PHOENIX ━ dameron

041 | best-laid plans

"I don't know who's idea it was to let you access the Resistance's personele data registry."  Reeve's face contorted with disgust.  "I told you to stop calling me that!"

"Did you?" Georgie feigned ignorance. "Bugger, I must have forgotten."

As soon as he walked away, Reeve said, "He can eat my shoe."

After Lyra had strung up one last strand of lights, she hopped off of her little step ladder and admired her work.  Aliyah stood next to her with a hand on her hip, chin tilted up toward the trees.

"You guys tested the lights before you started putting them up, right?" Reeve asked, in the middle of stacking up the empty crates so they were out of the way. When Aliyah and Lyra just blinked at each other, Reeve picked up her head and narrowed her eyes. "Right?"

"Well," Lyra coughed. "I thought Jess said she was going to do it."

Jess, who was a ways off helping Poe with chairs, lifted her head and yelled, "I did not! Don't throw me under the speeder, Lyra Endellion!"

"Whoops."

Reeve tilted her chin up towards the sky in utter disbelief. "So neither of you checked any of the lights that you just spent two hours hanging?"

"No." Aliyah shook her head, making her red hair swish back and forth.

Lyra dug her heel into the ground. "Definitely did not do that."

"Pilots," Reeve muttered, but she couldn't keep her face serious for very long. She started laughing like a maniac. "You guys are supposed to be in charge of our covert operations, but you can't properly hang lights?"

"I swear," Aliyah muttered to Lyra, leaning in close. "If the lights don't work she's never going to let us forget it."

Lyra looked at the extension cord that was still lying on the very edge of the tarmac. "They'll work," she promised.

"Oh-kay!" Reeve shouted, holding the cord above her head. She now had the attention of everyone in the clearing, including the guys who were bringing out more chairs for the tables. "Time to test the lights!"

Reeve plugged the cord in and nothing happened. She turned to glance at Lyra. "You're in big trouble now."

"Unplug it and try again," Lyra told her.  This time, she tried to sense the electricity. It vibrated in the air, just waiting for a spark. Through the Force, Lyra breathed deep and summoned enough power to make the lights glow.  The fear that had tightened in her chest constricted and then let go.

As soon as Reeve plugged in the cord, every single light flashed on like a thousand tiny stars in the daylight. Jess whooped and Eden gave a little clap at the sight of it.

"You cheated," Reeve muttered, leaning in close to Lyra so no one else heard. She knew what she had done.

Lyra shrugged absently. "I don't think that counts as cheating."

"This looks amazing everyone," Karé exclaimed, stepping off the runway and admiring all of the lights. She was practically glowing with happiness.

"Karé!" Jess admonished, running up to the other pilot. "You weren't supposed to see it yet! I thought you were getting ready."

Karé shrugged with an uneven smile. "It's my wedding, Pava. I wanted to make sure everything was under control before the ceremony instead of finding out when it was too late."

"Smart move," Eleni nodded. Poe gave her a swift punch in the arm, and she kicked him in the shin right back

Jess tried to usher Karé back inside, insisting that there really was no reason for her to be outside any longer. Slowly, the activity that had been concentrated inside the base was drifting out as more and more people came to check the progress of the wedding preparations. General Organa had strategically only scheduled patrols for the daytime hours, leaving the evening free for every person who wanted to attend the wedding. They wouldn't be defenseless, but for a few short hours, it would feel like there was no war.