Kylo Ren

XIII

A distress signal sounded throughout the control room.  Lieutenant Connix, who had been sitting idly by, jumped up to see where it was coming from.

"Endor!" she called as General Organa rushed in.

Afren looked up from her handbook. "What?"

Connix silenced her with a glance and picked up the transmitter. "This is Resistance One. What is the problem?"

Static.

Afren walked over to Lieutenant Connix's position. "Mother? Father? Anonra?"

Poe stood from his position. "I'm going out there."

"No, Dameron, you are not." General Organa didn't even look at him.

"With all due respect General, they need me out there. If I don't get there soon, they could all be dead. For all we know, they are."

Before she could respond, Poe was out the door. Jess followed him.  BB-8 was already by Poe's X-Wing.  He climbed up.  Jess motioned for him to turn on the private channel and she climbed up into her fighter.

"What is it, Testor?  Going to follow me and make sure I don't do anything stupid?" Poe said irritably, starting off.

Jess gritted her teeth at the nickname, given to her by Geo because she always tried everything.  "Partially.  Also, we may need more fighters."

"Two isn't going to do much," Poe complained grimly.

"Hey, it was your own idea.  I'd be surprised if General Organa removed you from your position."

He considered turning around and heading back. But it was too late. The deep green planet loomed into view.

Poe took a deep breath.

"Where to?" Jess asked.

"Follow me," he replied, flying low over the treetops.  Smoke drifted over the horizon.

Soon the source of the smoke came into their sights.  The trees were on fire.

A muffled sound came through Poe's radio.  "Jess?  You alright?"

"Yeah," she took a breath.  "It's all gone."

Poe didn't respond.  He flew down towards the clearing he'd landed in just a few days before.

The entire village was on fire.  An Ewok crouched over a little dark-haired girl.  The little one who'd opened the door, did she have a name? He didn't know it. Jess landed just a bit behind him, and to the right.

He hopped out, desperate to see if the Bendals were alright.

The ladder was burned out. Poe wasn't in his flight suit though, so he could move more freely. He ran to a smaller tree and used it to get him to the first branch of the massive tree.

Winding around the tree, he reached the hut.

Nobody.

He descended as quickly as possible, scanning for Jess. She stood by something smoldering and a blonde girl, who was crouching.

Anonra?

He ran over. But when he saw the girl's face, he stopped.

Afren was kneeling over the charred remains of her father and mother, tears staining her face.

Poe helped her to her feet and hugged her, but shot a glance at Jess that said they would talk about this later.

She sobbed into him. "They're gone, they're gone!"

"I know," he said, stroking her hair slowly.

Jess walked around the remains, spotting a necklace on the ground. When she held it up, Poe recognized it as one he'd seen Lara Bendal wearing. He motioned for her to hand it to him.

When Afren's crying slowed, he showed it to her. She took it, wrapped it in her fist, and pressed her closed hand to her mouth, shaking in silent sobs.

Finally, Poe led her to his X-Wing, and she wedged herself in the back, behind his seat. Poe left before Jess, and switched his radio from the private one to the one with the command center

"This is Black Leader. The village is totally destroyed."

Afren let out a muffled sob behind him. He reached back with one hand to touch her and make sure she was alright.

"Who else is with you, Dameron?" It was Jacen Grisal.

"Jess Pava brought Afren Bendal with her.  I have her in my X-Wing."

"Copy."

When they landed, Poe helped the still-sniffling girl from his X-Wing.  BB-8 rolled along behind.

Jess ran up behind them and tried to take Afren to her room. General Organa strode out of the command center and shook her head.

"Marie!"

A young red-head came for Afren. She led the devastated girl away to help her clean up.

Jess tried to walk away.

"Pava, Dameron, come with me."

Inside the command center, Jess and Poe sat down in two chairs, General Organa pacing before them.

"Both of you disobeyed my commands, choosing instead to put yourself and one of our trainees in danger," she said, stopping.

"General--" Jess started.

She was silenced with a look.  "Because of that, there will be punishments.  Poe Dameron, I have a mind to lower your position."  Poe shifted nervously.  "Unfortunately, there is no one else who is capable of taking your position.  So, as your punishment, you will spend two months doing sanitation, with no patrols.  You may only fly if there is a battle."

"Yes, General," Poe said with a nod.

"Now, Jess.  You not only disobeyed me, but you brought a child into a war zone."

"General, she's fifteen!" Jess protested.

"And still a child.  Your punishment is a demotion, although no public service."  General Organa watched the young officer.

Jess gulped.  "What's my position?"

"We only have one place open.  Blue Three."

She sighed.  It wasn't as low as she thought she'd go to, but there was a good chance she'd be stuck there forever.  "Yes, General."

"You are dismissed."

Poe ignored Jess the rest of the day.