#revan revelation

[sporadicsweetswitch]

Friend is still playing KOTOR for the first time Here are their thoughts so far....PART IV!! The Revea(n)l!!

PARTS HERE [1] [2][3][4][5]

1. Holy Sith! They finally got to the revelation about who Revan is and are so mad right now. Like fuming at the reveal, because they thought the plot was heading in a direction to make you think you were Revan and reveal you weren't. A red herring kind of situation.

2. Revan is still a Class A drama queen and deserves nothing less but pain for all the trouble they caused. Locked in a closet with HK-47 for longer than a year, kind of pain.

3. Malak at this point, he should give up right? Right. It's not like he's failed to do everything and is quite literally being held together by duck tape and spite.

4. Bastilla, babe, mind games aren't cool. They're fun and downright twisted, but not cool. Also, if you turn evil from a day with Malak due to his incompetence, no one would blame you.

5. Canderous continues to be the best Mandalorian by giving absolutely zero fucks about the situation.

6. Carth, my guy, my main man, my resident grouchy regular human who cannot be a space wizard. WTF do you mean let's talk later? I demand answers! There is no way you didn't know what Revan like without the mask when you served with them in the same fleet

7. Also, how does no one else bring it up that you look exactly like Revan the entire game? Like someone randomly could have come up to you and spilt the beans. Bastilla isn't with you the whole time to keep an eye on you, and Revan is one of the most (in)famous icons around. Someone would know what you look like without the mask, there'd be photos on the holonet or something at least!! What, did the jedi council splurge and get you plastic surgery?

[chaos-enchanted]

It’s a shame we never got to have companion comments for the SoR expansions. I mean I get why (especially when whoever my character has gotten with in the class story gets immediately cuckholded by the time I see Lana or Theron). But like, there’s so many companions I imagine would have some funny/memorable moments in SoR, the most obvious probably being Scourge, but also: - Tharan meeting Theron

- Talos absolutely losing his mind with excitement in Yavin (I know he does during the Alliance recruitment quest but still)

- Doc being disgusted yet intrigued by the Selkath experiments (he’d probably steal some tech if he can though, same with Tharan)

- The absolute drama that would go down between Jakarro and Qyzen (tbh you’d probably have to break up that fight)

- Someone (probably Theron) commenting on the smell from being stuck in a room with both Bowdaar AND Jakarro

- Kaliyo would probably just straight up quit, and if not I think she’d at least enjoy using the turret in the Rishi fp (same with Tanno Vik)

- Torian and Akaavi would also have an absolute whale of a time going after the Revanites

- Andronikos being pretty much at home on Rishi (he would 100000% enjoy the whole pirate ruse and definitely the outfit)

I know there are a heap of others and I’d love to hear what you think should also be added to the list!

[dairine-bonnet]

What if the Exile and Revan were on different sides of the Force? After Kotor 1, of course. And who says they have to be allies?! I can't stop thinking about that now...

[almostlookedhuman]

[dairine-bonnet]

Darth Malak's fingers tightly gripped Alexandra's chin, who was frozen in stasis against her will, lifting it up so that the eyes burning angrily with green flames met the narrowed yellow-blue eyes of the Sith lord.

"Puppet!" hissed a menacing metallic voice. The anger and hatred imbued with it would make anyone shiver. Malak wondered if Revan-Alex had actually flinched when she’d heard the poisonous word.

P.S. This is where the origin of the picture came from.:)

Another one piece for @dairine-bonnet !

[frogblast-the-ventcore]

How familiar are you with knights of the Old Republic by BioWare and Obsidian.

Back in the good old days of KOTOR 1 and 2, there was an implication that the main villain/Hero/Root cause of the game conflicts, Revan, turned to the dark side because he saw something in the outer rim of the galaxy. An empire of true Sith who would utterly crush the old republic and the Jedi one day and Revan turned to the dark side because he saw that militarizing the galaxy was the only way to survive the coming Sith onslaught. The implication was Kotor 3 was gonna be about finding these True Sith which terrified Revan and putting a stop to them with the True Sith being based off of the Shadows from babylon 5. Eventually, Kotor 3 became the Old Republic MMO and the True Sith turned out to basically be a Galactic Empire rip off with their own OP Gary Stue Palpatine rip off but that was obviously not what the True Sith where originally meant to be. The Lead Kotor writer heavily implied (IIRC) that they were trying to do a Galaxy scale equivalent of Malachor V based on all their talk about being based on the shadows from Babylon 5 and Kreia's talk of killing the force.

The True Sith in the original KOTOR III concept wanted to 'kill' The Force, silence the semi-sentient, pantheistic will forevermore, by turning every last planet in the Galaxy into a blood-drenched battlefield, a realm as traumatized as Malachor V. Bleeding the Force to its marrow by torturing the entire Galaxy to near-death. Since this concept was never acted upon, it's unclear if the end goal was to rule over the ashes, or simply leave the Galaxy in a state of perpetual war and suffering.

I would have made them eldritch abomination. Taking the red-skinned Sith Pureblood species as a baseline, then having them transfigured by the Dark Side over thousands of years into eldritch abominations. Acting as teachers and guides to others who would swear by the creed of "Power, at any cost."

A single True Sith might descend upon a world in the Outer Rim and be mistaken by the locals for a God. Every facet of their culture, religion, government and civil society would be bent and broken in the name of the Dark, a ruthless meritocracy where strength and cunning alone matter. When madness and utter selfishness has consumed a society in flames and internecine conflict, the Sith departs and starts again somewhere else.

Lower end of the spectrum, they'd be exceptionally powerful and mysterious dark side users appearing seemingly from nowhere, resembling a species thought to be extinct for millenia. Higher end of the spectrum they'd be godlike monsters, like Tenebrae or God-Emperor Sheev.

Considering they have thousands of years worth of unbroken knowledge and study with Sith Magic and Sith Alchemy I could see them being less like conventional Force users and more like Warhammer psykers in terms of Force bullshit they can do. Shit like detonating suns, moving moons with your mind and starting storms in hyperspace could all be within the ability of the higher-ups. I could also see the worlds of the true Sith being filled with Fabius Bile-esque abominations of flesh and bone given the special emphasis of the Sith on biological experimentation.

As for their aesthetic. I have been getting obsessed with Elden Ring lately so I think they should have a fromsoftware esque Dark Fantasy aesthetic. Ornate armour concealing… Something beneath their helmets, lightsabers wreathed in Eldritch darkness or even just regular blades and spears covered in dark side fire and lightning. Most of the underlings would still be vaguely humanoid but I see the higher ups being utterly insane in terms of appearance.

One thing to consider is that if these beings have been in the Unknown Regions/Extragalactic Void as far back as the time of Adas, embracing the Dark Side in all its forms and reveling in violence and destruction, there'd likely be … very few of them. A life devoted to the Star Wars equivalent of the Sword Logic is a lifetime of eternal winnowing, and after so many generations of constant competition and applying Sith Alchemy upon one's' own body, they'd be essentially unrecognizable.

And considering the emphasis of the Sith on embracing one's inner desires and transcending all limitations through acquiring power, how each True Sith appears and behaves would depend on the Sith Power in question. One might be a biomechanical horror, obsessed with pushing their physical form past all extremities of pain and euphoria, another might be a desiccated husk, allowing his body to wither away to focus on honing his mind into a weapon of mass destruction. This Empire would function a lot like the Hive, with lesser members tithing upwards to their superiors and so on, and the higher up you are in the chain the more freedom you have to modify the bodies and minds of yourself and your subordinates. There's be a veritable pantheon of a highly select number of Sith Lords that have essentially turned themselves into inhuman monsters over millenia, with Adas hovering somewhere above.

.

[alyssalenko]

Okay, so this is the first time I've decided to actually participate in Kinktober. I borrowed @starsandskies list (found here) and edited some of the Prompts to ones I know I can write well and ones that get me hot. If you want to use it, feel free (you can change whatever you want. These are mere guidelines), and if you want to tag me in the posts, that's okay too my tag is AlyssAlenkoKinktober if you want. 😀

I would love it if some of these were sent to me for (hopefully) little drabbles. The pairings I write are mainly:

sis!Ryder/Harry Carlyle

sis!Ryder/Liam Kosta

sis!Ryder/Reyes Vidal

Femshep/Kaidan Alenko

Femshep/Thane Krios

Femshep/Joker

Kaidan Alenko/Femshep/Joker

Aric Jorgan/F!Trooper

Doc/F!Jedi Knight

Vector Hyllus/F!Imperial Agent

Andronikos Revel/F!Sith Inquisitor

Carth Onasi/F!Revan

Atton Rand/F!Exile

Astarion/Tav

Halsin/Tav

Rolan/Tav

Asra Alnazar/MC

Muriel/MC

Julian Devorak/MC

Alistair/F!HOF

Anders/F!Hawke

Fenris/F!Hawke

Blackwall/F!Inquisitor

Cullen/F!Inquisitor

Solas/F!Inquisitor

And Fane/Sebille

But I'm open to other pairing requests and other kinks not listed! STAY SMUTTY Y'ALL!❤️ 🧡 💛 💚 💙 💜

[shrinkthisviolet]

Siv has asked your OCs to take care of her sphynx kitten, Delilah, while she's off doing... patricide stuff for a week. However, they warn that Delilah is a little menace who revels in causing problems on purpose, and she also requires very specific care because of her breed. Do your OCs accept? How does it go?

(Delilah pictured below)

*Siv and Delilah Thawne are Revan’s OCs! Read more about Siv here, and their cat Delilah here*

Ooh I think they’d accept! For different reasons:

Morgan’s not one to shrink from a challenge (and though she won’t say it outright, she supports Siv’s goals). She’d be frustrated at Delilah’s antics at first, but she’d warm up to her over time. Her apartment might be a disaster, but hey, she got Delilah to settle down for five minutes—she’s counting that as a success. Plus, she’s very meticulous, so she’d figure out how to care for Delilah properly.

