𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 | 𝘱. 𝘥𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘯

• 𝘹𝘹𝘪𝘷 - 𝘦𝘭𝘺𝘴𝘦

"You have a big opportunity to make them trust you for the rest of their lives. Don't pass that up, Poe." Snap says.

Poe nods, taking the helmet from Snap. Snap pats his shoulder twice, then nods at him.

"Go show then what a real fly guy looks like." Snap says.

Poe nods. Poe looks at me, approaching me. We stand face to face, our faces less than a foot apart, probably about six inches apart.

"Are you alright, Elyse?" He asks, pulling his gloves on.

I nod, helping his Velcro around his gloves.

"I just don't want you to get hurt." I whisper.

He laughs, shaking his head, his chocolate brown eyes staring me down.

"I'm not gonna. Trust me. Whoever is sending them, we'll take care of them every time until they take the hint. We've got this." He says.

I nod. He can tell something is off.

"Meet me at my Apartment after, alright?" He asks.

I nod again. We spin around, looking at the initiates. I join the group.

"Initiates, Enemy Aircraft have entered the atmosphere and are opening fire on the citizens just beyond those bay doors. Tonight, you prove to me that we trust one of another. Tonight, in a group activity, we prove just how much we trust one another. I will rely on your skills and you will rely on mine to survive the night. We're in this together." I say.

They nod, looking at one another.

"Captain Dameron, sir, where are you going?" Jade Moore asks.

Poe points to his X-Wing behind us.

"As a Pilot, you are pushed to the limit ten-fold compared to any other department in the Resistance. Pilots decide who to shoot down and when to do so. Pilots play a mental game every time they decide they have an opposing craft to attack. Right now, I am playing the mental game of how to take care of these craft without hurting any citizens below. Any ideas?" He asks as he approaches his X-Wing.

Hana Roark raises her hand, looking up at him as he climbs in.

"Fly over water. The crash won't hit the citizens and the ships will sink to the bottom." She says.

He smiles, nodding at her as he pulls on his helmet.

"There's an intercom over by the two stationary screens. Go watch the screens and update me. This is our bonding activity." He says.

BB-8 is loaded into the craft, and Poe takes off, flying up into the atmosphere with the Crafts. We approach the screen, standing beside Snap.

"Poe, you're tearing up on the first craft. If you can find a way to lure out of the base over a body of water, you could avoid any citizen casualties." Snap says.

"Affirmative, tower." Poe replies.

I bite nervously at my nail beds, watching his ship on the map.

"Is Organa-Solo there?" Poe asks.

Snap looks back at me, waving for me me to come to the intercom.

"I'm here, Captain," I say, standing beside Snap.

Poe grows ever closer to the ship, causing my heart to pick up in pace.

"I think this is Ben," He says. "I think Ben is sending these attacks."

I raise an eyebrow, looking up at Snap, then back at the map.

"What?" I ask. "Why Ben? What makes you think this is Ben?"

I can hear a heavy sigh in his voice.

"He would know the coordinates, wouldn't he? He's lived here since you guys were kids. It would make sense, wouldn't it? Send someone to destroy anything connecting you to your past." He says.

I close my eyes and inhale sharply. He's right. This is Ben. As much as I want to pretend it isn't, I can't any longer.

"You're right. God, that's genius. Of course, why hadn't I thought of that?" I ask.

A loud rumble echoes through the intercom, causing my heart to plummet into my stomach. The marker on the map indicating his location disappears, the map flashing rapidly.

"Captain?" I ask, pressing the button. "Captain, are you there? Poe?"

The other end of the line is pure static. I look over at Snap, my eyes wide and full of worry.

"What happened to him? Where is Poe?" I ask.

He shakes his head, looking down at the ground. He steps away, but I grab his arm.

"Snap!" I exclaim, making him stay. "That is your best friend out there. He saved your life, now, in return, you need to save his. Get a bait ship out there, now!"

He raises an eyebrow, looking at the blank map.

"What do you mean?" He asks, raising an arm to lean against the wall.

I sigh out, pointing at another X-Wing.

"Someone needs to bait those TIES while Poe takes care of the first one. The code is scrambled and the longer he sits out there, alone, the more likely he is to die. Now get someone out there, now!" I shout.

Snap nods. A tall man with blonde hair runs to the X-Wing, climbing in, and taking off. I think Poe said his name was Peter.

"You can't boss us around like that, little Miss." Snap says.

I stare up at him, raising an eyebrow.

"If my mother or father were here, they would've said the exact same thing." I say.