Fandom Star Wars: Persistence

[KyloGlenn]

Poe Dameron settled a small cruiser in a port not too far from the targeted coordinates provided to him. It was neither his usual ship, nor General Organa’s, but he flew it well nonetheless. They couldn’t risk anyone recognizing his usual X-wing or Leia’s ship, should any undesirables lurk amongst them. Besides, they needed a ship that could fit at least three people, his preferred vehicle couldn’t accommodate that.

Poe stood from the pilot’s seat and offered his arm to his companion, who was hooded in an effort to conceal her identity. She was an important person and unfortunately, her face was very well known. Poe’s was less so, so he didn’t require any sort of disguise. He could fit in.

Leia took his arm, but only for the reason that it would be easier to stick together once they stepped out into the bustling city-planet. He was more or less her bodyguard for the time being, or at least that’s what she let him think. She probably could manage herself if she had to, though she knew it wouldn’t be the smartest decision. So Poe it was. No more, no less, lest she risk scaring off Pip. “Watch the ship, BB-8, we’ll be back shortly,” Poe instructed his companion droid, to which a beep was returned.

Then the pair stepped out in search of someone lost. Poe knew the name of the place and approximately where it was, but he found himself surprised when they reached the business. A bar? What was a former Jedi trainee doing at a bar? Seemed like the worst place to hide out. Nevertheless, he led Leia in, pushing a path through crowds of people, looking to Leia for guidance on where they needed to go.

Pip was there, Leia could sense it. She wondered if Pip could, too, or if the former student had closed herself off like Leia’s brother had. “Find us some seats at the bar,” she instructed, to which Poe complied. “There,” Leia pointed to the bartender. “That’s her.”

What compelled the girl to take up bartending after Jedi training was unknown to Poe, but he lifted his hand just as anyone out to order a drink would do. “Hey,” he called to get this Pip’s attention. “Can we get some drinks over here?” They didn’t really need drinks, but it would get her close enough for Leia to reveal herself discreetly to the girl.

-

Duna had a bad feeling about this. A worry that her boss, Altan, brushed off. He’d taken her face in his hands and looked into her eyes and said something stupid about her face being so pretty that the First Order would pay no mind to anything else, laughed it away. As if that would calm her worries. It annoyed her more than anything else, and she’d hoped he was taking this more seriously than that.

Her, Altan, and several other beings--muscle, of sorts--awaited the arrival of their latest victims in their luxury cargo ship. The two words seemed like they shouldn’t go together, in Duna’s opinion. But that was what best described the vehicle. It was normal on the outside, just like any other cargo ship, but the inside was rather opulent, comfortable. Good for traveling along shady routes. It was that which rested in an open field on an unaffiliated outer rim planet. Easy to find, easy to get out of. Once this was all over they could take off and the First Order will never be able to find them again.

They’d set up a trade. The Phantom Company—for which Duna worked for--had access to a material the First Order sought and had depleted others of. Of course, they didn’t want to give up the location of their resource, but they did agree to provide the material for a price. An almost astronomical price, one that Duna hardly believed could come from this First Order, an order that wasn’t even a household name. Hardly had a reputation yet.

It seemed like a good idea at the time. They had the material, but not as much as the Order wanted. They could get it, but it would take time. After meeting some squirmy officer to discuss terms, Altan and Duna came up with the bright idea to pull a fast one on the Order when they came to collect. Fill crates with fakes, top it with the real stuff so they wouldn’t look too hard. Take the credits and disappear. The Phantom Company didn’t scam everyone, but the First Order seemed like a good target.

Though Duna couldn’t explain why it felt like a bad idea now, as she saw a black ship descend into the field. It was time and Duna straightened the front of her dress, taking Altan’s arm as he offered it, ready as she would be to meet the First Order representatives.

cleopat

 

[cleopat]

Something felt off.

Pip couldn’t explain it, aside from a feeling. She didn’t even know what felt off, except for suddenly, a strange feeling washed over her. Her eyes scanned the crowded bar, her position offering a great vantage point, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. But with the current crowds, and the typical patrons that frequented the bar, it was hard for her to see anything beyond the ordinary.

Keep an eye out. Stay alert.

Staying alert was something Pip was quite used to, out of fear for her life. For the fear that Kylo Ren would discover that she was still alive, and finish what he started many years ago. A night she still held nightmares over.

Pip, working on drinks for a few customers, didn’t notice the newcomers until one spoke up, wanting drinks. “I’ll be with you in just a second,” she called back to him with only a simple, spare glance. It was only a quick moment that Pip took to finish the drinks she had been making and served them to their respective patrons with the faux smile she carried for many hours during her shifts.

Pip moved over to the two with the smile still on her face. “What can I get for you two?” There was a figure with a hood concealing their face, which Pip got an odd feeling about. Not necessarily bad, just odd.

But, then again, she had seen odder things on a nearly daily basis. Someone concealing their face was hardly something noteworthy in an establishment like that.

~~~

“And don’t mess this up,” was the last thing Armitage Hux said to Kylo Ren before he set off to meet with a representative of The Phantom Company.

For reasons unknown to him, Kylo Ren was the one delegated to meet with a representative of the company in regards to picking up the material agreed upon in their transaction with the First Order. The material vital for the superweapon they were in the process of building.

They needed a lot of it, the First Order was willing to fork over a hefty sum for the material that depleted planets. They didn’t care - it was for the ultimate betterment of the galaxy. For order.

The trip to the agreed upon meeting place on some nondescript outer rim planet passed by far too slowly for Kylo’s taste, and the troopers that accompanied him wondered, fearfully, if his boredom would translate into a bad situation with them. Stars knew that his anger always meant bad news for an unlucky Stormtrooper who happened to be near him.

Fortunately, Kylo Ren did not take his boredom out on anyone on his shuttle. He took the time to contemplate the meeting, and what would entail in the transaction. He had a feeling it wouldn’t go the way Armitage Hux expected, and therefore, Kylo would keep an eye out for anything suspicious.

He had a hard time trusting as it was.

The black shuttle descended onto a field, where Kylo could see the representatives he was meeting were already waiting - two figures walking out onto the field to meet with him. Two figures that didn’t quite meet the expectation in his mind, but that hardly mattered.

What mattered was getting the job done.

And getting the job done was what Kylo set off to do, his signature helmet on his head, proving him to be an imposing figure. He stalked off the ship, Stormtroopers in flank position behind him.

Don’t mess this up was the last thing Armitage said to him, yet the first words out of Kylo’s mouth were, “You weren’t quite what I was expecting.” They could take it as an insult or not. “The material?” he then asked, his impatience highly wanting to get the situation over with.

 

[KyloGlenn]

Pip acknowledged them, letting them know she’d be with them momentarily. Poe took that moment to look to Leia and observe her. It was hard to read her face, mostly because it was covered, but she also didn’t convey any particular emotion at the moment. He couldn’t tell what she was feeling, if she was nervous or if she was excited. If she was hopeful for whatever would come of this surprise confrontation with Pip.

Soon enough Pip tended to them with a smile on her face. Poe knew it wasn’t because she was happy to see them, just good customer service, but he returned it anyway. A quick, close-lipped smile, as he still practiced caution. With her or the people around them, he wasn’t sure, nor did it matter. But he didn’t find it necessary to hit Pip with any sort of abrasiveness. Force users were an enigma to him, but Leia found her harmless enough--to them, anyway--to seek her out.

“Well, as the designated pilot, I’m gonna have to settle for a seltzer,” Poe engaged in a bit of light pleasantry, thinking it might ease her in their presence, and ordered something he didn’t care if he got or not should attention derail from her job. “And some of these things,” Poe mumbled, sliding a bowl of bar nuts in front of him. They looked good, in his defense.

“My friend would like…,” Poe started again, turning to Leia to give her a chance to speak, finally. Though, with his turn, he took an opportunity to instead look at the bar patrons around them, to note if any were paying too close attention. When he deemed it safe, he gave Leia a light tap on her back.

Leia got the signal and with it she pushed her hood just a bit further back on her head, still enough to shield her from most, but enough to reveal herself to Pip. “I’d like to have a talk with you, if that’s not too difficult of an order.” The reveal wasn’t dramatic, though Leia wasn’t against the occasional dramatics. There was just no need for a scene here, and Leia didn’t desire to scare her off. General Organa had no doubt that Pip lived on edge as it was.

To the credit of Leia’s very own son, though she pushed that thought from her mind. "I think you know what I want to talk about, right?" Leia wanted to be transparent about what this was, that she wasn't just paying a visit. She wanted Pip to come back with her.

-

There were a few moments before the ominous, black shuttle landed, and Duna spent those moments fiddling with Altan’s sleeves, as if any unfortunate looking crease would deem them untrustworthy. He swatted at her hand to dissuade her, and her thoughts briefly turned instead to regret for wearing heeled shoes as she stood unbalanced in the dirt of the field.

Kylo Ren wasn’t the only one faced with the unexpected, for both Altan and Duna exchanged a quick look to one another when the masked figure emerged from the ship. He, or it, was far from what The Phantom Company representatives had expected. No, they imagined the monotonous little officer they first engaged with, or even some wannabe Imperial that was slightly more impressive. What they got was some...creature in a mask. More of a wannabe Vader. It was unnerving.

“We could say the same about you,” Altan replied. Duna thought his own uncertainty bled into his voice, but perhaps it was just because she knew him too well.

“Better than what you’d expected, I would hope,” Duna forced a sweet, jovial tone to her voice. Not that she thought her tone mattered. This guy very well could have been a droid, to whom pleasantries wouldn’t influence. Though he seemed too impatient to be one. "I'm Duna, and this is my boss Altan," she tried to keep the pleasant business facade, "And the material." She looked to her companion.

She wanted this over just as much as he did. Altan turned back to their ship, whistling for their men to emerge with the crates of material. The crew came out, dressed just as keenly as Altan and Duna, yet they were still armed. They piled crates in the space between the two parties. There was only one crate filled completely with the desired resource, and that was placed closest to the masked figure and his group. They still got some material. Just not what they paid for…

“Feel free to inspect it, if you’re not in too much of a hurry...sir,” Duna commented, slightly disapproving of her own quip. And she wasn’t sure how to address him. She’d never met him before, and he didn’t introduce himself...

“I’m sure you’ll find it to be as expected, unlike us,” Altan recovered for her. It was a team effort.

 

[cleopat]

The man with the fact she could actually see didn’t appear like someone with any ulterior motives or someone that may spell danger for her. He just seemed like a harmless patron - who, apparently, wasn’t even going to drink. Designated pilot. She was pleased to see that the pretty face was also a responsible one.

“Seltzer and nuts, got it.” She had already begun the process of getting out a glass and filling it with their seltzer water as he also asked for some nuts. Pip would have to step away to get some, so as she slid the seltzer over to the man, she turned to the hooded figure to see what they would like.

And that odd feeling crept back up again as she looked on to the figure. The shadows of their hood still masked whoever was hiding, but due to the petite size, Pip figured it was a woman hiding under the cloak.

And a woman it was, as she pushed her hood further back to reveal her face to Pip. Oh, Pip knew exactly who it was, and exactly what she wanted to talk about.

She sucked in a breath and gave a quick glance around the bar. Her coworkers were busy with other patrons, and no one was waving her down to demand a refill. “I think I do,” she mumbled, green eyes settling back on Leia. She had a few guesses, based on their previous correspondence with each other.

Namely, Leia wanted Pip in the Resistance. Pip still had her reservations.

“I didn’t think talking about such matters in a bar was your scene.” Though Pip would’ve thrown a fit if this woman somehow figured out where she lived and had shown up at her apartment uninvited. Maybe a public space was a better one.

People were too drunk to eavesdrop properly at bars.

“You’ve come to persuade me, haven’t you?”

