Kyber Heart - Poe Dameron

Chapter 2

The trio sprinted across the sand; boots often struggling to find any grip on the less than stable surface.

All around them, the village was preparing for battle. Readying what weapons they had and finding all the hope and strength to fight that they could. It was a commendable effort, but in the bottom of her heart Nova knew it was futile – delaying the inevitable.

But she also knew – or at least imagined – that going out fighting loudly and fiercely for something you believed in was better than waiting for someone else to determine your end. She just hoped those around her, the people of the village, would be able to find peace.

Nova reached her X-Wing first, kicking the ladder away once she had pulled herself up in her hurry. She did not even wait to seat herself comfortably before she set about priming the ship for take-off. Above her, the canopy sealed shut smoothly, locking her in as she pulled on her helmet.

Poe had followed suit beside her, and BB-8 took his place in the droid socket of his master's X-Wing.

While both pilots excelled under pressure, this time they unfortunately were not quick enough.

Before either could get their ship in the air, they were showered with blaster fire from behind. Being unprepared for such an attack, the shields had not been up to take the heat of the damage, leading to the frying of their systems.

Nova's console sparked at her almost tauntingly as the alarm signalling her rear engines had sustained critical damage blared throughout the cockpit.

Canopy opened once more, the young woman climbed out onto the wing of her ship, pulling her blaster from its place on her thigh. It took her no time at all to spot the stormtroopers who had dealt the blow to her ship, and she made quick work of shooting them in the chest, the blasts leaving a black scorch in the centre of their white chest plates.

"We're in trouble," she muttered bitterly to herself, dropping down off her ship.

Poe and BB-8 had already made it to the back of their ship, where they were greeted with only flames and smoke.

"Next move?" Poe looked between the village and his companions, becoming increasingly more desperate.

Nova chewed the inside of her cheek, fingers flexing around her weapon. She only saw one option that left them with any hope. "We fight."

Poe agreed with a reluctant nod. Then, with shaking fingers, he retrieved the artefact from his pocket, kneeling to BB-8's level. "You take this. It's safer with you than it is with me. You get as far away from here as you can. Any direction," he ordered. "Do you hear me?"

The droid opened his multi-reader obediently, allowing his master to deposit the item. He beeped uncertainly, looking between his masters, like a child looking to their parents.

"He's right, buddy," Nova said, keeping her eyes on the village as it descended further into chaos. "We can't afford to lose this."

Another trooper tried to approach, but she shot them in the chest before they could even think to counter.

"I'll come back for you!" Poe assured, standing back to his full height. "It'll be alright!"

Once again, Nova was a few strides ahead of him as they ran back to the fray.

Together they found refuge behind a dune, blasters primed for battle.

No transaction of words was needed as they began the process of taking out troopers. Years of earned trust and combat missions on full display.

The scene before them could only be described as mayhem. What was once quiet and peaceful was now loud and disordered. Most of the villagers were dead if not left to die, while the rest were being corralled by troopers to the centre of the village.