Maverick » Poe Dameron

VII. THE ESCAPE

I WAKE UP in the same cold room, feeling even worse than before. My arm aches, my head throbs and something deep within me is burning. Is it rage? Fear? The Force?

I'm no longer strapped up in the contraption, it's standing to my right taunting me in a way. I'm laying on a hard bed and I can barely feel my limbs, still numbed from whatever I was injected with. I really, really want to get up and try and escape, but I just don't know how.

I sit up, which is a feat in itself, and lean against the cold wall. My restraints are still on, binding my arms together. My wrist is swollen, and no one has tended to it while I was knocked out. Very thoughtful of the First Order.

I huffed. I don't know how long I've been asleep for, hopefully not too long. The longer I'm in here is probably closer to when they'll dispose of me. I shudder at the thought.

My blaster and lightsaber are in an overhanging compartment, again sitting their out of reach to taunt me. I hate being weak.

I clear my mind and stare at the wall, and I try not to think about Poe. The pain I felt of his, I can't imagine what state he must be in.

I don't have to imagine long, as Poe bursts through the door bloodied and battered with a stormtrooper at his side.

I have to stop myself from screaming, as I am so shocked. Shocked because he is actually up and walking and shocked because he is in my cell and not in restraints.

I can barely even speak, and Poe just looked at me with such sadness in his eyes, like he just wanted to pick me up and cradle me until I was healed.

"Poe?"

"Oh, Maverick, what have they done to you?" He said, as the stormtrooper hastily sealed the door and removed his helmet. What was going on?

I looked at Poe, examining his tanned features. He was bleeding from his head, and looked shiny with sweat. He appeared frantic, but at the same time he looked ready for an epic battle.

He helped me up, and my legs almost gave out. But I was too worried about Poe to notice.

"Poe, are you okay? Your pain, I felt it... It was horrible," I shivered. Poe furrowed his brow. "The force! It was the force!"

"Kitana, you're barely coherent. I'm fine, but we need to escape," Poe's hands cupped my face carefully, they were rough from years of hard work, but felt so comforting.

The trooper stood awkwardly behind us, and Poe quickly ushered him foward. He unlocked my restraints and I sighed with relief.

"Alright, let's go," Poe goes to rush to the door. But I drag him back before we can leave.

"My lightsaber! I need it!" I shouted at them. They looked at me in confusion until I pointed to the compartment with my things inside. They both quickly rushed over, and the stormtrooper unlocked it as well. I clip on my belt but hide my lightsaber in my jacket to avoid suspicion.

The trooper put his helmet back on, grabbed Poe and I and opened the door, pretending like he was simply leading us to our cell. I could barely stand up, so the Trooper had to hold me up by my waist and almost carry me.

"Why is he helping us?" I asked Poe discreetly, not willing to interrupt the trooper chanting mantras to himself.

"He wants to escape too. Escape from the First Order,"

"But he's a stormtrooper?"

"This stormtrooper has ears, y'know," The Stormtrooper said, rather annoyed.