Orius's voice still lingered in her mind. (The teacher really doesn't want to be in a place like this either, does he……) Elina inhaled the disinfectant smell of the medical room. White walls. Outdated equipment. A sealed space with no windows. How many months had it been since she came here. She stopped counting. Counting only made it hurt more. She rubbed her left ring finger. The door opened. Elina didn't look up. Just a patrol soldier. Routine check. "I need to confirm the vice commander's treatment progress. It's the commander's order." A man's voice. Flat. Emotionless. Elina turned around. Black short hair. Deep gray eyes. From the back of his left hand to his wrist—pale blue geometric scars that glowed faintly. Kairen Velas. Power reactor technician. One of the few prisoners allowed to move freely through the ship. "I'll submit a report." [cold] "I want to speak directly." "The commander didn't tell you this directly. There's no written order." "I understand there's no way to verify." Elina was slightly surprised. He admitted the lie. Calmly. Kairen closed the door. From inside. Just the two of them now. [serious] "I'm planning an escape. I need your medical skills." The air in the room changed. Elina said nothing. Before she could find words, Kairen continued. "Vice Commander Orius is involved too. He's already made his decision." "……Him?" "He spoke to you. In the medical room. I was listening." "You were eavesdropping." "It was necessary." No excuses. No apologies. Just fact. Elina rubbed her left ring finger. Unconsciously. "I'm a doctor. I don't involve myself in politics." "This isn't politics. It's a matter of survival." One step closer. Elina didn't retreat. That wasn't her nature. "You came here with nothing. You don't really want to be here. I know that." "What do you think you know." "The risk. If we fail, we all get executed. Under the Void Crusader's internal regulations, rebellion against the commander means ejection into space. Probably all at once." Elina made no sound. "If we succeed, we all live." Silence stretched on. Elina's eyes moved to the edge of the desk. Treatment records stacked high. Dozens of patients. Wounded pirates. Half-dead prisoners. She'd healed them all. Because healing was her job. She'd never let herself think of any other reason. But. (He really doesn't want to be here either.) Orius's voice echoed again. That young man was right. "I have conditions." Kairen waited silently. "Tell me every detail of the plan. If I'm not convinced, I'm out. I have that right." "Understood." --- Same time. Lower corridors of Ankalas. Orius stood with his back against the wall. Couldn't move. What he'd seen moments ago wouldn't leave his head. Supply unloading. That's all it should have been. He'd happened to pass a storage bay. He saw it. A prisoner child—less than ten years old—being forced to carry boxes. The child fell. The box broke. A soldier laughed and kicked. No one stopped it. Orius couldn't move. His position as vice commander bound his feet. Interfering in prisoner management outside his authority would become a problem. He knew that. So he couldn't move. That fact sat heavy in his chest. Kairen's words came back. (You have a choice.) His left shoulder's treatment scar throbbed. Maybe it was just his imagination. But now it was the only sensation confirming reality for him. "……I'll decide." No one heard his voice. --- Night. The power reactor room of Ankalas glowed the same as daytime. Pale blue pulse. Rhythmic waves. No difference at midnight. This ship had no concept of day and night. Kairen confirmed the blind spots of three surveillance cameras. Two of them had video loops he'd hacked in himself. The third was a natural blind spot. Equipment placement. Three years of observation before he noticed. The door opened. Orius entered first. Then Elina. Kairen looked at them both. Orius's green eyes were serious. Elina's pale blue eyes still held that cold measuring quality. "We're all here." Three figures stood before the power reactor. "First, I'll explain this ship's defense systems. The flagship Ankalas has a central circuit that controls all internal electronics. That circuit has a fatal flaw." "What kind of flaw?" "I found it over three years. Discovered the vulnerability during modification work. Send a pulse at a specific frequency, and the entire surveillance network goes completely dark for about 90 seconds. Cameras. Sensors. Communications. Everything stops." Orius stepped forward. "The Falcon in the hangar—a small reconnaissance patrol ship—has a phase-jump drive. Phase-jumping connects two points in space through a tunnel for travel. Long-distance escape becomes possible. That ship can jump about 25 light-years in one burst." "I can handle security. Eliminate them in close combat, or change routes to avoid contact." Elina crossed her arms. "My role is." "After escape, injuries are certain. I need you to take necessary supplies from the medical room. Painkillers. Antibiotics. Hemostatic agents. Suture kits. I'll give you the list later." "I know the medical room inventory. Taking that much will be noticed." "Move it gradually. This isn't happening today or tomorrow." "Timeline?" "Minimum one week. After everyone's prepared, we meet again the day before execution. No contact until then. If we're suspected, it's over." Silence fell between the three. The reactor light flickered. Orius spoke. "Can I ask something? Why did you choose us? There must be others who want to escape." Kairen paused slightly. "Electronic warfare is my domain. Physical elimination only you can do. Medical care only she can do. With all three, success becomes realistic." "That's it?" "……That's all." Orius nodded. Whether he was satisfied—his expression didn't reveal it. Elina said nothing. She simply stopped rubbing her left ring finger. "One more thing." Kairen added. His tone unchanged. But something seemed mixed into those words. "I've considered failure. Keeping everyone alive is the priority. I haven't planned to sacrifice anyone." Silence. Orius's green eyes looked straight at Kairen. Elina's gaze shifted slightly too. "Understood." Two words. Short. But they contained her entire decision. "Me too." The three separated. Each left the reactor room at different times. Different routes. --- Kairen remained alone. He looked up at the power reactor. Pale blue light pulsing irregularly. The same light he'd seen every day for three years. Light he should have grown tired of. His left hand's scar seemed to respond to that glow. Wavering. The plan had begun. Three roles assembled. Electronic warfare. Close combat. Medical care. Each complementing the others. Structurally complete in theory. But. Kairen made a light fist. One week for preparation. He knew that. The problem came after. Askandas would pursue him. That much was certain. Why he was so obsessed—that reason still remained unknown. Three years of thinking. No answer. That question waited beyond escape. Kairen slowly closed his eyes. Opened them. Looked at the reactor again. For now, he was still here. But not for much longer.