STAR WARS

EPISODE IX

THE ONLY HOPE

The galaxy is divided. One year has passed since the demise of Supreme Leader Snoke at the hands of Kylo Ren, who now strives to command a vast military force that is fraught with deception and disloyalty.

Following the Battle of Crait, the Legend of Luke Skywalker has spread to other systems and reignited a spark of hope. A new Rebellion has been reborn from the ashes of the Resistance and rises to challenge the tyranny of the First Order.

But the rebels have lost their general. Leia Organa's passing has transferred the mantle of leadership to Poe Dameron, who seeks to restore the freedom fighters' morale by conducting a mission to liberate the enslaved workers of the Adamus Mining Station and claim an invaluable resource for the Rebellion. As the facility powers down for its night cycle, a small team makes a daring approach, hoping that the First Order does not discover the danger until it is too late….

HHHHHHHHHH

"There it is."

Finn jabbed a finger past Rey's head as she gazed through the broad viewport of the B-7 freighter. They had just dropped out of hyperspace, and now a hazardous field of asteroids lay scattered before them. Boulders larger than their ship slowly tumbled through the starry void, and at the center of the treacherous labyrinth floated a mammoth chunk of rock that was nearly the size of a small moon.

"Wow," Rose breathed in awe. But her attention was focused elsewhere, her wide eyes staring out the left side of the viewport. "It's beautiful."

Finn glanced over, and Rey swiveled in her chair. Far below them, a planet loomed, silent and white and pure as snow. But it was deeply scarred, as if scorching claws had been ruthlessly raked across its surface.

"And violent," Finn added gravely. "I can see the rivers of lava even from here."

It was an incredible view indeed, but there was no time to admire it now. Rey spun to face forward once more, the voices of her fellow rebels chattering excitedly behind her in the main hold. Seven soldiers had accompanied them to the Adamus Mining Station, which had been suffering under the tyranny of the First Order for half a decade. Innocent inhabitants of nearby systems were often seized from their homes or the streets they walked and sold into slavery, doomed to maintain the facility and mine its precious oil until their bodies failed them. Then the cycle of cruelty would repeat itself.

Rey's clenched fists tightened around the controls until her knuckles turned white, and she swallowed, attempting to stifle the anger that was bubbling up inside her. Focus, she reminded herself.

Beep! Beep! Beep!

The sudden, rapid succession of shrill sounds startled her, and her eyes darted to the right side of the console. "Finn!"

"Yeah—on it!" he responded quickly, moving to peer down at the series of symbols and digits scrolling across the blinking screen. "Incoming transmission—from the station."

"Patch it through."

Rey took a quick, steadying breath, preparing herself for the possibility that she might hear the voice of a First Order officer instead of their man on the inside. She heard a button click as Finn accepted the call, and light static crackled from the console.

"Adamus to B-7 freighter: you have not been authorized to approach this facility. State your business immediately, or be dealt with most harshly."

A wave of relief washed over her. That was him. She was sure of it. "This is Captain Dosmit Raeh. I am transferring cargo to a nearby system, but there appears to be some sort of leak, and I am running dangerously low on fuel. Requesting permission to dock."

There was a brief pause during which not a single rebel dared to breathe.

"Permission granted."

Rey grinned and glanced up at Finn, who returned her smile before disappearing into the main hold and telling the rest of the crew to grab their gear and check their weapons one last time. On a mission like this one, a seemingly insignificant mistake could mean the difference between life and death.

It was not long before the center asteroid filled the entire viewport, and she could now discern a massive network of pipes running in and out of the rock. Yawning, circular vents expelled dangerous fumes out into space, and directly ahead was an enormous hangar whose durasteel doors were sliding open to grant them passage. She slowed the ship's speed still further, eyes roaming over the hangar's bleak interior as they crossed the threshold. Arranged in precise, ordered rows that extended the length of the bay were a whole host of mining vessels, transports, several TIE Fighters, and—

She stopped breathing. Rey felt as if a large stone had suddenly lodged itself inside her throat. She had already deployed the landing gear, and now the freighter was settling down beside a lone Upsilon-class shuttle.

"Rey? Is something wrong?"

She said nothing in reply as Rose stepped closer and watched her with concern. Fingers trembling violently as they continued to grasp the controls with ever-increasing desperation, she stared blankly out the viewport, eyes wide and transfixed by the sleek black hull and folded triangular wings. She heard Finn's voice somewhere behind her, but it was muffled, his every word drowned out by the wild cascade feelings coursing through her.

