CHAPTER TEN
Batuu
Located at the galaxy’s edge, Batuu was the last taste of galactic civilization before venturing into the unknown. It was here that daring smugglers and spacers would come to either prepare for the dangers of Wild Space or to hide from whoever happened to be on their tail. Because of its status as a forgotten backwater world, Batuu was the ideal place for anyone trying to lay low. It also had its fair share of stops and tourist traps to keep one busy while they waited for the coast to be clear.
Rey wasn’t here for any of those things, however. As she and Finn followed AG-37 through the bustling crowds of Black Spire Outpost, she kept her eyes and senses clear, regarding practically every sentient being she saw with suspicion. She still wasn’t sure how much they could trust AG-37, and if the assassin droid was leading them into a trap. Growing up on Jakku, she didn’t have much interaction with droids since hardly any came to the planet (and those that did didn’t stick around for very long) and she still wasn’t quite sure what to make of them. Those that worked for the Resistance—such as Poe’s BB unit or General Leia’s protocol and astromech droids—seemed nice enough, but for every BB-8 and C-3PO, there was a 11-4D or AG-37. Due to their nature, it was impossible to read them in the Force and thus impossible to predict their motives or actions.
As they turned a corner into another part of town, Finn said to AG-37, “So, this acquaintance of yours… does she have a name?”
“Most beings in the galaxy have a designation of some kind,” AG-37 replied. “She prefers to go by the moniker of ‘Allie.’”
“And what is it that Allie does? Is she a smuggler? A bounty hunter?”
AG-37 rotated a portion of his cylindrical head so that one of his photoreceptors was on Finn even as the droid continued moving forward. “Perhaps it would be more practical to question her yourself.”
By that point, the droid had brought the two of them to a small building near the edge of Black Spire Outpost. Outside the building, behind a grated fence, was a row of droids, ranging from astromechs to GNK units. Each one had a price labeled on them, promising that it was the best deal one could ever find this side of the galaxy.
“I guess she sells droids,” Finn murmured to Rey.
As AG-37 tapped on the door, they could both hear what sounded like yelling coming from inside. AG-37 continued to knock until the door slid open and a tall bipedal droid with weathered white plating and a cape over its shoulder stormed out, brushing past AG-37 as a Utai followed it out, shouting at the droid in his native tongue. Upon seeing AG, the Utai’s small black eyes went wide and he hurried back inside, closing the door behind him.
“I figured I would find you here,” AG-37 said as he turned around to follow the irate droid.
“Not in the mood, Aygee,” the droid retorted.
“Wait,” said Rey. “This is Allie?”
The droid stopped and turned around to look at her. “What is it to you?”
“These two humans are seeking passage to the Ileenium system so that they may return to their allies.”
“And you can’t do it?” Allie asked.
“Not without some sort of financial compensation, which they are incapable of providing me with. I have no interest in getting involved with the affairs of organics, but I do know you are more… sympathetic to their struggles.”
“I would say that is an overstatement,” Allie said. “Just because I am a freedom fighter does not mean I stand with all who label themselves as such. Especially those who still use droids in their service.”
“But you have worked with the Resistance in the past, have you not?”
Allie hesitated for a moment. “Yes,” she said tentatively.
“Then you should have no qualms with doing so again.” With that, AG-37 began to walk back in the direction of his ship. “I will leave you to your negotiations. Our business together, such as it was, has concluded.”
Rey and Finn watched as the assassin droid stalked away, vanishing back into crowds. “Not much of a people-person, is he?” Finn remarked.
Shaking her head, Rey turned back to Allie. “I trust that you can get us to the Ileenium system?”
Allie cocked her head to one side. “How did you get lost in the first place?”
“We went on an… unsanctioned mission to Ronyards and lost our ship in the process. Aygee helped us get off Ronyards, but wouldn’t take us back. He said you might be able to help.”
“Yes, well, ‘might’ is a funny word, isn’t it?” Allie made a sound that simulated a sigh. “Listen, if you two had come to me at any other time, I could have easily helped you. But things have been… strange here on Batuu for the last few days.”
