I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this, I like it, I love it, and then I question why Im even posting it. I've read it and re-read it and now you know what? I'm putting it out to all of you lovelies. Obviously I have no experience in space, I have a general understanding of generalized things but I'm hoping what I've written makes sense in terms of the mechanics and logistics of it all. If not then I hope it's at the very least entertaining! Thank you all for your kind words and reviews, the warm my heart and spur me on with fierce determination. Hope you enjoy lovelies xo
"Where did they come from? They're everywhere!" Finn's voice cried over the distant sound of TIE's screaming passed them.
They were on their way to meet the newly forming senate to decide the fate of Ben Solo when they were suddenly ambushed by a hand full of TIE's and a old Star Destroyer. They'd known there were still remnants of the old fleet scattered across the system but they hadn't expected them to band together so quickly.
Rey set to flipping switches as Chewie let out a bellowing bark, "What do you mean the hyperdrive is offline?" she cried as the wookie waved his arms in the air angrily and growled with intense vigour. "We have to get it back up!" over stating the obvious she cringed at the sound of desperation in her own voice.
Finn was hovering over her seat peering out the window, his eyes cast to the never ending black before them. He watched TIE fighter after TIE fighter in search for their resistance allies. "Come on… come on…" he muttered to himself though practically screamed it in Rey's ear as he continued to invade her space with his worrying.
"Why are you not on the quad guns?!" Rey cried, swatting Finn away from her seat. She was needed at the controls with Chewie but even then someone needed to be fixing the hyperdrive. Suddenly very overwhelmed with their current state of desperation and a very clear lack of help she turned to Chewie, "I'm letting him out,"
Chewie squawked, he was chuffing and yipping when a set of TIE's screamed passed, coming around to open fire. The Falcon shook as they hit their mark and Rey pressed wide eyed. "Poe's not here," she bit out venomously, "We need him, he knows the ship doesn't he?"
Finn and Chewie shared a look, neither seemed prepared to fight this loosing battle and the longer they argued the fact the more likely they would be blown to bits. Rey looked between them, challenging them, waiting for more protest, a better answer, anything. When none was provided she bolted from her seat and tore off down the hallway. The ship pitched and swung around under Chewbacca's expert control, but Rey's footing slipped and she collided with the doorframe of the engineering bay.
With a groan she pushed herself forward and entered the room trying to steady herself. Ben was sitting cross legged on the floor. If he was attempting to meditate he was picking a lousy time to do so. His eyes however were open and wide. He had picked up on Rey's panic them minute the Star Destroyer had come out of light speed and was waiting on pins and needles.
"What is it? What happened?" he said as he jumped to his feet. He came to the vibrating fencing pressing his hand against the rippling blue. "Rey, tell me what's going on."
Without a word Rey slammed herself into the paneling that controlled Ben's temporary cage. She pressed the buttons, nothing happened. She pressed them again, sure she had gotten the key code correct. Still nothing happened. With a groan of frustration Rey looked to Ben, "We're under attack." she told him, then set to the keypad again.
"Poe changed it before he left," Ben said softly. He was reaching out to her through the force surrounding her with calm and serenity. Her panic was like a live wire snapping and ready to take anyone out who got to close. The last few days had been difficult but manageable. They had been able to hide within their little bubble of self imposed exile but now the stakes were high.
Banging her fist against the rippling blue fencing Rey let out a wild growl, "Oh of course he did," she cried. She would deal with Poe later, for now she needed to get Ben out and… The Falcon pitched and shook again. Without thinking Rey ran to the doorway of the engineering bay and hollered, "Finn get your ass down to those quad guns!"
She could hear as he clambered down the hallway, his feet carrying him quickly as BB-8 chirped and whined. Finn groaned and then there was a loud clattering. Whatever it was Rey didn't have time for. When she returned to electric bars of Ben's jail, she locked eyes with him sending him her line of intent down through the force. With a nod, he placed his hand on the flickering blue, watching as Rey did the same. Another shake, an explosion this time and Rey shook her head trying to focus.
