After a bit of studying, Lyra noticed something.
The stuff she was learning hadn't really changed much in the past eleven years. Sure, there were small updates, like a new photo of an interstellar physicist whose hairline had receded even more, a clear sign of time marching on.
The big changes, though, were in military tech, especially mecha knowledge.
As humans continued exploring the stars, the need for advanced tech just kept growing. Lyra could tap into the latest mecha tech through special channels in Voidstar, keeping herself up-to-date with ease.
After plowing through countless practice exams, she logged into the Nagano Military Academy —NMA's official exam platform, posing as a recent Voidstar high school grad.
As expected, she breezed through the written part, aced the military theory, and nailed the practical questions.
Next up was the mecha simulation exam, which tested her mecha piloting skills. First came scenario simulations, followed by online combat against examiners.
The initial tests checked if students had the basic operational knowledge, and Lyra shined. In the NMA exam room, teachers monitoring the students were glued to the surveillance screens in awe.
"This student is something special. Which big family does she belong to?" one asked.
"Her reaction time and precision are better than most senior students. She clearly has a lot of mecha experience," another commented.
"Could she be a top-ranked mecha competition player?" someone speculated.
There were many mecha simulation games and competitions, and anyone who dominated those with a high win rate was likely a skilled mecha pilot in real life.
"Which planet is she from?" another teacher wondered.
The supervising teacher replied with a hint of disdain, "Voidstar No.2."
Instantly, the other teachers lost interest.
"Those brutes from Voidstar are decent with mecha operations, but their written scores are always at the bottom," one teacher scoffed.
Despite their grumbles, the military school teachers, most of whom were retired soldiers, couldn't resist the allure of a great mecha battle. They soon gathered around again.
"Honestly, this student's skills are impressive. Webber, you better not lose," one teacher teased.
Webber, the teacher administering the practical exam, was starting to sweat. "Quiet down, you lot!"
He focused even harder on his controls. This student was incredibly tough to beat.
Lyra was piloting the most basic humanoid mecha. Her style was unconventional, yet there were hints of formal training in it. However, her unpredictable moves made it hard to pin her down as a strictly academy-trained pilot.
As the battle intensified, Webber sped up, increasing his psychokinetic output.
His opponent seemed to be reaching their limit, slowing down just enough for him to seize the chance and strike the cockpit.
When the words "Exam Over" flashed on the screen, Webber wiped the sweat from his brow. He realized he had gotten so into the battle that he nearly forgot it was an exam, not a competition. He had taken it seriously.
The system calculated the practical exam score based on the accuracy of attacks and the number of evasions. The screen flashed with the words "Perfect Score."
"Another perfect score? How many is that now?" one teacher asked.
"Not many. This isn't EPMA. The last one was the son of the Whyte family," another replied.
Having witnessed an impressive mecha battle, some teachers began to soften their biases against this Voidstar student.
"If her written exam isn't too bad, her overall score might be pretty high," one mused.
"Too bad Voidstar students usually struggle with the written part," another remarked.
It wasn't that they lacked education, but their specialized knowledge in military theory often fell short. Voidstar was almost entirely disconnected from the military establishment, making it tough for its students to excel in this area.
"But what if? Let's check this student's results," someone suggested.
Being seasoned veterans, they quickly pulled up her scores. The room fell silent.
Finally, someone muttered, "Well, I'll be. A straight sapling in the crooked-necked woods!"
...
After the written exam, NMA usually investigated the students' backgrounds. This was done mostly through online records and archives, unless exceptional circumstances called for an on-site investigation.
Lyra had meticulously crafted her records with the help of Snakehead and her school, making her dossier seamless.
However, she had yet to receive a notification for the second round of interviews.
One day, as she checked the status on her opticomputer again, it still displayed 'Under Review.'
"Do you think NMA discriminates against Voidstar students?" Sorren asked, munching on an apple as he leaned over.
Lyra tapped her fingers lightly on the armrest, pondering what could have gone wrong. At the very least, NMA wouldn't dismiss her application casually, or else the son of an admiral's influence would be meaningless.
Just then, Todd sent her a message.
"News from the port: NMA personnel are here for an in-depth background check on you."
Sorren was shocked. "Whoa, the admiral's son really pulled some strings!"
"Heh, it's not that simple," Lyra replied.
An on-site investigation indicated that someone might be sabotaging her.
"What should we do?" Sorren asked, clearly more anxious than Lyra herself.
"No rush. Let's see what they find first."
The next day, the principal relayed another message. "Miss Shedd, NMA's investigators want to meet you."
Lyra stood up immediately. "I'm on my way."
On the way, Sorren was nervous and tried to rehearse with her. "What if they ask me questions? Should I say I'm your cousin? Or maybe your brother?"
Lyra, sitting in the passenger seat, leaned her head against her hand, looking somewhat weary. "Just tell the truth."
"What?"
