The Great Escape Pt. 1

“The ion cannons will take far too long to repair. The longer we’re in stasis, the faster it will be for the First Order to find and annihilate us. The only other alternative is to board a Star Destroyer and disable communications between the other Star Destroyers. Their generals are far cockier than Dameron. If--” Aiyajan started to explain.

“Hey!” Poe yelled out, offended.

“Shh. Be a good boy and listen. You don’t get to interrupt yet.”

“Watch the tone, sweetheart,” Poe responded, a dark undertone in his voice.

Leia sighed, feeling like a mother with bickering children. “Enough, Poe.” She gestured to Aiyajan. “Continue.”

“Right. If they have no instruction, the generals in charge of the other ships will go their own way looking for us. They won’t be able to ambush us.”

“And how do you propose we go about this?”

Aiyajan turned to Poe. “Now you may interrupt.”

Poe sent a glare to Aiyajan before making eye contact with Leia. “We already know where they’re headed for refuel. We’ll go down and sneak onto one of their transports. Aiya knows these ships. She can navigate us through, we take out a couple officers and disguise ourselves, find and disable communications, the bam! We’re out of there on a TIE.”

“I honestly wouldn’t suggest a TIE,” Aiyajan said.

“What? Why?” Poe asked, baffled.

“What do you suggest then? You can’t take their transport back here.” Leia stated.

Aiyajan grew silent. She lowered her head, a crooked finger to her lips. She suddenly looked up at Poe and Leia. “The escape pods. They don’t have tracking devices on them for whatever reason."

"It sounds like you two have things figured out. We'll go with your plan and pray this works. May the force be with you two."

============================================================

“Aiya!” Poe’s usual smooth and playful tone was filled with gripping terror, his voice bouncing wildly on the black tiles as the two Stormtroopers attempted to restrain him. “Get off me! Get off!” he screamed, rage mixing with his fear.

Everything happened so quickly. Their plan was foolproof. He came up with it himself, and it didn’t even involve blowing anything up. Sneaking onto the First Order ship was no problem with Aiyajan’s knowledge. Subduing a couple of First Order officers and dressing in their uniforms went flawlessly. Heading to the command deck to discreetly disable communication between the ship and the other Star Destroyers was where things started to take a turn for the worst. 

Two patrolling Stormtroopers had spotted them. They immediately recognized Aiyajan. One skirmish later, Poe watched with wide eyes as Aiyajan went down, shot by an enemy blaster. 

Aiyajan attempted to bury her face into the cold black-tiled floor as her screams overpowered the sound of Poe’s voice. Hot tears cascaded down her flushed cheeks. Her hand trembled as it hovered over the left side of her abdomen. Blood surrounded the area as it stung horrendously. The smell of her own burning flesh had begun to make her nauseous. She remembered the feeling as a child. Her own father had shot her with a blaster as part of her “training.” She wished so much that she could pass out as immediately from the pain as she did back then. Her heart hammered so hard against her chest that she was certain it was going to explode. Sweat dampened her forehead, neck, and hands. Her breathing was fast-paced, shallow, as she tried so desperately not to whimper from the pain. 

She turned on her hands and knees in an attempt to stand. She instantly regretted it, letting out a cry from a sudden wave of intense heat spreading across her body. She could feel she was about to vomit, but it refused to come.

The sound of two blaster shots resounded. Her body grew stiff. With fear mixed in, she nearly slipped and fell onto her stomach from her damp hands trembling beneath her. “P-Poe?” she called out, her voice quiet and shaking.

Poe ran to her, sliding on his knees beside her. The slight breeze she felt from his body sliding to her was almost as much of relief as seeing him. 

He maneuvered to cup her face in his hands. “I’m here, I’m here. I’m not hurt.” His words were rushed, almost panicked. 

“W-when I heard the shots, I-I thought…” She shook her head. “Nevermind. J-just help me up.”

“What? No way! I’ll just carry you. We’ll move faster that way.”

“L-listen, the…Star Destroyers all have…the same layout, but…” She bit down on her lower lips as she hung her head, an attempt to conceal her whimper from a sudden surge of heat running throughout her body. “T-the Star…Destroyer, it’s vastly different than our Cruiser. I can’t lead us there with you carrying me.”

“You know that’s weak logic.”

Her hazel eyes peered through a curtain of copper curls to look at him. “Would you rather take our chances with the troopers? The generals won’t go easy on us, Poe. I’m a traitor and Hux absolutely hates you.”

Poe ran a hand over his face in frustration. As his hand rested against his mouth, he released a defeated sigh. All he wanted to do at that point was protect her. He knew what the First Order was capable of. His firsthand experience of the beatings was still fresh in his mind. He would never forgive himself if the girl before him were captured and tortured. His deep brown eyes locked onto hers. “So you know, I’m only giving you this win because you’re hurt,” he said, his words muffled. 

