-Aboard the Raddus- R-17 Quadrant, Dalchon Sector - Near the Corellian Run

In his nightmares FN-2187 lived his last waking moments over and over again; even the healing fluids of the bacta-tank couldn't reverse the effects his memories were having on his body. His mind twitched upon hearing Rey scream. His body shuddered from the cold winds blowing around him. Fear gripped his muscles when the figure in black appeared; his lightsaber making angry hissing sounds as it came in contact with the snow. Unstable, rippling red energy filled the dark forest, casting everything including his own weapon into shadow.

Finn attacked Kylo Ren with the lightsaber he held in a futile attempt to protect Rey. His movements were sluggish and desperate, never strong or fast enough to contend with the Dark Side of the Force. He knew every move his adversary would make from how often he relived the dream; but could never defend himself from the injuries to follow. Never could he successfully change tactics before the pain from Kylo's saber seared him.

Inside the bacta-tank, his right arm twitched.

Seconds later his body convulsed from the agony erupting in his back as burning-hot energy from the red blade tore through his back.    

Everything went dark afterward, his thoughts returning to the edge of consciousness. He could hear muffled voices speaking to one another through the watery barrier and wondered if his spasms alerted anyone to his near-wakeful state. Mustering all his strength, Finn managed to open one of his eyes a sliver wide.

In the three seconds it remained open, he could see half a dozen blurry images walking back and forth monitoring various terminals. Aside from the dim light of the computers, only stars coming in through the window behind them illuminated the room.    

    Several questions flooded into his mind at once; had the Resistance succeeded in destroying Starkiller Base? Who had saved him? Whose ship was he on? Had the Resistance saved him, or was he a prisoner of the First Order? Did they spare him only to revive and extract information from him about the Resistance? How long had he been healing? How severe were his injuries?

Where was Rey?

Panic threatened to overtake him.

Instead, the former stormtrooper remained motionless as he drifted underneath the surface, trying to gather enough will to break free of his comatose-like state. Concentrating solely on his right hand, he imagined each finger curling up into a fist. Outside the healing chamber a single alarm sounded, encouraging him to keep moving. Flexing his muscles caused him excruciating pain along his back, but he refused to stop. He groaned at first and then screamed, causing bubbles to rush out the breathing apparatus and up along the side of his face as he stretched each shaking, clenched hand out to his side.

The shrill sound of several high-pitched beeping signals pierced through the glass and liquid. Finn kicked out with his legs, rising up a few feet before floating back to the bottom of the tank. When he opened his eyes again, he couldn't make out any blurred shapes of people, nor did he hear any voices. Nevertheless, he continued to stay in motion so as not to slip into unconsciousness again.

Just as he felt his strength would give out on him, he heard a motor whirring and the rush of water overhead. Cold metal with the aid of warm hands closed around his arms and hoisted him up out of the tank. Another set of hands removed the mask from around his face and still another wrapped him in warm towels to dry off. Clean clothes were placed next to him to put on.

Relief washed over Finn seeing the non-uniform clothing of the medical officers assisting him. He remained still as they dried him off and scanned him, only nodding and shaking his head when asked questions about his physical and mental state. Every time he shifted in his seat, sharp waves of pain racked his body. Without thinking he reached back and could feel the metal and wiring of a new, cybernetic implant running along his back connecting his spine. He involuntarily flinched away when one of the medical droids poked him with a sharp tool to test the nerves around it.

"Statement: Sir, you need to remain still, calibrations are not yet complete."

"Calibrations?" he exclaimed, trying to look over his shoulder to see what they'd done to him. He grabbed the droid's arm before it could stick him again. "Why do calibrations need needles? Who's in charge here?" He winced in pain when he turned back around, his breath coming up short. "Is this is a Resistance ship?" he asked, looking at a nearby female human medical officer.

"Yes sir, you are aboard the Raddus, captained by Grand Admiral Ackbar," she gently laid a hand on his shoulder. "Please calm down so we can finish. We are almost through."

Finn nodded in compliance, but his voice continued to rise. "Do you know how I got here? Or what happened at Starkiller Base?" he paused for half a second, "Or if Rey and Chewie made it out? Is Rey here?"   

In the hall, a figure in an orange jumpsuit worn by all the X-Wing fighter pilots stopped. A second later, a BB-8 unit bumped into his leg. "Finn?" he asked. The droid's head rotated toward the room and it whistled wildly. "Finn!" Poe Dameron hurried to the former stormtrooper to embrace him but stopped upon seeing his friend flinch. "When did you wake up?"

"A few minutes ago. Been getting tortured ever since."

The medical officer intervened. "Statement: He came out of stasis earlier than we anticipated, Commander. We are scanning to check for any irregularities and making adjustments where needed. He may still need more time to heal."    

Poe looked Finn over and nodded. "He's a bit pale, but I can assure you this one is tougher than he looks," he slapped Finn on the shoulder and gave the medical officer his most charming smile.

Noticing what the droid held he asked, "What are the needles for?"

"Answer: I am calibrating his pain receptors. Explanation: Not enough or too little pain could lead to serious injury or death."

    Finn glared at the droid. "Remind me how feeling less pain is going to injure me?"

"Example: If one acquires an injury and not feel pain, bleeding out or infection could follow with one not knowing."

