Blasters were firing in a destructive rage around you. Your home, all of the homes, engulfed in flames reaching the skies. Screams of your neighbors piercing your eardrums. They were so loud and yet so far away at the same time.
You were hiding in a cabinet in the kitchen and praying to the gods you wouldn't be found. Your dad had told you to tuck in and not come out for anyone but him or mom.
You heard your father screaming out "stop it! Leave her be!" Followed by the screaming of your mom and then... silence. You couldn't hear her cries. You pushed your eyes closed trying to connect your brain to hers but there was nothing but a black wall. Her thoughts silent. You were only six but you knew what had happened. Your mother was gone.
You quietly pushed the cabinet door open to check on your father. He was on his knees next to her crying with his head on her lifeless chest. You could feel the pain and brokenness he was feeling. It was paralyzing as it froze you in that moment.
You father let out a scream of hatred at the cloaked being towering over them. "Why do we deserve this! We've done nothing!" He screamed spitting in the face of the man.
An electric sound of the saber igniting startled you out of your paralysis and you scooted all the way back against the wall.
The saber rose in the air and fell decapitating your father. His head rolled and stopped just in front of the cabinet door. His eyes full of fear looking up at you through the cracked open door.
You let out a scream startling you awake from your nightmare. You were somehow floating in the air above your bed a single hand outreached in front of you like you were reaching for someone. You threw your hand down to your side collapsing yourself out of the air and back into bed with tears rolling down your face. You sobbed heavily into your pillow letting out another scream that sent a wave of energy into the sky releasing emotions with it.
You calmed yourself enough to tightly close your eyes and fall back to sleep hoping you wouldn't dream again of your parents death.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The rising sun teased through your partially open window leaving a perfect streak of light across your eyes. It was time for another day on your small planet of Cielo.
Thought it was small it held a lot of beauty. Mountains, Forrest, and rivers made up the planet as well as the most beautiful sunrises and sunsets. At least to your knowledge as you'd never been anywhere else. Travelers had always marveled at the beauty Cielo held.
You stretched your limbs blinking your eyes as you tried to wake yourself up for work. You owned your shop so you set your own hours but still you liked to arrive early.
The smell of coffee wafted up the stairs into your loft as you heard the friendly mechanical beeping and rolling downstairs. Your tiny droid was already ahead of schedule for you.
Fumbling down the stairs as you wrap your robe around yourself you find your mug on the table next to your usual breakfast, an apple and cinnamon toast.
"Good morning D-O" you chirp to your friend as he rolls over nudging his megaphone-shaped head against your legs pushing you towards your chair.
"Another day of playing with robots and ships"
Breakfast. Shower. Dress and go. It was the same every day.
Entering your small shop on the outskirt of town something felt different. Curiously you walk slowly around your shop lightly fingering the dusty electronic pieces scattered on the shelf's and counter. You sense a presence that was unknown.
You usually worked on the droids for the people on Cielo or ships of adventurers and travelers. Cielo was so small everyone always knew when someone had entered the atmosphere but no one had entered recently to your knowledge.
You head to the back room to fetch your tools but as you flip on the light a figure was waiting in the back corner for you. Startled you fell to the floor and started scooting backwards to escape.
"It's alright" the figures voice whispered out to you. "I'm only here for your help".
He stepped out from his corner and removed the hood covering his face. Though he was an intruder he was handsome with his soft curly brown hair and strong features.
"The names Poe" he said reaching a hand out to help you up from the floor. Hesitantly you grab his hand and stagger to your feet.
"H-hi Poe" you managed to stutter out.
"I heard you were the best engineer on... what's this place called?" He asked looking around the room.
You dust off your pants and answer "Cielo. It's called Cielo."
"Ahh. Well it's beautiful but I've never heard of this place. I don't think anyone has" he laughs.
You snatch a tool belt from the table beside him as you stand almost too close chest to chest.
