Chapter 23

The Trade

The concept of the Force was alien to Poe and Finn didn't appear to be familiar with it either. At least he hadn't talked too much about it. And how was he supposed to know more about it than Poe, being raised by the Order as well. From what Finn told Poe about what Skywalker had said, being sensitive to it meant that Finn was more connected to the galaxy in general. What he made of it would be up to him, apparently. Whatever that meant. It certainly didn't mean that he was a Jedi.

"Not yet, anyway," Finn muttered in Poe's hair, pulling him close.

They were lying on the bed, Poe's arms wrapped around Finn and Finn holding him close. Poe's head was spinning. It was as if everything was slipping through his fingers again and as if Finn's arms were the only thing holding him in place. He closed his eyes.

"Do you want to be?" he whispered.

"No? I mean... why would I want to be? Roaming the galaxy with you might be hard to do if I undergo training. There isn't even anyone around to teach me properly, or rather us. And Rey… I mean Skywalker, isn't trained yet either. Not really. Apparently she has some books and has been learning from those, but I don't really want to stay here indefinitely if I can help it. And neither do you by the looks of it."

Poe shrugged. "No, I don't," he said. "But I don't know how we are to get away from here either. We're stuck."

With a sigh, Finn pulled Poe closer. "I guess we are."

They were quiet for a while, unable to say anything helpful. Incapable of finding the right words. But still, Poe wasn't tense. Far from it. The Resistance obviously wasn't planning on treating them like the First Order would have done. Of course, they were being held prisoner, but their cell was far more comfortable than he would have thought possible. He'd have to find a way to tell Organa what he had come here to say and that meant having to find a way to fight those strange headaches.

"I wish you had your datapad," he said into the silence pressing in on them them. "I'd love to hear what happens next."

Finn nodded. "We had to leave it at a very crucial point." His fingertip brushed over Poe's cheek. The reading had become a habit over the past few days. Finn's voice managed to draw Poe in like nothing else ever had. Was it because Finn was sensitive to the Force? Poe couldn't tell, but to his own surprise he had to admit that he didn't care. If the Force had any part in this, then that had to be a good thing! It had to be. Everything else was impossible to even think about.

"Funny they're going to break someone out, right?" Poe smiled weakly, his fingertip drawing circles on Finn's chest. They had reached the end of the third book far quicker than Poe would have anticipated. The story of the young wizard was terribly appealing to him and apparently to Finn as well.

Maybe it was because this boy was an orphan just like they were.

Maybe it was because he liked how loyal the main character was to his friends.

Maybe it was because that boy stood up for what was right against all odds.

Maybe it was because he felt a spark of hope ignite inside of him every time that young, loyal orphan managed to win a victory no one had thought possible.

He swallowed hard. It was just a story! He shouldn't be this upset about not being able to live up to a fictional character!

"You okay?" Finn asked softly.

"I'm fine," Poe muttered, closing his eyes. "Just miss you reading to me is all."

"Do you think I could find something to read in here for you? Maybe… I don't know. The manual for the sonic shower? Or the toilet."

Poe wrapped his leg around Finn's. "They're taking our ship here, maybe we can ask someone if we can have your datapad for recreational purposes?"

Finn's soft laugh made a comfortable shiver rush down his spine. "I could try to make up a story for you? Or… or maybe just try to recreate one?"

"Recreate one?"

"Yeah! You know… um… Once upon a time there lived a beautiful young merman and he-"

"A what?"

"A merman."

"What's a merman?"

"Just shut up and listen!"

Poe fell silent. This seemed to have become a ritual between them. Him asking stupid questions and Finn telling him to be quiet and he had to admit that he rather liked these moments. Especially when Finn made him stop talking with a kiss or maybe even more. Not that anything of the sort would happen now in their current situation, but it was nice to remember the other instances when they had been freer.

"Anyway, this merman lived deep below the waves and he loved playing with the fish and the-" he stopped when a soft beeping at the door signalled that someone was outside.

Poe sat up quickly and got to his feet, making sure his hair and clothes looked presentable; old habits he had maintained all his life kicking in at once. Finn at his side did the same and Poe threw him a quick smile as he recognized the anger in Finn's eyes. They weren't free after all. Not really. In their own ship, they hadn't had to face anyone else. In fact, the only time they had to deal with other people nowadays was when they chose to take on another job.

The door opened before either of them could comment on what had just happened and a Zabrak female stepped into the room, her light eyes giving the room a quick scan. "The General wants you both," she said curtly before turning on her heels and, obviously expecting them to follow her, starting to walk.

"For dinner?" Finn said so quietly that only Poe could hear him.