Reyna would accept because she’s intrigued by Delilah. Nora’s more of a cat person, and they end up tag-team babysitting her, which helps keep either of them from totally wearing themselves out 😂

Lucy’s never interacted with a cat before, Delilah is basically an alien to her, and Lucy’s intrigued enough to take on the challenge. It…doesn’t go well. Sorry Lucy, Siv probably won’t be asking you to cat-sit again 😅

Amelia accepts because she’s lonely, and she figures babysitting a cat like Delilah might keep her busy enough to distract her from her grief (hopefully Siv asks when she’s living with the Octaviuses (in the early days specifically), and not one of her sucky foster families). It goes surprisingly well—Amelia figures out how to care for Delilah and even manages to befriend her. She tells Siv with no small amount of desperation that she’s always down to cat-sit again if needed.

Taglist (send an ask or DM to be added or removed):

@arrthurpendragon @ocappreciationtag @raith-way @vexic929 @ironverseocs

@thechaoticfanartist @goldheartedchaoticdisaster @negative-speedforce @dream-beyond-the-fantasy @starstruckpurpledragon

@angst-is-love-angst-is-life @miss-eli-starfleet

[lloyd283]

Today, I'd like to share my fanmade seasons of fortnite and how they'd link into the stories being told.

Season I: Escape Act

The last reality kidnap you to play their games in a simulation map, helmed by the dead Gabriel agreste, or known as Monarch. The gamemasters: the twisted seven members. Throughout the season, it weakens, and the miraculous play enough havoc to allow the power rangers to help save the day. For a season closer, we escape, and jones goes missing after using a miraculous.

Season II: Storm surge

On your new map, you must deal with an adapting storm, taking on tropical traits, bringing fan asked one piece over. To fit in with a fanmade Carmen sandiego movie, she'd feature and bring that ending into question as we learn a vile person's causing the weather changes. Luffy and carmen team up and a green rift spits a medieval person. Fit a jurassic world collab between seasons.

Season III: Avalon Calling

Douxie casperan arrives with merlin to help face a threat you can't see, slowly revealing to be a prisoner target for a sub faction. When the arcane order arrive again, they pull them back with themselves, but someone's arrived. And a seven member is revealed to still be alive.

Season IV: Corrupted

The visitor is back with a brand new look after facing cognito inc, and the corrupted queen, who King's causing a corrupted island. Dead end, ghostface, dr oddfellow, and Lloyd arrive during fortnitemares, and the glitch techs with Trollhunters face the plot of the corrupted king. An event over 6 days focuses on a Disney invasion of the king, ending with a Live, LIVE event. 60% of the island changes.

Season V: Omniversal

Randy cunningham, space beth and Walter white command this season as you face monthly boss fights from stank. For winterfest: Malicia and Soap mctavish for free with a fairy tale theme. February would bring more breaking bad, jade armor, nemesis and MINECRAFT over, ending with a move into next season.

Season VI: Double Feature

Vecna and the demon headmaster bring two sides to a tale. Vecna controls reality zero in side A, and you're pushing back his invasion. Side B brings the headmaster into view with a concerning twist and finale event.

Season VII: Reckoning

The herald returns with markliplier and darth revan (or stormkiller) joining as the headmaster's plan caused wrath's attention and a powerful mid season event that brings new light and revelations of the franchise. (That's all for now...)

[fishandloaves]

Quotes from Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords (2004) that altered my brain chemistry:

You see the war, the true war, has never been one waged by droids, or warships or soliders. They are but crude matter, obstacles against which we test ourselves. The true war is waged in the hearts of all living things, against our natures, light or dark. That is what shapes the galaxy, not these creatures of man. You are the battleground. And if you fall, the death of the Republic will be such a quiet thing, a whisper that shall herald the darkness to come. [Kreia]

It is like a cloud, a mist that drifts from living creature to creature, set in motion by currents and eddies. It is the eye of the storm, te passions of all living things turned to energy, into a chorus. It is the rising swell at the end of life, the promise of new territories and new blood, the call of new mysteries in the dark. [Kreia on the Force]

I would die first, and glady, to preserve you, untouched, unharmed. Now that I have found you, I cannot sacrifice what I have found. [Visas Marr]

If you're ever fighting someone who has the power over your mind, whether light or dark, play pazaak. Start listing hyperspace routes. Recite engine sequencers. And when they try to use their powers on you, suddenly it's not as easy as they thought. Because you'll be right here with me, playing pazaak, where they can't reach you... [Atton]

Do you wonder where she wanders now, Mandalore? Why she gave you your orders, then abandoned you at the edge of the galaxy? [Kreia, to Mandalore]

Mira: When the galaxy takes something from me, I want the power to let go... and I want the power to heal the echo when it's gone. Exile: < One can live their whole life with such echoes, Mira. But I can teach you to accept them. > Mira: That sounds alright, from where I'm standing.

The difference between a fall and a sacrifice is sometimes difficult, but I feel that Revan understood that difference, more than anyone knew. The galaxy would have fallen if Revan had not gone to war. [Kreia]

Revan was power. It was like staring at the heart of the Force. [Kreia]

Vrook: You were deafened Kreia: At last...you could hear Kavar: You were broken Kreia: You were whole Zez-Kai Ell: You were blinded Kreia: And at last...you saw.

It has taken time for me to return here, I lost my way, but I've been stronger for the journey. What happens now shall not be done out of hate, or revenge, but for the sake of all life. And I ask you, finally, to forgive me. This body is a prison no longer. [Visas Marr]

Perhaps you were expecting some surprise, fro me to reveal a secret that had eluded you, somethng that would change your perspective of events, shake you to your core. There is no great revelation, no great secret. There is only you. [Kreia]

[literary-illuminati]

Book Review 67 – Saint Death’s Daughter by C. S. E. Cooney

This is a book I’ve been vaguely aware of for a while, without really knowing anything about it beyond that it was getting a lot of positive buzz, but it got a WFA best novel nomination and that provided the impetus I needed to finally give reading it a try. And, well, I’ll be honest – this was a slog for me. If it had been half the size it would very likely be one of my favourite works of the year; as is the best way I can describe the reading experience is ‘slowly drowning in cotton candy’.

The book stars Miscellaneous ‘Lannie’ Stones, younger daughter of a declining noble house which has provided executioners and assassins to the royal family of Lariat since its founding, and generally but not lately provided necromancers as well. Lannie is the hope of the family, a necromantic prodigy (if one with a profoundly inconvenient allergy to violence that requires her isolation from the rest of the family and her raising by a bound revanent nanny and the dubiously trustworthy ghost of an ancestor). As the story opens, her parents have both died, and she’s been forced to write to her terror of an elder sister to come home as their debts are called due. She comes home with an enscrolled and deeply unwilling fiancee abducted during her studies. This, surprisingly, only takes up the first small chunk of the book, followed by a timeskip, the introduction of Lannie’s niece born in the interim, the elder sister dealing with the consequences of her seven-year campaign of bloody vengeance against the foreign court which murdered their parents, and the beginning of the actual plot.

I really did want to enjoy this book, and on the page-to-page level it was often somewhere between charming and delightful. But there were just so many pages, and so very little happening on most of them. After the timeskip the book spends something like 500 pages just leisurely meandering, stopping whenever anything catches its interest to spend half a page or three enthusiastically describing it. At a certain point the exuberant narration and playful vocabulary stop feeling delightful and start feeling like the author is somehow being paid by the word.

This is made all the odder by the fact that around the 80% mark the book suddenly realizes its got a bunch of problems to resolve and switches into an entirely different gear, rushing through revelations and resolutions like it’s on a deadline. Which apparently it was? The book ends with what feels like less of a sequel hook and more like a final hundred pages were chopped off the finished product by a longsuffering editor pushed past the brink.

So, the lion’s share of the book is interested less in plot than character dynamics and cute slice of moments. It’s very much a found family sort of narrative, delivered in an incredibly blunt fashion. Which definitely works for a lot of people, I’m sure, but everyone was so obviously written to be endearing and charming and fell into love of various sorts with each other so instantly it just left me cold, and more a bit bored.

This is a book with footnotes, and among those it feels pretty middle of the pack? Not doing anything particularly impressive with them, and they don’t have a real character or voice different from the rest of the book, but they’re a fun enough way to infodump a bunch of Stones family history (particularly all the ways different members have died).

Thematically...look, I’m aware this is entirely a personal pet peeve not shared by any particular audience, but the fact that Lannie’s whole life from infancy is being chosen as the beloved priestess of a goddess of death for one specific purpose, and that this is portrayed as an entirely benevolent, positive, and uplifting thing to have done at basically all points that it’s discussed just sets me on edge. There’s nothing really badly done about it, I’m just a contrary maltheist by nature and the book did basically nothing to allay that.

Generally – I don’t know, I’m not opposed to 700 page books (I’d be an utter hypocrite if I was. Almost certainly still am regardless), but I feel like being that long is a failing the book then has to justify? It should be obliged to do something with the length, if it’s going to demand so much of my time to wade through it. This didn’t really feel like it did.

[stellanslashgeode]

Back in the good old days of KOTOR 1 and 2, there was an implication that the main villain/root cause of the game conflicts, Revan, turned to the dark side because he saw something in the outer rim of the galaxy. An empire of true Sith who would utterly crush the old republic and the Jedi one day and Revan turned to the dark side because he saw that militarizing the galaxy was the only way to survive the coming Sith onslaught. The implication was Kotor 3 was gonna be about finding these True Sith which terrified Revan and putting a stop to them with the True Sith being based off of the Shadows from babylon 5. Eventually, Kotor 3 became the Old Republic MMO and the True Sith turned out to basically be a Galactic Empire rip off with their own OP Gary Stue Palpatine rip off but that was obviously not what the True Sith where originally meant to be. The Lead Kotor writer heavily implied (IIRC) that they were trying to do a Galaxy scale equivalent of Malachor V based on all their talk about being based on the shadows from Babylon 5 and Kreia's talk of killing the force.

