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chapter sixty-one: pryde and prejudice (and pilots)
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     INDIRA OFFICIALLY HATES KELVAN PRIME. Their new backwater base planet is nothing short of a miserable wasteland where all things go to die. The atmosphere — though breathable — is dry and frigid, leaving lips chapped and skin cracked. And even though there's no snow, the temperature is so kriffing cold that the ground beneath their feet remains permanently frozen all year long; regardless of the season. Worst of all is the planet's orbital rotation, which allows them only a few sparing hours of daylight each cycle before the world is plunged back into darkness again. Maz Kanata had warned them that their new base HQ might not be the most pleasant of locations, but even then Indira hadn't been envisioning a subzero nightmare that rivaled the frozen depths of hell.

She had never missed D'Qar more than she does now.

Thankfully, she isn't the only one dissatisfied with their lodgings. Rey, who grew up on a desert world, is constantly cold and shivering. Poe, whose home planet is nothing less than a sauna, complains often and loudly about the change in climate. And even Leia, who once braved the glacial winters of Hoth, admits that their situation isn't ideal. Within hours of their arrival, she orders Commander D'Acy to begin scouring their available resources to find them a new base as soon as possible.

All in all, the Resistance has seen better days. The constant cold and lack of daylight seems to affect everyone, settling over them like a heavy fog that dampens spirits and lowers troop morale. The sooner they leave Kelvan Prime, the better. But in the meantime, there's nothing to be done except for soldiering onwards, so everyone makes the best of their circumstances.

The Resistance sets up camp inside an abandoned military base, establishing shields and booting up their communications network. Rations are divided amongst the soldiers and quarters are assigned for everyone to sleep in and then it's back to business as usual as they fall in line with the mechanical grind of wartime. Most days, Indira feels bone-weary and numb as she goes through the motions of her routine. Her favorite time of day is during mealtimes, when everyone huddles close together and shares their body heat while they eat, because it's when she feels warmest.

(Conversely, her least favorite time of day is the hours after sundown, when people start to break off into groups of twos and threes as they head to bed and Indira has to trudge off to her own solitary quarters, huddle up beneath her blankets with only her droid to keep her company, and shiver in her bunk till dawn finally breaks across the sky at sunrise.)

She's so fucking freezing all of the time, nose running and fingers aching, that when Leia asks for volunteers to meet with Maz's mysterious ex-First Order contact at an off-world rendezvous point, Indira is one of the first to step forward; eager for the chance to leave Kelvan Prime behind.

The team is kept small: just herself, Finn, Stefan, and Rose. Poe had volunteered as well, but Leia has different plans for him — sending him off to link up with a few of her operatives from the elusive Inferno Squadron — and Indira isn't sure if she's grateful or disappointed when she learns that. Kali and Jess are sent to meet with an ex-Imperial warlord on Rattatak, who is rumored to have no love for the First Order, so they skip out on the mission as well. And Rey elects to stay behind on the base, claiming that she needs to continue studying the Jedi texts and practicing the mental training exercises that Leia had suggested she try after Ren had invaded her mind on Yavin.

Part of Indira is worried about Rey. The young Jedi hadn't been herself since her encounter with Ren, which had left her visibly shaken. She appeared less confident in the wake of the evacuation of Yavin; often keeping to herself, spending most of her time alone and secluded. And even though Indira is probably the last person who should be worried about someone else isolating themselves, she can't help but notice Rey's troubling behavior.

It's something she'll have to worry about later, though. There's no room for distractions today.

In all honesty, none of them know what to expect from Maz's contact. The stranger had requested that they meet meet him at the Black Spire Outpost of Batuu — a planet famous for hiding rogues and smugglers and all sorts of people who don't want to be found. He hadn't given them any information on his companions either; just that he was adamant about securing protection for them before he would give any information to the Resistance about the list of Leia's allies.

"Any idea who this guy might be?" Indira asks Stefan and Finn as their transport ship enters Batuu's atmosphere.

Stefan shakes his head from the pilot's seat. "Not a clue."

"Me neither," Finn admits. "I didn't spend much time around the higher-ups. The only person I really knew was Phasma and she ..." his voice trails off. "Well, she's not around anymore."

"Am I the only one willing to say that there's a good chance we're walking into a trap?" Rose asks, chewing on her lip as she fiddles with the straps of her seatbelt. "I know Maz said we could trust this guy, but something feels off to me."

      "We'll just have to be ready for anything," Stefan mutters as he prepares the transport for landing on the outskirts of Black Spire. "Stay vigilant."

"Yeah, let's try to avoid getting arrested this time," Finn quips. "Or tased."