“How strange?” Finn asked.
Allie looked around before motioning the two of them to follow her into a secluded corner. Once they were well out of the earshot of anyone who might have been listening in, the droid said, “The First Order arrived here just the other day, trying to weed out anyone who might be a Resistance spy. Most people have been afraid to push back against them, especially since the local crime boss is all too happy to work with them.”
“Are there any… spies here?” Finn asked, his voice quieter than a whisper.
“I do have a… contact whom I have not heard from since the First Order arrived. I’m uncertain as to whether their position has been compromised or if they’re merely laying low.”
“So what do we do?” asked Rey.
“Well, your options as I see them are as follow: either we try to leave and get past security, leaving my contact behind… or we try to find my contact, rescue them, and find a way to call for reinforcements.”
Rey glanced at Finn. She knew that the first option would be out of the question, given that any First Order agents searching them would likely recognize Finn (or both of them) and that would be the end of them. The second option, as dangerous as it was, was really the only hope they have—and was far better than the alternative of knowingly leaving a Resistance agent behind.
“Let’s try and find your contact,” she said to Allie. “But first… I don’t suppose you can help get us some disguises? It might make walking around here a little bit easier for us.”
Allie chuckled—or rather made a sound that approximated one. “Now that, I can easily arrange.”
The Vanguard
In the shadow of the twin moons Destra and Valara, the Star Destroyer Vanguard loomed over the planet of Batuu. As an Imperial II-class Star Destroyer, the Vanguard was rather old, especially when compared to the newer Resurgent-class models that made up a large portion of the First Order’s fleet. The fact that it and other of its kind had not yet been phased out was a mystery even to those who advocated that they remain in service.
In many ways, Admiral Vin Borgas could not help but feel like the Star Destroyer he commanded. Having lived through the rules of Palpatine, Kaine, Vorath, Pellaeon, and Verradun, he had accumulated quite a long-winded career at nearly sixty years of age. Even those of the First Order’s leadership, such as younger firebrands like General Hux, paled in comparison. Yet Borgas could not shake the feeling that he was on his way out the door; that his superior would force him to take an early retirement, or worse find some other means of relinquishing him of his duties. He had seen it happen to those before him, when veterans of the Clone Wars were phased out in favor of newer blood such as himself. Perhaps it was only fitting that the same would soon happen to him.
One thing that continued to baffle him was where Hux and his kind had come from in the first place. While he would gladly admit that he rarely paid much attention to what happened outside of his Sector Fleet besides what the Moff Council wished of him, the fact that people like Hux and Quinn had risen to high positions out of seemingly nowhere within the last decade was quite a shock to him, especially given how reduced the Empire’s numbers had been following the Imperial Sith War. Even more so was the fact that Kuat-Entralla Engineering and Sienar-Jaemus Systems, subsidiaries that Moffs Tareth and Tonith had established not long before the Glorian War, had been able to produce so many new model Star Destroyers and TIE fighters by the time of Darth Taral’s insurgency and the subsequent rise of the First Order. Clearly someone had been working behind the scenes in preparation for the First Order to come to power… but who and for how long, Borgas had no idea.
Of course, at the center of all these mysteries was the Supreme Leader himself, an enigma as much as everything else was. In all this time, he had yet to meet the Supreme Leader in any form, whether it be via hologram or in person. And considering that Snoke was supposedly incapacitated at the moment, with his Executor Kylo Ren taking temporary command, he probably would not for the foreseeable future. It made him wonder if Snoke even existed or was merely a fabrication meant to keep people like him in line. He would be suicidal to voice such suspicions aloud… but they were suspicions he held, nonetheless.
“Sir?”
Borgas withdrew himself from his musings as he looked down at the communications officer. “Yes?”
“You have a message from the Supremacy.”
Borgas stiffened at this before forcing himself to relax somewhat. The Supremacy was the Supreme Leader’s flagship, but he knew it would not be Snoke he would be speaking to. Most likely it would be some lowly informant delivering him a message from the Executor. Still, on the off-chance he was wrong….