The True Sith in the original KOTOR III concept wanted to 'kill' The Force, silence the semi-sentient, pantheistic will forevermore, by turning every last planet in the Galaxy into a blood-drenched battlefield, a realm as traumatized as Malachor V. Bleeding the Force to its marrow by torturing the entire Galaxy to near-death. Since this concept was never acted upon, it's unclear if the end goal was to rule over the ashes, or simply leave the Galaxy in a state of perpetual war and suffering.

I would have made them eldritch abomination. Taking the red-skinned Sith Pureblood species as a baseline, then having them transfigured by the Dark Side over thousands of years into eldritch abominations. Acting as teachers and guides to others who would swear by the creed of "Power, at any cost."

A single True Sith might descend upon a world in the Outer Rim and be mistaken by the locals for a God. Every facet of their culture, religion, government and civil society would be bent and broken in the name of the Dark, a ruthless meritocracy where strength and cunning alone matter. When madness and utter selfishness has consumed a society in flames and internecine conflict, the Sith departs and starts again somewhere else.

Lower end of the spectrum, they'd be exceptionally powerful and mysterious dark side users appearing seemingly from nowhere, resembling a species thought to be extinct for millenia. Higher end of the spectrum they'd be godlike monsters, like Tenebrae or God-Emperor Sheev.

Considering they have thousands of years worth of unbroken knowledge and study with Sith Magic and Sith Alchemy I could see them being less like conventional Force users and more like Warhammer psykers in terms of Force bullshit they can do. Shit like detonating suns, moving moons with your mind and starting storms in hyperspace could all be within the ability of the higher-ups. I could also see the worlds of the true Sith being filled with Fabius Bile-esque abominations of flesh and bone given the special emphasis of the Sith on biological experimentation.

As for their aesthetic. I have been getting obsessed with Elden Ring lately so I think they should have a fromsoftware esque Dark Fantasy aesthetic. Ornate armour concealing… Something beneath their helmets, lightsabers wreathed in Eldritch darkness or even just regular blades and spears covered in dark side fire and lightning. Most of the underlings would still be vaguely humanoid but I see the higher ups being utterly insane in terms of appearance.

One thing to consider is that if these beings have been in the Unknown Regions/Extragalactic Void as far back as the time of Adas, embracing the Dark Side in all its forms and reveling in violence and destruction, there'd likely be … very few of them. A life devoted to the Star Wars equivalent of the Sword Logic is a lifetime of eternal winnowing, and after so many generations of constant competition and applying Sith Alchemy upon one's' own body, they'd be essentially unrecognizable.

And considering the emphasis of the Sith on embracing one's inner desires and transcending all limitations through acquiring power, how each True Sith appears and behaves would depend on the Sith Power in question. One might be a biomechanical horror, obsessed with pushing their physical form past all extremities of pain and euphoria, another might be a desiccated husk, allowing his body to wither away to focus on honing his mind into a weapon of mass destruction. This Empire would function a lot like the Hive, with lesser members tithing upwards to their superiors and so on, and the higher up you are in the chain the more freedom you have to modify the bodies and minds of yourself and your subordinates. There's be a veritable pantheon of a highly select number of Sith Lords that have essentially turned themselves into inhuman monsters over millenia, with Adas hovering somewhere above.

I'm a big proponent of weird Sith stuff. Sith as Cenobites, do it you cowards. Sith initiation as limit experiences. Give them body modifications and mortification. Make them alien and totally philosophically misaligned with the Jedi, not just a breakaway sect. Have them be hiding out in the chaos just doing weird evil Sith shit.

[dairine-bonnet]

Revan: If you don't remember who you really are or don't want to admit it, how can you fix your mistakes made in the past properly, hmmm?

I devote it to one episode in the game. After crashing on Lehon there's a conversation with all the crew members. Jolee namess the main character Revan while talking about Bastila, and there are two possible options in reply:

1) Don't call me that! I'm not Revan anymore.

2) If Bastila joined Malak, then she'll suffer the same fate he does.

They are both absolutely wrong for my Revan. At this stage, she admits she is Revan, not that false identity. But she has no intention to talk about Bastila (and Malak too, I guess) like that either! Personally, I think it would be a little bit unhealthy for Revan to deny her true identity at that time.

P.S. Despite that, this is literally my favourite computer game. I find it inspirational, fascinating, exciting and almost ideal! Funny fact: I was inspired to write fics and learn English thanks to that game! 20th anniversary... OMG! Yeah, I'm rather old, can't believe it!:D Ha, my favourite moment from the game is still Revelation. I've recently played the game and somehow was shocked when Darth Malak appeared in front of you on the Leviathan at the time when freedom became to seem real (and the whole discussion is something)!

[stargazer-liz]

Serendipity (Poe Dameron x Original Female Character) Chapter IV: A Reminder of the Past

Masterlist

The planet D'Qar, Outer Rim, 34 ABY

"You're alive. I can't believe it, you're alive."

Yeah, she was. Obviously. Why wouldn't she be?

"Finn buddy, I think you need to sit down. Did you hit your head or something?" Poe pointed to an empty seat at their table, feeling genuine concern for his friend. The pilot had no idea what was going on but neither did Finn, he thought. At least that's what it looked like. 

That seemed to shake him out of his shock and the former stormtrooper hurried towards them, not caring about his abandoned tray. Once he had sat down, the cafeteria went back to minding their own business, sensing that this was personal. 

"I'm sorry, do I know you?" Sora asked, not meaning to sound rude. Pure confusion was all she felt as she tried to remember where she had seen him before. Despite her efforts, nothing came to mind.

Finn looked her up and down, searching for something only he knew. As if sensing it made her uncomfortable, he cleared his throat and locked eyes with her. There was a warmth in his brown eyes she had never seen before and she briefly wondered how this person could have ever been a stormtrooper to begin with. "I'm sorry," he quickly said. "You probably won't remember me. You know, with the white helmet and armor."

"You have to be a bit more specific. I've seen many stormtroopers in my life." 

"Right, of course." Clearing his throat once again, he leaned forwards, lowering his voice. "It's just that the last time I saw you, I used every last bacta patch we had on you. Still, I had no idea whether it was going to be enough. You were basically dead already."

Suddenly, something clicked in her head. The pieces fit together perfectly. Her mouth fell open slightly and she blinked at Finn, taking time to process this revelation. "It was you. You saved me. But...how?"

None of her friends dared to speak. They were all much too engrossed in the conversation between the smuggler and the newest member of the Resistance. "It wasn't easy. Had to hide you with our cargo to get you onto the ship. I knew the escape pods were the only place no one would bother checking, so I healed you there as best as I could. When we were over Jakku, I tricked the systems, so that your escape pod could leave undetected," Finn explained, sparing Poe a quick glance. The pilot had been listening intently, gazing at him with a proud smile. "I wasn't sure you had made it safely. Not until now."

Sora didn't know how to answer. She was rendered speechless. The smuggler knew she had to thank him but couldn't find the right words. 

It was Revan's turn to speak. He crossed his arms over his chest, eyeing Finn with an unknown emotion. "So you were there. On Atrisia. Why did you choose to go back for her?"

"I suppose the same reason why you deserted. Because I was sick of the blood on my hands."

Revan nodded, easily believing the answer. "You did the right thing."

Poe smacked Finn's shoulder, grinning widely. "Completing my mission and saving Sora's life? You're awesome, buddy."

Finn appreciated the compliment, albeit a bit unsurely. Sora could see that he wasn't convinced. The way he was bouncing his knee and his fingers fumbled with his jacket told her that he didn't feel comfortable at all. Like he was only waiting for an opportunity to jump to his feet and sprint out of here. 

Clearly, something was bothering him.

"Thank you Finn. Without you I wouldn't be here. I won't forget that." And she meant it. She would forever be in his debt. 

The group was interrupted by See-Threepio. The golden protocol droid came rushing straight for their table, a great urgency in his every step. "Master Dameron, Team Phoenix and Master Finn, the General wishes to see you immediately. You will have to follow me, please."

The group shared a worried look with each other but instantly complied, hurrying after the droid who was surprisingly quiet on the whole way. He led them into the conference room where the members of the Resistance' inner circle were already waiting. Guess that meant her team was important now as well.

They huddled around an unfamiliar hologram which caused dread to rise in Sora. Out of the corner of her eyes, she barely recognized Han Solo, the most famous smuggler in the galaxy. Right, BeeBee-Ate had shortly mentioned him as well this morning. She'd seen him before, in Mos Eisley, but the encounter had been so brief she doubted he remembered her.

"Starkiller base," Poe explained, his arm brushing against hers. "The scan data from Snap's reconnaissance flight confirms Finn's report."

Sora tried to soak in all of the new information, biting her bottom lip in concentration.

A middle aged man wearing the familiar orange pilot suit spoke up. The brown curls on his head bounced as he nodded at Poe. According to the tag on his vest, his name was Temmin Wexley, or 'Snap' Poe had called him, and he was a member of the Blue Squadron. "They've somehow created a hyper lightspeed weapon built within the planet itself."

"A laser cannon?" A male officer called Brance asked.

Sora thought it looked much more frightening than a laser cannon. No, this was surely something bigger.

Snap shared her thoughts. "We're not sure how to describe a weapon of this scale."

