the-sparkling--diamond

[the-sparkling--diamond]

everything to win - 20

poe dameron x black! female oc

warnings: poison

word count: 2,001

Even from the first glance, Cerria wasn’t surprised that the new Akivan governor was a First Order sympathizer. He looked like an older version of her fiancé, if Val was a man of questionable character rather than just plain annoying. Her stomach turned, but she chalked her uneasiness up to her nerves. As if he could feel the anxiety radiating off of her, Poe reached down and gently squeezed her hand. She hoped the governor didn’t notice the gesture. The princess’s supposed bodyguard holding her hand might raise a few eyebrows. She quickly squeezed his hand once in return before stepping away, offering a polite smile as the governor approached them.

“Governor,” she greeted, extending a hand, “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Please,” he bowed and took her hand, “call me Crix.” He looked back up at Cerria as he pressed a kiss to the back of her hand. Beside her, Poe tensed.

Crix released her hand and began to walk down the hall. “Follow me. I’ve arranged a grand meal for our negotiations.”

“That’s too kind. You didn’t have to go through the trouble.”

“Don’t be so modest,” Crix playfully scolded. “It’s not every day we on Akiva are honored by the presence of Corellian royalty.” He pushed open a door, revealing an elaborately decorated meeting room, complete with a banquet table that held what could only be described as a feast. As Poe and Cerria entered the room, Crix added, “Though, I didn’t know your guard would be joining us.”

Poe and Cerria exchanged an uneasy glance as they sat, but she knew better than to let her suspicion show. “With all the unrest in the galaxy, I thought it best to bring a guard. Just in case,” she explained.

Crix nodded and picked up an ornate bottle of wine. “Would you care for a glass?”

“Gladly, thank you.” Cerria tried to still the tremble in her hand as she extended the wine glass to Crix. The blood red wine quickly filled her cup, its sickly sweet smell nearly burning her nose. The deep red liquid swirled in the cup. Her gut twisted as she stared at the wine. Something didn’t feel right.

She ignored the feeling, though, chalking it up to his close ties to the First Order. If something was going to go wrong, it would have already.

Crix held the bottle out to Poe, “And for you?”

Poe silently shook his head.

“Well,” the governor said, setting the bottle in front of Cerria. “Let’s get down to business, shall we? As much as I’d love to simply dine with you, you did come here for a reason. I understand you wanted to discuss our trade agreement.”

“Your droids are important to Corellia,” Cerria explained. “We’ve been trade partners farther back than my parents’ rule. I hope that that partnership can continue.”

“I don’t see why not. Though, I wonder if we might be able to reevaluate our terms.” Crix’s eyes were locked on her in a way that made her skin crawl. At least the meeting seemed to be going well. The sooner they could get out of there, the better.

Cerria sipped her drink. It didn't taste like any wine she'd had before, but she assumed that it had been made with some sort of fruit that was native to this planet. It was sweet, and it burned her throat as it went down.

"Is everything to your liking?" Crix asked.

"Oh, yes," Cerria smiled politely. "I can't say I've ever had wine like this before. It's very...distinct."

Crix smiled, a sight that was very unsettling, and stood. "Yes, I figured it would be new for you. It's a special Akivan blend."

Cerria nodded and blinked a few times, feeling her vision start to blur. Special Akivan blend must have been his way of saying their wine was strong.

The governor seemed to notice her movement, asking, "Is everything alright, Princess?"

"Forgive me, it was a long flight over and-" Cerria paused, feeling her heart begin to race. Her heavy necklace felt too tight. It always had, but now? It was nearly unbearable. She smiled again, trying to hide her unease, "It's just been a long day, governor. Please, continue."

Poe glanced over at her, noticing how her breathing seemed to quicken and how she kept blinking. He gently squeezed her wrist under the table, trying to get her attention, but she quickly brushed him off.

"As a leader," Crix said, "I want to do what's best for my beloved planet. That, of course, includes continuing the trade relationship between us and Corellia." He paused then, his smile becoming cold, "But as a merchant...it's important that I ensure we only trade with those that align with our interests."

A soft whimper passed through Cerria’s lips as her skin began to burn as though she had a fever. Poe's stomach dropped and he stole another glance at her. Her breathing was still abnormal and a light sheen of sweat had developed on her forehead. Despite this, she tried to keep up the facade, "Yes, we completely understand." Maintaining her smile, she subtly took Poe's hand under the table, holding it tight. He nearly flinched when he felt how hot her skin was.

"Oh, I'm not sure you do," Crix chuckled.

“I beg your pardon?” Cerria’s voice was choked as her breaths became more and more labored.

The governor mocked her gasps before dissolving into a fit of wicked laughter. “My, my, Princess. I knew this would be satisfying, but I didn’t think this would be quite so entertaining.”

Cerris began to tug at the sleeves of her gown. Heat radiated off of her. Her skin burned as if she’d been tossed into a lava river on Mustafar. Nevertheless, she fought back her tears.

Poe looked back at Crix, hissing, "What did you do?"

Crix had the audacity to laugh, making Poe's blood boil. "Akiva doesn't do business with Resistance scum."

Poe stood, drawing his blaster. “Where’s the antidote?”

“And what makes you think you’re in any position to make requests?”

Poe’s blood froze in his veins as the truth of Crix’s words hit him. He really wasn’t in any position to make requests. Snap and Karé had yet to return to the ship, which Finn had been instructed to stay on, meaning his only available backup was Cerria, who was currently - his stomach turned at the thought. He had no leverage, no cards to play. He had drawn his blaster, but what good would it do? Killing Crix might give him satisfaction, but it wouldn’t give him the antidote, which is what he truly cared about. His mind raced as he tried to think of some plan. Her soft whimpers made bile rise in his throat as they grew more and more pained.

He was running out of time.

By some stroke of luck, he managed to come up with something.

The droids.

It was a long shot, but he was fairly certain that a merchant like Crix could be using the droid factory to supply the First Order with droids. His loyalty to the First Order may be strong, but Poe was willing to bet his loyalty to money was stronger. “I’ve got a ship ready to fire on the droid factory,” Poe threatened. “If the two of us,” he paused, gesturing to Cerria, “aren’t out of here in the next five minutes alive, they have orders to fire until there’s nothing left. So, you either give me that antidote and let us go, or stand by and watch as your biggest moneymaker gets blown to kingdom come.” Poe had never bluffed so much in his life, but he hoped the man’s greed was just enough that he wouldn’t call him on it.

Crix’s jaw clenched, and Poe knew he had him where he wanted him. “You wouldn’t.”

“I would,” Poe spat. He had half a mind to come back to Akiva once Cerria’s safety was ensured, just to lay waste to Crix and his droid factory. He could nearly see the wheels in Crix’s head turning as he considered his options. Every second that passed felt like an eternity to Poe. He was hyper-aware of every raspy breath, every whine that passed from Cerria’s lips.

Finally, Crix reached into his pocket and tossed a small vial to Poe, who caught it easily.

Keeping his blaster trained on Crix, Poe shoved the vial into his pocket. He moved to scoop Cerria into his arms, but just before he could, he aimed at Crix’s shoulder and fired. A twisted feeling of satisfaction spread through him as the man yelped in pain and dropped to the ground. Poe could have stayed to savor the moment, but he had infinitely more important matters to attend to. He holstered his blaster and scooped Cerria into his arms, wincing at the way she cried out. “It’s okay,” he choked out, “I’ve got you. It’s okay.” He wasn’t sure if the words were meant to comfort her or himself.

Until moments ago, Cerria’s ship crashing on Crait was one of the most horrifying sights he’d ever seen, but it had been quickly overtaken by the sight of her in his arms, fighting to breathe.

"It burns. Poe, it hurts," Cerria sobbed. Despite the pain though, she clung to him like he was a lifeline.

"I know, honey," Poe choked out. Every whimper and cry out of her mouth felt like a knife to his heart.

He raced onto the ship, ignoring the inquisitive looks the rest of the team was giving them. He’d answer their questions later. For now, her safety was his top priority. She took in another strangled breath, the sound making his stomach twist.

After what felt like much too long, he finally made it to the crew's quarters on the ship, setting her down on a bed. He sat directly behind her and gently pulled her into him so her back rested against his chest. "Okay, open up," he raised the vial of antidote to her lips. "You have to drink it all. You'll feel better soon, I promise." Her face contorted in disgust, but she soon finished the antidote. Poe gently stroked her soft curls, pushing them away from her sweaty forehead. Her skin was still scorching hot, but if she wanted him to keep holding her, he would. He didn't mind. "I'm right here, pretty girl. Do you need anything else from me?"

His breath nearly caught in his throat as she took one of his hands in hers. "Stay?" she breathed.

Poe's heart shattered further at the sound. He nodded, pressing a gentle kiss to her temple. "Always," he kissed the back of her hand, "Always."

Her blonde curls brushed his face as she shifted against his chest, moving so her chest was against his with her head tucked under his chin. Her hair and skin were damp with sweat, but Poe didn’t care. All that mattered to him was that she would be okay. He closed his eyes, listening intently as her breathing began to return to normal. He felt every muscle of hers begin to relax as the pain left her body. She was still a bit warm, but her temperature had gone down considerably. “You’re gonna be okay,” he repeated softly, “I’ve got you.”

His eyes flew open when he felt her lips press against the back of his hand. Her dark eyes were nearly sparkling as he met her gaze. In that moment, it was the most relieving, most beautiful sight he had ever seen. Her lips brushed his hand once more as she whispered, “Thank you.”

[the-sparkling--diamond]

everything to win - 19

poe dameron x black! female oc

warnings: none!

word count: 1,008

“What are we supposed to do? We can’t hide forever.”

Kaydel’s voice echoed the thoughts of the remaining members of the Resistance. They were tired, and not simply because it was an early morning meeting.

“What else can we do? If they find us, we don't stand a chance.”

D'Acy was quick to speak up, saying, “We sent out our distress signal-”

“That no one answered!”

A silence fell over the room. It was the harsh truth that no one wanted to admit.

Cerria knew she should have been paying attention, but her mind was stuck on her home, on how the First Order had infested, no, infected, her planet. The more she thought about it, the more nauseated she felt. It was hard enough trying to hide her Resistance ties from her parents, but now with the First Order occupying her planet and breathing down her neck, it was nearly impossible.

That’s when it hit her.

“They can’t,” she murmured.

All eyes fell on her.

Ignoring the warmth that had begun to burn her cheeks, she stood. “The First Order has set up an occupation on Corellia, my home.”

“But that’s a Core W-”

“It doesn’t matter,” Cerria was quick to interrupt. “They have just as much power as my family. They very nearly didn’t let me leave with one of my own ships. If they could infiltrate a Core World, if they could dictate what even the leaders of a planet can and cannot do, I can’t imagine what their control on the Outer Rim is like.” She noticed Leia perk up a bit, and she felt a new rush of confidence spread through her. “I believe we still have allies in the galaxy, but they cannot act. Not with the First Order breathing down their necks.”

“What can we do?” Finn asked.

“They can’t come to us,” Poe murmured, “but maybe there’s some way we can go to them.”

Another silence fell over the group until Snap all but whispered, “My parents are on Akiva. They fought in the war against the Empire. If we can get there, we might be able to convince them to join the cause.”

Cerria nearly winced. The Outer Rim planet had just elected a new governor, one who was very aligned with the First Order. Turning to address Leia, she said, “I’d like to propose a retrieval mission to Akiva. No engaging with the First Order, no fights, just an in-and-out rescue mission.”

“Cerria…”

“General Organa, please,” Cerria pleaded. “We need all the help we can get. I know our numbers are few, but I would be happy to lead and fly this mission. I'll use my own ship. Please, General.”

Leia wanted to say no. It was a risk. She was well aware of that. If anything went wrong…they couldn’t afford to lose any more people. But Cerria and Poe had led a successful mission to Ikkrukk when she had previously thought it to be impossible. They had brought back a group of people from a planet that had dissolved into chaos. If anyone could pull it off, it was them. “Alright,” Leia agreed, “What are you thinking?”

“I can arrange a meeting with the current governor. Corellia has a trade agreement with Akiva. Since they’ve elected a new leader, it wouldn’t be suspicious for a current trade partner to meet and ensure that our agreement is staying the same,” Cerria explained. “I’ll sneak Snap and Karé onto the planet in my ship and drop them off before I reach the palace.”

Leia shook her head, “You can’t go alone.”

Cerria glanced at Poe, who was standing behind her, giving him a silent nod. There was no one she trusted more. Turning back to Leia, she said, “Poe will go with me. Finn too, if he wants.”

Across the room, Finn nodded. “Of course.”

His agreement made the corner of her lips twitch up in the smallest of smiles. “Good, I think we should leave as soon as possible, before the situation in Akiva gets any worse.”

Leia scanned the room, eyes falling on every remaining fighter. “Does anyone have any objections?” After a few moments of silence, she nodded. “Very well. Pack what you need. In and out, just like you promised. Don’t do anything stupid.”

Cerria couldn’t help but smile at that. “We won’t, General.”

An hour later, Poe tossed a bag of supplies by the pilot’s seat. Cerria was across the ship, organizing the regalia she planned to change into later. The rest of the team had yet to join them. “That was impressive…what you did back there,” he said.

Cerria shrugged, “Someone else would’ve suggested it if I hadn’t.”

“Don’t undermine yourself, princess,” he teased, making his way over to her. “It’s not a good look on you.” Pride swelled in his chest when he saw her lips turn upwards.

“You flatter me,” she murmured, ignoring the way her heart leapt. She turned her gaze back to the blood red gown that hung before her. "I want you in the meeting with me.”

“You do?”

Cerria nodded. “If something goes wrong, I want you by my side. There’s no one I trust more to have my back.” She looked back at him once more, eyes glittering in amusement, “Every princess needs her knight, after all.”

Poe’s brain stopped working, and his mouth felt drier than the deserts of Tatooine. He willed his brain to reboot so he could actually say something instead of standing there, looking at her like an idiot.

Just before the moment could become too awkward, Finn, Poe’s saving grace, came strolling into the ship. He raised an eyebrow at the sight, “Am I interrupting something?”

Cerria shook her head, “Not at all. I’ll go grab Snap and Karé.”

Poe couldn’t tear his eyes away from her as she walked away. Once she was out of sight, Finn’s laugh sounded from next to him.

He clapped his hand on Poe's shoulder, fighting to speak through his unnecessarily hysterical laughter, “You’re hopeless.”

[the-sparkling--diamond]

everything to win - 18

poe dameron x black! female oc

A/N: sorry i haven't updated here in a bit! i'll be posting a couple chapters today

word count: 1,358

“I really thought we were going to die,” Karé breathed.

The battle on Ikkrukk was a quick, but fierce one. Luckily, only Suralinda, a newer member of Black Squadron, had been injured, but that was quickly fixed up with the bacta spray and bandages Poe and Cerria had packed. To celebrate escaping with their lives, they had flown to Ajan Kloss, the planet the Resistance was setting up base on. With no cantina in sight, the group had gathered in the caf for their festivities, sharing a bottle of spotchka between them.

As Poe opened his mouth, Snap quickly cut him off, “If you’re about to say your incredible flying skills saved us all, don’t.”

Poe’s mouth shut faster than a cruiser jumping into lightspeed.

Suralinda and Karé snickered, and Cerria barely concealed her laugh through a swig from the bottle.

“Hey, if a near death experience brings us closer to the end of the war, I’ll take it,” Jess shrugged. “I want to actually travel the galaxy without worrying about getting shot down at any moment.”

“Got anywhere specific in mind?”

