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pavvo20 · 1 year

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The Spark - Chapter 12: Lighten Up - Poe Dameron/OC

Summary: When her childhood best friend recruits her during an undercover mission for the Resistance, Captain Kara Embers embraces her family legacy and joins the fight against the First Order. As the secrets of her past come to light, Kara never expects to be training with her mom’s best friend, flying her father’s ship, and falling in love with the Yavin-4 boy who always said he’d be the galaxy’s best pilot.

A/N: Love me a good stubborn Poe..

Warnings: violence, language, sarcasm, moodiness, whump, fluff, kissing, ya know.. all that stuff. Implied smut (lots of teasing..) and well, ghosts.

Masterlist on my blog!

Word Count - 10.8K

The third night she was gone, Poe had spent most of his entire evening off in the hanger tickering on his ship. That was until Snap hopped from his X-wing after a late supply run and noticed his commander’s boots sticking out from under the fuselage.

“Dameron, it’s 2am.” He called, his voice echoing a bit in the quiet yet cavernous building. He heard a wrench hit the floor and a curse, the wheels of Poe’s creeper squeaking a bit as he rolled back into the light.

“I can’t sleep.”

“You can’t eat either right?” Snap’s tone was laced with sarcasm as he watched his friend roll his eyes and slip back under his ship. “Poe, when was the last time you actually slept?”

“Last night.”

“Passing out in your cockpit doesn’t count.”

Poe sighed, rolling back out to look at his Captain. He was just as tired as he was, likely also suffering from the same “my girlfriend is off world” insomnia that plagued him. Kare was running a special mission with Jess on Coracuant and wouldn’t be back till the end of the next week. Only difference was she called every night to check in, and could text on most occasions.

He hadn’t had anything more than the faint glow of Kara’s homing beacon on the chain around his neck for 72 hours. Chewy had sent a broken up message that they’d made it back to Comms, but otherwise it had been completely quiet, which was to be expected but also worried him even more.

“What if we both crashed in your quarters tonight? I’ll hit the mess for a few left overs and we can treat it like old times.” Snap could see some of Poe’s anxiety subsiding a bit with the thought. It wouldn’t take a Jedi to know that they were both lonely. It also didn’t take a genius to know they both could use the time together, even if they did just eat and pass out on the couch in each other’s presence.

“Sounds like a decent plan to me.” The commander stood up, setting his tools on his bench and shrugging his jacket back over his oily shirt. “Kara’s got space waffle mix in her trunk, if you can swipe some milk on your way over…”

Snap’s eyes widened, a smirk creeping onto his face; “You had me at waffles, Commander.”

It didn’t take either of them but a few minutes to get back to Poe’s room, random ingredients in tow. Snap couldn’t recall the last time he’d had a space waffle, let alone a late night snack session with his best friend. Sure, being in committed relationships were nice and all but there were times he missed the comradery of a night with his former roommate.

“So, why is she off planet again?” Snap asked, seeing the homing beacon resting on Poe’s bare chest as he cooked. His curls were still damp from the quick shower he’d taken before they started cooking. A pair of dark sweats hung low on his hips as he poured batter into the waffle iron they’d managed to snag out of the base kitchen.

“She is training with Leia’s brother.” He said, “at least that’s what the plan was.”

Snap cocked an eyebrow as he munched on a waffle from the previous batch on the couch; “And he couldn’t come here?”

“Apparently he’s exiled himself. So, Kara had to go talk him out of it.”

“I think I’m more surprised that Leia didn’t go with her.” Snap paused as Poe turned around, looking at him like he was nuts. “What? Pretty sure she wants to beat the snot out of him too. Two porgs, one stone?”

Poe couldn’t help but laugh, “There’s a fight I’d pay to see.”

“Oh the girls have that one locked up, it probably wouldn’t even be fun to watch.” Snap snorted.

“Considering Kara could kill with a look…”

Snap’s chuckle was the instant dopamine hit that Poe’s body craved, bringing a smile to his face that he hadn’t worn since before Kara had left. It spoke to just how difficult this was for him, even if it was just another necessary sacrifice.

Wexley saw the pain in his friend’s eyes as he caught the reflection of the homing beacon around his neck in the durasteel cabinets. He was gentle when he asked, “There’s something different about this mission for you…isn’t there?”

Poe closed his eyes as he turned off the appliance; “Luke is the reason Ren is the way he is…at least that’s the story we all know. The last thing I’d want is Kara to come back with doubts.”

“Give her a little credit, Poe. She’s a lot harder to crack than Ren was. Ben craved power when we were younger, and that’s before you get into all the constant bullying.” The bigger man settled further into the couch as he spoke, “We’re all a little conflicted. I mean hell, the losses alone make us all wonder if what we are doing is right, especially once the adrenaline wears off.”

He was right. There were nights that Poe lay awake in his bunk, wondering if the bomb strikes, dogfights, or blood he had on his hands was actually what he wanted out of this mess. It usually didn’t take much to remind him that deep down, these were the people that had thrust him into this conflict from the age of 7. He never got a real childhood. They’d killed his mother and tore his family to pieces as he worked his way up to enlistment. He knew how to fire a blaster and hotwire a speeder before he was even licensed carry or fly. He was lucky he knew what a “quiet day on the ranch” even was, and that was only because his father insisted he wasn’t getting back into the war. So much for that.

Kara’s own doubts stemmed from a similar upbringing, but with her mother’s authoritative hand dictating her early life, it was hard to know how much of that she resented. Poe knew that Kara and her mom had butted heads from the day she was old enough to walk, given she had taken more outward interest in her father’s line of work than following in her mother’s footsteps. It didn’t help that Athena was determined to raise her daughter in hopes she’d be a senator or a diplomat, while knowing full well that her little girl was more a rebel than she ever was.

It was all that she kept mostly to herself, a battle she fought all on her own that scared him the most.

Snap took a deep breath as he watched the gears turn in his friend’s mind. “Just like you and me, Kara has hope. She might even have more hope than we do. She told me, the night after we took out the weapons depot on Nar Shadda, that had you not found her in that bar on Tatoonine, it was only a matter of time before she would have lost her way.”

