Some days there was no training, no shooting, no fighting. Ellra divided up her free time between Black Squadron and Ilya. Sometimes Ilya would socialize with the pilots at the hangar to maximize her time with Ellra; it didn't hurt that there was a really cute mechanic with long purple hair who smiled at Ilya a lot there as well.
One day, Poe, Oddy, and a tiny mechanic named Rose were helping Jessika with a modification on her X-wing. Ellra was sitting in the shade of the hangar with some reeds she had collected from a river in the jungle, weaving them into a rain cloak. Ilya sat with her back to Ellra, watching the pretty mechanic tinker with an old astromech droid.
Jessika teased Poe about falling in love with Ellra on the first evening they met. He defensively insisted Ellra had fallen too.
"I am what they call 'tall, dark, and handsome,'" he said, gently raking a lone curl back from his forehead.
"Who called you tall?" deadpanned Ellra, not looking up from her work.
"Oh! Oh!" he cried, wheeling in a circle, clutching the spanner in his hand to his chest. "Ell's got jokes now! Ell's got jokes, everybody," he cried dramatically for the entire hangar to hear.
"You're not tall," said Jessika from the ship's foil, tilting her head slightly.
"I'm taller than the general," he said, hands snapping to his hips.
"BB-8's taller than the general," said Ellra, pressing her luck further than she ever had before.
The payout was worth the risk: laughter resonated through the hangar as everyone within earshot cracked up and BB-8 reeled in a circle, beeping ecstatically.
Ellra felt an almost unfamiliar sense of pride and camaraderie.
"Gonna tell her that, Oka," said Poe, pointing his index finger at her. "I'm going to tell the general you said that!"
"You're cute when you're mad, Dameron," said Ellra, unfazed.
"I always tell him that!" cried Jessika, stifling laughter. "It's the way his forehead gets so serious!"
"My forehead doesn't get serious!"
"It does too," said Snap, walking up with Karé. He held his fingers up to his own forehead and said, "It gets, like…" – he made a frustrated sound – "mmmmm…."
Ellra giggled as Poe's face indeed made that shape.
"Shut up, Wexley," said Poe. "You're embarrassing me in front of my girl."
Ellra rose and stood beside Poe, gently nudging his shoulder with hers. It was a silent thing – their thing – that they used to communicate. The pair conveyed affection, inside jokes, covert warnings, and sometimes entire conversations with a mere brush of limbs. It was far more surreptitious than the classic elbow nudge and even more intimate.
A handful of people figured the gesture out within a day of their becoming official, including the rest of Black Squadron, Ilya, and of course General Organa. Anytime Poe's shoulder brushed Ellra's or vice-versa, eyes would roll, jokes would be made, and, in Ilya's case, tongues were stuck out.
But the pair did not mind in the least. Somehow, the jokes and rolled eyes made the gesture feel more special, as if acknowledgement by their friends made everything about their relationship more extant, more authentic.
"You two make my teeth hurt," said Snap.
"That's some chatter," said Jess, gently shaking a tool in his direction. "You and Karé made everyone sick the first few months."
"We did not," said Karé, affectionately, wetly kissing Snap's temple.
He nuzzled her nose and said, "We have never been that kind of couple."
Ilya and Ellra nearly collapsed with laughter, which triggered everyone else to laugh as well.
Ellra couldn't remember the last time she was this happy. Probably back at home. Right now, she was surrounded by the people she loved most in this quadrant of the galaxy and her heart was as full as possible.
When Poe, BB-8, C-3P0, and Oddy Muva left for a dangerous mission, Ellra bid them a tearful farewell, her mind flashing images of a shard of glass and a strange droid.
They assured her that they would be as careful as necessary to stay safe; they knew that their destination was a rough one.
"Please look out for 'zero,' okay, guys?" she said as they climbed the ramp into the massive ship.
"'Zero'?" repeated Poe. "What did the spirits tell you, Ell?"
