REY
I was asleep in my room after a tiring day at the base. I'd usually be hanging out with Poe at the cafeteria by now where there was literally no one but I felt like I needed to rest my eyes.
∆ DREAM ∆
"REYY!!"
I opened my eyes to darkness as the sound came back, like an echo. One that doesn't stop. I thought if I just closed my eyes it would all just go away but it didn't. Instead it grew louder and louder and I cover my ears with my hands.
"REY!!!!! -EL- M-!!"
I recognize the voice. But from where? It sounded like Finn but it also didn't. I screamed out loudly before it died down. Realising it was quiet once more, I opened my eyes to see a tree, something called to me to which I walked closer. The leaves began to fall one by one, slowly before it picked up the pace as the tree lost all of its leaves. A corpse of its former self. I tried to turn my attention away but something was holding me there. I watched as the tree shriveled and died. It felt cold. Like all the warmth and happiness was slowly going away. Then a hand shot out of the ground, causing dirt to fly all over. A hand that seemed to be on the brink of death.
" Save. . . . me. . . " The voice said with a breathless tone.
I snapped my eyes open, sweating profusely from the dream as my breathing remained erratic. Whatever the dream was, it wasn't a good one. Someone was in trouble and I couldn't ignore it. I looked outside to see that it was once morning again as the sun shone on the grassy plains of Kef Bir. I took a quick shower before zipping out of my room, in search of Poe. I had to tell someone about what happened. I ran around the base before I finally found the man. He was at the new excavated site, overseeing the new repair bay Lando had planned to build. I pulled him to the side.
" What's up?"
" I know this is going to sound crazy and stupid bu-"
" Well Palpatine returned, so as far as crazy and stupid is concerned that takes the cake." He joked but with a serious face. The man was a puzzle honestly.
" Anyways. . . I had a dream. A weird dream and I heard a voice like Finn's. It was reaching out to me for help."
" Finn? You're sure it's him?" He asked as his expression grew more concerned with a slight hint of skepticism.
" It might be. The voice sounded familiar but also different."
" Don't you think Finn would've reached out to us if he was in trouble?"
" What if that was him? What if that was his attempt in reaching out to us?"
" Okay look I trust your guts but I can't just leave now. Let me get a few things done then we can both jump in a ship and find him alright?"
I gave him a wide smile, turning around to let him do his work. I headed to the cafeteria to grab some food and collect my thoughts where I coincidentally bumped into Rose. We both sat down together as we ate.
" So how are you and Poe?" She suddenly asked, arching her eyebrows. I must have turned a shade of red hearing the question because she chuckled at the sight of me after asking it.
"Wh-what?" I spitted out my drink at the question. She shot me a look at my reply to which I immediately looked elsewhere, playing it off.
"Don't pretend Rey. I see the two of you being a little closer these days." She said before laughing. I playfully tried to shush her which made us both laugh loudly before she grew serious.
" You two look perfect together. I'm not even trying to tease you right now. It's just a fact." She said. I smiled at her before looking elsewhere as I went deep in thought. A part of me knows the true feelings I have for Poe but a part of me denies it out of fear.
" I don't know Rose. We're worlds apart from each other. Besides he probably has the eyes of other girls much better than me. Why would he even think to be with a former scavenger girl like me?"
" By not asking, aren't you not giving yourself the answer? Trust me, you should go for it. The only one that can change how you feel is you." She said, placing her hand on mine. I gave her an assuring smile as she gave my hand a squeeze. The subject then moved from Poe to Finn. Rose was noticeably worried and slightly sad. I wanted to tell her about the dream but at the same time I was scared I might make her feel bad.
"I just hope he doesn't get himself into trouble out there." Rose said as she looked towards the glass ceiling above us. I smiled at her. She truly cares for him and Finn would be a lucky man to have her by his side.
"He'll come back to us. He has once before remember?" I said as we both finished up and headed to the hangar where I saw Poe fixing his ship up. I swear his schedule is so predictable. He's either overseeing construction or in the hangar, fixing his ship. Rose noticed I was staring at Poe, nudged me in the arm as she giggled softly. I looked at her weirdly before laughing along to her giggles.
"I'll leave you two lovebirds alone." She said fairly loud but not to the point where Poe caught it.
" Rose!" I said, glaring at her before turning to Poe; walking over to his side. It was a relief to see Poe getting more and more comfortable with his hand.
" Heyy Rey. What's up?"
" Nothing. Just. . . Watching." I said with a smile as I mentally slapped myself. He looked at me, not sure how to feel about that comment as he stood back up. After a few weeks working on the ship, it was finally done as he admired it. It had a few new upgrades which I could definitely tell he was excited about.
Not having anything to do, I went up to a hill by myself as I began to meditate. As the wind blows against my face, the dream came back in my mind. I felt a shiver down my back as I began to focus on it. The voice was less notable this time, like something was stopping it. I tried my best to get through to it but it wasn't working. I opened my eyes as I took deep breaths to calm myself down and compose myself.
I looked around to see that the sun was just about to set so I dusted myself off as I headed back to the base. I bumped into BB8 who was strolling towards Poe's room. He must have been busy so I accompanied the bumbling droid to the room. The door slid open to reveal Poe had just come out of the shower. BB8 just casually rolled into the room to his port whereas I immediately averted my eyes from Poe. Even though he had his pants on, his upper body was still bare. Poe turned around to meet me which made him stumble around to find a shirt to wear. We were both red with embarrassment. Awkward silence filled the air before he spoke up.
" You uhh. . . want a drink?" He said as he walked over to a storage container. I nodded to which he tossed me a can.
" Thanks." I said as I opened it up and took a sip.
We sat down next to each other as we talked about our day. We were both noticeable tired but it seemed like none of us wanted to stop talking to the other. Before we realise it, we both drifted off to sleep, with our back laying against the side of his bed as his head gently laid on my shoulder. I slept pretty well thought out the night until the dream came back. I tried to find comfort in Poe's embrace but I couldn't feel his presence with me. I woke up from the nightmare as I looked around the room. Poe wasn't with me, neither was BB8. I washed my face with water before heading out to find Poe. The bad feeling I've had since yesterday has only gotten stronger and stronger. I was worried for Finn.
I walked into the headquarters where I found Poe standing over the computers, seemingly in deep thought. I walked over to him as I took notice of what has his intense attention. It was a decrepit map of the Outer Rim. It was a vast difference from what's on the map today. Planets that were once was now scattered all over space like specks of dust. Poe noticed me as he nodded in my direction before turning back to the monitor.
"I was wondering where you were. What is this?" I asked him
"Yeah, sorry about that. I didn't wanna wake you. This, this is where Finn could possibly be." He replied as he enlarged a marker of a planet that I've never seen before. I looked at it and then to him, confused.
" It's an old planet, Moraband. It has since been left off the map because of it's past."
" What do you mean?"
" It is or was a Sith homeworld. Like Exegol but it's been abandoned ever since the High Republic."
" And you know this how?"
" I've heard stories about it but true or false, that remains a mystery. . ." He said, pausing for a second.
" I'm not saying we shouldn't go but it'll be a risk. Are you sure you wanna do this?" He asked with his arms crossed, serious. I nodded immediately. There was nothing I wouldn't do to keep my friends safe.
" I'm coming with you guys."
Poe and I turned our heads towards the voice who turned out to be Rose. We looked at her with questioning looks. I know Poe never wants to put anyone else in danger hence why he didn't ask any of the pilots to join us and why he nearly killed himself trying to take down the remaining Dark Side loyalists. I could see him about to object her decision which made me place my hand, stopping whatever he was about to do.
" I can't just sit back and watch him lose himself. I can't lose him." She said, her voice nearly breaking.
" Alright Rose. We'll do it together." I said as I held her hand, comforting her. Poe's gaze that were once filled with resentment had now soften up as he saw Rose's true intentions. He couldn't deny someone something he'd do in a heartbeat for a loved one. He nodded to the two of us in agreement.
" Get what you need. We'll set out in twenty." He said as he turned around; walking off. We both eventually went back to our rooms as we got our things together. I packed lightly, not wanting to drag around a heavy bag for no reason. After that, we met up with Poe at the hangar.
" You can fly right?" I whispered to Rose. I've never seen her fly before so I genuinely didn't know.
" Yeah. I used to tag along with my sister back in the day. She used to make me nauseous with her daredevil flying." Rose said smiling as she remembers those memories. I squeezed her shoulder behind motioning for us to head to the ships. The three of us jumped into our ships as we set everything up for takeoff. Poe radioed in to the command tower.
" This is Black Leader Two, requesting takeoff from command tower."
" Black Leader Two, this is Command. You are cleared for takeoff, I repeat clear for takeoff. Go bring our boy back home." A familiar voice said. We looked towards the tower from our ships as we saw an elderly man standing there, giving us a small salute. We smiled back as Poe gave him a hard nod. One by one, our ships took to the skies as the engine screamed with power.
POE
I was pushed further into my seat as I felt the ship picking up it's speed and momentum before stabilizing. Months of not flying and not to mention new upgrades to my ship made it a bit of a handful to get comfortable. Surprisingly my new attachment didn't really affect my flying so much. I guess it was just me being paranoid. Focusing back on the mission, I set up the console to Moraband as Rey radioed in.
" How does she feel?"
" Well she's still the same but at the same time different. Need some time to get used to it." I said shrugging my shoulders. It was quite a distance to the planet but we didn't want to jump into lightspeed so we just took the long way there. I imagined Rey and Rose holding their breath as the dark red planet came into our view. We steadily landed our ships down as we got ready to face the sandy winds. Thankfully Rose packed communications devices which made us easier to travel such a dense smokescreen. We wrapped clothes around our neck as well as visors to prevent the sands from entering out eyes as we ventured further.
