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gotov-otvechat-blog · 6 years

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Murder (part 2)

Pairing: Peter Parker x Reader

Word count: 1,834

Warnings: angst, fluff at the end, a little bit of swearing

Summary: Peter killed a criminal and now is having trouble dealing with it himself, and does not want to trouble you with it.

(not my gif)

(part 1) masterlist

A couple of weeks have passed since that night, when Peter stumbled into your bedroom window. You would check up on him every day, to make sure he was dealing all right. And everyday he would smile at you, tell you that he is grateful to have you in his life, and reassure you that he was okay. That didn’t stop you from noticing him get distracted in class, not paying attention to when Ned was rambling about all of their favorite things to cheer peter up; the circles under his eyes were darker than ever, he hasn’t been doing his homework. He was fading away like a footprint being washed away from the sad, not a sign of the person who left them. Michelle was even disturbed by Peter, after drawing him about 5 times.

The media wasn’t helping at all, headlines such as ‘The Friendly Neighborhood Hero Gone Dark’ or ‘Spider-Man has had enough of saving worthless criminals. NEW MISSION: To KILL.’ You tried to avoid this as much as it was possible, the more you saw of them, the more they hurt you.

One day Peter just didn’t show up to school. He was getting you worried sick, making you call him but only getting voicemail instead.

After school you headed over to Peters house, walking into May as she was going out to work.

“Hey May, is Peter alright?” you asked, careful not show just how much you were concerned.

“Hi Y/N, he’s fine, he’s just sick today but he is in his bedroom. Nice of you to stop by today. Sorry I can’t chat with you now, I’m kind of late for my shift, but if you want anything there is some left over take out in the fridge or you can just make something you know where everything is. Anyway try to see if you can get him out of bed, ill see you later!” May grabbed her keys and smiled at you as she opened the door again.

“Bye May!” you chuckled at her ability to ramble on just like Peter does. Maybe that’s where he gets it.

You made a cup of tea before heading over to his bedroom. There you saw the outline of his body on his bed, facing the wall. Only now he was shaking like that night. Settling down the tea on his desk, worry knotting deep in your stomach and clawing up your throat as you quietly padded over to his bed and sat beside him.

“Hey Peter, sweetheart,” you whispered, as you took his shoulders carefully not to startle him.

As you looked over him you gave out a little gasp, one of his eyes was swollen purple and there were dried tears on his cheeks. He was muttering something and his eyes were frantically moving all about.

“No, no, stop. I know that I killed him. YES I AM A MURDERER, but please, please don’t touch her. Let her go. NO!” Peter was now sobbing, his face scrunched up in pain. Your heart shattered right there, your own eyes had tears streaming down. You knew he was dreaming about you.

All of the sudden Peter shot up from the bed, grasping for breath, his chest heaving.

“Hey, hey, hey, hush now, I’m here, Peter,” you embraced him tightly; desperate to help him with the guilt that was tearing him apart from the inside.

Peter grabbed at you, burying his head in your neck, soaking your shirt just as you did his.

“Y/N, wha-what are you doing here? You’re not supposed to see me like this,” he pulled back to look into your eyes, they were full of anguish and bloodshot, but they were beautiful, beguiling with different flecks of brown; the eyes that could practically make you do anything.

“You seem to forget, Peter, that I love you and would go to moon and back without a spacesuit just to be with you. I know that you don’t want burden anyone else with this, but I can’t watch you tear yourself apart without doing anything about it. I need you to listen to me and understand what I am saying to you. I would go through hell for you, love,” you pleaded with him with your y/e/c eyes, begging him to let go.

“You shouldn’t be here, I don’t deserve you. I can’t make you listen to my mistakes-“

“PETER. You are not listening to me. You are not making me do anything. I am here for you, you understand? You can let go. Let go peter. Tell me what is bothering you.”

His eyes tear up again and he tugged you back to him. He starts to mutter into your neck, not wanting to look into your eyes as he tells you one of his deepest fears.

“I felt so much guilt for what I had done to him, that I tried to throw myself into being Spider-Man. But as I try to help people fathers steer their children away from me and mother screech at me to leave them and their kids alone. People in danger try to run away into the danger, because they are more terrified of than a freaking burning building. I don’t know what to do, because before whenever something happened to me as Peter I could always rely on being Spider-Man to save my day, but now the worst thing happened, people are now afraid of Spider-Man and I have no idea how to fix it.”

You were running you hands through his hair, soothing him, so that his sobs were becoming more of hiccups.

