Oh wow! Big thanks to sarahmichellegellarfan1 for reviewing every single chapter as they read! I'm so glad you're enjoying the story! Also, I've found a fair amount of Poe/OC fics on ao3 and tumblr as well.
Guest - Thank you!
Souffl3Girl - whaaaat?! I sent you PMs after both of your last two reviews! Now when I look they're not in my Outbox! I'm not surprised, I've not been getting a lot of my email alerts either. They were along the lines of: I'm really glad you're enjoying my story, and I'm so flattered I'm inspiring you to dive in and write your own! To be honest, I have like six or seven Wookiepedia tabs up at all times for reference, and whatever I can't verify, I make up! That's the beauty of fanfiction - it's written both by and for fans, and we don't have to be afraid to take artistic license with our work! For instance, canon says Shara began to teach Poe to fly at age 6, but that doesn't mean it wasn't for Rymer's benefit! You should enjoy what what you're writing and the process should make you happy, otherwise what's the point? I think you should ABSOLUTELY write your own story, and I've already followed your profile so I can read it when you decide to post! Also, in response to your last review - I know, right? Boys are stupid sometimes, no matter what galaxy they're from.
JustDreamAboutIt - Thank you so much! Your wish is my command!
Firestar007 - Thank you so much! I'm thinking it's been going on since about the time they started school and proved that it was still just the two of them against the galaxy. I may write that one-shot someday!
Okay, so I waited a while to write this chapter because I wasn't exactly sure when/where I wanted to set it, and the only life event that's really been speaking to me lately that fits well chronologically is another tragedy, and I don't want you guys to think their lives are just one depressing event after another. But I also don't want to let writer's block stand in my way. So I mentioned my dilemma to my friend Kelly - the same friend I shared my profile link with, who's been reading one of my other stories so far coughshamelessplugformyprofilecough - and she quoted Gandalf to me. A quote I sadly can't remember at the moment, but was about the fact that very few stories have more than just a little happiness in them, and it actually hit home at the time. And I also thought of another quote, one by Kurt Vonnegut - "Be a sadist. No matter how sweet and innocent your leading characters, make awful things happen to them in order that the reader may see what they are made of."
So you know what. Fuck it. Let me get this off my chest and hopefully something new will strike. This one's for you, Kelly.
I really would love suggestions and requests!
YOU GUYS I FOUND A NAME GENERATOR THAT ALSO GIVES YOU BACKGROUND AND HOME PLANET SHIT'S GETTING REAL YOU GUYS.
REPUBLIC NAVAL ACADEMY
CORUSCANT
AGE 18
The first year was all about books, flight training, and rotating through so many squad rosters they could hardly begin to remember their fellow cadet's names for weeks. Poe and Rymer hardly managed to see each other when not in class, and when they were together that time was spent either studying or sleeping, usually both. Four months in had them confused to the point of frustration - every single instructor and cadet who had seen them fly together could see how fluid they were in the air together, how easily they could read each other's flight patterns and shift their own to accommodate, Rymer's slightly more accurate firing skills making up for Poe's slightly superior piloting skills.
But they were never put on the same flight roster!
"I don't get it," Poe grumbled, stabbing his fork at the vegetables on his tray. They sat in the canteen with a few of the friends they'd made, deciding for once to leave their books in their rooms and eat in peace. "We easily make the best team here, why are they starting to use regular rosters and don't have us flying together?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Suhail mumbled from where her sage green head lay on her arms, white hair tousled. Rymer grinned at her reptilian roommate - the small Chubbit was formerly a princess on her home planet of Aridus who had abdicated her throne in favor of flying for the Republic, but her biting sarcasm and lazy demeanor belied her regal upbringing.
"Enlighten us, oh royal one."
Suhail swatted a hand out blindly, her half-hearted slap missing Rymer by several inches. She sighed heavily and exaggeratedly, sitting up. "Starting next year we'll be flying with our assigned squadrons until we graduate, and we'll probably be assigned with them in the fleet as well. They need to make sure they're using every strength exactly where it's needed, so there's no way they'll have you flying together. They're grooming you both for command."
Rymer and Poe blinked. Command had always been their dream, but they hadn't noticed any special treatment or attention. If anything, they felt their instructors were sometimes harsher with them than the other cadets. "Are you sure?" Poe asked her.
"This is the first place in my life I haven't been groomed for command. Trust me, I know it when I see it."
"I mean, it makes sense," Suns mused, leaving back in his chair and twirling his fork in his fingers. "You're both top in our class, even though Dameron drives the instructors crazy."
"That's only because she's too good at making herself look innocent!" Poe insisted, jabbing his fork in Rymer's direction. His girlfriend only smirked and kissed his cheek.
"You guys are disgusting," Rig complained, covering her eyes with one hand as she continued to eat with the other.
"You sound like my kid brother," Ry said dryly.
