Chapter 8
Tracking down the droid
The four First Order carriers enter the Finalizer hangar with ease. Just after, Kylo Ren's shuttle makes its entrance. Once the landing is complete, the ramp lowers and two stormtroopers escort the prisoner. Poe looks around, realizing how lucky he is not to have been shot or even wounded, unlike the other villagers who were all dead. It's in relatively good condition, at least for now.
At the same time, the transports' ramps lowered and the survivors exits, happy that, thanks to the White Storm's supervision, very few of them had died. FN-2187 comes out accompanied by his comrade FN-2003 nicknamed Slip. The two joke and tease each other.
"It wasn't too bad for a first mission, and we both came through!"
"It's mainly because we had the elite with us, without which everything would have been different. I don't think I could have stood it if you'd been killed back there." FN-2187 replies.
Slip taps him on the shoulder.
"Come on, no need to ruin the mood."
Dorvaas puts his hand on FN-2187's shoulder.
"Your buddy is right. Why don't you get something to eat and get some rest? It'll do you good."
The stormtrooper replies with a nod.
At the same time, Kylo Ren and Arya walk side by side through the Finalizer corridors. Many thoughts collide in her head. She'd like to talk about it, but she's hesitant. Her master has always taught her to leave superficial things aside, he'd probably see her thoughts that way.
"What's going on?"
Kylo Ren's voice brings her back to her senses. She raises her head to give him a look, at least she can only see his helmet and not his eyes.
"Ehm- what?"
"I sense you're troubled. Your mind is clouding again." he says in a rather monotone voice.
She knows he's right. As much as she'd like him to be wrong, he's the master and she's far from being able to stand up to him, so he'll always be right.
"I don't understand what you're planning to get out of this pilot. We know why he came and he's probably hidden the map in who knows where."
"And that's exactly the information I intend to get from him. His spirit is too weak to resist for long."
At the same time, Poe Dameron was in one of the ship's cells. Securely tied to a chair, he couldn't get very far. Even if he managed to undo his bonds, the ship is crawling with soldiers and technicians and he couldn't make it ten meters before being captured again. He could only realize what a disaster this precious mission is. Leia trusted him, and now Lor San Tekka is dead and the map is in the middle of the desert aboard little BB-8.
His face is pretty bruised. He'd been hit all over the body, but in a way that didn't hurt him critically, just enough to make him suffer and prepare him for what was to come. He has kept silent in the face of questions and pain, but when the door opens to reveal the same dark figure from the village, he struggles to free as a last hope. Perhaps it was his primal instinct that spoke, like a warning about what this man would do to get the map back.
Kylo Ren stops in front of him, knowing exactly what he has to do and that it will be a success.
"So, you're the best pilot in the Resistance… You wanted to try and shoot me from your cover, didn't you? Surely the stupidest idea I've seen, especially after I've already killed Lor San Tekka."
Kylo Ren takes a few steps closer to his prisoner.
"We came to him for the same reason, and yet it seems like he was a lot friendlier to you than he was to me."
"You don't look like the type to have friends after all, and it's hard to ask questions to a dead man." Poe replies sarcastically.
This answer surprised Kylo Ren, who probably thinks this pilot is stupid and far from imagining even a quarter of what he's in for. He holds out his hand to begin probing her mind.
"Where did you hide it?" he says with a cold tone.
"Hide what?" Poe replies almost humorously.
"Spare me your useless chatter. Time is precious and mine even more so tell me where the map is."
Poe tenses up, his body and especially his mind prey to something for which there is no preparation. Despite this, he tries to bear the pain.
"The Resistance... will not weaken before you."
"What Resistance? All I see in this room is a pilot who's a bit too talkative except for what interests me."
Kylo Ren intensifies mental probing. The pilot's eyes turn blood-red, a mere human not sensitive to the force can't resist it even with all the will in the galaxy. He screams in pain before collapsing forward, still held by the interrogation chair. The dark warrior had just found the information he was looking for.
