Star Wars: Fall of an Empire - Part II

VIII - Finn

Rain fell heavy over Ji's eastern forest. Ji was the smallest planet of the Malastare system and where the signal from Ushar's stolen TIE fighters was located. Imperial stormtroopers moved through the forest led by Finn. He felt strange leading them. They were following him on Ben's orders of course. Despite being a stormtrooper himself not long ago they didn't treat him any different to other officers. He could sense he didn't have their trust yet. He would have to earn it.

They had captured all the deserters they had found so far, but weren't able to find Ushar among them. As they reached an opening in the trees there was a Sith monolith in its centre. This must have been the reason Ushar came here, Finn thought.

Around the monolith there were prisoners with bags over their heads. Finn wondered if they interrupted a sacrifice or some sort of Sith ritual. He was thankful they came just in time. He rushed to them to remove their restraints and ordered the rest of the stormtroopers to do the same.

As he took the bag off the head of one of them, Finn was surprised to see Maz. He removed the muzzle from her mouth and Maz smiled. "You can't imagine how happy I am to see you."

Finn felt reassured to see a familiar face, but didn't look relieved.

"You have the same eyes as when I first saw you."

"Do you know where Ushar is?"

"And the same troubled mind. Full of restlessness."

Finn raised her to her feet and turned towards his stormtroopers. "Four of you come with me to take these people back to the shuttle. The rest continue searching the forest for Ushar."

They did as he asked and he turned towards Maz. "Don't look at me like that. I can see you judging me, because I come to you in the company of Imperial stormtroopers. I can explain."

"There's nothing to explain, Finn," she said as she wiped the mud of her trousers.

"You expected it, I suppose. From the moment you met me I was a traitor."

"No, you seem to be the only one to have stayed true to their principles."

Finn thought about this as they started walking back the way he came from. "Why do I keep switching allegiances then?"

"You seem to have a gift for doing the right thing. Like there is a compass inside you that points you to the light," Maz said walking alongside him.

"The truth is I don't know my role in all of this. I don't know who I'm supposed to fight for."

"And that speaks of your wisdom. You don't choose a side and blindly follow it. You fight for what is good."

"I don't know what is good anymore. I can't tell if Ben is any better than Rey. He had a change of heart, but I can still feel the darkness inside him."

"There is much tragedy in his family," Maz said and looked thoughtful. "But the tragedy isn't in his blood."

"I want to help him," Finn said resigned.

"You have no idea how much you already do. He needs someone like you to steer him to the light."

"I doubt I can do that, when I can't tell right from wrong anymore."

"There is a conflict raging on inside you and it's the same with Ben," Maz said with a sad smile. "In all great men there is as much courage as fear in their hearts. Navigating these two opposing forces defines who you become."

"How can I help him then, if I'm just as lost?"

"You have to be his guide and show him his true character," Maz said.