Chapter Text
Poe knew he should say something. Even a denial would have been better than the tense silence that filled the room. He didn’t even have to look up to see the several pairs of eyes on him. So, he did the only thing he could think of - walk away. The heat outside the home might be oppressive but it was better than the proverbial kind in the Damerons’ home. He didn’t go far, heading into the nearby fields filled with ripening koyo. He knew she would come looking for him.
Rey didn’t disappoint, arriving only minutes after he did. She looked a little flustered, kind of like when he’d told her they were married. But he could tell the moment she caught sight of him, taking a noticeable deep breath. And patting down her hair. He couldn’t help but grin a little at that. She straightened herself out, almost marching over to meet him like it was a mission. In a way, he supposed it was one. Nothing about their brief marriage was conventional.
“They didn’t lie,” she stated, stopping a good distance from him. “Or it didn’t feel like it, at least.”
“I know,” he answered, bridging the gap between them. “I still need to talk to my mother. My real one,” he emphasized. “Anyways, this doesn’t change anything.”
She blinked at him in wonder. “How can you say that?”
“Easily,” he answered. “I would have expected you of all people to understand that.”
Rey’s face scrunched in confusion. “You telling me if we run into your grandfather, you’re going to become all evil?” he continued.
She shook her head vehemently, opening her mouth to probably yell at him. “I’m just saying,” he cut her off before the tirade could begin, “they might be my birth parents, but I was raised a Mandalorian. That’s not going to change just because I learned that my biological parents aren’t dead. I still don’t remember them at all.”
Her mouth shut, turning into a frown. “What about them?”
“What about them?” he questioned. “They’ve lived without me for decades!”
“Because they had no choice! If -”
He scoffed. “Ifs won’t change what is!” he retorted. “Are we going to start in on if you hadn’t been raised a Jedi too?”
Her mouth snapped shut, the clack of her teeth audible. But he could tell it wasn’t over for her. He got the distinct impression she wasn’t going to let this go. As long as she let it go for now, he could think, come up with a way to defer this. Permanently. “Anyways, we still don’t know why we’re here,” he added, hoping to change the subject. “That’s the information I want.”
Rey’s eyes narrowed, and his hand instinctively reached for his blaster. Rey might have looked weak at first glance; no armour, thin frame, no weapon in hand, but he knew what she was capable of. “Well, you ran off!” she finally replied, more than a little smug.
“And you decided to chase me?”
Her mouth formed a pout, but he could tell she was thinking. “I just … I need you alive or Leia’s plan collapses,” she finally retorted.
He narrowed the space between them gradually, watching her watch him warily. “That the only reason?”
Rey took a step back, causing him to pause. “Of course,” she replied, her high-pitched voice making him doubt her words. “What other reason could I have?”
He could name a few but the one he secretly hoped for also seemed the least likely. She was still a Jedi, even if they were technically married. Having her jump into his bed was doubtful. Or at least, she would need a lot of convincing to betray that code of hers. But he needed to start somewhere with his wife.
Rey sensed his shift in mood almost immediately. His thoughts had been swirling; a mess of confusion as she tried to catch up to him. As much as Poe tried to play the situation off as nothing, being here was bothering him. He was looking for any excuse to leave this place, or more likely the people here but now he seemed almost … playful?
Poe’s moods were like whiplash, she had trouble keeping up. Then again, the people she had been raised with had been taught to control their feelings. Not that most of them had succeeded very well. There had at least been an attempt. From what little she’d seen of the Mandalorians, they were much the same. Save the man she had married. He always seemed to be showing his emotions or maybe she was just more attuned to him.
His current mood was a complete 180 from the man she had stumbled upon only minutes before. Poe moved towards her again, but the action seemed less predatory than before. She stood her ground this time, curious about what he wanted. The smirk she was getting too used to had been replaced with a smile; his eyes lit up with a mischievousness she didn’t trust.
“Come on, Rey,” he pleaded unconvincingly. “How come you really followed me? Could it be you’re a little attached to your new husband?”
“We’ve only just met!”
“Guess the Jedi don’t believe in love at first sight then,” he shrugged. “It’s a shame. I mean, even if our marriage didn’t start on the most conventional basis-”
“You tricked me!” she interjected.
“When I saved you and your fellow Jedis’ lives,” he continued on like she hadn’t spoken, “I thought we would make a go at it. But if you can’t be honest with me, I guess we’re doomed from the start.”
She couldn’t tell what type of game he was playing, but it was definitely annoying her. He wasn’t being serious; he wasn’t even trying to hide it from her with the overdramatic wave of his hand as he talked. Even if she couldn’t have sensed it from him, it was obvious. She wasn’t used to this kind of behaviour, even from … She pushed that thought aside quickly enough, focusing back on Poe. And the stupid grin he was trying to hide.
He knew he was doomed when Rey narrowed her eyes, and he could see the clench of her jaw. Not doomed in the way that she would attack him but on a more personal level. After years of boring suitors, if that’s even what he could call them, or worse the sycophants, Rey finally presented him with a challenge. And not just physically.
She didn’t care who he was, only that his position would protect the too few remaining that she cared for. A Jedi didn’t need power, they had their own. A former princess was acting as her mediator so it couldn’t be a political ploy. Everything about her, the parts that intrigued him, was just her. He felt the grin slip from his face as it dawned on him. He wanted the woman, not the Jedi. And that was dangerous.
