One month after Master Rennic approved my Lantern project, the lower engineering hall had been cleared for the first full test. A test tunnel stood on one side. A climbing wall had been bolted into place near the other. There was also a broken power junction, a sealed vent shaft, three hazard markers, and one rescue dummy trapped under a fake support beam. Rennic had called it a basic test environment.
Lantern sat on the test table under a pale cover. From the outside, it looked like a covered dish. Father was here and so was Aunt Jenza. So were Master Luminara and Barriss Offee. Master Rennic stood beside the table with his tablet in both hands. He had looked over the test list twice already. Rennic looked at me. "Your Highness, state the unit's purpose before activation."
I folded my hands in front of me and kept my voice even. "Lantern is a small-frame search and repair crawler. It is meant to enter tight spaces, damaged structures, vents, crawlways, and places unsafe for larger droids or people. It can climb metal surfaces with magnetic leg tips, mark hazards, carry small emergency supplies, and return with route data."
Rennic nodded once. "And what is it not?"
"It's not a combat droid, a security droid, or a surveillance droid," I said. "It's not allowed access to palace systems, private networks, military channels, medical files, or noble records. It does not keep personal recordings longer than needed for rescue, repair, or route safety." Barriss looked at me when I said surveillance droid. Rennic lowered his tablet slightly. "And its forbidden actions?"
"It must never hide damage from its operator. It must never enter private living spaces unless called, sent by authorized rescue command, or responding to immediate danger. It must never choose property over life."
Rennic waited for a moment, then gave another nod. "Acceptable. Begin." I reached for the cover and pulled it away. The shell lifted in three smooth sections. Six legs unfolded from beneath its body, one after another, each joint locking into place with a soft click. The droid rose from the tray until it stood a little taller than my hand. It was about the size of a large baseball.
Its shell was soft pink with pale rose plates across the back. The lower leg pieces were teal, and the rounded magnetic tips were cream-colored. Two large blue sensor lenses brightened on the front. Lantern took three steps forward, stopped near the edge of the tray, and turned its head toward Rennic. Then it lifted one front leg in a small wave. Jenza's mouth opened slightly before she covered it with one hand.
Barriss looked down fast, but not fast enough while Rennic did not smile. "That routine was not in the approved file."
"It is a greeting routine," I said. "People might trust things that greet them." Rennic looked at Father. Father looked at Lantern, then at me. "Is the greeting necessary?"
"Yes," I said as I added, "Not mechanically. But for the purpose, yes." Luminara spoke for the first time. "Because frightened people may be less likely to reject aid from something that seems harmless."
I nodded. "Yes, Master Unduli." Rennic looked as if he wanted to argue but couldn't. He marked something on his tablet instead. "Proceed to floor descent." I placed two fingers near the tray. "Lantern, begin test one." Lantern turned away from Rennic and walked to the edge of the table. It lowered its front half and scanned the distance to the floor. The front legs stretched down, found the metal strip running along the table leg, and the magnetic tips clicked on. Lantern reached the floor and paused. Its body lowered slightly while it scanned the marked path ahead. The first test tunnel had clear paneling, so everyone could watch what happened inside. Rennic had set broken braces across it, a low gap near the center, and a fake collapse at the far end. Beneath the fake collapse was a heated marker.
Lantern entered the tunnel slowly, It did not rush. Lantern reached the fake collapse and scanned the marker. It extended a thin tool arm from beneath its front shell and touched the beam once. The beam was too heavy for it. So it backed up half a step and released a small beacon from a slot under its body. The beacon stuck to the floor and started to blink green.
"Life marker found," Lantern said. The voice was soft and clear, I might have over designed it. I had tested eight versions before choosing that one. "Marking location. I'll returning with aid." Lantern turned around and left the tunnel the same way it entered. Barriss watched it come out. "It did not try to move the beam?"
"No," I said. "It can use the data it has to determine if it has the strength to move something, if it doesn't, it wont risk hurting someone in the process."
She nodded slowly. "So it marks the place instead." Rennic stepped closer to the tunnel. "How many decision branches did you write for the collapse test?" I knew that question was coming. I still wished it had taken longer to arrive.
"One hundred and forty-two." Rennic looked at me even Jenza's hand lowered from her mouth while Barriss blinked. Luminara did not move, but her attention sharpened. Father's face stayed calm, was that to little? Should I have made more?
