Star Wars: Journey Through the Force
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A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…
STAR WARS
JOURNEY THROUGH THE FORCE
After the destruction of Starkiller Base, General Hux leads the remnants of the First Order into retreat towards the outer rims. During this time, Kylo Ren disappears to complete his training under Supreme Leader Snoke.
Fearing the threat of a new galactic war sweeping across the stars, the Republic assembles an unstoppable Galactic Armada to stop the rising conflict before it escalates out of control. Reluctantly, General Leia and the Resistance prepare to ally themselves with the new Republic.
Meanwhile, on the distant planet of Ahch-To, Rey hopes to convince the once great Jedi Master, Luke Skywalker, to return home and help restore peace and order to the galaxy…
Chapter I
Much like an ocean, the silence and stillness of space were a wonder to behold. In the distance, countless stars stretched as far as the eye could see. They burned brightly and illuminated the cosmos, casting a seemingly never-ending light onto the many planets. However, one planet's light was blocked as a large shadow engulfed the rocky surface.
The infinite silence of space was cut short by the low rumble of a lifeless space station drifting away. The station, relatively large, around a tenth the size of a small moon, floated slowly as pieces of debris broke apart. Some parts travelled to the deeper reaches of space, whilst others entered the planet's atmosphere, immediately burning up upon entry. The station would most likely only have a few more hours before it would be destroyed; which meant that the half-dozen X-Wing fighters that emerged from hyperspace didn't have much time.
''There it is.'' Poe Dameron spoke clearly over the radio.
Black Squadron took formation; two flanking on the sides and the other three fighters lined up behind Poe as he took the lead. He made sure they kept their distance from the derelict space station, just in case the area wasn't as deserted as they were believed. Their ships zoomed around the station, scouting for any sign of life. It took them a while to circle it, not wanting to draw any suspicion.
''Look at that thing,'' Jessika Pava commented. They all watched as another large chunk of the station broke off, sending smaller parts and debris flying in all directions. Luckily, they were far enough away so not to collide with it, however, they had another problem. ''I don't think it has much longer.''
''Then let's make this quick,'' Poe said to his squadron. Reaching forward, he flicked a switch that gave him a fully scanned schematic of the space station that floated before them, well, a map of the station when it was still in one piece. ''Alright, BB-8, you found us a way in?''
The tiny, spherical droid nestled in his compartment beeped loudly.
Within seconds, the schematic in front of Poe zoomed in until it had found an entrance area. The passageway door flickered with light and text hovered on screen, giving Poe a better idea of what they were up against. ''Okay, good news,'' He radioed the others. ''We've found a way in, and the shield generator is still functional. We can go in and land without having to worry about getting sucked into the vacuum of space.''
''Do we know if there are any survivors on board?'' Karé Kun asked.
''General Organa said the chances of there being any were very unlikely,'' L'ulo answered her.
Poe's eyes were constantly fixed on the broken station, afraid to take his eyes off it for even a moment. His eyes would drift to every corner; the slightest shadow that was cast had him on edge. He was aware that General Leia Organa was very rarely wrong, so if she said before that there were no survivors he had no reason to doubt her. However, all it would take was one fighter to hide in the darkness and catch them off guard or lay in wait within the station until someone brave or foolish enough stepped on board.
He did always consider himself a brave fool. ''Okay, here's the plan.'' Poe addressed his squadron. ''Karé, L'ulo and Muva, you three will keep watch out here. Don't remain too close to get caught up in the debris, but don't drift far enough away to get picked off by any First Order ships that emerge from Lightspeed. Jess and Snap, you're with me. We get in, use R7 to hack into the main computer and find what exactly this station was carrying before it was ambushed, and get out before we have some unwelcome company.''
''If the First Order attacked and ransacked this ship, why would they come back?'' Snap inquired.
Immediately, Jessika replied. ''Probably to destroy any evidence of them being here.''
''Then why leave the station at all? Why not destroy it completely?''
Before anyone else could reply, Poe spoke quietly but firmly. ''Because there's a good chance that it wasn't the First Order who attacked this station.''
