The New Recruit - Part 3

Rey has learned some surprising things about herself and her family. How will this affect the war with the First Order and her relationship with Supreme Leader Kylo Ren?

Rating NC-17 for explicit sexual content!

******

Rey and Poe’s rare free day was a much-needed respite in the stress and monotony of their lives on Ajan Kloss. They were not bothered by anyone during their time together. One or the other would slip to the mess when they knew it would be quiet to get food, but they talked to no one, quickly making their way back to the other as soon as possible.

Waking up the morning after their free day was a solemn event, as Rey knew she had to get back to her training and Poe knew Leia would have a task for him, most likely off-world.

And indeed, after their time together, they once more rarely saw each other awake. Some nights, Poe was able to slip into bed with her. He tried not to wake her, but she always did, turning toward him and curling herself into him, burying her face the hollow of his throat. Inevitably, he smelled of jet fuel and sweat, but she never minded. He was home safe for one more night.

Poe’s job, after all, was much more dangerous than hers, and he was becoming increasingly busy with it.

Because the Resistance was growing once more.

The galaxy was starting to take the rumors about the militia to heart. Luke Skywalker back from exile. His sister, also rumored to be a Jedi, in charge. Her husband, the famous pirate turned General, throwing his lot into the mix once more.

And a young Jedi in training, one that the Supreme Leader himself was desperate to capture. He feared her, the people said. This Dark Jedi who caused even the most experienced former Imperial officers to shake in their boots as they commanded First Order Star Destroyers, was afraid of a girl. A girl who was said to be even more powerful than the legendary Jedi who trained her.

What the galaxy didn’t know was how bored that powerful girl was becoming.

Day after day, Rey watched her friends head off-world, doing important and sometimes dangerous work for the Resistance. She worried about them. And she envied them. Six months since their arrival at Ajan Kloss, she was beginning to think that the only people who never left the planet were her and Luke. Even Leia left occasionally to meet with potential supporters in a neutral location. Neither Han nor Poe left her side during those excursions.

Rey continued to work daily with Luke, learning the old stories from the height of the Jedi Order, and how the Order had changed during the Clone Wars, becoming militant and distracted. As for the training itself, Rey found most of what Luke asked her to do effortless, and she felt that he was working more than she was in trying to find things to challenge her. Occasionally, if she caught him in the right mood, he would tell her things about her mother. He didn’t regret falling in love with Mara, he told her. How could he, when the result had been Rey?

The blood test had confirmed that Rey was indeed a Skywalker, but it really didn’t change anything, as they continued to keep it a secret. Other than Leia and Poe, only Han and Chewbacca knew the truth; not even Harter, who had done the blood draws for the test, asked about the results. Luke did not want word to get out that Kylo Ren’s main nemesis was his own cousin, and Leia agreed with him. “Not yet, anyway,” she said. “Not until the time is right.”

Rey really wished that time was now. Luke had promised her they would leave Ajan Kloss for an excursion of their own soon. He knew of a planet not too far from the Cademimu Sector that may have Kyber crystals; it was about time Rey built her own lightsaber. Finally, something to look forward to.

It was a hot, misty morning when Rey decided she needed to speak up about her belief that she had had enough training and was needed more ‘out there.’ She met Leia for breakfast as she often did, and the two headed for the small meadow just across the lake from the cavern Rey and Poe called home. They often meditated here together in the early morning, but today Rey was determined to talk to Leia about letting her get back into the cockpit. However, before she could say anything to her first mentor, her second one joined them, sitting down in the grass next to her.

She looked over at her father curiously, then looked at his sister. Leia was also eyeing him with an inquisitive look on her face. Rey looked back at Luke. “Why do I feel like you’re not here just to meditate with us this morning?”

“Because your feelings are almost always right,” Luke told her simply. “I need to ask you a few questions, and I assumed Leia would want to be here because of the subject of those questions.”

Leia arched her brows at his statement, but kept silent.

“I’m listening,” Rey said softly, letting him know she was focused on him. Whatever he had to talk about must be serious.

“I’ve been thinking… when you connected with Kylo Ren through the Force, did either of you instigate it, or did it just happen?”

Rey was caught off guard by the question. She hadn’t expected the subject of his inquiry to be her cousin. She shook her head slightly. “I know I didn’t do anything to bring it about, and I’m pretty sure he didn’t, either. He seemed surprised when he realized he could sense me.”

Luke nodded slightly, then he glanced at Leia. “Maybe it’s because you are related, even if neither of you knew it at the time.” He seemed to be thinking out loud, not really expecting a response from either of them.

But Leia answered anyway. “Rey has always been powerful, yes, and we now know they are connected by blood, but why would the Force do that without any encouragement?” She shrugged slightly. “You and I didn’t have that kind of connection until long after we became friends, and I never had that kind of connection with Vader.”

“That’s because you didn’t want it,” Luke retorted with a smirk.

“Can you blame me?” Leia responded in kind.

Luke shook his head with a soft smile. “Not one bit.”

Rey watched the exchange between them, then looked back at her father. “So, are you saying I wanted a connection with Ren?” The idea did not sit well with her.

“No,” Luke said. “I don’t think you wanted the connection. Nor him.”

Rey shook her head. “I don’t understand.”

“The Force,” Leia said softly. “You’re saying the Force wanted them to connect.”

“Rey, in your reading, have you come across anything about a Dyad in the Force?”

Rey immediately recognized the phrase. “The Doctrine of the Dyad,” she said. “It was mentioned in one of the oldest books.”

“I barely remember hearing about it,” Luke told her. “It was while I was searching through a destroyed Sith Temple that I came upon a battered holocron that mentioned it.” He paused. “Along with Exegol.”

“Exegol?” Leia perked up, as if the name was familiar to her.

“Believed to be the Sith homeworld,” Luke told them.

“So, this Dyad is Sith?” Rey asked.

“Not necessarily,” Luke shook his head. “I think the Sith tried to create them because they offered more power. And the Sith were all about power.”

“So, what is a Dyad?” Leia pushed.

“It’s two Jedi, or Sith, that are so closely connected that their powers become one.” He stood suddenly, and with arms folded began to pace in front of them. “I found writings, in the remains of a Jedi temple this time, that seemed to speak of Dyads from the past. The Jedi believed they could only be naturally occurring, and often occurred between twins.” He looked at Leia, giving her a shrug. “If these readings were indeed talking about Dyads, then there hasn’t been one in hundreds, perhaps thousands, of years.”

“And you think Ben and I may be a Dyad?” Rey used her cousin’s given name intentionally. If she was connected to this man in such a way, she did not want to think of him as Kylo Ren.

Luke shrugged. “It was just a thought. The way you knew about each other without ever actually knowing each other.” He paused. “It would make sense. The offspring of twins, connected in a way Leia and I never were. The grandchildren of Anakin Skywalker, who Sidious tried to create his own unnatural Dyad with. Maybe something stuck.”  

“How do you know this?” Leia asked, her expression incredulous.

“Palpatine may have been great at keeping secrets before he became Emperor, but he wasn’t so close-mouthed afterwards,” Luke said with a smirk. “There are recordings of his ‘triumphs’ all over the place.”

Leia scoffed. “Kriffing shitstain,” she muttered.

Rey couldn’t help but laugh and Luke’s smile grew. Then he focused on Rey, becoming serious once more. “What I want to know,” he told her. “Is if you think you can connect with him intentionally?”

Rey’s own smile faded. She had often reached out with her senses, attempting to distinguish between the individual presences of everyone on the base, and she had gotten quite good at it. She was able to find Poe easily, now, and had even been able to tell when he was in orbit. But to try and connect to someone lightyears away?

She looked at Leia. “The both of you can, can’t you? Talk through the Force, even when you’re far away from each other?”

Leia nodded. “Yes, but it took years of practice.”

Rey looked at her father. “If I can, would I give away where we are?”

Luke shook his head. “I don’t think so, unless you told him outright.”

“And if I can’t connect with him?”

“Then my theory is wrong,” he said simply. “But if I’m right, we might be able to use it to our advantage.”

Rey took a deep breath. “I guess there’s only one way to find out.”

******

“You’re going to what?!”

Poe couldn’t stop the shrill sound his voice produced at his exclamation, and he wasn’t embarrassed by it, either. He was too shocked.

Rey’s eyes shifted a bit, her demeanor suddenly nervous. “I’m going to try and contact Ben through the Force,” she said, her voice much softer than the first time she had said it. Apparently, Poe’s reaction was unexpected.

Poe looked at Leia for confirmation, and the older woman nodded at him, a serious and slightly concerned look on her face. She was the reason he had come over in the first place. Normally, if he had seen Rey with her father and aunt, he would have assumed it was Jedi business and nothing to do with him, but before he had turned away today, the General had caught his eye and motioned for him to join them.

“You don’t need to be here, Dameron,” Luke said. His voice wasn’t angry, but it wasn’t very warm, either. Luke always seemed less then welcoming toward Poe, and the Commander decided it was because he was protective of Rey. Poe had asked Rey more than once if Luke didn’t like him because of their relationship, if Luke believed that Jedi should be chaste, but Rey told him that Luke had never suggested that to her.

“I want him here,” Leia argued immediately. When Luke looked at her, his eyebrows raised in surprise, Leia continued. “Han kept me grounded more than once during times I had to use the Force for something difficult. I was always able to concentrate better when I knew he was near.” She looked at Poe. “I have a feeling Rey will feel the same with Poe.”

Luke frowned, looked at Poe for a moment, then turned to Rey. “It’s up to you.”

Rey’s nervous gaze fell on Poe once more. She had sounded so confident about this when she first told him what she was going to attempt, but it seemed his reaction had unnerved her. She took a deep breath. “I want you here,” she told him. “Please?”

“Of course,” Poe told her without hesitation. Whether he approved of what she was doing or not, he would support her, especially if it would help keep her safe.

Rey nodded again, then looked at Luke, taking a deep breath. “Well?”

“Start meditating like you normally do,” Luke told her as he moved to sit back on the ground, this time facing Rey. Poe followed both Rey and Leia as they also settled on the soft grass. He sat on Rey’s left while Leia stayed on her right; he didn’t touch her, but he was close enough to do so if needed.

He watched as Rey closed her eyes and started breathing deeply. After a moment, she cracked one eye open, looking at her father. “Should I be doing something other than opening myself up to the Force?”

Luke smiled slightly. “Just let it flow for now.”

Taking another deep breath, Rey relaxed once more, her breathing becoming slow and regular.

After a moment, Luke said softly, “Tell me what you feel.”

“Not Ben, if that’s what you’re asking,” Rey responded, her voice calm, but still a bit cheeky. Poe snorted softly.

Luke glanced at Poe, but his expression wasn’t angry. He actually looked as amused as Poe felt. “Just tell me what you feel right now,” Luke emphasized, looking back at his daughter.

“I feel you. And Leia. And Poe.”

Poe felt his heart jump a bit at the mention of his name. It shouldn’t surprise him that she could feel him through the Force; he knew they were all connected through it. But just the idea that she could sense him so easily thrilled him a bit.

“Finn,” Rey said suddenly, her brow furrowing. “I feel Finn.”

Poe looked at Leia who was looking at her brother with raised eyebrows and an expression that distinctly said, “I told you so.” Luke acknowledged the look with a nod.

“Reach out, beyond the base. Beyond the moon. Imagine you’re looking at the stars through the lens of the Force.”

Poe was impressed by Luke’s almost poetic description. He focused on Rey once more, noticing how her breathing started to slow significantly, her expression serene. She never looked this relaxed sleeping, he thought. Maybe he should try meditation.

Suddenly, her eyes opened and she stared at something beyond Luke. Poe glanced in that direction, but was unsurprised to see nothing but jungle. He watched her carefully as she narrowed her eyes, as if she was responding to someone or something only she could see.

“Do you really think I would tell you?” she said.

Poe felt chills go up his spine. She wasn’t talking to any of them. He knew who she was talking to.

Rey lifted her chin defiantly, her brows furrowed. “Among others,” she said quietly. Her head tilted, then she shook it slightly. “I can feel how angry you are. It’s what made it so easy to find you.” She drew back suddenly, startled but not scared. She bit her lip and smiled almost sadly. “I can’t tell you that. But I suspect your Master knows the answer. Maybe you better run along and ask Snoke.” She gasped softly. “Oh, that’s right. You can’t.”

“Rey,” Luke spoke for the first time since she had connected with Ren. His voice was low. “Don’t antagonize him.” Rey glanced at him. “Not yet,” Luke added.

The corner of Rey’s mouth curled up a bit at Luke’s words, then she focused on the spot past him again. “I’m sorry,” she said, but the sarcasm in her voice betrayed how much she was not sorry. “I really have to go now. But I’ll see you around.” She paused. “Ben.” Her eyes widened a bit and she drew back before bringing a hand up as if to block something. She closed her eyes and breathed deep, then brought her hand down and looked at Luke. “I think I made him mad.”

