The Return

Tigg Lerann returns home to Yavin IV with Rey right by his side.

My first fic of 2026, written for the 'Hey, Sweetheart 2026' challenge. Prompts include: The pet name 'sweetheart' must appear in the work, a bouquet of something, note hidden in a coat pocket, and late night text message (or in this case comm). If the intro didn't tell you, this is a sequel to Tigg Lerann. Rated Mature for sexual content.

Tigg Lerann rolled over onto his back, staring at the ceiling above him for the umpteenth time. It was the second night in a row he had been unable to sleep. It wasn’t that the bed was uncomfortable; it was actually a bit larger than what he was used to and the mattress was quite acceptable. And it wasn’t because he wasn’t tired; he was absolutely exhausted. Anxiety and stress from the last few days combined with worry about what was to come were taking their toll on him.

In less than five standard hours, they would be arriving at Yavin IV where he would meet the father he barely remembered.

With a sigh, he sat up, reaching for the light sitting on the otherwise bare bedside table and turning it on. He threw off the covers and reached for the borrowed clothing he had laying over the empty wardrobe. The shirt and trousers fit him fairly well, as the man who had donated them was approximately the same size as he was, and that wasn’t the only thing they had in common. Finn was also a defector. A former stormtrooper, in fact. He even remembered saluting Tigg more than once when they passed in the corridors of the Supremacy.

Finn, a name he had chosen himself as it resembled his Trooper designation of FN-2187, had refused to participate in the ‘cleansing’ of a village on Darfur last year, and before he was sent to reconditioning managed to bribe one of the lower ranking pilots to help him escape the ship to the planet they were orbiting at the time. Eventually he had found his way to the Resistance and had never looked back. Tigg briefly remembered hearing about a stormtrooper that had deserted around that time, but it had not been one of his pilots so he’d had little interest.

Tigg had spent a great deal of time with Finn these past couple of days as the former stormtrooper showed him around the Raddus and introduced him to other members of the Resistance. Upon talking to Tigg about what he remembered of his past before the First Order had taken him, Finn had been envious; he had no memory of his past before the First Order. The Jedi Rey had even tried helping him remember, but it was believed Finn had been very young when he had been taken, most likely still a toddler, while Tigg had been nine standard years old. Of course, Tigg probably wouldn’t remember his past, either, if it hadn’t been for Rey.

Rey. Tigg grimaced as he thought about the young Jedi who had intentionally gotten herself captured by the First Order with the goal of rescuing him. He knew she had been tortured by Supreme Leader Snoke during that captivity, and yet she had shown no regret. If anything, she was still his biggest fan on this ship. While most everyone treated him well, he still got some wary looks from time to time, probably because he himself was still wary of them. He just couldn’t quite trust that they could ever trust him.

But it didn’t matter, he thought. He wasn’t planning on joining this Resistance. He had promised he would go to Yavin IV and meet with his father, but after that he was free to do as he wanted. Stay on Yavin or leave and start a new life elsewhere. It would all depend on how things went with Kes Dameron.

And that was the main reason he couldn’t sleep.

He left his cabin and began walking casually along the corridors, not really having a destination in mind. It was still very early in the ship’s day cycle so there weren’t many people out and about, and the few that were barely even gave him a glance as they traversed the hallways. He found himself just outside the doors to one of the lounges. He decided to enter on a whim, knowing there would be windows to look out at the incandescent glow of hyperspace and hopefully no people at this early hour. The doors slid open and he stepped in, only to find there was one person inside.

Rey.

Feeling an unusual combination of both anger and joy at her presence, he moved further into the room. She turned her head at his entrance, and her beautiful eyes widened while a smile immediately graced her face. Her expression soothed him, and any anger he felt disappeared.

“You’re up early,” she said, her voice subdued. She sighed and leaned back in her chair. A cup of caf was on the table in front of her.

Noticing it, he looked over to see a dispenser on the counter along the right side of the room. There was also a basket with some kind of bread rolls. He shrugged in response to her statement and moved toward the food and drink. He could smell the rolls, he realized. They were fresh, still warm. “I couldn’t sleep,” he mumbled, reaching for a roll, as well as a plate and a knife and a packet of some sweet cream to slather on it.

“Have you slept at all since you came here?” she asked softly. If the room wasn’t as quiet as it was, he probably wouldn’t have heard her. The gentle throbbing of the hyperdrive was the only sound.

He huffed a soft laugh, pouring a cup of caf. Then he turned to her, cup and plate in hand, and walked toward her table. “Not much.”

“You don’t trust us,” she said matter of factly.

He sat across from her. “Not really,” he said with a grin. “But I don’t trust anybody.” He shook his head. “That’s not why I can’t sleep.” He took a sip of caf. It was surprisingly good, much richer than what he was used to.