~~~

The two representatives were surprised by the appearance of Kylo Ren. Good. He was pleased with the sense of unease he got from the two, but then there was...something else.

Something else behind that unease.

He would have to keep a close eye on those two. Looking back, Kylo knew he should have gotten more information about them from General Hux, but it was too late now. He would simply have to keep his guard up.

Kylo cocked his head to the side in silent observation as they returned the sentiment. Better than what you’d expected, I would hope. “We shall see about that.” The guy certainly had a very punchable face, and the woman...well, Kylo wouldn’t let her saccharine tone fool him into a sense of security.

The two introduced themselves, and he opted to do the same. “Kylo Ren.” He watched the crates emerge from their ship, pushed by the keenly dressed and fully armed crew. The feeling continued, and Kylo ultimately decided that he didn’t like nor trust the two in front of him.

No doubt if Armitage Hux were here, he wouldn’t think anything of it, and simply say that Kylo needn’t listen to the Force so intently. What a fool.

“Lucky for you, I am not in a hurry,” he quipped. “Check the creates thoroughly. All of them,” he demanded of the Stormtroopers. Without hesitation they each took to a crate, lifting the lid and inspecting the material. “I do hope everything is as expected, for your sake.”

Soon, the first Stormtrooper called him over. “Uh...sir? It’s not all here.” Then a few other troopers mentioned the same thing in sync.

“Oh, isn’t it? How interesting.” His gaze didn’t waver from the duo, and Kylo took one lengthy step towards the two. “Trying to rip off the First Order...you two have some gall, don’t you?” his voice remained deathly calm as he figured out what to do with the two of them that wouldn’t send Hux out to annoy him.

Then the one lone Stormtrooper spoke up, “This crate is filled with the material.”

 

[KyloGlenn]

Well, Poe got his seltzer and his nuts. He’d say this bar had pretty good service already. He’d give her a good review if it weren’t for the fact that he was about eighty percent sure they would be stealing her away from her job by the end of the night. Maybe eighty-five percent...he believed in Leia, as did many, but he wasn’t sure about Pip. What her mindset was or what she’d been through.

‘No, we’ll get her,’ Poe’s thoughts reaffirmed sternly. One way or another. Would Leia be against kidnapping her?

While Poe’s thoughts raced, Leia actually carried on the conversation. She was glad Pip had an understanding of why she was here. Leia just hoped Pip had enough understanding that she’d have to agree. “They aren’t. But they seem to be yours, so I’ve got to play the hand I’ve been given.” Leia shrugged. “I don’t think you would’ve appreciated us coming to you anywhere else, though, would you?” It was like she took Pip’s thoughts out of her head.

Which she didn’t. Leia just knew things.

“I have come to persuade you, and I will.” Leia offered something of a kind smile, lighthearted, but didn’t let the seriousness fade from her. She hadn’t come all that way to talk some talk, visit, and leave empty-handed, so to speak. “I wouldn’t come to you if I didn’t have to.” Leia knew it was a lot she was asking, given Pip’s history. Having survived Kylo Ren once before, she’d be an even bigger target.

If Leia had a choice, she would’ve gone to her twin brother. But he was a lot harder to find.

Poe took a sip of his seltzer before leaning into the bar counter, dropping his voice a bit low. “The First Order, they’ve got something cooking. We’re gonna need some help.” What exactly, they didn’t know yet. But there was talk. And Leia felt it.

“You were willing to correspond with me before. I’m sure you didn’t think it would lead to me showing up at your doorstep, but it says something about you. You wouldn’t connect if some part of you didn’t want to,” Leia didn’t think Pip would have risked talking to her otherwise.

“What do you say to throwing us a bone and going on break for a few minutes?” Poe asked, “We’re good tippers,” he offered.

-

‘Kylo Ren.’ Well, now they knew his name. Not that it eased them, or answered any of their curiosities. If anything, Duna was even further unnerved. And very curious. If they got out of this unscathed, she’d have some digging to do on this man. ‘When.’ She corrected herself, though there was no confidence to back up her internal thoughts.

Something told her their game with the First Order, with Kylo Ren, was over. Over before it even began, yet she still watched it unfold in front of her.

Lucky for you, I am not in a hurry. His words grated on her. Of course he wasn’t, and of course he had all the crates checked. Of course the First Order wouldn’t send some barmy fool of an officer to collect such an expensive purchase. Duna couldn’t tell if her and Altan had been unusually foolish or if the First Order was unusually smart for a customer of theirs.

Kylo Ren took a long stride toward them and Altan stepped back, bringing Duna with him. She gripped his arm to keep from losing her balance, cursing to herself. Yet, her dark eyes never wavered from boring into whatever was behind Kylo Ren’s mask. Altan spoke first, tersely, but with forced politeness, “Perhaps we do, but I’m afraid I have to object to your men’s observations.”

Duna inhaled sharply, forcing a smile onto her face, though she was rather good at making it look natural. She tilted her head as she spoke, “Please, I implore you to have your troopers check again. It is a tricky material to identify. We wouldn’t risk the potential for continued patronage, Kylo.” Duna knew the jig was up. There would be no winning, but perhaps the Stormtroopers' distraction with double checking would give the Phantom Company time to draw their weapons and blast their way out. As it was, Duna’s hand slithered from Altan’s arm to behind his back, reaching for the blaster he had hidden in his waistband. Altan tried to not stiffen at her actions.

She was going to shoot Kylo Ren. Or try, anyway.

 

[cleopat]

Leia was right. Pip wouldn’t have appreciated it if they came to her anywhere else except such a public place as the bar. Her apartment would have been far too personal, and there wasn’t anywhere else she really frequented. But, this was a conversation that did require privacy.

Which, the strange man that accompanied Leia thought of, or at least, going on break would provide her an opportunity to take them somewhere more private where they could talk without fear of eavesdropping from some First Order sympathizer.

There were certainly words and questions she wanted to get out based on what little the two of them had said to her. She’d be lying if she said she wasn’t interested in knowing what the First Order was up to.

Pip turned just enough so she could see her other coworker, working the other side of the bar. “Hey Lora!” she called out, and the Twi’lek in question turned to look at her. “I’m taking my break now. You got things covered?”

“Sure do!” she responded with a friendly smile.

Pip turned back to the duo. “Great, follow me.” She swung herself over the bar where there was a clear area, instead of walking to where the bar lifted, and motioned for them to follow her. She would lead them to the back, and into an empty office where she could lock the door behind him, so there wouldn’t be any unexpected company.

Completely free for them to speak.

