Saga - ST Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi [Contains SPOILERS for TLJ!]

WARNING: THIS STORY CONTAINS SPOILERS AND POSSIBLE SPOILERS FOR THE LAST JEDI.

Title: Star Wars Episode VIII, The Last Jedi.
Author: CairnsTony.
Characters: Surviving characters of the ST; fanfic versions of the Kellie Marie Tran, Benicio Del Toro and Laura Dern characters; Lando Calrissian; Sola Naberrie; a character from Rebels; characters of my own creation.
Genre: Drama, Action, some humour.
Timeline: The same as TLJ.
Summary: I have provided an opening crawl by way of an introduction. The story picks up from where TFA left off.
Notes: A special thank you to Claire1976 for her help and encouragement in shaping the story, and for encouraging me to share this with others. A big thank you also to IrisBest for allowing me to use one of the ideas we discussed. I think it may have been your idea first!

I have a synopsis for Episode IX taking shape as I write this. Some elements from this TLJ story will be picked up later.

EDIT (18/06/17) Please note: This story will not appeal to everyone; it has some dark themes and things don't always go well for the heroes; no-one is safe. Please do not read on if this is not your cup of tea.

EDIT (18/06/17) Rey's parents: It goes without saying that this is one of the most anticipated reveals in the actual movie. There is a reveal in this story. If you are emotionally invested in one particular outcome and it is not the one you get here then please be warned. The 'Rey's Parentage' thread in the TLJ sub-forum demonstrates just how tribal this can become and how crazy some of the rumours are. A lot of people are going to be disappointed come December.

Disclaimers: I wrote this story before the first trailer came out and before certain rumours emerged. I decided to incorporate a lot of the confirmed and rumoured plot elements into the story at the time. I changed the names of two characters and a planet to match what they are now confirmed to be called since I wrote this story. Other rumours have emerged since I wrote this which by pure coincidence closely match a few of my story elements.

Elements of the novel Bloodline by Claudia Gray are also included. It has been confirmed by Claudia herself that these relate directly to TLJ.

My description of Leia's ship Mirrorbright comes straight from the Wookiepedia entry on the ship.

And finally: I welcome feedback including constructive criticism!

I am dragging this from a Pages document, so apologies in advance if the format messes up at all.

For my Star Wars Episode IX story, please follow the link below:

http://boards.theforce.net/threads/...contains-spoilers-for-the-last-jedi.50046110/

Episode VIII​

Star Wars: The Last Jedi.



These are dark times. The forces of the FIRST ORDER sweep out of the unknown regions attacking and occupying planets seemingly at will. Despite some spirited defence, many worlds are forced to surrender or be destroyed.​

The shattered remnants of the REPUBLIC have descended into infighting and inaction, seemingly unable to come up with a unified response. The RESISTANCE lack the resources alone to turn the tide.​

In the meantime, General Leia Organa sends a young woman strong in the Force to train with her brother Luke Skywalker. This fateful meeting could be the galaxy’s last best hope.
​

Prologue.​

The Force: Life creates it; makes it grow. It’s energy surrounds all living beings; penetrates them, binds them and the galaxy together.

Most beings in the galaxy are oblivious to its presence; it has no meaning to them. They go about their daily lives, being born, living, growing old and dying. Little do they know that the Force and the galaxy in which they live are inextricably bound together. Even now, events are unfolding that will shape the fate of that galaxy for generations to come...

__________________
1​

The planet of Arduul was a cool temperate world located in the mid-rim. Much of its land surface was covered in forested mountain ranges sheltering narrow plains leading down to shallow seas and lakes. The population wasn’t large and only a handful of cities existed to serve the inhabitants as places of trade and commerce with the rest of the galaxy. It had been a haven of peace and prosperity. Until now….

Several First Order star destroyers had appeared out of hyperspace above the planet and begun a bombardment of the main cities. The capital ships’ turbolasers rained destruction down on the planet. These tactics proved to be swift and decisive. It didn’t take long for the planetary administration to signal their capitulation. Drop ships carrying stormtroopers had descended out of the hangars and flown down to the main cities. There they had secured all key facilities and captured the governor and his surviving aides.

Admiral Soran watched from the main bridge of the command ship Desolator with satisfaction. With each world it was the same. He always stood here to watch the spectacle in his immaculately pressed uniform. It also reminded the bridge crew of who was in charge; appearances were everything he believed.
Another planet of the former Republic had fallen and soon this entire sector would be theirs. It seemed almost too easy…
“Admiral.” A bridge officer had broken into his reverie. “The stormtrooper captain reports they are bringing a prisoner up from the surface.”
Curious… he thought. They would only do this if they had captured someone of considerable importance to the First Order. The thought gave him pleasure… he speculated on the size of the fish they had just caught.
He turned to face the officer, “Very well. Send a report to me as soon as you have it. I will meet the detail in the main hangar. I want to see this prisoner for myself.”

Soran waited as the drop ship opened up. The stormtrooper captain debarked ahead of a group of soldiers flanking a human male in binders. He limped down the ramp, looking bruised and bloody, his clothes torn, with a sullen expression on his face. He clearly hadn’t come quietly. The commander approached Soran.
“Report,” he said. He knew whom the prisoner was already but believed that protocol needed to be strictly observed.
“I took the liberty of bringing this prisoner on board. He was being held in a secure facility. When we accessed the main database for prisoner records we found something interesting. I believe he has information valuable to the First Order. He knows about the fugitive we seek.”
“Good. Take him to the brig and process him. I will inform General Hux.”
The captain motioned to her troopers and the prisoner was marched off.
Soran was known as a rather stern, humourless individual, but this time he allowed himself a smile. This could be the key they needed to unlock the better defended Republic planets. They would need anything that would work to their advantage. Besides… their next major target would be an altogether more difficult proposition. The Admiral relished the prospect.


​

2​

From space, the planet appeared to be covered entirely with water. Any traveller would have found difficulty finding any land at all just by using their eyes. However, on closer approach it could be seen that the surface was dotted with tiny islands in a handful of places. On one such island, ancient, primitive habitations huddled together on the only level ground; the original Force-wielding inhabitants having long since departed. Now, after millennia, a Jedi had returned, and then another came and sought him out…

Rey and Luke stood facing each other on the cliff top. Rey was holding out the lightsabre; offering it to him; a plea in her eyes. Luke stared back at her for what seemed like an eternity, and she wavered, uncertain of what to do next. Suddenly he stepped forward and looked down at the lightsabre in her hand. She began to speak, but he didn’t appear to be paying her any attention. He studied the lightsabre for a moment, took it from her quickly and walked away.
It was as if she had just handed him a simple hand tool rather than this unique weapon. She watched as he moved towards the small stone huts she had passed only minutes earlier. This wasn’t how she expected it to be at all! She knew something terrible had happened impelling Luke Skywalker to disappear from the larger galaxy, but she had no idea that such a mighty Jedi had been reduced to… this? Full of trepidation Rey watched Luke’s retreating back and saw him disappear though a small doorway in one of the huts. She had no choice but to follow.

Night time came quickly. The abundant avian creatures that wheeled about the island during the day settled into numerous crevices and burrows and became silent. Small nocturnal creatures slowly emerged and different stranger sounds permeated the island.
The room was tiny. The only illumination came from a single glow lamp giving off weak yellow light in an alcove. The space was sparsely furnished and devoid of any decoration. Rey was sitting on a simple stool, her back to the wall. In front of her was a tiny table not much bigger than the bowl of food that sat on it. She played absent-mindedly with the food but didn’t feel like eating. All of her attention was taken up by the curious spectacle in front of her.

Luke was moving back and forth across the room muttering quietly to himself. Rey could only catch the odd word from him, “Jedi… lightsabre…”
She wondered what he was doing; why he handed her the food from a pot on a burner in the corner one minute, and then appeared to forget she was there the next.
Suddenly Luke became much louder, “Be quiet! I can’t think…” He had his back to her and Rey was pretty sure he wasn’t addressing her. She looked around the room to make sure they were alone. Had Luke gone mad?
She started to speak, “Master Skywalker, I…”
Luke whirled around at the sound of her voice, startling her. Before she could say another word, he rushed over to her until his face was inches away.
“Who are you?!” He demanded.
Rey found this sudden change in presentation completely unexpected and she was momentarily flummoxed.
His gaze was intense and she stuttered, “I… I’ve come to train with you! I…”
“Train?!” Luke roared. He shook his head, “No, you can’t… you… I…” his voice trailed away.
Rey remembered herself. She grabbed the lightsabre from the alcove in which it sat an arm’s length away and shoved it under Luke’s nose.
She took a deep breath, “This is yours, don’t you remember? It called to me! That’s why I came here! You’re a Jedi Master, we… I need you!”
The expression on his face was fierce. For a heartbeat Rey thought that he might attack her. Luke looked down, his face dropped and the strength seemed to go out of him. He collapsed back onto a stool by the opposite wall. His shoulders sagged and he stared at the floor.
“You shouldn’t have come…”
Rey opened her mouth to speak and Luke started giggling.
“The Force is strong with you,” he said through fits of giggles. He sighed as if remembering something and shook his head.
Rey was completely exasperated and stood up. Her voice was strained, “Master, look…”
Luke started muttering again. Rey had had enough…
“Who are you talking to?!” she yelled, looking around the room again.
Luke stopped giggling and became suddenly serious. He looked up and calmly said, “The Whills.”
Rey stared back, not knowing what to say.
​

 

The Whills are in it!

Now I am hooked up even though I have very little reading time during the week. Dang!

I also liked your description of Luke and Rey in so far.

 

Thank you! There are 48 chapters plus prologue and epilogue. I'm still not entirely sure how frequently to post new chapters. I'll play it by ear I suppose.

 

What about 1x per week?

 

The problem there is that it will take us beyond the actual film. If it wasn't for that, I'd be fine with that pace.

Some of the chapters are pretty short. I think they can be bundled with a longer chapter in some instances.

I meant to start posting it some weeks ago, but I've never written fan fiction before and was nervous as hell!

 

There is no need to be nervous and we have still half a year left, don´t we?

Why don´t you try 2x per week and if you are very uncertain then ask one of the mods, Briannakin & mavjade.

I suggested just 1x a week because I only have time in the weekend these days. Very egoistic, I know.

But it´s also common to do that around here. But I have also seen people doing that 2x per week.

 

No worries! We'll know a great deal more about TLJ around September I think, so I reckon a few chapters a week should work out just about right.

 

OK, Next bit!

