As the darkness of night fell upon Lahsbane, Black Squadron made their move upon the First Order encampment. Poe flew Shay's Y-wing, hoping the cannons that came equipped with this particular style ship would be put to good use, if necessary. Shay sat adjacent to him in the cockpit, helmet on and testing communications between all the ships in flight. Everything sounded as good as it did on the ground, which eased Shay's worries.
They flew over sweeping plateaus covered in trees, with no sign at all that the First Order was even on the planet. Below them was total darkness; the forests a thick carpet with no sign of civilization beneath. As the landscape changed from forest to sweeping bare rock, Poe radioed to the others as he flipped a few switches above his head.
"Few more kilometers and we'll be knocking on their doorstep. Everyone know their position?"
"Copy that, Black Leader."
He waited until each member of his crew responded before glancing at Shay. "You ready?"
Shay could see the excitement in his expression, even beneath the orange visor of his helmet. The man loved flying, and his love for it was contagious.
"Right beside you, Black Leader." She winked, eliciting a broad grin from Poe.
"Alright, let's do this!"
He pulled hard on the throttle, veering off and away from the X-wings beside him. Shay felt her body being pushed back against her chair as their speed doubled. They dove down into the canyon where Wexley and Kun had spotted the FO encampment, and sure enough: lights came into view near the bottom of the ravine.
Banking left, Poe made a wide circle to buy time as he waited for the rest of the team to come at the settlement from the north. Once he had a visual, he'd bring the Y-wing back in from the south end and find a landing spot.
"Right on time" he said, seeing the blaze of heat from the now-visible X-wings. "Get ready to fire, Shay - and hold on. This landing might be a bit rough."
"No worries there" she said, flexing her hands over her controls. "I like it a little rough anyway."
Their eyes met, and Poe began to shake his head and laugh. "Now that's what I like to hear!"
He gunned it, accelerating even harder as they came in overtop the X-wings, who began firing below them between the buildings temporarily raised. It wasn't long before a scattering of white-suited Storm troopers came flooding out of the buildings. Shay fired where she could, sending bodies flying in all directions.
"Now or never!" Poe shouted above the clamor. He drove the nose of the Y-wing down to the ground, losing elevation quicker than Shay realized was possible. Her eyes widened, knuckles gripping the controls in front of her. "Poe..." The ground was coming at them fast. "Poe!"
"Hang on!"
When they were a hundred or so meters from the ground, he pulled back on the throttle and somehow ejected the landing gear all in one move. Poe leveled the ship as it groaned beneath them, and with a heavy whumpf - the Y-wing was on the ground.
Shay exhaled hard, eyes still wide with shock as she looked to him. "What the fuck was that?"
Poe was already peeling himself out of his safety straps. "That was an A+ Dameron landing."
"Right, how silly of me to ask." Shay unclipped her straps as her mind tried to catch up to her heartbeat.
They grabbed their blaster rifles and Poe engaged the cockpit shield. Together, amidst a constant raining of laser fire from the X-wings above, the pair ran towards the largest constructed building within the encampment. Here was where they guessed the First Order was holding the colonists, and with a quick lifeform scan, Poe confirmed it.
"We're good to go" he told Shay, shoving the small scanner back into his pocket. They were both currently hiding in a small alley, their backs against the wall of an adjacent building. Beyond the alley where they stood, Storm troopers rushed past, firing at the X-wings.
"Looks like the diversion's working" Shay said, holstering her rifle. She gave a Poe an encouraging glance. "So far, so good."
As the Storm troopers took the bait and loaded into their fighter craft, Poe and Shay crept towards the holding site. A trooper noticed them as they came forward, but Poe fired at him and he fell to the ground lifelessly. Shay had to do the same to troopers coming at them from behind. Together they were able to pick off each one of the enemy that approached as they climbed the heavy metal platform that lead into the building. Lucky for them, it was already open - plenty of guards who were supposed to be there were now scrambling along the ground beyond, doing their best to fire at the X-wings.
Poe and Shay ducked into the building. Inside, at least one hundred frightened colonists stood behind a massive metal pen, their hands clutching the bars as they tried to see what was happening beyond.
