thatwaslucky: (gotta say no)
Rey Skywalker ([personal profile] thatwaslucky) wrote2019-12-09 05:55 am

Ryloth- Monday

For as much as the time difference was lonely and frustrating, Rey had to admit that it was actually working in her favor. She could get training in Fandom while not missing much at all at home; it had only been a couple days or so since she'd left last time. Most of the Resistance fit on a single ship, and Rey's job was to fly it. She would argue that she wasn't entirely necessary. Chewie was fully capable of flying it on his own, and Poe was supposed to be "the best pilot in the galaxy." But it was a lot for one person to do on their own all the time, and Poe was off with Black Squadron, and honestly, Rey didn't know him well enough to trust him with a ship that she'd maybe called hers once or twice.

If Leia said the word, Rey'd let him. But she never had, and called Rey back instead.

And for as much as she didn't really know her place in the larger Resistance, Rey had no problem arguing when it came to the ship, which was what she was doing with Chewie and Nien Nunb when Leia appeared suddenly at the door to the cockpit.

"Did we wake you?" Rey asked, feeling a little guilty. "We were trying to be quiet."

"I'd slept long enough," Leia assured her. "What's going on? Is there a problem?"

"We're low on fuel," Rey explained. "We need to refuel but we've only got enough for one jump. If we choose wrong, we're grounded."

Leia frowned. "That bad?"

Rey nodded. "Nien Nunb thinks Tovash Tchii would be safe, and it's within range, but Chewie says he knows an old smuggler's way station where he and Han used to lay low sometimes. It's farther out, but he says we should try there."

"What do you think?"

Rey blinked. She hadn't expected Leia to ask her opinion. "They both have their pros and cons…"

Nien Nunb began to argue his point, but Leia silenced him by raising her hand. "Rey?"

"If we go to Tovash Tchii we're more likely to find the fuel we need, but we're also more likely to draw the attention of the First Order," Rey continued. "If we go to the place Chewie's talking about we'll get our privacy, but if the fuel isn't where he says it is then we're definitely stuck."

Chewie roared a complaint.

"I'm not saying that. You said yourself that you weren't sure it was still there," Rey reminded him.

"I have a third idea," Leia said. "Ryloth. I have a friend there who owes me a favor."

To Rey, it sounded like Leia had made up her mind, but she checked the navicomputer anyway. "It's within range," she reported. "Not a bad option, but are we any more certain of what we'll find there?"

"No," Leia admitted. "But I'm willing to take the chance."

There was a moment of silence where no one raised an objection, and Rey turned back to piloting. "Then Ryloth it is."

She was still in awe of seeing new planets from the cockpit of a ship, and once they'd popped out of hyperspace, Ryloth was no exception. But before she'd even had a chance to really take in more than that initial glimpse, she became aware of a much more pressing concern.

"Something's coming up on the scanner," she said. "Looks like ships approaching. Any chance that we're expected?"

"Not likely," Leia answered. "Our luck with communications hasn't been the greatest, if you recall. So I thought we'd just… show up."

Chewie growled- this could be nothing.

"They could just be patrolling their local space," Leia agreed. "But we haven't even entered orbit yet."

"And those are fighters," Rey noted. "Two ships, Can-cell class. Reading as Ryloth interceptors out of the capitol City, Lessu. Government call signs. Shields up?"

"Not yet," Leia said slowly. "We come in peace, let's not give them a reason to think otherwise."

"How do you know they won't fire on us?"

"I don't."

Immediately, Chewie barked alarm as the Ryloth ships powered up their weapons.

"I know," Leia said, and got out her seat to head aft, and she could be heard giving Finn, Rose and Connix orders on where to go.

Rey waited. If it was just her, she'd have made a decision and gone through with it already, either way. But it wasn't just her anymore, and she wasn't in charge. Everyone on this ship was indispensable, and she couldn't risk making this situation worse. Chewie and Nien Nunb seemed to agree, also staying quiet, leading to a fairly tense cockpit while they waited.

