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In hindsight, Finn should have expected this to happen sooner or later.
Mentally kicking himself over and over, he placed his elbow against the console of the Horizon and leaned his head in his hand, gripping at his locs. He sighed deeply, trying to decide what to do. They had a run to make for the Resistance, but as it was, their situation was likely going to set them back a couple of days. He knew Poe and General Organa likely wouldn’t mind once they found out why there will be a delay – the Resistance was a volunteer organization after all – but Finn hated the idea of letting them down.
Behind him, Rusty beeped an offer of aid if Finn needed it. It took a while for him to get used to the Rebellion-era R2-unit working around them on their light freighter, but he’d come to appreciate the help and the droid’s personality. The droids in the First Order were not programmed with personality chips; they were meant to mindlessly carry on tasks as they were meant to. Rusty was no stranger to chaos and war and took everything in stride. He understood when Finn was stressed and anxious and knew what to do to be helpful just as well as he knew how to help keep a freighter up and running.
The droid was another thing Finn has the Resistance to thank for.
Rusty beeped at him again, waiting for Finn's response. He could translate binary well enough to understand the droid wanted him to call the Resistance.
He rubbed his hand over his face. “Fine,” he agreed. “Can you comm them?”
It took a few minutes to get out an encrypted signal, but soon enough he was staring at the holoprojected face of Poe Dameron.
“Uh…” he began, ineloquently. “Hi Poe.”
“Hey, Finn,” the other man greeted. “How’s it going?”
He decided to break the bad news right away. “We’re going to have to delay the pickup and delivery,” he began, before he started to explain.
To his surprise, he didn’t see the disappointment he expected in Poe’s expression. Rather, it quickly turned to concern.
“So,” he concluded, “she’s had a mid-ranged fever for three days and she’s not eating or drinking. I think I need to take her to get help, but I’m not sure where…”
“Hang on,” Poe stopped him. “Let me page someone…”
In a few minutes, none other than Dr. Harter Kalonia appeared besides Poe. “So, what’s this about a sick smuggler?” she asked, smiling in a warm, teasing manner.
Finn explained everything a second time. “A few days ago, Rey started feeling bad. She’s coughing, her nose is all stuffy and makes it hard to breathe out of it, now she’s had a fever for three days and she’s not getting better. She’s not eating or drinking much either.”
“How high of a fever?” Kalonia asked.
“One-hundred-one point one,” Finn replied. “Fahrenheit.”
The doctor thought about it for a moment, but her response wasn’t exactly helpful. “Could be a lot of things. Best thing to do is take her to the nearest medical center.” Then her eyes suddenly widened. “Is Rey up on her vaccinations?”
He cursed out loud. For all he didn’t pay himself any mind, knowing the First Order kept all their stormtroopers vaccinated against almost everything they could, he forgot Rey maybe had the minimum of her vaccines – assuming the parents who left her even got those for her. Even then, he wouldn’t hold his breath. It crossed their minds once or twice, but so much had happened in the last year that they forgot about it.
Poe groaned. “Yeah, not good.”
“Send us your coordinates,” Kalonia requested. “I’ll find you a place to take her.”
Rusty did as she asked, and she and Poe quickly got an answer for them.
“There’s a medical center close to you where I know some of the people that work there. They’re aligned with the New Republic. Tell them I sent you and you’ll be taken care of.”
He thanked her and breathed a sigh of relief as he has Rusty program the coordinates. The doctor took her leave, and he and Poe were left alone again.
“Hey, take your time with the supply run,” he told Finn. “We want her to get better first.”
The holoprojection flickered out. Finn got straight to setting course for the medical center. It was located in open space and not far, a few hours at lightspeed at the most. The Horizon was flyable with only one pilot, and Rey made sure Finn learned how to pilot on his own in case something like this happened (though she was a terrible passenger, if he were being honest). He had no problem making the jump and setting it to autopilot, asking the old red and white droid to let him know when it was getting to be time to drop out of lightspeed.
Stopping in the kitchenette they installed into the living quarters of the freighter, he heated a bowl of broth and carefully placed it on a tray. He walked down the narrow corridor of the freighter until he came to the sleeping quarters where he and Rey slept. The door wooshed open, revealing a modest space with a bed as the centerpiece. They were so proud the day they bought a mattress, even if it wasn’t anything special. Rey had spent her whole life sleeping on a hammock, and Finn only knew the low-quality excuses for mattresses the First Order provided to the troops. This was luxury to them.
