Finn sat in the dejarik booth of the Falcon, his finger tapping the surface numbly. His head rested on the table as he watched his finger drum a song of nonsense. The rhythm a melody of the intense apathy that had overcome him the past couple days.
Heavy footsteps joined the sound suddenly, causing Finn's finger to pause. He slowly blinked at the Wookie that walked towards him.
Chewie roared at him, gesturing with a nod of his head to his datapad.
"Chewie, if you're asking where Rey is, I have no idea," Finn sighed. "And I haven't seen Jennica at all. So I won't be any help."
The Wookie shook his mane, bellowing out again in an attempt to be understood.
Finn eyed him. "Is something wrong? I don't understand."
Not that Chewie saying anymore would help him understand, but Chewie tried nonetheless. He pointed to his datapad, shook it even, and roared out his explanation.
Finn glanced at the datapad. "Does this have to do with the motion sensors we put up around the border?" he guessed.
Chewie did a frantic nod of his head.
"They were activated?" Finn asked, sitting up.
Another hurried nod came as a response.
BB-8 then rolled in, probably having followed the Wookie in the first place. He beeped out what Chewie just said, excitingly wiggling his head.
"Okay, okay," Finn calmed the droid. "So they were activated. When?"
BB-8 answered for the Wookie.
"Just a few minutes ago?" Finn's eyes widened. "Okay, this is good. We might actually be able to catch whatever is releasing the disease."
He stood from the table, sudden life flowing through his veins. They might be able to leave soon. They could get off this infected planet before the First Order comes. He was going to be alright.
"Alright, we need to tell Rey, and get down there," Finn thought out loud. "This might be our only chance."
But just as he went bounding for the ramp, Chewie stopped him. His furry arm becoming a wall.
Finn furrowed his brows. "What?" he frowned.
Chewie roared at him, complaint obvious in his tone of voice. In hopes of easing Finn's confusion, BB-8 echoed what the Wookie said.
Finn glanced between the two. "Oh, you think I should tell Jennica too?"
They both nodded.
"Well, I'm not really in the mood to see her," Finn retorted.
He made to leave again, but Chewie wasn't having it.
"Chewie!" Finn exclaimed. "We don't have time for you to lecture me right now!"
Chewie held his ground though. A growl escaped his rows of teeth.
Finn groaned. "Okay, okay! I'll talk to her! Let's just go, please!"
The Wookie eyed him, not sure whether he believed Finn or not. But either way, he released the man--Finn practically bolted out of the Falcon at the chance. Chewie and BB-8 followed close behind. Their constant presence steering Finn to go to Jennica first.
Not that either of them knew where to begin to look for her anyway. But Finn could take a guess at who she would be with, if she was with anyone. So they asked around for Zerek.
Nobody had seen him either. Which kind of confirmed Finn's suspicions, albeit left them no lead. One of the Councilmen said that although he hadn't seen Zerek recently, they could always go check his study.
After getting some guidance on where Zerek's study was, they found themselves a couple hallways down from where they were staying. The door to the study resembling every other door. He almost prayed it was the wrong one so they could leave.
"Alright," he breathed, glancing up at Chewie. "Care to do the honor?"
Chewie nodded, and he went to open the door. But it was locked, it's gray exterior refusing to slide open. Finn looked down to BB-8, the droid giving him a confused gaze.
"Councilman Zerek? It's us--Finn, Chewie and BB-8. We're just wondering if you've seen Jennica," Finn called out.
They received no response.
"Councilman? You in there?"
Silence.
Finn crossed his arms. "Well," he said with a smack of his lips, "looks like no one's home. I guess we can just give up and go find Rey now."
Chewie roared out defiantly.
Finn's shoulders tensed at the sound. He glared up at the Wookie. "What do you want to do then? The Councilman obviously isn't here!"
Before Chewie could give a reply though, a faint cry echoed from the study. The sound so quiet, Finn almost didn't hear it.
The three of them wheeled towards the door. "Chewie!" Finn exclaimed, panicking rising in his voice.
Chewie was already on it. He put his shoulder on the door, and pushed. It took only one more for the door to give way—for a Wookie strength is nothing to compete with.
The three barged in, each looking desperately around. The study looked relatively normal, with shelves of books and a desk by a window, which held an amazing view of the farmland below. What wasn't normal was the Councilman tied to his chair with energy cuffs around his wrists.
"Councilman!" Finn's eyes widened.
He and Chewie ran towards Zerek. A rubber gag had been pasted over his mouth, which explained his muffled cry earlier. Chewie made to remove it.
Once the muffle was off, Zerek took a deep breath. "Dear Gala, that thing tasted awful. Thank you."
Finn instantly recoiled. That was not the Councilman's voice. He regained himself enough to ask, "Who did this to you? Jennica?"
