Bethany Anne tilted her head. “Can’t it?”
Gabriel roused himself from thought. “It’s not too far a stretch. I remember thinking the Etheric was made of magic when I was younger.”
“So what you’re saying,” Alexis dragged out her thought to ensure she got the wording right, “is that to someone who had no knowledge of the Etheric and no access to advanced technology, we would appear to be using magic?”
“Sweetie,” Bethany Anne shook her head, her lips pressed together and a brief sadness crossed her face, “to somebody like that, we would appear to be gods.”
Alexis sighed. “That sounds tedious. But you don’t want to be a god, Mom. You’re really clear about that.”
Gabriel snorted. “Mom didn’t want to be an empress, and she’s clear on that, too.”
Bethany Anne's mouth twitched. “True, but duty and responsibility are two things that come above the personal feelings of any leader worth their salt.” She leaned into the chair’s soft back and waved a hand dismissively. “Thankfully, I’m done with all that now.”
Alexis tilted her head toward her mother in confusion. “But you’re building again. Do you even want this war we’re getting into?”
Bethany Anne tapped her fingers on the table while she considered how much of the truth to share with her children.
On the one hand, the truth was something Alexis and Gabriel would learn by themselves as time went on. On the other, she didn’t believe sugar-coating it would do them any good whatsoever in the long run.
“Mom?” Gabriel pressed.
Bethany Anne ceased her tapping and looked her children in the eyes. “Leadership sucks,” she told them. “It’s giving every bit of yourself endlessly with no break, no rest, and no choice but to bear it—or crumble under the weight of responsibility.”
“But.” She raised a finger before Alexis could interrupt, “there is no more honorable calling than protecting others. There is nothing more rewarding than knowing people lived because you acted.” She placed her hands flat on the table.
“Is that why you were a cop before you met Dad?” Gabriel leaned forward with his elbows on the table, completely entranced by his mother's words. “Because it was honorable?”
Bethany Anne laughed, waving a hand at her son. “Oh, honey. I didn’t care one bit about honor. I wasn’t a cop, either, but I cared about the same thing I’ve always cared about—Justice for those who can’t get it for themselves. Each time it meant taking on a greater role and more responsibility, I did it gladly, knowing I served a greater purpose.”
“Like the time Aunt Addix killed those idiots who kidnapped us,” Alexis offered. “She wasn’t happy about it, but she was glad they wouldn’t kidnap anyone else.”
Bethany Anne got to her feet, gesturing for the twins do the same. “I don't think we will be executing anybody anytime soon.” She rolled her eyes at the disappointment she saw in the twins’ eyes, along with their massive relief. “This isn’t a game. I know you know that already, but I also hope you both understand what your father and I are training you for.”
“We do,” Alexis assured her mother. “You want to keep us safe.”
Gabriel nodded. “And when we’re ready, we will keep others safe.”
“When you’re ready,” Bethany Anne repeated. A wave of her hand and the furniture vanished, replaced by a wide circle of vaguely humanoid shapes. “Time for your lesson, my loves.”
“What is the lesson today?” Alexis skipped over to inspect the misty creations. “You made these? From Etheric energy?” She turned back to Bethany Anne with hope written all over her face. “Are we making them too? Is that our lesson?”
Bethany Anne shook her head and indicated the empty mat. “Those are to test you after the lesson. Take your meditation positions. We’re going right back to basics.”
Alexis groaned as she followed her brother to the mat. “Basics? Why?”
Bethany Anne arched an eyebrow. “Make an energy ball.”
Alexis frowned but did as her mother asked. She opened her hand palm-up and willed the Etheric energy to manifest. The energy sparked briefly before winking out. “What gives?” Alexis demanded. “Where’s my…oh. It’s like we have to build up the connection to our bodies again.”
Gabriel tried his own connection to the Etheric and got the same result. “It’s there. It’s just weak, like we haven’t trained it. But we have!”
Bethany Anne sat cross-legged and rested her hands palm-up on her knees. “Then let’s remind your bodies of that. Are you both comfortable? ” She looked from Alexis to Gabriel across from her on the mat.
Both children nodded to indicate they were. They already had that faraway look, but Bethany Anne was there to guide her children.
Bethany Anne let out a measured breath and dropped her voice to a soothing tone. “Then let’s begin. Breathe in, and out. You have done this a thousand, thousand times before. Feel the love surrounding you, and allow it to anchor you to this reality. Now find your connection to the Etheric.”
Bethany Anne paused to give them a minute to feel the emotion she was sending. Just as they had been her anchor to this plane when she began working with the Etheric in this way, she was theirs. She was immune to the temptation, and nobody else would be visiting the Etheric by accident today.
She felt the energy in the room rising slowly but steadily.
Alexis opened her eyes, and Gabriel did the same a bare second after.
Bethany Anne kept her attention focused on the children, ready to cut them off if it looked like they were losing control for even an instant. “Good. Now, let’s move through creating some of the different forms of energy.”
“I think I can make an energy ball now, Mom,” Alexis offered.
Bethany Anne got to her feet. “We’re going to start with defensive uses. Sit five feet away from each other in the center of the mat and face each other.”
