Clocking In

Lines of code flickered, security protocols bypassed as Mira hacked into the Chrono Knights’ classified archives.

“Hey guys, where did Dax say he was from again?” Jessie asked, “Was it Smuggler’s Edge? Or wait… Vagabond Retreat!”

“It was Pyrite Reach, you moron.” Talia snapped.

“I remember Reid’s words…” Rhea thought out loud, “He said the Knights betrayed him. That they killed his parents…”

“So we’re essentially searching for a Pyrite Reach mission… what, 10 years ago?”

“I reckon Dax and Reid are older than that. Perhaps… 15?” Talia chimed in.

“For context, Dax Vanon is precisely 27 years, 4 months, and 17 days old.” Tidus affirmed.

“Mira how’s the infiltration going?” Rhea turned to their tech wiz, who was hard at work.

“Almost there… Gotcha!” She murmured, her brow furrowed in concentration, before the final barrier fell, and a series of mission files from the Knights’ archives materialized on the screens.

Mira scanned the files quickly, her eyes narrowing as she found a file that fit the timeframe they were looking for, “Here we go!” she said, clicking it open.

The document’s title read:

Report: Distortion Containment - Pyrite Reach.

The squad leaned in as the report filled the holo-table, displaying an account of a mission that took place in the Reach fifteen years ago. Rhea read aloud.

“‘Chrono Knights dispatched to Pyrite Reach in response to a high-level chrono distortion detected in an abandoned sector. Distortion caused by a rogue device operated by two individuals—a man and a woman, mid-thirties. IDs unknown.’”

Talia frowned, nodding along, “Male and female… ages could match… Those have to be Reid’s parents.”

Rhea continued reading. “‘Upon confrontation, the perpetrators resisted apprehension. Despite multiple warnings, they refused to shut down the device, claiming, and the Knight quotes, “If we stop this, we’re finished.”’”

Jessie leaned back, crossing his arms. “That doesn’t sound like two people working alone. Sounds like someone put them up to it. Or threatened them even...”

“They weren’t the masterminds here.” Mira pointed to a line in the report. “‘The device was identified as custom-built, designed specifically to cause distortions, not by malfunction but by intent.’ Whoever wanted this distortion planned for it to happen.”

“The probability of such advanced engineering being orchestrated by mere opportunists is negligible. Clearly, a more calculated entity is at play here.” The drone seemed to agree.

The realization hung heavy in the air for a few seconds.

“It’s an Aequitas move,” Talia said quietly. “Setting up devices that cause distortions, manipulating people into running them… they’ve been playing this game long before we even knew they existed.”

“That they did…” Mira sighed, muttering to herself.

“IF that’s true, then Reid’s parents must be linked to the Aequitas…” Rhea affirmed.

“Look here,” Mira said, highlighting a frequency reading on the report. “The chrono energy frequency matches the distortions Reid has been visiting. It’s identical.”

“Aha! So it IS these scummy distortion-loving bastards!” Jessie shot up.

“Beautiful language as always, Jessie Valis.”

Rhea’s eyes widened as the implications hit her. “This isn’t just about Reid’s parents. The Aequitas used them as pawns to test these devices, and they’ve been using the same frequency for all these distortions. They’ve been planning this for years.”

“So they were simply expendable to the Aequitas,” Talia muttered, anger tightening her voice. “Just two desperate people tricked into causing chaos for something they couldn’t understand.”

“I remember Dax said Reid’s parents promised to get him out of the slums before they disappeared… The Aequitas probably promised them a better life in exchange for powering that device…” Jessie gritted his teeth.

Mira nodded grimly. “And Reid has been blaming the Knights this whole time, not knowing the Aequitas put his family in that position to begin with. Or wait… does he?”

Rhea set her jaw. “We don’t know if Reid knows or will change his mind. We didn’t do this for him… We did it for Dax and we have to tell him. He deserves to know the truth about Reid’s parents. And he needs to hear it from us.”

