Fandom Star Wars: Chaos and Order [Closed]

[Lucyfer]

‘This is…too easy.’

No, no it wasn’t, Neria had to remind herself that the woman before her had a mission, and likely, a timeline. The Herald of Lian needed the map to Luke Skywalker. Anything else Neria had was currently irrelevant to her, which did indeed mean, for the moment – Neria might walk out of here unscathed.

‘Perhaps the Force—’

“I am of no use to you,” Neria said, but held the woman’s gaze, “but you and I both know you’d be doing me a favor to execute me before Snoke could decide what use I have.” There were better ways to ask for death. Reminding Verena that Snoke had a use for her, was not that.

But, for one moment, Neria was willing to gamble that she could get out of here alive, when Verena went to make her report. “Though, if Kylo can get away with one execution, why not you?” she allowed a playful smirk to touch her lips, “though if I get any last requests – at least before seeing Snoke – perhaps kowakian rum?”

The drink of her favorite blackouts! If only she could remember why they were her favorites.

~***~

It was obvious Dameron didn’t know where BB-8 was. The droid took the map and just…ran. But the droid was also obvious in appearance, and would stand out in a crowd. There weren’t that many places to go on Jakku to get a ride out, and the Order would be monitoring the skies to make sure no one entered.

“Your cooperation is most appreciated,” he was tempted to end Dameron’s life there, but suspected one execution without permission was enough for today. He’d let Snoke decide what he wanted to do with Dameron. Show some restraint.

And maybe he didn’t –

He cut that thought off by heading towards the door, leaving Dameron alone, only to see Hux waiting outside. ‘Ugh.’

He spat the report quickly, moving to get around Hux and head to the audience chamber, “It’s in a droid. A BB unit. White and orange.” Kylo stated, not pausing to glance at Hux as he continued on.

 

[cleopat]

If Kylo can get away with one execution…

Could Verena get away with some of the shit Kylo pulled? He acted without thinking first, allowing himself to be controlled by his anger. Verena was in more control of her anger, and allowed herself to think before making any rash decisions.

She wouldn’t risk upsetting Snoke with an unnecessary death of such a high profile politician. Maybe he’d have plans for Tarkin.

But then she’d realized, if she was able to surmise that the droid had the map, then most likely Kylo Ren had already pulled that information from Poe Dameron. She could see him strolling into the audience chamber now, gloating to Snoke that he alone found the location of the map.

Verena didn’t even humor Neria’s ridiculous request before she abruptly left the room. She marched through the corridors, using her memory as best as she could to reach the audience chamber.

And as she approached the doors, she saw Kylo march up at the same time. “I know who has the map.”

~~~

Kylo left, and Poe was only surrounded by silence, and the sound of his own heart pounding in his chest from pain. His head ached something fierce. Strapped to the chair, he could do nothing but wait for his inevitable death. Would Kylo, Ben, be the one to strike him? Would it be a Stormtrooper to deliver the final shot?

He didn’t wait long before the cell door slid open again. In came a Stormtrooper, who walked up to his chair and unshackled him. Ah, so he’s taking me to my demise.

The Trooper grabbed Poe, bound his hands in front of him with binders, and led him down a corridor, holding a blaster to the pilot’s side. The Trooper turned to lead him down a narrow hall, slightly darker than the main corridors, before he stopped them both.

“Listen carefully,” the trooper began, and Poe looked at him with some confusion, “you do exactly as I say, I can get you out of here.”

Now Poe was even more baffled. Was this a setup? “Wha…?”

The trooper pulled off his helmet. “This is a rescue, I’m helping you escape. Can you fly a TIE fight?”

Poe frowned, “Are you with the Resistance?”

The trooper shook his head, “What? No, no, I’m breaking you out! Can you fly a TIE fighter?”

“I can fly anything.”

 

[Lucyfer]

Kylo gave Verena a side-eye as their paths crossed, “And?” Kylo asked, eyebrow cocked even if she couldn’t see it. His tone implied he didn’t care. “Did you get anything else useful?” the map was easy.

He’d known Poe knew.

He’d already let Hux know so he could start the search on the ground, now he just had to report to Snoke that this wasn’t a failure. To him, Neria was never important for knowledge of the map. She was important for a wealth of other things, but the map? No.

Snoke might feel similar if that was all Verena had from the politician.

Kylo wouldn’t give her a moment to consider if she had anything extra to bring to the discussion as he walked into the audience chamber. She did, or she didn’t, but either way – Kylo felt secure in what he’d found. Enough that her presence and knowledge of similar didn’t bother him at all.

~***~

Silence. Neria tested the bonds, and was fairly sure she could get her left hand loose. ‘Then what?’ The shadow told her there was still a trooper on duty. She couldn’t get far with one hand loose unless she could steal the blaster. They’d come near….

“FN-5429,” a voice spoke after the door to her cell opened.

“Sir.”

“Supreme Leader Snoke wants this prisoner moved to the Supremacy. Prepare an escort.”

“Sir!” The trooper left, and the one who spoke stepped forward, hands behind his back, gaze calm and assessing.

“Orrineswa. A pleasure.”

Neria’s lips cracked into a smile, and so did the agent’s, as he stepped forward and unbound her, adding a false set of binders for her hands, which she kept behind her back. “They’ll be back soon.”

“And how are we getting out?”

“Not many options,” he confessed, “it’ll have to be TIEs.”

“I suppose these aren’t the TIE defenders with lightspeed?”

“Afraid not.”

“They go to wild space and don't even listen to Thrawn! Ugh. So Jakku.”

“Mmm.”

“Let’s hurry then,” Neria sighed, as the officer led her out, keeping a hand between her shoulder blades as he escorted towards a hangar.

~***~

FN-2187 was relieved the man thought he could fly a TIE, though when confronted about why, he stumbled over the reason. It was the right thing to do, even if FN-2187 couldn’t quite explain why. The Order was all he knew, but somehow, witnessing the slaughter on Jakku gave him second thoughts.

It wasn’t right.

He knew it in his bones.

Saving Poe could show him was right, and so he led Poe to the hangar with the TIE fighters, not at all understanding the damn things as he looked upon the wall stacked with the ‘eyeballs’, as some called them.

“Okay, stay calm, stay calm,” FN-2187 was not calm.

He’d never been trained in piloting, or aerial combat. He really hoped that Poe could handle this, as he pushed Poe suddenly towards the side, and one area that was relatively well hidden from the sight of their overseers. “Okay – these should work,” FN-2187 said, gesturing with his blaster, and then reaching to remove the binders so Poe could easily climb in while they were shielded from the others of the Order.

 

[cleopat]

I bet that’s all the information you have as well.

Verena clenched her jaw. The map was the most important thing right now! Neria wouldn’t have anything that would immediately benefit the First Order, unless she was to do a longer interrogation for her knowledge on the political ongoing activities of Hosnian Prime.

“There was one thing she mentioned before any questioning at all. I shouldn’t be surprised at all that the one who hides behind his mask all the time also created a new name for himself, but really, did you two names have to rhyme?” That just seemed a bit too ridiculous for her. “Kylo and Solo. Ren and Ben.”

She shrugged as she followed behind him into the audience chamber. “I guess Kylo Ren is a slightly more intimidating name than Ben Solo.”

And maybe she had a death wish, taunting Kylo the way she did. But it was so easy, after hearing his name coming from Snoke's mouth for so long! Taunting her in return.

