Chapter 232: All hands on deck

Words : 1456 Updated : Sep 25th, 2025

Sophie Reign stood with her arms crossed, her long dark hair pulled back in a tight ponytail, her expression unreadable in the dim light. Beside her, Lucas Grey leaned casually against the craft's hull, his tall frame unmistakable even in the shadows. "Right on schedule," Lucas said, his voice carrying that familiar tone of casual authority. "Told you they'd make a move tonight, Sophie." Noah felt his stomach drop. "Lucas. Sophie. What are you doing here?" Sophie didn't answer, her gaze fixed somewhere over Noah's shoulder. Lucas pushed himself away from the craft and approached them. "Did you really think I wouldn't notice when Kelvin started digging into EDF prison records? Or when you paid Brooks a visit after curfew?" Sophie shot Noah a look. "You went to Brooks?" "How else were we supposed to get out of here?" Noah countered. Lucas shook his head, a hint of amusement in his expression. "Always the improviser, Eclipse." He turned to Sophie. "What did I tell you? They're predictable in their unpredictability." Sophie finally spoke, her voice cool. "We should go. Standing around here increases our risk of detection." Noah stepped forward. "Wait, you're coming with us?" "Of course we are," Lucas replied. "You're going after information on the Purge, right? Information located at Academy 8's base?" Noah stared at him. "How did you—" "Because I know you," Lucas cut him off. "And because Sophie's father mentioned a high-value Purge prisoner being held there two weeks ago." He gestured toward the skycraft. "Now, are we going to stand here debating, or are we going to move?" Noah looked at Sophie, but she was already walking toward the craft, deliberately avoiding his gaze. The tension between them was evident. "Fine," Noah conceded. "But we're in charge of this operation." Lucas laughed. "Sure you are." He clapped Noah on the shoulder. "You can brief us on the way." Ten minutes later, they were airborne, the lights of the Nexus Arena receding behind them as Kelvin navigated the skycraft through the night. The cabin was silent except for the soft hum of the engines, tension hanging thick in the air. Kelvin, seated at the controls, finally broke the silence. "ETA to Academy 8's base is thirty-four minutes. We're flying manual to avoid the automated defense grid." Lucas nodded from the co-pilot's seat. "Good. Their systems won't be expecting a craft with Academy 12 security protocols." Noah sat across from Sophie in the rear of the cabin, the space between them feeling wider than the physical distance. He leaned forward. "Sophie—" "Don't," she cut him off, her voice low. "We're here for the mission. That's it." Noah felt a spike of frustration. "So you're just going to ignore me the whole time?" "I'm prioritizing," she replied coldly. "Something you seem to have trouble with lately." Before Noah could respond, Lucas turned in his seat. "Alright, enough. We need a plan." He looked at Noah. "This is your operation. What's the objective?" Noah hesitated, then nodded. Better to focus on the mission for now. "The EDF has a Purge prisoner at Academy 8's base. We need to access their records, find out who he is and what information they've extracted from him." "And how exactly did you learn about this prisoner?" Sophie asked, her eyes narrowing. Noah met her gaze steadily. "Does it matter?" "It matters if your source is compromised," she countered. "My source is solid." Sophie scoffed but said nothing more. Lucas watched the exchange with knowing eyes before turning to Kelvin. "Pull up the schematics." Kelvin tapped a sequence on his wristband, and a holographic display materialized in the center of the cabin—a detailed three-dimensional map of Academy 8's base. The main compound glowed red, while various entry points were highlighted in blue. "Academy 8's base has three security layers," Kelvin explained, manipulating the display to zoom in on the outer perimeter. "External sensors, patrol drones, and internal biometric scanners. Getting past the first two won't be too difficult with this craft's stealth capabilities, but the biometrics..." "That's where I come in," Lucas said, pulling a small device from his pocket. "Senior clearance codes. They won't get us everywhere, but they'll get us through the main security checkpoints. I should have brought this the last time," Noah studied the hologram, his tactical mind already mapping routes. "The prisoner will be held in the detention level, which means we need to access the central command node first to locate him precisely." Lucas nodded approvingly. "The command center is here," he pointed to a section near the heart of the base. "Heavily guarded during normal operations, but with most of Academy 8's top personnel at the tournament..." "They'll be running a skeleton crew," Noah finished the thought. "Still, we can't assume it'll be easy. Jayden might be at the tournament, but some instructors and the regular EDF personnel won't be." Sophie leaned forward, her personal issues with Noah momentarily set aside as she analyzed the hologram. "Last time you guys were at Academy 8, during the retaliation raid, Jayden practically invited you all in. This will be different." Noah nodded, remembering their previous encounter with Academy 8. That had been a student-to-student confrontation—school pride and rivalry. This was something else entirely. "We'll need a distraction," he said, pointing to the eastern perimeter. "Something to draw attention away from the command center." Lucas smirked. "Already taken care of." He pulled out another device—a small cylindrical object. "Localized EMP. When triggered, it'll knock out power to the eastern sector for approximately three minutes. Not long, but enough to create confusion." Kelvin whistled, impressed. "Where'd you get that?" "Requisitioned it from the Academy 12 armory before we left," Lucas replied with a shrug. "You stole it," Noah said, echoing Kelvin's earlier defense. Lucas grinned. "Temporarily requisitioned for an unofficial mission of critical importance." Despite herself, Sophie's lips twitched in what might have been the beginning of a smile. Noah turned his attention back to the hologram. "Alright, here's the plan. We land here, at the maintenance bay on the western side. Kelvin and I will make our way to the command center while Lucas triggers the EMP to create a diversion." "And me?" Sophie asked. Noah met her gaze. "You stay with the craft. We'll need a quick extraction if things go sideways." Her eyes flashed. "If you think I'm just going to sit—" "Someone needs to ensure our exit strategy remains viable," Lucas interrupted smoothly. "And you're the best pilot among us. Besides Kelvin," Sophie looked like she wanted to argue further but finally nodded, accepting the logic. "Once we're in the command center," Noah continued, "Kelvin will access their systems to locate the prisoner and extract whatever data they have on him and the Purge's operations." "Five minutes, max," Kelvin added. "Any longer and we risk detection." Lucas studied the plan critically. "It could work. But there's a lot that could go wrong." "There always is," Noah said quietly. The cabin fell silent as they each contemplated the risks ahead. The skycraft hummed steadily beneath them, carrying them through the night toward Academy 8's base. After a moment, Lucas spoke again. "You know, if this goes badly, we're all facing expulsion at minimum. Possibly worse, given that we're essentially conducting an unauthorized raid on an EDF facility." "No one's forcing you to come," Noah replied. Lucas laughed. "And miss out on all the fun? Not a chance." His expression turned serious. "Besides, if the Purge is planning something against the academies, against our classmates... then this is worth the risk." Sophie remained silent, but her posture had subtly shifted—less rigid, more focused. Whatever her personal feelings toward Noah, her commitment to the mission was unquestionable. Kelvin glanced back from the pilot's seat. "Twenty minutes to target. We should start our approach soon." Noah nodded, studying the hologram one last time. The plan wasn't perfect, but it was the best they had. And with Lucas and Sophie alongside them—however unexpected their presence—their chances had improved significantly. As for what they'd find at Academy 8's base... that remained to be seen. But one thing was certain: the answers they sought about the Purge wouldn't come without risk. "Initiating stealth protocols," Kelvin announced, his fingers dancing across the controls as the craft began its descent toward the distant lights of Academy 8's base. The mission had begun.

Chapter 232: All hands on deck

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