Well, my lovelies. It had to happen. The end of Ab Aeterno is here.

However, fear not. For a sequel awaits you in a couple weeks time.

If you'd like to know the exact date that it begins, you can subscribe to my Fanfic or follow my page on Facebook! Otherwise, keep checking back here for updates.

There's not much I really want to say except... Thank You. You guys have given me so much faith to write this story. Writing for such a loved character and franchise can be really daunting. You want to satisfy everyone, get all the facts right, and still keep everyone in character. You've given me a lot of advice and great opinions along the way, and I'm so grateful that you guys opened your arms to Mara and her entry into the most amazing world ever: Star Wars.

Just a quick note as well. I've hidden a little secret into the establishment of this fanfiction. You can't see it on your phone, but you can find it on a computer. Has anyone noticed it? ;)

Seriously, I can't thank you enough. This one is for you guys.

May the Force be with You.

-Mistro-

~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Poe Dameron had met quitters before. Hell, there had even been rare moments when he had wanted to drop everything and run. Granted, those times could be counted on one hand, but such thoughts were not unfamiliar. Most quitters had given up after their home, lives or loved ones were destroyed. Poe could hardly blame them for turning to causes that threatened the stability of goodness within the universe, particularly after they were left alone.

It was a hard fact to swallow, but the Alliance and the Resistance had been the cause for the destruction of many lives. Although these groups were fighting for peace, an irony in itself, Poe always tried to keep an open mind when meeting with Sith, Empire and First Order sympathizers. Life was funny that way. You were constantly at war, but were required to maintain your sense of humanity.

There were two people that Dameron had never felt empathy for: Darth Vader and Kylo Ren.

Vader, a gifted pupil of Obi Wan Kenobi, had succumbed to peer pressure and the strength of his power. Nobody had done him harm. There was merely a shrouded sense of hurt he wanted to believe was there. An excuse to let leash his full might rather than suppress it. There had been so much potential for Anakin Skywalker, the same potential that his children and grandson possessed, and it struck a nerve with Poe that two out of three men had used that glory for slaughter.

It unnerved him further that the other had simply run away.

These were the thoughts that flooded Poe's head as he kneeled into the rough Jakku dirt, his eyes avoiding contact with Kylo Ren's looming mask. He could feel the heat of the fire beside him, unsure if it was lit before or after the First Order's arrival.

BB-8 was gone. Fled into the night. Poe could only pray to the stars that he escaped without notice.

Lor San Tekka had been killed, but not before taunting Kylo Ren about his past. That was when Poe had lashed out, when the old man's body crumpled to the soil like a ragged towel. Like he was someone who had been of little importance to the Force. Dameron had blown his cover for the pursuit of righteousness, and now he couldn't stop visualizing himself in Tekka's position.

He had been on Death's doorstep before, but now he was beginning to twist the handle.

Kylo Ren stretched out the silence. Embers from the fire floated around the duo like a twisted halo, the quiet hush only interrupted by the shallow breathing of cornered villagers and the crackling of large flames.

"So, who talks first?" Poe's words were muttered swiftly. "You talk first? I talk first?"

Kylo crouched at Poe's height, as if he were speaking to a child. There was some form of a smile etched into his long, black snout of a disguise. "The old man gave it to you."

It was the first time Poe heard his voice so clearly. It was similar to the moment where you awake from a nightmare, but reality still shifts towards your tortured dreams. There was something akin to Vader's muffled orders lingering behind Ren's deep tone, but Poe had been told the truth. Nothing about Ben Solo was physically disfigured. He didn't need to wear the mask. It was to emphasize his heritage, to take pride in the 'darkness' that was within him from birth.

"It's very hard to understand you with all the…" Poe gestured to his face. "Apparatus-"

Two Stormtroopers snatched the pilot's arms tightly behind his back. Hauling him upwards, Kylo Ren ordered a search. Poe's discomfort was evident as rough gloves patted him down. Biting his tongue, he kept his eyes to the sky, where he could avoid the helpless gaze of the Jakku citizens. They clearly hoped Dameron would do something amazing. Something to save them.

He wished the same thing.

"Nothing, Sir."

Poe pulled himself from their grip.

