"I...I've always been...not very confident," Israfil replied, "Instead of going through a Wildtype-only curriculum, I went to a mixed academy.  I was pretty easily overshadowed by my peers."  Israfil rubbed the back of his head, 'incompetent' was a word he had heard all too often.

[hr]
Maya let Blythe vent, it was better that she did so than keep the frustration to herself.  "The scientists are blinded by their 'project', but on top of that, by their racial biases." Maya looked over at Sion who also took a quick glance at the door to make sure it was closed.  "There are so many things wrong with the Ascendancy," Maya said finally.  "Not just the military, not just the government, the whole thing.  I...intend to change it."  Sion sat up a little straighter than normal, it was clear that he was becoming agitated, despite his best efforts to hide it.  Maya continued, "I know this may not mean much coming from an Ascended, much less one considered 'of noble blood', but I see the way the system is skewed against Wildtypes and Quantums.  We laud ourselves as the the only 'fair' nation, yet it's all hypocrisy.  I'm not going to start a rebellion, but I do want to initiate change.  Right now, that means becoming Fleet Admiral of the Ascendancy Defense Fleet.  The military has a lot of power in the government; that combined with my status as nobility means that I might even be able to aim for even higher offices.  Sion is the only one I've told these ambitions to.  I'm putting a lot of faith in the both of you by telling you all this, but when the time comes, will you support me?"  Maya realized it was a lot to drop on the twins, but the very nature of cogs was that they revealed something about the pilot.  It was not only a weapon, but a tool of self-expression, in essence, it could be a symbol, a symbol that people could rally behind.