Jump right

Jason jumps to the right, tucking his pistol into his chest, rolling expertly and rising into a kneeling position.

The jeep sped by, just missing him before the alien ground started to tremble.

Jason felt the soil beneath his boots give way quickly. Still on his knees, found himself sliding down towards a rapidly expanding hole as earth and rocks showered all around him. This wasn’t an earthquake or a mere fissure opening in the planet’s surface. This was one of Oblivion’s numerous beasties.

Despite the dangerous, Jason was relieved as he could see he wasn’t the target of the Z’orlock’s attack. It was the jeep that was going to be in trouble.

The Z’orlock was huge, a six legged purple behemoth covered in fur and spikes that erupted from the ground. It reminded Jason very much of Earth’s trapdoor spiders, creatures that lay in wait in specially prepared pits to ambush their prey. Like the spider the Z’orlock had numerous eyes set into a head that perched on a round body and dangerous venom.

The jeep’s wild charge ended with a shudder as it hit one of the planet’s giant trees. Doors flung open and the three surviving combatants staggered out. One of them dropped to her knees straight away, clutching her head. Another, though, saw the Z’orlock before the giant spidery-beast had completed its ambush and had time to raise his rifle.

With the ground now stable around him and no sign of any other danger, Jason crept forward, keeping in the crater left by the giant horror vacating its ambush lair. The three survivors were putting up a good fight, even the woman who was still on her knees from where she had stumbled out of the jeep. Silent laser blasts hit the Z’orlock in neat and tidy fire formations, Jason could smell the burning of its purple fur.

The battle looked even. Grimes knew that it would take a third party to swing the result quickly. He had options; attack the Z’orlock from behind, shooting from the rim of the crater, attack the three survivors or just try and get the hell away from here.