~Azaria~
The alarms were deafening, a constant blare pressing into my mind as guards surged in waves, each one more determined than the last. I didn't dare take my eyes off the advancing soldiers, but I could feel the captives huddled close behind us, leaning into the shield we'd created around them. We were their last hope, and they clung to it desperately.
A Coalition guard lunged forward, his weapon flashing, and I reacted instinctively, throwing up a gust of wind that sent him stumbling back, his body slamming into his comrades. Yet for each guard we forced back, two more filled the gap, advancing with grim determination. Kale was a blur, darting between guards, teleporting in and out, disrupting them just enough to keep our line from breaking. A half-starved teenager jumped into the fray beside me, eyes wild, knocking a rifle from a guard's grip before ducking back into the safety of our defensive line.
