Star Wars: 30 Years Later The Real Story - Chapter 9

Rey knew she was in extremely dire situation. She had managed to slipped from the original ambush but since then she had been attacked every 10 meters and even if she was proficient, her stamina was not infinite and she had started to feel the toll in her body. If she had not trained so hard all these years, she would have already collapsed long time ago. Shye could see Broom grin while saying “I told you!” nbehind her. She had six opponents and she had managed to get rid of one already. In this group there were two who were very troublesome and she may be able to win again them individually but they were using the mob tactic very effectively.

– “Give us the droid and we’ll share the portions!”- said one of the opponents trying to encircle her.

– “Why should I if I can get all?”- said Rey trying to gain time but knowing that every second that she stayed in this place would mean more enemies to deal with.

One of the persuers jumped on her but Rey easily knocked him down with a strong hit in his head. She had showed an operning in purpose and the idiot had fallen for it. She still needed to deal with five more and she tried to look for a place that could give her an advantage but then one of the danegrous ones ran to her while the other used a net on BB8.

– “No!”- Rey lost her focus and then she felt a strong punch on her face.

She felt her body tumbling but she managed to maintain her equilibrium rejecting to fall. She knew that everything would be over in the moment she touched the floor so she send a scorpion kick amost blindly and she felt the impact in the man behind her. She used the impulse to regain her footing and immediately attack the enemy that had thrown the net on BB8 with a stabbing move that landed in his plexum. She immediately made a 360º horizontal sweep to hit the enemy that she imagined was behind her but she saw in horror that the man had guessed her intentions and evaded the land and was now directing a knife to her ċhėst. Rey used the momentum of her previous move and forced her body to make an unnatural movement to avoid the cold steel that was about to take her life. She felt the knife cutting her clothes and touching her skin but it was not deep. However, the previous movement sent her to the floor but she immediately was restrained by two of the guys that had been waiting for her to make a mistake.

– “It’s over”- thought Rey watching how BB8 was being collected and the man with the knife approaching her with a broken nose. and with obvious bad intentions.

– “I’m going to enjoy this!”- said the man and then Rey saw a figure running from behind her opponent.

– “Let her go!”- said the man with dark skin who was approaching at a quick pace.

The man in front of Rey did not react on time and was hit in the back of the neck with an elbow strike that sent him unconscious to the floor. The good samaritan did not stop and sent a punch to the man who was restraining Rey making him release her. Rey did not lose her opportunity and liberated her arm from her other captor immediately using a throw that took her opponent completely by surprise and sent the poor scavenger to the floor where he lost some teeth.

– “Who are you?!”- asked the man who was being punched by the black man but he did not respond and just continued attacking until he connected three effective jabs that sent the scavenger to dreamland.

– “You really need to learn how to counter this”- said Rey and BB8 beeped in rage.

Rey smiled to his response and looked at his helper. He seemed to be extremely exhausted and she wondered what this man wanted with them. There were no good people who just saved people for the sdake of it. Everyone had schemes and hidden intentions and even if she was grateful by his ȧssistance, she would not lower her guard. She was about to ask when she heard voices coming from around the corner.

– “More people are coming!”- said the man trying to recover his breathe- “you should hide!”

– “Come with me!”- replied Rey who knew that now this man was also a target and it would not be correct to just abandon him- “I have a hideout nearby.”

– “Lead the way!”- he said and followed Rey as fast as he could.

After some minutes of intense running, Rey entered a hut which seemed to be abandoned. The man just was out of breath and grabbed his knees taking huge quantities of oxygen.

– “Is it safe?”- he asked trying to control himself.

– “It will be for a while”- said Rey brooding over the man in front of her. His eyes were the type she had not seen before. They were… pure and without malice… not even Broom had had those and this made her wonder who was this man.

– “Beep beep bomp kan leee”- said BB8 almost immediately and both Rey and the man looked at him

– “Me?”- asked the man in a very confused voice.

Rey did not take any chances and swang her quarterstaff to the man. He evaded the attack and tried to take distance but Rey was faster and the man was too drained to be a match so she easily sent him to the floor and placed the quarterstaff on his neck.

– “So what did you do with the owner, thief?”- said Rey whose voice had become extremely cold.

– “What?”- said Finn who was extremely confused and tired to react as fast as he wished.

