Poe was standing in the middle of the hangar when Mara made her way down the stairs. Her hair was still stuck to the crown of her head, but she was unsure if that was thanks to her recent gun slinging, or if it was left over from the attack on Takodana. Either option was highly probable. Regardless, spotting Poe from a distance was enough to make beads of sweat fall again. She could feel every hair on her body rising, but in some moments it felt more like fear than pleasure. She hadn't seen him in so long, and yet he was acting impatient with her. How could they overcome their differences? How could she make him see the woman she was becoming?

Almost as if on cue, Poe turned around and met her gaze. There was something hypnotic about her eyes, even from a distance. A heavy sigh fell from his lips, the physical movement of it dropping his chest from high to low in a second. Mara knew it was a sign of submission, and that Poe was giving in to the idea of talking. She stayed her ground as he crossed his way across the hangar, a few curious eyes following the invisible trail of his heavy boots.

"BB-8 is mad at me." His voice was low as he met her side.

"Rightfully so. You made me look like a fool."

"I made myself look like a fool." Sadness crossed over the rare flecks of gold in his eyes. Mara quickly and quietly wrapped her fingers around his wrist, creating an experimental lock between the two of them.

"Let's talk about this somewhere else."

"There's not much time. General Organa wants me to hold a meeting and discuss what Finn knows about the First Order and Starkiller Base."

Mara's brows came together in her forehead. Who was Finn? Was he the young boy that Poe had been talking to on the runway? Not being able to pinpoint her confusion after a long morning, Poe quietly brought her towards the storage unit. There was a small room filled with spare equipment that was rarely ever touched, and a puff of dust blew towards them in greeting upon creaking open the door.

"Are you sure you aren't trying to murder me?" Mara teased.

Poe closed the door silently behind him, but only let a small smile pass his lips. As soon as they were alone in the dimly lit room, there was no other sound but their breathing.

"Mara, I'm sorry."

A tight smile passed her lips. At least she was hearing an apology from him. She couldn't exactly recall when Leo had done the same, but the two men weren't entirely comparable. "I came to apologise to you. You wouldn't be angry with me if I had just told you what was going on in the first place. I've been meaning to train to be a pilot for quite some time." She absentmindedly began to sift through a pile of bolts on the shelf beside her. "Everything happened so quickly. One minute I was considering the possibility, the next I was inside of an X-Wing. You weren't on the base, so I couldn't warn you…"

He took a step closer. Somehow it felt like the first time they had kissed, when she had managed to catch him startled after a mission. He had kissed her completely out of the blue and had left just as quickly. The memory wasn't old, but the woman she had been at that time was certainly lost along with the moment.

"I knew what you wanted, Mara. I've always been able to recognise that you were meant for more than hiding behind an engine." His grease-stained hands lifted defensively. "Not that you weren't a great mechanic."

"I may just be the best." Her smirk matched his in wit.

Poe couldn't retreat his eyes from her dark lips. It dawned on him suddenly that her cheeks were also red. "Where have you been?"

"Shooting."

He leaned back in surprise. "Wasn't expecting that."

"Better to take my anger out on a wall than you." The dig was subtle, but Poe caught on.

"Once I knew it was you in that ship, there was the sensation that you might not ever stand across from me again." Poe scratched the back of his neck, trying to lessen the strain of emotions passing between them. "I'm constantly afraid of losing you."

Mara wanted to remind him that that was the risk of being in the Resistance. She wanted to assure him that she knew what she was doing, but how else other than to fly a ship? There were a million responses she could have chosen, but only one slipped out.

"Why?"

Poe lifted his eyes, his appearance halting her breath. "What do you mean?"

Mara closed the gap between them slightly. "Why do you care so much if I live or die?"

The answer was like a puzzle. A riddle. An enigma. It was the trickiest one to actually complete in words, but the answer was the most obvious of all.

Because I'm in love with you, Mara Crescent.

