"So, do you have any idea where the supply may be from all the units in AU?" Shade asked, even though he knew from the general direction that the most probable answer would be supply unit 22.
"Unit 22, according to our intel," Cyrus said as he focused on the road.
Shade nodded and looked at himself through the side mirror.
"Turn left," he said as Cyrus looked at him, confused because the route Shade was suggesting was longer than the actual one, which was straight ahead.
This time, Cyrus didn't complain, understanding that Shade clearly knew more about AU's routes and routines. He took a right and then a left, leading to the front rows of huge storage units. They drove along the line and finally turned another left. And then there it was, Unit 22.
"Stop!" Shade said before they drove to the unit.
Cyrus hit the brakes and turned towards Shade. Shade just looked at him and then nodded toward the units.
A heavy-duty Jeep was parked in front of Unit 23. Of course, it wouldn't be that easy to steal a literal supply unit from a base as large as AU with complications.
"It will be fine," Cyrus said as he pressed on the accelerator. "This car looks like an AU official vehicle."
If it were any other time, Shade would not have been scared of a Jeep, but this one was different. The marking on the Jeep represented the Major Unit Jeep. They were probably doing a random supply check.
'How fortunate,' Shade tsked at the chance.
He needed time to think, but Cyrus had no intention of giving it to him.
Shade clenched his jaw and grabbed the steering wheel. His hands were on top of Cyrus', and he made him take a sharp turn into a side road. Cyrus looked at Shade in surprise as he hit the brakes.
"What the?" Cyrus looked with annoyance.
"We should wait," he murmured. "Rushing in now could get us caught. Just give me a minute."
The Major Unit Jeep complicated things. If they were caught now, it wouldn't just be a failed mission—it could lead to the worst outcome for TEC.
So he released his grip on the steering wheel. Cyrus glanced at him with curiosity.
"What's the plan?" he asked as he maneuvered the truck to get an easy view of the Major Unit Jeep.
Shade didn't answer immediately. His eyes flickered toward the storage units, tracking movement. Two AU officers were standing near the Jeep, one checking a clipboard, the other scanning the area. They weren't expecting trouble. Not yet.
"We wait," Shade muttered. "If they're doing a routine check, they'll move on soon. If they're here for something else… we adapt."
Cyrus frowned but didn't argue. "And if they don't leave?"
"Then we make them," Shade smirked.
"Alright… Five minutes. Any longer, and we risk losing our window."
Shade kept his gaze on the officers. Their body language was relaxed, their conversation casual—this wasn't a planned inspection, just another routine check. That was good. But routine checks could turn into something worse if they took too long.
A minute passed. Then two.
Shade shifted slightly, adjusting the hood over his mask. "Keep the engine running. If they leave, we move fast."
Cyrus agreed; he was getting more comfortable with Shade's decisions regarding the plans.
Time passed, and the AU officers were finally checking Unit 22. They were counting, adding, and ticking the items. After a final lookover, both of them nodded and got in the Jeep. They stayed in the car for a while and then headed towards Cyrus and Shade.
Both of them were holding their breath as the Jeep passed by them. As soon as the Jeep turned into another corner, they moved out.
Cyrus hit the accelerator and maneuvered the truck in front of Unit 22 before both of them got out.
Cyrus hopped onto the back of the truck and opened the cloth covering while Shade ran towards the back and hopped into a forklift. They had five minutes to finish this mission before the regular patrol arrived.
'That Jeep wasted our original five minutes,' Shade thought to himself as he gripped the controls.
He maneuvered the forklift toward the storage unit. Cyrus pulled open the truck's tarp, checking the space. They had to be fast—AU patrols were unpredictable, and their five-minute window could shrink at any moment.
Shade guided the forklift into Unit 22. Stacks of crates lined the walls, each marked with AU insignias. He scanned quickly, spotting the ones they needed.
Pushing forward, he slid the forks under the nearest crate and lifted it.
"Move it, Shade!" Cyrus called, glancing around.
"Working on it," Shade muttered.
The forklift rolled out, and he carefully placed the first crate onto the truck bed. Cyrus secured it immediately, then signaled for the next. Shade went back, grabbed another, and repeated the process.
Three crates down. Then the radio crackled. Shade froze.
The sound came from inside the unit—a communicator left on one of the shelves: "Unit 22 complete. Returning to base."
A pause.
"Wait. Did you hear that?"
"We need to go," Cyrus answered. "Now…"
Shade didn't argue. He abandoned the forklift and jumped onto the truck bed. Cyrus was already moving, securing the last crate as he yanked the tarp over them.
"Drive!" Shade ordered.
Cyrus slammed the truck into gear, tires screeching as they sped out of the storage lot.
They raced through the road and towards the exit. Shade got up and moved towards the truck driving area. He opened the small hatch and told Cyrus, "Slow down."
Cyrus shot him a look through the rearview mirror. "Are you insane? We need to get out of here—fast."
"If we speed through the exit, we'll look suspicious," Shade said calmly. "Slow. Steady. Like we belong."
Cyrus clenched his jaw but eased off the accelerator. The truck's engine hummed at a steady pace as they neared the checkpoint. Shade pulled the tarp slightly, peeking through the back.
No alarms. No sudden movements from AU patrols. Not yet.
Two guards stood at the exit, one holding a clipboard, the other watching approaching vehicles—the usual procedure.
Cyrus exhaled. "If they stop us—"
"They won't," Shade cut in. "Just act normal."
The truck rolled forward. The guard with the clipboard glanced at them, then waved them through without a second thought.
As soon as they were clear, Cyrus muttered, "That actually worked."
Shade smirked under his mask. "Told you."
…
Shade was watching the desert as they moved toward the drop-off location. He was curious and confused as to why AU suddenly decided to check supply units, especially units 20–22, which were the common ones.
He turned to Cyrus and asked, "Why does Libra need this supply? You have connections everywhere."
Cyrus didn't glance away from the road. "Libra doesn't ask for favors without reason. If they need this, it means something's wrong."
"And you don't know what?" Shade wondered, narrowing his eyes.
Cyrus exhaled. "Not yet. But I have a feeling we'll find out soon."
"The only information I got was that AU had something of Libra's in that unit."
Cyrus didn't know why he trusted Shade with this information, but he felt that Shade had the right to know at least a bit of the reason for this mission. After all, Libra was all about justice and fairness.
Shade looked at Cyrus, an understanding building between them. He realized how Cyrus's acting with him was different from when he was with Cassian.
'I wonder what his reaction would be,' Shade thought as he looked out the window again.
Cyrus didn't say anything else as he focused on the road. A new silence filled the truck—comfortable and one of understanding. Maybe Cassian and Cyrus don't work, but Shade and Cyrus definitely do.
A trick of a coin and its two sides.