Hours went by and Holdo was still reeling from Dameron's words. She was standing on the bridge with another glass of TH35, which it turned out had done nothing to her. She could have fallen asleep at any breath she took.
She understood Dameron. How could anybody stay on his ass in a situation like this? Do nothing? She could see him slowly explode. Just like she saw the glances the others were giving her. But the situation was more complicated than they thought. More complicated than Amilyn could understand. The mist, when she wasn't aware sometimes, settled on her mind. She could feel it. She'd felt it ever since she set foot on the Raddus. She heard voices. Voices that asked her. They made her dizzy. And more and more afraid.
She inhaled the next breath slowly, and her shoulders slumped as exhaled. She made her decision.
"Commander, access the control program and also request the details of the last system opened"
D'Acy looked at her with huge eyes. Holdo hoped she would understand what she wanted her to understand.
"Which system?" she asked back, puzzled.
"Don't you remember the last system we checked?" began Holdo a little bit louder, losing her temper.
"Yes, of course" she nodded. "But let me... You don't have to bother, you can just instruct me..."
"I'll take care of it, thank you," Holdo ended the discussion and stepped to the window while the holograms were being put in place. Perhaps it's for the best, she thought. She'd execute the plan without a word, coordinating the crew to make sure it didn't reveal anything that shouldn't. Could there be a spy on board? But how does he do that with her?
I wish you were here, Leia - she sighed. You'd know what it's all about. You always understand what I cannot.
The crew watched in silence as the admiral combed through the chart data, entered the coordinates and then encrypted the interface. They looked at each other, but no one said a word.
Hours passed, they moved on to the next rotation. Nothing has changed. The admiral walked from table to table, always with a different holopad in her hand. Sometimes a member went out at the end of a shift and another one took it's place at the computers.
Holdo suddenly stepped back and looked across the illuminated surface. The plan was ready. She had located the old rebel base, the coordinates were there. There were enough rescue ships, and at this rate they might have a chance of reaching the planet before the First Order caught up with them. All they needed now was luck.
Her lips curled into a tired smile.
"D'Acy" turned to the woman, who had returned to her seat and was watching her from a few feet away. "The system's in place, all data in the computers. Let me know if we need to deviate. Otherwise, maintain course and speed"
What's the destination? - a voice asked while D'Acy looked at her with closed mouth. For a moment, her eyes closed on their own. She quickly composed herself.
"Communication is now reduced to a minimum, the data available is sufficient to execute the order. Alert in case of emergency," she said and left the bridge.
.
Poe stood in front of the canteen, his back against the doorway. He was no longer able to sit down. Just felt like a caged animal with the house on fire around him. He had kicked the wall several times, but no one looked at him strangely. A tense silence sat in the once noisy place.
Two pilots approached. Poe could not hear clearly what they were speaking about. And wasn't that interested either. Only when they got close to him did a few words reached his ear.
"... totally secret, I said. They say she's gone mad"
"Hey," Poe called after them immediately. "Who's mad here?"
The pilot looked around carefully before answering.
"The Vice Admiral," he said a lot quietly. "Connix said everything was classified, even those members on the bridge can't see where we're going. She locked the coordinates, the maps, recalibrated the control panel... everything"
"Where is she now?" asked Poe immediately.
"Er... I think she's headed for Sector C maybe"
Poe didn't need more. His first thought was that if he shot Holdo now, they might have a chance to survive. By the time he realized it, he was thundering down the main corridor, gun in hand.
He literally couldn't see out of rage. He had never met anybody in his life who could ignore him so sincerely - and regularly - as Admiral Holdo. She hadn't involved him in the planning, she hadn't informed him about her own plans, but to not even share anything with her own stuff in a situation like this was way too much. He didn't care what he'd get for it later. What he'd get for breaking into a superior's private room. He shouldn't have set foot in that particular corridor to be honest, but could not really care.
He wanted to talk to her, whether the Admiral wanted it or not. And they were going to talk NOW. He had his blaster set to stun. He'll do it. Try showing him her back just one more time, and he'll pull the trigger.
Within moments he was at her door. Next to the one that led to General Organa's room. Knocking was not part of Poe Dameron's usual behaviour above a certain blood pressure, so he punched his fist into the opening panel and the door leaf immediately disappeared from his sight.
"Now you'll listen to me! Last time I let you-" he began, but the words caught in his throat. It was surely not what Dameron had expected. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, Amilyn Holdo's tall figure began to loom in front of him. She lay on her back, legs crossed, as if she was just about to have a short rest, but ended up falling much deeper asleep.
There was nothing nice or comfortable in the tiny room. A hard-looking bed - like everyone else's - a chair and a table with a row of holopads.
The Admiral's circular headdress lay on the chair. Her light purple hair, which was not held up, was much longer than Poe had thought. Now it was spread free on the pillow. One of her fragile hands rested up beside her cheek, the other hung slightly off the bed. Her face was peaceful. Poe had never seen her like that. Concerned he had, and even mocking. Or angry. But her always tense, analytical features were now softened, her stubborn lips slightly parted.
Poe was suddenly not sure what to do.
He ran his gaze over every inch of her body. His anger was drifting away like a slow smoke without his noticing. Without even remembering that he was about to break the admiral's slender neck, which was not hidden from him for the first time. It lay on the pillow like white marble between her curls, as well as the line of her collarbone, and a small part of the curve where her breasts began.
She suddenly stirred. Poe immediately moved, but with that accidentally kicked the chair beside him. It made a metallic voice.
The admiral's chest heaved with a sigh, then she turned on her side, facing Poe. A stray lock of hair fell into her pale face. She laid one leg in front of the other, which made her figure remind Poe of a flower stalk. Her shoulders and hips like two towers on Yavin 4, with a deep valley between them, her waist. Then again, she fell back asleep.
Dameron sighed, his hand found the opening panel and stumbled out of the room as fast as he just could.
.
Snoke sat on his throne in the middle of the great hall and did not even flinch. Supremacy followed the rebel Raddus like a beast following its prey. It was only a matter of time before they caught up, but he was certain the rebels would not leave the Crait system alive.
That should have been enough for him. But Snoke wanted no more blunders.
He was angry enough that his subordinates, even the bests, had let him down repeatedly. And the rebels, however disdainfully they may be looked upon, have more than once broken out of their grip by luck.
This was something Snoke would never allow to happen again.
"With the Jedi, Supreme Leader" Hux asked back, polite but puzzled.
He didn't see why he should also have to deal with the Jedi when the rebel ship was right in front of them. What business did he have with these force users anyway?
He didn't need to ask that, though, because Snoke could read it perfectly well out of his mind before Hux could hide it.
"It's nice that you're concerned about the success of Raddus operation, but I can reassure you. They're running out of time in more ways than they might think"
Hux nodded, though he didn't understand a word.
"The weak minds of non-force users have less resistance to the Dark Force, than you might think. Their admiral will tell us what we need to know. It won't take long now"
Hux glared at him and had only a twitch of the facial muscles, but Snoke laughed anyway. "If not, General, I will destroy her. That's something I've started already"