My sincerest apologies for the long wait for this chapter. Myself and my Beta have seen an increase in work hours. We will try our best to get chapters out for you all to read, but it will take time. So I do hope you all stick around during the longer waiting periods between chapters.
Also, I'd like to thank my reviewers and readers for their support of this story. A large round of applause to my Beta Darksidefan5 for their awesome skills and bouncing ideas off of.
Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars. George Lucas and Disney do.
Junkfort Station…
"Stay close and let me know if you sense anything." Poe warns Rey as he secures another vibro-blade into his heavily damaged black boots. Then he stashes away a smaller blaster into the hidden holster within the beat up, brown leather jacket he's wearing for this mission.
"It's not like you'll let me out of your sight." Rey mumbles to herself while hiding away a pair of truncheons, a vibro-knife, and a blaster within her own heavily worn outfit. Ever since they were told where they were headed, Rey's had to deal with a very over-protective Poe.
Poe, acting like he didn't hear what Rey had said, watches closely as Rey tugs on her baggy, thigh length gray jacket. It was the only jacket that Leia had available for Rey to use which would hide the pregnancy. He still wasn't pleased that Leia was sending them on this mission, but they were the only ones available and who Leia could trust.
Hearing Rey let out a sigh, Poe heads over to her and begins buttoning up her jacket.
"It's not that I don't believe you can protect yourself and our child, Rey. I know you can do it." Poe softly tells her. "But this place isn't exactly friendly to women. It's mostly filled with smugglers, traders, slavers, and other disreputable types. If one of them were to get their hands on you or our child…"
"They won't." Rey interrupts, her own voice being as soft as Poe's. "I appreciate your concern for our welfare, Poe."
"But?"
"But with as protective as you are being, I think that anyone dumb enough to attack us would find themselves wishing they'd never tried." Rey wraps her arms around Poe's neck before gifting him with a gentle kiss.
Not one to waste a moment, Poe wraps his own arms around Rey's waist and deepens their kiss. However, he can't help feeling an almost rush of exhilaration when he feels the baby bump press against his own abdomen. His arms tighten around Rey before ending the kiss. Pressing his forehead against hers, Poe lets out a content sigh as he begins to mentally prepare himself for the task ahead.
"Poe?" Rey hesitantly asks, having felt his emotions shift through the Force. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, love." Poe tilts his head, placing a kiss against Rey's forehead. "Usually these types of missions don't bother me, but…"
"We'll be fine, Poe."
"I know," Poe whispers against Rey's skin and relinquishes his hold on Rey.
Poe heads back over to the single locker within the refurbished NU-class Attack Shuttle that the Mon Cals had offered the Resistance. He pulls out a large, dark gray scarf from the locker and heads back over to Rey. Not meeting Rey's eyes, Poe begins to gently drape the scarf upon her head to help with her disguise.
As he does this, something deep and powerful fills his soul. Poe comes to the realization that over the course of just a few month's that he's truly, deeply in love with the woman before him. This knowledge hits him like a well-aimed torpedo, and it leaves him breathless. It's the soft touch of her hands on his wrists that causes him to look her at her in a whole new light.
"Poe." Rey gasps out, having felt Poe's reaction to this newfound revelation of emotion he has for her.
Looking directly into his eyes, Rey can see that not only is he startled by his discovery, but also for not noticing it sooner. There is no conflict against the emotion from Poe, unlike what she'd felt from Kylo Ren. Instead, there is acceptance and something else…perhaps fear.
Before either of them can say a word, a special commlink—courtesy of Lando Calrissian—goes off within the pocket of Poe's borrowed jacket.
"That'll be one of the recruits." Poe states. "We'll talk about this later, Rey. I promise."
He heads over to the control panel for the landing ramp and presses the glowing orange release button. The sound of Rey's boots clacking against the floor has Poe turning his head to see that she's now standing by his side. She doesn't look at him, but she does take hold of his hand and gives it a quick squeeze as the ramp lowers down. When it touches the metal flooring of the station, Rey releases his hand.
Poe steels himself for what comes next and the pair exit the shuttle.
'Welcome to Junkfort Station.' A mechanical, female voice says, echoing throughout the massive landing bay via several speakers hanging from the ceiling. 'As a reminder: All ships must leave their landing ramps down at all times to prevent theft.'
Poe lets out an amused snort.