"Put him on board," Kylo commanded.

Before being pushed to the entrance of the shuffle craft, Poe stole a final glance at his captor. Kylo's build was tall - much taller than his own - with a lean, muscular body hidden beneath thick layers of black fabric. It was almost a dress, but the only thing that seemed to capture your attention was the raised hood. There was no sense in wearing it with the entire helmet and mask ensemble, proving that Kylo's desire to frighten others was taken much further than Dameron had expected.

As he was continuously pushed towards the enemy ship, his back guarded by three Troopers, Poe's eyes fell across a solider unlike any he had ever come across. He, or rather 'she' judging by the slight curve of the breastplate, was entirely doned in silver. Her status was undeniable, leading Poe to believe that the First Order was just as powerful as the Resistance had expected.

Just where did these people come from?

Poe's feet were stumbling on an upwards incline into the transporter ship when he heard the blasters pull their triggers. The shouts, cries and pleads of innocent Jakku creatures were slowly silencing, one by one. Eventually, Poe heard none at all. Whether that was because he was already in the ship, or because they had all perished under the command of Ben Solo, he would never know.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Mara stretched her legs inside the small trainer ship. Leia had given her permission to use one of the vintage two-seaters, allowing her to be somewhat at home in the tiny shuttle. She smiled at her own reflection in the glass ahead, the stars elegantly passing her at lightspeed.

That morning had been another success. She had managed to get five hours of sleep, eat a hearty breakfast in the canteen, finish a basic entry book about the components of Alderaan Cruisers, and still have time for a quick run at the gym.

When she took off in the late afternoon, there had been no news from Dameron. How was he getting along on Jakku? Had he found Tekka yet? There had also been no news about the First Order, putting her heart somewhat at ease when making a connection between the two facts.

Now, all that mattered was that her parents were a few minutes away. Mara's uniform, the green fabric already beginning to fade from D'Qar sun and X-Wing oil, had been tucked neatly on Poe's bed, awaiting his or her arrival. It felt unnatural being back in a loose blouse with knitted blue flowers that her mother had sewed lining the neck. It felt even more unusual wearing tight trousers. The only things that hadn't changed were her high ponytail and stained boots. They were practically staples of who she was.

Mara had also made sure to tidy Poe's room in case he were to return before her. She paid particular attention to dusting his X-Wing model, its wings now unusually shiny in the unlit space. A smile had broken out across her face as she had done so.

Coruscant appeared in the ship's main window as she approached her coordinates. The planet, with its thousands of cities, seemed unfriendly upon first sight. There were red cracks marking various zones and districts that resembled unforgiving Mustafarian lava, but Mara could do nothing but smile.

After all, she was home.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Something awoke within the Resistance pilot. The fight was becoming tangible. The ships, garrisons, mechanics, and prison cells on the First Order base were more in number than the Resistance, possibly even combined with their allies. That didn't mean the skill set was equal, but the sheer size of everything was enough to make Poe question what the future would hold.

His arms, once again grasped firmly in the gloves of merciless Troopers, were being pulled down countless corridors. At first he attempted to memorize what he could, in case he managed to escape, but eventually the lines began to blur. The blinding white lights and perfectly polished floors melded into a complex of Hell. There was certainly no escape in store for Poe Dameron. He could only count on his saving or unlikely release.

The prison cells were unmistakable. Shouts rang out from numerous welded doors, cries of torture an unwelcome foreshadow to what lay ahead.

"Move," a guard snapped into his ear. Letting go of him, the Troopers flung Dameron forward into a shadowy room. The sound of the door sealing behind him was not enough for him to take his eyes off the only object there. A heavily bolted chair with chains at the arm and leg rests. "Lock him in."

Poe's body was shoved forward, causing him to stumble into the device. "Easy, fellas…" He laughed in discomfort as they began to strap him in, his peripheral vision blocked by complicated mechanics. "Easy on the goods."

A Trooper leaned near his face without hesitation. "First you will answer to us. If you don't comply, we'll bring in the General. If you decide to ignore him, Ren can take care of you."

