AN: I know that I had been updating practically daily there for awhile so I hope this next chapter was worth the wait while I dealt with real life things over a long weekend.
"I think it'd be best if we let her in on our plan and then depending on her answer, that's when we take over," Kat said as they walked towards the hangar to inform Black Squadron.
Poe looked over at her with a raised eyebrow. "You're really giving her one last chance?"
"She made a decision based on the information she had. We give her new info, we see if she makes a new decision."
He nodded. "Makes sense."
Holdo was already in the hangar directing crew members as they loaded up the transports. With the interim general distracted, Kat and Poe pulled the members of Black Squadron and Connix off to the side. "So things didn't go too well earlier. As you can see, she's loading up the transports, wanting to abandon ship." Poe addressed his team. "We are to back Colonel Metonae through everything that's about to happen. Which, I will let her explain…" He trailed off a bit, realizing he had jumped in with orders right as Kat was about to address the group.
The team bit back their snickers as they turned their focus to their colonel, who was currently trying to hide her own amusement. "Thank you, commander." She said, the corners of her lips quirking up when she noticed Poe freeze and the pleased looks of the squadron. "As you know, Finn and Rose have gone to retrieve a codebreaker in order to slip onto Snoke's destroyer so they can shut down the tracker. They're close to returning so we need to buy them a little time. The current plan is to inform Holdo of this unauthorized op so that maybe she'll reconsider abandoning ship. If she does decline, I will be relieving her of her duties. I need you all to be close by in case of this. That way we can keep Holdo and those who aren't in agreeance out of our way and certainly out of the bridge."
The team all nodded, some even gave her a salute, showing that they all understood before dispersing. Now was the moment of truth. Everything that Leia had taught her along with the need to do what she thought was right warred inside of her. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths when suddenly there was added warmth at her lower back. Opening her eyes, she turned to look to see who had touched her, even if she had some idea and came face to face with none other than Poe Dameron.
He was a lot closer than he was previously and she could see every single detail of those endless brown eyes. They honestly reminded her of space with how dark they appeared even though there were plenty of flecks of lighter hues that added light to them, just like the stars added light to a dark sky. "I'm here with you every step of the way." He promised, his thumb beginning to caress her back in a comforting way.
She could kiss him, she realized. Even when they had hated each other's guts, he was always around, and now that they finally decided to work together, he was constantly there. Her heart swelled, walls crumbled and she was scared shitless but for a completely different reason than what she was just moments before.
Instead, she brought her hand up and gave the arm that was wrapped around her a grateful squeeze as she nodded. "Let's go save the Resistance."
He gave her a dazzling smile as he repeated what she had just said. Before she could do anything stupid, like give in to the impulse to kiss him, she turned and headed back to where Holdo stood, Poe following behind her.
"You two better be here to help with loading these transports and not wasting any more time," Holdo said as she saw the two approach.
"Actually, Vice Admiral, time is exactly what we need a little more of," Kat replied.
The interim general turned to look at the young colonel and raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"Dameron and I have sent Finn and Rose to get a codebreaker so that they can slip in undetected onto Snoke's destroyer. They're going to disable the tracker and then get out of there joining us when we jump to lightspeed. From there we can load up the transports and go wherever but we just need more time. They're almost there to disable it."
Holdo looked horrified at the news. "A stormtrooper and a who now are doing what?"
"They're trying to save us. They're almost to the destroyer. We just need to give them more time." Kat pleaded.
"You have bet the survival of the Resistance on bad odds and put us all at risk? Who came up with the idea, you or him?" She looked between the two.
"This is our best chance at escape. You just need to give Finn and Rose more time." Poe said.
Holdo hummed, nodding before putting her attention back on Kat. "You need to stop working from your blind spots. You don't see the picture as clearly as you used to." She then turned to the members of the crew that had paused what they were doing to watch what was happening between the officers. "Continue loading the transports." She ordered.
Kat let out a sigh despite the confusion she felt from Holdo's comment. "I was really hoping you weren't going to say that."
