Disclaimer: Don't own SW. Belongs to Disney and Lucasfilm.
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…
STAR WARS
Birthright
For many years, the New Republic celebrated peace and stability in the galaxy. However, troubled times are returning as the FIRST ORDER has risen from the ashes of the Galactic Empire and plans to take over the galaxy.
With few allies, the newly established Jedi Knights try to keep the peace as they also search for their missing leader, the famed hero Luke Skywalker, and anyone who has last seen him.
Meanwhile, in a system housing the First Order's base of operations, a young woman trains herself to join the group of Force wielders known as KNIGHTS OF REN…
"Fear is like a double-edged sword," Rey remembered her master say in his deep and commanding voice. "Fear can drive people to paranoia, creating distrust and chaos. To let it win over you proves that you are weak. To survive, you must conquer your fear and make it your weapon. By proving you can face it, by inflicting it on your enemies, will you gain true power."
"Like that's helpful here," Rey said sarcastically while she floated down what used to be the corridor of an Imperial Star Destroyer.
The comfort of her white spacesuit protected Rey from the harsh vacuum, not from everything else. An empty Star Destroyer was the last place anyone would want to be in, save for a smuggler hiding from local authorities or a scavenger scouring for spare parts. It had no gravity, no power whatsoever, not to mention the lingering bodies and debris. It was, in every sense of the word, dead.
Rey breathed more the glass of her helmet. Floating all over were the bodies of officers and Stormtroopers from the waning days of the Empire. Their bodies were maimed by old blaster marks, some torn to pieces, others bent in unnatural ways.
'There's nothing to fear. They're dead. They won't harm you,' Rey told herself, trying not to make eye contact with the corpses' ghastly faces. She had to keep calm, she had to focus.
So, Rey closed her eyes and stretched out. She heard the quiet air once filled with marching boots and felt the buzz of electrical currents in old machinery. Rey searched through the old corridors, brushing up against the cold corpses and the slight sting of heated ozone against the walls.
Following her senses, Rey propelled her feet off the wall and floated forwards. Making great care not to disturb the dead, she reached the end of the corridor and made a left into another. She continued onwards until she finally saw it. A simple doorway, rectangular in shape and with what used to a number of locks that would open up. In its center was a gaping hole that Rey squeezed herself through.
"The Empire certainly loved their ships," she commented upon entering the bridge.
As Rey went past the bridge's lone communications console, she saw the walkway leading up to the shattered window where the ship's commanding officer would wait and observe a battle. Down below were small pits where the lower ranking officers would relay commands from their terminals. It was a simple, utilitarian design that preferred efficiency and an establishment of command. No wonder the First Order adapted the design into their own ships.
Another push off the floor and Rey gently glided over the bridge's scorched walkway. It felt dead here as it did everywhere else. Any corpses were likely sucked out into space, or the rest ran from the bridge before succumbing to their inevitable fate.
There was something else, though. Rey put a hand to the bridge and stopped herself. Her eyes darted around for anything out of place.
Then, something came up from behind. A pair of arms wrapped around Rey, squeezing her into a tight lock before she could slip away. "I got her!" her attacker shouted through the communication systems.
Struggling in her captor's arms, Rey saw two more figures in white plasteel armor coming out of hiding. First Order Stormtroopers, and so was her captor, Rey guessed. The two in front stared with their black lenses and tear-like lines that ran down their helmets. "Huh, this was too easy," one, a woman, said.
"Careful, you know what she is," cautioned the other, a taller, male trooper. "Who knows what she can pull on us."
The trooper holding Rey said, "Uh, sir. I can't hold her for much longer."
"I have this," the male Stormtrooper in front said.
Rey's eyes widen when the trooper raised his chrome and white blaster rifle. Time slowed as the trooper slowly pulled his finger on the trigger. Rey closed her eyes, falling into the Force for something, anything that could help. What she received was her master's voice scolding her.
"What are you waiting for? Attack!"
Rey swung her head back into the face of the Stormtrooper holding her. He cried out in pain as he let go. Freeing herself, Rey kicked off the Stormtrooper with both feet and flew to the two in front.
"She's loose!" the female trooper shouted.
The other one aimed. Flying forward, Rey kicked the rifle out of the trooper's hands and grabbed it. The man was knocked out by a stun blast, having no time to even make a sound. The female Stormtrooper quickly drew her rifle. Rey was quicker, and two of her would-be captors were unconscious.
Rey whirled around at the final Stormtrooper, the one who tried to grab her. "Don't shoot!" begged the last man, who raised his arms in surrender.
For a full second, Rey froze. She felt a wave of fear from the Stormtrooper and pondered on her choices. The trooper had assaulted her, but at her mercy, he was nothing more than a sniveling coward. Not even worth the effort.
A second later, Rey started to lower the blaster.
A warning flared in the Force, and Rey saw it. The trooper reached for his blaster. He fired-
-and Rey ducked and fired back in righteous anger. The last Stormtrooper, too late to realize his mistake, floated aimlessly with his comrades.
Slowly rising to her full height, Rey could not help but notice how everything was oddly quiet. Through her dulled senses, she only felt a slight shiver of running down her back.
Then, the comm in her helmet chimed, and a voice came through it. "Apprentice, report," it said.
Pressing the button on her helm, Rey answered it. "Training complete, master. All Stormtroopers incapacitated."
There was a short pause on the other end, and the voice said, "Return to base, at once. We will discuss your performance when you come back."
Rey frowned. She knew that tone well enough to know what it meant: she had not passed. At least, not her master's expectations and that meant she was in for quite the lecture, or worse. Conceding to her fate, Rey gave a meager reply. "... Yes, master."
Starkiller Base looked beautiful and frightening at the same time. Instead of a base built on a planet, the planet itself was practically sculpted into a base. From orbit, it still retained its swirling clouds and green landmasses, but the most disbursing thing was the large ring in the center that glowed like an erupting volcano. On the planet itself, it was always winter, the terrain covered in snow-capped mountains and forests, and little sunlight that made it past the clouds.
