bakerstreet | WHAT A DAY

Poe was trying to sort out which of his apparent captors was the one in charge when that whistle came, drawing his attention upward like the others, though he couldn't immediately see who it was for the overhang. And then his head was whipping to look at the now-dead mercenary. Despite his surprise, part of him was already plotting to try and make a run for it while the mercenaries were distracted by whoever was above them. He must have taken a step like he was going to run too because the guy who had pulled him to his feet tightened his grip on Poe's arm and the pilot felt the barrel of a blaster pressed against his side.

Then when he heard the voice it took all his effort not to be visibly relieved. Well, relieved and concerned. Finn was supposed to be safe on the ship and leaving with BB-8 while he figured a way out of this situation, somehow. He had a handle on it, honest. (Not really.)

He didn't have to fake the groan that came out of his mouth, of the 'are you kidding me?' variety in tone, as he acted like he had no idea who Finn was. "Okay all this attention is flattering but I'm really not worth this much effort. Don't you guys have more important people to hunt and beat up in alleys?"

"Shut up." the man beside him hissed, shoving the blaster harder into his side and making him wince. Fine. Point taken. Poe would be quiet, for the moment.

The remaining guys had their attention on Finn. "What do you mean your bounty? The Black Sun has claimed this one. And we don't appreciate others hunting in our territory." Poe had a quip ready on his tongue but forced himself to stay quiet. If Finn was trying to get him out of this situation, he figured the least he could do was try not to get himself shot.

"He wasn't in your territory when I tagged his ship." He snapped back, "Unfortunate that he chose to roost here, but that's not my fault and not my problem."

He was listening, trying to gauge where they were so that he could determine how many of them there were, and whether or not he could hit any of them from the stairs, "Should probably warn you that if you swipe him from me, it's not just me you'll have to answer to. I'm working for Kael Tcho."

Something else Finn was good at was memorizing names, even though a standard stormtrooper wasn't ever expected to run into any of the First Order's Most Wanted, he memorized names and factions all the same, and Kael Tcho was the commander-in-chief and self-appointed general of the Dawn Army, a former Imperial splinter faction that was still causing trouble to any and all other factions.

He also had to hope that Tcho hadn't managed to get caught between the time he left the First Order and now, but that was something he'd worry about if and when it came up.

While the name didn't ring a bell for Poe, it clearly did for the mercenaries, judging by the glances cast among them. Which made him want to file it away in his mind under the 'people to avoid running into' category. Absently, he kind of wondered if maybe he should try to learn who some of these people were considering the price on his head wasn't going to go away any time soon.

Assuming he got out of this situation alive, that is. He expected to, mostly because of Finn's appearance, but he wasn't feeling quite as confident about his odds as he usually did. Walking straight into a trap was something he would beat himself up over for a while. More so if anything happened to Finn by the end of this.

"Yeah, well finders keepers."

"Shut up you idiot." The mercenary in charge out of the three remaining quietly hissed, slapping the arm of the one next to him who made the comment. The man then leveled his gaze at Finn. "Perhaps we can work something out. Split the bounty, 70-30. That's still a sizeable chunk of credits you can take back to Kael Tcho."

The very fact that the Dawn Army hadn't been absorbed or obliterated by the First Order despite being an ostensibly Imperial faction told most people everything they needed to know about the Dawn Army's radicalization.

Which was probably why Finn's next comment, still standing firm was: "I'm sure we can, but even if we can't, I'll still be taking him off your hands." He had debated, briefly, insisting that Tcho wanted him whole, but figured that would just give them more of an excuse to kill him, which was exactly what he was trying to avoid.

One more where he could see them was good, but he knew he'd heard at least one more voice, and he knew if he shot this one, it also increased the chances of them just killing Poe to be done with it.

"Oh, and then we're just supposed to take your word that you'll tell Tcho the deal we made and split the bounty accordingly?" The mercenary's expression was unamused as they tried to bargain. He seemed to be considering things for a moment, though he glanced to the man presently keeping Poe from running, and Poe caught a slight gesture made by the first man which made the one beside him nod slightly.

