IN MY DREAMS [A POE DAMERON X READER STORY] [BOOKS 1-3]

chapter nine

ONE YEAR LATER

The obsession with finding Luke Skywalker was everywhere. No one in the First Order could rest. As his absence prolonged, the First Order gained strength. The Resistance was desperate to find him and it was a race to get to him first.

It seemed both groups seemed to hear the rumor at once; there was a map of his location somewhere in this galaxy, and General Organa was desperate to find it. You doubted that even she was any more desperate than Kylo Ren was. He stopped sleeping at night. He had stopped speaking completely unless it was to bark orders. And you knew that the place to look was Jakku.

You stepped off the transport with him and saw the planet of Jakku for the very first time. The village was torn apart, with stormtroopers separating families and pushing all of the citizens in the center of the square together. Flames engulfed the homes and tents. Screams filled the air.

The sand was soft beneath your boots. Kylo scanned the village before him. "Ah, there."

You followed his gaze. Two stormtroopers brought an old man to his knees on the ground. Lor San Tekka. Kylo had been looking for him for some time. He looked fearfully between the two of you. You remained behind Kylo as he approached him, knowing that he did not need you for this.

"Look how old you've become."

"Something far worse has happened to you." His eyes flickered to your face, concealed beneath the dark hood you hid under.

"You know what I've come for."

"I know where you come from," he said. "Before you called yourself Kylo Ren."

How strange. Never before had you heard from someone who knew Kylo Ren's past. Not even you knew a single fact about it. It was true that your relationship with your Master had fallen apart in the past year. You no longer confided in him, and he no longer confided in you. But there was nowhere for you to run to, and so he wasn't worried about how much you hated him.

"The map to Skywalker. We know you've found it." He circled the man. "And now you're going to give it to the First Order."

"The First Order rose from the dark side," Lor San Tekka said. You couldn't sense any fear in him. "You did not."

"I'll show you the dark side," he threatened. You wanted to roll your eyes. Kylo's sensitivity to any doubt someone had of him would be his downfall.

"You may try," the man replied. "But you cannot deny the truth that is your family."

"You're so right." He raised his hand and gestured you forward.

That was your cue. Without kicking up the sand, you walked to stand beside your Master. Your hand was on your lightsaber and you waited for the command. Kylo turned towards you and reached out to push the hood off your head. He did so gently, pausing to look at you for a moment. As the ebony hood fell away from your face and hair, the Lor San Tekka's face displayed shock.

"Kill him," Kylo ordered. He sounded proud, and somewhat amused.

"Yes, Master," you said. Your weapon ignited. Lor San Tekka raised his hand to protect his face and screamed the beginning of your name. But it was too late to stop as your lightsaber met with the side of his body and you heard him choke out as he hit the ground.

Crimson flashes colored the sand. Sparks flew out of the sides of the weapon. And you were a monster.

Your hands started to shake before the visions started.

A man screaming your name as a building came down around you. Staring at the end of a long hallway, your boots loud against the stone floor. A glimpse of a blue lightsaber to your side.

You were too blind to pay attention to the blaster shot that nearly hit the side of your head. The crowd was screaming in the aftermath of the murder and you turned your face in shock to see the blaster shot frozen in midair. Kylo's hand was stretched out towards it.

And the person who had fired at you was Poe Dameron.

You recognized his face right away. It was the first time you'd seen him in a year. He was so shocked, his limbs frozen and his feet stuck firmly to the ground. Two stormtroopers marched over to punch him in the gut. His knees gave out and they grabbed him, dragging him towards you and Kylo. You were trembling as you watched.

They kicked him to knock him hard on his knees. Forced to kneel in front of your Master, he blinked up at him, then shifted his gaze to you. You couldn't tell if he hated you or not.

Kylo knelt before him and waited.

"So who talks first?" Poe whispered. "You talk first? I talk first?"

"The old man gave it to you," he said.

Yes, you could sense it. Poe knew the location of the map. It was in the front of his mind. You didn't have to force your way in to see that.

Poe ignored him. "It's just hard to understand you with all of the... apparatus."

"Search him." Kylo Ren stood.

The stormtroopers forced him on his feet. He grunted as they hit him; tearing at his jacket and clothes and patting down his sides and legs. You swallowed hard and moved around Kylo to see him more clearly.

"Nothing, sir," one of them said.

"Put him on board."

"No," you said. Poe's eyes locked on yours. "Spare him."

"___," Poe warned. "You need to get out of here before they kill you, too."

Kylo didn't look at you. He nodded towards the transport and they started to move him. You grabbed your Master's arm tightly. "No! I said spare him---"

Kylo's hand slammed against your collarbone, but it wasn't his physical strength that caused you to fly backwards. You felt the Force move you up into the air and back to the ground with a harsh impact. You flipped over on your side, watching Poe's neck stretch back to look at you.

"Hey!" Poe fought against the hands that held him down. "Don't---"

You didn't want to look away from Poe. After a year of never expecting to see him again, he was here, only to be forced back into the clutches of the First Order. This time you wouldn't be able to save him.

"___! ___, get out of here---" They grabbed the back of his head and shoved him onto the transport.

You stood up quickly. "I said release him!"

"Under what authority?" Kylo questioned. "You're commanding your Commander to release a prisoner that has seen the map of Luke Skywalker."

You pointed to the dead body on the ground. "That old man remembered me, Kylo!"

"Get on the ship." Kylo didn't look at you.

"Tell me---"

"You will get on the ship right now before I change my mind," he said. "I'll kill you like the rest of the villagers. You underestimate me."

You swallowed the rest of your words. "Yes, Master."

"Sir, the villagers?" Captain Phasma questioned, stepping into the crowd.

Kylo turned and looked at them. Men, women, children, all huddled up together, sobbing and shaking. He could feel their fear. You could feel their fear.

And all you could do was watch as he ordered them all to be killed. Captain Phasma gave the command. They raised their blasters. And in an explosion of red light and blood, each and every villager was killed.

But as you stood there, watching families be killed and homes destroyed, you could sensed something in the Force. You turned your head to see a single stormtrooper staying still. FN-2187. His anguish matched yours; two souls that didn't belong in the one place you both knew.

Kylo ordered Captain Phasma to see you back on the transport safely. She accepted, grabbed the inside of your arm to drag you alongside her until you finally surrendered and walked on your own.