Rules of Redemption

by T. A. White

  Kira ignored Amila’s stare drilling into the back of her head.

  She knew her decision wasn't going to make her popular with Graydon or any of the people he'd set to watch her. She didn't care. She'd spent nearly thirty years establishing a life for herself. It might not be the greatest but it was hers. They could accept it or not. Their choice.

  Joule didn't look at his companion as he held Kira's gaze. "We will accept those terms."

  Kira studied him and shook her head slightly. He might say they accepted, but she could see he didn't really mean that. When it came time for her to leave, he'd try to change her mind.

  Oh well, she'd done her best to make him understand the facts. At least he couldn’t claim she hadn't warned him.

  "We're beginning our descent," Amila said quietly from behind her. "You should prepare yourselves."

  Kira reached for the seat belt and fastened it around her.

  "Kira, do mine too," Jin insisted.

  "How do you expect me to do that? You don't have a body I can fasten the belt around." She made it clear how ridiculous she found his request.

  He sank down until he was resting on the seat. "You can pull it across me. It'll work."

  "I'm not doing that."

  "Come on. I'd do it for you," he cajoled.

  "Because I have a body it would fit around. Even if I did fasten it around you, the moment we rolled, you'd slip right out," she said.

  Jin stared at her. "Kira!"

  He was going to be stubborn about this. She knew it.

  She growled and reached across him, grabbing the belt and fastening it. Finished, she sat back.

  "You look ridiculous," she told him.

  The belt clung to the lower third of his sphere, not even giving the illusion of safety. Turning on his gravity booster would lift him right out of the safety strap.

  "I'll remember this the next time you need me to save your ass," Jin hissed.

  She rolled her eyes, becoming aware of the way the children stared at the two of them with wide eyes.

  She didn't say anything, knowing how odd they appeared. For all the processing power of his AI, Jin could be incredibly childish and prone to mood swings as severe as a prepubescent girl's.

  Kira ignored them, staring out the window as the planet grew under them, blotting out the darkness of space. The shuttle gave the slightest of shimmies as it slipped into the atmosphere.

  It was the easiest transition Kira had ever experienced. Of course, she was normally in a military drop ship, whose primary goal was getting its cargo to the ground as quickly and efficiently as possible. Most times that included staying in one piece, but not always.

  They punched through the clouds, trailing ribbons of white behind them. The land spread out below them, an endless forest, mountains stabbing the sky in the distance, the faint sparkle of sun against water hinting at an ocean or lake.

  This was it, the place of Kira's birth, if Graydon was to be believed. She might have family down there.

  The connection she'd missed upon her first glimpse of Ta Da’an hit her. She wasn't crazy enough to say she was home, but the potential was there. A tantalizing possibility that refused to go away no matter how hard she tried to root it out.

  Feelings welled up out of nowhere, a sense of welcome and homecoming, as if the planet itself was glad to have her back. There was a pleasant buzz all around her, as if the very air crackled with energy, licking along her nerves and reaching deep to the core of her.

  She shifted as the sensation increased, moving from pleasant to slightly painful.

  "What's wrong?" Jin asked.

  "Nothing, I'm fine," Kira said.

  That turned out to be a lie as the sensation deepened, turning sharp and stabbing. She groaned and bent forward. She would not throw up. She would not throw up. She hadn't done so on a drop, not even the first time. She refused to vomit now when she was set to meet her family. What a first impression that would create. She'd have ruined her reputation before she even really had one.

  Cool hands touched her face. She knew without looking it was Amila.

  "She's experiencing overload," she said to someone Kira couldn't see. "She needs to modulate the energy flow."

  "What does that mean?" Jin asked from above her.

  The energy Kira was coming to associate as the planet surged forward, a tidal wave of power. Impossible to resist or delay.

  Kira whimpered as she crumpled forward.

  "I was afraid of this," Graydon said in a grim voice.

