Hello all! Thank you so much for last chapter's reviews! I'm really glad to see that you guys are still enjoying the story! :) I've been trying to get any info I can about the next movie... I'm so hoping that Poe plays a bigger role this time. What do you think?

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As always...

May the Force be with you.

-Mistrostrings-

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

Mara tightened the band on her ponytail. Leia was standing just at the end of the runway. The ships, including Chewbacca and Han Solo, had just taken off, their landing points just outside of Starkiller Base. Tension suffocated those who remained on D'Qar, but there was nothing else to be done. Mara knew that better than anyone, which was why her attention was now fixated on the General.

Nearby, Leo trickled beside her, their words lowered as if in deep conversation. Whatever the two were speaking about, it seemed intimate, as if her faith in him had increased significantly. Something about the sight of them together made Mara's skin crawl. Leia knew about Leo's abandonment during her time of need, but it seemed that all was truly forgiven in the Resistance. Judgement was for children.

"General Organa." Mara's voice sounded less than confident. The Princess, along with Leo, turned to face her with surprise. "If you happen to have a moment, I would like to speak with you."

Leia's eyes widened in surprise, her back straightening from its former slump. She was likely worried about Han Solo. "What do you need, Mara?"

Mara could spot Oddy and the rest of the mechanics from just across the way. If anyone overheard and her assumptions were wrong, the shame it would bring would be enough cause to leave the planet. No, she thought to herself. It needs to be said in private.

"I was wondering if I could speak to you." Her eyes snapped to Leo. "Privately."

Leia's words came quickly. "Mister Aldhanab and I have much to discuss and little time to do so. Whatever you have to say can be discussed with him in the room, I suspect." It wasn't particularly a command, but Mara knew that there was no other option.

Mara nodded firmly. "Whatever suits your needs, General."

"Both of you follow me. We'll go into my office."

The trio quietly made their way past the anxious engineers with no ships to fix. Cooks, bar staff, and control operators were waiting patiently for the fleet to reach their destination. It was almost like a ghost town without the pilots, the remainders sealing their mouths in nervous anticipation.

When they finally reached the General's office, a strange sense of nostalgia washed over Mara. She recalled her first meeting with the legendary Princess and leader, her nerves far outshining the capabilities she could offer. It was thanks to Poe that she managed to secure a place with the Resistance, but those first steps would never have been taken had it not been for the very room she was standing in.

"Mara, you can begin." Leia leaned against her desk like always. The woman was always too busy to sit.

Mara had to be careful about the words she used. If she outwardly blamed Oddy, she could be punished for a false lead. Mara also believed that there was hesitation to speak his name, because she considered him a friend. If her colleague was a spy for the First Order, what did that say about the faith she put in people? How woud Poe react?

"I'm not entirely sure of the details, but I recall Poe stating after the missions with Terex that someone in the Resistance was likely feeding information to the First Order."

Leia nodded slowly. "When did he tell you this?"

"Shortly after I left the hospital."

"He was right. I suspected someone of treason, but since then, other priorities have gotten in the way. We have also had no more run-ins with Terex, and perhaps our assumptions were wrong."

Mara took a step forward, her brows creased with the short time they had to talk. "But isn't it strange that Terex just… disappeared? Why does he suddenly want nothing to do with Poe after months of chasing him? It could be that…" 'Kylo Ren' almost fell from Mara's lips, but she felt uncomfortable with her knowledge about his relationship to Leia, and instead chose against it. "It could be because Poe already had a direct encounter with the First Order. They took all the information they could get from him, presumably about BB-8. That being said, I have reason to believe that someone on our base is still in contact with Agent Terex."

Leia and Leo both stared on in silence. Mara wasn't giving much evidence. She knew that if she did, it would be too indiscreet for them to heed her warning. In fact, she almost regretted telling them, despite the firm belief that she was right in thinking that Oddy Muva had a place in the mess. Oddy fought beside Leia during times of the Rebellion. How could Mara openly blame such a trusted partner?

"What are you proposing we do?" Instead of rejecting her words, Leia was offering to listen.

"I suggest we gather as much information about Terex as we can. That's always useful to have in case we cross paths again. There could be leverage hidden somewhere in his history."