Chewie set to work on removing the Councilman's restraints as he answered, "Jennica?"
"Yeah, Jennica. The lieutenant you've been all googly eyes for."
Zerek just shook his head. "I'm sorry, I have absolutely no idea who you are talking about."
Finn smirked. "Seriously? You going to play this game?"
"I'm playing no game," Zerek said. "In fact, I don't even know who you two are." At this point Chewie had freed him, so Zerek stood, rubbing his wrists.
"What do you mean?" Finn questioned. He raised an eyebrow. "Councilman you don't sound the same. Are you alright?"
"NO!" Zerek cried. "I am not okay in the least. First, some man in black armor traps me here, for days may I mention; then, you two offworlders show up out of nowhere—"
"Wait...a man in black armor?" Finn interrupted.
"Yes. He was bloody terrifying. Didn't say much, either."
Chewie roared in protest.
Zerek looked to him, obviously understanding him unlike Finn. "I've been here for a couple days, yes."
"Wait...if you've been here for a couple days..." Finn wondered out loud, a pit forming in his stomach. "Then who have we been talking to all this time?"
The pieces clicked in his brain almost instantly. The difference in the Councilman's voice. The activation of the motion sensors. The disease.
He turned to Chewie, fear creeping into his veins. One name suddenly screaming it's importance in his head. "Oh no," he mumbled, "Jennica."
~~~~~~~~
Zeelee darted through the sky, producing a spiral for her owner down below. Jennica smiled at the sight. The fields the only other witness to the show the Fynock was putting on. After days of having no luck with Finn or their search, she had opted for a walk. Fresh air being her one constant companion, besides Zeelee that is.
She found herself quite far from the madness that was occurring back at the city. In fact, no one was around for a mile or so, the city too preoccupied with the disease and the prospect of the First Order coming to their farmland.
Zeelee came down, alighting on her shoulder. "You know," Jennica began, "I'm kind of missing Poe right now.
Zeelee cocked her head. Jennica chuckled. "Yeah, who would've thought that I'd be saying that." Her smile fell. "Who would've thought we'd be getting into any of this mess."
The fynock took that moment to rub lovingly against Jennica's cheeks, releasing a giggle from within Jennica. "Thanks for that."
And it was at that moment that Jennica's eyes caught Zerek. He was a mile or so ahead of her, striding into the jungle past the fields. He was so focused on whatever he was doing, he didn't even notice her.
Jennica narrowed her eyebrows. "What is he doing, Zeelee?" she asked the fynock absentmindedly.
He was nowhere near the spectacular Crystal Caverns that he showed her the other day. Perhaps there was another hidden Galacian spectacle in the jungle? But something whispered to her that that was not true. There was nothing in Zerek's direction. Yet he walked with purpose onward. A destination in mind that Jennica was unaware of.
Zeelee chirped some kind of response, squinting at Zerek's back as he got farther and farther away.
Jennica already had made up her mind the minute she saw him--she was going to follow him. She was too curious not to. And too stubborn to stop herself.
She jogged to the jungle, Zeelee taking off from her shoulder to fly alongside her. At the edge of the jungle, her eyes scanned for him. He was just barely visible in the purple dust. She followed after him, making sure to not be too close or too loud. Nothing that Jennica found too hard. Meanwhile, Zeelee took to the trees, flying from one branch to the next in pace with Jennica.
She trailed after him for some ways--moving stealthily across the dense Galacian landscape. Jennica was just starting to wonder how far they had gone, when a ship came into view. She widened her eyes and made to get closer.
It stood out enormously, since it was entirely black. Compared to the bright jungle around it, it looked pretty bleak, if not menacing. It was a small gunship of some kind and was definitely designed in such a way for it to be fast and brutal.
Jennica pursed her lips and watched as Zerek opened up the ramp in the belly of the ship. He strolled inside. She took the time to get closer, hiding behind some bright red bushes. Unfortunately, she couldn't see what was inside from her vantage point.
She didn't know what to think--actually much rather, her heart didn't know what to feel. She knew what to think: Zerek had a ship, a gunship to be specific, that bore no resemblance to Galacian tech.
But her feelings couldn't comprehend what she was seeing. The past few days talking in passing have provided brief moments of joy amidst her and Finn's tension. And she couldn't stop thinking about what happened at the Crystal Cavern. His proximity. His eyes. The words he breathed out from his soul.
He had been hiding something then. But this? This can't be it. Surely.
She took a deep breath and steady herself. Zerek is my friend, he is good, she repeated over and over in her head. He can't be one of them. He just can't.
Her train of thought was interrupted when Zerek exited his ship. His clothes looked a bit ruffled, but besides that, he appeared the same as before. Jennica watched as he took the time to glance around before closing up the ship, and strolling back the way he came.
