Rey followed Maz's directions to a T, beginning with a walk to the end of the hallway. Once underway, she realized she'd forgotten to inquire about which end, but figured Maz meant further into the bowels of her castle, so that was where she went. That was how people usually gave directions, right? Big buildings like this were foreign to her, so she couldn't quite be sure how to navigate one.
The layout, thankfully, was rather simple. The corridor followed a straight line with doors at seemingly random intervals on each side, likely to accommodate the sizes of them. This place had clearly been built for efficiency. Whoever designed it wanted the inhabitants to know where they were at all times. However, Rey saw this as potentially a bad thing. The Imperial books she read stated the importance of misdirection. Wouldn't it be prudent, then to build a castle in as confusing a way as possible? That way, attackers would get lost and become easy prey. Then again, she wasn't an architect. Maybe this way was better in the long run.
The end of the hall split off into a junction, so Rey went right, then past the first door to land at the second. The entrance hung open to reveal the clutter of boxes inside. They probably were organized in a specific way, but the scavenger couldn't make heads nor tails of it. To her, it appeared to be a random assortment of things placed wherever they would go. Maz didn't seem like that type for that, though.
There amongst the clutter, sitting with his knees to his chest and starring at the wall, was Finn. If he were trying to hide, then this was a rather poor job. Rey hadn't even the need to enter the room to see him. She took a quick look at his face. While expressionless, he didn't seem to have been crying. That was good. Rey knew he was sad, but didn't want him to despair. She entered the room, trying to make her steps loud and avoid scaring him.
"Maz said you were here," she stated.
Finn startled at the sound of her voice, meaning her efforts were in vain. He whipped his head around to the door, gazed upon his guest for a moment, and then returned to the wall. "Come to yell at me for lying to you?"
"You never lied to me."
"What?" Finn gave her a bewildered expression. "Yes, I did. I said I was part of the Resistance when I wasn't."
"Not officially." Rey stopped in front of him. "But, I don't think anyone is officially part of the Resistance. That's the whole point, right?" She lighted before him, sitting on her ankles with hands on her knees.
"Still, though, I didn't tell you I was a stormtrooper."
"And I never asked. Finn, my home was a place where everyone was equal. It didn't matter who you were, or where you were from. Everyone at Niima Outpost was there to turn in their scrap and get paid. That shared goal made us equal, a community of misfits who all somehow found themselves on that same barren rock."
"Where are you going with this?" Finn asked, and Rey wished he hadn't, because she wasn't entirely sure herself. She took a moment to gather her thoughts before continuing.
"What I mean is, I've learned to judge where someone is going, not where they've been. No one's past matters on Jakku. All anyone cared about was getting through the next day. You say you're not a stormtrooper anymore? Fine, I believe you." Rey finished. She thought she had phrased all of that rather well.
"That's it?" Finn made a goading gesture. "You're gonna take my word for it, just like that?"
"I am." Rey nodded. "You've more than proven your allegiance to me, and I'm sure Ahsoka, too. Chewie seems to like you, and Han, well, I'm not sure he likes anyone. I mean, Poe only knew you for, like, twenty minutes, and you two might as well be brothers. Where you came from doesn't matter because you're one of us, now."
"See, that's what I don't get," Finn said. "That's why I ran away from you in the first place. All this acceptance, the indifference, you all should hate me. I used to be your enemy!"
"Used to be," Rey echoed, "not anymore. Here, let me show you how much I trust you." Rey reached down the front of her tunic and extracted one of the now two implements hiding there. Finn's eyes fell upon it as she held it in both hands between the two of them.
"Is that a lightsaber? Is that a different lightsaber?" Finn let his astonishment bleed through. "Where did you possibly find a second one?"
"Maz gave it to me," Rey answered shortly.
"Of course she did." Finn rolled his eyes.
Rey brought him back to task. "Do you know who's lightsaber this is?"
"Maz's?" Finn tried with an eyebrow raised.
Rey gently shook her head. "It's Luke Skywalkers."
"What?" Finn retracted from the thing, pressing himself closer up against the wall. "Why do you have it? Why did Maz?"
"That's a long story. She entrusted it to me so I could return it to Luke when we find him. And now, I'm giving it to you," Rey said.
"You want me to..." Finn trailed off. "No. No way. I'm not taking it, you keep it."
"Maz said we should spread around our resources so that they're harder to take away from us. I already have one, so if I give this one to you, that's three people with lightsabers. That makes us an even stronger group, right?" Rey's logic was sound, to her own ears.
"Okay, sure, but why me? I'm not the one training to be a—" Finn stopped himself, "a J-word."
Rey found his staunch commitment to secrecy hilarious, even though they were in a Resistance base. She ignored it, however, and pressed on. "Even so, it still has to make it back to Luke. So, if I give it to you, not only will we be stronger, it'll still end up where it needs to be since we're all going there anyway."
