The mountainous Kijimi was the northernmost continuously habited island in the world. Originally settled by a now forgotten seafaring people, the island became a melting pot following the arrival of an ancient monastic order known as the Dai Bendu. This order worshipped an enigmatic living god of the Force and pilgrimage to their hilltop monastery brought prosperity. Repeated bandit and pirate raids eventually killed off the local Dai Bendu but their monastery at the center of the capital remained a holy site.

Following the Great Jedi Purge, all pilgrimage to the island ceased, leading to an economic collapse and mass exodus. Owing to its vulnerable state and somewhat isolated location, smugglers, black marketeers, and other criminals re-established Kijimi as a safe haven for shady dealings. In the latter half of the Rebellion, the island was also used to great effect as a staging point for strikes against Imperial whale oil shipments.

Snow began to fall as the Bestoon Legacy pulled into Kijimi City's icy harbor. Warm yellow pinpricks of light from windows and the remaining street lamps gave the city a coziness that greatly contrasted with the chill of the air. The great brazier atop the monastery burned the brightest of all, bathing the snowcapped roofs of the first few rows of buildings below it in light.

The harbor itself was dark with even the lighthouse's fires having been extinguished. The unsettling exception was the First Order light cruiser anchored in the deep end. Poe kept his eyes out for any signs of alarm but managed to dock the Legacy without incident.

Poe adjusted his makeshift cloak as he stepped off the ship. "I never thought I'd be home again."

Rose frowned. "Home? I thought you said you were born in Yavin."

"I was, but just because I was born there doesn't make it my home."

"How'd you end up going from Yavin to here?" Finn asked.

"Long story, but a former Rebellion guy hooked me up with a job for some friends of his. Ended up doing a lot of work for them over the years."

Rey cocked her head. "Doing what?"

"Shifty stuff," Finn whispered into her ear.

"The Animus smith is in the lower market on the east side of the city," Poe said. "We can get there easy enough by taking the back alleys."

Poe led the way through the maze of cobblestone buildings as though he was using a map. First Order patrols roamed the streets, but Poe managed to evade them without much difficulty.

The lower market hadn't changed much from the way Poe remembered it, though many of the shops he used to frequent had since closed. Memories he had tried to put behind him resurfaced, fomenting a deep sense of melancholy within him.

Poe stopped at the end of an alleyway and peered around the corner. Up the street, a man pleaded with one of the patrols. "Please let me go! I was just getting medicine for my son!"

"Curfew was two hours ago and you don't have a pass. You should have gotten the medicine earlier."

"I had to work late to afford it!"

"No excuses. We're taking you in."

"No! Please!"

Poe swore at them under his breath and looked the other way. Another patrol was coming from the opposite direction and he quickly ducked back into the alley. "The back entrance is blocked."

"Is there another entrance?" Rose asked.

"Well, yeah, but I was hoping to avoid..." Poe groaned.

"We could always just leave," Threepio said, his eyes glowing yellow from under his tarpaulin hood.

Finn glared at him.

"Come on," said Poe. "Follow me."

The sky pilot led his friends through several more alleys, passing by an unconcerned mischief of rats. "All right, it's just down this next-" He heard a pistol cock next to his head.

"I heard you were spotted at Monk's Gate," spoke the pistol's feminine wielder. "Thought to myself 'there's no way he's stupid enough to come back here.'"

"Oh, you'd be surprised," Poe snarked.

The woman came around the corner while keeping her gun trained on Poe's head. She wore a red leather rider's coat and a brass ducktail helmet with a black face-concealing visor. Several other rough-looking people of various other races emerged from the shadows as well, brandishing a wide array of melee weapons.

Finn's eyes burned holes into the woman. "Who are you?"

Poe sighed in annoyance. "Guys, this is Zorii. Zorii, this is Rey, Finn, and Rose."

"I could pull this trigger right now."

"I've seen you do worse."

"For a lot less."

Poe slowly reached up and pulled back his good. "Look, can we just talk about this?"

"I want to see your brains on the snow," Zorii said without emotion.

"So, you're still mad about the..." Poe waved his hand over the side of his face.

Zorii nodded slowly.

Poe put his hands in front of himself in a nonthreatening gesture. "Zorii, we really need your help. We gotta crack this automaton's head open and fast."

Threepio balked. "I beg your pardon?!"

"We need to get to Babu Frik."

"Babu?" Zorii scoffed. "Babu only works with the crew. That's not you anymore."

"What crew?" Rey asked.

"Oh?" There was an amused tone to Zorii's voice. "He never mentioned it? Funny, that. Your friend here used to run spice for my mother's smuggling ring."

Poe's shoulders sagged.

Finn's eyes widened. "You were a spice runner?"

