Chapter 16

“It’s gettin’ worse, sir,” Zoe noted as she fired on the approaching soldiers. Her aim was impeccable and she wasted not a shot.

“Can’t get much worse, Zoe.” Mal followed suit and together they dropped the few men advancing on their position.

“They just took out another turret. Those things are the only heavy artillery we have left to defend this position.”

Suddenly, far above them, several large cruisers broke atmo and hurled downward with increasing speed.

“That doesn’t look good,” Mal said, cocking his head as if it would give him a better idea of where the ships would crash.

“We move, we’re gonna be picked off by those purplebellies!” one soldier cried as he glanced upward at the shadows rapidly descending over them.

“And we’re sitting ducks here!” another man called, panic clearly evident in his voice.

“They’ll destroy it,” Mal said with a confidence Zoe didn’t in any way feel. “That’s one of our ships in pursuit. They’ll get it.”

Zoe raised an eyebrow.

Mal shrugged at her. “Either we sit or we run and take our chances.”

Zoe’s sharp gaze rested the landscape in front of them – and on the soldiers approaching their flank.

Explosions rocked the ground beneath them as the ship hurtling downward let off its ordinance in a last ditch effort to do as much damage as it could before it was blown out of the sky. Zoe ducked when the Independent cruiser’s missiles struck home and the Alliance ship exploded far too close for comfort. Debris rained down on them from above, which sent everyone scrambling for a safer position – including the Alliance troops advancing on them. [Cool! This makes sense]

“Rather take that chance, sir!” Zoe grabbed a fistful of Mal’s jacket and pulled him toward the nearest mineshaft.

If they didn’t move, the ships would hit them, or the large debris breaking away from the larger whole would. They’d need to take their chances inside. If the mine collapsed…. So many scenarios and possibilities barreled through Zoe’s mind. But it onl