As with last chapter, if you don't see a scene it's because it's the same as it was in the film. Didn't want to bog down the story with it.

Thanks to everyone who read. Hope you've enjoyed it xxx


Poe spends the majority of the ride in hyperspace to Takodana in solitude. Snap and Iolo both checked with him before they'd prepared to leave D'Qar but he politely told them he'd like to be left alone. He can hear the chatter of his squadron over the comms but he remains silent. Thankfully, Jessika has taken over his role for the time being, issuing orders and rallying cries to the others. He's grateful to her for it. She's always been like that; knowing exactly when to step in for him.

Basti is gone. Just like that, in the blink of an eye, his entire world has been turned upside down. He feels numb. Just a few weeks ago they were lying together in Poe's bunk, their romantic relationship so fresh and new. He'd felt so peaceful in those few precious hours before Basti had departed. For the first time in so long, he had felt like everything was right, and he had spent the days since then thinking of his future, his life beyond this war and what it would be like to have a life with Basti. And now, he's gone. This is why you didn't want to get too close to anyone, he thinks. Did he feel anything? He wonders. Did he know he was going to die? What were his last thoughts of?

He'd figured if either of them would fall victim to this war it would be him; that he would be the one to leave Basti behind. He's the one who is always going off into battle, not Basti. Basti was nothing more than an envoy. His role in this was meant to be less dangerous. But in war, no one is safe. Those poor people of the Hosnian system weren't part of this fight; they weren't soldiers. They were on the peripheral, and yet now they were gone; victims of the First Order.

He thinks it's the sheer magnitude of the destruction that's keeping it from fully sinking in. That and the fact that he needs to focus on what's ahead. He's not sure what they will find when they come out of hyperspace. It's very likely that the First Order is already there or not far behind. Takodana is the kind of place that's bound to have First Order sympathizers. Maz runs a tight ship he knows, but there's no denying the kinds of people that show up to her place tend to be shifty.

"Poe?" Jessika's voice comes over the comms, shaking him from his reverie. "We'll be coming out of hyperspace in a minute."

He's appreciative she doesn't say any more than that as they are over the main line. He doesn't need the rest of them offering him condolences or asking if he's alright when they should be focused. He shakes his head slightly, and takes a deep breath to prepare himself for the inevitable battle ahead.

"Copy that Pavs," he says. "Alright boys and girls and Snap -" he pauses for the laughter of his comrades that he greatly needs for comfort - "you know the drill. Get the Colonel, get my droid, and get the hells out of dodge. Any stormies in sight you know what to do." The cries of his squad come ringing through the comms. "Pavs you take the left flank, Iolo take the right."

They drop out of hyperspace and enter Takodana over Nymeve Lake in nearly the same fashion Poe had arrived all those years ago when he'd been searching for his father.

Maz's castle - or at least what is left of it- comes into view. The First Order has already arrived. Smoke is spewing from the rubble where the castle once stood and ships are littering the ground and sky above.

"Go straight at 'em! Don't let these thugs scare you!"

"Copy that!"

"We're with you, Poe!"

Their encouragement and cries of support comfort him. He's grateful that amongst all this destruction and disaster, he can count on this group that he considers not only comrades but also friends. It's easier to go into battle knowing that the people around you are those you trust and care for most.

He feels the familiar buzz of adrenalin coursing through his veins and he smiles. There is nothing quite like flying into battle. He's always loved flying; from the first time sat in his father's lap at the controls of the Falcon, he'd been in love with it. He's a spacer through and through, but knowing he's flying into battle, to serve the Resistance – and the Republic – and to do some good in this forsaken galaxy? It adds an extra rush to it.

He takes out a TIE fighter while they're still out over the lake before swooping down along the water to avoid enemy fire. One shot, one hit. Gonna be a good one, this, he thinks. As he pulls up from the water and over the ridge to Maz's castle, he fires at the stormtroopers already stationed. On a second pass over the wreckage, he spots Chewie and he assumes his father stood amongst a swarm of stormtroopers. He snorts, laughing at the fact that of course his father got captured. It's so typical, really, for his father to find himself in these sorts of predicaments time and time again. Poe's not sure how his mother ever lets him off base without a chaperone. He fires blasts in rapid succession, taking out all those stood in white surrounding them.

"Go on then," he mumbles to himself with a chuckle. "I'll give you five minutes before you're captured again."

He circles around again, taking out more TIE fighters and troops on the ground. He lets out a holler. This is exactly what he needed to take his mind off of everything. He rounds one more time, looping low across the lake before pulling up to face the castle. His eye catches movement on the ground and he reaches his hand towards the trigger, ready to fire, but he freezes. There, amidst the destruction, he sees Kylo Ren's ship lifting off. He feels like the air has been ripped from his lungs, staring in horror at sight of it. He can't take his eyes off it. He's frozen, the fear of his cousin and their encounter on the First Order ship consuming him.

"Poe!"

He jolts at the sound of Muran over the comms and glances up just in time to see he's heading straight for one of the remaining pillars of the castle. He jerks on the controls and narrowly avoids colliding with the debris. His heart is racing wildly in his chest at his close call and at seeing the ship. He brings his x-wing around to find that the ship has already departed and is making its way for the planet's atmosphere. Should he go after it? Try to take him down or at least attempt to follow him? He thinks for a moment that he could probably at least cause damage, take his luck on the chance that Kylo would be killed in the crash.

"General Organa is planetside," his mother's pilot says over the comms. "Commander Dameron standby to provide cover."

Damn. His choice has been made for him. There's no way he's going to leave now when his mother needs protection from the skies.

"Copy that," he says before addressing his squadron. "Alright you heard her, keep an eye out for any stragglers. Let's make sure everyone gets home in one piece."

He takes a few deep, steadying breaths. He's disappointed, but he knows that ultimately there are more important things to be done. The main objective of this mission was to get BB-8 back and keep the First Order from retrieving the map to Uncle Luke. He's hopeful Ren was taking off in retreat and not because he had been successful. For now, his concern is covering for his mother while she assesses the issue at hand.

"Commander Dameron?" his mother's voice comes through the comms, shaking him from his thoughts.

"Yes General?"

"Colonel Solo informs me you perished on Jakku. Is this true?"

Poe's brow furrows in confusion and he shakes his head slightly. What in seven hells would make his father think that?

"Uh not that I'm aware of ma'am," he says.

There's a brief silence on the other end - doing nothing to stave off Poe's confusion - and the longer it goes on, the more Poe is starting to worry that something isn't right. Finally his father's voice comes over the comms.

"I'm glad to hear you're alright, son," his father says, voice strained.

"Colonel, I am also alive and well," Snap quips. "In case you had any cause for concern."

"Thank you Wexley," his father says dryly down the line, "I was waiting on pins and needles to hear that."

Jessika chimes in that's she's alright as well and before it can get out of hand with his whole squadron responding, he cuts them off.

"Alright you mouth breathers that's enough," Poe chastises. "Give us some privacy, yeah?"

He waits a moment for their acknowledgements that all is secure before he hears the familiar clicks of them shutting their comms off briefly. He's not worried; they know to give him just a little bit of time before they switch back on.

"Everything okay Pop?"

"Everything… everything's fine," he says. "I'll see you at home."

"And ma? Everything alright?"

"More than alright," she says and he can hear the smile in her voice. "BB-8 says hello."

His eyes widen. "You've got him? He's okay?"

BB-8's enthusiastic chirps come through and Poe lets out another holler. Thank the stars, thank the maker as Threepio would say, thank everyone and everything. Finally, some good news.

xxxxxxxxxx

Finding out Finn is alive and well is an added blessing. He had thought for sure that Finn hadn't made it away from the crash alive. And with everything else that has happened since his return from Jakku, he's so grateful to see someone survive against all odds. Things are on the up. BB-8 is safe and with the Resistance, his father and Chewie are alright, and now he's learned his new friend is alive and… wearing his jacket?

