Chapter 1
Rey
"Shoot that piece of garbage out of the sky!"
Rey felt the hull of the Millennium Falcon shudder as the ship ripped through hyperspace. Kylo Ren's scream echoed in her head. She hadn't sensed him while shooting TIE fighters during the battle of Crait, but she sensed and then saw him after the last of the Resistance had escaped on board. She closed the door of the Falcon in his face. It still hurt, his refusal to come with her, his insistence on subjugating the entire galaxy. For a brief moment, while standing with him in the aftermath of their battle with Snoke and his guards, she considered taking his hand. He was magnetic, like the pull of the dark side in that evil, strange place on Ach-to. Luke had sensed it, that latent power and attraction to the dark side with Rey.
Luke's death weighed heavily on her. The only other Force user in the galaxy was Kylo Ren, and she certainly wasn't ever going to go to him for help understanding this strange power. She was alone, no guidance except the sacred Jedi texts she had grabbed on impulse before leaving Ach-to, and if she didn't understand them… no one would help. Luke was gone, sacrificing himself so the Resistance could escape. It felt so futile to her. His death left an angry emptiness in her chest, even after she briefly talked about it with Leia after leaving Crait. He might have finally been at peace, finally resolving some of the bitter disillusionment with the Jedi and the Force, but she definitely wasn't.
Rey was still convinced Kylo Ren could turn. Her fight with him over Luke's lightsaber destroyed it, and then something huge destroyed Snoke's ship. She woke first, weaponless, fingers itching to find something, anything to finish what they started.
But Kylo Ren, Ben Solo, was just lying there, among the burning rubble, unconscious and unable to defend himself. The weapons of the Praetorian Guard lay around them. She could easily kill him, and cut off the head of the dark side forever. It would be easy. Then, what Luke said about his moment of instinct flashed through her mind. Steeling herself, Rey left, escaping Snoke's ship.
Balance, Luke had said. Again that empty, hurt, angry feeling panged inside her. What would Luke want her to do? Rey sighed through her nose.
She refocused on just feeling the Force. Even here, in the cold, blue white light of hyperspace, she could sense it. Smears of stars and their orbiting planets slipped past them at a frenetic pace, and she could feel them, feel the Force flowing through them, around them, inside them. Millions of lives, deaths. It was overwhelming. She drew herself in, closer, limiting herself to only the inside of the ship.
On board she could feel the last of the Resistance, a dozen or so fighters itching with adrenaline even hours after they left Crait, and two dozen more support staff: medics, technicians, strategists, engineers, and a terrified cook. Leia Organa was resting on one of the many bunks on board. Chewie was in the cockpit, his Porgs flitting about and finding places to nest.
And Rose. Rose's condition was worsening. She held stable and unconscious for an hour, even waking for a moment, only for her burns to go septic and a fever to pull her back under. Rey recognized the signs of dehydration and infection from her time on Jakku. Past that, her medical knowledge was limited. The nurse informed the rest of the Resistance shortly after the fever began that without proper medical supplies, Rose would die soon.
Rey left the main room shortly after that. She needed a breather and some time alone to sort through her feelings. Rey found a small, isolated nook towards the back of the ship in the cargo hold. She sat on a crate, throwing a blanket over herself to keep warm. That's when she started to meditate, as Luke had briefly taught her.
Even still, she couldn't help herself from checking, wondering, desperate to find a way to help. She reached out to Rose with the Force, and could sense the weakness within her body. She could feel the worry within the medic, the fear within the nurse, and the frustration within Finn. Finn hadn't left Rose's side since she woke up, and was the first to notice something had gone wrong. Rey could feel his fear and his guilt. It was like a dark knot, radiating away from him, growing stronger with each passing minute.
Rey tore away, frustrated at her inability to help, and nervous about her strange fascination with the dark side of the force. That's what fear, anger, and hopelessness were, after all, right? Luke would know. She shook her head, focus lost completely.
