Sharif paused after reading off the names before changing to a more solemn tone. “And these were all men with families. I want you to look at this list of names once more, and then I want you to study these pictures. Study them well.” Immediately after that, Sam’s enlistment photo came up, fully enlarged and complete with biographic information, reading: “Samantha A. Knight, Akkadia One, 25, Hexa: Infinity Pilot, Kill History: 5.”

“What?!” she blurted out, heart beating faster and starting to feel faint. Where did they get my information from?! And what- who did I even kill!?

[How?! We’ve been hit by a mole?!] Sebastian joined in thought.

“Hey, that’s you!” Andre said as he read the next screen showing the enlarged bio for Sebastian, reading: “Sebastian D. Navarre, Colombia, 26, Hexa: Infinity Pilot, Kill History: 27.” Holy shit! Now that’s a kill count! Oh, snap,” he then said in reaction to his own profile, reading: “Andre K. Nguyen, 28, Hargrove-A, Hexa: Infinity Pilot, Kill History: 14.”

“No, for real! Who got our info like this leaked!?” Kerry joined in the other two’s shock and panic. Her bio had showed up last, reading: “Kerrington S. Melancon, NAU, 24, Hexa: Infinity Pilot, Kill History: 18.”

And what’s with all these unreal kill counts!? I bet that’s what got them upset in the first place! Sam thought as she started to panic, unable to say what was on her mind. This is why you don’t shoot to kill but no one listens!

Kerry then quickly elected to stop being distracted and get back to getting dressed out for duty. “This is some right bullshit! How could they possibly know this?! Who the fuck is leaking this shit!?”

“We had many problems like this at home for me and my team this year,” Sebastian added as he too reached for his bag to finish preparing.

Sam was able to shake off the panic enough to catch on to what was about to unfold. “Hey, hold up! This might not be the best time to look into showing our faces, right?!”

“Sounds to me like we are public enemy number one,” she snapped while keeping her face down at her pilot suit she was straightening out to hop into. “We still haven’t heard from Director. We need to finish getting ready and at least stand by, so that’s what we are going to do, dammit.”

.

.

Across the way, Marian was continuing to watch intently, taken then by surprise as she saw Danielle’s profile on display, but this time was her own side-by-side with a recent picture in Hexa uniform and an old picture in her old EC Union Naval uniform.

Well, well.

The profile caption read: Danielle N. Norris (Formerly Salim), Mitannia Two, 42, Hexa: Infinity Deployment and Operations Director.

Harbinger

Former Casares Rebellion Pilot

Kill Count (Lifetime): 244

Kill Count (Bangladesh This Year): 16

And that instant she swore she heard an uproar sweep across the nation.

That’s going to hit a sore spot, she thought, noting the inclusion of not only such detail but the fact she was a former Rebellion pilot. The same Rebellion that claimed countless Confederacy men and women serving for or near the armed forces, wiping out entire bases and spaceports, crippling the global economy that had only just recently reached some semblance of stability. That title alone was guaranteed to painfully resonate through the onlookers not only locally but anywhere else across Earth. Such lovely memories you bring back to us all, Miss Salim. She reached over to grab her cup of tea she had placed next to her on the end table, taking a slow sip while her mind wandered off in thought, tuning out Sharif’s ensuing message. So, I guess this is the part where you hold your promise? Is this the plan to get them to leave without anyone putting up any more of a fight than they already have?

.

Back at the Parliament building where Isaiah was still parked outside awaiting key developments from inside his LTAC, his eyes had been closed for most of the speech delivery Sharif just finished. He took one last deep breath before stretching out his hands, popping his knuckles before firmly placing them over the control sticks. But before his feet found the pedals, another incoming call indicator rang inside his earpiece. He was visibly annoyed once more, tempted to hit “dismiss” as he had all night.

“Are we not moving out?” Requiem called out to him over the radio, expecting the ending to bring about their next move.

“Hold on one more time,” he replied in a frustrated tone, switching over to the incoming call. “Yes, Rex.”

“This is the last stunt you pull on our watch, Reaper,” the digitally masked voice coldly and sternly warned. “The next will be costly, not only to our operations and our trust with other collaborators, but to you as well.”

“Government reset has been a total success. The military will not put up a fight. The people are outraged towards the exiting party as well as Hexa, so that is our cue to finish the job.”

“At this rate it’s far too late, damn it!” the voice barked in anger. “Your actions just angered one of our major donors who expected the Parliament to remain intact! And worst of all, you just lost us over a dozen local volunteers’ lives!” He paused a moment to regain his thoughts while Isaiah sat still, impatient but keeping his mouth closed. “We had a clean victory on the way and you blew it again. Stand down and allow locals to control the situation.”

