Poe was already getting his x-wing prepped when Snap and Kare came running already suited up. "Where did she go?" Kare asked breathlessly.
"She went to get whatever information she could from that conditioning facility." It was obvious that Poe was worried sick.
"Alone?" Snap asked.
"That's a suicide mission without back up..." It dawned on Kare that Diana knew that and intended on not coming back. "Send us the jump coordinates. Maybe she'll stall."
Poe nodded and relayed the coordinates to their ships. "We gotta get a move on."
~
"Clearance code 49228."
"Welcome to Institution Platform Three Lieutenant."
"Such an unassuming name," She thought to herself. It had been easy enough to get past initial security but her main worry was trying to not get found out before she was able to transmit the information out. Diana flew in following all First Order protocol to a tea. When she had let go of the controls she noticed had much her hands were shaking. It got worse when she noticed Elrik's interceptor was docked on the other side of the hanger.
Diana regained composure and hopped out of the cockpit where she was met with whom she assumed was a captain.
"Commander Vonreg wants to see you." The Captain couldn't have been that much older than herself.
"Yes, of course. I will go see him right away. Where is his office located here?"
"Top floor Lieutenant. I can escort you there if that would..."
"No, I'll be fine. I'm sure I can find my way there." Diana walked past the captain without removing her helmet. She wasn't sure if anyone would recognize her but it wasn't uncommon for pilots to keep their helmets on until they got to their bunks. It was all too easy.
No one gave her a second thought. She had followed all the protocols so everyone was alerted that there was a new lieutenant on the station. Now, Diana just needed to get to a console in a secluded area. She began to think about the training floors.
Diana took a look at the lift and chuckled. This time no one would know. She headed towards it and indicated that she wanted to go to the top floor, but before she let it go up too far she stopped it on a training floor that didn't seem like it was in use.
The lift doors opened and Diana stepped out into an empty hallway. Her timing was perfect. Most of the students were either in their bunks or doing chores. She stepped into an office inside one of the training rooms. "Let's hope they didn't change too much of the security on these things since I've been gone," she said as she sat at the desk.
She put in Elrik's login information and took a sigh of relief when it accepted the information. She knew that any new stations that were being built would show up here since many of these new stormtroopers would inevitably end up at one. Diane scrolled through the list of new, and recently built stations. One stuck out. Normally, stations would list the coordinates followed by the station's name and function. However, this specific one had just a planet name listed with the function listed as Quintessence.
Diana wondered when the First Order had figured out how to harness quintessence. The Empire had been trying to figure out how to do it for the majority of their time in power, but how did the First Order figure it out? This alone could cause trouble for the Resistance. She took another look at the planet that was listed as the base. Ilum. It was once home to a Jedi temple until the Empire took it over and mined it for its kyber crystals.
That's when it hit her. She had vaguely remembered Elrik mentioning a weapon that was in the works. It would be powerful enough to wipe out entire systems.
"Diana!" A voice came over her coms.
"You shouldn't have come Poe. You could easily get yourself killed."
"I could say the same for you! Where are you on that thing?"
Diana thought for a second if she should tell him. Their presence would alert the station making her situation a little more precarious.
"That I won't tell you. What I will do is send you this information that the Resistance needs to see. I was too afraid to send it directly to the base fearing that they might be tracking any signal so I was about to just broadcast it everywhere but this is a better plan."
Diana immediately worked to get the files ready to send to Poe. She locked onto his signal and began the transfer.
"Ok, I am receiving the files. Once they're done transferring you get the hell out of there. We'll be waiting for you just outside of the perimeter."
"Sounds like a plan." Diana watched as the bar finished loading. "Ok, I'm heading back to the hanger."
"Ok, just act casual."
Diana rolled her eyes. No one had caught on to her yet. She got up from the desk and headed towards the elevator. Diane began to feel anxious as she watched the elevator come from the floors above. The turncoat was shaken when the doors opened revealing Elrik glaring at her.
"Lieutenant, did you get lost? I came looking for you." His voice oozed out making her shudder.
