Prelude: The Night Before
August 30th, 2018.
The desert air in Rajasthan was heavy with anticipation. The Rajasthan Arc Reactor, still under construction, rose like a futuristic temple in the sands — gleaming steel skeletons wrapped in scaffolding, cranes moving under floodlights, the constant hum of welding and machinery.
For the villagers nearby, it was a beacon of hope. Many had never seen steady electricity in their homes before. They told stories:
"This will be our sun."
"Our children will read at night."
"We will not have to walk five kilometers for water once the pumps work."
But in Dubai, Brussels, and Houston, the same site was a symbol of threat. A nail in the coffin of oil. A grave marker for pharmaceuticals. A dagger pointed at the heart of industries worth trillions.
And so, mercenaries were dispatched.
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The Attack Begins
September 1st, 1:37 AM.
The night was moonless. A convoy of three off-road vehicles, modified for desert warfare, crept toward the site. The men inside were seasoned killers — ex-Special Forces from multiple nations, now freelancers. They spoke little, only checked their weapons and night-vision gear.
Their orders were clear: cripple the Arc Reactor, destroy key components, and if necessary — eliminate all witnesses.
Inside Shakti Tower, Aarya's voice cut across the command center like an alarm bell.
> "Intrusion detected. Forty kilometers west of the Rajasthan site. Twelve operatives, armed, military grade. Estimated time to breach: forty-five minutes."
Deepak was in Delhi, but his mind snapped into soldier's clarity. "Wake everyone. Seal the site. Not one brick falls."
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On the Ground – Suraj's POV
Suraj, the welder who had once spoken of being a soldier with a torch, was on night duty. He noticed the perimeter alarms flash red. Guards scrambled. Drones buzzed overhead.
"Sabotage attempt," one of the supervisors muttered, face pale.
Suraj's heart hammered, but instead of fleeing, he picked up the heavy welding torch and whispered to himself:
"This is my temple. They will not destroy it."
---
First Clash
The mercenaries struck with precision. Explosive charges were planted at the outer fencing. With muffled thuds, steel gates crumpled.
They moved like ghosts, night-vision goggles glowing faint green.
But they hadn't expected the drones.
From the sky, ten Saraswati-designed quadcopters swooped, their cameras flashing infrared beams. Aarya's voice guided them with mechanical calm:
> "Target locked. Deploy deterrents."
The drones rained non-lethal sonic charges, disorienting the attackers. Still, the mercenaries fought back, shooting several drones out of the sky. Sparks lit up the desert like fireflies.
The noise brought workers from their tents. Instead of running, they picked up sticks, tools, even bricks. Dozens stood shoulder to shoulder with the security guards.
For the first time, mercenaries realized this was no easy job.
---
Casualties
The firefight lasted twenty-three minutes.
Two guards were killed in the opening volley, bullets tearing through their makeshift barricades. A young engineer was hit in the leg. Panic rippled through the workers, but Suraj shouted:
"If they destroy this, they destroy our future. Stand firm!"
His words carried like lightning. The men and women rallied, pushing back against the invaders with everything they had.
---
Aarya's Counterstrike
From Delhi, Deepak barked orders. "Don't just defend. Trap them."
Aarya obeyed.
She rerouted local power lines, overloading floodlights that bathed the entire desert in blinding white. The mercenaries, dependent on night-vision, were instantly exposed.
Then, in a masterstroke, she hacked their comms. Through their earpieces, instead of commands, they heard Aarya's calm, haunting voice:
> "You are trespassing on Indian soil. Leave now, or you will not leave alive."
The psychological pressure cracked two of them. They tried to retreat, only to be surrounded by villagers blocking the exit road.
---
Turning Point
By 2:10 AM, reinforcements arrived — an elite rapid-response team deployed by Vikram Malhotra's private security division. Armed with non-lethal electromagnetic rifles, they disabled the mercenaries' weapons one by one.
Pinned, disoriented, and now outnumbered, the mercenaries had no escape. But one desperate man hurled a grenade toward the reactor's main scaffolding.
Suraj saw it.
Without thinking, he lunged. The grenade detonated near him, the blast tearing into his arm and chest. He collapsed, bleeding heavily, but the reactor structure stood intact.
His sacrifice saved the project.
---
The Aftermath
By 3:00 AM, the site was secure. Seven mercenaries were captured alive, five dead. The captives refused to speak, but their equipment — satellite phones, encrypted laptops, offshore bank cards — told a story more damning than words.
The workers carried Suraj's body wrapped in the Indian flag they kept on-site for Independence Day. His wife and children were brought to the camp at dawn. There was no wailing, no collapse. His widow stood tall, tears glistening, and said:
"He died protecting our children's light. Let the world know — we will not let this dream be broken."
---
Deepak's Fury
Back in Delhi, Deepak stared at the live feed of Suraj's funeral pyre. His fists clenched so tightly his nails drew blood from his palms.
"They think we are weak," he whispered to himself. "They think money and guns can break us."
Aarya spoke softly:
> "We have evidence linking these attackers to offshore accounts. Should I leak?"
Deepak shook his head. "Not yet. If we expose them now, they'll only deny and harden their stance. No… let's gather more. Let them think they're winning. And then — we'll burn their lies to ash."
---
Global Reactions
News of the attack leaked anyway. Local journalists reported "armed terrorists attempt to destroy energy site in Rajasthan."
The Indian government condemned it, promising "severe consequences."
But abroad, headlines were muted:
"Security Incident at Indian Energy Plant" (New York Times)
"Unverified Claims of Attack on Reactor Site" (BBC)
Behind closed doors, oil and pharma lobbies congratulated themselves. They hadn't destroyed the reactor, but they had spilled blood. They had sent a message.
What they didn't realize was that they had also awakened something far more dangerous — the loyalty of ordinary people, who now saw themselves as guardians of a revolution.
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Closing Scene
As dawn broke over the desert, the half-built reactor glowed golden in the rising sun. Workers returned to their stations, bandaged but unbroken. Engineers resumed welding. Cranes groaned back to life.
Deepak stood in silence in his Delhi office, watching the live drone feed.
"This is no longer just technology," he murmured. "This is war. And in war, you don't just defend — you strike back."
Aarya's holographic eyes flickered with resolve.
> "Then let us prepare for the counterstrike."
The Rajasthan Arc Reactor would rise. But now, it would rise in defiance.
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