Chapter 463: Walk down memory lane 1

Chapter 463: Walk down memory lane 1

Five minutes. That’s all it took.

The door to Lyra’s interrogation room opened, and Commander Brooks stepped out with an expression that gave away absolutely nothing. She walked the short distance to where Commanders Lein, Beaumont, and Volkov waited in the observation area, their faces arranged in various degrees of concern and frustration.

Brooks looked at each of them in turn, then shook her head once.

The commanders’ shoulders relaxed fractionally. Mei nodded slowly, understanding passing between them in a way that required no words. Cassandra’s expression shifted from tense anticipation to something like resignation. Even Volkov, who’d been wound tight enough to snap, seemed to deflate slightly.

Lyra emerged from the interrogation room a moment later. She stood at attention and delivered a crisp salute that belonged in a military recruitment video. “Ma’am. Sirs.”

“Dismissed, recruit,” Brooks said quietly.

Lyra turned and walked away down the corridor, her footsteps echoing until she rounded a corner and disappeared from view. No explanation.

The commanders watched her go in silence that spoke volumes about things they couldn’t or wouldn’t discuss.

“Next,” Volkov said finally, his voice carrying the weariness of someone who knew the hard part was just beginning.

—

Diana sat across from Brooks in the identical interrogation room, her posture radiating hostility despite her best efforts to maintain military bearing. The anger from her argument with Kelvin still simmered beneath her surface composure, making every question feel like an accusation and every answer feel like a concession she didn’t want to give.

“Walk me through your team’s activities after leaving the station,” Brooks said, her tone neutral and professional.

“We followed Lucas to Raiju Prime because he’s our team leader,” Diana replied, her words clipped and controlled. “Discovered his father had been taken. Investigated. Found evidence of a pattern. Tracked it to Earth.”

“That’s an extremely condensed version of five weeks.”

“That’s the relevant parts.”

Brooks studied her former student with the kind of attention that made Diana want to squirm but refuse to do so out of pure spite. “You’re angry.”

“I’m fine.”

“You’re clearly not fine. Your body language suggests you’re about two seconds from punching something, and given that I’m the only thing in this room besides furniture, I’d appreciate it if you could dial back the hostility.”

Diana’s jaw clenched. “With respect, Commander, my emotional state isn’t relevant to the debriefing.”

“It is when it’s affecting your ability to provide useful information.” Brooks leaned back slightly. “What happened out there that has you this wound up?”

For a moment, Diana looked like she might actually answer honestly. Then her walls slammed back into place, and her expression went flat. “Nothing that affects the mission parameters or our tactical decisions.”

Brooks sighed. “Fine. Let’s try this differently. Tell me about the intelligence you gathered on Raiju Prime.”

Diana provided answers in the most minimal form possible, confirming facts without elaborating, acknowledging events without explaining context. It was like trying to get information from someone who’d read the cliff notes version of their own life and decided that was sufficient.

Twenty minutes in, Brooks closed her tablet. “You’re not going to give me anything useful, are you?”

“I’ve answered every question you’ve asked.”

“Technically, yes. But you and I both know that’s not the same as actually cooperating.” Brooks stood up. “We’re done here. Return to your quarters and await further instructions.”

Diana saluted and left without another word, her anger following her like a physical presence.

—

Noah’s interrogation went differently. He sat across from Brooks with the kind of exhaustion that came from carrying too much responsibility for too long, and when she asked him to start from the beginning, he actually tried to provide useful information.

“The last few weeks tested us,” Noah said, staring at his hands on the table. “Not just our abilities or our tactical training. It tested who we are as a team, and I’m not sure we passed.”

Brooks remained silent, letting him work through whatever he needed to say.

“We went to Raiju Prime because we as a team suspected Lucas would need us. Unfortunately, we were right. Maybe too right this time. His father was taken, and we couldn’t just let him handle that alone.” Noah looked up, meeting her eyes. “The political structure there is complex. Each of the seven original families has territory across the three planets in the Raiju system. The Greys control about thirty-five percent of habitable space, making them the most influential family right now.”

He explained what he’d learned from Lucy about the planetary councils, how each family had representatives in the others’ territories, how decisions were made through a combination of hereditary power and democratic voting.

“It’s not a monarchy in the traditional sense,” Noah continued. “More like powerful houses competing for influence while maintaining the illusion of cooperation. Lucy explained that one heir from each generation goes to Earth to understand their origins, while the other stays to learn the family business. That’s why Lucas was at the academy and not her.”

Brooks made notes on her tablet. “And during your time on Raiju Prime, you received assistance from other family representatives?”

“Yes ma’am. Specifically from Sterling family representatives who had access to historical records and intelligence networks we needed. That’s how we started piecing together the pattern of disappearances.”

