A Pilot: A Poe Dameron Story

The Lake Palace Revisited

Poe entered the palace amidst a herd of the identical female humanoids, all walking in absolute silence. Poe, for his part, carried his helmet primly under one arm and tried to behave as he expected one would inside a castle. Bebe-Ate rolled at his heels, making small exclamations at various bright flowers and lush vines which lined the path at the droid's level.

After landing, Poe had found himself completely unnerved and surrounded before he even knew what was happening. Now, as the eight female humanoids led him towards the center of the palace through a series of covered hallways open to the lake and the setting sun, they took turns giving him a quick smile over their shoulders. He thought, after witnessing each smile, that even as the females looked very similar, there was still something about each that stood apart. Sometimes it was a difference in height, sometimes an extra freckle, sometimes different teeth. They were all somewhat shorter than he was, and visibly unarmed, yet impressive in their numbers and authority. Not one of them had uttered a word to guide him on his way, simply closed in around him like a pack and ushered him forward. Poe really couldn't say why this behavior was unsettling, yet it was.

He tried to break the silence – if nothing else, to make himself feel better. "Thanks for the escort," he tried, forcing his voice to sound casual. Instead, it cracked in the middle.

A couple of the humanoids giggled. Poe watched the gigglers more closely, sensing they might be the more likely of the group to let him know what was going on. "I'd like to see the queen," he said awkwardly, not knowing how else to put it. "Is...Is she in today?"

As one, the humanoids halted and pivoted to stare at him. Poe backed up, his heel whacking Bebe-Ate and earning him a few salty murmurs from the droid. "Sorry, buddy," he apologized under his breath.

The female humanoid at the front of the group pointed gracefully at Poe. "She is expecting an emissary from her cousin," the being explained. "Bringing a very important package. You are the emissary, are you not?"

Poe felt himself start to sweat. Again, without having any appearance of being dangerous, something in the composed, borderline imperious way the humanoid addressed him made him wary of crossing her. He had no idea what the 'cousin' thing was about, but maybe that was a cover story for him delivering Leia's package to the Queen. "Yes. Yes, that's definitely me. I've got the package."

"Then we shall go." The humanoid smoothly pivoted around, starting forward again. All of the other humanoids fell in step with her as one, and Poe was left skittering in the middle to keep up.

Bebe-Ate took the opportunity to bump his heels in revenge as they marched through the palace, and Poe pointed warningly at his droid. "Come on, buddy, stay on my side here..."

For all its open windows and airy terraces, the beautiful hallways around Poe seemed to look blood red as the sun sank. He swallowed his suspicion – he knew he would have to be wary of a trap or ambush – and reminded himself to trust in Leia and his mission. What she had sent him to do must have been important enough to...to...not tell him about it. So, very important. That's all that would make sense, Poe told himself. Leia wouldn't send him into a death trap. Not without cause, at least.

As they entered the inner chambers of the palace and the windows grew more sparse, warm ornate lanterns hung at intervals throughout rooms. Even while following his guard at their considerable gliding pace, Poe was caught for a moment in the cozy glow of each of the rooms they passed and marveled at the luxury of the fine velvets and carved wood furniture within them. It was his first time in a palace, and in a way it looked like everything he thought a palace should be. But here, like Theed, everything was too empty. Poe wondered again where the queen stood with the First Order. As long as the palace was empty, there weren't Storm Troopers to deal with. Perhaps that was a positive sign.

Finally, after sweeping through rooms in silence for what seemed like the better part of an hour, the female humanoids stopped in their tracks at the base of a grand staircase. Poe, taken by surprise, had to backtrack once more. This time he remembered to avoid Bebe-Ate. In search of an explanation, Poe looked around at his escort and pointed at the staircase. "That's it? I go up there now?"

In answer, the female humanoids wordlessly pointed as one. Poe, past the point of being impressed after so much walking, shook his head and resigned himself to whatever would happen next as he took his first steps upwards. "Well, thanks. You've all been a great help." He jogged a few more steps up, then backtracked at the sound of Bebe-Ate's pleading whoop to haul his droid into his arms and continue upwards. "C'mon, buddy," Poe panted as they reached the top and he released Bebe-Ate onto the floor once more. "If there are Storm Troopers or First Order officers up here, they better have water."

Bebe-Ate rolled ahead down yet another hallway – this one only dimly lit red at the very end – and Poe hesitated before following. On a hunch, he glanced down at the female humanoids, and found them staring intensely back at him. After a long moment, Poe held up his hands and groaned, backing down the hallway. "I'm going, I'm going..."