All In Good Time

With the distortion field down and Malik disarmed, Dax grabbed him by the collar and hoisted him up, his face inches from the towering knight’s unyielding stare.

“Who are you working with?” Rhea asked, her voice cold and controlled. Her eyes, sharp and piercing, held his gaze with an intensity that left no room for defiance, “Surely you don’t think we’ll believe you created all this tech on your own?”

Malik swallowed hard, glancing away for a split second, before his gaze darted back to Rhea. “You don’t know what you’re asking for,” he muttered, his voice suddenly low, fearful. “I’m just the middleman here. But the ones who sell me these… They’re not like anything you’ve faced. They’re… They’re monsters.”

Jessie scoffed, rolling his eyes. “Monsters? Like that Timewraith you just unleashed on a little girl? Please. Try harder.”

But Malik shook his head, his eyes shrinking. “No, you don’t get it. These people… They… They could erase me—erase all of you—without a trace if they wanted.”

Rhea leaned in, “Names, Malik. Now.”

For a moment, Malik hesitated, his fingers twitching nervously as he glanced at each of them in turn, as though weighing his options. Finally, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a sleek, black card engraved with shimmering silver designs—a stylized scale at its center. He held it out, his hand trembling as he avoided their gazes.

“This… this is all I’ve got. They never call themselves anything. I only know about these auctions they do… They give these to me as invitations to their gatherings. They say I can get more gear there. But I’ve never seen faces, just shadows…”

Talia took the card, scrutinizing it. “And where does this ‘gathering’ happen?”

“It… it changes,” Malik stammered, his face paling further. “They don’t stick around long enough for anyone to figure them out. But that card… it’ll activate when the time’s right, giving coordinates. I don’t know where or when—it just does. But you have to understand, if they know I talked… they’ll come for me.”

Dax released his grip, letting Malik fall to the ground. “That’s the least of your concerns right now, pal.”

As Malik crumpled to his knees, he looked up at the squad, his defeated expression shadowed by something darker. “You think I’m evil just because I tricked a few villagers? Fine. But the ones behind this? They’re on a whole other level. Whatever you think you know about power, about control… it’s nothing compared to them.”

“Let us be the judges of that.” Dax glared.

Rhea’s voice was sharp as she snapped a pair of chrono infused handcuffs on his wrists. “You’re coming with us. Backup will handle the transport.”

Jessie glanced at her, raising an eyebrow. “What, we’re not dragging him all the way to HQ ourselves?”

“We’ve got bigger fish to catch, Valis. Let’s let the cleanup crew do their job.”

◔

In the end, Malik confessed to several crimes, including implicating the mayor as his key ally—the one who had shielded him and leaked information about the Knights’ movements. While a handful of villagers had knowingly aided Malik, most were unaware of the full extent of his operations. When the mayor was finally taken into custody, escorted out of the village by the backup squad, the truth left many shaken.

As the squad made their way back towards the Strider, they noticed a crowd gathering at the edge of the town. The wary, guarded looks they’d received upon their arrival had softened, replaced by a mixture of relief and gratitude.

At the front of the crowd, Tia stood with her mother, clutching a small wildflower tightly in her little hands. The child’s eyes sparkled as she looked at Talia.

One of the older villagers, a man who had avoided their questions earlier, cleared his throat and stepped forward, clutching his hat nervously in his hands. “We… we owe you an apology,” he said, his voice rough but genuine. “We shouldn’t have doubted you. Shouldn’t have protected someone who used us, lied to us. We thought we were doing the right thing, but we were blind.”

“You saved us… saved our people, even when we didn’t make it easy for you. Thank you.”

The crowd murmured their agreement as the man stepped closer, extending his hand to Rhea. “What you did today… facing Malik and that monster… we won’t forget it. And… we won’t forget what it means to trust the right people.”

As Talia glanced at the townsfolk, her gaze landed on Tia. The little girl walked up to her, clutching the flower tightly in her tiny fingers. She held it out to the knight, her eyes wide with admiration. “Thank you… for saving me,” Tia whispered.

A smile softened Talia’s features as she bent down to take the flower, tucking it carefully behind her ear, “Thank you, Tia. It’s beautiful,”

Tia’s mother approached, her expression filled with warmth and pride as she looked at Talia. Bowing deeply, she took a steadying breath, “Your parents would be proud to have a daughter like you. No matter our traditions or where we come from, they’d know you’re protecting us all,”

The words seemed to wash over Talia, her eyes shining as she met the woman’s gaze and nodded, an unspoken understanding passing between them.

The squad began to make their way towards the Strider once more, their footsteps lighter. Just before they boarded, Talia paused, catching Jessie’s arm gently.

“Jessie… thank you. I couldn’t have done it without you.” Her voice was quiet, but there was a depth to her words that carried a weight of honesty and gratitude. Then she turned towards the whole squad, “All of you… Thank you.”

Jessie offered her a warm smile first, one of the rare moments when his usual joking nature softened. “Hey, I get it. It’s hard when the past is always hanging over you, reminding you of all the things you left behind. I’ve been there, and I know it’s not easy.”

“Hey, what sort of team would we be if we let you take what that scum was saying to you at face value?”

“We’re always here to help you, Talia! I may not be strong but my drone can do the fighting while I give pep talks!”

Dax and Mira turned towards Talia next, their tone light but sincere.

She looked down, a small smile touching her lips as she took in her squad’s words. “Thanks… everyone.”

“Alright, squad,” Rhea’s voice called from the Strider’s entrance, her expression approving and warm. “I appreciate seeing you united, but it’s time to get moving.”

As the Strider roared to life, lifting off from the ground, the town faded into the distance, the weight of the mission replaced by a renewed sense of accomplishment.