She frowned. "I can't say exactly, just that 'zero' is bad. Please humor me and exercise caution when you encounter 'zero'!"
Poe gave a dashing salute. "Anything for my girl!"
Ellra smiled through her tears and blew a kiss.
In Poe's absence, Ellra focused on two things to keep her brain distracted and her heart warm: her sniper training and regularly calling home.
She relished the satisfaction of hitting the increasingly distant targets with enough accuracy to both impress and irk Colonel Umber. Umber and the general both agreed that Ellra would be ready for serious missions soon enough.
Keeping up with her family prevented her from feeling too lonely. They learned about Poe and fully supported the relationship. Ellra's father said for his daughter to fall so hard so fast for a man, he must be someone remarkable.
"He is, Father. He's the quintessence of everything the Resistance stands for."
Ellra's beloved cousin Marcha was the only one who disagreed with the pairing. She insisted that the daughter of the Ishta's chief deserved a man of standing.
"Marcha," insisted Ellra, "he commands a fleet of fighters. He commands people who fought at Endor. His parents fought at Endor. For lack of a better word, he's Rebellion royalty."
"It's not just that," said Marcha, her curvy lips set in determination. "He's not one of us. He's just a human male."
"We're human, March!" said Ellra, exasperatedly.
"You know what I mean, Ellra!"
"I don't understand. You and I have always supported one another's relationships."
Marcha sighed. "I guess… I guess I just resent your leaving. I'm afraid now with a boyfriend, you'll never come back to us."
"Oh, Marcha," cried Ellra, tears falling. "I could never leave my people! I just have to do this. I have to be a part of this. It's for our people and my own conscience. The spirits whisper to me every day that I'm doing the right thing!"
Marcha looked away.
"Then I have nothing more to say on the matter."
Poe and his companions were gone longer than they were supposed to be. Then, the rest of Black Squadron were suddenly dispatched as backup.
As she watched the three X-wings and one A-wing disappear into the sky, Ellra sobbed.
"'Zero' betrayed them," she whispered. "Someone's about to die."
The spirits, instead of whispering in the back of her mind, were screaming in every part of her body. There was nothing she could do, but she needed to do something. She decided to go into the jungle and practice shooting.
"I can't protect them," she grumbled to herself, assembling the blaster rifle assigned to her. "I can't protect Poe."
Ellra climbed a hill that overlooked a lake. She pulled her reed cloak over her shoulders and crouched in a dry bush.
"I'll learn how to protect them. Protect him."
She spent the afternoon shooting rocks, insects, and small fungus to practice her sniping.
When the sky buzzed with spacecraft, she nearly tumbled down the hill in her effort to get back to base.
She slung the gun over her shoulder and pulled back the hood of the cape when she skidded onto the tarmac.
Ellra didn't know how to respond to the sight before her, what questions to ask. She only knew that something terrible had happened.
Helmets were hastily shed and they made a racket as they all hit the ground at once. Tears glistened in Snap's beard; Jessika was unabashedly bawling, rubbing her eyes with her gloved fists. Karé let out a strangled cry before slamming her fist into the fuselage of her X-wing so hard it left a dent. Poe was shaking, his eyes glazed over, unfocused.
Someone was missing.
"L'ulo," gasped Ellra, her hands flying up to cover her mouth.
Snap met her questioning gaze and nodded slowly, closing his eyes as another tear slid down his face.
"No," she cried, trembling as the pilots walked past her.
Poe stopped at the edge of the tarmac and said to the remainder of his team, "I'll brief the general. You guys go rest."
Ellra violently hated the way his voice shook.
"Like hell you'll do that alone, Dameron," said Jessika, hiccupping.
"We took this mission as a team, we fought and died as a team, Poe," said Snap, his voice cracking. "We can handle being debriefed."
"Suit yourselves."
Ellra followed the group at a safe distance, BB-8 rolling forlornly beside her. She noticed that he looked like hell: his paint was more chipped than usual, he was dented all over, and his metal body was charred in places.
