text » un: fathier

[starfortress]

I've never seen so many animals in all my life. Where I'm from, there's no wildlife. None. This place is amazing. [ playing the part. be calm, paige. you'll find your way.]  Although, I'm feeling wobbly as a mother Gorgybird.

[ it's the best thing she can think to say, that might attract the attention of anyone in the Resistance. it's not quite the most accurate signal but it's good enough for this situation.]

Does anyone know where I can see or find more?

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[starfortress]

[ time for the biggest smile ever.]

It's me! You're here too?

[protectingthelight]

In the flesh. Maybe you've already heard, but there's quite a few of us here. From our galaxy.

[starfortress]

I'm starting to figure that much out. Commander Dameron is on his way to me.

[protectingthelight]

[ RED ALERT. RED ALERT. Amilyn tries to keep her expression neutral, but she blinks just a little too long for perfect calm. ]

Oh, he is? That's. Good.

[starfortress]

[ She looks skeptical.] It doesn't sound 'good'...

[protectingthelight]

[ A sigh. Might as well warn the woman, if she hasn't already sussed it out from him. ]

For him—the evacuation of D'Qar hasn't happened yet.

[ A pause. ]

I didn't tell him what happened. I didn't think it was ... my place.

[starfortress]

[ She makes a bit of a face.] I just gathered that much... [ Whoops.]

[protectingthelight]

[ OH DEAR. ]

What did you say to him?

[ She's not annoyed with Paige. She just wants to try and figure out how upset Dameron is going to be when he inevitably calls her or tracks her down later. ]

[starfortress]

I didn't know... [ She thought he knew.]

I thought he knew what happened to me.

[protectingthelight]

[ If they were there in person, Amilyn would reach out, put a comforting hand to her shoulder. As it is, she just tries to put as much kindness as she can into her voice and expression. ]

You couldn't have known. I didn't either. The only reason I found out is because of something I said to him—something he took exception to because he didn't understand why I said it. Pure blind luck, to be honest.

[starfortress]

[ Now she needs to ask:] What about the Raddus? Did it survive? [ Her sister. She needs to know about her sister.]

[protectingthelight]

Yes.

[ A pause. Well, in for a decicred, in for a cred, as they say. ]

The Dreadnought was destroyed, Paige. You succeeded. The Raddus escaped, along with the Ninka and a medical cruiser, but the First Order followed us. Tracked us through hyperspace.

[ It's too hard, suddenly, to talk about what happened next. Not right now. Later, perhaps. She skips ahead. ]

We had to abandon the Raddus, in the end. The Resistance forces took transport ships to Crait, and I stayed behind to pilot the Raddus and draw the First Order's forces away. But they spotted the transports, and I was the only one who could stop them, so ... I did.

[ A pause. ]

Your sister is all right. As far as I know, at least—she's all right.

[ It's a little white lie. But the truth is, she doesn't know what happened to Rose Tico. Maybe that's for the best. ]

[starfortress]

[ She looks relieved, temporarily when Holdo starts. When she continues, her happiness dissipates as she starts to realize what Holdo is telling her. ]

What you did... [ Paige has always been tactical, she can read the map, she see between the lines of Holdo's words...]

You saved a lot of lives. [ Paige doesn't know how many but clearly... it had to be a lot.]

[protectingthelight]

[ She doesn't need to know how many transports were blown out of the sky. ]

I hope so.

[ A small, sad smile that doesn't reach her eyes. ]

[starfortress]

[ Time to move forward, to figure things out.] What's the plan here?

[protectingthelight]

[ Yes, let's do move on. ]

My plan is to keep busy. I've been given a job as a Community Ambassador, which I suppose is as good a fit as any for me. What about you? Do you need something to do? If so, I can see what's needed.