Maia and the Xifarian Conspiracy (The Lightbound Saga Book 1)

by S. G. Basu

  THE RULES

  THE XIFARIAN DEFENSE ACADEMY

  I. PERSONAL WEAPONS SHOULD BE STORED IN THE ASSIGNED COUNSEL ROOM.

  II. CARRYING OF PERSONAL WEAPONS WITHOUT PRIOR APPROVAL OF THE COUNSELOR IS A PUNISHABLE OFFENSE.

  III. SPARRING IS ALLOWED ONLY IN DESIGNATED ROOMS OR THE ACADEMY GROUNDS DURING SPECIFIED HOURS.

  IV. OPERATING MOTORIZED CRAFTS PHYSICALLY OR OTHERWISE WITHIN ACADEMY PREMISES WITHOUT TRAINER SUPERVISION IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED.

  V. NO EXCURSIONS OUTSIDE THE ACADEMY ARE PERMITTED WITHOUT THE PERMISSION OF THE COUNSELOR.

  VI. ANY EXCURSION OUTSIDE XIF WILL NEED THE AUTHORIZATION OF THE PRINCIPAL OF THE ACADEMY.

  VII. COMMUNICATION OUT OF XIF WITHOUT THE WRITTEN PERMISSION OF THE COUNSELOR IS AN OFFENSE PUNISHABLE BY EXPULSION.

  VIII. ANY ATTEMPTS TO TAMPER WITH OR OTHERWISE INFLUENCE THE SUPPORT MACHINERY PROVIDED MAY LEAD TO STRICT DISCIPLINARY ACTION.

  “That’s quite a set of rules,” Kusha observed.

  “We’re not allowed to communicate to the outside from here? Does that mean we can’t even send a letter home?” Maia asked.

  “That sounds quite severe.” Dani did not sound happy.

  “There have been security breaches before,” Ren explained. “They’re always worried that information on the various technologies we handle here, including information related to our defenses, may leak out.

  “The XDA has a strict Code of Honor that the students have to follow. At the beginning of Circle One, the trainees have to swear to not divulge and propagate the technological lessons without the approval of the Chancery. And, of course, they have some special security measures built to make that pledge binding.”

  “What about us? We haven’t sworn to any such code . . . yet,” Kusha said.

  “We are different, obviously. The Initiative is all about learning from each other, so I guess they don’t mind if you . . . we spread the word,” Ren said thoughtfully. “Although I doubt they will let us anywhere near the real important stuff.”

  “We’re live advertisements . . . spokespersons,” Nafi smirked, then turned to look Dani squarely in the eye. “The Jjord never cared for publicity, so why are they doing this now?”

  “My people would rather not,” Dani replied. “Hans said that there was a lot of politics behind making this work. But then, I really don’t care about all that. I just love this opportunity, that’s all.”

  Nafi rolled her eyes and shook her head, looking thoroughly dissatisfied with Dani’s answer.

  “I don’t understand the fourth rule. It says ‘physically or otherwise.’ What’s that supposed to mean?” Nafi demanded, squinting at Ren.

  Ren grinned, a little too widely, possibly to irk Nafi some. “Wait until you meet the TEK whizzes. Now let’s go look for Gallica.”

  With that cryptic non-explanation, he led them out of the Snoso and back toward the Hall of Spires.

  18: Resident Master Kehorkjin

  “What is Yilosario’s Fourth?” Kusha asked as they walked out of the Hall of Spires.

  “It’s an automaton,” Ren explained. “A fourth level progeny of the original Yilosario, the machine that controls much of our planet’s supremely complex machines. You can imagine how complicated everything can be around here—the energy supplies, the inner atmosphere, the lights, the gravitational forces. A long time ago, when things were simpler, Yilosario was alone. Then, as the population grew, so did our needs, and we created the various progenies to share Yilosario’s load. Fourth is a lower order progeny; it does lighter and simpler tasks for the most part.”

  “Like managing a bunch of greenhorns?” Dani chuckled. “Miir said Yilosario picked the teams as well.”

  “Fourth is in charge of the XDA, including everything related to student management.”

  “Hardly impressed by its skills.” Nafi made a sour face.