Poe pulled out his blaster and soon Connix and the members of Black Squadron did the same. Stepping slightly in front of Kat, who had pulled out her batons, he squared his shoulders in preparation for what he was about to do. "Then I regret to inform you that on behalf of Colonel Metonae, that you Vice Admiral Holdo will be relieved of your duties and she will be taking her rightful place of leading this Resistance."
Holdo kept her eyes on Kat the entire time. "You don't want to do this, Kat. This isn't you."
The colonel scoffed. "You really need to make up your mind on who you think me to be. I'm doing what I think is right for the good of the Resistance." She turned to look at the team that was helping her and Poe with their mission. "Keep them here." She ordered.
As the team moved forward to follow her orders, she touched Poe's back. "Come on, let's go."
They hurried to the bridge, having most of the crew escorted out. With the help of Connix, the pair was soon dancing around each other as they prepped the ship to go into hyperspace, ignoring C3PO's fretting over their actions. With her side done, she held out her hand at the communications console and Poe handed over the commlink so she could open up a line for whenever Finn was ready to give them any sort of information. Now that everything was ready, they both stood, watching out the window and hoping against all hope they would hear either Finn or Rose's voice soon.
It was a slow waking up but as soon as Leia opened her eyes everything rushed towards her memories, the tension in the force, and even the lingering trail of Luke reaching out. She pushed the dome over her face out of the way, standing quickly. Something was going on with the ship. Grabbing her stun blaster, she made her way out into the hallway just as Holdo and a few others were marching past.
The vice admiral faltered in her steps as she saw the general standing there. "You're awake."
"I am. Now, what's going on?"
"Colonel Metonae and Captain Dameron have staged a mutiny. We need to get on the transports soon so we can get to Crait."
Leia looked slightly confused at the news. "What do you mean they staged a mutiny? Did she not take over while I was healing?"
Holdo shook her head. "No, she defaulted to me on the grounds of not being ready."
The general sighed. "Then I'm assuming she wasn't made aware of your plan to get us to Crait?"
"I made the decision to keep her in the dark due to the closeness she has with Captain Dameron."
A mix of emotions crossed Leia's face. "I wish you had trusted her. She would have been able to get him on board with this plan. And don't think I'm not about to give her the same speech. She should have trusted you as well." She gave Holdo a pointed look when she noticed that the other woman was about to argue. "Now, let's get these two back in line, shall we?"
In the end, they both grew too impatient so Poe switched commlinks and connected with BB-8. "BB-8, tell me something good."
Poe's voice was heard on the astromech's speaker and Finn quickly took over the connection with the commlink. "We're almost there. Have the cruiser prepped for lightspeed."
"Everything's ready. Just hurry." Kat implored.
At the sound of blasters going off, Kat looked to the security feed they had pulled up of the hangar. She and Poe shared a look before he ordered Connix to seal the door that allowed entry to the bridge.
With that order, the gold droid started to hurry away. Kat sighed as she rushed over to catch the droid's arm. "Where do you think you're going? Everything's fine."
"It would be quite against my programming to party to a mutiny. It is not correct protocol."
"Then let's not think about it as a mutiny and think about it as me feeling well enough to take charge. So let's just stay here, calm down, hm?"
Just then the door they had just sealed was being cut through, stopping the droid in its tracks. "Oh but neither is that."
Kat let go of C3PO and went to the door, pulling her batons out as she waited for whoever was on the other side to come through so she could have the element of surprise on them. Poe stooped behind the pilot's seat as he readied his stun blaster while Connix hid behind one of the consoles.
"Finn, I need some news!" Poe exclaimed.
"Nearly there." He replied.
But then the sound of the First Order shouting filled the bridge. Kat and Poe looked to each other with wide eyes. Was this really going to be another mission that they both failed at so fresh after what happened with the dreadnought? Not only that but both of their friends were about to get captured and the guilt that flashed in their eyes would be something they'd both carry for a long time. "They didn't make it." He confirmed what they were both hearing.
The door blasted open then. Kat turned away and ducked from the flying debris. She was just about to attack when she saw the one person she hadn't been planning on seeing. "Mom…"
"Leia," Poe said at the same time, voice filled with hope.
