I watched the monitor as the data streamed in—drone patterns, encrypted messages, troop counts. All pieces of a puzzle I didn't have the full picture for yet. But one thing was becoming increasingly clear: the southeast perimeter wasn't random. VEX was moving with intent.
I leaned back in my chair, rubbing my temples. Our resources were thinning—bullets, rations, tech. We couldn't afford a full-on confrontation. And we didn't have an army.
But that's the thing—we never did.
The door behind me opened.
Akio and Amara stepped into the room, the soft click of their boots echoing off the concrete floor. They both stood a few paces away, backs straight, trying to look calm. But I could see it in their eyes—uncertainty. Amara's lips were pressed into a tight line, and Akio looked like he hadn't exhaled since they walked in.
"Sit," I said.
They did.
I tapped a key and brought up the government-issued contract on the wall screen behind me. It was a digital document—cold, emotionless, like everything else the Ministry approved.
"This is how we stay alive," I began. "Not through alliances. Not through diplomacy. Just this."
Akio leaned forward slightly, squinting at the words. Amara remained still, her gaze flicking between me and the document.
"The government doesn't pay for a standing army anymore," I continued. "It's cheaper for them to outsource war. So they hire people like us—send us missions, pay us by result. No success, no payment."
I let that sink in before I turned to face them.
"We don't get medals. We don't get pensions. What we get is money. And if we're smart, we get to live long enough to use it."
Amara's voice was soft but steady. "That's why you built this place."
I nodded. "This outpost exists because we've taken missions others wouldn't. Ashford and I—we've bled to keep this system working."
Akio spoke up. "And now it's our turn."
"Exactly."
I stood, reached down to the table, and picked up a small black case. I popped it open. Two sleek custom earpieces rested inside, matte finish, low signal emissions, range-boosted.
"Your next assignment is a stealth op," I said. "No backup. Just the two of you. Ashford and I will stay here, monitoring the comms through these."
I held out the case.
Akio took one of the earpieces with both hands like it might shatter. Amara followed suit, her fingers brushing his briefly as she grabbed hers.
I watched their expressions shift.
First: curiosity.
Then: realization.
Then came the silence.
That tight, weighted pause where both of them realized what this meant.
No more test runs. No more simulations. This was the real thing.
"You're sending us alone?" Akio asked, his tone controlled—but just barely.
"Yes," I said. "You're capable."
Neither of them moved.
Amara stared at the earpiece like it was a bullet with her name on it. Akio looked at the ground, jaw tight. They weren't saying anything, but I could read their body language like a book.
Hesitation.
Doubt.
Fear.
I opened my mouth to speak—but the door opened before I could get a word out.
Ashford stepped in, eyes cold and expression sharper than a blade. He glanced at the three of us, read the air instantly, and scoffed.
He didn't walk in—he stormed in like a man sick of waiting.
"You two frozen for a reason?" he asked, voice low, biting. "Or just admiring the tech?"
Akio looked up, startled. Amara blinked.
Ashford didn't wait for a reply. He marched to the side of the table, stood across from them, and leaned forward.
"We don't tolerate people who can't do their job just because they're scared," he said, eyes widening slightly—just enough to sharpen the intensity in his glare. "If you can't do it, get lost. Go back to whatever life you were wasting before this. Stay exactly who you are. Comfortable. Useless."
His words weren't loud. They didn't need to be.
They were cold enough to freeze the air.
Amara's shoulders tensed, but she didn't respond.
Akio clenched his fists.
That silence returned.
But this time it was different.
It wasn't fear.
It was pressure. A choice waiting to be made.
I didn't interrupt. I let the weight of Ashford's words settle into them. Because out there, hesitation gets people killed. Fear gets missions compromised. And I wasn't going to send them unless they made the decision for themselves.
Finally, Akio stood.
His hand dropped to his side, gripping the earpiece tight.
He looked at me—not Ashford—and nodded once.
"I'll do it."
I looked at Amara. Her expression was unreadable for a few seconds—eyes lowered, lashes still, lips parted just slightly. Then she closed the case gently and slipped the earpiece into her jacket pocket.
"We both will."
Ashford stepped back, arms crossed, saying nothing more. Just watching.
I gave a small nod.
"Briefing's over," I said. "You move out tonight."
And with that, I turned off the screen.
The mission had already begun.