"But why me?" Finn reiterated.
"Because I trust you," Rey answered with a sense of finality. She placed the lightsaber on the ground. "If you really were still a stormtrooper you could just run me through with this right here and now, but I know you won't do that, because you're my friend, not my enemy."
Finn looked first at her, but deigned to stare instead at the implement between them after a second. The emotions which played across his face were mostly indiscernible. He seemed about to speak, but never actually said anything. Rey could see the tremble in his hands, fingers which yearned to grasp the weapon despite whatever internal reasoning held them back. For her part, she stayed silent. She had already said her peace. Anything more might have just distracted Finn. Despite how greatly she wanted him to take the saber, it was ultimately his choice. If he didn't want it, then she would just take it. The plan, then, could remain unchanged.
With a quick, decisive motion, Finn snatched up the weapon. He held it in is hands, looking upon it as if he himself were surprised at having grabbed the thing. There was a reverence in his eyes, a sense of awe and wonder as he cradled a piece of galactic history. Rey beamed at him.
"What do you think?" She asked.
"I think I'm crazy as you, now." He stashed it in one of his interior jacket pockets. "Thank you, Rey."
"Of course. It's yours to hold onto," she said.
"No, for coming to talk to me. I never told you because I was afraid you'd all reject me. When you didn't, I wasn't sure how to react. I'm glad you came to find me."
"That's what friends are for," Rey dismissed.
"Friends," Finn repeated. "That's still weird. I don't think I've ever had friends before."
"Well, get used to it," Rey said. "You're stuck with us for—" She stopped abruptly and instead laser focused on the door. Something in the pit of her stomach told her to look in that direction.
"What is it?" Finn leaned forward so he could look around the boxes.
"I don't know. I feel... bad, like I'm watching a speeder wreck about to happen." Rey hoped that made sense.
"Do you think it's the Force? You know, those feelings Jedi always get," Finn asked.
"Maybe?" Rey shook her head. "Come on, let's go back to Ahsoka." Without waiting for him to respond, Rey stood up and made for the door. She heard Finn shuffle to his feet and follow.
As they walked, the feeling in Rey's stomach persisted. It never got worse, nor did it improve. There was simply a constant tension, like she'd eaten something that didn't agree with her. No, it wasn't quite that. It felt more like a cramp, as if she'd done too much exercise. Or, maybe the planet's odd climate was simply getting to her. Ahsoka probably knew. They sooner they returned to her, the better.
The two of them had made it around the corner and about halfway down the hall when an alarm started to blare in their ears. It was a long and slow honk, loud on a constant rhythm, an urgent cacophony. Rey and Finn shared a look before both deciding it would be best to pick up the pace. They broke out into a sprint. In this, Finn quickly passed her, a development Rey was fine with. The past few weeks had taught her she was more built for strength and dexterity, rather than speed.
They didn't see anyone for most of the short journey, which tracked for how barren these lower halls had been moments ago. No one had a reason to go there, after all. When they got closer to the cantina, however, the activity began to pick up. People ran this way and that, to the point where they actually had to dodge around one another. This slowed them down, which Rey was not happy with. Had she not been so focused on running, she would have shouted at these people to get out of her way.
At this point, closer to the surface, the indisputable sound of blaster fire echoed through the hallowed halls. There were dozens, if not hundreds of reports, far too many to count. There came a distant explosion, followed by shouts Rey hoped were not of pain. Indeed, voices mingled with the blaster bolts, echos of people shouting orders, fighting, dying. A woman screamed. A baby cried.
When finally they reached the cantina, it was abuzz with action. All of the chaos they had encountered in the vaults was both amplified and spread out within this large room. A stroke of fortune, for it made finding Ahsoka quite easy. She stood amongst the rest of their friends and Maz as the only group not utterly panicking.
Chewbacca, the first to spot the humans, waved them over with a hoot which got the attention of everyone else. Rey locked eyes with Ahsoka as they approached, silently pleading with her to have a plan of some sort.
"There you are," said the togruta when Rey and Finn reached them. "I was about to start looking for you."
"What's going on?" Finn asked. Rey was still trying to catch her breath.
Poe explained. "It's the First Order. They snuck in aboard merchant ships."
"Yeah, and now that you're here, we can figure out what we're gonna do about it," Han added.
"We need to get out of here, obviously," Finn decided.
"You make it sound so easy," joked Han.
"Can it, you two," Ahsoka scolded them. "What's the plan, Maz?"
"What are you asking me for?" Maz seemed genuinely taken aback. "I'm no soldier. I need you to lead us, Ahsoka."
"Are you sure?"
"You're a legend, sweetheart. No one else here is more qualified," reassured Maz.