Rey lay flat on her back on her side of the bed, her rest uneasy. Setting the tray down on the end table next to her, he grabbed the thermometer and ran it along her forehead until it read out 101.1.
With a frown, he set the tool down and spoke softly to her. “Rey, are you hungry? Do you want to try some broth?”
She groaned and lazily opened her eyes slightly. “Maybe a little?”
He felt himself breathe a sigh of relief. If she wanted to eat, at least that meant she wasn’t as bad as she could be. Still, he’d feel much better when they got her to the medical center. They had been so careful to avoid getting bad things that spacers were more prone to contract, like bloodburn, and if Dr. Kalonia was worried, he certainly was.
Helping her sit up, he sat the tray in her lap so she could eat without too much of his aid, though he hovered close by. Finn tried not to be too helpful, knowing Rey preferred to do things herself usually. If she needed his help, she would tell him.
“How are you feeling?” he checked in with her.
“Tired,” she replied weakly. “And a little sore.”
Body aches. She’d been complaining about them for days. Between that and inactivity, it was no doubt she was feeling sore. Finn would be sure to message her legs later.
“We’re heading to a medical center,” he told her. “The Resistance gave us coordinates.”
“’M fine,” she protested.
He wanted to laugh, but instead ran his hand through her messy and sweaty hair. “I know, but just to be certain.”
After a few minutes, Rey finished the bowl of broth and Finn placed it back on the table. “Need anything else?” he asked.
She shook her head and Finn stood up to take the tray back to the kitchenette.
Her eyes widened. “Don’t go,” she croaked.
Rey sounded so tired and so lonely that Finn felt his heart break just a tiny bit. Like this, he couldn’t just leave her and he knew Rusty would keep an eye on things in the meantime…
Pulling back the blanket, he slid in to his side of the bed and allowed her to snuggle up to him. She lay her head on his shoulder. “You’re warm,” she said. “It’s nice.”
He stroked her hair again and within moments, Rey fell asleep again. She was still too hot to the touch for his comfort, and her insistence that everything was too cold was alarming.
Only a few more hours, he promised himself. Then she would get the care she needed. Everything was going to be all right.
Just as promised, Rusty rolled into the bedroom and quietly beeped at Finn to tell him they were ready to drop out of hyperspace. He reluctantly pried himself away from Rey, trying not to wake her, and went back to the cockpit to maneuver them closer to their destination.
He saw the medical center almost immediately. In deep space, there wasn’t often much to look at but never-ending blackness and stars dotting the darkness. The station was a bright chromatic space center, and hard to miss.
Finn commed the center first to explain the situation and get permission to land in a hangar. After throwing around the name Dr. Kalonia as instructed, the Horizon was given clearance.
After gently landing them, he immediately opened the exterior doors to find an emergency team in blue scrubs and masks waiting outside. A moment later saw them inside, with him showing them to where Rey lay on the bed.
They took her temperature as she tried to make a sad attempt at batting them away from her. One of the workers chuckled before calling in a stretcher.
They led the pair and droid into the center, telling Finn and Rusty to wait as Rey was taken into a set of doors. Finn was questioned about any symptoms he was experiencing, and when he had nothing to report, the medical assistant pointed him down a hallway where he could wait.
“Or you could sleep on your ship,” the assistant suggested. “I’m not sure how long it’ll be. We’ll comm you.”
He and Rusty went to the reception room to wait. After talking it out, he and Rusty decided they would wait a few hours before taking turns recharging (figuratively and literally) on the Horizon. Hopefully soon someone would come out to tell them Rey’s status.
It took two hours for someone to come looking for them. Rey was situated in a room and hooked to an IV to help with dehydration while her tests were being processed.
“How are you feeling?” he asked her when he walked in to the sparse and industrial room.
“I want to go back to the Horizon,” she sighed. “Smells funny in here.”
Finn chuckled. “Sorry, you’re stuck here for a day or so. Just until you’re better.”
With a huff, Rey frowned.
Less than an hour later, a doctor appeared, datapad in hand. “Well, your tests came back. Looks like you got a classic case of Affliceria.”
Finn felt his eyes widen. “Wait, isn’t that like, a plague?”
The doctor rolled his eyes. “Yeah, a couple centuries ago. Wiped out much of Coruscant back then.” He checked the IV bag. “But now we have a wonderful thing called advanced medical technology and not only have a treatment, we also have a vaccine.” He looked at Finn pointedly. “Which I assume you’ve received.”