After the shuttle had landed, Rey quickly stepped off the boarding ramp and planted her two feet on the pristine floor with a satisfying thud. She welcomed the cold draft coming inside the landing bay, closing her eyes and letting it brisk through her braided brown hair. Unlike the hard and uncaring vacuum of space, the cold on Starkiller Base was smooth and calm.
It was cut short when Rey heard, "Ma'am." It was another Stormtrooper, who walked onto the pad. "Knight Ren is awaiting you in the main communications chamber."
Rey eyed the giant man-made chasm in front of her. She tried not to sigh when she saw a pair of medics carrying out each of the three knocked out Stormtroopers. Reminded of her impending doom, Rey nodded to the trooper in front, and her boots left hollow echoes on her way to her master.
After leaving the hangar bay, Rey found herself in a crisscross of corridors and halls. They were part of Starkiller Base that went deep into the planet and made it more suitable for harboring soldiers, weapons, and so on. It was easy to get lost without memorizing the necessary pathways, which Rey had done so often in the past. She did not want to ask for directions, not when she already displeased her superiors.
Still, Rey, wearing a black and sleeveless tunic, easily stood out from the white-clad Stormtroopers. To say she received some stares was an understatement. Rey wanted to snap at the troopers eyeing her and remind them of their place, but only superior officers and Knights of Ren could do that.
'You're not there yet,' Rey reminded herself just as she arrived at her destination.
The door in front of Rey was larger than most doors, even if it had the same box-like arch as most did. A cold shiver ran through Rey's body from the presences she felt. She continued on anyway, and the door slid open.
Darkness first greeted Rey. Her own footsteps echoed off the transparisteel floor while her eyes adjusted to her surroundings. The only source of light came from the ceiling and shone on a lone spot, where Rey's audience stood in wait. Entering the chamber, Rey could hear voices. They were distant and almost electronic, but the subject of their conversation was all too obvious.
"... too hesitant, too…"
"... weak in the Force..."
"... lacks any real strength…"
With a restrained frown, Rey continued through the darkness. The closer she came, the more noticeable were the Knights of Ren in the light. They shifted slightly like ghosts, but their voices were clear.
"Against a real foe, she would…"
"... why train her anymore?"
A voice cut through them all, and it belonged to the only person not shifting in place. "You underestimate her potential."
Rey, still in the shadows, stopped and eyed her master. Xa-re Ren, dressed in a long tunic, clasped his armored gloves behind his back. His helmet, black and round like all the others, turned to his fellow knights. "She can be capable of great things," Xa-re continued. "And yet you put these setbacks upon her. She had passed her test and defeat all the Stormtroopers, correct?"
"But she failed to sense those troopers, and those were just three," said another Knight, Delray Ren, who clasped his staff. "She is weak, Xa-re!"
"Perhaps, but you forget, Lord Vader started out weak."
"And you forget Lord Vader's power was unlike anything the old Jedi had seen!" argued another, a large figure with a machete-like blade, whose name escaped Rey.
Before another argument broke out, a gloved hand rose and the entire group fell silent. That raised hand belonged to Kalra Ren, acting master of the Knights of Ren. At the head of the circle, she stood like a dark monolith on Coruscant, clothed in long, black robes. Her voice was as melodious as the hum of a lightsaber and just as threatening.
"Everyone, you all bring many good points. But this discussion only delays our plans, and we need more members. Xa-re may continue to train his student..." Kalra said, her face visor on Xa-re, "... for now."
"Thank you," Xa-re said with a bow to Kalra Ren.
"Until the next time, you all know what to do," Kalra said to everyone. "May the spirit of Lord Vader guide us."
"May the spirit of Lord Vader guide us," the others repeated in unison.
Then, the connection ended, and one by one, the Knights of Ren's holograms disappeared from the holopad. All but Xa-re, who sighed and stood there for a long second. "You should have spoken up while they were still here, Rey," Xa-re called out as he turned to face his pupil.
Rey almost gulped when Xa-re's slit-like visor stared straight at her. "Come forward," he commanded.
For a moment, Rey did not move. When she did, her steps were slow and awkward. Part of her wanted to keep still and avoid what punishment her master had in mind, a part Rey tried to silence. 'Come on, you're not a little girl anymore!' she chided herself.
After a bit of deliberation, she forced herself into the light. Xa-re took a few steps forward until he stood over Rey, casting a small shadow over her. "It's difficult defending you in front of the others," he said with a tinge of impatience. "I'm sure I don't have to repeat what many of them said."
"I'm sorry, master," Rey said quietly, trying to avoid eye contact.
"Do you know why I did so?" Rey shook her head and awaited her mentor's berating. "Because your failure wasn't your strength, or your inability to sense your enemy. Given the circumstances, you did well enough."
Now, Rey looked at her mentor. "I did?"
"Yes, save for the end. Do you know what happened?" Xa-re said. Rey said or did nothing, so he continued, "You hesitated. You had a chance to shoot that man, but you didn't."
Rey opened her mouth to say something. She closed it, trying to think of an answer. But what could she say?
Any words froze as Rey stared at the black emitter of a lightsaber. The light dangerously gleamed off the cylindrical frame and trailed down to the end. Grasping the saber, Xa-re spoke again.
"I can push the switch if I choose so." To prove his point, he gently placed his thumb atop the activator switch and coldly asked, "If I deemed you a threat to the First Order, what would I do?"
"You… you would push the switch," Rey managed to say with bated breath.
Xa-re lowered his unlit saber, to Rey's relief. "Very good. At least, you have learned that much."
A look of shame crept up Rey's face. Every time she had failed a lesson, which she tried to limit, Rey had that same expression. Xa-re, seeing it, continued, "Rey, understand that why you hesitated isn't important. The fact is that you did. You cannot afford to make that mistake again. Otherwise, it will cost you."
Rey remained quiet as she took in this new information. Xa-re stood there, his emotionless mask staring down at her for a long moment. Then, he said, "Head to your quarters and rest for an hour. Then, we'll be going…"
Before Rey knew it, her master had already left her in the light. Watching him leave, Rey echoed, "'Going?'"
