The Flame [3]

Chapter 7

They lead us to Yendor's library. It has a large round table in the center of the room, with a holo. I look around at the sight. It was a beautiful room.

"Um. Bria?" Rey asks me

"Huh?" I ask her looking at the group, trying to depict who everyone is.

"Why are you staring at Poe?"

I scoff. "I'm not I was just looking at everyone," she looks at me unconvinced. Chewie roars.

"Stop. Just stop. I do not like him, and keep your voice down, Chewie," I tell him. I turn back to looking in front of me to see Norra slowing down.

"Brianna," she says.

"Yes, Norra," I reply.

"I never knew you and Poe were together. But you make an absolute adorable couple. Oh, your kids will be so cute!" she says talking to herself more then me.

"You never knew, because we aren't. I can't stand him half the time," I mutter the last sentence to myself.

"Sure don't act like it," she says, simply. Then, walks away.

I open my mouth in shock. Rey leans in and closes it.

"Don't act so suprised," she tells me. "Everyone thinks the same thing. Everyone," she emphasizes, everyone.

I don't get a chance to reply because my mom starts speaking.

"I'm glad you're all here," she says silencing everyone. I make my way to her through the crowd. I end up being beside Poe, who of course, is standing by my mother. "I know many of you came at a great personal cost with small hope of success. I can't promise that we will survive this. That we will all still be alive tomorrow, or the day after. But I can promise you one thing. I will fight beside you until the end."

"If I may," Norra says. "Everyone in this room knows what they signed up for, General. This isn't our first battle, although it might be our last. We're done with 'homes'. We've made a choice. This," she gestures to everyone standing around the table, "this is our home now. The Resistance is our family. And just like you, we're ready to die for it."

I see the glint of tears as my mom lowers her head. "And the rest of you? Is that how you all feel?"

"Yes," Poe and I says at the same time, almost immediately after she asks.

"Yes," Orrimaarko says.

"Yes," another agrees. Yes' just keep coming. The man who Poe was talking to earlier even gave a "Hell, yes!"

Mom looks up, no sign of tears. "Then we have work to do, Yendor?" She steps aside and lets Yendor walk up.

"Welcome to Ryloth," he says. "Like Leia, I think each of you for all that you've sacrificed. We are all here for the same purpose: stand against the tyranny of the First Order. Those of us from Ryloth know a thing or two about standing against tyranny."

I nod my head thinking about the struggles Ryloth had with the Empire, and during the Clone Wars.

"I and my children and those who are part of the Ryloth Defense Authority offer you all we have, but as you can see, we are few."

"You called the Resistance's allies from Crait, did you not?" Rieekan turns to Mom. "Others will come."

She grimaces. "So far the only allies we have been able to reach so far are the ones you see in front of you. We suspect that the First Order has been running up in prison in those sympathetic to the Resistance, and we think that they figure it out how to block or frequency, but we aren't sure. We can't rely on reinforcements. Not at this point."