The hovertruck screamed around the side of a shallow hill kicking up a rooster tail of dust and grit. The blaster cannons on the swoops whined as they spat powerful bolts at the truck, though fortunately with more enthusiasm than accuracy. The pursuers seemed to know the rendevous point was coming up as well and they redoubled their attack.  The enemy speeder truck, loaded as heavily with troops as Cleo’s convoy was with surprise edged closer, blaster bolts striking the back fender and ricocheting wildly of the steel. Leyla tried not to think about the fact that Cleo had mentioned that the ammunition they were carrying was an explosive rather than the more forgiving power packs that moden blasters used. The question was very nearly decided then and there as a Sulustan in the cab opened the door and stepped out onto the running board. He unslung a long fat cylinder that could only be a missile tube. Leyla fired, hitting him in the chest. There was a sudden fizzingly flame before the Klatooinian driver, realising his peril, threw the control yoke sideways tossing the screaming Sulustan into the air. The rocket reload Leyla had hit cooked off, fratriciding the remaining round in a multi stage explosion that tossed a fine gravel over half a mile and nearly flipped the troop carrying truck. 

“I really hope your friends are going to be happy to see you!” Leyla shouted at Cleo as he tracked one of the swoops with his rifle. The smuggler waited till the last minute and then fired, smashing the lateral stabilizer and sending the lightly built air craft into a broad turn that ended in a cartwheel of exploding metal that left a cork screw shaped smoke trail through the air.

As though in answer to the statement the Bith threw them into a hard turn and the ground momentarily went out from under her. Leyla floated upwards as the hovertruck crashed down into a dry swale, Cleo narrowly managing to snag her belt before she went overboard. The truck came down hard, compressing its repulsor fields so low that the undercarriage came within a handbreadth of touching the rocky ground which at this speed was have flipped them like a tiddlywink for the few seconds it too the ammunition to go off. 

At the end of the swale sat a battered looking skiff of a harsh looking triangular design. Around it lounged several Garmorean’s looking distinctly uncomfortable in the hot desert suns. As the car and the pursuing vehicles burst on to the scene they leaped to their feet and grabbed up vibro axes grunting and growling in agitation. More usefully a Klatooinian who had been relaxing on the deck sprang to the prow of the skiff where a short barreled blaster cannon was mounted on a pintle. 

“Uhhhh, these guys know they are on our side right?” Leyla queried as she touched the quick releases to drop her near empty power cells to the deck of the truck, slapping new ones into place and continuing to fire at their pursuers. One of the swoops exploded into flaming fragments as the deck mounted blaster cannon screamed. That was probably luck rather than marksmanship, but there was nothing in the universe better than good luck.

“Apparently so,” Cleo replied with what sounded to Leyla like relief.