Rey Skywalker (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
thatwaslucky) wrote2020-06-17 01:30 pm
thatwaslucky) wrote2020-06-17 01:30 pm
Minfar- Wednesday
Rey didn't sleep well. She kept thinking about the weapon and what to do with it, whether they should take it back with them or destroy it, and whether it was even their decision to make, really. She'd finally settled on bringing it back, if they could; even if they didn't use it, it would be out of First Order hands, and if Leia decided it should be destroyed, then it would be. It didn't actually occur to her to consider what would happen if Leia did decide to use it against the First Order, because even if she didn't know Leia terribly well, she knew how this would go. But what if something else in those labs would help?
But it was more than just that. There was the added pressure of needing to help the Zixon, who had asked for their assistance because their friend had told them to, and they'd been so kind. The First Order had retaliate against planets that had helped the Resistance, what would they do to one that asked for help? She didn't want to let them down or put them in more danger, but they were three people and a droid with a ship that wasn't currently working. They couldn't even call for reinforcements. And sure, one of those people was at least a Jedi in training, but it always felt so hot and cold to her…
It was a more pressing version of the pressure she always felt, really.
So after a largely sleepless night, Rey and her friends set out with Lim and a team of heavily-armed Zixon warriors through the tunnels, needing to go through the Forbidden Lands to get to the labs. It was dangerous enough that Jem had to stay behind to prepare for when the First Order found the city. One they got to the tunnels, the energy changed, the Zixon arranged themselves in a formation known only to them, surrounding the Resistance members to protect them from… something.
For Rey, it began as that familiar prickling of her danger sense, though she couldn't tell exactly what it was. The Zixon apparently expected it. After a while of walking, Poe pulled his blaster, which seemed to be the signal Rose had been waiting for to do the same.
"You feel it too?" Rey asked quietly.
"It feels like we're being watched," Poe nodded.
"These are grobel tunnels," Lim told them. "We must be very careful."
Rey hadn't exactly worked out the danger sense thing yet, but the longer they walked, the stronger it got, and the more she wanted to scream. And then when she thought she couldn't take it anymore, a roar echoed through the tunnel, shaking the ground beneath them.
"Grobel!" Lim shouted, and the Zixon readied their weapons. A thumping noise came from farther down the way, and when the creature was within a few meters Rey finally saw why the Zixon feared them so.
It wasn't the flying beast they'd hit yesterday, and the grobel filled almost the entire tunnel, so it couldn't have been water that made them. It was the grobels. It had a long body that seemed to be covered in gemstones, no eyes, and a round mouth that was nothing but teeth, each about the size of Rey's arm. As it pulled itself through the tunnel with two small appendages, the stones on its body ground against the tunnel walls, chipping away any rocks that got in its way.
Without thinking, Rey's hand reached for her lightsaber, which she wasn't carrying. She always left the practice one back in Fandom. She settled for her blaster instead.
"Quickly, this way," Lim said, leading them down a side tunnel that Rey wouldn't have even noticed was there. A few of the Zixon launched bags of sparkling powder at the beast, which made it roar in agony and got it to back up a bit. As it did, a stormtrooper's helmet fell from between the creature's teeth."
"Looks like Sparkles there already had dinner!" Poe yelled as they ran.
"Let's not be dessert," Rey called back.
"Can't we just blast it?"
"Blasters do not work on the grobel," Lim said, easily keeping pace with the taller humans. "The beams are reflected back. Shooting at the grobel is a very bad idea. Only the xinda flower dust can keep them away."
They ran until Rey's sides hurt. The plants that lit the way changed from orange to blue to green to purple, and they had to keep going. When she looked over her shoulder, it looked as if the way was clear.
When Lim stopped, the three humans were all gasping for air. They'd started with twenty or so Zixon, and only had ten left. BB-8 beeped mournfully.
"He wants to know where'd everyone else go," Rey said.
"They're leading the grobel away so we can finish our trip," Lim answered. "Do not worry about the warriors. We have fought the grobel many times. They are vicious but easily tricked. Come, let us not waste any more time. We are nearly there."
Rey started to feel guilty about the fact that the Zixon were risking their lives to help them, but she barely had time for that, because they really had nearly been there. The tunnel curved right until it stopped at an enormous metal door. A few of the Zixon immediately felt on edge. One or two took a step back.
"This is the door to the Forbidden Lands," Lim told the humans. "My warriors will remain here."
"This looks like a research facility of some kind," Rose said, frowning.
"Is this the lab?" Poe asked. "The place the Zixon call the Forbidden Lands might be the research labs the First Order is looking for."
Rey looked over at the Zixon. Some had turned their backs on the door. More of them were agitated now.
"My warriors are uneasy because they remember the days before," Lim explained, her whiskers drooping slightly. "This is a place of sadness and loss for us. But you will find what you are looking for inside. There is a place our friend called a hangar in there. It is a place for flying machines, yes?"
"Yes," Rose confirmed. "A hangar should have the piece we need."
Lim's whiskers perked up a bit. "I am not so afraid of this place, and I bought our friend here so that they could get equipment," she said. "But I will not leave my warriors alone this time. I will remain with them."
"We understand," Rey said. "We appreciate you helping us get this far."
Poe and BB-8 were studying the door. "How do we get this thing open?"
"There's some kind of keypad over there," Rose said, going to point it out.
"Lim, do you know how to open the door?" Rey asked.
"I do not, friends, I am sorry," Lim replied, turning back to her warriors.