"What?" Rey asks softly, not sure why Poe would find such a reminder amusing.
"This place is notorious for housing smuggles, illegal traders, slavers, and people who want to disappear. All the people that come here have sordid dealings which they don't want known about. It's kind of ironic. Wouldn't you think?" Poe tells her as they head out of the landing bay and into one of the station's many corridors.
"Very."
The pair continue on walking, making sure not to look too long at the menagerie of varied species that are currently roaming the large station. There was one thing that Leia warned the pair about before they had embarked on this mission: keep to themselves.
Eventually they reach the more livelier spots on the station, the entertainment section. To ensure that no one bothers Rey, Poe slings an arm around her shoulders so that she's tucked closer to his side. He knows it's a risk to do this, but he wants to them both to reach their destination without losing one another in the large crowds.
"There it is." Rey softy says, with a short nod towards a bar not too far ahead of them.
Poe doesn't say a word in reply, only giving her a short nod in return and guides them towards the bright neon lights of the Noman's Bar. He isn't surprised that Lando had Leia send them to the most outrageously colorful and oddly designed bar on the station. His father, Kes, had always said that Lando Calrissian loved the flashy lifestyle with a touch of the dramatics added in good measure.
As they enter the crowded bar, a young woman with flaming red hair, piercing yellow eyes, and a very sheer and revealing body suit approaches them.
"Jus' a two of yer?" She asks with a heavily accented drawl. Her eyes roam over Poe in appraisal and she gives him a sultry smile.
"A booth, if you can spare one." Poe answers back in a relatively passable Coruscanti accent.
"Ohh. A Corer. No' had one a yer in a long time." The woman says with a seductive grin and then turns suggestively around before looking over her shoulder at Poe. "This way."
As the woman leads them deeper into the bar, Rey can't help but feel annoyed with the woman. Not only is this young bar waitress walking suggestively in front of them, but she's also been looking over her shoulder every so often to give Poe a wink or a smile. This causes a rush of irritation and possessiveness to surge through Rey.
Finally, they reach the two-person booth. What happens next tests Rey's patience even more, and she tries hard not to influence the woman via a Force suggestion.
The red-haired waitress leans partially over the table, making sure that Poe has an unobstructed view of her ample sized, sheer-covered breasts while handing him a see-through pad. She then reaches out to press the power button, lighting up the clear pad and filling it with images and words. Yet, before she can open her mouth to suggest an item, Poe intercedes.
"I'll take a Corellian Ale, and my partner will have a plum water." Poe tells the waitress in a heavily authoritative voice. "Once we've received those, then we'll be ready with our food order."
"Righ' away, sir." The waitress leans back, wets her neon blue lips, and proceeds to give Poe another sultry smile before leaving.
"I thought she'd never leave." Poe says with a sigh as he sets down the menu. Then he rakes his hands up his face and into his blue dyed hair which he had done to help with his disguise.
Rey raises an eyebrow before letting herself comment on their waitress's flirtations. "Really?"
Poe's hands drop out of his hair and looks directly at Rey. "Don't tell me you're jealous of her flirting with me. That is not my type."
"You have a type?"
"Not anymore. Maybe when I was younger and a fool. But now…" Poe briefly hesitates, slightly fearful of what Rey's reaction is going to be. However, he presses on. "Now I've found someone who I plan on living the rest of my life with."
Rey stares back Poe and feels her heart beat a little faster than normal. The Force bond she shares with the child inside of her is filled with happiness and the same feeling which is emanating off of Poe right now. Feeling all of these emotions have Rey feeling overwhelmed and a little scared. Yet as each second passes between her and Poe, Rey can feel herself becoming grounded and calm.
The small private moment is interrupted by the waitress returning with their drinks. She sets Rey's drink down, not caring that some of the plum water has spilt out of the glass. But when she sets Poe's Corellian Ale down, she does so very carefully.
"Have yer picked out yer food?" She asks with a large smile on her face, and her eyes staring at Poe once again.
"Two Bantha burgers and some jellied honey melon." Poe replies, handing the pad back to the waitress.
Noticing that her attempts at flirting with Poe isn't being reciprocated, the waitress lets out a huff in frustration. The waitress walks away from their table and pursues a different customer with her suggestive flirtations.
"I really hope our food isn't going to be tampered with between leaving the kitchen and arriving at our table." Poe jokes, hoping to break the tension that has grown between him and Rey from their previous conversation.
