AMARA'S HANDS were shaking. Her body was trembling. And yet, no one, not a single soul knew what had happened to Ronon besides Amara and Torrin, and both were traumatized on what had happened to even comment on the issue.
Torrin was being treated for his newly given head wound, but also being lectured by not only his higher ups but Janan, who was worried sick about his friend.
Amara was taken to the medical tent with Torrin, but was guided in with Ben and Rey. Ben had given some of the officers some orders to make sure Rose stays clear with Orson until Amara comes out of this daze and finally stops shaking.
Poe was by her side the entire moment he saw her being guided out by Ben and Rey. Poe was tightly held by the younger woman, who seemingly no longer wept, but rather was silent.
After being given the okay by the medical droid, that is when the questions began to rumble. Poe, Finn, Rey, and Ben were all inside the room standing in various spots of the room. Meanwhile, Amara was sitting on the medical bed provided in the medical tent.
"What happened in there?" Finn asks.
"How were you able to fully take on Ronon alone?" Rey asks.
Poe lifts his gaze from Amara over to her big brother. The two men shared a similar look of concern for the silent brunette who hasn't yet muttered a word on what has happened yet.
"Excuse me," Ben says addressing everyone inside, "Can I have a moment with my sister?"
Finn gives a confused look, "What?"
"Ben?" Rey asks.
Ben doesn't look at anyone but Poe, "Please, general." He says.
Poe looks from Ben to Amara.
He can see how much Amara is suffering and is being eaten away by whatever happening inside. Inside the cell. A conflict that only three other people knew what had happened and it seems like no one is talking.
Whatever happens has them rattled.
Poe glanced back at Ben and nods, "Very well."
Rey opens her mouth to protest, but is met by Poe glancing at her and even Ben giving a look to object her next words.
"Please," Ben says, "I think I know how to help her,"
Finn nods, "I mean you are family," He says.
Finn begins to head out, followed by Rey who kept glancing back, and lastly Poe. Poe was the last to leave but halted at the entrance and motioned for Ben to come over to him.
"Take care of her," Poe says, "She's my everything."
Ben gives a small smile, "I know." He says, "And I will. I owe her a lot."
Poe nods.
The general leaves the former Sith to do whatever Ben had in mind to help ease Amara. Once Ben was alone with Amara, Ben looked over at his sister and could sense her pain.
"Killing him doesn't make you a monster," Ben says, "He was going to harm you or Torrin. It was in defense."
Amara finally moves.
She shakes her head and finally locks eyes with Ben. Her eyes looked hallow and filled with exhaustion.
"There was a number of things I could've done," Amara says, "I- I didn't have to kill him,"
Ben walks over and knelt down in front of her. His hands rest on her knees and he looks up at her.
"Amara," Ben says, "He would've tried everything to kill you or Torrin. What you did was justified."
Amara shakes her head with a frown on her face, "Then why doesn't it feel like that?" She asks with tears in her eyes, "Ben, I killed someone. That isn't something someone should be okay with."
Ben sighs and looks at her, "Yeah, I know, but making your making yourself all upset over killing a murderer." He says.
Amara says nothing.
"I was suppose to kill him, Mari, not you. I killed his brother and I started this." He says, "I didn't want you to be like me. Tainted reputation. A twisted soul."
Amara looks at him.
"You were suppose to stay pure," Ben says, "And- And I'm sorry you had to cross that line today, but as awful as it is, you made the galaxy a little better knowing that he isn't around to harm anymore people."
Amara frowns, "But we've started a whole new issue," She says, "The Brotherhood."
Ben nods, "I know."
Amara pulls back from her brother.
"What is it?" He asks, "What are you feeling?"
"Discomfort on what is to come." Amara says, "I sense something in the Force, something bad and it concerns me."
"It might be the Brotherhood." Ben says.
Amara looks at him, "I meant with me." She says, "Something is clouding itself in the Force from my sight and it concerns me."
