This is it you guys. The final chapter. And my longest one to date (I think. Depends on how much I write in "thank you"s afterwards...).

Enjoy.

~TheObsessory

To The Stars and Back

Chapter 23; Fin

A Fanfiction Written by TheObsessory

After Finn's quick explanation of the girl named Rey, how he worked on the base where she was currently prisoner in and her capture, Poe and I quickly hustled toward the command center, hopeful to find the General.

The communications center was bustling and busy, every voice speaking, trying to talk over one another. Some people were on radios while others spoke in nervous tones to each other. Most of the chatter was probably about the recent events with the Hosnian System, but we were in too much of a hurry to overhear much of anything. The General was quickly talking to a few of her commanders when Poe rudely interrupted.

"General Organa. I'm sorry to interrupt." Poe nodded once to the others who had previously held Leia's gaze, "This is Finn, he needs to talk to you."

"And I need to talk to him." Leia didn't seem the least bit concerned being taken from one conversation and thrown into another. Although something told me, this had been happening, and would be happening, all day, "That was incredibly brave what you did- renouncing the First Order, saving this man's life-"

"Thank you, ma'am," Finn jumped straight to the point and wasn't having any of the General's fine words. Obviously Rey meant a lot to him, "But a friend of mine was taken prisoner-"

"Han told me about the girl." A red flag went up in my mind. The Han Solo? Well of course he would be around eventually. He and Leia were married, "I'm sorry."

"Finn's familiar with the weapon that destroyed the Hosnian System. He worked on the base." Poe kept the conversation going, and this tidbit of information caught Leia's attention.

"We're desperate for anything you can tell us." She spoke urgently, even a few people from around us stopped what they were doing to quiet down and listen, hopeful for anything to stop the First Order.

"That's where my friend was taken, I've got to get there fast."

"And I will do everything I can to help, but first you need to tell us all you know."

For the time being, Finn would be off with a large group of higher ups who got to know everything. Poe and I, lowly Commanders, despite being Leia's most trusted pilots, were left behind.

I was alright with this fact, for once, as I realized neither Poe nor I had a moment to celebrate the fact that Kes was alive and well. And especially in this time of grieving for all those who had been lost to the First Order in one foul swoop.

We all met for a mid-afternoon meal. It wasn't until I smelled the food I realized how hungry I was. Little talking was done as we all ate together, but once we had finished and allowed our food to settle, as Poe placed his arm on the back of my chair and brushed his fingers along my shoulder, I realized there was some important information being withheld from my father, sister and father to be.

"Uh." I bit my lip and glanced nervously at Poe, unsure how to approaching the situation. 'Oh yeah, suddenly we're engaged'? 'We're getting married as soon as possible'?

"We already know, Sidra." My father stopped me before I could finish mentally preparing a speech.

"I had a hunch." Cerys winked my direction, unable to suppress her grin any longer.

I nearly rolled my eyes at my baby sister, but grinned just as widely as she did.

"You've always been my daughter, anyway, so we might as well make it official." Kes pulled me into a hug from where I sat next to him, planting a gentle kiss on my forehead.

The gesture nearly moved me to tears. My wonderful little family was still together, and was all the more stronger now that it was to be made into a real family, and not just one I had drawn and hung on my fridge all those years ago.

Together with Finn's information and Snap's recent secret mission, the Resistance finally had enough intel to launch a counter attack, and it was now time for our meeting. It was time to stop the First Order, once and for all.

"The scan data from Snap's reconnaissance flight confirms Finn's report." Poe had taken the lead in the meeting, standing before all of the pilots and higher ups. Kes, father, Cerys and I all stood near by, listening intently to what would happen.

"They've somehow created a hyper-lightspeed weapon built within the planet itself." Snap concluded.

"A laser cannon?" A major who stood next to Han asked. Upon first seeing Han and Chewie, I was overwhelmed by the look of the man who had so many titles and had done so much in his life up until this moment. Although not too much older than my own father, the years showed long and hard with each crease on his forehead and next to his eyes. It was hard to remember that the people we thought of as heroes were people just like we were and not immortal.

"We're not sure how to describe a weapon of this scale." Snap answered.

"It's another Death Star." An older commander with long white hair, I believed his name to be Ematt, commented next to the major who had spoken previously, a few head nods and murmurs following his words.

"I wish that were the case, commander. This was the Death Star-" Poe tapped a few choice buttons on the machine before him and a small holographic image appeared before us, "And this is Starkiller Base."

Everyone in the room reacted, surprised at the sheer size of the new weapon the First Order had created. At least ten times the size of the small Death Star projection next to it, I felt my blood run cold.

"So it's big." At least Han remained positive.

"How is it possible to power a weapon that size?"

"It uses the power of the sun." Finn took the floor now, obviously a bit nervous, "As the weapon is charged, the sun is drained until it disappears."

"Ma'am."

A young woman brought a note to General Organa, and after a few seconds, it looked like she had aged ten years.

"The First Order…" Her voice was so tired, "They're charging the weapon again now. Our system is the next target."

I felt as though the room was frozen as I glanced firstly from Poe to Kes, father and Cerys.

I took my sister's hand in my own, my eyes pleading.

"You have to leave." I mouthed silently, but her eyes remained resilient as she squeezed my hand.

"Okay, how do we blow it up? There's always a way to do that." I wished I could be as humorous and light as the smuggler.

"Han's right." Leia agreed.

"In order for that amount of power to be contained, that base has to have some kind of thermal oscillator." Admiral Statura's mind was going, you could see it as he spoke with his hands.

"There is one." Finn walked around the table to stop at Poe's side, pointing toward a hexagon on the outside of Starkiller base, "Precinct 47. Here."

"If we can destroy that oscillator," Statura continued, "It might destabilize the core and cripple the weapon."

"Maybe the planet." All the voice's now speaking grew with hope.

"We'll go in there, we'll hit that oscillator with everything we've got." Poe glanced in my direction with a nod of his head and a smirk on his lips.

"They have defensive shields that our ships cannot penetrate."

"We disable the shields." Han suggested, pointing toward Finn, "Kid you worked there. What do you got?"

Although Finn looked a bit nervous, there was a resolution deep in his eyes, "I can do it. I can disable the shields but I have to be there. On the planet."

"We'll get you there." Han and Chewie glanced at one another.

"Han, how?" Leia sounded stressed and frustrated, her significant other suddenly back most likely not helping the situation.

"If I told you, you wouldn't like it." I couldn't help but smile at the banter between the two lover's. It was clear that despite their differences and their time apart, they still deeply cared for one another.

"So we disable the shields, we take out the oscillator and we blow up their big gun."

I nearly jumped at Chewbacca's sudden call- in fact I think most people in his immediate area did.

"All right, let's go."

As everyone hurried to their places, I only got a few moments to wish my sister and father's luck in their duties.

"I want you to have a ship ready as soon as possible. If we fail, if we can't stop it in time, I want the three of you on that ship and out of this system as quickly as possible, you hear me? And you take the General and as many people as you possibly can take- no, don't argue, we don't have time." I held my gloved hand up to Cerys as she began to speak, my serious tone causing her to snap her jaw shut, "I love the three of you more than anything in this galaxy, and I want you safe."

I didn't let them say anything in return- I couldn't bear the thought of never seeing them again if anything should happen- but hugged them all quickly before racing off toward my ship, BB-5 hard on my heels. I suited up as quickly as possible, hand's shaking despite the relative calm that had settled in my heart.

It was time to do this.

I was suited and ready to go long before my ship was ready, and stood there nervously, fingers twitching and toes tapping inside my boots.

"Deep breaths." Poe's hands were on my shoulder's before I realized he was close by, his forehead leaning against the back of my head gently.

"No, I'm ready." I turned around, looking up into his eyes, "This is going to happen. Either we win or we lose. And I'm scared and nervous and I don't know what's going to happen, but… we're good. And I know this galaxy isn't perfect, but it's worth defending. Especially if Cerys is in it. Especially if you are."

Poe's eyes softened as his hand found the underside of my chin, cupping it gently. His wonderful smile warmed my heart and caused my stomach to bounce.

"God, I love you."

We held our kiss a little too long for being in public, but this was war, and no one knew the outcome. The people around us could forgive us our affections just this one time.

When he pulled away, I didn't want to let go and took his hand in mine as he started to turn.

"You be careful, Poe Dameron." I warned him, biting at the inside of my lip.

He smirked a little, looking back at me.

"Just you wait, Sidra Van. We'll get out of this alive." And with that, Poe kissed my knuckles and sprinted toward his ship.

Our ships floated out in the great abyss of space for a little while, allowing the Millennium Falcon a head start. And as I sat there, alone with my own thoughts, I was at peace. Nearly thirty years of life was not ideal, but it was enough. I had lost not only one mother, but two. But in the time before they passed I had loved them, and they knew it.

I had two wonderful father's to raise me when my mother's were gone. The both of them did all they could to protect me but urge me forward into the world and never stopped me from experiencing all that I could.

I had the most intelligent younger sister who was my beacon of light, a testament to our beautiful mother and practically my own child. If in the end none of us made it out alive, I hoped Cerys would. If anyone was smart enough to counter the First Order with all of us, gone, it would be her.

And I had fallen in love with my best friend. We shared in every adventure, cried together, laughed together. He had never left my side despite all that I put him through.

And not to forget Karé, Iolo, Muran, the General-

"Okay ladies, let's not sit around moping forever. Destiny awaits us." Poe's voice crackled next to my ear. I sniffed my watering nose as I prepared to jump into light speed. We hadn't been going for long before we got our commands.

"Black Leader, go to sub-lights on your call."

"Roger, base." Despite the lights that flashed around us and speed at which we flew, Poe's voice calmed me, "Red Squad, Blue Squad, Orange Squad, take my lead."

Nien Nunb's Sullustese followed Poe's voice, with Blue Squad next and my own call out not far behind, "Dropping out of lightspeed."

We entered the atmosphere of the foreign planet quickly, surrounded by snowy mountains with pieces of the weapon and base sticking out here and there.

"Almost in range." Poe was yelling into the radio by now, obviously overcome by his excitement, "Hit the target dead center. As many runs as we can get."

We all followed Poe toward the machine, my heart racing. The First Order would be deploying their own troops soon enough.

"Alright, let's light it up!"

On his command, we all began to shoot, red lasers flowing from our X-wing's like a beautiful light show. I could hear the other's speaking but it all went in one ear and out the other. I could barely comprehend what I heard, despite the fact that I heard it. Something about the sun, about hitting it multiple times. That, however, I wasn't going to have to be told twice.

We swooped around for another go, our lasers flying and caused dark gray smoke to spurt from the surface of the machine, dispersing up into the air as we swung by once more.

And, of course, that was when the TIE's made their presences known.

"Guys, we got a lot of company!"

It was now a tricky game. Weave, shoot the enemy, shoot the oscillator, don't get shot yourself. The light in the sky was fading faster than I would have liked, and we were now down one pilot.

"I got one behind me!" Snap's voice was loud over the radio, but Jessika Pava was already to his rescue.

"Burillo's been hit!" Another pilot down. My heart beat hard at another loss.

"Watch out for ground fire."

Where had I been? It wasn't just two pilots down, it was already down to half.

A sickening feeling began to build in my stomach. The TIEs already outnumbered us twenty to one, and we were dropping faster than flies.

And now the sky was nearly dark.

"Poe, no matter how many times we fire on this thing, I don't think it's going to work!" I tried to keep my voice as even as possible, but the impossibility of the task was building and the panic in my voice was apparent.

"No, there's no going back now, Sid. If we leave, everyone we know and love is dead. So we will do this, or we will die trying." How he could sound so confident baffled me. I was never half as brave as Poe, and even now in the face of death, he had no reservations.

I pushed whatever nausea was overcoming me and began to shoot even more rounds into the machines that shot at us from the ground and into the oncoming TIEs.

