AWAKEN

92

AMARA FOUND herself sitting at the cliff side hours later. She had sat back down but not near the edge like before. She was sitting on a log a little away.

The sound of a stick snapped gained her attention, but she didn't lift her head up. She knew who it was before they made their presence known.

"Mar," It was Poe.

She heard the sound of beeping. He had brought BB-8 to help find her.

Amara lifts her head and looks at the white and orange droid. The droid rolled over to her and rested against her legs while beeping concerned beeps at her.

Amara touched the droid.

"This might not be the right thing to ask, but how are you?" Poe asks her.

Amara looks back at him.

"I- uh," Her voice sounded unsettled, "I'm alive, aren't I?"

Poe frowns.

He didn't like that as an answer.

He walked over and sat down next to her. He wasn't surprised to feel Amara rest her head on his shoulder, even when she was having a nervous breakdown, Amara still found comfort in Poe.

"That fight," Poe sighs, "That fight brought out the worst in you and I."

Amara lifts her head and looks at him.

He wasn't playing around. Poe was coming right out and saying exactly what he was thinking instead of beating around the bush.

"You- You did something incredibly stupid by rushing off like that, Amara. I- I can't believe you- you did that." Poe says, "I- I can't believe you thought letting yourself die would be what was right."

Amara frowns, "You wouldn't have understood," She says.

"Because I'm not a Jedi? Amara, I get it. I get feeling guilty that I'm the one alive and not my friends." He tells her, "I feel guilt that I survived Exegol and not Snap."

Amara watched as Poe stood up.

"He was going to be a damn father," Poe says, "And then he- he blew up in the sky."

Amara looks away.

"I get you had a feeling that doing this was to make what you did on Exegol right. I- I get it, but Amara, you have a right to a life. You- You deserve so much. You've done so much for this galaxy for Force sake." Poe tells her.

Amara looks at her feet, "But- I-," She sighs, "I know it was stupid. I was beyond reckless and shameful to make that choice without giving you a chance to talk me out of it."

Amara looks at him.

"But I- I had to take that chance. I wanted a better future for you. For Orson." Amara stands, "I couldn't let Orson be dead. With how those Force users found us on Tatooine, I- I knew I had to go and end things."

Poe looks at her.

"Like you said it yourself, Poe, Snap was going to be a father. I didn't want more families to suffer, so I decided my option was the right one." She explains.

"Even if your family suffered." Poe tells her.

Amara had tears in her eyes, "I was willing to do anything to guarantee that you lived."

Poe walks over to her.

"I was going to get myelf killed by Karawn after you died." Poe confesses.

Amara furrows her brows.

"I took your saber. I was willing to let myself be cut down if that was going to come next." Poe says, "Nothing mattered anymore to me."