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WISH LIST
★ my dark au kink:
+ being captured by the first order and subjected to reconditioning
+ trying to turn him back with the power of gay love and friendship (and possibly failing)
+ he was always a first order tie fighter pilot instead of winter soldiered
+ poe and finn first order murder squad (dynamics if they were both stormtroopers? running away together?)
+ ^ part b: the fam that gets captured and reconditioned together… stays…together…
+ Interesting Dynamics with kylo and hux from dark aus
★ finn stuff
+ what will they do after the war? romantic vacations? homesteading? sending finn's spit to space 23andme?
+ infinite escape reimagining/aus, stormpilot escape room reigning champions
★ rey stuff
+ relationship of convenience because they're both In Denial
+ sith princess rey aus where he tries to save her and/or she turns him
★ kylo stuff
+ infinite interrogating/torture room reimagining/aus
+ ^ part b: stockholm syndrome?
+ We Need to Talk about Leia
★ general
+ honestly anything regarding leia (esp processing grief post-tros)
+ talking about his sketchy spice runner past (possibly playing things taking place during that time in his life?)
+ ^ same for things taking place during academy/new republic tbh
+ i love aus. modern aus, vampire aus, a/b/o aus, let's au the entire world
+ i prefer m/m for poe but am good with most ships
kinks if ya nasty
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His reply makes her tilt her head slightly as she looks at him. ]
Perhaps. But you wouldn't cut and run. Judging by how much fight you have I don't think it's in you to do that, to give up on those you care about and turn away from them. [ She pauses, not sure how she feels about the impression she has, but she decides to voice it anyway. Might as well at this point. ] She obviously has faith in you, and trust, given the sort of missions she's entrusted you with. She must feel you can be counted on, regardless of the disappointments you mention.
[ It hurts, stings, but Kylo almost wants to understand. To see what it is Leia really wanted and couldn't find in her own child. (Because clearly whatever Brianna had been lacking her mother found in Poe, or so her mind is presently convinced.) ]
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even holdo had called him on it. told him follow orders if he wanted to serve the resistance, or take bedpan duty if he wanted to serve a princess. (he hadn't of course, but the words still burned.)
standing again, now with renewed vigor, he brushes her assessment off. kylo — brianna — was getting too close. ]
Is analyzing me part of the torture this time?
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Kylo's gaze hardens slightly, her eyes narrowing at the corners. ]
Tact really isn't one of your strong suits, is it?
[ She steps away from him and looks to the door, the Knight stepping in within moments. ] You can take him back now, we're done here.
[ The moment, whatever it was, is gone now. She did what she intended, which was to finally let Poe in on her little plan. All the rest... she would shove down and bury, as she needed to. Pretend like the past didn't bother her and like she didn't yet care about her mother.
She could almost hear Snoke's voice in her head, chastising her for the weakness, and that bothers her the most out of everything. That even now she couldn't get away from that creature. From anything. The past, her past self, anything.
All it took was bringing up her mother for Poe to get out of her things she hadn't spoken about with anyone else. That was unacceptable. She couldn't, wouldn't allow it to happen again. ]
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and then he blew it. in typical dameron fashion.
what could he say? sorry? not here. not in front of her knight(s). anger rises up in him — anger at himself for his own stupid mouth. ]
Come on!
[ yeah, he's got nothing. ]
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No verbal response comes, just a dismissive gesture of one hand as she turns away, once more returning to the window and looking out space. What she actually wants to do is leave the room, but like hell she's going to give Poe the satisfaction of one more example of how much the conversation got under her skin. Not that it likely mattered when her emotions had been on such display but it mattered to her. Where the pilot had his bravado and attitude, she had her own armor in need of replacing.
The Knight, for their part, doesn't seem to care about what had been taking place in the room. Or the fact that the prisoner was really no worse for wear. They just take Poe by the arm and make to leave the room, and leave Kylo to her thoughts. ]
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but that's neither here nor there as he's being carted off. he glances back, trying to get one last look at her and see where he'd managed to land emotionally, but her back is already turned. he makes an attempt at jerking away from the knights, but he knows that it's useless before he even starts.
stars. why did he say that??? why did he buy himself a one-way ticket back to his cold, empty cell? just what he wanted: more time to mull over his thoughts. ]
didn't think i'd have a reply for this till tomorrow but inspiration struck
Except it might be easier to believe she's not going out of her way to stay away if she hadn't seen fit to go over to the Supremacy a day or two after their surprisingly in-depth conversation.
