Despair

She watched the pilots sprint to their X Wings that were luckily still untouched, possibly out of sight due to the tall trees along the beaches. There took off in perfect timing as it wouldn’t be long before the T.I.E. bombers find where the resistance crafts were.

The hiss of the engines could be heard signaling to Sedona that they were functioning still so she took off back into the forest, enduring more heat as she climbed through but the adrenaline numbed her from thinking too much about the burns along her legs. Her mind was on the trenches for a quick moment but the children of the land came to mind. Their innocent eyes in fear stole her focus. Did they make it to the caves safely as well as her fellow caretakers? The caves were a long distance from the trenches so if those in the trenches were safe, so were the children unless the First Order dropped on the high ground above the caves to descend into them.

The air was becoming increasingly more difficult to navigate through with the smoke. Families of wildlife could be seen among the tall grass desperately looking for a way out of the imminent death that was devouring everything it touched. If only they could find aircraft to carry enough water but that wouldn’t be possible while the attacks carried on. 

A strong force against the shield that Sedona placed back over her back pushed her slightly forward but she kept her balance as she ran. The force against the steel rang in her years. A burning sensation shot through her right leg, causing her to fall forward taking the wind from her lungs. For a second, she thought it was the burns from the fire that caused her to fall until she looked down to see a burn from something that penetrated her thigh. Her leg moved but the pain was too much to endure. It felt like her femur was no longer intact but it was impossible to tell with the blood and blackened flesh that contributed to the pain. A scream almost left her in agony as she heard the sound of one of the blaster rounds zoom over her. Whoever was shooting at her was somewhere in the distance, crouched low but was now guessing where she could be as she was protected by the tall grass but she needed to keep moving somehow before she becomes victim to the flames or being captured.

Sedona curled herself as small as she could to hide under her shield. Her left leg which was also burned still had enough strength to help push her forward with the help of her arms to crawl forward, inch by inch. Thoughts of not being able to make it to the trenches were pushed from her mind, keeping fixed on the ones she held dear to her heart. She had no choice but to survive. 

It felt like days had passed when it had only been hours. Crawling. Collapsing for breath while stabbing pain shot through her leg that consumed her attention. Moments of doubt that she would survive came and went. Her hope reignited when she could hear the sounds of ships flying above the land. The fire that rained down from above when all this began came to a pause. The X wings were in flight and the bombing would be over and all they had to worry about would be the stormtroopers. At least, that is what she hoped for. What if the X wings were being shot down? Sedona shook the thought from her mind to cling to the hope that they could all beat this together as a single army. Again, she pushed herself further until she felt there was nothing left. The shield on her back was weighing her down as the strength left her body due to her traumatic injuries. 

The forest was falling silent. The flames continued with plant life crackling to ash that would find its way to the lungs of those trapped in the surrounding regions. The side of Sedona’s face rested upon the soft soil. Her fingers combed through the grass that still hasn’t been touched by the devastation. If she were to die here, at least she would become part of the land she loved in the soil that could regrow what was once thrived. Chocolate hues stared to her side to see nothing but stillness which calmed her through the throws of excruciating pain. 

She’s here! Sedona could hear the male voice shout but assumed it was a dream as she felt herself drifting in and out of consciousness. 

Sven carefully tilted the shield upward find the clasp of the leather strap that held the shield to the woman’s back. Once loosened, he pulled the shield from her revealing the small but strong woman who’s legs were charred. She shivered, not from cold but from the overwhelming pain coursing through her nervous system. Sven pushed the shield to roll on its side over to Poe that he saw was running from the beaches to them. Sven was also accompanied by quite a few of his soldiers who had Stormtroopers who were captured for interrogation that were hidden in the brush. 

“You!” Sven pointed to Poe. “Take your people to the trenches until I return. Don’t let the enemy through.” Sven knew his soldiers could hold their own even without their commander but he wanted to take it upon himself to see that Sedona get the care she desperately needed in time before it’s too late. The healing waters of Starrdell.