Arya had returned to her quarters on board the ship. Even if they're less luxurious than on the Starkiller Base, it's still better than nothing. Just as she was getting ready to take a shower, she heard the door slide open and quickly put back on the tunic she had been removing. She sees that it's her master coming in, which means the interrogation is over. She doesn't need to ask if it worked, she knows that with the techniques her master uses, it always does.
"So where is it?" Arya asks in a nonchalant tone.
"In a droid, a BB unit somewhere in the Jakku desert."
Arya gives a slight sigh of discontent.
"Do we have to go back to that big ball of dust? I've already got sand everywhere in my boots, these damn grains are getting everywhere and irritating me."
"If that's all it is, don't worry. General Hux will send soldiers to retrieve the droid." Kylo Ren replies to her.
The young girl seems delighted, but settles for a barely visible smile of satisfaction.
"Fine, master. Is there anything else you want to tell me?"
He looks into her eyes for a brief moment.
"Not at the moment."
"All right, then may I ask you for a little time alone?"
Kylo Ren nods and takes two steps backwards before turning around to face the door.
"Keep your comlink close by, just in case." he says before the door opens and he leaves his apprentice's quarters.
As soon as the door closes, Arya expresses her joy at not having to set foot on Jakku again with a shriek and a small leap. She immediately goes into the bathroom, removing her rather sandy clothes before stepping into the shower and turning on the hot water. Jakku's desert heat isn't a problem, but having taken part in the mission at night, where the desert is cold, she couldn't even appreciate it. That's why she appreciates a hot shower, although she always takes one, as her metabolism is used to the intense heat of Mustafar.
Water runs down her long blond hair. It was always something she found relaxing, and at any time. Given her position as Kylo Ren's apprentice, she has simple and unlimited access to this kind of pleasure, which is why she probably takes more showers for pleasure than to actually wash herself. But it has to be said that this one is rather a mix of the two. So she washes thoroughly to remove every last grain of sand that might have hidden under her clothes.
Hux watches the transport from the bridge. A squad has just been sent to Jakku to recover the precious droid. He is joined by Kylo Ren.
"Are you sure they'll find the droid?"
"Jakku is a primitive planet, so the BB unit will be heading for the planet's main vital centers. This planet has very few of them." Hux says rather pleased.
The reaction doesn't seem to be shared by the master of the Knights of Ren.
"I want that droid, and it better be brought back to me intact."
"Supreme Leader Snoke was clear about this. Bringing back the droid is the priority, but destroying it is a viable option. The Resistance must not get it." Hux says turning to Ren.
Kylo Ren remains silent for a moment. In this kind of situation, it's hard to guess what he's thinking. With his face hidden from view, you just have to refer to his tone of voice to know his mood.
"If the droid is destroyed, and the map with it, it won't be Snoke you'll have to worry about." he says in an almost threatening tone.
"Our soldiers are the best-trained and most capable the galaxy has ever seen. I won't allow you to question what they're capable of." replies the general.
"I doubt that's the case for all of them, but if that's what you think, they'll have no trouble finding and bringing back the droid without damaging it."
With that, Kylo Ren left the bridge, leaving Hux alone with the few officers present. The general redirects his gaze to Jakku.
Meanwhile, the White Storm had settled into one of the training areas reserved for the cadets during their formation. Butcher began to challenge Corny to a duel with a melee weapon while the others went about their business, mainly chatting.
"I wonder why we weren't the ones sent back to Jakku. After all, this whole operation is mainly thanks to us, isn't it?" Doc asks.
"Because Hux is an idiot, that's all. Behind his fine speeches about the efficiency of the Stormtrooper Corps, he sees us all in the same light. Drayen is different, and that's why I'm glad he's our senior officer and not that redhead." Cyclops replies.
Corny, who at the moment is getting teach quite a lesson by Butcher, speaks up.
