Star Wars: Edge of Hope

Chapter Twenty Six: Lessons We Learn & Lessons We Pass On...

Poe: I know! I know! I see it...I see it! Look, don't side seat pilot...I'm not yelling! Do you want to fly?! I'm not shouting at you...Why do..Whoa! Look out!

The multiple flashing indicators screaming from the control panels above them aren't the worst of their problems at the moment. The cadre of First Order TIE fighters are the immediate issue. After they left Ahch-To Poe had been working on plotting the jump route to get them to Pasaana as soon as possible, and without sprinkling pieces of them in nine different systems. They hadn't had much down time after the incident with Rey to decompress and finish what they'd hoped would hold until they reached Pasaana. Poe was still trying to push everything that had happened out of his mind. Chewie would see him freeze ever so often struggling to concentrate on what he was doing. After the first jump it appeared there was more going on with Poe than he'd anticipated. The jump had put them almost smack dab in the middle of the First Order command ship's flight path, it took a knee jerking course correction to keep them from becoming a flight deck ornament, and it didn't seem like he was fairing much better with the helm in his hands. Chewie was trying to quickly shift the angle of the deflector shield to high on the rear of the Falcon when another shot hit them hard sending sparks flying and BB-8 squeeling trying to hurriedly put them out. Poe tried to pull himself back together and tried to focus, but the sound of Rey's words kept crawling around in his head. He didn't know why, but it kept revolving back around on him. His hands would shake, and his eyes would glaze over. Shaking his head, Poe tried to keep the Falcon far enough beyond the reach of the barrage from the Destroyer so Chewie could plug in the new jump coordinates.

Poe: Chewie! You ready? I think it's going to be cutting it close, pal. BB-8! Lock down that dampner coil and reroute the coolant leak in tank two over to tank five. We're good...we're good...I've got this...I've got this...We're going to be alright.

Meanwhile, Hux stands on the bridge organizing the pursuit of the Millennium Falcon, but still keeping the link between Ren's communicator and the ship online. But they weren't recieving any signal, the Knights of Ren had come back alone...far from considering the idea of interogating them about Ren, Hux had simply decided to continue his previous course of action. But even that was proving difficult, as the hours swept past the likelihood of Ren's return became less and less, people were beginning to talk. There were whispers of the Knights betraying their leader, perhaps he'd died during the attack on the Sith Fortress, or even Hux had engineered his death in collusion with the Knights in a desperate bid to seize control of the First Order again. Hux couldn't afford for the Counsel to get wind of these suppositions. So Hux took the matter in hand like always. He began sweeping the system and ordered the fleet to make an orbit of the planet looking for any disruptions in the pattern of cloud. When all else failed he sent a light recon squad of four ships into the swirling mass of crimson clouds. The troopers made their way to the entrance of the Fortress. Only they found the grounds littered with dead bodies, its gates locked, and bolted barring any further progress inward. They radioed from the planet's surface, but there was no trace of Ren or his ship. They did however managed to locate...Ren's mask...which had become fused to the molten surface partially buried beneath a layer of ash.

General Hux: How long since the break in contact with us? I don't want anymore excuses Captain Morel...I want results! Now find me that ship or I swear you'll be digging latrines in a subzero frozen backwater for the rest of your miserable life!

Captain Morel: Yes, sir. Right away...

Poe had managed to put enough distance between them, but the TIE fighters had begun to pour out into the empty pitch black of space like angry hornets from a hive. It was now or never, the TIE's would overwhelm them, and with the front deflector running at thirty percent they wouldn't make it far. If the First Order got wind of what they were doing...any Hope the Resistance had would be lost.