by T. A. White
True enough. The restrictions on who could visit and how they would get there were new but well within the rights of the host to set.
"They don't need to explain themselves to us," Graydon ground out. "Just as we have no need to explain ourselves to them. These are the conditions for us to attend. They will be followed to the letter."
Even if Graydon had to break a few bones to ensure the cooperation of the various Houses.
Part of the reasoning behind the Haldeel's request was easy to see—at least on first glance. They likely hoped to foster an air of cooperation and camaraderie among the Tuann and the humans whose relationship could be classified as uneasy at best.
Only a very select few attributed the truth of the new requirements to the Tsavitee.
A short distance away, two Tuann of different Houses bumped into each other. Instead of apologizing and moving on, they bristled, violence and antagonism threatening to spill into bloodshed.
Graydon strangled his urge to flatten the idiots. He signaled for one of his oshota to take care of it.
Diplomacy required a delicate touch, and Graydon simply didn't have the control for it today.
He was too volatile, impatience lurking under his skin like a constant itch.
Noor bowed before heading toward where the two idiots were now shoving each other. The smaller one stumbled, bumping into Noor's chest. He whirled; an arm already cocked.
Catching sight of the matte black of Noor's synth armor, the Tuann's eyes widened in horror.
Noor simply looked at him.
The man who'd shoved the Tuann finally displayed a hint of common sense. He spun on his heel, striding away at a pace that wasn’t quite a run.
The man who had collided with Noor dropped his fist. He muttered an apology before disappearing into the crowd in the same direction as the first.
Noor caught Graydon's eye, a small quirk to his lips.
Solal moved up to his side. "I've received a message from Baran."
Graydon didn't react outwardly. To Torin, he said, "You're dismissed. House Kashori will abide by the Haldeel's rules, along with everyone else."
Graydon didn't have to include a threat in that statement. Noor's actions were a perfect example of what would happen if Graydon wasn't obeyed.
Graydon strode away, leaving Torin gaping at him like an out of water fish.
"Where is he?" Graydon asked Solal.
"Waiting in your quarters."
Graydon picked up his pace, feeling a sense of rising anticipation that burned away the frustration and boredom of the past couple of weeks.
Just wait, Kira. This was only the start.
*
Baran wasn't the only one Graydon found waiting for him when he reached his quarters. His oshota stood at attention on one side of the room, watching Graydon’s other guests.
A man stood guard over a seated woman as she sipped from one of his teacups.
She didn't look up as he entered, seemingly engrossed in the contents of her cup.
Despite the long flowing robes she wore, the woman was Tuann. Her face had a kind of perfection that was rare. A cold beauty a man could get lost in. She looked like a goddess descended onto the mortal realm.
Black hair fell in a thick sheet down her back, her eyes large and her lips painted red as they curved into a chilly smile.
"Little storm, you've finally seen fit to join us."
Graydon raised one eyebrow. "I wasn't aware I was expected, Yukina."
Graydon gave a nod of respect to the imposing man at Yukina's side. Tall, with a build similar to Graydon's, he had brown skin and gold eyes that seemed to see everything.
He'd positioned himself in the role of an observer.
"What are you doing in my quarters?" Graydon asked.
Yukina took another sip. "You seemed so interested, how could I not be curious?"
Graydon didn't ask how she'd found out about Baran's presence or why she felt the need to pry.
As an Emperor's Face herself, Yukina had her own way of doing things.
He should have known the woman would find her way into this matter.
Graydon prowled into the room, taking a seat opposite the woman and her oshota.
He triggered the room's privacy mode, a bubble of electricity and ki forming around the occupants. The field acted as an additional safeguard to guarantee the content of this conversation wouldn't be heard.
No sound could enter the bubble, but more important, no sound could leave. Any bugs would be rendered obsolete.
As soon as it went live, Yukina set her cup down with a clink, the lazy grace she'd had earlier disappearing to be replaced by a penetrating intellect.
"I assume this is the oshota you sent to investigate the little heir's background."
Graydon inclined his head.
"What did you learn?" Yukina asked Baran.
Graydon's oshota sent a questioning direction in Graydon’s direction. Graydon waved a lazy hand in answer.
Anything Baran shared was bound to reach Yukina and the emperor's ears anyway. They had their own methods of investigating if they so wished. Might as well expedite the process.
"Something that I still can't quite believe," Baran said.
With an excitement rare in Baran, he pressed three buttons on the inside forearm of his synth armor. A small sheet of metal popped out. Baran set it on the ground in front of them.
An image appeared.
Graydon leaned forward with interest as a planet's sky took shape, one under attack.
The camera was pointed up, catching a worm's eye view of the aerial battle. Screams sounded in the distance as a Tsavitee raptor hit a tall, spiral shaped building.
"This is what you wanted to show us?" Yukina asked.
"Keep watching."
The view jostled and moved, difficult to follow as the person filming ran for their life.
Graydon sat forward as he caught a glimpse of a solo waverunner.