3​

Finn felt like he had been put through a garbage compactor. He ached all over and his shoulders were still very stiff. He’d been in the bacta suit for weeks while his body steadily healed. Once it was finally removed, he was relieved that there was no scar to serve as a reminder of where Kylo Ren had cut into one of his shoulders with his lightsabre. He wasn’t ready to see what his back looked like though… even the bacta treatment hadn’t been entirely successful in that regard but at least he retained good mobility and could still walk. Right now he felt like the luckiest man alive.
The memory of that fight was almost dream-like; he had the haziest recollection of what happened, and then there was nothing. He had woken up surrounded by bright lights and medical equipment. He knew he was still alive, because he didn’t believe anyone could feel this sore and be dead.

The medics were very pleased at the speed of his recovery, putting it down to his peak physical fitness. They had informed him that he would be discharged today. This was the best news he’d had since regaining consciousness. He was tired of his surroundings and wanted to get out in the fresh air and go for a run. The physiotherapy was progressing well and each time it got a bit easier. If only the soreness would go away…
A medic came into the room, “Good morning. How are you feeling?” she said.
“I’ve felt better…” he looked up at her and smiled. “What am I saying… I feel great!” Finn didn’t want to say anything to jeopardise his discharge.
“It’s OK…” she said, “I can see you’re still very sore from the way you sat up just now.”
Finn felt a little embarrassed. He knew he couldn’t fool her with bravado.
“Don’t worry. We’re very happy with your progress and will still be discharging you on schedule,” she said cheerily. “I imagine you’ll want to get out of this place as soon as possible.”
It was as if she could read his mind.
“Um… yeah. Now that you mention it,” he proffered.
“No problem. I’ll start the process of discharging you as soon as I’ve spoken to the chief consultant. Oh by the way, there’s someone here to see you.”
She disappeared out of the room and Poe entered. Finn’s smile broadened.
“Hey buddy!” said Poe “Good to see you up and about. Last time I dropped in you didn’t even offer me one of your bedside snacks!” Poe reached over and grabbed a piece of juri fruit from a bowl on the bedside table and started peeling off the rind.
“I don’t remember you… wait… was I even awake?” said Finn.
“Oh right…” Poe did an exaggerated mime of suddenly remembering something. “That would explain why you ignored me the whole time.”
Finn smiled again… Poe clearly hadn’t lost any of his humour.
“We’ve prepared a reception for you,” Poe said, “A no-show is not on the cards, you need to be there, no excuses,” Poe said with mock seriousness. He took a bite of the fruit.
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Finn said happily.

Finn walked stiffly out of the room without assistance. Poe walking alongside him. He was relieved to be free of the mechanical walking aids they’d attached to his back and legs. It felt good to have full use of his limbs once more. As he exited the medical bay a group of people approached him.
“Easy…” he said wincing as a young female officer went to hug him. She reddened.
“We’re all so relieved that you’re still here Finn,” she said.
Finn was touched. They’d been waiting for him the whole time, once they’d known he was being discharged. He’d never felt safer than now; more loved and respected.
A few heads turned. Finn looked in that direction. The woman walking down the corridor towards him had a warm smile on her face as she approached.
“Hello Finn,” said Leia, “We’ve all missed you.”
“It’ll take more than that to put me down permanently General,” he quipped.
“I’m glad to hear it,” said Leia warmly, “you could do with more rest though. The medics inform me that a few more days should do it.”
Finn smiled but it quickly faded… He knew what the recent victory had cost Leia personally. They exchanged a look as Leia read his face. “The memorial is tomorrow.”
“Wouldn’t miss it for anything,” Finn said, now serious.
Leia nodded. “Now you go and have some fun with these good people. You’ve earned it.”
She embraced him gently, evincing only a slight wince from Finn and departed.

4​

A First Order star destroyer orbited a yellowish- grey world shrouded in thick mists. From orbit it was impossible to make out any detail of the planet’s surface, or even if there was a surface. Its forbidding appearance didn’t invite casual visitors to drop by, assuming they could even find it, for it didn’t appear on any star charts. Its location was known only to a handful of personnel in the First Order. Even the coordinates entered into the navicomputer of the ship currently in orbit were known only to a trusted few.

A shuttle dropped out of the launch bay and began a descent towards the planet. As it entered the mists it encountered significant turbulence from the high winds that screamed around in the upper atmosphere. Lightning flashed intermittently between the upper and lower cloud layers illuminating the shuttle as it continued its descent.
The mists gradually cleared as the ship dropped out of the lower cloud layer. The barren, rocky world below them was bathed in a sickly yellow hue. The shuttle straightened up and headed towards a gap between two dark mountains. As the ship entered the gap, a huge angular structure, black as obsidian came into view. It seemed to grow straight out of the very rock upon which it sat.

The ship slowed as it approached a landing platform as black as the edifice it was attached to, and landed smoothly. The ramp descended and a solitary figure exited. General Hux walked with purpose up to a huge door two storeys high.
As he approached, the rumbling sound of gears started up and the door began to rise out of the ground in anticipation of his arrival. An orange glow emanated from within. Hux hesitated, swallowed and entered.
The orange light seemed to emanate from the bare rock faces that made up the antechamber. Hux ignored the sensation of being surrounded by magma that the glow suggested. It was clearly designed to intimidate, but Hux wasn’t so easily cowed. He crossed the antechamber to another equally large door. This one also opened at his approach.
The room within was much darker. Hux’s eyes adjusted to the dim conditions so that he could avoid walking into anything unexpected. He did his best to maintain his composure.
“General… what news?” Snoke's voice rumbled from the darkness.
Hux found these personal visits tiresome. They served as a clear reminder of whom was in charge however and Hux knew he had to attend.
“Supreme Leader, I bring you news of the Resistance,” said Hux.
“You have located their new base?” Snoke’s pale, distorted face appeared from the shadows, well above Hux’s line of sight.
“Not exactly…” Hux hesitated… “Supreme Leader… our operatives have brought us valuable intelligence,” he said, gaining more confidence, “We have obtained information from a prisoner we captured on Arduul. He has told us that the fugitive we seek is on Canto Bight. We also believe he is being sheltered on the planet by a person named Lando Calrissian, a known Resistance sympathiser.” Hux continued, “I believe we should blockade the planet… force the authorities to hand over these traitors, or launch a full scale attack…”
“Canto Bight you say…” Snoke said. “The planet lies well within what remains of Republic space. It is well defended.”
Hux said, “I believe a show of force…”
“No…” interjected Snoke, “We must be cautious. We will take them by surprise. They mustn’t see us coming until it is too late. Assemble a special task force and await my final orders.”
Hux knew better than to argue.
“As you wish supreme leader.” Hux knew that he’d been dismissed and so turned on his heels and left.

 

I don't know if anybody is reading this, but I may as well push on...

5​

The room was huge. The pale walls stretched up to a high vaulted ceiling decorated with ornate carvings. It was once used by the indigenous inhabitants as a place of worship to their many gods. What few varii remained appeared to show little interest in any religion these days. When the Resistance arrived looking for a new base of operations, the varii were happy to allow them use of the entire complex, which up until then was largely abandoned or used for storage.

The room could comfortably accommodate a few thousand beings at one time, as it did now. They sat in solemn rows facing inward. In the centre of the room was a rectangular casket made of a local wood. The soft light that filtered down through the high narrow windows in the walls set off the shiny patina of the wood. Several layers of polish enhanced the effect still further.
A dais was situated at one end of the casket. A lone figure stood there addressing the assembled crowd. Admiral Ackbar was giving a speech to the war hero Han Solo. As he finished, he turned to invite another speaker on to the dais before stepping down and taking his seat.
Leia stepped up and looked around.
“My friends,” she began. “Today we say goodbye to someone I have known for a very long time. Too long some might say…”
This caused some in the crowd to smile, but their sadness was evident. As Leia continued, Finn reflected on his time with Han. Too brief… he thought. This was a man who had a lot of faith in him to do what needed to be done; to take out Starkiller Base. It was practically a suicide mission. That any of them came back alive seemed like a miracle. And Rey… where was she now? Did she succeed in finding Luke Skywalker? He didn’t mind admitting to himself that he was rather fond of her. He felt a sudden surge of guilt for having those thoughts on such an occasion and returned his attention to Leia.

Her speech came to an end and the memorial was concluded. The crowd began to file slowly out of the room through the various exits. As Leia headed for an exit, clearly deep in thought, she was intercepted by C3PO coming the other way.
“Princess… I mean General, my apologies. I must tell you…” he said in a loud voice.
“Not now 3PO,” she said waving him away irritably.
“Bad timing,” said Finn to the droid as he walked past.
“But sir!” said C3PO blundering on, “I have an urgent message from Naboo. It’s for the General!”
Leia stopped in her tracks and turned around. “Naboo?…”
Her mother’s home planet. Leia knew all about Naboo. It held lots of memories, but it was many years since she had been there.
“That’s correct General” he continued, “The message was specifically for you…”
“Not here 3PO,” she said urgently, “Come with me to my ready room. I’ll take the message there”.
“Certainly Your Highness… I mean Gen…’
She was hurrying away. Finn caught Threepio’s attention and silently motioned with his eyes for him to follow her.
C3PO looked back at Leia.
“Why yes… of course!” and he hurried after her.

6​

Dawn on Ahch-to. The sky promised a clear day with little breeze despite the often windy conditions that prevailed. Traces of pink faded from the horizon as a single yellow sun rose. Already, numerous avians had emerged and were flying around the island calling loudly.

