Beyond the Saga What’s Next? (Poe/Finn for The Idiot’s Array Sabacc Card Mini-Challenge)

Title: What’s Next?
Author: Briannakin
Timeframe: 35ABY
Characters: Finn/Poe
Categorization: Disney Canon

Notes: This was written for Raissa Baiard’s The Idiot’s Array Sabacc Card Challenge (https://boards.theforce.net/threads...w-open-for-challenges.50053388/#post-56518343) for the Mini-Games thread; I got “Six of Sabers: a journey’s end”. Fair warning, I’ve only seen Rise of Skywalker once (it’s just wasn’t my thing), so I will fully accept any errors. More author’s ramblings in spoiler tag.

Spoiler: Ramblings

Ok so, basically when I first got this prompt I was like OMG, I’M GOING TO WRITE PAN ORGANA’S DEATH!!! And I was so excited, but I still decided to do some research on the Six of Swords (because nerd) and I found out, like most (all?) Tarrot cards, “A journey’s end” has a double meaning depending on how it comes up: it can be good (IE end of hardship) or bad (end of good times). I was still going to write Pan’s death, but then I though about it some more and it just seemed like too flat of an interpretation and I wanted something a bit more substantial out of this great prompt, so I decided to challenge myself to write an additional scene onto the end of the greatest saga ever. Plus Finn/Poe because I’ve wanted to forever. As mentioned above, I’m working off of a 3 month memory of the movie - I re-read the plot synopsis (mostly for planet names) buttt I probably messed something up. Please forgive me.

ALSO, I didn’t mean to make this so vague in terms of their budding romance (because I hate when media does that), but I think it just worked.

Two days post-Battle of Exegol, the galaxy was still celebrating - and a bit confused regarding - the Emperor’s second death. As for Poe Dameron, he was back on the sweaty armpit known as Ajan Kloss, packing up the (former) Resistance’s final base. Because what else was there to do (besides drink in celebration, but he had already done enough of that)? So he was packing up boxes of comm-gear, wondering what he was going to do tomorrow.


He was born into the Rebellion against the Empire, and with the exception of that stint as a smugger, had been fighting against dictators his entire life. He was glad the First Order was no more. He just didn’t know what was next.


“Poe! Hey! Poe!” Finn exclaimed, jogging into the room. “We found a great Outer Rim non-profit medic organization to donate all the medical supplies too.” After all, the Resistance had technically been a private organization. Most of their supplies were going to help build up the New Republic forces, but they also wanted to do some good for those maybe forgotten by the highest government in the galaxy. General Organa would have wanted that. “Chewie and I are probably going to do a run to their main distribution point on Ryloth tomorrow.”


Poe forced a smile on his face. He would eventually smile when he thought of her, but Leia’s death had been so sudden and in the midst of everything… there had been no time to grieve. “That’s great!”


“Are you okay?” Finn asked, leaning over the crate Poe was packing. Finn’s eyes were so full of emotion and concern.


Poe shrugged. “Minor existential crisis.” He wanted to get off the to off the topic. “Hey, did you get to talk to Rey before she set off on her great Jedi mystical monk-ery? Did you talk to her about whatever you wanted to?”


Finn nodded and it was his turn to shrug. “I just wanted to apologize to her about coming on so strongly. I just… she was the first person - besides you - that I really got to know and spend time with since getting out of the emotionless First Order… ever really. I came on too strong when it was clear she wasn’t interested.” He sat on a closed crate. “Rey and I are just good friends, just like Rose and I are. I know romantic relationships aren’t supposed to make a person feel whole, and I rush into things too fast, that's just me… but I just don’t know what’s next for me.”


“Join the club. We should get matching jackets.”


“Was that a hint you want your jacket back?” Finn moved to take his jacket off.


“No! I said keep it. It looks better on you. I think it’s cute.”


“Cute?”


“Yeah. I always thought it was cute when my former girlfriends and boyfriends stole my clothes and wore them. Plus it was a great excuse to buy new clothes when we broke up.”


Finn smirked. “Hey, I think they are packing up the mess. Wanna steal some food, maybe some ale and go figure out what’s next… together.”


“A picnic,” Poe declared, moving to take Finn’s hand. “A picnic is what’s next for us.”


Finn took Poe’s hand and they intertwined fingers.

 

Aww I love this! You did a great job of capturing the uncertainty that comes after achieving something big and trying to figure out what's next.

So poignant, and so true.

But it's a happy ending! They'll figure things out together. I loved their dynamic in the movies, and it's fun to see their relationship explored a bit more in fic. Great job with this!

 

Yay, Finn/Poe! The ST is great for handing us so many possible OTP's, and less great that they really didn't follow through on any of them except for one of my less faves. But anyway, that's all to say that I really enjoyed seeing one of the fanon pairings that don't show up here as much.

It's really interesting that you bring up the parallels of how Poe and Finn have both been brought up into the war that is suddenly over. Poe had a choice about joining the Rebellion/Resistance, so that does make it a bit different for him -- but still, he's just as much left wondering where to go from here.

I liked that the Resistance is donating medical supplies back to those who will need them as much as ever now! Leia definitely would have been in favor.

Her loss definitely makes it a bittersweet victory, especially for those like Poe who were her family by unofficial adoption if not by DNA. Now that the big battle is over, the grief is still there. I'm glad that Finn is so perceptive and realizes that all is not well with Poe.

Now we know the technical term.

The entire cast of the ST could join that club! But really, there are so many maybe-romantic friendships built on adrenaline and high emotions in that trilogy. Which isn't to say that none could last, but I'm glad that here Finn and company are able to start figuring it out without the war hanging over their heads. I'm glad that Finn and Rey were able to resolve things on good terms, in spite of his perception that he came on too strong earlier. (I mean, maybe. But he didn't Force project himself into her room shirtless or something. ) I can see how her leaving for Tatooine is another ending-of-an-era for Finn, though. His friendships with Poe, Rey, and Rose were and are really important for him. Even though it's not forever necessarily, losing a part of that friend group to distance and great Jedi mystical monk-ery is rough. And does leave him with that "what next" feeling too.

And the jacket returns! I really like how you pulled that detail in from the first movie! I can't remember if Finn had it in the others (haven't watched them enough times, obviously), but if not it's a great headcanon. And the flirting, oh the flirting.

I think a picnic and some planning is just what's called for, indeed. And I liked that Finn kind of took the big step here, in spite of all his worries that he rushes into things too fast. It doesn't have to be a grand gesture, after all!