This is a long one, everyone! The first part is the Battle of Starkiller Base from Poe's POV, with one very huge difference in the end that I think most of you will appreciate.

The second part is the aftermath, and it's where the rating I initially gave this story is going to take effect. If you're not into spicy, sexy stuff, you might want to avoid the latter part of that chapter. You'll be able to tell when things get hot and heavy. As usual, all sexual content is loving and consensual.

Let's do this!

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Starkiller.

What a name. Not exactly original. He wondered who had been the one to suggest that name and if it was Snoke himself that had approved it. As he and the rest of the high-ranking officers studied the hologram depicting the planet-turned-weapon, with Finn offering tips with his inside knowledge, Poe couldn't help but feel his normally positive mindset struggling. How in the blazes were they going to win this?

Fortunately, he was surrounded by people who were not going to give up easily, and before long a plan was formed. Han and Chewbacca volunteered to get Finn to Starkiller, where the three of them would infiltrate the base and turn off the planetary shield, which would allow Poe and his squadron to attack the thermal oscillator and de-stabilize the planet core.

It was a long shot, but it was all they had. The fact that Starkiller had managed to find out where their base was, and was currently targeting it, only made it more imperative that they do something. Now.

"So," Poe concluded. "We disable the shields, take out the oscillator, and we blow up their big gun." He looked at everyone around the room, making eye contact with Rey at one point. She looked troubled. "All right! Let's go!"

As everyone began to disperse to prepare for the coming fight, Poe watched as Rey walked over to Han. She touched the man's arm to get his attention, seeming to ask him if they could talk, and after Han gave a sharp nod, they moved to the corner where Rey began to talk to the former General in earnest. Poe stopped near the door and waited, noticing that Leia was also watching her husband and protégé curiously. Finally, after Rey stopped speaking, Han took a deep breath and nodded seriously. Rey gave him a small smile, and the two turned together, heading toward Poe.

"Commander," Han acknowledged Poe as he passed, slapping him on the shoulder in approval, then moved on past. Having known and respected Solo since he was a child, the man's obvious support bolstered Poe's confidence. Rey stopped and looked at him.

"What was that about?" Poe couldn't help but ask.

"I… had a vision earlier. Involving Captain Solo." She winced, glancing at Leia. "I didn't want to worry Leia, but I thought I should at least warn Han."

Poe nodded, then took a deep breath. "You ready for this?" he asked as he turned to head up the bunker stairs, Rey at his side.

"Do I have a choice?" There was laughter in her voice.

"Bet you're regretting ever changing your mind and running to catch me on Jakku all those months ago," he said as they reached the door and exited the building.

Rey stopped suddenly and he followed suit, turning to look at her.

"No," she said softly, her eyes huge, the jeweled depths drawing him in as always. "Not one bit."

"Kriff, I want to kiss you," he whispered.

She smiled slightly. "Probably not a good idea here," she said. "But I will welcome it when we get back."

Poe nodded solemnly. "When we get back." He stepped forward suddenly, leaning in not to kiss her, but to gently touch his forehead to hers. Then he stepped back. "Let's do this."

The Falcon was airborne within twenty minutes. Poe's squadron followed shortly after. They would jump to the Hearn System, which was just a few short light-years away from where Starkiller Base had settled, and wait for the go-ahead from Command as soon as the shield was down. If it ever came down. Poe had to admit, the odds were so far against them, it wasn't even funny. If Han, Finn, and Chewie didn't succeed…

He wasn't even going to go there. He couldn't and stay sane.

The wait seemed interminable, but finally the call came. A few short minutes later, they were coming out of hyperspace at Starkiller.

Poe felt a moment of fearful awe at the sight. They could see what looked like a tremendous beam of red/orange light travelling between the stark white planet and the sun it was slowly consuming. Grimacing, Poe focused on the planet in front of him, his positioning system already keyed onto the oscillator. He led his squadron toward it.

"Almost in range," he announced, more for Command than his pilots. "Hit the target dead center, as many runs as we can get!"