The squadron split into its respective groups with swift prescience. Each fighter passed over the other in opposite direction without another moment's hesitation. As the three left behind to keep a watchful eye on their surroundings circled over the hollow station, Poe's team sharply turned and flew towards the opening.
Poe charged forward, tensely clutching his fist as they slowed to a crawl and eased their way through the protective shield. The artificial gravity within the interior of the ship becoming noticeable instantly once Poe felt the tight clenching in the pit of his stomach ease up. Over the years of being a pilot who has ventured into the deepest reaches of space, he had grown used to the sensation that overflowed his body. X-Wings were fighter ships by design; they had a limit to what they could take within zero gravity. The transition brought a comforting sensation to his being as he set the ship down in the loading bay.
A few anxious seconds ticked by. The three pilots and their droid companions waited in anticipation, expecting something to happen. The hum of their engines shutting off echoed all around the bay and through the dozens of hallways scattered in multiple routes.
BB-8 spun worriedly in his compartment, scoping the area.
The cockpit canopy rose up, allowing Poe to stand up. He unbuckled his helmet but didn't take it off, feeling a little more protected with it on. He climbed down from the cockpit, with Jessika and Snap mimicking his actions.
The moment Poe's foot touched the metallic floor a low rumbling sound reverberated around them, causing them to freeze in place and wait for the sound to stop. Poe gulped but kept a stern face, keeping his worries inward. He knew that this mission was going to be dangerous, but he underestimated how poor of a state this battered space station was. It would probably just take one fair-sized explosion to demolish all that was left.
A loud clang that pierced their eardrums caused them to jump and turn towards the source of the sound, expecting either an enemy in hiding or the station starting to fully give way. Instead, they saw BB-8 bouncing and rolling along the ground after ejecting himself from the ship. He glanced at the group and gave them an apologetic beep.
Poe let out a relieved chuckle, same as Jessika, though Snap didn't look so amused. ''Tell me, has anyone in the Resistance ever died from a heart attack by a droid?''
''Actually…'' Jessika said before Snap raised a hand to silence her. ''Ah, rhetorical question, got ya.'' She cheekily jibbed.
Just the sound of Poe's footsteps as he approached BB-8 were like war drums booming loudly. They couldn't help but consider it a miracle that this station was holding it together. The pilot kneeled down to his little companion. ''You ready to lead the way?''
BB-8 rolled back and forth, bobbing his head, his beeps higher-pitched and blared rapidly, causing Poe's grin to widen. Like a missile, the little droid sped off towards one of the pathways, throwing all caution to the wind now that he knew he was in charge for the duration of this mission, at least until they found the main computer. Poe rose to his feet and turned to Jess and Snap. ''Keep blasters on stun! We don't want to risk blowing another hole in this place. It's got enough of those as it is.''
They nodded and followed his instructions, taking their blasters out from their holsters and keeping them at the ready. Jessika looked up to her ship, getting the attention of her droid, R7. She tilted her head to the side, gesturing for him to follow. ''Let's go.''
The Astro-droid sprang from his compartment, quickly igniting his boosters from within his ankles and gently setting down. Still, despite the delicacy of R7's landing, that didn't stop the echo from returning.
Finn's eyes fluttered open. He groaned as he found himself blinded by a bright, white light. He tried to reach his hand out to shield his eyes but instantly flinched the moment his arm was slightly raised.
His mind was just as blurry as his vision. Memories of what had happened to him were fractured. He tried to sit up, his body faltering, causing him to groan some more. ''Rey…'' He whispered before he could properly comprehend where he was.
A soft-spoken voice caused him to freeze. ''We were beginning to wonder when you would wake.''
The voice was muffled, making it difficult for him to know who was speaking to him. At first, he thought he was in danger and immediately tried to hop on his feet and run, but his body was having none of it. One of his hands wrapped around his stomach, trying to ease the pain in some way, while the other rubbed his eyes, hoping that his sight would return to him. A surge of pain quickly erupted along his back before disappearing.
''Don't worry. You're safe.'' The voice said soothingly.
Finn shook his head in his hand. A poor decision, his head felt like it was spinning enough as it is. He felt like he was going to be sick at any moment. ''How do I know this isn't a trap? How do I know you're not the First Order?'' He breathed heavily.
