Makali rose slowly from his chair, Instead of returning behind his desk, he stepped around it and perched against its edge, folding his arms across his chest. His expression was thoughtful now—less defensive, more analytical.
He studied Youri carefully.
"My lord," he said in a measured tone, "what exactly compelled you to come to the Institute with this concern?"
Youri did not hesitate.
"As I reviewed the combat footage from my last engagement with the Hound unit," he began, his voice calm but firm, "I noticed something unusual. Certain structural elements in the NOIR unit share similarities in design with the Hound's architecture."
Makali's brow lifted slightly.
Youri continued.
"The joint layering around the shoulder assemblies. The vent alignment along the dorsal frame. Even portions of the internal reinforcement grid beneath the armor plating."
Leonora glanced briefly at him. She had seen him analyze battles before—but this was different. This was not instinct. This was calculation.
"When I asked the maintenance crew to examine those sections more closely," Youri added, "I was informed that only you and the Science Division hold clearance to modify or even access the deeper structural layers of NOIR-class units."
Makali slowly raised his gaze, a faint glint of intrigue appearing in his eyes.
"That is correct," he confirmed. "NOIR prototypes fall exclusively under Science Division authority."
He unfolded his arms and leaned slightly forward.
"And yes," he admitted, "there are components within NOIR's internal framework that were inspired by early Hound schematics. Structural redundancies. Adaptive reinforcement nodes. They were theoretical upgrades at the time."
He paused, studying Youri more intently.
"What fascinates me," Makali continued, "is that you managed to identify those parallels from combat footage alone."
A faint smile touched his lips.
"I would have to say, my lord… you possess an exceptionally keen eye."
Youri inclined his head slightly.
"Thank you, Director."
Leonora stepped forward before the exchange could soften further.
"So how," she asked directly, "do we obtain more information on the Hound unit?"
Makali shifted his attention to her, his posture straightening almost instinctively under the authority in her tone.
"The only comprehensive source would be the archived Project Hound files," he replied. "They are sealed under Omega-tier classification."
"Unseal them," Leonora said evenly. "And forward everything to Central Command."
Makali hesitated for only a fraction of a second.
"I will transmit the complete archive to your secured channel," he said. "Original schematics, research logs, internal correspondence, and termination records."
"I will be expecting it promptly," Leonora replied.
Makali inclined his head.
"Yes, my lady."
The exchange lingered for a moment—quiet, charged with unspoken implications.
Youri and Leonora rose from their seats in unison. Makali stepped away from the desk and escorted them toward the exit himself, the glass walls of the corridor reflecting their silhouettes as they walked.
As they reached the main doors of the office, Makali slowed slightly.
"If what you encountered truly is the Hound," he said carefully, "then the Empire is no longer facing a theoretical threat."
Leonora stopped just short of the threshold.
"We are aware."
Makali looked at Youri.
"And if Dr. Valis succeeded in stabilizing the fusion core…"
Youri met his gaze without blinking.
"Then the next time we meet," he said quietly, "we will be prepared."
Makali studied him for a long moment—measuring resolve, weighing possibility.
Finally, he stepped aside.
"I will send the files immediately."
The doors parted with a smooth hydraulic whisper.
Makali walked them down the long corridor himself, hands folded behind his back now, his earlier composure returning piece by piece.
Researchers subtly stepped aside as the Duke and Duchess passed. The low hum of machinery and distant calibration pulses filled the air.
At the main atrium doors, Makali paused.
"You will have the full Project Hound archive within the hour," he said. "Encrypted and transferred directly to your private command channel."
Leonora gave a short nod. "Make sure nothing is omitted."
Makali's gaze flickered briefly—just enough to suggest that there were things in those archives few had ever read.
"Nothing will be withheld," he replied carefully.
Youri studied him for a moment longer.
"Director," he said evenly, "if Serin Valis stabilized the fusion core… how far ahead of us would that place her?"
Makali didn't answer immediately.
"Years," he admitted. "Perhaps more. Innovation accelerates once a barrier is broken."
Youri held his gaze.
"Then we don't have time to move slowly."
Makali inclined his head. "No, my lord. You do not."
Youri and Leonora shortly arrived back to Batuzane
The transport lifted from the Mines base under a muted twilight sky. The planet's skyline receded beneath them, the great dome of the catacomb shrinking into silver geometry.
Inside the cabin, Leonora stood by the viewport, her bandaged arm resting against the glass.
"You think he told us everything?" she asked quietly.
Youri remained seated, eyes forward.
"No."
She glanced at him.
"But he told us enough."
A soft chime echoed through the cabin.
Incoming transmission.
Leonora crossed to the central console and activated the display. A data package icon rotated slowly above the interface—Project Hound: Classified Omega Tier.