"I'd be more concerned with it being tampered with in the kitchen." Rey says before taking a quick sip of her drink. It doesn't go down easy and threatens to rise back up.
Poe, getting ready to take a drink of his ale, quickly notices Rey's face go pale. Upon seeing one of her hands quickly cover her mouth, he lets out a sigh and sets his drink back down on the table. Reaching across the table, Poe grabs Rey's drink and takes a mouthful of it. It tastes the same as he remembers, so he isn't too worried that it could be drugged. Which means Rey's reaction is mostly likely hers or their child's dislike for it.
"We should really start bringing a flask of water with us. You gonna be alright?"
Rey slowly nods her head, keeping her hand over her mouth. It takes her another moment before she's willing to remove her hand. She takes in a slow, deep breath through her nose before releasing it out of her mouth.
"Baby doesn't like it?" Poe asks quietly, trying hard not to be over heard by others. Even though the bar noise is loud enough to almost drown it out.
"How can anyone drink that?" Rey cautiously says, hoping that she won't throw up while speaking.
"Not the baby then." Poe mutters out with a half-amused tone. Since learning of Rey's pregnancy, Poe's made it a kind of game to discover what foods Rey, herself, hates versus what the baby hates. So far, Rey's list of dislikes is longer.
Still feeling a little nauseated, but thirsty, Rey swipes his ale and takes a small gulp of the bronze colored liquid. Instead of immediately regretting the drink, Rey is surprised that her stomach is willing to accept such a beverage.
"Hey! You shouldn't be drinking that." Poe immediately takes his drink back from Rey and gives her a scowl. "Alcohol isn't safe for someone in your condition."
"Well what am I supposed to drink, Poe?" Rey retorts, glaring at him. She reaches into one of the jacket pockets to retrieve an anti-nausea pill from the push packet that Doctor Kalonia had sent with her. She places the dissolvable pill under her tongue, still glaring at Poe across the table.
'Mood swing is in full effect.' Poe thinks at seeing how quick Rey's mood changed. However, he isn't dumb enough to challenge her, this time.
"I'll go get you something that is safe enough for you to drink from the bar."
Poe stands up and makes his way through the throngs of people towards the bar. He reaches the bar and has to catch the barkeeps attention before ordering a sweet red wine which has the lowest alcohol count. While waiting, he glances over his shoulder to see a different waitress deliver their food order. His attention is pulled back to the bar by the sudden jolt of a body pressing up against his own. Poe turns and sees that it is in fact an old female Togruta, with white and gray-blue lekkus and montrals, in pale gray robes.
"Apologies, Flyboy." The Togruta says before shuffling away from the bar without a drink in hand.
"No worries." Poe mutters out, returning his attention back to the bar.
The barkeep returns and sets his beverage order in front of him. Poe pays the barkeep and carries the drink back to the booth. As he gets closer to the booth, Poe sees that there is a Bothan male sitting across from Rey. He quickens his pace.
"Excuse me." Poe says upon arrival.
"My apologies, sir." The Bothan replies while not vacating the booth.
"Poe," Rey calmly says, shifting over in her seat so that he can sit next to her. "This is one of the friends of our dear mother."
Hearing Rey use one of their pre-selected phrases to use when meeting the new recruits, Poe settles himself next to her. Then he sets the new drink in front of her before looking across the table at the Bothan.
"We weren't told that there would be a Bothan." Poe remarks, watching the supposed new recruit.
"Calrissian asked me to come." The Bothan wearily replies, his eyes shifting to keep tabs on the other patrons.
"Why would he do that?" Poe asks, watching out of the corner of his eye as Rey takes a small sip of the wine.
"He's concerned about infiltrators joining the Resistance."
"So, he sent you?" Poe takes a bite out of his Bantha burger before continuing to talk. "And just who are you, anyways?"
"A friend." The Bothan answers, now eyeing the pair as they eat.
"Name?"
"My name is irrelevant; and if I am discovered joining the Resistance, my people would be severely punished by the First Order. Bothawui is now under First Order occupation, and it will not be the last either."
The Bothan reaches into his traveling jacket, flashes two data-sticks, and tucks them back inside.
"Calrissian wanted me to give the information to General Organa and only her." The Bothan tells the pair. He reaches over to take hold of the plum water and proceeds to take a drink from the glass.
