CHAPTER ONE
D’Qar, present day (moments before disaster)
Poe Dameron took a deep breath as he stood before his team of Rogues, feeling weighed down by the burden that had been placed upon his shoulders.
As someone who had grown up with a love for flying and a dream to become a pilot, he naturally looked up to people like Wedge Antilles and Luke Skywalker and aspired to be just like them. And of course he had followed the exploits of Rogue Squadron and dreamed of some day flying with them. But not once had he ever seriously considered the possibility that he would one day lead Rogue Squadron himself, let alone on such short notice.
It didn’t help that the team he was presented with was made up of either those who had never met him and thus had expectations he could never hope to meet, or those that already knew him and were counting on him based on their faith in his skills… which was something he was constantly doubting himself on, no matter how much confidence he exuded whenever he was in the cockpit of his X-wing. And while he had plenty of experience leading squadrons as the former leader of Black Squadron, that was nothing compared to being the leader of Rogue Squadron. That position had a legacy that spanned the history of both the New Republic and the Rebellion that had birthed it… and there was no way he could ever live up to that legacy.
But he had to pretend he could. If not for his sake, then for those that were counting on him.
“All right,” he said. “You’ve had some time in the simulators. Now it’s time for some real practice. Your X-wings and astromechs are all prepped and ready to go.”
“About time,” piped up Olot Aleego. The spindly Xexto pilot had his helmet tucked underneath the lowest of his two sets of arms. “Those simulators you guys have are a joke.”
Poe acknowledged the remark with a simple nod. Olot was one of the six members of Rogue Squadron that had decided to join the Resistance after the Battle of Mon Cala, with the rest—including their leader Tyreez Vitrus—having died in combat. While they all seemed to be dedicated to the cause, Poe could tell that not all of them had complete confidence in the Resistance’s effectiveness, especially without the support of the Galactic Alliance. This had forced the Resistance to cut costs in a lot of corners, which meant that their flight simulators were not quite as up-to-date as the ones Olot and his teammates were used to.
“We’ll start by practicing a Dreis Formation,” Poe went on. “I know that might sound basic to some of you, but I want to make sure we’re all on the same page and are able to work in tandem. That’s also why I’ll be pairing you with someone you’ve never flown with before. That way, we don’t end up splitting off in different directions.”
The disquieted looks on some of the faces in front of him, from both halves of the team, did not escape Poe’s notice. He understood that this was going to be a rough process, not only for him but for everyone else as well. But the original Rogues did not make a name for themselves because things were easy.
“Lensi, you’ll be my wingman,” Poe said to the Duros pilot. As the oldest serving member of the Rogues, he could think of no one better suited to fly with and help him guide the others. The fact that he reminded him of his old mentor L’ulo certainly helped as well. “Snap, you’re paired with Olot. Jessika, with Selena.”
Out of the corner of his eye, Poe noticed Jessika shift slightly. Knowing that she had always idolized Luke Skywalker, he understood that having a call sign evocative of the one he had flown under at the Battle of Yavin brought a certain amount of pressure to her. Not only that, but her wingmate was the daughter of former Rogue Leader (and current admiral for the Galactic Alliance) Gavin Darklighter. While the maneuvers they would be practicing would be basic and simple, he knew that the pairings he was assigning would be anything but.
Continuing with the pairings, Poe said, “Ello and Kili, you’re a team. Same goes for Bastian and Veda, and finally, Ziff and Shyra. Now then, any questions?”
Before any of the assembled pilots had a chance to speak, a loud alarm began to blare throughout the base. Poe turned around in time to see a number of pilots, technicians, and other personnel scramble to their stations, moving from one facility to another. He then cast his gaze up to the cloudy blue sky of D’Qar and felt his heart drop like a stone into his stomach.
“I don’t suppose this is another drill?” asked Shyra.
“No,” he said quietly, staring at the faint outlines of Star Destroyers in the sky. “No, it’s not. Get to your fighters, now!”
So much for practice, he thought to himself as he put on his helmet and rushed over to his black X-wing, where his astromech droid BB-8 was already waiting for him. He could only hope that this mismatched team he had been handed would be able to hold their own in their first combat mission together. Besides, they were already great pilots on their own. What could possibly go wrong?
Moments after disaster
Everything had gone wrong and Rey knew that it was her fault.
Vi Moradi had expertly weaved the transport she and Finn were in through the swarms of TIE fighters and made their way to the transports that were beginning to take off from the surface of D’Qar, flanked by starfighters that exchanged fire with the TIEs. At the center of the retreating fleet was the MC85 Star Cruiser Dawn of Tranquility (since renamed the Raddus in honor of a revered Mon Calamari admiral), which Vi immediately gunned for as she tried to shake off a few TIEs that had broken off in an attempt to pursue them. After a flight of A-wings came to their rescue, Vi managed to safely land the transport in the Raddus’ hangar.