When they entered the command center, she and the little droid slipped in after them before the doors slid shut. She listened to the debriefing from a chair behind some kind of communications console, BB-8 leaning on her legs for comfort.
Through tears and cracking voices, the four pilots managed to relate most of the story to General Organa. When a spy was compromised, Poe, BB-8, and C-3P0 were in immediate danger. The rest of Black Squadron came to the rescue, but innocent bystanders came into play. They faced destruction at the hands of the First Order. L'ulo, always brave, gave his life defending one of the unarmed escape pods full of civilians, never hesitating.
The four pilots had done an admirable job relating the tale to General Organa without sobbing or losing their voices. Ellra found herself crying silently throughout, BB-8 occasionally making a heartfelt comment in depressed beeps.
When the debrief was finished, Ellra ducked beneath the console as Snap, Jessika and Karé filed out of the room, heading towards their own quarters. There were encouraging claps on shoulders or softly muttered words between the teammates.
When Poe didn't leave, Ellra leaned up over the console to peek back at him and the general.
"I know how you think, Poe," said General Organa. "I am officially ordering you not to blame yourself for this."
The look Poe shot her was wicked.
"With all due respect, ma'am," he said through gritted teeth, "I'm their commander. I am responsible for their safe return home."
"Poe – "
"And I failed my team today."
Poe's fist came down on one of the consoles.
"You and I both know you didn't, Poe," said the general, her voice soft and full of concern. "I heard every moment over the comms. Everyone performed admirably, yourself most of all."
"No!" spat Poe. "Don't you dare say I performed admirably, General!"
General Organa sighed.
"Poe, you and the rest of Black Squadron are to take the entire week to rest," she began.
"General – "
"That's an order, Poe!"
Poe frowned hard. He managed to keep from shouting as he said, "Yes, ma'am."
"I highly recommend you take some time for yourself, really think about today's events. Commend your team for their work. Remind them that none of them are to blame for L'ampar's death. I think in that maybe you'll realize your own lack of responsibility for it," said the general, her voice still soft.
"Doubt that," muttered Poe bitterly.
"And maybe you'll stop feeling sorry for yourself!" said General Organa sharply. "Your ego's poisoning your sense of responsibility, Commander. It's making you think you're better than you are – and worse than you are. It's not your duty to carry the galaxy on your shoulders, Poe."
Poe looked away at this, his face contorted in pain.
The general placed her hand on his cheek, making him squeeze his eyes shut and bite his lip to keep from being overcome by emotion.
"You're not responsible for every life and death in this war. As a leader, you have to learn that. Otherwise, the weight and the guilt crush you. Poe, I'm speaking from experience."
Poe nodded silently, refusing to look at General Organa.
"Please try to get some rest, Poe," she said. "Spend some time with your girl tomorrow. Let her cheer you up. She's nuts about you, you know."
Poe smiled bitterly at this.
"I know," he said, scratching absently at his cheek. "I'm crazy about her, too. But I don't want her to carry any of my burdens."
"That's the problem with loving hard-headed, emotionally-constipated flyboys…" said General Organa.
Poe allowed himself to chuckle at her choice of words.
"…We already share all of their burdens. But it's up to the flyboys to let us in," she concluded. "Don't make it hard on her, Poe."
He smiled gently at the general and nodded. He gave her a casual salute and left, BB-8 abandoning Ellra and following him out.
"Dameron, Dameron, Dameron," sighed General Organa. "What am I going to do with you?"
She walked over to a communications officer and said something to him before walking straight to where Ellra thought no one could see her.
"Hear everything you wanted to, Ellra?" said General Organa.
Ellra couldn't manage anything but a sheepish grimace.
"Sorry, General," she said quietly. "I was worried about Poe and the others."
The general nodding knowingly.
"Me too," she said. "It was a bad day for them."
"General?" asked Ellra.