"What's on them?" Rey asks before taking a bite of the jellied honey melon on her plate.
"Important information. Confidential information that only certain people need know." Replies the Bothan.
Before anything else can be said between the three of them, a young human male approaches the table.
"Hello. Do you know where I can find the planet that has the Gallo Mountains?" The man asks.
Poe is quick to respond. "On Naboo. About several clicks west of Theed."
The blond-haired man gives Poe a cheery smile. "Thanks, mate. I'd better prepare for the flight then."
"Yeah, that's a 109-parsec flight." Poe tells the man with a nod.
"Got it. Thanks again, mate."
The man walks away from the booth and out of the bar. Yet, the Bothan watches the man carefully before looking back at Poe and Rey.
"That one Calrissian vetted himself." The Bothan tells the pair. "Kid comes from Kuat and is a cousin of the head of the KDY shipyards main leader. Not only does he know the ins and outs of nearly every ship that was built there, but his main talent is hacking into a ship's main computer drive from off ship."
Rey's eyebrows lift in surprise to hear of someone being able to do such a thing. Poe, however, isn't as impressed by the young man's talents.
"We'll see how good he is once we're back at base."
The Bothan stays with them till they finish their meal, and the three of them leave the bar together.
Just outside of the door they are greeted by another human male. He's several years older than Poe and sports a long black hair pulled back into a braided ponytail which matches his dewback hide clothing and line of tribal tattoos along both cheekbones. This man, the Bothan knows well and introduces Poe and Rey to him.
"May I introduce, Rego Greysin. Calrissian and myself have worked with him before. He's an excellent marksman, as well as a mechanic and stealth expert."
"Don't forget to mention my love of explosives." The gruff looking man says giving Rey a wink.
Poe gently maneuvers himself to stand in front of Rey and gives the man a stern look. Rego chuckles at his posturing, but it's the feel of Rey's hand on Poe's back that soothes his aggressive emotions towards the man.
"Rego, leave the female alone. She's his mate and bearing his child." The Bothan says to his companion.
The man scowls and looks at the Bothan. "Shouldn't you be watching what you say? Maker knows who could be eavesdropping to the conversation."
The Bothan gives Rego a level, but stern look before turning to look at Poe. "I suggest that your mate and I go to your ship. Rego will be able to help you find the rest of the recruits."
"She stays with me." Poe states to the Bothan. Something is stirring deep in his gut, and it isn't what he just ate. No one but a select few know about Rey's pregnancy, and Poe's fierce protectiveness shows by a hand resting upon his blaster. Yet there is something else making itself known; a quiet calm before an approaching storm.
"Poe." Rey places her other hand on his arm and makes sure that he can see her. She slowly guides him a few steps away from the pair so that they may speak privately for a moment.
"How the hell did that Bothan know about the baby? I don't trust them." Poe whispers to her before looking back at the Bothan and Rego.
"Poe." Rey states, turning Poe's face so that he is looking directly at her. She'd felt the Force shift just as the Bothan made his suggestion and didn't feel any aggression coming from the pair. "Something feels off, but it's not coming from them. I'd feel it if it was them. It's elsewhere."
Poe lets out a sigh of relief, but that doesn't mean he is going to trust the pair. "Bothan's have a reputation of being information gatherers, and on a few occasions been the best spymasters in the galaxy. I don't care if he knows Calrissian or the general. I'm not leaving you alone with him. We stick together."
"Alright." Rey agrees. She doesn't want to cause an even bigger scene than what they've already made.
Poe makes his way back to the pair with Rey following slightly behind him.
"We are sticking together. All of us." Poe tells the pair.
"Very well." Rego answers back. "Have it your way then."
The Bothan simply nods his head and steps aside to allow Poe to walk past.
With Poe leading them, the four of them make their way through the area. They reach the markets and find that it is filled with bustling people. Poe pushes on, looking over his shoulder every so often to check that Rey is following. He leads them to one of the small establishments selling handcrafted décor out of everyday objects just outside of the main shop door.
As Poe looks through the offerings, he notices that the blond-haired recruit has returned and is talking animatedly with Rey. When Rey lets out a chuckle every now and then, and Poe has to keep himself from marching over there.
