Sunderland brought the debate to a halt to continue the lecture, but Kirk studied Janith-Lau as she pondered the exchange. She noted his scrutiny and smiled. “He’s an interesting fellow. There’s something very familiar about his passion for his ideals, even if I don’t agree with his methods.”

The next class they visited was an introductory engineering course. The instructor, Lieutenant Commander Longo, assigned the class to break into several groups, each of which was given a standard kit of components and a randomly drawn card specifying what kind of device they needed to build from them. This was a test of the cadets’ creativity and problem-solving skill as well as their engineering knowledge.

The youthful-seeming Warborn cadet called Benedick threw himself into the exercise with enthusiasm, meshing smoothly with his study group. It seemed to Kirk that he was more outgoing than the other Warborn, possessing a guileless openness that made him easy to get along with. He experimented gamely with the components and went along readily with the suggestions of other group members. He didn’t seem to have much insight into the principles behind the components, but he was eager to explore the possibilities and learn from their outcomes. Kirk found himself reminded of a young Pavel Chekov.

Conversely, the other Warborn cadet in the class, a female called Viola, struggled with the assignment, appearing frustrated and lost. She contributed no useful suggestions, though she followed instructions gamely when the others encouraged her to contribute her dexterity and steady hands to the work. Still, she made mistakes, struggling to understand how the components should fit together. When Janith-Lau spoke to her afterward, seeking to understand her perspective, Viola replied with stiffly controlled frustration. “Give me instructions to follow and I’ll do it. I can field-strip and reassemble any weapon you put in my hands. I’m trained at that. I understand that.”

“It’s more of a challenge to create than to destroy,” Janith-Lau told her gently. “But that means it takes more strength, more courage. Don’t you think so?”

Viola scoffed. “I’m not a hero. I just do my duty. That’s my place.” She looked around. “But this duty, this place… I may be the wrong choice for it.”

When Janith-Lau returned to Kirk’s side, she bore a wistful smile. “One thing this visit has made clear—the Warborn are as individual as anyone else. I’m embarrassed at myself for expecting otherwise.”