"Come on," Kael said while adjusting the cuffs of his formal jacket. "Before Torres emotionally explodes from suspense."
"I am maintaining composure," Torres argued immediately.
"You lost a fight against a decorative staircase ten minutes ago."
"That staircase was aggressive."
"It was stationary."
"That's what made it dangerous."
Soft laughter spread through the guest residence as the cadets followed Kael and Ryven toward the main Benton residence.
Outside, the mountain evening had settled fully over the estate.
Warm lantern light glowed across suspended bridges while waterfalls shimmered silver beneath drifting mist. Shuttle lights crossed the distant sky in controlled arcs above the mountain as more arrivals continued docking across the lower terraces.
The younger cadets noticed them immediately now.
Not civilian transports.
Fleet vessels.
Military escorts.
Heavy command craft.
Some carried Federation markings.
Others carried Great House insignias glowing softly beneath the night sky.
House Valerius.
House Mercier.
House Forest.
Voss escort ships.
Aegis command transports.
Aurora Fleet carriers.
The realization quietly settled over everyone again.
This wasn't just dinner.
This was where the people who shaped the Federation gathered when nobody else was watching.
The Benton residence doors opened before they reached them.
And immediately—
warmth hit them.
Not heat.
Atmosphere.
The main residence glowed beneath soft golden lighting while distant conversation drifted through layered hallways and open terraces farther inside the mountain. The scent of cedar wood, tea leaves, polished stone, fresh food, and mountain rain lingered gently through the air.
The house felt lived in.
Not curated.
Not preserved.
Alive.
The younger cadets slowed instinctively as they stepped deeper inside.
And the more they saw—
the quieter they became.
Photographs lined entire walls.
Not formal portraits.
Family pictures.
Cassian covered in grease beside dismantled drones.
Krysta asleep across engineering schematics.
A much younger Kael holding what looked suspiciously like a broken practice sword while Serena pinched the bridge of her nose in the background.
Old drawings framed beside military commendations.
One childish crayon drawing read:
MOM LOOKING SCARY.
Supreme Commander Serena Benton had apparently framed it proudly.
Valerie stared openly.
"…this doesn't feel like a Great House estate."
"It feels like a home," Rita murmured quietly beside her.
Mei glanced toward the framed drawings with softened eyes.
"Yes," she said quietly.
"It really is."
Kael heard that.
His expression softened for half a second.
Then—
"CALEB!"
The entire room jumped.
Krysta Benton launched across the receiving hall like a guided missile.
Kael barely had enough time to laugh before she slammed directly into him, wrapping both arms around his neck while nearly knocking him backward into Ryven.
"You're back," she accused emotionally.
"I was gone for like a week."
"That's emotionally a month."
"That is not how time works."
"It does for me."
The cadets watched the scene unfold in stunned silence.
Because suddenly—
Kael Ardent disappeared.
Not literally.
But the myth did.
This wasn't: the top-ranked cadet, the monster of Helius Prime, the pilot who stood inside collapsing battlefields like war itself offended him personally.
This was somebody's brother.
And Krysta treated him exactly like one.
Kael laughed softly before hugging her properly.
"You saw me three days ago."
"That doesn't count."
"It absolutely counts."
"It spiritually doesn't."
Cassian appeared from one of the side hallways moments later carrying datapads beneath one arm.
"You survived the Federation," he said calmly.
"Barely," Kael answered honestly.
"That sounds accurate."
Then Cassian stopped fully after getting a proper look at him.
The room quieted slightly.
Because this was different now.
No dyed hair.
No contacts.
No disguise.
The younger cadets finally saw him properly beneath the warm lights of the Benton home.
Platinum white hair.
Bright blue eyes.
Sharp Benton features impossible to miss now that they stood beside Serena, Cassian, and Krysta.
And suddenly—
everything made sense.
The resemblance.
The rumors.
Why the Bentons protected him differently.
Why Ryven lost his mind during Wrong Sky.
Why Serena Benton looked at Kael like she was simultaneously proud and terrified every time he entered a battlefield.
