Kervak vs Grakon

I finally got this done for  

    Kervak piloted her shuttle toward the planet below and checked her info. The bounty had come this way. It was just a young Gurk, one who was believed to be a spy, but not overly dangerous. She didn’t need Atlas for this. 

    As she entered the atmosphere, the shuttle vibrated, nothing abnormal there, though the atmosphere seemed smokier than normal.

    Something slammed into the shuttle, throwing it into a spin. Kervak wrenched the shuttle’s controls, desperately trying to keep it upright, but as she fell, she felt bits ripping off the shuttle. She touched her com. “Atlas! Missile!” She gave up talking and tried to control her shuttle, tried to make it go down so she’d have a chance of survival. 

    The shuttle slammed into a hillside and bounced, then rolled. It finally came to a stop. Kervak slumped in the seat, her head spinning. Part of her knew she should look around, try to figure out what hit her, but her head felt too foggy. Wind toyed with her hair. The shuttle’s glass had broken. 

    Kervak removed her seatbelt and rubbed her head.

    A huge hand reached in and grabbed her. It threw her out of the shuttle. Kervak hit the ground and rolled, then came to her feet. Grakkon surrounded her. She froze, her head spinning. Her rifle was still in the shuttle, and with a pair of Grakkon between her and the shuttle, it might as well have been on another planet. All she had was a knife, which was a bit longer than Grakkon claws, but not long enough to keep her out of their reach. 

    Kervak gulped and hoped the legends about life after death were true. 

    One of the biggest of the group stalked toward her. She drew her knife, prompting a laugh from the monster. 

    The pack circled, swiping at her, not hard, just enough she had to dodge away. They were playing with her like a bunch of cats with a mouse. They knew she wasn’t going to make it out alive, and they wanted to take their time. 

    Kervak spun in a circle, trying to keep them away from her but knowing it was pointless. When they got bored, they’d rip her to pieces. 

    Overhead, spacecraft fought. Kervak and the Grakkons all looked up at once, just in time to see a Grakkon fighter hurtling toward them with a trail of smoke behind it. 

    Kervak took advantage of the distraction and bolted across the flat land. There wasn’t anywhere decent to hide, but she ran anyway. 

    The Grakkon ship came to a crash landing much like Kervak’s.

    The other ship, which Kervak recognized as Atlas’s, did a few strafing runs before landing.

    Kervak ran for it as Atlas sprang out and started shooting at Grakkons.

    The Grakkon fired, mostly at Atlas, but a few aimed for Kervak.

    Atlas shot again and again, until he ran out of ammo. He dropped his rifle and shot into the air, flying straight for Kervak.  She ran toward him. She glanced back. 

    One of the Grakkons Atlas had shot was still alive, though he lay sprawled out and badly injured. He lifted his rifle and fired.

    Atlas fell from the sky and crashed into the ground, his wings splayed out. Kervak ran to him. No no no, she pleaded as she ran.

    She knelt at his side. He was still breathing, but he had a nasty blaster graze along the right side of his head, and he was out cold. Kervak glanced back at the Grakkon who had fired. The creature lay still, its eyes dull. It had died after shooting. The only thing left was a runt, who stood far back, apparently afraid of Kervak. She hadn’t even noticed him earlier. He had no weapon, and didn’t seem very interested in picking one up.

    The wrecked Grakkon fighter burst into flames. A Grakkon wearing a mask sprang out of it and turned toward Kervak and Atlas. 

    Kervak lifted her knife and grabbed a rock in her other hand. Atlas’s ship was within running distance, but she couldn’t leave Atlas, not when he’d come to save her. There was only this big brut and the runt left. Maybe, just maybe, she could kill this one. It was a long shot, but her only option. 

    The Grakkon towered over her. Kervak crouched beside Atlas, waiting. She’d only have one chance.

    The Grakkon stepped closer.

    Kervak sprang at him. She slammed into his chest and drove her knife under his ribs and upward, aiming for the heart. Her knife sank deep, then the Grakkon swiped at her. His claws dug deeply into her stomach. He flung her to the ground. Kervak managed to push herself halfway up.

    The Grakkon took a step toward her, then collapsed, one hand around the knife. She’d hit him in the heart, a lethal shot, but not quick enough to save herself. 

    Kervak touched her stomach. What she felt wasn’t good. She reached out and grabbed Atlas’s hand. His hand closed around her. Maybe he’d live. At least she may have saved him. Her vision darkened. She was losing blood. The roar of a ship met her ears, but she was too far gone to identify it. 

    Kervak’s eyes opened slowly. She blinked, trying to clear her vision. A Gurk stared down at her. “She’s awake!” the Gurk said. 

    Kervak tried to sit up, but the pain in her stomach stopped her. Had she been captured by pirates? Where was Atlas? Why was she alive?

    “Stay still,” The Gurk nurse said, her voice gentle enough Kervak guessed the girl didn’t think of her as a prisoner. 

    “Vere am I?” Kervak asked. Her voice was weak and raspy. 

    A familiar Gurk stepped through the medical bay’s doorway. It was Bran, her brother, the Gurk who had threatened to torture her and Atlas before he realized they were related. “You’re on my ship,” he said. “I saved your hide, what was left of it.”

    Kervak’s eyes narrowed.  “Vere is Atlas?” 

    Atlas stepped into the room behind Bran. Half his face was bandaged, but he stood tall, like he’d been up for a while.

    “He was in a lot better shape than you,” Bran said. “It’s a lot easier to patch up someone who got grazed and not half-gutted by a Grakkon.” 

    Kervak managed to prop herself up on her elbows. The nurse stuffed a pillow behind her back. “How did you find us?” 

    “That would be me,” Atlas said. “When I was coming in, I realized you’d flown right into the middle of a Grakkon invasion, again, and I wasn’t sure I could handle it myself, so I called your brother. It’s a good thing I did.” 

    “You’d killed all but a runt,” Bran said. “It ran off when it saw us coming. I can’t believe you took one out with a knife. No one’s ever done that before.” 

    “I vould not recommend it,” Kervak said. She eyed Bran. “Now vhat?”

    “We’ll take you back to your ship,” Bran said. “Once you’ve healed enough to go back, that is.” He cocked his head. “You wouldn’t be willing to take a couple of my men with you as your own crew, would you?”

    “No,” Kervak said. “I vork alone, or vith Atlas.”

    Bran's ears drooped a little. "Well, I'll always be ready to back you up, if you run into trouble again."