Chapter 21

Familiarity

From all the climates they had more or less jumped to these past six months, from all the climates he had experienced in his life, the one greeting them here on Yavin IV was the most stifling one. It was hot and humid and breathing alone seemed like a real undertaking as he stood here in the clearing, several kilometres away from the settlement that had been founded shortly after the battle of Endor.

Poe felt a twinge in his stomach as he looked up at the ancient temple structure looming over him, stretching high into the sky, making the enormous trees look like nothing but toothpicks. Wiping his forehead, he turned to look over his shoulder at Finn emerging out of the ship, his skin already glistening with sweat.

"This is different…" Finn murmured. "Why would anyone want to live here?"

"Worse than Jakku?" Poe smiled and shook his head. Finn seemed unsatisfied with any sort of climate that wasn't regulated by machines. Even temperate climates could only keep him happy for as long as it took the skies to open up and pour rain down on them.

Finn shook his head. "It's hot, but not as bad." Smiling, Finn sat down at the bottom of the ramp. At his side was the bag in which they kept all the information for the Resistance in the form of a data card and the storage device from San Tekka. "You like it?"

Shrugging, Poe sat down beside him. "It's okay," he said quietly, reaching out to take Finn's hand in his. "I don't remember too much, but I do associate this place with my mother somehow. Or at least the name of this place you know?"

Finn's fingers curled around his and Poe kissed his knuckles. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to rub salt in the wound. You- you never talk about your family."

"So? I never knew them. I guess that's the difference. You're my family now, but you have memories of your mother, so of course she'll be on your mind from time to time." Their eyes met and a sad smile crept across Finn's lips. "Alright, maybe all the time."

"Not all the time," Poe muttered. "Just… just almost every night."

Finn gave his hand another squeeze, then leaned back to look up at the canopy of leaves stretching out over their ship and Poe followed his gaze, revelling in the rich green surrounding them. As long as they were sitting down, the heat didn't seem to get to him as much. He swallowed hard. "I wish I knew more," Poe said quietly. "I know they fought the Empire and I know my father went missing in action. I know my mother went after him and took me along. I just…" he sighed. "For so long I didn't give a damn, but things have changed. I don't know how she fared as a worker on Starkiller. Did she have any friends? Or.. or did she suffer a lot? What… what else did Kafr do to her and-" He cut himself off, biting on his tongue and looking down at his feet. Already his body was starting to shake again and he was clinging to Finn's hand with a desperation he had barely allowed himself to feel.

"I can imagine," Finn said quietly, freeing his hand out of Poe's grasp and wrapping his arm around him instead. "And I wish I could tell you all you want to know, but…" he trailed off and Poe nodded, burying his head in Finn's neck.

This was precisely it. This was why he felt the need to help the Resistance. Not only because it terrified him what else they might do to the galaxy, but also because he felt an obligation to his parents, his mother especially, to try and make things right.

If only he could… if only all it would take was to give the Resistance the things they needed and then get away from them as quickly as possible. But hell, he knew that it wasn't going to be that easy. He kissed Finn's cheek and sat up again. "We can do this," he said quietly, putting an arm around Finn's waist.

"I know we can. I'm just not sure it's the right thing… for us anyway."

"Am I being too selfish in this? Asking you to join me?"

Shaking his head, Finn pulled him closer. "No. And we talked about this. We made the decision together, remember?"

"Yeah," sighed Poe and looking back up at the sky again.

"Did he say when they'd be here?"

"Shouldn't be too long now." The talks with Morap had been short to say the least. First, they had contacted him about wanting to meet with one of the Resistance and then talked to him again when time and place had been confirmed. Yavin IV as the place where the first Death Star had been destroyed seemed to be the appropriate rendezvous point in a way.

The soft chirping of insects started to set in and Poe closed his eyes, wondering what the hell would happen next. How in the name of all the stars they were going to start working alongside the Resistance, when he had spent most of his life hating them and their system of chaos. Of course those were feelings which wouldn't go away in an instant, but he was also sure that they wouldn't want him or Finn to work with them. They'd ask for information and Poe was willing to provide them as long as they helped bringing down the Order.