Poe wasn’t completely surprised to hear that, given that he was the one who called her out on it right then and there. He wasn’t afraid of being honest with her then, just like he wasn’t now. It did speak to how comfortable Kara had gotten in the Resistance though. She hadn’t told anyone about how lost she was before she got here, except for Leia and maybe Jess. And while Poe had known that Kara had gotten close to her fellow Captain, he didn’t realize just how close the two had become…as clearly she trusted him just as much as he did to be that vulnerable with him.

Snap continued; “She didn’t have to listen to you. In fact, she’ll be the first to tell you that she almost didn’t.”

A smile played on Poe’s lips as his heart skipped a beat or two. “Sounds about right.” That was his girl…

“But she’s so glad she did.” Snap saw the glimmer come back to Poe’s eyes. “She got her family back.”

The two men took in the soft silence, letting their minds drift to the girl who’s usual spot on the couch sat empty.

“I didn’t realize she had told you about that.” Poe said, leaning against the countertop. “I guess you know about the admiral too.”

The captain nodded, “We got to know each other again pretty quickly after she got here. She wanted to impress you so, naturally she asked me to help her get up to speed.”

Poe shook his head, he should have figured that she’d do something like that. Kara always had been resourceful, especially when she had something to prove.

“I mean we didn’t have to spend our nights off at the cantina sharing stories but after spending all day catering to our rather demanding commander, it made sense.”

“So, she told you everything?”

“Not everything.” Snap corrected, reviewing the nights he’d spent listening in his head carefully. “I didn’t know she was Force sensitive or anything like that but I did know that she was the girl for you after the first night.”

Poe cocked an eyebrow as he slid his empty plate to the side. “Oh, did you now?”

“You were seeing… who was it?...”

“Lana, from comms.” He said, his face flushing with embarrassment.

“That’s right. Lana.” Snap shifted in his seat, smirking as he continued; “She got super jealous when you came back with Kara. Totally cornered me in the bar right before Kara met me over there and wanted to know who the hell she was, what you thought of her, all of it.”

“I broke things off with her –”

“Literally an hour after she talked to me, you ended it.” Wexley snorted, “And Kara had to have passed her in the hall as she went to see you cuz she was like ready to deck her.”

“Wait – start at the beginning?!” Poe redirected with a laugh. “Kriff, this explains so much.”

Kara stepped out of her quarters, still in the dark blue tank top and orange flight suit from training earlier. Snap would be waiting for her in their usual spot, just as he had been each night after they started working together. She remembered him from Yavin, but considering he was quite a few years older than Poe and herself, a lot of the memories were a bit fuzzy.

Wexley meant business, which made him a great addition to Poe’s squadron. It balanced out the commander’s impulsivity in ways not many could. He was also kind, smart, and generally well-liked amongst his peers… which again, made him a great counterbalance to Poe’s sometimes abrasive tendencies. She had only been on base a few days now but she felt she could call Snap her friend at this point. They certainly spent enough time together… she figured she could trust him, Poe did.

The cantina was quiet that night with many of its usual regulars gearing up for a few morning missions to pick up supplies and new recruits. Lucky for them, Black Squadron was on a short break as Poe and Snap attended some special funding meetings with Leia later that week…which left plenty of time for them to train her and well, blow off some steam.

She popped herself up on the stool next to the captain, where a beer was already waiting for her. She would get back at Snap for that later – as he was always such a gentleman. She had learned all about his mother last night, who had clearly made sure the man respected every woman he ever came in contact with.

“Hey.” She greeted, carefully taking a sip of the cold drink in front of her.

“Good evening, rookie.” He said, smiling softly as his blue eyes caught hers. Kara didn’t love the nickname at first, especially when Poe used it, but had given Snap special permission to keep it. “Doing extra credit?”

He had noticed that she hadn’t bothered to change from their time in the hangar. “Maybe a little.”

“You’ll be the commander's pet in no time.” Snap snarked, playfully elbowing her as she blushed a bit. “I’m surprised he let you work on his ship this early.”

“It was just a favor. I’m sure I’ll be kept far away from it moving forward.” Kara remarked, knowing that she did still have to earn the respect of her former childhood best friend as any new recruit would have.

“You might be surprised.” He took another snip of his drink, seeing the girl smile a bit with his reassurance. He knew Poe would let her do anything to that ship. Hell, he wouldn’t be surprised if she flew it one day. Especially after the stories he had already heard about her.

Both pilots watched as a few other cadets started a game of pool before Kara spoke again, “So, I think I met Poe’s girlfriend.”

Snap almost blew beer out his nose but caught himself before looking back to his trainee. “Oh, Lana?”

“Yea, she stopped me on my way back to my room.” Kara said, noticing Snap pull his datapad from his pocket and check the screen. “She said that I should be careful around him as he doesn’t date girls he flies with.”

Captain Wexley bit his tongue to keep from laughing. His friend - his commander - had always said he wouldn’t date anyone who flew in his squadron but that was because he didn’t want anyone to assume that whomever he was sleeping with was getting ahead because of their evening activities. It protected them from the incessant rumor mill that often spread news across the base.

He had always respected Poe for that. Especially since it debunked the usual stereotypes that swirled around the women on their squad. They were all incredible pilots in their own right and had earned their place on the elite team. They deserved that recognition first and foremost.

It had only taken him a few training flights with Kara and Poe to see that his commander was thinking about breaking his own rule. Poe was a flirt to begin with but he really turned on the charm around the spunky young woman, especially when she showed just how skilled she really was. He was lucky that Lana hadn’t heard him on the radios the other night – especially after Kara had beaten them all in the simulated dogfight.

Snap looked back to Kara, realizing he had just been quiet a little longer than he had originally planned to be. “She’s not wrong…it is kind of his unspoken rule.”

“It’s so people don’t think they can sleep their way into the squad. I know.” She retorted. Snap cocked an eyebrow to himself as he took another swig of his drink. They really did know each other THAT well. “So, how long has he been entertaining himself with Lana?”

“About a month.” He replied, smiling as he caught Kara rolling her eyes. “It’s always on again, off again.”

“Sounds about right.” Kara muttered, taking a sip of her beer before pulling out her own datapad. “Nice to know he hasn’t changed too much.”

“Not much changes around here, to be fair.”

“Eh. Not what I mean.” She said, a playful glint in her eyes. “He’s always had a thing for pretty girls that don’t know enough about what he does to worry about him. They are almost always brunettes who would be an absolute liability in the event the base was invaded.”