Rennic repeated the number slowly. "One hundred and forty-two."
"Some are repeated hazard responses," I added quickly. Rennic stared at me for another second, then looked back at Lantern. Father stepped forward. "Lantern, climb to the first wall mark." Lantern didn't move. Rennic turned his head toward Father. Then toward me and I looked at the floor.
"Liora."
"It needs my authorization for non-emergency commands. "I said not looking up, fuck I felt kinda stupid now... Rennic closed his eyes. Jenza turned away a little, but I could see her shoulders move.
Father's expression did not change. "That will be reviewed."
"Yes, Father."
"Proceed."
I swallowed. "Lantern, royal authorization one. Climb to first wall mark." Lantern turned toward the climbing wall and crossed the floor. The wall was not smooth. Rennic had made sure of that. It had metal strips, stone panels, dust patches, and one seam. Lantern reached the base, scanned, and began climbing. At the first seam, one foot slipped causing Lantern to stop at once, shifted weight to the other five legs, turned the bad tip off, and moved around the seam instead of forcing the grip.
Rennic whispered something under his breath and I didn't catch what it was. Lantern reached the first mark and stopped then its front sensors turned toward the room. "Height limit reached."
"Lantern, royal authorization one. Return." Lantern climbed down without slipping. When it reached the floor, it crossed back to the center of the test area and folded its legs beneath itself. Its blue lenses dimmed slightly, waiting for the next command. Rennic walked around it once. He watched the legs, the shell, the sensor lenses, and the little vents along the back. "This is not the design you submitted," he said.
"No," I admitted. His eyes moved to me. "How much changed?"
"Most of the inside," I said. Rennic breathed in through his nose. "Explain."
"The frame stayed close to the approved size," I said. "The shell changed because the first version trapped heat near the lower body. The magnetic tips are from hull maintenance designs, but they pulse instead of holding constant charge. It saves power and stops the legs from locking if the surface shifts. The speech is limited. The decision tree is large, but it is still controlled."
Rennic held out his tablet. "And the command lock?"
"For safety." I looked away first. Father stepped closer to Lantern. "This should have taken longer." I kept my eyes on the droid. "I had a good teacher."
"While Im flattered, thats not a good enough answer." My fingers pressed together hard enough to hurt. "I understood what I wanted it to do." Rennic looked at me sharply. "Understanding the goal, is one thing this is another."
"I know."
"No, Your Highness," he said. "You keep saying that, but I do not think you do." Rennic crouched in front of Lantern again. "The leg work alone should have taken a team months to make reliable at this size. The command lock is not perfect, but it is better than most palace service droids have. The decision tree is too large for a beginner and too organized. The heat control is not elegant, but it works. The shell design is childish in appearance."
Luminara stepped forward. "Master Rennic, you sound surprised."
"I am," Rennic said.
"You have taught gifted children before."
"I have taught bright children. I have taught noble children whose parents thought they were bright. I have taught young engineers who could see a circuit once and remember it." Rennic looked down at Lantern. "This is different."
Barriss looked from Rennic to me. Father's voice cut through the moment. "What worries you most?"
Rennic stood. "Speed."
Father did not look surprised. "Not safety?"
"Safety was never a worry my lord." Rennic looked at me again. "She is learning faster than I can teach her." No one answered right away. I stood beside Lantern with my hands folded in front of me and tried very hard not to look as nervous as I felt. The droid sat in the middle of the test floor with its legs folded beneath it, blue lenses dimmed, shell plates still warm from the climb. Father was the first to move. Not much. Just a slow turn of his head toward Master Rennic.
"Explain," he said. Rennic looked down at his tablet, then at Lantern, then at me. "My lord, this is not a matter of one impressive trick. I have seen children memorize engine layouts. I have seen apprentices learn faster than expected. I have seen prodigies build things early."
His mouth tightened. "This is not early. This is structured." Father's voice stayed calm. "You believe she had help?" I looked up fast. "No," Rennic said at once. That surprised me. Rennic saw that. "If someone else had built this, I would know. There are mistakes in it."
My pride took a small, rude fall down a very long staircase. Jenza turned her head away. Her shoulders moved. Rennic ignored her. "The mistakes are useful. They show her hand. The heat venting is functional, but can still be improved. The front tool arm is too exposed. The shell plating was made to be approachable but wasn't considered for simple to repair. A trained palace engineer would not have made those choices."