Again Rey wished she had her lightsaber for the door, but Poe called BB-8 over to plug into the socket below the keypad, and after a while the door began to move, rolling back with a groan of gears.
The room was filled with artificial sunlight, which stung Rey's eyes after so long in the tunnels. When her vision adjusted, she could see white tile floor stretching out into the room. She noted a stairwell, a giant lift, and more space beyond, filled with workbenches and half-abandoned projects. Years of digging around in Imperial ships to scavenge Imperial equipment meant that Rey recognized the insignia and signage. The Forbidden Lands were indeed the labs.
"Look at all of this!" Rose said, eyes wide as she looked around. "I haven't seen anything like this since I left home."
"Rose, do you want to see if you can find a compressor housing upstairs?" Poe said. "It seems like the hangar would be closer to the surface, especially if this place was built according to Imperial plans. Rey and I will check out the rest."
Rose nodded, heading for the lift with BB-8 trailing behind her.
Poe and Rey poked around, looking for the weapon, though every time Rey spotted a new item she mentally calculated how many portions it would be worth. The haul from this place would have made her set for life back on Jakku.
The place was large enough to house all of the Resistance, but that wasn't saying much. Still, the Empire had managed to build an enormous laboratory on a far-off planet that few people had ever heard of. She hadn't ever really considered how big the Empire had really been. They had to keep the First Order from getting there.
"Lim," Poe said, turning to the door, where the nervous Zixon were gathered outside, watching the,. "Do you know where the weapon you told us about was kept?"
"It was right here, but we've gotten it already," said a male voice.
A line of stormtroopers and a First Order officer stepped out from the shadows, blasters ready. Poe and Rey exchanged glances before raising their hands, not sure what else to do right now.
"Well, what a delightful surprise," the officer gloated. "Rey, I believe it is? Supreme Leader Kylo Ren will be very happy to see that I've claimed you as a prize."
Rey had things to say to that, and also she was deeply uncomfortable with the knowledge that they actually were looking for her, but before she could say a word he'd already dismissed her and stalked towards Poe.
"Do I know you?" Poe asked, casually.
"I am Commander Branwayne Spiftz of the Ladara Vex," the man said, preening as he talked. "And now I am also the man who captured two of the heroes of the Resistance."
A tremor began reverberating in the ground below them, and at first Rey thought to grobel had returned. But then the lift in the rear of the lab lowered and suddenly dropped a massive machine, shaking the building. A pod hung suspended between two huge metal legs, like some kind of hunched creature. Inside of the pod sat Rose, each hand gripping a control stick. On either side of the pod, like arms, were blaster cannons. It looked like she was quite enjoying launching a barrage of canon fire at the stormtroopers, too.
The First Order scattered, and Rey ran along the opposite wall toward Rose and her machine as the stormtroopers returned fire. Poe ran alongside her, also looking like he was enjoying this too much.
"Is there another one of those?" he asked, ducking a piece of flying debris.
"Let's hope so," Rey said, realizing without looking that a couple of stormtroopers were following her. She slid to a stop and pulled her staff free, at which point Poe stopped and got his blaster. One of the stormtroopers tried to climb the leg of the walking cannon thing, so Rey made quick work of him with her staff. Most of the First Order was fleeing, and the cannons had filled the lab with smoke that made it difficult to see.
"We have to get that weapon!" Poe called.
Rey ducked through the smoke, trying to fight her way to the First Order officer they'd seen. She could see Commander Spiftz having an animated conversation with a tall woman dressed in flashing gold and silver, but she was too busy fighting off stormtroopers to make it there before they both spun on their heels and left.
The stormtrooper in front of Rey suddenly turned and ran, and Poe poked his head up over the desk he'd been using as cover while shooting. "Why are they leaving?"
"They're probably trying to escape with the weapon," she said. At least they'd apparently given up on capturing them, but that didn't mean they could just go home now.
The door of the walking cannon opened, black smoke billowing from the open pod, and Rose jumped down, carrying a bag that she hadn't had before. "Well, that thing is done. Experimental, but fun. Anyway, I found a ship I could scavenge for the Falcon, and a whole bunch of other equipment besides. With this," she said, tapping the bag, "I should be able to fix the engines. After we stop the First Order."
"Let's get back to the Falcon," Rey said. "Trying to go after them now might be risky. Hopefully once we patch up the engines and repair the satellite we can send a message. I think we need some help."
"Then let's get out of here," Poe said.
When they'd reached the door they'd entered through, all the Zixon were gone.
"Where are they?" Rose wondered.
"Look!" Rey said, pointing to where the First Order was retreating down a side hallway of the lab that the Zixon had refused to enter before. Lim and her warriors were right with them, running along in between a couple stormtroopers. At first she thought the Zixon were being kidnaped, but then she realized the stormtroopers weren't even pointing their blasters at them. And the Zixon would have put up as much of a fight as possible.
Rey started to take off after them, but had only gotten a couple of steps when a stormtrooper opened fire, forcing her to dive behind a large metal crate. When she poked her head out over the top, the First Order were gone, and so were the Zixon.
"Did you see their ears and whiskers?" Rose asked. "They looked sad."
"The weapon," Poe said. "That commander must have turned it on during the fight. That's why they weren't fighting.
Rey holstered her staff and looked toward the other end of the lab where they had disappeared. "We have to save Lim and her warriors. And stop the First Order here. And we have to do it before they can escape."
"Let's see what else could be useful here besides the walker," Rose said.
"Luckily scavenging is one thing I know how to do," Rey said, managing a smile even while she felt terrible.
