Chapter 12: Ambush.

Dusk settled like a cloak over the rocky terrain as Ava, crouched among her team, waited for the Reclaimer convoy. Her grip on her rifle tightened with each passing second. Miko, perched in his sniper's nest high above, surveyed the advancing vehicles through his scope. The tension was thick enough to cut with a blade, every soldier waiting for the moment they would strike.

Beside her, a young ADF soldier glanced nervously toward Ava, who offered a brief nod. "Stay focused," she whispered. "When the first vehicle hits our trap, we move."

A few yards away, Keith, the captured Reclaimer tech, sat under heavy guard. The Sentinel keeping an eye on him jabbed the muzzle of his rifle into Keith's side, a low growl escaping his lips. "If this is a setup, you won't live long enough to see how it ends," the guard threatened.

Keith, his face pale with fear, swallowed hard and adjusted his jammer, which hummed to life. The crackling of radios cutting out confirmed the Reclaimers were now cut off from communicating with each other. The convoy, unaware of the danger ahead, rumbled closer.

In the sniper's nest, Miko's breath was slow and steady as he focused on the lead vehicle. His finger hovered over the trigger, waiting. Then, with a deafening explosion, the first IED detonated, engulfing the front vehicle in flames. The blast ripped through the rocky ravine, sending debris and shrapnel flying.

"Go loud!" Ava’s command rang out, her voice cold and focused.

Gunfire erupted from the ridges as Miko’s sniper rifle cracked with precision, dropping the Reclaimers who scrambled for cover. The Sentinels and ADF opened fire from all sides, raining bullets down on the convoy. Talon, hidden further up the road, triggered a second IED that obliterated the rear vehicle, trapping the Reclaimers in a deadly funnel.

Suddenly, the roar of Sentinel vehicles broke through the chaos. Their .50-cal machine guns mounted on the vehicles thundered to life, sending rounds ripping through the Reclaimer armored transports. The heavy fire tore through metal and flesh alike, shredding the Reclaimer vehicles that attempted to mount a defense. Armored plating was peeled away as if it were paper, the powerful rounds chewing through their defenses with terrifying efficiency. Reclaimers, who tried desperately to return fire, were cut down, their attempts utterly futile against the brutal onslaught of the .50-cal rounds.

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Ava surged forward, rushing down the embankment with her rifle in hand. Her boots sank into the mud, but she moved like a storm, her team following close behind. Her rifle barked as she cut down Reclaimers trying to regroup, her shots deadly and precise.

As she reached the first vehicle, Ava slung her rifle over her shoulder and drew her sword. The air seemed to thicken with the stench of burning fuel and blood. Without hesitation, she plunged into the melee, her sword flashing in the dim light. A Reclaimer swung at her with a crude blade, but Ava ducked and slashed his throat in one fluid motion. Blood sprayed across her face as the man crumpled at her feet.

She moved like a whirlwind, her blade cutting through flesh and bone. A Reclaimer lunged at her, but she sidestepped, driving her sword through his chest and pulling it free with a sickening squelch. There was no mercy in her eyes, only cold efficiency. She was a force of nature, relentless in her pursuit of vengeance for her fallen comrades.

Behind her, the rest of the Sentinels and ADF followed her lead, their actions mirroring the brutality of the assault. There was no hesitation, no pulling back. Every Reclaimer they encountered was either gunned down or cut apart with ruthless precision.

Miko, from his vantage point, continued to pick off Reclaimers trying to flee into the darkness. His sniper rifle barked with deadly accuracy, each shot finding its mark. He watched as Ava, covered in blood, tore through the enemy ranks like a blade through cloth.

Talon’s team unleashed grenades from the high ground, sending explosions ripping through the Reclaimers' formation. The enemy’s vehicles were ablaze, metal twisted and burning, their occupants scrambling in panic. The gunfire was relentless, the Sentinels’ fury unyielding.

Ava’s sword found another target, a Reclaimer who had tried to crawl away, his leg shredded from the explosion. Without a word, she ended him with a swift strike, her blade dripping with blood. There was no room for hesitation. The Sentinels were exacting their price for the lives lost.

The ground was soaked with mud, blood, and oil as the convoy was systematically destroyed. Reclaimers, disoriented and cut off from each other, stood no chance against the coordinated assault. Ava’s team worked with deadly precision, her presence pushing them forward as they carved through the enemy forces.

As the last of the Reclaimers fell, the battlefield was eerily quiet, save for the crackle of burning wreckage and the occasional moan of the dying. Ava stood in the midst of the carnage, her breath coming in ragged gasps, her sword dripping with blood.

Talon made his way toward her, his face streaked with dirt and sweat. "That was… something else," he muttered, surveying the scene. Ava nodded wordlessly, her eyes scanning the destruction they had wrought.

"We're not done," Ava finally said, her voice hard. "Round up any survivors. We need answers."

Commander Sterling approached, his expression grim as he took in the devastation. "We hit them hard," he said. "But this was just a piece of their force. We need to move fast before they regroup."

Ava glanced at him, her face smeared with blood and grime. "Then we don’t give them time to breathe."

As the Sentinels began securing the surviving Reclaimers, Ava wiped the blood from her blade and looked toward the horizon, knowing that this battle was far from over.