"No. We did the hard work of catching him, we'll deliver him to the Order. And he hurt two of my men... one of which you so rudely killed." That remark made the brute with the rifle stiffen, his attention fully focused in the direction of Finn's voice, and although the rifle wasn't raised it was definitely at the ready. "The lowest I'll go is 60-40. If you're so insistent on making sure he gets into the Order's hands, you can tag along for the delivery and get Tcho's share of the bounty yourself."

While the talking was going on, the man still with a grip on Poe was trying to use the cover of the balcony overhang and inch them toward the back door of the cantina. Staying quiet was killing Poe but calling out or making some sort of comment would only blow Finn's cover. Furthermore, the blaster barrel practically shoved under his ribs was heavily encouraging him to be a reluctantly behaved captive.

He didn't like this. Any of this. Even if they didn't shoot Finn -- which it kind of looked like they were hoping to do -- the deal being proposed was no good either. The mercenaries would be easier to take out here than in a ship, especially since there would likely be more of them. Plus Poe kind of preferred keeping the both of them as far away from the First Order as possible.

Desperate times called for desperate measures, and the adrenaline and something else (Maybe the Force? He didn't know, he'd never felt quite this sensation before.) humming through his veins felt badly in need of an outlet. So he closed his eyes and tried to focus on Finn, knowing the other man was above him. One next to the guy talking, rifle aimed your way. One next to me trying to sneak us back in the cantina under you. All Poe could do was hope whatever power he had understood what he was trying to do.

Finn didn't get the actual words, none of the exact specifics, but at the same time he was dead certain that he knew who was where and what was going on.

It was a feeling he'd learned to trust over the years, it was part of what had led him to Poe in the first place, which meant that he was hopeful that it would get them both out of this situation in one piece.

"That's the problem, my boss wants the pilot before turning him over to the order. He knows the Resistance's tactics, which is something that the First Order isn't going to share if they manage to get it out of him." He shook his head, heaving a sigh and doing his best to look and sound put-upon, "Go ahead, ask him what Tico's usual tactic is. He won't tell you, but it's important." He was hoping that Poe would pick up what he meant, which was Rose's habit of just stun-sticking things as a first defense.

He didn't have a stun-grenade, but he did have a flashbang, and with the goggles he'd be protected from the worst of it, and if Poe could duck and cover he'd probably be fine as well.

He didn't wait for them to try it, not that he thought they were going to, and he didn't really wait for a reply at all before he thumbed the charge and lobbed it over the balcony railing, stepping back a little to further protect himself from the bright-white detonation of it, ready to vault the railing to the alley below as soon as it went off.

A sharp nudge from the man beside him broke Poe's concentration, only just managing to hold back a sound as the discomfort in his side was shifting toward actual pain the more time passed. It was also steadily irritating him more, to where he was likely to try something stupid and reckless if the mercenary succeded in getting them both back inside the cantina.

He was listening though. Rose's name perked his ears, and it's important drove the message home. Poe didn't even try to stop himself from tensing in anticipation. The mercenaries, in contrast, seemed confused, a confusion that didn't have time to fully fade before the flashbang was thrown.

Poe caught sight of it before it went off and he shifted his attention to the man beside him, having only a moment to decide what to do. If his options were being blinded or being shot it was an easy choice. His cuffed hands grabbed for the blaster, shoving it away from himself and squeezing his eyes shut at the same time. It went off almost the same time as the grenade, just barely missing him, and Poe turned his head away in an attempt to avoid some of the blinding light.

His adrenaline spiked harder even as he saw part of the flash behind his eyelids and he tried to wrestle the blaster away, somewhat successful before an elbow caught him hard in the chest and knocked him back against the wall, making him let go. Instinctively his hands shot up to protect himself, able to sense the threat despite not being able to see it at the moment, and much like inside the cantina a pulse of energy left his hands, forcefully knocking the mercenary backward out into the street.

He almost felt the impact of that blaster bolt against the underside of the balcony, almost exactly where he'd just been standing, except that he'd vaulted himself over the railing only a few moments behind the grenade, and Poe's shoving the merc out into the alleyway worked well, as it gave Finn something to land on that wasn't bare pavement.

He swung the butt of the blaster rifle in his hands up and around into the other merc that was still standing before catching the strap at his shoulder so he didn't lose it, catching one of Poe's wrists with the other hand and steering him back into the cantina, kicking the door shut behind them.