She leaned against the desk and crossed her arms over her chest. “Well, you’ve piqued my interest, though I’m still saying it’s too risky. What is this about the First Order cooking up something?”

~~~

It was immediately clear to Kylo that these two were indeed trying to fool the First Order. Why else would the man object to their observations in such a manner? He could sense it in the man’s tone: Kylo had caught them in the act, and now they were trying to act innocent while figuring a way out of there unscathed.

He just knew it.

He did relish in the way they stepped back from him, though. It gave him a sense of power over the situation.

The Stormtroopers looked to Kylo for guidance of whether or not they should proceed and recheck the crates. No, checking all of them wouldn’t be necessary to make a point to The Phantom Company duo. Just one.

Kylo nodded over to the closest Stormtrooper to him that wasn’t standing next to the only crate filled with the actual material. “Show me.” He moved to that Stormtrooper as he returned to the crate, digging past the top layer to get to the fake material beneath. Kylo picked up a piece of the fake and balled his hand into a fist, crumbling the fake into nothing but debris that drifted to the ground.

“Do you object, because you know it to be true?” Kylo was not pleased to be tricked. Not pleased that they thought they could fool the First Order. Now the question was, what to do with them.

Clearly they had a foolish plan of what to do with him. He could sense that the woman reached for something, but he would play damn for now. The two were outnumbered and outgunned. They wouldn’t get far.

“If you didn’t wish to risk the potential for continued patronage, then why did you try to play me like some fool?” His ire was evident in his tone, and Kylo took another few steps closer to them. “It wasn’t wise to try and trick the First Order, or me.”

 

[KyloGlenn]

Pip did indeed take her break, and both Poe and Leia felt a small sense of accomplishment. Progress. They watched Pip swing over the bar, beckoning them along. Leia was first to follow. Poe followed her, but only after he threw back some nuts and the rest of the seltzer water. He didn’t think they’d be coming back for it and a man had to stay hydrated.

Pip led them into some back room, void of people, and she closed the door behind him. Leia seemed content with their environment, but Poe looked about the room for anything suspicious. Surveillance devices, microphones, weapons, he kept an eye out for all of it. Again, he didn’t think Pip would do anything. But she wasn’t the only person in the bar.

He didn’t see anything off the bat, but he’d look into anything that might have stored the conversation they were about to have. Later.

Leia pushed her hood completely off, gently smoothing over her greyed braids. “Well, we’re not quite sure what they’re doing. Poe,” Leia gestured to Poe shortly after she mentioned him, realizing he hadn’t introduced himself yet. Poe gave a little wave, but there was an unspoken conclusion that introductions could come later. “Poe picked up word that the First Order has been extorting mass quantities of a very particular material. We don’t know how they’re using it, but we do know it’s not good.”

Leia left the floor to Poe to explain further. “This material is called korbalite. From what I’ve heard, when melted down with durasteel it creates some sort of chemical reaction and becomes incredibly heat resistant, absorbent, even. You could drop it off on a sun and it would come out better than before, in theory. I don’t think the First Order has any good plans for it. Whatever it is, we gotta figure it out. Fast.”

“The problem is, we’re a little outnumbered.” Leia said. The First Order...it had been around for a long while, but it seemed it had been expanding rapidly all of a sudden. And with Snoke and Kylo Ren...well. The Resistance didn’t hold a candle to them at their current standing. “I’m afraid that even if we managed to recruit one hundred more people, maybe two, we still wouldn’t have the numbers. Not to mention the amount of time that would be spent. Time we don’t have.”

One hundred people, two hundred? They could be mowed down just by her son alone, even if the thought sickened her. That’s where Pip came in, and Leia hoped Pip was following her train of thought. Pip was likely one of the only people who could stand and match up to Kylo, other than the absent Luke.

-

Duna was beyond frustrated with this situation they were in. This stupid Kylo Ren hadn’t fallen for their trick in the first place, and he wasn’t going to fall for their distraction either. She supposed he wasn’t stupid. Just the source of her current frustration. She knew this wasn’t going to go the way they wanted it. She told Altan, and he brushed it off. But Duna couldn’t help but feel like she was the truly stupid one.

Kylo Ren advanced on them again, but realizing his error last time, Altan didn’t back away. “We had no--” Altan prepared to keep the ruse up, to act like they didn’t know the material was fake, come up with some excuse as to how this wasn’t their fault and that they’d go handle the situation. Duna knew that wouldn’t help them either, given Kylo Ren’s apparent displeasure, and she wasn’t going to let them dig their own grave any further. With the same hand that gripped the blaster--the blaster she wasn’t sure if she’d use yet or not--she nudged Altan to halt him from continuing.

And he dropped it, both of their falsified personalities dissipated in that moment.

“Because we figured you would be a fool.” Duna stated simply, “We’ve tricked a lot more impressive people than you lot. At least, people we perceived to be more impressive. I suppose in this case, first impressions aren’t everything.”

“We’ve heard about the sudden depletion of korbalite, obviously. We certainly didn’t want our source decimated like some others, but with the sudden skyrocket in price...it would’ve been more foolish to not take advantage of it.” Altan offered an explanation. Perhaps this Kylo wouldn’t take such personal offense to their attempted trickery. Still, Altan was uncertain of how they’d get out of this one.

Duna was contemplating. She didn’t want to put them in a worse situation, but she could only see few options. She still had the blaster in her grip, but she knew if she tried, she’d be the next victim of target practice. It was very tempting, though...but she resisted, for the moment. “It is difficult to mine. We can still supply it, but the quantity you want takes time. More time than it takes for the First Order to supply the credits. This was just a failed attempt at a cash grab, but the Phantom Company can still provide you with what you want, gradually.”

It was one last effort at getting out of there without violence, but she wasn’t sure how it would work. If she were the First Order, she wouldn’t trust them. Rightfully so, because they would most definitely get back on their ship and the Order would never hear from them again.

 

[cleopat]

Pip now had a name for the man that accompanied Leia. She nodded in his direction as he gave a little wave. Poe. An easy enough name to remember, but formal introductions would have to wait.

If she agreed to this foolhardy plan.

Mass quantities of a particular metal. Pip didn’t enjoy the sound of that either, as it reminded her of the Death Star project from the Imperial times. Mass quantities of doonium were stripped from planets for the project by slaves of the Empire. She had a bad feeling about whatever it was the First Order had planned.

And Poe’s explanation didn’t help her worries at all.

Leia continued, and Pip just knew that she didn’t truly understand the strength behind the First Order. Sure, she heard rumors. Those rumors and the whispers about Kylo Ren made her first reach out to Leia all those months ago after years of hiding, but now? Now she wasn’t so sure.

“I don’t know what you expect me to do,” she finally spoke, with a shake of her head. “I’m just one person who hasn’t touched,” she trailed off, thinking about the abandoned lightsaber hidden in her room, collecting dust, “-who hasn’t trained in years.” And the First Order had Kylo Ren, whom Pip was certain continued a very different training path after that fateful night.

“There’s nothing I can do.” But was that true? Pip didn’t quite believe the words as she said them, reminiscing on all of the tales of the Jedi of old she grew up on under Luke’s training. The Jedi were once a symbol of hope and peace for the galaxy, and Pip wanted to be that symbol for the galaxy as it saw dark times ahead, but she didn’t quite believe in herself enough for it.

She certainly didn't feel like the brave Jedi she was supposed to be.

“I’m sorry.”

~~~

There it was.

Their facade was dropped with the utterance of a few words by the woman.

“At last, she speaks the truth,” Kylo said with sardonicism oozing from every word. Trying to behave, he pushed back the anger he wanted to lash out with. Watching them squirm under their own lie was far more entertaining, after all. “Perhaps you should do better at perceiving people in the future.” If they had a future.

Kylo was tempted to draw out his lightsaber and end their miserable existence right there.

“Where you get your source is hardly of any concern to me. I only care to receive the product, as promised.” The First Order depleted planets of their doonium resources for the upcoming Starkiller Base. He hardly cared if the same happened to areas rich with korbalite.

It was all a price to pay for what the First Order had planned for the galaxy.

The woman insisted that they could still provide the korbalite quantity that the First Order wanted. Kylo cocked his head to the side. “You think me a fool? That I would just let you two go after this foolish stunt you just pulled?” That would be ludicrous of him to do. To simply let them go!

“If you can supply the korbalite that we want, then perhaps I need collateral, as a precaution.” His gaze settled on the woman. If her partner cared enough about her, then spending some time away from each other may convince him to get the job done. “It’s been a while since the First Order had a guest.

 

[KyloGlenn]

“I don’t accept your apology.” Leia stated simply with a shake of her head. Really, she didn’t accept anything that Pip was saying. “None of what you said is true, you and I both know it.” Well, except what she said about not training in years. But that wasn’t what the General was talking about. She was talking about Pip’s supposed inability to do nothing.

She continued. “Think about it. Untrained or not, who out of anyone do you think has the capabilities to stand up to another Force user. Who – out of the three of us in the room – could do that?” Leia couldn’t, the days of that being a possibility were long gone. Poe certainly couldn’t and he knew that, even if he did feign offense just to get an eyeroll out of Leia.

“Do you think Luke left Tatooine with any more knowledge or training than you have now? He had even less, but what he did have was friends and family to help him along the way, just as you would have.” Leia wasn’t certain Luke would serve as an inspiration to be or if he was something she’d aspire not to be. But the point was, Leia wasn’t about to throw Pip at Kylo Ren out of the blue and hope for the best. “If you’re scared, that’s fine. I’ve been scared, too. I’m not going to listen to you say you can’t do anything when that's far from the truth. And you shouldn’t listen to yourself either.”

“There’s always something you can do,” Poe added his own two cents. His tone was a bit softer than Leia’s. Leia wanted to drive her point home in the way that she did, as a long time leader. But Poe tried to approach as a peer, as someone like Pip, once, who wanted to help and had to make a decision. “I’m not gonna pretend I know anything about you. I do know, though, that if there was something someone wanted to do, truly wanted to, they’d find a way to do it.” There was always a way. He would know.

He liked to think he’d accomplished a few things he’d set his mind to.

-

‘Maybe violence is the only way out of this.’

While neither of them could see Kylo Ren’s eyes, both Duna and Altan knew exactly who his eyes had settled on as he claimed he needed collateral. Which wasn’t a bad idea on his part, but an unfortunate situation for the duo. The two looked at each other and Duna didn’t like the resignation she saw in Altan.

She began to laugh, shaking her head. “No,” she said. “No, I’ll not be a guest of anyone.” No one was laughing with her and she loathed the pitiful look Altan gave her.

He reached for her, took a lock of her now blonde hair – her dark roots evident that it wasn’t always blonde – and pushed it behind her ear. “I don’t want you to go either, but you and I know there’s not much we can do that’ll end well. It’ll be fine, Duna. We’ll get the korbalite and you’ll be back with us before you know it.” It wasn’t what Duna wanted to hear.

“You don’t know what they do to people like me in these situations.” Or maybe he did, and that’s why he wasn’t offering himself up in place of her. They’re not gonna just hand her back. She’d be lucky if they didn’t kill her the second they got their hands on her. No, she’d spent too much of her life as someone's prisoner. She was supposed to be done with that, that’s what the Phantom Company was supposed to mean for her. She wasn’t going to go.

