Because Pantora was an Outer Rim planet not far from D'Qar, it took very little time at all for Poe and Shay to travel there. Poe was grateful for this, considering they were only given a precious 48 hours together for the trip, so very little of it was wasted in flight. As much as he preferred flying - and wanting the alone time in the ship with Shay - this time around, he'd rather spend the time they had on the ground.

The flight itself went well, despite how tired both of them were. Shay was a ball of tightly-wound energy, and Poe was the sponge to all her energy.

"So all I gotta do is be myself, right? And your dad will love me?" He said this with a smirk, knowing all too well he was exaggerating….kind of. Luckily for him, Shay was smirking back at him.

"Yes, let's roll with that."

"This should be easy then" he bragged.

"Should be, yes, but…" Shayavi grimaced slightly. "Can I make one request?"

"Request?" Poe leaned back comfortably in his cockpit chair, giving her his full attention. "I'm all ears."

"Let's keep Lahsbane and what happened between us" she said. "I don't know that my father will be too keen on letting me leave with you if he knows my first real mission ended up with us getting taken by the First Order."

Poe laughed out loud. "C'mon - you don't think I know that?"

"Well!?" Shay stared at him with worry in her eyes. "I mean...I don't know, I just—"

"—You have nothing to worry about." He sat up again and leaned towards her, his hand caressing her cheek. "I got this."

She leaned into his touch. "Promise?"

He answered her with a kiss that proved more than just that.

As they entered the Sujimis sector, stars became fewer and farther from the open vastness of space they traveled through. Soon enough, they were entering Pantora's realm.

Pantora itself was a moon that orbited the ice planet Orto Plutonia; one of the moon's many unique characteristics that set set it apart from others in the galaxy. As they flew past the massive ice giant on their way to Pantora's orbit, Shay glanced over to see Poe shaking his head.

"I still can't believe you willingly worked there."

"Necessity and dedication will make someone do anything" Shay reminded him kindly. "And I know you know this."

"Okay, yeah..." Poe leveled the ship just beyond the outpost of Pantora's orbit and flipped a few buttons, opening his communication lines. "But I'd still try to weasel my way onto a warmer planet, though" he said, smirking at her.

A voice crackled across Poe's speaker. "Greetings, Resistance Fighter 17185. State your purpose and length of trip please."

"Poe Dameron here, Resistance Naval Fleet." Glancing aside at Shay, his grin grew. "I'm joined by my stunning assistant Shayavi Pewcha, Resistance fleet mechanic and native Pantoran."

One of Shay's sharp eyebrows rose. "Assistant?" she mouthed.

Poe's smirk only grew. "Requesting clearance for 48 hours at the behest of General Leia Organa" he continued.

"Clearance granted. Welcome back to Pantora, Commander. Good to hear your voice."

Poe turned to her, eyes crinkling at the corners. "Welcome home, Shay."

Even beneath his helmet, Shay could see the amount of joy written all over his face as he brought their ship down into the atmosphere of her planet. His free hand found a comfortable resting spot on her thigh as they waited for their escort to bring them down to the surface and into the capital city.

For Poe, Pantora's landscape was a stark contrast to the vibrant greens he grew up around on Yavin 4. The deep burgundy and mauve colors of the marshes were particular for a moon of this kind, which had always interested him.

For Shay, the colors were the first indicators that she'd made it home. She sat in silent wonder, trying her best not to give voice (again) to how wonderful an act it was that Poe was doing for her. She also had to resist from letting her mind turn the trip into something somber. This fact alone worried her the entire way there, despite Poe's valiant efforts to prevent it. If this trip really would be the last time Shay saw her father, then she had to make it good - except she had to do so without letting the pressure of it get to her. It would be tricky, but she'd handled worse...that's what she told herself, anyway.

When the pair were brought in to their landing pad, Poe brought the ship in to dock and in time, Shay's worries gave way to her excitement. For obvious reasons, Poe was looking forward to this trip, but he was also looking forward to seeing the planet through new eyes. His true desire was to learn more about Shay's life before the Resistance, even if it was a condensed, 48-hour long version.

With this in mind, Poe let Shay lead the way through the city. She pointed out a few notable landmarks that had special meaning to her on the way, all of which fascinated him. He stayed quiet, watching and listening with adoration, the same way he had on Lahsbane when she told him stories inside his tent. Considering how much left over guilt he still had over putting Shay in harm's way on Lahsbane, it felt good to bring her happiness like this.

