*✧ ───────── ✧*

I made my way back to SPD with the cloak clenched tightly in my hand.

"How'd it go?" I asked Kat as I walked into the command center wiping the now dried blood off my chin.

"Well," Kat sighed, "Cruger just saved Birdy. The Rangers have them and they're on their way back."

"How scared was he?" I smiled.

Kat smirked, "Terrified. I think he was about to pee his pants."

"Good," I chuckled, "Can you look for something for me?"

Kat looked at me curiously.

"Planet Opheria, in the Solaris system."

"Is that-" Kat started.

"My home planet. It was destroyed a long time ago but I want to know if anyone made it off."

"I'll do my best, but if Gruumm destroyed it there probably won't be much information on it at all."

"Just anything you can find. Thank you Kat."

She gave me a gentle squeeze on the shoulder and turned back to her computer.

The doors slid open and Sky rushed in.

"Where did you go? Cruger said you didn't come back to SPD with him and-"

I put my hand up, "I had to take care of something, but I'm here now and I'm fine."

Sky reached up brushing some blood off my chin, "You don't look fine."

"Only a scratch," I shrugged.

"Fine," Sky said, licking his finger to clean the rest of the blood off my chin, "Cruger wants us in the transport center to say goodbye to Birdy."

"Finally," I sighed.

"Cruger asked for you to meet him back in here after, Echo." Kat said.

"Thanks Kat," I smiled.

*✧ ─ ✧*

I found myself back in the transport bay between Sky and Bridge as the transport pod was prepped for Birdy's departure.

"Cadets, Ten-Hut!"

In unison, all the cadets snapped into attention. Instead of wobbling and shaking in my spot, I stood tall and proud as Birdy walked down our line again.

"I put in the highest recommendation to the central command regarding these... Rangers of yours, Cruger. A fine group."

"That they are sir," Cruger smiled.

Birdy saluted us and in unison the B-squad and I saluted back before snapping back to attention.

Cruger escorted Birdy to the transport pod.

Sky leaned closer to me, "Are you going to tell me what happened after you went to find Cruger?"

"Later."

"Echo, if you got attacked-"

"I went to meet with someone," I said.

"Who?" he asked.

"Later."

"Wipe those silly looking grins off your face!" Cruger shouted, causing us to snap back to attention, "Aren't you supposed to be attending training at this particular moment?"

The cadets looked around at each other questioningly before they all scattered.

"Echo," Sky said as I started up the stairs, "Are you going to tell me?"

"I need to go meet with Cruger first," I said.

Sky sighed, "Okay."

I smiled, waiting for him to return it before starting back up the stairs and into the command center.

"You wanted to see me, Commander?"

Cruger sat down at his desk, pushing a small wooden box to the edge. I picked it up carefully, unlatching the lid to look inside. Shells, string, coils of metal, and beads sat inside on a small piece of cloth.

"We found some archives of Opheria. Specifically the sorcerrors. These were common items that were worn in the hair, so Kat decided to go out and find some for you."

I picked up the beads and coils in my hand, looking over them with tears brimming my eyes.

"You passed," Kat said with a smile, "I thought these might be a good gift for you graduating."

"I passed?" I said, trying to make myself believe it.

Kat nodded, "Now you can decide what you would want to study for officer training school. You could go into medical training, or combat like the rangers, or you could go into biology and work in the lab-"

"Criminal Justice," I said. It was almost second nature, I didn't even have to give it a second thought.

"Are you sure? It's going to be a lot of studying law and-"

"I'm sure Kat."

Kat smiled, "Looks like we're going to have a detective."

Cruger spoke, "You are aware that starting your training will take you away from the B-squad, correct? You might be sent to a different planet for your education. Graduating Cadet school means your rehabilitation is over, so Sky and bridge are not in charge of your training anymore."

I nodded, "I'm okay with that. I'm ready to go on."

Cruger nodded, "Kat will make sure all the paperwork is filed, we'll let you know as soon as we hear something."

