– S C O R P I O N –

"We are now at stage 2 of recon!" I announced to the modest sized tech room in our temporary accommodation.

Within these walls were our most lethal, and our most closely trusted within Division 52. A purpose built hit team from my personal guard, assassins and scouts. No more than a dozen. All cross-checked by Proximo for this exact purpose. Each had a very specific skill set and would not hesitate to get the job done.

"It's fairly simple, ladies. We have two teams divided into two fusion Falcon carriers. This is a high altitude, low opening jump so all of you in this room are familiar."

I didn't miss Makayla cross her legs over twice in discomfort as she watched me do what I did best from a lounge chair behind. The men and women in the room either nodded or smirked in anticipation. As expected, they were keen to be put to use after our long dormant state of passive watching.

"We have exactly six drop sites where we need eyes on–" I gestured to the floor sized hologram that we circled around in the darkened room. The pale blue glow painting each one of their focused faces. "–air artillery and radar in Sector 1 to 5 will be knocked out at precisely 4 AM. There is no margin for error here, the reboot will be within minutes. This means we are out of those Falcons the moment our inside tech takes out the lights."

Nods dropped quickly around the room, among expressions of calculation and excitement.

"I need not ask the room if you have doubts to step out, because I already know each of you has a personal history with our esteemed Emperor of Merridian." Proximo pitched in a low, loud voice.

I chuckled at that. As did many surrounding the holo.

I then swept a hand across the pad on my forearm, changing the display until it morphed into six high peaked sky towers. They were shimmering shards above the cloud line.

"These are our targets." The faces in the room drew nearer and some dropped to a knee to analyse and distinguish the familiar buildings of Sector 1's skyline. "Six sky towers. All hooked up to Merridian's satellite network, and so I have been told... their greatest offence and defence."

Murmurs filled the air suddenly loud and debating fact verses fiction.

"That's enough." Proximo rumbled, stilling the air. He dropped a nod in my direction. I mimicked the move.

"The rumours are true. The Emperor has weaponry from satellites. We haven't seen these in action and we do not care to find out. That is why we have no room for error on this. We deploy evenly to all six locations and fit a jammer beacon in each. These have been tailored–" I swept a finger across my arm and a compact box of metal and silicon cylinders took the floor. "Each jammer will mimic Sector 1's weaponry protocol before locking them out of the system the moment they are activated. Until we need them to–they will not be used. At that point it will be too late for the Emperor's final card." I continued, detailing the land points, the structures comms beacons where the jammers would be effective and the blind spots. When I concluded I took a breath and appraised the room.

Shocked silence seemed to grip the room for moments until voices were found again.

"It's bold." Kartuga, a hitman from years back pitched in first. He slicked back his dark black mullet before nodded with a savage grin. "Nothing short of insanity, I love it."

Proximo cleared his throat. "Some intelligence too..."

Maccenzie laughed a sharp sound. A quick scout and always had a keen eye for threats. Then she placed a hand over a gun holster on her hip. "That scrawny bastard has so much due his way... after the way he handled the conflicts. This should even the scoreboard."

Others murmured in agreement as they eyed the holo. Hooded heads and tattooed arms crossed and tightened. It was personal. It was to all of us. I saw Makayla fidgeting again but I hadn't even brought in the best part of this mission yet...

"We in with chutes? Mag gloves?" Diego, from my personal guard questioned more loudly. His newly dyed blonde locks were long and corn rowed down one side of his head between detailed tattoos.

"No, I thought I would push you out the Falcon and see if you can stick the landing." I deadpanned him.

The room of killers burst into loud laughter before shoving Diego and honouring him with some slaps over the head. I smirked at him and he rolled his eyes good-naturedly.

"As expected with a HALO jump, you pull your chute as late as possible. If the radars come back online early, we need to be as low as possible before coming in to drop. If I find out that any of you becomes pink mist against one of those glass towers I am getting Diego to clean you up." I finished.

The room fell into guffaws again and Diego looked ready to start arming himself. "Yeah, fuck yourself Kartuga, I need to know what I'm in with." He grumbled.

When the mockery died down I added one more thing.

"Oh and, Makayla will be joining us." I said casually as I drew an arm back to let the group fix stares on her.

The room froze. As did Makayla's entire form. I grinned at her. Her response told me that I had just signed my own death warrant.

"Boss she's a civy?" Kartuga got out.

I snapped my eyes to him and he shrunk slightly.

"Please. Carry on your observations. Proximo, is it not riveting?" I questioned, without taking my lethal stare off him. He looked ready to crawl into the floor now.

"Positively captivating. But was it an actual question?" Proximo inquired, lurking closer to the hitman with disturbing grace.

"I trust your judgement." He quickly corrected himself and took a step away from Proximo's towering form.

Proximo only grinned at him that promised anything but friendship.

"Glad that's settled." I told him mostly, before pulling my eyes away from him. "Get some rest and be roof side by 2 AM sharp." I dismissed.

Confirmations filled the air and nods passed the room as the group left the darkened tech room to prepare for the night ahead. I didn't even need to turn to see Makayla's stare fixed on me like I had gone insane.

"Are you mad or trying to get me killed?"

