__________
Poe met her gaze, and the corner of her mouth quirked upward. He gave a short nod. “Send out a droid.” He watched and waited as a small, crablike CW-6 was deployed. The first images bounced and jerked as the droid made its way up and through cracks and fissures in the rock then finally stabilized as CW-6 emerged on top of the outcropping. The picture lightened as light from the grey sky hit the camera.
“That’s Kylo Ren’s ship,” said Poe. “This is bad.” He turned to alert the rest of the team in the control center, to ready their few fighters, but Connix stopped him.
“They’re leaving,” she said.
Poe whirled back around. “What? Why?”
“We’re pretty well hidden,” Connix said. “Maybe they really don’t know we’re here.”
Poe shook his head. “No. No, no, no, it’s not that simple. It’s— Wait, what’s that?” He pointed to the monitor.
Connix squinted at the screen. “They left a coat?”
“Get a closer look at that, whatever it is,” said Poe.
CW-6 crawled forward and the long, black object grew larger in its view. “Looks like a pile of rags,” said Poe.
“Pretty big pile. Could be they left it to flush us out,” Connix suggested. “See if we’d come out for a closer look.”
Readings began to scroll over the screen. “Those are no rags,” Poe said. “Whatever it is, it’s alive. Recall the droid.”
Connix shot him a confused look. “Sir?”
“I’ll take a couple men with me, get that closer look.”
“But if they’re hiding somewhere behind the ridge . . .”
“Then we’d know it,” said Poe. “Anyway, there’s no way they could have landed ships close enough. If they’re marshalling elsewhere, we need to move fast before they make it up the ridge.” He turned and called across the room. “Finn! I need you with me. Spannik, you too.”
Finn strolled over. “What’s up?”
“First Order just dropped some strange cargo. We’re going to check it out.”
***
Kylo Ren opened his eyes. Everything hurt, which he supposed was a good sign; it meant he was alive. But he didn’t have to be happy about it.
Something nearby whirred and clicked. Kylo turned his head and spotted a small CW-6 droid on the rocks beside him. It’s black eye rotated as the camera focused on him. He reached out to grab it, but it scuttled backward out of reach.
The Resistance knew he was here. Were watching him.
Kylo sat up and a fresh wave of pain shot through him up his left side. He looked down, saw where Hux’s aim had been not entirely accurate. An inch or two over and the shot would have killed him.
The CW-6 retreated further, scurrying toward a large crack in the rocks. They’re down there. Kylo forced himself to his feet. He couldn’t fit through a crack, but neither could the Resistance. There had to be another way in.
***
Connix pushed back from the monitor as though the extra distance would save her somehow. “Oh no.” She jumped up from her chair. “Commander Dameron!”
“Commander Dameron has just left the facility,” C-3P0 informed her. “He has gone to—”
“I know where he’s gone, but he needs to come back! Right now!”
C-3P0 took a step backward. “Well, really, I was only trying to—.”
“Kylo Ren is up there! They’re walking into a trap!” She pulled out her communicator. “Commander? Commander, do you read?”
“This rock has high levels of caffellium, which can block or bounce communication signals,” C-3P0 informed her. “It is likely he cannot hear you.”
Connix rolled her eyes and scanned the room for potential help. Commander D’Acy? Captain Marcolo? What could any of them do against Kylo Ren? There was only one person who had proved a match for the Supreme Leader of the First Order . . .
No time to lose. Connix hurried out of the control room in search of Rey.
__________
Again, we made up some stuff. Like the type of droid and the mineral in the rock that is causing communication problems. Also some names. We're having fun writing it, anyway, and I hope you're enjoying reading it!
Part 4 is here.
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