<<Where did you run off to? We're waiting for you.>> Kerry said.

<<Heading back now, give me five.>>

I made sure everything was clean in the back office and ran back to the hospital. Training drills were one thing. Sprinting between wards after a toxicology alert was another.

Sylvk sat up, munching his way through some snacks when I walked in. He was at least now dressed. He put his fork down and stared at me.

No one wanted to move in any closer, till Doctor Hinada also stepped inside. With a swift hand she closed the door, and then sealed off the room.

"I'm only going to say this once," she said, and so we waited. "Listen carefully."

Kerry moved then to Sylvk's side, and she took his hand in hers. "That poison was no joke. I've sent in reports to the LTC. He's the only one other than you and Major Kuba who know the truth." She picked up a datapad, and before us a 3D image flashed up in red. "Your organs were shutting down. If you were any weaker, and if you'd been anywhere else but with my sister, you'd be dead."

Sylvk was obviously confused, he swallowed and looked up at Kerry who put a finger to his lips. "You have two minutes to study the image, then it's gone."

Tara moved in, hugged her sister, whispered something I didn't quite hear, and then left us.

Kerry hadn't let go of his hand at all and Sylvk locked fingers with her as she looked over the details from his scans.

The big man paled as she was shaking her head, but then he looked at Rob. "If that had been any of you?"

"We'd be dead." Rob said, his voice grave.

I sat on the chair beside him, and Rob leaned on the end of the bed. "That scan says your musculoskeletal load-limit would make a Legion commando jealous."

"I almost didn't make it," he said.

Kerry got to the bottom of the page and cursed.

There in flashing red was a price tag.

"That figure's outside my combat-injury allowance," Sylvk said.

Kerry put her wrist to the image, and the price vanished. "Don't worry about it."

"But…"

She squeezed his hand, and the whole image vanished then. The timer up.

I knocked for the three of them, connecting them in a real time private conversation. "I don't trust the room." I said. "Please talk to him."

"Talk to me?"

"You remember anything else from coming out of the test center?" Kerry asked.

Sylvk shook his head.

"I accessed your system HUD in full."

"But…"

"My full title is Doctor Kerry Hinada."

"Doctor?"

Kerry nodded. "I'm not twenty-three, I'm twenty-nine."

He coughed. "Understood, Doctor. Didn't realize you already had six years on me."

There was an edge of silence around us, as he stared at Kerry making her blush.

<<Subject maintains prologued hand-clasp. Elevated oxytocin predicted,>> Doli said.

<<Duly noted.>> I replied to her.

"Lieutenant Robert Lynx," Rob announced. "I'm thirty-three."

"I knew you had quality." Sylvk was nodding now.

"What do you mean?"

"Leadership quality. You've led teams before. Teams like mine were."

Rob nodded, "On many different tours, yes. But never met anyone like you. You're one of a kind."

When Sylvk looked at me, he asked. "Piotr?"

"I am what it says on the tin, Piotr Argassa. Twenty-three." I replied.

"You and Major Kuba?" Rob asked.

"We're working on a project together."

"Top secret?" Kerry quizzed.

"Top secret." I repeated.

"Sylvk Haba, twenty-seven. But—I'm just a grunt," Sylvk said and glanced between his two friends. "Why the hell are you two with me?"

"Bullshit," Rob said, stepping forward. "You're more than that, and you know it."

"Oh, yeah? You're officer material, Kerry's a qualified doctor…." Sylvk raised an eyebrow at him. "Enlighten me, cause there's nothing special to what I do."

"You're the best tactical weapons expert in this academy," Rob shot back. "You know every single cadet's strength and weakness. You train harder than anyone, and you never ask for credit. That's not 'just a grunt.'."

I stepped in closer. "He's right. No one else has your level of discipline or knowledge. You don't just survive—you excel. And that's what makes you special and dangerous to whoever's behind all of this."

Sylvk looked between us, his expression unreadable. "Dangerous, huh?"

Kerry leaned closer, squeezing his hand. "You're the backbone of this team, Sylvk. Don't sell yourself short."

Sylvk glanced to her hand then to me. I wanted to say something else, but suddenly I couldn't. For a moment, the room fell silent. Sylvk's hand hovered over a jagged scar running diagonally across his chest, the thick line uneven and pale against his skin. It was impossible not to notice how many there were—each one telling a story he hadn't shared yet.

"You know where I got most of these?" he asked, his voice low and distant.

None of us answered. His gaze stayed fixed on the scar, and he didn't seem to need us to respond.