  “It doesn’t matter what you think. Yilosario’s decisions are binding,” Ren replied curtly.

  No one spoke much after that. They followed Ren along halls and corridors that formed an endless and maddening web of confusion. The trek to Gallica was largely uneventful, if one overlooked the many times Ren lost his way. Nafi made a caustic comment about the blind following the blind. Thankfully, Ren decided to let it pass, content with shooting a glare in her direction.

  Gallica was less an auditorium, more a large room, rather dark and brooding, with wood-paneled walls and rows of sturdy wooden benches. On the far side, facing the seats stood an elevated dais, over which an enormous emblem spun slowly. It was the symbol Maia had noticed emblazoned around the XDA—a symbol that Ren explained was the Royal Crest of Xif, a dragon-like creature entwining a shield of red, black, and gold. Its scaled body wound around the faceted shield protectively, fangs bared and eyes glinting with unveiled menace. A hush fell as the emblem dissolved and the shape of a man gradually formed in its place.

  “It’s a projection of the master, not the real person, of course,” Ren whispered.

  He looked as real to Maia as the people around her. The coldness of his gray-blue eyes soaked the assembly with the dread of impending gloom. He wore the now-familiar long black coat, its blood-red collar inlaid with black-and-gold stripes along the edges, its large gold buttons blazing with the Xifarian Royal insignia. His gaze darted around the room as if he could see the people gathered inside.

  “Welcome to the Alliance Initiative.” The man on the podium spoke with a sharp timbre that cut through the sleepy air in the room. “I can see that many of you are a bit less alert this morning . . . maybe you are tired, maybe you are still adjusting.”

  He can see us. Maia smiled a little at his words. It was indeed hard getting used to the place, and the not-so-friendly people, she mused. The important-looking man on the stage understood their anxiety, and that was comforting.

  “Do not expect me to pamper you, or be patient and understanding of your travails. This is not a casual game. You have been chosen to participate in something that is of supreme importance to us, and so it should be to you,” the man said brusquely.

  Maia pulled the last bit of smile off her lips.

  “If you think that simply because you are guests at this academy, you will not be measured against the highest standards, you are sorely mistaken.” He paused for a moment as his keen eyes scanned every face in the room. “This is a training institute for future guardians of the known universe, and whatever lies beyond. However young you may be, or however unprepared you may have been, now that you are here, you will be always attentive, alert, and aware.

  “There is no room for a moment’s carelessness or neglect; those are not traits of anyone who is allowed to set foot on these hallowed grounds. I will promise you this: if I see the slightest sloppiness, I will add your name to my personal Black Book. At the end of the challenges, names from that book will be used to weed out the unfit and the undeserving. And believe me when I say this, after months of hard work, not many of you will want your names to be stricken because of previous indiscretions.”

  Someone behind them took a deep, bracing breath. Maia wanted to look at her teammates and see their reactions to the speech, but she did not dare turn her head or move her eyes away from the projection.

  “I am Resident Master Kehorkjin. I will have the benefit of observing you as the series progresses, and you will have the privilege of my candid feedback and, at times, unwelcome reprimands.”

  Maia had a gnawing feeling that she was not going to enjoy a candid feedback session with the man, let alone endure the reprimands.

  “Your first month with us will be more like an adaptation session. You will be required to understand our collective history and the physical world around us. The knowledge of our past and present will help you realize your position in the grand scheme of things.

  “Yes, young lady in the second row . . . Miss Rowyna.” His eyes narrowed as he read the name tag on a girl with sad, droopy eyes. “Your chance of surviving the future d
epends on how well you comprehend the world you live in. So I suggest that you stop yawning and take this seriously!

  “We have no time to lose. Three months from now, you will have your first challenge—an individual task. If your collective score puts your group in the top twenty-five, you will proceed to the second round of training, including the flight lessons. After that there will be a team challenge. The twenty top-scoring teams from this final round will move on to the Jjordic phase.”

  The room was quiet. There were no sighs, no smiles, no turning heads, nothing. This did not feel like a program to simply appreciate each other’s heritages, and definitely not a fun contest like Ren wanted it to be. It seemed more like an arduous military drill.

