Time Out

Dax’s eyes fluttered open, the sterile white ceiling of the medical wing coming into focus as a dull, throbbing pain pulsed through his head. He tried to sit up, wincing as his body protested. As the memories rushed back—the alley, the Aequitas, Reid’s mocking message—a surge of panic jolted him fully awake.

Ignoring the nurse calling out, “Sir, you need rest! Please don’t get up yet!” Dax pushed himself to his feet, his mind focused on one thing: finding Liriana.

He threw open the door and stumbled into the hallway, his head still reeling, when he collided with a force that nearly knocked him backward. Rhea stood in front of him, her face contorted in fury. Without warning, she grabbed him by the collar, her voice low and seething with anger.

“Where is she, Dax?” Her eyes bore into him, barely controlled rage evident in every syllable. “Where is Liriana?”

Dax’s gaze fell, the weight of her question pressing down on him like a vice. Shame burned through him as he muttered, barely above a whisper, “They… they took her.”

And although he wasn’t there to witness it, his words were true. Liriana’s room was broken into last night.

“And where were you when it happened?” Rhea’s next question stung even more. He felt his blood turn to ice.

“I… I wasn’t here.” Dax managed to spell out almost painfully.

Rhea’s grip tightened, and for a moment, it looked like she was about to let loose, but a firm hand on her shoulder held her back. Talia stepped in, her gaze steady but questioning.

“Hold on, Rhea,” She said, “Let’s get the full story.”

Rhea let go of Dax’s collar, her jaw clenched as she stepped back. The rest of the squad watched him, waiting. Dax took a shaky breath, his voice hoarse as he began.

“I… I went to clear my head, alright? Just one drink.” His voice wavered as he spoke, the shame growing more intense with each word. “I… I was with Cal, talking about… Reid. About the things he said, what he believed about the Knights. I just needed answers, needed to understand.”

Jessie frowned, crossing his arms. “So you left Liriana alone because of that?”

“It’s not…” Dax said, frustration creeping into his tone. “You don’t understand… Reid was… like a brother to me. We dreamt of joining the knights together. And now he thinks the Knights betrayed him… I… I needed to know if it was true.”

Rhea shook her head, the anger in her eyes replaced with a sharp disappointment. “So you let your own doubts come first, Dax? When she was counting on you?”

“Don’t you think I know that?! I thought nobody would come looking for her here… All I could think about was the past…!”

He looked down, his shoulders slumped in defeat. Before anyone could respond, a voice broke through the tension.

“Dax Vanon, Supreme Commander Thane requests your presence,” a fellow Knight announced her tone polite but firm.

Dax swallowed, nodding without a word, and started to follow her out. As he left the room, Jessie, Talia, Mira, and Rhea remained, the silence thick and heavy. Tidus hovered next to them, adding no witty remarks this time, lest he wanted to invoke the squad’s wrath.

Finally, Jessie let out a long sigh, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Man… this isn’t like Dax. He’s been really off since… since meeting Reid again.”

Talia frowned, her eyes distant. “It makes sense that he would be needing answers. Reid was his closest friend, practically his brother. Finding out he’s alive—and with the Aequitas—must’ve shaken him more than we realized.”

Mira glanced toward the door, her expression softened, “If he’s looking for the truth about Reid, then he’s probably carrying more than just guilt. He’s questioning everything he thought he knew.”

“Self-doubt is statistically one of the most corrosive emotional states. Unfortunately, there’s no patch to fix it.” Tidus chimed in.

The captain, on the other hand, stayed silent, though her eyes burnt with raw emotion. Liriana was gone. And her most trusted comrade had let it happen.

Why? Why did that have to happen? At this rate the man who had saved her all those years ago would be disappointed in her…

Why…?

Rhea crossed her arms, her gaze thoughtful. The always calm Rhea gritted her teeth, and with one clean smack kicked the wall. The sound was louder than one would think, and that’s probably the reason why a few passerby turned to look at her.

“Uh? Captain?” Jessie flinched.

Why did that happen?

Rhea exhaled as she realized.

“Captain…” Rhea sighed as she echoed back. “This is my fault… What sort of captain am I if I can’t understand when one of my teammates is not fully there?”

That was the truth. She was so engrossed in making Liriana feel at home she forgot about her comrades. The underlying threat. She thought she had succeeded. But not yet.

“That’s… not true.” Talia swallowed hard, “We all saw the signs, Captain. We just chose to ignore them.”

“It’s all of our fault.” Mira nodded, replacing the despair on her face with resolve, “And that’s why WE’LL make it right.”

“Hey, I like the sound of that.” Jessie perked up, “How about we help Dax find out what he wants to?”

