Hey guys! So, this is the chapter of the (almost) final scene of the film... It makes you realize how little Poe is in the movie, doesn't it? Let's hope that changes in The Last Jedi! Much love and THANKS (as always) for your comments/reviews/FACEBOOK likes!

-Mistro-

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Poe couldn't see anything from outside of the atmosphere of Starkiller Base. He could picture it though, and it wasn't pretty. He could visualize the same 'eye' that had destroyed an entire planetary system with loyalties to the Resistance. This battle would invite the biggest and most dangerous mission yet, but there was something in the pit of Poe's stomach that reminded him it was only the beginning.

The image of Kylo Ren standing at the centre of the planet, his hooded robe sweeping far past his ankles and the gaze of his lifeless mask, brought back memories of Poe's own torture. Poe's neck twisted with the distant feeling of Kylo's fingers inside his mind. He swore that there had been a physical sensation tugging at his brain, pulling the memories straight from him. Hux had known about Mara's existence, but after Kylo saw her face and found her parents, he knew all hope for her safety was lost.

It was part of the reason Poe had been so angry about her sneaking behind his back to participate in the battle of Takodana. What if Ren had spotted her? What if she put herself in harm's way on the next mission, the First Order having a direct demand that she be captured on sight? The idea wasn't so ridiculous. And yet, Poe couldn't tell her this. There was guilt suffocating him, blocking the words straight from his throat.

I was the one that put you in danger, Mara. I wasn't strong enough.

Poe lifted up his helmet to wipe the beads of sweat from his brow. On the surface of Starkiller Base, Chewbacca, Finn and Han Solo had likely landed to set out on their private mission. It wouldn't be long now until the battle began.

Sacrifices would be made.

For a selfish moment, Poe hoped it wouldn't be him.

The vast view of the planet was somewhat frightening. Poe wasn't scared of too many things, but he confessed that the sheer size of Starkiller Base was enough to halt even the largest of ships in their tracks. The main port was over ten miles in diameter, at least. There were millions of panels, reflecting a wave of brilliant reflections… but it didn't take long for a tesla coil light of energy, the power of the sun, to travel down into the centre of the port.

"Pay attention," Poe said over the intercom to his fleet. "We need to keep an eye on how long this energy is being sucked up, or our base and millions of lives are going to be wiped out. We've got about fifteen minutes before we reach our demise."

There was a moment of hesitation from the other pilots. Finally, Snap's voice swam into his ears. "Way to keep things light-hearted, Commander."

"It can't always be fun and games, can it?" Poe sighed. "Today we're all soldiers. Our focus has to be fixed."

"Roger that," Jessika responded, her voice far quieter than usual.

"The weapon will be charged in fifteen minutes." Poe's fingers danced across the keyboard, his ship preparing itself for battle. Poe had a love and hate relationship with the ships he steered. At some points, he felt as if they were out of his control. It was like the hunk of metal had a mind of its own. There was a passion involved in war, when you were strongly fixated on doing the right thing, but there was always a risk. Blood, death, ship wreckage, and the possible demolition of planets was constantly something to consider when getting involved.

That was what Poe signed up for: a life of constant confliction.

"Finn and Han Solo have to be inside by now," Poe mumbled to nobody in particular. For the first time since the war had started, he didn't know what to expect. "Come on, Finn. You've got this, kid." His fingers drummed along the dashboard. There was nothing he could do now but wait.

At the Resistance Base, the remaining crew were waiting anxiously at their consoles. Things were in a state of urgency, as fleet reports were flooding in. Mara was staring with unblinking eyes at the 'ALERT' status, lit up in an unforgiving red above the control boards.

"General! Their shields are down." The call came from an officer across the room.

Mara shot off of the door frame, her arms unraveling from her waist. She had been too busy researching Terex to grab a seat at the console and was forced to wait until her help was needed. The case about Oddy would unfortunately have to wait.

"Thank the Maker!" C-3PO cried out in the midst of the chaos.

"Han did it," Leia sighed with relief. "Send them in!"

Admiral Statura briefly glanced at Mara, who was inching closer to the control screen that held Poe's status report. He stepped out of the way, in order for her to see more clearly. The pilot and mechanic's relationship was impossible to hide, particularly after their public showdown.

"Give Poe full authorization to attack," Statura ordered.

Rear Admiral Gulch tapped into Poe's headset. "Black leader, go to sub-lights." There was an intensity within the room as he gave his final command. "On your call."

"You okay?" The voice was soft and comforting at Mara's side. Without a second thought, Mara reached out for Leo's hand, her small fingers wrapping around his rough ones.

