by T. A. White
"How am I supposed to do that?" Jin wailed. "I designed the Wanderer's defenses. It's not like I left any holes for nefarious sorts to slip through."
Not Kira's problem. Right now, she had her hands full avoiding being flung around the ship like an oversized rag doll.
"You're smart; I'm sure you'll figure it out," Kira snapped, watching as Elena moved step by slow step toward the bridge, the distinctive clink of her boots locking and unlocking as the ship shimmied and shook under her.
Mag boots. Of course. Why didn't Kira think of that?
Oh yes, because she didn't have any inkling her ship would do an impression of a demonic possession.
So good to know her niece had this all planned out ahead of time. Kira would be impressed if she wasn't so furious.
"Glad to see you managed to stay on board," Elena said cheerfully. She swayed and took two steps sideways as the ship flipped onto its side.
Kira took advantage of the brief respite, using brute force and luck to make her way to the next handhold, one closer to the hallway—and the bridge.
Elena steadied herself before resuming her slow, steady progress.
"It'd be nice if you turned the defenses off," Kira snarled.
"Sorry, Auntie. No can do. At least not right now." Elena reached the first T in the hallway. "You're welcome to join me on the bridge—or you can find your way off. Up to you."
Kira's response was stolen as the ship abruptly flopped onto its back, tearing the hand hold out of Kira's grip. She careened toward the ship's ceiling, flipping so her feet landed first.
The ship's thrusters fired as it prepared for its next maneuver. Jin had always called this series “a flea on a dog's back”. Kira was beginning to see why.
Anticipating its next move, Kira leapt sideways, landing on the ship's starboard wall and running along it before leaping again when the ship started its next maneuver. Lucky for her, she guessed right.
"Jin, I don't care what you have to do but get me control of this ship," Kira ordered.
Silenced answered Kira.
She'd worry if she couldn't still sense him through their link. A barely audible grumbling was coming from his side. She got a feeling he was concentrating. For now, she'd leave him to his task and hope he figured out quickly how to access the ship's brain before they all ended up as a burning tangle of wreckage.
Dumping Graydon and Harlow out of the ship like they were discarded trash was bad enough—and would definitely have consequences down the line—but what she really worried about was what the planetary defense systems had in store for them. There was a reason Elena and Odin hadn't tried to leave before now. Ta Sa'Riel was home to the emperor and the overlords of several Houses. There was no telling what sort of nasty surprises the Tuann had in store for unwelcome visitors.
Kira very much feared if she didn't take control of the ship soon that they wouldn’t have the time to regret the poor decisions that had led to their demise.
Kira pushed harder, an invisible clock in her head counting down the precious seconds.
Two more leaps allowed her to clear the cargo hold. It was easier once Kira reached the hall. She raced along the side of its walls, shifting her balance every time the ship tried to surprise her.
By the time she reached the bridge, the ride had mostly smoothed out. Elena was already strapped into the copilot's seat, her hands on the ship's manual flight controls.
"Good, you're here." Elena didn't look away from what she was doing. "Just in time too. We're being targeted by an unknown weapons system. Would you care to take over?"
Red flashed over the data screens and a recording of Jin's voice came through the speakers. "Uh oh. Looks like you've pissed someone off again. You should probably do something about that."
Kira plopped herself into the captain's seat, barely taking time to strap in before she assumed command of the controls. "This right here is why I would have preferred you didn't hijack my ship."
"Yell at me later. Save me now."
Kira bared her teeth as she jerked hard on the controls, sending the ship into a sharp barrel roll. The horizon outside the windows spun before Kira righted them again. Seconds later, she pulled hard on the control stick to send them into a hard right.
Whatever had locked onto them wasn't budging.
"Persistent little thing," Kira observed.
Elena clutched the armrests as Kira rolled the ship again. "Perhaps you could save your admiration for when we're not fighting for our lives."
Kira didn't answer, too busy trying to keep them alive.
If they couldn't outmaneuver their shadow, maybe they could outrun it. Kira hit the thrust. A great force punched her deeper into her chair.
"Warning. You're in danger of imminent death. Do something now."
"We are going to have a very long talk when this is over.” Kira didn’t look away from her monitors.
"Only if we survive,"
Here's hoping they lived long enough.
*
Graydon landed in a light crouch beside Harlow, already tensed to spring toward the ship again. Feared across half the galaxy yet outsmarted by a girl only a few years out of her first decade.
The emperor would laugh himself silly when he heard about this.
Above him, Graydon caught the squawk of protest as Jin's round form darted toward the exit Graydon had just been launched from.
All plans to return to the ship were abruptly abandoned as Graydon raised his ki shield an instant before heat from the ship's thrusters washed over them. A second's delay in his reaction would have seen him and Harlow distilled to ash and bone.
For now, they were safe enough behind the shield, but eventually the extreme heat would penetrate even Graydon's ki.
Behind him, Graydon sensed the flow and movement of ki. Years of working at the Overlord's side told Graydon what the Overlord planned.