Well, that would confirm why Finn wasn’t getting sick. He hated to have something to thank the First Order for, but he had to admit, he was lucky he didn't have to think about all the dangerous diseases he might have been susceptible to if he hadn't been given those vaccines. That could be one of the few positives he could add to his list about his upbringing, at least.
He tried not to think about the First Order any more than that.
Over the course of the next 24 hours, Rey was insufferable. She tested the doctor’s patience, acting like a feral creature at best and a giant toddler at worst. Her fever was the biggest concern now, but the doctor insisted she would be fine if she just sat still and let him do his work.
She was a little better behaved when Finn was with her, but at night when visiting hours were closed, he had to go back to the Horizon to sleep.
As he got up to leave, Rey’s attitude changed from difficult to fearful. Suddenly, her behavior made more sense. A life alone on Jakku brought with it unique challenges to her life, loneliness taking the biggest toll on her mental well-being. Finn leaving her at her most vulnerable reminded her too much of abandonment. The logical part of her brain wasn’t reminding her that he was just going to be sleeping in another place for the night and be back for her in the morning, the child part of her brain was taking over here.
This made it more difficult for him to leave her, even if it was just until morning. When she called out to him as he walked out of the room, it took every ounce of his willpower not to run back to her.
It didn’t stop him from pacing outside the medical center reception doors before opening the next morning.
“How is she?” he asked the moment the doors opened.
The nurse smiled. “Her fever broke last night. We’re planning on releasing her early afternoon once we monitor her fluid intake.”
Finn almost wanted to cheer. He thanked the nurse and walked straight to Rey’s room where she was staring at the ceiling, looking rather bored and exhausted.
“Did you sleep well?” He reached for her hand and stroked her pale skin. Frowning, he had hoped her normal tan tone would return by now.
She nodded. “They gave me… something. To help me sleep.”
“Not sure if you gave them much choice.” A smile spread across his face.
He kept close by for a few more hours, monitoring her almost just as closely as the doctors. Soon enough, Rey was given a clean bill of health and a prescription to help her sleep at night when her sinuses were congested. Just as they were leaving, the pair was stopped at reception and given a card with a written date - a reminder that Rey absolutely needed to make an appointment to get her vaccines around this time.
Embarrassed, Finn took the card and stuffed it in his jacket pocket.
Rusty greeted them on the ramp of the Horizon, informing Finn as he got Rey situated that the freighter was in need of refueling. Finn asked the R2 unit to remind them to make an appointment for Rey later. The droid made chirped a vow to not let the humans forget. They walked into the bedroom, both man and droid making sure everything was ready for Rey and leaving the medical center.
“All right,” he sighed as he tucked Rey in under the blankets on their bed. “Rusty, can you get me coordinates to the nearest station?”
The R2 unit beeped an affirmation and rolled out of the room. Finn sighed and looked down at Rey. “One thing, then another, huh?”
“Where to now?” she asked.
“Whatever fuel station Rusty deems safe.” He runs his hand through her hair. “Then we’ll take it easy for a few more days.”
Suddenly, she looked nervous. “What about the Resistance?”
“They want you to get better first. The Resistance doesn’t need that stuff right away.”
Rey didn’t look convinced, but she didn’t argue further. That is, until Finn got up to go to the cockpit. “Wait,” she gasped. “Where are you going?”
Her hand was outstretched, like she was reaching to grab for him. There was that fear in her eyes again.
“I’m just going to the cockpit,” he explained gently. “As soon as we’re in lightspeed, I’ll come back.”
“Promise?” Now she sounded like a little kid.
He nodded. “Promise.” Then, before she could protest further, Finn scampered out the door and down the corridor to the cockpit.
Rusty greeted him with word he found a close enough fuel station.
“Where to?” Finn asked.
The droid beeped out the coordinates and assured his human partner that the fuel station should be safe. He detected no First Order activity there in the databases. Trusting the R2-unit, Finn entered the coordinates and once they were out in open, clear space, he made the jump to lightspeed.
He moved back out to the corridor. “You’ll let me know when it’s time to drop out, won’t you?” he asked the droid.
A series of beeps told him the droid wasn’t going to let him down.
Upon returning to Rey, he found her laying on her side and watching him expectantly before patting her hand on his side of the bed to give him another clue.
“You’re so demanding when you’re sick,” he chuckled, but moved in to lay next to her anyway. The moment he settled in, she plopped on him, burying her face into him. “Are you going to behave now?” he asked. “Not going to give me a hard time like you did those doctors, right?”
