The general’s voice is crisp and businesslike, yet somehow the word sounds like an insult coming from his lips. I suppress a frown, and we wait in silence for the train to arrive. When the armored vehicle grinds to a stop on the platform and the doors slide open, we both step on board and seat ourselves on the hard metal benches. Though the train is nearly empty today, we sit at opposite ends.

The compartment is cramped and dimly lit, and when the train takes off again, the whole vehicle shakes as it races along the tracks. Still, it’s much faster than travel by spider tank, and more convenient than the slow, cramped elevator shafts that civilians use to get to and from Drev Dravaask. I’m lucky that the general granted me access to the armored train, which links all the major forts and cities of our territory, normally reserved for active soldiers.

Altair is quiet for the ride. Though he accepted my choice to leave, I know he doesn’t respect it. He’s disappointed in me, and I wish that it didn’t bother me so much. It makes me want to try to explain to him why I have to leave, to tell him about Uwe and Magda and my family, but I know that making excuses will only earn me contempt. So I shut my eyes, listen to the rattling of the train around me, and try not to think about everything I’m leaving behind and the uncertainty ahead.

The general leaves my side the moment we step out of the train station. Without my team, my uniform, or my family, for the first time, I realize that I am completely and utterly myself—and completely and utterly alone. Perhaps it is impossible to be one without the other.

The underground fortress of Drev Dravaask is beautiful. It’s warm enough that I take off my outer coat, and not overcrowded with people and buildings like the major cities of other planets. There is a simple elegance to its architecture and a surprising kindness in its people. They all nod or smile at me as I pass, or press their fingers to their hearts if they notice the brand on my wrist. I return the gesture without thought, drinking in the quiet. It’s so peaceful here compared to the rest of Titan. Neither the storms nor the war can touch this place. Drev Dravaask has held its ground for over a century while cities around it crumbled. The stability allows people to build lives here that do not revolve around war. There are restaurants and shops, bars and inns, families that aren’t missing pieces. Of course, there is also a huge military recruitment center near the heart of the city, and posters advertising the perks of service on every street corner, so it is not possible to forget entirely.