Noah provided details about their investigation, the evidence they’d gathered on Lilivil, the decision to ally with the Ares family. He was honest about their failures and the things they still didn’t understand.

“King Aurelius was taken during the assault on Earth,” Noah said quietly. “That’s on us. We thought we were prepared, but we weren’t. And now another family head is gone because we weren’t good enough.”

Brooks studied him for a long moment. “You’re taking this personally.”

“How else should I take it? People trusted us to help them, and we failed.”

“You’re also still alive, which is more than can be said for most people who’ve faced the kind of opposition you’re describing.”

Noah didn’t respond to that. What could he say? That survival felt like losing when so many people were still trapped or missing?

The interrogation continued for another hour, with Noah providing every detail he could remember about their journey, their battles, their discoveries. When Brooks finally dismissed him, he left feeling like he’d at least tried to be helpful, even if he had no idea whether anyone would actually believe him.

—

Kelvin’s interrogation started with him grinning at Brooks like she’d just told the best joke he’d heard all year.

“Commander Brooks,” he said, leaning back in his chair with the kind of casual confidence that would have gotten him in trouble in any other situation. “I have to say, you’re looking absolutely gorgeous today. Have you been working out? New hair routine? Please tell me your secrets.”

Brooks stared at him. “Pithon,”

“I’m serious! Last time I saw you was at Eastern Academy 12, what, three months ago? You were teaching tactical analysis and looking mildly stressed about students who couldn’t tell the difference between flanking maneuvers and suicide charges. Now you’re a full commander on a space station? That’s one hell of a career trajectory.”

“I’m the one conducting this interrogation.”

“Right, right, of course. But seriously, how did that happen? Did you save the Supreme General’s life? Discover a new battle strategy? Blackmail someone important?”

Brooks pinched the bridge of her nose. “Kelvin, we need to discuss your activities over the past five weeks.”

“Oh absolutely, I’ve got so much to tell you.” Kelvin settled in like he was about to deliver the world’s longest story. “So first, Raiju Prime. Commander, let me tell you, the women there are something else. I’m talking next-level gorgeous. It’s like someone took humanity’s best genetics and added electrical powers for extra appeal.”

“Kelvin—”

“And the Ares fleet? Don’t even get me started on the Ares fleet. King Aurelius has thirteen wives, right? Thirteen!!!And they’re all these powerful fire users with this confidence that just makes you want to—”

“Kelvin!”

“What? I’m providing cultural observations. That’s important for mission debriefing, right?” He grinned wider. “Although, speaking of cultural observations, I should mention that I tried to propose to at least seventy different women aboard the Ares fleet. Got turned down by a lot, but you miss one hundred percent of the shots you don’t take, right?”

Brooks looked like she was reconsidering every decision that had led to this moment. “Can we please focus on relevant intelligence?”

“This is relevant! Understanding local customs and social dynamics is crucial for diplomatic operations.” Kelvin’s expression turned mock-serious. “For instance, did you know that Lucy Grey, Lucas’s sister, had a thing for Noah? Total crush. And Noah turned her down because he’s with Sophie, which is sweet and loyal and all that, but Commander…”

He leaned forward conspiratorially. “Noah turned down a princess. Of a whole planet. Actually, three planets if you count the whole Raiju system. That man rejected literal royalty because he’s in love with his girlfriend. If anyone should be jailed for crimes against common sense, it’s Noah Eclipse.”

“Kelvin, I need actual tactical information.”

“I am giving you tactical information! Understanding the interpersonal dynamics between our team and the royal family of one of the original seven families is incredibly relevant to—”

“Details about the enemy you fought.”

“Oh, the Eighth? Yeah, he’s terrifying. Moving on, did I mention that Raiju Prime has this amazing marketplace where—”

“Kelvin!”

“Alright, alright.” He threw up his hands in surrender. “But seriously, Commander, you’re missing out on some quality anthropological data here. The cultural integration between different species on planets like Lilivil, the political marriages between original families, the way beauty standards have evolved across different colonial worlds—”

Brooks stood up abruptly. “You know what? We’re done. You’re not providing useful intelligence, you’re just running your mouth about everything except what I actually need to know.”

Kelvin looked genuinely hurt. “I’m wounded, Commander. I thought we had something special. A teacher-student bond that transcended the usual—”

“Out.”

“Fine, fine, I’m going.” He stood and headed for the door, then paused and looked back. “But for the record, Noah and Sophie are my best friends. Noah’s like a brother to me, and they’re perfect together. If you’re going to punish anyone for anything, maybe consider that Noah literally saved my life multiple times while we were out there. Just… you know, something to think about.”

The sincerity in that final statement caught Brooks off guard, and she watched Kelvin leave with a expression that suggested she wasn’t sure whether to be frustrated or impressed by his ability to turn everything into a joke until the moment it actually mattered.