Caden burst onto the bridge just as two demons turned toward him.
He didn't hesitate.
Two quick shots, clean, precise. Both dropped before they could react.
The controls were right in front of him.
On comms, Steel's voice came through, loud and urgent.
"Crash the ship. Now."
Caden gripped the controls for half a second.
Then he pushed forward.
The massive demon ship lurched—tilting downward as engines screamed against the sudden dive. The entire structure began to fall, barreling toward the planet below.
"Alright… that's my cue."
Caden let go and ran.
The runway strip stretched out ahead of him, wind tearing past as the ship descended faster and faster. Flames sparked along the edges, alarms blaring through the entire vessel.
Then,
A gunship dropped in.
Blue Riot.
He brought it in low and steady, holding position just long enough.
"MOVE!"
Caden didn't slow.
He jumped,
Caught the edge,
And hauled himself inside.
Blue Riot pulled up immediately, engines roaring as they shot away from the falling ship.
Behind them,
BOOM.
The demon ship slammed into the ground, erupting into a massive explosion that lit up the sky.
Back at HQ, things were… less intense.
Steel stood in the hangar, arms crossed, getting absolutely grilled.
Ian wasn't holding back.
"Why would you crash that ship?" Ian snapped. "We could've recycled half the materials on that thing!"
Steel shrugged, completely unfazed. "Yeah, but…"
He pulled up his tablet.
"…look at this shot."
Ian stared at him.
"…You're unbelievable."
Caden slipped away from the chaos and into the locker room, turning in his gear and weapons for inspection. The routine felt almost normal now.
Almost.
He changed out of his uniform and headed into the common room, where a few soldiers nodded at him as he passed.
He found Blue Riot waiting.
"Come on," Riot said. "Let's review."
Inside the meeting room, the energy shifted again—focused, calm.
Blue Riot leaned against the table, arms crossed, his presence filling the room without him even trying. Tall, broad-shouldered, built like someone who had spent years actually fighting, not just training. Even out of combat, there was something sharp about him.
Caden sat across from him.
"You did better," Riot said.
Caden raised an eyebrow. "Better?"
"Fewer mistakes," Riot continued. "Cleaner execution. You're starting to think ahead instead of reacting late."
Caden nodded slowly. "…Still not there though."
Riot smirked slightly. "Almost."
That word stuck.
"Give it a little more time," Riot added. "You'll be running solo missions before you know it."
Caden leaned back. "Appreciate it… and thanks for all the training."
Riot gave a small nod. "That's what we do."
As they stepped out, Caden found himself actually studying him more.
Kaelen Vire.
Heir to the Vire Dynasty, one of the richest families in the entire Galactic Empire. His family funded fleets, tech divisions, entire research sectors of the STF… and yet here he was, boots on the ground like everyone else.
No special treatment.
No shortcuts.
Just skill.
Caden remembered what people said, how Blue Riot could've stayed in palaces of glass and gold, living easy… but chose the battlefield instead.
And it showed.
The way he moved. The way he talked. The way he saw fights before they happened.
Even his weapons—those massive twin shuriken- weren't just for show. Close combat. Aggressive. Precise. Controlled chaos.
He wasn't just strong.
He was built for this.
Their comms buzzed at the same time.
Intel Wing.
"Of course," Riot muttered.
They made their way through the halls and into the briefing room.
Renn Varos stood near the front, arms folded. Twin Blade Scarlet leaned against the wall, already focused.
Scarlet spoke first.
"We lost contact with a squad."
That got their attention immediately.
"No signal. No trace," she continued. "Last known position is still active, but something's off."
Renn stepped in. "We need eyes on it. Fast."
Scarlet looked between them.
"That's you three."
Caden nodded once.
No hesitation.
Blue Riot didn't say anything, just gave a slight nod, already locked in.
Minutes later, they were already moving.
Another mission.
But this one,
Felt different.