrender. I will take no pleasure from killing you, but I won't hesitate to do so if you don't accept my mercy."
Luke saw before he felt it, a bright red bolt of plasma flew out of his chest, he had been shot through the back. Before he fell, all he could see was Hux straighten his posture and smirk.
"Thank you Flower."
Leia felt Luke's pain, she knew what had happened.
"No!"
She, C-3P0, Finn, and Poe had been waiting at the edge of the mine's exit in hope that Luke would emerge, all the other ships had taken off, leaving only the X-Wings and the Falcon. Despite her physical condition Leia tried to run to her brother, to try and save him, but Poe grabbed tightly onto her arm.
"I'm sorry General, but I can't let you go in there, we waited as long as we could but we must go now."
"Luke, he-"
"Princess, Master Luke would want you to survive, to continue to lead the Resistance. Please don't go, your chance of not being captured is 60 to 1, and your chance of surviving are 3972 to 1."
Leia stopped fighting, and let Poe lead her out of the mine, but she was still focused on Luke. She didn't hear Poe order the protocol droid to go ahead and tell Chewie to prepare for take off, all she could feel was Luke's pain and the life draining out of him. She didn't even hear the sniper shot, she only felt it's blast rip through her shoulder as she, Poe, and Finn exited the mine.
"Leia, Oh my lord! Finn!"
Finn immediately whipped out his blaster, and with a single shot each he took out the half a dozen troopers that were positioned on top of the ravine above them, than quickly turned to Poe who had caught the wounded princess. Desperately Poe cried out.
"Help me!"
Finn helped Poe lift Leia, who was now in shock, and helped quickly carry her onto the Falcon. Finn yelled into the Falcon in hopes that Lando or Chewie would hear.
"Take off! Take off now! And is anyone here a medic?!"
C-3P0, along with three dozen Resistance members crowded the men as they lay Leia down on the med-bed.
"Princess Leia, oh dear."
As Leia had felt his pain, Luke now felt hers. As he lay on his stomach, he used his arms to pushed himself high enough to see one last time. His shooter now made herself known, walking towards Supreme Leader Hux. She wore a simple yellowish brown Resistance mechanic's outfit, her skin was only slightly darker than his own, and she had an interesting hairstyle that made her shiny hair look like a black wave. Her face was what was of interest, although her expression was maniacal, her features suggested a normally kind face, and although she did not appear to regret her deed, her black eyes were filled with regretted decisions. Luke realized that this woman was as much of a victim as he now was.
The woman put her arms around Hux's neck playfully, and kissed him lovingly on cheek.
"It's been so long Army, you didn't have to bring the entire First Order and fight a Jedi just for me."
"I see now that I'd do anything for you my Flower, but right now we have to hurry if we are going to kill the Resistance."
Everyone rushed past Luke, they knew his injury was fatal, and therefore left him so that his own body could torture him until he died. Knowing the same thing Luke considered ending his pain right now with his own lightsaber, but a blue glowing light stopped him.
"Father?"
"Let go Luke, it is your time to join us."
He could see his father as he last saw him alive and as a ghost on Endor, still in the Vader suit but his face was free of all the scars and damage. Standing beside him was all the Jedi he'd ever known, Obi-Wan, Yoda, Ahsoka, and all the students and teachers who didn't make it in the fire, including her.
"Hedala-"
She hadn't aged a day since the fire, her dark skin glistened from her ghostly blue hues.
"We are here Luke, it's time for you to let go."
"Let go."
"Let go Luke."
"Let go you must."
Finally his father spoke once more.
"Let go, and be at peace."
Luke did as they said, and shed his mortal self, becoming apart of the cosmic light. All that was left behind was his lightsaber and his robes.
The Falcon had taken off, but TIEs were still on there tail as they rose through the atmosphere. There were no medics on board, the most qualified person was crew member who had studied human biology growing up, and had taken military first aid like every other soldier. She examined her but than turned to Poe and shock her head, she than stepped back. Leia tried to speak, but her voice could only manage a whisper.
"Poe, she's gone-"
Barely able to hear her Poe shouted at everyone.
"Out, give me some room, just go."
