Meanwhile, the huge propellers of two C-130J aircraft began to rotate, kicking up a storm of sand and dust. The SAS members conducted a final equipment check, revealing only a steel-like calm beneath their black masks.
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Thousands of miles away, at the Northern Border of Sena, it was nearing dusk.
The scorching wind swept up sand and dust, passing over undulating hills and dried riverbeds.
Inside an impeccably camouflaged underground command post, the air was thick with the scents of sweat, engine oil, and cheap tobacco, so heavy it felt like it could be wrung out.
A massive electronic sandbox on the wall took up half the space, clearly displaying the complex terrain of Northern Sena, the situation of both sides, and several glaring red arrows silently pointing towards the Lumar-controlled area in Northern Sena.
Another screen showed almost real-time updated satellite images, with astonishing resolution.
