You jog through the deserted streets behind Tethong, De Silva and a group of armed rebels right behind you. It's hard to see much beyond the buildings on both sides, but as you cross through an open square you cast your eyes across the open sky. And you spot a pair of dark shapes low over the buildings, flashes from their wingtips indicating gunfire. Terran strike fighters, headed right for you.
"Get to cover!" you shout, grabbing Tethong and sprinting for the nearest alley.
A distant thump shakes the air. As you look up you see one of the strike fighters spinning out of control as flames pour from its belly, the black trail of a surface-to-air missile still hanging in the air. The fighter crashes down through an entire block of buildings. Fire rages, but your eyes are on the second strike fighter as it circles around. De Silva and the rebel soldiers are still in the open.
"Find cover!" you scream at them.
A single flash from beneath the strike fighter elongates into a tongue of flame, at the front of which you know is a ground-attack missile. You throw Tethong to the ground just as the wave of heat blasts over you in a deafening roar. Choking on dust you lift yourself to a crouch, looking back across the square. Nothing but a crater remains where De Silva and the rebel soldiers had stood. Tethong gapes at the sight.
"They're going to destroy the entire city," he gasps.