~~~

Poe kept half-expecting the Stormtrooper to turn and shoot Poe, like everything was some sort of test. A Stormtrooper helping a Resistance pilot to escape a First Order star destroyer! It didn’t make sense!

And yet, as they walked into the hangar, with no one stopping them yet, it was happening.

“I am calm.” Poe was, in a way, calm, though his heart belied his cool exterior.

“I was talking to myself.” Poe could’ve laughed. A nervous Stormtrooper!

The Stormtrooper led them to the side, and freed his hands, while Poe looked over the special forces TIE fighters in slight amazement. Once freed, he climbed inside the nearest one, with his rescuer right behind him. “I’ve always wanted to fly one of these things.” He could give credit where credit was due! “Can ya shoot?”

The trooper removed his helmet, “Blasters, I can.”

“Okay, some principal!” Poe sat in the pilot’s seat and flipped switches to turn on the TIE fighter’s engines. “Use the toggle on the left to switch between missiles, cannons, and mag pulse. Use the site on the right to aim, triggers to fire!”

FN-2187 situated himself in the seat of the blaster controls. “Okay, I can do this.”

Poe told himself the same thing as he lurched forward with the TIE fighter, as the hangar realized at the same time that an unauthorized TIE was departing.

 

[Lucyfer]

Kylo went rigid as he heard that name. ‘Ben Solo.’ No one in the Order was allowed to say it. It had been banned for so long, few even knew of the ban, let alone the name. He wanted to immediately pull at the Force and ram Verena into something, or choke the life out of her – but before any action could take place, Snoke appeared.

He hadn’t even called for Snoke.

Perhaps he sensed the anger.

Kylo wasn’t yet at the platform, but still on the bridge. He hastily marched his way to the platform and took a knee, as Snoke loomed over them, far larger in the hologram than he was in life. “Supreme Leader,” Kylo would at least be first in delivering information, “the map to Luke Skywalker was placed in a BB Unit, an orange and white droid that belonged to a Resistance pilot. It’s still on Jakku.” He was sure of it.

“We captured the Resistance pilot, Poe Dameron, and Governor Tarkin on Jakku.”

Surprise flitted across Snoke’s face, “Governor Tarkin?” a constant thorn in his side.

“Verena was charged with interrogating her.”

Snoke’s gaze fell on Verena at that, and Kylo was again grateful for the mask hiding his expression.

~***~

Alarms blared as Neria and Karan’s Agent reached a hangar. “Unauthorized TIE Fighter departure from Bay 2.”

That was not the bay they were looking at, and yet, they shared a single look, smiled, and didn’t even bother hiding it as they both darted for different TIEs, as did other fighter pilots, aware they needed to stop the unauthorized departure. No one was going to look too closely in the chaos, and Neria jumped into a TIE Fighter.

“Come on, baby,” she knew how these operated well, and unlike Dameron in his TIE, she was able to disengage the cord, and send her TIE shrieking out, hearing the First Order radio blasting commands and lighting up the enemy TIE so she could recognize it from the others.

She clicked her tongue on the roof of her mouth, and adjusted the radio to an Imperial signal. “You on here?”

“Roger, Orrineswa,” the agent chimed.

“Let’s help the escapees a bit, hm?”

There was no question about it, as Neria blasted through a TIE that was hot on their heels, before swooping away to deal with some of the cannons on the Finalizer. They needed to bring them down before they got far from the Finalizer or they’d be blasted before they ever touched Jakku’s atmosphere.

~***~

It was chaos! The TIE first held fast to the cord, but thankfully, they were able to break free before the big guns got pulled out and brought the TIE down. FN-2187 was white-knuckling the controls, “This is very complicated,” this was not like a blaster. There were too many buttons and controls for a blaster.

Even so, as the cord broke, some of the lights on his screen lit up – and he pressed down on a few of the buttons.

Explosions rained in the hangar bay as he struck the other TIEs, and one of his shots pierced right through the hangar bay control room, before Poe wheeled them out of there and out into space.

His stomach lurched, excitement at freedom and anxiety at pending death mixing together in a volatile mix. “Wooo!” FN-2187 couldn’t help but cry out as he was able to take out a couple more cannons, before TIEs began to pour out from another hangar.

“Uh, we’re gonna have some company!” the single-piloted TIEs, he was pretty sure. He hadn’t gone to that bay on purpose.

One was quick to get on their tail, too, and FN-2187 was lining up a shot when suddenly, it was gone.

Nothing but dust, as another TIE pulled up above them and did another run at the Finalizer’s cannons. “Huh?” a third TIE seemed to be mowing down others that had been released.

 

[cleopat]

Oh, Verena knew her comment made Kylo angry. She could feel it through the Force easily, and his body language spoke plenty. She wondered if she would witness that infamous Kylo Ren anger for herself, but Snoke’s hologram appeared.

Too much of a coincidence. He had to have sensed the anger and growing tension between the two.

Verena hurried forward and took a knee, in a similar manner to Kylo. Of course he spoke first, like an eager pup awaiting a treat, but soon the attention turned toward her at the mention of their two unexpected prisoners.

“Governor Tarkin was of no use in tracking down the location of the map. It was a bit of a surprise to see her on Jakku, but after she mentioned that she was there working with the First Order, and that Tekka had already left the planet, I saw through her lies. She was stalling for Tekka and that Resistance pilot.” She wanted to mention that she was the only one who saw the lie.

Kylo Ren didn’t.

“After Ren struck down Lor San Tekka, before the old man could even be questioned, Tarkin made it clear with her attack on us that she has no intention of working with the First Order. Her alliance with Poe Dameron was initially one of convenience with a shared goal of escaping Terex, but it seems their little escapade may have influenced more Resistance sympathy.” She couldn’t understand it.

The Tarkins and other Imperial families to just turn their backs like that!