"For a hike," Xa-re answered, and Rey immediately regretted asking.
A hike, by Xa-re Ren's standards, was not as pleasant as anyone would think. It was a training exercise involving a long walk on atop the mountains on Starkiller Base's surface, and this particular mountain barely had any trees on its many rocky paths. Wearing only her dark tunic, Rey shivered from the cold. She rubbed her hands on her bare arms and kept her legs moving on the mountain path, so they would not grow stiff.
Through the howl of the wind, Rey heard, "I'm waiting!"
Rey looked up. Xa-re Ren stood at the mountaintop, his own long tunic flapping into the wind. He was unmoving, and while he wore a mask, Rey knew he glared at her with impatience. She hurried as fast as she could, trudging through patches of ice and wind nipping at her skin.
By the time Rey reached the top, she let herself collapse on her knees. Her master was still standing there, glaring down at her. "Get up," Xa-re commanded, his voice strangely calm.
"I-i-is t-there m-more w-w-walking?" Rey asked through chattering teeth.
"No, but you'd probably feel better next to the fire than here," he explained coyly as he gestured toward a small campfire. No doubt, Xa-re made it while he was waiting.
Rey wasted no time and crawled to the fire on her knees. She held out her hands to the flames and took in their soothing warmth. The snow Rey had gathered began to melt away. The way the fire sizzled and popped sounded so calm against the harsh winds, but they could not drown out her master's footsteps.
Rey glanced at Xa-re standing across the fire. "You're fortunate the other Knights did not expel you right then and there," Xa-re spoke with a small gruffness, which made Rey look back at the flames, the shame of before still fresh. "There is no one else here, Rey. You may speak your mind," he assured.
Rey hesitated for a moment, then she said, "I understand what I did wrong, but…"
"But?"
"... I don't know why it is such a big mistake. The man had surrendered."
"Only to trick you," Xa-re retorted stoically. "Take this fire here. Comfortable, yes?"
Rey nodded, and Xa-re's boot kicked at the burning wood. The flames were doused and extinguished by the snow. As her hopes for warmth faded away in the smoky trails, Rey tried not to glare at her mentor.
"One the many lessons you'll learn," Xa-re told her. "In this galaxy, there are only people who will take from you and never give back… Think of that trooper you spared. Imagine if he was a criminal or a rebel. He would have done anything to ensure his own survival. That includes killing you."
"Perhaps, the others think that's for the best," Rey thought bitterly on the Knights of Ren's words. She soon realized, and regretted, what she said out loud.
"You underestimate your importance," Xa-re said as he looked up. "Tell me what you see."
Rey obeyed and looked at the night sky above. "Stars," her mouth said, but her mind had the true answer: freedom. She barely left Starkiller Base in years and even when she did, it was not very far from its orbit. She wanted to see the other worlds out there, explore them for the First Order to take, but that was only in her dreams…
"Yes," Xa-re agreed. His voice was mirthful, despite how muffled it sounded. "Once, we were an empire that ruled all those stars. It spread across the galaxy with a fleet no one could challenge."
"That was before the rebellion," Rey interjected as she wondered why she was being told this. She already read it all from the old Imperial archives.
Xa-re looked back down, his visor seemingly dull. "Yes. Now, the rebellion calls itself a republic, a democracy for all to enjoy," he went on with sarcasm, something Rey rarely heard. "But the reality is that nothing has changed. There has been no drop in crime, no end to the carnage. Nothing… It would be funny if it wasn't tragic."
"... I still don't understand," Rey murmured. "What does this have to do with me?"
Xa-re said nothing. He gestured for Rey to come closer, and she did. She stood by her master's side for several seconds. There was only snow and mountains. Just as barren as the cold.
Then, Rey saw it. For a second, she thought her mind was playing games. That thought was proven false as rays of light came over the horizon.
On Starkiller Base, the thick clouds allowed little sunlight to come through. However, there were few moments where enough light could make the whole planet shine, or so Rey had heard. Now, as twilight approached, right before Rey's eyes, a great glow fell upon Starkiller Base's white-clad surface, turning sludgy patches into shining white snow and barren mountains into vast valleys.
That was not all. The great chasm of Starkiller Base's trench stretched across the white plains, dividing the land in two. Instead of birds or flying critters, TIE fighters and other vessels came to and from the various hangars and platforms embedded into the mountains. From where Rey stood, the life essence of everyone on the planet flooded her mind. She only returned to reality when Xa-re spoke again.
"That right there is what is left. It may be small, but one day, it will cover star systems." Xa-re faced Rey, his hands behind his back like always. "The First Order is the heir to the Empire. It is meant to return stability to the galaxy, but there will be those who will try to stop that from happening. If they find this place, years of hard work could be ruined in mere moments."
"But what of the Knights of Ren? They can hide this place, even from the Jedi, right?" Rey inquired.
"Yes, but that's not all who we are. We were formed to lead the First Order, to make sure those with the Force can deliver order and peace with a just hand. And all of that down there is our responsibility," Xa-re said, pointing a hand at the First Order installations.
Xa-re paused and put a hand on Rey's shoulder, surprising the young woman. "If you wish to become one of us, you must be willing to do whatever's necessary for the First Order… through any means or sacrifice, no matter how questionable it may be. Do you understand?"
Rey met Xa're's visor. For an instant, behind the mask that once scared her as a child, the tint of gray eyes gently gleamed with certainty. In those eyes, Rey saw calm and understanding. Slowly and truthfully, she answered, "I… I understand, Master Xa-re."
"Very good." Pleased, Xa-re put his hand behind his back. "Now, prepare your things. You will need to be ready for your first mission."
Rey could not believe it. Her first mission, already? "All the information you need will be sent to your datapad," Xa-re continued. "You're to depart immediately after packing your things."
"Yes, master," Rey nodded her head before she turned to leave.
"And Rey!"