But Altan could see her plan before she tried it, grabbing her wrist before she could try aiming the blaster at anyone, “Duna, don’t. Just trust me?” He pulled the blaster out of her hands, looking to Kylo Ren. “She’ll go with you. But until our deal is fulfilled, she has to be present each time the korbalite is delivered. Alive and well. Or you’ll get nothing.” They weren't in any position to make demands, but Altan would make one. It would at least keep Duna alive, hopefully unharmed, until the deal was finished or he found a way to get her back. It was a simple enough request.

 

[cleopat]

Pip was taken aback by Leia’s frank statement, her refusal to accept what Pip had said. But Leia wouldn’t have come all that way just to accept Pip’s initial refusal to help. She knew the older woman could be stubborn, but she could also inspire people to do what was right, which Pip could see clearly right then.

For the moment while Leia was talking, Pip looked away and focused on a spot at the wall, unable to meet Leia’s gaze out of shame. Shame that she still held so much doubt about herself and her ability to do what it is the other woman knew she could do.

And oh, it was just mean to bring up Luke, her old master she missed terribly, although what did that compare to a twin sister who just as easily missed him as well?

What he did have was friends and family. Something which Pip currently did not have, but if she went with Leia? Her gaze returned to the two, and her eyes briefly flickered over to Poe. Would he become a friend? You’re getting way ahead of yourself.

She still hadn’t agreed to anything yet, but they were breaking through to her, because deep down, Pip just knew she wanted to help, however foolish of a decision that may end up being.

“I am scared,” she finally admitted, her voice soft. “I’ve seen what your...what Kylo Ren is capable of, and that scares me.” Your son, was what she almost said, but was Kylo Ren truly Leia’s son anymore? Or was Ben Solo far gone?

“But a part of me is done running and hiding. A part of me wants to try and help the galaxy, like the Jedi before me.” Like Luke had done to help bring an end to Emperor Palpatine’s tyrannical rule and to the Empire.

And she couldn’t forget the vital roles Leia played in the ultimate demise of the Empire, even after her homeworld of Alderaan was destroyed by the first Deathstar. If Leia could have the courage to continue on after that cataclysmic event, then so could Pip.

“Maybe with a little help, things won’t seem so impossible.”

~~~

Kylo allowed the two to have their moment of sentiment, even if he didn’t want to. They already tested his patience with the faux korbalite!

But he watched silently as they had their exchange. The woman, of course, objecting to being held collateral, and the man convincing her otherwise and offering promises he knew he couldn’t keep. Touching, really.

Then the man spoke to Kylo, an attempt to further bargain their deal. He couldn’t fault the man for trying, and Kylo opted to humor the man. “Very well.” Even if they did try to fool Kylo, and even if he did want to hurt them both for that attempt, he would leave the woman, Duna, unharmed until the very end of their deal.

He made no promises if she tried anything, though.

“Until the First Order receives all of the korbalite as promised, she will remain unharmed, and she will be present at each delivery.” already he sensed how much of a nuisance she may become, and that would test the limits of Kylo’s patience.

Maybe he could hand her off to General Hux and let him deal with her between shipments.

“Now, if we have a deal, then walk over here. Preferably weaponless, but I am not to be held responsible for whatever happens to you by the hands of my Stormtroopers should you decide to brandish another blaster.” He was amused, really, at Duna’s almost foolhardy attempt to shoot him.

It would all have just been in vain on her part, and it wouldn’t have helped them in the least if their goal was to leave unscathed.

 

[KyloGlenn]

They were getting somewhere, with Pip’s confession of fear. Of course Leia noted the switch between what she assumed was going to be ‘your son’ to Kylo Ren. It stung, just a bit. Not that it was Pip’s fault. It was simply hard for Leia to know it was her son behind so much destruction. She knew some might think her foolish, but she still held out hope for her boy.

She was his mother. If not her, who else? And she was a terribly hopeful person, wasn’t she…

Leia stepped forward towards Pip, reaching out and taking Pip’s hands in her own. Her tone was softer now, to meet Pip’s, but still firm, unwavering. “Admitting your fear is brave in and of itself.” It was more than even half the men in the Resistance could do. And it was a start for Pip. “There’s nothing wrong with fear, as long as you don’t let it stop you.” There were plenty of times it could have stopped Leia. Plenty of times it would have, if Leia was normal.

“You’re not going to be alone in this. I’ll give you as much help and guidance as I can.” Though, Leia couldn’t provide the same level of lesson that Luke could. But she knew some things, and she could always learn more. “And if there was anything you ever needed, you’d just have to ask Poe. He’ll get you whatever you need.” The General turned to the man, expecting confirmation.

Poe, who had started to look around at anything but them as if to give them the illusion of a private moment, turned his attention back to them. He didn’t miss a beat, nodded along. “Yep. Anything at all, I’m your man,” he offered her a friendly smile. It was a genuine one, unconcerned with convincing Pip. Leia was doing that well enough on her own.

If Pip chose to accept, she’d have the best team of people possible at her back.

Leia returned her gaze to the girl. “What do you say, Pip?"

-

Kylo agreed to their little demand, but it didn’t at all appease Duna. Nothing would, as she didn’t want to go at all. She knew shooting at someone wouldn’t get her out of it. She’d end up dead, as would the rest of her crew. Briefly she considered if that would be better than being held captive, but she ultimately decided that no, being dead did not outweigh captivity.

She could get out of captivity. She’d done it enough times before. She’d do it again. With or without Altan’s help.

Altan was good. He liked her, more than she liked him, probably. But that was a good thing in this situation. If it were the other way around, Duna would disappear. Leave him to the First Order. But she was too good of an asset – or an accessory, she wasn’t sure. Either way. He wouldn’t take her place, but he wasn’t going to leave her.

Her companion pressed a kiss to her hair before urging her to go forward. “Fine,” she hissed, stepping forward. She’d left the blaster in Altan’s hands, but still she made a show of proving she was unarmed. She paused, spinning herself around to show she was weaponless. One would be pretty hard to hide in the outfit she was wearing. Despite her performance, as soon as she crossed over, she was grabbed by a trooper that patted her down. He endured Duna’s glare the entire time. “Satisfied?”

“Yes. She’s clear.”

‘As if that weren’t obvious.’

“There,” Altan spoke. “Now you’ve got your collateral and you’ve got some korbalite. I’m going to assume I can reach out to the same contact to schedule the next shipment. If there’s nothing else you want to take from us, I ought to take my leave. Someone has to get started on the rest of the korbalite.” And figure out how to get Duna back.

 

[cleopat]

There’s nothing wrong with fear, as long as you don’t let it stop you.

Pip allowed Leia to take her hands, even if instinct from running for too long wanted her to pull away. She allowed, and she listened, taking to heart what the older woman advised. At times, Pip felt like all she did was live in fear, but she was still alive, right? She dared to live on some city-planet rather than escape to an isolated planet to be a moisture farmer.

She wouldn’t let fear stop her. Not now. That would only mean Kylo Ren won.

And she would have help through the help and resources of Leia, and, apparently, Poe as well. She would have to remember later to ask Leia what was so special about Poe that he was the one to accompany her in coming to talk to Pip. But if Leia trusted him, she would as well.

Pip gave a deep, heavy sigh, before a small smile appeared. “I can see why you’re such a well renowned leader. You certainly have a way with words, don’t you?” Politicians had to be crafty in that way, she figured, but at least Leia had good intentions. She wanted to better the galaxy and see it thrive.

There was a brief pause before she answered, “I say that maybe I am growing tired of this bartending job. I didn’t really like it anyways.” Not a complete lie. It was a nice, steady income of credits, but it bored her, aside from the occasional interesting patron that had one too many beers. "Maybe there's another calling out there that's more my style."

~~~

Kylo silently observed Duna as she left the blaster with her companion, and turned her body to prove that she was now disarmed. Good, she isn’t a complete imbecile. That statement would have to be further tested later on, when they were on Kylo’s shuttle and when they were back with the First Order. She seemed like the type that talked too much in inappropriate situations, and he was oh so eager to test that theory.

He didn’t have to command a trooper to further check her for weapons, as one automatically stepped forward and did the task. Once verified she was clear, her companion spoke. Yes, at least Kylo had some of the korbalite. He wouldn’t be going back completely empty handed. With a gesture of his head, he motioned for the trooper with the crate of actual korbalite to move it onto the ship for transport.

“And just remember what will happen if you dare to try and cross us again by not delivering on the amount of korbalite as promised,” Kylo threatened. “The terms of our agreement are only valid with the agreed upon amount of korbalite each meeting, then no harm will fall upon your companion before the following meeting.”

Kylo gets the korbalite, Altan gets assurance that Duna is okay for a while longer. Kylo gets shorted, then no promise will be made for Duna’s condition.

The trooper that patted her down kept a grip on one of Duna’s arms. “You may take her to the shuttle,” Kylo instructed.

“Yes, sir,” said the stormtrooper, who then turned back towards the woman in question and ushered her along.

“I expect to hear from you again very soon. If that will be all, then you are free to go.” And get out of Kylo’s sight.

 

[KyloGlenn]

Pip let out a deep sigh, letting Leia know without saying anything that she had gotten through to her on some level. Leia returned the small smile, “Thanks. I definitely have my moments.” She wouldn’t have gotten far if she didn’t have a way about her. Some said it was a natural presence about her, but Leia was certain it was a learned behavior.

Leia waited out the pause, knowing what answer would come. “Bartending is a respectable position. Maybe not the career for everyone.” Though it could be argued the Resistance wasn’t much of a career. Or a career at all. No one made money off of it. But it certainly was a commitment. Leia squeezed Pip’s hands. “We’ll help you reach that calling.” She assured, releasing the girl.