At least until the transmission light lit up, and Rey wasted no time in calling for Leia.

When she came back, Leia took one look at the light and told Rey, "Answer it."

Rey started at her. She was no one, Leia was important. Surely she should be the one not getting them killed here?

"Go on," Leia prodded.

The green light blinked again.

"Oh my!" Threepio exclaimed. "You must answer their hail. Protocol rule 12B6 states that when entering any C-class planet's sovereign orbital space, it is required to respond to a government-"

"What do I say?" Rey asked, only slightly panicked.

"You'll think of something," Leia said, unhelpfully.

"I thought that was your job!"

"I'm too well known. I don't think we want to reveal who we are quite yet, just in case the First Order beat us here."

"Won't they know the Millennium Falcon?" This ship was so famous Rey had heard of it. Of course she'd also been on the ship before she'd ever stolen it and not known what it was.

"Maybe. But they won't necessarily know I'm on the ship. And we won't know anything for sure until you answer that."

"I can't!"

"Of course you can," Leia said simply. "And now."

"I-"

Chewie cut her off by roaring and flipping the green button on, tired of Rey's stalling. A second later, a threatening masculine voice was loudly saying, "YT-1300 freighter, identify yourself and your purpose in the Ryloth system or we will be forced to bring your ship down. You have thirty seconds."

"Ominous," Leia said under her breath. "I guess they don't get many visitors."

"YT-1300 freighter," the voice repeated, "identify yourself and your purpose-"

No one else in the Falcon's cockpit was going to say anything, and it didn't help that they were all looking at Rey expectantly. So, fine. "This is Rey," she said, having no idea what else was going to come out of her mouth until she said it. "And we're out of the… Han system! We're carrying medical supplies to the southern region." That hadn't gone so bad! "We're expected!"

"Pilot Rey of the Han system, please transmit your clearance code now."

Oh.

Rey looked back at Leia with wide eyes and mouthed, What do I say?

Think of something, Leia mouthed back, unbothered.

"I… we lost our code," Rey said. "Terrible incident on Teedo Minor. Do you know it? But I assure you we-"

"I'll take it from here, Lessu command," a female voice cut in.

Rey had maybe never been so relieved in all her life. She looked down at the screens and whispered to the others, "Another ship on the scanner. Rycrit- class. Stealth model. That's a nice ship."

"Identification?" Leia asked

"Transponder's not broadcasting one."

Leia frowned. "Get those shields ready just in case, Rey. We don't know if this new ship is on our side or we're about to jump from the skillet in the scalder."

Rey nodded, and the two voices on the other end of the call were still arguing. "-not your jurisdiction," the first ship was saying. "We can handle this."

"Sorry, but I'll be pulling rank on you," said the female. "You are to disengage this freighter under the authority of the RDA. We will take it from here."

Rey kept her finger hovering over the button to bring up the shields, waiting in silence with the others to see what happened next.

"Copy," the male voice said. "RDA One, we have received your authorization code and are disengaging. Our apologies."

"Copy." There was a moment, and the female said, "Corellian YT-1300 freighter, I am switching communications to a secured channel at the following frequency. Please engage in three, two…"

Rey recognized it as soon as she saw it, and gasped in surprise. "It's the Resistance channel!" She punched in the new frequency, feeling better about this for the first time.

Leia leaned over her to push the button to transmit. "Who is this?"

"Millennium Falcon, you are required to follow me," the female said.

"This is General Leia Organa of the Resista-"

"We know who you are, General. Please follow us. We'll explain once we get on the ground. You're attracting too much attention up here."

"Do as she says," Leia told Rey, dropping back into her seat. "Let's see where this goes."

Chewie growled agreement, and Rey nodded, steering the Falcon to follow the other ship, which led them away from the capital city. It looked like they would be landing in a desert, which Rey was surprisingly distressed about when she realized how much it looked like Jakku. There were small settlements here and there as they flew over, but no cities. The other ship dipped into a canyon that blended effortlessly into the landscape.

Even as Rey followed, she said, "I don't like this. Not a lot of room to maneuver down here."