Turning back around, Rey caught something that Xa-re had tossed to her. Her hands carefully traced the object, and her wide eyes went back to her master. "Use it well," was all he said.
Again, Rey nodded. With her new gift in hand, she went back down the mountain, feeling she could take on the whole galaxy.
As a Stormtrooper of the First Order, FN-2187 was taught a lot of things. History, military tactics, fighting, the works. He was raised and trained to be the best fighter, much like the other poor souls who were currently alongside him.
Running had been part of that training, thankfully.
"Come on! This way!" Eight-Seven heard from a fellow Stormtrooper.
His white boots kicked up sand. The unforgivable heat of twin suns bore down on him and his white armor. He huffed and puffed, as he had been for however long he had been running, and he was in no mood to stop.
Then, FN-2187 heard something that could have made his blood freeze, if that were possible in the desert. It was a loud roar he had heard so many times before, and it echoed as a dark shadow crept on the sands, not too far from the group. Eight-Seven and his comrades dared to look and see the TIE fighter loomed overhead, like a dark cloud. And it was joined by two more of its kind.
"Spread out!" came from another trooper.
FN-2187 gladly obeyed, pumping his legs faster than he thought was possible, as the TIEs fired a volley of green lasers. While sand flew everywhere, he and his companions acted quickly and fanned out to be less obvious targets. A few who were too slow screamed as they were violently flung into the air and crumpled on the sands.
"Keep running!" he heard one of the runaways, a woman. "Just a bit farther!"
"We can't outrun them! We need shelter!" screamed another.
More shots were fired, explosions rocked the ground, and everything became a haze. Eight-Seven could barely see the sandy blobs in the distance. His breaths were more heavy and rugged than before.
He did not care. Only a bit farther. That was what he heard. Eight-Seven was not sure how much "a bit farther" was, or even where they were going. He did not question it.
He blinked his eyes under his helmet a couple of times. The distant blobs faded in and out, and their shapes curved into large dunes, instead of the flat and open desert he had been running on. "Dunes up ahead! We can hide there!" he called to the others.
"I… I can't… I can't make it that far!" rasped a Stormtrooper lagging behind. "I'm too tired!"
"You have to run! They'll kill you!" said the female trooper.
"I can't!"
Even though he was exhausted, Eight-Seven glanced over his shoulder to the trooper, now kneeling on the ground. The man looked like he could barely run another meter, let alone up the dunes. There was no way he would survive, especially with those fighters.
Throwing away common sense, FN-2187 stopped. "Keep going! We'll catch up!" he told the others.
"Eight-seven, don't-"
"GO!" Eight-Seven shouted, and he took a step towards the helpless trooper.
Suddenly, a green laser lit up in front of Eight-Seven. His feet left the ground and everything spun as a loud boom pounded on his helmet. Eight-Seven did not hear the agonizing scream as the trooper he tried to rescue was incinerated on the spot. He did hear a hard thud when he hit the ground.
It took him a moment to realize he had even landed or that his helmet came off. When he did, he was too tired to do anything. He just laid there and let his dark skin burn in the heat of the twin suns. However, his heart leaped hearing the TIE getting closer.
Eight-Seven tried to scramble to his feet. His legs ached with pain, and he collapsed back on the sand. His breathing quickened, and so did his heart rate. With a look of terror, Eight-Seven's sweaty face stared at the three TIEs about to swoop in and finish the job.
Then, a barrage of red lasers destroyed one.
Eight-Seven almost jumped as a piece of burning metal crashed by his feet. With the rest of the TIE scattered, he saw the other two break off from their hunt and turn tail. The TIE on the right never stood a chance and was too obliterated. As the last TIE flew off, the dark shadow of an X-Wing fighter passed over Eight-Seven and gave chase.
Broken out of his stupor, he watched the TIE that chased him try to out-maneuver its hunter. It swerved, then looped around. The X-Wing followed and fired. Carefully placed shots tore through the TIE's wing, and it was sent careening into the desert before it exploded in a puff of smoke.
It was then, Eight-Seven realized he had been holding his breath. The excitement and relief rushed out of him, and his body immediately felt exhausted. He barely noticed his comrades helping him get up and follow the X-Wing, all the while leaving his helmet behind.
As Eight-Seven rested under the shady dune, he took a mental headcount of everyone left. Four. Only four were left, including himself. Everyone else had taken off their helmet, showing they all had been through a lot.
At the start, their little group had been nine. One had died of heatstroke. The TIEs had killed four more. Half of the group was gone in minutes. Eight-Seven closed his eyes, in respect for his fallen comrades.
He opened his eyes quickly at the black X-Wing that landed a few meters away. The four wings folded back into two, and coming out of the cockpit was a live human in an orange jumpsuit. The pilot took off his black helmet, shook his wild dark hair, and glanced at the people he saved.
"This has got to be the strangest bunch of deserters I've ever seen," said everyone's savior.
That word stung, Eight-Seven saw. Not "strange," the other word: deserters. It was true, though. The First Order did not waste its time hunting just anyone.
"Sorry to disappoint you," spat the female Stormtrooper, a fair blonde whom Eight-Seven never really knew until now.
The pilot held up a hand in mock surrender. "Sorry, didn't mean it that way," he apologized with a wide grin. "I'm Captain Poe Dameron of the New Republic's 49th. What's your name?"
"FN-2103," she replied.
The man, who introduced himself as Poe, blinked. "FN… is that really your name?" he asked incredulously.
"That's all they gave us. I'm FN-2118," answered an aging bald Stormtrooper, another unknown who thumbed at Eight-Seven. "That over there is FN-2187."
Again, Poe blinked. "O-kaaay… Everyone else?"
"FN-2199. Call me Nines," said the proud, yet tired, redhead, the only one whom Eight-Seven knew for more than two days. "I didn't think the New Republic would send anyone out here to this forsaken rock. Stars, I'm surprised anyone got our transmission!"
"Yeah, we're just that surprising," Poe smirked, while Eight-Seven frowned a bit.
