The New Admiral

Admiral Ackbar is dead and General Leia is unconscious, so someone new is in charge

The survivors from the First Order attack on the Star Cruiser gathered together. Poe Dameron found C-3PO among the group. “What happened? Where’s Admiral Ackbar?”

“He died in the attack,” C-3PO answered.

“How?”

C-3PO shook his metal head. “I don’t know. It was off-screen.”

“And what about General Leia?” Poe asked.

“She’s unconscious,” C-3PO explained. “She got sucked out into space but was able to get back to the ship before collapsing.”

“How?”

“It was weird, and we don’t want to talk about it.”

“So, who is in charge now?” Poe asked desperately. He then smiled. “Is it me?”

“No, it’s Admiral Holdo. The Admiral will be here shortly.”

A woman in a gray cocktail dress with purple hair walked into the center of the room.

“If you’re looking for the lounge, it’s that way,” Poe told her, pointing down a hallway, “but I think the half-price Appletinis special was canceled because of the attack. Anyway, you need to move; we’re waiting for the admiral.”

“I am the admiral!” the woman screeched indignantly.

“Oh,” was all Poe said as he took a good look at the woman.

“Yeah, I guess a fly-boy like never thought a woman could be in charge,” Holdo said bitterly.

“No, I mean, I was fine with General Leia in charge,” Poe replied defensively. “It’s just you’re not in a uniform or anything. It kind of looks like you’re getting ready for the prom or something.”

“The Resistance uniform makes me look fat!” Holdo screamed.

Poe nodded cautiously. “Oh. Okay.”

“You fly-boys only think of heroics and shooting stuff,” Holdo said derisively, “but you don’t know about all the other issues going on.”

“Well... we are being pursued by the Empire... I mean, the First Order, so I was thinking we should have a plan for that.”

“Don’t mansplain to me what’s going on!” Holdo shrieked. “I know what’s going on!”

Poe kept calm. “So, what’s your plan?”

“Stop badgering me!” Holdo yelled. “I can’t explain things with you badgering me about having a plan!”

Poe held up his hands. “It’s been a tough day, and I think you’re getting a little emotional here...”

“I’M NOT GETTING EMOTIONAL!” Holdo screamed.

Poe backed away a step. “Sure. Sorry. I just want to know our plan to escape the First Order.”

Holdo stared at him smugly. “Oh yeah, you’d like to know the plan, wouldn’t you, fly-boy?”

“Well, yeah, because we’re running low on fuel, and the First Order is still after us.”

Holdo laughed. “I bet it’s killing you to have to serve under a woman who knows things you don’t.”

Poe took a deep breath. “So... are you going to give some orders on what to do or...”

Holdo just kept smiling smugly but saying nothing.

Poe backed away and turned to C-3PO. “Okay, she’s a nutjob. We’ll need our own plan.”

---

“Well, that plan didn’t work.”

Poe, Finn, and Rose Tico stood before an angry Holdo. “What were you doing?”

“We were trying to disable the tracker the First Order has,” Finn explained, “but first, we went to a casino planet for some reason, and it was really weird, and the whole thing ended up dumb and pointless.”

“Rebellions are about love,” gasped Rose.

Poe turned to Finn and motioned to Rose. “Who is that?”

“I don’t know,” Finn whispered. “She just started following me.”

“Well, all your shenanigans ruined my plans,” Holdo said.

“I didn’t even know you had plans because you wouldn’t tell me them!” Poe exclaimed.

Holdo started crying. “If you loved me, you would have known my plans! Now everyone get on the transports and head to the planet below.”

“What about this Star Cruiser?” Poe asked.

“I’ll handle it! Just go!”

Everyone got onto the transports and left the Star Cruiser except for Holdo, who stayed on the bridge. “Now, to get this out of the way by parallel parking it,” she said to herself. “How do I do that again? Is it this lever—”

---

“Whoa!” Finn gasped as he saw the First Order’s command ship ripped in two. “Holdo just hyperspaced into their ships. I didn’t even know you could do that.”

“Yeah, I thought she was a crazy nutjob who was obviously unqualified for her job,” Poe said, “but maybe she knew what she was doing.”

“She was a strong woman,” Rose stated, in tears. “The strongest. We’ll always remember her!”

Poe leaned toward Finn and whispered. “So she’s actually part of the Resistance? You didn’t just pick her up on that casino planet?”

Finn shrugged.

---

Check out my latest novel, Hellbender 2: Double Hockey Sticks, now on audiobook.