"Rey."

His hand firmly gripped her shoulder, the sound of her name finally dragging her back to reality. She looked up at him, his grave features knowing all too well the memories the sight of that ship would have recalled to her mind.

"Rey," he said again, calmly and deliberately, "other First Order officers and dignitaries use those shuttles. Don't worry. There's no way he would bother to come here. These people are beneath him."

Slowly, she nodded, feeling like a fool. "You're right."

Shaking her head in an effort to clear her thoughts, she pressed several keys on the console and heard a distant hissing sound as the ramp lowered far behind them. Rose's footsteps retreated into the main hold, but Finn remained standing close to her chair.

"Are you okay?"

"Fine!" she answered a little too brightly. Internally wincing, she feared that he would detect her lack of sincerity.

He said nothing more, but Rey sensed a flicker of suspicion inside him as he turned and left her alone in the cockpit. Her smile vanished, and she took a deep, steadying breath. Closing her eyes, she embraced the moment of calm before the storm. This was a rare opportunity to strike a crippling blow against the First Order, and she could not allow herself to be distracted now. There was too much at stake.

"This is for you, Leia," she whispered.

Then she stood, making her way first through the main hold and then to the edge of the boarding ramp, where the rest of her team was eagerly waiting.

"I saw two stormtroopers heading this way," Finn told her quietly, his blaster rifle already drawn and at the ready.

"Well, let's go and greet them then, shall we?"

Confidently, Rey disembarked, Finn and Rose following closely behind her and the rest of the soldiers behind them. Their hands were on their blasters, tensed and ready to spring into action at a moment's notice. But she had other ideas of how to deal with the approaching troopers.

"Let me handle this," she said under her breath, Finn giving her a curious look as they all came to a stop.

"We weren't told to expect any arrivals during our watch," one trooper informed them with undisguised hostility, leaving three meters of space between them.

"We were authorized to land," Rey responded firmly. "Our ship is in desperate need of refueling."

The stormtroopers shared an obviously skeptical glance, and the one who had spoken peered past her. "A B-7 freighter. Do you have cargo?"

"Yes."

"What is your destination?"

"You don't need to know that."

Her voice had suddenly become as smooth and soothing as a gently flowing river. But there was subtle strength in its waters, its power of suggestion sweeping the recipient along and carrying them to a single destination. Her will triumphed quietly and without struggle, for this target was not a difficult one.

"I…don't need to know that," the trooper replied, his posture relaxing.

"But you will check our cargo hold to ensure the authenticity of its contents," Rey added as her companions stared at her in awe.

"But I will check your cargo hold to ensure the authenticity of its contents," he repeated, motioning to the other trooper. "Follow me."

They moved past the rebels and marched toward the freighter, a satisfied smirk spreading across her face as she watched them go.

Rose was stunned. "Wow. How did you—?"

"Just a little trick I picked up along the way," she grinned before glancing at Finn. "You know what to do."

He nodded. "May the Force be with you."

Together, he and Rose led four of the rebels back to the freighter, where they would inevitably claim two disguises from the unsuspecting troopers, and Rey took the remaining three soldiers with her. As she approached the western inner doors of the hangar, they unexpectedly slid open, and she stopped. Bracing herself for an incoming attack, her hand drifted toward the back of her belt.

But the man who stepped through the parting doors was none other than Jaq Solborne, the miner who had offered to help them infiltrate the station. His worker's uniform was simple and gray, with a black vest and boots and a blaster pistol strapped to his hip. He patted the weapon affectionately as he followed Rey's curious gaze.

"Plucked this off the officer that was monitoring the docking computers," he explained with a proud smirk. "Figured it would come in handy."

"Your accent wasn't half bad," she replied, smiling briefly before returning her focus to the task at hand. "Are the others ready to fight?"

"As ready as they can be. We should start making our way to the western barracks. It won't be long before the other guards notice that their comrades stopped checking in."

"Agreed," she nodded firmly, glancing around at her fellow rebels. "Come on. Let's remind the First Order that we refuse to be their slaves."

HHHHHHHHHH

Corridor after corridor passed them by, sleek and black and interspersed with columns of white unblinking lights. Jaq led them quickly and with confidence, for he knew the facility well, and every guard they encountered on their way to the barracks was dispatched with ease. No alarms were sounded, and they remained completely undetected.

