The Advanced Simulation Chambers were housed in a isolated tower, accessible only by those with special clearance. The AI here was sharper, more invasive, designed to break down every aspect of a fighter's style and psychology.
Their first simulation: Corrupted Worldship Infiltration.
The scenario dropped them into the bowels of a living Corrupted starship, tasked with planting energy-destroying charges in three nerve clusters while evading a Corrupted Hunter—an elite enemy designed to learn and adapt to their tactics.
They moved as a unit, but the Hunter was relentless. It predicted Leyla's ambushes, avoided Mira's spatial traps, and resisted Echo's Error-Sight by constantly shifting its energy signature.
They failed the first three attempts.
Exhausted, they regrouped in the debrief room. The AI analysis was brutal: "Unit relies too heavily on bond-sync. Individual skill degradation detected. Recommendation: separation training."
Separation. The word struck fear into Echo. Their strength was their unity.
But the AI had a point. If one of them was captured or isolated in real combat, they needed to hold their own.
"We train separately for a week," Echo decided. "But we meet like this every night. To reconnect."
Leyla growled but agreed. Mira nodded, though her eyes were worried.