Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or its characters.
A/N: This is my first posted Star Wars fanfic. It is AU and involves an OC so you've been warned. There will be two timelines-Post TFA and beginning during the Original Trilogy. Sections in italics are the flashbacks.
Poe Dameron sat quietly in the deserted war room of the new Resistance base on Dantooine. The room was eerily silent this time of night. During the battle at Starkiller base, the Resistance sustained substantial losses and was in a rebuilding phase. The long ago abandoned Rebellion base seemed like the perfect temporary solution to the Resistance need for a base of operations. Even though this was not part of his duties as commander of Black Squadron, Poe often volunteered for the late shift, finding the soft beeping of the scanners and the dimmed lighting relaxing. These days he never slept much.
Briefly he glanced at the radar, verifying what he already knew. No signs of a threat. He then turned his gaze back to the data files and holovids spread before him. Poe squinted his eyes, focus evident on his face. So engrossed in his task, he barely noticed the approaching footsteps faintly echoing through the room.
"Who is she?" Rey asked as she stared at the projection of a young blond in a Rebellion flight suit. A week prior, Rey arrived on Dantooine with the famed Luke Skywalker in tow. No one knew the specifics of what happened while she was away but it was clear she was now studying the ways of the Force under the tutelage of the only Jedi Master.
Giving her a warm smile, Poe turned to face Rey's questioning gaze. "Her name was Thea Charaeysa. She was the leader of Black Squadron during the Rebellion."
"So what are you doing?" Rey asked plopping down in the chair next to Poe and looking at the data in front of him. Poe gave her an appraising look. Weariness shone in her eyes. He knew a lot rested on this young woman, and yet she hid the strain from most.
"I've been studying her for quite some time. She was a strategic genius but was a little known member of the Rebellion. I guess learning about her became something of a hobby. I remember when I was little I met her. My parents served with her. "
"Hmm," Rey said as she stared at the image before her. Absentmindedly, she pulled a ration bar from her robe. Splitting it, she offered Poe the other half. Gratefully, Poe shoved it into his mouth and chewed slowly, waiting for Rey to speak.
When she remained silent, Poe broke the spell of the rhythmic beeping of the scanners. "You might find this interesting. Her home planet was Jakku." Rey raised her eyebrows in shock.
"Jakku doesn't tend to produce war heroes. People rarely manage to leave the planet."
"Well, she certainly did in grand fashion," Poe replied. "She was with the Rebellion through Endor and stayed on with the Republic afterwards. For some reason, she never accepted a position higher than Commander, even though Ackbar, Rieeken and Madine recommended promotions on numerous occasions."
"Is she with the Resistance now?" Rey questioned, a strong sense of familiarity tugging at the back of her mind.
"No, that's where things get strange. It appears she died about fifteen years ago, however, her file doesn't provide any details. I guess she just remains a mysterious figure of the Rebellion," Poe responded as he shut off the holovid and closed his computer.
"I guess," Rey said quietly as she continued to stare where the image of Thea Charaeysa disappeared.
"I better go get some sleep. I have drills in the morning and my shift ended twenty minutes ago. Goodnight Rey."
"Goodnight," she whispered.
It was about three days later before Poe saw Rey again. As per his routine, he was on the late shift in the war room scrolling through his research on Thea Charaeysa. At some point in this project, his focus had shifted away from studying her military prowess. Now he wanted to know more about the person behind the grainy holovid image.
He didn't have to turn around to know who was approaching. Rey silently seated herself beside him, placing a steaming mug in front of him and keeping one for herself. "How you holding up?" Poe asked with a soft smile.
Rey tiredly rubbed her eyes. "I'm ok," she said quietly. Poe waited to see if she would continue but silence stretched for several minutes. Finally, Rey said, "I went to see Finn before I came here."