As she stepped off the ship along with Finn, Rey’s mind raced on how she was going to explain this to Leia. She would have to tell her about the existence of 11-4D, who she had first encountered on Naboo and secretly brought to the Resistance’s base on D’Qar. The droid had then directed her to Ronyards so she could search for her parents and—if her and Finn’s suspicions were correct—established a channel with the First Order and leaked the location of the Resistance’s base to them, leading to the battle that was now taking place. If there was anyone to blame for this mess, it was her; and she knew she had to be the one to take the blame because otherwise it would fall on Finn, whom she knew some in High Command did not trust due to his status as a former soldier for the First Order.
But what she dreaded the most was the disappointment she knew she was going to see on Leia’s face. Growing up on Jakku, she had heard countless stories from passing spacers by heroes of the Rebellion, among them being Princess Leia of Alderaan. Along with people like Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and General Calrissian, Rey had looked up to Leia and could hardly believe when she met her in person for the first time. Now, as a Jedi learner sworn to aid the Resistance in the goals, she felt she had not only failed Leia but the cause she stood for as well.
And then, of course, there was Toah. She had abandoned her teacher in favor of following 11-4D’s directions, just as he had been about to set off for a mission to Coruscant. She had no idea if he was still on Coruscant or if he had returned to D’Qar in the time that had passed since then. She could only imagine the reprimand she would receive from him, especially once he found out her complicity in this whole mess.
As they made their way to the bridge, trailing behind Vi Moradi, Rey felt Finn’s eyes on her and sighed. “Don’t worry,” she said, quiet enough so that Vi did not overhear them. “I’m going to take full responsibility for this.”
“That’s not what I’m worried about,” Finn said. “It’s the droid. Is it still at the base?”
“No idea. Frankly, I would be fine if he gets blown up with it.”
Finn raised an eyebrow. “That’s pretty harsh, coming from a Jedi.”
“It’s just a droid. They don’t count as intelligent lifeforms.”
“Don’t let some of the astromechs hear that. I know that Poe’s BB unit can be a bit touchy.”
They finally reached the primary command bridge of the Raddus, where Leia and the rest of the Resistance’s leadership—including Admiral Ackbar and General Helricks—were gathered. Upon noticing their entrance, Leia turned to face them and, after briefly acknowledging Rey and Finn with a mere glance, focused her attention on Vi.
“Agent Moradi. It’s good to see you are safe and well. I would ask you how your mission to Batuu went, but I’m afraid we have more pressing priorities.”
“So I’ve noticed,” Vi said as the ship subtly rocked from enemy fire. “Do you have any idea on how the First Order were able to find our base?”
Before Leia could answer her, Rey chose that moment to interject. “I do.”
Both Vi and Leia turned to look at her. While the former had a look of surprise, Leia’s face remained neutral. “Is that so?” the general asked.
Rey swallowed and took a deep breath before speaking. “On Naboo, I found this droid that claimed to know where I could find my parents. I brought him to D’Qar and hid him at the base; when Master Jarsan and I came back from Tython, it told me to go to Ronyards for answers, which is why Finn and I took a ship and left.”
Leia eyed her evenly. “And did you find your answers?”
“No,” Rey exhaled. “I didn’t. Just trouble. Another droid came to our aid and took us to Batuu, where we eventually met up with Vi. Then we came back here to find the base under attack.”
“And you think this droid is what summoned the First Order here?”
“I don’t know for a fact,” Rey admitted. “But I can think of no one else who could have known about the Resistance base and alerted the First Order.”
“Not even the ex-stormtrooper standing next to you?” General Helricks remarked, having overheard the conversation from afar.
Rey glared at the older woman but Leia raised a hand to belay her retort. “The point is moot,” she said. “If no one else but you and Finn knows about the droid, then it is likely still on the planet’s surface and will be destroyed with the rest of the base. Since we can’t afford to go back and retrieve it, then we have no choice but to leave it. Right now, our priority is evacuating as many personnel as we can.”
“Right.” Glancing around the bridge, Rey then said, “Has Master Jarsan returned from his mission yet?”
Leia shook her head. “We have not heard from him since he left. Again, we will have to wait until after—”
“General!” a Tarsunt officer reported from his station. “The Errant Venture has responded to our distress call! Reinforcements are en route!”
“Good,” Leia said. “Hopefully they’ll be able to buy us enough time. If there’s one thing smugglers are good at, it’s providing a distraction.”
* * *
Kylo Ren knew he could not afford to be distracted, yet distractions were all that surrounded him.
He was supposed to be in control of the First Order forces attacking the Resistance base on D’Qar, yet he did not feel like he was in control. The location of the base had been received just as he had sensed that his former master, Supreme Leader Snoke, was still alive despite the fact that he had struck him down with his lightsaber back on Naboo. Before he had time to make sense of this, they had arrived in the Ileenium system and he had insisted on taking charge of the TIE fighter squadrons in his own TIE Silencer. He had hoped that combat would take his mind off things, but clearly that was not going to be the case.
Especially when he detected the presence of his mother through the Force.