Leia covered her mouth with her hand, stifling a laugh. Her hand was shaking a bit.

“I’m going to assume he couldn’t see us?” Luke asked, his own expression relieved.

Rey shook her head. “No, but he knew you must be with me. I hinted that Leia was as well.” She glanced at her aunt, who was also relaxing now that the experiment was over. “I could see him as if he was standing right behind Luke, clear as can be. But not his surroundings. So, I’m guessing that’s what he saw. Just me.” She looked at Poe suddenly, and reached for him.

His heart still racing, he grasped Rey’s hand in his. Her’s was cold despite the heat and humidity of their surroundings. “You’re okay?” he asked.

She nodded. “I feel cold. And tired. It’s…” she looked at Luke. “It was so strange. While I was talking to him, I felt normal, but as soon as I pulled away, it’s like some of his darkness followed me.”

“You created some kind of bridge through the Force,” Luke told her. He shook his head. “I’m not sure I understand it completely. Did you ever feel trapped?” he asked her. “Like you wouldn’t be able to pull away?”

She shook her head. “No. He got very angry and lunged at me. It startled me, but I never felt he could really touch me. When I closed off from him, it was easy.” Her expression became worried. “But if he can learn to do what I did…?”

“It might not be that easy to get away the next time,” Poe finished her thought.

“You had the advantage of catching him off guard,” Luke nodded. “Next time, he’ll be ready.”

They were all silent for a moment before Rey asked in a soft voice. “Do you think this Snoke taught him anything about Dyads?”

Luke shook his head. “He was an Inquisitor. Powerful, but not well trained.” He glanced at Leia. “I highly doubt Ren learned much more from him than how to tap into the Dark Side.”

“Which is bad enough,” Leia grumbled. She pushed herself up off the ground, using her cane to help brace herself. She looked back down at Rey and Poe. “Why don’t you both take the rest of the day off?” she told them. She focused on Poe. “Rey, I’m sure, needs to rest. And you could do with some down time, too, Commander, before your next mission.” She looked at Luke. “I’m going to have a chat with Finn.”

With that, she walked off back toward Base.

******

Rey’s heart was racing, the beats coming so hard and fast she swore she could feel it against her ribs. Her breathing was harsh, punctuated by the occasional desperate moan. She squeezed her eyes shut, tears leaking out from the corners, as she gripped the blanket underneath her with one hand, her knuckles going white. “Please!” she cried, but the onslaught continued.

Her other hand reached for her assailant, grabbing his thick hair, but even her firm tugs on it didn’t get him to stop his attack. She squealed, arching her back as two thick fingers swept along that super sensitive spot inside her once more, and the suction from a far too talented mouth pulled on her clit. She felt her body convulse, her thighs vibrating uncontrollably, as another orgasm ripped through her. “Poe!” she screamed.

The man in question lifted his head, an arrogant smile decorating his beautiful face, watching her as his fingers continued to work her gently through several more spasms. Her body finally sank down limply on the bed. “Four,” he said in a smug voice.

Rey whimpered through a half-laugh.

Leia had told Poe that Rey needed rest, and for the first couple of hours after being given leave by the General, that’s exactly what she had tried to do. But her tossing and turning had eventually frustrated her bedmate so much that he had gotten up, slid to the end of the bed, pulling her trousers down with him, and grumbled, “this should help you sleep.”

Four orgasms later, Rey was exhausted, but she wasn’t ready to let him quit, yet.

“Poe, please,” she huffed, trying to slow her breathing down.

“Please, what, Jedi?” he asked gruffly, wiping some of her juices from the stubble on his chin while licking his lips. She wondered how red her inner thighs were thanks to beard burn; they had gone numb long ago. “Tell me.”

His ever so slightly demanding words sent a shiver up her spine; Rey was learning that the more aroused he became, the more focused and intent he was. Just the simple fact that his focus was on her was exciting.

“I need you in me,” she gasped.

He smiled again. A wicked, unforgettable smile. “I have been.” He brought his hand back up and ran his index finger along her soaked pussy.

She arched up. “No!” she whined. “You know what I mean!” Biting her lip, she clenched her abs and sat up half-way, just enough to reach down between them and grab his rock-hard cock. “This, dammit!”

He hissed at her touch, then laughed. “Oh, that! You want that?”

She squeezed him firmly. “Yes!”

“I thought you were enjoying yourself on my tongue,” he told her as he slid up her body until he was even with her face, his eyes shining with humor, his hips tucked snugly between her thighs.

Rey let herself fall back onto the bed. “I was,” she told him. “Oh, I was. But I want all of you.”

His expression became serious. “You have all of me,” he whispered. “Don’t you know that?”

Rey felt the sincerity of his words, and her heart started racing once more. “I love you.”

He brought one of his hands up to stroke her hair, sweeping a few sweaty strands off of her forehead. His eyes had gone impossibly soft. He bit his bottom lip and swallowed hard, then leaned his face close enough to nuzzle her nose with his own. “I love you, Rey. So much.”

She lifted her face that last inch, kissing him deeply as she felt a tear slide down her cheek. Hers? Or his? Did it matter?

He pulled back just enough to make eye contact with her once more, then she felt him slide into her swollen and sensitive pussy. She closed her eyes and moaned, spreading her legs even more and lifting her knees slightly. He stopped when he was deep inside her, and she opened her eyes to see him watching her with that intensity once more.

“You good?” he asked softly.

She smiled and nodded. “I’m very good.”

He gave her a lopsided grin in return, pulled half-way out, then back in, slowly working into a steady rhythm. Rey met his thrusts at first, lifting her hips in synch with his, but her exhaustion was too much and soon all she could do was encourage him verbally. “Yes. Oh, Kriff! Like that! Oh, yes! Oh, Poe!”

It didn’t take long for her oversensitive body to fall over the precipice once more, and Poe, having edged himself while going down on her, followed quickly. Rey’s fifth orgasm wasn’t as powerful as her earlier ones, but it continued on and on and on, as Poe finished, crying out as his seed spilled inside her.

Several minutes later, they lay on their sides facing each other, sleepily looking into each other’s eyes. Rey was the first one to speak.

“This mission,” she started. “It’s going to be dangerous, isn’t it?”

He frowned. “Why do you say that?”

“Leia didn’t just send you off to have sex with me for the day for no reason,” she said with a smirk. But her small smile turned to a frown. “I wish I was going with you.”

“I do, too,” he told her softly. “Actually, you should be back in an X-Wing, especially since I’m rarely there anymore.”

“I know you miss it,” Rey told him, running her fingers down his bicep. “But you’re doing good work. You’re the reason the Resistance has grown so much this past year. The reason we have a fighting chance against the First Order.”

He shook his head. “I think you have that backwards,” he told her. “The majority of the people that I get to help us are doing so because of you.” He swept the backs of his fingers along her cheek. “You and Luke and Leia.”

Rey scoffed. “Like I’m doing anything.”

“You did today.”

She focused on him. “You mean when I connected with Ren?” She bit her lip and sighed. “He scares me, and not because of all the horrible things he’s done in the name of the First Order.” She met his eyes. “I still remember what he did to you.”

Poe looked away from her, his expression haunted for a moment, but then he focused on her again. “I knew him,” he said. “When we were kids.”

Rey shouldn’t have been surprised by his words, but they were startling nonetheless.

“He was a good kid. Wanted to be a pilot more than a Jedi. But he loved his parents and wanted to do what they thought best.” He winced. “I used to believe, like Leia, that he could be turned back. That he would never truly become… evil. But after Jakku, what he did to that village… Then he let Hosnia happen and he tried to kill Han...” He focused on her. “If anyone can bring him back, it’s you, Rey. There is so much light in you, you could drive the darkness out of Hell itself.”

Rey couldn’t help but laugh as she shook her head. “Your faith in me is flattering, but I don’t think that’s what Luke is training me for.” She looked away, down at where their hands were now joined, her finger’s playing with his. “I am meant to kill him,” she whispered. “Or at least distract him long enough for you and the rest of the Resistance to destroy the brunt of the First Order. Before he kills me.”

“No!” Poe’s voice was sharp. “That’s not going to happen.” He calmed. “You are as strong or stronger than he is,” he told her. “He will not win.” He stared at her for a long time, as if he was trying to force that belief upon her. And she almost felt it working.

Soon, his gaze turned soft once more, and he reached up to tuck her hair behind her ear. “Now sleep, Rey. For now, we’re safe. We’re together.” He paused. “I love you.”

She smiled softly, the look in his eye confirming his words. “I love you, Poe.”

And she slept.

******

“You’re going to Exegol.”

Poe frowned at Leia. The name sounded familiar. “Is that the planet in the Unknown Regions Damon was talking about? The one he was worried might have a secret First Order base?”

Leia nodded. “Yes. It’s so far away from any First Order activity, and it’s difficult to get to, due to its location near a nebula, so I wasn’t too worried about it. But I just found out yesterday from Luke that it’s considered the homeworld of the Sith.”

Sith. Just the word caused Poe to feel nervous. “Who do you want me to take as my team?” Did he dare hope he could bring Rey?

Leia shook her head. “No team,” she said softly. “You and your X-Wing and either BB-8 or R2. You’re just doing reconnaissance. That’s it.” She looked out of the entrance to the cave she was using as her office, and Poe turned his head to see what she was looking at. Rey was talking to Luke, a smile on her face. “Luke is taking Rey to Sandurk, a planet he believes may still have Kyber.” She looked back at Poe. “She may already have a lightsaber built by the time you get back.”

Poe looked back at her, his heart starting to race. The Sith homeworld, with no back-up but a droid. Leia didn’t have to say it. He knew how dangerous this was going to be.

“I know you have a better chance of slipping in and out without being seen than any other pilot,” Leia continued, her voice low. “But if you don’t think you can do this, let me know now.”

Poe swallowed. “I can do it.”

Leia watched him for a long while, her expression concerned. “I know you’re doing better, especially since you’ve been with Rey, but you’re still not 100%.”

“Is anyone?”

“Point taken.” She took a deep breath. “I expect you to leave as soon as possible.” She grasped his shoulder and squeezed it. “May the Force be with you.”

Poe nodded, then took a deep breath of his own and left the cave, heading toward Rey, who was finished talking with Luke. She had a brilliant smile on her face, and the sight made his heart ache. He tried to smile back, but she could read him like a datapad. Her grin dropped as she met him half-way.

“What’s wrong?”

He grabbed her elbow lightly and turned her toward the edge of the camp, toward their home. “I need to talk to you.” He stopped as they reached one of the trees by the lake and turned to face her once more. “I’m going on a recon mission,” he told her, trying not to let her worried eyes distract him. “It’s not gonna be easy.”

“You never do easy,” she responded. “This is something else. I can feel your anxiety.”

He licked his lips. Leia hadn’t said this mission was top secret, and even if she had, he trusted Rey. “I’m going to Exegol.”

Rey’s brows furrowed. “Exegol? Luke just mentioned that planet yesterday.”

“So Leia said.”

“I remember reading about it in one of the texts. I guess I didn’t think it was real, or that it existed anymore.”

“It’s real. And Leia thinks something is going on there we need to know about.”

“Ren?” she asked. “He’s not Sith, nor was Snoke.” She paused. “But his grandfather was. Our grandfather was.”

“I don’t know if it’s the First Order or something else,” he shrugged. “That’s why I’m going to check it out.”

Rey stared at him for a long moment, then she nodded. “You’ll come right back?”

“Well, not directly,” he said, smiling for the first time since Leia talked to him. “I’m not gonna lead them here, whoever they are.” He stepped closer to her. “But, yeah, I’ll be back as soon as I can.” He watched her for a moment, then took a deep breath and reached for the chain around his neck. He pulled the ring out from underneath his shirt and lifted the chain over his head. Without hesitation, he slipped it over Rey’s head.

She gasped softly, her startled expression telling him she knew exactly how important his action was. “Poe?” she whispered.

“Keep it safe for me,” he told her softly. He paused as she bit her lip, her eyes filling with moisture. “I’m going to leave BB-8 with you, as well. R2 has more knowledge of Sith and Jedi lore; he may recognize things and know what’s important and what’s not important.”

Rey nodded, his more businesslike tone helping her to gather her emotions. “Okay,” she breathed. “But this time I’m not waiting if you don’t come back,” she said, her voice firm. “I’m coming after you. I don’t care what Luke or Leia say.”

He huffed a soft laugh, knowing she was telling the truth. He cupped her face in his hands. “I love you, Rey Skywalker.”

She smiled as he said her full name, one of the few who knew what it was now. She reached up and gently grasped his wrists. “I love you, Poe Dameron.” She leaned forward to kiss him, whispering as her lips touched his, “Come back to me.”

