Two hours later, they stood on the palace's primary landing platform as their transport ships underwent final preparation. Lucy had requisitioned military vessels for the mission—sleek craft designed for reconnaissance rather than comfort, their hulls painted in the same adaptive camouflage system as their Beast Gear suits.
"Two ships, different approach vectors," Lucas confirmed, reviewing the flight plan on his tablet. "Noah's team takes the direct route, draws initial attention. My team uses the distraction for detailed reconnaissance."
"Teams?" Sophie asked.
"Noah, Kelvin, and Uncle Dom in ship one," Lucas replied. "Diana, Sophie, Lyra, Lucy, and me in ship two. If something goes wrong with the direct approach, the second team needs to complete the mission."
It made tactical sense, but Noah couldn't help feeling like they were splitting up their strength. Kaia was left behind on this one. She'd opted to do some independent diggings of her own.
