The reports they received from across the galaxy made for grim reading.
After the first day, Luna took over duty of looking over the reports because the others could barely make it an hour before they needed to step away. She couldn't blame them. The First Order admirals, captains, generals all reported, in gleeful detail, how they utterly destroyed any opposing force. Thousands of the scum are dead, wrote one General Ahwick, detailing how he quelled a rebellion on Taris. How can there be a rebellion after one day? she thought to herself. More likely they were protesting, she reasoned. Likely unarmed, but one protester happened to carry something looking like a blaster and the First Order troops took that as provocation, and - Luna shook her head, trying to stop herself from imagining the moment. She had a job to do. She forwarded the report onto the transmission relay that the twins had set up, another hourly report added onto the digital pile. Zatt and Fenn hadn't quite figured out the coding protocols but they were hard at work at the terminal next to hers. Just as she did so, another report came in, this one from Onderon. The militia, to her relief, was putting up a good fight, but the commanding officer had just put in a request for more star destroyers to wipe out the resistance from orbit. She thought she was going to be sick.
'Hey,' said Face kindly, coming up behind her. 'Why don't you have a break? I'll take over.'
'I'll stay,' she said resolutely, feeling her stomach constrict, her eyes threatening to betray her.
'Get out of here,' said Face. 'Don't make me order you. Or worse. Make you listen to my music.'
'You wouldn't.' said Luna in mock horror.
Face pulled out a datapad from his orange flight jacket pocket and dramatically hovered a finger over it. Then he looked over to the two technicians, who were busy tinkering. 'That goes for you, too, Zatt, Fenn.'
The two didn't need any encouragement. Luna watched them stand up slowly from the door. They looked beat. 'Come on,' she said to them as they passed her, 'let's get something to eat.'
They found the others in the mess hall, each slumped over their tray, picking at their food. Everyone except Twitch, who, even now, had a voracious appetite, and was making his way through his fourth tray.
Luna looked around the table as she ate, feeling like she should do something. It was her duty to look after those in her command, but she felt as helpless as the rest. Then she noticed Zatt, sitting a few down from her, gently bobbing her head, then pausing, eyes closed, hand slightly outstretched, as if in a trance. She frowned, confused, then noticed wires going up into Zatt's lekku. 'What are you listening to?'
The small woman jumped and stared at her, wide eyed. 'Sorry,' she mumbled, then ducked her head down, looking at her food.
'No no, it's fine,' said Luna hastily. 'I was just curious what you were listening to?'
Zatt looked up at her, and then, in a silent whisper filled with awe, 'silence.'
Luna frowned at her, nonplussed.
Zatt looked around her, noticing for the first time that several others were looking at her, too. She started to shake, out of fear - but Luna felt she could read her well enough by now to detect a different energy to her. Finally, Zatt continued: 'the greatest silence in Nautolan music history.'
'Can we hear it?' asked Vix.
Zatt bit her lip. 'It kinda goes like this,' she said, and stomped her foot on the floor, once, twice, then banged her fists on the table. Then she paused, relishing the nothing. 'That silence that comes after,' she said, closing her eyes once again. 'We value that pause. the memory of what came before, the stillness of the now, the promise of what's to come.' she slammed her feet on the floor again, once, twice, then slapped the table with her hands. Kai leaned forward, enraptured. As she did it again, he whispered, 'boom-boom-bang. Boom-boom-bang,' and, on the next reprise, stomped his feet and slammed his fists with her. 'I love this music!'
Grinning, Vix joined in, slamming his fists so enthusiastically that the table shook. Luna laughed and joined them, and then, on the next round, they all joined in, banging their feet on the ground, once, twice, then sending their food flying as they banged on the table. In the silence that followed, Zatt had tears in her eyes. She unplugged her earphones and turned the volume up loud so that they could hear the lyrics, and Zatt sang along, and even though none of the others understood the words, they joined in, screaming out the chorus.
As the song died, Luna looked around to see happy faces with tears in their eyes, laughing, crying. She mouthed a silent thank you to Zatt. They needed this. She needed this. Her heart felt light for the first time in days.
Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Face hanging by the door, smiling as he looked in on them. He had a datapad in his hand. She beckoned him over and he came in and stood at the end of the table.
'Good news, everyone!' he said enthusiastically, brandishing his datapad. 'We've intercepted a message - a good one, this time,' he added before anyone could lose their good mood. 'But first I must confess to holding something back. I'm not sure how much the ordinary rank and file know, much less you extraordinary ones - but some time ago Leia - General Organa - left the New Republic and formed a military cell called the Resistance. I didn't want to mention it because I didn't want to get your hopes up, but I have received confirmation that Leia, and our old friend Poe, are alive.'
Luna's heart soared. 'Leia,' she whispered in awe. She wasn't the only one pleased with the news, as others chattered excitedly, hugging each other. The legend herself. Suddenly things didn't seem quite so lost.
'So,' said Face, clapping his hands together. 'It's time to put a plan together and do some resisting.'
He laughed as he was pelted with food.
