DYING OF THE LIGHT ➣ BEN SOLO

THIRTY - SIX

"hey," she said, her voice cracked and far weaker than she had planned on it sounding.

"you sound horrible," poe said, sitting on the ground to her right. "didn't sleep well again?"

halo shook her head, her fingers fiddling idly with the saber at her side.

she felt poe's arm snake around her shoulders, and she relaxed the slightest bit. the friendship she had found in him in recent months was unbreakable. somehow, he seemed to understand what she was going through more than anyone.

"i haven't been sleeping either," finn said, a thud resounding from him as he sat on the ground in front of her and poe. "i don't think anyone has."

"we probably won't until there are at least a thousand more people on this base," poe murmured, his eyes catching the sun in the distance.

"have we heard back from any of our connections?"

poe shook his head, a deeply worried look settling in the tan lines of his face.

"no. not one."

halo could see the weight of responsibility in poe's eyes. he was sure to assume the place of general soon, as leia had made it clear that she intended to make sure there was an adequate replacement for her, should anything happen. although, halo had made a promise to herself the second she had watched luke die right before her eyes; she would never allow the death of another skywalker to happen.

"things are looking pretty bad," finn said, a tinge of sadness in his eyes. halo never thought she would see it, but the war had worn him down. "i wish there was more we could do."

halo reached out to him, and closed her fingers tightly around his hand.

"we're doing everything we can. it will be okay. someone will come. i have faith that they will."

finn smiled wryly at her, but squeezed her hand nevertheless.

"always so hopeful," he teased. "even at the worst times. you're a psychopath, halo."

her lips tugged at the corners. that was the finn she knew and loved.

"someone has to be hopeful," she said, her eyes turning to the never-ending expanse of land before her. "without hope, we are sure to lose."

[ . . . ]

halo was bored.

she was never made for politics. she had always wondered if that's why the temple on coruscant had failed so brilliantly. jedi weren't made to sit around and argue with one another, that wasn't their purpose. and somewhere along the way, that idea had gotten lost.

so here, as she sat in a cluttered tech room listening to the drawling sound of commander d'acy, she couldn't bring herself to listen. a look to her right showed her that rey was suffering just the same. the young scavenger was seated next to halo, eyes gazing haphazardly at the door in front of them.

it frustrated halo to no end. nothing could be solved by just talking. they had to do something.

"we are planning to send our signal out again, in hopes that someone will intercept-"

"god-dammit d'acy, you know as well as i do that that won't work," poe interjected, his voice heavy with impatience and frustration. "we need to make new contacts. obviously the old ones no longer seem to give a damn."

d'acy looked as though she might explode. it brought a smile to halo's face.

"what new contacts, dameron? if you have any ideas, i invite you to share them." d'acy's voice was venomous. it didn't fit her small, fairy-like features.

there was a bout of silence. as much as halo wanted to agree with poe, she knew that d'acy was partially right. they had no one to reach out to. and if there was someone who was willing to help their cause, they had no way of knowing. they had gone off the radar. as far as the rest of the galaxy was concerned, the rebellion may as well have been gone.

but then, halo remembered something.

a story that luke had told her many years ago, if a city in the clouds. a face came to her mind, handsome and conniving. she didn't know if he was still alive, but if he was, he would surely help. wouldn't he?

without thinking on it further, halo blurted out his name.

"lando calrissian."

everyone stared at her like they had just seen a ghost. but in the background, she could see a smile steadily growing on leia's aged face.

"who?"

"lando calrissian. the war hero. he helped the rebellion once a long time ago. luke told me of him as a child. it's worth a try."

everyone habitually turned to look at leia. the general nodded, and gestured toward a computer in the back corner of the room.

"i know how to reach him. let's give it a go."

[ I'M BACK BABY AND I BROUGHT LANDO WITH ME.

thanks for all the continuous support, even with my sporadic updates. y'all are gems. i love you.

also. 8k. i'm gonna cry :')

- kona ]