"Almost there," he murmured, gripping his blaster a little tighter. "There will be two troopers stationed in front of the door. We should take them both out at once."

Rey nodded and drew her own pistol from its holster as Solborne pressed his back against the wall and then peered around the corner. She crept up beside him and did the same, seeing suits of polished armor gleaming under the harsh, sterile lights embedded in the ceiling panels. The two rebels exchanged a glance before silently aiming their blasters, both of which were set to stun, and they fired in unison.

Blue crackling bolts zipped through the air and collided with their targets. The guards crumpled to the floor, incapacitated, and Jaq emerged from his concealment. Holstering his blaster, he jogged to the side of the nearest fallen trooper and dropped to his knees. Realizing that he was rummaging through the soldier's supply belt, Rey could only assume that he was searching for a means to enter the barracks.

"Gotcha!" the miner muttered triumphantly, standing.

He had successfully located a small access card, and she watched as he quickly moved to the access panel beside the door and inserted it. There was a small beep and a click, and then the door slid open. Stepping back, Jaq smiled at her, motioning proudly with his hand.

"After you."

Inside the room beyond, there were ten rows of bunks, each row containing five beds with five more stacked on top of them. Dim white lights lined the walls, faintly illuminating the frightened faces of men, women, and children—all of whom were staring at Rey as if she were a ghost.

"Don't be afraid," she said kindly but firmly. "The guards have been taken care of. The plan is in motion. It's time to take back this station."

To her surprise, a little girl timidly emerged from the shadows, gazing up at her in awe. "Y-you're the Jedi. You're Rey?"

Swallowing, she nodded. "Yes, I am."

"You've come to save us?"

Moved by the hopeful light that shone in the child's eyes, Rey knelt and looked into her face. "I've come to help, yes, but all of you must work together to take back what the First Order stole from you. Be brave, fight for what you love, and you too can be free."

The miners were rising and gathering around her, the rebel soldiers standing faithfully at her back. Even after all these months, she still had not grown accustomed to the way people looked at her, a scavenger from Jakku.

"The armory is not far from here," Solborne interjected, approaching them. "We can meet the others there and prepare for the next step." Pausing, he glanced down at her. "Have you heard from your friends?"

Rey shook her head. "No. I'll contact Finn and check on their progress."

Standing, she exited the barracks alone and left the others to discuss further details. Then she slipped her comlink from her belt, activated it, and raised it to her mouth. "Finn, are you there?"

There was a brief pause, then the buzz of static. "Reading you loud and clear."

She breathed a small sigh of relief. "Have you reached the eastern barracks?"

"Approaching them now."

"All right. We're about to escort any miners who are able to fight to the armory. Meet us there as soon as you can, and then we can take the rest of the station."
"Got it. See you soon."

The line was disconnected, and Rey hooked the comlink back to her belt. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and called upon the Force. Its soothing presence washed over her, centering her spirit and focusing her mind for the battle to come. Everything was going according to plan. They just needed to keep moving forward, one step at a time.

HHHHHHHHHH

Some of the men and women stayed behind with the children in the barracks, but the vast majority of them went on to the armory, where they were equipped with blasters, grenades, and every other weapon they could get their hands on. It was not long before Finn and Rose arrived with the rest of the rebel soldiers and fifty more miners, and they did what they could to briefly explain the basics of combat, for most of the workers had never once held a blaster.

But time was of the essence, and they feared that the stunned guards would soon awaken and sound the alarm. Thus, they departed and headed north the moment that everyone was armed and ready. Moving with steadily increasing speed, Rey found herself breaking into a light jog, and the rest of her comrades followed suit. She dreaded losing the element of surprise, but there was something else…something she could not quite place. It caused a strange uneasiness in the pit of her stomach, almost like a warning, and she became unable to shake the feeling that something very terrible was about to happen.

Rounding yet another corner, Rey came face to face with two more stormtroopers, who she instinctively Force-pushed nearly seven meters through the air. They landed with a crash and were subsequently incapacitated by bolts fired from Finn's and Rose's blasters. Then they resumed running, Rey's heart beating faster and faster. Her blood was pumping wildly, her breaths short and rapid. What had come over her?

At the end of the corridor was a large, wide door, and she Force-activated the access panel without so much as breaking her stride. Racing through the opening, she realized all too late that it had immediately closed behind her. The others had not made it through.