A mechanical shriek rang from behind. Poe called over his shoulder, "That was funny, and you know it! Now, stop hiding and introduce yourself!"
A droid, no taller than the captain's shin, rolled on its spherical body. "This is my buddy, BB-8," Poe introduced. "Say hello, BB-8."
The small head atop the ball whirled at everyone, especially FN-2187. Eight-Seven was startled when the droid's body rolled on the ground, while its head remained still on the top. Eying the trooper with its lone eye, BB-8 chirped and beeped something that sounded like curiosity.
"He just has a sprain," Nines told the droid. "He just needs a bit of rest."
"If you ask me, he deserved it for that stunt," FN-2003 snorted. Eight-Seven would have glared, but she glared at him first. "You could have gotten yourself killed back there, you know!"
"Hey, hey, easy!" Poe got in between the two before a fight could break out. "You've all gone through a lot today. Save that energy for something other than arguing, 'kay?"
Fortunately, the blonde had backed down, and Poe cleared his throat. "Anyway, I promised to get you guys out of here, but I have some questions."
"What do you want to know?" Eight-Seven said at last after being rescued.
"For starters, what's the First Order doing on Tatooine of all places?"
"They're looking for someone. They never gave us a name, just his face." To prove his point, Eight-Seven drew a small imagecaster from his belt and turned the image on for all to see.
For the first time, Poe looked serious. "Are you sure about this?" he asked without turning away.
"Yes… Why?" came from Nines.
Poe did not answer. "BB-8, get that image and transmit it back to base," he ordered and whirled back to X-Wing.
Watching Poe leave, Eight-Seven tried to rise on his feet. He collapsed, but yelled, "Hey! You promised you would get us out of here!"
"Don't worry, I will!" Poe called over his shoulder. "Just need to take care of something first!"
Eight-Seven saw that roguish grin from before. It did little to wipe away his worries, and so far, the others were liking their situation less and less.
"I assure you, general, everything is under control."
In front of Captain Phasma, the holoimage of Hux, Supreme General of the First Order's military, scowled. Though the life-sized image of Hux was a head shorter than Phasma, he was very intimidating. "I am in no mood for your games, captain. The search has gone on for too long!" Hux snapped in his posh voice. "Too much time and resources are wasted here already, and the New Republic will not simply let you go when they find you!"
Phasma was grateful the comm chamber was isolated from the rest of the bridge, so no one else would have to hear this… humiliation. "They will not find us," she assured. "I only need a bit more time, and I may find something."
"I did not contact you for baseless promises. I want results… What's more," Hux continued, "there have been some… concerning develops from Lieutenant Mitaka's reports."
"I was not aware the lieutenant had sent any back to base," Phasma said through gritted teeth, not that anyone would tell since she wore a helmet. "We have had received some… trouble recently. Two planetary rotations ago, certain members of Shrike and Darell Squads were reported to have gone AWOL."
Hux was silent for the first time since he called the Finalizer. Phasma reported, "A small squadron of TIE fighters has already been deployed to hunt them down. Any survivors will be brought back for reconditioning."
"Do you have their designations?" Hux inquired after a long moment.
"Yes, sir." Again, the general was surprisingly silent. "General, it won't be long before we have them. The situation will be back under control, and we will find Kyl-"
"Take care, captain. You don't want any more mistakes to damage your 'good record,'" Hux cut Phasma off.
The captain realized the slip of her tongue. "I apologize, general."
Hux's scowl was etched into his face, as though he could have cared less. "I'm afraid you'll have other worries on your plate. The Knights of Ren have taken an interest in this search and believe some help will be required."
"They're sending one of their own?"
"No… they are sending an apprentice," Hux snarled at the last word. "She's on her way right now. She's to serve under you and help in any capacity while the search on Tatooine continues."
Phasma was not sure to be relieved or more stressed.
"But," the general said sharply, "you will have five hours, planet time, to continue your search. If you have found nothing, then return to base."
"Yes, sir," she obeyed.
Hux said nothing more. His image flickered, and the light retreated back into the console. The general was gone, back to his post on Starkiller Base.
Phasma stood there, glaring at the empty space General Hux previously filled. Her time limit had been significantly shortened, and she was getting not a Knight of Ren, but an apprentice. Phasma had no time babysitting a child during such an important mission, but the order came from the Knights of Ren, so she could not ignore it.
A First Order officer entered the comm chamber, which Phasma saw as a refreshing distraction. "Captain," saluted the officer, who was a few heads shorter than her.
"At ease, petty officer. What is it?" Phasma ordered.
Lowering his hand, the officer hesitated, "Well... communications have picked up an encrypted transmission from Tatooine."
"And?"
"Its designation is New Republic."
Phasma stepped to the officer in shock. "On Tatooine?" The man nodded. "How is that possible? We're on the edge of the system. We've been monitoring ships coming in and out! If the New Republic arrived, we should have picked up a signal!"
The officer shrunk under the tall and armored woman. "Well, captain… perhaps they have developed a new craft that can… avoid our sensors?"
Phasma glared at the impudent officer. Then, she held out her hand. "The transmission," she ordered in a dark tone.
The datapad in her hands, Phasma studied it. Most of it was still a jumble, but the bits and pieces of encrypted data came in like drops of water. It said:
"Contacting Mast… ave new informa… Firs… der searching... Solo…"
Phasma put the datapad back in the officer's hands. She had read enough. "Pinpoint that transmission's origin," Phasma ordered. "I want every man and woman on board to figure out where that agent is hiding!"
The officer looked perplexed. "What about the deserters?"
"It's no coincidence the Republic agent came here. They are probably aware of the deserters and may have learned our mission from them. We find the origin, we find our deserters."
"And what of the New Republic agent?"
Phasma thought that was obvious. "Eliminate with extreme prejudice."
With a twirl of her dark cape, Phasma left the officer on the walkway. Hux had been right. The mission depended more on her success, now more than ever, and there were a number of things to worry about. The gears turned in the Stormtrooper captain's mind, coming up with a plan.
