Tongues of flames hungrily devoured the aftermath of a catastrophe. Burning hands ravaged over the remnants of destruction; it consumed without true intent and inflicted more damage upon a wreckage that would not be salvaged. The blaze's heat licked at her heels, and she warily stumbled back from the inferno. Her skin flushed at the intense temperature, eyes reflecting the ruination left by a sudden blast.

Mara had always dreamed of fire, a predicament she really had no answer for. She wasn't necessarily afraid of it though she had enough common sense to avoid something that could likely hurt her. It so happened that many instances in her life when situations went bad, things lit on fire. That was just the nature of living a life where multitudes people were trying to kill you and explosions happened to be present and combustible. Yet she had no distinct reason why that would be a reoccurring subject in her unconscious fantasies.

The Estoni girl was aware of the dream she was having as she watched the flames in front of her. She couldn't move too far away from it, she knew that. She couldn't distinguish through the rising smoke and the haze of burnt fuel what obliteration had caused the reaction. All she could understand was the terrible aftertaste in the back of her throat and the creeping feeling not to breathe in the atmosphere. Warmth grew increasingly uncomfortable and she felt sweat coating her skin in an unpleasant heat. One persistent thought overtook any other; the fire was growing.

She was going to possibly burn alive.

(She was thankful in some way. This time it wasn't a dream of a monster in a mask prowling through her thoughts. Still, not fun.)

Beep beep beep

Mara's eyelids abruptly fluttered open, scrunching her nose when she was awakened from her nap by the shrill noise. It took a few moments of inhaling clean air and sitting in moderate temperature to fully realize she wasn't in any immediate danger of becoming cooked. The tired blonde was welcomed by the sight of blurring stars in her vision. The stench of fuel no longer plagued her nose after a few deep breaths.

She stretched out from her curled up position in the pilot's chair, groaning when her back ached from the uncomfortable position. A flashing bulb illuminated from the console to let her know that they'd be approaching their destination in hyperspace soon.

Beep beep-

Her right palm hit down to silence it, the other rubbing her eyes before taking another look at the controls. Cali was wide awake beside her and clutching a silver communicator in her hand.

"Any word?" The pilot asked while she busied herself with assuring the safety of their jump out of light speed.

Laneller's lips pursed, stowing the device back into her coat. She pressed out a breath and sat back in her chair, visibly tense, "The evacuation's started."

Mara didn't respond immediately, throwing a few levers and watching data reports stream to tell her all ship parts were in working order. Many had theorized another day, perhaps several before the First Order would consolidate their forces to start another mass attack on the Resistance's home base of D'Qar. She hadn't even been informed of another location to flee to, not that she'd been at the top of the list for people to tell about rebel secrets.

"Are they there yet?" She referred to the enemy that could easily outnumber their entire fleet, one of the coming ships she knew her brother would reside on. The blonde tried not to think too hard on the latter subject, already conflicted enough when she read intelligence reports detailing the general's survival.

Callisto's gaze flicked to her colleague, her voice less strained than her first comment in order to maintain her cool composure, "No, but I doubt it'll be like that for long. Half of the base is already on the ship, the other almost there anyway. All we can hope is that we can board everyone before company comes."

"What happens if they're early?" Mara asked, a feeling tugging her gut that she might end up in the middle of the action if defense was needed.

Laneller's lip quirked, "Organa has assured me that she has a plan."

She didn't really know what that entailed but had no real time to ponder before a jolt rustled the entire ship. The stretched beams of light stilled into far off dots as they jumped to normal space. The planet of D'Qar laid in a lonely corner of space directly in their view. A handful of larger vessels were silhouettes against the green surface, tiny specs rising from it. A dozen transports headed towards the main cruiser in hopes of a safe escape.

Mara was instructed to follow the smaller crafts' path once they radioed in their arrival. Their shuttle made a smooth approach to the hanger and the landing gear was engaged with ease. With a momentary wait to let others pass by, Estoni initiated the sequence to touch down. Once the engine began to power down, Cali wasted no time in prompting her reluctant associate to hurry up, "C'mon, we need to get the drive to the General."