Leia did wonder how long Pip would’ve gone on this city-planet, in her bartending job. Would Kylo Ren have come for her? Would she live the rest of her life here? Leia consigned herself to the fact that she may be taking Pip from her best possible course of life. But it wasn’t for naught. It was for the safety of the galaxy, now and future.

“How do you feel about giving your boss and your coworkers a, uh, two minute notice?” Poe asked.

“We’ve got a ship we flew in on. Ready to go. If you’re up for this, if you’re ready,” Leia would give her a chance to back out. Leia wasn’t in the business of pressuring, just convincing. “We can stop by your home. You can pack, bring whatever you want; though, I do suggest packing lightly.” The Resistance was perpetually on the move. Leia hoped they could find a stable base soon. But even then, the General knew how temporary those could be.

“Or if you want to say goodbye to anyone,” Poe added. “Boyfriend...girlfriend...friends. Loved ones. It’s not goodbye forever,” they wouldn’t restrict Pip from talking to anyone or seeing anyone, of course, “But...goodbye for a while. Unless they come with.” Which anyone was welcome to.

-

“You’ll get all the korbalite you want. We’ll be in touch,” Altan concluded, though he spared a look at his retreating companion. “Hang in there, Duna!” He called. Duna heard him, caught his gaze, but she said nothing back. Whether it was because she was angry, or upset, or simply because she couldn’t think of what to say...she wasn’t entirely sure herself.

Altan turned, as did the rest of the Phantom Company crew, and began to scurry off as the First Order ship swallowed Duna whole. Or at least that was what it felt like to her.

“Sit.” The stormtrooper instructed, to which Duna complied.

She felt exposed and vulnerable...it made her angry. But she could do nothing about it. Except watch as the trooper searched, finding a pair of cuffs. “I could’ve ran off in the time it took you to find those.” She grumbled, glaring.

“No, you couldn’t have.” The trooper argued, grabbing one of her hands and activating the cuff around it.

“If you’re so confident in that, why bother cuffing me at all?” She already raised her other hand. She wasn’t going anywhere, anyway, might as well cooperate.

“Would you leave a prisoner, with a record of reaching for weapons, loose in your ship?” The two stared at one another for a few moments, Duna not arguing for the trooper had a point.

Still. “I thought I was a guest, not a prisoner? Or at least that’s what your Kylo Ren claimed.” She looked for the man-creature thing – whatever was behind the mask – at the mention of him. She worried what this flight would entail. Surely now that they were out of Altan’s sight he’d want something done to her. She was only promised to be kept alive, and not necessarily well.

 

[cleopat]

Sure, bartending was a respectable position, but Pip only did it out of necessity. It was safe. It kept her fed. And people talked after a few drinks. It helped her keep an ear out for anything regarding the First Order. But it wasn’t her calling.

She smiled and nodded as Leia let go of her hands. “I have a feeling that you’ll definitely help me.” And her ‘feelings’ were never usually wrong, nor did they steer her down the wrong path. She started to feel more confident in leaving with Leia and Poe, even if she did not know him that well, or at all. Leia did, and that was all that mattered.

“I’m sure my coworkers won’t like my two minute notice, but at least it’s not crazy out there,” Pip responded with a shrug. She straightened back up as it seemed their private conversation was coming to an end. “Lucky for you, I live out of a suitcase.” Just in case. Just in case she is found. Just in case she needed to run quickly.

Packing lightly wouldn’t be an issue for Pip.

“And I have no one to say goodbye to,” she chuckled. Befriending people only made things harder in the long run. Except maybe her coworkers, but she was about to say goodbye to them anyways. She just hoped her leaving so abruptly wouldn’t upset them too much.

She didn’t see herself coming back to this little bar.

“If there is nothing else you wanted to discuss, then we can go ahead and start heading out.” She had made up her mind, and Pip wanted to leave before she got cold feet.

~~~

Kylo didn’t move for a moment, firm gaze remained set on Altan as he and the Phantom Company crew turned back around and headed towards their ship. He wanted to see if anything would happen. If the foolish man would try and attempt an eleventh hour rescue of his companion.

But nothing of the sort happened, and so Kylo turned around to head back to his own shuttle. Now he had to deal with that woman and figure out how to deal with her.

There was always the possibility of handing her off to a lesser officer so Kylo Ren wouldn’t have to keep an eye on her.

He would contemplate the idea.

Upon entering the shuttle, he approached the nearest stormtrooper. “Notify General Hux that there’s been a slight hiccup in plans, and that we’re bringing back a visitor.”

“Yes, sir.” The trooper stepped to the side so he could record the message, and Kylo focused his attention back on the woman, sitting down with a snug pair of cuffs around her wrists.

“Comfortable?” he asked sardonically. “If you behave, then I’ll make sure not a single hair on your head is harmed.” He wouldn’t promise though. Kylo Ren doesn’t promise. But he also had no intentions of harming Duna if she behaved and stayed on his good side. “Maybe I’ll even make sure your stay with us is comfortable.” That was nearly mocking.

 

[KyloGlenn]

Neither Poe nor Leia were much surprised that Pip lived out of a suitcase, or that she had no one to say goodbye to. Still, it was just a touch sad. Not that either one of them said that. Poe didn’t recall in the moment how long it had been since the vaguely described incident at Luke’s Jedi school, but he did know it had been quite some time. Had Pip spent all that time living out of her suitcase? Without having anyone to say goodbye to?

Poe knew the feeling of living with one hand on his belongings, waiting for the day he’d have to grab them and go. Leia knew the feeling, too. But Poe had always had someone to say goodbye to.

Poe wouldn’t spend much more time speculating about Pip’s situation. Maybe he’d ask her about it, later. One day. Maybe when they knew each other better, if they did get to know one another. He suspected they would, Leia had already put a heavy emphasis on Poe being available to help Pip when he could, with whatever she needed. But who knew how things would unfold.

“Good, you’re easy. I like that.” Poe said, but almost immediately cringed at himself. He wondered where that came from. That wording was...not quite right. ‘Better than saying her situation was depressing.’ He thought to himself, at least.

“Anything else can wait until later,” Leia waved her hand dismissively, quickly moving on from Poe and addressing Pip. They’d have much to discuss about all of this, of course, but Leia too wanted to hit the road with Pip, just in case there were still any doubts weighing heavily on the girl. Getting on their way might help dispel any. “Come, let’s go grab that suitcase of yours.” Leia ushered.

“Our ship’s not far.” Poe added. “I hope you like droids, by the way,” Poe was quick to grab the door for the ladies, the sound of chatter and music filling the office the three had huddled in as the door opened to the rest of the bar.

“Hey!” A twi’lek, Lora – Poe recalled Pip addressing her before – called out to them from where she leaned over an empty section of the bar. “Everything okay, Pip?”

Poe rubbed the back of his neck, stepping off to one side along with Leia to allow Pip room to...quit her job.

-

Guest, visitor. Everything but prisoner, which they all knew was what she was.

The troopers moved about, following Kylo’s orders, setting up to get the ship off the ground and on its course. While Kylo Ren stood there and mocked her. She sneered at him, “Very comfortable, actually, thank you.” She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She had to reel it back. It had been a long time since she’d been in captivity, her instincts to be compliant had gone out the window.

It wasn’t instinctual, but she still remembered what it was like. She lifted her cuffed hands, “I didn’t make a fuss about this, now did I?” Behaved enough. “I’d love to believe you, but I’m afraid I don’t. You don’t seem like the type to go out of your way to make someone comfortable, of all things.” She honestly doubted she’d even see him, outside of these routine deliveries that seemed to have been set up. Surely she’d be out of his sight and out of his mind.

“Besides, ‘behaved’ is entirely too vague to mean anything. Apologies if I’m being presumptive, but you and I likely have very different definitions of what good behavior entails.” Perhaps that was what he was hoping for, if he was the type to pick on his guests for fun. “But, for what it’s worth, I’m not a complete idiot. I have no intention of causing trouble at my own expense.”

Anymore than she already had.

And maybe she’d cause ‘trouble’ if it was beneficial to her, but obviously she kept that to herself.

She leaned back into her seat and crossed her legs in an attempt to settle. She would’ve crossed her arms if it weren’t for the cuffs. But she came to the unfortunate realization upon looking down at herself – that her wardrobe would be seriously downgraded. She’d probably get some ugly, itchy uniform and flimsy shoes. If she was lucky. Maybe they’d make her wear the same thing for her whole imprisonment. She knew nothing of the First Order’s captivity conditions.

 

[cleopat]

Pip raised an eyebrow at Poe’s odd phrasing of words, but she didn’t comment on it. He may be pretty, but he seems kind of awkward. Maybe she would get the opportunity to figure him out more, if they were to work together and get to know one another better.

Leia knocked her out of her thoughts. She easily moved along, from the silence of the office to the clamor of the bar. No, Pip really wouldn’t miss this job at all.

“Droids?” she questioned, but waved it off for now. She’ll find out what Poe meant later on. Did the Resistance use more droids than what was normal or something?

Pip heard Lora call for her, and with the question, she let out a sigh. This part she wouldn’t enjoy doing. She actually grew to like Lora, almost as a friend if she dared to use that term, that she felt guilty for leaving the twi’lek alone in the middle of a shift.

“Yeah, everything’s okay.” She moved a hand to run her fingers through her hair before she remembered it was pulled back in a loose braid, and she set her hand awkwardly by her side. “But there’s something I need to tell you.”

“What is it? You’re not in trouble, are you?” Lora asked, shooting a glance in the direction of the two strangers she saw with Pip.

Pip shook her head. “No, nothing like that, but I do have to leave. There was a...uh, family emergency.” She inwardly cringed at the lame excuse. “I have to leave immediately.”

“Oh I’m so sorry to hear that. When will you be back?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. Tell our boss that I’m sorry.” She slowly began to back up as she said that. Lora gave a final wave with a sad smile to Pip, and Pip returned the wave before turning around to face Leia and Poe. “Alright, let’s get to my apartment so we can get out of here.”