"Do you have something against redheads?"
"Only him, but I must admit you're not far behind."
Most laughed before Corny was sent to the mat by his undistracted opponent. Butcher helps him to get back on his feet anyway.
"I still hope they get the droid back, because I have a bad feeling about this." Dorvaas says fixing a point like he's lost on some thoughts.
The BB unit's interception squad lands at Niima outpost. Command of the Finalizer has determined that this is the closest point of interest to the village of Tuanul, and therefore the only place where the droid could have gone, alone or with help. What's more, it's the only spaceport on the planet. That is, if it can be called one. The squad leaves the transport, led by a sergeant.
"You know why we're here. The target is a white and orange BB to be captured without damage. Spread out!"
The group of ten troopers split up in the Niima outpost, searching every stall for the droid. The search is long and meticulous, even if the place isn't particularly large, and the soldiers' ruckus seems to bother some of the locals. And then, suddenly, a stormtrooper sees the droid in the grip of a group of thugs looking to take it over.
"Hey! You!"
He points his blasters at them and the thugs try to flee with the droid, only to be intercepted by another trooper, putting them on the run. They thought they were out of the problem when a shot rang out, killing one of the First Order soldiers. The second tries to retaliate, but is also shot down.
"Enemy fire, take cover!" the sergeant shouts.
The sergeant grabs his comlink and contacts the star destroyer.
"This is FN-1602, encountering enemy fire at Niima. Two soldiers down, request for reinforcements!" he says, before a third is shot.
On board the Finalizer, the transmission is intercepted.
"We read you FN-1602. Have you identified the enemy?"
"Negative, no visuals and... damn, I just lost another soldier. We've located the droid, but we can't take it!"
"Well received, sending air support and an additional squad."
In the right-hand hangar, 2 TIE fighters take off, along with another troop transport. The three ships head for the outpost as quickly as possible.
The remaining stormtroopers continue to come under heavy fire, and it's impossible to know how many people are shooting at them. All that's left is the sergeant and two soldiers, who don't bother shooting anymore and hide behind whatever they can. This reaction stops the shooting and a figure emerges from the top of one of the buildings, the concession stand.
In the air, one of the pilots spots the man and fires his fighter's cannons at the target, destroying most of the building and sending the civilians fleeing, causing widespread mayhem. A second man, armed with a rifle, comes out of hiding to escape, but is shot by FN-1602.
"This is for my men, you filthy scum!" he says out of rage.
The troop transport lands and unloads the reinforcements. The sergeant goes to meet them and speaks to the other man in charge of this squad.
"We lost visual contact with the droid, which was at the level of this tent." FN-1602 says pointing a direction at the other sergeant.
"Copy that. Onward and upward, soldiers, find the BB droid's track!"
Somewhat removed from the hustle and bustle of the stormtroopers, BB-8 had been rescued by what appeared to be a young scavenger. The young woman holds the droid, concealing it with a kind of large bag.
"Don't worry, I'm on your side. They want you too, like Unkar's men, don't they? I'll find a way to get you out of here."
BB-8 emits a slight beep of surprise.
"Yes, I'm surprised too, but you seem to be in danger, so I'm going to help you."
The droid beeps a little more cheerfully, which makes the scavenger smile and beckon it to follow as the two head for her speeder.
Miles above them, Arya calmly emerges from her shower after a good hour inside. She wraps a towel around her body and another around her hair. She opens the bathroom door to go and choose another tunic, identical to the one she usually wears. But just after she opened the door, her master once again interrupts her in her quarters as he enters without preventing.
"Master! You can knock first or something! I could have been- "
He looks at her for a moment before speaking.
"Get dressed quickly, I need you on bridge in 5 minutes." he says before leaving
Arya exhales and turns to look at the comlink on the bed.
"What's the point of him giving me that and telling me he's going to contact me on it if he's never going to do it?"
She says before starting to get dressed.