A grin broke across Poe's face when he saw they were right. Shay was right beside him, staring at the conditions the poor Lahsbee had been forced to endure. "Now what?" she asked Poe, realizing they had to get beyond the barred pen before they could release anyone.
"I can figure this out" Poe thought to himself but spoke out loud. His eyes frantically scanned for a source of where the bars led to. If it was a temporary building, then the pen was also temporary. It was likely just heavy, too heavy for someone to push over or move - so there had to be a way to deconstruct it. There also had to be a source of electricity in order to do so.
That's when Poe spotted it.
"This way!" he called, already running towards a covered metal duct near the pen. Shay followed, keeping an eye out for anyone who might be following them. So far, all the focus continued to be outside.
Poe knelt to the ground and lifted a metal lid from the duct, revealing a minimal computer system set up to hold the pen in place. "Can you undo this?" he asked her.
Shay stared at the small control panel. "I can try. Here." She handed him the rifle and knelt down to inspect the box. She pulled the wires apart to see where they led, each one going to a separate control that wasn't labeled. "Well of course they aren't labeled" she uttered, feeling the pressure of time working against them.
Next to her, Poe watched while also keeping an eye on the entrance. Two Storm troopers came running into the building to check on the prisoners, but Poe took them out in seconds. He scanned the area near the pen, and noticed one particular prisoner coming forth through the crowd. A smile was on his face, and his eyes were bright with hope.
"Commander Dameron?"
Poe nodded. "Brok Grannion?"
From the floor, Shay glanced up and watched as Poe and Brok embraced one another through the bars of the pen.
"Thank goodness you're here" Brok said, taking in the sight of him. "I knew one of Leia's men wouldn't be too far behind this mess."
Relief filled Poe's entire body to see Brok was still alive. "Have any of them spoken to you?"
"Not a one."
"So the information you have..."
"Still got it" Brok replied.
The men shared a knowing grin and Poe slapped Brok on the shoulder. "We're gonna get you outta here." He looked at Shay, who continued working on her knees at the electric panel. "She'll figure this out. When she does, get yourself and your people to the transport you came on. My droid will take it from there."
"Your droid?" Bok asked, somewhat surprised.
"Just trust me." Poe forgot the Lahsbee didn't like technology, though he was certain they'd learn to like it tonight.
Brok was more than compliant. "I trust anyone who General Leia trusts."
Meanwhile, Shay was swearing to herself as she fiddled with each of the wires. Her mind raced with instances where she'd been in a similar position, trying to rewire the command center back on Orto Plutonia. Come on Shay, you can do this. You've done this before. She knew she could do it, but she had time to waste back then. She did not have that kind of time today.
She reached into the chest pocket of her flightsuit and lifted out a small utility knife. She pulled the sharp edge out with her mouth, using it to cut two of the dozens of wires she currently held. She flipped two separate switches on the panel and waited - but nothing happened. "Fuck."
"What? What is it?" Poe asked her. Just then, three more troopers emerged into the building, which he took out with three shots. A small pile of white bodies were piling up near the entrance - if they didn't hurry, it would become more noticeable from the outside. "Hurry, Shay."
Shay didn't answer, but kept her focus on the wires. She cut two more, flipped two more switches, and waited.
Finally, the walls of the metal holding pen began to lift upwards towards the ceiling. Poe's mouth fell open in awe. "You did it?!"
Shay stood up and watched with just as much surprise. "Holy shit, I did it."
They looked at one another as their grins grew in realization. But the pair didn't dare celebrate just yet. They still had to get the colonists out of there and somewhere safe.
They waited anxiously, watching the wall of the pen move at a crawl that pained them as much as it did the anxious prisoners. As soon as enough room for a body was revealed, Poe motioned for the Lahsbee to slide out from underneath the rising wall. Brok went first, leading his people out and over to Shay, who stood at the exit of the building. She called for them, pointing at the assault lander they'd been transported on which BB-8 had brought to the building. The plan was to get all of the colonists back onto the AAL, then fly them to safety and leave the Y-wing behind. For a while, it looked like that was about to happen.