This continued on for a few more minutes, another X-wing crashing to the ground, another pilot's screams crying out just before the moment of impact.

And then the sky went black.

And then the unbelievable happened.

The oscillator went up in flames from the inside out, a small explosion catching my eye.

"Finn!" Poe cheered over the radio, "It had to be him, I know it."

And yet I didn't feel as joyful as he did. Something was wrong.

"Black Leader, there's a brand new hole in that oscillator. Looks like our friends got in."

And sure enough, the small explosion had made the perfect opening for us. Perhaps we had a chance after all.

"Red Four, Orange Six, cover us. Everybody else, hit the target hard, give it everything you've got!"

We raced back toward the target as we had flown a distance away as we got overwhelmed with the ground shooting combined with the TIEs, but now, as we raced forward, a new energy filled me, and it was like that day all those years ago, with Shara's hand over mine in her old X-wing, carefully maneuvering me through the jungle trees on Yavin 4. Only the trees here were TIEs and our goal would not be as easy as just dodging.

And so we delved into a crack of the oscillator, heading straight for the gaping hole, dodging metal beams, bolts of lasers and TIEs all the way.

We lost Atsy with another yell of panic, but we raced forward.

"All teams, I'm going in." Poe voice once again flooded over the radio, "Pull up and cover me."

As much as I wanted to follow him, to demand he get out of there no matter what, I held my tongue and followed orders. I had to trust in Poe's capabilities, even if I wasn't there to save him if he needed it.

We continued to fire on the TIEs that circled us as Poe disappeared into the flaming hole. I held my breath as his line was silent, hoping beyond hope that he would come back out.

And in only a few moments, that felt like hours slowly ticking away, the oscillator that had been barely flaming exploded out, pieces of molten metal and flames licking at the sky. And just as I was about to cry out, Poe emerged from the smoke, an even bigger and louder explosion deafening our radio.

We had done it.

I cheered with the rest of the pilots as fresh tears welled from the corners of my eyes despite the losses we had suffered in just a few minutes of battle.

Yet we refused to leave until Poe found the Falcon lifting off from a snow covered forest and followed them in light speed back to our base.

Our joy, however, quickly turned to tears and worry when we landed. The Falcon was one member short and Finn was in dire need of assistance.

Poe gave one glance towards me before he ran off with the medics who had Finn.

And then I was left alone with the girl, Rey. She looked lost, dressed in rags and surrounded by those in military attire. And so sad.

"I think you should know, from the moment Finn landed here, he wouldn't stop talking about you." I didn't know if the words I was saying would help or hinder her sadness, but I figured it was something she would want to hear.

I left the girl standing, still looking lost, but with the General at her side to go find Poe.

It wasn't much later that R2-D2 reactivated, and I had a feeling it had something to do with the presence of Rey, though I couldn't quite put my finger on it. And, although C-3P0 had been convinced he wouldn't have the rest of the map to Luke, it turns out C-3P0 was rarely right.

And it was before us that the two droids, R2-D2 and BB-8, combined the two pieces of the puzzle and solved the map to Luke Skywalker.

Things from there on out were completely out of my hands, and I felt as if I was in a daze. Rey, before I could get another word to her, or learn anything about her, her whereabouts or her place in the story of the rescue of Finn, was whisked off into another journey to find Luke for Leia. I was particularly surprised Poe and I hadn't been asked and it wasn't until further down the road that Poe told me he had declined her offer.

And for good reason.

"Oh Cerys… I really don't think I'll fit." I looked over the dress lying on my bed quizzically, trying to see myself in it, but unable to do so. I shivered as I stood in nothing but my underwear, "Mother was so much taller than I am."

"You only remember mother as being taller than you because you were a child when she left, silly. Now put it on- everyone's already dressed and waiting on you!" Cerys had fashioned her hair over the shaved side of her head, and had I not known she had shaved it, I never would have guessed. She wore a fashionable orange red dress and had even applied some makeup around her eyes.

