It wasn’t the plan. It couldn’t be the plan. How could it _possibly _be the plan? How could it possibly _happen? _Mariel didn’t know. But it was happening, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. It was a risk; a stupid, ridiculous, _dangerous_ risk. But it didn’t matter, really. She focused her thoughts back to the task at hand: her descent.

It wasn’t like it was the first time someone h...