It had been too risky to attempt to establish contact on Tattooine. Poe didn't want to have his communications intercepted. He would have to return to the base as soon as possible. The flight back took less time than Poe had anticipated, and he was stepping out of the old beaten up personal carrier in no time. He got some funny looks running through the cold base in the scanty clothing of a Hut slave. He burst into the conference room that doubled as the General's office. She was speaking to a cloaked figure who Poe suspected as being Luke Skywalker. Poe hesitated. When the General looked up with wide eyes, she beckoned Poe in quickly, and spoke a couple of quiet words to the hooded figure, who left quickly, not looking at Poe.
"General…" The General sat and looked up at Poe.
"Sit, Dameron." Poe sat and told her the details of everything that happened to him since entering the pretend enslavement of the Hut. He gave every single detail of the meeting with General Hux that he could recall. Who was there, what had been said. Where their bases were, who was in charge where. The General recorded every single word Dameron said, with an increasing look of victory on her face.
"Dameron… Yet again you have done the Galaxy a great service. This Resistance would be nothing without you." Such words of kindness took Poe by surprise. The General was Poe's greatest hero, and such kind words meant the most to him.
"General I…" She waved away any words he was going to come out with next.
"Dameron… I understand that you and my daughter are quite close." Poe felt a cold pit of anxiety and terror forming in his stomach. He was in love with her daughter. He had sex with her daughter. After he was done here, he was going to go and find her and kiss her.
"General… I…" he started again. She waved him down again. He was starting to panic now. She was going to hate him.
"She's never really had friends, and I am glad that she has a friend like you." Poe felt frozen. Everybody knew about him and Dara. Surely by now the General knew too. "Dameron you have helped the galaxy your fair share. And you have been such a comfort to my family. But I fear that I must ask more of you." Poe was still trying to process the fact that the General didn't know that he was having sex with her daughter.
"Poe… Dara's gone. She's left again. She's been gone for weeks. She left shortly after you left. Said she was going to Coruscant. But she's not come back. There's been no word from her. She's missing." Poe felt like he had been plunged into a lake of ice. Dara. She was missing. She was gone. He wasn't going to go by her chambers and find her meditating on the force communicating with spirits of Obi Wan Kenobi and Yoda. She wasn't going to smile at him, and welcome him back.
"She's gone." Poe couldn't hide the absolute devastation in his voice. He glanced up to look into the eyes of the General very briefly. He thought he had seen tears there, but he had looked away again so quickly that he couldn't be certain.
"I have lost my husband. My son. My brother is a recluse and has greater duties to attend. I just want my daughter to be safe. Dameron. I cannot ask this of you lightly. I have sent you find my daughter once before. I would like for you to search for her once more. Rest up. Take some time to consider. This is a request. Not an order." Poe looked up, pushing his hair out of his eyes.
"I'll find her General. I promise you." The General looked at him with very soft eyes.
"Thank you Poe. Please. Take your time. Take any resources you need. Take anyone you need. This…. This is a great favour you are doing me."
"Like you said, ma'am. She's my friend." Poe was going to run to Finn and possibly freak out and ask him what to do. Finn would know how he felt. Rey and he were always being separated.
"If it's alright with you ma'am, I'd like to put some actual clothes on now." She nodded and gave him her leave. Poe looked back at her as he left. There stood the loneliest woman in the Galaxy.
Finn stood at Poe's locker piling things into a duffel bag for them both. Poe was just coming out of the shower, towelling himself dry as quickly as possible. He would have no time to cut his hair or shave.
"Finn. You don't need to come with me." Finn glanced up, and looked away quickly. Poe knew he was naked, but there was no time to be modest.
"Poe, you and I are friends. And we have to find Dara. I need to something to do. So I'm coming with you." Poe clapped him on the shoulder then quickly pulled on some clothes.
"I've gotten a two person transporter lined up. We'll be comfortable enough." Finn didn't really seem to have much to say. Poe stopped to look at him.
"You love her, don't you?" Poe didn't quite understand the look on Finn's face. Was he sad? Was he jealous?
"I care about her. She's one of us now." He actually didn't really know what to say to Finn. Yes he loved Dara. He was in love again. Was Finn perhaps worried that what had happened between the two of them had now been rendered meaningless? How would Poe even begin to tell him that that wasn't the case?
Finn… I care about you too. I don't want you to feel as though you have to come. You've saved my life. If anything I owe you." Finn shook his head and smiled.
"Friends help each other out. Let's go. Like you said. We haven't a moment to lose. Before the trail goes cold, or whatever." Poe's gaze lingered on Finn for a moment. He had seen this man in so many different states, and he felt as though the two of them had been through so much together in such a short period of time.
"Finn, I'm glad you're coming with me." Poe always appreciated the company of a beautiful boy.