◔

The training facility pulsed with the glow of holo-targets, their forms flickering as they circled Dax in a shifting pattern. His fists, encased in his gauntlets, struck each target with barely controlled fury.

As he shattered another target, the door to the training center opened. Squad GX watched him in tense silence for a moment, Jessie muttering, “Remind me never to make him mad…”

“I knew he would be here.” Talia pumped her fist with a victorious grin.

“…”

“Apologies.” A grin that dropped when the rest of her squadmates eyed her with raised brows.

It seems however Dax hadn’t noticed them, instead lashing out at the digital enemies swarming him.

Rhea took a step forward, her usual composed gaze tinged with concern. “Dax,” she called out, her voice clear but gentle.

Dax didn’t stop. Another target shattered, the shards scattering like glass before dissolving into pixels.

“Dax!” Rhea’s tone sharpened, cutting through the steady beat of his strikes. The simulation froze, and Dax turned, his face flushed. He looked down, as if realizing only now of their arrival, and took a deep breath to steady himself.

Dax gritted his teeth, his voice low, “Guys I… I failed you all.”

“Dax, you didn’t fail anyone.” Rhea started, her gaze consoling and gentle, “I’m the one who should apologize. I should have seen that you were having a mental battle with the past.”

“I apologize too. Apologizing is said to help tensions after all.” Tidus lowered his robotic eye.

“We should all apologize.” Mira sighed, “We were preoccupied with Liriana and didn’t notice you struggling.”

“Actually we did. We just thought you needed time to yours— Ow!”

“You couldn’t be more blunt?” Talia reprimanded Jessie’s attempt at consolation with a pinch to the arm.

“You want me to be MORE blunt? Okay then—“

“Come on, you two!” Rhea raised her voice, cutting off the sibling-like fight between the youngest members.

“Sorry…” Jessie grinned apologetically, “We were supposed to be cheering you up.”

“Cheering me up?” Dax looked at his squad, their faces tight and tense with worry, “Guys I…”

The gentle giant’s face broke revealing a side to him he had never shown before. He looked fragile, breakable.

“I can’t do anything right.” Dax finally sighed, “After we lost Reid… I kept training and training… pushing myself to the limit so I didn’t have to lose anyone ever again. And then… I screwed up as Liriana’s guardian.”

The knight sucked in a breath, his voice breaking as he did.

“What GOOD am I if I can’t protect a single kid?! What was all this training for?!”

As Dax raised his voice, so did Rhea’s hand. With a good clean smack that seemed to reverberate off the walls of the empty training centre, the captain made her feelings known to her squadmate. The rest of the members seemed to simply look on in awe.

“Rhea…?” Jessie muttered, slightly anxious for what was to come. Yet Dax didn’t say anything, he simply received her feelings.

“Dax!” Rhea raised her voice too, “Nothing you’ve ever done has been for nothing!”

Dax’s eyes widened at her words.

“Don’t you remember when you saved me back at our first mission together?! Or when you stepped between me in danger before we even got to know each other?’”

“Rhea’s right, Dax. You always have my back too when I’m taking aim.” Talia smiled, nodding.

“And I know I can count on you when I’m out in the field, even if that’s not my thing, because I know we have you Dax. You’d never let anything happen to us.” Mira joined in, bopping her head enthusiastically.

“They’re right, man!” Jessie grinned as well, tapping him on the shoulder, “Even last week you saved my ass back when Eclipse had got me cornered, you know.”

“That is all true. Dax Vanon has saved this squad 14 times to date—6 of which involved significant personal risk. Quite the trend.”

“Guys, you…” Dax stood flabbergasted at his team, whose words resonated within him.

“Nothing you’ve ever done has been for nothing, Dax.” Rhea repeated, “You’re a lot stronger than you think.”

“And don’t worry about Liriana. We’ll get her back. Together.” Talia flashed a confident grin, the likes of which she rarely shows.

“But guys I… I don’t know. The incident with Reid has got me—“

“Thinking?” Jessie smirked, “Already got you covered, pal.”

