Rey stops what she's doing immediately - gutting a star destroyer and looking for parts for the Falcon - and is immediately on alert.

"Do you know what village - who is this man? We have to get everyone out of there."

"It's Tuanul - the spiritualist guys - and one of their leaders, Lor San Tekka. They're nearby."

"I'll take the speeder and contact Unkar on the way. He can open up the tunnels and they can hide there. We can't let Kylo get the map or hurt these people."

She nods, expression tight. "If Kylo catches up to us, I should be able to cover the retreat." She's still not visible to anyone other than Rey, but, well, she doesn't need that to use the Force.

Rey starts running. "I can fight. You've taught me so much. I'm strong enough."

"You'll be at a disadvantage without a lightsaber if Kylo's there, and I don't want you hurt."

"I don't need a lightsaber to kick his arse. I can do this."

With her Force heightened speed she gets to her speeder in record time. She quickly sends a message to Unkar and starts on her way to the village.

Anakin ghosts alongside her, clearly unhappy.

But they make it to the village in record time as well - and they seem to have beat the First Order to it.

The village isn't particularly small, not really. There are smaller ones, poorer ones. It's unassuming. Which she supposed is why the man picked it. Rey had never actually been here herself, never had reason to, but she did have a passing knowledge of most villages this side of Niima. There are a lot of people around though, which makes her nervous. Will they listen to her? They don't even know her. She hopes for their sake that they do. The First Order does not take prisoners of their kind. Innocent.

There's an X-wing fighter parked on the ridge outside the depression the village rests in, and an orange and white astromech keeping watch. It's night by now.

He beeps, alarmed, when she approaches. <<Who are you?>> he calls.

She hops off her speeder and stops a few metres away.

"A friend. I've come to warn this village. Kylo Ren and the First Order are on their way. They know. We need to get these people out of here."

He rolls back and beeps an expression of concern. Then: <<I informed Best Pilot. Do you have an exit method?>>

Rey checks her wrist pad, Unkar's transport isn't far behind them. "I have room for maybe - forty people on the transport and a place for twice as many to hunker down. We need to get them ready now. Take me to your pilot."

He hesitates -

Then spins, whirring into the village.

Rey follows quickly, knowing that Anakin is right beside her.

Poe rushes out of the tent, having received BB-8's message. He suppresses the instinct to reach for his pistol.

"Beebee, who is this? Are we under attack?"

<<Did not give name. Says First Order is coming with Mask Jerk. She has a transport, wants to evacuate village.>>

"How did they - it doesn't matter." He spares at glace at the girl and then turns to Lor San Tekka. "We have to get out of here, sir. Have to hide. Get you someplace safe."

"I have room for around forty of your people on the shuttle. There's space in the tunnels beneath Niima to hide you and your civilians from the Order. Do you have the map?"

He seems tense. "I don't know that I can trust you, and - we are not cowards."

"Your people will die," Anakin hisses, uselessly.

"I'm not just going to stand here and watch these people be slaughtered. Kylo Ren is coming and he will kill every single one of these people to get what he wants."

"She's right, whoever she is. Raise the alarm and get these people out of here."

He hesitates - then sighs. "I will. There are sixty of us here - I'll stay for the second shuttle. We'll prioritize children and their parents for the first."

He turns and starts giving orders for people to prepare to leave.

Poe turns to the girl. "Not that I'm not grateful. But who are you exactly? Other than our knight in shining armor."

"I'm Rey. I'm nobody. You need to get out of here. You have the map right? I'm here to distract Ren so you can escape and deliver it to the General."

"Knowing too much doesn't make you less suspicious, Rey," Anakin mutters.

Still, preparations are proceeding apace, and so far it looks like they'll get at least one shuttle out before the First Order gets here...

"I'm going to check on - Kylo," Anakin says, abruptly, before vanishing.

"Right. The whole war is on the line here. Did the General send you too?"

"Sure. Let's go with that. Now go before I make you go."

Poe hesitates for a moment longer, before nodding and running towards his X-Wing. Whatever is going on here doesn't need an explanation immediately. If the First Order really is on its way, he needs to be off this planet now. He has the map and he has his mission.

Unkar's transport takes off before he can, gliding rapidly into the distance with forty hastily loaded people, many of them children - their possessions can wait for the second round, if there's time. The twenty remaining take up arms.

"Incoming!" Anakin shouts, reappearing, right as BB-8 - following Poe - looks up and whirs in alarm over four approaching lights. "Four transports with eighty stormtroopers, and a fifth with Kylo gearing up to follow them. I think I messed with their sensory arrays enough they won't notice our transport but we need to go."

Rey reports all of this to the remaining villagers, implying she's getting these details from her wristpad.

"I'm not going anywhere until everyone that is able to get away does." She unstraps her staff from her back. "Everyone get ready!"

Poe hesitates at that but - he can't stay. He gets in his X-Wing, waits a moment for BB-8 to plug in, and then gets it into the air.

He gets away before the stormtrooper transports land.

The remaining villagers do not, though they mount a defense.

They're outnumbered four to one, of course -

And the battle opens as the first stormtroopers come into sight, firing as soon as they spot the villagers.

Rey doesn't wait for her own cue. She surges forward with her staff and swings it around to bring it down the closest trooper, before quickly moving onto the next. She's a whirlwind of violence and unrelenting force.