Indira raises a brow. "Tased?"

"It's a long story," Rose says with a grimace. "And yet another reason that I never want to visit Canto Bight again."

As soon as the ship touches down, the group of four make their way outside into the light of day. The air is cool, but not too brisk and Indira could almost cry when she feels the sun beating down atop their heads. She resists the urge to lie down on the ground and bask in the warmth of Batuu's temperate climate.

"I'd forgotten what this feels like," Finn marvels, voicing Indira's thoughts aloud as he shrugs his coat off. "It's so warm — I don't even need a jacket!"

"Do we really have to go back?" Rose asks and even though Indira knows she's joking, part of her is thinking the same thing. "Let's just stay here and make the others come to us."

"We've already been spotted," Stefan points out, nodding in the direction of the outpost. Sure enough, a few locals are eyeing them with suspicion; their faces covered by hoods and scarves, but their stares are still apparent.

       Indira sighs in defeat. "Well, it was a nice dream."

They make their way into the heart of Black Spire, keeping their eyes peeled for any sign of danger. The blaster tucked into Indira's thigh holster is a heavy reminder that they might be walking into a firefight. She sticks close to Rose while Stefan and Finn split off from the group, allowing everyone to blend into the crowd a little easier. Indira makes her way towards one of the vendors in the marketplace, pretending to peruse the creatures for sale inside the shop. A smile tugs at her lips when she spots a few Loth-cats snoozing in their crates, but it fades just as quickly when a Kowakian monkey-lizard swings down from the ceiling and screeches in her face.

        "Fuck," Indira swears loudly, startled, and the laughter of her friends rings in her ears through the comm link. "I hate those things!"

      "You know who else hates 'em?" Finn chimes, his voice teasing. "Poe," he says and Indira purses her lips.

"Anyways," she replies, clearing her throat. "Where'd our guy say we were supposed to meet him?"

"He didn't," Stefan admits. "Said we should be in the marketplace at high noon and he'd find us."

     Indira doesn't love the sound of that. "How convenient."

     "Like I said," Rose mutters under her breath. "Trap."

"Just act natural," Stefan interrupts. "Everything's going to be fine."

"Yeah," Finn agrees. "And who knows? This guy could be like us. You know, one of the good gu —"

His voice cuts off abruptly and Indira spins around to look for him, giving up all pretense of blending in. She finds Finn across the way near another vendor, eyes narrowed and hand resting on the blaster strapped to his hip.

"Finn?" She asks softly. "What is it?"

"A feeling," he mutters and Indira does her very best not to feel envious of the fact that she can't feel it, when she used to be able to. "Someone's watching us."

"You think it's him?" Stefan whispers.

"I don't know," Finn admits. "I just ... feel it."

Indira scans the crowd. Her eyes lock with a man a few years her senior. Most of his face is hidden beneath the shadow of a floppy, wide-brimmed hat, but what she is able to see is handsome in an aristocratic way; high cheekbones, dark eyes, and a square jawline. Their gazes settle on each other for only a moment, but the split-second of eye contact that they share is enough to tell her all she needs to know.

"Guys, I think I see him," she says lowly. "Do you —"

The man turns on his heel and runs.

"Hey!" Indira cries before taking off after him. "Wait!"

She can hear the others scrambling to catch up; the four of them following in pursuit of the stranger. They push past the civilians, barreling through the maze of Black Spire as the man ducks around corners and slips through alleyways. Indira's lungs burn with exertion, feet pounding against the ground in attempt to reach him, but the stranger is too quick. He tears down a path leading further and further away from the walls of the outpost, abandoning the city for the cover of towering trees and boulders. When he makes a sharp turn onto a new pathway up a steep, sloping hill, Indira takes a moment to stop and catch her breath and the others do the same.

      "Why is he running?" Finn demands between gasps, resting his hands on his knees. "We don't want to hurt him — we're not gonna hurt you!"

       Rose rubs at the stitch in her side. "I kind of want to hurt him now that he's made us chase him for five kriffing kilometers."

      Stefan shakes his head and starts to run again, leaving the rest of them behind. "He's just scared," he shouts over his shoulder. "But we can't lose him — Leia needs that list!"

      "Force," Indira swears. "He's right, come on!"

       They resume the chase up the hill, stopping at the edge of a clearing overlooking the Surabat River Valley. Boulders and trees frame the path leading to the outlook, where the man has come to a stop in the dead center of a field. A blaster is clutched between his palms and he points it towards them with shaking hands. Something about the wild look in his eyes reminds Indira of Raena Nhagy — the First Order assassin turned Resistance spy — and it makes her heart ache. She wonders where Raena is now; if she's safe, if she's alright, if she'll ever get to see her again.

