AFTER HAVING survived being bombed by rebel forces on Eadu, Jyn couldn’t believe she had to put up with listening to the Alliance high council debate whether or not they should give up and let the Empire rule over the galaxy forever.

“We have no recourse but to surrender,” said Senator Pamlo of Taris. That set a lot of people talking at once, both for and against the proposal.

Jyn didn’t blame people for being scared. She’d seen Jedha be destroyed, after all. She knew exactly how much of a threat the Death Star was.

But to give in immediately, without even a fight? She’d be happy to hold them all responsible for that. Unfortunately, no one was about to give Jyn a vote in the matter.

Senator Bail Organa of Alderaan stood up to protest. “Are we really talking about disbanding something that we’ve worked so hard to create?”

Admiral Raddus joined in. One of the Mon Calamari, Raddus looked like a grayish fish-man. “We can’t just give in,” he pleaded.

Senator Vaspar of the Taldot sector begged to disagree. “We joined an alliance, not a suicide pact!”

“We’ve only now managed to gather our forces,” Organa pointed out.

“Gather our forces?” Senator Jebel of Uyter scoffed at the idea that they weren’t already at full strength. “General Draven’s already blown up an Imperial base!”

General Draven spoke next. As the man in charge of Rebel Intelligence, he was likely responsible for the order to kill Galen Erso, Jyn knew. She understood why he might have done that, although she didn’t think she could ever forgive him.

“A decision needed to be made!” said Draven. “By the time we finish talking, there’ll be nothing left to defend.”

“If it’s war you want, you’ll fight alone,” Pamlo promised.

“If that’s the way it’s going,” Vaspar said, “why have an alliance at all?”

Sharing Draven’s impatience, Raddus gestured toward Jyn. “If she’s telling the truth, we need to act now!”

Mon Mothma called for order. “Councilors, please!”

The hubbub fell off at that point, but the argument wasn’t over.

General Merrick, a pilot with a kind face, leaped into the relative silence. “It is simple. The Empire has the means of mass destruction. The Rebellion does not.”

Jebel tried to deny that was even the issue they should be talking about. “The Death Star…? This is nonsense!”

That was all Jyn could take. She might not have a vote on the council, but that didn’t mean she didn’t have a voice. “What reason would my father have to lie?”

She got up and stood before the others, commanding their attention. “What benefit would it bring him?”

“To lure our forces into a final battle,” Draven said. “To destroy us once and for all.”

For the head of Rebel Intelligence, it probably paid to be paranoid, but Jyn knew the man was taking it too far.

“Risk everything?” Vaspar said, equally skeptical. “Based on what? The testimony of a criminal. The dying words of her father, an Imperial scientist!”

“But don’t forget the Imperial pilot,” Jebel countered. Jyn marveled at his ability to argue both sides.

Bodhi stood to one side of the proceedings. He showed absolutely no interest in drawing any attention to himself, much less arguing that the council should take him seriously.

Jyn couldn’t believe the distrust being leveled at her. Just because she’d been a criminal didn’t mean she’d lie about something so important. “My father gave his life so that we might have a chance to defeat this!”

“So you’ve told us,” said General Dodonna.

“If the Empire has this kind of power, what chance do we have?” Pamlo protested.

Jyn had had enough. “What chance do we have? The question is, what choice? Run? Hide? Plead for mercy? Scatter your forces?”

Her tone left no room for anyone to dispute how stupid an idea she thought that was. No one interrupted her, so she forged on.

“You give way to an enemy this evil, with this much power, and you condemn the galaxy to an eternity of submission. The time to fight is now! Every moment you waste is another step closer to the ashes of Jedha!”

Someone in the back called out, “What is she proposing?”

Another voice countered, “Just let the girl speak!”

Jyn took that as permission to continue—not that she would have waited for it anyhow. “Send your best troops to Scarif. Send the rebel fleet if you have to. We need to capture the Death Star plans if there is any hope of destroying it.”

Pamlo shook her head. “You’re asking us to invade an Imperial installation based on nothing but hope.”

Jyn gave her a firm nod. “Rebellions are built on hope.”

Vaspar disagreed. “There is no hope.”

“I say we fight!” said Raddus. Jyn’s admiration for the Mon Calamari admiral shot straight up, but would his endorsement be enough?

Not for Jebel, apparently. “And I say the Rebellion is finished!”

Jyn looked to Mon Mothma for help, for some kind of resolution. Instead, she found the formidable woman throwing up her hands. “I’m sorry, Jyn,” she said. “Without the full support of the council, the odds are too great.”

Jyn stared at her in dismay, then turned to see the rest of the council in agreement with her, no matter how disappointed they might be. Disgusted with them and the entire Rebellion, she turned on her heel and stormed out of the room to let them all rot.