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THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR THE REVIEWS! There's a part at the end of this chapter that I'm a bit *cough* hesitant about, so please review and let me know what you think/if it was OCC or realistic! :D ENJOY~

Infinite Xs and Os,

~Mistro~

Poe felt like a boiling pot of water; he was getting close his tipping point. "What do you want, Terex?"

The First Order agent grimaced wider than he had since his arrival. "It's Agent Terex, if you please. Titles matter. You, of course, are Poe Dameron, pilot for the New Republic Navy and more recently for Leia Organa's silly Resistance. But that's your name, not your title." His shockingly blue eyes almost seemed grey against the fiery background. "Your title should be a thief. Bandit. Crook. Scoundrel," he let each syllable flick off his tongue like the taste of something bitter. "You stole First Order property – data that we bought and paid for – and I am here to get it back. That's what I want."

Poe was growing more irritated with each passing second. Not because Terex was flinging him inaccurate insults, and even some accurate insults, but because he was running out of time before that silly egg burst open. "We all want things, pal," he said quickly. "But until you tell your TIEs to call off their attack on my squadron, and ease up with the flamethrowers on that egg, we have nothing to talk about."

"You should be more worried about yourself, Poe." Poe cringed at the sound of his first name. It sounded wrong on the strange man's tongue. Not sweet as it had on Mara's. "After all, your colleagues are flying starfighters. I'm sure they're just fine."

Poe knew something wasn't right about Terex's rant. By the sounds of it, his colleagues weren't fine. The odds were that there were too many TIE fighters for them to fight off in the end, and that time was reaching to a close.

"You're clearly a criminal. I could arrest you and bring you up on charges in either a New Republic court or a First Order tribunal," Terex droned on. It was the first time Poe noticed his seriousness and the wrath that he felt towards someone he didn't even know. The man was extremely loyal to his boss. That much was clear. "That would take too long, however, and I'm not the most patient man. In situations like this, I prefer more direct solutions. I turn up the heat, if you w-"

Krrrrcccckkkk.

Poe's head turned sharply upwards. Standing above all of them like the God that it very well could be, the egg was beginning to crack. Terex and Poe both couldn't help but take an instinctive step backwards. The cracking sound was too immature to be fearful, yet too loud to seem innocent.

"How about that?" Poe couldn't help but throw out a cheeky remark. "You actually can stop talking."

"The savior unborn! It comes at last!" The shouts of the Creche leader were somewhat heart-breaking, as the joy and prosperity she hoped for would likely end in chaos. Poe knew that whatever lay in that egg was wild and not used to the humanoid image. He could sense danger lining their path, but unfortunately that path led to zero escape routes. "Our long vigil is ended! We will be redeemed!"

There was no sound in the universe quite like what came next. The shell was broken, its pieces falling to the ground without the grace of leaves in the gust of a fall wind. It shattered and dissolved before one could process what was happening. A hazy blue mist rose up towards the small opening in the cavern roof, but several strands clung to the tall body of the new-born creature.

Poe had to crane his neck upwards to view it in its entirety, his feet stumbling behind him in an attempt to run from the monstrosity. It was muscular and over ten meters tall, its blindingly blue body emitting a glow that finally emitted light in the shadowy room. Its eyes were unlike anything Poe had ever seen, and he had seen many things in his thirty odd years. They were piercing white, and could have been mistaken as gentle instead of unforgiving.

"We welcome you, savior unborn!" The elderly woman let her arms spread outwards, as if basking in the towering creature's glory. He did not move, but only held her gaze. "We are the Creche, your loyal servants and protectors over these many generations!"

Poe wanted to focus on the situation before him, but he could see how captivated the rest of the room were. He used the opportunity to tap into his forces on the surface. "This could be our shot. If you see an opening, you take it."

"Please," the woman continued. Her smile was growing ever wider, but the blank face of the savior did not alter. "Lead us. Show us how to save the sinner's world!"

Whether he was reacting to the request, or simply fed up with the follower's devotion, the creature let his wings open up behind him. They stretched out the entire length of the room, almost longer than the length of his body. His jaw fell down easily, a guttural cry screeching through the room. His high-pitched aggression echoed into Poe's ears, which may have very well started to bleed.

