Sorry for the late update. Besides that, I want to thank you guys for supporting me in the first chapter. I also wanted to let you guys know that the next chapter updates might be slow since I'm going back to school next week. But don't worry, updates will come! At some point. Besides that enjoy the chapter!

Sorry for any spelling errors. BTW I actually do know Sign Language so it was fun writing the end of the chapter.

Chapter 2:

A few seconds after the lid of the crate was taken off, the child slowly lifted her head up to see unfamiliar faces staring down at her. She tightened the grip of her arms that were wrapped around her legs. The small child wore grey pants, a black, sleeveless tunic that stopped at her knees, a grey long-sleeved under shirt, and black boots. She also wore black, fingerless gloves that had the shape of a circle cut out. Her eyes were a silver color while her hair was a bright auburn color. Most of her head was covered by a hood that was attached to the tunic and a black scarf wrapped around her neck.

Sabine saw the child's terrified face and softly spoke, "Hey, it's okay, you're in a safe place now." The little girl just stared up at her and the others. No one knew what to say. "Did the Empire catch you?," Sabine asked after a short pause. The girl in the crate slowly nodded. "Do you want to come out?," She stretched her hand into the crate, offering the girl her hand.

After a few seconds of hesitation, she slowly reached up and took Sabine's hand. Sabine lifted the girl to her feet just as Hera walked into the room. "So where exactly is this mystery package?," She questioned the crew looking down at them. She soon spotted a small girl- that looked to be about five or six years old -standing inside of a crate.

"Well," Ezra started, rubbing the back of his neck. "You're kind of looking at it right now." Hera's eyes widened a bit as she realized that the child was the package. Everyone went quiet for a few moments after that. Hera spoke again.

"Kanan, come with me. Ezra, Sabine, Zeb and Chop- get her out of the crate and keep an eye on her," She turned and when back into the cockpit.

"You guys heard her," Kanan said as he walked passed them towards the cockpit.

Sabine looked down at Chopper and spoke, "Hey Chop, mind getting something for our guest." The droid beeped then rolled off to the kitchen as Sabine helped the child get out of the crate she was in.

Kanan entered the cockpit to see Hera sitting in her chair and Ahsoka as a hologram. "So," Ahsoka started. "I'm assuming that you guys opened the package?" Kanan crossed his arms.

"Yeah," he responded. "Didn't think that this 'package' was a living thing- or should I say a living person." His tone sounded a bit angry.

"I can tell that you are annoyed because of the lack of information."

"Annoyed- try angry. When you said that a life was at risk you couldn't have been a bit more specific?!"

Ahsoka sighed. "Like I said- I couldn't tell you what the package was."

"I know what you said. But can't you at least tell us what certain packages are before we go off trying to risk our lives for them? Honestly, it's like you don't trust us!"

"Kanan, I do trust you- and your crew. So does all of Phoenix Squadron. But I need you to trust me." She turned to Hera and spoke. "I'll see you back at the command ship." With that Ahsoka signed off. Kanan closed his eyes, frustrated, and pinched the bridge of his nose.

Hera sighed. "She's right, Kanan." He looked down at her. "We've earned Ahsoka's trust. Now we have to trust her- especially you." Kanan sighed.

"I know."

The small girl sat on top of a crate while Ezra, Sabine, and Zeb stood around the cargo bay. Chopper came back with a cup and handed it to Sabine. She took it and walked to the child. The girl looked up when she heard foot steps coming towards her.

Sabine held out the cup. "Here," She told her as the girl slowly grabbed the cup.

"Thank you," The girl mouthed as she slowly brought the cup to her mouth and drank.

Chopper, still in disguise, beeped at Sabine. She rolled her eyes. "Can't you wait until later Chop?," She asked the disguised droid, sounding annoyed. He beeped again, arguing. Sabine let out a breath and turned to Zeb and Ezra. "Could you guys clean up Chopper?"

"Why us?," Zeb asked.

"He won't stop arguing until he gets cleaned. Besides, you could use something to do. Ezra will help you."

"Why me?," Ezra asked. "Can't you do it?"

"Well someone has to look out for our little friend here," Sabine gestured to the girl sitting on the crate behind her.

"Alright," Zeb growled. "But if he starts zapping me it's on you!" He pointed to her as he and Chopper walked out of the cargo bay with Ezra following behind.

"Whatever you say, Zeb," she said. She turned back at the girl. "Boys," she sighed. She began to study the girl in front of her. The child looked dramatized as if she had just witness someone being killed in front of her. "Hmm," Sabine thought out loud. The girl looked two young to be any older than ten. So she had to be somewhere around five or six. She was about to ask the child how old she was until the doors of the cockpit above her opened. Kanan and Hera walked out.

"Where are Zeb and Ezra?," Hera asked as she climbed down the ladder. Before Sabine could respond a shout was heard throughout the Ghost ship. Hera looked at Sabine with a suspicious look as if trying to say 'What did you do?'