The X-Wings swooped down toward the hexagonal shaped facility. It was huge, and despite the dozens of powerful blasts from the fighters, it appeared unaffected.

"Direct hit!" Bastian crowed.

"But no damage," Asty groused.

"Yeah, we gotta keep hitting it! Another bombing run!" Poe told them. "Remember, when the sun is gone, the weapon will be ready to fire. But as long as there's light, we got a chance!"

BB-8 suddenly squealed from his socket behind Poe. He looked to his right and felt his already racing heart freeze for a brief moment. "Guys, we got a lot of company!" TIE fighters, dozens of them.

And so it went. The X-Wings regrouped to make another run on the oscillator, while fending off the attacking fighters at the same time. Poe kept most of his attention on what he was doing, but a large part of it was, he admitted, always aware of Rey's voice over the comm. She was holding her own, brilliantly dodging the TIEs so that she could focus on their target, but taking one or two out when she had to. The oscillator remained stubbornly intact.

And they were losing the sun.

"Furillo's been hit!" Jess shouted.

Poe noticed the heavy cannon immediately. Kriff. As if they didn't have enough to deal with.

"Watch out for ground fire!" Snap called out.

Suddenly, Poe heard Rey shout out a curse, then she yelled "No!"

"Rey, what's wrong?" Poe demanded. He could see her, on his port side, not too far from him. Her ship looked fine.

He could hear her take a deep, shuddering breath. "Nothing," she gasped. "It's okay." He could hear the obvious relief in her voice, and he realized that whatever was going on, it wasn't something that was happening around her. She was feeling something through the Force.

Another X-Wing was taken out. Jennison gone. Another. Whalari gone.

"We're overwhelmed!" Jess cried. "It isn't working! What do we do?"

Poe could almost feel her despair internally. Or maybe that was his.

Ziff's excited voice came over the comm. "Black Leader, there's a brand-new hole in that oscillator! Looks like our friends got in!"

Immediately, Poe focused on it, knowing what he had to do. "Red four, red six, cover us!"

He dived for the section of the oscillator that had a gaping, burning hole in it. BB-8 immediately began taking readings and beeped them out to Poe. He would barely fit. He had to fit.

"Everybody else, hit the target hard! Give it everything you got!"

He angled for the hole, seeing Rey's X-Wing in his peripheral just off to his right. "All teams, I'm going in. Pull up and cover me!"

As the rest of his team shouted out 'good luck,' Rey's voice came through almost like a whisper through is headset. "The Force is with you, Poe. Don't fight it." Then her X-Wing peeled off to rejoin the battle.

Taking a deep breath, Poe felt his heartrate slow. He maneuvered Black One onto its side, not as easy a thing to do in atmo as it was in space, and he closed the S Foils, making the ship as small as possible. It wouldn't do to lose his weapons before he had a chance to use them. Then he slipped through the crack in the oscillator, not really sure what he would find on the other side. A TIE trying to follow him turned brilliantly orange as it hit the side of the hole.

The interior of the oscillator was dim but not dark, and the dozens of generators that controlled the flow of energy that was coming from the almost dead star were easily visible. Without thinking twice, Poe aimed for as many as he could, firing torpedo after torpedo into the walls of the giant cavern, knowing it could collapse on top of him at any moment. He circled the structure, coming around completely to face the hole he had entered through.

Closing his S Foils again, he turned to slip through, barely getting into position in time. He thought he heard the screech of metal on metal, but BB-8's high-pitched tootle covered it. Finally, he was free. He directed Black One upward, back into the fray.

Only the battle was already ending. The TIEs were scattering, many rushing back toward the hangers they had come from, but some heading for space. The oscillator was already in flames, and while he watched it imploded. Some of his squad had directed their attack on what they assumed was the Command Center, but from the looks of things it wasn't necessary.

"All teams, get a safe distance from the planet. If you see any evacuating First Order ships, take 'em out." His voice was as hard as his words.

"And let's hope Snoke is on one of 'em!" shouted Ziff.