"The only thing we know is that he was a Stormtrooper and a firm advocate for the Empire's manifesto," she sighed. "I'm not sure how much more you'll be able to find than that."

"That's enough." Mara smiled. "Even knowing his Trooper number can be a huge help."

"How?" Leo scoffed, but there was something in his gaze that suggested his curiosity. "How can knowing his number be of any use?"

"I've met Terex first-hand. He's a scoundrel, a flirt, and a cheat. Men like that get attached to any form of power they can find. He's in a position right now that he likely doesn't believe fits his capabilities, and it's likely that he has an attachment to his years as a Trooper." Mara's words were picking up pace as the ideas flew around her head. She had been around many arrogant men in her lifetime, not excluding Leo and the men she encountered whilst working in the junkyards. "That number could be of value to us if we were ever trying to hack into his central systems."

Leo looked taken aback. "What ship is he flying?"

"The Carrion Strike," Leia replied. It was enough to raise eyebrows.

"Wasn't that the former ship of Tarkin?"

"Exactly," Mara pointed at him with relief. "It's another reason to believe that he still harbours sentiment for the Empire rather than the First Order. With all of those shiny new ships, why would he still be flying that old piece of junk?"

"Because it's a good ship."

"I'm not implying that it isn't."

"Then why would he want a new ship if he had one that worked?"

"Because," Mara said flatly. "The First Order isn't a band of smugglers. They have money. They have all they need to purchase and use the highest form of technology, and even technology that isn't on the market yet. They don't value every single…" She gestured towards the makeshift zipper on his jacket, constructed from an old control board button. "...hunk of metal like you."

Leia stepped between the two with her voice. "Mara's right. It's likely Terex is holding on due to sentiment and we should learn what we can about him and his crew. My question to you is - why does this help us track down the possible traitor amongst us, and what is your evidence?"

Mara raised her hands in defense. "Truthfully, I feel odd providing my evidence to you in case I'm entirely wrong. I don't want to change your perception of someone who may very well be innocent. However, I do believe that tracking down Terex and making him come to us, or vise versa, will allow us to truly see if someone is feeding him information. If we notice anything out of the ordinary, such as Terex knowing where we will be at a set location and time, then we know there's a traitor amongst us."

Leia was nodding slowly. She liked the sound of it. The third time was supposed to be a charm, right? Terex had already found them twice. Even if Terex was not particularly a concern for the Resistance, he was still part of the First Order, and his connection to one of the Resistance crew members was a major threat to them all. Mara was right in thinking the case should be brought up again, despite there being a plethora of other messes to clean up.

"Leo, I'm assigning you to the mission."

Both Mara and the former smuggler were stunned into silence.

"I'm… honored to have earned your trust, General." The look of sheer surprise was unable to be hidden from the pink in Leo's cheeks. "Will I be going alone?"

"No. You'll be escorted by Poe Dameron, when he makes his return back to D'Qar. If we were to ask any of the other Black Squadron members, there would be a risk that one of you could get hurt. They cannot know about this. Poe will be the final decider in who else joins your temporary crew."

Mara's stomach twisted over itself. Leo and Poe in the same mission? Fighting together? It was almost like a dream. No. A nightmare. She began to raise a hand in rejection and to discuss other possibilities, but Leia had already sensed her worry.

"Leo and I were discussing his efforts to officially become a pilot with the Resistance. This will be a final test for him and I feel more comfortable putting him in the hands of Dameron than anyone else." Dameron was, after all, her right-hand man. "Should anything happen, he'll handle the situation." Leia locked eyes on the slightly confused man. "Unless Mister Aldhanab has any objections to that."

"No, ma'am." Leo choked on his words. "I mean General. No, General. Thank you, General. That sounds like a very good plan to me."

Mara could feel the heat bubbling under her skin. Leo and Poe. In the same ship. On the same mission. Partners. She could barely hear the words trace through her head, as the nerves and slight annoyance were too overpowering. It almost seemed like Leia was trying to punish her in some way, but the General had a valid point. Poe was the only person who could keep Leo in check. He was also the best person to introduce him to the dangers of becoming a Resistance pilot.

"Mara, if you could do research on Terex, that would buy us some time to keep an eye on the fleet headed towards Starkiller Base. However, I want this mission to take action as soon as Poe lands on D'Qar. Our safety of information may depend on that." Leia's voice was not to be reckoned with. Nothing she said was a suggestion, but an order.