''Would the First Order address you by your proper name, Finn?'' The voice said more firmly.
Finn could now tell the voice was a woman's, an older woman, not Rey. His mind seemed to still, and his head no longer felt like it was being tossed around upside down, thankfully. He glanced over to the speaker seated next to him, still blurred out. From what he could make out, he was in a building, clean and quiet. ''What happened?'' He asked weakly. But just as soon as he had said that memories of what had transpired on Starkiller flashed across like a shooting star.
He remembered it all. Rey, Han, the fight with Kylo.
''It's a lot to take in, I know.'' The voice said.
Finn stared in confusion. ''How did…'' He stopped. After a moment, his vision strengthened well enough for him to see the face staring back at him. ''G-general Leia Organa?''
Leia offered a comforting smile. ''It's good to see you awake. It was a close call, but our medical staff worked around the clock to make sure you were going to make it.''
''I…'' He arched his back slightly, and that was all it took for another jolt of excruciating pain to spike throughout his body. He cried out in pain.
Leia leant forward and placed a tender hand on his shoulder, trying to ease him through the pain. ''Slow. Go slow.'' He said steadily.
Finn breathed heavily and shakily. His back was screaming in torment. He clutched his fists tightly, trying to suppress the pain surging through him. Gritting his teeth, he tried to slow his breathing to a crawl, just as Leia instructed. Soon enough, he felt the pain subside slightly, though his vision started to swim again. Another loud groan followed before he turned to Leia. ''Rey? Starkiller? Did we destroy it?''
The general nodded and smiled. ''We did. You and Rey made it back safely.''
For the first time since he woke, a huge grin spread across his face. A quivering sigh of relief came from him until he remembered something, he remembered someone who didn't make it back. ''Han? He…'' He saw the smile on Leia's face falter and her eyes shift away, peering into a dream or memory of her late husband no doubt. Finn felt his stomach turn but for a different reason other than his own physical pain. ''I am so sorry.''
Leia returned her gaze to Finn. ''There was nothing you could have done. You and Rey did all you could.''
Finn didn't know what to say. He couldn't find the words to express his sadness and grief over what happened. He couldn't imagine the pain that Leia must be going through. To not only lose her husband but also have his blood coat the hands of their own son…it was unthinkable. He looked around the room, glad to see that his vision was getting better, though the pain from Kylo's strike wasn't going to be going away anytime soon. That led to another question. ''What happened to Kylo Ren?''
He thought for a second that he was overstepping his boundaries; he believed he had no place or right to ask her these types of questions. So it surprised him to see her answer so quickly without uncertainty. ''It's hard to know. Ever since Starkiller base was destroyed, he and Snoke have gone into hiding.''
Finn felt something tug inside at the choice of the general's words. ''Ever since?'' He questioned. ''How long have I been asleep?''
''Close to five months.''
He couldn't believe it. Only hours ago he felt the cold, brisk winds on Starkiller base and the heat of holding Luke's lightsabre in his hands. To be out of action that long, he didn't know what to think. So many things raced through his head, fighting for attention.
''Finn,'' Leia called, earning his attention. ''I know you must have a lot of questions, so I'm going to try and answer the important ones and quickly brief you on what you've missed.''
''A lot, I'm sure.''
''We finished the map. We managed to find where Luke is, and Rey went to find him.''
Finn shifted on the medical bed, fully facing Leia. ''She found him? Where are they?''
''They're fine. She's with him now. They're both safe.''
Overcome with awe, Finn wanted to smile but was too shocked to move. It looks like Luke Skywalker was real after all, and Rey was with him. No doubt training in the ways of being a Jedi Knight and helping to fight back against the First Order. He felt a sense of pride overwhelm him at the thought of what she had accomplished, and he couldn't be happier knowing that he had a part in helping make a difference. He wanted to see her, to congratulate her. ''Are they here now?''
Leia's lip twitched slightly. ''Not at the moment, they're off-world on another mission. As is Commander Poe Dameron, since I know you'll be curious about his safety too.'' She winked.