A knock on the door startled both of them, separating the space between them as well. The air that passed between them was suddenly cold, as if distancing themselves truly caused a change in the atmosphere.

The guest at the door was unexpected, but Mara cracked a smile nonetheless.

"Oddy! Nice to see you."

"I saw you two slip away. General Organa was asking where you were. It seems the newbie wants a word with the team in the control room." Something about the man's orange face seemed white. Everyone was dealing with something personal, but in comparison to Oddy's usual chipper behaviour, the air felt strange.

Poe was nodding too much. His mind was still fixated on Mara, and the strange sensation that he missed his only chance to tell her those silly three words. When would the chance come again?

"I'll be right there, Oddy." He glanced to the mechanic. "Are you coming?"

She shook her head almost instantly. "Quite a few of the squadrons took crucial hits to their ships. We were lucky we didn't lose any men, but if I'm not there to help, we may just lose those X-Wings for good."

Poe gave Oddy a firm pat on the back. "Then that's that." He tapped to his communicator as he slid out the door, implying that he wasn't quite finished with the mechanic yet. She smiled in response, a silent agreement that she would be waiting for his call.

It seemed that Oddy hadn't noticed the silent transaction. Mara couldn't help but feel anxious in his presence. "Is everything okay, Oddy?"

"What?" His beady eyes flickered frantically. "I-I'm sorry… I'm afraid my mind was somewhere else."

"Are you alright?"

"Y-yes, I…" His fingers nervously drummed on his pocket. There was something in it, but Mara couldn't quite make out what it was. She was smart enough to know that whatever was bothering the mechanic had to do with that item. "It's been a hectic day, that's all."

"I'm sure it was…" Mara wasn't convinced. Seeing the pilot and mechanic together startled Oddy in a way that she couldn't understand. Was it their secret that he was uncomfortable about, or something more personal?

It was like she had pulled the pin from a grenade. Oddy snapped upright with a stutter, his hands frantically reaching for the door frame. "Did you hear that? I think they're calling for us! We should make our way back and focus on the ships…" His words trailed away along with his body as he slipped down the hall.

Mara watched his uneven steps. She knew that feeling. She knew what it was like to keep a secret that was overtaking you, how it consumed your senses and made you so distant from reality that you forgot you were even living in it.

Oddy Muva had a secret, and Mara had a sinking feeling that it wasn't a happy one.

Poe, on the other hand, had his mind far from anything happening on the base. His thoughts were treading a tight line between his feelings for Mara and the porcelain construction of their relationship, alongside the growing threat of the First Order. He hoped Finn would provide some useful information in the meeting, otherwise they were going to be as lucky as a raider caught in quicksand.

Trickling inside the already busy control room, Poe caught sight of a very stern looking Temmin Snap Wexley at the front of the main control table. His friend's furrowed brows reminded him of the brief worry he had that one of his Black Squadron teammates was a spy. With Terex seemingly nowhere in sight, Poe had almost forgotten about the likely treason. Seeing Snap with his head hung in focus, Poe was positive that none of his men would have gone behind his back in the way that he believed.

And yet, no other conclusion made sense.

"You okay, Dameron?" It was Jessika, her black eyes narrowed into slits. "I had an awfully interesting day with your girlfriend."

She's not my girlfriend, Poe immediately thought. He wondered why the sentence had come to him. At least not publicly. Yet. "She told me that she went shooting." His smirk glowed against the blue light of the control panels. "Was that your doing?"

The pilot shrugged, her nonchalant attitude a familiar sight in the stressful situation. "That doesn't seem to matter much right now. What matters is that you two kissed and made up so we can focus on the real drama at hand."

The two joined the other generals, lieutenants and fighters around the map table, their eyes fixated on the wireframe hologram. Nothing appeared for a moment, but Poe managed to capture everyone's attention with a single raise of his hand.

