Jizel jolted awake, her heart racing as she realized the time. She leapt out of bed, barely registering the rumpled sheets as she scrambled to her feet. The cramped quarters felt even smaller in her panic, the walls adorned with posters of distant worlds and an old sports championship. Sunlight filtered through the small window, illuminating the remnants of her late-night snacks scattered on her desk-a reminder of the long hours spent preparing for this mission.

With barely a moment to breathe, she tugged on her tight black bodysuit, the fabric clinging to her athletic frame. She pulled on her hyperplastic body armor, securing the straps in a rush, only to find they weren't quite right. The armor pinched her shoulders uncomfortably, but there was no time for adjustments. She grabbed her protein bar, stuffing it into her mouth as she dashed out of her tiny room.

"Hey, Jizel!" Heath, the giant werewolf-like man, called from the common area, his deep voice booming with warmth. He was working on one of the ship's engines, his hands covered in grease. "Late again, huh?"

"Shut up!" she mumbled through a mouthful of protein bar, grinning as she rushed past.

"Don't choke!" he laughed, shaking his head.

In the next room, she spotted Gilgahand, the ship's gunsmith, carefully assembling a weapon with deft hands. His workshop was a chaos of parts and tools, but his concentration was unwavering. "You're going to get yourself killed one day if you keep this up," he teased, glancing up with a smirk.

"Yeah, yeah!" she shot back, already moving on, her short brown hair tousled from sleep and the day's frantic start.

As she navigated through the narrow corridors, she passed Tika and Eli, the welders, their heads bent over a project as they exchanged jokes. The smell of breakfast wafted from the small kitchen area, but she didn't have time to eat. Instead, she called out a quick "Morning!" as she barreled past, her heart pounding in her chest.

The crew's living space was a jumble of dorm-style rooms, each with just enough room for cooking, a glass-doored refrigerator stocked with supplies, and a tiny bathroom. Despite the cramped conditions, laughter and camaraderie filled the air, a reminder of their bond.

Finally, she reached the mech bay, her heart racing from the rush. Simon, the operations manager, looked up from his tablet, his brow arched playfully. He was a large man with tan skin and an easy smile, reminiscent of someone from Greece. "You're late, Jizel," he chided, a teasing glint in his eyes.

"Yeah, well, you know how it is!" she replied, breathless.

He chuckled and waved her off. "Don't worry, I managed to finish up some of the checks. Captain won't give you too much trouble this time." He started unplugging the last of the power cables and fluid transfers, moving with practiced efficiency.

"Thanks for covering for me," she said, a wave of gratitude washing over her. He always had her back, like a big brother.

"Just doing my job," he replied, then threw an arm around her shoulder, guiding her toward the mech. "Now, let's get you suited up and ready to go."

Jizel's spirits lifted as she smiled up at him. The mech, her candy-red giant, loomed ahead, waiting for her like a faithful companion. With Simon by her side, she felt ready for whatever awaited her on the mission ahead.

Jizel circled the mech, her boots thudding softly against the metal floor as she eyed the sleek, angular carapace. The candy-red exterior gleamed under the overhead lights, its polished surface still bearing the scars of past battles. She paused, inspecting the newly installed weapons and the replacement parts, her fingers brushing over the cooled surface.

"I see you swapped out the arms?" she asked, one eyebrow quirked. "Old joints finally went?"

Simon nodded, wiping a bit of sweat from his forehead. "Control arms, joints, stabilizers-the whole movement chain was torn up. You really gave it a workout last time."

She snickered, her lips curling into a smirk as she patted the side of the mech. "Not surprising. I did wrestle a Thornback Hydrogunin." Her eyes sparkled with amusement. "Big one, too."

Simon rolled his eyes, though the corner of his mouth twitched with a barely suppressed grin. "A big one, huh? I can only imagine. Hope you're ready for another round of that."

Jizel gave the mech another pat, her fingers lingering on the metal. It was almost like a living thing to her-her partner in the trenches, a silent protector. "I wouldn't have it any other way," she said, a quiet confidence in her voice. "Let's just hope I don't break the new arms this time."

