Four Crashing Fighters

Poe

It wasn't like Poe was planning on crashing the old A-wing he'd been given by General Organa. Things just happen. Like the new First Order's stealth Tie Fighters, which no one knows about except Poe. Hence, the crash. It's not the first time Poe's survived a crash landing, but at least he can add this one to the ever-expanding list of crashes which aren't his fault.

"Come on. Come on." He snarls out while pulling himself further away from the down fighter. If there wasn't bone protruding through the right leg of his flight suit, he'd be at least a mile away from the fiery wreckage.

A grunt and a growl later, Poe knows that he isn't far enough away from his downed craft if the First Order decides to come looking. Because of his leg injury and the minor injuries from the crash, he resigns himself to the possibility that he may become a prisoner of the First Order. Pulling himself towards one of the few trees, Poe shifts himself so that he can lean his back against the tree. With his blaster in hand, Poe waits for his capture.

He isn't sure when he passed out, but what rouses him from sleep is the sound of footsteps in the grass and a familiar voice calling out his name.

"Poe? Poe?"

"Rey." He groans out harshly due to his dry throat. His eyes are barely opening thanks to the bone deep tiredness he's feeling.

"Poe!"

The footsteps get louder before it stops. A gentle hand presses against his forehead, which he didn't know was slick with sweat.

"You're burning up." Rey says before removing her hand and rummages through a bag which she brought with her.

"Good to see you too." He replies before a sharp sting lands inches above his broken bone on his thigh.

"We've got to get you out of here and back to Home One." Rey says before pulling out a com-link.

Poe feels like he's floating in and out of consciousness, and the words Rey is saying are muffled. He falls back into the abyss of sleep knowing that Rey will get him to safety.

Rey

She really should have known better than to take the speeder out on her own, but the underground base had become to stifling for her. Rey wanted to get away from everyone, especially Poe. It isn't that she doesn't like the man, but since she'd rescued him from his latest crash, he's been ever present. Whether she was working on the Falcon with Chewie, helping Rose with repairs to their newest acquisition of starfighters, or helping Finn train some of the new ground troops, Poe always seemed to find her.

So, early this morning she'd snuck into the bunker and took one of the speeders. And with horrible luck, got the worst one. By the time she'd realized the speeder was one of the junkers, it was too late. She'd had to bail from the speeder, and it had blown up several feet in front of the mouth of a canyon.

"Better head back." Rey mumbled out, clutching her left arm to her chest. A bruise already was forming on the wrist and swelling to double its normal size.

She walked for a few hours, not really knowing just how far she was from the base. She hadn't thought about brining provisions with her when she left, since she was only planning on flying the speeder for a short amount of time. Her stomach growled in protest of not having something to eat, and her mouth was parched from the lack of water as well.

After another hour of walking, Rey decides to sit down near a small tree. Looking to the sky, Rey can see that the clouds are starting to build, announcing an oncoming storm.

"Great." Rey says to herself, knowing that getting caught outside during a storm could become a matter of life or death. Especially when the rains on this planet hold a high amount of acidity to it.

Knowing that the storm is coming, Rey starts off again; but this time to look for shelter. Scouring the country side for a place to wait out the storm, there is nothing but grasslands and shrubbery around her. The rumble of thunder echoes, signaling that the storm is moving faster than what she'd anticipated. Rey begins to run, hoping that she'll find some kind of shelter before the acidic rains begin.

She keeps running till the sound of an old T-65 X-wing roars overhead before slowing down and hovering several yards ahead. As the cockpit opens up, Rey finds that she's more frustrated now than she was five minutes ago.

"Hurry up, Sunshine." Poe calls out to her.

Using the Force to aid her, Rey leaps up and lands on the nose of the ship. She makes her way to the cockpit before realizing that she'll have to sit in Poe's lap if she wants to be protected from the coming rain. Drawing in a breath, she slowly lowers herself into the cockpit, and Poe shifts to make sure that she isn't stepping on him to do it. Then he lowers the canopy to seal the cockpit.

Once they're settled in, with Rey perched in Poe's lap, Poe wraps one arm around her waist. His other hand settles back on the joy stick to fly the ship.

"You had everyone in a panic back at base." He says glancing between Rey and having to fly the ship. "Especially once Finn commented that the junk speeder was missing. I take it the thing blew up or crashed since you were running back there."

Rey lets out an agitated huff of air but doesn't answer the man.

"Well, once we get back to base, you'd best get that arm looked at." Poe comments, focusing more on flying than on Rey. The acidic rain now pelting against the cockpit's windows.

For the remainder of the flight, neither one speaks to the other.