I glanced at Lantern while Rennic continued, "But the command lock, the leg correction, the hazard decisions, and the weight calculation are not simple mistakes. They show understanding. That is what concerns me."
Father looked at me. "Liora."
"Yes, Father...?"
"How much of this design did you complete after Master Rennic approved the first plan?"
I opened my mouth while Rennic's eyes narrowed and I closed my mouth and even Aunt Jenza sighed very quietly. "That much?"
I looked at the floor. "Most of it." Father did not raise his voice. "Define most."
"The shell changed," I said. "The legs changed. The speech changed. The beacon changed. The heat control changed. The routing changed. The command lock changed." Barriss, very softly, said, "What stayed?"
"The size," I admitted. Father was quiet for a long moment. "You submitted one design and built another."
"I submitted the first working design," I said quickly. "Then it got better." Rennic closed his eyes. "It did not get better by accident, Your Highness," he said. "It was changed without review." Luminara stepped closer to Lantern. She did not crouch, but her attention lowered toward it. "May I ask something?"
Father gave a small nod and She looked at me. "Why did you change the movement?" I blinked. "What?"
"The way it walks. It pauses before coming close. It turns its lenses away when it speaks. It lowers itself when approaching a trapped person.." I glanced at Lantern again. I had not expected her to notice that part so fast. "It is required for rescue work," I said. "People in small spaces panic," I said. "If something crawls toward them too fast, they might kick it or scream. If they are injured, moving could make it worse. Lantern has to look small.… not threatening."
Master Rennic looked at Lantern like he had missed something sitting right in front of him. Father looked at me for a moment too long. While Luminara's expression did not change much, but her voice softened by a thread. "That is a kind thought."
Father folded his hands behind his back. "What do you recommend?" Rennic looked at Lantern. "The unit remains in the engineering hall. No further testing until I complete a full review." My hands tightened before I could stop them. Father's eyes flicked to my hands.
I forced my fingers to loosen. "Yes, Father."
Rennic looked almost relieved. "I will need the full design file."
"I will send the rest." Father turned toward Luminara. "Your assessment, Master Unduli?" Luminara did not answer quickly. She looked at Lantern first, then at Rennic. She folded her hands into her sleeves. "Lantern's stated purpose is reasonable. Its restrictions are thoughtful. The ethical commands are better considered than many adult proposals I have seen." Luminara continued, "But Master Rennic is correct. The speed of development is unusual. So is the way she has connected technical function with emotional response."
Father turned to them. "Everyone not assigned directly to this review is dismissed." There was a moment of stiff movement, bows, murmured acknowledgments, and retreating footsteps. The lower engineering hall emptied quickly. Very quickly. When only the approved staff remained, Father spoke again.
"No copies leave this hall without my permission. No one speaks of the full design outside this room unless I allow it." Father said it calmly, but the way everyone straightened made it clear that calm did not mean soft. "This is not because Lantern is dangerous. It is because my daughter has made something far beyond what was approved, and I will not have half the palace turning it into gossip before Master Rennic understands what she has built."
Master Rennic rubbed one hand down his face, then pointed his tablet toward the test table. "Lantern, return to tray." Rennic slowly turned his head toward me. Rennic closed his eyes. "Your Highness, I am the one reviewing the droid."
"I was going to add you."
"When?"
"After the test.' I sighed and looked at Lantern. "Lantern, royal authorization one. Accept Master Rennic as temporary review authority until inspection is complete."
Lantern's blue lenses brightened. "Review authority accepted." Rennic stared at me. Lantern unfolded its legs and walked back toward the table. It climbed up the leg with soft clicks from the magnetic tips and stepped onto the tray, then folded itself down again. When it settled, it lifted one front leg and waved at Rennic. Rennic set the tablet down and reached for the small tool case beside the tray, but he did not open Lantern right away. Instead, he looked at me. "Before I touch anything, you are going to explain the changes in order. Not the way you explained them during the test. Not as a list of what you improved. I want to know why you changed them, when you changed them, and what failed first."
[[sorry many people quit where I worked so I'm doing a lot of overtime and haven't had a chance to really sit down and write.]]