He sank into her kiss, wondering what he had ever done to be loved by this woman, but not doubting for one second that it was true.

Within an hour, he and R2-D2 were lifting off from the surface of Ajan Kloss, several people on the ground watching them go. Only a handful of them knew where he was going. His eyes scanned the group, which included people he loved like family, and promised himself he was going to see them again soon.

It was over seventeen standard hours to Exegol, with two stops to reset coordinates and avoid specific anomalies. While in hyperspace, R2 powered down to save energy, and Poe either dozed or read. He did what research he could on Exegol; Leia had downloaded all she knew about the planet, and Rey had quickly thrown in the information she had gleaned from the Jedi texts, which wasn’t much. He knew the nebula he would have to traverse to get to the actual planet was going to be treacherous, but it should also hide him from whomever was using the planet for whatever reason. There was no equipment out there that could detect ships in gas or plasma clouds. Unless they had far superior tech, of course.

Finally, Poe reached the unnamed nebula. From what he had read, the gas cloud was full of the long dead bodies of giant space-faring creatures, such as the almost mythical purrgil. He would have to be careful. R2 was awake and alert and ready to help him navigate, and after a brief stop to eat a ration bar and hydrate, he was ready.

The going was slow, but the T-85 listened to his commands with absolute precision, and with R2’s occasional alert, they flew through the reddish-colored space graveyard without any trouble. Forty-minutes after entering, Poe did a micro-jump and arrived at Exegol.

The first thing he saw were the Star Destroyers. Dozens of them, docked motionless in the atmosphere of the dark, foreboding planet. There were no lights that he could see on the ships, letting him know they currently were not operative, but they looked complete and fully functional, so their launch couldn’t be far away. He swung around, keeping the ship angled so that the light from the rather dim sun wouldn’t flash off the hull, while R2 took holopicture after holopicture of what they were seeing.

He moved closer to the planet surface, his sensors giving him faint readings of a large structure almost directly beneath the ships. He couldn’t determine what it was and he wasn’t about to get any closer, if only because of the odd lightning that flashed near the surface, but R2 confirmed he had zoomed in and gotten some fairly clear images of it.

“First Order or not, this is not good news,” Poe said, and R2 confirmed with a trill. “Let’s get the hell out of here.” While everything in him wanted to shoot away from the planet as fast as he could, he maintained a steady pace, once more keeping at a forty-five degree angle to hopefully prevent any reflections. He wasn’t sure what kind of sensors that building had, or if any were currently working in the ships above, but because his own readings were faint, he assumed the strange lightning was preventing efficient use of tech, and that was okay with him.

He was almost out of atmo when the ships appeared. TIE fighters, he thought, but their design was different. New? Or old? It didn’t matter, because they were heading directly toward him. “R2, get ready,” he said. He winced as he heard the slight tremor in his voice. “We’ve been spotted.” He stopped trying to be stealthy and directed the fighter directly toward space, but away from the Star Destroyers; he still wasn’t convinced they were harmless.

He would have outrun them, but a bolt of lightning caught him. It only touched the tip of his wing, not enough to do damage, but it created a brief surge in power, and Poe had to concentrate on keeping control as the surge died. R2 screamed behind him, and Poe worried he might have blown a fuse. Or several.

“You okay, buddy?” he called back to the ancient astromech. There was a pause, but then the droid beeped a quiet affirmative. Poe turned his attention back to their escape, knowing that their speed had decreased while he worked to get control of the ship, and that the TIEs had caught up. “Kriff.”

With a grimace, he turned the fighter around to face his opponents.

******

Rey sat at the table looking at the parts before her. She had to admit that this situation kind of reminded her of her past on Jakku, only she hadn’t scavenged these parts, Luke had. And she wasn’t cleaning them to sell.

She was attempting to make a lightsaber.

She took up what she planned to use as the grip and began to piece together the items before her, careful to leave room inside for the conduits and wiring needed to focus the energy from the Kyber to make an actual blade. The grip was, in fact, the only part she had scavenged, years ago on Jakku. When she had pulled the piece off of her staff and added it to the pile, Luke had given her a smile and a nod.

The Kyber crystal had been her find as well, and Luke was still looking at it with what she thought was a bit of awe. There had been a few crystals left in the cave they had searched on Sandurk, but many had been broken or were irregular. Luke had told her not to worry, that the Force would direct her to the one she was supposed to have, and even if it was imperfect, she would find a way to make it work.

The Force had led Rey to a crevasse in the rock wall, and when she had reached in, she had pulled out a half-dozen clear crystals. She held each one in her hand, then set it aside when it didn’t give her that tingly feeling she was looking for. When none of them connected, but she was still feeling the call, she reached in again, this time pulling out a crystal that almost seemed to sing to her. As she held it, feeling it warm up in her hand, it changed color.  

“Yellow,” Luke had breathed.

Rey had looked at him. “Does that mean something?” she asked.

“The sentinels in the Jedi temple had yellow blades,” Luke had told her. “I guess it only makes sense that you, the guardian of the new Jedi, should have yellow.”

And so, Rey was making her first lightsaber.

She had pieced most of the parts together when she felt another pull, this one as strong but different than the one the Kyber had given. She set down the lightsaber and looked to the sky.

“Rey?” Luke asked, concern lacing his voice.

“It’s Poe,” she whispered. “He’s back.”

Luke also looked up, searching the skies. “You can feel him already?” Was he really that surprised she could sense the man she loved so strongly?

She nodded, then frowned. “Something’s wrong.” She jumped up from her seat and headed for Command, Luke following. Suddenly, a sonic boom sounded over the jungle and Rey stopped and looked up again. Poe’s X-Wing was coming in fast, smoke trailing it like a comet. She watched it for a moment, gauging its trajectory and determining where it was going to land, then took off running in that direction. Luke followed, talking into his commlink.

The X-Wing’s speed decreased significantly as it reached its destination, one of the few areas that was completely clear of trees next to the lake. She realized why he had gone for that spot as soon as she neared the ship, and she heard Luke shouting into his commlink behind her as he saw the same thing. “Fire crews! To the east side of the lake now!”

Rey watched as the canopy of the burning ship rose and Poe pulled himself out, swinging over the side and somehow looking graceful as he dropped down to the ground, hanging onto the side of the cockpit to assist his controlled fall. “R2!” he was shouting.

“I’ve got him!” Luke said as he rushed past Rey. He reached forward and grabbed his droid with the Force, pulling the squealing astromech up and out of the socket, then lowering him to the ground. R2 was smoking a bit and looked a little singed, but otherwise seemed to be working fine. Just more scars to add to his already battered body, she thought.

She looked at Poe again. “Are you okay?” she asked as he moved toward her, his whole demeanor radiating tension. Both fire crews passed her on the way to the burning ship, and began spraying fire retardant on it. Rey heard BB-8 rolling up behind her, also demanding to know if Poe was okay. “What happened?”

Poe shook his head, then rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands. “They spotted me just as I was leaving,” he told her. “I took out a squad of TIEs, then made a run for it, but they followed.” He looked past her, and Rey turned to see Leia making her way toward them. Poe continued, including the General and Luke in his story. “When I cleared the nebula, I jumped, but when I got to my first stop, they showed up behind me. Then it happened a second time.” He shook his head again, frustration and adrenaline pouring off of him. “They kriffing tracked me through hyperspace!”

“That’s impossible,” Rey said, knowing as she said it how wrong she was. Poe wouldn’t have told them that if it wasn’t true.

“But they did,” Leia nodded.

“How did you get away?” Rey breathed, her eyes once more on the X-Wing. The fire crews had gotten the flame put out, but the ship would never be the same.

“I lightspeed skipped,” Poe answered.

All three of the Skywalkers stared at him.

“You… you lightspeed skipped?” Luke finally asked. “In an X-Wing?”

Poe shrugged. “It was the only way I could think to get them off my tail.” He looked back at the ship. “The last stop I made before I jumped here was clear, but the ship…” He looked back at them, this time focusing on Rey. “I wasn’t sure I was gonna make it.”

Rey realized she was shaking. Not only had he fought off TIEs, but then lightspeed skipped, which was incredibly risky… She rushed forward to hug him, closing her eyes as his arms wrapped around her. “Force, Poe,” she whispered.

“Well, now I know I chose the right pilot for this job,” she heard Leia say behind her. “I don’t know any other pilot that could lightspeed skip an X-Wing. Not even you.”

Rey opened her eyes to see who Leia was talking to and saw Han walking up to them, his eyes wide as he looked at Poe’s ship. “Damn, kid,” he said. “I’m impressed.”

Rey felt Poe give a soft chuckle. “Never thought Han Solo would be impressed by me.”

“We all are Poe,” Luke said, resting his hand on the pilot’s shoulder. “And we’re glad you’re back safe.” Rey watched as Poe looked at her father, his expression surprised. It was the first time the elder Jedi had ever been anything but cool and judgmental toward Poe.

Poe took a deep breath and looked at R2. “R2, is everything you recorded on Exegol still intact?”

The astromech tweedled an affirmative.

Poe looked back at Leia. “They’re building a whole fleet, General. I counted at least 30 Star Destroyers. It doesn’t look like they’re on-line, yet, but they’re close.”

R2 beeped an addition, causing Luke to frown. “The Sith Citadel is the base?” His expression turned contemplative. “So, is it the First Order, or some other derivative of the Empire?” He looked at Poe.

Poe shrugged. “I honestly don’t know,” he said. “The TIEs were different than what the First Order is using now, but that doesn’t mean anything. If they were built at the same time as those Star Destroyers, then they could be using upgraded tech.” He looked at Rey. “I think there’s only one way to find out if Ren is involved.”

Rey swallowed. “You want me to try and connect with him again, don’t you?”

“Do you think he would tell you the truth if you asked him?” Leia wondered.

“If I told him we know about what’s happening on Exegol, just his reaction should tell me,” Rey answered. “Don’t you think?”

Poe nodded. “You wouldn’t need to stay in contact with him for very long.”

She sighed, but then looked at Luke. “Can I finish first?”

Luke grinned. “I’d recommend it. If you talk to him with that on your hip, that should catch him off guard again.”

“Finish?” Poe asked.

“My lightsaber,” Rey told him with a smile.

Within moments, Poe was taking R2 to Command, where Rose and her team would download the data from Exegol and analyze it. Poe would then get cleaned up and grab something to eat, but he asked Rey to hold off on her attempt to connect with Ren again until he was done. Rey, meanwhile, headed back to the table and continued working on the lightsaber under Luke’s supervision.

Her body still thrumming with the left-over adrenaline from watching Poe’s burning ship come in, Rey focused on the task at hand, and before Poe could even get back from his break, it was done. Nervously, Rey stepped out into the clearing and turned it on.

The yellow blade was startlingly bright, and Rey thought it was beautiful.

“Well done,” Luke told her.

“It’s gorgeous,” Poe said from behind her. Rey spun around to see both him and Leia watching her, identical looks of awe on their faces.

Leia took a deep breath and tilted her head. “Are you ready, Rey?”

Extinguishing her saber, Rey nodded. She clipped the new saber to her belt and looked at Luke, who smiled back encouragingly. She then focused on Poe, who had moved closer to her, his exhausted eyes watching her intently; his presence not only comforted her, but she felt as if, should something go wrong, he would be the one to reach out and support her.

She closed her eyes and searched for the now familiar presence of her cousin. He wasn’t hard to find, and it quickly became apparent that he was already seeking her in the Force.

“Ben?” she said quietly. He was facing away from her, wearing the horrid mask she had only seen in holos until now, but he turned quickly at her voice.

“It worked,” he said, almost to himself.

Rey couldn’t help but laugh. “You think you did this?” she asked him derisively. “How long have you been trying to find me? I literally just opened myself up moments ago.” She couldn’t see his expression, but she felt his frustration. “You found me because I allowed it,” Rey concluded.

He was silent for a moment, his head tilted. “Why?” he finally asked. “Why did you allow it?”

“I have news,” Rey told him.

“You also have a new lightsaber,” he interrupted. “Does it work?”

She ignored him, knowing he was trying to get a rise out of her. “We know about the fleet at Exegol.”

As she expected, his reaction to her statement told her the truth. She felt his surprise, then his anger. He didn’t just know about the fleet, he was in charge of it.

“The X-Wing,” he breathed. “That wasn’t you, was it?”

Rey shook her head. “It was an old friend of yours,” she told him. “Poe Dameron.”

Ren lifted his chin. “He took out over a dozen of my pilots,” he growled. “Do I dare hope he didn’t make it back alive?”

Almost instinctively, Rey reached out to her left and felt Poe take her hand. “He’s just fine,” Rey told him.

Ren was silent for a long moment. Then he said softly, the anger in his voice palpable, “Exegol is just the beginning.”

******

“Don’t you mean your end?”

