AN: This chapter is currently under revision, please forgive any discrepancies you may notice as I am using this site to format the new version. Im not doing so on word doc because I'm lazy. Sorry for any break in the immersion. (July 10th 2023)

Scope of the revamp is only partial. Paragraphs may be replaced. Expected completion is before well... im not sure, life really takes much of my time...

Progress :0%

The adrenaline rushes through my veins, even as my right temple comes under assault by the feathery touches of...her hand. My eyes emit confusion as I continue to stare at her green lit face with clouded focus.

This lady and her team....her red and white armor was simply unforgettable. They made the opening shot that day, back then they were the hostiles.

Blissfully unaware of my inner turmoils, she continues her gentle touches across my injured temple, allowing her gauntlets to be caked in my red essence. Her proximity is unsettling, but I didn't have the will to push her away.

Under the green shimmering of her hands, the throbbing loses its intensity allowing my focus to return to its former glory. The world is no longer a painful blur, and my mind begins to reorganize its thoughts.

A pair of violet orbs continues to watch over my form in close proximity, triggering my military senses. There is a subtle pause in time as I maintain the wordless exchange with her using eyes brimming with uncertainty.

With nothing but the crushing silence all around, it didn't surprise me when I could hear her draw breath.

A look to her entire face reveals only genuine concern, not a speck of malice is detected on her features. Such an expression is reminiscent of motherly concern, and it was clearly directed at me. It's been more than a decade since I've been on the receiving end of that precious look.

With the pain no longer an immediate concern, my hands hastily reach out to grab the pistol and helmet, feeling helpless without them.

I voice my gratitude despite knowing she couldn't decipher my words. "Whatever you did.....thanks.." The capability to heal injuries on the go, that fact will have to be included in my report.

My cheeks graze against the soft inner padding as I slide the helmet down my head. Filtered air greets my nostrils as I look through the visor with reinstated awareness. I stand up on firm legs as the lady retreats back to her team. Along the way she passes by my men, grabbing her weapon from Douglas.

My ears register the muffled voice of Robert, barely louder than a whisper. "New contacts..."

"Jerome, the drone's picking up movement, multiple directions."

I snap my eyes to overlook the darkness, sensing hostility emanating from all directions. "Avenue of approach?"

"Southwest, Northwest, and East... three klicks and closing in."

I give my assessment in a split second. "They're gonna box us in."

With my eyes out towards the darkness, a hand reaches out unnoticed to my shoulder. "You ok?"

With my strength restored, I give Douglas my reassurance. "Yeah..." I pause, shooting a suspicious look towards our unexpected allies. "Thanks to whatever she did, I'm back to full capacity."

"Alright, command is now yours again." He gives a supportive pat before retracting his hand.

"So what's the game plan..."

The pistol comes under my tight grip, its trigger already under the mercy of my finger. With the objective completed, only one goal is left to occupy my thoughts.

Escape...

Exfil Zones Hotel and Viktor are to the immediate East, they're a no go. Tango is west, but there's a high chance of double envelopment if I order my team to take that route. The only viable option is to trek back south, towards our original point of insertion... nine kilometres away. Confident my judgement is sound, I give my fellow operatives the move order.

"Proceed south, back to insertion point." The order is issued, I signal my team into the wedge formation. I take the left flank, combing over the trees with my finger hovering over the trigger. Senses are placed on high alert as we move south with careful focus, leaving our unexpected allies to do as they see fit.

The natives here are unsurprisingly lethal in close engagements, the only advantage we seem to have is our range. But this terrain nullifies that crucial advantage, we need to make our Exfil while we still can.

With our weapons covering all directions, we proceed towards our new destination with urgent but quiet footsteps. "Forget about our allies behind us, we need to pick up the pace."

"Understood..."

"Yea..."

"Agreed."

If we do get back from this mission, there will be many things for me to contemplate. Nine months in as a UNSOG Operative, and this is where I lose my weapon discipline.

Thank goodness it didn't result in any casualties.

I really....don't want a repeat of what happened two years ago....

===0445 Hours===

The only constant was the black skies that hang above, a glimmer of hope resonates from the fact none of our pursuers managed to zero in on us.

Everyone is exhausted after almost five hours of nonstop moving, punctuating the silence, the exhaustion in our breath as our lungs sucked in much needed oxygen.

The fatigue is worth it, deep into the heart of this forest, we were practically hidden from detection. I turn my attention back to my men, wanting an update from the drones. "Status?"

Robert catches the hint, pulling out the interface. "Clear so far, no hostiles on thermal...."

My face softens, lips breaking out a tired smirk. "Good.." The aircraft should be here any moment. Nothing could top the thundering of a rotor's blades, especially when such a sound heralds the end of a daunting mission.

We're almost out of this.....