"Before we begin the discussion for our next move of attack, I would like to say something." Poe's eyes scanned the room briefly until they landed on Finn, still wearing his old leather jacket. The boy seemed slightly nervous to be surrounded by a large group of people he once deemed his enemies, but not nearly as uncomfortable as he had been on Starkiller Base, surrounded by his supposed allies. "My friend Finn has abandoned the First Order. He renounced his title, profession and life, sacrificing it all to work by our side in the fight for peace and justice." A pin could be heard in the crowded room. When Poe spoke, all eyes were on him. "General Organa and I expect you to welcome him as one of our own, as he very well is that. His experience with the First Order is also vital to our understanding of their plans, and today he's going to help clear things up a little. Finn's report is that the First Order have created a superweapon called Starkiller Base. This much we were aware of, but the weapon's capacities were still hidden, even to us. Finn has also informed us that the weapon is incredibly large, far larger than many planets in the Core System, as it appears to be kept inside of an ice planet." His fingers began to type away at the keys until a rolling view of the Starkiller Base surface spread out beneath them. "As we all know, the scan from Snap's reconnaissance flight confirms Finn's report."

"They've somehow created a hyper lightspeed weapon built within the planet itself." Snap's words were laced with an undertone of fear.

Major Brance could hardly believe the words. "A laser cannon?"

Snap sighed. "We're not sure how to describe a weapon of this scale."

With horror from his past memories, a fellow Major Ematt spoke out. "It's another Death Star."

"I wish that were the case, Major." Poe's eyes re-fixated themselves to the screen, where a small hologram of the Death Star appeared. "This was the Death Star." Slowly, as if a swollen bug bite, the image of the Starkiller Base grew in size beside the former Empire superweapon. It seemed to never stop, until the volume was almost quadruple that of the Death Star. "This is Starkiller Base."

This was news to much of the crowd, their stunned gasps breaking the temporary silence. Poe's fingers instinctively flew to his brows, where he rubbed them with exhaustion and equal frustration. His mother and father had not risked their lives for years only to grow old and die with a second Death Star still floating in the skies. What had managed to happen since the death of Darth Vader? For Poe, it seemed as if little had changed.

Han Solo, however, was careful to interrupt the shocked conversations with a somewhat expected comment. "So, it's big! What's all the chaos for? Big doesn't always mean better."

"How is it possible to power a weapon of this size?" Ackbar ignored his old friend's chime to address the real question at hand.

Finn stepped forward, his experience finally of use. "It uses the power of the sun. As the weapon's charged, the sun is drained until it disappears."

As if on cue, an officer split through the crowd, a datacard clenched tightly in his hand. Poe's stomach dropped upon seeing it, as well as the realization that the officer's path was headed straight towards General Organa. It was not normal or customary to interrupt a meeting of such a grand size, so whatever information was locked on that datacard must have been crucial.

All was quiet as they watched the General comprehend the information. "The First Order: they're charging the weapon again. Now." Poe's hand fell from his face onto the edge of the table. It was the first time he had to physically keep himself from falling over. "Our system is the next target."

"Oh, my…" C-3PO's voice split through the hushed crowd. "Without the Republic Fleet, we're doomed."

"Okay, so how do we blow it up?" It seemed Han was growing impatient. "There's always a way to do that." The rolling of men's eyes could not have been missed by a single soul in the room. Except General Organa, it seemed.

"Han's right." Her words took not only her former lover, but everyone, by surprise.

"In order for that amount of power to be contained, the base would need some kind of thermal oscillator," Admiral Statura joined in.

"There is one!" Finn began to twist the Starkiller Base hologram until an open portal appeared. "Precinct 47. Here."

Poe could hardly hide his smile. He was careful to put his faith in others, but he was feeling a slight arrogance over the fact that he had trusted a former Stormtrooper. If that wasn't a good judge of character, he didn't think there was such a thing.

"If we can destroy that oscillator, it might de-stabilize the core and cripple the weapon," Statura spoke once more.

"Maybe the planet," Ematt followed.

Poe's eyes danced up to the hexagonal structure: the Starkiller Base oscillator. Trying to boost morale, he added strength in his voice. "We'll go in there and we'll hit that oscillator with everything we've got."

