PHOENIX ━ dameron

059 | before it breaks

"Eden has the repulsorlifts, so we'll have no problem getting the containers of munitions back here," Aliyah said. "Anything else we're missing?"

"Well, I'll tell you one thing," A deep voice said from behind them. "You'd better not be leaving without me."

At the same time, all three girls turned around to see Ellis making his way towards them. He was dressed for combat, right down to the tracker utility vest that was a part of his standard uniform. A small smile quirked at his lips, but he looked exhausted. Eyes rimmed with red, dark hair unkempt and sticking up in all directions.

"Ellis," Lyra said, surprised.

"Figured that if Georgie was here he'd tell me to get off my ass and help."

Lyra gave a soft smile. "Ellis, you don't have to."

"Thing is, I want to," he nodded. "As long as we're here, we're still the Phoenix Squadron. So consider me officially reporting for duty, Commander Skywalker," he told her, mock salute and all.

"Alright," Lyra decided, now in significantly better spirits. "Let's head out, General Organa wants us back before dark."

Ellis–the tallest by far–led the way through the jungle, snapping low hanging branches as they followed one of the natural paths carved by the native Woolamanders. Birds chirped and screeched high above them, and sweat beaded on Lyra's forehead.

For so long, there had been five of them. Five trained covert operatives against the galaxy. They were all friends, and they still were. There was a ghost of a hole where Georgie should have been walking next to Ellis, and even with all of the noise of the jungle, the lack of laughter was deafening.

Finally, they came along the clearing. Without words, they spread out in a perimeter around the area, soundlessly stepping over fallen logs and through the plants.

"So what are we looking' for, exactly?" Ellis said through the coms.

"Coordinates say it should be around here. If Lando's data's correct, there should be five containers," Aliyah said.

"Negative over here," Eden relayed. "Unless they're like, pocket sized, I dunno how we're not seeing them."

Aliyah's red hair flashed just behind a tree, and that motion drew Lyra's attention farther out. Just at the edge of the vegetation, the landscape changed. It looked like there was a steep, rocky drop, and her heightened senses picked up on the dull roar of water.

"Ellis!" Eden screamed.

An opalescent silver snake was twisting its way through the leaves right towards Ellis's boots. It was about to bite, and it would have if Lyra hadn't held out her hand to stop it in the act. With one effortless motion, she clenched her fist and sent it flying into the side of a tree. The snake lay limp on the ground with its silver tongue hanging out.

Aliyah walked over to it and bent down. She poked at the snake with a long stick, rolling it over onto its stomach. "It's a sleeper snake. Kes was warning us about those earlier, but he didn't think we'd even see one."

"Those aren't fatal, but one bite will set you back a few hours," Eden surmised, wiping the sweat off her forehead. "You'd be passed out on the ground right now, Ellis."

Ellis said kicked at it with the toe of his boot. "Damn. I could've used a nap."

Lyra walked on. As she got further from the clearing, her footsteps began to echo. Under her feet, the dirt gave way to the remains of an old runway. Roots burst through the cracks and plants were breathing new life into the ferroconcrete. It looked like it hadn't been used as a real runway in decades.