He exhaled a quiet sigh of relief. "As you command, Grand Marshal." With a sharp bow, he teleported off the bridge to execute the orders.
Left alone at the command console, Kalen stared forward into space, his face completely devoid of expression. He appeared totally detached from the chaos around him—but inside, he was anything but calm.
What no one on the bridge knew was that the Grand Marshal's mind was in utter turmoil. The sudden instability from the enemy's crushing offensive had cracked a spiritual seal he had maintained for countless years.
Deep within his consciousness, that ancient seal had finally shattered. His spiritual awareness was now fractured into two distinct entities, locked in a ferocious, silent battle for control of his body.
"Damn you, Kalen! You actually took advantage of my trust and hijacked my body?!" the original consciousness roared in fury. "I treated you like a respected elder, and this is how you pay me back, you old fossil?!"