Maybe with the death of Luke Skywalker, they would see that the Resistance is nothing.

~~~

“This thing really moves!”

Once the cord was detached, they were zooming out of the hanger, but that didn’t separate them from the danger. Poe could hear explosions all around him as ship cannons and blaster fire aimed at them, but he easily dodged around the shots for now.

Poe readied himself as more TIE fighters came after them, but then one seemingly turned on the others and started shooting at them. “Well, that’s odd, but I ain’t questioning it!” He didn’t even once consider Neria, as he assumed she was still in that interrogation room.

It seemed that the Force really was with him that day.

A few more fighters were shot, one losing control and crashing into a cannon and taking it out. “I’m Poe, Poe Dameron, by the way! What’s yours?”

“FN-2187!”

Poe scrunched his face. “FN…what?”

Finn shrugged, “It was the only name they ever gave me.”

“Well I ain’t using it! FN huh? Finn, how about Finn? That all right?”

Finn grinned, the name immediately appealing to him. An actual name, not a series of numbers! “I like that!”

A different cannon shot at them. “The ventral cannons!” Finn exclaimed. Poe cursed and continued his evasive maneuvers around them and the few TIE fighters still after them.

 

[Lucyfer]

Snoke assessed the information that Verena presented, quietly noting to himself that all she presented was all that happened on Jakku. If there was an interrogation, either Verena couldn’t break Tarkin, or she hadn’t looked far enough to find anything useful. And Tarkin could be useful, as useful as Dameron.

“Both are still alive?” the question sizzled.

“I can vouch for Dameron.” Kylo said, swallowing. It was good he’d left him alive, then.

“Good,” Snoke knew Verena was not so prone to outbursts. “Find out where the Resistance is holed up,” he demanded of Kylo, before addressing Verena, “Were you unable to break Tarkin?” he demanded, “you have presented nothing but what occurred on Jakku. A stormtrooper could have told me what you’ve presented.”

Kylo kept his head down.

He knew she hadn’t gotten anything else.

However, it seemed they were to be spared. The ship shuddered around them, and Kylo looked up, startled.

Snoke sneered, “Find out what is happening.” The hologram faded.

~***~

Neria kept her attention on Poe’s likely TIE only so much as necessary to make sure she wasn’t striking it, and it wasn’t striking her. Their screens were only going to continue to register one another as enemies, but thankfully, it didn’t seem he had anything in mind to lash out at unexpected help.

They couldn’t confirm their identities to each other.

Hell, for all she knew, it was someone else the Order captured!

Regardless, the only path was Jakku, and Neria was soon making her way there, the turbolasers and much of the Finalizer’s firepower crippled. “You’re going to need to eject when we within the atmosphere of Jakku,” Neria said to Karan’s agent. “We can’t have them track us to the TIEs.”

“Understoo—shit!”

Neria saw his ship take a hit. Not fatal, but not good, and she saw why. The fucking ventral cannons!

Neria was quick to swerve her own TIE and dodge out of the way, but they were homing, following the heat signature. She was quick to add additional heat signatures by firing out shots – but she didn’t have the ability to fire behind herself.

‘Shit.’


She was able to hit the atmosphere of Jakku, at least, and far enough down to hit the eject.

The missile collided with the TIE shortly afterwards. The explosion, spray of debris, and all else, was enough to take consciousness from her for a few blessed seconds.

When she came to, she’d already landed, parachute covering her against the sun, and new blood staining her attire. She could only groan before pulling herself out from under the parachute and under the scorching desert sun.

At least her TIE was nowhere to be seen. The Order would have a difficult time finding her.

 

[cleopat]

Verena bowed her head, knowing she was about to be chastised on her failure, or worse. She wasn’t a stranger to Snoke’s punishments when he was disappointed in someone, and when wasn’t he disappointed?

If only she was better! If only she was stronger.

But it seemed luck was on her side for now. The ship shuddered around them, and Verena straightened, startled by the interruption. Snoke instructed them to find out what was going on.

Once his hologram disappeared, Verena stood up. She wanted to linger a few more minutes in isolation to contemplate her failures, to contemplate in how Kylo always made her feel inferior, even before they ever actually met.

How she wanted to scream and cry!

But they were needed immediately, and so without a glance at Kylo, she headed for the exit to the audience chamber.

~~~

Poe and Finn kept up against the attacks for a while, but eventually luck had to run out, and it did when one of the ventral cannons hit the TIE fighter, sending it hurling towards Jakku. Poe banged his head against the interior in the hurling descent, and he didn’t know much else until they crash landed.

Waking up, pain radiated in his body, and his mouth was full of sand. It had to be around midday, as the harsh Jakku sun was high in the sky. Finn, unfortunately, was nowhere to be seen. First taste of freedom, and he sacrificed himself to get me out of there.

Poe felt a pang of guilt and anguish, but he couldn’t ruminate on it. He had to find a settlement soon. Or water. Well, water on Jakku should mean settlement.

He set off, aware of cuts and bruises covering his body now. Already, he was desperate for water, but he was shit out of luck for now.

Time passed, and soon, he saw something in the distance. A person? Well, he would have to hope it wasn’t someone with the First Order. “Hey!” he yelled out waving his arms. “Over here!”

Poe hurried his steps to them. Once he got close enough, he couldn’t help but laugh. “Was that you in that TIE fighter, saving my ass?” Neria was safe somehow escaping like he did. “You gotta tell me how you got out of there.”

 

[Lucyfer]

Kylo was up and on his feet as soon as the hologram was gone, and moving after Verena as well. Whatever was going on, wasn’t good, and he had a feeling it somehow involved Poe Dameron. Trust a rebel to find a way to cause chaos quickly.

He strode into the Command Center to see the chaos, and fixed his gaze upon General Hux, who seemed to focused on his screens. The screens could wait, though Kylo glanced at them as he walked to where the General was occupied.

Screens showed readouts of the ship’s artillery and quite a bit of destruction.

There was an entire hangar bay in ruins.

And the screen Hux was looking at held the image of an officer, a member of the Security Bureau. Which…made no sense, why was an officer on the screen? ‘Agent Bertrun Yage?’ Kylo ignored that, “General Hux – is it the Resistance pilot?” he demanded, eyes flicking to Hux instead of the screens.

~***~

Neria tore into her parachute with her bare hands, cursing the lack of knife under her breath, to create a hood for herself. She was quick to tie it around her head to help shield herself from the sun, before spreading sand over her face to keep it as protected as she could. She had gloves in her pockets, things the Order never cared to remove, so she just slipped those on.

Covered, but hot. Miserably hot, but it was better than the alternative of sunburnt, and she burnt fast.

She would still burn, but this would mitigate it, as she walked towards the smoke she could see in the distance.

Eventually, she heard a voice shouting for her. She stopped, and looked in the direction of the waving figure, frowning a bit until the voice registered. She let out a sigh and smiled as he approached. He was in no danger of burning up like her, but this probably wasn’t his best day. “I have spies in the Order,” Neria answered, “apparently one was tapped to save me, instead of kill me. Not sure who I need to blame for that.”

But that wasn’t the oddity.

“How are you free?” Sure, Leia had spies, too, but this felt…well, above what Leia was capable of. Neria’s spies could blend in pretty easily. Hell, some of them had started in the Order and wanted to jump ship.

Imperial connections ran deep.

She started to walk again – no time to waste, after all.

 

[cleopat]

The Commander Center was in chaos, with officers scrambling around to get everything back in order. The look on General Hux’s face as he read the screens in front of him was not a pleasant one, one that easily scared the new recruits who were not used to his methods yet.

Hux turned his head to see Kylo and Verena, before looking back at the profile of the officer. “In this case, no, it wasn’t.” Verena’s head snapped up at that. “Agent Betrun Yage decided to show his true allegiance when he freed Neria Tarkin and proceeded to steal two TIE fighters.”

Verena felt her blood boil with the information. Fuck. Would Snoke blame her for that? He couldn’t…she was talking to him at the time!

And yet, he knew how to manipulate the situation to make her feel the guilt.

“Poe Dameron also escaped.” Okay, now Verena wanted to laugh at the situation. “He had help from a Stormtrooper. They escaped in a TIE fighter, but not before causing destruction to our hanger and several of our cannons. One of the ventral cannons hit the TIE, and they crash landed on Jakku.”

