Synopsis
Far in the future, humanity has split into two opposing camps: the Union and the Deague. Their conflict has dragged on so long that its origins have been forgotten. The Union's main military force relies on the piloted combat system known as the Strain, whereas the Deague deploys an automated counterpart called the Tumoru. Sara Werec comes from a well-regarded family. At sixteen, she is a student at the Grapera Space Armed Soldier Academy in the Cranial Solar System, training to become a fully qualified Reasoner—that is, a Strain pilot. When Sara was eleven, her brother Ralph Werec was dispatched to a frontline 130 light-years away on a special mission. Even the Union's fastest ship would need four hundred years of objective time to cross that distance, yet due to relativity, only two subjective years pass for those aboard the vessel. Having lost their parents early in life, the siblings share a deep bond. Sara's greatest desire is to see her brother again, which means she must make her way to the battlefield where he is stationed. One day, Deague forces launch a sudden attack on Sara's planet. To her shock, Ralph is among the raiders, and they succeed in abducting a mysterious girl who was sleeping inside a capsule. Determined to uncover the truth, Sara boards a Strain and gives chase. But Ralph attacks her, and the Mimic—a replica of the pilot's brain that is vital for operating the Strain—sustains damage.
