Only the best of the best have what it takes to reach the rank of Commodore in the Empire’s navy. Officers are already the cream of the crop, the best and brightest from the Empire’s considerable population. And Commodore’s are chosen from those who rise above the rest, the most intelligent, ruthless and stony-hearted of their kind. They are a large part of what makes the Imperial Navy so singularly dangerous. Never take them lightly!

-Excerpt from Republic naval training textbook

I did not need whatever map was in the helmet in the end, having memorized all the schematics for the ships in the Eighth after learning we where we were being sent. The Commodore’s office was not too far, only two turns, an short elevator ride and another short five minute jog.

“Oi! No running!” One officer yelled as I rushed by.

“Commodore’s orders!” I hollered back.

I arrived gasping for breath, a five minute jog being considerably longer than I was usually capable of. A glance at the datapad mag-locked to my left arm showed I had a full minute to spare.

I raked my fingers through my hair in an attempt to look presentable and tried to get my breath back. Then I walked up to the metal blast door and realized I did not know what to do now that I was here.

After a moments perusal I noticed a small screen with a camera above it to the side. I pressed the button labeled “call” and took a step back. I shook my arms out in an attempt to free myself of the jitters and stood at attention; feet shoulder length apart, back and neck straight, helmet in the crook of one arm.

A second later the door silently slid to the side and a womans voice called out from within.

“Come in.”

I gulped and strode forward, desperately trying to recall anything I knew about Commodore Chione.

Not much as it turned out, I had spent most of my time on the way over looking at Admiral Cross’ exploits and the ships of the fleet. I knew her full name was Cassana Chione and that her class had something to do with ice and cold. Although the latter I knew more due to the fact her battlegroup was named Glacius and the IMS Avalanche was a Pachni cruiser.

Pachni’s are a rare breed of warship made out of more than metal, instead having a thick layer of some kind of magically charged ice serving as armour. These types of vessels were rare in the military due to the difficulty in upkeeping them and the fact their captains needed certain Skills to make them viable in combat. Commodore Chione was clearly one of those rare few who had cultivated the required classes and skills to receive a powerful cruiser like this.

The Commodore’s office was richly decorated, warm lights lit paintings of planetary surfaces adorned the walls, a fur rug from some beast concealed most of the metal flooring and the skull of a great beast hung on the wall behind the Commodore’s desk.

Chione herself resided behind a great marble desk, eyes on a hologram recording of some battle. She was a pretty woman with arched features and slightly pointed ears, hinting a elvish blood in her family, not too uncommon in the Empire. She was pale of skin with blonde hair slightly longer than regulation, but if anyone could get away with that I supposed it was the Commodore. And even seated I could tell she was tall, taller than me, not that that meant much.

Her uniform was pristine, not a wrinkle or blemish in sight. A silver star emblazoned on her left shoulder denoting her rank.

I stopped a few steps beyond the doorway and saluted.

“Cadet Alyssa Fox reporting!”

Chione finally looked up I was surprised by the warmth in her eyes.

“I believe you mean Officer Fox, you did graduate did you not?” She said with a soft playful voice.

“Er— yes sir.”

“And top of your year no? The other cadets must not have taken that well, I know I didn’t and I was what… thirtieth in my year” She said with a chuckle.

“Yes sir,” I said, unsure whether to respond to the second part of her statement.

She leaned forward and smiled.

“Now how did you manage that? Its no easy feat to rank first at the naval academies.”

I blinked, was this why she called me, to talk about the academy? It seemed too simple of an answer, she could do that with anyone. Why choose a new graduate, even the top ranked one? Whatever the case I knew the answer to her question and replied in an even tone.

“I’m better than they are.”

“Now that’s the confidence we like to see in the navy!” Chione laughed at my response. “What is it that makes you better than your peers?”

It was her eyes that tipped me off. She seemed so at ease, sitting back in her chair smiling at me like we were old friends. But her eyes, so full of warmth and kindness, had an intensity to them. She was focused wholly on me, studying my reactions. This was some sort of test I decided. But what for?

“I’m more adaptable, stronger willed and more intelligent. My levels speak for themselves,”

It was notoriously difficult to level in combat classes outside of battle. I was level 12, higher than all my peers. On top of that I possessed the more specialized [Tactical Officer], most did not get it unless they worked on a bridge crew for a while.

Commodore Chione arched an eyebrow, seeming amused by my response.