Jess took the bottle of spotchka from Cerria as the princess spoke. “Somewhere beautiful. Maybe Naboo…or Endor.”

“We were looking at honeymooning there!” Snap exclaimed, grabbing Karé’s hand.

Poe let out a low whistle. “I keep forgetting you two haven’t been able to go on your honeymoon yet. Damn.”

"Fighting in a war makes it hard to travel.”

“Besides,” Karé added, “It’ll be all the more romantic when we don’t have to worry about the First Order destroying the galaxy.” The two shared a quick kiss, earning a cheer from the rest of the group.

“What about you?" Snap asked, turning to Cerria. "What are your plans when the war is finished?"

Cerria shrugged and laughed, "I've got an arranged marriage waiting for me back home. I don't think I can put that off any longer." She held up her hand, the small gold ring glinting in the light. Poe felt like he'd been punched in the gut. The laughs and cheers of the rest of the group drowned out as he stared at the piece of jewelry, an overwhelming, yet indescribable feeling washing over him. He'd known about her betrothal for ages, but hearing her talk about it, especially in such a lighthearted way, made him sick to his stomach. There was a time, not so long ago, when he had thought that ring was perfect for her, when he had been excited for her. But everything had changed since then.

Somewhere along the way, he’d fallen for her, and every day, he became all too aware that, if they won this war, if they defeated the First Order, he would lose her. He glanced back up at her face, her smile shining brighter than the twin suns on Tatooine and he felt disgust...no, grief. He felt like he was going to be sick. Without another word, he stormed off, heading to his quarters. The mood immediately soured, everyone silently staring after him as he left. "I'll...I'm gonna go check on him," Cerria murmured. She quickly followed him down the hallway, watching as he entered his room. She sighed before knocking on the door.

She had barely knocked once before the door slid open. "What?" Poe snapped.

Cerria narrowed her eyes slightly at his tone and bit back her annoyance. "I just wanted to check on you," she said, "You left so suddenly. I got worried-"

"You're just going to leave," Poe interrupted.

Cerria frowned, at a loss for words. "What does it matter? That could be ages from now." She paused, an amused smile gracing her lips, "Or even never. For all I know, my ship could crash-"

"Don't say that," he nearly snarled. His tone sent a chill down Cerria's spine, not to mention the look on his face. The blaze in his dark eyes burned so strongly, Cerria momentarily believed she might burst into flames on the spot. He'd never looked at her that way before, and she hated it.

By this point, her patience had worn thin and she huffed, pushing past him to enter his room, slamming the button on the wall to close the door. "What the hell has gotten into you?"

"Excuse me?"

"Yeah, excuse you. I don't know where this attitude came from, but I'm sick of it," Cerria hissed. "What's going on with you?"

Poe desperately searched her expression for any sign of understanding. She had to know why he hated the idea of her leaving. Maker, at this point the whole galaxy had to know. But he saw nothing but confusion looking back at him. He sighed, shoulders slumping slightly. He couldn't believe how dumb he was being. Of course she didn't know, and even if she did, she probably didn't care. She was a princess, after all, and he held no title outside the Resistance. "Nothing," he said, "I...I'm just not ready for the team to go their separate ways." He smiled, though it didn't quite reach his eyes, hoping she believed him.

Cerria noticed his terrible attempt at a smile, but chose not to say anything. He clearly didn't want to share whatever was bothering him. Instead, she smiled sweetly. "You're such a softie," she laughed, patting his cheek. “You know I’ll visit you constantly. It’s not like we’ll never see each other again.” She shocked herself with how casually she managed to say those words, as though the idea of never seeing Poe again didn’t make her sick to her stomach.

It took every fiber of his being to resist the urge to lean into his touch. "I am." He paused before weakly joking, "You still want me as your flower girl?"

That earned a laugh from her, that bright, musical laugh that had been one of the many reasons he’d fallen for her. “Of course I do,” she beamed, her hand lingering on his cheek for just a moment too long. “There’s no one else I’d rather have.”

Her words nearly knocked the breath from his lungs. She had no idea of the effect she had on him. How, though she’d long since changed from her gown to more casual clothes and was covered in soot, she was still the most radiant being he’d ever seen. It was times like these when he nearly forgot that she was a princess engaged to someone else. He could nearly convince himself that they were two ordinary people, unburdened by position, by duty. If it were so simple, he would've told her how he felt the moment he realized. Even now, the words lingered at the tip of his tongue, threatening to spill at any moment.

But they didn't. “You should get some rest, he choked out, “It's been a long day for us both.” Her shoulders slumped, and for a split second, Poe thought or hoped it was out of disappointment that he was sending her away, but logic won out. She was tired. That was all it was.

“Right,” Cerria murmured. She reached up, caressing his cheek once more. “Goodnight, Poe. I'll see you in the morning.” She felt the fleeting urge to press her lips to his cheek, but she stepped back, squashing the thought before it had a chance to fully form. She stood there for a moment, waiting for him to say something. When she was met with silence, she took that as her cue, making her way out of Poe's room.

The door slid closed behind her, and she nearly flinched at the sound. She should've gone back to the caf, or even to her own quarters. but something kept her rooted to the spot. As she stood there, a thought entered her head. She knew it was terrible, but a part of her couldn't help but wish that he was jealous. She glanced down at her ring. Cerria had thought it to be beautiful once, but now she viewed it as a hunk of metal binding her to the obligations she never asked for. She twisted the piece of jewelry, imagining Poe's ring on her finger instead.

[the-sparkling--diamond]

everything to win - 17

poe dameron x black! female oc

word count: 1,144

Poe was awoken the next morning by a sharp knock at the door. His eyes fluttered open and he quickly registered that Cerria’s hand was still in his. His gaze traveled up her arm and to her face, unable to help the smile that came to his lips as he noticed how her cheek was squished against her pillow, her eyes still closed. “Hey,” he whispered, squeezing her hand, “Wake up. There’s someone at the door.”

Reluctantly, Cerria opened her eyes with a groan. “ ‘s too early.” As she went to snuggle back into her sheets, another knock sounded. She shot up with newfound energy, half-tripping and half-shoving him as she scrambled to the door. Poe stifled a laugh as he went back to his hiding spot from the prior day.

“Dad!” Cerria exclaimed as she opened her bedroom door.

“Starlight,” he beamed, pulling her into his signature bone-crushing hug. “Your mother told me you were here last night, but I wanted to let you sleep.” He pulled away, his hands coming up to hold her shoulders. Despite the smile on his face, there was a sadness in his eyes. “You aren’t going to stay long.” He didn’t bother to ask because he already knew the answer, his suspicions only being confirmed when he saw the way she averted her gaze. “Well,” he murmured, “Whatever you’re doing, you’re at least having fun, right? You’re happy?”

At first, Cerria wanted to say no. They were in the middle of a war after all, fighting for their lives every day. What could be fun or happy about that? Then her mind drifted to her new friends, Leia, Poe, and nodded almost instantly. Before, when all she had in her life was an impending marriage to a stranger, she wasn’t sure what she would have said, but here and now her answer was a resounding, “I am.”

Her father’s smile brightened in return. “Good. That’s all I want for you, starlight. Have your fun. Just don’t forget to visit every once in a while. Your old man misses you, you know?”

Cerria chuckled and nodded, “I know. I’ll be back soon.”

“Not soon enough,” he sighed.

Cerria’s gaze fell to the floor. He was right. She had no clue when she’d be able to return home, or if-...she didn’t dare to let her thoughts venture that far. “I’ll try to be back as soon as I can,” she finally murmured.

“Good. Good. That’s all I ask.” He was quiet for a moment before nodding to himself, “Well, I’ll leave you to it. We’re always here if you need us.” He patted her cheek before leaving, letting the door close behind him.

Poe slipped out of his hiding spot, “Are you-”

“Get dressed,” she interrupted. There was no time to feel vulnerable, even as guilt began to creep into her system. “We don’t have time to waste. The sooner we leave, the sooner we can get our friends back.”

The sudden wall that she’d put up caused him to falter. He wasn’t too surprised, though, considering how she had done the same thing the day prior. He had just hoped she’d let him in, especially after the conversation, the moment , they’d had last night. Poe wouldn’t pry, though. She was right. They had a mission to complete

Poe pulled on the outfit she had given him the day before, just finishing when the fresher door opened. Out walked Cerria in a shimmering periwinkle gown. Her curls were pinned out of her face, showing off her makeup, as the rest of her hair cascaded elegantly down her back. She held a large gold necklace, similar to the one he had seen her wear the last time she’d come back from Corellia. She held it out to him, asking, “Can you help me?”

She turned her back to him once he took the necklace, sweeping her curls away from her neck. As he slipped the cuff around her neck, his fingers delicately brushed the soft skin of her neck. She bit back a gasp, feeling goosebumps prickle her skin. His fingers lingered there for half a second too long to be accidental before he finally fastened the closure of the necklace.

“There,” he stepped around to face her. The look in her dark eyes was unreadable and breathtaking. “Stunning as always, princess.”

A quiet voice in Cerria’s head told her to stay there with him, to ignore the mission, to feel his hands on her once more. She smiled in thanks, before murmuring, “We should get going. We can’t afford to waste any more time.”

The port was crawling with First Order officers. Cerria had never felt so watched in her life. She tried to maintain a calm facade, silently praying that her anxiety was not as obvious to them as it was to her. Poe, meanwhile, looked every bit his usual confident self.

"Can you look less like...you?"

"What does that even mean?" Poe scoffed.

Cerria stopped in her tracks and quickly reached up, running her fingers through his hair to push it back. All the while, she muttered, “Unfortunately for us, you have one of the most recognizable faces in the galaxy-”

“Is that your way of saying I'm handsome?” he grinned.

Cerria's cheeks burned. “No, it's my way of saying you're the poster boy of the Resistance. I don’t doubt that all of the First Order knows your face.”

As if on cue, a First Order officer approached them. “Do you have authorization to be here?”

Cerria subtly pushed Poe behind her as she straightened her posture. They didn’t have the authorization, and there was no way she could go to her parents to get it. Out of options, she turned up her nose and scowled. “How dare you speak to me like that,” she scoffed, “Don’t you know who I am?”

“Well, yes, but-”

“But? I don’t think my father would be too pleased to hear about him. Maybe I should go fetch him, see what he thinks,” she threatened, taking a step forward.

The man’s eyes widened and he thought her words over. “My apologies, Princess,” he finally said, “You can go. Let’s just… keep this between us, yes?”

Cerria concealed her relief with an exaggerated eye roll. “I’ll think about it. Now, move. I have places to be.”

The moment he stepped out of the way, Cerria booked it to a U-Wing, Poe trailing close behind her. He tossed the bag they’d packed with clothes and food to the side before slipping into the pilot’s seat. Cerria sat in the seat next to his, still trying to calm her racing heart. Between her newfound improvisational skills and the odd feelings she’d had towards Poe earlier that morning, it was a wonder that she even heard him as he announced, “Next stop: Ikkrukk.”

[the-sparkling--diamond]

everything to win - 16

poe dameron x black! female oc

warnings: n/a

word count: 1,475

Poe looked around the bedroom in stunned silence. “You gave this up for the Resistance? You really are dedicated to the cause,” he murmured. He wasn’t serious, of course. He’d do the same thing after all. But it was difficult not to compare her two lives.

Cerria laughed softly, replying, “I’m glad you like it.” She handed him a folded pile of clothes, “I found these for you to wear. The fresher is that door right there. There’s a shower and-” A knock at her door cut her off. Her eyes widened with panic and she shoved Poe away, “Hide! Go!” Poe stumbled back before scrambling to the fresher. He managed to make it in and close the door a split second before Cerria’s bedroom door opened.

“Starlight, darling, is that you?”

Cerria quickly turned at the sound of her mother’s voice. The gash on her head was mostly healed due to the bacta spray Poe had put on it when he had patched her up, but just in case, she shook some of her curls in front to conceal it.

“Oh, dear,” her mother frowned, taking in her appearance, “What have you gotten yourself into? You’re all covered in dirt and soot…and is that-”

“I’m fine, Mama,” Cerria assured her.

Her mother licked her thumb and began to wipe at a spot on Cerria’s cheek. “I swear you try to find new ways to give me a heart attack every day,” she muttered.

“Mom,” she whined, trying to pull away. “I’m fine! I’m gonna hop in the shower in a bit!”

Poe could hear their conversation perfectly from his hiding spot in the fresher, their words an exact copy of the lectures his mother used to give him as a child. He absentmindedly fiddled with the ring on his necklace. He’d been just as annoyed with the lectures then as Cerria was now, but he couldn’t help but wish he could get one more.

Her mother sighed and pulled away. “You know I worry, starlight. Especially with you being so mysterious. If you ever wanted to talk about it…”

“I know…but I can’t. Not yet,” Cerria murmured. She felt terrible keeping so many secrets from her family, including the one currently hiding in her fresher, but she knew she had to.

Her mother was unsurprised. She hadn’t expected Cerria to open up. She knew her daughter too well for that, but there was a part of her that had hoped she might. “Well,” she forced a smile onto her face, “I do hope you’re staying for longer than last time. There’s been some changes since you’ve been gone. We’ve arranged a temporary agreement with the First Order-”

Cerria’s blood turned to ice. The planet seemed to shift on its axis and it took everything in her to appear unaffected. Somehow, she managed to choke out, “What…What kind of agreement?”

“They’re setting up temporary operations here. Val arranged it all. I’m surprised you didn’t see them when you arrived at the port.”

Rather than tell her mother that she had not gone through the port, and that her U-Wing was long gone, she played along, nodding, “Right. Yes. I was wondering what all that was about. You said Val arranged it?”

“Yes. It’s only temporary. Val thought they might be able to offer us protection now that the war is ramping up.” her mother explained, though it was clear she was holding something back.

Since she’d joined the Resistance, it had been easy to separate her home there and her home on Corellia. But now the war had reached her home. She felt sick to her stomach at the thought, no, reality of First Order officers infesting her planet. “I didn’t know Val was allowed to make political decisions now,” Cerria muttered.

“Cerria-”

“I’m gonna take a shower and get to bed,” Cerria interrupted. She could feel her hands beginning to tremble, her throat beginning to tighten. “It’s been a long day. I’ll talk to you in the morning?”

Disappointment flashed across her mother's face, disappearing just as soon as it appeared, replaced with a resigned smile. “Of course. Get some sleep. You need it.” She reached up, gently touching Cerria’s cheek, before leaving her room.

The moment the bedroom door closed, the fresher one flew open. Poe stood frozen in the doorway, looking almost as shaken as she was. “Cerria, are you-”

“I’m going to go take a shower.” She didn’t spare him a glance as she rushed out of the room.

It wasn’t until an hour later that she returned, now wearing a white silk nightgown, her curls still slightly damp. She crawled into bed and began the usual search for her bonnet. However, she quickly became distracted by Poe lingering by the foot of her bed. She raised an eyebrow at him, “What are you doing?”

Poe glanced away awkwardly, “I was hoping I could get a pillow?”

“Yeah, there’s plenty on the bed. Come on.” She patted the bed before going back to searching for her bonnet. “Where is it? Every time…,” she muttered.

“You want me to sleep up there? With you?”

Cerria sat up, tilting her head in confusion. “What’s the big deal?”

She had a point. Truthfully, it shouldn’t have been that big of a deal. But Poe couldn’t bring himself to do it. “It’s fine, princess. I’ll just take a pillow and blanket and sleep on the floor.”

“I can’t ask you to do that. The bed’s much more comfortable. Are you s-”

“I’ll be just fine.” He smiled politely before grabbing a pillow from the massive pile, revealing a pink bonnet underneath. He held it out to her, murmuring, “Here.”