The distraction works. Everyone's far too happy to show her how much progress they've been making, both with regards to repairs to the ship and rebuilding the fleet. There's yet a ways to go but even she's pleased with how far things have come.
She's walking through the completely renovated throne room -- too many bad (horrible, painful, anguish-ridden) memories contained in the space for her to even entertain fixing it back to how Snoke had designed it -- when her communicator buzzes. One of the Knights still on the Finalizer. A former Jedi, actually, one of the few who survived her wrath at the Academy. His hurried words send her rushing to the nearest flight deck to return to the other ship.
The pilot was gone from his cell. A trooper was all too easily threatened into confessing that Hux barged in with a handful of stormtroopers to drag the prisoner off while the Knights were changing shifts.
By the time she's back on the Finalizer her fury practically vibrates off the corridors as she strides through the ship. Kylo doesn't need to search, she knows where that bastard will have gone. Furthermore, she can feel the energy that's slowly becoming familiar to her. It's not a Force bond but she's aware of Poe's presence all the same if she chooses to focus on it. A trooper apparently more keen on following the General's orders than hers attempts to block her way to interrogation and she throws them with little effort, not even breaking her stride. ]
You insufferable cur... [ Kylo snarls at Hux as soon as the door to the room slides open, falling back on one of Snoke's favored insults for the general. And as much as she'd love to immediately strike him down with her saber, her gaze shifts to land on Poe, needing to assess his condition first. ]
and then i took forever to reply like a jerk 💀
after all that wallowing, he spent one split-second being … excited wasn't the right word. maybe a little excited to see something besides the inside of his cell? that feeling immediately dissipates when he realizes that's it's not kylo dragging him out for more reminiscing about her (their?) mother, but hux taking him to interogation. his entire body stiffens with dread before they're even there. he remembers the way down the hall. he remembers the room. he knows what's going to happen next, blow by blow.
he doesn't know if he can handle it again.
regardless of whether or not he knows, it's happening. the familiar sensation of the probe at his temples. a nice refreshing round of electric shock, complete with blacking out and thrashing against the frame of the rack. his jaw already feels stiff and sore. how much time had it been? it could have been a minute or an hour for all he knows. it's all the same.
his vision swims and comes to focus on kylo. kylo here, about to choke out hux? hopefully? he tries to help the process along, because he's a helper.
he offers, loudly:] I can think of more words for him if you need help.
shush with that :*
And yes, the loud, if pained, commentary from Poe is helpful too. Tells her that at least what happened before she got there hadn't been enough to break his mind. If she weren't so furious at the moment she might have cracked an amused smile.
The air is heavy with racing thoughts and various emotions from everyone in the room: panic, anger, fear, determination, conflict, pain, focus. The current thread of pain at least she can filter to the background (but not filter out completely) because she knows who it belongs to.
Multiple things then happen at once. There's a sense of movement to her left just out of her peripheral view, the mind full of anger and determination (likely belonging to Hux) shifts targets, a commotion begins to stir out in the corridor out of sight, and the Force whispers of danger not to herself. Kylo follows her precognition first, casting her right hand out to toss the interrogation droid away from Poe and into the wall just before it triggers another around of shocks. The droid practically shatters under the force of her anger. Within the next moment she's turning on her heel and stepping backward further into the room, leaning back as well, dodging the lunge from the trooper that had been slightly behind and to her left.
After this little incident is through, it appears she would need to investigate just how many Hux had weaseled into following him. All the more reason she needs her Knights, and needs to increase their ranks. ]
"You are unfit to be Supreme Leader!"
[ Kylo would mock the borderline shriek from Hux but she's busy Force choking the trooper who dared come after her and throwing the body in Hux's direction. While Hux manages to move out of the way, it at least has the desired effect of halting him from drawing his blaster. ]
I've tolerated your insubordination for long enough. No longer. No more chances to prove yourself.