Poe caught Finn's eye and suppressed a smile which would be entirely out of place as they left their quarters and realized at once that the droid was on his heels. The guards didn't object to this and neither did the Zabrak, who apparently didn't think it necessary to grace them with any more attention. Did she know who they were then?

The same sense of dread Poe had felt upon landing here on this planet started creeping up his spine again. Whatever it was the General wanted, Poe was sure it had something to do with the plans they had delivered here. It was obvious that she trusted Finn more than him, since he had merely been a Stormtrooper and not as high up in the Order's ranks. It was only natural that Finn, whose history was a lot more gruesome than Poe's by any standards, would claim the General's sympathies. Moreover, the fact that Skywalker had sensed something about the Force in him, would only amplify the General's belief in Finn's innocence in all of this, while Poe was nothing but an enemy. An enemy who had already attacked one of the General's most important informants. He'd be lucky if she were to let him go within the next twenty years.

He was surprised to see that the Zabrak didn't lead them back to the room where they had met Organa first, but up a narrow flight of stairs and into an area Poe recognized at once by its layout. The holographic interface in the dead centre with various consoles and strategic maps crammed into the relatively small space looked a lot like the command centre on the Star Destroyer he had served on after his graduation from the Academy. The equipment was partially outdated, he realized at once, as the Zabrak led them past a group of communication officers, other devices he spotted were brand new. Whoever was funding the Resistance obviously only did so on a semi-regular basis. And as he thought this, he realized immediately that the only reason Organa had allowed both him and Finn to be here, was because she either needed them here desperately or because she had come to the conclusion that they would not betray information on the state of their command centre to the First Order.

Organa was standing with her back to them in front of one of the tactical displays, a golden protocol droid on her left and a tall, slightly chubby looking man on her right. Poe recognized the flight suit at once. Another pilot then. The man turned his head when the Zabrak approached the little group and as their eyes met, the man's mouth twisted into a warm smile. Beebee-Ate chirped happily in greeting at the droid who ignored him like he wasn't there.

"You're the guys who are going to help us take that thing down?"

Poe swallowed hard and nodded before he could stop himself. Better to rush into these things than think them over too much. His head was beginning to throb again. The ache was nothing but a soft nuisance but it would get worse quickly enough. He was sure of that.

Organa turned around slowly and nodded tentatively. "Are you still willing to help, then?"

After a quick exchange of looks with Finn, Poe stretched out a hand towards Organa again. As if shaking hands with her could in any way seal the deal which had never been made or talked about even. A deal built on trust. A deal which would guarantee their freedom in exchange for the help they were offering. Maybe, just maybe the very fact that Organa had let someone lead them here among the Resistance fighters meant that she was willing to believe them and Poe had a strong feeling that this was in fact the case. Not that trusting military people had been a safe bet for him this far, but somehow things seemed to be different with Organa.

With a nod, Organa released his hand and turned to Finn. "Thank you for the offer," she said, just as a big hand landed on Poe's shoulder, almost throwing him off-balance.

"Welcome, friend!" the man exclaimed, winking at someone over Poe's shoulder as the Zabrak retreated. "The name's Temmin Wexley, but people call me Snap."

"Snap?" Finn asked, sounding incredulous. He might be used to certain nicknames for Stormtroopers, but thus far they hadn't come across anyone else claiming an unconventional nickname as their own.

"Yup," Snap said, shrugging. "Long story." He grinned.

"Your mothers were both in the Starfighter Corps of the Rebel Alliance."

Beebee-Ate whistled as if intrigued by this piece of news.

Snap's eyes widened and Poe shifted uncomfortably.

"What's your name?"

"Finn," Finn said quickly, clearly sensing Poe's sentiment. "Finn Dameron. Or are we still going with Bey, Poe?"

Poe couldn't help but snort at this. He threw Finn a quick smile, then shrugged. "Dameron is fine, I suppose. My mother didn't want me to have her name after all." The words didn't sting as he had thought they would. Instead, he could feel the pain receding somewhat.

"I think I heard that name. Wasn't-"

"Hey, Wexley!", came a shout from behind Poe, interrupting Snap. "Come on over here, we need your opinion on something!"

A smile flickered over Snap's face and he shrugged. "Talk to you guys later then!" His smile widened into a grin before he pushed past them but Poe didn't follow him with his eyes. The last thing he wanted was being forced into another conversation about his mother.

"So you've checked the storage device then?" he asked Organa, who nodded.

"Unfortunately we can't afford to go looking for my brother right now. Not as long as the First Order is still gathering momentum. We need them distracted. At least for a while."

Poe nodded. "What about the plans for the new Destroyers?"