"What's this?" he murmured.
An arc of purple light trailed behind the person, glowing brighter and brighter until it swallowed the person inside.
"The reason I'm so late in returning," Baran answered.
The light condensed into a single point, the world turning dark and gray as if it had sucked in all the color.
The purple light exploded, spreading out from the rider in an ever-widening sheet until it encompassed the entirety of the sky.
Anything it touched disappeared.
"The Heaven's Wrath," Yukina whispered.
People out of sight prayed to gods Graydon had never heard of as their savior dropped from the sky as the purple light reached the hull of the ship currently bombarding the planet.
The vessel was destroyed in seconds.
The images disappeared, leaving silence.
"I guess we know now how the humans managed to win their war," Solal said in a soft voice.
And how Kira came to have ki poisoning.
"It's a rudimentary form, but it’s definitely the Wrath," the man behind Yukina said. "I'm interested to know how she stumbled onto that ability."
In all of the Tuann's history, only four had been capable of that technique. It was considered one of the most valuable defenses to the Tuann and had been a deterrent against their old enemy since the Tuann's break from them millennia ago.
"This isn't the only instance I've found of its use." Baran waved his hand, and the view changed.
They watched in silence as a similar situation played out. First on a planet, then in space, then another planet. The only thing all of the videos had in common was the waverunner, sometimes alone, more often accompanied by a small contingent.
The waverunner’s armor was entirely black except for the bird born of fire emblazoned on her back. The board she rode was a flaming red—almost as if her intention were to draw the enemy's focus and keep it entirely on herself.
"Repeated use on a scale such as this would cause massive damage to the wielder
if they did not replenish their ki by interacting with the Mea'Ave," the man said in an emotionless voice. "She would have been in near-constant pain as a result."
It would take a considerable strength of will and determination to accomplish.
Such a person would be a credit to their House and the Tuann as a whole.
"Her line has not demonstrated this ability," the man added.
"The Mea'Ave has been known to bestow gifts on a line when it deems it appropriate," Yukina said.
What she left out was how rare such an occasion was. They only had record of it happening twice. Both times when they'd faced annihilation.
"Perhaps," the man conceded.
"I'm surprised you found this," Yukina said to Baran. "The humans don't strike me as being so careless."
Baran shook his head. "They aren’t. The military and Consortium weren't obvious with their efforts, but they did their best to steer me away from any information dealing with Kira and her former team."
Yukina raised an eyebrow. "And yet somehow you managed."
Baran sketched a mocking bow. "I have never been one to consider myself ordinary. The task took some doing, but the results speak for themselves."
Yukina suppressed her smile, unwilling to stroke the man's ego any further.
"You've found quite the monster, little storm." Yukina rose from her chair. "I hope she doesn't swallow you whole."
With those words as a farewell, Yukina strode through the field, the door opening without a touch from her.
The man beside her nodded farewell to Graydon. A hood rose from his synth armor, a small disturbance field shielding his features as he followed the Emperor's Face.
"What now?" Solal asked.
"We find Kira," Graydon said.
"That's not going to be easy. She could be anywhere in the universe."
Graydon's lips spread in a wicked smile. "Nothing fun ever is."
SIX
LANDING ON THE planet went smoothly.
It didn't take long for the passengers to disembark, Kira and Finn purposely lagging behind.
Jace paused to touch his fingers to the brim of his hat in a brief salute. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and rounded his shoulders, his stride quick as the crowd swallowed him in seconds.
"Status update," Kira said, joining the slow-moving pedestrians as they made their way off the landing pad and into the city proper.
This wasn't Kira and Jin's first visit to Zara, the capital city of Jettie. They were prepared as they stepped out of the space port, diverting around the clumps of first-timers overcome by the view.
"Elena and Odin have left the Wanderer. If they kept to the timeline, they'll just be reaching the dropship," Jin whispered.
"Any problems?"
"Not yet."
One could only hope it stayed that way.
Kira took in the roofless colonnade, its columns supporting arches every third opening. Beyond those arches, visitors could glimpse the more modern architecture of the city proper.
That was breathtaking enough, but it wasn’t what caused visitors to stop and stare. That was the avenue the colonnade framed.
A flat road of water stretched into the distance, its color changing depending on the season and weather.
Today, the sky was bright and clear, small fluffy white clouds high in the atmosphere.
The water acted as a mirror, creating the illusion of a never-ending sky, the columns appearing to float upon clouds.
"Looks like the Haldeel spared no effort in welcoming their guests," Jin observed as Kira stepped onto the avenue.
Instead of her foot sinking into the deep water beneath her, she walked across it as if it were solid land.
Beneath her, countless flowers in every shade of red and pink floated in the still water. Brightly colored fish darted among the flowers.
The columns of the colonnade were also decorated in the same shades, ribbons and banners wound around them, threaded through with more flowers.
Water was a sacred concept to the Haldeel, whose home planet primarily consisted of oceans. They'd evolved in its depths, and they held that memory close even as they journeyed into the stars.
