Minutes later, Lucas stood at the same landing pad where he'd arrived hours earlier, though now he felt like he was waiting for a natural disaster rather than a transport ship. The sleek EDF craft that touched down was smaller than the one that had brought him, clearly built for speed rather than comfort. As the engines powered down and the boarding ramp lowered, he couldn't help but shake his head.
Sophie emerged first, her dark hair catching the planet's ambient light as she looked around with wide eyes. Noah followed close behind, his eyes wondering around his position—a nervous habit Lucas had noticed during their missions.
Diana stepped out with her usual composed bearing, though even she seemed taken aback by the skyline stretching before them. Kelvin stumbled out next, his cybernetic arms whirring as he gestured wildly at everything around him, and Lyra brought up the rear, her tablet already in hand as she began recording observations.
