Chaos surrounded him. Alarms sounded and Stormtroopers with their various blasters ran past the room he was kept in. He grew confused. This didn't feel right and yet here he was, on the Star Destroyer, in an interrogation room and unable to move. An unauthorized ship had landed. A Resistance ship, more specifically an A-Wing. Who would be flying an A-Wing into a Star Destroyer? Then he remembered.
Ren had called Kat on the special commlink she had given him before he left for Jakku. She promised to come rescue him. He used all the strength he had to struggle against his restraints. He knew she could hold her own but she was incredibly outnumbered. He couldn't let anything happen to her. She started to worm her way into his heart just as much as he tried to get behind the steel walls she kept around herself. She may not know it but it was true. True enough that Ren had even commented on it, trying to crush any hope he had inside of him.
No matter how hard he tried, nothing happened. The restraints didn't unlock and he certainly wasn't getting free anytime soon. But then he felt a prickling sensation. It started in his fingers, crawling up his hands and into his arms. Soon the prickling turned into a burning inferno that encompassed his entire body.
He jolted awake, the sound of his own scream still ringing in his ears. He knew that there were other people in the room but he could only focus on the door as he worked to control his breathing again. Adrenaline raced through his veins and as he finally took in who stood before him, his stomach dropped. Still working on coming back to reality, Poe answered all of Dr. Kalonia's questions as a medic droid checked on his vitals. "Where's Kat? Is she okay?" He finally asked, not being able to shake his dream until he saw her himself.
"I'll send for her," Dr. Kalonia promised. "Go ahead and lie back though. You need your rest."
Poe nodded, slowly laying back against his pillows, reaching for the remote so he could adjust the bed into a more sitting position. He wouldn't be falling back asleep anytime soon.
Rose's feet stuck out from underneath her sister's ship with Kat next to her, a toolbox in an easy to reach spot so Kat could hand her whatever tool she needed. "I mean really, what did she do to this? Scrape the underside on an asteroid? You sure the patrol went okay?"
Kat laughed. "Yes, I'm sure. I know they did pass through an asteroid belt to get to the planet they were checking out for BB-8 so maybe she didn't pull up enough."
In the middle of her response, a medic called for Kat, interrupting Rose. The colonel turned towards the shouting, trying to remain calm. "What is it?" Kat asked.
"Commander Dameron is asking for you." The medic answered, a little out of breath but otherwise a normal tone.
Rose rolled out from under Paige's ship, wiggling her eyebrows causing Kat to roll her eyes.
She let out a small sigh of relief, glad that it didn't seem to be an urgent request after all. "I'll be right there. I'm just wrapping up helping Rose with her repairs." Kat said to the medic, figuring that he requested her presence to ask when he could be released or even for an update on his droid.
The medic seemed uneasy about leaving which caused Kat to let out an exasperated sigh. "If you have something to say then please do so."
"It seemed pretty urgent. It was after he woke up from a pretty bad nightmare." The medic said.
Her stomach dropped a bit as she looked to a now sitting Rose. Worry began to creep back in. "You going to be okay with the rest of this?" Kat asked.
Her friend rolled her eyes and shooed her away. "Go. I can handle this. I just wanted the company."
Kat gave Rose a quick hug before she jumped up to follow the medic to Poe's room. Once they got there, she knocked on the door frame before entering the room. She had a quip on her tongue but at the sight of the utter relief she saw in his face, the worry that had been creeping up on her showed predominantly now. "What's wrong?" She asked as she came to stand at the side of his bed.
"Are you okay?" He asked instead, reaching out for her hand, brushing his fingers against hers.
She stepped even closer to the bed and moved her hand so their fingers could intertwine. She noticed the small quirk of his lips when she finally put her hand in his. She couldn't even deny how much she enjoyed the simple gesture, at least to herself. She couldn't quite bring herself to admit to how much she missed the feeling of his hand in hers, especially after they had come back from Coruscant.
"I'm fine, Poe. I'm not the one that just escaped from the First Order. How are you holding up?"
He chuckled humorously, shaking his head. "As well as I can, I guess." He gave her hand a gentle squeeze.
"Do you want to talk about it?" She didn't know all that her brother had done but she did know about returning to life post-capture. She tried to remember all the ways that Wes had helped her.
