"Cady!" Syra yelled from the living room as I washed the dishes. "Shade Alestra's speech is about to be on Auraview!"

"Okay, I really don't want to watch it, but at the same time, I do," I laughed, rinsing the suds off my hands.

"Just get over here!" My best friend stuck her tongue out. Shrugging, I joined her on the ratty couch, kicking my socks off onto the stained wooden floor as I directed my attention to the little Aurascreen in front of me.

We were a bit late- the speech was about to start. Shade looked almost exactly like she did during that fateful warmatch four years ago, except for her expensive Lessaenite clothing and elegant hairdo. She stood in the middle of the Grand Warmatch Arena, prepared to commence the opening ceremony of the 2905 Warmatch Interplanetale.

"...and now, we present to you someone we all know and love, Miss Shade Alestra, former warmatch star, recent graduate of Eskee University, and the youngest Vice President the Board of Warmatches has ever had!" Lasydra Kay announced.

Shade bowed politely, before adjusting her mic.

"Good evening to everyone present, as well as those who are watching this on Auraview!" She grinned. "On this very day four short years ago, I stood on the floor of this arena for the first time, as one of them, a contestant-" she pointed to the row of terrified kids behind her. "From that moment, I knew that this was my calling. But I couldn't have turned that dream into a reality without the help and support of the wonderful Chief of the Scientist Clan, Selaeyah Valior."

She paused as the camera panned to Selaeyah, displaying her proud face.

"I want to remind you all that with a lot of brains and a little bit of luck, anything is possible!" Shade yelled, pointing at the ceiling. "I was a Rhenan, destined to die in the Warmatch Interplanetale, but I refused to accept that fate, and now, I'm designing half of this year's tasks!"

She had to wait for at least a few minutes for the copious applause, before she could continue.

"Now, before I leave, I'd like to thank Cady Ervine...for almost being my final Warmatch kill."