And the first thing on her list was related to a certain lieutenant.
"Peace. Serenity. Harmony."
He repeated the words to himself over and over again for the past several minutes. The image of a river flowed in his mind. It was calm and quiet, maintained by his concentration and focus. Everything about the river sparkled and shone, and from it, he felt the very things which he had been saying.
"Peace. Serenity. Harmony…"
He was about to say his mantra once more when a voice, distant and heavy, whispered into his ear, "You cannot escape it..."
Images of a murky storm and a figure in white flashed before him. The darkness he had been holding back surged forth, blazing the river in its molten fury and polluting it with three things:
Emotion… passion…
… chaos…
He winced. "No… Not now. Not now," he whispered.
He struggled to not think of the memory. He focused on the river and on his words. "Peace… Serenity… Harmony…" His efforts paid off. The memory cleared away, the darkness and the aspects attached to it faded, and the river was quiet once more.
Safe and sound, he opened his eyes from the river and to what had been a young boy's bedroom. He rose from the soot-coated bed and placed his feet next to a ruined model of a T-16 skyhopper. The smell of rot filled the long-abandoned room, and he coughed from the stuffy air.
'How did anyone ever live in a place like this?' he wondered before leaving the room, his cloak dragging behind.
The outside was just as ruined as the bedroom. He walked down the black-stained steps to the base of what was a giant crater for a home. There, what could have been moisture vaporators were melted down to the base. By the time he reached the base, a woman's voice called out to him.
"Did you find anything yet?"
He turned, the voice's owner nowhere to be seen. "Nothing!" he called back. "You?!"
Another voice squealed back in response. "Keep looking! We might find something here!" he told the two voices.
As the voices were muffled by their own search, he looked up to the sky, where Tatooine's twin suns were past their zenith. Even in the shade of the old dwelling, and even with his hood hiding his face, he felt their glare on him. "What more do you want with me?" he asked them.
An answer came to him. It was not the one he wanted as he felt something from beyond Tatooine's skies.
The shuttle Black Bones came out of hyperspace and floated forward like a ship on the open ocean. For Rey, seated behind the pilot's chair, the stars blurred and focused into being. Her first time in hyperspace had been surprisingly smooth than she expected, and she had taken the time to eye the great blue tunnel in wonder.
The Finalizer up ahead was just as impressive. A Super Star Destroyer from the Empire's heyday, its sheer size was unlike any Rey had ever seen, enough to block out the planet it orbited. It was a dark shadow, and the rest of it was so dark it blended in with the stars.
Rey was not the only one. The co-pilot seated in front whistled, "Wow. She's a beauty, isn't she? Imagine what it's like to serve on there…"
"Save the dreams of glory for later. We have a job to do," quipped the main pilot. "Shuttle Black Bones, requesting permission to dock."
"Shuttle Black Bones, please transmit clearance codes for docking," said the voice on the other end.
"Transmitting clearance code."
After a moment, the voice continued, "Clearance codes, accepted. You may begin to…"
The voice on the other end ceased. Out came another, a woman's, more powerful and commanding like Master Xa-re. "This is Captain Phasma of the Finalizer. Shuttle Black Bones, you are to head to the planet Tatooine at once."
Rey leaned past the equally confused pilots and answered, "Captain Phasma, please clarify the situation."
"Ah, you must be the apprentice..." Rey mentally winced hearing that word, "... I have been expecting you. You understand the duties of your new assignment?"
"Yes, captain."
"Then, I would suggest you depart for Tatooine immediately. You shall receive further instructions once you have landed on the surface," said Phasma before the line was cut.
Rey stood up straight. True, she had read her instructions before leaving Starkiller Base. She just did not expect her new commanding officer to sent her on a mission so suddenly. No matter, she still had her orders, and this was her first mission. She would listen… for now.
"Head down to the planet's surface," Rey ordered.
"Understood, ma'am," acknowledged the pilot.
As the Black Bones swerved away from the Finalizer and towards a dusty planet, Rey's fingers anxiously ran along the hilt on her belt.
Lieutenant Mitaka tugged at his collar as sweat poured down his pale brow. It was hot, too hot for someone like him, with his pale skin. The fact Mitaka was made to wait out in middle of Tatooine's desert in his black uniform made him think it was some kind of punishment. The morbid thought was only accentuated by the entire squadron of Stormtroopers waiting behind him.
Whatever his thoughts, Mitaka took a careful eye at the approaching shuttle. It was a Lambda-class, typical design for the First Order. The craft's wings folded up in its descent, and the lieutenant pressed his black cap atop his dark hair, to prevent it from being blown off. The boarding ramp lowered, and Mitaka straightened his back in anticipation for the dreaded figure he heard from Captain Phasma.
"Who are you?" he heard.
Mitaka blinked at the darkly dressed newcomer coming off the ramp. A girl? That was all the Knights of Ren had sent?
"Who are you?" the girl repeated, snapping Mitaka out of his stupor.
"I-I am Lieutenant Mitaka," the man explained as he tried to compose himself. "I was sent here on Captain Phasma's behalf."
"I see…" the girl in black frowned. Clearly, he had not the person she had been expecting. A very mutual feeling.
Mitaka cleared his throat, ending the awkward silence between them. "… I am to understand that you were sent here by-"
"By my master, Xa-re Ren. I, Apprentice Rey, am here to assist you in capturing and detaining these deserters."
"Ah… I will brief you on the situation then," Mitaka said with a weak smile. After wiping his sweaty brow with his hand, he began,"We have been doing a sweep of the entire planet. We also have reason to believe that the deserters are being aided by an agent of the New Republic."
The girl's eyes widened a bit. "I believe Captain Phasma has a plan?" she said after a brief pause.
"Well, yes… but I'm afraid I wasn't given the full details, marm. These troopers here shall provide it to you," Mitaka explained as he stood aside and gestured to Phasma's men accompanying him.
