By dawn, Cassian had his answer. Kingston was indeed planning an attack on North Point, and Nia's information checked out. His mother was overseeing security operations for the facility. She would be in the line of fire if Kingston's plan went ahead.
Or maybe she was the target this time. And he would be part of a plan for his own mother's death.
Cassian returned to his apartment, running through his options.
TEC wanted to challenge AU's hold on Ekoris, but targeting a facility like North Point was reckless. There were too many ways it could end badly—not just for AU, but for anyone caught in the crossfire, including his own family.
As he sat on his couch, exhaustion from the night's events finally setting in, he thought about Nia's warning. She must have known he'd investigate; she had to know he'd confirm her story.
But what was her motive? Was she warning him out of genuine concern, or did she have her own reasons for stirring up tension between him and Kingston?
He couldn't shake the sense that he was being manipulated, used as a pawn in a game he didn't yet fully understand. Yet, despite his doubts, he knew he had to act. He couldn't sit back and let Kingston put his mother at risk.
The next day, Cassian found himself back in the hidden tunnels of TEC, heading toward Nia's quarters.
He didn't bother knocking, slipping inside to find her seated at her desk, looking over blueprints. She glanced up in surprise.
"Cassian?" she asked, caught off-guard.
He closed the door behind him, crossing his arms as he looked down at her.
"I know Kingston's plan," he said, his voice low. "You were right about him. But if he goes through with this attack, TEC could be wiped out in the backlash. It's suicide."
Nia's expression hardened. "I told you—he's not thinking straight. But what are you suggesting?"
"We need to stop him. If we sabotage his plan from the inside, we can prevent this without AU knowing anything about it. It'll be our operation—quiet and clean."
"You really think we can pull this off? Kingston trusts very few, and if he catches on, it won't just be the end for us—it'll be the end for TEC."
"I've survived worse odds," he said, mind refusing to quell. "And if we play this right, TEC won't just survive—it'll thrive. We just need to make sure the right people are in control."
For a long moment, she was silent. Slowly, she nodded and said, "Then we have a deal."
He extended his hand, and she shook it, sealing their alliance.
Afterwards, he left the quarters feeling a tad uneasy. He still didn't fully trust her—her motives were shrouded in ambiguity for someone who's supposed to be a lead in TEC.
However, he knew there was no time to dwell on mistrust. Kingston's recklessness could spiral out of control, and the stakes were too high.
Stepping away from the TEC hideout, Cassian's journeys took him toward North Point.
In his mind, he was already strategizing. He wouldn't inform anyone of his plans; every second counted, and he needed to gauge the situation firsthand.
As he approached the fortified exterior of North Point, he remained calm. The structure was quite imposing—more of a fortress than a mere research facility. The guards stationed outside were threatening enough due to their watchful gazes, which assuredly detected any sign of intruders.
If it hadn't at all felt like that time he had snuck into AU's headquarters and acquired a Band. This particular area was much harder to breach.
As the son of AU, even he wouldn't be able to use that title to enter here. He would need permission from someone with a high level of security access. Had it not been for his recent promotion—the badge he had received—he would have never been able to set foot close to the facility.
Navigating past the guards proved easier than he'd expected; they were trained to respond to security breaches rather than scrutinize the faces of those who belonged.
He made sure his badge was shown to prevent their suspicions. They waved him through the many doors without a second thought.
The halls were quiet at the lowest levels. That was because not many were allowed to enter beyond this point.
The first stop was the laboratory that housed the supercomputer.
As he entered the room, he couldn't help but be mesmerized by the technology surrounding him—the surfaces adorned with blinking lights. This was a place where data was crunched. As for its purpose, even he was not fully aware.
He approached the terminal and began typing away on the keyboard to navigate the system and access files. He bypassed the initial security protocols as he gained access to information meant for the highest-tier personnel.
What he found made him narrow his eyes.
The analysis of North Point's defenses and personnel levels was extensive. Technological innovation proliferated in almost every corner of the facility, each layer of security more sophisticated than the last.
Running a quick calculation in his head, he closed his eyes in annoyance. TEC's likelihood of success was only five percent!
Cassian furiously scanned the tables and graphs, dissecting the data point by point.
TEC only had one Bandit of higher rank than D, Kingston. One C-Rank. How was that going to be enough? The recklessness of his choices was evident when comparing the data on screen. North Point was swarming with D-Ranks and at least one other C-Rank, not to mention the numerous soldiers trained in combat.
Numbers alone suggested insurmountable odds.
He considered the implications of what he was finding; TEC had nowhere near the resources they needed to mount a successful offense. The North Point was a weapon in itself, as Cassian thought it was a suicidal thought.
Kingston's obsession with revenge and dominance wasn't just a threat to AU—it could mean annihilation for them, and Cassian could hardly comprehend the full ramifications of that.
Why would Nia even allow Kingston to play such dangerous games?
Cassian turned away from the terminal, feeling livid. He needed to formulate a new plan because of this incompetent rebel group. If Nia was serious about undermining Kingston's plans, the two of them would need a new strategy.
He chose not to linger, so he exited the laboratory as he retraced his steps.
Back outside of North Point, he blended into pedestrian areas of the compound where the guards' gazes were less intense. Even as he encountered the familiarity of the facility, what he had discovered marred any sense of safety.
He stepped back into the outside, allowing the fresh air to quench his thoughts before walking toward home.
What would his mother say if she knew the web of loyalty surrounding TEC was poised on the edge of a precipice? Would she be proud of him for uncovering the truth or disappointed that he'd ignored protocol and investigated without telling a soul?
Regardless, he was still not planning to tell her or anyone a thing.
If there's one thing he was, it was a strategist. Informing anyone, especially the wife of the head of AU, that there was going to be an attack on North Point would have been a stupid mistake.
Cassian would be questioned on the matter, interrogated even.
In situations like this, important decisions would need to be made. Perhaps he could talk to Kingston and reason with him not to go.
That idea, too, would be imprudent. Kingston was a power-hungry man, a Bandit. Whenever Bandits made up their mind on something, they often stuck with it. And what Kingston wanted was to dismantle North Point regardless of casualties.
It's no wonder this particular rebel group was formed not long ago—their leader was too young, too inexperienced to know the strength of the world's strongest government.
Cassian pushed back the doubts flooding him, repeating in his heart that he wouldn't let them fall—but only once he knew for certain how to handle Kingston's intentions.
A plan was sprouting in his mind; he would need to work with Nia somehow, or so he thought. But Cassian did not like working with others.
Hours slipped away as he arrived back at his apartment, drained but unable to find solace in sleep.
He rested on the couch, crossing his arms to further contemplate things. In the dim room, he stared at the ceiling.
His mother had raised him with ideals and courage, and now those very virtues would be put to the test. His father had raised him to be stern and unmoved, and now those teachings would have to be applied. And last, his grandfather had taught him how to fight. Not just physically but psychologically.
After hours of hiding from his thoughts, he fell asleep.