That was why he had ordered his forces to focus on targeting the base itself rather than the ships fleeing from it. He knew she was on one of them—she had to be, given her rank and status as leader of the Resistance. Of course, some of the units—particularly those under the command of Major Vonreg—had broken off to deal with the Resistance fighters defending the fleeing ships and were no doubt delivering damage to said ships’ shields. He was too preoccupied to call them off, and the mere act of doing so would no doubt raise questions with Vonreg and the other presiding commanders.
While they would never say it to his face, Kylo knew that many of the First Order’s command—including the likes of General Hux and General Pryde—were wary of Kylo and his sudden ascension. Could they see through his lie of taking command in lieu of an injured Supreme Leader? Was it even a lie anymore if Snoke was indeed still alive?
All of these questions and concerns insisted on sticking in his mind despite his best attempts to ward them off… which was why he was caught completely off-guard when a crimson Star Destroyer dropped out of hyperspace and opened fire on the First Order ships.
Cursing under his breath, Kylo Ren broke off from his current attack run, allowing the black and orange X-wing he had been pursuing to escape from his sights. He then transmitted an order for all nearby fighters to concentrate their fire on the unexpected reinforcement. He had no idea if there were more on the way, but at the very least he wanted them to all be prepared for it.
Despite himself, he was almost grateful for this distraction. It gave him an excuse to redirect the attention of the fighters and Star Destroyers away from the retreating fleet and by extension his mother, allowing her to get to safety.
He shook his head fiercely. No, what was he thinking? Leia Organa was the mother of Ben Solo, who was no more. He was Kylo Ren. Why did he care what happened to her?
Pushing back these thoughts, Kylo gripped the yoke of his fighter and pushed forward towards the crimson Star Destroyer, setting his guns ablaze.
The Errant Venture
“Looks like we’ve bitten off more than we can chew here,” Booster Terrik mumbled under his breath.
Toah Jarsan stared out the viewport of the Errant Venture, assessing the situation in front of him. Beyond the attacking TIE fighters and the Resistance fighters chasing after them, he could count at least three Star Destroyers firing down on the surface of D’Qar, no doubt destroying the Resistance base. Overseeing them was the massive flagship of the First Order itself, the Supremacy, although it had yet to open fire on either the planet or the Resistance ships that were fleeing past it. Closing his eyes, he reached out with the Force and was able to sense that Leia was aboard one of the ships, as was, to his surprise, Rey.
And that was when he felt it.
A cold chill ran down his spine as he detected the presence of the Sith holocron. Its close proximity to Rey was enough for him to gasp as his eyes snapped open. Booster did not seemed to have noticed this, his attention focused on the battle at hand, but he did feel a glance from the young woman standing near him. Sare Valrisa.
His daughter.
He still wished the circumstances of that particular revelation had been better, especially one in which the disembodied spirit of Darth Vorath was not involved. But there was no time to dwell on that, nor the fact that her mother was also in danger. One thing at a time, he told himself. He only hoped that he lived long enough to handle each thing.
“Cap’n, Wild Karrde says she’s on her way,” a comm officer called out from their station.
“Hopefully we’ll still be in one piece by the time she gets here,” Booster said. “How are our shields looking?”
“They’re already down ten percent,” said another crew member. “Whatever new model TIEs they’ve got, they sure do pack a punch.”
Booster grimaced. “More like this ship’s an old model. Maybe we should steal one of those new fangled Star Destroyers and paint it red.”
The Errant Venture trembled slightly as the TIE fighters renewed their assault. While most of the fighters bore the standard “eyeball” design that Toah associated with the term, there was one that stood out from the rest. Its wings were pointed and pronged, similar to that of a TIE interceptor, while its core component had a more rectangular appearance with a red-tinted cockpit. As it streaked past the bridge’s viewport, firing on the deflector shield generator domes above, Toah felt another chill, one less intense than the one he had felt earlier. Without having to reach out with the Force, he knew that the occupant of the unique TIE fighter was none other than Han and Leia’s lost child; the man who now called himself Kylo Ren.
Silently, Toah blew out his breath. Booster wasn’t wrong; they all had a lot on their plate at this moment.
From their station, a Mikkian crew member said, “One of the Resistance ships just made the jump to hyperspace. They’re getting through the First Order’s blockade.”
“Doesn’t seem like much of one,” remarked the Mirialan smuggler Kyla Kishanti, standing next to Booster. “Seems like they’re more focused on blowing up the base than any of the ships. I wonder why that is.”
Toah felt that he knew the answer, but he did not voice it. He wasn’t sure how many knew about the connection between Leia and the First Order’s current leader and it was not really his business to spread around. Instead, he looked over at the Mikkian and asked, “Any idea where they’re headed?”
“Nothing beyond that it’s further into the Outer Rim.”
“Probably for the best,” said Booster. “If we don’t know where they’re headed, then that means the First Order probably doesn’t. We’ll just have to wait until this whole thing’s blown over before we can try to reestablish contact with them.”
Toah looked back out the viewport as the Resistance ships continued to jump into hyperspace one by one. He hoped that Rey would be able to stay out of trouble for a little bit longer, and if Leia was with her, then he had nothing to worry about.
But then his mind went back to the chill he had felt, and the dread settled back into his heart.
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