Rey was sitting outside one of the beehive huts feeling glum. She’d had little sleep in the crude bunk that Luke had pointed her to before he had stalked out of the room. Had he even slept? And where had he disappeared to?
Her weariness wasn’t helped by the thought that maybe coming here was a mistake. She wondered how Leia would feel if she simply got back on the Falcon and flew back to the Resistance Base. It seemed like such a simple decision after all. And yet… she knew that was impossible. Destiny had sent her to Luke. She knew there was a power within her. The Force… that’s what it was called. She couldn’t deny that whatever happened that fateful day on Takodana had singled her out. Maz could see her destiny clearly, and yet she had rejected it. What happened when she touched the lightsabre… it was so strange and filled her with dread. What did it all mean? The images whirled through her tired brain once more. That small child in distress… was that really me? She thought. Did any of that really happen? And Kylo Ren… waiting in the snow. Yes… she had seen the future. That bit was real. But the rest…
She looked up at the approach of footsteps. Chewie was walking towards her. She gave him a weak smile and he looked at her with concern and spoke to her in growls and grunts.
“It’s OK, I’m fine…” she didn’t feel it, and she doubted Chewie was so easily fooled.
He spoke again.
“I don’t know if he wants to see you Chewie… I can't work out what’s going on with him. He’s acting so strangely… He mutters to himself all the time; claims he’s talking to these… ‘Whills’ whatever they are…” She sighed, “Maybe he’s right… maybe I shouldn’t have come here…”
Chewie tried to reassure her.
“It’s alright… I’m not giving up just yet!” she said.
Chewie looked up as something caught his attention. Rey looked around. Luke was standing some way off staring at them both.
Chewie barked a greeting, but Luke simply turned and walked away. He cocked his head, puzzled and muttered something.
“I don’t know. Maybe seeing you reminds him of…” She backed up, realising that she may have been overstepping the mark.
He took a step forward but Rey put her hand out gently and stood up.
“Let me try and talk to him again,” she said softly.
He looked down at her and reluctantly agreed.
Rey hurried after Luke just as he disappeared from view. He had gone down some steps even steeper than the ones she’d climbed the day before. She looked down and the sheer drop made her feel giddy. Most of the steps were barely visible as they clung to the sheer rock faces above and below. With trepidation she began to follow Luke, slowly at first, but then her instincts kicked in as a reminder of her time scaling the innards of crashed ships on Jakku and her confidence increased. Wherever he was heading, she knew she had to follow. It felt to her as if her destiny depended on it.

 

CairnsTony, this is a fantastic start to your version of TLJ. You set the scene really well and I was really impressed with your dialogue, which sounds exactly how SW dialogue should sound. Your first few chapters certainly sucked me into the story and made me want to read more. I know you're new to writing and despite this you've done brilliantly with this and shown quite a talent for this kind of thing. I hope you are encouraged to write more in the future.

 

Thank you so much! As you know I am writing IX at the moment, and I hope to be sharing that with everyone on here in the not too distant future.

OK, next installment:

7​

In the dimly lit room, the brightest light source was a red lightsabre being swung wildly by its owner. Kylo Ren had constructed it soon after recovering from his injuries. It was more refined than his old one; his skills in lightsabre construction had improved significantly. Right now he was testing it and himself to the limit.
The battle droid lunged again. Kylo swung his sabre and it slid along the outstretched arm of the droid screeching loudly as it did. The cortosis armour was doing its job. He needed more focus… to aim at the weak spots between the armour plates, but it was proving rather tricky. The droid was fast and spun around as Kylo stepped past it, its swinging arm nearly taking Kylo’s head off.
Kylo rolled and was ready to strike again in a split second, this time aiming for the droid’s waist. He swung low just as the droid tried to smash him into the ground with a massive fist. Kylo swung his body one way then the other, avoiding the blows that rained down, but was unable to make contact with the vulnerable waist section between the armour plates. He somersaulted back.
No sooner had he landed on his feet then the droid launched two dagger-shaped mini-projectiles at him from wrist gauntlets. He batted them away with his lightsabre, shattering them. The droid barrelled at him with furious speed and in one fluid motion, Kylo ducked under his outstretched arms and swung his lightsabre once more at the droid’s waist. This time he made contact as sparks flew out of its innards. The droid began to topple forward.
Kylo jumped to one side, but as it fell the droid tried to grab his leg. He was too quick for it however and once more was able to somersault out of harm’s way. As the droid tried to get up, Kylo leapt over it and plunged his lightsabre downwards piercing the single photoreceptor and blinding his adversary. As it turned its massive head, he neatly severed it from the body with a precise swing through the tiny gap in the armour. The droid collapsed lifelessly to the ground.

Breathing heavily, Kylo deactivated his lightsabre.
“Better… Already you are learning to focus your anger. This will make you strong…” Snoke's voice came from the shadows.
“Master…” Kylo began, “I feel stronger. I feel ready!”
“You are not ready,” Snoke said with finality, “One more test remains… “
Kylo knew that this was the case; he tried to bury his anxiety.
“There is a disturbance in the Force…” rumbled Snoke. “The girl… she is with Skywalker. He will train her. The next time you meet, she will be far stronger.”
Kylo knew that the next time things would be very different.
“I will be ready to deal with her by any means necessary,” he said, “I will not fail!”

​

​

8​

The Var II moon was a lush, warm, verdant place that reminded Finn of D’Qar except it was more rugged. It was chosen with good reason as it afforded the Resistance the cover they needed to carry out their operations. The complex that the Resistance now inhabited was tucked into the side of a mountain and mostly hidden by vegetation and rocky outcrops. It was only visible from one direction down a steep-sided valley. Its original inhabitants lived in a few scattered villages further down that valley. They were rarely seen around the complex and apparently showed little interest in the activities of the Resistance.
Finn was gazing up at the huge planet that took up half the sky. He was making a habit of doing this in the evenings as it helped him focus his mind; all part of the healing process he told himself and good for mental discipline. That at least was a useful part of his training with the First Order. He mused about his past… wondering where his former colleagues were now; whether they were still alive…
“Nice evening for it,” said Poe, snapping Finn out of his own head. Finn looked around to see his friend standing there. BB-8 rolled up beside Poe and tootled a greeting to Finn.
Poe sat down on the steps leading out of the main entrance beside Finn.
“Bet it feels good to be back to your old self!” said Poe jovially.
“My ‘old self’ worked for the First Order…” Finn said tersely.
Poe said, “Hey no offence! Besides… you did the right thing back there… you saved my life. That’s the single most important thing anyone could have done,” he said importantly.
Finn glared at him. Poe was grinning.
“Yeah… and you saved mine. OK so we’re even,” he said, smiling at last.
“Come on, let’s grab something to eat, I’m starving!” said Poe standing up.
Finn turned to get up and saw that Leia was walking towards them.
“Gentlemen,” Leia said in greeting. She looked serious.
“General. What can we do for you?” offered Poe.
“I need to speak to you both urgently. Come with me please.”
Poe could feel his stomach rumbling. He glanced at Finn.
“Certainly General. Lead the way,” he said.


Finn and Poe followed Leia to the map room. There was a large group of Resistance staff already present. They were gathered around a holomap in the centre of the room waiting for Leia.
“Thank you all for coming. I apologise for calling this meeting at short notice,” she began. “The Republic on Sarrin have contacted us for urgent assistance. As you all know, the senators who survived the destruction of Hosnian Prime have gathered what is left of their forces and retreated to the mid-rim. There, they have attempted to set up two de facto governments.”
“Two?” Finn whispered to Poe.
She continued, “The Populists have formed one government on Sarrin, the Centrists on Bothawui. This situation can only lead to disaster”.
Major Ematt spoke up, “We’ve offered them assistance to fight back against the First Order on more than one occasion. They couldn’t even agree amongst themselves if our help was needed! What’s changed their minds?”
“The communication I received was from Chancellor Galtus Emmon leader of the government on Sarrin. He has been in secret negotiations with a faction within the Centrist government; they want to form a covert alliance”.
This caused a stir amongst those present.
“The Chancellor believes that he has enough support in his own government and amongst the Centrist faction to take this course of action in order to try and halt the advance of the First Order, but only with our help. The situation has become desperate. Bold, decisive tactics need to be agreed upon by all parties. We need to make a stand now, before it’s too late.”
Admiral Ackbar spoke. “I see… and we are to provide the necessary military support I presume?”
“The Republic factions have very little of their military remaining at this stage; not enough to do this by themselves,” said Leia.
“Took them long enough to figure that out…” said Poe quietly.
“A few planets within the Republic did retain their local militaries I believe,” said Ackbar “Mon Calamari, Bothawui and…”
“Naboo,” finished Leia. “This is one I know we can count on for support. Mon Calamari also I believe.”
Ackbar nodded.
“Surely without the support of Bothawui, it won’t be enough?” ventured Ematt.
“Perhaps not, which is why we need them on board. Starting a dialogue with this faction is at least a start. After difficult negotiations, Chancellor Emmon has managed to convene a time and place for meeting with the Centrist faction. The Resistance will need to fit in with these plans if we are to be a part of this.”
“General,” Admiral Statura had been quietly thoughtful until now, “Is there a reason why the Resistance was not part of the initial negotiations?”
“I’m not entirely sure…” Leia said with a sigh, “but I think it is reasonable to assume that the Centrists would not have agreed to anything if they knew I was involved.”
Finn wasn’t sure what to make of that comment, but it had clearly caused the atmosphere in the room to thicken slightly.
Statura moved the discussion on, “Where and when are the negotiations to take place General?”
“Naboo; three days time. I leave for there in the morning.”
Several people exchange looks of surprise.

Major Brance was the first to speak, “General… is that wise? There are reports of First Order activity in that sector. Can this matter not be attended to by someone else?”
Another senior officer cut in, “It is vital that you stay here General, for your own safety! If the First Order or this centrist faction…”
“No!” Leia said, more loudly than she meant, “No… it must be me that goes. The Resistance need to be seen to be taking this just as seriously which means it must be me that heads our delegation. Besides… the Queen has offered me her personal protection,” she said, looking at the officer who had just spoken.

A tall woman with fair hair tied in a neat bun stepped forward from the back of the room.
“General if I may…” she smiled sweetly and addressed the room, “If General Leia believes that the success of this mission depends on her presence than we should give her our wholehearted support. I believe the General is well aware of any security implications?” She fixed Leia with a smile.
Leia was never that fond of Lieutenant General Holdo. She’d had her promoted to her senior staff as she came highly recommended for her tactical mind, and Leia couldn’t fault her on that. Leia felt sure she could trust her, but she was pushy, often when it wasn’t called for. She wondered why she now appeared to be taking her side. This wasn’t something she made a habit of…
“Thank you Lieutenant General,” Leia chose her next words carefully, “I will take on board any recommendations for my personal safety as I see fit,” She continued, “This is an opportunity that may ‘never’ come again.”
She let her words sink in.


“General Organa, will you be requiring my assistance on this trip?”
The woman who spoke was Commander Kaydel Ko Connix. Leia had had her promoted to be her personal aide after the death of Commander Sella on Hosnian Prime. She liked the young woman and valued her professionalism. She had already proven to be the ideal choice in her new role.
“Yes Kaydie, I will need you by my side. Your help will be invaluable,” she proffered the young woman with a smile.
Leia once more addressed the room, “You will all receive a full intelligence report before I depart. Due to the short notice, C3PO is still preparing it as I speak. That is all…”

As Leia dismissed the room, Finn spoke up, “Um… General? I’m not sure I understand why you wanted me in on this.”
Leia looked at him. “How are you feeling?” she said, examining his face.
“Never felt better! That rest did me the world of good”, he said confidently. “I ran ten kilometres yesterday…”
“Liar… it was eight,” said Poe, winking at Leia.
“Good. I have a mission for you,” and then turned to Poe, “both of you.”

