As Rey negotiated the twists and turns of the canyon, she began to work through the possibilities. “Rose, when I give you the signal, I want you to shoot at the canyon wall.”
“Are you sure, Rey? That seems pretty dangerous. I mean, you’re a great pilot, and I can totally make the shot, but there are so many rocks, and if we don’t shoot at the right time we’re going to be grobel chow.”
“Rose,” Rey said, unable to hold back a smile. “We can do this.”
Rose took a deep breath and let it out, the sound echoing through the intercom. “Okay, just tell me when.”
Rey continued to pilot the Falcon through the twisty terrain, avoiding the nearly constant cannon fire from the TIE fighters on her tail. Her palms were a bit sweaty and her heart thrummed in her ears, but she had to wait until just the right moment, just the right spot.
“Now, Rose!” Rey yelled as they passed a huge outcropping. “Aim for that skinny spot in the middle.” The arch of stone had a narrow piece about three quarters of the way down on the right-hand side, and a well-placed shot would bring the whole thing tumbling down.
Rose fired several times at the spot, and Rey held her breath as they flew past, bits of stone pinging off the top of the Falcon. At first, Rey thought the TIE fighters were too close, that the outcropping would take too long to fall. She wondered if maybe she should try using the Force to move the giant rocks. After all, she’d done it before back on Crait.
But then the entire mass of stone began to fall, smaller rocks and then bigger ones as the entire outcropping crumbled. Rey swung the Falcon up out of the canyon and back around just long enough to see the TIE fighters getting pummeled with rocks before being buried completely.
“Woo-hoo! It worked!” Rose shouted.
“Yes, and it looks like our friends took care of the rest of the ships.” On the ground the wreckage of the other three enemy fighters smoked, their center pods cracked open and their side wings in pieces.
“What do you think happened to the pilots?” Rose asked.
“I’d rather not think about it,” Rey said with a grimace.
“Hey, that was some amazing flying, Rey,” Poe cut in across the comlink. “You really are something else. The Resistance is lucky to have you.”
Rey grinned. “Well, it’s all up to you now. Rose and I are going to head back to clean up the rest of the First Order. Make sure you stop Commander Spiftz from leaving with the Echo Horn.”
A crackle of static answered Rey as Poe flew out of range for the comlink, but she wasn’t worried. Poe could handle himself.
They were the Resistance, and the First Order was about to learn never to underestimate them.
POE MANEUVERED the transport into the wide landing bay and tugged at the First Order tunic he wore. Finding an officer’s uniform on the transport had been very good luck; he just wished it fit a bit better. The top cut across his broad shoulders a little, digging in so that if he had to raise his hands over his head it would be very uncomfortable.
Here was hoping that wasn’t an issue.
BB-8 beeped his concern, and Poe shook his head. “No, you stay here. We’re going to need a way off this ship before it blows. Make sure no one but me gets into this transport. Can you do that?”
BB-8 beeped an agreement and Poe stood straighter, like a self-important First Order officer might, opening the bay doors to the transport shuttle to exit the boxy gray ship. As soon as Poe stepped into the Ladara Vex’s hangar bay, BB-8 shut the shuttle door. Anyone who walked by would have no idea the little droid was even inside.
Poe walked toward a doorway that looked to lead to the rest of the ship. He kept his blaster holstered even though he would’ve appreciated having its reassuring weight in his hand. It just wasn’t something a First Order officer would do while on board a First Order cruiser.
But as he walked through the halls of the Ladara Vex, Poe began to realize that getting caught wouldn’t be a problem. The gleaming black hallways seemed to be completely empty. There didn’t appear to be anyone on board, and he only passed a single droid, which completely ignored him as it went about its duties.
This was going to be the easiest mission ever.
Or maybe not. Glenna had said her rooms were in the rear of the ship, but now that Poe was on board he wasn’t exactly sure where that was. There were doors aplenty, and they all looked exactly the same. The ones he opened revealed a kitchen mess and a lounge, but nothing that looked like the rooms of a scientist. And it wasn’t like he could ask someone walking by.
The sound of voices echoing down the hallway forced Poe to duck into a nearby alcove.
“I cannot wait until Commander Hidreck gets here. Spiftz has totally lost his mind. Did you see that thing he brought back from Minfar? Does that look like some kind of legendary weapon to you?” They were two First Order junior officers, each of them pale and tall. One had brown hair while the other was blond, and both of the men looked annoyed and upset.
Poe pressed into the shadows of the space, holding his breath as the men passed. But he needn’t have worried. The two junior officers were so involved in their argument that they didn’t even notice his presence.
“You’d better be careful with what you say. For all you know the commander is monitoring our conversation,” said the blond man, looking around guiltily as though he expected Commander Spiftz to jump out of one of the many rooms they passed.
“But it’s just a tiny box! I bet it doesn’t even work off of the planet down there. It doesn’t make sense that we spent so much effort trying to find that thing.” The other First Order officer, his dark hair cut incredibly short, gestured wildly as he spoke, oblivious to his blond companion’s obvious concern.
