The commander's smile widened, breaking character completely. For someone who rarely showed emotion, the expression looked almost foreign on her face.

"You're already a good leader," she said, a hint of amusement in her voice. "All that shit you just said? That's exactly what we need."

Tatehan smiled back, but internally he felt the weight of pressure settling on his shoulders.

Pressure…

Those words sounded good coming out of his mouth. Confident. Tactical. All that. Like he knew what he was doing. But the truth was, he honestly didn't know how to lead. He'd never commanded anyone before. Never been responsible for other people's lives in that way.

But he guessed he'd have to figure it out now.

The commander stepped away from the screen and moved back behind her desk, pulling up something on a small holographic interface.

"Do you have a bank account?" she asked, not looking up.

Tatehan blinked. "No."

"Then open one," she said matter-of-factly. "You'll get paid handsomely for your work as mission commander. You're second-in-command now, directly under me. Third would be Lyra, Kael's daughter. Sort of your assistant."

Tatehan's heart suddenly skipped a beat.

Lyra.

He'd almost forgotten. He was here to see her too. To check if she was okay. If the bio-neutral core had actually worked.

"Oh," he said, trying to keep his voice casual. "She's that good?"

The commander nodded without hesitation.

"An excellent fighter. One of the best we have."

Tatehan blinked three times in quick succession.

Someone who was half-robot would surely be a good fighter. That made sense. More enhanced strength, speed, durability—all the advantages of cybernetic augmentation combined with human adaptability.

But still, the idea felt strange.

He decided to ask.

"How did you come to have cyborg humans on Mars?" he asked. "I mean, that kind of technology... it's not exactly common, is it?"

The commander leaned back in her chair, her expression growing more somber.

"It's not," she admitted. "Lyra was once a normal human, just like you and me. But there was an accident."

She paused, as if choosing her words carefully.

"She was fourteen at the time. She followed her father on a mission, Kael didn't want her to come, but she insisted. Stubborn, just like him. They were ambushed. There was an explosion."

The commander's jaw tightened slightly.

"She was caught in the blast. Reduced to a state of near-death. Her heart was badly damaged, several organs were failing, and parts of her body were completely destroyed. Kael... he broke down. I'd never seen him like that before. He bawled like a child, thinking he was going to lose his daughter."

Tatehan listened quietly, his chest tightening at the image.

"But she was saved," the commander continued. "There's a rare and expensive technology, one that only a few facilities on Mars have access to. It's a combination of advanced bio-engineering and cybernetic integration. They use synthetic tissues grown from the patient's own cells, merge them with mechanical components, and then use a kind of neural energy matrix to bind everything together. The process involves mapping every nerve pathway, every muscle fiber, and recreating them with both organic and synthetic materials. It's incredibly complex, part medical procedure, part engineering feat."

The commander gestured vaguely.

"They enhance the body at a cellular level while integrating mechanical systems. It's not just replacement, it's also…eh…augmentation. The synthetic parts are designed to interface directly with the nervous system, responding to thought just like natural limbs would. In some ways, the cybernetic components actually perform better than the original biological systems."

She paused.

"Lyra's heart is completely synthetic now, but it functions better than a natural one. Her lungs, her skeletal structure in certain areas, her nervous system, all augmented. She's faster, stronger, more resilient. But she's still human where it counts."

The commander's expression softened slightly.

"Her face wasn't as badly damaged in the explosion, thankfully. They managed to reconstruct it, patch the skin, restore it to how it was before. But other parts of her body were replaced entirely. Her right arm, portions of her spine, her legs below the knee. All cybernetic now."

Tatehan absorbed the information, trying to imagine what that must have been like. To wake up and realize half your body wasn't yours anymore.

"She adapted quickly," the commander said. "Faster than anyone expected. Within a year, she was training again. Two years later, she was leading some missions. Now she's one of our best."

Tatehan nodded slowly.

"And Kael?" he asked quietly.

The commander's expression darkened.

"He never forgave himself. He carried that guilt until the day he died."

'Until the day I killed him…'

The words hung in the air between them.

Then the commander reached for a small communicator on her desk and pressed a button.