~~~

The woman had spunk. If the situation was any different, and she hadn’t tried to play him like a fool, then Kylo may have actually liked her. But he couldn’t forget or forgive her transgressions.

And he could tell she would try and walk a narrow line with her mouth. It was all too evident in how she addressed him, how she challenged him in how she would truly be treated.

“I can be a man of my word.” It wouldn’t be entirely a lie. Kylo Ren made a deal for the korbalite, a material the First Order desperately needed for their plans with the weapon, and he would see through with the deal, unless they found another means to obtain korbalite. But he didn’t see that happening, especially anytime in the near future.

So they would need to keep an eye on The Phantom Company.

“I am pleased to hear that you have no intention of causing trouble. That would indeed be a problem that would affect the quality of your stay here.” He would let the silent threat hang in the air. Surely Duna didn’t need Kylo to spell out the trouble she would be in, not with stormtroopers standing by, waiting for any command that Kylo Ren gives them to act.

“Maybe if you’re nice, I’ll even remove those binders.” He felt confident that she wouldn’t try anything without the binders on, not with him there. Or with a ship full of stormtroopers. Attempting anything would mean an immediate demise without hesitation, and they’ve already established that she wasn’t a complete idiot.

Still, he wondered about her, wondered about bringing her to the First Order, and wondered if she was going to play the role of a silent prisoner.

 

[KyloGlenn]

Poe and Leia gave Pip some distance, allowing her some privacy to say goodbye to her coworker and her job. Well, the illusion of privacy, anyway. The two could still hear the interaction between Pip and the other bartender. The entire exchange was incredibly awkward, at least on Pip’s end. Her body language was a bit suspicious but Lora didn’t seem to pick up on it.

Poe couldn’t help but think that the first question for Lora to have after Pip told her of the ‘family emergency’ – to ask when she was coming back – was just a bit insensitive, if it were truly a family emergency. But Lora seemed nice enough in general. And it didn’t really matter. It was probably more rude for Pip to not come back at all and not say as much.

Poe’s musing was ended by Pip rejoining them. “Right.” He shifted, feeling like he had to offer something encouraging. “You’re making the right move. Let’s get out of here.” That was what he managed, along with a small smile. Truth was, he didn’t know Pip well enough to know if that's what she needed. If it helped at all.

He moved forward. “Follow us back to the ship, then I’ll follow your instructions back to your apartment.” The pilot made the agenda clear, turning to Leia to see that she too was ready. Her ‘disguise’ was back in place, gesturing Poe along, ready to move through the crowds of the city planet. With her ready to roll, Poe led the two women through the bar, hoping Pip wasn’t too broken up about leaving.

The walk back to the ship wasn’t long at all, though Poe’s dark curls still swished and flopped with every look back he made to make sure the two were still moving along with him.

The ship was unmarked, inconspicuous, and as they approached, the entrance dropped down into a ramp. At the top sat BB-8, who– upon seeing their new companion – began beeping a mile a minute out of pure excitement. Even though it was just a droid, it still understood the significance of Pip’s presence. Of a Jedi, student or former or whatever, a Jedi nonetheless, on their side.

Poe chuckled as he ascended the ramp, patting BB-8 on the head as he walked by. “Pip, this is BB-8. BB-8, this is Pip. Like I said, I hope you like droids.” He introduced the two, leaving BB-8 to ambush the new girl. He gave her a warning, knowing some people weren’t favorable to droids. He headed to the cockpit, wasting little time in getting the vessel up and running. He figured they all were ready to get out of there as soon as possible.

-

He could be a man of his word, not that he would be. Even if she gave him every reason to stick to his word, it didn’t guarantee he would. She’d been in this position before. She’d been in his position, too. That’s what got her in this mess. But she’d try not to overthink this, him or his words. Not yet, anyway. So all she mumbled was “I would hope so.”

Duna raised her hands, making a show of the cuffs around her wrists while she gestured around them, “No need for threats,” she eased. His threat wasn’t explicit, but it was still obvious in his words. It was unnecessary. Every action since him and his troopers landed on that planet proved to be a threat. Duna got the message.

And he would be right to be confident, she knew better than to try anything. Even if he wasn’t there, her and a few armed stormtroopers in a ship floating through space? Yeah, no. She’d had her desperate moment earlier. She was still desperate, but wouldn’t let it make her stupid.

‘Well, maybe I like the binders.’ Duna thought to say, but decided being difficult was not the move either. “I can be nice, believe it or not,” she allowed his patronizing. Good behavior off leash would allow her to get further, that much she knew. “Trust me, I want to go back to my home after the First Order gets the korbalite. I won’t bite...this time.”

‘As long as I don’t have to.’

A stormtrooper emerged from some front part of the ship that Duna wouldn’t get to see. “The Finalizer has been informed of our arrival and the prisoner, Commander. Just a few more minutes.” The trooper informed.

The Finalizer? That wasn’t a planet. Was that a ship name? Was their whole operation based out of a ship? That wouldn’t spell well for escape, if that’s what Duna’s plans came to. She’d have to assess the situation when they got there, she supposed.

 

[cleopat]

Pip knew she could have handled that interaction a bit better. As someone who made her living off of talking to drunk people, she had the communication skills to approach nearly every subject, but for some reason, she felt awkward the entire time she talked to Lora. But fortunately, the twi’lek didn’t seem to notice. Or was too concerned with Pip’s ‘emergency’ to make a note of it.

It didn’t matter. She would never see her coworker again.

You’re making the right move. Pip appreciated the sentiment, giving Poe a small smile that she didn’t quite believe herself. She still had her doubts, mainly doubts of herself. Doubts that she won’t live up to the expectations of her being a Jedi. Could she do what was needed of her and succeed?

With the agenda set, Pip followed Poe and Leia through the crowds of the bar and back to the ship. It wasn’t hard to keep up, which she would credit to reaching out with tendrils of the Force to prevent herself from getting lost to the crowd.

Upon arrival at the ship, Pip only knew which ship was theirs by the sudden appearance of an orange and white spherical droid who reminded her more of an excitable puppy rather than a droid. She smiled and knelt to greet the droid, “Well hello there, BB-8. It’s nice to meet you.”

The droid beeped its own greeting, excited that Pip took the time to greet it properly. Pip stood up, a smile still on her face, and followed the others into the ship and towards the cockpit. “Cute droid you have there.” Certainly a unique model, one she hadn’t seen before. She only hoped the little droid stayed out of trouble.

