Hey-it's been a long while since I've written well...anything. After seeing The Force Awakens with my future brother-in-law, my mind was peaked and I was prompted to act on an idea I had been tossing around for a while. Reader response will determine if this continues or not, so like, favorite, follow or review please!
Dramatis Personae
The Resistance
Admiral Akbar (Mon Calamari male from Mon Calamari)
Supreme Commander Mon Mothma (human female from Chaldira)
General Leia Organa (human female from Alderaan)
(Jedi Master Obi-Wan "Ben" Kenobi, human male from Stewjon)
(Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker, human male from Tatooine)
Jedi Master Luke Skywalker (human male from Tatooine)
Poe Dameron (human male from Yavin 4)
Finn (human male from unknown)
R2-D2, Luke's astromech droid
BB-8, Poe's astromech droid
C-3PO, Leia's protocol droid
Crew of the Millennium Falcon
(Han Solo, human male from Corellia)
Rey (human female from Jakku)
Chewbacca (Wookie male from Kashyyk)
Members of the Survivors
(Ferrus Olan, human male from Coruscant)
(Bant, Mon Calamari female from Mon Calamari)
(Arya Teslus-Olan, human female from Alderaan)
(Eponine Olan, human female from Alderaan)
Minneko Olan (human female from Illum)
Masako Olan (human female from Illum)
Kister Thorne (human male from Illum)
The First Order
Supreme Commander Snoke
Ben "Kylo Ren" Solo (human male from unknown)
General Hux (human male from unknown)
Captain Phasma (human female from unknown)
()-Dead before the beginning of our story
Then:
She panted as she raced across the plain. The sky was bright and there was no fear of a sudden downfall today. "C'mon Aldera," the beagle bounded alongside her, keeping up. Her hair was loose. In a few years, it would be braided into the style of her people.
They had originated in an area of Alderaan called Syberea. Their clans were known for being able to tolerate the harsh, constant winter weather that dominated the planet's northern poles. Several had branched out in the later years of the Old Republic, aiding the Jedi in covert operations. Six hundred and sixty-five members had made the first group to be sworn into the top-secret intelligence unit that had been sanctioned by the Jedi Council. Her grandfather, a Jedi of the old order, had found sanctuary with her grandmother's people during the purges. There, he had fallen in with the oldest clan, the Dragon clan. Eventually, he had married her grandmother, and in time had children of his own. Those children were now dead, slain by the Empire, hunted down by Darth Vader, though, according to tradition, they were no Jedi.
They had formed their own secret signs to identify each other as fellow hidden Force Sensitives. For years they traveled though known regions, settling in scattered areas. Some found it easier to live as nomads, smugglers for hire, and ship captains. They blended in with the brash Correllians to the point most had simply adopted the planet as their home.
Excursions such as the one she was now on were rare. The lush forests of Naboo were all that she was going to see of green for a long time. Her grandfather, old and rapidly becoming sentimental, was relocating a group of twenty, including her and her sister, to Illum, where Jedi Initiates and Padawans had for generations harvested crystals for their lightsabers.
Another survivor of her grandmother's rescue, Bant, an aged healer and well respected amongst the group as the best healer, had asked that she spend her remaining days surrounded by the history of the forgotten order.
A select group of children-herself included-were to be trained as Jedi. Ferrus Olan had scoffed at the idea of Luke Skywalker starting his own order, saying that he would "rather see his grandchildren dead than under a Skywalker's tutelage." To this end, they were bound for Illum, where snow was as deep and constant at it had been in Syberea until the Death Star decimated the planet. This was her final farewell to the sun, for she did not know when-or even if-she would see it again.
Now:
"This is Captain Minneko Olan of the Syberea requesting permission to land."
"Ahoy, Syberea, what is your objective?"
"Supplies and personnel to serve in the Resistance. Authorization code Aurbek-Three-Nine-Zero-One."
"Authorization confirmed. Syberea maintain present heading. Land in zone 1A."
"Acknowledged, Control. Syberea out."
Minneko Olan relaxed as the landing cycle began. "Welcome to D'Qar," she muttered into the headset, knowing that her co-pilot would have something to say about it.
"At least it's sunny here." Kister Thorne said as the landing cycle started. D'Qar was very different from the environment that they had grown up in. Illum was cold, and the old Jedi Temple provided only minimum shelter from the elements. Over the years, a structure had sprung up, nicknamed the HAB after the support centers that had predated the dawn of civilization on most planets. The HAB however was more of a permanent residence for the members of the Survivors.
Originally a part of a complex spy ring that saw its heyday during the Clone Wars, the Survivors had allied themselves with the Jedi during their early years as skilled hackers from the depths of an even colder region of Alderaan known as Syberea. In the cold, the race for survival meant everything. The cold-weather gear needed to survive the frozen plains was repugnant to most who lived on the planet, who preferred instead to ignore the section as though it didn't exist.
