In Time Gone By...

~ 19 ~

They had been trudging along for a couple of days in the sopping wet Arkanis rainforest, the mud caked over their boots, occasionally so thick and wet that they struggled to walk. The last time they had been warm, cosy or dry was...well, days ago at this point. They had forgotten what it felt like. 

Still, their evenings, their night watches, had been spent curled up in each other's arms, trying to generate some scraps of warmth but barely managing. Though neither were exactly complaining. In fact it was the highlight of their days, though they didn't let one another know that. It just felt...nice. 

Bailee wiped some rain from her face, dragging her hand through the loose ponytail on her shoulder that she had hardly bothered to retie since their first morning waking up on the planet. The general was certainly no better. His hair stuck to his forehead and over his eyes from the wet, a far stretch from his usual pristine self. He clearly wasn't happy about it, though his assistant quite liked it. It was cute. 

"I feel like we're hardly getting any closer." she muttered, squinting at the screen in her hands. "We've travelled miles." 

"When I said the city is closest it's still a long way off." he replied, looking down at the ground. "This is dire..." 

"Well...I suppose I'd rather make the trek than stay here forever." 

"I'll second that...I hate this place." 

She looked over at him as they went, shuffling the pack on her back. She opened and closed her mouth a couple of times, trying to find the words for what she wanted to ask. "What um...uh..." 

He looked back expectantly for a moment then down. "Yes...?"

"Never...never mind. It's nothing," She gave him a small smile then fell silent again, looking up into the tree canopy where it seemed to be darkening, night creeping in. "Sun's setting...we should get as far as we can and then find somewhere safe for the night." 

He nodded as she clicked on her torch, shining it over the tree trunks that were still vague shadows for a little while longer. 

They didn't speak much. There wasn't much to say other than the obvious which had been said enough times. So they were silent pretty much, Bailee turning at every little sound. 

That was until she heard voices in the distance, over the rain, another light bouncing in the trees. She froze for a moment then began to push the general toward the cover of a bush. 

"Damn..." 

"Sir, hide. If it's rebels they'll kill you on sight... Go on!" 

"And you?" 

"They've seen our light. Someone needs to be here or it's suspicious." She half pushed him into the bushes in panic. "Shut up and stay here." 

She backed back into the small clearing, frantically looking about her with the torch, drawing her blaster and aiming into the trees. Her heart raced. It had to be rebels, the planet was crawling with them. At least she had a better chance of not being recognised and killed than her boss. Who would remember her all these years later, in the dark? Hopefully no one. 

Bailee turned frantically at the snap of a twig behind her, blinded by the light of a torch pointed in her face. She, in return, had her gun aimed at the woman who stood there. Two other rebels flanked her on either side. 

"Woah, woah...sorry." The woman held a cautious hand out, eyeing the blaster. "Didn't mean to scare you." 

Bailee lowered it with a nervous swallow. "Sorry...I wasn't expecting people." 

"We're just patrolling the area, it can be dangerous at night." She looked at her a little quizzically as if trying to place her. "Are you lost?" 

"Uh...well...I was on my way to the city for...work. But I couldn't get transport."