"Yes, General."

"Alright, then. You two know what to do." She cracked a tight smile. It was likely that her mind was firmly locked on Kylo Ren and Han Solo, their closeness now inevitable in the battle of Starkiller Base.

What would happen? Would they encounter one another? Would they come in harm's way because of the other? Mara was now forced to think of it too. Her heart longed for Poe and his safe return, but she was sadly reminded that everyone on that base had something to sacrifice.

"I'll be back with all the information I can find." Mara bowed her head in respect. "I won't let you down, General."

"Me too, General." Leo followed with a bow himself. "We won't let you down."

"That's nice to hear." The aging General smiled her beautiful, closed-lip smirk. Mara could recall it from so many books, novels and newspaper headlines. "Today, of all days, we need a little extra faith."

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

There was silence in the room. Kylo Ren was sitting in his chair, the complete lack of noise half a comfort and half a warning of what was yet to come. There was no doubt in his mind that the Resistance was on their way to Starkiller Base. One of his men, a recently fallen Trooper, had logged that there was a traitor fighting on enemy lines. It was that rogue sanitation worker, FN-2187, who was the most likely candidate. Kylo Ren had seen the boy at the battle on Takodana himself, his casual and dirtied clothes a fitting apparel for someone on the garbage side of history. Literally.

Ren wasn't stupid. The boy was his enemy. He spat into a nearby tin to rid himself of the sour taste in his mouth.

"Sir." It was a Trooper behind him. Ren had almost forgotten the man was there, watching him stare deeply at the mangled mask of his fallen grandfather. "What is our next move for preparation?"

"Ready the fleet," he said with a slight turn of his head. He felt stiff beneath his own helmet. He almost wished to take it off, and not only because of the discomfort. "We should prepare all ships for battle."

"And what of the defense shields?"

"Wait," he breathed. "Just wait."

Kylo was forcefully reminded of the pilot leading the Resistance. He had seen Poe Dameron's moves in action during the Battle of Takodana, although his personal path was preoccupied in finding the BB-unit. He had managed to find a strange raider girl instead, her head filled with crisp images of the map. He would be torturing her soon, trying to get answers that he had so longed for.

Where is my uncle, Luke Skywalker?

Ren had also accidentally seen images of his father, the infamous Han Solo, locked away in the girl's mind. Perhaps they were close. Perhaps she was the child Solo always wished to have… but that no longer mattered. He wouldn't be asking her any questions related to the former Rebel hero.

Thinking once again of Poe Dameron forced Kylo to think of his inopportune escape. There had been a girl in the pilot's head. Not a girl… a woman. Kylo's spine tensed with the image of her as it appeared briefly in his mind. Who knew the Rebel pilot could love? Dameron seemed like a man whose affections lasted for the span of a day, but what did Ren know? Admittedly, he was a bad judge of character. He had even misread his own nature.

The more Kylo Ren dwelled on the thought of the woman, the more curious he began to grow. Who was she? Mara Crescent; he knew that much. Her parents were… nobody. She, too, was of the least importance to the universe, it had seemed. There had been minimal records. She had worked at a repair shop on Coruscant. Her parents had odd jobs, likely keeping friends in the Rebel Alliance during the time of war. Little else was known about her personally with the exception of her date of birth. She had no family of her own. No husband. No kids. Overall, she was… dull, perhaps, in the same way the girl he tortured now was dull.

So, what made them special?

Why did Poe Dameron love a mere passerby of an engineer, and why did his father hold relations with a scavenger girl?

Ren sat up straighter. "What information have we received on Mara Crescent?"

There was a moment of silence as the guard searched on his hologram pad. "Nothing else, sir. It seems that her whereabouts are unknown. There is a note that she is likely working on the Resistance base."

Kylo Ren leaned back in his chair. He was disappointed.

"Might I ask why, sir? Is there any information we were hoping for?"

Kylo Ren fiddled with the finger of his glove. His hands were bare, revealing one of the few pieces of skin he would offer his guards to see. There were few scars on his body, but he prefered to keep himself private. Putting a face with a name was not always a success story, and with his parents being the people they were, his face would be recognised around the galaxy.