Poe growled. "You were a stormtrooper?"

"Were you really a spice runner?" Rey asked.

"Were you really a scavenger? We could do this all night."

"You don't have all night." Zorii adjusted her grip on her pistol. "I'm still digging myself out of the hole you put me in when you left to play soldier." She paused and looked carefully at the hooded Rey. "You... You have quite the bounty on your head... Big enough to finally wipe away that debt. Djak'kankah!"

Poe grimaced. "Don't djak'kankah!"

The other members of Zorii's crew charged the Rebels. In three fluid motions, Rey unslung her staff and knocked a trio of the ruffians down before any had seen her move. The remaining four went down in the following seconds. Rey knocked Zorii's pistol from her hand as she trained it on her, then swept Zorii's legs out from under her. Zorii went for the other pistol on her hip but paused when the tip of a magic blue blade appeared in front of her face.

Rey looked at the supine woman with a pleading expression. "We could really use your help. Please."

"Not that you care," began Zorii, "but I think you're all right."

"I care." Rey retracted her blade and offered Zorii her hand.

Finn nodded to himself as they followed Zorii. "Poe Dameron. Spice runner. Runner of spice."

Poe sighed in defeat. "Yes. Everyone's done things they weren't proud of. I'm no exception."

"That's how you know so many smugglers."

"Yes."

"Why didn't you just tell us?"

"...I didn't want you to think less of me."

Zorii stopped and looked back at Poe. "Are you two...?"

Finn gave a puzzled pout. "Are we what? ...Poe, do you know what she's talking about?"

Poe let out an embarrassed cough. "I'll, uh, I'll let you know later."

Zorii chuckled and shook her head.

Elsewhere in the city, the six Knights of Ren moved through the streets. Each lamp post they passed spontaneously extinguished itself as though the flames themselves feared these ghouls.

The Dowutin bouncer outside the door to the Runners' Den nodded to Zorii then raised an eyebrow at the Rebels behind her. Zorii nodded and the bouncer pushed open the heavy wooden door. The overpowering smells of strong alcohol and smokeweed hit the Rebels all at once. Dim blue lanterns illuminated the bar room just barely enough to see by.

Rose coughed on the greenish smoke while she took in the wide array of races that made up the patrons. Each of them eyed the Rebels with a deep suspicion, none moreso than Poe.

"Babu's in the back," Zorii said, breaking off towards the bar.

As the Rebels weaved their way through the disorganized tables, Poe recognized many of the faces staring at them from his time with the crew. The bartender looked up from the song he had been writing and shook his head disapprovingly as the sky pilot walked past.

Babu Frik's workshop took up the back half of the Runners' Den's cellar. Deactivated automata in varying states of assembly or disassembly lined the walls and spare parts littered the floor and workbenches.

Rey looked around, but didn't see anyone. "Babu Frik?"

An aged Anzellan as small as a newborn kitten popped his head out of the top of a headless nautical automaton. "Hey-hey," he cried out in a high pitched and reedy voice.

"Hey, Babu," Poe said. "We need your help."

Following a brief explanation of what they needed, the tiny Animus smith agreed to help. Babu instructed Threepio to take a seat and started to collect his tools.

"I haven't the faintest idea why I agreed to this," Threepio said as Babu removed the gold plated shell on the back of his head. "I must be malfunctioning. I must be."

Babu hummed to himself as he inserted a cruciform bronze spike into Threepio's cranial socket. Rose watched in total fascination at the intricate practiced movements the smith displayed.

Rey was more skeptical. "Is this really going to work?"

Babu Frik replied in Anzellan.

Rey frowned and looked to Finn who shrugged in response. She stood up and walked over to Zorii and Poe.

Zorii was shaking her head. "...and he doesn't know? Just tell him, you idiot."

"Zorii?" Rey asked.

Poe jumped.

"Is this really going to work?"

Zorii leaned around Rey and Poe and spoke to Babu Frik in Anzellan. He responded, concluding his statement by tapping Threepio's head.

Zorii looked back to Rey. "He says he's found something in the automaton's forbidden memory. Words translated from... Sith?"

Rose nodded.

"Yep," said Finn. "That's what we need."

Zorii slowly looked back to Poe. "Who the Hell have you been hanging out with that speaks Sith?!

"Not important right now," Poe said walking past Zorii. "Babu, can you make him translate it?"

Babu Frik answered and Zorii translated. "Yes, but it will cause a complete-"

"A complete memory wipe," Threepio finished somberly.

"Wait," Rose said with alarm. "If we make him translate, he won't remember anything?"

"Memory go blank," Babu reiterated in less than elegant Basic. "Blank-blank."

Threepio panicked. "Oh! There must be some other way!"

Finn looked to Threepio with sadness. "Is... Is there any way to duplicate your memory? Put it back afterwards?"

Threepio shook his head, almost hitting Babu Frik with the spike in the back. "No. I'm afraid there isn't. Not with diplomatic automata."

The Rebels exchanged worried glances. They had already lost Chewbacca, now it seemed that a further price had to be paid.

Rey sighed. "Threepio... You know better than any of us. Do we have a choice?"

Threepio thought for a moment then stood. "...If this mission fails, it will all have been for nothing. All we've done. All this time..." He straightened himself and looked to each face around him in turn.

Poe furrowed his brow. "What are you doing there, Threepio?"

"Taking one last look, sir... at my friends."

Rose's hand went to her mouth as a tear formed in her eye. Bibi-Eit moaned quietly.

From off in the distance came a muffled boom. Zorii looked up. "That sounded like a big gate opening in the harbor. I'll go check it out."

"I'll go with you," Poe said, following her towards the stairs.

"What, you don't trust me?"

"Do you trust me?"

"Nope."

Kylo Ren marched onto the Steadfast's bridge, his mere presence enough to stifle the chatter of the crew around him. "General Pryde, report."

Both Pryde and Hux turned to face the Supreme Leader. General Pryde cleared his throat. "We have arrived at Kijimi. If the Knights' intelligence is correct, the scavenger and her little friends are somewhere in the city."

"The city is known for its criminals," Hux said. "A sustained bombardment could potentially solve several problems at-"

Kylo held up his index finger and General Hux suddenly found himself unable to speak or even move. The Supreme Leader turned on his heel and left the bridge.

Threepio flinched as Babu Frik rotated the cruciform spike. "Wait, I don't want to go!"

There was a loud pop. Threepio went limp and his yellow eyes went dark. The Rebels gasped and looked at the diplomatic automaton, knowing their friend was gone.

Rose ran out of the workshop sobbing. Rey looked to Finn, who nodded and Rey followed after her.

Poe and Zorii climbed the stairs, heading for the Den's roof. "So how long has it been like this? The occupation, I mean."

Zorii sighed. "A few years ago... They arrived claiming to want to establish law and order. Locked down the harbor pretty soon after. Then they took the kids. Killed any parents that resisted."

"I've heard similar from other places. It's different when it's your home that it happens to."

"I've finally saved up enough to get out. I'm going to the Colonies."

"How?" Poe asked. "I thought you said the harbor was locked down."

"It's true, you can't leave without First Order port authority authorization and a full ship inspection." Zorii pulled out a silver disk inscribed with the First Order seal. "Unless you have one of these."

Poe's eyes widened. "A First Order captain's medallion! I've never seen a real one."

"Free passage through any blockade. Docking privileges for any vessel, landing privileges for any mount or flying machine." Zorii placed the medallion back in her pocket and opened the door to the roof. She stopped and looked Poe in the eye. "...Comeu's saddle has two seats. Do you want to come with me?"

Poe opened his mouth but said nothing as he thought. He sighed and shook his head. "Time was I would have said yes. I can't walk out on this war, though. Not til it's over." He shrugged. "Maybe it already is... We sent out a call for help to the Outer Rim at the Battle of Crait. Nobody came. Everyone's so afraid. They've given up."

"No. I don't believe you believe that."

Poe shrugged again.

"Hey. They win by making you think you're alone, remember?"

Poe nodded.

"There's more of us. More than you know. Now, let's see what pulled into the harbor."

Rose sniffled as she knelt down next to Dioh. She held an oil can to his axle.

"Squeaky-squeaky wheel. I have a squeaky wheel."

Rose nodded and squeezed a few pumps into the axle. Dioh rolled back and forth to work the oil into place.

"Squeak-squeak eliminated. Thank you. Very kind."

Rey smiled. "I think he likes you."

Rose set the oil can down and wiped her eyes on her sleeve. "He reminds me of a stray dog Paige and I brought home. Someone treated him badly too. He only lived with us for a few years, but he was loved." She looked to Rey. "Did you have any pets growing up?"

Rey shook her head. "No. I probably wouldn't have been able to feed a pet anyway, not with how little I was even able to feed myself. I was basically on my own my whole life."

"Not even any friends?"

Rey sighed. "No. Not unless you count my... my imaginary friend," she finished in a softer voice, remembering who that imaginary friend had turned out to be.

"I can't imagine what that must have been like. I guess that's why you're so protective of us now."

"Yes, but... I shouldn't be. The Jedi way says not to form attachments for fear of losing them."

Rose frowned. "That's no way to live."

Rey cast her eyes down. "I know..."

The two of them watched Dioh and Bibi-Eit play together and race around the workshop. Finn walked over and the two women looked to him expectantly.

