Beneath the tranquil and serene night sky, a lone transport aircraft cut through the clouds, its silhouette an out-of-place blemish on nature's otherwise harmonious canvas. Tonight's weather was exceptionally favorable—no storms, no turbulence, just rare, ideal flying conditions.
Inside the fuselage, twenty-one members of the 4th Platoon's Night Knights sat upright in silence. The only sounds were the dull drone of the engines and the creaking of metal components vibrating through the aircraft. It had been over an hour since takeoff, and soon, they would reach their destination.
Claiming not to be nervous would've been a blatant lie. Sennia had never jumped from such a high altitude before. Even though Arcia had been assigned to assist her during the parachute drop, the sight of the sprawling earth beneath and the clouds so close outside the window made her stomach churn.
After another twenty minutes in this tension-laden atmosphere, the engines began to quiet down. Shortly after, a red indicator light at the front of the cabin started flashing. Seeing this, Otto ordered everyone to stand and form up. A jumpmaster from the paratrooper unit opened the side hatch of the aircraft and gestured the squad forward, signaling the jump was imminent.
"Grab my hand!"
Sennia's turn came at last. A biting wind rushed in through the open hatch, slapping her face. Her tightly bound hair fluttered wildly. As she gazed out at the vast landscape and clouds rushing by, her face paled, and her legs began to shake uncontrollably. She didn't even register Arcia's call.
"Sennia!"
It wasn't until Arcia grabbed her arm and shook it that she snapped back to reality.
"Look at me. Grab my hand!"
Arcia shouted over the roar, using hand signals to ensure clarity. Sennia nodded shakily, her face still etched with fear. Arcia gave her a reassuring glance, and the two of them leapt from the plane together.
To avoid detection by enemy forces, the platoon was required to deploy their parachutes as close to the ground as possible, minimizing time suspended in the air. That meant a stretch of freefall before the chute pull. But oddly enough, once in freefall, Sennia felt her nerves settle. With Arcia right in front of her, the cold air rushing past her ears somehow calmed her. One hand gripped Arcia tightly, while the other clutched her parachute's pull-ring. Now, she even had the presence of mind to appreciate the view.
Soon, Arcia gave the signal—it was time. The ground loomed near. She let go of Sennia, deployed her chute, and Sennia followed. The parachutes blossomed at low altitude, and before long, they touched down. Sennia, lacking experience, tumbled across the wet grass and was dragged some distance before finally managing to cut her parachute free with her combat knife.
"You okay?"
Arcia approached, arms wrapped around her bundled parachute. Sennia, still breathless and rattled, lay sprawled on the damp grass.
"I'm... I'm fine..."
"Pack your chute. I'll scout the area."
Sennia hastily caught the submachine gun Arcia tossed her way, only now realizing her own weapon had somehow slipped away during the descent.
Most of the others had landed without issue, aside from a few unlucky souls blown into a nearby forest. Edwin was one of them—evident by the leaves and twigs stuck all over him.
"How was your first jump?"
He spoke with a grin that said he was thoroughly enjoying himself, ignoring the fact that he might actually be the most disheveled of them all.
"...Exhilarating."
Exhilarating enough that Sennia never wanted to do it again. Still, she had to admit—the view from above had a charm of its own. Especially the sight of Hekar in the distance, its neon lights sparkling like jewelry across the night-cloaked land. Suspended between stars and earth, witnessing the two kiss at the horizon—it almost felt worth it.
"No need to pretend. I saw your legs shaking the entire flight."
As he passed, Edwin hesitated a moment, then gave her shoulder a light, brotherly punch.
Fortunately, the clear weather helped them land relatively close together. Within a short time, all twenty-one had regrouped. They advanced toward Hekar and took temporary refuge in an abandoned cabin. Guards were posted to detect any approaching threats, while the cabin offered concealment for their lights.
"We've got plenty of time. Our plan can't be finalized until we gather more intel."