Rey’s voice was losing the confidence it had held when she had started her conversation with Kylo Ren, and Poe squeezed her hand gently, trying to offer her support without distracting her.

Rey’s attention sharpened as she listened to what Ren was saying, and Poe wished he could hear the other side of the conversation. She tilted her head curiously, and he could tell her thoughts were racing as she replied to whatever Ren had said.

“Knights?” she said. “The Knights of Ren? They are who have been in charge of Exegol while you toy with the galaxy?”

Poe had a feeling she was speaking out loud what she was hearing intentionally, so that he and the others could keep up.

“I thought they, and you, were Snoke’s creations. So, this fleet must have been Snoke’s idea.”

Her chin rose at Ren’s response, her eyes hard, but then her lips quirked in a small smile. “So, you trust them with your life?” she asked. “Even if one of them is keeping a secret from you?”

“Rey.” Luke’s voice was low. A warning.

Rey’s smile widened. “Watch your back… cousin.”

She brought up her hand, waving it slightly in front of her, then closed her eyes and shuddered. Her shoulders sank and she looked weary. “It’s getting harder to close off from him,” she explained. “He’s learning.”

“Sowing distrust in the ranks, I see,” Luke said wryly.

Rey opened her eyes and looked at him. “Whatever works,” she shrugged. “We are so outnumbered. We need all the advantage we can get.”

“I don’t understand,” Poe said. Why had Rey made Ren believe he couldn’t trust his Knights?

Rey turned to him. “My mother is one of his Knights,” she told him softly. “Or was. If she’s still alive.”

Poe nodded. For some reason, this bit of news didn’t surprise him. “If she’s one of the Knights, but Snoke and Ren and the others didn’t know about you…”

“She was protecting Rey,” Luke confirmed. “Most likely she’s protecting herself now, by not saying anything, but either way, that’s a big secret to keep from her superiors.”

“Giving away your relationship to Ben will really throw him into turmoil. He’ll know that’s the secret you spoke of,” Leia remarked. “Are there any other women Knights?”

Luke looked at his sister with wide eyes. “I don’t know. Not many, if there are.”

Suddenly, Rey looked scared. “Did I just give her up, then?” she worried. “What if I put her life in danger?”

“Rey,” Poe said, squeezing her hand once more. “Her life has been in danger since she became a Knight.”

Everyone was quiet for a moment, lost in their own thoughts, and Poe was the first one to break the silence. “Let’s see what Rose and the others have found.”

As a group, the four of them turned back toward the camp, making their way to Command. Rose and a couple of her top mechanics were focused on the computers in front of them. R2-D2 was still connected to the main system, observing them quietly. He turned his head and gave a short beep of welcome while BB-8 rolled up to inspect the screen next to the larger droid. Poe couldn’t help but smile at his ultra-curious partner.

Rose also looked up, motioning for both Leia and Poe to move next to her. As they did so, Poe took note of the image on the screen in front of their head mech. It was a detailed blueprint of one of the Star Destroyers he had seen at Exegol.

“How did you get that?” he asked, astonished.

“I made it,” Rose told him, smirking a bit. “It’s a program I designed, that can create a physical profile of a ship or weapon with whatever information I can input into it.” She shrugged. “Obviously, this isn’t perfect, but it gives us a pretty clear idea what we’re dealing with.”

“So, nothing we’ve seen before?” Leia asked.

Rose shook her head. “Nope. It’s evident that these ships and the TIEs that attacked Poe are different designs than what the First Order has currently.” She cocked her head thoughtfully. “Which makes sense when you know they were hidden and kept secret.”

Poe focused on the odd protrusion coming from the ventral side of the ship. “What is that?” he demanded. “A canon of some sort?”

Rose nodded. “Yeah, it’s a weapon. A powerful weapon. The readings R2 got show a large area surrounding it, indicating the power supply is as large or larger than the hyperdrive.” She looked at Poe anxiously. “We’re talking something that can take out a Resurgent-class Star Destroyer. Possibly even a small planetoid.”

“Great,” Poe muttered, unable to keep the sarcasm out of his voice.

“But they’re not active, yet?” Leia pushed.

“They look complete,” Rose answered. “They could go on-line at any time.”

“So, we need to get to them and destroy them before they can become a danger,” Luke said softly.

“With our ‘tiny little fleet’,” Rey added.

Poe looked at her questioningly.

“That’s the phrase Ren used,” she told him. “I don’t think he’s aware how much we’ve grown since Crait.”

“We’ve also been establishing enough connections through the galaxy that if we call for help this time, I’m sure we’ll get it,” Poe added. He wanted to be positive, but he knew how much the lack of assistance they got after calling for aid on Crait had affected him mentally. Leia, too, he thought as he glanced at her, noticing her serious expression.

“Let’s start putting the word out to those contacts, now,” Leia said softly. “We need them to know about this threat. If those ships successfully come on-line and leave Exegol’s atmosphere,” she paused, shaking her head. “I’m not going to say we’re done for, but I will concede that it will be a very long time before we can ever hope to defeat them.” She looked at everyone around her, focusing on Poe last. “And who knows how many millions will die in the meantime.”

Poe nodded. “I’ll get Snap and the others on it,” he told her. Every one of his pilots had created a network of connections on various worlds, people who were ready and willing to fight when needed. “And Threepio can send out coded signals to his spy crew. A lot of those droids are programed to issue warnings and information among militias and planetary defense organizations.”

Leia nodded appreciatively. Those programs had been Poe’s idea, and now they would be able to test them. She looked up and around her, and Poe also took note that the light was dimming. How had sunset arrived so quickly? Hadn’t he landed this morning?

“Commander, I want you to get started on that. Rey, I don’t think I have to tell you to take some time to familiarized yourself with your new weapon. Rose, please keep up with your analysis of those Star Destroyers, and look for any and all weaknesses.” She turned toward several of the others who had gathered around curiously. “I want patrols of the system increased. While I believe the Commander made it back without being followed, I’m sure the First Order has upped their own searches since their secret got out. I don’t want any surprise visitors.” She nodded, her expression fatigued but determined.

“We’re on it!” Poe said, clapping his hands and looking about him. Everyone took his cue and headed to their respective positions. Poe then looked at Han, hoping the older pilot could read his expression as Poe glanced at Leia, then back at him.

Han nodded in understanding. He stepped forward to stand behind his wife and place his hands on her shoulders. “Hey, can I talk to you for a minute?”

Leia turned to him, breathing out an exhausted sounding sigh and nodding. Han led her away toward their quarters in the back of the cave Leia used as an office. Once there, Poe hoped he would insist Leia call it a night; her team could handle things until morning. He glanced at Rey, who was watching him with a soft smile on her face.

“What?”

“You’re always taking care of everybody, aren’t you?” she answered softly. “Who takes care of you?”

He smirked and leaned in. “You will, as soon as we’re both done for the night,” he whispered, winking at her. “Now, before I get started on this, tell me about your mother.”

******

It was well after midnight when Rey finally made her way home to sleep. She was both physically and mentally tired, her ‘talk’ with Kylo Ren earlier in the day still wearing on her mind and her body aching from her intense practice session with her new lightsaber. While the discussion with her cousin still disturbed her, the saber training had pleased her to no end. The blade was indeed perfect for her, the feel and weight of it comfortable and familiar, despite it being brand new. Once she arrived at her and Poe’s little sanctuary, exhaustion filled her, and she fell into a deep slumber as soon as her head hit the pillow.

She woke briefly when Poe joined her, turning to face him and move into his embrace, as had become the norm, falling right back to sleep. She wasn’t sure how long she slept before a voice caught her attention.

“Rey?”

She fought it for a moment. She didn’t want to wake, yet. She was still so tired.

But the voice was insistent. And familiar.

“Rey?”

She opened her eyes, shocked to find herself standing in an unfamiliar room. She looked about her, trying to determine if this was a dream or a vision. The room was spacious, with a large work table in the center. In one corner was a small bed and what looked like a kitchenette of some sort in the other. The walls were dark, and the lights dim, although there was a large light above the worktable that was currently turned off.

“Rey?” the voice said again, and Rey recognized it, though she hadn’t heard it since she was a small child.

“Mama?” she whispered.

She turned as she sensed someone’s presence behind her, but the woman that stood there was very different from the one from her memory.

Mara Jade stood just inside the doorway. Her dark hair was pulled back into a tight bun, making her already serious expression even more severe. She wore a black tunic, black trousers and boots, and a black hilted lightsaber on her hip. Her face looked older than it should after fifteen years, and her hazel eyes were dull and expressionless. However, a spark of excitement seemed to flash in her gaze as Rey looked her way.

She smiled slightly. “I’ve tried many times to connect with you through the years,” she said. “But I just wasn’t strong enough.” She paused. “Your strength, however, is more than adequate for the job.” She tilted her head. “You’re with your father, I assume?”

Rey nodded, a bit stunned that she was actually talking to her mother after all these years. It was different than how she was able to talk to Ben; she wasn’t able to see his surroundings, yet he was as clear as if he actually stood in front of her. This meeting, however, was different. While she was able to see the room Mara must be in, everything was slightly foggy, almost ethereal, as if it was a dream.

Her mother took a deep breath and stepped a bit closer. “I had every intention of coming back for you, Rey,” she said, her expression intense. “And when I knew that wasn’t going to be possible, that there was no way to escape the Knights, I tried to contact your father to let him know where you were. But I was watched, constantly. We all were.” She paused, then shook her head in wonder. “How did he find you?”

Rey licked her lips. “He didn’t,” she said softly. “I found him.”

Mara’s brow furrowed, her expression encouraging Rey to explain.

“I was recruited on Jakku, almost two years ago,” Rey continued. She smiled as she remembered the day Poe found her. “To be a pilot in the Resistance.”

“By Leia?”

Rey shook her head. “By her protégé, Poe Dameron.”

“The man who found us?”

Rey tilted her head. “So, you’re on Exegol?”

Mara nodded. “This is my home, such as it is,” she said, gesturing around the room. “It has been since I left you.” She walked over to the work table and leaned her hip against it, looking down. “We leave from time to time to run ‘errands’ for Snoke, now Kylo, but we always return to this place.” She looked back up at Rey, her eyes once more dull and her expression dour. “It sucks the life out of you, this place.

“Kylo says he’s been communicating with you. That you hinted one of his Knights couldn’t be trusted. And that you called him cousin.”

“I was trying to get a rise out of him,” Rey responded. “I hope I didn’t get you into trouble.”

Mara smiled at that. “I honestly don’t think he connected the two comments. He was so disturbed by the second one that the first one didn’t even phase him.”

“He was upset that I called him my cousin?” Rey asked.

“He’s been obsessed with you for a long time, Rey,” Mara told her. “As was Snoke. He was convinced you and Ben were a Dyad, and that meant you belonged to Ben.” She smirked. “He doesn’t want to be related to you.”

Rey huffed a laugh. “Well, it wouldn’t matter if he wasn’t,” she said with a smile of her own. “I’ve already found my other half of that equation.”

Mara tilted her head questioningly. “Let me guess,” she remarked. “A pilot?”

“Worse,” Rey said. “My Commanding Officer.”

Mara laughed. “This Dameron that recruited you?”

Rey nodded. “Yes.”

“That’s really going to piss off Kylo.”

“Good.”

Mara’s smile faded as she turned serious once again. “Rey, the Star Destroyers. They’re almost ready. They could go on-line in a few weeks or a day, I don’t know for sure. What I do know is that until they do, they are vulnerable.”

“No shields.”

“Yes,” Mara nodded. “And the area behind the ventral cannons, where the generators are that supply that excessive firepower, are the place you need to target. Aiming for that area will destroy the whole ship. But if the shields go up, that will be impossible.”

Rey thought back to the blueprints Rose had made, trying to envision the area in her mind. “What else do we have to look forward to at Exegol?” she asked, realizing as she did so how much faith she was putting into this woman. A Knight of Ren. A Dark Side user.

“Well, the squadron of TIEs was small, and your pilot destroyed almost half of them,” Mara said with another smirk. “But that means Kylo is sending First Order ships to help defend us. Three Destroyers and several squadrons of TIEs.” She shrugged. “There are six Knights currently here at the Temple, including myself. We are all Force users, though our abilities are next to nothing compared to Kylo… and you.”

“I’m assuming he’s coming with his ships?”

Mara nodded. “Of course.”

Rey took a deep breath. “And whose side will you choose once this battle commences?”

Mara cocked her head, her eyebrows high. “I think I’ve already given you the answer to that question. If the Supreme Leader finds out about this little convo, I won’t live long enough to leave this cursed planet.”

******

Poe was pulled out of sleep slowly by Rey’s voice. As he gradually became more aware, he thought she must be talking on her commlink or that maybe someone was here and she was talking to them just outside the mouth of the cave. But when he finally opened his eyes to the dim light they left on overnight, he realized she was standing at the foot of the bed talking to… nobody.

