Chapter 5

ooooooooooooooooooooo

Authors note: thanks to the readers who left reviews :) I'm glad people are reading this and enjoying it, I'm enjoying myself as well! (This chapter is extra long, though not as action-y. Next one will be intense though, stay tuned.)

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

"Padmi!"

Poe's mother ran to her as she got off the ship and grabbed her up in her arms, hugging her in close. Poe realized how much she needed that hug and tightly hugged back. But then she remember...

"Oh hey, Mom, you need to know that..."

But as Poe leaned back to look at her mother, she saw the look on her face and realized she'd already seen him.

"Ben.." Poe's mother breathed and staggered back.

Indeed, standing there between Rey and Finn with his arms bound behind him, was Ben, or Kylo Ren. Both Rey and Finn had a strong hand grabbing one of his arms keeping him in place between them and guiding him off the ship. Rey and Finn both looked worried and unsure, especially Finn. Kylo Ren on the other hand, looked blank and his eyes stared straight ahead. If he felt any kind of emotion at seeing his mother again, he certainly didn't show it.

There had been a debate back on the ship about whether to even leave with Kylo Ren. Rey was ready to throw him off the ship all together, but then they'd been discovered and a whole army of Stormtroopers showed up and they needed to leave immediately, regardless of Kylo Ren being on board. The only solution seemed to be to bound him and tie him up.

"If you're coming with us, it's as a prisoner not as a friend." Finn had declared while tying the knots.

Although Rey and Poe exchanged a look at that, clearly those binds could not contain his abilities with the force, so were they really safe? The whole thing seemed to happen so fast, Poe didn't even say a word. She watched it play out in front of her like a dream. Kylo Ren didn't say a thing either, he calmly let them bind him. Only once did he make a point of looking at his sister, but in that moment Poe really had no idea who she was looking at, she hadn't seen his face in so long.

And now they were here, back at the resistance base camp. Poe watching her mother's eyes fill with tears.

"Ben," she repeated and this time started to move forward. But she was held back by several resistance fighters, including her aide.

"General Organa, I'd advise against going any closer, it is unsafe, we do not know what he-"

"But-but.. He's my son..."

Poe watched her mother struggle to fight back tears and cursed herself internally. They shouldn't of brought him back, this was a mistake.

But quickly enough, General Leia Organa pulled herself together, ever the professional. "Right. Yes, please take the prisoner to the holding cells."

Several resistance fighters scuffled forward and grabbed Kylo Ren who looked unimpressed, leading him away. And after a moment they all started to move inside. Leia taking a moment to embrace her daughter once more, but this hug felt a lot less strong.

As Poe started towards the main base camp building, she spotted Luke standing at a distance watching.

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

Poe sat in her regular spot, perched upon several grates in the back of the room, while the council met. Her mother leading the discussion as usual. But this was not a usual discussion.

"We should torture him for information regarding the First Order, clearly!"

"No one is torturing anyone."

"I'm sorry Madam General, but my opinion is we punish him with death for all of the crimes-"

"Out of the question, we can't possibly-"

"Let us not forget this is the General's son we are discussing."

"This is Kylo Ren! Let us not forget that either!"

"Don't you see what an asset he could be, if we can just get him to tell us what he knows!"

"We have no idea if he'll even co-operate.."

"Or if he can even be trusted!"

"We cannot pass up this opportunity to take down the First Order once and for all!"

Okay, so it wasn't so much a discussion, as it was a series of loud declarations and debates. As Poe took in the scene she chewed on the side of her thumb, unsure of how to feel or think. She let her eyes wander and suddenly saw Finn sitting a little ways a way, looking at her. Their eyes met and once again she felt that lurch in her stomach. Was she going to be sick? What was going- but the moment was interrupted when her name was spoken quietly beside her, awaking her from her thoughts.

"Poe."

Sigh, Poe was not in the mood to be chastised.

"Uncle Luke." Poe made a lazy attempt to sit up straighter, "What happened, how did you get-"

"What happened is you acted rashly. Against my wishes. And without thought or foresight."