Anakin tries to stay calm. The only emotion she feels right now is fear, and that's not good for concentration, not good for fighting -

She centers herself. Her fear is not her. The only moment is now, and now is battle -

An awful lot of stormtroopers start tripping, or falling over, or simply going flying as if struck by an invisible blow if they get too close to threatening Rey.

Anakin's not as strong as she once was.

But even small nudges can change everything, especially in a field as chaotic as this.

(Still, the village starts to burn.)

They are so many of them, but she can't stop now. The others still need more time to get away, to get clear. She's careful to not be too obvious in her use of the Force. She uses it to make herself stronger, quicker - but not extraordanarily so. She's had her whole life to get this right.

And a fifth ship - different from the bulky troop transports, sharp and angular and altogether designed very carefully to give off a sense of menace - lands.

The stormtroopers seem startled by it - the battle's turning in their favor, though, and they continue pressing their advantage.

The ship's ramp extends.

And a masked figure that's increasingly familiar to every enemy of the First Order descends, flanked by elite troopers. He seems intent on the village, mask tilting so his gaze zeroes in on Lor San Tekka's distant form.

-- nope. Not happening.

"Get out of here!" She yells to Lor San Tekka as she gets between the two of them. She glares at Kylo Ren. "You will not have him."

He ignites his lightsaber.

"I don't recall taking orders from you."

"Funny. Your choice in masters really doesn't do you any credit. The General says 'hi', by the way."

- she moves forward, speed still heightening by the Force and attacks him head on.

He shouts in rage and attacks her back.

He's slower than her, more encumbered -

But wielding a far deadlier weapon.

"Oh no you fucking don't you asshole - " Anakin murmurs, focusing, trying to push away her fear and fill herself with love for Rey, sharp anger, calm focus -

It's a delicate path to walk.

But she can start worming her way into Kylo's mind, make him just a hair slower, just a smidge clumsier...

She needs to get the lightsaber out of his hand and away. She can beat him. Bring him down for every single bit of pain he has inflicted on Anakin and her family. He's a murderer. She won't let him hurt anyone else.

"You're angry. Distracted," he says, pulling back into himself. (His hate is a weapon and his weapon is his, he is in control - ). "You hate me."

"Everybody hates you. It's not special."

She moves around, coming at him from behind.

He turns with her, easily.

"Your hatred burns. You lost someone, didn't you? Or did that woman infect you with her sentiment?"

"My emotions make me strong. You are weak. A selfish murdering arsehole. Luke should have killed you when he had the chance."

She presses in closer, beating at his defenses.

His lightsaber lashes out, eerily accurate despite Anakin's meddling.

Rey might be able to jump out of the way in time.

She moves away just in time - but it's too close, she drops her staff and nearly trips -

but rights herself and snarls at him. "I'm going to kill you, Ben Solo."

"Unfortunately for you, I beat you to it. Ben Solo is long dead." He steps forward, looming over her. "You will be coming with me."

"Never."

She has nothing left to lose and she will not be his prisoner. She gathers everything, every emotion and every desperate ounce of willpower and Pushes at him with the Force.

Anakin helps, her protective fury wrapping around Rey.

He stumbles back - but doesn't fall.

"Where did a nobody like you get training?" he muses, righting himself, his hatred rising around him like a barely controlled flame.

She doesn't reply and buckles down on her power, on the Force.

The Force is a weapon - is his weapon, as deadly and unstable and his as his lightsaber.

He does not need a blade to strike her.

His power slams back into hers.

- even after everything she has learned, she has never actually come up against another Force user. The strength of his power is overwhelming and hurts - she tries to use it, use the hurt to push back - but

He's strong enough to hold her in place, his presence in the Force overwhelming, choking her.

"Kill the rest. I have what I want," he says, turning his mask over to a stormtrooper in silver armor.

"Yes sir," she says, and the stormtroopers raise their blasters to kill the few remaining - mostly the few who were too injured to keep struggling. The fight apparently finished, while Rey was busy with Kylo.

- she can't move can't think can't help can't breath -

It doesn't take long for her to pass out, the blackness twisting her consciousness and forcing her down.

She wakes restrained, in a hard metal chair. The air is purified, stale. The ship hums around them.

Kylo Ren is watching her.

Rey pulls at her restraints, she can't not. She looks around for Anakin.

"If you wanted me tied up, you could have just asked. You're not really my type though."

Anakin is in her line of sight, glaring at Kylo Ren with her teeth bared. Her emotions are practically soaked in hatred and fear and helplessness.

Kylo Ren takes off his mask.

"You seemed rather angry at me."

What the fuck. She knows that face. Knows that voice. She's been seeing it in her dreams for near a decade.

"I suppose you don't feel like giving me what I want," he says, voice low and probably aiming for 'menacing.'

This isn't actually happening. Her friend - can she even really call him a friend? - is the murderer that she has spent years hearing about. His horrors and mistakes.

"And what exactly do you want?"

"Quite a few things, really. Locations - bases, rebel cells... The map to Luke Skywalker."

All things she has no knowledge of.

"You were right. I really don't feel like telling you anything."

"Then I'll simply take what I want."

He raises her hand to hover by her head -

And pushes.

It's agony. Like someone is reaching into her head and twisting and pulling and wrenching. She screams.

He withdraws suddenly.

"You're that girl."

She cries and tries to pull herself together.

"I hate you."

"I thought quite a lot of people did."

"Rey," Anakin says, voice soft. "You need to give him something. Place a thought just below one of your shields - he'll break them all otherwise. It doesn't need to imply anything true - but it needs to be enough he'll draw his own conclusions. Enough he'll leave you alone, and that he won't just hunt down the rest of Tuanul's escapees."

