Author's note:
Thank you so much, my beta readers, for helping me with this chapter:
- hellostarlight ( /users/hellostarlight/pseuds/hellostarlight)
- Megara09 ( /users/Megara09/pseuds/Megara09)
- Everren ( /users/Everren/pseuds/Everren) or Everren327 (Twitter)
Even though it's a short chapter, I hope you enjoy it :)
Depression hangs over what remains of the Resistance like a spectre just waiting to snuff out the last of their fire. The atmosphere in the clearing of the jungle in which the Resistance has set up camp is somber as Finn slowly walks through it. Seeing countless empty eyes in tired faces weighs heavily on the young man. He desperately tries to keep his own tears from resurfacing, but it's nearly impossible when muffled sobs come from every corner and his eyes keep catching people leaning on each other for comfort.
It seems like Leia's death has pulled the rug from under everybody's feet, and the void she left behind has been filled by a hopelessness that stifles every other emotion, sucks the energy out of even the strongest among them. The familiar warmth and fierceness that always colored her voice and lit up her eyes have been replaced by a cold that not even the heat of the jungle can banish. It's a kind of cold that sits deep in the bones, a cold that paralyzes, rendering you unable to act or to muster up enough energy to even think.
Finn sighs deeply and lets himself sink down to a log next to Jannah and Rose. They don't exude much more optimism, either, and only nod at him in greeting. Then they continue to stare wordlessly at the now much less busy camp. The usual buzzing of voices has died down, replaced by an oppressive silence. Even the forest is quiet, as if the animals have noticed the change in the atmosphere.
What are they supposed to do, now that Leia's gone? They have no plan, no way of knowing how to get to Exegol, nothing. Sure, Poe sent out Lando and Chewie on the Millennium Falcon to the Core systems to gather allies scattered there, but how likely is it that they will come to their aid now? After all, they had ignored Leia's distress call from Crait. If she couldn't persuade them, who could?
They can only hope that time, the fact that the First Order has begun to destroy more planets, and the message of Palpatine's return somehow has convinced people to finally fight back.
"How's the situation with the Star Destroyer?" Finn asks, and Rose blinks, coming back from her musings.
She hums and produces a datapad, flipping through the program. Then she clears her throat. "It's still in the Bryx sector, and it looks like it will stay there for a while." She shrugs tiredly and hands the pad over to Jannah and Finn. "I have no idea what they're waiting for…"
"If their fleet is as big as we think, they probably won't need it anymore," Jannah says, swinging her legs and handing the datapad back. "Well, as long as we get to it before they decide they need it, I don't care what they are doing. I wonder how long it will take for General Dameron to get new information on the Star Destroyer and how to access it."
"I've never seen Poe so nervous before." Finn scratches his head, a thoughtful expression on his face. "I mean, we gave him so much information on the Star Destroyers we learned from our time as 'troopers, but he's still so cautious and wants to make sure everything's perfectly planned out."
"So unlike him," Rose agrees and smirks. "What happened to our hotheaded pilot?"
Finn grunts. "Well, I guess it's a good development. We could definitely use some more of Leia's level-headedness right now."
They all fall into a solemn silence as the graveness of the situation settles back on their shoulders. Rose begins to sniffle and when Finn glances at her, the tip of her nose has turned red again. She had been too numb to cry before and wasn't able to process Leia's death until Poe announced it to the rest of the Resistance. Since then, though, she's cried almost constantly, looking exactly like she had looked when he'd first seen her crying in the corner near the escape pods, her hands clutching her crescent necklace, her entire face red and swollen.
Finn puts his arm around Rose, pulling her against him, and when he feels her shoulders begin to shake, he sighs softly and gently rubs her back. They stay like this for a long time until the whirring of engines turns their heads towards the sky.
Hundreds of worried eyes follow the slightly battered Y-Wing making its way towards the jungle. Poe emerges from under one of the ships, a confused expression on his face, as the unfamiliar ship lands on the forest ground. The hatch on the top opens with a hiss, and a figure dressed in a skin-tight, dark red suit adorned with gold details climbs out of it. She's wearing a golden helmet.
"Zorii!" Poe exclaims and rushes forward to greet her. "We thought you were dead!"
