Through the Darkness || Finn&Rey

Chapter13

I return to my room and do some exercises before leaving to attend the meeting. I delve deep underground into the military compound; I haven't been down here since I helped organised how I'd disable Starkiller base. When I arrive the room is buzzing with people and droids as they circle around the hologram projector, looking at a new design of X-Wing. Poe is already here, arguing that the fighter couldn't be improved.

One of the remaining fleet members, Jessika, pats him on the shoulder, "It's for your benefit, we can't risk anymore malfunctions," Her tone is serious, but she is weary of speaking too harshly to her superior, "What if it had of been a rookie in you fighter, not you?" She raises an eyebrow at him.

"Do you underestimate how well I teach the cadets?" She shakes her head, "I wouldn't let them," Poe rebuts and Jessika nods understandingly.

I sit quietly in a seat near the hologram. When it flickers off most of the seats fill, yet the room continues to hum with voices.

General Organa orders for silence and everyone immediately quietens down and her eyes meet mine from across the room, "Finn, it's good to have you back..." I feel extremely embarrassed and singled out, the pilots and resistance elite look in my direction, I flush.

"Thank you," my lip twitches into a tiny smile. She continues to look at me as if willing me to answer a question she didn't ask; I blink, my eyes darting around the room, it seems as if everyone is looking to me. I slip down slightly in my seat. Poe, who sits beside the General, quietly whispers to her.

"Finn-" I look quickly to the General, "Do you have any insight into where Kylo Ren would have disappeared to?" Internally I cannot help but question her motives, is she looking for Kylo Ren? Or is she looking for Ben?

"I assume if he got off Starkiller Base that he went to Snoke," the room stays quiet, my suggestion obviously has been mentioned before.

"Do you know where he is?" the General probes, I shake my head.

"No, I am sorry General." Mumbles of annoyance ripple through the ranks.

"Do you have any other knowledge?" I shake my head once again.

Disappointed murmurs ripple through the ranks.

"All I know is Kylo Ren is reckless, he cannot control his anger, if we cannot find him it won't be long until he makes a foolish mistake," I say confidently, trying to rally the men and women. They don't appear enthusiastic about waiting, and continue to whisper amongst themselves.

The General sits down and seems to fade into a lonely place; I look down and rest my hands on my cheeks. A soft touch to my shoulder makes me look up, I watch as Poe sits beside me.

"Chin up, buddy," He smiles slightly.

"They're all talking about me..." I whisper quietly.

"Don't take it to heart. You were the only one left who might have been able to offer a new insight, they're just a bit discouraged, that's all." His reassurance makes me smile, "There we go," He grins, his eyes squinting, he pats my shoulder. "Why don't you come and help Koden and I fix my X-Wing?"

"Okay, I will," Feeling the urge to occupy my mind.

Poe leads the way out to the hangars at the back of the base. Koden emerges from the cockpit and steps down the ladder as we approach.

"How does she look?" Poe calls out as Koden places his feet on the tarmac.

"I think you'd better take a look Black Leader. Why don't you give a once over in the cockpit and I'll check the wires in the brake engine," Poe agrees that is a good idea and climbs up the ladder. I awkwardly stand near Koden while he stand beneath the Fighter fiddling, and tightening a few cables under a hatch at the front of the ship.

"Finn, buddy, can you go to the back and tell me if the wings expand," I do as he asks.

That's when I notice a group of six pilots, dressed in their orange suits walking in two rows, their helmets under their arms, laughing in camaraderie. One of the pilots whistles as he passes and Poe sticks his head out of the cockpit. A smirk plasters on his face as he notices his fellow comrade.

"Get her back in the air, Dameron," His voice is full of pleasant humour

"Will do, Snap," He calls to his friend. I remember him from my first meeting, Wexley I think his name was, he must have survived the attack on Starkiller Base; one of the lucky ones. I suddenly feel alone again, knowing I do not truly belong here. The drone of the engines and motors become intense as the surrounding X-Wings take flight to survey the planet and make sure nothing is amiss. The deep humming fades as they speed away in different directions. Out of the corner of my eye I see the wings on Poe's fighter slowly open, as if it is breathing.

"Yeah, Finn they're expanded," I call loudly too him.

"Thanks, let me know if they close,"

"Will do," I respond, I guess my form of 'helping' is pretty basic.

That's when I see it, two aliens walking out of a freighter in the loading dock zone on the other side of the runway. I watch them with intent as they are greeted by General Organa; she shakes their strange yellow three fingered hands. I cannot hear their conversation, but The General follows the aliens on board and I cannot help but think back to when I was about to trade travel for my labour with the Alien's on Takondana.

The main ship would be the size of three X-Wings, but it has two extremely large cargo holds attached to each side. I wonder what they contain, and if it is suitable for human travel... Once the idea arises in my mind I cannot fathom another thought. Deep down, it feels right to move on, start a quiet life away from all the craziness of the resistance, and the threat of the first order. The longer Kylo Ren stays in hiding the longer I have to disappear.

I continue to stare at the freighter; The General re-emerges helpful to carry off the crates with the resistance medical logo painted clearly on the sides. She extends her arm back towards the compound and they follow her inside.

"I don't understand..." Poe's voice draws my attention back to him, I hear him rustling in the cockpit. The one job I was given I couldn't even complete without getting distracted. I quickly glance to the wings and release a deep breath when I realise the wings are still open, Poe jumps onto the tarmac a moment later. "It doesn't seem like anything is wrong." He says, frustrated, wiping his hand across his sweaty forehead smearing thick, grease smudge in its wake.

"That is really strange," I am at a loss to diagnose the issue, but I am sure if there was a problem Poe could figure it out.

"I checked the wires, none of them were lose," Poe shrugs.

"I'll get BB-8 to run a diagnostics test, and take her for a test spin tomorrow," I nod, and Koden agrees that would be the best thing to do.

Poe and Koden decide it is time for a well-earned break, and I nods, they deserve it, I just stood still and watched a parked freighter.