Among the fire and sands reddened by blood and the smoke of anti-aircraft guns in the sky above Marib, a man with an enormous shadow walked through the ruins of what once was a city.
The setting sun shone upon him, casting his shadow across the ground like night.
The screeching sound of drones filled the air, and all eyes stared at him.
"Is that him?"
"Yes."
The one who planned the city's capture and crushed the enemy so ruthlessly that they abandoned the entire western sector... what is he after?
"Sir! They've retreated to the eastern sector. We're ready to advance. Your orders?"
"I'll take what I came for, then we withdraw."
"Forgive me, but after years of fighting to reach this point, retreating now means losing our opportunity."
"Knowing when to back off is a skill in itself."
"We've advanced too quickly. In three or four hours, enemy air support will arrive and go after our supply lines."
"Destroy the entire western sector with our remaining ammunition."
"This way, neither we nor they will have the western sector."
He speaks so ruthlessly about destroying our own homeland... but he's right.
A soldier ran toward them, holding a dark, shiny piece of metal in his hand.
Shouting: "Commander! Is this it?"
"It looks like it. You were looking for this, right?"
"First, let's see where he found it."
The destination was near the frontline with the eastern sector, and there was little time left before all buildings in western Marib were destroyed.
Part of the building was already collapsed, and the rest could fall at any moment. The soldier said he had found it next to the rubble of this building.
"Get out of here."
"Begin the destruction in twenty minutes."
"What about you?"
"None of your business. Your job ends here."
"And I'm warning you—don't get curious."
So you figured out my intention. See you later, you damned stranger.
He entered the building and, after just a few steps, a spiral of stairs descending to great depths became visible.
He walked to the edge of the spiral, stared into the darkness, and took a step into the void, dropping down.
The sound of an impact, then the flashing of gunfire. Those who had been lying in ambush in the darkness saw, with each flash, the corpse of one of their comrades falling to the ground.
Until the last man.
"Not in the dark!"
"Do you need light?"
A lighter flicked open.
Bloody hands took the lighter, and only the half-profile of a man with a wound running from his forehead to his cheek was visible. The lighter's flame flickered.
Instinctively, the man's hand went to his trigger. With the last flashes of gunfire, only a merciless image of a one-sided battle was recorded.
Now there was some light from that direction.
It must be him.
From that side of the dark space, a warm line of light was visible. It was a door. He opened it.
Behind the door, an old, terrified, frantic man sat at a table praying. An oil lamp burned, growing dimmer and dimmer.
"You found it?"
"I found many things, stranger. What are you looking for?"
"A sword."
"A sword? You came all this way for a sword?"
"A weapons dealer like you should know that some swords have special properties. I came for the most special one."
"And I'm in a bit of a hurry."
In the corner of the room was an old lead-lined chest. The old man lifted it and placed it on the table.
"This is it."
"Open it."
The chest opened. Inside was something resembling a candlestick holder.
He picked up the object.
"How does it light?"
"Think about lighting it."
Interesting.
Light up!
A flame—and moments later, a blade of fire.
So it's a lightsaber!
"Huf."
Extinguish.
"Thank you. I'm leaving."
"You won't kill me?"
"It was yours from the beginning."
The old man breathed a sigh of relief and sat down.
Suddenly, the ground shook and multiple explosions sounded.
Before the old man could even stand, the building collapsed.
The soldiers on the eastern front, advancing toward western Marib, faced an unannounced death amidst the explosions. Those who remained saw a black-clad specter walking through the dust, its presence fading with the last rays of sunlight.