Still 266 Days to the Tournant
/~Jennifer~/
The office was dimly lit, the glow from my desk terminal casting long shadows on the walls. My eyes traced the mission logs for Sector V-43, but my mind had already wandered far from the data. It kept drifting back to him, to the heat of his breath on my skin, the way his voice dipped when he said my na.
"Jennifer..."
It hadn't just been passion. It was sothing else. Sothing dangerous.
His hands had gripped my butt with such insatiable hunger, but it was the look in his eyes that lingered deep within , the fierce tenderness, the desperate need. We'd barely made it to the bed before our clothes were gone and every sense of reasoning vanished. His kisses had been greedy. His voice, ragged. He'd worshipped my skin like I was so sacred prize he didn't think he deserved but couldn't resist taking anyway.
And I let him.
The mory sent a chill down my spine, equal parts excitent and regret.
"What am I doing?"
He's not just anyone. He's Contrario. A rogue we pulled from the edge of Nova's burning teeth. A wildcard with secrets, pain, and defiance in his blood. And now? I was picturing him as mine? My subordinate? He cannot be my responsibility.
"You're his boss, get yourself together Jennifer!."
And yet, when he touched ... none of that seed to matter.
I sighed, dragging a hand through my hair. "This cannot beco a pattern, that night was just a one night fling."
Suddenly, my terminal beeped. A fast, urgent rhythm. It was an alert from the northern ridge.
I snapped back into the mont. "Focus girl"
"Incoming alert." Mild enemy activity detected in proximity to Contrario's squad at Sector V-43. It looked like nothing critical, but I knew what it was and it was enough to stir caution. It could be nothing or it could be Nova City testing our readiness.
"Damn it," I muttered, grabbing my comms.
I tapped the internal line. "Arielle. Girl I need your ass in my office. Now."
Within minutes, Arielle stepped in, slim, poised, hair tucked under her hood, the usual calming presence she carried with her like the scent of spring rain.
"You called, Commander?" she asked gently.
I nodded, already walking toward the side console where the mission feed projected. "Here, Sector V-43. Contrario's team made contact about four hours ago. I want you to rendezvous with him imdiately."
She blinked, already processing. "Just ?"
"No. Take three scouts. Quiet ones. I need you to observe, support if needed, and report back to ASAP. Do not interfere unless it's critical."
She tilted her head slightly, a curious flicker in her gaze. "You're worried about him?"
I paused... too long.
"I'm worried about the mission," I said tightly, then added, "He's new to command. But he's earned this."
Arielle gave a small, knowing smile. "Understood. I'll leave in ten. Anything else?"
"I'm sending you in because you're the best healer I know, at the party I left a chip on Kyra and that beep was from her"
"Wait, why would you even....."
"Kyra..." I cut in before she could finish her sentence "....doesn't go anywhere without her brother Axel and we know how much damage they can do if they're being hired by Nova City"
"I get that Ma'am but is this in any way related to Contrario?" She asked, arching her eyebrow.
I looked at her, this soft-spoken healer, loyal to a fault and for a second, I wanted to say yes. I wanted to ask if she thought I was making a mistake. If falling....no, feeling...for soone like Contrario made look weak.
Instead, I just said:
"...You're sweet but I'm more concerned about the tournant. If the promise is real, we can only give our all to fight out of here."
Arielle raised a brow at the strange comnt but nodded and turned to go.
As the door closed behind her, I let out a slow sigh of relief.
Get it together, Jennifer.
Duty first.
Feelings... later.
—-------------
/~Arielle~/
The chopper blades sliced through the humid air above Sector V-43, the whine of its engine a comfort and a warning. I kept my head low under the rotor wash, my cloak fluttering violently as I stepped onto the landing zone carved into a narrow clearing just above the ravine.
I spotted them imdiately I landed. Contrario and his team, hunkered down around a makeshift camp below the rocky ridge. I jumped down, my boots crunching dirt, and was t by Renn, who handed the tal briefcase without too many words.
