The Rise of Eve

Chapter 19

I wake up and open my eyes to find my world is turned sideways. In front of me lies a wall, and behind me I hear slight but steady breathing. It takes me a minute to realize where I am, and I roll over to see Jason soundly asleep in a chair. Only, it's not Jason's mind that is behind the face. I sit up and stretch, stifling a yawn in the process. Gently pressing my feet to the floor, I get out of the bed that was set into the wall. I head to the door and the chair creeks.

"Morning." He mumbles and scratches his face. "Damn face itches."

"Jason did warn you."

"Yea yea." Rift stretches his arms, and I'm sure I can hear them cracking from here. "We've got another two hours or so till the ship touches down on Naboo."

"Alright." I rub my hands together and glance around the room that should be considered a large closet. "How did I end up here?"

"Simple. You were so out of it, that carrying you didn't wake ya up. An elderly woman let us have her room since she saw me trying to find an empty one."

I smile and roll back on my heels. All of the sudden, a dark thought passes through my mind. "How do you think Jordan and the others are doing?"

Rift leans forward and looks me in the eye. "They probably made it out a couple of minutes after we left. The bounty hunter must have known you had left."

I wipe away the tears that were forming, and look away from Rift. "I feel terrible for dragging you all into this."

I hear shifting behind me, and Rift grabs my shoulder. "Don't say that again." He pulls me into a hug and this shocks me. "Anyone of us would be glad to help you. No matter what you say."

A smile eventually creeps across my lips, and Rift clears his throat. "I'll leave you for a bit, gotta do something. I'll be back for you before we land."

With that, Rift drifts past me and the door closes behind him. I cross my arms across my chest, a chill running through me.

~~~

After the ship lands, Rift and I gather our little amount of belongings and head out to the port of Naboo. It is almost noon time and the place seems almost packed beyond belief. Rift grips my hand tightly, and we begin to wade through the crowds. After a few minutes, we make it past the dense crowd and to a relatively empty spot in the center of the terminal.

"What now?" I say to Rift as I inspect his face. So far, Jason's face seems to be applied well enough that it's not falling off in the heat.

"Finding a place, then someone or both of us need to find a job." Rift reaches to scratch the top of his head, but hesitates. He then puts his hand back down at his side.

"We need to get out of this place then. Your face might melt." I smile and shift my bag that is on my shoulders.

Rift gestures with his chin in the direction of the doors. It takes a few minutes, but once we reach the outdoors it is bit less crowded. I walk a little ways, and Rift pulls on my arm.

"Eve, hold on just a second." Rift pulls me back to his side, and loops my arm around his. "Rooftops, left side."

I smile, like he told me a joke. I laugh a bit, and roll my eyes. I glance at the rooftops and see someone jumping across the buildings.

"I see them." I whisper.

"They keep looking back too." Rift whispers. "Make sure your guns are good."

"They are still in my bag." I don't even look at Rift, for the fear he might break composure. "Find a store."

"Hey love," Rift says in a normal tone. "This looks like a nice place."