Star Wars: Duel of the Fates

Chapter 21

The viewports of each TIE had been removed for scrap, and the many dashboards and control panels had been partly taken apart and detached.

They skirted around to the back of the fighters, working quietly for the next hour to painstakingly take out the power conduits.

"Ok," Jannah said, "Finn hold onto the blue wire and Rey disconnect the green one. Good. Very slowly, Finn I need you to pull out the blue one...now."

There was a pause as they separated the wires so that the conduit was no longer attached to the reactor couple. They removed it with one smooth movement and it came away in their hands.

"That makes five," Finn said, depositing it into a large bag.

"I always forget how poorly put together these old TIEs are," Jannah said wiping the sweat from her forehead, "But the parts do function even after several decades."

"And beggars cannot be choosers," Finn said, as he and Jannah clambered down to the ground and looked up at Rey still perched on top of the fighter, "You coming down?"

"I thought I saw some high voltage cells beside the navigation computer unit. Rose mentioned that we'd need at least half a dozen for the disrupter."

"Ok, we'll help you," he said hooking his foot into the makeshift ladder leant against the side of the fighters.

"No, it won't take me long," she said climbing over the TIE and force pulling out the metal panel covering the navigation computer.

"We'll meet you back at the entrance," Jannah said.

Finn looked up at her with concern.

"I'll be fine for the five minutes this will take," Rey said sensing his hesitation.

"As long as you're sure."

"I'm sure, Finn."

Jannah led him away.

They walked in silence as Finn adjusted the straps of the bag on his shoulder.

"That took a lot less time than it usually does," Jannah said.

"Three pairs of hands seemed to help more than anything. To be honest my knowledge of imperial engineering is somewhere between little to none."

Turning down a side path, they had to duck beneath a series of loose overhanging cables.

"I'm so sorry to hear about General Organa," Jannah said.

"...Yeah..."

"I didn't know her well but she was always very kind to me and the other First Order children."

"She was to me as well," he said looking away, "How have you adjusted to your new life? Has it been a year now?"

"Just under."

"And you're happy here?"

"Definitely. Everyone here is compassionate and patient and...when I have a bad day they're always so understanding."

"We rescued a new group yesterday," Finn said, "If none of this had happened right now we'd have been spending time getting to know them and helping them to find their families."

"And you still will, just not today."

"Not today," he said wistfully, "Do you...do you think we should give the children a choice before we rescue them?"

"A choice? I don't know. Is this because of the boy who damaged your cruiser?"

Finn nodded, "He is so certain he did the right thing. I could see it in his eyes...the determination to make a last stand. I nearly did something like it myself..."

"I find that hard to believe."

"On Crait...when they were firing their siege canon on our outpost...Poe told us to pull back but I...I just couldn't let them win. So I aimed my speeder right at the centre of the superlaser...it started ripping everything apart...and then Rose pushed me out of the beam. She didn't want to watch me throw my life away."

"That sounds like something she'd do."

"Hurt herself pretty badly in the process...still managed to kiss me though."

Jannah laughed, "And took you completely by surprise?"

"Completely, I didn't even understand what was happening until it was over."

"That isn't what a girl wants to hear."

"When she woke up she said as much."

They had to walk sideways through a particularly narrow passage.

"What would you have said if we'd found you on that base and asked whether you wanted to be set free?" Finn asked.

"A daring rescue doesn't usually have the time for hundreds of children to make such an important choice."

"Hypothetically."

"I don't know. I was always so afraid I don't know if I'd have been brave enough, but I would have always regretted if I'd said no."

"What do we do when they choose to still fight for the First Order?"

"There isn't an easy answer to that."

"No, there isn't. Sorry it's just this whole thing is making me question what we've been doing. I mean if I hadn't been pushing this so hard maybe Leia would still be alive."

"But then all of those children would still be prisoners of the First Order. If Leia had been given the choice, what would she have done?"

"She made that choice so many times...and never chose herself."

"You aren't responsible, Finn. The boy and every First Order soldier who ever made him that scared are. You gave him a chance to be free and he chose to try and hurt people."

"I can hear what you're saying and understand that it makes logical sense it's just..." he cleared his throat, "I still feel guilty."

Jannah stopped and hugged him, "I'm so sorry, Finn."

He hugged her back before pulling away, "I just...worry about me...Rose...Rey and Poe...Chewie...a hundred other people who counted on her...every day."

"None of you are alone, Finn. You have each other and all of us. More and more people are starting to fight back every day. Did you hear about Mandalore?"

"I heard."

"An entire planet rose up against them and threw them out of their system. Things are changing."

"...Thanks, Jannah."

"It isn't often that I get a chance to help you: it's my honour."