20-05-2026, 12:01 PM
(CHAPTER CONTD)
The directive came down like a quiet shift in doctrine—but everyone at Nal Air Force Station felt its weight immediately. Air Force cadets would now undergo commando training. Not optional. Not experimental. Institutional.
The future of the Garud Commando Force would be shaped from within the Air Force itself. And that meant one thing—Hemant and Dan were no longer just operators. They were instructors. The first day on the training ground was brutal. Not because the cadets were weak—they weren’t. They were already disciplined, already sharp. Pilots and engineers trained to operate under pressure. But this—This was different. This was weight. Recoil. Sweat. Close-quarters instinct.
"Again!" Dan barked, watching a group struggle with weapon transitions.
"You hesitate—you die. Simple math"
Hemant, meanwhile, stood at the gun range, overseeing the heavy weapons module. His presence was quieter, but no less intense.
"Control the weapon, don’t fight it. Let it move with you" he told one cadet calmly.
Then she stepped up. Kirti. She approached the station assigned to her—a heavy platform-mounted M16 rifle modified for sustained fire drills. Even for trained personnel, it demanded strength and control. She gripped it. Fired. The recoil pushed her stance off balance. She reset. Tried again. Same result. A flicker of frustration crossed her face. Hemant noticed. He walked over.
"Shift your footing, you’re absorbing the recoil wrong" he said, stepping beside her.
She glanced at him briefly.
"Show me"
He adjusted her stance—subtle, precise. One hand guiding the weapon alignment, the other correcting shoulder placement.
"Lock here...Not here" he said.
She followed. Fired again. Better. Still not perfect—but controlled.
"Okay… that helped" She exhaled slightly.
Before the moment could settle—
"Hey, Kirti"
The voice cut in smoothly. Vishal Agnihotri stepped in, confident as ever.
"Let me, You’re overthinking it" he said, already moving closer.
Hemant stepped back without a word. Vishal positioned himself behind her, hands guiding hers more directly.
“Relax your shoulders, You’re tensing up" he said.
Kirti didn’t object. She let him. They fired again. This time smoother. And she smiled. That didn’t go unnoticed. Hemant turned away. No reaction. No expression. He moved to the next cadet, continuing instruction like nothing had happened. But he saw it. All of it. The days that followed only reinforced it. Training sessions. Briefings. Downtime near the hangars. Vishal and Kirti—together more often than not. Talking. Laughing. Flying. There was ease between them. Familiarity growing.
And every time Kirti smiled—Hemant noticed. He never lingered. Never interfered. But he noticed. Duty became his shield. If there was work, he buried himself in it. Weapons drills. Tactical simulations. Engineering support. Anything to keep his mind occupied. Because when it wasn’t—It drifted. To things he didn’t want to confront. Then came the next turn. A call from General Bakshi.
Hemant and Dan stood in the briefing room, listening.
"You’ve been selected, Garuda Task Force will be deployed next month for a special UN charter peace keeping operations at Congo!"
Bakshi said, voice steady. Dan’s eyes lit up slightly.
"We’re going global" Dan couldn’t help it.
Hemant didn’t smile. Instead—
"Peacekeeping operations aren’t clean" he said quietly.
"Exactly" Bakshi nodded once.
The room fell silent. Because they both understood—This wasn’t escalation. This was exposure. New terrain. New enemies. Unknown rules. That night, the base buzzed quietly with the news.
"UN mission, yaar. That’s next level" Dan was still energized.
"Also next level danger" Hemant leaned against the railing, eyes distant.
"When has that stopped us?" Dan shrugged.
Hemant didn’t answer. Because something else was occupying his thoughts. The next morning—Sorties. Hemant stood near the runway, watching the sky. Two aircraft cut across the horizon—An Su-30 and a MiG-29. Victor and Kira. They danced in the air—maneuvers sharp, aggressive. Competitive. Alive. And once again—Kirti edged ahead.
Despite the disadvantage.Despite the odds. She outflew him. Clean. Precise. Hemant watched as the jets descended. And when they landed—He saw it. Vishal laughing. Kirti smiling back. That same smile. And this time—It hit differently. Not sharp. Not sudden. Just… there. Persistent. Unwelcome. He turned away. Again.