*****
The other plus to spending a lifetime scavenging is that Rey knew when and how to be quick about it. They got what they needed and made their way through the long tunnels to get to the Falcon... and found stormtroopers crowding around the ship. As the trio lay hidden in the underbrush with BB-8 adorably trying to duck down the best that he could, Rey whispered, "Do we have any ideas?"
"We could shoot them," Poe suggested.
"There's too many," Rose said. "Unless the porgs figured out a way to help from inside."
"Unless the stormtroopers ate them."
Rose glared at him.
From nowhere, a silver blur appeared. Three of the stormtroopers fell, and the others shouted.
"Hey! What was that?"
"No idea! Be ready!"
"It's over there!"
They turned and fired in the other direction, away from the hiding place.
"That's our chance," Rose said, and from where they were crouched, they fired at the stormtroopers, who didn't expect an attack from two sides and fired without knowing what they were shooting at. It was over quickly, leaving the stormtroopers motionless on the ground.
They disarmed the stormtroopers on the way to the Falcon, where Poe ran inside to grab some rope to tie them up.
While he was gone, a human woman slipped out of the jungle in a metallic suit, hands held high in surrender. "Please do not shoot."
"You knocked out the stormtroopers!" Rose said, looking happy to see someone on their side.
The woman nodded. "Yes. I am here because I need your help. I figured if I helped you first you'd be more likely to help me."
"Help you do what?" Rey asked, defensive. "You were with the First Order back at the labs. I saw you."
"I agreed to help them find the Echo Horn because I wanted to destroy it, but I was unable to get to it before they did," the woman said. "And I was not counting on the labs being full of the Zixon. I didn't want them to get hurt."
Rose had gone from happy to see her to really offended by who she was keeping company with. "Maybe you shouldn't have helped the First Order at all. Because your plan apparently stunk."
Poe walked down the boarding ramp, blaster trained on the woman. "Rose is right. If you're here to help the ZIxon, why are you working with the First Order?"
The woman's shoulders sagged. "They came to my lab after the destruction of Hosnian Prime a few months ago and offered jobs to everyone there. Those who refused were killed. I didn't have much choice. When another First Order began to talk about the labs here I knew it would only be a matter of time before they discovered Minfar's secrets. I decided I would use the First Order to find and destroy the Echo Horn and Minfar could take care of the rest."
"You're a scientist?" Rey asked.
The woman nodded. "My name is Glenna Kip. And someday I will tell you the story of how my team designed the Echo Horn and used it to enslave the Zixon, a terrible event that I regret. But now is not the time. I take it your ship has been disabled?"
"We just have to replace the compressor housing and the engines should be fine," Rey said, still a little wary even though she knew Glenna was telling the truth.
"Good, because we don't have much time. A large contingent of the First Order is set to arrive on the morrow, and it would be best if we could rescue the Zixon and destroy the Echo Horn before reinforcements arrive."
Poe holstered his blaster again. "Can't really argue with that."
Poe and Glenna tied up the stormtroopers to keep them out of the way, and between Rey and Rose, replacing the compressor housing was quick work. With the Falcon back in working order, Rose rejoined the group first, leaving Rey to try the comms for a bit before coming down in time to hear Poe ask where she was.
"Trying to call the rest of the Resistance on one of the secondary backup channels," she said, descending the ramp. "It might be good to get some help. We have no idea what kind of forces are here."
"The Ladara Vex is a light cruiser, and it shouldn't be a problem," Glenna said. "We have an easy way to get rid of it."
"How's that?" Poe asked.
Glenna smiled, just a little. "I've been building a mini reactor in my sleeping quarters on the ship. I told Commander Spiftz it was a device to locate some of the lost tech down here in the labs, but the truth is it's really a bomb connected directly to their power systems. As long as I can get back on board, we can destroy it from the inside."
Rose laughed. "That's brilliant. You really weren't here to help the First Order."
"No, I was here to help the Zixon. If we can retrieve the Echo Horn and destroy the Ladara Vex, we can hopefully get a few of those delightful ships we got rom Aftab Ackbar on Mon Cala in place for an ambush."
Rey frowned, and BB-8 trilled a query. "How do you know about those ships?" she asked. She'd been there when they got them. It'd been like a month ago here. There wasn't even time for that information to spread naturally.
"I have worked very closely with General Organa for a long time, but until recently I have been closely watched. There are some things in the labs, more honest weapons than the Echo Horn, that could help the Resistance. I couldn't get away from the First Order to find them myself, so I used their resources to bring me here. It gave me time to slice some codes and research their locations."
"You're a spy!" Rose realized.
"I am a scientist," Glenna said pointedly, "who sometimes spies."
It did make Rey feel better, knowing that there were people out there who would help, who they didn't have to fight with or convince. They had help, and maybe more resources to pull this off.
"So, should we go save our friends?" Rose asked.
*****
Getting the First Order's attention meant finding them, and buzzing them from above in the Falcon. It was easy enough to draw a bunch of First Order soldiers in TIE fighters away from the ground so that Poe and Glenna could get to the Zixon, but then Poe commed in. "They're escaping with the Echo Horn. We need to get rid of it before the Zixon will return to normal. Can you stop that transport ship?"
Rey glanced out the viewport, seeing a boxy transport ship starting to take off, headed toward the Ladara Vex, still in orbit.
"Maybe," she said.
There was a distance to clear, and it was going to be pretty clear to the First Order ships that were now chasing them what she was trying to do, and from the turret Rose called, "We have to handle those fighters before they handle us!"
