Chapter 10

Light filled the room in a flash. Jessika cracked open her tired eyes. Thunder crashed. Jessika propped herself up on her elbow, the sound of heavy rain pouring outside the window of the under-sized hovel they had called home. Another Dandoran morning monsoon. The light outside was dim, sun still barely over the horizon.

"There's so much," Rey said beside her.

"You're up?" Jessika asked.

Rey turned, a smile on her face. "Of course I'm up, I've been up for an hour. It's raining so hard out there. It's amazing."

Jessika's heart warmed within her chest. Rey had never been through a Dandoran rain storm, she'd never seen the city streets flood only to wash away by mid-day. This was all new to her. Rey slipped out of the bed, walking to the window. The dim light from the window silhouetted her body. As Jessika looked through the dark room at Rey's still naked body, she tried to grasp the previous night.

Laying her head back against the bed she thought of exploring Rey's body, exploring her soul. They'd laid together on the hard pallet on the floor, whispering stories of childhood. Rey talked. She talked more than Jessika had ever heard. She told stories about growing up in the desert, the people she'd met - who was kind and who to avoid. Rey had a memoir's worth of stories and told each with an excitement, as if she'd never told anyone else.

Sure, Jessika told her own stories, though not as grand. They consisted of the trouble she'd often got herself into, or different Dandoran customs that were hard for her to shake once she'd joined the resistance. Jessika wasn't exactly sure when they'd finally fallen asleep, only that Rey had been the first to pass out. Jessika had looked down as Rey's head rose and fell with each breath Jessika took. She'd played with the loops of her hair, trying in futile attempt to make herself accept that this was real and not a dream. By the time Jessika had fallen asleep herself, she had almost convinced herself.

Jessika turned once more, looking at Rey's silhouette. Her arms curled into her body, covering herself while trying to keep warm. Jessika smiled, rolling her eyes. Sitting up on the bed, if she could call it even that, she rubbed the last bit of sleep from her eyes. She reached over and grabbed her pants, slipping them on. Grabbing her tank top and jacket she started to walk over to Rey.

"Are you going to sit here all morning?" Jessika asked playfully as she finished slipping her tanktop on.

Rey looked back, as if surprised that Jessika was in the room. "It's just so much rain."

Jessika walked behind Rey and wrapped her in the jacket she'd grabbed in the market the day before. Rey grabbed the sides, clenching them tight to her chest. Jessika pushed up on her toes slightly as she wrapped her arms around Rey from behind, resting her head on Rey's shoulder.

"Do you want to see this every morning?" Jessika asked.

"Every morning?" Rey sounded confused. "What?"

Jessika blushed, burying her head into Rey's neck. "I mean like live here, away from it all."

"Just ignore the galaxy - the fighting and the people who need us?"

It was a stupid idea. Jessika felt embarrassed for bringing it up. "Well, no," Jessika said, saving face. There was a long silence. The rain hit the frame of the open window, small splashes of water collecting in a puddle on the floor. Outside large palm leaves blocked the view, water sliding down them as they dipped lower with each drop. Lightning struck in the distance causing Rey to jump back when the thunder followed.

"Would you watch it with me?" Rey asked.

Jessika held her closer. "I'm right here as long as you want me."

Rey turned to face Jessika, wearing only a coat wrapped around her shoulders. "I mean every morning. Would you watch it with me every morning, even after you stop finding my wonderment cute?"

Jessika felt a strange ping of sadness. She wasn't exactly sure why, but something about the way Rey had worded the question felt entirely tragic.

"Every morning," Jessika said with a reassuring smile.

Rey leaned up and kissed her lips. "I wish we could."

"I know." Jessika said, looking up in thought at the rain. "We're wrapped up now. To run away - knowing all we know - it's different when you know what's at stake."

"But we had today," Rey offered.

Jessika nodded, "I wouldn't spend this morning with anyone else."

Rey finally broke off from the window long enough to get dressed. For the first time Jessika saw Rey with her hair down. It was only brief, she let it down to brush out the knots with her fingers before wrapping it back up in three knots.

"Do you do that every day?"

"Do what?" Rey questioned. "My hair? Yeah, I guess. I've never really done anything different. It's been like this for as long as I can remember and it keeps it out of my face, so it just, works."

Jessika scratched at her own hair, which desperately needed to be washed. "I'd always worn mine down before I went into the academy. I used to hate wearing it up, but it was regulation. I still take it down whenever I can."

Their conversation was interrupted by another crash of thunder outside. Brighter light poured through the window as the sun began to rise, cutting through the morning clouds.

The door burst open. Jessika jumped up, standing between the door and Rey. Gida came through with two men following behind. The one on Jessika's right showed every year of his age, face pocked with wrinkles and small scars. The one to Jessika's left seemed barely old enough to hold the firearm he wielded.