"And who's going to lead the fleet then? You? You can't even bring yourself to kill this rebel scum."
[ While one of the remaining troopers in the room has nervously backed toward the wall and lowered their weapon, clearly trying not to associate with the General's mutinous efforts at this point, the other still has their weapon drawn and aims it at her as Hux speaks. Incensed doesn't begin to describe how Kylo feels.
The commotion outside threatens to spill into the room with the muted sound of blaster fire and a body hitting the closed door. Kylo shifts her focus only long enough to determine several of the Knights are dealing with the remainder of the troopers Hux had specifically brought with him. While her gaze only moves for a moment, it's space enough for Hux to draw as well. She senses the trigger pull though, senses both will fire at near the same time. Her lightsaber flares to life and deflects one shot but can't catch both. The best she can do is move as she blocks the shot, catching the other in her shoulder rather than her chest. Pain flares through her like a lightning bolt and though she staggers Kylo remains standing.
A strangled cry comes from the trooper who fired on her as her empty hand grabs the air and then curls into a tight fist, the sound of bones breaking following their cry before the lifeless body drops to the ground. Hux makes to fire on her again and she rips the blaster from his hands. ]
How dare you... [ As she strides toward him Hux scrambles to grab the trooper's dropped blaster, and she flings him into the wall for his effort. ]
"I should have killed you when I had the chance." [ He sputters, making one more effort for a weapon before she reaches him. It's the last thing Hux says as she runs the lightsaber through his chest. Distantly, she can hear someone breathing hard, and it takes her a moment to realize that it's her. Pain. It's the pain, and the dark flowing through her as the Force compensates for the wound that could have killed others.
Movement makes her spin, pointing her saber in its direction, but it's only the lone trooper left alive, shaking against the wall, clearly expecting to be killed next. They're obviously not a threat, but. But. ]
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he can't believe what he's seeing with his eyes. (is he hallucinating?) maybe kylo ren is helping him because of that almost-moment, the sliver of a feeling he pulled out of her. the moment where they both shared their feelings about leia.
or maybe it was just out of pure, simple hatred for hux. he'd take that one, too. hard to blame anyone for that.
a third option presents itself after a delay, his mind slowly sorting itself out after being scrambled. maybe kylo ren was here getting hux out of the way because she wanted the pleasure of torturing him to be solely hers.
or … not? he doesn't know what to make of this. you know what he does know? he knows that he especially doesn't like being a sitting duck strapped to an interrogation rack while this (failed) mutiny attempt goes down. all the commotion going on outside, the hum of kylo's lightsaber, while he just sits and tries to press himself even harder into the rack for cover. (that is not a thing he ever thought he'd do willingly. )
and then it's over. like that. so much happened in what felt like less than a minute. kylo came in, she and hux exchanged words, and now hux was dead.
his attention joins hers as she whips around to look at the previously unnoticed stormtrooper. they were the enemy. the answer to this problem should have been clear. especially from where he was sitting, where kylo ren and, by extension, her knights were more or less on his side?
but it was so …
it just felt wrong. his heart was too soft for this. ]
Leave them alone. C'mon, they're not gonna do anything.
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Still, Poe's words don't go unheard. After a few more moments Kylo lowers her lightsaber but doesn't power it off. ] Drop your weapon. [ The command carries no extra power to it but near immediately their issued blaster clatters to the floor and the trooper makes an effort to stand at attention.
When the door slides open Kylo raises her saber again and shifts position, putting herself between where Poe is and the doorway. The commotion has quieted and it's one of her Knights that enters the room, the same one that alerted her in the first place. ]
"The disloyal troops have been dealt with."
Losses?
"None." [ The Knight surveys the carnage, and the lone surviving trooper. ] "What about this one?"
Have one of the others make sure they report for reconditioning. I'm not going to take any chances. [ She finally powers off her lightsaber and returns it to her belt. ] Send another to search Hux's quarters, he may have been foolish enough to leave a record of those willing to support him. And I want you personally to see that the generals are summoned for a meeting within the hour. I need to determine their loyalty and denote a replacement for Hux.