She and Wes were the most unlikely of friends. He came from the home planet of Count Dooku and held more views that were in the middle. Kat was weary from day one but after hearing him in class and especially after he helped rescue her and her recovery, they managed to become the best of friends.
He shook his head. "Not particularly."
While she understood completely, she couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. So instead she just gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. "I'm here whenever you're ready."
His thumb began to caress the back of her hand, causing her to look down. There around his wrist sat her hair tie. With her free hand, she slipped a finger underneath the band and gently caressed the indention it left on his skin as well as the marks left over from where he had been cuffed. "You still have it?" She formed it more like a question but it was definitely a statement.
He nodded, watching her ministrations and wanting nothing more than to truly revel in them. She wasn't the only one who had a hard time with vulnerability. He didn't want to scare her off either. "Yeah, I didn't realize I still had it until I was almost at Jakku. I would offer to give it back but it's become lucky and so I don't want to mess with the juju." A small smirk played on his lips as he looked up at her.
Kat laughed, shaking her head, and it was honestly music to his ears. "I think you've forgotten what lucky actually means."
He shook his head. "It reminded me to keep fighting, brought me back to you. Seems pretty lucky to me." If she made a comment about how forward he was being, he would blame the pain medications they had given him.
The feelings she kept pushed down and far, far away were threatening to resurface. She needed to get out of there before she said anything ridiculous. She removed her hand from his wrist, the band sliding back into place. "Well, either way, it's good to have you back, Commander."
She tried to remove her hand but he held on. She had the same look on Coruscant when she told him how scared she was. He had pushed a little too far it seemed but sometimes he didn't know when to quit and she hadn't ripped her hand from his. Matter of fact she watched him, trying to figure out what was going to happen next.
He didn't want to seem needy but from the moment he saw her walk into his room, his heart rate calmed down. To see that she was truly safe, that she hadn't been engulfed in a sea of laser blasts, brought so much relief to him even though he knew that she never set foot onto that cursed ship.
"Will you stay?" He asked softly.
She blinked, not able to answer immediately. She hadn't expected that. There were so many complications if she were to stay. With both of their reputations, people would certainly talk, and would that ruin all she had worked towards getting people to trust her, to see her as a true commanding officer of the Resistance?
Then as she saw how his face slowly fell from that subtle hope that filled his eyes at his request. It stirred something in her. She never wanted to see the hope leave him by her hand. "Yeah, I'll stay. Let me go find an actual chair cause a rolling stool isn't going to be as comfortable." She tried to joke, but even to her it sounded a little too forced.
He smiled and nodded all the same though. He had been afraid that she really was going to run when she didn't answer him those few long moments. When she finally agreed, he couldn't believe it but was thrilled all the same.
Thus started a whole other layer to their relationship. She started making daily visits to the med bay. She gave updates on their search for BB-8 and when he started to be tasked with walking the length of the hall, she would join him then too. Most of the time she even stayed the night.
Poe had offered to share the bed but she refused. Instead, she continued to curl up in the chair. One night he did talk her into at least using the edge of the bed but it sat a little too low to where she couldn't get comfortable. Leia had walked in after they both had fallen asleep after they had figured out a solution to get Kat comfortable. Kat's head rested in his lap and his hand was in her hair as if he had been playing with it before he fell asleep himself. The general smirked at the scene and turned back around, closing the door behind her.
People had indeed started talking but their friends were the only ones who were bold enough to ask questions. Both Kat and Poe never truly answered though, coming up with various vague reasons or changing the subject completely. Yet despite all of this, neither of them realized how much they meant to the other.
"I think you would have come to really like him." Poe finished his story about his escape and the stormtrooper that had helped him. He had hinted at things throughout his time in the medbay but this was the first time he had told her a full story of his time under the First Order.
He looked over at Kat with a small smirk. She sat in her usual chair by his bed. It had been a few days since he had been admitted and he was sure Kat had something to do with his prolonged stay. Dr. Kalonia informed him she was under orders to make sure he healed properly so that somehow translated to a longer stay.
Kat chuckled, shaking her head at the jab he made. "I'm sure I would have too." She knew that she probably would have been a little cold to the man Poe had named Finn just because of her trust issues but she also would have been easier than she would normally be towards a stranger due to him helping Poe escape.
