Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Regency AU)

XI

Poe Dameron, Pirate

I stood on the bowsprit, balanced lightly as my ship bucked in Starkiller's wake.

"Wait for my signal!" I yelled to the crew.

As soon as Finn, Poe, and Chewbacca got the cover up, I gave them the signal to fire.

They did, sloppily, but firing all the same.

"Load!"

Clunks as each ball thudded into place.  The hiss of powder being poured.

"Fire!"

And we repeated.

Again and again.

No headway.

A couple of Starkiller's stern cannons fired at us.

One gunner fell.

"Fire!" I yelled again.

More cannonballs pounded the iron hull.

"Load!"

The satisfying sounds of loading cannons.

"Fire!"

The vaguely disappointing sounds of cannons missing their mark.

Finally, I jumped down and commandeered one of the cannons.

My cannonball clipped the inside of the hole.

Spurred on by my small victory, the crew rallied up and fired, taking more time to aim.

Suddenly, a blast rocked the larger ship.  The wave from their rocking sent our ship bucking.

"There's fire coming from the hole," Jessika Pava, the second mate, reported.

"Looks like our friends got us some help.  Fire!"

I aimed my own, and it hit its mark, traveling through the drainage and hitting the boiler.

"Fall back!"

We began to drop back behind the faster ship as it began to crack and break.

"Let's go back to D'Qar," I directed.

As the crew turned the ship, I went to my cabin, praying to whatever higher power was above us that Finn, Han, and Chewbacca were safe and that they'd rescued the scavenger.

BB perked his head up from his pillow as I sat heavily in my chair.

He sauntered over to the chart table and jumped up.

"Hey, buddy," I said, stroking him gently.

BB began to purr and rub against my hand.

"It's good to have you back, too, BB."

He decided to perch precariously on my shoulder as we disembarked.

I thought it would be triumphant.

But everyone looked glum, and General Organa wasn't even there to greet us.

I rushed to her map room.  She was standing in front of the chart of the world, tears threatening to spill.

"What is it?" I asked her.

"Han.  Our son, he has killed him."

A stone dropped in my stomach.  I had to sit down.  "And the others haven't returned?"

She shook her head.

I rubbed my forehead.  "Damn it."