It was only then that he paused long enough to actually take stock of the situation, most of the customers seemed unphased, as if this happened all the time, and knowing where they were, it was possible that it did, but mostly he was trying to determine if the guys outside had backup somewhere inside, because that was something to be avoided. He was doing so even while half-dragging Poe towards the front entrance, "Keep up, keep quiet."

Poe was tense, trying to decide which way to blindly bolt or if he should just stay put in case him doing something interfered with Finn's plan. Thankfully the other man made the decision for him. He could only catch the sense and shape of movement but instinct told him exactly who it was coming close so he didn't try to strike out when his wrist was grabbed.

Blinking rapidly, trying to will his vision to return quickly, Poe huffed out a breath as he was half-led, half-dragged through the cantina. It wasn't as if he were in a position to complain (or for it not to be necessary) but still. He might have been difficult about it if they had time to pause and chat, or at least asked Finn to try and get the cuffs off of him. Although then again, if he were still supposed to be playing along with Finn feigning being another bounty hunter then it was better for him still to be restrained. Once they were somewhere safe maybe it would do them good to flesh out this plan. Just in case a similar situation came up in the future. Poe would like to think that it wouldn't, but with the price currently on his head? Yeah, it probably would be a good idea to have an actual, genuine plan figured out.

Something sent a cold shiver down his spine and pricked the back of his mind, making him glance Finn's direction. Impending danger... but not directed at himself. Poe's vision wasn't yet clear however this wasn't something he was seeing with his eyes.

Not half a second later he gave Finn a shove to the side and spun on his heel to stand in the other man's place, his hands shooting out in front of him in a mimic of another he'd never forget. One of the mercenaries had recovered enough to come barging through the back door, their blaster aimed squarely at Finn's back. Poe moved as they fired, making sure that at least Finn wouldn't be hit. As he moved the Force moved with his will, freezing the blaster bolt mere inches from his hands, close enough he could feel the heat from it. He was breathing hard with the effort it took to stop the bolt, brows furrowed in concentration and sweat beading on his skin. After only a few seconds he dropped to his knees and the bolt deflected somewhat harmlessly into the bar, breaking glasses and bottles but not hitting anyone.

It didn't even occur to Poe at the moment that his secret was fully on display; all he cared about was keeping Finn alive.

Finn was stunned, but not so much that his reflexes didn't work, twisting over and firing off a single shot at the mercenary that had just tried to kill him, which meant that there was still at least one in the alley that might come after them, but Finn wasn't planning on being there when that happened.

Instead he caught the back of Poe's jacket, trying to haul him back to his feet because now more than ever they needed to get out of there, "Poe come on, we need to get out of here."

There was a tinny warble from the comm in his hand, and even though he didn't fully understand what BB-8 was trying to tell him, his response was: "We're coming, Almost there." he had at least a dozen questions swarming his mind, namely why Poe hadn't told him, but he'd worry about that once they were out of harm's way. Or at least as much out of harm's way as they could get, being the First Order's most wanted and a rogue stormtrooper.

He struggled back to his feet, half-stumbling for a few paces before his balance recovered. At least as much as it could when his hands were bound and his head was pounding. His pulse was thudding in his ears, practically drowning out all the other noise, but he still managed to hear Finn loud and clear. Like his senses knew what needed to be paid attention to and what could fall away to the background.

It wasn't an uncommon feeling, not really, but Poe couldn't recall ever feeling it so sharply before his connection to the Force had been fully opened.

"Keep leading, my sight's not totally back yet." he managed to get out between breaths, hands catching on Finn's sleeve as Poe made to stay close and keep pace with the other man. Though he felt mildly exhausted from using the Force, he knew he could yet push himself, the adrenaline still in full effect helping with that. Later he might be somewhat useless until he could get some rest, but they would be long gone by then.

Finn was already making a list in his head, right now the three items on it were 'get aboard', 'get airborne' and then 'get the cuffs off', though he figured BB-8 would be able to do that, given everything else the little astromech seemed capable of. Somewhere after those three was 'ask Poe what the hell happened', but that could wait for a while yet.