Snap choked on his beer this time. Kriff, if Poe could hear her now…

“He pretends that’s enough for him when in reality, if Leia was our age, he probably would have married her already.”

His datapad lit up with a text from Poe, almost as if his ears had been ringing. He had just broken up with Lana and she was headed to the hangar. He was worried about his ship. Snap ignored his messages. “I’m glad I’m not the only one who thinks that.”

“Come on, you’d have to be blind not to see it right?” Kara laughed, seeing Snap nod in complete agreement. A cheeky grin spread wide across his face. “His mother would kill him for this.”

“Heard she was quite the pilot.”

“She was a force to be reckoned with. A great pilot and ruthless fighter.” The young woman said, setting her empty glass back on the bar. “He gets a lot of his drive and general fearlessness from her.”

Snap noticed his pad flash again as he kept his gaze trained on Kara. She didn’t seem to realize that she was exactly the girl that Poe supposedly needed in his life. The one he really would have brought home to meet his mom. She had proven it over the course of the last few days in the air and on the ground. Kara was strong and smart; didn’t take shit from anyone, and wasn’t afraid to put Poe in his place if necessary. She also respected the fact that the man’s first love was his ship… and she’d shown that in the meticulous way that she had replaced its navigational computer only a few hours earlier.

Her pad lit up and she looked down. “Shit.”

“What?”

“Poe needs us to check on his ship. Apparently he and Lana had a fight.”

Snap closed his eyes, shaking his head at the lack of craftsmanship Poe had put into the lie. “I’ll be right behind you.”

Kara had jumped down from the stool, left a credit on the bar and slipped off the hangar when Snap dialed his commander. He had to be drunk…or maybe Lana had gotten him in the head with his blaster.

“Snap–”

“Are you fucking insane?” He interrupted him immediately. “Lana will freak if she sees Kara, she’s already asked me about her.”

“Shit. Shit.” Poe said, “I’ll fix this.” And hung up.

Snap sprinted to the hangar, surprised to only see the clear distraught communications technician standing in front of Poe’s infamous black ship, a wrench in her hand as she contemplated where to leave a dent.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” He said calmly, looking around as he caught Poe’s dark haired blur sprinting past the other door. Kriffing idiot.

“Of course he sent you to clean up his mess.” Lana snapped, her tear streaked face dark with running mascara. “He told me there was someone else Snap. I know it’s her.”

The captain wasn’t sure what to say at that moment. He usually resorted to honesty, especially with the girls in his life, but it wasn’t his place to tell this heartbroken woman that she was never going to be the one for his friend. Nor was it the right time for him to tell her that he was likely going to marry the girl she was worried about the most.

“Just give him some time, Lana.” Snap soothed, settling for a more diplomatic approach. “He’s got a lot going on.”

“He always has a lot going on, Wexley. He’s the general’s golden boy.” Boy, she was pissed.

“Denting his ship is not going to help him realize his mistakes though.” He said, easing the wrench out of the girl’s hand as Jess appeared at the door across the way from them. Her eyes wide before she shook a normal look back onto her face and entered the hangar.

“Lana! There you are!” She said, jogging over to pull her into a hug. “We’ll go back to my room and talk about this ok? The boys just don’t get it.”

Snap silently thanked his squadmate as she corralled the young cadet into her arm and away from their commander’s ship. The captain leaned against a nearby tool bench as he relaxed, Poe owed them all for this one.

Poe shook his head, passing his friend a beer from their fridge. “I really did owe you guys, which is why I took you all to Yavin what, a week later?”

“The night at the ranch was a nice break for sure.” Snap said, “but yea, Lana knew I’d lied to her so that didn’t score you any points. Honestly dude, you made it really obvious that Kara was going to be the exception to your rule pretty early.”

“Taking her back to Yavin didn’t help.” He admitted, blushing as he remembered sneaking Kara outside so he could have a moment to tell her how he felt. Instead, Poe kissed her without too much of a warning, Just like he should have when they were younger.

“Han and Leia knew exactly what you were doing as soon as they saw you both outside.” Snap said, “and I was more surprised you hadn’t done it sooner.”

Poe smiled, the butterflies he had in the moment coming back to him. “I should have when I saved her from Lana.”

He hung up with Snap and took off toward the hall between the cantina and the hanger. He hadn’t even thought about the fact that Lana had spent the entire night before interrogating him about Kara when he’d texted her — he just knew that the comms tech would put a hole through his starfighter if given the chance.

She was turning the corner when he purposely crashed into her, “Hey Stargirl, there you are!”

He slipped her arm into his grip and yanked her into an empty utility closet before she had a chance to protest, clamping his other hand over her mouth as he pressed her against the wall and closed the door, listening for his ex to call his name. Kara’s eyes were wide as he stayed pressed too close to her, his chest heaving as he caught his breath and his dark eyes showed just how terrified he was of the other girl as they both surveyed the dark space for potential weapons.

He had his fists, and Kara’s, assuming she didn’t want to hit him too. “Shit, sorry.”

His hand fell from her lips and she unconsciously moistened them again as she shifted her weight ever so slightly from underneath him. There wasn’t a lot of room to move and he was already a little too close for comfort. She could feel every part of him, which caused them both to freeze, absolutely horrified at the idea of scarring the other by shifting the wrong way.

“What did you do?” She whispered, hearing Jess scurry by in a huff.

“I ended it.” Poe breathed, still on high alert. He swore he heard a wrench clatter to the floor but couldn’t be sure.

Kara cocked an eyebrow, trying her best to appear like she hadn’t noticed that he was wearing a different collonge. “Please tell me you at least did it in person?”

“Why do you think I didn’t join you and Snap at the bar?” He said, catching a glimmer of Kara’s kind stare in the light streaming in from the vent in the door. She smiled and Poe immediately relaxed.

“Dameron!” It was short-lived. They both heard Lana’s shrill call echo through the hallway, making it apparent in her tone that she was ready to kill him. She clearly escaped Jess’ attempt to corral her in her room and had gone from sobbing mess to royally pissed in minutes. “I swear to Maker, Poe… if you are with her already, I’ll put a blaster bolt through your fuselage!”

