Universal Power System

Erin rushed forward to give her best friend a strong hug, breaking all the rules that the instructors on the hovercraft had drilled into them as they were making their way over to the base.

Leon and Bill had the emotional reaction as Erin after seeing Mako and Iris healthy and alive, standing right next to the main commander...

'OH, SH*T! That's the main commander!' Both boys thought as they didn't give in to their impulse and instead stood in a straight file with their arms crossed, standing shoulder to shoulder.

Commander Anderson had already instructed Iris and Mako on how to behave as they met their friends which they obeyed completely as even though they were both also excited to see Erin, Leon, and Bill again, they had a task to do and that was to follow the commander's orders.

Despite Erin already crying and giving the tightest hugs imaginable to Iris, she still remained in the at-ease position and not saying a single word.

This really confused Erin, as she couldn't believe her best friend wouldn't hug her back. Moments later, she broke away from the hug with confusion and suspicion as she stared back into her face to see if she had accidentally mistaken someone else for Iris, but no that was definitely Iris.

*Ahem* *Ahem*

The military commander loudly cleared his throat and this finally made Erin pay attention to the man standing beside Iris. She had really ignored him the first time but this time she was able to properly observe his features and as she stared at the cap he was wearing, she instantly knew that she had messed up big time.

The entire area had become radio silent as everyone was in shock and disbelief that a cadet actually had the courage to disobey orders and ignore the main commander, and were anxious to know what would happen next.

Erin was now sweating profusely as she realized the intensity of the matter as it was explained by the patrolling officers on their way here, stating that disrespect to higher ranks was one of the major things that had severe consequences.

Iris slowly removed herself completely from Iris who was dying of laughter inside and could barely hold in and keep a straight face. She did an awkward bow towards the main commander who haven't said anything yet and quickly joined the others, standing next to Leon, hoping that she might have salvaged the situation.

"Well then, it seems to me that everyone is here. Welcome to Military command base Alpha 02!" The commander announced with a smile as he greeted the six cadets standing in front of him.

Erin sighed a breath of relief internally as she saw the main commander ignoring what had just happened and continuing on with his announcement as planned.

"You lot have proven yourself to be truly brilliant and skilled cadets who have survived the normal recruitment test, an astounding achievement indeed!" The Commander said as all the spectating military personnel applauded.

After a few seconds of applause, the main commander raised his hand in the air, silencing the entire area once again.

"Now, let's get straight to business. All of your private quarters have been prepped and ready. You will be escorted by a patrolling officer to your quarters. You will have exactly 20 minutes to shower and change before making your way over to my office." The main commander stated with a half-serious tone.

Instantly six patrolling officers made their way from the crowd and stood behind each cadet ready to follow further orders.

The main commander gave them a nod and they began moving their assigned cadets to their designated private quarters.

Out of the cadets, some started asking questions and arguing, which were mostly Natasha and Erin who wanted to know more information than blindly follow orders, but they were quickly moved along by the strong officers, leaving Commander Anderson, Mako, and Iris alone again.

The main commander started moving back to the main building from where he had just come with Mako and Iris following him.

"Come on you two, you will get some time to catch up with your friends later, but for now, I want you to meet someone," The main commander said lazily as he casually walked back towards the main building.

Mako and Iris were just thinking about going with their group to their quarters to catch up, but it seemed as if Commander Anderson had read their mind and given them an order instead.

After looking at each other and nodding a second later, they both quickly rushed after the main commander who had already covered a great distance.

****************

The main commander returned back to his office with Mako and Iris right behind him, but this time he didn't sit back in his chair but rather floated the cap back toward the same table and walked up the flight of stairs next to his desk that led to that giant room with the circular table and lots of servers.

Mako and Iris didn't know whether to follow the commander into such an important room, but he quickly gestured for them to come with him, taking out all of their hesitations.

As they entered the room, Mako and Iris could instantly feel the dense amount of aura that was lingering inside the room which put a lot of pressure on them, but it was still manageable for Mako to some extent.

However, Iris collapsed on one knee, unable to bear the pressure that was mostly originating from the round table where a lot of high-ranking officers were working with holographic screens.

"Uhh... Keep it down will ya?! We got cadets in here!" Commander Anderson said in a frank yet authoritative tone towards the officers sitting at the round table.

The officers immediately complied and contained their various auras, lifting a considerable amount of pressure from the room, and allowing both Mako and Iris to stand comfortably again.

The officers were now aware of the cadets inside the command room and they stared at them with a mixture of jealousy, hate, admiration, envy, and curiosity.

It was hard to focus on the main commander while there were so many piercing gazes staring at them, making them feel at ease.

The main commander walked over to a small desk in the corner of the room, where he leaned his body against it and faced Mako and Iris.

"The reason I called you two back here is because I want you two to meet a very special person." The main commander stated.

Just as the commander said those words, Mako's perception kicked in as he senses danger and immediately acted to his left, ready to anticipate the attack.

He was just barely quick enough to respond in time to grab the arm of the assailant who had a big knife in his hands which almost pierced his right eye.

The assailant was the same height as the main commander and very lean yet muscular. He had a rugged appearance that reflected years of rigorous training and combat experience.

His bald head was well-kept and shiny, and his steely gray eyes exuded a sense of intensity and focus.

He was wearing the same military uniform, only blue in color rather than green, and was adorned with various insignias that denoted his service and achievements.

This confused Mako as he stared deep into his eyes as to why would military personnel attack him while in front of the main commander and all these other high-ranking officers.

"Is that it? If this were a real fight, you would have died 10 times by now!" The assailant said as he pulled back his arm with ease, completely ignoring Mako who was holding onto his arm with all his strength.

"Pathetic! These are the people who survived the recruitment test? I would say it was just a massive fluke that they even managed to make it past day 5, much rather survive the whole thing!" The assailant said with arrogance and pride as he sheathed his knife and stared into Mako's eyes.

As the assailant continued to belittle Mako's abilities, the room fell into an eerie silence.

Commander Anderson, who had been observing the entire incident with a stern expression, finally sighed and stepped forward breaking away the tension as spoke in a casual tone.

"Sable, you have to take it easy on them, they are just cadets," the main commander said, his voice cutting through the tension in the room. "You can't expect them to be polished before we haven't even started training them yet."

Sable, the assailant, visibly straightened his posture, his expression shifting from arrogance to seriousness as he locked eyes with Commander Anderson. Despite the confrontation, there was an underlying mutual understanding and respect between the two, hinting at a deeper connection.

"Hmph! The cadets need to be ready for anything, especially in these uncertain times," Captain Sable responded, his tone now laced with professionalism. "I wasn't even using 10% of my power as I was merely testing their reflexes and instincts."

"Testing..? Worthy...? Uncertain times...? What is going on!' This was the thought running through Mako's mind as he tried to make some sense of the current situation.