All Alexa can see is that impossible knife. Another soul gurgling its last, chest heaving to capture breath through lungs with too many unexpected holes. Another future friend cut down--or maybe a peer, or a rival, who knows--but somebody she'll never get to know. Somebody who's gonna bleed out into the sand of this dusthole nowhere planet, all so that some psychotic bitch can fulfill her lunatic scheme.

Not today. Not here, not them, not now, not ever.

So when the next Bloodfeather descends, Alexa and her hammer are there, swinging like a champion slugger at a ball.

See, there, the instant the universe holds still. See how those Kaeri eyes, so full of bloodlust and confidence, flinch, turn to confusion and then panic, as the hammerhead draws close, consumes her entire vision. See the moment the hammer makes contact, how flesh mushes and molds itself to the hammer's surface, squishes out sideways. See the beautiful follow-through, see her step into and through the blow, the muscles bunching and pushing the perfect silver arc of the hammer, see the feathery comet hurled back up the pyramid.

Home run.

The Bloodfeather frenzies, spasms, throws her knives, inflicts her deadly worst in her death throes. But too late, too far. 

And people see, and fall behind, and for now, these people will see tomorrow.

The second Bloodfeather is similarly battered away, while the third is pounded down, down, into and through the stone of the pyramid. 

And now there's a wedge, and a flaw in the perfect replica. As below, not so above, and Sagakhan cannot help but pay attention to this new threat.

Once, twice, thrice, the sarissa lances out. And once, twice, thrice, Alexa catches it on the Aegis, fends it off. Once, twice, thrice, Alexa responds with additional craters on the surface of the pyramid.

On the fourth strike, the Aegis shatters. But that's okay--Alexa's expecting it, waiting for it, stepping forward and into, pinning the sarissa under one arm and bringing the other elbow hammering down onto the shaft.

"Dany! Now!"

[Keep Them Busy: 2,2,2,+3. 7. Paying the Aegis as a price or acting against a threat to the world.]