PROJECT: CAYRO

Captain Edwards:

September 4, 2025

21:00 CST

The Death Reckoning

Enroute to coordinates: 27˚27’57”N 95˚03’30”W

Using the freshly acquired data from the Dyess drone, I ordered the ship to leave the Lake Charles area and pursue the Autumn. The SAF had remained stationary for several hours, as if they were in no hurry to move. Given this window of opportunity, I decided it was time to strike. By the time we reached just outside the Autumn’s radar range, it would be dark, the perfect cover for our approach. We’d managed to keep our presence hidden, and I was confident they wouldn’t anticipate an attack. Fortunately for us, they were just outside Texas’s jurisdiction, lingering in open waters—a tactical misstep on their part.

I received one last upload from the drones, a final confirmation of the Autumn’s status. As I scanned the tactical report on my tablet, my thoughts sharpened, every decision leading us closer to our objective.

“Tactical, what’s the current status of the Autumn?” I ordered, my voice steady.

“Sir, the Autumn has gone airborne again but hasn’t set a heading. We’ll be just outside their radar range in approximately ten minutes,” my officer reported with a hint of anticipation.

I leaned back in my captain’s chair, pondering why the SAF wasn’t retreating from North America. Perhaps they felt safe near Texas, trusting the state’s potential secession to shield them. Naive.

“Sir! The Autumn’s main systems just went offline!” my tactical officer suddenly exclaimed, breaking through my thoughts.

“Are you certain?” I asked, immediately on alert.

“Yes, sir. Our readings show they’ve gone completely dark,” he confirmed.

Perfect. This is our chance. I turned sharply toward my executive officer, excitement flickering in my eyes. “Inform the strike team to meet me in the hangar immediately. This might be the opening we’ve been waiting for!”

“Aye, Sir!” she responded crisply, saluting with precision.

“You have the bridge, XO,” I commanded, standing and leaving the bridge with a sense of urgency. As I walked out, I heard my XO’s voice echo through the ship’s intercom, relaying my orders with the authority I expected.

Making my way to the hangar, I braced myself for what was to come. Upon entering, I immediately spotted Master Sergeant Ashley Helsing. A striking figure, she was a strawberry blonde with a sharp, no-nonsense demeanor. Standing at just five foot four, her black tactical uniform was immaculate, her boots polished to a mirror shine. Her angular features, barely softened by her pixie cut, gave her an air of unyielding discipline. She was pure muscle, no excess, a perfect embodiment of the elite soldier she was.

Helsing commanded a twelve-person team from the U.S. Army 1st Special Forces Battalion. Her file had intrigued me—she wasn’t much older than I was, yet she had already achieved an extraordinary position as the first woman to command such a unit. Her service record was a testament to her prowess: numerous redacted missions, countless leadership courses, and a hard-earned reputation as a relentless leader.

Her team had an impressive record—nearly thirty missions without a single casualty. As I watched them prepare, I could see the respect they held for her. I’d witnessed her in action during a training exercise, where she had effortlessly taken down a two-hundred-pound soldier. It was a performance that made me consider what it might be like to know her beyond the battlefield. Her last name, Helsing, carried a weight of its own—an echo of stories about hunting creatures of the night. A conversation about that would have to wait, but I was definitely curious.

“Detachment, attention!” Master Sergeant Helsing barked as I approached. With a sharp turn, she snapped into a salute.

“Sir, the detachment is formed and ready for your orders,” she stated, her voice crisp and authoritative.

Damn, she was impressive. I maintained my professional demeanor, returning her salute before dismissing her to the back of the formation.

“As you are all aware, this is a snatch-and-grab mission. Our objective is to abduct Star Zaraki and transport her to Langley’s bioengineering research lab. The opportunity to accomplish that mission is now. Three minutes ago, the SAF Autumn’s main systems went offline while airborne. They’ve lost radar, weapons, and propulsion. In simple terms, they’re dead in the water. Specific mission details will be uploaded to your combat interfaces. Master Sergeant Helsing, your team has ten minutes to gear up and be topside,” I instructed, my tone leaving no room for error.

“Yes, Sir,” she replied, saluting once more.

I executed an about-face and marched out of the hangar bay, my mind already on the next steps. Outside, I leaned against the wall, out of sight, listening and watching as her team prepared. To be honest, I was more interested in watching her work.

“Alright, you sorry fucks, get your shit ready and meet me topside!” Helsing commanded with her signature bite.

“Hooah!” the team roared in unison.

From my concealed position, I observed Master Sergeant Helsing move to her wall locker, donning her body armor and equipment with precision. Within five minutes, the entire team was ready, their M-4 rifles slung across their backs, tactical gliders in hand. They moved with a fluidity that only came from intense training, heading swiftly to the flight deck elevator. I watched as they ran through their comms check, awaiting my orders via their heads-up display. As the elevator reached the flight deck, I turned and made my way back to the bridge.

Settling into my chair, I activated the main screen, bringing up the flight deck feed. The screen displayed the live view of the team, with thirteen video feeds from their helmets filling the bottom of the display as their comms linked to the ship’s network. The team stood at the rear of the ship, poised to jump and deploy their powered glider kits.

“Sir, we are in position and awaiting your orders to deploy,” Master Sergeant Helsing reported over the comms.

“Standby for the green light to deploy, Master Sergeant,” I responded, my focus shifting to my tactical officer, who gave me a thumbs-up to indicate we were ready.

“Navigations, what’s our distance from the Autumn?” I asked.

“Sir, we are ninety miles from the Autumn’s position. We breached their radar zone seven minutes ago,” my navigations officer reported.

With the distance calculated, it would take the team approximately forty minutes to reach the Autumn.

“Master Sergeant, your team has the green light to deploy,” I ordered, tapping my console screen to start the mission timer, signaling the team to begin their descent.

I watched intently as each team member dived off the flight deck, their movements precise and practiced. Helsing was the last to leap, taking a running start before launching herself off the edge. She executed two front flips in mid-air before free-falling and activating her glider. I caught myself gnawing on my lower lip, imagining what it would be like to witness her in action from the flight deck. I had no doubt it would be a sight worth seeing.