Makali had kept his word.
"Open it," Youri said.
The holographic projection filled the cabin.
Schematics unfolded in layered complexity—early Hound frame drafts, artificial cortex experiments, failed containment matrices, core rupture simulations. Lines of Serin Valis's notes scrolled alongside technical diagrams.
Leonora read silently at first.
Then—
"There," she said sharply.
Youri rose and joined her.
A particular schematic rotated forward: Hound Unit – Phase Seven Revision.
The dorsal cannon configuration was nearly identical to the rogue orbiton they had fought.
"That's not coincidence," Leonora murmured.
"No," Youri agreed.
He swiped forward through the timeline logs.
Testing dates.
Energy thresholds.
Failure reports.
Then—an abrupt termination stamp.
Project Funding Revoked.
"All official testing stopped here," Leonora said.
Youri zoomed in further.
But something didn't add up.
"Look at the energy curve," he said.
Leonora leaned closer.
The output data from the final official test peaked at fourteen percent cortex integration.
But the rogue unit had spiked to far beyond that.
"One hundred seventy percent overdrive," Leonora said quietly. "Relative to Royal Knight output."
Youri's eyes hardened.
"She didn't just stabilize it," he said. "She perfected it."
Leonora folded her arms.
"Or she found a workaround."
Youri turned to another file buried deep in the archive index—Personal Logs: Dr. Serin Valis.
"Open those."
A pause.
Then the first log began to play.
A younger Serin appeared—sharp features, intense eyes, hair pulled back carelessly. Her voice carried the restless energy of someone who thought faster than she spoke.
'The Empire fears what it cannot control. They call it instability. I call it evolution.'
The recording flickered to another entry.
'The brion core is the limitation. Not the cortex. Never the cortex. The future does not lie in containment—it lies in resonance.'
Leonora frowned.
"Resonance?"
Youri's jaw tightened.
The next log played.
'If the core cannot withstand the Valis particle flow, then it must stop resisting it. Reflection creates pressure. Pressure creates fracture. But if the particles are allowed to phase through instead of being trapped—'
The recording cut abruptly.
Leonora looked at Youri.
"She changed the containment model."
"Yes," he said quietly.
"She stopped trying to cage the energy."
The transport cabin fell silent except for the hum of the engines.
Youri scrolled through additional documents until he found something that made him pause.
"Here."
Leonora leaned in.
A modified core schematic—unofficial, unfiled under the final revision.
Instead of a reflective coating trapping Valis particles inside a rigid chamber, this model showed layered conduits spiraling outward from the cortex interface.
"Flow channels," Leonora whispered.
Youri nodded.
"She converted excess particle pressure into rotational energy dispersion."
Leonora's eyes widened slightly.
"That would eliminate structural overload."
"And stabilize continuous output," Youri finished.
A realization settled between them.
"The Hound unit we fought," Leonora said slowly, "was not overheating."
"No," Youri replied. "It was comfortable."
—
The transport docked once more at Central Command.
This time, neither of them went to rest.
They headed straight for a secured strategy chamber overlooking the orbital defense grid.
The holographic table activated as they entered.
Youri uploaded the newly received Hound data into the tactical system. The rogue unit's battle footage overlaid against Project Hound schematics.
Leonora watched the patterns align.
"The dorsal cannons match Phase Seven."
"The frame architecture matches Phase Nine."
"The energy surge matches nothing officially recorded."
Youri zoomed in on the moment the rogue unit released its shockwave.
Energy vectors spiraled outward in a rotational bloom.
"Resonance dispersion," he said quietly.
Leonora exhaled.
"She completed it."
Youri nodded.
"Yes."
A long silence followed.
Finally, Leonora turned to him.
"So what do we do?"
Youri's gaze remained fixed on the hologram of the Hound unit.
"We adapt."
She raised an eyebrow.
"You intend to modify NOIR."
"Yes."
"That will require Science Division oversight."
"It will," he agreed. "And this time, we won't ask."
Leonora's lips curved faintly despite herself.
"You're planning something."
Youri looked at her.
"The NOIR unit shares structural similarities with Hound architecture."
Makali's earlier words echoed in his mind.
We have some similarly designed parts.
"If Serin improved the cortex-core interface," Youri continued, "then NOIR's framework may already be capable of partial resonance integration."
Leonora's eyes sharpened.
"You want to upgrade it."
"I want to close the gap."
She stepped closer to the holographic display.
"If we're wrong," she said quietly, "you could overload the NOIR core."
"Yes."
"And if you're right?"
Youri met her gaze.
"Then next time the Hound appears…"
His voice lowered slightly.
"It won't be the only predator in orbit."