Star Wars Episode 9: A New Order by J.R.Wittig

Chapter 2 Past the Past

Rey is intrigued, "For what exactly?"

Finn and Poe smile to each other, excited to share Rose's newest idea.

Later Rey stands concentrating in the main hanger on Chandrila during evening rations. She attempts to reach Ben. She hears voices and brushes them off. Hearing voices had only happened the more she learned of the Force. Even when she was not physically touching an object, she could sometimes sense a place. Rey once again gets nothing from Ben, and in frustration unintentionally rocks a few X-Wings. She notices this and begins to lift them off the ground carefully, one at a time. Feeling Finn approach, she sets them down gently.

Finn's favorite moments are when he and Rey are alone. The moments have been few in the last months, but she always gives him her full attention when she can. Finn has resigned to be constantly impressed by her Force abilities. Even now he's a little shocked.

"Guess that would have made scavenging back on Jakku a little easier," he jokes.

Rey smiles but is clearly frustrated by something else.

"Are you okay?" he asks.

Rey didn't mean to lie to Finn, but there were so many things she couldn't make him understand. Their friendship meant the most to her. The longest friendships sometimes remain the most important. They were friends before they were rebels. She had learned so much in what felt like such a short time. The voices surge once again in her head and she pushes them back.

"Yeah." She forces a smile, "Just ready for our next mission."

Chewbacca stays with the ship after they land on a jungle planet. The planet's three small suns fade behind the backdrop of rocky low mountains. Maz Kanata meets them at the door of the Millenium Falcon and they follow her into the town. She whispers something to them, about a mission of her own, and runs off.

Finn and Rey make their way to a door at the end of an alley. The town is quiet, too quiet. As they approach Rey keeps looking over her shoulder. She hears the same voice again from Varshand.

[Run!!]

Rey repeats the word aloud to Finn, grabbing his jacket, "Run!"

"What?" Finn isn't sure why Rey feels they need to leave. Then scrambling from behind the door draws them in the opposite direction; a large explosion from behind them urges them faster. They round a corner and leap over a low wall. Storm Troopers come running, seemingly from nowhere, and they dodge them by ducking through a few dwellings and retracing their steps.

They run into Maz and an alien woman, a beautiful redhead, who wields two lightsabers. They race through corridors and duck into a building that looks like apartments. It is open inside, and eerily quiet. Several intimidating-looking men dressed in black robes, armor and masks close in. The alien woman seems to know them and they clearly expected her.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" The first masked Knight asks.

"Do I have a choice?" The alien woman asks swinging open her sabers. One is red, the other white.

"Guess not," he swings out his saber and the two men stand forth to face her in combat. Maz and Finn attempt to blast them and they easily deflect their blasts. Rey can see there are more men up in the shadows.

Rey speaks quietly to the alien woman and draws her saber, "Who are they?"

Finn's voice comes from behind her right shoulder, "Knights of Ren."

The alien woman looks right, and then left. She speaks, concerned and in a low voice, "Head for your ship."

Rey stands her ground. The alien woman smiles and moves to attack. They fight together fiercely. After great, but brief efforts the two women manage to kill one man and disarm and corner the other and Maz stuns him.