It was well into the evening and the streetlights outside the quaint diner were lit. To the left and right of the diner were two much taller apartment complexes with first floor restaurants, each with queues going out of the door and lining down the sidewalks. The diner, however, was much quieter. Sam was led to a table for two where she was seated by a well-dressed man with sunglasses on. “Please, sit, and wait,” he spoke to her in broken English. Sam uncomfortably sat up, examining her surroundings while trying not to look too conspicuous. There were only a few other tables more towards the back of the diner with a few equally well-dressed men talking over drinks. Behind her were several armed men at the door, both with stolid expressions. The only things that arrived as somewhat comforting were the smells of freshly baked breads that went along with the lingering aroma of grilled meats and cheeses.

I guess I’m safe? She settled into a more relaxed posture, trying to stay at ease. A waitress then delivered a glass of water to her. “Gracias,” she replied, taking a sip. Ugh, no ice?

Moments later, Mr. Galeano came and took a seat. “So good of you to accept my invitation. Please pardon the decor. This is one of my places where I like to have meetings.”

“Good evening, thank you for the protection, and my safe bringing here.”

“Oh, of course, I need to protect all of my assets,” he said with a grin, taking his hat off. “Listen, I came to explain one thing and then ask another.” He started to take out a cigarette, and then remembered Sam’s earlier reactions. “Oh, I’m sorry, you don’t like these things.” He put it on the table and cleared his throat. “Do you know about Familia Vera? Did my boy Bas tell you about them?”

“Um, yes, yes sir, he did. They are the downtown families, right?”

“Claro. He has told you much. Good, that means I don’t have to explain. You see,” he said as he straightened his posture. “We all know the delivery of your company comes tomorrow morning. But… other than you and our family, only they know about this, and this is because they are the ones about to get hit hard. So, I have a favor to ask.”

“Do I need to install their scanning software and hardware as well?”

“You jump to too many conclusions,” he said with a laugh. “You have a very busy mouth. You have to be careful with that. Allow me to explain.” He dismissed Sam’s put-off reaction and continued: “Your work saved us from what I was afraid would be many more attacks. The Rocha’s… they got another Parliament member on their side today. They now need to just get one more large voting block on their side as well and things will change. They need a big, big mess downtown. We need to stop it. And I need you on our side when we change the plan.”

Sam’s brow rose. “Change… change what? Sorry, I’m confused. I… I mean we deliver our packages to your boys, the twelve pilots, and we allow your security perimeter to set up. What is to stop you from going along with the plan?”

“Mr. Vrey and Mr. Knight agreed to let us set up security. Made us promise no strikes, and we must make a first strike. The Vera’s are willing to tell us where they know a possible cell to be, where they smuggle in these… what are they called?”

“LTAC frames?”

“Those. We need to use the package for a strike. Tomorrow night. And you must be with us.”

Sam caught on to what was going on as she made it visible with her own smile, albeit a defeated one. “I see what you are asking. I need to ask you in return, because I know I can’t refuse,” she said as he returned an obvious grin. “If we fail, I’m not dying here. I am backing out and headed for that border no matter what I have to do to get there.”

He remained fully confident with his approach. “No, no, with a dozen new… frames, for my dozen men? You don’t know what they can do. Failure will never happen. And I have my politicians to clear your name with Hexa when we send you home. The SAU isn’t one hundred percent free of any buddy-buddy stuff, if you know what I mean.”

Sam shrugged at the ordeal, knowing she had no way out. “I don’t like how bad this whole thing stinks, but I will do as you say unless things go the wrong way. That’s where I am out.”

He could only laugh for a few moments before finding the words to respond. “You really have one seriously dangerous mouth. You really don’t know how to act on Earth, but again, I will forgive you, because you saved my boys today. And if you help save more tomorrow night, I will make sure you are paid more than what Mr. Vrey pays you. And you will be free to go; I promise guaranteed safe passage but we can only secure it if we silence the Rocha’s.”

“Deal. And about my mouth? I apologize, that’s how I act when I feel cornered.”

“Oh, do I make you feel that way? Here, I brought you here not just for making a deal, but to feed you, too. You need to eat a good, properly made Colombian dinner. Please, order anything from the menu. I know you must be hungry. How were the empanadas?”

Sam thought to comment on his overbearingness but shook the feeling off. “They were great, thank you. And thank you again for offering dinner, too, but I don’t know what anything is here, or what is good to order. I haven’t even had real seafood before, come to mention it.”

