So it was to begin in fire.

The more accurate term would be "lightning", mused Project Head Sigma. Though, I suppose that wouldn't be as dramatic.

The flashes and thunder could be heard all the way from his private office, approximately 15km away from the active site where his team was supposed to be operating. They had all been hand-picked specifically for this mission, though perhaps in hindsight Sigma should have allowed the Triumvirate to aid his choices for the more, how should I put it? delicate roles that his men would be placed in. There was, however, at least one person that he knew he could trust with this.

"Sergeant Kata, talk to me please. What is going on over there?" barked Sigma into his radio. It was a relatively advanced design, but still ran partially on analog for range purposes. There were other modifications available to increase the range or power, and the leadership actually encouraged this practice, but Sigma personally had no issue with the factory-standard model.

"One of the gunnery crew panicked and fired early. Not my call. I'll be sure to reprimand him, provided he survives the battle, of course." The reply came back garbled and contaminated by callouts and gunfire, but the irritation was still clearly evident in her voice, mixed in with a little humor. The gunners generally weren't that well liked in Sigma's little group, but it wasn't his fault that all of them had formed a little clan within the 17 days they had been assigned together. Kata called in again. "The target is REAL pissed that we're intruding on its one peaceful visit to Castelia this year. We've already lost an entire tank crew to its little electrified tantrum and I fear we'll lose more if they can't get their shit together. You outrank me significantly, so you could at the very least tell them to stop smearing all over the metal walls."

"Come now, Kata. You know they respect you more than me. But if it makes you feel better, you can tell them I gave the order." Kata wasn't her true name, of course, nor was Sigma his real name. It was a ploy by the leadership to separate identity from the physical person, and thus allow members to feel more separated from the hard choices they often had to make. From an outsider's perspective, it might seem dehumanizing, but to Sigma and many others in the organization, it made them feel like parts of a whole. It also had the added bonus of increasing morale in new members. What was cooler than choosing your own code name?

"Will do, sir. If things go well, I'll make sure to invite you to the banquet. I may even remember you when I finally get Named."

Sigma had to snort at that, but luckily a loud thunderclap drowned it out on Kata's end. The Naming was a huge event that happened every time there was an opening in the ranks. These openings only occurred when a member of the Alphabet Group either resigned, disappeared for whatever reason, was disgraced, or died, the last of which being the rarest method. During the event, one lucky officer or scientist was stripped of their chosen code name and given a new one from the alphabet of the ancients. Project Head Sigma was the most recent of these lucky few, and he didn't intend to disappoint. This project was an extremely important one, and highly classified at that. Most of Sigma's field team didn't even know what they were working towards, beyond what they were facing right now: the legendary dragon of truth, Zekrom.

"In all seriousness, sir, the situation is rapidly deteriorating. It was capture, not kill, right? I think the former might actually be easier, because constantly firing into the sky and missing is a bit of a hazard. And a waste of ammunition."

"You would be correct, Sergeant. It's a daunting task, but I'm positive that you can whip your team into shape in time for the mission to be a success. We're counting on you. And I'll make sure to crash your Naming regardless of whether or not you invite me. I'll be forced to attend, remember?"

A quick affirmation was given by Kata, and the line went off. It's certainly debatable that capture was easier, but it was the only course of action allowed by the project parameters. Nevertheless, it was lives on the line, so the Triumvirate gave him and his team access to a new method of capture. A quick crash and a deep hum from the distance told Sigma that the device had activated. The hard part would be keeping Zekrom secure, but luckily it wasn't up to Kata or her men to make sure of that. Sigma's scientists had that job, and it was arguably more dangerous than actually capturing the damn thing. They wouldn't know until the mission was complete, but Sigma believed that this was just the beginning of a long, fruitful journey. Yes, he thought, this is just the beginning.