“But then I thought maybe sleeping would help, but all I see during my dreams is people screaming murderer at me, and some of them they take you, or May, or Ned and they kill you for revenge of that man,” Peter now pulled back to look at you, and now you could see the unshed tears and the pain that it would bring to him.

“I don’t know what I would do without you. I need you.”

His words melted you inside, but his russet eyes completely destroyed you. You leaned in to give a soft kiss on the lips.

“Thank you, for telling me. Ill tell you what I think but can I please take care of you? No offense, love, but you look like crap,” you smiled ruefully at him, knowing what he has been through for the last couple of weeks.

“I bare my soul to you and you tell me I look like crap,” peter teased you, smiling, but even barely a second later he winces.

“Dammit Peter you tell me all of this and don’t tell me you’re hurt? I made you tea, so drink it while I gather the supplies,” you command him, now slightly relieved that he has confided in you but still quite worried about his physical wellbeing.

While gathering an icepack and some Advil and other stuff, you received a message from Ned:

Ned: we r here with the food and the movies, u ready yet?

Y/N: gimme 10 min

Ned: ok

Y/N: do not eat all the food

Ned: WTH are u psychic

Y/N: no. i met u and have known u 4 years.

You went back to Peter, and while cleaning him up you started speaking:

“First of all Pete, do not ever worry me like that. Please. You have to let go of the fact that you made a mistake. If you don’t it will eat away at you. I also checked your guy, and he was not a good person. He was a rapist and the only good deed he ever did was stop breathing, and I know that this is not the way you do things but you still have to let it go. He didn’t have any relatives and has spent relatively twenty years in prison prior: I know that this wasn’t the only thing that was bothering you, but maybe this information would help you let go. Now the people are not your number one fans right now, but you have to win them over.”

“How?” Peter croaked, his voice still scratching from crying, while wincing, as you wiped a cut with antiseptic.

“Do the little things. Walk an old lady across the street. Help someone with their groceries. Then go back to what you used to do. You’ll show the public that you’re still who you where and that that was just a mistake you made. Everyone makes mistakes. They will get over it, and you will be the people’s favorite superhero once again,” you told him as you kissed his forehead.

“You are so much wiser than me. I still think that you should be Spider-Man. I-I mean Spider-Woman.” His stuttering just makes you smiles again.

“Same mistake Parker? I thought you learned from you’re mistakes. Besides I think there is a reason why Yoda is not the hero of the story,” you knew you were head over heels with this boy, but that wasn’t a bad thing, not at all.

“My Yoda you are,” peter imitated one of your favorite characters and you laughed at him, melting once again as he pecked your lips.

“Okay, come on lover boy, lets go downstairs, I’ll make you something to eat,” you told him as you got up from the bed and hoped that Ned already had everything set up.

Peter hoped off the bed, following you close behind, and you laughed as he let out a slight yelp when there was a loud BANG as confetti poured down on both of you.

“WHAT THE HELL NED I THOUGHT WE WERE FRIENDS! Why are you giving me a heart attack?!” Peter half said half screeched at Ned.

“Well it was payback for not being in school today and not paying attention to me for the last two weeks,” Ned said, while still smiling at Peter.

The TV was turned on to The Empire Strikes Back, which as yours and Peters favorite Star Wars Episode; there was food all over the MJ was sitting on the couch shoving popcorn into her mouth while watching with amused eyes.

“What are you guys doing here tonight?” Peter looked at all of us with wide eyes.

“Well we all knew you needed a night off so we thought movie night with all of us would get your mind off things,” Ned explained to peter while sitting down on the couch, ”it was actually Y/N’s idea so.”

“Really?” Peter turned to look at you, drawing you in closer to him.

“I told you, moon and back for you,” you whispered, your eyes sparkling.

“Are you asshats done yet? I’m here for the movie,” MJ groaned,” and you, Peter,” she added after being glared at by Ned,” but mostly the movie and free food.”

Peter chuckled, and sat down pulling you into his lap as your favorite movie started.

“Thank you. I love you.”

#peter parker #peter parker x reader #spiderman x reader #spider-man x reader #spider-man: homecoming

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18tpaz · 7 years

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@damereyevents summer exchange: for @strong-bottle-of-jyn

Aaaaand here it is!!!! Yoooo damerey buddy!!!!

