The Darkness Within /a Kylo Ren Fanfiction

Chapter Ten

Jano woke to find tall dark shapes around her. They were trees. He hadn't killed her. He hadn't captured her. He'd left her. Again.
Why does he let me live, while so many others fall by his blade?
His leaving her felt so strange, the warm sensation that had prickled her skin was gone. Jano stood up too quickly and sat down again because her vision was cloudy. There was something shiny on the ground under some leaves. "My saber." Jano summoned it to her and held it tightly. "Ben's saber." She felt an unfamiliar electric-like jolt in her body as she drew the saber. That's never happened before. Maybe I've just forgotten the feel of it. She took a minute to look over it and make sure it hadn't been tampered with. It hasn't. Strange, if I had another Jedi's saber I would dissect it. Using the light from the saber, Jano slowly made her way back to Maz's castle. She'd lived by these woods so long, that she did not even need the saber. The sight that met her eyes was shocking. Rumble. The entire building toppled to powder and stone. A light came from behind a large piece of the building. Jano put away the saber and creeped up on top of it to peek over. Instead of seeing troopers, Jano saw Maz and a few Resistance fighters. Jano slid back down the side of the rock and came face to face with a gun. "Who are you?"

"A friend of Maz Kanata."

"Liar."

"Really? Ask her about Jano. Or better yet, take me to her. She's on the other side of this rock, you know that right?"

"I'm not taking you to her, you might be an assassin." The blonde haired resistance fighter squeaked.

"Yeah sure. MAZ!"

"Who called me?" Small footsteps pettered towards them and Maz's face soon came into view. "Is that Jano? My dear! It's good to see you. So many tragedies since we last saw you. But come over by the fire, then we can talk." Jano winked at the resistance fighter and smirked as she followed Maz.

"JANO!" Something collided with Jano's body and she was lifted in the air. As she was lowered, she got pulled into a deep hug. "Thank god. No one knew where you were. We didn't hear from you."

"Poe. I'm fine. I just had a bit of a run in with Kylo Ren." Jano hugged him back. Ahh. Body heat, so comfortable.

"Kylo Ren?!?" Poe pulled away from her, looking her dead in the eyes. "Dark man, crazy mask, Kylo Ren?"

"Yeah."

"What happened?"

"I'll tell you when we get back to the base. I need to catch up with Maz."

"Fine. But I'm not letting you out of sight till you've gotten a medical check and that story. We leave in an hour."
He reluctantly let Jano go and watched as she walked to a seat next to Maz.

"You were there when Tekka died?" Came the quiet question, after Maz had given Poe a knowing look. "I was told that he died bravely."

"Yes. He did. I saw him get struck down." Jano's mind flashed between the two dreadful massacres she'd witnessed in her life. "What happened here?" She tried to ignore it by glancing around her, but she found similar chaos. Remains of dead customers, some Jano recognized as regulars, the bodies of troopers, a pile of their armor stacked nearby. The smell of smoke and death permeated the air.

"Han Solo and a few friends came to me for help. They wanted to get to the Resistance. They were apparently wanted by The First Order." She spat. "Someone reported their presence here and they came. We saw the republic fall. Whole planets destroyed in mere moments. Dreadful. My life's work is gone. But they got what they wanted. A Jedi. Her name is Rey. She came here aboard the Millennium Falcon with Solo and a man named Finn. Very troubled boy, Finn. Anyway, in getting what they wanted the First Order destroyed my life's work. I have to start from scratch."

"This is dreadful. I saw the girl get captured, but I was unarmed."

"You were not, you have your saber."

How do I explain this saber? Jano saw Poe watching her. He'd noticed the saber too. Wait... Did Maz say Finn?
"I'm sorry Maz. Is there anything I can do? Perhaps now you could retire, you liked that idea a few years ago."

"Yes, I did didn't I. Ah. Maybe this is a sign. I might open a small place, nothing like the old one, but still a place to come together. I loved that about this place. I'm going to the resistance base for now.. Then I'll come back here alone. Alone I said. And I'll clean up this mess."

"But you can not possibly be here alone!"  Jano protested.

"I'm old but I'm not inhibited, Jano. I'm going to stand on my own two feet and take this like a woman."  Jano and Maz talked for the rest of the hour until Poe ordered everyone onto the last evacuation ship. He however would be taking his fighter. "Jano. Come here." Jano ran up to him.

"What? I have to catch that ship."

"No. I said that I wasn't letting you out of my sight." Poe said putting an arm around her waist. "You are riding with me."

"Poe, you are being unreasonable."

"No, I'm not. I keep losing you, and it makes me sick to my stomach when I don't know if you are safe, or lost, perhaps dead. Please. Do this for me, and don't fight against it."
Jano wanted to struggle, she wanted to refuse, to stand up for her freedom of choice. But the look in his eyes, the heartbreaking thoughts that she dared to read. There was no choice, she would go with him.

"Alright."

"Thank you." Poe fiercely kissed her forehead. "Up you go."
There was only one seat, again.

"You just can't resist the chance to do this again." Poe smirked as Jano sat on his lap.

"Careful, Dameroen. Recall what happened last time."

"Right. Well strap up." After they were both secured in the seat, they took off behind the evacuation shuttle.

"So tell me about the saber." Poe said once they'd started towards the Illeniam system.

A/N: Sorry about my spelling! I am not great with Star Wars names/planets/systems/groups! Let me know what you think! Give input for the next few chapters! I'm all ears!

What do you think of the Poemance? Eh?