The airlock slid open with a sinister hiss. A tall man was waiting for her, wearing a pitch black uniform that hung loosely around his body. A black pin with three dots adorned his chest, just above the bars signifying his rank. One dark blue, the colour of the Navy, one dark green, the colour of the Army. The third one was purple. Her eyes narrowed slightly at the sight of that and she filed that information away. She eyed the man in front of her as he offered her a perfect salute. The loose uniform did little to hide the raw strength that the Genesis soldier was radiating. She looked him up and down, briefly pausing when she met his eyes. Ah, she thought. That explains a lot. It raised more questions as well, but at least it gave her a solid avenue to direct her search in. She offered a salute of her own and came aboard the vessel.

She had pulled a few strings to find out the name of this vessel. Then had to pull more to get aboard. At first she had thought that the people she were dealing with were going to stonewall her, but then, as if by magic, they had suddenly acceded her. She knew better than to believe in magic, though. Nemesis was a tightly run battlegroup. The only reason the resistance would disappear like that was if Verloff had decided to get involved. She had expected him to find out, as she had not been subtle about it, but she hadn't counted on him actually letting her through without her pulling rank. The veteran Admiral clearly was up to something. That was fine with her. She had plans of her own. Plans she could finally put into motion, now that she was face to face with the elusive unit.

'Lieutenant,' she greeted the young soldier. Her eyes studied his features carefully. Augmented? Or something more? He didn't show any visible signs of weariness, leading her to assume the latter. Even the best trained Special Forces couldn't undertake twenty hours of combat without suffering for it.

'Ma'am,' came the short answer. The Genesis soldier broke off the salute and stood at attention. Despite the rigidness of the position, the man seemed perfectly at ease. Another thing she took note of. Even Verloff held a tight guard around her, even if he buried it under his nonchalant behaviour. Dreamer, on the other hand, didn't show any nerves. On the contrary, he radiated a sort of calm confidence.

She gestured him to walk with her. 'Lead the way, lieutenant. I don't know my way yet aboard this vessel.' She kept her face neutral and was slightly shocked when he turned around at a blistering pace, before walking with long, slow strides. He was clearly holding back so she could keep pace. She followed him as he lead her deeper into the classified ship. She passed several other soldiers on the way, all of them who froze at the sight of her and saluted her. She took them in, recognising them as logistical support, technicians and scientists. None of the people she crossed were Genesis, strangely enough.

'Where is the rest of your unit? Resting?' she asked. She kept her voice under control, keeping it on the level of a casual conversation.

'Performing weapon maintenance and combat training, ma'am,' came the immediate response. There had been no hesitation or delay in his answer. He hadn't stopped to think about it at all.

'Combat training?' she pressed. 'After an intense mission? Don't you need to rest?'

He seemed to consider that for a brief moment, before replying. 'No, ma'am. We are fine.'

He turned sharply and changed directions at a crossing. Before she could voice a new question, he came to a full stop at a door that seemed to lack any sort of biometric scanners. He grabbed hold of it and she saw the muscles tense in his arm as he opened the door. Her eyes narrowed, but she followed him into his office. She didn't wait to be offered a seat, instead taking the one closest to her. Her gaze tracked him as he closed the door, before he moved around the desk and went to stand at attention behind his own chair. She began to motion for him to sit down, then thought better of it.

Are you human? That was the question laying on the tip of her tongue, but she held back. She knew too little of the man in front of her. Not of him, the rest of Genesis, nor did she know much about their loyalties. Were they loyal to the Empire first and foremost? Or to Verloff? Or, heavens forbid, Eisel?

'I would like to congratulate you on a job well done, lieutenant. You succeeded despite insurmountable odds, in remarkably short time. You even brought back my men alive.' She waited for him to respond, but he just stood there. His eyes kept taking hers in, the lenses swirling around in an unnerving way. She wondered if he was playing mute on purpose, before she realised the truth was far more simple. 'At ease.'

He changed positions in a heartbeat, his foot slamming down on the metal floor with force. 'Ma'am,' he began. 'The odds were not insurmountable. They were well within acceptable parameters.'

