Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens Lost Stars Read Online Free Page B

their helmets, buckled their harnesses, and lowered the hatch to seal themselves in. By now the procedure was second nature, something Thane could do without conscious thought. He
knew the moment Ciena would start flipping the switches to activatethe motor, and even the rhythm of her fingertips as she did it. His own console lit up in response. “All systems check
out.”
    “Confirmed we are ready for takeoff,” she said. “Full thrusters. Let’s grab some sky.”
    The old V-171 rose from the ground with a shudder, engines glowing blue on either side of them. Then they turned, banked, and soared away.
    Ciena took them up higher, towardthe peaks too cold and hostile for anyone to settle. A handful of mining droids dotted the landscape, gleaming darkly against snow and pale stone, but otherwise
the area remained untouched. Thane felt as though he and Ciena had the world to themselves.
    When they flew near one of the eastern ridge arches, Ciena’s voice crackled through his helmet’s speakers. “I see some icicles that needto be taught a lesson.”
    “Got it.”
    The arch came into focus on his viewscreen grid. Three icicles hung from the rock like stalactites, most of them about as thick as his arm. Big for an icicle—small for a target.
    Thane took aim, fired, and sent shattered ice spraying into the air. He grinned as he heard Ciena’s victory whoop.
    “Think you can find me a couple more targets?” he said.They never blasted indiscriminately, because a few falling rocks or icicles at this altitude could turn into an avalanche down
at habitation levels. But he and Ciena had learned everyplace safe to shoot where ice could possibly hide.
    “Oh, yeah,” she replied. “Hang on.”
    Thane knew exactly how she’d loop the ship downward. Even without guessing their exact destination, he could sense justfrom the slightest shift of their wings which way she would move
next. He and Ciena had flown as a team every chance they’d had for the past five years. By now they worked together like two hands of the same pilot.
    The V-171 dived into Stepson’s Gorge, a narrow, craggy pass that challenged ships at every turn. Ciena steered them down deep, no doubt intending to give Thane some practice targetingoverhead. As they descended, they swooped past one of the many small waterfalls within the gorge. Despite the freezing chill, the falls still flowed, though more in a trickle than a gush. At that
hour of the afternoon, the light caught the water at the perfect angle for a rainbow, and an icy outcropping nearby caught the prismatic light, reflecting it in a dozen directions at once. Everyrock and line of snow seemed to glitter. It was one of those perfect moments all the more spectacular because in an instant it would be gone, never to be seen again.
    Thane heard Ciena whisper, “Look through my eyes.”
    He’d known she would say that.
    Maybe it was finally time to find out why.
    After flying practice, Ciena and Thane went to the Fortress.
    So they’d named it whenthey were eight years old and inclined to be dramatic. Really the space was nothing but a cave, albeit a cave they’d spent several years fixing up to their
satisfaction. Every few weeks, one of them would show up with something else to add to their collection. Most of the nicer stuff (the proton-fuel heater, the holo-games) had been brought by
Thane—castoffs from his family, luxuries they hadtired of or would never miss. Ciena’s offerings were humbler, but she consoled herself by thinking they were more important. The
Fortress would have been incredibly uncomfortable without the thick blankets and hide rugs she’d brought. Those, too, were castoffs, passed on by valley kindred trying to modernize their
dwellings to Imperial standards. But they were warm and soft, the ideal liningfor their nest hidden away from the world.
    Really the cave was located fewer than fifty meters from the Kyrell family’s hangar, but the mouth was tucked above one