“Why then?” She was genuinely curious, he realized. Her eyes were focused on him, her expression open and almost innocent. Remembering the feelings he had inadvertently felt from her back on the Supremacy when Snoke had been torturing her, he felt a wave of regret fill him. How could she be so kind after what she had endured?

He licked his lips and sighed, thinking over her question. “I’m nervous,” he finally admitted. He looked up at her. “Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve been nervous about anything?”

She was silent for a while, and he could tell she was thinking carefully about what to say to him. “Nervous about meeting your father?” she asked.

He nodded, then picked up the roll, taking a bite out of it. As with the caf, it was very good.

“I know Kes fairly well,” Rey continued. “When I talked to him about coming after you, he was very excited, but very nervous as well. Even then he said that if we succeeded in getting you back, that he would be okay if you didn’t want to come home. That he would be happy just knowing you were free.”

Tigg contemplated her words as he chewed. When he swallowed, he took another sip of caf, then he smirked at her. “So, he doesn’t really want me back?”

Rey scoffed and shook her head. “Oh, no,” she argued. “He wants you back very much. He just doesn’t want you to be forced into anything. Not anymore.”

Tigg nodded seriously, then he continued to eat. The food and caffeine helped settle his stomach and his nerves. He watched Rey as she continued drinking her caf, staring out the viewscreen at the kaleidoscope of hyperspace. When he was done eating, he sat back and cocked his head at her.

“Is it true you’re Palpatine’s granddaughter?” It was a question he had had since the first day he saw her, when Hux had mentioned it to him.

She looked at him, giving him a one shoulder shrug. “From a certain point of view.”

He arched an eyebrow at her.

She sighed. “My father was… a clone. A failed one, or so Palpatine thought.”

“Failed how?”

“The Emperor wanted a clone as powerful as him, strong in mind and in body and in the Force.” She rolled her eyes. “Dathan was strong in mind and in body, but not in the Force. However, he was able to pass that power on to his offspring, something the Emperor had hoped for. What he didn’t expect was for my father to hide me away from him.” She paused. “Thank the Force Luke and Leia found me first.”

“What happened to your father?” he asked, already knowing the answer.

“Both he and my mother were killed protecting me from a bounty hunter sent to retrieve me.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I barely remember them,” she whispered. “Luke and Leia and Leia’s husband and son became my family.”

“Even though you’re not related to them?” he wondered. “Even knowing who you were related to?”

“Family isn’t always blood,” she told him. “I seem to recall you calling the First Order your ‘family’.”

Tigg grimaced.

Suddenly, the Raddus shuddered. The viewscreen changed from the winding strings of hyperspace to a starfield. And off toward the left, a huge orange planet.

“We’ve arrived early,” Rey said. “Looks like Rose’s modifications to the hyperdrive worked.” She gave him a soft smile. “Welcome to Yavin.”

******

It was the smell that Tigg remembered first.

As the shuttle soared down through the clouds and they were able to see the surface of the fourth moon of Yavin, he had thought maybe something familiar would pop out at him then. But the green jungle beneath them didn’t strike up any memories other than the ones Rey had helped push to the surface the day he had let her touch his mind on the Supremacy. Even the towering stone pyramids they flew over didn’t create any feelings. But after the shuttle landed and he and the other occupants headed for the now open hatch to disembark, a rush of warm damp air flowed inside.

The earthy smell of wet soil, petrichor, and flowering plants invaded his senses, bringing memories of long days tramping through the jungle, climbing trees, swimming in warm ponds while watching the anglers catch crabs along the marshy banks. He remembered camping along the Nenadda River, complaining about the woolamanders that kept him up all night. He also remembered how that particular trip had been cut short when he and his companions realized there was a male doodar prowling nearby.

His eyes roved the clearing the shuttle had landed in, noticing a group of people standing near a speeder not far away. One man in particular stood out from the rest of the group. He wasn’t particularly tall, his body lean and compact, his posture military straight. His hair was more salt than pepper, but the creases around his eyes and mouth were more from living life than actual age. The man was looking at him, his expression anxious.

General Organa stepped forward ahead of his group, which consisted of Luke Skywalker, Han and Ben Solo, and Rey. The man, Kes Dameron Tigg was sure, looked away from him and focused on Organa. He smiled and reached out. Organa reached back, grasping his hands as they greeted each other.

“General,” Dameron said with a nod.

“Don’t ‘General’ me,” Organa responded as she moved in for a hug. Dameron laughed and wrapped his arms around her. “It’s been too long,” Organa said when she stepped back.

Dameron nodded as the men behind Organa stepped forward to shake his hand and the hands of the others with him, two human women and a male Duros. Rey glanced at him, then moved forward to offer Dameron a hug as well. When she stepped back, she turned and faced Tigg.