      Rose flinches, reaching for her own gun, but Stefan puts an arm out and stops her. "Wait," he says lowly, raising his hands in the air in a gesture of surrender. "Trust me on this."

Reluctantly, Indira follows his example and puts her hands up. Finn and Rose do the same and the stranger slowly lowers his blaster, though he does not put it away entirely. "You're with the Resistance?" He calls out, voice hoarse.

     Indira nods. "You're Maz's contact?"

He gives an almost imperceptible jut of his head. "She told me I could trust you." His eyes narrow. "Was she right?"

"We're not here to hurt you," Finn promises. "My name's Finn. I used to be a stormtrooper, but I'm not anymore."

"And I'm Stefan Nakada," Stefan adds. "Former First Order officer. If you're defecting, you'll be safe with us."

"So you'll help me and the one's that came with me?" He asks. "You won't hurt them?"

Rose nods her head. "The Resistance is all about helping people — not hurting them."

Relief washes over the man's face as he removes his hat and swipes a hand across his sweaty brow. "I didn't know who else to go to," he admits, mouth trembling as he tucks his gun away. "But I couldn't — I had to get them out."

Indira's brow furrows. "Who?"

The stranger turns towards the boulders surrounding the clearing and brings his fingers to his lips, whistling loudly. "It's alright — you can all come out!" He calls. "It's safe now."

Slowly, tiny heads begin to pop out from around the sides of the rocks and one by one, children of all ages step into the clearing. Their faces are small and dirty, watching with guarded eyes as they make their way to their caretaker. Indira counts nearly thirty kids in total and sucks in a sharp intake of breath when she realizes who they must be. She hears Finn let out a similar gasp, coming to the same conclusion.

"Are they —" Rose whispers.

"Stormtroopers," the man confirms. "Or they would've been, but they didn't fit the Order's standards. They were going to be terminated. When I heard about what was happening, I knew I had to do something. My father is a general, so I had access to enough information to get them out without getting caught. I didn't know where to take them, but I couldn't let them stay there."

"You saved them," Finn finishes quietly.

       Stefan nods at the stranger; his eyes filled with newfound respect for him. "What's your name, soldier?"

       One of the children tugs at the hem of the man's shirt and he picks her up, settling her onto his hip. Another takes his hand and a third clings to his leg. "Wesley," the man replies. "Wesley Pryde."

       Indira can't keep the smile off her face as she stares at the group of children and the man who has saved them. Her heart swells in her chest at the reminder that there are still good people in the galaxy who are willing to do the right thing; no matter the cost. "Welcome to the Resistance, Pryde."

      Rose turns to her. "We've gotta comm General Organa," she says. "No way we can take all these kids back to our base. It's not the type of place they should be."

      Indira glances over at Wesley. "We had to relocate recently," she explains. "Our new base planet is very cold and we don't have the kind of supplies that would support these kids there."

     He nods, considering her words for a moment. "Actually," Wesley says slowly, brow furrowing. "I might be able to help with that. You guys think your general would mind relocating again?"

      Finn raises a brow. "What have you got in mind?"

      A half-smile crosses Wesley's lips. "Follow me," he says, cocking his head in the direction of the valley. . "Kids and I can give you a tour of where we've been hiding out."

     "GENERAL," INDIRA SAYS, nodding respectfully at the hologram of her aunt that EV-1 is projecting onboard their ship. She and the others had returned to the transport after scoping out Wesley's hideout in the heart of the Surabat River Valley to report their discoveries. Indira finds herself unable to keep the smile off her faces as she takes in her aunt's disgruntled appearance. Leia looks cold and tiny, bundled up in a thick parka with a fur hood. "Still keeping warm over there?"

      "We're managing," Leia replies drily. "Somehow, I think this godsforsaken block of ice might be worse than Hoth." Her eyes narrow. "You look like you're having too much fun, Beren. I take it things went well with Maz's contact?"

       Indira nods, still grinning. "I've got only good things to report!"

       Leia lets out an audible sigh of relief. "Thank Force," she mutters. "It's about time we got some good news."

      "How would you like it if I told you that we might have found a new base?"

      Her aunt raises a brow at her. "I'd say that it's cruel of you to get an old woman's hopes up, unless you're being serious."

       "Wesley — Maz's contact — has a pretty damn good hideout here on Batuu," Indira tells her. "The Surabat River Valley is full of cavernous ruins big enough to hide ships and a decent amount of people, too. We'd be safe here, at least for a little while."

      Leia considers this. "You sure we can trust this Wesley?"

