Star Wars: Episode X - The Rescue Mission

Chapter Thirteen: Heist

Poe Dameron looked at Zorii Bliss. Zorii was stunning, and he was thankful all over again that she'd ditched her smuggler's helmet when she threw her lot in with Resistance. The news she brought him was just as stunning.

"You're sure?"

Zorii nodded. "My contact put a homing beacon on a cargo ship he was suspicious about. Turns out, it was supplying the Derriphan. They're hiding out in the Unknown Regions. You know the First Order has bases of operations there, but this was a new one we didn't know about." She put a small data chip on the table in front of him. "Here are the coordinates."

Poe slapped the table in exuberance. "Yes! We've got them. Have I ever told you I love you?"

"A long time ago. Don't get presumptuous."

"Fine. But I do." He threw her a devil-may-care look.

She stared him down. "You left me."

"It wasn't because of you. Leaving you was actually my only regret. It was because I woke up from my rebellious stupor one day, finally realizing spice running wasn't helping the galaxy and that I was being a selfish prat."

She stiffened; Poe continued. "Don't get your knickers in a twist, sweetheart, the only person I'm judging is myself. I know you were born into it and didn't think you had a choice. I remember when you freed the slaves on Sotin's ship. You gave them some money from your own pocket when we dropped them off, and I know that wasn't the first or last time you helped people with your cuts from the runs."

She snorted. "How can I lay claim to helping people when I destroyed other people's lives to do it?"

Poe listened silently.

"It wasn't just that I was born into it. I thought it was exciting, and I loved adrenaline. I loved the money, too. I just gave some of it away to soothe my conscience."

Zorii shifted her stance and looked at Poe thoughtfully. "You've changed."

"Is that so surprising? I left the spice runners' gang, after all."

"That's not it. I always knew your heart wasn't in it one hundred percent, even though I kept hoping it was so that you'd stay with me. But you're a leader now, not just a hotshot. Before, you only wanted adventure. Now, you take time to think. You're not a hothead anymore. And you were such a good pilot, I figured you'd have an outsized ego wherever you went. But I was wrong."

Poe looked serious. "I was that hotshot idiot up until a little over a year ago, I'm ashamed to say. I was the best pilot in the Resistance and it did go to my head. I thought I had all the answers, especially after we destroyed Starkiller Base. I disobeyed General Leia's orders to break off an attack on a dreadnaught, and even though we did destroy it, we lost our whole bomber squadron, including Rose's sister, Paige.

"Not long after, when Leia was incapacitated, I chafed under Admiral Holdo's command, still convinced I was the smartest person in the Resistance. If Han Solo hadn't convinced Holdo that Finn, Rose, and I had a worthwhile plan to disable the First Order's hyperspace tracker and that desperate times called for desperate measures, I know that I would have mutinied and helped Finn and Rose get away anyway. As it was, the outcome was still a disaster thanks to the codebreaker's betrayal, but at least it was all on him. It hit me hard that I almost had all those deaths on my conscience, too. I still feel bad enough about it, even though none of us could have known how badly the plan would fail. It turned out Holdo's plan was better after all.

"After all that they still made me a leader, but I don't deserve it. I try to be a little more sober-minded these days."

Zorii considered him for a few more seconds. "You are a leader now, Dameron."