█▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀█
chapter thirty-five: something bad
█▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄█

THERE'S NO TIME to be wasted as the Resistance base sounds the alarm for evacuation, rousing everyone from their beds to their posts within minutes. Indira and Poe go their separate ways as he hurries to rally his pilots and she returns to her living quarters one last time. The technician makes quick work of her personal belongings, grabbing only what she deems necessary — EV-1, her necklace, a few books, some scattered tools, her holopad, and a couple pairs of clean clothes — before leaving the rest of her things behind.

     She heads to the hangar after that and finds the ship bay swarming with Resistance crew members. There's a certain organized chaos to the evacuation process that allows Indira to jump in and help wherever she is needed; whether it be with trundling up carts of charging cables and other tech, directing lost droids onto evacuation pods, or running diagnostics on smaller ships like the T-70s and the Starfortress bombers.

     She doesn't have much time to think about everything that's going on. Her mind is focused on only the task at hand — getting packed and getting the hell off of this planet as soon as possible. Even so, Indira can't help but feel a small pang of sadness at the knowledge that she might never return to the terrestrial planet ever again. D'Qar had become her home by default once the Hosnian System had been destroyed by the First Order, but it had also became her home by choice when she found a family amongst the people on the base. Some of the best moments of her life had happened while standing on the very ground she was standing on right now. Even if she ever managed to return to D'Qar again someday in the future, things would never be the same.

     "Beren!" Kaydel Ko Connix — one of Leia's most trusted lieutenants — shouts, flagging her down once she finishes loading a cargo trunk onto a nearby ship.

     Indira wipes the sweat from her brow with the sleeve of her uniform before jogging over to her. "Yeah?" She asks, slightly breathless from exertion. "What's up?"

     "I have orders for you," Connix says wryly, adjusting the comm in her ear. "Directly from General Organa herself."

     "Oh, great," she replies, taking advantage of the brief respite to catch her breath. "Give 'em to me."

     "She says, and I quote this verbatim: tell Lieutenant Beren to get her ass onto the Raddus, immediately," the lieutenant repeats. "And tell her that that is an order."

     "But there's still so much to do!" Indira protests. "We've got munitions to load and other cargo that needs to be stored. The fuel transfers aren't complete and —"

     "Forget the cargo," Connix interrupts. "We can't take everything; there's not enough time. Getting the fleet to hyperspace is our first priority. After that, we'll be able to restock our inventory and replenish our fuel reserves. But, General Organa is right; you need to get yourself onto a ship now before its too late."

     Indira nods in reluctantly agreement. There was no feasible way that they would be able to pack everything up in time. Some things would have to be left behind and others would have to be replaced. "Sir, yes, sir," she relents, giving Connix a lazy, two-fingered salute. "I'll see you on the Raddus, okay? Make sure you get out of here, too."

"Once the last transport is loaded up, I'm gone," Connix promises, shooing her away gently. "Now, go!"

Without lingering, Indira turns on her heel and heads towards the outer shipyard. She passes by several familiar faces on her way, including Doc Cosimo, Stefan Nakada, and the Tico sisters: Paige and Rose. Wordlessly, Indira jogs over to them before slinging an arm around Rose's shoulders.

"What are you two still doing here?" Indira chastises them. "You should be on ships — both of you!"

"So should you," Rose challenges, arching a brow at Indira. "We were helping to load transports and —" her face falls slightly as she looks down, "— saying goodbye."

"Rose," Paige says patiently, reaching for her sister's hand. Indira takes a subtle step back, allowing them a private moment to finish their farewells. "I'll be fine."

"I want to go with you," the younger girl protests, tears pooling in her eyes.

"You will be with me," her older sister counters, touching the tear-shaped medallion on her neck.

Rose shakes her head. "It's not the same!"

"Maybe not," Paige agrees before tapping her little sister on the nose. "But it won't be long till we're together again. I'll see you onboard the Raddus once the evacuation is finished."

The younger girl sniffles before putting on a brave face. "Right."

"I'm going to be fine, Rose," Paige repeats confidently, squeezing her sister's hand one more time. "No tears for me, alright?"

"I know, Pae-Pae," Rose replies, her voice soft and child-like. "You're the best gunner in the whole Resistance, after all."

Paige ruffles her sister's hair affectionately before pulling her in close for a bone-crushing hug. The two embrace for several seconds before Paige steps back and pushes Rose towards Indira's direction. "Look after her for me till I get back, will you?" Paige asks Indira jokingly. "It's a difficult job, but I think you're up to the challenge, Beren."

"I'll do my best, Tico," Indira replies, "but I make no promises."

Paige laughs at that before pulling on her hat; the flaps dangling over her ears. "Alright, then I guess that means I'm off. Cobalt Hammer, reporting for duty!"