"They will be helpful in the future, I presume, but I'm afraid they won't be able to help us with what's next."

The droid at her side twitched somewhat. "Your Highness," it said, "shall I-"

"Yes, Threepio. Thank you." Organa didn't look at her droid, who walked past them towards the tactical holo display in the centre of the room. No one seemed to pay too much attention, when it was lit up and Poe found himself looking directly at the image of the base he himself had studied over and over again these past years. The astromech rolled towards the holo, its head twitching from side to side as if studying the thing extensively. Just seeing the picture here, knowing that Organa was right beside him, made something behind his temple start to thud softly. He closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath, digging up the mental picture of his mother again. The memory of the moment when Finn had pushed her into his arms and he had been allowed to hold her for a few seconds. She would want him to do this. To avenge her and everything that had been done to her, to Finn and to himself. He felt a soft touch at the small of his back and looked up again.

The throbbing had receded somewhat. "So," he began, looking over at Organa. "You've already had your meeting I suppose?" At least no one else was bothering to look at the enormous battle station projected in the very heart of their facility.

"We did, but mostly about the general approach. Snap, the pilot you just met, went there and did a quick scan. This is the result."

Poe nodded. The Order was very likely to have followed the vector the enemy ship had taken, when it had left the solar system. It was very likely they knew where the Resistance Base was now. Organa was playing it close.

"It's very likely that things over there have changed since we left," Finn said, his hand still on Poe's back. The warmth of the touch was soothing as always but somehow right now it was more than that. Unnerved, Poe pushed the thought away, unwilling to think about the Force and how it may or may not be connected to Finn and how it might influence him at this very moment.

"Any idea what they may have changed?" She was looking up at the projected planet. The main part of the weapon was exposed to them from this angle and it looked so easy to attack. So easy to destroy.

The planetary shield would be protecting the base of course and any sort of attack would only result in the destruction of the assailants.

"No." Poe said. "I was in charge of the base's defence, but since we defected they are bound to have made some changes."

He caught her eye, the frown on her face telling him all to plainly that she wanted to know more. That she needed to know more.

"What's your plan?" Finn spoke up, still looking at the base on which their lives had changed so dramatically. He let go of Poe and instead grabbed the railing of the projector. He was anxious to do something. Anything. Poe could tell by the tenseness in Finn's entire body.

"Well, the planetary shield poses a problem. The other problem would be how to get past the other defences. Our fleet is rather small, you know?"

Poe nodded. He had noticed that. They didn't even have fifty X-Wings stationed here on this planet as far as he could gather from what he had seen upon entering the base. "How many fighters do you have? Any bigger frigates under your command?"

She shook her head. "As you know the Republic is in turmoil. Most of the fleet has been destroyed. Both things mean that we have a lot of people willing to sign up, but they're trained on other worlds, not our main base of operations. Just in case."

Finn nodded grimly. "And you don't have enough ships to equip them with?"

"As of yet… no."

"But surely the Order can't have destroyed the Republic's entire fleet, right? I mean, some of them must know that joining forces with you is the only viable option right now," Poe said, pinching the bridge of his nose with two fingers and forcing himself to remember his mother as the pain launched yet another assault. He took another deep breath.

"You are aware that the New Republic is a democracy and can't just unleash it's fleet upon the enemy? There're procedures to be followed."

"Procedures you chose to ignore to found this organization, right?"

She smiled weakly. "Well…" Organa shrugged. "The thing is the fleet commanders are no mercenaries and we're not equipped to pay mercenaries even if we wanted to."

"So, you wait for mercenaries to offer their help voluntarily?" Finn was scowling at Organa now and Poe had to admit had Finn had a point. In this situation cooperating with basically anyone who showed up at your doorstep to offer their help might indeed pose a threat. Yes, Organa had been cautious with him and Finn. But what about others? What if Morap's motives had been more questionable? What if bounty hunters in disguise moved to infiltrate the Resistance under the pretence of wanting to add firepower to the dwindling force of the Resistance?

"You're concerned for our well-being. Touching."

Poe spun around to see Skywalker standing only two feet behind him. A little to the side, almost hidden by shadows he spotted Morap's frame leaning against one of the many pillars. He was smiling weakly at him, but Poe decided that right now wasn't the right time to push him away again. The fact that Beebee-Ate didn't react to his old master's presence was reassuring, Poe realized.

"Just worried that what little we can help here with might be for nothing," Finn replied with a smile as Skywalker drew nearer and leaned against the projector on Finn's other side.

"Like I said: we don't let just anyone come here," Organa said. "What are your suggestions for tackling this thing, Dameron? Poe, I mean?"

