Force Destiny

Red Dawn

What was left of the Resistance gathered solemnly in the immense underground hall of the temple. After holding a small, quiet, but deeply moving funeral for Leia – all they could give her without risking their own safety – Poe Dameron stood before them to address the hopeless rebels.

"When I think of General Leia, I think of hope. She was the embodiment of hope, and it's easy to believe that when she took her last breath, hope died with her. But the essence of Leia did not die with her body. Leia is the Resistance. We are her legacy. As long as the Resistance keeps fighting, then Leia's legacy is alive.

"I stand before you and ask you to have faith in me as you did Leia; everything in me is for this cause, for Leia. I will finish what she started. We will end this war now! We will not bow down! We will not give in! We will not stop until we pry back our galaxy from their dead, cold grip. We will continue to inspire as Leia inspired, giving courage to the beaten and downtrodden to take arms against the enslavement of our galaxy. We are the spark that will burn down the First Order.

"Over the past few hours, Leia's passing has ignited a spark across the galaxy against the evil of this war machine. The civilizations sitting idly by, waiting to be saved, have realized that their freedom is now in their own hands. We are finally receiving support from systems around the galaxy. We will be combining our forces for the ultimate stand against tyranny. We will not run away any longer! Let's give 'em a war!" he shouted.

The small group erupted in cheers, the cacophony echoing off the temple walls, intensifying the sound. Rey imagined it reverberated like a crowd of thousands. She studied Poe in admiration. He had made his mistakes, but he was the leader the Resistance desperately needed in that uncertain time.

As the cheers subsided, he continued. "Our moment is now, and I have a plan. We will save tonight to mourn Leia. It's what she deserves. But an hour ago an ally arrived to assist us in preparations to relocate, and time is of the essence," he winked at Maz standing off in the shadows. "We have found a suitable base outside of the First Order's clutches on the Outer Rim world of Dantooine. The Resistance will be jumping to hyperspace for the Riaoballo sector in twelve hours. From Dantooine, we will begin to coordinate with our allies around the galaxy. The First Order is strong, impenetrable even, but we all know the one major flaw of any tyrannical military faction – too much power lies with only one person. As Leia said, 'cut the head off the dragon, and chaos ensues.'"

"The head of their war dragon is Kylo Ren. While our allies coordinate their forces, we will organize an ambush of Ren."

Rey's pulse quickened as nausea twisted through her stomach; she knew this was coming eventually, but the reality of it was more devastating than she could have imagined. Hours earlier Rey had brought mother and son together one last time with hope that he would come home. They had been so close. Leia's bed was still warm, and Poe was already taking action to assassinate her son.

"We will draw him into a trap with the enticement of a rematch with our Jedi Warrior Rey. Ren's pride will lead to his ultimate downfall. We will ambush him, and the mighty Kylo Ren will fall. Once we take out Ren, we will inspire further allied interest. Before they can recover, we will quickly launch an offensive strike on their fleet around the galaxy. We will burn down the entire First Order in one allied battle. This is our moment. We will never give in! We will never surrender! Let's bring them a war! Do it for Leia!"

Cheers erupted again, but Rey was silent. Poe stared through the crowd of people directly into her eyes. She knew why. He had just entrusted the fate of the Resistance to her. She could save them all, but she would have to lead Kylo to his death to do it.

The room was closing in, too many voices at once overwhelming her senses; her breath was stolen by the indistinguishable figures crowding around her. She desperately searched for an exit, but lightheadedness overcame her, and her surroundings began to tilt and spiral nauseatingly. A familiar face, etched with concern, appeared before her as darkness invaded her vision.