Chapter Four: First Battle at Starsea

Inside its cockpit, Rafe Calder spoke again. "Leon Voss. Special transfer cadet. Original synchronization rate, twenty-three percent." He sharpened the last two words. "I will give you a chance. Three minutes. If you touch me once, I will admit you have the right to stand here." The stands erupted in whistles and laughter. Leon did not open the public channel. He stood in Astra-X's sea of consciousness, stars flowing under his feet as tactical layers unfolded before his eyes. Astra-X was reading the field: standard gravity, shield strength, training ammunition, boundary lines, enemy model. "Opponent frame: Vanguard-S, training modification," Astra-X said. "Excellent output. Reinforced reaction joints.