“Direct it to my personal quarters,” he said. “I will receive it there.”
As the officer did as ordered, Borgas swiftly departed from the bridge and headed for his quarters. Once inside, he took a moment to steel his nerves, bracing himself for the worse, before answering the awaiting call. The holoprojector hummed to life as it displayed the shimmering blue form of the Executor himself. Instinctively, Borgas dropped to one knee and bowed his head. While he wasn’t sure if Kylo Ren considered himself a Sith Lord, his appearance certainly passed him off as one and Borgas could only assume that he demanded the same form of respect as the likes of Darth Vader.
“Admiral Borgas,” Kylo Ren said coolly. “Have you located the Resistance spy on Batuu?”
“Not yet, Executor,” Borgas replied. “However, my men are combing every inch of the planet. We will find them in due time.”
“See to it that you will. I also have another task for you.”
“Of course, my lord.” Borgas internally winced. Was Kylo Ren a lord? He only knew of Darth Vader from the stories of his uncle, yet this man reminded him so much of those tales….
If the Executor was bothered by the term, he did not indicate it. “There is a Sith holocron currently in the possession of the Ithorian collector Dok-Ondar, who operates on Batuu. I want you to retrieve the holocron and deliver it to me.”
“It shall be done, Executor.” Borgas chewed on his lip, uncertain as if he should voice the question circling in his head. Deciding to take the risk, he said, “If I may ask, do these orders come directly from the Supreme Leader himself?”
The momentary silence was icy enough to chill Borgas to the bone. “Does it matter?” Kylo Ren responded.
Borgas swallowed. “I suppose not. I will see to it that the artifact is recovered.”
Kylo Ren continued to regard him silently for a moment before his holographic image dissolved. Once it had, Borgas let out a sharp laugh into the darkness to relieve the stress that had built up within him.
“A delivery boy,” he murmured. “The Supreme Leader’s Executor is treating me as his delivery boy. Is that all I am to him? Forty-one years of service and this is the thanks I get….”
Shaking his head, Borgas sighed as he rose to his feet and straighten his uniform. With any luck, maybe he would be sent towards an early retirement. Maybe in Hell, he would be treated with some shred of respect.
Allie’s hideout, Batuu
“How the hell are you supposed to see out of this thing?”
“You see that thing in the front?” Allie replied. “It’s called a visor. Your eyes are supposed to see through them.”
“Thanks, I figured that,” Finn muttered as he slid the Ubese helmet over his head. “It’s pretty lacking in peripheral view, though.”
“Because it’s made for Ubese eyes rather than human ones.” Allie tapped a few buttons on the side of the helmet once it was secured over Finn’s head. “The HUD system should make up for its shortcomings.”
“So, where do we start looking for this contact of yours?” Rey asked from behind the weathered Mandalorian helmet fastened over her head. The rest of her disguise was comprised of a smuggler’s vest over a worn chestplate. Between her outfit and the Ubese armor Finn wore, they would hopefully pass off as the type of bounty hunters that populated the rest of Black Spire Outpost.
“Typically, we would rendezvous in Smuggler’s Alley,” Allie said. “However, I doubt she would frequent her usual places. Out next best place to check are the ancient ruins on the edge of the outpost.”
“What does she look like?” Finn asked.
“She is human like yourselves. Dark skin. Hair color and style varies; I believe she changes it frequently to keep her pursuers off her trail. She operates under many aliases, so I don’t have a name to give you.”
Parting through the drapes of her hideout, Allie poked her head outside before gesturing for Rey and Finn to follow her. Stepping back out into the streets of Black Spire Outpost, they began to make their way through the moving crowds, heading in what Rey could only assume was the direction of the ancient ruins Allie had referred to. The deeper they moved into the outpost, the more Rey started to notice the First Order’s presence on the planet. Stormtroopers were patrolling the streets, questioning and searching anyone they came across. Allie had told them that the stormtroopers would be unlikely to bother them given the reputation that both Mandalorians and the Ubese had for being ruthless and dangerous warriors. Even so, Rey remained on her guard, keeping her hand close to her concealed lightsaber.