The morale dwindled as Ackbar stepped in. "They have defensive shields that our ships cannot penetrate!"

"So we disable the shields," Han shrugged. "Kid, you worked there… whaddya got?"

Finn had hesitation written all over his face. Poe knew that look. He felt it when he had come home late as a kid. It was when you knew there was some truth to your lie, but you were looking to satisfy others more. "I can do it," he finally said.

Han clearly didn't recognize the strain. "I like this guy."

"I can disable the shields, but I have to be there… on the planet."

"We'll get you there."

Leia's head snapped towards Han, a look of motherly concern written in the creases of her forehead. "Han, how?"

He smiled with affection. "If I told you, you wouldn't like it."

There was something similar to Poe about Han Solo, as if the smuggler's nature were akin to his own. However, as much as his blood was pumping, Poe kept his voice low and steady. "So we disable the shields, take out the oscillator and we blow up their big gun." Chewbacca, a famous icon Poe had only heard about in stories, let out a cry of agreement. "Alright! Let's go!"

The entire room split into multiple strings of warriors. You had pilots preparing their gear, mechanics preparing the ships, and technicians waiting patiently behind desks with microphones ready to communicate. It was difficult to notice anyone in the crowd in particular, which was why Poe had not noticed Mara at the door.

Her face was as white as the moon when he finally locked eyes on her. Her fingers were gripping the door frame, her knuckles a shade between blue and white that was anything but normal. If he didn't know any better, he thought she was one clench away from ripping the wood straight from it.

"You were listening in."

Her eyes stared straight ahead, her lips the only sign of movement. "You're going to fight the First Order."

Poe's hand rested on the small of her back. "Things are picking up."

With a drop of her head, she desperately tried to hide the weakness that was slipping from her eyes. "You were furious with me about risking my life, and only an hour later are you about to do the same… but I could never blame you." She cracked a light smile. "You're the hero of the Resistance."

Poe's fingertips gave her arm a squeeze. "Earlier you were the real hero, and now the rest of us need to redeem ourselves." It was impossible not to weaken with his grin.

She nodded, one too many times. "I know that... I know that."

"I'm coming back to you," he whispered. It was softer than a feather, and for some reason her mind was lost in the image of his X-Wing on the nightstand. She would polish it until he returned, making sure that nothing changed. If all stayed the same on the base, Mara believed it would promise a safe return. She knew that was not the truth after Jackson's sudden sacrifice, but telling herself lies was better than accepting a hardset reality.

"I need to tell you something before you leave, Poe."

His attention was caught. "Shoot."

She dropped her voice. "Oddy Muva is acting very strange. And I don't just mean, 'Oh I've rolled out of the wrong side of bed' strange, but something far more unsettling."

"What are you talking about?" He let out an airy laugh, one that immediately told Mara that Poe wasn't taking her words seriously. "Oddy might have something personal going on. We'll just leave it at that for now."

"Poe, no. It's not like that, he's-"

"Dameron!" It was L'ulo from across the way. His blue hand anxiously urged the squadron leader to gear up, preparing for their most dangerous mission yet. It would be the first time they went up against the entire First Order fleet. There was no time for Mara to explain Oddy's strange behaviour, let alone express her continuously growing feelings. She had to tell him soon. Perhaps it would put an end to their fighting, perhaps it would bring them closer… or perhaps it would make it all the more difficult to say goodbye the next time.

"You need to go." She finally met his eyes. He seemed startled by her acceptance, but as he reached out for her, Mara pulled back slightly. "You can hug me when you return."

"Mara, don't…" Poe's eyes scanned every inch of her face. "Don't do that."

She let a tight smile slip out. "You have to use it as a promise. Promise me that you'll come back, and then you can kiss me."

