Kyber Heart - Poe Dameron

Chapter 37

"Is she in there?" Poe asked, rounding the corner to the bridge with a purposeful, angry stride through the dimmed light.

"The Admiral's banned you from the bridge," Commander D'Acy said, having met him at the door. "Let's not have a scene."

"Nah, let's."

D'Acy's further complaints fell on deaf ears as Poe pushed past her.

None of the other officers on the bridge tried to oppose him; his gaze already harshly locked on Holdo. He faltered momentarily upon seeing Nova by her side, shooting her an agitated look, which she matched with an edge of warning.

"Flyboy," the Holdo greeted dryly.

"Cut it, lady," Poe snapped. "We had a fleet, now we're down to one ship, and you've told us nothing. Tell us that we have a plan. That there's hope!"

Holdo remained collected in the face of his outburst. "When I served under Leia, she would say 'hope is like the sun. If you only believe in it when you can see it' –"

"– 'you'll never make it through the night'," he finished.

Holdo nodded; the pair taking a moment of silent regard for their general. A moment that was short-lived.

Poe's next thought was cut short as he noticed the screens behind the Vice Admiral. More importantly the readouts it was providing. Rerouting what fuel supplies they had left to their fleet of transports.

"Are you fuelling up the transports?"

Holdo's expression remained stoic.

Nova maintained her silence beside her, watching Poe observe the screens with a stone-cold glare.

"You are. All of them?" he asked incredulously. "We're abandoning ship? Is that – is that what you've got? Is that what you've brought us to?"

Nova flinched as the chairs were knocked over in exasperation, her face set in a scowl at his childish outburst. She had seen him angry before, but never quite so unchecked.

"Coward! Those transports are unarmed, and unshielded. We abandon this cruiser, we're done! We don't stand a chance!" He turned his attention directly to Holdo. "No, you are not just a coward. You are a traitor."

"Get this man off my bridge," Holdo demanded.

Two soldiers moved to escort him out, but were quickly stood down by Nova.

She strode across to him purposefully, grabbing him by the collar of his jacket to remove him forcefully. It was hardly necessary, but she was too angry to let go, even as Poe tried to shrug her off.

She only relinquished her hold on him after they entered the hallway, the doors to the bridge shutting behind them. "What the hell was that about?"

Poe rounded on her, still exasperated. "What were you doing in there?"

"My job. Saving the Resistance."

"She tell you her plan?" His hand gestured to the closed door behind her.

"No, b –"

"I don't get it, Nova. After all this, how are you trusting her?"

"Cutting our losses is the best we can do," she explained, keeping her tone level. "Come on, at least it's not a plan built on bad odds and a fool's hope."

"It's more hope than if we abandon this ship!"

"If we stay, we die. I'm sorry, Poe, but your plan is shot. Now, I'm doing what I have to do."