“AW, COME ON!”
Finn braces himself as Poe yells in the isolated chamber. Finn speaks up, “If we do it right, no one will ever know we were there.”
“We saw those files,” Poe shouts back, “That’s the best evidence we got right now.”
“And you trust Merilia?”
“Are you just gonna doubt everyone?”
“Look, you know something’s off. And I know what I saw in that vision. If Citho’s up to something, we’re the only ones who can stop him. The leaders will never believe us unless we get concrete evidence.”
“And you’re basing all this on what? Some magical hallucination?”
“It’s not just some magical hallucation! Here, watch this.” Finn reaches his hand out towards a device lying on a nearby table. Nothing happens. “Damn it,” he whispers under his breath.
“Right,” Poe says sarcastically, “I think you really do take too many Entu berries.”
“Just let me focus!” Finn insists. He tries again. Nothing happens. Then the doors open, and HQ-7 slowly wheels in. Suddenly, it whirls and short circuits. “HQ-7!” Poe shouts. He rushes over to it. “What did you do to him?”
“I- that was an accident!” Finn exclaims. As Poe inspects the droid, he notices something suspicious. “Huh,” Poe says, “I can’t figure out what’s wrong. You really can use the Force after all.”
“Well,” Finn tries to play it off cool, “Looks like I can.”
“But if you messed this up by accident, how do you know your force vision wasn’t wrong, too?”
“Rey was there with me. She wouldn’t get it wrong.”
Poe sighs. “Okay, pal. There’s no way I’m changing your mind. And since I’m not gonna let you do this alone, I’ve got your back.”
Finn is surprised. “Whoa, I didn’t think it’d be that easy.”
“My job is pretty bad now. They’re assigning me all these stupid things to do, and I’m never given anything important. The Resistance hasn’t been in the best mood; all the leaders ever whine about is how they need Rey to inspire people. I’ve been thinking to myself, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if Citho really was a bad guy. I kinda want to get some new management around here.”
“Um, well, whatever works for you. Anyways, I’ve got a plan to get to the records. It’s not like the prison cells; Gunwick can’t get to them. No one is good enough to hack into them, either. But there’s a passageway I found that can lead to a physical, backup copy of the records. I’m just gonna have to go through some vile crap to get through it.”
“What, is it through the sewage system?”
“I’m gonna have to pass through some of the ship’s old machinery, and whatever crazy stuff lives there now. But to get to them, I’ll need some keys. There’s only one person I know who can lend me them. Rose."
“We’re gonna involve her, too? Man, she’ll never be on board. And you’ll be putting her at risk!”
Finn sighs. “There just isn’t a better plan. I... I feel bad about this. But there’s something bigger at stake here. Poe, I’m gonna need you and HQ-7 to be on the lookout in case anyone notices I’m running through the machinery.”
“Huh, that’s the first time you said you needed HQ-7 to do anything. Don’t worry, we won’t let you down.” HQ-7 is not listening to them, and has been trying to fit a blaster into a wall socket for a solid minute. Finn groans.
IN a room filled with machines and engines, Rose is working. Finn sees her, and calls out, “Rose!” She turns around and sees him standing from afar.
“Finn?” she asks, surprised. “I haven’t seen you in months. I’m sorry... but I’m on orders to avoid speaking with you.”
“Rose, I need help.”
“You need MY help?”
“I’ve been given orders to do a routine inspection of sector NTF-86-b. But I lost the keys they lent me, and I need to get there.”
“All the regular keys I have to that sector are broken, and no one really cares about it anymore, so that issue hasn’t been addressed.”
“I know. I just don’t want to leave a bad impression of myself on the Resistance officers. I want to show them I can be trusted.”
“So you’ve really changed.” Rose pauses, and says with sincerity, “I trust you. I just wish I could help.”
“Rose, please,” Finn pleads to her. Rose looks him in the eyes, and steps closer to him until they are face to face. Inside, Finn is being eaten up by guilt. But he pushes on.
