Saul had seen bushfires back on Virgillia. They came and tore through wooded areas with a ferocity, but burnt out quick, and left space for regrowth.
They were nothing like this.
It was as if he’ll itself had pushed over and engulfed the wilderness, threatening more and more every day. So the reports had said anyhow. And from his place in the shuttle, heading closer and closer toward the heart of the blaze, he could see how. It stretched out for miles, the entire horizon glowing hot red, air a mess of haze, waving as the heat refracted the light in strange ways.
They weren’t out here as first responders. Emergency Firespeeders has been out across the frontlines trying to hold back the worst of it. But a sudden wind change turned the fire on its head and sent it shooting high. Most had managed to make it out, one had not. The ship and its compliment were trapped down below, and Saul was damned if they were leaving them there,
“This is as close as I can get you, you ready?” The shuttle captains voice barked over the intercom. Saul could only nod and look at his ally as they neared the ground. Even dressed in firesuits and gas masks to keep out the smoke, you could still feel the raw heat out there,
Skkk-bhrk his rebreather pushed out, all his fears, all the memories of the heat, the fires of Ifrane where he’d been injured rushed to his mind. Part of him wanted to run, to curl up and try to push them away. Now was not time for that, now was the time to move beyond,
“May the Force be with us” he called before jumping off the ship to the blaze before them,
Feet first into hell.
@TRook