You asked for a fic about scavenger!poe and pilot!rey (ooooohh)! lol and because I love all my damerey and my damerey buddies I also made a little gifset to go with it :D

I have to admit, it’s been years since I last wrote a serious fanfic so forgive me if my writing’s a bit rusty (and if the style feels childish it must be because while making the fic, I was reading the young kids’ version of ROTJ by Tom Angleberger — I highly recommend, it’s fun! hahaha). And this story has no title yet...hmm, would you like to do the honors? :) Hoping to hear from ya soon!!!

Summary: Poe Dameron has made a decent living as a scavenger on Yavin 4, but a chance encounter with two Resistance fighters may finally bring him to his destiny to fly with the greatest heroes of the galaxy. Maybe dreams do come true.

Words: 4,903 ( i kno it’s short :( )

Edit: the title for this fic is "You Need a Scavenger" lol!

“Oh no. Oh no. Oh no,” Finn gaped at the mess of a ship he just came out of, “This is bad. Real bad.”

“Damage report?” Rey, still stuck in her blue jumpsuit-sans-helmet, peered at the smoking wishbone ship before sharing a wince with her best friend.

Ordinary people would have accepted their death at the hands of an endless jungle.

But Rey and Finn weren't ordinary beings.

Running on instinct, the duo scouted the area for something useful (that wasn't another gigantic tree). Finding nothing but endless greens, they decided to to immediately set up camp by their downed vehicle.

“Another dinner of tasty rations,” Rey grumbled at her veg-meat as Finn chuckled, opting instead to take a nap on his sleeping mat.

“Good night, peanut.”

“Sleep tight, Finn.”

- -

The fourth moon of Yavin wasn't particularly a competitive market for junk and it suited Poe perfectly fine. Besides, the farm being tended by his father could sufficiently feed them both; his scavenging was nothing more than a hobby that happened to bring extra credits to the table.

After setting up his father’s breakfast, Poe and his droid BB-8, headed off on his self-constructed landspeeder for their next salvaging adventure.

“So, where are we off to today?” Poe turned to his round companion who beeped and chirped animatedly, “Hmm… yeah buddy maybe we should take a break from scouring the abandoned Rebel base and try our luck on something else. Scan around for unusual readings.”

The droid responded by making annoyed noises, “Yeah yeah, I know I'm too obsessed.”

Dee-deet! Dee-deet! Poe’s scanners were picking up a mass of potential scrap ahead of him. Slowing down his speeder, he pulled out his quadnocs to take a peek. He could see smoke lightly dissipating from a hidden cockpit. The magnified image made his heart leap. It was a real, functional Y-wing!

Never in his life did Poe drive his speeder with utmost urgency. It was one thing to stare at holoimages of fancy ships or pick around distended parts for selling. But to catch a whole, real (REAL!) starfighter? He felt like the luckiest man in history since Han Solo's legendary win in a game of Sabacc (of course Poe knows about Han Solo! Poe’s probably a walking encyclopedia of the Galactic Civil War). His mind raced with possibilities and ideas.

I should try the sublights on this thing.

Maybe I could bring home a nice helmet from this too.

Will BB-8 fit the astromech slot?

I can finally know the feeling of flying a bomber!

His imagination was cut short by a blaster bolt that almost singed his favorite jacket. Filled with panic, he didn’t realize that the pilot might still be alive!

“Who's there?!” screamed a bold, male voice. Poe could hear the rifle being prepped for another shot.

“I mean you no harm!” Poe quickly answered, hands up in the air, “I… uh… saw your ship! And I uh… came to offer my services!” His mind was nimbly threading a legitimate excuse, “You see, I run a small business of fixing stuff and selling parts. My house is just a few klicks away.”

The pilot must have been a little desperate as he lowered his blaster and moved closer to Poe's position.

Dark complexion, clean haircut, and very determined eyes. Complete trooping gear and a classy flight jacket.

The man, bearing a brawny build and an equally assertive stance, inspected Poe to ensure that he wasn't hiding any weapons. But what he wasn't counting on was the stinging electric shock delivered by BB-8 on his ankle, “Ow!” he stumbled and grunted.

“Hey buddy, it’s okay. I was about to score a job,” Poe intervened before his loyal companion could send another shock current on the man. The reassurance caused BB-8 to roll backwards and bow his domed head in apology, a light ‘dwoooo’ sound echoing his speakers.

Deciding to play friendly, Poe helped the stranger up, “I'm Poe. Poe Dameron.”

“Finn,” he responded, “You said you could fix our ship?” the man inquired.

