Kai latched his parachute to his harness and looked over at the watch on his wrist- 6:45 AM. The sun had just risen and visibility had returned to the mountains, allowing them to make the treacherous jump. Kai took a deep breath - despite being in one of Nekonia’s elite military platoons - heights never got easier. He took two deep breaths in attempting to calm his nerves just enough to let go of the handles on the plane door. On the third breath, he let go and made the leap.

The cold November air pierced his skin as his body accelereated with every passing second. The mountain air was crisp and glacial, with litttle oxygen on account of the altitude. He glanced over at his watch - which displayed his coordinates. He was on track for the landing zone. After a few more seconds, an alarm rang on his watch - he was now at a safe altitude to deploy his parachute. He glanced over at Sgt. Roberts and gave him a thumbs up - indicating he was ready to deploy.

Kai pressed the button on his harness and deployed the parachute and carefully landed within the zone.

“Bloody cold in the morning inn’it”.

Kai laughed. “Par for the course, Roberts.”

The two of them dropped the parachutes behind and Kai informed the team:

*“*This is Sgt Carissimo. Sgt Roberts and I are in position. Beginning our descent. Over.”

Within seconds, he heard back.

“Copy that, Sgt Carissimo. Commander Laisser here with Sgt Lee. We’re also in position. Stay vigilant.”

With that, the two began their descent through the mountains. It was a careful approach - they had to me mindful of the altitude and rough terrain of the mountainous path. Significant portions of the path were covered in snow and ice. The two of them had ice-picks in their booths to help them traverse the appropriate paths. They couldn’t approach the compound too quickly - on fear of slipping and falling over the ledge. They also had to be mindful of noise - Zaire’s men may be lurking around any corner.

The Nekonian Intelligence Commission had been studying Zaire and his men for months now. Contrary to popular belief, security was actually tighter in the dead of the night. Their team likely believe that anyone who would choose to attack would do so then, with the security detail likely asleep. Between 7 and 8 am, there was typically a change-over between the night guard and the day guard. This time typically had the fewest patrols - patrol men would typically come back to switch over with their day-shift counterparts and then head into their chambers to rest for the day.

Zaire was typically up around now. Reports from drone footage seemed to suggest he would arise around 7-8 AM and have a glass of tea, often in the inner courtyard. The man would then enter into his office and attend to his affairs. Zaire was one of the key leaders of the Mison Collective, a guerilla terrorist organization known for their suprise attacks on nations across the globe.

The first Mison attack was a decade ago against Nekonia’s neighbour, Munami. A prominent subway station in their capital was bombed in the heart of rush hour, killing hundreds and injuring thousands more. With each attack, they left their signature calling card: A large M painted near the crime site.

Since then, the Nekonian Intelligence Commision (or NIC for short), the Knights, and the Military were all trying to catch the Mison collective. This mission had been preceded by countless others, which helped the team capture other Mision team members and gather intelligence. Zaire had somehow escaped our intelligence agencies attempts to find him, that is, until six months ago. On a routine flight over Kurino airspace, our drones picked up camera footage of this compound and the NIC was able to succesfully identify Zaire.

Kai was sure the mission to capture Zaire would have gone to the Knights, but surprisingly, he received word earlier this month that his military unit, led by Commander Laiser, would take this one on. Not one to ask too many questions, Kai was eager for the opportunity - another opportunity to prove himself, and perhaps earn the reputation to join the Knights.

After what felt like forever traversing through the icy ledges of the Azai mountain ranges, Kai looked over and saw Zaire’s compound.

“Sgt Carissimo here. We have eyes on the compound. Over.”

“Commander Laiser. Excellent, so do we. Proceed, Sgt.”

The two began their approach down the the cliff and grabbed their weapons. Roberts was carrying a classic assault rifle - he’d preferred the weapons of the old age and was known for being a sharp shooter. Kai on the other hand was a modernist - he’d opted for a Lizen 34, also known by its street name - the Ultra laser. A laser-based weapon known for its speed of use and ability to shoot at multiple enemies. Kai preferred the lack of re-coil with laser based weapons, allowing him to move at a speed that traditional weapons simply didn’t allow. It was also quieter - he didn’t have to use a silencer in the same way that other weapons would.

Attached to a harness above his boots however was a curved knife, a kukuri, a gift from his grandfather. The weapon of choice for the Akasha army, Kai had become quite skilled at using it in hand to hand combat, finding it more efficient in close corridors. The curves allowed him to operate at unique angles, making the attacks harder to dodge or volley for enemy combatants.