Finn immediately moves to take it off when Poe points this out but Poe is quick to readjust it back over his shoulders.

"No, no no no," he says hurriedly. "Keep it, it suits you." He's sure his parents will understand. Hells, his mother would chastise him if he didn't do this small gesture to thank Finn. She did say she wanted to honor him, after all. "You're a good man, Finn."

"Poe I need-"

His gaze is drawn suddenly away from Finn, beyond the other man's shoulder. In the distance, he sees his father departing the - no. No it can't be. Is that-? He's staring, dumbfounded at the sight in front of him. The Falcon. After all of these years - after his father searching endlessly, after thinking for so long that he'd never see that beautiful ship again – she's sat at the end of the runway, looking for all the world like she belonged there; like she'd been there this whole time.

"Oh my stars," he says, moving around Finn.

He's walking forward, mesmerized by the sight before him; it can't be real, surely it's just a vision, a conjuring of his mind to trick him. He quickens his pace until he's jogging across the tarmac, a grin breaking out across his face. When the ship doesn't disappear before his eyes, he starts laughing, jumping wildly in the air as he moves.

"You found her?" He yells to his father as he approaches. "Oh my stars you-"

He's cut off as his father engulfs him in a hug. He's squeezing Poe so tight he can't move and he's nearly suffocating.

"I thought you were dead," Han chokes.

Poe pats him gently on the back to encourage him to let up, but his father doesn't let go. "Alright pa, I can't breathe here." Finally he pulls away but still holds onto Poe, looking him over. He can feel relief radiating off of his father as well as fear. Fear that he'd lost another child; fear that he'd lose Leia too. Poe tries to alleviate those fears and calm his father through the Force. I'm okay papa. I'm alive. He can feel and see Han latch onto the soothing. He's silent for a few moments, eyes closed and breathing deeply. When he speaks again, his voice is still hoarse but it's clear he's calmed down, satisfied that Poe truly is alive and unharmed.

"The kid, Finn or whatever," he says offhandedly. Poe knows how to read him though. He knows Finn's name. More than that, Poe can tell he cares for him. "He told me you crashed on Jakku."

"I did, got away though." He holds up his wrist, displaying his watch. "I owe you one."

He waves Poe off. "I owe you more than I can count." He's looking up at the Falcon now, and Poe wonders if he even remembers the last time he saw it. He's never spoken about those two weeks before Poe found him on Takodana. To talk about that would be to talk about the loss of Breha, and even after all of these years, it just doesn't seem like something his father is capable of doing. He can count on one hand the number of times his father has spoken about her, and he was never the one to bring her up.

"People grieve in different ways" his mother had once said. "Your father chooses to not talk about what happened. And it's not fair to try to make him if it's just going to cause him pain.

He knows the two of them have talked about her - it's one of the five times he's counting. On Breha's first birthday after her death, he'd come home from the Academy for a few days. He'd found his parents huddled together in their bedroom, his father speaking quietly through tears about how much he missed Breha; how he blamed himself for her death. It had startled Poe. Han hadn't talked about Breha since the day Poe had brought him home. Even the brief mention of her by Leia or Poe tended to cause Han to tense up and retreat. He'd felt as though he'd intruded on an intimate moment, so he'd snuck away and pretended to re-enter the apartment, calling out to them. When they had emerged, there were no signs his father had been crying and there was no talk about the important reason Poe had returned home.

Now, Poe turns to gaze up at the Falcon with his father, just as awestruck as he was as a small boy.