  "Afraid of what?" Jin shouted.

  "We could have the pilot take us out," Amila suggested.

  Kira fought to stay conscious as the sensations amplified. It felt like something was pouring into her, burning out her nerves as it filled her to bursting.

  A large hand landed on her neck, cool and reassuring. She knew without looking it belonged to Graydon. "No, the process has already started. Removing her now would make her next experience that much more painful."

  Kira grunted. "I'm fine with never returning to this place again."

  Screw any sense of connection she felt. It wasn't worth whatever this was. She wanted out. Her skin damn near felt like it was about to burst.

  "Sorry, coli. You're not getting off that easily," Graydon said.

  Strangely, he didn't sound sorry in the least, Kira noted.

  She dug her nails into his wrist in wordless retaliation. His chuckle was warm.

  "Steady. I'll help you through this," Graydon said soothingly.

  Kira would prefer not to be in this at all, but if he was going to help, he needed to do it soon.

  The current running through her was powerful and could turn dangerous. Memories of another time when she'd set that current free swamped her. If that happened, she doubted anybody on the shuttle would be landing safely.

  "I've never felt such a strong reaction from the Mea'Ave," Amila said in a hushed voice.

  "She's been gone a long time," Graydon said. "It seems the Mea'Ave knows it and is trying to make up for lost time."

  "It's too much." Amila's voice sounded strained. "Her mind will break if this continues."

  "Let me in, coli," Graydon said soothingly, his thumb caressing the side of her throat.

  "Someone had better do something, or I'm lighting this place up," Jin snarled. He sounded like he was two seconds from doing exactly that.

  "Noor, get him away from us," Graydon rumbled.

  There were sounds of a brief struggle and then Graydon's warm presence returned. He scooped her up and suddenly Kira was sitting in his lap. He tucked her head under his chin, making a strange rumbling sound in his chest that sounded like a purr.

  "You're holding onto the ki. You need to redirect it," Graydon said in her ear.

  "I don't know how to do that," Kira panted.

  By now, the power was sending painful prickles throughout her skin. She would have given it back if she could.

  "Relax, I will help you," Graydon said.

  He pressed his cheek against hers. A connection sprung to life between the two of them, strong and radiant. A line snapped taut. Kira fought against it, trying to push it away. No, she didn't want this.

  "Stop it," he growled. "You're going to hurt yourself. It's temporary."

  Kira stopped pushing, relaxing enough to analyze what was happening.

  "Feel what I'm doing," he instructed.

  Sure enough, she could feel the push and pull of the energy in his body as it collected the ki and then pushed it out, giving as much as taking. There was a limitless well of it inside him, deep and vast, an ocean to rival the one beneath them on the planet.

  "Do you understand now?" he asked.

  Kira didn't need to voice her assent, knowing the connection currently binding them meant he would know already.

  Her attempts were fumbling at first but gradually she got the hang of it, cycling the planet's energy through her body before returning it. After the first few successes, the line of ene
rgy from the planet abruptly abated, as if now that it knew Kira had the capability, it didn't need to push the energy on her anymore.

  Her breathing eased as the taut line relaxed, leaving Kira able to process something beyond the incredible energy.

  Graydon's presence eased up, the connection between them thinning.

  Kira straightened in his lap, her gaze meeting his for one tension-filled moment. Her body shook as she eased her body off of his lap. She collapsed into a chair beside him.

  "What the hell was that?" she finally rallied herself enough to ask.

  Graydon twitched with amusement. "That was the Mea'Ave, the mother of the planet."

  Kira watched him blankly. That told her nothing.

  He seemed to understand. "Your people have a name for us, don't they? Wizards, I believe."

  Kira didn't confirm or deny. It was unclear whether he found the name insulting or not.

  "They're not far off," he admitted. "Our home is capable of filling us with the Mea'Ave. We can manipulate its energy, turn it to other uses to fit our needs. Other societies have often misinterpreted this as magic."

