The ground was already wrecked when Reva stopped moving.
She slowed, boots dragging through loose stone and scorched earth, then turned back toward the basin. Dust hung low from the last exchange, and the air still carried the sharp bite of spent rounds and burned metal.
Rin caught it a second later.
"Reva," she said, sword angled forward, breath tight. "You good?"
Reva didn't look back. Her eyes were fixed ahead, on the shapes moving through the haze. The chasers had regrouped faster than expected.
Reva's eyes stayed ahead. Shapes were cutting through the haze again, spreading out, testing distance. The mercenaries hadn't broken cleanly. They were bruised, angry, and still coming.
"We're done running," Reva said. Her voice stayed level. "They don't get past this."
Arlen adjusted the nano suit across her shoulders. The plating reformed where it had taken hits earlier, a faint hum tracking the damage. She stepped in close on Reva's left, weapon raised, stance steady.
