Chapter: 2 Mayhem on Manaan

"Are there a lot of Resistance fighters? How big is the fleet? Does your flightsuit ever get itchy?" The teen never seemed to run out of questions for Poe Dameron. He grit his teeth with frustration, hoping that the StarSpeeder would blast out of Hyperspace at any given moment.

He turned, thinking to himself, "She's still talking isn't she?"

"What's it like to battle the First Order-"

"Hey kid," Poe interrupted. "Did your parents ever teach you the quiet game?" BB-8 nodded at the proposal of such a game.

The blonde glowered, "My parents never played any games with me. Actually...they did teach me one."

"Which?" asked Poe.

"It was called...Shut up, Enna. We're sending you to the Academy. Don't come back until you're a successful politician. It's a terrible game. I hate politics. It's just a bunch of elites lying about what they're going to change. Then they get elected and nothing changes. I haven't seen my care-free parents in almost seven years and frankly, I never want to again."

Poe felt remorse for the young student. He did his best to change the subject, "Enna, huh? That's a beautiful name."

"Thanks," she smirked. "What's yours?"

"Poe Dameron. This is my droid BB-8. Where ya from, Enna?"

"Mandalore," she replied.

Poe raised a brow, "Then what were you doing as far as the D'Qar sector?"

"I was offworld to go observe the Republic and how their systems make them the best government in the galaxy."

"And what did you think of those politicians?"

"The BIGGEST liars in the galaxy. I left early because I couldn't stand it. That's why I caught this late flight home."

"That explains how empty this StarsSpeeder is," thought Poe before gesturing to the gentleman in the back. "And what's your name?"

The man wore a thick, pine green overcoat. His short brown hair was wavy with slick curls at the end of it. A naturally pleasant smile flashed on his face. "The name's Rurik. I'm an intergalactic cartographer who's just finished mapping out the D'Qar system. I'll be heading home to my research station on Rhen Var."

"Cold planet," Poe grimaced. "And then Nosi is clearly from Manaan. What about you, droid? What's your story?"

The pilot turned, "I am AC-95. I have been working at Star Tours for over fifteen years. Nothing more. I will be pulling us out of Hyperspace in thirty seconds."

"AC-95?" grimaced Poe. "You call that a name?"

"That is my designated number," affirmed AC-95.

"Forget that." scoffed Poe. "How about I call you...Ace?"

"My name is AC-95."

"Ace it is," Poe grinned, making Enna snicker and BB-8 chime.

AC became frustrated, "You're going to make me fry a circuit! In all my years of piloting I have never seen such a recklessly entitled individual." Poe laughed at his insult until the droid uttered, "This is why the best pilots will always be droids."

"Excuse me?" Poe stood up to AC. "I'll have you know that my squadron has had more successful raids on First Order targets than any droid-driven craft ever has." He flicked the droid's chest, prompting a clang to ring out.

"You biologicals think you own us droids." AC poked Poe in the chest with his metallic finger.

"That's because we built you!" contested Poe.

"Our origin matters not if we can still think for ourselves,"

"Are you really thinking for yourself though?" inquired Poe. "Seems to me as though you've been doing the same job for fifteen years plus. When's the last time you had fun?"

"Fun is not in my directive programming."

"Guys?" worried Enna. "Shouldn't we have come out of Hyperspace by now?"

AC gasped, realizing that Poe had distracted him from his primary directive. He immediately flipped the switch to boom the ship out of lightspeed. The delay had brought them closer to Manaan then they ever thought possible. They overshot the water world's floating city and dove straight into the ocean. The StarSpeeder bulleted into the dark depths of Manaan, eventually losing speed when AC cut the engines. The craft began to tilt upward, allowing its passengers to view the surface as it grew ever further.

Everyone onboard was disheveled from the impact. "No...No no!" AC rigorously tried to restart the engines, but the exerted hyperdrive had drained all of their power. Soon, the cabin was as dark as the ocean itself. AC forced on the backup lights, which illuminated the cabin with a dark red hue.

Nosi shrugged and mumbled in Selkath. "Absolutely not!" warned AC.

"What'd he say?" asked Enna.

"He said I should open the doors so he can swim home. He doesn't care if we all die. He just wants to get home to his wife, Moni."

"Well I hope Moni knows her husband's a sociopathic slimeball." sneered Enna. "I say we eat him first before starvation hits us."

"We'll run out of air before we starve," admitted Poe.

"Such a shame," scowled Rurik. "I was very much looking forward to seafood."

Poe ignored his comment. "BB-8! Where are ya?"

The droid bleeped despairingly from the very back of the StarSpeeder. He was unable to join them at the top, for his spherical body had no traction on such slippery incline.

