Reaghan made the ground in front of them more mud than dirt, slowing the ball’s progress. A loud cry of joy from the other end of their field distracted her so much that she let the ball fly by. The other team joined in the cheering as Reaghan turned bright red.
“We can do this!” she said, clapping her hands together.
Spurred on by her determination, the children rushed forward. Their attacks became more dynamic, though within the rules. Some children were sent sprawling to the ground, while others found themselves wading through a stream that suddenly sprang up. Reaghan was quick to make sure any spells that even chanced going awry were kept in check. She lobbed a ball at one of her defenders while keeping the other in her peripheral vision.
The offensive player was doing a good job in keeping her from being able to track the ball easily, passing it around their feet in an unending whirl of movement. She summoned a jet of water, and shot it at the boys’ face. He sputtered and stared at her, eyes wide with bewilderment. The other players noticed the water dripping from his chin and started laughing. Reaghan’s eyes narrowed somewhat, then aimed a new jet of water at the defender on her team. Her reaction was much similar to her opponents. In seconds, a water fight broke out with even some of the adults joining in as the heat of the day permeated even the thick forest. Reaghan broke away from the festivities, wringing out her black tank top as she did. Eldar Tria watched the events with an amused look on her face.
“I told you,” Twi was saying as she approached. “She can’t help but become a total child.”
“At least I’m not boring,” Reaghan retorted, then charged back into the battle.
Fire rose higher than the fabricated houses that surrounded the center square. When they arrived, people were already deep in drink and song, the lyrics some long forgotten tongue. For her part, the AI bobbed along with the beat of the drums from her position on her shoulder. She could have flown, but the safest place for Twi in crowds of any size was on Reaghan’s shoulder or head. Reaghan watched the musicians play. Most music, even in a setting like this, had been replaced by digital versions that had been recorded decades ago. Seeing a live performance like this was something reserved for a theater.
“Here.” Jirao pressed a tall glass into her hands. “It’s a cider we ferment here. Once the production is perfected, we’ll start selling it to the universe.”
“I’ve yet to see any orchards here. Where’d you grow them?” Reaghan had to yell to be heard.
They’re around,” he replied with a wink, then walked away.
“He really changed his tune,” Twi commented dryly.
They hadn’t seen Jirao in more than passing since their duel to establish Reaghan’s loyalties.
“Yeah, well,” Reaghan gave the drink in her hand an experimental prod with her Eiha. “Being pulled up by the person you’re sure is a traitor waiting to reveal themselves is a bit humbling.” She took a sip and smacked her lips, setting the glass down on a table. “I see why they want to keep this a secret. It’s downright dangerous.”
“How so?”
“You can’t taste the booze.”
“Why is that a bad thing? I thought you all drank to enjoy yourselves. I’ve looked up what it tastes like and I don’t see the appeal otherwise.”
Reaghan didn’t want to get into how some humanoids had a lack of self-control because that was a rabbit hole she really didn’t want to go down. A whirl of movement sweeping across the firelight drew her attention. Dancers twirled rapidly around each other in well-practiced movements. Further along, a man breathed flames and made intricate patterns with the fire he wielded. Games had been set up for everyone to test their luck or toss balls into hoops. There were no prizes as far as Reaghan could tell, but that didn’t seem to stop the lines from forming.
Loud cheering came from another group off to the side of the main festivities.
“What’s that?” Twi asked.
A funnel of wind formed in the center of the group. Reaghan braced herself to dissipate the tornado if needed, only to end up stepping back in surprise when an equally powerful one appeared. She relaxed slightly when she saw none of the group seemed fazed by the appearance. The tornadoes wound around each other, clashing and merging as though they were two titans going to battle. Money changed hands as everyone cheered for their favorite fighters.
“Himam is the favorite,” a man informed Reaghan. “Care to wager?”
“Another time,” she said with a smile.
He left her with a bow, no doubt eager to make whatever quota he had set for himself. More credits changed hands, then the fight began in earnest. Dirt and bits of stone were flung out toward the spectators. Reaghan put a shield around herself and Twi to protect them from the hazard. The tornadoes threaded together, becoming larger and more powerful. A deep rut in the ground began to form as more dirt was thrown.
“Come on! Finish it!” someone bellowed.
A raucous cheer answered the call and the tornadoes’ casters seemed to oblige. They both expanded outward, trying to strangle the other out.
“What’s the point?” Twi asked.
“I’m betting it’s a test of endurance, as much as skill. Some of these twists are pretty tight.” In her opinion, they were also a work of art. It was part of what appealed to her when she first learned about this method of using Eiha. There was beauty in nature as much as raw destructive power.
“If I might have everyone’s attention.” An older man stood next to Eldar Tria and another man. The flames cast them in a warm, orange glow. Like most of the villagers around her, they wore what was likely their best clothing.
The roar of the tornadoes faded instantly and the crowd funneled toward them. Reaghan stayed toward the back of the crowd, unwilling to confine herself among that many bodies.
