Finn recovered in the medical bay of the Resistance space station; a station hidden in the asteroid rubble of the planet Alderaan. The asteroids were now referred to as the Graveyard. They were the final resting place for the entire population of Alderaan. Within months of Alderaan's demise, scavengers and treasure hunters had cleaned out the asteroids and rubble of anything valuable that may have survived. So now, being destitute of life and any valuable resources, it was a good place to hide, even though it was in the Core of the galaxy. The space station was a spherical mesh of interconnected corridors and ships. The center of it was a New Republic command station that over time had other space stations grafted to it. Old space cruisers that were no longer flightworthy were also semi-permanently attached, as well as large asteroids that had been cored out and fitted with life support systems. The final result was a star-burst pattern of ships, corridors, asteroids, and stations capable of docking hundreds of ships and containing at least fifty docking bays. It was not pretty, but it was highly functional and able to be disassembled into individual ships and cruisers to move to a new location, with only worthless corridors and flightless ships left behind.

Finn's wound was not severe, but it did need some attention. The medical droid flushed and debrided his wound, not a pleasant experience, although eased slightly by a mild topical anesthetic. Finn winced but maintained his composure. It was not the physical pain that bothered him most after the battle.

The medical droid finished bandaging his shoulder and gave him instructions on wound care, which Finn hardly heard, as he mechanically agreed with the instructions like an automaton. He picked up the jacket that his friend Poe had given him. He remembered being able to save Poe, how saving him became the defining moment of his defection from the First Order-the moment he first joined the Resistance, although he had not known it at the time. At the time, he just knew helping Poe escape from Kylo Ren was the right thing to do.

He looked at the jacket, a brown flight officer's jacket- a jacket that belonged to one of the best pilots of the Resistance. He did not know if Poe had survived the attack on Kamino. The way things had gone, he assumed he did not.

"At least I could save you once." He spoke low and to himself, trying to see some hope. It did not work.

"Sir, did you say something?" the medical droid responded.

"Oh. No, nothing important. Thank you." he said and left the medical bay. He headed for the sleeping quarters, wanting to be alone. The corridors were crowded with protocol droids and Resistance fighters walking to various areas of the station depending on their orders. Finn, as one of the few survivors of the last mission, was given one standard day to recover and debrief. He did not want to debrief. He just wanted to be alone. That was difficult in a space station.

A heavy-set Besalisk bumped into his injured shoulder as he passed. Finn gritted his teeth but kept moving knowing it was unintentional. The narrow passage made it difficult to pass without knocking into others.

Purposefully walking toward the sleeping quarters, he spotted a small white-and-orange astromech BB series droid pass at an intersection of corridors about ten yards ahead of him. He knew that droid. His face brightened and his soul lifted at the possibility. "BB-8!" he called out.

If BB-8 was here, that meant Poe survived. He ran after BB-8. Bumping into a blue male Twi'lek, injuring his shoulder more. Finn did not care. He turned to the right and could see BB-8 pass through a double airlock door where two stations were grafted together. Finn followed. The following station had been fitted as a mess hall.

Since it was not a scheduled meal time, the tables were fairly empty. Two short Sullustans were deep in conversation at one table. A few human Resistance fighters were huddled at another. At a small corner table sat a handsome man with dark hair and strong features. He bent over a holographic readout, appearing to study it: the specs on a B-Wing Mark II. He whistled in appreciation at some feature he discovered in it. BB-8 arriving, whistled back.

"Oh, BB-8! What else did you get?"

BB-8 whistled and beeped affectionately, then projected another ship.

"Ah, the new Naboo fighters. Great! I can't wait to try those out. I've had enough of these old refurbished models we keep using," he said, still intensely focused on the B-Wing specs.

Finn walked up to the table. "How many of those things do you need to fly?"

"All of them," Poe replied automatically before knowing who he was speaking to. Poe looked up. He let out a great laugh and jumped up to embrace Finn.

