Kylo Ren

IV

Though it had been years since Poe was a Padawan, he could still feel the Force when he tried.

However, he never tried to feel it.  Sometimes he would feel something.  He felt it when Ben killed everyone in the academy.  He felt it when Luke noticed.

And then, he felt when Ben was rechristened by Snoke, though he didn't know it.  He was on patrol, and the Darkness in the Force was so strong that he went blind.

When he could see again, he was flying dangerously low over a sea.  He pulled up.

BB-8 beeped a question, wanting to know what was wrong.

"It's nothing, BB-8.  I got distracted."

"What was that?" Jess Pava asked, from her own patrol.

"Nothing," he said louder.  "I got distracted and flew a bit too close to the water."

"Copy, Black Leader.  Be careful."

He could tell she pitied him.  His best friend was now his worst enemy, and it was understandable that he was distracted.  But he didn't want to show that sort of weakness, especially because it could get him killed.

Poe strained his eyes to see the other shore before swinging around to go home.

"This is Black Leader.  I'm heading back, nothing to report."

"Copy that, Black Leader," the dispatcher said.

He flew back in silence, BB-8 updating him occasionally on weather conditions and such.

About halfway back, his radio crackled.  "Black Leader, Red Leader, come in."

Jess Pava replied first.  "Red Leader."

"Black Leader.  What's the issue?"

"We've detected a transmission from an X-Wing, but we were unable to read it.  We believe it may be from Master Skywalker."

"Copy.  I'll be there as soon as possible."  Poe gave his X-Wing more power.

"Copy."

The radio went silent again.  He turned down the static.

As soon as he landed, Poe sprinted past the workers digging into a low hill to the makeshift control center.

Lieutenant Connix was typing furiously into a computer.  The transmission was projected, a mash of letter, numbers, and shapes that looked like planets.

General Organa was leaning against the table, trying to read what it said.

He stood beside her.  "Do you know who this was intended for?"

"Well, we'd like to think it's for us, but it wasn't sent to Dunov or the base here.  We suspect it's for a connection he once had, a friend maybe."

Poe bit his lip, staring at the hologram.  He caught Connix staring at him through the projected transmission.  She averted her eyes.

"Does the First Order know about it?" Poe asked.

"They may.  There is no way of knowing."

"Unless we were to send a spy," he suggested.

"We cannot risk another life.  Ben already risked everyone's, I don't want to send someone else into danger."

"I'll go," Haasa said.

They looked at the greying commander.  He'd been moved to communications as he ages, thus allowing Jess and Poe to rise to their current positions.

"Are you certain?" Leia asked.

He nodded.  "I probably won't last long anyway, especially if a war begins, and I might as well get us some valuable information."

Finally, Leia consented.  Poe escorted him to Dantooine, where they knew TIE-Fighters would be patrolling, trying to see if anyone would come.

They landed without opposition.

The plan for Haasa was simple: find a landed TIE-Fighter or get one to land, shoot the pilot, put on the flight suit which should have the identification number, hack the system to get the TIE-Fighter's number, and find and infiltrate wherever the First Order was hiding out.

Poe handed his old commander a comlink.  "May the Force be with you."

"And with you."  He touched the younger man's shoulder, and disappeared into the woods.

Poe had been folded up behind the seat of the X-Wing, which Haasa had been piloting. He took the man's seat, and directed his droid to prepare to take off.

Just before they did however, BB-8 beeped a warning.

Poe turned on his scanner.  Six TIE-Fighters had entered the area.  It was only a matter of time before they found him.

"No time to sit and wait, BB-8.  We've got to get out of here!"

He took off, flying low over the planet.  One of the TIE-Fighters peeled away from its formation and followed him.  Poe maneuvered to shoot it down, then jumped into light speed.

Great.  Haasa's mission may have just been made impossible.  Unless the other five hadn't noticed him.  He could only hope that they weren't able to latch onto his magnetic field, or else they would be able to track him back to D'Qar.

To be careful, he jumped to different systems, then home.

Landing, Poe was greeted by Lieutenant Connix.  "Mission status?"

He sighed and shook his head.  "I don't know.  Has Haasa come through on the comlink?"

She walked next to him as he headed towards the command center.  "I'm not certain.  Once he is in the TIE-Fighter, he can't communicate with us."

Poe nodded.

Inside the command center, the officers were gathered around the communications desk.  A young officer, Lieutenant Grisal, had taken Haasa's place until he returned.  If he returned.

"Any news?"

As Poe said that, the connection came through.

"This is Captain Haasa.  Stage one is accomplished, stage two will begin in two minutes."

A cheer echoed around the command center.

Poe pushed to the front and pressed down the button.  "How many have spotted you?"

"Just the one.  But he won't be seeing much of anything anymore.  Nasty business though, this uniform smells."

"Alright.  Good luck, captain.  May the Force be with you."

"And with all of you."

It bleeped out.

Poe took a deep breath.  It was a only matter of time now, up to two days before the next transmission.  However, if the coordinates were programmed into the fighter, it would be a simple matter to get there.

One could only hope.