Tick, Track, Capture

— Approximately a month later —

The sounds of the old arcade machine filled the operations room of Squad GX. In stark contrast to the advanced tech lining the walls, the machine was an antique—a relic of a simpler time. But that didn’t stop Jessie and Dax from fiercely competing, their fingers rapidly mashing the buttons.

“You’re going down, Jessie boy! I’ve been undefeated at this game for a year.”

“Undefeated? I’m about to rewrite history.”

A loud “KO” flashed on the screen with red bold letters, and Jessie pumped his fist in the air, “Boom! Told ya!”

Dax glared, “Beginner’s luck.”

“Face it, Daxy. You just met your match.”

“Call me Daxy one more time, kiddo.”

Across the room, Talia and Mira stood near the holo-table, engaged in a quieter conversation.

“So, with this chrono recalibrator, we should be able to stabilize the energy fluctuations in our gear even during heavy distortions,” Mira said, holding up the tiny gadget.

Talia nodded, “That’ll be useful in the field. Especially when Valis starts throwing everything off.”

Mira chuckled. “He does have a way of creating chaos, doesn’t he?”

“So, how exactly did this thing end up here, anyway?” Jessie asked, turning to the others, “I mean, we’ve got all this high-tech chrono gear, and then… this.”

Talia raised an eyebrow, “I’ve wondered the same thing. Seems a little… out of place.”

Mira giggled from her workstation, “You don’t know? It’s kind of a legend at this point.”

“Oh? Do tell.”

Dax, stood nearby, enjoying the mystery.

“Well, rumor has it that Dax here somehow managed to sneak it past security when he first joined the squad.”

Jessie’s eyes widened in mock surprise as he turned to Dax. “Wait, you’re telling me you lugged this thing through the front doors of Time Tower?”

Dax shrugged, his grin widening. “What can I say? When you’re built like me, security tends to look the other way.”

Talia shot him a skeptical look. “I find it hard to believe no one noticed you carrying an arcade machine into a high-security chrono-tech facility.”

Jessie laughed, clapping Dax on the back. “You really are a legend. Risking your neck to smuggle in an arcade? That’s dedication.”

Before anyone could comment on that, the door to the room slid open with a soft hiss, and Rhea stepped inside, her commanding presence immediately catching the attention of everyone in the room.

“Alright, fun’s over everyone,” Rhea said, her voice calm but firm. “We’ve got a briefing. Commander Lorne’s waiting for us.”

Jessie groaned playfully as he hopped off the arcade stool. “Great timing, boss. Just when I was about to make Dax cry.”

◔

The large, circular meeting room inside Time Tower was as cold and sterile as the rest of the building. Holo-screens displaying tactical data floated above the polished table, casting faint blue glows on the faces of Squad GX as they sat, listening intently.

At the head of the room stood Sylvia Lorne, commander of the immediate response units. She was known for her no-nonsense attitude and rigid adherence to protocol. Her uniform was immaculate, not a single crease out of place, and her piercing grey eyes beneath her frames flicked between the squad members as she spoke. Her hair was perfectly placed in a bun and her expression barely betrayed any emotion.

“The situation is simple,” Commander Lorne said, “We’ve received intel that the dealer you tracked down in your last mission—this ‘Malik’—is hiding out in the outskirts, near Cyrillia, a small town far from the main city grid. Your mission is to find him, capture him, and bring him in for questioning.”

Commander Lorne continued, her gaze sweeping over the team. “The outskirts aren’t like the city. They operate under different rules. Less tech, more tradition. Your presence there as Chrono Knights may not be welcomed, so you’ll need to tread carefully. Malik is dangerous and likely well-connected, but the people of the outskirts aren’t your enemies. Don’t forget that.”

Dax, ever the laid-back giant, scratched his chin. “And what do we know about this Malik? Any specifics on how he operates?”

Lorne tapped the holo-screen, bringing up a grainy image of a bald man with a massive scar running down the side of his face. “Malik is a dealer in black-market chrono tech. We’ve been tracking him for months, but he always slips away just before we can catch him. His base of operations seems to be mobile, and we suspect he’s hiding out in Cyrillia to avoid detection.”

Talia shifted in her seat, her gaze fixed on the image of the village displayed beside Malik’s profile. It looked so much like the place she had left behind…

“I expect you to handle this mission with efficiency and professionalism,” Commander Lorne said, her tone sharp. “Bring Malik in. No mistakes.”

Rhea nodded. “Understood, Commander. We’ll track him down and bring him back for questioning.”

Lorne’s gaze flicked to Talia for a brief moment, her expression unreadable, before she turned her attention back to the whole team. “You leave at first light. Dismissed.”

As the squad stood, Sylvia Lorne glanced at each member separately.

“Ad tempus…”

“Ad futurum!”

Squad GX completed the Knights’ oath after Commander Lorne, earning a nod of approval.

As Rhea passed by the Commander on her way out, Sylvia Lorne turned to face the captain, her tone low.

“Everything going smoothly with the new recruits, Captain Solstice?”

“Yes, Commander. They can handle more than your average rookie.”

“I sure hope they do.” Lorne’s eyes narrowed slightly, and her voice lowered, “You need to keep an eye on Vespera especially, during this operation.”

“Noted, Commander.”

“And that Valis…”

“I know… Commander.”

While the squad had already made their way out of the meeting room, Jessie noticed Talia linger behind for a moment, her eyes still fixed on the holo-image of Cyrillia. She didn’t say anything, but Jessie could see the tension in her shoulders. This mission wasn’t just about capturing some black-market dealer for her—it was something deeper, something personal.