As Poe followed behind the last of the colonists, he didn't see Phasma behind him. Shay had just turned to motion for Poe to follow her outside when she saw the shiny chrome of the trooper Commander raising her weapon at him. "Poe, look out!"
Her warning came too late. Phasma fired a stun gun that sent an electric blast right at Poe's back. He fell forward, knocked unconscious by the blast. Shay lifted her eyes in fright as intense fury overcame her. She raised her own rifle to shoot but never got the chance to fire.
The last thing she felt was every nerve in her body screaming all at once, and then darkness took her.
The rest of the Resistance made it back to D'Qar with no issues. As hundreds of members went to help unload the massive transport vessel of supplies, General Organa and a few of her closest Lieutenants walked back to the base together. When Leia saw Lieutenant Connix running towards her, she sensed her urgency had to do with Black Squadron.
Connix was out of breath when she reached her. "General, we're receiving a scrambled transmission from Lahsbane."
"Scrambled?" Leia had been sure it was Dameron, but this threw her momentarily. "Patch it through."
The small group hurried into the briefing room within the base, with Connix at the helm. She took a seat at her operations desk, fingers flying to descramble the message. Soon enough, Temmin Wexley's voice could be heard over the lines.
"Wexley?" Leia asked in surprise. "This better be important if you're contacting us after given direct orders not to."
"Trust me, General, it is."
Leia leaned closer to the screen. "Why are your comms scrambled?"
"Shayavi Pewcha scrambled each ship's lines so we could speak to you without the First Order intercepting us. Sounds like it worked."
Leia and Lieutenant Connix exchanged a proud glance.
"As for why we're contacting you…." Wexley hesitated. "…It's Commander Dameron."
"What's happened?" Leia asked, fear gripping her.
"He and Shayavi have been captured."
"By Phasma" Leia stated, already knowing the answer.
"Correct, General."
She brought a hand up to her face and closed her eyes. Lieutenant Connix waited, watching Leia as she took time to consider what her options were.
"Have they left the planet yet, Wexley?" she asked him.
"Negative. We took out all their fighter jets and we're watching their operation center from the top of the ravine. Their only way of leaving the planet is if the First Order picks them up."
Leia looked at Connix and smirked. "Not if we get there first."
When Poe awoke, he was on his side. His eyes fluttered open, blinking and adjusting to the low light of his surroundings.
Where am I...
His face lay against a cool cement floor. A heavy metal door with a barred window was in his direct line of sight. As he moved his eyes about, he saw three cement walls surrounding him, the top of which opened near the ceiling. He felt air moving through, which meant the other side of the wall was open.
I'm in a cell.
Am I still on Lahsbane?
When Poe tried to sit up, a dull pain throbbed in his temples. He pushed himself upright, feeling weak but forcing his body to sit up anyway. When he tried to stand he awkwardly stumbled, falling sideways against the wall and slid to the ground.
He tipped his head back against the wall and groaned. Whatever happened to him, he was going to need more time to recover.
As Poe waited to come fully out of the blur of being unconscious for who knows how long, he realized that there were people on the other side of the wall. The fuzz in his head was still present, but he could hear the distinct sound of someone in pain.
"Commander Dameron. You're finally awake."
He heard Phasma's voice from the other side of the wall. "Phasma?"
There came the sound of an electric hum, followed by a quick snap, and then he heard Shay scream.
"SHAY?" He rose to his feet, stumbling towards the wall where her voice was coming from. Another hum, another snap, and another awful scream.
Poe felt his heart pound against his chest in profound fear. "Shay!" He heard the hum noise again and banged his hands against the wall. "NO DON'T! Don't hurt her!"
"Poe?" Shay's feeble voice was barely audible between the walls.
"Shay!" he called, listening in horror as the snap sound came again and was followed by another scream. The pain Shay was experiencing was evident, and his eyes began to well with water as he stood there listening to it and helpless to stop it. He leaned his forehead against the wall, pleading with whoever it was that was hurting her to stop, but they kept doing it. Each time he heard her scream, he screamed for them to stop.
"WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?" He slammed the butt of his fists against the wall angrily. "Hurt ME, you fucking COWARDS."