Simon chuckled. "Yeah, keep that in mind. You're not exactly known for your gentle touch." He gestured to the new stabilizers. "These ones should hold up better. But if you do decide to take on anything bigger than a Thornback, maybe let me know first, alright?"

"Noted," she said, tossing him a wink. "But no promises."

Jizel circled the mech, her hands trailing over every new weld and patch job. The scratches and dents from her last mission were gone, replaced by smooth, clean plating. Simon and the rest of the crew had done a hell of a job fixing it up-like they always did. She nodded in silent appreciation, her fingers brushing one last repaired spot before a thought struck her.

"Hey, where's Vladimir?" she asked, glancing back at Simon, who was busy tightening a bolt on an armor compartment.

He raised an eyebrow, barely looking up from his work. "With Gloria this morning. You know how he is-running over the details and all that."

Jizel frowned. Vladimir had only recently started spending more time with Gloria. Sure, Gloria handled all the finances, but it was unusual for Vlad to be so invested. He was the one who took charge of the jobs and logistics, not the bookkeeping. She couldn't help but wonder if the ship's funds were getting that tight that he had to dig into the numbers himself. It left a curious pang in her chest. They'd had a few... well, memorable nights in the past. With her deployment looming, she'd hoped maybe they could spend a little time together-nothing serious, just something.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

Turning to Simon, she asked, "So, where's the boss at? You said he already came by. Think I have time to run off and track Vlad down?"

Simon stopped, looking at her with a mix of amusement and bewilderment. "You're serious?" He shook his head, the ghost of a smile crossing his face. "You're about to dive into god-knows-what, and you're worried about chasing Vlad around the ship?"

Jizel just shrugged, smirking. "What can I say? I like to multitask."

Simon shook his head again, barely hiding a smirk. "No dice, J. Captain'll probably be back any minute, and you know he'll want to run through every detail of the mission. All the... particulars."

Jizel let out a frustrated grunt, crossing her arms. She knew he was right, but it didn't make her any less restless. "Fine. I'll give him five minutes. But if he's not back by then, I'm taking a stroll around the ship, see what everyone else is up to."

Simon gave a shrug and moved over to grab the tablet, muttering something to himself as he started a round of final system checks. She watched as he tapped through the screens, inspecting every vital system to make sure they were all firing on full: life support, atmospheric seals, stabilization. After what happened with the last two Superias, they couldn't afford to take any chances this time.

"If we lose another one of these babies just because the suit can't get off-planet..." he shook his head, his tone a little heavier now, "That'd be the end of it, J. You know what it'd cost us to replace this thing."

Jizel ran her fingers along the cool metal again, grounding herself in the here and now. This machine was her lifeline, and the thought of it failing was enough to make her anxious. "Well, let's make sure that doesn't happen," she replied, a touch of steel in her voice. "I'm not interested in a one-way ticket down there."

Simon gave her a reassuring nod, picking up on the tension beneath her steady exterior. "Don't worry, J. We've got you covered," he said. Still, she cast a final glance at Hilde, her fingers lingering over the smooth plating. The mech stood tall, a testament to her survival, with its newly-repaired joints gleaming under the industrial lights.

With a small sigh, Jizel turned on her heel, setting off through the loading bay in search of Vladimir. Her boots clanged softly on the metal deck, echoing down the winding corridors. As she left the loading area, the hum of the engines became more of a backdrop, mingling with the rhythmic buzz of the ship's systems and the occasional hiss of hydraulic doors. The Solstice was a hefty vessel, a refitted freighter with reinforced hulls and compartments for their mechs, a bit like a corsair's castle in space. Despite its bulk, every inch of it had been optimized for utility-bare walls and narrow hallways made with practicality over comfort. Even so, it was home.

As Jizel made her way from the loading bay toward the heart of the ship, she weaved through narrow, dimly-lit corridors that carried the faint tang of oil and stale air. Crew members worked in quiet rhythm, voices hushed, each one giving her a quick nod as she passed by. They were a family in a way, bound together by duty, survival, and... well, sometimes a bit more than that.