He was amazed to find that their path back to the landing bay was clear, and that most people actually got out of their way if they were anywhere close, apparently thinking they were in danger of getting run down if they didn't.

He was also only slightly surprised to find that not only had BB-8 essentially kept the engine running, it had also cleared them with control for an immediate departure, and he wasn't even going to ask how that had happened. Instead he steered Poe towards the jump seat, fastening his seat restraints before all but throwing himself into the pilot's seat, yanking off goggles and cowl as he did so, fastening his own restraints only to have his hand smacked with a manipulator claw when he reached for the controls. BB-8, apparently, had everything under control, relinquishing the throttle only once they'd broken atmosphere and Finn could calculate their hyperspace jump.

That they didn't encounter any other mercenaries -- or anyone else interested in starting a fight, for that matter -- on their way back to the ship was a massive relief to Poe. He wasn't sure if he could manage any other little feats, not and stay conscious anyway. And even if he was developing a trend of reluctant damsel in distress, he was trying to be the least amount of a burden as possible.

Blurry sight or not, he'd nearly protested when Finn kept him out of the pilot's seat. Didn't matter that clear vision was kind of essential for flying, being a passenger happened so rarely that it tended to feel almost uncomfortably strange to him.

At least by the time they were free of the planet's atmosphere his sight was nearly back, things still blurry around the edges but at least he could make out more than just movement and color. The headache throbbing behind his eyes showed no signs of lessening but he would deal. It was his own fault for not making a better attempt at shielding his eyes. Well. All of this was his fault. If he'd been more careful or more cautious then Finn wouldn't have needed to come save him, and they wouldn't have had to deal with mercenaries at all. Furthermore, if he hadn't become such a thorn in the First Order's side, there wouldn't be mercenaries or bounty hunters after him at all. They were all at risk because of the war, true, but this was different. He didn't like the idea that anyone who ran missions with him might be in extra danger.

Sighing heavily, Poe rubbed at his eyes as if that would clear them quicker. When BB-8 chirped in concern he just shook his head. "No, I'm fine, buddy. I'm okay. You did good." He sank back against the seat, turning his head to look over at Finn. "Thanks for saving my ass. Again."

BB-8 did indeed get rid of the binders, as Finn had figured, and once the familiar pressure of the jump to hyperspace faded from streaks of stars to the somehow comforting blue flicker he finally turned around to face Poe, just studying him for a moment.

What he finally said was: "Maybe don't make a habit out of it and I'll call it even." The statement came out more serious than he'd meant for it to, even though he hadn't entirely meant it as a tease, he definitely hadn't meant it with the gravity that it emerged with.

He shook it off a moment later, however, adding: We've got a couple hours before we get home, do you need anything?" He didn't think Poe was injured, but he hadn't really had a chance to check, either.

Guilt flashed across his features before he could think to stop it, easily coming to the surface with the thoughts presently in his head, and his eyes dropped. "I'll work on that." The other man wasn't wrong, he shouldn't make it a habit. It would only get himself or someone else killed.

Or worse.

He swallowed, and after a moment replied, "Wouldn't mind losing these if possible," lifting his hands to bring attention to the cuffs and at least temporarily off his decision making skills. Poe didn't think he was injured exactly, although he'd forgotten about the earlier hit to his head until he was sitting there trying to take a mental inventory of his aches and pains. No wonder his head was killing him, between that and the flash grenade and the Force use. (Truthfully he didn't know if the latter had anything to do with it, but given his lack of knowledge on the subject it seemed as probable as anything.) His side ached like he would end up with a small bruise from the blaster barrel pressed into him but that wasn't anything worth being concerned about.

It was Poe's turn to get hand-smacked with a manipulator claw and BB-8 went right back to lockpicking the cuffs, or, rather, just throwing the magnetic bolt, but even that took a little bit of skill and the right tools, something that the droid reiterated in apparent exasperation.

That was enough to have Finn smiling, at least a little, because while he'd been on the receiving end of that tone before, he hadn't ever heard it turned on Poe, and that alone was amusing.

He unfolded from his seat, however, clasping Poe's shoulder for a moment on the way past, "I'm going to go get the medi-kit." Because giving him a quick scan wouldn't be a bad thing, even if it didn't turn up anything worse than having been knocked around a little.

