Upon reaching the one of the ship's conference rooms that had been designated for senior officers, Leia and Poe were greeted by the familiar infectious grin of the great Lando Calrissian. Despite his gray appearance, the former Bespin administrator and hero of the Rebellion had not lost any of his charm or energy as he took Leia's hands warmly and gave a slight bow of the head, "Your Highness. Always a pleasure to see you again."

Leia couldn't help but return the smile to her old friend, "If only they were under better circumstances my friend."

Lando turned and extended a friendly hand to Poe, "Nice to see you again too Poe. Give your other friends my regards."

"I will General Calrissian. Thanks."

Lando chuckled and waved it off, "No need for the formalities kid. After you and Finn helped me escape Bespin, you can just call me Lando."

Leia patted her old comrade's arm and led him toward the table wearing a troubled look, "I hate to be the downer here Lando but I was told you came with some important news about the First Order?"

Lando nodded and assumed a more serious expression before leading them to the briefing room's holo projector. On one console, he pulled up a map of the galaxy and opened up a channel to another person. Once the call was patched through, they saw the face of a middle aged man with hazel eyes and short thinning blonde hair cut in a neat military fashion. He had a few weathered lines along his cheeks and the man wore the uniform of a ship captain in the New Republic Navy.

"Everyone? This is Admiral Trevsom of the Republic's 5th Fleet," Lando said, "Admiral? General Leia Organa and Captain Poe Dameron of the Resistance."

Leia scrutinized the younger Republic commander a moment, "Hello Admiral… I apologize, but I don't think I've heard your name before."

Trevsom gave a rueful smile, "I can't blame you General. I've recently been breveted to this post by my peers… whether I wanted it or not. In the wake of the First Order's invasion, we've been scrambling to organize our remaining assets and cobble together a new command structure."

"I don't quite follow here. What is all this about?" Poe asked Lando in confusion.

Lando gestured to the map showing territory held by the First Order and the Republic. "I've been gathering information from my network of contacts and spies. We've caught wind that the First Order plans on launching another major offensive into the Mid Rim."

Leia studied the map for a minute and pointed out a bulge in the Republic line, "If I had to guess, the enemy means to strike somewhere around here?"

Admiral Trevsom nodded as the map zoomed in closer to the region of space, "We've detected First Order ships massing in this area which lines up with General Calrissian's intel. We think the enemy means to break through and cut our forces off from each other and it looks like the planet of Naboo will be the key target."

"And if the First Order takes that planet, then they'll have a prime staging area for invading the Core Worlds," Poe surmised aloud.

Leia remained silent, feeling even more dread that her mother's idyllic homeworld was now under threat of attack once more.

Lando nodded, "Yes. Admiral Trevsom has cobbled together a fleet of ships and is holding the line around Naboo. Even with the addition of the local defense forces, it may not be enough to stem the tide."

"So we're asking for the help of your Resistance fleet in the coming battle," Trevsom stated bluntly, "I know it's a lot to ask General Leia but we're in dire need of your help and so is Naboo."

Leia grimaced as she weighed things over in her mind, "You understand that you put me in a difficult position Admiral. As much as I would like to help you, you're asking me to risk my fleet in what will likely be a costly battle."

"But one that has to be fought if we're going to protect all those people on Naboo."

"It's a battle that didn't have to be fought in the first place if the Republic had any foresight to begin with," Leia answered coldly, "You understand that no one in the Senate had listened to us when we were raising the alarm about the First Order. We were dismissed as a warmongering fringe group and now you're asking us for our help? If we had crushed the First Order before they had a chance to mobilize, we wouldn't be in this bloody mess."

Trevsom winced slightly under the withering rebuke from Leia before speaking again, "General, I actually understand your past frustration with the Republic government but you have to realize that those of us in the fleet are just following our orders and trying to clean up this mess too. We were not the original policymakers."

"You're still asking me to subject my fleet and my people to the Republic's chain of command once more," Leia countered patiently, "I still have a duty to protect my own people and that's what I plan to do."

Poe gave an incredulous look, "General? Don't you think we should still do something to help?"

"I think we should be thinking carefully here," Leia answered quietly, "After the losses we've sustained before, we need to pick and choose our battles."

Lando shook his head, "I'm afraid the First Order isn't going to give us much of a choice Leia. My sources say that the enemy forces moving toward Naboo are packing a new super weapon… something they're calling the Cerberus Cannon."

He changed the display to a schematic of a large interstellar weapons platform. The broad base of the cannon was a large power generator and the cannon itself branched into three giant rectangular pillars. Lando crossed his arms, "If the information from our spies is correct, then this three headed ion cannon has the potential to bring down planetary shields in just a few volleys. It can do what a fleet of destroyers can in only a fraction of the time. But that's not the worst part."

Lando continued with a graphic of the cannon's firing on a test planet. "When the hyper-ionized particles of this weapon collapse a shield, it could literally bring parts of the energy shield down on the surface of the planet, which is bad news if there are population centers down below."

"Like getting hit with broken shards of a glass ceiling," Poe nodded grimly.

Admiral Trevsom folded his hands, "The majority of our fleet will be in orbit blocking the attack on Naboo, but we believe a smaller force led by allied fighters might be the best way to slip past the enemy and knock out that cannon."

Poe grinned excitedly, "That sounds like something that Black Squadron can do. Precision strikes are exactly our thing."

"Out of the question," Leia interjected quickly, "Black Squadron is the best fighter squadron in our fleet. We'll need them here."

Admiral Trevsom wrinkled his features in confusion, "General, are you really going to turn us away in our hour of need?"