Everyone but C-3P0 left the room, Poe knelt next to where Leia was laying so he could hear her better.
"I am promoting you to General."
"No, no, you are going to be fine, and you said it yourself that I am a reckless leader. The Resistance needs you."
"No, the Resistance needs you Poe. You followed your gut to catch the spy, you flew us to safety, and you spoke on behalf of Phasma who we would have surely killed. You have shown to have great judgement in people."
Leia held out her hand and Poe took it, she than placed the famed golden dice of Han Solo in his hands.
"These belonged to the best pilot in the galaxy, and the most selfless man I've ever met. That man is now you."
Leia began to wheeze as she spoke, and Poe could tell she was using the very last of her strength to tell him these things.
"You have been like a second son to me Poe, I have watched you come from hardship and pain, yet you still grew up to be a great man. The Resistance needs you. You have made me so proud, finish my dream, bring peace-"
Leia stopped squeezing his hand. And before Poe's very eyes she faded from existence, leaving behind only her gown. A small amount of tears started to stain Poe's cheeks, C-3P0 broke the never ending silence.
"She is gone."
Poe called everybody, including Chewie and Lando into the main room, all ships had successfully entered hyperspace and were heading for Parnassos, and Poe had an open com to them all. Some crew members were crying, some looked like they wanted to fight, and some just looked broken and hopeless. Everyone was looking at him expectantly, and he didn't know were to start, but he than looked at all the faces he had fought beside, the same faces that had survived until now fighting for what was right. He looked at Finn who stood close by, and gave a half hearted smile to Poe in support. Poe took a deep breath.
"Leia is dead, and so is so many others who were apart of the cause, or were innocent bystanders. Her final act was to make me the General, leaving a great responsibility on my shoulders, but I don't plan on carrying it alone. As we have, and will continue fighting for the galaxies freedom you all have supported me, and I know that together we can survive and rise from the ashes. To rephrase what a wise leader once said, we the Resistance, are the spark that will light the fire, that'll burn the First Order down! We will be able to do this if we fight together!"
When Rey, Kylo, Spector, and Tiffony arrive on the sacred island on Ahch-To, all the other Knights were waiting. The Caretakers were overjoyed that there were so many force sensitive people that they were throwing an even grander party than the one Rey had attended. The Knights were all waiting around a large bonfire.
Kylo and Spector departed the shuttle immediately, Spector now carrying his lightsaber that Kylo had been storing for him, but just as Rey was starting to descend the ramp she noticed Tiffony hanging behind. She called out to the girl.
"Are you coming Fen?"
The girl looked lost, and confused, but also now determined.
"Rey, I am forever in your debt for showing me the truth of the horrors I was calling home, and for helping me learn more about who I am. Go on without me."
Rey could sense her intentions, she hoped Kylo would forgive her, but she simply nodded and left the ship. Just as she reached Kylo's side his ship began to rise, the ramp rose and sealed, and before anyone could do anything the shuttle was high in the night sky. Kylo turned to Rey for answers and Gave him one.
"Her path wasn't ours, and unlike those that came before us, I didn't want to force her into a destiny that wasn't meant for her."
Kylo simply smiled at her, and than turned to address the Knights. The six of them had removed there dark masks revealing mostly human males around Kylo's age, although there was one female Pantoran. They all awaited patiently.
"First I need to apologize, I forced you all to channel solely the darkside against your wills, and yet I must ask you to follow me, and help restore true balance to the galaxy. Legend says that Force sensitives from across this system found there way to this island and formed the first ever counsel of jedi and of people of different species."
Kylo turned to Rey. She began where he left off.
"They built this temple where they practiced, and maintained both the darkness and the light. As there numbers grew they founded temples across the galaxy, and more force sensitives of all different species joined."
"As members of there species joined this new 'Jedi Order' there people began to interact more, and more until alliances, and relations between worlds began to develop into what would become the Old Republic. The Jedi then didn't know of what there exploration would cause, but we do. During the Imperial reign the Empire demolished, and culturally obliterated many planets, and the New Republic made the mistake of throwing there old culture back at these worlds, and forced planets to join in hopes of a unified galaxy. Although it's tragic, with the New Republic gone every planet has a chance to rebuild there own way, and if you join me we will make sure that no one interferes, including us, and that balance is restored world by world."
