Hey everyone! Apologies for the late update but I had a little bit of a personal shit storm go on this week and then I had real difficulty writing the chapter so I think the one I'm publishing is like rewrite three or four? Anyways, I'm still not entirely happy with it but it's as good as it's probably going to get without taking a few more weeks. I'm a little unsure about the characterisation of Poe and the moment so let me know what you think and be sure to comment with any other thoughts you've had! Ive also changed the formatting after someone said it was too difficult to read as it was so let me know what you think about that. Anywho, yay! Poe's finally here!
When Veruna woke in the morning, it was with a start. Above her, the skies which had previously been a clear azure blue were now a dark threatening grey and as another rumble passed through the sky she realized that it had been thunder that had awoken her. Standing, she repacked her belongings before shaking the still sleeping Poe.
"Wake up," she hissed. He looked up at her with bleary eyes.
"We need to get off the mountain before the rain starts." With a start, he too was standing on his feet. It happened so quick that it was a blur before Veruna's eyes and she blinked. Together they began to make their way down the mountains.
They had only been walking a short time when the rain started, making the rocks slippery and the exposed earth to mush. It pelted down around them, hurting their skin and bouncing back off the ground. With the forest in sight, Sabé let out a screech as a particularly large drop landed down the back of her shirt before she took off in a run towards the forest. Poe gave a laugh and followed her. Quickly, the two made it into the forest and Veruna let out another squeal as she slipped down a muddy slope. Poe grunted as he couldn't stop in time and slid down after her. She stopped and looked at him in shock before pointing and giggling at not only the look on his face but the mud that was half smeared onto it. He glared half-heartedly at her when her radio beeped.
"What's the situation, V?"
She grinned at Mace's voice, "flyboy and I are making our way back to the palace. Judging from how early we started moving we should be there sometime after lunch."
"Sounds good," he told her, "We'll make sure to have some food and the baths ready for you. Mace, out." She smiled at the thought before turning to Poe still sitting in the mud.
"Come on," she told him, "we still have another few hours of walking to do again before we can stop for lunch." With a sigh, he stood and started walking again, not missing how her eyes followed his figure as he did. He smirked as he heard her call out.
"You're going the wrong way, Flyboy."
He pivoted, "you know," he teased, "the correct way to address me as a commander in the resistance is 'sir."
She quirked an eyebrow at him.
"If that's what you're into, Sir," she told him sarcastically. At this a wide grin split his face and they walked in a quiet companionship for another few metres. He'd met several Naboo before, but only a few as they were a peaceful country and for the most part were held under tight observation from both the Empire and the First Order. He could understand why if most of the Naboo were like this woman; quick-witted, athletic and beautiful. He watched her as she walked, with sure-footing and silent. He made a note to ask her more about her home planet when he got the opportunity. There was an awkward silence as she looked at him curiously and he realized he'd been staring.
"I was joking. You can call me Poe."
"I know."
"Oh, well then…" he trailed of in an uncharacteristically awkward manner. Sabé gave a small self-satisfied, sideways smile at that and told him that she could see a clearing where they could stop for a short while. He bit his lip and nodded, following without a word.
Just as Veruna had predicted, they arrived at the city gates just after midday. The rain hadn't stopped but it did lighten to a drizzly shower rather than the pelting they'd received earlier in the day. Xxarr and Sabé met them at the city gates and Veruna grinned and waved at them.
"Come on!" she grinned at Poe as she broke out into a run, "these are two of my crew!" The pilot grinned at her and followed to catch up, watching the figures leaning against the wall waving grow bigger and bigger until he could distinguish a male and female. He lagged behind as his female companion approached them and gave them both quick hugs, seemingly caught up in an energetic conversation. Kicking at the ground, he stood behind her, wondering whether he should interrupt or not, after all these were the people who were going to hopefully take him home, it seemed rather rude and inappropriate to simply barge in on their reunion. As if sensing his internal debate, Veruna turned and gestured him forward.
"Yaneé, Xxarr, this is the crashed pilot, Poe Dameron, resistance ace." They both looked him over with wide eyes. It was almost comical, and he noticed wryly that so far, Veruna had been the only one who hadn't treated him like the revered war hero. He regarded them as they got over their star-strike. From what he'd heard, they both resembled the typical Naboo, chocolate coloured hair and eyes, average human height with a somewhat pale complexion. The girl had large, doe like eyes and a somewhat rounded face, whereas the man next to her had a wild head of curls and a strong, lean build.
"Hey there," he finally stated with an easy grin. Xxarr was the first to recover.
"Mace will want to meet you. Please follow me back up to the palace." The two men struck up an awkward conversation that quickly eased into a talk of mechanics and droids. Yaneé and Veruna trailed behind the two, arms linked.
"He's attractive," Yaneé stated, looking at Poe in front of them.
"I suppose?" Veruna asked with a raised eyebrow. She ignored the navigator's next comment to jump in a puddle, splashing the muddy rain water over Yaneé who squealed.
