AWAKEN

30

"Poe-!" Shouts Finn.

Amara snapped her head up at Finn before turning her head behind her. Standing above her was Poe. He had his hands in his pockets, he must've been back for a while because he was no longer in his flight suit.

Rey turns to Poe, "Welcome back," She says.

Poe grins, "Thanks,"

Finn walks over, "When did you get back?" He eagerly asks.

Poe shrugs, "Around forty minutes or so," He says, "I spent the majority with the General debriefing."

Amara saw his eyes land on her. Amara quickly looked away. She didn't want to examine his eyes, she didn't want to see what he was thinking.

"After the debriefing I took a shower and cleaned myself up." Poe says.

Amara held the towel in her hand a little tighter than before. Her gaze remain elsewhere than looking at Poe.

Amara felt eyes on her, but she refused to look up at them. Amara put her blaster in her holster and then stood up, she glanced up at Poe briefly.

She gives him a sad smile, "Welcome back," She says.

She took off the necklace and grabbed his hand. Amara went back to not looking at him. She unfolded his hand and placed it in his palm before closing it. She glanced at Rey.

"I should get going," Amara says, "Wouldn't want to be late for my meetings with Commander D'Acy."

She gives a small smile at Rey and Finn, before her eyes land on Poe. He looks at her a bit confused. Maybe even taken back.

"Uh- I'll see you around," She says and walks off.

Poe stood there with his mother's wedding ring in his hand and watched Amara watch off. Poe frowns and then felt a hand on his shoulder, it was from Rey.

"She hasn't fully been herself after her incident." Rey says.

Poe glanced at her and Finn, "Do you know what happened?" He asks.

Finn shakes his head, "We only know it relates to the Force. General Leia was going to fill us in once you returned," He tells Poe, "She wanted you to be the first of us to know."

Poe nods.

Rey kept her eyes on Poe, "Should we be worried about her?"

Poe sighs and his hand reached for the crystal that had made resting against his chest a home for the past week. He rubbed the crystal in a subconscious way.

"I- I don't know." Poe says.

{RISE OF SKYWALKER}

MEETINGS GO as usual. Amara gets out of the command center while finishing up telling Kaydel about contacting a few of Leia's allies from the Alliance and see if they'd be willing to spare some resources.

"Okay," Kaydel says, "I'll get right on that."

Amara smiles, "Thanks, Connix."

And then the young woman walked back into the command tent. Amara turned her gaze from where Connix was to in front of her.

There stood Poe. He had his hands resting on his hips and his head tilted as he looks at her. Amara doesn't see disappointment as she had thought before. She doesn't see anger like she had thought he was going to be about finding out. Instead, he just was confused and a little frustrated.

"I hold onto this for a week," Poe shows her the Kyber crystal, "And yet you only returned my belonging before I could return yours."

Amara frowns, "I- Sorry," She looks away.