Cerria took it from him, pulling her curls into the satin garment and watching as he laid on the floor. He was quieter than usual, more reserved. His silence unsettled her even as she turned off the light. She knew she should just leave it and let him get his much-needed rest, but she couldn’t help but ask, “Are you alright?”

“Yeah,” he sighed. “It’s just…hearing you talk with you mom made me think of mine. She used to say the same things to me.”

“Is she…?” His silence was answer enough. “Oh, Poe. I’m so sorry.”

“She was a pilot in the Rebel Alliance. She used to put me in the cockpit with her and let me hold the controls,” he smiled softly at the memory. It had been a while since he’d opened up about his mother to anyone, but it seemed to come easily when he was around Cerria. His voice caught as he kept talking, “She was my best friend. I wanted to be just like her. I carry her wedding ring on my necklace, saving it for…it’s corny, but-”

“I think it’s beautiful,” Cerria whispered. “She’d be so proud of you, Poe.”

He could’ve cried at her words. He had no idea that such a simple sentence could mean so much to him. He blinked back the forming tears that threatened to fall, murmuring, “Thank you.”

“You don’t have to thank me. I’m just being honest.” The tenderness in her voice felt like a warm caress. His heart nearly burst out of his chest when she rolled over, looking down at where he lay on the floor next to her bed. She smiled softly, but it was enough to light up the whole room.

Poe forced himself to speak before he could get too lost in her dark gaze. “I heard what your mom said…about the First Order, about Val. I'm-”

“If you're about to apologize, don't,” Cerria interrupted. Her jaw was set as the memory flashed through her mind. She’d rather not think about the war reaching her planet, her people, her parents. “It’s all the more reason to win this war. That starts with us getting Black Squadron back.”

“You’re taking this better than most people would have.”

“Well, I have you.” She said it so simply, like she was discussing the time or the weather, though her words were anything but. She barely even registered that she had said them until she saw Poe’s eyes widen just a fraction. Her heart raced as he held her gaze, pounding so fast that she nearly wondered if he could hear it. Feeling brave, she reached down, her fingers brushing his.

He took her hand in his without hesitation. All plans of distancing himself from her until he could get over his feelings for her flew out the window. He should have never thought that goal was possible to begin with. He needed her and, though it was unbeknownst to him, she needed him just the same. He forced himself to ignore the way her touch made his heart stop, instead choosing to smile softly at her, murmuring, “We’ll be okay.”

[the-sparkling--diamond]

everything to win - 15

poe dameron x black! female oc

warnings: n/a

word count: 1,494

Cerria’s leg bounced as she stared at the hologram of Jessika’s face before them, currently being projected by BB-8. She nervously twisted her ring. Poe sat next to her with his head bowed, unable to bear the sight.

“This is Jessika Pava of the Resistance Black Squadron,” the figure spoke, “Current pilot designation Black Three. I’m flying an incom-freitek T-70 with astromech support from unit 6G-66, A.K.A. Sixer. Sixer is less than thrilled about that, but there’s no way I’m flying this mission without an onboard astromech. It’s just too important. We-”

“Pause playback, BB,” Poe interrupted. He kept his gaze down, looking more and more like he was going to be sick. “Threepio, please tell me I’m not listening to Jess’s last words here. If this ends in a fireball, I’m not sure I could take it.”

“Yes, Captain Dameron, of course. This recording was received by a Resistance communication node near First Order space and relayed onward to us. The message is incomplete and the relay node has since ceased to operate,” the droid said, and Cerria could practically feel the irritation radiating off of Poe. “We believe the First Order detected our comsat and destroyed it.”

Cerria frowned, “That’s not an answer. Is this good news or bad news?”

If a droid could sigh, Cerria was sure Threepio would've. “This transmission seems to be a flight log recorded by Jessika Pava during the mission assigned to Black Squadron by General Organa. The events she describes occurred simultaneously with the Resistance flight from D'Qar, the..ah…reduction in personnel suffered thereafter-”

Poe tensed. He could feel that shame and guilt creeping up on him once more. He quietly slipped his hand into Cerria's, desperate for the comfort her touch always provided. She squeezed his hand as C-3PO continued to speak.

“- and the battle of Crait. The log includes details pertinent to the survival of the Resistance and our strategic planning. General Organa requested that you - as one of our few remaining military commanders - view it but, as I mentioned-”

“It’s incomplete,” Poe finished with a sigh. “So I’m gonna watch this and it’s gonna cut off, and I’ll have no idea whether some of my closest friends in the galaxy are alive or not.”

“Yes, sir. I’m afraid so.”

Even though he knew it might destroy him, Poe nodded and pointed at BB-8, saying, “Play it, pal.”

Poe wasn’t sure how long they’d been watching the messages, but it would never be long enough. With the uncertainty of his friends’ fate, he wanted to hold on to the possibility that they were alive for as long as he could. Midway through the logs, Threepio took his leave, but Cerria remained by Poe’s side the whole time, a grounding presence he was endlessly grateful for. Throughout the logs, Jess’s appearance grew more battered and disheveled, constantly reminding Poe of the possible tragedy.

They were about to finish another log when Threepio entered with a shout, “Captain Dameron! Captain Dameron!”

Poe sighed, tearing his eyes away from the hologram before them, “Pause playback, BB. Let me guess, the First Order secretly built a second Starkiller and blew up ten more planets.”

“Oh, no, Captain. Nothing so dire. This is good news for a change.”

Cerria perked up at that, “What is it?”

“We’ve received a new message from your colleagues in Black Squadron, sent through a secondary relay node,” C-3PO replied happily, “It’s encrypted, and a bit garbled. I’m working to decode it, but it will take some time.”

Poe and Cerria shared a slight smile, relief washing over them. Their friends were alive.

“That’s fantastic! Thank you,” Poe said with a new bout of vigor, “Still gotta finish listening to this one, but that’s great news. BB, run it back a bit, then resume playback. It’ll be a lot easier to listen to this now that I know it doesn’t end in an explosion.”

They continued to watch the transmission as Threepio went off to decode the new message. Jess detailed the squadron’s mission to Ikkrukk, and how the city had been under attack from a First Order cruiser when they’d arrived, ending with her tale of crash landing to save herself.

“Is that all of them?” Cerria asked as the recording finished.

BB-8 beeped in reply, causing both her and Poe to sigh. “Okay, well, we know she made it through, because we’ve got that other message from her. We just need the decryption from-”

Right on cue, Threepio entered once more, holding the file, “I have it, Captain Dameron. Just finished.” He passed it over to BB-8. “I’m dreadfully sorry it took me so long. The original signal was really quite corrupted. I didn’t even take the time to listen to it. I was sure you’d want to hear about Black Squadron’s success as soon as possible.”

“Thanks, Threepio. I think we’re due for some good news.”

BB whirred as the projection flickered to life. Cerria screamed the moment it became visible, her hand flying to cover her mouth.

There, before them, was Jess’s bruised and bloodied face. The transmission kept cutting out, but one haunting statement was clear. “It’s all…it’s all gone wrong.”

“Oh no…Jess,” Poe gasped.

Cerria kept her hand clamped over her mouth, a sick feeling of dread turning her stomach. “Leia,” she finally managed, “We have to go to Leia, we have to save them.”

“No.”

“General Organa, please,” Poe nearly begged, “You have to let us save them.”

Leia stood, “Listen to me. The Resistance is pretty much the dozen or so people in this ship. We did some damage to the First Order, but they still have an immense military, and every passing moment strengthens their hold on the galaxy.”

“Exactly!” Cerria exclaimed, following close behind her as she walked over to a nearby table. “There’s strength in numbers and that’s what we need. All the more reason for us to go save them!“

“No, it’s all the more reason to be certain that every decision I make now is perfect.” Leia turned to face the two pilots, clearly weary from the recent events. “If I make one mistake, it’s all over. I want those pilots back just as much as you two do. They’ve been crucial to more missions than I can count. More importantly, they’re my friends. But they’re also professionals. Soldiers. They know the risks. Are they worth sending a rescue mission to Ikkrukk that could cost us the Millennium Falcon and everyone on it? I have to weigh four skilled pilots against the entire Resistance. I want them… but I have to decide if I need them.”

Cerria felt her upper lip twitch in annoyance. How could Leia say those things? Act like they might not be worth saving? She opened her mouth to bite back with a particularly snappy remark, but Poe quickly, and thankfully, interrupted before she could make that mistake. “There’s no decision to make, General,” he said, somehow managing to remain calm, “ Black Squadron is the Resistance. I know you need me to be more than just a fighter pilot. You want me to lead, and leadership means making the hard choices. I get it. But I am a pilot, and there's something we say to each other. One of the most important things. No one gets left behind.”

“Yes, Poe, you're a pilot, and I'm an old woman who has to rally the galaxy against impossible odds. For the third time,” Leia stressed. She had spent the majority of her life fighting, and it showed. She was weary, tired of having to make the hard choices.

“General, this is how you do it,” Poe argued. “You think the First Order would go rescue four pilots? Hell no. And that’s everything the Resistance stands for.”

Cerria, who had finally managed to calm down, agreed, adding, “He’s right. We have to show everyone who we are. No one gets left behind with us.”

Leia sighed, “You can’t take the Falcon. You’d have to find another way.”

Poe visibly deflated. There weren’t a whole lot of options. Out of the corner of her eye, however, Cerria caught a glimpse of a map. She rushed over, analyzing it. “Where are we headed?” she asked.

“Ajan Kloss,” Leia replied, “What-”

Cerria grinned, turning back to face the two of them. “Corellia is on the way! You drop Poe and I there, we can find a ship easy. I take ships all the time. No one will suspect a thing.”

There was a palpable silence as Leia glanced between the two, considering. Finally, she nodded, “You have my authorization.” She looked at Poe, “Commander Dameron, I trust you’ll make the right decisions.”

Poe nearly gasped when he heard his former title leave her mouth. “Commander?” he whispered, hoping it wasn’t just a slip of the tongue.

“Commander,” she confirmed, much to his relief. “May the Force be with you both.”

[the-sparkling--diamond]

if there's a prize for rotten judgement, i guess i've already won that - 8

mel medarda x jayce talis

hercules au

A/N: we've reached the final chapter!! this is the first multichapter fic i've finished and i'm kind of proud! thank you to everyone who's been reading and commenting and such <3 i hope you enjoy the final chapter :)

word count: 1,067

Jayce’s mind ran wild as he trudged back to the ruins of the temple, the other half of his own soul in his arms. Had he truly successfully retrieved his love from the Underworld? Had Ambessa let him walk out without a fight? Had he survived a swim in one of the rivers of the Underworld? Those paled in comparison to the question that had plagued his mind since the moment he stepped out of the river: would this even work? Those questions had certain, definitive answers, even if he was still in disbelief that he had actually achieved what he had. The other one…nothing he did would matter if it didn’t work.

He stopped in his tracks as the forms of Mel and Viktor came into view. His hands began to tremble and his breathing quickened. He shook the fear away as quickly as it came. He had achieved feats that had previously seemed impossible. He wouldn’t allow his mind to defeat him now.

Viktor’s head turned as Jayce approached, and his eyes widened when he saw what the other man had in his arms. “You did it,” he whispered, awed. “And Ambessa?”

“Let us go,” Jayce replied. His eyes fell to Mel. She was so still, so ashen. He nearly wanted to turn away so he didn’t have to see, but he forced himself to stay present. He dropped to one knee, lowering his arms and watching as her soul returned to its rightful home. For a moment, nothing happened. Jayce felt the grief begin to envelop him, threatening to drag him down. But then, like the sun coming out through the clouds, his despair was burned away as he watched the warmth return to her skin. Her gilded jade eyes met his and he couldn’t help but gasp. He’d looked into those eyes countless times and yet each time rendered him just as breathless as the first. He tentatively reached out to touch her face, worried that, if he moved too fast or if his touch wasn’t gentle enough, the miracle would vanish like a mirage.

A shuddering breath left his lips as his fingertips grazed her cheek. Her warmth spread through him like a fire. “It’s you,” he murmured.

And then she smiled. It was small and tired, but it was as glorious as the heavens. Jayce had walked to hell and back, and he would do it a million more times if it meant he could see that smile just once more.

“It’s me,” she whispered.

Her words were music to his ears. His breath caught in his chest and he couldn’t help the tears that began to form. The weight on his shoulders vanished, relief flooding his system. She was really, truly here with him. He half-laughed, half-sobbed as he cradled her face in his hands like she was the most precious jewel. To him, she was.. She was his whole world.

Mel slid a hand up to rest on his, using her other to wipe his tears away. Her mind worked overtime, trying to piece everything together. She was so sure she had everything figured out. She’d hurt him, saved him, confessed her unrequited love for him before she… Her brows knit together in confusion as she struggled to find the words, “How did…why-?”

“People do crazy things when they’re in love.”

With that phrase, the floor felt as though it had been ripped out from beneath her. But she didn’t feel that plummeting feeling of devastation and disappointment that she had so grown used to. No, she felt like she was flying. He loved her. Truly loved her. “Love,” she echoed. Such a small word and yet it meant everything to her. It didn’t make sense. “After everything, you-”

“Mel, I love you,” he said, voice firm and honest. “I loved you then and I love you now. As long as the sun rises, as long as the waves crash on the shore I will love you. I could relive these past few days over and over again and I would fall in love with you every single time.”

“But I hurt you,” Mel whispered.

His thumb gently caressed her cheek as he smiled at her, “Mel, you could never hurt me. When you were…when you…” He paused, taking a steadying breath. He still couldn’t bring himself to say the words. “I felt like my soul had been ripped from my body, like…like the air had been stolen from my lungs. I went to the ends of the earth to bring you back and I would do it again and again to keep you here by my side.” He gently tilted her head up, locking eyes with her. He wanted to be sure that she understood every word he said was the honest truth, “I love you, Mel Medarda. You are the strongest, smartest, most compassionate person I have ever known. You see me as more than the Golden Boy that everyone worships. You-you make me feel like anything is possible. How could I not love you?”

She searched his expression for any sign of doubt or hesitancy but found none, only the devotion of a man who would tear the world in two for her. Not only did he love her, but he chose her. He had seen her flaws, seen her at her worst, and still chose to love her with all his heart. They had forged a bond so strong, not even the gods could break them apart. Her heart fluttered and a smile graced her lips as she said, “I love you too.”

Jayce positively beamed at the words. “Say it again,” he urged.

“I love you.”

“One more time?”

Mel laughed, but she was happy to indulge his requests. “I love you,” she repeated once more.

He leaned forward and closed the small gap between them, capturing her lips in a sweet kiss. After a moment, he pulled away, resting his forehead against hers. “Do you believe me now, or do I still need to prove my love to you? Because I will. I’d change the tides if you asked. I’ll rearrange the heavens. I could pull a star down from the sky if you wanted.”

Mel laughed again, and Jayce quickly decided that it was his favorite sound in the world. “I don’t need any of that,” she murmured, “I just need you.”

[the-sparkling--diamond]

everything to win - 14

poe dameron x black! female oc

warnings: none for this chapter!!

word count: 1,997

The Millennium Falcon was packed to the brim, a sight that was both comforting and devastating in a way. They were lucky to have this many fighters, but their numbers were miniscule compared to what they once had...compared to the First Order.

Cerria looked up as Poe placed a few cups on the sabacc table. "I come bearing drinks," he announced proudly, pushing cups to everyone at the booth.

She took the drink, wrinkling her nose as she examined the yellow orange liquid. "Do I wanna know what this is?"

"Probably not," Finn answered.