Mara knew she didn't have to respond. It was a question he already knew the answer to. She couldn't bear to see the ships engaging in their battle modes. She could barely even focus on the sound of Poe's voice on the intercom.

"Roger, base. Red squad, blue squad… take my lead."

Mara could picture Poe in her mind's eye. He would be up in the black net of space, surrounded by bright lights of faraway planets, suns, and stars. His ship would glisten against the hue of darkness, its orange stripes the only thing differentiating it from the emptiness of the galaxies. He would be sitting with a still demeanor, his helmet fastened safely. His fingers would be calm as they tapped various keys and flicked numerous switches.

Mara's vision of Poe wasn't far off. Up in the atmosphere above Starkiller Base, Poe listened to the following orders of his command.

Nien Nunb translated in his native tongue, followed by the comment of Yolo Ziff. "Dropping out of lightspeed."

"Get ready to enter the atmosphere," Poe spoke to his squadmates as well as the Resistance headquarters. In only a short while, they would be zapping into the outer regions of Starkiller Base. Their appearance would spark an all-out battle, and Poe hoped to the stars that it would be the one that finished the enemy's super weapon for the last time. Hoping that Mara could hear, Poe coughed into the headset twice. "All's well up here. Atmosphere good. Spirits are high."

A few eyes in the control room flickered towards Mara. Her hand slipped away from Leo's to lock down on the keys before her. If she didn't say anything now, she may never get a second chance. Frantically tapping into his private headset, Mara managed to lock onto his signal before they were sent into lightspeed.

"Poe?" Mara's voice shook with the sound of his name on her lips. "Poe, it's Mara… I need to tell you something-"

"Mara?" Poe was obviously shaken by her sudden message. "Mara, I can't talk. We don't have-"

"Poe, I love you." Mara's words were lost over the sound of her own heartbeat. "I love you. I've loved you longer than I even realized. You deserve to know, and I-I can't…" The words were unable to stop falling from her lips. She suddenly felt as if she could breathe again, that all of her nightmares were a thing of the past. That one, simple confession, changed her entire outlook. Her arms felt strong. Her head was held high. She believed in him. All those times he had told her, 'Just trust me, Mara Crescent' boiled down to this very moment. Realizing that he was always with her, she was finally trusting herself. "I'll always trust you, Poe Dameron."

Leo was staring with open eyes from just a few feet off. He was the only one who seemed to have noticed that Poe's radio was disconnected before Mara had let loose any romantic phrases. The pilot hadn't heard a single thing. Part of Leo's heart was urging him to tell her, but judging by the mechanic's face as she searched the screen for an answer, she already knew the message was lost.

Only moments ago, she had been holding Leo's hand. Now it was clear that he had lost her forever.

Leo wasn't going to walk away this time. Even if Mara could no longer be his partner, he still felt a sense of protection. She deserved happiness, and Leo wasn't willing to sacrifice that over a petty feud between him and Poe Dameron. "You still okay?"

Mara's eyes closed, the shadow of her long lashes trickling like tears down her cheeks. "I'm okay." She turned to him with a smile, her eyes absent from sorrow. "Thank you for asking."

Leo cracked a tight smile. "I just want you to be happy, Mar."

"I am." Her voice was small. "I am happy."

From the other side of space, Poe's signal turned off as his ship propelled into lightspeed. He hadn't heard what Mara was going to say, but the sound of her voice was enough to give him strength. His ship appeared at the edge of Starkiller Base like a bullet from a hidden gun, attracting the attention of the enemy.

The ships weren't slowing their speed. The entire Resistance fleet had their blasters aimed at the oscillator, thanks to Finn, Han Solo, and Chewbacca. He hoped the trio was alright, but his mind was fixated on just how close they were to finishing what appeared to be a very large mess. He didn't even dare to look at the time.

"Almost in range!" Poe shouted to his squadron. "Hit the target dead center, as many runs as we can get!"

Snap was moving in. "I'm approaching target."

Nien Nunb followed suite.

It was clear to Poe that the First Order would also be launching their squadrons, which perhaps outnumbered the force of Resistance. Talent over number was, however, not in the enemy's favour. Poe's heart tightened when he imagined Mara in a ship behind him, her voice over his headset announcing her first line of attack. It was too realistic not to be true, and he hoped that one day it would become a reality. Even if it meant putting her in danger, it was the type of danger she had signed up for. He understood that now.

"Let's light it up!" Poe screamed over the intercom. Alarms from the planet, the sound of blasters, and the sheer force of multiple squadrons ripping through the sky was enough to drown his already powerful voice. The X-Wings were dive bombing into the oscillator, hitting it dead centre in quick succession.

