AN: Thank you to Veor Hrenda for leaving a review! I'd just like to state that yes, backstory changes were made, but small ones. More will be revealed as we move forward, but rest assured that there are good Tusken Raiders like Silven. Also, I regret to inform you the Vong will not appear, mostly due to its incongruous nature with the new canon. Again, I appreciate your thoughtful review.
"Leaving hyperspace now, entering the atmosphere of D'Qar," Kaytoo reported. Anakin zipped up his flightsuit all the way and ran into the cockpit, Tahiri following behind into the second piloting seat.
"Unidentified freighter, please give the access codes or we will be forced to shoot if you do not withdraw," a rebel officer said.
"This is Twin Suns Leader requesting permission to land," Anakin said.
Silence issued from the command center.
"Is there a problem, Command?" Anakin asked.
More silence.
"This has a one point seventy-six percent chance of success," Kaytoo pointed out helpfully.
"Hush," Tahiri scolded.
"Twin Suns Leader, this is Angel Blue," General Organa said. "You have my personal clearance and welcome."
"Thanks, Mo- Angel Blue," Anakin said. "Requesting landing on any available launchpad."
"Land on pad 18, sector 2," General Organa said. "I'll meet you there."
"Ten-four," Anakin said. He focused on making the perfect landing, adjusting the Sunrider's center in the Force and sensing the life-forms below him. With Kaytoo and Tahiri's help, the Sunrider landed as smoothly as ever.
"Kaytoo, mind handling things from here?" Anakin asked.
"Mind? Yes. Will? Yes," Kaytoo answered, and the former Imperial droid began working the panel. Anakin looked to Tahiri and she nodded, unbuckling her restraints and getting to her feet.
Anakin took a deep breath, and stepped off the Sunrider. Indeed, the General was standing in front of his ship, one of her few gentle expressions on her face. She outstretched her arms, and reluctantly, he walked into that embrace.
"You brave, brave boy," she murmured. "You have no idea how proud of you I am."
"I missed you, Mom," he replied. They pulled away, and Anakin got a brief insight to his mother's mind-she had as little of any idea as he did of how to have these deeply emotional conversations. She was like him- or he was like her. Neither of them was good at displaying many emotions.
Especially the complex ones.
Tahiri slowly approached. "Hello, General Organa."
"Knight Veila," General Organa said, nodding her head in respect. "I heard about Deyer's fall. A tragedy."
"Indeed," Anakin said, suddenly wishing he'd ran a comb through his hair or ironed his flightsuit and unconsciously straightened his posture. "When is the briefing?"
20:00 standard time," General Organa stated. "Enjoy the afternoon. At your leisure, Knight Solo."
With that, she walked away, followed closely on her heels by Lt. Connix.
Anakin whirled around to look back at Tahiri. She merely offered a hand, her face mostly blank. He took it, and she pulled him forward into the crowd of X-wing pilots. With their own orange flightsuits, they fit in completely-a feeling that Anakin rarely had.
They slowly made their way to the canteen, hoping for something other than protein bars, or at least to restock on them. Inside, a pilot with warm brown skin, dark curly hair, and a charisma that drew one in instantly attracted Anakin's attention. The pilot turned to Anakin, a grin on his face.
"I recognize the insignia," he said as he approached, getting up from the table. "You're from the Twin Suns squadron, aren't you?"
"Twin Suns leader," Anakin said, focusing on holding eye contact with the pilot.
"You must be Anakin Solo, then," the pilot said. "General Organa told me you'd taken over as squadron leader. You must be good, to be a squad leader so young."
"Well, actually-"
"He is," Tahiri interrupted. "Knight Veila, nice to meet you."
The pilot nodded. "I'm Poe Dameron. Black Leader. I hope you enjoy your stay at the base. Would you like me to show you around?'
"Yes, please," Tahiri said, relieved. "Come on, Nik."
". . . And here's the medbay," Poe said, stopping outside of the gray bunker. "Hope you don't need to go in-"
Anakin sensed a sort of light, a hot spot in the Force, and it was clearly coming from the medbay. He approached it, hearing whispers, but not loudly enough to understand. All he could really tell about the whispers pulling him in was that they sounded remarkably like the voice of his aunt, who had appeared to him in the Force before.
Why she wasn't making her presence known, Anakin didn't know. Usually Force ghosts went out of their way to appear to him-but that too had gone away since his father's death. It just wasn't fair-did Ben, or Kylo Ren, as he apparently was called now, have to take away everything from his life?
Still, he entered the medbay and approached a cot, on which lay a dark-skinned young man whose features he recognized instantly as his aunt's.
He'd heard that his cousin, only two years older than him, was lost with his aunt in a space battle with the First Order. Uncle Luke confided in him once that he thought his son had survived, but he was never sure.
Now was the proof. His cousin was lying unconscious in front of him.
"Whoa, whoa, what's wrong?" Poe asked, rapidly catching up with Anakin. "You were in some sort of trance, buddy."
"Ho is he?" Anakin asked, nodding towards his cousin.
"His name is Finn," Poe said with a sad smile. "Really brace. He risked his life by defecting from the First Order and saved my life. Also got BB-8 to the base. With Rey's help, of course.
"Rey?" Anakin asked.
"The girl who found Finn and BB-8 and went to find Luke Skywalker," Poe elaborated.
Anakin stared after his cousin for one longing second.
"What happened?" Anakin asked.
"Kylo Ren."