Finally, the hum and snaps ceased. All Poe heard were Shay's soft whimpers, and he felt every ounce of himself grow nauseous. "Shayavi...if you can hear me...just hang on, alright?" He realized his voice was shaky. "I'll get us out of here. Just be strong and hang on."
Phasma showed up at the door to his cell, holding the torture apparatus she used against Shay in her hands. "Are you sure about that, Commander?"
Poe wheeled around. "Stay away from her" he snarled. "Keep your disgusting hands off of her."
"Who knew you cared about anything other than yourself and your precious General?" Her accented voice may have been muffled by the mask, but the pleasure she took in taunting him could be clearly heard. "I find it rather cute."
A feeling of disgust mixed with rage overwhelmed him. "Fuck you, you silver piece of shit."
"That's enough, Commander."
"Can you hear through that thing? Because I don't think you heard me." He ran forward, slamming his body against the door of his cell so they were face-to-face. "FUCK. YOU."
Phasma lifted the device and shoved it through the window, shocking Poe in the neck and silencing him.
Shay was balled into a fetal position on the floor, the pain of the shocks still reverberating through her muscles. Her ears hummed, her teeth hummed, and her face was stained with sweat. Somewhere around her, she heard Poe screaming for them to stop. His deep voice sounded like it was down a long tunnel, a tunnel she wanted out of. Pain coursed through her body and Poe's voice faded further away. She cried out for him, but it sounded like a pathetic whisper.
When the torture ended, her hearing improved only slightly. As a Pantoran, her pain threshold was naturally higher than most sentients, including humans, but whatever Phasma had used on her has caused her body tremendous pain. Too afraid to open her eyes, she lay there in a cold sweat listening as Poe's voice became clearer. He was shouting to someone, the vitriol evident in his tone.
She heard a hum, and flinched when she heard the snap, half-expecting the pain to return to her again but it didn't. Instead, she heard Poe cry out in pain.
That's when Shay's eyes snapped open.
Blinking through the wetness of her tears, she realized she was alone. Poe must have been on the other side of the wall from her. She willed herself upwards, but her muscles were weak and her legs shook in response. She grit her teeth and stood anyway.
"Poe?" She went to the wall, just as he had done moments before, and placed her hands against the cold cement. "Poe, are you there?"
"Shay..."
Her eyes widened. "Poe!?" He sounded so weak, but he answered. That's all she could have asked for.
"Are you..." His voice wavered and he coughed. "...are you okay?"
She nodded, though he couldn't see her. Tears ran down her cheeks at his selfless question. "I'm okay now." She wished she could touch him, but all she could do was touch the wall the separated them. "Did they hurt you?"
"Don't wor—" He coughed again, and it sounded painful. "—don't worry about me. I'm fine."
"Don't lie to impress me" she told him gloomily, wishing she could see his face. Instead, she heard his soft chuckle from across the wall.
"Always with the quick tongue" he replied.
His voice was hoarse, but it sounded like he was closer to the wall now. Shay pressed her face against the wall, leaning against it for support due to her weak muscles. It was as close as they could get to one another with a wall separating them, but both Poe and Shay took some comfort knowing the other was just on the other side.
"I'm sorry I didn't warn you sooner" Shay told him. She lifted her hand to the wall to touch him, but all she felt was coldness. "I saw Phasma too late."
Across from her, Poe was shaking his head. "Don't do that, Shay. This isn't your fault. If anything, it's mine."
"You're not allowed to blame yourself if I'm not" she replied. She didn't mean it to come out with any humor, but it brought a pained smile to Poe nonetheless.
"I'll get us out of here" he told her. "I promise."
Promise. The word caused Shay to remember she was wearing Poe's chain. She reached beneath her clothes and grabbed onto the ring, holding on for dear life and remembering the words Poe told her before he gave it to her to wear. "I know you will" she said through the wall, her hand never letting go of the ring. "I trust you."
Black Squadron landed on the edge of the ravine with the encampment within sight far below. Their ships formed a U-shape, with the pilots waiting together while Wexley radioed General Organa. With Dameron out of the lineup for the time being, he was next in command. They remained huddled together, even as Wex jumped down out of his ship and walked towards them.
"What'd she say?" asked L'ulo L'ampar.
