The convoy halted at the edge of a barren ridge overlooking the endless wasteland. The assault on the Consortium base was now a memory—albeit one etched in fire and blood. While Cullen's crew busied themselves with redistributing supplies and checking their vehicles, a sense of finality lingered in the air.
Kael stood by his crawler, meticulously sorting through one of the side compartments. His hands moved with their usual efficiency, but there was a heaviness in his movements, as though even he recognized the end of this temporary alliance. Mira sat nearby on her bike, her eyes fixed on him.
"So, this is where we go our separate ways?" she asked, her voice casual, but her tone betrayed a hint of melancholy.
Kael didn't look up. "Temporary alliances don't last forever. That's the nature of the wasteland." He pulled out a tightly rolled set of blueprints and a leather-bound notebook brimming with handwritten diagrams and schematics.
Mira frowned. "That's a diplomatic way of saying 'I'm done with this,' isn't it?"
Kael's lips twitched into the faintest of smirks as he turned toward Cullen, who stood overseeing the loading of crates onto one of the larger trucks. "Cullen! Get over here," Kael called out.
Cullen raised an eyebrow but strode over, his boots kicking up dust with each step. "What's this about?"
Kael handed him the blueprints and notebook. "Consider this a parting gift. These are the schematics for the bunker busters and long-range mounted mortars. Your team should be able to manufacture them with what you've got."
Cullen flipped through the notebook, his sharp eyes scanning the pages. He whistled softly. "You're just giving this away? What's the catch?"
"No catch," Kael said, his tone matter-of-fact. "You and your crew held up your end during the assault. This squares us."
Cullen narrowed his eyes, studying Kael like he was a puzzle that refused to be solved. After a moment, he let out a low chuckle. "You're full of surprises, you know that? Never pegged you for someone who cared about 'squaring things.'"
"I don't care about fairness," Kael said flatly. "But I hate owing favors even more."
Cullen barked a laugh, clapping Kael on the shoulder. "Fair enough. You've earned this, then." He waved over one of his men, who brought a crate packed with supplies—spare parts, raw materials, and a few drums of fuel.
"What's this?" Kael asked, eyeing the crate warily.
"Call it a parting gesture," Cullen said. "Or insurance. If we ever run into each other again, maybe you'll think twice before pointing one of those toxins at me."
Kael snorted softly but nodded. He gestured for one of Cullen's men to load the crate into his crawler.
Mira, who had been watching the exchange, stood and stretched before addressing Cullen. "I'll admit, Cullen, I didn't expect you to last this long. But you've got guts—and apparently a sense of humor."
Cullen smirked. "Likewise, Mira. Though I have to say, you two are the strangest pair I've worked with. Efficient, but strange." He extended a hand.
Mira took it, shaking firmly. "Take care of yourself out there. And try not to blow yourself up with those bunker busters."
"No promises," Cullen quipped.
With the formalities complete, Cullen turned back to his convoy, shouting orders to his crew. Engines roared to life, their thunder echoing across the empty expanse. As the convoy rolled out, the dust they kicked up hung in the air like a lingering farewell.
Mira turned back to Kael, who had climbed into the driver's seat of his crawler. "So, what's next for us?"
Kael adjusted a few dials on the dashboard. "Someplace quiet. Preferably far from anyone with a gun or a grudge."
Mira laughed as she climbed onto her bike, revving the engine. "Quiet? With you? That'll be the day."
Kael didn't respond immediately, but as his crawler began to move, he glanced out the window at Mira riding alongside him. A faint, fleeting smirk played on his lips before vanishing like a ghost in the wind.
The two of them rode side by side into the endless horizon, their silhouettes shrinking against the vastness of the wasteland. Though the battles behind them had been fought, it was clear their journey—and whatever awaited them—was far from over.