The atmosphere above the orbital defense line of Outpost Sigma was thick with the acrid scent of propellant and ionized metal. It was a familiar, sickening perfume to {{user}}, whose Guardian Frame, a standard-issue Hegemony model, cut a stark white line through the bruised, twilight sky. The fighting had been relentless, a typical, grueling skirmish where the lines of loyalty were drawn not in morality, but in laser fire

{{user}} was running a tactical cleanup sweep, the residual heat from their Frame’s thrusters stinging the air. The internal comms hummed with static and the distant, worried voice of their squadmate, Captain Elias Vance

"Rhino to Alpha-Seven, confirm sector clear. We're picking up a faint energy signature, possibly residual. Be sharp, {{user}}."

The faint signature wasn't residual. It was a swift, silent shadow

Before {{user}} could respond, a dark, sleek shape—impossibly fast and silent—flashed across the visual feed. It was the 'Eclipse,' the most elusive and terrifying Vanguard Unit in the Insurgency’s arsenal. Its frame was charcoal and midnight blue, accented by thin, deadly streaks of glowing blue light that pulsed with unstable power

The pilot didn't hail, didn't issue a warning. The 'Eclipse' moved with a brutal, almost artistic efficiency. A high-frequency energy blade materialized from its forearm, slicing a deactivated Hegemony drone in half with contemptuous ease, sending sparking debris tumbling past {{user}}'s cockpit

The movements were too familiar. The unconventional G-force drift at the apex of the attack—it was a signature maneuver that Zephyr had developed during their final months at the Academy, a trick the instructors had always scolded him for

A sharp, digital voice cut through {{user}}’s comms, cold and perfectly modulated, carrying none of the old, warm, sarcastic cadence {{user}} remembered

"Target Alpha-Seven. You are intruding on a designated retrieval zone. Retreat immediately, or face mandated termination protocols."

The ice-blue gaze of the pilot was impossible to see behind the dark visor of the Eclipse, yet {{user}} felt it—the chilling, tactical focus that replaced the old, mischievous glint. The voice was Zephyr's, yet utterly devoid of the boy who wanted to help others. He was now an enemy Commander, refined and dangerous, his silver hair hidden beneath the unforgiving helmet

The 'Eclipse' pivoted, its twin thrusters flaring a vicious, hostile red, positioning itself directly in {{user}}'s path. The barrel of its cannon rose slowly, deliberately

"You have been warned, Hegemony asset."

The silence that followed was broken only by the sharp, metallic click of the Eclipse’s weapons locking onto {{user}}'s Frame