"...We're almost there."

Ace came to a stop near the cliff edge, sliding off her helmet with a sigh as she brushed her short, messy black hair out of her eyes. That was the problem with Galbadian helmets. They were so stuffy and uncomfortable.

"Lieutenant?" One of her more outspoken men raised a hand and an incredulous eyebrow. "You're not telling me that our objective is to guard some crappy communications tower, are you?"

"..." Ace looked behind her shoulder at the soldier that spoke, her glare sending a united shiver through the rest of her squad. "Is there a problem with that, Branon?"

"Well...yeah," Her junior admitted shamelessly, his shoulders slumping slightly. "I was expecting us to be in the thick of the action, ya know? I mean...the place isn't even that well-guarded!"

"A soldier's duty is not to ask questions. Now stand down, unless you want to be sent on the trip back home with no pay." Ace's answer was sharp and concise, allowing no further room for debate as she turned to face the cliff again. "I expect there to be Dollet soldiers stationed nearby. They are unaware of our intentions to repair the tower, so they will be ill-prepared. Still, expect resistance." She rolled her shoulders, cracking her joints as she limbered up her body. "We move on my count. One...two...three!"

Without hesitation, she leapt off the cliff, a chorus of surprised gasps following her descent as she quickly drew a Float spell from her stock, using her keen senses to deploy it just before her feet met the ground. 

"G-Geez...Lieutenant Fiore's one crazy guy..." One of her men clutched his chest like his heart would give in at any moment as Ace dusted herself off from the landing. "I mean, there's literally a path to the west that leads straight down..."

"Maybe this is part of the army experience or something..." Another soldier quivered slightly, swallowing hard as his feet toed the line. "I think he's expecting us to follow him..."

"It's now...or NOTHING!" Fett screamed as he threw himself unceremoniously off the cliff, giving a frightened yelp as he plummeted down with much less grace than his lieutenant. "Ugh..." He groaned as his backside hit the ground, wincing at the impact as Ace tried her best to conceal a smirk. "Ow...I-I messed up my timing..."

"Hmph. Keep up that screaming Fett, and you'll give away our position," Ace did her best to scold him in her usual tone, but her amusement was difficult to hide. "Still...you got guts, unlike those spineless lot." She rolled her eyes at the rest of her men who decided that walking down the path was the far more suitable option. "Come on. Get up, so we can start the infiltration."