LOWKEY INTERSTELLER CAPTAIN

The corridors of the Imperial Academy buzzed with anticipation. With only a month left until graduation, tensions were at an all-time high. The stakes had never been greater, and for Cheno Bo, the dangers were escalating beyond the Academy’s walls.

A Silent Warning

As Cheno Bo walked through the training grounds, a subtle vibration in his neural link caught his attention. The system had intercepted classified communication.

[Warning: Hostile surveillance detected. Multiple encrypted messages traced to the Xian family network.]

His fists were clenched. Xian Ren was accelerating his plans.

Tapping into the surveillance feeds, Cheno accessed a covert transmission from Xian Ren to an unidentified contact:

"Ensure Bo's final trial is his last. The moment he fails, he’s finished."

A cold smirk formed on Cheno’s lips. They were plotting his downfall again. But he wasn’t the same desperate student they once cornered.

The Final Trial: A Death Trap

The next day, the Academy announced the Final Command Simulation—an extreme war scenario designed to test every graduating cadet’s ability to command a fleet under live-fire conditions.

This was where top cadets earned their captaincy.

And where Xian Ren had laid his trap.

Cheno was assigned a severely outdated warship, a vessel barely functional. Its AI systems were unresponsive, the targeting arrays malfunctioning. Meanwhile, Xian Ren’s fleet boasted state-of-the-art cruisers with advanced weaponry.

The simulation started. The moment Cheno’s fleet launched into the artificial battlefield; his ship’s systems shut down entirely.

[System Override Detected. Unauthorized Lockout Attempt in Progress.]

A message flashed across his neural interface.

[System Countermeasures Activated. AI Override Engaged.]

His ship suddenly lurched to life. The Void Sovereign’s influence had activated, forcing the Academy’s protocols to recognize Cheno’s full command. His neural link spread across the entire fleet, hijacking command permissions from their original captains.

Within seconds, the fleet was his.

Xian Ren’s smirk vanished as his ship’s HUD began flashing red.

“Impossible,” he muttered. “His ships were supposed to be crippled!”

But Cheno’s new authority was absolute.

He launched a counterattack, commanding his forces with precision. In a few minutes, Xian Ren’s well-prepared fleet was shattered.

When the simulation ended, the Academy officials were left in stunned silence. The impossible happened.

Cheno Bo had won.

Political Maneuvering

The aftermath of the trial sent ripples through the Empire’s power structure. Cheno’s unexpected victory challenged the Academy’s favoritism towards the Xian family.

In a dimly lit chamber within the Imperial Command Center, Grand Admiral Xian Wu sat across from High Chancellor Varos.

“This… disruption cannot be ignored,” Xian Wu stated. “He’s gaining traction. If we allow him to leave the Academy unscathed, he will become a problem.”

Varos remained silent, studying a holographic projection of Cheno Bo.

“There’s something unnatural about him,” Varos finally said. “His talent surpasses mere human capability. And then there’s the matter of his ship…”

Xian Wu narrowed his eyes. “We need to find out what he’s hiding.”

The order was clear, Cheno Bo was now a target beyond just the Academy. The full force of the Empire’s elite was shifting against him.

The Gathering Storm

Cheno sat alone in his quarters, staring at the growing list of adversaries in his system’s intelligence reports. Xian Ren’s treachery. The Empire’s political schemes. The hidden enemies from his past.

He was outnumbered. But not outmatched.

The Void Sovereign was healing. More fragments awaited recovery.

And soon, the galaxy would know the true power of the last heir of the fallen house of Bo.