It wasn't as easy as before, her attention was everywhere at once but as se felt Ben reaching out to her through the force her breathing steadied. His force signature wound around her calming the torrent of panic that was eddying about. She reached out, found the space between the vibrations and Ben on the other side. Focusing on him and only him their force energy wound together, the world erupting in white hot light and the electronic fencing faded away.
Rey grabbed for Ben's hand and drug him down the corridors. Finn was no where to be found but the sound of the Falcon's quads firing erupted around them in a symphony of chaotic beats. Force be praised.
"Chewie go," Rey urged as she pushed Ben into her seat as copilot shimmying passed Chewie as the wookiee lumbered down the hallway with a growl. Ben looked around, familiarizing himself with the controls, turning to Rey with a grin.
"We got this," he told her confidently, and they set to their task. They worked like dancers, meeting the ebb and flow of one another thought patterns with a synchronicity that was breath taking. The Falcon wound around at a speed of which Rey had never seen the likes of. She was an old ship but had the heart of freighter fresh off the line. Finn's cheers could be heard from the gunners seat as a blast of laser fire struck down one of the TIE's pursuing them.
"Engage gravity in the engineering bay, refocus all other power to shields," Rey instructed Ben. Pulling hard on the steering the Falcon arced back, and looped around moving with the ease of an X-wing. She'd always loved this ship, the moment they had bested the first order on Jakku just she and Finn she had fallen for it. It hummed and purred in blissful contentment as Ben set to flicking switches and pressing a few buttons. The old freighter lived for this. She may have been built to haul cargo but she was a fighter and thrived on the excitement of the chase.
As Rey started to push her forward, swerving in and around a number of smaller moons laser fire blasted over head and a TIE tore through space hurtling towards the moons surface. Rey arched, looking up and around the blackened expanse of space as resistance X-wings popped into orbit. "Thank the Force," Rey muttered as pulled on her com head piece and tuned to their known frequency, "Poe!" she cried as Poe's voice crackled over the speaker.
"There you are, we weren't sure what could have held you up," his voice was calm and without any real concern, "Looks like you started a party without us."
Arrogant Poe, always cocky when he was sitting in an X wing ready to blow something up. Who was she kidding, he was cocky most of the time, but when it came to flying, his inflated ego, she hated to admit was warranted. "They were ready for us. We have to change the location of the meeting,"
"Chandrilla," Ben offered quietly, careful to keep his voice low and off Poe's radar.
Rey nodded once in confirmation as she pipped up over the com, "Chandrilla maybe?"
They were met with the static of dead air as Poe's X wing swooped over head opening fire on an incoming TIE. The destroyer was launching more fighters just as fast as their RED squadron could pick them out of the air. TIE's and X wings wound around one another in a heated chase. What the first order's soldiers lacked in accuracy they made up in numbers. The sheer size of their expendable fleet was mind boggling, as though they were throwing credits down a well hoping for a wish.
Ben groaned, "They won't stop unless we take down the destroyer," he said knowingly. It was a task easily enough discussed but much more difficult to execute with their meagre fighting force.
"I'm open to suggestions," Rey said, voice strained as she pushed hard against the falcons throttle and wove her left and then right through a barrage of TIE fire. She was sweeping the Falcon under the destroyer, pulling her up from behind the hulking metal beast when a TIE hit its mark and the falcon shuddered dangerously. "Shields!" Rey cried
"Permission to man the secondary quad guns?" She could feel Ben's plan formulating through the force. She'd have to pilot the Falcon on her own but as long as she kept her quick and agile they'd be ok. Ben just needed a few minutes and the right angle and he was sure he could take down the destroyer leaving the TIE's helpless and much easier to pickoff.
With a hand placed on Ben's knee, and a light squeeze she urged him to get to it, "Go," she cried, adding in a mildly flirtatious tone, "This only works if you're a good shot,"
Swooping in to place a kiss on the top of Rey's head Ben grinned roguishly and took off down the corridor leaving her to man the controls all on her own. It wasn't impossible but it wasn't easy either. She had to time her executions just right otherwise Ben's plan was pointless. Jumping up she cut power to the thrusters, slowing the Falcon so that the TIE on their tail sped passed. Poe got one while Finn was able to take out the other, she kicked it up a notch and swung the ship around banking hard right and then a wide left.
