Hey everybird! What's up!?
So allergy season has started for me… The past few days, as well as today, I been having puffy eyes and a runny nose and sooner or later there's going to be constant sneezing… I have taken allergy medicine and it has helped a little, but it's still intolerable. So it's going to be a difficult and interesting next few months for me…
And that's another reason why I love Winter so much, all plant life (I'm highly allergic to pollen) is basically dead outside and nothing can trigger my allergies. But well come Spring and everything starts to come back to life and nature begins its war on me…
But anyway… Enough of that, lets get back to the story!
Chapter 5: To Fight or Surrender
(Blu's POV)
Arriving back in the Yavin System, Jewel waking me a minute before my X-Wing would exit hyperspace, Blue and Gold Squadrons came back to real space as we entered the Yavin system, the blue and green moon of Yavin 4 up ahead. As I exited hyperspace I quickly yawned before shaking my head a couple of times, telling Jewel to give me back manual control of my X-Wing, taking the flight stick. In the meantime, the rest of the attack group exited hyperspace one by one until we were all here.
"Come on Blu, lets get down and celebrate." Roberto's voice came through comms.
"Copy that." I smiled as Blue and Gold Squadrons were cleared for landing, flying through Yavin 4's atmosphere as we approached our landing spots.
Extending out the landing gear of my X-Wing, I took it nice and slow as one of the flight controllers helped guide me down. As I was landing down, I noticed things on base were a little more hectic, something else must have happened while Blue and Gold Squadrons were away, but it wasn't like a celebratory mood, rather from the faces I could see, it was the exact opposite. Finally feeling the landing gear touch the ground, a little bump against my seat I shut down the engines and turned off all the X-Wing's systems as I turned back at Jewel.
"All good Jewel?" I asked as I took off my helmet, my droid giving me a "all good" beep as I opened the cockpit and stood up before climbing down the ladder brought over to my fighter while Jewel was lifted out of her socket behind the cockpit.
As soon as I climbed down the ladder, I was met by my father, who had a serious look on his face.
"Everything alright sir?" I asked.
"I just got news that every council member of the Alliance came here while we were gone and they're going to discuss things about the latest developments about that young woman and her father." My father replied.
"So what do we do sir?" I asked, wanting to be part of this big meeting.
"Well for now, the squadron's on stand down, I'll go and see what else is going down and as for you captain, get me a headcount on the squadron and the state of the fighters." My father told me. "And that is an order and not up for debate."
"Yes sir." I saluted, waiting for my father to return it as he left and well in his place Roberto came up to me, having heard the short conversation.
"So I take it we wouldn't be celebrating a successful mission right now?" Roberto asking me rhetorically as he already knew the answer.
"Sorry Roberto, but as captain I have my responsibility as the squadron's second, you'll understand when you get a promotion." I said as that made Roberto chuckle.
"Yeah, like that will ever happen…" Roberto rolled his eyes. "Well, when you're done, I'll have a drink waiting for you."
"Thanks, I'll get this done as quickly as possible." I promised Roberto as Roberto left while I carried out my orders from my father.
Getting the headcount, in which we lost two of our pilots, while the other pilots' X-Wings were still combat functional and ready to fly out at a moment's notice, I made sure to send in the report to my father before heading off for the drink that was waiting for me. Walking to the rec room, where the bar was for the service personal, I saw Roberto still there with Nico as well and as they saw me, they had smiles as I returned it, taking a seat next to them, Roberto giving me my drink.
"Boy I really needed this." I commented, taking a nice, long sip from my glass.
"You were here earlier, it would have tasted better." Nico told me. "So what do you think all the council members are talking about now?"
"I don't know Nico, but whatever it is, it's big." I answered.
"Well, no matter what, the Empire has nothing we can't handle." Roberto commented as he raised his glass. "To our future victory."
"I'll drink to that." Nico agreed as he raised his own glass, followed by mine as we touched glasses before taking sips from them.
As we finished them, as if by some perfect timing, the base's loudspeaker comm system went off.
"All officers, please report to the command center, all officers report to the command center." The message repeated as I put down my glass and got up from my seat.
"Well, that's my call unfortunately…" I sighed. "I'll see you two later."
"See you later Blu." Nico told me.
"And make sure to tell us what's up if you can." Roberto added as I left the two and made my way to the command center.