Kylo ignited his cross guard lightsaber that now was a dark purple, and raised it over the fire. Because some never completed there Jedi training most did not have a lightsaber, so the majority of the Knights just raised there weapons, some like Spector ignited and raised there's, leaving only Rey.
"You may pick a name that represents you, or you may keep the one you have, but now is the time to choose."
Rey thought about herself, and about how Ben choose his own name. In her mind she would always be Rey, but something deep within her whispered to her of what to choose. Rey ignited her long double-bladed lightsaber that's hue was that of a light violet, and placed one end over the fire.
"I am Kira Ren."
The Caretakers had managed to get everyone to enjoy themselves, the Knights were drinking, and socializing, and listening to the music, but all Rey and Kylo could feel was death.
"They are both gone."
"I sense it too Ben, but they are at peace."
"I feel her, she is one with the force, she will always be with me."
Rey knew that for the first time since he had leaned the truth about his lineage, that Kylo was at peace with himself, but Rey was not.
"You wish to go?"
"I will be a Grey Knight, and I will not stop until I know the galaxy is safe from shattering into darkness or blinding light, but there is something else I must do."
"Your father?"
"I still do not know his fate, and while I was training here I had a vision, and one of the things I saw was an old woman on a jungle planet who I felt connected to, maybe if I can find her she may know the rest of my story, she may be my Aunt or even my mother. I have to find her."
"Kira Rey, you were meant to explore the stars, do not think that I will stop you."
The song that had been played when he had appeared to her as a vision was playing once more, and Kylo stood and once again offered her his hand.
"Tomorrow you may be off to search the stars, but tonight you are here, with the Knights, and with me. Would you like to dance?"
All Rey could think was, 'Has it been that long?' But a soft smile crossed her face, she took his hand, and together they made there way to the fire where the Caretakers were playing their song.
New/Altered Characters: Don't read any if you're not finished the book.
As I promised at the beginning any knew characters or characters with histories I have greatly changed from cannon I will be posting here. Some of the stuff I wrote either will better explain characters actions, or it will spoil big details not in the book so read at your own risk. They might also be taken down or altered if I ever do a "Rise of Skywalker" because they might spoil a reveal or are just no longer accurate to my version of events. Thank you everyone who has read through the entire story, it has meant a lot.
Heritage: Great-grandfather was Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn of Coruscant who accidentally had a child with Tatoonine Slave Shmi Skywalker. The child had to be given away at age four and was sold to Harra the Hutt on Vodran the child grew up in slavery and worked hard, and at age 24 had a child. That child was also a slave on Vodran, but was liberated by the First Order and was brought up as a solider, they were extremely strong and hard working and there DNA was selected with another to produce a child, that child was FN-2509.
Given Name: FN-2509
Chosen Name: Tiffony Fen
Affiliations:
-Elite Praetorian Guard of the First Order (formerly)
-Kira Rey
-Ben Solo (limited)
Weapon:
-Vibro-air blades
History: At the age of one day old Phasma did her rounds of choosing which children would be soldiers and which would be executed, when she saw her, she saw a vision just like she had seen in FN-2187 seven years earlier, so she secretly placed her in her special training program. She excelled in civilian protection not just to First Order's or Phasma's expectations, but also Supreme Leader Snoke's, he arranged for her to be given extra drills in obedience, combat, and mood/scenery assessment. These extra courses prevented Phasma from fully assessing her, she only had her for combat, she programmed what she could and trained her 3 times harder then even Snoke wanted her to be trained. After 4 and a half years she was granted the position of Elite Praetorian Guard at only halfway through her 16th year of life. She kept this position for 6 months until Rey had come to see Kylo Ren and was taken prisoner and sent to see Snoke. Everything was normal for FN-2509 until Rey screamed in pain, then everything became very confusing, her inner programming of free thinking and protect the innocent from Phasma activated and she was free from First Order brain washing. She stood still, not knowing what to do, she didn't raise her weapon when Snoke was threatening Rey, or when Rey wielded Ren's lightsaber but did raise her weapon when she thought Ren would kill Rey. But even when her master died she did not move with the others, only when Rey was about to be killed by one of her comrades, and Kylo couldn't save her, did she run up and slash her own partners head off. She was knocked out by the Raddus attack and pinned down by debris but was rescued by Rey and Ben, she realized that if she stayed it would be death and she felt a familial connection with Ben and a mentor bond with Rey. She helped Rey into a friends armour and they escape to Ben's drop ship. On the ship FN-2509 is confronted by Rey who can sense the force in side her and asks if she'd like the name Tiffony Fen, she excepts, and Rey gives her a brief explanation and lesson in the force. Jacen Syndulla comes aboard and Tiffony asks to join him in the cockpit, she does this to see hyperspace for the first time but also to learn the controls of the ship. They all land on Ahch-To and Rey notices that Tiffony was staying behind, she thanked Rey and when she left she quickly re-activated the ship and took off because she did not wish to join the Gray Knights or Ren and instead wanted to find out what she wanted to do in life. later she would realize that the original Jedi texts were on the ship.
