Jyn Erso and Finn have been sent back in time roughly fifty years, to a time where the Empire is at its height, and the Jedi are no more. Since their arrival, the unexpected has happened- Jyn has reunited with her mother, Lyra Erso, who had in fact survived being shot by Director Krennic. Lyra has now vowed to help Jyn and Finn find their guide, the force user that will assist them on their mission. Now, on the planet Lah'mu, the three discuss their next move.
"So… we're here. What now?" Finn asks.
"Now… it's time to leave this place. We need to get the Valiant prepped." Lyra says.
"The Valiant?" Finn asks.
"It's our ship. VCX-94 light freighter." Jyn says.
"It's this way. Follow me." Lyra says.
Lyra leads Jyn and Finn to a large, rectangular building located behind the Erso residence. She takes a remote from her belt, and presses a button. The building's massive doors open, revealing a small, battered freighter. The ship has numerous scratches and scorch marks, as well as badly faded paint.
"It's been so long… I'd forgotten about this ship." Jyn says.
"There's something I never told you about when you were little. About what I did when I took off on the Valiant." Lyra says.
"I always assumed you were meeting with Saw." Jyn says.
"Sometimes, yes. But, there's a lot more to it actually. I also had another associate that I never told you about- a young woman named Xelena. I frequently met with her to get reports on the Empire's actions. Especially concerning the Jedi. Sometimes, I would also meet with her mentor. A man who calls himself… Samel. He… is the guide you have been sent back to learn from." Lyra says.
"These friends of yours… they're purge survivors, aren't they?" Jyn asks.
"Indeed they are. You'll learn more about them when we get to our destination." Lyra answers.
"Where do we need to go anyway?" Finn asks.
"A planet called Edafo. It's in the outer rim. Lothal sector." Lyra says.
"An Imperial planet?" Finn asks.
"Technically, yes. But, Edafo doesn't have much in the way of useful resources for the Empire to exploit, so… they leave it alone for the most part. There's a small military presence, but they stick to the major cities. We'll have to land at the spaceport, which is in the capital. Then, we'll have to take a speeder to Samel's location." Lyra answers.
"Which is?" Jyn asks.
"A small town on the outskirts of the central mountain range. Our transportation will be provided by my friend, who I will contact once we reach Edafo. Speaking of Edafo… it's not a major planet by any means, but there is enough of an Imperial presence there that it would be unwise of me to show my face. So, I'll be in disguise as a bounty hunter. As far as the Empire is concerned, Lyra Erso is dead. Let them keep thinking that." Lyra says.
"I'm an intelligence operative. I use cover identities all the time. Although, normally… I'd be able to get forged documents and chain codes. It's a little hard for me to do that here. In this time, even our real identities aren't valid. That… would be a problem if we hit any security checkpoints." Jyn says.
"We'll be fine. I know where all the checkpoints are. We can avoid them." Lyra says.
"Alright, then. It sounds like we have a plan." Jyn says.
"Jyn… I'm sorry I kept things from you. You're my daughter. You had a right to know about my friend. And about Samel." Lyra says.
"I was a child. I wouldn't have understood. You did what you had to do." Jyn says.
"I know. All the same, I'm sorry." Lyra says. Jyn smiles, then embraces her mother.
"I thought… you were gone forever. Now, here you are. I got you back." Jyn says.
"Through the Force, all things are possible." Lyra says.
"I know that now." Jyn says.
"Your father may be lost to us for now, but… we will see him again. Trust in the Force." Lyra says.
"I do." Jyn says.
"I love you, Stardust." Lyra says. Lyra embraces Jyn.
"I love you too, mama." Jyn says.
A few minutes later, the Valiant takes off, leaving Lah'mu behind. After a few hours, the ship emerges from hyperspace, and slowly approaches a large blue and gray planet. This is Edafo, a lightly populated world with numerous lakes and mountains. The Valiant heads for the capital city, and lands at the space port.
Jyn, Finn, and Lyra emerge from their landed ship. Lyra is now wearing red and white armor, as well as a helmet, which completely conceals her face.