“No,” she whispered. “You’re here.”
“Why does my being here make you behave?”
She mumbled something into his shoulder, but he couldn’t hear it. Her cheeks flashed red, causing Finn to worry she was feverish again until he realized it was a blush along her pale skin.
“What was that?”
Sighing, she pulled her head up. “All I want is to sleep beside you.”
He didn’t know how to respond to that with words. Instead, he turned on his side and reached his arm around her, pulling her closer. He held her as they fell asleep.
It was probably less than two hours later that the Horizon landed in the hangar of the space-based refueling station. The moment he saw the shape of the station in the distance, Finn grew nervous, knowing this particular class was something the First Order set their sights on having ownership of. The colossal stations were built during the time of the Empire, and many were destroyed during the Rebellion. With their defense capabilities, both the New Republic and the First Order wanted what stations remained in their possession.
Rusty insisted the data logs on this location showed no First Order activity, however, he also admitted the Resistance didn’t get much of a chance to check out these refueling stations often. Finn trusted the droid though, and if Rusty thought it was fine, he would believe him.
“Where are we?” Rey asked through the freighter’s internal comms once she felt the frieghter touch down.
“Just stopping to refuel and get any supplies we might need,” Finn explained. “Nothing exciting.”
“Good, I need to stretch my legs out.” She swung her legs off the side of the bed and walked over to the closet space to dig out clean clothes.
He watched her as she pulled a pair of linen pants on. “You feel up for walking around?” he asked, trying not to hover again.
“At least a little,” she answered. “Besides, the doctor said I’m not contagious anymore.”
Well, if she was sure he wasn’t going to bug her about it. If she grew tired, she could come back to the Horizon.
All three of the shipmates exited down the ramp, Rey’s arm hooked with Finn’s as she cuddled up next to him. He wanted to think she was leaning on him for support, but he knew the reality was she was probably using him as a source of warmth. She could be terribly selfish when it came to heat sources: stealing the blankets right off of him in the middle of the night, laying on him with her freezing skin to zap the warmth from him.
Finn didn’t mind though. Not one bit.
They walked up to the counter to ask about refueling where a blue-skinned Britarro worker eyed them. “What’s wrong with her?” he asked, looking at Rey pointedly. “She sick?”
“Recovering,” Finn replied, though Rey glared at him. “Not contagious.”
“Better not be,” he grumbled. “We have a strict no-service policy to anyone who might be contagious. Don’t know who’s bringing in what.”
Without another word, Finn slid his credit stick to the worker. “We’re hoping to fuel up that Dynamic-class freighter over there. What’s the price for a week’s worth?”
“Three-thousand,” the Britarro replied. It was about what they normally expected for a fair price. “That can’t be an original, can it?”
Rey laughed. “Nah, it’s just a replica model. We got it cheap used.”
All three of them laughed, catching their breath before Rey continued. “What’s there to eat around here?”
“If you go to the deck, there’s a bunch of food and supply stalls there. Take your pick.”
Glancing at each other, the pair decided without speaking that this was as good of a place to start as any. First though, they needed to hook a fuel hose up to the Horizon.
It was an easy enough task. Finn and Rey had done this hundreds of times. The trickiest part was dragging the hose over to the freighter, really, but even that didn’t take much time. A few minutes later saw the task complete and them walking over to the nearby turbolift, Rusty following behind them.
The deck of the station was massive; neither knew where to start first. There were stalls serving almost everything they could think of: food, parts, droids, handmade housewares, everything.
Finn saw Rey’s eyes widen when they passed each food stall and knew what she was thinking. “Try to eat something that’ll agree with your stomach,” he pleaded. Not all food settled well with her, her digestive system unaccustomed to rich foods, fatty oils, and vibrant spices. She had to slowly get used to new things. On top of that, she was still recovering and hadn’t ate much in the last few days.
“I’m starving though,” she insisted. “I think I’ve only had broth the last three days.” Then she pointed out a stall across from them. “That one looks good.”
He glanced at the food served there. It looked like mushroom caps stuffed with a variety of foods, but mostly cheeses, bread crumbs, and vegetables. A glance at the handwritten menu gave him a bit more information. They were called Constable’s Caps, for starters, which Finn found to be an unusual name, and they could be topped with diced meat, imitation killcrab, or just vegetables.