Immediately, he sat up in the bed, panic filling him. Was she connected to Ren again, he wondered? She wouldn’t have done it without letting them know, so he must have initiated contact, and that scared Poe. But then what Rey was saying pushed past his panic, and he knew without a doubt that it wasn’t Ren she was talking to.

“I’ve already found my other half of that equation,” Rey was saying, her voice sounding almost cheerful. “Worse. My Commanding Officer.”

She was talking about him? To who?

“Yes,” Rey said quickly. Then, she smirked. “Good.”

Her expression became serious once more as she seemed to listen intently to whomever she was talking to. Poe ran through the possibilities, and only one really made sense.

Her mother.

“No shields,” Rey said softly, then she listened close again, and Poe slid out of the bed, watching and waiting. “What else do we have to look forward to at Exegol?”

Her mother was giving her intel, Poe realized. Her mother, a minion of the Force powerful Snoke for years, who had come to spy on Luke Skywalker and a young Ben Solo and had ended up pregnant with Rey instead, then proceeded to hide her child from her boss and her teammates, was telling that same child how to defeat Exegol.

“I’m assuming he’s coming with his ships?” Rey asked. Then, “And whose side will you choose once this battle commences?”

Whatever answer she received made her nod, but her expression was full of sorrow. She closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, she kept her gaze on the floor, her expression contemplative now. The connection, Poe knew, was broken.

Rey turned her head and noticed him standing next to the bed. Her eyes widened in surprise; the fact that she had been so focused on her Force connection that she had not noticed that he had awakened didn’t really surprise him. She took a deep, shuddering breath, then turned to face him.

“Your mother?” he asked softly.

She nodded, licking her lips. “She was letting us know where to target the Star Destroyers, but that also they could go on-line at any moment, and once they have shields it will be impossible to destroy them.”

Poe nodded. Leia had assumed as much.

“She also let me know that Ben is bringing ships from the First Order to Exegol to help defend the fleet now that we’ve learned about it, which tells me he does fear us more than he let on.”

He cocked his head. “Do you trust her?”

She looked surprised for a moment, then a bit confused. “I did while I was talking to her,” she said. “But now I’m wondering why.”

Poe couldn’t help but smile at her words. “Because you have good instincts when it comes to people, Rey. The Force wouldn’t lead you astray.”

“You really believe that?”

He nodded. “Yes,” he said emphatically.

She took another deep breath. “Ben is coming with those ships,” she told him. “I need to be the one to confront him.”

Poe wanted to deny her words. She would go in with the rest of the squadron in her X-Wing, he thought. She was a pilot and she would fight with them as a pilot. But before he could say anything to that effect, he corrected himself. She was a Jedi first. She had been training all these months for a reason, and it wasn’t to fly at his side. He swallowed. “Will Luke come with you?” He couldn’t stand the idea of her doing this alone.

Rey frowned. “I… I think he’s afraid to. He still blames himself for Ben turning to the Dark Side.”

“Even when we all know that Ben would have turned no matter what?” Poe argued. “Snoke would have made sure of it.”

Rey shrugged. “He’s stubborn,” she said softly, a small smile on her face. “All of us Skywalkers are.”

“Can’t argue with that,” Poe quipped.

Rey’s smile grew, but then it faded. “We should sleep. I have a feeling we won’t get the chance again for a long while.”

He nodded. “Yeah, we should.” He watched her closely, knowing sleep wasn’t the only thing they wouldn’t get a chance to do for a long while.

Her eyes were luminous in the faint light of the room, and she stared at him intently. Finally, she gave a soft laugh, then reached for the hem of her tunic, pulling it up and off in one swift motion, Shara Bey’s ring glinting in the faint light as it swung into view.

As soon as her head was clear and she was looking at him again, he moved in, a smile of his own on his face.

“Sleep can wait,” he murmured.  

He grabbed the hem of his sleep shirt and pulled it off as he walked toward her, tossing it on the floor. He kept moving forward even as he reached her, backing her carefully against the wall behind her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and met his lips with her own, kissing him fervently. He could almost feel the adrenaline pouring off of her; an aftereffect of using the Force, he now knew. Just like the excitement he felt after a particularly dangerous or adventurous flight. He had quickly learned as a young pilot how often sexual arousal was heightened thanks to the increase in epinephrine; apparently using the Force did that same thing. At least it did for Rey.

Rey rubbed her bared breasts against his chest, and he moaned into her mouth. He reached up and grabbed her wrists firmly in his hands and pushed them up above her head, pinning them to the wall. She pulled back, gasping, her eyes flashing with excitement. He looked at her for a moment, trying to read her. While sex was still new between them, he had felt more than once that the more forceful he got with her, the more excited she got. He would never consider Rey submissive, but she seemed more than happy to have him take charge when they were alone.

He bent down suddenly, taking one of her nipples in his mouth and tonguing it before sucking on it softly. She squeaked out a sharp “Oh!” He realized then that he had not spent enough time with her breasts. He better fix that.

He stood straight once more, grinning at the disappointment on her face. He let go of her arms and grabbed her waist, pulling her away from the wall, then he bent over and shoved his shoulder into her belly, grabbing her behind the knees, swinging her up over his shoulder. She started giggling madly as he carried her over to the bed.  

Using his knees to bounce a bit, he pushed her up and off of his shoulder, keeping a firm grip on her ass as she fell to the bed, then he followed her down, sliding between her legs but keeping his face even with her breasts. Once settled, he began to focus on them intently, using fingers and lips and tongue, alternating from one to the other, watching them peak more and more tightly as he made love to them. Rey was moaning non-stop, her body wriggling underneath him without trying to get away, her fingers running through his hair. “Oh, Force! Poe!” she cried. “Kriff! What are you doing to me?”

He knew what she meant. He could feel her heat against his belly as she arched her hips up, rubbing against him. His own excitement was almost out of control, his cock rock hard. All because he was making love to her tits, he mused in wonder.

“Poe, please!” she cried, tugging on his hair. “Now, please!” 

He sat back, quickly pulling down her leggings and underwear and taking them off completely before pulling down his own pants just enough to release his cock. He moved between her legs again and lined himself up, making eye contact with her before shoving himself into her wet heat.

“Yesssss!” she cried, wrapping her legs around his waist and lifting her hips to meet his.

It was over far too soon, and yet not soon enough. He was almost afraid he was going to come without her when he felt her body spasm and her cries increase their volume. He let himself go, wishing, not for the first time, that they weren’t both on fertility inhibitors. Someday, he thought as his heartbeat slowed.

When this war was won.

******

The morning light was still soft, the reflected glow from Ajara still brighter than the rising sun, when the Officers and Jedi of the Resistance met for one final planning session before heading to Exegol.

Rey looked around at the group of rebels around her. Everyone looked fatigued, and several were still yawning, clutching mugs full of caf, and Rey couldn’t help but smile to herself, knowing that while she and Poe were just as tired as everyone else, at least their excuse was far more pleasurable.

Leia looked a bit stronger than the day before, and Rey felt grateful that Han was taking care of her so well; she had never been the same physically since coming near death during the evacuation of D’Qar, but she was still mentally sound and no one disputed her leadership. Especially now.

“I’m sending Han and Chewie to Wheaton to make contact with all our supporters and as many others as they can,” she said, speaking of a planet in the next system. Rey knew this was to prevent anyone from knowing where the Base was. If their attempt to defeat Exegol failed, the survivors would need a safe place to run to. “They will be given the coordinates for Exegol and told exactly what awaits them there. We want our allies to be prepared.”

She looked at Luke. “My brother and his daughter,” she paused as several people swung their heads to look at Luke and Rey; it was the first time their relationship had been acknowledged publicly. “Luke and Rey,” Leia continued. “Will also head to Exegol, but will separate from the fleet upon arrival. We’ve received intel that Kylo Ren is heading that way with several ships to defend the new Star Destroyers, which tells me that they are still some ways off from becoming a danger.” Rey had met with Leia and Luke right before the planned meeting to tell them of her talk with Mara Jade. Rey still remembered Luke’s look of shock tinged with hope.

“While this means those ships should be easy to destroy, whatever the First Order has coming will put up a fight, and we need to be ready.” Leia’s voice was firm and steady, her gaze intense as she looked about at this group that she knew would follow her to the death. She looked at her brother once more, worry in her eyes. “Our hope is that Ren will go after Luke and Rey once he realizes they are on the planet.” She spoke of her son as if he was the enemy, but Rey knew she was still finding it hard to think of him that way. “Their intention is to keep him and his Knights occupied, and therefore keep the First Order fleet without solid leadership. I know General Hux will probably be taking charge, and he isn’t someone to be underestimated, but Ren has had a death grip on his people since he took over, and him not being there will make a difference.”

“We hope,” Han muttered under his breath.

Leia gave him a subtle poke without looking at him. “Destroy everything you can,” Leia continued, her voice still serious, despite the fact that her Force sense had lightened a bit with her husband’s sarcastic comment. “Ships, stormtroopers, even the temple on the planet surface if you get that far. Don’t worry about our Jedi; they will be on guard and will know when and if you are heading their way. They will maintain comm silence unless they feel they are in danger of friendly fire or if they find a target for you to focus on.”

“Will you be with us, General?” Snap asked. It was a question everyone wanted to ask.

“No,” Han answered without missing a beat. “She’s staying on Base and will coordinate everything from here.”

Leia grimaced, but didn’t counter him. It was obviously something they had already agreed on, and while she wasn’t happy with it, she knew it was the right thing to do. She was too weak; the battle would only weaken her more. “I’ll be in constant contact,” she said softly. “I want to know everything that is going on.” She looked at Rey directly for the first time. “Everything.”

Rey swallowed. While it had surprised her that Luke had decided to come with her to Exegol, she knew it would be her that Ren would be more intent on, and she knew it would be her that was more at risk of being affected by the Dark Side, both from Ren and from Mara, should the woman get involved somehow. Rey was naturally very emotional, and this confrontation was bound to intensify those emotions. Luke’s presence would offer some balance, but in the end, it would be up to her to keep control of her feelings.

She looked at Poe who was standing across from her. He was watching her with a steady gaze, and while she knew he was worried for her, there was a look of admiration in his eyes, a look that told her he was more than confident she could handle whatever was about to happen. It bolstered her own confidence more than anything else could.

The meeting was ended and everyone headed off to do last minute checks on their ships, weapons, and droids. Han and Chewie set out in the Falcon, but not before the former Rebellion General and the current Resistance General shared a long, meaningful hug. Rey felt both awe and sorrow as she watched them. They had gone through so much in their lives, both together and separate. They deserved a happy ending, not another battle.

Luke had been given the Zen Zone, a custom-made starship belonging to Rafe Nebon, for their trip to Exegol; Rafe had been injured while helping refuges on Sullust the previous month and would be assisting on the Tantive IV instead of piloting his own ship. Rey would take her X-Wing, but she was leaving behind the droid she normally used, one she was still more or less unfamiliar with since she rarely flew anymore. She wouldn’t need an astromech for this flight, though she thought that if she still had Sandy, she might have brought him anyway. She envied Poe who still had BB-8 at his side. Poe would be flying an older X-Wing, as his was still far too damaged after his lightspeed skipping, but BB-8 would make sure it performed its best for Poe. When she was done with the pre-flight check, she turned to see that both Leia and Poe were waiting to see them off. Luke was hugging his sister as Rey walked up to them.

“Don’t you disappear on me again, brother,” she was telling him.

He just hugged her tighter, nodding, then he pulled back and kissed her on the forehead. He turned to Poe. “I’ll be counting on you to destroy all those fancy new Star Destroyers, Commander.”

“Well, I’ll do my best,” Poe said with a slight smirk. “But since you’re taking my best pilot, it might be difficult.”

Luke snorted a laugh, then reached out his hand. Poe took it gratefully.

Rey smiled, then turned to Leia, who was also smiling at her brother and protégé. Then the older woman turned to Rey. Without a word, the two women hugged each other tightly. “Come back to us, Rey,” Leia said after a long moment.

Rey nodded. “I will,” she promised, knowing that Leia’s meaning was deeper than her words indicated. Whether or not she survived the coming confrontation, she was determined not to fall to the Dark. They separated, then Leia nodded at Luke and the two turned back toward the Base, leaving Rey and Poe alone.

“When this is over,” Poe said, turning toward her. “And we’re celebrating our victory,” he continued, reaching forward to grab the chain of her necklace with his index finger. He pulled it out from under her tunic until the ring was free. “I’m putting this on your finger.” He stepped into her. “And then I’m getting you pregnant.”

Rey couldn’t help but laugh at his comment. “Really?” she asked. “Do I have any say in that?”

“Of course, you do,” he smirked, pulling her into his arms. “And I know you agree with me.”