She drew the blanket closer. Chewie must have siphoned some of the power away from the thermal control system and to the thrusters. They were low on fuel. She wondered how much time they would have until stopping; maybe she could lie down and sleep for a while.
Still, she felt restless. Crossing her legs and straightening her back, she reached out to the Force again. Letting the Force guide her felt like putting on a pair of old, comfortable shoes. It was easy. Focusing on a crate nearby, she levitated it into the air. Another crate joined it soon after, then a small training sphere. A third empty crate. A metal chair and a table shoved into a corner. A metal grate on the floor.
Carefully, she set the objects down. Controlling that was tricky, she couldn't hold anything perfectly still while they were in the air. She concentrated harder, trying to set the objects down upright.
The Falcon suddenly jerked down to a slower speed. Startled, Rey released the objects and they clattered onto the floor.
"Woah, careful there Rey, you almost hit this pretty face with that training droid," Poe grinned as he strode through the entrance to the cargo hold. Rey looked over at him, "Sorry, I just didn't expect us to come out of hyperspace so soon. Where are we?"
"Tatooine," Poe said, offering his hand to help her down. Tatooine, she thought, ignoring his hand as she jumped down, a desert planet. Memories of dry and hot Jakku came to mind.
Poe leaned back on his heels, smile slightly fading, "Chewie needs your help with piloting the Falcon down to the surface." Walking ahead of her, he said over his shoulder, "You must be a hell of a pilot if he chose you over me to help him." Rey could feel a weariness under his light-hearted demeanor. She sighed and followed him towards the cockpit.
The medic and nurse glanced at them as they passed by.
"Hey, hey, hey!" Finn stood and met them in the hall. "What's going on? Why'd we stop?"
"We've stopped at Tatooine," Rey said. He followed them down to the cockpit.
"Tatooine? As in the hot, dry, ruled by gangsters Tatooine?" Finn sputtered, "Why are we here?"
"Don't look at me," Rey shrugged, "I'm sure Chewie has a reason, though."
"Well, we need anti-septic and burn ointment for Rose," Finn sighed, "And water. We really need water."
"Water," Poe opened the door of the cockpit, "That shouldn't be hard to find in a desert."
Chewbacca acknowledged them with a growl. The dusty, warmly colored surface of Tatooine loomed in front of them, sandstorms swirling around dark brown and red mountains. Rey sat down in the pilot's chair, shooing away a Porg.
"Where are we landing?" Poe asked, sitting behind them. Chewbacca growled in response.
"He said we're landing near Mos Eisley," Rey translated, taking the controls and angling them according to the NAV Computer's marked location. "I've never been here before," she stared up at the great deserts in front of them, "I've only heard about this place. Gangsters, Hutts, and pirates. Nothing grows."
"Aw, what are we doing here, Chewie?" Finn groaned, anxiety radiating off of him. "We need water and medical supplies. Tatooine is like the opposite of that!"
Chewbacca growled, baring his teeth. Rey turned to Finn, "Chewie says he and Han had a few allies here, people who owe them some favors." Chewbacca nodded and grunted. Rey smiled a little, "He'll be able to get us fuel, and maybe even a freighter. Plus, we can use money we already have to buy medical supplies, I'm sure of that."
"Exactly."
They all turned. Leia stood in the entrance of the cockpit, looking tired. "But we can't stay for long. Even here we must be wary of the First Order." She turned to Rey, "I want you to pilot the Falcon with Chewie while I discuss the plan with the rest of the Resistance. Land some distance away from the city, in case any First Order sympathizers or people willing to cash in on any rewards recognize the Falcon. There must be a massive bounty on us already. When we land, I want you to go with Poe and Finn. Search for medical supplies, water, or food."