With one swoop of his wing, he sent his faithful and devoted followers crashing into the nearby wall. Poe, Terex, and his men were untouched, as if the creature was accepting of those who did not pay him worship. Poe couldn't help but feel his anger grow towards this dangerous beast. These were people who loved him. These were people who wanted nothing but to please him and make him happy. He held that devotion to his parents, but nobody else. It wasn't unfamiliar to him. He had always hoped, however, that there would be another person in his life deserving of his love. A different type of affection. It still felt like a distant dream, one that he hadn't even come across when closing his eyes.

Terex sighed audibly. "So much for saviors."

Poe saw the agent's eyes flicker away from a moment, giving him an opportunity to fight. He sent his fist flying towards the man's pointed chin, but Terex saw the moment before it happened. He grabbed Poe's arm and twisted it to his delight, like the broken arm of a child's doll. Poe couldn't help but let out a cry as he was shoved into the dirt and mud below. "A sucker punch, eh?" Terex laughed against the strain in his voice. "You aren't the first to try it, and I suppose you won't be the last. But you should know that when it comes to dirty tricks… I'm absolutely filthy." He let the heel of his boot dig into Poe's wrist. "You probably ought to stick to playing hero in your X…" As Terex went to reach for his gun, he froze upon the realization that there was no impact. "… Wing."

"That wasn't a sucker punch, Terex." Poe spoke slowly as he hauled himself from the floor. "That was a distraction." When he turned, the agent's blaster was in his hand. "It's over, Terex. Tell your fighters to pull back to orbit and call off the attack down here."

"I think you're misreading the situation, Poe. My troopers aren't attacking. They're defending." Behind them, the troopers were blasting at the creature, which was growing more and more irritated. He was trying to break his way out, his claws slipping off of the rocky walls. "I'm not sure that these Creche idiots had any idea what was inside that egg. My troops are the only thing keeping any of us alive."

"Why are you doing this?" The woman's scream distracted both of them. "How have we angered you? Please tell us where we have gone wrong!" The creature reached out his clawed hand, which wrapped fittingly around the woman. He lifted her up to his face, the size of his open mouth almost double that of her body. "Please…" She whispered upon realization that her death was nigh. "No…!"

The loud sound of a wall breaking down startled them all, including the murderous beast. An almost identical creature was making its way inside, its skin as dark as night and its hide as tough as leather. With a heavy fist, he hit his sibling in the jaw without a moment of hesitation.

This was the Creche's savior, a dark and unexpected warrior. This was the creature they had been waiting for.

BB-8 began whizzing at the strange sight. "I know, buddy," Poe mumbled slowly. "It kind of makes you think." The momentary distraction brought Terex onto Poe, his strong grip trying to force the blaster out of the young pilot's hand. "Would you give it up?" Poe shouted, trying to fight him off.

"Never! That's my blaster, Dameron! And once I have it back, I will kill you!"

"Kill us?" Poe chuckled, sending a strong punch to Terex's stomach. "You were paid to bring us to your leader! You don't even need to say it for me to know. I'm already aware of that. You would rather kill me out of spite than earn money?"

"Yes," Terex said plainly, wiping the blood from his mouth. "First of all, you're both pissing me off. But you may wonder why I would kill you, particularly because you haven't told me the information that you stole from the First Order. I've been trying to understand why you're fighting so hard to save these fools. And I think I finally see. You're not fighting to protect them; you're fighting to protect something they have! Something they haven't given you yet!" Terex managed to grab hold of Poe's wrist, twisting it into a sprain. Off to the side, the monsters were flying into the air, their attack heating up with every passing second. "That's why you were still here when I arrived. Whatever you want, they still have it! And that means I can get it from them!" Terex sent a final punch to Poe's jaw, causing him to weakly crash into the ground once more, like a reunion with an old friend. "I don't need you alive at all."

Poe rubbed his jaw lazily. It wasn't the first time he had taken a hit. It wouldn't be the last. He couldn't help but recall his brief time on Tatooine, when Mara saved him with a single shot. "I'm really glad you worked that all out."

