Hope Remains - A Reylo Story

⭐Seventeen⭐

Lira stood locked in the death grip of the Mandalorian Minister as he waged a verbal war with Poe who she now understood to be in charge of the Resistance. Every so often Poe would fix his gaze on his goddaughter worried for her and desperate to get her out of the hands of the Minister.

"This isn't her war to fight, Minister. Let me take Lira." Poe insisted again, as it was he would be leading the fight from the Resistance base here whilst he instructed the battalion to Scarif.

The war council had been summoned and many gave Lira callous glances. Although many of the faces were indeed strangers to Lira, she recognised Captain Naara Vaa, Finn who stood next to a petite Asian girl who she now knew was Rose Tico and Fraser from Lothal. He had been conscripted into the Resistance's ground forces squadron who led assaults against the First Order from the ground. It was all very confusing for Lira especially why the man holding a steadfast grip on her wished to use her as a pawn in an intergalactic game of chess. 

The Minister spoke down his nose at Poe, "The terms of the agreement were that young Lira here was to remain with me, you have no authority General with regards to the accord made."

Poe grimaced visibly fatigued by the man and the argument he had been sucked into like an asteroid being pulled into a black hole. "Can you not see she is frightened. Lira knows me, has done since she was a baby. At least allow her some comfort Minister." Poe tried to reason with the pompous man who's boots had grown too big for his own good. 

The Minister pursed his lips, "You condemn yourself with your own words, General. You say you've known Commander Rey's secret the whole time and yet you lead this Resistance. What would Leia say to this?"

"Nothing. She would have my back in protecting her granddaughter." And then in a more harsher tone Poe added, "Do not question my authority, Minister and the way I lead my Resistance that Leia entrusted me to do."

Lira perked up at the mention of her grandmother and started squirming in the Minister's grip. The mere mention of Leia sent the familiar ferocity through her veins and ignited the tempestuous side of her personality. Finding her tongue, Lira screeched out a loud cry, "Let me go." And stamped her tiny foot down on the Minister's, she pivoted and found herself pushing him back with an invisible energy. The Force! Lira pulled her hand back in sheer shock, the Minister was seated on the floor against the wall and she had only ever lifted rocks and learnt how to meditate at her tender age. "I... I didn't mean it." She cried and rounded the table towards Poe who took her in his arms affectionately. 

"General, the child cannot stay in the war council whilst we discuss our stratagem." Naara spoke up tentatively. The blue Togruta felt responsible for the delicate situation Lira had been put into, afterall it was Naara who outed Rey and Lira to the war council and revealed the identity of Lira's father. It was all done in a bitter haste, a moment of revenge on Rey for stealing away the retribution Naara wanted to enact on Kylo Ren for her people. But stood here now, Naara recognised that Rey's actions in protecting the man she called her husband was done to protect the innocence of her daughter.

Poe clung tightly to Lira as she cried into the crook of his neck where it met his shoulder. Naara was right but he didn't want to leave her in the hands of the Minister... Or anyone who would impart detriment to her wellbeing. "I'll take her, Poe." A soft voice chimed. He looked up to see that Rose had stepped forward relinquishing her grip on Finn's hand to offer her friend a trusting hand. Poe nodded and Rose walked towards the pair.

"Lira, this is Rose Tico."

"Rose from Mama's stories?" She questioned him quietly as she turned her head to Rose.

Rose gave her a soft and beaming smile, it was full of warmth and affection that Lira desperately wanted to be enveloped in to. She reached out her hands and her mind's eye searching Rose's aura and intent as she accepted the embrace of another new face. "Let's go to my room whilst your uncle conducts his business, shall we?" Rose offered in a sweet timbre.