Nosi remained gripped to the hatch, tugging away at the locks. "Sir! Please return to your seat!" ordered AC. The Selkath ignored him and continued to tug. If that latch opened, every non-aquatic onboard was doomed.

Poe realized that desperate times called for desperate measures. He withdrew his pistol and aimed it at Nosi. "Stand down, Selkath. Or you'll make the finest seafood filet I've ever grilled." The Selkath remained unafraid, only to cower back. "That's what I thought," smirked Poe.

"I do not think it was you he was afraid of," warned AC. The droid pointed towards the windshield as the silhouette of a tail swam through the darkness.

"What was that?" worried Rurik, doing his best to maintain calmness.

Soon, several other silhouettes began to circle the craft. "Firaxan sharks," scanned AC.

One of the sharks gave the StarSpeeder a rigorous nudge. "Looks like we're the ones who are going to be seafood!" panicked Enna. "And we're STILL sinking!"

"Not for long. I'll...I'll get us out of this. Somehow." Poe used the seats to climb towards the control panel. "BB-8, can you jumpstart the systems?" BB-8 hopelessly bleeped from the back of the craft. "Oh, right. I'll try to do it manually, then." He pried open a panel and began to shuffle with wires. "Maybe if I just recalibrate the-"

ZZZZZZT!

"Gah!" Poe shocked himself and fell back against the seats.

"Are you alright?" worried Enna as she sat him up.

"Fine. Just not ready to become fish food. The power's dead. The circuits are completely juiced out."

"Not necessarily." thought AC. He opened a compartment in his chest, revealing a cylindrical mechanism with electrical properties. "My power generator may have just enough of an energy concentration to jumpstart the ship."

"But, you'll deactivate." realized Poe.

AC sulked before replying, "Sacrifice for the good of my passengers is in my programming. My plan will only work with someone who can fly us while I am deactivated. Perhaps we are lucky to have you onboard after all. I trust you can get us to the surface, knowing those Firaxan sharks will be hot on our tail?"

"Damn right you can," Poe affirmed. "Alright, let's do it." Enna buckled AC to one of the seats as he removed his power generator. The droid immediately went limp afterwards, and Rurik handed Poe the cylinder. "Here goes nothing." Poe jammed the generator into the ship's wired mainframe. Within seconds, the device sparked and the engines roared. "HAHAAA!" cheered Poe.

"Alright!" applauded Enna before hugging Rurik. Nosi just held onto the arm rests on his seat, fearing what was to come.

"Buckle up, everyone." Poe flashed a determined grin and then shifted the StarSpeeder into maximum overdrive. Thank goodness Star Tours had fitted their crafts with submersible features. As soon as Poe jolted for the surface, the swarm of Firaxan sharks gave chase. The creatures were incredibly agile, and darted for the ship's hull. Poe weaved to avoid their colossal, snapping jaws while simultaneously surging upward.

"There's too many of them!" dreaded Rurik.

"Watch out!" screamed Enna. "On the left! The right! Incoming!"

"I see them!" snapped Poe. One of the Firaxan sharks clamped its jaws against the hull, and began to viscously thrash from side to side.

"I think I'm gonna-" belched Enna as she succumbed to her nausea.

"Come on, Mando!" joked Poe. "Your race is supposed to be gutsy!"

"I'm gonna lose my guts," hiccuped Enna.

"Just whatever you do," urged Rurik. "Do it in the opposite direction. I just got this coat." Soon, two more sharks bit into the ship.

Poe grunted, "How do I get these things off?"

BB-8 chimed intuitively.

"Sonic emitters? Of course!" Poe scoured the StarSpeeder's dashboard and found the controls under laser cannons. He primed them with one hand and growled, "Let's see how they like these!" Poe activated the emitters, which pulsed powerful soundwaves that disoriented the sharks. While they let go another continued to give chase. Acting fast, Poe blasted it with his laser cannons. The dead shark soon became food for the rest of the swarm, and Poe was able to gain valuable distance. The waters began to lighten as they reached the surface. Soon, the StarSpeeder broke right through, and once again soared through the open air. "WOOOOOHOOOO!" cheered Poe. "That's what I'm talking about!" BB-8 rolled around with amusement.

Poe flew them towards Ahto, the only above-surface city on the entire planet. Based on Nosi's energetic reactions, it was most certainly his home. The ship landed in one of the Star Tours' designated docking bays, and its passengers all took a breather. Rurik wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Remind me to never go underwater mapping on Manaan."

Meanwhile, Enna ran for the nearest trash receptacle. Nosi called his wife, complaining about how he was never going to fly Star Tours again.

With the power rebooted, Poe removed the generator and placed it back in AC's chest. The droid twitched back to life, "Did we make it?"

"Very much so," nodded Poe.

"Excellent," nodded the droid. "Now take your BB droid and get off of my ship. Don't come back."