For the second time, a catastrophic explosion rocked the Eagle, causing the passengers within to hold tightly onto on fixed object. "What the hell is going on?" Fayt panted after the shockwaves of the second attack receded. Leios looked guilty as she released her grasp on sideboard, legs still shaky from shock. "I need to see Cliff." She murmured to herself as everyone else in the room checked on each other. As the others worried and fussed, Leios began to creep towards the door only for it to swing open, Cliff darting in behind it. "Everyone okay?" He asked breathlessly. Everyone made a positive comment or gesture and Cliff sighed wearily. "We're under attack by an unknown ship. Get into the holds and strap yourself down, this is going to be rough." He ordered and everyone obeyed, grudgingly or not. However, Leios hung behind and attracted Cliff's attention. "Cliff, I need to speak with you urgently! It's to do with the attacks!" She said as Cliff caught her arm and began to drag her towards the holds. "I don't care! I'm letting you get yourself hurt, ya hear!" Leios looked at Cliff's face. It was wrinkled with worry and fear greater than that she had seen in the Klausian's face during her time aboard the Eagle. Suddenly she found herself thrust into the holds and turned to look at Cliff before he left. "Promise me you won't get yourself killed." She uttered loud enough only for Cliff to hear. His dark expression softened briefly as he swore he wouldn't before closing the door and locking it behind him. Leios turned around and looked at her companions.
Fayt and Maria sat on her right, both strapped tightly to something but still close enough to grab hold of one another should the situation call for it. Albel and Nel sat beside each other to her left, their hands clasped together but their eyes not meeting. Maria sat beyond Albel, her knees brought up to her chest as she hugged them for comfort. With a fearful sigh, Leios wandered over to Maria and sat beside her, reaching her arms around Maria's shoulders to comfort her. As another explosion ricocheted through the ship Maria quickly hugged Leios in return. "What's happening?" She whimpered into Leios' shoulders but she could provide Maria with no answer, or she didn't want to answer yet. "Just put faith in Cliff and Mirage, they'll get us through."
Both Maria and Cliff were panicking. The last hit had knocked the Gravitic Warp Engines off-line, prevented the planned quick escape. "Who are these people?" Mirage thought out load, trying to make sense of the events. "Never mind that now, Mirage! Direct all the power that we were using to get the engines ready and put it into the shields!" Mirage nodded and hacked at her console. Soon a thin shield surrounded the Eagle, easing the pilots' minds marginally. "Cliff, they've fired a fourth shot, it's going to hit in five…four…" Cliff didn't listen to the rest, he was to busy trying to get a fixed destination which would also protect them from the attack, but the only suitable place was many light years away. Then the shot hit, or more precisely, clipped the Eagle and jolted Cliff to the waking world. "How much damage sustained?" He barked at Mirage, straining to find some means of escape. "Not much but it hit the holds…" Mirage's voice trailed off. Both of them prayed that no one had been hurt in the blast and proceeded with trying to find somewhere to escape to.
"That last one sure was something." Fayt uttered as he rose from the floor. Nothing too bad had happened; pieces of ceiling had fallen and a couple of panels broke but other than that they were safe. As he looked around everyone pulled themselves up from the floor, Leios looking intently at the door. "I'll go inform Cliff that we're okay." She offered. No body cared at the time so she left Maria with Nel and made her way to the door. Although Cliff had locked it the door was now ajar, broken by the blast. Wasting no time, Leios began to sprint up towards the cockpit, determined to make Cliff listen to what she had to say this time.
"Cliff!" The captain of the Eagle turned to see a weary looked Leios enter the cockpit. "You're meant to be in the holds." He told her, as if she had forgotten. "Everyone is okay and if you want to see the end of the battle alive I suggest you listen to me." Cliff was going to retaliate but the look of seriousness on his young companion's face silenced him. "I know who is firing at the ship." Leios began. "It is the Trebbaldi, a group of magic fearing, technology loving rebels from my planet. They attacked the institute where I was taught mag- uh, Symbology, I mean- through out my life. Last year, my uncle Harvard got to the institute and pulled me out of there just in time to avoid the last attack by the Trebbaldi, which wiped out everyone else at the institute. If I had stayed an hour more I would have been blown up like the rest…but this is beside the point. They want to make sure that no Symbology wielding member of our race can return to my home planet and 'contaminate' the gene pool, as they put it. So they've begun to hunt me down like a dog, plaguing anyone and everyone I've met. Sure, I lost them at the Luna Base but that was hardly going to provide cover for the rest of my life, so it was decided I go to Expel and live on the grounds of a Symbological University there, which was in constant link to my own. They also provide one of the greatest protection services to anyone on its campus so it is certain I'd be safe there…" Cliff stared wide-eyed at Leios. It appeared the night before he picked up Leios he had been right to think that she'd be trouble. But this couldn't be helped now, so he instead reached out a hand and caught her right hand, rubbing it soothingly. "I'm sorry for what happened to you." Leios shook her head, wiping tears away. "At least I have memories." She smiled softly and pulled the pendant from beneath her shirt. A battered circle of bronze engraved with what Cliff guessed to be the Institute's emblem hug lazily on the front of her shirt. He reached out and touched it lightly, fingers trailing over every detail. Leios' hand took Cliff's and held it tightly. "Let me help you get out of this mess…" Cliff nodded and quietly Leios swept over to Mirage and began to tell her everything she knew about the Trebbaldi's technology, praying it would help the Eagle to escape its pummelling...