"I doubt he was down there," Jess argued.

"He wasn't," Rey confirmed. "But Ren is."

Poe felt his skin prickle at the sound of that name. "Does he know you're here?" he asked her.

"Yes, that's what…" she took a deep breath. "I could sense him about to do something horrible to his father, but then he felt me. And stopped. Han got away."

Poe felt both fear and relief at her words. "Keep your eyes open for the Falcon," he directed the others. Then he and the others watched in awe as Starkiller Base, formerly the planet Ilum, began to disintegrate.

Poe thought he saw a familiar shape against the flares of red and he dived down to circle behind it. The glow from the conflagration beneath him helped him confirm his original identification. "All teams! I got eyes on them!"

He followed the Falcon away from the planet as his squad cheered. He heard Rey laugh, and it filled him with joy.

"Our job's done here. Let's go home."

XXXXXX

Less than an hour after the survivors of the Battle of Starkiller Base arrived back on D'Qar, another emergency meeting was called.

Rey was still in her flight suit, as were the rest of the pilots. Ships had been checked for necessary repairs, losses had been counted (and the mourning had already begun), and the adrenaline let-down was being managed; every individual had different methods for the latter. Rey was about to seek out Poe when she got the notice from Command.

She had been able to gather snippets of news in the past hour. The hard stuff, like the number of losses, and the good stuff, like the fact that the team that had gone to Starkiller to disengage the shield had all arrived back alive. Finn was injured, and rumor said that it was a lightsaber wound to his arm, but both Han and Chewbacca were unharmed.

When Rey arrived at Command, a holo of a galactic map was lighting up the center of the room. A map with a missing piece.

"How?" Rey asked anyone close.

It was General Statura who answered. "General Organa's droid woke up. He had the rest of the map we've been looking for in his data bank."

R2-D2 was awake? Rey had known about the droid almost from the day she had arrived on D'Qar. It had been dormant, but she had been told that Leia was too attached to it to get rid of it. Later she had learned that it once belonged to Luke Skywalker.

BB-8 was beeping excitedly, and Rey watched as he rolled across the room to Poe. Poe immediately responded by collecting the chip with the map they had gotten from Lor San Tekka and giving it to BB-8, who rolled up across from R2-D2, projected his own hologram, reduced its size, and placed it right where it belonged, completing the map.

"Luke," Leia gasped, hope filling her tired face. Han grinned and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Several others began to laugh and cheer softly. Rey looked at Poe, who was already crossing the room to her, a broad smile on his face. Rey lifted her arms as he enveloped her in a bear hug. She started laughing. After all they had gone through these past few days, they had finally achieved what had been the goal all along: finding Luke Skywalker.

The crowd settled and the droids turned off their holos, scurrying off to share their information with each other so that both would have the completed maps in their memory banks. C-3PO toddled after them, chastising R2 for making him fret for so many years. General Statura stepped forward, clapping to get everyone's attention.

"As I'm sure you all know, we gave the First Order a huge defeat today. But Starkiller was not their homebase, which we still believe to be an actual Star Destroyer. The Supreme Leader is still alive, as are most of his top Generals. And they know where we are." He was silent for a while, letting his words sink in. "We figure we have a minimum of three standard days before they come after us. I want mechs to get started on any repairs to our ships, especially our fighters. Twelve hour shift limit, please. I don't want anyone dropping from exhaustion. Pilots, you have 48 hours to rest up, but keep your comms on in case the enemy shows up early. We'll start evacuation procedures in 24 hours." He looked around. "Let's go!"

Leia suddenly spoke up. "Rey, I'd like a word with you."

Rey nodded at her, then looked at Poe, who still had his arm around her shoulders. His smile was gone, and though he still looked pleased, he also looked exhausted. She gave him a little shove. "Get some sleep, Commander."

Forty-five minutes later, her head and her heart a jumble of confused feelings and nervous anticipation, Rey walked down the hall of the barracks, heading for the only person she wanted to be with right now. Her meeting with Leia had created a landslide of emotions in her, and she had returned to the barracks to shower and change in a daze. Now, unable to sleep, she found herself in front of Poe's door.