'Oh?' she responded, folding her hands together. Her first thought was that the man was bragging. Not overly common within the Imperial military, but not entirely uncommon either. Then she realised how ridiculous that notion was. Genesis had considered those odds fair. In their favour, even. Eisel had created, she was certain of that now, an army of superhuman monsters. 'That is good. It means you are a dependable unit whom we can entrust the most difficult missions to. Is that a thought that pleases you, lieutenant?'

'Ma'am?' Dreamer's head was slightly tilted, a most curious thing.

'Yes?' she responded.

'I fail to understand the question, ma'am.'

'Elaborate,' Cindy replied, not sure what he was referring to.

'If it is a thought that pleases us. I do not understand the question, ma'am.'

She frowned. She knew the man in front of her was highly intelligent. Was he playing her for a fool? Unlikely. He had nothing to gain from it. And that suggested he had to be genuine. 'Do you take joy from the idea of being allowed to undertake the most difficult missions?' she elaborated.

The simple question seemed to throw him for a loop and she could see his gears grinding as he wrestled with the simple question. Most peculiar. 'We serve our purpose, ma'am,' he eventually replied. 'That is all.'

Her mind jumped ahead several steps in her reasoning and she snapped her hands off the desk. Eisel had created these soldiers. They were not human. They were manufactured. The words sentient weapons rang through her mind. That was what they were. Not a natural creation. Not a team of crack soldiers augmented and given superior weaponry and implants. This was why they had never been able to find any transferred or missing soldiers. It might also explain the ridiculous cost of the project. Eisel has played God, she realised. And he has succeeded.

She stood up and the lieutenant jumped at attention again. No, she corrected herself. Not jumped. That's just how fast he moves. 'I wish to witness this combat practise,' she told him. 'Take me there.' Her eyes took in the man in front of her as he stood there, totally undisturbed by who she was and what she represented. Which made perfect sense to her, now.

She watched him carefully as they moved through the ship towards the training room. The vessel seemed, despite its large complement, abandoned, now that they had gone deeper inside its superstructure. Normal troop carriers had few main hallways that weren't busy. Always soldiers going places, support personnel roaming around, people cleaning, mundane, basic things. Not here though.

That changed the moment they went down an elevator and entered what she immediately identified as the Genesis' barracks. There were dozens of them moving in and out of rooms, dragging piles of equipment behind them as they attended to various chores. It was easy to take a good look at what they were carrying with them, as the moment the elevator doors went open, all of them froze on the spot and offered a parade perfect salute. Her gaze trailed along the trolleys and the items that had been put down in a hurry. What little she recognised of it was related to equipment. Simple cloth for cleaning, oil products for firing mechanisms, wires, replacement parts, power cells, tools and so much more. Yet for every item she recognised, there were at least three whose function she could only guess at.

She nodded once at them as she walked down the hallway, following her guide, but they didn't react to the universal signal. 'As you were,' she added, tensing up when they instantly resumed what they had been doing. She felt her heartrate jump up. Their movement speed defied belief. She felt akin to an island of calm in the midst of a raging storm as the dozens of Genesis soldiers walked around her at blistering speeds. She turned around when a loud thumping reverberated through the metal walls and saw three hulking individuals, clad in power armour and towering over her, coming her way. She easily resisted the instinct to reach for her handgun, instead taking in as much information as she could as the three soldiers passed her by with enormous strides.

'That is the Svalinn, I presume?' she asked the lieutenant. 'Bigger than I expected.' The superhuman officer beside her didn't reply, another telling sign. She was beginning to see the bigger picture. Project Genesis. The raw cost of the project. The secrecy behind it. Yet more questions still required an answer. 'Who decided on your unit insignia?' From what little she had observed from the man beside her, she had the feeling that he would give an honest answer. Yet when he did, the spy within her was surprised by how easily he replied.

'Unknown, ma'am. They were waiting for us when we returned to the fleet.' He paused at a nearby wall console and his fingers danced across the keys faster than she could follow. 'Admiral Verloff signed the requisition form.'

Of course he did. That told her nothing. The man's signature was on every single requisition form related to Nemesis and the units under its command. 'What does it stand for?'

'Genesis Battalion, ma'am,' came the immediate response.

She eyed him distrustfully, wondering if she heard right. 'Aside your unit, lieutenant,' she softly specified.