"Stay the course," Leia said reassuringly, but she seemed a little tense, too. Only Chewie looked calm, as if following strange and potentially hostile ships into unknown territory was all in a day's work.

The lead ship headed into a cave, and that just made Rey more wary. "Do we follow?"

"We've come this far," Leia said.

"It could be a trap."

"I don't think so. If it was a trap, why bother bringing us all the way out here?"

"To hide the evidence?"

Rey still didn't like it, but she followed Leia's orders and followed the ship into some kind of hangar, deep inside of a mountain and into a fully functioning landing base.

"What is this?" she asked.

Leia laughed quietly. "The RDA, apparently. I think we've stumbled into exactly what we need."

Rey brought the ship to land smoothly between the designated lines on the landing pad, and then they headed aft with Finn, Rose and Connix joining them at the landing ramp, following Leia into whatever awaited them, even as Threepio protested the whole time.

Chewie made a questioning sound.

"Open the door," Leia told him. "Weapons close but not drawn. I'm still hoping this is a friend."

Chewie opened the door, and Rey watched Leia go from someone who was still tired and recovering to looking like she already had all of this handled, just by changing her posture. It was almost like magic.

At the bottom of the landing ramp they were approached by two Twi'leks, a male and a female, who both looked competent and professional, like there was nothing to handle.

"Welcome, Leia Organa," said the female.

"Our mysterious escort," Leia acknowledged.

"Hahnee Brethen," the Twi'lek female replied. "Pilot for the Ryloth Defense Authority."

"Ah. You'll pardon my ignorance, but I'm not familiar with the defense authority."

"And why would you unless you've recently spent time on our planet?" the male said, stepping forward and bowing slightly to Leia. "Charth Brethen. Ambassador of the Ryloth Defense Authority."

"Oh dear," Threepio said worriedly, "I'm scanning my data banks and I find no record of the Ryloth Defense Authority."

"That's because we aren't officially part of any record you would have access to, droid," Charth said easily. "If we were, we wouldn't be doing a very good job of staying off the scope."

"And whose scope do you wish to stay off?" Leia questioned.

"Who do you think?" Hahnee challenged.

"You'll have to excuse my sister," Charth cut in. "We're a bit on edge after what happened to the Hosnian system, and not everyone thought it was a wise decision to allow you to land here."

"I understand," Leia said.

"I don't know that you do. We're taking a risk, having you here. Should the First Order find out that we've given you aid, we become targets ourselves. You could drag us into war… or worse."

There was a moment of tense silence where Leia said, "We are grateful," and she and Charth just watched each other.

He broke first. "It wasn't our call," he admitted. "It was his. So an exception was made."

Leia smiled. "I'd like to see him now, if I could. We don't have much time."

Charth nodded. "Then by all means, let us not keep him waiting any longer."

*****

They didn't go right away. Charth insisted on making sure they were fed first, having his school age children bring them refreshments and letting them relax a bit. The Twi'leks didn't seem hostile, just wary, and understandably so. When they'd finished their meal and Leia decided they'd better get back to it, she even allowed Rose, Connix and Finn to stay behind with Chewie while she asked Rey and Threepio to come along with her. Rey still insisted on carrying her staff and blaster, though the Twi'leks didn't seem to mind. Threepio trailed behind, happily commenting on Leia's wise decision to bring him along since, as a protocol droid, he was most qualified to assist her.

As they walked, Theeepio helpfully explained to Leia what he could find of Ryloth's history, which Rey probably appreciated more than Leia did.

"Did you know," he continued, "that early in the Clone Wars, your ancestor Anakin Skywalker helped fight for Ryloth against the droid armies? The Ryloth forces were led by Cham Syndulla, a terrorist-"

Hahnee stopped in her tracks and stepped in front of Theeepio, threatening. "Freedom fighter."

"I beg your pardon?"

"He's a hero here, Theeepio," Leia corrected him patiently. "While Imperial records may have labeled him a terrorist, here among his own people he's considered a freedom fighter."