I took out my holographic tracker every so often to see our progress. I had a hunch he'd be somewhere around the Sith Temple. The only shelter in this wasteland. As we travelled to the tall structure, Rey noticed something that caught her attention. Rose and I followed her as we came across a familiar ship that has definitely seen better days. Exchanging nods, we carried on our journey to the temple. Hesitantly we entered the dark structure. We had our flashlights out but it could only illuminate a few meters in front of us.
REY
I felt uneasy entering the temple, like something evil was waiting for us. My breathing began to grow heavier and heavier with each step that I take as my vision slowly blurred. Poe turned around to check on me when he suddenly lunged forward at me, pushing me to the side. I immediately regained myself as I glance over at Poe. My eyes widen as I saw who was atop him. It was Finn. My heart jumped in joy for a second before I got a better look at him. His clothes were now tattered as his eyes were no longer the hazel-coloured ones. Instead it was red with rage.
Demonic-looking as he screamed out in distortion. Poe was getting weaker and weaker, he was force-draining the life from him. I immediately ran over to push him aside as we both tumble down. Rose pulled Poe to safety, blasting Finn with a couple of harmless bolts not wanting to hurt him. Finn easily deflected the bolts away as he took out his lightsaber.
Igniting it, I noticed something different about it. The hilt was cracking as small rays of light shone through it. The saber on the other hand, reminded me of Kylo. The way it crackle and sparked uncontrollably. Finn has cracked both his kyber crystal and his lightsaber hilt. I ignited mine as I took a defensive stance. I tried reasoning with him but it was like he was seeing red. Rose tried to catch him off guard with a few blast but he just threw her into a wall using the Force. Seeing no other option, I was forced to battle my friend in combat.
Sparks flew and loud clashes of two lightsabers could be heard as we both were so engrossed in our battle. Poe stealthily reach for his blaster before landing a blast on Finn's leg, causing him to stumble. Distracted by the blast, Rose then fired another bolt knocking the lightsaber out of his hand before I cracked the back of my lightsaber hilt across his head, knocking him out. Rose knelt down as she took a good look at Finn. I help Poe get back up as the three of us took Finn back to our ships and headed back home.
POE
I took Finn with me. Luckily there was enough space in the back as well as knock-out gas to keep him sedated on the way back. We initially argued amongst ourselves about who was going to bring him back but luckily thanks to my charismatic self and convincing skills, I was the one who brought him back. I couldn't let them risk their life, especially when we don't know what were dealing with. It pains me to see Finn this way but I had to do it. Before the hatch opened up, I released another batch of knock-out gas just to be certain before putting him in a cell we once designed for Force-user more specifically, Siths.
Lando, Rose, Rey, Chewie, Maz and I stood as we stared at our lost comrade. Neither of us needed to say it but we were all in pain. Eventually everyone left until it was only Rose, Rey, me and Maz. Maz held our hands as she tried to keep our spirits up.
" Whatever happened to him, I know the three of you will do whatever it takes to bring him back. But never should you lose yourselves in search of the solution." She said, giving us a smile before leaving.
REY
I stood there as I remember what happened at the temple. I felt weak and helpless. Something I haven't felt since the first brush with darkness. The abyss, back on Ahch-To. I had to go back there, to face my fears. I turned around; heading to the ships. I felt someone following me which to no surprise was Poe. He jogged after me before eventually catching up to me at the ship.
" Where are you going?"
" To find answers. The ones I can't find around here." I said to him before turning around to mount my ship. He took hold of my arm, stopping me.
"Where? I can't lose you too, Rey." He said with a slight distressed voice. I smiled at him before pulling him into a hug. He was shocked to say the least but eventually he nuzzled his head into my shoulder. I ran my fingers through his soft curls before pulling us slightly apart.
" I'll come back, okay?"
" That's what Finn said." He said looking towards the floor before into my eyes. In that very moment, I saw the side of him he tries so hard to hide. The side I've only ever seen when he was with Leia. I placed a hand on his cheek as my thumb swayed back and forth. I was still in his embrace. Usually we'd pulled away by now but everything just felt right.
"I will be back, Poe. For the Resistance, for Finn and for you." I said, the last part with a smile as he pulled me in from a last hug before letting me leave. He watched as my ship lifted above the ground before slowly taking off into the atmosphere.
ROSE
I stared at the person who for the longest time I've longed to see. Everyday since he left, I've wondered where he is, what interesting things he's encountered, what adventures he's been through. Now that he's finally in front of me, I couldn't help but think what could've gone wrong. The man I once admired. The man I once loved, now a different person all together. He sat in the cell with his legs crossed as he closed his eyes; like a meditation. I have to get through to him, to the Finn I know is still deep down there. I have to.
" Finn?"
. . . .
" I know you're deep down in there."
. . . .
Seeing as how there wasn't any way of getting him to talk, I began to turn around; walking away. That was when I heard a faint incantation coming from the cell.
" . . . Through victory, my chains are broken, The Force will set me free."
Not understanding what it meant, I went to find Poe. I searched for him in the headquarters, his room. I even asked Lando if he had seen him but no one knew where was he, even BB8 wasn't around. I massaged my temples as I tried to collect myself.
" Guess I'll just ask Maz."