I took the light material in my hands and, with Cerys's help, pulled it on over my head. I was surprised to find that it fit nearly perfectly, if not a little be big around the chest area. The dress was almost entirely white with the bottom half of the bodice being a tad off white in comparison with a gold accent along the edge of the bodice, and the sleeves were long, billowy and sheer.

"I feel so silly." I whispered mostly to myself, but Cerys clucked her tongue.

"You look beautiful. I bet dad's going to cry because you look just like mom on their wedding day." She exclaimed, fastening the clasps in the back.

I smiled sadly, a bit upset that Cerys had never known mom, "I'm sure he'll cry no matter what."

My hair was quickly twisted up into a bun that sat atop the back of my head and I reluctantly allowed my sister to apply some makeup around my eyes and lips. I slipped on my white slippers and was about to leave my room when I felt at my neck.

"Can't forget this." I smiled at my younger sister as I slipped the faded gold chain Poe had gifted to me around my neck.

Our wedding was very unofficial; there had been no planning, no invitations to distant relatives we never saw. Cerys, Kes and my father were present, along with the few of our fellow pilots who had survived, a few of the higher ups and, of course, General Organa officiated the wedding. But I wouldn't have had it any other way.

Poe probably could have arrived with a face covered in grease and his hair sticking up wild from wearing his helmet and I wouldn't have cared. But I was surprised to find him well groomed- freshly shaven with his curled hair slicked back out of his face. He wore a white shirt, dark pants and dark boots- after all, last minute weddings called for last minute outfits. Leave it to my father to have brought mother's wedding gown "just in case". Over the white shirt was a black leather jacket to which his Commander pin was pinned. Had he always looked so handsome?

His smile when he saw me walking down the makeshift isle nearly knocked the air straight out of me.

Leia, despite the loss of not only her husband, but her son as well, looked beautiful in a dark navy blue dress with her hair done up. I would be forever grateful to her for doing this for us in such a dark time. But perhaps it was this glimmer of light that kept her warm smile going.

"Dearly beloved, we are gather here today to join the Resistance's two best pilots: Poe Dameron and Sidra Van. I have never seen a greater trust between two people, nor the amount of communication between one another. While many relationships with family and friends have been known to tear one another down in dark and resentful times, this bond has grown in love for many years, and will continue to do so for as long as you both shall live." I glanced at the older woman here, tears in my eyes for her own fallen husband, not a day deceased, but Poe squeezed the fingers he held in his palms and he captured my gaze once more.

"And in the darkness, the Force has given us light and hope. Let this marriage be a beacon of hope for the Resistance as we all breathe and fight another day. Let this marriage be bright and good in a sea of evil we are surrounded by, for the First Order has only been wounded, and will build its' strength once more. Yet as these two are now married, and officially become a single whole as they had already learned to be, let there be goodness in this galaxy once more."

I glanced down to my finger to see Poe slip Shara Bey's wedding ring onto my finger, and I took Kes's and placed it gently onto his.

It was in that moment I realized I hadn't had a moment to think of any wedding vows, but when Poe and I locked eyes, he was already speaking his.

"To the stars and back."

So simple, yet it held our entire future, together, which is what I had always wanted, and so I found no better words as I answered back, "To the stars and back."

So I didn't expect to cry but like? It's over.

This baby, that I know is not perfect and could have been improved a million different ways is over. It was mine, and I put it out into the world expecting not much and receiving more than I'm worth: 102 reviews, 112 followers, 69 favorites and over 18,000 views. And I finished it, which is an amazing feat in and of itself.

I want to thank all of you for following me and this story all the way, whether you came right from the beginning or are a brand new fan. Especially for everyone who put up with my terrible hiatus for six months.

I guess I'll try working on a sequel to this, as you all really liked the idea of option number four, so prepare for To The Stars and Back through Poe's eyes. I don't know when and I don't know how long I'll make it, so bear with me. You can either follow me or remain followed to this story, I'll put an update once the sequel starts up so you all know the title.

But other than that... wow, thanks. Why am I finishing this up at nearly four in the morning?

Who knows.

Thanks again you guys. You mean the world to me. It's been fun.

Until next time.

~TheObsessory