While the trading post on Jakku had a fence and gate marking the edge of town, Mos Eisley stretched out more organically, having no clear end or beginning. It followed beaten-in paths snaking down the hillsides of the sloped valley it was nestled inside as protection from the twin suns' heat, growing the fastest along the more popular routes. It had become a boom-town in recent years, growth spurred by the conflicts between the new Republic and Hutt-supported First Order. Moisture farms extended outwards, dotting the empty area surrounding the city, between scattered junkyards and scrap shops piled with old Galactic Empire-era ships.
Rey pulled the scarf and hood tighter around her face. Even in the morning, the heat was oppressive. They had landed high up the sides of the valley, on the side furthest from the Great Mesra Plateau, between towering stone ridges exposed to the wind and sun. Grit scratched at her exposed hands, and Rey found herself wishing for her old scavenger gear.
Spaceports were more and more common closer to the denser, older parts of the city, almost always operating alongside seedy cantinas and market stalls. Poe suggested supply crates would be easily found and bargained for there, but after spotting First Order Stormtroopers posted outside the entrance to the first spaceport they encountered, they began to avoid them entirely. They kept closer to the moisture farms, and Rey struck a few deals to pick up water and transport for it on the return trip. They passed no shops or storage with medical supplies, deciding against breaking into a spaceport and stealing whatever they could find, so they continued on, deeper into the sprawling city.
Old Mos Eisley was packed, the main streets a swarm of merchants, patrons, and braying livestock. They weaved single file through the crowds, BB-8's stressed beeping below them as the droid avoided legs, hooves, and claws.
"There has to be a city healer or medical shop or something around here," Finn muttered. The street opened into a large, open market square. Rey scanned the crowds, eyes eventually landing on a stall on the opposite side, "There!" she exclaimed. "Nice, now we just need to-" Poe's smile dissolved into dread. He grabbed Finn and Rey and pulled them back behind a few crates, out of sight.
A small squadron of Stormtroopers patrolled around the crowds, pacing around and stopping people with hands on their blasters. Their barked questions could be heard above the general din, asking about the Resistance and showing holograms of their faces. People shrugged at their questions, mostly ignoring them and shaking their heads.
"Leia was right," Rey breathed, "The First Order is looking for us, even here."
"We gotta leave," Poe said as they turned and quickly walked away, "We need to contact Chewie and get whatever we have now back onto the Falcon. Every minute we stay here increases their chances of finding us."
"What about Rose?" Finn asked, angrily, stopping in his tracks, "We can't leave until we get what she needs. You heard our medic, she's going to die!"
Rey swallowed nervously, "Finn's right, Poe, Rose needs that—"
"I know Rose needs better care! But we can't get that care if the First Order finds us and kills us all!" Poe interrupted, "We have a better chance if we fuel up, jump to light speed, and find a different planet than one infested with gangsters and mercenaries! Forget the water, we can't stay here!"
Rey suddenly felt a ball of dread erupt in her stomach. She looked back towards the street with the watering hole. A pair of Stormtroopers marched down in their direction, but it didn't look as if they saw them yet. They weren't getting shot at, after all. "We've got a more immediate problem right now. Go!"
They slipped behind a sandstone hut. A giant creature grunted at them and it's caretaker cursed as they rushed past, shaking his fists. BB-8 bleeped in alarm at the caretaker and creature.
"Hey, you three over there!" One of the Stormtroopers shouted over the crowd.
Finn cursed.
They walked faster, rounding a corner. Rey felt a pull towards one of the buildings, a store by the looks of it. She didn't question the feeling, "There. Inside." They pushed through the door, locking it behind them and walking down the few steps inside.
The store was dark and much less oppressively hot inside. Small jars filled with strange liquids lined the rickety shelves. Rey felt the quiet press down. Small windows let in dusty columns of light, stained by the reddish cloth curtains out front. From deep within the store they heard a clatter of jars and padding feet. A small display was knocked over, and they were met with an even smaller alien shopkeeper.
"Welcome!"