Days later—Hemant was called to the visitor deck. Unusual. He wasn’t expecting anyone. As he stepped in—He stopped. The man from Ladakh. Broad-shouldered. Calm. Wearing that same easy confidence. And those shades. The man smiled.
"Good to see you again, Commander"
"I've seen you in Ladakh" Hemant’s eyes narrowed slightly.
The man stepped forward, extending a hand.
"Name’s William J Irons. But you can call me Will"
Hemant didn’t take the hand immediately.
"Lets just say I was once a soldier like you. Just from another country. Former Marine to be exact"
Will added casually. That explained the posture. The presence.
"What do you want?" Hemant finally shook his hand.
"Straight to it. I like that" Will smiled faintly.
A pause.
"I know what you did in Bogdang"
That got his attention.
"More importantly, I also know you haven’t stopped thinking about it" Will continued,
Hemant said nothing. Because he hadn’t. Will reached into his pocket. Pulled out a small photograph. Placed it on the table. Hemant looked. The symbol. That same blue marking. His jaw tightened.
"You’ve seen this" Will said.
Not a question. A fact.
"Satan!" Hemant’s voice dropped.
Will leaned in slightly.
"We’ve been tracking it. Long before you stumbled onto it. So lets make it clear , whatever you're doubts are , its true. There is a larger set of players behind this operation. But this is way beyond your army paycheck. But like it or not , your actions in the military camp has brought you in their radar. Which is why I believe you will be more than willing to accept the offer I am giving you"
Global. Structured. Hidden. Hemant felt it again—that pull from Bogdang. That unfinished thread.
"You want answers" Will said quietly.
Hemant met his gaze.
"Yes"
Will smiled.
"Then I can give them to you"
Silence. Then—
"What’s the catch?" Hemant asked.
Because there’s always one. Will didn’t hesitate.
"You work with us"
A beat.
"Covert operations. Off the books. No chains. No bureaucracy"
Another step closer.
"You won’t be kept in the dark anymore. But you will become Darkness itself!"
The words landed deeper than expected.
"And in return?" Hemant asked.
Will’s voice dropped.
"You get closure. Something tells me this is the kind of things you prefer. A job where no one questions you , no one controls you. You get to do the right thing without anyone putting a leash!"
He tapped the photograph.
"So lets find out whats you're made of. Lets do some covert collaborations and see your talent and then we can make it permanent. What do you say? Ready for the new world order?"
A long pause. This was it. A line. Duty on one side. Truth on the other. Hemant didn’t hesitate.
"I’m in"
That evening—Dan listened. Every word. Every detail.
"And you just said yes?" he asked, stunned.
Hemant nodded.
"I had to"
"Or you wanted to?" Dan paced slightly.
A beat. Then—
"Is this about that symbol… or about escaping this place?" Dan asked carefully.
Hemant didn’t respond immediately. Because the question hit closer than expected.
"Or maybe, it’s about her" Dan added
Silence. Then—Hemant exhaled.
"…Partly"
He didn’t deny it.
"You’re unbelievable" Dan shook his head slowly.
Hemant looked up.
"Not everything you desire can be achieved , but this is something I know I can control and it only needs my consent. The life of adventure and on the edge? its calling to me!"
He said. His voice steadied.
"And this is my calling" he gestured vaguely beyond the base, beyond everything—A pause.
"The edge" Dan studied him.
"You think this is your path?"
"Yeah" Hemant nodded.
Quiet. Certain.
"Something tells me… this is where I’m supposed to go"
NAL Air Base had changed.
What was once a disciplined, predictable Air Force base had slowly transformed into something far more intense ever since the Garud commando training program began. At Nal Air Force Station, a new training yard had been carved out—ropes, obstacle rigs, firing pits, and endurance circuits replacing the quiet routines of cadet life. The air now carried the constant rhythm of boots hitting dirt, commands being shouted, and bodies being pushed past their limits.
The cadets adapted faster than expected.
