"Right. Right, I'll keep trying." And Poe has a point - the base does have a good selection of great people. Even the officers are friendly toward him, and he sure didn't expect that.
So he gives Poe another smile. "Thanks, Poe. I really like it here--even if I'm not really sure what I'm doing all the time." He nods toward his bag. "But I'm looking at the manual so I don't make any mistakes."
"You're doing great so far, Finn." Black Squadron's taken a shine to him, for sure. And he's been hearing good things out of the ground forces, though he doesn't want to just say so, since he doubts Finn wants him hovering around like an anxious mother whose kid has just gone to pre-academy or something.
"You actually got the manual from Jess?" He laughs. "Well, it is good to know the rules. I bet it's pretty different from what you're used to."
Finn grins and ducks his head, a little self-conscious. "They're good people, like you said."
And then he nods earnestly. "The manual's about a quarter of the size of the First Order Regulations Book, to start with. There's a lot less--" he searches for the right word for a moment "--micromanaging, that's it. If the Resistance wants something done and you have a good idea, they let you do it."
That was something that had begun to frustrate him well before he ever met Poe. Finn has lots of ideas, but when he put them into action he got reprimanded.
Poe lets out a low whistle. He's having a hard time imagining a manual as long as what Finn's describing. The one for the Resistance is already pretty thorough, in his opinion, and it's basically a copy of the one that belonged to the Republic Navy. "You have to trust your people at some point," he says.
Maybe that's the big difference from which all the others springs. He's not sure. But how can there be any kind of innovation in an environment let the one Finn's from? Not like it's a free for all in the Resistance, but people can get creative about solving problems. That's the only way a group this small manages to do so much with so little.
"General Organa listens to her people." His commanding officers in the Republic hadn't. And... well, it's still a bitter thought. He's ended up where he needs to be, that's for sure.
Trust. That's the big difference as far as Finn's concerned. "'I trust you will do exactly as I say, FN-2187,'" he says in a mock-Phasma accent. "That's the only kind of trust we ever got. When you've got Hux breathing down your neck for perfect results, you can't have your troops moving a single micron out of line."
And there are advantages to having disciplined troops work like a well-oiled machine; of course Finn can see that. He's seen it in action countless times, and it's the reason he's still afraid of the First Order. They advance like an overwhelming tide, but not as he'd once though an unstoppable one.
"General Organa deserves the legend she has," he says with firm confidence. "She's got a--an instinct about what to do. Never seen anything like it."
Poe grimaces. "That's not really trust," he murmurs, not that he thinks Finn believes that it is either. Perfection is a thing to aim for, but he's seen the Imperial--and the First Order's--version of perfection. It looks a lot like death for a lot of people. "That's the thing that sucks the hope right out of people." It was the reason his parents had left him behind when he was so young and joined in the fight.
"I don't know how much of it is her having been in the Senate, or having been a leader in the rebellion, and how much of it is that spooky Force stuff," Poe says. "And it doesn't really matter. She's the best officer I've ever served under."
"No. It's fear." He's just beginning to see how they use fear as a weapon, and that they're very good at it. That came straight out of the Empire, no question.
Could it be the Force? If so, it's a very different application than he's used to seeing from the Knights of Ren. Finn looks thoughtful, not responding for a long moment. "Probably all of it together." She's not the only figure from the Rebellion he's noticed in the Resistance, either.
By now the shuttle's made the jump and they're in hyperspace; not much to do until they reach their destination, so Finn stretches out in his seat again. "Nice not to have to stand the whole time."
"People shouldn't have to live in fear." There it is, the reason for his own commitment to the fight.
"Probably. Don't know how the Force stuff works, but you can bet I believe in it. A lot of people in the Resistance still don't." It's not like he had a choice, not after Kylo Ren ripped through his brain. But he'd already known; he'd grown up with the tree that Luke gave his parents in his backyard. People seem to like thinking he's just superstitious though. And either way, "Stuff is way over my pay grade. Don't understand it, never will."
