Warrior ◊ Star Wars

chapter twenty-eight; a planet to blow up

Mara would've considered herself anything but a follower, never really good when it came to following authority. Some would say that trait hinted at her being a natural leader. Years ago, she may have agreed with that statement.

Now, standing in front of the several Resistance squadrons who studied her with careful eyes, she didn't feel like someone to look up to. Her confidence remained at a low, even after saying a name that wouldn't automatically mark her as an enemy among the gathering of pilots. The previous vigor she had spoke to Dameron with had begun to fade as one thought persisted; if you screw this up, they all die.

Poe met her quick glance over to him, picking up off her remark to further convince his crew of what exactly she was doing, "Mara here has information regarding Starkiller's defense plans, specifically the oscillator. Apparently, damaging and destabilizing it won't be as easy as it seems."

Just be your assertive self.

"We can trust her." Finn was on her right, hoping his words would mean anything among his new allies. She tapped his side gently under the table; thanks for the reassurance.

You're smart. Just go for it.

Mara breathed out deeply, ready to convince herself and her company of her own credence, or fake it. She clapped her hands together loudly, starting whatever this was, "Okay, so what you guys are walking into is a good, old-fashioned trap."

The blonde tapped a few controls on the console, zooming in on precinct 47 to bring it into everyone's view, "So here we have a six sided shape, right? On each point we have at least two big guns, right near each other. Their targets are the opposite sides. This means you have firepower covering everything, but here's the catch; they won't aim within a hundred yards of another gun, otherwise their blowing up their own weapons. This means you have safe pockets to function in, where you can descend and start a bombing run closer to the surface. This is the first line of defense."

Mara pointed where each gun would be, then to the next level of the attack, "Now, this is where we want to dent the outside, correct? What ships are we taking?"

She turned back to the squadron, awaiting their answer. She was met with the same doubting stares, no one jumping at the chance to respond. Mara swallowed, but went on to jut an eyebrow up, "Well?"

"X-wings." The left side of the room spoke, a woman, "Just X-wings."

"Thank you......" She began to continue explaining, moving to her prior position, but looked back at the pilot who answered.

"Pava. Jessika Pava. Mind telling us how you know all this?"

Mara's back faced them now as she hid her all too guilty face near the wireframe hologram. She could feel blood rushing into her cheeks, marking her a poser amongst them. She swallowed, trying to think of a lie. Any lie that would be sufficient. Anything, anything. Just respond.

"I received the information.....from a friend. She broke from the Order." Her assured voice clipped at the stutter, but she had to resume some status. Tie ends of the lie that practically wreaked of falsehood, "She's dead now."

A few whispers formed, Mara clenching her teeth as one voice persisted from the back, "Lot of convenient traitors it seems, showing up lately and all."

She didn't need to see Finn to know the anxiousness at that comment. Out of the corner of her peripheral vision, she observed him fidget. She worked her jaw, a bit of her prior anger shooting back, spinning to confront the already unsure fleet after her unconvincing lie, "Right now, these 'convenient traitors' are the only reason the Resistance has a chance of not getting blown away, so I suggest-"