Trychon motioned for Haley to follow him back to the swoop bike, and she turned in that direction right as he did so. Trychon did a quick visual check of their vehicle as they approached, but couldn't see any damage from the surface.
"The starboard brake vent was jammed slightly on your last maneuver. I'd recommend against full speed stops until we can have that repaired." Haley commented as though she was merely ordering her standard meal at the local Tapcaf.
"Consider it duly noted." Trychon couldn't help but roll his eyes at her manerisms, even though he knew it was very good that she had warned him.
Haley either didn't sense his sarcasm, or didn't care as she sat down behind him without another word. Trychon guessed it was the former, but was glad either way, and shrugged it off as he started the engine and headed off.
Wanting to avoid any further mechanical issues, and with no lingering pressing need to hurry, Trychon kept the swoop at below maximum speed. After several minutes of leisurely navigating the dunes, he began to feel a growing sense of danger in the Force.
Moments later, as though she knew he was troubled, a slightly computerized version of Haley's voice came in Trychon's comm. "There's a small sandstorm coming in from the west. We have about twenty five standard minutes before the edge reaches us."
Trychon looked back at her as he listened, and saw that her she was indeed not actually talking. Another neat trick. He thought. "We should be able to make it alright." He spoke into his comm as he turned his eyes forward again, adding a bit more to their velocity to be safe.
The sense of warning persisted though, and grew slowly over the next minute or so. Then as they maneuvered trhough a long fairly tight gap, the light sense turned into immediate alarm.
In his head, he could see two immediate outcomes depending on how he reacted. Neither was good, but he had little choice.
He gripped fully down on the brakes and leaned slightly to his left. He braced himself and held Haley in the Force as they skidded off course and into a small sand dune. A sniper bolt zipped through their original course and gouged a hole in a stone several hundred meters in the distance as Trychon used the Force to throw himself and Haley from the bike. At nearly the same time, an explosion sounded from inside the engine of their bike.
Gathering himself, Trychon stared off in the direction the attack came from, but couldn't even catch a glint off the rifle the shot came from.
"At that angle, the origin was likely beyond that second large boulder there." Haley said, pointing at an outcropping nearly three quarters of a kilometer away. She stayed flat on her back, she dusted some of the sand off her body.
"More of those dumbass Raiders?" Trychon asked, looking where she indicated, and now seeing what he thought may have been a scope moving, though he couldn't be sure.
"Unlikely. This is Tusken territory. The smugglers could handle them, but they are more trouble than they are worth."
Trychon rolled over to the far side of the dune and Haley followed suit. As they crested the hill of sand, another blast just missed Trychon and sent sand flying over the both of them.
"Either way, we're not making it back to base on that piece now. Will we be able to find shelter in the Canyon?" Trychon asked Haley as she began to brush herself off again.
"Perhaps. The Canyon itself is barely safer than the dunes during a sandstorm. However, there is a chance we will find a cavern to wait it out. Preferably an uninhabited one."
"Preferably, yes." Trychon looked at the Canyon entrance he had been heading for. "I think I can get us to the Canyon ok, and it's too far for the Tusken to catch us on foot, which I hope they are."
Haley scooted further down the hill so she could stand. She looked down at the state of her outfit and sighed, brushing more sand off. "How do you plan to get us there? Blocking more of their shots with your sword?"
Trychon slid down next to her. "Possible. I think we'd be better of if I carried you and ran for it though."
She looked at him for a moment with some disbelief. "Whatever is quickest, I suppose."
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