From the ground, Eleanor looked at the pilot of the vessel.
It was Jedriek!
He fired more on the fighters, sent them on the run, and brought the vessel down, the hatch opening before hitting the ground.
Eleanor ran for the transport, as did the others.
Wrathin was the first aboard. Blaster fire was everywhere.
Veta pushed Eleanor onto the ramp. Wrathin grabbed her and yanked her aboard, almost throwing her back into the ship.
She stumbled and fell. It took her a second to orient herself, and when she did, she saw Bianca's repulsor bed glide inside and Harbin right behind her. Then Veta was aboard, and as soon as she entered, she slammed the hatch shut.
Eleanor turned to Bianca. "Are you okay?"
Bianca nodded. "Are you? You were airborne for a moment there," She said with a smile.
"I'm fine," Eleanor said, and she headed toward the cockpit.
Jedriek already had the ship moving up and heading toward space.
She ran in, and headed straight for the chair, and hugged around him. He patted her arm.
"You are safe," she said.
"As are you," he replied, and he rubbed his cheek against hers. "Are the others well?"
"They're fine," she said. "We need to get Bianca to a medical facility soon, though. She needs to be looked at."
"I will get you there," Jedriek said.
13
Navigating the desert and rocky landscape of Sol-2 challenged many. Jedriek crossed it quickly--he'd been stationed on Sol-2 several times to work in the mines. He reached the nearest landing zone, where there might be some ships left. Sure enough, there were a few--not Rhimodian, though.
Terran vessels.
Securing one was simple enough. After a few fights, he'd taken a military-grade Terran transport.
It didn’t take him long to find the others. Not far from the pad, he spotted them. Some Terran fighters had cued him to their location.
The opposition attacked Eleanor, Wrathin, and the others.
Jedriek growled as he dropped the vessel down as close as he could to give them cover and block the attack long enough for them to board.
And fire a few weapons--while the transports had some, being a military-grade, they did not have a massive amount of weaponry options. All, however, would blow a hole in anyone if they targeted a humanoid.
If any of them hurt Eleanor...
He got the ship down between the attack coming from the north and where they had taken up post. He dropped the back ramp so they could board. Cameras showed everyone entering the ship. Wrathin practically hurled her aboard. For a second, he felt the urge to run back there and punch his friend, but Eleanor shook off the jostling just as the lady with Harbin arrived.
She was well.
That was all that mattered.
Jedriek fired more defensive shots toward the attackers. When he saw that Veta started closing the ramp, he took off.
Eleanor ran to the cockpit.