Together they wound through the streets of Pantora City on foot, weaving through the various lush garden common areas that were present throughout the city. The commons were some of Shay's favorite parts of the city; an oasis of natural flora in between smooth pillared skyscrapers. Because of the widespread marshlands of the moon, Pantorans prided themselves on maintaining these gardens. Shay made sure to show Poe a few of her favorites as they headed steadily towards the hovertrain station. Once there, they boarded the hovertrain and made the final short journey to Shay's father's home.

And if Poe thought he was making Shay happy before, he found out quickly that nothing compared to the moment he watched her run into the arms of her father.

Totally worth it, he told himself. Totally. Fucking. Worth it.

He hung back on the small walkway that led to the front of the home, watching with overflowing emotion as Shay and her father hugged one another for what seemed like forever. Her father was a handsome older man, with pale blue hair several shades lighter than his skintone. Adorning his face were yellow markings on his cheeks; one simple dot underlined by one single stripe. Poe knew this was common to most Pantorans, though it occurred to him that Shay did not bear any such markings. He wondered about this, even as she turned and presented him to her father.

"And this" she said, her gold eyes alive with delight, "is the reason I'm here right now, Papa."

"Commander Poe Dameron" Poe said, bowing his head respectfully.

Shay's father stepped forward. "Verrun Pewcha." A comfortable smile played across his face as he held out his hand. "A pleasure to meet you, Commander. I can't thank you enough for bringing my girl home."

"The pleasure is all mine, Sir, believe me." His eyes shifted towards Shay. "It's kind of becoming my self-appointed duty to make sure your daughter smiles all the time."

Shay could have snorted out loud at what Poe just professed, but it was her father who began to laugh. In fact, it was her father's surprised, deep-bellied laugh - the one he let loose whenever he really liked what he heard - kind of laugh Shay realized she really missed.

"Self-appointed!?" Verrun declared. He locked one arm around Poe's shoulders. "Well then! Sounds like you and I are going to get along juuuuust fine, Commader."

As Verrun led him into the house, Shay saw Poe glance over his shoulder. An unabashed expression donned his handsome face, clearly proud of himself for having so quickly won over her father's approval.

He makes this almost too easy, Shay thought as she followed the two men into the home. Then again, Poe makes everything easy.


The beautiful part about having brothers who loved flying and tinkering with electronics was the fact that they had a lot to talk about with Poe. As Shay's oldest brother spent quality time getting to know Poe, they found themselves deep in discussion over the latest and greatest star fighters. This afforded Shay some time alone with her father. He sat on her old bed, watching as she gathered the rest of her belongings into a travel bag.

"Commander Dameron seems to genuinely care for you" Verrun mentioned.

Shay found herself standing over a pile of clothes, not all unlike as she had when she packed for Lahsbane. "I know he does, Papa." She looked over at him, hands on her hips, a smile on her face. "I care about him too."

"Then you two should go out later. Do something together on your one day off." He gave her an encouraging smile, but he saw Shay's protest already brewing.

"Papa, I'm not spending the time granted to me anywhere but with you."

Verrun chuckled. If he had a galactic credit for every time he heard that phrase from his daughter...

"Besides" Shay said, tossing another piece of clothing into the growing pile, "Poe would probably object to it as well."

"Ohhh, but that is where you are wrong!" Verrun sat up proudly. "I already brought it up to him, and he agreed it was a fine idea."

At first, Shay didn't believe her father - but then she noticed the way he was looking at her, his eyes bright and his expression as stately as it was calm. That told her all she needed to know.

"Well, thank you for that, then" she said with a smile. "I don't suppose I'll have many days off from here on out, will I?"

He didn't suppose she would, but he stayed silent. Verrun loved his daughter more than there was depth to the galaxy, but he worried for her. He always did. His beloved wife died so suddenly, and Shayavi was his only girl. The notion sat heavy on his mind, even as he sat there watching his little girl packing for what could very well be the last time he saw her. His heart ached, but he kept it to himself.

Shay sighed as she stared down at the pile of clothes. "I hate packing." She stepped over the pile and took a seat next to her father. "I'd just as much rather wear the same outfit every day."

"You never were the type for frilly things, were you?" he said, chuckling.

"Ahhhhh Papa...some things never change." If she had known her father's heart was aching at the same time hers was, she may have mentioned it...but she, too, kept it a secret. Instead, she rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes.

In response, Verrun leaned his head against hers. "Your mother would be proud of what you're doing."

"I hope you are as well." She lifted her head and looked at him. "You are proud...right? I know I left a few weeks ago so quickly, and without-" She stopped when her father patted her cheek, the way he did when she was little and was getting ahead of herself.

"Darling, you're doing what you've always wanted to do...what your talents require of you" he said. "And you're using them for the greater good. The galaxy needs more of the likes of you and Commander Dameron."

