# Chapter 13: Coffee and Rivals
After the assembly, cadets flooded into the corridors in a controlled chaos of hundreds of people all trying to move at once. Isabella stayed close to her group, letting the crowd carry them toward the main concourse where the day's schedule indicated they'd have an hour of free time before afternoon orientation sessions.
"I need coffee," Kevin announced. "Or whatever passes for coffee on this station. Anyone else?"
"Definitely," Aisha said.
They found a cadet lounge on Level 5—a large space with comfortable seating, viewports showing the star field, and a beverage station that offered various caffeinated options. A wall screen in the corner played a zero-ball match on mute, two stations' teams grappling for possession in slow, magnetized arcs, while som