"See you after the evacuation," Rose shouts with thinly veiled desperation in her voice as her sister turns to walk away.

"See you then, Rose," Paige replies with a casual smile and a wave.

The pilot jogs towards her ship and Indira watches her go with Rose until she's out of sight. Once she's gone, Indira slings an arm around Rose's shoulders and gently steers her in the direction of the Resistance's largest ship, the Raddus, where she knows Leia and the others are waiting.

"Paige will be fine," Indira says in an attempt to reassure the quiet technician at her side. "She'll be back with us in no time. The First Order haven't found us yet and the base is nearly packed up. We're still making good time."

For that, Indira has to give grudging thanks to Raena Nhagy — the former First Order assassin who had warned them of their enemy's incoming attack. Even though she doesn't like it, Indira is starting to think that Raena Nhagy just might be someone who can help them in the fight. And besides — with their numbers and resources so low — the Resistance desperately needs any allies they can find. They can't afford to be choosy.

"I hope you're right," Rose grumbles, sounding thoroughly unconvinced as they trudge up the Raddus's ramp. As soon as they're inside, the doors of the ship close and the engine rumbles to life. "I really hope you're right."

Indira squeezes Rose's shoulder one last time before letting go. Down the hallway, she catches sight of an approaching blur as her droid, EV-1, comes zooming towards them. "Evie!" Indira says, waving down the bot. "You know Rose, right? Do me a favor and keep her company while I go check in with General Organa."

The droid nods its head in confirmation. "Thank you," Indira says, tweaking EV's antenna before hurrying down the hallway. "I'll be right back, Rose. Find somewhere to get comfortable — we've got a very long and boring flight ahead of us!"

Beneath her feet, Indira can feel the warship beginning its ascent into space. She jogs all the way to the command bridge, pausing at the entrance of the room to look for familiar faces. Near the front windows, she recognizes the figures of her aunt and Poe, along with some of the other Resistance commanders, and Raena Nhagy herself.

Outside of the large bay windows, Indira can see the outline of the D'Qar base shrinking into a small spec on the planet's surface as their ship continues to climb higher in altitude. Other vessels and transports from the fleet begin to dock themselves inside the warship's hangars. As Indira gets closer to her aunt, she can hear the older woman arguing quietly with two of her admirals: Ackbar and Statura. The two males seem extremely displeased with whatever the general has told them. Ackbar makes wild, angry gestures with his arms before shaking his head back and forth, while Statura expresses his displeasure by crossing his arms over his chest and frowning deeply.

"She could be a spy, General!" Ackbar rants. "In fact, this entire evacuation could be part of an illustrious trap!"

Ah, Indira thinks as she sidles up to Poe's side. So that's what this is about.

"So, I take it that our newest ally isn't very popular amongst Resistance leadership," she observes. Her words startle Poe out of his thoughts and he blinks in surprise when he sees her.

"Indira!" He exclaims. "Where have you been? I was worried sick!"

"I was busy making myself useful," Indira teases, tapping him on the nose. "How 'bout you?"

"Oh, you know," he says nonchalantly, folding his arms over his chest. "Just being a hero; as usual."

     "A hero, huh?" She repeats skeptically. "By doing what, exactly?"

     "Not a damn thing," he replies, rolling his eyes. "I would much rather be on the ground or in a ship helping Connix. But, I was told that I was needed here to keep an eye on our friend Nhagy, so here I am."

     "Babysitting again," Indira notes, patting his arm sympathetically. "That must be very hard for you."

     "I don't need a babysitter," the assassin interrupts, scowling at the two of them. "If I'd wanted any of you dead, I would have killed you a long time ago."

     "You know, when you say things like that," Poe says mildly, "they definitely do not make me want to put more trust in you."

     Before Nhagy can respond, Leia and her admirals interrupt their conversation as the general and her commanding officers continue their to bicker. "I'm only asking you to trust me, admirals," Leia Organa pleads, trying to placate her agitated comrades. "Have I ever steered you wrong?"

     "It's not you we don't trust," Admiral Statura says gravely, nodding his head in the assassin's direction. "It's her."

      "So many fans of me in the Resistance," Raena Nhagy mutters under her breath. "If only my uncle could see me now."

      "Trust me," Leia repeats. "Raena Nhagy will not betray us. I swear it."

     Admiral Ackbar wavers before bobbing his large orange head up and down. "We will trust your judgement, General," the Mon Calamari male says. "But I fear that others may disagree with this decision."

     Leia gives the man a wary look. "Leave Amilyn Holdo to me," she warns. "I'll handle her and any concerns she may have."

     Seeming placated, the two men nod their heads before departing to their respective areas of command on the ship. Leia lets out a long, heavy sigh and rubs her temples before looking at the three young people observing her. "Well," she says wryly, arching a brow at the trio, "it looks like you'll be sticking around with us a bit longer, Nhagy."