​

 

Puh, finally I managed to catch up. A courtesy by my inflamed larynx and me being forced to stay in because a kindergarten teacher needs her voice.

The plot thickens and thickens. I hope that Naboo is not blown into the air by the First Order and Leia with it.

 

I should probably issue a WARNING at this stage (sorry if this is a bit late!):

Some of the characters (I won't say who), go through a pretty rough ride in this story. I don't think I've been gratuitous in doing that, but some may see it that way.

My background is mental health, and I explore the issue of trauma quite a bit. It was difficult to write at times, and it may be difficult for some to read. I should probably have put this in the opening thread as it won't be for everyone. Some of the characters are in genuine peril, and again this may not be for everyone. I wanted to create drama partly by putting characters through the wringer; characters I care about deeply. They are not for the most part tucked up in bed with cocoa at the end of this. I have added an edit to the opening post regarding this. I might also add...

Rey's parents: I have added an edit to the opening post regarding this too, as this can be a highly contentious issue.



I am 12 chapters into writing IX. A lot of what is established here is picked up and indeed resolved there.

 

OK, now that I've gotten that out, here's the next bit. Three chapters this time!

9​

Rey reached the bottom of the steps and looked around. She couldn’t see Luke anywhere but the ledge she was standing on appeared to get wider off to her right as it rounded a corner. She decided she’d check that way first. After another minute or so, she encountered more steps, this time going up but these were wider and easier to negotiate. They led after a short climb to a tiny sheltered valley. In the middle of this valley Rey could see what looked like the remains of a tree, long dead. Crouched down in front of the tree motionless was Luke.
She watched him for a few seconds before stepping forward. Without warning, an avian tore out of the sky and jabbed Rey smartly on the top of her head with its beak.
“Ow!” she said reaching for her head. Then another swooped in and did the same. Covering her head with her hands, Rey retreated a few steps and they flew away.
She slowly raised her eyes for signs of any further attacks and none came. Puzzled she looked back down and started when she saw that Luke was standing right in front of her. “Oh!” she said.
Expressionless, he held her gaze for a few seconds and then held out his hand. She took it hesitantly and he led her forward. After a few steps, Rey felt as if the air had suddenly thickened. Her head swam a little as if she had been drugged. The sensation was not unpleasant, in fact she felt rather serene. They reached the base of the tree and he let her hand go. She watched as he resumed crouching in front of the tree again.
Rey resolved to wait patiently this time. She felt that they hadn’t gotten off to the best of starts to say the least, and maybe he was testing her. Besides, she felt a strange calm and her mind felt clearer now as if adjusting to the new sensations she was experiencing. She looked around. The landscape was unremarkable, except for the tree itself. The same short turf and jagged rock faces were found here too. Then she looked further up the rock faces. She realised that they were being watched. All around them, crowding the ledges were avians, sitting quietly and looking towards her.
Her gaze returned to Luke to see if he had noticed. He hadn’t moved. Then something else caught her eye… a pale glow had suddenly appeared, right beside where Luke was crouched. It looked to Rey like a ball of light. Her eyes widened as the ball grew in size. She could now make out swirling patterns in the light. It started to change shape, and resolved into… a tiny glowing figure, not much more than half a metre tall.
Rey hardly dared breathe… was she going mad too? The figure seemed to notice her staring.
“A long time it has been. Summoned me you have, hmm?”
Rey felt sure she hadn’t summoned anyone.
“Um… hello,” Rey ventured. Was she talking to a ghost? Who was this?
The figure looked at Luke, “Many years it has been since I taught this one.”
Luke stirred. He lowered his hood and turned his head slowly towards the glowing figure of Yoda. He stared as if in disbelief and mouthed something wordlessly before croaking “Yoda…”
“Hmm… troubled are you… but too late it is not. Help you I can just this once. Take her hand you must.”
Yoda was pointing at Rey.
Luke looked around. Wordlessly he obeyed and reached out once more for Rey’s hand. She took it, wondering what was about to happen.
“To the wellspring you must bring her. Drink she will.”
He led her to the tree and placed his free hand upon it. Rey felt impelled to copy him. The moment she made contact with the tree, it disappeared and she felt as if she were falling. Images flashed by too quickly to make out, then they slowed and resolved into faces; lots of them: some human, but myriad alien races as well. They swirled around her like a vast shoal of fish. Other images flashed past too quickly to clearly make out…
Then as quickly as it had started it was over. Rey found herself sitting on the grass near the tree. Yoda was nowhere to be seen. Standing over her was Luke. Something was different about him. His eyes were focussed and his face was full of determination as he looked down at her.
“We have work to do,” he said.

10​

The ship sitting on the pad was a glossy white with an unconventional W-shape that allowed for the concealment of some custom-modified weapons. That those weapons were installed by her late husband Han Solo was not lost on Leia. They had saved her on more than one occasion, she thought wistfully… The Mirrorbright was a fine ship; one of Han’s many legacies.
“Threepio, once on board I want you to perform a full self-diagnostic maintenance until I require you for anything,” Leia said to the golden protocol droid standing beside her.
“Oh there’s really no need General, I performed one only yesterday in preparation for the journey,” he said, feeling pleased with himself.
“Nonetheless… to be on the safe side… I’d like you to perform another one,” she said raising her eyebrows at him.
“Oh… well as you wish General. However it will mean that I will be inactive for most of the trip.”
“That’s quite alright Threepio, I’ll cope,” she said reassuringly.
Kaydie was trying to suppress a grin.
“Let’s get on board Kaydie,” she said to the woman accompanying her. “I’d like us to leave on time.”
She passed her hand luggage to a ship technician who dutifully carried them on board. As she did so, she could see a diminutive figure approaching her ship from the hangar entrance.
Ever since the attack on Takodana, Maz Kanata had been living with the Resistance. She generally kept a low profile and was only seen occasionally in public areas of the complex. Leia knew that she had taken the destruction of her home by the First Order badly. She had lost nearly everything including untold treasures accumulated over centuries. Many of her friends had died that day too. She had returned just once to salvage what she could before leaving the place to be reclaimed by nature. It was quite a come down for the usually sociable, affable Maz.
Leia knew she was up to something as this wasn’t her usual pattern.
“Hello Maz, is everything OK?” Leia said to the tiny alien.
“You’re going to Naboo I hear.”
Leia wondered how she had found out, but then, Maz had a knack of knowing these things.
“It’s business,” Leia said briskly, “I’m sorry but I really need to go, I’m running late.”
She didn’t want to sound rude, but they were on a tight schedule.
“I won’t keep you Leia.” Maz never used her formal title. Leia didn’t mind as she technically wasn’t employed by her in any capacity.
“Leia… be careful. I see trouble ahead. You may not like what you find on Naboo.”
This brought Leia up short. She knew that Maz was Force sensitive; that she could see things others could not. But Leia was Force sensitive too and felt no sense of foreboding. Admittedly, she’d had a disturbing dream last night where the Centrist leader had the face of her son, and she saw Kaydie get shot by a stormtrooper. She’d had trouble getting back to sleep after that.
She proffered Maz with a reassuring smile. “Thank you for your concern Maz. I will take extra precautions if you think it will help.”
Maz leaned closer.
“I have something for you,” she said.
She reached into her pocket and pulled out a tiny metal rod with flecks of rust on it. It was spatulate at one end and had a small hole at the other. Otherwise it was completely unremarkable.
“You may need this.”
Leia looked at her appealing for more information.
“It is the key to the one thing that you miss more than anything,” Maz said mysteriously.
Leia became uneasy… she began to wonder just how much Maz knew… she suddenly felt very vulnerable under her gaze as if she were being put through a scanner.
“Erm… I need to get going…” she said, flustered. She shoved the object into her pocket, thanked Maz and went on board the Mirrorbright with undue haste.
Kaydie was already seated and buckled in. She looked at Leia’s troubled expression with concern.
“Are you alright General?”
Leia put her professional face back on again.
“I’m fine Kaydie. Thank you for asking.” She faced forward, her face now a mask.
With all pre-flight checks completed, the ship was cleared for launch and took off smoothly before arcing steeply upwards away from the base.

11​

Finn saw the ship depart from the north platform as he headed towards his own: a boxy light freighter going by the name of Wamp Rat. On the outside at least, it was as anonymous a ship as could be found, which suited their purposes. It was stuffed full of sensor equipment normally used for missions of infiltration. It had everything they needed, including a look that didn’t tend to attract unwelcome attention.
He was helping Leia out again he told himself. It felt good to be doing this, even though the last time he went on a Resistance mission it had nearly gotten him killed. He hoped things would go more smoothly this time and that they all got back in one piece. It seemed straightforward enough: go to Canto Bight and extract someone by the name of Tirrem Locke, before the First Order get to him. Whatever information he had, Finn was not privy to. That way if he got captured, they couldn’t extract anything from him.
Poe hurried up to him, with BB-8 rolling alongside.
BB-8 bleeped a greeting at Finn.
“I thought I’d grab a few more snacks for the journey,” Poe said, throwing Finn a nutrient bar. “Just in case we run into any difficulties along the way.”
“Hey, I can handle a little trouble, you know,” Finn said jovially.
“I’m not sure you can handle this type of trouble buddy,” said Poe, gesturing towards the Wamp Rat.
Waiting at the base of the ship ramp was Lieutenant General Holdo.
“She’s leading the mission,” said Poe. A look of distaste on his face.
Finn hadn’t had many dealings with Holdo, but thought she seemed OK, if a little stand-offish. He knew that she and Poe had clashed a few times however.
“It’ll be fine!” Finn said encouragingly, “Besides…it’s a bit late now to be pulling out of the mission.”
“I just don’t want her getting in my way…” Poe said looking down.
And that appeared to be that. Conversation closed.

Finn shrugged and sighed to himself. He briefly considered the possibility that if none of them got killed by the enemy, then Poe and Holdo just might do that to each other. This was going to be a long journey… He reached for the nutrient bar in his pocket.

 

CairnsTony: Don´t ya worry! I think I can stand whatever you throw at me in this story. But thanks for the warning.

