Stargaze [Star Wars Sequel Trilogy] ✔︎

XIX. General

It had been a week. A week since Rey left. A week since I began my pilot training. Poe believed I wasn't ready to fly into space. I had flown the Millennium Falcon, its not that hard. I now sat in the white hangar on the Resistance Cruiser. I had on an earpiece.

"Hopbett, this is Dameron." He said. "Hear you loud and clear commander." I said. "Tapping you in." I said. I reworked some controls to have Poe send a communication to the First Order, a method of stalling before we took out one of their destroyers cannons.

"Hey, should I insult Hux?" Poe suddenly asked. "He is a bit pasty." I smiled. "As fun as that sounds." Leia began. "No." I could almost hear Poe pouting on the other end. I heard BB-8 beep. "Happy beeps here, buddy come on." Poe urged the droid. Leia shot me a look and I wiped the grin off my face. "For the record Commander Dameron, I'm with the droid on this one." Leia said. "Thank you for your support General." Poe sassed. Then there was a long and loud ring. I wanted to take off the earpiece but continued to serve.

"This is Commander Poe Dameron of the Republic fleet, I have an urgent communique for General Hux."he said awaiting an answer. I supposed he got one but Poe had to stall for this to even work. "Hux sounds like Hugs." I mumbled into the mic. I saw Leia hide a smile.

"Hi, I'm holding for General Hugs." Poe said. Another pause. "Ok, I'll hold." This banter continued for a few moments longer. Suddenly his ship jerked forward. He fired at the ships guns and cannons. "Woohoo! That's got a kick." He said.

I saw the other pilots begin to mount up. I wanted to head to an x-wing myself, help the resistance. It was hard to even move under the princess turned General's gaze.

"Taking out the cannons now. Tallie, start your approach." Poe said. "Copy that." Tallie replied. The First Order couldn't take out the x-wings. We were at too close of a range. "There's one cannon left. And here comes the parade." Tie fighters zoomed after them. I head BB-8 chirp in fear. When a tie's blaster it him, sparks flew damaging his x-wing. "No!" he chanted panicked. "Dammit!' "What?" I asked. "Weapon systems are down. We got to take out that last cannon or our bombers are toast." He said before then speaking to his droid. "Make your magic work buddy."

Then the First Order's cannons came to life once more. They fired on out base. I saw the ship lead by Lieutenant Connix flee out of D'Quar and attach itself to our cruiser. I ran to help them inside and went back to the control room. The evacuation was complete. "You did it Poe. Now get your squad back here so we can get out of this place." Leia said. "No General" Poe said. Oh no, he did not just deny the General. "We can do this. We have a chance to take down a dreadnaught. Those things are fleet killers. We can't just let it get away." Leia rolled her eyes. "Disengage now. Commander that is an order!" She said. Then the feed cut off. Poe had cut us out.

Next to Leia, a gold droid with a recently replaced arm, stood nervously. "Wipe that nervous expression off your face Threepio." Leia muttered. I bit my lip to hide a laugh. "Oh well. I'll certainly try general. I'm nervous." C3P0 said.

A few moments later, the bombing fleet ran by. Leia collapsed into a chair defeated. It's a victory for the resistance but a failure to their numbers. I recognized one of the bombers to be Paige Tico. I watched as she gave a brief hug to her sister Rose and got in the ancient bomber. I'm not sure if it was the force or pure intuition, but I feared most would never return. I could tell Leia and I were thinking the same thing. She looked at me and nodded. "You have my permission Lilly. Get into an x-wing and stop them." She said. I ran to quickly change into an orange jumpsuit and boarded a ship. When I sat behind the controls a flash overcame again.

"Ready Stargaze?" My father's voice said. "Go Daddy Go!" I said sitting on his lap on his rebellion x-wing. We took to the skies over an ocean. It was beautiful. So beautiful. We didn't go too high. My mother just a speck on the ground. My aunt stood next to her.

I took to the starry sky, blasting at oncoming tie-fighters. "Dameron stop this now." I said. "Nice to see you Lillian." his voice was almost mocking me. "This mission is doomed." I said. He ignored me. But as if on cue, the bombers were all taken out. Only one stood. Tico.

"Paige!" Poe said. "Drop the payload now!" It was a few moments. I fired at the remaining tie's. The bombs then dropped. The bomber exploded. The remaining pilots cheered. I took the ship back to the hangar. I got out, shooting a glare at the commander as I walked by. I then saw another friend.

Finn walked in front of the hangar with fluids shooting out of the bacta suit he was wearing.

Poe got to him first. Poe and I hugged him before realizing we got bacta fluid over us as well. Finn just looked confused. "Hey buddy. It's so good to see you." Poe said. "How are you feeling.?" I asked. Finn nodded blankly, trying to connect the events of the week before. "Let's um." Poe stumbled over his words. "We need to get you dressed. Come on." We helped him stand with us on either side of him.

"Poe, he doesn't have anything to wear." I reminded him. I was wearing some of Leia's old clothes for the time being, at least before the jumpsuit. "I think I'll have something." Poe said. He turned his attention back to Finn. "You must have a thousand questions" Poe asked him. But Finn only had one. "Where's Rey?"