"They're on their way" Wexley answered, happy to see most of the crew surrounding him relax - at least a little.
"What do we do in the meantime?" Kun directed the question at Wexley, but her eyes roamed around to the others. "We can't just sit here and wait. Who knows what they're doing to them down there?"
Wexley shook his head. "If we make a move, it could jeopardize their well-being even further."
"But we outnumber them now" L'ampar added. Though his eyes gave nothing away, his blue face bent with frustration. "We could take out them out no problem?"
"We can't risk it" Pava told him. "He wouldn't want us to."
Wexley stood with his hands on his hips, listening to each concern with as much care as he could. Still, no matter what point the others brought up, it wasn't enough to risk making a move before the Resistance made it to Lahsbane. "Jessika's right" he said, eyeing the group. "Dameron wouldn't want us to risk making a move now."
"What would he want, then?" Kun asked.
"That's easy." The corner of Wex's mouth lifted. "He'd wait for the General."
Shay must have fallen asleep against the wall where she and Poe had been speaking earlier. When the door to her cell opened, her entire body jerked awake to find two Storm troopers walking towards her. They grabbed her arms roughly and lifted her from the ground.
"Don't hurt her" Phasma said as they carted her out of the cell. "That's my job."
The troopers unlocked Poe's cell next and tossed Shay inside. She fell to her knees awkwardly, her hair falling in her face as Poe rushed to her side.
"Shay." He held her face into his hands gently. "Are you alright?" He examined her face, seeing how pale her blue skin appeared and his heart sank in his chest.
When she lifted her head, Shay saw the tender look in Poe's eyes and nearly collapsed with relief. "Oh Poe." She flung her arms around his neck, but was immediately pulled away from him but one of the Storm troopers.
"Stay back!"
The trooper shoved the torture device in Shay's face, threatening her. She flinched backwards even further, her eyes widening in fear. She watched as the other trooper did the exact same thing to Poe, forcing him back against the opposite wall.
Phasma appeared in the doorway, tossing another person into the cell. When Shay saw who it was, she gasped.
Brok Grannion lay prostrate on the ground between them with Phasma standing over him. He had also been tortured, although whatever they'd done to him looked far more serious. He was bleeding from his mouth and forehead, his entire body lay motionless between Poe and Shay.
Phasma's figure towered over Grannion now, his head barely able to lift from the ground. With her metal boot, Phasma kicked him, sending him further across the floor with a painful grunt.
Poe tried to resist the trooper holding him back in order to help Grannion, but it was no use. He received a quick electric shock to the stomach, sending him back into the wall. Across the room, Shay cried out as she witnessed what the apparatus actually did. It sent a stun so powerful that Poe's mouth hung open for a few seconds, his eyes turning glassy; it was at least 15 seconds before he came back to full consciousness.
"If you two are willing to give me what I want" Phasma began, "then Grannion lives." She turned and faced Poe. "Your ally here refuses to speak. So perhaps you will."
"Don't...d-don't..." Brok could barely get the words out; it was too painful for him. Phasma nodded once to the trooper near Shay, and another shock was delivered to Grannion on the ground.
Poe pushed hard against the trooper holding him from behind. "Don't hurt him! He's done nothing wrong!"
"I'll decide that, Commander" Phasma replied. She took a step towards Shay now, indicating for the trooper to take her under his control.
Poe felt his heart nearly halt in his chest as the trooper grabbed Shay by the neck and lifted the electric device to her face. As helpless a position as he was in, Poe tried to muscle his way out of the grip of the trooper to no avail.
Phasma turned on her heels. "Perhaps she will give me what I want?" she directed at Poe.
Despite the arm wrapped tight about her neck, Shay began to laugh. This grabbed Phasma's attention, forcing it away from Poe.
"I'm guessing you didn't do your homework" Shay chided, her golden eyes on fire as she stared down Phasma. She could feel the heat of the electricity humming near her cheek, dotting her brow with sweat. "I'm just the mechanic here. I'm nothing to you. I don't know anything."
"Shay - don't" Poe pleaded across the room.
