Page 19 of Obsession

Kann shifted from one foot to the other. “Infiltrate it?”

“He probably got himself thrown in,” Tivek said with an almost imperceptible shake of his head. “That would be his way of infiltrating.”

I looked at Tivek as he spoke. A part of me was still coming to terms with him having a brother in Inferno Force—and the startling revelation that his brother was the warrior missing from the reconnaissance mission. I had barely believed him when he’d told me, and Zoran had had to confirm it before I would give him leave to speak to Kann.

Tivek was so serious and controlled. How could he be related to someone who I had since earned was notorious in Inferno Force for breaking rules and pushing boundaries? To be Inferno Force meant you defied some level of norms. To be considered wild for Inferno Force made even me shake my head.

Volten rocked back on his boots. “Then we are rescuing two?”

Tivek snorted out a laugh, an outburst so unusual for him that we all stared. “My brother will not see it that way. If I know him, he will already be plotting a way out for them—if he hasn’t already attempted it.”

“That is why the mission must be soon.” Zoran gave us a final nod. “I have sent you all the schematics and information you need. Brief your team and make your final preparations.”

I led the way as we walked from the admiral’s office, my head swimming. There was much to do and little time in which to do it.

“Now I’m starving,” Volten said, giving Kann’s back a hard thump. “Dinner?”

His friend nodded, but I shook my head, ignoring the relief on both their faces. “Not tonight.”

As they headed for the staff dining room, I took quick steps to my quarters. As I walked, I went through everything that needed to be done before the mission. The academy needed to be prepared, the security system needed to be reviewed, I needed to assign someone to be in charge of security in my stead.

When I reached my quarters, I rushed inside without looking up. Then I skidded to a stop when I spotted Fiona standing bythe fireplace. She wore a robe and her pale hair fell in waves over her shoulders.

She spun around when I entered. “I’ve been waiting for you.”

Before I could tell her where I’d been, or what we needed to do, she untied her robe and slipped it off her shoulders, letting the white fabric pool at her feet. My mouth went dry as she sauntered toward me, completely naked.

Maybe the mission briefing could wait.

Chapter

Twelve

Britta

The holochamber’s control panel hummed as I stood in front of it, the soft whir of cooling systems interspersed with the occasional ping of diagnostic scans. I'd always loved this time of day, when the academy was still waking up and I could lose myself in the elegant complexity of holotech.

Even though the holochambers were in the School of Battle, I was alone—so far. No instructors slipping in for early training sessions or cadets trying to get extra practice on the various Blade apparatus.

“And no Zav.” I breathed out, the soft sound almost loud in the echoing quiet.

I wasn’t ready to face him after yesterday’s embarrassment. Besides, I thought better when I was alone with the machines, when I could let my mind sink into the pure logic of code and circuits.

The Taori had put in plenty of extra time on the Drexian’s holo technology, but today I was blissfully alone as I workedon Kann’s simulation. I didn’t put much stock in religion, but I mouthed a silent thank you to whatever sky gods might be listening on the far edge of the galaxy.

This peaceful work was a good reminder that I was amazing at what I did. After a couple of days feeling lost and out of balance, I now felt back on track.

My fingers danced over the interface as I adjusted the simulation and checked for glitches. The simulation Kann designed was proving to be a fascinating puzzle. The historical academy shimmered in the preview screen: harder edges, newer stone, more fortress than school. The early Drexians had built it as a castle first, perched on the edge of tall, cruel cliffs. I could see why maintaining temporal accuracy was a challenge—trying to show the academy as it was centuries ago meant stripping away layers of technological evolution and rendering a more primitive environment. That meant the academy in Kann’s simulation had no holochambers, no inclinations, no supersonic spaceships.

But it had been simpler to start with what we had on file—schematics from the current academy—and then strip off what was not needed. Building the academy from scratch would have taken considerably longer, although I had to admit that this way made it possible for inaccuracies to occur.

“Remove shield generator protocols,” I muttered, making mental notes. “Increase forest density by thirty percent. Add mineral deposits consistent with the pre-mining era.”

The personality modules were even trickier. Kann wanted to populate the simulation with historical Drexians, which meant creating AI constructs that would behave consistently with centuries-old cultural norms. I pulled up the behavioral parameters for a legendary general, frowning at his description in code.

I shook my head. “Kann wants him like this?”

I adjusted the simulation, wondering if this would actually be a better way to test cadets. It might have been successful in the past—and it might have fewer issues than the maze—but I wasn’t sure if any of the current cadets wanted to experience life in the academy of centuries past, especially since female cadets hadn’t existed back then.

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