Poe laughed loudly as he slid into the booth next to Cerria. "Oh, please. It's not that bad."

"Right," Rey said dryly, "It's only been sitting on the Falcon for Maker knows how long."

"Let's hope it tastes better aged," Finn smiled, taking a sip. He coughed, his face contorting. "Forget what I just said." Cerria reached across the table to squeeze his hand, a pitying smile on her face as Poe and Rey laughed.

"You know, Rey, if things had gone a little differently, we'd have met a long time ago. Probably been sitting right here, long while back. All of us headed to bring that Jedi map back to Leia," Poe said wistfully.

Rey shrugged, "If there's one thing I'm beginning to learn, it's that you can't dwell on changing the past. Concentrate on the present, focus on what you have." There was an air of bitterness to her words, underlying pain bleeding through.

“Oh, I know. Just…could’ve avoided a lot of heartache, you know? Considering everything we went through, it’s hard not to think about different paths,” Poe explained.

Cerria nodded in agreement, “If I hadn’t found Poe, I’d be married right now.” As Rey and Cerria laughed, Finn didn’t miss the way Poe’s jaw clenched.

In a desperate attempt to change the topic before Poe shattered a tooth, Finn blurted, “If we'd all met Rey together, it would've kept me from getting a beatdown. Almost knocked my head clean off.”

Rey's cheeks flushed in embarrassment, but she was quick to defend herself. “I thought you were a thief! BB said you'd stolen that jacket from his master. What was I supposed to do? Not hit you with my staff?”

The little orange droid trilled in agreement, sparking laughs from Poe and Cerria, and a scoff from Finn. “Oh, come on! It was either the stormtrooper armor or the jacket, and anyway, I thought Poe was dead!”

“Dead? Come on. I've walked away from tons of crashes,” Poe said proudly, adding, “Takes more than that to knock me down.”

Cerria wrinkled her nose in disagreement, “If I remember correctly, you didn't walk away. I dragged you back to my ship.”

“Details, details,” Poe waved his hand dismissively, flashing her one of his signature dazzling smiles.

Rey couldn't resist the opportunity to mess with him. “So, you're the best pilot in the galaxy, and you crash all the time?” she asked.

“There were extenuating circumstances,” he clarified.

“Every time?”

“Every time.”

“I've been flying for…about my whole life and I've never crashed,” Cerria pointed out with a shrug.

Rey nodded, chiming in, “Me neither, now that I think about it.”

“Didn't you-,” Poe punctuated the word with a tug on one of Cerria's curls, “-crash earlier today?”

She couldn't help the giggle that escaped her lips, or the way his smile drew her in. “Extenuating circumstances or whatever you said,” she teased, leaning a bit closer.

“Oh, I'm sure,” he murmured.

Rey glanced over at Finn, who wore a very similar expression to her own.

He let a beat pass, but quickly realized that they'd continue making heart eyes at each other if he didn't put a stop to it. Finn hummed with a false air of thoughtfulness. “You know, maybe Cerria and Rey are actually the best pilots in the galaxy.”

Poe scoffed, laughing slightly, “Okay, let me just say that me and you might have crashed, but we both walked away, and that doesn't happen without some pretty fine flying.”

“Dragged,” Cerria murmured into her cup.

“You are so-”

“So, how did you get back to the Resistance?” Rey quickly interrupted.

Finn nodded in agreement, “You never told us the full story.”

Poe thought for a moment before nudging Cerria with his shoulder. “Go on then,” he urged, “You tell it since you're so hellbent on correcting me.”

With a playful roll of her eyes, Cerria began the tale. “I was taking a flight for fun. You know, the less time in the palace, the less time my mother can talk about my wedding.”

“Palace?”

“She's a princess.”

“Oh! What?”

“Anyway,” Cerria continued, “I saw-”

“ -a ruggedly handsome man who was also a stellar pilot.”

“I was going to say I thought I saw a dead guy,” she huffed. After shooting Poe a look, she continued the story, “I put him on my ship and gave him water when he woke up. And then, even though I was so kind and caring to him, he acted so suspicious of me anyway.” She paused then. Poe's expression had briefly, barely changed, his smile momentarily faltering. It wasn't much, but it was enough for Cerria to realize something was up. She quickly changed her tone, “But in all fairness, I would probably also be a little wary if I woke up in a stranger's ship, so I let him fly the ship back to the Resistance base.”

Rey’s eyes widened and a quiet laugh escaped her, “You're crazy. You trusted him just like that?”

Cerria took a moment to glance at Poe, taking in his features. Maybe she had no self-preservation skills, but even from the moment they’d first met, she’d felt safe with him. “Yeah,” she nodded, finally tearing her eyes away from the man next to her, “I just got a vibe, I guess.”

Poe willed his heart to beat once more as she kept talking. It was becoming increasingly obvious that his plan of ignoring his feelings for her was never going to work. She had his heart in her hands, whether she knew it or not.

“-and after that fight on Takodana, I couldn’t just leave. Something…shifted.” Cerria sighed, shaking her head, “I don’t know. I’m probably not making any sense.”

“No,” Poe was quick to reassure her, “It makes perfect sense. The battle on Takodana…that was something else. It was the first time we'd really gone up against the First Order. I mean, I've shot down TIEs before. I have this special missions group, Black Squadron, and we'd had some tangles. But that day…we were out in the open where everyone could see.” A wistful smile grew on his face as he reminisced, even though it had only been a handful of days ago, “Everyone at Maz’s castle, watching the Resistance protect them from those First Order goons. It gave us all this energy. I took down nine TIEs in one run. Nine. And a bunch of ground targets too. It felt amazing. Like I was really tapping into something.”

“That almost sounds like the Force,” Rey mused.

Finn furrowed his brows, looking between this two, “Wait. Is that how the Force works? Because I've got some conflicting reports on that.”

“I can't think about the Force for too long. Makes my head hurt,” Cerria muttered, rubbing her temples.

“Well, I definitely don't have the Force,” Poe said, “I mean, I grew up with this tree…you know what, nevermind.”

A familiar voice startled the group.

“Of course you have the Force, Poe,” Leia chuckled, “We all do. It's life's music. The song we make.”

Cerria groaned softly, “And now my head is hurting.”

Leia paid no mind to her comment. “I'm glad you all are getting to know each other. We need to know each other as well as we can. We're all we've got left.”

She took in the group before her. How they reminded her of her and her friends in the early days of the Rebellion. A handful of pilots, a Jedi, a princess, a group of people who just wanted to help the galaxy. They'd fought for years so no one would ever have to fight again, yet here she was once more. Her heart ached. “I'm going to go rest,” she announced, wanting to leave before she got too emotional, “I'm still not a hundred percent. But, soon, Captain Dameron, you and I need to have a conversation.”

The reminder of his new, lower title stung, but he didn't let it show. “Of course. Whenever you want, General.”

Finn stood as Leia left, taking that as his cue to leave as well, “I'm going to go too. Gonna check on Rose, see how she's doing.”

The trio sat in silence for several moments after Finn took his leave until Poe spoke up, “Great guy, Finn. He saved my life.”

“Mine too,” Rey was quick to agree, “He’s special.” Another beat passed before she asked, “Speaking of Takodana, do you know what happened to Maz? Is she…alright? She was kind to me. Gave me some good advice.”

“Yeah, she’s fine,” Poe took a drink from his cup, “We talked to her. She’s out in the galaxy, doing her own thing. Didn’t even seem too bothered.”

“Makes sense, though,” Cerria shrugged, “You don’t live as long as she has without getting a few castles blown up.”

“I must have just missed you two.” Rey sighed, shaking her head, “I missed a lot. Starkiller Base firing. The destruction of the Hosnian System. By the time you landed after the battle, I was already being tortured by Kylo Ren on his ship.”

Poe shot to his feet in excitement, ”He did that to me too! How about that! Torture buddies!”

“Okay…yeah. Torture buddies!”

Cerria nearly spit out the drink she’d just taken, partially due to the disgusting taste, partially due to the shock at the new information. She maintained a poker face, however, deciding that now wasn’t the time for questions. Figuring she should give them some time alone, she said, “I’m gonna go check on Finn and Rose…see how everything is.”

“I’ll go with you.” Poe slid out from the booth before turning and offering his hand to Cerria.

Though she was shocked by his immediate decision to join her, she took his hand without hesitation and bid a quick goodbye to Rey. He kept her hand in his as they walked, a gesture that made her feel warm inside. Ever since she had returned from Corellia, she’d found herself seeking out his touch more and more, though she couldn’t quite explain why.

“Excuse my interrupting-”

Poe groaned at the familiar, aggravating voice. Cerria did her best to restrain herself, but couldn’t help but snicker.

“What is it, Threepio?” Poe sighed.

The gold droid stepped around them, coming to stand before them. “I thought you would want to know that one of our relay stations just beamed in a transmission from your colleagues in Black Squadron.”

Poe’s annoyance dissipated, quickly being replaced with relief. He nudged Cerria with his shoulder, “Look at that. We’ll all be back together again.”

However, before she could respond, C-3PO continued. “Sir, far be it from me to temper your excitement, but…well…” He paused, struggling to find the words.

“What? What is it, Threepio? Spit it out,” Poe all but snapped. His annoyance with the droid had returned and was only increased by his newfound anxiety at whatever Threepio had to say. He briefly squeezed Cerria’s hand, feeling a bit more grounded when she immediately squeezed his right back.

He pulled out the drive that held the transmission, holding it out to Poe. Even though his facial expression never changed, Cerria could have sworn she saw a pitying look in his bright eyes. The droid’s voice was soft as he managed, “Perhaps you should just listen to the message. It’s not exactly what you would call good news.”

[the-sparkling--diamond]

if there's a prize for rotten judgement, i guess i've already won that - 7

mel medarda x jayce talis

hercules au

warnings: LOTS of talk of death. greek mythology inaccuracies (ik greek mythology really well guys!!! the movie is just very inaccurate so it's inaccurate here pls forgive me)

word count: 2,232

The wind whistled in Jayce’s ears as his pegasus soared through the air. The battle had been swift. He had fought with all his might, determined to make it back to Mel as quickly as possible. He hadn’t even confronted Ambessa before she and her undead army retreated. The sudden withdrawal of troops made him feel uneasy, but he pushed the gut feeling down. That was a problem that could wait for a later time. Right now, all he wanted to do - no - all he needed to do was be by Mel’s side and find a way to help her. She called to him like a siren song and he didn’t want to do anything but answer. The temple came into view and his heart began to race. He willed the winged steed to go faster, not wanting to spend another moment away from her.

The moment they reached the ground, Jayce leapt off the back of the winged horse and broke into a sprint. Everything would be alright. He was going to help her like he helped everyone, be the hero she once said he was. He finally took in the sight before him, stopping in his tracks. Mel was still lying on the ground, but Viktor was slouched in his seat, his forehead resting against their joined hands.

In an instant, Jayce felt as though the air had been sucked out of his lungs. “No,” he whispered. Viktor was simply comforting her, that’s all. He took a hesitant step forward, murmuring, “Viktor?”

Viktor visibly stiffened before slowly turning to face Jayce. One look. That was all it took to nearly send Jayce to his knees. “No,” he choked out, feet moving their own accord to take him to her side. That beautiful, ethereal glow she always seemed to have was gone. Her deep brown skin was now ashen and dull. He hadn’t made it in time. He didn’t save her. He failed. His knees buckled. A choked sob burst from his lips as his vision blurred with tears. He reached out, delicately tracing her face with his fingertips as if she was made of the finest porcelain. How could Mel, his Mel, be gone? Guilt, remorse, grief all clawed at his chest, threatening to suffocate him in his sorrow. Viktor was speaking but Jayce couldn’t find it in him to listen. The world around him faded away as he grappled with what had happened. He had battled many fearsome monsters and survived many fights that would have killed any normal man, but there was still one foe he could never defeat: fate.

Time could not be rewound, the thread could not be uncut. He had never felt so helpless before. There was nothing he could do. It struck him then. There was nothing he could do, yes, but there was someone… The idea was mad, he was well aware of that but it would haunt him if he didn’t at least try.

Viktor noticed the knit in Jayce’s brow. He’d known Jayce for ages. The two were practically brothers. He immediately knew what the other man was thinking. “Jayce, no,” he sighed.

“I have to-”

“There are just some things you can’t change!” Viktor hadn’t meant to snap at Jayce, but he couldn’t stand to lose anyone else. He took a calming breath, murmuring, “I’m sorry.”

“Yes,” Jayce said, undeterred by Viktor’s slight outburst, “I can.”

For ages, it was believed that the only way to reach the Underworld was by dying. However, Jayce had heard of a man who, in an effort to save his wife, found another way in. For so long, he had thought the story to be a myth, but now, as he stood in the Underworld himself, he could no longer deny it.

Chills ran down his spine as he walked with his hammer clutched tightly in hand. The unmistakable scent of death invaded his senses. A distant barking made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. Every atom in his body was screaming at him to turn back, reminding him that he wasn’t supposed to be there, but he didn’t care. He had to save Mel. He reached a cliff overlooking a river. He hesitantly began to walk out onto the ledge, curious to see what lay below, but before he could see, a familiar voice sounded behind him.

“Well. You’ve come back for more?”

He raised his hammer, turning to see Ambessa. Even though it had been a short time since the battle, she looked vastly different. Her hair was loose instead of pulled back into the braids it had previously been in, her gold mask and armor were gone, and she held an unreadable expression on her face. Even her voice was different. It lacked the confidence, the strength he had become accustomed with, instead sounding hollow, nearly numb. He stood tall, pushing his shoulders back as he announced, “I’m here for Mel.”

Ambessa narrowed her eyes, “And what exactly are you planning to do, Mr. Talis?”

Jayce forced himself to stay calm under her scrutinizing gaze. He wouldn’t be intimidated, not when he had come so far. “I’m going to bring her back,” he said, “I’m going to make things right.”

“Bring her back?” The goddess scoffed. “You can’t be serious.”

“I am-”

“That isn’t how this works, Jayce,” Ambessa said, beginning to circle him. “People are born, they live, and then they die and come here.” She refused to look him in the eye, refused to let him see the pain that talking about death, Mel’s death, so dismissively caused her.

“So that’s just it then?” Disgust rose in him, rage even. The words slipped out before he could really think about them. “You’re just going to let her die? You’re an almighty goddess. The Underworld, the dead, is your domain and you’re just going to do nothing?” He knew he was playing a dangerous game scolding a powerful goddess, but he couldn’t help it. Her lack of care regarding her own daughter’s death infuriated him. How could it be possible that he was more determined to save Mel than her own mother when he’d only known her for a handful of days? “Do you know how many people would bring their loved ones back if they had the power, and you have it and you’re not going to use it? Do you even care? What kind of mother are you?”

Ambessa charged at him, nearly backing him over the edge of the cliff. “How dare you. My children meant the world to me. You have no idea the sacrifices I made to keep them safe. Everything I did was for them.” Though she wasn’t that much taller than Jayce, he felt as though she was towering over him. She leaned closer, hissing, “You have no idea what it’s like to have your child taken from you when you have spent their entire existence trying to ensure their safety and protection. I kept Mel by my side after that. I worked to strengthen myself so that none could ever harm us again. But then you came along.” She spat the word like it was a curse, her disdain for him clear. “You weakened her just as she weakened me.” She took another step towards Jayce, momentarily causing his footing to falter. “You stand here before me, casting judgment,” she snarled, “but you have no idea what it is like to have your child ripped from you and be powerless to stop it.”