"Another Death Star?" Someone mumbled, causing the atmosphere to darken instantly. This was not good. Not good at all. When Sora meant she was looking for an adventure, this was certainly not what she had imagined. Not that it mattered anymore. She was in for good now anyways. 

Next to her, Poe let out a sigh, angling his body closer to hers, purely out of instinct. "I wish that were the case, Major Ematt." He hit a control button and a wireframe of the Death Star appeared before them. "This was the Death Star." The pilot hit another button and the gargantuan space station shrunk and shrunk, growing smaller until it was nothing but a tiny satellite of a huge planet. "This is Starkiller Base."

The news left everyone stunned. Sora exhaled deeply, the somber atmosphere beginning to affect her. How much had been sacrificed before they were able to destroy the Death Star, many years ago? She vaguely remembered her mother telling her tales of the Rebellion, of Rogue One. Tales of the brave Jyn Erso and Cassian Andor who, along with their small crew, had willingly sacrificed their lives for a slice of hope. 

This thing, however, was so much bigger. And right now, it was slowly draining any hope they had left.

The deep voice of Han Solo broke the silence, the famous smuggler appearing very nonchalant. "So it's big." 

"How is it possible to power a weapon of this size?" Admiral Ackbar dared to ask what so many of them were thinking.

On her other side, Revan's posture tensed. She supposed that given his past, he likely knew more than they did and could only assume it was nothing pleasant. But it was Finn who opened his mouth first. "It uses the power of the sun. As the weapon is charged, the sun is drained until it disappears."

A weapon using the whole power of one sun? Yeah, they were screwed. 

She felt Revan's hot breath tickle her ear as he leaned down to whisper. "I'd heard the rumors but never knew they were actually building it. They could destroy entire systems with this."

Sora hummed but said nothing. There was nothing to be said that made this any better.

Suddenly, the doors burst open and an officer made a beeline for Leia who had been a silent observer so far. He handed her a data card and her face consorted in worry as she read it. "The First Order. They're charging the weapon again, now." A pause, then everyone's heart sank to the floor. "Our system is the next target." 

"Oh my, without the Republic Fleet, we're doomed," See-Threepio stated the obvious.

It was foolish to think they could stand a chance against a weapon this size. Sora knew the Resistance didn't have enough members, enough firepower to go against the First Order. Not in this case. But there had to be something they could do. Anything. 

It occurred to her then, that it was very much possible Kylo Ren had brought Rey to Starkiller Base. Very likely, actually. Which meant that one way or another, it would be her next destination as well. Why not blow the whole thing up during the process as well? Surely, if they could sneak on base, they could find a way to destroy it from the inside. Every weapon had a weakness, just like the Death Star had one, thanks to Galen Erso.

Poe glanced towards her, his eyes momentarily stuck on the lip between her teeth. He could practically see the gears working in her head. There was no doubt she was planning something. Much like him, she didn't seem like to type to give up. "You alright, princess?" He whispered, leaning down to her ear. 

But Sora was deep in thoughts and only nodded, not quite registering his words. 

Did she have to bite her lip like that? It was incredibly tempting to raise his thumb and gently...no, this wasn't the time for this. Instead, he told himself he just didn't want her hurting herself. Yeah, that was it. One hundred percent.

A tiny spark against his calf shook him out of his thoughts and Poe hissed softly. One look down and BeeBee-Ate stared back at him, tilting his dome head as if scolding him.

"Okay, how do we blow it up? There's always a way to do that." Typical Han Solo thoughts. Poe liked it. Sora agreed as well.

She hoped Revan might have an idea but he stayed silent and shared an unsure look with Finn instead. The smuggler realized that Finn's knowledge vastly surpassed her crewmate's. After all, Revan had left the First Order a couple of years ago. Years in which they had improved their military devices by a lot.

Surprisingly, it was Leia who openly agreed with her husband, catching even him off guard. "Han's right."

"In order for that amount of power to be contained, that base would need some kind of thermal oscillator," Revan voiced his thoughts, his gaze darting back to Finn in question.

Said man nodded in agreement, fingers already working on the hologram. He zoomed in on something and a giant hexagonal structure appeared. "There is one. Precinct 47. Here. If we can destroy that oscillator, it might de-stabilize the core and cripple the weapon." 

"Maybe even the planet...," Nyra mumbled lowly but everyone heard her nonetheless.

Poe liked where this was going. They had hope again, even if it was small. "So we'll go in there and we'll hit that oscillator with everything we got." He snuck a look at Sora, silently hoping to get her on board. 

The woman in question felt his stare and turned her head in his direction, their brown eyes locking. Shivers crawled across his skin, her warm breath fanning against his face. He found the answer he wanted instantly. Sora wasn't a fan of many words, that much he had gathered already. Lips pulling into an excited smile, she quickly sent him a nod. Sora liked his idea. He couldn't deny that it boosted his ego. Even though it was the only idea they had anyways.

"They have defensive shields that our ships cannot penetrate," Admiral Ackbar objected.

Han was quick to defend the plan. "We disable the shields." He turned to Finn. "Kid, you worked there. What do you got?"

He missed a single beat. Then: "I can do it."

But Sora still noticed him squirming. He wanted to go to Starkiller Base, she was sure. But she knew when someone was hiding something. After all, it was part of her job.

Han grinned, happy with his reply. "I like this guy."

But Finn wasn't done talking yet. "I can disable the shields. But I have to be there, on the planet."

Sora had to seize the opportunity. It was her only chance to save Rey.

"We'll get you there." Han and her said simultaneously and their gazes instantly snapped towards each other. Calculations were done in their heads before they silently came to an agreement. He wouldn't undermine her. They were both smugglers and they would need more people on the ground anyways.

Nyra and Revan stepped closer towards her, their own way of showing everyone they would follow Sora's command. 

Leia was sceptical, doubts clouding her mind. "Han, how?"

Sora had an idea but so far, she only knew that it worked in theory. As the more experienced smuggler, she hoped Han had practical experience. And it seemed like she was right. "If I told you, you wouldn't like it."

Poe clapped his hands, already moving the plan into motion inside his head. "Great. So we disable the shields, take out the oscillator and blow up their big gun. All right. Let's go!"

*****

The Millennium Falcon was old and had obviously seen its best days. Yet, Sora admired the freighter, almost feeling the stories it told. It truly was a legendary ship and she had only ever dreamed of being on board. Any young smuggler had. Now, her dreams were about to become true.

"Chewie, check that donal capitator. C'mon, let's go." Han watched the wookie disappear inside the ship. They were preparing for take-off, making sure they had everything they would need for their daring mission. "Finn, be careful with those. They're explosives."

Finn who had been busy filling their storage with the tiny but, unbeknownst to him, deadly devices, flinched, almost loosing hold of them. "Now you tell me?" He asked incredulously.

"Here, let me help you," Sora offered, carefully picking up some of the explosives as well. Finn thanked her, staring at her a bit longer than necessary. Now was her time to ask what had been nagging at her. Nyra and Revan were busy doing some last minute repairs whilst Han had walked off to talk to Leia. They were alone, out of earshot. "You're not doing this for the Resistance, aren't you?" It wasn't a question but a statement.

Finn knew lying was useless. "No. I'm doing this for Rey."

Now, that did surprise her. Or did it really? It was no secret Finn had accompanied Rey for a few days. Had they grown closer during that time? Whatever they had gone through, it had clearly left a lasting impression on him. 

"Then we have at least one common goal," she pointed out, safely putting the explosives into some crates on board, making sure they were tightly secured. 

"You and Rey are friends?" Finn was confused, raising his eyebrows. 

"She was the one who found me on Jakku. I owe her a lot."

"I understand. So can I count on you?" 

Sora tilted her head, giving him the 'are you serious' look. "Of course. But I'm doing this for the Resistance too. We need to destroy that weapon. Can I count on you��as well?"

Finn hesitated a beat too long. "Yes."

If it came down to it, he would choose Rey over anything, she was sure of it. To some extent, she could even understand it. Rey had likely been the first person who had shown some kindness to him. Finn had a lot to learn about himself, a normal process for someone who, until recently, knew nothing but what the First Order had wanted him to. Sora thought that over time, he would become an independent person and would know exactly what he truly wanted do achieve in life. Who he would want to become.

"Hey!" The new voice greeted them as soon as they stepped outside. Poe came to a halt in front of them, wearing his bright orange pilot suit, BeeBee-Ate by his side. The droid needed to stay with him today, despite their bet. His X-Wing needed him. 

The pilot smiled at them, although it looked a bit strained. He clasped Finn's shoulder, giving it a soft squeeze. "Take care of yourself, buddy. I don't want anything to happen to my jacket." He winked at him and then let his hand fall against his side again. His smiled softened, growing more tender as he locked eyes with Sora. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

Sora nodded, walking around the Falcon with Poe to isolate them as best they could. BeeBee-Ate stepped back, opting to confuse Finn with his chirping and beeping. 

They stopped just outside the jungle, the thicket of trees, bushes and other plants hiding them from curious eyes. Facing each other, they stood close enough so that Sora had to tilt her head backwards a little to look into his eyes.

"Be careful out there, okay?" There was a certain strictness in his expression she hadn't seen before. It was an order, she realized. 

She had the urge to soothe his apparant concern. "Don't worry. I'm a smuggler. Sneaking safely in and out of something is kinda what I do best." 

She knew there was very much a possibility of her not making it out alive. They were talking about entering a huge First Order base after all. A place not only guarded by hundreds of stormtroopers but also by Kylo Ren. The chances they wouldn't make it out alive were significantly higher than those for surviving.

Poe was all too aware of that as well. He too could fly his X-Wing one last time tonight. 

But they had to believe in themselves. In their abilities. The First Order couldn't take that away from them too. Both of them were too stubborn to let that happen.

