The Other Solo

Chapter 36

D'Qar

Jaina lands her x-wing and ejects her R9 astromech droid (affectionately known as Sneaker). She scans the airfield for Poe's x-wing and breathes a sigh of relief when she finds it. She starts toward him but stops as she sees the Millennium Falcon farther down. Her father exits first with Chewie followed by someone she doesn't know but at the same time recognizes. He's wearing Poe's tan jacket. Finn?

She watches him jog toward the x-wings. He stops and BB-8 rolls past him and heads straight for Poe.

BB-8 chirps to get his owner's attention. Poe turns and is filled with excitement, "BB-8, my buddy!"

BB-8 chirps excitedly.

"Oh it's so good to see you!" Poe grins.

BB-8 chirps again. Poe translates, "Finn saved you? Where is he?" BB-8 twirls in Finn's direction. Poe looks up and sees his friend heading towards him.

"Poe." Finn says under his breath as he hurriedly walks over.

Poe runs toward him chuckling, "Oh no."

"Poe Dameron, You're alive!" Finn exclaims breathlessly.

"Buddy!" Poe embraces him, "So are you!"

"What happened?" Finn asks.

"What happened? I got thrown from the crash. The Resistance found me and brought me back here. I woke up - no you, no ship. BB-8 says that you saved him." Poe says.

"No, no, no, it wasn't just me." Finn disagrees.

"You completed my mission!" Poe excitedly announces.

Jaina walks up to them. Finn leerily looks at her unsure if she will be friendly or hostile.

Poe turns and wraps his arm around her. "This my girl, Jaina. She's the one who found me."

Finn relaxes and holds out his hand to her. Jaina instead pulls him into a hug, "You must be Finn!"

"Yes." He replies bashfully.

She lets him go but holds onto his arms tenderly. "I can't thank you enough for helping Poe escape." Tears begin to well in her eyes, "I'm so sorry I wasn't able to help you back on Jakku."

Finn smiles at her endearment and shakes his head, "It's ok."

Poe cuts in, "That's my jacket?!"

Embarrassed Finn begins to take it off, "Oh here."

Jaina pulls it back on him, "No, no, no keep it."

"It suits you." Poe adds slapping him on the back.

Finn's look changes to serious, "I need your help."

He tells them how Rey really saved BB-8 and how she was taken by the First Order.

"I need to save her." Saddeness and dispair drip from his words, "Who knows what they will do to her."

"They won't hurt her." Jaina reassures.

"You don't know that. You don't know the First Order like I do. You don't know Kylo Ren." He argues.

"I do know Kylo Ren." She says to Finn's amazement. "He needs her so he won't harm her."

Finn looks at Poe in disbelief. Poe re-emphasizes Jaina's words, "Trust her. She knows what she is talking about and she can help."

______________________

Resistance Underground Command

Jaina and Poe run down the stairs to command, Finn struggles to keep up. The stairs are narrow and starting to crumble with age. He squints to focus his eyes in the dark makeshift command center. Despite the dirt and vines, it's bustling with people and old computers. He recognizes Han standing in the middle next to a woman. Jaina and Poe head directly toward them.