The training grounds, once bustling with activity, were quiet as Dr. Lewis reviewed a mission brief with his characteristic precision.
In the room before him stood Clareo's elite Team Unknown, cloaked in their hooded combat attire, their ranked pins gleaming faintly. Across from them were Halcyon's elite forces, Commander Elira standing at their helm.
Dr. Lewis's voice cut through the tension. "We decided to end this last day of training with a twist. After assessing multiple options, we've selected a mission suitable for this collaborative exercise. It's covert, high-stakes, and close enough to Clareo to ensure rapid response if something goes wrong."
Commander Elira's sharp gaze flicked to the screen behind Dr. Lewis, where an aerial feed displayed a sprawling industrial complex nestled against a dense forest. "This is the objective?" she asked, her tone clipped.
Dr. Lewis nodded. "An enemy supply depot. Intelligence indicates it's a key hub for their Void-tech experiments. Your task is to infiltrate the facility, neutralize key targets, and recover sensitive data before their scientists can destroy it."
He turned to Ember, his voice firm. "Team Unknown will lead. The Halcyon forces will operate alongside them. This isn't just an evaluation—it's a live mission. Mistakes here will cost lives."
Ember's fiery gaze met Dr. Lewis's before scanning the Halcyon troops. "Understood."
Commander Elira straightened, her voice confident. "My soldiers are ready. They've trained for operations like this."
Val, standing at the back with his arms crossed, spoke for the first time. "Training isn't the same as execution. Stick to our lead, and we'll all make it back."
His tone wasn't dismissive but carried the weight of experience, and the Halcyon soldiers seemed to bristle slightly.
In the transport en route to the facility, Ember laid out the mission plan. A holographic map floated in the center of the cabin, illuminated by the dim light.
"Lux to lead strike team one," Ember began, gesturing to himself and several Halcyon soldiers. "We'll breach the east entrance and handle primary engagements. Aura and Terra, you're handling suppression on the south flank. Frost, take point on defense near the extraction route."
He turned to Val. "Umbra, you're on overwatch and retrieval. The data core is your priority."
Val nodded.
The Halcyon soldiers listened intently, their postures stiff. They were used to rigid hierarchies, and the fluidity of Team Unknown's roles seemed to unsettle them.
Commander Elira cleared her throat. "Your strategies seem… unconventional."
Fon, seated nearby, smirked. "Unconventional works when you're not fighting a textbook enemy."
Ember's voice was calm but firm. "Follow the plan, Commander. You'll see why we do things this way soon enough."
The transport landed silently in a clearing near the depot. The team disembarked, their black-clad figures melting into the shadows of the forest. Ember led the way, his movements silent as a wraith. The Halcyon soldiers followed, their training evident in their precise formations.
Val broke off, scaling a nearby ridge to establish overwatch. From his vantage point, he could see the facility's outer defenses—a mix of automated turrets and patrolling guards.
South flank clear, Riggs reported over the link, his voice low.
East entrance is lightly guarded, Ember noted. Strike team one, prepare to breach.
The Halcyon soldiers positioned themselves behind Ember, their weapons trained on the entrance.
Wait for my signal, Ember commanded.
As the breach team moved in, the Halcyon soldiers fell into their rigid formation, expecting a straightforward assault. But the guards inside were Void-enhanced, their movements unnaturally fast and erratic.
"Shit!" one of the Halcyon soldiers cursed as a guard dodged their fire and closed the distance.
Ember moved with precision, his blade slicing through the guard before they could land a blow. "Focus!" he barked. "They're not normal. Adapt to their speed."
Another soldier hesitated, their aim faltering as a second guard rushed them. Fon's voice came through the link. "Suppressing south flank!"
The ground trembled as Fon created a barricade of jagged earth, blocking reinforcements from the south.
Frost, Ember called, secure extraction.
Bo's voice came through. Already on it. Don't keep me waiting.
From his perch, Val watched the battlefield unfold with razor-sharp focus. His HUD highlighted targets and potential threats, feeding data to the team below.
Data core secured, Val reported, his voice calm. Uploading intel now.
The Halcyon soldiers observed the feed from their helmets, astonished at Val's efficiency.
Commander Elira's voice crackled through the link. How are you maintaining overwatch and handling retrieval simultaneously?
Val smirked behind his mask. Practice.
Then, he fired a silenced shot, dropping a guard who had moved too close to Ember's position. Lux, clear.
Appreciate it, Ember replied dryly.
As the mission neared its conclusion, the Halcyon forces began to see the true nature of Team Unknown. Ember's sliced attacks were fierce through enemy lines with calculated ferocity. Fon and Riggs worked in tandem, creating choke points that funneled enemies into traps. Bo's ice walls and spikes held firm against relentless onslaughts, providing critical defense.
And then there was Val.
The Halcyon soldiers could barely keep up as Val moved through the facility with lethal precision. Every step, every strike was calculated, his blade flashing in the dim light.
"Umbra," Commander Elira whispered, her voice tinged with awe as she watched him on her HUD.
The Halcyon forces, once rigid and formal, soon began to adapt. They moved with more fluidity, adjusting their strategies to mirror Team Unknown's.
The mission concluded with the facility neutralized and the intel recovered.
As the team regrouped at the extraction point, the Halcyon soldiers were visibly different. Their rigid postures had softened, and their movements carried a hint of the adaptability they had witnessed.
Commander Elira approached Ember, her expression thoughtful. "Your methods are… effective."
Ember raised an eyebrow. "They work."
She glanced at her soldiers, who nodded in quiet agreement. "I believe we've learned more in one mission than in years of training."
Val, leaning casually against the transport, spoke up. "Lessons are only useful if you apply them."
Elira smiled faintly. "Agreed."
As the transport lifted off, the Halcyon forces sat in reflective silence, the experience of working with Team Unknown etched into their minds.
For the first time, they truly understood what set Clareo's finest apart—and what they could aspire to become.