"- That pilot's likely far enough away that it would be safe to show him escaping."

She breathes, clearing her mind and listening to Anakin. But - it's too risky. Even if the pilot did get away, he mightn't be far enough. She needs to buy him more time. Always more time.

"I tried to help you once," she says to Kylo Ren instead.

"I don't need help."

"Clearly." She pauses. "You were my friend. I was alone in this universe and you were my only friend." She laughs. "That's so fucked up."

"I could be your friend again," he says, softly. "What have they ever done for you, that you protect them? Are they your friends?"

"I have no friends. I have the Force." And Anakin. "That's all I need."

"The Force is a tool. It is no more your friend than a blade would be."

"The Force is life. It connects me to the universe. I say that's pretty friendly to me."

"Life is friendly to no one."

She shrugs. "Your life sucks, I get it. Doesn't give you a reason to be such an arsehole."

"I bring the truth of pain and hatred," he says after a moment's contemplation. "Everyone hates each other. It seethes beneath their skin, lurks behind their lying smiles. I am merely honest."

"Guess I should start my speech about how love is the strongest force in the galaxy. But, really, I'm not feeling super speechy right now. Guess all that mind rape sucked it out of me."

"Then I suppose I'll have to pull your speech out of you - along with everything else," he says, raising his hand to start again. (And ignoring the ghost trying to punch him.)

She closes her eyes and prepares herself, trusting in the Force to keep her strong.

She thinks of her mother, and her childhood - before Anakin, who she pushes down into the deepest reaches of her mind - all the pain and loss and everything that made her the way she is today. It makes her powerful, resilient. Even with all the pain and hardship she has endured, it strengthens her.

She remembers him as he was, before his fall. Everything she did to try and help him. Comforting him in his darkest moments.

He batters her shields, no finesse like Anakin trained her with, no consideration for leaving her mind intact - he's angry and he hates her like he hates everyone, and he knows what she feels and her pain feeds his, trapping them in a feedback loop as Kylo pushes everything he is into her mind, relentlessly seeking.

Anakin closes her eyes, trembling...

And opens them calm.

She knows Kylo - knows Ben.

And she knows Rey even better.

Emotion, yet peace.

Anakin's memory slides before Kylo's assault -

The X-wing.

Poe.

A resistance fighter escaped.

And Kylo withdraws.

"I have what I want," he says. "You could not keep it from me. I will be back, though."

And he turns and stalks off.

Rey screams in pain and anger and frustration and even betrayal.

"No."

"He'll get away, he's long gone, it's alright - Rey - Rey you need to focus, need to rebuild your shields - "

"Needed more time. I could have done it. I could. Why?"

"I'm sorry, but I - I can't stand to see you hurt, you're the only thing I have - "

She takes a deep breath and laughs, ragged.

"I suppose I haven't accumulated as much wisdom as I thought since the last time someone I love was threatened. I'm sorry."

She can't deal with this right now.

"I can't - I need to get out of here. Stop him."

"I'll help," she says, voice hard.

Rey nods and closes her eyes again. She can't focus, can't enter that space of clarity. Her head aches and is twisted, all messed up. She opens herself to Anakin, like she would have when they were training.

Anakin is a pillar, a rock in the storm -

(She's anxious and scared and if she had a heart it'd be beating out of her chest. But she's been terrified before, she can center herself, be a rock in the midst of her own turbulent emotions - Rey needs her, after all.)

She's there.

It's harder than usual, but it helps. All of Anakin's calm and force of will settles her into a deep meditative trance. She can't completely heal like this, but for now it's enough.

"Are you okay on your own? I - should probably scout us a way out of here. I'll keep myself open to you, though."

She doesn't really respond, but there's a feeling of acceptance.

Anakin brushes a hand over her head, love burning in her chest.

And then she turns to find their way out.

Meanwhile...

SN-2187 knows she screwed up. She didn't fire her blaster - she couldn't, not even as her friends died before her, not even as the villagers fought back - battle, even a slaughter like that, is nothing like the training sims -

Those people were not soldiers.

She should've fired her blaster to miss. She's vaguely aware some - maybe even many - troopers do that. A bit of a shameful piece of gossip, mostly overheard because not a lot of people like talking to SN-2187, especially not since she's been getting attention from higher up for her scores...

She's aware troopers who disobey so blatantly are reconditioned. She's aware Mar Ren would probably protect her at least somewhat - the Knight of Ren is mercurial, but seems to have an odd fondness for some of the troopers, and at the very least gets annoyed when Kylo Ren steals away her toys for his little pursuits -

She's aware what Mar Ren does with decommissioned troopers.

I won't kill for them, SN-2187 thinks. It's stupid. They say the Knights can pull the very thoughts out of your head. From how Mar Ren seems to be able to wriggle through any bluff, from how Kylo Ren always knows exactly when someone's politeness covers distaste or disrespect - well, it seems likely.

But SN-2187 is done.

Which means - if she's defecting, she might as well defect.

If she won't kill for them... Maybe she can stop them.

First - she needs the prisoner. The important one, who Kylo Ren personally dueled and took captive - surely high ranking in the New Republic or else the scattered Resistance bands that keep popping up in the territory controlled by the First Order -

The prisoner will be an asset, and possibly SN-2187's ticket into higher confidences. At least enough to get people to listen.

For getting the prisoner...