Finn would have been able to submit Rey easily if he were in his top condition. After all, she may be very skilled and strong but Finn had received military training in combat. Although he had to admit that her movements were too unpredectible but once he adapted to them it would have been easy. However, he was absolutely in his limits and his body was about to collapse due to exhaustion and hunger. Maybe it had been a bad idea to help her. He had thought of establish a link with a native of the planet to get information and maybe acquire a means to get out of the system but he did ot imagine he was going to be attacked by the same person he had helped.

*electric shock* Ziiiiip

– “Ouch… hey! what?”- asked Finn in anger after being electrocuted by the BB droid.

– “The jacket!- said Rey pushing her weapon more in his neck- “The droid said you stole it”

– “I know what he said! I understand Binary!”- said Finn with an annoyed tone- “look… I’ve had a pretty messed up day, alright? And I’d appreciated if you stopped accusing me of… ouch!”

– “Just confess where you get it and what did you do with the owner”- said Rey using a very threatening tone and Finn could feel her blood thirst- “Otherwise I’ll have to use rougher methods.”

In that moment Finn saw the jacket he was wearing and remembered what Poe had said about this droid. He sighed and looked at the small BB unit who seemed to be waiting to know the fate of his beloved companion.

– “They belonged to Poe Dameron that was his name right?”- Finn said looking at BB8 with sadness- “He was captured by the First Order. I helped him escape but our ship crashed…”

Finn stopped for a moment while remembering the valiant pilot that had helped him to escape and that had given him a name. He did not want to say the next sentence but he knew that this BB unit deserved to know so he steeled himself.

– “Poe didn’t make it!”- Finn finally said and he felt a sharp emotion in his gut after the words got out his mouth- “I tried to helped him… I’m sorry.”

BB8 lowers his head in sadness and after a while he went away to the corner of the hut. Rey saw the little droid who was now completely alone with pity and respects his wanting to be alone. She helped Finn back to his feet. They saw BB8 and then looked at each other in an awkward silence.

– “So… you’re part of the Resistance?”- said Rey to break the ice and disrupt the uncomfortable moment. Finn seemed a little confused by her question but then he coughs a little.

– “Obviously”- said Finn seeing an opportunity and following the idea this girl had believed- “yes, I am. I work for the Resistance.”

Rey smiled with an expression that said that she didn’t buy it. Finn was not being totally honest and Rey could tell so she imagined that maybe he was not a very important member of the organization. However, she decided to chat with Finn since she wanted to know more about him and why he was different from the other people she had known.

– “I’ve never met with someone from the Resistance before”- she said while looking at him curiously like trying to uncover all his secrets- “you don’t seem pretty heroic to be honest. Ive heard all of them were powerful warriors and daring pilots.”

– “Well…”- said Finn feeling a little offended since he knew that he could defeat her at any moment, well once he was in optimal conditions… but then he remembered that he was not really in the Resistance- “this is how we look… Some of us at least… Others are much more heroic, believe me.”

Rey giggled to this answer and she did not know how to measure the man in front of her. Maybe he was not heroic but at leats he had a good sense of humour. Was he pretending or he was really that innocent. By his posture and way of fighting, Rey could see that he was trained and was more skilled than he had shown her until now. He definitely had killed before and his demeanor was the one of a warrior. However, his actions did not match with this description and that confused Rey in a great way.

– “He was defeated to easily by me and he just surrendered too fast”- she thought trying to organize her ideas- “His eyes tell me that he has great convictions and inner strenght but at the same time he looks desperate. He has killed before but his eyes are pure and clear. Just who is this man?”

It was the first time Rey had been unable to judge the character of a person since it was a very important skill to survive in Jakku. She really wanted to know more about this person.

– “I’m Rey”- she said remembering that they hadn’t introduced yet- “what’s your name? Unless of course that the Resistance forbid using your names.”

– “Eh… not at all”- said Finn thinking that this girl was just all over the place- “I’m Finn. Nice to meet you, Rey.”

– “Likewise, and thanks for the help”- she said and then she turned to see BB8 who was very silent and she sighed- “BB8 said that he had a secret mission and he has to return to his base.”

– “Apparently he has a map that leads to Luke Skywalker and everyone is after it.”- said Finn quoting the words of Poe.

Rey’s face illuminated to this words and she got closer to Finn with a radiant smile that took Finn completely unguarded. How could a girl which was about to skin him alive a moment ago to get information smile with such innocence? Finn did not have much experience with the opposite sėx and the ones that he met never smiled like this so he was lost on how to react.

