“So. Are we going to talk about that or-?” Lilith said, floating alongside Jack who was soaring through the sky at incredible speed.

“No. I talked to her, isn't that what you wanted?” Jack said, “Be lucky that you're stuck with me after being complacent with their scheme.”

“Tch, don't get all bitchy with me because you couldn't off your sister. Remember we did this for you, and it's not like she's dead, just-”

“A shell of her former self locked in an endless dream within her brother as a ghost? Even if we could restore her body and use the Infinity machine to reincarnate her, it doesn't change the fact that she still died. That she was put through so much suffering and I myself had to be the one to kill her and suffer,” Jack replied, pulling out an intellipad to double check where he was going, “You of all people should know what I'm feeling.”

Lilith went silent, not speaking for a while as Jack gained altitude.

“Yeah well… I ain't a bitch.”

“Classy,” Jack replied, pausing for a moment as he surveyed the topography below teeming with demonspawn. Fortunately, he was just high enough to escape their ire.

He took out a periscope, the little metal cylinder sending a signal to the assault team down below who had been waiting for hours for him outside the city limits.

“There, to your left by the river bank,” Lilith pointed out, directing Jack towards a beacon that sent an infrared signal to his periscope.

“Got it,” Jack said before descending towards the flowing water cutting through the trees beside a mountain range.

Jack passed the high green canopies, landing in a dense floral forest where to the naked eye all that could be seen were bushes, boulders, and trees.

But Jack knew better, his angelic eye picking out the souls of all twelve individuals hidden in the bush.

“Get me up to speed,” Jack ordered, walking forward and beckoning a soldier who was expertly hidden in the yellowing grass within her matching ghillie suit.

“Milord,” the sergeant said, rising to her feet and kneeling on one knee with her head bowed. “Admiral Skirita is waiting for you at our FOB.”

“Take me to him sergeant,” Jack said, beckoning the NCO forward with the commandos breaking from their hiding spaces.

****

Jack paused as he stood before a large opening in the mountain obscured by hanging moss.

It was a vast cave, one wide enough to allow the transit of armored cars with its interior hollowed out to reveal a spacious area large enough to land VTOLs from the opening in the ceiling.

Stepping into the base proper, Jack eyed the retinue of sixty or so men and women in camouflage fatigues and combat gear preparing for their assault.

He could see Mech's lined up, gen threes and gen fours lined up beside the boxy dropships that made the space cramped with four tanks taking up what little space remained.

“Sup,” Ivan said, the gunslinger in full western style hopping off an apc to greet Jack.

“We aren't friends. Don't talk to me unless it's important,” Jack said, shoving the man back who attempted to wrap an arm around his shoulder.

“Right, fine, whatever, have a stick up your ass,” Ivan shrugged, walking behind Jack towards the large table set up squarely in the center of the cave.

“What do you have for me Admiral?” Jack asked, joining the gray-haired officer standing over a portable holo table reviewing the layout of Zanzibar city. One of the few imperial officers with experience sailing airborne, land, and sea ships. A man who was vital to their ongoing operation.

“No doubt they're expecting us. So our plan is to hit them when the sun goes down. There's ten ships docked at the port so our commandos will split into six man teams to seize each ship,” Skirita explained, drawing a raised brow from Jack.

“Only six soldiers to capture each ship?”

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

“Numbers alone don't win wars-”

“No but they sure do help,” Ivan scoffed.

“-You will land on their port here, preventing their soldiers from rallying to their boats while our commandos take their ships,” Skirita continued, “Then our main force will move to breach their city walls and pincer them between you and our tanks.”

“What's our headcount?”

“Two hundred. One-third of which will be working to secure the boats.”

Jack cocked his head to the parked aircraft. A small force for an entire city, albeit Zanzibar wasn't as big as Windermere or Lunacrypt, it was still a heavily fortified base housing hundreds of troops.

And that was just what they could see on the surface, there were no images of the bunker nor what personnel were onboard the boats themselves.

“What about the Red Rook? The rest of the army?” Jack asked, stroking his growing stubble.

