The wind whipped past Haze’s armor as the planet below loomed closer. Both escapees spread their arms and legs out to slow their fall. The ship behind them began releasing fighters into the air as the strange boy slowed his descent to match his fellow prisoner.
They clasped hands, and Haze pointed to one of the fighters. His visor turned slightly and he extended a hand, projecting that blue energy into a bubble around them. Their descent was intercepted by the blasts of the Hive ship, the momentum of the blast still sending the two away. Haze clicked the coms in her helmet, but there weren't any Federation tags in range. Then Haze heard a strange clicking from the com, and heard the boy’s voice.
“-you hear me? I’m gonna try to get them off our tail, hang tight!”
Haze watched as the shield dropped and parts of his armor flared to life, sending him towards the small craft to intercept. Haze looked away, instead choosing to look down and find somewhere to land. Checking the armor thrusters, they had enough fuel for one attempt. If the angle was right and the armor’s gel layer deployed fast enough, Haze could reduce the damage from the fall.
Haze adjusted the angle, now falling towards the foliage below using the visor’s optic functions, developing a landing strategy. A timer appeared on the visor as well as a modified altimeter. At the last possible second Haze changed angles to position the thrusters at the most optimal position and fired them, kicking out so the impact would be softened by first impacting the legs. When the armor’s gel layers activated Haze felt everything stiffen-
-just as the boy swooped in and caught Haze, his hand glowing and sticking to the armor as he angled himself to slow the fall with his thrusters. The momentum slowed and they barreled through a tree before crashing onto the ground. They landed in a dirt heap after skipping the ground, Aster landing a few feet away from Haze. Dirt flew everywhere and the armor’s life support functions booted up. Haze felt a paralyzing pain, which began to dissipate as pain-killing drugs pumped from the armor. The adrenaline caused Haze to try standing back up, only to feel pain once more.
Aster had Zeta run a check on Haze before himself, and found multiple injuries. He knelt down and focused as light began to leak from his hands. Haze attempted to move but was met with pain and Aster shaking his head
“Your legs are broken, don’t try to move. It looks like a calcaneal fracture, just hold on, I can print a cast. I might also need to set it.”
“No need.” Haze's modulated voice surprised the boy as the armored figure sat up. “My armor’s Inertia Gel kept everything in place.”
“Well at least let me reinforce your leg.” Haze turned to look over the boy, then nodded. Aster barely noticed the head move as he steadily began to feed Lux into a shape. His idea being aimed through Zeta, the light hardened and eventually began to resemble plastic. He slapped it on Haze’s legs quickly as his head kept turning from one side to the other.
“It’s not finished, but it should be a little more supportive. You can lean on me while we move, I think we’re being tailed.” Aster stood and held his hand out for his fellow prisoner to grab. Haze took it, testing the temporary casts. They supported the armor’s weight well enough, though walking was difficult at first. The diagnosis showed rib fractures, a broken leg, and various fractures on both heels. A few test steps ensured that Haze would be able to walk, maybe jog if needed. Combat, however, was out of the option.
”I’ll power down so they can’t track any other energy outputs, can you do the same?” Aster asked, to which Haze responded with a nod. As both suits began to dim, Aster hooked Haze’s arm over his shoulder and walked away from their crash.
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They had landed in a heavily wooded area, providing them cover from the sky with massive trees. The forest floor was hilly, but with sparse foliage.
“Any chance you know what planet we’re on? It doesn’t look like a Ka’thran conquered planet.”
“Ka’thran?”
”You probably know them as the Hive.”
“You’ve seen those before?”
“Couple times. Managed to liberate some. Others though…” He trailed off, and Haze wondered at that. The boy did not come from any recognizable designation of the Terran Defense Alliance.
“You’ve seen Hive homeworlds?”
“A few. Some were really nice. You know, the non-colonized ones.” He stopped, letting go of Haze and looking around. “We’re being followed. Can you fight?’
Haze didn’t respond, instead booting up the armor systems again. The radar pinged several pieces of motion, gray dots on a small map in the periphery of Haze’s visor. Aster’s suit glowed once again, lines forming some kind of circuitry under tha hard pars of the armor that covered his forearms, chest and legs.
“Don’t worry, I can cover you.” Aster’s gauntlets changed, a blue glowing blade in one hand. In his other was something that looked like a pistol.
“You won’t need to. I’ll draw them out.” Aster looked at her without saying anything. For a long moment he stared, until he handed the pistol to the soldier.
”Fine then. Single shot, watch the icon for overcharge, it’ll shatter.” Haze checked the pistol and gave it a test fire, seeing a bolt of blue and a small bar rise then fall promptly.
”Capacity?”
”Twenty shots. I can make you another but I don’t have the time or reserves for it.”
”Affirmative. Here they come.” The gray dots grew closer and closer, and Haze began to see multicolored movement through the trees. They were large, roughly 6 feet, and moved bipedal in a strange formation. Haze was about to fire, but saw feathers, and hesitated. The Hive had exoskeletons, skeletal structures on the exterior that supported their body, protected their internal organs and allowed them their surprising strength. These, however, looked like-
“Dinosaurs?!” Aster shrieked just before two went for Haze with sharp claws and fangs, on opposite sides. Haze let them get close as these raptor-like creatures lept. Aster formed a shield that blocked one mid-air. Haze grappled with the other, its claws slicing the armor. The raptor used a long curved claw on its foot to latch onto Haze, whose legs buckled.
Aster used his boosters to tackle the raptor off of Haze, then swung his blade. In a flash of light the animal fell, separated into two pieces. He swung his blade around, watching as several other raptors circled them.
”This is so cool! And terrifying. Zeta how many screenshots can i take right now? Wait I can record?” Hell yeah I want to!” He grunted as another of the animals pounced on him from behind. He fell, but a blast of energy sent the raptor launching away. Once again Haze noted no burns, as if the energy was a physical and solid thing, not just an explosion. Aster rolled to his feet and tackled another, wrapping his arms around it and using his boosters to throw it aside.
A thought occurred to Haze, who stood and primed her armor.
”Can you muffle your helmet?”
”Yeah why?”
“Do it now.” Haze input a command, and as the helmet locked down and the speakers released a high pitched noise.
The animals yelped, leaping back as if wounded. They drew back a safe distance and began circling. Aster flicked his arm, a blade forming once more.
“That won’t keep them back forever. Can you move?”
”Brace broke.”
”Understood. Guess they’ll learn quick or die.”
Aster moved then, slicing near one of the dinosaurs. It leapt back but could not escape Aster tackling him. Haze saw a three raptors move towards Aster. Four shots brought down two of them, and Aster turned to cut apart the third. Haze shot out a few more, which sent the others scurrying away. Aster stood panting, meeting Haze’s gaze through their helms.
”So… Dinosaurs?”