A Pilot: A Poe Dameron Story

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The first indication that Poe had that he wouldn't be going back to Yavin IV anytime soon was when the General's coordinates took him far past the capitol of Naboo at Theed. During the flyover, Poe scrutinized the airstrips and visible roads for signs of the First Order. A good way of taking the temperature of planets was to compare the military to civilian ratio in the town. From what he could tell, Theed was a bit...empty. Not a ton of military units, but also as many civilians going about their daily business as would have been normal. Something was off.

Then he spotted the First Order ship. Just one, but a big black triangular model favored by Moffs of the old Empire. Poe had only heard about them coming back into service, and he hated this one on sight. A craft like that in a capital city like Theed meant one thing. "Dammit. They've done it. They've already done it. It's occupied from inside," Poe cursed, gesturing at the monstrous craft. "That's another planet gone, and their plasma mines, too. Does Leia know this?"

Bebe-Ate screeched. Poe looked up just in time to see a TIE fighter careening down towards his craft. He didn't have to think – his fingers reacted of their own accord, pulling back on the clutch and tearing through the atmosphere up and past the First Order craft before it could even shoot once. "Hold on, Bebe-Ate!" Poe yelled, and his droid warbled back in tones so high he almost couldn't hear them. Caught up in adrenaline, Poe grinned and pushed his ship to max. His missions lately had been recon – conflict-free. It had been too long since he had had a proper challenge for his flying skills like this.

Before the TIE craft could turn around and give chase, Poe twirled back and plummeted into a fuel-free dive, aiming his ship's nose towards the coordinates from Leia and gliding down between the hills far away from Theed. He kicked the engines back on just in time to skim above a long lake and stayed low, letting his X-wing hum along the water and shake a fine spray over the craft as the TIE overshot them and continued into the horizon until it disappeared. Bebe-Ate started to cheep something and Poe shushed him. "The TIE is scanning high," he told his droid in a whisper, "we're invisible for now."

His droid sputtered. Would have been better to know to be invisible in the first place.

"Yeah, but this must have just happened if Leia doesn't know about it yet." Poe jiggled the clutch and cautiously let his craft fly a few feet higher above the serene lake. As he glanced down to check the coordinates again for his rendezvous point, an image flashed into his mind of Leia's concerned face. He wondered if she did know what had happened. But that would mean that she had sent him in blind. With a huge sigh, Poe tilted the X-wing around the corner of a wooded ravine, following a child river of the lake. Leia obviously knew he wouldn't abandon his mission based on such a surprise. Poe would stick to it. But still... Out loud, Poe muttered, "Where the hell am I, Bebe-Ate, and what the hell am I doing?"

His X-wing turned the corner, finally aligning with Leia's coordinates. Before his eyes, a palace made of stones and charming circular arches spread out amongst the trees, curving around and dipping into a smaller, even lovelier section of the lake. Poe's jaw dropped.

Bebe-Ate stated the obvious. You're going to meet the Queen.

"I'm going...to...meet...the Queen?" Poe blinked several times, his hands never faltering on the controls of his craft but his brain temporarily flummoxed by the beauty ahead. He had definitely not been prepared for this. He refused to believe there was anything more beautiful than Yavin IV. But Naboo was...something else.

He shook his head, clearing his throat for good measure to get his wits back. "Fine. But if Naboo has already been taken, where does that leave the Queen? Is she collaborating or what?"

As his X-wing approached the castle at a cautious pace, Poe picked out a train of humanoid figures waving at him from an open terrace with flowering plants crawling through the intricate architecture. At a closer vantage point, he squinted and could make out details amongst the greeters: soft female shapes, cropped dark haircuts, and strangely alluring smiles. Poe shook his head and asked Bebe-Ate, "Is it just me, or do all of those people look alike down there?"

Bebe-Ate shrieked in trepidation. They do! What does it mean?

"I don't know, buddy." Poe watched the humanoids point in sync towards a wide landing pad just above the water at the easternmost edge of the sprawling lake castle.

He slowed his speed to buy more time to think – could he trust the directions from the unknown guides on a planet which was likely under the power of the First Order? Leia's face came into Poe's mind and made the decision for him. The General trusted him. He would trust in her – and himself – to not die on this mission. While alive, he could handle just about anything that came his way.

He could spy, he could fight, he could steal if necessary. Poe took a deep breath and directed his ship towards the palace's landing pad, hoping for the best and trying to ignore Bebe-Ate's funeral whistles.