CONSTELLATIONS | Poe Dameron

CHAPTER XLIII

We were all up early the next morning, working into the sunrise to prepare our ships for battle. Finn and I were going through the plan one last time with me throwing variables of "what ifs" in his direction, hoping to prepare him for the worst.

He placed his hand on my shoulder affectionately. "We got this, Si. Our ground team will make quick work of the tower as long as you fighters are there to protect us."

"I'll be following your every step," I said with a smile, pulling him into a deep hug. Jannah, a woman that they had brought back from Kef Bir, waved from behind him. I returned it, glad to have her people in this fight with us.

"Hands off my lady, General!" Finn and I both groaned and pulled apart as Poe met us. He tugged on my braid with a laugh. "That was a pretty long hug there."

"Yeah, well," I said smiling to Finn. "He's a pretty close friend." Finn returned the smile before looking at Poe. They pulled each other into one of those back-slapping embraces that men tend to do.

Poe pulled back. "We're ready."

"We're ready," Finn agreed with a curt nod. With a final smile in my direction, Finn ran off towards the ground crew and their carriers.

Poe turned to face me with a serious face. He reached up and spread his fingers across the side of my face, tracing his thumb across my cheek. "This is it, doc."

"It is," I said as I turned my head, kissing his palm.

"Sienna, if something were to go wrong, if it all falls apart and you have a chance to lead some people out of there-"

"Don't you dare tell me to leave you out there, Dameron. That isn't going to happen."

He took his hand away, running it through his tousled curls. "As your General, I'm telling you that if there is a chance to escape, you take it. Regardless of if I'm with you or not."

I narrowed my eyes at him, biting the inside of my cheek. "Seems like insubordinate Commanders are just going to be a tradition around here, because I refuse to follow that order." Poe looked like he was going to continue to fight me, but instead grabbed the back of my head and guided my lips to his. I clutched the front of his flight suit, sending a plea into the galaxy that we knew what we were getting ourselves into.

We pulled away breathless, resting our foreheads together. Neither of us were bothered about the prongs of people bustling around us seeing our display. "I love you," I whispered.

"And I love you," he replied. Just as he gave me a peck on the lips, Tash walked up with Ezra by her side.

"Alright, alright, there will be plenty of time for that when you return, big papa." I internally cringed at her new nickname for Poe, ready to get back here and give him the news before she gave it away. Poe laughed as he pulled her into a hug.

I faced Ezra, picking lint off of the front of his crisp coat. "Medics all ready?"

"Sure are. We got the trauma center set up last night when we heard the news. We are ready to treat anything that may return." Ezra was standing as straight as a board, and I recognized it as his "strictly business" way of coping when he was nervous. I smiled up at him before wrapping my arms around his waist. His arms enveloped my shoulders as he sighed. "Be safe out there, Si."

"Of course," I said as I pulled back.

"Okay quit hogging her." Tash's watery eyes met mine as she squeezed between me and Ezra. My laugh was cut short when she wrapped me in a tight hug. She nestled her lips right by my ear, speaking so softly I had to strain to hear her over the voices in the hangar. "Wedding, baby, friend dates, Poe's hot body, Corellian wine, your dumb ships, BB-8-"