The shopkeep was short, barely coming up to Rey's hips. She had large, pointed ears and was covered in rough, thick, graying brown fur. Her face transitioned to scaly and greenish, as did her feet and two sets of arms. She had small, human-like hands and feet, tipped with blunt claws. The shopkeep's eyes were large, brown and green, expressive and held a friendly, welcoming, if slightly guarded look.
A Stormtrooper pounded on the door, "Open up!" The shopkeep narrowed her eyes, pointed ears flattening slightly, "Bastards. They are after you, aren't they?"
"Don't turn us in," Rey pleaded. Finn peeked from behind a curtain, "Guys, they've got a whole squadron out there. A whole squadron!"
"This is your final warning, open up!"
The shopkeep gasped, realization on her aged face, "You are from the Resistance, aren't you?" Poe opened his mouth to reply. The shopkeep cut him off, "Head to the back into the storage room. Under a mat there's a tile of a slightly different color than the rest. Press it, and nearby a section of wall should open. Hide in there until I come and get you out."
They dashed into the back of the store. The pounding grew more insistent.
"Alright, alright!" The shopkeep cursed in an alien language as the Stormtroopers broke in, "Damn it, you broke my door handle! You will need to replace that you know! I was taking a nap, hence the locked door!"
The door hid a narrow, cool room. They heard the Stormtroopers stomping around the shop, checking under and inside crates. The shopkeep's angry shouts could be heard over it all, cursing as they methodically ransacked through everything.
"Command, this is Scout 5. All clear."
A few moments later, the door opened.
"You all are lucky I hate the First Order as much as I do," the shopkeep said, stepping aside to let them out.
"We're so sorry," Rey said, looking around at the store. A few crates were tipped over, their contents spilled. Bandages. Jars of clear, clean liquid spilled and cracked. BB-8 bleeped, shifting back and forth. The shopkeep smiled at the little droid.
"It's alright. But I'd still like an explanation for why the First Order was after you all. I'm Meera, by the way," she brushed her hands over the front of her tunic.
"We're with the Resistance," Poe said, "One of our own is sick, her wounds are infected."
Her eyes widened, "I knew it! You've come to the right place then!" She padded over to one of the crates, sliding off the lid the Stormtroopers had wrenched off to reveal more bandages, "These have sterilizers built into them," Meera grabbed a few jars off of a nearby shelf, "I'm also going to give you some anti-septic as well as some medkits. Burn ointment too, and something to stave off exhaustion. No need to pay, my boss will just assume the First Order stole it," Meera smiled mischeviously, "I made sure to get you the good stuff."
Poe grinned, "I like her."
"Thank you," Rey said, taking the supplies and carefully putting it into their packs. White boots tramped by the windows, shaking the glass.
"You should leave through the back. Just in case," Meera glanced back to the front door, wringing her four hands, "Hurry, if my boss comes back from lunch he'll turn you in. Anything to please the First Order."
"You could come with us," Finn offered as she led them to the exit. Meera scoffed, "No way, I couldn't. My family needs me here. I can't run off to fight legendary battles. I'm proud to have helped in this small way, anyway."
Rey turned to her as they left, "May the Force be with you."
Meera smiled warmly, "And with you as well."
Finn and Poe groaned as they lifted BB-8 up the steps out of the back of the shop.
From the street in front of the store, they all heard another squadron of Stormtroopers drive by on a transport speeder. Meera's ears flattened, "You have to go. Run!" She swung the door shut after them, leaving them in the dusty alleyway.
They ran, slowing only when they felt safe a few blocks away in a crowded market sector. They contacted Chewbacca and informed the rest of the Resistance that the First Order was on Tatooine, in Mos Eisley, and were on high alert. They informed them of the deals they managed to make with the moisture farmers, and where they were located.
Chewbacca growled over the com-link.