They were already trained to handle pressure in the skies; now they were learning to survive on the ground. Bonds began to form in this new crucible—shared exhaustion, shared bruises, shared victories. Among them, Kirti seemed to thrive the most. There was something about this raw, physical challenge that suited her. She moved through the exercises with a quiet determination, pushing herself without complaint, embracing the grind rather than resisting it.
Vishal, on the other hand, struggled—but not in a way he would ever admit openly. The physical strain frustrated him, the loss of dominance irritated him, yet he showed up every single day with the same drive. Not for the training.
For her.
Hemant noticed.
From a distance, from the sidelines, from moments in between instruction—he saw the conversations, the shared glances, the easy laughter that now came more naturally between Kirti and Vishal. It wasn’t forced anymore. It was becoming something real.
One evening, as the cadets wrapped up a grueling drill, Hemant stood watching them disperse, his expression unreadable. That was when Rani walked up beside him, wiping grease from her hands with a cloth.
"You know, you never really had a chance" she said casually, following his line of sight,
"Didn’t know it was a competition" Hemant didn’t look at her.
"Everything is. You just don’t always realize it in time" Rani gave a faint smirk.
"They’re… similar. Same world, same upbringing. Defense families. Expectations. Pressure. People like them—they understand each other without needing to explain"
She leaned against the railing, her tone softening slightly. A pause.
"People like us? We’re just spokes on the wheel. We keep things moving, but we’re not the center"
She added quietly. That made Hemant turn. There was no irritation in his expression—only clarity.
“You might be right about the differences, But I’m not here to be just a spoke in the wheel"
He said. Rani raised an eyebrow. Hemant’s voice remained calm, but there was something firm beneath it.
"I intend to be the whole machine"
That lingered.
Rani studied him for a moment, something like intrigue replacing her earlier certainty. Then she gave a small nod, almost impressed, and pushed herself off the railing.
"Well, I am curious on how this machine works from the rest!" she said,
Hemant didn’t reply. He simply turned back to the field and resumed training the cadets, his focus sharper than before. A few days later, something else shifted.
Will returned. Hemant was called again, this time with less surprise but far more anticipation. When he reached the designated meeting area, Will stood waiting, as composed as ever.
"This is where things get real" Will said without preamble.
"They already are" Hemant crossed his arms slightly.
"Not yet" Will smirked faintly.
There was a pause before he continued.
'I told you who I was , now its time you knew who I am. And most importantly , what you are going to be a part of"
Will said. Hemant said nothing, but his attention sharpened.
"We’re called SENTINEL" Will revealed.
"A global military initiative operating under a special United Nations Security Council charter. Off-the-record operations. No bureaucracy. No delays. We handle threats the system can’t—or won’t—deal with. We operate outside the proper chain of command"
He stepped closer.
"Our purpose is simple. Eliminate the bad guys. Maintain global order of things and reduce the cause of chaos"
The weight of those words wasn’t lost on Hemant.
“And now, about your initiation" Will added.
"Understand this commander" Will confirmed.
"If you perform the way I think you will… doors will open for you. Not just here. Everywhere. You won’t be another soldier waiting for orders—you’ll be someone the system depends on"
Hemant considered that for a moment. Then spoke.
"I am ready for it but on one condition"
"Go on" Will tilted his head slightly.
"Dan comes with me"
There was hesitation this time. Will studied him, weighing the request.
"He’s not part of the selection" Will said.
"He’s part of me, If I’m in, he’s in" Hemant replied evenly.
A longer pause followed. Then Will exhaled.
"Fine. Dan will be part of our initial cordination missions with the GTF , but let me be clear , he will not be part of the Sentinel unit , because we're interested in only you. His responsibility in these missions is on you"
"It always is" Hemant said.
Will nodded once and shifted the conversation.
"Three days ago" he began.
"A Chechnyan separatist group hijacked an oil rig in the Chukchi Sea—right between Alaska and Russia"
Hemant listened carefully.
"On the surface, it looks like a political disruption, but intelligence suggests something deeper. They’re trying to create a choke point on Russian oil production. Force instability. Push decisions that could ripple globally"
Will continued.
"Their trying to stir the russian population with a manufactured crisis!" Hemant said.
"Precisely" Will agreed.
He leaned in slightly.
"And if it escalates…the consequences will be catastrophic!"