Poe mumbled to himself, "Why is he talking like that?" and then asked the droid, "Why are you talking like that?"     

"Question: Like what?"

Finn shook his head and held still as the medical droid made the final adjustments to his spinal cybernetics. Less than a minute later, Poe clapped his hands. "Okay, we all good here?" before the medical officer or droid could respond, the pilot slipped his arm underneath Finn's and lifted him up. "You okay buddy? Good? Let's get you outta here." He started toward the door. "BB, unlock Finn's quarters and let the good General know he's awake."

The BB-8 unit responded with four blips and rolled out of the room.

Finn had to shut his eyes when they ventured out into the hall; the light from the white corridors nearly blinded him. He welcomed the feel of the smooth floor beneath his bare feet even if it was cold; for it meant he could feel below his waist and retained the ability to walk. He heard several rush past him, some occasionally greeting the Commander as they passed.

"Poe," Finn said through clenched teeth. "Where's Rey? Did she make it?"

"She's okay. I think. Honestly bud I haven't met her and with all the new recruits a lot of these missions have been top-secret-need-to-know,"

Finn planted his feet causing them both to come to a halt. "What mission?"

Overhead, alarm sirens sounded. They both looked up just as an announcement played through the ship, "Attention, First Order Star Destroyers approaching, Squadrons report to your posts. Attention…"

Poe let out an exasperated sigh. "I don't appreciate their timing Finn. I really don't."

    After a jolting run, they made it to Finn's room where Poe left him to join his Squadron. His room was simple but efficient, being furnished with only two items: a bed which sat against the wall underneath a wide window and a storage unit for his belongings. He chose to keep the lights off as he walked to the side of the bed.  

Looking out the window, Finn wondered if he knew anyone on board either of the Destroyers in the distance. He wondered if he'd ever stop running from the First Order or if he'd ever truly heal from the wound Kylo Ren inflicted upon him.

    He wondered about Rey.

What could he do for her though? She proved time and again she could handle herself in a fight and her skills as a mechanic and pilot exceeded any he'd known during his time with the First Order. As he pondered the whereabouts of his friend through the blaring alarms outside his door, he realized while the First Order taught him various skills including basic combat, he knew nothing of courage, bravery or fearlessness. He knew nothing of fighting for lost causes or defying odds.

Finn grimaced thinking on what he allowed others to turn him into.

Looking out on the approaching Star Destroyers memories of his time as a soldier returned to him, reminding him of why individuals like Kylo Ren, Captain Phasma and Snoke needed to be stopped. A wave of nausea passed through him recalling his last assignment on Jakku. Why had it taken a massacre for him to see the error of his ways? Did the other troopers feel anything after slaughtering so many innocents? Did it give them a sense of power?

    Or were they just afraid, unwilling to act because of the fear controlling them?

He didn't know if the answer lay with the Resistance; many of its leaders were part of the Rebellion, who were former members of the Republic. The same Republic which eventually transformed into the Galactic Empire whose remnants would one day rise up as the First Order. Yet Finn knew he wasn't in any position to judge them, he'd only known the life of a Stormtrooper and everything he'd witnessed in the past two weeks proved to him the Resistance wasn't the enemy he'd been led to believe.

The First Order wanted him to believe in their cause, to give up his life for it if necessary. He always fell short of that objective and now he knew why; though he carried out the motions, Finn never believed in what the First Order stood for. He never believed in the ideals of the leaders who founded it.

What he did believe in were his friends. He believed in Rey.

Finn would have liked to believe they shared a special connection, but deep down he knew she would rush to the aid of anyone in trouble without hesitation or thought to her own safety. He knew she would instill courage and purpose to those around her, because of how firm her own beliefs were in doing what she believed was right. In time, Rey would be a leader and a symbol of hope to the galaxy.

"But what do I do right now?" he asked the empty room. This part always frustrated him; after taking orders for so many years coming up with unique ideas proved challenging.

Walking over to the storage unit, he retrieved his clothes, boots and jacket. Careful not to aggravate his back, he moved a quarter his normal speed. When only his jacket remained he had only one arm in the sleeve when the door to his room slid open.

A gold-colored humanoid-shaped droid stood in the hallway about to knock.

"Oh uh, good evening Master Finn, I am Seethreepio—"

"Human-Cyborg relations. We've met."

The droid paused for a moment, "Oh dear. I'm afraid my memory banks are not what they used to be. Three wars can be quite taxing on a protocol droid such as myself you know, in addition to knowing over six million forms of communication I'm also required to record and maintain countless events which I am seldom given credit for. When combined with the undeserved stress these run-ins with the First Order put on my behavioral inhibitors— "

"Threepio we're about to be attacked, could we hurry this up?"

"Oh yes of course. General Organa requests—"

A loud explosion rocked the ship, throwing the two of them off balance.

"We're doomed!" Threepio exclaimed.

Finn gritted his teeth as he pushed the droid off him. "How do I get to the General?"

"She is waiting in the counsel room for you sir...Oh my!" The next explosion shook the Raddus enough to knock the droid off his feet. Before Finn could help him up, the droid waved him off. In a dramatic tone he exclaimed, "Now's not the time to be a hero sir! The Princess needs you!"

Finn wanted to point out helping the droid stand hardly qualified as heroics, but instead started toward the hangar, praying to the Maker the distance wasn't as far as he knew it probably would be.