Chapter 19 - Battle of Takodana - Second Part (2/2)

- ”How...?”- asked Han whose curiousity had reached the limit.

- ”A good question... For another time.”- said Maz whose voice seemed to be more impatient- ”Take it... Find your friend!”

The building trembled again and many screens stopped transmitting. The explosions were different and more constant. Maz ordered the cameras to turn to the South.

- ”Ground units detected and approaching”

- ”Those beasts... They're here!- said Maz with great fury- ”aim the rest of batteries to their location and blow them to pieces. Ordered our ground forces to meet them at soon as they are in range.”

Maz knew that Ren and his knights had destroyed most of her defenses in prepartion for the ground ȧssault but she had reserved more weapons as contingency.

- ”We're going!”- said Han hitting Finn and indicating him to follow- ”don't you dare to lose to someone like him or everyone would mock you till eternity.”

- ”Hah! In his dreams”- said Maz grinning savagely- ”I may be clouded now but I still can command my troops without the Force. Just let him try and come!”

Han and Finn ran in direction to the hangar and Maz wished them good luck. She still had been extremely surprised and pleased to see Finn's reactions. It seemed she was not wrong about the boy.

- ”Three enemy units lost, Captain”- informed one of her subordinates.

- ”What?”- Maz checked the screens and she confirmed that only two of the five TIE Silencers were still fighting in the skies- ”Where are the others?”

- ”We don't have visuals of them”- answered other subirdinate.

- ”They landed”- said Maz having a terrible premonition- ”they'll command the ground attack... order the heavy attacks on them as soon they appear.”

Maz Kanata continued commanding her forces with the best of her abilities but she knew that this battle was extremely difficult to win. This was exactly why they needed Luke Skywalker. Normal people could not win against Force users unless making great sacrifices. Only a Jedi could face a Sith and the reason was more than evident in the present battle. Just five Sith could incline the battle in their favour and she knew the most she could do was make so much damage that they retreat. Killing them? That was just too hard.

- ”But if you think you can kill me then that's also very hard!”- she said and ordered a counterattack.

(...)

Meanwhile, Han and Finn ran to the hangar where the Falcon was docked. Before arriving they saw Chewee who came running and shouting.

- ”What do you mean they blew up the Hangar?”- asked Han completely horrified- ”What happened to the Falcon?”

- ”Grrrr groing from the woods- ”The rearguard forces are coming. Take cover!”

Han shouted and many others around managed to find a place to hide just before the blasters started to fly in their direction. Immediately all the Takodana Forces returned fire and another battle started with a great disadvantage in numbers. Han, Chewee and Finn also fought back and Han recognized one of the Lieutenient of Maz Forces.

- ”Hey!”- Han started to shout to the person but he seemed to be too focus shooting at the enemy forces- ”For God's sake!”

Han aimed at him and shot blaster at just a short distance from him. The explosion made him jump and he looked at Han with a very shocked expression. Han started to use hand signals to communicate with him. Finn had received training in hand signals but the ones Han was using were a little different so he could only understand a little.

- ”Tell Maz about the attack”- said Han or at least something in that lines.

The lieutenient nodded and started to send a message using his communication device but he still had a very angry expression in his face. After a minute or two, the Lieutenient made some signals back at Han.

- ”The Captain has given you full authority”- he said with a shocked expression.

- ”Damn it, Maz!”- yelled Han in fury- ”I'll make you compensate me for this!”

Han asked the Lieutenient what was the frequency they were using and the password to access. He placed the intercom on his mouth and started to talk with a confident and strong voice.

- ”This is General Han Solo of the Resistance Forces”- he said and Finn noticed the change in his aura. He felt he was not in front of a smuggler or smug rogue anymore, but in front of a leader that could guide them to victory- since this moment I ȧssume command of this unit under the orders of the Captain Maz Kanata. All squad leaders report.”

Every team leader reported but at the end they only had 6 squads and two of them were leaderless and so diminished that Han ordered them to combine and create a new squad.

- ”Congratulations, Kid”- said Han looking at Finn- ”you're Lieutenient now.”

- ”What?”

- ”The new squadron will be called Big Deal”- announced Han- ”Finn here will be your leader.”

