Krauk Lee, a citizen of the Interstellar Human Military Junta and a top-secret-level agent of the secret police and intelligence organization [Ashes], was currently carrying out a top-secret mission. His file was sealed, and all relevant personnel were under strict orders to maintain confidentiality.
Missions registered as [Top secret] within [Ashes] were never easy to complete.
These missions were often ordered personally by the Marshal, stretched over extremely long periods, took place in exceedingly dangerous environments, and involved critically important objectives.
Krauk was carrying out just such a top-secret mission: infiltrate the Community Security Fleet, climb as high as possible, and take no other action until the Empire needed him.
This mission was less dangerous, but it was an extraordinary test of a person's mental resilience.
Krauk followed the silent Xi Yan, lost in thought.
The Marshal... the great Marshal... he saved billions of citizens and changed their destinies, including mine.
If not for the Marshal, I would probably still be toiling away in a capitalist's factory.
Krauk had resolved to dedicate the rest of his life to the Marshal and the Empire. He joined [Ashes], endured grueling training, and ultimately became an outstanding agent.
He might not have been the most skilled agent, but he was certainly the most loyal.
His first important assignment had been to gather intelligence in the M'tok Union.
There, he encountered the Community Security Fleet for the first time. A chance turn of events led him to join it, serving under its then-chief, Gorpious.
A great deal happened afterward. The Community Security Fleet's relationship with the Empire gradually grew closer, and his original assignment-simply gathering basic intelligence-was urgently changed into a long-term mission: infiltration.
Ten years in the Community Security Fleet was an enormous test of anyone's resolve. The pressure Krauk faced was easy