Danger Zone

Chapter 13: Hope Again

There's already talks and plans of whole Base evacuation going round among the high ranks, everyone knows. But first at least half of us gather in the Conference Room at the news of a dear, old astrodroid waking up with much needed information. R2-D2, the little blue and white droid that's been around since around Anakin Skywalker's time, seems to have an incomplete map of the galaxy stored in his memory banks. And here we are, stuffed in the already tech-crammed room, waiting to see if R2's map will help us.

I stand beside Poe with BB-6 on my other side and BB-8 on Poe's other side. My thoughts and emotions calm after Poe's comfort, I focus on this meeting and debate silently to myself what the possibilities this map and the piece of map my brother and his BB unit friend recovered from Jakku are going to match up in some way. I calculate it to be highly unlikely as there are many maps that could be used. But then again, even with low odds, the Resistance seem to normally be lucky.

With everyone now gathered, R2-D2 produces the holographic projection of the map he had found in his memory circuits. There's a bit missing, a void near the edge. BB-8 catches Poe's and my attention with a query of studying the piece. BB-6 gives a few murmuring beeps in agreement just as Poe fetches the piece from the surface of one of the consoles and gives it to BB-8.

The little orange and white droid rolls up beside the blue and white droid, projecting the piece of map he holds. To everyone's surprise and joy, the piece fits perfectly, the map now complete and readable; meaning we can now find Luke. As mutters and whispers spread like wildfire, General Leia looks like life has been brought back to her; the glint in her eyes full of hope, wonder and happiness with a tiny drop of longing.

A day of preparation and visiting Finn later, Leia tasks Rey and I to go to the planet of Ahch-To, the planet that the map read where Luke would be. But we're not going alone; Chewbacca and R2-D2 are accompanying us. Alas, my brother and the two BB's aren't coming with, but then again, the three have an important role in the Resistance and are much needed there.

After packing our few belongings, visiting our still comatose friend and saying goodbye to friends, and in my case family, Rey and I start loading our possessions aboard the Millennium Falcon while Chewie does last minute checks. General Leia glides over to us as we finish getting everything on board.

She pulls us aside and gives us final instructions before one final hug. It's a big stage for everyone with the upcoming evacuations, but with Rey and I about to set for Ahch-To in search for Luke to be trained and to bring him back 'home', I feel as though we both have a bigger stage ahead. But while the both of us start toward the Falcon again, I relax my thoughts.

One step at a time, Claudia. Just one step at a time.

"Rey. Claudia," the General sending us off catches our attention before giving us words that haven't been spoken for a while: "May the Force be with you."

Taking the words to our hearts, Rey and I continue on with no other words spoken until we reach the cockpit of the Falcon. Rey and our Wookie escort both take their rightful seats while I sit behind with our droid companion standing in the doorway, and before long, the four of us take off; soaring away from D'Qar until we jump to hyperspace. No words exchanges between us, minus the minimal updates and requests for assistance. All the while, my mind cuts through the most thoughts I have ever had within a single journey (but then again, most of the journeys were pretty much for life-and-death missions). Thoughts ranging from Poe, to the Resistance, to some of my missions, to Starkiller Base....and to Kylo Ren. He plagues my mind and somehow connects to most of the current thoughts; how he tortured Poe, how he's Leia's son and how, on my most recent mission to Starkiller Base, we met for the first time and duelled.