From a distance, Revenant and Requiem were looking down from the side of a small mountaintop just bordering the city from the back of their small pickup. Revenant took his viewfinder down as he continued listening in. The device he was working on was right behind them in the back of the truck. “Hey Req', that’s the deal we needed to hear. They are headed for downtown tomorrow night. Follow that guard that just left the diner. I bet he’s the messenger. We need to know specific times and locations.” He then opened his communicator channel and continued: “Reap, your sister jumped right in on their scheme. You sure you know her as well as you say? Until this is all said and done, she’s a right fuckin’ Galeano for all we are concerned.”

“Cut the head off of the beast if you think you can pull it off,” Isaiah replied through his earpiece. “But only if you can do it cleanly.”

“Copy.” He then looked behind him. “Rev, forget listening in. We are grabbing the messenger. Let’s roll.”

▽　▽　▽

Sam turned on the light and walked into the storage room where her mattress was still laid out. The room was still a mess, but as she made her way toward the mattress, she noticed her pilot’s suit and under-layers folded and placed next to it. That’s right, I totally forgot I put these on to dry-wash this morning. How thoughtful of them. She then kicked her sandals off and let herself fall onto her mattress face-up. She had stared at the ceiling for a while, thinking of the things she wished she had access to. What they say is true. You never truly know what you are missing until you don’t have it anymore. Tomorrow morning couldn’t come any sooner. But as earlier, the more she rested, the more she felt the body aches return. To top off all of the negative news spouting off all around me that I can’t even see, my body is deciding it’s time to do a total skeletal shut down. She slowly rolled over on her side facing the wall, letting out a long sigh. And with Sebastian still on patrol I got nothing else to do but try to sleep, I guess.

Her daydream-like state took her from the memories of the Ap-60 Axiom she had experience with during beta test runs, anticipating her return to it, but the memories quickly shifted to the images of the cloaked LTAC from before rushing her head on. She felt herself unable to move, fully paralyzed and helpless.

“Wakey,” a voice and a nudging hand to the shoulder startled her upright, blinded by the sunlight pouring in from outside.

Why is the sun always so damn bright here?! She grumbled with a long, painful stretch, looking up to find Dani standing over her.

“Come on, sleepy space girl, delivery is coming on time and we need to go catch it.”

Sam shook her head and rubbed her eyes, regaining her focus on the room, realizing it was already morning. “What time is it?”

“Seven thirty. Put your pilot suit on,” Dani continued before leaving, closing the storage room door on her way out.

As she changed, flashbacks once more hit her as hard as the cloaked LTAC did before, forcing her to pause. She felt the same sense of helplessness clutching her at the core, knowing she was to step back into another cockpit that night. I know if I show back up, so will they, whoever they are. I just know it, she thought to herself, finishing pulling the main zipper up to her collar. She sat back down, feeling more of the pain continuing to rack up as the hours pass. She put her face down in her hands, let in a deep breath, clasping her hands back together just before standing back up. It’s my only way out and back home. Gotta do this… gotta find some way to do this right this time, she continued in attempt to shake the feeling. Will just focus on sticking to the basics. That last time was just all the wrong timing and all the worst match-ups happening all at once. No way this happens if we strike first. She then let out one more long breath and headed out at a slower than anticipated pace. “Yep!” she winced. “Every damn bone and join is still sore.”

She made her way towards the truck she found already up and loaded as she passed the spot where Sebastian’s MI-r used to be parked. Dani could see from her driver’s seat Sam’s long face as she stood there for a moment. “Hey, he’s waiting on his new ride!” she heard Dani holler across and through the rolled-down window. “Let’s go!” She picked up her pace as best as she could before taking her seat in back next to two others, buckling in. Each of the other three men nodded, and Sam returned the salutation.

[Is Cruella really going to be that new model’s pilot?] the one in front of her spoke to Dani, drawing Sam’s ire as she picked up on the unfortunately stuck nickname.

[That’s her daddy that sent it with the others, so of course], Dani answered as the truck exited the compound. [Look, forget what we are or aren’t getting. Aren’t we all ready to finally get back into action like before? It feels like forever to me!]

[I already know what color I will paint mine.]

[Oh, and I get to paint that damn A-7 mark on mine!] the one next to Sam joined in. [That was me delivering the final blow to it!]

[Yeah, all to get trashed the next day in not even five minutes,] the man across from the other side replied. [But, actually, I think Cruella might own the record for the shortest time running.] The jab drew laughter from the group, worsened by the jarring bump caused by Dani running up a curb to cut across a busy intersection. [And now she’s going for the new record!] he added amongst the increasing laughter.