Despite her promising words, he couldn't help but feel discouraged. If it has really been so long since he was awake, he felt that he should see them again, to let them know he was okay. That's when another thing caught his interest. ''Um, General Organa, if I've been in a coma for five months, how did you know to wait for me to awake now?''
Her grin returned in full force. ''Let's call it intuition.''
''Or the Force!'' Finn beamed.
A chuckle escaped Leia. ''You can call it that if you want,'' She lowered her hand down Finn's sore back, helping to ease him so that he was laying down once more, working past the groans from the wounded hero. ''Get some rest. I need to be going now. You can be filled in on everything once you've fully healed.''
He felt sweet relief as he lay down on the comfortable bed. His heavy eyelids shut, though he couldn't bring himself to sleep with trying to process everything. ''Thank you. I promise I will be ready to help in any way I can soon.''
''Worry about that later, rest now,'' Leia told him.
''But I want to help and…'' A sharp pain shot through him, causing him to grimace and moan loudly.
Leia smirked. ''I know you do. Just don't make a habit of hurting yourself doing so.''
They marched onwards, and the minutes that passed on their journey felt like hours. BB-8 took them where they needed to go, unfortunately, the size of the station meant that it took them a lot longer than they originally predicted, and they were running on limited time. Whenever things were quiet, and the only sounds coming from them were their shaky breaths, it would be drowned out by the sound of the ship rumbling. A cold breeze and the scent of smoke hit Poe's face.
Even BB-8's enthusiasm from earlier had subsided. He wheeled ahead, guiding the small team through every turn and corner, though not before peering around the edge every time, worried about what might be hiding in the shadows in the next alleyway.
The longer they went on, the more something nagged in the back of Poe's mind. ''Where is everyone?''
''Dead, probably,'' Snap said quietly.
''Hopefully.'' Jessika followed.
''But where are the bodies?'' Poe sounded confused. ''We haven't seen a single one since we landed.''
BB-8's dome spun around as his orb-like body pushed onwards, beeping at Poe wildly with his own theory.
''I considered that too, but if they did evacuate beforehand, then why would the attackers leave this place in disarray?'' Poe said quietly. By this point, he was considering every option and theory, unfortunately, until they come across their first body they had to remain just theories. Not that he was actively looking or hoping to find a body. A dragged-out whistle from a trembling BB-8 showed he wasn't the only one thinking the same thing. He gave a reassuring smile. ''Don't worry, BB-8. This just proves we're only and nothing in this ship can hurt us.''
His encouraging words didn't have long to sink in before another booming sound was heard coming from a distance. The sound lasted for a solid few seconds. Another piece of the ship had become detached. Suddenly, it was a lot harder for Poe to force a smile. ''That being said, I can't say the same thing for the ship itself.'' He murmured to himself.
''Commander!'' He heard Snap call out from behind. Poe turned around to see that his two comrades had halted a few metres behind him, inspecting something embedded in the walls. ''You should come and take a look at this.''
Hurriedly, Poe rushed over. Immediately, his eyes were drawn to a marking left in the steel wall. His finger followed the burnt trial downwards, the charred remaining breaking into pieces at the slightest contact. He couldn't have been certain a conflict happened here until now, as the smoke that filled the air could easily be from the damage impacted on the ship from outside, but now they had hard evidence that a fight took place in these very corridors. ''It's still warm.''
''A blaster impact is still warm after all this time?'' Jessika asked curiously.
Poe shook his head. ''I don't think this was from a blaster.''
''Then where did it come from?''
Poe was overcome by hesitation. He had already figured out what weapon left this mark, but couldn't bring himself to say it.
Snap stepped forward and followed the charred mark with his finger. ''Looking at how this has been formed if I were to hazard a guess, this was done by a lightsabre.''
Jessika's eyebrows arched upwards, and her face scrunched tightly. She turned to the marking, looking at it in puzzlement. ''So…Kylo Ren attacked this ship?''
''I don't think so,'' Snap dismissed. ''He disappears off the face of the galaxy ever since the Starkiller base was destroyed, only to reappear to attack some mining station? That doesn't add up.''