“A Stormtrooper?” Verena frowned at that.

Hux confirmed, his face grim. “We are currently trying to pinpoint who it was.”

~~~

Poe let out a bark of laughter. “Of course you have spies.” Really, the families of the old Empire still had plenty of resources, which was a big reason why Leia wanted to try and get them on their side.

It would be much better than them fully being swayed to the First Order.

He fell by her side as they began walking again. Nothing in the distance that he could see, he just hoped that some small outpost would appear on the other side of a nearby sand dune. “That’s an interesting story.”

Some of that sadness returned as Poe recalled the heroics of Finn. “It was this Stormtrooper. He came into the room, said that Ren wanted me, and then he took me down the corridor, and told me he was freeing me because it felt like the right thing to do.”

A defected Stormtrooper. Truly made for a great story!

“He helped me get to a TIE fighter and controlled the guns while I got us out of there.” Poe paused his steps and turned to Neria with a smile. “That was you in the other TIE fighter, wasn’t it? The one that was helping us.” Oh what luck!

“Anyways, we were hit and crash landed on this planet, but when I woke up after the crash,” he shrugged, “I guess I was ejected far from the actual crash sight, because Finn, the Stormtrooper, wasn’t there, and most of the TIE fighter wasn’t there either.”

 

[Lucyfer]

Kylo understood why the officer was up now. His fists clenched tightly. He didn’t know Agent Yage, but he’d make a point not to forget that face, in case Yage survived. The news didn’t surprise him, but it did piss him off. How many others were there, in service to the old Imperial families?

He couldn’t tear through everyone’s mind to find out.

And there was a problem with a Stormtrooper. “I thought your Stormtroopers were perfect,” he snaps the word, but then shakes his head. “It has to be one who went to Jakku,” that would narrow it down, if Hux hadn’t already surmised as much.

“FN-2187.”

Phasma approached them with that calm statement, and FN-2187’s profile pulled up, “No prior issues before today.”

“But today?”

“His blaster was not fired on Jakku,” Phasma stated. “I sent him for reconditioning.”

“Apparently not.” He clearly didn’t go there. He went to save Poe.

~***~

‘Stormtroopers don’t have names.’ Neria managed not to say that. She supposed the troopers likely gave themselves nicknames, if only because numbers were a mouthful to go along with all the time. “Perhaps he got thrown somewhere to safety, too,” she glanced up, “I don’t know where my savior went,” she confessed, “don’t even know his name.”

She wasn’t meant to know all the spies they had. It was definitely a protective measure. She was, in the end, the one they always knew was the most likely to get caught. “It was me in the other TIE, though. And the agent,” she confirmed and gave a shrug, “wasn’t sure if it was you or not, but you were fighting the Order so I certainly wasn’t about to shoot you down,” she chuckled.

They’d needed all the distractions possible, and they still got shot down.

She gestured outwards, “I can see the faint hint of smoke that way. I think it may be the village,” it wasn’t the best option, but she had no others. She needed water and shelter, and she wanted to check on the kids. “I presume your droid is no longer there, but perhaps it left some signs you can pick up.”

Either way, the First Order was going to be tearing the planet apart.

“I’m sure there is at least something useful there besides water,” but water would help, “at the very least I may be able to use a datapad and call for help.”

 

[cleopat]

Hux nearly snapped at Kylo for daring to question his troopers. Obviously this one was perhaps sent out too early. Or…Or…Or…”I will not have you questioning my methods.”

At least Kylo annoyed someone else, Verena mused. Her head turned at the approach of Phasma with the number of the defected Stormtrooper. One who didn’t fire at all on Jakku, which, considering the carnage, was surprising. There was certainly enough opportunity for it.

“Did anyone else in his troop show any signs of non-conformity?” Verena asked.

“No,” Phasma said coolly. “He was the only one.”

Verena hummed. So the entire troop wasn’t defective. At least, not yet. “I can guarantee that Poe Dameron will be looking for his droid on Jakku.” She turned to Hux. “We need a bounty on that droid. A BB unit, orange and white. It’s carrying the map to Luke Skywalker, and we can’t let Dameron get back to it first.”

Would Tarkin help him? Verena was annoyed at herself. There was so much more she should have grabbed from the woman.

~~~

Poe gave a somber nod. Both of their rescuers may have sacrificed their lives to save them, two people they didn’t even know.

It would be for the greater good. Poe vowed to see the Resistance through, for them.

He chuckled. “Well, I’m glad you didn’t shoot me down. That would’ve been a bummer. And when I saw you were shooting other TIE fighters, I took a risk and guessed you were an ally. Turns out I was right. At least, a temporary ally,” he echoed her earlier words. An alliance of convenience.

Neria pointed out smoke, and Poe strained his eyesight to try and see it. “I think I see it too.” No, his droid wouldn’t be there, but it was a starting point. “That’s a good idea. We need to find my droid, and find a way off this planet before it’s swarming with First Order troops.”

He began in that direction. It would take hours for them to reach, and all Poe could think about during the trek was finding delicious, cool water to quench his thirst. Maybe even a nap, though he needed to stay on the move until he was in a safe and secure location.

 

[Lucyfer]

‘I already told him as much.’ Kylo didn’t bother to reiterate that. He was sure that General Hux was at least already on top of it.

Phasma answered, “A bounty has been placed. The information is posted in Niima Outpost, Cratertown, and along the Pilgrim’s Road. We have Troopers on the ground looking for the droid as we speak.”

“None from FN-2187’s platoon, I presume.” Kylo didn’t bother to hide the accusation in his tone, and the challenge for them to send any from that platoon to Jakku. He was sure even Snoke wouldn’t like that.

Although Phasma would agree with Hux that their soldiers were adequately trained and this was a fluke, she still answered, “Affirmative,” it was better to have trained and proven soldiers on this mission, “they were fresh. This sort of work requires soldiers that have already been proven.” Not that the others in FN-2187’s platoon were defective.

Only that the need was different.

~***~

‘A bummer.’ Why in the maker’s name were all rebels so…what even was the word she wanted? Non-threatening? Innocent? The word choice was atrocious. What kind of threat said bummer! Or swell? ‘Just say fuck!’ Not in that context, but there was a part of Neria that just wanted to shake Poe until he said something normal.

‘Maybe the sun is getting to you.’

It was not the sun.

Neria put it aside and nodded, staying on topic. They did need to find a way off-planet. It would either be with a datapad, or hitting one of the larger civilizations. It was those civilizations that were likely to have First Order soldiers, though. ‘Although if Verena took any tips….’ There might be a few waiting at the village.

Hopefully not. Verena knew she was just guessing at everything.

They trekked through the desert under the atrocious sun, saying little. The sun likely took it out of them, but Neria wasn’t going to add that to her list of complaints. The sun was on its way down, but not setting, by the time they reached the village and found some flames still smoldering upon a couple of huts. The bodies were just…left out.

Not even burned, or buried in a pit. The Order wasn’t even trying to mask what it had done! Not that there was anyone alive—

“Mari! Milo!”

