"A wound that goes unacknowledged and unwept is a wound that cannot heal." — John Eldredge.
Chapter 2
Huiya sat up. Her body moved easily, but there was a strange tug in her chest, like wires clicking into place. Her muscles did not ache, but they felt heavy. She took a slow breath. Her lungs processed it like a human's would, but she could taste metal in the air.
The room was clean, cold and quiet.
"Clothes?"
[Storage bay. First left. You'll find a suit registered to this identity.]
She got up and walked. The lights came on under her feet. She touched the wall, more out of habit than need, and felt the vibration of the ship humming faintly. No crew, no guards.
Just her.
The closet opened with a soft hiss. Inside was a dark suit with the old Ambrosian crest , a sun with seven rays. Her breath hitched at the sight. Her fingers touched the edge of the symbol, half-faded but still proud.
"This was hers?" she whispered.
[Well, it's yours now.]
She dressed in silence. The fabric molded to her body like it remembered her. When she looked at herself in the mirror, she didn't see a traitor. She saw someone tired. Someone ready to be more than what others had called her.
"I was a commander, wasn't I?"
[You were a starborne marshal, the highest military leader role in Ambrosia. Starborne marshal Huiya, Light of Ambrosia]
She didn't smile. She couldn't.
"And now, I'm Ambrosia's finest traitor."
[Life doesn't always work out in your favor. But you've been given a second chance now, so rewrite your fate.]
Huiya turned to the door. It slid open for her without needing a command. The hallway was empty, but the ship was still alive. She could feel it, like a second heart thrumming through her veins.
[So, Captain. What's your first move?]
Her eyes narrowed. She remembered the face of the man who betrayed her. His voice, smooth and cruel.
The way he smiled when she fell.
He was Wicked
"First," she said, "I want to what he's doing now."
[Tracking Zepthorian signal. Cross-referencing all known aliases: Zhao'kyr. Status: Alive. Military rank restored.]
Huiya's lips pressed together.
"So they rewarded him for my fall??"
[They made him a hero.]
She laughed once, but it held no joy. Only the sharp crack of something beginning to burn.
"They made him a hero and I became a villain to mine."
[How the mighty has fallen they say. Losing the war isn't why you became a traitor. Someone has orchestrated everything, someone had been creating rumors, saying you were planning on selling Ambrosia to Zepthor, so that moment when you fell, they assumed you had betrayed them. You need the power of Ambrosia behind you, so you must clear your name?]
Huiya said, she wish she wouldn't involve herself with all the politics.
"To clear my name I'll have to find the culprit spreading the rumor. If anyone is selling Ambrosia, it's them."
[><]
[You hit the nail on the head. That's the gist and to help you get to the bottom of this quicker. I'll formulate a list of the top 30 culprits, these are your most hated rival. You will narrow everything down until there's only one and final prepertrator.]
"Thank you, you're quite easy going for an AI."
[-_-]
[I'm a higher grade of AI. Your kind don't compare, you could say you came about from our lineage. Your list is ready.]
[The usual suspects, rivals, enemies, and those who've profited from your disgrace.]
Huiya's eyes scanned the holographic display. Some names made her breath catch, others twisted her gut with bitter memories.
[There's General Xue Lin'vok, always jealous of your command, the one who openly challenged your strategies.]
She clenched her fists. "Lin'vok… he was never subtle. Always tried to undermine me at council."
[Then Commander Li Hao'zhen, the silver-tongued diplomat who could convince anyone to believe any lie.]
A bitter smile touched her lips. "Hao'zhen… I should've seen him coming. He played politics like a master, but I never thought he'd betray me."
[And Captain Mei Qin'sharn, once your closest ally, now rumored to be cozying up with Zepthor sympathizers.]
Huiya's heart clenched. "Sharn? I trusted him more than anyone. If he's on that list..."
[There's also Councilor Fei Long'sa, her greed is whispered about behind closed doors, and her ambition is boundless.]
She shook her head. "Long'sa, always smiled like she knew more than she said."
[Others you might recall: Admiral Han Guang'li, the cold strategist who remained neutral publicly but whose private dealings are suspicious.]
Her eyes narrowed. "Guang'li never spoke much, but his silence spoke volumes."
[And don't forget the shadowy figure known only as "The Wraith" a spy rumored to have ties to both sides.]
Huiya's jaw tightened. "The Wraith huh."
[Each has a reason to see you fall. Each has the means to spread theirpoison. Each hides secrets you have yet to uncover.]
Her breath hitched. "Thirty culprits... and one is the true poison."
[Exactly. Your task is to sift through their lies, their alibis, their ambitions. And clear your name.]
"Who's the closest one I can get to? I can't enter Ambrosia space right now"
[Checking proximity and access… Closest contact with clearance and access to Zepthor border is Han Guang'li.]
Huiya's lips pressed into a thin line. "Guang'li. He's always been on the side lines, no one knows if he's friend or foe."
[Yes. He's cautious but effective. Contacting him might reveal valuable intel, if you can trust him.]
She let out a dry breath. "Trust has been in short supply lately."
"Where is he?" she asked.
[Han Guang'li is currently stationed at the Helios Expanse , a neutral zone between Ambrosia and Zepthor territories. It's outside both galactic jurisdictions, a sprawling cluster of asteroid colonies and trade hubs.]
Huiya closed her eyes for a moment. The Helios Expanse was known as a crossroads for smugglers, diplomats, spies, a place where allegiances blurred, and secrets were currency.
[If you want to get close to him, you'll have to navigate the Expanse carefully. It's dangerous, but also the best chance you have to gather intel without stepping foot in Ambrosia or Zepthor controlled space.]
Her fingers clenched the edge of the console.
"Set course for Helios Expanse.." she said, voice steady despite the storm of doubt inside.
[Course set. Estimated travel time: 30 hours at max speed.]