“Yes, I suppose they do.” She said before gesturing to the hologram displaying above her desk. “Now tell me what happened here. And stop looking so bloody worried, you’re not in trouble. I promise.”

I smiled nervously, not quite able to bring myself to believe her. I was still half convinced this was some sort of weird test.

Still somewhat cautious of making a wrong move I slowly turned my attention to the holographic. It depicted two small fleets frozen as they enacted their opening maneuvers.

The larger of the two was split into three groups, two smaller wing formations and a slightly larger one in the center. It was clear they were going for a pincer attack to hammer their foe from multiple angles. A solid tactic with, having earned the imperial navy many victories over the centuries. Yet I would not have done it with so few ships, each wing was susceptible to being overwhelmed if the larger enemy force closed the distance or focused fire upon it.

Something was throwing me off about the formation, a half formed thought I could not quite catch hold of. It seemed almost familiar. Frowning, shoving the nagging feeling aside for the time being and focused on the other fleet.

It was easy to understand why the first fleet had decided on the pincer maneuver, their opponent’s formation was too compact, the ships in a tight V formation. Easy pickings for heavy weapons and fighters. But it was a trap, corvettes were positioned close behind, concealed by the larger vess— wait a second. This was looking a little too familiar.

I looked up at Commodore Chione in confusion.

“Wait, this is— ”

“It is. I wanted to see what you were capable of and requested a recording to see for myself.”

I had not even known the sim-battles were recorded at all.

“Um… ok, what did you want to know?”

Chione was still smiling, but her eyes had lost their warmth. Not in an irritated or angry sort of way, just an icy cold focus. It felt like every move made and word I spoke were being analyzed.

“Why did you place your ships like this? That close to the jets would damage the corvettes hulls.”

I fought the urge to look away from the Commodore and hunch my shoulders. This was a test, just like at the academy, I was sure of it now. I just did not know what for or why yet. But I knew how to pass tests and I would pass this one or my name was not Alyssa Fox.

I squared my shoulders and took a breath before replying, looking Commodore Chione straight in the eye. Just like how I had been taught to report to a superior back at the academy.

“They were damaged. Hull integrity dropped to lows sixties by the time the formation broke. But it was the only way to keep the corvettes hidden.”

“Heat wards would have allowed them to keep a greater distance.”

“It was a magicless game sir,” I explained and she raised a brow.

“Why?”

“Acaba— that is the other cadet wanted to prove I could only win using underhanded tricks,” I said with a shrug.

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“You have a history of pulling these tricks?”

I could not help the grin that slipped out, memories flashing before my eyes of dozens of mock battles.

“Yeah, the game before this one I psyched him out by concealing my fleet within a cloud of decoys before ramming into his fleet.”

The Commodore’s expression did not change, a look of quiet contemplation painted across her delicate features. A moment passed and I began to feel a bit nervous, fighting the urge to fidget.

“An aggressive maneuver. The both of them,” she said at last. I could only shrug again.

“I win. And I do it with minimal casualties.”

Chione gave me a look I could not read.

“So it seems… but you would have been in trouble if they’d seen through the trick no?”

“I designed the maneuver to trick Acaba,” I said with a frown. “ He was always going to fall for it.”

“You knew he would fall for it?”

“I’ve played him before,” I said, struggling to find the words to explain something I just knew. “He… he always wants to get that perfect maneuver off. To exploit their weakness and win with a bang.”

“You’re that confident on your reads?” Chione said, I had the impression she did not totally believe me.

“Yes,” I said confidently. “I know how people think, how they will react. It’s why I don’t lose. Ever.”

The Commodore paused again in thought, idly tapping a finger on the desk. I still had not clue what this was all about. Why did a Commodore want to quiz me on my battle-sim strategies? There was no discernible reason.

“What,” she said slowly. “Would you have done in your opponents place. How would you have won, not knowing of the trap.”

I replied instantly, having thought on the matter back when I was busy destroying Acaba.

“His plan had merit, but he was too quick in launching his fighters. Too many were destroyed as they closed in without any cover. Even without the corvettes, too many would be lost.” I explained trying to read Chione’s expression. But it was like trying to read a wall, she kept her thoughts and feelings carefully hidden. I realized now that every emotion she showed was a carefully prepared facade.

“Instead would have pushed in with the whole fleet.” I continued. “Damage would be taken as we closed in, but not severe amounts and more fighters would make it. And more importantly the corvettes would show up on scanners once range closed to forty klicks, earlier if I use optics or anything other than thermals.”

