A hand touched her arm. Jysella woke with a jolt and a throbbing pain behind her eyes. The red cleared from her vision. The sounds of terrified screams echoed in the distance. She shot up and looked around for the source. Hearing nothing but the dulcet beep of computer and murmur of resistance members, she exhaled slowly. She rubbed at her temples. The terror that she felt in the dream was overwhelming. Another feeling was brewing at the surface. Anger. Anger for all those lost lives.

Someone grunted.

'Sorry, thought I'd put you out of your misery. Whatever you were dreaming about didn't sound too good.' Jysella groaned and sat up. She rubbed at the crick in her neck and wiped the drool from the side of her mouth. It took her a moment to recognise the voice.

'Han?' Her eyes were wide.

'Hey kid.' She turned to look at him. As expected, the man looked much older than when she last saw him. He now had a full head of grey hair and a new collection of lines along his face.

She stood up to stretch out her limbs.

He had that same look behind his eyes from all those years ago when Jysella told him and Leia what became of their son. 

She and Han didn't end on great terms before his departure, but that was the case with most people in the smuggler's life. It was never said outright, but she knew that part of him blamed her for not doing more to help Ben. 

She has always believed that Ben was lost to the dark side long before anyone had the chance to notice.

'Never thought I'd see you again,' she admitted.

'You don't know the half of it,' he scowled. Jysella set her mouth into a straight line and looked up at the ceiling. She leaned back on the edge of the table. The edge dug into her lower back. She winced slightly as she put pressure on bruise there.

'So you got the Falcon back huh? Thought that thing was gone for good... sold into spare parts or something.' Han looked affronted.

'Yeah well you thought wrong. ' He pouted and began muttering under his breath. 'Got pulled into this mess by two fugitives and a droid.' Jysella perked up at the comment. Han confirmed the names of the fugitives as Finn and Rey.

'The galaxy just keeps getting smaller and smaller.'  Jysella mumbled. Han concurred with a grunt. 'If you were with them and Beebee- ate, you saw him then right? Kylo Ren. You saw him take her?' He nodded in reply.

She ignored the clench in Han's jaw as she used his chosen name. She refused to call him Ben. Ben Solo was dead and buried.

She got up from her position and stood in front of him. 'That's why you're sticking around then. Because of him.' Han breathed out slowly, the contempt in her voice was clear. 

'There might still be a...'

'What? A chance for him to return from the dark side. To atone for things he's done?' Jysella shook her head.

She didn't want to believe that Han could even entertain the thought of trying to bring him back. Even if he was the man's father.

'What about the people he's tortured. The innocent lives he's slaughtered in the name of the First Order. He murdered my friends.' Han tensed his jaw.

'I know that!' Han shot back at her. 'If there's even a slight chance that Ben could come back, Leia would never forgive me for letting it slip away.' He huffed. 'Kriff, I wouldn't be able to forgive myself.' Han muttered.

Jysella clenched her teeth. She took and breath and spoke softly.

'He's too far gone. Nothing can bring him back. Maybe there was a chance when he first came to the temple. But not now. He was lost to us before any of us realised and Snoke took advantage of that.  And my friends paid the price for it.'

She would never forgive Kylo Ren for what he did.

After their discussion, she and Han stood there in silence. They were thankful for the crackle of the audio system above their heads summoning all senior officers to Command.

The reconnaissance team were entering the airspace of D'Qar. They would be landing in a few minutes.

---

In a matter of minutes every available space around the table was occupied. Rows of people filled the room.

Jysella felt many eyes on hers and she heard whisperings about her sudden return to the base. She nodded to a few familiar faces.

Her fingers began to twitch. She laced her hands behind her back and took a breath.

Poe had taken a place across from her. He wasn't skilled in the force but he did what he could to reach out to her.

She smiled at him and placed a fist on her heart softly thanking him. He returned the gesture with a soft look. The gesture was a common signal in the Yavin system to express affection to loved ones.

Jysella turned her head as she heard General Statura speaking to Leia.

'General the scouting report on Starkiller base is coming in.'

More and more bodies began to group around the table, the inner circle of the resistance.