She took a step back, practically sneering at him as she spoke, “Now go, before I change my mind.” How she longed to be alone with her grief, her guilt. She felt as though her heart had been carved out of her chest, leaving an aching, gaping wound behind. She had always known Mel had been soft, but she never thought her softness would lead to this. Or maybe she had known all along and was simply in denial. The children of gods often met terrible fates. She was a fool to think hers would be any exception.

It wasn’t often that a mortal was granted benevolence from a deity, especially one they had already angered so tremendously. It was even rarer for a mortal to not immediately accept the kindness they'd been given. Jayce knew this. He knew how lucky he was to be permitted to leave with his life. But he couldn't. His voice broke as he asked, “Where is she?”

Ambessa's jaw clenched as her irritation with the man grew. Her voice came out harsh as her patience continued to wear thin, “What do you care? You’ll move on soon enough.”

Jayce felt as though the breath had been knocked from his lungs. How could she say that? There was no world in which he could ever move on from Mel. He needed her like the Earth needed the sun. He withered without her. “Because I love her,” he breathed out. Love seemed too simple a word for how he felt about her. She had bewitched him from the moment he saw her. Their very souls had become intertwined. She was his everything. To be forced to live a life without her…he would rather be damned to Tartarus for eternity.

The look in Jayce’s eyes struck Ambessa’s heart. She had only seen that look once before in her immortal life, in a man much like Jayce. Strong and fierce, but kind. That was many years ago and she was a different woman then, but that look still caused her to stop in her tracks. He truly was in love with her. “She’s down there,” her voice came out softer than she expected as she gestured over the edge of the cliff.

Jayce dropped to his knees, peering into the river far below. The dark waters glowed white with the ghostly figures of the souls of those who had passed. His eyes searched the water until they finally landed on her. Mel. He turned to Ambessa once more, “I’m not going back alone. I came to take her home.”

“You can’t.”

Jayce stood, leaving his hammer on the ground as he steeled himself, “I will. Whether you like it or not.”

Ambessa laughed in disbelief. He was so sure of himself. “No one leaves the Underworld, Jayce Talis,” she scoffed, “You’ll die trying and join the rest of them.”

This didn’t faze Jayce. In fact, it only encouraged him more. “Fine,” he shrugged, “If I fail, I’m doomed to the Underworld, but if I succeed, we get to leave. Deal?”

It was a tempting deal to be sure. She’d be rid of his irritating presence for good. However, on the off chance he did succeed…she pushed the thought from her mind. He would fail and that was that. “Deal,” Ambessa agreed.

Jayce immediately dove into the river below headfirst. The water was colder than anything he'd ever felt before, chilling him to his bones. He had always considered himself a fairly adequate swimmer, but he felt like he was swimming for his life and going nowhere. Every kick took more and more strength from him, but he continued to push forward. He would either leave with Mel or not at all.

He nearly gasped when he caught a glimpse of the changes in his skin. His arm was wrinkled. Not pruney, like one might be after being in water for an extended time, but wrinkled, as though he'd suddenly aged thirty years. It was useless. He would die down there, just like Ambessa had said.

Then he saw her merely a few feet away from him. Like he’d been struck by one of Zeus’s own lightning bolts, he felt energized once more. His lungs burned from the lack of oxygen, his muscles ached and strained, but he knew it would all end once she was safe in his arms. Just a little…his hand closed around her wrist. The life immediately returned to his body, skin reverting to its youthful look, his usual strength restored. Wrapping his other arm around her waist, he frantically kicked towards the surface with his newfound energy.

As Jayce stood before her, alive, with Mel’s soul in his arms, a hundred different emotions crashed over Ambessa. Relief, disappointment, rage, joy, grief. She could go back on their deal right then and there. He was vulnerable, unguarded. His weapon was on the ground. She could easily push him back into the river and ensure that he did not escape this time.

But she didn’t.

She had worked so hard to ensure the wellbeing of her children, to the point where she would do anything to keep them safe. She had failed in her conquest of the world above: an attempt to grow her domain so that none would ever feel brave enough to harm her child. She had failed to defeat the mortal hero. She knew her actions would soon cause her to face the wrath of her divine brethren as she had failed to uphold their values. She would not fail her daughter again. Though it broke her heart to do so, she nodded at the man, murmuring, “Go.”

His gaze softened and he nodded back before taking his leave without a second glance, leaving his weapon and the shell of a defeated goddess behind him.

[the-sparkling--diamond]

everything to win - 13

poe dameron x black! female oc

warnings: canon typical violence

word count: 2,967

Growing up on Corellia, Cerria had flown her fair share of ships. Some big, some small, some old, some new. This was, by far, the shittiest ship she’d ever had the misfortune of piloting. But they would have to make do, at least until help arrived. Connix had sent out the distress signal to the Outer Rim a while ago. It was only a matter of time before their allies showed up. Maker, she hoped they showed up soon. Not only were they operating with a skeleton crew, but their ships were practically -no- literally falling apart. Looking at the several AT-ATs before them…it would take a miracle for them to make it out.

“Alright, listen up,” Poe’s voice sounded in her headset, “I don’t like these rust buckets and I don’t like our odds, but-” He cursed, and Cerria stifled a laugh. “Just keep it tight,” he continued, “and don’t get drawn in too close til they roll that cannon out front.”

Cerria silently prayed that this would work, that their allies would hear the call and join them, that a miracle would happen to change the tides, or, at the very least, they’d be able to escape with their lives.

“Alright, ground forces, lay down some fire!” Poe shouted.

Blaster bolts flew past her ship, uselessly hitting the giant combat walkers ahead of them. A multitude of TIE Fighters swarmed overhead. Cerria tried to remain hopeful, but she knew that, if it came to a firefight, their fleet of fourteen ancient ships wouldn’t stand a chance. Poe shouted the go-ahead to break off the formation. As Cerria took evasive maneuvers, she watched one of their ships be hit with a blast from a TIE.

Thirteen.

She veered to the left, narrowly avoiding a shot, but a pilot behind her wasn’t so lucky.

Twelve.

A panel broke off from the bottom of her ship and she cursed. She took a breath, reminding herself that it could’ve been worse. At least it wasn’t her steering mechanism or her weapons system. Out of her peripheral, she watched another sip get blown to bits.

Eleven.

“Come on! We gotta hold them till they pull up that cannon!” Poe yelled. It was clear that he was quickly losing faith as well. They were dropping like flies.

“You got three behind you, Rose!” Cerria shouted. Her heart raced as the other pilot desperately tried to shake the TIEs and she felt as though she’d had cold water poured on her when the woman yelled that she couldn’t shake them. Cerria veered to the side, hoping to find some way to take the attention of the TIEs and let Rose escape. She couldn’t take any more loss today. Before she could even begin to think of the best way to handle the enemy fighters, the trio were taken down by a singular green blast. Cerria glanced up, seeing the Millenium Falcon soaring overhead. A smile tugged at her lips as excited cheers flooded her headset. The Falcon would not mean an automatic victory against the First Order, but it would help them hold them off for just a bit longer, and that was all that mattered.

The TIEs turned their attention to the Falcon, leaving the battlefield to chase down the light freighter. Cerria found herself almost being grateful for the First Order’s hatred of that ship. But her relief was short-lived. The cannon had been wheeled out. It was a hulking behemoth of machinery.

“Our only shot is right down the throat,” Finn said. The cannon began to glow, emitting a low whirring sound. “The cannon is opening! This is our chance,’ he continued.

The AT-ATs began to fire on their fleet, if it was even large enough to be called that anymore.

Ten.

Nine.

Eight.

Seven.

They’d been cut down by half.

Six.

Five.

Finn’s voice came through the headset once more, “Alright, making my final approach. Target in sight. Guns are hot.”

“No!” Poe quickly cut in. “Pull off!”

“What?”

“The cannon is charged! It’s a suicide run!” Poe knew that, by ordering them to retreat, they’d be losing an opportunity to weaken the First Order, but he’d rather have Resistance troops alive than some great war story. He had to do what was best for everyone at that moment. If the Resistance lost all their pilots, they’d be done for. “All craft, pull away.”

“No! I’m almost there-”

Poe was quick to shut down Finn’s attempt at an argument, “Retreat, Finn! That’s an order.”

Cerria watched as Poe turned around, followed by Rose and the other pilot. She made to turn her own ship, but quickly noticed that Finn was still heading straight for the cannon. She slowed her speeder, hesitating to turn and join the retreat.

Rose was quick to notice as well. The anxiety in her voice was contagious as she spoke, “Finn? It’s too late. Don’t do this!”

“No!” Finn yelled. “ I won’t let them win!”

Rose’s pleas for Finn to listen to Poe went unanswered. Finn was going to sacrifice himself. Cerria’s mind jumped to Holdo and the gut-wrenching feeling she’d gotten when she saw what she had done. She wouldn’t let Finn do this. She pushed forward, speeding after him. The plan was simple: she would catch up to him and knock him out of harm’s way, and the two of them would make it back to the rest of the Resistance safely.

“Cerria!” Poe’s voice was nearly a scream, a strangled cry that shook Cerria.

She knew what he was thinking, that she was going to sacrifice herself just like Finn planned to. She was quick to reassure him, “It’s gonna be okay, Poe! I need you to trust-”

“Retreat! That’s a direct order from you commanding off-”

“I can do this!” She furrowed her brow, urging her speeder to go faster as she noticed the damage Finn’s ship was taking from the cannon’s beam, “I know what I’m doing. Just-”

“Just nothing! Cerria, I swear to the Maker-”

She was finally in line with Finn. She just hadn’t noticed that Rose had reached them first. Cerria gripped her controls, ready to steer her ship into his just to see the two ships hurtling towards her own.

A high pitched ringing filled Cerria’s ears as she came to. She quickly became aware of the warm, sticky feeling of blood on the side of her face. The smell of smoke was nearly suffocating. She fumbled to take off her safety harness before clambering out of the smoldering remains of the speeder. Her mind caught up with the situation the moment her feet touched the ground. Finn. The cannon. Her legs felt like jelly as she ran to the wreckage. “Finn!” she shouted, breathing a soft sigh of relief when she saw him standing. The relief was short lived, however, as Rose’s unconscious form came into view.

Finn hooked his arms under hers and lifted, grunting with the effort. Cerria rushed to his side, helping him pull Rose out. She hooked Rose’s arm over her shoulders once she was out, her other arm looped around Finn’s shoulders.

They had to make it back to the base. Rose urgently needed medical attention, and they needed to get to safety but there was no cover in sight. The moment they moved away from the crash site, they’d be shot down. But, if they stayed, they’d likely be killed as well. Cerria looked at Finn, “Can you carry her?”

His nerves, his fear, were clear on his face. He nodded, furrowing his brows, “I can, but-”

“Do it,” Cerria ordered. “If we both support her, it’ll only slow us down. Our chances are already slim, so we need to move as fast as we can.”

Finn nodded, hoisting Rose into his arms in a bridal carry. He took a shaky breath as he gazed out at the vast expanse ahead of them. Their chances were slim, but they needed to at least try. He tightened his hold on Rose. He refused to let her die out here.

“Ready?”

Cerria’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts. He wasn’t ready. He wouldn’t ever be ready. Despite his pounding heart, he nodded.

Cerria nodded back before taking off running. She ran faster than she ever had in her life. Her legs ached, her lungs burned, her head throbbed, but she kept going. She pushed herself to run even faster. They had already made it this far, they couldn’t be taken down now, not when they were so close.

Poe paced in the smoldering wreckage of the base, anxiously fiddling with his necklace. The cannon had gone off. The base was compromised. Finn, Rose, and Cerria…he tugged at his necklace once more. He should’ve tried harder to make them turn around. How could he have ever thought he was cut out to be a leader? Leia had been right about him. Hell, Holdo had been right.

“Med pack! I need a med pack!,” a voice cried out.

Poe froze, immediately recognizing the voice. He turned to see Finn stumbling through the wreckage of the industrial door with an unconscious Rose in his arms. The two were quickly surrounded by the medical team and taken away. That’s when he saw her. His feet moved faster than his brain, drawing him to her like a magnet. He wrapped Cerria in his embrace, the force of it nearly sending them both to the ground. She was alive and safe in his arms. After what was entirely too short a time, he pulled away and cradled her face in his hands. He winced at the blood coating her hairline and temple, “Your head…”

Cerria smiled weakly, learning into his touch. “It’s okay,” she assured him, “I’m okay.”

“I thought I lost you.” The admission slipped from his lips without a second thought as his thumb absentmindedly caressed her cheek. The brief period he had believed he had lost her was agony. They had known each other for such a short time, yet she had managed to make herself such a permanent fixture in his life. Even when she had gone back to Corellia, he felt as though she had taken a part of his heart with her. The realization hit him all at once, his eyes widening as his breath caught in his throat.

He jerked away from her as if she had burned him which, in a way, she had. She had seared herself onto his very soul. He wouldn’t - couldn’t - tell her that though. He was never one to shy away from romance, in fact, Poe had had romantic interests and partners before, but none of them were her. She was royalty. She had status, influence, and a reputation. She had a planet that she would soon lead. She was also betrothed to another. Her stunning ring was a constant reminder of that painful fact.

Cerria’s brows furrowed at the sudden movement, and she found herself mourning his warm touch. “Poe,” she asked, “are you alright?”

“Yeah…yeah, fine. Let’s get you to medical. We need to take a look at that cut on your head.” He began to lead the way, resisting the urge to take her hand like he had become accustomed to.

The sound of explosions outside stopped the two in their tracks. They pushed through the small crowd that had gathered near the opening in the door. Poe pulled out a pair of binoculars, taking in the scene. The sight made his stomach twist. “It’s Kylo Ren,” he announced mournfully. “Luke’s facing him alone.”

Finn started forward without hesitation, “Well, we should help him. Let’s go.”

Both Cerria and Poe reached to stop him, holding him back from going any further. Poe looked through his binoculars once more as Cerria shot Finn a look that clearly said, ‘Don’t even think about it.’

Poe kept his eyes on the two men. Why had Luke shown up? Why was he fighting Kylo Ren after being in hiding for so long? He lowered the binoculars, murmuring, “He’s doing this for a reason.” But what was the reason? Everyone knew Kylo hated Luke. He would stop at nothing to destroy him. It clicked then. Luke was there to keep Kylo occupied. “He’s stalling so we can escape,” he realized.

“Escape? He’s one man against an army,” Finn nearly scoffed. “We have to help him, we have to fight.”

“No, no. We are the spark that’ll light the fire that’ll burn the First Order down-”

“We can’t do that if we’re dead,” Cerria interrupted Poe, keeping her gaze locked on Finn.

Poe looked around, examining the base. “There has to be a way out of this mine. Hell, how did Luke get in here?”

“Sir,” C-3PO chimed in, “it is possible that a natural, unmapped opening exists. But this facility is such a maze of endless tunnels that the odds of finding an exit are 15,428-”

Poe's mind raced as he tried to figure out their escape plan, C-3PO's voice droning on in the background. He tried to shush the droid, quickly becoming annoyed when he didnt listen, “Hush. Shut up!”

“...to one,” the droid added.

If the circumstances hadn't been so dire, Cerria might have laughed.

“Listen,” Poe instructed.

The group was met with silence. Finn and Cerria shared a look of confusion, both unsure what they were supposed to be listening for.

Always having something to say, C-3PO piped up once more, “My audio sensors no longer detect the-”

“Exactly,” Poe interrupted. He took a few more steps, looking into the cavernous base.

Finn's eyes nearly lit up as he realized what Poe was implying. “Where'd the crystal critters go?”

Cerria had nearly forgotten about them in all the commotion of the last few hours. After a few more beats of silence, she heard one whimper and pointed at it, “There! In the tunnel!”

