Star Wars: Journey Through the Force

Disclaimer: I own nothing (unfortunately). All rights and characters in this fic belong to Disney, Lucasfilm, George Lucas and other respective owners and creators. I gain no profit from this. It's purely for fun. I only own my OC's.

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Chapter IV

Finn kept to himself. Sitting in the lounge of the scrappy cargo ship, he listened carefully to the sound of the ship hurtling through lightspeed. It groaned loudly, causing tremors to roll down its corridors and leaving Finn feeling slightly uneasy. No matter how much Poe reassured him that this bucket of bolts would hold through their travel, he felt uneasy standing up and needed a place for himself.

This was as quiet as it would get for him.

He reached over his shoulder and rubbed it, tending to a soreness that crawled up his back. The stiffness had subsided somewhat since they started their journey. However, it was difficult for him to ignore the pain that reminded him of that tremendous heat. Moving his hand back down, his fingers grazed over the scar cut above his chest. For a split-second, he could picture Kylo Ren standing before him. The bitter cold that reminded him of Starkiller base made his teeth chatter and heart freeze.

''Hey, there you are,'' Finn was dragged out of his thoughts as Jess hopped into view. She marched towards him, showing no sign of hesitation as she sat on the chair next to him, folding arms over the table. ''Just wanted to let you know we'll be coming onto Kuat in the next hour.''

''Thanks,'' Finn nodded and averted his gaze.

Tilting her head curiously, Jess leant closer and smirked. ''We're all friends on this ship, right?''

He turned around sharply to face her, looking worried for a moment. ''Of course. I mean, I am. Are you? No, that's not what I…'' He stammered before stopping his sentence completely, fearful of making a further fool of himself.

Jess offered him a sympathetic grin. ''Not easy to step back into the field after so long, is it?''

Finn sighed. ''It doesn't feel like that long ago for me.''

She allowed him a few seconds of silence. Finn was unsure if she was waiting for him to speak or if she was still considering her own words more carefully. After what felt like minutes, Jess opened her mouth to speak before closing it without uttering a single word.

Finn's eyes narrowed. ''What is it?''

There was clear hesitation in her mannerism. Her body arched back and forth. ''You don't have to answer this if you don't want to…''

His shoulder slouched and his eyes dropped to stare at the ground. ''You want to know about me…before I met Poe?''

Jess's face cringed and her fingers tied together. ''It's just…there's always been rumours of stormtroopers who turn their backs on the First Order, but you're the first I know who's lived this long.''

Finn huffed. ''I'm almost not sure anymore if that's a good or bad thing.''

''I consider it a great thing,'' Jess quickly interjected, causing Finn to look up and met her eyes.

The corner of his lip almost curled upwards, but something prevented him from feeling truly positive about his plight. The gates were unlocked and memories washed over him like a river. A heavy breath slipped past his lips and his head pounded. ''I was taken as a child. I don't know my parents. I can't even remember their faces. I wouldn't recognise them even if they were standing right in front of me.''

''That sounds horrible,'' Jess said softly.

''No matter how often or how hard they beat it into us, something about the First Order never felt right. We were told we were fighting for a great cause. To reconstruct the fragments of the Empire into something grander than before. Maybe that's why they kept me out of the field. I did everything they said. But they held me back because they knew. They knew that I could never truly become a soldier of the First Order. How could I?'' He growled, becoming noticeably more stressed the deeper he dived into his past. ''I had everything taken away from me and I was supposed to do the same to others? To children like me…''

His rant was halted instantly when he felt a comforting hand grasp his arm. Taking a few ragged breaths, he glanced over to see Jess leaning closer and never losing eye contact.

The ship trembled, causing them to sway in their chairs slightly. Finally having a moment of respite, Finn was given some time to gather his thoughts and calm himself. The cloud above his head was temporarily lifted.

He gulped and looked away ashamedly. ''Sorry.''

Jess slowly shook her head. ''Don't be. You've been through so much. You have every right to be angry.''

''I'm not angry,'' He whispered. ''I'm scared.''

The heartening look in Jess's eyes faltered. She realised there wasn't much else she could say or do to comfort the poor man. Bottling up her doubt, she carefully released her grip from Finn and scooted away, giving her enough space to stand back up. ''Don't think for a second that makes you weak.''

''It doesn't make me strong either.''

''Actually, I think it does,'' She smiled. ''Bravery comes from doing the right thing even when we're scared. It shows that while fear might call for us, it'll never actually claim us.''

Listening to her words, Finn felt somewhat lifted. Though, he knew that promising words could only hold the nightmares back for so long. Still, he gazed at Jess and grinned. ''Thanks for the talk.''

''Don't mention it,'' She replied happily, hoping that she'd given him the encouragement he needed. ''I'll let you know when we reach Kuat.''

Without another word, she turned heel and stepped through the automatic door and out of the lounge, leaving Finn alone once again.

