Battle For The High Flyer Base. Part 2

Recap
In the last instalment: Loeta, Charder and Fainter weren't able to take to the sky in their transporter to help in the dogfight with the Militia transporters.

Instead, they made their way to the armoury to tool up and get to the roof to help as best they could. Bo-Daki and Flux both went with them. After taking some Vits she accidentally aimed the launcher backwards and after firing, it blew a hole in the roof and she was knocked out.

Source Pixabay

Loeta's eye's opened. The first thing she noticed was the ringing in her ears, it was high pitched and constant. Unable to concentrate with the persistent noise she tried to stand up. As she sat straight noise subsided, but, the pain in her head seemed to intensify. She raised a hand and as she did she was grabbed.

"Don't touch it." She heard a gruff Trisken voice come in. With a few coughs to punctuate his sentence. It must have been Charder. She felt a hand on the crown of her head and it gently push her head forward.

"It's not too bad," Charder said. Through the dust, she saw a figure appear in front of her. Fainter? "Here. Something for the pain. The battle is still raging!" He shouted as he fumbled for something in his pocket.

"No. She needs a doctor. She doesn't need any more drugs!" Bo-Daki shouted. "Who's going to get her to a doctor? You?" Fainter replied. "Didn't think so. Here Loeta. Take a Vit." Fainter extended his hand and fixed a mouthpiece to Loeta's face. "Okay 1... 2... 3!" He pushed the plunger and Loeta inhaled the haze that shot out of it.

Within an instant everything was fine. At least as fine as it could be. She unholstered her pistol and looked around. Shots were firing on ships in the air and the Militia transporters strafed and return fire in short bursts. Loeta instantly started to shoot. Backed up by Charder and Fainter. "Don't think we're doing much from here!" Charder shouted.

Loeta noticed that the High Flyers speeders were few and far between now. The main one she could see was the Sky-Fortress. But, it alone wouldn't be able to last long without backup. Then she noticed one of the ships was closing in on them and descending.

"Are they landing!?" Fainter shouted and with that, some of the other High Flyers on the roof started to scramble closer to the edge of the roof, overlooking the courtyard. "The rockets! Where are the rockets!?" Fainter started to shout as he scrambled around with the launcher in hand.

The rockets? Where did I put them? She knew they were over her shoulder in the satchel. She looked down and the dust and smoke was still too heavy to see behind them. But, it had cleared up enough to see the roof.

Standing by the chimney she smashed into in the explosion was where she found the satchel. Empty? Loeta thought, while picking up the light piece of material. Looking around she saw one. It had rolled down the bowing roof. Walking over to it all she could feel was the roof shake slightly. Letting out a massive creek as it did.

"Don't try it!" Bo-Daki said beside her. Loeta hadn't noticed that he was standing so close to her. "We need one of them! Now!" Fainter shouted.

Loeta took a step forward cautiously. *It's either get it or have a ship full of Militia on top of us." She thought to herself. Crouching to the ground making herself as small as possible and sliding forward on her stomach to reach out and grab the rocket. She stared at it, another rumbled came in and she saw it wobble and bounce. Don't roll away! She thought. The tip of her finger skimmed it. It's so close. Inching forward slightly she managed to wrap her fingers around it and had it in hand now. As she pushed herself backwards with her free hand an even louder creek sounded and the steel buckled under its own weight.

Falling in slow motion, she looked down into the docking bay of the base. Watching the spare rockets fall, along with most of the roof. Then she stopped, feeling her ankles being grabbed. "Loeta!" She heard Bo-Daki shouting.

He was pulling her back and she tried to maintain her hold of the rocket. Then when everything crashed to the ground she was looking directly down at an explosion. The flames of which, clawed its way up at her face. Using her free hand, she was able to block herself from it. But, there was no respite from the heat. It was as though her skin was bubbling under the surface.

Then Loeta could feel a second pair of hands grabbing at her, within a few seconds she was back, safe and secure. Laying down and staring up at the sky. Watching the black smoke shoot out of the missing section of the roof.

"Loeta! Rocket!" Fainter shouted as he looked down on her. Instantly she handed it to him and he ran to start loading up his launcher.

"So you're not worried about her!? She could have died!" Bo-Daki shouted at the back of Fainter who turned around slightly. "We haven't exactly got time!" Fainter shouted. "He's right," Loeta said as she stood up and ran to Fainters side.

He knelt on one knee and aimed up. "Come on. Come on." He mumbled to himself. "You've only got one shot at this Fainter." Charder calmly told him. "No pressure then?" Fainter joked.

The Militia transporter was circling slightly, fixing to land. It was still firing seldomly, but it was only concentrating its fire on the ground below in the courtyard.

"Steady," Charder whispered. Loeta looked at Fainter and beads of sweat dotted his forehead and his hand was shaking slightly. He squeezed the trigger of the launcher and a woosh of air ejected from the rear of the rocket launcher as the projectile shot out of it. Loeta tracked it with her eyes and saw it rush towards the transporter. As it got closer to it she saw the rocket swerve to the left. "No!" Fainter shouted.

It missed! Loeta thought to herself. It exploded in the distance and the transporter turned and started firing on the roof as it carried on descending. "Run!" Charder shouted grabbed fainter as he turned and back towards the hatch they came through. Loeta didn't react soon enough and just watched as the bullets tore through some of the High Flyers ahead of them. They exploded into red mists as the bullets connected.

That was enough to snap her out of it. She also started to run, the bullets hitting the roof made the ground shake violently, but she was able to maintain her footing.

*Cover! Cover! Where the hell is the cover!" She ran to the nearest piece of stonework, diving to hide behind. All she could hear was screaming and shouting.

No bullets though. She peaked around the corner of her piece of cover. The Militia dropship was out of sight.

It's landing!