Poe began the strategy session after a small huddled conversation with Snap. Snap was out of breath, he had ran from the hanger bay ready to give his report.

'The Scan data from Snap's recon flight confirms the information retrieved from inside the Order.' His eyes flicked to Jysella's. 'It also confirms what we learned from Finn's report.' Poe then addressed the room.

'They've somehow created a hyper light speed weapon embedded into the core of the planet.' Snap said.

Major Brance, a well-seasoned officer from the ground forces stepped in. 'A laser cannon?' he asked. Snap shifted uneasily.

'We haven't quiet found a way to describe a weapon of this calibre yet.' Snap replied. 

'We believe it's called Star Killer base.' Jysella said. Major Ematt shook his head at the memories rushing back to him.

'Another Death Star,' he said.

'I truly wish that were the case, Major.' Poe sighed and hit one of the controls. A schematic of the Death Star appeared. 'This was the Death Star.' He hit another button.

Jysella squirmed internally at the building tension in the room.

'This is Starkiller Base.' Poe announced.

Starkiller Base was more than double the size of the death star. The room was stunned. C3PO stepped back in shock. How long had the First Order been planning such an attack?

'So, it's bigger.' Han deadpanned. Leia sent him a look. Jysella rolled her eyes as she noticed Poe smirk at the smuggler.

'What is the energy source for a weapon of this scale?' Admrial Ackbar asks. His large eyes glowed. 

'The sun. The weapon is charged by the power of the sun. It drains all of its energy until it disappears.' Finn stepped in.

Jysella narrowed her eyes. She though it strange that a Stormtrooper would be privy to such information.  But she didn't have time to dwell on that. His answer seemed entirely plausible given the sheer size of the weapon.

An officer ran up to Leia. The room waited on her. Leia looked up from the datacard she was  handed. 'We were right,' Leia pursed her lips. 'The First Order, they're charging their weapon again.' Her heart sank. 'Our system is the next target.' Jysella closed her eyes and released a shaky breath.

'Oh my. Without the support of the Republic fleet, we're positively doomed.' C3PO always one for the dramatic, expressed his concern. He was partly right.

The Resistance didn't have enough air support to carry out such a strike without the help of the New Republic fleet.

For Han, the answer was simple.

'So how do we blow it up then,' all eyes turned to him. 'There's always a way to do that,' he shrugged.

No one had anything else to offer, they were all silent. Jysella looked around at the other officers.

Leia could sense the rising panic in the room. She rallied them with an affirmation of Han's plan.

'Han's right.' Han was surprised at this. So was Jysella. It wasn't a secret that Leia and Han didn't see eye to eye on several things. Han looked to Chewie to confirm that he heard correctly.

Admrial Statura cut in hesitantly.

'To contain that amount of power, the base would need some kind of thermal oscillator,' the Armiral looked around the room. 'If we can damage the oscillator, it might weaken the core and disable the weapon.' Jysella nodded to herself, finally a plan was beginning to form.

'We go in, hit it the oscillator with everything we have.' Poe was firm. He tried to bolster spirits with this newly developing plan.

He focused the hologram on a large hexagonal structure, the oscillator. He nodded to himself. Adrmiral Ackbar looked at the readout from Snap's intel.

'They have defensive shields that our ships would not be able to breach.'

'We deactivate the shields then,' said Han. He looked to Finn. 'You worked there kid. What do you have?' Finn stood up straighter.

'I can do it.' He didn't waver for one moment. The determination was clear in his eyes.

'I like this guy.' Han nodded to the younger man.

'I can disable the shields. But I have to be there, on the planet –' Finn was cut off by Han. He wasn't a man for waffling exposition.

'We'll get you there, don't worry,' Han waved him off.  Leia put her palms down on the holotable and looked at him

'How?' she asked. Han smirked at her.

'If you knew, you wouldn't approve of it.' Chewie nodded at his friend's admission.

'So we knock out the shields, wipe out the oscillator and we blow up the big gun. Sounds easy.' Poe rubbed his hands together. 'All right. Let's go.' With a nod from Leia the room began to file out. Poe came to her.

'Stay safe,' Jysella ordered with a firm look. His eyes twinkled.