“I gotta take a look at it first, of course,” Poe replied. True, he had to assess the damage. But his true motivation was the chance to see and touch a real Alliance vehicle. He just had to pull out all his tricks for this chance!

Finn, Poe, and BB-8 approached the Y-wing in haste. And as Poe was about to get his first touch of the ship, a gloved hand grabbed his forearm.

“What do you think you're doing?” growled a female voice this time, mezzo-soprano, (and obviously very angry).

Her air of authority placed Poe in a state of partial paralysis. He slowly looked up to see a fair and regal face, sprinkled with dust and slightly tanned. The upper part of her blue flightsuit was unzipped to reveal a worn, sleeveless, gray undershirt (and immaculately toned arms). Poe dared to look into her hazel eyes and gulped. If Finn felt like dealing with an elite shocktrooper, the girl was probably Lady Vader.

Nevermind that the girl’s gauntlets were dripping grease on his favorite jacket.

“I'm uh, Poe. Poe Dameron?”

“And?”

“He wants to help fix the ship,” Finn intervened, hoping to defuse his friend’s aggression.

“As you can see, I can handle it myself,” the girl replied, oozing with sass. She pointed a Pilex driver at Poe, “And no offense, but you look like a scruffy scavenger about to steal my ship.”

Damn, caught so fast. Maybe I should have listened to Dad and shaved.

“You'll need parts though,” Poe adroitly picked himself up from the girl’s tripping wits, “I sell! And, I can see that your coolant’s leaking. We could work on that.”

The scavenger’s right. She huffed, “I do need some more bonding tape.”

“Hey, I can get you some new parts for that instead!” Poe exclaimed, “My finds will fit well with an Alliance classic like your bomber.”

Of course the girl had her doubts, but after a silent deliberation within herself (actually, it was just one long sigh), she relented.

And they all got to work.

- -

For the next few days, Poe learned a couple of things from his new customers.

1. The girl's name was Rey - and she was probably ranked as high as Captain, based on how Finn addressed her.

2. Rey and Finn were probably Resistance agents, scouting around the sector until they got hit and landed here.

3. They were in a hurry to fix their long range comms. But so far, no luck.

4. Kes Dameron, Poe’s dad, came down to see what they were up to and offered some koyo melons from their homely ranch. A warm, ambient environment ensued.

5. Finn did most of the talking (he was a very friendly chap when you got to know him). Captain Rey on the other hand, was a quiet sort of buddy.

6. But Rey has a very special heart for machines. She bonded with BB-8 instantly while making a lot of technical remarks about Poe’s landspeeder. (Of course Poe took lots of notes! Had to learn more about this girl - I MEAN LEARN FROM A REAL PROFESSIONAL STARFIGHTER PILOT).

7. Also, this meant that Poe's sly attempts to sell his worthless junk (as he usually did with unknowing offworlders) didn't succeed under Rey’s watchful eye.

8. Nope, a shaved face didn't help his cause either.

“25,000 credits?! This is a rusty 30-year-old U-wing thrust engine!,” Rey frowned at the chunk of metal being put down by Finn and Poe from the landspeeder.

“On the contrary,” Poe began, shifting his gears into salesman-slash-Galactic Civil War expert mode, “I believe this lovely piece of vintage was part of Operation Fracture, which — ”

“ — was the mission to uncover and stop the Death Star,” Rey supplied, “and if my memory is intact, most of Blue Squadron’s U-wings met their grave on Scarif.”

Poe was flabbergasted. It was perhaps, the first time he was caught spindling a lie about history. Finn simply chuckled and patted BB-8, “Sorry Poe-my-good-man, but Rey is a hardcore geek when it comes to these things. Girl knows her stuff.”

“Look Poe, we’re not museum collectors. I need functional thrusters if we are to make it as far as Mandalore,” Rey explained.

BB-8 chirped something in response.

“You need the money for what?” Rey raised her eyebrows and began crossing her arms.

“Don't listen to him,” Poe panicked, realizing what his droid had just said, “Okay...look...we can go to my usual hauling areas and find another thrust engine.”

“You know if you were so bent on signing up for the New Republic Starfighter Corps, you could join us in the Resistance! I can gun for you if you like! I'm actually a big deal in the Resistance and I am pretty damn sure that I am one of the best gunners out there,” Finn grinned, pumped up with excitement.

But Poe nervously chuckled and cleared his throat, “Let's not get carried away guys. Now wanna go check out that old Rebel base?”

- -

Many would have thought that the Rebels took everything with them when they evacuated the Massassi temples on Yavin 4, and that graverobbers would have nothing left to salvage from the ancient rocks.