"Yes?"
"Would it be alright if I visited Poe tonight?"
The general sighed and thought a moment.
"I think if you asked him, he would protest," she finally said, to Ellra's disappointment. "But if you went right in to visit, he would actually really appreciate seeing your face. Why don't you go check on him?"
Ellra smiled and nodded.
She was outside Poe's quarters in a heartbeat. It was getting late in the evening, but she knew he wasn't about to go to sleep after losing a teammate in battle. She took a deep breath and knocked on the door.
Through the door, she heard muffled words and beeps: Poe didn't want to let her in.
In a moment, the door slid open. A retractable arm was folding back into BB-8's open compartment as he rolled back and beeped a gentle greeting.
"Poe?" said Ellra softly, stepping in and letting the door slide shut behind her.
The man was sitting at the head of his bed, still wearing his dirty clothes, his knees pulled up to his chest. She couldn't see his face as it was resting on his knees, just a dirty mop of black curls.
"Poe?"
"I'm really not good for company, Ell," said Poe to his knees.
"I'm not here for a social visit. I need to make sure you're okay," she said, standing by the side of his bunk.
"Well, what do you think?" he said, bitterness creeping into his voice. He looked up at her and she wasn't used to seeing him look that angry, that distant. "Should I be okay? I just got my oldest friend killed."
"Jessika told me before that you'd known L'ulo a long time," tried Ellra, shifting her weight nervously.
"Literally my whole life. He flew with… with my mom," said Poe, tears suddenly spilling over his eyelashes and down his dirty cheeks.
That was it. When Poe began crying, Ellra abandoned all caution. She climbed beside him on the bed and wrapped him in her arms. She felt the change in tension in his body as he allowed himself to weep, mourning his friend. He nuzzled his face into her chest as she gently raked her fingers through his hair.
"When my mom died… he – he stepped up…" murmured Poe between gentle sobs. "He was my family as much as my dad was… Fuck…"
Ellra leaned back on the wall at the head of the bed, stretching her legs out, and Poe more or less collapsed against her, giving in to his grief.
She lost track of time as she sat there, holding the grieving pilot in her arms. He told her stories about L'ulo and his dad when he was a boy, stories about L'ulo as a pillar of Black Squadron, and stories about his mother and L'ulo, back in the days of the Rebel Alliance.
"He must have been a truly remarkable man, Poe," she said softly, "if he helped raise a man like you."
"Oh, please don't say things like that," said Poe, hiding his face in Ellra's tunic. "I'm not great like he was or my parents were…"
"That's not fair to them, is it?" she said, ducking her head down and lifting his up so she could meet his eye.
"How do you mean?" he said pathetically.
"Well, I know for a fact that L'ulo was incredibly proud of you. And I know in my heart that your mother would be proud of her son carrying on her honor and memory like you do. And I can only guess how proud your dad must be every day to be the parent of such a brave, strong, loyal, kind man like you."
Poe stifled a sob and rested his head down in Ellra's lap.
"So, when you say you're not great, you're disrespecting the people who love and admire you. I've only known you a few months, but I admire you greatly. And no one holds you in higher esteem than General Organa," she continued. "And she and I are both pretty great."
At this, Poe chuckled softly, tugging a fistful of Ellra's tunic hem.
"Poe?"
He only hummed in response.
"You're really dirty. Can I draw you a bath?"
He nodded in her lap before pushing off to sit up. He still didn't meet her eye.
After getting to her feet, Ellra leaned over and pressed a tender kiss to Poe's temple before heading inside the refresher.
She slid back the clear folding panel that hid the bath and shower from view and turned on the hot water. She looked through a couple of cabinets to find pleasantly-fragranced soaps to dissolve in the rising bathwater for relaxation.
"Not like the herbs we have at home," she mumbled to herself. "But begging traders can't ask that much."
She folded a towel and tucked it against the wall where she knew Poe's head would rest in a few minutes.