"How charming." Poe leaned forward as much as he could manage. Metal pinched the skin on his wrists and forearms as he did so, but he gritted his teeth through the pain. He'd had it worse before. "Looks like I get to meet the whole family."

The Trooper was not impressed. "Tell us your name."

"And why should I?"

Without warning, the edge of the soldier's blaster came flying against Poe's skull. He felt the cold metal hit his temple without mercy, slamming his head sideways against the seat. Something warm began to drip down his face, the sound of monitors and distant screams crescendoing into a ceaseless ring. "Oh," Poe sighed. "That's why."

"Tell us your name," he repeated.

Poe kept his head turned. His eyelids were flickering, unsure if they should block him from seeing what was coming next, or accept it like the man everyone believed him to be. But each time his lids shut, the same scenes were on reply.

There were his parents, Shara and Kes. They had always been good parents. Unlike Ren, he never held bitterness towards them for such a reason. How could he, when they shaped the person he was today?

Then there was his grandmother, his main caretaker. Her smile was like none other in the galaxy, along with her kebroot stew.

And finally, there was Mara. Mara Crescent. A name he never got tired of saying.

He could picture her smile, her sudden burst of laughter from the very morning that he was torn away. There were so many things he wanted to tell her. About his mother and her death, his life on Yavin 4, the gift from Luke Skywalker… Not because it was a way to ease his sorrows of the past, but because he wanted her to be a part of his story. Concrete and lasting.

Poe had spent too much time thinking. The guards were already annoyed, using the edge of the blaster to hit him in the knees. Unable to ignore the pain that danced up his spine like a spider, Poe cried out.

"Tell us your name."

Poe shook his head once. It made the blood drip further towards his jawbone. "You're going to have to start asking some other questions, buddy."

"The map that you received from Lor San Tekka. Where is it?" The Trooper's blaster was already raised, half in expectation that Dameron would not answer.

Poe smiled weakly, his chin pointed towards the ceiling. "I don't like that question. Can we go back to the first one?"

"I'm giving you one more chance to answer."

Poe tilted his head down to look his captor in the faint eyes that he could make out behind the mask. The Trooper at the door was already calling for someone through his communicator. Even if he answered the questions now, Poe knew his boisterous mouth had sunk him into a pit of trouble.

"You're going to find that I'm not the easiest guy to work with." Poe smiled lazily. "Hope you weren't expecting an early dinner."

That was the final straw. Harder this time, and far quicker, the Trooper grasped the nozzle and the bottom of the blaster in both hands. Turning the blaster on its edge, he sent the width of it flying directly into Poe's nose. The pilot managed to turn in the brink of time, avoiding a broken face, but the impact his hit cheek with incredible force. His vision began to blur, the weight of his head unusually heavy on his shoulders.

No, no, no… He shouted at himself. Don't pass out, Dameron… Don't…

His eyes rolled back as the saltiness of his own blood dripped into his lips. From across the room, he could hear a muffled voice overtake his senses.

"Send for Hux. He'll get the answers we need."

~.~.~.~.~.~

The smell of Dex's Diner filled Mara's nose as soon as she stepped out of Coco Town's landing strips. Handing her payment to the guard, she headed home with as brisk of a pace as she could. A few friendly faces in the street waved and asked how she had been, their lives too small and fragile to take note of the fact that she had been gone for months.

She was grateful for it.

Everything felt different. The buildings seemed taller after living on a predominantly untouched planet, their dirty exteriors sending dust and smoke into her lungs faster than she could cough it back out. Ships brushed past her on the newly paved roads, their wide lanes running across both sides of her path. Her grin never stopped growing.

Home.

Just up ahead, she could spot her residential area. Her parents had no idea that she was coming, and the look on their face was going to be priceless. There was so much to tell them, starting with the small bandage on the back of her head, but that was only secondary to the opportunities and adventures she had been a part of.

It was like being a kid again, and all she wanted was to come home and tell mother and father about her day.

There was only one more corner to turn before Mara would be back in a world of warm hugs and delicious food. Her feet picked up the pace just thinking about it, the only thing slowing her down being the three manuals she had packed, along with a change of clothes.