"Not yet. Babu said it's going to take a few more minutes."

"What's up then?" Rose asked.

"...Rey?" Finn said with furrowed brow.

"Hm?"

"Something's been bugging me. Back in Pasaana, why were you just staring when you saw Ochi's ship?"

Rose started to get up but Rey stopped her. "It's okay, you can stay." She took a deep breath. "...That wasn't the first time I saw that ship. I told you that my parents left me when I was a little girl. Ochi's ship is the one they left on."

Finn raised his eyebrows. "Are you sure?"

Two pairs of footsteps thudded down the cellar stairs. Rey, Finn, and Rose looked over to see Zorii and Poe, the latter with a frantic expression.

"There's a Star Destroyer in the harbor," Zorii announced.

"It's the Steadfast," Poe added. "We've got to go now!" He walked over to Threepio. "Did we get it, Babu?"

"Yep!" The Anzellan knocked on Threepio's head. "All ready."

The Rebels assembled around their golden friend. Babu Frik touched the activation rune on the back of Threepio's neck. The automaton's eyes lit up a sunset red and he sat bolt upright.

"THE KEYS TO THE KINGDOM LIE IN THE SANCTA SANCTORUM OF OUR LORDS."

The moment Threepio finished speaking the last word, his eyes winked out and he went limp. Babu whooped at his success.

Poe frowned. "What the Hell did that mean?"

"It sounds like the Sith kept the wayfinders in places of reverence," Rey said. "There have been so many, where would we even start?"

"We had an intelligence report the other day that said the Steadfast was spotted near Mustafar," Rose offered.

"That's where Darth Vader's fortress was," said Rey. "At least according to Luke's notes."

Finn crossed his arms. "That's probably where Ren found his wayfinder."

Rose lit up. "That means that the Emperor would have had the other wayfinder. We need to go to Coruscant, right? That's where he had his palace."

Poe shook his head. "No, no. He relocated his seat of power near the end of the war."

Finn frowned. "Where to?"

"The Death Star."

"The Death Star was destroyed though," Rose said defeatedly.

"Something that big doesn't just vanish when destroyed," Rey said. "I bet there's still chunks of it left behind."

"So where is it?" Finn asked.

"Kef Bir," Babu Frik answered. "Endor. Good salvage."

"It'll take all night to get there," said Rose. "If we're wrong, we won't have enough time to search anywhere else." She looked to Rey, who stood wide eyed. "Is something wrong?"

Tears fell from Rey's eyes and she smiled. "...Chewie!"

Finn blinked in puzzlement. "What about him?"

"He's alive! And he's here!"

"What?" Poe nearly shouted. "How?"

"He must've been on the other transport!"

"But how is he here?" Rose asked skeptically. Her eyes widened. "Unless..."

"He's on Ren's ship," Finn finished. "We've gotta go get him!"

Zorii turned to Poe. "Your friend's on that tub?"

Poe chuckled in amazement. "I guess he is."

Babu Frik replaced the shell onto Threepio's head and touched the activation rune again. The automaton's yellow eyes lit up and he stood.

"Hello, I am See Threepio. Who might you be?"

Poe's heart sank. "Okay, that's going to be a problem."

"Hello, I Babu Frik."

"Why, hello," Threepio exclaimed cheerfully.

A chill shot up Rey's spine. "Kylo's coming. We need to go."

Kylo Ren flew the Whisper towards the empty quay of the Kijimi harbor. Before the arrival of the First Order, the quay would have been loaded with crates and barrels of goods both legal and less than such. In its present state, however, it made the perfect runway for the TIE. In the city, the Knights of Ren narrowed their hunt to the dockworkers' slums. Their prey couldn't hide much longer.

Hardly a stone's throw away, the Rebels darted from alleyway to alleyway making for the harbor. "Threepio," Poe hissed. "Move your metal ass! We're almost there!"

"How dare you, sir?! Do you speak that way to everyone you've just met?"

The sound of leather soled boots sprinting on the cobblestones behind them made everyone's heart jump to their throat.

Poe stopped and squinted. "Zorii?"

"Poe," she panted, running up to him. Zorii held out something in her hand. "Might get you on that Star Destroyer. Go help your friend."

Poe stared at the offered captain's medallion. "Zorii... I don't think I can take this."

Zorii grabbed Poe's wrist and put the medallion into his hand. "I don't care what you think."

Around them, the street lamps snuffed out. Rey grimaced. "We have to go. Now."

Poe looked from the medallion to Zorii. "Come with us."

Zorii glared through her helmet's eye slit. "Poe."

"A goodbye kiss?"

She laughed and shoved him. "Go!"

Poe nodded. "Thank you."

Zorii watched the Rebels go for just a moment before starting back to the Runners' Den.