      Indira nods. "Definitely — he's the real deal," she confirms before hesitating. "But Leia ... he's got a bunch of kids with him that he rescued from the stormtrooper program. The only way he'll give us any information about your list of allies is if we agree to help get these kids to safety."

       Her aunt sighs. "They always want something in return," she mutters before shaking her head. "But at least this is doing some good. Tell him our resources are scarce, but we'll do everything we can to help the children."

      "And will you be joining us on Batuu or should we prepare to meet you back on Kelvan Prime?" Indira asks innocently, trying not to sound too hopeful. 

      Leia purses her lips thoughtfully. "Is it warm?"

     "So warm," she confirms. "It's winter here and I'm not even wearing a jacket."

      "Then I'm sold!" Her aunt decides.

      Indira almost cries in relief. "Oh, thank Force," she breathes before shouting over her shoulder to the others waiting just outside the ship. "We don't have to go back to Kelvan Prime!"

      A round of cheers goes up from her friends. "Good," Finn calls. "That place made me miss Jakku — and I hated Jakku!"

      "See if you can get ahold of Dameron," Leia says and Indira blanches. "Have him and the others rendezvous on Batuu as well."

      "I — okay," Indira agrees, unable to keep herself from making a face. Things had been weird (or at least, weirder than usual) with Poe since they left Yavin IV and Indira had done her best to avoid him since. "Will do."

      A knowing smirk flickers across her aunt's face. "See you soon, kid."

Indira sighs as soon as the projection cuts off and her aunt disappears. "Thanks, Evie," she tells her droid, tweaking her antenna affectionately. She takes a few moments to steel herself before forcing herself to punch in the code for Poe's ship, chewing nervously on a hangnail while she waits for him to pick up.

"This is Poe Dameron," his voice crackles through the speaker after a few moments of static. "Everything alright?"

"Hey," Indira says hesitantly. "It's me."

She can almost hear the frown in his voice. "Indira?" He asks, sounding concerned. "Are you okay? Did things work out on Batuu? You guys aren't in any trouble, are you?"

"No, no, no," she replies quickly. "We're fine! Everything's fine. I actually have some good news. Are you on your way back to Kelvan Prime yet?"

"Yeah," Poe confirms, sounding unenthusiastic about that prospect. "Just linked up with Inferno Squadron." He pauses. "You said good news?"

Indira nods, fighting back a smile. "Tell BeeBee to change your flight coordinates to the ones I just patched through," she says. "We found ourselves a new base."

"No shit?" He replies, excitement evident in his tone.

"Shit," Indira confirms and he whoops triumphantly.

"Tell me it's warm," Poe begs. "Tell me it's sunny and the ground is soft and there's not a cloud in sight —"

"It is a sweltering ... eighteen degrees out right now," she replies with a grin. "There's a few clouds and it's little breezy — you might need a jacket once night falls — but we haven't needed ours since we touched down."

He lets out a groan. "Beren, I could kiss you."

      Indira freezes. "Ha ha," she laughs nervously, feeling her throat go dry. She definitely does not think about the possibility of him kissing her. Or how nice it might feel after so many months without kissing him. Or how much she misses kissing him, now that the thought has been planted into her brain. No, she definitely does not think any of those things. "You're hilarious."

       "Not trying to be," Poe mutters under his breath.

      Her eye twitches before she shakes her head furiously. "Get your head out of the clouds, Dameron," Indira snaps, ignoring how unusually high-pitched her voice sounds to her own ears. "I'll pass the message onto Kali and Jess; you inform the others."

He lets out an exaggerated sigh. "I will roger that," Poe replies. "But you and I have unfinished business, Beren. We still haven't talked about —"

      "What? I think I'm losing you. Gottagobye!" Indira says before manually cutting off the communication.

      EV-1 lets out an accusatory string of beeps and Indira glances over at her. "Don't look at me like that," she says. "It was a bad connection!"

Her droid is unimpressed.

Indira makes a face at her. "Just patch me through to Kali and Jess, will you?"

EV-1 obeys, though not without a few passive-aggressive insults that make Indira reconsider her decision to assemble the snarky ball of scrap metal in the first place. Her friends pick up the transmission in a matter of seconds. "Hello?" Jess screams. "I really can't talk right now! Kind of busy."

"Jess!" Indira shouts, alarmed. "Are you and Kali okay?"

"Um," her friend hesitates. A loud crash echoes in the background. "Define okay."

"Jessika!" She repeats, more stern. "What is happening?!"

"Ah, shit. I've gotta go!" Jess yells and then the communication goes dead.

