Close to Me {Poe Dameron}

twenty-eight

"I believe a congratulations is in order," Kat said, smiling out at the Resistance. Cheers greeted her as the group erupted in applause.

"We certainly have plenty to celebrate. We defied the impossible and won the war. I am not the only one who will thank you for your hard work and dedication to the light. The galaxy will as well." She placed a hand over her heart as she silently thanked all those before her.

"Just because the war is done does not mean the fight is over. We have First Order bases to shut down, planets to help rebuild, and a Republic to restore. I'm not asking you all to stay but if you feel inclined to see this all the way through I," she motioned to Poe and Finn standing on either side of her, "we would be eternally grateful. For those who wish to rest, please do. Go back home, rest, see where you can help there and if you need our help, do let us know and we will be there."

"What are you planning on doing with Kylo Ren?" Someone shouted.

Kat knew it was coming. The one question she was dreading. Her answer could determine how many actually stayed behind to help them finish out their fight. She took a deep breath, squaring her shoulders, getting ready for whatever happened next. "Ben Solo took on the name Kylo Ren after Snoke and ultimately Palpatine manipulated him to the point where he thought he could not leave, leading -"

"He killed Han Solo and countless others!" Another person shouted, interrupting her.

She whirled in the direction the shout came from, anger flashing in her eyes as her protective streak shot through her. "I am well aware of his crimes!"

Murmurs began to circulate as Kat tried to reign herself in once more to address the crowd. Some of the murmurs were questioning the young woman while others were defending. Poe could see the disappointment in herself after her small outburst. They may be fighting but he knew if the roles were reversed, she would still support him. So he took her hand in his and brought it up to kiss the back of it.

Her eyes softened the moment she felt the contact. She turned to face him, giving him a small smile. As he lowered her hand back down, she gave it a small squeeze, fully expecting him to let go but he never did. It gave her the strength she needed to continue.

She turned back to face the crowd, her usual stoic expression back in place. "Han and Leia," she paused, shaking her head. If she was to win people over, she couldn't remain an arm's length away from this. She took a deep breath and opened her heart for all to see.

"My parents died trying to get their son, my brother back from the dark side, from the First Order, from Palpatine's and Snoke's grasp. As Kylo Ren, I know he committed some awful crimes. But if our parents were willing to give up their lives in order to bring Ben Solo back, then I'm not going to let their deaths be in vain. Ben Solo will be punished. Have no doubt about that. Just because he is my brother, does not mean that I have forgiven him for all that he has done or that I will be lenient with him. He will be placed under house arrest with no privileges. Through a series of bi-monthly assessments, they will determine when he gets those privileges back."

The crowd once more talked amongst themselves before someone called out. "What do the other generals think?"

Finn stepped up to stand more at Kat's side. "The level of detail that General Metonae has put into this plan of punishment is just as much detail of any plan of attack she has created against the First Order. These assessments that Solo will be assigned will be modeled after the assessments any Stormtrooper who now shows their desire to defect from the First Order will be given. These assessments are meant to detail their growth and to make sure that they truly denounce First Order ways. I believe this is the best punishment based on the circumstances General Metonae has previously stated."