Chapter I
The Evacuation of Deponn
The Aurora emerged from the hangar on the Orbital Ring of Kuat.
"There it goes," Mara said beside her, impressed.
The maintenance control room of section AT-11 of the Deponn Shipyard had a clear view of the dagger-shaped Star Destroyer leaving the Station. Its massive form quickly conquered the sky, as if the stars were nothing more than dust.
A shiver went down Rose Tico's spine as she watched the Destroyer. In a blink of an eye, the massive ship was gone, jumping to lightspeed. The starry sky took again its place around the Orbital Ring surrounding the moon of Kuat.
"Where do you think it's going, Paige?" Mara asked, with her freckled smile. "I heard the new government is still trying to bring peace to Naboo."
Bring peace, Rose repeated in her mind, managing not to roll her First Order was bringing peace to the wars they had started, she wanted to reply. But discussing that with Mara would be too revealing. There were reports of new conflicts almost every day now. Ships spreading across the galaxy, assuring the dominance of the First Order – consolidating once again an echo from the past.
"Someone told me the Aurora was set to Coruscant, actually." Rose confided, clicking on some buttons. "Senator Ormes Apolin will present a status report to Chancellor Hux, I suppose."
A droid had told her that, after slicing through the main systems of the Kuat Drive Yards. But sharing that bit would also be too revealing, wouldn't it? The very same droid was connected to the panel, placed between the two of them, assisting their job as maintenance control officers. It was a black plated unit, with white and silver accents.
"Chancellor," Mara said, with a smile. "I still find it odd whenever I hear it."
The First Order had taken its place in Coruscant over two months ago – and since then Armitage Hux had taken a place as Chancellor, the second most important office of the government.
After occupying the old capital of the Empire without resistance, the majority of the Core Worlds had declared for the new government, remembering only too well the fate of Hosnian Prime. Besides, it seemed the news about the Battle of Crait had crushed hope across the galaxy, leading many to believe the Resistance was extinct.
"Well, as long as this Chancellor brings peace back, I'll support them." Mara retorted, in her naivety. She was a kuatian junior officer, a year younger than Rose, and extremely gullible. The girl was also too immature to understand what the Resistance meant, or even the First Order – she just wanted to work and assure her family down in the moon had a future away from slavery. "As my Dad says, the New Republic did not good to the galaxy. It's time we recover the glory from the old days."
"I wish I was an optimist like you," Rose said, gulping. She touched the ore pendant around her neck, just to compose herself – and not punch Mara. "My throat is sore, Mara… Can you get us some refreshments? I will overlook your panel."
Mara smiled and nodded, always ready to leave her seat for a few minutes to go down to the working canteen. She was not a greedy officer – she was just ignorant.
"By the Force, she is so tiresome sometimes!" Rose said, stretching her arms as soon as she was left alone with BB-8. The droid beeped something, and she laughed. "Yes, I know, I know. I wish I could open her eyes and tell her what the First Order is hiding… But she is always so sure about what she says. Oh, well…"
The timer on her panel approached the time she had agreed with Finn and Poe during their last communication. The droid beeped something again, making Rose laugh once more.
"Yes, yes, I know you can't wait to get rid of those plates. Let's get to work."
BB-8 was not his usual self. Before their departure from the new base of the Resistance, Poe Daemeron had made sure he wouldn't be taken by a Resistance droid. As a result, he had been stripped of his white and orange covers, his original plates having been replaced by the ones of a First Order droid. Only his original silver accents remained, contrasting with the dark metallic parts.
"I can't wait to get out of these too." She said, looking quickly down her uniform.
As part of her undercover, the easier part had been taking her sister's name – posing as a First Order officer for almost a month had been far more challenging. The high-collared tunic she had to wear every day, with the matching flared-hipped breeches, still made her skin itch. Even the hat on the top of her had made her want to scream. Even so, she had a piece of home to hold on to. A small ore pendant, hanging around her neck.
"So, let's do this, shall we?" She said, clicking some more buttons.
The droid beeped in agreement, extending his scomp-link to reconnect it to the terminal on the wall.
Rose inclined over the console, checking the current status on the Production Center AT-11. She pressed some buttons and quickly confirmed the droid-production levels were at ninety-two per cent. A perfectly normal scenario.
As part of her official job at the Kuat Drive Yards, she had to monitor the production progress of engineering droids building a brand-new set of AT-RT. It was a boring task since she had to pass most of her day in a control room, checking and optimizing the production levels of droids. Officer Mara Lynn at her side helped her, overlooking her team of droids.
The exciting jobs – at least, that was what her colleagues said during meals – were the ones taking place on the Maw and Andrin Shipyards, where the Star Destroyers and TIEs were built. Those were the shipyards a few kilometres down on the Ring orbiting the moon of Kuat. Residences, docks, warehouses, markets and even apartments separated her shipyard from the main ones.
Yes, at the Deponn Shipyard the machinery developed was lighter and not so exciting. Yet, it was the perfect place to infiltrate an undercover, since it granted her access and privacy.
She was there with BB-8 as part of their mission for the Resistance, of course.
A few weeks ago, when news had come about Kuat declaring for the First Order, General Leia had feared the worst – after all, one of the main production facilities of the galaxy was now working directly to the First Order.
By then, the communications had not been jammed yet – and in her attempt to reach old and new allies, General Leia had found an improbable ally in Kuat. Bisc Kova was not happy with the direction Kuat was following. The stormtroopers had occupied the planet and the moon, forcing every officer serving at the Ring to serve the First Order. The ones who refused were sent to the ore mines, where workers were being treated as criminals and slaves. So, decided to fight for freedom, the mysterious friend of General Organa had offered to infiltrate two members of the Resistance in the Orbital Ring.
