"You are live with Cary Fast, embedded with MCSF Advanced Recon company. We progressed overnight to this position where we discovered an Anhillar guerilla encampment you can see below." The live feed switch to a drone which provided an overhead view showing the Recon company of 24 heavily camouflaged soldiers spread out along a ridge overlooking a valley. Below them nestled on the valley floor were 30-40 small linen-coloured shelters, possibly canvas, cone-shaped arranged in a haphazard circle. While the Recon unit was bathed in the golden, early morning sun, the valley was still in complete shadow. Several fires smouldered amongst the buildings, grey wisps of smoke curled up in the still morning air.

The feed cut back to the reporter, his snowy white hair stood out against his extremely tanned face. With the exception of a News One badge on his arm, he looked just like any other member of the Recon unit.

"I have with me here, Lieutenant Zeke Barton, leader of Advanced Recon. Explain the situation Lieutenant."

The camera panned to an ebony-skinned man with distinct, chiseled features and a broad nose. "We had orders to proceed overnight to new grid co-ordinates, because command had some intelligence on Guerillas moving through the area. Around 0300h we discovered this valley settlement we believe is a mobile Anhillar base. Heat signatures suggest around 150 enemy encamped down there."

"What next Lieutenant."

"Our orders are to continue to monitor the camp and advise of any movement. A mechanized assault brigade was dispatched and should arrive momentarily."

"Any idea what the assault orders are?"

"Eliminate the enemy."

"What can you tell us about the enemy, Lieutenant?"

"The Anhillar are a caste society, so we predominantly deal with the warrior caste, the Fiiks. What they lack in technological sophistication they make up in shear ferocity. The Red Sabre has be funneling weapons to the Guerrillas in recent years giving them both anti-air and anti-armor capabilities but it's the Akalladeen we really worry about."

"Who are they?"

"Anhillar spirit warrior caste, their most elite fighters. They are fearless, they always fight to the death and they carry that damned Korryn blade of theirs."

"What is so special about that blade? Wouldn't they be more effective with a shock cannon, or something like that?"

"They are more than enough effective with that sword, I've seen Akalladeen slice open an APC with a single slash. MCSF Research and Development has had a bounty on the Korryn for 15 years, but they always self-destruct when the bearer dies. And no Akalladeen has ever been taken alive."

A low rumble could be heard over the interview, the camera panned to show a rising column of dust in the distance.

"Looks like the Assault group is on time."

One by one, battle tanks and APCs began to materialize out of the dust cloud off in the distance. Eventually the Assualt group, some 48 units strong came to a halt and idled in the morning Sun. The Lieutenant's radio crackled.

"Omega Seven, this is Hammer Two-Two, statrep over."

"Hammer Two-Two, this is Omega Seven. We have approximately 150 hostiles in the valley to our immediate west, grid 44520014. We have not been able to confirm tactical, no sentries spotted."

"Okay Omega Seven, command has confirmed attack order, we are rolling on the encampment. Hold off until we engage the enemy and then provide fire support from the ridge line."

"Copy Hammer Two-Two, we will support from ridge line, over."

"Copy, Out."

The mechanized assault group began to roll forward again, forming a long echelon, the leading edge being the battle tanks. The low rumble became a continuous thunder as the formation picked up speed.

The feed switched to a drone that had manouevred into the valley to provide a closer perspective on the battle. It detected motion and zoomed in on a small hut, the entrance flapped parted slightly and a small figure exited. The feed was grainy and low resolution due to the lighting and extreme zoom.

"Someone in the encampment has appeared outside of the tents, it's difficult to make out from this distance." Cary described the video feed.

The figure froze for a few seconds, then turned in a slow circle. He appeared to be scanning the valley. He moved cautiously back toward the tent he exited and them froze again.

