Trapped Again

Once everything had settled down, Cohen had a sudden realization. How could Lyra, who had been able to hold her own against him, be taken down with just one punch from Erin? It was the sight of her spitting blood that must have thrown him off balance.

As for the bigger questions, like why she did it, Cohen didn't have the energy to dig into them anymore. He glanced at the military court's verdict flashing on the opticomputer screen and sighed, rubbing his temples. Once again, she had outsmarted him.

When Lyra got back to her dorm, Zinnia rushed over and hugged her tightly. "I was so scared! I thought you were dead!"

Lyra stayed quiet for a moment, then gently patted Zinnia's back. "You're squeezing me too hard."

"Are you really okay?" Zinnia grabbed a tissue from Lyra and blew her nose loudly. "No lasting damage?"

"None."

A ruptured organ wasn't a big deal with the advanced medical tech they had.