Neria’s voice was a bit hoarse with lack of water, but she still shouted the names out and glanced around for movement. Their hut didn’t appear badly burned, and she knew there was a medkit, so she tilted her head that way, “I’m sure there’s water here,” and she could check the boxes, if necessary, before checking the bodies.

Except, there’d be no need to check the bodies.

Something suddenly collided with her leg, and Neria stilled, looking down to see Mari wrapped tight around her leg, head buried against her side, and tears already pouring down her face. Neria lowered a gloved hand to the back of Mari’s head, as impossibly quiet sobs wracked the girl’s body.

 

[cleopat]

Verena was pleased to hear that they were already a few steps ahead. A bounty placed and a different troop being sent to look for the droid. “Good.” Phasma’s reputation preceded her, so Verena already had no doubt she was fixing this error immediately, and got the rest of her troopers back in line.

“General,” an officer at one of the control panels spoke up, “we have the location of the crash site for one of the TIE fighters. It crashed in the Goazon Badlands about half an hour ago.”

Verena straightened. This could be her opportunity to bring something new to Snoke, if she leapt into immediate action and stoked out the location of the crash. The prisoner could still be there. Maybe some clues.

“Prepare me a shuttle,” she said to the officer. They hesitated at first, not used to Verena or knowing her rank, but with a subtle nod from Hux, the officer relayed the message to the hanger for a shuttle for the Herald of Lian. “I’m going to see if the prisoner left anything behind.” Or maybe they didn’t survive the crash.

Somehow that would be less gratifying.

She turned on her heel and began to set off to the hangar, eager to get down there before the sands and sun of Jakku hid anything she could use.

~~~

Poe smelled the burnt bodies before he saw them. He remembered being taken away right as the First Order fired their shots on the villagers, but seeing them still strawn about sent a wave of anger through him that validated every thought he held about the Order.

But he couldn’t stew in his anger for too long before the complete unexpected happened.

First, Neria called out names that Poe didn’t recognize. He didn’t think about it. Maybe she was calling out for two villagers she knew that she hoped were still alive somehow. He followed after her, called forward by the hope of water.

Then one tiny body slammed into Neria, and then a second one soon after. Two small kids were hugging her legs, both of them had obviously been crying for hours.

Oh…oh no. Shit.

Poe was wide eyed as he looked down at the kids. It was obvious that they were now alone, but how they knew Neria was a mystery for him. “Umm…they aren’t yours, right?” he whispered to her, as if speaking too loud would scare them.

They certainly can’t leave them there, that was sure.

Poe knelt down, coming face-to-face with the children. “Are you Milo and Mari?”

 

[Lucyfer]

A new update. A crashed TIE. Kylo accepted Verena demanding her shuttle, “I will accompany you,” he said before glancing to Hux, “you can explain this gross oversight with Officer Yage and the Stormtroopers to the Supreme Leader.” These were his errors. Not Kylo's.

He wasn't going to explain and get criticized for these incidents. Hux could explain how his stormtrooper problem was being handled.

With that duty handed off, he turned to quickly follow Verena to the hangar and her shuttle, which he wasn't imagining to be better than his.

Probably smaller.

Worse.

‘The shuttle doesn't matter. Getting the information does.’

And he wanted to prove he was more capable than her, even if he'd done so with Poe. They came back with similar information. He wanted more and to be the one who obviously got it first.

“You don't plan to bring any stormtroopers with us, do you?” He rather hoped not. Right then he barely wanted to deal with Phasma.

~***~

Neria could only scowl at the question Poe posed her about the kids. No, they were not hers in the way he implied, but the fact they lived meant from that moment they were hers. In what manner, she didn't know, but their mother had protected them per her instructions. At the cost of her own life.

Neria owed the woman the safety of her children for that trust, and for fixing up her head, despite being strangers. Plenty would consider the trade unfair, but Neria never really worked in fair.

“They're my responsibility,” the answer was curt but quiet.

Responsibility was too cold a word for children to hear, as her other hand went to the back of Milo’s head, before Poe knelt down.

Mari managed to pull her face away from it's covered safety to look at the strange man, then up to Neria. “He's Poe Dameron,” Neria introduced, “he's a friend,” he wasn't quite, but again, she refused to be cold with the children, and they needed to know he was trustworthy without complications.

Mari couldn't find her voice, and certainly not a smile, but she looked back at Poe and nodded, accepting his presence with the tentative trust a child had to have for adults.

Wordlessly, she reached for Mari and lifted her up, and gave Poe a stern look over Mari’s shoulder. ‘Pick up Milo.’

“Mari, I need your help again,” Neria said softly as the girl buried her face against her neck. “I need water, the medkit, and a datapad. Did your mom have a datapad she lent you and Milo went she went away for emergencies?”

They were likely too young to have their own true datapads, but an emergency one made sense.

Mari nodded, sniffed, “It's–it's in the medkit,” she hiccuped, voice muffled, “I didn't…I didn't know who…everyone….”

Neria ran a hand over the girl's back as she walked in. “You did enough,” she said gently, “you both did enough. Your mother would be happy. I have it from here.”

 

[cleopat]

Verena clenched her fists. No, Kylo really didn’t have to accompany her. She could’ve done this herself. She wanted to do this herself. She knew why he wanted to come along with her.

To get that damn credit for himself.

She could hardly argue against it, knowing the man’s anger issues and stubbornness. She just sighed as he followed her, not commenting on his joining her for now.

Her shuttle wasn’t any smaller than Kylo. It was just as nice, though Verena wished it was nicer. Bigger. Just to rub it in his face.

Oh well.

She walked up the ramp to her shuttle and inwardly cringed at Kylo’s question. Just the fact that he asked made her wish that she had asked for a few Stormtroopers for several reasons. “No, I do not,” she answered. “They would’ve just slowed me down.”

You’re not going to slow me down, are you? You’re going to try and take credit for anything I find.

Maybe she could ‘accidentally’ leave him behind on Jakku.

~~~

They’re my responsibility.

The pain that the First Order was causing was evident right in front of their eyes. Two kids, so very young, were now orphaned, and they didn’t even know why. They just knew that they weren’t seeing their mother ever again.

When Neria told them his name, Milo looked up at him, eyes wide and full of tears. Poe gave him a soft smile, “Hey there, it’s nice to meet you.” Milo didn’t answer, which Poe expected, but he continued to stare at the pilot, unsure of what to think about the new person.

He didn’t even need the prompt from Neria to pick up the child. He reached for Milo and pulled him into his arms, and Milo immediately wrapped his arms around Poe’s neck and buried his face into the crook of Poe’s neck.

“What’s gonna happen to us?” Milo asked, his voice barely audible as his face was still buried into Poe.

He glanced at Neria, who was searching for the datapad in the medkit. “You’ll be taken care of, I promise. You will get to go on adventures.”

Milo looked up at Poe, eyes wide and wet. “Really?”

Poe’s heart melted. “So many adventures, and to so many planets!”

 

[Lucyfer]

Kylo did note the shuttle seemed to be the same. It annoyed him, but he’d hardly comment on that aloud. It was likely practical if they were given similar missions. She’d need space for the stormtroopers that usually accompanied her, but would not this time.