"If she's yours, then why isn't there a symbol of your marriage on her." Rego asks, sidling up next to Poe while looking over a portrait frame made out of several droid arms. "It'd make it a lot easier on you. Unless you enjoy glaring at males who speak to her and stepping in to mark your territory when one gets too close. I swear, you young ones make everything so difficult for yourselves these days."
"Who says that we aren't already married?" Poe answers back, feeling the warmth of a blush creeping over his face.
Rego gives Poe a smile and he shakes his head in amusement.
Suddenly the sound of running and yelling begins to fill the markets. This is followed immediately by blaster fire, which causes even more panic to ensue.
Whipping around, Poe tries to find Rey; but the panicked crowd is now rushing past in the same spot where she was standing before. He moves quickly into the moving masses and tries hard to spot Rey. Yet he is unable to locate her, and that has him worried.
A hand grabs hold of Poe's shoulder and causes him to take a swing at the person.
Rego catches Poe's fist before it can contact his face. "Easy, boy. Arold and our Bothan friend would have gotten your woman to safety. Might I suggest we do the same?"
Then he begins dragging Poe with him through the rushing crowd.
~~~~SWR~~~~
Being led by the Bothan and Arold through the panicking crowd, Rey is trying to keep an eye out for Poe. The last she'd seen him was just before the chaos started. She'd felt his jealousy through the Force when she'd laughed at Arold joke and was about to head over to him when everything started.
"Where are we headed?" Rey asks as she's being partially dragged via the wrist by the Bothan.
"Some place to hide." The Bothan replies back, not loosening his grip on her wrist.
"Couldn't we head to the hanger bay and take a ship?" Arold calls out as they keep running.
"They'll be expecting that."
"You know who's attacking?" Rey shouts as more people begin screaming at the sound of blaster fire coming from behind them.
"First Order."
The Bothan makes a sharp turn down a corridor, one that is practically empty. He releases his hold on Rey and draws out a large blaster from beneath his long jacket. Following the Bothan's lead, Rey and Arold pull out their own blasters.
"Stay close. No telling who all could be down this way." The Bothan tells the pair before taking point as they walk.
For what seems like hours, the three slowly walk through the maze of corridors. Rey isn't sure where they're headed. But the Bothan appears to know where he's headed, and she isn't going to argue with his judgement. Especially when the Force is telling her to follow the same route.
They finally come upon a T-junction and movement ahead signals that there are others down this way. A minute later, seven humans in crisp, clean clothes appear several feet ahead of them.
"Thought you wouldn't make it." One of them says with a smile. Then he pulls out a blaster and the group begin to open fire.
Arold gets hit several times in the chest, killing him.
Moving quickly, the Bothan shoves Rey into a small hatchway while firing off several shots at the group.
"Who are they?" Rey asks over the blaster fire, trying to find an opening within the cascade of rapid firing coming towards them.
"Your other recruits." The Bothan replies, firing off several shots then pressing himself against Rey to seek cover. "Told Calrissian they were no good."
The group keeps up the barrage till finally one of them shouts to the others to cease fire.
"Give us the girl." One of them calls out. "You know there is a bounty on her head."
"A cheap bounty." The Bothan shouts back. "What did the First Order promise you all? A pardon for your crimes? Can't be credits because the bounty isn't even over 10,000. So, there must be something that they offered you all."
"What do you know? You, who sold out your own people to the First Order. The outcast among his own kind because of his own ambitions."
Rey watches as the Bothan goes stiff from the accusations, and she feels the Force shift. Regret, remorse, and even guilt are the emotions rolling off of the Bothan in the Force.
"Admit it, Senator Fey'lya. You handed over your own people to the First Order to grant yourself asylum for speaking out against them in the Senate. Just give us the girl and we'll let you go free. We won't even tell the new Supreme Leader that you're helping the Resistance."
The Bothan opens his eyes and looks down at Rey. Before she can say or do anything Fey'lya steps out from their cover spot and begins firing his weapon at the group. Twisting herself in preparation of discharging her blaster, she witnesses the Bothan being grazed before one bolt hits him directly in the stomach. Yet, he doesn't stop firing his weapon. Not waiting a second more, Rey begins firing her own blaster at the group, but realizes that they have some type of shield device on their wrists. Without hesitation, she steps out of cover and draws upon the Force. Extending her free hand forwards, she sends out a strong Force-blast towards the seven, and it causes them to fly hard into the wall behind them. All of them are knocked out from the blow.