If you are uncertain about a story or scenes from it, it never can hurt to contact a mod (mavjade and Briannakin) and ask for their kind advice. That is what they are there for.

Or, seeing that you are a considerate person, you can always put the warning into the headlines of your first thread post. That is also an option.

 

I hope so! I edited my opening post with a couple more bits the other day to warn readers about what is coming up and make it unambiguously clear that this might not be everybody's cup of tea.

I contacted a mod before posting anything as fan fiction is entirely new to me. In fact this is the first story I've written in 35 years since leaving school. I wanted to make sure I wasn't breaking any rules and to be clear on the format.

 

OK, next bit. I'm going to post three chapters again, as this then takes us up to the end of the First Act.

12​

From somewhere within the dark chamber could be heard the sounds of whimpering.
“Try harder…” said a voice in irritation, “fight them.”
Kylo was stripped to the waist and restrained by the wrists and ankles to a metal frame leaning at 45 degrees. Two black slug-like creatures were crawling slowly over his body. As they did so, they left red welts on his skin that were rising into blisters. His skin was starting to peel off in a few spots. His body was bathed in sweat and his eyes were closed. The livid scar that ran diagonally across his face contorted as he grimaced in pain.
“The shaddu will made you stronger, but only if you fight them! Focus your anger… master your pain! Make them do your bidding…”
Kylo knew that mastering physical pain was an integral part of his training and far harder than fighting with a lightsabre. These creatures made one feel like your skin had been set on fire from the acidic secretions from their bodies.
He had been physically weakened in the duel with Rey. He was able to withstand the blaster bolt from a bowcaster, but it still affected his ability to fight. The pain he had felt slowed him down just enough for her to turn the tide against him, or so he kept telling himself. It was a humiliation he found hard to bear. An untrained girl…
The anger grew in him. He redoubled his efforts. He could do this…
Kylo delved deep within himself and gradually, by degrees, the pain lifted; he no longer felt any discomfort.
Suddenly the shaddu stopped moving and began to quiver. They dropped off his body onto the floor with a wet thud and lay there with curls of smoke rising from their bodies.
Kylo was exhausted. The restraints came undone by themselves and he raised himself off the frame. He stood up and felt his strength returning much more quickly than before. He knew his resilience was that much greater now.
“You have learned to focus the Dark Side on primitive minds.”
“I have mastered my pain Supreme Leader. I feel no weakness. I am yours to command,” Kylo said.
“Indeed… you are ready.”
Kylo puffed his chest out at this acknowledgement.
“Now is the time to act.” Snoke said as his face appeared, “The girl has accessed the Well. She is more powerful than we suspected. We must find them both before it is too late. They could destroy our plans.”
“I will not let that happen,” Kylo said, “We will finish off what is left of the Republic, and then…”
“The Republic will soon be gone,” Snoke interrupted, “And now an opportunity presents itself to draw Skywalker out once and for all…”
Kylo stared expectantly at Snoke.
“Your mother… she will soon arrive on the planet Naboo. You will bring her to me.”
The ultimate test… his own mother. He’d grown to hate his father…
Kylo swallowed. “It will be done Supreme Leader,” he said in a surprisingly quiet voice.
It seemed so easy when he said it like that…

13​

Luke had wasted no time starting on Rey’s training. Time was short, he said. Rey responded in kind and plunged in. She was a gifted student as Luke was soon to discover…

Rey was practically a blur. She danced around, deftly avoiding any missteps on the uneven rocky ground faster than the ordinary eye could see. In stark contrast, Luke sat motionless as small rocks rose up all around him and flew in her direction. The blue lightsabre was lit and she swung it with dizzying speed shattering the rocks as they flew past her. She had been doing this for a full minute. One rock whizzed by just beyond her reach and she stretched for it. As she did so, she caught her foot in an animal burrow hidden by tufts of grass and toppled over. The lightsabre went flying out of her hand and deactivated.
She sat up rubbing her ankle feeling somewhat embarrassed and annoyed with herself. She had been doing so well and had let her concentration lapse just for a second.
“You’re too hard on yourself,” said Luke. “For three days now I have watched you learn. Never before have I seen anyone do what you can do in so short a time.”
Rey was taken aback. For three days she had slogged relentlessly under Luke’s tutelage. He rarely paid her any compliments, but was quick to admonish her if he felt she could do better. Admittedly though, most of the time he would nod in satisfaction. She wasn’t at all sure until now if she was proving to be a good student as Luke hadn’t given her much feedback.
“Thank you Master,” she said, “I… need to learn patience.”
“A time will come when you will not make a misstep,” he said, “You are most of the way there already. Your instincts are already well-honed as is your ability to fight.”
“I had no choice growing up on that rock,” she said, “I needed to be a fast learner, to be a survivor…” the thought of those endless monotonous days passed through her mind. How far she’d come…
“Those skills have served you well,” he said admiringly. “I grew up on a desert world too you know…”
Rey didn’t know this. Everything she’d heard about Luke before coming here were of a Jedi Master, strong in the Force. At one point she didn’t even know that he was real… she smiled to herself at the thought.
Chewie appeared at the top of the steps and came over to them.
“That’s enough for one day,” Luke said as he got up.
They exchanged greetings with Chewie.
“Ready?” said Luke.
Chewie nodded and they headed down to where the Falcon remained parked ever since Rey had first arrived. Artoo was already plugged into the main computer to act as co-pilot. He had apparently recovered from seeing Luke after so long when he’d paid a visit to the Falcon just the day before.
“Take care,” Rey said to Chewie, grinning broadly as he enveloped her in a hug. “We’ll see you soon.”

Minutes later, the Falcon rose into the air and sped away. Soon it was a tiny dot as it disappeared amongst the clouds. They sat down on a large rock, enjoying the cool evening weather.
Rey was thinking.
“Master,” she said at last, “What was your desert world like?”
“Not as harsh as yours it would seem… I grew up on Tatooine, on a moisture farm. I found it pretty boring most of the time, so I always looked for excuses to head out to Tosche Station and spend time with my friends. Owen and Beru didn’t always approve of course…”
He looked at her quizzical expression.
“My uncle and aunt,” he explained.
The thought of growing up with family and friends… Rey suddenly felt empty inside.
Luke placed his hand on her upper arm and squeezed gently.
“I shouldn’t have told you…” he said.
Rey knew that Luke was still readjusting to reality, after nearly completely losing his mind. The occasional indiscretion was understandable.
“It’s OK…” she said, returning a smile, “Most people grew up like that. I guess I was the odd one out!” she said, her voice higher pitched than usual. “I spent all that time waiting for…” she gave a little laugh, “it all seems so silly now…” she said, “I have family now of course! You, Leia, Chewie, Artoo, Finn…” she looked at Luke and her voice trailed off…
For a second she saw something cross Luke’s face and then it was gone. His impassive expression had returned.
“Let’s go back up,” said Luke standing.
Rey thought nothing more of it. She got up and followed.

14​

The First Order fleet was huge. Hundreds of star destroyers and other capital ships flew in a phalanx surrounding a truly gargantuan ship. In contrast to the other vessels, it was jet black and would not have been easy to make out against the star field if it wasn’t for the fact that it emitted a faint orange glow as if fires raged within. The front of the ship stretched vertically downwards to a single sharp point. Above this, in stark contrast to the rest of the ship, at the forward most part of the prow was a huge glowing red circle, like a malevolent eye. This was the ship’s main weapon, and it harnessed the same power used by Starkiller Base, except now it was being used on a ship. The Death Knell, the new flagship of the First Order was impressive and intimidating.
The immense size of the hangar was a reflection of the size of the ship containing it. Hundreds of tie fighters sat in racks around its periphery.
Captain Phasma was giving her strike squadron a final briefing. Minus her armour she still appeared intimidating, this despite the fact that her neutral clothing was purposefully designed to help her blend in. Her impressive height and look of authority were harder to disguise.
Hux watched her from the viewing platform. He mused if sending her on this mission was the wisest idea he’d had. She tended to stand out in a crowd, and besides… he always suspected she had been cajoled into dropping the shields on Starkiller Base. She should have been prepared to die sooner than allow the base to be destroyed… If he had been able to prove that she had been responsible for the planet’s destruction, then he would have had her executed.

Kylo Ren strode into the hangar. He no longer wore his helmet, Hux noted. He often wondered why he had done so before. He suspected that Ren was inwardly afraid of betraying his emotions to those around him. Perhaps he was a coward… Whatever the reason, the change in his appearance did nothing to make Hux like him any the more.
Accompanying him were the Knights of Ren. Hux noted that he paid no attention to Phasma or her team and went straight to his command shuttle.
Hux had been notified of the mission but as usual, Ren hadn’t bothered to give him any schedule. The one positive he took from this was that he didn’t have to deal with Ren’s presence on the command ship for a while at least. It enabled him to carry out his own work unencumbered.
He knew that they had a narrow window. Naboo’s defences would have to be kept busy for just long enough by a section of their fleet for Ren to run his little errand for Snoke. Of course once they had the codes, they could walk into Naboo any time they liked.

It wasn’t long before Kylo’s shuttle was cleared for departure.
Kylo was deep in thought as the ship lifted off.
He knew what had to be done; the Supreme Leader had commanded it. The mission would be a success and the dark side would finally triumph over the light. And yet…
Kylo had a nagging doubt that had been bothering him for some time. The ‘awakening’… It was as if she had popped into existence that very day. Kylo now knew the reason: Jakku itself. It had unique properties; Darth Sidious himself had built an observatory there, partly because the planet was steeped in the dark side. It was no surprise therefore that neither he nor Snoke had been aware of her existence before. The planet had shielded her presence.
But that wasn’t what bothered him. Before that fight, he had refused to even consider the possibility before of whom she might be. But now he knew one thing for sure: They had met before… and this revelation shocked him to his very core.
Capturing his mother was significant enough, but this…

Kylo’s command shuttle made the jump to hyperspace.

End of Act 1.​

​

​

 

Double post.

 

OK next bit! The first chapter is short, so I've added an extra one at the end. I also think it's a nice place to break until the next installment.

15​

Naboo was a pleasant blue and green planet with rolling hills, lakes and forests. Leia had come forward to the cockpit in order to appreciate the view as her ship descended through the atmosphere towards Theed, the seat of power. The beautiful historic city spread out below them and seemed timeless; a world away from the chaos engulfing much of the galaxy.

As Leia and her retinue debarked, the morning promised calm, sunny weather.
“Beautiful place,” remarked Kaydie, looking around.
Captain Torrens, Leia’s chief of security came up beside her, “It would appear that there is no need to form a perimeter,” he said.
Leia agreed. Planetary security were clearly visible around the landing pad and beyond and patrol vessels circled overhead.