Jennica sat perfectly still, counting down the seconds after he left. After about five-ish minutes, she stood up from her hiding spot. It was enough of a signal for Zeelee to come down from her perch and land on Jennica's shoulder.
Jennica gave a quick glance around, but she was all alone. No Zerek in sight. She returned her attention back to the foreboding ship. She had to figure out what Zerek was up to, or she would feel no peace.
So she hastily walked over to the ship. Although she was in the middle of the jungle with no one for miles, she couldn't help but feel that someone was watching, judging her for trespassing.
As Jennica pressed the button to open the ramp, Zeelee flew to a nearby tree to watch. Jennica gave the fynock a nod--a cue to be on lookout while she investigated further. Zeelee just ruffled her feathers in response.
The ramp gave a grunt as it collided with the ground, revealing complete darkness. Jennica gulped. She didn't like this. Not one bit. But she swallowed her fear, and walked up inside.
For a brief second, she could see nothing. Then, cued by her movement, the ship's interior lighting turned on.
Jennica's eyes widened. "What the..."
The walls were a sleek, metallic black--not surprising due to the exterior of the ship. But mounted on the left wall, was a large humming cabinet. She opened it to find it was a refrigerator or freezer of some kind, the cold fogging the air around her. Inside, sat rows of small metal tubes. They blinked red in tune with each other.
Jennica took a hesitant step back, turning to the other wall with the closure of the cabinet. It was full of gear--blasters and weaponry of all varieties--and a small outlet was made for a couple computer consoles.
She went to the computers and pressed some buttons. A map showed up on the screen. Jennica recognized it instantly, for it was the same map she had shown General Organa after the Arkanis incident: the Outer Rim. Except this one had symbols and arrows around some of the major planets.
Jennica frowned. She tried searching for something else on the computer, anything really. She came across a list of old transmissions. Her eyes scanned the list. It was all in some kind of code, referring to things and people she had no idea. So she decided to play the most recent one.
Suddenly, the holoprojector started up, revealing a very menacing figure in black from the chest up. The figure wore a mask that resembled a twisted, burnt skeleton head. Some ornamental black headdress covered his head and draped down his back.
Jennica backed up, her blood running cold. She knew this man.
The figure began his message, his voice deep. Haunting. "Rogue, I applaud you for your efforts on Celanon. Now, you have orders to move onto Gala."
Jennica's heart pounded. It was him. It was truly him. The masked figure from her dream.
"Infiltrate," the figure continued, "and release the weapon. Report in upon completion." And with that the message ended.
She gulped and looked about the hangar, suddenly very overwhelmed. That's when her eyes locked on to a closed closet, sitting near the ladder up to the cockpit.
Fear and curiosity propelled her to push the button to open it. It slid open casually, unaware of the importance of its contents. For there, held neatly up and at the ready, sat armor.
Jennica felt her breathing pick up a pace as she instantly recognized it from the Celanon. It was the armor of the man that shot up Farhi's factory, and chased them onto the streets. It was the armor of one of the Knights of Ren.
This can't be happening, Jennica thought. Her mind was reeling, so much so that she became dizzy. She leaned against the wall, and closed her eyes. Perhaps it was because of this that she didn't hear Zeelee release a cry of panic.
"Hello, Jennica."
Jennica gasped and spun around. Zerek stood in the entrance of the hangar, his face set into a stone-like seriousness. So unlike his usual charm that Jennica almost wanted to cry.
"I thought you knew better than messing with other people's things," he said, with a chilling calmness.
Jennica felt her mouth go dry. This wasn't good.
She watched as he took a step forward, his eyes roaming across the hangar. "So now you know the truth: I'm not remotely who I say I am." His gaze returned to her, and it softened. "Jennica...I..."
"It was you," she blurted out. "All this time, it was you."
Zerek pursed his lips. "Yes."
"How could you? To your own people?"
"They aren't my people," he simply responded. "Zerek is just a face. Not my own."
With that said, Zerek--Rogue--closed his eyes. Jennica watched with wide-eyes, as it took him less than a minute to take on a whole other form. His blue hued Galacian skin darkened to a warm, russet-brown. His hair shortened to ringlets that curled atop his head in an attempt to defy gravity. When he finished, he opened his eyes--to reveal irises of the darkness of space. The only thing that remained of 'Zerek' was his clothes.
"You're-you're a..." Jennica felt her mouth go slack.
"A Changeling," Rogue finished with a grimace. "I would show you my true form, but I have always preferred this one."
Jennica just blinked. She couldn't help but note that his voice was the same. Either he was messing with her, or unable to change it.
Warning signs had been blaring in her head since the moment she entered this ship, and now they were louder than ever. She had to leave. Tell someone what happened. She pushed off the wall and made to walk past Rogue. Naturally, he stepped in her way.