“We should go back,” he spat out, not giving her any time to contradict him as he marched back towards the house.
The shift in Poe’s mood was so sudden, she wasn’t sure she was sensing him correctly. Scanning the area, she tried to find the danger he must have found that she hadn’t even noticed. There was nothing she could see or sense, only the small creatures from before. But Poe had been afraid of something, he was far ahead of her already in just those few seconds. He wasn’t running but his pace was as far from leisurely as one could get and still call it walking.
“What happened?” she asked, panting slightly. She’d needed to jog to catch up to him.
He didn’t reply, staring straight ahead as they weaved their way out of the jungle. “Are we in danger?” she tried, wanting to know what had changed in those few seconds.
“No more than before,” he answered dully.
There was only one possibility then, her. She hadn’t been trained to deal with princes or politics, she didn’t know the etiquette. She must have done something to anger him, broken some unspoken rule. They hadn’t even been joined a standard day and she’d ruined everything. Perhaps his father would break his word once Poe told him. But Ezra and Grogu would still be safe, and her master could remain with …
She practically hit Poe’s chest, the beskar on his arms digging into her skin as he held her still. Her gaze snapped to his, questioning silently. He was still but not looking around like they were being hunted. There was a stillness to him that was unusual. “What’s wrong?” she whispered.
He shook his head, giving nothing away. Closing her eyes, she cleared her head; she should have been the one sensing the world around them, not him. Nothing screamed out as a danger, but she did sense something that shouldn’t be. Stepping away from him, she moved towards it, needing to understand.
Rey was ignoring him, walking deeper into the trees. Walking towards something with a determination he should have expected from a Jedi. It made him uneasy; a hum that seemed to creep up his spine. He’d never felt this way before; with all his training, fear shouldn’t affect him. But it did now. Whatever it was that had made him stop, it was real. It was something tangible that Rey felt as well, and she was walking straight towards it. The instinct to run was strong but the instinct to stay close to Rey was stronger. He shouldn’t be feeling this way; not about her. It was too soon and that scared him the most.
The jungle began to thin, opening up into a small clearing. Rey continued on but he paused, too awed by what he had seen. The tree stood out, looking nothing like anything else nearby. She was drawn to it, he knew it. He was as well, and that terrified him. He stayed away, watching as his wife touched the trunk as someone would after seeing an old friend after a long separation. Like it was a sentient thing. A part of him believed it could be.
“I figured you’d find it.”
Rey turned, grabbing her lightsaber at the voice. She could see Poe had drawn his blaster as well. Han just grinned, one corner of his mouth quirked up. He’d known all along. That’s why he thought they’d be safe here.
“I might have to give you more credit,” she replied, putting her blade away. “This is the perfect place to hide.”
Poe looked confused, blaster still held tightly in his hand. “Anyone want to fill me in?” he huffed, looking between them.
Han glanced over to her, raising one eyebrow in question. Considering Poe’s current dislike of the man, he would probably be more receptive to her. “It’s an uneti tree,” she replied. “They’re … well, let’s just say they’re strong with the Force. And incredibly rare. I have no idea how this even got here.”
“Luke,” Han chimed in. “Shara helped him out and this was a … gift I guess.”
Her hand moved back to the trunk, still amazed at seeing this. It shouldn’t be possible, but here it was, absolutely flourishing. It almost called out to her, and from what she could tell, it was calling out to Poe too. From the look on his face, he knew it too. But he also seemed scared.
“Was the tree here while -”
She cut herself off. Poe had barely accepted the idea of his parents; he wasn’t ready to accept any other possibilities. Not yet. “We’re staying,” she stated, looking directly at the man she had married.
She watched the play of emotions on his face, flicking from one to another rapidly. She didn’t even need to sense them; it was like each one screamed at her. She had to wonder if that’s why Mandalorians were so fond of those helmets. She hadn’t spent nearly enough time with them but if they were like Poe, their faces would give everything away in battle.
Poe’s expression settled, mouth sitting in a firm line. “Shouldn’t we discuss this, dear?” he spat out.
Han seemed to understand that he needed to leave at least, making his exit with a mumbled apology. Poe didn’t even seem to notice, eyes never leaving her. She didn’t need the Force to tell how angry he was. She knew he wouldn’t attempt to hurt her. She deescalated the situation as much as possible, using the methods she’d been taught. Making herself seem smaller, less threatening, usually worked but it had no effect on her husband. Not surprising considering he’d seen her fight.
Ignoring the ploy, she straightened her shoulders, moving to meet him in the middle. “We need to say, Poe,” she told him, knowing direct would work better. “This tree, it’ll help mask me. And before you ask, I meant rare. We won’t find another. At least not one that isn’t somewhere that’s controlled by my grandfather.”
Poe visibly deflated, eyes closing like he was in physical pain. “Can’t we take a branch and go somewhere else?”
From his tone, Poe knew it was a lame attempt. “It needs to be alive. And not just a small part of it,” she added. “It needs to be connected to its surroundings.”
He looked away from her, almost staring at the tree resentfully. “It doesn’t change anything,” he muttered. “The plan was to train, so we’ll train.”
She knew it wouldn’t be that simple, but his acceptance would do for now. They did need to train but that was the least of her concerns. She needed to stop her grandfather. She needed to avert a war. And to do those, she needed to solve the mystery of the man before her.