The room went completely still.
Even Torres stopped talking.
Which honestly felt medically concerning.
Valerie blinked rapidly.
"…oh my god."
Lila stared openly.
"…THAT'S why everybody kept saying he looked familiar."
Tomas looked between Kael and Serena once.
Then again.
"…they literally have the same eyes."
"Strong genetics," Cassian replied dryly.
Torres finally recovered enough to point weakly.
"…Ardent was illegally attractive before."
Little Bean nodded solemnly.
"Now he's legendary."
"Thank you," Kael said immediately.
"That was not a compliment," Hana muttered.
Ryven remained beside Kael quietly watching the younger generation mentally collapse in real time.
And honestly?
He understood.
Because seeing Kael openly like this still occasionally stunned him too.
Not because Kael looked different.
Because he looked freer.
Serena Benton approached slowly afterward.
The atmosphere shifted immediately.
Not tense.
Respectful.
Every cadet straightened instinctively.
Even the Elite Twelve subtly adjusted posture.
That was the effect Serena Benton carried naturally.
Supreme Commander of Aurora Fleet.
Hero of the Federation.
The woman who walked directly into warzones while giving orders calm enough to terrify experienced officers.
But right now—
she only looked at her son.
Really looked at him.
At the platinum hair no longer hidden.
At the blue eyes no longer concealed.
At the boy she had watched survive four years pretending to be someone smaller than he truly was.
Her hand lifted gently toward his face.
"You matured handsomely," she said softly.
Her voice remained composed.
The slight shine in her eyes did not.
The cadets immediately looked away respectfully.
Even Torres lowered his gaze quietly.
Kael's expression softened completely.
"Mom…"
Serena exhaled softly through a smile.
"I know," she murmured.
"I'm ruining my reputation."
"You never had one."
"Oh, disrespectful already."
Soft laughter spread through the room again.
Gentle.
Warm.
Then Jules Benton approached carrying several folded sleeves beneath one arm like he had been interrupted halfway through helping estate staff.
"We're happy you're all here," he said warmly.
The younger cadets immediately greeted him respectfully.
"Thank you for having us, sir."
Jules smiled faintly.
"No ranks tonight."
That somehow made everyone more nervous.
Then another figure stepped forward near the fireplace.
Massive.
Silent.
Built like somebody designed military intimidation and forgot to stop.
Admiral George Benton.
The younger cadets straightened instantly.
Torres physically moved Little Bean slightly behind him on instinct.
George noticed immediately.
"…why are you shielding the child."
Torres swallowed.
"Protective reflex, sir."
George stared at him for two long seconds.
Then one corner of his mouth twitched upward slightly.
That terrified Torres more somehow.
The front entrance opened again moments later.
And this time—
the room shifted harder.
Because more arrivals entered together.
Supreme Commander Marcus Voss.
Leona Voss.
Leon.
Vincent Torres.
Sebastien Mercier.
Additional senior officers followed behind them alongside escort personnel and second-in-command units attached to the arriving admirals.
Then came more.
Supreme Admiral Calder entered beside his executive officer while several Aegis command personnel followed respectfully behind him.
Supreme Admiral Tanaka arrived moments later with his second-in-command and senior engineering officers carrying datapads already discussing something technical before they even fully entered the hall.
Admiral Choi entered with recovery fleet officers beside him.
Fleet Admiral Valecrest.
Grand Marshal Draeven.
Commander Hale's uncle— Aiden Hale— arrived alongside veteran command personnel carrying themselves with the relaxed discipline of people who survived enough wars to stop needing to prove anything.
Then came the families.
Patriarch Ibarra and his wife entered together with Tomas' parents close behind them.
Lila Navarro immediately straightened when the Navarro family arrived moments later.
Her father spotted her first.
And visibly checked her for injuries before even speaking.
Aria quietly inhaled when Augustus Kestrel entered deeper into the hall carrying the same overwhelming presence all Kestrels somehow inherited naturally.
This wasn't a political gathering anymore.
This was generations of the Federation standing inside one home.