The pilot watched her silently, contemplating what he wanted to say to her. He wasn't thinking about any famous last words because he was sure this wouldn't be their last conversation. At least, that's what he told himself. 

In the end, he simply allowed his mouth to say whatever it wanted. "You and me, princess. Tomorrow evening. Meet me here just after sunset."

Sora wasn't quite sure she had heard him correctly. Still, she went along, noticing the tiny jump her heart had made. "Are you asking me on a date, Poe Dameron?"

"Yes," he admitted shamelessly without hesitation. The pilot wanted to get to know her better. Wanted to know what she liked doing when she was not working. He wanted to know where she had grown up, how she had become a smuggler. 

Did she want this? Poe had been nothing but good to her since they had met. He had trusted her from the beginning, had shown that he cared about her. She had already admitted she liked talking and spending time with him. So, why not try and see where else this could lead to? Find out if they shared more than their love for flying and being free? Sora liked taking risks, so why not take this one?

"Okay." Confidence filled her voice and the smile on her lips was real and honest. "See you tomorrow then."

Poe grinned widely, clearly happy that she had agreed. Not that he had expected a different outcome, to be honest. "See you tomorrow."

*****

The planet Ilum, Unknown Regions, 34 ABY

"So, how are we getting in?"

The crew of the Falcon stared at Ilum, an ice planet in the Unknown Regions. Many years ago, this planet was mined for kyber crystals by the Empire. Now, it was the host of Starkiller Base. 

From up in space, the planet was a grey and white mass, cut in two halves by a giant trench the First Order had dug. Overall, it wasn't a very inviting place. 

Sora peeked over Chewie's shoulder, taking a look at the data shown on a little screen in the cockpit. She raised her brows, concluding what they were about to do in order to get past the planet's shields. "Their shields have a fractional refresh rate. Keeps anything traveling slower than lightspeed from getting through. Which leaves us with only one way to get this done."

From his pilot seat, Han sent her a dry smile. "Park here's right. You better strap in tight."

"We're gonna make our landing approach at lightspeed?!" Finn yelled, looking at them as if they were crazy. 

Indeed, it was a crazy maneuver. The ship could crash into anything before they would even see it coming. But they had no other choice.

"That's exactly what we'll do. Alright Chewie, get ready." Han pushed multiple buttons on the console, waiting for Chewie to prepare the Falcon for lightspeed. 

The cockpit was crammed with Nyra and Revan sharing a seat by the door and Sora and Finn sitting closely huddled together behind Chewie. Strapping the seatbelt proved to be an almost impossible task, with Finn's butt basically sitting on where she needed to secure it. But with a little help from each other, they managed to make do, their thighs tightly pressed together.

"And now!" 

Instantly, the light blue around them switched to planet atmosphere. Snowy, rocky ground appeared in front of them and a thick forest made out of tall pinewood trees threatened to swallow them whole. 

Adrenaline surged through her veins as Han yanked the steering back as far as it could go. "I'm pulling up!" He screams. She loved flying but she was glad she wasn't in his seat.

It was too late. The Falcon plowed through the trees, thick wooden branches smacking against the exterior. Alarms began to blare and multiple red lights blinked all over the consoles. Finn grabbed her hand and squeezed it tightly as they were thrown around in their seats. Sora felt the strain the constant movement brought upon her still healing ribs and she groaned softly. Behind her, Revan whooped in ecstasy and Nyra slapped a hand over his mouth to stop him.

"I get any higher, they'll see us," Han explains and Chewie groans, clearly not liking this either.

Suddenly, the Falcon hurtled out of the forest and dove right onto a clearing. Before Han could steer it upwards, it slammed straight into the snow, digging through hundreds of yards of white. They were thrown against their seatbelts and multiple pained groans filled the cockpit. When the ship finally came to a stop, it was nearly completely buried in snow. 

Everyone needed a moment to clear their minds and slow down their heart rate. Finn sheepishly loosened his hold on her hand. "Sorry," he mumbled, clearing his throat. 

Sora only flexed her hand in response and wiped the sweat onto her pants. "S'okay."

Revan was the first back on his feet, stretching his arms into the air. "Well, that was fun. Think you can do that too, Sora? Could be a fun way to have a good time with the Phoenix."

The smuggler rolled her eyes and looked at him as if he was crazy. "Don't even think about doing that with my ship."

"Alright, party pooper, alright." He raised his hands in defeat, springing to the side to avoid Nyra's elbow which had been on direct route to his stomach. 

Han shared an annoyed look with Sora. "Is he always like that?"

"Unfortunately."

Chemie let out a series of groans she couldn't understand. But there was no need to, for he was already shoving a fur-lined jacket into her arms. A sign that they had wasted enough time and needed to leave.

Only minutes later, they stomped through the snow, jackets zipped up straight to their chins. It was freezing and Sora wished she had put on a sweater underneath her jacket. Even the fur couldn't fully prevent the cold from reaching her skin.

"This is the first time I'm seeing snow," Nyra said, rubbing her hands together. "I hate it."

Revan snorted, throwing his arm over her shoulder. "Don't worry, I'll warm you up when we're back." An indignant groan from Chewie was the answer. 

"Walkers ahead! Take cover," Han ordered, leading the group towards some sort of structure belonging to the base. 

"The flooding tunnels are over that ridge. We'll get in that way," Finn explained, letting his gaze wander across the various structures half buried in snow.

"What was your job when you were based here?" Han didn't seem convinced at all. Sora couldn't fault him. She knew Finn's sole goal was to get Rey and she highly doubted he had any plan about their actual mission at all. He had just needed a way to get on planet. 

"Sanitation." 

Oh, she actually felt bad for him for a second.

Han was in disbelief. "Sanitation. Then how do you know how to disable the shields?"

"He doesn't," Sora said, leaning against the structure behind her. "He just wants to save Rey. Which I want as well, by the way. So we need to find a way to do both."

Finn nodded. "What she said."

The legendary smuggler didn't know whom he wanted to smack first, looking from Sora to Finn and back. "People are counting on us. The entire galaxy is counting on us-"

"Hey, we'll figure it out. We'll find a way to disable those shields first. But I'm not leaving my friend here. We're enough people , we'll make do."

"Shields first, then your friend," Revan agreed, voice hard and leaving no room for argument, as if stating the obvious. 

"Captain's orders." Nyra shrugged her shoulders, grinning at Sora.

I can definitely get used to this, she thought. This new team of hers.

Chewie's groans and moans interrupted their conversation. In disbelief, Han addressed him, being the only one in their group to understand Wookie language. "Oh really, you're cold?"

Well, if the Wookie with all of his hair was cold, then Sora was slowly turning into an ice block herself. The longer they didn't move, the slower their warm blood was pumped through their bodies. Moreover, her boots weren't exactly made for Ilum's environment, causing her to loose feelings her toes. 

Apparently, Finn felt the same. "C'mon, follow me. We need to go. Fast."

Wordlessly, the group of smugglers followed him, trudging through the snow. Behind them on the horizon, the laser siphon was shooting into the sky, slowly sucking the sun dry. Not much longer and the Starkiller would have gained all of its power.

It didn't take them long to enter the base. Before they knew it, they were sneaking through empty corridors with raised blasters, hoping to not encounter any enemies. Ahead of them, a door swooshed open, revealing a shocked stormtrooper. Chewie shot him before the shock could even fully register, dragging his dead body out of sight immediately. Sora doubted he was the last one they would cross paths with. How likely was it that they had cameras everywhere? Maybe more patrols were already on their way to them. She tried not to dwell on that.

Han shared her thoughts."The longer we're here, the less luck we're going to have. The shields?"

Suddenly, Finn perked up, a new plan through his mind. "I have an idea about that."

"Not sure I like that look on your face, man," Revan declared. "But whatever, I guess."

"Why, don't tell me you're never wanted to have Captain Phasma as your puppet?"

That name did elicit a reaction. Lips stretching into a smirk, Revan changed his opinion instantly. "Shiny chromehead? Oh, you should have started with that. Let's go, what are you waiting for."

Sora briefly remembered having heard that name on Atrisia two years ago. However, the Captain hadn't been actually present back then, so she had no idea whom they were about to walk into. 

But Finn and Revan were already setting their plan into motion, giving orders to the rest of the group. Han wasn't quite happy with it but for the sake of the mission, he went along without complaining.

Quietly, they headed down a narrow corridor. It ended in a cross section and they pressed themselves against the wall in a row, listening and waiting. Footsteps echoed through the corridor to their right. A single pair. Easy to overtake. 

Chewie got in position and mere moments later, he had his arms around a woman whose body was covered from head to toe in shiny chrome armor. 

"Remember me?" Finn asked with confidence and something akin to pride. 

"FN-2187," Captain Phasma answered, voice devoid of any emotion.

Shivers danced across Sora's skin. This time not because of the cold but entirely due to the woman in front of her. There was something off-putting about her. Like her presence alone could suck the life out of you. This one was worse than Hux, she decided then and there.

Speaking of him... she hadn't even thought about the fact that the General was most likely here somewhere as well. Maybe she would get another opportunity to sink her knives into him after all. 

"My name's Finn. And I'm in charge now, Phasma. I'm in charge." 

Sora had never seen Finn so self-assured, so sure of his abilities. Perhaps for the first time in his life, he had the upper hand. 

And he wasn't finished. "Remember Revan here? Yep, he's here too. And you're gonna follow our orders this time. Follow us."

Phasma reluctantly complied, having no choice but to lead the group straight to the control access point. Multiple pair of blasters were aimed at her head as her fingers worked on the controls. The young smuggler stayed back, guarding the door in case anyone decided to wander by. She tapped one boot against the floor in a steady rhythm. There wasn't much time left. They had to hurry and find Rey. Maker knew what Kylo Ren was doing to her at the very moment.