“Good.”

He didn’t want to deal with them, either.

Presuming that, he headed towards the cockpit of the shuttle, already planning to take up piloting the shuttle to get them down to Jakku so they could begin the search. After all, they wouldn’t have any other pilots between each other if no stormtrooper was coming along, right?

He slipped right into the pilot’s seat and made the move to pull the ramp up and close the shuttle door before getting it started, not even considering that Verena might prefer to pilot it herself, and certainly not caring.

She could sit in the damn co-pilot’s seat and be quiet.

~***~

The medkit was not difficult to find, given it hadn’t moved far from where Neria had last seen it, when Deliah used it on her. She sat down in that same place, and opened it, keeping one arm tight around Mari as she moved through the items to find the datapad within. It was there, and Neria didn’t even hesitate in taking it out.

“Tend to your wounds. Get water,” she told Poe, even as she heard him mention adventures, and saw Milo perk up. It might be good to send Mari to him, but for the moment, she held Mari as she input a number from memory, and then pulled the datapad to her ear like a damn savage. She wanted an earpiece.

There was an automated answer.

“WT64M1800P6CT36L900M10.” It was a string of letters and numbers that would mean nothing to most, but it was a code that Neria repeated by rote, even as Mari lifted her head to give her a confused look.

The line connected. “Neria?” Adelaide’s voice was on the other side and Neria did her best not to let her relief show.

“You didn’t think I was going to die that easily, did you?” she smirked, “you can use these coordinates to find me. There are three others with me. Might be more. I’ll keep the datapad on me and active in case I move.”

“Who’s that?” Mari whispered, loud enough that Adelaide could still hear on the other side.

Adelaide paused, and Neria answered, “My best friend,” she said, “Adelaide. She’s going to see to it we get to safety.”

Mari pursed her lips, but nodded once. Safety meant leaving.

It meant a certain acceptance she hadn’t reached.

Adelaide said nothing about the child’s voice, “The Finalizer is still in orbit around Jakku.”

“Mmm, yeah,” Neria bent forward to set Mari on the ground, “go see Poe,” she said quietly as she got to her feet and started to walk to the exit of the hut, “Can I convince you to send the Exigency?” She knew the answer even as she walked out of the hut.

Mari hesitated to see Poe, but she didn’t want to be alone. She’d just lost her mother, and Milo was with Poe – so she wanted to cling and orbit around him, if she couldn’t cling and orbit Neria. She took a few steps closer to Poe, “Are we going to stay together?” she wasn’t sure if she meant Neria, herself and Milo, or all of them – but she was so afraid of losing anything right then, that she had to ask.

~***~

Outside, Neria’s conversation continued.

“We are not at war, Neria.”

“Yeah, I’m planning to declare it when I get to Hosnian Prime,” she said, looking out at the destruction, “I think the Senate will be very interested in seeing what happened here.”

“Even if they see it, they will not declare.”

“True, but I’m not asking permission,” Neria said, “I’m declaring it.”

There was a pause, a very long one, before she heard Adelaide chuckling on the other side, “Fine. But I’m not sending the Exigency until we’re at war. When the Senate realizes the kind of Star Destroyers you’ve been hiding…."

“Yeah, yeah, renegotiations, breach of my position, yada yada,” she flapped her hand in the air, “they shouldn’t have spent their damn money on a statue and maybe I wouldn’t have thought it necessary to buy machines of war.”

“You had them before the Bail statue.”

“They don’t need to know that. So. What are you sending then?”

“I would like to send the Orrineswa, but Omega enforces your restrictions rather…harshly.”

“So send Cibor.”

“Cibor’s grounded.”

“Idiot.” But she snickered despite the insult at the teenager's expense. He was one of the smartest people she knew, which was saying a lot.

“Neria—”

“Send another ship then.”

“…I’ll talk to Karan.”

“Thank you~,” she said, sing-song, “I’m sending video of the Order’s destruction. Make sure the Senate sees it. Make sure to declare war for me if I can’t make it, please?”

“No. Make it to a meeting on time for once.” With that, Adelaide clicked off, and Neria sighed, but remained smiling, until she began to take video of the devastation, narrating over it for the Esteemed Senators, so they knew what they were looking at – it wasn’t like most of them ever saw a dead body, before.

Their hands were clean.

They paid others to do their dirty work.

 

[cleopat]

Verena prepared herself to take over the pilot’s seat and fly them to Jakku. After all, it was her ship. If one of her Stormtroopers weren’t flying it, then she was. Never would she let Kylo touch her controls if she could help it.

And yet he did. He strolled up to the cockpit and assumed control, as if it was his ship.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Verena demanded, following behind Kylo and stopping behind the pilot’s seat. “This is my ship, not yours. If you wanted to fly, then you should’ve taken your own shuttle to Jakku.” And left her alone.