Isaiah knew the locals were essential sacrifices used to turn the populace against Hexa, only taking the beneficial side effect of anger towards the former ruling party as well for having ever employed them. He also knew the pilots he was about to take with him to clean up were all foreign sourced and battle trained. “There won’t be any more casualties except for those on their end, and we shouldn’t use locals to fight.”

“But you just did.”

“It was already agreed by their end that it was a necessary loss to catalyze the change needed and it succeeded as expected. Now, it’s best to move forward now and clean up base while we have the momentum.”

“Until I speak with the man myself, I won’t take any result as anything but insubordination. Now, mind you I had just warned you of the next consequences.”

He bit down, hunching his shoulders as he gripped the controls more tightly for a moment, finally relaxing and sitting back straight as he took a deep, slower breath. “We will wait for one wave of their response to fail, and then we all move out,” he flatly stated in compromise, feeling the time to overstep his authority may come but not quite yet.

“Stand down until told to move,” the voice ordered in a similar tone before disconnecting.

“Hey,” Revenant called over this time. “That was boss, right? What’d he say?”

“We are standing by,” Isaiah curtly replied.

“And… waiting for what this time?” Requiem joined in on the conversation in curiosity.

.

.

.

▽　▽　▽

.

“Load up and await launch orders. We don’t know what they are sending or when, or if it’s all one big bluff,” Sam played Danielle’s message back in her head over and over again as the four pilots marched out the main hallway exit and into the hangar area where they saw their cleaned up LTACs awaiting them. A new shield caught Sam’s eye, then noted a smaller version was equipped on the other three.

Just like I was hoping. At least there’s this. That was one hell of a safety net.

Sebastian had checked on Sam every few moments, concerned about how strangely quiet she had been since what was essentially a declaration of war on Hexa, fearing she would be far from a war zone-safe state of mind. Having gone against so much before, he didn’t mind the threat. He had even faced off with a full sized mech once before. But that was different as during those times he was only concerned with his own mental and physical state as his brothers and sister never gave him any trace of doubt. He couldn’t get Sam off of his mind, however, and her stoutly preoccupied expression worn on her face didn’t help.

[I hope we weren’t too rough on her in the past. I never thought for how loud or seemingly strong she came off as… that she was this vulnerable. Please, keep being strong for me.]

.

This whole damn country knows my face, now. They think I’m a killer, at that…

Sam paused as she reached the ladder extending from the open cockpit of the Axiom, trying her best to wipe the clouds of doubt away. A hand was warmly placed on her shoulder from behind, causing hers to reach over to take a hold of it, knowing who’s hand it was that comforted her in a time like this.

“Easy on the doubts, focus on the piss-off,” Kerry’s voice from immediately behind her startled her as her hand reflexively dropped to her side.

Turning, she saw Kerry with an unusually empowering smile and a pat on the head. “I see your boy here worries a lot about you, and now we are worried, too.”

“Thanks,” Sam replied with a grin she couldn’t hold back. She forgot how much she grew to trust her over the short time they had been together, forced to come to better understand her and see past the false sense of hostility. “I’ll shake it off, don’t worry.”

“Alright then, that’s it. Be pissed off, get tore up. They put us on blast for shit you know they had no business in. Am I right? Make it your extra weapon.” But instead of waiting for a response she simply left it at that with one last firm pat on the shoulder where her hand was and walked off towards her Ap50.

Wait a second, that’s a hell of a lot like something Burnley would say… she thought with a frown that quickly relaxed back into a light grin and a chuckle. Just a less creepy, cuter version instead. Ah, she thought as she heard what was without a doubt the sound of Sebastian’s footsteps behind her, causing her to turn around and feel more of the comfort she was seeking.

“I came here to complain,” Sebastian stiffly spoke before breaking into a similar smile.

She matched grins along with a shake of her head. “About what?”

“No, really,” he said as he looked to the hanging sub-machine gun mounted just behind and over his head. “I want you to stop worrying about the ones who want to take your life and what people watching TV think of you,” he said as his tone grew more serious. “I would rather you feel like a monster and come back to me, all safe and alive, than to continue worry about being a monster and letting them take you. Do you understand?”

He’s talking about my persistence with shooting below the core. I must have been saying that too much. But it’s protocol! I can’t help it! she mentally pleaded her case to no one as she continued thinking of the best way to respond. “You know… I don’t recall signing up for a position requiring me to be violent to a lethal extent… not like you three are so easily able to do. But I get it,” she said as her head tilted back, closing her eyes in gesture of admitting error in judgment. “I will take what they throw at me. If that’s how they come at me, I will throw it back.”

“That wasn’t a yes or no,” he joked back with a smile to try to lighten the mood back to where it was. “But alright, Cruella.”

“Alright, bastard,” she shot back with a playful shove to his shoulder.

“Stop fucking playing and load up!” they heard Kerry blast over her speakerphone system behind them.