The blonde was still checking the console as she gathered her worn satchel and slipped its strap across her body, "Give me another few seconds. What's up with this drive anyway? You're treating it as if its the map to Skywalker."

Laneller had already pressed the button that controlled the doors, "Intelligence business."

Mara rolled her eyes, finishing the shut down procedures, "Of course. I get punched and manhandled for 'Intelligence business'. Seriously, no hints?"

The spy spared no details despite the appeal. She offered her ex-girlfriend nothing more than a side-look and a repeat of her former point as the doors opened, "You were sent to Lothal because of your connections to the death gang and as a test to see how you'd work as a field operative. You knew that going in, and that's all you're going to know coming out."

The sounds of the hanger bay rushed to meet them as they stepped out into the gathering crowd. The previously barren room now became a sanctuary to a multitude of sleek transports beside a small fleet of star-fighters and other equipment needed to repair them. A whirlwind of urgency had come about as the remainder of the shuttles docked. Dozens of Resistance personnel unloaded tools and other goods with a haste. Others searched for fresh orders that would inform them of their new commission on the cruiser. Everyone worked in constant movement to prepare for the inevitable arrival of the enemy.

The swarm of people made it hard to navigate without running into a rushing officer or a duty bound mechanic. Mara shifted out of the way of several, barely being able to hear herself think between all the murmurs that anticipated the coming battle. Several muffled crashes came from supplies accidentally knocked over and Laneller stepped over a mess of medical equipment while keeping a determined gate towards the Command Center.

A few indistinct beeps overtook the noise of the crowd but could not be made out. These incessant sounds only got louder as a familiar astromech tried to relay a happy message.

Mara!

A smile had already plastered itself on the blonde's face without thought. She sped up to clear the swath of people and jogged past Callisto to the hall. Once in the starkly white corridor, she bent down to the droid's height as it rolled up to greet her, "Hey bud!"

BB-8 gleefully voiced his delight in seeing the woman unharmed while she patted the side of his round frame. She beamed as she let out a small giggle at the cherubic ball's happiness, "I missed you too. Get tired of your guy that easily?"

She didn't even have to look up to identify the owner of the dark boots that stocked towards them, a sigh coming from above her crouched form, "Not likely."

Mara's attention briefly moved from the astromech to the welcome sight of Poe Dameron, who wore his usual rougish grin as he observed the two's small reunion. She rose up to stand, crossing her arms and tipping her chin up to extenuate her smaller stature and meet his searching eyes, "Ah, and I'm sure you missed me too?"

"Life just wasn't complete." He sardonically answered to amuse her, which had the desired effect. The comment was followed by an honest observation, "You look like you've been hit in the face."

In the short time that she had been with the Resistance, Mara and Poe had settled into an easy comradery. The initial shock of being together again after so many years apart and not in an intense survival situation fighting for their lives - or even fighting each other - had passed within a matter of days. Mara still couldn't clearly define what her actual job was in the Resistance, she just knew Poe was a part of it.

When she did consult on defense strategies, she'd walk into the Command Center to find him waiting for her with two cups of caf in hand. She'd take the one with less creamer and the two would get work with whatever task General Organa had assigned them that day. While data simulations loaded, they'd swap odd stories about what had happened the two years they'd been apart.

Dameron would boast about his missions with Black Squadron while Mara recounted how she survived as a scavenger on Jakku. Most of her tales were greatly dramatized for effect, but he always managed a teasing chuckle at whatever crazy story she'd tell about bickering with traders at the N'iima outpost.

So did Mara try to make him laugh during those early mornings because she liked the melodious sound? Okay, okay, yes, but could anyone really blame her? That was well within the bounds of whatever odd friendship the two had fallen into.

Now back to the hit in the face comment -

There was still a fading bruise under her left eye from when she had been thrown into a tree on Starkiller awhile ago, but the recent injury to her nose definitely gave her away. She raised an eyebrow at the topic, "You're surprised by this? Don't worry, the other guys are plenty worse."

