The descent into Velmor was rough. The transport aircraft rattled under the weight of storm-thick clouds, its steel frame groaning like it wanted to turn back. Outside, jagged mountains carved the horizon into a mess of black stone and white snow, a land more hostile than welcoming.
Inside, silence had settled except for the engines' roar and the occasional metallic clink of gear shifting with turbulence.
Lucia's gaze never left the faint blue map projected on her wrist display. Every route, every chokepoint, every fallback plan was already memorized, yet she studied it again. Precision meant survival. Precision meant her squad came back whole.
Opposite her, Orion Rossi leaned back with his rifle resting against his knee. Green eyes glinted under the sterile cabin lights, silver hair catching every flicker. Turbulence rocked the plane hard enough to jolt Ward sideways and Rossi chuckled.
"Cheer up, Ward. Worst case, we get snowed in, and you'll finally have an excuse to share body heat. Could be worse."
Ward rolled his eyes. "Remind me why command keeps you around?"
"Because I'm charming," Rossi said, smirk tugging wide.
Lucia didn't look up. Her golden eyes stayed on the map, her voice cool. "He's around because he's good at what he does. Unfortunately."
Rossi grinned like she'd just handed him a medal. Ward groaned and muttered something about regretting his transfer.
The plane bucked again, signaling descent. Through the narrow window, Velmor's airstrip came into view: little more than a scar across the snow, lined with towers of corrugated metal and a scattering of figures too heavily armed to be called mere greeters.
"Touchdown in two," the pilot barked through comms.
Lucia rose in one smooth motion. "Eyes open. Safety off. We're not here for diplomacy. Unless it keeps us breathing."
The squad rose as one. Rifles slung, helmets secured, boots braced against the shuddering floor.
The plane landed with a violent jolt, skidding across ice before jerking to a stop. The ramp dropped, and winter slammed into them with biting teeth. Snow whipped sideways, carried by a wind that felt like it wanted to strip the flesh from their bones.
Lucia stepped out first, golden eyes narrowing against the sting. Her boots sank into the snow, her breath a mist in the cutting air. Ahead, six men waited by the control tower, rifles slung but fingers close to the trigger. Not allies, not enemies. Not yet.
A man stepped forward, his coat too new for a local, his stance too confident for a civilian. His accent clipped and cold. "Lieutenant Castella?"
Lucia gave the barest nod. "That's me."
"Your arrival was… noticed. Velmor isn't fond of visitors."
Rossi muttered just loud enough for Ward to hear, "Bet they're thrilled about the party favors we brought."
Lucia's eyes slid toward him, sharp enough to cut and his grin only widened.
The man gestured toward the north. "Your target zone is beyond the ridge. A comms post, abandoned but not empty. You'll find out soon enough."
That was all he offered before turning on his heel, leaving them with nothing but the storm and a set of coordinates.
Lucia checked her wrist display once more, then raised her voice over the howl of wind. "Form up. We move now."
The climb was brutal. Snow clawed at their legs, the wind turned every breath into a fight and visibility dropped to a smear of gray and white.
Rossi trudged beside her, his usual smirk muted but not extinguished. "You know, Lieutenant, when I imagined foreign deployment, I pictured sand and palm trees. Maybe a drink with an umbrella in it."
"Then you should've joined the Navy," she said without looking at him.
Ward laughed through his teeth. "He'd get thrown overboard before the first port."
Rossi shot him a mock glare, then looked back at Lucia. "Don't tell me you're not at least a little thrilled. New country, new mission, new chances for me to impress you."
"Focus on impressing me by not freezing to death," she replied, steady as the wind.
The ridge finally gave way to a plateau. There, half-buried in snow, loomed the comms post. Steel skeletons of antennae jutting into the storm, buildings cracked and abandoned but not silent. A low hum carried on the wind, too steady to be nature.
Lucia raised a hand. The squad dropped into cover, weapons up.
"Eyes sharp," she murmured. "We're not alone."
The first shot came from the roof. A flash, a crack, snow exploding near Ward's shoulder. He dove, swearing.
"Contact, high!" Rossi shouted, already firing back, his movements smooth and instinctive.
Figures poured out of the buildings, dark shapes against the white, rifles blazing. The air filled with thunder and the hiss of bullets slicing through snow.
Lucia's commands cut through the chaos like steel. "Ward, left flank! Rossi, with me!"
Rossi slid into place beside her, grinning like the firefight was a performance built just for him. "Finally, some hospitality!"
"Shut up and shoot," she snapped, firing clean bursts that dropped two figures before they could advance.
They moved like a machine. Her precision anchoring his recklessness, his speed filling the gaps her caution left. The enemy pressed hard but their defense held, inch by inch pushing the attackers back toward the buildings.
Ward's voice cracked over comms. "They're retreating!"
Lucia's golden eyes narrowed, tracking the enemy's movements. Retreat wasn't always retreat, it was often bait.
"Hold position," she ordered.
Snow settled heavy in the sudden silence, broken only by their ragged breaths and the distant sound of doors slamming shut.
Rossi lowered his rifle, brushing snow from his hair with a laugh. "Well, that was fun. Think they'll invite us in for tea next?"
Lucia shot him a look, her chest rising with steady breaths. "Stay alert. This isn't over."
Ward muttered, "I think she means it, Rossi."
But Rossi's grin didn't fade. He leaned just close enough for her to hear. "Don't worry, Lieutenant. I'll keep you warm if it comes to that."
Lucia didn't flinch. She only chambered her rifle with a sharp click. "Keep talking, Rossi, and I'll let Velmor do the job for me."
For a heartbeat, silence stretched between them, the storm howling around their still forms. Then Rossi chuckled, low and quiet, like he was enjoying a game only he knew the rules to.
The mission had only begun.
And already, the storm wasn't the only danger waiting to swallow them whole.