Sam jumped initially in reaction but was quickly calmed by Sebastian’s sudden embracing hug.

“I was serious. Come back to me no matter what you have to do out there.”

“I will,” she replied as she pulled her head back to reach her chin up, giving him a quick kiss before releasing the embrace, turning to climb the ladder before being scolded again for taking up time.

Ugh, I still got that biryani breath, they both coincidentally thought in unison, continuing to load up.

.

.

.

Not too far to the west flew in three aerial equipment carriers, the one in the middle seeming big enough to carry about twelve LTACs, and the two on the side carrying only up to about four each. Each was marked with Hexa’s logo and was inbound on Dhaka city, but looking down from the craft one could only see dreary overcast cloud coverage.

Danielle entered a small, cramped, but efficient communications room where she was joined by Gabriel along with two other staff members. She looked back at her watch as she hovered over several digital maps with annotations covering each one, linking several spots of the city to the surrounding areas as if to draw up a set of escape routes.

Still twenty minutes to arrival… “Go ahead and let the next in command down there know the situation,” she spoke to the field operations officer sitting just behind her. “She then looked to Gabriel who was still tracing lines from what looked to be one of their carrier craft to the Parliament. In the backdrop, one of the maps showed a scattered assortment of red icons descending upon the airfield. “Let me listen in on this real quick, keep looking at those alt routes.” She turned to listen to the upcoming conversation between the officer and the ground team.

“CCT to Tejgaon. Bangladeshi military still en route to your location. Approximate arrival in five minutes. Expect official communication from their command between now and their arrival.”

“Copy, CCT. This is Tejgaon. All forces are gathered and awaiting further instruction.”

“Ensure the implosion devices are installed on each piece of equipment to remain.”

“Copy, CCT.”

“Live equipment count.”

“Sixteen Av25 units standing by, four anti-LTAC standing by. Two personnel carriers standing by. Leaving behind all others. Inform if numbers need to be altered.”

“Roger. CCT out.” The officer then turned to speak to Danielle as she turned off her headset. “Ma’am, your input, if any.”

“Go ahead and allow the main carrier to continue its evac route,” she calmly answered, hiding her buried, sickening feeling of regret for allowing the push to continue, knowing there wasn’t enough room for all the LTAC units to fit, leaving a few to ultimately get stranded. I have to do this. It’s us or them, and I can’t run. She turned back to look over her shoulder at Gabriel, who still had a pen in hand. “Sticking to plan A. We are going to dump the A-P’s we got on board. Change the numbers to twelve plus personnel, four, and four. Put spec-op on this ship.”

Gabriel stood up straight, stretching his back muscles for a moment as he continued eyeing the map. “Sounds like it’s the only way,” he replied with a look back to her together with a nod of agreement.

“CCT to Tejgaon,” the officer picked the line back up. “Pickup and board pattern twelve, four, four on our mark.”

“Copy.”

“CCT out.”

Danielle broke the ensuing moment of stiff silence with one last request. “Get eyes on ground zero to respond on the location of the Cloaks.”

“CCT to Jasper, respond when you are secure.”

Moments passed before a man on the other end finally picked up. “Jasper. I’m clear.”

“Physical sight confirmation of the Cloaks.”

“Three present at the steps as of the current. No movement by any other forces present.”

“Roger. Switch radio activity to live upon their movement. CCT out.”

Shit. I don’t know what they have planned, but this has to work, and has to work quickly before those Cloaks move. “Sly, will need your help dumping those two A-P’s when we get the clear. We should be there in fifteen.”

Gabriel nodded in affirmation all the while reading the aura Danielle was putting off, sensing more nervousness from her than he had ever felt before in the past war. “We’ll get them back,” he added with a smile. “We’ll get them out of there, but until then…-”

“-right,” she interrupted in anticipation of what was being suggested. “Let’s focus on the ground team. Enemy is arriving any minute now,” she continued, taking her spot back hovering over the maps, placing her earpiece back in her ear. She then brought up a new map display to her right, showing the enemy units inbound with ETA and travel vector quantities.

Gabriel then turned to take a pair of goggles he put over his face, switching them on as he placed his hands on a set of controls that were integrated into the table section where sat. “And now, I take it that’s my que for some quick, live assessing and what not.” Through his in-goggle screens he launched a surveillance drone from the carrier by way of rocket delivery, ensuring the drone got there as quickly as absolutely possible. It wouldn’t be long before the green light signaled the release of the drone as he quickly guided it downward, speeding towards the Tejgaon demolition zone while using the VR function of the goggles to look around, taking in all metrics linked up with his radar information, including all inbound Bangladeshi military marked units. “Let’s hope I don’t crash heading through this cloud cover.”

