Head Left
Corik headed left in the opposite direction from where Jethra had gone. He figured it was better to split up and cover a different section. Of course, he had no idea where this one led to, and that made him nervous.
The hallway he went down had multiple branches to the left and right, but he continued ahead straight the same way most of those in front of him had gone. Soon he began to notice the hall expanding and eventually he came to realize he was no longer in a hallway but in an outer defense area. Small single person windows with blast shields were scattered all over the room, as well as five large cannons, one in the center and two on each side. As the cannons were all occupied, Jethra took one of the many available holes and peered out to see just what was going on.
The entire landscape outside the area was covered with large rocks, boulders, and jagged edges, all rough terrain for an attempt at infiltration. However, the terrain was in fact a double edged sword, providing a load of cover and ample opportunity for the implication of guerrilla tactics.
Corik was surprised to see a number of assault droids in the rocks. He had never seen droids operate in such terrain, at least not effectively. But nonetheless, they climbed and poked around, all the while firing on the many defenders inside the installation. In the first few minutes of Corik’s presence, he had already destroyed four or five droids with the new strength of his heavy repeater. The stationary cannons were particularly impressive against the droids, as they could shred straight through the rocks. If not by the huge lasers, the droids were mangled by huge shards of stone and debris.
Corik analyzed the look of the droids he fired at. Corik noticed the symbol painted on each in its center, a yellow curve in the shape of a ‘C’. The rest of each droid was completely black, thus they were easy to spot among the auburn and light brown boulders covering expanse.
However, their numbers never seemed to fade. In fact, Corik began to see an increase in the offensive, and he had to duck to avoid a few shots that came straight through his firing hole. He watched as a few concentrated shots began to tear apart the middle cannon. Its destruction sent flames and debris all around it, and what remained was a massive hole where the cannon once was. The droids then began heading for the hole. Corik began to see the fading hope of the situation, and like a few others began to retreat back to the center, leaving the outer defenses to their fate.
A few blaster shots came within inches of Corik as he sprinted back down the hallway. As he returned, he looked down the other hallways to see what had become of them. To his left, men seemed to be retreating as well, and in front of him…
A devastating force flew him off his feet, followed by the ear piercing boom of an explosion. He saw it had come from where Jethra had headed, but he didn’t know what had become of Jethra. A few men were running back towards the center, but none of them seem to bear the resemblance of his old friend.
His sudden realization brought water to his eyes, though it was only for a moment. At the end of the hallway he saw a bright red light appear. It was more than a light perhaps, more like a continuously glowing beam in the distance. A lightsaber thought Corik. The weapon of a Jedi. It was true, only those legendary warriors known as Jedi carried the fantasized energy swords that could cut through almost anything, except another lightsaber. Red usually did not mean someone on the side of good, which meant Corik needed to get out now.
He must have been the one that set off the explosion, Corik deduced as he peered at the Jedi with black and gray robes. He must have killed Jethra. Anger began to fill Corik’s heart as he raced back down the hallway he had entered the facility from. Knowing this would only distract him, he pushed the feeling aside for now. He looked over at one of the doors to the side to see a young man opening it. Inside was a small two-person fighter, just the ticket out for Corik. He rushed in and shouted to the man, asking for a ride. He turned and nodded, and began climbing the ladder.
Corik looked up at him for direction, but what he got was the sight of a laser piercing a hole in the man’s back. He fell to the ground with a thud as Corik whipped his head around to see where it came from. At the door was a droid, and Corik quickly drew his repeater and mangled the machine to bits before it had time to even look at him. He then turned back to the body. Out of the pocket of the dead man was an engine coupling in perfect condition. Corik took it; perhaps it would come in handy later.
Corik was up the ladder and seated in the cockpit in seconds. Closing the hatch, he began admiring the controls, hoping this two-man fighter could be piloted by one. It was simpler than it looked, and soon enough Corik was in the air, away from the barracks.
The chaos was everywhere, and it seemed as if the invasion was planet-wide. Corik couldn’t stay here. He had to find a new home, or a place to sort out all this mess. Setting the course for space, he began to determine exactly what he was going to do.
You have acquired an engine coupling!