Neither of them moved. Kara could feel Poe’s heart leap into his throat as she met his gaze. He was calm but terrified, trying to get a better read on her as remained pinned against him. He’d broken up with the comms tech for being jealous of Kara — and he firmly believed that Lana should be envious of her. There was a reason the Galaxy had brought her back to him, and well… who was he to deny fate?

“She’ll kill us both.” Kara sighed, feeling Poe’s hands settle against her belt. She was used to him being close, but this was even a little much for her. Especially when all she could think about was how many games of 7 minutes in Heaven she’d played at the Academy that were never quite right because Poe wasn’t an option.

He let his eyes wander over her lips and immediately regretted it. This wasn’t the right time, no matter how badly he wanted to kiss her. Especially with his ex on a murderous rampage. “She knows better than to mess with you.”

Poe had a point, she had made it pretty well known in her initial testing that she was borderline lethal in most hand to hand combat situations. Lana had been there to watch, just as most of the base was, and the pilot had gotten in trouble that night for looking like he had actually enjoyed sparring with her.

Her smile distracted him again. Maker, she was beautiful. A rapping against the durasteel door snapped him out of it, as a large but familiar shadow blocked their light vent.

“Hey, it’s clear.” Snap said, smiling as the door revealed his commander and trainee. His eyes skipped over Poe for a moment and winked at Kara, who had blushed as she noticed him take stock of how tight the space they’d been hiding in really was. “She’s in her room, finally.”

“Thanks again, man.” Poe smiled, his fingers running through his wild, sweaty curls. “That went better in my head.”

“Clearly.” The Captain remarked, seeing Kara roll her eyes. “Should we get drinks?”

Poe turned to his best friend, a curious eyebrow raised as if to ask the same question.

“I could definitely use one after that.” She said, brushing past her friend to walk in step with Snap. Poe’s heart panged a little as he noticed his Captain’s eyes light up with her presence. He was only a little jealous of Wexley, as Kara clearly had come to trust and enjoy spending time with him. It was a conflict of interest for him to train her for her ranking evaluations directly – even though Poe knew she could pass them in her sleep - which is why Snap had been assigned to do it. It was one of the few times he really couldn’t stand protocol.

“Hey, Flyboy!” She was looking at him again, just off shoulder from Snap about 25 yards away from where they had just been cramped together in the closet. “You coming?”

“Yea, hang on!” He pressed the door shut and jogged to catch up with them, carefully wiping any sign that he’d been thinking about his own jealous tendencies off his face. It wasn’t a good look for him anyway.

Kara secretly loved the looks she got when she was flanked by Snap and Poe, especially as one of the newest members of the Resistance. Not only did it make her feel like she was already one of them, it seemed to quietly show everyone on base that she could be trusted. Most of the flight corps knew she was still a trainee, but they also knew that Commander Dameron wouldn’t let just any join his squadron, even if it did end up being temporary.

It didn’t take a Jedi to know that the placement was going to be permanent. In fact, there were more bets on who was going to get shifted out of Black Squadron to make room for her than there were on her delegation. Kara’s former military training had definitely given her an edge, one that many Resistance pilots didn’t have…but she was willing to share that knowledge, which was something no one had expected.

Kara climbed back on her usual stool, accepting a drink from Poe as she returned from catching up with a few of the female mechanics that had waved her over when they arrived. The sight brought a smile to his face, seeing hints of the girl who used to love laying under a ship alongside her father when she was younger. Her eyes were bright and vibrant and when paired with that authentic smile, it all made it hard for him to focus on anything else. She was here. It was still hard for him to believe.

“Something on your mind?” Kara cracked, catching him staring for a little longer than he should.

“No, just thought you had a little oil on your face.” He internally kicked himself. That was a shit line. He was better than that.

“You were just inches from it and didn’t notice before?” She took a swig of her drink, raising an amused eyebrow as she indirectly gave him a chance to fix it.

“It’s just nice to see you making friends.” Poe admitted, catching her blush a little as she glanced toward the cracking of the billiard balls across the cantina. “I know it hasn’t been easy, starting over.”

“There are definitely worse places to try and get your life back…” She replied, leaning into him a little.

Poe put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close, “I knew Coracuant wasn’t your style.”

“Seriously Poe, Thank you.” She murmured, just loud enough for him to hear her over the general conversation. “This has been the best few weeks I’ve had in awhile, crazy ex-girlfriends included.”

His laughter lit up the room, “Thanks for giving that crazy dude on Tatooine a chance to prove you wrong.”

******************************************************************

Ahch-To was a stunning planet but Kara had had enough of Temple Island and Luke Skywalker in the first few hours of contact with him.

The legendary Jedi had become a hermit and had enough pent up frustration for the entire galaxy. All of which he did a poor job of hiding. He had spoken to her mother, who had of course spared no detail in telling him all about her life from beginning to end. He met the Falcon on the cliff with a preconceived notion that he was dealing with another Ren, which only made him even more resistant to help.

“Your mother spoke very highly of you.” He grumbled as he walked her back up to his hut. “She also clearly recognizes your early faults.”

“We’re all human.” Kara remarked, “None of us are absolutely perfect.”

“Now you sound like your grandfather.”

Kara had only heard a handful of stories about Ben Kenobi but knew that he was remembered for being wise, compassionate, and a natural diplomat. She also knew how the man in front of her remembered him - as the maker of a monster. Just as he perceived himself to be.

“You scare me, Kara Embers.” He said, taking a seat across from her, his face lit only by the flickering fire in the center of the dwelling. “The last time I encountered someone with this much power, they massacred the future of the Order.”

He sighed as he sipped on a natural tea, trying his best to get a good sense of the girl in front of him.

“You think you are different than Ben was, and I’m here to tell you that you are not.”

“Master Skywalker–”

“Hush.” Luke cut her off, something he knew the girl hated based on the stories he’d heard. “My sister has led you to believe that you can lean into your emotions and that the light in your heart will steer you right. Well, she’s wrong. Did she tell you why she stopped her own training?”

Kara didn’t get a chance to answer, seeing Luke’s own rage start to wrinkle in his forehead.

“She felt Ben’s death at the end of her training and that was too much for her.” The man set his clay mug down and took the saber off Kara’s hip with a flick of his wrist. “And with no thanks to me, he died anyway.”

Kara felt her own emotions bubble in the deafening silence. “Ben Solo isn’t dead.”