SN-2187 isn't a very good liar, but she's good at being believed, so long as she focuses well enough.

It's easy enough, to tell the guard outside the prisoner's room that Kylo Ren has demanded the prisoner's presence. It's easy, to go into the room and look at the prisoner and say, "You will be coming with me," as she manipulates the control's so the prisoner's shackles shift, binding her hands behind her back and detaching her from the chair.

(Other stormtroopers won't notice SN-2187's panic, at least not as unusual past the nerves of anyone interacting with Kylo Ren. Still, her heart's in her throat, her nervous anger the only shield she has wrapped around her mind.)

Rey follows the stormtrooper. Her mind is still - beyond fucked - but she can still walk and follow. And at least this way, she might be able to get one over on them. Probably. Her thoughts are scattered and it's hard to focus.

The stormtrooper pulls her over into a side corridor, keeping her weapon trained on Rey the entire walk -

Then she lowers her blaster. Carefully, low and fast: "Listen - do as I say, and I can get you out of here."

... "What. Are you with the Resistance?"

Highly unlikely. They didn't even know she existed and the pilot couldn't have gotten clear enough to send someone for her.

 - She removes her helmet.

"I will be. This is a rescue."

For them both, except SN-2187 is trying not to think about that too hard.

"I suppose it is. What's your plan? We can't exactly walk out of here. Do you have a uniform for me?"

That would've been a really good idea, wouldn't it.

"We have two options - I pretend you're my prisoner and bluff us as far as that'll take us, get in a TIE fighter, and we run. That's faster, and the risks are more known."

"Second - I hand my uniform to you, pretend mine was damaged and I'm on my way to get a safe replacement. Then we bluff like hell that we have a mission that requires us getting in a TIE fighter. That'll either go worse or better than making a run, depending on who we run into - "

And then Anakin appears in the corridor, off to Rey's side -

The stormtrooper flinches and points her blaster right at Anakin.

"Who are you?" she demands.

" - You can see me?"

Rey echoes Anakin's question but then shakes her head.

"... we can deal with introductions later. Give me your uniform. If we get questioned she can mind trick them into looking us over."

" - Yeah plans that support mind tricks are for the best, though if Kylo gets involved I'll have trouble."

"People are going to really question a - see-through blue person - "

"For the past twenty-plus years, I've been the only one that could see her. I think you seeing her is a fluke -" she turns to Anakin. "Nobody could see you before just now, right?"

"No, not Kylo Ren, not any of the other stormtroopers."

Rey nods. "Uniform? The longer we stand here and talk, the higher the chance someone," Kylo Ren, "notices something is wrong."

"...Right."

Efficiently, quickly, she strips down to her regulation blacks. "It'll be uncomfortable without the underlayer, but no one should notice..."

"I think I'll live. Probably."

Her head is starting to get clearer. Having a plan, an objective, it's apparently enough to give it a kick start.

She starts putting on the uniform as quickly as possible.

Her rescuer seems to be mostly just trying to take deep breaths and not have a panic attack.

She makes a few adjustments to Rey's armor when it's on, then - "Okay, let's go."

And through the less traveled hallways they go, the trooper muttering a few times about 'Bucket got banged up' whenever someone eyes them for too long, and getting sympathetic or teasing comments back about the architect that stuck the armor techs where they are.

Which is very few, given how Anakin is not going to let Rey get recaptured if she has to preemptively mind trick every stormtrooper they get within sight of.

No one questions them at all. Anakin is very calm in the way she only gets when she's drifting in and directing the Force. Hiding them, obviously - subtly, she doesn't want Kylo Ren noticing she's up to something - they're unexceptional, seen but not really registered, and the handful of more force sensitive troopers need a bit more nudging of this is normal and if it isn't it's someone else's problem but Anakin's entire Force use over the past few years has been subtle nudges here and there -

Rey settles into her best performance of a loyal stormtrooper escorting another to get their armor repaired.

The armor is dispensed by droids, which aren't programmed to question orders.

SN-2187 dresses, and then -

They can head for the hangar.

They've got a mission, after all.

They pass by officers - are ignored, though it makes SN-2187 tense - make it to the hangar - there's a TIE, hatch open, not being attended to by mechanics or anyone -

SN-2187 walks like this is just another normal day.

They need to clear for takeoff - SN-2187 is very good at being believed, and Anakin hovering over her shoulder, staring, certainly helps -

Alone, their lack of actual orders probably would've been questioned. The First Order has its procedures, after all, and every box gets ticked. Pre-flight preparations are long and annoying and tedious, and if you don't have Kylo Ren standing there looking menacing or a preexisting order they usually require a lot of boxes ticked.

She was Darth Vader, once. Kylo Ren wishes he could be like her.

Human error happens all the time. Tired techs with too much to juggle who just want this latest disruption to go away, busy officers who can't be bothered to double check everything's to order as they pass by -

It will happen here.

They're cleared for take off. That TIE fighter over there's free. The astromechs will get it ready.

Now, to stand there and wait.

She stands at attention, channeling the mindful energy of the First Order troopers around her. It's hard to maintain, her mind still aching and bruised from Kylo Rens assault. But also somewhat calming.

And -

They get cleared.

"I'll handle piloting," Anakin says. "These can be tricky, especially if you've never flown before - though one of you should be ready to take over."

The storm trooper nods and gets in the pilot seat.

They get free of the Destroyer with no problems beyond bureaucracy.

The storm trooper breathes out, heavily...

And takes off her helmet.

