Poe Dameron x Solo!Reader
(Post-Exegol | Domestic | Family | Hurt/Comfort)
Loosly based on my fic "Starlight Princess"
Word Count: 4k+
Summary:
After the war, Life Day on Yavin IV is quieter, soft lantern light, chosen family, and love that survived everything. As grief for Han, Leia, and Ben lingers gently in the air, Poe surprises you with something unfinished, imperfect, and meant to last. A story about rebuilding, staying, and choosing peace together.
Author's Note: I meant to release this around the holidays. I am so sorry I failed you.
Life Day did not look the way it used to.
There were no grand halls, or roaring crowds, no endless speeches about hope and victory. But there were lanterns strung between ancient trees on Yavin IV, their light warm and uneven, like the galaxy itself learning how to glow again without burning.
You stood beneath the trees with Poe’s arm warm around your waist, watching your son toddle across the clearing, his laughter bright as he chased BB-8, who beeped enthusiastically and rolled just fast enough to keep the game going. Chewbacca crouched nearby, pretending not to supervise while very obviously supervising. Finn laughed nearby, helping Rey hang lights along the temple archway while Rose adjusted a small generator to keep them glowing. C-3PO fussed over place settings, and D-O hovered shyly beside him, curious and quiet.
It wasn’t loud. It wasn’t perfect. It was everything, and somehow, that made it sacred.
Poe stood behind you, his hands settling at your hips, like they belonged there, which they did. He rested his chin briefly on your shoulder, his breath warm against your neck.
“You’re thinking too hard,” he murmured.
You smiled faintly. “Am I that obvious?”
“To me? Always.”
You leaned back into him, letting yourself be held. For a moment, neither of you spoke. The absence lingered, familiar but softer now. Leia should have been here, gently correcting everyone’s decorations. Han would have complained loudly while secretly enjoying himself. Ben… Ben would have stood at the edge, uncertain, watching before finally stepping closer.
Grief didn’t ruin the night. It made it honest.
You felt Leia in the way Rey smiled at your son. You felt Han in Finn’s laughter, in the warmth of chosen family gathered without being asked. You felt Ben in the quiet between moments, in the calm that came without fear now, in the peace you had earned.
“They’d love this,” you said quietly.
Poe kissed your shoulder, slow and reverent. “Yeah,” he said. “They would.”
Later, when the food was gone, and your son had finally worn himself out, curled against Rey’s shoulder with his fingers still wrapped around a toy Chewie had carved, Poe took your hand.
“I need to steal you,” he said, far too casually.
You arched a brow. “From my own family?”
“Just for a minute,” he grinned. “Before someone else does.”
You let him pull you away from the clearing, the sounds of laughter fading into the trees. The night air was cooler here, damp earth beneath your boots. Poe stopped just short of the old hangar, one that hadn’t seen much use since the war.
He turned to face you. Suddenly nervous, which was new.
“You trust me?” he asked.
You smiled, reaching up to straighten his collar. “Poe Dameron,” you said softly, “I followed you into war. I think we’re past trust issues.”
He laughed under his breath, relief easing the tension in his shoulders. Then, gently, almost shyly, he pressed his forehead to yours.
“I didn’t want this to be loud,” he said. “Didn’t want it to feel like a victory prize. We’ve had enough of those.”
He took your hand and guided you forward. Inside the hangar, lights flickered on low, warm, intentional. And there it was. Not polished or finished.
It wasn’t finished. Bare frame, mismatched panels, old and new parts waiting to be assembled. A ship that had survived war once before and was ready to become something else.
You stared, breath catching. “Poe…”
“I know,” he said quickly, smiling that crooked smile you loved. “It’s not flashy. And it doesn’t even fly yet. But—” He stepped closer, lowering his voice. “You lost your ship protecting people. Twice. And I kept thinking… maybe the next one shouldn’t be built for running or fighting.”
You turned to him slowly. “Then what is it for?”
He took your hands, thumbs brushing your knuckles.