She couldn’t help but wonder why the people of Batuu were being complacent with the First Order’s presence in the first place. She knew that the planet was far enough in the Outer Rim for them to be unconcerned with the affairs of the Galactic Alliance, but the fact that anyone in Black Spire Outpost was willing to comply with stormtroopers—notorious for being soldiers of the long-collapsed Empire—and not question their presence made her wonder what was going on. Perhaps it had to do with the crime boss Allie had mentioned earlier; perhaps they had a tighter hold on the people of this planet than anyone had let on.
As they walked along the trail known as Savi’s Path, Rey suddenly felt as if someone was watching her. Without even thinking about it, she stopped in her tracks and turned her around, directing her gaze towards a building near the Droid Depot, distinguished by its dome-shaped roof. Finn said something to her, but his mask automatically translated his words from Basic to Ubese. Regardless, she could still sense his concern as she subconsciously started to walk back in the direction they had came.
“What are you doing?” Allie asked. “We have to keep moving.”
“I sense something,” Rey said quietly. “It’s coming from over there… from that shop.”
Allie looked over to where she was facing. “Dok-Ondar’s den? There’s nothing of value there; just trinkets and baubles that the old Ithorian sells at ridiculous prices. Come on, we have to keep moving before they find us.”
But Rey was no longer listening to her, or to Finn for that matter. Something was calling to her; its words were indiscernible but she could tell it was trying to draw her there. It must have been important. She could not ignore it.
Forgetting all about the Resistance spy, she started to walk with determination towards the antique shop, ignoring Finn and Allie’s protests. She didn’t even notice the two stormtroopers that had also been heading in the same direction as she cut in front of them and stepped into the shop. Inside, surrounded by all sorts of artifacts and valuable items, was an old, weary Ithorian who lifted his enormous head to look at Rey as she walked in. He said something to her in his native tongue, which she did not understand; not that it mattered, as she was only here for one thing, and one thing only.
The pyramid-shaped object glowed bright with a scarlet gleam from where it was displayed, beckoning her towards it. She did not heed the Ithorian’s objections as she approached the holocron and removed it from its display, staring deeply into its crimson glow.
“You there! Stop!”
She rotated herself in the direction of the stormtroopers, who had barged into the den with their blasters raised. Sith holocron gripped tightly in one hand, she used her other to draw her lightsaber and ignite its blue blade. The stormtroopers opened fire and she easily deflected their blasts, redirecting them to strike back at the soldiers. As their bodies crumpled lifelessly to the ground, Rey stepped out of the den with the holocron, her mind a foggy haze.
The one thing that was clear was the voice that now spoke in her head. “Yes,” it said to her. “Good. Do not let anything step in your way. Embrace your power. Unleash your true potential. Give in to—”
Suddenly, the world spun around and before Rey knew it she was laying on the ground, both the holocron and her lightsaber have fallen out of her hands. Finn was standing over her, pulling her back to her feet as he fired his blaster at a group of stormtroopers that were now rushing towards them, weapons drawn and firing.
“Come on,” Finn urged her. “We have to move!”
“But…” Rey tried to say, unable to form words. “But—”
“I’ve got your lightsaber. Allie’s got the artifact. Come on, let’s go!”
Seeing no reason to argue, Rey followed Finn and Allie as they fled down Savi’s Path, the stormtroopers still firing after them.
The Supremacy, elsewhere in the galaxy
“Ah. Did you feel that?”
Kylo Ren stirred in what had once been the Supreme Leader’s throne. Beside him, placed within a small portable force cage, the child known as Kalon Sendor grinned at the Executor of the First Order.
“It would appear that there is another.”
Rolling his gloved hands into fists, Kylo Ren opened a channel to the Supremacy’s commander.
“Captain Yago, set a course for the Batuu system,” he ordered. “There is something I must attend to there personally….”
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