Scene – The Night of the Great Launch
It was the darkest night in weeks.
A sky without a moon, and beneath the island the sea lay still, as if holding its breath, waiting for what was about to unfold above it.
At the heart of Mayyun Island, atop the black cliffs, the massive launch platform had finally been completed—three days of labor by Omar’s men and the Houthis. Dozens of faint lights dotted the edges of the mountain like upside-down stars scattered across the ground.
Omar stood at the platform’s edge, watching the first ten missiles lined in a long row, their heads pointed toward the sky, their metallic bodies reflecting the yellow lamps. The sea wind struck his face sharply, but he did not blink.
Abu Malik al-Houthi approached, holding the large control device connected to a ne
