AN: Glad you liked the first chapter. If anyone has a better idea for a title, I'll willingly take suggestions. Remember, I don't own any Star Wars characters other than the ones I made up. Enjoy the next chapter.
The next morning, Shada was eager to get going. To Sky it looked like she hadn't slept well, but that didn't mean much. "Hey you ready yet?" She asked him.
"Just a minute." He replied. "You're not the one carrying everything."
"If you weren't such a pushover, you wouldn't be carrying everything, now would you?"
"'Kay, lets go." Sky put the bag on his shoulders and glanced into the jungle. There was no one or anything there. Yet he still had the distinct feeling Shada was being watched. Shada didn't seem to notice though.
It had just turned noon when Shada abruptly stopped. "What's wrong?" Sky asked.
"Shhhhh." She held up a hand. "Three heading towards us at . . . run."
"Three what?" She never got the chance to answer. Out of the jungle came three people, two females and a male. They looked terrified and like they'd been running for days.
"Shada!" The youngest, a female said. She had blond hair and her eyes were as blue as Shada's, though hers had plenty of emotion in them.
"Veronica!" Sky said. "Hey, Scott, Sidney, are you guys all right?"
"What happened to you?" Shada asked, her eyebrow raised.
"Well, the Eleven sent us here to get the data for the Hammertong and we got it, but we ran into a . . . a thing. It was huge." Scott, the oldest, told them. He had short, spiky black hair and usually warm brown eyes. "It chased us and we lost the data; we barely got out alive."
"It's been chasing us since we got out of the fortress." Sidney said. She had short brown hair and hazel eyes. To Sky she was the most beautiful thing on any planet. She had buried herself into Sky's arms. Disgusting. Shada thought.
Veronica looked up at Shada. "I don't think it followed us last night, though." Veronica was looking at Shada for approval for keeping an eye out even though they had been chased. Shada nodded at her. It was clear from the way she looked up at Shada that she looked up to the older girl. Three years apart, Veronica was striving to be just like Shada, but try as she might she could never match the older girl's eyes. Damn, they keep getting younger. Pretty soon they're all gonna die if the Eleven send them on missions like this all the time. Sky thought.
"We should get back to your ship." Sidney said. She looked up at Sky for support.
Sky nodded. "Sid's right. We should go, come on."
"No." Shada objected. "Even if the thing followed them, we should get the data before we go back."
"Shada, if that thing is guarding the data, we'll never be able to get it." Sky countered. "Besides I have a feeling that that thing we heard last night might be the same thing chasing Sid and the others."
"We weren't sent here to just rescue them." Shada said, talking like the others weren't even there. "The Eleven sent us here to just get the plans if we have to, even if it means leaving them behind or dead."
"For Christ's sake, Shada, would you please listen to me?" Sky pleaded. This is why I carry everything.
"The Gates of Hell, I will!" Now, her ice blue eyes were blazing with fury. "We were sent here for one reason and if you don't want to come, fine, but I'm going to go back there and get that data. Don't bother taking the Crusher because I have its beacon." She smirked. It was the nastiest one Sky had ever seen.
"Shada ──."
"If anyone else wants to come, I leave now." With that she stormed off back the way the others had come. Veronica looked helplessly at Sky and followed her.
"Damn it, she's gonna get us all killed. I can't leave without her." Sky snarled. "And unfortunately for me she knows it. Come on." He followed the two girls.
"But Sky, that thing . . ." Sidney objected.
"She's my little sister Sid." Sky shot back. Sidney sighed and followed. Scott was looking lost and decided to follow them, feeling like he had just been completely ignored, which was true. He had been. See what happens when you let women get control, Scotty boy. He thought. Of course, if he had been asked, he would have gone with Shada anyway.
They reached the fortress just as dark was falling. It looked more like a castle than a fortress except that this was made out of durasteel instead of stone.
"Wow," Sky said. "That is one huge fortress. You could get lost in there."
"I won't get lost." Shada told him. "We're sleeping out here tonight." She hadn't yelled at them when Sky, Scott, and Sidney had joined her in the jungle.
Sky was surprised that the trek to the fortress had only taken about half the day. It had seemed longer because the others had taken several days to find. Sky also had no clue the thing would be that big either.
"Why are we sleeping out here?" Scott asked. Shada thought he looked a little worried.
"Because if that thing is inside, we're safe outside." She replied. "If it's outside, well that's why we keep watch."
"Oh." Scott said. He started helping the others set up camp.
Sky was about to approach her, but she suddenly turned to him. "Keep an eye out here, will ya?"
"Yeah, sure." He replied as she began to walk away. "Why, where are you going?"
"I'm gonna make sure that thing isn't too close right now. If you want to decide who's got first watch, I'll go first if no one wants." She stopped at the edge of the camp. "You know that thing's been following us all day, right?" With that she walked off into the jungle.
"Yeah, I knew." He said to the trees. But I wondered whether you knew, Sha. He headed back to the camp. "How are we gonna set up watch?"
"I say Shada goes first." Scott volunteered Sky's little sister as soon as Sky finished speaking. "She's the most alert and best trained of all of us."
"True, Shada's got first, I'll go second, Sid, you're third, Scott fourth, and Veronica, you're last, any complaints?" Sky looked around at them. "Good, I'll let Sha know when she gets back."
"Hey, where did she go anyway?" Sidney asked.
"She went to make sure our friend isn't too close."
"And it's not." Shada said from behind him. "I got first?"
"Yeah." Sky replied.
"Well, just so you know, we have to all be alert on our shifts. That thing has been following all of us since we joined up. Don't let it get too close before getting me. If you feel it's to close wake me, then Sky. Understand?"
She got a bunch of nods. "You sure you want first, Sha?" Sky asked.
"Yeah, I'll be fine. If it gets too close on my shift, I'll try taking it out." She smirked at him. "Besides you always seem to know when I need a hand so if I need help, you'll show." She settled down against a tree to keep watch as the others finished setting up the camp and dark fell.