Clearing his throat, Poe met Rey's gaze. "I stopped in earlier today. There's still no change." He didn't know what made him do it, but the sadness in her eyes tugged at his heart. Without a word, he reached over and grabbed her hand, giving it a light squeeze. He knew now wasn't the time for platitudes. To be honest, they didn't know if Finn would be ok. They certainly both held out hope that he would be, but as the days passed with no change, the situation became bleaker. "How's training?" Poe asked in a feeble attempt to change the subject. "I haven't seen much of you lately. I take it Skywalker is keeping you busy."
Rey sighed, her focus on the holovid image of Thea Charaeysa. "It's going alright, I guess. I just have this feeling I can't shake. It's as if Master Skywalker is holding something back from me. I know that I can't know everything, but I can't let go of this nagging sense that he is being secretive."
"Well, Rey, that kind of comes with the territory. He is probably one of the most mysterious figures in our modern times. We will never really know the entire story about the rise of The First Order or his disappearance. The real question is do you trust him?"
Without hesitation, Rey responded, "Yes."
"Then I think you know all you need to know. And that's not to say there aren't things that he will tell you when the time is right. Now, how about we work on a mystery we can solve," Poe said gesturing to the screen in front of him.
Rey smiled. "Have you made any progress?"
"Of course not. I've been waiting for you. You're part of the team effort now," he laughed good-naturedly. "Now, I think we left off at the battle over the first Death Star. It looks like Commander Charaeysa and Black Squadron sat that one out, but she was apparently on the ground assisting Dodonna. She doesn't seem like the type to want to be anywhere else but in the air. "
"Reminds me of someone else I know," Rey said with a smile. "Have you figured out why she was grounded?"
Thea Charaeysa leaned against the hangar bay door of the Rebel base on Yavin 4 watching as her fellow pilots took a moment to relish their victory. She knew it would be short-lived because they would soon be in a relocation cycle. She wore a grim expression as she saw Wedge Antilles approach.
"Why the glum face?" he asked as he reached for a wayward lock of blond hair that had escaped her bun. When she didn't respond he gently tucked it behind her ear. "You know we won right?"
"But at what cost, Wedge? We lost all of Gold Squadron and Red is now down to you and Skywalker," she responded. "Gold Squadron had no business being up there. They were ill equipped. It was Black Squadron's attack to lead."
"So you're sulking because Dodonna grounded you? Thea, you almost died in that crash last week. The medical droids hadn't cleared you. In all likelihood, with your head injury, you would have gotten up there and been unconscious in minutes. Then your squad would have been distracted between trying to protect you and trying to complete the mission. There will be a time for mourning Gold Squadron, but with all the setbacks we've had lately, don't you think maybe we could enjoy this victory at least until the evacuation order comes down?" he asked lifting her chin so that her eyes met his. He could see the glistening of unshed tears. "I know that you mapped the attack with Dodonna. You did all you could, Thea. We all go into this knowing it could be our last flight." Silently she patted Wedge's chest and walked outside into the hot, humid jungle air.
Sitting alone, Thea stared at the night sky and her very green surroundings. Growing up on the desert planet of Jakku, she was still amazed at the sight. The sound of footsteps interrupted her reverie.
Luke sheepishly scratched his head when the young woman stood and gave him a wary appraisal. "Sorry, I didn't think anyone was out here." He turned to go when her voice stopped him.
"It's ok. I was just getting some air." She gave him a friendly smile. "So you're the one that made the one in a million shot huh?" she questioned as Luke looked down shyly.
Luke outstretched his hand to her. "Luke Skywalker."
Thea grasped his hand and couldn't help but smile. "Thea Charaeysa. Nice to meet you Skywalker. I better get going. It won't be long before the evacuation signal comes out. I'll see you around," she said before she went back into the warmth and light of the hangar bay. Luke stood watching her walk through the crowd of jubilant pilots, one picking her up and spinning her around before she continued out of sight. Wedge Antilles found him standing there, still looking where she disappeared.
"Hey Luke. You ok?" Wedge asked, clapping his squad member on the shoulder.
"Wedge, what do you know about Thea Charaeysa?"
Wedge laughed. "I know she's a handful, Luke. C'mon. We better get packing."
