End of the Beginning (A New Hope Series)

Chapter Five - Forgiveness

   Poe landed quickly and jumped out of his X-Wing then looked around at the wonderful scene. So many smiling faces, so many beautiful reunions. There was so much to celebrate! The Resistance had finally won, the First Order was defeated, and Palpatine was gone for good! The people were finally free of the First Orders clutches and could finally be at peace. Poe grinned and let out a joyous cry. The people all greeted him graciously as he joined them to celebrate. He walked through the crowd, greeting people and congratulating them, but most of all, thanking them for their contribution to the war. It was because of each and every one of them that the Resistance was able to win. They had risked their lives to fight for what they believed in, and in their sacrifices, they had given others the hope to fight as well.

With a grin, Poe greeted and thanked as many rebels as he could. He couldn't help but feel the overwhelming emotion of happiness. Happiness and shock. He'd dedicated his entire life to fighting for this war, and he'd never imagined he'd be able to see the end of it. The end of the sorrow and the beginning of peace and true happiness. Poe had forgotten such things existed. It was true that he'd found such moments of joy amongst his friends, but the bigger issue had always made itself known and drown out his happiness. Those moments never had lasted long. But now...? Now they could live the rest of their lives in happiness and freedom.

    Though he was looking for a few people in particular, Poe knew that it was his duty as acting general to greet any of those he passed. After all, these were the people who had sacrificed their lives and helped them win the war. So Poe kept true to his duties, as Leia would have wanted and continued to socialize with the other commanders and officials, as well as the lower acting citizens. Poe still kept an eye out for Zorii, Rose, and Beaumont though. They were the ones he was worried about. Rose and Beaumont especially. Zorii.... Poe sighed. Zorii knew how to take care of herself. He was sure she was alright. Finn, Rey, Jannah, and Chewie would be on the Falcon. He was still worried about them, but seeing as the Falcon had not yet landed, they wouldn't be there.

   Upon hearing a loud eruption, Poe looked up and saw a large ship landing amungst the crowd. Speak of the devil. He grinned and hurried over to the Falcon where his friends emerged. Finn was helping Rey walk down the loading ramp, supporting most of her weight. Poe hurried over and slid his arm around her waist to support the rest of her weight. Her arm fell around his shoulder and she smiled weakly. "Thanks Poe." He smiled and let out a joyous laugh, pulling them both into a large hug. Rey hugged him back graciously and Finn smiled. It was then that Poe saw Zorii. He gave her a quirky smile and a nod, asking her to join them and she shook her head. Poe smiled knowingly. She wasn't one for crowds. So instead he focused all of his attention to Rey and Finn, knowing that Zorii was safe.

   The hug lasted for several minutes before Poe pulled away. As soon as they broke away, Rey began to collapse slightly and Poe supported the rest of her weight. She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths. Poe frowned, seeing the injuries that covered her body. "Come on. We have to get you to a medic." Rey shuddered but placed a hand on his chest. "No." She said weakly. "There's something I have to do." Rey groaned and pressed a hand to her side and Poe's brow furrowed. He looked over at Finn who's expression was grave. Rey sighed. "Poe will you help me? I need their attention." Finn's expression was still grim but held some amusement. "Your going to want to hear this, pal." Poe's brow furrowed but he nodded.

    Poe and Finn gently released Rey to see if she could stand on her own. She managed to hold her own weight fairly well, gaining some strength through time. When she was ready, Poe stood. "Hello everybody!" He waited for everyone's attention then continued. "First off, I would like to thank you all! You are all responsible for bringing victory to the Resistance! Whether your contribution was large or small, you are all war hero's!" Poe said and the crowd let out a cheer. He grinned. "Secondly, I would like you all to bring your attention to our bravest fighter, this amazing girl who stands beside me. Without her, we would not have been able to win this war! She singlehandedly defeated the emperor and brought peace to the rebellion!"