Private The Hunt

[Aiden Rennek]

"ETA?" Aiden asked the pilot over comms.

"2 minutes, sir!" the pilot reported swiftly, after which Aiden set a timer on his watch. Even though this was just a standard mission — having to escort people involved in the reconstruction efforts of Epica — he took his work very seriously. Nothing had happened since the Mandalorian invasion and the Alliance strengthening its borders, but those under his care still put their lives in his hands. After that ambush on Selvaris, where he lost so many, he wouldn't ever allow himself to lose focus again.

A minute later, the shuttle began to vibrate as it entered the atmosphere and encountered friction. A common feeling for every soldier, so none seemed remotely startled. The path ahead would now be clear. They were supposed to land on their designated landing zone, escort the group to the outpost, and head back to collect others sent to help as well.

A simple task for-

A sudden impact sent a huge tremor through the hull, powerful enough to have ripped people from their seats if it weren't for their seatbelts. Aiden groaned as he felt the sudden strain against his chest, but was given no time to recover. The nose of the ship came straight down, altering the force he felt on his body. He gasped for air, held onto his seat for dear life and closed his eyes.

Even before they hit the ground, everything had gone black.

Danger Arceneau ​

 

[Danger Arceneau]

Life is not defined by moments but by the moment of impact.

The moment of impact proves potential for change. Some particles crash together, drawing closer than ever, while others go off on these crazy ventures, ending up in places one would never expect. One can't control it. That's the thing about moments like these. You can't, no matter how hard you try, controlling how it's gonna affect you. You just gotta let the colliding part goes where they may. And wait. For the next collision.

━ ◦ ❖ ◦━​

The smell of burnt plasticord and the tang of blood danced in Danger's nostrils, making her scowl as she struggled to shake off the haze of unconsciousness. There was a solid ache in her chest where her seat belt had held her tight, doing its darndest to keep her safe. Amidst the flickering halo lights and the groans of pain, she fought through blurred vision and a piercing whine in her ears.

Blinking rapidly, it took a moment for the redhead to make sense of the chaos. The shuttle had been hit, and it went down hard. Beside her, the Mon Cal representative from the Eve Foundation slumped over, eyes vacant and wide, clearly out cold. The sight of the gash on her head and the unnatural angle of her neck spelled out the grim truth: Maka was gone.

Swallowing hard, Danger pushed back the panic rising within. Fear never did anyone a lick of good, so she focused on assessing her own condition and taking stock of her surroundings.

Her trembling hands ran over herself, checking for injuries. Nothing seemed broken, though she was bound to have some bruised ribs and a hefty mark across her chest where the seat belt had held her tight. Blood trickled from a cut on her temple, looking worse than it actually was. Her choice of seat had likely saved her life. If I'd been in Maka's spot...

Well, she'd have punched her ticket out of this 'verse sooner than she planned. With cautious fingers, she unbuckled herself, letting out a grimace of relief as the tension eased from the belt.

Now, it was time to see who else made it out alive.

"Hey..." Danger began only to cough, there was smoke coming from somewhere. Fire. That was never a good thing. "Anyone else need help?" where was her bag. She always carried some vital necessities just in case. The near tragedy that occurred on Tatooine with Alric made Danger make sure she was always prepared.

 

[Aiden Rennek]

Weapon: Link

The sound of live wires crackling and sparking around him forced Aiden's eyes open. One moment, he had been strapped into a seat with soldiers on each side of him and on the opposite row. The next, he was down on his back, eyes focused on a warped metal panel covered in blood. He couldn't tell if it was the floor, ceiling or one of the walls anymore — everything around him was distorted, destroyed and utterly chaotic.

Then, the pain set in.

No amount of adrenaline could numb him to what he felt. He groaned, then screamed as the rising and falling of his chest made his body move against the thin metal rod rising up from his torso near the left shoulder. Somehow, miraculously, it hadn't pierced anything vital, or he would have already been dead. But the pain was excruciating.

The scream itself sent another tremor of pain through his broken ribs, and trying to look down at the rod that had him impaled reddened his sight, as blood ran down his face and over his eyes.

But even through all of that, he could see something that hurt far more.