     "Lucky us," Indira mutters under her breath before the general gives her a stern look of disapproval.

     "General," a woman's fearful voice calls out as the alarms on one of the monitors begins blaring loudly. "They've found us."

     Fear floods Indira's body and turns the blood in her veins to ice. In an instant, Poe springs into action by commandeering the nearest available monitor. "Well, we knew that was coming," he says distractedly, punching random buttons until a live holo of Kaydel Ko Connix appears on the screen. "Connix, is the base fully evacuated?"

     "No," the lieutenant replies, sounding distressed. "We're still loading our last batch of transports — we need more time!"

     "I told you they were coming," Raena Nhagy mutters, but her tone isn't smug or self-congratulatory. Instead, she seems both angry and afraid. Her hands are balled into tight fists and her jaw is clenched in a way that Indira can only describe as painful.

     Beside them, Poe glances over at Leia, who is already looking at him. The pilot swallows thickly, internally debating something before opening his mouth to speak. "General, I —"

     "— you've got an idea," Leia finishes. "Don't you?"

     "An idea?" Indira repeats, brow furrowed and lips pursed. "I hate it when you have ideas."

     Poe squints at her. "Listen," he says, licking his lips nervously, "I have a plan."

     She narrows her eyes. "What kind of plan?"

     "If I told you," he replies wearily, "you wouldn't like it."

     "I already don't like it!"

     "It's simple," Poe explains. "I go out in Black One and stall them long enough for the rest of the transports to get away. These First Order commanders have planet-sized egos. If I get up there, right in their faces, they'll come after me right away."

     For a moment, it's silent as they all process his words. Indira blinks once, twice, three times before shaking her head vigorously. "That's a terrible plan!" She explodes. "You'll never survive."

     "Don't count me out," he disagrees. "I'll be a tiny target for those big cannons. They'll never hit me." He shoots her a cocky smile — a mask of false bravado that she's learned to see through by now. "And besides, best pilot in the Resistance, remember?"

     "Poe, no!" She says forcefully, fisting her hands in the fabric of his flightsuit. "It's too dangerous. You can't go!"

"It's the only plan we have," he replies. He touches her under the chin, soft and featherlight, before removing her hands from his suit. "I have to go. I have to."

Indira feels her bottom lip quiver. "No," she repeats, sucking in a trembling breath. "No, you don't. You don't have to, Poe. You don't —"

"Commander Dameron," Leia interrupts.

Indira spins around quickly and looks at her aunt pleadingly, begging the general to tell the commander that his plan is crazy — a reckless endangerment to himself and others — and to order him to stay behind. "Please," she asks softly; the words barely audible to anyone in the room. "Leia, please."

The older woman looks at her niece's desperate expression and feels her heart pang sympathetically. She knows how Indira is feeling all too well — after all, she'd been married to a hotshot pilot herself for several years. Half the time, Leia had never known whether she wanted to kiss Han or kick him, depending on which stupid stunt he'd chosen to pull off that particular day. As much as she wants to grant her niece's request and turn the young commander down, she knows that she can't — for the survival of her people, of her Resistance, she can't.

She nods at Dameron, just one time, before uttering a single word. "Go."

UNSURPRISINGLY, POE OPTS to do exactly what Indira doesn't want him to do. It makes her furious — she wants to scream at him, to cry, to yell; anything that will let him know just how angry she is. But, she forces herself to keep her cool and instead chooses to resign herself to cold, unwavering silence. As unsatisfying as that is for her, she thinks it might be worse than any reprimand she could have given him.

"Is, uh, my engine fixed?" He asks sheepishly, helmet tucked beneath his arm as he waits just outside of the cockpit of Black One while Indira runs diagnostics on the ship. Behind him, BB-8 has already been loaded into his compartment in the back of the X-wing.

"Yes," Indira replies stiffly. "I finished it last night." Technically speaking, it had been finished very early that morning. "Nothing's been tested, but if it works properly, you should have one of the fastest ships around."

"Right," Poe says, nodding and rubbing his chin awkwardly. "Thanks for that."

"Don't thank me," she answers flippantly. "I'm not sure that it will help, considering that you're going up against an entire fleet."

"Indira," Poe says, sounding thoroughly exasperated. "I don't want to leave like this."

She crosses her arms and glares at him. "Like what?"

"Like this," he repeats, gesturing between the two of them. "I know you're angry with me, but you have to understand that this is something that I have to do. In the same way that you would try to fix anything that's been broken or to help someone in need; no matter the cost. This, right here," he says, pointing towards his ship, "is the part that I play in this Resistance. I can't afford to not do this just because it might be crazy or dangerous. People will die if I don't. I can't let that happen."