It seemed like it should be safe enough for Rey right now, and he had to admit the meal sounded good to him.
They approached the chef and asked him for a plate of mushrooms with the diced meat and another with just vegetables. He hoped Rey would stick with the vegetables for her stomach’s sake, but he also wouldn’t mind to see her eat some meat for extra protein. She was already too thin as it was and he knew she lost weight while she was sick.
Finding a spot to sit down and stare out at open space, the pair started digging into their meal. They grabbed mushroom caps off each other’s plates to give both kinds a try.
“I like the meat,” Rey said. “Whatever it is… the spices aren’t too much.”
“Just be careful,” Finn requested. “I don’t want you to start feeling sick from the food.”
“You’re hovering,” she retorted before she turned to him with a smile. “Finn, quit worrying. I’m fine now.”
Running a hand through his hair, Finn sighed. “I know. You just… scared me is all.”
“You know, I really didn’t mean to. I’m fine. Promise.”
Sensing some tension between them, Rusty interrupted them. The pair stopped and looked down at him, listening to what he had to say.
“Yes,” said Rey. “Of course.”
After they finished their meal and discarded the dishes, the three went down a few more stalls until they came to a droid maintenance tent. Ducking inside, they looked around until they found what they were looking for: cans of droid oil. After being left in a state of rust himself – and how he got his name – Rusty was obsessed with keeping himself clean. The Resistance did a good job fixing him up and getting the rust off his panels, and Rey did her best keeping up with that, but the little droid was still so afraid that missing one routine maintenance would be the end for him.
Rey promised she would give him an oil bath in the next few days. Already she was sounding a little winded. Rusty didn’t seem to mind though as long as she was the one to do it. He didn’t mind Finn helping, but it was obvious the droid preferred Rey to him at times. Droids always took a shine to her. It probably had to do with how attentive she was to all the little parts. Rusty often praised her work; his parts always seemed to run smoother when she gave him an oil bath.
They headed back to the Horizon, a can of oil in Finn’s hand. Rey admitted she was feeling tired and wanted to go back to sleep.
The moment the turbolift stopped on the hangar floor, however, both humans backed further inside with a gasp.
A small troupe of soldiers in matte white armor were inspecting the area. Finn felt his heart tighten in his chest. He didn’t think the First Order was still actively searching for him, but he didn’t want to give them any reason to suspect he was once FN-2187.
“Hey, you two,” a ‘trooper calls to him. “I need to see your identification.”
Finn quickly patted his jacket – the one Poe left behind on Jakku when they first met – until he found his forged New Republic ID card, courtesy of the Resistance. Borrowing the Solo nominator, suggested by Han himself, Finn and Rey found themselves with a last name finally. Their cards read Finn Solo and Rey Solo.
The stormtrooper looked his card over. “Solo, huh? Any relation to the Rebellion general?”
Knowing this was a trap to get them to admit to Resistance allegiance, Finn replied. “No, sir. It’s a common name in these parts for orphans.”
He could tell the stormtrooper was studying his body language to decipher the truth. “Are you both orphans or together?” He addressed Rey this time.
“Both,” she replied.
“I guess that makes things easier with registration,” the ‘trooper commented. He looked down at Finn’s ID again. “And you two run a transport business?”
“Yes,” Rey answered. “Just a small business. It’s just us and a droid.”
“And what do you transport?”
“Just small cargo, mainly. Food, equipment, droid and ship parts, you know, the usual.”
“All following First Order standards? Nothing illegal, right?”
Finn wanted to roll his eyes. This stormtrooper wasn’t very good if he thought they would just admit to illegal cargo. Then again, the First Order relied more on intimidation than wit on most issues.
In any case, this time, they were telling the truth. There was nothing illegal on the Horizon at that moment. Finn and Rey tried to keep only legal cargo on board for their business.
“No, sir. We follow the rules,” he replied.
That seemed to appease the stormtrooper as he handed Finn’s ID back to him. “All right then, you’re clear.”
He walked away without further question. Finn felt himself breath for the first time since they were approached.
The pair rushed over to the service counter. “What’s up with the stormtroopers?” Rey asked the Britarro.
“They pick up shipments here sometimes,” he replied. “Won’t stick around for long.”
That didn’t put either of them at ease. “How long ‘till our freighter is full?” asked Finn.
“Be done soon.”
Wasn’t quick enough in Finn’s opinion, but he thought it would be better to sit in the Horizon until refueling was done anyway. Rey wanted to take her nap. She was beginning to get grouchy and ramble.