Rey wrapped her arms around him, letting her chin rest on his shoulder as she held him tight. “You’re right. I do agree with you.” She paused. “Not sure Luke is going to approve, though.”

“Darn,” Poe whispered. “Just when he was starting to like me.”

Rey giggled at the sarcasm in his voice.

They held each other for a long moment, then slowly they separated, resting their foreheads together.

“I love you, Rey.”

“I love you, Poe.”

“Let’s finish this.”

******

They all made the jump to lightspeed together.

Luke and Rey would stay with the rest of the fleet until they reached Exegol. They would stay toward the back of the group, and once the defenders at Exegol were distracted by the invaders, they would slip down to the planet’s surface. Poe knew they were bringing explosives with them in hopes of destroying the Sith temple, and anyone living in it, while the Resistance fleet focused on the Star Destroyers. While blowing up the base of operations was the optimum goal, it was also just an excuse for the Jedi to be away from the fleet, drawing the Knights of Ren and their leader away from the main battle.

Poe tried not to think how much danger Rey and Luke were in; after all, they would be in just as much danger if they were flying into battle in the skies above. It just seemed more… personal. Flying in his X-Wing, Poe didn’t have to see the eyes of the people he was trying to kill, and it was a rare thing indeed to even communicate verbally with the enemy (his conversation with Hux being an anomaly; while it had been a means to distract the General, Poe couldn’t help but enjoy taunting the man who had been responsible for his torture last year). Rey and Luke would not only be coming face to face with their adversaries, but they were related to two of them.

The trip through the nebula was as treacherous as the last one, but everyone in this mismatched fleet was fully capable of handling it, and Poe felt a moment of absolute pride to be a part of such a group of tough and talented individuals. He didn’t care how much firepower the First Order had waiting for them. The Resistance was in top form, stronger than they had been before their defeat at D’Qar, even if they were a little less strict and orderly. The Alliance to Restore the Republic had been similarly haphazard and chaotic, and they had become victors in the end.

So would the Resistance.

They arrived at Exegol to find exactly what they were expecting: a huge, motionless fleet of Star Destroyers, with three more active Destroyers on guard. The First Order was prepared, and within moments of the Resistance ships entering Exegol’s atmosphere, TIEs began streaming out of the enemy ships.

“TIE’s incoming,” Poe announced, more for those listening back on base than for his companions. “Take out as many as you can, but make sure you get past them and onto those Destroyers as soon as possible.”

“Poe,” Finn’s voice called over the comm. The former stormtrooper was handling the weapons on the Gaundel, one of the many freighter-turned-fighter they had in their fleet. “Those Destroyers are lit.”

Poe looked closer at the still immobile fleet, noticing that the surface lights on the ships were blazing. “Looks like they’re on-line,” he said. “But they still haven’t left atmo, and I’m betting they can’t for a while, yet. Target those weapons!” They had made it in time. Barely.

The TIEs reached them and soon the dark skies above Exegol were ablaze with violent energy. Poe knew that would be the cue for the Jedi to make their way down to the surface, and he had to work to focus on the enemy ships and not try to check his readings to see if Rey and Luke made it down safely. He was grateful when BB-8, who could multi-task much better than him, tweeted that they had landed. Force, he loved his droid. He turned his full attention once more on the TIEs, taking out everything in front of him as he headed for one of the destroyers.

Karè and Jess had already reached one and were bombarding the area behind the giant canon with torpedoes. With a shout of satisfaction coming from one of them (or maybe both; Poe couldn’t tell for sure), they peeled away from the ship as it began to implode from the inside.

“Yeah!” Poe shouted. It worked! “Now they know we know how to beat them,” he called out. “So, let’s do this in a hurry!” There were so many ships to destroy, and he knew the active Destroyers would be moving in quick. But he couldn’t think about how they were outnumbered right now. He just needed to keep going.

The battle increased in intensity as more and more TIEs swarmed them. An X-Wing was lost. Then an A-Wing. A freighter. Another X-Wing. While the Resistance pilots were taking out far more TIEs than they were losing ships of their own, the TIEs just kept coming, as if they were never ending. Only seven of the dozens of Star Destroyers had been obliterated so far; despite the fact they were easy to destroy in their current state, they were being well protected by the First Order, and it was becoming increasingly difficult just to get to them.

Poe could feel his senses becoming overwhelmed.

His breathing quickened, his pulse pounded, his head began to throb, and a tremor started up in his hands. Another Resistance ship burst into flames on his right, and he couldn’t even focus to determine who it had been. Desperate shouts echoed in his ear and even Leia’s calm but determined voice couldn’t push through the fog forming in his brain.

They were losing.

“Poe.”

It was just his name, and it wasn’t coming through the comm. “Rey?” he whispered.

“They’re coming,” her voice said in his head. Was it his imagination? How could she talk to him like this? She was strong in the Force, yes, but he was just… Poe. “Don’t stop.”

Wait! His head began to clear. What did she mean ‘they’re coming’?

“Bombshell Squadron is ready and awaiting your orders, Commander Dameron.”

Han Solo’s gleeful voice resounded in his headset making Poe’s breath catch. He swung his X-wing around, BB-8 beeping excitedly behind him, and his jaw dropped in awe at what he saw.

Dozens of ships of all sizes and makes were dropping out of hyperspace, led by non-other than the legendary Millenium Falcon herself. Wave after wave of mostly civilian ships filled up the space around Exegol. Suddenly, the Resistance wasn’t outnumbered anymore.

“We’re getting overrun by TIEs,” Poe said, his voice breaking a bit as he recovered from his shock. “And watch those Star Destroyers that are just outside the perimeter of the main fleet. None of the ships in the main fleet are able to fire yet, so aim for them. Let’s take ‘em all out!”

The tide had turned, and the hopelessness and anxiety Poe had been feeling were long gone as he moved back in to attack. He heard the voices of the majority of his friends, grateful beyond measure that so many had survived so far. One by one, the TIEs blinked out, their numbers finally decreasing. And one by one, the brand-new, state-of-the-art Star Destroyers were also decimated.

The active Destroyers moved in, desperate now, firing into their own fleet at the enemy ships, but their aim was far from accurate and they were easy to dodge. Poe had a sneaky suspicion that Hux was now in charge, not Ren. Ren would be masterminding some kind of suicide bombing run with his shuttles or something like that, not panic fighting. Which meant…

“Poe?”

Rey’s voice was in his head again. He didn’t question it this time, however she sounded a lot less confident than the first time. “What’s wrong?” he demanded.

“I need help,” she responded. “Please?”

Knowing the battle had turned far in their favor and he wasn’t needed here anymore, Poe turned his X-Wing toward the surface of Exegol, ignoring the calls over his comm asking what was wrong.

“I’m on my way!”

******

When Rey saw the Sith Citadel on Exegol for the first time, she was struck speechless.

It was a huge upside-down pyramid structure that floated above the surface of the planet. The dry lightning that flashed frequently in the dark atmosphere of the planet lit up the black mass of the Citadel, and it was that same dry magnetic polarization that allowed the building to float, not mechanical thrusters or repulsors. Rey followed Luke underneath the intimidating structure, and the two quickly found a platform that would lower them down to the main part of the temple underground. They saw no sign of life anywhere during their cautious journey.

As they descended down into the bowels of the temple, huge statues surrounded them. Ancient Sith, Rey assumed, watching them with blank, expressionless eyes. When they reached the bottom, more statues awaited... but nothing else.

Luke looked at Rey. “Can you tell if Ben is aware of our presence?” he asked her.

Rey shrugged. “I thought I could feel him when we first entered the system, but I haven’t felt him since. Either I imagined it, or…”

“Or he’s blocking you,” Luke finished. “I can’t imagine he wouldn’t have come with his ships, and if he’s blocking you, he’s either on his way or already here.” He looked around them warily. “This temple is literally built into the natural crevasses of the planet,” he said. “It will be impossible to destroy it completely.” He looked back at Rey. “But we can damage it as much as possible.” He nodded toward the small bag of explosives she was carrying and touched his own. “Have you used these kind of detonators before?”

Rey nodded. “I was taught how early in my training, though I’ve never had need to use them as a pilot.”

“Place them at the base of anything that looks like it’s being used for structural support, and anything that just looks like it might be valuable to the Sith. Move quick, and meet back here.”

Rey immediately turned and set out to do as he suggested, her heart racing, knowing that Ren or his Knights, including her mother, could show up at any moment. She ducked through a passageway, stopping every once in a while to place an explosive behind a pillar or at the narrow part of one of the many statues. She rounded a corner and stopped sharply, shock hitting her hard as she saw what was sitting at the far end of the large room. It was a chair. No.

It was a throne.

Glancing around the room, she opened her senses. Even if Ren was blocking his Force presence from her, she would still be able to sense his living presence, as well as that of the Knights, and so far, there was nothing. However, as she let herself read the Force around her, a strong rush of anxiety and mental distress hit her hard.

Poe.

She squeezed her eyes shut and took a deep breath. There was nothing she could do to help him right now. She had to have faith that he was capable of handling whatever was happening to him. But damn, it hurt. She opened her eyes and made her way to the throne. Stepping behind it, she placed her last two detonators on either side of the base, then stepped back. Another wave of panic hit her and she couldn’t stop tears from forming in her eyes. Then she felt something else. A wave of positive energy flowed into her. She stepped back around the dais and saw Luke across the room. He had ditched the bag carrying his explosives and he had a smile on his face. Rey dropped her empty bag as well, then started walking toward him, her brows furrowed. What was he so happy about?

“Han is here,” he said softly as she reached him. “And he brought help. A lot of it.”

Rey realized suddenly that he had a Force connection to his best friend, just as she had one with Poe. She opened herself up again and she could feel it, too. Excitement and pride emanated from a large number of beings in the skies above Exegol. Immediately, she sought out Poe, finding him still in panic mode.

“Poe!” she whispered, trying to imagine her words flowing through the Force to him.

“Rey?” she heard in her head. She smiled. It was working!

“They’re coming!” she told him, holding on to their tenuous connection as long as she could. “Don’t stop!”

She felt his confusion, his desperation. Then she felt his joy and his wonder. Rey smiled, looking at her father.

He was looking back at her with awe in his eyes. “Now, that’s something I can’t do with anyone but Leia,” he said. He cocked his head. “I’m starting to think there’s more to this pilot of yours than I initially thought.”

Rey felt her face heat at the ‘pilot of yours’ comment. “I hope you continue to think so,” she told him. “Because he wants to marry me and have children with me.” She folded her arms in front of her, knowing it was a defensive reaction.

Luke looked at her steadily. “You aren’t scared?” he asked softly. “Of having children?” He paused. “I know I was, which was why I didn’t have any. Or… I thought so, anyway.”

Rey shrugged lightly. “Well, I turned out okay.” She couldn’t help the bit of snark in her voice.

Luke laughed suddenly. “Yes. Yes, you did.”

“Well, isn’t this lovely?”

Rey turned toward the voice, already chastising herself for being so distracted she hadn’t felt Kylo Ren’s presence. She glanced at Luke, who didn’t look at all surprised. He was either a very good actor, or he had known his nephew was near but didn’t care.

Maybe he wanted Ren to hear what they were talking about?

“My loving Jedi uncle and his… daughter.” His distain at the last word was easily recognizable even through the distortion his helmet caused.

Collecting herself, Rey smirked at him. “Hello, cousin. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you in person.”

She heard Luke give a soft snort of amusement next to her, but he remained silent.

Now that she was aware, she felt the presence of more people and looked back to see six shapes behind her, all dressed in black and wearing helmets with their faces covered. They all carried weapons of some sort, but none had lightsabers. She wondered which one was her mother. She glanced at Luke again, who had also looked back at the new arrivals, but his expression betrayed nothing.

Rey faced Ren again, then looked up toward the shaft above them to the battle she now realized they could see from here. It looked as if a lot of the big shapes she knew were the Star Destroyers were burning and falling from the sky. She looked back at Ren. “Looks like you’re losing.”

Suddenly, one of the shapes behind them moved toward them, and Rey looked to see the Knight pull the helmet from their head. Dark hair with a hint of grey and familiar hazel eyes looked back at her. The woman tossed her helmet to the side and looked at Luke.

“Hello, Luke.” She then tossed the axe she was carrying down and pulled out a lightsaber from underneath her cloak. Rey couldn’t help but wonder if it was one she had built while she had been training with Luke.

“Hello, Mara,” Luke said softly. “Welcome back.” Rey knew he was speaking of the Light Side.

The woman raised her eyebrows. “I never really left, you know. I was just biding my time. Waiting for her.” She nodded at Rey with a smile. She looked back at Luke. “I didn’t really believe you’d come with her, but I’m glad you’re here.”

“What the hell is going on?” shouted Ren, obviously pissed.