Indira closes her eyes and rubs her temples as she feels an ache start to built there. "So I should be thrilled to watch as you waltz off to your doom?" She retorts. "I should, what — smile and cheer? Tearfully await your return while clutching at my chest like a damsel in distress?"

"No," he replies, sounding frustrated. He shoves his helmet down in the cockpit before taking her hands in his and tugging her close. She wants to pull away from him, to show that she is still very angry, but his hands are warm as they curl over hers and she can't make herself step away; not when she knows where he's about to go and what he's about to do — and what it might cost him to do it. "All I'm asking is that you have a little faith in me."

Her bottom lip trembles slightly before she sinks her teeth into it, hoping it will hide how terrified she is. "If you die out there," she says evenly, "I will kill you. Got it?"

He barks out a laugh before tugging her into his arms and showering her face with kisses. "I'll be back before you know it," he replies earnestly. "And once this is over with, you can yell at me all you want; I won't even try to defend myself."

"I hate you," Indira tells him, meaning quite the opposite of those words as he steps back from her embrace.

He grins at her, as if he knows exactly what she means. "I know," Poe says; infuriatingly handsome and annoyingly charming as ever.

In spite of her anger, Indira refuses to let him go without pulling him close one last time, fisting her hand in his jumpsuit, and pressing her lips to his. She kisses him hard, feeling all too angry and desperate, yet unable to do anything about it besides this. This had better not be the last time, she thinks, seething internally. Mystical Force, whatever the fuck you are, keep this idiot boy of mine safe, please.

They break apart, gasping for air, and she rests her forehead against his for a moment; just listening to the sound of his ragged breathing. "For good luck," she tells him, feeling lightheaded and breathless, "or something like that."

"Oh, believe me," he grins. "I'm the luckiest man alive."

       He steals one last kiss before turning on his heel and running for his ship, climbing the ladder to the cockpit with ease and throwing himself inside. Indira watches as he tugs his helmet on and fires up the engine, preparing for flight before punching a few buttons on the dash and rising into the air. The primary set of doors to the hangar opens as he lifts off the ground and flies through them, speeding through the secondary set of doors after the first close. Indira waits until she can no longer see him before turning on her heel and running back to the command bridge where she knows the others are waiting.

When she approaches the monitor where Leia is standing, Indira finds a crowd of Resistance members gathered around to watch. "He's gone?" Her aunt asks as soon as she's close enough and Indira nods.

"Speeding towards his impending doom as we speak," she replies grudgingly.

"I'm sorry," Leia tells her niece, putting a hand on her shoulder. "If there had been any other alternative, I would have told him no."

Indira doesn't say anything even though she knows her aunt is right, as much as she might hate it. For Leia Organa, the Resistance must always come first. No one life matters more than any of the others — not even her most trusted pilot. "It's a necessary risk."

Leia squeezes her shoulder gently before returning her focus to the screen. On the monitor, Indira can see the tiny dot representing Poe's ship as he approaches the First Order starships in the distance.

"It's not so bad, is it?" She asks, trying to reassure herself as she looks at the screen. "Those are starships, but there's only three of them and they're small for cruisers. Maybe they won't be —"

Her mouth shuts as she sees a fourth ship exit hyperspace on the monitor. Unlike the previous ships, this one is different. The vessel is massive, with more weapons and firepower on board than the three other starships combined. The large craft begins to pick up speed as it makes its steady approach towards the Resistance fleet and Indira feels her stomach sink. In comparison to that monstrous ship, Poe's tiny T-70 X-wing is hardly more than a speck on the map.

     "What the hell is that?" She demands.

      "It's a Siege Dreadnought," Raena Nhagy replies, scowling at the monitor. "The Fulminatrix. It was designed for large-scale planetary assaults and was intended to serve as a replacement for Starkiller base. Their guns have more firepower than a dozen star destroyers. Hux was very proud."

     "Oh, hell," Indira swears, running a hand through her hair as she starts to pace back and forth anxiously.

      This was it — this was the something big, something bad that she had feared was coming all along; the fight that Poe had been anticipating for weeks. It was right here in front of them and even though Indira had known that the First Order would inevitably strike back at them for destroying their precious Starkiller base, she hadn't thought that it would happen like this.

     "Your boyfriend said that he's the best pilot in the Resistance," Raena says, looking at Indira with a pitying expression. "For his sake, I hope that's true."

     Indira turns back to the monitor without a word, clutching at the kyber crystal around her neck so tightly that it hurts. She watches Poe's teeny, tiny ship continue its steadfast approach on the dreadnought and hangs her head back in despair. "Damn you, Poe Dameron," she hisses through clenched teeth; unable to do anything but watch and wait.

EDITED ON:
10.28.19