"I never said I wasn't going to help you Admiral," Leia replied with an air of calm steel, "But I'm not committing my forces yet either. I'll be in contact with you."

As the video feed cut off, Lando gave a surprised look but remained quiet as he turned off the schematics. Poe blinked a few times before turning to Leia in confusion, "General? If I may... is something wrong?"

Leia glanced over and looked to the young man with one of her two usual expressions. Instead of the kind and maternal one, she she had opted for her stern and steely expression today, "I beg your pardon?"

"Is something wrong General?" Poe asked again, "You've been on edge since the raid earlier and now you're basically telling a fleet admiral to go scratch."

Leia huffed in mild annoyance, "And what exactly are you getting at Captain?"

"I'd like to know why we're turning our back on a Republic planet and our allied forces when they need help."

"You're thinking about this issue like a soldier Poe. When you become one of the people that head up the entire Resistance, then you'll understand."

Poe did his best to contain his frustration. This was starting to feel like his fight with Holdo all over again, "Then help me understand!"

Leia glared at him for along moment before shaking her head, "Now is not the time Poe. Please go and do as I asked you before."

The young pilot looked to Lando who simply shrugged his shoulders helplessly. Poe nodded and headed out of the briefing room, clearly frustrated and confused but doing his best to maintain a level bearing, "Yes Ma'am."

The next day, the sounds of clattering trays and utensils filled the air of the Valor's mess hall as Black Squadron pilots Jessika Pava and Temmin Wexley made their way from the serving line to the main room. They took a moment to look around the hall where a mixture of men, women, and alien crewmembers were all busy eating lunch and trying to enjoy a few minutes of peace before going back on their work shifts. At the far corner of the hall, they found Poe sitting by himself at a corner table hunched over a few datapads. The remnants of his meal sat on his tray that had been pushed off to the side while he studied his project intently.

The older portly Temmin led Jessika over and took a seat with their squadron commander. "How's the report coming, boss?"

"Horrible," Poe muttered as he set down his work and gave a sigh, "I honestly don't know what's gotten into General Organa and I don't even know what I'm trying to look for while picking apart the recent battle."

Jessika who sat beside him, put a comforting hand on his shoulder, "Maybe it's something that's out of your hands Poe. If some of the rumors that have been going around the ship are true, then General Organa's not the only one who is right to be edgy."

"Are you asking me to fill you in about that private meeting yesterday? Nice try Jess."

Temmin poked the food on his plate and gave a thoughtful scratch of his beard, "Some of the communications officers have been whispering to the rest of the crew, so are you really going to be like that with us? I mean, this is pretty serious stuff. If the First Order is launching a major attack, then we're probably going to have to be right in the thick of it."

Poe paused and eyed his two closest friends in the squad before lowering his voice, "All right, but none of this leaves the table."

Amid the clamor and noise of the mess hall which served as a perfect way to muffle such a private conversation, Poe told his wingmates about what he had learned. After he finished, both of them sat quietly wearing troubled expressions. Jessika grimaced, "The First Order is really fielding another super weapon? Is there no end to those things?"

Temmin waved it off, "Forget that. I'm more shocked the General doesn't seem to eager to help the Republic fleet. They're going to need every man they can get. Hell, they might start pulling any poor bastard off the streets of Theed and throwing him in an X-wing."

"It doesn't make sense and it doesn't seem right either," Poe nodded with a dark frown, "We've never had the best relations with the Republic Senate and I can understand if the general doesn't want to commit our fleet. But I don't see why we can't spare a squadron or two of our fighters to help take out that cannon either. We're the Resistance. Isn't protecting the people of the Republic kind of our job?"

Jessika chewed her lip in thought before chiming in, "Your idea isn't an unreasonable one Poe. It seems like it could be a fair compromise. Maybe if you appealed to the general and made a case for it, she might reconsider."

"Maybe," Poe shrugged, "But I'd also need to get buy in from the squad if we volunteer for this mission. And if you two are on board with this."

"Don't worry about that boss. You know we're with you all the way," Temmin grinned, "We'd go to hell and back with you."

Poe looked over to Jessika and she gave a small smile and a resolute nod too. Poe stood up and took his tray, "All right... then it's settled. If you two don't mind, I've got to get ready to have us save the Republic once again."

Some time later, Leia sat in behind the large desk in her quarters drinking a cup of hot tea with Lando. She took a moment to gaze out the viewport at the stars and briefly get lost in thought. Lando picked up on it and tilted his head in slight curiosity, "Leia? Was my story really that boring?"

She shook her head apologetically, "No... I'm sorry Lando. It's not that. I just still have a lot on my mind."

"You're still torn over the news yesterday? About whether we should join in with the Republic fleet?"

"That's part of it," Leia answered gently, "But there are other factors... more personal ones."

Lando nodded, "Any of that have to do with the kid?"

Leia allowed herself a slight smile, "I don't blame him for being a little upset yesterday. I do think I was a little hard on him... and maybe a little difficult with everyone else, but I have my reasons."

Lando raised an eyebrow, "Oh? Those being?"

Leia was interrupted as her door chime sounded and Poe entered carrying a tablet. He paused and gave a sheepish look, "Oh. General... Lando... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt your chat."

"Don't worry about it kid," Lando said breezily as he got up from his chair and tipped his cup toward Leia, "I was just on my way out. Thanks for the drink."

He gave Poe a friendly nod before heading out of the room and leaving them to talk. Leia turned toward the young pilot a curious look, "This is a little surprise. Are you done with that report already?"

Poe stepped forward and handed her his datapad, "Actually I was hoping we could talk about something."

"What's this?" Leia said taking the tablet and looking it over.

"This is a battle plan for a volunteer mission."