Lieutenant Bastian cheered with victory. "Direct hit!"

"But no damage," Ello Asty followed.

"We've got to keep hitting it," Poe ordered. "Another bombing run! Remember - when that sun is gone, that weapon will be ready to fire! But as long as there's light, we've got a chance." Poe was starting to feel hopeful with the sound of his own voice, but the beeping from his droid locked in the back of his X-Wing caught his attention too soon. Poe followed BB-8's orders to take note of the First Order fleet approaching them. There were dozens of fighters, a brief flicker of fear slamming into the edges of his stomach. "Guys… we've got a lot of company!"

From inside the control room on D'Qar, Mara was unable to make sense of exactly what was happening. She bit the ends of her nails in anticipation, the movement of each X-Wing like a tightly wound knot that she could not pluck undone. "Come on, Poe." She whispered to herself. "You can do this." The more she repeated the words, the safer she felt.

The X-Wings already had a new direction. They were in a dogfight with the Fighters, their path now inching closer to the surface of the snowy planet. Ships were screaming at one another, rolling past with their blasters aimed, no thought given about the life that lay behind the glass. Poe, taken aback by the sheer number of enemy ships, had barely seen the TIE Fighter approaching him on his side. With a quick move of his grips, Poe just managed to avoid a collision with the passing ship.

"Don't do this, Poe." The pilot cursed his own actions through clenched teeth. "Don't bring your sympathy into this mess."

"I've got one behind me," Snap said over the intercom. "Can you see it?"

"Yeah!" Jess cried. "I'm on it!"

Despite her confidence, a heavy cannon emplacement launched an unexpected missile, shredding a familiar X-Wing fighter to pieces.

"Furillo's been hit!" Jess's uncomfortable words were stated more as facts than to illicit an emotional response.

That would come afterwards, as it always did.

"Watch out for ground fire!" Snap called after her.

The X-Wings were roaring across the sky, blasting and dodging the Fighters and missiles with extreme precision. Poe knew that they had already lost half of their men and women. The attack was more brutal than expected, but inwardly, it was not a complete surprise. He could feel himself growing tense with the death toll rising, but he had reminded himself for too many years that this was the price, so as to not lose control during battle.

From inside the Resistance Base, a frantic technician turned to Leia. "General… are you seeing this? Two more X-Wings are down. That's half of our fleet destroyed."

Mara's stomach dropped to the floor. Her eyes were too afraid to lock onto the screen. If Poe's number wasn't there, if his station wasn't marked, she wasn't sure what she would do.

"He's still out there, Mara." Leo's voice gave her comfort for the second time that day. She felt his hand on the back of her hair, brushing it once with a singular pet. "Take a breath. We talked about this being the hardest part, but you've gotten much stronger since then."

Mara's eyes cracked open. She knew many of the names now written in red. It made her blood boil. She wanted to kill Troopers. She wanted to tear loved ones away from Terex. She wanted to torture Kylo Ren, just as he had done to Poe. There was not a drop of sentiment in her heart for the enemies, and each X-Wing they brought to the surface of their planet sedimented that feeling in her heart forever.

"Their weapon will be fully charged in ten minutes," C-3PO reminded the already uncomfortable base. "It would take a miracle to save us now."

Mara rolled her eyes. "You should be a poet."

"You suspect so?" His gold head cocked with curiosity. "I was thinking more along the lines of-"

"Stop talking, Threepio." Leia ordered with an equally large roll of her eyes. "Keep reporting."

The droid turned to Leia. "General, I believe Han Solo has run into Kylo Ren. Would you like me to tap into his audio?"

Leia looked more nervous than the entire room put together. Mara wondered just how many people knew about her family secret, but she suspected it was more than enough, judging by their expressions and the celebrity status of the Princess. "Do it," she commanded.

Foggily, as the signal was too hard to read perfectly, a calm voice flooded over their headsets. Several mechanics kept their eyes peeled on the X-Wings, taking note of battle moves. But those with curious minds could hardly ignore the family ordeal about to unravel itself.

"That's what Snoke wants you to believe." It was Han. "But it's not true. My son is alive."

Mara could practically imagine Kylo flaring up at the words.

"No," the voice came through. The words were more gentle, almost soft, due to his lack of a helmet. "The Supreme Leader is wise."

"Snoke is using you for your power. When he gets what he wants, he'll crush you. You know it's true."

There was no immediate response. Perhaps the boy did know.

"It's too late."