"It's a lovely planet with great people" you snarled at him. It always annoyed you how much everyone talked about how unknown your were, but in all honestly it made the place feel safer knowing it was out of sight for most of the universe. "What do you need my help with anyways" you said looking up into his soft kind eyes.
"I was just above your atmosphere here" he pointed up. "When my ship glitched out or something. I had just enough go to land quietly here and make it to your shop" he said now pointing towards the doors leading to the ship bay. "It was late so I slept in there until daybreak."
"Well let's look at her I guess" you said wrapping your tool belt around your waist and grabbing the data pad next to the two of you. You walked away from him and into the bay seeing his ship waiting for you. Poe trailed behind you as he pushed the buttons to open the ships doors.
The giant door to the bay began to slide open. You could see out if the corner of your eye that Poe's fingers were nervously twitching at the blaster on his hip.
Then there it was. That annoying ringing pain in your head. You began to feel what he was feeling, which was nervous. On edge. It began to make you paranoid even though you knew what was happening.
The friendly mechanical beeps and whirling wheel rolled in through the bay door. You threw your hand pointing in the direction of the doors button and used your mind tricks to push it from far away stopping the door to only be partially open. You could sense Poe didn't want prying eyes peeking on him and his ship.
"Well who's this little guy!" Poe squatted down to pet the droids head. He seemed to miss the magic trick you pulled off with the bay door.
"That's D-0" you said over your shoulder entering his ship. "He's been my droid most of my life". You plugged your data pad into his control terminal to begin a diagnostic. You could hear Poes thoughts loudly as he enjoyed D-O making figure eights between his legs.
What a curious droid you could hear him loudly thinking.
"He came to our planet on another ship that crash landed here when I was a kid" you answered and quickly realized what you did. Not many knew about your special gifts.
"Hu?" He asked walking into the ship towards you and the terminal. He was thinking loudly again. Can you hear me?
The data pad started chiming and you quickly started fingering the tablet reading the now finished diagnostics. "Saved by the bell" you whispered to yourself.
"It looks like some type of energy force fried your boards and shorted power. It'll be a quick days fix" you turned to him looking down at the data pad. Poe grabbed your chin lightly pulling it up to look at him.
"You different aren't you?" He asked gazing into your eyes and creating a warm feeling in your chest.
"I don't know what you're talking about" you said stepping away and quickly stepping out of his ship getting as much space between the two of you as possible.
I know you can hear me Poe thought to himself as he followed you off of the ship. He was obviously trying to get you to admit it but you're more stubborn than that. It wouldn't be so easy.
You grabbed your tools and headed to the storage closet to get the pieces you needed for Poes ship. Poe and D-O followed behind.
"Where should I wait?" He asked eyeing you closely waiting for you to make another mistake.
"There is a bar down the road open all day. Or an inn across the street from there. You can take your pick" you said rummaging through the boxes of electrical components.
"I'd prefer to stay as out of sight as possible. Is there somewhere here I could stay? I'll stay out of your way promise!" Poe said standing right next to you and running his fingers across his chest in a cross to say he swears.
"You can wait in the shop. Make sure none of the local kids run in and take off with any of my droid pieces again" you said turning to face him and finding yourself too close to him again. You could feel the heat from his body radiating to yours as you both locked eyes.
Poe gave a handsome grin and said "I'm on it!" As he turned on his heels and headed to his position.
"We're finally alone" you whispered down to D-O as he hummed an electronic agreement.
You spent most of the day repairing fried wires and connecting everything back together. Poe did as he swore and stayed out of your way.
When you put the final replacement piece into the main ship control panel power returned to the ship. Suddenly a hologram message began to play out on the receiver.
A woman appeared that you immediately recognized. She was older but her features still beautiful and soft. Her hair pulled back in her traditional braided buns on the side of her head.
"Poe. Your mission is to find the source of the disturbance in the force and evaluate wether they are a threat or an asset. If they are an asset you can bring them back to us if they want to join our cause. If they are a threat... you know what to do" she nodded and the message switched off.
"Princess Leia..." you whispered.