Poe and BB-8

He's never going to hear the end of this. Once again, he's crashed. At least this time he and BB-8 were able to bail out before the ship blew up. This isn't the first time the pair of them have done this.

Reaching the ground on Felucia, Poe is quick to cut all the cords that holds his parachute to the flight vest he's wearing. Not too far behind him, he can hear BB-8 calling to him.

"Over here, buddy!" Poe calls out, now removing the heavy flight vest. He searches the many pockets and pulls out several nutrient bars, two flasks of water, a small vibro-knife, a compass, emergency com-link, a small first-aid pouch, a packet of dissolvable water filter tablets, and finally a small silver cylinder which contains a lullaby pill.

BB-8 rolls up and gives Poe a rundown of what information the droid had been able to retrieve before they were shot down.

"Yeah, I don't think they cared." Poe tells the droid, stuffing the outer pockets of his blood-orange flight suits with the items from the flight vest. "I know the General was hoping for some new recruits, but something tells me that isn't going to happen today."

BB-8 asks if the binary beacon, hiding inside of the droid, should be activated. That way, the Falcon can come down from orbit to retrieve them.

"Let's at least try to make contact before signaling the Falcon for a pick up." Poe states. With his pockets loaded up, he pulls his blaster from its holster and begins walking through the many thick and odd-looking trees.

However, BB-8 turns on the beacon anyways. It's not that he doesn't trust Poe, the little droid just isn't sure if his master is able to keep himself out of trouble. By far, the odds of Poe staying out of life-threatening trouble are very much against the pilot.

It isn't long till the roar of the Falcon's engines approaches and the ship soon comes into view to land.

"BB-8." Poe admonishes as the little droid zooms past his legs and heads straight for the lowering landing ramp.

Poe continues muttering, but BB-8 ignores it. He's just happy that his master is now safe.

Poe and Rey

"Well, at least I can honestly say that it wasn't me who crashed this time." Poe remarks as he pulls thick, fur-lined hood up over his head.

"It wasn't my fault either." Rey retorts, pulling another heavy-duty coat over the one she's already wearing.

"But you were the one flying."

"Tell me how you would have landed better given the circumstance? How does one land safely when a magnetic storm suddenly fries your ship's circuits?"."

Poe tries not to smirk at how frustrated Rey is by the situation they're in. Back at base, Leia had given the pair the go ahead to leave for Illum. The general also told the pair to pack heavy winter gear, knowing that the planet was cold, snowy planet. Not as bad as Hoth, but a close second.

"At least the Resistance knows that we're here." Poe says, pulling on the insulated black boots. "So, it's not like they don't know where we are."

"Thank the Force." Rey mutters out, pulling on her thick gloves. "Are you almost ready?"

When Rey had learned that Illum was a planet where the Jedi had gone to retrieve kyber crystals for their lightsabers, she'd been itching to go. Especially since the crystal to her lightsaber had broken in two, just like the casing for the weapon.

"Ready as I'll ever be." Poe replies, standing up with as much winter gear as he can put on himself. "You sure that you'll be warm enough?"

"I'll be fine."

"You sure. It may not be as cold as Hoth, but why chance it?"

"Can we just get this done?" Rey asks, making her way to the door that leads outside. A part of her wishes that this ship was the Falcon, but Leia had sent Chewie and Finn out on a supply run with the ship. Which left Rey having to use this little Hapan ship instead.

Stepping outside, Rey is hit by a frigid blast of air and she can't help but shiver beneath the many layers she's wearing.

"Best to keep walking. It'll keep you warm." Poe tells her, stepping around and out into the snow-covered ground.

Not one to be left behind, Rey hurries after Poe, and the pair keep walking. Rey can hear the Force calling out to her, so she tries to lead them to their destination. After nearly an hour of walking in the blistery wind, Rey is rubbing her hands up and down her arms.

"How can anyone stay warm here?"

"Walking's good. Fighting's better. Fucking's best." Poe says, a grin hiding behind his scarf covered mouth.

Rey suddenly finds a bit of heat on this miserable, frozen planet as her face turns bright red.

Not hearing her respond to his statement, Poe turns back to face her. He winks at her. "Some wisdom my father picked up on Hoth. Something Major Derlin of Alliance Intelligence once told my father. Where the Major picked it up, I haven't a clue."

Fortunately (or unfortunately) for Rey, Poe did not act on that bit of advice. Though it sure would have been damn warmer.

This chapter can be set to the Disney Canon. Thanks Darksidefan5 for their awesome Beta skills.

Reviews are Very welcomed, deeply loved, and extremely cherished.

Selene

Chapter 5 Preview: Five Marriages