'Ma'am?' he asked. His head was tilted again. She took that as a sign that he genuinely did not understand the question.

'Every unit has their own insignia. Colours. Shapes. But such a badge holds far more than just that unit's name. It represents what they stand for, their history, things that unit holds dear or strives towards.'

'I do not know, ma'am. We were simply instructed to wear this on our uniforms when not on mission.' He tilted his head again. 'You do not wear any insignia either, ma'am.'

She smiled and ran her fingers across the black threading on her uniform, the only indication of what branch she belonged to. 'No, I do not,' she replied. 'And that is my unit insignia.' She saw him mull that one over for a brief moment, before understanding dawned on him. He nodded once, then put his hand on biometric scanner. A heavy set of doors slid open. 'Why does this place have added security?' she asked, as a second set of doors awaited them.

'This room is for Genesis soldiers only, ma'am. It is to prevent injury of other personnel due to shrapnel.'

Now it was her turn to mull that statement over, as the doors behind her closed. The moment the other doors opened, however, she understood.

Half an hour. That was how long she stayed down there, behind a protective panel, watching various Genesis hone their skills in close combat. At least, that was what she assumed they'd been doing. It was impossible to keep pace with them. They wielded an assortment of contact weapons. Simple metal bars, long, short, thick and thin alike, seemed to be their favoured item, but there were a few, armoured soldiers who were honing their skills with disruptor blades. Those not in their power armour were wearing simple fatigues, covered in bodily fluids. Sweat was the most prevalent, but given the raw power behind any attacks they made, more than a few soldiers sported bloody gashes. The walls were covered in dents from where either weapons or soldiers had been slammed into. Whenever a match started, two or more soldiers charged one another with seemingly reckless abandon and unleashed a hellish flurry of attacks. A quick back and forth exchange of blows that would have ground normal bones to dust and it lasted until someone made a mistake or until a weapon broke. She had been glad for the protective cover, which had proven to not be an excessive luxury when one Genesis was forced to let go of his weapon, only for that thing to be slammed into the panel at a lethal velocity. The less she thought about the armoured soldiers duelling with voids damned disruptor weaponry, the better. Even a nick of those could wreck a human body.

But that's the thing, isn't it? she thought as she walked through the ship, unaccompanied this time. They're not human. Heavens above, they're not. Her mind went back to the insignia. Three dots around the centre. Navy blue and Army green on the bottom. Royal purple on top. There were very few units in the Empire that used purple in their unit badges. The diplomatic corps did, to show that they spoke with the voice of the Emperor. The troops assigned to the Imperial Palace back on Earth. The Imperial Messengers and other units related to the Emperor himself, through service or other means. Genesis, however, could make no such claims. Most peculiar. Most concerning.

There were many deep thoughts occupying her mind and she knew that Verloff was dictating her path, at present, something she resented the man for. She refused to let her emotions get involved any deeper than that, instead using them to fuel her determination. Her duty was to see. To discover. To know. Was Verloff a threat? Was Eisel a threat? Were the Genesis a threat? She suppressed a shiver. If any of those three actually were a threat, the Empire would be in dire straits. If all three of them were...

She paused as she reached the right door and closed the lid on those thoughts. For now, she had something else to deal with as well. Specialist Will Havel. One of NavInts top undercover operatives. A highly intelligent man. An incredibly driven one, too, who fully understood and supported the Imperial ideology. And, as she opened the door without warning, a man who wanted to die.

As the wounded man tried, and failed, to jump up from his bed, she submerged herself in her personality as Admiral of Naval Intelligence.

'Specialist Havel,' she greeted him. 'I am here to debrief you.'

She saw his eyes dip to her badge, before widening. It didn't surprise her. Infiltrators usually weren't debriefed by Admirals. That, and she knew she was young for her rank. 'At ease, Havel,' she said. 'I'm Admiral Cindy, Naval Intelligence. You've done an admirable job for us and I'm glad we managed to extract you. How are you feeling?'