Five fully autonomous Night Knights of the platoon were gathered around a worn wooden table with one missing corner. A military map lay spread across it, lit by a dimly flickering candle. Technically, they didn't need the candle—Night Knights could read in the dark—but color distinctions on the map made visual cues much more intuitive.
"We're here."
Otto placed a compass on the map, aligning its edge with the magnetic lines. He rotated the map to match true north, then drew two intersecting lines with a pencil to mark their current location. Sennia watched the process in complete confusion, inwardly noting how much she still had to learn.
"This route looks like the shortest," Nordhausen pointed out. Edwin and Otto both nodded in agreement.
"But we should confirm the entry point after reconnaissance. There might be checkpoints—especially with the emperor's birthday banquet two weeks away."
According to intelligence, the Luvina Empire was hosting a celebration in Hekar—a major city about 400 kilometers from the front line—for Emperor Luvina's 55th birthday. Numerous high-ranking officials would be attending. The 4th Platoon's mission was to assassinate them. Success could paralyze command across one-tenth of Luvina's forces—potentially catastrophic for the volatile front lines.
"Agreed. We've got about three hours until dawn. Let's change and move out!"
With the course set, the platoon sprang into action.
Since the mission required them to blend into Hekar for two weeks, civilian-style Luvina clothing had been included in their gear. The men courteously ceded the cabin to Sennia, Arcia, and the other female Night Knights for changing. While second-generation Night Knights in some units were treated more like machines than people, the three officers here still held fast to their principles.
"Let me help."
Seeing Arcia struggle to tie the laces behind her dress, Sennia stepped up after finishing her own change and quickly tied a neat bow.
"You look really pretty in that dress, Arcia!"
She stepped back to admire Arcia in the pale blue gown. Though slightly shorter than Sennia, Arcia's platinum hair and youthful features made her resemble a lively young heiress—despite the contrast to her actual stoic personality.
"Then starting today, I'm your maid."
Sennia herself looked calm and composed in a modest black dress with a white apron tied over it.
"..."
Arcia stared into a small mirror, seemingly taken aback by her own reflection in the dress. For a moment, she stood completely still.
"What's wrong?"
Sennia noticed her odd expression and asked gently.
"Nothing."
Arcia turned away, back to her usual self.
"Ladies, are you ready?"
Otto's voice came from outside the door. Arcia glanced around at the others, all dressed, and stepped out.
"That outfit really suits you."
Sennia followed her out and offered the compliment. She'd heard Otto was of minor noble birth from Edwin and Nordhausen. His wool overcoat, shirt, and tie ensemble certainly gave off the aura of wealth.
"You don't look bad yourself."
Before setting off, each member had adopted a cover identity. Thus began their improvised wardrobe transformation.
"What are your orders, sir?"
Edwin was now dressed to match Sennia's "maid" persona as a loyal manservant. Nordhausen wore simpler attire, fitting his cover as a hired hand in service to a traveling merchant.
"If everyone's ready, let's move. Daybreak brings complications."
Marching in civilian clothes was nothing like tactical gear, but they made it to Hekar's outskirts before sunrise. After a quick survey of the city's western perimeter, the 4th Platoon split up and infiltrated via rooftops and side streets.
As per the plan, they were to rendezvous with a Dazilet agent embedded in Hekar. Beyond intel gathering, the agent had secured a safehouse for ongoing operations.
Otto, Arcia, and Sennia walked at a leisurely pace through the morning streets. Edwin and Nordhausen took more discreet routes to avoid attention. Lacking transportation and with Hekar's public transit still inactive, the trio spent nearly two hours covering half the distance—until fortune smiled, and they hitched a ride on a passing wagon.
"Honestly, it would've been faster across the rooftops…"
Edwin, who'd already scaled his way to the safehouse, opened the door for them. His smug remark was met with weary silence.
"Thanks for the warm welcome," Otto muttered, too tired to care about the jab. After all, it was his idea.
"Take me to the contact."