– “I thought it was a myth”- said Rey who had heard so many incredible stories about Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa, Han Solo and the Jedi who had magical powers and who could destroy a city with a movement of their hands.

Rey had played many times imagining herself to be a Jedi with great power who could lift a mountain with just a thought and who could wield a “laser sword” eliminating the villains who were sent into the air with a mere finger and saving thousands of innocents.

– “Yeah, me too”- said Finn understanding why Rey would say so.

To be honest Finn had heard about Luke Skywalker and how he had become one of the greatest obstacles to the First Order. In his training he had been told that if you found him, it was better to escape and prepare to die fighting. He had heard crazy storiers about how he had anhililated a full batallion of stormtroopers by himself and that had destroyed a full fleet some years ago using a single X-wing Starfighter. Finn had always hought of him as a fictional monster created by the Republic to instill fear in the First Order, but it seemed that the First Order took him very seriously.

– “Bon Bweep plariii!”- BB8 alerted and both young people watched outside using the nearest window. Finn started to sweat profusely when he saw two stormtroopers talking with a merchant not so far from their location. The merchant was pointing at where they were at the mment.

– “It’s the First Order”- said Finn to Rey who seemed to be confused- “We have to move!”

– “Why?”- asked Rey but Finn was already on the move- “they have no reason to…”

Bang!

A blaster bolt entered for the window and hit one of the walls. This stunned Rey completely, so Finn ulled her arm and used the back door to escape. Rey recovered from the initial shock and started to run by herself into the laberynth streets of the Niima Post.

– “What is happening?”- she asked since she did nt understand why the First Order was shooting at them.

– “They want BB8!”- explained Finn as he ran- “they must have received news that you and him so you’re marked.”

Rey felt outraged and she cold imagine Blobfish calling the First Order to receive the bounty. If that was what happened then she would be hunted like an animal in open season. The blasters started tyo fly all around and the people in the masrkets started to run and escape as they could. This made difficult for them to move but at the same time, they were able to blend in the crowd and soon they were out of the stormtroopers sight.

– “Where are we going?”- asked Rey after a while when they could take a break.

– “Dunno! Far away!”- said Finn looking behind to make sure they were not followed.

– “You dont know where we are going…?!”

– “I plan on the run!”- said Finn looking around in the abandoned stands to see if they have guns. but there was nothing- “does anyone have blasters around here?”

– “Blobfish controls the weapon supply here and…”- tried to explained Rey when Finn put a finger on his mouth to signal silence.

– “Shh! Shh! Listen!”- he said and Rey started to hear a sound that was similar to the buzz of an insect that was becoming louder and louder.

– “TIE Fighters!”- said Finn looking at Rey very seriousy- “We have to get out of the post now!”

– “This way!- said Rey understanding what Finn wanted to say since she had heard how the First Order had dealt with their captives in Tuanul.

She knew they had to get out and hide for some time and her place was the safest spot she could think of. If they could arrive there, they would be safe for a while but then they could plan something. However, they hadn’t advanced much when they were sent flying by a turbo laser explosion that had landed some meters away from their previous position.

– “Ouch!”- said Rey feeling the blood on her side. It was not mortal but it hurt nonetheless. She tried to see through the sand and looked for her companions- “BB8… Finn…”

– “waa waa kik!”- replied the little droid and Rey followed the sound.

She stood up and saw the TIE fighters turning around to attack again and then she saw Finn some meters away not moving. She got near and examined him. His condition was terrible but she could not see any wound and Rey guessed he was extremely exhausted due to have been escaping until now.

– “Hey! Wake up!”- she shook him since she knew that the TIE fighters would return any second.

Finn trembles and opens his eyes while grunting in pain. He tries to stand up but the tiredness has taken a tool on him and he sits down again feeling his legs rebelling against him.

– “Are you ok?” – he asks looking at Rey’s condition while recovering some energy to be back on his feet. Rey looks at him surprised.

– “You are weaken and tired and about to collapse and you ask me if I’m ok?”- Rey can’t help but smile at this silly person. However she did not say this to him

-“Yeah, I’m fine! But I won’t when those TIE fighters return”- she says and then helps him to stand up- “follow me.”

Rey uses all the shortcuts and hidden passages she knows to arrive to her speeder as soon as possible. She could hear the rugged and tired breath of Finn behind her. She knew he had reached his limit long ago, but there was nothing she could do. They finally arrived to the docking area where Rey had left her speeder.