“Tigg?” she asked softly. He appreciated the fact that, even though he had spoken of wanting to be called Poe the day of his arrival on the Raddus, Rey still called him Tigg, as if she knew he would need time to get used to the other name. Organa had essentially done the same thing, though she used his rank of Commander when she addressed him. He focused on Rey, who was looking at him expectantly. The others had also gone silent, watching him.

Taking a deep breath, he stepped forward toward the man standing next to Rey. Dameron was watching him with eyes filled with both hope and fear. Or maybe that was just his imagination. Tigg held out his hand. “Commander Tigg Lerann,” he said softly. “Formerly,” he added.

Dameron took his hand, squeezing it firmly as they shook. “Sargeant Kes Dameron,” the man replied. “Formerly.”

Tigg huffed a soft laugh as he let go of his father’s hand.

Rey reached out and touched his shoulder, but faced Dameron. “Tigg is still learning to become comfortable with his birth name,” she told the older man. “But he has accepted that Poe Dameron is who he is.” She didn’t mention that they had run a DNA test his first night on the Raddus, just to be absolutely sure.

Dameron nodded, blinking rapidly. He cleared his throat. “And have you remembered anything of your time here on Yavin IV, yet?” he asked.

Tigg nodded. “I do. As soon as I smelled…” he paused. “Everything.” He couldn’t help but smile as Dameron nodded in understanding. “Many memories came back to me. But they are vague. Hazy.”

“Scent is the number one trigger for emotions and memories,” Rey explained. “Other familiar things should clear up a lot of those memories. But not all. You were still fairly young when you left here, so don’t get frustrated if things don’t come back as clearly as you would like.”

“We can go to the house,” Dameron said. “Not a lot has changed since you were a boy. And there are many holos you may remember.” He turned to the people who had been waiting by the speeder behind him. “These are friends, all who knew you when you were young. They came to welcome you, too.”

“I think going to the house is a good idea,” Organa agreed. “But there may be something else that might help him remember even more.”

Dameron looked at her, his expression confused for a moment. Then his eyebrows rose and he nodded. “Yes,” he said with a smile. “I think you might be right.” He looked back at Tigg. “Let’s go to the barn,” he said, glancing at Rey as he did so. “There’s something there I think you’d like to see again.”

******

It was an RZ-1 A-wing interceptor.

As soon as the large barn doors were opened and he stepped inside, Tigg knew immediately what it was. He could have claimed it was because he had learned every type of fighter in use today during his training with the First Order, but he remembered even as a child feeling a connection to this type of ship, though it was only mentioned briefly during his studies. Now, as he looked at this one, dusty and obviously unused for a long time, he knew exactly whose ship this had been.

He walked toward it slowly, reaching out to touch the cool hull with reverence. The group he had come here with stayed in the doorway. Quiet. Respectful. He turned to look at them, his glance falling on Rey first, then Organa, then Dameron. “I learned to fly in this ship,” he said softly.

Dameron nodded. “Your mom had you piloting it from her lap when you were only six years old. She took you up in it even before then. Said you were a natural born pilot.”

Tigg nodded. He remembered. His mother’s voice. Her touch. The way she laughed with pure joy the first time he took full control and swooped the ship around as if he had been waiting for years to finally fly it.

He focused on Dameron. “You argued with her,” he said. “You didn’t want me to become a pilot.”

Dameron shrugged. “It wasn’t that I didn’t want you to be a pilot,” he said. “I didn’t want you to be a combat pilot like your mom. I knew if you started flying that you would insist on going to the academy, and though we were fairly peaceful then, I never believed it would last.” He shrugged again and glanced at Organa. “I guess I was right.”

Organa winced in return, but then looked at Tigg. “Why did they send you to become a pilot and not a trooper?” she asked. “I was under the impression most of the children taken by the First Order were sent to become troopers.”

Tigg frowned. Now that he thought about it, most of his fellow pilots had been enlisted into the First Order as young adults. Unlike him, they had not been raised in the dormitories. And, in fact, he was the only one of the group of children he had been raised with that had gone on to the piloting academy and had become an officer.

“They knew who you were,” Rey said softly. “They knew whose child you were. They wanted you to become more than a disposable soldier.”

Everyone was silent for a long while, and Tigg felt more than a little unsettled at the implication. He had never been just a nobody to the First Order. He had been an important pawn, a way to flaunt their control of the Rebellion’s history.

“This ship has been just sitting here for a very long time,” Dameron finally spoke, breaking everyone out of their own individual thoughts. “It would need some work to get it flying again, but I know it can be done.” He paused. “If you’re looking to find something to do and a quiet place to do it, while you settle into this new life, Tigg, you are more than welcome to stay here and work on her.”