“For staying,” he said. “For building. For teaching our kid how to take something broken and make it fly again.”
Your eyes burned.
“And,” he added, grin returning, “for arguing over repairs. I feel like that’s important.”
You laughed through the emotion, pressing your forehead to his chest. “You’re impossible.”
“Yeah,” he agreed softly. “But I’m yours.”
You kissed him then, not hurried, not desperate. Not the kiss of soldiers bracing for loss, but of survivors choosing joy. Just warm. Certain. His hands slid into your hair, grounding, familiar, as if he was reminding both of you that this was real. That you were still here.
When you pulled back, you rested your hand over his heart. “This isn’t just a gift.”
“No,” he said. “It’s a promise.”
Outside, the lanterns swayed gently as Life Day continued. Laughter. Lights. The sound of hope settling in where war once lived.
Somewhere in the quiet, you felt it, the steady presence of love that hadn’t disappeared, only changed. Leia’s calm strength. Han’s stubborn joy. Ben’s peace, finally earned.
And for the first time, surrounded by family, living and remembered, you felt it fully.
You had family. You had love. You weren’t building for survival. You were building for tomorrow. Peace.
May I please request #5 with Poe Dameron, if that's okay?
That one gives me Poe vibes.
I am soo not a sequel girlie but you are right, this is 💯 Poe coded 😅 I am assuming Leia/Fin/Rey are watching Poe and Reader at a distance rolling their eyes like “Ugh, here they go again!” then “Oh good, finally.”
“You’re too flippant,” you berated Poe yet again after his reckless improvising on your latest mission together.
“I got us back in one piece didn’t I?”
“We have protocol for a reason—“
Poe leaned forward.
“Are you going to kiss me?” you asked in disbelief.
“If it will shut you up, yes!” Poe shot back.
He grabbed your face in both his hands and passionately pressed his lips to yours.
“There! Now what were you saying?” he challenged, pulling away at last.
You had no idea. Your mind was wonderfully, blissfully blank. Not a single thought. Except…
A/N: Hello friends so I was intending to write something Sherlock, but Poe shoved his way back into my brain and I just had to write out this small fic. I hope you enjoy! @pandaqueen7799 thank you for everything *hugs*
“You could’ve avoided all this if you didn’t wear that damned thing.” You gestured to the suit your husband Poe had worn to the gala, a celebration for the resistance’s most recent victory.
“Maybe I did want it. You sure don’t hold back long.”
“Prick.”
You slide your hands across the solid planes of his chest, relishing in the way he shivered involuntarily at your lightest of touches, leaning to capture his lips.
“If I’d know being away from you this long made you like this, I’ve asked Leia for the assignment sooner.”
“Shut up if you don’t want me to rip that damn tie off of you.”
“Oh, the Misses is snippy tonight, alright. I see how it is.”
You could practically see the smirk in his eyes before it spread across his lips; those sensuous lips you couldn’t tear your gaze from.
“You want to play the hard way, Dameron? I see.”
You slowly drug your fingers from his chest. It rippled once again at your feather like touches, skimming across his planes once more before stopping just above his waist band. You shot him a wicked grin watching his mouth gape open in disbelief.
“Tell me what you want, flyboy.”
“You,” he closed his eyes, inhaling a shaky breath. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”
“Mmm, fair enough. You’re practically begging me to take you all night long.”
“No one has to know.”
“You’re really afraid Leia won’t notice? She knows you practically need me for two days straight after a mission. To top it off,” you hesitated fixing your gaze on his heaving chest, straddling his hips. You ground against him lightly before continuing. “I heard you defeated another First Order squadron. What would we do without you, my boy?”
He gasped, an almost inaudible whimper slipping through his lips. You knew you had him.
Title: Just a Drink
Author: Rosie Dayze
Word Count: 1018
Pairing: Poe x Reader
Rating: PG-13
Themes: Rekinding an old flame, difficult romance, angst,
Disclaimer: I do not own Poe Dameron. Poe Darmeron is the property of Disney and Lucasfilm. I make no money from this fanfiction.