Heritage: Unknown parantage but Phasma and her brother Keldo were part of a small and weak clan that resided directly around the Nautilus on the desolate planet Parnassos.
Given Name: Phasma
Chosen Name: Phasma
Affiliations:
-Unknown clan(formally)
-The Scyre Clan and Keldo (formally)
-First Order (believed in ideals but eventually betrayed)
-Supreme Leader/General Hux (Formally)
-Resistance(partly)
-Her special troops
-Frey (Warcry) (UV-8855)
- Finn Shot
History: Phasma and Keldo grew up having to defend the clan's territory from raiders from rival clans such as the Scyre and the Claw. One day Phasma orchestrated the deaths of her entire clan including her father and mother because they would rather die than join. Keldo was unaware of this and ended up having his leg gravely injured. They ended up joining the Scyre clan were they eventually became there leaders by the age of 18 and ruled together for 3 years although Keldo technically had a higher rank.
Everything changed, when Phasma observed a First Order starship escape pod crashing in the neighbouring Claw clan territory. Covertly leading her Scyre warriors over the border into Claw territory, Phasma was brought face to face with First Order General Brendol Hux, three Stormtroopers and a black protocol droid. Hux introduced himself as an officer for the First Order, who had been on a mission to recruit the strongest warriors in the galaxy to the First Order military when his ship had been shot down by a forgotten ancient Parnassos' automated defence system.
Seizing her opportunity to get off-world and really agreeing with Hux's promise to bring prosperity and peace to struggling planets like her own, Phasma stepped forward and unmasked herself, introducing herself and offering to help Hux find his crashed ship behind her brother's back.
She took her closest warriors and headed out with Hux and his two Stormtroopers. Along the way a couple warriors died along with a Stormtrooper. When they reached the ship the rest of the Scyre clan and Claw clan caught up to them to try and talk sense into Phasma and her group but eventually resorting to trying to kill them. In the fight Phasma's group killed just about everyone but almost all of them were killed as well. Phasma killed her brother. Hux was bitten by a Parnassos' beetle right before boarding the escape craft. Phasma took her niece Frey with her.
Once aboard Hux's star destroyer she was given her first assignment of checking new born babies to see if they're worthy of The First Order, she was unhappy with the thought of this job but the now sick General Hux promised and signed a contract saying that once she's fully trained in The First Order ways and understands the technology that she would take over training soldiers 15-25. Hux died a couple weeks later from the poison of the beetle leaving behind his four year old son.
After completing all training and teachings with flying colours Phasma started her first job with the intent to be promoted quickly. On one of her first inspection rounds of newborn infants that day she came to FN-2187. He did not appear strong enough so she was going to immunize him but she looked him in the eyes and had a vision, a vision of this child refusing to kill innocent lives and her exicuting him. This child was different. She saw for the first time the cruelty of who she worked for and wanted out.
She realized that if she tried to leave they'd kill her and nothing would be done, so starting with this baby she devised a secret special training program behind Supreme Leader Snoke's back. She would pick children that stood out, might not have looked the strongest or even opened their eyes yet but if they had a special smile or looked at her with fascinating she would arranged for those few special to go through extra training.