“Welcome, my friends,” Eldar Tria greeted. “When we set out, over two years ago, we weren’t sure what we’d find. Our homeworld is far from here, much too far to get more than a vague picture of what was ahead. And yet, you embraced it. To help prepare the planet for those who will soon come. Once we got here, we discovered a world more hospitable than we might have thought, yet we had a lot of work ahead of us. Tonight, that work pays off and I thank each and every one of you for your time, your efforts, and in some cases, your tears.” Tria beamed at them all. “Get to celebrating!”
Music instantly filled the air as everyone funneled back to their normal activities. Reaghan decided to take it easy and sit down at a table with a good view of what was going on. Now, her Essaheli stars were passing the three balls they had used for their game around, tiny spells on the surface. She pulled her hair back in a ponytail to distract herself from the temptation of joining them.
“Damn,” Twi whispered.
“What?” Reaghan asked out of the corner of her mouth.
“I’m glad you could join us,” Tria greeted, Jirao standing right behind her.
“Wouldn’t have missed it,” Reaghan replied.
“Reaghan,” Twi spoke up again, a hint of panic in her voice. “A ship just appeared on the Aeon’s sensors.”
Reaghan swallowed hard to bury her own panic at the thought. Just because it’s a ship doesn’t mean it’s Miraz, she reminded herself silently. “Could it be the colony ship?” she suggested, glancing over at Tria to use her response to gauge her own.
The Eldar stood straighter, but her expression was calm. “If it is, they haven’t communicated yet.” She turned and whispered softly to Jirao. “Tell the guards of the docking platform to be on alert.” The platform had been widened over the course of their stay so that most ships could dock, though the Aeon remained in its clearing.
“I should go get more men,” Jirao said, standing to his full height.
“Not yet,” Tria stood. “It could be that we’re right and it’s just the colony ship. Unfortunately, we had an overload
earlier today in our comms station so we can’t get messages out yet.”
“All the more reason to be cautious,” her son urged.
Reaghan glanced up at the sky. A light, like a bright star, appeared above them. “Can you get a message out?” she asked Twi.
“I’ve already done that and either our systems still aren’t aligned to the right channels or they’re ignoring us.”
“Well?” Jirao asked.
Before Tria could reply, a bright light filled the clearing. Reaghan blinked rapidly to clear her vision. Three all too familiar forms stood at the edge of the clearing. Miraz and Ja were armed to the teeth, like they were going up against an army instead of trying to secure a single woman. Reaghan froze, sitting so rigidly that a stiff breeze could blow her over.
“Breathe,” Twi urged quietly. “Just breathe.”
“Can we help you?” Tria asked.
Heavy wing beats filled the air. Reaghan looked up to see a swarm of large wasps rise over the trees.
“Vishnira sends her regards,” Ja announced. “Now, we’ll be taking our friend here”—she gestured to Reaghan—“with us.”
Pandemonium broke out as the wasps began their attack. Fire balls flew everywhere, while lightning streaked overhead. Spikes of earth tried to catch large portions of the swarm in order to cut down on their numbers. Reaghan broke away from Tria, lifting into the air on summoned wind in order to meet the attackers where they were. Urg slammed into her side, pushing her back to the ground. Reaghan gasped, the wind knocked out of her. She slid along, the momentum carrying her several feet before she came to a stop. She righted herself just in time to see a shape-changed druid in the form of a large wolf-like beast leap at him.
She summoned the image of a lion, willing herself to alter and change as fast as she dared. It started up her limbs, continuing until it reached her shoulders. A wave of heat and flame washed over her shields, stopping the transformation. Miraz appeared in front of her, fire in his palms.
“No tricks,” he said.
Reaghan brought her arms back, water rising at her call. Jets shoved him back as they hit him square in the face and chest. She retreated to regroup and try again. A lion leapt up, bringing down one of the wasps in a shower of sparks. She used her natural claws to hook into one herself, digging in deep to maintain her grip. The wasp slowly dropped to the ground. Blasts from Eiha-rifles began to fill the sky. Several shots came from the general direction where she last saw Miraz and the others. The exoskeleton of the wasp cracked further, leaving huge gaps between her claws and the side of the holes she made. She adjusted her grip, trying to hold on until she felt she could finish it off safely. A gust of wind sent them off course, pushing them into other wasps. The guns that had replaced some of the legs fired at Reaghan. Her grip continued to loosen to the point where she had no choice but fall to the ground.
She hit the ground hard, though her shield had managed to shelter her from the impact. She lie there dazed, the battle that waged around her a dull roar.
“Get up!” Twi bellowed, appearing above her.
Reaghan rose to her hands and knees, looking around as she found her bearings.
Urg swept his arms through the attacking druids, his course locked on her. Ja, meanwhile, advanced on where a bunch of the kids had gathered, a sinister look in her eyes. Reaghan rushed over, a bubble forming over them while she weaved vines around the other woman. Ja managed to bat some of them away, only to be entangled on the side she wasn’t paying attention to. Someone slammed into Reaghan’s back, wrapping their arms tight around her body.