Typical for Naval Intelligence operatives, the man went silent for a bit. Every word she had said was examined and checked for hidden meanings or coded messages. He wouldn't find any. She was aboard one of the most secretive locations within the Imperial Military. Few people enough people knew that Genesis existed, never mind the location of their carrier. This was a secure location, where she could speak freely. Which was refreshing, in a way. Even aboard the Ad Astra she didn't have that privilege.

'It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Cindy,' he finally replied. She took no offense at him not using her rank. NavInt was a close knit family, after all. If very dysfunctional in that they'd gladly kill one another in the name of operational security, but even men and women who committed the worst atrocities and betrayed their own morals needed people they could trust . 'I am physically fine, given the circumstances. The extraction was... Speedy.' He gingerly touched his bandaged chest. 'Minor flash boils from the bombardment. Some broken bones from being nursed by power armour. Apparently I got slightly asphyxiated too, but the doctor has given my mind the all clear, so I am ready for debrief.'

She gave him a genuine smile. 'That's good to hear.' She opened up her datapad and gave his file another quick look over. 'Most impressive track record,' she whistled. 'Fought with distinction and above and beyond the call of duty. Put your life on the line to save civilians. Did the same for higher ranking officers.'

'That is the only thing I regret,' he coughed, poison lacing his tone.

'Ah,' was all she remarked. She understood. Most Novican officers were... different to their Imperial counterparts. 'Is it that bad?'

Despite the anaesthetics that were undoubtedly flooding his system, his eyes were sharp and burning with a deep anger. 'You have no idea,' he hissed. 'Amongst the enlisted and other lower ranks, there are major differences. It isn't like our military, with a solid baseline. Some of them genuinely try to be good at what they do. Others treat it as a job and do it for the pay. Others joined for adventure. Few of them measure up. Their officers are worse, though. You have a few disciplined ones, who actively strive towards being capable leaders. The faction that supported the late Grand Admiral was filled with these people. They either were capable or did their damned best to become it. They were good men and women, given their limited resources. The rest?' He growled the word. 'Nepotism at its finest. The majority of the female officers literally slept their way to the top. Others were political appointees, through family connections. Others were put there on commission, because it looks good on their record, before diving into politics again. Their Parliament kept playing favourites with funds. Schedules for maintenance could be altered through bribes. The situation started improving after they declared war on us, however. Kolpovka forced several changes through, even if he was hindered by the Parliament in general and Lord Speaker Veda in specific. They did not like the thought of him acquiring power.'

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'So with him dead, the offensive should fall apart?' she asked, getting to the core of what she needed to know.

'More than likely. He already launched the coup, but with their headquarters out of the picture, their forces are leaderless. They have five generals left that could actively lead an army properly, but they've been recalled to Novic Prime since the war broke out.'

Her fingers fell still as she looked up from her datapad. 'Come again?' she asked. 'They pulled their forces back to their capital? As far away from any border and actual threat as humanly possible?'

'It's insane. They're absolutely insane. So utterly obsessed with politics that it's hard to fathom.' He shook his head. 'To continue, their fleets are divided as well. The vast majority of fleet leaders are on the side of the parliament, but about a third of the ship commanders were on the side of Kolpovka. They'll continue the coup, that I know for sure. The man didn't really have a lot of charisma, but his integrity, discipline and ability earned him the loyalty of many. Most of the other ship commanders aren't really allied to one side or the other, I wager they'll jump towards the winning side later on in the conflict. In short, their fleets will be paralysed.'

She nodded, wrote down what he said and asked more pointed questions. There were many things she wanted to know and despite the successful extraction of all the infiltrators, none had been in as deep or for as long as Havel. He provided her with everything she could hope for. When she was finally done, she could see relief in his eyes.

'Ma'am,' he began and she sighed, knowing what was coming and knowing she'd have to disappoint him.

'No, Havel,' she whispered. 'I will not grant it.'

His hands tightened around the blankets until his knuckles turned white. 'Why?' The word was hissed clenched teeth.

She could see the emotions flashing behind his eyes, how, even now, his mind was looking for rational explanations rather than getting angry. And that intelligence was precisely why they couldn't afford to lose him.