Jessika looked like she wanted to say something else, her mouth opened but she remained silent as she saw something changing in Poe's expression. Snap noticed this too, gazing over to their commander and seeing his face darken. Poe's hand remained on the charred wall and his eyes drilled into it. The sound of his breathing increased to unnatural levels, and his arm soon started to tremor slightly, causing the remaining charred pieces to fall to the floor, though Poe didn't retract his arm.
''Commander?'' Snap addressed, but his voice had fallen on deaf ears.
Poe was staring at the wall, but that's not what he saw, instead, all he could see was darkness. Out of that darkness, emerged a figure of black and metal. The masked figure grew larger as he seemingly walked closer and closer to Poe. Poe couldn't tear his eyes away, not even when a blinding red light appeared next to the masked figure, fully revealing Kylo Ren.
The dark warrior raised his hand outwards, and Poe felt his heart tighten and his body convulses uncontrollably. It felt like there was an iron vice tightening inside his head, crushing him from the inside and he felt too weak to do anything to stop it. His body felt trapped and helpless, unable to stop the torture he was being put through…or was he putting himself through it? He couldn't be sure of what was real and what wasn't.
All those dark thoughts and the image of Kylo ripped away from his subconscious as BB-8's loud shriek diverted his concentration back down to the other end of the hallway. The droid rolled around in a circle until he knew he had the other's undivided attention, and then he dashed to the left down another corridor.
Breathing heavily, Poe wiped away the sweat building up on his forehead. ''BB-8's found the main control room. Come on.'' He strode away, following the droid. Behind him, Jessika and Snap shared a worried glance momentarily. They knew there wasn't going to be any chance of bringing up what just happened to Poe considering how quickly he hurried away without saying a word. It was no secret amongst the Resistance that Poe had escaped his capture from the First Order unscathed, despite Poe's best attempts to hide it.
Deciding to drop the subject and focus on the mission, they rushed to catch up with their commander.
Just as BB-8 excitedly pointed out, he had found the main control room. An oval-shaped deck, with broken computers planted on the walls, and control consoles shrouded in rubble and debris. Poe was already checking every piece of equipment, pushing aside large chunks of metal and torn circuits until he found what he was looking for.
He kneeled down to find a hatch on the side of the control desk was a dent, with one corner pointing upwards, allowing Poe to hook his fingers underneath and pull the hatch off, and revealing a small port to the system.
Jessika patted R7 on the dome. ''Do your thing.'' She urged the droid. R7 strolled forward, extended his computer interface arm and was connected instantly.
Giving the droid some space to do his work, Poe stood up, straightening his back and turning to Snap and Jess. ''Alright, if everything goes our way, we'll be able to find out whose mining station this was and what exactly was stolen. If we're really lucky, we might also be able to get a glimpse into the archives to see who were the attackers.''
''Hopefully, that won't take too long,'' Snap commented. ''I want to leave this lifeless hulk as soon as possible,''
Poe smirked. ''Oh come on, this is probably only the fifth or sixth most terrifying ship we've ever boarded.''
''Five or six ships too many for my liking.'' He retorted.
A smile tugged on Jessika's lips, although he disappeared just as quickly as the thoughts of what had transpired earlier with Poe etched in her mind. ''Commander,'' She trailed off, hesitant to continue. Poe eyed inquisitively, forcing the question to escape her lips. ''Are you okay?''
Poe's expression didn't change. ''I'm fine.'' He said flatly.
''You didn't seem fine back there...''
Snap raised his hand to cut off Jess from uttering another word and glared at her. ''Pava, that's enough.''
''No, no, Wexley, it's fine,'' Poe placed a hand on Snap's shoulder, easing the stern pilot and calming the situation between them. Once Snap had been silenced, a given seeing as Poe had decided to not address him by his nickname, Poe's eyes shifted to the ground. From the corner of his eye, he saw BB-8 look up at him. With all eyes on him, Poe looked up at his comrades. ''I'm fine, really, I am. I just…'' He paused, he felt like his mind would drift away again but kept himself in check. ''I just need to keep myself focused. Once we get back home, my mind will be a lot clearer.'' He smiled confidently at them, hoping to swat away any other concerns they had for him.