Tigg wasn’t surprised by the offer, and he was also intrigued. It was indeed something he would like to do. But…

“If they know who I am, what’s to keep the First Order from coming here looking for me?” he asked. “I’m a deserter, now. A wanted man.”

“I highly doubt they think you’d come back here,” Organa said. “Not only do they know you left with me, so they think you’ll be staying with the Resistance, but they’ve got more important things to do than seek out one lost pilot.” She looked at Dameron, who was standing with his arms folded, a deep frown on his face. “If anything, they might send a small party here to check around, but they won’t want to draw any attention.” She grinned. “If they kept you in the public’s eye with the intention to show the galaxy they controlled a son of Rebel heroes, the last thing they want is for people to realize the Rebels won you back.”

“Nobody in the village will know you’re here,” Dameron nodded. “There are plenty of areas to lay low on the property should anyone suspicious show up. You’ll be safe here.”

“I could stay,” Rey said, stepping forward. She looked at Organa, who was watching her with one eyebrow raised. “For added security.” She gave a one shouldered shrug. “You’ve been telling me I need to take some time off to meditate and focus more on the mental aspect of the Force. What better place than with the Uneti?”

Tigg was a bit dumfounded by Rey’s offer, but her last words pulled him out of his shock. “The tree?” he asked. “The Force tree?”

Rey smiled at him. “Yes.”

Organa sighed, then looked at her husband and brother, both of whom were smirking.

“I could stay, too,” Ben said casually.

“No!” Rey said sharply, then caught herself. “I’d rather do this alone.”

Tigg didn’t miss the conspiratorial smile between Organa and her husband before the older woman turned back to him. “If it’s okay with Kes, it’s okay with me.”

“I’d love to have you stay, Rey,” Dameron said. “You always enjoy your time with the tree and maybe Poe… I mean, Tigg… could use your help with the ship. I’m great with speeders, but anything that goes out of the atmosphere is beyond me.”

Rey smiled, then looked at him. “Tigg?”

Tigg was aware his heart was beating a little too fast. He wanted to stay here, to work on this ship from his childhood, to get to know his father again, to find peace and hopefully stability here on this planet he once called home. And the idea that Rey wanted to be here, too, that she obviously wanted to spend time with him…

“Yes,” he said. “I’d like that.”

******

Dameron gave Tigg his old childhood bedroom.

Upon arriving at the house, after seeing off the General’s shuttle, more hazy memories rushed into Tigg’s brain. A non-hazy vision of his mother’s smiling face followed, which made the holos of her in the house’s living area seem almost surreal. While Dameron had been using the bedroom for storage, the few boxes and knickknacks didn’t take up too much space, and everything else had essentially been unchanged from the day he had been taken, along with six other human children, from the Wetyin Primary School. The comfort and familiarity of the room was almost palpable.

Rey was given the one guest bedroom, which was located on the east side of the house, next to Dameron’s room, while his room was on the west side. He remembered loving the fact that he could see the sunset from his room, and that the sunrise didn’t wake him too early like it did his father.

The three of them shared a comfortable meal that first night, and afterward Rey headed off to visit with the Uneti, leaving him and his father to talk by themselves for the first time. Tigg spent most of the conversation telling Dameron about his memories of growing up in the boarding school run by the First Order on Vardos and eventually sent to training, first as a trooper, then as a pilot, on the Supremacy. His father listened intently, sometimes gently interrupting to ask a question, but mostly he sat in silence, his eyes sorrowful. It was obvious as Tigg recalled the details that affection had been nonexistent in his life after Yavin, and Dameron recognized that fact.

“You were much older than others that were taken, weren’t you?” Dameron asked at one point.

“I was placed with children around my age,” Tigg answered. “But they had all been there much longer than I.”

“They took a risk taking you at your age,” Dameron continued. “You had already established clear memories. Happy memories.”

Tigg was silent for a moment. “But they knew I was a child of the Rebellion,” he said softly. “They must have wanted me badly.”

“I think whoever was in charge when they came here to steal children recognized you and couldn’t pass up the opportunity. If you hadn’t been so obsessed with flying, and proven yourself to be a natural at it, you might not have ever made it past their training program.”

Tigg couldn’t help but give a humorless laugh. “But all I wanted to do was fly and they gave me that opportunity.”

Dameron shrugged. “I think you were just waiting for Rey to come along.”

Tigg couldn’t deny his words.

“Just as I think she’s been waiting for you to come home as long as she’s known of your existence,” Dameron added softly.