She knocked softly, suddenly unsure if she should be there. The door opened immediately, and Poe stood there in nothing but a pair of sleep pants, his hair still wet from his own shower. She was caught off guard by his appearance, but not so much that she forgot why she had hesitated.

"I'm sorry," she said softly, knowing almost everyone in the building was either sleeping or trying to. "I shouldn't have come. You should be sleeping."

"Leia's sending you to find Luke, isn't she?" Poe asked, his eyes intense.

"How..?"

He shrugged. "You're the obvious choice."

Rey swallowed. "I'm leaving with Han and Chewbacca at first light tomorrow."

He nodded but stayed silent.

"I…" She stopped, uncertain what to say. What to do.

He reached for her arm, grasping it lightly and gently pulling her inside the room. "Come here," he said, his voice low.

She shook her head, but didn't fight him. "You should be sleeping," she argued. "You've been through more than anyone else these past few days."

The door closed behind her and Poe smiled. "I'll sleep better if you're by my side."

She licked her lips nervously. "You want me to sleep here?"

He stepped into her and cupped her face with his hands. "If you want?" he whispered, bringing his lips close to hers. "Or you can leave after."

"After?" Rey's voice was barely a breath. She knew what he meant, but she wanted to hear him say it.

But he didn't say anything. Instead, he kissed her, and that was answer enough.

She let herself fall into the kiss, opening her mouth under his without hesitation. His hands were running up her back, sliding under her sleep shirt and making the bare skin of her back both burn and tingle at the same time. She returned the favor, running her hands along his shoulders, then running them down his chest, her fingers brushing the ring he wore on a chain around his neck. He gasped into her mouth as her fingers swept over his nipples, and she retraced her path so that she could touch them again, fascinated by his reaction.

He backed up briefly, grasping the hem of her shirt and pulling it up and over her head. "If you get to touch, so do I," he told her, his voice rough.

"Oh, yes!" she nodded, and watched avidly as his hands moved to cup her small breasts. She jumped as his thumbs ran over her nipples, and she felt an embarrassing amount of moisture flow from between her legs. It was almost as if touching her breasts had turned on a spigot. She felt her face heat and she grasped his wrists as her breathing increased.

He stopped. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she whispered. "Do that again?"

A slow smile spread across his face, and he carefully brushed his thumbs over her nipples again.

Rey couldn't stop the moan.

"Ooooh," Poe said softly. "I think you like it." He stepped in and started kissing her once more, his hands gently kneading her breasts.

She let her own hands explore him as her body began to heat up. She ran them along his ribs, then down to his waist, then around to his belly. He sucked his gut in at her touch, hissing into her mouth. She smiled. "I think you like that."

He growled softly, then grasped her upper arms and began to direct her backwards toward his bed. It was still mussed from his earlier nap, and Rey felt more than a little excitement at the idea of sharing it with him. Slowly, he directed her to sit, and then lay back, on the bed. He propped one knee on the edge and leaned over her, kissing her lips, then moving down to tongue her jawline and even further down her neck. One of his hands brushed her breast again, and she arched her hips up almost involuntarily.

"Poe!"

He brought his hand down to the waistband of her sleep pants and began fingering the tie. "May I?" he asked softly.

She arched up again. "Yes. Please, yes!"

He chuckled, then moved to stand next to the bed once more. Slowly, he undid the tie, then he pulled them and her underwear down over her hips. Rey felt her breathing quicken until she was almost gasping. To think the idea of someone touching her so intimately once disgusted her. She wanted his touch so desperately she wanted to scream. He slid the pants off completely, dropping them on the floor as his eyes roamed her naked form. His face was serious, his eyes huge.

"Poe?" she whispered.

"You are so beautiful," he said, blinking rapidly. He licked his lips. "I can't believe…"

"You can't believe what?" she asked when he didn't continue.