It didn't remain that way for long, as C-3PO stumbled through another door and into the lounge. Finn turned in his seat and watched the bumbling droid walk around lost and without a cause. ''Can I help you?'' He inquired.

Startled by the voice, not realising someone was already occupying the room, C-3PO raised his arms and locked eyes with the ex-stormtrooper. ''Oh, I'm terribly sorry. I hope I'm not disturbing you.''

Finn shrugged his shoulders. ''Don't worry, there's nothing to disturb.''

''I see. Well, if solitude is what you're looking for, I can find someplace else to wait before we finally land.''

''You don't seem to like flying, do you?'' Finn questioned amusedly.

''I'm afraid not. It is embarrassing really. With all my experience with flying, it's something I should be accustomed to by this point.'' He sulked. Just when it looked like the golden-plated droid was ready to leave, he quickly turned back so that he was facing Finn. ''I must say that it is good to see you up and fully-functional once again, Master Finn.''

''Thanks, uh…'' Finn dragged.

''Oh, where are my manners,'' C-3PO gasped. ''I am C-3PO. Human-cyborg relations. And this is my counterpart…'' He shifted his body and extended his arm as if about to gesture to something or introduce someone by his leg. Realising that it was just he and Finn, C-3PO froze and lowered his arm slowly.

Silence filled the room. Finn's eyes moved back and forth between the protocol droid and where he was supposedly indicating. He watched C-3PO's body slump, only for a fragment of a moment. Despite not being able to read facial expressions from an emotionless droid on the surface, Finn felt a sense of pity extend from his being and over to the golden droid.

C-3PO finally turned to address Finn. ''Well, I was about to introduce you to my good friend, R2-D2. We're so used to being on these kinds of adventures together.''

Something clicked in the back of Finn's mind. His brow rose and he bolted up from his seat. ''Wait, the same R2 unit that had the map to Luke Skywalker?''

''The very same, yes.'' C-3PO nodded.

It was a delayed feeling, but Finn felt a surge of pain roll up his back after moving so quickly. He hissed and carefully lowered himself until he was sitting again. C-3PO started and then stopped, in two minds on what to do. Finn rested his head against his hand. ''I can't believe this is all real. Luke Skywalker is real.''

''He is very real. And a very good man,'' C-3PO stressed. ''When you meet him, you will see for yourself. I do hope that we find him soon. General Leia, I know, has been very anxious to meet him. Not quite the same anxiety as dealing with the New Republic's Armada, but nevertheless…''

''Armada?'' Finn interrupted, glancing perplexed at the droid. ''What Armada?''

C-3PO flinched. ''Oh, you don't know? I would have imagined you would have been briefed on the matter.''

Finn shook his head. ''I pretty much got on the ship the moment I woke up.''

''I would call that an exaggeration, except you humans are reckless enough of a species to do such a thing if you'll pardon my bluntness, Master Finn.''

Impatiently, Finn stood up from his chair, careful not to cause himself any more pain. ''What is the New Republic's Armada?''

''After the devastation the First Order caused the New Republic, it was decided that a new military force would be needed to combat this growing threat. It's all very overwhelming and exhausting if you ask me.''

Finn felt his heart pounding at a steadily growing pace. The only thing preventing them from being considered a true threat before Starkiller base were many politicians and New Republic supporters that saw them as nothing more than fragmented leftovers of the Empire. He knew the scale and power the First Oder possessed. He could only hope to imagine what kind of force would actually be confident enough to face them head-on.

''How large is this Armada?'' He asked.

''I'm afraid I have no official numbers to give you,'' C-3PO admitted. ''However, from what Governor Cera Alrucca has stated, she believes it to be enough to push back everything the First Order has.''

''Cera Alrucca? I've never heard of her.''

''She's a powerful figure from Arkanis. She was part of the Rebellion that fought the Empire a long time ago. She has been attempting to push through a bill proposing the idea of a galaxy-wide Armada…''

''Galaxy-wide?'' Finn gasped. His eyes bulged out of their sockets and beads of sweat began to form above his brow at the mere thought. ''That's insane.''

''Everyone thought so, hence why it never came to fruition until the First Order's attack on the Hosmian system. They rushed to put this Armada into motion, despite General Leia's protests. I would have thrown my protests in there too, but I doubt they would listen to me.''

Finn's face darkened. ''So…this Armada is ready?''

''I believe so.''

Feeling an invisible weight press down on his shoulders, Finn leant against a metal wall for support and gave himself a second or two to comprehend what he had been told. The only concepts he could use for comparison were whispers and legends of armies from days long gone. ''It sounds like this governor wants to fight the First Order with an empire of her own.''

''That's exactly how General Leia sees it too. Do you not think this Armada will help?''

''I don't know,'' Finn whispered. ''I've got a bad feeling about this.''

Within the cockpit, Poe kept his eyes firmly locked on the front, towards their destination. They rocketed across the stars, watching billions of lights soar into the distance.