Sorren was confused. 'How am I supposed to tell the truth?'
When they arrived at the office, they saw the principal smiling as he poured coffee for two visitors.
The man and woman, both in black suits, looked slightly impatient.
"Where is she?" the woman asked just as the door was knocked. Both were startled, not having noticed anyone approaching.
A petite young woman entered, barely meeting the minimum height requirement. She wore a black T-shirt and cargo pants, her thin arms showing only a hint of muscle, with joints so prominent they seemed ready to pop out. She looked frail and sickly.
It was hard to imagine that this student had engaged in an impressive mecha battle with Webber.
The woman furrowed her brows and spoke first. "Lyra Shedd?"
"That's me. Nice to see you," Lyra said, bowing slightly and nearly coughing from the effort.
The man and woman exchanged complex looks, knowing that her physical condition would severely impact her performance in the physical retest.
"I'm Freida, and this is my colleague Kiv," the woman introduced herself, holding a stack of documents. "We've come to conduct a further background check on you. Do you know why?"
When the woman posed the question, Lyra noticed the principal's nervous expression.
She shook her head. "I don't know."
"Someone reported that you run an illegal clinic, have close ties with Voidstar's criminal elements, and even have blood on your hands. There are photos included. Normally, this would lead to your immediate disqualification, but because you were recommended by Lieutenant Commander Whyte, we came to investigate in person."
As she spoke, she scrutinized Lyra's expression, finding no sign of guilt or panic. Instead, Lyra's delicate eyebrows furrowed in apparent confusion and anger.
After reviewing the report and the attached evidence, Lyra looked directly at the woman and said, "All I can say is that the informant has sinister motives. While some of what he or she says is true, the person's deliberately trying to smear me."
Seeing the two investigators frown, she calmly suggested, "Maybe I should take you to investigate personally."
"No need. We will conduct the investigation ourselves. But first, I have a few questions for you," Freida said, signaling Kiv to begin.
Kiv organized his documents and started, "Your records state that you are an orphan, but our investigation shows you arrived at Voidstar No.2 eleven years ago."
"That's correct. To be precise, I was abducted."
Her startling words caused Sorren to tense up immediately. 'Goodness, is she going to sell me out just to get into school?'
Lyra shot him a cool glance. "The person who abducted me is him, my current assistant. Eleven years ago, I was severely injured when I encountered Sorren and was taken to Voidstar No.2. I then spent seven years in a cryo-chamber recovering. So, although I should be twenty-six years old, my physical age is nineteen."
This information wasn't a secret on Voidstar. It was something they could easily verify, so there was no point in hiding it.
Both Freida and Kiv are retired soldiers with justice ingrained in their bones. They were nearly ready to bring Sorren to justice, well, if not for the order to avoid conflict with Voidstar's people.
"According to the Alliance's medical laws, entering a cryo-chamber halts physical development, so this shouldn't count towards your actual age," Freida said regretfully, noting how much more promising Lyra might have been without her injuries and cryo-recovery.
"Why were you severely injured?" Kiv continued.
"I don't remember," Lyra responded without hesitation. "My memory was erased."
Kiv glanced at Freida, who nodded before addressing Lyra again, "Would you mind if we checked?"
Lyra hesitated briefly but then nodded and closed her eyes.
A non-aggressive psychokinetic probe swept over her.
"Done," Kiv said, his expression grave. "There are indeed signs of injury in her brain."
Freida sighed, her eyes softening as she looked at Lyra. "It's as you said. There's evidence of severe trauma."
Freida gripped the documents tightly. "Second question: please explain your clinic's alleged connections with criminal elements."
"I'm just a Peculiar with healing power. Surviving on Voidstar isn't easy," Lyra replied with a faint, bitter smile that hinted at her struggles. "Back then, I was only a level three. Besides running a small clinic, I didn't know what else I could do. As you might have heard, Voidstar's environment is harsh. Most of my patients weren't exactly upstanding citizens, so yes, I had dealings with criminal elements in a doctor-patient capacity."
"Aside from that, I've spent the last four years keeping my clinic running. Apart from leaving the settlement to hunt, I've never participated in any illegal activities. Feel free to investigate further."
Having said that, she couldn't suppress a cough, a deep, troubling sound from her lungs that tugged at the heartstrings of those who heard it.
Sorren, huddled in a corner, was nearly speechless. If he hadn't been working with Lyra all these years, he might have believed her act.
What a portrayal of resilience, independence, and integrity in the face of a corrupt environment!
As for the murder accusations mentioned in the report, neither investigator brought them up again. Such things were easily verifiable.
Freida stood up and patted Lyra's shoulder. "Go home and we'll reach out to you when we decide."
Whether they believed her or not still wasn't clear.
"Thank you for visiting me in person," Lyra said with a composed smile, then turned and left.
An hour later, she received word that the investigators had departed. She turned to Sorren and instructed, "Go, bring Kline to me."