"Well," Poe cleared his throat, just as Finn put one hand on his back again. "Like you said, the shield is a problem. Someone would have to get in there and deactivate it before anything can happen." He looked at the control panel in front of him, immediately recognizing the layout. He searched Organa's face, asking for permission with a single look and when he got it he proceeded to zoom in on one of the main buildings located north of the main weapon. "The shield generator is located in this building. Someone would have to get in there to eliminate it."

"How?" Skywalker asked.

"Fractional refreshery," Poe answered with a shrug. "Maybe a ship fast enough can make it through with lightspeed."

"You're kidding…"

"You want those shields down, someone's gotta do it and last I checked none of you were on that base."

"Or familiar with it," Finn added. "I can help. I can get you everywhere on that base. No problem."

All of a sudden, Poe's mouth was horribly dry. This wasn't happening. They couldn't go back there! The very thought of being back on that planet made his knees weak. "Finn."

"I said I, not we," Finn added. "I can go."

Skywalker nodded but Poe barely registered it. "We need you here," Organa said. "To help us coordinate the attack."

And that was that. They were going to keep him here as leverage for Finn and Finn would be on Starkiller to ensure that Poe cooperated and did everything in his power to get his husband out of there safely.

He took a deep breath. "Try and disable the thermal oscillator from within," he said, doing his best to sound calm, while his heart was beating rapidly in his chest.

Finn nodded, throwing Poe a reassuring, almost devilish smile. If anyone could do this, it was probably Finn, Poe admitted.

"I'm coming with you," Skywalker said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"You're our best pilot, Rey." Organa shook her head, but Skywalker seemed to have made her decision already. She fixated Organa with a single look.

"I'm more use to you there though. Who knows what we may encounter down there."

Poe reached out for Finn's hand, squeezing it and not giving a damn about who could see them. He didn't want Finn to go. Hell, if he was honest he didn't want anyone to have to go to that planet, but Finn was right. He knew his way around down there. He knew better than anyone how the Stormtroopers operated and how to avoid them.

He let go of Finn's hand again, then let his fingers fly over the console, pulling up more closer images and he recognized certain layouts on the outer structure of the base he had been working on with his team. It would have been hard for the Order to shift positions of the turrets in the past six months, but those weren't going to be the main problem for the attacking Starfighters. "The turrets can shoot around three salvos per second each, but after around twenty seconds, they have to pause for ten seconds to cool down somewhat. That's why they will never all be fired at once. I can mark those I know about on this map if you want me to," he said and then pointed at the arrays of turrets placed strategically around the oscillator. "The TIE hangar bays are a bit further out and if they don't see you coming that will give you a slight tactical advantage, but they're bound to have changed their strategies since I left." He did his best not to look at Finn, even though Finn's hand on his back was distraction enough.

"What was their previous battle plan?"

Poe sighed. He was giving it up. All of it. Every single thing he had been working on for the past years. He was handing it to the enemy, undoing everything he had created in the process. Was he too sentimental?

Perhaps.

Perhaps he was.

And perhaps it was exactly what he needed to do in order to clear his conscience. To leave all of this behind and return to the life he had led with Finn before things had started to spin out of control.

Finn… what if Finn didn't come back to him? What in the name of all the stars was he supposed to do then? The lump at his throat made it hard to breathe all of a sudden and not even Finn's touch could make it go away. Finn had to return! He had to!

"Your Highness?" The golden protocol droid spoke up again, making everyone turn towards him. "Our guests' ship has been brought here."

Organa nodded. "Fine. Not information I particularly wanted right now, but thank you."

"I only thought I should tell you. It has been cleared."

Organa nodded. "Thank you." She rolled her eyes at Skywalker, who smiled in return, but Poe didn't care.

"When are you launching the attack?" Poe asked.

"In about three hours."

Poe nodded and looked at Finn. Their eyes met and just like on Starkiller, Poe got the feeling that the time of sitting idly in a corner and waiting for things to happen was past. Finn needed him to do this right. And he would. He had to. This wouldn't go wrong! They'd get this over with and start over. They would help destroy the Order no matter the cost. Not that Organa's people were going to trust him straightaway. He was fresh blood. He hadn't earned their trust yet and once he told them how he knew those things about Starkiller's defences in such detail, they would hate him. Not that he could blame them. Things were going to get rough and he was prepared to face them. He had to prove himself first and that was what he was going to do if that was what it took to get them both out of here in one piece.

"I'm gonna need a datapad," he said turning to Organa. "I can't draw those things up on this big holo. And get me your tactical staff. We need to talk." He didn't even realize the headaches had vanished.