2 Days Later

— Skydia, Colyath 24, 8054 —

“Wait, we really don’t know where we’re going, yet?!”

“No?” Twy passed her sister a confused look. “No one’s told us yet.”

“…Oh. Huh…” Sky crossed her arms, her right hand held to her chin in thought. “…I thought I had just missed the announcement…”

“Sure wouldn’t be out of character for you,” Spike remarked.

“Yeah, but really… we still don’t know…?” Austin muttered, his gaze drifting beyond the small group. Early morning sunlight shone down on the four as they stood within the confines of Compound Tresnon’s tiny airport, prepared for the trip that Kaoné had announced to them earlier in the week. Pierce, Conrad, Phoenix, and Kestrel stood nearby — and, curiously enough, Mark, Danielle, and the entirety of CSF-1 were present, as well. All four members of the fireteam were dressed in desert robes and carrying luggage, just as everyone else, but the keen eye could make out the pieces of powered armor they wore underneath. Accompanying them were Ralak, Selind, and Gavon, with the latter two still dressed in their normal clothes, while Ralak appeared ready to travel.

Twy followed Austin’s gaze across the motley crew before turning back to him, Spike, and Sky. “It really is weird…” she said, her voice low. “Why is everyone here? What kind of trip needs even CSF-1 to come with us…?”

“They aren’t,” Conrad interjected, prompting Pierce, Phoenix, and Kestrel to also turn towards Twy. “They’re going somewhere else. Compound Falnon, it sounds like.”

“How do you know that?” Sky questioned.

“Conrad…” Phoenix pinched the bridge of her nose in annoyance. “Are you eavesdropping, again?”

Conrad responded with a shrug. “Hey, they’re right there. If what they’re doing was really a secret, then they wouldn’t be talking about it in front of us.”

“How do we know we aren’t going with them, though?” Austin asked.

“I sure as hell wouldn’t mind it,” Pierce remarked. “Wherever they’re going with all that equipment — they have to be fighting Bleeders. I could really use some action!”

“What, haven’t been getting enough with your little girlfriend?” Phoenix snarked.

Pierce shot Phoenix a foul glare, but then turned away without saying a word.

“…Uuuuhhh…?” Phoenix regarded him with confusion, followed by brief realization — and then a haughty smirk. “Oooh, does this have anything to do with why she isn’t here to see you off—?”

“Ahem… anyways,” Spike interjected, loudly clearing his throat in an obvious attempt to redirect the conversation. “Whatever’s happenin’, it seems pretty clear that it’s all hands on deck. Seems pretty important.”

“No students…” Kestrel observed.

“True… I don’t see any of the Tresédian students around,” Conrad affirmed. “I guess this trip is just us, again?”

“That’s hardly new,” Twy pointed out. “…Though, I still can’t shake the feeling that something’s off…”

“Everything is off these days. But don’t worry, y’all’ll be fine.”

The eight Keys turned toward Davídrius as he approached, at which point they noticed Kaoné walking beside him — and just like everyone else present, the two Deans were carrying a single bag of luggage each.

“Good morning, everyone,” Kaoné greeted as everyone turned to face the two Deans.

“Even you’re coming with us?” Austin questioned incredulously while staring at Davídrius’s bag.

“It’s an important next step in— …your training,” Davídrius replied.

“What were you about to say?” Phoenix challenged.

“I said what I said,” Davídrius insisted.

“Ever the cagey one, ain’t we?” Selind remarked.

“Oh shut it, you. You ain’t even goin’ on any of these trips!”

“What, I can’t say ‘farewell’ to a friend before they leave? Wish ‘em well?”

Davídrius responded with a wary sigh, but before he could say anything, Kaoné spoke instead.

“I thank you all for bearing with us these past couple days,” she said, addressing the Keys — as well as Mark and Danielle, who had stepped up beside them. Kaoné offered them a brief nod of greeting before continuing, “it’s taken us that time to iron out all of the details, so I’m sorry we couldn’t give you any details earlier.”

