Chapter Three: The Admission Order from the Stars

The storm had worn one corner, but it remained whole. He placed it in Kellan's hand. "You are right," Leon said calmly. "Finding a mech does not make me a pilot." Kellan's sneer began to return. Leon continued, "So I will go to the strongest academy in the galaxy and prove it to everyone." No one around them laughed. At the far hangar, the third heavy gate opened, and Astra-X rolled out on a magnetic platform. Its deep silver armor shone coldly beneath the post-storm sun. Its chest core burned like a quiet blue star. Every cadet looked up at it with shock, envy, fear, and a longing they could not hide. Harren walked to Leon's side. "Starsea Main is not Helios-9. They will not let you keep winning because you saved one city." "I know."