Seven - The Battle of Canto Bight

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Canto Bight

The Resistance fleet drops out of hyperspace above Canto Bight. The planet is largely covered in water, with long island strips pushing up to the surface. The First Order fleet sits suspended in the planet's orbit. The Supremacy is placed at the rear, making both fleets look small by comparison.

Inside the bridge of the Raddus, Admiral Ackbar sits in his command chair.

"Rescue teams! Break off now!" Ackbar orders over the comm.

Several of the Resistance corvettes along with a large group of X-wings, including Poe's, split off from the fleet and fly down towards Canto Bight.

"Remaining ships, form up blocking vectors! Keep those star destroyers between us and that capital ships cannons!" Ackbar commands.

The Resistance ships shift their trajectories, each of them keeping a star destroyer between them and the Supremacy's line of fire.

***

Back on the corvette, Finn squeezes the ship's railing in a death grip. The corvette shakes violently as they enter the planet's atmosphere.

"Finn." Rose says.

Finn ignores it.

"Finn!" She says with more urgency.

He turns, giving her a quizzical look. Rose points out the viewport. Finn looks through. Gasping he lets go of the railing, and stands up straight. Outside, the surface of Canto Bight is visible. There is a city built into a cove on the edge of a vast ocean. The city is in flames. TIE fighters  swarm the sky, raining green laser-fire down on the city. Stormtroopers march through the streets, firing indiscriminately at combatants and civilians. Fleeing starships are constantly taking off, many to simply be shot down by TIEs. Several X-wings break off from the group to defend the escaping ships.

"Never seen a planetary invasion before?" A voice says.

Finn turns to see Lorn standing there. She also staring out the window, expression concealed by the gray helmet she wears.

"Not like this. Not on this scale," Finn says.

"The First Order is efficient as it is ruthless." Lorn says. She activates her comm. "Set us down on the outskirts."

Immediately the corvette turns and heads towards a clear area at the edge of the city. It touches down with a slight bump and the landing ramp drops. Lorn runs down the ramp along with a dozen Resistance soldiers. Finn and Rose follow shortly, carrying their med-packs. Finn stops for a moment, staring out at the ravaged city. Then, he shakes himself and continues following the soldiers.

***

Kylo Ren blocks a blaster bolt with his lightsaber, then runs the blade through the chest of the city guard who fired it. Shock and pain contorts the man's face.

Kylo pulls his saber out of the man's chest, and the guard crumbles to the ground. Behind Kylo, stormtroopers unleash a hail of blaster-fire on a handful of other guards. They all drop to the ground, dead.

"These guards don't present much of a challenge do they?" Kylo says.

"No, sir." A stormtrooper confirms.

"Let's keep moving. I want to get deeper in the city." Kylo says.

"Yes si-" The stormtrooper is cut off by a blaster bolt nailing him in the chest.

Kylo whirls around to see a squad of Resistance soldiers open fire on them. Kylo throws up his hand, freezing a blaster bolt in mid air. The soldier who fired has only has a moment to look confused before Kylo pushes his hand forward, sending the bolt back. It hits the soldier center mass, dropping him like a rock.

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