'Don't I always?' He sent her a charming look. He sighed as her face remained unchanged. 'When have I ever not came back to you?' he lifted her chin, allowing their eyes to meet.

Poe took his hands in hers. 'You know when all this is over your gonna' tell me about your big, top-secret mission.' Jysella smiled at him.

'Oh you won't hear the end of it' she said. He'd probably be a part of her debriefing anyway.

'I'll see you up there.' Jysella felt Poe's surprise.

'You're not going with Han and Finn?' He asked.

'I wasn't planning to.' She regarded him with an inquisitive look.

'I just thought the General might want you on the team is all, I mean you are a Jedi Sel.' Jysella grinded her teeth together at the title.

'I'm not a Jeidi.' She spoke slowly.

Poe exhaled, they had this conversation many times. Jysella never regarded herself as a Jedi. She never officially completed her training. Poe argued that her own achievements warranted her the title of Jedi. They'd yet to come to an agreement over the issue.

'Padwan then.' Poe said.  A Padawan without a master. Jysella closed her eyes and took a breath. She let it go for now, not wanting to get into a debate before they went after the First Order.

'I can bet that Leia wants me on the team with Han. But I don't want to be recruited onto whatever plans she has to get Ren back. Even if he is her son.'

Poe ran a hand over his jaw and nodded. Even though Jysella told him years ago it still amazed him sometimes to think that Kylo Ren was the son of General Organa.

'I think I'm with you on that one,' he shook his head as he thought of his interrogation. 'He knows that you're alive now, because of me. He saw you inside my head.' Jysella had thought of such an eventuality as soon as she found out about Poe's interrogation.

She didn't blame him for anything. It was hard to hide anything from a person who can force themselves into the deepest parts of your mind. Poe bowed his head in anger.  She placed a hand on his cheek 'He was going to find out some day. What's done is done. Don't beat yourself up over it.'

He closed his eyes as a feeling of warmth washed over him. He cracked open an eye to look at her. She winked and let her hand fall to her side.

'Isn't that like, misuse of the force or something?' Poe smiled at her. She shrugged with a glint in her eyes.

Jysella sensed Snap coming up behind her. Snap sent Poe a meaningful look then made his way back to his X-Wing to begin pre-flight checks.

It was time for them to head off. Jysella's eyes met his. Poe kissed her forehead and took a step backwards. Nothing else needed saying. Poe held onto her hand as long as he could before their hands broke apart.

Jysella took one moment to ground herself before making her way down to the hanger bay where the the older T-65's would be. 

Her own ship would have been stored in the same hanger, due to not getting much use. Though her ship wouldn't have enough firepower against TIE fighters as it only equipped with laser canons. The rest of the space and energy for the craft was sacrificed for the sensor package. The sensors allowed her to take on more covert work when she was with the other members of Wraith Squadron.

She raced down to the hanger. Her heart drumming in her ears.

She caught sight of Poe addressing Red and Blue squadron. He would be flying under the calsign Black Leader.

Finn was loading cargo onto the Falcon while Leia was speaking with Han. Jysella looked away as they embraced, feeling as if she was intruding upon the moment. After a pause Leia left his embrace and looked right at her. The younger woman swallowed and walked over to the older woman.

Leia's arms were crossed and she looked at Jysella in understanding. She was almost annoyed at the fact the older woman was so compassionate. But that was one of the many things that made her such a great leader.

'You'd be a great help to them Jysella. You and I both know that.' Leia couldn't help but try one last time. Though she knew the younger woman's mind was made up.

'My skill set doesn't exactly lie with blowing things up Leia. I'll be more of a help in an X-Wing.' It was a poor excuse. Jysella then shifted from side to side, eager to get up in the air and join the rest of the pilots.

'And what about your other skills.' Leia probed further. Jysella lost her temper for a moment. Years of anger came spilling out.

'Look Leia, I don't want any part in trying to bring Ren back. I know you asked Han to try. You know how I feel about him. Even then... I'm don't think I'm ready to face him.' Jysella looked at the ground. 'Today has brought all of those feelings back from that day at the temple on Devaron. I can't go. But you need to know that when I do face him, I don't plan on showing him mercy, even if he is your son. ' He doesn't deserve mercy.  'I'm sorry.'