“Look, pipe down. The last thing you want is Spiftz mad at you. Who knows what he’s capable of.”
“You’re right. Let’s go search this scientist’s rooms and get back to the command deck. This place kind of gives me the creeps with everyone gone.”
The blond man put a friendly hand on the dark-haired man’s shoulder. “It could be worse though. You could be eaten alive by something on Minfar! We were lucky to get to stay on board.”
The voices moved past Poe, and he waited a couple of heartbeats before stepping out into the hallway after the junior officers. He followed them to the rear of the ship, and as he was drawing his blaster, one turned around.
“Hey!” he yelled just as Poe shot him, the blaster bolt knocking him out. Poe didn’t give the other officer a chance to draw his blaster, and once both of the men were unconscious Poe opened the door to Glenna’s rooms and dragged them inside.
“Okay, if I were a bomb built by a hyper-intelligent scientist, where would I be?” Poe muttered as he began to poke around the room. He was beginning to despair. Neither the bed nor the refresher nor the dresser revealed anything. Then he opened the closet and paused. Inside was what looked to be an astromech droid, a larger model than BB-8 but smaller than R2-D2. But when Poe poked the droid, it was clear there was something off about the thing. Poe lifted the top of the not-droid and saw a series of flashing blue and green lights inside.
“Yes!” he said, giving himself a moment to celebrate. There was nothing so obvious as a switch, but when he pressed one of the lights, the entire panel went red and an automated voice said, “System armed. Five minutes to detonation.”
“All right, time to get out of here.”
Poe turned to leave and stopped short. Standing in the doorway to the room, his hair disheveled and his uniform a mess, was Commander Spiftz. He looked as though he’d just been through an ordeal, and Poe wondered what had happened to the man. He held something in his hand, but Poe couldn’t see what it was.
“Poe Dameron. Have you come to turn yourself in?” Commander Spiftz asked, straightening his uniform and smoothing his hair.
“No, not exactly,” Poe said, giving a sheepish grin. “I’ve come to destroy the Echo Horn, and your ship, as well.”
“Well, that is rather un
fortunate,” Spiftz said, holding up a small box. “Because instead you will end up my slave. Kneel.”
Poe lunged for the device, but Spiftz danced backward and mashed a button on the side. The First Order officer’s expression went from triumphant to confused.
Poe didn’t know what Spiftz had been expecting, but the small device had no effect on him. He drew his blaster and fired at Spiftz, knocking the man down. Poe hesitated, wondering whether or not to take what must have been the Echo Horn.
But it was only a momentary hesitation, and instead of taking the destructive device along, Poe stomped his foot down on the box, smashing it to smithereens.
“Blast!” yelled Spiftz. He grabbed Poe’s ankle, and the Resistance pilot tried to kick him away before losing his balance and falling to the ground. Spiftz pulled at Poe’s hair, and Poe responded by punching Spiftz. It was a good punch, and the First Order officer fell backward, completely unconscious.
“Sorry, friend, I have places to be,” Poe said, fixing his hair and uniform.
And then he ran full tilt for the hangar bay, wasting no time getting away from the ship before it blew.
COMMANDER BRANWAYNE SPIFTZ woke slowly, realizing that something was very wrong. For one, he was lying on the floor. For another, the Echo Horn was lying a few meters away, smashed to pieces.
“No,” Branwayne said, sitting up with a wince and reaching for the device. All his work, all his effort, for nothing.
And he’d let the Resistance get away.
Branwayne got to his feet and ran to the command deck. Poe Dameron had said something about destroying his ship, but he wasn’t beaten just yet. The Ladara Vex was small enough to fly into a planet’s atmosphere. He would just have his officers take them to the planet’s surface. He would blast the entire surface into a crater, that way when Hidreck arrived he’d at least have made some progress. Sure, his own officers and stormtroopers would die, but it would be better than admitting he’d been fooled by Glenna Kip and he had not a thing to show for his little adventure to the edge of space.
But when Spiftz arrived on the command deck, he found it empty. Not a soul remained on the Ladara Vex but him, and on the monitors he watched as a timer counted down to zero. It took him a long moment to realize what it was, but he needn’t have wondered long. When the time ran out a hologram appeared on the command deck.
“Hello, Branwayne. This is Professor Glenna Kip. If you are watching this, you are finished. This is just the beginning, by the way. The Resistance will not be stopped. It cannot be stopped. But you?” The hologram smiled.
Branwayne didn’t even have time to regret the things he’d done. Not that he would have, anyway. “Rebel scum,” he muttered.
It was the last thing he ever said.
Commander Hidreck and her Star Destroyer came out of hyperspace outside of Minfar’s ice ring, not long after the destruction of the Ladara Vex. Every alarm on the command deck began to howl, and the junior officers operating the terminals began to push buttons frantically, sending out queries to the various sensors that provided input.
