Star Wars IX- The Rise of Skywalker

Chapter 4- Reconnaissance

Jannah Calrissian was the perfect mix of her father and mother. She held little regard for her physical appearance. Her hair was wild, she was tall and robust, and the clothing she wore was chosen for its practicality rather than its beauty. The one nod to her father was her cape, which wasn't made from expensive, lush fabrics or a bold colour. It was plain and functional; if stranded, it could be turned into a shelter. With Jannah's mother, Kira, being a member of the Rebellion, she'd been raised to be efficient with all weapons, whether laser or handheld. Unlike her father, who loved his blasters, Jannah preferred more primal weapons such as her energy bow she'd asked their old family friend Chewbacca to construct for her. Chewbacca had made a mighty bow with energy arrows and taught her to fire it once she was old enough to use it. The bow was large and had to be slung over her back in order to be carried, and she pretty much carried it everywhere. She was a reasonable mechanic and proficient in the pilot's chair of the cockpit of most ships or shuttles. Her father had taught her well.

Jannah and her father had come to the Resistances' aid after Crait and Ikkuk. The Resistance was diminished to practically nothing, their weapons were few, and their ships required maintenance to give their members a boost. The number of Resistance fighters had increased since they'd provided their much-needed support but were still too low to bring an end to the First Order. If they tried to go to war currently, it would be a massacre, and they would be on the losing side. Now, she was on a reconnaissance mission with Finn as well as recruiting- Finn's major strength was recruiting. She had been surprised on meeting him; this young, seemingly important man within the Resistance and now a Captain was an ex-stormtrooper. He'd been taken as a child, raised and trained and then fled. Her father, Lando, had instantly warmed to Finn, mostly because he'd cheated him out of his meagre belongings and rations upon initially meeting him in a few games of Sabac, which he'd quickly returned. Lando had taken Finn under his wing; to Lando, Finn was a fledgeling he could mould, and Finn seemed more than willing to become just like the old Rebellion General. Jannah and Finn were currently sitting on an Orbak with a small band of other Resistance soldiers. Jannah felt utterly at ease on this animal as she did on many a domestic beast. Finn, however, she could see felt uncomfortable, and he's said as much repeatedly on their journey. However, he seemed to be slowly relaxing into the relationship with the creature.

Finn was masking an anxious face poorly regarding his feelings about the creature, which had a distinct mind of its own galloping between his legs. Finn had come into contact with so many strange creatures since his time in the Resistance- The crystal foxes on Crait, the wonderous gambling elite on the Galaxy on Canto Bight and, of course, the swift-racing Fathiers. These Orbaks were no exception, long hairless faces with mammoth tusks useful for digging into the dry earth for food. Orbak's long hair helped to protect them from the harsh winters on the open plains but was also cool in the warmer months on its home planet of Kef-Bir, where Finn and Jannah now rode. Finn knew the space and moons surrounding the giant gas planet. Endor was the site of a battle long ago where the Rebellion had finally defeated the Empire. Where the Death Stars remnants had fallen from the heavens, crashing through the atmosphere to the ground below, much had changed; here on Kef-Bir itself, it was barren. Around the Death Star's carcass, there was little life both on the ground or in the sky, just dry grass as far as the eye could see. The destroyed remains had changed the landscape on most planets where great battles had occurred. Kef-Bir, however, was also the graveyard of the Galaxy's most evil and unnatural Force user- Emperor Palpatine. Perhaps that was why the planet was so changed. That evil had seeped into the earth's very core, causing nothing to grow or flourish.

The group was riding swiftly through the long grass to where a settlement of local natives lived. The settlement on arriving reminded Finn of every colony on the outer rims he'd ever come across. A basic living much like that which he knew Rey had grown up with, scraping and scrimping for food and barely clinging to life. Those who lived this sort of life never complained but continued day after day, trudging on with their existence. The small village was a circle of simple primitive huts, much like those on Jakku- made from what the land had to offer and roughly made. Unlike that settlement, however, this one did not feel peaceful; it felt desperate. On his and Jannah's approach, some of the inhabitants ventured out. Finn could see that they were thin, ravaged by living on a planet whose vegetation had been diminished by being the graveyard of the Empire and its leader.