Mara stood up straighter. There was something locked in the Ren's voice. It was oddly familiar... a sensation she could relate to. There was longing. There was sadness. An infinite array of it. Kylo Ren was a monster, but he was plucked away from the love of a family due to manipulation and a lack of self will. He was a foolish boy, and an even more foolish man, but Mara understood what pain and regret sounded like.

And somehow, the boy was full of it.

"No, it's not," Han urged. "Leave here with me. Come home. We miss you."

There was yet again a second of hesitation. Leia's fingers were at her mouth, a flicker of hope in her eyes that her only child was truly still there, alive within the monster.

"I'm being torn apart…" The words rang over the base's intercom. It brought more emotion to Mara than she could fathom. Somehow, tears began to spring into her eyes, not out of total sympathy, but also out of fear. She knew firsthand what those powerful emotions could do to someone. It could make you reckless. Han Solo and the others were truly in danger. "I want to be free of this pain. I know what I have to do, but I don't know if I have the strength to do it."

Mara searched Leo's face frantically. "What is he talking about?"

The pilot, for once, seemed unsure. "I can't tell."

"Will you help me?" Kylo's voice was reduced to that of a boy's. He was Ben Solo, if only for a split second.

"Yes," Han begged. "Anything."

There was a painfully long silence. Mara was unable to tell what was going on, as did the other crew mates. Leia, however, was painfully still. She lost her strong demeanour. She was a wife and a mother now, no longer a General or Princess to her people.

There was a strange noise from the other side of the intercom. Han spoke no words, but a fuzzy, humming sound flooded their ears. Sighing, as if relieved of a life-long pain, Kylo Ren spoke again. "Thank you."

There were no more words from Han's intercom. In fact, it seemed to fade away into nothingness as the headsets were replaced with updates from the squadron.

Mara was momentarily confused by the conversation until puzzle pieces began to latch themselves together in her head. "No…" She whispered, her wide eyes glancing up at Leo. His eyes were fixated somewhere else, however. Leia, sitting in her chair, appeared to have given up. A look of white devastation crossed her face, enhancing the blue and purple of her veins. There was nobody to comfort her, as her family had now entirely been torn away. Her brother had abandoned her. Her son was devoured by a hideous demon of the heart. And now, her lover was dead. Mara's first instinct was to reach out, but Leo held her back.

"You have to take control of her board. She won't stop you. She trusts you." Leo's face was etched with pain.

"Leo, I-I can't-"

"You know what it's like to lose your family. Show Leia that strength. It's what she needs right now."

Mara nodded with uncertainty. The image of Han Solo being killed, by a saber no doubt, was enough to remind Mara of the world she had plunged her way into. Her uncertain nod began to grow more confident as she made her way across the room and into the seat beside her General.

"Don't worry, Leia." The name fell easily from her lips, an undeniable bond breaking through barriers of status. "I've got you covered."

The General seemed almost shocked by the confidence of the girl, who, only moments before was confessing her love to the Commander of the Resistance fleet. Although Leia's eyes were filled with unfallen tears, Mara tossed her a weak smile.

We're going to win this thing, she said with nothing but her stare. We're going to win it... for Han.

"The oscillator has been damaged, but it is still functional." Ackbar broke through the silence.

Officer Zo kept his eye on the clock. "Their weapon will fire in two minutes."

From in the sky, the X-Wings were also taking note of their time. They were unaware of the ordeal with Han Solo and Kylo Ren, but nobody would be alive to care if they didn't destroy the oscillator for good.

"We just lost R-1," a pilot spoke to the squadron.

"We're overwhelmed," Jess confessed. "What do we do? It isn't working!"

Yolo Ziff glanced down at the surface, his eyes blurred from various lights of blasters. However, he was able to see a small puff a smoke coming from the oscillator, allowing an opening. "Black Leader... there's a brand new hole in that oscillator! Looks like our friends got in!"

Finn had done it. Poe's smile grew from ear to ear with the realization that his trust had not gone to waste. "Red Four!" He shouted with pride. Even with the increased possibility of their win, Poe felt his enthusiasm surge. "Red Six! Cover us!"

"I'm on it!" Bastian shouted.

"Roger!" The other pilots agreed.

"Everybody else," Poe said with a switch of his intercom. "Hit the target hard! Give it everything you've got!"

The X-Wings began to dive in towards the oscillator, soaring through the trench that led to the structure.

"I need help here! I need some help!" Poe shouted as the enemy fleet approached. For a brief second, he saw Mara's brown hair flicker through his mind, its long waves moving in slow motion with the turning of her head. Her eyes were always curious in his imagination. "Not now, Poe." He mumbled with annoyance to himself. "You're making it home tonight."