"Lyra," she said. "Come to my office. There's someone here you need to meet."

A few minutes later, the door opened.

Lyra stepped inside, and Tatehan's breath caught in his throat.

She was stunning. Wayy 'stunner' than she was when on the operation bed.

She was tall, lean, with a build that suggested both strength and grace. Her clothing was practical—dark combat pants, a fitted jacket with the Red Crest insignia on the shoulder, boots that looked designed for both mobility and impact. Her face was smooth, unmarred, with sharp features and eyes that seemed to take in everything at once.

Tatehan couldn't see the cybernetics at first. They were hidden well, probably intentionally. But when she moved, he caught glimpses. The faint seam along her jawline where synthetic skin met natural. The slight metallic glint at her wrist when her sleeve shifted. The way her right hand moved with perfect, mechanical precision.

She looked at him, and for a moment, there was recognition in her eyes.

Then she bowed deeply.

"Thank you," she said, her voice quiet but firm. "Thank you for saving my life."

Tatehan blinked, surprised.

"Straighten up," he said quickly, stepping forward. "It's alright. Really."

Lyra straightened, but her expression remained serious.

"Your father was a good friend of mine," Tatehan continued. "Seeing him die... I wouldn't want his daughter to do the same when I had something that could save her."

He thought about the bow. It reminded him of some African countries back on Earth, places where respect was shown through gestures like that. It felt formal.

The commander stood from her desk.

"Lyra," she said. "Take Tatehan to the Weapons and Battle Vehicle building. Show him what we're working with. He needs to see how we'll be able to take to the skies."

Lyra nodded. "Understood."

Tatehan glanced at the commander. The building was apparently very far from here, but he knew the real reason for this arrangement.

She wanted them to talk

———

They walked through the large compound in silence at first.

The Red Crest Clan base was massive, far bigger than Tatehan had realized. They passed training grounds where soldiers sparred in full armor, their movements sharp and with fancy moves that made them look cool.

They passed armories, medical facilities, barracks. Everywhere Tatehan looked, there were people (guards, technicians, officers) all moving with purpose (purpose because they had things to do)

Lyra walked beside him, her stride smooth and even. She didn't seem uncomfortable with the silence, but Tatehan could sense there was something she wanted to say.

Finally, she spoke.

"My father's last words," she said quietly. "What were they?"

Tatehan's stomach twisted.

He'd been hoping she wouldn't ask.

He glanced at her, saw the way her jaw was set, the way her hands were clenched slightly at her sides. She needed to know.

"He told me to save you," Tatehan said carefully. "He said you were dying."

Lyra stopped walking.

Tatehan stopped too, turning to face her.

Her expression crumpled, and tears welled in her eyes. She brought a hand up to her face, trying to hold it back, but it was no use. The tears came, silent and heavy.

Tatehan stood there, watching, feeling a deep, aching remorse.

Because he remembered Kael's real last words.

"Forgive... yourself, kid. For this. For whatever comes next."

"You'll do... terrible things to survive. We all do. But don't let it... don't let it destroy you."

"Survive, Tatehan That's all there is."

Tatehan had been the one to kill him. Not intentionally, it had been kill or be killed. But still. He'd taken Kael's life.

And now he was standing here, lying to his daughter about his final moments.

Lyra wiped her eyes, taking a shaky breath.

"Thank you," she whispered. "For telling me."

Tatehan nodded, guilt slapping him hard on the face.

They walked in silence for a while longer, and then Lyra spoke again, her voice steadier now.

"I love to read," she said suddenly.

Tatehan glanced at her, surprised by the shift in topic.

"Yeah?" he said.

She nodded. "Novels, articles, anything I can get my hands on. It helps me think."

Tatehan smiled faintly. "I came with novels, actually. I'll give you some later."

Lyra's face brightened slightly. "I'd like that."

They talked more as they walked, about small things, inconsequential things. Lyra told him about her training, about the missions she'd been on. Tatehan told her about the wastelands, about the creatures he'd fought.

It was strange. They'd only just met, but it didn't feel that way. The conversation flowed easily and naturally.

They took a corner, and up ahead, Tatehan saw it.

The Weapons and Battle Vehicle building.

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