Star Wars Alternate: The Unknown Awakens

by LunarNight27

A different versions of episode VII. Peace between the New Republic and newly reformed United Imperial Worlds. However, years of devastating battles and losses have left both governments at risk. A silent enemy: The First Order has awakened. Already the enemy has struck against the two governments. They must unite to stand against an enemy as mysterious as the Unknown Region.

4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR

MESS HALL OF THE FALCON

Rey and Finn are sitting at the circular black and white checkered table. Han is standing a few feet away blaster loosely held in one hand while holding a comlink with the other. Rey's staff is against a wall.

Chewbacca: (from a comlink) growls about the blockade

Han: (into the comlink) "At this rate it's either run the blockade or face every fighter on the planet."

Chewbacca: warbles and growls about running the blockade.

Han: "Yes, we're running the blockade. And don't tell me the odds. Just get the shields fully operational."

Chewbacca grunts his affirmative

Han turns off the comlink and connects it to his belt.

Finn: "Sir, excuse me sir."

Han (interrupts) "It's Captain. Captain Solo" (he puts his blaster in its holster) "And as much as I want to sit down for a nice share and tell of who you are and why you're on my ship, we're a bit pressed for time, so move it to those gun turrets."

Finn: "Captain Solo..sir! Running the blockade with low shields is impossible. You won't stand a chance."

Han: "Kid, I rarely stand a chance, but that doesn't stop me from winning. Now get to those gun turrets."

Han turns and heads back to the cockpit without another word. Rey is already moving before Han left and is out the door before Finn can say anything. Finn sits there—panicked over what he's gotten himself—for a moment before taking a deep breath and also heading out the door.

UPPER GUN TURRET

Finn puts on the com-headset and straps himself in as Han's voice comes over the comlinks.

Han (over the headset) "Hope your strapped in because this isn't a pleasure cruise"

OUTER SPACE ABOVE JAKKU

The Falcon clears the planet's atmospheres and enters space. Having tracked its approach, ten First Order fighters are waiting in a blockade formation preventing a jump to hyperspace. Eight other fighters are in attack formation. Four of the attack fighters move in to intercept the Falcon.

INSIDE THE FALCON COCKPIT

Chewbacca growls a comment about the number of ship and how this isn't going to be easy.

Han: (puts his hands firmly on the flight controls) "If we survive, remind me to ask C-3PO about the odds, so I can brag about beating them."

Twists the flight controls

OUTER SPACE ABOVE JAKKU

The Falcon turns sideways and then makes a sharp turn to its left. The attackers thinking that Han's goal is to get around the perimeter on the right flank move that direction to block him, but the Falcon continues to turn tightly until it comes all the way around to almost its original position. The fighters having moved to the right to prevent the Falcon's escape are now directly ahead and in the line of fire. Blaster fire laces out from the Falcon and two fighters are destroyed. The other two peel off in different directions, but Han turns the Falcon on its side again giving a clear shot to both the upper and lower quad lasers.

INSIDE THE UPPER GUN TURRENTS

Finn's computer locks on a fighter and he shoots.

OUTER SPACE ABOVE JAKKU

The shots hit the fighter and it explodes.

INSIDE THE LOWER GUN TURRENTS

Rey's computer locks on a fighter and she shoots.

OUTER SPACE ABOVE JAKKU

The shots hit the fighter and it explodes. The Falcon goes into a sudden dive barely in time to dodge laser blast. The other four attacking fighters have moved in on separate vectors. The Falcon's downward dodge takes it directly into the firing path of another fighter. Several shots hit as the Falcon makes a run for it. Another fighter is waiting directly ahead. The Falcon turns back to find the other three fighters already in a box in formation. The Falcon is trapped. The Falcon breaks to a halt. The fighters also hold position.

INSIDE THE FALCON COCKPIT

Male voice: (broadcast over all the comlinks) "Unidentified freighter. Power down your weapons immediately and return to the surface to be boarded. Repeat, power down your weapons immediately and return to the surface to be boarded and searched."

Chewbacca grunts about the suspicious offer

Han: "I agree. It's too suspicious. Why are they so desperate to search us?"