"Fuck," Indira swears loudly before turning to her droid. "Evie, try to reconnect!"

Her leg jiggles up and down nervously. She'd known Kali and Jess weren't exactly venturing into what anyone would call friendly territory, but she hadn't thought they were running straight into danger, either. Their intel had reported that the ex-Imperial warlord they were meeting with on Rattatak was no friend to the First Order. Then again, that didn't necessarily mean that she would be a friend to the Resistance, but they'd been optimistic about their prospects.

Short, sharp exhales escape from Indira's lips as she tries to remain calm despite her rising agitation. What if something terrible has happened? She worries. What if they're seriously injured — or worse? She used to be able to know. She could feel when things were wrong, but now she can't and she has no idea if her friends are alive or ... or .... The thought is too awful and it makes Indira's stomach churn, bile threatening to crawl its way up her throat. If she lost Kali or Jess ... no, it was unthinkable.

She's close to either screaming or vomiting or both when Kali's voice blares across the speaker. "Indi?" She asks breathlessly. "Are you there?"

Indira is up on her feet in a flash. "Kali," she croaks. "Are you alright? What's going on? Where's Jess?"

"I'm fine!" Her friend confirms, sounding winded; as if she'd just finished running sprints. "Jess is fine. Sorry you guys got cut off. I just tagged her into the ring, so she had to hang up."

Indira's brow furrows when she hears the sound of cheering in the background. "Kali, what the hell are you two doing?"

"Kind of a long story," Kali replies. "Don't freak out, but you know the ex-Imperial that me and Jess were supposed to meet with — Teza Nasz?"

Indira nods slowly. "Yes?"

"Well, she wouldn't meet with us unless we were able to defeat her best warriors in combat, so we're kind of the middle of a ... thing on Barterus. But like I said: don't freak out! We've totally got this under control."

"Barterus?" Indira grinds her teeth together, feeling the start of a headache throbbing at her temples. "Kali, please tell me that you're not competing in the gladiatorial ring of Barterus."

There's a beat of silence on the other end and then, "Do you want me to lie to you?"

"Oh, hell," she swears loudly. "What were you guys thinking?!"

"Leia needs allies!" Kali says defensively. "And seriously, we've got this handled —" her voice breaks off. "Jess, you're doing amazing, baby! Kick his ass!"

"Kali, get out of there!" Indira shouts into her comm link. "No ally is worth this sort of risk; especially not some scummy ex-Imperial asshole. Leave now before you and Jessika get yourselves killed!"

"No can do, Indi," her friend replies, sounding almost apologetic. "Quitting isn't an option in the eyes of the Rattataki; this is something of a win-or-die deal. But thanks for the vote of confidence!"

Indira wants to pull her hair out. "Kali," she says again, gritting her teeth. "Kick their asses, alright? I expect to see you and Jess on Batuu in one piece."

"Batuu?" Kali repeats. "Why?"

"New base. I'll send you the coordinates for the rendezvous point. Just ... please be safe."

"I will," her friend promises. "I always am!" There's a pause on the other end. "Shit — I gotta run. My turn again."

The line goes dead and Indira groans, sinking into her chair and letting her head fall against the dash of the ship with an audible thump. "I hate pilots," she mutters under her breath. "I hate them so much."

a/n: this chapter is literally just me throwing a bunch of darts and seeing what sticks!!! ANYWAYS 🥰 the kowakian lizard-monkey incident is 100% inspired by star wars: resistance aka that animated show where poe (voiced by oscar isaac) had a few cameos; including one where he goes absolutely feral for an entire episode over his hatred for those god-awful little lizard-monkey muppets. 🤬 for all my disney park fans: batuu is the planet featured in the galaxy's edge which i visited recently and fell in love with, so i had to include it in this book!!! (sidenote: kelvan prime is entirely made up by me. the name is a play on the word kelvin. bc it's cold. i'm very smort!) 🤓 wesley pryde — aka the only man ever — is a new oc!!!! he is the son of that loser general from tros and he basically just hates his dad and doesn't want to be part of the first order so he said fuck it and stole a bunch of kids. @ the first order: don't talk to him or his 30+ baby stormtroopers ever again!!!! 🚫 as for the units of measurement used this chapter: i chose meters for distance and went by celsius for temperature bc according to the interwebs, that's what they use in star wars??? my tiny brain is trying to be as accurate as possible even though i don't know SHIT about math or science but i thought i would let y'all know where i got those numbers! 🧠 NEXT CHAPTER: we learn more about the list™️, some more friends join the party, and a bunch of other good stuff goes down. as always: thanks for reading! ✨

POSTED ON:
02.09.20