"You managed to get fuel? What about a freighter?" Rey asked as they weaved around a caravan of chirping livestock. Chewbacca grunted back a response. The others managed to find the freighter and fuel to get them far away. The third group to leave and search for supplies found water and cheap dried food, opting to transport it straight back to the Falcon. They were loading the freighter in an unlisted Loading Dock a short walk away, according to C-3PO's directions and BB-8's analysis. Chewbacca came back over the comlink, giving a quick growl.
"You be careful too. We'll be there soon," Rey said. Finn spotted the loading dock in the distance. It was a taller building, old and made of stone.
Chewbacca suddenly roared in the background and the comlink fizzled for a moment. "Chewie? Chewie!" Rey exclaimed, alarmed. C-3PO's nervous voice crackled over the com-link, "It appears as though the First Order has found us. Please, do hurry Masters Rey, Poe, and Finn. We won't be able to hold them off for long."
Stormtroopers formed a loose perimeter around the warehouse, but the streets of Mos Eisley provided ample cover to shoot their way through to a side entrance. BB-8 made quick work of the locked door. They were greeted with assaulting blaster fire from fifteen or so Stormtroopers, and quickly hid behind a rusted shipping container. Chewbacca was trapped behind a crate near the boarding ramp of the freighter. The pilot, one of the resistance engineers, was desperately trying to maneuver the ship's blaster to provide some covering fire.
Rey looked up from behind their cover. The freighter was junk, but's it's engines were already roaring and ready to blast away.
More Stormtroopers ran through the front entrance, and were setting up an energy cannon.
"That thing could take down this whole ship, we have to destroy it or we're never leaving this loading bay!" Poe shouted as he moved to another crate, closer to their freighter. A Stormtrooper flanked them, blaster fire missing them by millimeters. Rey crouched down, clutching her pack of medical supplies closer to her, "Finn! Cover me!" Finn nodded, returning fire and forcing the flanker backwards, "About to do a cool Force thing?"
Rey reached out, planting her hands on the packed sand. She could sense the advancing forces, dozens of Stormtroopers descending onto them, the adrenaline of the battle, the Force a pulsating energy surrounding everything. Rey breathed deeply, then lunged outward with the Force. The ground and air began to vibrate.
She focused hard on the crates and the destroyed equipment around them. She lifted all of it with a cry and shot it towards the entrance, crushing the energy cannon and some of the Stormtroopers setting it up. Some of the equipment exploded violently, weakening stone entranceway.
Chewbacca roared. BB-8 rolled onto the loading platform, beeping in alarm. Poe and Finn laid down more fire as they all used the chaos to sprint to the boarding platform. Rey focused on the warehouse structure around them as they boarded the freighter, reaching out and crushing the supporting durasteel framework. The ship's engines roared, and as the platform closed, Rey flattened the warehouse on top of the assaulting Stormtrooper forces.
Finn gave a whoop, "Yeah! That's what I'm talking about baby!" He clapped her on the back. Rey felt dizzy from the exertion, leaning against the interior as the weakness faded. Poe shook his head, "There's no way every First Order ship within five minutes of hyperspace isn't descending on this place as we speak." He ran a hand through his hair, but then smiled at Rey, "But that was pretty cool."
Rey turned to Chewbacca, "how long until the Falcon will have enough for a hyperspace jump?"
Chewbacca shrugged and growled. Rey gaped, grinning, "How did you manage to find that?"
"What?" Poe asked, confused. Finn's eyebrows shot up, "Did I hear him right?"
"Chewie got stabilized Oxy-Rhydonium rods, as in the newest form of Rhydonium," Rey explained, "It's the best fuel out there!"
"Are you kidding me? Rhydonium? If we so much as drop the rods we'll blast us and Mos Eisley off the surface of this godforsaken planet! That stuff was the worst to clean up back on Starkiller Base," Finn cried, "How are you even transporting them?"
Chewie gave a non-commital grunt, gesturing with his hands. In them, he held a dark, steel cylinder labeled Ox-R. BB-8 chirped and quickly rolled away to the cockpit of the ship.
