Between it All

On the Move

The following day, the Resistance hosted a meeting to discuss the plans Rey had retrieved from the First Order Annihilator. Rey left her room early that morning, surprised at her ability to function with ease. It was a brisk morning, so Rey put on the grey vest Leia had given her. After shutting the door behind her, she walked through the base to the meeting room.

The floor was damp; it must have rained overnight. Could explain the cooler weather, Rey thought. It's still uncomfortably humid, though.

She slowed her pace so that her footsteps didn't echo so much, allowing her to hear the slight dripping of rain outside. Rey had a keen attention to detail; as she walked, she noticed the condensation of the wet air dripping down the stone walls and into the moss that lined the floors. She strolled slowly, letting her thoughts wander. She closed her eyes and opened her mind.

Birds chirped. Lizards and rodents scuttled through the underbrush. The drip, dripping of water fell from the leaves of trees, which bent and rustled in the gentle wind. She saw a lazy stream trickling through the rainforest, splashing on rocks, but ever continuing on. Small fish glided through the serene ponds, the crystal water a pool of glass. Creatures Rey did not recognize chatted with one another excitedly.

Rey's brow twitched.

A scaled animal suddenly snatched up a pecking bird with a piercing screech. The thrumming stream overflowed, sending fish flopping onto the dry shore, gasping for breath. A winged creature soared past a nest, grabbing something from within and taking it away with a cry. Two beasts grappled over food, biting and scratching at each other. The larger creature snatched up the smaller, weaker one. Rey moved to rescue it, reaching out her hand to grab it, only to find she couldn't move; she was paralyzed. The strong beast whipped his head around, snapping the neck of the captured animal. He dropped its body to the ground. The animal twitched, then went limp.

Rey stumbled forward, tripping as the vision vanished. She stretched out her arms, sending a shock through her body as they caught her fall. A twinge of pain struck her wound as she rolled into a sitting position, her head in her hands. She breathed heavily, waiting for her heartbeat to slow.

"Hey, you good?"

The sudden voice caused Rey to jump, her heart catching in her throat. She exhaled, seeing Poe Dameron looking down at her.

"Need help?" He reached out a hand to help her up.

"Thanks," replied Rey, taking his hand and letting him help her up. Her injured chest ached with the effort. She brushed dirt off her clothes and continued walking down the hall with Poe.

"You're heading to the meeting?" she asked the pilot.

"...yep." His voice contained a hint of worry.

They walked the rest of the way in silence.

________________

When they arrived at the meeting room, there were several other Resistance there already. Leia and her officials sat at the head of the long, rectangular table, and a couple of workers sat near the middle. They smiled at them as Rey and Poe entered, taking a seat opposite the two workers. A minute later, a group of Resistance members filed into the room, filling up a large portion of table. Conversations were started as the Resistance began to chat with one another. Slowly the rest of the members trickled into the room. Finn and Rose entered together, taking seats near the end of the table.

One person was still missing. Rey did not see the black tousled hair and broad figure of Ben Solo. She looked at Leia, who happened to be looking her direction. She saw Rey's inquisitive look. Leia shook her head, understanding the silent communication.

He wasn't coming.

One of the Resistance leaders spoke up.

"As you all probably know by now, we are meeting to evaluate the fate of the Resistance." The woman let the sentence land, a hush coming over the crowd.

"When a group of our members went to rescue Kylo Ren from the Annihilator, they were able to retrieve a set of plans that the First Order had created."

Another man spoke up, flipping through a stack of paper that Rey saw was the plans. "These plans are for a certain weapon that the First Order is building, which they call the 'Kyberforce Blade'. Its function is supposedly to sever a bond created by the force between two individuals."

Rey gulped.

"Now, I don't know their motives for building such a weapon, but the last thing they need to complete it is apparently kyber crystals."

Leia shot Rey a knowing look.

One of the Resistance fighters piped up, "But all kyber crystals were destroyed by the Empire—"

Leia cut off the man. "All the known crystals, yes--but a certain uncharted planet still holds kyber crystals. This planet, Axelrae, lies not even a hyperspace jump's distance away from here."

A murmur rose in the crowd.

"The Resistance," Leia continued, "is the only known organization to possess the coordinates of the kyber planet." She paused. "And the First Order knows this."

Rey could almost feel a shudder pass through the Resistance.

Finn spoke up. "If the First Order is coming for us, then we need to flee. We aren't strong enough to fight their forces."

"We just got here!" replied Poe. "Maybe if we can buy enough time, we'll be able to regroup..."

"Regroup with who?" Leia asked defeatedly. "There is no one who wants to help us-- we saw that on Crait." She paused. "I hate to say it, but our allies will be less likely to help, especially if they find out that Ben is here."

Rey frowned. She knew it was true. She paused, thinking.

"I could go with him to Axelrae.... If the First Order doesn't know its location, then maybe he will be safe there."

And kyber means new lightsabers....

Leia looked at her, clearly deep in thought.

"That is a possibility.... I would hate to send you and my son into such danger, but it seems like that is our only hope." She paused. "Very well, Rey. I don't exactly like the plan, but it will have to do." Leia nodded her head in approval. The General turned towards one of the other leaders.

"Let's send out a new message to our allies, making sure they know that we found a well-equipped planet, and that our odds are much better than at Crait."

The leader nodded.

"You all are dismissed."

"I hope this works..." Rose muttered. Finn stood up, taking Rose by the arm and exiting the room. Many of the Resistance members got up and left immediately.

By the Stars, I hope this plan succeeds.

She groaned.

How am I supposed to tell Ben that they want him to leave? He's going to be furious with me.

Rey suddenly found herself the last person in the room. She sighed, rubbing her eyes with the palms of her hands.

____________________

At the end of the day, Rey crashed onto her pillow. The Resistance had been getting ready for battle all day, and of course Rey helped, even though lifting heavy things still hurt her wound. They mostly had her cleaning out the ships, repairing control boards and such because of this, knowing Rey was good at mechanics. She actually enjoyed the task-- it was therapeutic and mindless to her after years and years of taking apart the ruined ships of Jakku.

Tomorrow night the Resistance would be hosting a party-- a celebration for their successes in situations that seemed so dire. Leia promised food, dancing, and camaraderie.

Rey lost her train of thought, the warmth and comfort of the bed overcoming her tired body.