But Poe Dameron was a persistent one.

Driven by his deep desires to rediscover his deceased mother, an ace of the Rebel Alliance, he poured all his efforts on uncovering concealed caches, cracking codes, and absorbing whatever intel was left behind. What lacking information he needed, he sought through Holonet searches when he visited the main town. Sometimes a family friend, a retired veteran Duros pilot he fondly called Uncle L’ulo, shared what he could to the eager boy. Along with Kes Dameron, they reminisced Green Squadron’s finest moments when Lieutenant Shara Bey, Poe’s mom, did the wildest heroics in the name of freedom and justice.

The secret outposts found by Poe were stashed with enough supplies and parts to sustain a lost platoon for 5 standard years. Though they couldn’t find a good set of thrusters, Rey and Finn were admittedly impressed. BB-8 also helped set up temporary long range communications through an old terminal, so that Finn can report to Resistance High Command.

Meanwhile, Rey and Poe decided that they could build their own thrust engines from the spares. The two tinkerers were quiet for the duration of their work — Poe was determined to help his new friends get going while Rey began contemplating on the idea of acquiring another useful recruit. She knew that the Resistance needed more manpower, but at the same time their job required a deep sense of commitment and utmost loyalty, qualities Rey wasn't sure that Poe had (For one, Rey knew a lot of skilled people who were nothing more than mercenaries). Still, she decided that a little probing might help around.

“Why do you want to be a starfighter pilot?” Rey inquired while fiddling with her toolkit.

She could sense the emotions brewing beneath the scavenger.

Sentimentality.

Compassion.

Belongingness.

Poe tilted his head, scrunching up his face a bit as he continued to work, “Mostly because of my Ma, I guess,” he picked up a hydrospanner and inserted it into a damaged slot, “She flew for Green Squadron while my Dad served under the Pathfinders.”

Rey nodded in understanding. She also began installing some bolts.

“How ’bout you, Captain... uh, why did you want to be a Jedi?”

If Rey was surprised, she didn't show it. (Actually, she was. But of course she's better than that.)

“What makes you think I’m a Jedi?” she calmly challenged his query.

Poe shrugged, still engrossed in his work, “I saw your lightsaber clipped next to your belt. The only time I saw that kind of thing was on a holo of Luke Skywalker in his X-wing attire.”

Rey couldn't help but grin. He's an observant one. Good. “Let’s just say it's also tied to family.”

Poe nodded.

Silence ensued. But, it was comfortable kind, knowing that they stood on the same ground and were somehow, drawn to the same endless stars above them (How did assembling thrusters become such a dreamy setting?). Before they knew it, only a few couplings were left to be installed.

“Finn’s not done yet, is he?” Poe mused.

“I’ll tell you a secret — that boy has a rather colorful love life,” Rey mischievously replied and they shared laugh, “If I have to place a bet, it’ll be on one of those sisters he befriended on the maintenance crew…”

“Must be tough love.”

“Maybe if you join our ranks you'll give him some competition,” Rey joked.

“Nah. My old man needs me here,” Poe shook his head.

Rey was about to respond when Finn came back with BB-8. He seemed more relaxed after that long chat with the base.

“Hey Rey, General Organa wants to talk to you,” Finn bent down, positioning himself to take over her work. The captain quietly stood up and accompanied BB-8 back to the terminal.

“General,” Rey curtly greeted Leia Organa with a nod.

Leia on the other hand, continued to stare dotingly at Rey, as though her compassion could be transmitted all the way from D’Qar to Yavin 4.

“Rey, I wish I could tell you to take your time but — ”

“Time is of the essence, I know,” Rey sighed, rubbing her forehead, “I'm doing my best to fix the ship and I swear we’ll be on track to Mandalore before you know it.”

“No, that's not it,” Leia explained, “We're picking up First Order transmissions. They're in your area, trying to find a Force-sensitive tree. Several TIEs have been dispatched. They might also be the group who shot you down.”

“A Force-sensitive tree?”

“I know Luke had given one to the Dameron family. Finn says you've made contact with their son?” Leia asked.

“Yes.”

“Make sure the First Order doesn't find it,” came Leia's swift order.

“But what about the emissary to Mandalore? We have to coordinate with them soon,” Rey frowned, unconvinced by the tree’s importance.