'We've lost several thousand men to the Kra'lagh. The Novic Confederacy, one of our allies, has betrayed us. We've detected suspicious troop movement amongst others as well. Production levels are rising in the rear and unrest is mounting back home and amongst the Merchant Houses. Nothing major, but worrying enough. We cannot afford more troubles while dealing with the Kra'lagh. You've probably heard a few rumours of them. That we've lost planets and entire Battlegroups. I can confirm that they are not rumours. For the first time in our history, we've been put on the defensive. Then we have the hijacked Kra'lagh warships, courtesy of the Genesis, which are being reverse engineered as quickly as possible. Until then, until we get ships capable of combatting them on equal footing, the Kra'lagh will keep pushing us back. The situation in the Empire is dire. To that reason, I can ill afford to let a valuable asset leave. Even if I understand where you are coming from and sympathise with it.' She looked at him with compassion in her eyes. 'So I can't grant your request,' she said softly. 'Not yet, at least.'

She saw him close his eyes, undoubtedly calling up memories of his late wife. She knew the look he had. She had been stuck with a similar one far too often in recent times. She knew his pain was worse. She didn't offer him words of pity or compassion. There was nothing to say to a man who knew he had betrayed his wife. Whose very actions had partially caused her demise. He had kept the darkest types of lies in his heart, hidden from her and now she was dead and he blamed himself. He was partially right. He was mostly wrong. Havel was intelligent enough to know that, but that didn't make the pain any less. Her fingers ran across her left hand, resting on the wedding ring she still wore. She felt her own heart weep for the man in front of her, but her duty was clear cut. He was one of the few people who understood, fully, the importance of the Imperial Military. Of the ideology they represented. Of what they offered to the human race. And he knew what it cost. The inescapable toll that duty demanded. Both of them knew that if he sent in his request for termination, it would eventually be granted. She could delay it, but the people above her would accept it. NavInt would not force a man to work for them if he did not want so himself.

He opened his eyes again and the pain was still there, but there was clarity and determination in them. 'I'm still breathing,' he sighed. 'Reckon that means I can keep going. I'll go where you assign me. Should be able to keep at least a few people from going through the same crap I went through.'

'You're a good man, Havel,' she said, putting a hand on his shoulder. 'You do the Empire proud.'

He let out a loud laugh. 'The Empire..' He coughed again, a loud rasping noise that only a burned throat could make. 'That is one thing you'll love to hear. The Novicans think that we fight for the pride of our nation'

She gave him a broad smile, her eyes twinkling with amusement. 'They really think that?'

'It's ridiculous, isn't it?' he continued, coughing more, before spitting out whatever was in his mouth. 'It's made me realise that there aren't a lot of people out there who realise the simple truth.'

She saw him tire, sinking back down in the bed even as he shook his head. 'No. I think you might be right.' The conversation clearly had taken a toll on the wounded man, who had already been exhausted by the long battle before his extraction and she didn't begrudge him falling asleep. Nobody understands, she thought, that the nation we call the Empire isn't made up out of planets or flags, but the people itself. She shook her head in turn, glancing down at the passed out man below her, a man who sacrificed more for his fellow soldiers than most people could possibly fathom. She got up and quietly walked to the door.

Just before leaving, she gave him a final smile. He had lost so much, but at least he was amongst his kindred once more. 'Welcome home, Havel,' she whispered.

Then she put on her neutral face once more and exited the room. She knew that Genesis would be debriefed soon and Admiral Verloff was planning on keeping her out of that. It was time for the good old Admiral to learn that she had earned her rank on merit. She passed by a few non-Genesis crewmembers and was pleased to see them all but throw themselves into the bulkheads to make way for her.

He has been playing around too much, she mused. Throwing hints and acting as he pleased. Well, she thought, eyes alight with determination and a slight desire for vengeance. It was time for her to stop pulling her punches and remind people just how much power NavInt had.

'Are you alright, Lessirk? You're looking rather pale,' Verloff asked. His second in command wasn't looking good, clutching his stomach tightly and it had the old Admiral worried.

'Stomach cramps. Think something I ate isn't agreeing with me. Suddenly came up,' the man replied, a pained expression on his face.