Taking the back of her head in his palm, he brought his lips to her forehead. Her body stiffened with the awareness of where they were standing, the intimacy of his gesture. His lips lingered on her skin with a familiar heat, the subtle scruff of his beard reminding her of the single blissful night they had on Jakku. How could it be that a single memory felt as if it were in a different lifetime?

"I'm coming back to you." His words were private, softly whispered into her hairline. "And when I do, I want to tell you something."

Mara lifted a brow in curiosity. "What could that be, I wonder?"

As Poe reached for his helmet, he sent her another intimate smile. It was not like his grins with other members of the Resistance, but far more secretive and sincere. "I promise I'll tell you later... along with that kiss."

With a gentle wave, she sent him off. It was hard knowing that his next target was going to be someone far more dangerous than she could even dream of, but there was also an immense faith in her to trust him. She believed he would come back. And when he did, she hoped he carried the ashes of the First Order along with him.

Mara's eyes adjusted to the entire sight of the bustling hangar. She wrapped her arms tightly around herself, making up for the hug that was sacrificed. Her home was now a somewhat dirty, hidden, moss-overgrown lair in the middle of a forgotten planet. It was where so much of her past was left behind, and where so much of her future laid. And with that comforting thought in mind, she took a single step forward to mark her place on the right side of history.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Earlier, during the Resistance meeting…

Mara followed Oddy Muva to the edge of the hangar where the X-Wings rested. They were not taken apart to be cleaned just yet, as there was a tension in the air that the battles were not yet over. That was at the forefront of everyone's minds, but Mara was overtaken with curiosity towards Oddy's suddenly strange attitude.

"The X-Wings need…" Oddy scratched his head absentmindedly. "Fixing. I think you'll just have to give them a check while I… While I…" His words trailed off without a proper ending.

Mara's head fell to her shoulder. The man clearly needed someone to talk to. "Oddy, are you alright? You seem a bit…" She wriggled her shoulders. "Tense."

"Tense? Me? That's probably because we have so much work to do with so little time."

Mara's nose scrunched in confusion. "But you haven't given me a proper order. Of course I can help you. Just let me know exactly what you need, and I can get it done in no time."

He said nothing in reply. Instead, he began to fix the ship with a nervous air about him. It forced Mara to recall when he began his strange demeanour. When he opened the door to the storage cupboard, Oddy seemed normal. It was only after he saw Poe and Mara, intimately together, that he began to act strange. It certainly wasn't because he felt too shy about the situation, as the two were at a comfortable distance, nor was it because Oddy harboured any secret feelings for either of them.

Turning quizzically, Mara recaptured his attention. "Oddy, are you married?"

Although the man was a bright orange hue in the face, the color seemed to disappear completely. His cheeks lost their maroon tint until it matched a shade of Hoth ice.

Oddy turned away, as if shy of his answer. His beady eyes skimmed anything around them to talk about instead, but it was a low voice from the nearby control room that caught their attention. "It sounds like things in there are getting pretty serious. Maybe you'd better see what's going on, in case Poe needs to leave again."

"Oddy, I'm not sure if I-"

"Excuse me, Mara." His voice was firm. In fact, its strength startled her somewhat. "I need to fix these X-Wings as soon as possible if they're planning on going into battle again. If you'll excuse me…" Without another word, he trickled off into the thick of metal wings. Mara was left with nothing but silence and a bushel of questions unfallen from her tongue.

She stared at Oddy carefully as his hands continued to shake. She was no longer with him, but he was still on edge. Oddy Muva truly did have a secret, and Mara was unsure why there lingered an urge to dig for answers in the pit of her stomach.

Turning her back on the scene, she felt it was best to mention things to Poe, should he truly be called away again. There had been a brief fear within the pilot that someone in the Black Squadron was secretly conveying information to the First Order, but Mara could hardly believe it was Oddy. Poe had known him for years. It was about the only person on D'Qar that Poe could trust, and Mara saw that clearly when they were together. And yet, there was a risk lingering there in which she could not ignore.

Perhaps Oddy knew something he should not.

Unfortunately for him, he was a terrible liar.