“Finn says that Poe Dameron is seeking enlistment with us. And I know his parents well, especially his mother. Recruiting him is as good as finding our contact in Mandalore,” Leia replied, her voice driven by conviction. Rey could feel ripples of the Force flowing between them. Leia's natural intensity as a commander not only made her an effective leader, but also an undeniably strong presence in the Force.

Like Master Luke. Like Ben. And all those lost Jedi.

Memories of pain flushed her into a deep silence.

And Leia of course, was able to pick up on it, “I know it's so hard to place trust on people. Especially after what happened to your father…” her voice began drifting, her own emotional struggles reflecting that of Rey’s.

But unlike an amateur such as Rey, Leia was firm in resisting her grief. Decades of experience brought her that ability to endure, “I had once entrusted my life to Shara Bey and I did not regret it. And if Poe is anything like his mother — or even his father, you will not hesitate to seek his help.”

“Yes ma’am.” Rey, suddenly stoic, affirmed.

Leia sighed. At least she is trying, “May the Force be with you.”

- -

“So, you like our little scoundrel of a princess?” Finn jabbed at Poe.

“Wh-what?” Poe stuttered.

“Oh come on! The only time I saw that kind of look was when Rey got to fly the Falcon!” Finn continued to tease, “And believe me, I’ve been through a lot of fodder with that gruffy girl and it's definitely been an adventure of a lifetime.”

Poe frowned. They began to tow the newly-constructed thrusters back into the speeder.

“I know she likes to look tough. Have you seen how she likes to be scruffy and show off her guns and all? She wants folks to respect her. And I guess I can't blame her for trying to live up to an inherited reputation…” Finn began rambling, immersed in his discourse of his best friend.

“But I know, deep in my gut, that you’ll be good for her,” Finn continued, “I've seen her rip a gundark with her bare, muddy hands and I was there when she wore silvery garments and stole glances from everyone in a senator’s party. Of course the other pilots like Jess and Karé love her with all their being. But she needs another kind of friend, a relatable one. Someone who also memorizes all the skirmishes after the Battle of Hoth. And can re-wire a navicomputer with eyes closed. Someone who knows what it’s like to be a child of a legend. And if these docs are right, your Mama was one helluva pilot,” Finn wriggled his eyebrows, waving a datapad in front of Poe.

The scavenger just gaped at him. Somehow, Finn’s datapad had just downloaded all of Lieutenant Shara Bey’s Alliance records. Not just Shara’s but Kes Dameron’s files too.

“You know when Leia treats us all Resistance babies like her own children you get access to many amazing things,” Finn winked.

“Now if you’re trying to lure me to join — ” Poe began shaking his head.

“I don't know what’s stopping you either.”

“Dameron!” shouted Rey's voice. The young Jedi was jogging towards them with BB-8 rolling in the same quickened pace.

“The tree. Where is it?” Rey grabbed Poe’s collar.

That gesture must have terrified him because he froze in place.

“Whoa, calm down Cap. What did the General say?” Finn patted Rey’s shoulder.

“The First Order is here, looking for a tree that Master Luke gave to Shara Bey. We need to protect it at all costs,” Poe and Finn could feel the panic seeping among them.

The tree. From Luke Skywalker himself.

Poe's mind was running in circles, remembering how his parents revered the damn plant. How he was made to personally care for it when he accidentally burned it in a hurry to finish his chores, many years back.

He flicked his comlink, contacting his father.

Shhhhhhssssshhhh. Static.

If his comm was jammed, that meant the First Order was here. On this moon. On their backyard.

AND HIS FATHER.

The trio (plus BB-8) hurried back to the homestead.

- -

Kes knew that he'd never outgrow the instincts he’d bred as a SpecForce soldier. So, when he saw an indiscriminate man heading straight for the Force-sensitive tree, he immediately grabbed his old blaster from a hidden compartment. Setting up for a snipe shot, he quietly aimed at the thief.

Pffoooowpsh!!!

Ah, that satisfying hit meant that he was still a true Pathfinder.

Kes slowly moved towards the incapacitated man, inspecting the thief's gear. There were network sensor jammers in one pocket and other tools similar to former Imperial Security Bureau agents. He could also hear at least two speeders within his area, one he identified as Poe's and another that was probably the burglar’s reinforcements. Making a wild guess, he ducked before a second thief tried to shoot him, and then fired back.

He missed. And the second man accelerated his vehicle, retreating back into the forest.

“Dad!” Poe, along with BB-8, hurriedly approached his father.

Kes raised his thumb up before gesturing to Rey and Finn to catch the escaping intruder.

