The Flight Before Us | FanFic/Damarey/ Before Ep 9

Chapter 4- Fight

Poe sat against the wall, still watching Rey sleep.

She hadn't said everything she had wanted to say. But it was enough information to make his head spin as if his cockpit didn't have artificial gravity engaged.

Luke Skywalker hadn't wanted to train another Jedi because he had created Kylo Ren.

Rey hadn't wanted to trust that Kylo Ren was evil because she had felt the conflict within him.

Kylo Ren had killed Snoke and hadn't wanted to kill Rey because...

It had stopped there. She said she didn't know why.

But Poe wondered if she was afraid to say it.

"Hey," he heard a whisper in his head. "Mind if I come in?"

Poe heard Leia, only like an echo in an empty room. He reached out and realized she was outside. He stood up to click the switch to open the hatch for her to enter the ship, but then she said, "Freeze."

He did, confused, until she challenged, "You don't need to move to open the door."

He closed his eyes. A few rocks had moved and a few things had floated. 

He supposed this was next, but he felt annoyed.

He reached out for the switch. Nothing.

"It's okay," Leia whispered. "Try reaching out with your feelings. You want to talk to me. You have questions. You feel lost because what you thought was truth was only half a lie. Ignore that fear, reach out, and flick the switch."

He breathed out through gritted teeth, and then closed his eyes. 

The lever pulled down. He opened his eyes as he heard the hatch open and the ramp lower to the cold concrete underneath.

He sank back down to the floor, not sure what to expect.

But he surprised himself by saying something wiser than he felt.

"No matter what you say, your highness, you shouldn't apologize for anything you didn't do."

By the time she had entered the room and he turned his head to meet her gaze, she had tears in her eyes.

He sighed. "You shouldn't apologize for anything Ben Solo ever did."

She blinked. "That was unexpected grace."

Poe shrugged. "It's the truth. I once had a co-pilot apologize for not covering one of my best friends. It was a bit of survivor's guilt, honestly. But hearing someone say they should have fixed it or they should have died instead... it never makes it right."

She nodded. "I didn't think Rey was right. All of him hated Luke, hates me, hated his father... but apparently, all of him doesn't hate..."

"Her." Poe finished when Leia hesitated. "She doesn't want to process that though."

"No. At least he had enough conflict in him to kill Snoke because of her.  I'll take that as a win."

"We all should. And apparently... just... epic!" Poe leaned his head against the wall, looking up at the ceiling. Even the flashes Rey had showed him in his mind had shocked him- not just her level of skill with a lightsaber, but with the intensity and grittiness of the battle with the guards.

"You're wondering if you can trust her."

"No," Poe said. "I know I can. She..." he paused, wondering how to explain it. "Ben tried to contact her again."