Babu was in the back of some type of strange cantina. You felt on edge inside. It was incredibly warm and crowded from wall to wall with different machines, half built droids, and hanging wires. But Poe trusted it, and trusted this place. You wondered if it wasn't the place itself that made you uneasy, but the idea that something --- anything --- could happen. So many people were looking for you right now.

"I haven't the faintest idea why I agreed to this," C-3PO said. All of the wires of his head were pulled out. "I must be malfunctioning. I must be malfunctioning."

"He said he's found something in your droid's memory bank," Zorii said. "Words translated from Sith?"

"Yeah, that's it," Rey said, nodding.

"That's what we need," Finn said.  

You looked away from the frost covered window and at C-3PO. Zorii was turning towards Poe again, who stepped away from you. "Who were you hanging out with that speaks Sith?"

Poe ignored her. "Babu, can you make him translate it?"

Zorii translated for the small creature, who spoke in a language you couldn't understand. "Yes," she translated, "but it will cause a complete---"

"A complete memory wipe," C-3PO finished. 

"Wait, wait, wait. We make him translate it... he won't remember anything?" 

Your heart squeezed in your chest. C-3PO, as annoying as he was, was your friend. You thought of all the times you spoke with him since you'd met him. 

"Droid," Babu tried to say in English, "droid memory blank. Blank."

"Oh!" cried C-3PO. 

"Blank, blank," Babu said with a nod. 

You got closer to the group, your arms crossed over your chest. C-3PO shook his head. "There must be some other way!" 

"Doesn't Artoo back up your memory?" Finn asked. 

"Oh, please. Artoo's storage units are famously unreliable."

"You know the odds better than any of us," Rey said. "Do we have a choice?"

C-3PO was silent for a long moment, and then he said, "If this mission fails... it was all for nothing. All we've done... all this time." He turned and stared forward, directly at you. 

"What are you doing there, Threepio?" Poe asked. 

"Taking one last look, sir," he said, "at my friends."

Your heart squeezed again and you felt tears fill your eyes. Poe's hand found yours and he gave it a squeeze, tight and reassuring. D-O, who sat at your feet with BB-8, said plainly, "Sad."

The moment was shattered by loud thudding in the distance. "Uh-oh," Babu said. 

"Night raids are gonna start soon," Zorii explained. "I'll keep look-out." 

"I'll come with you," Poe said automatically. His hand dropped yours. 

She laughed. "You still don't trust me, do you?"

"Did you ever trust me?" he asked. 

"Nope." 

You couldn't help but feel worried. This woman had just held a gun to his head only a few minutes ago. "Poe---"

He looked at you and gave you a reassuring smile. "I'll be right back, sweetheart."

You didn't answer. You just let him go while Babu laughed. 

* * *

"Report, General Pryde," Ren ordered. Hux stared at the back of the Supreme Leader's helmet. He could see his own reflection in it. He could see the hate in his eyes shining back at him. 

"There's been a development, sir," he said. "The Knights of Ren have tracked the scavenger. To a settlement called Kijimi."

Hux dared open his lips. "Shall we destroy the city, Supreme---"

Ren held up a finger, and Hux was silent. He glared at him and then turned away, leaving the general to gasp for the breath that was cut off for the brief moment. As he lifted his hand to his throat, he fumed. 

* * *

C-3PO sat down as Babu Frik worked at the wires in his head. You nervously chewed on your fingernails, standing on the side opposite Rey and Finn. Everyone watched C-3PO intently. "Oh! I just had an idea of something else we could try."

But in a sudden spark of light and sound, the droid powered down quickly and fell silent. Rey jumped and then pushed her way past Finn, who stared after her in worry. You looked down at your shoes, where all of the slush had melted through the material. 

Up on the roof, Poe sat next to Zorii. "How long has it been like this?"

"First Order took most of the kids a long time ago," she said. "Can't stand the cries anymore. I've saved up enough to get out. I'm going to the Colonies."

"How? All those hyperlanes are blocked." Zorii pulled something out, a medallion. "That's a First Order's captain's medallion. I've never seen a real one."

"Free passage through any blockade," she said. "Landing privileges, any vessel." She opened her mask. "Wanna come with me?"

Poe sighed, pressed his lips together, and shook his head. "I can't. I have someone that I can't walk out on."

She nodded once, understanding. "The girl that tried to blow my brains out." 

"That very one," Poe said, smiling. "Besides, I can't walk out on this war either. Not til it's over. And maybe it is, but... we sent out a call for help on the Battle of Crait. Nobody came. Everyone's so afraid. They've given up."

"No, I don't believe you believe that," she said. He looked away. "Hey. They win by making you think that you're alone. Remember?" He nodded. "There's more of us."

He sighed and scratched his forehead. "You're right." 

"So that girl in there," she said. "How'd you meet her?" 

"She saved my life," he said, nodding. "I'll just say that. She rescued me without knowing me and then we kept saving one another until we realized that something between us just worked. She's been by my side for a while now and I couldn't imagine life without her."

"She's one tough girl, I'll tell you that. I knew she was serious about shooting me."

Poe couldn't help but laugh. "She was raised in the First Order. She's really cold when it comes to enemies."

"Well that makes sense," she said. "But I'm not an enemy."

"Not anymore, but it was hard to tell, if you think about how it looked," he said. 