Rey (over the comlink) "Captain Solo?"

Han: "What?"

Rey: (over the comlink) "You can't let them board us. No matter what—they can't board us."

Han looks at Chewbacca. The Wookie is also intrigued by the strength of Rey's determination

Han: (into the comlink) "Kid, I don't know what your problem is with the First Order, but I've got my own. We're not landing and we're definitely not powering down our weapons."

INSIDE THE LOWER GUN TURRET

Rey signs with relief

Finn: (over the comlink) "What are we going to do then?"

INSIDE THE FALCON COCKPIT

Han: "I have a few ideas."

OUTER SPACE ABOVE JAKKU

Two other fighters that were part of the blockade have moved in a little closer. The four fighters around the Falcon and the Falcon itself are motionless in space.

Male voice: (over the comlink) "Unidentified freighter this is your last chance. Power down your weapons and"

INSIDE THE FALCON COCKPIT

Han (interrupts into the comlink) "Unidentified? Did you hear that Chewie? They don't know who we are. And here I thought the First Order was trying to be more trouble than the Empire. Guess I was wrong."

OUTER SPACE ABOVE JAKKU

Male voice: (over the comlink and angry) "Unidentified fri"

INSIDE THE FALCON COCKPIT

Han: (interrupts again over the comlink) "This is Captain Han Solo of the Millennium Falcon, and I don't surrender."

Han turns off the engine.

OUTER SPACE ABOVE JAKKU

The Falcon's engines lose their glow. The ship plummets straight towards the planet twisting and spinning as it falls. The First Order Fighter that was directly under the Falcon dives at an angle to escape being hit by the falling ship. The other three fighters in the box formation chase after the falling Falcon.

UPPER AND LOWER GUN TURRESTS

Finn and Rey are screaming as the ship continues to twist and turn as it falls.

INSIDE THE FALCON COCKPIT

Han struggles to reach over and restart the engines. He succeeds. Then he waits until the ship has turned so that he is looking directly towards space. At that point, he pushes the ship into a powerful climb

UPPER ATMOSPHERE OF JAKKU

The Falcon shoots towards space and the three fighters at high speed. The ships dodge each other, but the fighters who had been diving towards the surface at full speed are unable to turn around quickly. The Falcon quickly takes a huge lead as it reenters space. The fourth fighter moves in to block, but a blast from the lower gun turret destroys the ship. The Falcon races directly towards the blockade. Four fighter ships break off from the blockade to intercept the Falcon. The Falcon decelerates and stops so quickly that two of the oncoming fighters miscalculate the distance and slow down directly in the Falcon's line of fire. Shots from both the upper and lower gun turrets lace out and destroy both fighters. The other two veer off to get distance. The Falcon turns and follows one. Suddenly the three fighters the Falcon had led down to the planet reenter space and fire at the Falcon. All six blast hit the Falcon.

ON BOARD THE FALCON

Sparks shoot off the controls in the cockpit. Lights throughout the ship go dark. Finn's target computer dies.

OUTER SPACE ABOVE JAKKU

The Falcon turns to avoid a second hit from the three incoming fighters, but takes a hit from the fighter that veered off the other direction. Smoke is pouring from one area where one of the blaster shots hit. The other four fighters move in to box in and destroy the Falcon when one of the ships in the blockade suddenly explode. Blaster fire laces out of space itself as a second and then a third blockade ship is also destroyed. Two ships break off from the blockade to attack the new threat. An attack from one of the fighters strikes the new target. The shot hits, and then spreads like a drop of food coloring in warm water before the energy fades like water on dry ground. Return fire destroys one of the fighters. The remaining blockade ship turns to attack the new threat. The two fighters score shots, but the blaster fire simply hits, ripples out, and disappears without causing any damage. The new ship destroys the two fighters attacking it and moves in towards the Falcon. The strange ship moves in to hover over the Falcon—shielding it and revealing itself clearly for the first time. About the length of the Millennium Falcon, the new ship is as dark as night and rectangular prism in shape.

