Chapter Text
Chapter 1
The Millennium Falcon flew through space, leaving the entire First Order behind.
Ships, cruisers and crews, all destroyed by the destroyers...
The Resistance now had nothing left, except that old pre-war scrap heap, which was still the fastest ships, with about 20 survivors on board.
All these beautiful people were now wandering aimlessly through hyperspace... Each one trying to reassure the other and be optimistic.
-What do we do now, General? Captain Poe Dameron asked...
A silence had just settled in the audience, all were waiting for comforting words from the General Organa.
-I asked Chewbacca to lead us to an old rebel base. It was used during the Great War, and it could provide us with shelter, as well as a way to start afresh and be forgotten by the First Order.
Everyone looked at her without saying a word.
-Unfortunately, I don't know if it is still in working order, but I'm sure there are some old modules and first aid kits left. Besides, no one will suspect that we'll be lurking here... The next few weeks are going to be tough kids, the First Order is going to comb the galaxy, and even though we're on the outer rim, they're going to do everything they can to find us. Maybe we'll meet them on our long journey, and that's why I'm asking for great wisdom from every one. Her gaze lingered on Dameron, who many times had disappointed her. These last times have been difficult for the Resistance, but do not forget that We are the little spark that will ignite the gunpowder, We are the hope of all oppressed beings, and We will not be defeated by this so-called "First Order", because We are the Resistance.
This speech was followed by a slight silence, which then gave way to a myriad of applause and cheers for the old woman.
Rey stood aside, remaining silent, having listened to nothing of the speech, insensitive to all this ambient optimism, She was still troubled by what she had felt on Crait, the mineral planet.
She had shared all of her feelings with the General, who also had felt this. They had talked about it at length, both of them had felt at the same time the fading of Skywalker's mind...
He was now gone...
Feeling the emotion rising in her eyes, she got up and left the room, and quickly made her way to the command post, where she would be out of sight for a while.
An imposing mass of hairs was at the helm of the ship, an empty seat serving as his co-pilot. Concentrating on the cockpit screens, he paid little attention to the young woman, who settled down beside him.
-So, Chewie, how's it going?
He responded with a growl
-What do you mean "they" piss you off?
the wookie pointed to a couple of plucked stowaways hidden in a hole in the bulkhead, probably dug by these wild animals.
-Oh, I see.
She didn't know what to say and so remained silent, her level of conversation being restricted because of her long years of loneliness. She stayed with her hairy companion for a while, lulled by the almost unreal silence of the place, her gaze plunged into the beyond. Sometimes a porg would cross her field of view, which amused her. but she immediately returned in her contemplations.
Her thoughts were focused on her bitter failure with Ben Solo, she was deeply ashamed of it, but she didn't want to admit it to herself...
She was angry at her and at him, too. Against her because she had fallen into his trap and let herself be fooled in spite of her master's warnings! And against him because he had manipulated her...
Her frustration, however, also hid another feeling, unknown to her, which only increased her anger.
And now, because of all this, she was left with a broken sword and old Jedi relics without a key to understand them... She was, now more than ever, lost...
Gradually, her vision began to blur, the adrenaline from the last few hours was fading and she was falling into a deep sleep.
Snippets of old memories followed one after another in her mind, she saw herself again begging her parents to come back, standing in the middle of the strange corridor she had glimpsed when she first touched Luke's sword, the first time her hand and Ben's hand had touched each other through the Force, as well as the young man's outstretched hand. Then her dreams became more macabre, and a great terror ran through her from side to side.
The screams of thousands of people echoed in her head, she found herself in the streets of a burning city, bloody, charred bodies strewn all over the ground. She could not help suppressing her disgust at the horror of the scene. Suddenly she saw a group of seven people come out of the flames, all dressed in black and wearing masks. They were headed by the most repulsive person the galaxy has ever seen... Kylo Ren. Him and his "soldiers" passed in front of her without seeming to notice her, she saw them enter the flames of the city, and then suddently found herself in a new dark place where she could perceive behind her the cries of a child. She tried to find the source of the sound, but just when she thought she found it, a light saber went off behind her and a blood-red glow spread across the room, allowing her to see a little boy hiding behind bales of straw. She turned around and saw Ren, with his sword in his hand, ready to strike. The young woman looked for hers to protect the boy from the young man, but it wasn't there, and she had to watch helplessly at the scene... He raised his arm and then struck !
-NOOOOOOO! Her cry came from the depths of her being and brought out all her distress...
Then, a succession of images came across her mind, but this time it was so much faster. she could see planets exploding, bodies being burned by the blast of the explosions, mysterious soldiers killing everything in their path, and finally her friends being shot or killed by Ren's hands...