The radio hissed and Poe's voice erupted into the air, "Rey, you flying that thing?"
"Little busy right now Poe," she chimed, "We have a Destroyer to take down. Cover us will you!" It was a demand not a question. Anyone else might balk at giving a resistance general orders but Rey had bigger things on her mind.
She reached out through the force feeling Ben settle into the spare gunner's rack. There was a child like wonder that radiated from him as he poured over the controls and reacquainted himself with the touchy nature of the Falcon's artillery. After a few easy shots Ben sung out to Rey through the force. It was time to make these first order morons realize who they were dealing with.
"We don't need to take it down, we just need to immobilize it," Poe's voice crackled as his X wing looped around and opened fire on the Destroyers hull.
Not in the mood to argue, Rey kicked the Falcon back angling her against the Destroyers stern. She could feel Ben whoop as he opened a few shots on the rear thrusters. He spoke to her without words, images and feelings bursting along their connection encouraging her next move. "Poe, get RED squadron to open fire on the thrusters," Rey commanded.
"What?" came the straggled response, "Little busy with these TIE's" he groaned
"And they're just going to keep coming, there are far more of them then there are of us, that's why we need to take down that destroyer!" Rey looped the Falcon back around and Ben opened another barrage of fire on the Destroyers thrusters. A TIE screamed passed, taken out by one of the other RED team crashing into the back side of the Destroyer in a ball of fire
As Rey was preparing for another arc BB-8 rolled in twittering and beeping widely. The little droid was rocking back and forth trying desperately to find balance as it's head swirled around. "What do you mean we've lost one of the engines?" BB-8 whined and whirred letting out a high pitched series of beeps, "I know you didn't have anything to do with it,"
Then came Poe's voice again, "You need to jump to light speed!" he commanded. Everything was coming at her at once. The Falcon's hull groaned irritably under the strain of the constant bucking and swerving. Her computer systems started to beep mercilessly confirming what BB-8 had just relayed to be true. The old freighter was being pushed too hard, she had survived the battle with the Final Order and she needed a good working over. They just hadn't had the time, or been given the time. The galaxy was desperate to hold someone accountable for the actions of the Final Order and Ben Solo was to be tried as a war criminal. That was more important then taking the time to make sure their fleet was in working order. That was more important then celebrating peace.
This was the problem with the galaxy, they were too focused on the next best thing to really sit back and realize when there was something to be happy about. Always pointing fingers, always ready to blame someone else. With the Final Order gone, they no longer had a unified mission. The systems would spiral out of control in a matter of years and then the infighting would start again, a need for rule and the cycle would renew itself. Rey saw the path of it as clear as she saw the star Destroyer before them. Ben's gentle reassurance reached out and stroked at her ire, he was trying to gently focus her on the task at hand but her frustration had reached a boiling point and she called out to Ben.
"New plan," She chirped over the com system pulling the Falcon back. She swept up in an arc, upside down, twirling away from the fighting, giving them space. "Poe you cover us,"
"What?!" can his stunned response.
"Just do it!"
Ben returned with Chewie in tow, the Wookiee looking wary. His fur was smoking in some places, pupils dilated as he shook himself off and warbled curiously. It was obvious the hyperdrive wasn't operational and would need far more attention. Trying to work on it in the middle of all this had put too much strain on the Falcon's systems and caused her to blow an engine. Poor Chewie looked like he needed a break. Rey happily turned over her seat at the control to her friend steadying herself against Ben as she stood. The Falcon pitched to the left as Chewie brought her back under control and waited for instruction.
"We're going to pull it down," She told Ben, holding onto his forearm with a tight grip.
Chewie cried out as Ben's eyes drew wide, "What?"
She knew he had heard her but repeated herself anyway, "We're going to pull it down, pull it right out of the sky."