Mara smiled and turned to face the other Knights, lightsaber at the ready, her back to Luke and Rey. Luke kept his own body angled so that he could see both Ren and the Knights, while Rey turned back to Ren, a smile of her own forming on her face. As one, the three of them lit their lightsabers. Green, blue, and yellow.  

With a roar, Kylo Ren charged them, his eyes on Rey. The Knights, having obviously been shocked by the betrayal of one of their own, also charged forward.

Rey would look back on the fight in the years ahead with a sense of awe. It only took minutes, but it felt like eternity at the time. The Knights, though not powerful in the Force, were still formidable fighters, and they were heavily armored. While Rey and her parents stayed in their defensive position as long as they could, eventually Luke and Mara pulled away, focusing on the Knights, while Rey focused on Ren.

He was good, as she knew he would be, and he was strong. He was older, bigger, and was using his anger to give himself even more strength, and Rey struggled to keep up with his frequent blows. She opened herself up to the Force, but found so much darkness in it that it was disconcerting. It wasn’t just her opponent she was feeling, but the whole of the temple around her. She wondered if Ren was gaining power from it and then thought that if so, maybe she could use it, too.

No! Never!

Her strong mental push against such thoughts seemed to shove the darkness around her away, and she was able to feel the Light infuse her once more, giving her its strength. She moved quicker, was able to brace herself stronger, and was even able to push back more, not just defending herself. Ren seemed to be tiring, his own anger exhausting him. He glanced behind her once and what he saw seemed to mess with his concentration. Rey took advantage and struck low, stabbing him through the hip. He cried out and fell, his helmet tumbling off. Immediately, Rey was able to knock the red-bladed lightsaber from his hand, then pointed the tip of her yellow blade at his bared throat.

She turned her head to see all of the Knights down. Luke was also down on one knee, holding his side, pain on his face. He had been injured, she realized. Mara was standing, but she was panting hard and there was blood on her face. She looked at Luke, grimaced, then turned to Rey. She strode up to her, now looking down at Ren.

“Finish him,” she gasped. “Do it!”

“No!” Rey argued. “He’ll come with us as a prisoner.”

Mara glared at her. “Are you insane?” she yelped. “He can’t be trusted. If he gets away, thousands more will die!”

Rey looked at Ren, who was glaring up at Mara, his brown eyes not unlike his mother’s when she was angry, then she looked back up at the battle above. She could feel the excitement and the satisfaction from those she loved. Poe was especially elated. She looked back at Mara. “I don’t think so.”

Suddenly, Mara collapsed onto her knees, her face pale. Rey realized she was bleeding from somewhere on her chest. Luke had also fallen back into a sitting position, his own injury obviously serious. But his expression as he looked at Rey was proud.

Biting her lip, Rey looked back at Ren. Knowing there was no way she could get three injured people out of here by herself, she closed her eyes and reached out one more time.

******

Poe didn’t have any trouble finding Rey’s X-Wing or the Zen Zone, as they were sitting right next to the huge, intimidating structure that he knew must be the Sith temple they were planning on destroying. Leia had demanded to know what he was doing when he had ignored the calls of his pilots and headed for the planet; there was worry in her voice, despite the fact they were very obviously winning this battle in the skies over Exegol. He couldn’t ignore her.

“Rey needs my help,” he told her, his voice tight.

There was a long pause before Leia responded. “Luke’s hurt, I can tell. Do what you can and don’t hesitate to call for more help if needed.” Poe heard a click and realized she had had him on a private channel and was now going back to full comm. “New orders,” she announced to her greatly enlarged fleet. “Do not attack the Sith Citadel. Commander Dameron is heading down there to assist our Jedi and will let you know when an attack can commence. Continue to knock out those Star Destroyers. Get ‘em all.”

There was an overabundance of almost giddy responses, and Poe couldn’t help but smile through his concern. Whatever was left of the First Order after this didn’t stand a chance against this new Resistance.

He landed next to Rey’s X-Wing, jumping out as BB-8 dropped out of his socket, his soft beeps transmitting his own worries about his Rey. He moved under the monolithic black pyramid, unconsciously wincing at every flash of lightning. BB-8 squealed as a large platform rose up from a crevasse in the ground, and Poe figured that was where he was supposed to go. He and his droid moved onto the platform and it immediately began to drop, slowly but steadily, downward. The gigantic statues that stared at him as they descended made him more than a little nervous.

“I’m not gonna say it,” he said softly.

But BB-8 knew him well. I will. This place is creepy.

Poe smiled at his droid’s comment but it faded quickly when the platform reached the bottom of wherever they were.

“Rey?” he called out, but he received no response. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to focus. He didn’t know what he should focus on, though. How did the Jedi do it? What did they think of? Or did they even need to think of anything specific? Did it just happen for them? He opened his eyes and sighed heavily again. “Just go,” he told himself. “Don’t think.” He looked around and then headed for one of the many openings in the rock wall. He glanced down at BB-8. “I don’t suppose you’re getting any readings down here, huh?” He knew the electrical polarization all over the planet messed with sensors and other equipment. BB-8’s negative chirp was short, but somehow Poe could read the frustration in it.

They moved through the entryway into another large cavern, then Poe chose another opening to go through without letting himself think about it. Soon, he entered the room he had been looking for, almost as if he had known were to go.

Or he had been following the Force.

The first thing he saw was Rey, the only person standing, her yellow blade the only real color in the room as she stood guard over Kylo Ren, who lay still, his face scrunched up in pain while holding his left hip. Rey’s eyes widened and a small smile appeared on her face when she saw him. Luke was sitting on the floor, his expression tired and pained but not distressed. He was holding his side. A woman in black armor who looked suspiciously like an older version of Rey was also sitting on the ground. Her eyes were closed and she was bleeding from more than one wound. The other Knights lay motionless, dead or dying.

Rey appeared to be the only one untouched.

A huge, ugly looking throne sat at one side of the chamber and Poe studied it warily as he walked toward Rey. He looked back at her, feeling the corner of his mouth curl up as he saw her grin. “You said you needed help,” he commented, “but it doesn’t look like it to me.”

She gave a soft laugh. “I need help getting everyone back up to the Zen,” she said. Her smile faded as she looked down at Ren. “Including him.”

Ren had opened his eyes to glare at both of them, and for the first time Poe saw the Ben Solo he had once known.

“At last count, over 75% of your brand-new, state-of-the-art Star Destroyers were literally crashing and burning,” Poe told his old friend. “The older ones aren’t doing much better.”

Ben looked up at the battle. “Where did they all come from?” he asked, the pain in his voice unable to hide the frustration.

Poe shrugged. “Oh, you know. Just the galaxy itself sending out a message that they will not tolerate more fascist control.” He cocked his head at Ben. “Maybe this time we’ll get it right.” He could only hope.

Behind him, Luke was slowly standing. “I think I can walk, Dameron. If you’ll help Mara so Rey can keep her eye on Ben, I think we can make it to the Zen.”

Poe nodded. At least the Zen was large enough to fit four people.

Rey doused her lightsaber and clipped it back to her belt, then took the end of one of her wraps and ripped a strip off of it. She grabbed Ben and pulled him roughly into a sitting position, tying his arms behind his back. “I know, thanks to some unconventional training by my father, that it’s a lot harder to use the Force to untie something than it is to work the lock on a pair of binders,” she was saying. “But since I don’t have binders anyway…”

Both Poe and Luke chuckled.

Poe stepped up to the woman who was still sitting on the floor looking dazed. He reached for her and she looked up at him warily.

“Mother,” Rey said as she pulled Ben to his feet. “This is Poe Dameron. Your future son-in-law.”

Mara cocked her head and gave him a baleful look. “Ah, yes. The pilot.” She reached up and let Poe help her to her feet.

Slowly, the five of them and BB-8 made their way back through the temple to the lift, then rode it back to the surface. One of the Star Destroyers was creating a brilliant light show off to their left when they got there, the pieces falling in flames all over the surface of the planet.

“Oh, that’s beautiful,” Rey murmured.

“Which reminds me,” Luke said. He reached under his cloak and brought out a detonator. “Rey, would you do the honors?” He held it out to her.

“Happily,” she said with another grin. She winked at Poe as they continued over to the ships. Once there, they stopped and turned toward the Citadel. Rey held up the remote and pressed the button.

Poe felt the ground beneath him tremble as the explosives Luke and Rey had apparently scattered throughout the temple earlier detonated.

“I hope you tagged that ugly chair,” Poe said.

“That’s the Throne of the Sith!” Ben said angrily.

Rey ignored him, and nodded at Poe. “Oh, yes. It’s toast.”

Suddenly, the pyramid suspended above the entrance to the temple started to vibrate. Poe felt his mouth open in astonishment as the monolith fell to the ground, the magnetic field that had been holding it up disturbed by the destruction below. The ground shook hard as it hit the dry earth of Exegol, sealing the remains of the temple.

Everyone was silent for a long while. Luke was the first to speak.

“Well, that worked better than I expected.”

Rey and Poe began laughing as BB-8 twittered, and even Mara smiled softly.

“Can we get the hell out of here now?” the older woman asked. “I hate this place.”

******

The next several hours went by shockingly fast and yet seemed to take forever. Luke was able to pilot the Zen so Rey could keep an eye on Ben, and Poe followed them in his X-Wing. They had to dodge falling debris from the decimated fleet as they made their way out of atmo and directly to the medical frigate which was hanging back away from the battle. Rey couldn’t help but feel awe at the myriads of ships of all styles and classes that swarmed the area, all there to assist the Resistance in defeating the First Order.

She glanced at her cousin. He was also watching out the viewport, his brow furrowed. He was very subdued and she knew his injury was severe, as he had been unable to put any weight on his left leg, but she still kept her hand on her weapon, knowing how powerful he was and not trusting his restrained behavior. It could be an act. Maybe he was waiting for his moment.

But he never tried anything, and she began to realize that part of his expression was due to his confusion about what he was seeing. How a mostly unorganized group of civilians had defeated his ‘Empire.’

“That’s our family legacy,” she said softly at one point. “Defenders of justice and freedom. As confusing and messy as it can be, it’s still far better than living under oppression and fear.”

He looked at her as she spoke, but his expression betrayed nothing.

Luke’s injury was deep but clean. Mara had several and had bled quite a bit, but would recover. Ben’s left hip bone had been nicked by Rey’s lightsaber and would need surgery. He was placed under double security in a secure part of the ship.

While they were being assessed, word came of a rather surprising incident from the planet Nardan. Apparently, a large group of First Order stormtroopers, emboldened by stories of Finn and other First Order defectors, had secretly begun conspiring together, getting assigned to one particular Star Destroyer, the Venus Odysseus. Upon hearing about the battle going on at Exegol, they completed their plan and took over the ship. The fifty or so defectors used their newfound freedom to attack two other unsuspecting Star Destroyers, defeating one and sending the other running. They sent a message to Resistance Command through a public channel, offering their new ship to General Leia Organa.

“Looks like Leia’s got a new flagship,” Luke quipped. He frowned at Rey. “Why are you still here?” he asked. “You should hitch a ride back to Base. I don’t foresee much of a battle ahead of us, since I have a feeling more and more First Order troopers will beat their conditioning and turn on their officers. That’s what happens when you steal children and try to brainwash them into servitude.”

Rey shrugged. “I still feel I should be doing more than what I’ve done,” she told her father. “Poe is already back with his pilots.” She had barely been able to say goodbye and tell him to take care after he saw them safely to the frigate.

“Well, you’re a Jedi,” he started. “But you’re also a pilot. Just like me. You can always hitch a ride back down to the surface and get your ship. Provided it hasn’t been crushed by a falling Star Destroyer.” He was smirking.

Rey stared at him for a long while. “You would be okay with that?”

He nodded. “It’s who you are. You have nothing left to do here. Leia is on her way to see her son, and I’m sure Han will meet her when she gets here, but you don’t need to stick around.” He cocked his head. “If memory serves, you were recruited to be a pilot in the Resistance first. You should be with your team for this victory.”

Rey grinned at him, then leaned forward to hug him as he reclined on the medical cot. He held her tightly back.

“Thank you… papa.”

He squeezed her hard. “Don’t make me cry,” he griped, his voice rough. “Get out of here!”

Rey gave a brief laugh, then stood straight and turned to leave the infirmary. She glanced back to see her mother on another bed across the room and gave her a brief wave. The older woman, her expression full of fatigue, still managed a smile and a nod. Rey didn’t know what the woman planned for her future now that she was away from the Knights of Ren and the First Order, but Rey hoped they would stay in each other’s lives in some way.

It didn’t take long for Rey to find the pilot of a small freighter who had just dropped off a couple of injured crewmen. The young Rodian, upon learning who she was, was thrilled to give her a ride back down to the planet. Fortunately, Rey’s ship still sat untouched next to the remains of the Citadel. She fired it up and headed back out of atmo.