"Had no doubts about that. 'Good to get off base?"

Mara kept on a persistent smile while describing her latest exploit, "If they kept me underground cooped up in the Command Center any longer, I'd burst. It was great to feel like I had purpose again besides choking out flight maneuvers."

"I doubt that's going to change with us moving bases and all. I'm sure you'll be designing a whole new defense layout for wherever we wind up." Dameron pointed out and found entertainment in the way her joyous expression almost immediately stilled.

"Of course, but you better lend a hand with that, Commander." She pointed a finger at him before observing his attire. The blonde woman saw the tacky jumpsuit colored a crude shade of orange she had come to have a love/hate relationship with (she had been practically forced to wear it the other day) and realized Poe must be on duty, "You're flying? I don't see the rest of the squadron."

"They're gearing up now." He explained and it was then she realized his apprehensiveness. His thumb rubbed against his opposing palm, the action a product of subconscious anxiety while he talked with her as if nothing was out of the ordinary, "But I'll be the first guy in the air."

"Am I not authorized to join you guys?" The first question that jumped to her mind came out of her mouth just as quickly. Mara followed it up with a better, more considerate inquiry, "Wait, backtrack, how about why we're launching the air fleet so soon? Is the Order that close?"

Poe favored answering the latter than explain why he had no control over whether or not she had flight clearance, "Truth is we know they're on the way. They could come out of lightspeed any second and we've still got people on the ground. I don't wanna play catch up when huge destroyers are concerned."

She nodded in understanding, bending down again to pat her favorite astromech one last time before they shipped out, "Well, don't let me stand in your way-"

A loud, encompassing blare proceeded to cut her off and Estoni's nose wrinkled in disgust at the sudden interruption. Warning lights bathed the white hallway in a red ambient hue; red was always bad.

"That's my cue." Dameron's relaxed figure radically changed to a hurried demeanor and his focus went down to an uneasy BB-8 at his feet, "Ready?"

The droid gave a quick chirp that exerted enough worry to tell he wasn't too pleased with being given another opportunity to be blasted out of the sky again, but followed his master faithfully as the two sped up to a jog past their friend and down the hall towards their light fighter. Mara called out her version of a friendly send-off, "Don't die and leave me to plan a layout on my own!"

"Wouldn't dream of it!" Poe tossed his head back toward her to respond before nearly speeding into Callisto mid-sprint. Another second and the pair had disappeared into the agitated crowd of personnel gathering in the air bay. The call to arms had sent another surge of tense energy through the carrier; the enemy was coming.

Laneller's own pace has quickened to reach the wayward blonde, securing a grip on her arm to lead her down the colorless corridors flashing in bright crimson towards the new Command Center, "We need to get to the General. You can chat later."

Mara didn't protest against being pulled past scuttling pilots running in the opposite direction towards their own ships. Her heart wished to follow as the organ pumped her blood with the excitement of an upcoming battle and the thrill of a dogfight. The rest of her was washed by the swift revelation Armitage once again happened to be in the same sector as her.

The Estoni girl preoccupied her mind against that thought by questioning her superior that was currently dragging her around a corner with a steadfast determination that rivaled her own, "Um, don't you think Organa is going to be busy right about now?"

"She'll want to see the drive." Was the robotic answer provided by Cali as she guided them past another group of mechanics bent in reaching the hangar as fast as they could. One accidentally bumped against her left side and she had to resist a groan. The long cut on her torso from a shrapnel wound on Takodana had been healing as expected, but the irritation still made mild pain fly along the edges of the skin.

They passed through the medical wing without losing speed. Once realizing the location, Mara's head wildly snapped about trying to spot a familiar face. While her sight never landed on the unconscious Finn, she did see a familiar bob of dark hair streaked by light slivers of grey. As the two women practically jogged by, she caught the doctor's attention, "Kalonia!"