As if they planned it, Graydon dropped the shield the second it was safe. A dark blur shot past him. Harlow reached for the ship, even managing to get one hand on it.
As if sensing his presence, it veered at the last second, bucking and rolling like a wild ooros intent on keeping its freedom. Even a Tuann as strong and versed in ki as Harlow had no chance to punch his way through.
He flew off the ship, hitting a tree and breaking it in half before sliding to a stop.
Harlow climbed to his feet, looking no worse for wear, his synth armor along with his ki protection enough.
Frustrated, Harlow looked up at the rapidly ascending ship which was being desperately pursued by Jin.
"This is an unwelcome turn of events," Harlow said.
Graydon grunted in agreement, watching the ship's dark shape disappear into the night sky.
They could have brought it down with a well-placed ki blast, but it would have been risky. Kira hadn't been strapped in and she’d barely been holding on the last time Graydon saw her. A crash landing could have proved fatal for one or both of the women.
That was something Graydon refused to chance. Even without asking, he knew Harlow felt the same.
"The emperor is going to have a lot to say about this," Graydon said.
A stream of yellow streaked across the sky, lighting it up for a brief second and highlighting Kira's ship.
It rolled, barely evading before the yellow streak swung around for another attempt at bringing it down.
"The planet's defenses just went active," Harlow snarled.
Graydon cursed.
"I'll buy you as much time as I can," Harlow said.
Graydon pressed a finger to his left forearm. "Open channel, priority. Access code, Stormfront.”
Next to him, Harlow brought his hands together with a harsh clap that sent the tops of the tree swaying away from him. His eyes closed as beads of sweat formed on his face. He ripped his hands apart in a quick movement, his left hand sweeping up, around, then away from his face. His right hand mirrored the move, sweeping down, around, and away, dark light foll
owing in each hand's path.
Ki built before bursting from the center of the pattern, shooting across the sky like a black spear. It crashed into the streak of yellow, its darkness eating away at its light as the ship dove in the opposite direction.
"This is a surprise," a warm voice came over the line.
"Shut down the defenses."
There was a startled silence.
"I expect you to have a reason for this."
Graydon heaved a sigh of relief. He was going to do it.
In the distance, countless streaks of yellow rose into the air. For a brief moment, they resembled a blossoming flower before they broke apart to arrow at the little ship.
Graydon could only hope and pray his interference was in time.
Harlow was already moving to intercept the rest of the streaks. Two, sensing the output of ki, veered off course heading in their direction.
A great bark of sound came as Graydon sank every bit of his reserves into a triple ki shield. The outer layer shattered as soon as the streak collided with it. The second went moments after the first. The third caught and held the streak as it pushed against it.
Graydon gritted his teeth as he strained to keep the shield from collapsing. Pain spiked deep in his brain. He breathed through it, roaring a challenge seconds later.
Abruptly, the streak dissipated, specks of gold light floating up in the air.
Above, the same thing was happening to its companions.
"I expect you in my chambers immediately to explain the reasoning for this, Little Storm," a voice said in Graydon's ear.
"I'll report as soon as I'm done here."
"Don't keep me waiting."
The presence that accompanied the voice dissipated.
Graydon and Harlow shared a long look, understanding of the implications reflecting on their faces. The loss of Kira and Elena was bad enough, but the knowledge that many of the children lost in Sorrowing had survived would have far-reaching repercussions. If true, Graydon feared keeping it from the rest of the Houses would only work in the short term.
Already, the other Houses were clamoring for news of Kira and demanding to know how she survived in hopes that their own children had as well. The children were the future of their Houses. If there were even the smallest hope, the other major Houses would be ruthless in reclaiming what they considered theirs. If they found out about Kira's disappearance, they would search for her. Roake wasn't likely to allow outsiders interfere with one of their own.
Harlow turned to make his way to the Fortress of the Vigilant. "I'll leave you to deal with the emperor. I'll make the necessary arrangements on my end."
Graydon let the Overlord go, tilting his head back to take in the night sky, the stars glittering above. Kira's ship was long since gone.
You left me with quite the mess, coli.
His lips curved up as he started toward the city and the fortress at its heart. Good thing he excelled at messes.
*
Graydon stalked through the halls of the Shining Palace. Despite its delicate name, the palace was every bit as heavily fortified as Roake's Fortress of the Vigilant.
Normally, if one wished entry into the Shining Palace, they were required to approach from one of the five avenues extending out from the palace like the spoke of a wheel, their ends connecting to the five major Houses.
It was tradition among the Tuann that to approach the emperor, you first needed permission from a House. It was an old custom, the origin stemming from a time when the Houses would shed every drop of their own blood in defense of the emperor, choosing death rather than letting an enemy march through unobstructed.
The measure had never been put to the test, but the Houses still kept to the old ways.
If Graydon had been anyone else, he would have been turned back the moment he landed at the entrance Roake defended.
Instead, he passed unchallenged.
Where Roake's fortress resembled a stalwart sentry, imposing and vigilant, the Shining Palace was a crowning gem. Her face delicate and refined but her spine pure titanium.