Though, Jess and Snap noticed that Poe looked past them and not directly at them when trying respond reassuringly. Poe's mouth opened ready to say something else until he was interrupted by R7 beeping and whistling loudly to get their attention. BB-8 skidded over to his droid comrade and the two artificial beings conversed for a brief moment. Poe listened in, catching sight of BB-8 reeling back in shock and turning to Poe with a panicked expression.
Likewise, Poe's heart sank and his stomach turned when he heard the news coming from the droid. ''This isn't good.''
''What?'' Jessika asked.
Poe turned to them, his face paling differently from before in the hallway, though nonetheless worrying. ''This station, it belongs to the First Order!''
Jessika and Snap now shared Poe's troubled and shocked expression, looking to each other, then to the droids, and then finally back to Poe. The realisation was starting to sink in. They were standing within the ruins of one of the tyrannical regime's ships after an attack.
The little time that they had left had halved from that realisation.
Around Poe's belt, his transmitter screeched loudly. As quickly as he could, Poe reached for it and answered. ''This is Commander Dameron…''
''Commander, we have a problem,'' Karé called. ''I'm detecting multiple ships approaching from hyperspace. They'll be on us in seconds. Please tell me you have what we're looking for so we can get out of here.''
With just a glance, Poe's team understood. Jessika and Snap rushed past him, hurrying back down the way they came with BB-8 and the now unplugged R7 in tow. Poe wasn't too far behind. ''We're coming back now!'' He replied to Karé.
They were now sprinting back to the dock; more worried about the ships heading for them than the ship they were currently in, falling to pieces behind them. The echoed rumble grew louder and louder, encouraging them to reach their destination quicker.
Once they reached the final corner, with the dock just a narrow stretch in front of them, Poe's transmitter went off again. Poe answered it, and Karé called out amidst the sound of distant fighting. ''Commander, we have TIE fighters on our tail and engaging them now. Awaiting your arrival.''
''Don't wait, make the jump to light speed now. We'll follow behind you!''
''If we do that, these fighters will pick you off before you even get out of the station. We'll hold them off and wait for the rest of you.''
Time wasn't on his side, and Poe couldn't argue any further before making back to his X-Wing fighter. As quickly as they could, they climbed into their cockpits, whilst BB-8 and R7 rushed to fit in their compartments.
Poe switched on the ignition and waited for his canopy to lower. Beyond them, past the shield gate, they could see the battle underway. TIE fighters soared around in different directions, separating and hunting down Black Squadron. The dock shook violently as the station was hit. Poe could only watch on as the walls around them crumbled away, and the shield keeping them from the vacuum of space disappeared.
Fortunately, they had already sealed themselves within their respective cockpits and their droids were safely sealed. However, they faced a new problem, because they were now facing a typhoon of debris being hurled all around, threatening to damage their ships. They couldn't wait any longer, though, as another blast jolted the station, and the corridors around them became a tunnel of fire.
They each took off, trying their best to flying straight for the opening. Poe slowed down to allow Jess and Snap to pass through first, but the opening began to collapse, narrowing his chance of escape both figuratively and literally. Once he knew that his comrades were safely out, Poe fired the thrusters and shot through the gap before it crashed together and exploded behind them.
They were out of the demolished station, though that didn't mean they were in the clear yet. Poe realised as much when he heard the howling of the TIE fighters all around him.
''Two of them coming in from the right, Commander,'' Jessika warned over the radio.
''I see them,'' Poe spun his X-Wing to the right, with the TIE fighters following closely behind him, their lasers close enough to brush against his ship, but failing to land a single clear strike.
Despite what was happening, Poe smiled gratefully, feeling more at ease in this kind of environment.
He tilted the ship upwards, before flicking a switch and causing the scissor-like wings of his ship too close. Suddenly, he dropped the nose and dived down right towards the incoming TIE fighters. He spun his ship into a barrel roll as they fired at him. At the last moment, the enemy ships scrambled apart to avoid a collision with the X-Wing. Poe's grin grew. His plan had worked perfectly.
He veered sharply, and the wings of his ship scissored open. The momentum propelled his ship to greater speeds as he now tailed the TIE fighters. All it took were a few well-aimed blasts to blow them to pieces.
''Nice moves, commander.'' Jessika cheered.
