//God Speed Rebels\\

ii

"Alex. Come on, we need to find Tekka."

I follow quickly behind Poe, after he took off his uniform, as BB-8 rolls up next to me. No less than thirty minutes pass until we find Tekka's hut. Poe tells me to wait with BB-8 while he goes inside and gets the coordinates of Luke Skywalker's whereabouts. I sit down next to the opening of the hut and look out into the small city. The droid rolls up to me again and looks around.

"Don't worry BB-8, no one is looking for us."

After several minutes BB-8 perks up and rolls forward slowly. He sees it before I even hear the familiar roar of the ships. The droid whirs worriedly, making me scramble to my feet and run into the hut.

"Poe."

He looks up to me and sees the fear lacing my eyes.

"We've got company." he says as he looks to Tekka. Poe stands to his feet and runs past me. His binoculars are pulled up to his eyes as he looks towards the sky. Several dark ships float down slowly in the dark sky.

"You have to hide." I say to Tekka, who turns to me with sorrow in his eyes.

"And we have to leave."

Poe turns around and looks to the old man uncertainly.

"Go!" he yells. Poe looks back to me. His eyes flicker with worry just before he turns and makes a mad dash towards the X-wing -- BB-8 and I follow in hot pursuit. As we come up on the plane, Poe jumps onto the top and pulls the latch open, then he pulls his seat forward. I jump up and into the fighter as he pushes the seat back and the top down. He clicks a button to grab the droid and starts readying the plane. BB-8 begins to whir at us as Poe is distracting with starting up the plane. Just after he starts it, the fighter jerks forward.

"We're hit, Poe!" I yell as I look back. BB-8 warns that storm troopers are coming in hot.

"I see 'em!" Poe yells. He flips his fighter blasters around and starts shooting back. With an opening, Poe jumps out of the X-wing with his blaster.

"Poe!" I yell back to him. But he doesn't respond. I push the seat forward and jump out of the X-wing, releasing BB-8 along the way. I pull off my uniform so I am in a tank top, dark brown pants with boots. I grab my blaster, whip my leather jacket on, and run after Poe. Who has stopped to give something to BB-8.

"You take this. It's safer with you than it is with me."

I stop just behind Poe and watch him place a metal chip in BB-8. The coordinates...

"You get as far away from here as you can. Do you hear me?"

BB-8 begins to retaliate, but Poe cuts him off.

"I'll come back for you! You'll be alright!" Poe yells as he motions for the droid to leave. I run up next to it and lay a hand on its head.

"Don't get hurt, BB-8. We need you!" I call out to it. The droid whirs uncertainly before I stand to my feet and follow Poe into the action. He drops behind a dune and begins to shoot at the Storm troopers. I drop down next to him and ready myself. I aim and fire, knocking one over near a well. I watch as another storm trooper runs up next to the fallen one as if they were... friends. Storm troopers can't have feelings...

"The hell--"

Poe immediately shushes me as he concentrates on his shots. I continue to watch as the fallen trooper reaches up to the other, blood brushes against the other's helmet just as the fallen one dies. The other trooper stands to its feet and looks around. I watch them get called to the front and stands guard as several villagers are rounded together. Suddenly, Tekka is pulled to the center as a large ship lands just outside of the village. That's when he walks out. His black mask covers his face, but the image of him still burns in my mind.