Poe smiled and she squeezed his hand. "The world is cruel, especially during a war. Don't beat yourself up over what-ifs. You did the best you could do in that moment and that's all anyone could ask of you."
"Does that help you?"
"Sometimes." She answered honestly. "Other times the what-ifs take over. I try not to think about my situations often though. There are currently more important things to be focusing on."
He nodded, squeezing her hand this time. "Thank you."
Dr. Kalonia walked in then, looking at her datapad. Kat just smiled at him and sat back in her chair. "Would you like for me to step out, doctor?"
The older woman shook her head. "Oh, no. I've just come in here to let the commander know that he's been given a clean bill of health. This morning's scans all came back clear." She then gave Poe a pointed look. "I want you to still take it easy. You've been doing great walking around here just fine but your normal routine may cause some soreness. Just be mindful."
"Yes, doctor." He smiled before turning it up a notch when he looked to Kat. "Where do you need me, colonel?"
Kat rolled her eyes as she stood. "I need you to calm down and let Dr. Kalonia properly discharge you and then we'll discuss next steps." She moved out into the hall to wait for him. She had already spoken with Leia about how she wanted to proceed and she had been given the go-ahead. Now to just prepare for any backlash she was going to get because if the look of his face said anything before she left, this plan was not going to go over well at all.
"He's all yours, colonel." Dr. Kalonia said, a small, teasing smile on her lips as she walked out of the room.
Poe soon followed after, slinging his arm over her shoulders as they started walking back to the main part of the base. "Clean bill of health. Honest. So send me up with the next team that's out searching for BeeBee."
Kat shook her head. "Actually you'll be easing back into training and helping comb through the whispers of BeeBee's location."
"Are you kidding?" He asked, stopping in his tracks.
She turned to face him, ready for the worst. "No, I'm not."
"Kalonia just gave me a clean bill of health, so why are you keeping me grounded? And I know it was you who kept me in there for longer than I needed."
"You wouldn't have let your body heal properly if I hadn't." She argued.
"So what are you trying to prevent this time?"
"Your death for one. And don't start with that I'm fine banthashit." She cut him off before he could interrupt her. "I know how important BeeBee is to you so I'm making sure you don't do anything reckless like hop in your X-Wing and go provoke the First Order again. They won't let you escape a second time."
"You can't control someone's life just because you want to keep them safe. That's not how this works."
"And you can't be reckless with your own life when you know just how short it actually is."
Pain and the understanding of loss lurked behind the anger shining in both of their eyes. This was the first time they had raised their voices at each other, fought, since their mission to Coruscant. And somehow this one seemed a little more significant.
"I can't just sit still while BeeBee is out there." His voice was soft, hoping she would understand. That she wouldn't pull back.
She straightened out her spine, her eyes becoming ice instead of the stormy sky they just were. It was then that he knew his hopes were crushed. She had thrown her walls back up. "Then do what you want, commander. I clearly can't stop you." With that Kat spun on her heel and stormed off.
Poe let out a sigh before continuing to his quarters. He took his time, trying to figure out where to go from here. Leia had been right. He was playing with fire and this was the first time he felt like he had gotten burned. Her words were meant to sting, he was sure of it. Even if she didn't have time to plan out an attack, Kat was good at still knowing how to make an impact. Finn's death may have been easier to let roll off his back due to not knowing the man long but the death of Muran and his mother certainly still felt fresh some days even though it's been years.
"Why did your colonel just tell me that you'll be flying with the next team that goes out?" Leia asked him, arms crossed over her chest as she waited outside of his quarters.
He groaned, not wanting to get into this now. "She was keeping me grounded, Leia. I can't do that. I should be out looking for BeeBee. Should have been a few days ago."
"With my understanding she still had you searching for your droid."
"By going through radio chatter."
Leia just shrugged. "Seems like to me you'd be better at doing that since you know your droid the best."
"Did she send you here to try and convince me?" He was starting to get annoyed again and really, he would just like to have a few moments of peace in his bed.
The general just laughed and shook her head. "I came on my own accord but it seems like you've already made up your mind."
Poe nodded. "I have a promise to keep and if she can't understand that then maybe Ren was right, we're too different but nice try though, Leia. You almost had me convinced."