“Oh really? What makes you say that?” Luke sounded almost as if he was taunting her now. “You felt it didn’t you?”

She didn’t bother with the nod, her own anger causing her knuckles around her mug to go white.

“Did anyone tell you that you are just as dangerous as he is…if not more?” Luke was wide eyed, looking more and more like a mad man every second he dwelled on his former student. “The Force isn’t just for tricking your friends and making shit float.”

Kara bit down on her tongue, surly drawing blood as she resisted the overwhelming urge to lash out at the legendary Jedi. She would have never let anyone else talk to her like this, in fact she had gotten in trouble for calling out admirals for talking down to her like Luke just did, but she could feel that it wasn’t worth it. She closed her eyes as Luke continued his tirade, focusing hard on Leia’s soothing voice in her head. He’s always been a lot to handle…but remaining calm is key. He will sense your control. Let him see just how disciplined you already are.

It only took a minute or two for Luke to notice the girl disregarding his flippant insults and concentrating on keeping herself from leaning too far into her own powerful emotions. He wouldn’t admit it to her yet, but she was truly a remarkable student of his sister’s. Leia had worked hard with her on being self-aware and in complete control even in circumstances that usually challenged her. He could sense her desire to lash out early, only to have it quelled just as fast as it arrived. That was something he spent years struggling with, especially with Ben, but in true Kenobi fashion…she exhibited exceptional control, especially for a girl her age.

Kara opened her eyes again when she felt Luke’s glare focus back on the fire, the hut falling silent for the exception of the crackling wood and soft breeze blowing against the stones. She watched the old man think for a moment, noticing his wandering gaze and fingers tracing the sleek metal of the lightsaber he still held in his grip. She could feel him calming down finally as a gentler look graced his piercing blue stare. He reminded her a lot of her mother, appearing calculated and careful on the surface while being almost entirely unpredictable underneath it all.

When he glanced back at the young woman, she was looking right at him. Her green eyes had speckles of her family’s legendary gray in them. It made her look a little older than she was. He softened his tone, sensing her apprehension; “When did you lose your mother, Kara?”

“I was seven.” She said plainly, “She was sick.”

“Did she ever train you in the ways of the Force?” Luke caught himself, “I mean to say, did she ever tell you about your special connection with the Force?”

“No.” Kara replied, her eyes falling to survey the floor. “At least not in my memory. I learned most of what I know from Leia.”

“Did she tell you why she didn’t train you?”

“She said that she made you a promise.” She shifted in her seat, her eyes finding him once more; “A promise that she’d never take a padawan given our family legacy. A promise I find to be unfair.”

Luke’s eyebrow shot up as her words hit his ears. It was the first time Kara had voiced her opinion since claiming Leia’s son wasn’t gone.

“I’ve never met my grandfather. He died well before I was born and my mother passed very early in my life. I was raised by my father mostly, who was just a rebel mechanic and a pilot. Between him, the Solos, and the Damerons.. I don’t consider myself to be tied to the legacy of my family name. If anything, my legacy is simply the Rebellion, the same one you supported before the rise of the First Order.”

The aging Jedi swore he could hear his late master’s voice in her words. Ben Kenobi had spent years learning to be self-aware and the girl in front of him had already formed those thoughts for herself and she was right. It wasn’t fair to compare her to people that she barely knew. Legendary or not.

“No one said anything about things being fair, Kara.” He quipped, doing his best to hide just how impressed he truly was with her. “The galaxy has been unfair for centuries.”

She bit her lip in frustration and Luke hid a smirk. Her control was wavering a bit. If he could get her to lose it just one time… that’s all he needed.

“And your legacy influences you whether you agree with it or not. Your mother stayed true to that promise and I am inclined to do the same.”

He handed the girl the lightsaber and stood up, “Tell my sister I said hello.”

Kara rolled the saber in her hands before glaring back at the man across the hut. She wanted to punch him, sever his other arm off, anything that would get him to see that she wanted his help. Instead, she stepped back into the cold Temple Island wind, carefully hiking down toward the landing pad. Luke watched as she went, knowing that any second, she would break. He could feel it in her aura. All she wanted to do was get far enough away to where she thought he couldn’t sense her.

She was half back to the Falcon when she ignited her blade and slashed down a rock formation on the side of the cliff. Her cry echoed across the mountains as the sounds of the rocks splashing into the rough sea followed shortly after. Luke felt her power plow him in the chest like a jump to lightspeed. As angry as she was, Kara maintained only a brief outburst, one to be expected from someone who had as much trauma in her life as she did. Luke could grant her a little bit of grace for that.

But he had underestimated the sheer strength she possessed. While not nearly as untamed as the young Solo’s had been, her signature was raw and rooted deep in her emotions, whether she presented them outwardly or not. The Force seemed to move with her as she continued her walk to the landing pad, ensuring the little Porgs weren’t hurt by any falling rocks and the wind seemed to ease up, knowing that it wasn’t nearly intimidating enough to scare her inside.

He found her sitting on a stone outside the hut he had offered her for the night only a few minutes later, her fingers toying with a small ring on a necklace as he carefully sat down next to her. Kara briefly looked at him in her peripherals, her eyes remaining focused on the setting suns of the planet.

“3 lessons.” He said, carefully watching her work to hide her surprise. “Then you can go home.”

Kara didn’t say anything as Luke seemed to wrestle with his own stubborn tendencies. He was breaking so many of his own rules for this girl, who presented just as much danger as Ben did so many years ago. There was something different about her though, and maybe it was her Kenobi-like tendencies just getting to him, but he couldn’t send her back without something. Leia would have his head.

She likely already wanted to kill him, but that was something he could deal with another day.

His gaze fell back to the ring in between her fingers, recognizing it almost immediately. “That’s Shara’s ring isn’t it?”

Kara simply nodded, as she could see the man fumbling for a few more words.

“You were young but she adored you as much as she did her own son.” Luke remembered the look on the boy’s face when he had overheard him tell his father that his mother had been killed. Shara’s death had already been a heavy loss but seeing the toll it took on her family had made it that much worse.

“I remember her more than my own mother.”

“Can’t say that surprises me.” He said, “Her love knew no bounds. It’s the same reason you all love Leia as if she was your mother also.”