"Okay." Ahsoka paused for a split-second to think. "Finn's right, we need to escape. Have everyone who's a pilot get to their ships and land one click east. Direct non-combat personnel that way. Maz, how many other exits are there besides the front?"
"Three."
An explosion rocked the castle just then. It sounded like a missile, but Rey didn't know enough about weaponry to say for sure. A tumble of debris and chorus of distressed yells followed. Ahsoka shouted above all of this as she continued.
"Find people you trust and have them lead combatants out those exits. Flank through the trees and also help the civilians escape."
"Got it. Emmie! Put it on the loudspeaker!" Maz called.
The droid behind the bar, who shouldn't have been able to hear any of that, held a little wired comlink to her mouth and began to speak. A female voice began playing over the speaker system. Though Rey couldn't quite understand it, she assumed it regaled of Ahsoka's orders. When that was done, Maz took off. Rey did not watch her, as her attention was by then consumed by her commanding officer.
"What about us?" Poe asked.
"I need to see what's happening at the front door," Ahsoka said. "That's our focal point. We lose it too soon, and none of this will work."
"Lead the way then, captain," Han put some smarm in that title. Ahsoka grimaced at him, but regardless made to take them toward the main entrance.
They were about to move when BB-8 chimed in, asking what he should do. Ahsoka knelt down to his level.
"I need you to go hide, BB-8," she said. When the little droid began to protest, she held a finger to his face. "I know. I would prefer to bring you with us, but the fighting will be too dangerous. We can't risk the map piece getting damaged. So, go hide. We'll come get you when this is over."
BB-8 clearly didn't like this idea, but he followed orders like the good little soldier he was. Rey watched him go for a second, listening to the whir of his gyro ball for as much as she could hear it over the battle outside. She hoped to see him again when the battle was won. But, there were bigger problems. Her party began to leave, so she ripped her gaze away and brought up the rear.
Everyone fell in behind Ahsoka, who slung the blaster on her shoulders into her hands. Rey noticed the others had done the same, so she drew her own pistol though she hoped to never use it. In the back of her mind, however, she knew that to be a fool's hope. Battle was upon them. She would have to use her weapon sooner, rather than later.
The pace was set at a jog, fast enough to cover ground quickly without exhausting them. With every step Rey took, the sounds of battle became louder and more harrowing. She heard the impossible torrent of blaster bolts, both those fired from weapons and those that hit the walls. The cries of battle penetrated the thick stone. These were not the calls of victory, but those of despair. The Resistance soldiers hadn't been expecting this and in their scramble to organize, took heavy losses.
Since the castle opened up immediately into the cantina, the main entrance wasn't far away. Even from a fair distance, Rey saw the situation surrounding it. Soldiers gathered around either side of the narrow stairway, while others took cover within it, hiding behind the pillars and narrow reliefs.
Those who had a shot leveled their weapons and fired, though Rey couldn't see what they were aiming at through the sun rays which beat in down the stairs. For every bolt the Resistance gave, it did also receive. Red plasma streaked in from the open door. While most went wide, some found their marks. A soldier was hit, followed immediately by a second. Both men screamed and fell. One of them tumbled down the stairs, where those waiting for their turn to fight gathered him up. Rey couldn't see either wounded man, but she assumed the worst.
A bolt managed to find it's way down the stairs and impact the floor right next to her. Rey startled at the attack and faltered, stumbling a few steps before regaining her balance. Her breaths came in shallow huffs. Her heart beat so fast it hurt. Her eyes darted every which way, trying and failing to focus on any one thing.
This was technically her second every firefight, but she felt much more on edge considering how the first one went. She remembered the battle on Duath, the shouts, the screams, the panic, the smells of ozone and of death. She remembered how foolish she had been to join this altercation, how she had thought herself capable of such lethal violence. She felt blaster bolts rip through her body, the pain now fresh in those new scars she carried. She remembered how it felt to shoot someone, to watch as their life drained away, to know that she had been responsible for it.
Instinct kept her feet moving. She found herself pressed up against the wall just before the staircase, nestled in with the fighters there. It was the only thing holding her up. She put a hand on her chest in an effort to get control of her breathing, but it only made her more nervous.
More screams. She watched another man get shot. In his face, all she could see was that of the person she had killed. This was just like before. The fighting. The death. Ahsoka was right. She hadn't been ready for this before, and she still wasn't ready for it now. The difference was, this time she couldn't escape. This battle had been thrust upon her. She had no choice but to fight. That realization made her heart beat even faster. Rey thought she might pass out, which may have actually been a good thing, because the she wouldn't have to deal with all of this madness.
It was then she remembered the words of her master. Like a dream they came, resonant within her mind. "Let go. Trust in the Force. It will guide you." Rey closed her eyes, gulping down air as she did. She opened herself up to the Force, welcoming it in the same way she always did. That warm feeling of light and life flooded her senses, filled her up to the brim. As it grew more intense, her breathing slowed. Her heart rate stabilized.
