The wind howled at full force as Ravik and Kael neared the insurgent operations hub, a squat, heavily fortified structure perched on the edge of a cliff. The dark sky swirled with grit and ash, a haze thick enough to smother the glow of the antennae.

Ravik tapped the visor, static crackling in his ear. He turned to Kael, who crouched beside him behind a jagged outcrop, scanning the hub’s perimeter.

“We’re losing signal,” Ravik said, his voice low but audible over the storm.

Kael nodded, his crimson eyes narrowing. “Comms are spotty, but we knew that going in. Stick to the plan. Manual signals if it gets worse.”

From their respective positions, the rest of the team chimed in through the crackling comms.

“Depot explosives are live,” Veyra’s voice cut through, even and calm despite the distortion. “Just waiting for the word.”

“Clear skies over here,” Sarin added, though his tone carried a sharp edge of tension. “Haven’t seen movement yet, but that wind’s making visibility a joke.”

“Don’t get too comfortable,” Elara interjected. “Stay sharp.”

Kael tapped his earpiece, signaling for Ravik to move. The two advanced in sync, navigating the uneven terrain toward the hub’s access point. Ravik raised his rifle, his eyes scanning the shadows for movement.

The first patrol appeared like ghosts through the haze, their forms silhouetted against the faint glow of the antennae. Ravik dropped to a knee, his rifle raising instinctively.

Kael crouched beside him, his voice low and steady. “Two on the left, one on the right. Take the left. Quietly.”

Ravik exhaled slowly, his finger brushing the trigger. The shot was clean, a sharp crack muffled by the storm. The insurgent dropped silently, his companion only managing a half-turn before Ravik’s second shot landed.

“Good,” Kael murmured, his hand brushing briefly against Ravik’s shoulder as he moved past him. “Keep it up.”

Ravik’s shoulder twitched beneath Kael’s touch, but he pushed the thought aside, focusing on the task at hand. They reached the hub’s exterior wall, its surface a patchwork of reinforced metal and exposed circuitry.

“Cover me,” Ravik said, pulling a compact toolkit from his belt.

Kael didn’t respond verbally, but his rifle was already trained on the perimeter. Ravik worked quickly, bypassing the hub’s initial security layers.

Movement flickered in the corner of Ravik’s visor, and a sharp burst of gunfire cracked through the storm. Kael reacted instantly, dropping one insurgent with a single shot and forcing the others to scatter.

“Stay focused,” Kael said, his tone calm but edged with authority.

Ravik nodded, his hands steady as he completed the bypass. The panel hissed open, revealing the console. He stepped inside, the dim glow of the console illuminating his face as he began uploading the disruption protocol.

Kael followed, his movements fluid as he took position by the entrance. He glanced back at Ravik, his voice softening. “You’re handling this well, Captain. Impressive, even.”

Ravik smirked faintly, his fingers flying over the console’s keys. “You expected me to fumble?”

“Not for a second,” Kael replied, his gaze lingering on Ravik for a moment longer than necessary.

The faint touch of Kael’s hand against Ravik’s lower back caught him off guard, a fleeting but deliberate gesture as the commander leaned slightly closer, his voice dropping. “But you’re still full of surprises.”

Ravik’s pulse quickened, though he kept his focus on the console. “We’re in the middle of a mission,” he said, his voice steady but quieter than usual.

“I know.”

Outside, Sarin’s voice crackled over the comms, sharp and tense. “You two better hurry up in there. Patrols are doubling back, and I’m not a fan of doing all the heavy lifting while you’re having... fun.”

Kael chuckled softly, raising his rifle again as he scanned the perimeter. “Don’t worry, Sarin. We’re almost done.”

“Good,” Sarin snapped, though his tone carried more irritation than relief. “Because if I have to take out another one of these bastards solo, I’m charging double. And by the way, Captain, you owe me one.”

Ravik rolled his eyes but couldn’t suppress the faint smirk tugging at his lips. “Noted,” he said, finishing the upload.

“Protocol’s live,” Ravik announced, stepping back from the console as the lights on the hub flickered erratically.

Kael gestured toward the exit. “Let’s move. Patrols will be on us in minutes.”

The two slipped back into the storm, navigating the rocky terrain toward their extraction point. Sarin’s voice cut through the comms again, laced with mock annoyance. “And here I thought I was the dramatic one. Don’t let Kael get all handsy, Ravik. Some of us like to think we have a shot.”

Ravik didn’t respond, but the faint heat in his cheeks betrayed him. Kael didn’t flinch—his focus stayed locked on the horizon as they moved in unison.

By the time they reached cover, the hub was fully compromised, the insurgents’ operations breaking into static and confusion. The storm raged on, but for the Vanguard, the first critical step of the mission was complete.