Rey falls back against one of the benches and takes off the helmet too. Her head pounds.

"We should ditch this ride as soon as possible. The Falcon is spaceworthy, though maybe not the most conspicuous ride we could take."

"Yeah, this thing doesn't have a hyperdrive. It's designed for short range engagements, not running around without a Star Destroyer or base nearby. You got a ship on Jakku?"

"Yup. Got our hands on one a couple of years ago. It's seen better days, but I've given her a lot of love." She pauses. "I'm Rey, by the way. Thank you for rescuing me."

"SN-2187. And sure."

"Do you really want me to call you that?"

Shrug. "Don't have any other name."

"SN-2187, huh? Hmmmm. You seem more like a Sunn to me. Heroic and beautiful."

"Right."

"We can find something else, if you want. But I think it fits you."

"It's not a number. Sunn, then."

"What are you plans now?" She pauses and addresses Anakin. "What are our plans? Outside of taking the Falcon and getting very far away from here."

"The First Order has a superweapon, Starkiller Base. I have information on it for the New Republic, or the Resistance cells if the New Republic won't listen."

"And you could introduce your friend."

"I'm Anakin Skywalker," she says, after a pause.

"...Darth Vader."

"Used to be."

"Whatever. I need to get to the First Orders enemies. Are you two going to help?"

Rey wants to help. Wants to join the Resistance and meet Anakin's family and kick Kylo Ren's arse. But - this isn't her choice. Anakin has always made the decisions, guided her on the right path.

She looks over to her Anakin for their answer.

"I'll go wherever you go, Rey."

- right. Okay. She already knows what Anakin wants, what they should do.

"Do you know where Leia is now?"

She nods, a bit tersely. "I'll enter the coordinates when we get on the Falcon."

"Okay. We're taking you to the Resistance, to the General. Everything that comes after that..." she pauses and then backtracks. "We should land in near Kanesi. I have some speeders stashed away, and nobody has lived there for years. We'll blow this piece of junk and be done with it. When we get close enough to Niima I'll contact Unkar. The Falcon has most everything we need, but he can fill up the gas and get her warmed up for us. That way we can be out of the system as quickly as possible."

"This Unkar trustworthy if the First Order comes looking for us? They're going to notice you're gone."

"He is. The past ten years he's systematically shut down all slaving going on the region and offered a safe haven to others. He's good people." Especially with Anakin guiding his mind all the while.

"Right. We shouldn't linger, though."

"We've been waiting for this moment for years - though we didn't know exactly the details. We're ready."

" - How?"

"The Force. It was like... a feeling of great expectation. Patience. That we were needed here. Otherwise, we would have left this world a decade ago."

"...Weird."

"Pretty much. Being a Force wielder means putting a lot on faith."

"Sounds... Hard."

"Not everyone who uses the Force leaves things to faith. One of the - more common traits - of those who use the Dark side is treating the Force more like a tool."

Rey's expression darkens and she looks away, suddenly reminded of Kylo Ren and his words. His everything, really.

"We must be getting close."

They are.

Anakin lands them, quietly and gently, on the outskirts of Kanesi's ruins.

Rey sets to work pulling the right plugs, cutting the right wires and setting it up blow when they're well clear of it. It doesn't take her long. She's been working on ships her whole life.

Then she leads them a few yards away to two hidden speeders she'd put them under a tarp that makes them blend into the surroundings.

"Ready?"

"Yeah."

She's stripped off her armor again, leaving her in just the black under layer.

Luckily, she seems to know how to operate a speeder.

"Your lead."

Rey's eyes flick to Anakin for a moment, but nods and leads the way.

The speeders themselves seem to have an extra bit of power, rocketing them across the sandy dunes with quick effectiveness. It does still take them a few hours to make it to Niima though. Rey having gotten a hold of Unkar many miles beforehand.

There's a bounty out for their arrest - the First Order doesn't rule here, not technically. Technically, this is New Republic space, or at least a forgotten corner of the galaxy the New Republic has decided to not allow other people to squat over.

Getting in's going to be a bit tough. Unkar doesn't have perfect control over everyone greedy enough to report them, nor over the storm troopers sent to 'observe.' They're claiming Rey and Sunn are escaped criminals from within Imperial space. But the First Order can't operate here for long, not without drawing far too much opposition for what was supposed to be a lightning raid over a vital target.

Anakin goes very, very calm, floating off into the Force.

Hiding them entirely versus planting false leads isn't ideal, but they're hoping to keep the matter of which city they're going to concealed - and Anakin doubts Kylo Ren is particularly inclined to let the Force guide him places.

The Falcon is ready for them when they arrive.

Sunn is impatient to get on.

"Which way to the cockpit?" she asks, voice terse, once they've loaded.

Rey walks up the ramp and motions to her right, there's a door right beside where they came up.

"This corridor. Can't miss it. I'm going to Engineering to make sure nothing blows up."

"Right. Your friend still gonna pilot?"

"I'll be able to, but I was hoping to spy on Kylo Ren some. Still - most of the trip should be boring."

"Get us into space, I'll come take over after I'm sure the hyperdrive has got its shit together. You know your route?"

"Yeah. We'll head up past Jedha, to Dorin - there's hyperspace routes nearer, but we can hook into the Celanon Spur there, and that'll take us most of the way. A lot of it'll be through First Order space - Leia's at Lorrd, opposite side of Imperial territory. The Falcon's ridiculously fast, so we should make the whole thing in... I'd say six days, including error margins. I'll enter the route into the nav system, and I'll be back before we get to Dorin - probably two days from now."