"I'm going after the Echo Horn, Rey," came Poe's voice. "You make sure that those fighters don't have a chance to fighters don't have a chance to figure out I'm not some First Order moof-milker running for home."
"I'll try my best," Rey told him. If he was getting in a ship, maybe he'd be less cranky. She aimed the Falcon towards the fighters and yelled, "You ready, Rose?"
"We can do this!" Rose affirmed.
And then the TIE fighters were on them.
Rey was good in atmosphere. Rose was less used to firing the guns on this thing, and the TIE pilots weren't bad, so it was harder to make the shot. There was a porg screaming under the console and she could hear Rose muttering at the other ships to stay still, and she could see one of the TIEs tear off towards where she could tell Poe was.
Rey took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She'd felt stifled here, but none of this was about her. So she reached out into the Force, remembering what she'd been told about asking it. She asked it to keep her steady. She asked for help from Minfar, to save Minfar.
When she opened her eyes, the TIEs were still there. She also saw a flock of the giant creatures that had attacked them when they first arrived- the not-grobels- approaching at a very high rate of speed.
"Um, Rey, are you seeing this?" Rose asked, sounding slightly panicked.
"Yes. Don't worry about them, just focus on the fighters," Rey said. "They're here to help."
It was nice to know that, too.
One of the winged creatures forced a fighter to the ground, the ship exploding in a fiery cloud. See, helping.
Since they were doing their part, Rey flew them up into a canyon up ahead, trying to shake off any TIEs that came after her. The sheer walls sped by in her vision and she tried not to focus on how narrow it was, trusting that she had this, and when one TIE fired Rey flipped the Falcon at the perfect moment to dodge the blasts. Said blasts hit the side of the canyon instead, causing rocks to fall from the canyon wall, which sent parts of it tumbling down the line, leaving Rey dodging boulders along with blasterfire. .
"How stable is this place?" Rose asked, cautiously.
"I know. I have an idea," Rey told her, looking up ahead at the canyon and working it out in her head. "When I give you the signal, shoot at the canyon wall."
"Are you serious? If we don't shoot at the right time we're going to be grobel chow."
"Rose," Rey said, smiling, "we can do this."
She heard Rose draw in a deep breath.
Rey flew the Falcon through the canyon's twists and turns, avoiding the TIEs and their shots, then telling Rose, "Aim for that skinny spot on the outcropping… now!"
Rose fired several times at the spot, and Rey held her breath as bits of rock pinged off the top of the Falcon. And then part of the wall collapsed behind them, just in time for the TIEs to get caught in it, being buried completely by rocks moments later.
"I can't believe that worked," Rose said, letting out that breath.
"And it looks like our friends took care of the rest of the ships," Rey noted, seeing the wreckage dotted along the ground.
"You really are something else," Poe commed in. "The Resistance is lucky to have you."
Maybe he had to say that, because he'd been a jerk yesterday, but Rey was pleased to hear it anyway. "It's all up to you now. Don't let them leave with the Echo Horn."
A crackle of static answered as Poe flew out of range of the comlink, but she wasn't worried. He could handle himself.
*****
And he could. She and Rose could see from the ground when the Ladara Vex exploded in the sky, and were there when the Zixon snapped out of their haze. Jem and other Zixon had come to help, rounding up First Order soldiers and maybe taking a little bit of pleasure in it. And once that was done, and Poe had returned, Rey sat for a while with him and Rose, watching as Jem was reunited with his friend Glenna.
The last time she'd been out here like this it'd been Mon Cal, when there had been multiple attempts on herself, Rose and Leia just for daring to be there. She'd been there when the First Order swooped in as they were escaping, like they had at Ryloth. This was the first time that she felt really encouraged. This was a full, real win, and they could have more of these.
They could keep hope alive.
Glenna and Jem walked over together, and Glenna bowed to the rebels. "Thank you so much for your help. Without you, the First Order would have been able to use my device for ill, and my guilt would continue to grow. This is the first time I've felt free in a very, very long time."
"The Resistance exists to help people, to make sure that everyone has a choice," Poe said. "By the way, have you ever considered becoming a spy full-time? We could use someone like you on our side."
"The Zixon, too," Rose said. "We're going to need all the help we can get."
"I do believe a few of my warriors would like to accompany you on your adventures," Jem said, whiskers twitching. "We've been fortunate to keep the First Order from gaining a foothold here on our homeworld, but we know there are others who have not been so lucky. WE should help them gain their freedom, as well."
"Perhaps the Resistance should consider a recruiting location," Glenna said, thoughtful. "I would be happy to identify some options. My travels through the galaxy have been extensive, and there are many planets like Minfar that the Inner Rim has forgotten."
"That's not a bad idea," Rey said with a nod. She'd had a feeling Leia wanted to expand anyway, maybe get off the garbage planet. "But for now, we have to get going. We still have to deliver these supplies, and I'm sure General Organa will be waiting for us to tell her the complete story of what we've gotten up to." Also, she'd brought a friend out here and left him at the base without having a way to get back in touch till they got back to the Falcon.
"But we'll be back soon," Poe promised. "We still have to see what else is in those labs."
"And you will need to come back to visit some of your friends," Jem said, pointing to a group of porgs that had begun nesting in trees nearby.
"I don't know if it's such a good idea to leave them here," Rose said. Maybe she was thinking of how many things had tried to eat them over the last two days.
BB-8 beeped to remind them that there were still plenty on the Falcon.
