Not Your Hope • Luke Skywalker

03| The Ignition of Havoc

      03| The Ignition of Havoc

"Okay now what would you do if......" Lyn said as she moved the chess pieces all over. ".....If they came attacking in this formation." She asked as she had been going over and testing her squadron a few tactic tricks and plays, all with holochess pieces. Right now, on the board, Lyn's marked pieces, aka her squadron, were surrounded messily by other regular pieces, aka imperial forces.

"Hope we don't die." Axel spoke, as a round of low laughs went around.

"Attack the closest, keep us safe." Saanvi said matter-of-factly.

"You bucket heads, we cover each other as we take them all down." Jett said confidently.

"Okay......those were all perfect answers on how to die." Lyn spoke. "Look at it, don't play around because right now this is a life-or-death situation, how would we get through this with little to no injuries or death." She said as she looked at all the pondering faces.

"Retreat." Axel nodded.

"Shoot down the threats closest and leave there." Nova corrected.

"Yes." Lyn smiled. "You are not losing if you retreat, you're just sparing yourself for another time."

"But theoretically, getting out of this there's a small survival rate. Only half or less of us would be getting out of that alive." Marina let out.

"Well, none of you volunteered because it'd be all butterflies and cakes, right?" Lyn said as she stood up and looked at each member. "We all know the risks in everything, ever since you first stepped foot into the Rebellion, it's been a risk. But if it's a risk you fight for, it's a risk you'd die for."

"Yeah!" Saanvi exclaimed as a small uproar of excitement went around.

"Captain, it almost sounds like we were about to go fight." Layis joked, referring to Lyn's speeches before every flight.

Lyn chuckled. "Well as pilots you have to inspired, you have to be hyped all the time cause the only difference between you and others, is that you guys are fighting the frontlines up there." She pointed upwards.

"Put me in ma ship, ima ready." Axel jumped up as laughs ran around the circle.

"Okay, Okay." Lyn chuckled. "I want two groups of three, we're gonna play a game, whoever wins, I'll buy you dinner."

"Oh yeah, now we're talking!" Saanvi spoke as she went to a group.

"I'm Ref, so I know when you're going to cheat even before you do it." Lyn said as the game started. It had been a home-made game that they made with the chess pieces.

"Say Lyn, what was all that commotion earlier? about Jedha?" Layis asked.

"From what we've been informed, the whole city is gone. Blown up by the Empire and it's supposed new weapon." She explained as they played. "It's a weapon of mass destruction as everyone has been saying." She said shaking her head, she pondered just how drastically this was going to change the tide of the fight.

"So, they just robbed the city then blew it up? That's the Empire, alright." Marina said as she shook her head.

"What did they steal? No one lets me—or any of us, know anything." Jett asked.

"Except you, of course." Nova smiled sweetly, hoping for Lyn to inform them as always.

"Yeah." Layis agreed.

"They mined and took crystals.... we finally put it together and it was all to power that weapon." She said as she crossed her arms and watched how they strategized on the gameboard. "It's the same crystal that powers my saber." Lyn explained. "A kyber crystal."