Poe rose to his feet. He held both of his hands out for her to grab. He carefully helped her to her feet. He frowned hearing her hiss as she moved one arm in front of her to hover over her wound. He glanced over his shoulder, his ears catching the sound of marching headed towards them.

“Aiya,” he said softly, a serious tone in his voice.

“I’m fine, I’m fine. Them coming this way poses a slight problem, though.”

“What problem is that?”

“The escape pods are in the direction they’re coming from.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” Poe whispered loudly.

Aiya chuckled as she started to limp away. “Fret not, dear Dameron. We just have to make it to that third corridor up ahead. I’d keep a low profile, though.”

“I’m almost afraid to ask,” he said, jogging to catch up with her.

“You’re starting to sound like C3PO.”

“Don’t lump me in with that rust bucket!”

Aiyajan laughed softly, wincing as she did so. “Aww, why not? He’ll be so happy to know you have something in common.”

His dark eyes narrowed down at her. “Keep it up, sweetheart.” He smirked seeing her eyebrow twitch at the pet name. “Now, what happens when we reach that corridor?”

“Ooh, he’s a lot braver than I thought. You’ll need it. It leads to the command deck.”

“Aiya. Sweetheart. I have a very serious question for you.”

She bit down on her bottom lip, wincing. “Mm?”

“By chance, when you got shot, did you fry a few brain cells, too?”

“This is nothing the great Commander Pretty Boy couldn’t handle.”

“How can you be so nonchalant about this? We’re walking straight into their hands! Might as well just walk in there with stun cuffs on already.”

“Don’t be so dramatic, Dameron. We have to get to safety, right?”

“Obviously,” he replied, crossing his arms over his chest as he walked beside her.

“Well, this is the only other way to get to the pods. See, the bridge is in the middle of the ship.”

“As is every other bridge.”

“But this one isn’t built like one giant room. It has four openings, which means--”

Poe stopped in his tracks, his face lighting up with a smile. “Which means we can go through the bridge and come out behind the marching troopers!” He jogged up to her again. “Aiya, you’re a genius! I could kiss you right now!”

“How about we wait to celebrate.” She couldn’t tell if the heat spreading across her face was from the burn or from the memory of Poe’s lips against hers. 

Aiyajan stopped in her tracks. She lowered her head, placing a hand on Poe’s shoulder. 

He arched a brow. “Hm? Did you forget how to count? We’re not there yet,” his brows suddenly furrowed in concern, “or is the pain becoming too much?”

“Shh. Listen.”
Poe lifted his gaze from her, concentrating on his hearing.“Shit. They’re on us.”

“General’s orders. We need to locate them before they find a way to escape,” she said loudly. 

“What?” Poe muttered, his face scrunching in confusion.

Four Stormtroopers stopped behind them. One stepped forward. As he got closer, Aiyajan subtly shifted her body towards Poe to hide her wound.

“Have the fugitives passed by here?” the Stormtrooper asked.

“Don’t be stupid,” Poe started, finally understanding what Aiyajan was doing. He quietly groaned, feeling Aiyajan’s elbow jab into his side and a look that told him to shut up.

“We were just given orders from General Pryde to assist in locating the traitor and rebel scum,” she responded.

“Comm us if you spot them.”

The small squadron continued on. 

“We should go back that way now that they’re going forward,” Poe whispered.

“You know…we could still technically complete the mission,” she whispered back.

“Aiya, no,” Poe said sternly. “I know you’re desperate to prove yourself, but you’re injured. You’re not seriously going to make me jab you to remind you of that, are you?”

“You’d seriously hurt me to prove a point?”

“I mean, I don’t want to, but I will.”

Aiya stared into Poe’s eyes, scanning them, nearly getting lost in them. While with the Resistance for a short time, she had been around Poe Dameron long enough to understand his resolve. If he said he was going to do something, he’d do it. The man was a wild card. She knew he would absolutely throw her over his shoulder and run in every direction searching for the escape pods, shooting any First Order officer or Stormtrooper that got in his way. 

“All right, Poe,” she said, his name expelling with a defeated sigh, “you win. We’ll head straight to the pods, but we should probably still go through the command deck.”

“Why?” Poe asked, suspicion in his voice.

Aiyajan smiled nervously, carefully raising her hands in surrender. “Precautionary, I swear. It’s just in case another group marches by.”

Poe suddenly smiled. He leaned in, placing a peckish kiss to the tip of her nose. “Beautiful and clever.”

“Shut up, Poe,” she responded, turning as quickly and as carefully from him to avoid him seeing her red face. 

Poe laughed. “You’re going to fall for my charms one of these days.”

I already have.

