Chapter Text
As far as Poe knew, he had always grown up in the Starkiller Zone.
An outsider would never have found it a good place to live, a place where anyone would want to raise a child. But Poe had lived there nonetheless, under the dubious care of Lord Hux and Phasma Weaver.
It wasn’t like it was bad. After all, the First Order had taken him in as a baby, given him a home. And then there was Kylo himself. Ever since Kylo had shown up on the doorstop, a kitten in a box, Poe and Kylo had been all but inseparable ever since.
Life in the Starkiller Zone was rough but it was home, at least in Poe’s eyes.
Even as he practiced for the day, brushing his teeth, getting ready, punching at the bag that had a Resistance soldier on it, Poe heard a voice echoing over the intercom. “All squadrons, report to area immediately for evaluation.”
***
There were three more recruits that Poe took his place beside. Voe, Tai and Hennix. Poe wouldn’t say they were as close as he and Kylo were, but he still counted them as acquaintances at most.
“Psst,” Poe said. “Anyone seen Kylo?”
Voe shook her head. “Far as I know, no.”
Poe sighed. “Not again."
It was in that moment that Captain Cardinal spoke up. “At attention, cadets. Your simulation’s about to begin. Here’s your scenario: you’ll be passing through the treacherous Whispering Woods of Alderaan to reach the heart of the rebel insurgency, Castle Organa. Your mission is to defeat Queen Leia in Lord Hux’s name. Where’s Kylo?”
Poe spoke up, trying to defuse the situation before it spiraled out of hand. “He will be here, I promise.”
“Mm-hmm,” Cardinal murmured. “The Whispering Woods are full of Resistance soldiers. Vicious, violent instigators. They will take you out when given the chance. Don’t give it to them. Good luck, recruits.”
***
It was only a simulation, but there was something about being in the replication of the Whispering Woods of Takodana that was enough to give Poe some degree of chills, like he had been cursed. He’d heard of the Whispering Woods, of course — heard stories about how they were full of strange monsters, curses, that those who were trapped in there never returned. Even as Poe entered the simulator, he couldn’t say he entirely blamed Hennix, who’d been whimpering earlier.
It was then that a purple Resistance soldier appeared overhead. A smile that could put Kylo on his most feral days to shame, her eyes gleaming.
”Watch out!” Poe managed to exclaim to the others in time.
It was Hennix who managed to panic. “Oh no, no, no, no, no!”
Things went wrong. Hennix was hit (he was hardly badly hurt, but he seemed chagrined at how he’d been taken out so quickly. Then three more Resistance soldiers appeared to try and take them out (sometimes Poe felt legitimately sorry for Hennix. The man just seemed to be cursed). And then, just as Poe thought that he’d destroyed the training bot, the red hexagon had decided to give way under him and open up a hole.
Of course Kylo took the opportunity to show up. Even as Poe glared up at him (the hole in the ground was hardly a fatal fall, but that didn’t really make Poe feel better, not really), Kylo took the opportunity to smile at least a little.
“Hello, Poe,” he said. “How’s it hanging?”