“Follow me,” Poe ordered. Cerria took a step forward but quickly stopped when no one else moved. She followed their gaze back to see Leia behind them.

“What are you looking at me for?” Leia asked. “Follow him.”

A weight that Poe hadn't realized was there suddenly lifted from his shoulders. Leia trusted him to lead again, trusted him to keep everyone safe. His head was held high as he began to lead the remaining troops through the base.

The tunnel was small and damp. With only a few flashlights to light the way ahead, the group was forced to stick even closer together in order to make it out. Poe's hand repeatedly brushed against Cerria's, each touch sending sparks shooting up his arm. He mentally scolded himself, forcing himself to stay focused. The path twisted and turned and gradually became wider and wider. Poe picked up the pace. They had to be close to the exit. He stopped dead in his tracks.

The exit was blocked by a mountain of rocks. They really were trapped. One of the crystal critters stared at them before wriggling through a small gap between a few of the rocks. Its easy escape only added salt to the wound. “No…no no no no no,” Poe whispered to himself.

Cerria rushed forward and began attempting to dig through the rocks with her hands. Poe quickly caught her around the waist, dragging her back to the group.

“I'm getting us out,” she protested.

“You're gonna hurt yourself,” he countered, his hands drifting to gently take hers, quickly checking them over for injury. Once he was certain she was fine, he turned his gaze back to the blockade of rocks. He tried to think of another way out, but came up empty. Sure, it was possible that there was another tunnel that led to an exit, but was it wise to waste time looking for something that might not exist?

The rocks shifted. Everyone watched in awe as they lifted and moved, forming an opening. On the other side stood a woman, her arm outstretched. Even she looked to be in disbelief at what she was doing. The group slowly started to make their way out of the cave, unable to stop gazing at the rocks that were suspended in midair. Cerria resisted the urge to reach up and touch one. She'd seen so many incredible things in her travels around the galaxy, but never had she seen someone use the Force. It was beautiful.

The rocks formed a path for Finn as he sprinted forward, embracing the woman with all his might. The rocks dropped to the ground, the sound echoing through the air. The remaining troops filed out of the tunnel as the two pulled apart.

“The Falcon is this way,” the woman said. She led them up a small hill to the ship. As Resistance fighters filed in, it was difficult to feel too celebratory. The target on their back had grown exponentially. With no allies and no base, they were vulnerable. But, they would survive another day. That alone was a victory.

Cerria couldn’t help but admire the inside of the ship as she walked through it. It was old, that was for sure, but it was beautiful. Clearly Corellian made. In all the times Leia and Han had visited Corellia in her youth, she had never gotten a chance to see the inside. Feeling a presence to her side, she murmured, “It’s beautiful.”

“Yeah,” Poe hummed, “she is.” He grinned and nudged her shoulder when she looked up at him, “Come on.” He led her over to the woman from earlier, “Hi. I’m Poe.”

“Rey,” she smiled.

The pieces clicked for Cerria then as she realized that Rey was the friend that Finn had been looking for before. “Cerria,” she greeted, “We’ve heard a lot about you.”

[the-sparkling--diamond]

if there's a prize for rotten judgement, i guess i've already won that - 6

mel medarda x jayce talis

hercules au

warnings: mentions of death and injury

word count: 1,078

For a moment, all Jayce could do was stare. The sound of screams blared through the air, but it wasn't until he felt the burning in his throat that he realized they were his own. His mind finally caught up with the situation. She’d sacrificed himself for him. He hadn’t even noticed the pillar had been falling. If he hadn’t moved…she was still under there. He had to get that pillar off of her. He rushed forward, bracing himself for the massive weight. A little voice in the back of his head taunted him, reminding him that he had no strength, that he’d never be able to get Mel out. The sight of her lying there, pinned helplessly beneath the giant hunk of marble, silenced the voice. He had to try. So, he lifted. The weight he had prepared himself for never came. The marble pillar was as light as a feather. He effortlessly lifted it over his head, tossing it into the empty streets. He glanced down at his arms. He didn’t feel any different, so how-

“The deal.” Mel. Always so sharp and perceptive. He couldn’t stand how pained her voice sounded. Jayce dropped to his knees at her side as she continued. “She promised…I wouldn’t be harmed. The deal-”

Jayce didn’t give a damn about the deal. He didn’t give a damn about the deal or the fact that, just minutes ago, he had been furious with her. He barely even gave a damn about the burning city behind him. All he cared about was her. He had always thought her to be like a ray of golden sun lighting his way. Warm, beautiful, luminous. How had it come to this? “Mel. Why? You didn't…you-”

Mel laughed, actually laughed. It was pained and raspy, but a laugh nevertheless. He couldn't understand how she could have the audacity to laugh when his world was crumbling before his eyes. “People do crazy things,” Mel breathed, a bittersweet smile tugging at her lips, “when they’re in love.”

Love. This wasn’t how it was supposed to happen. They should've been back in the garden, or in the marketplace, or even outside one of the theatres, her hand in his as she laughed a little too hard at one of his jokes. Anywhere but here. He could already feel the grief coursing through him. He should’ve said it back. He did love her. He loved her with his whole being, but in this moment words failed him. “I…Mel…”

Mel concealed her pain through a teasing jab, “Are you always…this…articulate?” She should have known he wouldn’t love her back. How could he? After everything she’d done, everything she’d caused.

Jayce moved to lift her in his arms, hoping to move her somewhere more comfortable, but was interrupted by someone clearing their throat. He looked up to see Viktor, a sorrowful expression on his face. The other man subtly shook his head and Jayce felt his heart plummet further. He knew what that meant. She was too delicate to move. The earth trembled again and Jayce could barely find it in him to care.

“Jayce…”

His eyes snapped to Mel’s. Her green eyes were pleading with him. He knew what she wanted, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. “No,” he breathed, shaking his head, “No, I can’t. You-”

“I’ll stay with her,” Viktor interrupted softly.

Jayce’s protest died on his lips. She’d be safe with Viktor. He would finish this fight and make it back to her by any means necessary. He moved a rock under her head before dragging over a rather large piece of debris for Viktor to sit on. Once he was sure they’d be somewhat comfortable while he was gone, he dropped to knees by her side once more. Leaning forward, he pressed his lips to her forehead in the gentlest of kisses, murmuring, “I’ll be back soon. Wait for me.” He got up, even as every cell in his body screamed at him to stay. He grabbed his hammer as he headed to his pegasus. He had to force himself to keep his eyes forward, knowing that, if he turned back, he would never leave her side.

Mel watched as the winged steed soared into the air, eyes trained on it until it was a distant speck in the sky. She bit her lip as the pain increased. Every nerve, every cell in her body felt like it had been set ablaze. Every breath was agony as she fought for oxygen to enter her lungs. Viktor gently took her hand in his, intertwining their fingers. The gesture nearly brought Mel to tears. “Viktor-,” she gasped.

He was quick to hush her. “Save your strength, Miss Medarda-”

“Mel. Please,” she managed. She wasn’t a Medarda anymore. Though, she likely hadn’t been one for quite some time.

Viktor nodded, “Mel. You have to save your energy.” He winced as she took in a rattling breath. He was no fool. He knew how dire the situation was, but if she could just hold on just a bit longer. He prayed for a miracle as logic begged him to live in reality.

Mel focused on the sky above to try to distract herself from the endless pain. The sky was a stunning inky pool adorned with twinkling stars, void of any cloud. She could feel her breaths becoming more labored. The fear that had been echoing in the back of her mind was pushed to the front as the truth became clear: she wasn’t going to make it.

For someone who had grown up around so much death, she had rarely thought what it would feel like when it finally reached her. Her mind drifted to Kino. Had he had the same thoughts? Felt the same way? She hoped he had as beautiful a view as she did. She’d be sure to ask him when she saw him again.

She turned her head to the side, catching a glimpse of her mother’s crest on the crumbling temple. She had always imagined her homecoming.How she would run to her mother and be wrapped up in her embrace like she had always been as a child. She supposed this wasn’t too far off.

She squeezed Viktor’s hand with her remaining strength, pleading weakly, “Tell Jayce…tell Jayce…I’m sorry.” She had tried her best to wait for him, she really had. Another broken promise. She hoped he could forgive her one last time.

[the-sparkling--diamond]

everything to win - 12

poe dameron x black! female oc

warnings: none for this chapter

word count: 1,396

Poe had been right. There were more Resistance members fed up with the way Holdo was running things. The plan was simple: Poe and Cerria would tell Holdo about Finn and Rose’s mission in the hopes it would change her mind, and if it didn’t…they’d just take matters into their own hands.

The evacuation had begun. Resistance troops were gradually filing into the room, waiting to be instructed to board the escape pods. “Stop! You have to stop!” Cerria shouted as she raced to Holdo, Poe trailing close behind.

“You again. I have an evacuation I’m trying to handle, I don’t need-”

“We can’t evacuate,” Cerria said, stopping in front of the Vice Admiral. She blinked a few times, momentarily shocked at how tall the woman was, before continuing, “Listen, Finn and Rose are on their way to the main Star Destroyer right now so they can shut down their tracker. Once they do that, we can jump to lightspeed and be safe from the First Order.”

“A stormtrooper and a who now are doing what?” Holdo scoffed.

Cerria’s face twisted in disgust, “A storm-”

“They are trying to save us,” Poe quickly cut her off. He didn’t like Holdo’s tone either, but they were running out of time. “This is our best chance for escape. You have to give Finn and Rose all the time that you can.”

Holdo’s eyes were wide with a mix of disbelief and fury. “You have bet the survival of the Resistance and put us all at risk.” She took a breath, resisting the very strong urge to continue berating the two of them. “There’s no time now. We have to get clear of the cruiser.” She turned, shouting out, “Load the transports!” She pushed between them, clearly done listening to anything they had to say.

“Yeah, I was afraid you’d say that,” Poe said. As planned, he, Cerria, Connix, as well the other troops they’d recruited, drew their blasters. “Vice Admiral Holdo, I am relieving you of your command for the survival of this ship, its crew, and the Resistance,” he announced.

For some reason, Holdo didn’t appear to be fazed. Her expression was neutral as she spoke. “I hope you understand what you’re doing.” Cerria faltered slightly, wondering if she meant that as a warning.

Poe didn’t seem to notice. He holstered his blaster, “I’m going to the bridge.” He began to walk out with Cerria in tow, “If they move, stun ‘em.”

The walk to the bridge was silent until Cerria hesitantly asked, “This is going to work, right?”

“Yeah,” he nodded, “It will. It has to.” He didn’t want to consider what would happen if it didn’t. He pulled out his communicator once more, “BB-8, tell me something good.”

A series of familiar beeps sounded, followed by Finn’s voice. “Poe, we’re almost there. Have the cruiser prepped for lightspeed.”

“Yeah, I’m on it, pal. You just hurry.” There was a tremble in Poe’s voice: the unmistakable sound of anxiety. He willed his heart to stop racing as he shoved the communicator back in his pocket. He had to be a leader. Leaders couldn’t be scared. “Clear the bridge,” he instructed the others the moment the doors opened, “Escort the officers down to the hanger.”

C-3PO tried to stop Poe in his path, “Commander…Captain Dameron, Admiral Holdo was looking for you.”

Poe didn’t spare the droid a glance, sitting in the pilot’s chair, throwing out a dismissive, “Yeah, we spoke.”

Like usual, the gold droid didn’t take the hint, inching closer to Poe. “Sir, I am almost afraid to ask-”

“Good instinct, Threepio. Go with that,” Poe muttered as he cut the power to the hangar. HIs eyes widened as he looked at the screen to his side, seeing shots being fired. He quickly turned, shouting, “Seal that door!”

Cerria ran, hitting the button on the wall. If Holdo wanted in to the bridge, that door would not be enough to stop her. She hoped Finn and Rose were close. She frowned as she saw C-3PO coming her way. “Where do you think you're going?”

“It would be quite against my programming to be party to a mutiny,” he said frantically. “It is not correct protocol!”

Before she could block his path, the edge of the door started to spark. “Shit!” Cerria cursed, taking cover behind one of the desks.

“Finn? We're ready to make the jump,” Poe said. It was now or never.

The door kept sparking. Cerria pulled out her blaster, noticing Poe doing the same out of her peripheral. She took a breath. Never did she think she'd be fighting against the Resistance.

Her heart nearly stopped when she heard Poe whisper to himself, “They didn't make it.” She turned to ask him what he meant but quickly ducked as the door was blasted off the wall. She steadied herself, blaster held high.

She expected Holdo, maybe D'Acy, to come walking through the door. But not Leia. She slowly lowered her blaster, relief flooding through her system. She also didn't expect Leia to stun Poe. Cerria gasped as he flew backwards, slumping against the wall. She quickly dropped her blaster and held her hands up in surrender.

Leia’s gaze landed on Cerria, disappointment written all over her face. “I should’ve known you’d be part of this.”

“General Organa, I can explain-”

“Oh, I’m sure you can,” Leia nodded at some troops behind her who took the cue to gather Poe up, placing him on a floating stretcher. “And I look forward to hearing the whole story. Now go.”

Cerria nearly jumped out of her skin when Poe woke up and sprinted to the nearest window. She got up to go to him, but Leia stopped her with a hand on her leg. “Poe,” she called out, waiting for him to join them.

As he sat between them, he caught a glimpse of something out the window, “What is that?”

“Crait,” Cerria answered, glancing out the window as well. She'd been briefed, or lectured, on everything before Poe had woken up. “It's an old hideout from the Rebellion days.”

“That's a Rebel base?”

Cerria nodded, “Abandoned, but heavily armored. General Organa says it hopefully has enough power to get a distress signal to our allies in the Outer Rim.”

“Holdo knew the First Order was tracking our main ship,” Leia added, “They're not monitoring for little transports.”

A look of realization washed over Poe's face. “So we could slip down to the surface unnoticed and hide till the First Order passes.” He paused, thinking it over, “That could work.”

Leia nodded and gave him a smile that seemed to say ‘I know.’ She reached for his wrist, taking the beacon bracelet off as she murmured, “She was more interested in protecting the light than she was seemingly like a hero.”

Shame spread through Poe like a wildfire. He'd failed at being a leader. Again. He looked away, desperate to avoid the look he knew she would be giving him and managed to see the ship they'd left behind being shot at. The fire soon turned onto the escape pods. One by one, the pods went up in flames, unable to defend themselves.

Cerria watched in horror as their already small fleet decreased further. Her heart raced. They could be next and there was nothing they could do to stop it. She thought of her mother and father who had no idea where she was or what she was doing but let her go off anyway. If her transport was next…Her breath caught in her throat, not watching to go down that train of thought any further. Her body felt like it was moving of its own accord as she followed Leia and Poe to the other window.

The cruiser turned the other way. At the same time, Poe's hand found hers, intertwining their fingers. She welcomed his touch. If this was it, she was grateful to have him by her side.

There was a flash of light and Cerria quickly realized what Holdo was going to do. The familiar scene of a ship jumping to lightspeed. The Star Destroyer and the many smaller ships in its wake split open from the force of the cruiser's jump to lightspeed. The cruiser was demolished, torn into an unrecognizable mess of mangled metal. And Holdo...

Cerria felt sick.