She dug her fingernails into the skin on her palms as she watched Leia's face tighten. Leia had always known Jysella's feelings but hearing them aloud was a different story. She didn't argue with the younger woman. Her feelings were not unfounded.

Jysella looked at her and spoke quietly. 'I hope Han knows what he's getting himself into.' Leia looked off into a spot in the distance.

'We have to try.' It was clear Leia was conflicted on the issue. But the woman would never give up on her family.

'I know,' Jysella said softly.

Poe and the other starfighter pilots began making their last checks. 'I better get going if I want to leave with the rest of the squadron. I apologise for losing my temper.'

'I don't blame you dear it's been a very stressful day for all of us and it's not even over yet. Good luck out there. May the force be with you.'

'And with you,' Jysella smiled.

They bid each other goodbye and went their separate ways. Jysella jogged down the hanger bay, pausing slightly to watch the Milleunium Falcon exit the airspace of D'Qar.

Entering the hanger,  she weaved through the ground crews and straight to an unmanned fighter. Jysella went to the engine. The on-board readouts would have informed her of any problems, but there was never a substitute for a final visual check-up. Her eyes quickly scanned for any issues. All good. She flipped the panel back down and did another quick once over of the rest of the fighter. 

She heaved herself up on the rungs of the ladder. The hatch closed with a hiss. She buckled herself in and started up the engine. She ran through the flight checks. Fuel was a little lower than she would like but thankfully there were reserves.

She pulled up on the controls. Making her way out of the hanger she engaged the thrusters and fell in line with the rest of the fleet. All they had to do now was wait for the Millennium Falcon to make contact.

It wasn't long before an order came over the Comm system.

'All fighters cleared for takeoff. All squadrons fall out.'

The first set of Resistance fighters were away within a few seconds.

Next it was Jysella and Snap's group of fighters to depart. In a few moments the landing gear was up and the fighters transitioned into their iconic 'X' shape.

She followed the flight path of Poe and the rest of Red and Blue squadron.

Poe's voice crackled over the Comms.

'This is black leader, arrival coordinates for Starkiller Base are now being transferred over the network. Distance has also been confirmed. Let's do what we can to conserve our energy before the attack. Hold for the jump to lightspeed on my mark!' There was a pause then Poe gave the signal. One after another the fighters blinked out of sight.

With nothing to occupy her other than the blackness of space Jysella decided to seek out Snap over the Comms. She opened a transmission. She knew that Snap tended to get antsy when heading out for a dogfight. It had been that way ever since his deployment during the Battle of Jakku.

'Hey Snap.'

'Don't his speeches just give you the tingles.' Snap voice was husky over the transmission line. Jysella heard a slight tone of worry laced in his words.

'Hmm they should make holofilms about him,' she joked. There was a pause.

'Thanks Sel,'

'For what?' She smiled and played dumb for a moment.

'For being a good mother hen and checking in on me. I really missed you y'know,' he replied.

Snap was glad for her minor distraction from the upcoming battle.

 'Thanks and worries Snap, we're always there to stop each other from getting lost in our own heads. Besides I'm pretty sure we made some kind of blood oath binding us together during Basic.  Well at least from what I can remember that night.' She laughed and then grimaced. 'Thinking about that night makes me quesy. I can never go near any blue alcohol ever again,' Her smile turned into a grimace as she thought of the events of that night.

'Hey you got off light that night. You weren't the one who stumbled ass first into a stinging bush.' Jysella eyes flicked towards the nav-system, they would be there soon.

'How many barbs did Dr Kalonia pull out again? 'Bout twenty wasn't it?' She joked.

'Thirty two,' he snarked. 'I remember you cackling after she pulled out each one.'

'Hey drunk me though it was hilarious. I'm pretty sure I was still drunk until the next evening after that night. Your fault for choosing a lightweight as a best friend.' She smiled at the memory. 'That hangover hit me during hand-to-hand, worst combat session ever. I got my ass handed to me twice by Kolot.' Kolot was a fellow member of Waith Squadron who was almost sixty years old. He was also an Ewok. Their laughter quickly descended into silence.

'We should probably cut the chatter.' Snap said.