Chapter 33: The Traitor

The encrypted terminal remained completely dark. Inside the secure investigation chamber aboard the Veyr flagship, Raevor stared silently at the final intelligence report.

The culprit was inside the academy. That reality meant he couldn’t simply begin arresting personnel. One wrong move would alert the mastermind behind the entire operation.

"Keep the academy grid under silent surveillance," Raevor ordered, his deep voice carrying absolute authority. "Do not reveal the investigation to anyone."

The chief intelligence officer bowed his head respectfully. "Understood, General."

Raevor turned toward the heavy metal door. There was one person he trusted to notice details others would overlook, Rhaevia.

Several hours later, Rhaevia stood inside an empty observation room overlooking the academy’s military administration wing. A detailed holographic map hovered quietly before her pale face. She studied the glowing digital lines in total silence.

Raevor stood steadily beside her, his dark eyes locked onto the map. "You said the culprit needed military clearance."

"Yes," Rhaevia replied simply, her tone calm and analytical.

"And access to academy transport systems," Raevor added.

"Correct," she confirmed, gesturing slightly.

Rhaevia pointed her slender finger toward the center of the map. "Then don’t look for someone who simply has access."

Raevor glanced at her sharp profile. "Why?"

"Because whoever modified the shuttle understood exactly how the academy’s transport protocols worked," Rhaevia explained flatly.

She enlarged the shuttle’s encrypted flight records with a quick flick of her wrist. The data expanded into complex streams of glowing text.

"The person knew which safety restrictions would prevent the course change from being detected," she continued, her gaze fixed on the telemetry.

Her finger moved smoothly across the holographic data. "They didn’t simply override the system."

She highlighted three separate, deeply embedded command sequences. "They manipulated it."

Raevor’s dark eyes narrowed into sharp slits. "Meaning?"

"They understood the system well enough to make the sabotage appear like a legitimate navigation correction," Rhaevia stated.

He studied the highlighted data closely. "You noticed this during the crash."

"I noticed the angle changing," Rhaevia’s expression remained calm and completely unbothered. "The technical method was discovered afterward."

She continued examining the academy’s internal personnel records. "Show me everyone who supervised the cadet transport program."

Raevor activated the underlying personnel database. Dozens of names appeared floating in the air.

Rhaevia studied each profile.

She stopped scrolling.

"That instructor," she said, tapping a specific file.

Raevor followed her gaze to the profile.

[Instructor - Roderic Safiro.]

[Military transportation and tactical logistics instructor.]

His security clearance level was easily high enough to access the shuttle network. He had also personally approved the launch schedule for Rhaevia’s training group.

Raevor immediately opened his complete personnel file. "Clean record."

"Too clean," Rhaevia noted coolly.

Raevor looked at her. Rhaevia pointed toward the instructor’s detailed academy schedule.

"He changed his administrative duty assignment six days before our shuttle departed," she pointed out.

Raevor’s eyes sharpened. "Why?"

"He claimed it was because of staffing shortages," Rhaevia explained. She opened another linked record. "But his replacement was assigned two days later."

Raevor became silent as he digested the logical inconsistency.

Rhaevia continued her analysis. "He had no valid reason to remain in that position."

Raevor immediately contacted military intelligence through his private comm-link. "Place Instructor Roderic under discreet surveillance."

"Yes, General," the officer responded over the channel.

Roderic Safiro didn’t notice the silent surveillance tracking his every movement. At least, that’s what the intelligence team initially believed.

He continued teaching his scheduled classes. He attended routine administrative meetings. He inspected standard training equipment in the hangars. He spoke casually with other faculty instructors.

Nothing appeared suspicious about his daily routine. Until midnight arrived.

A military intelligence officer contacted Raevor. "General, we have movement."

Raevor opened the live surveillance feed. Roderic had entered a restricted maintenance corridor deep within the facility.

Rhaevia stood beside Raevor, her eyes locked on the feed. "Follow him."

The instructor stopped outside a secured terminal. He looked around carefully. Then, he inserted a high-level military access chip into the terminal port. The dark screen illuminated bright blue.

Raevor’s expression hardened.

"Record everything," Raevor commanded.

Roderic accessed the academy’s core transportation network. Then he opened a heavily encrypted, hidden communication channel.

A short text message appeared on the screen:

[STATUS REPORT: SHUTTLE INCIDENT SUCCESSFUL.]

Rhaevia’s dark eyes narrowed into thin slits. "That’s him."

Raevor didn’t answer, his analytical mind tracking the data.

The instructor entered another command sequence. Another message popped up:

[SECONDARY TARGET STATUS: AWAKENED.]

The message made Rhaevia’s calm expression subtly change. Someone high up had known she might awaken.

Then another command appeared on the terminal:

[AWAITING FURTHER ORDERS.]

Raevor’s eyes became icy cold. "He’s not the mastermind."

Rhaevia looked at him. "You knew?"

"His clearance access level is too low," Raevor explained.

The communication channel suddenly closed automatically. Roderic removed the access chip and walked away into the shadows. He never realized that his entire operation had been recorded in high definition.

Raevor immediately ordered his intelligence team to trace the transmission origin. Seconds later, the diagnostic result appeared:

[TRACE FAILED.]

The signal had passed through multiple encrypted military relays. Rhaevia stared at the failed trace screen.

"He was a pawn," she stated.

Raevor nodded. "Someone gave him those explicit orders."

"And whoever gave those orders knew about my awakening," Rhaevia added softly.

The room became thick with silence.

Far across the Imperial capital, inside an unknown secure facility, a private terminal illuminated. A distorted figure stood before the screen.

The figure looked at the newly decrypted intelligence report:

[RHAEVIA RYTHUNDEIR - 3S GUIDE AWAKENED.]

For several seconds, the figure remained completely silent. Then a faint, sinister smile appeared. Their fingers moved across the terminal console. A single encrypted message was transmitted into the dark void:

[The 3S Guide has awakened earlier than expected.]

The high-grade terminal screen dissolved into static, leaving the dark room in total shadow. The shadowy figure leaned back into the leather seat, staring at the faint blue ambient light.

"Inform the secondary strike team to standby," the figure instructed into a voice scrambler. "We cannot allow the Rythundeir family to fully secure her before our primary objective is met."

A synthesized voice responded from the darkness. "Understood, My Lord."

Back inside the flagship observation room, Rhaevia closed her eyes briefly, feeling the dormant mental energy swirling in her core. The game of shadows was escalating faster than anticipated, but she had fought through far worse horrors during the apocalypse.

"We move at dawn," Raevor stated, turning to leave.

Rhaevia opened her eyes, her gaze as sharp as polished steel. "I’ll be ready."