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The Resistance would survive. Poe wasn’t sure how, but he had to believe it. There had to be a way.
In back of his mind were all the pilots he had lost in past few weeks, and all the friends still unaccounted for: BB-8, Snap, Jessika, Rose…
and Finn.
Maybe it was best that they weren’t here. So many of the transport ships had been lost in the race to the surface, and now those who remained are trapped in a mine with the First Order advancing.
Still. Poe had seen the crash. He’d seen Holdo’s brilliant final stand. He’d seen The Raddus slice Snoke’s flagship in half. There was a chance, however small, that his friends weren’t coming back. And that included Finn.
He kept what Leia and Holdo had taught him in the front of his mind: we are the spark that will light the fire. We have to keep that spark alive. No matter what.
Bad news turned worse.
The enemy line was approaching. At least a dozen walkers, and some new canon thing. And now… a ship on a collision path. Not really the First Order’s M.O. but worrying all the same.
Somewhere in the background he could hear the General ordering them to close the door. But it would be too late. He took position, ready for whatever. A secret hope in his gut.
******
Finn closed his eyes and swallowed. The door was closing fast and the First Order TIEs were right behind them. They had exactly one shot to get this right.
BB-8 squealed behind him as Rose grabbed his hand.
They were about to die.
He grabbed hers back.
If this was the end, it was a fitting end to their whole mess of an adventure. Failure even in the landing.
The sound of scraping metal and the crunch of split durasteel. Finn grinded his teeth at the sound. They were finished.
******
Poe raised his blaster as the ship barely made it through the massive closing door of the hanger. Green laserbolts went flying into the base as the ship crash-landed.
The top fin had broken off, but the haul was intact. Whoever was in there was likely alive.
He had to be ready.
Immediately he and the rest of the Resistance began firing at the ship’s remains. Leia was right behind him and he could feel the heat from her blaster as she took aim in her regal robes.
******
Finn looked at Rose through the smoke of the wreckage. They had made it, and she was smiling like the moon.
Then came the blasterfire. At once, they raised their hands out of the top of the broken cockpit. “Don’t shoot!” he yelled over all the shooting.
A deep voice in the distance shouted “Hold your fire!” and the shooting stopped.
It could only be one man.
“Finn! Rose! You’re not dead!” Poe shouted, about as eloquent as a bantha as all his hopes came to life before him.
And then his brain flashed again. “Where’s my droid??”
And sure enough, his bestest buddy came rolling towards him. Without even a little shame, Poe collapsed on the ground to embrace it.
Finn was smiling at him; helplessly charmed by his love for the little droid as Poe put his head down to meet BB-8’s.
But Rose wasn’t quite as enamored. “This is all that’s left” she gasped as she looked around the empty bunker.
The Resistance had been reduced to less than 30, by the looks of it.
Finn looked at her with a new resolve. It was time to get to work.
As Finn climbed down from the damaged ship, he felt two hands on his back, steadying him.
Of course it was Poe. He smiled at him sheepishly. “I thought you were a goner. I’m a— glad you’re alright.”
Finn looked down. So much of his mission had failed. The Resistance was in pieces. “You think we have a shot?”
Poe put his arm on Finn’s shoulder. “I know it.”