[Alright alright enough joking!] Dani interrupted as she pointed to the man in the front passenger seat. [Keep an eye on explosives detection, will you?] She then clicked a button on her headset. [Any NOx trails ahead? … No? Great, we are almost there. Less than a kilometer out.]

[Damn, no fun,] the man next to Sam muttered, looking straight ahead with a straightened face.

Not too much time had passed, and when Sam caught notice of what was coming up ahead, she was surprised to see to a soccer stadium’s parking lot. “Wait, this is the landing zone?!” she thought out loud.

“Welcome to New El Campín, the only place no local would dare destroy!” she said with a heavy hint of satire. “You know about SAU countries having the world’s best football clubs,” she continued as they stopped and started to unload. “We got a much bigger stadium built about ten years ago so we get Infinity to land here, and is very safe.”

“I’d expect the landings and unloading to destroy the field, though,” Sam replied as they all headed towards the entrance where several trucks were posted.

“No, I think bosses are all paying for a new field grass.”

“Hm, when Galeano said he would make the landing spot an unannounced and unexpected location, he did a hell of a job keeping his word.” Sam passed through the first gate and through the main corridors, passing by several security outfits that were mixed in with the same markings and colors as Sam’s pilot suit. At least Hexa moves fast. May not always be smart, but definitely fast and always on time. As their group made it out to open air, she saw several landed personnel carrier pods next to two much larger LTAC carrier pods amidst a busy crowd of crewman. She then quickly spotted Sebastian and Renzo next to the one that was still in the process of getting the air locks off and doors open.

“Samantha Knight!” she heard a man’s voice from off to her right. She located a Hexa official headed her way with a hand extended. “Director Landon Braun, got orders for you from your father. I see you’re hanging in there!”

“Yes, sir,” she responded, returning the handshake.

“Look, he asked you to go ahead and take these,” he said, handing her a small bag that resembled the one she left behind in her destroyed LTAC the other day. “And then go help the interim squad captain over there. They’ve arranged for a Renzo Navarre to take the spot, so you know what to do after that.”

“Yes, sir,” she said again, opening the bag to find a micro headset communicator, a temporary replacement mobile, and a divided stack of bone density supplements. “Great, this is what I have been waiting to get back in my possession for so long, thank you so much.”

“Our pleasure,” he said with a nod. “I have to get with the local leaders, so if you need anything your communicator will connect with our personnel. And base will remain here until tomorrow morning.”

Sam watched him walk away as she affixed her in-ear communicator, popped a bone density supplement, and shouldered her bag as she started to head towards the others. Something bothered her, however, causing her to stop and power up the mobile loaned to her. This has been bothering me for WAY too long. She loaded up the browser and typed in “Cruella” while hitting the image tab.

These motherfuckers…

After holding her mobile in silence for a few awkward moments she quickly closed the browser, packed her mobile away, and quickly made her way towards Sebastian and Renzo. “Alright, long time no see!” she shouted over the increasingly loud mechanical white noise filling the area, seemingly intent on delivering a certain message.

Renzo looked up from his holographically displayed manual with a smirk. [Oh, well look at that. It’s Cruella back from the dead!]

Sam’s live in-ear translation was working as she expected, sending back a roll of her eyes. “Yeah, laugh it up. I’d like to see you live in space for three days without puking every time you try to stand up.”

Sebastian laughed in response, also making note of Sam’s translator software.

[What did she say?] Renzo spoke back to Sebastian with a straight face.

“And just for you, I will dye my hair all black tonight so you can all shove it with the stupid Cruella jokes,” she said with a joking frown, now standing between the two. She held her hand out to him, drawing an even more confused look. “Your mobile.”

[This?] he said, awkwardly handing it over to her. He watched Sam flip to a connection settings tab where she linked her in-ear communicator to his whole network.

“There. Isn’t this better?” she said, watching Renzo start to smile in wonder. “These types of communicators run differently and won’t set up in local networks automatically. That’s what I had to do.” She then turned to Sebastian. “Sorry,” she said with a purposefully and irritatingly cute tone. “Looks like I get to be back on my own with my linguistic independence.”

[Alright alright] Renzo interrupted as he flipped his mobile’s display back to the manual. [Enough of the small talk. Since we understand each other now, I need just one thing explained and that’s the advanced shortcut resets. I can figure that Hexa doesn’t want us toying with that, but I guarantee you that’s the first things I will want to get my hands on once they’re unloaded. Can it be done?]