Before she could even spot their house, however, a strange sensation washed over her. The small street where her home lay felt altered. Shifted. As if someone had dug their claws into the foundation and ripped it upwards. Visually, everything was the same, but Mara felt a wave of dread wash over her bones.

Her steps slowed, carrying her over to the opposite side of the street. When she finally stood parallel to her home, the breath that had previously been used to whistle sweet tunes was frozen.

Somebody had been inside.

The doors were unhinged, although not damaged. It looked as if they had been blown off with a blaster, similar to the one Poe had trained her with. Inside, the table had been flipped over as if in quarrel, clearly not a sign of domestic issues between her parents.

Her first reaction was to run inside. She would challenge anyone who tried to stop her, anyone who was potentially hurting her parents.

But after keeping a steady eye on the main window, Mara realized that the house was still. Nothing dared to move. If anyone had been there, they had already left.

And they had taken her parents with them.

Mara allowed herself a moment to shut her eyes and steady her breathing. There were still other possibilities. They could have gone out. They could be at Mateo's. It was the weekend, so work was certainly not an option. But before her mind ran away with her, Mara would examine all the possibilities.

Poe's catchphrase echoed through her head as she headed towards Mateo's.

"Just trust me, Mara Crescent. It will be okay."

~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Poe could feel himself slowly regaining consciousness. He wished he hadn't. It was pathetic to say the least, but he wished he could lay asleep forever, pretending that his body was warm next to Mara's. He wished that he was back on Yavin 4, living a life of contentment. That would only ever be a fantasy, however, and Poe recognized this as his eyes slowly opened.

The blood had dried on his face. It cracked when he moved his muscles, squinting uneasily at the pale man before him. The General's body was straight and bold in its dark colours. He was so unlike the General that Poe knew and loved: the Princess with nerves of steel.

"Hux," Poe spoke slowly. "I've heard about you."

"And I've heard many things about you, Poe Dameron."

"All good, I hope."

Of course they had managed to find his identity while he lay unconscious. Now came the difficult part. He had to avoid telling them about BB-8 and the map to Skywalker. There were certainly other ways he wished to spend his evening.

"Tell me…" Hux began to walk around the chair. His hands were clasped together behind his back like a firm school teacher. Poe suspected they were the only hands Hux had ever held. "Why are you so hesitant to tell my men about yourself? It's almost as if you're hiding something. The location of Luke Skywalker, perhaps." He practically spit the Jedi's name.

Poe shut his eyes once more. "I don't know where he is, if that's what you're asking."

"Of course you don't." Hux was standing before him once again. "That's why you're here, letting us torture you." The paleness of his lips made them sink into his face. His smile seemed twisted in this way, the only sign of life being the dimness of his blue eyes. "By all means, continue to play dumb, Dameron. It brings us great joy to slowly kill a Resistance pilot."

Poe's chin had fallen to his chest in weariness. But the momentary sleep had managed to give him back some strength, which he used to smile back at his captor. "How long are we going to take? I've got a war to fight and should get going pretty soon."

"How long would you like?" His ginger head fell to his shoulder in fake curiosity. "We can do things the hard way or the easy way."

"Whichever gets me out of here faster, because you're not gonna get an answer from me."

Hux didn't need a blaster. Beneath his suit was a well-trained body, its muscles perfectly suited for situations such as this. As Poe finished speaking, the General flung his fist directly into the pilot's mouth. Both of them could feel the blood in an instant, causing Hux to snicker ever-so slightly.

"It would seem as if the hard way is the best option. Let's talk about something else, shall we?"

"Sure." Poe said through gritted teeth. "Why don't you brew us a cup of tea while you're at it?"

"Who's the woman?" Poe's eyes cracked open, giving away any disguise of acting nonchalant. "Aha. You know exactly who I'm talking about. The woman you ran for at the Hutt's palace. The one who you… fussed over, groveled over."

Poe's breathing was suddenly heavy. He could barely talk with the new wound to his lip, but he certainly wasn't going to speak regardless. He would rather die before giving the First Order any information about Mara.

But his eyes had already said enough.

Hux drummed his fingers against his leg, the only expression of merriment that he could manage.

"Shock him."