Harter had become particularly familiar with the mysterious pilot that had showed up when the entire debacle involving Starkiller began and spread a broad smile at her voice. She broke away from the setting up of an unused monitor to grin at her, "Already back?"

With a hastened tone that matched the careening pace Callisto had set, she quickly spit out a few words, "Yep! How is he?"

"Still asleep."

I knew that man wouldn't dare wake up while I was gone.

"Stay on target." The major muttered under her breath to her ex-girlfriend as their visit in the emergency hospital station was short and they had nearly made to their intended destination.

They arrived at the clear sliding doors with time to spare before the full our attack. Laneller finally slowed from her maniac dash to the newly developed Command Center. The officer momentarily halted before entering to adjust the lapel of her jacket and through her dark braid back behind her shoulders, which got her an obvious eye roll from Mara. Once the spy tidied up her undercover outfit, they entered.

The current control room was made to feel bigger than it truly was. Windows made up the majority of the walls to give a clear picture out to the star-filled space they found themselves enveloped in. Several holotables were placed at different points throughout the room to designate different tasks. A dozen more personnel urgently moved from once station to another, these men and women dressed in an olive green uniform that greatly contrasted from their soldier counterparts.

At the epicenter of the function was a strong figure clothed in dark grey. General Leia Organa stood in front of an oval stand that depicted a holographic image of the emerged First Order fleet that hovered over the planet of D'Qar. Several star destroyers showed themselves and were accompanied by another massive aircraft Mara didn't immediately have a name for.

Callisto approached the matriarch without hesitation, "Ma'am."

Organa tore her gaze away from her enemies quite literally at their door and made eye contact with the young woman. It was after a moment she realized Laneller's intention, "Do you have it?"

She presented the aged drive held in her open palm and didn't elaborate much, "The gang never got it to Bala."

"Good. Good." The tired general seemed to have to convince herself that the news delivered was actually was indeed positive. Mara couldn't blame her for being somewhat distracted, "It hasn't been tampered with?"

"I ran diagnostics. This thing hasn't been in a computer in nearly thirty years."

Leia gingerly took the small metal device into her own possession and slipped into a breast pocket stitched into her elaborate mourning attire, "Thank you, Major."

That was all? Cali has given such a fuss over the jump drive that Mara assumed it warranted a more dramatic welcome when safely delivered to the Resistance, but the conversation surrounding the object stoped there. It did permit the immediate transfer to the leader of the rebellion herself, but still felt underwhelming.

"And our new operative?" Organa shifted to look at the blonde that trailed a few steps behind Laneller with a curious nature. The former Order pilot couldn't help but try not to squirm under the smoldering gaze even if it wasn't accusatory. The woman just had the effect on people to burn them with a simple glimpse in their direction. She felt as though she'd never get used to it.

"More involved than necessary." The major didn't spare any mercy on her kinda-friend (both couldn't really categorize their relationship now) by recalling the details of their mission on Lothal, "Completed the objective but brought more attention than necessary. I suggest she stays in her current position."

Translation: She'd be terrible for Intelligence.

Mara didn't mind that. She was a terrible liar and only had a knack for avoiding the truth until fact came ruthlessly for her throat. She'd never last long as a spy.

Before Organa formed a reply, the hologram of the fleet awaiting just outside flickered to include a small blip across the board. The three women abandoned their conversation at the appearance of the electronic deviation and the intercom crackling a message through to the control room. A series of distorted, anxious beeps played through a speaker and the blonde realized what Dameron meant by being the first guy in the air. He was the only guy in the air and was currently planning an approach on the largest craft.

"Happy beeps here buddy, come on." Poe reassured his worried droid, "We've pulled crazier stunts than this."

"Just for the record, Commander Dameron, I'm with the droid on this one." Leia let her palms rest against the edge of the table with a concentrated stare on the projection in front of her.

"Thank you for your support General."

Was he seriously taking this swath of heavy ships on his own with this attempt? Estoni didn't peg either Organa or Dameron as that stupid, but that idea dwindled when the lone fighter continued on without any sign of reinforcements. They had to be playing an angle.