They said they goodbyes, and as they made their way back to the Falcon with the warriors who wished to join the Resistance coming along, Rey's heart felt lighter than it had in maybe a long time. They got a win, and they had some tangible things to do now. She'd take it.
[NFB, NFI, yadda yadda, taken from Spark of the Resistance by Justina Ireland. Short book!]
But it was more than just that. There was the added pressure of needing to help the Zixon, who had asked for their assistance because their friend had told them to, and they'd been so kind. The First Order had retaliate against planets that had helped the Resistance, what would they do to one that asked for help? She didn't want to let them down or put them in more danger, but they were three people and a droid with a ship that wasn't currently working. They couldn't even call for reinforcements. And sure, one of those people was at least a Jedi in training, but it always felt so hot and cold to her…
It was a more pressing version of the pressure she always felt, really.
So after a largely sleepless night, Rey and her friends set out with Lim and a team of heavily-armed Zixon warriors through the tunnels, needing to go through the Forbidden Lands to get to the labs. It was dangerous enough that Jem had to stay behind to prepare for when the First Order found the city. One they got to the tunnels, the energy changed, the Zixon arranged themselves in a formation known only to them, surrounding the Resistance members to protect them from… something.
For Rey, it began as that familiar prickling of her danger sense, though she couldn't tell exactly what it was. The Zixon apparently expected it. After a while of walking, Poe pulled his blaster, which seemed to be the signal Rose had been waiting for to do the same.
"You feel it too?" Rey asked quietly.
"It feels like we're being watched," Poe nodded.
"These are grobel tunnels," Lim told them. "We must be very careful."
Rey hadn't exactly worked out the danger sense thing yet, but the longer they walked, the stronger it got, and the more she wanted to scream. And then when she thought she couldn't take it anymore, a roar echoed through the tunnel, shaking the ground beneath them.
"Grobel!" Lim shouted, and the Zixon readied their weapons. A thumping noise came from farther down the way, and when the creature was within a few meters Rey finally saw why the Zixon feared them so.
It wasn't the flying beast they'd hit yesterday, and the grobel filled almost the entire tunnel, so it couldn't have been water that made them. It was the grobels. It had a long body that seemed to be covered in gemstones, no eyes, and a round mouth that was nothing but teeth, each about the size of Rey's arm. As it pulled itself through the tunnel with two small appendages, the stones on its body ground against the tunnel walls, chipping away any rocks that got in its way.
Without thinking, Rey's hand reached for her lightsaber, which she wasn't carrying. She always left the practice one back in Fandom. She settled for her blaster instead.
"Quickly, this way," Lim said, leading them down a side tunnel that Rey wouldn't have even noticed was there. A few of the Zixon launched bags of sparkling powder at the beast, which made it roar in agony and got it to back up a bit. As it did, a stormtrooper's helmet fell from between the creature's teeth."
"Looks like Sparkles there already had dinner!" Poe yelled as they ran.
"Let's not be dessert," Rey called back.
"Can't we just blast it?"
"Blasters do not work on the grobel," Lim said, easily keeping pace with the taller humans. "The beams are reflected back. Shooting at the grobel is a very bad idea. Only the xinda flower dust can keep them away."
They ran until Rey's sides hurt. The plants that lit the way changed from orange to blue to green to purple, and they had to keep going. When she looked over her shoulder, it looked as if the way was clear.
When Lim stopped, the three humans were all gasping for air. They'd started with twenty or so Zixon, and only had ten left. BB-8 beeped mournfully.
"He wants to know where'd everyone else go," Rey said.
"They're leading the grobel away so we can finish our trip," Lim answered. "Do not worry about the warriors. We have fought the grobel many times. They are vicious but easily tricked. Come, let us not waste any more time. We are nearly there."
Rey started to feel guilty about the fact that the Zixon were risking their lives to help them, but she barely had time for that, because they really had nearly been there. The tunnel curved right until it stopped at an enormous metal door. A few of the Zixon immediately felt on edge. One or two took a step back.
"This is the door to the Forbidden Lands," Lim told the humans. "My warriors will remain here."
"This looks like a research facility of some kind," Rose said, frowning.
"Is this the lab?" Poe asked. "The place the Zixon call the Forbidden Lands might be the research labs the First Order is looking for."
Rey looked over at the Zixon. Some had turned their backs on the door. More of them were agitated now.
"My warriors are uneasy because they remember the days before," Lim explained, her whiskers drooping slightly. "This is a place of sadness and loss for us. But you will find what you are looking for inside. There is a place our friend called a hangar in there. It is a place for flying machines, yes?"
"Yes," Rose confirmed. "A hangar should have the piece we need."
Lim's whiskers perked up a bit. "I am not so afraid of this place, and I bought our friend here so that they could get equipment," she said. "But I will not leave my warriors alone this time. I will remain with them."
"We understand," Rey said. "We appreciate you helping us get this far."
Poe and BB-8 were studying the door. "How do we get this thing open?"
"There's some kind of keypad over there," Rose said, going to point it out.
"Lim, do you know how to open the door?" Rey asked.
"I do not, friends, I am sorry," Lim replied, turning back to her warriors.
Again Rey wished she had her lightsaber for the door, but Poe called BB-8 over to plug into the socket below the keypad, and after a while the door began to move, rolling back with a groan of gears.