She decided that they'd do janitorial work on every major base so they'd know the layouts of all major First Order bases. Plenty of puzzle solving activities for strategy and free thinking. Multiple simulator programs on protecting the innocent for just that, protecting the innocent and a moral compass.
Once they would reached 15 they fell into her hands when she gets the training job where she would test the special ones and if they showed that they have taken to the special training she would first start programming them with overrides for the other First Order programming.
The overriding would only kick in when the trooper heard a real innocent person scream in terror or pain. The ones that weren't taking to the special training were released back to normal First Order training. She would personally train her soldiers in battle combat, she would trained them twice as hard.
After a month she was promoted to older soldier training but when they offered to take away her previous job she refused, she said she wanted to see them at the very start of there training and when they finish which was partially true so they let her keep both jobs. She trained every trooper 15 through 25.
She picked around 500 a year of the special babies, but rarely did she see "the different ones" as she thought of them, the ones like FN-2187, but she did see them sometimes.
Eight years past and she had risen in rank, but kept the same job, sometimes she went to battle on her soldiers first real battle but not much had changed.
On one of her patrols however she came across FN-2509 who had the same look in her eyes as FN-2187, and FN-2509 also gave her a vision of this young girl standing in the middle of the fight that would be Snoke's demise. So she secretly placed her in her special training program.
When her niece, Frey, turned 15 and fell into her hands Phasma knew that she had to get her out of the First Order. So she explained who she was to her niece because she wasn't sure if Frey would remember her. She told her of the horrors that the First Order was covering up and managed to convince Frey to leave.
They faked her death, making it appear as a training accident. Than Phasma kept her hidden in her quarters for weeks until Phasma's next battle. Phasma snuck her aboard the transport. When they landed on the Colossus everyone including Phasma deployed Phasma than Frey snuck out and headed away from all the stormtroopers with only a handful of rations, water rations, and the few credits Phasma had managed to come by.
Phasma knew things would start getting difficult for herself. Her first batch of special Stormtroopers just turned 25 and would be sent into real battle where there programming could start kicking in. She kept a close eye on FN-2187 knowing he was more special then the other special soldiers. He didn't just excel at his normal training but at hers as well. She had also developed a sort of motherly attachment to FN-2187.
She made sure that she was on FN's first battle. On Jakku she could see her overriding programming overcoming the First Order's programming. She covered up the fact that he never fired a single shot.
Her original plan was to bring her special soldiers together once more were ready and take down the First Order. But when it came to FN-2187 specifically she was informed that the Resistance pilot that been taken was critically important to the thriving of the Resistance.
So she approached FN soon after his transport had landed. She noticed his helmet was off, she understood that he was having some sort of panic attack, but she needed him to put his helmet back on or someone might notice and report him. She then told him that everything was ok and asked if he wanted to leave the First Order which he responded with yes.
She took him to her quarters and gave him the necessary details to get Commander Dameron and escape. Although she never directly did anything to improve his odds.
When Hux asked for her help figuring out why FN-2187 rebelled she did so as honestly as possible, not to raise suspicion. Her presence was soon after required on Star Killer base for its christening. She remained there because she had a well thought out guess that if FN-2187 had reached the Resistance that he might be apart of an attack on the base.
FN did indeed infiltrate the base. He knew not to blow her cover so he had Chewwbaca tackle her for any camera to see and "threatened" her to lower the bases shields. This is when she learned his new name Finn. He pretended to knock her out and dumped her in a garbage compactor. She stayed down for a few minutes, than made her way to an escape ship, arriving just as the planetary reaction had started.
She went straight to the nearest First Order base to prevent anyone from thinking she was abandoning. She was put back on the Supremacy which is where she trained her troops, but was also the ship that entered the long lasting space chase after the Resistance Raddus.
She was "guarding" a possible Resistance base when Hux was informed by Rosita Thorn that she was a traitor. The closest troopers near by fired at her, but all deflected off her chrome armour, none hitting in between her armour plates. She blasted her way to the closest ship and took off. Many TIEs shot at her and she quickly was taking damage. She barely made it to the planet Crait.