Ben frowns.
Amara reaches her hands up to her head, "I don't want to believe those voices when I was on Naboo. I don't want to believe I- I could turn over," Amara says, "I- I just-,"
Ben stands up. He reaches forward and pulls Amara's hands off of her head, which causes Amara to lift her gaze at him. Ben then pulls his sister into a tight hug.
"Mari. Mari. You're going to be okay. I know it because you are probably the most level headed person here. And that counts Rey, you are too aware of everything around you."
Amara just buries her head in her brother.
"If you feel something coming, you won't allow yourself to slip into the void of the darkness. You are too smart for that, Mari." Be says.
Amara just stood there in her brother's embrace and began to sob. Ben just squeezed her tight, mentally thinking that if he were to let go of her, that she'd vanish from his grasp.
{A NEW ORDER}
POE WAS with Orson when Amara left the medical tent to seek him out. Orson was actually in Black One. Orson was sitting in the cockpit with a big smile on his face.
"You fly this?" Orson asks Poe.
Amara stepped back, allowing them man to bond more with the boy.
Poe nods, "I use to a lot, but not so much since becoming general." He says.
Orson looks from the controls to Poe. Poe was standing on the ladder and was showing Orson, who was sitting in the cockpit what each button and control does.
"Do you miss it?" Orson asks.
Poe gives a sad smile, "Everyday," He says.
Orson glanced at him, "Well why don't you fly more?" He asks.
Poe kept the smile on his face, "I have a lot to do as general, Orson, and as much as I'd love to get into my X-Wing and fly away, I have responsibilities here."
Orson nods, "Oh,"
Poe then leans a little forward, "But maybe one day you and I can sneak off and take Black One on a test drive." He grins, "Although, let's not tell Amara."
Orson giggles in response while nodding, "Okay."
Amara grins and shakes her head, "Too late," She says, "I know you're little secret."
Orson and Poe turn to the direction of Amara's voice. Orson's face lit up with a huge smile on his face, while Poe had concern but it filtered away probably due to not wanting to concern Orson with the serious issue that took place.
"Amara-!" Orson smiles, "There you are."
Amara smile, "Yeah, here I am." She says, "And you are in an X-Wing."
Poe turns to Amara, "It was my idea."
"Figured," She says.
Poe climbs down the ladder and stays there allowing Orson to climb out of the cockpit and then run to Amara. Poe watched as Orson waited no time to get to Amara, as he sprinted over and practically leaped over to her.
Amara embraces the boy.
"I was wondering how long it was going to take until you found me," Orson says giggling, "Poe said you had to go to medical because of rules and stuff."
Amara had a small smile on her face, "Y- Yeah," She says.
"So everything is okay?" Orson asks pulling back from the hug.
Poe steps over looking at her.
Amara looked from Orson and then to Poe.
Poe had his concerned look back. He was worried about her, which was given. He reached out and held onto her hand.
"Yeah," Amara says looking back at Orson, "I'm okay. Everything is okay."
Orson nods, "Alright." He smiles, "Good."
Amara looks from the young boy to Poe. She knew this was something she was never going to fully avoid.
{A NEW ORDER}
A FEW HOURS past and Amara finds herself and Poe at her secret spot that is beginning to not feel like a secret. More people know of it's location now than it had before the events of Exegol.
Poe sat down next to Amara by the edge of the formation. They have their feet hang from the side. As they sat there, Poe and Amara sat in silence. Poe was patient. He was going to wait for Amara.
"How was Orson when you went back for him?" Amara finally spoke.
"A little worked up," Poe explained, "He wanted to see you so we told him you had to go to medical cause it was the rules."
Amara nods.
"So to decided to show him my X-Wing," Poe says with a small grin, "I thought him being focused on that would make him forget about being worried about you."
Amara gives him a small smile, "I appreciate you distracting him."
Poe looks at her, "He's a good kid."
"He really is," Amara says.