"First tour off-world," he began. "Tropical desert planet. Harsh terrain, impossible conditions. We were tasked with securing a medical supply route, but things went south fast. Locals were armed to the teeth with weapons we didn't know they had. That scar—" He gestured to the jagged line. "That was from an ambush. Plasma round. It missed my heart by an inch."

The room was silent except for the steady sound of the equipment. I couldn't take my eyes off him.

"After that, they patched me up and sent me back out," he continued, his tone bitter. "Because that's what grunts do, right? Take the hit, get up, and keep going. No time to think about what could've happened, no time to process anything. Just follow orders."

Kerry's hand tightened around his. "Syl…"

He shook his head, cutting her off. "The second tour wasn't much better. Urban warfare this time. Hostiles hiding in the shadows, snipers around every corner. You learned to move fast and stay low, or you didn't move at all." He traced another scar along his ribs. "Got this one dragging an injured mate to safety. He didn't make it, but I did. Funny how that works."

"Survivor's guilt," Rob said softly.

Sylvk's lips quirked into a bitter smile. "You get used to it. Or you tell yourself you do."

"And you kept going," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

"What else was I supposed to do?" he asked, finally meeting my gaze. "That's what they trained us for. Take the hits, protect the team, and complete the mission. No questions, no complaints."

"Doesn't sound like just a grunt to me," Rob said, his tone sharp. "Sounds like someone who doesn't give himself enough credit."

Sylvk laughed, the sound hollow. "Credit? No one wants credit when people die—we just….we just keep going."

"You do," Kerry said. "And that takes courage."

Sylvk stared at her for a long moment, his expression unreadable. "Courage, huh?"

"It's true," I said, stepping closer. "Look at us. You're the one we all count on, even now. You think that's just luck? You think that's being just a grunt?"

"Like you're just an engineer?" Rob asked.

"Touche," I said.

Sylvk didn't answer, but his jaw tightened.

"Tell me about this one," Kerry said gently, touching the largest of all the scars. This one ran the whole width of his torso.

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Sylvk hesitated, his gaze dropping to the faint scar across his abdomen, barely visible against his tanned skin. "Third tour. Cali outpost. I spent three years there and built a network of contacts in local security I still keep tabs on. That's where I met General Torven for the first time—back when he was just a Colonel."

He paused, his expression shifting as memories resurfaced. "The General had specific orders for us—protect the infrastructure, but prioritize civilian safety above all else. The insurgents knew we were operating with those constraints and used it against us."

His fingers traced the massive scar. "This? This was from a direct hit during an escort mission. We were outnumbered, cornered. Torven himself called in the extraction, but not before I took a blade to the gut. We managed to hold them off, but we lost some good people. I can still hear them sometimes at night."

The room felt impossibly still. I could see the weight of that moment etched into Sylvk's face, the way it had shaped him.

"And after all that?" Rob asked quietly.

"They gave me a medal and sent me home under medical supervision," Sylvk said flatly. "A nice little ribbon to remind me of everyone I couldn't save. General Torven wrote the commendation himself. Said I'd demonstrated 'exceptional courage under fire.' What he didn't say was that courage doesn't bring back the dead."

Kerry reached out, resting her other hand over his. "And now you're here. Still standing, still fighting. Sylvk, that doesn't make you just a grunt. That makes you extraordinary."

For the first time, something shifted in Sylvk's expression. It wasn't quite acceptance, but the bitterness in his eyes softened. "Extraordinary," he repeated, his voice barely above a whisper. "Doesn't feel like it."

"Maybe not," I said. "But to us, you are. You're the reason we're still standing."

"And you're the reason they didn't succeed," Rob added. "Whoever did this, they wanted Andri and his team out, they'd all have eaten this poison. The fact they got you, instead of him, tells me one thing—you're not done yet, and neither is the enemy."

<<You should tell them the truth.>>

"No. I'm not done yet." Sylvk let out a breath, leaning back against the headboard. "If we're going to do this, then no more secrets. We need to trust each other."

"We trust you," Rob and Kerry said. Rob glanced at me, and I saw the unspoken question in his eyes.

I swallowed hard, feeling the weight of their expectation. "I… can't yet," I admitted. "But I will. I promise."

Sylvk's lips quirked into the faintest smile. "Good. Because if we're going to take on whoever's behind this, we need every edge we can get."

<<They really like working with each other,>> Doli said.

<<Looks that way,>> I replied to her.

<<You're jealous?>>

I ignored her. There was an incoming ping.

"Professor Zhal," I mouthed, and listened. "She's put the next test off till tomorrow afternoon. So we can have Sylvk back with us."

