KINGDOM ARCHIVES

"Every mission has its risks"

"Not like today. That deployment was unnecessary and it put Jett in a compromised position."

"I don't hear her complaining."

"She wouldn't. She is afraid that--"

"What's going on here? Your report is late. Are you incapable of speech? Out with it!"

"Sova."

"I'm concerned about this mission. It was not tactically viable."

Viper "Sigh. Not this again."

"You are letting your focus on the target jeopardize our goals."

"How we reach our goals is my prerogative!"

"But you ignore everything else! I'll remind you why we are risking our lives

"Scoff. Please, you don't think I know that? Punishing Sage is a direct path to stopping protocol."

"Punishing?"

"You know what I meant!"

"Punishing. This is about patient Zero isn't it?"

"Sova? Don't you dare--"

"Was this ever about stopping Alpha--"

"That's enough--"

"--or was this always about revenge?"

Viper "I said enough!"

"Hey! Easy."

"Viper. Viper? Lower the gun. Sabine..."

"All of you. Out of my sight."

"Strike team to base. Protocol's vulture spotted our approach for shift change. T -40 seconds. Ambush is go. Jett and KAY/O have the foothills, Iso's on the river. Waylay takes east bank, I'm west. We are going dark."

"You said (static) get close. I did."

"That leaves one option. Your bow."

"I am not firing it blind into an area full of civilians."

"Got a better idea?"

"Yes. We wait, until the area empties. A closure, a weekend, as we always have like in Mexico and that was risky enough".

"You're really refusing Viper's orders."

"I'll talk to her. There must be lines we do not cross. After Venice we took a vow; no civilians. I know you agree with me."

Sighs "Maybe."

"Alpha Sage is neutralized. We had agreed to move on this risk it gets us nothing. What is Viper thinking?"

"Viper, you were right. They're headed straight to the coordinates you relayed. So, you're gonna tell me how you knew? Anyway. Radianite's crazy here, you can feel it. Most of the people at the facility are radiants too. Lots of them. Team approach should be difficult with the surrounding mountains, they'll see us coming for sure. But... I'll keep testing the perimeter. Call me if anything changes."

"Ugh, my neck is killing me!"

"I'll take a sore neck over what they got."

"Laughs. You are right about that. Still hurts like hell though."

"Maybe go one mission without punching holes in the ground."

"What, and break my streak? Clove keeps Ibuprofen around here somewhere."

"Top of the locker, under the card. I'm taking a shower."

"Wait, hang on-"

"Top of the locker, I said!"

"Not that damn pills. The mission. You ever seen them do that?"

"Do what?"

"Alpha's extraction. Their Sage didn't even try to treat their Harbor on the field. They took him straight to the VLT-R for a med evac."

"Never seen that before..."

"It's weird, right?"

"Get Viper on comms."

"He's more than an audio tech. Fade could sense it."

"So he's a Radiant? I'll add it to the report. Where is he from?"

"Croatia."

"A soldier?"

"He is now."

"Hm. Like so many of us. His healing could be an issue if we don't recruit his counterpart. I'll track him down."

"Go ahead. Our mission hasn't changed."

"It hasn't?"

"He can't revive. Not like Sage."

"Good point. Then she's still our main target."

"Until Viper says different."

"With the holdouts falling in line, Legion's full resources are at your disposal."

"Good. Now use them. Breach, lead the strike teams. Don't let the others show mercy, you how they are. You push her. Further than we ever have before. Do not stop until she breaks."

"Oh, she'll break."

"Sova, reconnaissance. Every movement, every deployment. If they so much as sneeze, I want absolute certainty they're following our script."

"Done."

"And me?"

"Containment and contingency. Keep them feeling surrounded. One step in the wrong direction-"

"I cut their throat."

"Protocol isn't dumb, they'll adapt to the aggression."

"They won't have time. Don't let them bend, make them snap."

"Without snapping ourselves."

"You better not. Brief your teams, get them ready, and relay your daily callouts."