Rose takes Finn’s hand, and tells him, “There’s one key I have that can get there. The master key. It’s the most important one I have.” She reaches into a pocket, and takes out an electronic device. “I can lend it to you, but you have to return it to me.”
“I will,” Finn says. “Thank you.”
They stare at each other for a moment, then Rose looks to the side. “I’m not allowed to talk to you. But maybe once you show them that you can be trusted, we can hang out sometime. I know you can do it.”
Finn parts his hand away from Rose’s hand. “I won’t let the Resistance down,” he says. Rose smiles, and leaves. Finn hangs his head down, and inside, he curses at himself. He wish he didn’t do it. But it’s the only way.
FINN is in an old, dark corridor now, filled with roaring engines of the ship. He speaks through a transmitter, “Is the coast clear?”
Poe whispers back, “You’re good to go. The cams have been tweaked by HQ-7. It’s hard to get signals from the usual transmitters, so I’ll be talking to you through HQ-7. Also, it seems like the only place we can do this is in this open corridor... but don’t worry, everyone thinks HQ-7 is just malfunctioning.”
Poe navigates Finn through, and he narrowly avoids collisions with dangerous machinery and other ship parts. However, he’s distracted when he sees Jim and Riff approach him. Jim struts to him and says, “What kind of funny business are you pulling?”
“Funny business? I’m a pilot, not a comedian.”
“Knock if off. I ran into Bill the other day. Said I talked to him about sports. I don’t remember doing anything like that. You pulling a prank, Poe?”
Poe manages to get Jim and Riff off his trail, and they leave. He gets back to guiding Finn, who reaches an area with windows to the outside. He notices something strange, as if someone is stalking him. He turns to a shadow, and sees a figure with an emblem on it. He whispers, “Phasma?” The figure disappears, and Finn runs away from it.
Later, Finn encounters a wild creature that has found its home within the ship. The creature attacks him, and Finn shoots at the creature. He yells to Poe, “I need escape directions!” But before Poe can respond, Gnovian, walking by with Yatu, notices Poe and HQ-7 up to something.
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Thinking quick, Poe kicks HQ-7 and he sputters, ending the transmission between him and Finn, though the cams are still temporarily tweaked.
“Poe!” Finn shouts into his transmitter. There’s no response. From now, he’ll have to use to the Force to guide him. He hears that voice again, and it tells him, “The Force will be with you.” The creature launches another blow, and with a new awareness of himself, Finn shoots him at the same time. But it happens so quick, it’s not known who got to the other one first.
“Good day, Poe,” Gnovian says.
“Hey, how’s it going, General?” Poe then nods to Yatu, who nods back.
Gnovian replies, “I have been hearing that you’ve been assigned some dreary duties. But no worries; I am working on getting you something better.”
“Really? Well, that’s good to hear.”
“I was also able to get Yatu a position on the ship. He’s training to be a pilot.”
Yatu can’t help but speak up, “I can’t wait to get my own ship!”
Poe chuckles, “Well, what kind are you looking for?”
“A ship like yours. I want to fight the First Order. I can’t stand what they’ve done.”
“I know what you mean,” Poe replies. He thinks back to the destruction he’s witnessed: the fires, the massacres, the prisons. Still lost in his thoughts, he says, “I’ll do whatever it takes to bring them down.”
Yatu grins. “I believe in the Resistance. I don’t understand how anyone could betray it. Why can’t they be as brave as you?”
“Well, being me ain’t easy.”
Gnovian tells Yatu, “It’s time for you to report to your training.” Yatu nods, and looks at Poe, beaming. After the kid runs elsewhere, Gnovian asks Poe, “Have you heard from Finn lately?”
“Nope. No sir.”
Gnovian exhales with exhaustion. “I wasn’t completely on board with the council’s decision. Though Finn is young and lacks experience, he has proven his heroism countless times. But I had to do what was right.”