"Poe," his father says softly. "I'm so sorr-"

Poe's quick to silence him with a wave of his hand. He can't deal with that right now. With everything going on, he can't stop to dwell on what's happened anymore than he already has. He needs to stay focused on what's ahead. Ignoring his father's gaze, he steps closer to the ship and sighs in wonder.

"Kriff pa. Look at her. She's beautiful! I can't believe you found her. She's - Finn! Hey! Finn-" he gesticulates wildly as the other man approaches. "C'mere, look at her! You ever seen anything as beau- hey what's wrong?"

Finn's stopped a little bit away from where Poe and Han are standing. He's looking at them unsure, and Poe steps closer, nodding to encourage him to voice what is wrong.

"I need your help."

xxxxxxxxxx

He leads Finn through the winding tunnels of the base until they encounter his mother speaking with a few officers.

"General Organa," he calls out to her as he approaches. "Sorry to interrupt. But this-" he points to Finn, proud and excited that he can make this introduction - "is Finn. He needs to talk to you."

"And I need to talk to him," she says, stepping forward and taking Finn's hands in hers. "It was incredibly brave of you, renouncing the First Order. And saving my son's life. I will forever be indebted to you for that."

Finn glances to Poe briefly, astonished. "Uh thank you, ma'am," he says. "But a friend of mine was taking prisoner-"

She lowers his hands, "Han told me about the girl. I'm sorry."

Finn appears crestfallen, taking Leia's words to mean there is nothing to be done. Poe jumps in. "Finn's familiar with the weapon that destroyed the Hosnian system. He worked on the base."

"That's where my friend was taken," Finn says. "I've got to get there fast."

Leia glances between the two of them, hesitant but Poe nods encouragingly. You can't say you're in his debt for saving me and then not help him when he needs it, he conveys through the Force. It's clear she gets the message, and she nods back at him before placing a comforting hand on Finn's arm.

"You saved my son's life," she says. "I'll do everything I can to help, but first you must tell us everything you know."

Lieutenant Connix interrupts them to inform Leia that the map is ready for her to view. She takes her leave, heading across the command center towards where his father is stood with BB-8 and C3PO. Finn grabs him, staring incredulously.

"Han Solo is your father and Leia Organa is your mother?"

Poe shrugs. "Yeah?"

Finn continues to stare at him. "What's that like?"

The question disconcerts Poe. He's been asked it before, but there's a longing in Finn's voice that he's not used to. Most people tend to be more awestruck by his parents but Finn? Finn seems to be… disheartened? Jealous is too strong a word, he thinks. He doesn't sense envy from Finn, it's more a saddened curiosity. "Oh um, it's you know, they're great. Yeah you know just normal parents."

"Normal parents?"

Oh kriff. That's what it is. It hadn't ever occurred to him what it must be like for Stormtroopers. Intelligence said that the First Order had abandoned the cloning program used by the Empire, but what they did instead was still unclear. Did Finn have parents? Had he known them?

His worry is short lived, as he thinks on both of his parents and their overwhelming compassion and parental instincts for the members of the Resistance. They're not just his parents; they're everyone's parents. There's no doubting they'll take Finn in and treat him as their own, especially since they have him to thank for Poe standing here. He puts his arm around Finn's shoulders.

"Don't worry," he says with a grin. "You'll see for yourself. You saved the right guy, Finn."

xxxxxxxxxx

When the meeting in command is adjourned, Poe immediately makes his way out to his x-wing, ignoring the glances from his mother as he goes. He's not avoiding her – he's not. Not at all – he's just got stuff to do. He's busy. And maybe he is worried about talking with her. He's been able to push thoughts of what happened away, and he needs to keep it that way. If he has any intention of succeeding on this mission he can't think about… it. He can't think about it, he can't talk about it. He just needs to work and fight and fly and anything else that can occupy his attention.