"If the First Order fails their mission today, I want that Resistance pilot destroyed."

"Poe Dameron, sir? I believe that Agent Terex was on the case for-"

"Terex is a fool. If Phasma is wise, she will order his removal and ultimately his execution."

A long pause floated over the room. Kylo hoped, for the guard's sake, that he was keying the order into the system. "You would like to make Poe Dameron a priority. Is that right, sir?"

"Yes." Kylo's voice sounded unfamiliar behind the mask, even to himself. "And the best way of doing that is finding that girl." Kylo adjusted the rim of his helmet. It was time to torture the scavenger. The Resistance would likely be there soon. "That woman… Mara Crescent."

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

It was late. Mara could see that the clock was staring down at her with its two long, stretched eyes. The research was not going well. Time was mocking her. An hour had already passed and no new information on Terex could be found.

Title: Agent

First Name: Unknown

Last Name: Terex

Species: Human

Gender: Male

Hair: Grey

Eyes: Grey

Skin: Light

Cybernetics: Unknown brain cyborg construct

Known Occupations: Officer of the First Order Security Bureau, Stormtrooper (Galactic Civil War)

Affiliations: Galactic Empire, Imperial Military, Imperial Army, Stormtrooper Corps, Jakku Imperial Remnant, Ranc Gang, First Order, First Order Security Bureau, First Order Military

Mara leaned back in the chair with a sigh of defeat. How could the Resistance know so much, and yet know so little? It seemed they had all of the information about his titles, which gave Mara a headache by simply looking at it.

There was still so much to learn.

Mara's fingers drummed against the table. There had to be some kind of insight hidden among the long list of affiliations. Someone had to have worked directly with Terex, so much so that she could find his information by looking at theirs.

The Ranc Gang had been a rogue group of former Empire supporters, and it was Mara's first choice in finding his Trooper number. However, he had been the only Trooper amongst them, meaning that the others were merely well-wishers of Darth Vader's creed, rather than actual operators. She bit her nail with another jolt of defeat.

If she went through the First Order information, it could take weeks or hours to find those who had worked directly with Terex. The Galactic Empire was not a terribly different story.

There was one section, however, that Mara confessed she knew little about. The Jakku Imperial Remnant. It was an old fort, if one had to summarise the mission, and select Troopers and imperial weapons were housed there. Terex would have been young at the time, perhaps in his early twenties. With the limited information she had, Mara began to screen the list of Troopers stationed on Jakku at the time.

Her eyes instinctively flicked to the clock after passing half of the list.

When will we hear news from the fleet?

She couldn't lie to herself. Poe was on her mind. She missed his hands on her waist, his lips against her neck. Her eyes squeezed tight with the thought of him, as if shutting her vision off could make her forget him, for even ten minutes.

Mara continued to scan the ages of Troopers. Many of them were unrecorded or too old for someone to have been Terex's partner. She only stopped when she saw an unusual report, her eyes drawn to the miniscule electronic words.

TK-605. Deceased. Imperial Fleet. Murder of Corporal. Squadmate TK-603.

Mara's brows knitted together. A Trooper murdering his Corporal? Granted, it was the final battle of the Galactic Civil War. He had likely gotten tired of taking orders, but it seemed somewhat uncharacteristic for a Trooper.

Then again, there had been a former Trooper in their control room that very day, and one who appeared to be Poe's friend. He was even wearing Poe's jacket. The thought made Mara squirm. Troopers had kidnapped Poe and her parents. They were responsible for heinous crimes against innocent creatures in all parts of the universe. How could Poe trust him so well? When Mara thought back to Oddy and this 'Finn' character, she could feel knots twisting over themselves in her stomach. What if Poe's judgement wasn't as good as everyone believed?

"Am I interrupting the next great discovery in nuclear physics?"

Mara jumped at the sound of Leo's voice, but she quickly let out an exasperated sigh. "I'm researching Terex. You know that."

"Only joking." He leaned against the wall, his blue jacket too bright for the shade of his eyes. "I want you to see something."

"Can't." Her words were curt. "We're done with our little training games. Remember?"

"I remember. I miss you." He grinned with mockery. "Oh, come on, Mara. As much as you'd like to deny it, I know you."