“And that was siding with Citho,” Poe says.
“Even though Citho comes off as harsh, he has a good reason for doing so. When he insisted that there were traitors before, no one listened. Later, the traitors would kill many Resistance fighters, wiping out a whole base. Though Citho seems paranoid, his strong suspicions do have justifications to them. Without him, the Resistance may have fallen already.”
“You agree with his suspicions?”
“Not always. Sometimes, I have been suspicious of Citho myself.”
“You have?”
“Since you have proven loyal, and are nearly back to being a general, I will let you in on some confidential information. Citho is very secretive, and not trusting of others. He believes that only he knows what’s the right thing to do. For a while, I didn’t even know he was a double agent for the First Order.”
“He was?” Poe says, clearly faking about his ignorance.
“It was his plan to catch the suspected traitors. Though it worked, he was often absent, and no one knew where he was. Due to his seniority, few questioned him. After he exposed the traitors, we learned of his plan. But there are still many times when I do not know why he was gone.”
“Huh,” Poe says. “That does sound strange.”
Gnovian nods, “I must be going. Stay strong, soldier.” He leaves.
Poe immediately turns the transmitter on HQ-7 back on. “Finn!” he frantically whispers, “You good?”
There is a silence. But then, the transmitter crackles. “Yeah.” Finn has won over the huge creature.
Poe guides Finn along the rest of the way, and Finn manages to reach the right location. He searches for the records, and finds a small, old drive. Since the Resistance is busy fighting the First Order, no one is keeping track of these files.
But right next to the file, he sees another record. Someone had nearly cracked it, but didn’t finish. Finn opens it up, and sees it again: the red pendant inscribed with three fangs. The exact same one he saw in the Force vision of Fortuna. He is drawn further into it, and reads: “I have avoided the assassination attempt on my life. But an unfortunate accident has transpired. As I was enacting it, it approached me, and the next thing I knew, it was transported elsewhere. I do not know where it lies now, but I only pray that it is trapped there forever. If you ever encounter it, you will know, for it wears a red pendant with markings that can be found nowhere else in the galaxy.” The rest of the message is undecipherable.
“What does this all mean?” Finn whispers to himself. But he knows he is in a race against time. He quickly snatches the medical records he needs, and finds his way back.
POE exclaims, “It’s still locked?” He and Finn are in the isolated room again.
“There’s some sort of security system in it. I don’t know how we’re gonna crack it.” Finn says with disappointment.
“The more people who are in on this, the riskier it gets. But there’s one person we know who’s already in.”
Finn scoffs. “You’re not seriously thinking about contacting her?”
“Why not?”
“She could’ve been lying about those other files!”
“Finn,” Poe puts his shoulder on his friend, “You’re being paranoid. Who are you, Citho?”
“I-” Finn takes a minute to think, and then admits, “Okay. Maybe I just didn’t wanna trust her. Maybe she was right, and I’m just not thinking straight. But if she says anything whack, I’ll know what side she’s on.”
They contact Merilia through a communication device.
They hear a reply, “You guys finally found something?”
Poe says, “We got Citho’s medical records.”
“You WHAT?”
Finn explains to her about the force visions he’s seen. Merilia exhales deeply. “Well, that doesn’t seem any crazier than teleporting screws. But you risked stealing all those files just on some hunch?”
“I’m sure that guy in the hood was Citho,” Finn insists.
“There’s just not enough evidence. There’s a big chance you’ll find out wrong once you look in these records.”
“And what if I’m right?”
“Then we’ll all still get in trouble, but maybe we’ll get more leeway for saving the Resistance. Anyways, it’s not like I have anything to lose now. Send me those files.”
They secretly send a copy of the records over to her. They hear her speak again, “Bad news, guys.”
“What’s going on?” Finn asks.
“These files are heavily encrypted. With all these droid guards around, I can only do this behind their backs, which is going to slow things down. It’ll take me a while to get in them, and figure out if they were tampered or not.”