“You mean…” Talia hesitated but Rhea nodded resolutely.

“That’s where we’ll start. We dig into Reid’s past, into whatever it was that happened that night with his parents. If Dax is looking for answers, let’s help him find them.”

Jessie smirked, “Alright then, guess we’re going detective mode. We’re not letting Dax face this alone.”

“An admirable sentiment, Mr. Valis. Statistical trends indicate that collective effort often leads to greater outcomes. Assisting Dax Vanon is the logical course of action.”

Mira nodded, “Agreed. Whatever’s eating at him, we’re going to figure it out. Because he’s part of this squad, and we can’t let him face it alone anymore.”

◔

Dax entered the Supreme Commander’s office, his steps hesitant, head bowed low. The weight of his guilt settled like iron in his chest, and he barely looked up as he came to a stop in front of Thane’s desk.

Supreme Commander Thane sat, his steely gaze fixed on the knight.

“Lieutenant Vanon,” He began, “do you realize the severity of what’s happened?”

“Yes, sir,” Dax said, his gaze still on the floor.

“You were responsible for protecting Liriana, the most valuable asset to the Aequitas at this moment. And yet, you allowed her to be taken while pursuing… what? A personal vendetta?”

Dax’s jaw clenched, but he nodded. “I… I thought she’d be safe. I didn’t expect them to come looking for her at the Tower.”

“That’s exactly the problem, Vanon. You assumed.” Thane’s voice was cold, “In this line of work, assumptions can cost lives. And in this case, your assumption may have placed an innocent child directly in the hands of our enemies.”

Dax’s fists tightened, “I… I’m sorry, sir.”

“I understand the turmoil you’re going through, Dax. I understand how much Reid Evaris meant to you. But personal conflicts, doubts—they have no place here when lives are at stake. You’re a Chrono Knight, and with that comes the responsibility to put others above yourself.”

“Yes, Commander.”

“Vanon,” Thane said, his tone now sharp with authority. “Until this situation is resolved—until Liriana is safely returned and you’ve proven where your loyalty truly lies—I’m placing you on temporary leave.”

The words hit Dax like a physical blow. “Sir… leave?” he managed, his voice barely audible.

Thane nodded, his gaze unyielding. “You’re dismissed from active duty. You will not participate in any missions or team operations until this matter is resolved. Perhaps this time will allow you to reflect on what it means to be a Knight.”

Dax’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t argue. Instead, he offered a short nod, swallowing the surge of frustration and shame that threatened to rise. “Understood, Supreme Commander.”

“Good,” Thane said. His gaze lingering on Dax for a moment, “Don’t let this be your undoing, Vanon. For your sake—and for hers.”

With that, Dax turned and left the office, the silence of the corridor swallowing him as he walked away. Disappointment was an understatement for what the knight felt as he walked down the corridor, yet there was nothing he could do to change what had happened. He has screwed up. He had let everyone down.

◔

Back in the squad room, everyone was gathered around the holo-table, deep in research.

“So I know we said we’d help but…” Jessie exhaled, “where do we even begin looking? Is there like a shared file amongst the order that has all that info?”

Mira painfully resisted an eye roll as she sighed, “Yeah because mission data is certainly NOT classified information…”

“Classified? Uff, that’s a serious word…”

“Classified data access success rates for squads like ours stand at 34.2%. However, I choose to be optimistic—your unpredictability may skew the odds in our favor… somehow.”

“Optimistic Tidus… that’s a first.”

“Optimism or not, classified info is still forbidden. We can’t just access it right?” Talia tapped at her chin, skeptical.

“Doesn’t matter. We need it to help Dax and that’s enough of a reason to try.” Rhea leaned towards Mira’s floating holo tabs.

“So… we’re breaking in?” Jessie leaned forward, slightly more enthusiastic with the idea now. Mira, with her own mischievous nature kicking in, cracked her fingers.

“I’m not here just to fix stuff. I’m plenty good at breaking in too y’know! Just say the word captain.”

Talia on the other hand raised a brow, visibly skeptical, “Is there really no… legal way to do it?”

“Legal means paperwork, and paperwork takes time.” Rhea straightened her back, her commanding posture and authoritative gaze back at full blast, “…And that is something we can’t afford now. Let’s do this Mira, this is for Dax and Liriana.”

“Aye captain!”

“Pfft, Chrono Knights not affording time… ironic.”

“Jessie…” Talia glared. Even still she sighed, signing up for the plan as well.

“Noted: Talia Vespera has reluctantly entered the moral gray zone. I shall document this historic moment for future analysis.”