The unknown soldier.

Off, off, and away!!

"I know 3PO, I know it's past my bedtime, and statistically speaking you are more likely to die in combat when sleep-deprived." Poe drawled on sarcastically. I snickered. "It's a little way  past your bedtime." His chair swiveled around so fast I thought he was going to get whiplash. His mouth was wide in surprise. "You're awake!" he shouted. 

"SHHHHH," I whispered. "If you keep yelling, you and I won't be the only ones awake." At my words, he smiled. I sat across from him, crossing my legs, and started twiddling my thumbs. "So, you wanna talk about earlier?" He asked softly. His eyes turned from joy to compassion. "Well." I sighed. "As I was making my toast, there was a ringing. A high, high pitched ringing. It hurt so bad, it was clawing at my skull." I rubbed the invisible pain in the back of my head from the memory. "Then it died out. But there was a voice. The man from earlier.....Ren, Finn called him." I kept the fact hidden that he was my brother still and took a deep breath. "He said that he wanted to find me, said I knew him." 

Poe abruptly stood. "We need to get Rey and Finn." Grabbing his arm I stopped him. "Please. Don't bother them, plus, I really can't have all the chaos right now. Just us, and BB8." I looked in his eyes, my hand still on his arm. "Please." Slowly he sat back down and let me continue. "I told him, that I didn't know him. I mean, who knows, I could know him under the mask, or if I had all my memories-" I paused, my stomach flipped. I didn't want to lie. But I had to. "If I had all my memories, I might know him, but why would I want to even be familiar with a piece of dirt like that." 

"But you started choking, what did he do to you?" Poe questioned. "Was he in the ship?" I nodded. "Did he try to hurt you?" I nodded again and the man's face turned to stone-cold fury. It hit me that my brother did try to hurt me, my best friend when we were little, tried to hurt me, kill me even. Tears pricked at my eyes, and the weight of losing my family hit me all at once. First my father, now my brother. Poe watched as I slowly crumpled under my pain. I know many have lost more than me but I never thought the one person I loved the most in life, my brother, would try to kill me. Before I knew it, I was enveloped in the arms of none other than Poe Dameron. Wrapping my arms around his neck I buried my face into his chest. I calmed down as I listened to his breathing patterns and his steady heartbeat. 

"Let's get you to bed," he said softly. I nodded slowly, about to let go when I felt myself being lifted in the air. I sniffled. "What are you doing." He swooped me up bridal style. "Poe?" I whispered. "Hold on." was his response. I wrapped my arms around his neck and buried my face in his shirt. Taking in his scent, it smelled of smoky wood, like a campfire, with a hint of fuel. 

After a couple of seconds he laid me in a bed, taking notice of my surroundings, I noticed it wasn't my room. "This isn't my room..." I yawned. The pilot tucked me in. "I know." His voice was low. "Then why am I here?" I tried to sit up. "Well, I want you to feel safe, so you can stay here, I will be on the top bunk." He answered. My cheeks flushed and I nodded as I curled back up. "Ok. That sounds nice." I sang softly. Poe climbed in the bed above me, and his voice was a mere rumble now. "Goodnight, Nat." "Goodnight Poe." I smiled lightly before closing my eyes. 

I woke up in the morning of a Jolt of the ship landing. Looking on the bed above, Poe was gone, so I assumed that he was in the cockpit. After making my bed, I went to my room to put on some clothes. I wore short jean shorts, a black cropped tank, black boots, and a camo jacket. I french braided my hair in two long strands that ran down my back. "You ready Natalie?" I turned to see Finn in the doorway. "Yes, I  am. You?" He nodded and I grabbed my bag to follow behind him. Mandalore was a large city, bustling with people, all of which were Mandalorian. 

Poe, Rey, and Chewie met us outside the ship. Finn went ahead to walk with Rey, and Poe pulled back to walk with me. "Sleep well, Princess?" He asked, smiling. "Good, thank you again, for having me stay with you, Poe." He smiled. "You talk in your sleep, you know that?" He asked. "You kept saying crying out, saying that you needed help...you went silent for a while before saying that you just wanted someone to talk to." My eyes widened and I spoke before I could stop myself. "I didn't have friends." I blurted. Poe looked confused. "More memories came back last night," I lied. "I lived as a prisoner on a star-destroyer since I can remember. Nine years old maybe." 

Poe's eyes turned sad, an expression I've never seen out of the pilot. "Well, we are your friends now, and your family, since you can't remember them. If you did, well, we will still remain your family, just not by blood." His words warmed my heart. "So, you ready to train with the Mandalorians? I heard there crazy." Poe teased. "What you don't think I can handle myself against them?"  I smiled. I had only known Poe for a little bit now, but every time I can talk to him, I am almost always happy. 

"Well," He said changing the subject. "Were here." A beautiful building stood before us, made of solid metal, with glass windows crawling up. The skull, symbol of the Mandalorian, was on a massive banner hanging from the top of the multi-floor building. Guards stood outside, covered by their helmets, as was the way of the Mandalorian. Poe showed them a paper, signed by General Lea Organa. They let us in and we were put onto an elevator. "We will be going to floor fifteen." One of the Mandalorians said. I nodded and we went up. BB-8 rolled around at our feet excitedly. When we stepped out of the elevator, I caught my breath. It was a beautiful room, the ceiling at least ten feet high, pillars made out of polished stone and bits of copper held the roof, the tiles were also polished stone, with along red carpet going down to a lifted platform with three seats. 

"Welcome, Resistance fighters." A female voice said. She stood in front of the middle chair, to her right was an older male, and to her left was a younger male. "Natalie," My head snapped in their direction. "Lea has told me much about you. You will be training with my son," she motioned to the younger Mando. "You must get started immediately if you are going to be here only for a month." The Son waved his hand to signal me to go with him. 

"My name is Rihat, I will be training you." He shook my hand. "Natalie." I smiled. Following him to a small room, I sucked in my breath once again of the beauty. The room was made of metal, the smaller wall had mirrors, and one of the longer walls was windows. I pressed my hands on the glass, my eyes wide. "wow..." I breathed. Rihat stood behind me. "You ready?" he asked. 

I nodded and he handed me a staff as he stepped on the blue mat in the center of the room. I stepped on as well. I played with the staff in my hands. It was slightly shorter than me, and it had a good weight to it. "Alright." Rihat stepped forward, holding the staff out in front of him horizontally. "When your opponent comes at you, this will be your base position. You will always be able to block here and attack here." He motioned with swift spins and twirls. "Come at me." He said. 

"W-what?" I asked stunned. I hadn't prepared to be fighting right away. But none the less I smiled and changed my stance. I struck out hard, but Rihat blocked it. I struck again, only to be blocked. While I was stunned, Rihat took the chance to attack me instead and swiped my legs out with a clean swipe of his staff. Falling on my butt I let out a small oof. Offering his hand I took it and stood back up. 

"We will need to work on it, but you have much potential young Jedi," he whispered. "We will keep your secret together. I cannot train you to the length you need, but I can at least start."