"We'll head for the eastern market. It's this way." Lyra says. Her voice is deeper and distorted thanks to her helmet.
The three head east. About twenty minutes later, they reach an intersection of two narrow streets. This area seems to be a less busy part of town, as there are no stormtroopers in sight, and most of the local traffic seems to be on foot.
"Not very busy around here, is it?" Finn asks.
"No. And that's what we want. Minimal traffic… and no security." Lyra answers.
"So… what's next?" Jyn asks.
"You see that building with the speeders parked in front? That's Lone Star Cantina. This is where I will signal my contact." Lyra answers.
"Signal? How? You said it was too dangerous to use comms." Jyn says.
"You're right. We have an alternative method. Follow me." Lyra says.
Lyra leads Jyn and Finn to the cantina. Instead of entering, the three head to the alley behind the building. Lyra approaches the cantina's back wall, and takes out a can of spray paint.
"What are you doing?" Finn asks.
"Sending the signal. I need someone to serve as a lookout. I don't want anybody to see me doing this." Lyra says.
"On it." Jyn says.
Jyn walks to the end of the alley, and hides behind a stack of boxes. She is able to see people walking along the nearby street, but no one is able to see her, or get a good view of the darkened alley.
"All clear." Jyn says.
Lyra nods, then starts painting. Her task only takes a few seconds, as she paints a red circle with a triangle in its center.
"Okay. All done." Lyra says.
"That's it? Is that supposed to mean something?" Finn asks.
"It's a code that Xelena and I created. This symbol means that I am requesting a face to face meeting. Now, we wait for her to show up and paint the countersign. Depending on the symbol, it will mean one of the following- meet at Hideout One, meet at Hideout Two, or it's not safe. In that case, I would be expected to wait another three days before trying again." Lyra answers.
"Three days? We can't wait three days!" Finn says.
"Actually, we technically can. We're here… until we're done with whatever we need to do." Jyn says.
"Yeah, I guess you're right." Finn says.
"I need to give her a few hours to signal me, so… we need to leave the area before somebody sees us. We should meet back here in… four hours." Lyra says.
"Four hours? No problem. I've been here before. I know my way around." Jyn says.
"Very good. I'll head south. You two… should go in a different direction. My armor is known to members of the underworld, and it would seem a little suspicious for a bounty hunter known to prefer working alone to suddenly be walking around with the two of you. You should try to blend in. Maybe spend some of those credits I gave you." Lyra says.
"I think we'll manage." Jyn says.
"Alright then. See you in four hours." Lyra says.
Jyn, Finn, and Lyra leave the area, and split up as Lyra suggests. Four hours later, the three return to the alley. Lyra walks to the symbol she painted earlier, and two black horizontal lines are now painted through the center.
"What's that mean?" Jyn asks.
"It means we meet at Hideout One. It'll take us about an hour to get there on foot, so we'd better get moving. Xelena won't wait for us forever." Lyra says.
Jyn, Finn, and Lyra proceed to their destination, which turns out to be less developed part of the city. There doesn't seem to be much activity in the surrounding area.
"This part of town is practically dead. The cantina is the only active business around. This is an area of the city that nobody cares about. Which means… it's the perfect spot for a hideout. We'll be heading for an old warehouse building behind the cantina. Please follow me." Lyra says.
Lyra leads Jyn and Finn to the old warehouse building.
"Okay. here we are." Lyra says.
"So… we just go in?" Finn asks.
"It's not so simple, I'm afraid. I'll have to knock, then say the proper countersign when prompted. It's a series of codewords which will confirm my identity. If I pass, we get in." Lyra answers.
"And if we don't pass?" Finn asks.
"Hidden turrets blast us into oblivion." Lyra answers.
"That's just great." Finn says.
"Relax, Finn. My mother knows what she's doing." Jyn says.
Lyra approaches the door, and knocks three times. A few seconds later, a small slot opens in the door's center.
"Shadow." A female voice says from inside.
"West." Lyra says.
"Frost." The voice says.
"Mountain." Lyra says.
"Journey." The voice says.
"Home." Lyra says.
The door opens. Lyra goes inside, followed by Jyn and Finn.