  Kira kept her reaction to that under control.

  "What you experienced was the planet feeling your plight and offering itself up to heal you."

  "I'm not injured," Kira pointed out.

  Graydon rubbed his neck. "You've been separated from her for decades. All Tuann exist off her energy in part; it's what renews us. The Mea'Ave must have interpreted your low reserves as dangerous and tried to adjust them for you."

  And Kira's body would have viewed that as an attack after what amounted to years of starvation and tried to hold onto what it had gathered.

  "I see." She did, but only in part. "You said you were afraid of this. Why wasn't I warned beforehand?"

  "It shouldn't have been this severe," Graydon said, his expression contemplative. A hint of trouble pulled at his mouth. "It reacted like you were near death's door. Why is that?"

  Kira didn't like the question. "It's your crazy planet, you tell me."

  Graydon's head tilted as he studied her. "You're keeping secrets, coli."

  She snorted, not letting his seriousness intimidate her. "Who isn't?"

  The smile that took over his face took Kira by surprise. It was the first unguarded expression she'd seen on him. It spoke of a joy edged with ruthlessness, breathtaking while hinting at the brutality inside.

  There was a slight hum and then the smallest of jolts.

  Graydon looked up, his expression turning serious, but not before she caught a glimpse of a fierce anticipation. "We've landed. It's time."

  CHAPTER TEN

  Kira stood on the edge of the field, nerves churning in her stomach and the shuttle a comforting presence behind her. She visualized walking inside it, commandeering the pilot chair and flying away from this place.

  She sighed. Tempting as that would be, running away now would only create problems down the road. Besides, if she truly wanted to disappear, her best option was light years away, waiting for her at O'Riley.

  Men and women dressed in synth armor of the darkest green, gold detailing on their crests, marched out of the woods. As they neared, Kira saw the symbol on their armor was remarkably similar to the one on her forearm.

  Guess Graydon hadn't been lying when he said she bore their mark. Not that she really doubted him at this point. The encounter with the planet's energy had cleared up any reservations she had.

  The men and women approached, their gazes dark and flinty, grim masks meant to intimate and cow.

  Strangely enough, the sight steadied Kira. She'd always been the rebellious type. Give her an ounce of disapproval and she'd do everything in her power to prove you right. It was a flaw, but one that came in handy right about now.

  The leader of these new guards strode toward Graydon, a gold cape flapping in the wind. He looked like a holo actor from a period drama of a time in Earth's history when they fought battles with swords and arrows, a hero come to rescue the princess from the dragon.

  He was a handsome man, secure in his position with just a trace of arrogance and superiority stamped on his features. His blond hair shone in the sun, furthering the impression he was some unattainable prince.

  Kira disliked him on sight.

  A short but intense conversation took place between the two men as their people faced each other, each group filled with the same imperturbable resolve as they looked over the other.

  "It's like watching lawmen and cowboys square off for the gunfight at the O.K. Corral," Jin said in fascination.

  Kira snickered. "Which is which do you think?"

  Jin was silent as he studied the two groups. "Graydon and his people are the lawmen, obviously. They'd be the ones to win."

  Kira tilted her head. She had to agree. There was something in the way he and his people held themselves, loose but ready. If anything happened, they were prepared to meet it head-on.

  She was surprised by how tense each group was. They were all Tuann, Graydon a representative of their emperor. Why the stare-off?

  "When in another House's territory, it's customary to negotiate the terms of your stay before proceeding," Amila said softly, guessing the direction of Kira's thoughts.

  "You're the emperor's people," Kira said. "Why would you need to ask permission?"

  Amila looked at Kira, her gaze warm. "Would your leaders step foot in your home without permission?"

  Jin snorted. "If they could guarantee she wouldn't kill them? Yes."

