After a long day of holding back during training, Nova made his way toward the exit of the training hall. His expression was neutral, unreadable.
He wasn’t in the mood for anything else—until he sensed the shift in the air behind him.
Boots scraped against the floor.
A group of five older cadets stepped out from the side hall and blocked his path. Their uniforms were wrinkled from wear, their postures loose but loaded.
All of them had the air of seasoned dogs too used to barking down anyone new.
The one in front, a man with a jagged scar across his chin, stepped forward with a smirk.
"Hey. You’re that humanoid the commander’s been parading around, right?"
Nova didn’t answer.
The man crossed his arms.
"You got lucky today. But this isn’t a place where luck helps for long. Especially if you step on the wrong toes."
Another cadet spoke up, his voice mocking, "You really think skipping ranks makes you better than us? News flash, newbie—rank doesn’t an anything if no one respects you."
Nova tilted his head slightly, eyes narrowing, not out of anger but annoyance. He took a single step forward.
That was all it took to make them bristle.
The first cadet stepped in front again and jabbed a finger at Nova’s chest.
"Play nice. That’s your only warning."
Still no response.
With a sneer, the cadet reached out to grab Nova’s shoulder.
It was a mistake.
In a flash, Nova moved. His arm shot up, faster than most of them could track. He caught the cadet’s wrist mid-air—and then twisted.
A sharp crack echoed in the room as bones shattered. The man howled and dropped to his knees, clutching his limp arm.
Before anyone else could react, Nova leaned in slightly and asked, voice low and cold,
"What now?"
The second cadet cursed and reached for a shock baton hanging at his side, but he froze when Nova turned his head.
There was no threat in Nova’s face—only disinterest, like a butcher watching at squirm.
The third stepped back entirely, eyes wide.
The broken-ard cadet panted on the ground, face pale.
"Y-You’ll be punished for this—there are rules—!"
Nova exhaled through his nose and continued walking. He didn’t even look down at the man groaning on the floor. Just kept going, each step quiet and asured.
The remaining three cadets stood in place, fists clenched but unmoving.
One of them whispered.
"What the hell is he?"
___
In the upper office of the base, a quiet chi echoed through the sleek walls of Commander Zero’s private quarters.
His AI assistant blinked to life above the desk, its voice smooth and impassive.
"Commander, an incident occurred in the training hall. Cadet Vorn attempted to confront the new officer, Nova. The situation ended with a broken arm. Would you like to file a disciplinary notice?"
Zero leaned back in his chair, a half-empty cup in hand. His sharp eyes narrowed with interest, and then he chuckled.
"No. Let things be."
He said.
"Understood. No action will be taken."
The AI responded.
Zero turned his chair slightly, watching the simulated feed of Nova walking calmly down the hallway on the projection screen.
"In the third division, power decides everything. If they can’t swallow that, they don’t belong here."
He muttered.
The AI screen buzzed softly in Commander Zero’s office, breaking the stillness of the dimly lit room.
"Commander, an official action report has been filed by cadets Vorn, Clex, and Maed against the humanoid candidate. Accusations include excessive violence, insubordination, and intentional assault. The system is awaiting your directive."
The AI said in its neutral, asured tone.
Commander Zero didn’t look up. His fingers drumd against the tal desk, a bored rhythm. His expression was flat, barely masking irritation.
"Delete it."
He said.
The AI paused.
"Confirm deletion of official disciplinary report?"
"I said delete it. I’m not going to waste ti on the whining of weaklings. If they couldn’t even handle a humanoid, they should consider new career options."
Zero finally looked up at the screen, eyes sharp.
The AI’s voice shifted slightly.
"Understood. Deleting report. Shall I continue surveillance on the humanoid?"
A grin played at the edges of Zero’s lips.
"Yeah. Keep a close eye on him. I’ve got a feeling things are about to get interesting."
"Surveillance engaged."
The AI confird before the interface blinked off and silence returned to the office.
—
anwhile, in the quiet quarters of the dorm, Nova stepped inside his room and rolled his shoulders with a light stretch.
The lights were dimd, casting long shadows across the floor. He unfastened the outer layer of his uniform, dropping it to the nearby chair, and moved toward the bed.
Nyx’s voice crackled into life in his ear.
[I’ve disabled the room’s AI. The system tried to access your feed two minutes ago, but I’m rerouting everything through a shell protocol. You’re clear, for now.]
Nova nodded.
"Keep monitoring. I want to know the second anything unusual happens."
[Already on it.]
He was just about to lie down when a sharp knock echoed through the door. Nova’s eyes narrowed. He moved toward it, already cloaking aether around his palm in case this was anything but a friendly visit.
He opened the door.
Anna stood on the other side, arms crossed, her expression serious. Her eyes t his.
"We’ve got a problem."
She said.
Nova stepped aside without a word and let her in. Anna walked briskly into the room, pacing a few steps before facing him.
"I overheard sothing during my class today—sothing they didn’t want us to hear. The instructors thought they were being quiet, but soone left the channel open. There’s going to be a surprise ergency drill tonight."
Nova raised an eyebrow.
"And?"
"And, that ans most of the base’s attention will be redirected to that drill. Chaos, confusion, movent. If we’re going to get into Vault Sector Zeta, this is the best shot we’re going to get."
Anna said, stepping closer
Nova considered it.
"Too early. Nyx said we had a week."
He muttered.
Anna shook her head.
"No, this is better. If we wait, Urn cos back, and the entire sector will be on high alert. Tonight, the drills will scatter their patrols and shift security routines. If we can move during the drill, slip through before they finish their readiness checks... we won’t get another shot like this."
Nova stared at her for a mont.
"Are you sure?"
He asked.
Anna gave a firm nod.
"As sure as I can be. If we don’t move now, we’re gambling on everything going perfectly next week."
Nova glanced to the corner of the room.
"Nyx."
Nova narrowed his eyes as Anna finished speaking. He tapped his ear lightly.
"Nyx, confirm what she said. Is there any ntion of a drill in the base’s data?"
[I’ve already scanned the system logs and all scheduled operations. There’s nothing listed. No drills, no alerts. If this is happening, it’s completely off the books. Which ans it’s either a secret test or a trap. Either way—it’s risky.]
Nyx replied after a mont.
Nova’s gaze drifted back to Anna, who stood with her arms crossed and her jaw set.
"I know what I heard. The instructors were whispering, but they weren’t careful. This is real, Nova. Maybe they’re testing response ti or vetting officers, I don’t know. But it’s happening. Just trust . Once. Follow out."
Anna said firmly.
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