Thank you all for reading!

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Poe landed Black One with an unconscious grace that had caused more than a few pilots to curse him during his time with the New Republic. His almost instinctive ability wasn't completely natural; he had worked his ass off at the Academy to get to the level he was at. However, many of his instructors back in the day had often wondered if he was gifted with more than just quick reflexes and the ability to control his fear. Either way, his experience helped him today, as his craft touched down lightly on the tarmac of the Resistance base on D'Qar while he watched to make sure the shuttle carrying their new recruit landed safely opposite him.

He kept his eye on the shuttle as members of the ground crew ran up with a ladder and he quickly climbed down, distractedly handing one of them his helmet as his attention was still on the shuttle. The hatch had opened and Mav, the purple-skinned pilot, was standing at the entrance, looking back inside where he knew Tallie and Rey were. Soon, the two women also appeared, walking down the ramp, Tallie talking, Rey looking around her in awe. Poe started walking their way.

An orange and white ball droid rolled up to him, catching his attention with his excited beeping. "Hey, buddy," Poe said as he looked down at his droid. He smiled, but kept walking. "How did the check-up go?"

BB-8 proceeded to complain about the unnecessary testing he had had to undergo, explaining how he was in perfect shape and there were plenty of other droids around, including the computer in Black One, that needed a lot more help than him. Poe laughed as he walked, enjoying his droid's bellyaching as they moved along together toward the shuttle. Rey had caught sight of him now, and her attention, which had been more on the planet than the people walking next to her, turned to him.

She grinned, her eyes bright. "I didn't know there was this much green in the whole galaxy!" she exclaimed as he stopped before her.

Poe put his hands on his hips. "You think this is green?" he asked with a responding smile. "You should see where I come from." He looked at Tallie and Mav. "I got it from here, guys," he told them.

Tallie snorted. "Of course, you do," she said as she rolled her eyes, then she and the Theelan walked away.

Rey didn't seem to notice their departure. "Where do you come from?"

"I was raised on the fourth moon of the planet Yavin," he told her. "Almost all jungle and forest, a few open plains and small oceans. Lots and lots of green."

Rey's grin grew even bigger. "I'd love to see it."

Poe shrugged. "We make you a pilot and you can go yourself someday," he said. BB-8 squealed at his feet, and Poe looked down, startled.

"Or Poe could show me?" Rey asked, tilting her head. She was repeating what BB-8 had said. "And who is this?"

Poe looked back and forth between the scavenger and the droid a couple of times, caught off guard once more by this young woman. "You can understand binary?"

She shrugged. "I have more fascinating conversations with droids than people more often than not," she told him.

Poe grinned again, liking this woman more and more. "This is BB-8," he said, motioning toward the droid.

"And it's yours?" she asked.

"As much as I'm his," Poe said, using the pronoun BB-8 preferred.

Rey gave a soft laugh, and Poe was once more struck by how pretty she was. Yes, she was dressed shabbily, her hair pulled back obscenely tight, no make-up on her freckled face, and far too young for him. But with her big, unusually colored eyes and her extraordinary smile, she was indeed a beauty. And he was quite sure she had no clue how attractive she was, which made her even more alluring.

He gave himself a mental shake. Too young, he reminded himself. She's just a kid. "Let me take you to meet the General," he told her.

She gave him a slightly nervous nod, then followed him as he and BB turned toward the Command Center, which was situated in one of the many underground structures the Resistance called home. Poe led her into the main doorway, then down a long flight of steps. The room was quiet for once, with nothing major going on that the Resistance needed to be paying attention to, but the equipment and staff were ready for action at a moment's notice. The First Order was becoming more and more of a threat, and they needed to be prepared.

Poe didn't see Leia immediately, which told him she was most likely in her office. Knowing he was on his way back with a new recruit, she wouldn't have left the Command Center; she rarely did during the day. He wouldn't call her a control freak, but she did want to be active and involved in everything at all times. He glanced back at Rey, who was once more looking around her in awe, then walked up to the open door of Leia's office and knocked on the frame.

"Come in, Commander." Poe smiled slightly. Knowing as he did that his General had at one time trained to be a Jedi, he could easily assume she had felt his presence and known it was him, but in reality, he knew she had a monitor on her desk that allowed her to see the whole room outside her office. He stepped in, then turned to usher Rey in past him.

Leia stood from her seat behind the desk. She was in fatigues today, he noticed, her hair braided loosely at her nape. Occasionally, she wore robes or gowns, reminiscent of her past as not only a senator, but a princess. However today she was all business. "Rey, this is General Leia Organa."

Rey stared at the woman, and he could tell by her expression that she recognized the name. "From Alderaan," she whispered.

Leia gave her a soft, sad smile. "Yes." She tilted her head curiously. "Most people don't associate me with Alderaan anymore," she said softly.