"So what’s the plan?" Hemant nodded once.
Will’s expression sharpened.
"SENTINEL inserts a strike team Zebra One to assault the base through an underwater approach. Silent. We take the rig back and neutralize the terror targets and neutralize the hostility"
"Underwater insertion into an active rig? Is that even possible in this day and age?"
Hemant frowned slightly. Will smiled.
"Well...it is now!"
A beat.
"We’re deploying the USS Virginia. The first of its kind Stealth Submarine designed by the United States. On paper , it is meant to be revealed on the October of this year , but our Operation will be its first unofficial naval campaign"
Hemant’s eyes narrowed slightly. That changed the scale of things.
"Custom tools, advanced grappling systems, silent ascent gear. In many ways , this operation will change the warfare you've experienced till now!"
Will added. Hemant absorbed it all. This wasn’t just a mission. This was a statement.
"You can brief what I have just said to Dan yourself. Be ready , I'll let you know once I've setup your travel arrangements"
Will said finally.
That evening, Hemant found Dan in their quarters. He didn’t ease into it. He told him everything. SENTINEL. The mission. The stealth submarine. The oil rig. Dan stared at him for a long moment.
"…You’re serious?"
"Completely"
"This isn’t just another op, Hemant. This is—this is global"
Dan ran a hand through his hair, pacing slightly.
"I know"
"And you already agreed?"
"I had to"
"Or you wanted to" Dan stopped pacing, looking at him carefully.
Hemant didn’t deny it. There was a brief silence before Dan let out a breath and shook his head.
"You remember what I told you?" he said.
"About being stuck with you in this life?"
Hemant gave a faint nod.
"Well… guess I meant it" Dan smirked slightly.
The tension eased just a bit. Excitement began to creep in.
"We’re really doing this?" Dan asked.
"Arctic waters…..covert global op....….oil rig…"
Hemant’s expression hardened slightly.
"Don’t romanticize it" he said.
"What we’re walking into… makes everything we’ve faced so far look small"
Dan held his gaze. Then nodded.
"Good, after all , that is what's living on the edge is all about!" he said.
A pause. And for the first time since Will’s proposal—Hemant allowed himself the smallest hint of a smile.
(TO BE CONTD)
The future of the Garud Commando Force would be shaped from within the Air Force itself. And that meant one thing—Hemant and Dan were no longer just operators. They were instructors. The first day on the training ground was brutal. Not because the cadets were weak—they weren’t. They were already disciplined, already sharp. Pilots and engineers trained to operate under pressure. But this—This was different. This was weight. Recoil. Sweat. Close-quarters instinct.
"Again!" Dan barked, watching a group struggle with weapon transitions.
"You hesitate—you die. Simple math"
Hemant, meanwhile, stood at the gun range, overseeing the heavy weapons module. His presence was quieter, but no less intense.
"Control the weapon, don’t fight it. Let it move with you" he told one cadet calmly.
Then she stepped up. Kirti. She approached the station assigned to her—a heavy platform-mounted M16 rifle modified for sustained fire drills. Even for trained personnel, it demanded strength and control. She gripped it. Fired. The recoil pushed her stance off balance. She reset. Tried again. Same result. A flicker of frustration crossed her face. Hemant noticed. He walked over.
"Shift your footing, you’re absorbing the recoil wrong" he said, stepping beside her.
She glanced at him briefly.
"Show me"
He adjusted her stance—subtle, precise. One hand guiding the weapon alignment, the other correcting shoulder placement.
"Lock here...Not here" he said.
She followed. Fired again. Better. Still not perfect—but controlled.
"Okay… that helped" She exhaled slightly.
Before the moment could settle—
"Hey, Kirti"
The voice cut in smoothly. Vishal Agnihotri stepped in, confident as ever.
"Let me, You’re overthinking it" he said, already moving closer.
Hemant stepped back without a word. Vishal positioned himself behind her, hands guiding hers more directly.
“Relax your shoulders, You’re tensing up" he said.
