“What the hell happened to you?” Trace said when she arrived at the Tactics lecture hall, just before midday.

Violet’s face wore a black eye and a swollen cheek. Her hand drifted up and brushed over her right eye. “What? This old thing?” she joked.

Tactics lectures were held in a proper classroom with stadium theater-style seating, focusing all attention on the stage below.

“Come on, seats are filling up, we better sit down.”

Trace gave Violet a look that said we aren’t finished with this discussion yet, but she gestured for Violet to lead the way.

Violet chose a row midway down and sat in the nearest open seats. Trace plopped down next to her, groaning as she irritated her injury.

“How you feeling?” Violet asked. “They give you any good pain meds?”

“Oh, no you don’t. Don’t think you’re off the hook–”

Just then Lt. Morton, the Tactics instructor, took the stage. “Let’s go, people. We have a lot to cover today.”

Trace leaned in and spoke out of the side of her mouth. “I’m going to ask one more time, and then I’m going to make a scene. What happened to your eye?”

Violet shook her head, embarrassed. “It’s nothing, I told you.”

“Okay, I warned you…” Trace stood up, drawing the attention of several trainees nearby, and inhaled deeply as though preparing to begin a lecture of her own.

“Fine! You win!” Violet tugged violently on Trace’s arm, drawing Trace back down into her seat with a wince of agony. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to–”

“Save it, cupcake. Spill the beans!”

Violet scanned her friend’s face one more time, looking for any sign that she might be able to escape this interrogation. Finding no such sign, she sighed. “I ran into Marten and his goons in the mess hall this morning, shortly after I left you.”

“Those bastards did this to you? I can’t believe I wasn’t there… I should have been there with you.” Trace blurted out, drawing the ire of Lt. Morton.

“Ladies? If you don’t mind? I’d like to continue my lecture…” He stared at them for several more seconds and then continued his discourse on the strategies of ancient battle.

Violet lowered her voice and continued explaining, “It’s not your fault, it’s mine. If I hadn’t stabbed you–and not at breakfast, no…”

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Trace raised her eyebrows questioningly.

“It didn’t happen at breakfast… They waited until we ran the obstacle course during PT after breakfast.” Violet shook her head. “I should have seen it coming, but I was too focused on beating Marten’s time on the course. That prick Jensen appeared out of nowhere just as I was leaping for the rope. He slammed into me with his shoulder and the other tool stuck out his foot like we were on the playground in elementary school. That’s what happened.” Violet’s face flushed with embarrassment and anger as she recalled the incident.

“That’s it?” Trace asked incredulously. She circled her own eye several times with her finger. “Then where did this come from?”

A female trainee sitting in front of them turned her head and shushed them.

Violet and Trace looked at each other with raised eyebrows and then laughed. “Did she just shush us?” Trace mouthed.

Violet rolled her eyes and then leaned in, making sure to lower her voice. “The black eye came from the wooden post that I ran into trying to stay on my feet.”

Trace tried to keep a straight face but snorted.

“I didn’t want to give them the satisfaction,” Violet added.

Trace lost it and quickly clamped a hand over her mouth but she was too late.

“Do you quite mind, ladies?” Lt. Morton scolded them. “If you have an excess of energy that is preventing you from focusing on this lecture, I can arrange for some extra physical training for the both of you. I can assure you it will relieve you of any issues you may presently be facing for quite some time.”

Trace cleared her throat and answered. “That won’t be necessary, sir.”

He opened his mouth to say something further but then closed it after a brief pause, apparently deciding the interruption didn’t warrant any more of his attention. Or maybe he was satisfied that his threat had been properly heeded.

Violet and Trace settled in and managed to pay attention for the rest of the lecture that included, among other things, lessons in strategy and leadership on the battlefield. All in all, it was an informative lecture. Even so, Violet found her thoughts wandering back to the past few encounters with her bullies at the Academy. She wished she still had the abilities she’d gained when saving Tryptek station, but ever since the night of the hazing, there had been no sign of her strength or speed returning. She felt vulnerable against Marten and his cronies without them, like a knight without armor, but at the end of the day, maybe it was a good thing. She would love nothing more than smashing them into oblivion with her bare hands, but she didn’t know if she would be able to restrain herself if she started down that path.

“I’ll leave you with this, from Sun Tzu,” Lt. Morton said in closing. “If your enemy is secure at all points, be prepared for him. If he is in superior strength, evade him. If your opponent is temperamental, seek to irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant. If he is taking his ease, give him no rest. If his forces are united, separate them. If sovereign and subject are in accord, put division between them. Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected.”

The class was dismissed and trainees began filing out of their seats, leaving the lecture hall. Violet glanced at Trace who hadn’t made a move to stand up yet. She was staring, transfixed, at the stage.

Violet waved a hand in front of her face. “Hello??? Earth to Trace…” She snapped her fingers and Trace finally blinked, turning her head. A huge smile spread across her face.

“Did the meds finally kick in, or what? What is up with you right now?” Violet asked.

Trace leaned in and said, “I know how we can get those bastards back.”