“We should switch their shipments with a container of our own,” she mumbled angrily. “Nothing important, just a container full of something… rocks. Give what they had to the Resistance.”
He wanted to laugh. “As much as I like the idea, love, we don’t have what we need to switch containers and you’re still not up to it.” Kissing her cheek, he smiled at her.
Rey continued to grumble to herself, but the pull of a warm bed was stronger than the urge to sabotage the First Order at the moment, and she went into the Horizon quietly.
A few days later, when they were certain the First Order wasn’t tailing them and Rey was well enough to work again, they contacted the Resistance.
It was General Organa herself that answered their call, looking very much like she had been hunched over a console for hours. “How’s it going, you two?” she greeted. “How’s Rey?”
Popping her head in closer, Rey made sure Leia could see her. “I’m feeling a lot better,” she said.
“Good to hear. We were worried about you.”
“We wanted to get going on that supply run,” Rey added. “If you still need us.”
“As long as you feel up to it,” replied the general.
“We are,” Finn said.
With a smile, Leia nodded. “You still have those coordinates we sent you?”
“Yes ma’am.”
“Then permission to continue the supply run granted.”
The pair looked at each other, smiles on their faces as General Organa ended the call. Next to them, Rusty voiced his curiosity.
“Looks like we’re back in business,” Finn laughed.
It was risky going to the Core while under First Order occupation, but the Resistance really needed this shipment of supplies. Without it, they could easily lose many more lives that could be saved.
“It’s a pretty world,” Rey commented as she looked out the viewport to the planet covered in blue with patches of green. “I’ve never heard of Abregado-rae though.”
Finn nodded. “It’s a trade-oriented planet. Mostly produces food and medical supplies.”
Breaking through the atmosphere, Rey followed the coordinates to where they were supposed to meet who had the Resistance’s shipment. They would have to be quick and discreet. General Organa sent them a warning after their conversation about stormtrooper patrols around the major spaceport on-world and the surrounding districts.
They circled around the busy spaceport until they were given permission to land. The pair stated their business as picking up a shipment – they didn’t need to give more information than that. Since that was their official profession, they had no problem getting clearance.
Their first steps down the Horizon’s ramp had them looking to and fro, getting an idea of their surroundings and any challenges that might keep them from getting their shipment. No stormtroopers were around, allowing the small crew some relief, but they didn’t want to have a false sense of security.
They found a service officer writing down their ship's specifications and approached him. Being human, they knew he would at least speak Basic and language barriers wouldn’t pose a problem.
“Excuse us,” said Rey. “Can you tell us where this address is?”
The man looked over the number on her datapad. “That’s one of the medical packaging companies,” he answered before pointing to their left. “Follow the signs to the Old Patch and head that way. Cross the first bridge you get to on the canals. It’s a huge factory. Can’t miss it.”
They took his word for it and headed out of the spaceport, keeping in mind their surroundings to help them find their way back.
The service officer was right: it was hard to miss the canals or the first bridge going over them. Neither of the pair had ever seen canals of green water flowing through the middle of a bustling city, but they didn’t get to really explore the worlds they set foot on much either. Trying to keep out of the First Order’s sights, they spent maybe a day or two on any given world before moving on.
The factory was just down the street from the bridge – and impossible not to see. Wondering exactly where they should enter through, Finn, Rey, and Rusty tried the first door they came across.
Poking his head in, Finn saw what looked to be an entry way and decided it wouldn’t hurt to try in here.
The three shuffled inside and hoped their confused expressions would grab the attention of one of the workers. It seemed to work, because in a moment, a tall and lanky creature with too long of limbs and fur that rivaled a Wookiee’s showed up.
“Can I assist you?” the creature asked, its large, watery, round eyes taking the three in.
Finn realized this creature was a Gados, a native species to this world. He had never seen one before except in entries the First Order used to show cadets in their dossiers.
“We’re here to pick up a shipment,” he answered. “For Sector Three.” That was the code name General Organa provided them with.
“Are you the Solos?” the Gados asked. “We’ve been expecting you.”
Rey nodded. “We are.”
The Gados’ flat face fell. “My name is Jysell. You should probably come with me.” She sounded like she could be upset, but Finn wasn’t certain.
Rey glanced at him nervously, but followed Jysell into a small side room. It might have been a supply closet, with how small it was, if it weren’t for a cheap desk placed in the center of it.