Hideout One is a long abandoned warehouse building. A small area seems to be set up as a base of operations, filled with surveillance equipment. Besides the single door, there seems to be no other way in or out. Jyn, Finn, and Lyra now find themselves face to face with a young woman, who appears to be in her twenties. The woman is dressed in black, and her hair is black with purple highlights. The woman looks at Lyra, then looks suspiciously at Jyn and Finn.
"Who are they?" The woman asks. Lyra removes her helmet.
"I had to bring these two to Samel. He should be expecting them." Lyra answers.
"I can feel them. It's been so long since I've felt the Force this strongly." The woman says.
"These two… are very special, Xelena." Lyra says.
"Samel says that… he's expecting two people from… the future. I have no idea how such a thing is possible, but… my training was nowhere near finished. There are so many things I still don't know. If he says people are coming from the future to be trained by him, then, I believe him." Xelena says.
"We come from… about fifty years from now. I'm Finn, by the way." Finn says. He extends his hand toward Xelena. She hesitates for a moment, then shakes the offered hand.
"Xelena Sev. Former Jedi padawan. Now, I'm a mercenary. Or a spy. Or whatever I need to be. I just do my best to keep myself alive and keep Samel alive." Xelena says.
"You seem to be doing your job quite well." Jyn says.
"You… have got to be Lyra's granddaughter or descended from a cousin. You look so much like her." Xelena says.
"She's my daughter actually." Lyra says.
"Your daughter? How? Wouldn't she be a great deal older fifty years from now?" Xelena asks.
"It's a long and complicated story. For now, let's just say… I skipped thirty years. I should be in my mid fifties, but I'm not." Jyn answers.
"You'll have to tell me more about it later. For now, we need to get out of the city. There's a security patrol through this sector in about an hour. I have a speeder that can take us to where we need to go, but… it'll take about ten hours." Xelena says.
"Ten hours?" Finn asks.
"Samel… lives very far away from any of the major cities. If he were to show his face in this city or any other, there's a very strong chance he might be recognized." Xelena answers.
"Isn't it too dangerous for you too?" Jyn asks.
"I've changed my appearance from my padawan days. The hair… The tattoos… Even had my eye color changed. And… my identity documents will show me to be a courier for a shipping company. I don't draw attention to myself. Nobody has any reason to care about me. Samel stays in hiding, while I move around, gathering information and supplies." Xelena says.
"You obviously know what you're doing if you've managed to keep away from the Inquisitors for this long." Jyn says.
"After the Purge, I ended up with Saw Gerrera's Partisans. I learned a great deal from him. I didn't always agree with his methods, but he fights the Empire and he gets results. Then, three years ago, I encountered Samel. I just knew… that my place was with him. Not the Partisans. I learned a lot from him. Including how to survive this world that wants us all dead. I just… wish I could do more to help all the other Jedi survivors out there." Xelena says.
"Have you ever heard of an operative named… Fulcrum?" Jyn asks.
"I've heard the name from Gerrera before, but… I have no idea who they are. From what I understand, it's someone who's trying to put together a more organized rebellion against the Empire. Of course, you're from the future. You probably know all about this Fulcrum." Xelena says.
"You could say that. Fulcrum… will play a very important role in what's to come. You said you wanted to do more to help the Jedi? I suggest passing along all of your information to Fulcrum." Jyn says.
"How do I contact this Fulcrum?" Xelena asks.
"I have the frequency. Use it to contact Fulcrum. Tell them… Sunrider sent you. They'll know what that means." Lyra says.
"Thanks." Xelena says.
"You said a patrol would be here in about an hour. We should probably get moving. Where's your speeder?" Jyn asks.
"It's this way. Follow me." Xelena says.
I apologize for the long gap between updates. I'm not writing as much as I used to to due to work and other things in life. I will try to update this story once a month, but I can't guarantee that. So, if this doesn't update in a month, don't panic. It just means I was too busy to get a chapter ready in time. For those of you who took the time to read this story, thank you for your interest in my work, and your patience with my slow updates.
Next chapter, we will return to Kira/Ben as they begin their journey on Tython in the distant past.