Her thoughts drifted to Vlad. Their on-again, off-again thing had always been complicated, though "complicated" felt like an understatement most days. Vlad was one of those rare types who wore his sharp mind and easy smile with equal weight. As their eyes had met across the bridge the first time, she'd been pulled in by his half-smirk and the effortless charm he wore like armor. But he was also careful. Too careful, sometimes. She'd chalked it up to his role on the ship; a strategist like him couldn't afford to let himself get close, and yet... well, they were what they were, even if it meant plenty of stops and starts.

Jizel found herself hoping he hadn't thrown himself too far into those finances. She'd been hoping to see him more before the drop-no grand gesture, just a touch, a shared laugh, maybe even a moment to share her fears. But there was something in the way he was always pulled back to business that kept him out of reach, like he was a part of the ship more than her life sometimes. She shook her head with a faint grin, trying to shake the distraction. Trusting came easy to her, maybe too easy, but it was one of those things she wasn't willing to change, no matter how many times people warned her otherwise.

She passed the cargo hold and made her way up the cramped stairwell, emerging onto the upper deck where their operational offices lay. Here, the lights were a bit warmer, the hum of machinery dimmer, and the voices more frequent. Somewhere in these rooms, she'd find Vlad-bent over a console, no doubt, poring over numbers with Gloria. And if she was lucky, maybe she could coax a smile out of him before the day threw them both into the chaos of battle.

Jizel approached the finance area, letting the echo of Vlad's voice draw her closer. His smooth tone floated through the walls, accompanied by Gloria's lilting laughter.

"You know," Vlad's voice purred, "if you just gave me five minutes... I promise I'd make it worth your while."

"Oh, sure," Gloria laughed, her tone indulgent but wavering. "And I'd never finish these reports. You're a menace, Vlad."

"A menace?" he shot back, sounding mock-offended. "I think you mean invaluable asset."

"Yeah, yeah," she murmured, voice softening as if she was hardly resisting. "Invaluable... but only for so long. Really, Vlad, if the captain catches us..."

"Oh, the captain has better things to worry about than whether his staffer and his head of finance are-"

"-about to be caught because they were fooling around?" she cut in, though there was a teasing edge. "You know I can't stay on top of the numbers with you distracting me."

Jizel's heart twisted a little. Vlad's relaxed persistence and Gloria's flirty reluctance stung in a way she hadn't expected. This was Vlad, after all-someone she thought of as more than just a passing fling, even if neither of them had said as much. She glanced away, fingers drumming on the wall, trying to shake the uncomfortable feeling in her chest.

Still, she lingered a few moments longer, straining to catch their voices again. Maybe there was nothing to it. Or maybe, she thought with a pang, it was time she let herself keep walking down the corridor.

Jizel took a slow, steady breath, a slight ache building in her chest. Clearly, Vlad was "busy," and if he'd rather spend time with Gloria, then fine. Really, it was fine. Spinning on her heels, she spared one last, half-glance at the door before forcing herself to march away, shoulders stiff.

Her boots clicked with each step back toward the loading bay, but the buzz of the crew and the faint hum of the engines didn't lift her spirits like it usually did. The ship that always felt like home now felt a shade emptier, like the corridors echoed just a bit more. She'd bury it for now; the mission, the team, and her mech-those things she could depend on. She'd pour herself back into her work and let the hum of machinery and steel carry her forward, however it needed to.

"Vlad, not there, just wait a minute," Gloria's voice teased, with that same airy, playful tone she'd heard a hundred times in casual banter. This time, though, each syllable stung like salt on a fresh wound. Jizel's jaw tightened, a bitter smile creeping onto her face as she started walking again, faster this time, eyes fixed straight ahead.

Well, if Vlad had chosen where his interests lay, she'd respect that. She didn't have time for this anyway; she had a mission, a mech, and a job that needed her full attention. Letting out a breath, she squared her shoulders and pressed on, the clamor of the loading bay becoming her only anchor, steadying her as she neared it.