[the-sparkling--diamond]

if there's a prize for rotten judgement, i guess i've already won that - 5

mel medarda x jayce talis

hercules au

warnings: canon compliant violence, ANGST, author just making shit up (does hades have an undead army? no. but canon is what i make it)

a/n: happy valentine's day!! hope you enjoy!

word count: 1,319

Mel had found herself at her mother’s temple. Her grip on the sword was firm as she stared down the dozens of undead soldiers before her. Her mother’s army had always unsettled her, even more so as she was now their enemy. It had been years since Mel had used a sword. She silently prayed that she'd remember at least some of her combat training. She glanced down at the weapon, eyes falling to the gold ring with her mother’s crest on it. There was a time where she would have rather died than taken that ring off. The jewelry meant nothing to her now. It was just a hunk of metal from a life she used to know. She pulled the ring off and let it clatter to the ground before swinging her sword. The blade effortlessly sliced through the skeletal figures, sending them to the ground in a pile of bones, mismatched armor, and weapons. The issue wasn’t taking them down, it was the sheer amount. Her mother had thousands of troops at her disposal. Mel knew she’d become overwhelmed eventually. She narrowly avoided an enemy blade but before she could strike, a hammer crushed the attacker.

“Jayce?” Her body ached to run to him, to hold him close, but she knew that wouldn’t be welcome. “What are you doing here?”

“What does it look like?” He grunted as he swung his hammer again, striking down the last few soldiers. They had been granted some respite, though she knew it wouldn’t last for long.

Mel’s eyes raked over his form. Sweat dripped down his face and neck. His hair was messy, strands hanging down in his face. He was strong on his own, but without the blessing, he wouldn’t last long. “You’ll die if you stay here,” she turned, seeing Viktor standing at the entrance to the temple with Jayce’s pegasus. “You all will.”

“You’re going to handle this on your own? Is that what you think?” he scoffed.

“Yes!” Mel couldn’t believe he would ask her such a thing. “This is my mess! My fault! I’m not asking you to stay-”

“You don’t need to.”

Her heart fluttered. She had never had to prove herself deserving of his affection. They could’ve been happy in another life. She shook away the thought, dragging herself back down to reality. The city was burning and falling apart, and he was standing before her already half dead. She had hurt him enough. “Jayce, you aren’t listening to me,” she practically begged, “If you don’t leave, you’ll die.”

“Am I supposed to just leave you here? Alone?” No matter how angry he was with her, and he was beyond angry, the thought of her fighting alone made him sick. That, and the fact that he was still hopelessly in love with her, kept him rooted to his spot.

Mel’s voice broke as his name tumbled from her lips. Her soft voice tugged at his heartstrings. He attempted to soothe her with a weak smile, “There are worse things.”

Before Mel could protest, the ground shook again. The temple behind them began to crumble. “More are on their way,” she murmured. Sure enough, fissures began to open in the ground and Mel knew they had mere minutes before more soldiers crawled out of them. “They won’t stop coming unless my mother stops them. If you really are sure about staying-”

“I am.”

Mel couldn’t help the slight smile that tugged at her lips. “I need you to trust me then. I know I am in no position to ask that of you, but it’s the only thing that might work.” Once Jayce nodded, she continued, “She’s going to be headed for Mount Olympus. If you let me, I’ll take the horse and go to her and try to negotiate while you stay here. I know it’s not the best plan, but I don’t believe we have any other options.” She bit her lip as she looked at the ruined city.

Jayce didn’t respond. He was too busy trying to commit her face to memory. He was all too aware that this moment could be the very last time he saw her. He studied every detail: her green eyes with the bit of gold in the center, full lips, gold freckles, even the little moles on her face. He was so sure that, in another life, they could’ve been happy and safe. But that wasn’t the cards they'd been dealt. They had an impossible fight ahead, one that Jayce was sure they wouldn’t win. But standing her by her side, he almost felt like they had a chance, like it was possible. How he longed to live in that moment, live in the comfort her mere presence provided, but he knew he had to face reality. He just wished they had more time.

The ground rumbled once more. This time, a skeletal hand appeared on the edge of the fissure. “Go!” he shouted, readying his hammer. His muscles burned as he swung the hammer, plowing through several of Ambessa’s troops. No matter how many went down, their numbers never seemed to go down.

Mel reached Viktor and the pegasus. She held out her sword to him, “Just in case.”

“Mel-”

“Viktor, please,” she begged. She refused to let anyone else get hurt because of her.

Viktor sighed and took the sword in his free hand. “You need to go now,” he said, glancing over at Jayce. He was fighting valiantly, but he could only last so long.

Mel nodded, but just as she was about to mount the pegasus, a deafening thud filled the air. Mel and Viktor both looked to see that Jayce’s hammer had collided with one of the pillars of the temple. Jayce simply pulled his hammer out of the marble, panting as the last of the undead troops collapsed into a heap of bones. The past few earthquakes had already damaged the temple. A chunk of the ceiling was missing meaning nothing was holding the pillar in place. Dread pooled in Mel’s stomach as it began to sway. It was a scene from her worst nightmares. The pillar began to fall towards Jayce, who was none the wiser. Mel's gaze zeroed in on him. Jayce: the man who just wanted to help people no matter what, who had been helping people since he was a young child. He had such a good heart and she had already caused him so much pain. She didn't even have to think about it. She knew what she had to do.

She took off running. Time seemed to slow as her footsteps echoed in her mind. She would never be the wolf, no matter how much she tried. She had made so many mistakes trying to be someone she wasn't, trying to fit her mother's ideals. It was time to finally do something right. Maybe her mother was right, maybe that made her soft. She was the fox. She'd always be the fox. Soft, yes, but not weak. She was done fighting for a love that would never come, a love that she had to earn. She wanted to fight for the love she had. A shout echoed in her ears. Viktor. She didn’t dare look back though. Foxes and wolves be damned, she was Mel Medarda and she would no longer be a passenger to her mother’s wishes. She pushed herself to run faster, her lungs burning at the effort. Once she reached him, she shoved him with all her might, the force sending him backwards and her to the ground.

He was safe.

She turned her head just in time to meet his gaze. His hazel eyes were wide as he realized what she had done. She hoped he could forgive her for ruining their plan, them, everything. His scream filled the air as the pillar landed on top of her.

[the-sparkling--diamond]

everything to win - 11

poe dameron x black! female oc

warnings: none for this chapter

word count: 1,292

"Do you think they'll be okay?" Cerria asked. She paced back and forth, nervously biting her thumb nail.

Poe sat back on her bed, an amused smile on his face. Finn and Rose had left no more than ten minutes prior and Connix, who Poe had quickly and easily gotten on their side, covered for them. Now it was just a matter of waiting. Waiting was not one of Cerria's strong suits. Nor was not being in the loop.

She continued to pace, muttering to herself. "What if something goes wrong? What if he's not even there? What if he can't do it?"

"Princess, you're gonna wear a hole on the floor," Poe snickered

Cerria took notice of her pacing and rambling and stopped, sighing to herself. "I'm sorry," she crossed her arms, "I've just...never dealt with something like this before. I have all this nervous energy and I don't know where to put it, and on top of all that, my braid is killing me."

"Sit."

Cerria raised an eyebrow at Poe, but sat on the ground anyway.

"There you go," he praised. "Just breathe for a minute." He sat up, moving to sit more on the edge of the bed, "Can I touch your hair?"

Cerria nodded, pleasantly surprised that he asked. "How are you so calm?" she asked as he began to unbraid her hair.

His fingers were swift, but gentle, as he worked, taking great care not to pull or rip any of her curls. "I wasn't at first," Poe murmured. "Maker, you should've seen me when I first joined the Resistance and Jess or Snap went on a mission. I was a wreck. Eventually, though, I realized that me being nervous wasn't helping anyone."

"You came to that conclusion on your own?" Cerria asked skeptically.

"Ah...," A sheepish smile appeared on his face, "Leia might have lectured me, but you get the point." His words caused her to laugh, which made Poe feel oddly proud of himself. He continued, "Am I worried for Finn and Rose? Of course. But I'm choosing to have faith that this will work out just like we planned."

"What about Holdo?"

"What about her?"

"Once they disable the tracker, you're gonna jump us to lightspeed,," Cerria explained. "You have to be on the bridge to do that and, no offense, Holdo is not your biggest fan. I doubt she'll let you anywhere near the controls."

"She will if she knows what's best for the Resistance," Poe scoffed.

"But she might not." Cerria turned around, her now loose hair framing her face in gorgeous waves. "We need to have a plan just in case."

His hands gently came to rest on her shoulders, slowly turning her back around so her back was to him. He was supposed fo be helping her calm down, not stressing her out more. "Either she lets us do it, or we take control and do it anyway. Connix is already in on the plan. I'm sure there's more people that see that Holdo isn't doing anything to help. If we get them in on this, we'll have good backing." He started to massage her scalp, knowing her head was hurting from the tight hairstyle. It only took a moment before she began to melt into his touch, much to his satisfaction. "Feel calm yet?" he teased.

Cerria hummed and nodded, "More now. I still think we need a solid plan though."

"Cerria-"

"We jump to lightspeed, yes, but then what? We go where? Hell, where are we going now?" She pulled away from Poe's nearly hypnotic touch, though it killed her inside to do so. "We can't drift in space forever. We're down to this one ship. If the First Order comes, we're done for. I don't know what Holdo's doing."

She was right. Poe opened his mouth to respond, but stopped short when he heard her mutter, "Leia would've had a plan by now."

In the blink of an eye, a fire lit inside him. Anger at Holdo, anger at himself coursed through his veins. He couldn't deny the truth of Cerria's words. Leia would have come up with a plan by now. “You're right,” he gritted out. He pushed himself off the bed and grabbed this jacket, yanking it on.

“Where are you going?” Cerria asked tentatively. That look on his face…he was going to do something stupid. She could just tell.

Poe shrugged nonchalantly. His calm facade was easily betrayed by his clenched jaw and furrowed brow. “I’m just gonna go talk to Holdo. That’s all.”

Cerria scrambled to her feet as Poe left the room. She quickly grabbed the hair tie on the bed and haphazardly pulled her curls into a ponytail as she chased after him. “Maybe that’s not the best idea,” she said. “Let’s talk about this-”

“We are talking.”

Cerria huffed, rolling her eyes, “Poe!”

But it was too late. They’d reached the bridge. Poe marched right up to Commander D’Acy, “She in there?”

“Let’s not have a scene-”

“No, let’s.” Poe stormed past her and Cerria quickly followed behind, whispering a quick apology to the Commander. “Holdo!” he shouted, ignoring D’Acy and Cerria as they tried to stop him.

Holdo sighed, already exasperated, “Flyboy.”

“Cut it, lady,” Poe snapped. “We had a fleet, now we’re down to one ship and you’ve told us nothing. Tell us that we have a plan! That there’s hope!”

“When I served under Leia,” Holdo started, earning a scoff from Poe. She continued, unfazed, “She would say hope is like the sun, if you only believe in it when you can see it…”

Poe sighed, shoulders sagging a bit, “Then you’ll never make it through the night.” He’d heard Leia say that countless times throughout the years and every time, she had been right. He looked back up to speak, but noticed something just over Holdo’s shoulder. “Are you fueling up the transports?”

Cerria followed his gaze, and him, as he walked closer to the screen. “You are,” she breathed at Holdo’s guilty silence.

“All of them?” Poe asked, hands trembling as rage coursed through him. “We’re abandoning ship? Is that…is that what you’ve got? That’s what you’ve brought us to? Coward!” He couldn’t hold back anymore, shoving a chair to the ground and kicking aside a trash bin. “Those transport ships are unarmed, unshielded-”

“If we leave this cruiser, we’re done. It’s finished,” Cerria finally spoke up. Her lip curled in disgust as she stared Holdo down. “You're going to get us all killed.”

“You’re not just a coward, you are a traitor,” Poe all but spat.

Holdo’s gaze hardened as she looked at the duo, “Get these two off my bridge.”

Cerria grumbled as her and Poe were escorted back to the hallway. Once they were alone, she said, “We have to tell Finn. If we abandon ship, then all their work is for nothing.”

Poe nodded, not even thinking as he took her hand and led them back to her room. He quickly closed the door behind them and sat on the bed, pulling out his communicator. “Finn, Holdo’s loading the crew in the shuttles-”

“She’s going to abandon ship,” Cerria interrupted, “Where are you two?”

“We’re on our way back to the fleet. We’re so close,” Finn’s voice crackled through the tiny device.

“Did you find the Master Codebreaker?” Poe asked.

“Well,” Finn stammered a bit, “We found a codebreaker.” Poe groaned softly, exchanging a glance with Cerria. “We can shut the tracker down. Just buy us a little more time.”

Poe opened his mouth to retort, but Cerria gently squeezed his hand, whispering, “We got this.”

He sighed, calming slightly and squeezing her hand back. “Alright,” he told Finn. “Hurry.”

[the-sparkling--diamond]

if there's a prize for rotten judgement, i guess i've already won that - 4

mel medarda x jayce talis

hercules au

warnings: mommy issues, flashbacks to the meljay fight of season 2

word count: 2,093

Viktor hadn't been surprised to find Jayce and Mel together. After that battle with Nessus, Mel quickly became one of Jayce's favorite topics. He had endured hours upon hours of Jayce waxing poetic about the woman. It was amusing to him how Mel had Jayce absolutely enamored, though sometimes it became a bit much.

He had let Jayce go ahead without him several minutes ago, wanting to take his time. He had to hand it to Mel and Jayce. They'd picked a beautiful garden for their 'date.' He almost wished he'd found them earlier so he could have more time to spend there instead of having to savor these few moments as the sun dipped below the horizon. It was absolutely peaceful. At least, it had been, until two voices caught his attention. He kept walking, initially deciding to mind his business. However, curiosity soon won out and he went to find a better listening spot.

Mel's heart was still racing from her mother's sudden appearance. She wasn't supposed to be here. This was supposed to be her own private moment to cherish, a moment unmarred by her obligations.

"Enjoying the sights, are we?" Ambessa asked. She was dressed for battle, clad in her red armor. Her gray curls were pulled back into braids, and her face was covered by her signature gold armored mask.

Even from his distant hiding spot, Viktor recognized the goddess immediately. She was every bit as intimidating as the stories had promised. The grass at her feet withered. He pitied whoever had the misfortune of crossing her path. He shifted, face falling when he saw Mel before her. The poor woman looked like she was trying to appear unfazed, but the tension in her body betrayed the mask she put on. He steeled himself, ready to go help her, when the continued conversation stopped him in his tracks.

"Mother-"

"I was looking for you today. I hope you haven't forgotten your duty, Mel," Ambessa's tone was icy, her displeasure clear on her face.

Viktor's blood ran cold. The image of her ring flashed in his mind. He knew the crest on it had been familiar. How had it taken him until now to realize what it was? He had to find Jayce. He had to tell him the truth.

Mel frantically shook her head, "I haven't forgotten. I was speaking to Jayce today. Gathering information."

"Why would I need information from him?" Ambessa all but snapped.

"I just thought...," Mel hesitated. No one was able to make her second guess herself quite like her mother. "I thought he could be of help-"

Ambessa cut her off with a derisive laugh. "You thought he could be of help," she repeated to herself, chuckling as though it was the funniest thing she'd heard. She stalked closer and plucked the bloom out of Mel's hand. "How sweet. He gave this to you, didn't he?" She didn't bother waiting for a response before continuing, beginning to pick the petals from the flower as she spoke, each discarded petal like a dagger in Mel's heart, "I've always told you that I would give you a throne...the world...if you prove yourself worthy. Thrones are for wolves, Mel." She looked up, gaze piercing into Mel's very soul. "Wolves have no issue disposing of those that stand in their way. Your Golden Boy is a threat to all I plan to achieve. So tell me, can you be a wolf?"

A white hot rage burned inside Mel and she snarled, "Stay away from him." The words came out without thinking, shocking her, but she had meant them all the same.

