The New Adventures of Nomi Darklighter

Chapter 64 - The Mutiny

Corran was on the way to the hangar bay where the transports stood ready to launch. But he wasn't about to follow Vice Admiral Holdo's order like all the others he saw. His hand touched the blaster in his holster. It was set to stun as Poe asked him to do. This mutiny would be unbloody. And with luck Holdo would be reasonable too.

The young Jedi went to the post he was assigned to and did his duty. Or he rather pretended to do his duty while he kept a watchful eye at his surroundings. He was pretty sure that it won't take long until the other mutineers under Poe's lead would take action. He saw them likewise pretending to do their assigned tasks while they were waiting for the Vice Admiral to show up. Poe went around the hangar looking here, helping there. Nothing indicated that there was something going on. Nevertheless the tension was palpable for those who had eyes to see.
Poe came over to Corran who brought a crate in one of the transports.
"Are you ready?" He asked silently. The young pilot nodded and took the next crate. The first Resistance members were already boarding some of the transports when the Vice Admiral together with Captain Namit, Commander D'Acy and a female officer Corran didn't recognize, entered the hangar bay.

Poe Dameron saw them and beckoned Lieutenant Connix, Nodin Chavdri, the Abednedo pilot C'ai Threnalli and another female pilot to follow him before he rushed over. Corran watched from afar what happened prepared to interfere if necessary. They all had hoped that Holdo would be reasonable and would finally follow Poe's drift, but her body language indicated otherwise. Then the mutineers drew their blasters and pointed it at the Vice Admiral and her entourage, while Dameron headed for the temporary bridge. So far, so good.
It seemed that they would succeed with their plan and there would be no evacuation of the only capital ship left. Corran breathed a sigh of relief but kept still a watchful eye at his comrades and those they were holding in check, his hand still lingering over his blaster.

But the mutiny was unexpectedly short-lived. All were taken by surprise when the purple haired Vice Admiral took action. In an instant there was the hangar filled with fog, shouting and shooting. Corran found himself in the midst of the whole chaos fumbling for his blaster when the stun shot hit him. It wouldn't happened to him if he weren't hiding in the Force, but this way the young Jedi was vulnerable like every normal being. He fell to the ground, his limbs fallen limp and he fainted. When he woke up he was unable to resist when they shackled him. An elderly soldier looked at Corran and shook his head. "I had thought better of a Rendar offspring." He beckoned two other soldiers. "Bring him in the transport."
Before they dragged the young Rendar in the transport he saw General Organa and Vice Admiral Holdo standing in front of a stunned Poe who laid on a stretcher. The two women were speaking to each other while Dameron was brought onboard another transport. It was the last Corran saw before the hatch closed shut.

He was brought to a seat, sat down and strapped in. Nobody cared to unshackle him. He looked out of the viewport still unable to move because of the stun shot. Corran cursed inwardly and felt embarrassed being in this condition. But nobody looked at the failed mutineer. The transport launched and entered the cold vacuum of space with an unknown destination to most of those onboard. They all were aware that the First Order's Mega Star Destroyer and many smaller enemy ships were still out there. All would rely on the cloaking devices and speed. The young Jedi saw the planet which seemed their destination when a vivid flash of lightning was to be seen where seconds before was a transport. Corran couldn't believe that this just happened, but then the next transport nearby exploded. Somehow the First Order forces knew that the evacuation of the Raddus was in full swing. The Jedi saw the Mega Star Destroyer looming in the distance and he knew that it will fire again to extinguish the next transport and the lives and hopes of those on board. He sighed and prepared himself to be in the wink of an eye also space dust.
But then something unexpected happened. The Raddus turned.

Then Corran saw that the engines were engaged for a last hyperspace jump. Rendar knew that there wouldn't be enough fuel left for a second jump if the First Order fleet would follow it. But from the angle the experienced pilot could tell that an escape wasn't the intention of the pilot or whoever might be at the helm. He held his breath and then the Raddus made the jump right through the Mega Star Destroyer and vanished. Many of the smaller Destroyers were caught in the aftermath of the jump and the explosion of their gigantic sister ship. This was the chance for the last remaining Resistance transports. They headed full throttle towards the planet and landed a few minutes later. Corran breathed a sigh of relief and heard someone say: "So we'll make our last stand on Crait."