They stood like statues.
Backs straight. Chins up. Arms locked at their sides. Perfect discipline. Kade and Juli faced forward. Eyes ahead. Not moving.
Chief Instructor Vela paced in front of them.
Her shell caught the light from the window. Each step was deliberate. Heavy. The floor creaked under her weight.
"Last night was inexcusable." Her voice was low. Controlled.
Neither cadet responded.
"You disrupted the mess hall. You incited violence. You turned dinner into a circus." She stopped pacing. Faced them directly. "Do you understand what you represent here?"
Silence.
"You represent ARMADA." She said the word with weight. "The Armada is the shield that protects trillions across the galaxy. It is order. Discipline. The line between civilization and chaos."
Kade's jaw tightened. He knew this speech.
"We uphold standards. We maintain values. Honor. Duty. Unity." Vela's voice rose. "Without them, we are nothing. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Chief Instructor." Kade's voice was crisp.
"Yes, Chief Instructor." Juli echoed. Less crisp. Almost casual.
Vela's eyes narrowed. She focused on Kade. "I expected better from you, Cadet Kade. You are a model student. Top marks in combat. Excellent test scores. Your instructors speak highly of you." She shook her head. Small movements. "To see you participate in last night's display. Disappointing."
Kade's ears drooped slightly. Guilt hit him. Real guilt. He respected Vela. Disappointing her stung worse than any punishment.
A sound broke the tension.
A snort. Barely audible. Quickly suppressed.
Juli's shoulders shook. Just a fraction. His face stayed neutral. Mostly. But his lips twitched. His red eyes sparkled with barely contained amusement.
Kade's internal voice screamed. Are you trying to get us killed, blondie?! His face remained perfectly still. But inside he was dying. Sweating buckets. This idiot was going to make everything worse.
Vela's head snapped toward Juli. Her beady eyes locked onto him. "Is something funny, Cadet Weiper?!"
The room temperature dropped.
Juli's grin broke through. Full force. Bright and completely inappropriate. "Chief Inspector is kinda adorable when angry."
Time stopped.
Kade's jaw dropped. His mind went blank. Then filled with noise. Pure noise. Not only did this idiot call her Chief INSPECTOR. Wrong title. Completely wrong. But he called her ADORABLE?! His internal monologue spiraled. Please. Oh deities everywhere. All of them. Every single one across the galaxy. Why am I stuck with this guy? What did I do to deserve this? Is this punishment? This has to be punishment.
Vela stood frozen.
Her mouth opened. Closed. Opened again. No words came out. She tried. Nothing. The absurdity of the comment hit her like a physical blow. It was so ridiculous. So completely inappropriate. So impossibly stupid that it broke her brain.
Her inner voice struggled. Just who in the stars did this boy get this infuriating personality from? What kind of upbringing produces this? This casual disrespect wrapped in apparent sincerity?
The corner of her mouth twitched.
Almost smiled.
She caught herself. Forced it down. But the damage was done. Her tirade was dead. Killed by sheer absurdity.
A knock at the door saved everyone.
Sharp. Polite. Perfectly timed.
Vela closed her eyes. Took a breath. Regained her composure. "Enter."
The door opened.
A girl stepped through. The mysterious one from the mess hall. No longer vague. She moved with purpose. With grace.
Her hair flowed down her back. Black as deep space. Her features were pale. Snow pale. Almost luminescent. Her eyes were silver. Sharp. They swept the room. Missed nothing.
She wore the same white uniform. Senior rank insignia on her collar.
Vela's posture relaxed slightly. "Cadet von Eisenblick." She gestured toward the two boys. "These are Cadet Kade and Cadet Weiper."
Von Eisenblick.
The name hung in the air.
Kade's eyebrow raised. Eisenblick. Old nobility. Ancient bloodline. Military aristocracy. What's a princess doing here? In a minor league academy like this? She should be at the Core Academies. Not here.
Juli looked at her. His expression neutral. Just observation.
The girl stood straight. Perfect posture. Military but refined. She turned to Vela. Her voice was smooth. Cultured.
"Chief Instructor Vela. I appreciate you accommodating this meeting." She paused. "I have a proposal."
Vela nodded. "Go ahead."
Pamela's silver eyes moved to Kade. Then to Juli. Back to Vela. "I would like to formally request that Cadet Kade and Cadet Weiper join my team."
The room went quiet. Different quiet. Anticipatory.
"For the one hundred and twelfth Biennial Constellation Cup."
The words landed like bombs.
Kade's eyes widened. Just slightly. The Constellation Cup. The biggest tournament in the academy circuit. Teams from across the galaxy competed. Fame. Glory. Recruitment opportunities. It was everything.
Juli's expression didn't change. But something shifted in his eyes. Interest. Maybe excitement. Hard to tell.
Vela studied Pamela. Then the two boys. Her fingers drummed on her desk. Once. Twice. Three times.
"Very well." Her voice was measured. "I will allow it."
Kade's shoulders relaxed. Just slightly.
Juli's grin started to form.
"On one condition." Vela's eyes hardened. "One week. Full labor duty for both cadets."
The grins died.
"Cleaning the armory. Top to bottom. Every weapon. Every piece of equipment." She counted on her fingers. "Assisting the cafeteria staff. Morning, noon, and night shifts. Assisting instructors with their daily tasks. Whatever they need. Assisting the janitors. Every bathroom. Every hallway. Every classroom." She paused. Let it sink in. "And assisting the librarian. Organizing. Filing. Whatever ancient torture she can devise."
Kade's mouth opened. "Chief Instructor, that's..."
"Deal." Pamela's voice cut through. Sharp. Final.
No hesitation. No negotiation. Just acceptance.
Kade's protest died in his throat. His head snapped toward her. His amber eyes wide. What did you just do?
Juli turned to look at her too. His face a mask of betrayal. His red eyes screaming. You can't be serious.
Pamela's expression remained neutral. Professional. Like she hadn't just sentenced them to a week of hell.
Kade and Juli looked at each other.
Their eyes met. A moment of shared suffering. Shared horror. The weight of what just happened crashed down on them.
Juli's lower lip trembled. Just barely. His eyes grew glassy.
Kade's ears drooped all the way down. His jaw clenched. His fangs bit into his lower lip. Anything to hold it back.
They were barely holding back tears.
Actual tears.
A week of labor. A full week. Seven days of scrubbing. Cleaning. Serving. Filing. The worst possible punishment short of expulsion.
And they couldn't say no. Not now. Not after Pamela had already accepted.
Vela watched them. Her expression gave nothing away. But inside, satisfaction bloomed. Justice served. Lesson taught. And she didn't even have to raise her voice.
"Dismissed." Her voice was almost cheerful. "Report to the armory at zero five hundred tomorrow. Don't be late."
The boys shuffled toward the door. Defeated. Broken. Their shoulders slumped. Their feet dragged.
Pamela followed behind them. Her posture perfect. Her steps light.
The door closed.
Vela allowed herself a small smile. Sometimes the universe delivered exactly what you needed. Two troublemakers. One noble solution. And a week of peace and quiet.
Outside in the hallway, Kade and Juli walked in silence.