"I don't care who you are" Phasma told the Pantoran who dared to challenge her. She stepped over Grannion, coming closer. "You and your Commander will do as I say and I will get the information you came to retrieve."
Angered now at the insolence of the prisoner, Phasma nodded to the trooper near Grannion. "Give him everything you got."
"NO!" Shay shouted, and she felt the heat of the electric staff close in on her temple.
The Storm trooper took the electric staff he was holding and placed two hands on the end. He put every ounce of energy into the move that would end Brok Grannion's life - delivering a sharp, hard thrust of the electrostaff into the center of Grannion's back.
Poe couldn't watch. He closed his eyes and listened to the long, drawn-out cries of the Lahsbee leader until no more cries came from him. He'd seen so many men die before in his past that he'd lost count, but it never got easier - especially when he heard the pain in their voices as their life slipped from them. When he finally opened his eyes, all his focus turned to Shay. She was crying, trying to look away from Grannion's lifeless body but was forced to watch. Her breathing was ragged, her heart a constant throb within in her chest. She looked to Poe, but she was paralyzed to do anything. Poe could only look back, his eyes even larger now and full of the pain he felt in that moment. They were cornered and they knew it.
"Alright, now that that's finished..." Phasma sounded completely unfazed by the death she just delivered. She casually stepped over Grannion's body and went to Poe. "As it stands, the only person in the room who knows why Grannion was so important is you, Commander."
Poe's defiant gaze narrowed on Phasma. "And you won't hear it from me anymore than you heard it from him."
Phasma nodded, her hands clasping behind her back. "Do you want her to die next, Commander Dameron?" She lifted one of her gleaming arms and pointed at Shay.
The trooper holding her tightened his grip on her neck. Shay's eyes were focused solely on Poe as she shook her head. "Don't do it, Poe….If you know, don't tell her!"
"Remind our staunch Commander again of his choices, please" Phasma told the trooper.
Poe felt Shay's scream that time, echoing through his body and through his heart. The trooper who held him back tightened his own grip on Poe's arms, letting him know he wasn't going anywhere. He lowered his head, unable to bear witness to Shay receiving any more hurt.
"Are you willing to talk yet, Commander?"
"DON'T TELL HER ANYTHING POE" Shay shouted, and received another shock to her chest as a result.
With his gaze facing the ground, Poe felt trapped. Grannion was already dead, which meant the mission had failed. Poe never told Shay the reason General Organa needed to speak with Grannion, but it did have to do with Skywalker, and it also had to do with Organa and Solo's son. Poe was the only one in the Squadron who was told the full information, but he kept it from everyone in the event something like this would happen. He never thought in a million years that Shay would be involved...but here they were. Another failure. Another death. Another day in the Resistance.
When Poe raised his head, Phasma was in front of him, awaiting an answer. Beyond, he could see Shay within the unrelenting grip of the trooper; shaking her head 'no' and begging him with her beautiful round eyes to not give in to Phasma.
"Yes, yes...that's it..." Phasma said, stepping towards him. "I see the decision being made in your eyes."
Poe hated that she saw him conceding, but he didn't know what other choice he had.
Luckily for all of them - he didn't have to make that choice.
A rumble from off in the distance began to rattle the building they stood in. It started off low and grew in intensity until the sound was so loud the shouts from Phasma couldn't be heard. She tried to yell at the troopers to bring the prisoners, but her voice was dwarfed between the helmet she wore and the sound of the incoming ship.
It was enough of a break for Poe. He swung his hands around and broke free of the Storm trooper, wrapping the heavy metal handcuffs across the side of his head. He grabbed the rifle from trooper and fired a shot to his head, killing him instantly. A renewal of hope ignited within him now: he knew the sound of the ship the second he heard it. It was the Resistance's Star Cruiser, led by none other than Leia Organa.
Wasting no time, Poe aimed at the trooper that Shay was wrestling with. "SHAY!"
She didn't need to ask twice about why Poe called her. She fell to the ground and out of firing range as Poe let loose a spray of ammo, killing the trooper.
Poe dropped the rifle as Shay flung herself into his arms. He cupped her head, holding her close, feeling each of her ragged breaths as though they were his own. "You're safe" he uttered, his nose in her hair. "You're safe now."