"It was a story I never forgot," Rey answered.

Poe watched the byplay between the two women silently, then quietly continued his introductions. "General, this is Rey of Jakku."

Leia nodded. "Our new pilot. Or so I've been told."

"Petty recommended her, General," Poe reminded her. "And others in Niima concurred."

"If Petty says you are a good pilot, then I believe it." Leia sat back down in her chair and clasped her hands in front of her on the desk. "I have a few questions for you, Rey."

"Yes, ma'am?" Rey looked nervous again.

"What do you know about the Resistance?"

Rey took a deep breath. "I've heard that they are a militia that are not associated with the Republic, but support them. I overheard a trader call them – you – a watchdog group."

Leia nodded. "That's a fair description," she said. "What do you know of the First Order?"

"Most people in Niima think they are no different than the Empire," Rey answered. "I don't have many memories of my mother, but I do remember that she was very afraid of the Empire."

Leia frowned, and Poe understood her confusion. The Empire had been destroyed long before this young woman had been born. Why had her mother still been afraid of them?

"Did the Commander explain that we wish to train you for combat?" Leia continued.

"Yes," Rey answered softly.

"And you are prepared for all that may entail?"

"Yes," she responded firmly.

"Will you swear allegiance to the Resistance and the New Republic?"

"I will."

"Do you have any family left? Anyone that you care about or that might be worrying about you?

Rey shook her head, her face expressionless. Poe would have to tell Leia what he had seen when he visited the place this young woman had called home.

Leia stared at her for a moment, and Poe now knew that she was indeed using that something special she had to 'read' the young scavenger. Then she nodded. "You do now." She smiled. "I think we'll let you settle in today, get your bearings. We'll introduce you to the flight simulator tomorrow." She looked at Poe. "Do you have time to show her to the dorms and where the mess hall is, Commander?"

"Yes, ma'am" he nodded.

"I think Zenda and the Tico sisters have an empty bunk in their room," Leia told them.

Poe smiled. "They'll make sure Rey's comfortable." He knew Paige very well, having dated the young gunner not so long ago. She and her little sister Rose were good people with hearts of gold who had suffered a great deal of loss in their lives. He didn't know Zenda as well, but the Tico's got along with the blue-skinned Pantoran, and that was enough for Poe.

Leia stood once more and walked around the desk. She held out her hand and Rey took it. Leia brought her other hand up to cover Rey's.

"Welcome to the Resistance, Rey."

XXXXXX

She was a Resistance fighter.

More than two weeks after her arrival to D'Qar, Rey still had a hard time believing it. She had been escorted by Poe to her new quarters, stopping at the mess along the way so she knew where it was, and met two of her three new roommates right away, Zenda and Rose Tico. Both worked as mechanics. Rose immediately took Rey under her wing, escorting her to the commissary to find her some new clothing and footwear, then giving her a tour of the base. That night, she met Rose's sister, Paige, who wasn't a pilot but spent most of her time with them. She was much quieter than her little sister, but seemed friendly enough.

Rey slept in a real bed for the first time in years that night.

The next morning, Poe showed up to take her for her 'test flight' in the simulator. It was very similar to the one Rey had learned on, though much nicer looking. Poe put her through the ringer, sending her every challenge the simulator would allow, and Rey handled it all with only a little trouble. When she stepped out, Leia was waiting.

"Looks like Poe was throwing the whole might of the First Order your way," she said with a smile.

"And she never got shot down once!" Poe said with a grin.

"I have to warn you, I've never actually flown out of atmosphere."

Poe shrugged. "If you can fly well in atmo, open space is a piece of cake."

Leia nodded. "You'll do." Then she walked away, heading back to the command center.

Poe led Rey up to a dark-haired human-looking male with unusual eyes. "This is Lieutenant Iolo Arana," Poe introduced them. "He's going to be your instructor for the next few weeks, until we're sure you'll be comfortable in a squad."

Rey shook the man's hand, feeling more than a little disappointed that Poe would not be the one training her. But seriously, he was the Commander, the leader of all the pilots. He wouldn't have time to train the lowliest new pilot. She gave Arana a small smile. "Hello."

"Hello, Rey," he smiled back, and his eyes seemed to glow. Definitely not human. "I've heard a lot about you."

Confused, Rey looked at Poe, who wouldn't meet her gaze. He cleared his throat. "Iolo, why don't you get her started in the Headhunter. Get her comfortable out away from the planet, drill into her all the safety measures, and make sure she learns the area star charts." He finally looked at Rey. "The Z-95 is a lot slower and less maneuverable than more modern fighters," he told her. "But it's a great ship to test your mettle on. It will let us know what ship your flying style will be better suited to."

Rey nodded as Iolo chuckled. "Admit it Dameron, you want her in an X-Wing."

Once more, Poe looked flustered. "They're the best fighters out there, they deserve the best pilots." He looked at Rey. "I'm a little biased."