Leia rolled her eyes and scoffed. "What does he know? He hasn't been around her for years." When he gave her a confused look, she gave him a pointed one. "Now, commander, I know you're smarter than that."
Then it hit him. Kylo Ren was Leia's son. Leia also raised Kat. The two were practically siblings. "I feel like this takes sibling rivalry to a whole other level. But maybe there's some truth to it no matter how long it's been."
"You'd be a fool to listen to him. You both know loss. The only difference is how you've learned to deal with it. Kat bunkers down behind a wall while she moves through life until it gets to be too much. That's when she'll run away and come back when she's ready to continue. You run whether that's away or headfirst into danger while pretending to give your heart away to anyone who may want it. But I know you keep it just as guarded as she." She patted his cheek and gave him a knowing smile. "Think about what I said and we'll see you tomorrow, commander."
He watched as she walked away, shaking his head. There were too many thoughts and emotions going through his head. For now, he'd just go sleep a bit before he would start his search for BB-8.
She was the only one in the mess hall. Well, she was now. She ate with the Tico sisters but had only vented after Paige had left. She liked Paige, considered her a friend, but their relationship was nowhere near her and Rose's. Rose had been Kat's first friend on base. The younger Tico approached her after the announcement and was one of the few who genuinely congratulated her on her promotion. Ever since then Rose always seemed to appear just to chat or to give thorough updates on all she had been working on. It wore Kat's walls down and after Leia's push, she had let Rose in completely. Kat appreciated her more than she knew.
Alas, even after venting to her best friend, Kat remained in the empty mess hall, not wanting to face things yet. C3PO stayed behind to keep her company but it wasn't working in the way the droid probably hoped. Kat looked like she was about to rip the droid's only golden arm off since the droid had adopted a red arm recently as a symbol of an unlikely friendship.
"Threepio, I think you've done all you can in trying to cheer Kat up," Leia said as she sat down next to the young woman.
"I do hope you get to feeling better soon, colonel," C3PO said before leaving the mess hall.
"Thanks. He kept giving me potential outcomes each one getting significantly worse." Kat gave a brief smile to Leia before returning her focus to her meal. She hadn't exactly eaten with the Tico sisters, more like she nibbled and played with her food while they tried to have a conversation with her.
Leia chuckled, shaking her head. "Well, I don't come bearing any better news."
Kat groaned and turned to face the general. "Tell me you didn't go talk to him." She let out a frustrated sigh when she noticed the sheepish look on the other woman's face. "He's gonna think I sent you. He already hates me enough."
"I set him straight, don't worry but he's still planning on flying," Leia said.
"Of course he is." She rolled her eyes and turned back to facing forward.
"You both know loss. You've just learned to deal with it differently. I know you have just as strong of a reckless streak as he does. Maybe tap into that side of you and you'll come up with a way to keep him safe that doesn't involve keeping him on base." Leia then stood, squeezing Kat's shoulder before placing a kiss on top of her head.
Kat sighed and pushed her plate away so she could rest her head on the table. She understood why he wanted to get back out there, of course, she did. She had considered it when she came up with his orders post being discharged. It wasn't like she was gonna keep him grounded. As soon as they found something other than a possible sighting, she was going to let him hop in his X-Wing and take off.
She let out a frustrated groan and pushed herself up, grabbing her plate so she could set it on the conveyor that would drop it off in the kitchen to be cleaned. Maybe she just needed to sleep this day off or she was pretty sure she had some whiskey in her room that would be helpful. It might just be a drink and dance until she passed out kind of night. She didn't want to think about a droid or a reckless pilot anymore.
He stayed with his team, not even sparing her a glance as they walked by where she was looking. So they were going back to not even acknowledging each other unless absolutely necessary. She could play that game as well.
She was just about to head over to see if there was any news about BeeBee when Kare approached her. "Colonel, can I have a word?"
Kat was a bit skeptical, knowing how loyal Black Squadron was to Poe. "You're not here to yell at me on Dameron's behalf are you?" She tried to keep her tone light, even throwing in a smirk. She liked Kare, a lot, to the point she considered the other woman a friend. So she needed to prepare for any hurt feelings she might have if she was indeed coming to yell at her. Then again she wasn't supposed to have feelings depending on who was talking.