The moment the door shut, Jysell sighed. “The First Order seized your shipment for themselves.”
“Wait.” Rey’s eyes widened. “What?”
“The First Order seized your shipment of synthetic bacta,” Jysell clarified. “Two hours ago they showed up and demanded it. As we don’t wish to get caught up in trouble, we gave it to them.”
Finn nodded. He knew blasters were likely involved in this. They did the smart thing and gave the bacta to the First Order but now he and Rey were without supplies to give to the Resistance.
He didn’t know if Jysell knew who the supplies were supposed to be for, however. “Do you think they had a reason to take this specific shipment?” he asked.
“Specifically?” If it were possible, her eyes widened even more. “I’m not sure. They just told us they needed a shipment of bacta at that moment or there would be problems for us in the future.”
That sounded more like bullying than suspicions of helping the Resistance. He wouldn’t put it past the stormtroopers.
“I bet our shipment is still somewhere around here,” he muttered under his breath. Then he got an idea and looked at Rey fondly before he turned back to the Gados. “Can we see the shipping containers you use?”
Jysell blinked confused but then opened the door. “Sure.” She took them out to a shipping dock full of large gray-green shipping containers. There wasn’t anything remarkable about them. No markings or business names to be seen. The Horizon had a few identical containers in the cargo bay.
“Sorry the First Order bothered you,” he told her honestly. “We’ll keep an eye out for them. Don’t want to bring you more trouble.”
“I’m sorry we don’t have a shipment for you,” she said. “We’ve sent a notice to the buyer. Hopefully, we’ll have another shipment ready for them soon.”
They exited the factory empty handed, but Finn already had a plan in mind. Maybe it was Rey’s more rebellious nature influencing him, but he’d rather the First Order not have that shipment at all.
“You know that idea you had back when we were on that refueling station?” he asked Rey.
She knitted her brows together. “Sorta? I was still a bit out of it.”
“What would you say we execute that plan?” he asked. “Think we could get what we need here.”
Rey looked around the canals before she grinned. “Get me some sand or rock, and I can get us ready for a bait and switch.”
It took Finn and Rusty time to find the right hangar where the First Order was based, but once he was in the right place, he had to keep his wits about him. The stormtroopers weren’t the only people working in the hangar, but if he stuck out too much, questions would arise.
“Okay, Rusty,” he told the droid. “Stay close. First Order doesn’t like droids with a mind of their own.”
The R2 unit groaned before he asked Finn a question.
“No,” he answered. “I like you as you are.”
Rusty whined in relief.
The pair walked through the hangar like they had purpose, hoping to feign the image that they belonged here. Finn scanned the area for where shipments were stored prior to loading, finding a fenced-off square full of containers. This had to be the right spot.
He first tried walking into the fenced area without speaking to the stormtroopers guarding it. As he expected, they stopped him.
“State your business,” one demanded.
Finn took a deep breath. “Here to load a shipment of bacta,” he began. “Got an assignment to this hangar from PatchMed.” He hoped name-dropping the factory where the bacta was made would be convincing enough. His time as a cadet gave him enough knowledge to know sometimes when they were low on help on a world, the First Order hired temporary workers to do technical tasks in hangars.”
The stormtrooper looked Finn over before he waved him forward and showed him to a container. “Right here,” he said.
Walking around the container, Finn inspected it. No marks. No brand names. Nothing.
“You sure this is the right container?”
Sighing, the stormtrooper walked up to it. “Saw it placed here myself but…” He entered the container’s passcode and peered inside. “Yeah, boxes of bacta. This is the right one. Load it on the Revenge. First cruiser outside.”
That checked off two tasks on Finn’s list: confirm which container had a shipment and make sure the First Order saw the right materials inside it. He and Rey didn’t want to get the bacta plant in trouble.
He went right to work, not wanting to waste time or bring unwanted attention to himself. With Rusty’s help, they located a forklift and drove it over to the container.
“And now the hard part,” he mumbled to himself. He had to get the container outside and through a corridor leading out of the hanger where Rey was waiting with her replacement. Once he passed her and told her where to go, she would drive in and drop off the container to the First Order’s ship while Finn took the bacta-filled container to the Horizon.
The blaster that sat against his hip wasn’t even a comfort here. If anyone got wind of what he was doing, he would be outnumbered. He had to be careful.
“Stay calm,” he told himself, not unlike how he talked to himself when he escaped with Poe Dameron off the Finalizer. “You’ve got this.”