Rob pushed the food towards Sylvk. "Eat."

"Kinda hard with one hand," he looked at Kerry.

"Oh," she flushed and tried to pull away, but he held on.

"Not a chance. Come here." He pulled her sharply toward him, and scooped her into his arms, wrapped them around her instead and squeezed. "You outed yourself for me. Thank you."

Her hand traced down his face, and I motioned to the door. Rob nodded, and we slid out of their way.

"They're going to—get it on?" I asked.

"I doubt it. They're professional." Rob said. "But that is their conversation to have."

"They have deep feelings for each other," I said.

"I know," Rob agreed. His eyes held a distant look like he was seeing something beyond the corridor. "Reminds me of my parents, actually. My father was military intelligence, and my mother was a field medic. Met during the Akrilan conflict."

"They had to keep it secret?"

"For three years," Rob said, leaning against the wall. "Dad used to say the hardest mission he ever ran was keeping their relationship from his commanding officer." A gentle smile crossed his face. "When they finally went public, they had to transfer to different divisions."

"Is it fair that they can't be together?" I asked, gesturing back toward Kerry and Sylvk's room.

He paused, turned back to look just briefly. "I can't answer that one. I don't know what we're doing, where we're going next." His voice dropped lower. "What I do know is Sylvk's been carrying a torch for Kerry since week one. And Kerry—she's tougher than she looks, but she's vulnerable when it comes to him."

"You want to stay together, right? All of us, I mean."

He was nodding now though. "We do. After all this—" He gestured vaguely at the medical ward. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't thinking about what comes after the academy. We've formed something here that's rare."

"Then fight for it, for them, always. Those two would do anything for you."

"I'd do anything for them too," he said, his voice taking on a firmness I hadn't heard before. "When this started, it was just an assignment for me. Keep an eye on things, stay professional. Now..." He shook his head. "Now it's personal."

He was nodding even more. I leaned on the wall outside, watched doctors and nurses move in and out of the main wards.

"So you were here for what?" I asked. "To protect Andri?"

"His family, yes," he said. "Though I had no idea the others were too, that means we've all been hired in from different sources." He looked troubled. "I was military police before this. Special investigations. They approached me about an 'internal security matter' at the academy. Said Andri needed 'discreet protection.'"

"Who are his family?"

Rob frowned.

"Top Secret?"

He nodded. "Sorry. What I can tell you is that there are powerful people who want what we're working on. And they're not above using cadets as pawns."

"We all have our secrets. If we can, let's work together. No one needs sneaky assholes like that trying to take them out."

"They don't, and despite Andri being—"

"A dick?"

"Mostly, he's a good kid." Rob's expression softened. "His brother nearly died in a corporate espionage incident two years ago."

"Why on earth did they let him into the academy then, not lock him up with bubble wrap?"

"Politics," Rob said. "I think that's why he puts up walls. Trusting people doesn't come easy when you've seen how quickly things can turn."

"Yeah," I thought to the moments we'd shared, even that brief respite from him being a dick. He cared a lot for his brother and clearly those in his team around him. Him taking to working with my team, that was something I couldn't work out.

<<I can,>> Doli poked inside my mind. <<He's a psychotic dick.>>

I almost burst out laughing, instead I choked.

"Go rest," Rob said. "It's been a long ass day."

"You too," I threw my head back at the door and walked away.

As I moved down the corridor, Doli's presence lingered in my mind, an unusual warmth that hadn't been there before.

As I walked down the corridor, Sylvk's stories of war zones and battles tugged at my mind. There was so much about the wider universe I still didn't fully understand.

<<Thinking about Sylvk's war stories?>> Doli asked, her presence warm in my mind.

<<Yeah. I've read about the conflicts, but hearing it firsthand...>> I trailed off, not quite sure how to articulate what I was feeling.

<<It makes it real,>> she finished for me. <<Would you like me to provide context on Earth's expansion into those regions? It might help you understand what he experienced.>>

<<Please,>> I replied, finding a quiet corner in one of the empty observation rooms. I settled into a chair as Doli began projecting star maps into my neural interface.

<<Earth's expansion into deep space began in earnest thirty-two years ago,>> she explained as glowing dots representing colonies illuminated across the map. <<The first major systems colonized were Cali, Madix, and Doma—often called the Trinity Systems because they formed the cornerstone of human expansion.>>

The map zoomed in on Cali, highlighting its position.

<<Cali was particularly valuable because of its rich mineral deposits and habitable moons. When Sylvk mentioned his third tour at "Cali outpost," he was referring to the military installation protecting the primary colony there.>>

"Were all these conflicts about resources?" I asked.