Kara allowed herself to turn slightly, seeing Luke at ease soothed her nerves a bit. She could see traces of the younger man that lived in her memories, the one they used to tell all the stories about.

“Athena took the Jedi code more seriously after you were born, especially as she watched my sister wrestle with her son’s own strength.”He said, a twinge of guilt in his tone. “She kept your power a secret but yet ordered you around a bit like an unruly padawan. You resent her for that.”

“I understand why she did it.” Kara stated, knowing that Luke could sense her feelings. “But yes, it made me feel like I was never good enough for her. She was always working too, only to be home late when I was usually already asleep.”

Luke nodded to show that he was listening, all while he carefully concentrated on how the Force wrapped around the girl like a set of supportive arms. It was shockingly balanced given how dark things usually got when there was resentment present in someone’s signature. It was such a deeply rooted emotion that was complex and difficult to separate from, but she didn’t present it as a weakness. At least not yet.

“She is overwhelmingly proud of you, whether she’ll admit that or not is another story.” Luke said, offering the girl a genuine smile for the first time. “It’s part of the reason you’re here.”

“With all due respect, Master Skywalker, I’m here because I’m a threat.” Kara said, “You said it yourself. If left untrained, I could be just like Ren and that is the very last thing I want to become.”

The few moments of silence weighed heavily on Luke as he continued to analyze how the Force moved around her. Her fingers went to Shara’s wedding band again and it shifted this time, her previous signature becoming intertwined with another, one that also seemed familiar to him.

She was bonded. Athena had told him that much, but it was the first time he was feeling it for himself. These things weren’t completely unusual but hers was grossly more powerful than it should have been. Especially given that he was aware that Shara Bey and Kes Dameron’s own connection to the Force was nothing to write home about.

The aging Jedi could tell that the girl had no idea just how strong her bond was to Dameron, let alone how strong she was on her own. No wonder his nephew was so relentless in his search for her.

“I’ll meet you at the peak in the morning.” He said, sensing her exhaustion starting to get the better of her. “Get some sleep.”

************************************

Leia slapped Poe hard across the face when he got on the bridge, his face contorting in shock as Finn winced at the sound. “You’re demoted.”

“Wha-wait.” He countered, shaking off the sting of the strike rather quickly. “We took out a dreadnought!”

“At what cost?”

“You start an attack, you follow it through.” Poe’s tone was firm, knowing Leia would be looking for signs of weakness. Sure, he was saddened that so many good Resistance fighters lost their lives. Hell, these people were his friends for crying out loud. They gave their lives to deliver a debilitating blow to the First Order. They died as heroes.

The general’s temper flared, “Poe get your head out of your cockpit. How many times do I have to tell you that there are things you cannot solve by jumping in your X-Wing and blowing something up. I need you to learn that.”

The young man looked away from her, his lips pressing in a firm line. He didn’t like disappointing her but they took out a dreadnought. This was a big win for them and she was pissed? He stopped her as she went to move past him. “There were heroes on that mission.”

She could see him starting to break a little, his heart getting the better of him. “Dead heroes, Poe. No leaders.”

He took her words like a blaster bolt to the chest. No leaders. That hurt more than the demotion did. He had brought home what he could, the plan was going tremendously well considering that ship would have annihilated planets if given the opportunity. Now wasn’t the time to be timid, especially when Ren was turning over entire starsystems looking for Kara.

Poe left the command center and headed to his quarters, knowing better than to get into it further with Leia while the battle was still fresh in everyone’s minds. His luck, she’d knock him down to Liutentient for trying to defend his reasoning again, even if he did still think he was right.

He collapsed on his bunk, the homing beacon flopping lightly against his chest as the mattress gave slightly under his weight. Kara had been gone over a week now with no new communications from the Falcon or Chewy. He had even sent a message that direction just to see if maybe he’d get through, only to have it go unanswered.

The door slid open to allow Finn to wander into his space. They’d become pretty close since the day he’d helped him escape from the First Order, while also proving to be a great asset to the Resistance with his deep knowledge of their shared enemy. Finn was also just a good guy, fitting right in with everyone like he’d been with them the entire war.

His friend took over his desk chair, a half smile playing on his lips even though he could tell Poe was in a shit mood. “What’s Leia want to berate me some more?”

“I mean I wouldn’t be surprised if she had a few more good digs in her before the evening debrief.” Finn said, doing his best not to feed the dejected pilot’s negativity too much. He knew that Leia was just trying to teach him a lesson about restraint, one that he was pretty sure would take a few more mistakes to really sink in. “It’ll take her weeks to get the bomber fleet back up and running.”

“At least there’s one less dreadnought to worry about.”

“Too bad there are likely hundreds more behind it.”

Poe rolled his eyes, they’d gotten the one with the big gun. That’s what should matter. Not that he could change Finn’s mind or anyone else’s.

Finn caught the glow of the beacon under his shirt and suddenly could see why Poe seemed more upset than usual. It wasn’t like Leia hadn’t scolded or demoted him before. He was used to that. It was the fact that his girlfriend had been gone well over the few days she had told them her mission would take that had him on edge.

“She’ll be back any day now.”

“She was supposed to be back a week ago.” Poe countered, barely hearing what Finn had actually said. “What if she’s in trouble, Finn?”

“Chewy would have found a way to reach us if that was the case.”

The pilot groaned, officially sick of the constant corrections. “You think.”

“No, I know.” The former trooper snapped, tossing Poe his datapad with a lock on Chewy’s location. “He’s got one too. If she was in trouble, neither of them would be on our maps, Dameron. You know that better than anyone.”

Finn heard his friend sigh, his eyes closing as he slid the little pad back onto his desk. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright. I’m worried about her too.”

Poe had hoped Kara would have been back to fly this dreadnought mission with them. She had helped him scheme up his initial distraction for Hux, and was going to lead the secondary strike team. Obviously when she hadn’t returned last night, he had to restructure the plan, which likely led to a few of the day’s more devastating mistakes.

“I needed her today.” The pilot murmured, “She would have been able to defend those bombers. She would have gotten them home.”

Finn didn’t say anything at first, seeing the pain cross his friends' features as his mind caught up with the events of the last few hours. He knew Poe could see the faces of a few of the bombers he had wished good luck to before taking off in his head. He had helped them make repairs to their ships just a few days ago, ensuring they would all be at their very best for the attack, and took the time to answer their questions and ease their anxieties.