All the Takodana Forces showed confused expressions and did not know if Han was being serious or not. Finn also looked at him with unbelieving eyes but Han did not give them any time to react.

- ”All squads advance to the hangar zone N89”- said Han after receiving the coordinates from the Lieutenient in charge- ”Squads Rocket and Blany will use cover fire. The rest of squads stay low and follow my lead!”

- ”Sir! The area you mentioned is in ruins!”- mentioned another Squad leader.

- ”That will give us more cover than here”- said Finn and Han grinned at him and looked at the previous squad leader with smug eyes.

- ”Go go go!”- said Han and immediately the two squads mentioned previously started to shoot trying to cover as much area as possible while the rest of the squads advanced. After covering a good distance Han gave new orders- ”Squads Grinjay and Big Deal you use cover fire now. Rocket and Blany get here now! The rest of the squads keep advancing.”

- ”Cheh!”- Finn was incredible disatisfied with his squad name but he still focused at the task at hand- ”Shoot at will but keep your eyes open for snipers or heavy weapons.”

- ”Yes, Sir!”- the members of his team replied but they still did not consider him worthy of being leader so the response lacked conviction.

Finn forgot everything and just let his muscle memory act. He may be using cover fire but that did not mean he had to shoot blindly. Even though the enemy was superior in numbers andheld the advantage, that also meant that they had less places to cover. He took special attention to the ones trying to advance ahead of the rest. After a while, he had already shot down many ”fast runners” who had tried to cover more distance to hold advantage against them. The looks of the rest of the team showed more respect and they were starting to see him in a different light. These soldiers were mercenaries and veterans and for them skill and experience were all. If you wanted their respect, then you needed to show those qualities and Finn was excelling in their eyes.

- ”Grenade launcher team at 3 o'clock”- said Finn and all the squad focused their aim in the area- ”barrage them!”

The combined shots took down all the First Order soldiers aiming with grenade launchers and cleaned a good numbner of stormtroopers who were in the zone. Of course, there were casualties and Finn had lost three members in the exchange but in comparison with the losses of the enemy, one could coldly say that they had had the better deal. Finn understood that it was impossible to save them all, but he felt a great pain when he saw those three people die.

- ”Big Deal and Grinjay, come here now! We'll cover you!”- ordered Han and Finn gritted his teeth and started moving.

- ”You heard men! Move!”- Finn ordered trying to cover them while retreating- ”stay low and advance as fast as you can!”

After running for some minutes they finally arrived to the rendezvous point and they ȧssumed their positions and continued shooting. Finn heard Han talking to one of the squad leaders.

- ”Are you sure you can open it?”- asked Han and the other guy nodded confidently.

- ”If we arrive to the place that is Sir!”- said the squad leader- ”however, the place is at the other side of that hangar over there.”

- ”So, we need someone who can dodge blasters and somehow reached the depot without being blown to pieces.”

- ”That is correct, Sir!”

- ”What happened?”- asked Finn getting closer to Han

- ”There are some depots with mortars that we could use to thin their numbers at sector 45”- explained Han with an annoyed expression- ”but we would have to pass enemy lines.”

- ”Lend me the map”- asked Finn and Han passed the 3D hologram of the area.

Finn raised his head while shooting and quickly scanned the area. He took cover again and looked at the map again. The rest of the people stared at him as if seeing a madman but he changed positions and did the same for three times. After that, he returned to Han.

- ”It's possible!”- said Finn pointing with his finger- ”we could sneak pass them with a small team and using the ruins and rubble in these three areas. However, we need you to take their attention out of us!”

- ”It's extremely risky!”- said Han- you sure you wanna do this, kid?”

- ”We have no choice”- said Finn calling his team with hand signals- ”they must be flanking us right now so we won't be able to hold much time. Let me do it... General...”

Han looked at the young man in front of him and he realized he could not make sense out of him. His changes were just too extreme. He was extremely coward in a moment of uncertainty but once hell got loose, he changed into a war machine capable of doing incredible things. Han shook his head and sighed.

- ”You have your orders, Big Deal!”- Han said.

- ”Yes, Sir!”- said Finn and immediately departed to his new mission.