"We gotta go," Gida said without a greeting.

"Well, good morning to you, too," Jessika joked.

"Stormtroopers are going house to house and word is they've got sleeper agents everywhere looking for you two. Listen, I don't know what shit you've gotten into, Jess, but smuggling you out is going to be harder every hour we wait. I can sit here explaining why we've gotta go, or you can trust me."

Jessika looked towards Rey who seemed to agree. "Let's get out of here," Jessika said as she grabbed her jacket.

Rey didn't seem to love the rain quite as much once she was having to walk through it. They ran through puddles splashing large waves of light brown water with each step. The two armed guards, or at least Jessika hoped they were guards, headed up the rear and Gida led. As they ducked around corners Jessika confirmed they were on the east side. She could see the hills close by. Perhaps Gida knew of a shuttle hidden away in a cave.

"I've never seen this many stormtroopers on Dandoran," Gida said over her shoulder as they ducked under a low-hanging awning.

"I don't think I ever saw one," Jessika joked. "Unless they were deserters."

Jessika felt Rey's hand slipping in hers. She turned around and gave Rey a reassuring smile. Water dripped down Rey's face, her three knots flat against the back of her head from the rain. She looked utterly miserable, in such a way that Jessika couldn't help but find adorable.

"Shit! Down, down!" Gida hissed.

Jessika and Rey ducked close to a wall. "Where are we headed?" Jessika whispered.

Gida held a hand up. After a few moments she turned, "We had a ship lined up, but it was going to be very risky. I worked a couple of deals with some people who owed me a favor for a more secure flight out of here."

"These people who owe you some favors," Jessika said, "they're not the type that can easily be bought off, are they?"

"No, you'll be fine."

"Listen," Jessika said, lowering her voice so Rey couldn't hear, "if something happens, we need to get her out of here. She's more important than me. She's the priority, got it?"

Gida rolled her eyes, "You don't have to rub her in my face, you know? I've been pretty cool about all of this."

Jessika paused, trying to formulate the right response. "Gida, it's not like that. She's my mission, and her safety is my priority. I wasn't trying to-"

"I know," Gida cut in, "I know you weren't."

The last words Gida had said to Jessika before she'd left for the Academy rang through her head. Jessika didn't regret the decision, it was the best thing for her. However, she hated the hurt it caused Gida. Had she been just a little bit older, a little more mature, she might have simply talked it out with Gida. It wouldn't have been any less painful, but they wouldn't have left things so open and raw.

Gida waved them on and rounded a corner. They faced an open square. There wasn't anywhere to hide in the opening of buildings, so they'd have to run across it quickly. The rain could cover the sound they made, but they couldn't hope to be hidden by the rain fall. The stormtroopers would have helmets to keep the rain out of their faces, allowing them to be less distracted.

They sat silently, watching the square. Finally from behind Jessika, Rey spoke up. "Go, now."

"What?" Gida asked.

"Just trust me.".

Gida looked to Jessika, who nodded and then bolted across the square. Gida and Rey quickly followed. The armed mercenaries weren't far behind. The five of them slipped into a deserted building on the other side, finally out of the rain.

Water dripped from their clothes onto the dry floor. The building was abandoned and smelled of stale mildew. Jessika rubbed her hand down her face to wipe the water off and quickly flipped her hair back to tie it up. She leaned over, wringing out water from her newly fashioned pony tail. Rey sat quietly, looking down at the floor. She wasn't normally this quiet. Perhaps the rain and running was too much.

Jessika tapped her shoulder. "Hey," she ventured, Rey looking up, "what's wrong?"

"I don't know." Rey said. "I just feel weird. It's like a headache or something?"

Jessika scrunched her lips to the side of her face, thinking. "The pressure changes with rapid weather changes here might be getting to you."

Rey nodded. "Maybe. It is really sticky."

Jessika laughed silently. "That Dandoran humidity, it'll kill you."

"More than the humidity will kill you two if you don't stop flirting while we're trying to sneak out of here," Gida cut in.

Jessika turned to Rey, so Gida couldn't see, and made a face in response.

"We're not far," Gida began to break it down, "we've got a few more blocks. Larkin can take up the west way and S'an will take the East. We'll make sure we're in the clear and then move you guys out."

Jessika tried to catch any reaction to the names so she could figure out who was who, but neither made known when their name was said. Jessika was afraid that they'd have to be "Old Grizzle Face" and "Mini-Merc" in any future story she told about this to the other pilots.

Gida motioned them to move, the two guards bolting ahead to scout out the routes while Gida, Jessika and Rey snuck through the building at a slower pace.

"Gida," Jessika whispered.

"What, Pava? Can't you see I'm trying to save your ass?"

