Ellarine's group had been moving with constant discipline through Vester's chaos when the ants erupted from a maintenance tunnel directly beneath them.
It was not a minor breach but a surge—dozens of soldier-class variants pouring upward with coordinated fury, mandibles clicking, chitin plating reflecting emergency lamplight.
"Scatter!" Ellarine commanded, her tactical training recognizing immediately that their concentrated formation was practically suicide against the ants swarm tactics.
"Reform at the officer compound! Move!"
The candidates scattered in multiple directions, each seeking escape through whatever route presented itself.
Marcus went left with two Kadesh soldiers, blade slicing different crawlers.
Bolt went right with another candidate, barriers forming as he ran.
Ellarine herself led three others straight ahead, her combat cores active, her mind already calculating regrouping coordinates.