They embrace, and not for the first time, Finn wonders what exactly their history is, but he banishes the thought, scolding himself. This is not the right time to be nosy. Zorii is back, alive and well, and can give the Resistance the information they need. There will be enough time for gossip after the war. Finn gives Rose an encouraging squeeze, then jumps from the log and gestures for his friends to follow him.
"Come on, let's greet her, and then we can talk about our plan again. It's about damn time that we do something."
Indeed, Zorii can and does provide them with more information; luckily, it's enough for Poe to approve further preparations for the mission. After another hour of exhausting planning and motivational speeches, he finally allows Finn, Rose, and Jannah to put the final pieces of their plan in place. Jannah and her company store everything they need, including their orbaks, back into their transporters, and then they all meet in the middle of the camp.
"Alright," Jannah says and takes a last look at the datapad Rose has handed her, "the Star Destroyer won't stay in the Bryx system for forever, so we have to go now ."
Poe nods grimly. "Good. I know this is a very risky mission, and one that will determine the outcome of this war. But you are brave and strong fighters, and you know the First Order like no one else. You can do it. I believe in you." He squeezes each of them by the shoulder. "May the Force be with you guys."
Finn, Jannah, and Rose grab their weapons and equipment, then turn to board the transporter.
"Finn!" Poe calls, grabbing his elbow, and Finn turns to him with questioning eyes. "Please take care."
Something tugs at his heart then, and he can only nod, squeezing his arm in return. Then he turns around and follows Rose and Jannah up the ramp. He hopes this is not the last time he will see his friends' faces.
A lone scout-class TIE-fighter from the Imperial Era aimlessly drifts through space. From its appearance, it's obvious that it has seen better times. The color on the outside is faded and chipped in some spots, and it's littered with little dents, signs of a long-passed battle.
Inside, the Supreme Leader is crammed into the seat, his head leaning against the backrest. Eyes closed and mouth hanging slightly open, he occasionally mumbles nonsense. The dark circles under his eyes and the disheveled hair takes away anything that might have been menacing about him. He has clearly seen better times, too.
"Rey," he murmurs, a smile tugging at his lips, and the line between his brows fades. His eyelids flutter, and his shoulders relax as he sinks further into his seat. Then he tenses and his smile turns into a frown.
"Rey?" His mumbles grow more desperate, until he jerks awake with a shout. "Rey!"
He straightens in his seat, eyes wide open as he looks around wildly, until he realizes where he is. Small lights in the control panel of the TIE-fighter he had spent hours finding in the ruins of the second Death Star blink lazily at him.
When he finally found the vessel—one of the few ships still in the hangar bays that miraculously weren't submerged into water—he almost cried with relief. It took him even longer to coax the old ship into flying, and not for the first time, he wished that Rey had been there with him. When he was finally done, he was close to collapsing. He had no choice but to leave that cursed moon and get some much-needed rest.
Ben rubs his eyes and peers at the flashing controls. It's a wonder that this ship is still functioning, let alone with a working hyperdrive. He closes his eyes and exhales slowly, forcing himself to calm down.
His dream hadn't been like any others he'd had, nor one of his nightmares. This one was so vivid and detailed that he could see Rey clearly, how her beautiful hair fell down to her shoulders, how she looked at him with those mesmerizing hazel eyes. He could feel the warmth of her hand on his cheek, even smell her. His heart begins racing as he remembers how close he'd been to kissing her.
And then she'd just disappeared.
She'd melted into thin air, and then he was alone. Was it a vision? A warning of some kind?
Oh, if only he knew how to get to Exegol. He curses himself. He shouldn't have destroyed her wayfinder. He shouldn't have provoked her at all. Wiping a hand over his face, he expels a long breath. He can only hope that Rey decides to send the coordinates to the Resistance so he can intercept the signal…
An hour or so passes before a beep startles him awake. He rubs his eyes and glances at the displays. His heart skips a beat, and with trembling fingers, he pushes a few buttons.
The coordinates to Exegol!
Rey must have sent them a few minutes ago. His mind is more alert than ever. His fingers fly over the control panel, transferring the signal into the navicomputers. He taps his fingers against the panel and curses. It's taking too long.
Another beep.
"Finally," he mumbles and activates the hyperdrive. He closes his fingers around the center stick, his gaze trained forwards as the white dots of the stars stretch into blinding lines. "I'm coming with you, Rey."
Author's note:
Thanks for reading!
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