Sabine then said, "Uh, I asked them to clean Chopper while I looked after our guest."

"Chopper! Get back here you rust-bucket!," they heard Zeb shout.

"I'll be right back," Sabine told Hera as she walked out of the room to see what was going on. Most likely, Chopper zapped Zeb while trying to clean the paint off.

Hera turned to see the child sitting on top of a crate. By the look on the girl's face, Hera could tell that she was confused with what was going on. She then turned to Kanan. "Do you even know why Chopper keeps zapping Zeb?," She asked him.

"Never did," he said. "And I honestly don't think I ever will. The reason why Chopper always zapped Zeb has been a mystery ever since Zeb joined the crew. And I think it will continue to be that way until the day he dies." When Zeb first joined, Chopper only zapped him about once a week. But soon the droid stated zapping him pretty much every day until her started zapping the Lasat at least ten to fifteen times a day.

Hera walked up to the girl on the crate. "Hi hun," she greeted the girl with a soft smile. "What's your name?" The girl opened her mouth to speak but all that came out were harsh coughs. Hera patted the girl's back, getting a bit worried. "You okay?"

The girl nodded as if saying 'no'. She looked up, one of her hands on her throat. "I can't talk," she mouthed. She put her hand around the cup she was holding and tried to stop coughing.

"She probably has a sore throat," Kanan guessed.

Hera turned to face him. "Probably, I'm not sure. We'll figure it out once we get back to Phoenix Squadron." After a few seconds of silence Hera sighed and then spoke again. "Well, I guess we better get going," She said as she climber back up the ladder into the cockpit.

The crew had exited hyperspace. Up ahead were the ships of the Phoenix Squadron. "Phoenix Squadron, this is the Ghost," Hera spoke into the communication link in the cockpit.

After a few seconds a voice responded, "Permission to proceed. Welcome back Ghost crew." With that the Ghost ship continued forward until they reached the main command ship.

The crew and the child stood in the cargo bay. Hera climbed down the ladder and walked up to the them. "Alright, let's hurry," She said to them. "Ahsoka has probably been waiting for a while probably waiting." She then pushed the button and the ramp opened. The girl just continued to stand where she was as the crew walked out. Hera turned and saw the girl had a worried look on her face. She walked up to the girl and spoke with a calm voice, "Don't worry. The Empire won't hurt you here, you're in a safe place now. These are good people- they'll take good care of you. So you don't have to worry about a thing, alright?," she told the young child as she held out a hand. The small girl looked at Hera's hand then up at her. After a few seconds she slowly took her hand and walked down the ramp with her.

As they walked, the girl looked around, studying the ship and the people they passed by. She continued to hold Hera's hand, even when they got to the door of the command room. The door opened and the Ghost crew and child walked in.

As she talked to Commander Sato, Ahsoka heard the door open behind her. She turned to see the crew of the Ghost and a small girl holding Hera's hand. She took a few steps forward, stopping a few feet away from them.

Hera looked down at the small girl, that looked up at her with a scared face. She let go of the girls hand, moving it to the child's back. "Go on," Hera told the child. The girl turned to Ahsoka, studying her for a few seconds before finally taking a deep breath and walking forward and stopping in front of Ahsoka.

Ahsoka knelt down to the size of the small girl, gently grabbing her forearms and speaking. "Hello, young one," she greeted the child. "My name is Ahsoka Tano. What's your name?"

The girl lifted her hands and signed, "M-A-R-I-K-A"

"It's nice to meet you Marika," Ahsoka said with a smile. "Welcome to Phoenix Squadron."

"I thought she couldn't speak," Kanan told Ahsoka, curious about how she was able to understand the girl.

Ahsoka stood up. "She can't," she explained, putting a hand on the child's shoulder. "She used Sign Language."

Sabine gave Ahsoka a confused look. "What's that?" Out of all the languages she's heard of, she has never heard of Sign Language.

"It's a language of symbols that was used by the deaf to communicate with others. But everyone stopped using it many hundred years ago. Very few people in the universe know it- I am one of them. That's why I understood the child- Marika." Hera spoke up once Ahsoka finished explaining.

"So why exactly can't she speak," she asked. "I mean we know she isn't deaf cause she could understand what we were saying." Ahsoka looked back down at the small girl- Marika.

"You're right," she responded. "She isn't deaf. I didn't believe it when I first heard about her." The Ghost Crew exchanged confused looks. "When Marika and her city was captured by the Empire, Stormtroopers took the children to Imperial camps, there they were trained the ways of the Empire. Those that did not follow were punished. Those punishments were rough- some rough enough to cause severe damage. That's what happened to Marika. A punishment damaged her vocal cords." The Ghost crew looked at Ahsoka and Marika with worried and confused looks. "Because of that punishment; Marika is a mute."