The Daughter of Reylo

Its Time (24)

Finn slept soundly. Poe stood, quietly navigating the room. He took one last look at his husband before placing an envelope on the dresser. The man held back a sob as he left the room for the last time.

No matter how badly he didn't want to he had to contribute to the war. He'd asked why a drone couldn't do his job for him- they said that their technology could now detect drones from actual pilots, defeating the diversion.

The hallways were quiet, in the nighttime. Before the suns rise, and the many stars still shine brightly above them. Nobody stirs.

When he entered the main hall, Poe met a few people. A handful of janitors, a few technicians, and a pilot. She'd been given the same task as him. They solemnly made eye contact, neither saying anything.

"Dameron? Sair?" The commander approached them. He looked tired, and sickly. He told them to get into their bombers. He'd never flown one before.

"Remember what we discussed."

"Drop the bombs, hop a buzzer. We got it." Sair said, bitterly. They'd probably die in the buzzers, zooming around and distracting the crew.
_______
"No- no!" The voice woke Padme from her dreamless sleep. "Don't touch her!"

"Shh," Padme reached over to touch Doe's arm. The slightly smaller child stopped shaking, and was peaceful once more. Padme day in the dark- awake now.

She heard the soft snores of her mother from across the room. She'd taken the couch, letting Padme and Doe take the bed. Padme decided to get up and walk around, finding it pointless to sit in bed unable to sleep.

"You leaving anyone?" A lone voice echoed through the base.

"A husband. A friend. You?" Padme recognizes that voice. She followed it.

"My sisters, my mum. She's old, she won't miss me for long." There was a pause as Padme got closer, still unable to see them. "Do you have any siblings?"

"I used to. Lots of 'em. Practically raised 'em." Poe and the stranger were sitting on crates with their backs turned to where Padme was.

"May I ask what happened to them?" Noticing that Poe did not want to talk about it, Padme intervened.

"Hello, Poe."

"Padme?" The open door let splendid rays of light into the room, reflecting off of all the fliers. "What are you doing up?"

"Couldn't sleep."

"Does Rey know you're here?" Padme shook her head, then asked who his friend was.

"Rimnit Sair." She introduced herself.

"What are you guys doing in here? It's so early."

"We've... uh..." Padme was confused as Poe and Aloona made eye contact. They looked sad.  "Got to run a special mission."

Padme looked into their eyes and knew that wasn't the case. Somehow... she... no, no that can't be.

"You're going to die?!"

"Padme-"

"I don't want you to!" She stomped her foot, looking like a small child. In a way, she was.

"We don't have a choice-"

"Yes! Yes you do... you always have a choice. Just don't go. That's a choice."

"Then we're jeopardizing the lives of everyone. The war will be practically lost if we don't do this. I promise, we won't die in vain." Poe reaches out to touch her, but she pulled away.

"I liked you, Poe! You can't just... leave me! Not like everyone else! I... I can't let you!"

"Padme-"

"I said- NO!" With her shout, two of the electrical pads exploded. "It's happened again. Oh no, oh no!" She held her head in her hands and crumpled to the floor, pulling at her hair.

"Calm down, shh-" both of them kneeled down to hold her as she started mumbling. Rimnit tapped Poe on the shoulder, and he realized that his watch was glowing. It was time.

He left Padme on the ground. There was nothing he could do. Hopping behind the wheel, he started firing up the engines. Luckily Padme hadn't destroyed anything that would have stopped the bombers.

Without a look behind him, he flew right in the direction of the blazing sun.
________
"Hey, hey wake up." Rey shook the sleeping child awake. They sat up and rubbed their eyes.

"What- what? Who are you where-"

"I'm Padme's mother, Rey. Remember? You're in the rebel base." Doe calmed, recalling the events.

"Where is she?"

"I was hoping you could tell me." They got up to go look for her. They stayed together as they navigated the sea of bodies searching for breakfast.

"You're not my kid," a deep voice behind them said. Ben stood with a smile.

"Oh Ben," she gave him a smile.

"Where's Padme?"

"We're not sure. Want to help us look?" He nodded, not again asking who Doe was.

______
"We attack in just under an hour. Is everyone ready?" Hux asked, for the fourth time in fifteen minutes. He got all yeses, for the fourth time in a row.

"I hope that Kylo's still hiding here. I'll tear him apart. Slowly. Agonizingly slowly." He said to himself. He was ready to fight. So, so ready.