It’s what humanized Poe to so many of the rebels. He wasn’t just the best pilot in their ranks or one of Leia’s most trusted operatives. He was a mentor, a resource, and most importantly, a friend.

“I’m sure she would have wanted to be here too.” Finn finally said, catching Poe’s gaze as his datapad flopped down on his chest, it’s chirp catching them both off guard.

Poe turned the device over and shot forward in bed, his eyes wide as he hesitated over the screen. Finn’s eyes caught the corner of his screen as he sat forward, watching as his friend processed what he was seeing.

The message was from Leia, which wasn’t an abnormal thing for him to receive, it was the contents of the message that seemed to be throwing him off. Finn couldn’t see that part, as the text was too small. “Poe, what’s it say?”

The man shook his head and looked at the screen again, “They’re back. All of them.”

“That’s gre–”

“All of them, Finn.” He said, standing up and yanking himself out of his flight suit. “Skywalker included.”

Finn had only gotten a handful of the stories about Leia’s brother but it was enough to elicit the same level of shock Poe had a few minutes ago. “Maker.”

“Come with me.” Poe pleaded, yanking a clean shirt over his head and slugging his boots back on. “I can’t do this alone. Not when she could be completely different.”

“You really think she would let him change her?”

“I can’t sense her like I usually can.”

The pilot slipped his datapad in his back pocket and slugged his blaster back into his thigh holster as he punched out of his room, walking quickly across the base as Finn jogged to keep up. Poe cast him a concerned glance as they entered the command center, only to see it wipe completely off his face as the girl he had spent the last week worrying endlessly about noticed him from the other side of the holotable.

He could tell that she wanted to run to him, but she held her position, simply letting a smile grace her features as Luke Skywalker watched his every move.

“Luke, you may remember Poe.” Leia said, her hand squeezing his shoulder affectionately as he and Finn joined her. “He’s grown up a bit since the last time you met.”

Poe could feel the Jedi getting a read on him through the Force as he shielded his mind. He wasn’t about to let the man who drove Ren to the dark side just wander through his head. Even if he was a family friend.

“When did you realize you were force-sensitive, Dameron?” Skywalker cut right to the chase, his tone flirting with being hostile.

“That’s a little bit of a personal question for just having met you again after 20 some years.” He snarked, noticing both Kara and Leia bite back giggles. Luke on the other hand was not amused.

“You were not a force-sensitive child.” The aging Jedi remarked.

Poe didn’t miss a beat, “Only because my parents weren’t right? Least that’s what we all thought.”

“He’s a late bloomer, Luke” Leia cut in, sensing her brother growing more and more irritated with the young man’s confidence.

“And you’ve taught him to protect himself.”

“Ren tortured me for a map to you, so forgive me for not being a bit more open minded.”

Luke scowled hard at the pilot as he shifted his attention back to his twin sister. “And how do I know that you aren’t leading him right to me?”

“Luke–”

“No Leia, let him answer the question.” Luke insisted, creeping a little closer to Poe as he squared his shoulders and stood a little taller. “You can feel the block can’t you?”

Of course he could feel the block, it was why he didn’t immediately feel that his girl was back in their atmosphere or that she was standing right in front of him. It was also likely why he hadn’t felt that she was ok when he had thought he was reaching out to her. Not that he would know if he was reaching her or not.

Kara looked at Leia, “This is going to get ugly..”

“Yes it is.” The general thought back, noticing Kara blink back her surprise. They had never communicated like this before and she had a feeling it was about to get a lot more frequent. Even if it was only over the next several minutes.

Poe rolled his shoulders as Skywalker locked him in his piercing blue gaze. “I had no idea there was a block, I just thought maybe like any other form of communication, that she just got too far out of range.”

“Don’t screw with me, Dameron.” Luke didn’t appreciate his sarcastic tone, but knew the man was far from done toying with him. Poe was his mother’s son after all, and he’d die before he let anyone get in the way of what he loved. “Your bond is no secret.”

Poe’s eyebrow cocked as he suddenly could feel Kara’s energy again. “So, you do know.”

“You don’t have any idea how powerful the two of you are.” Skywalker snapped, turning to Kara quickly. “She’s got a connection I haven’t seen since Ren, and you think being bonded to that is just as simple as maintaining a regular relationship? This isn’t a game, Dameron.”

Kara felt Poe’s blood start to boil. He had already been upset before walking into the room. He lost a lot of friends only hours before this moment and hadn’t been given any time to grieve or decompress before being thrust in front of easily the most indignant old man he’d ever encountered in his entire life. Luke was testing him just like he did to her. The Jedi wanted to feel just how strong Poe was, knowing that the younger man couldn’t just call upon it like she could. He had to get him emotional.

“What are you afraid of, Skywalker?” Poe growled.

“Right now, you.” Luke said candidly, seeing the pilot’s fist clench and unclench at his side. “And your reckless streak.”

Finn caught Poe’s arm before he could get it back far enough to really swing at the Jedi, anger coursing through his signature like a fuel line fire. Surprising to Luke, the pilot was still fiercely guarding his consciousness and energy, even though he had let his emotions get the better of him.

Leia blinked, trying her best to hide her pride. “We should have let him get hit.”

“He already has a few burns from me.” Kara smirked, watching as Poe wrestled himself free from Finn, his apologetic stare flashing at her before returning to bore holes in Luke. “The black eye would clash.”

“Offer to take him to cool off, don’t go far… get his guard down.” Leia laughed internally, “Luke needs the read to be able to effectively work with you both.”

Kara stepped forward, placing herself between Poe and Luke before anyone got any new ideas, “Give us a minute.” She said, taking her boyfriend’s wrist in her hand and guiding him out of the command center.

Poe’s back met the cool durasteel wall just as the door whoshed shut, his tired, aching, adrenaline laced body caged against it by Kara’s deceptively strong arms. She had initially looked pissed off, in fact, he thought he was about to get slapped for the second time that day when instead, he was tugged forward by the collar of his shirt, his protest muffled by a set of lips he craved more than caf in the morning.

Simultaneously, Kara felt his walls come down as his hands fell from her grasp to her waist as he tried to pull her closer. She smiled against him as he let a quiet moan slip between them as she pulled away for a second, seeing his once embolden brown eyes soften as they met hers.