Behind her, Phasma was taking her sweet time. "You're making a big mistake."

"Do it. Now. Or I'll blast that bucket off your head," Finn threatened, stepping even closer, blaster pressing into the helmet.

A robotic voice sounded from the workstation. "Shields disabled."

Sora didn't dare to turn around. Instead, she gripped her blaster tighter. Surely, the message must have popped up in the main base control room as well. It was only a matter of time until someone would notice and send for them. "We can't waste anymore time if we want to find Rey," she reminded her teammates. Poe and his squadrons were likely already on their way to destroy the super weapon with all of their firepower.

It was Phasma who answered. "You can't be so stupid as to think this will be easy. My troops will storm this block and kill you all."

"We'll simply kill them first," the young woman replied, sparing her a quick glance over her shoulder. "What do we do with her?"

Han was reminded of the past. They needed something worse than immediate death. Something much more sinister. "Is there a garbage chute? Trash compactor?"

*****

"You guys do know she's probably gonna survive this." Nyra pointed out as they were approaching another corridor. Phasma had called them all sorts of names when they dumped her down a garbage chute. 

"Maybe. But her surrounded by all of that trash...," Finn began, motioning for them to wait by a door. It was locked from the other side. "It was worth it, no matter what happens."

"So we're gonna blast that door open?" Sora asked, glancing at the duffel bag filled with explosives Chewie was carrying. "Cause that's gonna draw attention. We could be overrun in a minute."

Finn nodded. "I'll go in and draw fire. But I'm gonna need you to cover me." 

The young smuggler saw it again. He was restless, eyes everywhere but on any of them. He definitely wasn't ready for his own plan. "Finn, let me do this," she offered, taking a step forwards, blaster raised.

"No. I'll go in and find Rey. The troopers'll be on our tail. We have to be ready for that. There's an access tunnel that'll lead-"

Recognition flashed through Han's eyes, catching Sora's attention. Curiously, she followed his gaze and was not disappointed by what she saw.

There, through the window behind Finn's back, a young woman was climbing up the wall. Her white and beige attire was all too familiar for the smuggler. The corners of her lips lifted into a smile, relief flooding her body. 

Rey was alive. And smart enough to have found her own escape. One less problem to worry about for the group. 

"Why are you doing that? Where are you looking at? I'm trying to come up with a plan here. Hey, Sora, I thought you wanted to find Rey too, what-"

Finally, Finn turned around, sick of Han constantly nodding his head. He could hardly believe what he saw, his mouth opening and closing quickly. Chewie groaned happily, all but punching the unfortunate Revan next to him against his back in the process. The latter coughed uncontrollably in response, wincing in pain. "Really, dude? Thanks a lot," he managed to squeeze out but accepted the moaned apology by the Wookie nevertheless.

Sora sighed, feeling one weight less on her shoulders. Sure, Rey wasn't quite safe yet but she was halfway there already. Suddenly, the ground shook almost unnoticeably. No doubt, the Resistance X-Wing pilots, including Poe, were doing their job. "Let's meet up with her."

Finn didn't have to be told twice. With him and Sora at the front, the group made their way up, reaching the corridor the scavenger had climbed up to. The base was surprisingly empty. Apparently, the First Order really thought no one was crazy enough to try to bypass their shields. 

Sora barely had time to stop herself from pulling the trigger when out of the blue, a blaster was pointing at her face. But when she locked eyes with Rey, both blasters were lowered immediately. 

"Sora?!" It was more of a question than an observation. The scavenger couldn't believe what she was seeing.

Anchoring her blaster in the holster around her hips, the smuggler pulled her into a quick hug which was happily returned. When they had let go of each other again, Sora checked her for injuries but thankfully couldn't find any. "Are you okay?"

Still speechless, Rey simply nodded, gaze traveling to her companions. It stopped on a certain former stormtrooper who was staring at her wide-eyed. "Finn. What are you guys doing here?"

"We came back for you," Finn answered and wanted nothing more than to hug her. However, he deemed it neither the right place nor time. 

"Long story short," Sora opted to elaborate. "We're with the Resistance and we're about to blow up this whole place. But how did you manage to escape Kylo Ren?"

There were tears in Rey's eyes, happy tears. Sora had never seen the scavenger express so many emotions at once. Suddenly, she was like an open book. Her longing for love was visible on her every pore. In this moment, right here, right now, Rey had realized that she didn't need her parents. That she had friends who were taking care of her. 

"I can't explain it. And you wouldn't believe it either." She smiled wholeheartedly. "Thank you."

The ground shook once again, this time much more noticeable. "No time for sentiments. Let's get out of here," Revan interrupted their reunion, cutting it short. 

"We'll talk later." Sora promised, squeezing Rey's hand before they retraced their steps, leaving the building and its endless grey behind. 

Yet, something felt wrong. Once they had stepped back outside, snow crunching underneath their boots, they saw just how terrible their mission was going. 

X-Wings were roaring across the sky, desperately dodging the brutal TIE-Fighter attacks. Missiles were fired, some hitting its mark others failing miserably. With dread and sadness, Sora noticed some starfighters were nowhere to be found. They were loosing, that much was obvious. The Starkiller Base had barely been damaged but their squadrons had already suffered too many losses. How much more could they take? She found herself exhaling softly when she spotted the familiar black X-Wing soaring up high on the horizon. 

The young woman felt a pair of eyes on her and turned towards the culprit. "They're in trouble. We can't leave," Han stated, waiting for her reaction. He knew they were thinking the same. 

Sora nodded, taking a peek at the duffel bag Chewie was carrying. "We're gonna make use of those explosives. We need to weaken the whole structure of the oscillator." Pointing at Nyra and Revan, she explained the plan. "You two, make sure the Falcon is ready to leave. Finn, Rey, you need to find a way to open the doors of the oscillator structure. Han, Chewie and I will place the explosives."

"Sure, Captain. Take care." Revan agreed, dragging Nyra along. The older woman gave her an encouraging smile. 

"Kick their asses, alright?" Rey said, winking at Sora before she too took off with Finn. 

"That's a promise," she managed to reply. It was good to have her back. 

Han and his Wookie companion took her straight to a maintenance hatch leading into the structure containing the oscillator. Three stormtroopers were approaching it as well but the three smugglers made quick work with them, each easily taking down one white-armored soldier. 

The hatch opened with a hissing sound, telling them Rey and Finn had done their job. No time was wasted and they barreled straight inside just as an alarm started blaring. "Not good," Sora grumbled. "We need to hurry. I'm going up, you take the lower levels. We meet back up here."

Dividing the explosives, the smugglers took off in different directions. The oscillator room was a huge cylindrical structure consisting of multiple levels from each of which you could look down onto a long catwalk in the middle, floating over a deep chasm. Darkness was everywhere, making seeing particularly hard. 

Sora carefully placed the explosives on every second column on her level. Every now and then, she heard Chewie groaning whenever he had successfully placed one as well. Nothing was suspicious, until a shout echoed through the room. "Ben!" It was Han. 

The young smuggler didn't have time to peek over the railing and see what was going on. Who Ben was. For there was another voice and it was much too close for her liking. The small hairs on the back of her neck stood up and a wave of anger surged through her. 

"I should have known you aren't dead."

Even before she turned around, she knew who was behind her by the voice alone. Hux hadn't changed since she had last seen him. The red haired General was still sporting his black robes and his ever present sneer on his face. 

Sora smirked, shrugging her shoulders. Whilst she had been kind of looking forwards to this moment, now really wasn't a good time. "I guess this means you need to train your troopers to approve their aim."

Hux scoffed, blaster aimed at her. "Well I can promise you I won't miss." 

He fired. 

But Sora was faster, having anticipated it. Villains never understood that less talking is the way to victory. Moving her body out of the line of fire, she too used her blaster, effectively shooting the weapon out of his hands. It flew straight over the railing, vanishing into the darkness below. 

"Oh would you look at that. You missed. And I really don't have time for you right now." 

Pure rage flared in Hux's eyes. Within the blink of an eye, the blaster in her hands was kicked away by his leg, the shot she had fired last minute hitting one of the columns instead. "You missed," he mocked her. 

A few levels below them, someone screams. Then, a roar full of devastation. 

Sora huffed, dodging another kick. His foot hitting the air instead, he fell forwards just a little bit. Enough to kick her knee straight into his abdomen. "It must hurt to know one of your own men saved me. How can you even be a General when you can't control your troops?"

She knew she had hit a soft spot. Maybe it was wrong to want to rile him up but he simply made it so easy for her. She could literally feel his blood boiling as his fist made contact with her side. The smuggler had managed to angle her body, preventing the hit from reaching her stomach. Unfortunately, that meant it hit her ribs which instantly flared in pain. 

Blaster fire erupted multiple levels down but the fighting duo ignored it. 

It was a petty feud going on between them and they both knew it. After all, they could have killed each other already if they had truly wanted to. The opportunities had been there and blatantly so. 

Sora caught his fist before it punched against her nose. Using her free hand, she formed a fist of her own and let it barrel against his cheek. The General's head snapped to the side and he stumbled back a step. Blood slowly ran down a small cut on the pale skin. He wiped it away with his hand. "I know you can do better than that."

"Oh I could," she said, grinning as she tilted her head to the side. "But where would be the fun in that?" Another leg kick was dodged and she quickly grabbed a knife out of her holster. 

Hux moved back before she could use the weapon. They were dancing around each other, waiting and accessing but never quite ready to make the first move. "You call this fun? You're nothing but an annoyance. Resistance scum now, apparently. Maybe I should congratulate you. After all this time, you're finally no longer a nobody. Tell me, how is Elijah? Is he with you too?"

