After the disintegration of Starkiller Base, Poe sought his own peace. Leia had met him as soon as he landed. He's alive, she had assured. Poe could only think of how close he had come to executing ….
Cursing softly, Poe dragged his hands through his hair. There was something he should remember. A fuzzy image burdened him with guilt when he should be celebrating the Resistance's victory.
Two missing front teeth and a gap in the lower jaw. Large ears and a comically hooked nose. "Dameron!"
Broken pictures and feelings were tangled in Poe's head. He remembered exhausted mornings after inexplicable disturbances the night before. Canron – he hated the stuff, but he wanted to see that blob of jelly again if only to think of … what? Something dire had almost befallen BB-8 when they first met. Poe must have been hit by an electric shock and flung into his X-wing. He knew he'd been dizzy for months afterwards, but once again the figment was blurred. The concussion from the Tie crash must have impaired my memory.
It didn't make sense. There were too many blank holes. Every time Poe tried to fill them, all he could see was Ben. I don't even remember him growing up. I don't know how he became Kylo Ren.
The thought was ... agonizing. A fist clenching his stomach and he couldn't understand why. Was he important to me? Did I lose him in the X-wing – no, Y-wing – it was the Y-wing incident. General Organa was there afterwards; Han, too. There was no reason for the Solos to feel guilty about a cadet bonking his head.
There's more to it, Poe determined. He hadn't spoken to General Organa since they met in the hangar. She would have answers. I began training at the academy when I was nine. I must have seen her son on occasion.
Yes, General Organa would know. Poe resolved to speak to her as soon as the Resistance settled. Once Finn woke, and Rey confirmed Luke's possible location, he would ask Leia about Ben.
A chime at the door dragged Poe off his bunk. Sluggishly he released the mechanism and leaned against the doorframe, rubbing the bridge of his nose. I've been tortured, stranded on Jakku, and led two major battles in as many days. If this is yet another mission, I'm taking BB-8 to find a planet where sleep shifts still exist.
"General Organa," Poe croaked when the door slid open.
Leia stood with arms loosely folded, mouth twisted to one side. It took her a moment to realize Poe had addressed her. One glance at his shadowed eyes rippled her face with sympathy.
"I know this is bad timing," Leia said in apology. "I've asked a lot out of you lately, and you're exhausted. But I need you to answer this call for me." Swallowing thickly, she whispered, "It's Ben. He wants to speak with you."
"Ben?" Poe whispered, dumbfounded. "Why would he ask for me?" Thick black hair that tore as a frustrated child ripped the knots out with shaky hands….
Leia's expression contorted. She was as strained as the rest of them – more so, with her recent loss. Still she retained her calm as she patted Poe's arm. "Maybe… maybe you can get through to him where we failed."
He couldn't crush her small hope. Even if Poe felt stupidly inadequate for speaking to Kylo Ren - even if his spine rippled in fear of confronting his tormentor - he could not refuse.
"Okay." Poe gave a small nod, and Leia's shoulders fell in relief. "Um… what should I say to him?"
"Anything," Leia pleaded. "You always knew what he was thinking when he was little. I know this is difficult for you, Poe. I would never have asked this from you, but … you may be our last chance."Please, her eyes begged.
Reluctantly Poe retrieved his new jacket and followed her into the communications center. Several officers were gathered around the hub. Ech'ban smiled wryly when Poe entered the room, while the others shifted uncomfortably.
"Send the transmission," Leia ordered.
Bracing his hands against the control table, Poe breathed slowly and clenched his fingers, fighting down the tremors. He can't touch my thoughts over the transmission. I have nothing to fear.
Leia drew close and Poe leaned into her presence. She was so close to breaking herself, yet she held strong for all of them. Her courage shamed him.
The transmission crackled to life as Kylo Ren appeared. "I will speak to Poe Dameron."
"He is here," Leia answered, in a voice too fortified for a grieving mother.
The sightless mask settled on Poe and he swallowed.
"I will speak to Dameron alone," Kylo Ren emphasized.
Leia nodded to her officials. She vaguely raised a hand, signalling for Ech'ban to stay in the room, out of sight. "You can't shoo me away, Ben," she told the hologram. "You shut me out when you were my child. I won't tolerate it now."
The daunting Sith lord seemed flustered. "Your presence is no longer welcome – "
"I am your mother, Ben Solo!" Leia snapped. "You already deprived me of your father, and you will not hide yourself from me as well!"
Kylo Ren's breathing rasped. "He is no longer my father… and you are no longer an acquaintance of mine."
Leia's eyes flashed. Her fists clenched on the console before she whirled away. "Talk to him before I strangle him," she muttered to Poe.
As soon as the doors closed behind her, Kylo Ren yanked his helmet off and shook free a tangled mess of jet-black hair. The scoured mark on his face made Poe cringe. "Finally. I thought she'd never leave. Are you alone, Poe?"