  “You come from varying backgrounds, so we will instruct you on certain basic skills that will enable you to take on the competition. Your challenges will revolve around the subjects of Kinetics and Cartography, fields in which we have unsurpassed knowledge. I hope that within the next few months you will be somewhat proficient in these areas.

  “Most of you carry personal weapons for self-defense—that has been the way on Xif, as well as the planet that graciously gives us company,” Master Kehorkjin’s projection continued relentlessly. “You will strive to master these weapons you bear. You will not be trained in combat skills, but your evaluations will definitely assess your prowess in protecting yourself and the others around you.”

  Maia let out a tiny whimper. One small flight on Kusha’s Leveh had landed her in a very tight spot indeed.

  “One final note: before you leave Xif, you will be expected to turn in an assessment of your experience here. This is mandatory, and please do not think that doing well in the challenges will buy you a waiver for this task. Enjoy your stay. Strive to be honorable and brave.”

  The projection slowly disappeared, but for the longest while, Master Kehorkjin’s eyes seemed to stare at the assembly from beyond the darkness. Maia felt tired, senses blurred by the long and intimidating speech. The room was quiet for a long time before a wave of murmurs rose. Nafi took out the task list and Ren peered over her shoulder.

  “We’ve an introductory session in history next,” he announced.

  “Right now?” asked Nafi.

  “No, there’s some time until the instructor arrives.”

  “Then tell me, Ren,” Nafi sounded a little confused, “that guy will be in charge of us while we’re here?”

  “Yes. Master Kehorkjin is a highly decorated admiral of the Royal Fleet, a celebrated war hero. His feats during the Ssoiffean Passage are legendary; we might hear about that during the history sessions. We’re definitely fortunate to have him guide us.”

  “He sounded like a hard taskmaster to me,” Kusha commented, his tone cautious.

  Maia, however, did not hesitate to voice a stronger opinion. “I could do quite well without being connected to such bigwigs,” she declared.

  “They might not be too bad after all,” Dani said calmly. “We’ll soon find out anyway, once we start interacting with them regularly.”

  “Does his uniform signify his rank in the force?” Kusha asked.

  “Oh yes, he was wearing the Gambrill. The color of the military collar and the number of stripes signifies the rank of the wearer in the Xifarian armed forces,” Ren explained. “This being a military academy, all masters are honorary members of the Xifarian military. You will see them wear an all-black coat with red collar. Some officials of the Chancery, as well as the family of the chancellor, are also honorary members, so you might see our mentor wearing a Gambrill.”

  Maia nodded as she remembered Principal Pomewege and Miir wearing the same in Appian.

  “Apprentices start with a single gold stripe on a black collar. Red collars are for veterans and those on active duty, and gold collars are only for royalty.”

  “Who are the royalty?” Nafi asked. “I’ve heard of the royal crest and the Royal Fleet, but no one said anything about the royal family.”

  “Well, the Xifarian royal family abdicated a long time ago in favor of a republic. They prefer to stay invisible, and very few know who they might be. No one in my family, not even my great-grandparents, has seen anyone wearing a Gambrill with a gold collar.”

  “Maybe we’ll find out more about them at the history sessions,” Maia said.

  Ren shook his head. “Umm . . . maybe not. There’s simply not enough information out there to make that history because Xifarians, the royals in particular, are fiercely protective of their privacy.”

  “So, Ren,” Nafi leaned forward. “Why aren’t you a student of the academy like my dear cousin Loriine?”

  “Maybe because I’m not good enough?” the boy replied with a smirk. “Nah, it’s because we’re not allowed to enroll until we’re fourteen, except for a few immensely talented ones like Miir.”

  Nafi pondered a moment before asking, “So while Loriine participates in this Alliance Initiative, is she exempted from her regular classes?”

  “This program is deemed to be of supreme importance; the need to understand and appreciate our neighbors is paramount,” Ren said in a mock official tone. “So the answer to your question is yes.”

  “It’s the same with my institute in Zagran,” Dani chimed in. “They granted me leave as soon as I was selected. I also get credit for the time I spend here, so I don’t miss a whole year in the process.”

  “No such luck for me,” Maia murmured. No caravan to ThulaSu was going to wait for her.

