“In some areas,” Stron said. “What you see here, it is a mix. There are colonies below. Some materials are only able to be found lower to the ground, so, like many worlds, we have layers of lifestyles.”
“‘Layered lifestyles,’ huh? That’s an interesting way to describe social classes.”
Stron stepped closer to her, or maybe he was just moving away from Khalzin and Janae, to give them some privacy. They seemed to have dipped into a quieter conversation.
“Social classes exist everywhere, and dictate many aspects of existence, regardless of the world you land on.”
“Don’t I know it,” she muttered.
“They can be very binding,” he said.
She nodded. “I can say, Big Red Guy, that I agree with that.”
“Excuse me, did you just call me ‘Big Red Guy’?”
“It’s accurate,” she answered. Where that came from, she didn’t know, but it just popped out.
“I could call you Little Dots,” he replied.
She blinked, and put her hand over her nose, covering her freckles. “What’s wrong with my freckles?”
“I never said there was anything wrong with them.”
“So why?—”
The attack came out of nowhere, and blaster fire zipped by. It singed her hair. She brushed it away and turned in time to see Janae hit the ground.
Adryel gasped, reaching for her thinking she’d been hit.
Instead, Stron pulled her against him and shielded her. Armor erupted from his shoulders, wrapping around him and her, protecting them from blaster fire.
“Janae,” she said, and saw that Khalzin covered her on the ground.
“Get to shelter,” Stron said, pushing her away from him just enough to pull his own weapons.
She’d never noticed the blasters strapped to his side under his cloak.
More blaster shots came from across the platform, and she saw more Kantenans, with covered faces, appearing and firing on them.
Stron pulled some kind of blade out, just like Khalzin had, and they charged forward to the attackers.
Janae was frozen staring at everything, like she didn’t understand what was going on. “Come on.” Adryel grabbed Janae's arm and started pulling her away.
Away. They had to get away! Somewhere there had to be a space—there, the hygiene building. That would at least protect them while the others fought.
“There's a hygiene booth over here,” Adryel said, leading her toward the building. They raced toward the hygiene station, moving in a zigzag pattern, to make it harder for them to be hit with blaster fire.
“We're almost there,” Adryel said, ducking as another barrage of blaster fire came their way.
Almost to the door, it swung open, and out came two Kantenans, pointing blasters at them.
“Well, that is where they were hiding,” Janae muttered.
Adryel froze, staring at the weapons.
Seriously? After everything, this takes her out.
It just totally enraged her.