[ While the Knight ushers the trooper out of the room and leaves to speak to the other Knights in the corridor, Kylo turns her attention at last to Poe. Walking over, she hits the switch to unlock the restraints and gives him a quick once-over. ] Do you feel steady enough to walk? [ The trek to medical will be quicker if she doesn't need to assist him but she will if need be, seeing as she has need to go there herself. Honestly, she wouldn't bother having her shoulder looked at yet but the shot was to the same shoulder Rey hit with the end of the lightsaber (Kylo refused to consider the saber Rey's; it was hers by blood, damn it) which increased the pain and the amount of effort ultimately needed to heal it, provided she didn't solely rely on traditional means. ]
I'M SORRY I TOOK SO LONG 😭 w/ this one and the kaida thread
although, from what he'd heard from finn ... he wasn't sure that reconditioning was that much better of a fate. ]
Uh ... I think so.
[ he pulls himself off the rack, taking a few experimental steps forward. shaky, a little wobbly. but too stubborn to ask for assistance.
instead of asking for assistance, he comes out with the question that had been rolling around his brain for the majority of the fight he had a front row seat to.]
Was all that about me or Hux?
IT'S OK I FORGIVE YOU ❤
His question comes as she's stepping close again and it makes her stop momentarily. Kylo tilts her head slightly as she looks at him, and after a moment's hesitance: ] Both.
[ Before he can protest she slips her left arm around his upper back, flinching only slightly at the pressure to her injured shoulder as she encourages him to lean against her. Perhaps it was unwise but she would take a little extra pain over blocking access to her lightsaber in the event she might yet need it. ]
The sooner we get to medical, the better. I don't suppose you had a chance to notice how many troops Hux had with him?
[ She talks as she moves them toward the door to leave the room. As if this is a totally normal thing for her to be doing. Kylo justifies it to herself in the context of the knights. If one of them were injured she would offer aid, and had in the past. That Poe wasn't yet one of them was just a tiny detail. ]
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No? I dunno if you noticed, but I was kind of busy.
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I thought you might have noticed how many accompanied him to retrieve you. [ No matter, she could sort out if there were others who were indulging in the thought of mutiny with Hux.
The expected signs of a fight greet them in the corridor. Walls marked by blaster fire, a few sparking electrical panels, several troopers and fallen weapons on the ground. One of the Knights still on scene supervises a few other troopers with collection of the bodies. A small group of officers and troops have gathered at one end of the corridor, observing the situation with curiosity and unease.
Kylo and Poe's appearance causes a pause in activity, not unexpected, though Kylo ignores it, addressing the Knight nearest her. ] There's a few more bodies inside. Keep Hux's separate from the others, I'll tend to his disposal myself. [ Seeing him become ash will be almost as satisfying as watching Snoke's body fall to the ground. ]
"General Hux is dead?!"
[ The quiet exclamation comes from one of the officers who looks to almost immediately regret giving voice to their thoughts as it draws Kylo's attention. Her free hand reaches out and while she doesn't Force choke them, she does draw them forward from the group. ]
Yes, General Hux is dead. He disobeyed my direct orders and led a small mutiny attempt, and an attempt on my life. Do you know what the punishment is for mutiny?
"Y-Yes, Supreme Leader." [ The officer stammers out, shaking slightly as the Force holds them halfway between Kylo and the group. ] "The punishment is death."
Did you know anything about what Hux was planning?
[ Their eyes widen and they rapidly shake their head. ] "No, my lord, I had no idea, I swear!"
[ After a tense moment Kylo makes a gesture, releasing them and half pushing them back toward the group. ] Let it be known that any with knowledge of General Hux's treachery who do not confess to it will meet the same fate he has. To betray me is to betray the First Order. Am I understood?
[ A small chorus of "Yes, Supreme Leader" comes from the group, and the working troopers, who stand at attention as they reply.
Satisfied with the display -- and not sensing any untoward thoughts from those gathered -- Kylo turns at last to begin leading them toward medical. As she does so she casts a glance at Poe. ] If you feel like you might pass out, don't worry. I've carried heavier.
