The applause this time is deafening. General Croft is clapping, a rare, genuine smile on her face. Alpha Chen bows his head in deep respect.
I look at Kade. His green eyes are shining with unshed tears. They are magnificent, he projects, his mental voice thick with emotion. They are the future.
They are the future, I agree, leaning into his side. And we are the foundation.
The ceremony ends at noon. The crowd disperses, heading to the mess hall for the celebratory feast. Kade is pulled away by Alpha Chen to discuss the new joint patrol routes along the eastern border.
I retreat to the quiet of the Administration Wing’s library. It is a newly built space, lined with floor-to-ceiling shelves of physical books, a deliberate choice to move away from the holographic data-screens of the war.
