Search the Galaxy // Poe Dameron

well well well

Less than a second after my eyes were blinded by the fluorescent lights of the Falcon, Finn was already spitting out excuses as to why he hadn't moved my unconscious body from the floor. I didn't listen. I focused on stilling my dizzy world.

"Enna, I don't exactly know how to put this," said Finn.

Once more, I didn't give him a sign as to ensure him I was listening. I wasn't. His words were entering my head, but processing a sentence took much longer while in a state of nausea, especially one caused by using the hyperdrive.

Finn discarded the idea of breaking the news to me slowly. At once, he rambled, "The jolt of the ship knocked your head against the wall, so I tried to move you to the couch, but I got close to your arm and these tiny bolts of--"

"Well, well, well," said Han loudly. He entered the open space. "Look who came back to the Land of Consciousness. You're just in time."

My eyes narrowed. "In time for what?"

Han paused. He waited for Rey to exit the cockpit. She scurried to the booth, sitting next to Finn. As he propped his elbows on the table, a holographic game appeared across the surface. Rey curiously observed Finn while he messed with the controls, battling the two monsters against one another.

"You're all fugitives," said Han.

"Only from the First Order," I corrected. "I'm with the Resistance."

"As is Finn," cut in Rey. "I'm just a scavenger."

"Why's the First Order after you?" asked Han.

"Besides the fact that we're on the side of the Resistance?" I asked, to which Han nodded. " BB-8 contains information wanted by both the Order and the Resistance."

Han's attention turned to the droid. "Let's see what you've got."

BB-'s head rotated my way, awaiting my permission. I stared at Han. "How do I know I can trust you?"

"Because the General is my..." he stopped, falling silent.

"You left, if I recall correctly," i challenged.

"And if you knew anything of my family, you'd understand why I needed space," snapped Han.

I remained unaffected by his confession. "I hold little sympathy for what happened to your family."

"Listen, kid, it's due time I help out the Resistance. This is my chance."

"You will not pity me into showing you information that may be helpful to the First Order."

Han looked mildly impressed by my persistent denial. He raised his brow. "She picked a damn good person to guard whatever it is."

"I show you this, you grant me a ship," I said.

"Already ahead of you," said Han.

I looked at the awaiting droid. "Go ahead."

In the air above our heads, BB-8 projected a holographic map of the galaxy. He enlarged a certain point. Within the section in which our attention was meant to be, an obvious rectangular chunk was missing from the projection.

Eyes glossed with perplexity, I muttered, "It's not complete."

"It's just a piece," said Han. The frustrated shake of his head was followed by a sigh. "Ever since Luke disappeared people been looking for him."

"Why did he leave?" asked Rey.

I watched Han, more than curious to hearing his take on Kylo Ren's origin story. I visited many planets across the galaxy in my day. Interactions on different planets granted me slivers of history about the famous Skywalker/Solo family. Years passed before the stories fit in chronological order. Upon hearing the news of the extreme actions a boy at the Academy took, I needed no aid to guess that the one bad seed of the new generation Jedi was the single kid with a family history of the dark side.

Han vaguely explained to the clueless duo. "He was training a new generation of Jedi. One boy, an apprentice, turned against him. Destroyed it all. Luke felt responsible. He walked away from everything."

"Do you know what happened to him?" asked Rey.

"Heard a lot of rumors, stories.. People that know him best think he went looking for the first Jedi Temple."

Unnoticeably, my posture changed. All the information I'd learned about Jedi history, yet never before had news of a Temple reached my ears.

"The Jedi were real," breathed Rey.

Finn glanced at her. "You've met one."

"Wild guess says it's you," said Han, his finger in my direction. I stared at him blankly. He nodded. "Makes sense."

"What makes sense?" asked Finn.

Han inhaled a breath. Reliving the actions of his son took a toll on his mind. "The First Order slaughtered the remaining Jedi."

"Keeping quiet about your gift means staying alive," finished Rey slowly.

I tilted my head. "Not sure it's a gift."

"That's you haven't used your lightsaber in any fights," she continued. "It's why you asked me to keep quiet."

"Do you have the Force? Is that a real thing?" asked Finn.

"Used to wonder about that myself," interrupted Han. "Thought it was a bunch of mumbo jumbo. A magical power holding together good and evil, the dark side and the light? Crazy thing is: the Force, the Jedi, all of it.. It's all true."

Rey looked at me with the utmost admiration. "You're a Jedi."

"I'm not," I denied. "Stop asking me about it."

"Is that your own lightsaber? What color is it?" asked Rey.

"I heard the colors mean different things. Is that true?" asked Finn.

"I believe braids also mean something in the ranks of Jedi," added Rey. She tried to step closer to inspect my hair.

I clenched my fists. "Back off."

Reys opened lips shut when an elongated beep came from the cockpit.

Recognizing the sound, Han rubbed his hands together. "We're going to see an old friend of mine. She'll get you and your droid home. This is her stop."