End of the Beginning (A New Hope Series)

Chapter Seven - Wishes

   It had been two days since the end of the war. Poe had been going crazy with all the council meetings and responsibilities he had to face following the end of the war. It was up to him and Finn as acting generals to place commanding officers in charge of the settlements they had decided upon. The planets that the Resistance had been protecting offered housing to many of the Resistance's troops, which had been a blessing in disguise. They also offered food and supplies that they needed to care for their wounded, another blessing in disguise. Now it was all just a matter of deciding what leadership was to be set into motion and how the government would rule.

   The people needed freedom. That had been the goal from the beginning. They did not want one governed rule. That was what the First Order had set out to establish. Instead, Poe had the idea that there be several sets of governed law that ruled over small territories. There would be laws set into motion, securing the people's freedoms and rights and treaties would be established between each government to connect the people. That way everyone had a choice to their beliefs and their freedoms. Many officials and commanders had agreed with this settlement and Poe, as general, had set the action into motion. It was a lot to handle. Much paperwork and many meetings and group councils to attend. But Poe was satisfied with the outcome.

   Aside from that, Poe had to watch over Rey and wait for her to wake up so that he could speak with her about her child. They had to find out where the child would be raised and how it would be raised.  It was certain to be Force sensitive with two Jedi's for parents, one being a former Sith. If Ren had ever been a Sith, Poe wasn't sure. But nevertheless, this child was both a Skywalker and whatever Rey's lineage was. Poe sighed. He knew was Rey's lineage was. He'd tried to deny it but deep down, he knew. Rey was a Palpatine. He'd seen it that day on Pasaana. When she'd destroyed the ship that they thought Chewy was on. She'd used lightning, just like Palpatine.

   Grimacing, Poe buried his face in his hands. Nobody knew about the child except for him and a few others. He knew that if the council found out, they'd argue that the child was too dangerous to be kept alive. Especially if they found out it was a Palpatine and the sole heir of the Supreme Leader, Kylo Ren. The odds were just too dangerous to argue with. The people wouldn't feel safe, they would want the child destroyed. Poe couldn't let that happen. For Rey's sake and the baby's. It was an innocent child, it had done nothing wrong. It didn't deserve to be labeled for its lineage. Just as Rey did not deserve such a tainted name.

With a sigh, Poe made his way into his room. He took off his jacket and threw it on the bed then walked over to the dresser with a sigh. Another thing that bothered Poe was that he couldn't get Zorii out of his head. Poe looked in the mirror and groaned at his worn down expression. His eyes were sunken in with dark circles surrounding them and his hair was messy, untamed, and unwashed. He couldn't understand why Zorii would even want to be near him. He hadn't bathed in days. He was sure he smelled horrid. Poe sighed as he pulled a fresh pair of clothes from his drawer. He needed a shower. Not only would it sooth his nerves but it would make him a lot easier to be around for everybody else.

   Zorii had visit him several times in the hospital while he watched over Rey. She was just as concerned for their little heroine as he was. He had assured Zorii that Rey was strong and would make it through this. She was a Jedi after all, but Zorii was still worried for Rey. Poe knew that because Rey was pregnant, Zorii held a soft spot for the girl. Zorii loved children, babies especially. Rey was almost ten years younger than either of them and the pregnancy was hard on her. He hadn't meant to tell Zorii about Rey's pregnancy and felt awful about revealing it, but he was also glad that Zorii looked out for Rey.

Poe entered the bathroom and turned on the water then waited for it to get hot. It wouldn't get very hot because they were limited on their hot water supply, but warm water would be better than nothing. After laying his new clothes on the sink, Poe stepped under the stream and sighed. Thankfully, it was hot enough to help his muscles to relax. The tightness in his shoulders and neck seemed to be relieved as he scrubbed what little shampoo he could spare into his hair. Poe enjoyed the moments of peace. The only bad thing about the shower was that it cleared his mind and allowed him to think. He didn't want to have to think about his problems.