The room was filled with artificial sunlight, which stung Rey's eyes after so long in the tunnels. When her vision adjusted, she could see white tile floor stretching out into the room. She noted a stairwell, a giant lift, and more space beyond, filled with workbenches and half-abandoned projects. Years of digging around in Imperial ships to scavenge Imperial equipment meant that Rey recognized the insignia and signage. The Forbidden Lands were indeed the labs.
"Look at all of this!" Rose said, eyes wide as she looked around. "I haven't seen anything like this since I left home."
"Rose, do you want to see if you can find a compressor housing upstairs?" Poe said. "It seems like the hangar would be closer to the surface, especially if this place was built according to Imperial plans. Rey and I will check out the rest."
Rose nodded, heading for the lift with BB-8 trailing behind her.
Poe and Rey poked around, looking for the weapon, though every time Rey spotted a new item she mentally calculated how many portions it would be worth. The haul from this place would have made her set for life back on Jakku.
The place was large enough to house all of the Resistance, but that wasn't saying much. Still, the Empire had managed to build an enormous laboratory on a far-off planet that few people had ever heard of. She hadn't ever really considered how big the Empire had really been. They had to keep the First Order from getting there.
"Lim," Poe said, turning to the door, where the nervous Zixon were gathered outside, watching the,. "Do you know where the weapon you told us about was kept?"
"It was right here, but we've gotten it already," said a male voice.
A line of stormtroopers and a First Order officer stepped out from the shadows, blasters ready. Poe and Rey exchanged glances before raising their hands, not sure what else to do right now.
"Well, what a delightful surprise," the officer gloated. "Rey, I believe it is? Supreme Leader Kylo Ren will be very happy to see that I've claimed you as a prize."
Rey had things to say to that, and also she was deeply uncomfortable with the knowledge that they actually were looking for her, but before she could say a word he'd already dismissed her and stalked towards Poe.
"Do I know you?" Poe asked, casually.
"I am Commander Branwayne Spiftz of the Ladara Vex," the man said, preening as he talked. "And now I am also the man who captured two of the heroes of the Resistance."
A tremor began reverberating in the ground below them, and at first Rey thought to grobel had returned. But then the lift in the rear of the lab lowered and suddenly dropped a massive machine, shaking the building. A pod hung suspended between two huge metal legs, like some kind of hunched creature. Inside of the pod sat Rose, each hand gripping a control stick. On either side of the pod, like arms, were blaster cannons. It looked like she was quite enjoying launching a barrage of canon fire at the stormtroopers, too.
The First Order scattered, and Rey ran along the opposite wall toward Rose and her machine as the stormtroopers returned fire. Poe ran alongside her, also looking like he was enjoying this too much.
"Is there another one of those?" he asked, ducking a piece of flying debris.
"Let's hope so," Rey said, realizing without looking that a couple of stormtroopers were following her. She slid to a stop and pulled her staff free, at which point Poe stopped and got his blaster. One of the stormtroopers tried to climb the leg of the walking cannon thing, so Rey made quick work of him with her staff. Most of the First Order was fleeing, and the cannons had filled the lab with smoke that made it difficult to see.
"We have to get that weapon!" Poe called.
Rey ducked through the smoke, trying to fight her way to the First Order officer they'd seen. She could see Commander Spiftz having an animated conversation with a tall woman dressed in flashing gold and silver, but she was too busy fighting off stormtroopers to make it there before they both spun on their heels and left.
The stormtrooper in front of Rey suddenly turned and ran, and Poe poked his head up over the desk he'd been using as cover while shooting. "Why are they leaving?"
"They're probably trying to escape with the weapon," she said. At least they'd apparently given up on capturing them, but that didn't mean they could just go home now.
The door of the walking cannon opened, black smoke billowing from the open pod, and Rose jumped down, carrying a bag that she hadn't had before. "Well, that thing is done. Experimental, but fun. Anyway, I found a ship I could scavenge for the Falcon, and a whole bunch of other equipment besides. With this," she said, tapping the bag, "I should be able to fix the engines. After we stop the First Order."
"Let's get back to the Falcon," Rey said. "Trying to go after them now might be risky. Hopefully once we patch up the engines and repair the satellite we can send a message. I think we need some help."
"Then let's get out of here," Poe said.
When they'd reached the door they'd entered through, all the Zixon were gone.
"Where are they?" Rose wondered.
"Look!" Rey said, pointing to where the First Order was retreating down a side hallway of the lab that the Zixon had refused to enter before. Lim and her warriors were right with them, running along in between a couple stormtroopers. At first she thought the Zixon were being kidnaped, but then she realized the stormtroopers weren't even pointing their blasters at them. And the Zixon would have put up as much of a fight as possible.
Rey started to take off after them, but had only gotten a couple of steps when a stormtrooper opened fire, forcing her to dive behind a large metal crate. When she poked her head out over the top, the First Order were gone, and so were the Zixon.
"Did you see their ears and whiskers?" Rose asked. "They looked sad."
"The weapon," Poe said. "That commander must have turned it on during the fight. That's why they weren't fighting.
Rey holstered her staff and looked toward the other end of the lab where they had disappeared. "We have to save Lim and her warriors. And stop the First Order here. And we have to do it before they can escape."
"Let's see what else could be useful here besides the walker," Rose said.
"Luckily scavenging is one thing I know how to do," Rey said, managing a smile even while she felt terrible.
*****
The other plus to spending a lifetime scavenging is that Rey knew when and how to be quick about it. They got what they needed and made their way through the long tunnels to get to the Falcon... and found stormtroopers crowding around the ship. As the trio lay hidden in the underbrush with BB-8 adorably trying to duck down the best that he could, Rey whispered, "Do we have any ideas?"