Rey immediately took over the controls of Poe's ride while Finn readied his rifle.

Poe glanced back at them, hoping that Rey would take care of his baby.

“I’m okay, son. I’m okay,” Kes grinned cockily. Sometimes his boy was such a worrier, like Shara secretly was back years ago.

“Was it the First Order, Dad?” Poe peered at the dead body.

“Definitely,” Kes nodded, “I knew they'd be after the tree one day. It was Skywalker’s last request from our family to keep it safe.”

“Dad…I...”

Kes couldn't help but give his son a rather wrinkly smile. He could read Poe and all his hopes and fears like plain Aurebesh.

And he knew exactly what he had to say to give his kid a final push. “Destiny calls us. The Force, even. That's why I wounded up serving under General Solo back on Endor, why your mother flew alongside Luke and Leia. We decided that we couldn't allow innocents to suffer. Now you have to make your choice. Will you help them too?”

“But what about you? Who's going to take care of you?”

Kes boisterous laughter filled the air, “I'm tougher than I look, son. Your old man still has that Pathfinder spirit,” he pounded his chest proudly. He shifted gears and mellowed the mood, “Poe, I know you’re worried for me but I'll be fine here. Shara used to think that way, too. Afraid that she couldn't stop flying once she got into her green flightsuit and left you behind.”

He held his son's face, looking into his eyes that was so much like his wife's — that same soul yearning to explore the heavens, “You'll know when to fight and you'll know when to back down. We've raised you to be smarter and tougher so that one day you could take your place in this universe,” he slipped a data chip into Poe's hand.

The launch codes for Shara’s old A-wing. An old ship, long hidden beneath a tarp, parked half a klick away.

A beauty waiting for its reawakening.

“I give you my blessing, son. It's been a long damn time and now you should quit holding yourself back!” Kes laughed again, “Who knows our small family might get one helluva pilot as daughter-in-law again!”

Poe palmed his face, recently cleaned of facial hair (also done to secretly impress the Y-wing captain). His dad was too quick of a thinker sometimes.

- -

With the infinite obstacle of trees, Rey can only steer the speeder so much. That was probably the seventh time she had to avoid the blaster bolts from hitting their borrowed ride.

“Are you ever going to fire back, peanut?!” Rey exasperatedly whined at Finn.

“I'm trying!” Finn grumbled back.

“What ever happened to the Resistance’s best gunner…” Rey muttered, slipping a grumpy joke as she usually did during troublesome times like this.

“I heard that!” Finn shot back, simultaneously hitting the thief's motivators.

The speeder in front of them was yanked out of the route, but the man luckily escaped. He continued running towards a pair of strange-looking TIE fighters (probably modified).

“He's going to fly out!” Finn pointed at him.

“I know that!” Rey screamed back. With a blink of an eye, she stopped the speeder and leapt in the air with her activated lightsaber.

Finn shook his head, but realizing that their Y-wing was only a junction away, he drove back to their campsite to re-install the new thrusters and maybe, get going.

He’d seen Rey make miracles and hopefully, they wouldn't need their dysfunctional ship to take chase on those pristine TIEs.

But being not much of a mechanic himself, he was probably the one who needed to make a miracle.

- -

Rey effortlessly deflected the blaster shots from the thief, who was backing away and nearing his ship.

This agent is crippled by his fear.

Rey threw her saber at his ship's twin ion engines, a smirk forming on her face.

You’ve got no escape this time.

Catching back her blade like a boomerang, she Force-pushed the thief into a tree, knocking him unconscious.

She turned to the other TIE fighter, not realizing that the pilot inside had prepped his ship for take-off and had began gunning her. She continued to deflect its strong bolts until one blast hit an enormous branch, which was about to topple her. Rey rolled out of the way and unfortunately, it allowed the TIE to escape.

Panting, she regretted her failure immediately.

Luckily though, Finn was able to pull a bit of a miracle. Their battered Y-wing was floating in front of her, cockpit opened.

“Let's test-ride this new thing!!!” Finn cheered. Rey smiled back and gracefully jumped to her seat. Following the TIE ahead of them, the Y-wing began to hit the skies.

Apparently, it was going to be harder than expected.

“You did not recalibrate this thing, did you?!” Rey groaned, the wishbone-shaped fighter jerking despite her focused controls. The TIE was now flying farther away.

“Well we were in a bit of a situation. I had to hurry!” Finn retorted.

Rey muttered a few things before resetting the guns and cannons. Finn, working in tandem, immediately tested his aim.