"Smart kid."
Muran smirked at her across the table. "You're just cranky because that cute second year girl won't look twice at you." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively.
"Shut up Muran!"
"Cadets Keen and Dameron?" The table looked up to see the familiar third year cadet that was the Admiral's intern/personal assistant. "Admiral Scardri needs to see you both in his office." He turned and walked away without saying anything else.
Poe and Rymer looked at each other and then their friends, eyebrows furrowed.
"I guess we'll find you guys later," Poe said, taking both of their trays on one hand and lacing the fingers of his free hand with hers.
The walk was only a few short minutes, and they let they gave each other a final squeeze before letting their hands drop to their sides. Poe rapped his knuckles against the door firmly.
"Come in."
The office of the head of the academy was large, but relatively spartan. Tansti Scardri was a physically imposing man, but was known to give praise where it was due and even joke with his cadets now and again. When he turned from the window to face them, they were startled at the look of naked sympathy in his eyes.
"You asked to see us, sir?"
"Please have a seat." They obeyed, albeit a little warily. Instead of taking his own chair he came around to sit lightly on his desk directly in front of them. "I just received communication from your father, Cadet Dameron."
"Is my dad okay?" Poe cut in worriedly, heedless of interrupting. They were allowed one holocommunication a week, and that wasn't for another few days.
"Your father is fine, Cadet," the admiral said smoothly, watching both teenagers' shoulders drop slightly in relief. His brow furrowed, knowing it was a momentary reprieve. "But I'm afraid I have some bad news. I called both of you here because he made me aware of the connection between your families, so I know this affects both of you."
"Sir?" Rymer's voice wavered slightly. If Kes was fine, then...
The admiral sighed heavily. "I'm so sorry Rymer, Poe. Your mother Tali passed away this morning."
Poe felt his heart stutter in his chest, gaping at the older man before swiveling his head to look at Rymer. Her face had gone white and seemingly turned to stone, gazing unseeingly at the admiral. The young pilot laid a hand on her arm, but she didn't even flinch. Taking a deep, ragged breath and blinking tears from his eyes, he turned back to Admiral Scardri.
"How?"
"She was traveling to visit your aunt when the transport shuttle was overrun by pirates. There...there were no survivors." When neither teen said anything more, he continued gently. "You've both been granted leave for one week. Your transport shuttle will be here in thirty minutes to take you home, and will return to bring you back."
"Thank you sir," Poe said for both of them as it became increasingly obvious Rymer had no intention, or maybe capability, of speaking.
"You have my deepest condolences, both of you."
Rymer stood up and left the office without a word. Poe immediately stood to follow, stopping at the door as he remembered his superior officer. But the admiral was shaking his head, stopping his apology.
"I understand. Go to her."
He headed straight for her dorm, along the way running into three of their friends.
"Hey, Dameron, what's up with Rymer?" Suns asked, clearly concerned. "She just flew past us practically at hyperspeed, Suhail followed her. Did something happen with the Admiral?"
"We have to go home for a few days," Poe said, desperately trying to keep himself together until he could find Rymer. "Her mother...one of her mothers died."
He was immediately wrapped in the much larger arms of Muran. "I'm sorry, man, I know they helped raise you."
"Yeah," Poe choked out, clutching his friend tightly for a moment.
"What can we do?" Rig demanded.
"Our shuttle leaves in half an hour." He turned to Suns. "Can you pack me a bag for a week? I need to get to her and stay with her right now."
His roommate was already halfway down the hall. "Done!"
"And us?" Muran asked as they began to continue towards Rymer's dorm.
"I really don't know," Poe said honestly. "Just stick around for a bit, I guess."
The door was open when they arrived, and Rymer was methodically folding and packing clothes as Suhail gathered her toiletries and personal items, tucking them into the pockets of her bag. She looked up at them pleadingly when they walked in, clearly still unsure of what was going on. Rig and Muran waved her over to explain while Poe went straight to the dark haired girl he loved.
He set his arms on her shoulders, slowing her for just a moment, but she continued packing. Sliding his hands down her arms, he gripped her elbows until she stilled, then turned her to face him.
Her eyes were surprisingly dry, but still vacant as she stared at him. He shook her gently, urging her to make real eye contact. "Hey. Stay with me here."
She blinked a few times, eyes slowly coming back into focus. She finally reached out to grip his shirt tightly in her fingers, and he pulled her against him, cradling her tightly as she began to shake.
"I've got you. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere, I'm right here." He rocked her slowly back and forth as her arms wrapped around his torso, clinging to him as he encouraged her to breathe deeply with him, slowly calming her. She still wasn't crying. When she finally spoke, it was so tiny and broken that the tears finally began to spill from his own eyes.
"Don't leave me."
"Never. Come on, let's go home."
End of Part 1. Will be continued in Part 2.
(It was getting a touch long :) )