The Meeting
A standard week passed by until those who answered Nomi's call arrived at Nar Shaddaa. Since there wasn't enough room in Rimmer's Rest they gathered at Shug Ninx Space Barn, where they were save from being eavesdropped.
One by one Nomi's smuggler friends and former comrades entered the workshop. There was a great hubbub since there were some old friends who met each other after decades again. After the Galactic Civil War most of them parted from the Alliance and went back home if there was still a home to go to. Nomi looked at those gathered and raised an eye brow when she saw someone she hasn't reckoned with. The Jedi Master went over to the man who stands in a corner of the room speaking with someone who might be his aide.
"General Bel Iblis," she greeted the man who was a legend of the Galactic Civil War despite his discord with Mon Mothma. The old man with the braided beard inclined his head. "Commander Darklighter," he said with a faint smile.
"I'm not going by this rank since decades, General," Nomi countered with a wide smile.
"So am I right if I suppose Master Darklighter suits you better?" He smirks and folded his arms in front of his chest.
"Not really, General." She tried to ignore the man's behavior. It seemed the years when he fought the Empire relying on less reputable allies took its toll on his manners.
"So why are we here, Master Darklighter? Your message was more than vague about the reason you invited me to this meeting."
"Patience, General you will learn soon why I invited this entire people."
Slowly the Jedi Master realized why Mon Mothma had booted the General. But Bel Iblis was the best if it came to hit and run tactics. So Nomi had to bite the bullet.
Dash came over to his wife when he saw her speaking with General Bel Iblis. He inclined his head to the elder man. "General," he said while lying his arm around his wife's hips. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Sir."
"Lieutenant Rendar, or is it like with Master Darklighter that you don't go with this rank any longer?" Bel Iblis extended his hand and Dash took to shake it.
"I think I stick to the rank since it's well deserved, Sir."
The general chuckled. "Well said, Lieutenant. I think your rank as a Jedi Master is also well deserved, Master Darklighter. It's good that the Jedi are back in those times. The annihilation of the Hosnian system sent shockwaves all over the galaxy. I bet it's one of the reasons we were invited here. Am I right?" He looked expectantly at Nomi who nodded her head as an answer.
Dash Jr. was approaching the little group and bended down to his mother and whispered in her ear. "We're complete, Mama and could begin."
He had no idea who the man was his parents were talking with and left with a short nod to the old man with the odd beard style.
"Excuse me, General but the meeting can begin now," Nomi said and walked over to the working platform. She stepped on it, then lifted it with the Force and commanded silence with a gesture of her hand. The hubbub ceased and everybody of those gathered in the workshop looked at the small woman on the working platform. The Jedi Master cleared her throat and then she begun to speak. There was fire in her eyes and her voice was clear and strong. The triplets and their sister had never seen their mother this way before.
"I'm glad that you came even when I was very vague when I invited you to this meeting. This had the reason that the First Order has spies everywhere. Even on Takodana in Maz Kanata's castle were they, what clearly broke every rule Maz made up. But this was nothing compared to the annihilation of the Hosnian system. Millions of innocents died when Starkiller Base struck. It struck without any reason, without declared war, without warning. The First Order rose from the ashes of the Empire because we allowed them to do so. In signing the Galactic Concordance we signed the downfall of the New Republic. The First Order emerged from isolation and violated the treaty agreed by the Empire and began rearming itself. Our politicians saw it and they did nothing. Some of them even supported them and defamed Senator Organa who warned about the danger the First Order posed. Some of you know that she shortly after this incident founded the Resistance which fought the newly arisen enemy to the democracy. But now the Resistance is nearly extinct. They were forced to evacuate the base after Resistance fighters destroyed Starkiller Base and were followed by the First Order. My youngest son was with those who evacuated."
Corran frowned being mentioned by his mother when some of those gathered turned their attention to him.
His mother continued to speak.
"They were hunted by the First Order after a failed attack on a dreadnought which costs all bombers they had. Even hyperspace didn't prevent them from being followed. Only few capital ships were left when they finally reached the orbit of Crait where a former Rebel base was. There they made their last stand."
A murmur went through the crowd before Kyle Katarn spoke up, who just entered the workshop.
"Excuse the interruption, Nomi but hyperspace tracking? That's impossible," he said with a doubtful expression. The most of the gathered nodded in agreement.
The Jedi Master looked in astonishment at Katarn. She hadn't expected that he would follow her invite since she never got an answer to her message.
"Corran witnessed it and assured me that it happened. When they fell back in real space the First Order ships did shortly after the same and took them under fire. Could it be a coincidence? I believe not, Kyle."
Katarn shook his head and leaned against the wall where he was standing.
"We don't know how many Resistance members survived the battle planetside. There was one transmission seemingly before the battle took place. Not more. There was no further contact since then."
"So the Resistance is dead," came a voice out of the crowd.
"No, it isn't dead yet. Not if we carry on the fight. Therefore I invited you here. I invited you to form a new Rebel cell. We can't let the First Order win. I know that we lack of everything, especially starfighters. So we must mostly rely on our freighters and hit and run tactics."
Bel Iblis gave a low whistle when hearing this.
"We will attack them in space and planetside. Wherever we learn about a target we will hit it, we will hit it hard without warning and without mercy. I know that this isn't the Jedi way and that Master Skywalker wouldn't approve, but we have no other choice. We will carry the fight to the enemy!"
She clenched her fist and raised it. "Long live the Rebellion!" She called and those gathered followed her lead and did likewise. In this moment a new Rebel cell was born.