"Hey!" Poe gave his droid a look, although it wasn't half as serious of one as most anyone else would have gotten. "Give me a break, BB, it's not like I asked to have these slapped on me." His attention shifted at the touch to his shoulder, Poe lifting his head to look up at Finn a moment, offering a flash of a small smile. "Yeah, okay."

Normally he would be inclined to insist he was fine. He'd been through worse -- they both were well aware of that -- and as such, anything less than that didn't merit attention. Except he didn't have a need to put up his usual front of bravado and confidence with Finn. It still crossed his mind sometimes, out of habit, and his walls didn't fall with the drop of a hat, but he always had an easier time letting down his guard with Finn and just being himself, particularly when it was just the two of them. BB-8 didn't count in that as the little droid already knew his secrets and had seen him in most every mood or emotion possible.

He turned his head, watching Finn go until more chatter came from the droid, and Poe turned his head back around. "You've got a point. When we get back to base we should see if there's a programming upgrade for this sort of thing." Further beeps had Poe rolling his eyes but a smile was breaking out on his face. "No, I don't plan on something like this happening again, but it won't hurt to be prepared."

When the cuffs at last dropped off his wrists he breathed a loud sigh, not hesitating to rub at his wrists. "That feels so much better. Thanks, buddy."

Finn returned not long after with the kit, already popping the scanner off of the side of the case, "You going to insist on doing this yourself or are you going to let me?"

It wasn't that Finn would really object to Poe doing it himself, he just wanted to make sure that it was done thoroughly and the readout wasn't ignored if it came up as anything even potentially serious.

Not that he really thought it was going to, but given as how he had no idea what had happened between Poe's warning comm call and actually catching up to him, he wasn't going to take any chances on head trauma, either.

When Finn returned he looked at him and held up his hands in a little 'surrender' gesture. "You can do it, not gonna hear a protest from me." Partly because Poe felt like he lost the right to be stubborn about any of this when he managed to get himself temporarily captured.

That didn't mean he liked it though, even if it was necessary. He'd never really been a good patient; there had been more than a couple times over the years where Poe played off an injury as not bothering him as much as it really was, or outright didn't mention one, if he knew that the truth would get him grounded until he healed up. Like some said, easier to ask forgiveness after the fact than sit around worrying and not take action.

In this instance Poe did his best to sit still and let Finn do what he needed to do, holding back any grumbling or urges to stop him. Eyes on the other man, Poe was quiet for a minute or two, and then, "Back in the alleyway, did you... hear me? I kinda tried to tell you what was happening but I wasn't sure how to do it." He absently bit at his lower lip, feeling a flicker of nerves as the adrenaline was finally starting to fade.

He thumbed the scanner on, giving Poe's face and head a quick sweep, relaxing only when it came up with minor contusions, which was to be expected, he'd probably have a hellacious goose-egg before long from where he'd been clocked, but there was no sign of internal swelling or skull fracture, which was really all Finn had been worried about.

He shook his head at the question, "No, I mean, not like I can hear you right now." His brow furrowed, chewing over what else he wanted to say even as he powered the scanner off and snapped it back into place, "But I still knew? I think. It felt like knowing something and not just guessing."

He gave a little shrug then as he fished a painkiller patch out of the medi-kit and offered it over, just in case Poe wanted it, "Were you... I mean, were you going to tell me sometime? Or were you going to keep it a secret forever?" Coming from anyone else that would have sounded like an accusation, and it likely would have from Finn too if he hadn't sounded so tired, his own adrenaline spike all but gone.

Poe made a thoughtful noise at the reply. It sounded like his effort had worked to some extent, which ultimately was all that mattered. That Finn got the intention behind what Poe had been trying to say even if he hadn't gotten it in words. Although Poe didn't know if he should chalk it up to luck or actual success. Maybe attempting to practice this stuff would actually do some good... not that he knew the first thing about that. It'd involve telling Rey at least, assuming she couldn't sense it from him and was just being polite by not asking him about it, and things might get awkward fast from there.