Still being heavily fired at her only chance was to crash land directly into there base. However the blaster doors were closing. She barely made it in, and the TIEs following her crashed into the door.
She took her helmet off and said she came in peace. She was still blasted at until Poe stopped them all and explained that she was a spy. She explained to Leia and Poe about her secret soldiers.
Phasma went to the Finn and explained everything. Soon the cavalry arrived, but so did the First Order, now being ruled by Supreme Leader Emperor Hux. She knew she could hold the ground forces off for a while so she volunteered to do just that.
Before Finn left her she told him that he should seek out the other special troopers, and to find Frey, to tell her of her fate and to give her her mask.
She than fights. She fights without her helmet. She buys the Resistance a few minutes, but soon a shot hit her rendering one of her arms unusable and the amount of troopers only increases. Jedi Master Luke Skywalker joins her with his green lightsaber, and saves her while she is in shock. She expresses her gratitude to fight side by side with a warrior greater than her.
Moments later she is shot in the stomach by Hux and grappled into the Stormtrooper hoard.
Although she appears to be dead, Hux does bark at his soldiers to revive her at all costs because he was not finished with her. Her final fate is unknown.
Skin tone: Caucasian with green hues, most apparent at ear tips, and fingers. Cheeks when blushing.
Hair: shaggy, naturally green, but bleached blonde with green roots.
Eye: two, blue.
Heritage: Grandson of freedom fighter Cham Syndulla, son of General/ace pilot Hera Syndulla of the Rebel Alliance and Caleb Dume/Kanan Jarrus Jedi Knight.
Given Name: Jacen Syndulla
Alias: Belac Cham, Spector Ren, Spector 7
Affiliations:
-Ghost crew (formerly)
-Ahsoka Tano (Master, formerly)
-Resistance of the New Republic (traitor to them for the Knights of Ren and spy)
-Suu Leh-Lawquane (limited)
-Grey Knights of Ren
-Ben Solo
History: Jacen was born sometime right before the Battle of Yavin and was raised by his mother and her crew till the age of 8, when his force sensitivity became apparent. Hera decided it would be best if he was raised in the ways of the Jedi like his father. He was sent to Luke's Jedi Temple to train. He trained for 15 years. He also studied pilot training and kept in touch with his mother and her stories about the Rebel Alliance. At age 11, old family friend and former Jedi Padawan Ahsoka Tano took Jacen as her Padawan. She trained him, and the other members of Luke's Temple, several lost Jedi techniques and lessons. She took Jacen on several missions across the galaxy. At age 20 Jacen passed Luke Skywalker's Jedi trials and became one of the few Jedi Knights in the galaxy. At 21 Ahsoka left for a personal secret mission, leaving Jacen behind not even telling him she was leaving, and than never returned, this left the young Knight scared, allowing for darkness to enter his mind.
At the age of 23, one night fellow student, and good friend Ben Solo went to the dark side and started recruiting his closest friends to join him and leave the Jedi, as they left a major lightning bolt struck the temple causing it to burn to the ground. They tried to save the students but were prevented from entering from the flames, this plunged most of the other students onto the dark path that would lead them to form the Knights of Ren. He became Spector Ren. He and the Knights of Ren trained in the dark side and travelled the Galaxy taking what they wanted until Supreme Leader Snoke of the First Order organized them. Ben, now Kylo, was plunged into an endless darkness and forced the other Knights, including Spector, to recite Sith prayers whenever they felt themselves being pulled to the light.
He was then sent undercover several times ending with him ordered to infiltrate the Resistance. He dyed his hair blonde and joined as a Electrician. He learned his mother died of grief not long after his supposed death. He gained the trust of the base but kept a distance from Leia because she had met him a few times as a child and she knew his mother, but Leia was also force sensitive and might be able to sense him. So he had to hide his force sensitivity. He kept his hair long enough to hide his ears and always covered his arm to hide the Knights of Ren cross-lightsaber tattoo. He had to keep his cover from being blown, but a couple months before the destruction of Starkiller base he entered a relationship with technician Suu Leh-Lawquane, she was a Lethan Twi'lek. After Starkiller base blew up there was no time to escape so he joined the escape ship. He kept his distance from Leia but kept his eye on the escape pods. He also did his Resistance job and told everyone to conserve power.