Which is why it's a point of pride to him that the General seems to think he's as good as her brother. Poe doesn't have the Force. He's got only himself.
He grins. "Nice to be able to not have to sit the whole time too. But I think you win. Standing would be worse."
That goes back to trust, doesn't it? If your citizens are too afraid to rebel, your control is absolute. So Finn nods. "As long as that's what the Resistance stands for, I know where I want to be." And that it's the right people to be with.
The General had said that Rey had the Force, actually, and that's why she got the mission to track down Skywalker. And if Rey has it, he wants to be able to work with her. "I'm tied up in it whether I want it or not," he admits. "So I better learn more when I can."
He nudges Poe's shoulder and grins. "Yeah, you probably get the opposite problem, don't you? When you're not escorting a bigger ship." One-man fighters are sleek and efficient, but don't exactly offer room to get up an exercise.
It's a relief that Finn wants to be anywhere. From what he'd heard, that hadn't been entirely certain for a while. Not that he'd blame the man if he wanted out of the fight entirely either.
"Hopefully you can. Maybe something the General can help you with, since she seems to know a little about it. I wish I knew more."
He laughs and bumps Finn's shoulder lightly back. "You spend all this time training your body and being in peak shape just so you can sit still for two days straight in a cockpit. Makes me long for crashing in the desert sometimes."
The change had come right when he saw Kylo Ren advancing on an unconscious Rey. That was his chance to run away, but--but Rey was counting on him. There was something more important than running away.
And there still is.
Finn nods. The General seems pretty busy, but maybe she can point him toward someone who can help. "Maybe Rey will find Skywalker, and then I can just ask him." A guy can hope. "I mean, I know she'll find him. But maybe he can tell me about it, too." It's a damn shame Solo--well. Among other things, that he didn't get to tell them more before shit hit the fan.
"It sure helps for when you do. Hey, how did you make it back, anyway?" He'd been wondering about that....
"She seemed like the determined type," Poe says. He didn't really get to know her, but he'd at least gotten introduced while Finn was unconscious. Enough that she'd seemed satisfied he'd keep an eye on Finn. (Hm. Mutual crush going there? Maybe. All the more reason to just keep his stupid mouth shut, that's for sure. Finn's been through a lot, and it sounds like Rey has as well.) "And teaching people to use the Force is what he's supposed to do."
The General had faith in her brother. Poe's parents had as well. So he's just got to believe that Luke had a good reason to be MIA all this time, and that he'll step back into the fray because he's needed.
Poe grins. "Oh, it's kind of a weird story..."
There might be some embellishment, just the sort that pilots always throw in when they're telling their stories. He has fun telling it, here in this safe space where the temperature is controlled and he doesn't have sand in every natural orifice.
"Lived by herself on Jakku for years," Finn points out. "And BB-8 likes her." Which is a good litmus test as far as he's concerned, but then, BB-8 likes Finn too so he might be biased.
He listens to Poe's story, grinning and asking questions or making amused noises when prompted. Their stories were pretty similar, except for better luck on Poe's part in getting to someplace he could contact the Resistance. By the time he reaches the part where he's landing on base and seeing BB-8 and Finn again, the shuttle's out of hyperspace and ready to dock.
Finn gets up and stretches, motioning for Poe to lead the way. "All right. We're going to go pick up some cargo now, right?"
"Heading right to our berth, I think. Cargo is supposed to be loaded." Though supposed to was sometimes a tall order.
"Station's kind of busy, so stick close, okay?" He probably doesn't need to say that to Finn; he knows Finn can take care of himself. But to get from one bay to dock ports where the small freighters are is something of a maze. Poe got lost, himself, the first time he was here. What makes it worse is how full it is, humans and all other species running back and forth, arguing, complaining. "We both need to keep an eye out for BB-8."
(Hey! I can ake care of myself!) BB-8 complains, though the droid stays close enough to Finn that he has to be careful not to trip.