As the forest around them grew quiet, and he felt Finn stir beside him, he opened his eyes again. A chill ran down his spine, making him shiver despite the heat. "Someone is coming," Finn said and Poe got up, reaching out to take Finn's hand almost at once. He wouldn't be parted from him. Not if he could help it.

Chirping quietly to himself, the Beebee-unit rolled down the ramp to wait beside Poe.

"Do you know who's coming then?" Poe asked, but was unable to identify the noises the droid made in answer. The humming of engines made him look up again and immediately Finn rose too, picking up the bag and putting the strap over his shoulder.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Finn said and Poe squeezed his hand as reassuringly as he could, when a freighter, which seemed to be even older than their own was, moved into view, flying low over the treetops and setting down gently in front of them, almost taking up most of the clearing. The ship was of Corellian built as far as Poe could tell, probably one of the older YT-models and by the looks of it, its prime days were long gone. If this was the sort of ship the Resistance employed nowadays, then they'd be hard pressed to win this war against the Order.

He exchanged a sceptical look with Finn and immediately regretted his choice of having left their blasters inside the freighter. They had decided to want to appear as non-violent as possible, but maybe they were running straight into a trap set up by the Order. Either way, it was too late now. The Corellian freighter would make it hard for them to take off again. It was nearly impossible to get out of this now.

Poe let go of Finn's hand as the loading ramp of the ship was lowered and he took a step forward, Finn right at his side. Whether this was a bounty hunter who had come to claim his prize or a group of Resistance fighters, Poe was going to face them head held high, no matter what.

But the person walking down the ramp was probably the last person he would have expected. Raising an eyebrow he watched as the slim figure of a woman, clad in a simple light brown tunic, walked down the ramp. Poe's eyes fell immediately to the cylindrical shape hanging from her belt, recognizing it at once from history lessons at the Academy. She hadn't worn it the last time they had met, for obvious reasons of course. A lightsaber would have drawn too much attention on Jakku.

"You're Poe Dameron?" she asked and Poe raised his gaze to meet hers at once. He nodded briefly.

"I am," he answered nodding. "This is Finn."

"Rey Skywalker." She said without looking at Finn. Instead she took another step towards Poe, nostrils flaring and her hand balled into fists. "You're the guy from Jakku. The one who tried to kill San Tekka!"

Poe's mouth had gone dry all of a sudden and it was all Poe could do to return her gaze without blinking. He should have expected this, he thought. This meeting couldn't be about the plans and the map and those alone. His character had to be thrown into focus as well.

"For what it's worth, the villagers nearly killed him…" Finn spoke up and Skywalker's eyes flashed towards him. "And you are?"

"Like he said, I'm Finn. Finn… Dameron I suppose."

Poe heard the smile in Finn's voice and next moment Finn's hand was on the small of his back, steadying him against the storm of emotion raining down on him. "We deserted from the Order together six months ago. You're with the Resistance? You don't look like it."

Poe almost rolled his eyes at this. This sort of thing wouldn't get them anywhere, but he had to admire his cheek.

She scoffed, putting her hands to her hips, fingers closer to her lightsaber this way. "That's what we look like. Some look different." A smile was twitching around her lips. "So you're both deserters? How do I know you're not spies?"

Without further comment, Finn took the bag off his shoulder and handed it to her. "Take a look. It's all the info on the Order we have. The plans and schematics at least."

She didn't look at it, just kept holding Finn's gaze, then nodded.

"And the map you were looking for. I- we never gave it to the Order."

"I know," she said her voice lower than before and she looked at Poe again. "And now what?"

Poe took a deep breath. "I think I have a debt to pay."

She nodded again, not even bothering with a comforting lie.

"I- sorry, we- we want to help the Resistance. If we can."

With narrowed eyes, she looked at their ship, then back at them. "What were your functions in the Order?" she asked with a furrowed brow. She seemed to be more interested in Finn than him however. What was going on there?

"I was a tactician. Finn a Stormtrooper."

Her eyes widened for the fraction of a second, but she nodded. "Fine," she answered. "But we're taking my ship. I don't have the time or the equipment to check yours for trackers."

"Fair enough," Poe said quietly, his mind racing already. He had expected this. Finn and he had talked it over and decided that it was worth it. "As long as we can get back here at some point. This ship is kind of important to us, you know?"