Poe sat up to protest, but before any words could make their way out of his swollen lips, a flip was switched. Crying out in agony upon the first sensation, Poe's body arched back as a thousand invisible knives pierced his skin. The sound of his own scream was unlike anything he had ever heard. He wasn't sure which was worse: the pain, or knowing that he was being defeated. Every hair felt pulled, every centimeter of skin felt as if it were bleeding, the flesh melting straight from his bones. He wish this were the case, as when he looked down at his hands, they appeared normal. If he were to die by the hands of the First Order, he wanted it to seem like somebody else.

The shock likely only lasted for a few seconds, but upon its ceasing Poe struggled to recall the date, time and place. His breathing was shallow and heavy, his eyes flickering against their will to open.

"You know…" Hux whispered into Poe's ear, his gloved fingers moving away a sweaty curl. "That wasn't necessary, as you've already shown us your weakness. I was simply bored. That's what happens when you fight for the wrong side."

Poe's eyes were still shut. He could feel Hux's warm breath spreading across his cheek like a demonic kiss. "The wrong side… Funny how you think that, and yet you're the one torturing people."

Hux took a step back. There was no longer a smile on his face, not even a dark one. "You can repeat all of that to Kylo Ren and get his opinion on the matter." Turning his back, Poe let his eyes open to watch Hux leave the room.

Of course, the man was not to leave without a parting gift.

"Shock him once more." Hux gave the order just as the doors began to close. "Or as many times as you see fit."

~.~.~.~.~.~

Mateo's junkyard was quieter than her home, as it was placed on the outskirts of Coco Town. Mara figured her job had been quickly substituted, but judging by the eerily quiet atmosphere, her replacement had not come into work that day. Taking a step forward into the open garage, Mara called out as softly as she could.

"... Mateo? Mateo are you here?"

Her hand shook as it touched the blaster on her hip. She couldn't even hear the vehicles on the nearby roads anymore. Nobody had come out of their home. It was as if the village were suddenly a ghost town.

"Mateo…" Mara whispered as she pressed the office door forward. "It's Mara… Are you…" Her words began to slow when she reached the document room. The lights were flickering from unpaid bills, but more pressing concerns had brought themselves to light.

Mateo's body sat lifeless in a chair by the desk. His arms had been tied tightly around the rests, the blueness of them bringing Mara's lunch back up into her throat. Just outside the door was another body, likely the boy who had taken her job.

"No, no, no…" Her knees shook weakly as her eyes tried to take in the scene. Realizing that she was alone, she found her way over to Mateo through scattered papers and books, landing at his side. She had been at his side for ten years. Now, because of her, he was lost forever. "You have to wake up!" Mara's hand desperately brought itself against his icy cheek. She slapped it gently, knowing that it was for naught. "Mateo, p-please! They can't do this to you! They can't…"

Rather than weep over her loss, Mara began to feel desperate. Who had done this? Why had they done this? Was her parent's fate the same, their bodies awaiting her presence on the living room couch? Frantically, she stumbled her way outside.

"Hello?" Mara called out, unafraid if an enemy were to hear. "Is it me you want? Is that why you've done this?" She spread her arms out in truce. "You can have me! I don't-"

A rough hand clamped itself over her mouth from behind. She began to scream and kick, but the man's rough arm wrapped itself around her waist, dragging her over to the sidelines. As there seemed to be no living creatures left in the area, her sudden kidnapping seemed out of place. When she was finally released behind the equipment shed, Mara turned with teary eyes.

Staring back at her was Alok Lokesh, the former Alliance pilot who had taken her to D'Qar.

"A-Alok?" She gasped his name in an attempt to catch her breath.

"Nice to see you again!" Sarcasm was dripping over his words like honey. "Glad to see you haven't stopped being foolish, despite what your parents always tell me. Are you trying to get yourself killed by shouting like that?" His tone was hushed, his body leaning close to hers. "You came back just in time."

"What's happening?" She asked desperately, her voice too loud for the pilot. He quickly moved to cover her mouth again.

"I'm not going to leave you in the dark, but if you want to make it out of here safely, then I suggest you keep quiet." Mara nodded behind his hand. He let go with a heavy sigh.