"Oh of course. I meant no offense. My historical records are often, well, historical," Theeepio said, contrite. "I will make the notation immediately."

"Great. Continue."

"Freedom fighter Cham Syndulla. In addition, his daughter Hera Syndulla served as a general in the Rebellion and New Republic. Her contribution to the record is quite remarkable"

For the briefest moment, Rey wanted to interrupt and ask more. She hadn't spoken since getting here, willing to leave that to Leia, and Threepio on her invitation, but she was immediately filled with questions. Was Hera still alive? Where would she be now if she wasn't already with the Resistance? Was she part of the Resistance somewhere and Rey just didn't know? Where was Kanan?

And then she remembered why she'd very deliberately never asked any of those questions when she knew Leia would probably know the answers. She'd had enough hurt lately, and she didn't need to invite more.

"Now, I may be incorrect," Theeepio went on, "but from my historical records I can extrapolate that the Ryloth Defense Authority is a direct descendent of Cham Syndulla's Free Ryloth movement."

"Not a direct descendent," Charth corrected. "But certainly a philosophical one. After our history of slavery and oppression, certain factions have vowed to never have it happen again. There are those of us who have dedicated our lives to the continued liberty of our world, for ourselves and our children. Against any comers, First Order or otherwise."

"So you are part of the government," Leia said.

"We operate with the full knowledge and support of the Rylothian government, yes. But we are also somewhat… autonomous."

"A secret police force?"

"A supplemental militia," Charth corrected. "Recent events have made it clear with Ryloth needs a backup system, shall we say, should something incapacitate the capital. We are that backup system. We operate independently but with their full blessing."

"Not for this," Hahnee interjected.

Leia's words were a touch slower, like she was choosing them carefully. "It is what drives the Resistance as well. It is what we have in common."

"We heard the Resistance is all dead," Hahnee said bluntly.

"Bloodied in the fight," Leia said. "Hurting, but not all dead."

"That is good," Charth said. "We admire this fighting spirit. Better dead than a boot on one's neck. And we are here."

They'd reached a wide, round, red stone door, and burned into the wood was the same symbol that Charth wore on his chest. He pressed his hand to the door until it lit from within, and then pressed the door open. Hahnee went first, and Charth gestured for Leia and Threepio to follow, with Rey following behind. The room inside was vast and covered in bookshelves, with a balcony at the far end where the cave finally opened up, looking out onto the desert valley. In the middle of the room was a giant desk, behind which sat a blue-skinned Twi'lek man in heavy robes.

"Have you become a scholar in your old age?" Leia asked him, a smile on her face.

"I have dedicated what is left of my life to preserving my people's history," the man said, standing to meet them. "I don't know if that makes me a scholar, a collector, or a fool."

"A bit of all three?"

The man laughed, and they met in the middle, and embraced. Rey felt like maybe that was the first time she'd allowed herself to take a breath since they'd entered orbit.

"Princess Leia," the man said, bowing his head in respect.

"It's general now," Leia pointed out.

"Princess, senator, general. Is there anything you cannot do?"

"And what should I call you these days?" Leia asked. "Scholar, historial, librarian? General?"

"No, Your Highness. You may call me what you've always called me. My name."

"Hello, Yendor," Leia smiled.

He nodded, and the lightness of the meeting vanished, replaced with something more pressing. "You need my help," Yendor said.

"Desperately."

He gestured to the terrace behind them. "Come. Let's talk."

Yendor served them tea while he and Leia talked. There seemed to be some sort of art to it, a way that they'd let each other know when it was time for banter and when they had to seriously argue their case, all in a friendly way. Rey didn't understand it. It was like watching another language. She was happy to just be an observer, acting as silent bodyguard, which seemed was unnecessary.

"Ryloth doesn't get involved," Yendor was saying.

"I'm not asking you to get involved," Leia countered. "I'm asking you to let me and my friends impose on your hospitality for a while."

"You and your friends? Is that what we're calling the Resistance these days?"

