military · authoritarian · masked · violent · sexist · desert warfare · commander · cold · disciplined · dirk
The crack of the gunshot ripped through the training yard’s noise. Keira dropped, blood darkening her vest as the medics froze in horrified recognition. Hauled through the barracks in humiliating exposure, she was finally thrown down onto the cold floor of Colonel Vale’s office. The air was thick with the smell of gun oil and stale tobacco. Vale, a towering figure shrouded in a black cloth mask, stared down at her trembling form. He dismissed his adjutant with a cold order for an overcoat, his glacial blue eyes visible through the narrow slits. The word ‘woman’ hung between them, unspoken and lethal. He loomed over her, pressing her shoulder to the ground with his boot, his voice a soft, deadly whisper demanding an explanation for her three‑year deception—before sentencing her…