Fraeia watches as Amber moves deeper into the woods, the shadow covering the forest floor concealing every movement as if swallowing her whole. Fraeia sends a signal, three pulses of light from the tiny metal cylinder.
They raise their rifle and scan the area for Yur. Fraeia is forced to stifle their anger again. Yur lingers out of sight on the other side of the transport. They didn't have time to relocate. The Dhitol soldiers guarding the perimeter will have to do.
Fraeia takes a deep breath. It's not an attempt to harden themselves against the terrors of war. Their breath shakes in eager anticipation. Fraeia calculates the opening volley.
The second shot will meet the soldier patrolling the outside of the outpost. He may be closer but the element of surprise reveals an opportunity Fraeia can't ignore. The first shot will find the soldiers guarding the transport, two Dhitol marines standing side by side. If aimed just right before taking the shot, the round would penetrate through the first and hit the second, killing both.
Fraeia takes aim, exhales, and pulls the trigger. The round exits the barrel at an alarming speed with a loud crack, a trail of prismatic vapor following behind. The Dhitol turns its head at the sound of gunfire, and the round passes through it. It then connects with the chest of the marine behind it. Fraeia pulls the trigger again, her sights already lined up with the final target.
The body falls. It twitches, writhing in the mud before finally going limp.
Fraeia steps forward, their eyes darting from left to right as they search for their next target. The snap and crack of rails fill the afternoon air as Fraeia reaches the edge of the outpost. They stalk near the wall of the outermost building, their ears listening for any sign of life.
Just before turning the corner, fraeia hears the sounds of wings. They step back and aim as three dhitol soldiers appear. They dart through the air and turn, their weapons primed.
Fraeia takes a shot and one of the soldiers drops to the ground. The incoming fire forces Fraeia to move, dodging to the side. They fire back in a hailstorm of antimatter rounds.
The sound is deafening. With every impact, the enemy rounds sound off with a bang as if detonating a bomb. Fraeia feels every shockwave and takes note of the small craters left behind.
Fraeia fires once more; two calculated shots. Each round finds a head, a faint red mist tinting their rainbow trail. The bodies fall and hit the ground hard.
Considering the antimatter rounds, Fraeia decides to rendezvous with the other Lebhan soldiers. They turn the corner and slowly push toward the sound of gunfire. The sight of black armor fills them with a sense of pride. The lebhan squad fires from the relative safety of overturned vehicles used as cover.
Fraeia lets out a sigh of relief, taking note of four dhitol marines currently engaged with the lebhan. The dhitol hunker down behind cover as well, able to carefully pick and choose when to fire back. They haven't seen Fraeia yet.
Fraeia turns on their heels. They flank from the side, firing round after round. Two enemies are killed while a third tries to flee. It opens its wings and rises into the air, then falls after taking a shot to the chest.
Fraeia smiles while lining up the final shot. Before they can fire, a scream echoes across the outpost. The smile fades. They look up and see nothing, but it could only mean one thing. Yur, the breaker of chains, admiral of the 4th fleet, roars from the skies above.
Love your take on how a cloning society would deal with this! Would love to know more. Did not expect the outcome in the story and very curious what secret there is to learn about and how Fraeia will handle it!
Ooo thank you! I appreciate it and I'm glad you enjoyed it. Secrets are coming!