ON BOARD THE MILLENNIUM FALCON

Finn's mouth is opened in shock as he watches the ship directly over them take hit after hit with no visible damage. (over the comlink) "Are you seeing this?"

Rey: (over the comlink—note of intense curiosity) "No, what is it?"

Finn: (wonder) "This ship. It's taking blaster fire like it's nothing and it's as dark as night."

Han: (over the comlink and with a groan) "It's the Dark Millennial"

The Dark Millennial is a unique ship: Black as space and rectangular-prism in shape with a smooth hull. It's the length of the Falcon with about twice the height.

OUTER SPACE ABOVE JAKKU

Two First Order fighters explode. A shot from the lower gun turret of the Falcon destroys another fighter. Two more shots from the Dark Millennial destroy the last two First Order fighters.

FALCON COCKPIT

Chewie: (to Han) growls a question.

Han: "Of course I'm grateful for good help, but why did it have to be her."

Finn: (over the comlink) "Who?"

A male voice (Sal) (over all the comlinks): "Millennium Falcon, this is the Dark Millennial. Scans indicate a large number of fighters incoming. The hand advises a skip?"

Han: "That will take half a moment. Tell Imperial Hand Solfel to skip the age of a Hynon tree before it produces."

Male voice (Sal) (over the comlink): "Acknowledged."

An Imperial Hand is an agent similar to an Emperor's Hand from Timothy Zahn's Star Wars Heir to the Empire trilogy.

OUTER SPACE ABOVE JAKKU

The First Order fighters are closing in on the Dark Millennial and Millennium Falcon. The engines of the two ships take on a deeper glow and they vanish into hyperspace.

INSIDE A FIRST ORDER FIGHTER COCKPIT

A pilot rams a fist against the side of her cockpit: (speaking into the comlinks) "Relay ship. Send message to Warden Exi and Exivy. Target has light-skipped."

OUTER SPACE A HALF LIGHT YEAR AWAY FROM JAKKU

The Falcon and Millennial emerge from hyperspace near a large cluster of asteroids. The two ships fly and land on the largest one. The Falcon lands first with the Millennial landing as close as possible with the ramps facing each other. The ramp on the Millennial lowers and a large many-colored (looks like a bowl with a banana split in it) machine hovering a few inches above the ground rolls out through the shield on the ship's open doorway. The machine settles about midway between both ships. From the tips of the banana shaped part, a shield burst forth and creates a corridor between the two ships. Then vents on the ice-cream scoop looking part open up and air hisses out to fill the newly formed corridor.

INSIDE THE FALCON COCKPIT

Finn, Rey, Han, and Chewbacca are sitting inside the cockpit waiting until they can connect with the Dark Millennial.

Rey: "Is Imperial Hand Solfel an Imperial agent?"

Han: "An agent?" (a laugh/scoff) "She's at the top. She works for and reports directly to the Emperor himself. Her official title is The Fifth Imperial Hand Loreanna Solfel."

Rey: (quietly to herself) "ahh—That will do."

She goes quiet as does everyone else. The silence stretches on and on until Finn, unable to take the silence, speaks.

Finn: "Isn't it dangerous to stay here? The First Order could track our jump at any moment."

Han turns to look directly at Finn.

Han: "We didn't jump. We skipped, so they can't follow us."

Rey: (sincerely curious) "What's the difference Captain Solo?"

Han reaches into a compartment and pulls out a star map which he activates.

Han: "A hyper-space jump follows set paths that have been mapped out for optimal efficiency and safety." (various hyper-space routes show up on the star map) "A lightspeed skip means you point you ship in a direction and enter lightspeed without calculating a safe route. It's extremely dangerous since you could end up in the middle of a star, but pursuers won't follow because it's impossible to tell how far one lightspeed skipped and they won't risk ending up in the middle of a star-or worse."

Finn: "But didn't you saw something about a haynut fruit. They'll figure that out."

Han (with a smirk) "You're giving the First Order too much credit when they only deserve half."

Rey eyes widen in surprise: "Half a skip. The part about the Hynon fruit was to mislead them."