I nodded.

"There is one final thing I wished to discuss, cadet," Cruger said, standing from his desk.

I raised my brow.

"The battle against Gruumm is one that needs to come to an end soon, is there anyone you can think of that might give us the information we need to take him down?"

I thought back to my time on the ship, on every sleazy general and commander I had to meet with to trade or take out.

Gravetooth? Dead. Aurasnare? No, SPD took her out a long time ago. Thorn Pod? Wait, no, I took him out myself.

I sighed, "The only one I can think of..."

"Mirloc." Gruumm growled.

"Unfortunately." I said, "He's the only one that's either not dead or on the run. He was close with Gruumm for long enough to give us any useful information."

"I'll see to it that he is brought in for questioning again. If you would, I'd like you to be part of that."

"Yes commander."

There was a long pause before Kat cleared her throat at Cruger, "Hmm? Ah, good work out there today... cadet."

"Thank you sir," I said. Cruger stood, I saluted, and left for my quarters.

I thought back to when I first got to SPD. The scared girl that didn't even know her name felt like a lifetime ago. Like a dream. I knew my journal was waiting for it's next entry, and the textbooks on my desk needed to be returned to Bridge and the SPD library.

I knew I needed to tell the Rangers my good news, and the sad news.

What planet would I be sent to? I hope it will be a warm one, and one that's not too far from Earth.

Not too far from the Rangers.

I made it back to my room, putting the box in the center of my dresser and twisting the metal coil into a section of hair.

A knock at the door made me look up, "Come in."

Sky entered and flopped down on my bed, "Why aren't you telling me?"

"Just didn't feel like a good time," I shrugged, "Do you want good news or bad?"

"Bad?" he said, more like a question than an answer.

"Mora is my sister, but at this point she's given up on trying to make amends and leave Gruumm."

"Oh," Sky mumbled, a look of shock on his face.

"If she's anything like me, she's going to fight till the end for him. Just like I would for you guys."

"What do you think is gonna happen?"

I sighed, "I know we're going to meet again. But I know if she doesn't have a change of heart... it's either gonna be her or me. I was always stronger though."

Sky stayed silent, looking over my hair, "Where'd you get those?"

I smiled, reaching up to brush the strand with the coil behind my ear, "That's the good news. I got them from Cruger and Kat because I passed my Cadet training."

Sky smiled widely before standing up to pull me into a hug, "That's great! You're gonna be an officer now. What are you going into?"

"I decided on Criminal Justice."

Sky's face fell for a split second, before pulling it into a fake smile, "That's... great!"

"What?" I said.

"What?" he said.

"You sound disappointed," I frowned.

Sky sighed, "Criminal Justice students normally go to Thion..."

"That's not that far," I said, "It's only in the Saetis system. I'd be able to be here with one shuttle."

"They don't run very often. You'd be gone for a long time," Sky said.

"I'll be okay," I smiled. "Besides, you'll be able to go back to your training full time instead of worrying about me-"

"I like worrying about you. It's nice having someone around."

"You have the Rangers," I said.

Sky shook his head, "It's not the same. I can't explain it."

I frowned, "We... can call on the holographs. Write letters. I can try to come back on the shuttles when I can. It's not like you'll never see or hear from me again."

Sky nodded, "I know... and I know you're excited."

"I am," I smiled, "and I'm excited to see if I can come back to Earth base after I graduate."

"You could go anywhere at SPD with that Echo," Sky said, "I just hope you don't move on and forget us."

"How could I forget my best friends?" I said.

Sky smiled, taking my hand in his.

"You need to tell Syd so she can throw you a going away party."

"Oh no," I said, "I don't think I could handle a Sydney party."

"You need to or else she'll never forgive you. You know how she is with parties."

I laughed, "Once I find out where I'm going then I'll tell them."

Sky nodded, "It's just crazy to think how far you've come."

"I know, I was thinking about that earlier," I said, "And I couldn't have done it without you."