Chapter 4

Over the next nine months, Poe and Finn and Rose helped Rey prepare for the arrival of her and Kylo Ren's baby. By the end of the first trimester, her baby bump was starting to show, which of course sent the Resistance into a frenzy of questions. Poe came up with an elaborate white lie, in which Rey had sex with a lowly Resistance pilot who was then shot down and killed on a bombing raid not long after. The rest of the Resistance bought the story hook, line and sinker, constantly coming up to Rey and offering their condolences that the child's "father" was "dead."

The process of nesting seemed to provide some degree of comfort to Rey, even as she was still separated from the man she loved. A portion of her chambers was set aside as a nursery, complete with a cradle that Poe had whittled himself, with some assistance from Finn.

"My father was a woodcarver back on Yavin IV," Poe explained bashfully, taken aback by Rey's high praise of the crib. "He taught me a few tricks."

Despite Rey's breathless anticipation at becoming a mother (she had gradually accepted her fate, admitting to her friends that when she had first found out through the Force that there was life with her, she had descended into a panic), Poe could tell that she was still pining for her Ben. The Commander did not think it beyond the realm of possibility that her separation from the Supreme Leader might actually bring on postpartum depression. The thought had occurred to him. And he wanted to make sure that Rey would be happy, no matter what - or who - was required to bring her that happiness.

So it was that Poe came to a difficult decision. Rounding up Finn and Rose in the mess hall one day, he told them his plan: they were going to track down Ben Solo, or Kylo Ren or whatever his name was, and bring him back to the Resistance base.

"So... we capture him?" Finn frowned. "Or is it a rescue mission?"

It was more than a fair question, and Poe himself still didn't know what to classify the mission as. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," is all he said about it.

All too soon, it was time for the baby to be born. Rey went into labor right on schedule, right on the baby's due date. Poe, nervous as a cat, ordered that the entire base be put on immediate lockdown, and await further orders. Finn had laughed his ass off at that, making some snide comment about how one would think it was Poe's child being born.

The delivery took most of the day, and into the evening. At last, Rey gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. She named her Padmé Leia - after Ben's grandmother and mother, the recently deceased General, may she rest in peace. The only people present were Poe, Finn and Rose, watching as Rey breastfed and cooed to the little infant.

Rose was deeply moved. "She's so beautiful, Rey!"

Finn chuckled. "Yeah, I think she picked up your appetite!" Rey half-heartedly glared at him for that.

Rose suddenly had a thought. "Do you think... he knows? Did he sense the baby being born?"

Rey shook her head. "No. I've kept our Bond sealed off these last several months. He... doesn't know about the baby. I feared that if he did, it might make him vulnerable, especially to enemies within the First Order. I know there are ambitious officers who would not be above attempting a coup on him."

Her explanation made Rose nearly cry. "It just isn't fair! That child needs her father!"

Poe, however, remained quiet, contemplative, Rey and Rose's discussion about Ben steeling his resolve for what he felt he had to do. At last, he spoke up: "Rey... there's something the three of us have to tell you. We have decided... I have authorized... a mission to find Ben Solo and bring him back here. To you."

Rey gaped at him, awestruck. "You would do that... for me?"

"If it will make you happy, and give you a complete family for Padmé's sake, yes," Poe confirmed, sitting down on the edge of her hospital bed.

"Take me with you!" Rey begged, starting to get up from the bed.

"Absolutely not!" Poe sharply admonished, pushing her gently back down into the covers. "As your commanding officer, and as your friend, I forbid you to go! You just gave birth. And the First Order must not get their hands on the Last Jedi."

Rey suddenly frowned, deep in thought and concerned. "He won't go for it," she warned. "He killed his own father when Han tried to bring him back to the Light. There are sometimes when he won't even listen to me. He didn't... on the Supremacy..." for she had told her friends all about that fateful night.

"If we went to him and said we were your voice, that you ordered it," Poe suggested. "Would he listen then?"

Rey shrugged. "Maybe."

The suggestion gave Poe a flash of inspiration. "Like, you could plant a memory of this conversation in our brains through the Force. Jedi can do that, right? Then, if Ben rifles through them, he can see we're telling the truth."

Rey nodded, liking the plan. Placing her fingers on Poe's forehead, she transferred the memory into Poe's brain through the Force. Then, she suddenly cupped Poe's face in her hands.

"This is for Ben... when you find him." And she kissed Poe's lips gently.

Poe could not help but relax into the kiss. He knew he was enjoying this far too much, way more than he should, so he did not let it linger too long. Reluctantly, he allowed Rey to pull away. She had to see how he was surely blushing beet red.

"Thank... I mean..." Poe cleared his throat awkwardly and loudly. "I don't think it will mean the same coming from me."

Behind them, someone guffawed; Poe wasn't sure, but he thought the voice belonged to Finn.

"When do you leave?" Rey asked, her eyes searching those of each of her friends, a little fearful.

"Tonight," Poe replied grimly.

"But... but... but..." Finn stammered, having not been told of Poe's rapid advancement of schedule ahead of time.

"Tonight," Poe repeated. "That's an order!"

Finn fell silent, and Rose pursed her lips nervously, obviously biting back her own opinions.

With that, the three friends bid farewell to their Jedi companion and her newborn. Walking towards the main hangar bay where the Millennium Falcon was parked, Rose reviewed the plan out loud for her own sanity, as well as everyone else's.

"So let me get this straight: we are going to embark on a dangerous mission into the heart of the First Order to turn its Supreme Leader back to the Light Side, even though he might not want to, for the sake of his newborn daughter and its mother?"

Poe turned back to her, the glint of adventure in his eye. "Got a problem with that?"

"Fuck no," Rose grinned dangerously. "Let's roll!"