"Starr," Byte's voice echoed urgently in Starr's ear. "We've got more incoming. This isn't just a random hit, there's a larger group moving in from the east. Raiders don't organize like this unless they're being paid."
Starr cursed under her breath as the wreckage of the rear truck burned, its cargo now in the hands of the raiders. More motorcycles were closing in, the whine of their engines growing louder as they surrounded the convoy. This was no ordinary raid; it was too coordinated, too precise.
"Byte, you're saying someone's backing them?" Starr asked, her eyes darting to the horizon. She needed to figure out the bigger picture—and fast.
"Yeah," Byte replied, her voice tense. "And I'm betting whoever it is, they want that cargo. Get ready for more company."
Starr shifted her focus back to the convoy. The middle truck was smoking but still moving, with Santiago's lead vehicle pushing hard to stay ahead. But it wouldn't last. These raiders weren't stopping. They'd just lost one truck, and that was enough for the vultures to start circling.
"I need eyes on the east side, Byte," Starr commanded, swinging the truck's turret gun toward the new wave of attackers. "How many are we looking at?"
"Too many," Byte answered, her voice grim. "I'm counting two more dune buggies and at least a dozen riders. And it looks like they've got heavier firepower this time—rocket launchers."
Starr felt the knot in her chest tighten. Raiders with rocket launchers meant they were looking to end this convoy fast, and she wasn't about to let that happen.
"Byte, I need options," Starr growled, her fingers tightening around the grip of her Malorian Overture as she prepared to jump out of the truck. "We can't outrun these guys, not with that much firepower."
"There's a ravine a few kilometers up the road," Byte said, her voice rapid as she calculated the terrain. "It's narrow and dangerous, but you can funnel the raiders in. They won't be able to surround you in there. You can take them out in close quarters."
Starr nodded, adrenaline coursing through her veins. "Tell Santiago."
Santiago's voice came over the radio a second later, gruff but focused. "We're heading for the ravine. Everyone stay tight. We make our stand there."
The convoy shifted, its remaining trucks accelerating toward the distant ravine. Starr swung out of the passenger seat, her boots hitting the side of the truck as she pulled herself up onto the roof. She needed to get into position before the raiders closed the gap.
The desert wind whipped against her face, and the ground below blurred as the truck picked up speed. She could see the raiders gaining on them, their rocket launchers aimed and ready. Starr's heart pounded as she raised her Overture, taking a deep breath to steady her aim.
The first shot hit its mark, slamming into one of the lead raiders and sending him crashing into the dirt in a spray of blood and metal. Starr didn't stop. She fired again, her bullets tearing through the fuel tank of a nearby buggy, sending it spiraling out of control before erupting into a fiery explosion.
"Two down," she muttered into the comms. "But we've got more incoming."
The first rocket screamed through the air a moment later, its fiery trail leaving a streak in the sky as it hurtled toward the convoy. Starr's eyes widened as she watched it draw closer.
"Move! Get out of the—"
The rocket hit the middle truck, the explosion sending a shockwave through the convoy as the vehicle was engulfed in flames. Metal and debris flew in every direction, the force of the blast rocking Starr's truck as she struggled to keep her balance.
"Shit!" Santiago's voice rang through the radio, his anger palpable. "We just lost another truck!"
Starr gritted her teeth, watching the smoking wreckage of the middle truck fall behind as the remaining convoy barreled toward the ravine. They were running out of time, and fast.
"Hold together, Santiago," Starr barked into the comms. "We're almost to the ravine. Just keep moving!"
But the raiders weren't backing off. Another rocket flew past, missing its target but kicking up a plume of dust and debris. Starr's blood boiled as she watched the raiders inch closer, their laughter carrying through the desert like a twisted symphony.
She needed to end this.
