Chapter 3:
Chrono Knight
The Chrono Knights were not like other military units. Their purpose went beyond patrolling streets or securing borders. They guarded the most delicate resource in existence—time itself. As the protectors of the Chrono Stream, they were tasked with ensuring that time flowed as it should, preventing disruptions that could shatter reality itself. From rogue time-manipulators to unregulated tech capable of bending the future, the Knights were the last line of defense. They didn’t rewrite time—they protected its integrity.
Each squad was trained to respond to chrono disturbances, moments when the Chrono Stream rippled dangerously, threatening to tear through the fabric of reality. Whether it was a minor incident in a city square or an underground operation threatening a paradox, the Chrono Knights were called in to set things right.
And for Squad GX, today was the first day their new recruits could have their shot at it.
Jessie, one of the two rookies, sat in one of the sleek chairs around the holo-table, staring at the swirling blue lights that floated above the surface with raised brows. The energy from the chrono-tech hummed softly, the data feed shifting in midair with numbers and graphs that meant nothing to him at the moment.
"Alright, briefing starts now." Rhea’s voice cut through the room, sharp and commanding. She stood at the head of the table, arms folded, her blue eyes focused. “We’ve just received a mission from HQ. Like I said before, we don't have time for learning curves, so I expect the new recruits to be on point.”
“Wait there’s no filler sparring episode? We go straight in?”
“...” Rhea’s and Talia’s glare was all Jessie needed to stop. For now.
The young man however couldn’t help but lean forward, grinning slightly. His first mission. This was the real deal now. He caught Dax’s eye across the table, and the towering man gave him a small nod.
Rhea swiped her hand across the holo-display, and a map of Neotera appeared, a bright red marker flashing on one of the lower city districts.
"We’ve got reports of a chrono disturbance near the industrial sector, more precisely within a factory. The ripple was detected about an hour ago. It's small but irregular, meaning we can’t afford to let it grow."
Talia, who was sitting with her arms crossed next to Jessie, raised an eyebrow. "And who’s behind it?"
"We don’t know yet," Rhea said, her voice steady. "Could be a rogue time manipulator, could be faulty tech. What matters is that we get there and contain it before it escalates."
"Right." Talia’s response was cool, as always, but Jessie caught the brief flicker of curiosity in her amber eyes.
Dax leaned back in his chair, crossing his massive arms over his chest. "So, what’s the plan? Go in, smash the tech, and save the day? Easy enough."
Jessie grinned, leaning forward. "I don’t know, Dax. You sure you can fit in that industrial sector without knocking down a few buildings first?"
Dax chuckled, his deep voice rumbling through the room. "I’ll just knock over the bad guys instead, rookie. Maybe you can pick up the pieces when I’m done."
Jessie raised his hands in mock surrender. "Hey, I’m good with that. You smash, I’ll look pretty doing it."
Talia rolled her eyes. "Let’s try to avoid smashing anything that doesn’t need smashing.”
Rhea shot them all a look that silenced the playfulness, but there was a hint of amusement in her eyes. "We’re not here to wreck the city, Dax. We’re here to contain a potential threat. We go in clean, assess the situation, neutralize the disturbance, and get out. Understood?"
Jessie gave a mock salute. "Aye aye, Cap’n. Clean and precise. Got it."
Mira, who had been quietly typing away at her console in the corner, suddenly chimed in.
"Just so you two newbies know, I’ll be feeding you live data once you’re on the ground. The chrono fluctuations in that sector are all over the place, so keep an eye on your anchors. If anything gets too unstable, I’ll pull you out."
Talia gulped, eyeing the flashing tech-ring implanted in her hand, the symbol of every Chrono Knight.
Chrono Anchors— advanced implants that allowed Chrono Knights to interact with the Chrono Stream safely. Implanted in their hands they let Knights manipulate time flows, stabilize distortions, and detect disruptions. Anchors also tether them to the present, preventing unintended time shifts, while powering their chrono-tech weapons and receiving mission data.
Jessie turned in his chair to face Mira. "So, basically, you’ll be the voice in my ear telling me when to stop being reckless?"
Mira grinned. "Exactly. Somebody’s gotta keep you in check, Valis."
“Come on, guys! The name’s Jessie! Je-SSIE?!”
Rhea cleared her throat. "Focus, everyone. This isn’t a game. We can’t afford mistakes on our first mission."
Jessie straightened up a little, the weight of Rhea’s words sinking in. This wasn’t just another day at the Academy anymore. This was real, and the consequences of failure weren’t something he could laugh off.
Rhea nodded, satisfied with the shift in the room's energy. "Good. Now, Mira will be our eyes and ears. Dax, you’re on point. Talia, you’ll cover us from range with your bow. Jessie—"
Jessie sat up straighter, his grin fading as he waited for his role.
"—you’re with Dax. Support him, keep him from smashing things we don’t need smashed."
"Yes, ma’am," Jessie said, shooting Dax a sidelong glance. "Guess that means I’ll have to keep the big guy under control."
Dax laughed. "Good luck with that, rookie."
Talia, still with her arms crossed, exhaled slowly. "Let’s just hope we get through this without any… unnecessary distractions."
Jessie flashed her a grin. "Don’t worry, Talia. I promise I’ll try not to distract you too much with my shining good looks."
Mira chuckled from her station. "I give it ten minutes before you’re both at each other’s throats."
"Five." Dax added with a smirk.
Rhea, clearly done with messing about, stepped forward, her tone firm once again. "Alright, enough. Gear up. We leave in five."
◔
“So do we take the train or…”
“Or.”
When the whole squad reached the underground level of the Time Tower, Jessie’s question was cut short by a simple word from Rhea, and an even simpler flick of her wrist.
As the commander scanned her palm on a nearby terminal, the lights of the Chrono Knights' garage flickered to life, illuminating a row of sleek, blue and black vehicles. Front and center was the squad’s transport—a high-tec military truck that seemed to hum with power.
Its angular, streamlined body hovered just inches off the ground, glowing chrono symbols pulsing faintly along its sides. The vehicle looked like something built for both speed and power, with its reinforced alloy plating and sleek, compact design. Jessie couldn’t help but whistle softly as he eyed the truck’s smooth edges and the faint hum of its chrono engine.
“Meet the Chrono Strider,” Rhea said, a small smirk playing at the corner of her lips, seemingly proud of her squad’s means of transport. “Fast, tough, and it’ll get us where we need to be in one piece.”
“Why does everything have to start with Chrono around here, I wonder…” Jessie scoffed, before taking a closer look, “Oh wait, it’s hovering! Nice touch.”
Dax grinned, already walking towards the vehicle. “Oh, it’s more than just nice, rookie. This thing phases through obstacles if needed. Perfect for those tight spots.”
Jessie stared at the truck, now with even more curiosity. “Wait, it can teleport?”
“For short bursts,” Talia said flatly, brushing past him. “Let’s just hope we don’t have to use it.”
“Hah, You most definitely will.” Mira’s voice crackled through everyone’s comms weaved into their gear.
Without a moment’s delay, the squad boarded the vehicle that booted up on auto-pilot and started up its engine. Soon the Strider was out of the garage and the Knights were striding down the streets of Neotera, heading straight for the disturbance.
Please log in to leave a comment.