Ultima Ratio

Chapter 20: Regroup

"Contact Base," Akira ordered. She pressed a button embedded in her boot collars and ensured she felt the electromagnets in her soles secure to the deck before unbuckling her seatbelt. "Let them know we have visual confirmation."

"Copy," Makana replied, their demeanor instantly taking on an air of professionalism. "Contacting Base."

Akira headed to the back of the aircraft, getting reaccustomed to how her shoes would stick to the deck before the electromagnets automatically released. She wasn't surprised when Danya followed without a word, and Akira began scanning the labels of the various steel stowage lockers secured to the hull. Eventually, she opened one labeled "GARMENTS" and procured two spare uniforms, tossing one to Danya.

"This doesn't match my cabbages," Danya grumbled, eyeing the folded black fabric with disdain.

"Nothing matches cabbages except more cabbages," Akira pointed out impatiently, already shedding one of her own boots and half of her sweatpants.

Thankfully, Danya merely shrugged in acceptance and began to don the uniform over her own clothes.

"No word from Base," Makana reported from the cockpit. "We're almost out of range, and this storm isn't doing us any favors."

Akira swore again as she finished securing her pants. "Send a coded message over the unencrypted emergency lines. Hopefully, Sam's team in Kolkata should hear it and pass it on. If anything, at least the cities that'll get hit first will get the memo. Any Concordians above us might hear it too, but we can only hope they haven't cracked our codes yet."

"Copy—wait, are you seriously going out there?"

Akira turned to the front of the plane to find Makana looking back at them, bewildered.

"I'll find the nearest inhabited area, and you can drop us off," Akira explained. "We can at least help the civilians until backup arrives."

"You—" Makana stifled their words before turning back to the skies, their shoulders lifting and sinking with an elongated breath.

Once they were done, they turned back to Akira with a stern expression. "There's nothing for you to do out there. It's best to stay here and let people who are actually equipped for these types of things handle it. Preferably people that weren't in a coma a couple weeks ago."

"It was more of an 'extended nap,'" Akira said, still irritated about being sidelined for so long. "And we can help. We—"

Akira paused. She didn't know how much Makana knew about Danya's abilities, and she didn't want to provide them with more information than necessary. But she had to get Danya to the ground somehow, and even if Akira was powerless to help, she still couldn't let Danya fight that battle alone.

"We don't have time for this," Akira snapped, holstering a spare handgun and two level three ammunition cartridges. "Send the message, then drop us off and get out of here."

"Oh, so you get to stay and I have to leave?" Makana scoffed. "Now you choose to play the hero?"

"Come on, Makana! This is a recon plane! You're not equipped for a full-on battle!"

"That's what you think. But this baby's got more tricks up her sleeve than you think."

Akira reeled in her frustration. She knew she could pull rank on Makana in this situation, even though they were in different branches, but it was a scenario she was hoping to avoid. Then again, this was an emergency, and while Akira would have Danya watching her back, Makana would be alone in a flying steel tube.

"Send the message, drop us off, and fall back, Lieutenant," Akira said firmly.

She had only implied it was an order, but Makana heard the silent message loud and clear, judging by the way their face flinched and pinched.