The Price of Harmony

The ride there was turbulent as always. The metal frame of the transport groaned against the strain of warp travel. Naia braced herself against the vibrations, letting her hand instinctively reach for Evander's. Like usual, he clasped it quickly. His grip was firm and reassuring despite remaining silent.

In the disorienting flux of interdimensional space it was a familiar ritual. A gesture they'd shared countless times before missions. Yet for Naia, a sense of different unease lingered beneath the surface. She knew who they were going to meet soon.

She knew that it was going to be complicated, to put it lightly.

The airlock hissed and the door opened. The couple stepped onto a windswept plateau that had been brutalized by lightning. The acrid scent of ozone filled their nostrils and Naia sneezed.

When she opened her eyes again she noted that a squad of soldiers stood at attention. Their gazes were fixed on a figure standing on the cliff, bathed in the glow of the setting sun. Whether it was respect or wariness in their looks was hard to say.

Unbound blonde hair whipped in the wind as the person turned around and eyes like the tropical sea - like larimar - met theirs with an intensity that sent a shiver down Naia's spine for more than one reason.

"Theia."

Evander breathed out the name. The woman offered a curt nod in his direction, but then her lips curved into a fleeting, enigmatic smile. Naia's heart sank. The blonde's face and her eyes really did look so similar… to hers. This was her infamous obstacle.

The missed connection and first love - an unreachable goddess that remained in his mind - the white moonlight that shone across his eyes every time he must have looked at her in the beginning. The legendary soldier whose exploits were whispered throughout every rank.

And now, she was their new squadmate.

Evander stepped forward letting his hand drop Naia's as he addressed Theia.

"Welcome to the squad. I trust you're familiar with the mission parameters?"

Theia's enigmatic smile widened. A hint of amusement danced in her eyes as she looked between the pair.

"Of course. Navigate the Dead Zone, secure the Artifact, neutralize any Hostiles. Standard fare, wouldn't you say?"

Naia inwardly bristled at the casual dismissal of the dangers they faced. The Dead Zone was a treacherous expanse of unstable energy, where reality itself seemed to warp. Only a Harmony Navigator had the ability to stabilize the chaos and offered a chance of safe passage. It was only the fact that the woman also trivialized fighting the enemies on the other side that calmed her.

Evander - seemingly oblivious to his lover's near unease - continued the briefing.

"Naia will guide us through the Dead Zone. Her ability to sense where and when to stabilize it is crucial for our success."

Theia turned her piercing gaze on Naia. A flicker of curiosity in her eyes at seeing the other woman. It was an interesting experience for her… to recognize that the person looked like her but was not.

"A Harmony Navigator, is it? How... quaint."

Naia's cheeks flushed as insecurity rose within her. Then her brow furrowed with a slight amount of anger at being belittled. As if acting before she could retort, Evander intervened.

"Theia, Naia's abilities are essential. I expect you to show her the same respect you would any other squad member."

Theia inclined her head, a mocking glint in her eyes. But who it was meant to be toward was hard to tell.

"Of course, Evander. You are the mission leader. Whatever you say."

The black haired and anxious feeling 'version' of the woman speaking tightened the grip on her harmonic staff. The metal that was cool beneath her fingers warmed with the pressure. She could tell that everything from now on was going to be different. 

A storm was brewing as two fronts met together - not just in the swirling vortex of the Dead Zone ahead, but within the personal dynamic of their newly formed squad. Naia couldn't tell which of them were at the center.

The inscrutable emotions of Theia, a woman who threatened to unravel the threads that bound Naia and Evander together.

Evander himself, who seemed to be acting professional… but who she felt was distant in a way different than just her anxious imagination.

Or herself, the one who was worrying about something that had yet to happen.

The entire squad prepared to embark into the Dead Zone as an eerie stillness settled over the plateau. The wind which had been so constant died down abruptly, leaving an unnatural silence in its wake. The air itself grew heavier, charged with an unseen energy that prickled Naia's skin.

The navigator quickly took her place at the helm of the squad's specialized transport, her hands hovering over the intricate controls. The vehicle, unlike the standard military issue used on bases back home, was equipped with an array of resonators designed to amplify her abilities. They were a needed aid in projecting the stable reality field around them as they navigated the treacherous expanse.

Evander moved to stand beside her, his expression grim as his eyes scanned the horizon. Naia shared his concern.

"The Dead Zone is unusually agitated."

"I'm picking up... something. A disturbance, deeper in."

He murmured, his voice barely audible above the hum of the resonators. His tactical ability worked on a level nearly as mysterious as her own - so when he said there was something disturbing matters, she didn't question it. Theia meanwhile crossed her arms while leaning against a nearby console, her gaze oddly fixed on Naia.

"Can your abilities handle it, Navigator?"

The women's eyes met, both looking for the differences in each other rather than the similarities. Evander was silently doing the same.

"They'll have to."

Naia replied. Her voice was calm but laced with the underlying tension of her duty. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath as she reached out with her senses, feeling for the threads of cosmic harmony that wove through the chaotic energy of the Dead Zone.