"We've dealt with plenty of ambushes," you retort. "I'll take a squad and chase them off."
He frowns, but nods. He lifts his head to take another look.
"I suggest you—"
The words die in his throat as he collapses back, the distant sound of a sniper shot echoing off the buildings. He falls on his back, blood gurgling from his mouth. Cries of alarm sound all around you. As your troopers blast the landscape with automatic fire you tear open a medikit and hunker down over Shah. The bullet struck right above his neck guard, but there's so much blood you can't even see the wound. His lips work desperately but no sound comes out.
"It's okay," you gasp, pressing a bandage against his throat. "You're gonna be okay."
"Medic!" Amori screams above you, before unleashing another burst of explosive rounds.
An explosion nearby forces you down, covering Shah with your own body. You glance up at the fleeing forms of rebel soldiers down a side alley, but stay low as gunfire flashes from multiple windows. The troopers around you are shouting in confusion, trying to organize a defense. You press a bandage against the soft flesh of Shah's neck, feeling the hot blood pulsing over your fingers.