Poe laughed. ''It's all about the element of surprise. If you have that, you're always one step ahead of the other pilots.''
Beside him, his comrades returned to the formation, staying close by his side. The remaining TIE fighters followed closely behind. ''Are we ready to get out of here?'' Karé called out.
''As soon as we circle this station, we'll be clear to make the jump,'' Poe responded.
They rocketed across the surface of the derelict station, desperately trying to lose the TIE fighters chasing from behind. They fired more consecutive blasts at the ships, but Black Squadron was too quick for them. The final corner was coming up, and they would have a clear path to jump to lightspeed. However, one TIE fighter had other ideas.
Poe could only watch as green lasers zoomed past him, hitting the surface of the station and cutting off one of the platforms from the main port, causing it to drift outwards and block their path. ''Break formation!'' Poe cried out.
He rolled out of the way, just managing to avoid the debris. His ship shook from the force of the blast, causing him to fear that he had been hit for a split second. Once he was sure he was safe, confirmed by BB-8's panicked tones from behind, Poe's next task was to out run the two TIE fighters catching up behind him.
There wasn't much time to think of a new plan, as another part of the station was ripped off, this time of its own accord. He dived and spiralled downwards, tucking underneath the large drifting debris, but having to keep going as it rolled in his direction. The TIE fighters behind weren't fast enough to avoid the impact and crashed.
He didn't think that he would make it. He could either carry on and hope that he could slide underneath the debris before it caught him, or he could risk banking in another direction and possibly get picked off by another chunk of debris or the blasters of another TIE fighter.
Another roar ripped through his cockpit, and Poe feared the worst. His breath stilled and everything seemed to go silent until the debris was blasted wide open and he felt the heat coming from the explosion. ''You're all clear, commander,'' Snap shouted and zoomed past Poe through the opening.
Poe chuckled and followed closely behind. ''Well, with the number of times I've saved your life, you have to start making it up to me sometimes.''
''We can do a count once we return to base.''
''Everyone, regroup!'' Poe flew forward, with Snap allowing him to pass and take the lead. After a moment, the rest of the squadron followed closely behind. They were now away from the destroyed station, and far enough away from the last TIE fighters for them to no longer be considered a threat now. ''Lock onto coordinates and standby.''
Their ships rattled, and the stars in the distance shone brighter for a split second as they made the jump into hyperspace.
The D'Qar Resistance base was energetic the moment Black Squadron had contacted them about what they had found. General Leia Organa was thankful that the squadron would all be returning alive and well, however, the news they brought with them brought dread and fear.
The atmosphere was no different in the main command centre of the base, where many of the Resistance's Admirals and Commanders argued over what the First Order was plotting and what they should do about it. The shouts continued to grow louder and louder, each person hoping to drown out the voice of their detractor. This just resulted in chaos and endless bickering, until Leia took centre stage and brought up a holographic schematic of the mining station Poe had been sent to investigate.
The arguing had ceased and the room was now silent, allowing Leia to speak. ''I'm afraid that this is worse than we feared. We can confirm that this mining station was not attacked by the First Order, but was, in fact, being used by them.''
''For what purpose?'' A General questioned.
''We can't be sure yet.''
''You know what this means, don't you?'' An Admiral slammed his fist on the table and bellowed. ''The First Order will blame the Resistance for this attack, and they'll retaliate.''
''Let them try,'' Another General yelled cockily. ''They are broken and defeated. Ever since Starkiller base was destroyed, they have been dwindling, with fewer and fewer attacks. They hold no power.''
''You really want to take that chance?''
''I do, yes. We should be focusing our concerns on other matters, such as the New Republic's proposed Armada…''
Leia shook her head. ''No, the First Order is our number one priority. If we allow them a moment's peace, it'll be the rise of the Galactic Empire all over again.''
The General scoffed. ''The First Order is not the Empire. You are just using a minor incident to stall on this partnership with the Armada…''
He was interrupted by the stern voice of an Admiral. ''And with good reason! The New Republic wants to take action after what happened to the Hosmian system. They will use this Armada as a way to spread their authority across the galaxy against the will and consent of the galaxy's citizens.''