However, in the Clone Wars, the need for slicers and counterintelligence had opened up a job market to a group who felt it was time to leave their self-imposed exile and rejoin galactic society at large. The "Windtalkers" unique speech and its inability to be transcribed as writing had enabled the Old Republic to gain a tactical advantage over the Separatist forces that largely relied on droids for such things.
During training, the Jedi discovered that a large percentage of the group had Force Sensitivity. Knowing the growing threat of the Sith, the group was trained to resist the call of the Dark Side of the Force. It was through this training that Arya Tesles was able to sense the start of the Purges that marked the beginning of the Empire. Moving quickly, she rallied a group to save as many Jedi as possible from the clone troopers that had turned against them.
A small group led by Jedi Knight Ferrus Olan and Arya Tesles had eventually made their way back to Syberea. Their respite was only temporary, knowing that the Empire would not rest until the last Jedi were exterminated. Having waited until they could be sure that they would be safe, the group made a new refuge on Illum, at the site of the Jedi Temple there, safeguarding the caves of crystals from which the Jedi had harvested for their lightsabers for generations.
They had established a working base, knowing that their safety would only be assured at the defeat of the Empire and the rise of the New Republic. Tacitly, small groups left Illum to gauge the tide of the war and aid the Rebel Alliance through any means possible.
Through all this, Ferrus Olan had learned to live outside all he had known. His second in command, Arya had eventually persuaded him to see things from a different point of view, and with a consultation of a council of carefully selected members, had revised and amended many rules of the Old Jedi Order.
So the Survivors had flourished, safeguarding the planet until they could be assured of the Jedi's return to the galaxy. It was shortly after the establishment of the First Order that Ferrus Olan had put together a command squadron to make contact with Luke Skywalker, and officially hand over control of the Survivors and what records of the Jedi Archives they had saved. Sadly, after seeing them off, Ferrus, sensing his time was close went to bed one night and did not wake the next morning.
It was thus that Minneko had cut her hair short and both she and Kister wore white armbands. By all rights, Minneko, as her grandfather's oldest living relative should have led the rites-a blend of Syberean and Jedi-but she had a mission to see through.
"Would I sound like a geek if I said that this is probably every dream I've had since I was a kid?" Kister asked as they walked down the gangplank into the sunlight.
"Sun, wind that doesn't freeze your skin off, and green? I don't think so." Minneko paused at the bottom of the ramp. "Look at this," She bent down and touched the soft earth with her hand. "No ice."
"And look," Kister picked up an acorn from the ground. "Not flash-frozen or raised in the biosphere."
"Race you up a tree?" Minneko asked, not bothering to wait for a response as she began climbing the nearest one.
"Not fair!" With a laugh, Kister followed.
Across the landing pad, Finn watched the two. He was certain one was male, despite the fact that he was wearing what appeared to be a skirt. He was sure there was a proper name for the garment, but he couldn't recall it right now.
"Who are they?" Poe Dameron came up next to Finn with BB-8 trailing along as he tootled to his fellow BB and R2 units.
"Dunno," Finn replied. "But look at them." Poe looked at the two-who were now throwing acorns at each other-and grinned. "Well, they're free spirits, for sure."
BB-8 rolled up alongside his master, tootling happily. "What d'you think, BB?" BB chirped and tootled, his round body swiveling excitedly.
"Yes, I think you're safe," No sooner had Poe said it before BB rolled to the base of one of the trees. BB gave the tree an electric shock and the pair heard an "Ouch," some muffled cursing and two figures dropped from the tree. "Heya," the girl said, putting her hand on BB's top dome affectionately. "What're you doing here, fella?"
BB chirped, rolling toward Finn and Poe. The pair followed and Finn got his first good look at the two. The girl and boy were dressed almost identically in blue and green-checkered cloth that wrapped around their waists and across their chests. He could tell that this was everyday wear-the ease with which they moved told him that they were used to this kind of gear. Both wore short-sleeved shirts underneath, partially for modesty, but Finn could tell from stormtrooper training that it would retain heat in cold environments. A white armband encircled their upper arm on the left and they had metal cylinders-lightsabers, possibly- attached to their calves in a manner he'd only seen smugglers do with their blasters.
"Heya," the girl said, taking charge. "Comment allez-vous?"
Poe shook his head. "Basic." The girl grinned. "Fine. I'm Minneko and this is Kister. We're here to speak with Master Skywalker."
"What about?" Finn asked, interest piqued.
"Something that could change the outcome of this war." The boy said.
We'll see how the Resistance commanders react in the next chapter, until then-
May the Force be with you!
R2-D2106