“You can’t just take whatever you want,” she huffed, backtracking into the main room once she saw they left the hangar. “Even if you are…special.” That was certainly one way of putting it.

~~~

“I’ve always wanted to see another planet. Even ones covered in water!” Milo said with the most emotion he had since the previous night.

Poe chuckled as he began to walk around the hut in search of water. “I have certainly seen my fair share of those kinds of planets. Maybe I’ll take you to one, so you can have your own adventure.” He really shouldn’t be talking about things he didn’t know if he could keep. Neria said she was going to care for the kids, but did that mean back on Hosnian Prime?

He faintly heard Neria talking to someone, but he didn’t try to listen in on the conversation. He could only assume it was a call for help. “Hey buddy, do you mind telling me where you keep the water?”

Milo nodded and pointed to a large covered vase hiding in a corner. Poe opened the lid and sighed in relief at the sweet, sweet sight of drinkable water. He helped himself to two cupfulls, and offered Milo some, who also greedily drank a cup.

He had been too upset to eat or drink anything.

Mari soon walked over, and with her heartbreaking question, Poe almost lost it there. No child should have to be thinking about something as serious as being separated from her last surviving family member.

Poe knelt down, still holding onto Milo, and he held his other arm out to Mari, who quickly walked forward and into his embrace. Now he had two kids clinging onto him. “Of course,” he answered, assuming she had only meant herself and Milo. “I can’t allow you two to not have each other.”

“Poe said we’ll go on adventures!” Milo told his sister.

Poe chuckled. “And you’ll meet all sorts of friendly and interesting people.”

 

[Lucyfer]

Kylo looked up at Verena as she stalked over, furious that he’d taken over piloting. ‘You should have been faster.’ She should have been stronger, too, if she wanted to remove him, but instead, she just spat pointless words, and he was able to look at her, seemingly impassive, through his helmet.

He didn’t budge from his seat as he pulled the ship out of the hangar.

“Apparently, I can.”

He always could. He could take whatever thought he wanted. He could take whatever thing he wanted or needed. He would take the damn map from this droid, as soon as he got his hands on it, and he would take Luke Skywalker’s life, too.

If nothing else was a constant, that was.

He could take what he wanted.

“I’m glad you are finally beginning to see the truth,” he noted, as she called him special, “I wonder, did it just take learning who my parents were to realize I was special?” he hated that, but he couldn’t deny it. Vader’s bloodline made him special. “Are you aware it is forbidden by Snoke himself to say that name?”

He couldn’t even bring himself to say it, but he had nothing against reporting it to Snoke, or taking action into his own hand, if it persisted. He'd just be enforcing the laws of the Order.

~***~

Although Mari had been interested in adventure earlier, now the thought of traveling and not having her mother to tell about it, broke her heart. Milo was excited. She was angry with him. But mostly, she was sad.

Just sad.

And so she nodded against Poe as she heard Neria’s steps return to the hut.

Neria felt her heart melt, just a little, at seeing the group hug. However, she also saw the water that Poe had unveiled, and walked over to it to take her own cup, taking a drink. Mari separated from Poe then, hesitating between who to be near, and sticking to Poe because of Milo.

“Adelaide is sending a ship for us,” Neria told Poe, “we can move to search for your droid. It’ll track the datapad I have,” and staying here, with all the bodies…it didn’t feel right for these kids. Even if Neria desperately wanted a rest, she knew better than to allow that weakness.

They could pack water, medical supplies, and rations here, and move out.

“Droid?” Mari was starting to move away from the thoughts that cycled in her head.

Neria nodded, “A very important droid,” Neria said, “he’s somewhere on Jakku.” She went back to the medkit to put more bacta on new wounds from the explosion of the TIE. Mari was quick to rush over then, as Neria lifted her tunic up a bit to get to one.

“Let me! Mama showed me how.”

Though Neria was more than capable, she nodded to allow it. It was a way for Mari to hold onto her mother – how could she deny it right then? Besides, the galaxy needed more healers. “You get injured a lot.” Mari stated.

“Yes, I do,” Neria couldn’t even bullshit that one.

 

[cleopat]

Apparently I can.

Those words sent red hot fury through Verena. He just easily confirmed that he could take anything he wanted, as if he was some spoiled brat who always got what he wanted. And maybe he did, as the son of Leia Organa and Han Solo.

The grandson of Darth Vader.

“I knew you were special the moment Snoke brought you in with how he never shut up about you,” she spat the word ‘special’ like it was toxic. The years of Snoke taunting and goading her with Kylo Ren’s name…now she knew why. She was never going to live up to his expectations, as he constantly compared her to Kylo.

It hurt just as much as it angered her. Was she just set up for never ending failure? Would she always be a disappointment in the eyes of Snoke, with Darth Vader’s lineage standing right beside her?

Verena couldn’t care less that the name Ben Solo was forbidden by Snoke. He could tell on her all he wanted.

“But at least I know one thing now: I’ve earned my place here. I’ve worked hard for everything. You were just lucky enough to be born into it.”

~~~

Mari left Poe’s embrace, and he reshifted to get a better grip on Milo, who insisted on staying where he was. The comfort of an adult, one who seemed very kind, was comforting to Milo.

“I don’t have anything on me anymore that could help us track BB-8.” He’d lost everything between being taken prisoner and crashing landing on the planet. “So I guess we can start by heading to the nearest outpost and ask around if they’ve seen my droid.”

At least BB-8 was a unique droid. There would be no mistaking it for another one.

He allowed a soft smile at the sight of Mari taking over the bandaging duties for Neria. It was rather precious, the young girl already on her way to being just like her mother, apparently.

“We will be leaving soon,” he told Milo. “I need you to do me a huge favor.” The kid looked at him then, seemingly interested in fulfilling this favor for the nice adult. “I need you to find a bag, and put a few items in it that you do not want to leave behind, okay? Very important things for you, and whatever clothes you have.”

Milo nodded, and Poe set him down on the ground. “And don’t take too long, got it?”

“Got it!” Milo was very upset at leaving behind the only home he ever knew, but he became distracted at finishing the assignment Poe gave him.

He turned to Neria, “How long until this ship arrives?”

 

[Lucyfer]

Kylo turned his head to look at Verena as she threw a tantrum over how unfair her situation was. It was true, in some respect, that she could never compete – but he wasn't there just to exist, either.

“At least you admit now you can never compete,” perhaps she hadn't said it directly, but she did believe it. And that was powerful, in and of itself, so long as she continued to believe it. “But you know better than to think I've done nothing to earn Snoke's appreciation,” that's what it was, wasn't it? Kylo was emboldened by the truth.

Snoke did praise him! Not directly, but still!

“You've heard all about all I've done. I haven't just been standing around. I've earned this place, as well,” he couldn't help but sound smug. “So you know now, even with all your work, you'll never be able to catch up. You don't have the raw talent. And you don't have the ability.”

They hit Jakku’s atmosphere with a bit of turbulence, and Kylo turned his attention back to the information feeding across so he could get them to the crash site. “You should just accept it,” he suggested, voice deep not only from the machines that masked it, but from satisfaction.

~***~

Neria knew better than to expect miracles. Poe wouldn't have anything on him to track BB-8 if he was smart. Just as Neria destroyed her datapad to avoid giving the Order much, Dameron would know better. “That was my thought, as well,” she confirmed, flinching at the touch of cold bacta.

She never got used to it.

Mari still giggled, at least. Even if it was a watery sound. “Is this the only one?” Mari asked.

“Yes,” it wasn't, but it was the only one that mattered. “Did you hear what Poe told Milo?” Mari nodded, “I want you to do the same. Poe and I will handle food, water, and those sorts of things.”

“Okay….” Mari hesitated as Neria rose, “you'll…you'll wait here, right?”

“Yes. I won't leave the house without you,” she promised. Mari hesitated, but as soon as she turned away she ran, as if she thought if she wasn't quick enough, she'd be left behind.

Neria sighed at it, but didn't call after her. She had to gather supplies, too. “I don't know. The Finalizer is still up there, so they have to try and stealth it, and apparently the only other pilot of my stealth craft is grounded,” she chuckled as she found a canvas bag and walked into the kitchen area to grab food. “Adelaide is as cautious as ever. She won't risk war until I'm there, so she's not sending a Destroyer.”

She saw flasks in the cabinets. “Catch!” She tossed one to Poe, and held another at the ready to toss his way. He could fill up the water flasks for them.

 

[cleopat]

Kylo’s words felt like a slap to her face. She’ll never catch up. She doesn’t have the ability. She should just accept it. How similar those words felt to what Snoke taunted her with.

She could be great! She was strong!

Tears of anger and frustration pricked at the corner of her eyes, and fists clenched tightly. How she wanted to run her lightsaber through him! To choke the life out of him. To…to do something that would hurt him.

“And you’ll never be as strong as your grandfather.” Words she had meant to only keep in her head, yet they tumbled out of her mouth. And in her moment of anger, she lashed out at Kylo with the Force, intending to only shove him forward into the panel before him.