“Black One?” she said over the comm, knowing Poe and his team were still in the area. Though the majority of the fleet was planning on meeting up with their new flagship, they would wait for General Organa’s visit with her son first. “Ensign Skywalker here, requesting permission to rejoin the squadron.” She liked the feel of the name Skywalker on her tongue.

“Ensign!” Poe’s voice was music to her ears. “We still have a few TIEs sneaking about in the debris field,” he said, and she could hear the smile in his voice. “We sure could use someone with your talents to help us hunt them down.”

Rey grinned and rolled her eyes. “Oh, so that’s all you want from me? My Jedi ability to find lost souls?”

“Maybe that’s what he wants,” Snap interjected. “But we want our pilot Rey back!”

“Yeah!” Jess called out. “He’s had the Jedi to himself long enough. Our squadron had been missing something since you left, Rey. Even when Poe was with us, there was a hole there where you belonged.”

Rey felt her heart swell at their words. Just the fact that she truly felt like she belonged, that she was wanted, by all these amazing people after so many years on her own…

“Well, I’m back. For now,” she amended. “I’m still a Jedi, but I plan to fly with you whenever I can if you’ll have me.”

Her earpiece was overrun with cries of affirmation from her squadron. Poe was laughing. She could feel his joy.

It took less than an hour for them to sweep the remains of all the decimated Star Destroyers. While doing so, Rey learned that General Hux and the Destroyer he had been on had escaped, but it was badly damaged and alerts had already been sent out across galactic channels that he was a wanted criminal. Leia was already in contact with several surviving senators and other influential people who had been helping to support the Resistance financially in the past year. It would be a long time before an official government could be established, but Leia was willing to take the time. She’d been here before, and there would be no rushing into elections as had happened after the Empire was defeated. Candidates would be vetted much more stringently this time around.

Rey docked with the medical frigate again a few hours later, wanting to be with Leia and Han as they met with their son. His fate was yet to be determined, but Luke’s suggestion of banishing him to Ach-To seemed the most logical conclusion. “He may find his way back to the light,” her father said to his sister and best friend. “But his actions both as Master Ren and Supreme Leader of the First Order cannot be forgiven.”

Han and Leia both solemnly agreed.

The huge volunteer fleet eventually disbanded, with promises of returning to help the Resistance if needed. The rest of the original Resistance fleet, smaller than before as many had been lost before the arrival of Han and the others, finally met with the Venus Odysseus, which Leia officially renamed the Holdo.

The fighters and frigates and the cruisers that made up the fleet berthed in the huge docking bay, and the Resistance members began to settle into the big ship, finding quarters to sleep in and becoming acquainted with the newest ‘recruits,’ the former stormtroopers. Poe began working closely with Leia to reestablish a more organized force; while the First Order was very obviously defeated, with several Star Destroyers and officers still running loose in the galaxy, including Hux, there was still a danger of serious retaliation, and Leia was determined to keep her people strong and alert. Until a new government could be established and a new official fleet formed, the Resistance was still the best defense the galaxy had.

Rey and Poe rarely saw each other face to face during this time. They spoke when Rey joined the squadron on defensive runs or recon flights, and they were in each other’s presence during briefings on the Holdo, but they were both so busy that neither had time to even find quarters for themselves, sleeping in one of the large general crew areas whenever they had time. Most of the officers were in the same situation.

Things finally started calming down when the Holdo made its way back to Ajan Kloss, where Leia was planning on meeting with other galactic leaders; with a Star Destroyer under her command, she was no longer worried about keeping the Resistance base a secret. Rey was given forty-eight hours leave as the meetings took place, but Leia wanted to introduce her and Luke to the emissaries first. After she was relieved, Leia touched her shoulder.

“Poe has also been given leave. I think he went back down to the planet to get your things.”

Rey nodded.

Then back down to the planet she would go.

******

When Poe jumped down from the cockpit of his X-Wing onto the soft loamy ground of Ajan Kloss, he could feel the difference. The formerly bustling Resistance Base had become a ghost town.

He had been here three days previously to help with the removal of some of the equipment from Command, but had not worried about his or Rey’s few belongings at the time; he could get those later. Later was now, and apparently, he was the last person to retrieve personal things left behind. Rain tarps, plasteel doors over cave entrances, the temporary dormitory that was now empty… it all looked the same, but it was eerie how quiet it was. He glanced up toward the empty droid socket on the X-Wing. He had left BB-8 behind since he didn’t expect to be gone long. His companion was taking a much deserved ‘spa’ break in the droid department of their new Star Destroyer, getting an oil bath and a new battery system. With only a 48 hour leave, Poe just wanted to get their stuff, find Rey, and lock himself up with her somewhere private until it was time to go back to work once more.

Taking a deep breath, he headed out and away from the Base, past the meadow where Rey had trained with Luke, past the little lake he had never found the time to bathe in, and to the cave he had called home for the last several months. He moved aside the tarp at the entrance and walked in, reaching for the lamp they had used to illuminate the small space. There really wasn’t much to retrieve, but Poe knew Rey loved the soft Naboolian Wool blanket they had acquired, as well as the holo of the two of them in front of Poe’s X-Wing, BB-8 at their feet, that Snap had taken just last month. Poe thought they looked exhausted in the image, but since it was the only one they had of the two of them together, Rey treasured it.

Feeling a wave of exhaustion wash over him, he moved to sit down in the small chair next to the desk both he and Rey used to write up reports. Both of their data pads were still there. Leia had briefly talked about having a celebration here on Ajan Kloss for the Resistance survivors, but Poe wondered if it would happen. Everyone was still so busy, and now that there were several important people visiting with Leia aboard the Holdo, an informal party seemed less and less likely. He and Rey would just have to celebrate on their own, he thought with a smile.

Almost as if his thoughts had conjured her, the tarp moved aside and Rey appeared. She paused, letting her eyes adjust to the dimness of the cave, and smiled when she focused on him. The sun was sharply angled behind her, and Poe knew sunset was near. She stepped in and let the barrier drop down, cutting off the bright light.

“I was just thinking about you,” Poe said softly.

Her eyebrows rose and she cocked her head at him. “Oh, really?” she asked as she moved toward him. “Good things, I hope.”

“I was thinking that 48 hours is long enough for a private celebration,” he told her. But then another thought came to him as he reached his hand out to her. “But where? You haven’t picked out quarters yet, have you?” He hadn’t.

She shook her head as she took his hand and let him pull her closer. “No,” she said softly. Then she moved to sit sideways on his lap, bringing one arm around his shoulders and the other hand up to brush hair off of his forehead. “But that’s okay. We can just stay here.”

Poe kind of liked that idea. Except… “What about food?”

“I still have emergency rations in my ship,” she said. “Do we need anything more than that for a couple of days? Especially since there will probably be tons of leftovers from the meetings when we get back.”

Poe smiled and nodded. “Rations will work.” He let his hand sweep gently down her back, curling his fingers around the curve of her ass and pulling her lower body in closer to him. He wasn’t nearly as tired now as he had been before she had gotten here. “We’ll probably have to remind each other to eat anyway.”

Rey responded to his lowered voice with a wiggle of her hips, then brought her lips to his. Poe lifted his mouth to meet hers, immediately requesting entrance with his tongue. She accepted without hesitation, and for a long time they just kissed. Deep, wet, hot kisses. Kisses that sent his blood rushing south. He lifted his hips slightly, pushing against her, and she responded with a moan, letting him know she could feel his growing erection.

Suddenly, she slipped off of his lap. Standing briefly in front of him, but keeping her lips close to his, she moved back down, bringing one of her legs in between his, straddling his left leg. He could feel the heat from her core through their clothing as she sat down, and gave a rather undignified moan of his own as she began to rub against him. He swore she sounded like she was purring as she continued to rock her pelvis against his thigh.

“Kriff, Rey!” he exclaimed softly. “Yeah! Keep doing that! Get yourself off! Ride me!” He moved in to kiss her neck, bringing his hands down to cup her butt and help her rock into him harder.

“Poe!” she gasped, and just the sound of her voice sent shivers up his spine. “Oh, I want…”

Her movements became faster, and a soft whine emanated from her throat. Her desperation brought about a frenzy of his own, and he could feel his cock grow unbearably hard as her thigh touched it ever so slightly while she moved. He sat back to watch her, eyes half-closed, mouth open, chasing her high.

“Poe!” she cried again, and even in the dim light he could see the rosy flush overtake her face as she orgasmed.

With a shout of his own, he came.

Breathing hard, he pulled her close to him, burying his face in her neck. “Kriff,” he huffed. “What the hell, Jedi! I haven’t come in my pants since I was 16!”

Rey started giggling. “Sorry?”

He leaned back to look at her, smiling. “That’s okay,” he told her. “It just means we can finally do what I’ve always wanted to do and never could.”

“What’s that?”

“Take a bath in that beautiful lake at sunset,” he said softly. “There were just too many people around.”

“Not anymore,” Rey smiled.

“Exactly.”

Within minutes, they were both stripped naked, boots and weapons and underwear scattered on the floor. Poe grabbed up a couple of old towels and some body scrub and they slipped out into the orange sunset light. Laughing, they raced each other to the water’s edge. Once there, Poe took Rey’s hand and carefully led her into the warm water, knowing she had yet to learn how to swim and was still a bit wary of large bodies of water. He stopped when the water was about midway up their chests, then he let himself duck down under the surface, getting his hair thoroughly wet. He held tight to her hands as she did the same thing, coming up gasping and laughing as she worked her now wet hair out of her customary buns.

They continued to play in the water, taking turns with the soap and splashing each other, laughing. Rey washed his hair and he returned the favor. He once again held onto her tight as she rinsed the soap out of her long dark locks. Dusk fell upon them, and the jungle around them became loud with the music of nighttime fauna. Their playful touches turned heated once more, and soon Poe led Rey back to the shore.

They didn’t make it back to their little cave.

Rey dropped down on her knees on top of the towels, her wet body shining in the pale yellow light that was already appearing as the gas giant Ajara started to rise. She lowered her front end down, resting on her forearms, and slowly swayed her ass back and forth, taunting him. No. Inviting him. How could he refuse?

He kneeled down behind her, grasping her hip firmly with one hand, and accepted her invitation. Slowly, he sank into her wet, welcoming heat. He closed his eyes, absorbing the feel of her. Her smell. The sounds she was making.

“Poe…” she breathed, raising up and leaning her body back into him as he began to slowly thrust in and out. He wrapped his arm around her, grasping her small, perfect breast in his hand and squeezing gently. His other hand left her hip and moved around to play with her clit. She gasped and moaned, her cunt clenching around him in reaction. “So good,” she moaned. “You feel so good.”

Breathing hard now, he brought his mouth up to her ear and grasped it between his lips, licking the rim and sucking on it, his hips moving faster. She brought one hand down to cover his as it continued to caress her center, holding him there, as her other arm went up and back around his head, grasping his wet hair. He moaned at the feeling of her slight tugging,

“Force Poe, I love you!”

It took a split second to realize that those words, words he knew had come from Rey, had not been said aloud. Taking a deep breath, he thought his own words of reply in his head.

“I love you, too, Sunshine. So much!”

Rey smiled. She had heard him!

“Kriff!” he cried out loud as that realization intensified his arousal. His hips started snapping and he dropped both hands to her hips to hold her steady. She responded by dropping her upper body back down once more, allowing him to fill her deeper, to pump into her harder.

She suddenly cried out a sharp keening “Yes!!!” and he felt her core clench tightly around him, her body shuddering. A gush of moisture followed his movements as he pulled out, and he could feel the excess leak out as he shoved himself back in. She had ejaculated, he realized. He had never been with a woman that had done that before. The realization caused his own climax to hit, and he held his hips tightly against her, determined to empty himself completely inside her this time.

Gasping, he carefully leaned over her and pulled her against him, lowering them both onto their sides on the soft grass he had laid the towels over. Rey was breathing just as hard as him.

“What was that?” she finally asked, her voice a bit shaky.

“You squirted,” he told her, trying not to smile.

“Is that a good thing?” she asked.

“That depends,” he said carefully. “Did you enjoy it?”

She huffed a soft laugh. “Uh, yeah.”

He finally let himself smile. “Then yes, it’s a very good thing.”

They lay silent for a while, basking in the afterglow. Poe stroked her shoulder as the light of Ajara started making her skin glow. “As beautiful as it is,” he murmured. “Ajara doesn’t hold a candle to Yavin. I can’t wait to make love to you as it rises.”

“Oh, I hope it’s someday soon,” she replied, glancing at him over her shoulder again. “I can’t wait to meet your father!”

“He’s going to love you,” Poe told her, giving her a quick peck on the lips.

She smiled, her eyes bright. “You know now we need to bathe again, right?”

He laughed. “We’ve got plenty of time, Sunshine.”

She smiled back. “We’ve got a lifetime.”

THE END