Poe had his hand resting on top of Amara's hand. He looked from her to the sky in front of them. The clear blue sky above them, although he preferred the starry nights.
"So want to tell me what happened in there?" Poe asks.
Amara sighs, "I killed Ronon."
"I figured that," Poe says, "But how did it get to that?"
Amara was rambling and shaking.
"N- No-," Amara had tears in her eyes.
Poe reached out and hugged her. He was soothing her by rubbing her back. He kissed the top of her head and rocked back and forth while embracing her.
"It's okay," Poe says, "It's over now."
{A NEW ORDER}
AMARA BLINKED her eyes and realized she was on D'Qar. That was weird. She was on the old Resistance base.
She looked around and noticed no one was there.
Everything felt off.
Amara reached for her saber.
"What is going on?" She asks herself as her hands held onto the handles of her blades.
She begins to walk from the tarmac towards the inside. She walked down familiar corridors, corridors she recalled walking down for years while the Resistance lived there.
She found herself in the hangar and then found the mechanic area. She remembered so many times she would run off instead of doing her duty to come here and socialize with a good friend. Her mother would send someone to drag her if need be back to her post.
"Going down memory lane huh, Mar?" Spoke a familiar voice.
Amara turned around.
Standing there was Vira.
"Vira?" Amara spoke in utter shock.
Vira looked different than before. She wore a long sleeve black shirt, black leather shorts, long black boots, and black fingerless gloves. Her hair was down and straight. She had redden and yellow eyes.
"Something is wrong?" Amara spoke, "This isn't right."
"No, it isn't right. My best friend gets to get married and I got killed." Vira says, "Talk about who got it right."
Amara shakes her head, "No. This is a dream."
"A dream?" Vira asks, "A dream?"
Amara watched as Vira reached to her belt and then pull out a handle of some sort of weapon. And then without much force, Vira ignited a red lightsaber.
"A lightsaber?" Amara asks, "Okay, now I know this is a dream."
"You really want to make that bet that this isn't going to hurt you?" Vira asks, "Cause either way, I wouldn't mind stabbing you."
And then Vira charged forward. The red saber slid across the arm where Ronon had cut it earlier, which caused some small pain to return.
Amara winced and then ignited her green blade.
Once Amara saw the red blade coming back again, she quickly blocked it and then spun around to strike at Vira. Vira dodge it by doing a flip.
"I died and you forgot about me," Vira sneered, "It shouldn't have been me, it should've been you."
Amara shakes her head, "Vee."
Vira pushes her blade against Amara's, the two were trying to push their blades to hit the other person, but were stuck in the battle of who can shove the other.
"But the Brotherhood doesn't forget," Vira says, "They're all knowing. They know your strengths and they know your weaknesses."
Amara's eyes narrow.
"It won't be long now," Vira grins, "Until you and Karawn meet."
Amara shoves Vira back through the Force and Vira went tumbling back. She rolled and hit her head on the ground, but did manage to start to get up.
"Mar?" Vira spoke holding her hand on her head, "Is that you?"
Amara turned off her sabers and walked over all concerned over her dear friend.
"Vee?" Amara asks.
When Amara was merely inches from Vira, something changed. Vira had a smirk on her face and then reignited the saber, the saber then stabbed through Amara's chest. Amara gasped.
She looked at the red glowing blade through her body and then to Vira.
"Too easy," Vira says.
And then Vira pulled out the blade and Amara stumbled back. She hit a wall and slid down the side, holding the wound in one hand and bracing herself in the other hand.
Vira stood over and pointed her saber at her.
"Goodbye, Mar." Vira says and then stabs her again.
Amara woke up startled. She had fallen asleep in Poe embrace in the Falcon and noticed he was rolled with his back to her, topless but completely asleep.
Amara sat there in a cold sweat.
She was panting. She was terrified.
"W- Wh- Wh- What was that?" Amara asks.
(re-uploaded: 7/20/21)