The ground underneath their feet rumbled, vibrating through their bodies. The first explosion caused the whole structure to shake and she used it as a distraction to throw the knife, watching it lodge into his thigh, just like two years ago. She hadn't aimed to kill, only to slow down. And to piss him off. Actually, mainly for that reason. His comment had hit home, much more than she liked to admit.

"Till next time, Armitage," she yelled over the noise, walking backwards to watch him struggle to stand until she finally turned around and ran for the door. Hux was close, she could hear him limping behind her back. Not chasing her but simply trying to escape as well. 

More explosions sounded and just as she felt the freezing air hit her skin again, she heard Hux scream at her one last time. "Till next time, Sora!"

She hadn't heard him say that name in many years. 

Sprinting through the snow as fast as she could, Sora felt herself growing out of breath quickly, her ribs aching as if Hux's punch had erased the bacta effects. She had no idea whether the others had made it to the Falcon by now. The ground continued to shake and she had to avoid getting hit by falling trees and snow avalanches. Stumbling a couple of times, she managed to somehow catch herself, never forgetting that her timer was running out. 

Poe and his squadron had been successful. The Resistance had won this battle. Now, all that's left to do was escape from Ilum before it would combust. Easier said than done. 

Suddenly, the ground directly in front of her split into two and she threw herself back to not fall to her death. Rocks and trees broke free, falling into the deep unknown. Kriff, this was not good at all. Sora calculated she had a maximum of sixty seconds until the planet would burst into flames completely, turning into a hot, blazing sun.

The snow stuck to her clothes as she shuffled to her feet. Jumping across the gap would be impossible but she knew that the Falcon was on the other side. Her only way off this planet. She needed to come up with a plan. Fast. Comms wouldn't work down here, thanks to the signal blockers the First Order had installed. Surely, the crew was looking for her. If they had even made it this far. 

Engine noises disrupted the deafening sounds of the planet splitting into pieces. Hopeful, Sora looked to the sky and saw a familiar freighter soaring across the ground, barreling through the thick forest. 

And it was heading straight at her.

"C'mon Sora, you need to jump! We don't have time to land!" Revan screamed as he stood on the lowered ramp, one hand holding on tight, the other waiting to catch her.

The Falcon hovered above the trench, getting as close to her as possible. Sora risked a peek into the deep, hot chasm below, swallowing harshly as debris broke underneath the tip of her toes. She knew she could make the jump. Not like she had any other choice if she wanted to live. Carefully taking a couple steps back, she took a deep breath, getting ready to make a run for it. 

"Now, Sora!"

She jumped, feeling nothing but cold air around her. Her breath hitched, the ramp suddenly seeming so much further away than it had just seconds ago. Gravity hit her hard but Revan was there to catch her, just like he had promised. His hand gripped hers, pulling her safely onto the Falcon's ramp. "I've got you." 

Sora stumbled into his chest and the two of them fell backwards, landing on the hard ground of the ship. Revan took most of the fall, still holding onto her tightly, and he groaned in pain. From where her head laid on his chest, Sora watched the ground slowly growing distant as the Falcon rose higher and higher, the destruction from the explosions continuing. The ramp closed just before a wave of fire hit the Falcon and then the ship jumped into hyperspace.

"Let's not do this again," Revan grumbled.

Sora freed herself, laying back on the cold ground to catch her breath. The last traces of adrenaline were beginning to leave her system and the full details about what had just occurred were kicking in. "Agreed."

"But to be honest...it was kinda fun."

Sitting up slowly, the young smuggler glanced at him, unable to stop her lips from pulling into a smile. "Just a tiny bit."

Revan helped her to her feet, pulling her up by her hand, and dusted off some snowflakes which had clung to her jacket. "We were beginning to worry though. When Chewie came back to the Falcon alone, we thought the worst. But then we'd found Rey and Finn and then luckily, you as well."

Sora furrowed her brows, dread seeping into her bones. "What about Han?"

The ex-trooper shook his head, a somber expression on his face. "Killed by Kylo Ren."

Remembering screams and devastated Wookie groans, she put the pieces together. She could only imagine the grief Chewie was experiencing after the loss of his best friend. The mourning him and Leia were about to go through. A true legend was dead, killed by the First Order. And it was just the beginning. "What about Finn and Rey, how are they?"

Revan seemed hesitant to answer. A sign that more bad news were about to follow. "Rey is the Falcon's new pilot. Finn, however...He got a nasty cut from Kylo Ren's lightsaber. The two of them had a little quarrel with him in the forest." 

He motioned for her to follow him and together they entered the Falcon's sleeping quarters. An anxious looking Nyra kneeled in front of the bed, pressing a bloodied rag against Finn's spine. The injured man was laying on his stomach on top of the blankets, his eyes closed with deep dark circles shadowing them and sweat running down his forehead.

"How bad is it?" Sora asked, leaning against the doorframe. 

Nyra shook her head, worry etching across her face. "Very. He needs a bacta suit soon. The wound is pretty deep and I'm not sure if it damaged his spine. He won't wake up either."

The young smuggler bit her cheek in concern. "We'll better comm the base and have them prepare the medical equipment. I'll go do it."

When she entered the cockpit, her first instinct was to lay a hand atop of Chewie's shoulder, squeezing it gently. "I'm sorry for your loss. If you ever need someone to vent your feelings to, I'll be there." 

The Wookie groaned painfully, mourning his loss but showing appreciation at her comment. 

"Sora, what happened? We thought you'd already left but the we couldn't find you. I'm sorry that we didn't make sure you-"

"Hey Rey, it's fine. I'm okay, no need to worry about the past," she tried to calm her down. Whenever the scavenger was anxious, she tended to talk waterfalls. It had been her job to stop Rey from spiraling down that hole ever since they got to know each other. 

Rey smiled apologetically and went back to concentrate on piloting the Falcon. 

"How long until we'll land on D'Qar?"

"Approximately two hours."

Sora bit her lip. Too long. She wasn't sure Finn would survive the journey. "Chewie, can you get me on line with D'Qar's communications tower?"

The Wookie groaned in agreement and got to work instantly. The Resistance used a secret communication channel and thankfully, the Falcon had access to it. Only seconds passed until the channel crackled to life. "Falcon to Base, we have an important matter."

The female voice she had heard on the Phoenix as well answered. "It's nice to hear from you, Falcon. What do you need?"

"We need to have a bacta suit prepared and medics waiting for us on the landing bay. It's a serious lightsaber wound. We'll approach the planet in two hours."

"I'll report it to the General. Have a safe journey." The line went dead again. Everything else had to be discussed on ground. 

Sora sighed, plopping down on the seat behind Chewie. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes. A quick nap couldn't hurt. Perhaps it would even stop the stabbing pain of her ribs again. She doubted they were fully broken again, but the fresh hit had definitely slowed down the bacta healing process. 

"Sora, what happened to you at the oscillator?"

"Had a little chat with a certain General." A faked nonchalance.

Fast as lightening, Rey turned in her seat, staring at her with wide eyes. "You're not talking about him, are you?"

"Yes, him. And I let him get away again," she whispered, still loud enough for both the co-pilot and the pilot to hear.

Whilst Chewie groaned in confusion, not understanding a single thing, Rey clicked her tongue. "I did tell you that would happen. You're not a murderer. Not like that at least. Besides, he let you go too."

"He did."

"It's a pretty strange game you two have going on for....for how long now?"

Sora replied without hesitation. "Nine years."

"That's a long time." Knowing this conversation had already lasted longer than her friend liked, Rey put her focus on navigating the ship again. "You know, don't feel guilty for not killing him, despite of what he's part of. Think about who he is to you. Who he was to you. That's all that matters here."

Sora appreciated her advice a lot. Kriff, she had truly missed Rey. Neither the scavenger nor her were fond of 'girl talk', yet it was nice to have someone to vent your feelings to. Someone who knew all about you, maybe even better than you know yourself. 

"Care to tell me how you managed your grand escape?" The smuggler probed carefully, diverting the conversation to another important topic. In front of her, Chewie sat up straighter, seemingly wanting to know the answer as well.

Rey hesitated, trying to find the right words. "It's...I don't even understand it either. Kylo Ren, he was in my head. I was strapped into this chair but when he left me alone with that stormtrooper, I...I was able to manipulate him. I made him free my restraints with my mind. With...the Force."

To say Sora was shocked was an understatement. Rey was force-sensitive. Had been all of her life and never noticed it. "Whoa, that's...impressive actually. I bet with the proper training, you could accomplish great things. Maybe even become a Jedi." Being force-sensitive didn't mean you'd automatically have to be a Jedi. But Sora could definitely see her friend as one. Rey was strong, full of light and determined. 

"But who could train me? There's no Jedi left alive."

"You know there is," Sora looked at her pointedly. "And we have one half of the map to find him already. Luke Skywalker."

At the mention of that name, Chewie visibly perked up. So did Rey. But the conversation was over. There was a lot the scavenger had to come to terms with and she had to do it on her own. So the cockpit was engulfed in silence once again, with Chewie mourning in peace and the two women deep in their thoughts. One was lost somewhere in the past, the other in the future.

Sora must have fallen asleep. As the ship jumped out of hyperspace, her eyes blinked open again. Ahead of them, the now familiar green planet of D'Qar rotated slowly. 

"Hey sleepyhead, we're about to land," Rey said, sending her a quick smile before she started the landing process. 

The young smuggler nodded, watching the Resistance base grow closer through the window. Rey was a great pilot, all thanks to her flight simulator back on Jakku. Therefore, the Falcon landed without any disturbances and the trio was up and about in a matter of seconds. They met up with Nyra and Revan and waited patiently as the ship's ramp was lowered to the ground. 