Scene: The Ravine Standoff
The convoy reached the entrance to the ravine just in time. The narrow rock walls rose up on either side, creating a bottleneck that would force the raiders to come at them head-on. Santiago's truck skidded to a halt, the tires screeching as the nomads inside jumped out, their weapons at the ready. Starr leaped from the roof of the truck, landing in a crouch as she joined them.
They had no choice but to make their stand here. The raiders would be coming for them, and with the narrow space of the ravine, it was only a matter of time before the fighting turned brutal.
"Everyone, hold your positions!" Santiago shouted, his grizzled face set in determination. "We give them nothing!"
Starr crouched behind the cover of a large boulder, her eyes locked on the entrance to the ravine. The sound of the raiders' engines filled the air, growing louder with every passing second. She could see the dust clouds rising in the distance, marking their approach.
"Starr, you good?" Byte's voice came through the comms, tense and anxious.
"I'm good," Starr replied, her voice cold and focused. "I'll handle this."
The first raider appeared, speeding into the ravine on a battered motorcycle, his cybernetic arms gleaming under the desert sun. Starr didn't hesitate. She raised her Overture and fired, the bullet slamming into his chest and sending him flying off the bike in a twisted mess of blood and chrome.
The rest of the raiders followed, their vehicles crashing into the narrow space of the ravine, weapons blazing. Santiago's nomads opened fire, the sound of gunfire echoing through the canyon as bullets ricocheted off the rock walls.
Starr moved with deadly precision, her Kenshin blade flashing in the sunlight as she cut through the first wave of raiders. Her body was a blur of motion, every strike precise, every kill swift. She had trained for this her whole life—this was where she thrived.
A raider swung at her with a makeshift axe, but Starr ducked low, sweeping his legs out from under him before driving her blade into his chest. Another raider charged her with a shotgun, but Starr was faster, sidestepping the blast and delivering a lethal strike to his throat.
"Starr, watch your six!" Byte shouted through the comms.
Starr whirled around just in time to see a raider drop down from the rocks above, his rifle aimed at her. She dodged the first shot, the bullet whizzing past her ear, but the second hit her shoulder, the impact sending a jolt of pain through her body.
"Shit!" she hissed, stumbling back as blood oozed from the wound.
The raider grinned, stepping forward to finish the job, but Starr wasn't done yet. With a growl, she lunged forward, her blade slicing through his chest with brutal force. The raider's eyes widened in shock before he collapsed, his body hitting the ground with a heavy thud.
"Starr, are you okay?" Byte's voice was frantic now, the worry clear in her tone.
"I'm fine," Starr grunted, gripping her bleeding shoulder as she moved behind cover. "Just a scratch."
But the truth was, the wound was deeper than she let on. Her vision blurred for a moment, and she could feel the blood running down her arm, soaking her sleeve. She had to finish this before the pain slowed her down.
The battle raged on, the nomads holding their ground as the raiders continued to pour into the ravine. Santiago fought like a man possessed, his shotgun barking with each pull of the trigger as he cut down raiders left and right.
But for every raider they killed, two more seemed to take their place. The air was thick with dust and smoke, and Starr could barely make out the shapes of the remaining nomads as they struggled to hold the line.
"We're getting overwhelmed!" one of the younger nomads shouted, panic creeping into his voice. "We can't hold them off much longer!"
Starr's heart raced as she surveyed the battlefield. They were running out of time, and out of options.
Then she saw it—one of the raiders, perched on the rocks above, setting up a rocket launcher aimed directly at Santiago's truck. If that rocket hit, they were done.
Starr's eyes narrowed, adrenaline surging through her veins as she pulled herself up, her mind focused on one thing: stopping that rocket. Ignoring the pain in her shoulder, she sprinted across the battlefield, dodging gunfire and weaving through the chaos.
The raider's finger hovered over the trigger.
Starr moved faster.
With a final burst of speed, she leaped onto the rock ledge, tackling the raider just as he fired. The rocket went wide, exploding harmlessly against the canyon wall as Starr drove her blade into the raider's side, silencing him for good.