From there, Rose and BB-8 had managed to infiltrate more reinforcements on the Moon – and prepare a plan to disable the shipyard at the service of the First Order.
"Alright," Rose said, opening a new panel on her console screen. "Wait, let me just check if the droids have time to return to their pods." With a few clicks, she gave the order. Through the window in her office, she could overlook the production area down below. All the droids operating around two ATs returned quickly to their safety pods on the wall.
On her screen, the production levels abruptly descended to zero, which meant…
"Officer Volmos, why are my droids in their safety pods?"
The voice of Officer Fischin quickly came through the comlink. From a control room down in the moon, the officer monitored the efficiency levels of the twenty production areas at the Deponn Shipyard.
"Sir, it seemed there is a problem with one of our units," she lied, winking to BB-8.
"A problem? You can't afford a problem. Get yourself together or I swear I will go up there myself."
"Sir…" She said, managing a wicked smile. She hated Fischin, especially after finding out he had turned his son to the stormtroopers at Kuat. "One of the ATs is burning and there is a risk of explosion", she continued, her eyes looking directly to a row of perfectly fine AT-RT. "I had to salvage the droids and I… I'm activating the Evacuation Plan, sir. I don't think it's safe over here, there is a lot of toxic smoke…"
"What?" The voiced asked angrily from the other side. "Silly girl, don't activate…"
"I'm just following the protocol, sir." She said, right before disconnecting the commlink. "Ok, BeeBee, do your part!"
There was no need to give an order to the droid. He was more than ready. Instantly, a bell started ringing over her head, echoing through the Deponn Shipyard. An automatic voice started emanating from the speakers.
"Attention. Attention. Evacuation Plan is now activated at the Deponn Shipyard. Please, board the nearest Escape Pod. This is not a drill. Attention. Attention."
Still connected to the system, BB-8 started activating K2-Refinery's alarms. He did it within seconds, removing itself from the terminal when finished. Beeping animatedly, he rolled around Rose's chair for a few seconds.
"Yes, it's time."
She kneeled under the panel table and opened a secret hatch. Inside it, small blaster gun was waiting for her – a unit stolen from a production area a few corridors away from her control room. The weapon was not designed to be fired by a human, but it would work if necessary. She fasted it to her belt, hiding it underneath her tunic.
Outside her control room, chaos had settled. The red lights blared in the ceiling, propagating the sense of urgency. The speakers were loud – very loud – at the point, it seemed the entire station trembled to the sound of it. Officers and droids ran everywhere, trying to find the Escape Pods or scavenging electronic devices. Someone was screaming, asking people to be calm, that this was surely a drill. A handful of arrogant officers were laughing, pointing to the ones that were panicking. Few were the ones taking the Evacuation Plan seriously.
BB-8 rolled behind her, down the corridor, beeping some directions she almost couldn't hear over the alarms. She stopped on her heels, recognizing Mara leaving the canteen, with her eyes wide open. The girl seemed paler than usual, her mouth opened in shock.
For an instant, Rose was sure her feet would move again, taking her to the Escape Pods Dock. However, she couldn't move, not actually. This is not how we are going to win. Mara was ingenuine, yes, and she supported the First Order without knowing why – yet, she was not a bad person, was it? She would be safe if she was left behind, Rose was almost sure. But the girl would be safer away from the Ring.
"Mara, come!" Rose bellowed, startling the girl by grabbing her arm. The two juice cups she was holding fell from her hands, splashing their boots.
"Paige…?" The girl looked at her with an odd expression, as if noticing her for the first time. "Did you—?"
Something is wrong with her.
BB-8 beeped with what were some signs of confusion, pressing himself against Rose's legs, as if insisting they should continue.
"We don't have time, come with me."
"Y-yes, yes, alright."
Gripping Mara's arm, Rose pulled her while following BB-8 to the Escape Pod Dock. There were twelve escape pods available – only three had departed. Three officers were settling themselves on a pod down the station, minding their own business.
"Here, this one," Rose said, pointing to the closest one. She let go of Mara's arm and followed BB-8 to the pod.
The droid took his place at the driving console, connecting his scomp-link. The engine started, the lights flaring over her head. Rose seated on the pilot seat and fastened her belt when she looked over her shoulder.
Mara had not entered the pod.
"What? Where is she?" She bellowed in confusion, nodding her head. BB-8 beeped, rolling his small head. The sense of urgency was palpable in each one of his beeps. They had to go before the others resumed the plan on the Refinery. Quickly, she unfastened her belt again and ran to the door. "A few more seconds, BeeBee."
Reaching the door, she confirmed Mara was on the dock, right where she had left her.
Rose opened her mouth to call her in, but quickly realized it was a mistake. Mara Lynn seemed angry, her face distorted by pure hatred and her eyes full of tears. A portable comlink was locked in her right hand, close to her lips.
Officer Fischin got to her.
"Get her!" Mara screamed, pointing her finger toward Rose. "She is a traitor!"
Rose moved her face, to see to whom Mara was talking.
The three officers she had just seen readying for their departure were alert. One of them had been quicker than all the others and grabbed a blaster.
"BeeBee, close the door!" Rose screamed, realizing only too slowly what was happening.
She moved her hand to her belt, to get her blaster, but the officer was quicker. He fired towards her. Rose screamed, retracing her step back to the interior of the pod. Blaster shots passed right above her head, knocking down her hat. Another shot destroyed a lightbulb in the ceiling of the pod and—
The door closed abruptly with a swoosh.
More blaster shots were fired against the locked door, but they couldn't reach her now.
The pod was released with a clicking sound and suddenly it was falling toward the Moon of Kuat, ripping through the dark sky.
"Wow, BeeBee," Rose said, gasping, managing to finally reach her seat and fasten her belt. "They are onto us way sooner than we expected."