Nobody else had survived.

Danger Arceneau ​

 

[Danger Arceneau]

The piercing scream sliced through the air, jolting Danger from her reverie and sending a shiver of dread down her spine. It was a cry of agony, echoing with raw anguish that chilled her to the bone.

Wiping blood from her face to clear her vision, Danger activated the bright light function on her smart chronowatch, casting a stark blue-white glow around her. "I'm comin'!" she called out, hoping her voice would offer solace to whoever was in distress.

As the light pierced the darkness, she spotted Maka's lifeless form nearby, her eyes vacant and haunting. With a whispered prayer, Danger gently closed Maka's lids, promising to bring her home once she got out of this. By now, the odds were that her staff would realize something occurred. Each of the Arceneau Staff was fitted with Pharma-Tech Biostamps. While it required a certain distance to pick up on the data, it at least would convey that Danger was not dead. Maka's, however, would show a stop to all vitals. The signal may bounce off a local satellite depending on where they were. Unfortunately, what Danger didn't know was that the location they were in would not allow the pinpointing of where they crashed or the route they had taken. It would not be until they failed to arrive at the destination on time that any alarm would be declared.

Danger and the other survivors would be completely alone with little recourse for her staff, Myra Elspeth Arceneau or Makai Dashiell to locate her. It could take days or even weeks.

Focus, Danger told herself, forcing herself to get the intestinal fortitude to push through and find her satchel. Time was of the essence. Retrieving her belongings, she steadied herself, determined to press on despite the uncertainty of her situation.

"Where are you?" she called out again, her voice echoing in the darkness as she searched for the source of the scream.

Aiden Rennek

 

[Aiden Rennek]

Weapon: Link

"I'm comin'!"

The voice called out to him like a beacon summoning ships safely to shore at night. It forced his eyes back open and offered him just a shimmer of hope in the darkness that threatened to consume him. This wasn't his first time getting badly injured, and not his second time either, but never before had he felt so much pain. It made it almost tempting to close his eyes and just drift off asleep, never to be hurt again.

But he forced himself to endure.

With his eyes focused on a random spot on the ceiling, he fought against his body's urge to shut down. He clenched his jaw, held a hand over his bleeding shoulder, and did his best not to move. There was no way to be certain, but he was convinced that several ribs were broken.

One wrong move and they could pierce something vital.

"I'm h-here," Aiden muttered but it wasn't loud enough, and he feared the sound of sparks and broken equipment would keep him hidden for too long. So, in a desperate attempt to be heard, he extended his free hand to the rifle by his side, angled the barrel towards the wall, and curled his finger around the trigger.

His sniper would surely be loud enough.

Bang.

Danger Arceneau ​

 

[Danger Arceneau]

The sharp crack of a rifle echoed through the air, making Danger jump with a yelp. Her heart pounded as she whipped around, searching for the source of the sound.

"Is that you?" she called out, her voice trembling and strained. The metallic tang of blood hung heavy in the air. With each step she took towards the noise, her body trembled with adrenaline. She resisted the urge to calm her nerves with a cigarillo; it would be a reckless move if there were any gas leaks nearby.

She fought back bile rising in her throat as she stumbled upon the lifeless forms of Alliance soldiers, illuminated by the faint glow of her chronowatch. Focus. Just focus.

Each body sent a shiver down her spine. She had seen death before, but never like this, not since the Blackwing outbreak on Drumund Kaas.

Finally, a strained breath caught her attention. She followed the sound to find Aiden Rennek , his face contorted in pain. Her own face drained of color as she approached, stark against the black flightsuit she wore.

"Lieutenant Rennek?" she whispered, her eyes widening in horror as she noticed the metal rod protruding from his shoulder.

"Oh my stars!" Danger exclaimed, adrenaline coursing through her veins once more as she hurried to his side. He was alive, breathing, but the sight of that metal rod made her pulse quicken with alarm. While she was no medic, she had some field experience with taking care of wounds.

Although certainly not to this degree.

"Hey, Lieutenant, hey... it's me Danger. Can you hear me?" she had to at least get an idea of how he was doing before tackling what to do with the metal rod.

Aiden Rennek