Kirti didn’t object. She let him. They fired again. This time smoother. And she smiled. That didn’t go unnoticed. Hemant turned away. No reaction. No expression. He moved to the next cadet, continuing instruction like nothing had happened. But he saw it. All of it. The days that followed only reinforced it. Training sessions. Briefings. Downtime near the hangars. Vishal and Kirti—together more often than not. Talking. Laughing. Flying. There was ease between them. Familiarity growing.
And every time Kirti smiled—Hemant noticed. He never lingered. Never interfered. But he noticed. Duty became his shield. If there was work, he buried himself in it. Weapons drills. Tactical simulations. Engineering support. Anything to keep his mind occupied. Because when it wasn’t—It drifted. To things he didn’t want to confront. Then came the next turn. A call from General Bakshi.
Hemant and Dan stood in the briefing room, listening.
"You’ve been selected, Garuda Task Force will be deployed next month for a special UN charter peace keeping operations at Congo!"
Bakshi said, voice steady. Dan’s eyes lit up slightly.
"We’re going global" Dan couldn’t help it.
Hemant didn’t smile. Instead—
"Peacekeeping operations aren’t clean" he said quietly.
"Exactly" Bakshi nodded once.
The room fell silent. Because they both understood—This wasn’t escalation. This was exposure. New terrain. New enemies. Unknown rules. That night, the base buzzed quietly with the news.
"UN mission, yaar. That’s next level" Dan was still energized.
"Also next level danger" Hemant leaned against the railing, eyes distant.
"When has that stopped us?" Dan shrugged.
Hemant didn’t answer. Because something else was occupying his thoughts. The next morning—Sorties. Hemant stood near the runway, watching the sky. Two aircraft cut across the horizon—An Su-30 and a MiG-29. Victor and Kira. They danced in the air—maneuvers sharp, aggressive. Competitive. Alive. And once again—Kirti edged ahead.
Despite the disadvantage.Despite the odds. She outflew him. Clean. Precise. Hemant watched as the jets descended. And when they landed—He saw it. Vishal laughing. Kirti smiling back. That same smile. And this time—It hit differently. Not sharp. Not sudden. Just… there. Persistent. Unwelcome. He turned away. Again.
Days later—Hemant was called to the visitor deck. Unusual. He wasn’t expecting anyone. As he stepped in—He stopped. The man from Ladakh. Broad-shouldered. Calm. Wearing that same easy confidence. And those shades. The man smiled.
"Good to see you again, Commander"
"I've seen you in Ladakh" Hemant’s eyes narrowed slightly.
The man stepped forward, extending a hand.
"Name’s William J Irons. But you can call me Will"
Hemant didn’t take the hand immediately.
"Lets just say I was once a soldier like you. Just from another country. Former Marine to be exact"
Will added casually. That explained the posture. The presence.
"What do you want?" Hemant finally shook his hand.
"Straight to it. I like that" Will smiled faintly.
A pause.
"I know what you did in Bogdang"
That got his attention.
"More importantly, I also know you haven’t stopped thinking about it" Will continued,
Hemant said nothing. Because he hadn’t. Will reached into his pocket. Pulled out a small photograph. Placed it on the table. Hemant looked. The symbol. That same blue marking. His jaw tightened.
"You’ve seen this" Will said.
Not a question. A fact.
"Satan!" Hemant’s voice dropped.
Will leaned in slightly.
"We’ve been tracking it. Long before you stumbled onto it. So lets make it clear , whatever you're doubts are , its true. There is a larger set of players behind this operation. But this is way beyond your army paycheck. But like it or not , your actions in the military camp has brought you in their radar. Which is why I believe you will be more than willing to accept the offer I am giving you"
Global. Structured. Hidden. Hemant felt it again—that pull from Bogdang. That unfinished thread.
"You want answers" Will said quietly.
Hemant met his gaze.
"Yes"
Will smiled.
"Then I can give them to you"
Silence. Then—
"What’s the catch?" Hemant asked.
Because there’s always one. Will didn’t hesitate.
"You work with us"
A beat.
"Covert operations. Off the books. No chains. No bureaucracy"
Another step closer.
"You won’t be kept in the dark anymore. But you will become Darkness itself!"
The words landed deeper than expected.
"And in return?" Hemant asked.
Will’s voice dropped.
