Kyber Heart - Poe Dameron

Chapter 40

The base was equipped with a number of exterior cams, linked back to a viewing apparatus inside. Many of the cams were non-functioning after decades of sitting idle and being infected by the elements of the planet, but those that did work providing a descent picture for what was coming to their door.

Nova fiddled with the controls, getting a lock on the First Order forces setting down in the distance. Ships were going back and forth, planting various heavy walkers – AT-ATs, and the much larger and modern AT-M6s. But those were not even the worst of their problems.

A dozen or so heavy ships were descending in perfect formation – a procedure she had not seen before in all her years of opposing them. Some readjustment and focussing of the cams allowed her to see that they were lowering a mammoth cylinder; it shook the ground upon touchdown.

"Finn," she beckoned the man over, stepping aside from the viewing controls. "I need your expertise."

Finn took control, his body noticeably tensing as he set eyes on the foreign threat – though to him it was familiar in nature.

"A battering-ram cannon," he reported grimly.

"A what now?" Poe asked anxiously.

"Miniaturised Death Star tech" he elaborated. "It'll crack that door open like an egg."

Nova chewed the inside of her cheek, and a nervous murmur spread across the room.

"There has to be a back way out of here, right?" Rose asked.

Poe frowned, looking to the droids as they returned from their scan of the complex. "Beebee-Ate, what've you got?"

The droid responded in a series of despondent beeps, the sentiment of which was echoed by BB-6.

"Beebee-Ate and Beebee-Six have analysed the live schematics," C-3PO said. "This is the only way in. Or out."

Another testing blast to the door rattled the room, drawing the eyes of every soldier. Their expressions were all the same – bleak with despair. Even Poe's.

Finn refused to succumb to defeat. He had not come this far just to give up and let the First Order win. None of them had. And they needed to be reminded.

"Come on. We have allies. People believe in Leia. They'll get our message, they'll come. But we have to buy time." He looked around the faces now turned to look at him, his words seemingly igniting a spark within them. "We gotta take out that cannon."

Poe nodded, looking to Nova to find her in agreement – a look of determination setting in on her face. It provided some comfort, seeing a little part of the woman he had not seen since before Starkiller starting to shine back through.

Nova's mind was racing, thoughts coming together to formulate a plan. It would be far from perfect, but it could give them hope – the one thing they needed. "Rose, you reckon we can get some of those speeders working?"

"We can try," the younger woman replied, voice determined but eyes sceptical.

"I can work with that. Load up and get ready to move out."

---

Soon enough, the ski speeder hanger had been adapted into a rudimentary production line of crafts, roughly divided into three categories: combat ready, in need of repairs, cannibalise and strip for parts. Unfortunately, no speeder fell into the first category.

The astromech droids had been assigned to run diagnostics on each crafts' systems, while Rose assembled a team consisting of anyone with a scrap of technical know-how.