"I'm already wet, you idiot!" she laughed as she jumped in a puddle closeby, kicking the water at Veruna who laughed. The two men looked over their shoulder to see the girls chasing each other and jumping in puddles as they trailed behind. Poe smiled, while Xxarr looked back ahead to see where Mace was waiting for them under the cover of the courtyard outside the palace. He had a frown on his face as they grew closer and realizing it was aimed at them, the girls grew serious, looking at the slippery cobblestones as they followed behind Xxarr, trying not to giggle at Mace's anger.
"Captain, this is the pilot that Veruna saved from the wreckage." Mace pulled himself off of a column he'd been leaning against and extended his hand.
"Welcome," he told Poe, who returned the handshake, "although I apologise for the circumstances that brought you here."
The pilot shrugged, "it wasn't you that shot me down, I just need to get back to the resistance."
"Maybe we can help each other then. Come, my father is waiting for us in the dining room." With a hand, he gestured for Poe to head in that direction without any acknowledgement of the three that had accompanied him. They shared a look before they too followed, not wanting to miss out on any information that may be shared.
As they entered the dining room and sat at one end of the long table Mace gave them a look.
"Why are you here?" he asked.
"We're not leaving," Xxarr stated as he leant back in his chair, his gaze defiant as it met Mace's.
"Whatever is said we need to hear too," Sabé agreed, not liking how Mace had pushed them aside since he had gained command. Mace then met Veruna's hard look.
"Anything to add?" he hissed, "you're usually the most argumentative one of the group."
She shrugged with an easy smirk, her posture relaxed, "you're the captain, Captain." Poe raised his eyebrows at the groups open disagreement and the tension that he appeared to have stumbled across in the group.
"Enough," a man called out that Poe had yet to meet, "sit down, all of you." Mace opened his mouth as if to argue but thought better of it, sitting next to Xxarr at the head of the table.
"I'm Grosby, Mace's father and our ships systems technician."
"Nice to meet you," Poe smiled and shook his hand as he sat, liking the man immediately.
"Now, if you're able, tell us how you came to be crashed on a planet in the Uncharted Regions and we'll see how we can help both you and yourselves off this planet."
"With due respect," he began, wetting his lip before continuing and leaning forward on the table to look more closely at Grosby, "I'd like to know your mission first. A Naboo vessel being shot down by the First Order raises some questions, and while I like the Naboo well enough, you're all strangers to me and I want to be assured you won't turn around and stab me in the back."
Grosby sighed heavily, "Our mission was supposed to remain secret but I suppose you're just as stuck as we are. Our ship was called The Mercy. It was the first of its kind ship, fastest ever made, even faster than the Millenium Falcon and as a result need a bigger crew on the bridge. It was designed as a hospital ship but we were heading to the Resistance with the blueprints. We figured that you guys could use it one your stealth ships."
Poe nodded, "we'd be thankful. I know the Resistance is trying to develop faster ships that are still maneuverable but we lack the resources and since the First Order took power, the allies to do so."
Grosby nodded, "the First Order shot us down for not allowing us to board and we ended up here."
"How did you escape?" he asked curiously.
"Sabé, our navigator and Xxarr, our mechanic, developed an improvised cloaking device to make the crash look unsurvivable." Poe looked at the two in shock. They looked down and blushed.
"Now, why are you here?" Poe grinned and began his story.
When he reached his tale's conclusion there was a brief silence.
"You're telling me you went on a top-secret mission for the Resistance and you decided to take an X-Wing?" It was Sabé who had asked it in a disbelieving tone and her arms crossed.
"I realise that it doesn't sound like the most plausible story. But trust me, I took it knowing that if anything happened the Resistance would not come for me. I need to get back to them."
Xxarr finally spoke up, "I potentially could fix the ship enough to get us back to D'qar but we wouldn't survive any kind of run ins with the First Order."
"We don't have a crew." Mace stated blankly.
"Thanks for the reminder!" Yaneé snapped back at him before she turned to Poe with a fire in her eyes. "You help us get off this planet and I'm joining the Resistance."
"Me too," Sabé stated, "what use is there for a combat medic on Naboo?"
Poe grinned, "were there any droids aboard your ship which survived?"
Mace looked at his crew and friends with a weary glance before he shook his head. "due to the nature of the ship, the droids were connected to the power. If the ship doesn't work, then neither will the droids."
"If you allow Yaneé and I to head out there we could potentially get the ship into a decent enough state to get it down here and continue work on it. There must be some kind of treasure room with crystals that can substitute and metal on the planet that we can use to reskin the ship. The rest can be improvised until we get to the Resistance." Xxarr looked at his lover for confirmation. Mace nodded and then turned to Poe.
"Will you help?"
"I'll offer any assistance I can," he agreed and Grosby gave a grumble of approval before they all went their separate ways for the night.