The drone zipped through turbulent winds with zero visibility for almost a full minute before finally catching full visibility of the city below. Yes, perfect, not too low. The drone was guided in a straight line for the region north of Tejgaon, en route to establish a position between the threat and the air field base.

“Ground Team this is CCT Norris. Eyes inbound and on time. No enemy contact attempted, requesting switch to field command.” he heard over the channel linked between his carrier and the base.”

“Roger that, director. Switching to field command,” the voice spoke back as Gabriel maintained his focus ahead.

“This is ground team field command,” Kerry’s voice joined in the channel as Gabriel spotted incoming gunboats, noticing what looked like unfamiliar markings. “Outside on stand-by, weapons active, awaiting orders.”

“Hey Rook,” Gabriel spoke blindly across the room as he was not connected to the radio channel. “These aren’t Bangladesh’s colors or marks. What the fuck gives?”

“What do you see?” he heard her ask.

“Shit… um…” he thought out loud as he zoomed the camera in, panning close enough to make out an unconventionally shaped flag that brought up no ID results. “Nothing on it. These are bought ships and tanks, all of them.”

“No wonder they hired us in the first place,” she replied with similar bewilderment. “They did say way back that they had no substantial military force. Where the hell did these come from?”

Shit, I spot something else new, he thought as he raced over from a different angle, panning his zoomed-in camera over the LTAC rank advancing. “Rook, tell them we are looking at full RC gear.”

“Field command this is CCT Norris,” she quickly spoke up back over the radio. “Be advised, incoming LTAC squads have shielding equipment that are capable of stopping your hybrid rounds, watch your shot placement.”

.

.

Sam’s technical memory was immediately triggered upon hearing that description. She sat upright in her seat, hands clasped under her chin as she continued recollecting rumors about experimental designs she overheard throughout the months back home. She knew it was no time to sit and waste energy on anxiousness, blocking it out with the task at hand. “I remember now!” she said to herself before tuning in the group-only channel. “Refractive coating. It disperses the photon energy carried by the hybrid round, just like the shields we have. That’s what they are talking about.”

“But with these shields we are shooting one handed,” Kerry responded, noting they would be shooting with handicapped accuracy. “How are we to place shots better?”

“Aim low, hit the legs and destabilize and disable their frames,” Sam answered with a sudden surge in confidence. “With the numbers that are possibly coming, this would be the most time efficient since-”

“-CCT Norris this is Ground Team! Incoming transmission from the BNM!” the operator’s voice from earlier interrupted with urgency. “Putting on broadcast!”

Sebastian immediately felt the need to prepare for launch, placing his hands on the control sticks and allowing each finger to rest over each input button at the ready.

A local military commander’s voice came up over their channel and started speaking: “All present forces, you are by declaration of the highest authority to be under arrest.”

Andre closed his eyes, joining in the expectation that the call to engage would come any second.

“We will open fire upon any resistance or attempts to flee.”

Gabriel immediately pulled back his drone, climbing higher into the sky just below the cloud cover line before getting a full view of the potential conflict zone below.

“Remain where you are, stand down, and power down all equipment.”

All was still silent across the airfield complex. “CCT Norris, this is Ground. What is our response?” the operator nervously requested direction over the closed channel.

Sam was back to feeling the burning nervousness rush over her face and through her heart, listening intently while looking over to her three teammates standing close by, just beyond the main gate.

Danielle’s voice finally came up: “Give no response. Await further orders.”

What?! They are headed right for us! Sam thought as she for the fourth time checked her weapons ready status.

This is bullshit, Kerry thought before realizing there had just been a large set of incoming battle map data updates streaming from a surveillance drone nearby. Huh? Where did that come from?

“Administration orders no negotiating with any aggressors,” Danielle added firmly. “Continue evac preparation and guard the landing area until we arrive overhead!”

The military representative from earlier lost patience as he started to yell: “This is your last chance to respond! All terrorist activity is a federal crime and punished by law! Stand down immediately or we will open fire!”

“Field command!” the four heard over their closed team channel.

Mr. Silva?! they all thought as they heard his voice suddenly and unexpectedly shout out. So, he was the one behind all this sudden useful data streaming?

“This is your eye in the sky!” Gabriel continued. “Get ready to launch! Pattern A until they split up, then follow the split with Pattern C! Moving out in T minus 15 seconds!”

Sam breathed out in relief, remembering the trainer behind the formation design that paired with their newer operating system was somehow able to be flying above them like a guardian angel. Pattern A. Just like last night but with our boosters. She then checked her weapons for the fifth time, taking in and letting out one last deep breath.

“Ten.”

“Confirming LTAC images uploaded and visible,” Kerry spoke up amidst the countdown. “Shields confirmed, aim low!”

“Five.”

“Keep the fight away from the wall!” Andre remembered as he too joined with a shout. “Don’t give them another reason to hate us in case we bail!”

“Launch!”