The question pulled him from his thoughts that threatened to wander off, and he accepted the patch for a change, moving to shrug out of his jacket to apply it to one arm. "I didn't... it's not like I didn't want to tell you." he began. "I was just trying to wait for the right time. I mean, it's kind of a weird thing and I just..." Poe sighed, running a hand through his hair as he looked away. "Honestly, for a while I was trying to ignore it. I thought if it went away then no one would have to know."

That much made sense at least, Finn had had moments of that himself as far back as he could remember, wanting to be the same as everyone else in his class and in his squad and never really managing it no matter how hard he pretended, how hard he ignored things that didn't feel right.

This was different, though, and the next question, almost without letting himself think about it first was: "You know what would have happened if the First Order had figured it out before I helped you escape, right?" Finn didn't know himself, not for sure, the same way he didn't know if they had found out, and for a brief moment all he could think of was Poe garbed in black and storming a battlefield at Kylo Ren's side. It was a vision that made his skin crawl in the worst sort of way, and likewise one that he shook off as he added: "I don't know either, but it wouldn't have been good."

He stiffened reflexively at the mention of that whole moment in time, still looking away. "I don't think there was anything to figure out right then." That was one of the things he had been debating and wondering about since he consciously realized he was able to use the Force; when exactly it happened. Something that was difficult to pin down considering everything else that had been taking place. "It wasn't... I couldn't do things before, so I don't think there was anything out of the ordinary to be noticed. The droids certainly wouldn't have picked up on it."

But that wasn't really the concern. Because Poe's mind could follow the same path as Finn's. Had followed that path, at least once, as apparently the creativity of his nightmares knew no limits.

"This didn't start until after all that. Until after Ren..." His eyes narrowed at the floor and he swallowed against the familiar anxiety trying to take hold in his chest. "Anyway, I never... back there was the first time I've tried to actually do anything."

That answer was enough to have him blinking again, puzzled, brow creasing and expression shifting back and forth in minute little twitches.

What he finally said was: "That can happen? You can just... catch it? Like a cold?" This was brand new information for him -as many things were- because they'd always been taught that someone had it or they didn't, not that it was something a person could develop at any time.

He sat back down then, still facing Poe, still trying to puzzle that one out in his mind and not coming up with anything that made sense.

"Look, I don't know, okay?" he snapped, finally looking at Finn. He didn't mean to snap but it was all such a touchy subject for him, and the fact he hadn't told anyone yet wasn't helping. Flying blind in the traditional sense wasn't a problem for Poe but here... here it was just a mess. "Maybe he did something to me while he was digging around inside my head. Up until then I thought Force users could do that little Jedi mind trick thing, not full-on feeling like knives ripping through my mind."

Poe took a breath, belatedly realizing his tone had become sharper, and he sank back against the seat, rubbing his hands over his face. " 'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you." The apology came out muffled behind his hands and they eventually raked through his hair before dropping to his lap.

"All I know is that things felt normal before and they're different now. I don't know why. I wish I did." Often he thought about and wished his life, or at least the things he felt, could go back to how it was before the mission on Jakku had gone sideways. Except then he'd never have met Finn. Maybe it was the universe's way of trying to balance out the hell he went through. "I mean, Rey wasn't always strong in the Force, right? They probably would have come after her if she was. So maybe it's like that." It seemed as possible of an explanation as anything else.

Edited 2018-06-03 08:37 (UTC)

aww! it's okay we can be dorks together

just realized I totally left out 'a pair of goggles out of' in a line, go me!

lol I still understood what you meant, it's all good

Okay good! Though all things considered, Finn is not that great at disguises

something tells me he's still probably better with them than Poe

Definitely, since Poe's version is 'don't even wear a different jacket'

LOL pretty much. He's hopeless

'continuing to use my own name is TOTALLY incognito' sure it is, Poe, sure it is

makes note to send them on a spy mission sometime. also idk this just felt right ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

It's good! And we definitely should do that bc then we can do a fake married trope which is the best

...okay yes we MUST do that bc that's too good an idea to pass up

If they survive this, Leia will HAVE to let them go on more missions together, right?

definitely. Poe obviously needs a chaperone and who else would want to put up with him?

Exactly! Especially now that Snap and Jess seem to have vanished

I'd feel bad for Finn having to put up with Poe's hijinks, but something tells me he doesn't mind

Not as much as he probably should, no

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