A small group approached them. At their head was the Governor of Naboo, San Chalbis.
“General Organa, welcome to Naboo. I trust your journey went smoothly?” he said formally.
“Thank you Governor Chalbis. Yes, it went without a hitch. I must say, it is good to be back; it has been too long,” she said happily.
“Likewise General. You are an honoured guest,” he said grandly. “Do please allow me the privilege of escorting you personally to your quarters. We have made all necessary arrangements to ensure your safety and comfort.”
Leia was used to these sorts of formalities but was still somewhat touched that the Governor himself was showing such humility. She knew the Queen held her in special favour. She wondered if the same would be extended to the Republic delegates.
“Thank you, that would be most kind of you,” she said.
The Governor nodded in satisfaction and the party moved off.

16​

Finn peered out of the cockpit of the Wamp Rat as they began their final approach to the spaceport of Lor Shakk the capital and largest city on Canto Bight. A sea of glittering lights lay below them as the city gradually came up to meet them. It was difficult to make much else out in the darkness other than the faint shapes of buildings.
Getting past security protocols seemed easy enough despite the heightened alertness: they were just another freighter going about their business. First Order activity in the sector had the planetary administration nervous however and the checks, from their perspective, had been thorough. The ship had been scanned on its approach, but the shielding protecting its secrets had fooled them, as had the fake telemetry they had received.
“It’s beautiful isn’t it?” Holdo had entered the cockpit.
She had the annoying habit of ghosting up to people and though Finn was getting used to it, it still made him start.
Poe, sitting in the pilot’s seat, stared straight ahead without looking at her.
“I grew up here,” she said casually, “It’s good to be back after so long.”
Finn covered his surprise. Now he knew why Leia had chosen her to lead the mission: she probably knew the planet better than anyone else in the Resistance.

Lor Shakk used to be a major centre of tourism and leisure. Beings would come here from all corners of the galaxy to see the historic sights of this ancient city; to visit its numerous attractions. These days, its faded charm and the crumbling architecture of the old quarter gave it a somewhat seedy quality. This effect was magnified by the sort of clientele it attracted these days, as they now came here primarily for one thing: gambling.

Poe brought the ship smoothly into the docking bay.
“We need to get ready,” Holdo said, leaving the cockpit.
Poe jumped out of his seat and disappeared into the tiny cabin he and Finn were forced to share whilst the ship was in hyperspace. There wasn’t room for both of them to change, and so Finn sat up front with the idle thought that if he died on this mission, the authorities would have no difficulty describing him from his apparel.
Poe was the first to emerge.
Finn was impressed with the transformation. Poe was wearing a dark blue formal suit of the finest quality graalworm silk, complete with epaulettes and shiny golden buttons that stood proud down the front. The outfit was finished off with high leather boots. What really caught Finn’s attention however was Poe’s handlebar moustache. It almost suited him, Finn thought with amusement.
“Have you forgiven Holdo for insisting on this attire?” he said grinning.
Poe gave him a sour look.
“I feel ridiculous,” he said, “I know this place attracts the more ostentatious type, but I don’t see why we couldn’t just wear civvies.”
“You should see my outfit!” he said fetching it from the closet. He pulled out a jacket of lurid green with trousers to match. At least his boots were a more sombre light brown.
“OK, you win,” said Poe brightening.

The two of them exited the cabin and waited for Holdo to emerge from hers.
When she did, the effect on them both was instantaneous.
She was barely recognisable. Although she was wearing a rather sombre-coloured black dress, it was the rest of her look that caught their attention. Her hands and lower arms were covered in bright silver gloves that glittered. She wore boots of a similar hue that sparkled as she walked. Her face sported a multicoloured tattoo on one cheek and her lips were jet black. She wore silver and pale blue eye make up that seemed to glow, but the most noticeable aspect of her look was her towering hair of shocking pink.
“We should blend right in,” said Poe sarcastically.
“You’d be surprised,” Holdo said, giving him a withering look.
BB-8 rolled up and tootled at Poe.
“Lock up the ship as soon as we’re gone, buddy,” he said.
He looked up to see Holdo giving him a stern look.
“I’m in charge of this mission,” she said in a quiet voice that carried steel.
Poe’s face started to colour, “Hey! He’s my friend! He listens to me…”
Finn interjected to try and defuse the situation.
“How about we get moving,” he said louder than he meant.
“Agreed,” she said. Ignoring Poe, she turned to BB-8 and said, “Don’t let anyone on board until we return, no matter who they are.”
BB-8’s dome swivelled to face Poe.
Poe nodded to him slowly.

Dern donned a long black silken cloak, fastened the single clasp at the front and raised the hood gingerly over her hair. She looked out of the rear viewport and checked the external sensor readings on a small console by the loading ramp.
“Coast’s clear,” she said and activated the ramp.

17​

Rey sat in a lotus position with her eyes closed. Sweat beaded her face. Hundreds of small rocks and clods of dirt started to rise up slowly around her and hovered momentarily before moving once more. This time they started to orbit Rey, slowly at first, but then they gathered speed. Faster and faster they went, whipping up a strong wind which began to howl. Rey was almost completely obscured by the mini-tornado that swirled around her.
“Now!” Yelled Luke over the noise.
In the blink of an eye, the tornado disappeared and the rocks and dirt appeared to be frozen in the air. Then they slowly dropped back to earth.

Rey opened her eyes breathing heavily with the exertion, and flopped on to her back. Luke was looking at her in astonishment.
“Your control…” he began slowly, “is very impressive.”
Rey lifted her head and smiled. She had been moving objects with the Force for many days now, but this was the first time she had moved so many and then arrested their momentum so quickly.
“Thank you Master. I… it just feels so natural to me; doing this. This island…”
“Speaks to you,” Luke finished. “Yes… it has accepted you completely. It gives you a rare gift.”
Rey frowned, “I don’t think I understand Master.”
Luke stood up and walked over to her, helping her up.
“The Unifying Force speaks to you in a way I’ve never seen before,” he said, “I haven’t mentioned this before, but you… saved me.”
Rey was confused. When Luke regained his senses, she put it down to something about that dead tree when Yoda appeared… surely he had saved Luke.
“Master, what exactly happened when we touched that tree?” She figured that Luke couldn’t put off answering this question indefinitely.
“The Tree is a wellspring to the Force. It can be a source of incredible power but also an elixir which one can easily become addicted to. Before you came here, it was the only place I could feel at ease, but I became dependent on it”.
Rey remembered the feeling of calm and serenity in the vicinity of the tree. She also remembered the weird sensations she experienced and the images when she touched it. It reminded her of the vision she had had when she first touched Luke’s lightsabre, but it was far more abstract. All those faces…
“Your presence, triggered something…” he said to her. “I hadn’t seen Master Yoda in over thirty years. I don’t fully understand it myself, but I think you somehow pulled his soul out of the well”.
Rey’s eyes widened at this revelation. Those faces were souls!
“When you touched the tree, you healed me, somehow… Master Yoda knew…” he looked down, shaking his head. “Rey… I cannot thank you enough,” he said, looking genuinely humble.
Rey looked on in admiration of her Master. They had come so far in what seemed to her such a brief period of time. Her eyes were moist. The bond she shared with Luke was stronger than ever…

He suddenly got up.
“Come with me,” he said, “Please… I want to try something.”

18​

The mausoleum stood in the middle of a small park in a quiet corner of Theed. It was rectangular in shape and made entirely of white marble. Columns on either side held up the pitched roof; the spaces in between allowing natural light to flood in. Flowers and vines grew everywhere in profusion, negating the need for any ornate carvings and filling the place with a heady scent. The entire place had a feeling of peace, serenity and repose.

Leia sat quietly in front of the marble casket engraved with her mother’s name. She was deep in thought. Alongside her sat Queen Shalra with her eyes downcast. Both of them had a deep regard for the remarkable woman they were paying their respects to, but for very different reasons.
Leia appeared to come out of a deep daydream; she looked at the Queen and nodded. Both women stood up and moved towards the exit. Clouds were gathering, promising rain and the wind was starting to pick up.
The tight cordon of guards closed about them as they headed towards the transport. Off to her left, by the security barrier, Leia could see a guard talking animatedly to an old woman. She was gesturing in their direction as the guard barred her way. She looked familiar…
“Sola…” she said quietly.
The Queen turned to look at the woman, now waving and smiling at Leia.
“Do you know her?” she inquired.
“She’s my aunt,” Leia said. “We’ve only met a couple of times before… erm… may I?”
“Of course!” The Queen said reassuringly. “Let her through,” she gestured to Captain Torrens who signalled the rather nonplussed guard to open the barrier.
Sola Naberrie hobbled slowly over to Leia.
“It’s been so long…” she said, “I didn’t think I would ever see you again!”
Leia smiled warmly, “It’s wonderful to see you Sola. We have so much to catch up on.”
Leia remembered herself and turned to the Queen, “Forgive me, I appear to be holding everyone up.”
“She is welcome to travel with us Leia. I will make arrangements, so that you can spend time together,” said the Queen.
“That would be very generous of you your Highness.”
Leia was thrilled. After the sombre occasion of paying respects to her mother, here was a living reminder of her Naboo heritage.

The reception was a modest affair with only a few dozen guests. The Queen knew that Leia would want to keep everything low key. The Republic delegations were due to arrive in the morning, so Leia knew this was the last chance she would get to enjoy herself before the hard work began. The atmosphere appeared to be relaxed and jovial.
Leia was a practised hand at these functions and made a point of exchanging small talk with various dignitaries before managing to extricate herself to go and talk to Sola. She found her chatting in the corner to a rather portly Gungan who remembered her from the days of the Old Republic. Seeing Leia approach, the Gungan excused himself with a small bow and moved off.
Leia and Sola had a lot to say to each other and chatted animatedly for several minutes about friends, family, past times and the current state of affairs… Leia was fully apprised on her family on Naboo including Sola’s daughter Pooja who became a senator in the Old Republic before becoming involved in the Rebellion.
“I have a little present for you,” Sola said, reaching into her pocket.
“It isn’t much I’m afraid… you might not even remember it.”
Sola handed a tiny parcel to Leia.
“Go ahead, open it!” she said encouragingly.
Leia unwrapped the parcel. Within was a battered looking metal box, hinged on one side. Whatever design was once embossed on it had mostly faded.
“You lost it when you were five,” she said. “Bail and Breha were on a diplomatic visit to Naboo and you came with them, do you remember?”
Leia had visited dozens of worlds accompanying her adoptive parents, but her early memories of Naboo were surprisingly hazy. She didn’t even remember losing anything, but then she was very young.
“Your parents were paying a secret visit to our home. They wanted us to meet you. Of course they didn’t tell you whom we were: the official line was ‘friends of the family.’ I remember how they’d done your hair. It was quite ornate and reminded us of Padme,” she said reminiscing.
Leia mused at the subversiveness of this act. Her parents were clearly proud of her biological mother’s heritage. It must have been so difficult for them to maintain secrecy under those circumstances…
She looked at the gift in Leia’s hand, “It’s a music box. I’m afraid I don’t have the key sadly…”
Leia had owned a succession of music boxes as a child. Each time one went missing or was broken, her parents bought her another. It always played the same tune.
“Mirrorbright…” Leia said smiling.
“Thank you Sola, what a lovely memento of my visit.” Leia was touched at the gesture.

