Grade B
In a brightly lit conference room, an air of tension hung heavy. Fifteen individuals, a mix of formal and military attire, sat gathered around a table.
The meeting room buzzed with subdued conversations, a reflection of the gravity of the situation.A military officer slammed his hand onto the table, the force denting the hard metal surface that could even survive a railgun impact! . His voice resonated with anger, directed at an official in a formal suit. "How could you allow this to happen? We've lost not only one of our top cadets but also a potential A-grade powerhouse for the future! A simple 'We had no choice' won't cut it when we're facing this mess!"
The suited official attempted to placate the furious officer. "General, I understand your frustration, but this situation has spiraled beyond our control. The video was leaked and spread across the galaxy before we had a chance to respond. Any intervention now could have dire consequences for us both in internally and externally"
The general's anger simmered, but his skepticism remained. "And what about the who leaked that video? How did they manage to acquire such classified information?"
Another military officer interjected, "Our intelligence has been chasing leads for days, but the source seems elusive. The trail has gone cold, and we're no closer to identifying the culprit." The room collectively sighed in resignation. An elderly man in military uniform,who looked like he was half alseep shifted the conversation. "Let's leave the past and focus on what we can control. Jason, what's the status of transferring Cillian to Tartarus?"
A man in his thirties, presumably Jason, answered, "The paperwork is completed, and the transport is set to arrive tomorrow to retrieve him."The general's face darkened. "So we have until tomorrow to decide if we should intervene.
"An older official chimed in, his tone weary. "I advise against it. Something about this incident reeks of manipulation. Powerful players are at work, and we mustn't get entangled in their schemes. Let's move forward and leave this behind us."A sense of defeat settled over the room, the realization that this was a battle they couldn't win. The complex web of politics and intrigue loomed larger than they could comprehend, and the wisest choice seemed to be to avoid it altogether.
...
Cillian stared out into the vast expanse of space, his skin tingling as it absorbed an array of unfamiliar radiations from the surrounding cosmos. while still dormant His unique resonance ability allowed him to absorb and control energy, a power that enabled him to take in different energy forms, store them, and release them in various ways. This may sound like a god like ability However, his capacity to absorb, store and realese energy was limited. To put it to perspective, converting all the energy his body could store at a given time into electricity would sustain a household for a day. This may sound like a lot especially as the resonance is yet to awaken but in reality, the actual energy he could use or absorb at any given time was only minute fraction of this total capacity. This constraint curtailed his practical use of the power, which extended to modest feats such as slightly dampening the force of physical impacts or moderately cooling heated objects and party tricks like lighting cigars with electricity.
Yet, the crux of his ability lay in its enhancement, a challenging endeavor that demanded pushing his boundaries which was one extremely painful and two it yeilded miniscule results. Despite dedicating five years to arduous training, increasing his energy input or output by even a single percentage point remained elusive. This is also the reason behind Cillian's resistance to joining the military, which prided itself in stringent training to awaken potential candidates in minimal time but in his case would inflict agonizing pain on him in the process. Instead, he aspired to utilize his A-grade potential in joining an exploration group, where he could gradually refine his abilities and reap substantial rewards. among his arsenal the utmost utility was his resonance's gift of perceiving various energies around him, much like he was doing at that very moment. With concerted effort, he could even extend his senses into infrared and x-ray wavelengths, although this often resulted in splitting headaches.
Amidst his contemplation, an imposing vessel emerged, its aggressive design adorned with an array of mounted weaponry. Accompanied by two smaller, yet fully armed vessels, it seamlessly docked with their ship. A hiss marked the chamber's decompression, revealing twenty figures clad in sleek black tactical suits. Each bore the insignia of a shield and sword, encircled by two radiant golden stars – unequivocally D-rank pioneers. Amoung The collective salute of the soldiers A woman, garbed in a similar uniform albeit in subdued gray, strode forward with an air of command. Yet, what truly captivated Cillian were the four pitch-black stars – a clear indicator of a grade B!
Although pioneers were not exceedingly rare, those attaining elevated ranks were akin to the scarcity of habitable planets in the cosmos. The potential of a B-grade pioneer to singlehandedly obliterate a planet elevated them to the status of strategic assets, constrained by governmental regulations to prevent free engagement. The presence of an individual of such stature in this context left Cillian pondering his perceived threat level.
As Cillian grappled with these thoughts, a soldier in military regalia advanced, saluting the woman of authority. "Major Andrea, I am Captain Miller, and I am honored to make your acquaintance." Major Andrea acknowledged Captain Miller's salutation with a nod, refraining from a salute in return. Her subsequent inquiry, issued in an unadorned tone, centered on their captive's readiness for transfer. Captain Miller's composed response while being looked down on could be attributed to their disparate ranks – her B-grade standing against his D-grade position. Adding to the intrigue was Andrea's relatively youthful age, indicative of untapped potential. To attain B-grade at her age was a noteworthy accomplishment. Even though all Pioneers aged slowly thier age generally did inducate their patient.Her present station as a major within the United Frontier Fleet underscored her importance. This joint military endeavor, crafted through collaboration between humans and two allied alien civilizations who fought humanity for centuries and was defeated and latter became allies . This alliance, pooling the foremost powers from human and alien spheres, stood as a united defense against external aggression. To serve within the United Fleet was a mark of profound distinction.
Major Andrea's gaze briefly flitted towards Cillian before she turned back to Captain Miller. "Very well, I have more pressing matters to attend to once this 'babysitting' concludes." Swift document exchanges on their respective devices marked the course of action for Cillian's forthcoming journey. Escorted towards his impending confinement, he could only speculate about the unknowns that lay ahead, contemplating what fate has in store for him .