“Get to the point,” Pierce insisted irately. “Where are we going, and what are we doing?”

“More trainin’, off-world,” Davídrius declared. “We’re goin’ by Gate, so we’ll be headin’ to Nimaliaka Central, first. There, we’ll meet up with Christeané and Rebehka. At that point, we’re splittin’ up into two groups. Austin, Pierce, Spike, Conrad — the four of y’all are goin’ with me and Christeané to Nayasis, a Tier 5 World in Union space.”

“And Twy, Sky, Phoenix, and Kestrel will travel with Rebehka and I to Karania, a Tier 4 World — also in Union space,” Kaoné said. “Traveling to these low-tier worlds will give us an opportunity to train without disturbing anyone, in a way that we can’t quite do here on Nimalia.”

“Treséd is a massive wasteland, isn’t it?” Austin pointed out, “if we need lots of space, why do we need to go to entirely different planets for it?”

“The Bleeders are still a problem, here,” Spike stated.

“Which then makes you wonder why both of you are willing to leave,” Phoenix questioned while eying Kaoné and Davídrius — but particularly Davídrius. “You’ve never been fond of us,” Phoenix remarked to the Dean, “and now, you’re willing to leave behind your home while it’s in danger, just to train with us?”

“You’re exaggeratin’ the danger,” Davídrius insisted, and then gestured off to the side, towards Selind, Gavon, Ralak, and CSF-1. “They’re all more than enough to cover for me while I’m gone.”

“B-but… but aren’t we—?” Kirstin began to question, only to be cut off by Saito.

“We’ll take care of the Bleeders for you, Dean. Don’t worry,” the Colonel declared.

Davídrius passed Saito a quick glance before shaking his head and turning back to the Keys. “…Anyways, that’s the plan.” He then looked at Mark and Danielle. “Hey, you two — ya’ll’re comin’ along, right? Which groups’re y’all goin’ with?”

“Seems obvious to me,” Sky remarked, “since you’ve already split us by gender!”

“Yeah, was that intentional?” Conrad questioned.

Kaoné shook her head. “It’s mostly a coincidence, really. The motivation for splitting you all into two groups has more to do with your Chaotic abilities. You girls — as well as myself, and Rebehka — have abilities that are very good at affecting a wide area, or at a range. While you guys, just like Davídrius and Christeané, have abilities that are better suited to fighting single targets up close.”

“I feel like the exception to that…” Phoenix muttered.

“Me, too,” Conrad stated. “I’m not really any good in a fight to begin with.”

“One of your Chaostechnic types is Directed, Phoenix,” Kaoné pointed out. “There are a couple of Directed abilities, like Impact, that can affect an area. And some of the others can be made to do so with keywords. But, and more importantly, all of your abilities have range — something that isn’t quite so inherent to the guys.”

“I don’t need ranged attacks when I can run at supersonic speeds,” Pierce declared.

“That just shows how much you have to learn,” Davídrius stated. “But that’s why we’re splittin’ y’all up.”

“By that logic, it would make sense for me to go with the guys, anyways,” Mark commented. “Seeing as how I’m a Force- and Duratechnic.”

“Then I’ll go with the girls!” Danielle exclaimed.

“It’s really an interesting split, though…” Twy observed. “…Are guys more likely to have single-target Chaotic abilities, or something?”

“No. This is pure coincidence,” Davídrius declared. “Karísah is a Forcetechnic, too, remember?”

“I think Mote’s Electrotechnism would fit into the ‘area-effect’ descriptor, as another counterpoint,” Mark pointed out.

“Two counterpoints don’t tell us anything about if a trend exists or not across the entire galaxy,” Phoenix said. “Anecdotes aren’t evidence, after all. …Though, I guess, the same applies to the eight of us.”