The two battling monsters suddenly hit the roof, the force of their strong bodies causing an inwards collision. The troopers trying to fight them off were suddenly pushed towards the ground by falling rocks, their cries silenced upon their crash. Terex, a man of seemingly few emotions, cried out in agony. "No! My troopers!" He reached out for them, but the rocks were unable to be moved.

From up above, the black winged monster released a single beam that cut through his brother's body without grief or concern. The battle was over. Troopers were dead, Poe's team had managed to hold off the attack above ground, and Terex was drowning in his own grief.

"And what will you do now, Dameron?" Terex asked as him and the last of his men were cornered by the Creche. "You won't kill me. You would have done it already. And you can't take me prisoner. If you did, you would give the First Order clear justification to launch an attack on the New Republic. You haven't won. You've simply lost in a somewhat… creative way."

Poe could feel himself mentally ending the conversation halfway through it. He knew that he had won. Temporarily. Therefore, his thoughts were already elsewhere, imagining him returning to the base and seeing Mara free from harm, her wide grin brightening up the beautiful face that she wasn't aware she had.

"You know what, man?" Poe shrugged casually. "You're sort of a drag. We're done here."

The Black Squadron had already made their way down to the bottom of the cave. They happily huddled around Poe and the Creche leader, but not without a quick look of warning to Terex. "This problem is easily solved," L'ulo chimed into the conversation. "Terex can't have many TIEs left. Once we refuel, we can fly up and take out his cruiser in orbit on our way home. Let the Creche decide what to do with him."

Snap scoffed. "We just let him go?"

Poe reeled the suggestion over. "It's no good. The First Order would send another ship, maybe even a Star Destroyer. They'd burn this whole planet looking for him."

The Creche leader turned her head up to her black savior. "We will let him go. He can't hurt us anymore." She gestured upwards to the creature, who perched elegantly like a gargoyle on the edged cliff. "The savior is born. It will carry us far from here to wherever our new life will begin."

"Can I ask you something?" Poe turned to her.

"Of course, Poe Dameron. You fought for us. You worked to save us, when it would have been easier to save yourself. Ask me anything."

"Well, I do have one big question, but before that… All this time, all those generations down here… Did you have any idea what was actually in that egg?"

"No," she smiled gently. "But that was never the point."

Poe watched as she came closer to him. He could feel the warmth of her breath on his ear, the flush of her skin warming his own. Her words were almost quiet enough to be missed, like the fleeting feeling of a warm summer breeze just when autumn hits. She whispered the words he had travelled all the way to hear, making the weight locking his heart to the floor lighten. It could never completely free until he was back on the base, holding Mara against him.

The Creche left after their leader had instilled her trust in the young pilot. They boarded their savior like a plane, its heavy wings weightless as it flew into the cracked ceiling. Poe watched them for a fleeting moment. There was something peaceful about change, and although he wished to dwell on the moment further, he had one final task.

"Here's how we're going to do this," Poe turned to Terex and his three standing men. "I get out of here with my guys and you get to stay down here for the time being. On our way out, we'll radio your cruiser to come pick you up. Everybody goes home and we forget this ever happened."

"Oh, I doubt I will ever forget this happened, Poe Dameron."

Poe could barely hear Terex's final words as he turned his back to leave. Smiling cheekily, he tossed a lazy farewell wave over his shoulder. "Sure thing. See you around, Agent Terex."

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

Mara was already standing when Leia entered the cell. It was nearing the end of the day, and although Mara had adjusted to the heat of the stuffy room, she wasn't quite used to being in the presence of royalty. Despite Leia's drab uniform and simple braided bun, she would always be a Princess in Mara's eyes.

"You've been in here for approximately sixteen hours, Mara Crescent. I'm sorry that I haven't had the time to come by to speak with you sooner. How are you getting on?"

Mara felt a twinge of annoyance. She knew that Leia had many things on her to-do list, but Mara had rung for a follow up chat several hours ago. It seemed like the Resistance was hitting its peak time of business, unfortunately for Mara's freedom.

"I'm fine," Mara managed to mumble. Her hair was tied up in its familiar ponytail, the sweat dripping from her scalp now cooling on the back of her neck. All she could think about was a shower.

"I've spoken with Marie." Mara suspected that was the engineer who had stopped by earlier. "She's your sole witness, but only you can guarantee your freedom."