"Good. Let's get out of here before," he, "they figure out we're here. Or blockage the planet."

"This is technically New Republic space, out of the First Order's usual stomping grounds, but... Well. You've seen how much that means."

"I'll get the ship started."

She takes a deep breath, and turns, heading over physically rather than just relocating herself.

She looks to Sunn, a little expecting. "Anything you need, come talk to me. I'll be just through this door." She points to the door on the left.

"I'll be fine. Is there a task for me?"

"First, help Anakin. Afterwards you can go check on our weapons. Hopefully we won't need them, but we are going through First Order space and we need that option."

She nods - "Right." She has no intention of shooting people down for them, but they can have that argument later.

Sunn turns to go and help pilot.

Anakin's in the cockpit, examining the controls - with her eyes, of course, but mostly with the Force. She tilts her head a bit when Sunn enters.

"I should be able to manage this on my own, but backup doesn't hurt," she says, turning her gaze back to the switches. "Though if I vanish or something, you'll want to call Rey - the Falcon needs a copilot if you're not using the Force."

"Right."

"Quick question - the Millennium Falcon?"

"Yeah. Han Solo's old ship. Not entirely sure how it got out here."

"Great."

She flops into a chair.

"I know anything about the Force, but mostly how to listen to my instincts about hidden attackers and people lying. We don't get trained in anything fancy."

"Listening to your instincts is worth more than most other abilities. It's... Understandable, but - narrow minded, to think of power in the Force merely as... The types of things holos consider impressive special effects."

She snorts, though she doesn't seem too amused.

A pause, and: "So - Vader."

"...Yeah. I don't like that name anymore, but... It's part of who I was, once."

"How'd you get from..." She waves her hand vaguely.

(The First Order usually discourages her from talking even this much. Generating words that aren't just formulaic reports is hard, apparently.)

"Evil right hand of the Emperor who makes Kylo Ren look like a kid playing dress up, to helping break out First Order prisoners with information for the Resistance?"

"Yeah. That."

"I had children. Luke and Leia. That's - my connection to them never should have come out, but now that it has... I sent them away when they were born, and twisted my mind until I convinced myself they were stillborn. I'd already fallen to use the dark side of the Force, then, but... I hadn't fallen all the way, until shortly after that."

"The dark side is useful, it's fundamentally change and something had to give in me or the galaxy, and it's also a monster than eats its children. I - stopped feeling anything more than numb rage, for a very, very long time."

"And then I saw the woman my daughter had become. That... Wasn't enough, to break me out of my shell."

"And then my son set himself against the Emperor, and refused all gifts I offered him, and... I betrayed the Emperor, to protect my son, and was mortally wounded in the process."

"Luke refused to leave me as I died, even though it was risky to him."

"It was impossible, to continue my numbness. I loved my children. I died for that love. I - realized the path I had set myself on only accomplished destroying everything and everyone I ever cared for. I wanted to do better."

"Luke could see me, for a while after my death. He helped me start healing. But... Eventually I faded from his eyes. I spent the next while wandering the galaxy - mostly old battle sites - and feeling sorry for myself. Stumbled on Rey. She could see me, so... I decided to take her as my student. Help her. And maybe not screw up this time."

"Now - I mostly want to keep the galaxy from punching my loved ones in the face."

She nods, thoughtfully.

"Life sucks."

Anakin laughs, sharply.

"Maybe we can change that, though."

Shrug. "Universe could use some being punched back."

"I just - want to be something other than what they made me, though. For now."

"A good goal. It's - important, to be your own person."

She nods.

"So how do we fly this thing?"

Anakin starts explaining. It's clear she likes piloting, from her tone and how much she knows about the ship.

Not a bad way to pass the time.

Indeed.

They get off planet and into hyperspace with no issues.

Anakin goes to find Rey, to let her know that Anakin's going to be leaving to see what Kylo Ren's up to.

Rey is deep within the guts of engineering, grease covering her face and hands - already (she was never one to be careful about such things), and it's a good distraction from the pounding and the terror she feels, but does jump up when Anakin arrives.

"Okay. Give me two minutes to kick the converter back into place, otherwise we'll be thrown out of hyperspace and be stranded who-knows-where."

She wants to ask Anakin how she is, whether she's as terrified as she. But... she so exhausted, physically, and emotionally that she can't make the words surface.

"Thanks."

"You alright?"

Rey sighs and continues on with her work.

"No. But I will be."

She nods.

"Once this is - more settled - we should sit and talk some, I think."

"Right." She finishes up and wipes down her hands. "I love you. Come back soon."

"Love you too, Rey. I'll be back as soon as I can."

And she leaves.

Rey heads to the cockpit.

Sunn's there, though she doesn't say anything. Does nod at Rey in acknowledgement, though.

Rey nods back, sits in the pilot's seat, and - does all the checks again. She doesn't doubt that Anakin did everything correctly, but this way she gets a better idea of the status of the ship.

Everything seems good so far. They're two days out from their first stop, Dorin, at the forgotten edge of territories the First Order technically claims but doesn't enforce their presence much in.

Good. That can be another thing she doesn't have to worry about.

She sits back in the seat and just - breathes. It doesn't get rid of the underlying tension, but it's sorely needed.

Sunn stays quiet, giving her space and peace, mostly not even looking at her.