"You got it, Poe," Finn adds, though he still looks pretty unsure. "Where are we haded? Not that I'm going to get lost. I just want to know in case, you know?"
(You wouldn't ask that if you weren't afraid of getting lost,) BB-8 says sulkily. Finn glares as if he understood that one.
"Hey, it's good to know where the rally point is, right?" Poe says, to make Finn feel better. "Berth 372. If we get separated, you should be able to find it on the station maps. Or ask a security officer. They're... mostly good people. There's also this cantina in the central hub, Gersha's. Could meet up there, it's easier to find. And serves a good sandwich."
He glances back at both of them. "It's okay to be worried about stuff, you know." As long as it doesn't stop you.
Finn grips his bag a lttle tighter at that. Is it? Not that he's determined to be all cool and collected all the time--hadn't worked that well with Solo--but he can't entirely give up the act. So, unsure, he just nods.
"372, got it. Shouldn't be that hard to find. Do you, uh, want a sandwich instead?" He'd be fine with going straight to the ship, but then, he's still not exactly used to real food.
Finn, some day you will realize that Poe likes you better when you are your dorky self. Though being a dork is in itself an act of bravery, since it requires the confidence to not be worried what the people around you think.
"If you're hungry we can stop in. Get a drink and some food. And get something for the road too, since ship rations aren't that great." Hey, spaceflight picnic. It's a long enough transit to Yavin 4 that they're going to be sleeping a few nights on the ship and eating some ship rations, but no need to do that more than necessary.
Well, he hasn't forgot Solo's advice. Women always find out. Knowing General Organa, he absolutely believes it. She's terrifying on one level, and since she's the person he hopes to impress the most, he has to find it in himself to be brutally honest about himself around her. Does he want to impress Poe too? Sure. But that seems a lot less stressful, somehow.
"I'm always hungry," Finn admits.
(It's because he works out so much. Have you seen his muscles?)
"Hey, are you making fun of me? Come back here, you little brat." Finn starts chasing BB-8 down the hallway, laughing.
"Well then I better feed you!" Who knew what kind of gondark crap Finn had been eating for most of his life anyway?
"Of course I have," Poe answers BB-8 before he realizes it's a dumb thing to say. He just hopes Finn's paying more attention to the droid than him. But it's true--how do you NOT notice those muscles? Finn's a good looking guy.
Poe laughs and follows them. No need to intervene. Doesn't hurt to let BB-8 take the heat since he started it anyway.
Despite how busy the station is, BB-8 actually knows where to go; Finn doesn't have any trouble following. The cantina isn't quite as wild as Maz's watering hole, though he does get flashbacks to that old temple when he enters.
"Two sandwich meals for here and, uh, four more packed to go." He glances over at Poe nervously. Did he do that right? Is that enough? Should he get drinks? Maybe the drinks should wait till they get to their destination and Poe doesn't have to fly anywhere.
(You're going to want dessert. Poe always wants dessert.)
Poe catches up, arm going around Finn's shoulders briefly like it belongs there. "Dessert tray. Two of them." He grins at BB-8. "They keep really well. Give us something for the whole trip." And it'll give Finn a chance to figure out what he likes.
(They would keep the whole trip, if you didn't eat them. I bet you're just going to eat them all now!)
"Yeah, two dessert trays too. And we'll sit over there." He getures to an empty booth. They could sit at the bar, but--a booth sounds better. Finn completes the transaction and puls Poe down into the booth next to him.
"That's the first time I ever bought anything!" he hisses. "Did I do okay?"
"Maybe I will," Poe says to BB-8. "Someone has to eat your share."
He keeps an eye on Finn to make sure he gets the right change and everything, and the little symbol on a stick that will tell the server which table they're at. He hesitates almost imperceptibly and then slides into the boot across from Finn, stretching his legs out under the table.
"You did great. Like you've been buying stuff your whole life."