"BB?" said Ellra, poking her head around the corner.
The little droid looked at her from his spot in the charging dock and beeped softly.
"Can you play some relaxing music?" she asked. "I'm not familiar with the devices around here."
BB-8 beeped his confirmation and rolled to the workstation, fiddling with a small device there. Soothing music began to fill the room, even at a low volume.
"That's lovely, little friend," said Ellra, crossing the room to take Poe's hand. "Just right."
He let her help him off the bed. She slipped a hand around his waist and guided him to the refresher.
The tub was full now, so Ellra ducked to turn off the tap. She looked up to see Poe staring dejectedly down at the still water.
"Poe?"
"Hm?"
"Are you up for this?" she asked.
"Up for what?" he replied absently.
Ellra sighed and reached up to unzip Poe's flightsuit herself. He didn't seem to notice and let her unzip it and slide it off his shoulders before even acknowledging that his girlfriend was suddenly undressing him.
"Sorry," he mumbled, shimmying out of the flightsuit himself. "You don't have to help me undress."
She chuckled softly and took his hand for balance as he kicked off his boots and stepped out of the orange jumpsuit.
"I'm not sure you can do it without me," she said, unable to hide her smirk.
Even though Poe didn't smile, his voice had a hint of humor as he said, "There's a lot I'm beginning to wonder if I could do without you."
Ellra ignored the strange pang of emotion his words caused her and glanced down at Poe's civvies, what he wore underneath the flightsuit. The shirt had clearly been soaked with sweat earlier and with it exposed to the air now, Poe gave a small shiver.
"I'm going to turn around," she said, gesturing to his clothes. "When I turn back, I'll help you get in."
She turned around and leaned against the nearby cabinet, listening for the sound of rustling clothes. After a moment of silence, she said, "Poe. Undress."
"Oh…"
After a moment of rustling, Poe fell silent again and Ellra turned around. Strangely, he had shed most of his clothes except for the damp shirt, which was now unbuttoned. He was again staring down at the water, his eyes unfocused.
Ellra sighed and gently pulled the garment off his shoulders, tossing it on the floor beside his other things.
"Into the bath, love," she whispered, ducking her head under Poe's arm and wrapping her arm around his waist.
"'Kay…" he murmured, letting her guide him into the bathtub.
He sank down in the water, which came up to his chest and let out a pained hiss.
"Shit! Hot!"
"Sorry, sorry, sorry!" cried Ellra, rushing to the other end of the tub to turn on the cold water.
"No, stop," said Poe, reaching for her arm. "I need it. I'm bruised badly. The heat will help my muscles and joints."
Ellra spared a shy glance down his body: even through the water made murky by the soap she had poured in, she could see purple bruises beginning to show on his torso, legs, and hip. She noticed suddenly that his right hand had a wound that went right through it. She hadn't realized until just now what Poe must go through physically on a regular basis. Before, she'd only thought about the peril and threat of death.
A terrible, romantic, sensual whim overcame her and she bit her tongue to keep from voicing it.
Poe seemed to notice her conflict.
"What is it?" he asked.
Their eyes met and his burned into her deeper than she was prepared for. The words tumbled out in a breath.
"I want to lovingly kiss each bruise on your body."
Spirits, she prayed that her voice hadn't sounded as much like a whimper to him as it did her.
Poe stared back at her for a long, agonizing moment, his lips parted slightly as he processed her words.
Finally, he reached up and gently took her hand, pulling her down to him and into a kiss. She almost melted there on her knees in Poe's refresher, her hands gripping the edge of the tub. His wet hand sloppily pulled her hair back from her face as he held her there, his lips gently tracing hers, caressing them, trying desperately to reflect back all the love she was showing him tonight.
When he finally pulled back, leaving Ellra breathless, she was confused to see his solemn look was replaced by his signature cocky grin.
"The scars, too, right?" he said, biting his lip. "You'll kiss all my scars, too?"