Mara breathed deeply to steady herself. "The man who did this works in the control room. I don't know his name and I've only met him once. He didn't seem particularly unkind or closed, but when he saw me, he looked at me with distaste." She decided not to tell Leia what she had overheard about Kylo Ren. "He was displeased with me and I believe it gave him the idea to sabotage my ships. He wants me gone."

Leia had already been punching away the information into her communicator. Her fingers were flying as Mara spoke. It made the young mechanic feel as if she were trusted, as if her words were important.

"Can you describe him for me?"

"He was tall. I'm not sure of the exact height, because I was hunched down trying to fix up the R2 droid." Leia casually looked up, but if there was any emotion in her eyes, Mara missed it before she looked away. "I remember his hair being dark and his eyes a light shade of green."

Leia bit her lip momentarily, the only small gesture of discomfort that she had ever allowed herself to show. Mara felt her stomach twist. Did Leia know who the man was? "Thank you," she sighed. "That description matches perfectly with Marie's." Leia paused, her fingers drumming against the side of her leg in contemplation. "We might know who the accused is, but both of you are going to have to agree with the culprit, otherwise we will have to keep you here for the time being."

Mara nodded calmly as Leia took her leave. All she could do was wait a few moments until she was called into the main hangar. When a guard finally came in to take her out, he made sure to clasp familiar iron chains around her wrists. Mara couldn't help but remember how Leo had worn matching ones. She knew that his wrists were larger than hers, and that the tight metal would have rubbed uncomfortably against his skin. When he came to visit her in her room the day before, as she packed her belongings away for his comfort, she noticed small welts on the corners of his hands, but had said nothing out of bitterness. A small part of her longed to soothe his pain.

Mara walked out into the hangar with her chin pointed downwards. A small crowd had already gathered outside of the control room, where a man was lashing against those taking him away.

"What are you doing? Unhand me! You have no right to do this!" When he finally laid eyes on Mara, the muscles in his face relaxed. "So this is what it's about. You want to associate me with this traitor? This murderer? You've got the wrong man."

Mara's head raised at the accusation. She could feel the anger bubbling up inside of her, reminding her of when she was younger, and how her passion could overflow at a moment's notice. Her legs flew out behind her, but two strong hands on her arm held her back. "How dare you?" Mara cried, catching the attention of those working outside. "The fact that you accuse me so effortlessly makes me question your loyalty to your comrades! You have no honor!"

Leia raised a hand to silence them both. Her finger wagged forward a third member of the party, the young woman who had visited Mara earlier. There was only a small flicker of hope in Mara's chest. What if this man was not the same as the one she had seen in the shadows? It was certainly the man who had caught Mara with R2-D2, but if they were not in agreement, it was back to the cell without the chance for explanation.

Out of the corner of her eye, Mara could see Leo leaning against a ship. His casual pose made her cheeks flush red with the realization that he was not concerned for her safety. He did not seem to worry about her fate. He had already found a new home with the Resistance, and Mara's life or death situation was not something he would likely scribble into his diary.

Leo, on the other hand, did feel relaxed. He could see Mara from a few feet away, her cheeks pink with the fire that was bubbling in the pit of her stomach. Her eyes caught his for a second, sending a lost feeling into the pit of his stomach. He recognized those cheeks, and he knew what it meant.

It meant that she would fight her way out, and that she would win. He wasn't worried for her at all. She would be set free with her own courage and words, as she always had.

It was the same reason he fell in love with her.

"This is the man that I saw," the mechanic spoke softly. Her fingers twisted nervously together at her waist. "He was walking around the hangar at night, touching the engines of the X-Wings. When I saw him, he fled the scene." An audible gasp was heard throughout the room. "I didn't think he would be doing anything harmful, so I didn't report him." Her head dropped. "I'm so sorry, General."

"It isn't your fault," Leia sighed. Her attention was now turned to the man, whose face was covered in guilt and regret. "You worked in the control room with us. You kept an eye on the safety of our men and now you choose to put their lives in danger. Is this true?"

Mara's eyes were piercing him down as if to say, Tell the truth or I'll kill you myself.

