Chapter Four: First Battle at Starsea

The arena dome of Starsea Main was built from three layers of transparent armor. Beyond it, Jupiter's enormous orange-red storms rolled through the dark like the breath of some ancient sleeping beast. Within the dome, the circular stands were packed with cadets, instructors, fleet observers, and armaments officials. Every eye was fixed on the deep-silver mech that had just stepped onto the field. Astra-X moved with heavy silence. It did not vent white coolant like the training machines. It did not roar on startup like a Federation frame. It simply walked forward, the core in its chest pulsing once, and its presence pressed down on every other piece of steel in the arena. The red-and-white training mech raised its spear.