“Now, I don’t live terribly far from here.” And Pip proceeded to give Poe the directions to her humble little apartment, just a few miles away.

~~~

Kylo was terribly amused by Duna’s spunk. It would help her during her tenure with the First Order. Even in the jaws of the enemy, bound and powerless, she didn’t allow herself to lose any of that gumption. Kylo only hoped that it stayed once she saw what she was truly up against.

Who she tried to swindle out of valuable korbalite.

“We’ll see how nice you can pretend to be,” he said with amusement. If she knew what was good for her, she would pretend, and pretend well. Duna already proved she was troublesome and difficult. Maybe she was finally learning the situation she got herself into.

She certainly will learn once they get to the Finalizer.

Kylo didn’t turn to face the stormtrooper, but he listened. “Good.” The trooper walked away, taking a sigh of relief for the uneventful encounter. With the way the business transaction ended, and with their new prisoner, the trooper wasn’t sure if Kylo’s wrath would make an appearance.

As if reading her mind, Kylo said, “The Finalizer will be your home for the foreseeable future. I do hope you enjoy ships. It would be a pity if you were uncomfortable the entire time.”

 

[KyloGlenn]

It was clear the little droid felt some sense of accomplishment, excitement, to be acknowledged by Pip. It threatened to bring a grin onto Poe’s face, seeing his buddy so excitable. He was glad Pip didn’t seem to be bothered by droids at all, he never could tell whether or not people would like droids off the bat. He didn’t understand the dislike, but he wasn’t against respecting it.

Luckily, Pip seemed to even like BB-8. “Thanks. He’s one-of-a-kind. Won’t see a droid as cute as BB-8 anywhere else.” Poe always boasted about his orange and white astromech.

They all settled into their seats, though not for long. Poe followed the directions Pip gave him, and they really were only in the air for a few minutes. He put the ship down as close as he could to her building; it seemed most of the spaces near it were more fitted for speeders, but Poe made it work. Hoped they wouldn’t get in trouble for it, but they’d only be there for a few moments.

“Poe, why don’t you go with Pip? Help her if she needs anything,” Leia offered up his services. “I think I ought to stay here.” No sense in risking being spotted anymore than she had to, and not with Pip.

Poe was hesitant to leave Leia here alone, even with BB-8. Not to mention, Pip did seem to imply she didn’t have much to bring with her, she could probably get her things easily enough on her own. But Poe couldn’t really argue with Leia. Maybe the General wanted to make sure Pip didn’t use this as an opportunity to chicken out and run off again. Or maybe Poe was the one unsure of Pip. “Alright, I will. We’ll be back soon.”

And Poe would wait until he could follow Pip a distance away from the ship, saying, “Hey, if you want a moment alone in your apartment or something like that, feel free to kick me out. I can just wait for you,” he assured her. He didn’t want to impose upon her, but he would still be there should she need help carrying anything. Or if she thought about running off.

‘Have some faith,’ he told himself. Leia believed in this girl. Poe would, too, damn it.

-

Duna didn’t fail to take notice of the way the stormtroopers acted around Kylo Ren. How skittish they were, how they seemed to walk on eggshells around him. Compared to how they were with just her around, like when they were loading her up to leave. It just gave her the feeling that she hadn’t seen all that Kylo was about yet.

Another reminder to stay at the top of her game. Even if it appeared to get harder to do so.

Kylo confirmed her suspicions. The Finalizer was the name of a ship, a ship that she’d be staying on. ‘Fuck,’ she cursed to herself. That would make any plans for escape exponentially more difficult. As if he knew her train of thought, he seemed smug about it. Though he seemed terribly self-satisfied with about every outcome that had been reached since they’d met. She wouldn’t let it bother her, not visibly. “I’ve spent a lot of time on ships. I can do ships.” She claimed. Duna would make it work. She was sure she’d be uncomfortable the whole time anyway, no matter the ship.

Though, she had barely a clue what she was truly up against. Duna didn’t realize the Finalizer wasn’t like any mere freighter she’d spent time on before. It was its own animal. “Arriving!” A trooper called from the cockpit before there was some jerking movement – landing.

The troopers bustled around, picking up crates of what korbalite they gathered, awaiting the landing ramp to lower and reveal more stormtroopers and a few uniformed officers, one in particular stood out. A ginger haired man with a sour face. He reminded Duna a bit of a rat.

Beyond him and the stormtroopers was a massive, sterile, state-of-the-art hangar, bigger than any freighter she had imagined the ship to be. Beyond anything Duna would have expected for what was supposed to be a small coalition of wannabe imperials. They were much more than that. In an instant all schemes, all confidence was blown from the girl’s head. She was a fish out of water. Altan and her little crime syndicate, too. This was way above their heads.

 

[cleopat]

The way Poe boasted about his droid brought the slightest smile to Pip’s face. It was cute, the seeming relationship between Poe and his droid, like an owner and their pet. Except the pet in this situation was a spherical droid with the personality of an excitable puppy. “I certainly haven’t seen any other droids like it,” she easily agreed.

The trip to the building that housed her apartment was only a short hop in the ship. Pip wouldn’t complain to Leia about having Poe to come along, even if she didn’t have much he could help with. She led him, with Leia staying behind so as to not attract attention, through the labyrinthine corridors and to her humble apartment.

“You’re good. I don’t see why I would need a moment alone in this place.” She entered the code and the door slid open, revealing her cozy abode. It was a small apartment, just big enough to house one person with some elbow room. The decorations were at a minimum, as Pip never considered such luxuries.

She needed to be able to pack up at a moment’s notice and leave without warning, like now.

“But thank you,” Pip added as an afterthought in some small attempt to be polite. “This shouldn’t take too long. I don’t have much.” She stepped inside the apartment and immediately reached under the bed to grab a backpack. She placed the bag on top of a short dresser and shoved what little clothing she had into it. The task only took a minute, after which Pip knelt on the floor next to her bed and reached for a panel, opening it and grabbing the valuable item she had hidden under the bed.

Her lightsaber.

Pip carefully placed that into her bag in a manner that was not shown to her clothes. A few more odds and ends found their way into the bag, and after another minute, she zipped up the bag. “There, I’m pretty sure that’s it.”

Just one backpack filled with the entirety of her life. Maybe in another life Pip would have considered that a bit sad. In this life she may even admit it, if pressed. Sure, one day she would love to finally settle somewhere, with someone, but that would have to be a day when Kylo Ren and the First Order didn’t exist anymore.

“Now let’s get out of here before any of my neighbors get too curious.” Fortunately, most of them tend to stick to their own business, but one of her elderly neighbors loved to pry into Pip’s life a bit too much.

~~~

You can do ships? We’ll see how you can truly do ships. Kylo sensed her apprehension. Soon Duna would see what kind of ship she was up against truly, and that it wasn’t some trade ship with only him and a few Stormtroopers.

No, she’ll see the might of the First Order and whom exactly she crossed with her little stunt with her partner.

Kylo prepared himself when a trooper called out that they were arriving. Not that it mattered much to his own personal plans, but there was still the issue of how a certain general, or even their Supreme Leader, would take to the unexpected visitor. They may think it a foolish idea from a foolish man with considerable dreams.

As the troopers bustled around when they came to land, one grabbed Duna to follow behind Kylo as he descended the ramp into the hangar.

“General Hux, what a pleasant surprise. Come to greet me back?” Kylo asked sardonically. Like the two would ever be amicable enough to greet one another pleasantly.

“I’ve come to see how you failed a simple mission. Here I see far fewer korbalite than I remembered agreeing upon, plus a girl.” A sneer plastered across Hux’s face.

Kylo tightened his hands into fists, but he resisted the desire to choke Hux with the Force and watch the man writhe and plead for mercy. “There was an unexpected hiccup. Our little friend here and her partner thought they could swindle us out of our expected shipment of korbalite, and until we get the full shipment they owe us, she will be our guest.”

 

[KyloGlenn]

Poe simply nodded in response to Pip’s thanks and her estimated time, accompanied with a barely there smile. For politeness. He took a few shallow steps into Pip’s apartment, the door sliding closed behind him. “Take your time,” he mentioned, though he had a feeling she wasn’t lying about only taking a moment. If he didn’t get the hint before, the lack of personality in her apartment told him she didn’t have much to pack.

He was trying to read her. He felt he had a pretty good gauge of people. Or maybe he’d fooled himself into thinking that. But whatever the case, he had trouble figuring Pip out. She was a bit awkward, he thought, but there was nothing wrong with that.

Her home decor gave him very little to work with, other than the fact that she wasn’t sentimental. She was ready to go at any moment without concern for extra stuff. Which must be a necessity for her, he’d yet to know if it was how she preferred to live. Or if she wanted something stable. The Resistance wasn’t consistent, he couldn’t even say it was as stable as her situation now. Maybe one day they could be, but not yet.

It was probably good she was used to this stuff.

The look around her apartment was quick, it was a little place after all. So he took a few more steps just to watch her pull her lightsaber out from a nifty little spot. He hadn’t really seen one of those things in person before. Not that he got a good look at it from his distance. He noticed her place it gently into her bag, unlike the ensuing, and probably the proceeding, odds and ends she threw in.

“Nosey neighbors, fun. Got it, let’s get out of here. Hate to tell you, but I’m sure when we get back to the base it’ll be...a lot to deal with at once. But you might as well get it taken care of as quick as possible.” Things to see, people to meet. Regulations to be shared. He thought he ought to warn her, even though, “I’m sure it’s nothing you can’t handle.” He would lead them out of the little apartment, just in case she wanted one last look. He didn’t think he was any more sentimental than she might be, but he did understand it in others.

Though, it seemed they were a bit too late to escape the neighbors, as a door swooshed open, an aged voice asking Poe, “Who are you?”

-

Duna was grabbed by one of the troopers, she wasn’t sure if it was the one she’d spoken to or a new one. They all looked the same in those suits of armor and she hadn’t been paying attention. Whoever it was pulled her out of the ship, holding her upright as she descended the ramp at a forced pace behind Kylo Ren. At least they did pause once they reached the end, letting her balance herself. She didn’t have the capacity to scold herself for her outfit choices, though.

If anything, she felt naked. Vulnerable in the sheer size of just the hangar they landed in alone. If she hadn’t been vulnerable enough when she was cuffed. She wished, in that moment, that she could tell Altan not to worry about her, to run and never strike a deal with or encounter the First Order again. But would she, even if she could? Her need for self preservation was too great.

This General Hux – whose name she took to memory – seemed perturbed by her. And by Kylo, who seemed likewise bothered by the sneering man. “Our guest?” General Hux questioned, almost incredulous. “You’ve been fooled. She’s a waste of resources in more ways than one.” Hux was certain she’d been sacrificed to appease Kylo in the moment – these shipments were not real. And he was most definitely irritated, which wasn’t good for her.

She couldn’t tell which one of them had the power here. Hux had a rank...Kylo was...hm.

“We’re better off getting as much information as possible and disposing of her. If we do it quickly we may be able to track the Phantom Company down before they attempt to cover their trail.” They still had a chance to get korbalite out of this. “I’m sure the Supreme Leader would agree.” To Duna, it sounded like there was some threat in the words.

“They’re not going to go back on the agreement, not anymore.” Duna assured, otherwise she might just be killed on the spot.

Hux’s beady little eyes narrowed on her in a snap, silently willing her to keep her mouth shut if she knew what was good for her. “Of course you’d say that.” As if she were to be trusted at all.

 

[cleopat]

Pip suppressed a grimace as she heard the aged voice of her neighbor questioning Poe. The old lady was kind, but her insistence on butting into everyone’s business was annoying at times. Many times.

“Mrs. Eldridge,” she said with a smile. “I didn’t think you would still be out this late.”

“Oh, I was just coming back from visiting some friends,” the old lady said, her gaze never wavering from Poe. “Now, who is your friend here?”

Pip glanced towards Poe before facing the elder lady once more. “Oh, just a friend I ran into at the bar. Nothing more.”

“Hmm,” the elder ladder hummed, as she looked the man up and down with her bespeckled eyes and body crouching over a cane. “You know I only want what's best for you.” Pip wanted to deny that, that the older lady didn’t know anything about Pip, but she bit her lip.

She obviously couldn’t tell Mrs. Eldridge the truth about Poe.

“Don’t worry, Mrs. Eldridge. He wouldn’t harm a fly.” Tought she didn’t know, Pip did know Poe couldn’t harm a hair on Pip’s head. She wouldn’t allow it.

“Oh, I’m sure of that, Pip,” the elder lady responded, leaning slightly forward on her cane. “You know I’m only looking after you.”

