Dawn of a new Force

Chapter 20 - Different ways.

After several kilometers of frantic racing, the small group of three men was stopped by a convoy. What a relief it was to see a light transport ship land in front of them. A Duro descended from the ship to hail the fugitives. All three did not take the time to explain everything, Poe simply stating that they had no ship and were hunted down by the First Order. He told them that he knew about it and was there to help them. He had received a coded message from Maz telling him of their distress. 

Finn squeezed the man. 

- They are just above, how are we going to escape? And Rey, are we abandoning her? 

The man turned to Finn. 

- No, but we can not act now. It would make the task too easy. Come with me, we will meet your friend later. And from what Maz told me, she has a lot of resources. 

Poe nodded and Finn followed. Chewbacca hesitated, he did not seem convinced. The Duro managed to convince him, and he finally got on board, grumbling. Poe came to reassure him. He did not forget Rey either, but he thought the Duro was right. She would hold, and they would come back stronger. 

Hardly out of the atmosphere, Poe stared admiringly through the bay window at a parked Duro cruiser. The transport ship entered the hangar, and they felt the immediate hyperspace jump. Poe could not help but feel a pinch in his heart thinking about Rey, and BB-8, left alone on the spot.  

Finn and he got off the ship while Chewbacca was talking to another Duro. They could not repress smiles at the sight of what they were discovering. The huge hangar housed, in addition to transport ships, a dozen brand new X-Wings. Poe rushed to one of them and caressed him, as a man would caress an old friend lost sight of for too long. 

- Can I? he asked the technician, reaching for a key. 

- Yes, absolutely, he replied, smiling. 

Finn watched, amused, his friend reconnect with one of his favorite pastimes: the maintenance of the hunting ships. The Duro who had come to meet them came forward. 

- My name is Er Gatsi. I am a lieutenant, under the command of General Mor Btza. Our fleet is joining the Rebel fleet. We were very sorry to hear the death of the General Organa. It all made us decide to go back to action, he concludes. 

Finn pointed to the hangar.

 - But all of this, where does this come from? We have no more fleet, it has been decimated. 

- At all times the Duro have been great galactic travelers. We were big builders. We have been able to hide some of our most precious vessels. This cruiser is the Mtzar-Bi. It's one of our flagship cruisers. We have two others, but in less good condition. We hid them in the outer edge to find them in good time ... 

- And the hunters, they look new? 

- You can buy hunters for anyone, you just have to afford it, Er said. Unfortunately, everything is bought here. 

Poe emerged from under the X-Wing. 

- Do you have others, hunters? 

- Our cruiser has fourteen hangars. I'm not sure of the latest numbers, but it seems to me that we currently have 60 X-Wing and 6 heavy bombers. But I will take you to General Btza, he will be able to answer you better than me. 

Finn and Poe followed Er, Poe wiping fat from his hands quickly on his already dirty pants.  

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