Suddenly his movements became spastic, he was waving his arms, he appeared to be shouting at the tent. Seconds later the lead vehicles broke the ridge line on top of the valley and spilled down into the shadows. The tents erupted as figures poured from them in every direction. The assault group opened fire, the valley floor began to explode, geysers of dirt and flames shot skyward as Anhillar scattered. Up on the ridge, the Recon group opened fire as well, with heavy machine guns and mortars. The horrendous cacophony made it impossible for Cary to continue his voice-over. Down on the valley floor, it was looking like a complete rout.

On the far slope a battle tank suddenly erupted in flames, then another. Over the radio somebody yelled, "Akalladeen!" One of the media drones orbiting overhead was re-tasked and took off at full speed for the far side of the valley. By the time it arrived the armoured advance was stalled and thrown into complete disarray as they went from a coordinated offensive action to an every-man-for-himself defensive panic. Units were firing in all directions, and frequently at each other. Any vehicle that became disabled was immediately targeted by the rest as they tried to score a hit on the Akalladeen .

The drone, now hovering above the unfolding chaos caught a blur on the ground and tracked it. A cloaked figure moving at an incredible speed sprinted from a disabled APC toward another. The warrior would momentarily disappear altogether, only to reappear meters away. Tracers streaked past, whole trees blown to splinters, machine gun and cannon fire tore the landscape apart. Still the figure darted, zigzagging toward another target. A brilliant flash and another APC ground to a halt, one of its large tracks spooling off into the dirt, severed.

Hammer Two-Two rolled up, its turret swivelling. A plume of fire spat forth as it bathed the entire area in flame. There was no sign of the Akalladeen. A second later a figure appeared a short distance from the burn zone, still on fire, stumbling, clearly injured. The figure was quickly met with a hail of bullets and collapsed on the spot. Immediately the Korryn blade detonated leaving nothing but a smoking crater. Several armored vehicles wheeled about and recommenced the attack on the valley encampment.

One APC lumbered forth, stopped and a dozen men exited and began searching the area. The mandate to recover Akalladeen artifacts, especially those related to the Korryn blade superseded the attack orders. Hammer Two-Two also remained in the area as the bulk of the force proceeded down to the valley floor.

The feed cutaway to another drone, it was skimming along trying to catch up with the formation now coming up on the encampment. The ground was scarred from shell impacts and in places, scorched as well. The drone slowed and panned, burning tents littered the ground, bodies strewn here and there. The surprise attack appeared to have been successful despite the Akalladeen interdiction.

More images of destruction broadcast to the network, Cary had continued describing the scene and the battle as it unravelled, glorifying the exploits of the MCSF to the viewers back in Meta. The drone flew low over a tent, no longer linen-coloured, but instead charred and smoking. On the far side a pair of figures prostate on the ground, one appeared to be covering the other in a vane attempt of protection. The pair were unmistakably mother and child and unmistakably non-combatants. The image of the shattered bodies was beamed instantly back to Meta.

"Edit!" Cary yelled.

Back at the News One media complex, technicians froze the feed. The live feed was delayed 30 seconds before it was relayed to the broadcast farm, which gave them plenty of time to censor any images that they did not want their viewers to see. The images of the mother and child were intercepted and removed and they cut seamlessly back to Cary.

Cary stood at the top of the ridge, the ruins of the encampment visible in the distance behind him. "As you can see behind me, the MCSF Assault group was victorious in this limited skirmish with the Anhillar Guerillas, but not without some losses." They cut to burning hulks on the valley slope where the battle with the Akalladeen was fought. "Brave young men and women giving so much for Meta." His practiced sombre tone expertly delivered. "The encampment of battle-hardened Fiik warriors has been decimated by the strength of our armoured forces. Yet another step closer to the ultimate peace in the Southern Desert."

The image panned out as the drone gained altitude, its lens array zoomed to a wide-angle shot. The image looked serene, the green valley with the small river running through it bordered by desert on both sides. No evidence of a massacre could be discerned from this vantage point. The horror that unfolded in this nameless valley would remain a secret for as long as Meta could keep it that way.

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