Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars. Just writing fan fiction for fun.
Chapter Twenty-Three: Sacrifice
At the loading bay, Elle watched her fellow resistance members pull an unconsciously stunned Poe on the last shuttle. She cast a small glance at Admiral Holdo as she touched his face one more time.
"That's one troublemaker," she said with a fond smile on her face. "I like him."
"Me too," Leia said, and the two women chuckled with one another.
"Someone has to stay behind to pilot the Cruiser," Holdo said finally once Poe was on board along with the others.
"Too many losses," Elle heard her aunt say in a small whisper. "I can't take anymore."
"Sure you can," Holdo gave Leia's hands a gentle squeeze of reassurance. "You taught me how."
"May the Force be with you, always," Leia said warmly to her.
"Wait…you're not coming with us, Admiral?" Elle asked with a small frown on her face. She even heard the faint sound of sadness out of her lips.
Holdo and Leia looked over at Elle. "Elle, come here," she said, and Elle stepped up towards the woman. "I thought perhaps if I told you who you were that it would show a little bit of who I was. I'm not some mean ol' politician coming to take over the galaxy. I was trying to save our fleet."
"What's left of it," Elle whispered.
She nodded.
"I'm sorry," Elle said, lowering her head. "I guess I just got caught up in the moment."
Holdo gave her a warm smile. "I probably would've done the same. In many ways, you remind me of myself, a little bit, when I was your age."
She looked behind her shoulder and then at Elle, realizing everyone was on board, and the entire cruiser was now empty.
"It's time to go," she said.
Elle swallowed hard, and shook her head. "No."
Holdo pulled Elle's hands in her own and gave it a squeeze. "It'll be all right. Just keep an eye on your aunt for me okay?"
Elle sniffled, and cast a glance at Leia, but she nodded. She brushed the tears that had suddenly fallen down her cheeks. Leia looked over at her niece and offered her her hand for her to come over to her, letting Admiral Holdo do her thing and sacrifice her own for the Resistance's final escape.
The two women gave one last look at one another before Leia took Elle inside the last shuttle. The shuttle doors sealed shut, and departed from the Cruiser, leaving a brave Admiral Holdo behind.
Elle walked inside the shuttle, meandering her way through to find Poe's carrier nestled by the windows. She found a seat beside him, and looked down at his sleeping face. She ran her fingers gently along the sides of his cheeks and brushed her fingers through his hair. Leia joined her side not a moment later.
"Why didn't you tell me about her?" Elle asked in a small whisper.
"It was a need-to-know," Leia replied with a small smile on her face.
Elle sighed at that, shoulders slumping. Of course. No one would suspect Admiral Holdo as Elle's godmother.
"Luke took as many precautions as he could to protect you. He didn't want you to end up like Mara," Leia explained tenderly.
"I was still seduced by the Dark Side," Elle said softly.
"And so was your grandfather," Leia added. "You have more light in you than you give yourself credit for, my dear Elle."
"Then why couldn't Ben turn back?" Elle frowned.
Leia's eyes danced upon her niece's questionable face. The darkness inside of Ben was still there, still drowning his soul, swallowing it whole, and very much consumed by Kylo Ren. It was a question that weighed heavily on everyone's minds. Rey was still out there. Did she get through to Luke? Time could only tell.
"No," Poe suddenly jumped up and awake. Jolted. He seemed startled as if he was waking up from a nightmare.
"No, no, no," he said, looking outside the window, realizing where he was. Elle sat back, arms up in the air, as he pushed his way through the shuttle. Elle and Leia looked at each other before they quickly ran towards the back, and try to stop him, wincing as he smacked the window with the palm of his hand, seeing the Cruiser in plain view.
"Poe," Leia said gently, stopping him from having a heart attack. Poe's rigidity lessened at her calming voice. Everyone in the shuttle looked at her, and he too turned to face her.
She walked over toward the window, Elle right behind her, and pointed towards a small distant planet.
"What is that?" He asked.
"The mineral planet, Crait," D'Arcy replied. "An uncharted hideout from the days of the Rebellion."
"That's a rebel base?" Poe asked, casting a questionable look towards her.
D'Arcy nodded. "Abandoned, but heavily armored. Enough power to get a distress signal to all of our allies scattered in the outer rim."
Elle sat down on the seat against the window. Poe joined her as Leia walked over to explain things to him.
"Holdo knew the First Order was tracking our big ship. They weren't monitoring for little transports."
"So, we can slip down to the surface, unnoticed, and hide until the First Order passes," Poe realized, as a newfound feeling sprang within him. "That could work."
"She was more interested in protecting the light, than she was seeing like a hero," Leia added.
"We're gonna be okay," Poe said softly.
Elle gave Poe a gentle squeeze, and bumped her shoulder against his gently, giving him a small smile.
"More than okay," she said. "Um," Elle licked her lips nervously. "There is something that I've been wanting to tell you-" she began but then all of a sudden the shuttle transport rocked and shook, making her gasp. Poe tightened her hands together in his and looked up in alarm.