“What is that?” Commander Hidreck barked, gesturing to the debris floating before the observation window.
“Ma’am, it appears to be the remnants of the Ladara Vex. It’s been destroyed.”
“How? There are no viable threats in this sector!” Hidreck said, incredulous. Had that fool Branwayne Spiftz actually run afoul of the Resistance? The scouts she’d sent to this sector had reported nothing but empty space, no other fighters in sight. She refused to believe she’d been wrong. She had followed protocol to the letter.
But just then a small fleet of ships flew out of the ice ring around Minfar. Hidreck watched in shocked dismay as they began to wipe out her smaller ships, cutting a deadly path toward the command vessel.
“Scramble the fighters! Battle stations!” she cried. Leave it to Branwayne to downplay the danger so he would look like a hero.
Commander Hidreck alerted high command to what was happening, but soon after, her ship joined the debris field around Minfar.
REY, POE, AND ROSE watched as the Zixon finished rounding up the remaining First Order soldiers. Glenna Kip and Jem were in deep conversation. Rey smiled, her heart light and glad and a sensation of righteousness leaving her a bit giddy. They’d managed to stop the First Order, destroy a light cruiser, and liberate their new allies. Other Resistance members had ambushed a First Order Star Destroyer just moments earlier. It was a job well done, and so much of the fear she’d felt just a couple of days before melted a bit.
They could do this. The Resistance could defeat the First Order. It might not happen in a single battle; it might take a long time. But as long as they remembered what mattered, taking care of people from all kinds of places, they could win this war.
They could keep hope alive.
Glenna Kip and Jem walked over, and Glenna bowed to the rebels. “Thank you so much for your help. Without you, the First Order would’ve been able to use my device for ill, and my guilt would continue to grow. This is the first time I’ve felt free in a very, very long time.”
“The Resistance exists to help people, to make sure that everyone has a choice,” Poe said, and BB-8 beeped in agreement. “By the way, have you ever thought of becoming a spy? You are very . . . resourceful.” His cheeks flushed a bit. “We could use someone like you on our side full-time.”
“The Zixon, too,” Rose said. “The fight against the First Order is going to be long and difficult, and we’re going to need all the help we can get.”
“I do believe a few of my warriors would like to accompany you on your adventures,” Jem said, whiskers twitching as he stood a little taller. “We’ve been fortunate to keep the First Order from gaining a foothold here on our homeworld, but we know there are others who have not been so lucky. We should help them gain their freedom, as well.”
“Perhaps the Resistance should consider a recruiting location,” Glenna said, her expression thoughtful. “I would be happy to help you identify some options. My travels through the galaxy have been extensive, and there are many planets like Minfar that the Inner Rim has forgotten.”
“That’s not a bad idea,” Rey said with a nod. “But for now, we have to get going. We still have to deliver these supplies, and I’m certain that General Organa will be waiting for us to tell her the complete story of what we’ve gotten up to.”
BB-8 chirped mournfully, and Rose laughed. “Well, I don’t think we’re going to be in that much trouble. Everything turned out okay, after all.”
“Thankfully,” Rey added.
“But we’ll be back soon,” Poe said. “We still need to see what else is in those labs that the Resistance can use!”
“And you will need to come back to visit some of your friends,” Jem said, pointing to the group of porgs that had begun nesting in the trees nearby.
Rose frowned. “I don’t know if it’s such a good idea to leave them here.”
“Don’t worry. Minfar’s ecosystem will take care of them before they can get out of control,” Glenna said with a kind smile.
BB-8 beeped happily, and Rey laughed. “Beebee-Ate is right. Don’t worry, Rose, there are still plenty more of them on the Millennium Falcon.” Rey turned back to Glenna and Jem. “We definitely need to come back, if only to see how the porgs fare on Minfar. Oh, and be kind to your First Order prisoners.” A group of stormtroopers, their helmets removed and hands secured behind their backs, walked by led by one of Lim’s warriors.
“Oh, we will,” Glenna said with a nod. “Lucky for us the labs have a very nice cell block where they can stay until we decide what to do with them.”
“We will treat them better than they deserve,” Jem said solemnly.
Rey, Poe, Rose, and BB-8 waved goodbye as they headed back to the Millennium Falcon. Their hearts were light, and even though there would be tough battles ahead, they could celebrate.
But tomorrow? Tomorrow they would continue the fight.
&
nbsp; JUSTINA IRELAND is the author of Dread Nation, a New York Times best seller and YALSA 2019 Best Fiction for Young Adults Top Ten selection. Her other books for children and teens include Vengeance Bound, Promise of Shadows, and the Star Wars novel Lando’s Luck. She enjoys dark chocolate and dark humor and is not too proud to admit that she’s still afraid of the dark. She lives with her husband, kid, dog, and cats in Maryland. You can visit her online at www.justinaireland.com.
Spark of the Resistance Page 11