hyperspace! → star wars ✓

xiii. responsibilities

⋆☆.* ✧✰ .✦⋆*☆

THE FIRST ORDER'S DISPLAY WAS LIKE FIREWORKS—only these fireworks were up close, personal, and far more deadly. Nova was stunned, and she wasn't the only one, but the thing that stunned her the most was that she knew Luke was still alive, perfectly content behind that cloud of salt that had been kicked up by the chaos.

She was right, because as the dust settled Luke remained standing, brushing the minerals off his shoulder like nothing had happened...but how? No one really knew what the hell was going on, but they couldn't look away; whether it was because the legendary Luke Skywalker was staring down an army or because he had somehow just survived enough blasts to kill an entire city, no one could bring themselves to stop watching.

They were all jolted back into reality as Finn reentered the base, pulling in an injured Rose, and by the time they returned their attention to the scene outside, they came to find that Luke was no longer alone.

"It's Kylo Ren," said Finn, but Nova had already known, for she had been able to feel her brother's anger since the moment Luke stepped out into the light.
"Luke's facing him alone. We should help him, let's go." He began to move, but Nova held up a hand, signaling for him to stop. Gaze unmoving from the face off outside the base, she spoke to him.

"If he needed help, he would have said so," she reassured him quietly.

"No, wait, wait..." murmured Poe, for something had come to him—something Nova was beginning to see for herself.
"He's doing this for a reason." He paused, and as he spoke next, Nova joined him.

"He's stalling so we can escape," they said in unison, and finally her gaze moved away from her family as she and Poe exchanged a glance, both wearing faint and fleeting smiles.

"Escape?" Finn repeated, for he was too emotional to understand just then. Nova could feel it; he had been through so much the past week, and while she had too, at least she had known what she was getting into. He had no idea how much his life would change that fateful day as he helped her and Poe escape the First Order. He had been through so much, endured so much, and it was finally hitting him, hence his desperate need to help.
"It's one man against an army. We have to help him, we have to fight."

"No," said both Nova and Poe once again, Poe picking up where they left off.
"No. We are the spark that will light the fire that will bring the First Order down. Skywalker's doing this so we can survive. There's gotta be a way out of this mine—hell, how did he get in here?" Poe began to look around, and the others did too.

"It's Luke, it wouldn't surprise me if he just appeared out of nowhere," Nova murmured, and it was then that it hit her. It made perfect sense, the way he got in, the fact that he survived the First Order's assault, she was irritated she hadn't thought of it sooner. He had told her about such things, back during her training, and had said that only someone truly connected with the Force could pull off such a thing...and he had done it. He had opened himself back up again, which meant he had true faith in the Jedi again.

Nova pulled herself away from her thoughts and back to reality as Poe shouted at Threepio, and she could tell by the look in his eyes that he had had some sort of great realization—one she hoped would save the Resistance.

"Listen," he said quietly, and the cavern went silent, far more silent than it had ever been before.

"My audio sensors no longer detect the—"