It was as if her single gaze broke something inside him. His confidence shattered like glass in front of him, the green in his eyes like a broken bottle washed up at the seashore. "It wasn't supposed to kill them! It was only meant to slow them down!" Leia took a noticeable step backwards upon hearing his confession. Others began to whisper to those besides them, most eyes landing on Mara now. Her name was suddenly cleared, but why didn't she feel happier for it? The man was on the verge of tears, his heart spilling out to the lot of them. "This rookie came in and learned more than she should. She could have become a huge threat to our cause and I needed to put a stop to it!"

"More than she should?" Leia questioned. "What do you mean?"

The man said nothing to answer Leia's inquiry. "I did what I needed to in order to protect secrets of the Resistance and secrets of our cause. I only meant to get her removed from our team for a mistake with the engine. I never meant to hurt anyone!"

Leia could hardly watch the scene unfold in front of her. Her eyes turned away from one of her most trusted men. Her faith had turned to dust, as if it were a worn candle at the end of its wick. Distrust was the one thing the Resistance did not need, and she could only hope that Poe's mission had been more successful. "Take him to the cells for questioning. Release Mara Crescent. Reward Marie Teague for her efforts." That was all Leia said before she left the group in silence. Though the guards were hauling away the guilty man, nobody else dared to move. A few hard slaps were given to Mara's shoulder, but no happiness was gained from it.

This wasn't supposed to happen within the Resistance. She didn't want to hide behind wings anymore. She didn't want people to use her low status against her. She wanted to put her knowledge to use, not just behind ships, but inside of them. The entire situation was making Mara question the life she led. It made her wonder if she was loyal and strong enough to do better.

"What's on your mind, Mar?" The pet name drew Mara's attention. Leo was now standing beside her, his hand on the small of her back. She hated to admit it, but it felt comfortable there.

"I'm sorry that I ever blamed you."

Leo removed his hand with offense. "You thought that I had something to do with it? Mara, I thought I told you that I would-"

"Never hurt me," she whispered. "I heard you the first time."

"I'll say it five hundred more times until you believe me." Leo wasn't afraid of others listening, and suddenly Mara wasn't afraid to hear him. "I never entirely stopped loving you. I left because you were unable to be helped. The fire that I just saw in you a minute ago reminded me that the Mara Crescent who used her passion for what was right, and not to hate herself, is still in there somewhere." Mara was about to protest his confession, but he cut her off. "Have a nice evening, criminal. I'm off to grab a beer."

"I never entirely stopped loving you."

Mara could still feel him on her. She could feel the warmth of his hand on the small of her back slowly fading as the breeze made its way inside. She didn't love him any longer, but he already knew that. And yet he had the audacity to say that he had never stopped wanting her. Glad to see he hasn't lost his confidence, Mara thought darkly.

"I left because you were unable to be helped."

Mara had been proud, once upon a time. Now she hid from public eye. She hated every sunny morning, waking up from a night of lost sleep, only to realize that she was alone. The only trace of her previous joy was the scar on her stomach, which stretched out in a mangled twist near the most sacred part of her body.

Leo hadn't left her when she needed him.

She had left him.

Mara turned to follow him towards the cantina. There were too many things that needed to be discussed, too many old stories left untold, too many tales differing between them. She suddenly found herself wanting to say everything on her mind.

Just as the cantina came into her vision, the sound of laughter coming from the stock room caught her attention. There were chuckles of a high-pitched nature alongside slurred stories about blasters and TIE fighters of the First Order. It was only upon hearing a low word of encouragement between friends that Mara forced open the door.

Jessika Pava and Oddy both caught her eye as soon as she stumbled inside. Mara's gaze grew wide at the sight of them, unaware that Poe's mission had already made its way back to the base.

"Well, if it isn't Crescent!" Jessika laughed, raising her drink up in a friendly salute. Mara could tell by her unsteady gaze that the woman was already intoxicated. It was somewhat refreshing to see her letting her guard down. "And without chains, I see. I'm afraid we were all too busy drinking to realize that you were having a trial."

"It wasn't so much of a trial as a confession," Mara said easily. She was still taken off guard by their appearance. Only three beers rested on the table, suggesting that they hadn't been there for very long. "When did you arrive back on the base?"