"Aren't you a sight for sore eyes!" Poe exclaimed.

"I'd say the same about you. I was thinking you didn't make it," Finn replied.

"Oh, that air battle. Takes more than that to get me. Got six of them myself . . . not that they are getting any better mind you; bunch of droids it seems-Ouch!"

BB-8 had zapped him for the comment.

Realizing what he said, he turned to BB-8 and said, "Oh uh, no offense. You probably could have taken them on all by yourself. I couldn't have done it without you."

BB-8 beeped at him.

"He forgives me," he said to Finn. "Here take a seat."

Finn sat down. "Don't worry. I know what you mean," he said. "I'm just glad you survived."

Finn was really glad that Poe was alive, but it was hard to forget the others who had died.

Poe, seeing Finn reserved in the reunion, dropped his smile slightly. "You know what you need: a drink."

"No. There are no bars on the station, and I could really pass on the nutro-drinks they have here. No thanks." Finn protested; but before he could finish the sentence, Poe was up and at the wall mount, getting two cups filled with a green opaque liquid, meant for offering a balanced nutrient load for soldiers. He returned and put the cup in front of Finn.

"Drink it quick," he demanded as he pounded back his own.

"Really. I hate this stuff."

"Drink it."

Finn obliged. Poe then whipped out a long cylindrical flask and poured the contents into both cups.

"What's this?" Finn asked.

"A little something some of us pilots make when we got the time. A little recipe of whatever we can find."

Finn took a sip. It was definitely fermented something, but what, he could not figure out. The drink had a sweet start, but a potent burn and lingering aftertaste.

He coughed and said, "Strong, and bitter."

"Yeah, that would be the bellberries," Poe stated with pride.

"But good." Finn took another sip then set it down on the table.

"Listen," Poe said. His face was now all concern. "I know what happened."

He really did know. The details of the failed mission, Finn being the only survivor, and Leia still missing was common knowledge in the station.

"But I know what it was like. I've been there too," he continued, with compassion and understanding. "A lot of us have. And you are not alone."

He looked over at the Sullustans and nodded. Finn looked over his shoulder and saw the two raise their glasses slightly to Poe as a small salute.

"Yeah," Finn said. "Maybe you understand a little. But it wasn't your fault. It was mine. I failed them."

Poe took a mouthful of his drink and poured himself a little more. He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed.

"People ask me how I became a good pilot. And I usually say something about practice or hard work. Something that sounds alright." Poe took another sip. "They wouldn't understand, you see."

Finn rotated his cup between his fingers.

"My mother was a pilot for the Rebellion; she fought at the Battle of Endor. A real flying ace she was. But she never talked about that much. After her death, my older brother and I joined the Resistance as fighter pilots. Following in her steps, right? The two of us were a great team in the skies. He was a much better fighter than me then."

Poe's countenance fell. He took another swig and poured more.

"He was shot down over Mustafar," he said matter-of-factly obviously trying to hold back emotion. "I was with him. I have thought about that day over and over. If I had turned this way or that; if I had blasted that TIE fighter or whatever, then maybe . . ." He sat silent for a moment.

Finn waited.

"I could have given up. You see what I'm telling you?" He asked Finn. "Every time I'm out there in my fighter, it's as if I'm out there with him. Things like that . . . they wreck you . . . but they just might make you a great fighter pilot."

Finn realized that he might not be alive if Poe had given up. He understood what Poe was trying to say.

"You are not alone. You have many brothers and sisters of adversity here." Poe concluded. Finn looked back again at the Sullustans and then to Poe.

Just then, two other pilots came in the room. Seeing Poe, they came up to the table.

"Did you check your HoloNet?" one asked Poe.

"Not yet, what's going on?" he replied.

"The general is back. She's calling for a meeting at thirteen hundred standard."

Poe stood up, looked at Finn and said, "See. It wasn't a total failure."

Finn smiled.