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Their landing on LV-426 was less than ideal.
Eris felt the Drifter giving small sharp tugs on the rope between them. She immediately reached out with her mind and began slowing their descent while sending her Ahamkara bone toward him to light his path. By the light of its green glow, she watched him throw a coldsnap grenade in front of himself, using the Stasis field to slow himself down.
Still, even through the dome of Stasis crystals, he came in fast and stumbled on the uneven terrain as he hit the ground. One of his legs bent at an unnatural angle in several places, crumpling like paper. Eris felt her stomach clench as she watched him go down. She pulled the rope behind her to the side, twisting her body, forcing everyone else their chain of people into a spin to try to cut their momentum.
Krikras seemed to be flailing wildly as she went past Eris, but the Vandal used her multiple limbs to cartwheel along the surface, avoiding the coldsnap field and skittering to a stop in a small whirlwind of dust near the Drifter.
Miri’s floated past very close to Eris. Eris saw into Miri’s helmet by the light of her own eyes and her stomach clenched further. Miri was unconscious.
Eris grabbed Miri’s wrist, pulling her closer into a hug. They pirouetted together into a roll through the Drifter’s stasis grenade field which slowed them further.
Eris slid to her knees on the surface of the asteroid, Miri’s body limp but safe in her arms. Krikras scuttled over and held her arms out to take the Admiral.
Martini’s eyes were wide as he tumbled past Eris through the dissipating coldsnap field. He was gasping frantically for breath as he landed, but with Eris’ spin and the Stasis field combined, he was able to tumble along the surface without injury.
The Drifter, prone, pointed Krikras to the cave mouth behind them and then reached out his hands to his mangled leg. Stasis spread out from his fingertips, encasing his leg up to his hip in crystal.
Eris looked up to see Mung plummeting toward them, not moving in any way which might cushion her landing, the bag of equipment trailing behind her. The Cabal’s arms and legs hung limp. Mung’s greater mass would work against her, if impacting the surface did not kill her, the supplies behind her probably would.
Eris pulled out her knife, unhooked the carabiner coupling her to the rope, and pushed off of the surface. Mung was easily four times her mass, if not more. The three-eyed former hunter grasped the Cabal in as much of a hug as she could. She cut the rope attaching Mung to the bag of equipment free.
Soulfire erupted from Eris’s fingertips to coat both herself and Mung in green flames as she willed the forces into existence necessary to slow their fall.
Eris’ jump had altered the angle of Mung’s descent, making it considerably more shallow. They slid as they met the surface, slipping along the dust and gravel with Eris on top of the Cabal’s body, riding her like a sled down into the crater they had been aiming for.
The equipment Eris had cut free experienced no such angular adjustment and kicked up a cloud of dust as it impacted the rocks, splitting and spilling its contents across the surface.
Krikras, free of the tether which had dragged them through space, was running for the entrance with Miri’s unconscious body over her shoulder, pulling Martini with her.
Martini, his eyes bulging in fear, attempted to keep up, but fell. Krikras, two hands holding Miri, one hand holding Martini’s wrist, reached down with her fourth hand, grabbed him by the belt and lifted him, dragging him with her through the dust and gravel to the tunnel.
The Drifter propped himself up on his arms and got to his feet, dragging his immobilized leg. He helped Eris wrap the rope that had previously tied them together around Mung’s chest and arms and then the two of them began to drag the unconscious Cabal to the mouth of the cave.
Despite her control over her own breathing, Eris began to become light-headed before they were even half-way there. She stumbled and fell to one knee. The Drifter tapped her arm and pointed at the entrance. She nodded and ran forward, trusting the Drifter to know how long he could hold his own breath.
Once inside Eris powered her suit on and collapsed against the cave wall as much-needed air began to flow into her lungs. She took a few deep breaths before turning her suit off again, running back out to help the Drifter with Krikras close behind her. Together, the three of them were able to drag Mung with them into the cave. Krikras hastily turned the Cabal’s spacesuit back on while the Drifter hobbled over to Miri.
His ghost materialized beside him, shining a light down on the unconscious woman. He took one look at her closed eyes and blue lips, then scrambled to the back of the cave, dragging his crystal-encased leg toward what looked like rubble from a cave-in.
He tossed three rocks aside and an access panel was exposed.
The Drifter’s ghost began interfacing with the panel while the Drifter continued to uncover a scratched metal airlock door.
Once they were all inside the ancient airlock and the outer door was closed, the Drifter’s ghost positioned itself next to one of the vents and scanned the air as it rushed in. The Drifter sank down next to Miri and as soon as the ghost’s light turned blue he pulled off his own helmet and then removed Miri’s. Eris assisted Martini in getting Mung’s helmet off and then knelt next to the Drifter.
He pulled his glove off of one hand with his teeth and cupped Miri’s cheek with a trembling hand as his ghost hovered at his shoulder, scanning her face.
“Shit she’s cold,” he said, his voice hoarse, his own breathing laboured. “Fuckin’ kids." He looked over at Eris. "Why does it always have to be the fucking kids? Fuck.”