“A lot can be reconfigured to your preference,” she responded with a look beyond where they were standing. The carriers’ door operation motors cranked up, attracting each of the pilots’ attention. Once they could see inside, the black-gray-speckled light blue urban camo patterned LTAC frames came into sight as Renzo and Sebastian looked upon them in awe.

[Holy shit, they’re beautiful,] Renzo mumbled.

“These look much better than the ones you first came in, I agree,” Sebastian commented as well. “Ap50… Yes, and these are very big upgrades over what we had.”

“Right. These anti-LTAC Ap50 units are the ones you have been studying,” Samantha replied, then pointed to the other carrier. “Those over there are Ai20’s which have anti-riot gear like the one I had, and some are also anti-tank, the Av-25’s. Two other one-offs. One, the Am-30, is anti-MBI if anything crazy happens, and the other is what I will be piloting.”

“Which is…?”

“You can see, later. Come on,” she said as she led them up the ramp. “Gotta get these down sometime!” Each of the six Ap-50’s lined up were a bit heavier than the Ai20 units Sam’s previous group was equipped with, including heavier jump-boosters, larger glide control fins, heavier weapons, and more magazines. The armor plating was also a bit sleeker in design, taking angles to help deflect smaller projectiles. Each one had much more subdued Hexa logos on each left shoulder compared to the last. Sam walked up to one of them, carefully avoiding crewmen who were walking up to each one for pre-unload check-ups. “These models park on their rollers, unlike the others, since they’re heavier and will take up more space. They also need to run on boost more than the others since the rollers can be overloaded going over bumpier grounds at higher speeds. Are you OK with such a big change?” she continued, now looking at the two.

[I’ve only known ours, which are so much lighter. But I know the advantages and will just need one test run to get used to the controls,] Renzo replied as he reached for the open switch. [Ah, just like ours. Are they always like this?]

“All the Bernauds are kind of Hexa rip-offs, so, yeah.”

Sebastian watched Renzo climb aboard as he spoke up: “We got back late last night after you were already asleep, spent all night and morning studying simulations they gave us. We haven’t slept at all, but this is so big… big of a deal. Big deal, very big deal.” He, too, continued to walk around it, still in as much awe as the rest.

[The helmets really are so much nicer than ours! Pictures didn’t do them justice!] Renzo shouted from inside as he tried on the attached helmet on, powering up the visor. [Even the cushion is nicer than I’d have expected! Padding and control placement, too! These take whole entire shits on our Caballeros!] He then activated the electronics system, feeling a cold breeze on his back through the ventilated seat backs. [Damn, the motherfucker really does have air conditioning!]

Sam had lost most of the nervousness she felt earlier and even forgot about her body aches for the moments she watched the two giddy as children on Christmas morning. She backed up as she saw crewmen come from behind with thumbs up. “OK, Renzo, go ahead and walk it out!” Her voice grew to shouts as she heard another incoming heavy lander pod.

The roller units under the feet retracted as the LTAC straightened its posture and slowly but steadily walked out and down the ramp. [I got the beacon. Bas, load up! Get the other’s in and ready as well! Convoy will take us to the practice grounds.]

Sam had now gotten off of the pod as she watched the other pilots from earlier walk on and load up. “Knight, you can bring the others to the next pod,” she heard over her communicator. She turned back around to see Dani approaching her with five others. “I got the word. Let’s load up!” As Sam motioned them to follow her, she noticed three armored carriers with anti-air emplacements unloading from the heavy lander pod she heard earlier. Well, Dad, this had to be you, she thought to herself. Everything is in such better-looking order, too. No confusion, no tension… Sam’s thoughts were cut off when she saw the contents of her lander pod in plain sight. In front of six of the other-model LTACs she saw something she hadn’t seen in months. Draped in a different, much grayer urban camo pattern coat in comparison to the others, the height was no different from other LTAC frames but the bulk was much more increased with break-away release joints on each armor plate, suggesting it had a lighter frame underneath when the demand arose. Rocket pods were at each corner complementing the heavier multi-purpose launcher docked on its shoulder harness. That’s the Axiom, alright. You really did send me the real thing. Bastards aren’t going to know what’s coming this time.

▽　▽　▽

“Hey, Reap…” Isaiah heard on his communicator ear piece from inside his truck driving down the highway towards Medellin.

Well, this can’t be good. “Go ahead, Rev.”

“You won’t believe what got dropped. Our Rocha friends and the boys we got for hire just might be fucked without us. Might I suggest a change in plans?”