"I'm coming in," Bastian said as back-up.

"Watch out!" The scream came from Jess, but it was too late. Asty's ship was already blasting into pieces.

"All teams - I'm going in!" Poe was tired of seeing his men die, and with the last requirement getting closer, he knew that only a few ships were needed. In fact… only one ship. "Pull up and cover me!"

"Copy that, Black Leader!"

"Good luck, Poe!"

Poe watched as the trailing X-Wings peeled off behind him, the shades of their wings covering his back as he headed straight into the fiery breach. The sun was nearly gone, the weapon's charge almost complete. Poe could feel every bead of sweat dripping down his neck and back. There was only one chance to dent the First Order's power. If he did this, he could not only save the lives of millions, but return home to Mara. The two words, Mara and home, matched together well in his head. Her unfinished words over his headset drowned his curiosities, forcing him to push through with the attack at hand.

Poe's X-Wing weaved through the breach effortlessly. It was fairly large in terms of his ship fitting, but he had to know exactly when to strike. There was a TIE fighter ahead, blocking his quick path towards the opening, forcing Poe to fire volley after volley of torpedoes.

The remaining X-Wings moved closer to the oscillator before Poe could manage to, their blasters hitting the opening created by Finn and Chewbacca. They fired without hesitation, powerful rays hissing through the air like a dying scream.

"You did it!" Poe cried with a raise of his fist. He cheered in victory, matching the sound of his squadron mates. The moment was short-lived, however, as the planet literally began to crack in two with the power of the sun's energy breaking free. His mind was forced to think of his friends on the planet, their fates far less fortunate. "We're not leaving here without the others!" Poe cried. "Scan the grounds near the sanitation entrance for a sign of them!"

There were no words of disobedience. Each of them had lost someone special that day, and the lives of three others were too much to sacrifice. It was the type of thought a First Order member could never fathom.

The Resistance ships began their search as the planet continued to crack. It was like an egg, the fragile ecosystem falling away along with any sign of the First Order. Poe shook inside his ship as his eyes danced across the frozen surface, as if the chilly atmosphere could pierce through the glass and straight into his bones.

There was an open patch of land with no trees near the Starkiller base, and Poe knew it was his best option to find Finn. An odd color from the surface below shown up at him, the familiar glare of a lightsaber, blue in all its glory, asking for help.

"All teams!" Poe cried. "I've got eyes on them! Come my way!"

A pair of X-Wings picked up the survivors. Poe was in charge of leading the fleet back to D'Qar, and he was unable to see if his friends had survived. It would be a happy reunion on D'Qar, if there was a reunion at all.

"I've got them, Captain. Chewbacca led us there." Jessika spoke over the intercom. "We've got the Falcon to pick them up and we're bringing them back to the base."

"All of them?" Poe shouted above the roar of his engine.

Jessika hesitated. "All of them. Now let's get out of here."

"Our job's done here," Poe signaled. "Let's go home!"

Poe willingly chose to ignore the trepidation in his partner's answer. Instead, he led the fleet at lightspeed before any TIE Fighter ships could track their location. The remaining pilots were slicing through space like a knife, their ships just barely hanging on. Poe smirked to himself when he thought of all the work Mara would have to do when they came back, but was happy to think that he would be right beside her.

There was an eagerness in him to turn his radio back on, to tap directly into her communicator and ask for an explanation. Of course, it had to wait. There were too many lost ships behind him, succumbing to the unfortunate fate of the beautiful ice planet. Poe's stomach twisted with the thought of lost wildlife as well, the nature of First Order super weapons a complete enigma to him. Not only did they kill with their laser powered by the sun, but they literally sucked the life out of a planet in order to do so. Their danger knew no bounds.

"You alright, Snap?" Poe tapped in directly to his friend.

"As best as I can," he sighed. "I've still got my woman beside me. Can't complain when you're that lucky."

"Yeah," Poe mumbled. He was forced to think of his frozen words on the hologram he had given to Mara. I love you, Mara Crescent. I love you, I love you, I love you… "Yeah, you're right," Poe laughed sadly. "Can't complain, can we?"

"Not a bit. See you back at the base, buddy." Snap tapped off his intercom.

Poe could hardly wait to hold her. He wanted to see Mara's saucer eyes shrink with a smile, to feel her warm breath on his ears as she planted sweet kisses along the edge of them. His heart was overflowing with happiness and gratitude towards his fallen comrades, their lives sacrificed for a deed they would never know.

Although the first battle of the war had truly begun, Poe knew that it also marked an end.

For a while, anyway.