Kael stood at the observation deck of Bastion Thorne, his hands clasped behind his back as he stared out over the war-torn valley beyond the reinforced glass. Fires from the recent skirmish flickered in the far distance—tiny tongues of flame devouring what was once a forested ridge.
His Neural Net HUD flickered to life as data streamed across his lenses. Probabilities. Casualty rates. Aera's current vitals—elevated stress, heightened adrenaline, likely emotional turbulence. She had cut communications. A rash act. Predictable.
Kael didn't move. He didn't sigh or show the slightest tremor in his stance. But deep within the silence of his mind, a thought surfaced.
I did that to teach her.
His gaze narrowed.
To show her that emotion, sentiment, kindness—these are not what win wars. The only path to peace is through dominance. Total control. No deviation.
He had sent her into the engagement knowing the Empire would likely respond.
The HUD had calculated a 97% chance of success with minor casualties.
And yet… it fell into the 3%.
His lips pressed into a thin line. "It's not enough," he murmured. "The model still lacks nuance. It accounted for unit fatigue, terrain advantage, morale levels… but not the unpredictability of personal bonds."
He turned away from the window.
I have to improve the NNH.
Emotion was still a fog he couldn't pierce, even with every algorithm and neural mapping tool at his disposal. The NNH translated tones, facial tension, speech rhythm—but it still felt like deciphering a language without knowing the culture. Aera's voice had carried something unfamiliar in the last call—disappointment? Betrayal?
He filed the query away.
"Requisition the simulation chamber," he ordered as he walked through the glass corridor. A soldier saluted as he passed. "And bring the 7th and 8th combat divisions. They need reconditioning."
"Yes, Commander Kael."
The soldiers moved quickly. Kael made his way to the lower levels of the Bastion, where the air smelled of steel and ion burns. The training decks were alive with motion—grappling units sparring, kinetic targets resetting after each precision strike.
He stepped into the center of the hall.
Troops paused. They recognized him instantly.
"Resume formation," Kael said flatly.
Without another word, they snapped into position.
Kael activated a training module and summoned a tactical map mid-air. "You will execute this maneuver in fifteen seconds. If a single one of you exceeds that time limit…" he let the sentence trail off, "I will personally take over your division's discipline drills for the next month."
They moved like lightning.
But Kael saw every flaw. Every inefficiency. Every moment where hesitation lingered.
No... not enough. Still too inefficient.
He studied them, the way a sculptor studies the clay—constantly carving, refining, removing weakness.
Because to Kael, efficiency was the only path forward.
Aera didn't understand that.
Not yet.
But she would.
Eventually, everyone would.