Tigg frowned at him, wondering what he meant, but then Rey had come in from the outside. Her exposed skin had a sheen of sweat that made her almost glow and her expression was one of contentment. She was fracking gorgeous, he thought, not for the first time. She gave them a soft smile and wished them goodnight before heading to her room. Tigg and his father also wished each other a goodnight after that.

The following day, he spent the morning with Dameron as they toured the farm. His father showed him the things that were new since Tigg had been a boy, but Tigg remembered enough, including how amazing fresh Koyo tasted. Afterwards, they joined Rey for lunch, then Rey went with him to the barn where they both got to work figuring out just what Shara Bey’s A-Wing needed to get running again. They made a list of parts that Kes would get in town. It was a lot. The engine was so worn down not only by hard use before Shara’s death but by disuse and dust and rodent activity that it would have to be almost completely rebuilt. Tigg was happy to see that Rey was as excited for the challenge as he was.

On day three, Kes received a comm from one of his friends in town. Five human strangers had arrived, claiming they were there to purchase a large quantity of Koyo directly from the source. Though they wore civilian clothing, it was very obvious they all had a military bearing. Tigg and Rey took to the jungle, bringing along enough provisions to last several days, though Kes was sure they wouldn’t need to stay away that long. After several hours hike, they found one of the many bunkers that had been built years earlier by the Rebellion to house food and weapons away from the main base. This one had a cabin nearby, where it was said that one of the Rebel Alliances greatest operatives had lived during his time on Yavin IV.

They camped out in the bunker, deciding to take turns keeping watch just in case these ‘strangers’ decided to search. While it was Rey’s turn to watch, a low flying shuttle woke Tigg from a restless sleep. It kept moving, but Tigg couldn’t go back to sleep. Rey seemed to recognize his need to keep his mind occupied and struck up a conversation.

“How are you enjoying being back in your room?” she asked. “Do you have many memories of it?”

He nodded. “I’ve been sleeping very well in it, actually. I have very little bad memories of it.” He winced. “The only really bad memories I’ve had so far are of sitting next to my mother in her bed, holding her hand as she faded away.”

“Were you with her when she died?”

He shrugged. “Yes and no.” He paused for a moment. “I had fallen asleep. My father’s weeping woke me.” He frowned. “I just now remembered that part.”

Rey was silent for a moment. “Every time I visited here with Luke, I stayed in your room. I always felt a connection to you. I know that sounds strange.” It was her turn to shrug. “I was the one that recognized you in the holovid. You were exactly as I had pictured you as a grown up just by looking at the holos of you as a child.” She cocked her head at him. “Luke once suggested that I may have had visions of you, that our connection in the Force started when I began meditating with the Uneti.”

“That’s what my father meant,” Tigg mumbled.

“What?”

“Nothing,” he replied, embarrassed. He had long acknowledged that he was attracted to Rey, that he desired her, but he wasn’t about to believe she felt the same. She was a Jedi, after all. He was a First Order defector. He wasn’t worthy of doing her laundry much less hoping for her affection. A connection through the Force didn’t mean they were soul mates, for kriff’s sake.

It was shortly after noon the next day they got a comm from Kes informing them the strangers had left. They had bought several cases of Koyo, but had seemed more than a little disappointed that their not-so-subtle questions about a boy named Poe Dameron hadn’t brought up anything but “I remember him. So sad,” or “Dameron? Any relation to Kes?”

Both Rey and Tigg continued working on the ship, with Tigg occasionally joining Rey at the Uneti, where she taught him how to meditate. He watched in awe as she hovered above the ground during her meditation, and when she practiced with her lightsaber while he was there, he tried his best not to get turned on. She was so freaking beautiful, and she moved like a dancer. Her smile when she looked his way was big and bright, and he felt a powerful warmth fill him, wondering if she looked at others that way or if he was indeed that special to her.

There were other moments, quiet moments, when she looked at him in a way that made him question how sure he was that she didn’t want him the way he wanted her. And his desire for her only grew. He knew something would have to give eventually. Either he would have to bring up his feelings for her and risk heartbreak when she turned him down, or she would jump his bones.

He was really, really hoping for the latter.

******

“Rey?”

The unknown male voice caused Tigg to jerk his head up, and he came very close to bonking his forehead on the underside of the ship he was under. Some binary beeping followed the voice as a human man and an orange and white BB Unit entered the barn.

“Oh, hi, Preston,” Rey responded, her voice somewhat unenthusiastic. But her next comment was much brighter. “Hello, BB-8!”

“I was here picking up my monthly order of Koyo when I saw you walk by the entrance,” the tall blonde man continued. “I didn’t know you were visiting. Kes didn’t say anything.”

Though he couldn’t see Rey from his position, he could imagine her shrugging. “I’m not visiting to socialize, so I haven’t been to town. Kes wouldn’t tell anyone as he knows I’m here to meditate and train.”