Reaching the corridor, the black doors immediately opened. Nothing differed from when she was last there. Computers hummed. Lights blinked. There was low chatter between the officers. A small BB-9E unit patrolled the area, ready to shock anyone slacking off.

“Remember, keep your head low. Don’t you dare speak unless spoken to, and if you have to speak, talk like a jerk,” Aiyajan whispered.

“So…talk like I normally do?”

“Pretty much.”

“That was a joke.”

“Oops,” Aiyajan replied, walking ahead of him. 

Poe quickly made his way beside her.

Aiyajan’s eyes quickly scanned the room. She hadn’t spotted Kylo Ren or the two generals who knew her personally. “That’s weird,” she muttered.

“What is?”

“There’s always a general on deck. Something’s happening.”

“Now’s not the time, Aiya.”

She turned to look at him. “Since when does the great Poe Dameron back down?”

“I know when to be cautious. You’re my impulse control. I don’t want you more hurt than you already are. I need you to live to fight another day.”

“Don’t get sappy on me, Dameron,” Aiyajan responded, desperately trying to ignore her racing heart. 

Poe gave her a gentle smile. “Now, sweetheart, which way?”

“The east door. Two more corridors to the right will take us to an elevator.”

“You two!” General Hux’s voice snapped from behind them.

Aiyajan’s body froze. “Shit,” she muttered.
A few heads turned slightly to view the spectacle. The BB unit turned its head to stare directly at them.

“East door, right?” Poe asked quietly.

“Turn around or you face reconditioning for insubordination!” General Hux stomped.

“Yeah, why?” Aiyajan whispered back to Poe.

Poe turned on his heels, giving the general a smirk and half salute before scooping Aiyajan up into his arms. 

“Seize them, seize them, seize them!” General Hux’s voice shrieked.

Poe laughed as the general’s face began to turn a darker shade of red than his hair. Poe ran towards the east door, dodging the officers who scrambled towards them. Aiyajan’s arms wrapped around his neck, her face pressed against his neck. He could feel something wet in the crook of his neck. 

“What’s wrong, Aiya?”

“Put…me down when we get in the elevator.”

Poe frowned at the sound of her strained voice. Running to the elevator, he rushed in and immediately placed her down. She slid with her back against the wall, her arm hovering over her stomach. She raised a trembling hand to press a bottom button on the panel. 

“I get it now.” He got down on one knee so that he was level with her. “All the movement irritated your injury. Aiya, I’m so sorry. I--”

Aiyajan placed a finger against his lips. “Shh. It’s fine. You didn’t know.”

When she was about to move her hand away, Poe gently held her wrist in place. She arched a brow in confusion. He pushed his lips out, kissing the tip of her finger. He chuckled, noticing her shoulders’s straighten. He moved her hand up slightly, kissing the palm of her hand.

“You’re not moving your hand away,” he said quietly.

“You...have my wrist?”She replied, her heart fluttering.

Poe leaned in. He pressed his forehead against hers, resting his free hand against the back of her head. “Weak logic, sweetheart,” he said with a chuckle.

He kissed her forehead before standing up. He held his hand out and she rose to her feet. He brought her knuckles to his lips and kissed them softly. “Let’s talk later,” he said.

“U-um, uh sure,” she replied nervously.

The doors opened. They both peered out, Poe looking to the right while Aiya looked to the left. 

“This isn’t the only route. We have to hurry. Hux probably figured out we were headed down here.”

“Which way now?”

“To the left.”

Venturing down the hall, Aiyajan could hear marching footsteps down a hallway behind them. Before she could speak, she felt a hand around her wrist again, pulling her along as he ran. She bit down on her lower lip, attempting to hold in the pain coursing throughout her body and preventing a scream. She winced, hearing the sound of blasters shooting after them. 

“Second door on the left!” she screamed.

Their feet shuffled as Poe slid to a stop in front of the door. Aiyajan’s fingers made quick work of pressing buttons. The doors slid open. Stormtroopers filed through the door. 

Poe ran to the nearest black pod and got in. “Come on,” he yelled, holding out his hand. 

Aiyajan rushed towards the pod. She knew as soon as she stepped in, she’d be yanked out, ultimately putting Poe in danger. She couldn’t move fast enough to get in and close the pod’s door behind her. She stared at Poe for what seemed like only a few seconds.

“Aiya, don’t!” he yelled, recognizing the somber look on her face. His voice held the same terror as watching her get shot.

“Sorry, Poe,” she said before pressing a red button near the pod.

She watched as a door opened on the other side of the escape pod, dropping the pod out of sight. Aiyajan raised her hands in surrender, feeling a blaster rifle against her back. She hissed, feeling a hand on her shoulder forcefully spin her around. 

“Still causing trouble,” General Hux stated.

“What can I say?” Aiyajan shrugged her right shoulder. “I’m just a rebel.”