Verena turned and walked away, needing to separate herself from Kylo.

~~~

Poe watched as the children ran off to gather their things, hopefully old enough to understand that they needed the important things. That they weren’t coming back. Maybe they weren’t fully accepting of it right now, and when it hits them later, even more tears will fall.

He understood what it was like to lose a parent early. The heartache never really goes away.

A Destroyer. That reminded Poe of how much resources these Imperials of old held, and how much they could benefit the Resistance. He just needed to convince Neria.

At least it didn’t seem like she was going to side with the First Order.

“Well, with the Finalizer still up there, it will certainly be a fun trip to get off Jakku.” Even with stealthing technology, he was still worried that they would discover them, and now there were two kids whose lives were in their hands.

He turned around and caught the flask as Neria threw it, as well as the subsequent one. “Are you truly going to be watching over the kids?” he asked in a soft voice, so as to not be overheard by them. Poe moved over to the water vase and filled up the flasks. “How…how did they escape the First Order?”

 

[Lucyfer]

Verena had no mask to hide her face. Not that Kylo wouldn’t have known, the emotions were positively ripping her apart. He expected something, but the comment that escaped her was one of his deeply held fears, and spurred a reaction of its own. He rose – and felt the Force push him back against the panel.

He likely nudged some controls awkwardly, but rather than pay attention to how the ship started to take a nosedive, he straightened up, grabbed the back of the chair with one hand, and with the other extended it out to hurl Verena further away and hopefully against something hard. Floor, wall, ceiling, it really didn’t matter what.

He might have shouted something at her in the process, but the shuttle shuddered, and Kylo fell back against the panel due to the turbulence. His grip on the chair kept him from hitting anything too hard, or slamming his head into anything, and he maintained that grip as he tried to turn himself around to get to the controls.

And then the ship crashed into the sands of Jakku, the front crinkling, one wing breaking off, all in the span of a few seconds.

‘Fuck!’

~***~

Neria wasn’t worried at the thought of escape. She knew how capable her stealth craft was. There was only one other in the galaxy that rivaled it, and she knew Terex was just as protective of the Carrion Spike’s secrets as she was Orrineswa’s. Besides which, recreating it was expensive.

Yet another reason she was very picky about who she let pilot it.

Poe didn’t continue in that vein, but asked about the children instead. She narrowed her eyes just a bit. Did he think she was lying to them? Well, she was a prolific liar. He’d seen that. “Yes, I am,” she spoke just as lowly so the kids wouldn’t hear their future being discussed. “I don’t know what that looks like, but they are under my protection from this point on.”

Whether that meant they went to another family and were very well taken care of financially, or…well, a formal adoption felt…strange. Blood wasn’t terribly important to her, but the thought had never crossed her mind. It was a bit much to think about right then; she’d have time to consider options and discuss them with Mari and Milo. They may have family elsewhere, after all.

“I heard the Order. I told Deliah that they should be hidden in their toy boxes. The Order wasn’t likely to consider children hiding in them, and toys scattered around isn’t a strange phenomenon,” the Order wouldn’t know if the children weren’t already gathered out there.

And there were children dead out there.

Likely friends of Milo and Mari.

“I understand how the Order operates,” better than she’d like.

She heard rustling from another room in the hut but didn’t question it as she added rations to the bag, and then went to gather the medkit. It was likely the mother’s room. There would be…important things in there, too.

 

[cleopat]

Verena knew she fucked up by mentioned Darth Vader, but in the moment, she didn’t care. And really, she should have expected some retaliation for daring to push Kylo with the Force, and yet feeling his own push against her took her off guard. She tried to manipulate the Force to cushion her impact as she harshly fell against the floor with a grunt.

Her ship shuddered in a way that wasn’t natural for it to do so. As she tried to get back on her feet, the shuddering made her stumble, and her head hit a nearby table. Fuck, that’s going to bruise.

The ship crashed, and Verena braced herself where she fell onto the floor. She could hear the damage being done to the ship, and knowing it was now destroyed sent another wave of anger through her.

“Fuck…taking over my ship, and then fucking crash it.” Okay, part of it was her fault for pushing Kylo against the panel.

But he shouldn’t have been flying her ship to begin with!

Verena started to get on her feet, but her head pounded with the effort from the subsequent hits it took. She managed to make it to a nearby seat, and took deep breaths to push back the pain as she thought of what they were going to do next.

Crash site. She needed to search the crash site. Then she could call for help. Or Kylo could call while she did her job. “Send word to the Finalizer that you crashed my ship and we’ll need transport back.”

Without looking back at Kylo, Verena lowered the ramp and stumbled out into the sands.

~~~

Poe nodded, seemingly satisfied with Neria’s answer for now. Guaranteed protection was a good start. They deserved safety and comfort after what they’ve been put through already.

Their whole lives changed in an instant. Everyone they grew up with…slaughtered in a single night, simply by being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Simply because the First Order was the personification of evil.

And he was glad for Neria’s quick thinking. To hide the children in their boxes. The Stormtroopers weren’t as concerned with looking in every nook and cranny for kids. They’ll be more concerned with finding Lor San Tekka at the time.

“You and I both know too well how the Order operates.” That was their unfortunate reality. “Which is why I think the Resistance and you Imperials will work well together.” And that he will never stop pestering her about, not while the Order was still around.

Poe searched through more of the cupboards for anything else they could take with them. It felt…wrong to take anything that seemed more personal, like dishes and vases. But rations and other nonperishables, he figured, were fair game.

“So after your friends pick us up, we find my droid, and we can go to a safe planet where I can contact the Resistance to have them get me.” He may be on friendly terms with Neria, but he wasn’t at all comfortable with sharing the location of their base. “Unless you just so happen to have a spare ship I can use?” She wouldn’t be getting it back.

 

[Lucyfer]

“And who's fault is that?!” Kylo yelled back at Verena as she spoke of the crashed ship. He wasn't taking the blame when she instigated this by pushing him! He could have maintained control otherwise!

His fists were clenched as she took a seat, before he scoffed. He intended to head out and leave her, but she got to her feet and ordered him to call for transport.

“When we have the droid.”

Right now there was no need to involve the Order. They would just slow things down. Kylo followed Verena out of the shuttle, giving it a glance to assess the damage. It definitely wasn't good. Explaining it would be…pathetic.

For both of them.

Of course, right then he was very willing to throw her under the Destroyer even if it dented his pride. Perhaps he'd feel different when they had the droid, but for now, he'd keep quiet.

The heat of the oppressive sun helped. All black was not the best idea on Jakku.

He used his datapad to track to the crash site, only to see…nothing.

His eyes narrowed at the complete absence of the wreck.

~***~

Neria laughed outright at the idea of working with the Resistance, “You're cute, Dameron, but not that cute,” it wasn't that there wasn't logic to it. Resources and numbers were always considerations in war. The problem was herself, and Leia Organa. They hadn't gotten along in the Senate, and Neria was conceding nothing to her at this point.

Not command.

Not a single credit.

If Leia wanted to hate her over a bloodline, Neria would hate her for hypocrisy.

“I figured you wouldn't want us to know,” she accepted. “I need to get to Hosnian Prime and rake some bodies over hot coals, possibly assassinate someone – the usual.” She was done with Carise. She'd hidden in the shadows of the Order long enough. “I presume that's still safe enough, given Leia's allies continue to annoy me, and I'm sure you have numerous friends in the New Republic military.” Given he was a former member of it. She'd considered joining, before her own life fell to pieces and she was joining politics before initially planned.

Likely for the best.

She preferred her own ships. And she had enough military experience in the outlands security force.