"What do you really want from me?" Sean asked, his voice steady despite the tension tightening his chest.
"I'll tell you when we're finally there," Thirty-Five replied curtly.
A crackle of static came through the device in Thirty-Five's ear.
"Is the target secured?"
Thirty-Five pressed two fingers to the side of his head. "Ready to move. Target secured," he said, without looking at Sean.
Below their feet, the ground began to hum. Squared particles lit up in a tight circle—pale blue symbols crawling across the dirt, flickering faster with every second.
"It'll be faster if you cooperate," Thirty-Five muttered, irritation twitching at the edge of his tone.
"Why should I?" Sean shot back, a sudden defiance flaring in his eyes.
Before Thirty-Five could respond, a shot rang out from the distance. He caught the incoming projectile too late. It struck the side of his jaw, sending out a burst of electrical sparks from the damaged area.
The shot came from high above—Nyx, crouched on a rocky peak, gripping his prototype sniper rifle.
"You didn't say we had company," Nyx muttered under his breath, scanning the smoke.
"Where'd it go?" he asked, adjusting his scope.
"Sam, do you see that?" he added, tone sharp.
"Vanished in the smoke. Looks like it's cloaking," Sam replied, eyes darting across the battlefield.
A shadow passed over Nyx. He spun around, searching—and then he saw it. Red eyes glowed faintly in the haze.
Inside Thirty-Five earpiece, a command blared loud and urgent.
"Fall back, now!"
But Thirty-Five ignored it. A low growl rumbled from his chest.
"Let me finish this," he rasped, voice crackling with interference. On the small screen in Thirty-Five hud, the Ministro's face flickered, pale and worried.
"Just a little longer..."
With terrifying speed, Thirty-Five lunged forward.
His blade sliced through the air—straight toward Nyx—but it never made contact.
A sharp clang echoed through the clearing. Aster had appeared, planting his energy shield between them just in time.
"What was that thing?" Aster demanded, bracing against the impact.
"We'll know when it's dead," Ava said coldly, stepping forward, blades drawn.
"Just... more time..." Thirty-Five echoed. His voice no longer his own—just static and fragments, like an old message playing on loop.
"I've had enough," a deeper voice boomed through his earpiece.
Suddenly, Thirty-Five began to vanish. His body disintegrated in a flash of white particles, dissolving into the air. In his place, several glowing red marks flared across their place—a signal, of a bad sign.
Almost immediately, projectiles rained down from above, homing in on the red markers. There was no time to dodge. The entire area lit up with explosions.
Ava lunged forward, who just tried chasing after Thirty-Five, but a sudden force yanked her back.
Then came the lurch. Sean felt it in his bones—a sharp pull, a blur, and a sickening jolt.
In the next instant, he stood in silence.
The explosions were deafening—but they didn't touch him. The blasts passed through as if he wasn't there. Blinking against the sudden calm, Sean saw it: a massive purple energy shield surrounding him and the others.
And beyond that barrier stood a figure in a long black coat and helmet.
The Vice Captain of the Overelites.
---
***
---
The last of the explosions faded, leaving a stunned silence broken only by the wind whistling through the wreckage.
The Overelite Vice Captain stood in front of us.
Why was he here? I asked myself aloud, but I didn't linger on it too much.
Someone had arrived just in time—to save us. That was enough.
The violet energy shield flickered, then disappeared entirely as the Vice Captain walked toward Ava. She stood still, her face caught between nervousness and a strange hint of happiness.
He placed a firm hand on her shoulder. Ava's expression changed instantly—like she'd failed someone she deeply respected. The grip was tight, almost punishing.
"This is your first warning," he said in a low, heavy voice. "Quit."
I couldn't stay silent.
I stepped forward and grabbed his arm, pulling his hand off Ava's shoulder. He turned to me slowly, his glare sharp as a blade. The fury behind his eyes made my chest tighten.
He didn't say a word—just brushed my hand away like it was nothing.
Then, with alarming speed, his hand wrapped around my throat.
I choked, feet barely touching the ground as I clawed at his wrist.
There was no point. He could've crushed me right then and there.
But before he could go further, a massive dark-red ship descended from the sky. A booming voice rang out across the battlefield.
"Vill, take it easy!"
"We're not here to kill them—we're here to save them."
The Vice Captain, Vill, let go. I dropped to the ground, coughing and gasping for air.
"Control your emotions, Vill," the voice added.
"Sorry we're late," Sarah said as she stepped down from the ship, her tone calm but alert. "Is everything alright?"
"Just in time," I managed, my voice hoarse.
I scanned the newcomers. "I count four of them… There's Sarah, her second-in-command, Vill in the black suit… and a girl I don't recognize. But Nikki's not here."
"What's going on with him?" I asked, still rubbing my throat.
"He's the one who noticed your Tier War Shuttle went offline," Sarah explained. "But… I think his reason was personal."
She paused, then looked at me seriously.
"Take care of your team, Sean. If something happens to them, the responsibility falls on you. Think about that."
It felt like everything had settled.
The chaos was over—at least for now.
Then Sarah turned her gaze across the wreckage.
"May I know," she asked softly, "what exactly happened here?"
---
---
"So that's what happened," Nikki said, her brows slightly furrowed.
"It's unusual. I've heard stories like this before, but I've never actually seen one myself. Just a bunch of unproven histories..."
She turned to the damaged shuttle, her expression shifting.
"As for this thing... it's a pile of junk." She sighed. "No surprise it couldn't survive that kind of hit. Still... maybe I can do something."
Nikki crouched beside the ruined hull, running her fingers along the charred metal edge.
"I can't change it completely, not with what we have—but I might be able to sneak in a few small upgrades. Nothing fancy, but it could hold up better next time."
"We can't do anything about the durability of the war shuttle because you still have in low rank, so should do other way around."
Why aren't you with the overelites? I know you're supposed to be with them.
The answers is very simple, it's the overelites
Each high-ranking unit has its own designated coded roles , and everyone's expected to follow it.
Where assigned in a roles, if something phenomenal happens, where the one assigned to be in place.
(Coded roles: are tasks assigned by the high general for specific situations or events that could happen)
Right now, we're just on scouting duty, so it's not a big deal. They can handle it themselves.
But that doesn't mean I'm not preparing for such situations.