"We could shoot them," Poe suggested.
"There's too many," Rose said. "Unless the porgs figured out a way to help from inside."
"Unless the stormtroopers ate them."
Rose glared at him.
From nowhere, a silver blur appeared. Three of the stormtroopers fell, and the others shouted.
"Hey! What was that?"
"No idea! Be ready!"
"It's over there!"
They turned and fired in the other direction, away from the hiding place.
"That's our chance," Rose said, and from where they were crouched, they fired at the stormtroopers, who didn't expect an attack from two sides and fired without knowing what they were shooting at. It was over quickly, leaving the stormtroopers motionless on the ground.
They disarmed the stormtroopers on the way to the Falcon, where Poe ran inside to grab some rope to tie them up.
While he was gone, a human woman slipped out of the jungle in a metallic suit, hands held high in surrender. "Please do not shoot."
"You knocked out the stormtroopers!" Rose said, looking happy to see someone on their side.
The woman nodded. "Yes. I am here because I need your help. I figured if I helped you first you'd be more likely to help me."
"Help you do what?" Rey asked, defensive. "You were with the First Order back at the labs. I saw you."
"I agreed to help them find the Echo Horn because I wanted to destroy it, but I was unable to get to it before they did," the woman said. "And I was not counting on the labs being full of the Zixon. I didn't want them to get hurt."
Rose had gone from happy to see her to really offended by who she was keeping company with. "Maybe you shouldn't have helped the First Order at all. Because your plan apparently stunk."
Poe walked down the boarding ramp, blaster trained on the woman. "Rose is right. If you're here to help the ZIxon, why are you working with the First Order?"
The woman's shoulders sagged. "They came to my lab after the destruction of Hosnian Prime a few months ago and offered jobs to everyone there. Those who refused were killed. I didn't have much choice. When another First Order began to talk about the labs here I knew it would only be a matter of time before they discovered Minfar's secrets. I decided I would use the First Order to find and destroy the Echo Horn and Minfar could take care of the rest."
"You're a scientist?" Rey asked.
The woman nodded. "My name is Glenna Kip. And someday I will tell you the story of how my team designed the Echo Horn and used it to enslave the Zixon, a terrible event that I regret. But now is not the time. I take it your ship has been disabled?"
"We just have to replace the compressor housing and the engines should be fine," Rey said, still a little wary even though she knew Glenna was telling the truth.
"Good, because we don't have much time. A large contingent of the First Order is set to arrive on the morrow, and it would be best if we could rescue the Zixon and destroy the Echo Horn before reinforcements arrive."
Poe holstered his blaster again. "Can't really argue with that."
Poe and Glenna tied up the stormtroopers to keep them out of the way, and between Rey and Rose, replacing the compressor housing was quick work. With the Falcon back in working order, Rose rejoined the group first, leaving Rey to try the comms for a bit before coming down in time to hear Poe ask where she was.
"Trying to call the rest of the Resistance on one of the secondary backup channels," she said, descending the ramp. "It might be good to get some help. We have no idea what kind of forces are here."
"The Ladara Vex is a light cruiser, and it shouldn't be a problem," Glenna said. "We have an easy way to get rid of it."
"How's that?" Poe asked.
Glenna smiled, just a little. "I've been building a mini reactor in my sleeping quarters on the ship. I told Commander Spiftz it was a device to locate some of the lost tech down here in the labs, but the truth is it's really a bomb connected directly to their power systems. As long as I can get back on board, we can destroy it from the inside."
Rose laughed. "That's brilliant. You really weren't here to help the First Order."
"No, I was here to help the Zixon. If we can retrieve the Echo Horn and destroy the Ladara Vex, we can hopefully get a few of those delightful ships we got rom Aftab Ackbar on Mon Cala in place for an ambush."
Rey frowned, and BB-8 trilled a query. "How do you know about those ships?" she asked. She'd been there when they got them. It'd been like a month ago here. There wasn't even time for that information to spread naturally.
"I have worked very closely with General Organa for a long time, but until recently I have been closely watched. There are some things in the labs, more honest weapons than the Echo Horn, that could help the Resistance. I couldn't get away from the First Order to find them myself, so I used their resources to bring me here. It gave me time to slice some codes and research their locations."
"You're a spy!" Rose realized.
"I am a scientist," Glenna said pointedly, "who sometimes spies."
It did make Rey feel better, knowing that there were people out there who would help, who they didn't have to fight with or convince. They had help, and maybe more resources to pull this off.
"So, should we go save our friends?" Rose asked.
*****
Getting the First Order's attention meant finding them, and buzzing them from above in the Falcon. It was easy enough to draw a bunch of First Order soldiers in TIE fighters away from the ground so that Poe and Glenna could get to the Zixon, but then Poe commed in. "They're escaping with the Echo Horn. We need to get rid of it before the Zixon will return to normal. Can you stop that transport ship?"
Rey glanced out the viewport, seeing a boxy transport ship starting to take off, headed toward the Ladara Vex, still in orbit.
"Maybe," she said.
There was a distance to clear, and it was going to be pretty clear to the First Order ships that were now chasing them what she was trying to do, and from the turret Rose called, "We have to handle those fighters before they handle us!"
"I'm going after the Echo Horn, Rey," came Poe's voice. "You make sure that those fighters don't have a chance to fighters don't have a chance to figure out I'm not some First Order moof-milker running for home."