Ben, was shaking his head as he played over the logistics of her plan in his mind, "We're in space though there's no atmosphere to use as leverage." Still his mind skipped along her line of thought, dark eyes searching hers as if the answers lie etched on pools of earthy brown. "We create the resistance." He answered himself, a grin blossoming as Rey's hold on his arm tightened in glee, "We'd have to do it from the boarding ramp though, we'd need as little interference as possible."
Rey turned to Chewie for confirmation, "You can hold us steady for long enough?" Chewbacca's response was less then comforting as he chirped and barked his protest. "We can extend the shields to protect us from the vacuum," Rey knew she sounded a little more hopeful then she did sure but she knew this would work. It had to.
She could feel Ben running the logistics over and over again, he had come to the same conclusion she had. Their firepower wasn't enough to blow the Destroyers engine, they'd need to try something else. Granted a Destroyer was much large then a transport and that had ended rather poorly but she had learned a lot in the small amount of time since Pasaana. Now she had Ben at her side, their balance through the force was a power within itself. Wasn't it?
It didn't matter, they were down a hyperdrive and an engine, what choice did they have? An X wing hurtled passed them, rolling over itself in a ball of fire. The Destroyer was opening fire itself now, this was their only opportunity.
With a resigned sigh Ben took Rey's hand, "Let's do this," he said, his voice firm and confident as they took off towards the boarding ramp and the wide vacuum of space. Chewie was quick to work, he'd extended the shield focusing all back up power on their defence. The Falcon's lights flickered some, that wasn't a good sign. They didn't have long, this had to work.
Rey's mind rocked from possibility to possibility suddenly very unsure of her own plan. Ben gave her hand a light squeeze and wound his force signature around hers in humming support. When the ramp dropped there was a sound like someone sucking hard through a straw, then silence. X wing fire sounded loudly as Poe chased off a number of TIE's from the Falcon's stationary position.
"We can do this," Ben told her calmly. He turned so that he stood facing her, stepping close so that there was barely a space between them. Taking his hands, Rey pressed her forehead to his and focused herself. Ben followed suit, allowing the energy of the force to shift and spin around them. Rey could feel Ben's breathing, his heart beat, the sound of his thoughts as they skipped along reaching out for her own. She matched the sound of it, the feel of it finding the space between their force signatures and allowing them to slide together. They fit like puzzle pieces clicking into place. Their energy a bigger picture to a greater whole as it wove and undulated around them in a peaceful harmonized synchronicity.
They inhaled and exhaled as one. The only thing that existed in that moment was their unified heart beat. Reaching out together, their arms raised in unison they pulled. There was a loud guttural groan and they pulled again, harder this time. The Destroyer let out a loud keening whine, metal tearing apart as it slowly shifted from it's place. Sweat beaded along their brow as Ben clawed his fingers, Rey soon following.
Their X wings swung around like sharks always on the move, pulling away from the behemoth of a metal structure as explosions rippled along a line of tension across the structures top. The void of space relayed everything in slow motion as Ben and Rey focused and pulled. They wound their force energies around one another and leaned back against it, separating the air and space around the Destroyer in one last pitched effort as the hulking mass split down the middle like a seam letting go.
Releasing their hold on the destitute ship, Rey collapsed first, Ben dropping to his knees beside her. He would his arms around her and drug her back and off of the drop ramp as Finn skidded to a halt before them. "Get Chewie… pull up… ramp," Ben bit out through heavily panted breaths. Rey was shaking beneath the effort but rest against him helplessly. They'd done it, somehow.
Together through the force they could accomplish immense feats. Her body sung with wear and warmth as as Ben pulled her tight against him. He nuzzled the top of her head with his cheek and rocked a little as she wound her arms around him. Sleep or something akin to it tugged at her consciousness whispering to her of sweet and peaceful quiet. Her body ached, sore but elated as a remnant of their power slammed into her. It rose against the tide of the force winding through her muscles before it snuffed itself out and sweet warm nothingness overtook them both.
