A/N: It took a long time to get back to writing after I was done with Naboo. I loved it so much and was so proud of it, it was difficult trying to find a story to follow it. All I know is I wanted the 'trio' back together; Finn needed to be a part of the action again. Eventually, a story evolved around them, and I love it, but I still found that this particular story, as much as I wanted Finn involved, ended up being a fluff and smut fest for my favorite couple. I guess I felt they were still making up for all the time they lost in the last story! Therefore, I'm labeling this one a full romance, but it does have an intriguing story, too.

So, (in my best General Dameron voice) Welcome to Exegol!

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Rey Skywalker stood atop the ridgeline, looking out over the vast expanse before her. Pale green grasses blew in the ever-present wind of the prairie off to her left and to her right the stark sandstone pillars and cliffs of the area known as the Badlands showed off their various colors, ranging from almost white to bright orange. Somewhere not too far from where she was now standing and not so long ago, she had faced death as a Moher, a giant bird-like creature, stole her right off of Sal's back and tried to fly away with her.

It was odd to feel nostalgic about such a terrible moment in her life, but her time here on Kolbe almost two years ago was a memory she could look back on with only a minimum of negative emotion now. It had ended well for both her and Sal, and the planet itself was not to blame, so why dwell on the bad? Which is why she was here now, looking over this area right along the border between the grasslands and the Badlands, deciding with a handful of other Resistance members whether or not this would be a good place for a new base.

It was a bittersweet decision for all of them; Yavin IV, where their current base was located, had become home for many of them. But they had known it was temporary, and four times now since the end of the war with the Traagmol it had been attacked by terrorists that had supported either the Traagmol or their Sith sponsors. Seeking revenge, they had threatened the innocent residents of the planet, which made moving the base a priority now. Rey had been the one to suggest Kolbe, knowing it was uninhabited by any other sentients at the moment.

It hadn't always been that way. After Rey had returned from her forced exile on the planet, she had learned a great deal about it. It had once been home to several different sentient species, including humans. The land was rich and fertile, and though the weather was volatile, the growing seasons were long and many had thought raising substantial crops was worth the gamble of having it all ruined in one fell swoop by a tornado or hail. Then the Empire had taken over, and most of the residents had essentially become slaves. When crops were destroyed by natural disaster, the Imperials didn't just shrug and say, "Oh, well. That's life." Instead, they took it out on the farmers. Whole villages were destroyed, people killed or sold into true slavery off-world. When the Empire fell just over 35 years ago, it didn't take long for all the survivors to abandon Kolbe, the years of fear and worry over the weather having taken its toll. Since then, Kolbe had been left to the non-sentient native inhabitants and the occasional temporary smuggler or rebel hideout.

But now, Rey was almost positive, it was about to become home to the Resistance.

Just two short weeks ago, Rey and the group she was now with had attended a meeting on Naboo, the current capital of the New Republic, where it had been suggested that the Resistance should be disbanded. After the war with the Traagmol had ended, recruitment for the New Republic's Navy and Army had increased tenfold, and now, for the first time since its re-establishment, the New Republic's military was larger and better equipped than the Resistance. But the Resistance's leadership had declined to even talk about dissolving their organization. Leia Organa had established the Resistance back when the first New Republic had a very well-organized military; that hadn't helped them when the First Order unveiled Starkiller Base. The Resistance would remain, separate from the New Republic but ready to assist when needed. No one really challenged them; after all, if it hadn't been for General Poe Dameron and his militia, the war with the Traagmol would have been lost.

*Are you going to ever come down or are you going to stay up there looking like a goddess waiting for us to worship you?*

The teasing question wasn't asked out loud, but Rey could hear it in her head as if he had spoken right next to her. She looked down the hill off to her left, where her husband stood several yards away from her, hands on his hips and a small smile barely visible through the short beard on his face as he looked up at her.

*I don't see you worshipping me,* Rey responded in kind.

*Really?* She could see him raise his eyebrows and tilt his head. *What about last night? I must not be doing it right.*

Unbidden, images of last night rushed into Rey's mind. Poe's dark head between her legs, one of Rey's hands gripping his hair, his beard tickling her inner thighs. She took a deep breath, cleared her throat, and started down the hill toward him. He was grinning now, his smile startling against the salt and pepper beard. As she got closer, she finally spoke out loud. "You're getting pretty good at that," she told him. He was getting better every day with his growing Force abilities; just a few short months ago having a full conversation with each other through the Force wouldn't have been possible, with just a word or an image being the extent of their non-verbal communication.

"Could have gone on longer if I hadn't been distracted," he told her as she finally reached him.

"Hey, it's your fault that memory came to mind," she told him wryly. They started walking side by side toward the Shaman's Trance, the shuttle they had used to come to Kolbe. The others in their group were also slowly making their way back to the ship after doing their own personal survey of the area.

"Yeah, well, now you can help me with my little problem," Poe told her as they walked along.

Rey glanced down at her husband's crotch, noting that the bulge there was a bit bigger than normal thanks to their shared memory of last night. "Little?" she asked. "Since when did you become so modest?"

Poe stopped and turned to her, his eyes narrowed, but she could see the corners of his mouth twitch. "Not THAT problem!" he said in exasperation. He waved his arm toward the shuttle. "THAT problem!"

Rey looked to where he was motioning, noticing BB-8 at the top of the ship's ramp, rocking back and forth in agitation. She laughed. "Oh! That little problem!"

"Yeah," Poe responded as they continued walking. "He won't leave the ship. Your stories of this place have him totally freaked out." He shook his head. "He's convinced some big bird is going to fly away with him."

"I think he's been hanging around Threepio too much," Rey told him. "He never used to be scared of anything."

"I keep telling him that we'll take safety precautions if we move here, but he still refuses to agree to it."

"Have you informed him he isn't a part of the Resistance leadership therefore he doesn't have a say?" she grinned. "He needs a job, Poe," she continued. "He hasn't flown in combat since he was with me at Naboo."

"I know," he answered. "That's pretty sad, isn't it? Almost a year of peace and my droid is going crazy."

"We'll figure out something for him," she told him as they reached the ship. The others in their group started to gather around them.

Poe waited until they were all there. "Well? Yeah or nay?"

"Yes," D'Acy said firmly.

"I like it," Connix agreed.

"It'll work," Junior added.

"Let's do it," Finn said with a sharp nod.

BB-8 started squealing from his position at the top of the ramp.

"Noted, buddy," Poe told him. The droid's opinion was the lone objection.

"Okay," Poe said with his own nod. "Welcome to the new home of the Resistance!"

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