The cantina is loud. The scent of liquor imported from a hundred worlds mingles with the musk of pilots, smugglers, and a half dozen other people who have no desire to be found by the First Order. Batuu isn’t a hospitable planet, but it is easily overlooked.
You bring a drink to your lips. The bitter taste of week old water dressed with herbs tickles your throat. No alcohol for you tonight. The meds they pumped you full of have already left your head feeling light.
“Pilot,” the voice is warm, bordering on gentle.
You look up, feel your heart go heavy in your chest. It doesn’t match the buoyant attitude of the rebels around you. They dance, feet flying, with the jazzy tunes of Bith musicians. There is a hard edge to their celebrations. The laughter is too sharp, the flirtations too forced. Everyone wants to pretend like they aren’t stressed, yourself included.
“Poe, I think we moved past calling one another by titles a long time ago.”
He smirks, but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes. It’s only now you notice that the eyes are filled with something you didn’t expect; worry.
“I didn’t know,” he says. The music swells and he takes the seat next to you so he doesn’t have to scream to be heard over the tumult. Your vision is filled with that damndably pretty face of his. The eyes, dark as evening pools and lips that look soft and kissable all at once. You don’t know if you want to move away, or slide closer. His smile is a little more genuine when he says, “The last time we spoke, you slapped me in the face and told me never to look at you again.”
“Fair enough,” you respond, taking another sip of your drink. It doesn’t taste good, but your headache is absolving.
“I heard about your ship. I’m sorry.”
So are you. The Upstart was your ship. It had been since the dawn of your smuggling days, before you decided to sign up with General Organa and the rest of these rebels. Before, you admit silently to yourself, you decided to follow him.
Now the ship is gone, blown to pieces, and you are a wreck posing as calm.
“Well, we had a good run.”
“Are you talking about the ship?” he asks, leaning so close that his next words are breathed across your own lips. “Or you and I?”
For a moment you aren’t sure if he is joking, flirting, or some strange mix of the two. Moreover you aren’t sure which you hope for. Growing up you had been sure of the kind of person you’d want. Someone who was sweet enough to be devoted, but not smart enough to know that all those credits in your account were exactly legally earned. Poe was sweet, but devoted? To the cause maybe. He’d made that clear enough. And you’d call him a lot of things before you called him dumb.
And yet, every time he walked by your eyes seemed doomed to follow. Every time he smiled, your heart felt a little lighter. Even now, with your ship dead and the rebellion barely holding itself together on a planet that no one would ever want to live on, you find it hard to not just reach out and touch him.
“Let’s not,” you say, pulling back.
He looks surprised. “What?”
“Poe, we’ve traveled this shipping lane a thousand times before. It never works.” It hurts to say, even if you know it’s true. “It doesn’t work. It never works.”
He shoves a hand through his hair. The rumpled, dark locks spring out in a hundred directions. One particularly stubborn curl ribbons across his forehead. “It would work if you stopped walking away from me.”
Your grip tightens on your cup. “I’m not the only one who walks away, Poe.” You shake your head, fix your gaze on him, and swallow down the pain that has nothing to do with having survived the crash of your ship and livelihood. “You put everything before me.”
“The rebellion-”
“Is not the only thing I’m talking about. I get how much this cause means to you. It means something to me too.”
“A paycheck,” he says through gritted teeth.
“Yes,” you say, unflinching. “I’m a damn good smuggler and I like getting paid for what I provide. But you know that I don’t charge the rebellion half of what I could, barely even a third. So don’t wave the fact that I need those credits to keep my ship...” You stop, remembering all too well that there isn’t a ship anymore. You throat closes and the headache returns full force. Tears, unwanted and hot, spring to your eyes. You curse softly.
His arm comes around you, and you have no desire to pull away. He is warm, stable, and everything you need. Your tears are heavy, and they stain the dark orange of his flight suit. You don’t care, and, you suspect, neither does he. His hand brushes up and down your back. He whispers words into your ear that you can’t really hear because of the music. But you don’t need to hear them. You know what he’s saying. You know his tone.
The Upstart had been your pride and joy, now it’s gone. Now you are stuck. You hate being stuck anywhere. Maybe he was right. Maybe you were the one walking away.
“I’m sorry,” you say, looking up. He stops you with a finger on your lips.
“You’ve never needed to apologize to me.” He brings his lips to yours, the kiss is gentle, soft, and nearly chaste. “I love you for who you are.”
“Still?” you ask.
He shrugs, and pulls you closer. The line of your body mates to his. “I wont say that what we are makes sense. I never know which way is up or down with you. But I’d rather not know the direction, than lose my way entirely.”
My partner used a random number generator, got 71 and picked Poe. Also go easy on me, it’s the first thing I’ve written so...yeah...
More Prompts
*THUNK!*
You’d been deeply invested in the plans for the next recon mission against the First Order when you were startled by the sudden bang on the door to your bunk. You waited for the door to open, instead your ears were assaulted by the high-pitched squeaking of sweaty hands dragging themselves down the door.
“You’ve been drinking tonight, haven’t you?” You called, making your way to let the pilot in. As the door slid open the scent of whiskey crashed into you followed by the man in the orange jumpsuit. Unable to brace yourself in time, you jumped away to avoid being crushed but reached out, grabbing him to help soften his fall. “Successful mission then?”
“They never knew what hit ‘em!” Poe said rolling onto his back, beaming up at you. “Me! That’s what hit ‘em! Also, the squad. They’re so good. Oh! You know that newest recruit? Shoulda seen him! Nervous little guy but he just…” His arm flew across his body acting out the events of that part of the mission paired with small sound effects. You had no idea what he was trying to say but nodded along with him, enjoying his excitement. “Good mission.” He sighed drowsily.
You closed the door to gain a little privacy and helped Poe to his unsteady feet before sitting him down on the edge of your bed. You moved your hands to his flight suit, removing it so he wouldn’t fall asleep in it. The pilot’s hands mimicked yours as he began to pull your jacket off.
“That’s not what this is!” You laughed at him, pulling his hands away.
“It could be.” He grinned with cheeky eyes.
“You’re waaay too drunk for that sort of thing.”
“I can fix that!” His big brown eyes sparkled. You could see the lightbulb in his brain switch on as an idea formed. He reached into his open flight suit and retrieved a half empty bottle of whiskey he’d stashed away. Poe swished the contents around and eyed you, encouraging you to drink.
You took the bottle from him and placed it on your desk. Poe rolled his eyes playfully at you, someday he’d convince you to come out and celebrate with him instead of working.
“Nerrrrrd.” He whispered at you while you removed his boots and shuffled his suit off from the bottom half of his body, leaving him in his underwear.
“Someone’s gotta make sure the plans are foolproof so you get to celebrate these victories.” You teased, nudging him to lie down.
Climbing onto the bed, you moved to position yourself between the wall and the pilot to rest your head against his chest.
“That’s right!” He gasped groggily. Poe’s arm wrapped around you and placed a hand under your chin so your eyes met. “I didn’t mention the most important person from the mission. You’re the reason we look so good out there. My gorgeous nerd!”
He planted a sloppy kiss on your forehead. It would have been gross if he wasn’t so charming. You scooched up the bed to brush away his dark curls from his face and returned the kiss.
“Get some sleep, I’m gonna go finish the final details on the plan.” You said trying to push yourself away. His arms wrapped around your body, pulling you back into him as he made a small sulking noise refusing to let you go. There wasn’t much work you had left to do. The rest could wait until morning.
You went back to your room to get ready, you showered and put on some dark jeans and a grey tight sweater, you curled your hair and decided that was good enough. You turned to C-3PO “oh Y/N I am so very glad you are acquainting with more people” you laughed “yeah, yeah do I look okay?” C-3PO took a moment before answering and said “Y/N you are asking a droid who doesn’t even wear clothes, but you look excellent” You smiled at C-3PO’s attempt of a compliment.
You went to the party alone, seeing as it would be a bit strange to bring a droid with you, as much as you wanted to. You walked to the ship where everyone was traveling to the nearby planet to go to the bar together, since you obviously couldn’t fly yourself there. You sat down in the large ship next to Larena who was surprised when she saw you “Y/N? coming to a bar? Socializing?” you stopped her before she could continue teasing you “Okay, I get it, you’re going to make me get off this ship and go home” just as you said that the ship took off and Larena smiled “too late”.
The planet that the bar was on was nearby, people went there a lot but you had never really been there, or anywhere, you have only been to the planets that the resistance had bases on, only going in ships when you had to move from one base to another, always in cargo ships or passenger ships where you couldn’t even see the stars. You always wanted to see space as everyone else in the resistance had but you were somewhat scared of flying.
You arrived at the party and went straight to the bar with Larena and Torent was already there with a drink in hand. Larena ordered you some alcoholic drink you’ve never had but you drank it anyways, hoping the alcohol would help make you less awkward for when you would see Poe.
Just as you finished your drink feeling a little fuzzy your eyes met with Poe’s from across the bar, he whispered to the person next to him and then looked back, you thought he was probably asking that person who you were. Poe walked over to you “Y/N right?”, “that’s me” you replied awkwardly “So I was right the sweet voice and cute name has an even prettier face to match”
You blushed at his words realizing Larena had left your side and you two were alone. You weren’t quite sure what to say, another reason why you preferred droids was because there were no uncomfortable silences. Poe broke the silence “ I haven’t seen you here before, to be honest I’ve never really seen you around the base either” you were kind of saddened that he never noticed you “ oh well I’ve never been here before, I’ve never left the base, well unless we moved bases, I’ve never even seen the stars” you paused “and when it comes to us seeing each other on the base unless you are in the med bay or my bedroom you don’t have a good chance of running into me” Poe looked a little taken a back “wait you have never seen the stars? Or any part of space?” you laughed “Poe not everyone gets to be a pilot” Poe ordered another drink from the bar and said “Well if you want to see the stars sometime I know this really charming pilot who would love to take you to space” you sipped at your drink and playfully rolled your eyes at him, “Poe is that an open invitation for a trip to the stars?” you asked him playfully he smiled “was that an open invitation to your bedroom?” he smirked as he said it causing you to blush and respond “or an open invitation to the med bay”.
The continued this way, flirting back and forth until it was getting ate and people were boarding the ship to leave. You weren’t tired at all, it wasn’t really that late for you since you were awake until morning most nights anyways.
“Poe I really should get back to the ship or they will leave without me” Poe smiled “and what would be so bad about that?” You had a concerned expression “I would be stuck on this planet, which is nice and all but I’d rather not be stranded here” Poe grabbed your wrist “well it’s a good thing you’ve been flirting with the best pilot in the resistance the whole night” you looked from your wrist and then to his eyes “Me? Flirting? never, more like he has been flirting with me” Poe just laughed and pulled you along to his wing fighter
You both stood in front of the wing fighter, and that’s when you remembered it only has one seat “Poe how’d you expect us both to fit in this thing, and don’t even try to put me in the droid spot” Poe laughed and placed his helmet on your head “you will just have to sit on my lap” your mind starting racing at the thought, you almost lost it when he simply grabbed your wrist now you were going to have to sit on his lap your face must have been a whole new shade of red. Poe grabbed your hand and helped you settle onto his lap and he extended his seat belt so it would go around both of you keeping you pressed against him.
The ride home would have been terribly awkward if it wasn’t for the fascination you had from the stars. Poe could just see the smile on your face from your side profile but he wanted more than anything at this moment to see how your eyes lit up and reflected the stars.
The ride home was silent as you were too busy looking at the few stars you finally got to see.
Poe walked you back to your room “next time I will take you much farther, there are many more beautiful stars and systems that I want you to see” you smiled and before you could reply Poe leaned in and looked into your eyes, you had never kissed anyone before so you weren’t quite sure what to do so you just looked at his lips and then to his eyes. Poe placed his hands on both sides of your face and kissed you, it was short but deep and you kissed him back. You pulled away and opened your door, you turned around looking at Poe “Goodnight Poe” he kissed you again quickly “Goodnight Y/N”
Series Title: Starlight Princess
Act II – Echoes of Rebellion (Episode VIII: The Last Jedi)
Word Count: ~2.1k
POV: Second person (You/Reader)
Pairing: Poe Dameron x Reader (Leia and Han’s daughter)
Summary: The Falcon hums quietly through hyperspace, but your heart still aches with the echoes of Crait. In the hush between battles, Poe comes to you, not as a leader, but as a man choosing love now, not later. The future is uncertain. But together, with Poe, Rey, and Leia, you take the first steps toward rebuilding everything that was broken.
Hyperspace – Millennium Falcon
The stars stretched in ribbons beyond the Falcon’s viewport, hyperspace humming like a distant lullaby. The chaos of Crait had faded behind you, but its weight still pressed on your chest, ghosting over your ribs, settling behind your eyes like dust that wouldn’t clear.
You stood alone in the corridor just outside the cockpit, leaning against the bulkhead. The ship felt quieter than usual, as if it too were catching its breath after everything. The hum of the hyperdrive was the only sound accompanying your thoughts. That, and your heartbeat. Still unsteady.
A familiar presence approached, quiet, measured steps that didn’t belong to a soldier, but to someone who had fought and felt too much.
Poe.
He paused in the doorway. For once, there was no swagger, no cocksure grin. His shoulders were tense but lowered, hands tucked loosely into his belt. He looked at you the way one might approach something sacred, and breakable.
He stepped beside you, his arm brushing yours. He didn’t speak right away.
“Hey,” he said eventually, his voice softer than you’d ever heard it. “Got a minute?”
You nodded, gaze still fixed on the lights streaking past the glass. They reminded you of Jedi meditation, motion without direction, infinite and unknowable. But here, at least, you were moving forward. Somehow.
The two of you stood there in silence. Just breathing. Just existing in the calm between storms. Earned.
After a beat, he spoke again, voice rough around the edges.
“I’ve been thinking,” Poe murmured. “About D’Qar. About Starkiller. Back when we promised to stick together. No matter what.”
You smiled faintly, a shadow of something warmer. “I remember. Back when we still had a fleet.”
He let out a low breath of a laugh, but it didn’t hold amusement, just exhaustion. “Somehow we made it here.”
He turned to face you fully. His eyes searched yours like they were trying to memorize what peace looked like on your face.
“There were moments,” he said slowly, “when I was spiraling. D’Qar, Holdo, the mutiny... I didn’t know who I was anymore. I was fighting to fight. But you, you’ve always been my compass. The one pulling me back to who I want to be. To what matters.”
Your heart cracked wide open at the honesty in his voice.
“I don’t know how you kept believing in me,” he continued, “but you did. Even when I didn’t deserve it.”
Your voice came out quieter than expected. “Because I know who you are. Even when you forget.”
He swallowed, jaw tense with everything unsaid. “I didn’t just come out here to thank you.”
“I figured,” you said, a soft smirk tugging at your lips.
He didn’t smile back, not quite. His brow creased as he stepped even closer, like every inch mattered now.
“I don’t want to wait,” he said. “Not for the war to end. Not for some perfect moment that might never come. I want you with me. Not just when the battle’s over. Now. While we're still here.”
The words hit you like a wave, not sudden, but rising. Inevitable. You hadn’t let yourself feel this way since the temple. Since the galaxy cracked open and took Ben with it.
But somehow, Poe Dameron had gotten past the grief and the armor. Past your silence and storm. He was here. And he wasn’t asking for someday, he was asking for now.
You turned to him fully. “You mean it?”
He nodded. “Every word.”
You reached out, your fingers finding his, lacing together like they always belonged.
“It’s always been you,” you whispered. “Even when I didn’t want to believe it. Even when I told myself I couldn’t.”