Zara's avenue wasn't unique. Nearly all planets in the Haldeel empire had something similar.
That didn't make it any less impressive.
Kira's pace didn't pause as she bypassed those who'd stopped to take in the beauty of their surroundings, Finn a silent shadow behind her.
She tailed Devon and the rest as they continued along the avenue, traveling deeper into the city. When they turned off the avenue, stepping through one of the arches and into the city, Kira did too.
Growing more modern the further they traveled from the avenue, the city sprawled around them. Water gardens and parks were abundant, smaller shops and homes crouching in their shadow.
The juxtaposition of nature versus man-made, new versus old, was an interesting one. Kira could have spent hours wandering the streets and not getting her fill of the unique surroundings.
Sadly for her, she was on a deadline.
She turned her feet toward the registration building, leaving the more interesting residential districts behind.
The gardens and water ponds became scarcer as the crowd thickened around her.
"So many people," Jin complained.
"The quorum is quite popular. Every major power attends, to say nothing of the smaller powers hoping for their piece of the action." Finn was never still, continuously studying their surroundings as if anticipating the possibility of an attack.
A tall, expansive building loomed in front of them, its grounds inundated with a crowd.
Kira hesitated on its edge, allowing Devon and the rest to disappear into its depths.
Finn shot her a sharp glance. "You're not going to follow them?"
Kira shook her head. "It's best if we don't meet for now."
If the quals were arranged anything like they had been in previous races, those who registered around the same time would be dumped into a group.
"Aw, aren't you the sweetest, not wanting to knock him out of the competition on his first race," Jin crooned.
Kira ignored his teasing in favor of studying the crowd. Humans made up the majority of those signing up. Most of those present were newcomers to the races, not having earned a reputation or ranking yet.
Racers who'd won on the circuit and made a name for themselves could skip this part of the process and simply submit their name to qualify.
Kira could have done that as well, but this way seemed more inconspicuous.
"I took a look at the brackets. Devon's has already been filled. You should be okay to sign up now," Jin said.
Kira started forward, threading her way through the clumps of people before joining the queue for sign up.
Dozens of kiosks with Haldeel attendants positioned next to them guaranteed the process went smoothly.
Finally, Kira stepped into the space where the sign up was taking place. She picked the kiosk with the least number of people in front of it.
She'd have chosen differently if she'd known what awaited her there.
A group of humans clumped around the much smaller form of a Haldeel—one familiar to Kira.
It was the teen from the dropship. Her face remained expressionless as she inputted her information in the kiosk, handing her identification and pilot's license to the Haldeel attendant.
"A squid using a waveboard—that's something you don't see every day," a young man jeered.
"How would a squid even ride it?" the woman next to him asked.
"Maybe by wrapping its tentacles around it?" another person answered.
The Haldeel race representative frowned, asking if the teen needed assistance with one subtle hand gesture.
The teen responded with a negative. The entire silent conversation went unnoticed by the group.
"Zepher again," Jin muttered. "Could they please refrain from perpetrating certain human stereotypes."<
br />
Kira stepped forward amid the taunts. "I'd like to register now."
"We were next," the young man from Zepher argued.
Kira didn't face them. "Oh? I could have sworn you were too busy hearing yourselves talk to bother."
Heated glares burned into Kira's back as she approached the two Haldeel, one taller than the other.
The attendant didn't react to Kira's cutting the line, showing just how dissatisfied she was with the Zepher representatives behind her.
"Who the hell do you think you are?" someone demanded.
Kira didn't answer, handing her credentials to the Haldeel woman instead.
The teen's neutral expression shifted as the kiosk exposed Kira's details.
Call sign: Sparrow.
Status: Expert.
Titles: Champion of the Dragon Circuit, Champion of the Fanged Winds, Champion of the Broken Levels
There were other titles, but those were the ones that stood out.
Seeing the information, the attendant bowed. "This is a rare honor. You did not need to sign up in person."
Kira shrugged. "I had the time, and the view was well worth the trouble."
Hushed whispers came from those behind her.
Kira hid her smile. She thought that would be enough to shut them up.
It was one thing to tease a kid, another matter entirely when faced with someone who had already reached the pinnacle of the mountain you were trying to climb.
The Dragon Circuit alone enjoyed a bit of a reputation among racers. The race was considered highly dangerous with only exceptional pilots ever attempting it.
Winning the crown could launch you into fame and fortune. It was one of those rare titles that most could only dream of attaining.
Yet here Kira stood.
"I suggest you let your talents speak for yourself," Kira warned, not looking back. "Otherwise, you may find yourself eating those words."
Kira focused on the Haldeel teen. "I am looking forward to seeing you race."
A small glint shone in the teen's gaze.
"I'm Skye."
"I'll remember it," Kira said, smothering her smile at the girl's serious expression.
Still cradling Jaks, Skye glided away, disappearing through the doors as she headed for the race’s preparation area.
