The sterile white light of the facility buzzed overhead, echoing faintly through the metallic corridors of Base Eos. Snow still clung to the edges of Tasmia's armor as she walked, boots thudding against the floor with heavy restraint. Her mind was still fixed on the girl—Reika, as the stasis pod had identified her.
But the moment they'd returned to base, everything had changed.
Tasmia had expected medical personnel. A debrief. Maybe a quiet commendation for finding a lost soldier. What she hadn't expected was for **Command** to take over the situation with such… **aggression**.
Reika had been wheeled away from the hangar under full security detail, despite her fragile, unconscious state. Her lips were cracked, body bandaged, eyes closed—but guards still flanked her like she was a threat.
Tasmia wasn't even allowed to follow.
She'd argued. Briefly. Firmly. But her objections had been met with a rare silence—and then a direct order.
**"Do not engage with the subject again. This matter is under restricted jurisdiction. Stand down, Commander Ari."**
Now, walking through the dimmed observation deck, Tasmia leaned against the railing and watched as snow beat softly against the glass. Her thoughts were a storm of their own. Something was wrong. Deeply, unmistakably wrong.
Her humanoid AI, Neo, stood beside her putting gentle hand on her back
"You're unusually quiet, Tasmia," Neo said, tone carefully neutral. "Your heart rate has spiked since we returned. Should I adjust your meds?"
"No." Her voice was flat. "Just pull me Reika's files. Anything you can bypass without triggering a trace."
Neo hesitated. "That would be unauthorized. And... dangerous."
"I know," she said, her eyes locked on the snow. "Do it anyway."
A pause.
Then a flicker.
"Accessing... what little remains," Neo replied, tone low. "Most of her records have been sealed by Directive Tier-One authority. That's above even the Obsidian Command."
Tasmia's fists clenched. Tier-One authority wasn't something thrown around lightly. It meant cover-ups. Silence. Secrets buried beneath concrete and fire.
"Why is a half-dead girl being treated like a war criminal?" she muttered under her breath.
Neo didn't answer. The silence was all she needed.
Tasmia turned, her mind already racing. The Obsidian Guardians had dropped Neon Starlight's case for a reason—but maybe they weren't supposed to. Maybe someone had made them forget.
She took one last look at the snow beyond the glass.
If Reika was awake, she was alone. Caged. And afraid.
And Tasmia wasn't about to leave her there.