After he preps his x-wing, he makes his way towards the Falcon at the other end of the airstrip. He still can't believe that she's here, even as she sits just beyond him in the distance. He passes Finn who's making his way there as well and claps him on the back. He jogs past him, turning to grin and wink. This is going to be a successful mission, he's sure of it. A bit reckless but he feels confident they'll see it through. With his father back in the cockpit of the Falcon and his squadron beside him, he's feeling invincible. He finds his father at the base of the ship, running through last minute checks. He glances up at Poe's approach.

"You ready?"

"Buzzing for it," Poe replies, glancing up at the Falcon. "I still can't believe you found her."

"Didn't find her in the best shape though. Gonna take a while to get her back to what she was." He places a hand on the landing gear, and looks lost in thought. Poe's sure he's thinking of all of the lost years, regretting what had happened to his beloved ship.

"We'll start working on her as soon as we're home," he says. His father turns and smiles appreciatively.

"You two are gonna spend all your days buried in that ship when you get back, aren't you?"

They turn from admiring the Falcon at the sound of Leia's voice. She's stood, watching them fondly. Poe grins sheepishly back at her, putting an arm around his father.

"Well if papa's gonna keep up with me, we're gonna have to do our best to fix this hunk of junk up."

"Watch it pal," his father warns.

His mother laughs, stepping towards them and putting her arm around Poe. "Not much to be done," she says. "She's always been a hunk of junk and she always will be." Han glares down at her but she just keeps smiling, clearly enjoying teasing him. "But she's our hunk of junk."

Han grumbles softly but he seems placated. He turns away from them to bark a few orders at Finn, Poe's arm sliding away from him as he moves around to instruct their newest recruit. Poe is left alone with his mother. He can feel her watching him, but he continues staring ahead at his father and Finn. It's only when he feels her nudge him gently - with just a hint of scolding - through the Force, that he finally looks up to meet her gaze. The understanding he sees overwhelms him. So many today have looked at him with such pity, and he's hated every single look. He hates being looked at like he's weak; like he's someone people need to be sorry for. And yet, that's not what he sees at all from her. Just understanding. Because she does understand. She'd lost everyone she'd ever loved in the Disaster; she'd thought she'd lost Han on Bespin; she'd lost Breha and then she'd lost Luke; and she'd had friends on Hosnian Prime too. He suddenly feels guilty for avoiding her, but he hadn't wanted to see her of all people pity him. She shrugs off his guilt, stepping forward to take his hands.

"When you get back, we'll talk about what happened," she says softly.

He looks away, shrugging. "Not much to talk about," he mumbles.

"We both know that's not true." He looks back to her and nearly breaks. It feels like this has been the longest day of his life, and between the injuries he'd accumulated from his time in the custody of the First Order and on Jakku and the recent loss of his- boyfriend? Partner? He's not sure what to call Basti but his loss is gnawing at Poe's soul. He can't think about it. He shuts his eyes against the pain. "My brave, sweet boy," she whispers, pulling him to her. "Hold on, just a little longer." He nods into her shoulder as he senses her comfort through the Force. The blues of her aura soothe him, calming him before this inevitable storm.

A few moments later, he hears a shout from the deck officer that the x-wings need to prepare for take off. His mother kisses his cheek before pulling away, and he sees his father has rejoined them.

"I always hate watching you two leave," she says.

"That's why we do it," Han says. "Give you the chance to miss us."

It's meant to be a joke but it's clear that his mother does not find it funny. She's glancing between the two of them worriedly, as if she fears that sending both of them will increase the chances of something terrible happening. His father looks at him, chagrined and Poe takes it as his cue to leave. He steps forward, clasping his father's shoulder.

"Clear skies," he says as his father mimics his actions.

"Likewise pal."

He kisses his mother's cheek before heading to his ship. As he climbs into his x-wing, he glances back toward the Falcon. His parents are where he left them, in a comforting embrace. He can see her nodding as Han speaks to her. He can't see their expressions but he knows his father is assuring her they'll both return safely. As he prepares for takeoff, he hopes desperately that it's true.