  19: Beginnings

  The crowd was humming at a feverish pitch, nervous and excited after the warden’s introductions, when a woman ascended the podium. Everything about her reminded Maia of flowing water—the serenity exuding from her persona, the effortless gait, and the silvery gown, an intricate construction of thin, long pleats flowing from the beaded clasp at the base of her throat and transforming into a cascade of frothy ruffles around her feet. The elegance of her dress was mirrored in the sophistication of her elaborate hairstyle—dark red hair woven into neat braids and swept into an impressive knotted bun.

  “I hope you are having a pleasant time,” her soft voice spread in graceful ripples across the room. “I am Lady Dae, here to share with you stories of our past. I can assure you that my sessions will be very informal, not the usual rigorous XDA drill.” She smiled sweetly as the assembly let out sighs of relief. “However, remember what we learn here will be critical for many of the exercises you undertake. So please pay attention.”

  Lady Dae, certainly a gifted storyteller, started with the tale of the twin planets of Xif and Ara, and Maia was soon engrossed by her sweet, melodious voice and its song of the distant past.

  “The planets where we began as a people were a part of a sprawling system with two stars, the Alei and Groh, at the south-central edge of the R’armimon Empire. Xif and Ara were called the twins because of their proximity to each other and their comparable size, but that was where the similarity ended. While Ara was a resplendent planet teeming with life, abundant in its natural resources, its neighbor, Xif, was a volcanic wilderness, its atmosphere too thin to support life. Xif was pronounced uninhabitable and ignored for centuries until an obscure truth came to light. Its soil contained Calbion, a highly desirable rare metal of legendary strength, an invaluable resource in the construction of spaceships. The discovery of the Calbion deposits created a mad rush to stake claim on the hitherto neglected planet.

  “After the initial dash to quarry the deposits in the unforgiving surroundings, mining companies found it increasingly hard to recruit workers for their operations. Responding to their petitions, the government of Ara passed legislation to send all its deadwastes to the mining colonies on Xif.”

  “Deadwaste? What’s that?” Someone asked from behind Maia.

  “That’s what they called people who were set to be terminated. They were the ones sentenced to death or life exile by the penal code. These were the social outcasts, including political detainees, refugees as well as ha
rdened criminals.

  “The mining corporations made huge profits selling Calbion, but they hardly invested in improving the living conditions on Xif, and diseases due to malnutrition were rampant. The government of Ara, while aware of the exploitation, did not care to get involved. The revenue from the mining corporations was too high to tinker with, while the labor was expendable and cheap. The first wave of forced labor sent to Xif perished within a short time; the hazards of the environment and the hard work in the mines took its toll within a few months.”

  Lady Dae paused and gazed over her subjects. A bushy-haired boy in the front row hesitantly raised his hand.

  “Yes?” Lady Dae asked with a smile.

  “I’m Kenan.” The boy flashed a shy grin. “Why didn’t the mining companies send mechanized drones instead of people?”

  “That is because of the way Calbion is found in the soil—in thin, flaky layers that need to be extracted with the precision and care of a jeweler. Drones were still a possibility, but it would have required very expensive drones,” Lady Dae explained. “And labor was cheap, and the loss of life was . . . acceptable to raise the bottom lines of the mining corporations.”

  “That’s dreadful,” someone exclaimed, and Maia had to agree.

  “It was indeed an unfortunate state of affairs,” Lady Dae continued. “Things changed a bit with the arrival of the Ruler of the Geliien Highlands, His Highness Arka. Arka, the nephew of the monarch of Ara, His Majesty King Arihan, had been deported with his family to Xif, following a rumored assassination attempt on the king. His arrival on Xif tied the impoverished miners into a unified group of rebels who secretly plotted to overthrow the mining companies and establish sovereignty under their newfound king.

  “With or without their king or the rebellion, the second group of laborers would have perished if it were not for the geologist Veiles. Stumbling in and out of the darkened caverns and tunnels while studying the geology of his new habitat, Veiles made a miraculous discovery that forever changed the course of our history. He unearthed the Xiomera, or the Cavern of Illumination, and the celestial glow of the L’miere crystals.”