“Hello, Urg,” she said, offering no resistance. She pulled an image of the lion into her mind. She rose in height and girth, quickly expanding beyond the size of what his arms could wrap around. She spun around fast, swiping her claws across his chest.
“What’s this?” Miraz sputtered as he pulled Urg back to safety. Ja tugged at the vines around her.
Reaghan shifted back to her normal form. “Proof enough?” Eiha came off her in waves, though she was beyond caring. “Now call off your attack!”
“They brought it on themselves!” Ja yelled. “Kill her, Miraz! She’s been too much trouble to bring in alive.”
Reaghan cast a look around them. The druids were getting the upper hand. Many of the wasps struggled against their makeshift cages, but the main threat seemed to be over and now they were turning their attention to those who started the attack.
Miraz seemed to have noticed the same thing. “You’re harboring a fugitive! This is the pirate, Rei Phoenix! Give her up and we’ll go peacefully!”
“I told you over and over while you were holding me prisoner on my own ship that I’m not her!” Reaghan replied, her voice cold. “If I was, do you think the police I turned you over to would’ve let me go?”
“Reaghan.” Eldar Tria’s voice was quiet. “I take you it you know these people.”
She glanced at the older woman; she was pale, almost too pale. Jirao appeared at her side, eyes locked on the three humanoids.
“How do you know Vishnira?” Jirao demanded.
“She’s helped us; what’s it to you?” Urg snapped.
“You’re not likely to get anything useful out of them,” Twi informed Jirao. “Well, unless you turn us over.”
“That’s not happening,” Tria said. “She might’ve come to us from far away, but she’s defended our new home since her arrival. She is a druid of Mriaam. And we take care of our own.”
“Huh?” Reaghan straightened. The Eldar’s face was expressionless as she stared down Miraz. “I—”
“We can accomplish both missions,” Urg assured Miraz.
Miraz didn’t look at either of them as he studied their group. Unless something drastic happened, with the wasps taken care of, they were alone against them. He let out a low chuckle.
“Do you know what you just gave shelter to? What this thing standing next to you is?”
Reaghan felt herself waver and her blood run cold. Since the fugitive line wasn’t working, he was going for the kill. Even if she wasn’t Rei, the fact that they both shared a classified past was enough to cause anyone concern.
“I see a person who’s being accused of being someone else,” Jirao said. “This planet’s too new for that pirate to visit. And she usually specializes in ships or things of real monetary value.”
Ja finally managed to pull herself free of Reaghan’s vines and charged toward the woman with a loud screech. Reaghan popped her up on a bit of wind and held her aloft. Ja’s throat grew raw from her frustration over being caught again. Vines, as powerful as she could manage, rose from the soil around their feet, wrapping tight around the men’s wrists and ankles. Smaller tendrils, though no less strong, continued to twine around them until just their necks and above were free.
“I could be out of this in a second,” Urg sneered.
“I’m not sure I’d suggest that,” Twi said, breaking smugly into the conversation. “I believe the long-awaited colony ship is here.”
It was still on approach, but the light that was the ship was growing larger by the second. Reaghan glanced over at Tria for confirmation. “It is.” She eyed the three of them. “And that means there’s reinforcements for our side.”
Miraz met Reaghan’s eyes, “We surrender.” Despite his accepting tone, she wondered how long it would be before they tried to escape and finish their mission—whatever it was.
Ja lowered to the ground as soon as fresh vines were wound tight around her body. She screamed and made such a fuss that someone created a vortex of wind to carry the sound away from them. Jirao and his men relieved the three of their weapons, displaying them neatly for later cataloging. Meanwhile, the Eldars were whisked away to tend to the newcomers while everyone else tried to salvage what was left of the festival. Reaghan stood out of the way, a watchful eye on Miraz.
“It’ll all have to come out soon, won’t it?” Twi asked. “Your origins… my creation… we can’t not tell them now that we’re a part of them.”
“I just hope they won’t pay too high of a price. Whoever this Vishnira is has managed to help these three across two isolated areas of space.”
“She has ties to this planet too. Didn’t you see Tria? You don’t go that pale if the name is just an acquaintance.”
The memory of their discussion with Tria about the Void drifted through Reaghan’s mind. “They lost people to the Void. I wonder if she’s one of them.”
“We need to arrange another chat then. The other Eldars might give us similar information, but we’ve a better relationship with her.”
She nodded in agreement. “We won’t get that chance until everything’s settled with Miraz and the new arrivals. Maybe we can turn their failure to our advantage.”
“Still, it’s a lot more waiting than I like to do. We were planning on leaving soon.”
Reaghan chuckled. “The urgency is gone since they found us. But yeah, I’m feeling the need to get back to roaming too. At least when we go now, the outpost will have all the people they need to help defend them from future attacks.”
“Thank you for the practical way of looking at it.”
“Any time.”
Unfortunately, getting time to talk was easier said than done. It was all hands on deck to get the new arrivals settled. While the original outpost would remain, the trees themselves were converted into livable spaces with a combination of druid talents and nanotech, something Twi instantly wanted to bring aboard the Aeon. The result was a true rustic exterior, yet completely a high-tech and comfortable interior.
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