The apprehensive tension keeps us company for several more minutes, filling us with uneasiness. In this unbearably thick silence, the darkness seemed all the more ominous I waited, my teammates likewise did the same, occasionally enduring the deathly whispers of trees as the cold midnight air passes through their leafy appendages.

Relief continues to well up inside me, threatening to wash over my skin at the slightest hint of the V-280. A small insignificant rumbling is heard, barely detectable over the unsettling rustling.

"You hear that...?"

With our extraction inevitable, relief begins to flood my senses. "It's here...."

Everyone shares a collected sigh, postures slightly relaxing as the rotors get louder. "Finally...."

I again call out to my communications specialist. "Robert.." I begin, coating my voice in authority getting his immediate attention.

"What's up?"

"Recall the two drones, we're packing up."

With a nod directed at me, he proceeds to input new commands to the drones, "On it."

Another mission completed, this puts our chain of successes at a remarkable 13 missions. The last remnants of my regret no longer hovers just out of reach, replacing the void it left the simple feeling of content.

"Drones secured."

"Good." And not a moment too soon.

The aircraft hovers over our position, stirring the leaves around us in a violent surge. As soon as the side doors open, we hop inside. Efficiency is what everyone in this fireteam strives for.

We get things done quick, the entire affair from touch down to take off took approximately ten seconds, maybe even less given my tendency to draw out each passing moment in the instinctive effort to discern all details.

My fatigued legs could finally rest after a long night of usage. The intercom overhead comes to life. "We're heading to Waypoint Zulu, ETA is 20 mikes."

The passing seconds turn into minutes, time became increasingly irrelevant as the flight drags on. Plastered at the forefront of my attention, was the moment I made eye contact with her.

Those violet swirls should have been filled with at the very least....disdain. The skirmish many days ago costed her two lives, I remember delivering a headshot to one of them.

'So why did she help me?" Was it because I spared the remainder of her team back then?

Pity....obligation perhaps? If only I had that damned necklace. As of now, the answer is anyone's guess.

Cold begins to seep into the cradle that is the passenger hold, at such a high altitude that is to be expected. The temperature had the fortunate side effect of freezing up my current train of thought.

The journey back is quiet, allowing my nerves to calm down from their previous high. The dim utility lights above wash over my gloves, pushing aside the hazy darkness. Innumerable stars pattern the windows in an alluring fashion, coating my surroundings with serenity as I sat there, head downcast.

The lives of my men are my number one priority, even so, was it morally right to leave those Euralian folks behind? They...she helped me with my injuries. They were probably unaware of the approaching hostiles. My brain registers a dull pain digging into my palms, it is only then I realize my fists were clenched tightly.

"Dammit..." I know deep down, what I did was wrong.

I decide to push aside the thought for another time. I look up, watching my comrades as they revel in the silence like we always do post-mission. "Everyone..."

Three heads look towards me with mild curiosity. "Good job out there." My gratitude, pride and satisfaction, all condensed into two simple words. Without their cooperation, things may have gone a lot differently.

The words are met with warm approval. "Anything for the team," Robert affirms.

Camaraderie flows between all four of us, coating the tension lukewarm. I could only respond with a genuine smile. The bonds I have with these soldiers are priceless. I will never give it up for anything else, family or not. The path to a fulfilling life has multiple roads, this is just one of the many.

"How many of the hostiles were taken out by the way?" I inquire, wanting to fill in the blanks left by the injury.

James takes the initiative, replying in a solemn tone. "We can't be certain...."

"One moment we're engaging the enemy." He briefly pauses, recalling the details of that chaotic battle. "Just as we were about to crack those shields, I spotted several infantry from Faction Alpha... closing in on the enemy's flank."

"And..?" I beckon him to continue, sensing there is more to this issue.

"Our unexpected allies then attacked them, as is typical of their arsenal they sent out explosive blue orbs of fire....hitting our enemies on point."

"Afterwards these Yhunian special force analogs seem to have, for the lack of a more accurate term disappeared without a trace. Absolutely no sign of them once the fires cleared. All that's left.. .was a smoldering crater."

I mutter an affirmative to James, grateful for the details. "I see..." I trail the words, briefly wondering if my comrades knew about their identity. "You know, those were the same guys that attacked us... on the first day."

Douglas joins in, giving a cold chuckle. "We're aware, almost gave the order to open fire because of that."

"Thank goodness you didn't..." Nothing more needs to be said, and we all went back to basking in the silence.

After several minutes of respite my head perks up as a realization struck me. "You know... it might be teleportation."

The last word catches Douglas by surprise. "Teleportation?" He looks down, attempting to decipher my vague comment.

I watch on as he perks his head back up, "You mean the hostiles right?"

"Yea..." I answer with an insightful look to my eye. "These Yhunian guys are clad in slightly different armor compared to the three captives we have, back at Cygnus Station."