They moved on to more delicate subjects. Sola offered her condolences over Han… then she asked about Ben. It was difficult for Leia to explain to Sola that it was Ben who killed Han… Sola was in shock and couldn’t meet Leia’s eyes.
“You weren’t to know Sola…” Leia said. She found herself consoling the old woman who was now tearful.
“Terrible… just terrible…” she said through sobs.
Leia grabbed a few napkins off the table next to her and offered them to Sola.
It took a few minutes for her to calm herself. She looked at Leia.
“You’re so brave,” she said, “I don’t know how you do it”.
Leia gave her a gentle hug.
“I sometimes wonder myself…” she said, “Still… it isn’t all bad news…”
Leia looked around to see that no-one was listening.
“Sola… something wonderful has happened…”

 

Next bit!

19​

​

The balls of light slowly orbited Rey. She and Luke were by the Wellspring once more. She looked at them in wonder as her lips moved. Her voice was barely a whisper. To any neutral observer, it would appear that she was having a conversation with herself. She had been doing this for several minutes now.

Luke looked on, clearly impressed. Rey knew that this had never happened to him in all the time he had been on the island. Luke had suspected that things were different now, he told her. There was just something about Rey…
The balls of light ceased their orbit and seemed to dissipate. Rey and Luke were alone once more. Rey’s face was flushed. She looked at Luke, grinning broadly.
“That was incredible,” she said in a rush.
Luke nodded sagely.
“I felt as if the whole galaxy was singing to me!” she said excitedly.
"The Song of the Whills,” he said, “And you are the conductor.”
Luke had told Rey that the Whills manifested themselves in various different ways in the form of avatars. They observed the everyday events of the galaxy through the eyes of myriad creatures; through trees; through rocks… they saw everything and missed nothing. Even now the Whills massed around them on the rocks above, except to the casual observer they looked like avians. They rarely interacted with anyone, unless they were protecting something as Rey found out to her cost the first time she visited the Wellspring. Now, if anything, they were trying to protect her.
“It’s time to go,” he said.

As they got to the top of the stairs, Chewie was waiting for them. Stood next to him, dwarfed by his presence was another figure.
“Maz…” Rey said to herself, as they walked over.
What was she doing here? Rey knew that when Maz turned up like this, then she was up to something.
“Hello Rey,” she said, “My boyfriend was telling me that you were making good progress,” she looked up at Chewie, who seemed somewhat abashed.
“And Master Luke,” she said, “It is a great honour to meet you at last.”
Luke seemed amused at this compliment. “And you too Maz Kanata, I’ve heard much about you,” he said rather formally. If Luke knew what Maz’s motives were at this point, he wasn’t saying. Rey thought about the lightsabre and pondered once more how Maz came to have it in her possession.

The entire party headed to the Falcon where Artoo waited excitedly to see Luke once more. Rey took one last look around her and wondered if she would ever return…

20​

Party revellers crowded the streets, many of them in varying states of intoxication. Everywhere one looked, garish-looking nightclubs, restaurants and casinos advertised their wares to equally garishly-dressed clientele. Luxurious chauffeur-driven speeders cruised by, occasionally disgorging their passengers at the entrances to these establishments.

Finn watched as a Rodian female tumbled out of a speeder as soon as the door opened. Her companions hoisted her into a standing position and practically dragged her through the door of a nightclub. He looked up to see a holovid playing above the entrance. It appeared to show two beings of indeterminate species or gender performing a lewd act.
Holdo could see him gawping.
“We need to keep moving,” she said.
“I still say we should have stuck to the back streets,” said Poe with an ugly tone to his voice.
“Look… I know this place better than you,” Holdo said trying not to speak too loudly, “The more conspicuous we are right now, the less attention we’ll draw to ourselves.”
Poe looked sullen but kept quiet.
They rounded a corner and kept the same casual pace. Nobody around them was in any hurry and so they were forced to do the same. Nonetheless, Holdo looked nervous and had to keep stopping herself from looking over her shoulder. Finn looked across at Poe who was walking the other side of Holdo. None of them looked relaxed, which wasn’t helping their cause. As he did so, his eye was caught by a woman’s face peering out of a narrow alley between two buildings. She was looking straight at him.
“Over here,” said Holdo.
He glanced at where she was pointing to the entrance of a rather down market looking bar. Finn looked back at where he had seen the woman. She had vanished. He tried to dismiss it from his mind. Holdo and Poe were bickering again.
“You chose to meet them here?” Poe looked exasperated.
We’re not meeting anyone here,” said Holdo through gritted teeth, “I need a drink. I think we all need to relax a little. Anyway, we’re ahead of schedule,” she said looking at her chrono, “Rendezvous isn’t for a little while yet.”
Poe looked at Finn resignedly. Finn shrugged. He felt he needed a drink too, and so they entered the bar.

They ordered drinks and sat at a table in a corner near the counter from where they could see the entire establishment. It wasn’t very big, well-maintained or clean. The patrons were of at least a dozen different species. None of them appeared to be paying them any attention, Finn was relieved to see.
“I still don’t see why we couldn’t have chosen somewhere a bit more… upmarket,” Poe said, looking around.
“Facial-recognition technology,” Holdo replied. “All of the better establishments have it. We don’t want anyone alerted to our presence”.
A huge Lasat sat at the bar cradling his drink. The door opened and a reedy-looking Zalk entered and weaved his way unsteadily towards the bar. He ordered a drink and sat down next to the Lasat, studying his bulk through his eye stalks.
“Wot you looking at?” said the Lasat.
The Zalk vacated his seat and moved towards one of the tables.
Finn didn’t like the look of the Lasat. He’d only ever seen one before, and that was in an information session with the First Order, where mugshots of various known Resistance sympathisers were discussed. He’d heard of their reputations as well. The last thing they needed was for things to get ugly. He looked around once more… no-one seemed to be in any hurry to start trouble it seemed. Even the Lasat had gone back to studying his drink.
“I need the fresher,” said Finn, and he threaded his way through the bar to the rear. Once there, he poured some water into the grubby basin and splashed some of it on his face. Better… he thought. Just as he was about to relieve himself, he heard a commotion in the bar. Spoke too soon… He peered out of the door of the fresher.
Four beings had entered the bar and they were clearly in an ugly mood. One of them, a Gotal, was yelling at the bartender in a language Finn couldn’t understand. The bartender was gesticulating in agitation. Finn tried to see beyond them to where Holdo and Poe were sitting, but he couldn’t make them out.
Suddenly the Gotal pulled out a blaster and pointed it straight at the bartender.
Several nearby patrons hurried to get out of the way. The Lasat however didn’t move from his seat and was glaring at the gang leader. Another of the gang, a thick-set Nikto male came forward to stand between the Gotal and the Lasat. He was gesturing at the bartender’s till.
Finn looked down to check that his concealed blaster was still there, but was unsure of what to do. As he looked up, he saw the Nikto using expansive gestures as if explaining to the bartender what he would do to him if he didn’t empty his till straight away. As he did this, he accidentally knocked over the Lasat’s drink.
“Heyyy…!” The Lasat stood up, towering over the gang.
Before the Nikto could react to the new threat, the Lasat had grabbed his arm, swung him around and thrown him across the bar into the nearest table. The table split in two on impact from the Nikto’s flying bulk. Then several things happened at once: in that momentary distraction, the bartender had produced his own blaster and was raising it at the gang leader. Patrons were fleeing in every direction. Finn saw a flash of pink and could make out Holdo and Poe diving for cover. Then all hell broke loose.
The gang leader opened fire, just missing the bartender who had ducked down behind the counter. A glass bottle shattered on impact. Another gang member, a brutish-looking Horax was training his blaster on the Lasat, but his target was too quick, knocking the blaster clean out of his hand. The Lasat fell on him, pounding him with his fists as they rolled, brawling across the room. By now the Nikto had recovered his senses and taken up a defensive position behind an overturned table. He opened fire on the bar, spraying it with blaster fire. Bottles exploded and the mirror behind the bar shattered, sending shards in every direction. The fourth member of the gang, a trollish-looking human had joined him.
The Gotal had retreated in the direction that Finn had last seen Holdo and Poe. He was clearly trying to get at the bartender by trying to make his way around the side of the counter. The bartender’s head suddenly appeared as he returned fire at the two gang members on the other side of the room before ducking back down. The shot caused a picture frame above their heads to explode.
Finn saw the Lasat pick the Horax up by the throat and hurl him clean over the counter where he came to rest in the debris at the rear. Immediately behind him, he could see that two humans with blasters drawn had entered the bar. The Gotal had seen them too and spun around, training his blaster on the nearest one. The human male shot him in the chest, and the Gotal went down.
By now the bar was full of smoke from all the shooting. Finn could just make out Holdo and Poe running towards the exit. They were being ushered out of the bar, by the two who had just entered.
Finn pulled out his blaster. He figured he would have to fight his way out. The movement caught the attention of the two remaining gang members who turned to look at him. The Nikto raised his blaster at Finn and fired. Finn was already moving; he’d hurled himself back into the narrow corridor beside the bathroom door and rolled. As he got up, he could hear them moving in his direction. Finn looked around and could see a door, he pressed a console beside it and it slid open. He threw himself out of the door just as the doorframe above his head shattered. Finn found himself on a low mezzanine that had steps leading down to a back alley. There was no cover anywhere that Finn could see. The Nikto appeared in the doorway. Finn faced him blaster drawn but before he could pull the trigger, blaster fire erupted from down the alleyway. The Nikto ducked back inside. Finn looked towards the source. Galloping towards him was some sort of large, furry animal with enormous ears. A human woman was on its back.
The Nikto again tried to get a shot away at Finn but was forced to retreat inside as Finn shot back.
“Get on!” the woman yelled.
Finn didn’t need to be told twice. The height of the mezzanine meant that he could leap straight on to the animal’s back. He clung on tightly as the animal raced away down the alley. A shot zinged over his head and then they were around the corner.