"You get closure. Something tells me this is the kind of things you prefer. A job where no one questions you , no one controls you. You get to do the right thing without anyone putting a leash!"
He tapped the photograph.
"So lets find out whats you're made of. Lets do some covert collaborations and see your talent and then we can make it permanent. What do you say? Ready for the new world order?"
A long pause. This was it. A line. Duty on one side. Truth on the other. Hemant didn’t hesitate.
"I’m in"
That evening—Dan listened. Every word. Every detail.
"And you just said yes?" he asked, stunned.
Hemant nodded.
"I had to"
"Or you wanted to?" Dan paced slightly.
A beat. Then—
"Is this about that symbol… or about escaping this place?" Dan asked carefully.
Hemant didn’t respond immediately. Because the question hit closer than expected.
"Or maybe, it’s about her" Dan added
Silence. Then—Hemant exhaled.
"…Partly"
He didn’t deny it.
"You’re unbelievable" Dan shook his head slowly.
Hemant looked up.
"Not everything you desire can be achieved , but this is something I know I can control and it only needs my consent. The life of adventure and on the edge? its calling to me!"
He said. His voice steadied.
"And this is my calling" he gestured vaguely beyond the base, beyond everything—A pause.
"The edge" Dan studied him.
"You think this is your path?"
"Yeah" Hemant nodded.
Quiet. Certain.
"Something tells me… this is where I’m supposed to go"
NAL Air Base had changed.
What was once a disciplined, predictable Air Force base had slowly transformed into something far more intense ever since the Garud commando training program began. At Nal Air Force Station, a new training yard had been carved out—ropes, obstacle rigs, firing pits, and endurance circuits replacing the quiet routines of cadet life. The air now carried the constant rhythm of boots hitting dirt, commands being shouted, and bodies being pushed past their limits.
The cadets adapted faster than expected.
They were already trained to handle pressure in the skies; now they were learning to survive on the ground. Bonds began to form in this new crucible—shared exhaustion, shared bruises, shared victories. Among them, Kirti seemed to thrive the most. There was something about this raw, physical challenge that suited her. She moved through the exercises with a quiet determination, pushing herself without complaint, embracing the grind rather than resisting it.
Vishal, on the other hand, struggled—but not in a way he would ever admit openly. The physical strain frustrated him, the loss of dominance irritated him, yet he showed up every single day with the same drive. Not for the training.
For her.
Hemant noticed.
From a distance, from the sidelines, from moments in between instruction—he saw the conversations, the shared glances, the easy laughter that now came more naturally between Kirti and Vishal. It wasn’t forced anymore. It was becoming something real.
One evening, as the cadets wrapped up a grueling drill, Hemant stood watching them disperse, his expression unreadable. That was when Rani walked up beside him, wiping grease from her hands with a cloth.
"You know, you never really had a chance" she said casually, following his line of sight,
"Didn’t know it was a competition" Hemant didn’t look at her.
"Everything is. You just don’t always realize it in time" Rani gave a faint smirk.
"They’re… similar. Same world, same upbringing. Defense families. Expectations. Pressure. People like them—they understand each other without needing to explain"
She leaned against the railing, her tone softening slightly. A pause.
"People like us? We’re just spokes on the wheel. We keep things moving, but we’re not the center"
She added quietly. That made Hemant turn. There was no irritation in his expression—only clarity.
“You might be right about the differences, But I’m not here to be just a spoke in the wheel"
He said. Rani raised an eyebrow. Hemant’s voice remained calm, but there was something firm beneath it.
"I intend to be the whole machine"
That lingered.
Rani studied him for a moment, something like intrigue replacing her earlier certainty. Then she gave a small nod, almost impressed, and pushed herself off the railing.
"Well, I am curious on how this machine works from the rest!" she said,
Hemant didn’t reply. He simply turned back to the field and resumed training the cadets, his focus sharper than before. A few days later, something else shifted.
Will returned. Hemant was called again, this time with less surprise but far more anticipation. When he reached the designated meeting area, Will stood waiting, as composed as ever.
"This is where things get real" Will said without preamble.
"They already are" Hemant crossed his arms slightly.
"Not yet" Will smirked faintly.
There was a pause before he continued.