"I can't believe… you're mine."

Her heart racing, she pushed herself up onto her elbows. "Yours?" she teased.

He looked at her, embarrassment filling his expression. "What am I saying? Of course, you're not mine. You belong only to yourself. I-"

"Poe?" she interrupted him. She waited until his eyes met hers once more. "I am yours. But only as much as you are mine."

His face relaxed and a soft smile played at his lips once more. "I can handle that."

"Then why are you still wearing your pants?" she asked playfully.

Taking a deep breath, he untied his own sleep pants and pushed them down and off. Rey's eyes were immediately drawn to the part of him that she had long been curious about. She felt her breath catch a bit. He was impressive to say the least.

She raised her gaze to his once more. He had been standing still, letting her look at him, what could only be described as a devilish smirk on his face. "Well?"

She bit her bottom lip. "You'll do."

He laughed out loud, and Rey couldn't help but laugh with him. He moved toward her and she lay back down, sighing in appreciation as he moved to lie over her, his legs straddling hers, his arms bracing himself on either side of her. He lowered himself down and began kissing her once more. Both the heat and the weight of his body aroused her even more, and she began to make soft little noises in response to every kiss. To every touch. He responded with his own vocalizations. A grunt here. A moan there.

His fingers found her core, and his "Oh, kriff," as he discovered her wetness was heartfelt.

She arched into him. "Oh! More! Please, more!"

"Rey, I can't-" His middle finger slid into her folds, but then he moved to position himself between her legs. She spread them willingly. "I can't wait!" he gasped. "I've wanted you for too long!"

"Don't wait!" she answered. "Please, Poe! Now!"

Taking his cock in hand, he carefully slid the tip in her. When the head was firmly inserted, he looked at her, his eyes intense as he pushed in, slowly but deliberately. All the way.

Rey felt a sting and an almost unbearable tightness. She couldn't take him! He was too big! But then her body seemed to relax around him and the discomfort eased. She brought her knees up, gripping his hips, and felt an amazing rush of pleasure. "Oh!"

"Oh," Poe echoed. "I think you like it."

She started giggling, and he smiled at her in response. Then he began to move, and the pleasure intensified. "Mmmmmmmm," Rey mumbled as he began to stroke back and forth. The sensations were not what she had been expecting from this act. They were so much more! "Oh, kriff!" she gasped.

"Too much?"

"No!" she shook her head. "Oh, Force, no!"

He smiled again and began to kiss her, pumping his hips faster, stronger. "You feel amazing," he said in between kisses. "I can't believe this is real. You're so perfect. So beautiful. Kriff, I love you, Rey!"

Rey felt a strange feeling grow inside her. It originated from her arousal, of that she was certain, but it started taking a life of its own. It pulsed and swelled and expanded until she was frightened of it. "Poe?" she whined, wanting him to stop, but not.

"Let it go, Sunshine!" Poe told her, his voice ragged. "Let it go!"

Trusting him, she did so. Her vision suddenly became dark, then flashed white. Her whole body began to seize up and the arousal that had been so comforting before was now a conflagration. She cried out, squeezing her eyes shut as her lower body tremored and her center squeezed the man still thrusting away inside her.

"That's it!" he encouraged her. "That's it, baby! Ahhhh, yes!"

His own shout of release caused her to open her eyes, and she saw an expression of pure bliss on his face as his thrusts became erratic. Another wave of astounding pleasure rippled through her as she felt a warmth fill her. His seed, she thought. While she knew the birth-control injection she was given every month would keep her from conceiving, the idea that this man was giving her a part of himself in this way was more than a little overwhelming.

All too soon, he went still above her. The heaviness of his breathing caused his chest to rub against her peaked breasts and the air from his exhalations tickled the sweaty hair that was plastered on her neck. Her own gasping breaths began to gradually slow. He pushed himself up and over, sliding out of her and laying on his side next to her, his eyes on her face.

"You okay?" he asked.

She took a deep breath, licked her lips, nodded, then asked, "When can we do that again?"

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