"Who knows, maybe she'll like the A-Wing better?" Iolo smirked.

Poe stared at Rey for a long moment, his dark eyes intense. "I don't think I'd mind that, either," he said softly. Then he seemed to pull himself together. He nodded at Iolo. "She's all yours."

Nodding back, the Lieutenant turned and started walking along the tarmac, heading for her assigned ship, she assumed. All the ships were spaced out around the base, covered in camouflage netting; Rose had explained that there were no hangers or central landing area here on D'Qar. Rey began to follow, but then looked back at Poe, wondering when she would see him again.

He must have read her expression. "When I'm on base, I try to have my evening meal around 1800. You can find me in the mess."

And so began two of the most intense weeks of Rey's life. She was up before the sun every morning, ate a minimal breakfast (there was so much food!), then met Iolo at the Headhunter. Either he would take her to one of the meeting rooms for instruction, or he would send her up, following in his X-Wing. She found him to be a tough teacher, who was very hard to impress, but he wasn't mean and had far more patience than she did with her mistakes. They usually took a break for a couple of hours mid-day, and she would find herself bagging up her lunch and walking out among the heather and wild grasses that surrounded the base, exploring this new and beautiful world while she ate. In the evening, she made sure to be at the mess by 1800. Most nights, Poe was either already there or showed up shortly after, and every time he was there, he sat with her, asking her about her day and telling her about his. BB-8 was always with him and often interjected with a comment of his own to either embellish Poe's stories or dispute them.

The few nights Poe wasn't there someone, usually Rose, would let her know he was either taking a turn patrolling or was on a mission. He was gone three nights in a row at one point, and she couldn't help but fear for his safety. But on the fourth night, he was back, as happy and upbeat as normal, though she sensed something darker underneath. She knew, from Rose again, that his ship had damage, too. He had been in a firefight without a doubt, but he didn't talk to her about it.

Rey began to spend more and more of her extra time with Rose, oftentimes helping her with her maintenance chores. Rey had yet to meet anyone on this base that she didn't like, but she was also very aware of the looks some of the members, especially the pilots that Poe worked closely with, gave her. They watched her with a combination of amusement and wonder. When she had asked Rose about it, the young woman had blushed. "They're curious about you and Poe," she said. "He's never spent so much time with a new member before."

Rey shrugged it off. "He feels responsible for me."

It was a little more than two standard weeks after Rey's arrival, when she had been waiting for Poe to grab his tray of food in the mess, that the reality of her new life came into sharp focus. Poe sat down beside her, depositing a bowl of bright red berries in front of her.

"What are these?" she asked.

"Loloberries," he told her, his eyes sparkling. "You'll love them."

She did love them, but as she ate them, trying to go slow and enjoy them, she noticed that his smirk still had not disappeared. "Okay, what is it?" she finally asked.

He smiled fully this time. "Iolo has decided that you're ready for your own ship," he said. "I'm giving you an X-Wing."

Rey felt her heart speed up with excitement.

"I want you to stop by the droid pool tomorrow morning and pick an astromech," he continued. "Remember that those droids have their memories wiped every standard month, but after you choose one, it's up to you when to have that done."

Rey glanced at BB-8. "How often do you do BB?"

"Never." He gave his droid a smile. "They get more personality that way." He looked back at Rey. "Get it in the X-Wing right away so it has time to connect fully with the ship. The longer you fly with it, the better it will be able to help you fly. They don't just become your in-flight mechanic, they become your co-pilot." He gave BB-8 a fond glance as he said this. "Iolo will give you some time to get familiar with the ship and the droid, then he'll send you up."

Rey nodded, excitement thrumming through her veins.

That night, as she was preparing for bed, Paige gave her a mischievous smile. "Congratulations, Rey!" she said. "I envy you."

Rey looked at her, confused. "Because I got an X-Wing?" She didn't know Paige had any interest in becoming a pilot.

Paige laughed softly. "No, for catching the uncatchable Poe Dameron."

Rey frowned and looked at Rose for an explanation, but both she and Zenda were grinning, too.

"I don't understand."

"I was fortunate enough to be the focus of Poe Dameron's attentions for a short while," Paige continued. "He was a wonderful companion and a generous lover, but he never once looked at me the way he looks at you, nor did he spend any and all of his extra time with me. Most here believe he will never commit, that the ring around his neck will stay there. But now…" she shrugged.

Rey shook her head, feeling her face heat. "He just feels-"

Rose interrupted her. "If you say 'responsible' one more time!" She glared at Rey. "He feels a lot of things for you, Rey, but responsible is not one of them!"

Eventually, lights went out and Rey settled under her covers, but she didn't sleep easily, and when she did, it was to the image of Poe Dameron's beautiful brown eyes looking at her with affection... and maybe something more?

XXXXXX