Finn sighs. “How long?”
“A couple of days. Possibly a week. It’ll help if you find a way to distract the droids for me. Do the same thing you did last time.”
“Alright, guess we don’t have a choice,” Finn says. He looks at Poe, who appears to be deep in thought, and doubtful. Finn asks him, “You okay?”
Poe stands up and straightens himself out. He rubs a hand on his face and says, “This is way too much for me.”
“What’s gotten into you?” Finn says.
“I ran into Yatu. The kid looks up to me. I remembered why I started fighting for the Resistance. I’ve got too many people who need me; I can’t let them down.”
Merilia overhears him, and tries to offer words of advice. “I know what you’re feeling. When I was younger and joined the New Republic, I thought the same way. But when I started hearing reports about how the New Republic wanted to ignore the plights of the Jurials, and they were forcing everyone to think the same way, I couldn’t stand it. I realized that if I was to stand up for what I think is right, I learned I had to lose all of my friends.”
Poe doesn’t reply, but is somewhat more reassured. The words also resonate with Finn. He begins to trust Merilia. Finn tells her, “Maybe some of what you say is right. I’ve been with the First Order so long, blindly following their orders, that it’s been hard to get used to thinking for myself. And now I’ve got a responsibility to look for the truth, too? It was much easier when I was scrubbing plasma rifles for the commanding officers.”
Poe steps in and says, “Believe it or not, buddy, once you’re deep in the Resistance, you feel the same way.”
“Well, I don’t have all the answers either.” Merilia says, “We’re all in this together.”
Finn nods. Then, he remembers something else. He contacts Rey through the soul instrument she gave him.
“Rey,” Finn says. He hears a reply. “Finn, did you find it?”
“Yeah, but it’s encrypted. We got someone on our side who said it’s gonna take some time to crack it open.”
Poe eavesdrops, and whispers to Finn, “Hey, is that Rey? Can you give her a message?”
“Uh, sure.”
“Tell her I said hi.”
“Poe says ‘hi’,” Finn tells Rey.
“Tell him I said ‘hi’ too!” Rey replies.
“Oh yeah,” Poe says, “Can you give her another message? I’ve been feeling bad about this one.”
“What?”
“Tell her I took her zorplos from the fridge.”
Finn tells Rey, “Poe said he took your zorplos.”
“What?” Rey fumes, “Well, tell him I know what happened between him and Leslie!”
Finn sighs, annoyed. “Rey is pissed and says she knows what went on with you and Leslie.”
“Aw, come on!” Poe exclaims, “Those zorplos were sitting there forever, and who knows how long she’d be gone! Well, tell her-”
“ENOUGH!” Finn shouts. “I’m not some delivery boy, okay! Let’s wait for Merilia to do her thing. We gotta do all we can to make sure they don’t catch onto her.”
REY shuffles through pages upon pages of a hologram in the library of an aquatic dome. Aquatic humanoids mind their own business, lost in their own holograms. Frustrated that she can’t find clues to the next soul object, she gives up for the day, and walks out of the library to her dark, isolated chamber. She thinks back to that world again, and remembers Ben’s words.
“Ignore it all. This is the only thing that matters.”
The moment still felt surreal to her. She never thought she would see that world again. She never thought anyone would believe her that it exists. But it was there.
The terrifying, white robed demon. The inferno of the light. Was there a way to make them go away? She thinks back to Ben, sitting in the darkness. But she also remembers his time in the light, as that young child Anakin. How he would speak of the valiant feats of the Jedi. How he said he would be the greatest hero of them all, because it was his destiny. All these things would never come true.
No, she thinks. Is it really too late? She doesn’t want to believe it. Ben has to change. There must be something else he’s hiding that’s getting in the way. If she finds it, and knows him better, then he will be free to be in the light again.
She sits down and begins meditating. She searches for Ben’s soul coordinates. She envisions that red-violet beach, and feels the breeze of its ember sands.