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S-2_C-1: The Runabout

34 ABY

The break from hyperspace, though unplanned and probably dangerous, was a great relief. The stars danced peacefully in the vastness of space rather than blur by in a chaotic kaleidoscope of light. I immersed myself in the digital novel on my datapad, picked up from a merchant on the last spaceport we had visited. Though he didn't have the hyperdrive repair piece we had been searching for, he did have a tasteful collection of historical space adventures. I glanced at the blinking autopilot light every few minutes.

The vessel that Vegas had haggled for on Takodana was more or less a runabout vessel. In other words, a piece of space junk. It was capable of hyperspace travel and had the capacity for a crew of four—not much beyond that. Vegas suspected that the runabout had been modified for the hyperdrive, so it wasn't entirely compatible with the internal computer systems.

In other words, we were scammed.

A glint in the near distance caught my eye, causing me to lower my datapad. The light of a nearby star flashed off of a rotating bit of space debris directly ahead. My eyes narrowed as I tried to make out the insignia on the side of the ruined spaceship. A cargo ship, perhaps? Suddenly, I realized we were getting much too close to it much too fast.

Grabbing the control sticks on instinct alone, I pulled up hard and fast. The runabout lurched upwards, triggering all sorts of alarm signals and flashing lights. "John!" I shouted, hoping to wake him. I can't fly this thing!

Right on cue, Vegas pitched himself into the copilot seat, hair disheveled and eyes half-crusted with sleep. "Gods!" he exclaimed, using the controls to even us out. He maneuvered around several more pieces of debris as I caught my breath, my heart beating out of control.

"I—It just came out of nowhere," I stuttered, dazed. We were silent as Vegas finished maneuvering the debris field, and I sensed his nerves. Lack of sleep, stress, and constant space travel had consumed the last four weeks of our lives. I had never imagined that escaping the First Order would be so...slow.

"Was that First Order?" I asked once we were clear, stealing a glance at Vegas. He was resetting the autopilot with his usual tired mask in place.

"No, that design is Resistance."

Another Resistance graveyard, I thought. To say that the First Order had stepped up its assault on the Resistance after the destruction of Starkiller was an understatement. The bits of intergalactic news that we picked up from spaceports and merchant ships spelled doom for the Resistance—and soon. It was even rumored that one of the Resistance heroes that took credit for Starkiller, Rey, was dead. Even General Organa's fleet hadn't transmitted in weeks.

Vegas was biting his lip in thought. "I don't like the idea of Yavin now."

I clenched my teeth in annoyance. "We're just two days away," I said calmly. "And they will definitely have that repair part."

He shook his head, finally making eye contact with me. "They could be close. And since we're not in hyperspace, they could track us without us even knowing."

This wasn't the first time that we had changed course based on Vegas' worries. I felt my temper building. "They're going to be 'close' no matter where we go in the Galaxy."

"Not in the Outer Rim," he argued. "Or the Core."

I nodded with a tight smile. "Which is why we need our hyperdrive fixed."

His tired eyes slid away from me. "Can't fix it from a First Order brig," he muttered.

Coward, came the word into my mind like lightning. I clenched my hands into fists as my eyes snapped back to the viewport. My nerves were worn down to the quick."No, we can't," I ground out.

Vegas let out a long sigh.

"I don't want to argue with you, Lucy. I...we can't take risks right now. We've come so far—"

"I know," I interrupted. "I'm just tired, John. Really tired." A multitude of words crowded on the tip of my tongue, dying to be spoken. I'm tired of feeling unsafe. I'm tired of feeling alone. My lips trembled, and I knew I couldn't speak again without coming to tears.

I felt Vegas' eyes on me like he was trying to read my mind. But he couldn't—no matter how hard he tried. I could practically sense his confusion.

"I know," he said quietly. "Go get some rest."

Turning my face, I stood and vanished into the crew cabin. It was dark, small, and offered barely any relief from the suffocating runabout. I sat on the edge of my bunk and planted my face in my hands. My mood had gone from pleasant to shattered in the blink of an eye. This isn't me. I massaged my fingers into my brow to smooth out the wrinkles there.

The last four weeks had been close to torture. I hated to admit it, but I missed so many things about the First Order. It had given me a purpose to get out of bed in the morning and the dignity of wearing the uniform. It had transformed me from a lost girl wondering about her place in the Galaxy to a confident leader filled with passion. If it hadn't been for the bloody campaign into the Western Reaches, I might still be there. If it hadn't been for Vegas' idea of escape, I might still be there. If it hadn't been for Kylo's abuse...

I shivered at the memories of my final days with Kylo Ren. Dark, irrational, and controlling—he had become unrecognizable as the man that I had fallen in love with. Before those times on the Finalizer, I thought that he had felt the same as I did. No...he never loved me.

The thoughts drew my attention to the gnawing cramps in my abdomen. Sitting up, I pressed a hand there and let out a breath that I hadn't realized I was holding. I jumped when I heard a soft knock on the cabin door.

"Luce?"

When I didn't respond, the door cracked to reveal a sliver of light.

"We'll go to Yavin," Vegas said.

A sense of comfort washed through me. "Thanks," I whispered in reply.

After he shut the door, I laid in my bunk with a thin sheet tucked under my chin. Without a viewport, the room felt like a coffin. I closed my eyes to transport myself to another location, and my hand crept subconsciously back to my abdomen. Soon, I stood on the warm, red sands of my future home in the stars.

*Update 2/11/21* Hello lovely readers! I edited HITS recently for typos and clunky dialogue, and it's very close to being complete! Thank you guys for joining me on this sequel and don't forget to review! Love ya :) -Scarlet

PS: I don't break from canon very often, but in this story, the Supremacy was not destroyed by the Holdo maneuver. I mean...come on.