“Long day?” She huffed, playing with the curls around his ears. His hair was a little longer than usual but it suited him.

“You don’t know the half of it.” He sighed, “Lost the entire bomber battalion in our dreadnought strike earlier.”

“Oh Poe.” Kara soothed, “I’m so sorry.”

The dreadnought strike. The one that had succeeded without her but had forced Poe to pull his resources, leaving the bombers defenseless as they proceeded toward their target. The one had she been around, likely would not have been as devastating.

She’d blame Luke for that. He was the one who had insisted on one more day of training.

“It happens.” He said, letting his nose brush against hers. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too, Flyboy.” Kara giggled, allowing herself a second to get lost in the man in front of her. Despite his clean shirt, he still smelled like X-wing fuel and sweat from the day’s earlier battle, which brought her a sense of comfort. It meant he had at least tried to carry on as if she was just gone on a regular mission. She could feel his frustration melting out of his muscles, clearly choosing to push the tension of the last few minutes out of his consciousness “I’m going to need you to loosen up a bit.”

Poe smiled coyly, his grip on her waist tightening slightly, “I mean all you ever have to do is ask..”

“Not that kind of loosen up, you dope.” She said, “Luke is here to help us. He needs you to cooperate with him.”

The pilot let himself slump against the wall, showing only trace signs of defeat as Kara smiled peacefully in front of him. His previous annoyance returned to him in waves; “Of course he does.”

“It’s not as bad as you think it is.”

“Is he going to be a kriffing jerk the entire time?”

“Only if you continue to be obstinate.”

Kara could feel Poe at war with himself. He didn’t appreciate the Jedi’s earlier challenges but also knew that he would likely be the key to getting them in a position to actually defeat Ren. In the same vein, he could think of plenty of things he wanted to say to the old man, especially after his quip about his parents.

Poe brushed a loose strand of hair behind Kara’s ear, “I’ll tone it down…a little.”

He smirked as she looked unamused by his answer. “I don’t feel like I’m asking for a lot here, Dameron.”

“You aren’t, Stargirl.” He gently pulled her even closer to his chest by looping a finger in the chain of his necklace that she still had around her neck, “I’m just not changing my entire personality to save the galaxy.”

Kara welcomed his playful kiss, letting herself deepen it for just a second before stepping just out of Poe’s reach. They needed to go back into the room with the others, no matter how badly she wanted to yank him into the storage closet down the hall and escape reality for a little while longer.

She watched Poe run a hand through his hair as he stood a little taller and straightened out his shirt. A few cadets waved to them from down the hall as Kaydel Connix seemed surprised to see them as she turned into the corridor, clearly on her way to an important briefing.

“You’re back!” She said, her eyes lighting up as Kara nodded, accepting the exuberant lieutenant into her arms for a hug. “Leia said she was meeting a ship but didn’t elaborate on who would be on it.”

“You know how I feel about crowds, Kaydel.” Kara laughed, “Plus, we wanted to make sure this base stays hidden from the First Order, given our precious cargo.”

Leia’s most trusted lieutenant nodded, clearly knowing that Skywalker had traveled with her friend to the base. Poe did his best to hide his jealousy. He knew why Leia had left him out of the loop, she had told him that she was going to. She wanted to make sure if he was caught in that morning’s attack, that he wouldn’t jeopardize Kara or Luke in the process. It didn’t change that it felt like she didn’t trust him as much as she once did… especially after his earlier demotion.

“I’m sure Leia is waiting for you.. I’ll catch you both at dinner?” Kaydel said, noticing a new alert on her datapad.

“Absolutely.” Kara replied, noticing the shift in her pilot as the blonde scurried back down the corridor toward the common space. She put two fingers under his chin, pulling his tired eyes up from their place on the floor. “Hey. Stop that right now.”

“What are you–”

“That self-doubt trip you are on.” She cut him off, “You are better than that. We all make mistakes and Leia trusts you with her life. You’re family to her.”

Poe didn’t speak, knowing damn well that it wouldn’t matter what he said, she could sense exactly what was going through his mind. He knew that Leia wouldn’t have reprimanded him the way she did earlier if she didn’t care about him. As for not telling him about Kara’s return, that was for his protection, as well as her own. Had Ren captured him again, he would have gone looking for that information in his mind right away. It increased Poe’s chances of survival if he didn’t have it. Leia knew that.

And Leia knew that Ren would use him against her if given the chance…and he’d need him still breathing to do that. But that also meant he could be rescued or better yet, escape. It was something they’d given a lot of thought the night that Kara left to find Luke. Especially given that Snoke had just cast a spell on her from lightyears away.

Kara had that fiery look in her eyes again, the one that had always caused his heart to skip a beat each time he saw it; “And you are more than family to me. This wasn’t about trust, Poe. It was about ensuring that you had the upper hand if something went south.”

“I know.” Just because he was aware of it didn’t change that it still felt like he had majorly screwed something up. “It just feels different after this morning alright?”

As she turned to the door, she felt him reach for her hand, squeezing it as his thumb brushed her tattooed wrist. Kara froze. The simple gesture was their childhood secret handshake, something that they used to use to remind each other that they had each other’s backs when things got overwhelming, lonely, or well beyond their usual degree of scary.

She could see the traces of fear in his eyes and feel his apprehension as she returned the grip on his forearm. Poe was not easily frightened, at least not on the surface. The last time she had felt this kind of fear in him, he was about to run out of their hiding place on Jakku to protect a few villagers.

Kara had initiated the shake back then, right before guiding BB-8 into the back alley and taking off in a sprint toward Black One to get the map home safely. It was their own silent prayer. One that seemingly had worked in their favor since the day they’d come up with it when they were seven.

Poe sensed her peace and confidence almost immediately through their connected hands. While he didn’t trust Skywalker, Kara did in the same way she trusted Leia. She wasn’t at all afraid of what he had planned for them nor what had happened in his past. At least not anymore.

“I’ve got you, Poe.” She whispered, a confident smile tugging at her lips. “Right here and in the stars. Always.”

He closed his eyes, feeling her warm touch on his skin as he eased himself up from his place against the wall. If she could trust, so could he. Even if it was initially going to be difficult. “I’ve got you too, Stargirl.”

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