The Last Quiet Hour

The clang of weapons echoed across the shimmering training arena. Jessie ducked under a sweeping strike from Gravik Malto’s massive hammer, the sheer force of the swing sending ripples through the air.

“You’ve got some power, big guy!” Jessie called, skidding back and raising his glowing blade. “You sure you’re not part Strider?”

Gravik, tall and broad-shouldered with soft brown eyes and buzzed hair, hesitated briefly, his shy demeanor clashing with his imposing physique. “I… just focus on the swings,” he replied, his voice quieter than expected for someone wielding a weapon the size of a small tree.

“Good plan. Too bad I don’t stand still.” Jessie lunged forward, their weapons colliding with a thunderous crack that sent sparks flying.

Nearby, Rhea’s Chrono Whip snapped toward Calian Lager, the captain of Squad NX. Cal parried the whip-like weapon with his glaive, his movements smooth and calculated, as he tracked Rhea’s every step.

“You’re pushing hard today,” Cal said evenly.

“It’s not every day we train with another squad,” Rhea replied, “Better to test our teamwork here than in the field.”

“Fair point. But don’t expect us to hold back just because Thane paired us up.”

Across the arena, Skye Reus darted toward Talia, her twin pistols blazing as she fired off quick, precise shots.

“C’mon, sharpshooter,” she teased, flipping over a low crate for cover. “Think you can keep up?”

Talia, her eyes narrowing in quiet focus, notched an arrow. “This isn’t about keeping up. It’s about staying ahead.”

The first arrow whizzed past Skye’s shoulder, forcing her to duck behind cover with a smirk. “Alright. Let’s see what you’ve got.”

On the far side of the arena, Dax squared off against Eris Berg, Squad NX’s tactician. She was tall and lean, with jet-black hair streaked with yellow strands, and her pink-red eyes glinted with calculated precision as she wielded her twin chrono daggers.

“You always this slow?” Eris quipped with a deadpan expression darting around Dax’s heavy swings.

“Slow?” Dax pivoted to block her next attack with his gauntlet. “Try stopping this!” He lunged forward, his strength forcing Eris back a step, though her quick footwork kept her out of reach.

Eris’ face remained expressionless, as she twirled a dagger between her fingers. “Hm, Let’s see if you can actually land one.”

In the observation deck above, Mira sat cross-legged on a chair, her holo-tablet balanced on her knees. Her gaze flicked between the screen and the arena below, where glowing overlays tracked each knight’s movements and energy output. Beside her, Tidus hovered quietly, and Liriana sat with her hands folded atop her small thighs.

The young girl looked on with wide eyes, “Jessie… he’s really fast,” she said quietly, almost to herself.

Tidus hovered closer, its mechanical tone chiming in smoothly. “Statistically, Jessie Valis exceeds standard Chrono Knight agility benchmarks by 27%. However, his tendency for impulsive maneuvers increases risk by an equal percentage.”

Mira smirked, her attention still on the screen. “Which means he’s impressive… and predictable.”

Liriana’s small hands fidgeted in her lap. “...Everyone seems so strong.”

Mira looked at her for a moment, her expression softening. “You’ll find your strength too, Liri. Trust me. You’re already part of the team.”

Liriana’s cheeks flushed slightly, but she nodded, her gaze fixed on the action below.

Naturally, Liriana wasn’t a part of the team that would engage in real combat at the day of the large-scale operation. However her peculiar connection to chrono energy would be sidelined in case a need for it arose.

“Observation: The mission seems to be hanging heavily on everyone’s mind.” Tidus affirmed flatly.

“It is.” Mira nodded, her face tense, “It’s the biggest one yet after all.”

◔

“To surviving the mission ahead,” Rhea said, raising her glass. For once, her tone lacked its usual edge. “Cheers!”

The dining hall was alive with the clink of glasses and the hum of conversation. Squad GX and Squad NX had gathered for what felt like a rare moment of camaraderie before the battles to come.

“Cheers!” the squads echoed.

Skye leaned forward almost immediately, her sharp grin directed at Jessie. “So, Valis, you’re the comedian, huh? What’s the matter, afraid you’d lose a serious fight without the jokes?”

Jessie raised an eyebrow. “Oh, I can fight just fine. But if you want to talk serious, maybe you should lose the pistols and see how you fare against me with a real weapon.”

Skye smirked, twirling a fork between her fingers like one of her pistols. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you? A one-on-one with me? Bet you’d be crying before the first round’s over.”

Mira’s eyes flicked toward them, but she kept her tone neutral. “If you don’t trip over yourself first, Jessie.”

“Wow, thanks for the vote of confidence, Mira. Nice to know my squad’s got my back.”

Skye chuckled, leaning even closer to Jessie. “Don’t worry, hero. If she doesn’t believe in you, I do. Maybe after this mission, we can spar. Or grab a drink. Your pick.”

Jessie smirked, undeterred. “Sparring, sure. But drinks? Bold move, Skye. I’d hate to ruin your reputation by drinking you under the table.”

Talia, who had been silently observing the exchange, crossed her arms and arched an eyebrow. “Bold of you to assume anyone would even notice, Jessie. Your ‘under the table’ moments aren’t exactly a rare occurrence.”

“Ouch.”

Calian stepped in then, his tone sharp but not unkind. “Skye, maybe ease up on the charm, yeah? We’ve got a battle ahead, not a dance floor.”

“Relax, Cap. Just keeping things light,”

“More like keeping yourself entertained,” Eris said dryly, her pink-red eyes narrowed as she picked at her dessert. “Not everyone’s looking for a date, Skye.”

“I’m just saying,” Skye replied, throwing up her hands in mock innocence. “What’s wrong with a little fun before we potentially get obliterated by time distortions?”

“Statistically speaking,” Tidus chimed in, its robotic tone breaking through the chatter, “the probability of our squad’s survival increases by maintaining focus, not indulging in interpersonal distractions.”

Jessie groaned, “Leave it to Tidus to kill the mood.”

“I don’t kill moods. I correct them.”

Liriana giggled softly, watching the exchange. “I think it’s nice to see everyone having fun…”

Gravik, the gentle giant, nodded, his voice quiet but firm. “She’s right. It’s good to blow off some steam.”

Jessie clapped a hand on Gravik’s shoulder. “See? Gravik gets it. This is why we’re pals, big guy.”

Gravik’s cheeks reddened slightly as he muttered, “I mean… if beating you in training makes us pals, then sure. But, uh… don’t take it too personally.”

The table erupted into laughter once more.

Eris glanced at Rhea, her tone measured. “So, Captain Solstice, any last words of wisdom before we head into the unknown?”

Rhea set down her glass, her expression steady. “Just one: watch each other’s backs. Whatever we face out there, we face it together. No one gets left behind.”

Talia nodded, “We’ve trained for this. We’re ready.”

“And we’ll come back,” Mira added.

Jessie raised his glass again, his grin softening. “To coming back. All of us.”

“Cheers!”

As the group clinked their glasses once more, the gravity of their mission settled in, but for now, they allowed themselves this moment of levity before they faced whatever lay ahead.