Star Wars VIII: Stand of the Republic

17: Holdo in Command

A secondary control room on deck five of the evacuation fleet's lead cruiser had been repurposed to serve as the new bridge. Because of the haste of the refit, holes existed in the walls where access panels had been removed; coils of cables resembling metal snakes spilled out to link into the backs of computer consoles and grant access to the various ship systems formerly connected to the bridge.

In addition to all the computerized interfaces, the room was crowded with the highest ranking officers in attendance. Captains of the other ships appeared as transparent blue holograms broadcast from a number of droids as the hologram platforms on the bridge had been destroyed. Poe leaned against the wall in the corner where he could listen while being out of the way.

Vice Admiral Holdo stood in the center of the room, looking over the assembled crew.

"I wanted to inform all of you as to what has happened," Holdo began. "During the last attack by the First Order, General Solo was blasted into space. Although she used the Force to seal herself in a metal shell made from the deck plating, only a limited amount of air was inside. We were able to retrieve her, but she's in critical condition. We don't know when she'll recover, or even if she'll recover."

The room became a mass of concerned whispers.

"Despite our situation, we must continue," Holdo went on, silencing the crowd with her strong voice. "The current situation with our fleet must take priority as there are more lives at stake. Intelligence reports on First Order Star Destroyers show that their sensors lose efficiency at full speed because the engines are drawing too much power. We intend to make use of this. We shall offload our people in shuttles as we pass the nearby world of Crait. With their sensors locked on our larger ships, the smaller craft should go completely unnoticed."

"What?" Poe almost shouted, shoving himself off from the wall.

"Who's that?" Holdo questioned, craning her neck to see through the crowd. Poe came forward, and when she saw him, her faced hardened.

"The Interdictor cruiser has a limited range," Poe reminded. "We'll be able to jump out of the system before they can reach us. We don't have to abandon the fleet to escape the First Order."

"They'll only follow us to the next destination," Holdo dismissed. "Then, the attack will begin again, an attack we're not guaranteed to win. Have you forgotten we're carrying Imperial prisoners we're trying to keep out of their hands? If the fleet is overpowered, our mission will fail, to say nothing of all the people we'll lose in the battle."

"Why not jump to a planet with stronger defenses?" Poe questioned.

"We already have a plan of action," Holdo stated firmly. "We do not need your input."

"That plan?" Poe questioned with wide eyes. "The Republic doesn't have enough ships to defend every world, and you want to abandon an entire fleet of cruisers to be destroyed without a fight? How is that a plan?"

"I'm trying to save lives!" Holdo snapped, her words dripping venom. "It's something you obviously know nothing about. With your flight status suspended, you're not even part of the chain of command, so you no longer have a say in these decisions. Leave, or I will have you thrown in the brig for insubordination."

Holdo gestured to a pair of guards who immediately stepped forward to flank Poe on either side. Poe's knuckles were turning white, and the muscles on his neck stood out because of his clenched jaw. Turning on his heel, he departed with the guards following him to the door to be sure he actually left.

***

Finn shoved the last of the supplies he would need into a large bag, zipped it closed, and headed for the hangar bay. He'd considered trying to gain access to one of the escape pods as it would be less heavily guarded than a fighter or transport, but it wouldn't have hyperdrive either, leaving him at the mercy of the pursuing First Order fleet. Falling back into their hands after his desertion would mean instant death if he was lucky and a prolonged one if he wasn't. Finn suspected they'd want to make an example out of him as a warning to any other trooper who had treasonous thoughts of abandoning their post.

Hanger bays were usually bustling with activity, and it was no different when Finn entered the large hatchway from the corridor. Fighters were being examined, refueled, and repaired after their last skirmish. The workers did their job at a frantic pace as the next fight could come upon them at any moment, and the fighters had to be ready to fly.

The transports were being mostly ignored as an evacuation wasn't as likely as another First Order assault. Slipping past the tech crews who had more important things to concentrate on than a stray person wandering the hanger bay, Finn headed straight for one of the transports as if he were on assignment. When he reached the landing ramp for his chosen vessel, he began to think he might get away with it.

Heading up the ramp, he dropped his bag inside the ship and turned left, toward the cockpit. He managed to take five steps before the rear door of the cockpit slid aside for a woman to exit. They nearly ran into each other.

"Oh, excuse me," the woman said, brushing some of her dark hair away from her face with a gloved hand. "I didn't know anyone else was working here."

"Just routine," Finn covered, trying to sound casual. "What brings you here?"

"Vice Admiral Holdo has placed the fleet on lockdown," the woman explained while trying to remove some grease from the sleeve of her olive colored jumpsuit. "She's had me putting in override circuits into the flight systems of all transports to make sure no one can sneak out without her authorization. Does that seem odd to you?"

"What do you think?" Finn redirected.

"I don't know," the tech admitted. "We're well ahead of the First Order fleet. Although we've taken some damage, we're still intact and will easily escape the interdictor field before they catch us. There's no reason for anyone to try and sneak away and abandon the fleet. Besides, where would they go?"

"You're right," Finn agreed. "There's nothing out there but the First Order."

"Do you think we might have a spy?" she asked excitedly.

"Anything's possible," Finn answered, taking a slight step back toward where he'd left his pack.

"Oh, I'm keeping you from your work. Sorry," the tech apologized as she pulled off her glove and offered her hand to him. "My name is Rose, Rose Tico."

"Finn," he answered, shaking her hand.

"The Finn?" she questioned as her eyes went wide. Her grip went lax. "The former stormtrooper? I'm so excited to meet you!"

"Really?" Finn replied. He'd never thought anyone would be interested in meeting someone who had turned against their former compatriots.

"Yes," Rose confirmed. "Surrounded by all those soldiers, it must have taken great courage to turn against them, knowing they'd kill you for it if you got caught."

Finn swallowed while searching for the right response.

"I'm still detaining you, aren't I?" Rose questioned. "I'm sorry. Let me get out of your way so you can get on with your work."

"Thanks," Finn managed to say.

Rose paused at the ramp and looked back at him.

"You should know," she told him. "You've become something of a local hero around here. If you ever need to talk to somebody, find me."

She vanished down the ramp, but Finn stayed. Putting his back to the wall, he slid down to the floor. Escape was impossible, and people thought him a hero. His head drooped as he wished he'd never woken up from his coma.