And the younger cadets felt the weight of it immediately.
Not fear.
Legacy.
The people in this room built the world they grew up inside.
The instructors arrived shortly afterward.
Headmaster Commander Garrick entered first beside Major Volkov and Commander Hale while Captain Solis, Lt. Commander Kade, Commander Mercer, Commander Tanya Vance, and Dr. Cassian Rho followed behind them.
The younger cadets straightened automatically.
Even Torres.
Because regardless of the warmth—
respect always remained.
Volkov looked across the assembled cadets once before folding her arms.
"You all clean up surprisingly well."
Torres looked deeply emotional.
"Major Volkov complimented us."
"That was barely a compliment," Aria muttered.
"I'M COUNTING IT."
Commander Hale quietly lifted his datapad.
Click.
Torres looked betrayed instantly.
"…sir."
"This is historical documentation."
"It feels like blackmail."
"Both can be true."
Even Garrick looked one sentence away from sighing.
Then Kael ruined the atmosphere immediately.
"Headmaster Commander Garrick."
Garrick looked toward him calmly.
"Yes."
"I still think I deserved a graduation speech."
Several instructors closed their eyes instantly.
Ryven looked tired already.
"Oh no," Lucian muttered quietly.
Kael pointed dramatically.
"I worked on that speech for four years."
"That explains why you kept practicing it in mirrors," Ryven said calmly.
The room froze.
Slowly—
everyone turned toward him.
Kael looked horrified.
"…what."
Ryven remained completely composed.
"You practiced it fifty-six times."
Torres physically folded over before catching himself after Volkov glanced sideways.
Little Bean looked devastated.
"He counted?"
"Yes," Ryven answered.
Kael pointed accusingly.
"You TRAITOR."
"You rehearsed loudly."
"That is NOT the issue."
Unfortunately—
now everybody wanted details.
Leon crossed his arms while grinning openly.
"…was it actually good?"
Ryven answered immediately.
"Yes."
The room quieted slightly at his tone.
Because he sounded sincere.
Very sincere.
Then—
to Kael's complete horror—
Ryven stepped slightly forward.
Straightened his posture.
And perfectly copied Kael's speech stance.
The room immediately started collapsing again.
Even Serena physically turned away hiding laughter.
Ryven began calmly.
"'To the future graduates of Helius Prime—'"
Kael covered his face instantly.
"Oh my god."
Ryven continued mercilessly.
"'When we first arrived here, we believed strength alone would define us.'"
The exact cadence.
The exact gestures.
The exact pauses.
Commander Hale physically sat down laughing quietly into one hand while Solis looked seconds away from losing professional composure entirely.
Ryven continued.
"'But Helius Prime teaches something more important than victory.'"
A pause.
"'It teaches responsibility.'"
The room softened slightly around the edges.
Because despite the embarrassment—
the speech genuinely sounded like Kael.
Hopeful.
Earnest.
Bright.
Ryven reached the ending calmly.
"'And if someday the sky itself turns against you—'"
The room quieted completely.
"'—make sure the people beside you survive long enough to see it clear again.'"
A softer pause.
Then—
"'Hold the line.'"
Silence settled warmly afterward.
Not awkward.
Something gentler.
Because somehow—
despite all the teasing—
the speech captured exactly what Helius Prime stood for.
Kael slowly lowered his hands.
"…you really memorized the entire thing."
"Yes."
"Why?"
Ryven answered immediately.
"You practiced it every night."
The room dissolved again.
Softer this time.
Controlled laughter.
Smiles hidden behind hands.
Even Garrick exhaled through his nose in something dangerously close to amusement.
Kael stared at Ryven for another second.
Then smiled helplessly.
"…that's actually unfairly sweet."
Ryven shrugged once.
"You talk a lot."
"That is NOT the takeaway."
"It should be."
Kael laughed softly despite himself.
And around them—
inside the warm noise of the Benton home filled with commanders, families, instructors, cadets, veterans, laughter, and survivors—
for the first time since Wrong Sky—
everyone finally felt alive again.