One Step at a Time

One Step at a Time - Part 14

A/N: TWO CHAPTERS IN ONE DAY? I'm just finally getting around to editing this down to an "M" rating (which by the way, does anyone actually care? Interaction has been abysmal, so if no one's gonna read or interact with this version, I might just stop editing it down and make the fic "E". You can currently read the "E" version on my Tumblr). Please make sure to heed the warnings! As always, thank you to the wonderful Teletraan_1 for beta reading this for me!

Warnings: non-explicit sexual content, language, canon-typical violence, graphic description of injury, mention of suicide, character death, grief

Chuckles's ears were ringing and everything was dark. The throbbing of his head made him fairly certain he was awake rather than dreaming, but it was hard to be sure. He could hear some sounds, but they were muted and far away, as if he was underwater, and the familiar terror at that thought was enough to snap his eyes open. They immediately stung, and he blinked rapidly, trying to clear his vision.

The kids.

They're safe.

But you're not.

He took a deep gasping breath that burned his lungs, and he coughed hard, tasting a coating of dust on his tongue as smoke inundated his senses. He felt movement underneath him.

Anj. Helly.

Planting his palms, he pushed himself up off of the two bodies he'd dove on top of, feeling a cascade of rock and dirt roll off of his back. He wasn't wide enough to have completely shielded them, but the heaviness and soreness on his back made him hope he'd done enough. He blinked again, his eyes watering as he frantically tried to get the grit out of his eyes. He could just barely make out the two forms beneath him, groaning quietly. Tears streamed down his face, and he couldn't be sure if it was purely from the smoke as he choked on another deep, shuddering breath.

Lu.

He glanced over his shoulder.

Where the lift and Lu had stood, there was nothing but rubble and roaring flames that were licking up any structure that was still standing. He could see most of the supports had collapsed during the explosion, and the struts that were still intact were bent, straining under their added load. The fire was superheating some of the metal, causing it to glow orange and creak threateningly.

It's gonna buckle and collapse the tunnel. We have to move.

Alarms were blaring loudly all around, nearly drowning out the ringing in his ears. He knew people had to be coming to help, but he couldn't wait for them. The Imperials that were still in the mine were stranded at best, dead at worst, and right now, they were the least of Chuckles's concerns.

A hand clamped around his arm, and his head whipped down to find Anj pushing a slab of rock off of herself and struggling to a sitting position. Blood covered her face, but her eyes were sharp as they found his through the haze.

"Hells is hurt. We have to move. Now."

Something about the tone of her voice, the roughness from the dust, the urgency, sent adrenaline dumping into his system and blood roaring in his ears. His training began to echo in his mind and his fingers itched to be wrapped around the controls in his cockpit as he felt the familiar surge of panic and excitement and thrill seep into his veins.

Steady. You're not at war. But you are in trouble.

His vision finally slightly clearer, he looked down at Helly. She was trembling and groaning, clutching at her shirt, which was soaked with blood. Her eyes weren't all the way open, and her palor seemed off, even taking into account the layer of dust that was coating all of them. Chuckles felt his stomach flip, but he swallowed the bile rising in his throat and nodded at Anj, and the two of them began digging around the Rodian. Anj soothed Helly as Chuckles did his best to move the largest rocks and debris out of the way.