She froze, fear pumping through her veins. "Let me go," she meekly exclaimed.
"I can't," Rogue said. He was in no way threatening her, nor did his face seem hostile. In fact, he stared at her with pain. Like he didn't want to be doing what he was doing.
"Can't or won't?" Jennica fired back.
"Jennica--"
"Don't you dare say my name!" she cried.
Rogue's face fell. He gulped. "Listen, you have to trust me."
"Trust you?" Jennica practically laughed. "You're one of the Knights of Ren! And you've been lying to me this whole time! How can I ever trust you?"
Fueled by anger, which was just a byproduct of her fear, she lunged forward to leave.
Rogue frowned and made to get in her way again. She expected this and reacted promptly--by punching him square in the face. He stumbled back, a hand to his nose. His shock was to her advantage, and she ran past him.
Unfortunately for her, Rogue recovered quickly. He grabbed her arm just as she made it halfway down the boarding ramp. He tried his best to have a loose grip on her. "Jennica, please. If you leave, I can't protect you."
"I didn't ask for your protection!" she exclaimed, yanking her arm free from his grasp. She walked hastily down the ramp. "Why would you want to protect me anyway?"
"Because...I..." Rogue couldn't find the right words. He didn't know if there were any to begin with. So he dumbly sputtered out, "Because you're different."
"What?" Jennica stopped in the clearing. "How am I different from the thousands of lives you have taken with this disease? Or the thousands of lives you have killed for Kylo Ren and the First Order?"
Rogue couldn't respond. He just stared at her, his face sullen.
"I am just another pawn," Jennica continued, "for you to manipulate and discard. It's a miracle I'm not dead yet."
"I have no intention of killing you, Jennica," Rogue assured. He took a hesitant step forward, afraid she would dart.
"Well, you're going to have to."
"Jennica, please--"
She took out her blaster and aimed it at him. "Or else, I will blast you into oblivion."
Rogue froze. "Jennica, we don't have time for this. The First Order is on their way."
"Because of what you did!" she cried. Her finger hovered over the trigger, every lesson Poe ever taught her about shooting coursing through her head. But despite her efforts, she couldn't pull it. Something in her denied her the ability. She was staring at someone with a direct affiliation with the First Order, yet she couldn't do it. She couldn't shoot. A tear managed to escape and run down her cheek.
Rogue took a small step forward. "Please, don't make me have to fight you Jennica." He paused, his eyes tender. "I-I like you. A lot. Believe me, it wasn't all an act. Everything I said to you...everything I felt with you...it was real. It still is."
Jennica squeezed her eyes. "No, stop. Don't say that."
"It's the truth, Jennica. And if you leave, the First Order will kill you. Or worse. I can't let that happen to you."
"Stop talking!" she yelled, her anger and fear pulling the trigger for her. A blue bolt of energy shot forward, and if Rogue didn't dodge out of the way, it would've hit him straight on.
Rolling on instinct now, he lunged for Jennica. It took her by such surprise that she wasn't prepared when he yanked the blaster out of her hand and threw it a few feet away. But she quickly regained herself. She steadied her stance, and went for another punch. Rogue blocked it, returning with his own punch. Thus, a fist fight ensued.
It didn't last long, but Rogue struggled the entire time to neutralize Jennica without seriously harming her. It also didn't help that she was fighting with the exact opposite intent in mind.
But since she was fueled by emotion, she was being sloppy. She had made one minor slip-up that gave Rogue the opening he needed. With a swing of his leg, he brought her to the ground. Then before she got the chance to come back up again, he got down and pressed his knee into her stomach. To further incapacitate her, he held her arms down.
He stared into her face, which was twisted in pain.
"Let me go!" she shouted, her voice laced with venom.
"I'm sorry," he said, "but this is for your own good."
He moved his hand to her shoulder. She took the opportunity to try and fight him with her own arm--but she was being quite unsuccessful. He didn't budge an inch. Instead, he closed his eyes in concentration, completely ignoring her meager fighting.
She moved her attention to other things. "Zeelee!" she called out.
She was pleased to hear the fynock respond, and fly out from the trees.
"Zeelee, get help! Get Rey!" she exclaimed. "Go! Go...Zeelee...g..." Jennica's voice died, as her body relaxed into a peaceful sleep.
Rogue inhaled a deep breath of air and released his concentration. Oh, it has been quite some time since he's used that trick. It also was painful doing it after all these years.
He let go of Jennica and sat on his knees. He couldn't help but think how angry the Supreme Leader would be if he knew what he'd done. Using the Force was prohibited. He got away with using it meagerly. But that? That was probably too much.
He took a moment to breathe. His eyes caught on Zeelee soaring away from the scene. He frowned, but there was nothing he could do now. It was too late for the Galacians to be warned anyway.
The First Order was coming.