At the palace's heart was a single tower. Its top was the highest point in the city, allowing it to be seen for miles in every direction.
It was there Graydon would find the man who'd demanded his attendance.
It didn't take long for Graydon to reach a pair of large doors with ornate designs carved into them. His steps didn't falter as a tingling sensation brushed along every inch of his skin. Though currently gentle, Graydon knew the sensation could turn painful in a second if the defenses decided he was an enemy.
Whether that pain would reach lethal levels would depend on the level of threat he posed.
The precaution was designed to safeguard the man inside against the incredibly small possibility of an assassin or enemy force penetrating this far into the palace.
Sensing his approach, the doors opened silently as if by invisible hands.
Graydon swept into the room beyond, not pausing to admire the beauty within as he headed to the set of staircases leading to the floors above.
Only the most trusted ever gained access. Of those, even fewer saw the views from the top floor.
Graydon didn't even pause as he bypassed the first landing. At the top of the stairs, he raised his hand and sent a pulse of ki into the air in front of him.
His ki vibrated as he manipulated it to a frequency known only to four.
To the naked eye, nothing would seem to be amiss. Only someone with an exceptional mastery of ki would feel the field millimeters in front of Graydon's hand. If he were to step forward before he finished calibrating his ki, he would die a gruesome death.
Not even his ki or synth armor would be able to save him.
Seconds later, the field dropped and Graydon stepped into a room. A bank of windows on one wall offered a view of the city and ocean beyond. A large bed sat against the opposite wall with several sitting areas set up throughout the space.
Gold seemed to be the dominating color, fabric spilling from the bed's posts.
Despite the luxury, the room was welcoming, the air carrying the faint smell of a forest.
The space was empty except for the man in a chair by the windows.
Despite Graydon’s presence, he didn't look up, engrossed with the object in his hands, a small puzzle box. Only instead of manipulating it physically, the tiny metal pieces were shifting on their own.
As a demonstration of the finer theories of ki manipulation, it was impressive—and rare. Graydon didn't think he knew anyone with such pinpoint control.
"You've come." The small snick of the puzzle pieces filled the room.
Unlike Graydon, the man wasn't dressed for war. He was clad in simple pants and wearing a black robe that glittered when he moved, like someone had trapped a galaxy in its depths.
"As you ordered," Graydon said.
The man's head lifted, a pair of eyes the color of gold staring coldly at Graydon from a face that was unlined with age despite the many centuries the man had lived. "Care to explain why you allowed an unauthorized ship to leave this planet."
"Roake's heir was on that ship."
Shooting it down would have effectively severed Roake's ties with them.
Roake would make for a difficult enemy. They were ruthless in their pursuit of justice. A blood feud with them would have resulted in consequences for the entire empire. Their House was small, but they were fierce.
The man went still, only the snick, snick of the puzzle box continuing. "How did that happen?"
"Through a series of unexpected events."
"Oh?"
Graydon hesitated, trying to find the best explanation. "Our suspicions were correct. Kira isn't the only survivor."
The movement of the puzzle box stopped. "Another survivor was on the ship."
"Not exactly." Seeing the question on the other man's face, Graydon said softly, "A daughter borne of one who was lost."
The man set the puzzle box in his l
ap and stared unseeing out the window.
Finally, he let out a heavy breath. "We knew we were biologically compatible with humans. Do we know which House the child belongs to?"
Graydon paused. "Likely Roake's."
The man lifted his eyebrows.
"There was some resemblance," Graydon admitted.
A frown crossed the man's face. "As glad as I am for them, it would have been easier on us if this child belonged to one of the other Houses."
Graydon understood the man's concerns. The other Houses were jealous of Roake’s good fortune and wanted their own children returned. If Elena belonged to any of those Houses, it would have relieved some of the pressure.
The man slanted a look at Graydon. "Though considering we now no longer possess either child, perhaps it’s for the best they belong to Roake."
The man propped his head on his fist and crossed his ankle over his knee. "How exactly did they slip through your fingers?"
Graydon avoided the man’s gaze.
The man lifted his head off his fist. "They outsmarted you.”
He threw his head back, a warm chuckle rolling through the room.
“A ship is being prepared as we speak. I can set off after them as soon as it’s ready," Graydon said, hoping to steer the conversation back on target.
The man hummed thoughtfully and shook his head. "Your agenda will have to wait until after the quorum."
Graydon fought his sense of impatience. "Assign another Face."
"I plan to, but everyone already knows you’re slated to attend. Sending another at this late stage will cause questions we can't afford."
Much as Graydon wanted to, he couldn't argue with that logic. If word got out about Kira leaving, and the manner in which she did so, it would create trouble for Roake. To say nothing of the danger Kira would be in when Roake's enemies discovered her.
For now, they could only keep the matter to themselves for as long as possible and hope they could recover Kira before anyone noticed.
The man's gaze turned inward. "Besides, I have a feeling your presence will be needed there."
Graydon went on alert. "You've sensed something.”
“I'm not sure, but something feels off.”
There was no choice then. Graydon had to attend. The man's premonitions were never wrong.