“Forewarned, I would alter the formation and focus fire on the corvettes, while the fighters continued with the original mission of destroying heavy weapons. Maybe even send my corvettes in for boarding actions to break em up or —”

I was beginning to ramble, new ideas coming to mind as I spoke, when Chione cut me off with a raised hand.

We stood there a moment, well I stood, she looked quite comfortable in her chair. I was still nervous, confident my plan would work, but unsure if it had been what the Commodore was looking for. Finally she spoke.

“Here’s what I think,” she said blandly, enunciating her words slowly and deliberately. “This battle would never happen. The fleet design is idiotic, no one would outfit warships like that. And absolutely no self-respecting commodore or admiral would ever deliberatly damage their ships like that. The costs of repair alone make the plan unviable and adding Skills and magic into the mix would break it apart completely.”

I opened my mouth to protest, but she raised a hand and I wisely shut my mouth before I could get myself in any trouble. Her expression was bland, but her words cut like knives. I had worked hard on the plan, trying to find the best way to exploit Acaba's bad habits.

“But! But… in the context of a simulation the strategy is sound. Highly aggressive and risky… but it works. Which is about what I expect from a new graduate.”

Now I was confused. Did she approve or disapprove of my tactics?

Chione’s expression suddenly opened again, a sly smile forming on her lips. I started to feel my hopes rise, did I pass whatever test this was?

Or maybe she just liked tearing peoples pride I thought more darkly.

“You’re probably wondering what this is all about. Why I, a Commodore of a battlegroup, with many more important things to do is paying any attention to a new officer?”

I stared blankly for second before realizing the question was not rhetorical.

“Uh— yes I have sir!”

“Well! You might have noticed the insignia missing on your uniform?”

I glanced down at the bare patch on my shoulder, where an patch indicating my rank should be and nodded.

“Well, how do I put this…” Chione paused and frowned for a second. “The Navy has a… policy to give number one ranked graduates a choice.”

My heart was beating faster, my palms were clammy and I had to work to control my breathing. This sounded good!

“You have a choice. Your first option is to serve under me. You’ll be a junior tactician on the bridge of the Avalanche. Learning directly from me, a level 70 [Captain of Arctic Rime] and level 35 [Commodore]. You would level quickly and receive Skills of a higher caliber under me. And eventually, if you prove yourself well I’ll give you a captaincy.”

My eyes widened at her words. Emily had floated the idea several times during our trip, but I had never really put much stock in it; expecting to at most serve on a destroyer’s bridge. So, this was a big opportunity! It would be safer, serving on the cruiser and I would get opportunities to prove myself directly to the commodore.

However, she was really buttering this up. Mentioning her classes and levels was more shocking than the offer itself. Those were a private matter, only known by family, friends and close co-workers. And a commodore’s would be a matter of national security, knowledge that could be used against the Empire if it got in the wrong hands. So why was she telling me?

The only reason I could think of was a higher rank than junior officer, probably on another ship and the Commodore would prefer to have a promising officer on her ship. So she was putting her cards on the table, letting me know I would be valued and have opportunities on the IMS Avalanche. But this made me think the other option would be tempting, more so then a position of a cruisers bridge.

And I was not disappointed.

“Or…” she said, drawing the word out, blue eyes steady on my face. “There is an opportunity afforded only to those few who achieve rank one in the academies. You show promise Alyssa and for that reason as a representative of the of the Imperial Navy I can offer you the position of captain.”

My mind blanked. Did she just say captain? That did not make any sense. Captains are veteran officers, hardened soldiers who fought in many engagements, who had the Skills to boost their ships and crews. I was a nineteen year old level 12 [Tactical Officer], the very opposite of what a captain should be. I don’t think I have heard of someone gaining the [Captain] class before level 20 at the very earliest.

“I— err. What?” I spluttered. Then a thought came to me.

“How’ve I never heard of this before? If this happens every year?”

The Commodore looked surprised by my question, perhaps expecting me to instantly accept it. After all, every officer dreamed of the day they received a ship of their own. I’d been expecting, at most, to be placed on a destroyer’s bridge and now I had the choice between personal attention and training for the Commodore of my battlegroup or a captaincy of my own.

“Its not always offered, if the commanding Commodore or Admiral don’t think the individual is ready. This is intended to be a reward not a prize.”

That actually made sense and sort of explained the questioning she had just put me through. The Empire cultivates talent, but simply having talent does not make one the right choice. Chione needed to verify whether I was suitable for the position by being able to plan ahead and able to stand up for myself while being questioned.