"It's true." Fey'lya gasps out before dropping to his knees.
Rey doesn't hesitate as she rushes to the injured Bothan. "Let's get you to the ship."
"No." Fey'lya growls out, pushes away Rey's hands. Then he hands her the data-sticks from before. "You need to get these to Leia Organa."
Rey takes the data-sticks and quickly tucks them into her belt. The sound of approaching boots draws her attention as well as the Bothan's.
"You need to go. Leave. Now!" Fey'lya growls at Rey as he pulls his weapon closer to his body.
Realizing that the Bothan is going to give her time to escape, Rey gives him a sad look. "Thank you."
Fey'lya nods his head and watches as the young woman takes off running down the rest of the corridor before turning to the right.
"May the Force be with you, young Rey."
Rey keeps running as fast as her legs will take her. The corridors look all the same to her, but she trusts that the Force will lead her to safety. It takes several more twists and turns before Rey discovers that she's been led to the largest hanger bay the station has. However, she needs to go down three flights of stairs before she can reach the hanger's floor.
Just as she begins to jog towards the stairs, several blaster bolts scream past her head. Taking cover behind one of the single person consoles, in the observation room, Rey fires off several returning shots. Paying more attention to the shots coming from the stairwell, Rey doesn't realize that someone is coming from the opposite entry way.
The Force ripples around Rey and finds herself being flung up at the ceiling; her blaster falling out of her hands. She braces herself for the impact, using the Force to slow the speed. It still hurts though when she slams into the ceiling, but it's bearable. But it's the immediate and fast pace of dropping to the floor that has Rey curling herself into a ball to protect her unborn child.
Hitting the floor, Rey attempts to roll away using the Force to aid her landing. She lands awkwardly on her left shoulder and feels something inside pop. Yet this doesn't deter her on finishing her rolled landing. Once she's on her back, Rey musters the Force around her and releases it towards her black cloaked attacker.
The attacker is easily able to divert the attack and uses the residual energy to send back at Rey. Rey is able to shield herself from it via the Force and sparks start to crack in the air. With the energy that she's mustering against her opponent, Rey can feel herself starting to go weak from the effort. The child within her is flooding their Force-bond with fear, but Rey has to ignore it to focus on the task at hand.
Yet it isn't using the Force that causes Rey to drop to the floor unconscious, but the bolt from a stun gun to her side.
~~~SWP~~~
Poe and Rego have been running like mad to keep ahead of the First Order troops that are currently on becoming a prisoner, again. As they come up on a T-junction, there are several dead bodies strewn all over the place. This causes Rego and Poe to come to a complete stop.
"What happened here?" Rego grouses as he takes in all the death.
Poe, however, is quick to notice that Arold is lying dead on the ground, a deep blaster burns on his chest. Moving closer to the body, Poe kneels down and closes the eyes.
"Rest easy soldier." Poe mumbles before standing up again. Then his eyes begin searching for any sign of Rey.
"Kid! Over here!" Rego calls out from further down the corridor.
Poe hurries over and see that the Bothan is lying mostly on the floor, but with his head propped up against the wall. From the pool of blood beneath the damaged body, Poe knows that the Bothan isn't going to survive much longer.
"Gave…sticks…" the Bothan mumbles out between gasps for air, blood trailing out of the corner of his mouth.
Poe kneels down and looks the creature in the eyes. "Where's Rey? Where is she!?"
The Bothan lets out a harsh cough before answering Poe. "Told… run. She…has…sticks. Must…reach…Leia. Give…apologies."
A sigh of breath escapes the Bothan. His eyes glaze over and his body goes limp.
"We need to leave, kid." Rego says, dragging Poe up to stand. "The First Order will most likely raze the place when they leave. So, we need to get out of here before then."
"Not without Rey." Poe growls as he starts to walk down the corridor. There is a pull on his arm which causes Poe to spin around and point his blaster at the other man. "I'm not leaving without Rey."
"I get it kid but look at your options and think. She's most likely been captured, escaped, or dead. It's best you cut your losses and run."
Poe glares at the older man and slowly steps away. "Then leave, coward. I'll find Rey on my own."
"Have it your way. Tell Organa that her cause is lost if her people aren't willing to accept cutting their losses."