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I'm not gonna pass out. [ said with all the certainty of a first grader. he's not going to pass out, so don't worry about it. he doesn't move away from her, though. his huffiness isn't actually a sign of feeling better. just stubborn.
as he takes in what's happening around him (only able to process about half of it, realistically), he comments: ]
Looks like Hux had as many friends in the First Order as he did in the Resistance. [ followed by a snort of a laugh to himself. is that really what's happening or just his skewed perception of reality?? ? ]
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[ And she would ask how much he had endured this time around before her arrival if she thought he'd be able to tell her. She supposes she could have checked the droid's records but, well, it was a pile of scrap metal now. ]
Likely, yes. He possessed a certain ruthless ambition, it's a great deal of why Snoke kept him around. [ It's also why Kylo had never trusted Hux for a moment. The fact he was always happy to try and show her up when they were both dealing with Snoke didn't help matters. ]
He also tended to clash with the old guard left over from the Empire, but there aren't a terrible amount of them left. [ Another glance at Poe, given he was partially to 'blame' for that. Kylo was never particularly upset about that, apart from the loss of experience. And okay, those who had served the Empire did tend to show a bit more respect for a force user in their midst, but she was getting by just fine with fearful respect from others. ]
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but it's okay. if he can focus on hux, he doesn't have to focus on all the pain he's feeling right now. ]
So ... what? It's just you now? Nobody left standing in your way? You're the First Order.
[ it's an honest question. he doesn't really know the finite workings of the first order. but he does know that snoke is gone, hux is gone ... who else is there for kylo to answer to? ]
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[ It doesn't occur to her how easily conversing with him comes. As far as most on the ship were concerned Poe was nothing more than a prisoner, certainly not someone she would give aid to or speak so openly with. Only the Knights knew of her plans; it wasn't necessary for anyone else to know. If Hux had known? She imagines he would have made more of an effort to kill Poe rather than just torture him. ]
So yes, I control the First Order, and by proxy control what the First Order owns or has control of. [ Ships, star systems, governments. Granted, a few of the military contracts were yet shaky given some who dealt with Snoke weren't as keen on dealing with her, but she was working on it. To say there was quite a bit more on her plate than there had been when she simply lead the Knights of Ren was an understatement.
When they at last arrive at the nearest medical bay there's a small flurry of confusion and concern from the non-droid staff; news of the fight with Hux was traveling fast. ]
He needs treated for electro shock, I'm not certain what else. [ She informs the staff, only removing her arm from around him once he's seated. Her wince at the movement draws attention as much as the wound itself though she basically ignores the staff hovering around her as she moves to perch on the neighboring cot. Kylo rips off the sleeve of her top for easier access to the wound and waves off some of the staff. ] It's only a single blaster shot, just patch it up for now. I'm more concerned about his condition.
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it's not until he's seated at med bay that he really notices how she was injured, too, with all the fussing about it. and at that point, it's kind of weird to think of how she helped him without regard for herself.
the good (?) news as far as poe is concerned is that hux didn't get too far in his torture plans. didn't quite make it through the whole gamut. he's sore, there's some concerning bruising just underneath his shirt, his jaw hurts. his vision feels tilted sideways. but he's fine. alive. in one piece. i'm sure the medbay will relay those things to her. ]
Concern? About me? You shouldn't have. [ as someone applies a bandage to his side and reawakens the pain there, he hisses out ] You really shouldn't have.
sneaks in a reply before bed
The doctor chatters on, saying she's lucky to have use of her arm and that the nerves weren't more damaged, and expresses concern over tending to the wound properly. Her eyes snap open to pin them with her gaze as the hand of her uninjured arm grabs the doctor's shirt. ] I said, patch. it. up. Don't make me repeat myself again.
[ Huffing out a sigh, she drops her hand and shifts her attention over to Poe. The attitude grates, a little, but that's mostly due to her general mood at the moment and not him in particular. ]
Don't get too used to it. [ There's no heat to the words, more banter than anything considering it wasn't exactly a true remark. After all, concern for one of her knights would be expected and her plans haven't changed. She arguably feels more pressure to move forward with said plans, actually. If she'd done it already, then at the least he wouldn't have been in a position where Hux could have whisked him off to torture.
