When We Connect (Previously: Connections Are Strength)

Chapter 9 - A Shadow's Call

~~~~~

"Sheera, wake up!"

Small hands pressed her shoulders back down to the cot when she tried to sit up. She struggled for another moment as the voice continued to soothe her.

"It's okay, Sheera," Omega said. "You're still on the Marauder. We're about to land on Ord Mantell. You're safe; you're with us."

Sheera opened her eyes and peered at the young girl's face.

"I think you were having a nightmare," Omega said. "You were breathing heavily and muttering something about never finding them."

Sheera merely nodded, confirming Omega's observations. Her throat felt uncomfortably dry, and relief flooded her when she brought her hand to her mouth and found her lips in their proper place.

"Is there any water?" Sheera croaked. "My throat is...so dry."

Omega bobbed her head, and she jumped to her feet to find a canteen.

As she walked away, Sheera saw Tech approach her cot. He checked Sheera's forehead again and frowned when he felt her sweat-cooled temples.

"How are you feeling?" he said.

Sheera considered her answer for a moment, unsure whether or not she should share her ominous vision. Or was it simply another nightmare?

My nightmares were always about what had already happened, Sheera mused. This was unlike anything I've experienced before.

"Sheera," Tech said, placing his finger under her chin to guide her face towards his. "Are you sure you're alright?"

His simple touch sent a tingly sensation through Sheera's entire body and her pulse soared.

"Yes, I'm just tired," Sheera said after a long pause. Still not meeting Tech's probing stare, she added, "My leg feels as though it's on fire. I'm not entirely convinced that bacta stuff works so well."

"It does, but its chemical makeup is geared toward rapid cell regrowth, which explains the burning sensation. Unlike your healing salve, which is quite soothing."

She managed a grin at Tech's compliment, and when Omega returned with water, Sheera accepted it gratefully.

"I suppose it was wise of me to grab that extra jar of salve before leaving my house then," she said after taking a long drink. "Perhaps you could help me change the dressing when we get to our destination. Ord Mantell, was it?"

Sheera's grin widened when she noticed a distinct redness creep into Tech's cheeks at her suggestion. He promptly cleared his throat and proceeded to tell her about their destination.

~~~~~

As soon as Tech secured the Marauder in their private hangar, he and the other clones led Sheera to Cid's parlor. Tech breathed a sigh of relief when their less-than-gracious host did not appear from her office when they entered. The less they had to explain to the embittered Trandoshan about why they had a woman with them, and a Jedi no less, the better.

"You can share my room, Sheera," Omega said. "I'd love a bunkmate!"

"As long as I can have the bottom bunk, that sounds fine, Omega," Sheera said. Tech saw a pained look cross her face, and he offered her his arm as she ascended the stairs. She took it with an appreciative smile and while he would have happily carried her up to the living quarters himself, he allowed her to set the pace.

They all assembled in the common area that connected the bedrooms above Cid's bar a little while later, and Hunter told them he needed to catch up with their reptilian employer.

"I have to let Cid know we failed the mission," he said.

"Want me to go with you?" Tech and Echo asked in unison.

"Echo, you can come," Hunter said. "Omega, I need you, too, since Cid likes you best."

Turning to Tech he added, "Why don't you help Sheera get settled in?"

Nodding, Tech helped Sheera gather her things and put them in Omega's room.

Though small, the girl's quarters were neat and cozy with a set of bunks in one corner and a writing desk and chair on the opposite wall. Everything looked clean and orderly, except for the ceiling above the top bunk.

"Omega's quite the artist, isn't she?" Sheera said, pointing to the pictures plastered above.

"Yes, though none of us can figure out how her skills have progressed so quickly," Tech said, admiring the young girl's latest work. "None of us have any artistic capabilities to speak of."

"Oh, I don't believe that," Sheera said, taking her bag from his hand. "You probably just haven't found your medium yet."

He surveyed Sheera intently as she unpacked her meager belongings. He found himself wondering what her hair would look like if it weren't wrapped in the hallmark bun at the top of her head.

I must more tired than I thought, Tech reasoned, shaking the thought of running his fingers through her hair from his mind. That's the only explanation for such an errant thought.

"That may be true," he said turning his attention back to their conversation. "However, I can almost guarantee not one of us would be able to create images half as good as she does with simple drawing sticks on paper."

"I could teach you, if you wanted to learn," Sheera said, flashing Tech a smile that made him suddenly feel lightheaded and he swallowed past the lump which had formed in his throat.

She sat on the bottom bunk and gestured for Tech to join her.

"Here, take a look."

He was close enough to Sheera that their knees touched, and he watched as she took out the leather-bound journal from her bag. She flipped through the first pages of the book, and Tech noticed the neat, delicately curved handwriting which filled its pages.

He quickly found his eyes drawn to the exquisite sketches of various plants and small creatures. When Sheera offered the book to him, he took it and continued to peruse the lifelike drawings.

"These are remarkable," he said, thumbing through the journal's pages. "Really, Sheera, you are immeasurably talented."

When he looked at her again, her cheeks glowed pink with what he hoped was admiration and not embarrassment. Tech reached to place a hand to her face, frowning at how warm her skin felt. A closer look revealed beads of sweat appearing near her hairline.

"I should let you rest now," he said.

Nodding, Sheera said, "I think I will lie down, but you can stay and look at the pictures, if you want."

Tech raised an eyebrow in her direction.

"Would you prefer that I stay?"

Sheera laid her head on the pillow and stretched out her legs behind him. When she held out her hand, he hesitated before taking her delicate fingers in his. Sheera rubbed her thumb gently over the back of his hand and smiled.

"Yes, Tech, I would."