A glare formed across the argumentative General's face. ''From the sounds of it, you're saying the New Republic could lead to the rise of the Galactic Empire all over again.''
''Well, history has a way of repeating itself.''
Everyone yelled and cried, trying to voice their opinion over one another others. It was clear to Leia that this sudden development had shaken them greatly. Things had been relatively quiet regarding the First Order. All they had achieved was the rallying cause to a few planets in the outer rims. It troubled her that one of their stations had been found so close to Resistance and the New Republic systems.
After a minute of bickering, she had heard enough and stepped forward. Those on her side wondered how she would calm the quarrelling. Instead of raising her voice, she merely closed her eyes and breathed quietly. Remarkably, with every passing second, the room quietened down, and the leaders each turned to watch the general. The constricting atmosphere inside the base had eased, and once everything was settled, Leia opened her eyes.
She addressed everyone with a soft-spoken yet commanding voice. ''At this moment in time, we have very little to go on. But what we do know is that the First Order is on the move, and is willing to enter New Republic domain to achieve their ambition. We need to know what they were doing, and what they might have been possibly transporting.''
''Were Black Squadron not able to find that out?''
''Unfortunately, they were attacked before they could gather all of the information. However, we do know where the ship had docked beforehand. The industrial planet, Kuat. We will find our answers there, and find out what the First Order were after.''
Finally, it had seemed they had reached an agreement. But, before Leia could feel hopeful, the voice of an old major called out. ''There's something you're forgetting. We know we didn't attack that First Order ship, so who did?''
All eyes turned to her once again. Leia exhaled heavily and shook her head. ''I don't know. We will get to the bottom of this. But first thing's first, the moment Black Squadron touchdown, they'll rest up and head back to Kuat and find out what the First Order were after.''
Once the report had been completed, she thanked and dismissed everyone before leaving the room.
As she walked to her ship, standing outside and watching the D'Qar sunset, she couldn't shake the troubling feeling that something terrible was going to happen. Darkness clouded her mind, and her heart felt cold and heavy. This was a never-ending fight. But she couldn't waver, not even for a moment otherwise all would be lost. But what more could she do?
She stopped and looked up to the sky, seeing a few faint stars glowing in the distance, knowing that her son was out there somewhere. ''Ben, what are you planning? What is your next move?'' Her head tilted downwards, and she could stop a single tear from sliding down her cheek. ''Where are you?''
''General Leia, are you alright?''
Leia turned and smiled at C-3PO. ''Yes,'' She replied. ''Thank you.''
''I just wanted to make sure. Over the years I have become more adept to better understanding human emotions. I know that everything must be very stressful for you. I wouldn't be able to handle it. My circuits would fry before you could blink.''
A small grin appeared across Leia's face. ''Well, thank you for checking on me.''
''You're most welcome, General Leia.'' He looked over her shoulder to see that she was heading towards her transport ship. His body stiffened and abruptly faced her. ''Where are you heading to now?''
''I'm going to Arkanis.''
''Arkanis?'' C-3PO squawked. ''That's where the New Republic Armada will be deployed soon.''
''I know,'' Leia clarified, spinning her heel and striding towards her ship. ''I'm going to be having a few words with the governors. Interject my thoughts regarding this whole ordeal.''
''Oh my,'' C-3PO responded flustered. ''Well, I wish you all the best of luck. You would do better than I, that's for sure.''
Leia amusedly rolled her eyes. ''That is for sure.''
She headed off, only getting a few more steps before she heard the protocol droid following behind her. She sharply turned to C-3PO, waiting to see if he had anything else to say. ''Um, I do apologise, it was not my place to listen, and I completely understand if you are upset with me…''
Leia crossed her arms. ''Listen in on what?''
''I happened to be passing by the medical facility when I overheard your conversation with…Finn, I believe his name was…''
''And?''
''And I was curious, why did you lie to him about Master Luke and Rey?''
Leia dreaded this being found out. At least she could take comfort in knowing it was only C-3PO that overheard their conversation. ''Because at this point in time, that was the easier answer for him to hear.''
To Be Continued…
If you'd like, you can follow my original stories on Wattpad. My penname is Thomas-LF. Thank you for your time, if you do read them, I hope you enjoy them.