A colored light on the console signaled an inbound transmission to another ship from his X-wing. Where else would they broadcast a signal?

The woman received the answer to her unsaid question quickly when Poe's voice took on a more confident sound to address a different party, "Attention! This is Commander Poe Dameron of the Republic fleet, I have an urgent communique for General Hux."

Her stomach decided to flip flop in its own dismay at her true last name that only another in the entire galaxy shared. Her brother- they we're talking to her brother.

It was a moment of tantalizing quiet before the second voice in the conversation spoke with such pretentious authority that made Mara want to physically gag, "This is General Hux of the First Order."

The same frozen fear encompassed the sister of the genocidal enemy as it did on Starkiller less than two weeks ago when she heard Armitage for the first time in over two years. Two years since her expulsion from the First Order. Two years since the last of her family that hadn't abandoned her shot her out of the sky.

Remember facts going for the throat? That truth was one that stole away her regular breathing.

"The Republic is no more. Your fleet are rebel scum and war criminals." A tirade of menacing threats were stated as if they were the only principle kept. Her older brother's sharp malice was too easily recognized, "Tell your precious princess there will be no terms... there will be no surrender."

A beat followed the abrupt and dramatic end to his speech. Poe didn't let it last long, "Hi, I'm holding for General Hugs."

Oh R'iia above he so didn't.

The general brought the back of her hand towards her face as if to wipe something off her mouth but that move poorly concealed a minuet grin at her commander's antics. This incited another vocal gnashing of the teeth on the Armitage's part, "This is Hux. You and your friends are doomed! We will wipe your filth from the galaxy."

When Mara thought her friend might respond accordingly, he simply stated, "Okay, I'll hold."

Shit. This plan was so ridiculously stupid it might work. Mara was surprised she'd never thought to use the comical tactic in her many encounters with opposition.

"Hello?" Hux questioned without the anger coursing through every word, but more perplexmxent. It still brought a shiver to her spine to hear him speak, but it was worth it to witness this exchange between two decorated military commanders.

"Hello? Yup. I'm still here."

Even Laneller's smirk didn't go unseen. They were buying time to let the transports from the ground escape to the safety of the Resistance fleet while a merciless enemy was tricked into this terrible miscommunication that wasn't one at all.

Dameron only added more to his little charade, "Hugs? With an 'H'. Skinny guy. Kinda pasty. Probably has a cooler sibling and daddy issues."

Mara buried her face into her shirt sleeve to hide her delighted snicker that made it past the rest of her agitated dread. She'd give her friend a free pass on designing the defense layout for that comment alone.

Her brother only grew more impatient, "I can hear you. Can you hear me?"

"Look, I can't hold forever." That must have been some sort of signal to the rest of the barrage of ships to launch because Leia motioned to a Mon Calamari officer across the room when he uttered it. The admiral flipped a switch on his own console and the general leaned down to turn on her own intercom that would inform to the entire cruiser of her next words.

"Send the rest."

This was when the General once again found interest in the reformed enemy pilot who stood just behind Laneller. She raised one brow higher than the other with an expectant expression, "Well?"

The blonde's confusion showed in her taken back facial features that stretched in bewilderment, "Hm?"

Leia only cocked her head towards the way the pair had came, "Aren't you going to join your squadron?"

Mara Estoni was going to see aerial combat for the first time since the battle over Ratakka.

barely edited

me in december: maras back babes!

you all; yay!!

you all months later: but....where?

it's been awhile folks. do i have excuses? many. are they all valid? that depends. is this chapter short and not the best quality? yeah. but is it a kickstart to me working on this book? yeah.

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR 172K READS ON WARRIOR LIKE WTF. HOW?????? WHEN!??? WHY???? wow guys that's amazing and i can't thank you angels enoughhhhh.

i'll got into more detail about this book's long hiatus later and what to expect (such as new characters and all that jazz) but i now present you with this chapter after months of inactivity. it's not much, but it's a start.