As soon as the final TIE was shot down and we jetted off away from Jakku, I let out a sigh of relief. We'd finally gotten away. My two new companions knew what they were doing, the girl being an expert pilot, and the man being an excellent shot on the blasters, and together we left the First Order and Jakku behind. 

Instantly I wanted to laugh with joy at the thought of getting away from Jakku after so long. Of course it was a relief to escape the First Order too, since even with my long history of being a rebel nothing matched the feeling of having one-up on the enemy, but to leave that sandy wasteland was a true moment of excitement. I hated sand, perhaps something to do with my upbringing on Tatooine, and to be away from it after so many years felt like a weight off my chest, the sight of open space feeling like an old friend. I took in a deep breath, savouring the sight of the Falcon operational once more and enjoying the sight of the stars after so long, my hand going to my pocket as I stroked the golden dice tucked inside, thanking them for the luck they'd brought me. 

After a moment of silent celebration, I turned my attention to the girl next to me the same grin of triumph and relief playing across her face, especially as she put the Falcon into auto-mode, turning to face me properly. Despite the doubts creeping into my mind over whether leaving Jakku was actually a good thing, in case my Dad and Chewie came looking for the Falcon or in case Poe and my Mother were looking for me, I grinned back at the girl, trying to share her excitement.

"You're a damn good pilot, where'd you learn to fly like that?" I asked before she could say anything, knowing I'd not seen piloting like it since the last time I'd seen Poe. 

"Just practice," she told me with a casual shrug. "I go scavenging on Jakku so I know engines and space crafts pretty well. I actually broke into this one a few times to check it out, its pretty old fashioned, and needs work in places but its a good ship," 

Her words made me freeze, the Solo in my kicking in as I took offence at her saying the ship was old-fashioned. It was, but it was my ship, my Dad's ship, and before that my Uncle Lando's ship, and any sentimentality I had for it took over when considering how it looked. That wasn't the only thing that bothered me, as I noted her saying she snuck into the Falcon. I always slept in the smuggling pits with the covers pulled over to hide me, so it was possible for her to have come in and never noticed me, but how had I not noticed, not sensed anything? Maybe she'd snuck in on the few nights I'd left to go and find supplies, but still, the thought of someone else being on the ship made me nervous. 

"Hey!" a voice called, snapping me away from my train of thought, and the man's voice was echoed by a whistle from BB-8.

The noise of the droid brought me back to reality, brought my mind back to Poe. With a grin, I quickly hopped out of my seat, and ran from the cockpit, down the corridor and into the living area, where the droid and the man were waiting. I didn't want to seem rude, but I didn't really see the man, instead kneeling down by the excited droid, laughing at the sight of him rolling around me in happiness, especially as he beeped out a greeting to me. 

"Hey, buddy!" I cheered, rubbing my hands on his spherical body as he rolled into my knees, whistling and beeping at me. "It's good to see you too, you little legend! I know, I know I've been gone ages, but how are things, how's my Mum? How's..." 

I drifted off, realising that the droid's excitement had turned to urgency, bumping into my knee harshly. I frowned, remembering my past thought about how wherever BB-8 was, Poe wasn't far behind. Where was he? The droid whistled something at me that made me realise something else, and as I glanced up at the man standing over in the corner, I felt dread fill me. His jacket wasn't just similar to Poe's, it was Poe's. I got to my feet, heading over to him with a frown, trying to fight away any feelings of anxiety as I was desperate for the truth, facing up to the man with determination.

"Where's Poe Dameron?" I asked bluntly, swallowing nervously, especially as I noticed the sad look in his eye. 

"You knew Poe Daemeron?" The man frowned nervously, and as I nodded his expression changed to something that I knew and hated; pained sympathy. "He... I'm really sorry. He died. He was taken prisoner by the First Order. We were escaping from the Star Destroyer when we got shot down back onto Jakku. I managed to eject but... Poe wasn't that lucky,"

My heart sank instantly, the force surrounding me in my grief to the extent I felt suffocated. I wanted to collapse onto the floor and cry, feeling as if my one hope in the galaxy had been snuffed out, but I needed to stay strong, holding onto my disbelief whilst my mind desperately searched through the force, trying to find any indication he wasn't gone. It was hopeless though, because this stranger had seen it happen. I anted to break down, but I refused to in company, in front of someone who knew nothing about me or my history or my relationship with Poe.