Warm sunlight welcomed the group, a much appreciated change compared to the ice planet Ilum. As promised, a team of medics with a stretcher rushed towards them and Nyra and Revan made it their job to help them transporting Finn to the makeshift hospital. His heart hadn't stopped beating which was a good sign.

A teary eyed Rey jogged straight towards Leia who had been standing by the Falcon, smiling sadly at them. She tried hard to hide her grief but anyone who knew how much Han truly meant to her could see right through her facade. 

However, it did confuse her when she sought comfort in Rey instead of in Chewie. He clearly needed a hug, specifically from Leia, his now closest friend. And wasn't this the first time her scavenger friend and the General were meeting each other? Was this sudden connection a force thing? Anyways, Sora felt sad for the gentle Wookie who, at the sight of the two women hugging, disappeared back into the Falcon. The thought of following flashed through her mind briefly, but she knew he wasn't seeking her comfort. After all, they barely knew each other. Maybe some alone time was exactly what he needed now.

Happy beeps caught her attention and her eyes moved past Leia and Rey to follow the sound. A small astromech was moving straight at her, going on maximum speed. "Whoa, slow down buddy." The droid came crashing into her shins as soon as she had finished her sentence, mindful enough to slow down so it wouldn't hurt her. 

Sora crouched down, affectionally stroking his dome head. "I'm happy to see you too, BeeBee-Ate. Did everything go down well?"

More exciting chirps followed and then the droid got lost in his tale, explaining every little detail about what had occurred up in the air. Sora took in as much as she could, listening intently and making sure to make a comment every now and then. 

"Hey BeeBee-Ate, don't hog her. I want Sora-time too."

At the sound of his voice, Sora looked up instantly. Poe was grinning from ear to ear, his arms stretched to both sides. He was waiting for her to move with a raised eyebrow. She scoffed, chuckling at his antics but accepted his invite nevertheless. The pilot pulled her closer and wrapped his arms around her, swaying their bodies from side to side. Kriff, she hadn't even known she needed this hug until now.

Sora pressed her ear against his chest, listening to his heartbeat. It was definitely faster than it should be, she noticed. Poe felt incredibly warm and the memories of snow and ice melted away. She didn't care that he was sweaty and in need of a shower. His hand tingled inside her waves, loosening the knots in slow, gentle strokes. 

"I'm glad you're okay, princess," he whispered. This little moment was meant just for them. Anyone else around them was busy celebrating their win against the First Order. 

"Yeah, me too." Her reply was just as quiet. Eyes closing in relaxation, she put more of her weight against him and Poe wordlessly accepted it, tightening his hold around her. They basked in each others embrace for a while, enjoying the silence. 

But it wasn't long before the pilot initiated conversation again, seeking answers. "What happened down there?"

Sora hummed softly. "The usual. Lots of sneaking, lots of fighting. Trash chutes. Which are very useful by the way, for all kinds of trash. Explosions. And lots of snow."

Poe chuckled, the vibrations of it tickling her ear. "Sounds fun. Any injuries I should know about?"

"Just some sore ribs. And my toes are all tingly, so I might have frostbite, who knows."

"Well, we can't have that now, can we?" Poe mumbled, loosening the hug to look into her eyes instead. He smiled at her and delicately lifted his finger, letting it glide over the smooth skin of her cheek to push a strand of hair out of her face. "Let's get you inside then. A hot shower solves everything, right."

She smiled and found herself liking the proximity. "You know, BeeBee-Ate told me everything. You did well. Guess you really are the best pilot in the Resistance."

"Of course I am. But I'm happy you finally accepted the truth. Now, c'mon." Poe put his arm over her shoulders, leading her down into the base. They didn't linger to talk to people, making a beeline for the sleeping quarters. 

The unspoken rule of not mentioning their losses and near-losses today wasn't broken. Neither of them wanted to dwell on the sadness, so they buried it for now.

The duo stopped in front of the door to Sora's room and she was quick to type in the four digits to open it. Poe followed her inside but kept standing close to the door, watching her taking off the heavy jacket. "There's a meeting in about an hour. Think you'll be all warmed up by then? You know, I happen to know a method that could be very helpful...," he joked and grinned, crossing his arms over his chest. 

Sora rolled her eyes playfully, stepping out of her wet boots. "Then we'd definitely miss the meeting. Now, out you go."

"You're right. We'd miss the whole day," Poe stated, the grin never leaving his face. He lifted his finger, pointing it at her accusingly. "Don't forget we have a date tonight, princess." The pilot was gone before she could reply. 

As if she would ever forget that. 

A hot shower, a pair of fresh black leggings and a white cropped long sleeved sweatshirt later, Sora entered the conference room. The most important Resistance members had gathered around the round hologram table in the middle and were already deep in discussion. Wordlessly, Sora tip toed towards Revan and Nyra who had opted to keep to the shadows. 

Nyra threw an arm over her shoulder, pulling her body into her side. "I'm bored. Why do we have to be here?" She whispered, making sure no one else would hear them.

"I'm not a fan either. But let's get this done with."

An R2-series astromech droid she hadn't noticed until now projected a hologram for them to see. It was a navigational map with a specific piece missing. Could this be the second half of the map leading to Luke Skywalker? So the droid was Artoo-Detoo then, she concluded. 

BeeBee-Ate's reaction confirmed it. He chirped excitedly, motioning for Poe to assist him. "Yeah alright, buddy, hold one." Sora watched as he removed an ancient data device from one of the computers and inserted it back inside of his little droid. A second later, another hologram map appeared and the two astromechs moved slightly to unite them.

"Oh! The map! It's complete," See-Threepio announced gleefully.

"Luke...," Leia mumbled, putting her hand on her chest, directly above her heart.

The reaction was immediate. The room erupted in cheers and hugs were shared all around them. Revan pulled the two women next to him into his chest, squeezing them harder than necessary. "Great news. Really, awesome. But do you think they celebrate with booze here? Preferably strong one?"

Nyra slapped his chest lightly. "No booze for you this time! Remember what happened last time?"

Revan grimaced, shaking his head as if that would help him get rid of the memories. "Maybe you're right. No booze. I'm still forbidden from entering the kitchen," he nodded.

Sora wasn't sure she wanted to know any details about what had happened. Better to keep those imagines far away from her.

Thankfully, Rey was there to save her. With a big smile on her face, the scavenger gave her a quick hug before she motioned for Sora to follow her into the empty corridor outside the room. 

They walked a small distance until they stopped in a random corner. "Do you think I should do it?"

The smuggler instantly knew what she was talking about. Although it pained her to see Rey go once again, she knew it was necessary. Besides, they would see each other again soon. "I think there is no-one more suited for this than you, Rey. You need to learn how to handle your new abilities. Luke Skywalker is the only one who can help you. And you're the only one capable of bringing him back." 

Rey seemed to ponder over her response, shifting on her feet as if nervous. Then, she took a deep breath. "You're right. I have to do this," she said, sounding much more confident than before. "Thanks, Sora. You know I love you, right?"

"Aw, I love you too, Rey," the smuggler laughed, giving her one last quick hug. "Just be careful."

"You too, alright? Oh, and Doctor Kalonia wants to talk to you. Said it's urgent."

"Well, I'll better go then." They shared a last meaningful look before each took off into a different direction.

Confusion laced her features as she pushed open the doors to the infirmary. The kind doctor was already waiting for her, smiling kindly. "Miss Park, I have good news."

"Go ahead," she said, leaning against a table. 

"I've talked to General Organa about our dwindling medical supplies. She agrees that it would be wise to send your Team to aquire more," Doctor Kalonia explained and handed her a data pad. On it was a detailed list of supplies they desperately needed. "However, seeing as our budget is very low, we need to do this your way."

Lips pulling into a smile, Sora already felt excitement running through her veins. "So, permission to steal from a First Order base?"

The female doctor chuckled. "Yes, Miss Park. But don't take this mission lightly. It's dangerous and requires lots of planning ahead of it. The General trusts you with this."

"Oh, sounds like an everyday job to me. There's nothing to worry about." Holding up the data pad, she nodded towards the door. "I'll better get to work then."

She was already halfway through the door when a thought occurred to her, causing her to stop in her tracks and look back. "How is Finn? Will he be okay?"

"He is in a coma. We don't know when he will wake up," Doctor Kalonia explained lowly, a look of concern flashing over her face. "If he will wake up at all. I'm sorry."

A wave of sadness hit her hard. The brave stormtrooper who had defied everything he had known to save her and Poe. Who had given up his life in order to find a new one. No, she was sure he would survive this. Finn was a lot stronger than that.

The doors closed behind her. Now, it was time to prepare their next mission. Oh, and her date, of course.

[cytser]

moving away from the 'discourse' (hate that) side of things though.

the obsession with spoilers and keeping the audience in suspense is a detriment to storytelling.

your audience will only be surprised by your story once. sure, they may remember their surprise when rewatching/reading/etc your story, but the narrative needs to be able to stand by itself outside of the shock of your twist.

also, the twist needs to make sense. it needs to fit in your story some way. it needs to be able to resonate, otherwise it just comes across as cheap. some audiences will still find a shocking revelation that doesn't mesh with your story 'clever', but those are the people who don't think much about the stories they engage with.

that's not to say don't have shocking twists! but your twist needs to also be entertaining to that person who knows exactly what's about to happen.

an example i like is kotor (im autistic). the big twist of the game is that your player character is the amnesic sith lord revan. but the game came out in the 2000s, so this twist has been 'spoiled' for most players, myself included.

what was fun to me about the game was being able to see the hints that my character was revan before the reveal, being able to speculate what characters already knew, and being able to see how that shaped their interactions with my character.

and then, when the reveal happened, it had been built up to effectively so it was still a very engaging scene and is one of my favourites in the game.

because they weren't trying to just be shocking with the twist. they were trying to tell a story. the twist still worked, knowing full well what was coming.