FORSAKEN II - Eternal Dawn

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

Explosions and blaster fire erupted all around Theleema, kicking up clouds of sand as she ran back to the building under the cover of the Je'daii and the Cloud-Riders. Being the former robust structures of a refinery, the village dwellings provided the perfect shielding against Crimson Dawn's guns. Gorin came out of the Outcast when the fight started. He spotted Hondo running down the beach toward him.

"Hat man, Crimson Dawn came for you and your friends," Hondo said.

"They're not the only ones." Gorin observed a large group of Pykes sneaking through the right side of the village. The Savarians stayed hidden out of the conflict.

"They're trying to flank them."

"Not if I can help it." Gorin extended his energy bow and ran up hill.

"Yes, good idea. I'll make sure the ship is ready for takeoff," said Hondo while boarding the Outcast.

Addia took cover after taking a few shots. "Should we illuminate the situation?"

Virra reloaded her X-8 Night Sniper pistol. "Not if we want the Empire tracking us here."

Ilum ducked behind the corner right before it got peppered by blaster shots. "Better to be alive as a fugitive, than death undercover."

"We don't need that to take care of these mudlickers." Theleema fired her E-850s and sought shelter.

"I don't know—" Blaster bolts from an E-Web cannon peppered the wall millimeters away from Jarriss' head as he returned fire. "They're advancing to our position and we don't have the firepower to repel them."

"We need to get to the Outcast and get the Void out of here," Syrran leaned out of cover to shoot his blasters. "Theleema, you, Elynn, and Addia go to the Outcast and blow up these scugholes. We'll cover you."

"They won't get anywhere near the Outcast if we don't take those E-Webs first. So, we either go with Addia's suggestion or prepare to join the Force."

"Plus, I'm not leaving you here." Elynn tried to shoot back, but the volume of enemy fire prevented her from peeking out from her cover.

Perceiving the Pykes approaching from the side of the building, Jarriss turned and shot two of them. "Pykes," he said.

Gorin's war helmet stuck to the wall next to her vertically, stopping a blaster bolt from hitting Elynn from the side. Two energy arrows from Gorin bended in an impossible angle thanks to the Force, and struck a pair of Pykes. Syrran and Theleema wasted no time gunning down several approaching Pykes along with Elynn.

"You got Pykes trying to flank you," said Gorin, releasing more arrows as he ran into the building.

"You have problems with the Pykes too?" said Enfys, moving to cover the vulnerable flank with some of her people.

"We're very popular these days." Addia shot a Hylobon.

"Are you sure you don't want to join us?" said Tayshin Maxa—Moda's older sister.

"Are you sure you want us to?" Elynn said over the cracking of her gun.

Tayshin dodged two shots that came way too close. "Probably not."

Aboard the Outcast, Hondo sat in the cockpit, flipping switches, trying to start her to no avail. "Come on. What is wrong with you, you piece of magnificent beautiful junk? I need to get out of here." He noticed the port for the ship's activation cylinder. "You distrustful scallywags. You're smart to trust no one and I hate you for it. I guess if I want to escape certain death, I'm going to have to help them." Hondo ran out of the cockpit.