"What are you doing here? Where are my parents?" Mara shook her head, not wanting to face the truth. "Something's happened to my boss… He-"

"He's dead," Alok said flatly. "Your parents and I get together at least once a month. Thankfully, I had to reschedule last weekend to this weekend, otherwise I wouldn't be here." As he spoke, he began to fumble with the weapons in his back pockets. "I was making my way into town when I passed the junkyard and felt that something strange was going on."

Mara leaned against the wall, the familiar exhaustion suddenly returning. Two nights of sleep weren't enough for this information. An entire life of sleep would never be enough.

"I went in with caution," he continued. "I saw three men interrogating him. They had him strapped to a desk like a wild animal... Like he wasn't human. They had already shot his partner. They kept asking about you, and when he wouldn't say anything, they asked about your parents. They were torturing him until he-"

Mara was about to be sick. She raised a shaky hand to stop him. "Just tell me what I need to hear."

"He gave them up, Mara." Alok shook his head. "I followed them to your house, where they took your parents with them. I was outnumbered, otherwise I would have fought. They're gone."

Mara's head rose, her eyes still glossy with stagnant tears. "But where? Who would want anything with my parents? They're not even with the Alliance, Rebellion or the Resistance!"

"Luckily for you, I have the answer to both of those questions." He began to frantically check the strength of his blaster, making Mara even more uneasy. "On the plus side, they didn't hurt your parents. They were alive when they left and they likely still are."

Mara took a step closer, her voice sharp. "Who took them?"

Alok sighed, not wanting to say the words any more than she wanted to hear them. "The First Order."

"They had Troopers?" Mara asked in disbelief. "On Coruscant?"

"No. These were military men. The leader was wearing badges across his chest, badges that clearly marked him as a General of the First Order." Mara wanted to fall upon hearing his words. She wanted to bury herself in the shipyard's soot and rubble, but she couldn't. Now, more than ever, she had to fight. "Mara." Alok's voice snapped her from her thoughts. "We don't have much time. They might still be here. I need you to tell me everything you know. Why would they be looking for you? Who wants you as a prisoner?" Mara stared at him blankly. "Did something happen with the Resistance?"

There was only one possibility.

"Poe Dameron," she whispered, the tears immediately falling. Alok looked at her strangely, not putting two and two together. "They're using me as bait to get to Poe Dameron." Mara's stomach sunk. Unless they already have Dameron? No… It couldn't be. "There was an Agent… He saw me on Megalox with the Black Squadron-"

"You were flying with the Black Squadron? Already?" Alok was taken aback. "Impressive."

"I got hit in the head…" She weakly gestured to her bandage. Alok moved behind her to take a closer look at the wound. "Dameron must have made a fuss over me when it happened, and it must have gotten Terex's attention."

"Agent Terex?" Alok said sharply, taking his hands away from the wound. "The former Trooper turned bounty hunter?"

"That's the one." Fake enthusiasm flooded her voice.

Alok nodded, placing his hands firmly on her shoulders as he reappeared ahead of her. "Terex is bad news. You're likely right about all of this being the reason they're after you. Luckily, they didn't expect me."

Mara's brows came together. "What do you mean by that?"

He began to fish something out of his jacket pocket, the white paper shocking against his dark hand. "They left this in your house after they took your parents. Coordinates to their base."

"They want me to surrender."

"They're expecting you to surrender."

Mara winced. "But I'm not going to?" Alok shook his head, a childish smile appearing on his wrinkled face. "I have to, Alok. There's no way I'm going to sit by and watch my family get tortured by the First Order. If they want me, they can have me."

Alok shushed her with a raise of his finger. "I served as an archaeologist in the years after the war. My fascination with artefacts is… extensive. You brought a ship here, right? How many seats?"

Mara hesitated. "It's a trainer ship, so there's-"

"Two. How perfect," Alok laughed as if he were enjoying himself. "Follow me. Stay close behind."

Mara was beginning to put the pieces together as they crouched their way out of the neighborhood. She directed him towards the landing strip where the trainer would be waiting. What Alok was suggesting, what she thought he was suggesting, was pure insanity.

"They already know what I look like," Mara whispered as they skirted through the quiet buildings. "How would I ever be able to get into their base without them recognizing me? They'll be able to see my face."

