15
The sun was a golden disk hovering over the eastern horizon, casting its light over the fields and forests outside Alsen’s Hill. Tall grass swayed in the wind; leaves fluttered on branches, and the air was growing steadily warmer.
Keli’s astral form materialized on the roof of a duroplastic manufacturing plant at the edge of the city. Like smoke coalescing, she took shape, using her enemies’ thoughts and sensations to create a virtual world that she could explore from the safety of the dropship.
As expected, a pair of snipers were lying prone on the north edge of the rooftop, both pointing their rifles at the nearby forest. They were expecting the Alosians to make their move. When her mind touched theirs, Keli understood. She didn’t have to probe deeply; their surface thoughts gave h