I gave her a cool look and shrugged, "I need you there. You will jump with me." Before swiping at my arm and making the holo vanish, as if the plot against the Emperor had not just begun in front of his daughter's wide eyes.

"This should be fun." I smirked.

Proximo grinned.

Makayla looked ready to stab me.

— M A K A Y L A —

"It's just like riding a bike at 15,000 feet!" Proximo yelled over the winds that rushed past the hatch door of the Falcon carrier. "You never forget!" He told me with a shrug.

It was mostly the adrenaline and utter terror coursing through me but I grabbed the collar of Proximo's military grade jump suit and pulled him to face me.

"I have not forgotten because I have never been thrown from 15,000 feet!" I yelled at him, past strands of blonde hair tearing lose from my braid. I continued even when those lethal eyes dropped slowly to my hand placed on him. "You think the Emperor launched his daughter from jump ships for fun?!" I hit a high pitch that made others turn from their rows to see the "civi" lose her sense.

Some chuckled at our exchange before Proximo met their looks and they quickly became busy fastening harnesses and jump suits.

He took my hand in a moment, I thought, of comfort before carefully pulling it off his muscular shoulder and levelling me with those steel eyes.

"Personally I have no end to what I think your father is capable of. That's what makes him dangerous. We need to play an even more dangerous game if we wish to surprise him." I felt a quick shiver pass me at the words of the pure strategist before me.

He pressed a button on the side of the metal head and glass descended over his face. Lighting up only with blue text of altitude, distance and speed. Finally a devilish smirk broke behind the glass of his visor and he gave me a mocking look.

"So Makayla Xavier, would you like to know how to activate your chute, backup chute and impact stabilisers first? Or the mag gloves and harnesses for your equipment?"

I gawked at him like he had just told me my head would be severed with salad on the side. They cannot be serious. Alex cannot be serious. I cannot make a jump in military grade tech, routines and train—

"You realise I have only been stalling you."

My face went blank. "Why would you—"

The lights suddenly turned a deep red and the blackness of the night rushing by outside was all the more terrifying.

"So that Alex could finalise the autopilot coordinates and make the jump with you." He told me in the comm through the helmet simply.

"You mean I was never going to jump on my own? That you prolonged my despair for amusement?!" I demanded.

"Of course." He grinned.

I felt like hitting the second of Division 52. So instead I shoved him with both hands. He hardly moved and only laughed louder behind the helmet. This time others really did turn and stare at us like we had lost our sense.

I had to agree with their assessment. That was until I caught a figure watching us with hands on her hips. My mouth dried up. Even behind all the armour, harnesses and equipment, she was a goddess.

The leader of Division 52 watched her second a moment longer before turning to me.

"I bet he has been a joy."

"Only implied that I would be jumping out of that hatch on my own." I grumbled, throwing Proximo a dirty look.

"Well now, as entertaining as that would be..." I turned that look on Alex before she continued. "I need you alive and at my side for this one." She smirked as she paced towards me and grabbed a harness on my suit and tightened it.

The action alone made blood rush to my face and I had to remind myself she was checking the safety features of the suit. Her hands moved swiftly and deftly tightening and cross checking features as she went.

"Scorpion, I am truly wounded I have never received such arduous safety checks from you." Proximo said into the comm with a grin still firmly on his tattooed face.

Everything was painted red from the lights of the ship indicating it was almost time to drop. But she was still the purest of perfection—as she would be in any colour.

Alex did not take her eyes off her work as she continued to double check every piece of metal and silicon on my suit. "Proximo, I would be happy to send a fusion round through both of your chutes if you would like a challenge."

"I would still master that jump I'm sure."

Alex ignored him and stood to full height to meet my eyes. "So, how are you feeling?" She drawled in that voice. The very same one that knew it was a pointless remark in the current climate. Like asking how I was feeling after waking with a fusion round shot through me. It was strangely comforting...

Despite it all I nodded at her. "If I'm with you... I trust you and this is bearable."

Those golden eyes watched me more closely before they softened and she closed a few inches. "I would never let anything harm you. I would sooner die."

"Well let's maybe not talk of death when you're trying to convince me to jump with you." I said uneasily.

She laughed loudly and shook her head. Then placed both hands on either side of my helmet and kissed me deeply. My shock turned my body to stone before she released me swiftly and pressed a button on the side that closed my visor and lit with blue numbers.

"One of the many reasons I love you." She murmured before sealing her own helmet shut and stepping beside me. She took my hand when the red turned to green in the ship and bodies started disappearing into the night.

Proximo dropped us both a glorious nod of confidence and tipped an invisible hat. "See you on the other side, ladies." He said darkly through the comm before running into the black abyss eagerly.

I turned to Alex. We were the last ones in the ship with only a small window to jump as she had said. But she still seemed to take her time with me. Walked us slowly forward hand in hand as if we were leisurely strolling a park and not about to fall out of the sky.

"I have full control of both your suit and mine. You have nothing to fear." She told me calmly through the comm.

"I trust you with my life. I always have." Was all I said as I looked at the star-like night below. Millions of towers and lights and lives of those below Merridian. There was still no place I'd rather be than at her side.

So I turned to her once more. She was already watching me. And I nodded to her. She nodded back and we jumped together.