The scouring funnel spit sand and rocks as it wound its way to the crowd. The destruction to the planet’s mantle would be felt for decades. Ellis and other Mzisoh soldiers rushed toward it, firing blindly at the ground. A shimmering swirl of shadow opened up on the person next to Ellis. They barely had time to scream as the vortex stripped the clothing, then the flesh from their bones. The spray of blood muddied the dirt.

A rocket-propelled concussive missile sent a spate of charges to riddle their position. The violent blast knocked them off their feet, sending spires of dirt upward, its smoke choking the air. Anitra cut loose with her DMX, its hollow bass kick booming with a staccato rhythm. A different sound echoed through the cloud, matching her throaty booms with quieter whirs. Fela jumped into the storm. The charges pounded the ground, a farmer anxiously planting explosive seeds, kicking up rocks and clumps of dirt as the road betrayed them.

Whump. Whump. Whump.

Three charges pelted the ground about her. Sniper fire. Targeting her. A series of cracks, sharpened thunder, without source or direction, scattered the people. This was a coordinated attack, thorough and devastating. A drone pincer attack to unsettle and deplete them. Taking out the Hughes, both air support and their source of hope. Now lapping up the remains using sniper fire to herd them combined with illegal weapons to wipe up the remains since no one would be left alive to testify to their use. The series of attacks left no time to think. Fela ducked and wove through the weapons fire. Her instinct kept her moving, never allowing the enemy to pin her down.

Fight for your sisters.

She had to reach the crest of the next hill. That was where the sniper built their nest, and she was going to make sure that her sisters would be safe. Leaping into the air without cover, she charged the mound. A series of vines slashed down as she passed. The acrid smoke blinded her and left her light-headed as she ran. Her lungs burned. Once she cleared the shroud of dust, she charged a full-on dash. The sniper turned when Fela burst into their nest, and drew down on her.

Whump. Whump. Whump.

The charges missed her. The heat of them passing warmed her face. Too close to train her talon on them, Fela flicked her wrist and hurled a panga blade through the air. It lodged in the sniper’s throat, nearly taking their head clean off. Fela slowed her charge as she approached. Knowing she wasn’t tired, she eased her breathing, her mind forcing herself to calm. Bending over, she examined the nest studying their preparation. On their scanner, an image of her. A full holovid profile. They’d been targeting her.

A hand wrapped around her face. Before she had a chance to react, a pinprick jammed into her neck. Hands dragged her off into the darkness.