'What a pity,' came a dry, sarcastic voice. Verloff narrowly kept himself from jumping as the NavInt Admiral seemed to materialise out of thin air. Lessirk was too busy doubling over to care much either way. 'Don't worry. They're just laxatives. Sit yourself down on the toilet for half an hour and you'll be fine.' The ice in her voice pulled him out of his cramps and he looked up at Cindy's very dismayed face. Verloff idly admired how well she could transmit that emotion without so much as twinging, but the effect on Lessirk was far more profound. He paled even further and bade a hasty retreat.

'Well I'll be. When I told him that NavInt could make him shit his pants, I didn't think you'd take that literally.' He turned to her. 'I'll admit I'm impressed that you managed to pull that one off. I never even caught the order going out.' He wasn't too happy with the realisation that she had managed to poison Lessirk that easily, which was a pretty impressive flex of power and ability, but she had kept it on the level.

'That ought to settle that bet of yours,' Cindy confirmed his thoughts, flashing him a vampiric smile. That was good. He knew she had merely shown her annoyance, similar to how he had done. The way she had gone about it also told him that she had no intention of starting a fight with him.

Despite knowing that, Verloff felt shivers running down his spine. He had seen what NavInt operatives could do to people back when he was part of the Special Forces. Never to an Imperial, but that didn't make the screams any less horrifyingly memorable. He steeled his nerves. Good, he thought. Because he had no plans of starting a fight with her either. They had merely let the other known about how they felt towards one another. 'I bet he'll prefer it over losing his moustache,' he joked, extending a subtle peace offering. 'Or actually having you on board.'

'Play another joke like that and you're next,' came the blunt and direct answer. 'The only reason it's him on the toilet and not you is because I deemed it counterproductive to tie your intestines in a knot.' Her eyes flashed to where Lessirk had retreated to. 'He, on the other hand, can be missed.'

'I'll have to respectfully disagree. It's rather essential for his future education that he is present.'

'Now it's respectfully?' she asked.

He noticed her voice was kept neutral, but it didn't fool him. Sure, they were dancing around one another and the amount of power she carried with her technically superseded even his, but he wasn't a fool. She was rather still rather annoyed. 'Yes,' he shot back. 'Respectfully. Which is about as much as you can ask of me after you and yours called my loyalty into suspicion.' He kept his voice neutral as well. He had to credit the young woman, she didn't break her stride. They were both on thin ice, their morals and duty preventing either of them to take a step back at this point.

'You'd rather we didn't make sure? You know we're not about taking risks.'

She froze when he walked in front of her. Even despite his age, he still was a head taller than her and his special forces background was still visible in how he carried himself. He heard her bodyguard move, but ignored the man. She was in no danger. 'I am an old man. Under my command, millions have died. I've sent people to their deaths on a scale you cannot imagine..' He closed his eyes, countless battlefields flashing through his head. 'I've seen the Empire from all sides. From the ground, when I was in the Special Forces and slugging through the mud. Later on as a young officer in the Navy. Then as an Admiral. Now I'm still doing it, against the Kra'lagh, the Novicans and only God knows how many more foes will cross my path. I've sacrificed everything for my duty. Left behind the woman I loved. Abandoned my dreams of a family. All that was left to me was my job. To get as many people through danger as humanly possible. Do you have any idea of what that does to a psyche? You should. Your spies do the same. All of you do the same. Your dedication, your unswerving loyalty, your unshakeable believe that the Empire is right. And then imagine if someone who is supposed to have your back in any conceivable way pull that in doubt, after seven decades of service in which you've wanted to stop and lay down more times than you could count. And you know why I didn't?' he asked.

She was keeping her composure, but it was only just. He had hit close to home. 'Why?' she asked, her voice breaking in the span of that single word.

'Because I had no choice,' he whispered breathlessly. 'Who could replace me? Who has the same strategical and tactical skillset that I have? There's nobody out there. And that's why I want Lessirk to be there. I'm not going to live much longer. I'm old, Cindy. Old, weary, and no amount of gene fuckery is going to keep me alive for much longer, never mind my mental faculties actually staying in one piece. So forgive an old man when he gets cranky when the one thing he has sacrificed everything for gets called in doubt.' He took a step back and pointed towards the bodyguard. 'Your dump pouch is hanging loose. Fix it.'

The man took an embarrassed step back and looked at his belt. Verloff saw the man's hand go to his belt as he disappeared back into the shadows.