Skywalker shrugged, then proceeded to point at her ship. "You can take your droid with you, if you like. It's Morap's right? I've seen it before."

"You know him?"

She nodded. "He's the one who contacted me after all. Come on, let's go. I don't have a lot of time."

The ship looked even more battered on the inside than it did from the outside, but Poe wasn't going to complain. His heart was racing as he sat down in the seat behind the pilot's chair.

"You came here alone?" Finn asked. "To meet with two potential First Order spies?"

Rey nodded casually, as she programmed the nav computer. "I can take you both easily. Not that the General particularly liked me taking off like that, but still."

"Rey, you're okay?" The voice coming over the comm made Poe raise an eyebrow at Finn.

"Yes, I'm fine, Snap. I have to passengers onboard."

Poe turned his head to see four X-Wings approach them. So she hadn't come alone then. Not really. Just to the planet itself.

"They're coming along? You're sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. They're unarmed and so far I haven't sensed anything dangerous."

"Ha! Force users! Be careful though. Just in case."

Poe and Finn exchanged a quick look. Could it really be that this woman sitting in front of him trusted him solely on the premise that the Force made her think that they weren't dangerous?

"I will. See you at the base."

"Alright. See you in a few."

Poe watched as Skywalker reached out, then pulled a lever towards herself and next moment the stars outside stretched as if drawing them towards the whirlwind of blue and white that was hyperspace.

"How long until we get there?" Finn asked.

"About half an hour. We didn't set up base too far from Yavin in fact. That's why we chose this planet."

Poe nodded and watched as she got up and picked up the bag Finn had given her, holding it in her hand as if it were some sort of treasure. To her it probably was. Her name alone suggested some connection to the old Jedi the First Order was looking for so desperately. He remembered Hux telling him this young pilot's name but thus far he hadn't spent too much time thinking about her or what her links to the Jedi might be.

Poe exchanged a look with Finn, unable to decipher the expression on Finn's face. Whatever it was they were facing now would determine their lives for the foreseeable future. Finn smiled vaguely, and a warmth Poe had started associating with Finn's reassuring smile, started spreading through his chest.

"What-"

Skywalker's voice made him flinch. She was still standing there, bag clutched in her hand, but her eyes were not fixed on Poe, but on Finn. "Are you…"

"Am I what?" The annoyance was clearly palpable in Finn's voice, but Skywalker didn't seem to be intimidated by his tone of voice.

She scowled at him, then looked at Poe. "Did you know? Is that why you ran off with him? To use him?"

"Excuse me?!" Poe got to his feet, her words making anger start to boil up inside him. "How dare you!"

She furrowed her brow, seemingly unimpressed by him, before she turned to Finn again. "Never mind…" she muttered, opening the bag and taking out the storage device.

"That's not how this is going to work," Poe hissed. "You can't just throw around wild accusations and then expect us to-"

"Have you considered that you really have no say in any of this?" Skywalker looked up again, facing him now. "Have you actually even spent a single moment thinking about what's going to happen next? You're a war criminal. You both are, actually. No matter how willing you are to help the Resistance now, you not only have a lot to make up to, but you also have to accept the fact that you're our prisoners now until the General decides otherwise. Is that clear?"

Poe swallowed hard as he returned her gaze. She was right of course, and he had thought about it. They both had. But he sure as hell wasn't going to answer her now. Why would he? She had just made it perfectly clear that they were enemies and he wasn't going to help her make a point.

"You're comfortable with Morap though?"

Poe looked down at Finn, still sitting in his chair, seemingly relaxed, though Poe was sure that Skywalker's words had struck a nerve with him as well.

"That smuggler? He was in the Order too, you know?"

"Well, he proved how valuable he could be some time ago." She slumped back on her chair and reached into the bag. "I'd appreciate it, if we could keep talking to a minimum," she said and Poe rolled his eyes at her, meeting Finn's gaze again. Whatever it was Morap had done to earn the Resistance's trust, it didn't look like they were going to find out about it anytime soon and Poe wasn't even sure he wanted to know.

Finn shrugged, as Skywalker leaned back in her seat, storage device in her hand. Poe couldn't see her expression and he was grateful for it. They hadn't exactly become friends… what a great start of their new life.