Stiffly Poe nodded. He resisted the urge to glance in Ech'ban's direction.
"Good." Carelessly Kylo Ren tossed his helmet aside. "I need your help."
Staggered, Poe fumbled. "You need … what?"
"Pay attention, Dameron! Force, you're just as daft as when we were children. I need your advice."
Wearily Poe rubbed a hand over his face. He was more delusional than he thought. "What… would you need my help with?" You can't take anything more from me. I won't let you.
"That girl." Kylo Ren flushed, fiddling with the controls of his lightsaber. "The Jakku scavenger. She's with the Resistance; you've probably seen her. She calls herself Rey – it's not her real name, of course, but you don't need to know her true identity. You had to have seen her."
"I – why are you asking me this?" Those piercing dark eyes… were they pouting? A faint memory pieced together. There had been a bullying incident… Ben needed a knife or something.
"Obviously I'm not going to ask Mother," Kylo Ren spat. "You're the most popular pilot of the Resistance. You have contacts. I need to know more about the girl."
"Why?" Pushing the fragments aside, Poe glowered at the hologram. She is one whom I will never betray.
Kylo Ren clamped his lips together, looked furtively behind him, and then said in a covert whisper, "I can't stop thinking about her, Poe. This is ridiculous! I hate her, and yet my dreams will not leave me alone."
Clomping boots and an oversized pilot's helm. Canron was a child's favorite sweet. "You like Rey?" Poe hissed as the revelation dawned. "What – no! You can't possibly –"
"It's humiliating enough without your commentary, Dameron," Kylo Ren spat. "I know you remember something about me, or else you wouldn't be arguing right now. I don't need your questions. Just tell me how to gain her affections and I'll leave you alone."
Is that a promise? the tormented side of Poe almost asked. The rest of him was striving to wake up. This is a really demented nightmare… "I'm not telling you how to woo my friend."
"It's not like I'm kidnapping your droid." Kylo Ren rolled his eyes. "Speaking of which, I can't believe you're still protecting that flimsy BB unit. Didn't I nearly kill you over that when I was fourteen?"
The Y-wing incident. It was Ben's fault. Poe rested his head in his hands, then snapped upright to glare at the hologram. "You threw me into the ship? Over a BB unit?"
"Don't be so dramatic, Dameron. I was aiming for the droid, and you jumped in front of me. It was all your fault."
Now that Poe thought about it, Ben had always been a tad eccentric with the blame games. "It was my fault you gave me the concussion which crippled my memory banks," he deadpanned.
Kylo Ren… flinched. "Fine. I destroyed your memories while you were my prisoner. Stop making a traumatic reenactment out of this and tell me how to convince your friend that I can train her. You know how to influence people. You're the only one she'll listen to."
I didn't know I was that popular. Poe refused to look at the corner of the room, where Ech'ban was failing to hold back his sniggering.
"Stop dallying, Poe. Give me the information I need and I will release you and your stormtrooper friend." Kylo Ren smiled, certain he had relayed an offer Poe couldn't refuse.
Kriff, did he have a headache. Straightening, Poe trailed a finger along the console. "You want the key to Rey's affections?" he said vaguely. Tell me I didn't actually like this kid once. "Come and get it."
Sneering at Ben's shocked expression, Poe ended the transmission.
Ech'ban dissolved into howls.
"You realize you just told off the scourge of the Resistance," Ech'ban established as soon as he could breathe properly. "Kylo Ren – terror of the galaxy – scolded like a sneaky twit! Poe, you don't realize how much I missed you two interacting together. Can I accompany you during the next transmission? Especially if General Organa is present? Jessika needs to see this."
"Ech'ban," Poe said uncertainly. He turned to face the pilot, and Ech'ban's smile vanished. Poe shook his head. "He took something from me," he said faintly. Finally, he knew what had been lost. "I don't remember him."
The dark man's eyes went hollow. "You mean… Kylo Ren… he tampered with your memory."
Poe was silent. Ech'ban cursed savagely. "The bastard…."
"Tell me about him?" Poe requested softly. "All I remember is a helmet." And a gap-toothed smile. Melted frosties.
Looping an arm over his friend's shoulders, Ech'ban led Poe from the room. "Where do I start? Once when you were drunk, you dubbed him 'tiny tantrums'…."
And thus the time loop continues. 0_o I have pre-written several prompts already and integrated them into an "aftermath" series. Prepare for humor, angst, and ridiculous scenarios.
(For the record, until December of 2018 I will assume that Kylo Ren and Rey are not related. Deviantart concepts are too cute to resist.)
Thank you to CrazedFangirl13, Pinky-chan2, The EarthSong, Lazerkat, BlackxValentine, Igeekthetudors, Tina910, Iolaire, time2read, Space Opera Singer, Nadreth, SilverclawRose, FoxfaceFan1, Agent ERA, and guests Corrine and Guest for reviewing!