Alok looked over his shoulder at her, a hint of madness in his eyes. "Not if you're wearing a helmet."

~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Maybe there had been thirty more shocks. Maybe there had been three. Poe couldn't tell, as one blended endlessly into another. There was a time when it did stop, however, a time which brought something far worse along with it.

"I had no idea that we had the best pilot in the Resistance on board." Dameron lifted his head slowly to face Ren's voice. "Comfortable?"

"Not really."

"I'm impressed." Ren slowly sauntered forward, each step a reverberation in Poe's heaving chest. "No one has been able to get out of you what you did with the map."

Poe's eyes shifted to the control desk on his left. The guard in charge of the shock level had left. Everyone had left. It was only the two of them now, a fight that Dameron didn't consider entirely fair. Poe looked him squarely in the spot where he assumed his eyes were. "You might want to rethink your technique."

Poe regretted the words as soon as he said them. Ren's hands lifted easily from his side, lining up in an open fist by Poe's skull.

The sensation didn't hurt at first. It was strange, as if his own mind were being pulled out of him. He could feel the weight of it seeping from his head, precious memories and thoughts along with it. He resisted the pull as much as he could, a shaky sigh falling from his lips as the sharpness increased.

Kylo flattened his fingers, the simple motion dropping an entirely new weight on Poe's skull. He gasped in pain, trying his hardest to keep his thoughts to himself. If Ren retrieved those, he would not only have access to BB-8's whereabouts, but the things that mattered most to him.

With a sharp pull, Kylo drew his hand back slightly. When he pushed forward again, the force was enough to send Poe flying backwards. His head was pinned down by an imaginary grip, the sides of his skull feeling as if they were squeezing closer together. Poe let loose another agonizing groan, his eyes peeled open in his desperation to resist.

"Where is it?" Kylo's question was calm. He knew that the information would come eventually.

Dameron managed to utter a few words against the pain, the only words he felt mattered. "The Resistance… will not be intimidated by you."

Ren drew his hand, along with Poe's head, closer. The pilot leaned forward with a characteristic limpness that told Ren he was close to getting the information. But, he had to hand it to the pilot. Dameron clearly had some affinity towards the Force to be able to resist as much as he was.

"Where is it?"

Poe shook his head to try and rid himself of the pain. The pressure was growing, although he did not understand how. Was it possible to burst under the weight of the Force? The sensation of passing thoughts to another was entirely new to him, and he could practically see them slipping from his mind as he screamed.

His own tortured scream was becoming an old friend. He hated the sound of it, how coarse it felt in his throat. As if pulling the words directly from the back of his lips, Kylo finally got the answer he wanted.

"A BB-8 unit!" Poe's eyelids sealed shut with fury towards himself. He knew what he was doing, but the pain was too much. "An orange and white BB-8 unit on Jakku! I left him on Jakku!"

With a powerful flick of his wrist, Kylo sent Dameron flying back into the seat once again. Gasping for air, Poe tried to blink himself out of the pain as it continued to linger.

Ren took a step forward. "I just have one more question for you."

Hux was waiting patiently outside. He could hear the man's screams of desperation. Kylo had never used his Force on the General, but with their constant bickerings, Hux suspected that it was only a matter of time. He believed that the frail man, or rather boy, was a misjudgment of Snoke's intellect. But it was moments like these, where Hux was exposed to Ren's true power, that he reminded himself to hold his tongue.

The doors slid open easily. Hux did not turn to look at the pilot inside.

"It's in a droid." Kylo clearly took pride in the fact that the General had failed. "A BB unit."

"Well, then. If it's on Jakku, we'll soon have it."

"Put him in the cells for further questioning." Ren began to walk away, his footsteps heavy. Something, a distracted thought, stopped him in his path. "There's something else."

Hux's pale brow rose easily. "And what is that?"

"There's someone I need you to find. Someone who will allow us to get the answers that we need if I am not here." He sighed before letting the unfamiliar name fall from his lips. "Her name is Mara Crescent."

~.~.~.~.~.~

R.I.P. Carrie Fisher.

Princess Leia was great, but you were my true hero.

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