She woke up suddenly shaky, her cheeks wet by the tears. Chewie was still at her side and turned to her concerned.
-Don't worry, it's okay... she said with a little smile...
The ship came out of hyperspace, and a gas giant stood in front of them. It was so large and massive, it obscured the view out the window.
The Falcon changed direction and headed for a small moon orbiting the planet.
-Where are we Chewie? she asked.
-We are in front of Yavin 4, in the outer rim, in the Gordian Reach subsector, it contains an old rebel base that was used in the battle of Yavin. answered a voice behind his back.
General Organa had just entered the cockpit and looked at it with a nostalgic look, recalling all her space adventures aboard the falcon... At the time when the empire was dominating the galaxy, when she was still a young woman and was fighting alongside her brother Luke and her late husband Han Solo, who was just a simple smuggler at the time. Before Ben's birth...
-It's been ages since I've been here, and he hasn't changed a bit since then. A hint of amusement could be felt in her last words. Ah, bloody Han...
Chewie uttered a slight grunt.
-This moon is full of history Rey, I didn't mention it earlier, but I'm afraid that some temples including the Great Temple will be destroyed by time...
-What is the Great Temple?
-The main base of the old rebel alliance, I hope some modules are still there...
She sat behind the wookie, looking nostalgic and foggy with tears held back for far too long... One managed to escape but was immediately erased by the old lady.
-Excuse me, we will mourn the loss of our people when this war will finally be over.
Rey looked at her with compassion and realized that this woman was definitely the most stoic of all, she had lost her brother, her husband, her son, many friends and allies, but she still kept her head high and optimistic words...
Rey concentrated his gaze on the horizon, watching the Falcon's entrance into the atmosphere. A lush green landscape offered itself to her, she admired the immense jungle that stretched as far as the eye could see and the buildings that emerged from this ocean of trees.
The ship approached the famous Great Temple, like an iceberg, the smallest part was in full view and the largest was hiding underneath, at the foot of the trees.
The piece of junk landed not without difficulty in front of a large door leading to what appeared to be a hangar, causing the whole cabin and its passengers to tremble.
All the Resistance came out one by one, Rey and Poe staying with Finn, who had more difficulty going down with Rose in his arms.
Outside, the temperature was heavy and humid, which radically changed with Crait's climate. The Great Temple was more massive than what the padawan had seen from the porthole, it seemed to be composed of several buildings placed one on top of the other and held in place only by the imposing lianas that ran through the whole building.
The inside was like the outside, immense but in ruins, with vines falling from holes in the walls or even from the ceiling. And where only two or three X-wing 95 had truly survived time and history. The rest was in pieces, destroyed by falling rocks or rust.Leïa looked at the hangar for a while, then went to a box where she activated various buttons, and under the astonished look of all, a part of the ground was removed, revealing another hangar, larger and containing vessels of all sizes.
-Just as I imagined... Before arriving here, I was afraid that all the Massassis temples had been destroyed by the Yuuzhan Vong. But to my surprise, this one survived to our great delight.
She turned and looked at her little Resistance, so many people had given their lives but for what...
At these words, they all dispersed, they didn't need orders to know what they had to do.
-Poe, called the General, I need to say a few words to you.
-Yes, General?
-I need you to go out and test the cruisers with two, three pilots, we need to see if they're still operational, I don't want to endanger any more lives because of the instability of the ships...
-Yes, General.
Commander D'Acy approached the old woman.
-General, what do we do for our allies?
-They have chosen sides.
She marked a time and like an enlightenment she spoke again:
-Even though I doubt very much that they really had a choice...
∞
The base was gradually coming back to life, all the working ships had been taken out, while the rest had been dismantled to make spare parts.
-So how's the fighter check-up going? A mechanic asked to a pilot.
Well, I've never had any training in this kind of purview, what I can say is that what the General was saying is true, they really do date back to before the war. But with the parts we've collected from the other fighters, we'll be able to furbish all of them.
-It's true that it won't be a big problem...
-But we're going to need a whole unit of D2 and I'm afraid we're not going to be able to get it...
-No, I saw some hangars on the lower level, I'm sure there are containers.
They slipped out, looking for the D2s.
Poe, who had observed the scene, felt proud of the cohesion between the resistance fighters, he was also happy to see them wearing several caps. This was what the Resistance needed most at the moment.
He went to the control room, which was on the upper floors.
Inside, all the computers and other control panels had just been reactivated and were now in excellent working order.
General Organa was also present, watching this beautiful little world activate and help each other. She was proud to see them optimistic and ready to rebuild the Resistance.
-Do we have the coordinates of the First Order? She asked
-No, General. replied a soldier.