"Good to see you again," he said simply.
"Likewise," I replied, then turned and signaled the pilot.
I walked to Contrario, my voice steady. "We've been ordered to scout and if possible get information from the west side of Sector V-43. We have reasons to believe our enemies are also on that side
"Who gave the Intel?" Renn asked imdiately
"The commander gave this order herself. We're not to be seen and we're to avoid combat at all cost." I locked eyes with Contrario, serious. "If you're not okay with being here and need to return to base, you can get on that chopper now."
A silence fell and we could hear the sound of the earth around us. Then two of the n who had co with Contrario exchanged glances.
"What kind of intel is this actually?" one asked, the one with the scar across his nose.
"Encrypted signatures. Movent. Anything pointing to Nova or Black Scythe involvent," I answered.
The other guy spat to the side. "Black Scythe? This ain't what I signed up for."
"I'm a warrior class not a scout so, I'll pass on this one"
They left without another word, gear packed. The chopper lifted back into the air, shrinking fast into the fading light, disappearing back through the woods toward a safer route.
And then we were six: , my three scouts, Contrario, Renn, and Drex.
—-----
/~Contrario~/
We pushed into the western side of Sector V-43, our boots sinking into wet soil, weapons drawn but low. Drex moved like a shadow beside , always scanning the trees. Arielle's scouts were silent and deadly, most of the ti, I couldn't hear them at all. Renn moved with that calm precision of soone who had calculated the odds ten tis before stepping out here.
We reached the site of a skirmish with burned flags, collapsed bodies, the scent of scorched tal and blood. And standing amidst the aftermath, lit by the dying sun, were them...The twins of doom.
Kyra.
Axel.
She twirled her dagger and smirked at like she'd been waiting years. "Well, well. If it isn't the brooding spark with a death wish."
Axel leaned against his blade. "You're late to the funeral, well you wouldn't care because they're not one of yours."
One of Kyra's soldiers spoke, urgent. "I saw shadows. I think we were followed."
Axel didn't hesitate. His eyes burned into mine. "It's fate that we et again, puny boy. How far have you grown this ti?"
And just like that, he lunged at .
The forest exploded into chaos.
Renn was already grappling with two enemies, his short blades flickering like lightning. Drex crashed into a berserker with a scream of rage, and I saw Arielle's scouts vanish into the trees, luring enemies into traps.
Axel's blade t mine in a flare of sparks.
I staggered back, rolled, and countered with a sweeping kick that caught his ribs. But he only laughed.
"Now that's more like it. You're faster."
"Stronger too," I said, parrying his next strike.
From the corner of my eye, Kyra was circling like a vulture. She wasn't jumping in—she was watching. Studying. Enjoying every second with that devilish smile she wore on her face every ti.
"Let play," she purred finally, slashing at with wild, elegant grace.
I barely blocked her before Axel's fist caught in the gut and I flew into a tree.
Pain lanced through my side, but I stood.
They ca at together, blade and fire, teeth and madness. I fought like hell, every instinct screaming, survive. Their blades sang a duet of blood, but I refused to fall.
And then as if they got bored, they backed away...
Silence filled the entire forest.
Around , the forest was painted in carnage. Drex was down, breathing but bruised and bleeding. Renn had a gash across his face, but stood protectively over Arielle, who was healing one of her scouts. The others were dead.
Axel wiped blood from his mouth. "Not bad, little mutt, you've co a long way ."
Kyra laughed, breathless. "You've grown a lot, sugar. Hehehehe... can't wait to see what color of beast you hold."
Axel rolled his neck. "Beast? We're looking at a one-hit wonder hanging out with a rat. He won't make it far."
Kyra leaned in toward him. "We'll be off now. Axel, you're beginning to say too much."
They vanished into the fog of ash and shadow, leaving us bleeding, broken... but alive.
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