Charisma~ Poe Dameron

Not all who die stay dead

There was a bite to the wind as they neared the cliffside. It pushed the tall grass down and shook any residual sand from Aria's braids.

She followed after Rey with Finn, Poe and Chewie just behind her. Behind them were the droids who had a hard time navigating the uneven hill.

When they reached the peak Aria understood the cold wind. The cliff dropped off at their feet, tumbling down a tantalizing thirty feet to tall, malignant waves that crashed into the sharp, jagged rocks at the base of the cliff.

Aria had to pull her gaze away from the bleak water and aggravated waves to see the reason for their trip. Through the salty misting that lingered just above the ocean, she found the astronomical piece of an old Death Star. She looked at the semi-circle at the top of it- the eye of the old moon. She could still picture it all pieced together and hanging in the sky, ready to obliterate any planet it wanted.

The sight gave her chills- maybe it was something to do with the ominous, low hanging storm clouds that draped over it like a loving coat, or the history engraved in every morsel of its cold metal. Whatever it was, the chill never faltered.

"Wh-wh-what is that?" D-O asked as he rolled up to view the sight.

"It's the Death Star," Rey's voice portrayed her own distaste for what laid ahead. "It's a bad place from an old war."

Aria gulped as the darkness radiated off the old weapon. It reached out for her longing, just waiting for her to return its embrace.

"It's gonna take us years to find what we're looking for." Poe stepped up beside Aria to look over the massive structure.

Being close to Poe helped fight off the darkness. She still felt it lingering, but it weakened.

"Only this blade tells...." Rey whispered as she looked into her satchel. She rummaged through it before she found the dagger and pulled it out. She looked at the outline of the blade then to the hilt. She ran her finger across it and felt a slick nick along one of the edges. Something gave, and she pulled it out to find a thin, curved compass with black ticks marked every few millimeters.

"What is it?" Aria asked as she stepped away from Poe to join Rey's side.

Rey held the blade up towards the Death Star to compare the blade's unique carving to the weapon's horizon.

Aria squinted as she watched Rey slowly move it across the length of the old moon. She slowed as she found a part of the Death Star that perfectly lined up with the dagger's grooves.

Finn and Poe slowly walked up to Rey's back as she lowered the blade to fill in the gaps. The compass came to a triangular point, which landed on a small black room extending out of the old weapon. It was too much a coincidence to mean nothing.

"That's it." Aria decided as she looked from the dagger to the room. "The Wayfinder's there."

Their rush at the revelation was cut short by the foreboding sound of stomping and animalistic growls.

"Head's up," Poe warned the others as he pulled his blaster and aimed it at the strangers.

They all turned just as obraks rode up behind them. The obraks were huge, horse-like creatures with tusks extending up from their frothing mouths. On the backs of the orbaks were humans all without weapons.

Aria grabbed her pistol from her thigh holster and raised it in her right hand. She pressed her finger against the trigger despite the pain it sent through her palm.

"Rough landing." A lady with beautifully chaotic curly hair mused. She had goggles placed along her hairline to keep the wind from pushing her curls in her face. Her clothes were well worn and loose enough to fight in- that was the first thing Aria noticed about her.