“Listen close, because it's going to be something you don't want to hear,” Skirita said, staring at Jack with his withered gaze, “Our objective first and foremost is the security of those boats. Without them, this entire operation is a wash. You alone is all that's needed to protect those boats once they're secure, the others are there to buy you and the commandos the necessary time to do so.”

Jack flicked his tongue against the back of his teeth, understanding full well the implications of what the old officer was saying.

“Gotcha…” Jack said, clicking his teeth as he turned his head towards the shadows encroaching the cave entrance from the setting sun. “Alright, let's get this done.”

****

Under the cover of darkness, hidden within the vapors of the clouds, Jack surveyed the port, watching the soldiers on duty who seldom looked up.

“No one ever tells you how itchy clouds are,” Jack groaned, putting his periscope to his eye as he waited for the signal. “So that's a boat…”

Jack had never seen one before, he had heard about them of course but he expected them to look like airships, or giant landships bristling with weaponry and bays, instead, all he was left with was… disappointment at their dull gray-metal appearance.

How the hell are they supposed to fight off attackers?

“Hmm,” Jack could make out the outlines of the commando teams, the Selfians moving in the water like pyramnas circling their prey. “Looks like it's started.”

Jack tuned the comlink in his ear to the commando channel below.

“Foxtail in position.”

“Gamma in position.”

“Silverfin in position.”

“Whiskey in position.”

“All teams synchronize…. Synched. Take take take.”

“See you lads on the other side.”

Jack continued to watch as the commandos began to climb the sides of the ships like spiders, delicately but effortlessly skirting around the guards on duty and ship crew to sneak aboard.

“Great, now all we have to do is wait until the shooting starts,” Lilith snickered.

“Ya know, your angst was cute at first but you're starting to get on my nerves.”

“Oh? Now you know how it feels. If you keep your end of the bargain we won't be bothering each other much longer.”

“Yeah,” Jack said as he sighed. “How's Ruby?”

“Sleeping. Give it another day and she’ll be usable.”

“Good,” Jack replied, suddenly feeling guilty that he couldn’t let the ghost spend time with her twin while they were at home.

Jack continued to watch the city below, eyeing the groups of High Table soldiers transporting supplies and materials, unaware of the Selfian infiltration. Or, perhaps they were aware and didn’t care?

Despite the smuggler’s base being twenty miles away, and precautions taken, Jack didn’t put it above the High Table to be expecting them.

A few minutes passed, six to be exact with Jack looking down at the chronogear on his wrist that felt as though time was at a stand still.

Ten minutes.

Twelve.

All ten teams of six were being asked to secure ten one-hundred-and-fifty-meter ships in fifteen or less. The ideal time was set to ten minutes, but they had already surpassed that by two.

“Silverfin, bridge and crew secured.”

“Lancer, bridge and crew subdued.”

Jack let out a breath as the teams began to radio in.

Suddenly sirens, one of the ships blaring its horn before an explosion ripped the vessel apart.

“Shit,” Jack let out, the entire base up in arms as the boat exploded.

Immediately Jack’s ear was bombarded by the commandos checking in, each team leader attempting to piece together the sudden break in the midnight quiet.

Jack moved, dive-bombing the port as floodlights began to coat the air with the sounds of shouts and screams. Landing on the dock, Jack sent his feathers out, snuffing out the guards moving towards the ships to investigate as the base alarms began to blare.

“Well… so much for the quiet way,” Jack grumbled, weaving a dome of wind to protect the boats as whistling sounds were heard.

Suddenly mortars started to strike the city with artillery barrages sent out to soften the defenses as Skirita’s assault began.

“Strike teams report in, what happened?!” Jack sent, breaking radio silence to demand an update to why a boat had exploded.

“Sir! This is Whiskey-One, we’ve got bombs all across the reactor room!”

“Foxtail-One here, IEDs located in the bunkbeds. Wires stretching around the ship!”

Jack frowned, a sinking feeling bubbling up within as he realized this… was a trap.