Equilibrium (Reylo)

Eighteen: With Friends Like These

Finn, Rose, and Poe with BB-8 alongside them stood in-between them and the hangar bay. They waited there, as Rey, R2, and Chewie made their way up to them so they convince them to not go. At least Finn will try.

This is why I didn't tell him.

As Rey approached them, she immediately opened her mouth and said, "I'mnotgoingtostaysodon'teventryI'lltalktoyoulaterthen."

Rey side-stepped them, but Finn jumped in front of her. "Wait, Rey—"

"Good talk," she said before attempting to take another step forward.

Finn reached a hand out to her shoulder to pull her back, "Rey, hold on."

"Finn, there isn't much you can say to me to convince me to not go," she told him, her tone cutting down any he might come up with. "I wanted to ask you—"

Finn shook his head. "If you ever give me the chance to speak, I'd tell you that I'm not trying to stop you from leaving."

"Wait, what?" Rey sputtered, glancing from Finn to Rose to Poe. "You're not?"

"We want you to take us with you," Rose told her.

"You do know where I'm going, yes?" Rey asked them, staring at them with wide eyes.

"Someone wise told me we won't win by killing those we hate," Finn paused, leaving space to glance at Rose who stood at his side, "but by saving those we love."

Rey looked to each of her friends again, knowing what she had signed herself up from, but wondered if they knew what they're getting theirselves into. "You're sure about this?" she asks, hoping they don't back out on her.

Rose nodded while Poe shrugged casually, leaving Finn to make his response vocally.

"Look, I might not be able to stop you, but I don't have to let you go alone," he told her. "I'm not letting him get you killed because you tried to rescue his Supreme Leader punk behind. . .at least not this time."

Rey snorted at his joke, knowing it would be difficult for a person in his position to be tagging along their friend to help them do something you don't know much about. To be worried about their sake while unsure if your doing was helping them. But Rey lifted her head, meeting her friend's gaze and saw he wore a smile, one of those comforting smiles Finn had. One of innocence and adventure and hope engraved in it.

Rey returned the smile and wrapped her arms around her friend's shoulders, pulling him in a hug. Something she desperately needed. And when Finn returned the hug, she whispered by his ear, "Thank you."

Poe stepped towards the the two, placing his hands on both their shoulders. "Now, now, I am a hugger myself. In matter of fact, I'm feeling rather left out at the moment," he told them all smug, "but let's get down to business, shall we?"

"It'll be only us up there," Finn said.

"That's if Leia's plan doesn't work," Rose added.

"It will," Rey insisted. It had to if the few of them are going to go inside First Order fleet by themselves.

"Actually, I got to convince a few squads to join us to help stall the fleet while the others escape," Poe told them, "but there's limited of pilots left."

"How did they take it?" Rose asked him.

"Take what?"

"When you told them they'll be directly facing against the First Order?"

"Oh, I didn't."

Everyone stared at Poe.

"But I will right now."

The others watched the pilot walk away with BB-8 in tow.

"We won't have much time," Rose said. "Hopefully enough time to sneak up there."

"And explain how will we sneak up there?" Finn asked, remarking the exact term Poe used. "For starters, the First Order will see us coming as we are heading right at them."

"What's your plan, Rey?" Rose asked.

Soon enough, the three of them looked to Rey, waiting for her command. She exchanged a look with each of her friends, knowing they silently stared at her because they waited on her to make a call. I'm not meant to be some leader, she thought.

Though she could think of a cool response or the more clearer, obvious one. She just thought of the first thing that came to her head.

Rey told them, "We crash in."