Chapter One

It was the green that Nell noticed first. Tall grass that rippled in the breeze and lush emerald forest as far as the eye could see – a stark contrast to the grey duracrete of her homeworld. As the transport began its descent to the tarmac of the Resistance hangar, Nell cast her mind back to the events that had led her to seek out the base on D'Qar.

Nell had been longing to leave Hosnian Prime since her seventeenth life day and dreamed of escaping the mundanity of her life at the centre of the Republic. Since she had been a small girl she had been fascinated with her Uncle's tales of his days in the Rebel Alliance, flying in Green Squadron, fighting alongside the legendary Han Solo. Nell's eyes would grow as wide as saucers, despite her mother's irritated sighs, as she raptly listened to his stories of heroic battles and clashes with the Empire.

Nell had chosen an easy life, following her parents' expectations, studying hard at the academy and finding a stable (if monotonous) job as an administrator for the Republic Senate. Her father was a scientist, her mother a teacher – both honourable professions, and of great import – but Nell dreamed of more. Since she was very young her uncle had taught her to fly his old A-wing, the very ship he flew in the final battle to destroy the Death Star. Nell had shown a natural affinity as a pilot, and never felt freer than when she was in the cockpit, her small hands deftly steering, fingers dancing across the controls of the craft. The day after Nell turned twenty-five, her beloved Uncle died. Nell had been distraught. The one family member who didn't scoff at her dreams and abilities was gone, and she was utterly cast adrift. Nell continued her mundane life, working every day, playing the dutiful daughter, but a fiery ambition still burned deep inside her soul. She would honour her uncle. She would become more than the timid young woman who spent her life chained to her desk, working day in, day out, resigned to a life of anonymity and monotony.

One day Nell decided that enough was enough. She had packed a large khaki hold all with her most treasured possessions, including her uncle's old flight log, and flown the battered A-wing to the nearest space port. It was no secret that the First Order was making its presence felt across the galaxy, their actions touted as 'protecting honest citizens of the Republic' in the propaganda that was constantly playing on the Holonet. Nell's parents were intelligent people, but were wilfully ignorant of the real danger. Nell had heard talk from the grizzled pilots at the space port, and was aware of the actions of the Resistance. Before her uncle had died he had warned her...

"Nell – question everything. You're a clever girl. Your mother was once like you, but she was scared. The galaxy is a dangerous place, but whatever you do – don't let that stop you doing the right thing. The time is coming for action. You have skills. Skills that will be valuable in the coming storm. Don't make the same mistake your mother did. When the time comes, you know what to do."

Nell blinked back her tears and swallowed the lump that rose in her throat at the memory of her uncle. She had summoned all her courage, shouldered her hold all and left for the space port to find a transport that was leaving for Takodana. She was going to find a way to join the Resistance.

Once at Maz Kanata's castle, it hadn't taken her long to seek transport that was leaving for the Resistance base, and she used the remainder of the credits she'd gained from selling her uncle's ship to buy passage on the freighter that was delivering crucial supplies to the base.