From where he was hovering nearby, Threepio piped up, "Technically, General Organa is correct-"

Leia held up a hand to silence him. "Yendor, you were a rebel once. And the Ryloth Defense Authority? What is that if not a tool to fight the First Order? We're on the same side."

"I still am a rebel in here," Yendor said, tapping a fist to his chest. "But it's not just me. I have to think of my people, too."

He glanced at Charth, who picked up on that. "Not just the RDA, but all of Ryloth," he said. "Our neutrality has been hard-won, and we will not fall under the influence of any foreign government. Even yours."

"What government?" Leia said. "We're barely a ship. If you think we're in any shape to be a threat to your independence…"

"I did hear the rumors," Yendor said, thoughtfully. "Reports of a destroyed fleet, rumors of Luke Skywalker seen again and then gone… Is it true?"

Rey's heart clenched, and she looked over at Leia, who just calmly said, "It's true."

"Ahh." Yendor focused on pouring himself more tea, clearly for show, as he asked, "And how was Luke? Will he be joining… is he part of this?"

"Luke is gone," Leia said, and there Rey felt that little wave of grief in the Force of her, one of those little moments of profound sadness that Leia definitely felt but didn't like to show, at least not for longer than a moment.

Yendor frowned, looking up suddenly at her. "You mean…"

"Yes."

He leaned back in his chair, looking stricken. "So there are no more Jedi."

"I wouldn't go that far," Leia said, and gave Rey a reassuring smile.

Rey froze, eyes wide.

"I'm afraid I've forgotten your name," Yendor said, curiously.

"I'm Rey," she said quickly, trying to get ahead of this. "I'm just a junker from Jakku."

"I doubt that, if you're with Princess Leia."

"Or I was," Rey corrected, because the scavenger title didn't exactly fit her these days, either. "Now I'm… a pilot."

"A pilot is someone," Yendor told her, and winked at Leia. "I was once a pilot, and a damn good one, until they made me wear these robes and take meetings. What kind of ship do you fly?"

"All of them?" Rey said, and winced, because that sounded terrible. "I mean, any of them. Right now… the Millennium Falcon."

Yendor whistled in appreciation, but even that felt like too much to Rey, who was only piloting because the person who should be doing it couldn't be here.

Leia laid a hand on Rey's arm. "She was also Luke's apprentice."

Yendor looked even more impressed. "Well, that's someone, Rey of Jakku. That's someone, indeed."

Mortified and blushing like mad, Rey took a sip of her tea, and unimpressively, choked immediately. Negotiations were paused as she coughed, and people began asking if she was okay and, in Threepio's case, if he should hit her in the back.

"Perhaps you'd like to refresh yourself?" Charth suggested, and Rey loved him a little right now.

He waved Hahnee over, and she escorted Rey back into the library and through the hall to the refresher, where Rey could lock herself in for a minute. Even after she got the coughing under control, she just took advantage of the silence to lean against the countertop and try to feel less weird about it all.

She didn't like attention. She'd spent a lifetime on Jakku doing her own thing and going through life unnoticed, and she'd been fine with that. Lately, though, people looked at her differently. Impressed, or scared, like they were expecting things from her. Which might be fine if she had any clue yet what to expect from herself. She wasn't a Jedi, she wasn't sure she'd ever be one, she didn't know how to be anyone's last hope. She didn't even know what she was these days.

She didn't know how long she was in there, but when she emerged from the fresher, Hahnee was still waiting. "I'm sure they'd probably done talking about you by now," Hahnee told her in a way that might have been reassuring on any other person.

When they returned to the balcony, Yendor gave her a kind smile. "Who knows," he was saying, "maybe I'll get to pilot an X-wing again."

"What's going on?" Hahnee asked.

"Dad's made up his mind," Charth said, sounding somewhere between surprised and approving. "It looks like we've joined the Resistance."


[Taken from Resistance Reborn by Rebecca Roanhorse. Spoilers for a pretty new book, and I have no way of knowing yet how much stuff is working its way into the upcoming movie. Whee! NFB, NFI, OOC okay.]