'I told you who I was , now its time you knew who I am. And most importantly , what you are going to be a part of"
Will said. Hemant said nothing, but his attention sharpened.
"We’re called SENTINEL" Will revealed.
"A global military initiative operating under a special United Nations Security Council charter. Off-the-record operations. No bureaucracy. No delays. We handle threats the system can’t—or won’t—deal with. We operate outside the proper chain of command"
He stepped closer.
"Our purpose is simple. Eliminate the bad guys. Maintain global order of things and reduce the cause of chaos"
The weight of those words wasn’t lost on Hemant.
“And now, about your initiation" Will added.
"Understand this commander" Will confirmed.
"If you perform the way I think you will… doors will open for you. Not just here. Everywhere. You won’t be another soldier waiting for orders—you’ll be someone the system depends on"
Hemant considered that for a moment. Then spoke.
"I am ready for it but on one condition"
"Go on" Will tilted his head slightly.
"Dan comes with me"
There was hesitation this time. Will studied him, weighing the request.
"He’s not part of the selection" Will said.
"He’s part of me, If I’m in, he’s in" Hemant replied evenly.
A longer pause followed. Then Will exhaled.
"Fine. Dan will be part of our initial cordination missions with the GTF , but let me be clear , he will not be part of the Sentinel unit , because we're interested in only you. His responsibility in these missions is on you"
"It always is" Hemant said.
Will nodded once and shifted the conversation.
"Three days ago" he began.
"A Chechnyan separatist group hijacked an oil rig in the Chukchi Sea—right between Alaska and Russia"
Hemant listened carefully.
"On the surface, it looks like a political disruption, but intelligence suggests something deeper. They’re trying to create a choke point on Russian oil production. Force instability. Push decisions that could ripple globally"
Will continued.
"Their trying to stir the russian population with a manufactured crisis!" Hemant said.
"Precisely" Will agreed.
He leaned in slightly.
"And if it escalates…the consequences will be catastrophic!"
"So what’s the plan?" Hemant nodded once.
Will’s expression sharpened.
"SENTINEL inserts a strike team Zebra One to assault the base through an underwater approach. Silent. We take the rig back and neutralize the terror targets and neutralize the hostility"
"Underwater insertion into an active rig? Is that even possible in this day and age?"
Hemant frowned slightly. Will smiled.
"Well...it is now!"
A beat.
"We’re deploying the USS Virginia. The first of its kind Stealth Submarine designed by the United States. On paper , it is meant to be revealed on the October of this year , but our Operation will be its first unofficial naval campaign"
Hemant’s eyes narrowed slightly. That changed the scale of things.
"Custom tools, advanced grappling systems, silent ascent gear. In many ways , this operation will change the warfare you've experienced till now!"
Will added. Hemant absorbed it all. This wasn’t just a mission. This was a statement.
"You can brief what I have just said to Dan yourself. Be ready , I'll let you know once I've setup your travel arrangements"
Will said finally.
That evening, Hemant found Dan in their quarters. He didn’t ease into it. He told him everything. SENTINEL. The mission. The stealth submarine. The oil rig. Dan stared at him for a long moment.
"…You’re serious?"
"Completely"
"This isn’t just another op, Hemant. This is—this is global"
Dan ran a hand through his hair, pacing slightly.
"I know"
"And you already agreed?"
"I had to"
"Or you wanted to" Dan stopped pacing, looking at him carefully.
Hemant didn’t deny it. There was a brief silence before Dan let out a breath and shook his head.
"You remember what I told you?" he said.
"About being stuck with you in this life?"
Hemant gave a faint nod.
"Well… guess I meant it" Dan smirked slightly.
The tension eased just a bit. Excitement began to creep in.
"We’re really doing this?" Dan asked.
"Arctic waters…..covert global op....….oil rig…"
Hemant’s expression hardened slightly.
"Don’t romanticize it" he said.
"What we’re walking into… makes everything we’ve faced so far look small"
Dan held his gaze. Then nodded.
"Good, after all , that is what's living on the edge is all about!" he said.
A pause. And for the first time since Will’s proposal—Hemant allowed himself the smallest hint of a smile.
(TO BE CONTD)
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