She saw in her father's eyes the truth in his words, and that brought her great comfort. But there was sadness within his eyes as well. Her father could hide some things, but couldn't hide everything.

"Take heart, Papa" she told him, clasping his hand in hers. "Pantora is safe for now. But know that if it ever becomes unsafe, I'll do everything I can to warn you. I'll leave the Resistance and I'll come straight-"

"-No." He shook his head exactly once, silencing her. "You must stay with them, you hear me? You do not come back for me or any of your brothers."

Shay stared at him. "But Papa..."

"No" Verrun repeated again, squeezing her hand. "Promise me, 'Yavi." He didn't make his request unkindly, but he made sure he said it firmly. He needed Shay to promise she wouldn't leave the safety of the Resistance. He may lose his life in this growing war, but he would die with some peace knowing his daughter was safe.

"I promise" Shay replied, feeling her throat tighten. "I won't leave the Resistance."

Verrun gave her a pained smile. "Thank you."


Despite her dislike for packing, it afforded Shay the ability to see everything she owned in one fell swoop. As such, it helped her to settle on at least one outfit to wear out with Poe that evening. Traditional Pantoran attire were made of the same color palette as that of the moon's landscape: rich shades of burgundy and fuchsia mixed with deep grays and blues. As a result, much of Shay's clothing ranged in those realms of color, however one particular outfit stood out to her. With a devilish air, she selected it as the outfit for the night.

As Poe donned a navy button-down shirt his usual dark brown pants, Shay changed into a pair of fitted black breeches, and a high-necked, long sleeve maroon bodice for her top. It was this particular top that she chose with purpose: in the center of the bodice was a keyhole opening that exposed just the right amount of cleavage. It was as far from Shay's usual frumpy mechanic's suit she wore, which was why she chose it.

The look on Poe's face when he first saw Shay was all the reward she needed for being bold in her outfit choice. His large eyes widened further as she approached him, offering her his arm.

"Wow, Shay." His stare lowered slowly down her lithe body. "I, uh…."

She gave him a knowing glance, linking her arm in his. "Watch yourself, handsome. Your mouth is hanging open, and my father is still watching." She gave an innocent wave back to her father as they walked away from the home together.

Poe closed his mouth, but never pulled his gaze from Shay. "You're ridiculously gorgeous, you know that?"

Shay had to laugh. She was enjoying this version of dumbstruck Dameron. "So you're saying you like it?"

Poe exhaled a laugh. "Yeah, that's one way of phrasing it." He felt his groin tightening as he said it. "I've just never seen you so…"

"Clean?" she teased.

"I don't know - I kinda like it when you're covered in grease" he said with a wink. This got another laugh out of Shay, which was music to his ears.

In all honesty, Poe found Shay naturally stunning. That was what he liked most. But as they walked to the hoverstation together, arm-in-arm, they looked like a real couple. No longer were they a sweaty, greasy, bloody Resistance duo, but a real couple. The kind of couple he always wanted to be a part of but never could. Until now, it was only something he thought about when he was lonely, when he was with the wrong woman and wishing he was with the right one.

I guess I'm with her now, Poe thought with a grin. He couldn't really believe it, but the beautiful woman on his arm was proof he wasn't in one of his old lonely dreams.

"And to think" he said, pressing a kiss to her temple, "you thought I was thetroublemaker."

Shay laughed right out loud, remembering how she called him that back when she didn't know his name. "Do you think somehow you're not?"

"I might be - but tonight, you're definitely going to earn that title" he told her with a grin.

"Fair enough" she replied.

As Poe and Shay reached the city's hoverstation, their talk turned to various other topics of interest. They were still getting to know one another, and little moments like the ones they shared on the train ride they cherished greatly. Without the call of duty requiring them to be somewhere, Poe and Shay were able to really explore how they worked together outside the Resistance and all that came with it. It came as no surprise to either of them when they realized they still made a good team. They rode their similar wavelength just as in sync as ever.

Eventually, as they neared the city hover station, their talk turned to how they should spend their free evening together. An idea sparked in Shay's mind, though she mulled it over silently before giving voice to it.

"So….there's this one cantina…" she began.

"I like where this is going" Poe said encouragingly.

Shay bit back a smirk. "I haven't been to it in a long time" she told him. "Last I remember, it hosted quite the crowd. Whether we go all depends on how adventurous you're feeling." She said this with a flair in her voice, knowing very well Poe would be up for anything. His reaction didn't let her down.

"Are you kidding?" His laughter caused his face to crinkle happily. "Alright babe, Lesson Number 1: I've never met a cantina I didn't like."

"Lesson Number 2is I knew that" Shay fired back with sass. "Does this mean you're game?"