"What the hell?" she asked.
"They're firing at us!" Someone cried out.
Poe squeezed her hands before he took off and stood at D'Arcy's side giving orders, wondering what the hell was going on as well.
"Come on, give it full thrusters! Full speed ahead!" Poe yelled at the poor pilot.
"I am sir," the pilot replied strongly, as she was doing her job.
"What's happening?"
Everyone looked out the window, seeing the cruiser start to turn. Connix, and Poe looked out the window.
"She's running away," Connix said as if she couldn't believe it. Elle turned and frowned noticing the cruiser was also turning a one-eighty.
"No, she isn't. She's moving the cruiser," Poe said in awe.
Elle bit her bottom lip and looked over at her aunt, who seemed to have a bit of knowing hiding behind her eyes. Elle knew this too, she just hoped maybe Holdo would try and run and save her life too.
A chill swept over Elle as she watched slowly as the brave woman pushed the lever into light speed and punched it right into the star destroyer, destroying it into oblivion, letting the Resistance into a swift escape to Crait.
~*TLJ*~
Crait. Rebel Base
"Everyone is at their stations."
Elle looked onward towards the front of the base, sensing her aunt's feelings inside of her. She stood with her aunt by the door on watch. She could feel her own feelings mixed within hers, as a strange pull pulled her towards the door.
"Elle, I know what you're thinking..." Leia began.
"Funny, I was going to say the same thing. Look, I can talk to him. Make him see reason," she pleaded.
Leia shook her head.
"Okay, then what if I offer to join him. Aunt Leia. It's me that he wants. He won't hurt me. Hurt us. It's...he knows I'm pregnant," Elle said softly. "He wants my son," she said.
"No. That's way too dangerous, Elle. I'm not letting you sacrifice yourself."
"I'm not! I'm trying to buy you some time!"
Then something shot at the corner of Leia's eyes. Elle turned to face the small cracked window from the base door and widened her eyes.
"They're coming! Shut the door!"
Leia turned to walk back towards the rest of the members that were at their stations, rushing to get the door shut. Elle looked over at the sounding cries of the creatures that looked like crystal fox.
And then she heard them, the TIE-fighters above them swooping down from the blue skies above them, letting the resistance know that the First Order wasn't too far behind.
"Incoming!"
"Go, go, move now! Get that shield down!" Poe cried, as he rushed to protect Leia and Elle. Everyone dove out of the way as a ship had suddenly gotten through, narrowly landing on its side, skidding to a halt, sparks flying everywhere.
"Wait, wait, stop!" Elle cried, sensing that it wasn't the enemy. She rushed forward, but Poe pulled her back.
Ground tech whirled out their weapons and started shooting at whoever had gotten through.
"No, no, don't shoot please!" Rose cried out, as two sets of hands held up in the air.
"Don't shoot, it's us!"
"Hold your fire!" Poe yelled, and then let Elle go to rush over towards them as they hopped out of their hiding spots from getting hit.
"Finn?" Leia asked in awe.
Elle couldn't be happier to see them alive right now. She ran over to Rose and pulled the girl in for a hug, catching the poor mechanic off-guard, but she couldn't help it. She was just happy to see her.
"Finn! Rose! You're not dead!" Poe said, excitement lifted in his eyes one more time. "Where's my droid?"
Elle looked relieved to see Finn too. She hugged him as well, happy that he was here. Finn looked surprised but he hugged her back. "I'm sorry we didn't make it."
"You're alive, that's all that matters," she whispered, hugging him tight.
"Why do I get the feeling there's more from you?" Finn asked, narrowing his eyes suspiciously, and Elle wondered if he was back at it again of not trusting her. She winced. That wasn't it at all. Did he suspect something else?
Elle bit her bottom lip, and her blush deepened. "Um…"
Rose gasped, but then she closed her mouth and zipped it shut with an invisible key. Elle gawked at her. Rose grinned.
"Oooh," Finn said, looking down at Elle. "Oh. Uh…does um…"
Elle cringed. "Not exactly."
"In nine months he might," Finn muttered under his breath. Rose smacked him behind his head and he gave her a look.
BB-8 then rolled on over to Poe in beeping excitement. Poe hugged the droid, happiness filling in Poe's soul as well.
"Oh, buddy! I'm so glad to see you! Wait, wait, wait, slow down."
"Please don't tell him. Not yet. I'm working on the courage of trying to tell him," Elle pleaded as Poe interacted with his droid.
"Tell me what?" Poe asked, looking up from BB-8.
Elle looked to Finn with wide eyes, pleading for him not to blurt it out.
"Uh-"
"Is this all that's left?" Rose questioned sadly, looking back at the remaining resistance members.
"We may be the only ones left, but we still have a job to do," Poe said, glancing at everyone in the room.
"Let's get to work."
~*TLJ*~
A/n: I promise Elle will tell Poe soon you guys! :) Thank you all for reading following, favoriting, and reviewing, as well as the recents! More updates soon!