"Dameron," she breathed, gently splashing him with water.
She rose and turned away as Poe laughed quietly to himself. She bent down and picked up all his dirty clothes, gently rolling them up in her arms. As she made to leave the room, Poe seized her hand.
"Will you stay with me?" he asked, all his fear and uncertainty suddenly burning in his eyes.
Ellra ducked her head to press a kiss to the back of his hand.
"I'm going to the next room. I'll stay as long as you need me," she whispered before kissing his hand again and releasing it.
He nodded understandingly and settled back in.
BB-8 was anxiously pacing the floor in front of the bed, booping softly to himself.
Boo-doo whee whee doot? he asked when Ellra appeared from the refresher.
She still wasn't fluent in understanding Binary, but she knew enough to understand that BB-8 was asking if Poe was alright.
"He is as well as can be expected in the circumstances, little friend," she said, stooping to gently pet his head. "He needs our love and support right now. How are you doing? I know it must have been a rough day for you, too."
BB-8 nodded his head and whirled a slow circle in front of Ellra's feet, beeping and whistling his side of the day's events.
She only picked up a few words, but they didn't paint a pretty picture. There had been blood, and a fist fight, and Poe cursing, Jessika sobbing over the fighters' comms, and something about a bottomless pit?
"Would you like to rest a little bit?" she asked.
BB-8 booped and clicked.
Ellra understood that sentence: "Not until I know Poe's okay."
"You're the best friend anyone could ever ask for, BB," she said, smiling down at the noble little droid.
After stowing the laundry, Ellra gently pawed through the small cabinet filled with Poe's clothes. She found an undershirt that had been worn thin and soft with time and repeated washing, and a pair of soft black pants she took for pajamas.
Clothes in hand, she returned to Poe's side. Tears were silently streaming down his face as he stared into space again, his hands clasped in his lap. When loving fingers traced through his hair, he looked up at Ellra.
"I'm so sorry," he whispered.
"You have nothing to be sorry for, my love," she said, resting her bottom on the edge of the tub. "You take your time feeling angry, grieving. It's your right."
Staring forward again, Poe said, "I'm sorry for how I am with you. I'm not handling L'ulo's death well and I'm not handling your loving support right now."
"Stop it right now, Poe," said Ellra, taking his hand out of the water and holding it in both of hers on her leg. "There's no right way to do this. I don't want you sparing a moment of your thoughts to our interactions. If you're comfortable with me here, then I'm here."
Poe leaned over and rested his cheek on their clasped hands. He sighed.
"I've been self-reliant for so long," he said. "I don't even know how to react to having someone there to support me, help me, love me. I'm not complaining, I just wish I was a better partner to you, more receptive of your support."
Ellra laughed quietly in the back of her throat.
"Poe," she said, kissing the top of his head, "you're the best boyfriend I could ever imagine. You're just used to being supportive to others – me, your friends, your colleagues. You're not used to being supported. But there's no technique, no instructional holovid to watch on dealing with death and love and people. You just do your best. And right now, all I want you to do is focus on feeling better. I want you to grieve, but in a healthy way. No self-loathing or taking all the blame."
"I know," he said into her leg. "I'm so grateful for your help. I love you."
It was the first time Poe had said that to Ellra. Her heart stopped. When she caught her breath again, however, she relished the warmth and joy that suddenly enveloped her.
"I love you, too, Poe," she breathed.
After a long moment, she said, "Sit back, I want to do something."
Poe sat upright and looked at Ellra expectantly.
"I haven't done this before so bear with me," she murmured. "I can't get behind you because of the cabinet."
She put her hands on his shoulders and gently massaged his tired muscles.
"Oh, shit," he grunted as his face screwed up.
"Am I hurting you?" asked Ellra in concern.
"No," said Poe, shaking his head. "My body hurts. You're doing a good thing. Please don't stop."