"Oh. 'Carefully'. Right." Finn sighed. The Freighter shuddered to a stop. From the cockpit, the pilot shouted, "We're back! Fuel up the Falcon! Hurry!"
They sprinted off the ship. Members of the Resistance met them, running up the freighter's entrance ramp to fetch some of the supplies. BB-8 skittered out of the freighter behind them, beeping and screeching in alarm. Poe's face filled with dread.
"We've got company, and soon!"
Rey turned, facing down the ridges. Wind and sand whipped past her. She reached out with the Force, but sensed no one close yet. Still, that same knot of dread bubbled up inside her. She waited, staring down the canyon.
Then, that pressing silence. Rey froze. She felt cold. Distantly, she heard the sound of machinery. She smelled oil, ship grease, and metal. Turning slowly, her back to the entrance of the ridges, she saw him. Kylo Ren, Ben Solo, standing in front of her. He wasn't really there, of course. But it felt the same. She glared, furious, mouth set in a thin line.
"Rey—" Ben started. His eyes were bright. Suddenly, she sensed him. Much closer than before. He was here. Above Tatooine. The First Order had arrived. "You're never going to destroy us, Ben! Never! We will crush the First Order!"
"They're here! Keep them back!" Poe shouted near her. Rey turned back, ignoring Ben, and pulled on the Force, searching the ridge for cracks. She dug in, lunging with her feelings into the rock and shoving half of the ridge towards the Stormtroopers. She crushed them. The dizziness returned, she had never moved so much before. Ben's anger, fear, regret swelled behind her, "You should have come with me when you had the chance! I could show you the Force!"
"REY!" Finn roared.
Suddenly, burning pain, in her right leg. Harsh, burning, burning pain. Ben's eyes widened in terror and anger, but she didn't hear him shout. Rey collapsed in the sand, unable to support her own weight. The connection severed, in it's place she felt fear, it was hot and oppressive as the sand against her skin. The Force swelled around her, pressing, deafening.
Finn grabbed her arms, pulling her up and towards the Falcon. Blaster fire shot past them, the smell of ozone and blaster smoke harsh in her nose. She staggered upwards. Finn lifted her onto the rising platform. Chewie roared, Poe returning fire towards the ridge entrance.
The Falcon's boarding ramp closed behind them.
Rey's vision blurred. Finn's face swam in front of her, then refocused, "Rey! Rey, stay with me." Medics helped them up, pulling her towards the main room. She squeezed her eyes shut, her leg screaming in protest as the Falcon shook and lurched up to speed.
They laid her down. Her leg was pulsing blood, but nothing seemed broken. It just burned. The Falcon jerked forward, hyperspace blue exploding around them. She thought she heard Ben Solo, shouting orders, his voice barely concealing a fearful shaking as she lay down and let unconsciousness take her.
A/N: Welcome to my version of Episode IX! I started writing this right after The Last Jedi came out, and have been sporadically working on it since then. I write slowly, and school usually takes up most of my time during the spring and fall semesters, but I'll do my best to continue updating this if people like it. Since there are rumors of Episode IX footage being released by the end of the year, I figured I might as well post all my work. Also, I haven't read the novelization of TLJ, so I'm sorry if there are discrepancies.
I also figured the Hutt gangs would back the First Order, since the Rebels killed Jabba. While their hold on Tatooine would be looser after Jabba's death, I imagine something could go down like the First Order promising to help them regain control of certain regions/vengeance for Jabba provided they give some allegiance back. Economic boom in the wake of those deals, maybe. I also figured Han and Chewie would know people in the area, have some friends grateful for loosening Jabba's control, or at least finesse something out of that. Though idk how grateful they'd be if the Hutts did regain control of Tatooine anyway. Whatever.
Dunno if it's written well or if it's interesting or if the dialogue is good, but I've enjoyed writing it! Let me know what you think~