“There have been millions and millions of Chaotics in this galaxy, over the past and present,” Kaoné explained. “If there was a trend for gender or sex to determine your Chaotic ability, then we’d see it in the data. But, to my knowledge, that trend doesn’t exist. There do exist trends based on your race — such as Dra’kis having a higher chance to become Chaotics than anyone else in the galaxy, or Siions being more likely to be Introtechnics or Materiatechnics than the other categories of Chaotic abilities. But nothing based on sex.”

“And now we’re gettin’ away from the point,” Davídrius interjected. “Looks like everyone’s packed, so let’s get a move-on! Gate schedules wait for no one!” He then began leading the Keys toward one of the craft waiting in the airport, while offering a quick wave toward Selind and Gavon. “If Tresnon gets fucked while I’m gone, then there’s gonna be hell to pay!”

“I wouldn’t dream of provokin’ your wrath,” Selind replied dryly as the group walked off. However, as Mark and Danielle passed by, trailing the Keys, Saito stepped forward to grab Mark’s shoulder.

Mark stopped walking, looking down at Saito’s hand and then the man himself in confusion. “…Sir?”

“Just wanted to wish you good luck, Mark,” Saito declared, and then surreptitiously removed a slip of paper from his pocket and handed it to Mark. With his voice lowered, he continued, “I need you to look into something for me while you’re on Nayasis.”

“What…?” Mark replied in confusion, though he still lowered his voice to match Saito. He quickly read the note on the slip of paper, only to turn back to Saito incredulously. “…Is this a Gate coordinate?”

“Nayasis is a Tier 5 World — that means large periods of downtime between Gate connections, and likely very few, if any, people watching the Gate,” Saito explained. “During a couple of those openings, I want you to try dialing that coordinate. If you get a connection, don’t try to communicate with the other side. Just tell me that a connection was made.”

“Okay… but, sir, this coordinate doesn’t look right. Like it’s missing digits…”

“That’s intentional. Just follow the instructions to dial it. Oh — and if you ever establish a connection with that coordinate, see if you can dial Earth, as well. If you can, do that multiple times over the course of your trip, just to be sure. I’ll explain what it all means when you get back.” He then glanced to the Keys in the distance, particularly toward Conrad — who himself quickly looked away. “…Preferably, when our resident eavesdropper can’t listen.”

Mark glanced at Conrad in confusion before turning back to look doubtfully at the Colonel. “…Alright, sir,” he eventually conceded as he put the piece of paper into one of his pockets. “I take it you want me to do this without telling anyone else, too?”

“That ship might have sailed, but don’t tell anyone if you can help it,” Saito remarked, and then pat Mark on the back. “Thanks, Mark. I knew I could count on you. You can get going, now. Oh, and Ashworth — I know you’re listening. You should stop doing that. Preferably before I’m forced to take corrective action.”

“Uh… right,” Mark responded; behind him, in the distance, Conrad’s posture could be seen noticeably stiffening. “…Should I be watching him, sir?”

“Don’t worry, Mark. I’m sure things will be fine.”

“Okay… well, good luck with your mission, sir,” Mark responded, and then turned away to rush after the Keys and the Deans.

Saito’s gaze lingered on Mark’s retreating form for a second before he turned around and stepped back up to the rest of his team, Ralak, Selind, and Gavon.

“What was that about, sir?” Luke questioned.

“Oh, just a quick little request. Nothing too important,” Saito responded airily.

“Ah, yes, nothing important, indeed,” Gavon remarked with a knowing smile. “My favorite level of importance, I have to say.”

“Alright, you cheeky bastard,” Selind retorted as she elbowed him in the side. “Don’t give these outsiders a hard time. They’ve promised to help us out, after all.”

“Yes…” Ralak muttered, eying Saito uneasily. “…Are you sure you can trust me? I am a former Bleeder.”

“I’m sure we’ll get along fine,” Saito declared.