“Okay…” I said slowly, trying my hardest to resist the urge to scream like a little kid with excitement. “That sounds pretty good. But I’m guessing theres more to it isn’t there? Its not like you’re giving me a destroyer.”

Chione snorted.

“No, you’d have to be over level 50 to even be considered for that. What you’ll get— if you choose so, is the command of an SR-17 Raptor gunship. And you’ll have to prove yourself, to your crew and the battlegroup that you do deserve this posting.”

I wanted it. I wanted to be a captain so bad, it was my oldest dream to be able to fly across the stars in a ship of my own. The Commodore could clearly see the the desire plainly written on my face and offered a word of caution.

“Before you make your choice Alyssa,” she said with a grave expression. “This is not a game any longer. To be a captain, is to have command. Your crew’s lives will be in your hands. You will have seconds to make decisions and they won’t always be the right ones. You’ll make mistakes and people, your crew, will second guess you; they might get hurt or killed and you will have to live with it.”

“This is why I offer you a position by my side. A place where you can learn these skills without the pressure… It will just take a little longer to get where you want to be. I have no doubt that you will be a captain if you’re half as competent as you appear to be.”

“Besides,” she said with a wry smile. “Under me you would get more advanced classes and Skills. My officers get Skills like [Draining Shot] and [Ship: Boreal Hull]; Skills of ice and cold.”

I paused and thought for a moment about what she had said. This was different from the academy, from the simulations, my actions would now have consequences whatever I chose. Real battle was not just glowing shapes in a hologram where everything was predictable. Real battle was chaos; orders would not be followed cleanly and to the letter, the enemy would be smarter and the threat of death was very real.

Being captain, meant having every action scrutinized and judged. I could not afford to be callous and disregard a ships safety like I had with my corvettes against Acaba earlier.

Was I ready for command? Was I ready to order people to their potential deaths?

My only prior experience was training exercises at the academy. Not even close to the same thing.

But, I had aced those exercises, each and every one of them. As long as my crew was willing to work with me I was confident I could win any fight, no matter the odds.

At the bottom of it all, there was the dream. The burning desire to have a ship of my own, even a small one. It was the first step towards having a larger one, and then becoming commodore, then admiral and finally void admiral. It was the first step in that secret desire everyone had to become a legend.

“I must apologize Commodore, but I feel I must choose captain. It may be the more reckless choice, but I have always been taught that nothing of value is to be gained without a little risk.”

The words surprised me, even as I spoke them. I had not consciously fully decided on a course of action, having not even considered the point of getting some higher tier Skills from acting under a high level [Captain].

But even as I spoke, I realized the words to be true. I wanted to take those risks, to blaze a trail across the stars as I wrote my story. I would get Skills of my own, ones that reflected me; rather than receiving those of another.

Chione simply nodded and rummaged under her desk.

“Very well, its what I thought you’d choose. I would have done the same if I were in your shoes. Here.”

She held out her hand and nestled in the palm of her hand was a patch. A red star with fours bars beneath it. The insignia of a captain in the imperial navy.

“Do you, Alyssa Fox, solemnly swear to support and defend the Empire, against enemies both foreign and domestic. To bear Her Imperial Majesty’s will across the stars with righteous fury. Do you swear to hold to the duties of the rank of Captain within the Her Imperial Majesty’s Navy?”

I had dreamed of this moment every day since I was six. I had imagined it happening in every which way, from in a hall receiving commendations of valour to an emergency promotion on the battlefield. Yet, I had never once considered that I would achieve it on my very first day in the privacy of my superiors office.

With shining eyes I repeated the oath and Commodore Chione stood up and placed the patch in my hand.

“Than, as Commodore of battlegroup Glacius of Her Imperial Majesty’s Eighth Fleet, I proclaim you Captain First Rank.”

She gave me a moment to stare in awe at the simple piece of fabric that felt so heavy in my hand before making a shooing motion.

“Now get out, I have work to do. The Quartermaster will stamp it on for you and I’ll have your assignment specifics sent to you within the hour.”

The Commodore clearly considered our conversation over, so I saluted, turned my heel smartly as if on parade and strode out the door.

I was taking a moment to lean against the wall outside Chione’s office and try to process what had just happened when it happened. The clear sound of a bell sounded in my mind as glowing text flashed across my vision.

*Ding! Class Advancement Available!

*Advance [Tactical Officer] 12 -> [Imperial Captain] 12 Y/N