On one of his rounds with Suu he takes interest in who he knew to be one of the pod guards and First Order spy and assassin, he also talked with her acquaintances to lower suspicion. He sensed the force sensitivity in Finn and did not wish to tip him off. He later attends the uni-cultural pray group meeting which doubled as supporting those mourning. He prayed in Sith because he was feeling a tremendous pull to the light to remain with Suu, however this praying sent chills down the spines of force sensitives and non-force sensitives alike. He pulls Rose aside and calls her out for who she is and who he is, she doesn't know who he is but states she doesn't care what happens to him and would blow his cover if needed.
When the evacuation starts he tries to escape to the pods before they are drained to the escape transport shuttles. Minutes later he's opened and activated a pod when Finn tackles him. In shock he can't resist Finn lifting up his sleeve revealing the yellow cross-guarded lightsaber tattoo. Jacen reveals Rose's true purpose on the ship, than force pushes Finn off and launches the ship. He later joins up with Kylo after receiving the homing beacon. He takes over piloting and agrees to join the new path of the Gray Knights of Ren when they arrive at Ahch-To.
Heritage: Parents were impoverished minors of the Planet Hays Minor, a cold planet distant from its sun in the Otomok System. After her planet was polluted and destroyed by the First Order, Rose and her older sister Paige were smuggled out of Otomok as refugees by their parents but were captured and Rose was trained to be a First Order Spy.
Given Name: Rose Tico
Chosen Name: Rosita Thorn
Affiliations:
-First Order
-Supreme Leader/General Hux (To her own advantage and benefit.)
-Paige Tico (Limited)
-Resistance (formerly, traitor to them for the first order and spy)
History: Rose was born to poor miners on Hays Minor and two years younger to her sister Paige. Life was hard and everyone worked hard but the people of Hays Minor, including the Tico's, were happy. But when Rose was three the First Order came and claimed the planet, its resources and its people for themselves. The people had to work four times as hard and it quickly destroyed there planet.
Before becoming completely inhospitable and as the First Order ships started to leave, the Tico's tried to smuggle themselves and there children off world as refugees. At this time Rose was 6 and Paige was 8, and there parents had given them matching Haysian ore Otomok medallions which were a relegious simple of there people. One of the few remaining First Order ships spotted them and boarded. The resistance showed up to help fight off the ship but Rose had been taken and there parents and grandparents were killed.
When taken, to preserve her previous identity she went by Rosita Thorn. For 6 years she tried many times to escape but eventually learned to appreciate what the First Order did but ultimately decided to stay because she realized that the First Order was going to take over the galaxy and she wanted to be on there good side. After this realization she trained to be a spy for 8 years then went on many undercover missions as a spy and assassin and during this time started a passionate relationship with General Armitage Hux after originally having to pretend to be his lover on a mission.
6 years later she was then given the assignment to go undercover in the resistance to gain Intel and move up in ranks. But when she arrived she met a female pilot with the same medallion as her, it was her sister Paige who was raised by the resistance pilot who saved her and they reunited. Rose started having doubts about the First Order. She stayed in the lower ranks, keeping contact minimal, only sending partial data, such as location of resistance attacks.
But when Starkiller base was destroyed she knew she had to act. First she gave Hux information on the attack and how Dameron had fired the death blow. Second, Rose being part of colbalt squadron she had access to the bombers and sabotaged all of them, the only ship she didn't sabotage was her sisters, she instead used the little First Order technology she had to enhance her sister's shield's. In the battle Paige died anyway and Rose's heart darkened, she contacted the First Order Multiple times giving them two years of knowledge and currant stats. One of her transmissions were partially intercepted by Holdo unknown to Rose.