Jessika pushed down her annoyance. "I was just going to thank you. You're risking a lot by getting us out of here. I'm just really grateful to have you back in my life."

Gida turned without a word and moved on towards the door. Jessika squinted her eyes trying to figure out why she'd just gotten the cold shoulder.

Suddenly Gida turned around, "I don't know how you do it. You're the only person I know who can worship someone while still making them feel terrible about who they are."

Jessika raised her hands infront of her. "Gida, I wasn't insinuating anything. I just meant you're a good friend."

Gida scoffed, "I'm a swindler and a scoundrel, and you're damn right I'm risking a lot for this. I just hope you understand what I'm risking, and why."

Jessika smiled. "I get it, Gida, and I appreciate it."

Gida rolled her eyes and spun around, flipping her lekku as her head turned. "You really don't," Gida mumbled under her breath. Jessika let it go. She knew how hard this had to be.

They ended up taking the East path. Jessika hadn't even seen the signal, Gida simply went East as if by intuition. Jessika followed, Rey taking up the back. The rain began to die down as they got closer, large runoff pouring from rooftops beside then. The warm Dandoran sun was midway in the sky, and already the newly fallen rain evaporated into clouds of vapor mist. This was the daily life on Dandoran, a world of ever changing weather where the only constant was sudden and complete change. Just when Jessika got used to rain, the sun burned it away.

They caught up with "Mini-Merc" and started towards a building Jessika could only assume was their destination.

"Follow S'an in," Gida said, finally confirming his name for Jessika to memorize. The story would be fantastic, though Jessika would add a couple more close-calls in there to liven it up. "I'll take the back to make sure no one follows us in," Gida finished.

Jessika was curious what manner of ship Gida could scrounge up for them. They'd have to figure out a way to call the Falcon when they got free of the blockade; however, that was something to worry about once all of this was handled.

S'an pushed open the door, waving Jessika and Rey in. They ducked in quickly, Gida not far behind. As they rounded the corner the dim room brightened and Jessika saw their ride. An old Lambda-class shuttle.

"Genius!" Jessika said, running to get on board. She rounded the corner and almost ran straight into two stormtroopers. Jessika backed up confused. Was this part of the plan, the ruse? They leveled their guns at Jessika. She backed away, turning to Rey. It only took a second for Rey to register them before she reached for her lightsaber only to come up empty-handed.

"I had it!" Rey yelled.

Gida walked in behind them, twirling the metal object in her hand. The two mercenaries leveling guns of their own. Jessika understood what was happening - Gina's demeanor finally made sense. She was dealing with the guilt of turning Jessika and Rey over.

"I told you I wasn't someone worthy of admiration."

"Gida, how - how could you?" Jessika spit, anger rising to her cheeks.

"Listen, you'll be fine, Jessika. They only wanted girl-wonder over here. I worked a deal to get you pardoned."

Jessika raged, reaching for her side-arm, which also was missing. The little mercenary raised it in his hand. Shit.

"Actually," an authoritative woman's voice behind Jessika said, "the deal has changed." Jessika turned to see a First Order commander stepping off the shuttle. Her uniform looked like it had been washed in an entire vat of starch. Her shoulders sat back, chest out, and a look somewhere between a knowing smile and a cocky snarl hung on her face.

"This pilot has caused us quite a bit of trouble," the woman said, "and since I've been forbidden from laying a hand on the desert trash, I will have to quell my anger with this one."

Gida stepped forward. "Vas, you will not go back on your word!"

"Oh, I won't," Commander Vas said. "You get to keep your life, and your trashpile of a planet. However, I really must have this resistance scum. Unless you'd like me to tell the Supreme Leader that Dandoran has aligned with the Resistance and needs to be dealt with as such?"

Gida looked to the floor. "No, no."

The stormtroopers ran up, grabbing Jessika and Rey and tying their hands behind their backs.

As they were dragged back, past Commander Vas, she smiled directly towards Jessika before returning her attention to Gida. "Don't worry," she said, "you can keep that ancient toy of hers. I hear they hold quite the price on the black market. Which this," she pointed to everything around her, "seems to be made entirely of."

"Koa eswo, runan koyi!" Jessika spit at Gida in her native Ryl, before the stormtroopers pulled her up the shuttle ramp. She sat, furious.

"I'm going to get you out of this," Rey said to her.

Jessika would have laughed if she'd had the energy; instead, she leaned her head back against the hard metal of the ship interior. "I like how I'm the one that screwed up and trusted the wrong person and you're the one promising to make it right."

"Hey," Rey said, causing Jessika to turn and look at her, "we're going to be ok. I will figure something out."

Jessika smiled, and leaned over putting her head on Rey's shoulder. Jessika trusted Rey, she did, but she couldn't think of any scenario that didn't end with them dead by tomorrow morning.