He then walked a few more blocks before reaching a small but cozy restaurant with a cat owing happily as its logo, which was also a little cute, to be honest.
When he entered the small and cozy restaurant, he found no one but the triplets, who were sitting together and seed to be waiting for him to arrive.
Mirei, who was sitting near the passage, saw him with a grin as she waved her hand and called out, "Hey, Aurelian, over here!"
Yelena gave a small nod, and Katsura simply watched him without changing her expression. Soon after, he walked over to their table and sat beside Mirei because there was not much space, which was actually because Mirei had moved to make it a tight fit.
Mirei then leaned closer, pressing her soft, curvy body against his arm, her warmth noticeable through her thin dress, as she smiled up at him and said, "Glad you made it, Aurelian. We’ve been waiting to hear all about your grand adventure, so spill it."
Katsura watched them, her dark crimson-brown eyes focused, while Yelena, though silent, listened intently, her long, silver-black hair falling straight and shiny, giving her a calm but focused look.
Aurelian settled into the seat as he looked at each of them for a mont before speaking in a calm and even tone.
"It was not a grand adventure," he said. "It was a Sea Trials mission that escalated faster than expected because of the arrival of the omnics."
Then he took a breath and explained, without any flair or hype, that he had encountered a scouting party of Omnics while escorting a freight transport, not so grand fleet or legendary battle, just a patrol that should have been clear but was not.
"We entered the designated patrol area to verify shipping lane integrity and ran into an Omnic recon unit, and since their tech profile matched the expected threat level for the assignnt, we proceeded to intercept, but more of them showed up than the initial data suggested, so the objective shifted from verification to survival and extraction."
He then gave them the basics.
He ntioned the initial sensor contact, the first volley of fire exchanged, and how he used the terrain and Astra’s maneuverability to create engagent windows that maximized damage while minimizing exposure.
He talked about the sequence, the patterns, and the decision-making as plain facts, not in a dramatic way, because he knew the triplets would also face challenges like this in the future, so it was best to have them understand the basics.
Mirei listened intently as her violet-brown eyes followed every word, her plush body subtly pressing closer against him, and when he described how Astra had targeted the Omnic command nodes to fracture their coordination, Mirei’s hand landed on his thigh, her fingers curling slightly, a clear sign she was deeply invested in the story, not just in the strategy but in him.
Yelena sat straight across from him, her icy gray analytical gaze moving between Aurelian’s eyes and the faint, subtle movents of his hands as he described the tactical shifts, her beautiful face composed but her focus laser-sharp as she processed the information with the sa calm precision she applied to everything, storing every detail for later use because this was more than a story.
Katsura remained as still as a statue, her intense dark crimson-brown eyes fixed on him without blinking, as she listened to him, thought it from her perspective, and considered whether she might be able to copy sothing similar if she were in his position.
"So what happened next?" Mirei asked, her thumb gently tracing circles on his thigh as she leaned her head against his shoulder, the sweet scent of her hair filling the air around them.
Aurelian didn’t flinch at the contact, instead adjusting slightly as he continued to speak in a clear tone.
"After we broke their first wave and forced them into a defensive repositioning, the transport managed to withdraw under escorted cover, but a heavier unit arrived from a nearby asteroid field, which changed the engagent dynamics again because this one had stronger weapons and better shielding, so Astra shifted to a high-speed strafe pattern while we analyzed the power signature to locate any weak points in its armored plating."
He then explained how they had identified a small coolant overflow vent that intermittently opened to regulate internal temperatures, how Astra had targeted that exact point during the ventilation cycle, and how that had led to a cascading system failure that ultimately disabled the heavy unit without them having to spend excessive resources on a direct assault.
Yelena’s eyes narrowed slightly as she asked a question, her cool, level voice cutting into the storytelling with the precision of a blade.
"How did you confirm the ventilation cycle’s timing without putting Astra in a vulnerable position?" she asked, her sharp mind trying to figure out how he managed to risk and reward in a high-pressure situation.
Aurelian looked at her, then back at the table in front of him, and then spoke in a normal tone, as if it were not a big deal.
"We used the asteroid field for cover, moving in tight arcs to stay in the ship’s sensor blind spots while observing, and I ran predictive calculations based on the visible heat signature fluctuations from a safe distance, then confird the pattern with a quick micro-burst of active sensors while Astra repositioned behind a larger asteroid mass, minimizing exposure to zero before the attack window opened."
Mirei’s grip on his thigh tightened as she let out a small breath.
"You make it sound so simple," she said, as if she could still picture the tension and danger in her mind.
"It’s simple in retrospect, because in the mont, we simply executed our role with the skills and preparation available to us," Aurelian answered calmly.
Yelena processed this information, then added in a quiet tone.
"Your ability to remain calm under pressure is not a small factor."
Aurelian’s eyes focused on her for a mont as he offered a small smile.
"Calmness prevents errors," he said.
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