Rego begins walking in the opposite direction of where Poe is headed. This doesn't bother Poe one bit as something in his gut tells him that Rey needs him. Walking down the corridor, Poe keeps his eyes open as well as his ears. He isn't planning on getting snuck up on or ending up in a fire fight until he has Rey back at his side.
Turning a corner, Poe is struck hard with a severe headache which is so powerful that it causes him to press his free hand against his temple. Buckling knees give way and he drops to the floor from the agony. He takes several deep breaths, trying to ease the pain away. It takes several moments before the pain begins to dissipate, but his vision is still blurry. Blinking more than normal, Poe clambers back onto his feet and slowly continues on his way.
It takes a while, but eventually Poe finds himself in an observation room overlooking the hanger bay. He notices that many of the First Order troops are now leaving the station via transport ships. There, in the middle of all the transport ships is a shuttle. And heading to that shuttle are two black cloaks that Poe recognizes as members of the Knights of Ren; but it's what is being dragged between them that causes Poe's heart to catch.
"Rey." He gasps out, watching the unconscious woman being carried away. "No."
Not wasting a single second, Poe quickly heads for the stairwell and takes the steps two-at-a-time. When he reaches the bottom, he slinks along the large cargo crates till he is sees a heavily modified Kuati, single seater, starfighter. He waits for the proper moment before hurrying towards the ship. Climbing into the cockpit, Poe notices that the ship's engines are still warm.
He takes a deep breath, and says a silent prayer, before starting up the engines. This captures the attention of several First Order troops, and they begin to open fire on the ship. Yet Poe's first priority is to get the shields up, which isn't too difficult, before he begins firing at the troopers. He gets the ship to lift off and has the ship scream out of the hanger bay. His target, the shuttle with Rey on it.
"I'm coming, Rey." Poe tells himself as he begins taking out the TIEs that are covering the shuttles flight.
Using the ship's lasers, Poe is able to take out six TIEs before tiny little drones begin to fly around his ship.
"What the hell?" Poe says, trying to figure out what these things are but not lose sight of the shuttle.
Suddenly Poe finds that his ship is surrounded by these drones. What Poe doesn't understand is that these drones are a newly made tech by the First Order. The drones start to blink out a yellow light before shooting out lasers of the same color that connect with their fellow drones. They're able to surround the ship Poe is in and begin to shrink inwards.
"That's not good." Poe mutters out.
As he's about to open fire on the drones, they rapidly increase their rate of shrinking till they cover his ship. Then his engines go offline along with everything else on his ship, making it useless for him to fly. Now, he can only watch as several TIEs escort the drones towards an even larger ship, the Finalizer.
Aboard the Fulcrum…
Leia watches from the Bridge of the Resistance Flag ship as several First Order Star Destroyers create a blockade around Mon Cala. However, one particular Star Destroyer is chasing after the Resistance ships. So far, the Erso and Remembrance have escaped. As well as several others, but the Resistance is losing their fighters left and right.
"Janson. Hobbie." Leia calls over their communications channel. "I need you and what's left of our fighters to get out of there."
"Not till your ship is clear, your highness." Janson replies back, his voice crackling over the channel.
"I gave you an order, General." Leia shouts back in frustration.
"Sorry, but Luke's orders still take precedent over yours."
"Rogue Squadron was disbanded a long time ago; so you can take my brother's orders and shove them up your a-"
"Language, Princess." Hobbie's voice cuts in.
"Shut it, Hobbie!" Both Janson and Leia shout in response.
"General." Finn calls out, having just entered the bridge. "Poe's U-wing and the Falcon are safely aboard the Mothma."
"That's good." Leia calls over her shoulder to the man.
"Ma'am." Lt. Connix rushes away from her comm-station and hurries over to Leia's side. "Reports are just coming in. Junkfort Station…it's gone."
"What do you mean gone?" Finn asks, knowing that Rey and Poe were to pick up new recruits there.
"Destroyed, by the Finalizer." Connix answers.
"Are there any survivors? Finn quickly asks.
"Only those who escaped before it could be destroyed."
"What about Poe and Rey? Did they get off?"
Connix looks over at Leia, her eyes pleading to the older woman not to make her answer Finn's question.
"The last transmission we received from them was when they'd first arrived at the station." Leia sighs out, her own thoughts wondering if the pair had somehow survived the attack or escaped.
Turning away from Finn, Leia looks out the window once again. "Send the rest of the fleet into hyperspace."
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Selene