He turned around and began walking towards the debriefing room. 'I'd make a comment about not inviting you, but I'd be lying if I said that I hadn't been expecting you either way. For what it is worth, I do feel I went a bit too far. I am an old man. Forgive my crankiness. Hence why I let you meet with Genesis. What was your impression?'

If she was taken aback by the sudden apology, she didn't show it. 'What are they?'

'Not wasting time, are you?' he chuckled softly. 'They're an experiment. More than that I'm not yet able to share. They're not something you need to worry about, though. Their loyalty to the Empire is as solid as mine.'

'That doesn't fill me with confidence,' she began. She saw the muscles on the old Admiral's neck tighten and hurriedly continued. 'Given that they're not human, I mean.' He slowly relaxed again and she resisted the urge to let out a sigh of relief. Despite her own incredibly high rank, Verloff had already proven that he could be just as frightening as her and while she was not going to shy away from taking him head on, only a fool would do so without fear. He made a small gesture and she elaborated. 'Part of what NavInt is about are psych profiles, as you well know. It's why we don't let aliens join. We know the human psyche, can predict it to a large extent and mould it as we see fit.' She left the accusation unspoken. 'You were never a real concern, not on your own. Eisel, on the other hand, is.'

'And therefore I am as well, by association,' he remarked, clearly still not happy with it, but she could see her explanation did mollify him somewhat.

She nodded. 'Especially since the two of you belong in opposing factions. Normally that wouldn't be a cause of concern, as most officers lean one way or another, but the both of you are very passionate orators for your respective causes. For the two of you to suddenly get along so well—'

He let out a cough and she raised an eyebrow.

'Or less likely to strangle one another, at least,' she amended. 'Combined with the sheer funding of the project, that set off every alarm bell NavInt had.'

'Which I assume are legion,' he quipped.

'Precisely.' She gave him a smile, showing him that she was willing to bury the hatchet now that everything was out in the open. 'Didn't sleep for days because of the noise.' He chuckled and she continued. 'Now there are several things I'm even more concerned about and since you've done me the courtesy of being open, I find it no more than fair that I return it, especially since I do believe that your loyalty is secure.' She looked him in the eyes when she said that. She didn't voice a lie. She knew his records well and the elderly Admiral hadn't faked the pain in his voice when he spoke about his career and the men he had lost. That had been genuine. 'Genesis is not human. That is impossible to hide. From the way to move, the way they act, talk, —'

'To the way they think. You're right, the entirety of their behaviour is by and large inhuman. They're sentient weapons. That doesn't make them any less loyal or effective. Regardless, there aren't enough of them to be a threat and they're kept together. A controlled environment, if you wish, even if I have absolute faith in them.' He gave her a telling look. 'Partially because they are quite literally incapable of betrayal.'

'Or so Eisel tells you,' she countered. He admitted her point with a curt nod. 'Which brings us back to stage one,' she summed up the entirety of their conversation.

'Indeed it does. Though I hope you learned some valuable lessons from our chat,' he said, his face finally losing some of its hard lines and turning into something grandfatherly. 'It's vital for the different branches to get along and have unshakeable trust in one another. The Kra'lagh are far from beaten and we're stretched far too thin for my liking. It'll be a while before we can build and refit enough ships and mobilise enough forces to launch a counteroffensive and the fact that we know nothing of our enemy concerns me. As does this sudden betrayal. It's too well timed.'

She nodded in agreement, pondering that last statement absentmindedly. She had the feeling that there was something he was trying to tell her without saying it. She would have to give that more thought.

He paused in front of the door and vested a frighteningly intense stare onto his fellow Admiral. 'Mark my words, Cindy, this war has only just begun. I feel it in my bones. That's why I showed you Genesis. Why I didn't invite you, knowing you'd come anyway. Because I need you to watch my back without having people know you do. And me? I'll do what I've always done.' He flashed her a feral grin that held no joy. 'I will kill anything that stands in the Empire's path.'

As the doors opened and the old Admiral walked into the room, the epitome of military etiquette, she followed him in, pondering those words, even as fear rooted itself in her heart.

For once, Verloff, she thought quietly to herself, I pray that your bones felt wrong.