In the Force she found not calm, but resolution. Her mind still reeled at the chaos which surrounded her. Tension grasped hold of her muscles, made her feel sick. Yet, through all of this, Rey clung to a newfound clarity. The Force was with her, and so too was she with it. She opened her eyes with a slow breath out. No matter what happened, she had an ally in the Force. It would see her through. All she had to do was give over control.
"We can't stay here!" The voice of Ahsoka called, this time not in Rey's head, but the very real world. "This is a fatal funnel, we have to move!" Her horns made her easy to find in the crowd, though Rey couldn't see her face.
"What about those entrances Maz mentioned?" Poe suggested. The middle part of his sentence had been interrupted by a bolt and a scream, though.
"No, we can't give up this passage. If they enter, we lose. Does anyone have a thermal detonator, or a detpack, or something?"
"Come on," Han said, "no one is gonna have a—"
"I have one!" Called a male voice.
"Me, too," echoed a woman.
"Detpack!" That one sounded alien.
"I have a sonic," Another woman.
A pause.
"Huh, would you look at that," Han huffed.
Ahsoka ignored him. "You four, go find exterior walls and blow them up. Except for my group, everyone on this side of the stairs break off and follow them. Don't wait for a signal. The moment you've made an exit, charge out. Everyone else, keep suppressing the door."
A chorus of voices rang out, far too many for Rey to pick out individual words. The majority of the soldiers there with her did exactly as Ahsoka ordered. They abandoned the wall and began filtering in through the castle. Rey felt her nerves fray at their departures. There were suddenly rather few people left holding the door. She felt much less safe than before. No. Trust the Force. It was her only source of strength.
The sounds of battle surged on, even louder for the sudden lack of fire on the main entrance. The shouts, and screams, and shots, filtered in to surround Rey's every sense. One of the soldiers remaining at the door took a shot straight to the forehead. He rolled down the stairs, but as there was no one available to pull him aside, he lay motionless there. Rey did her best to avoid his unmoving visage, preferring instead to inspect her pistol. It was truly a small thing. She hoped it would be enough to carry her through.
Before long, the first explosion went off. Its echo carried the yells of a charge along with the associated suppressing fire. Muffled voices she assumed belonged to stormtroopers reverberated through the halls, likely taken by surprise. Fire coming through the door notably lessened, not by much, but enough to make a difference.
The second explosion sounded with much the same fanfare as the first, though it were markedly further away. The counterattack it created spurred Ahsoka to speak, her voice raised over the din of battle.
"When the fourth explosion goes off, we charge. Spread out, find cover, don't push up alone. Rey, stick—" The third detonation cut her off. She waited until the ensuing cries had lessened before continuing. "Rey, stick with one of our group. We'll see you through."
A series of affirmative acknowledgments filled the entryway, one that Rey added her own voice to. This was it, the calm before the storm. She had her orders, such as they were.
And then time seemed to slow. If the gap between the first three explosions had been quite short, the last one was taking it's sweet time. Rey couldn't tell if this was the real truth, or if adrenaline put all of her senses into overdrive. Her heart pounded in her ears and she felt like throwing up, passing out, running away, and joining the battle all at once. Yet through it she found resolve, strength in the Force, in the presence of her friends.
The forth and final explosion. Warcries from the site of it bounced around the castle, and those around the entrance raised their voices to join them. Rey shouted as well. All at once, the people standing around her rushed forward. She fell in somewhere within the pack, charging for all she could up the stairs. She locked onto a distinct pair of blue and white striped horns amongst the throng, determined to follow the togruta into the fray. She crested the stairs. The sun was in her eyes. The battle surrounded her. The Force flowed within. There would be no turning back. This was her moment to fight.
Author's Notes: I'm going to be totally blunt, I stopped writing this story because of The Mandolorian. The changing narrative completely destroyed everything I wanted to do with Sequel Trilogy Rewrite. I was trying to be canon compliant, and then Baby Yoda came along and fucked it all up. He was a direct challenge to all of my plans, one that I simply couldn't overleap.
But I never stopped loving this fanfiction. I love these characters. I love the story I'm trying to tell. I love Star Wars. Not a single day since last update went by where I didn't think about Rey, Finn, Poe, and Ahsoka, and that's the honest truth. So I couldn't stay away, not forever.
You know the theory which states Dave Filoni is trying to shunt the sequels off into an alternate reality timeline? Yeah, that conspiracy? Let's go forward with it. This is fanfiction. I don't have to be canon compliant, because I can just make my own canon. Filoni (maybe) has his alternate reality for the sequels, and I have mine. Let's take this Star Wars journey together, and see how these universes play out.