But suddenly and quite unexpectedly, all thoughts of the current mission were driven from her mind. Her chest heaved, sweat beading on her temple. Her eyes were wide and unable to process what they were seeing, for a tall, dark figure stood directly across from her. She had known, deep down. She had known ever since they landed on the station. But an unnatural shadow had clouded her vision, dulling her senses and causing her to question the clarity of her own mind—of her own feelings.

Now she understood, and the crippling pain she experienced upon seeing him again was almost more than she could bear. He was real. He was here. Flesh and blood.

Black locks fell around piercing eyes that set her heart aflutter even when she wanted to hate him, the folds of his cape rippling as his powerful frame swayed ever so slightly—back and forth. Every insult, every cruel word she had longed to scream at him died upon her lips, and Rey found that she was unable to break her silence. Instead, she continued to match his gaze with her own, for she detected no hatred, no bloodlust radiating from within him. There was only sorrow and regret.

So intense was his grief, so heavy was the guilt weighing down on him, that it crushed the breath from her lungs. A sharp exhale escaped her, her hand instinctively flying to her chest as she gasped for air.

"Rey? Rey!"

Finn's frantic voice crackled from her comlink, startling her back to the present, and she snatched it from her belt.

"Finn, it's a trap! They knew we were coming. Get out of here while you still can!"

"We're not leaving you behind!"

"Go!" she repeated sternly. "Get as many people onto shuttles as you can and get out of here!"

He continued to protest, but she switched off her comlink and hooked it back onto her belt. Then, slowly, she met the despondent eyes of Ben Solo.

"Is it true?" he asked simply, searching her face.

"Have you come all this way just to ask me that?" Rey retorted with as much anger as she could muster. "Surely you felt it."

"I did." His eyes were downcast, his gloved hands clenching into fists. "But I had to know for certain."

He was mourning. His shoulders sagged. He looked as if he had not slept in days—perhaps weeks. The crease between her furrowed brows softened.

"Was it peaceful?"

"Yes." She hesitated, then swallowed. "I was with her."

He raised his head and looked at her, his lip trembling for half an instant before he stubbornly set his jaw. His gaze hardened, and suddenly, he was the man she had seen in Snoke's throne room.

"You know I can't let you go."

"Have you come to kill me?" Rey asked quietly. "Is that it?"

He shook his head, his cold exterior faltering. "No. But the war must end. The Rebellion must end."

Her eyes burned with unshed tears. "I won't let you destroy them."

He sighed wearily, and his voice brimmed with frustration as he took a step toward her. "As we speak, my men are sealing the hangar doors. There will be no escape for you or your rebel friends. They will be captured and executed." He paused and swallowed, his eyes silently pleading with her. "But you don't have to share their fate."

With a heavy heart, she reached for the back of her belt and grasped a long, metallic hilt. "I don't want to fight you, Ben."

His eyes tracked the movement of her hand, his lips forming a tight line. "Then don't."

"You've left me no choice."

"Sir! We've trapped them in the hangar!"

The muffled but triumphant voice of a stormtrooper coming from Ben's comlink sparked a fire in the pit of Rey's stomach, and she drew her lightsaber.

"Get out of my way, Ben! I won't ask again!"

Still, he refused to move, and she angrily gritted her teeth. Two blue blades sprang to life, pulsing and humming with a dangerous, fractured energy. Resigned, he activated his own weapon, the crossguard saber igniting and bathing the room in flickering scarlet light. Rey's throat constricted painfully, and for a long moment, she could not bring herself to strike at him. He too remained perfectly still, his blade lowered and hanging uselessly at his side.

Her fingers shifted restlessly, curling on and off the hilt as an internal struggle raged inside her. She couldn't do it. She couldn't. But Finn and Rose and the rest of her comrades were counting on her! The Rebellion was counting on her!

BOOM!

Caught off guard, Rey staggered as the floor rocked beneath her. She glanced up at Ben with wide eyes but was surprised to discover that he was just as bewildered as she was.

"What was that?"

He said nothing in reply, his faraway gaze betraying his racing thoughts as sirens began to wail. Emergency lights flashed overhead, causing the room to alternate between states of severe red and total darkness.

"Hux," Ben said finally, realization dawning on him.

BOOM!

A white blinding flash filled Rey's vision, and then she was flying through open air. She felt the lightsaber slip from her fingers, screamed as searing pain tore through every fiber of her being. Her head struck something solid and metal, and then she saw no more.