“What?” Dax looked up to meet his team’s gaze, their eyes triumphant, “You did… what?”

◔

“Reid’s parents… worked for the Aequitas?” Dax stood shellshocked, his hands crossed over his massive chest.

“Not exactly worked per say. It was more of a blackmail type thing.” Jessie explained, before Rhea took over.

“They were probably promised a better life in exchange for operating that rogue device.”

“That’s why they told Reid they’d get him out of the slums that night…” Dax seemed to piece things together, his expression tight.

“But Eclipse… I mean Reid. He doesn’t know about that right?” Jessie chimed in.

“Would it mean anything to him at this point, though?” Mira sighed.

Before anyone could say anything Dax nodded to himself resolutely.

“I don’t know if it will mean anything to Reid now. What Liriana told me about him… He doesn’t sound like the Reid I know.” The knight took a heavy breath seemingly steeling his resolve, “But I know the truth now. The Knights we believed in never betrayed any of us. And that’s what matters.”

Everyone looked on, sensing the Dax they know was slowly returning.

“So we're gonna rescue Liriana and give Reid a piece of our mind?” Jessie smirked, cracking his knuckles.

“Uh… about that.” Dax muttered, “Commander Thane put me on permanent leave until the matter with Liriana is resolved.”

For a moment there was silence among the squad, their faces frozen.

“Uh-huh…” Talia uttered, unblinking.

“And that’s not all. Reid left me a message… He said I needed to come alone if I wanted to see Liriana again.”

“Yep, we’re cooked.” Jessie nodded.

“We’re kinda stuck then, aren’t we?”

“Stuck seems like a factually appropriate term.” Tidus echoed Mira’s sentiment.

Instead of following the same line of thought, Rhea stretched a slightly villainous grin.

“Nobody’s stuck… Dax you’re coming with.” She declared resolutely, her authoritative voice carrying a hint of mischief, “Nobody has to know.”

“What…?” Dax’s eyebrows shot up.

For the first time, Rhea seemed to have no disregard for any protocol. And it was all evident from the glint in her eye.

Talia stifled a laugh, while Jessie’s eyes widened with a playful grin. “Oh-ho, Captain Solstice—breaking the rules?” he teased, nudging Mira. “Who is this, and what did you do with our by-the-book leader?”

Rhea rolled her eyes but didn’t lose the smile. “When it comes to the people I care about, the rules can wait. We’re a team—and that means we’re getting Liriana back where she belongs.”

Jessie clapped his hands, grinning from ear to ear. “I like this new side of you, Captain. Sneaky, with a hint of rebellion. I think it’s good for morale.”

“Yeah, nothing says ‘team bonding’ like bending a few regulations,” Mira added with a smirk, “Besides, this gives me the perfect excuse to try out a few new gadgets I’ve been working on.”

Dax, still processing Rhea’s words, looked around at each of them. The tension in his face softened, a faint, grateful smile breaking through. “You’re… all willing to do this? For me?”

“Of course,” Talia said, crossing her arms with a reassuring smile. “We’re in this together. Besides, you’d do the same for any of us.”

Dax took a deep breath, the weight on his chest lifting slightly. The bitterness from being placed on leave faded, replaced by something stronger—a renewed sense of purpose. He looked back at Rhea, his expression one of gratitude and determination. “Thank you, Rhea. All of you.”

“Save it for after we get Liriana back,” Rhea said with a firm nod. “Right now, we’ve got a plan to make.”

“Which means,” Mira chimed in, pulling out a small holo-projector, “I get to show you guys my latest upgrades. I might’ve mentioned a flying Strider before… well, it’s almost ready for a test flight. Tidus, give us the blueprints.”

“Aye Cap‘n. As Jessie Valis would say.”

Dax let out a small, genuine laugh, the tension easing as he watched his team. The doubt and bitterness were still there, but they no longer held him back. He was part of a squad that believed in him, that trusted him, even when he couldn’t trust himself.