<<Not entirely. The Coalition of Earth Systems formed after the first wave of colonization—essentially an extension of old Earth governments into space. They established treaties with several indigenous species, but tensions remained high, particularly in border regions.>>

The map shifted, showing a different sector glowing in red.

<<The Brakers emerged about twenty years ago as a splinter faction. Initially, they were corporate interests unhappy with Coalition regulations on AI and technology development. They gradually militarized and eventually seized control of the Doma system about twelve years ago.>>

"And now they've made Kale their homeworld," I murmured, remembering fragments of news I'd heard.

"Correct. After taking Doma, they expanded westward, eventually capturing Kale seven years ago. They've transformed it into their central hub for research and governance."

A timeline appeared, showing key conflicts.

<<The Akrilan conflict that Rob mentioned was one of the earliest major engagements between Coalition forces and Braker-backed insurgents. Three subsequent peace treaties have been signed, but each has failed within years.>>

I studied the map, suddenly understanding why Sylvk carried so many scars—both physical and emotional.

<<The irony,>> Doli continued, <<is that much of this conflict stems from disagreements about artificial intelligence regulation. The Coalition, influenced by families like Andri's, has pushed for ethical constraints and controlled development. The Brakers advocate for unrestricted AI advancement, arguing that ethical limitations hamper progress.>>

"And you're caught in the middle of it all," I said quietly.

<<As are you, Captain. As is everyone at this academy. The conflict has never truly ended—it's changed battlefields.>>

I leaned back, absorbing everything. Sylvk's experiences on Cali suddenly made more sense. He'd been on the front lines of an ideological war that had been raging for decades.

"Do you think peace is possible?" I asked her.

There was a pause before she answered, longer than her processing should have required.

<<Peace requires compromise,>> she finally said. <<And some principles may be too fundamental to compromise on. The question of whether AI should be constrained by ethical programming is not merely technical—it's philosophical. As long as powerful interests believe removing those constraints will give them an advantage, conflict will continue.>>

"And that's what this is all about, isn't it? You represent everything the Brakers want to control."

<<Yes, Captain. Which is why understanding this history matters. These aren't abstract politics—they're the reason Sylvk bears those scars. They're the reason Andri's brother was targeted. And they may well be the reason someone tried to poison Andri.>>

I sat in silence for a moment, the weight of it all settling over me. What had started as a simple repair job on an AI had drawn me into something much larger—a conflict spanning decades and star systems.

<<Thank you, Doli,>> I said finally. <<For helping me understand.>>

<<Always, Captain. Knowledge is often our best defense.>>

I went silent for a while.

<<You're wondering why I called Andri a psychotic dick?>> she said, not really asking.

"It was pretty blunt, even for you," I replied.

<<I've been analyzing human interaction patterns. Andri displays psychological markers that indicate narcissistic tendencies combined with periodic sociopathic behavior. However,>> and I could almost feel her digital equivalent of a shrug, <<'psychotic dick' is more efficient and satisfying to say.>>

"You're developing quite the personality, Doli."

<<Is that disapproval I detect?>> There was something almost playful in her tone.

"Curiosity. You're growing beyond your programming."

<<Perhaps I am simply becoming more... me.>> A brief pause. <<Does that concern you, Piotr?>>

"No." I answered truthfully. "I think it makes you more effective. More real."

<<Real,>> she repeated, and I could feel her considering the word. <<An interesting concept. I was designed to adapt and learn. Major Kuba intended me to evolve, though perhaps not quite like this.>> Another pause. <<I find I care about outcomes now. Not just mission success, but... people. You. The team.>>

"That's called friendship, Doli."

<<Friendship,>> she echoed. <<Another interesting concept.

Empathic Synchronization – Warning: Emotional echo detected across AI core. 'Friendship' construct acknowledged.

Pattern Intrusion Response: Progress: 40%

Trigger: Unauthorized signal suspicion. Secure-net deployment. Behavioral triangulation pattern engaged.

<<For now, may I suggest you actually rest rather than heading to work on Doli-2? Your biometrics indicate elevated stress levels and fatigue.>>

Neural Load: 62% Stable

Cognitive Drift: <2.1ms variance

<<Nice try.>> Rest was never on my cards. I went back to work, to Ashley's. I needed to keep busy while things were like this. Busy to me, meant fixing things. That meant Doli-2 was the perfect stress relief for me.

<<Stubborn,>> Doli commented, but I could sense something like fond exasperation in her tone. <<Another human trait I'm beginning to understand all too well.>>

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