He passed the light cruiser he was supposed to drop the bacta off at and kept moving forward until he turned the forklift to the right and drove down a vacant strip of runway where Rey was hiding.
“All clear,” he told her. “The ship it’s going to is the Revenge. It’s the light cruiser right outside the hanger as you leave.”
“Got it.” She nodded and let him pass her before she pulled out of the corner and onto the tarmac.
Rusty rolled ahead of him to get the cargo bay of the Horizon ready for him so he didn’t have to wait to load the container. If the shipment was out of sight, it would likely be out of mind until the First Order realized their container wasn’t the right one.
Keeping his ears open for any commotion or blaster fire, Finn braced himself for a fight. He’d shoot his way through the hangar to get Rey to safety, even if the odds were stacked against him. That was the reckless side of him that he tried to get under control, but sometimes he couldn’t help. Rey often commented how much she adored that part of him.
Almost there. He could see the entrance to the public hangar now.
“The Supreme Leader always talks about how he ‘senses’ something.” A voice was heard before the white helmet of a stormtrooper emerged from around the corner. “I don’t get this Force mumbo-jumbo.”
“I wish he’d gain a sense of humor,” the patrol partner replied.
Finn kept driving, praying the stormtroopers wouldn’t stop him for any reason.
They glanced at him briefly as he passed them, but they made no move to flag him down. He breathed a sigh of relief once he got into the hangar and saw the Horizon with its loading ramp down.
Thanks Rusty,” he told the droid as he lowered the forklift to place the container on the ramp. “Once this is inside, can you close up? I’m going to check on Rey.”
The droid rolled into the Horizon, getting ready to finish up the job. Finn dropped the forklift off at the nearby equipment station before he briskly walked out of the hangar…
…And right into Rey.
“Ow!” she exclaimed, placing her hand against her cheek – the place where his chin bumped against.
He rubbed his own face. “Well, I guess I found you,” he said. “Any trouble?”
“Got stopped at the loading ramp, but once I told them it was a container of bacta, they took it, no questions asked. No one noticed we switched places either.”
“Good,” he breathed as he tugged on her hand. “Now, let’s get out of here.”
They kept a quick pace on their way back to their freighter, keeping their eyes out for any more patrol groups. Luck seemed to still be on their side.
Rey jumped into the cockpit and immediately began prepping for takeoff. They couldn’t waste any more time on this world. The First Order could discover the cargo was switched any minute.
Meanwhile, Finn ran around the interior of the Horizon, quickly making sure everything was shut and all cargo was secure. After that little adventure, he wanted to make sure the bacta got to the Resistance in one piece.
“We have lift, Finn,” Rey warned him from the comms. “Sit down. As soon as we’re out of atmo, I’m making a jump.”
He sprinted for the living quarters and settled down on a folding seat in a corner with a seat belt attached. The Horizon was a great ship, but sometimes, jumps could get bumpy.
The familiar tug of his stomach told him they were making the jump into lightspeed already. He waited until the shaking of the ship stopped and the floor underneath his feet stabilized enough for him to stand steady.
Then, he unbuckled himself and launched straight for the cockpit with a smile on his face. “I can’t believe we pulled it off!”
“I can’t either!” Rey exclaimed, her smile almost as wide as his. “Next stop, the Resistance!”
Finn leaned over the pilot’s chair. When she tilted her head up to look at him, he kissed her.
Ground control helped them land when they arrived at the marshes of Chal Hudda, the location of the Resistance base. Without help, landing the Horizon would have been tricky. Poor judgement of the landscape could easily get them stuck.
They were greeted by familiar faces when they walked down the ramp, Rusty carefully treading the muddy ground to help unload the cargo.
“You mean to tell me you stole back our bacta shipment right under the First Order’s nose?” General Organa arched an eyebrow, but she looked impressed.
“Err…” Finn scratched the back of his head. “Yes?”
Commander Dameron patted him on the back. “Great job, you two,” he laughed before he went to help unload the shipment.
Behind the general, her husband Han Solo beamed. “Sounds like something I would have done. Maybe next time I need a crew to do a run on the Falcon, I’ll call you.”
Rey’s eyes widened. “Would you let me fly it?”
“Over my dead body,” Han growled, though his smile never faded. He glanced at the container as it came down the loading ramp before he turned his attention back to the pair. “What did you put in the other container to weigh it down?”
Finn turned to Rey to let her answer. A smirk grew along her lips.
“Well, let’s just say sand can be found anywhere.”