Chewbacca grunts that Rey has a good head on her shoulders.

Rey blushes slightly from the complement: "Thanks"

A comlink chirps. Han picks it up.

Male voice (Sal) (over the comlink) "It's ready. May we have permission to board Captain Solo?"

Han: "You may" He looks at Rey and Finn "and tell Imperial Hand Solfel that I believe the answers we both want are over here."

CARGO HOLD OF THE MILLENNIUM FALCON

Han, Chewbacca, Rey, and Finn are standing in the Falcon's mostly empty cargo hold. Rey is again wearing her staff across her shoulders. Imperial Hand Loreanna Solfel enters the cargo area followed by two stormtroopers. One of the troopers walks with a bit of a gait. Han shows no reaction to the new trio while Rey looks at them in mild wonder—having seen several in her Force visions, and Finn is holding it together when he is really one straw short of a breakdown due to shock. Chewbacca upon seeing the young woman, surges forward. The stormtroopers shift their weight as if they are going for their weapons. Chewbacca grabs the young woman in a bear hug and lifts her clear off the ground.

Imperial Hand Loreanna Solfel is fair skinned. She is 17 years old. She has straight light brown shoulder length hair with streaks of darker brown and blond. Her eyes are brown. She is ambidextrous from training, but is left handed by birth. She stands two inches above five feet and is slender, but strong. On her left hip is her unique blaster that has a round cylinder chamber—like a revolver only bigger. On her right hip is a powered down electrical whip. She is wearing a dark green and black combat suit similar to Fenic Shard's outfit from Book of Boba Fett.

Imperial Hand Loreanna Solfel is the Fifth Imperial Hand. (There are nine total.) She is young for an Imperial hand and has only been in the position for about a year. She is highly trained in various types of combat, skills, languages, and weapons. Of all the weapons she can use, her blaster and electric whip are two of her favorites.

Imperial Hand Loreanna Solfel: (in a delighted voice) "Chewie! You're squeezing me too tight."

Han: (mutters) "Fuzzball never could resist saying hi"

Chewie gently puts the young woman down. Rey notices a slight movement of mostly grey with a bit of orange and white near one of the few crates in the hold. Chewbacca walks back over to Han as the young woman eyes Captain Solo.

Imperial Hand Solfel: "Captain Solo, here you are in trouble again."

Han: "Imperial Hand Solfel, Of course I'm in trouble. What's surprising is that you came all the way out here looking for me. It really wasn't necessary. The Emperor surly has other things for you to do."

Imperial Hand Loreanna Solfel: "You place your importance to the United Imperial Worlds far too high Captain Solo if you truly think I'm out here for you. My Emperor is not some slimy slug ball looking for interior décor."

Chewbacca: laughs warmly and even Han and Loreanna smile slightly. Then all three of them turn to the business at hand.

Imperial Hand Loreanna Solfel: "An Imperial scout ship responded to a distress call earlier in this system. They reported finding a freighter completely destroyed. I came to investigate myself, and I find the planet blockaded by the First Order and you in the midst of a pocket fight. Are you the reason for the First Order's activity?"

Han cocks an eyebrow and points to himself as if saying 'who me?"

Chewbacca steps in and recounts the events up until now. Everyone listens.

When he finishes, Han turns towards Finn and Rey.

Han: "Now it's time for you two to share and tell why you're on my ship…" (his gaze focuses on Rey) "and why you didn't want the First Order searching this ship?"

Rey steps forward: "I'm Rey and this (gesturing towards Finn) is Finn. The First Order is after my friend."

Loreanna and Han cock their eyebrow in a similar fashion. She, the stormtroopers, Han, and Chewbacca look at Finn

Finn realizes that they think he is the friend. He hurries to clarify.

Finn: "Her friend's a droid."

Rey moves to her left and pushes aside a crate revealing BB-8. The droid rolls out beeping and twittering in annoyance. Then BB-8 rolls around before stopping in the middle of the two parties.

Stormtrooper (Sal): "Doesn't look worth a planet wide blockade."

