"Documents" pt. 5

Apologies for the wait. My son, daughter, and I spent some time trying to figure this part out.

And: Spannik finally speaks! A little.

(Part 4 is here.)

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At the swishing sound, Poe stopped on the path. “Did you hear that?”

Finn and Spannik were forced to halt, too. “Sounded like a laser?” Spannik said.

“A lightsaber,” said Poe. “Hear the hum?”

They stood there, silent and listening.

Finn took a couple steps back into Spannik behind him. “There are only two people I know with lightsabers, and only one of them would have been on a First Order ship. We gotta leave. Now.”

“He must know we’re here,” Poe said. “Why else would he turn on the saber?”

They looked at one another. After a minute, Poe pulled out his blaster. “We might never have a better chance at him.”

“Are you crazy?” Finn asked. “You know what he can do! A blaster is not going to help us!”

“There are three of us and one of him,” said Poe.

“We’d need a battalion,” Finn insisted. “And even then, I wouldn’t trust our odds.”

Poe looked to Spannik. “You’re the deciding vote.”

“You’re the commander,” Spannik countered.

“This really isn’t the time for debate,” said Finn. “He is up there and could come down any minute.”

“Let’s go give him a welcome,” Poe suggested and started up the final yard of the slope to the flat top of the rock formation.

Finn glanced at Spannik and shook his head. He pulled out his own blaster. “After all, why listen to me? I only used to work for the guy.”

He and Spannik followed Poe up.

***

Rey opened her eyes.

Connix searched her face for a clue to what was happening. “Well?”

Rey blinked rapidly then finally looked at Connix as though surprised to see her there. “Come with me,” she said.

***

The men were moving again, coming closer. Kylo lifted his lightsaber.

“Kylo Ren!” the first one shouted as his head crested the edge of the outcropping. Kylo recognized him—the voice, the hair. This was the pilot they’d captured on Jakku, the one with the BB unit, the one the faulty Stormtrooper . . . Oh, and here was the Stormtrooper, too, and a third man Kylo did not recognize.

“Three blasters against your lightsaber,” Poe said. “I think we’ve got better range.”

Kylo didn’t waste any breath by answering. With a move of his hand, Poe’s blaster was ripped from his grip and went sailing over the edge of the cliff.

“Okay, two blasters,” said Poe, even as Spannik fired.

Kylo deflected the blast with ease. “You’ll have to do better than that.”

“Like maybe that?” Poe asked, with a nod at something behind Kylo.

Kylo narrowed his eyes. It had to be a trick. But then he heard the growing roar. He’d been so focused on the men he’d blocked the sound.

Stupid, he thought.

He risked a glance and saw a cobbled-together assault transport rising from behind the rock formation. The ship appeared so rickety it might fall apart mid-flight.

__________

 Part 6 now posted here.