Nodding, Mitaka's "guest" walked past him. While she was busy talking with the troopers, Mitaka saw an ample opportunity to board the shuttle. He breathed a sigh of relief feeling the cool shade of the shuttle hull. "Call in the Finalizer. I have finished with my task and am ready to return," Mitaka ordered the two pilots as soon as he stepped in the black hull.
One of the pilots said, "I'm sorry, sir, but we just received new orders. You're to stay here and assist with operations."
"What?!" Mitaka allowed himself a slight look of surprise.
"I'm afraid the orders come from Captain Phasma herself, sir," said the other pilot.
Mitaka tried his hardest not to grumble. Phasma, again? "Very well," he conceded and went back the way he came.
After stepping off the boarding ramp, Mitaka was forced to watch the shuttle fly back up, taking away his only hope of getting off this rock. He coughed up some sand that flew into his mouth. The irritating heat came back too, as a few more beads of sweat ran down his brow.
"Lieutenant?" Mitaka turned around. It was the girl, Rey, now flanked by the Stormtroopers whom she had been talking to.
Resigning himself to his fate, Mitaka stood straight. "It appears I am to be joining you on your mission… I assume you have been given the details of this mission?"
"Yes."
"... may I ask what they are?"
One of the Stormtroopers spoke before Rey could. "I'm afraid that's on a need-to-know basis, sir."
"And is there something I'm allowed to know now?" Mitaka asked sharply at the Stormtrooper.
There was no answer. Mitaka guessed if he asked the other Stormtrooper, it would be the same. Phasma's orders, no doubt. Really, what had he done to make the woman so angry at him? It just puzzled Mitaka's mind as he tried to come up a number of reasons to no avail.
No matter now. Phasma would have her revenge, whatever reason for. At the moment, Mitaka just stood straight and tried not to grumble. "Very well," he conceded and turned to Rey. "Marm, what are your orders?"
Rey's eyes shifted between the two Stormtroopers. "Now, we wait," she said. "You two, go search the area, let me know when you hear or see anything." While the two saluted and went their way, Rey looked to Mitaka. "Lieutenant, come with me."
With that, Rey turned to the enclave of rocks lying behind them. The lieutenant's nose flared in response and a sound frustration came out. He did not mean for it to be heard, but it was. "Is something the matter, lieutenant?" Rey inquired.
Mitaka breathed, wiping more sweat off his brow. "No, marm… Just a bit hot, that's all…"
As Tatooine's twin suns loomed overhead, Nines took what comfort he could find in the dune's shadow. His buddy, Eight-Seven, had taken the past several minutes to rest his sprained leg, and Nines had checked every few minutes or so. During the wait, Nines' mouth and body felt like they were inside an oven but the silence was an even bigger bother.
Rolling out from under the X-Wing was the pilot's droid, BB-8, letting out a series of sharp whistles and beeps. Nines looked around at the other Stormtroop… ex-Stormtroopers. "Does anyone know what it's saying?" he asked.
The balding FN-2118, clearly experienced, explained, "It says that pilot's almost done. We just have to wait a bit longer."
FN-2103's groan was heard by everyone. "And how much longer is he going to take?"
"A bit longer," FN-2118 replied humorlessly.
While a silence fell over the group again, Nines carefully eyed the black X-Wing. Ever since the New Republic pilot saw that holo, the man kept himself hold up inside his X-Wing without a word. By now, several minutes had passed, and it was getting to everyone.
"We can't stay here."
Nines and everyone turned to Eight-Seven sitting under the shade. Breathing he repeated, "We can't stay here… If we stay here, we die…"
FN-2118 somberly agreed. "The First Order is looking for us. If they find us, they'll kill us…or worse…"
Nines, and surprisingly FN-2103, had nothing to add. Any deserters and traitors found were taken away, never to be seen or heard from again. There were rumors in the Stormtrooper barracks; torture, execution, or fed to some monster in the First Order's basement. None of those sounded too pleasing.
"Well, you might not have to worry about that!"
Everyone, including the droid, whirled their heads to the pilot, who finally exited his X-Wing. FN-2103 took a step forward, demanding, "What took you so long?"
"Sorry. I was contacting my superiors," Poe apologized with a small grin, which quickly faded. "They said they'll be sending a couple of ships to pick you up."
"Did they say how long they would be?" Nines asked.
"Soon. Hopefully, quick enough to scare off the First Order. In the meantime, we need you find some shelter... So, I've been having BB-8 scan the surrounding area."
"For what? Aside from Anchorhead, there isn't else much around, and there's no way we're going back there," Nines said.
The droid beeped, and Poe translated. "He says there's a small place a few miles east from here. If we head there, we can hideout until my friends come."
"We have to wait first," FN-2118 grunted as he stood and glanced up at the sky. "It'll be easier to run in the dark."
"We don't have time," Poe pressed. "Like you said, the First Order's after you. The longer we wait, the sooner they'll find us. We leave now, we can make it before midnight. The sands can cover our tracks, if anything."
The answer did not bring much confidence. They would still be found if they stuck on this forsaken planet for any much longer. Still, none of them had any other choice. Nines knew that, and he saw everyone else, especially Eight-Seven, knew it too.
So, everyone gathered their things. Poe and his droid went over to their X-Wing to pick up a few things. The other two troopers prepped their rifles and gathered up their helmet. Nines had gone over to Eight-Seven and outstretched his hand. "How's the leg? Any better?" he asked.
Eight-Seven nodded a little. He silently took the hand and stumbled a tiny bit when Nines pulled him up. Nines kept an arm on Eight-Seven to keep him steady. Noticing the two trailing behind, FN-2103 called to them, "Hurry up! We need to get moving!"
"Don't worry!" Nines called back. "You just worry about leaving a trail for us!"
The blonde rolled her eyes before putting her helmet on and following Poe and FN-2118. Left alone, Nines glanced at his friend. A sad and tired expression fell on Eight-Seven's darkened face, not helped by the dark bags under his eyes. After all that happened, it should not have bothered Nines, but it did.