-radars picked up no First Order presence in Yavin's system for now. Kaydel Connix replied
-Where do you think they are, my General? Asked another officer
-Ransacking the entire galaxy to find us.
Poe had just left the station to find his friends.
∞
Finn and Rey were in the infirmary when Poe came in.
A robot was working around the bed where Rose was resting.
-How's she doing? Dameron asked.
-Better... I still can't believe she sacrificed herself for me..." Finn replied, taking his face in his hands...
-She did this for you, it's a real proof of friendship... answered Rey, putting her hand behind his back...
-There's an air of joy here. remarked the pilot sarcastically, by the way I'm fine and alive and you?
The two friends looked at him in displeasure
-He's...? Started Rey.
-Always like that? Yes. answered Finn
-I'm just trying to lighten the mood with joy. replied Poe. Oh and Finn, the General asked me to go and test the ships, would you like to join me? it will help you feel better I'm sure.
Finn stared at him for a minute, in his mind he was roasting Poe to be himself. But then he looked at Rose, maybe this sassy was right...
-Why not, it'll take my mind off it... I might finally get good at flying...
Poe and Rey laughed.
-Come on, you're not doing so bad for a janitor, after all you're just as good as a blind Tie fighter pilot! Fit Poe with a touch of irony.
-Ahah very funny. He pointed at Rey and pointed at him. You've seen how funny he is, it's amazing that level of humor.
Rey smiled at this domestic scene. The two men squabbled a little longer until Poe announced to them:
-Well, not that I don't like you, but I've got to go get ready. Finn, I'll meet you downstairs in ten minutes, okay?
-All right... oh and Poe?
-Yes? He said as he retraced his steps...
-Can we take Rey with us?
-What? Oh no, go ahead, I'll stay here and watch Rose. Said the young lady.
-Yeah, what a question. The more we are, better the fun is! He says with a smile.
-Come on Rey, you're one of the best drivers I know, come on, it will be good. almost begged Finn.
-All right, well, if you insist... She's ceding
-So come on, hurry up! pressed Poe
Finn took one last look at his friend who was still unconscious and took her hand.
-Thank you Rose, I'll be right back, rest well.
Rey watched them with a slight twinge in his heart, then left the room, Finn following her closely.
-By the way, what you did earlier with the rocks, it was really incredible! He exclaimed suddenly after a slight blank
-If you say so, let's just say I've improved since the forest. She says with a smile
-But tell me, what's Luke Skywalker like? He asked him
-He was a great man, a bit of a killjoy sometimes, but he was also a man of remorse...
-I would have liked to have known him...
She looked at him with a sad little smile that he gave her back.
-Finn, explain to me, what happened? Why are there so few of us?
Finn told her about his entire journey, from waking up, meeting Rose, the attack on the First Order, his trip to Canto Bight, his meeting with DJ, his betrayal on Snoke's ship, (in short, the synopsis of the previous episode!)
-Wait, you were on Snoke's ship too?
-Uh... yeah, that's what I just told you.
-Yeah, I know, but I was on it, too!
-You were?! Why, were you?
-Oh, it's a very long story... and it's not a very important one.
He looked at her suspiciously.
-Why are you looking at me like that? She asked him, laughing.
-For nothing, for nothing...
-No really Finn, my story isn't important.
-Yeah, well...
The two friends continued talking until they found themselves in the open air, where the best ships were out and ready to go.
-Well, you are definitely the slowest person I ever met and I met 3-PO . reprimanded Poe
Outside, the sun had waned, throwing an impressive pinkish color on the jungle. This atmosphere made the young woman want to throw herself into an X-Wing and admire the landscape from above.
But as she was about to join the others for the briefing, She felt the same sensation that she had felt lately...
∞
Kylo Ren was installed on the throne of the Supreme Leader, he had achieved his goal, he was now the Master of the First Order, nobody could stand in his way anymore, not even that commoner who had dared to refuse his help.
He felt proud of his accomplishment, but strangely enough, this achievement had a bitter taste and was full of frustration, and the reason was unknown to him...
His heart and his ship were now erring together, in a frightful interstellar void. Searching for something, for an unanswered question or even for an unanswered answer...
Sitting alone, he felt the same sensation as when he was on Snoke's ship, the same sensation as when he was connected with...Rey.
he raised his head sharply and saw her.
he could only see her, nothing but her, yet she seemed to be in the middle of a conversation with someone. She hadn't noticed it yet, but it was not going to be long before she finally noticed him...
∞
She understood what she was feeling and she turned her head, knowing full well what her eyes would encounter.
He was standing there on his throne, his eyes staring at her. Those eyes, that face, everything in that "man" disgusted her...
Kylo Ren stood up and approached her.
-Rey... he whisper
But she turned away and broke the connection...