The Other Solo - Part II A Shadow of Hope

Chapter 9

Raddus

"Just give it to me one more time, simpler." Poe exhales.

Finn leans forward. "So the First Order's only tracking us from one Destroyer, the lead one."

"So we blow that one up?"

Jaina rolls her eyes. Why is his answer always blow it up?

"I like where your head's at but no. They'd only start tracking us from another destroyer."

"But if we can..." Rose tries to interject.

Finn doesn't let her. "If we sneak on board the lead Destroyer and disable the tracker without them realizing, then we can."

"They won't realize it's off for one system cycle." Rose steps forward. "About six minutes."

Jaina furrows her brow unsure. "One more time."

"Sneak on board." Finn holds up his finger as Rose projects a schematic of Snoke's ship. "Disable the tracker. Our fleet escapes before they realize."

Jaina studies Rose and Finn's determined faces. Could this actually work?

"Hm." Poe paces in the room. "How'd you two meet?"

Finn and BB-8 look back at Rose. She grins. "Just luck."

A bit of shame passes over Finn's face. Jaina can tell there's more to the story.

"Yeah? Good luck?" Poe stops next to Leia.

"Not sure yet." Rose answers earnestly.

"Poe, Jaina, we gotta do this." Finn presses. "It'll save the fleet and it'll save Rey."

"If I must be the sole voice of reason..." C3PO cuts in. "Admiral Holdo will never agree to this plan."

"Yeah you're right 3PO." Poe catches Jaina's eye. "It's a "need to know" plan... and she doesn't."

"Poe." Jaina's voice is stiff.

"Jaina." He mimicks her tone.

"We can't just go rogue. This is exactly what Mother was saying before..."

"Before she almost died. Before Kylo Ren blew up the bridge."

Jaina shakes her head. "You don't know it was him."

Poe frowns. "You don't know it wasn't."

Rose and Finn glance at one another awkwardly.

"I know." She whispers.

"Right." Poe snorts with derision.

"I'm sorry I can't approve of this." Jaina faces Finn and Rose.

"Are you kidding me?" Poe exclaims frustrated. "This is our chance..."

Jaina throws her hands up. "There you go again risking more lives for a suicide mission."

"Would you rather have the First Order blast us to pieces?" He points out the window to the barrage of enemy fire hitting their shields.

"We need to wait for Holdo's plan."

Poe shakes his head as Kalonia enters the room.

"I need to check on Leia." She shoos everyone out of the room including Jaina. "Vice Admiral Holdo wants to see you on the bridge."

Jaina passes Poe, Finn and Rose in the hall. "Please, don't do anything..."

"Heroic?" Poe finishes. The giddiness of the joke is now lost.