Warrior ◊ Star Wars

chapter eighteen; unholy revelations

"Very bad idea! That was a very, very bad idea! Why'd you let me go in there?!?"

"I told you repeatedly it was a bad idea!"

"Well- no just move, c'mon move! Keep up BB-8!"

Two rather menacing creatures chased them doggedly. They were covered in what looked to be some type of leathery hide. Their teeth were prominent and long, ivory tusks escaped from their mouths. They were as tall as Mara's mid-section and ran in long lunges, almost jumping to keep up with them.

Mara and Dameron were running as fast as they could downhill while trying not to trip. BB-8 caught up to them, rolling past them while bleeping to his master how most of his 'not stupid ideas' were incredibly reckless and usually stupid.

"I know buddy, I know- Watch your twelve o' clock!"

Mara looked up to the tall rock at her side. On top of it was one of the beasts, which snarled before leaping down towards her. In an effort to make sure it wouldn't maul her, she took a sharp left.

A jagged break between the rocks presented a needed opportunity and she too it. The space was big enough for her to scurry through but appeared too small for the wider animal to follow. She came back out into the open and stole a glance over her shoulder to see if her pursuer had made it through.

In the brief seconds she took her eyes off the route in front of her, her foot caught on a stone. Mara began to plummet down. For a moment she was airborne, then met hard rock. Pain exploded from the side of her head to her side on which she landed. She stood back up despite her new injuries, eyes wild and breathing rapid as she looked around.

Mara had fallen into a deep basin. The edge was a few feet higher than her head and posed no easy way of getting out. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears as adrenaline pumped through her, making it impossible to think of anything else besides to keep running. She was trapped with no way out.

Her brain was muddled by her pulse drumming louder and louder as she tried to make out any plan to escape the bowl. The first apparent option was jumping up and trying to pull herself up. Mara decided this was the best idea, and took a deep breath. She tried to steady her rampant thoughts, to no avail, and started running towards the opposite wall. Timing herself on when to leap, she bent her knees and shot up. Her fingers reached for the ledge before her eyes saw the beast atop it.

Mara aborted abruptly, falling back down and shrieking, "Damnit! Damnit!"

The animal only sneered as she struggled to get up. It jumped down, probably meaning to end up on her, but she scrambled away just in time. Now on her feet, she shot over to the other side of the basin. When she reached the opposite wall, she spun on her heel to face the animal. It followed, tusks aimed to ram straight into her stomach.

Out of habit, Mara drew her batons from her belt and braced for the harsh impact. The force met her weapons instead of her flesh, but it knocked wind out of her. She diverted left quickly as the animal back stepped. The woman dizzily kept ahold of her batons, gulping for oxygen like a fish out of water as the beast poised for attack again. This time when it charged her, Mara side stepped fast. Just as it missed her, she was able to gauge one of her weapons into the animal's eyes.

A roar of pain bounced off the basin's walls. Green substance bled onto her hands from her batons while she ran the other way. Her breaths remained heavy, but she forced out of her lungs, "You better be dead now!"

The blow to it's eye was painful, but it only made the beast more angry. Mara realized this as it came at her faster, but now it's vision was mostly obscured. She kept moving, then backtracking as it flew past her. She tripped once again as she fell back, getting up fast as it barreled towards her.