Danger Zone

Chapter 3: Briefing

Around us, no one speaks or moves still but a slightly growing disquiet starts up at my sibling's words. Briefings, no matter how big or small, are serious matters, typically for the worst. And I sense that this is no different....however I do sense some optimism in Poe that I guess he will explain in his briefing. Leia nods before leading us back inside, into the Conference Room located in the Command Centre, while the massive bushel of people slowly disperse back to their assignments; knowing that they will be informed of the most important sections of the newly returned pilot's report.

Inside the Conference Room, the highly ranked officers are already gathered to one side of the room, discussing the First Order's latest known movements. From the sounds of things, there's no knowledge of recent intelligence on Jakku....not until....

The conversing stops when the officials notice the three of us entering the room. However, their heads immediately perk up when they realize that one of us is the one and only Poe Dameron, who has been labelled M.I.A since the third day he was gone. From the look in their eyes, the seniors are surprised....positively surprised....that he is finally 'home'.

Ushering themselves to the centre of the chamber and around the large holographic projector. I stand beside my brother with General Leia on his other side. I take notice on who was here, picking out the notable characters that have been around since the time of the Rebel Alliance and the Empire; Admiral Ackbar being one of the major ones besides General Leia. It's always nerve-racking being in the presence of personnel of higher ranks; but having Poe at my side keeps me calm.

Feeling everyone's undivided attention on him, my brother began informing in a serious and urgent manner "There wasn't any complications on my mission until after Lor San Tekka handed me the piece of the map to Luke Skywalker. The First Order attacked the village of Tuanul; four squadrons at least."

Murmurs brew at this news as the high ranking Resistance staff were making sure with each other if they heard my sibling right, terrible shock thickening in the air. I keep my mouth close, peering at Poe with a sinking feeling in my heart. My eyes go to the other Force Sensitive residing the meeting; grimness plastered to her face as she silently processes the information.

"I advised Tekka to hide and, in return, he advised me to leave. BB-8 and I quickly reached my X-Wing so we could escape with the artefact; however we couldn't take off. A Stormtrooper shot the back of the X-Wing, severely damaging the engine that would take days to repair. So I gave the map to BB-8 and told him to escape while I grabbed my gun to help defend Tuanul from a hidden spot very close by," our pilot continues after everyone confirmed with each other that they heard right. He pauses, thinking of how to explain the rest of his mission.

Within that break, my mind goes to BB-8, wondering where my brother's cute and bubbly little droid friend is now. My droid, BB-6, is also a close friend of BB-8, the two getting along like siblings, and I also get along with him. BB-6, who looks exactly like BB-8 (but has violet instead of orange on her) and who I've nicknamed '6', has barely left my quarters since both Poe and BB-8 were tagged as M.I.A's. She's obviously been trying to figure out the location of her droid friend while worrying of his status.

"Kylo Ren arrived just as soon as the Stormtroopers found Lor San Tekka and gathered the villagers to the centre; surrounded. Kylo demanded that Lor San Tekka give him the piece of the map. But Lor San Tekka passively refused, causing Kylo to get impatient. Before I could react, Kylo Ren killed Lor San Tekka."

More dumbfounded whispers circulate around the holographic projector. Pure dread reflected off Leia's face at the news of Lor San Tekka's death. Poe doesn't need to finish this part of his recount on his mission for everyone to know that the Stormtroopers mass slaughtered the entire village. Each person currently in this gathering can tell....as it's the First Order way to kill everyone that opposes them, housed those that oppose them or any innocent being that unfortunately stood in their way to greater power over the galaxy.