"I'll try my best," Rey told him. If he was getting in a ship, maybe he'd be less cranky. She aimed the Falcon towards the fighters and yelled, "You ready, Rose?"
"We can do this!" Rose affirmed.
And then the TIE fighters were on them.
Rey was good in atmosphere. Rose was less used to firing the guns on this thing, and the TIE pilots weren't bad, so it was harder to make the shot. There was a porg screaming under the console and she could hear Rose muttering at the other ships to stay still, and she could see one of the TIEs tear off towards where she could tell Poe was.
Rey took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She'd felt stifled here, but none of this was about her. So she reached out into the Force, remembering what she'd been told about asking it. She asked it to keep her steady. She asked for help from Minfar, to save Minfar.
When she opened her eyes, the TIEs were still there. She also saw a flock of the giant creatures that had attacked them when they first arrived- the not-grobels- approaching at a very high rate of speed.
"Um, Rey, are you seeing this?" Rose asked, sounding slightly panicked.
"Yes. Don't worry about them, just focus on the fighters," Rey said. "They're here to help."
It was nice to know that, too.
One of the winged creatures forced a fighter to the ground, the ship exploding in a fiery cloud. See, helping.
Since they were doing their part, Rey flew them up into a canyon up ahead, trying to shake off any TIEs that came after her. The sheer walls sped by in her vision and she tried not to focus on how narrow it was, trusting that she had this, and when one TIE fired Rey flipped the Falcon at the perfect moment to dodge the blasts. Said blasts hit the side of the canyon instead, causing rocks to fall from the canyon wall, which sent parts of it tumbling down the line, leaving Rey dodging boulders along with blasterfire. .
"How stable is this place?" Rose asked, cautiously.
"I know. I have an idea," Rey told her, looking up ahead at the canyon and working it out in her head. "When I give you the signal, shoot at the canyon wall."
"Are you serious? If we don't shoot at the right time we're going to be grobel chow."
"Rose," Rey said, smiling, "we can do this."
She heard Rose draw in a deep breath.
Rey flew the Falcon through the canyon's twists and turns, avoiding the TIEs and their shots, then telling Rose, "Aim for that skinny spot on the outcropping… now!"
Rose fired several times at the spot, and Rey held her breath as bits of rock pinged off the top of the Falcon. And then part of the wall collapsed behind them, just in time for the TIEs to get caught in it, being buried completely by rocks moments later.
"I can't believe that worked," Rose said, letting out that breath.
"And it looks like our friends took care of the rest of the ships," Rey noted, seeing the wreckage dotted along the ground.
"You really are something else," Poe commed in. "The Resistance is lucky to have you."
Maybe he had to say that, because he'd been a jerk yesterday, but Rey was pleased to hear it anyway. "It's all up to you now. Don't let them leave with the Echo Horn."
A crackle of static answered as Poe flew out of range of the comlink, but she wasn't worried. He could handle himself.
*****
And he could. She and Rose could see from the ground when the Ladara Vex exploded in the sky, and were there when the Zixon snapped out of their haze. Jem and other Zixon had come to help, rounding up First Order soldiers and maybe taking a little bit of pleasure in it. And once that was done, and Poe had returned, Rey sat for a while with him and Rose, watching as Jem was reunited with his friend Glenna.
The last time she'd been out here like this it'd been Mon Cal, when there had been multiple attempts on herself, Rose and Leia just for daring to be there. She'd been there when the First Order swooped in as they were escaping, like they had at Ryloth. This was the first time that she felt really encouraged. This was a full, real win, and they could have more of these.
They could keep hope alive.
Glenna and Jem walked over together, and Glenna bowed to the rebels. "Thank you so much for your help. Without you, the First Order would have been able to use my device for ill, and my guilt would continue to grow. This is the first time I've felt free in a very, very long time."
"The Resistance exists to help people, to make sure that everyone has a choice," Poe said. "By the way, have you ever considered becoming a spy full-time? We could use someone like you on our side."
"The Zixon, too," Rose said. "We're going to need all the help we can get."
"I do believe a few of my warriors would like to accompany you on your adventures," Jem said, whiskers twitching. "We've been fortunate to keep the First Order from gaining a foothold here on our homeworld, but we know there are others who have not been so lucky. WE should help them gain their freedom, as well."
"Perhaps the Resistance should consider a recruiting location," Glenna said, thoughtful. "I would be happy to identify some options. My travels through the galaxy have been extensive, and there are many planets like Minfar that the Inner Rim has forgotten."
"That's not a bad idea," Rey said with a nod. She'd had a feeling Leia wanted to expand anyway, maybe get off the garbage planet. "But for now, we have to get going. We still have to deliver these supplies, and I'm sure General Organa will be waiting for us to tell her the complete story of what we've gotten up to." Also, she'd brought a friend out here and left him at the base without having a way to get back in touch till they got back to the Falcon.
"But we'll be back soon," Poe promised. "We still have to see what else is in those labs."
"And you will need to come back to visit some of your friends," Jem said, pointing to a group of porgs that had begun nesting in trees nearby.
"I don't know if it's such a good idea to leave them here," Rose said. Maybe she was thinking of how many things had tried to eat them over the last two days.
BB-8 beeped to remind them that there were still plenty on the Falcon.
They said they goodbyes, and as they made their way back to the Falcon with the warriors who wished to join the Resistance coming along, Rey's heart felt lighter than it had in maybe a long time. They got a win, and they had some tangible things to do now. She'd take it.
[NFB, NFI, yadda yadda, taken from Spark of the Resistance by Justina Ireland. Short book!]