"Long enough to have a quick chat with Leia about you still being a prisoner." The voice came from L'ulo, who was leaning on a nearby wall. "We wanted to check in on you, but she wasn't having any of it. We had some issues of our own with a tracker being stuck to our ship. I suspect Leia's already moved onto that case."

Mara raised a brow in bewilderment. "A tracker? That could have ended-"

"Badly," Oddy chuckled. "And it did. But we got out of it thanks to Poe's quick thinking and some giant egg creature." He patted the seat next to him. "Why don't you sit down and crack open a bottle? Finest stuff in the galaxy. We'll raise a glass to your freedom."

As tempting as the offer sounded, Mara was still thinking about her conversation with Leo. She gestured back to the door, trying to explain that she had somewhere else to be. However, when she turned to explain, a new figure was there to greet her. Poe was back to wearing his familiar brown and red jacket, his hands filled with cups of red wine. When he caught sight of Mara, one of the glasses easily slipped from his fingers and went crashing to the ground below. Mara instantly rushed to clean up the mess, her hands lazily attempting to pick up the shards of glass.

"Mara, don't do that. It wasn't your fault." Poe quickly set down the cups on the nearest table before moving back to help her. She continued to fumble with the pieces while all the meanwhile trying to avoid Poe's eye contact. Somehow she was embarrassed to be caught looking for Leo, despite Poe not knowing her plan. Poe watched her uncomfortably ignore him before deciding to simply take her hand in his. Her bright eyes immediately glanced upwards, the shock in them evident. He was taking her hand in public. He didn't care that the others saw. "Come with me."

Without the chance to reject his offer, Mara was pulled from the room. He kept her hand locked in his without the chance for freedom, but Mara quickly realized that freedom from Poe Dameron wasn't what she wanted.

There was a small hallway just off to the side of the storage room. No lights lined its path, but small rays of a blue light were flooding in from the halls nearby. Poe couldn't help but momentarily recall the blue light of the egg and the stress of the situation he had left behind on that whimsical planet.

"Mara, are you okay?" Poe searched her face for an answer, but could not find one. Her mouth was slightly agape in shock, her eyes wide with the memory of Poe's dramatic exit. He couldn't stop his hands from reaching out to hold her cheeks. "Did you have a fair trial? Are you free now?"

The difference in Poe and Leo's hands made Mara suddenly attune to what she had been looking for. She wasn't seeking out Leo in order to talk about the past, but more so in order to reiterate the fact that things between them were over. She needed him to realize that her heart would never be his again. She was not only free from her cell, but from his hold on her heart.

"I'm free," Mara laughed happily. Her hand slipped from her side to touch Poe's. He seemed intimidated by her intimate gesture, but said nothing. "What happened on your mission? Have you found the man you're looking for?"

"One step closer," Poe smiled widely. "I've got a good feeling about the next mission."

Mara let herself smile, despite her heart sinking. There would always be a next mission. There would always be a chance for him to get hurt. She was getting used to accepting the truth of it all, but admitted to herself that it would never entirely sit well in her heart. "I'm happy to hear that."

The two of them looked at one another in the dark hallway. Mara's palms were now pressed up against the plaster behind her. Poe let his hands drop from her face in realization that they were suddenly alone. There were no echoes of footsteps a few feet off, no silent chatting in the distance. All was still and quiet.

Mara asked the question that they were both thinking with her eyes.

Why did you bring me here?

It wasn't clear who moved in first. They came together, fitting against one another with a sense of ease. It was done with a similar grace to when rain hit the ground, its moulding shape adjusting perfectly to the stones around it. Their bodies hit the wall with a silent thud as they came together, too silent to draw attention from any passerbys.

Mara had never felt the way she did in that moment, exploring the scent and taste of a man she was allowing herself to open up to. There was a smell of Earth that coincided with leather and smoke. It was his scent, just as it had been the first time he kissed her. She didn't stop him this time. Instead, she let him in when he brought his lips to hers, and she kissed him back. She let her tongue explore his mouth, the heat of his breath making her chest grow heavier with desire. Each time she leaned in further, there was a silent fear that it would be the last.