Walking to the command center, the day was ending over the moon as the sky started to turn from a clear blue to a light orange. Entering the command center, the meeting had already started as the center was crowded and the first thing I heard was from one of the council members…
"We must scatter the fleet. We have no recourse but to surrender." One of the members, a female senator said and I knew things were not good as I started making my way through the crowd towards the center of attention and where my father was standing.
"Are we really talking about disbanding something that we've worked so hard to create?" I heard Senator Organa reply.
"We can't just give in." Admiral Raddus, an amphibious bird from Mon Calamari, arguing as well.
"We joined an Alliance, not a suicide pact!" One of the other male senators interrupting as I got closer to my father, seeing him in agreement with the senator who interrupted.
"We've only now managed to gather our forces." Senator Organa returned.
"Gather our forces?" One of the opposing senators pointing his wing at General Draven. "General Draven's already blown up an Imperial base!" Well Blue and Gold Squadrons did the blowing up to be precise…
"A decision needed to be made." General Draven stating back firmly.
"If it's war you want, you'll fight alone!" The first female senator who was part of the group wanting to submit replied.
"If that's the way it's going, why have an Alliance at all?" One of the male senators agreeing.
"If she's telling the truth, we need to act now!" Admiral Raddus pointing to the young woman who was the cause of this, the Mon Calamari leader promoting action as I finally reached my father, who only acknowledged my presence by casting a quick glance at me, just in time for Senator Mothma to settle things down.
"Councilors, please!" Senator Mothma urged as than my father spoke…
"It is simple, the Empire has the means of mass destruction. The Rebellion does not." My father making clear in a defeatist attitude, which I could hardly believe, but I knew better than to say anything back at the moment.
"A Death Star, this is nonsense." One of the male senators, one who in fact was standing next to the young woman, stated.
"What reason would my father have to lie?" The young woman finally speaking back. "What benefit would it bring him?"
"To lure our forces into a final battle. To destroy us once and for all." General Draven taking a guess and well most of the crowd agreed that it seemed a little too easy, for me, I thought it was best to keep hearing things from both sides.
"To risk everything, based on what?" The male senator standing next to the woman continued on. "The testimony of a criminal? The dying words of her father, an Imperial scientist?"
"Don't forget the Imperial pilot." Another male senator pointing out the bird standing next to the young woman, the bird not saying anything as the woman didn't give up.
"My father gave his life so that we may have a chance to defeat this." The woman clearly determined as her saying that reminded me a lot about my mother… She gave her life for mine.
"So you've told us." General Dodonna saying what the woman already said apparently.
"If the Empire has this kind of power, what chance do we have?" The opposing female senator continuing to press for submission rather than action.
"What chance do we have?" The woman asking around. "The question is 'What choice?' Run? Hide? Plead for mercy? Scatter your forces? You give way to an enemy this evil with this much power and you condemn the galaxy to an eternity of submission." The young woman raising her voice in determination to resist. "The time to fight is now!"
"Yes." The former Imperial pilot next to the woman in agreement.
"Every moment you waste is another step closer to the ashes of Jedha." The young woman pointing out the possible future if we submitted.
"What is she proposing?" Someone in the back shouted out.
"Just let the girl speak!" Another urged, wanting to hear as I wanted to hear as well.
"Send your best troops to Scarif. Send the rebel fleet if you have to." The young woman urging our plan of action. "We need to capture the Death Star plans if there is any hope of destroying it." The young woman stated as those around chatted for a few seconds before the opposing female senator spoke up.
"You're asking us to invade an Imperial installation based on nothing but hope?" The female senator doubting this plan.
"Rebellions are built on hope." The young woman replying and those words hit me, something finally triggering inside me, like a new found spirit.
"There is no hope." The male senator standing next to the woman stated in a hopeless tone.
"I say we fight." Admiral Raddus putting in his vote for action.
"I say the Rebellion is finished." The other male senator boomed, putting his wing down as the crowd once more began to chatter away on what to do and as the chatter settled down, Senator Mothma spoke, sealing the end of the meeting as she gave her own decision…
"I'm sorry, Jyn. Without the full support of the council, the odds are too great." Senator Mothma sighed as there was first quiet, until the young woman turned and left, everyone chatting with each other about what happened…
And that's when I turned to finally face my father and well there was certainty going to be some new tension between us…
And I'll leave it off there!
So yeah… Blu and his father aren't going to be seeing things eye to eye just like the Alliance as a whole, but well you all know what happens next, if you did see Rogue One that is!
And with that…
See everybird later!