PPPANG!!! PPPANG!!!

Well, at least their guns are working.

Now it was a matter of reaching their target. But the TIE suddenly tumbled itself backwards.

“It’s behind us!” Finn warned.

“Deflector shields up!!!” Rey flicked a few buttons, wanting to pivot her stubborn fighter around to hit it and end the day.

The Y-wing whined in protest. Rey was trying her best to stabilize the gyroscopes. Finn knew that if she didn't do it fast enough, they'd be dead toast.

But suddenly, the sensors showed another ship approaching, hitting the TIE on their tail!

“Wooohooo!!!” Poe whooped, opening the comm channel to the Y-wing.

“Poe!!!” Rey and Finn exclaimed in relief. BB-8 was also beeping happily in the background. The droid was excited to be part of the adventure.

“I'll get him off your backs. And prepare to fire! His shield’s too strong for an old A-wing gun,” Poe advised.

The A-wing began baiting the TIE to follow him.

Poe yanked the controls and the old ship yielded to his maneuvers smoothly. A-wings were extremely nimble, and the TIE fighter (an unusually different model, Poe mused) had a hard time catching up with his swoops and barrel rolls. He dropped his ship too sharply, feeling the wild rush turning his insides. And then, he suddenly pushed his stick the opposite way.

No way could the jerk follow that crazy path.

Rey had somehow anticipated the path and soon, the Y-wing was onto the TIE’s trajectory.

“Clear shot, Finn!” Rey queued.

Her friend carried out the orders suavely and the TIE was swiftly blown to pieces.

The new friends hollered together. It was a memorable first victory.

“Now what?” Rey grinned at the comm, still hearing Poe’s laughter.

“I’ve brought some cargo with me and we can do repairs when we land on Mandalore,” Poe suggested.

“You sure?” Finn gasped excitedly, enjoying that their mission was going to proceed so instantly.

“Alright, sending coordinates to you,” Rey smiled to herself. Maybe the three of them were complete adrenaline junkies, after all.

The two rebel ships zoomed into hyperspace.

- -

The Resistance transport was up in their sights, already beginning its landing cycle.

“Hey, don't be nervous,” Finn patted Poe on the back.

How could he not be nervous?! Poe was finally meeting Leia Organa in the flesh. The Princess of Alderaan was a living legend among young dreamers like him. And Poe wanted to leave the best first impression for his long-time idol.

“Don’t worry. General Organa is like a mother to all of us,” Rey winked and Finn just rolled his eyes.

The door opened and the refined woman, despite wearing practical work clothes, was as elegant as the holoimages Poe had seen back home. The troops escorting her dispersed, giving the trio enough leeway to approach the General.

Poe finally understood what it was like to face an icon that seemed to innately exude strength from her mere appearance. It was a familiar feeling, one he had encountered back a few days ago when he tried to steal a Y-wing from a powerful Jedi and her fierce friend.

Leia immediately met eyes with Rey and embraced her warmly. Letting go, Leia looked at Finn and firmly gripped his arms with the same tenderness.

The duo ushered Poe towards Leia and the formerly confident junk dealer turned into a bashful boy.

Leia understood, gently placing her hands on his shoulders (and perhaps imparting some of her fortitude on the newcomer), “Welcome to the Resistance, Poe Dameron. I see that you take after your mother.”

She turned to her followers and said, “Now we have a lot to talk about and we already have jobs lined up.” Resistance personnel and other delegates began following General Organa towards the Sundari city proper.

And that left Rey and Poe alone. (For some reason, Finn was inside the empty transport, probably having his own errands to do with BB-8. )

Maybe Finn’s comming his girlfriend again, Rey thought to herself.

Poe was looking at his old, black-brown boots. The poor guy must still be in shock after meeting Leia. It wasn't uncommon for people to be starstruck after meeting the Princess-turned-General.

Rey grinned, deciding to do something. Besides, she hadn’t thank Dameron for saving their skins back in Yavin.

She slowly wrapped her arms around him. It still startled Poe, since he reflexively lifted his arms in defense. But he slowly relaxed when reality sank in.

Oh, but he's definitely blushing too.

Sometimes even Rey surprises herself (by tuning down her sulky attitude from time to time).

“I think your mom would have been proud of you,” she whispered softly.

A small smile formed on Poe’s lips.

And inside the Resistance transport’s compartments, Finn and BB-8 secretly shared a thumbs up.

END.

#prsummerexchange17 #damereyevents #strong-bottle-of-jyn #damerey

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