Radio Silence: A Poe Dameron Series

Chapter Five: Can You Hear Me Now?

What does he do now? What in all the stars is Poe supposed to do now?

Poe checks with another flight officer, two hanger clearance workers, and a recon lieutenant. All of them say the exact same thing: Y/N L/N left on a mission two standard hours ago. Yes, she'll be going to the Core Worlds. Yes, they are aware that the mission will be dangerous. No, they cannot promise that she will be alright.

The worst part is that there's this gnawing sensation of guilt that won't leave him. When Acer was first captured, Poe had felt terrible, but there was nothing he could have done differently to save her. He had been stranded on the other side of the galaxy, and he didn't even know her name or where she was held. Now, on the other hand, Poe can picture the cheekily grinning face of Y/N L/N, bloodied from wounds and staggering through the corridors of a First Order base.

Some part of him almost thinks that this was his fault, that if he hadn't blown up at her for not telling him she was Acer she might have stayed. Poe knows this couldn't be true, that she'd been training for this mission almost since she had gotten back, but the shard of guilt still stays locked away inside of him, stopping Poe from forgetting about her. It is a little true, isn't it? If Poe had never opened that crate and he hadn't taken out that data file, he never would have known. He wouldn't have been filled with that same anger and betrayal, and he wouldn't have yelled at Y/N for keeping it a secret.

What would have happened then? Would she have told him before she left, or would it stay a secret? At any rate, they would have had a better goodbye then the broken one in the hall. Poe can still feel regret burning up inside of him- Y/N had been minutes away from the riskiest mission in her life, and instead of making her smile one last time, Poe had ripped away any possibility of peace.

Y/N's mission will likely last a week or two. It isn't another spy reassignment, it's an excursion into the Core Worlds. The roles have switched, and now it is Y/N foraying into First Order territory to rescue a recon officer, most likely managing to steal some plans for the newly built First Order battleships and armored cruisers while she's there. It wouldn't surprise him- Y/N has had a knack for gathering intel, a trait that had served her well during her undercover work as Acer. Poe can only hope that she'll be able to stay alive during this mission as well.

Poe does his best to keep his stress under wraps, but evidently he's not doing a great job of hiding his emotions because he's approached by a commanding officer a few days into Y/N's assignment. Leia, thank the suns, has taken pity on him and allowed him access to the command room where all details of the mission will be broadcasted. As Poe walks through the doors, he takes in the navscreen readouts and officers speaking into comlinks, checking in on the pilots and allies who could be in contact with Y/N's team.

His attention, however, is drawn to the center of the room, where a large circular table displays holo footage from the mission. There's a live map, allowing Leia to track the progress of Y/N's team through the Core Worlds. This is the best information they have on the team- other than the comlinks, it was too dangerous to be in contact any further. This close to the First Order, any errant comms channels could be picked up on their scanners.

Poe keeps making excuses to drop by the room and see what's happening. He doesn't do anything unless asked directly, just stands in a corner and watches the proceedings. He can feel eyes occasionally flickering over him, officers surely wondering why Poe is this focused on an important but unrelated mission. Poe doesn't say anything, just watches and makes sure Y/N is still okay. After the days begin to pass, the eyes stop watching him and he blends back into the background.

One day, Poe swings by the command center on his way back from meeting with his X-Wing squadron to find the room in a state of utter panic. Everyone looks frantic, with a cluster of people huddled around the central table speaking hurried commands into the comms. Poe jogs up to Leia, who is staring anxiously at the readout in front of them. "What's going on?" Leia gestures towards the map in front of them, which shows Y/N's ship. Usually, the vessel is rendered as a simple white dot, but now it is blinking a furious red.