1: Title Card

2: "Who... who are you?" I stammered, pulling the sheet up to cover myself. She laughed.

"Priya Halvorssen, The person who funds this little science project, dear boy. And, as of now, your new commanding officer." She looked from me to Maren, a shrewd glint in her dark gold-brown eyes. "Yeleth believes your unique... talent... could be a game-changer. And my company specializes in game-changers. You are now a Concord Fleet Captain. And you, Maren, are his first assigned Warden. Congratulations on your promotions, I look forward to see how you perform with other women."

"Three," Priya said, holding up as many fingers, as if I might have trouble counting them. "Registered Wardens. You have one." She gestured to Maren with a lazy wave of her perfectly manicured hand.

3: "Registering a ship is conditional on a full commission, Captain.”

"The Warden Registry on the Ionai moon is your best option," Yeleth said, its voice a flat, clinical monotone. "It's where all newly bonded Wardens are taken for their initial registration. And where captains go to recruit."

"So I just... walk in and ask?" I asked, Priya let out a soft, throaty laugh. "Oh, you poor, sweet boy. No. You walk in and you compete. Every captain with a ship and a reputation will be there, circling the fresh meat like sharks." She leaned in close, her dark gold-brown eyes locking onto mine. "And you are a captain with no history, no education, and no credentials. We will have to get creative. Love and Power, nice slogan isn’t it?"

4: We reached Ionai, and after only seeing a mining colony for my whole life, I felt like I was thrown into a movie scene. I've seen pictures of the core worlds, of course, but seeing it in person was something else entirely. Maren walked beside me, her presence a steady, grounding force in the overwhelming newness of it all. I kept my hands in my pockets, trying to look like I belonged. "Try not to look like you've just seen a ghost," Maren murmured, a hint of her usual teasing tone in her voice. "Easy for you to say," I shot back. "You're not the one who's supposed to be a captain." She smiled. "You'll be fine. You've got me, haven't you?"

5: The Warden Registry hall was a cavernous space, the ceiling so high it was lost in the diffuse white light. Priya had told me about the pitch, and I felt myself blushing everytime someone saw me and began to whisper to the person next to them. Yeleth glided beside us, its pale form a stark contrast to the dark uniforms of the Wardens and the crisp suits of the captains. "The Taking ceremony is complete," it said, its voice a low hum in my ear. new Wardens will be emerging momentarily. Prepare yourselves."

6: As if on cue, a set of doors at the far end of the hall slid open, and a line of women began to file out. They were dressed in simple white robes, their faces pale, their eyes wide with a mixture of awe and disorientation. They were the newly bonded, the ones who had just undergone the Taking. They were the future of the Concord, and they were also our only hope. I could feel the tension in the room ratchet up a notch. The other captains, a mix of grizzled veterans and slick corporate types, began to move, their eyes fixed on the new Wardens like hawks spotting their prey. I took a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves. "Okay," I said, mostly to myself. "Time to be a captain." Maren gave me a small, encouraging smile. "You've got this," she whispered.

7: I saw a few of the Wardens looked at me, their expressions a mix of curiosity and skepticism. I could hear the whispers, the snickers, the outright laughter. "The Steadfast? Never heard of it." "Is that the ship with the 'power enhancement' ad?" "He's the 'asset'? He looks like a dockworker." I felt my face flush, my hands clenching into fists at my sides. I tried to talk to several of them, but they ran away as soon as they could. I sat down, trying to catch a breather and gather courage. I heard a voice beside me. "So, is it true?" I turned, and I was startled about who I saw. Priya had given me a file regarding all the wardens that had just awakened. And at the top of almost every list had been her: Saya Voss. Her eyes were fixed on me, unblinking, intense.

8: "About what?" I managed, my voice a little rougher than I'd intended. Her eyes narrowed. "The advertisement." Her tone was as flat as her expression. "The Halvorsen Group's marketing campaign. Does making love with you make Wardens stronger?'" She said the words with a deliberate precision that made them sound even more ridiculous than they already were. I met Saya's gaze, trying to project a confidence I didn't feel. "It is," I said, my voice steady. "It's true." Saya didn't react, her face remained a perfect, placid mask. "Ok then, let's do it now." she said. "Let's test the claim."