Chapter Seventeen: Mission Storm Chaser
Eye of the Sahara – May 12th, 2029
Mara (3409), T.LAC (4419), and Yozora (369), Age 10
The moon, a pale sentinel, hung low in the vast sky, casting its cold, silver light over the endless ocean of sand. The dunes stretched out like waves frozen in time, their ridges etched by the wind. The desert, ancient and silent, was alive only with the faint scurrying of nocturnal creatures hidden beneath the sand. Overhead, the Milky Way painted the sky with a brilliant river of light, its reflection shimmering faintly on the undulating surface below—a reminder of forgotten histories buried beneath the sands.
High above the Eye of the Sahara, the three young Tuners hovered, their black armor glinting in the moonlight, their presence a stark contrast to the serenity of the desert.
“This is Communications Specialist, Officer Lena Martinez. I’ll be handling comms for tonight’s mission,” a voice crackled through their earpieces.
Mara, T.LAC, and Yozora listened in silence as they awaited their final briefing.
“Tuner 3409, do you copy?”
“Copy,” Mara responded, her tone serious.
“Tuner 4419, do you copy?”
“Yeah,” T.LAC answered, his usual casual demeanor coming through.
“Tuner 369, do you copy?”
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“Reading,” Yozora replied coldly, his voice calm.
“You three will be our mission strike team today. Your objective is to shut down the portal gate before a Beta-level threat or higher emerges. According to our Field Agent, Alex Reyes, this should be an easy night. So let’s get in, get it done, and go home. Mission name: Storm Chaser.”
“Tuner 369, you are Strike Team Lead. Initiate Mission: Storm Chaser.”
The mission was clear. Yozora’s processed the information.
Mara and T.LAC turned toward Yozora, awaiting his plan. Despite their youth, the trio had learned to trust one another completely. The bond between them was unshakable.
Yozora, quick to act, spoke without hesitation. “According to our Field Agent, the cave has a single entrance and exit. We’ll use Kakusu to suppress our Toro and approach undetected. If the intel is correct, we should be able to stay cloaked the entire time and eliminate all threats before they know what hit them. Precision and speed are key.”
He paused, making sure both Mara and T.LAC were following. They nodded, already mentally preparing themselves.
“Once inside, we’ll see three tunnels,” Yozora continued, his voice calm and focused. “The middle and left tunnels are dead ends. We take the tunnel on the right to reach the portal. Once we’re inside the cave, we move fast and strike hard. Let’s approach from the top of the cave and avoid detection from the ground.”
T.LAC, ever the joker, chomped down on a piece of gum and gave a casual salute. “You got it, my guy,” he said, popping his gum with a grin.
Mara, not in the mood for jokes, swiftly smacked the gum out of his mouth with the back of her hand. “T, take this more seriously, you jerk!” she snapped, though there was a touch of affection in her voice.
Yozora, usually composed, couldn’t help but break character for a second. A small chuckle escaped him. “I told you not to bring that gum,” he said, laughing quietly. “Hahaha, now look.”
T.LAC rolled his eyes but grinned. “Yeah, yeah. I’ll save the gum for after we kick some ass.”
“All right, let’s go,” Yozora said, his laughter fading as he snapped back into mission mode.
The three of them activated Kakusu, suppressing their Toro completely, and in an instant, they vanished from sight, cloaked in invisibility. The desert winds swirled around them as they swooped down, gliding silently toward the top of the cave. Their movements were fluid and precise, the moonlight barely catching their silhouettes as they descended.
They hovered above the entrance to the cave, the dark maw of the tunnel beckoning them into its depths. The air was heavy with anticipation, but they were ready.
Without a word, Yozora signaled for them to move in. Together, they disappeared into the shadows of the cave, their figures swallowed by the darkness as they prepared to face whatever lay beyond.