"Despite that, they are undeniably from the same unit type, so it's logical to assume they have the same capabilities, this has one possible implication." It could be a long shot, but I'm certain my theory is correct.

I spill the beans in a foreboding tone. "The sensors around Tartarus were fine, the enemy simply teleported inside the mountain perimeter."

"That's...." Douglas remains tongue tied at my revelation. The amount of thought I invested into this theory is significant, so there has to be a semblance of truth to that.

With a hand holding his armored chin, Douglas gives his reply sounding convinced. "It actually makes sense....it fits right in."

I fold my arms with a sigh. "Might be wrong, who knows...."

As my mind continues to ponder about this theory, the back ramp opens up revealing a sky filled with stars. From the side windows, the rotors move to a vertical position, making the V-280 hover in the air.

I stand up, carefully making my way to the exposed ramp. "Waypoint Zulu?" I commented, wanting to be sure. Beneath the stars, is a thick veil of darkness, even with night vision the ground could barely be discerned.

"Affirmative, interface shows the drones are flying directly below us."

I hold onto the safety grip above with a firm hand. "Sit tight everyone, I know the drill."

The drones appear amidst the impenetrable darkness, steadily flying in a loose formation towards my general direction. I closely monitor their progress as they begin the landing procedures on my outstretched hand.

My heart emits a small burst of satisfaction as their systems power down, miniature rotors grinding to a halt.

These things have been busy for the past few hours, no doubt filled to the brim with crucial intel. This entire UN operation will be under a lot of flak if we fail to properly address the issues posed by the military inventory of both factions.

I agree with the Cygnus administrative on one thing, these native warriors are a serious concern.

The intelligence division back on the station will have their hands full. In New Eden, Humanity is outnumbered, that is an unavoidable fact. It's only a matter of time before the natives center their focus on Tartarus.

I stifle a frown, cradling the tiny drones within the leathery palm of my hand. "Drones secured." It's time to head back to that palace.

===0530====

-Drossal Royal Palace, Inner garden.

We are tired, and hungry as well. My team hasn't eaten since early morning. We landed in the same inner palace clearing as expected, the only witness to our arrival was the ambient silence all around.

Glittering underneath the nearby walkways, is an unknown source of lighting. A pure radiant yellow, acting as a beacon that drew my eyes.

We walk down the ramp, shouldering our heavy rucksacks with the remainder of our strength. Fireteam Domino is nowhere to be seen, knowing my fellow operatives, they should be awake.

Time could have stopped and we would be none the wiser. At first glance, there seems to no one.

I furrow my eyes in suspicion as I catch a fleeting silhouette hiding behind the nearest doorway, just out of sight. "There's someone there."

I motion the pilots to keep a distance from the doorway. "You two, stay put for now I'll check it out." There is nothing to be cautious about, but it never hurts to be safe. Careful steps are taken, each one bringing me closer to the answer.

Who is behind this doorway?

My instincts flare up as I move inside the palace, going away from the collective safety of my fireteam.

The last few steps are made in quick successions. White fabric.....a quivering form, undeniably feminine in appearance enters my vision.

Her face is unfamiliar, that wasn't the case with the uniform she wore however. This young lady is one of those maids that reside in this palace.

I back away from her, wanting to maintain a respectable distance. "I...ugh...nevermind" I swallow the rest of my words, inwardly cursing myself. The language barrier unexpectedly slipped under my notice.

These people don't know English, German or Swahili, how the hell can we communicate?

My troubles however went unnoticed, the maid turns on her heels and went further inside the palace. Her footsteps while light, had a purposeful spring to it. She could be informing the others about our arrival.

If the assumption is right, it's best we stay put. I keep my gaze on her retreating form, until she turns a corner.

"Jerome..."

I turn around, sensing the foreboding tone. "What is it?"

Douglas points out his chilling observation, "The plating on your back, it has a dent in it." Is that so?

Feeling slightly doubtful, I reach out to my back, tracing the plating, expecting a smooth surface. A brief chill washes over my skin as the fingers reach the section covering my spine.

There is a noticeable dent in it, my Second In Command wasn't lying. "Well shit..." I grit my teeth in mild anger. So that was what the ghostly figure was targeting when he went from the rear.

He managed to make that dent, regardless of the considerable strength of the secretive alloy.

I wave my hand dismissively, "Noted." Pausing briefly, to collect my bearings. "Never thought thought this mission would turn out this way."

It was meant to be a quiet affair, a simple elimination of HVT's. The administrative needs to be quickly informed, counter measures are desperately needed if we are to conduct similar operations again.

"The past few days has more action then our last 12 missions put together." Douglas commented, giving off a brief chuckle.