Ellra smiled to herself as she patiently massaged Poe's aching muscles, moving her hands from his shoulders up to his neck and down his arms. He sometimes grunted in pain or moaned softly in relief, but the look of contentment that overtook his face when she began never faltered. Occasionally, he looked up at Ellra, his eyes shining with adoration.
Her heart fluttered as she took in his expression, his bright eyes, his gentle smile. No one had ever looked at her that way, and frankly, she never imagined anyone would. She didn't think it was possible to look at someone the way Poe was looking at her right now.
For the first time in their relationship, Ellra took it completely upon herself to kiss him. She gently took his face in her hands, tilting his head up, and pressed her lips to his. He hummed softly into her kiss, eyes lazily shut. His hands slid up her arms to rest on her hands where they held his cheeks.
"Poe," she breathed against his mouth.
"Mm?"
"You're not alone. And you don't have to carry any of this alone, ok?"
Poe squeezed his eyes shut and rested his forehead against Ellra's temple. He nodded subtly against her.
"Whatever time alone you need to grieve, you'll get," she continued. "But you don't have to bear the weight of the galaxy on your shoulders alone. Okay, love?"
"Okay."
When the water was no longer hot enough for comfort, Ellra helped Poe out of the tub and wrapped him in a big, worn towel, averting her eyes politely at the appropriate moments. She stood in the doorway, facing BB-8, while he dressed.
She gasped when Poe wrapped his arms around her torso, nuzzling his face into her hair.
"Part of me wonders if you're trying to bed me, Cadet Oka," he purred in her ear.
She turned in his embrace and met his gaze, her mouth set firmly. From the change in his eyes, she could tell he regretted his joke.
"If that's what it takes to ease your pain tonight, then I will," she said simply, watching his reaction. "But that's not my goal."
"You'll stay with me then?" he asked, his eyes flicking back and forth between each of hers.
Ellra slipped her arms around Poe's neck, pulling his body closer to hers. She left him hanging for another moment, relishing the anticipation in his eyes.
"For as long as you'll have me."
He sighed and she felt him relax against her, letting his head rest on her shoulder.
"Let's get you to bed, love," said Ellra, leading Poe to the bunk.
BB-8 watched the pair carefully for another minute, his lens moving back and forth between their faces. When Poe sat down on the bed and stretched, he finally seemed satisfied now that Poe would be alright and clicked and beeped contentedly to himself before rolling to his charging station and powering down.
"You couldn't ask for a better best friend, Poe," said Ellra, watching BB-8.
"That little guy has saved my life more times than any sentient being ever has," said Poe, sparing the sleeping robot a grin.
"Scoot over."
Ellra climbed in beside Poe, who laid himself across her lap, the top of his head supported by her forearm. She pulled the blanket up over his shoulders and leaned back against the wall. With her free hand, she gentle played with Poe's damp hair, twisting locks around her fingers absently.
After an extended but comfortable silence, Poe quietly ventured, "Ell?"
"Hm?"
"Will you sing for me?"
"I only know Ishta folk songs," she said, smiling to herself.
"Please sing one of those," said Poe, subtly nuzzling her leg.
"Would you like me to translate some of the words to Basic for you?" she asked.
"If you want to. I just want to hear your voice."
Ellra leaned her head back against the wall and softly sang into the dark, her voice a little rough from the long day. She stroked Poe's hair in rhythm for lack of a traditional percussion instrument to keep time. The melody was gentle and simple, almost like a nursery rhyme.
When the verse was over, she sang it again, roughly translating the original lyrics into Basic for Poe's benefit:
I've never had a love like you before
Your sweet voice calls me to you
I've never been so far away
From the place I was born
But beside you I am home again
I've found my home in your loving heart
Ellra hoped the song's message wasn't lost on Poe – romantic though he was, he was also adorably clueless. But when she leaned over to see his reaction, she realized he was already in a deep sleep.
She swallowed a laugh and shook her head.
"Goodnight, Poe," she sighed before singing the next verse, this time, not bothering to translate.