Soldiers of the Stars

Chapter 11: There Goes Our Ride

AGAMAR

CAPTAIN GUNNER

     There had to be a safer way down the hill. I searched for anything that could help Bryka. The backside wasn't as steep, but it'd take longer to reach our shuttle. Alarms began blaring. Battle droids poured from every entry point of the facility. I rushed back to Acrux.

     She was pale. Blood dripped from the cuts on her face. I placed my pistols in their holsters and gently picked her up, making my way down to the far backside of the hill. She was much heavier than I thought. Once we reached the bottom, patrols gathered at the tops of the hills. I sat her down in some overgrowth and dropped low. Hopefully, they would overlook us and move on. My attention fell upon her. Her eyes fluttered, then focused on me.

     "Gunner? I ordered you to-" The words faded. She was too weak to speak.

     "No way I'm leaving you behind," I whispered. "I won't abandon you." The patrol swept past us. I held my breath. Once they moved on, I dropped my rangefinder to calculate the distance and the safest path back to our shuttle. If we managed to get there unseen, my immediate priority was getting the first aid. I wasn't going to lose her.

     The shuttle was in sight. My arms burned, but we were so close. So were the clankers. The race had begun. Who was going to get there first? We were going to make it. We had to make it. An ear-splitting explosion threw us to the ground. Dirt sprayed us. The surrounding grass shriveled and burned as debris descended from the black rolling smoke. The place our shuttle was was now nothing more than dark scorched marks across rocks. "There they are!" One of the bastards called out. I took Acrux in my arms and booked it to get to higher ground.

     It didn't take long to empty all my rounds. My weapons were useless. The clouds began to roll in again. It would snow soon. My new objective besides keeping Bryka alive was to create as much distance as possible. The intel had to be transmitted. If fate was kind, we'd run into a settlement somewhere close to take refuge. Fate, however, was not in a giving mood.

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     My legs and arms couldn't carry on. We were vulnerable in the hill's depression, but neither of us had the strength to press on. Flurries floated down. I held Acrux close, doing what I could to keep her warm. She was so cold. Trembling and broken.

     "Gunner," She grasped my forearm. I reached for her in return.

     "I'm here." She seethed in pain. With my free hand, I propped up her head. "Hey, I got you."

     "Something...someone is coming." Her whisper died down as her eyes fluttered shut. Her jagged breathing grew silent.

     "General?" No answer. "Bryka," I squeezed her arm, checking for a pulse. She wasn't dead, but she was nearly unconscious. The wounds festered with infections by now. Without proper treatment, she wouldn't last the night.

     A rock bounced from the top of the ridge, echoing as it traveled downwards. I snapped my attention towards the direction of the sound. Nothing.

     "A Jedi and a Fett clone. This is a rare find." A low baritone voice called out from somewhere I couldn't detect. "I know people who'd pay good money for your capture. It's not every day one stumbles upon a force wielder."

     My hand snatched the lightsaber from General Acrux's belt and ignited it. I stood over her, protecting her from this invisible threat. "You won't lay a hand on her," I growled.

     "You mistake my intentions, Soldier. I never said I'd turn you over to said people. Your General, I assume, is dying. She won't last the night without my help."

     "Who are you? Show yourself." A figure appeared from behind the ridge. A Mandalorian. He calmly made his way down; his gray cape whipped dramatically in the frigid air. This was either bad, or really, really bad. What business besides bounty hunting did a Mandalorian have this far out?

     "How do I know you mean to help us? What makes you think I'd trust you?"

     "Because you're desperate, and I'm the only one from miles around. Excluding the Separatist, but I don't think they'd show you the same hospitality." Almost on queue, a distant rambling of clankers broke out. "And there they are now."

     The General mustered up the strength to acknowledge the stranger. "The intel...we need to get it off this planet now." She struggled to sit up, and in a failed attempt, crashed back down. I quickly switched off the blade and dropped to aid her. Hoarsely she spoke up. "I don't suppose you have a ship? Ours kinda exploded."

     "My ship isn't too far from here. We need to move now." I glanced down at General Acrux. Weakly she nodded her head in approval. The clankers weren't far off now. The Mandalorian rushed over to help me get Acrux on her feet. I wasn't sure if we could trust him, but he was right; we didn't have many options.