"Oh, good." Finn looks relieved. Okay, he knows he sounded nervous as hell at the counter, but he can't help that. "So how long before we get there once we leave?" He's guessing a couple days or Poe wouldn't have him order food. And honestly, they could both use the chance to catch up on some sleep.
Once the food comes, Finn digs in like he's starving and has to force himself to eat slowly. It's not timed here, they can take as long as they want, but old habits die hard.
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So he gives Poe another smile. "Thanks, Poe. I really like it here--even if I'm not really sure what I'm doing all the time." He nods toward his bag. "But I'm looking at the manual so I don't make any mistakes."
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"You actually got the manual from Jess?" He laughs. "Well, it is good to know the rules. I bet it's pretty different from what you're used to."
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And then he nods earnestly. "The manual's about a quarter of the size of the First Order Regulations Book, to start with. There's a lot less--" he searches for the right word for a moment "--micromanaging, that's it. If the Resistance wants something done and you have a good idea, they let you do it."
That was something that had begun to frustrate him well before he ever met Poe. Finn has lots of ideas, but when he put them into action he got reprimanded.
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Maybe that's the big difference from which all the others springs. He's not sure. But how can there be any kind of innovation in an environment let the one Finn's from? Not like it's a free for all in the Resistance, but people can get creative about solving problems. That's the only way a group this small manages to do so much with so little.
"General Organa listens to her people." His commanding officers in the Republic hadn't. And... well, it's still a bitter thought. He's ended up where he needs to be, that's for sure.
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And there are advantages to having disciplined troops work like a well-oiled machine; of course Finn can see that. He's seen it in action countless times, and it's the reason he's still afraid of the First Order. They advance like an overwhelming tide, but not as he'd once though an unstoppable one.
"General Organa deserves the legend she has," he says with firm confidence. "She's got a--an instinct about what to do. Never seen anything like it."
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"I don't know how much of it is her having been in the Senate, or having been a leader in the rebellion, and how much of it is that spooky Force stuff," Poe says. "And it doesn't really matter. She's the best officer I've ever served under."
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Could it be the Force? If so, it's a very different application than he's used to seeing from the Knights of Ren. Finn looks thoughtful, not responding for a long moment. "Probably all of it together." She's not the only figure from the Rebellion he's noticed in the Resistance, either.
By now the shuttle's made the jump and they're in hyperspace; not much to do until they reach their destination, so Finn stretches out in his seat again. "Nice not to have to stand the whole time."
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"Probably. Don't know how the Force stuff works, but you can bet I believe in it. A lot of people in the Resistance still don't." It's not like he had a choice, not after Kylo Ren ripped through his brain. But he'd already known; he'd grown up with the tree that Luke gave his parents in his backyard. People seem to like thinking he's just superstitious though. And either way, "Stuff is way over my pay grade. Don't understand it, never will."
Which is why it's a point of pride to him that the General seems to think he's as good as her brother. Poe doesn't have the Force. He's got only himself.
He grins. "Nice to be able to not have to sit the whole time too. But I think you win. Standing would be worse."
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The General had said that Rey had the Force, actually, and that's why she got the mission to track down Skywalker. And if Rey has it, he wants to be able to work with her. "I'm tied up in it whether I want it or not," he admits. "So I better learn more when I can."
He nudges Poe's shoulder and grins. "Yeah, you probably get the opposite problem, don't you? When you're not escorting a bigger ship." One-man fighters are sleek and efficient, but don't exactly offer room to get up an exercise.
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"Hopefully you can. Maybe something the General can help you with, since she seems to know a little about it. I wish I knew more."
He laughs and bumps Finn's shoulder lightly back. "You spend all this time training your body and being in peak shape just so you can sit still for two days straight in a cockpit. Makes me long for crashing in the desert sometimes."
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And there still is.