Tigg decided he better make himself known, so he rolled the creeper he was on out from under the A-Wing. He watched the man turn startled eyes toward him.

“Oh, this is my friend Tigg,” Rey continued nonchalantly as Tigg stood. She was squatting down by the droid, one hand on it as if she had been petting it. “Kes is giving him the A-Wing and I’m helping him fix it up.”

“Really?” the man said, surprise written all over his face.

Rey stood as the droid beeped a question. She opened her mouth to answer, but Tigg got there first.

“No, I’m not with the Resistance.”

Rey raised an eyebrow, apparently surprised he could understand binary.

“Then how do you two know each other?” Preston asked, frowning.

“Tigg is an old friend of Kes’,” Rey responded. “He’s been away for a while, but he may stay on. He hasn’t decided, yet.” She was giving him a soft smile, her expression almost fond.

“Huh,” the man said noncommittedly.

“Preston?” Kes could be heard calling from the house. “You’re loaded and ready to go!”

The man nodded. “I’ll leave you to it.” He gave Rey a lingering look, then turned away. “Let’s go, BB-8.”

The droid beeped mournfully as it started to roll after its master.

“My offer for him still stands,” Rey said, calling after Preston. BB-8 stopped and looked back at her, almost hopeful in its demeanor.

The man turned, looked at the droid, then back at Rey. “I’ll consider it. You gonna be around for a while?”

Rey glanced at Tigg. “As long as I’m not needed elsewhere.”

Preston nodded, then he left, the droid following slowly.

Tigg looked at her as they watched the speeder loaded with a crate of Koyo leave.

“Offer?” Tigg asked.

She sighed. “I want his droid. BB-8 and I have been friends since we met five years ago. He doesn’t like Preston and Preston doesn’t really like him.”

“Do you?” Tigg hadn’t imagined her lack of interest in the man.

“Not anymore,” she answered as she turned back to the ship. “Not since I’ve grown up.” She shrugged. “I had a big crush on him when I was younger.”

“And he took advantage of that,” Tigg guessed.

“Yes,” she nodded. “He really does care about me, I think. But yeah, I was too young to be smart about it.” She gave him a smirk. “It was a learning experience.”

Tigg snorted. “I’ll bet.” He felt anger roll through him. Though he wasn’t sure of Rey’s age, he guessed that five years ago she hadn’t been much more than a child. “You’re far too good for the likes of him,” he mumbled.

“Why, Tigg,” she smiled. “You almost sound jealous.”

He opened his mouth to automatically deny it, but then stopped himself. Why lie? “Maybe I am,” he said softly.

Rey seemed startled, then her expression relaxed. “You don’t need to be,” she said. “There’s a reason I’m here with you right now and it’s not just to protect you from the First Order or meditate with the Uneti.”

Tigg stared at her for a long while, then he shook his head. “You’re too good for the likes of me, as well.”

She smiled. “Somehow, I knew you’d say that. But remember, I’ve learned. And I know you’re wrong.”

He heard footsteps come up to the barn door and he turned to face it, watching as Kes stepped inside. “Dinner is ready if you are,” he told them with a grin.

“I’m starving,” Rey said as she moved to join Kes in the doorway. She glanced at Tigg as they turned and left the barn.

“You still trying to buy that droid?” he heard his father say as he followed them.

“I’m going to get him one of these days,” she replied.

Kes glanced back at him. “Hey, just to remind you guys, I have to go out of town for that Ag conference tomorrow. You sure you’ll be okay watching over the place for a few days?”

“Absolutely,” Rey responded. She looked back at Tigg. “We’ll be just fine.” The smirk she gave him sent shivers up and down Tigg’s spine.

The good kind.

*****

Tigg wasn’t at all surprised when it happened. He was surprised where it happened.

Not in the barn while working on the A-Wing. Not in the house with one sneaking to the other’s room. Not even in the meadow with the Uneti tree. No, it was while they were checking the well systems in the pump house.

Rey had tightened the control valve and Tigg had flipped the pressure switch back on when she backed into him, her bare arm brushing against his. Neither had made the first move; it had been a simultaneous action. There had been no bending or twisting or angling involved; they were close to the same height and had no need to make adjustments. They just fit. His arms around her waist. One of her hands fisted in his hair. His tongue deep in her mouth.

Within seconds he had pushed her against the wall where she had brought one of her legs up, hooking her knee over his hip. He rutted against her, causing them both to moan into each other’s mouths. Suddenly, she was shoving him away from her, grabbing his arm and pulling him toward the service desk in the middle of the room. He lifted her onto it, then helped her as she wiggled out of her leggings and boots. She lay back on the table.