"It's not nice to listen to someone's private messages" Poe appeared behind you. You turned around quickly replaying the last sentence of the message in your head. If I'm a threat...
You scooted backwards as far as you could until your back met a wall trying to put as much distance between the two of you as possible. His legs took long quick strides aggressively closing the distance between the two of you.
"You have nothing to be worried about" he said now chest to chest with you again and tucking a loose strand of hair behind your ear. The resistance can protect you. I can protect you.
"You're part of the resistance?" You spoke quietly as fear was still bubbled in your throat.
"You can hear my thoughts" he said stepping back and holding both your shoulders with his large hands. His eyes reaching into yours like they were searching for something. "You're one with the force aren't you".
"I'm what? With the what?" You shook your head not understanding his question.
"Do you know what the force is? Who the resistance is? The first order?" He questioned letting go of your arms.
Ducking around him and walking out of his ship quickly you said "no, yes, and of course". Poe followed your footsteps keeping speed directly behind you. He reached out spinning you around to face him again.
"No? You don't know what the force is?" He asked more confused than before. "You use it but you don't know what it is?"
Realizing he meant your special tricks you said "you know what it is?" Hoping that maybe you could get some answers on the thing that's clouded you your whole life.
"Well not exactly..." he said. Disappointedly you turned back around and continued your walk back to your seat in the shop at the counter and crossing your arms. "I don't know about the force but my captain does and she can train you! As well as her brother.." he trailed off.
"I don't need training and I'm perfectly happy right where I am. I'm not interested in getting involved in your little war or choosing a side. My planet is quiet and safe. I like our simplicity. You can take your ship and go. Repairs free of charge as long as you get out of my hair" you scratched pen to paper making notes to yourself of the parts you used to fix Poes ship.
"You disturbed the force last night. Anyone who wields it heard you. There will be others that come to find you and your planet though unknown will no longer be safe" he quickly squatted next to you grabbing your hands and looking up. Almost pleading for you to join him. "You won't be safe" he whispered.
"How did I disturb the force?" You laughed. This has got to be some weird space traveler prank or something. It's all starting to sound a bit too ridiculous.
"I'll be honest" he stood. "I don't know the details. I know nothing about the force! Leia heard you and she sent me here. Somehow my ship really did short right above you as I circled your planets atmosphere figuring out where to land to search for a 'disturbance'. And here I am. I told her. I said 'I'll have no idea what I'm looking for!' But did she listen! Nope. Then I-"
"You're rambling" you interrupted as you stood and grabbed a broom to start sweeping the floor. Anything to distract yourself from this ludicrous conversation.
He grabbed you again pulling your forehead to his and you could smell the desperation in his heart. Your mind connected to his as he loudly projected imagines for you to see.
Destruction. Death. Flames. Blackness. A red saber. Screams of fear and pain. Blasters quickly shooting. Then calmness. Sadness. An image of dead bodies scattered across the floor of a destroyed ship. A man standing on the other end of the room adorning all black robes and the red saber unstable and ejecting from the hilt in his grip. Fear filled your heart.
You pulled back desperately trying to escape the nightmare Poe was projecting.
"I knew you'd see it if I showed you" he said. "I needed you to understand what would happen now that your existence has been found. That is what happened to my last ship. I was the only survivor" Poes heart started to feel heavy and you could feel the brokenness he felt. You did understand and you began to feel afraid you couldn't let this happen to your beautiful planet. Not again. A tear quietly snuck itself down your cheek unexpectedly. You knew what you had to do.
"If I come with you what will I be doing?" You asked tentatively.
"Well this of course" he gestured to the shop around you. "We could really use a great mechanic like you. Clearly" he laughed looking towards the ship bay.
"He goes everywhere I go" you said pointing to the droid shaking in the corner.
"Deal" he said holding his hand out. You shook on it and that was it.
Good bye Cielo.
You boarded Poes ship with a small bag giving one last glance back at your home.
You never thought you'd see the day you'd have to leave this beautiful planet.