BB-8 makes a rude sound. Then with the distinct sound of a magnetic lock, the droid secures its lower section while its head rotates to the side. One of the octagon patches that the head had been covering popes open to reveal a storage compartment. A slight hiss as the stolen nav-computer slowly rises into view.

Stormtrooper (Sal): "Is that what I think it is?"

Loreanna snaps into action.

Imperial Hand Loreanna Solfel: "Sal, contact the nearest Star Destroyer. Inform them that we require their immediate assistance"

Han: (firmly) "Assistance to take the droid to Coruscant."

Imperial Hand Loreanna Solfel gives Captain Solo a soft glair: "Of course Captain Solo."

Sal leaves. Another hiss of motors as BB-8 lowers the nav-computer back into the storage compartment. The droid's head slides back on top and the magnetic lock releases. BB-8 rolls up to Rey and twitters happily while Loreanna and the stromtroopers head for the exit.

Rey: "WAIT!"

Loreanna and the one trooper halt and look back at her.

Rey: "I need to get back home."

Finn: "You can't go back Rey. Besides this is a great opportunity to get away from that horrible place.."

Rey: "NO!" (Rey grabs the holo-locket through her clothing) (very firmly) "That horrible place is my home. I've done what I promised. I helped BB-8 find an Imperial agent to get back home. Now all I want to do is go back home."

Everyone pauses while taking in Rey's words. Finally, Loreanna turns to face her and speaks.

Imperial Hand Loreanna Solfel: (curtly) "It is not safe to go back right now and it may not be safe for a number of days."

Han: (patiently) "Rey, if you're willing to be patient with us and wait until it is safe, we'll get you home again. Is that acceptable?"

Rey think for a moment and then nods.

Imperial Hand Loreanna Solfel: "Very well. For now though I need you to come with me to make a report." (tone of respect) "Captain Solo, you are welcome to come as well." (much friendlier) "Chewie, would you like help repairing battle damage and any other (hint of mockery) systems that aren't working on this antique?

Han pulls a sour face at the clear insult to his ship. Chewbacca laughs gently before growling an affirmative.

Han: "Fine! Your choice." He walks past Loreanna and exits the Falcon's cargo hold. Loreanna gestures for Rey to follow before leaving herself. Rey follows and BB-8 rolls out after her. The stormtrooper, Chewbacca, and Finn stay.

MEDITATION ROOM ON THE SUN CRUISER

A pair of doors hiss open and Warden Exi walks into a meditation room. Warden Exivy is sitting in the center of the room meditating. In front of her is a pair of green stripes ripped from a First Order uniform. Around the edges of the room are various holographic scenes slowly rotating around the circular room. One is a picture of Poe from before the interrogation. Another is a personal profile of Finn. One shows the droid BB-8 next to a drawing of Rey. There are three of four images of scavengers from Jakku. One is a holographic image of the Millennium Falcon with a damage report next to it. Another is a holographic image of the Dark Millennial. All the other images are reports from the events on Jukku and the original theft of the freighter.

Warden Exivy doesn't move as Warden Exi enters the room.

Warden Exi: "All others panic. You sit calm and think."

Warden Exivy: "I am assessing the situation seeing if there is a missing piece to our puzzle. Please sit."

Warden Exi sits down in a meditation pose in front of Warden Exivy.

Warden Exivy: (pointing to the images as she speaks and pausing briefly after each point): "A freighter is stolen. The nav-computer on board was smuggled onto Jukku in a droid. Scavengers say that a girl, whom they called a witch, had the droid. A prisoner breaks free. Two troopers are found unconscious in a turbolift. Two pilots are also found unconscious. Yet, the correct number of pilots reported for duty. One of our ships crashed. Both crew members were missing. Two people help the droid escape on the Falcon. One man and one woman."

She looks at a holographic recording taken by the fighter that first attacked the Falcon while it was still on the ground. The recording shows BB-8, Finn, and Rey running towards the falcon. Finn's face is clearly visible. Then she picks up the green stripes in front of her.

Warden Exi: (sharp intake of breath as everything clicks) "Deserter."

Warden Exivy: (confidence) "We have them."