42: A Poe Dameron Love Story

XIII

"What? How?" Poe yelled from the bottom of the stairs.

"He must've been on a different transport," Rey said.

"Your friend is on that sky trash?" Zorii asked Poe.

"I guess he is," Poe said.

C3-PO rose from the table. "Might I introduce myself? I am C3-PO: human-cyborg relations, and you are?"

"Okay, that's going to be a problem," Poe huffed.

The little alien spoke up. "Hello, I Babu Frick," he said to the droid.

"No time for that, let's go!" said Rey.

I grabbed my bag of armor and began putting on various pieces as we went. All that was left in the bag when we exited the shop was my helmet.

"Where's my rifle?" I called to Poe.

"Back on the ship!"

"I need a blaster, something!" I said as we turned a corner.

"Poe!" Zorii called after us. She produced a small metal disk from her pocket, "Might get you on a capital ship. Go help your friend."

The lot of us stopped running and turned back to watch the exchange.

"Zorii, I don't think I can take this," said Poe.

"I don't care what you think," she said, shoving it into his palm.

The roaring of TIE fighters could be heard as the entered the planet's atmosphere.

"We have to go," Rey yelled.

"Come with us," Poe said to Zorii.

"Poe—" she urged him.

"Can I kiss you?"

"Go," Zorii insisted through a laugh as she pushed him away.

We jumped back on our ship and crammed into the cockpit to see if the little metal disk would work.

Poe started up the control panel. "Medallion's good," he said.

I wanted to punch him in his smug face.

"Clear for entrance, hangar twelve," Poe said into the intercom.

He landed our ship within the star destroyer. "Kai, stay here and guard the ship," Poe said.

"No, I'm not staying, I'm coming with you all," I protested.

"Are you sure you're well enough to—"

I stepped on Poe's foot with my heavy boots. "That's for taking off my helmet."

I twisted my heel now further. "That's for Kijimi."

I wound up my fist as if I were about to punch him. Poe flinched. "I'm coming with you," I said firmly, taking up my rifle.

I stepped off the ship and shot two approaching stormtroopers, the rest of the group following after me.

"Which way?" Rey asked Finn.

"No idea, follow me!" he said, leading us into a hallway.

Two more stormtroopers came at us. "Drop your weapons!" one ordered.

Rey stepped forward. "It's okay that we're here," she said, waving her hand.

"It's okay that you're here," the stormtroopers repeated. They lowered their blasters.

"You're relieved that we're here," Rey said, waving her hand again.

"Thank goodness you're here," said one. "Welcome, guys," said the other.

"Does she do that to us?" Poe whispered to Finn.

"We're looking for a prisoner and his belongings," Rey said.

The stormtroopers pointed us in the right direction. We ran down the corridor.

"The cameras," I said. I shot out one then scanned the wall behind me.

Finn punched a passcode into the door lock and we were in.

Rey turned, sensing something. "The dagger is on this ship. We need it . . . I'll meet you back at the hangar.

"Rey—" Finn began.

"Let's get Chewy," I said, pressing forward.

We made it to the prisoner room and pulled Chewy from his restraints. He let out a growl of thanks.

"Of course, we came for you, Chewy," Poe said.

"Yeah, Rey's here. She's going to get the dagger," Finn said.

As we left the room, we were caught in a shootout. Stormtroopers seemed like they were coming from all sides. They had found us.

I leaned around a corner just far enough to take out two.

"Let's go! The ship is this way!" Finn said once we had shot down most.

"I am a trained sniper," I yelled as we ran. "This is not my cup of tea!"

"Try a blaster!" Poe said, tossing me one from a fallen stormtrooper.

I slung my rifle back over my shoulder. "We close?" I asked, firing the little weapon.

"Straight ahead!" Finn said.

We reached an intersection of halls.

"Halt!" yelled a stormtrooper.

Poe took a hit to the shoulder and slid to the floor in the center of the intersection.

I took a knee next to him and picked up his blaster, defending him. I fired my blaster at troopers down one hall and Poe's down the other.

It was too late. We were already surrounded.

"Drop your weapons!" ordered one trooper.

I thought maybe I could win. Twenty blasters were trained on me, Finn, Poe, and Chewy.

Reluctantly, I dropped my prized rifle.