"Actually the opposite. I wanted to thank you for trying to keep him from making a stupid mistake."
To say that she was surprised would be an understatement.
Kare chuckled at Kat's reaction. "Listen, we've always been the team to go in and get things done no matter how dangerous but after Muran we all took a little more notice of the danger. When we heard that Poe had been captured, we were just as worried as you. So the fact that you're trying to keep him, hell, keep all of us safe, well it means a lot. I just thought you should know."
Kat gave her a soft smile and a nod. "Thank you, captain. I appreciate it."
They all had been called out to look up at the sky then. A large red beam shot across it before disappearing. Kat's stomach dropped, assuming the worst. The feeling only intensified when she noticed the look of despair on Leia's face. The First Order had officially done it.
"It was the Hosnian System." Someone informed them.
The Republic, it was officially gone now. All those people, gone in a blink of an eye. Kat's heart broke, wanting nothing more than to go hug Leia. This fight just became so much more. War was no longer imminent, it was upon them.
"Everyone back to their stations. We need to find that droid before the First Order. The galaxy needs to know that they are not alone in this." Leia ordered before walking away to her office.
Kat stayed around to corral everyone back into the base before heading to her post as well. She needed to grapple with this new information but most importantly find BB-8. The Resistance with the help of a man she considered an uncle would bring hope to the galaxy, especially after a First Order demonstration like this.
"Colonel!" Connix hurried over to where Kat was standing just a few moments after she returned. "You're gonna want to take a look at this." She handed over a couple of readouts.
She read the top one first. A droid matching the description they were looking for was with a girl, a man, and Han Solo at Takodana; more specifically at Maz's place. Kat smirked, seeing the name of her adoptive father and where they were. She hoped that he would return since he once again found himself in dealings of the Resistance. The fact that the second readout informed of a First Order attack just confirmed things further and quieted the little voice in her head that told her the informant could have been lying about Han's presence. "Good work, Connix. Inform General Organa and get a transport ready."
"Right away, Colonel." Connix nodded before going to find Leia.
The colonel took a deep breath before going to her comm, opening up a channel so that her voice could be heard throughout the hangar. "Attention all squadron leaders, I need you all at my post now. Again all squadron leaders come to my post immediately."
Soon the squadron leaders were gathered around her. Poe still didn't look too thrilled but if she called them all over then it had to be for a good reason. "This extraction mission just became a rescue. We've located BB-8 on Takodana but the First Order has arrived first. Commander Dameron will," She turned when she heard the briefest of sounds coming from him as if he was about to say something, "So help me, I will make Wexley point so fast you won't be able to even say whatever comment you have lined up so I would stay quiet if I were you, commander."
When he remained quiet and the others snickered quietly, she continued with her briefing. "Commander Dameron will lead point on this mission. They're at Maz's palace, coordinates will already be loaded. A transport will be waiting for your all-clear so that we may provide any medical assistance if there is any need. Now go and may the force be with you."
Before he ran off with the others, Poe placed a quick kiss on Kat's cheek. He flashed her a smirk as he pulled away and then off he ran. "That doesn't change anything!" She called after him even if she was appreciative of the small gesture meant to reassure her that everything was going to be okay.
Leia chuckled as she approached the colonel. "Are you ready?" She asked, not commenting at all on what she had just witnessed.
Kat was grateful for that. The small laugh had said enough. She turned to her adoptive mother and gave her a small smile. "Are you?"
"He was always bound to come back even if I was the one that drove him away." The older woman said as they started walking towards the transport. A med team was loading up under the watch of C3PO. It even seemed that Holdo had given a few members from her army to help with protection.
They made their way into the cockpit when Kat realized that there was no one there yet. She turned to Leia with a questioning look. "We're about to go into a dog fight. I need someone a little more experienced than a typical transport pilot."
The younger woman grinned and jumped into action, going through all pre-flight protocols. Their best transport pilot soon joined her helping her as her copilot. Once everything was set, she sat in her seat and placed her headset over her ears. "This is Navy Leader to base, do we have clearance for take-off?"
"You are all clear," Connix said and soon Kat eased the transport out of the hangar and up into the sky. Once she broke atmosphere and she could see nothing but stars for miles, she pushed the transport to lightspeed with a smile.