Both of them knew that the kisses wouldn't last in the secret sanctuary, which had only been found by convenience. Yet, the intense desire was there in every kiss that followed. Each one was deeper than the last. Mara could feel her leg wrap itself around Poe's strong ones, pulling him closer to the wall. They had nowhere else to go. The space between them was invisible. But if they could have somehow managed to come closer together, they would have. They effortlessly tried to.

Poe's head was dizzy with affection. He let his fingers tangle themselves loosely in Mara's hair, the warm feeling in the pit of his stomach spreading downwards and further through his body. For a fleeting moment, Poe let himself break away. He saw Mara's doe eyes staring up at him, asking him to come back to her.

"I don't want to hurt you," he said suddenly. Mara's hands were still on his back, keeping him from wandering away. "Mara, if you're uncomfortable, I need you to tell me."

Mara shook her head. How could he not see how much she wanted him? He had made it back safely from his mission and she had set herself free. Despite these fantastic achievements, this was the only reward Mara wanted. To be alone with him. And it didn't frighten her to admit that.

"Okay," Poe's single word came out like a question. He let his head fall down to hers again, meeting the softness of her lips with a single press of his own. Mara's eyelids flickered shut, though she wanted more than anything to see him.

She felt him break away briefly, but his fingers reached up to her shoulder where her shirt had managed to slightly slip. He gently tugged at the edge of the green fabric, revealing a small patch of pale skin. Mara held her breath as he brought his mouth to her shoulder, planting a gentle kiss there as a reminder that she was something. She was something to him.

The silkiness of her hair brushed against his throat as she turned her head to him. His head tilted upwards, his lips pressing against the base of her neck. He could feel the warmth of her flushed skin on his tongue as he reached her jaw. Mara's hands were unable to move. They clutched at the fabric of his jacket with small fists, suggesting that she wanted him more than he realized.

When their lips met again, there was an aching sweetness in the sighs that followed. Poe was no longer surprised that this was happening, but instead was awakening upon the realization of how desperately he wanted Mara Crescent. Not only physically - her simple beauty could stop even the most heartless hunters in the galaxy - but for her mind and her laughter. He wanted to keep her as close to him as she was in that moment, to learn and gain from her company.

Mara knew that their intimacy had been desperate, but it wasn't any less real. It was an honest and raw moment that they shared, and the most truthful one she had been entangled in over the years. Pathetically, she let her hands fall from him. Her entire body shook with an uncertain feeling. It could have been desire, but there was still a lingering sense of fear. Not the fear of being harmed, but the fear of giving herself over to him.

"I want to come with you," Mara whispered so softly that Poe nearly missed it.

"Come with me?"

"On your next mission."

Poe's head instantly shook back and forth, his dark curls tousled from where Mara had locked her fingers in them. "It's too dangerous, Mara."

"Not as a pilot," she mumbled. "I'm not ready for that. But as a mechanic."

Poe's smile almost sent Mara reaching out to him again. "Mara, you know that Oddy is the mechanic associated with the Black Squadron."

Mara knew inwardly that she saw things in ships that Oddy did not. However, he was still a kind man and still her senior. "I'm not implying that I would actually come. It's just something that I want." Her eyes briefly met his, the shine of them making his thoughts spin. "To be closer to you."

Poe reached out for her hand. If he could have kept kissing her in that moment, he would have. But the others would start to grow suspicious of their disappearance and he knew that they had to begin preparing for the next important step in their chase for Tekka. "Stay with me tonight," Poe whispered. "Your bed is still where you left it."

Mara hated to be a burden, but the truth of the matter was that she had nowhere to stay. She weakly nodded her head, embarrassed now by their momentary passion.

"Come back with me." Poe was pulling her away from the wall. There wasn't enough time in the world for her heart to settle into a regular beat. Each time he touched her, it was sent flying again. "I want you to hear about the next mission."

"Where are you going?" Mara asked as they stepped back into the main hallway.

"Funny you should ask that," Poe looked back at her. "We're going to prison."

~.~.~.~.~

Wow... Okay, so I'm SUPER nervous about how the intimate scene went. Was it romantic? Did you enjoy it? PLEASE leave a review in the comments! 390+ would be amaaaazing!

I love you all - 3 I might share a photo of me and my Poe TsumTsum (YES THEY HAVE ONE) on my FB, so give me a like if you have time! :)

KTNX BAI

-Mistro-