A thought lit up in his mind, and Nines put on a smile. "Heh, this makes it the fourth time I'm helping you." His buddy said nothing, so he continued, "Remember the last time? On that asteroid field? I had to distract the commander, while you had to get Zeroes out of that garbage chute."
"That didn't happen," Eight-Seven muttered, frown still on his face. "I was the distraction. You helped Zeroes."
"If I didn't help, Zeroes would told the commander. That still makes it three."
At last, Eight-Seven smiled a bit. "If we get out, then you can make it four," he said, and Nines grinned, glad to have lightened up the mood.
It was short-lived as fear filled the deserters, along with the cries of a TIE fighter.
Everyone looked up in time to see them flying in the distance. This time, it was not just a few TIEs. Sunlight gleamed off an entire flight's worth of fighters, and the brightness grew as they came closer towards the small group.
"H-how did they find us?! How could they have found us?!" Eight-Seven cried.
As much as Nines wanted to ask that, now was not the time for answers. "C'mon!" he yelled, yanking Eight-Seven away.
In seconds, the droid's beeps, FN-2103 and FN-2118, and whatever Poe was saying were all drowned by the TIE's thundering lasers that hit the ground, one after the other. Nines and Eight-Seven were safe under the dune, while everyone else had a head start and ran in time to avoid the hail of shots.
Everyone… save for Poe's droid.
BB-8 rolled about, its sounds almost nonexistent as it was caught in between one mushroom sand cloud and another. In the midst of the carnage, the droid unknowingly whirled to Eight-Seven and Nines.
'No, no, no, don't come here! Don't come over here!' Nines begged, and from the look on Eight-Seven's face, he was probably thinking the same thing.
Sadly, the droid did come over, rolling between a few more barrages. In a few blinks, it came under the dune with the two ex-Stormtroopers. Nines glared down and shouted, "What are you doing?! Get out of here!"
The ball let out a sound like it was indignant, which was drowned by the lasers. Lasers that, as Nines and Eight-Seven noticed, were nearing their location… and the black X-Wing that easily stood out in the white desert.
Alarms ran in Nines' mind as he shoved his friend off, shouting, "Get down!" Eight-Seven fell next to the droid. Nines himself made a run for it, hoping to avoid the oncoming onslaught.
He only made a couple of steps before four shots destroyed the X-Wing.
Black metal was torn in a wave of heat and power, which sent Nines off his feet. He did not even notice Eight-Seven as he fell face forward into the sand.
Nines laid there, groaning and blinking away spots in his vision. Less than a meter away and barely visible in a cloud of smoke and dust, Eight-Seven was on his back, doing the same. "Nines, are you alright?!" the latter shouted over the sound, and Nines barely heard it from the drumming in his ears.
"Yeah!" he coughed after inhaling the smoke. The feeling of disorientation washed over all senses, the numbness taking hold every bit of his body, save for the legs. "Zero-three! One-eight! Where are you?!" he called.
Nines looked up and found the others. In the thick cloud, Poe, FN-2103, and FN-2118 stood a short distance away. Poe's words could not be heard, but the wave of the pilot's arm beckoned Nines to join them.
A laser struck the ground near the trio. FN-2103 and FN-2118 grabbed Poe, trying to drag him away from the ruins of his craft. The unarmored man protested at first, but another missed shot made him reconsider as he turned tail with the other ex-troopers.
From where he laid, Nines watched his and Eight-Seven's hopes for escape flee into the desert, with a couple TIEs following behind. The rest, totalling in three, circled overhead like birds of prey ready to swoop in on their hunt. Nines felt only the sense of despair dropping down to the pit of stomach.
There was no way out now. No way to get away. Not without attracting those blasted TIEs…
"Nines!" It was Eight-Seven, still hiding under the safety and protection of the sand dune.
Some glimmer of hope rose in Nines. With that hope, he had a plan. A terrible plan, but a plan, nonetheless. It was not like they had anything else to lose.
Rising to his feet, Nines looked to Eight-Seven, who was clearly in no position to move yet. "Look like you'll owe me five," he said suddenly.
Nines did not give the time to Eight-Seven respond. He ran out into the open desert, in the opposite direction of Poe and the others. Eight-Seven screamed for him to come back. Nines did not listen and continued to run for his life. He ran and ran and ran, putting more distance between himself and Eight-Seven.
Just as he expected, the three TIEs followed. Good. There was no need for both Eight-Seven and himself to get caught. At least this way, Nines could buy his friend some time to rest and escape before anyone came back.
"Stay alive," Nines hoped, and it oddly gave him some encouragement to run even faster.
However, the shadows of the TIEs chasing Nines crept on the sand and passed over the deserter.
For all the energy Nines pumped into his legs, the TIEs were faster. All three of them flew overhead and circled around to their target. They kept themselves evenly apart.
Then, they descended on the sand. They stopped a few centimeters of touching the ground, their turrets trained on the lone traitor.
Cut off, Nines stopped and eyed the fighters. This was it. This is what he had been planning. "Go ahead! Do it!" Nines dared the pilots.
To his surprise, the TIEs did not shoot.
Nines held his arms wide open. "Well, I'm here! What are you waiting for?!"
The TIEs still did not shoot.
Nines' shock was clear. What in the blazes was going on?
A voice boomed from the center TIE. "FN-2199, you will be escorted back to the Finalizer for rehabilitation," announced the pilot inside. "Resist and we will use force."
Nines' shock turned into horror. No, no, no! This was not what he had planned at all. This was supposed to be his last stand. A moment of pride and glory in his life, perhaps his only one. Why did it have to end like this?
The answer came to Nines. The First Order would not let him die. Not yet. They had other uses for him, and they would have him come back, one way or another.
Cursing himself, Nines raised his arms and surrendered to whatever fate awaited him.
AN: Yeah, this was an AU-turned-rewrite of TFA that began in 2016. Never got past the first act but I did like what I had planned out. Even though I've given up on it due to the long-standing nonsense in the franchise and fandom (some of which existed even before Disney bought the franchise), I hope you like part 1. Until next time, take care.
Raika out.