The train came to a halt and the doors drew open. Poe hopped out, then offered a hand to Shay to escort her onto the platform. "Game as ever" he answered, taking her hand. "Lead the way."

Whatever worries either of them had, whether it was about their most recent mission or any future fears, completely evaporated as they went in search of Shay's old favorite cantina. They needed to refer to a public holoboard to get them there, since her memory was a bit shaky on its location, but they found it fairly quickly after.

As they approached, the pair could already hear the music from outside in the street. Once they entered, it wasn't just the loud music they were hit with, but a rather boisterous crowd packed within. The source of the music was a live band performing on a small stage located near one end of the bar. A semi-circular bar stood as the focal point of the cantina, with hundreds of the galaxy's wide array of races filling the space across the floor.

Poe's natural protectiveness took over as he reached for Shay's hand and took the lead. He led them through the throng of guests, his eyes roaming for a free table or booth which they could occupy.

"Over there! To the far right!" She had to elevate her voice to be heard over the music.

Poe saw where she pointed and led her through the crowd. Many had drinks in their hand and watching the band while others chatted to one another in whatever their native language was.

One thing Poe could never shake, no matter where he was or what he was doing, was how he always scanned a crowd for potential enemies. He could blame the second-nature of this habit on his upbringing, but now - with a new war raging in the galaxy - he was almost always on high alert, especially in a crowd. As he and Shay took their seat in the booth, he was already eyeing each one of the characters near them.

"You're doing it" Shay said.

Running a hand through his hair, Poe leaned partly across the table between them. "Doing what?" He looked at her, knowing very well what she was referring to. "Am I doing something?"

Between the innocent way he was looking at her, the stubble framing the mouth she desperately wanted to kiss, and the single wavy piece of hair that had fallen over his forehead, Shay had forgotten what she was even going to say. "You're ridiculously handsome, you know that?"

This got Poe laughing again, and for a second, Shay thought he looked a little humbled by her compliment. She couldn't help but smile at the sound of his laugh. The way his face scrunched up when he was truly happy was everything to her. She made a mental note to tell him how much she loved this about him later.

Reaching across the table, Poe took both of Shay's hands in his, closing the remaining amount of distance between them. "Kiss me."

"Right here?" She played coy. "In front of everyone?"

"As if there's anything to hide…." He leaned in closer, his eyes lowering to her mouth as their lips brushed against each other's. When he pulled back, his gaze was calm and content. "Now…how about a drink?"

"I would love one."

"Name it, and I'll get it."

"Surprise me." Shay slid back as Poe stood. "But make it good."

"Roger that." He squeezed Shay's shoulder as he passed, then made his way to the bar. On his way, he paused a moment to check out the band as they wrapped up their final song of the set. They weren't bad, but he'd seen better.

At least I can hear better now, he thought as he sidled up to the bar.

Most of the stools were occupied, so he stood near the end and waited until one of the three bartenders sought him out. As he waited, he found himself scanning the crowd again. In his head, Poe heard Shay's warning coming back to him, but he couldn't help it. In a room full of strange beings, he took it upon himself to stay alert to anything - especially when he was with Shay.

"What can I do fer'ya?"

Poe's attention was drawn back to the bar to the bartender. He was a tall Falleen with black hair tied back away from his face. "Yeah, you got Osskorn Stout here?"

"Got plenty'a it."

"Two of those, then." Poe made sure to give a nod of thanks as the bartender went to fetch the drinks.

As he waited, he dug in his pockets for credits when he heard a commotion coming from the other end of the bar. When he looked up, he saw two hooded figures pointing at him. The second they saw Poe spotted them, they took off.

Red flags went off inside Poe's brain. He dropped the credits and went after them, pushing past customers who were in his way. Ahead, the two hooded figures increased their pace from a hurried walk to a jog, making for the exit at the back of the bar.

Poe felt adrenaline pulsing through his veins as he bolted through the guests. He almost tripped someone, apologizing quickly as he hurried past. When he finally made it past the densest part of the crowd, he increased his own speed to a full-on run and finally caught up to the slower of the two. He gripped the back of the cloak and hauled the fugitive to the ground. He hauled them forcefully onto their back, lifting them by the collar with both hands.

When it became clear who it was that Poe was clutching by the neck, his face screwed up with hate. He immediately let go, as if who he touched had stung him. He reached for his blaster - but he forgot he wasn't wearing one.

In those precious few seconds, Brrang — a member of the Ranc gang who had been hunting Poe and the Resistance for months — had leapt to his feet and took off for the exit.

Any other time, any other day, Poe wouldn't have thought twice about following him with the intent to kill.

Now, the only thing on his mind was getting back to Shay and getting her out of there.