[center][h2][color=a187be]Zahra Mazghuuri[/color][/h2]
[hr][/center]

Zahra's eyes narrowed at the announcement as the weighty responsibility of leadership fell on her shoulders. [color=a187be]"Alright everyone! Get to your NC's and we'll meet on the field. Take cover and do not engage the enemy until they've been scouted for exploits. Thin ksmart, play it safe, and we'll all make it home in one piece...[i]inshaa Allah[/i]."[/color] Zahra whispered the last part, 'by the Will of God', quietly to herself, an Islamic expression when one hoped or wished for a positive outcome. She headed quickly to her quarters first to change into her combat gear, which was a similar getup, but made with coarser, tougher cloth better suited to the jostling she would likely receive in the cockpit of her NC. It also came with a facemask/helmet built-in to her head covering that allowed the base of her neck to connect to her NC while still maintaining her modesty. The metallic visor covering her eyes not only shielded her face in the event something inside the cockpit exploded, but also connected visually to the NC's cameras, allowing her to see outside even if her screen malfunctioned. At her waist she wore a pack with emergency rations and medical supplies.

As Zahra arrived at the hangar, she vocally thanked every mechanic she passed by, going so far as to invoke God to bless them for their work. She arrived at Hisn-ul-Ghayma, and looked the white machine up and down, before hopping into the cockpit. As she settled in and the hatch closed, the neural connection was made and she was confronted with a security measure, a cryptic prompt, "Iqra", the Arabic word for "Read", the first word that the Angel Gabriel transmitted to the Prophet Muhammad (may peace and blessings be upon him). This word prompted Zahra's response by reciting the first eight verses of the 96th chapter of the Quran, The Embryo.

[color=a187be]Iqra bismi rabbika allathee khalaq
Khalaqa al-insana min 'alaq
Iqra warabbuka al-akram
Allathee 'allama bilqalam
'Allama al-insana ma lamya'alam
Kalla inna al-insana layatgha
Arraahu istaghna
Inna ila rabbika arruj'a[/color]

Which translates as:

Recite in the name of your Lord who created -
Created man from an embryo.
Recite, and your Lord is the most Generous -
Who taught by the pen -
Taught man that which he knew not.
No! But indeed, man transgresses
Because he sees himself self-sufficient.
Indeed, to your Lord is the return.

Upon accepting Zahra's response, Hisn-ul-Ghayma fired up, and Zahra's mind went into 'hafidh' mode, a state of heightened concentration and memory access to the scriptures that she knew by heart: all 114 chapters, all 6,236 verses, all 157,935 words. She did a quick status check of her drones before walking Hisn-ul-Ghayma out of the Hangar.

Standing on the battle lines, Hisn-ul-Ghayma surveyed the incoming enemy forces. This would not be an easy battle. She thought back to the time they had spent on the cafe, and one thing became obvious; Red Star broke their NC pilots down and amplified whatever traits they felt made the pilots the best combatants. This meant a few possibilities for Zahra. The pilots could be reckless, either eager to prove themselves to their superiors like beaten dogs, or because they were overconfident, seeing themselves as so physically and mentally superior to other humans. They might also be unstable, a factor that Zahra had to account for in her own squad. As she looked at the enemy forces penetrating the kinetic barrier, she kept a close eye on the enemy NC's, noticing one shimmering out of existence. Cloaking technology.

[color=a187be]"We have a cloaker!"[/color] Zahra called out, opening Hisn-ul-Ghayma's wing binders and powering on her thrusters. The force was not enough to lift Hisn-ul-Ghayma off the ground by any means, but was enough to create a thin fog of dust around her NC. [color=a187be]"Kick up dirt as much as you can. I'm sure that thing is invisible to radar as well, so keep an eye out for shapes in the dust. Stay together, cloaked units tend to infiltrate enemy lines to assassinate targets, so he's coming to us, alone. Watch each other's backs, form groups of two or three."[/color] Hisn-ul-Ghayma's wing binders opened some more to allow 12 of her 24 drones leave their docking stations. These zipped around through the streets between the buildings, low to the ground, throwing up dust clouds. She sent another 6 up high to survey the urban battlefield to keep an eye out for silhouettes and to take out any air support the enemy might send their way, while keeping 6 drones in the binders in case she was attacked. The game of hide-and-seek had begun.