She chuckled and shook her head. "I know I gave you heat for leaving and all of that, but... but I'm happy that you found happiness, Poe. And I'm happy that you found her. It's always good to have someone that you know will have your back no matter what." 

"I know she has my back," he said, nodding. "So does Finn. And Rey. We're a family now and I... I'm really glad to have all of them. I couldn't imagine life without any of them." He thought now of Chewie. "We lost one of us today. It's... it's such a shock that I don't even remember it really happened. I know this is a war, but losing one another is the hardest part about it."

Suddenly there was a loud whirring sound. Zorii straightened her back. "Well if you don't want to lose any others then we'd better get them out of here now. We've got company."

* * *

"Squeaky wheel," D-O said. "I have a squeaky wheel."

"Well, you don't have to worry about it anymore," you said. "Rey is fixing you right up."

Rey smiled as she poured oil in between his wheels. He rolled silently now. "Squeak eliminated. Thank you!" He zoomed by, making you laugh. "Very kind." He rolled around in circles around BB-8 now. You giggled, getting on your knees beside the droids as they played. When you looked at Rey, you expected a smile, but she looked afraid. 

"Something's not right about all of this," she murmured. You stood. 

"Hm?" Finn asked, getting closer to her. 

"I know where I've seen it," she said. "The ship he was on. Ochi's ship."

"What?" Finn asked. 

"The day my parents left," she said. "They were on that ship. Are you sure?" 

The doors opened. Zorii walked inside quickly, Poe behind her. "There's an incoming Destroyer."

"We gotta go now," Poe said. "Did we get it? Babu?"

"Yep! Droid is ready!" 

With a spark, C-3PO stood up, arms out, eyes red. Completely red. He said, in a deep voice, "The Emperor's wayfinder is in the Imperial vault. At delta three-six, transient nine-three-six, bearing three-two on a moon in the Endor system. From the southern shore. Only this blade tells." Then he powered down and Babu cheered. 

"The Endor system? Where the last war ended?" Finn asked. 

The whole room began to shake with a rumbling noise growing louder and louder. Rey took off for the stairs and opened the door, where outside you could see the Destroyer hanging overhead, huge and threatening. 

"Rey!" Finn said. 

"Ren's Destroyer," she said. 

"He's here?" Poe asked. 

Suddenly, Rey choked out, "Chewie?"

"What about him?"

"He's on Ren's ship," she whispered. Her voice was shaking. Your chest filled with hope and you took a huge step forward. 

"He's alive?" you asked. 

"He's alive," she repeated, turning around with a smile. It confirmed it for you. Tears filled your eyes and you grinned. 

"What? How?!" Poe shook his head in disbelief. 

"He's alive! He must've been on a different transport!" she cried. 

"We gotta go get him." 

Zorii looked at Poe. "Your friend's on that sky trash?"

"I guess he is!" Poe said, a laugh of relief bubbling out of him. He covered his mouth for a moment and you took his hand. 

All of a sudden, C-3PO shot up in his chair, making you jump. "Might I introduce myself! I am C-3PO, human-cyborg relations. And you are?"

Poe pointed at him. "Okay, that's gonna be a problem." 

"Hello, I Babu Frik," Babu said. 

"Why hello!" C-3PO cried. 

"We gotta go," you said. Poe nodded in agreement. You grabbed C-3PO's wrist and jerked him to his feet. "Come on, get up! We have to go!" 

"How dare you! We just met!" he shouted. 

You ignored him, pushing him ahead of you so he would go up the stairs. You turned and looked at BB-8 and D-O as Poe grabbed C-3PO by the shoulder and forced him up the stairs. "Come on, boys!" 

Out in the dark and in the snow, you squinted to see. Snowflakes fell on your eyelashes, blinding you momentarily as you adjusted to the feeling and to the dark. BB-8 and D-O rolled on ahead of you, C-3PO waddling his way next to them with Rey and Finn at the lead. 

"Poe!" cried Zorii. As Poe stopped, you spun around. You didn't want to leave without him. She held out a medallion. "This might get you on a capital ship. Go help your friend."

He shook his head. "Zorii, I don't think I can take this."

"I don't care what you think," she said, pressing it in his palm. 

"We have to go!" Rey cried. Ships were zooming overhead. "Now!" 

"Come with us," Poe pleaded. 

"Poe," she said. "Remember what you told me up on the roof?" Her eyes shifted to you. Poe looked back at you, and she didn't need to say anything else. "Go."

Poe smiled, nodded, and his hand found yours blindly. He gripped it tight and spun around to take off. Your boots slipped in the snow and you struggled to run against the wind. 

On the ship, Poe put the medallion to use. It would give you clearance for entrance in hangar twelve. 

"Hang on, Chewie," Rey whispered. "We're coming."

"Whoever this Chewie person is, this is madness!" C-3PO said. 

You couldn't argue that it was, but you knew you would do anything for Chewie. You would do anything for any one of your friends. And now you were proving it by going right back into the place you had nightmares about. The very place you never wanted to go again.

Before the ship landed in the hangar, Poe grabbed you by the shoulders and turned you around. You looked at him, surprised, but you understood by the look on his face what he was thinking --- what he was begging you. His fingers dug into your shoulder blades and he leaned in, kissing you hard on the mouth in a way that said stay close to me and stay safe. And you kissed him back, the promise spoken by your lips moving against his.