Rose later was making a transmission to General Hux which she was updating/flirting with him. She heard footsteps and turned off the communicator and started crying, fake at first but then real for the love and loss of her sister. It was Finn and she recognized him from the info Hux sent and smallest of gossip from the D'Qar base, she pretended to be impressed, then did the job Holdo assigned her to do by tasing him, once unconscious she was taking him to a close by cellar to kill him but he regained consciousness at a surprising rate, she changed course for the brig. He mentions a plan to save the resistance and although she's against it, it sounded like he could get her to the bridge of the Resistance cruiser where she could learn more about the plan and send it to the First Order. She gave off First Order knowledge passing it off as common ship knowledge and Finn believe it.
Instead of taking her to the bridge he took her to Poe who took Finn aside and said something that changed the plan to what Rose would later guess to be looking for her. She stuck with them, flirts with Poe but stops when Poe makes it obvious he's gay. She points out how Belac Cham is obviously hiding something. She attends the pray group meeting where she lets her guard down a little and does some Otoian prays for her sister and cries a bit, Belac approaches her, telling her it was unprofessional to let your real emotions show, she calmly says back that his roots were showing. They discuss there loyalties and threaten each others mission, Rose doesn't actually recognize him.
Later during the evacuation and Leia informs them about Jacen and how they need to catch him, she runs in the opposite direction and joins a shuttle about to deport. When she gets to the surface she contacts Hux and tells him there location, the dirt she has on phasma and the current state of the resistance. Finn barges in and she takes him hostage, she stuns him and holds a blaster to his head, then Poe stuns her. She's tied up and guarded, and when everyone starts heading for the exit she takes out her guards and heads for the front exit were Skywalker is holding off the First Order, and she then shoots him in the back. As he lays dying she goes up to Hux, put her arms around his neck and lays a big kiss on him, he tells her that they need to catch up to the Resistance and so she, Hux, and all the stormtroopers run through the mine only to find the Falcon already in the air. She joins Hux at his right hand side as his personal assassin/spy and Empress.
This was a fun read, Ivy (but it took me a while).
My favorite thing was that you got rid of the casino planet!!!! :-D
Also, the other big thing that bothered me in the original is the "tracking through hyperspace" subplot - it makes much more sense that it was a spy, and I remember the first time I watched the movie, I was extremely sus about Rose's character, since she was the new kid. But instead we got a subplot with a casino planet that, in the end, did zero to advance the plot of the movie. LOL
Thanks for posting!
Interested in the Post-Zero Hour Reboot Legion? Check out:
Thank you. Yes, having a spy also explains why the first order didn't just hyperspace ahead and blow them up, they don't want to kill there own unless necessary. Thanks again for reading.
One other thing - I appreciated the Tardigrade call out in the scene with Leia pulling herself back into the ship. Do you watch ST-Discovery? It made me think of that, so I thought it was another good reference, intentional or not. :-)
Interested in the Post-Zero Hour Reboot Legion? Check out:
I do watch a lot of star trek, but Discovery is not one I have scene yet. Tardigrades where something I did a research project on in high school a few years back and it was one of the few things I could think of that would still be alive in space. I based how she flew after the bridge scene and flying levels in the game Journey. The protagonist can't fly on its own so they must rely on the living scarfs and magic mist to allow them to fly, I thought that was better than the weird mary popins we got in the film and the even weirder explanation in the novelization.
I do watch a lot of star trek, but Discovery is not one I have scene yet. Tardigrades where something I did a research project on in high school a few years back and it was one of the few things I could think of that would still be alive in space. I based how she flew after the bridge scene and flying levels in the game Journey. The protagonist can't fly on its own so they must rely on the living scarfs and magic mist to allow them to fly, I thought that was better than the weird mary popins we got in the film and the even weirder explanation in the novelization.
You should definitely watch S1, at least as it relates to this subject. I bear no responsibility for addiction to watching S2 or S3, however. :-)
But if you're familiar with the rest of the Trek lore, you will appreciate the entire show.
Last edited by Gaseous Lad; 04/01/2109:43 AM.
Interested in the Post-Zero Hour Reboot Legion? Check out:
I didn't check for a while but I did today. 1400 views?! Thats half the total views of the same story on my other site, and its been up for three years. I didn't realize so many people would read this, thanks you guys.
Previous Thread