“I’d like to see Preston walk in on us now,” he mumbled as he lowered himself down to nuzzle the super soft skin on the inside of her thigh. Her giggle turned to a gasp as he worked his lips up toward her core.

Tigg was no stranger to sex, but in his old life it had been nothing more than a pleasurable way to relieve stress. Due to his looks and his rank, he had had no problem finding partners, but he had kept them few and far between, and he made sure to never share his bed with the same person twice; no sense in giving anybody the idea that he wanted more than sex. However, he had never wanted it like he did now. He had never wanted any one person as much as he wanted Rey. Her beauty, her strength, her intelligence… it all attracted him. Her bravery and her infectious joy were addicting. He didn’t just want her body; he wanted all of her.

Rey cried out underneath him as she reached her peak with the help of his fingers and tongue. Her face rosy red and her chest heaving, she sat up and pulled off her tunic, exposing her small but perfect breasts. She reached for his shirt as he worked to unbuckle his trousers. He had to back away from her to get his own boots off, but she pulled him back to her as soon as he was free from all clothing. She spread her legs and then wrapped them around him as he leaned over her, his mouth taking hers as he moved his lower body in. He slid into her wet heat and she moaned into his mouth.

They moved slowly together, taking their time. Tigg tried to absorb every feeling, every sensation, drowning in the physical pleasure and overwhelmed by the emotions. Eventually his hips began to move faster, encouraged by that ancient instinct to create life. To claim a partner. To bond with another forever.

Rey’s body bowed underneath him, her legs tightening around his waist, her cunt tightening around his cock. She cried out just as he released himself inside of her.

“Oh, Poe!”

It was a re-naming. A rebirth of sorts. His name, spoken with such reverence and joy. It was a realization that he was and had not been ‘Tigg’ for a long time; he had just been waiting for Poe to find his way home.

And in Rey’s arms, he finally had.

******

They eventually moved to the more comfortable environment of Poe’s bedroom, but they didn’t contain their desire to that locale in the days ahead. Up against the A-Wing, in the chair next to the service desk in the barn, and of course in the meadow under the Uneti tree. They explored each other thoroughly, both physically and emotionally, talking as much as making love.

Poe brought Rey a huge bouquet of bioluminescent orchids just before dinner one night, which made Rey get teary eyed; nobody had ever gotten her flowers before. She returned the favor by taking a quick trip to the village and purchasing a large box of Jendara Chocolates shaped like Koyos; Poe had never really been able to enjoy sweets before, and he quickly learned that chocolate was amazing.

Rey eventually moved the few things she had brought with her to Poe’s room, and when Kes returned four days after he had left, he didn’t make any mention of it. Nor did he say anything about Rey’s using ‘Poe’ now, though he also began using it instead of ‘Tigg.’ There was never any questioning. Never any judgment. But he did seem to walk around with a pleased look on his face.

The rainy season started in earnest, and Kes was able to find two older raincoats for Poe and Rey to wear. Though nothing was said, it was obvious the coat given to Rey had been Shara’s. On one particularly rainy day, Rey disappeared while Poe had been busy once more under the ship. A bit concerned that she hadn’t said anything, he pulled on his coat to head back to the house, but once it was on, he realized there was a flimsy in the pocket. He pulled it out and opened the folded note.

“Got a message from Dero in town, so I’m following up on what she told me. I’ll be

back before lunch!”

Dero was one of Kes’ friends, one of the people who had been there to meet him when he arrived on Yavin. One of the people keeping the secret about who he really was. Poe grudgingly went back to work on the ship, still worried for some odd reason, but as she had promised Rey was back before lunch. And she wasn’t alone.

BB-8 was in the speeder with her.

Grinning, she brought the droid into the barn out of the rain. “I told you I’d get him!” BB-8 was tootling happily along with her.

“What did you say to Preston to get him to agree?” Poe asked, grinning down at the droid. He had never really thought much about droids, but there was something very likable about this one.

“Well, Dero let me know that Preston had his eyes on Mit Klieberg’s daughter. She didn’t like that very much and she knew I wouldn’t either.”

“How old is she?” Poe asked, frowning.

“Fifteen,” Rey told him. “A year younger than I was.”

Poe grimaced.

“I confronted him and told him to leave her be. And that I would tell her father unless he sold BB-8 to me, at a reduced price.”

Poe chuckled, but then cocked his head at her. “Do you think he’ll listen and leave her alone?”

“Oh, it doesn’t matter,” Rey said. “I stopped by Mit’s house and let him know before I brought BB-8 home.”

Poe burst out laughing.

That night, he treated both Rey and his father to a meal he remembered his mother teaching him how to make not long before she got too sick to do so. The memory had come to him while lying in bed, his arms wrapped around Rey, just before sleep took him. The recipe and directions came to him as clearly as if he was reading it off a datapad, and after serving the wonderful smelling dish, he joked that if it wasn’t any good to blame his faulty memory.