Pressure against her shoulder as it's bandaged interrupts her train of thought, making her draw in a sharp breath. After a moment her attention focuses back on Poe. ]
You'll be safe here while I attend to matters. One of the Knights will come keep watch, seeing as it's unknown right now how many other traitors are about. [ Kylo certainly isn't going to send him back to a holding cell, she knows that much. ]
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[ there's a raise in his eyebrows that says he doesn't necessarily feel reassured. it's just more banter back. she keeps doing nice things — like not letting him die, mostly that — but he doesn't know if he can trust it. he keeps waiting for it to turn. once he's back at 100 percent, maybe he'll get hauled off to reconditioning like those stormtroopers. more likely, he'd get shoved back in holding instead of another torture chamber. he could brace himself for that.
he tries to look on the bright side — if it's completely kylo's first order, maybe she'd be less likely to hurt
theirher mother. ]See you later, I'll be ... well, you know. Right here.
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As soon as the doctor is finished with her shoulder she stands, rolling her shoulder a little to get a sense for how much pain movement will cause. She watches the staff working on him for a moment and makes an idle gesture. ] I want all his injuries tended to properly, am I understood? [ It's not that she didn't trust the medical staff, but after the incident with Hux she feels a need to make sure her authority isn't going to be randomly questioned.
When a Knight shows up she steps away to get updated and to pass on new orders. Before she leaves the room she glances back toward Poe, almost like she wants to say something, but she remains quiet and strides off to deal with what remains of high command. Kylo doubts the meeting will be a quick one but she completely trusts the Knight to make sure no one lays a hand on Poe if there are any other Hux loyalists about. ]
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and then she's gone. it actually makes him antsy — not because he wants her around, but because he doesn't know if he trusts the staff not to mess around with him with kylo ren ordering them not to. of course, nothing happens — if not because they actually listened to kylo, at least because the knights are right there watching — but he remains on edge the entirety of the time she's gone. which isn't to say that he'll be any less on edge when she comes back. just a different sort of edge. the edge of certainty vs. the edge of the unknown retaliation.
once she's been gone long enough, he starts thinking with his galaxy brain (like the one meme) and starts casing the room for easiest/best ways to escape. where there's a will, there's a way to get the hell out of here. he did it once on the finalizer, why not again? it doesn't matter how impossible it seems. maybe if he trusted and believed in the force hard enough, it would give him an out. ]
i like how i tried to keep this short and ended up rambling about a different subject lol
Was it something she ever imagined doing? No, not in the slightest if she were to be honest. She hadn't wanted to come anywhere near governing any more than she actually wanted to be a Jedi. But that ship sailed a long time ago. Snoke derided her for having her father's heart (although not her natural tendency for piloting, funny that); well, she inherited a few things from her mother too. And her grandmother, arguably.
(So much potential in her blood -- Jedis and senators and prophecies yet unfulfilled -- and yet all young Brianna had wanted was to follow in her father's footsteps. Perhaps that was why the act split her soul so badly. Trying to appease the creature that poisoned her mind all her life, when the one she truly desired acceptance from had been right in front of her.)
After appointing a replacement for Hux -- one of the last remaining Empire holdovers who had worked his way up the ranks and had actual battlefield experience, unlike that sniveling cur -- and gathering assertions of loyalty that were easy to gauge the truth of with her powers, she was off to inspect the general's quarters herself. Unfortunately, there was nothing of real interest for the Knights to report or her to find. Still, she would have been remiss if she hadn't investigated.
When she at last returns to the medbay where Poe is she's mildly exhausted but doing her best not to let it show. A brief conference with the Knight who's kept guard and then she's turning her attention to Poe, gesturing for him. (But notably not using the Force.) ]
Come on. And try to restrain the urge to be stubborn, I'm really not in the mood.
[ The Knight lingers, and will follow them whenever they leave. ]
👌
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this is a wonderful surprise ❤
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sends you the customary novella to transition to a new scene
apparently i completely lost this tag?!
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