“I’m more concerned about whether or not you trust us,” Hackett stated while looking Ralak head to toe. “It doesn’t look like you’re wearing any armor. You don’t even have a side-arm, with you. You have to know how easy it is to take out an unshielded Chaotic?”

“I’m not the Head of Combat for nothin’,” Ralak countered. “But energy shieldin’ makes my Chaotic ability impossible to use. I need to be able to touch things directly to control ‘em.”

“Th-then… w-why the gloves…?” Kirstin questioned uneasily.

Everyone’s attention turned to the elbow-length black gloves that Ralak was wearing; the same gloves that she always wore. She shifted uneasily under the attention, saying, “I wear these for… personal reasons.”

“And we should really leave it at that,” Selind insisted while passing Kirstin a glance, who wilted under her gaze.

“S-sorry…” she quietly apologized.

“I kind of wish I could go with you all, though,” Gavon commented as he looked over the four members of CSF-1. “I’ve rarely done this kind of hunting and tracking of criminals. Reminds me of Sword of the Weak, actually.”

“Reminds you of what?” Luke questioned.

“Oh, sorry. Sword of the Weak is a spec ops squad under the Red Suns, in Sector 2,” Gavon explained. “Hunting down rogue and highly dangerous Chaotics is their thing. One of the few good things to come out of Sector 2, really.”

“Not all Bleeders are Chaotics,” Ralak said.

“Well, no, but enough of them are to be dangerous,” Gavon replied. “Looks like you’re preparing well for that, though, huh, Colonel? Luke?”

“Yeah… what are those things?” Selind questioned as she gestured toward a couple of large black cases that Hackett and Luke had with them. The cases were clearly separate from their weapons, and shaped more like cubes.

“Portable CENT fields,” Hackett declared. “We brought a few from Earth.”

“They’re standard equipment for going up against Chaotics,” Saito added. “Especially when you aren’t a Chaotic yourself.”

“Hmm…” Ralak eyed the cases uneasily. “…Good idea, but we can’t carry those things everywhere. My contact in Falnon will be wary with the four of you there, as is.”

“Well it’s not like we’re walking, right?” Luke pointed out, “if need be, we can stash the cases in the car. Or… whatever we’re using to get to Falnon.”

“True… and speakin’ of that, we should get goin’,” Ralak stated. “Falnon is a full day’s drive from Tresnon. If we want to get there before nightfall, we need to leave soon.”

“It’s right on the edge of Tresnon’s influence, too,” Selind quickly added. “I’ve sent word to the Defense Force squad I’ve got stationed there, so they know that someone from Tresnon will be comin’ through, but don’t be surprised if our word or name doesn’t carry much weight with the locals.”

“Understood,” Saito responded with a firm nod. He then looked to Ralak. “Well, let’s get going. Lead the way.”

“I wish you all luck!” Gavon shouted after Ralak and CSF-1 as they began leaving. “Find a lead so we can finally kick these sky-damned Bleeders out of Treséd, won’t you?”

“We’ll certainly try,” Luke responded in kind. “Hold the fort for us! We’ll be back before you know it!”

“That is our job!” Selind remarked, still standing next to Gavon as the two watched the group leave. Once they were out of earshot, Selind and Gavon turned to exit the airport as well, returning to their duties in Tresnon. Just as the two stepped beyond the airport’s walls and turned down the street, however, two hooded figures finally emerged from hiding behind a nearby hangar. Quietly, they followed in the steps of Ralak and CSF-1, nigh-invisible barriers marking their every step to prevent them from directly touching the ground — and thus, preventing them from leaving any tracks. One of them stopped for a brief moment to stare out into the distance, at the aircraft bearing the Deans and the Keys that was already disappearing into the distant skies. Her hand drifted up to her mouth, absentmindedly caressing the scar that crossed it as she watched the craft shrink with distance.

“Hey! Get goin’! We’ll lose ‘em!”

“Ah… right! Sorry!” She quickly turned back and quietly rushed after her friend, silently remaining on the tail of Ralak and CSF-1.