Poe breathed deeply, knowing he was right and unsure of what to say. But Luke continued, his eyes narrowing as he looked at her

"And you make another mistake, you..." He paused.

Poe sighed, "Look, Uncle Luke I'm sorry, but-"

Luke cut her off suddenly, holding his hand up, his voice low, "You make the mistake of seeing in him what is no longer there."

Poe paused and then swallowed hard. "He's still in there, Uncle Luke, I saw-" her voice came out choked and raw, a desperate whisper.

But he cut her off again, this time almost violently. His voice shook with quiet intensity, "No. No, you did not see. I saw. I saw him give in. I saw him become this. There is no coming back from that place. Do you understand? There is no coming back." He stared at her intensively his eyes rimmed with red ever so slightly.

"No. I don't believe that."

"You have to. Otherwise you put yourself and everyone else, including your mother, in danger."

Poe just stared at him, then stood and left the building to get some air.

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

"Erm, uh, is it cool if I join..?"

Poe looked up, surprised anyone was there at all and saw Finn looking awkward and hesitantly smiling, "But you know, it's cool if you wanna be alone, no big deal, I get it... You know with everything..." He trailed off lamely.

"Eh, no please. Sit. Talk." Poe was back behind the resistance camp base, sitting on the ground by a cluster of old fighter jet parts. It was where she always came to be alone, Finn must of followed her. And as soon as she saw him, she realized she didn't really want to be alone.

"Tell me how... You woke up. You were pretty out of it before Rey and I left."

"Right, yes," Finn settled in next to her, "I actually woke up right when Rey and Luke showed up. I came to, and there was Rey looking down at me."

"Huh," Poe shrugged her shoulders, "sounds romantic."

"Ah, no, not really," Finn laughed a little too loudly, "she was all 'Finn, my goodness, we need to retrieve Poe. It's a dreadful emergency!'"

Poe cracked up at his impression, "That is the worst impression I've ever heard! Rey doesn't sound a thing like that!"

"Really? No way, that was dead accurate." Finn tried to pull a hurt face, but started laughing with her instead.

"I cannot picture Rey yelling, 'it's a dreadful emergency!' She did not!" Poe kept laughing, wiping tears from her eyes.

"Okay, okay," Finn chuckled and waved his hands defeated, "it was more like 'Quick. We have taken an old garbage ship and must leave at once to to sneak upon a larger garbage ship to save Poe, who is not garbage but is in fact, our friend.'"

Poe laughed even harder at this, "An old garbage ship? Is that how you guys got there?"

Finn shrugged, "Yeah apparently your uncle had one hidden away on his island getaway or something."

"Ah." Poe nodded, "of course he did." Her laughter started to subside. She sighed and looked at Finn, "Thank you."

"For what..?"

"For making me laugh, I needed it," she smiled at him, tears of laughter still in her eyes.

He smiled back, almost sort of surprised. "Anytime."

"And, oh Finn, one more thing, before I forget." Poe looked at him sternly.

"Er, what?"

"Thanks for coming to recuse me from my 'dreadful emergency.'" She smiled.

Finn smiled back, but he looked very serious. "Anytime."

They sat there for a minute saying nothing and then abruptly her mother's aide came running up, out of breath.

"Miss Padme, thank goodness I've been all over the complex. General Organa is requesting an audience with you at once."

"Oh really, General Organa?" Poe smirked.

"Yes, your mother?"

Poe sighed and stood up, "Yes obviously I know she's my mother, really?!"

The aide just looked at her blankly as Poe dusted herself off from the dirt on the ground.

"Okay, let's go. Take me to your leader." Poe threw her hands forward in mock surrender. Finn chuckled.

The aide blinked and then turn to go, Poe smiled once more at Finn and then followed.

oooooooooooooooooooo

Poe found herself alone with her mother in one of back rooms, usually used for smaller strategy meetings.

"What's going on.." Poe started.

Her mother simply walked forward and looked her in the eye.

"It's been discussed at length and, well, you have been chosen by the council to be the one to confront and speak with your brother. Alone."

Poe felt like she suddenly didn't have knees anymore.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooo