With Shay now resting in her own bed within her private quarters, Poe stepped outside to meet privately with Wex and General Organa. They stood in the hallway patiently, waiting until he ensured Shay was comfortable and resting easy.

"We can't afford to waste any more time" Poe told them, immediately going into battle mode. "The longer we wait, the farther he gets from here."

"I've already got Lieutenant Connix working on tracking him" Leia said. "We'll wait until we get a full bioscan back from our quadrant before we do anything."

Wex lifted a finger. "Forgive me for asking the obvious here, but how are we going to go after him?"

"We still have ships that weren't damaged in the blast" Leia answered, albeit hesitantly. "Not many, but we do have some."

Poe was pacing again. Ever since he brought Shay to the medics, he found it hard to remain still. It didn't get much betterafter she told them it was Neeshla who caused the hangar bombing. Now his mind was running a mile a minute along with his antsy body.

"We don't know how long he's been planning this" Poe said, facing them. "He could have a bunker somewhere already, hiding like the fucking coward that he is."

This provoked a sigh from Leia. "May I request that you leave your personal grudge out of this for now, please?"

"I told you to reassign him two weeks ago."

"And what would that have done?" Leia stared at him, wanting a answer. "Whether he was under your watch or someone else's, what would it have done?"

Poe ground his teeth. He was as disgusted as the General, but he didn't have an answer for her.

"Exactly." Leia glanced between the two pilots. "I need you two to help me find him, but you've got to put aside your personal feelings about him. Right now, he's got enough information about our operations to get us all killed if we don't stop him. We've got to find him and find out who he's working for, before he gives us away." She made a point to emphasize this, hoping the men before her understood there was a greater task at stake here. Personal grudges could wait when it came to the First Order gaining information on where their base was.

Poe straightened his posture. "Alright then. We need a plan." His eyes moved to Wex. "You and I can take two of the ships and do a flyover. Scan from the air while a bioscan takes place from the ground. We'll cover twice the area twice as fast."

"And if he's got a ship waiting for him somewhere?" asked Wex.

"We blow it out of the sky."

Leia knew that answer was coming before it even left his mouth.

"He can't get far if he doesn't have a hyperspace ring" Poe added. "He can fly all over D'Qar looking for a way out, but he won't get beyond the first layer of atmosphere unless he's got a ring hiding somewhere as well."

Wex hadn't considered this fact. He mulled it over silently, as did Leia.

"Were any of the rings missing from their docks?" Poe asked.

Leia shook her head. "None."

"So he hasn't left the planet." The corner of Poe's mouth barely lifted. "Which means we've still got a chance."


What none of the three in the hallway knew was that Shay hadn't actually fallen asleep. She'd been resting, yes...but the second she heard arguing outside her door, her ears pricked. Poe's strong voice was more audible than the others, so she heard most of the strategizing taking place. She could piece together the rest with no issue.

Shifting uncomfortably on the bed, Shay began to feel something other than pain rising within her. She wouldn't call it impatience, although it felt like it. While her body wanted to rest, Shay wanted to help the ongoing discussion taking place beyond the door. If there was something she could do, she would.

Except I'm stuck in bed, she thought glumly.

It wasn't just her back and the three broken ribs she sustained that was causing all the pain. In addition to her aching torso, the injection sites where the medics shot bacta near her spine were their own pinpricks of torment. The random cuts and scrapes had been patched up and were of no consequence. It was truly the pain in her back and her ribs that were sidelining her. Luckily, in the end, Shay would be fine with no permanent damage, however the discomfort she currently felt made her doubt that prognosis.

More raised voices came from the hallway. Shay felt her heart sink every time she heard Poe's strained tone. All she could do was remain in bed, utterly helpless. The argument now turned to how many bodies they'd need to find Kiv, where he might be, how they could cover the most amount of space, etc etc...The talking seemed to go around and around to Shay.

An idea came to her unexpectedly. She rolled her head to the side of the pillow, eyeing a tray of filled syringes on her bedside table. They were to be used for the pain should it become too unbearable at any time. She argued needing them, but Poe insisted.

There may be something I can do.

A plan began to form in her mind.

I might be able to do this. She considered the potential, but with heavy doubt. Who am I kidding? I have no idea where Kiv is any more than they do.

As she lay there thinking of Kiv, two things came to mind: one was the question of how someone she used to know and care for could do what he did. The level of disbelief Shay had was overwhelming. Not just because they had a history together, but because he was Pantoran. He was one of Shay's own kind. Pantorans didn't act like this. They weren't an aggressive race, nor were they hostile. Yet here was Kiv, proving her and their entire species wrong again. His betrayal hurt the most; then again, Shay had been here before with him. Betrayal was as akin to Kiv's makeup as his blue skin was.

The second thing that came to Shay's mind was: there was no one else on the base who knew Kiv like she did. She may have had a lot of things wrong about him, but she knew his habits well. Or... she used to. She tried to think back to the years they were together, trying to recall where he'd gone the last time he betrayed her...after he cheated and wanted to hide from the truth he fought to escape...

That's when it hit her.

In a rush of hope, Shay pushed herself up off the bed with a groan. She hobbled to the door and hit the control button, watching as the door swished open and all three sets of eyes looked at her.

"Check the lakes" she told them.

They were all still surprised to even see her standing there, let alone butting into their conversation.

"That's where Kiv will be" Shay added, confirming her statement. She had to lean against the door frame for support, even as Poe came to help her. "I'll place credits on him hiding out near a lake."

"How do you know this?" Leia asked.

Shay felt the warmth of Poe's arms gently hug her waist, helping to brace her upright. "It's where he used to go, back when we were together." She felt bad talking about it, especially in front of Poe. When she glanced at him, he nodded for her to continue. "Whenever Kiv and I would get into an argument, he'd always escape to one of our local lakes to 'think'." Shay rolled her eyes. "Or whatever he did there. Who knows."

Poe's eyes met Leia's. "The nearest lake to the base is Z'atoq."

"We could be there in an hour if we left now" Wex added.

Leia scanned the small group before her, weighing their options and if there was a better strategy. Truthfully, Shayavi was the best source of information they had. She was the last person to see Neeshla, and she had a personal history with him. It was as good as they could get.

"Alright" Leia agreed. "But before anyone leaves, I want you both in the briefing room so we can finalize some sort of plan if you capture him. Get yourselves ready and meet me in my office as soon as possible. Understood?"

Both the men nodded and agreed to Leia's terms, then they split up. Poe helped Shay back inside and onto her bed, doing his best to prop her up with plenty of soft pillows.

"Comfy?" he asked.

"As comfy as I can be." She smiled up at him as he settled in next to her.

"I'll be back as soon as I can." His gaze was warm and affectionate. "I'm really glad you're okay." He lowered his eyes as his hand lightly grasped hers. "Not gonna lie, you had me pretty scared there for a while."

Shay could see pain in Poe's expression, even though he was terrible at hiding it. "But you right there, ensuring I was safe" she said with encouragement. "Yet again."

The corners of his eyes creased, brightening his face. "I'm glad I was able to."

Shay reached up and touched Poe's cheek, the cheek that still held the angry bruise from the night before. "Seems we both took some hits the past 24 hours, huh?"

A small chuckle left his lips. "You could say that." He leaned forward so that his forehead was touching Shay's. They gazed lovingly into one another's eyes, but Poe's expression transitioned to one of steadfast promise. "I'm gonna find this guy, and I'm gonna end this."

Shay smirked. "Always so sure of yourself, Commander."

He smiled, even as his lips caressed hers in a tender embrace. It was through his kiss that Shay finally felt the comfort she was looking for. Everything Poe did was so heartfelt; from the mere touch of his hand to the way he spoke right down to the way he kissed. Every fiber in him spoke of the passion he lived his life with; including the way he loved Shay.

Poe rose from the bed. "See you soon?"

"Of course." She watched as he turned to leave, already feeling the absence of his presence. Before he slipped out the door, he pressed two fingers to his lips then held them out to her. In return, Shay did the same, sharing a kiss across the distance between them. With this, Poe was gone.

With an eye on the clock and her idea still fresh in her mind, Shay counted exactly three minutes before she stood from the bed. Three minutes should have been enough time for Poe to make it to Leia's briefing.

With one hand against the bedside table for support, Shay grabbed one of the filled syringes and removed the cap, holding the needle to her neck.

Okay, you can do this. Relax, and be quick.

She breathed in, breathed out, then shoved the needle into her neck.

A sliver of white lightning could be felt as she injected the potent drug, doing her best not to wince and tense up her muscles. As soon as it was empty, she pulled back and discarded the needle with a heavy exhale.

Two to go.

She prepped the second needle, found a new spot in which to inject herself, then jabbed the needle into her neck. It hurt much less this time, but she still didn't dilly-dally. She depressed the end until all the medication was gone, then yanked the needle away.

Shay took a deep breath and steadied herself. She could feel the pain killers washing over her sore body, silencing her screaming wounds from top to bottom in a slow numbing wave.

Alright. Last one.

Working quickly, she pulled the cap off with her teeth and prepped the needle. Aiming for the other side of her neck this time, she steadied herself before plunging the needle into her muscle. The liquid poured from the syringe into her body, and she felt nothing but a calm quiet settle over her.

She withdrew the needle and tossed it onto the empty tray.

Now...to the ship.

Blinking through the haze of medication, Shay willed herself forward. Eventually, the drugs would thin themselves out the more they coursed through her blood. Until then, she had to suffer through the weird drug haze. She couldn't fly a ship like this, but this phase was temporary.

Shay pulled on more appropriate attire than the medic dress they left her in. She was wobbly, but her vision was clearing by the second. She found her boots next, then grabbed her key and headed for the door.

If anyone was going to take out Kiv Neeshla, it was going to be her.


Poe and Wexley stood together, listening as Leia and two of her Lieutenants gave them details on the bioscan being performed. They studied the location of Z'atoq Lake and the subtleties of the geography near there. Poe memorized the hovering map before him, making note of any features that could harbor an escapee.

Up until now, Poe hadn't allowed himself to feel the anger of what happened on base. He hardly had time to rebound from the injuries Kiv had caused the night before, let alone a fucking bombing that he caused. If there was even a shred of regret about fighting Kiv, it was no longer there.

"Our main goal is to ensure he doesn't get off this planet" General Organa told them. She stood with her arms behind her back, her eyes trailing over those standing in front of her. "Our second goal - and this is important, Dameron - is to ensure Neeshla makes it back in one piece. I have more than just a few questions for him."

Poe's brow rose innocently. "Why me?"

Lieutenant Connix approached the group from offside, where she'd been staring at the bioscan radar screens during their chat. "Not to interrupt" she told them, her voice cool and collected. "But it appears there's activity outside the base."

Poe's expression fell. "What kind of activity?"

Lieutenant Connix gave a sidelong glance at General Organa before answering. "It appears to be a ship."

"One of ours?" asked Leia.

"Yes."

"And it's leaving now?"

Connix nodded. "Affirmative."

Poe wrestled with this new information. If it was Kiv, how did the asshole manage to remain on base without someone seeing him? Would he really be that bold, or that stupid?

"Hold on a moment." This time, it was Caluan Ematt who spoke. "I'm receiving data on the ship."

Poe and the others moved towards Caluan, looking over his shoulder at a blinking dot on his radar. His fingers moved quickly over the keys, bringing up the call number and log data for the ship in question.

Upon seeing the data appear before him, Poe's eyes went wide in shock. "That's the tandem X-wing." He spoke as if to himself, though all heads turned to look at him.

"So?" replied Leia, unsure of where he was going with this.

"It's the same ship that-" Poe stopped, realizing he was about to blow his own cover. "-that I, uh...Well...that I've been giving flying lessons to Shayavi in."

Obviously unaware that his friend had been giving private lessons, Wex nodded at Poe rather proudly.

Caluan, who'd been bringing up additional data while the others spoke, now sat flat back in his chair. "This can't be" he mumbled, fingers flying on the keyboard once more.

Connix stepped forward. "What is it, Cal?" Her eyes went to the image before them, but nothing new was revealed there.

"The registry says Shayavi Pewcha's flying it." Caluan turned in his seat to face Poe. "Can that be?"

"It's an old log. It's gotta be." Poe leaned an arm out on the desk and stared at the data. "Can you bring up the archive?"

"Give me just a sec."

As he did so, Poe chanced a look at Leia. Her face gave nothing away.

"Here's the archive, Commander." Cal flicked the screen to change over to the last several check-ins. All of them were from Poe and Shay's flight lessons except for the latest. It was her call number. Her digital signature. Everything checked out, save for the obvious.

"You did leave her to rest in her quarters, right Dameron?" Wex had to ask him, even though it seemed ridiculous to do so.

"I did." Poe felt apprehension taking hold of him. "But that hasn't stopped her before." He met the gazes of those before him with an understanding about Shay that they didn't share. No one else knew her determination, her stubbornness, or her history with Kiv the way he did. And if Poe knew his girlfriend, she would take this act of Kiv's more personal than any of them would. The only question was how could she do it in the state she was in, with her current injuries?

The syringes, Poe thought suddenly. What if she pumped herself full of the meds before-

"Oh shit" he uttered.

Turning on his heel, Poe rushed through the briefing room with every set of eyes staring at him in shock.

"Where do you think you're going!?" Leia called after him.

"To follow her!" Poe shouted, exiting the room at a sprint. He blew through the hallways of the base, willing himself forward with the distress he felt.

All the ships that survived the blast had been moved to the outside tarmac so work could continue inside the hangar. This is where Poe ran to. He emerged into the humidity beyond the walls of the base, locating his X-wing - one of the lucky few few ships that remained intact after the bombing. BB-8, who'd been following him up until this point, rolled up and into his place in the back hatch while Poe climbed into the cockpit.

"Heads-up BB-8!" He shoved his helmet on and fired up the engines. "I need you to get us locked onto the signal coming from Shay's X-Wing."

The droid answered obediently, asking Poe whether or not he had coordinates.

"Negative, buddy. That's what I need to you to help me with." He flipped a few buttons as the comm lines came to life, then pulled back on the throttle as the ship lifted off the ground. "I'll get us going and you work your magic back there. Got it?"

Blllirrp woo!

Poe stared beyond the cockpit window as the base disappeared below. Shay only just took off, so he felt confident he'd be able to find her. If she really was going to find Kiv on her own, Poe had to make sure that when Shay's drugs wore off, she didn't do more harm than good - either to herself, or her ship. He had every faith in her abilities, but with the injuries she sustained from the blast, he worried how long she'd last once the meds wore off.

Once his ship cleared the base below, Poe pulled hard on the throttle. "Alright, let's go get her!" he shouted back to BB-8. With a smirk, he thought of something he told Shay not too long ago when they flew together. "Bonus points if we find our fugitive in the meantime, eh?" He whipped his X-wing around and accelerated hard, BB-8 chirping happily behind him.


Shay found Z'atoq Lake with no difficulty at all, but finding a place to land was a little more than she bargained for. The lake was surrounded by rolling hills; some were littered with trees while others were bare and rocky. Neither were exactly prime real estate for landing, so she made a meticulous pass around the lake to make sure she wasn't missing anything. She flew low and slow, her eyes focused on the ground the entire time.

As she flew, Shay could tell the drugs were in full effect now, much to her approval. She could barely feel her injuries as she pressed her back against the seat. This boded well for this entire idea of hers, though she had no idea how long it would last. That concerned her...but it didn't stop her.

She brought the tandem X-wing around the south end of the lake, scanning its features as she flew by. Z'atoq Lake was almost 50 kilometers in length, boasting as one of D'Qar's larger lakes. It normally wouldn't take much time to cover by air, but Shay cut her normal speed in half in order to really take it all in from above. As a result, it was slow-goings for a while as she covered the circumference ofZ'atoq. The more she flew by without seeing somewhere good to land however, the more discouraged she became.

Maybe I had Kiv wrong again...thinking he'd run right for a lake.

Shay pulled the ship around the southern tip of the lake and started north, eyes peeled for a landing spot, or a Pantoran on the loose.

Or maybe I'm just in over my head trying to get to him before Poe and Wex do.

Negative self-talk wasn't Shay's way, but she was starting to worry. It came a little too easy now, given how tired she was and how much medicine was flowing through her veins.

I'm quite the mess, aren't I? she thought with a laugh. Ahhh, but even my father told me my stubbornness would get me in trouble some-

Shay's internal dialogue came to a halt when she noticed a clearing come into view. She increased her speed and brought the ship around a small bay on the west shore, flying even lower and closer. From what she could tell, it was a narrow strip of flat land that appeared to be the extension of a marshy shore. She navigated around a hill that blocked half the view until the flat area came fully into view - and with it, another Resistance starfighter.

"Ho...ly...shit..." Shay stared at the ship parked on the open land below, recognizing it as one of the few she worked on weeks ago for the new recruits. "You gotta be kidding me" she muttered to herself.

With the hopeful promise of what she just discovered, Shay immediately began her landing sequence. Still, she didn't see Kiv anywhere, which was slightly disconcerting. If he was near the ship, she certainly didn't recognize anyone with her race's distinctive blue skin.

As the landing gear popped out beneath her, Shay angled the ship close to where the other fighter was located. She was just about to level it onto the surface when she saw all the engines on the starfighter blaze to life.

"Nooooooooo no no no no no!" she shouted. As fast as she could, she backed out of the landing sequence, feeling the ship groan angrily beneath her. She watched with mounting resentment as Kiv's fighter completely engaged its fire-up sequence.

Swearing under her breath, Shay frantically opened up the communications line and found Kiv's frequency. "Surprise, asshole! I lived through your little explosion!" She wrenched the ship off the ground as she tried to engage Kiv on the line. "I think it's time we had a little chat, don't you?"

No answer came, not that she really expected one to. Kiv's starfighter took off at breakneck speed, but Shay was right behind him. She increased her speed, fired all engines, and kept a close tail.

"Listen to me, Kiv: do NOT run, do you hear me?" Her voice sounded as frantic as she felt, especially when she yanked hard on the throttle to follow him. "I only want to talk!"

Again, nothing. The only response she received was a tight banking of his starfighter as he tried to shake her. Shay anticipated all his moves, flying as flawlessly as she did on all those mornings when it was just her and Poe.

"At least tell me why you did it!" she shouted, but Kiv responded with another slick maneuver of his ship. She banked hard, never losing ground on him. Her anger was boiling over now, disdain flowing through her moreso than the medication she injected earlier. And still, the chase went on.

"Kiv!" Shay knew he was listening, so she kept on him as they parried with one another. "I know you can hear me! TELL ME WHY YOU DID IT."

Another hard cut of his ship, another quick response by Shay. The landscape blew past them in green and blue streaks, their speed matching one another's. Her hands gripped the throttle so hard her knuckles were white. Without her usual flying gear and without Poe next to her...all she had was her instinct and an unnerving will to end this.

"You know...I always knew you were an ass" Shay said over the line, spinning the ship around as Kiv made another attempt at losing her. "...but you have FAR exceeded my expectations."

The pair of ships dove down into a canyon now; following a river that wound its way through the lush landscape that was nothing but a blur. She flicked a button above her, trying to see where on D'Qar they were now. With all the twists and turns Kiv was attempting, Shay was damn near all but completely turned around.

A digital display showed up on her front console, showing her ship in line behind Kiv's. From the looks of things, they were incredibly close to where she and Poe had their last lesson together. In fact, they were only kilometers away from the ravine where Shay had blown that very lesson.

Confirming her observation, Kiv took the pursuit down into the very ravine where she had her lesson. Visions of smoking S-foils came to the forefront of Shay's mind, the grinding sound of metal on rock, the feel of Poe's hands on her hips and his mouth on hers as she straddled him afterward...It came rushing back to her as fast as the landscape around her.

Shay shook her head, her disgust becoming too heavy to shoulder any longer. "Where do you think this is going, Kiv? How far do you think you can run?"

No response. Every muscle in Shay's body tensed as she stared down Kiv's X-wing with lethal eyes.

"You can't outrun your mistakes!" she shouted into her mouthpiece. "And you can't outrun the Resistance!"

The ravine was fast approaching. Shay could see the dark depth of the canyon yawning open, waiting to swallow them.

The decision that lay dormant in the back of Shay's mind until now surfaced wholly as the ravine neared. Either she flew over the ravine, lost Kiv, and counted all of this as a failed attempt at stopping something better left to Black Squadron...Or she went through and ended it.

I can't kill a Pantoran, Shay thought.

She bit her lip as she wrestled with the idea, knowing all along it had been her end game.

How can I kill one of my own people?

Ahead of her, Kiv's starfighter entered the ravine.
It was now or never.

Knowing what she had to do: Shay punched it.

With her ship on its side, she entered the narrow and twisting corridor. Her muscle memory kicked in as she maneuvered the ship left and right, dodging the obstacles as they came at her. She did just as Poe trained her, remembering each angle, each instruction, each comforting word.

When the pair of ships neared the exit of the ravine, Shay gave it her all. She felt through the motion of the ship as they rounded into the corridor's narrow neck, and to her surprise: not one S-foil scraped the rocks around her. Her ship shot out of the ravine and into the wide-open emptiness of the fields beyond. With nowhere to hide and nowhere to run, it was just her and Kiv, flying over the fields at top speed.

"Kiv." Shay's voice turned serious. On the targeting computer in front of her, she brought his ship into its crosshairs. "This is the last time I'm going to ask you. For your own sake, I hope you answer." She could feel a lump forming in her throat. Sweat stuck to her forehead beneath her helmet. Somewhere behind her, along her spine, her needle pinpricks were beginning to wake up.

With her target locked and her thumb poised above the torpedo detonator, Shay radioed one last time to her ex-boyfriend.

"If you ever loved me, Kiv" she said, feeling her eyes begin to water as her thumb centered on the button. "Tell me why you did it."

Green fields below became forested as they neared the next cluster of mountains. Soon, their open space would disappear, as would Shay's opportunity.

She bit her bottom lip as fear took hold of her soul. "Kiv...please..."

He turned his back on you and the rest of Pantora a long time ago.
Do it.
Do it for the Resistance.

Shay gave him exactly 5 seconds to answer before she fired the torpedo.


Crippling horror consumed Poe in those few seconds after he watched one of the ships explode...that was, until BB-8 whistled that it wasn't Shay's ship.

"It wasn't?!" Poe turned halfway in his seat. "Are you sure?!"

His droid hummed and whirred anxiously.

"Well you BETTER be sure!" Poe yelled back. His eyes were wide as he watched a billowing cloud of orange and black fire pour from the planet's surface beyond. "Please tell me you're sure?!"

BB-8 double and triple checked, confirming with vigor that it definitely was not Shay's ship that exploded.

Poe exhaled hard, feeling his chest press against his safety restraints. He leaned forward tiredly, easing up on the speed with which they'd been flying. His nerves were as raw as they'd ever been, and that was saying a lot given some of his prior experiences.

When he got within eye-shot, Poe could see Shay had landed her X-wing near the explosion site. He brought his ship down next to hers, spying her standing outside with her eyes to the sky. As quickly as he could, he hurried over to her, calling her name as he neared.

Shay heard him, but was too emotional to even move. She stood there a long time, staring blankly at the shower of embers that floated down from above. She heard Poe's voice again, calling to her, pulling her attention away from her shattered past.

Poe's jog slowed to a stop when she didn't answer. "Shay?" Fear and apprehension filled his voice as he stood there.

When Shay finally turned and faced him, her bottom lip began to tremble as every emotion rushed to the surface all at once. The pain in her body competed with the pain in her heart, as overwhelming relief collided with crushing sadness. Shay ran to him, collapsing into his arms as she began to sob.

"Shhh, it's alright..." Poe murmured softly, cradling the back of her head as her tears soaked into his shoulder. "Everything's okay now...It's all over..."

BB-8 rolled forward cautiously, unsure of what he was witnessing. When he heard Shay crying, he lowered his head a little. Whatever happened had caused her pain. Great pain. Even for a droid, he understood this.