  Amila's forehead wrinkled as if she was trying to judge the truth of Jin's statement. Kira could have saved her the trouble and told her Jin wasn't joking. The Consortium was ruled by families who had been in power for decades. Yes, representatives were picked by voters, but somehow only the rich ever managed to get elected.

  Oh, they'd have some reason for the intrusion, like a threat to galactic security or something like that, but the result would be the same—her rights trampled in the interests of others.

  Amila continued her instruction, ignoring Jin's comment. "Each House is a power in its own right. Forcing our way in is possible, but unwise, and will only lead to strife down the road. Graydon prefers to save such measures for when they are absolutely necessary."

  Jin snickered. "Perhaps you could learn a thing or two from them, Kira."

  She swatted at her friend, unsurprised when he dodged.

  The antics drew the notice of the Luatha. The man talking to Graydon paused, looking Kira up and down, his thoughts impenetrable.

  "This her, then?" he asked.

  "It is," Graydon said.

  "Are you sure she's Luatha? She looks nothing like us."

  There was some truth in that statement. Every person in green synth armor was tall with varying shades of honey-blond hair, where Kira was short with hair the deep burgundy color of red wine. Theirs was stick-straight, falling in smooth sheets down their backs, while hers was an out of control tentacle monster that hadn't seen a comb in days.

  The speaker was tall and thin, his build lanky. Tiny braids held his hair from his face, exposing sharply pointed ears and highlighting his sharp features.

  About the only thing Kira had in common with these people were her eyes. Almost every person in green had eyes of varying shades of lilac, some light and faded, others so intense a purple it was hard to believe they were real.

  The weird eyes, at least, seemed to be a House trait.

  There was suspicion and a faint touch of hostility in the pinched features of the speaker. The same tightness was reflected in the faces of those arranged behind them.

  It made Kira want to revisit her fantasy of stealing the shuttle and making a great escape. The nerves from earlier disappeared, leaving her ready for a fight.

  Her face carefully blank, she studied them as carefully as they studied her. Somehow, she didn't think these were people overjoyed to have found their lost child. No, they looked more like they'd like to show her to the nearest
ship and blast her off planet.

  Her lips curved up the slightest bit. This might be even easier than she'd assumed.

  "She wears your mark," Graydon said in a ruthlessly polite voice.

  Kira shifted slightly as she detected the faintest edge of frustration in Graydon. It was unexpected, given their short acquaintance. Graydon wasn't the type to show his emotions easily.

  Maybe it was a lingering result of the bond they'd briefly shared? It couldn't be because she'd developed a habit of studying him as closely as he studied her.

  “You said she was raised by humans,” the stranger said, the slightest sneer in his voice. “Perhaps they've found a new way to mimic us.”

  Kira stiffened at the insult. The obvious scorn told her exactly how he felt about her adopted species.

  Graydon's soldiers stilled, the air turning icy. Before, they'd been tense but not on edge. Violence now simmered just below the surface. They hadn't liked the implied insult to their leader or Kira.

  Amila stepped forward, placing herself between Kira and the strangers as she stared down a man who'd ventured too close.

  "Careful, Roderick. You're not just insulting them when you question me," Graydon said, his voice a silky rumble.

  "This should be interesting," Jin said.

  Roderick's gaze shifted to him and a look of distaste filled his expression. "Bring her, but the human toy stays here."

  "Not happening. He goes where I go." She gave him a friendly smile. Those who knew her would have warned him to be careful. Kira rarely smiled like that unless she was planning something—usually something painful and embarrassing for someone else.

  "Children aren't to speak unless invited," Roderick instructed haughtily.

  Anger coiled in Kira's gut. This guy was beginning to irritate her.

  "Remember the mission," Jin murmured in Japanese. He took a chance in assuming the Tuann present didn't know the language.

  "I never forget," Kira said through gritted teeth.

  It was tempting to lash out. Oh, so tempting. She could practically taste the satisfaction it would bring, to teach these people the error of underestimating her. However, to do so would be foolhardy and shortsighted.