They can stay like that then. Eventually, Rey gives her a quick tour of the ship, directs Sunn to the weapons locker and then heads back to the cockpit to watch the console and meditate. Healing takes time, but mediation can help a lot. Especially when you get the Force involved.

And Anakin returns, after a time.

She doesn't have much to report - just that Kylo Ren was suddenly summoned back by the First Order's Supreme Leader. No reason was given, and Anakin still can't spy directly on the leadership of their enemies.

"Did they catch wind of where we're going?"

"I don't think so. At least, Kylo Ren didn't seem to know. He was - angry, about the diversion."

"We should keep on the down-low anyway. I'll find one of the old suits, helmet and all, and wear it when we leave the Falcon."

She nods. "Sunn probably should, too."

Rey pauses. "Should we be trusting her? I know she rescued me..."

Her gaze goes briefly distant.

"With a different Ren, I'd expect more of a trap, but... Kylo isn't very subtle. It's not that he isn't clever, but - I think he objects to hiding his intent."

"Sunn herself is hard to get a read on, but... I'm not sure she's a good liar, either."

"She's a Force user. Don't think I missed that."

"Yeah. Many of the stormtroopers are a little force sensitive, but - she seems unusually so."

"Do they pick them for that?"

"Possibly. I - haven't paid as much attention to that, but the Empire continued to use the infrastructure for testing for Force sensitivity; there's no reason the First Order couldn't have reappropiated it. But the program is under the control of another Knight I have trouble following, Mar Ren."

"Great, more of them. How many are there exactly?"

"Seven Knights and I think around thirteen apprentices. I highly doubt their Supreme Leader isn't trained in the Force, too."

"Especially since they can apparently keep you away. I've been kinda running under the assumption they're a Sith Lord anyway."

She nods. "Though I'm not sure they'd call themselves that. The - political climate, there, seems to have shifted."

"I'm also fairly sure they were never an apprentice of a Sith, but that wouldn't stop someone from using the name."

"Maybe Kylo will tell me next time I sleep. Stranger things have happened."

"You can ask, but - be careful. Please."

"Why am I dreaming about him - with him?

"I don't know. It's - I've never heard of something like that happening, especially not without a preexisting bond."

"Which means you don't know how to get rid of it?"

"No. I'm sorry."

"Yeah."

- She's really, really sad she can't hug Rey. She misses hugging people, and also Rey looks like she needs a hug.

She sits beside her student, offering - love, warmth, concern.

She softens a bit and smiles at Anakin weakly.

"I'm strong, you know? I could have handled it."

"I know. You're the strongest person I've ever met. But - you shouldn't have to handle it. And as long as you're my student - "

"I... Probably should give you room to grow on your own. But I don't want you hurt, and - "

"It's lonely, trying to stand on your own, trying to be strong on your own."

"I don't... Actually know how to handle teaching. Just that the way I was raised fucked me up in the long run. So - "

"I'm probably going to fuck up a lot, now that there's more ways I can."

"I don't want you to give me room to grow. That implies you leaving. I just want. Trust."

She nods, slowly. "Trust is - something we need to work on, I think. Both in each other and ourselves."

"Yeah." She sighs and rubs her face. "I think I need to get some sleep. Are you okay to take over here, want me to grab Sunn?"

"I'm alright. This part of the journey's usually boring. Sleep well."

"Wake me if anything exciting happens," she says as she heads off to the crew quarters.

"I will," she says.

Nothing disrupts them for the rest of their journey to Dorin, where they'll refuel, resupply, rest, and get their next jump - a long one, along the Celanon Spur route to Vinsoth. Vinsoth is firmly First Order space, and they won't be able to stop there except in an emergency; whatever they still need, they need to get now.

Kylo Ren, elsewhere, has arrived at a base nearby enough - towards where Anakin remembers Ilum being, though not on the planet proper - that it has Anakin extremely nervous. As such, she makes sure they get out of hyperspace safely, and don't get attacked while settling in place, then takes off to continue spying on him.

Rey doesn't dream of Kylo Ren - thank the stars - and suits up when they land on the planet.

She mentions to another suit. "That one's yours," she says to Sunn.

She sighs, but suits up. She's already talked to Anakin about hiding her face while they're near the space contested by the First Order.

"Won't have to do this for long. Not when we're with the Resistance."

She nods.

"Let's get this over with."

All suited up, Rey grabs her staff and then opens up the cargo bay. Hopefully, this won't take long at all.

They don't run into any problems on the ground, at least, and are able to get back into space without issue.

Sunn's tense, though. Worried.

Rey can feel it too.

"Do you wanna head up and man the laser? Just in case."

" - No."

"Any reason for that? You were a trooper, you know how to shoot a quad-laser."

She crosses her arms and looks away.

"I'm not going to kill people, and it's hard to shoot at ships without risking that."

Rey stares at her for a moment. "Okay. Come with me and be ready to take over if things start getting dicey. You okay with that?"

"...Sure."

"Do you have any other suggestions?" she asks not unkindly.

"Anakin should be able to find us in hyperspace, right? So just get to that as soon as we can."

"That's the plan. But it's always good to have a backup." She finishes getting out of the suit and heads into the cockpit. "Here we go."

She follows, settling in the co-pilot's seat.

"Ready."

Their feelings seem to have had some merit. Before they can go much of anywhere, a ship shows up on their screens and starts heading straight for them. 

...Crap.

Can they steer away? They're not able to go into hyperspace yet -

- Rey is already on it, trying to maneuver away -

They can try! They can also fail! This ship seems to be very determined to get right up close to them. It isn't firing, though, so there's that. 

