Kael and Mira worked tirelessly on the crawler. Kael reinforced its undercarriage with scavenged steel plates, ensuring it could handle the jagged rocks and unstable ground of the smuggler's route. Mira, meanwhile, installed a makeshift turret on the roof, a salvaged automated rifle that Kael had programmed to recognize friend from foe.
The smuggler's route wasn't just dangerous because of its treacherous terrain—it was infamous for attracting bandits and patrols. Both of them knew this journey would be unlike any they had faced before.
"How's the turret looking?" Kael asked from beneath the crawler, his voice muffled as he tightened a bolt.
"Locked and loaded," Mira replied, checking the weapon's swivel range. "Let's hope we don't have to use it."
Kael slid out from under the vehicle, wiping his hands on a rag. "Hope's not a strategy. Be ready for anything."
Far away, Captain Elias Thorn sat in the command vehicle of his patrol unit, a sleek, heavily armored machine bristling with advanced tech. The holographic display in front of him flickered as a scout's report came through.
"Unregistered crawler spotted heading east, sir," the scout said.
Thorn leaned forward, his sharp eyes narrowing as he studied the map projected on the display. "Coordinates?"
"Approximately ten klicks south of the smuggler's route."
Thorn's lips curled into a cold smile. "Interesting. They think they can slip past me."
He turned to his second-in-command, a wiry man named Corporal Drex. "Prepare the patrols. I want the area locked down. Send drones ahead for reconnaissance, and station units along their likely path."
"Yes, sir," Drex replied, snapping a salute.
Thorn's voice dropped to a menacing tone. "I want them intercepted before they reach the neutral zone. No one escapes my net."
Kael and Mira climbed into the crawler just as the first light of dawn broke over the horizon. The air was crisp and still, the silence amplifying the tension between them.
"You think Thorn's already on to us?" Mira asked, adjusting her rifle.
Kael started the engine, its low rumble breaking the quiet. "If he's as good as they say, he's already setting traps."
They drove in silence for the next hour, the landscape shifting from flat, barren plains to rugged hills dotted with jagged rocks. The crawler's reinforced suspension groaned under the strain, but it held firm.
It was Mira who spotted it first—the faint dust clouds on the horizon, moving steadily in their direction. She grabbed a pair of binoculars and scanned the area.
"Engines. Lots of them," she said, her voice tense. "They're coming fast."
Kael tightened his grip on the wheel, his jaw clenched. "Thorn's already onto us."
Mira loaded her rifle, her movements quick and efficient. "What's the plan?"
Kael's mind raced as he assessed the situation. "We keep moving. Stick to the route. Use the terrain to our advantage."
The dust clouds grew closer, and soon the hum of engines filled the air. Thorn's forces came into view—sleek, black vehicles equipped with mounted guns and Consortium insignias gleaming under the sun.
Mira took aim through the turret's scope, her voice steady despite the chaos. "Here they come."
Captain Thorn watched the live feed from one of his drones, his cold gaze fixed on the unregistered crawler weaving through the terrain.
"Interesting," he muttered, his tone laced with curiosity. "They're not amateurs."
He tapped a control panel, issuing new orders to his patrol units. "Cut them off at the ridge. Force them into the canyon—they'll have no way out."
Kael swerved the crawler to avoid a burst of gunfire, the Consortium vehicles closing the distance. Mira fired the turret, the sharp cracks of gunfire echoing across the hills. One of the pursuing vehicles swerved as her shot hit its tire, sending it skidding into a rock formation.
"Nice shot," Kael said, his voice strained as he navigated the uneven ground.
"Don't get used to it," Mira replied. "They're not slowing down."
Kael glanced at the map on the dashboard, his mind calculating their next move. "We're close to the ridge. If we can reach it, we might be able to lose them."
The terrain grew steeper as they approached the ridge, the crawler's engine straining against the incline. Thorn's forces were relentless, their vehicles built for speed and maneuverability.
Mira fired another round, taking out the gunner on one of the Consortium vehicles. "They're herding us," she said, her tone grim.
Kael nodded, his eyes scanning the path ahead. "Into the canyon. It's a trap."
"Then why are we heading straight into it?"
Kael smirked, his hands steady on the wheel. "Because they don't know what we've got up our sleeves."
As the crawler entered the canyon, the walls rose steeply on either side, casting long shadows over the narrow path. Thorn's forces followed closely, their vehicles fanning out to block any potential escape routes.
From his command vehicle, Thorn watched the pursuit with growing interest. "They're cornered," he said, a hint of satisfaction in his voice. "Send in the drones. Flush them out."
Kael noticed the drones descending from above, their sleek forms glinting in the sunlight. He pressed a button on the dashboard, activating the smokescreen device he'd installed the night before.
A thick, dark cloud billowed out from the crawler, enveloping the canyon in a dense fog. The drones faltered, their sensors scrambled by the corrosive chemicals in the smoke.
Mira grinned as the pursuing vehicles hesitated, their drivers struggling to navigate the blinding fog. "That's one hell of a trick, Kael."
"Let's hope it buys us enough time," he replied, steering the crawler through a hidden side path he'd spotted on the map.
Thorn's frustration grew as the feed from his drones went dark. "What's happening?" he demanded.
"Their vehicle deployed some kind of smokescreen," Corporal Drex reported. "It's interfering with the drones' sensors."
Thorn's eyes narrowed. "Clever. But they can't hide forever."
Kael and Mira emerged from the side path, the canyon opening up into a vast expanse of rocky plains. The smuggler's route lay ahead, winding toward the neutral zone.
Mira glanced back, the fog still lingering in the canyon. "Think we lost them?"
Kael's expression was grim. "Not for long. Thorn doesn't strike me as the type to give up easily."
Mira nodded, her grip tightening on her rifle. "This is just the beginning, isn't it?"
Kael's gaze hardened as he focused on the road ahead. "If Thorn wants to play, we'll give him a game he won't forget."