Joshua slid into the pod. He turned on the control panel and waited for it to start up. He didn't tell Lisa, but he knew that this was a very long shot. The pod had never been tested, it was over ten years old and judging by the noises it was making and the shaking that was going on, Joshua was in for a very rough ride, but what choice did he have? Stay on board and slowly see his friends die, or try to escape and help them? He himself was ready to die if need be to save the column.
The pod was ready. He set the coordinates for the landing area and pressed the release button. Smoke was coming out from the bottom, and it was getting very hot, but there was no going back. Joshua closed his eyes and thought of Lisa. After all the terrible things he had to do lately, she was the one good thing that came out of all this and he wished her strength, hope and courage to continue the fight once he was gone. The pod shook violently as it detached from the mother ship and floated away.