The woman lifted her stun blaster and shot Poe, sending him flying backward, slamming into the wall behind him. Connix and C3PO raised their hands in surrender while Kat just stared at the woman stunned. Leia turned on her daughter and the stunned expression quickly turned into one of a child knowing they were about to get punished by a parent.
"Back to the hangar with you." She then turned to the others in the room. "All of you and someone get Dameron." She ordered before nudging her daughter forward.
Kat stumbled forward and then winced when she felt the smack to the back of her head. "What in the world were you thinking? Did you forget everything that I taught you? Honestly, Katerina, mutiny?" Leia tugged the young woman into her room so she could change out of her medical robes while still speaking with her daughter. The rest continued to the hangar.
"I thought I was doing the right thing. The way Holdo ran things, she could have ruined everything you've fought for. How was I not supposed to fight back?" Kat defended her choices.
"Then maybe you should have taken the position in the first place." She gave Kat a pointed look.
Looking down at her feet, Kat let out a heavy sigh. "I nearly lost you. I wasn't in the right frame of mind to lead. If Poe hadn't stopped me, I would have attacked a medic droid just because they kept telling me to stay back."
Once she was fully dressed, Leia walked over and placed a hand on Kat's shoulders. "You're not even going to argue about how Holdo didn't give you any information to go off on?"
Smirking, she brought her eyes up to meet her mother's face. "You clearly already spoke with the vice-admiral so why would I give you duplicate information?"
Leia brought her hand from her shoulder to caress her cheek. "She should have told you about her plan. I think you would actually have agreed to it. But you need to still go on even if I'm no longer here. Never give up what is rightfully yours just so you can take it back later. Mutiny is not a good look on you."
"So you're not mad?"
"Oh, I'm mad but I understand why."
"We had a really good plan. The First Order just found a way to spoil it at the very end." She let out a sigh. "Are you sure he and I are a good team? This is the second plan we've come up with that has ended in failure."
Leia laughed. "I'm certain of it. We just need to keep both of your recklessness at a minimum. We'll get Finn and Rose back but first, we need to get to Crait."
Kat's brows furrowed. "We're going to Crait?" There was an old rebel base there. They could hide out easily until the First Order disappeared and regroup before figuring out where they wanted to truly set up their next base.
"We are and in cloaked transporters, no less."
"I- she- but-" She started and stopped multiple times, staring at her mother in awe. "You know, you might want to let other commanding officers know the importance of communication. We could have avoided this whole mess if I had just known."
"Don't I know it. Now come on, we have a transporter to board."
As the duo entered the hangar, two medics were pushing Poe, still unconscious, on a gurney. "You know, I'm a little jealous that you got to be the one to shoot him. I've imagined it far too many times." She joked even if her expression showed a bit of adoration towards the pilot.
Leia just smirked and nudged her forward. "Go with him."
She no longer needed to be told twice. Kat hurried over and placed her hand on his as they all entered the transport together. The general joined her friend that had taken command while she had been healing. Holdo watched with a small smile as the pair boarded the transport. "Those two are troublemakers. I like them."
Leia smirked. "Me too and really I only have myself to blame for pushing them together."
Holdo laughed. "They make a good team. I can see why you did."
"Now, time to board a transport," Leia said, heading towards the transport that Kat and Poe had just boarded.
"For the transports to escape, someone needs to stay behind and pilot the cruiser," Holdo said, looking like a woman who very much had accepted her fate.
Leia turned around looking to her friend, not wanting to believe what Holdo was suggesting. "Too many losses. I can't take anymore." She tried to persuade the other woman to not go through with the decision.
"Sure you can. You taught me how." It was decided then and Leia knew it.
The two women stared at each other for a moment before starting to speak at the same time. "May the force be with…" Realizing they had started the same farewell, they chuckled.
"You go on. I've said it enough." Leia motioned for Holdo to continue.
"May the force be with you always," Holdo said, a watery smile displayed on her features as she said farewell to one of her greatest friends.