– “We can’t outrun them!”- shouted Finn wondering where this girl was taking them

– “We can on that!”- she said pointing at her speeder.

BOOM!

They both stopped and where sent to the floor when Rey’s speeder was blasted away and reduced to junk in the spot. Immediately after they were surrounded by a patrol of stormtroopers and scavengers who pointed at them with blaster rifles and laser guns.

– “Here they are!”- said Unkar Plutt leading one of the stormtroopers who seemed to be the leader of the squad- “I hope you pay me as pacted.”

– “BlobFish, you bastard!”- shouted Rey in anger wishing to

– “My sweet Rey…”- said he with a very sweet voice- “it’s nothing personal… it’s just bussiness… just like what I did to Broom that day…”

– “YOUUUUU!!!”- Rey jumped at the damned alien trying to attack him but she was pushed back by Finn who knew that it was not the moment- “I’LL KILL YOU!”

-“My poor girl”- said Blobfish laughing at her- “Do you have any idea how many times I’ve heard those words? And here I am!”

– “Take the droid”- ordered the leader of the Stormtroopers- “and take the two of them for interrogation.”

– “Yes, Sir!”- said the stormtrooper getting near- “don’t try anything and … arghh!”

Phew phew phew

Without warning the stormtroopers and the scavengers were ambushed by enemies that were using the stands and huts as shields. The troopers and scavengers under Unkar Plutt immediately scattered to find cover and soon a shootout took place. wehere both sides were taking casualties, but the stormtroopers soon took over the situation and started to surround the enemy.

– “Crawl, Rey”- said Finn pulling the girl but she seemed to be looking for something. Finn saw the Crolute that had taunted her before and he knew she was going to get there- “No, no, Rey!”

– “Let me go!”- she said trying to free herself from his hold.

– “You’ll get killed and all will be finished!”- said a voice behind them and when Finn looked at the source he saw an old black man with a patch on his eye.

– “Lance?”- Rey asked seemeingly very shocked.

– “Live today, Rey”- he said very seriously- “so you can fight tomorrow… you’ll have your revenge but today you have to live!”

Finn could feel the internal battle that Rey was having and he felt powerless since it was something that she had to decide. With a final yell full of frustration and anger she went to where Lance was and Finn followed her. Lance patted her shoulder repeating “you’ll have your chance, I promise.”

– “Let’s go!”- said Lance giving Finn a look and showing him a laser gun- “do you know how to use this?”

– “Yes, Sir!”- answered Finn releasing the locks of the weapon and checking the charger and scope.

– “Let’s go then”- said Lance starting to run- “cover us, kid and run as fast as you can.”

– “Where are we going?”- asked Finn.

– “To that ship!”- Lance said pointing at the light freighter in the distance- “we’ll ue it to fly out of the planet!”

They were spotted by the stormtroopers and some of the scavengers and they started to shoot watching the BB unit about to escape. The three people started to run and Lance and Finn shot back at their enemies. Lance seemed very impressed at Finn since he downed many attackers using very few shots. They soon arrived to the freighter and Lance opened the bridge so they could entered.

– “We are in!”- said Lance using a transmissor- “can you make it back?”

– “I don’t think so, Sir”- responded a voice and Lance seemed a little sad- “we’ll have to use the D-plan”

– “I’m sorry”- said Lance walking to the ċȯċkpit with the two youngsters behind him.

– “Just another day in the job, Boss”- said the voice and Lance smiled- “just don’t forget to give me a better equipment this time.”

– “The best I promised”- said Lance- “Do it now!”

– “See you soon, boss!”

Finn and Rey were wondering what they were talking about and they saw how the stormtroopers were getting near to the people who had saved them.

– “Shouldn’t we help?”- asked Rey who seemed to have recover a little.

– “It’s too late for them”- said Lance initializing the systems of the ship.

– “What do you…?”

But then they heard a huge explosion in the distance. Finn and Rey saw the flames in the area that had killed mny stormtroopers and scavengers. They were wondering what had happened when they saw one of the eople who were with Lance running to a group of soldiers who immediately shot him. However, he did not seem affected and just jumped at them and he immediately exploded resulting in more casualties for the stormtroopers.

– “What the hell are they doing?””- asked Rey in horror.

– “Giving us an oportunity”- replied Lance in very calm way.

– “Aren’t they your partners, Lance?”- replied Rey very angry.

– “They are, my child”- he said smiling while pressing many buŧŧons and pulling some gears- “and Lance is just a nickname… you can call me Lando.”