Ambessa raised an eyebrow, though it went unseen beneath her mask. Just as she was about to bite back, realization struck her. "You've fallen in love with him."

Mel clenched her jaw and averted her gaze, not daring to respond.

"I should've known," Ambessa scoffed, her lips curling into a sneer, "You've always been soft. I should've known you'd give up on our goal-"

"It was never my goal!" Mel exploded, years of pent up emotions finally breaking free, "I never wished for any of this! I just wanted my mother!"

Ambessa straightened, her expression becoming unreadable. "I've always said you were a fox. You've always been soft, but now you've allowed him to weaken you further, and he-" She paused, an idea coming to mind. "Come," she said, dropping the mangled flower, "I think it's time I remind you of the Medarda way."

The moment Viktor opened the door to the lab, he was met with Jayce's rambling.

"I think I just had the best day of my life. No. I know I just had the best day of my life," Jayce beamed, spinning in his chair to face his friend. In his elation, he didn't notice the sullen look on Viktor's face. "We spent the whole day together just talking and enjoying each other's company and-"

"Jayce."

"She looked so beautiful too. I knew she had green eyes, but I think there's some gold in the center too-"

"Jayce," Viktor repeated, tone becoming more firm.

Jayce continued, oblivious, "I think she likes me. I'm not sure, but it seemed like she did. Do you-"

"She's not who you think she is," Viktor finally blurted.

Jayce's rambles immediately ceased and he frowned, "What are you talking about?"

"She's a child of the Underworld. Of Ambessa," Viktor explained. "She's working for her. I don't know what they're doing, but it can't be good."

Jayce's face fell. "No," he whispered. He, like everyone in Greece, knew of the goddess Ambessa, how she'd been lying in wait to reclaim her power. The pieces began to click into place: how she was with Nessus, the Hydra, and the way she seemed to shut down when he mentioned mothers. There was no way. It had to be some sick coincidence. The words came out faster than he could think about them, "You're lying."

Viktor furrowed his brows, his expression becoming a mix of anger and disbelief, "What?"

"You're lying," Jayce insisted, though he wasn't sure if he was trying to convince Viktor or himself.

Viktor stepped back, feeling as though he'd been slapped. As hurt and annoyed as he was, he knew Jayce was probably just in denial, and didn't mean what he was saying. He decided to try one last time, "Jayce-"

"Shut up!" Jayce snapped.

The silence that followed was deafening. Viktor concealed the betrayal he felt under a scowl. "Fine. Believe what you want." He stormed out of the lab without another word.

Jayce scoffed and shook his head, turning back to his work. Viktor's words echoed in the back of his mind even as he tried to push them down. It couldn't be true, it just couldn't. There had to be some other explanation. The Mel he knew was kind and soft, nothing like Ambessa. He would just talk to Mel and clear up all the confusion.

"How quaint."

The sudden voice startled him and he turned, a pit forming in his stomach at the sight. Ambessa stood in the doorway with an amused grin. Mel was held tight in her grasp, Ambessa’s hand clamped firmly over her mouth. Jayce immediately stood, ready to pull Mel to safety, but Ambessa held up a finger with her free hand. “Not so fast, Golden Boy. I have a deal to make with you. You see, I have things I’ve been meaning to get done today and you have a…tendency to get in the way. So, take a day off from the heroics and in return, you can have her. What do you say, Mister Talis? Your strength for her freedom.”

Mel began to struggle in Ambessa’s grasp to no avail, her attempts at shouting muffled by Ambessa’s hand. Something about the situation didn’t feel right to Jayce. He briefly thought back to what Viktor had said, but quickly pushed it out of mind. He couldn’t risk Mel’s safety. If something happened to her because of a feeling he had, especially one based on a claim with no backing evidence… “People are going to get hurt, aren’t they?” he realized.

“People get hurt every day, Jayce Talis,” Ambessa said coldly. “You can’t save everyone. But you can save her.”

Jayce glanced at Mel once more. Her green eyes bore into him, practically pleading. He faced Ambessa, knowing what he had to do. “She can’t get hurt.”

“Excuse me?”

“If she gets hurt, the deal is off,” Jayce stated firmly. His heart raced in his chest, but he didn’t dare let the goddess see his anxiety.

Ambessa grit her teeth before nodding, “Fine.” She stuck out her free hand to him for a handshake.

The moment Jayce touched her hand, he felt the strength leaving his body. His knees buckled, sending him to the floor. He felt so drained, as though he had been forking in the forge for days on end with no breaks. There was no pain, just exhaustion.

“There,” Ambessa said, releasing his hand. “You upheld your end, so I’ll uphold mine.” She released Mel, giving her a light shove forward.

Mel stumbled, but rushed over to Jayce, kneeling before him. She cupped his face in her hands, searching his expression for any sign of pain, “Are you alright?”

He trailed his hands down her arms. His touch was gentle and feather-light, ensuring she hadn’t been harmed. “Are you?”

“She’s a special one, isn’t she?” Ambessa asked.

The goddess’s voice caused Jayce to pull Mel close, nearly cradling her to his chest. “What are you talking about?” he hissed.

“My daughter is a fantastic actress, is she not?”

Jayce felt like he had been punched in the gut. Viktor had been right. The realization paralyzed him, overwhelmed him. He barely registered Mel’s frantic touches or her pleading words. He barely registered Ambessa’s laugh as she left the room. Had any of it been real? Had he just been a pawn in their game? He finally willed himself to speak, eyes locking on Mel, “Is it true?”

“Jayce-”

“Is it true, Mel?” he repeated. His hazel eyes were desperate, wishing that this was all some sick joke. He wanted, no, needed her to tell him that Ambessa was lying.

Though it broke Mel’s heart to do so, she nodded. “It’s true, but it’s not so simple.”

“You used me,” he scoffed. “How could there be anything more to it?”

“I never wanted to.” She longed to reach out to him as he stood, backing away from her. “She’s my mother. She’s…she’s…you don’t know what she’s like.” Words seemed to fail her. Nothing sounded right. There was nothing she could say that could justify what she had done.

Jayce’s chest ached. He shook his head, raking his hand through his hair. “Was everything a lie?”

“No,” she insisted, shaking her head. “No, everything we talked about was real. That day in the garden was real. I never faked my care for you, Jayce. I lo-,” she cut herself off, unable to say the words. She took a steadying breath and blinked back the tears that had begun to form, voice breaking as she spoke, “Jayce, you have to believe me. I never wanted to hurt you.”

“You did!” He finally snapped. “I thought you cared! I thought we-” he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Forget it.’ He grabbed his hammer with a grunt of effort, finding the weapon heavy for the first time. “I have to go find Viktor before your mother destroys Greece.” He didn’t spare her a glance as he left the lab.

Mel buried her face in her hands, unable to hold back her tears any longer. An anguished yell burst from her lips. She should’ve known better than to think anything good could come from helping her mother. She should’ve known that falling in love with Jayce would only end in heartbreak. But she couldn’t dwell on these things. The ground began to shake under her feet and Mel knew it wouldn’t be long before her mother began her attack.

She glanced around the cluttered lab, looking for something she could use to fight back. She quickly ruled out a heavy looking pair of gauntlets and a spear. A sword caught her eye and she quickly made her way over to it and picked it up, testing its weight in her hand. It felt perfect. She steeled herself as the ground shook once more. If her mother wanted a wolf, she’d get one.

[the-sparkling--diamond]

everything to win - 10

poe dameron x black! female oc

warnings: none for this chapter

word count: 1,646

Cerria slipped out of Poe's room after he fell asleep some time later. She managed to get a few hours of sleep before she was awoken by a knock at the door. Groaning, she groggily rubbed her eyes and dragged herself out of bed. She wasn't sure what she expected to see when she opened her door, but it sure wasn't an empty hallway. At least, she thought it was an empty hallway until she heart a series of beeps coming from below. "Hey, BB," she couldn't help but grin. BB-8 trilled, looking down the hallway before looking back at her.

"He wants to see me? Let him know I'll be there in a minute." The droid quickly beeped to correct her.

"Now?" Cerria asked, amused. "Can I at least change first?"

Cerria had never thought it was possible for a droid to be sarcastic, but she quickly learned it was when BB-8 beeped once more. She laughed, "You're Poe's droid alright. I'll be quick." She closed the door and quickly threw on a tank top, baggy pants, and shoes, choosing to leave her hair in the long braid, before letting BB-8 lead her through the base.

Poe sat by Leia's side, her hand in his as she slept peacefully. His other hand pinched the bridge of his nose as he listened to C-3PO go on and on about something he'd stopped paying attention to ages ago. He quickly looked up when BB-8 and Cerria entered, muttering to himself in relief. "Threepio," he said, the annoyance in his voice clear, "we have guests."

The gold droid quickly approached Cerria, exclaiming, "My! You must be Princess Cerria. How you've grown!"

Cerria smiled at him. She recalled the few times he'd visited with Leia in her youth. "Its good to see you again," she said sweetly. Before he could carry on the conversation, she stepped around him, approaching Poe. "How's she doing?"

Poe sighed, leaning back in his chair. "Same as before, which I'm trying to convince myself is a good sign."

She rested a hand on his shoulder, humming in acknowledgement. "She'll be okay. It's Leia. If anyone can recover from this, it's her."

Poe's gaze traveled up her arm, eventually landing on the gauze wrap on her bicep. He reached up, fingers ghosting over the edge of the bandage, frowning, "You're hurt."

"It's just a scratch, I'll be fine," Cerria smiled and squeezed his shoulder. "Finn patched me up real nice." She pulled away, moving to lean against a nearby table. "I'm assuming the extra clothes in my room are from you." She had noticed her flightsuit in her room last night, as well as various other garments. Her smile grew when he nodded, "You didn't have to do that. Thank you."

Despite the warmth that spread in his chest, Poe shrugged nonchalantly, "Jess helped. We thought you'd need some. As stunning as you looked in that gown yesterday, I'm sure those are more comfortable."

Cerria felt a strange flutter in her stomach and quickly changed the subject, "BB said you wanted to see me. He was very insistent."

"Threepio was talking my ear off," Poe muttered, moving to sit at the table she was leaning on. "And I don't know what to do about Holdo."

Her nose wrinkled at the name. Before she could go on a tirade about what she really thought about the Vice Admiral, the door opened.

"We figured out how to escape the lightspeed tracking," Finn announced.

Cerria furrowed her brows, confused, "The what-"

A woman entered right behind Finn, continuing, "It's the same as any active tracker! We just have to get to the breaker-"

"Only the one on the main ship-," Finn interrupted.

"And shut down the breaker-"

"Which I know where to find-"

"If we can get there, I can shut it down-"

"Allowing the Resistance to escape," Finn finished.

The rapid back and forth reminded Cerria of the sporting events her mother loved to watch, but this one left her much more disoriented. Luckily, Poe, who looked just as confused, spoke up, asking, "Just give it to me one more time, simpler."

"So the First Order is only tracking us from one Destroyer, the lead one," Finn explained.

"So we blow that one up," Poe interjected, earning him a nudge and a look of disapproval from Cerria.

"I like where your head's at, but no. They'd only start tracking us from another Destroyer," Finn continued, starting to pace a bit.

The woman tried to speak, but was quickly cut off by Finn, "If we sneak on board the lead Destroyer and disable the tracker without them realizing, then we can-"

"They won't realize it's off for about one system cycle," the woman finally managed to cut in. "About six minutes." Finn repeated the plan as she pulled up a hologram of the proposed plan, looking at Poe and Cerria expectantly once they finished.

Poe got up, humming in acknowledgement as he started to make his way back to where Leia was resting. He turned to look at them just before he reached her, "How'd you two meet?"

They shared a look before the woman said, "Just luck." Cerria quietly raised an eyebrow. Something in her tone hinted that that wasn't the whole story.

Poe seemed to notice as well, but didn't really question it. "Yeah? Good luck?"

"Not sure yet," the woman murmured.

Poe sighed, turning back to look at Leia. This was more than just a simple mission. If he made the wrong decision, if things didn't go according to plan, it could spell the end of the Resistance. In an ideal world, she would be awake and able to tell him what to do. But she wasn't. He had to be the leader she needed him to be. As he thought his options, Finn spoke up, "Poe, we gotta do this. It'll save the fleet and it'll save Rey." Finn was right, of course. What other choice did they have?

As if he needed more motivation to agree with Finn's idea, C3PO piped up with his unwanted opinion. "If I must be the sole voice of reason, Admiral Holdo will never agree to this plan."

"Yeah, you're right, Threepio." Poe turned back to face the group, a newfound fire in his eye, "It's a need to know plan, and she doesn't."

"That wasn't exactly my-"

Poe was quick to cut the droid off, walking over to the hologram, "Alright, you guys shut down that tracker. I'll be here to jump us to lightspeed."

"How are we going to get you two onto the Destroyer?" Cerria asked.

"We steal clearance codes," the woman said.

Finn sighed, shaking his head, "No, theyre bio-hexacrypt and rescrambled every hour." The excitement in the room began to die down as he murmured sullenly, "We can't get through their security shields undetected. No one can."

It was although someone had sucked all the air out of the room. That was, until Poe suddenly looked up, "Maz."

Finn's eyes lit up as he watched Poe go to the communicator on the other side of the room. As Poe punched various buttons, Cerria approached the woman, "I'm Cerria, by the way."

The woman beamed at her, "Rose. Rose Tico."

Cerria couldn't help but smile back, finding her grin infectious. However, her attention was quickly taken when Poe began to speak. "Maz? Maz? Can you hear me?"

The hologram was a bit distorted and glitchy, but Cerria could make out the familiar figure of the small orange alien. "Loud and clear, kiddo! What do you need?"

"Listen, Maz. We need someone to get Finn and Rose onto a First Order Destroyer undetected. Could you do it?" Poe asked.

"Could I do it?" Maz asked, seeming shocked that was even a question. "Of course I could do it. But I can't do it. I'm a little tied down right now." She turned, shooting her blaster at someone out of the picture.

Finn frowned, "Maz? What is happening?"

"Union dispute. You do not want to hear about it." She crouched down behind some metal as she spoke. "But, lucky for you, there's exactly one guy I trust to crack that kind of security!" She began to run, the sound of blasters firing getting closer and closer. "He's a master code breaker, and ace pilot, a poet with a blaster."

"Oh my!" C3PO exclaimed, "It sounds like this master code breaker fellow can do everything!"

"Oh yes," Maz's voice turned fond and she began to gently caress her blaster, "He can."

Cerria wrinkled her nose, sharing a quick look with Poe, who pulled a face to make her laugh.

Maz either didn't notice or didn't care as she continued, "You'll find him with a red plom bloom on his lapel rolling at a high stakes table in the casino on Canto Bight."

"Canto Bight?" Cerria frowned. She'd been there a few times with her parents. It was one of the shadiest places she'd ever been. Sending Finn and Rose there would be too risky.

Poe seemed to have the same thought, as he asked, "Is there any way we can handle this on our own?"

"Sorry, kiddo," Maz sighed, "This is rareified cracking. You wanna get on that Destroyer, I only know one option. Find the Naster Codebreaker." The hologram clicked off and Maz disappeared, leaving the group in silence.

Cerria's mind ran wild. Sending Finn and Rose to Canto Bight was a terrible idea, but did they have another option. She had expected a debate, for Finn and Poe to go back and forth on what to do. However, Finn took off the beacon that had been around his wrist, silently holding it out to Poe. He had made his decision and there was no room for discussion.

With a reluctant sigh, Poe took the beacon.

[the-sparkling--diamond]

no wip wednesday this week, sorry y'all ! but i'll be updating on thursday and friday like usual!