Poe didn’t say anything. He just closed the space between you.
When he kissed you, it wasn’t like the heat of battle. It was gentle, grounding, a quiet promise. The kind of kiss that meant something. A beginning, not a distraction. A vow, not a question.
When you finally pulled apart, foreheads touching, eyes closed, you heard it again, that hum of hyperspace, steady and endless.
And for the first time in what felt like forever, you believed you could find something good on the other side of war.
Falcon Med Bay – Later
The hum of the Falcon was low and steady, like a heartbeat just beneath the surface. You sat beside Rey in the soft half-light of the med bay, the edges of battle still clinging to your skin like smoke. Around you, the ship moved in subdued rhythm, wounded but alive.
Across the room, Leia stood with Connix, her voice low but unwavering as she coordinated check-ins and scans, speaking like someone who’d carried too much for too long but still refused to put it down. Her presence was grounding. Always had been.
Rey sat quietly beside you, her hands folded around something wrapped in worn cloth. Her expression was unreadable, somewhere between reverence and resolve.
“I wanted to give this to you earlier,” she said softly, as if she wasn’t sure the moment was sacred or too fragile to touch. “But I needed the right time.”
You turned to her, brow furrowed.
She began to unwrap the cloth slowly, gently, like revealing something sacred.
And there it was. Your old lightsaber.
The one you'd left behind in the ashes of the Temple. The one that had once felt like an extension of your breath, your heartbeat. And later, like a ghost you couldn’t carry anymore.
“It’s yours,” Rey said. “Luke… he kept it. Even after everything. He told me he couldn’t bring himself to let it go.”
Your throat tightened.
Rey hesitated, then added, “A few days ago, it started to vibrate. Subtle at first. Then stronger. It was like, it was calling to you. Or maybe you were calling to it.”
You stared at the saber, your breath caught somewhere between awe and grief.
She placed it gently in your hands.
It was warm. Not just from her touch, but as if it recognized you. As if it never stopped waiting.
Your fingers curled around the hilt, almost afraid to close fully, like it might disappear if you held it too tightly.
“I didn’t understand it at first,” Rey said. “But Luke… he said it gave him hope. Knowing it hadn’t gone silent. That it still had a voice. That you were still out there.”
The air seemed to still around you. The Force coiled beneath your skin, familiar and wild and aching. The saber hummed softly in your palm. Not a weapon. Not a threat.
A memory. A question. A legacy.
Your eyes filled, emotion rising in your chest like a wave too large to hold back.
“Thank you,” you whispered. It barely came out.
Rey gave a small smile. “You’re not alone,” she said. “You never were.”
Your eyes met hers, and for a long moment, nothing else needed to be said. The weight you both carried, of hope, of loss, of names whispered through the Force like prayers and ghosts, passed between you in silence.
Not Jedi. Not yet. But something. Something stronger.
Then Leia approached. Quiet. Radiant. Strong. She didn’t speak. She didn’t have to.
She simply placed her hand on your shoulder. The weight of it, comforting, steady, eternal. A mother’s touch. A General’s reassurance. A Jedi’s blessing.
You looked down at the saber again.
Not a weapon. Not anymore.
It was your past. A wound. A scar. But it was also your future. A light. A choice. Your choice.
You closed your fingers around the hilt.
And for the first time in a long, long time, you breathed.
The Force answered. Soft. Steady. Like the first inhale after grief. Like a path opening you hadn’t dared to look for.
And you knew, you were ready to walk it.
Hyperspace – En Route to Ajan Kloss
The Resistance transport glided through hyperspace, stars streaking past like silver ribbons. The air inside the Falcon was calm, like a breath finally exhaled after too many held in. Outside, the chaos of Crait had vanished behind you. But its memory clung to the ship’s walls, quiet and heavy.
Inside the Falcon’s operations room, the holomap cast a quiet blue glow. You stood alone, arms crossed, watching the green dot flicker in the starscape: Ajan Kloss. A jungle moon tucked in the ancient roots of the galaxy. Remote. Forgotten. Alive.
