The rebel stronghold buzzed with restless energy. Generators hummed, makeshift terminals flickered, and voices carried through the cracked concrete halls like echoes of a forgotten city. Somewhere above, thunder rolled across a neon-streaked sky, the sound swallowed by the constant whining of drones circling the ruins.
I sat in the corner of the command room, silent, watching. My chrome fingers flexed unconsciously, the servomotors whining faintly. No matter how I tried, I couldn't make the gesture feel human like.
Helen stood at the center table, projecting maps across a holographic grid. She moved tokens with precision, her sharp eyes sweeping over the gathered officers. Beside her, Lira shifted uneasily, arms crossed, as if she could feel the tension vibrating through the room.
"The Dominion will expect a direct assault," Helen said. "We won't give them one. Our boats will strike from the south, then vanish before their fleet can respond."
Murmurs of agreement rippled through the room, though some glanced my way, whispers with a sense of distrust.
Finally, Helen's gaze landed on me. Her voice cut through the chatter.
"Dr. Vale. Or should I say Subject-09. Do you understand why you're here?"
I rose slowly, the floor creaking under the weight of my new body. "Because you're not sure if you can trust me."
A scarred officer to her left scoffed. "Not sure? We know we can't. Dominion tech, Dominion mind. For all we know, he's broadcasting our position right now."
Lira slammed her palm against the table. "That's enough! If Kieran wanted us dead, he would've done it already."
The officer sneered. "Or maybe he's waiting until tomorrow, when we're exposed on the water."
Helen raised a hand, silencing them. Her voice was calm, but edged like steel.
"Words won't prove anything. Action will. Vale, tonight you will stand trial in the only way that matters. On the battlefield."
Before I could respond, alarms screamed through the base. The command table flickered with red warning signals. A voice crackled over comms:
"Perimeter breach! Multiple drones inbound!"
Chaos erupted. Rebels snatched up weapons, boots hammering against concrete as orders flew in every direction. Helen didn't hesitate.
"Sector three, with me! Protect the tunnels!" Her eyes snapped to me, sharp as a blade. "This is your chance, Vale. Earn your place—or burn with the rest of us."
Lira grabbed her rifle and nodded for me to follow. Together we sprinted through winding corridors, up iron staircases, toward the surface. The air grew colder, filled with the tang of ozone.
When we emerged, the night was alive with fire. The perimeter barricades sparked violently, blue shields collapsing as Dominion drones forced their way through. They advanced in perfect formation—sleek, silver predators, red optics glowing in the darkness.
"Damn it," Lira muttered, raising her rifle. "They found us faster than I thought."
"They weren't looking," I said, sensors flooding my vision with streams of data. "They were sent to kill."
The first plasma bolt screamed through the air, striking the barricade. Metal exploded in shards. Rebels opened fire, bullets sparking uselessly against the drones' armor.
I moved before I could think. My body surged forward, servos straining, ground cracking under my steps. The nearest drone swiveled to target me, but too late. My fist crashed into its chassis, tearing through steel like paper. Wires burst in a spray of sparks. The machine convulsed, then fell silent at my feet.
Rebels stared, frozen mid-battle.
"Don't stop!" I shouted. My voice carried with a mechanical distortion, sharp enough to cut through the noise. "Focus on their flanks!"
Lira fired again, this time at a drone I had staggered, her shot piercing a joint I'd exposed. It crashed into the rubble. She gave me a quick, breathless grin before darting for cover.
Two more drones descended from above, rotors screaming, weapons glowing. They unleashed plasma fire that lit the ruins in blinding light. My sensors howled warnings.
I didn't dodge. I barreled straight into the line of fire. The blast tore through my shoulder plating, heat burning deep into synthetic muscle, but I ignored it. I leapt upward, caught the drone mid-air, and slammed it into the ground hard enough to crack stone.
The second circled wide, cannon locking onto a cluster of rebels. They didn't see it—too busy firing at the front line.
"Move!" I roared, sprinting across the rubble. I vaulted high, caught the drone's wing, and dragged it down with me. It thrashed violently, claws slashing, but I ripped free its core with a shower of sparks. The carcass shuddered, then went still.
Smoke choked the air. The battlefield stank of burning metal and ozone. One by one, the rebels regained momentum, fighting with renewed fury. Together we pushed back the wave.
Minutes stretched into eternity, but finally, silence fell. The last drone collapsed, its crimson eye dimming.
I stood in the center of the ruin, plating scorched, one arm sparking faintly. My optics adjusted, scanning the wreckage. Rebels surrounded me cautiously, weapons still half-raised. Their faces were a mixture of fear and awe.
The scarred officer who had doubted me spat into the dirt. "Still looks like a machine to me."
Lira stepped forward, eyes blazing. "He saved your life. All of yours."
Helen emerged through the smoke, cloak whipping in the wind. She surveyed the battlefield calmly, eyes lingering on the destroyed drones before settling on me.
"You fought with us," she said at last. "That earns you a place in tomorrow's raid."
I inclined my head. Words caught in my throat, not from damage, but from the weight of everything unsaid.
Helen's voice rang out to her soldiers. "Get the wounded inside. Double security. The Dominion knows where we are now." She turned briefly, gaze sharp as a blade. "Vale, rest while you can. Tomorrow, you fight as one of us—or not at all."
The rebels dispersed, but their eyes lingered on me as they went—some filled with doubt, others with something close to respect.
Lira brushed dust from her cheek, gave me a half-smile. "See? Not so hard, was it?"
I looked down at my hands, chrome slick with ash and smoke. For a moment, they almost looked human.
"No," I said quietly. "It was too easy."
Because deep down, I knew the Dominion hadn't sent those drones to win. They'd sent them to test me.
And tomorrow, the real war would begin !