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

Chapter 7 Lesson Learned

Underground, the Resistance makes their way to the other side of the planet in the caves below the surface of Chandrila. A rag tag bunch of injured pilots and a few leaders and technicians move cautiously through unevenly lit tunnels, wondering how long it will be before they see the sun again. If this idea works, they just might have a chance to regroup and build up their forces. Chewbacca has flown away in Snoke's escape vehicle with the rest of the transports, on a mission known only to what's left of the Resistance leadership.

Rey looks at the specs of the ship she is on. She can't get access to anything else. She tries to talk to Droid, with little response. Rey is frustrated. She balances on her left hand on Ben's dresser and eases to the ground when he enters.

"I thought you said you would train me? Where have you been?"

"Busy ruling the Galaxy. I should have a little time tomorrow."

"What's going on out there? Tell me everything that's going on. I can help you!"

"The more you know, the more valuable you are to everyone."

"So if you keep me in the dark I'm not worth saving?"

"No! That's not...The Resistance has moved from Chandrila; it's now the new planet base for the First Order Army."

"Your home planet?" Ben doesn't look at her. "General Hux. It was Hux who attacked on Chandrila," Rey realizes.

"He has a personal vendetta because I blew up his home planet."

"You were responsible for that?"

"Instead of creating new asteroid fields every time a planet is displaced, which is a shipping nightmare, by the way, and sending debris in every direction forever, I developed a weapon that could be transported easily by small fighters. X-wings are perfect. I suggested Hux's home planet, and he didn't argue. I need to figure out a way to get them to move off Chandrila.

"And you could, you know, not destroy entire planets."

"Yeah, well that didn't occur to me at the time obviously. She broke every promise she ever made me. She promised she'd never bring the war home."

"Your mother?"

"I'll have to go down again tomorrow, but we might leave the system after that."

"You left the ship without me? I'm going crazy in this room! Your C unit is not much for company."

"He's a droid."

"He?"

"It. It's functional. It doesn't chatter on or fill the room with endless beeping. It doesn't clunk around on the floor or talk like it thinks it's human. It's perfect."

"You made it.

"I need it tomorrow, but I have a spare if you'd like it to train with, as long as you promise not to destroy it."

Rey awakens again with Ben gone. He comes in only moments later.

"I only have a little time. Have you eaten?"

The door opens again and Droid brings in food. Ben grabs something from the tray before handing it to her.

"You're injured, so we'll start easy today. The first lesson is to use the strongest thing you have."

Rey's mouth is full and she talks, "We're doing this now?" She swallows.

Ben is suddenly disgusted at how much like a ravenous animal she was eating hunched over the tray. "Really?" He laughs at her.