I give a slow nod, reminiscing about the daunting missions during my time in the Regimental Reconnaissance Company. "I've never seen this much action since my time in the US army..." We certainly have the experience to deal with these situations, but at our core, this Fireteam specializes mainly in Special Reconnaissance.

As nostalgic as my those days were, I had to push them aside as my eyes spot streaks of white approaching. More of these maids, fully armored guards, as well as a familiar face to the front of the crowd. It is our palace retainer, Anhj.

Tired eyes, though surprisingly they didn't harbor any hint of annoyance. Her bedridden hair roams freely, the strands of white fluttering softly with each step taken. A look to her closely guarded hands reveals an item I was hoping to find.

The necklace I gave her for safekeeping...

The item is crucial to communication, I take a step forward, she in turn does the same. We reach the middle ground between our respective groups, pushing through the permeating tension.

I zero in on the magical ornament, taking it by the chains as I keep a portion of my focus on the guards behind her.

They have always been intimidating, full body armor just like us, just with a medieval flare to it. Their postures indicate them to be well alert and nowhere near fatigued, as is expected. Their attitude seems slightly laxed, however subtle it may be.

It is a welcome change compared to their obvious glares when we first landed. The exact reason for such a stark change is beyond me.

I place the necklace over my head. The pendant begins to glow that familiar yellow, that should signify it is operational.

My eyes stare down at her, sensing the fatigue in her smaller frame. "Thanks.."

"You were woken up?" I asked, confident that was what happened.

"Indeed I was." She locks her eyes on me, piercing my visor. "It matters not now that I am here however."

"I see.." I mutter under my breath, wondering what happens from this point on. I turn my head back to face my fireteam and our accompanying pilots, truly unsure on our next course of action.

"Ever since the arrival on that black contraption, you all have not eaten." Anhj points out, forcing my eyes back to hers. "I assume this is still the case with your fellow warriors?"

With nothing to say against that, I give the palace retainer a nod. "Yes." The plan is to have an MRE back on my designated room, but I keep that thought to myself, wondering where she is going with this.

"You fought on our behalf, under such darkness where only our gifted mages could roam." She pauses as I fold my arms, furrowing my hidden eyebrows in bubbling curiosity. "You and your warriors..."

I give an immediate reply, wanting her to spill the beans. "What about them?"

"The sun hasn't risen yet, but we are able to sate your hungers. The chefs and maids stand ready to accommodate your needs."

"Is that so...?" The offer is tempting, I won't deny it, our MRE's aren't exactly something to look forward to.

I finally relented under her determined gaze. "If it is ok with the rest of my soldiers, then I don't have any objections." Her determination is commendable, she goes beyond her line of duty.

The handful of maids present in the group depart, heading towards the left corridor, the heavily armored guards took the opposite turn, sparing us one last look.

All that is left is our palace retainer. "Then let us head towards the dining hall, our traditions of hospitality will be upheld." At the end of her speech, she shoots me an accomplished smile.

"Ok, let me inform the rest of my men first about your offer." An interesting situation we are in, I can't help but wonder if the offer was the work of the UN delegation. If that's not the case, does Anhj even have the authority to do this?

"We apparently will be eating their food...I know we all are hungry." I pause, seeing the looks of surprise from the two pilots. "Any objections? I asked, waiting for a negative response.

There are none, so I give the expectant Anhj my nod of approval. "Very well, follow me please."

As I walk through the lengthy hallways, I can't help but let my inquisitive mind roam free.

What do these people eat?

===Thellius===

"So they indeed have done it?"

I look down to the battle plans strewn on the table. "It appears so." With two Yhunian grand tacticians no longer amongst the living, that leaves only one to command their massive army. The waves have turned to our favor.

"You trust the words of our spies that much?"

Looking up, I center my sights on Commander Kaiver. "Of course, they have no reason to spread false words, it would seem our unlikely friends did indeed silence two Grand Tacticians."

"These people have interesting warriors, they fight not like us, but remain just as deadly." I pause, shifting aside the papers in favor of a clear desk. "All the more reason to wonder why they would be so quick to volunteer their skills." However commendable their feats were, these warriors seem to have a hidden motive. Such a motive remains elusive even with my wisdom, as such the issue lingers on my mind like a plague.

Whatever the case, their actions have opened up new paths for the army. The Yhunian leadership is in shambles with the death of its two Grand Tacticians. Dawn will soon encroach upon the land, its light shall be the herald of a vigorous counter attack.

"A new day of battle will begin, one in which we have the advantage." A weary smirk graces my lips. "I presume the Black Hand has been thoroughly informed of my intentions with their warriors?"

"Of course your grace." Vanzer confidently declares, head held high. "The warriors of the Black Hand eagerly await the arrival of dawn, they tire of being on the defensive."

The Paledorian Captain continues on, remaining steadfast in his tone. "The Hand...will become the Fist."

===End===