It was amazing, just as he remembered when his mother made it. Kes had tears in his eyes after his first taste, not of sorrow, he said, but of pride.

Five weeks after their arrival on Yavin IV, Poe and Rey pushed the A-Wing out of the barn one clear morning, and Poe took it for its first flight in over twenty years. He soared out of the atmosphere, connecting with Yavin’s flight control, letting them know it was Kes Dameron’s ship he was flying with permission. It was the first time he used the name Tigg Lerann in over two weeks. The ship obeyed him perfectly, and Poe felt an amazing sense of calm fill him as he found himself among the stars again. Force, he had missed flying. The ship did not have its hyperdrive on-line, but that didn’t matter; it was never intended to leave Yavin, even if he eventually did. After a good forty minutes of flight, he headed back home, where the people he loved, and who loved him, waited for him.

Less than a week later, Poe woke to the sound of Rey’s commlink chirping loudly. It wasn’t the sound it normally made when she was getting a comm. She jumped out of bed, grabbing it up and moving to the ‘fresher to answer it. She didn’t close the door, but she was talking so softly he couldn’t hear what was being said. When she appeared in the doorway, her expression was serious.

“Sweetheart?”

“That was Leia,” she said, her voice deep. “They need me back with the Resistance.”

******

Poe sat in the shade of the Uneti, his eyes closed, breathing deep. He listened to the sound of the breeze in the tree above him, the woolamanders and birds calling from the jungle, and the faint tinging sound of metal on metal coming from the direction of the barn. One of the chains that held the metal gate shut swinging in the wind, he guessed. He smelled the damp earth and the growing things and the flowers. He felt the coolness of the breeze, which told him there was rain on the way, though at the moment he could still feel the heat of the sun on his face. It was peaceful and beautiful and… home.

He heard footsteps in the grass and opened his eyes to see his father walking toward him. The older man stopped near him and carefully lowered himself down onto the ground next to him. He looked up at the Uneti and took a deep breath.

“Smells like rain coming,” he said.

Poe breathed in and could smell it as well. “Yep.”

There was a long pause. “I know I don’t have to tell you, but you’re welcome to stay here for as long as you want. You can keep your room or you can build a house of your own somewhere else on the property. Whatever you want to do.”

Poe nodded. “I know.”

“Or you can fix that hyperdrive and take that ship somewhere else. Start a new life. Maybe start a family of your own.”

Poe shook his head. “I don’t think I could settle anywhere but here, Papa,” he said softly. “But…”

“But you’re going to join the Resistance,” Kes finished for him.

“Do you think I’m crazy?”

Kes snorted a laugh. “No. Just so long as you’re doing it because it’s what you want to do and not because you think Rey will love you more if you do it.”

It was Poe’s turn to laugh. “I don’t think she’d love me at all if she thought I was doing it for her.” He sighed. “No, I do want to make amends for all the harm I caused when I was flying for the First Order, but more than that, I really feel like I can help them. I’m a fighter pilot. It’s what I’m best at.” He grinned. “And I really, really want to fly an X-Wing.”

Kes laughed.

“I know you don’t want me to go to war, but…”

Kes nodded. “They need you. Rey needs you.” He sighed again and pushed himself to his feet. “Just promise me one thing.”

Poe looked up at him. “What?”

“Promise you’ll help the Resistance make some smart-ass holovid showing off their newest pilot, Poe Dameron.”

Poe grinned. “Okay.”

Kes reached down and Poe grasped his hand, then let his father pull him to his feet. They embraced, holding each other tight. “Come back home when you’ve won, okay?” Kes whispered.

“I will,” Poe told him as he pulled back. “And Force willing I’ll settle down and raise a family here.”

“Jedi babies?” Kes queried.

“I hope so.”

The soft roar of an incoming shuttle made them both look up. The ship came down low just past them, landing in the clearing a few hundred meters from the house. The two men headed in that direction.

When they reached the clearing, Rey was already there, her sling bag over her shoulder, BB-8 at her feet. She was watching him with fearful eyes. She had not asked him to come with her, but he could read the hope on her face. She bit her lip, then moved toward Kes as the shuttle’s ramp lowered. She hugged the older man, and Poe could just hear him say “take care of my son.”

Rey stepped back, her expression surprised. But then a smile lit up her face. “I will.” She moved back even more and Poe moved forward to hug his father one more time. When he pulled away, he looked at Rey. She held out her hand to him. “Ready, Commander?”

“You think they’ll let me keep my rank?” he asked.

“I don’t see why not,” she responded.

He took her hand and together they walked onto the shuttle, BB-8 following close behind.

THE END