Behind you, you heard the soft step of boots and the rustle of a flight jacket.
Poe.
He didn’t say anything right away. Just stepped beside you, his presence a steady warmth, the weight of his shoulder brushing yours.
“Jungle moon,” he said after a breath. “Not exactly what we dreamed about back at D’Qar.”
“No,” you replied. “But it feels right. Like the beginning of something.”
There was a long silence between you. Not empty, just full. Of things still unspoken, of everything you’d lost. And what might still be saved.
“I’ve been thinking,” Poe said as he leaned on the edge of the console, watching the rotating projection. “Once we’re settled, we could... build something real. I mean, yeah, rebuild the Resistance, but also... something more.”
You glanced at him. His eyes were softer than you expected. Clear. Intentional.
“I keep imagining a garden,” he said with a quiet smile. “Actual soil. Real food. Maybe even a place where kids could grow up, run around, not knowing what a blaster sounds like.”
The words hung in the air between you, gentle, certain. They didn’t need to be dramatic. They were real.
Your breath caught, not from surprise, but from how much you wanted that too.
“I want to rebuild what they tried to destroy,” he said. “Hope. Family. Balance. But I can’t do it without you. You’re the only one who’s ever really… seen me. Pulled me back when I lost myself. I want to be that for you too.”
Your chest ached in the best way.
He glanced at you sideways. “Too soon?”
You shook your head. “No. Just… something I stopped letting myself picture.”
Poe reached down and took your hand, his fingers warm around yours.
“Well,” he said, “start picturing it again. Because I think we deserve it. All of it.”
You nodded, heart full. “We’ll make it real.”
Before he could respond, another presence filled the doorway.
You turned just in time to see Leia enter, her cloak trailing, her presence commanding even in quiet moments.
She looked between the two of you, then smiled.
“I’m not interrupting, am I?” she asked lightly.
Poe straightened. You did too.
Connix followed close behind, giving you a respectful nod before moving to the holotable to continue preparations.
Leia approached, her eyes sweeping the holomap, then landing on you.
“We’ll establish a temporary command post on Ajan Kloss,” she said. “The terrain is rugged, but it's defensible. And more importantly, it’s ours.”
She paused, then met your gaze.
“But I won’t be the only one leading it.”
You stiffened. “General, I—”
“I’ll still advise. But my time on the front line is done. The Resistance needs new eyes, new hands. People who know what’s at stake and what’s worth saving.”
Leia stepped closer, her expression unreadable for a moment. Then she reached into her cloak, pulling a small insignia from her pocket.
“I’m making you a Captain in the Resistance,” she said, offering it to you. “Not because of your name. Not because of who your family is. But because you’ve earned it, through loss, through leadership, and through restraint.”
You stared at the insignia in her palm. Gold. Simple. Weighty.
“Poe wasn’t the only one I needed to reign in,” Leia added, her voice lowering. “But you stayed. You chose to keep faith in all of us. That’s the kind of leadership we need.”
“I’m honored,” you said quietly, taking the insignia with reverence.
She placed a hand on your shoulder and smiled, proud, steady. “Don’t stop your training. Rey will need someone beside her. Someone who knows what the Force can take, and what it can give back. It called you back to finish what you began.”
You nodded, your hand brushing against the hilt at your side. The saber. The one that called to you through time and ash. The one you were no longer afraid to carry.
Leia lingered a moment longer, then turned to go.
But just before she stepped away, she paused. “Your father would be proud. And terrified. But mostly proud.”
Your breath hitched.
You and Poe stood alone again. The holomap hummed. The stars streaked endlessly beyond the viewport.
“I don’t want to just survive anymore,” you said softly. “I want to plant roots.”
Poe smiled. “Then let’s do it. Somewhere green. Somewhere quiet.”
You looked ahead, at Ajan Kloss, at the Force, at everything still unwritten.
And you let yourself hope.
End of Act II – Echoes of Rebellion
✨ To be continued in Act III: Seeds of the New Dawn ✨
