Kale pushed the rail car's thrusters to the limit as they sped through the mountain. The rails groaned under the pressure along with the glide-wheel assemblies on the car as they strained to maintain the vehicle's integrity. The gravitational forces pulled unrelenting on the passengers, but Kale had to keep pushing hard to maintain the distance between them and the attack pods.
Something flashed off of the rock behind the headlights corona. Then the car shuddered as a laser blast sheered off one of the glide-wheel assemblies.
"We've got a pod on our tail!" Tiet said.
"This thing won't go any faster," Kale said.
The car shifted around the next sharp turn on the four point rail and metal squealed for mercy.
"What's that?" Mirah shouted.
"We've lost a rail guide! We're only anchored at three points now," Kale said as he examined the system failure warnings on the control display.
"How long will that hold us?" Merab asked from the rear seat.
"Not long enough," Tiet said. "Kale, if we don't slow down a little the other rail guides will twist off…"
"And if I slow down the pod blows us away. I could collapse the tunnel maybe, but we're traveling so fast it might hit us first or the pod might get through before it came down."
"No," Tiet said, "I want you to slow down a little and-"
"But-"
"-And then when I tell you, deploy the drag chute."
"I get it."
Kale reduced thruster power slightly and the car slowed a few miles per hour in speed. He sensed the pod gaining on them. At the same moment, Tiet yelled, "Now!" Kale triggered the release and the chute burst away. The wind speed caught the chute's billowing folds and it bloomed to its full circumference, trailing behind the car and quickly reducing its speed.
"Release it!" Tiet shouted.
The pod came upon the rail car abruptly and blasted away with its laser turrets as the billowing canopy flew back and enveloped it like a Carcarion Jellyfish. The blinded pod-pilot failed to follow the tunnel path on the next turn. The pod dragged against the tunnel wall, then burst into flame leaving a burning carcass of debris on the ground as the rail car continued on ahead.
Kale tapped the microphone, "Emil, how are you guys doing? Any pod trouble?"
"No, we've had a pretty smooth ride. We're almost to the hangar. Father will get the Equinox ready as soon as we arrive. How about you?"
"We've had some trouble-we lost a rail guide to a pod attack, but I think we're okay now. I've reduce speed to compensate. We should be there soon-don't go leaving without us."
"Always ruining my well-laid plans-copy that."
Tiet leaned forward behind his son to look at the map readout. They approached the terminal point on the rail that reached into the hangar, but their speed was still too fast.
"Ease off the power all the way, Kale."
The hydraulic brake system flashed a failure warning on the display. His father was right, they were approaching too fast. Better deploy the drag chute…oh boy.
Kale pulled the throttle all the way back to the lowest thruster setting, but the glide rate remained steady.
"We're not slowing down fast enough!"
Tiet reached over his son, pushing him into the canopy with the effort and grabbed the lever for the rear grapple. He pulled the lever and the grapple shot away from beside the thruster vent and found a purchase in the rock wall.
The tow cable threaded out fast and the cable tensioner quickly slowed its release rate to slow the vehicle. The end of the rail came fast and they slammed into it, but not as hard as they could have. Tiet pushed the damaged canopy open allowing everyone to get out.
The rail car had been smashed up pretty good, but they were still alive. Kale helped his mother. They made their way onto the platform where the Equinox was exhausting from its engine vents across the hangar bay. Other cars came through but not many. Evidently the pods had stopped the others before launch.
Kale ran on ahead to the ship. He needed something. The boarding ramp stood down for them and Tiet, Mirah and Merab made their way up into the ship. Kale ran back down past them as they entered.
"Where are you going?" Tiet shouted after him.
"They're coming! Get the ship going, I'll be back!"