The lead Lanky is so close to the rear of the drop ship that she could hit it with a well-thrown rock. The open ramp is at the level of the Lanky’s head, and the sight of its gaping maw is something out of her worst nightmares, the perspective of a prey animal right before getting snatched up and casually swallowed by an apex predator. From this range, she can clearly see the odd folds and ridges on its head and cranial shield, a rugged topography where the Scorpio Lankies were smooth and almost shiny. For a terrifying moment, it looks like the creature is gaining on them, that it will be able
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