4

4

Avi looked in the mirror and took a deep breath, standing at attention in her new uniform. She had finally graduated from military training. Her first post would be in the main hangar bay of the Draynor capital, in the southern region of Malta. She slowly exhaled, releasing the breath she hadn’t realized she was holding, trying to shake off her nerves.

She had lived outside the system for most of her life. Returning to the capital to begin her training had been the first time she’d come back. Her mother hadn’t been happy about her career choice. Your past will catch up to you, she had warned. And Avi knew she was right, nothing stayed hidden for long in the capital. She had managed to get through training without anyone uncovering her secret, but she would have to remain careful. No one could ever find out who she really was. And she would have to stay away from the palace at all costs.

A knock at the door pulled her from her thoughts. “Hurry up, Avi! We’re going to be late!”

Avi took another steadying breath. “Coming!” she called back. She flicked off the light, opened the door, and smiled at her friend. “I’m ready, Lees.”

“Then hurry up! If we’re late, they’ll assign us to guard the supply closet again,” Lees laughed, giving her a shove down the hall.

The two women raced through the barracks, giggling as they ran toward the landing bay. They arrived just in time moments before the shift commander ordered the trainees to line up. After giving the day’s instructions, the commander began pairing the new graduates with field officers. Avi and Lees were assigned to Officer Azar, who would oversee their training until he decided they were ready to serve on their own.

Once the groups were formed, the tours began. Azar explained that the hangar was divided into four sections: military craft, visitor docks, royal vessels, and private ships. Trainees were restricted to the military and private sections only. Avi and Lees would be stationed in the military sector, working security.

Azar saved that section for last. It was the largest area, with rows of ships housed in underground storage to conserve space. The first-alert ships—the ones that launched at the first sign of trouble, were kept on the ground level.

As they walked, Avi was awestruck by the scale of the operation. Her gaze drifted toward a cordoned-off section where five sleek ships sat under heavy guard. The personnel there wore different uniforms from the rest of the maintenance crews.

“Officer Azar,” Avi asked, pointing, “what department do those ships belong to?”

Azar followed her gaze and smiled. “Those belong to the Slayers. They have their own crews and their own security detail.”

Lees nodded toward a smaller ship off to the right. “And that one?”

“That,” Azar said, lowering his voice slightly, “is a special ship. It belongs to King Mikan, the Slayer assigned to the Grenons of Osca.”

Avi felt her stomach tighten. The last thing she wanted was to cross paths with a royal, especially him. Azar noticed her reaction.

“Does the idea of possibly seeing the King around here make you nervous, trainee?” he asked.

“No, sir,” Avi replied quickly.

Lees snickered. “I think it’s the royals in general that make her nervous.”

Avi shot her a glare, but Azar chuckled. “The royals can be intimidating, sure, but they’re good people. Unless you’re assigned to the royal section, you’re unlikely to cross paths with them. If King Mikan’s around, just pay attention to his demeanor. Before an assignment, he’s focused and quiet. Afterward, if it went well, he’s relaxed. If it doesn't, everyone knows to stay out of his way.”

He pointed to a room overlooking the entire hangar. “You two will be working up there, in the control room. Don’t worry too much if the royals don’t come there.” He started walking again, laughing over his shoulder. “You should be more worried about the shift commander. She’ll eat you alive if you’re late.”

Avi and Lees exchanged a look, then sprinted to catch up. It was time to report for their first day in the control room.

Avi and Lees hurried after Officer Azar, slowing only when they reached the lift that carried them up to the control room. The glass walls gave them a full view of the massive hangar below, ships gliding in and out, technicians in motion, and crews calling out to one another over the comm lines. Avi pressed her hand to the railing and exhaled slowly.

It all felt so much bigger now that she was part of it.

When the lift doors opened, the smell of metal and ozone hit them. The control room stretched wide, filled with stations, holographic displays, and flashing monitors that tracked every ship’s movement. The hum of activity was constant.

A tall woman with cropped silver hair stood at the center of it all, her arms crossed as she scanned the incoming crew. Her uniform was crisp, her boots polished to a mirror shine. Even from a distance, her presence commanded attention.

“That’s Commander Rhea,” Azar whispered as they stepped off the lift. “She runs this place like a warship. Speak only when spoken to, and whatever you do don’t make her repeat herself.”

Before Avi could respond, Rhea’s gaze landed on them. It felt like being struck by a searchlight.

“ Officer Azar,” she said, her voice sharp and clear. “These are the new trainees?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Azar straightened. “Avi Sunner and Lees Varra. Both completed training with high marks.”

Rhea stepped closer. She looked Avi over from head to toe, her expression unreadable. “High marks mean nothing if you can’t follow orders,” she said. “You’ll learn that quickly here.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Avi replied, keeping her posture straight despite the sudden chill running down her spine.

“Good,” Rhea said, then turned her attention to Azar. “Assign them to perimeter security and flight intake monitoring. If they can handle that without incident for a week, we’ll move them to traffic control rotation.”

“Yes, Commander.”

Rhea’s eyes lingered on Avi one last time. “Sunner,” she said, her tone curious but not unkind. “You’re not from the capital, are you?”

Avi froze. “No, ma’am. I was raised off-world.”

Rhea gave a small nod. “Thought so. You’ve got that ‘outer territory’ posture too stiff, too polite. You’ll loosen up eventually.” She smirked faintly and turned away, barking new orders to another officer.

Lees leaned close and whispered under her breath, “I think she likes you.”

“Remind me to thank her when my heart starts beating again,” Avi muttered.

Azar chuckled quietly. “Come on, rookies. Let’s get you settled.”

He led them to a small station along the control room’s east side. Two chairs, a shared console, and a viewport overlooking the military bay. Avi sat down and ran her fingers across the controls. The console lit up, her screen displaying ship manifests and flight clearance logs.

Lees grinned beside her. “Feels real now, doesn’t it?”

Avi nodded, her reflection catching faintly in the glass. For a moment, she saw the version of herself she’d spent years trying to bury someone who didn’t belong here. Someone who couldn’t afford to be found out.

“Yeah,” she whispered. “It feels real.”

As the first set of inbound ships appeared on her display, she straightened her shoulders, forcing the doubt away. Whatever her past had been, it stayed buried. From this moment on, she was Officer Avi Sunner of the Draynor Military. And she would make sure no one ever discovered otherwise.