"Sorry, sir I was mistaken as to where your office was. I was heading back down to have myself escorted there." Diane stood next to him trying to control herself. She could kill him here, but that would just make matters worse and make her escape impossible.
"No worries. I will just take you there myself." He changed the destination of the elevator and with a lurch, it went upward.
"Is that him?" Poe asked over her com.
"I was surprised to see you here commander," she said confirming Poe's fear.
"I had heard reports of your interceptor being stolen and there was an increase in Resistance activity in the area. So, I decided to make sure everything was running smoothly."
"That's quite proactive." Some time went by with the tension growing between them with each floor they passed.
"So, what name do you go by now DN-1001?" The question took her off guard. "You really thought that you could get past me? I'm insulted."
Figuring that there was no point, Diana took her helmet off to eye him. His blonde hair was slick back just as regulation dictated but, it was those piercing blue eyes that terrified her.
"Diane. My name is Diana. now"
He chuckled a little as the elevator stopped and opened up. "Well, Diana would you please come with me to my office. There are some things I need to speak to you about." His arm was outstretched leading her out.
"Diana get out of there. Kill him if you have to! You have to get out!" Poe's voice rang in her ears making it hard to keep the tears in. They stepped into his office that was small for a station this size. The wall behind his desk was nothing but a window observing the asteroid field that surrounded the station.
Poe ground his teeth feeling helpless. They could do nothing without alerting the entire station and putting them all at risk. All they could do was sit and listen praying she could find an opening to get out.
Elrik got uncomfortably close to her. She could smell his cologne as he stood just behind her. "Did you think you could escape from me?"
She looked dead ahead, "I was looking to right my wrongs."
"What you did wrong? You were the best pilot in the Order. We could have restored order to the galaxy together and yet here you are. A traitor."
"You disgust me."
Elrik slowly backed away and came to face her. There was a fury in his eyes. She had betrayed him. "I disgust you? How about this, you disgust me. Imagine it. My fiance in the bed of that Resistance scum Poe Dameron. You are nothing but a whore"
Without thought, Diane punched him in his right cheek. The Commander fell to his knee and stayed there for a moment to collect himself. "So, tell me how did you find all of that out?"
"Oh, I was just making an educated guess, but that reaction tells me it's true." He chuckled as he got up. His arm reached out quickly and grabbed her kneck restricting her airflow. "So, tell me why are you here?"
"Wouldn't you like to know." He got frustrated and threw her onto the ground. "Poe get out of here. Get that information to safety."
"Oh, so he's here? Well, I hate to break it to you, but your prince charming isn't going to be able to save you." Elrik turned and headed towards the desk. "Cinder Squadron we have Resistance fighters in the area. Find them and destroy them." Diana saw her opportunity and ran out of the door while he wasn't looking. Elrik seethed as he ran after her.
The elevator door was opening with two stormtroopers walking out. "Excuse me!" She yelled as she ran into the elevator. The doors had just barley closed before Elrik could reach them. "Everyone be on red alert. We have a prisoner lose."
Diana stood in the elevator breathing heavily, "Poe get out of here! They know you are here. I will get out and meet up with you. Just go!"
"Not until you're out!"
"Poe! We've got company! We have to get out now!" Kare alerted them of the oncoming squadron. The T.I.E. fighters came into view for the three x-wing pilots.
"Poe go, please. I love you. Just go." The elevator came to a halt and opened to a troop of stormtroopers with their blasters aimed at her.
"So, this is how it ends." It was the last thing Poe, Snap, and Kare heard before her signal was lost.
"Poe we have to go now!" Snap began firing at incoming fighters taking out two of them. Poe had to snap out of his daze to quickly turn around and fly out of the field.
"Making the jump to hyperspace. Let's get home." Poe's voice was solemn. He was on autopilot. He had loved her and she loved him. Poe tried to remember what her lips felt like, how her body felt against his. That smile. It was so rare yet so pure.
Another lost. The woman he loved gone trying to face her past and make a difference. BB-8 made a few quiet beeps. "No buddy she's not coming home."
Author's notes: We are coming to the end of this story! Just one more chapter! I hope you've all enjoyed it so far. Love and cookies!