"What does that have to do with anything?" She had already redirected her attention to the screen.

"You can't stop worrying about Dameron and the Resistance fleet." Mara's fingers halted on the keyboard. "You've been in here for ages. It doesn't take that much time to dig up some dirt on someone."

"I'm not a research analyst," she grumbled. "I'm a mechanic. Cut me some slack."

Leo didn't inch away from the door frame, but he kept his eyes fixated on her. He was grateful that his heart fluttered less than it used to, but there was still some strange burning in the sides of his ribs that would flare up for a momentary second when she blinked in his direction. "You're distracted by your own thoughts, Mara. You need a break. Just come with me."

She finally twisted in her chair, her body completely open to him. "What could you possibly want that's so important that it disrupts my valuable work for the Resistance?"

He said nothing. Instead, he trickled out of the doorway and into the hangar. It was a silent demand rather than an invitation. She had nothing but the light of the screen to comfort her, and it wasn't until she looked away that she was aware of the true ache behind her eyes. Lowering her head in hidden dejection, she followed Leo out into the light of day.

"This better be good," she moaned.

"When isn't it?" He called out, walking backwards to smile at her.

It didn't take long for Mara to notice. Up ahead, at the end of the runway, was a huge junker ship. The ship was often used by smugglers, most familiarly, Leo.

"How did you…" Mara was at a loss for words.

"Brought it here a while back, but it needed some repairs. I didn't want you to see it right away." Leo was grinning like a child on Christmas, as if he had picked out the perfect present and was now given the chance after several months, to finally deliver it. "It looks just like it used to when we drove it, doesn't it? It's cleaned up so well. Miraculously well, actually…"

Mara's fingertips couldn't even reach the door. They would need to lower the ramp for that, but she was still overtaken with emotion. "You didn't need my help to fix this?"

"I didn't want to wear you down with old memories. I could tell how much it would end up bothering you, should you accidentally bump into this beast in the warehouse."

Mara nodded in agreement. "You've got that right."

"I got Oddy and some other team members to work on it. Leia gave us the mission for a smuggler ship, so I thought there was no better ship in the galaxy to fly in."

The ship was towering; it blocked out the sun from the right angle. It's red and silver sides were like the angry eyes of a monster, which was why the two of them had aptly named it, 'The Beast'. This was years ago, and Mara's memory of the fantastic ship, perhaps her favorite one to fly after an X-Wing, had almost slipped away.

"It's magnificent, Leo," she confessed. "I have to hand it to you; you really outdid yourself."

He leaned against one of the ship props. "Should I have considered a job in mechanics?"

"You would have killed everyone on board," Mara laughed. "Just try not to get Poe and yourself killed if this is what you're using for the next mission… I want The Beast back here in one piece too."

Leo let out a sweet laugh. Mara couldn't remember when she had last seemed him so happy. It was true that the loss of their daughter had torn through him like a knife. Just like her, he needed some time to stitch himself up. "The three of us will come back, sweet and sound."

"It's 'safe and sound'."

"Sweet is better than safe." Leo winked, triggering her to fake a gag.

"I'm going back to work," she sighed with a stretch. The sunshine felt good on her bare arms. "If you have any spectacular news to tell me, just wait until I'm done."

Mara began to trickle away, but Leo's voice caught her in her tracks once again. "But I thought you already found it."

Her boots squeaked on the pavement as she turned. "Found what?"

"His Trooper number."

Narrowing her eyes, she tried to recall how Leo could possibly have that information. "What are you talking about?"

"I saw it on your screen." His voice was so nonchalant, Mara halfway believed him. "You had two numbers up. TK-605, who was deceased. That guy killed a Corporal, right?" Mara couldn't remember when she had listened to Leo with such intention. "I remember someone saying that Terex was sort of a suck-up to some other Trooper. Followed him around everywhere because he gave up on his 'Empirical Dream'." He shrugged. "Seems to fit the bill perfectly. And it said he had a squadmate…" Leo snapped his fingers with a struggle to recall the number. "TK-6… 07…?"

"TK-603..." Mara's voice hummed over the air. It seemed that the birds had stopped chirping, as if the name itself was enough to halt all precious sound. She repeated herself, the number sending a long shiver down her spine. "TK-603."