Snap sat beside him, leaning back against the co-pilot seat and gazing downwards at the floor. His arms were folded over his chest and his finger drummed repeatedly. The two appeared to be lost in their own different worlds. One marvelled at the scenery while the other pondered deeply until there was nothing but his thoughts.

The door behind them slid open as Jess crouched in order to fit through, despite being the smallest of the crew onboard. She gripped the handlebar above her, keeping her feet pressed to the floor while swinging the top half of her body. ''You two are the life of the party.'' She mumbled sarcastically.

Poe smirked and looked over his shoulder at Jess. ''I thought that's why we kept you around? Ain't that right, Snap?''

His comrade didn't respond. Snap barely acknowledged them, keeping his head bowed and his arms folded.

While Poe was curious by his friend's action, Jess felt entertained. ''Uh oh, I think we finally broke him.''

Usually, Poe wouldn't miss the chance to play along. However, he noticed the hardened gaze in Snap's expression. Those steely eyes couldn't be ignored. The superior pilot shifted his seat so that he was fully facing Snap. That was enough to get him to glance up and lock eyes with Poe. Seeing how serious they were, even Jess's grin dropped.

''Why did you bring him along?'' Snap finally asked. His voice was barely louder than a whisper.

Poe's face twitched. ''Who? Finn?''

''No, the droid,'' He barked sarcastically. ''Who do you think I'm talking about?''

Jess's jaw almost dropped. A snarky comment begged to be used, but she was too shocked by the sudden shift in tone emitted from Snap. On the other hand, Poe barely flinched after his comrade's outburst. ''Don't tell me you still think Finn is with the First Order?''

''I'm considering it as an option.''

''He helped me escape from the First Order when he had no reason to…''

''Actually, he did,'' Snap cut through Poe's argument like a blade, silencing his commander. ''He might have been using you to get close to BB-8 so that they could obtain the map.''

''There's a hundred other ways they could have gotten a map…''

''And I sleep better at night thinking ahead of all one hundred of those ways. He could be a spy working for them…''

Before Poe could make his point, Jess patted the handlebar aggressively, earning Snap's attention. ''You can't be serious. After all Finn went through? He was also attacked by the First Order when helping Poe. He was almost killed by Kylo Ren. Would they have gone that far if this was all a ruse to get behind our ranks?''

Snap refused to back down. ''Okay, maybe not a spy, but what about a sleeping agent?''

She kept her lips sealed, and although Poe didn't seem satisfied with that theory, he waited for Snap's reasoning before making his own word clear.

''Remember the story of the fall of the Jedi? Order 66? Clones, who fought for the Republic for years, suddenly turned on the Jedi because the Emperor had made them something akin to sleeper agents. One trigger was all it took. Those who managed to break free of the control spoke about it. They didn't even know. Memories and thoughts moulded by the hands of the one secretly in control. A puppeteer pulling the strings. If that's the case with Finn, we've put ourselves at a great risk by bringing him along.''

Jess shifted her gaze towards Poe, afraid that she would have to jump in and stop Poe from lunging at his comrade and throttling him. To her surprise, the commander of their squadron remained poised as he listened. His face didn't change once during Snap's speech. She wondered if Poe might actually take Snap's worries seriously.

At long last, Poe spoke with a strong tone. ''As long as I'm the commander, I'm willing to take that chance.''

Snap sighed, veering his gaze away from Poe momentarily. ''Fine,'' He turned to Poe once again. ''Then as our commander, if I'm proven right, you have to be the one to stop him.''

That was when Poe reacted. His body lurched an inch and he stared down at the ground.

A loud and familiar beep blared from the control panel. A shaky breath escaped Poe as he turned his attention back to the control panel of the cockpit. ''BB-8 says we're coming up to the Kuat system. Let's get ready to land.''

Jess sighed with relief, thankful that this was over, for now at least. ''I'll let Finn know.''

Poe nodded while keeping his focus on steering the ship to their destination. Before she left, she could see the disapproving scowl written across Snap's face. Suppressing the urge to reprimand him for distrusting their new alley, especially after everything he's done to prove his valour, she marched out of the cockpit and started to make her way back to the lounge.

She didn't get very far, only walking around the corridor before she could see Finn hurrying away down the other end and out of sight. His shoulders were low and his head was slouched. He didn't even turn around when Jess called his name.

''Finn, wait!''

Her words might as well have fallen on deaf ears. Finn stormed as far as he could. He clenched his fist and punched it against a metal panel, not caring about the pain that enveloped his knuckle soon afterwards.

The further he walked, the more Jess's distant voice resembled Rey's. He pictured her standing beside him, unafraid of getting too close to him because even though he hadn't given her any reason to…she trusted him completely.

She saw him as someone who was truthful. Someone who wasn't synonymise with the symbol of the First Order.

To Be Continued...

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