Pip hummed. “Oh, I know, Mrs. Eldridge.” She didn’t need anyone to look after her. Pip could look after herself. “He’s completely harmless though, and we’re just going out for some caf.” A white lie, but she didn’t know if the older lady could handle the truth. That Pip wasn’t coming back at all. “I’ll see you around.”

~~~

Kylo slightly grimaced as Armitage spoke, a grimace that soon dissipated as Hux finished his thoughts. Of course Kylo thought differently than Hux, thoughts that would provide a different outcome for the First Order.

Thoughts that maybe even the Supreme Leader would agree with, if Kylo was lucky, which Armitage disagreed with.

Of course he did.

“And I disagree with every word you said,” Kylo admitted, without any hesitation. “I believe that the Phantom Company would do what they can to retrieve their little pawn here.” Duna seemed to be an upper echelon member, Kylo thought.

Given by their brief interaction, the Phantom Company would do anything they could to retrieve Duna, even if it meant playing by the First Order’s wishes.

“I believe they would do what is necessary to ensure that she remains unharmed, including following our every whim and demand.” Maybe not every demand, but many of them, that Kylo had a feeling for. He could feel the relationship between Duna and her partner. It was more than just pure business.

“I say we give them a week to prove their loyalty,” Kylo suggested. “After that week, if they hadn’t provided any korbalite, then we’ll do with her as you wish.”

 

[KyloGlenn]

The elderly woman looked at Pip, looked long. Noted the bag stuffed too full to be going for just some caf. Her eyesight wasn’t what it used to be, but it wasn’t that bad. Nor was she that dull. But she wasn’t sure what to make of it. So, she simply committed Poe’s face to her aging memory. She hummed again, “Right. Well, be careful out there. Enjoy your night, Pip.”

Poe gave the old woman a smile, one he’d figured was charming enough. “It was nice to meet you, Mrs. Eldridge.” Maybe she’d think him less of a thug or whatever suspicions she had of him. Not that it mattered, he supposed. They’d never see one another again.

Mrs. Eldridge raised a frail hand, waving him off, she’d seen men like him before. Whatever Pip’s business was with him, it wouldn’t last long. Those dashing smiles never did. She shuffled back towards her door, the thing whooshing open, but she didn’t quite go in yet. “Yes, yes, you too. Bye bye now.”

Poe gave a nod, a small wave, and would turn with Pip to leave. Leave her life behind.

He waited until they were down the hall and turned, catching one last glimpse of Pip’s nosey neighbor that still watched as they left. And then he spoke. “She’s going to think I murdered you when you don’t come back,” Poe told her. “The way she was eyeing me, I’m sure the law is gonna get a good sketch of me.” He did find humor in it. Because it didn’t matter much.

There were a lot of sketches of him in a lot of places from a lot of people. He liked to keep busy, he’d say. All of it came with his commitment to the Resistance.

Though, on thought, there was a concern. If Mrs. Eldridge went to whatever protective force this planet had, gave them descriptions of him and Pip...well, that would be a bright red flag for the First Order. Could put them pretty hot on their trail, when they’d stayed pretty good at keeping ahead. A worry for later, Poe supposed, as they emerged from Pip’s building to find the ship again.

-

Armitage Hux was unsurprised by Kylo’s disagreement, his sour face unmoved. It wasn’t the first time and it wouldn’t be the last. As much as he wished it was. The General’s jaw tightened, his eyes moving over the girl one more time, as if it would confirm Kylo Ren’s supposed observations. That she was of some importance and not just a failed messenger. The results were inconclusive.

“A lot can happen in a week. A week could be detrimental to the acquisition of korbalite. The material’s certainly not becoming any more common.” And not any cheaper.

But, if Kylo Ren was right, getting the korbalite would be an easy feat. And if he wasn’t...well, Hux did find some satisfaction in Ren’s failures. They’d still have the girl, to get information out of, should Kylo’s plan fall through. A week would be lost, but Hux was if nothing else confident in his own ability to recover it. It would just be more work.

The General agreed, “One week and not a single resource wasted beyond that. Though, we’ll see how Leader Snoke feels about this.” He would have to be briefed on this failure at some point. “Do what you intend with the girl, so long as you keep her out of trouble. I don’t want to hear of her unless she’s hand delivering a full shipment of korbalite.”

Certainly Hux wouldn’t be that lucky, to get as he said. Ren had a knack of bringing along difficulties.

And this new difficulty wasn’t at all relieved, though her life was temporarily spared. She still had to survive the week. Stars, she hoped Altan would deliver, he had to. At least in his mind he had to surely. But then she had to think of how to get herself out of this just as well.

General Hux stepped aside, out of Kylo Ren’s path. “At least we have some korbalite to keep the project going.” He grumbled.

 

[cleopat]

Pip knew she fucked up her excuse as the older woman looked Pip over, and her bag, but fortunate for Pip, nothing was said of it. Mrs. Eldridge accepted her excuse easily enough, and Pip smiled at her and wished her a good night. Simple enough.

It was sad to think that it may be the last time she saw the older woman, which was why Pip tried not to dwell on such thoughts. It was pointless. How many times had she had to unknowingly say goodbye to a neighbor, or to a temporary friend? Too many, and while she visibly remained aloof every time, Pip always wanted an actual friend she could bond with and always rely on, even if they were systems apart.

With a simple turn, Pip left her old life behind and followed Poe into her new one, one she was still quite unsure about. “Why does something tell me that the law already has a good sketch of you,” she chuckled. A feeling. A feeling that this man seems to find trouble often.

Or maybe she was just being too judgemental. She barely knew the guy, and she kept having to repeat his name in her head to memorize it.

They came to the ship soon enough. BB-8 waited for them, and trilled upon seeing their faces again. “See? We weren’t gone too long,” Pip, amused by the droid’s actions, said with a smile. She boarded the ship, Leia still onboard, waiting for them, and once the ramp was securely shut behind them, sealing off any potential eavesdroppers, Pip turned to the two of them. “So, where is this Resistance base anyways?”

~~~

Kylo waited for Armitage’s final judgement of the situation, as if the man sought the approval of the general. Oh how that thought was laughable. Kylo cared for no one’s opinion save his own and that of the Supreme Leader’s.

Supreme Leader Snoke had much say in Kylo’s life.

A lot indeed could happen in a week, but Kylo had a feeling they would be pleased with the results at the end of the week. They would, if this company wanted to see the girl alive again. Or unharmed. In some ways, Armitage worried about every detail too much.

A thought that would remain unspoken.

One week and not a single resource wasted beyond that. Kylo slightly turned his head to glance at the girl, then back on Hux. We’ll see how Leader Snoke feels about this. He suppressed a wince, though his right hand tightened into a fist belied his true thoughts on that particular matter. Surely the Supreme Leader would see the plan in full and agree with Kylo, right?

“One week is all we’ll need to assure my plans.” Of that Kylo was convinced. If not, then he would have to admit his wrongful judgement and dispose of Duna as he saw fit. “And the girl won’t be a bother, that I am sure of.” Dark eyes hidden behind the vizor of his helmet, he spared another glance towards the girl in question. So helpless in the vast sea of the First Order’s might.

At least the girl couldn’t pull any tricks while on the Finalizer.

Once General Hux stepped aside, Kylo Ren continued on his path out of the hangar, with the stormtrooper that led her off the ship also leading her in the path of Kylo. “If everything goes well on your partner’s end, you won’t have to deal with General Hux again.” A blessing for Duna, and something he was almost envious of. To never have to deal with that insufferable man again.

 

[KyloGlenn]

Poe did question what kind of person Leia was having them bring into the fold. Someone who lied so easily, especially to someone who seemed to care about her. But then, Poe was in no position to judge either. He didn’t know the true relationship of Pip and Mrs. Eldridge. He didn’t know Pip at all.

Even if he had committed her name to memory, unlike Pip unbeknownst to him. He didn’t have to repeat it to himself, he knew it the second Leia told him. It was easy, it was a lot like his name. Three letters, starting with P. Poe and Pip. But knowing someone's name didn’t mean much.

Though, she sure did make her assumptions.

Poe spared her a glance as they walked, not at all offended. More amused. “Well, whatever told you is...not wrong. But don’t worry. They can never get my nose right,” he chuckled himself. “I don’t think Mrs. Eldridge will be giving the best description either.” Not that it ever mattered. He was always halfway across the galaxy before anyone sniffed out the things he got into.

BB-8 always waited for Poe eagerly, no exception this time. And the droid was equally pleased to see Pip. After giving Leia a nod in greeting, Poe was quick to get the ship going. “You ever heard of a planet called D’Qar?” Poe asked her as they ascended out of the planet’s atmosphere, prepping to shift into hyperdrive.

“I would hope not,” Leia commented. That was kind of the point. Unknown, unremarkable, inconspicuous.

“What she said. It’s a nice green planet in the Ileenium system. It’s a small base, but it works.” Poe explained. As far as he knew, it was good enough for them, for what they had. “It’ll be a change from city living.”

-

Duna couldn’t do much in her position. Except watch. And listen. Not that it would take much effort to know that General Hux and Kylo Ren were not fond of each other. She couldn’t discern whether one had any real power or authority over the other.

She did pick up, though, the tightened fist. How Hux seemed to use this Supreme Leader as a threat. With a title like Supreme Leader, she had no doubt that was who should worry her the most. Hux was a close second. But as long as she steered clear of the ginger and Altan came through for her...she could handle it. If this Snoke let it go on that long.

More and more worries were just piling up and somehow Kylo Ren wasn’t one of them. He needed her alive and relatively unharmed to get the korbalite from Altan. And to prove his point, win his argument with Hux.

Duna was moved along by the stormtrooper, following Kylo’s path. She dared to look to Hux, the displeasure clear on his face, and that look probably remained until she and her ‘companions’ were out of sight.

“Good. He’s not a very pleasant man, is he?” Duna mused, mostly confident everything would go well and the General’s little rat face would not be seen again. “You two certainly don’t like each other, that must be unfortunate.” Duna didn’t want to make it known she was trying to be observant, but again...one would have to be stupid to not pick up on the tension.

“He must be your boss, then?” She asked, not genuinely thinking that was the case, but maybe if he humored her she’d have some sort of clue of what she was in for.