Across the Stars (Reylo fanfiction)

Flesh and Stone

"It was Jimyma, you know," Quoll said as he used a long poll to push the vessel along through the reeds, "she brought me 'round after," he pointed his finger towards his head. "The shock waves from the initial blasts rippled even through my neck of the woods. That quick thinking bird brain dragged me out of the house and into the rain."

"Fascinating," Kol said, as he squeezed his tall form in between packs and the side of the slender vessel.

Rey took a swig of water out of her canteen and tried not to twitch her nose. Before they had set out, Quoll had insisted they rub an ointment that smelled of eucalyptus and ... something else into their skin. "For the sand-flies," he'd said. When Janna had inquired as to what was in it, he'd said that it was better they not know. The creek beside his house had opened up into a mess of moss and other assorted floating plants. Kol had wondered aloud about why they weren't using the small conical motor at the boat's stern. "It's for the crocadilians," their guide had said. "Machinery makes 'em grumpy. You wouldn't like 'em grumpy."

"Have you always lived here?" the female padawan now asked from the bow of the boat.

"Born and raised," their gondolier sang, "I've done my share of running around the galaxy a bit. But you always come back."

The clogged creek slowly opened up into a river and then a wide inlet of the sea. Across the expanse of ocean, Rey saw the tip of an island out by the horizon.

Quoll jumped out onto the bank. He stashed his poll in the bushes, and then hopped back into the boat. "Hold on to your space undies," he said, revving the engine and spinning a silver dial. The pointed front of the boat angled down. They sank to the bottom of the riverbed.

Rey gasped on reflex.

Around them a bubble of air pulsed, protected by a glittering force field. Quoll put down the accelerator and they sped off into the sea. Fish, too many colours to name, all swirling fins and spikey spines and gnashing teeth, swished around them. "Any normal craft'd start to break apart after the irukandji started stinging," he sighed, "I know most foreigners think Australis Class planets uninhabitable death worlds. But it's home to me. I'll grant you've gotta have your wits about you, though." As they crossed the reef, their guide eased up on the gas. A large underwater mountain blocked their way. He found a nick in the rock beast's armour and they began to make their way through a flooded cave system. Finally they broke through the surface of the water and came up into the shadow of a cavern. Quoll switched off the air bubble force field.

"This certainly is an interesting place, Mr Ironside," said Kol, stepping off the boat.

"Mate, I've told you three times to call me Quoll," their unique mariner replied, tying their vessel to a stalagmite.

"Don't mind Kol, given names aren't his thing," Janna added.

"Actually, my given name's Cornelius-Xavier."

Rey turned. Finn hadn't mentioned that the last time she was here. "Then why Quoll?"

"Stanger passed through when I was young, called me it after this funny little furball of a creature we got here. It kinda stuck," he scratched his scruffy beard, "If I remember correctly, stranger went by the name of Solo."

An invisible dagger of emotion shot through Rey's gut. She pushed it away.

Janna came up to her, "That was a long way to go for the sake of stealth. Not that I minded taking the scenic route." She put her hand on Rey's shoulder, "Are you sure you're ready for what we might find?"

She gripped her student arm, "He's alive. I would have felt it if he weren't."

"Of course," the togruta woman assured, and moved a piece of hair out of Rey's face, "but there are things worse than death you know."

"I know."

Janna used the force to move her lightsabre-daggers into her hands. "Then let's do this."

Rey unclipped her sabre-staff from her belt. Kol took out his sleek silver blaster from its holster.

"Can you stay with the boat in case we need a swift getaway?" she asked Quoll.

He nodded, pulling out a bulky two handed blaster from out of the boat's lower compartment. The scope alone was the length of Chewie's foot. The memory of her fluffy friend and worry for her other two padawans threatened to pull at her determination. She squashed it down out of her thoughts.

"Be careful," she said, "we don't know who still may be here."

With that, they began to climb a set of stone stairs. It twisted around itself. Finally, sunlight pierced their corneas. Rey found herself face to face with a metal grate.

She looked at her friends.

They both nodded.

She shoved it with her shoulder and lifted the criss-crossing circle of iron out of place. With a deep breath, she pushed herself up out of the hole. Quickly she ducked behind a nearby pillar. She squinted in the soft afternoon light that felt like arrow tips to her dilated pupils. As her eyes adjusted, she saw that they were alone. Reaching out with her feelings confirmed it. She signalled for Janna and Kol follow. The slid up beside her.

Rey stepped out from behind the pillar and into the large open courtyard of a fortress of red stone. Scorch marks and craters were everywhere.

"Woah," Janna murmured as she and Kol followed their master.

They moved through the shadows until they came to a room where the door had been burned through with something to create a hole in its thick, blue-black metal. Looking both ways over her shoulders, Rey stepped into the room.

Papers were everywhere, and machines ripped from the walls with copper wires sticking out.

"It looks like someone stole Jimyma's eggs and she came looking for them in here," Janna said, kneeling down.

Kol stared into the disaster zone unblinking.

Rey walked over to a grey R4 unit that had a square hole in its chest where its circuit board should have been. She stretched out her hand and touched its conical head.

Suddenly a scene flashed before her eyes. Seven black draped warriors, all carrying various sabre weapons. Drenched in rain, they stood at night on a rocky beach. Around them lay the bodies of slain people. The image rippled and she then saw this very room and Finn's face streaked in blood as he was dragged out by stormtroopers.

She sucked in short breaths as she fell back on her butt.

"Master!" cried Kol as he walked to her.

"Are you alright, Rey?" Janna said, kneeling beside her.

She didn't answer them. Standing, the jedi ignited her weapon and started running. She ran and ran back along the corridors, back through the courtyard, through the fort's bent and broken main gate. Ignoring her padawans calling her name, she ran down the outer stairs. Down to the rocky beach. The rock itself was porous, but also littered with blaster craters.

There she screamed, but it came out as more of a growl and then a roar, that grew and soared in animalistic fury. She continued releasing the vocal retching from her lungs as she carved crevices in the rock. Finally, she dropped her sabre and fell to her knees, steading herself by placing her palms on the ground. She saw it again in her mind's eye. Finn weak and bleeding. Bodies everywhere.

And him.

Leading the assault, she knew that mask. Knew the man ferociously clinging to it, but also desperately trapped behind it.

Throat raw and gasping for breath, she felt hands on her shoulders. Looking up she saw Kol and Janna standing over her. They both had tears in their eyes. Rey realised that she did too. They picked her up to her feet. She stood their gripping both of them as she shook.

"Well, well, what have we here?" broke a voice through their grieving.

The trio turned around just before being frozen in place by the force. Rey saw that their assailant was a woman wearing black robes, and sporting elbow length dark red hair. In one of her leather gloved hands she held a sabre-whip that matched the colour of her tresses. Beside her stood a contingent of battle droids.

So much for stealth, the jedi groaned internally, before blacking out.

***