Finn nods. The General seems pretty busy, but maybe she can point him toward someone who can help. "Maybe Rey will find Skywalker, and then I can just ask him." A guy can hope. "I mean, I know she'll find him. But maybe he can tell me about it, too." It's a damn shame Solo--well. Among other things, that he didn't get to tell them more before shit hit the fan.
"It sure helps for when you do. Hey, how did you make it back, anyway?" He'd been wondering about that....
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The General had faith in her brother. Poe's parents had as well. So he's just got to believe that Luke had a good reason to be MIA all this time, and that he'll step back into the fray because he's needed.
Poe grins. "Oh, it's kind of a weird story..."
There might be some embellishment, just the sort that pilots always throw in when they're telling their stories. He has fun telling it, here in this safe space where the temperature is controlled and he doesn't have sand in every natural orifice.
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He listens to Poe's story, grinning and asking questions or making amused noises when prompted. Their stories were pretty similar, except for better luck on Poe's part in getting to someplace he could contact the Resistance. By the time he reaches the part where he's landing on base and seeing BB-8 and Finn again, the shuttle's out of hyperspace and ready to dock.
Finn gets up and stretches, motioning for Poe to lead the way. "All right. We're going to go pick up some cargo now, right?"
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"Station's kind of busy, so stick close, okay?" He probably doesn't need to say that to Finn; he knows Finn can take care of himself. But to get from one bay to dock ports where the small freighters are is something of a maze. Poe got lost, himself, the first time he was here. What makes it worse is how full it is, humans and all other species running back and forth, arguing, complaining. "We both need to keep an eye out for BB-8."
Droidnappers. Scum of the galaxy.
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"You got it, Poe," Finn adds, though he still looks pretty unsure. "Where are we haded? Not that I'm going to get lost. I just want to know in case, you know?"
(You wouldn't ask that if you weren't afraid of getting lost,) BB-8 says sulkily. Finn glares as if he understood that one.
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He glances back at both of them. "It's okay to be worried about stuff, you know." As long as it doesn't stop you.
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"372, got it. Shouldn't be that hard to find. Do you, uh, want a sandwich instead?" He'd be fine with going straight to the ship, but then, he's still not exactly used to real food.
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"If you're hungry we can stop in. Get a drink and some food. And get something for the road too, since ship rations aren't that great." Hey, spaceflight picnic. It's a long enough transit to Yavin 4 that they're going to be sleeping a few nights on the ship and eating some ship rations, but no need to do that more than necessary.
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"I'm always hungry," Finn admits.
(It's because he works out so much. Have you seen his muscles?)
"Hey, are you making fun of me? Come back here, you little brat." Finn starts chasing BB-8 down the hallway, laughing.
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"Of course I have," Poe answers BB-8 before he realizes it's a dumb thing to say. He just hopes Finn's paying more attention to the droid than him. But it's true--how do you NOT notice those muscles? Finn's a good looking guy.
Poe laughs and follows them. No need to intervene. Doesn't hurt to let BB-8 take the heat since he started it anyway.
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"Two sandwich meals for here and, uh, four more packed to go." He glances over at Poe nervously. Did he do that right? Is that enough? Should he get drinks? Maybe the drinks should wait till they get to their destination and Poe doesn't have to fly anywhere.
(You're going to want dessert. Poe always wants dessert.)
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"I've got a heck of a sweet tooth."
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"Yeah, two dessert trays too. And we'll sit over there." He getures to an empty booth. They could sit at the bar, but--a booth sounds better. Finn completes the transaction and puls Poe down into the booth next to him.
"That's the first time I ever bought anything!" he hisses. "Did I do okay?"
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He keeps an eye on Finn to make sure he gets the right change and everything, and the little symbol on a stick that will tell the server which table they're at. He hesitates almost imperceptibly and then slides into the boot across from Finn, stretching his legs out under the table.
"You did great. Like you've been buying stuff your whole life."
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Once the food comes, Finn digs in like he's starving and has to force himself to eat slowly. It's not timed here, they can take as long as they want, but old habits die hard.
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