 

I've still no idea if people are reading this, but I'll keep plugging away I suppose...

Three more chapters again as the first one is short:

21​

The innocuous-looking transport ship dropped out of hyperspace and made its descent towards Canto Bight. It mingled briefly with the other space traffic before peeling off towards a landing pad on the edge of Lor Shakk.
Several humans in drab civilian clothing exited the ship, led by a tall human female that the owner of the pad didn’t like the look of at all. She marched up to him fixing him with a cold look.
“Where’s my money?” he said to her, trying to sound braver than he felt.
“You’ll be handsomely rewarding on our return I assure you,” she said dismissively. “In the meantime here’s a small payment to tide you over.”
She produced a datapad and motioned him to do the same. He looked at her suspiciously before producing his own datapad from just inside the office door. He touched it briefly to hers. His eyebrows raised as he looked at the amount.
“That…” he began, “will do just fine,” he said looking at her with his watery blue eyes, giving her an oily smile.
She returned a look of contempt. She motioned to two of her men. They came forward and one entered the office, whilst the other took up a station outside.
“Wait, what are you doing?” he said as the man pushed past him.
“They will be keeping you company until we return,” she said, “Just in case…” she added with a warning tone.
He looked like he was about to object, until he realised that both men had their hands resting on blasters sticking out of their jackets.
Without giving him another look, Captain Phasma and her strike squad moved off into the city.

22​

Lando was furious. He had been heading for the rendezvous when he’d heard the trouble erupting in the bar up the street. It would have taken far too long to go around, so they’d had no choice but to head in that direction. Just as they thought they’d pass without any trouble, Lando spotted Holdo’s pink hair through the window of the bar. Pink hair wasn’t that unusual on this world, but the woman sporting this particular do matched the description that Lando had of his primary contact exactly. He’d told the driver to wait, signalled to the other to draw his blaster and they’d waded in. Lando had quickly dispatched the Gotal and yelled at Holdo and Poe to make a break for it. As they ran for the door, he couldn’t help but notice the Lasat hurling somebody across the bar. He looked very familiar…
They were bundled into the speeder and took off down the street faster than Lando would have liked, but under the circumstances everything had now taken on a new urgency.
“Wait! We need to go back!” Poe had yelled as he picked himself up off the floor of the speeder.
Lando twisted his head around from the front passenger seat, “Are you serious? It’s bad enough that I have to pull you out of that bar before you get your heads blown off. Why the hell would we go back?”
“Finn’s back there! We can’t leave him!” Poe said angrily.
“He’s on his own now,“ Holdo said, her voice strained. Her ridiculous wig was askew, and she pulled it off, “Law enforcement will be there in minutes. We can’t get held up by them. We don’t even know if we can trust them. The First Order have spies everywhere.”
“Listen to your friend pal,” Lando said, “She knows what she’s talking about. I’m sure this ‘Finn’ can take care of himself.”
“You don’t know that!” Poe shot back. He exhaled… the fight had gone out of him, because he knew that they were right. The mission was more important than any one of them.
Holdo looked distraught. Lando was watching his two new passengers in the front mirror and wondered if dealing with the Resistance was always going to be this hectic.
Poe looked out of the window, clearly concerned about his friend. Holdo reached across and squeezed his hand gently.
“I’m sorry Poe…” she said, with genuine remorse, “It’s my fault. If we hadn’t gone in that bar…”
Poe looked down in surprise and then at her face. She still hadn’t released his hand. His jaw worked as if he was trying to form words. Lando watched as they studied each other for several seconds. Holdo looked away first blushing and let go of Poe's hand. Lando knew that sometimes actions spoke louder than words.

23​

Chancellor Galtus Emmon droned on. Leia had been listening to him for several minutes now. The room felt stuffy and she observed a few people yawning. She had to stifle a yawn herself. She’d had a poor night’s sleep because of the same weird dream of the Centrist leader having Ben’s face, and Kaydie being shot.
This time she couldn’t get back to sleep. Was it a warning? She still had difficulty telling ordinary dreams apart from something more ominous. She remembered Maz’s words…

She looked over at Senator Jornak Oculus, the Centrist faction leader. He looked bored. He was a red-faced middle aged human male with neat grey hair crowning his large head and an immaculately-trimmed beard clinging to his jowly features. He looked nothing like her son, she thought.
“… and so I believe that it is in our best interests to cooperate on this matter for the mutual benefit of all concerned,” Emmon had finally stopped speaking.
A few sitting around the table visibly perked up with relief.
The chair cleared his throat, “Thank you Chancellor,” he said and looked around the room, “Does anyone have anything to add at this point?”
Oculus spoke first, “I would concur with the main points that the Chancellor has made so succinctly,” he said airily, “Of course, there is the small matter of the involvement of the Resistance in all of this,” he added looking at Leia.
Leia stiffened. She knew this was coming…
“I’ll get straight to the point,” he said in clipped tones, “It comes as no secret that General Leia has a rather, how shall I put this… interesting past”.
There were rumblings of discontent amongst some of the delegates.
“Outrageous…” muttered Emmon.
“General Leia is a trusted ally,” Governor Chalbis was speaking, “She and the Resistance have given us invaluable help over the years. Without them, the First Order…”
“I’m aware of her achievements Governor,” Oculus interrupted, “But may I remind everyone that she is no longer a representative of the Republic for the reasons I alluded to? She formed the Resistance because she had no allies left in the Republic…”
“That is incorrect!” Governor Orwan of Mon Cal had blushed a darker shade of brown in irritation.
Oculus was clearly enjoying himself. His shiny face looking once more in Leia’s direction.
“…even the famous Luke Skywalker has abandoned her!” he said.
That hit a nerve with Leia. Her face darkened. How did he know about Luke?…
Sensing imminent conflict, Governor Chalbis stepped in, “Now is not the time for personal differences to come between us, however… I do have a question for you Senator.” He was looking at Oculus, “Why are you here?”
Oculus didn’t appear to understand the question or at least, gave that outward impression. The Governor continued:
“If you object so strongly to General Leia on a personal level, then why agree to have talks with the Resistance at all?”
Oculus smiled, “I had a change of heart,” he said, looking around the table, as if this answer made perfect sense in the light of his previous comments, “I am prepared to acknowledge the key role the Resistance has to play in these negotiations, despite my personal reservations about its leader…”
The chair stepped in, “General, do you wish to add anything at this point?” he said, addressing Leia.
Leia looked around the table, “The Resistance is here to offer whatever help it can to the Republic cause. Now more than ever, we need to stick together. I… value the opinion of Senator Oculus in this matter and believe we can resolve our differences.” She was ever the diplomat.
The chair spoke again, “Thank you General.”
Oculus sat back in his chair twiddling his thumbs before looking at the nails on his right hand and examining them closely. He suddenly spoke.
“I believe that now would be a good time to take a short recess,” he said looking at his chrono.
The chair spoke again, “I concur.”
He looked around the room before adding, “We should all reconvene in twenty minutes.”
There was a murmur of agreement around the table. Leia got up hastily and headed for the exit before anyone could head her off. Kaydie kept pace with her.
“I need some air,” she said to her aide, “Wait for me here Threepio,” she said turning to the protocol droid who started to leave with her.
“As you wish General,” Threepio said, appearing uncharacteristically subdued. Even he could sense the dark tone of the negotiations.


Leia was leaning against the stone balustrade on the large terrace outside the conference room. She studied the nearby trees and mused how simple it would be to just live the life of a forest animal. She imagined that a few of them were watching her now from the trees, to make sure she didn’t pose a threat.
She was tired of fighting… not a good way to be feeling when so much was at stake. How much longer would she keep going? Who would take her place after she’d gone? Would there even be a Resistance? Her thoughts turned to Luke…
“General, is there anything I can get you? A drink maybe?” Kaydie said.
Leia snapped back to the present. Kaydie was looking awkward; she could clearly sense Leia’s fatigue and resignation.
“It’s alright Kaydie,” she said turning to her, “We’ll be heading back inside shortly anyway. Go and help yourself to one though, I need you to stay sharp,” she gave Kaydie a little wink.
As Kaydie headed off, Leia could see her communications officer hurrying towards her. He was out of breath and looked flustered.
“What is it?” she said, sensing his anxiety.
“General…” he said catching his breath, “We’ve received an urgent message from Admiral Ackbar. His intelligence sources say that an attack is imminent on a major Republic planet. He can’t be sure, but he thinks the next target could be Naboo.”

Leia’s eyes widened in shock. She whirled around to see where the other delegates were.
“We need to warn them!” she said.

 

I'll be honest... this is proving to be a bit of a soul-destroying experience as I haven't received any feedback on this story in ten days. Nothing... I am about 40% of the way into the story at this point and Claire1976 (the only person who has read this in its entirety) reliably informs me that her favourite bits are yet to come.

A total lack of feedback effectively tells me that I have no means of knowing if anybody is reading this. Now before anybody gets antsy over this post, I should just point out that I don't expect likes or comments by right. If someone doesn't like what they see here then that is absolutely fine.

However... if no-one is reading this then it is to all intents and purposes a pointless endeavour.

I typically post chapters on Thursdays and Sundays. If I do not receive any feedback by Thursday, then that will be the final installment and I will pull the plug. If even only one person provides feedback by then that they wish me to continue then I will do so. I am perfectly happy for one person to read this, but if there is no feedback by then then I will have to assume that I have zero readership.

Thank you in advance for your understanding.

 

I just saw this today as I am new to this thread. Please keep going! the most fun I've had reading a story in a long time! I want to see what is going to happen next.

 

I've just started reading and I do not want you to stop. My favorite FanFictions are based usually off the films, and your predictions are very worthy of Star Wars.

 

Thank you so much dubyatson and Emperor Ferus! I was beginning to despair that anyone was interested...

OK no worries, then I will post the next bit on Thursday.

FTR my Episode IX story is now complete. It may actually get an airing now!

Apologies to the mods; I know you don't encourage chat, but I just wanted to express my relief personally. If there are any further comments between now and Thursday I promise I will address them then.

Thank you once again!