Poe, my childhood best friend, my fellow resistance member, my rock. I'd known him since we were kids, our parents friends from the rebellion. His mother Shara had been the best pilot in the rebel fleet and his father Kes was a Sergeant, and after the rebellion was over and the Republic rose, our parents stayed in touch. Poe's mother had died when he was eight, and my mother always made sure to look in on him and make sure he was alright. He was older than me by nearly four years, but whenever we visited the Dameron's on Yavin it was always like a homecoming, Poe and I quickly becoming firm friends. 

Our friendship seemed to continue when he went off to join the Republic's pilot academy. It was based on the same planet that my mother had to visit for her work as a senator, and in her desperation for me to take an interest in politics she would usually take me with her, only for me to sneak away to track down Poe. The two of us created havoc together, running about the city and planning endless adventures. We were going to be the greatest duo in the galaxy; Poe Dameron the pilot and Luci Solo the Jedi. Best friends forever.

We hardly saw each other when I went to the academy, since we weren't allowed any visitors whilst we were training, so to get over not being with him I buried myself in Padawan work, trying to become the best in my class. I thought we'd be apart for ages, but we were soon reunited when I turned fourteen, when my mother began the resistance. My summers from the academy were then spent with the resistance, and it was a surprise reunion when I came home to see Poe waiting for me. He'd left the republic fleet in protest to their treatment of my mther and their attitude towards the First Order, and I'd never been more glad to see someone than I was to see Poe. Seeing him there seemed to signal to me that even though everything else was changing, he would always be there for me.

And he was always there, since he was the one to find me on the resistance base when my Uncle had abandoned me, my arm wounded on the verge of needing amputation, passed out from the pain and screaming in terror of my own memories. He held my hand all the while the medics tended to me, was there when my mother told me about my father leaving, and held me whilst I broke down on his shoulder, screaming for my brother. At the age of twenty, I felt as though I had the weight of the galaxy resting on me, and Poe felt the same. It was agony, and to distract myself I buried myself in work, training as a mechanic and following my mother round as I helped her try to lead, doing anything to take my mind away from the horror of my past. Poe stood by my side the whole time, listening when I wanted to talk, forcing me to stop working when I was exhausted, helping me through my panic attacks, nightmares and insomnia. Poe was also the one who understood when I wanted to leave and look for my dad. 

Leaving the resistance was hard, but leaving Poe was harder. I didn't know how to cope with my emotions without him, and so in my exile I'd reverted back to my Jedi training, though the pain of not being with him had never left. I always thought  that one day I would be with him again, back with my best friend, the man who always seemed to make me smile despite everything in my life, because I didn't know life without him. He'd always been there, and now he wasn't.

My grief got the better of me, and I couldn't help but storm off out of the living area, down the corridor and towards one of the storage cupboards. I threw myself into the cupboard, falling to my knees, wrapping my arms around my face to muffle the scream of pain I let out, my eyes stinging but no tears falling. I felt BB-8 nudge into my knee, but I couldn't bare to acknowledge him, letting out another choked sob, feeling as though my throat was closing in panic as I considered life without Poe. 

Any nerves I'd felt about the newcomers had gone, nothing else seeming to matter. Let them steal the Falcon if they want, I didn't care. Poe was dead, gone, killed. I'd lost him when I left the resistance, and now I'd lost him again. Forever. I never got to say goodbye, not a proper one anyway. Leaving the resistance he insisted on us seeing 'see you soon', saying that it was true, that we'd be reunited and our separation would not be forever. 

Now it was though, and as I sobbed I remembered the way he hugged me before I jumped into my X-Wing. He'd stroked my braided hair and kissed my forehead, making me promise to not forget him and to come back. He'd told me that there was something he wanted to tell me when he saw me again, looking at me with compassion and care. I'd now never know what he wanted to tell me, and now I'd never be with him again. 

BB-8 whistled at me in an attempt to comfort me, the droid watching helplessly as I rocked back and forth, taking in deep breaths as I tried to get a hold of myself. Through my grief I felt anger bubbling up inside me as I clenched my jaw, thinking of Poe, dying at the hand of the First Order, something we'd dedicated our lives to fighting since we were teenagers. It didn't seem fair, that one evil thing had taken everything from me.

My best friend had been killed by the First Order. My brother was a part of the First Order. My mother is a target of the First Order. My uncle was being hunted down by the First Order. My father was most likely being hunted or killed by the First Order. I was being tracked down by the First Order. 

They were taking everything from me, their influence spreading across the galaxy as if it was a virus, holding us all in a tight fist. I'd been raised to hate them, raised by my mother to hate any sort of tyranny, but now it all seemed too much. For everything they had done, I would make them pay. Any thoughts of my Jakku exile was gone, and for the first time in years nothing mattered to me more than the Resistance. I needed to get back to the fight.  

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Word Count: 2114

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