"Fuck. I can't get away."

" - Looks like they're aiming to board us..."

She puts the ship on auto - and jumps out of the chair.

"Get ready. If you're not fighting, don't get in the way. Be safe."

"It's safer to hide, set up a trap. We don't know their numbers or capabilities, and a ship's a shit place to fight in."

"No time. Just - go someplace. If you have time, do that. I'm going to distract them. Hopefully, get the jump. Now move."

While they speak, the Falcon shakes lightly as the other ship latches onto it, the sound of the docking echoing throughout the ship.

She curses.

"I'll stand with you. I have my blaster - I'm not going to kill them, but I know how to subdue people."

"I can appreciate that. Come on, let's do this."

Another shake, as the Falcon lands, and then the lights flicker - and the ramp lowers, leaving their ship open to invasion. 

Sunn takes up her blaster, falling in behind Rey - following her lead.

The doors between them and the ramp open slowly, one after another, the occasional quiet clanging noise evidence of the boarders' progress. Eventually, there's only one door left between them. It slides open, revealing- 

A man, face craggy and careworn and hair long gone grey, but obviously still spry for his age, advancing into the room blaster-first, followed by-

A wookie, tall and strong and old, his age only increasing his great strength, holding a bowcaster.

Shit, a wookie. She stands before them and glares, staff ready.

"Get off. My ship."

"Your ship! Whaddya mean your ship. This is the Millennium Falcon, kid, anyone in the galaxy could tell you this old girl belongs to me." 

"And who are you, exactly?"

"The name's Han. Han Solo. Who's asking?" 

" - Han Solo as in the Resistance hero?"

"Han Solo, Leia's dead beat husband?"

He points at Sunn, "Not anymore," and then at Rey, "Debatable," and then he turns and stalks towards cockpit, sizing-up the state of his ship as he goes. 

"Hey - wait - if you're really Han Solo, the Han Solo, then you need to help us."

"I think we're doing fine without."

"Help you. Help you with what?" The words echo back through the ship, "Hmm, not bad," he adds more quietly, squinting up at the ceiling in the cockpit, "Where did you find her, anyway?" He also asks, raising his voice again.

"We have important information we're getting to General Leia. We don't know she'll talk to us right away, though."

"In a junk pile. I've been working on her for years."

"Huh." He heads back through the ship to get a second look at them, "Not a bad job," he tells Rey.

Then, to Sunn, "Important information? What kind of information are we talking about here." 

"Starkiller Base is ready to fire."

"...Ah, kriff." 

Suddenly, there's a thunking noise from outside the ship. 

"Ah, kriff, don't tell me one of them got loose-" He rushes off towards the ramp. 

" - One of what?!"

She follows.

Chewbacca turns aside from his glare-off with Rey to back up Han.

Rey does not growl and follows along behind him.

"What, exactly, are you doing here?"

"Rathars," he says, matter-of-fact. Down the ramp they go, and into the hangar of a massive hauler. "Hauling 'em for a job-" he heads for a nearby console and taps away at it, bringing up a bunch of images on the screen - some hallways, a couple shots of the outside of the ship. On one of the latter, a ship can be seen attached to the top of the hauler.

"Kriff!" He says again, yet more emphatically than the last two, "Chewie, it's those punks from Nantoon, they must have tracked us down." 

Chewie grumbles something uncomplimentary.

Which Sunn interrupts with a "So... We're leaving now, then?"

"We are," she says as she starts messing with the console herself. "Just as soon I bring down the shield that's keeping my ship here."

"Ohh no, you're not taking my ship anywhere without me, and do you know how many wupiupi I put into capturing those things?" He asks, reaching out and shutting down the console, "A lot, the answer is a lot. Chewie, watch them," and he starts off towards the door to the rest of the hauler.

Chewie would like to know what Han's plan is. If he has one.

"I've got a plan," he assures Chewie, "It's a great plan!"

Oh, really? Like what happened last time?

"What happened last time?"

"Nothing that bad," he turns back briefly to point at Chewie, "We made it out in one piece, didn't we?" Out the door he goes.

Okay technically...

"I am not reassured. Do I look reassured?" She follows after them.

"Exact opposite," Sunn says, also following.

Chewie spreads his arms. It's not his fault.

"What fault? There's no fault to be had. Nothing happened then, and nothing is going to go wrong this time. Now either come help me convince these lazerbrains to shove off, or find somewhere to hide." 

He's coming, he's coming.

Rey takes her staff and follows after them.

"What is a Rathar?"

"Nasty assholes with tentacles. Big."

"Hard to kill?" She asks Chewie. Directing that question to Sunn seems silly.

Very.

"Hard to capture, more to the point. King Prana wants 'em to show off." And to get rid of evidence. 

"...Right."

"How'd you capture them then?"

"Used to have a bigger crew than this. Took a lot of creativity, but we figured it out," he says. Vaguely. 

"That doesn't exactly fill me with confidence."

Rey raises an eyebrow. "And they left before the job was done?"

"Crews trying to kill rathars usually end up with high fatalities. Capture's worse."

"That," he agrees, "And, of course, when the credits ran out... The rest of them split." He can't even blame them. 

"Is credits running out why you're in trouble now?"

"Might be." 

"Are you two gonna help or are you just tagging along to ask awkward questions?"

"We're going to help - not that you're giving us much choice, with the whole taking my ship hostage."

"Keeping you from flying off in my ship, you mean."