The twins moved into position.
“What now?” Gabriel inquired.
Bethany Anne took a couple of steps back and waved her finger in a circle, and a barrier appeared around the children. “You get to play shield wars. Best of five.”
Alexis and Gabriel whooped happily.
Bethany Anne grinned and held up three fingers. “You go on my count. Bonus point for whoever gets a full shield up first.” The twins nodded. “All right. Three, two, one!”
Alexis and Gabriel glared at each other as siblings do, and the energy level in the dome spiked as wisps of Etheric energy formed.
The energy solidified around the twins, who stood in the centers of their translucent bubbles ready to play.
“You know I’ve got this,” Alexis boasted. “You always get mad and drop your shield first.” She waved her hands, and her shield rolled toward Gabriel’s.
Gabriel stuck his tongue out at his sister and made the motion to set his bubble rolling. “That’s what you think. I just won the point for the shield. There’s no stopping me now.”
Bethany Anne winced when Alexis slammed her shield into Gabriel’s. Her children did not hold back when it came to competition. They went back and forth until the score was four-four and their shields were beginning to flicker.
She pressed her lips together for a moment, then clapped her hands. “Final round, winner takes all. Then we break for lunch before we move on to the next exercise.”
Gabriel lost his focus for the briefest of moments at the mention of food and Alexis bounced his shield into the barrier.
Gabriel tried to recover, but his concentration was completely gone. He fell to the mat when his bubble vanished. “Mom! Why’d you have to mention lunch?”
Alexis lost her footing and dropped her shield also. “Fine, we’ll call it a draw.” She stuck her tongue out at Gabriel and then helped him up before heading over to Bethany Anne. “What’s for lunch?”
Devon, First City, The Hexagon, Living Quarters
Sabine was relaxing on the couch looking over the a
ccounts when Ricole came crashing through the window that overlooked the events arena. “What the fuck?”
She dropped her datapad and was at Ricole’s side in an instant. Ricole groaned as Sabine gently turned her over. “Are you okay? What happened?”
Ricole raised a shaky hand and pointed at the window. “Yollin. Just a kid.”
Sabine stood and stormed into the office and out onto the balcony. A Yollin of the four-legged variety was pacing up and down, her mandibles moving rapidly.
Sabine guessed that nothing the Yollin was muttering to herself was pleasant. “You, Yollin,” she called down. “What’s your name, and why the hell did you think tossing my friend through a window was a good idea?”
When the Yollin looked up, Sabine saw that the female wasn’t quite an adult. She also lacked translation software according to their EI, Winstanley. But you can translate my speech for her, right?
I can, but it won’t be pretty.
Just do what you can, Sabine told the EI. She repeated herself and tried not to forget how to talk when all that came out of her mouth was a series of oddly rhythmic clicks.
“The name’s K’aia,” the Yollin replied testily. “I heard you treat fighters well here. Who do I have to speak to around here about getting some fights?”
Sabine smirked and jerked a thumb over her shoulder. “You just threw her through the window.”
“Well, shit.” K’aia closed her eyes and sighed. “Give me strength.” She shook her head and shrugged before looking back up at Sabine. “I don’t suppose my sincerest apology will make up for it?”
“I don’t know,” Sabine replied. “That would depend on why you tossed Ricole through the window. She can admit when she’s wrong.”
K’aia tilted her chin. “She thought she could take me in a fight. She was wrong. So, can I start earning already? I’ve got a ticket to buy.”
Sabine held up a finger, hearing a groan from the living area. “Wait there.” She went back to the living area to check on Ricole.
Ricole was holding her arm over a wad of paper towels in the sink, wincing each time she plucked a tiny piece of glass out of her elbow and dropped it onto the paper below.
Sabine leaned over Ricole’s shoulder to look at the mess in the sink. “Need me to do anything?” she asked, making a face at the bloody shards.
“I’m good,” Ricole grumped. “But I’m going to slap that kid upside her head just as soon as I’m done here.” She grunted, and a slightly larger piece of glass landed in the sink.
Sabine frowned, leaning back against the island. “Go easy on her for now, will you? I think she’s a runaway. She mentioned buying a ticket.”
Ricole looked at Sabine and sighed. “Fiiine, I’ll save it. We don’t want her to run.”
“What should we do with her?” Sabine asked. “I’m not comfortable putting her in the ring. What if she gets hurt?”
Ricole rolled her eyes and waved her injuries at Sabine. “Go spar for a minute with her. She’s not likely to get hurt.”
Sabine shook her head. “No. I’m going to go talk to her some more and see what I can find out. She should be with her family, if she has one.” She left Ricole at the sink and headed for the door to the stairwell.
“Find out if she’s any good at the acting thing,” Ricole called after her. “Shasta quit yesterday.”
Sabine went downstairs and through the door that separated the business from their living quarters. K’aia wasn’t in the arena when she got there.
She tapped her wrist holo to pull up the security feeds, then remembered they had the EI. “Winstanley, where is the female Yollin who was here?”
The EI responded almost immediately. “She is currently in the indoor training area. I advise caution, Sabine. She is armed.”
“I think I will be fine.” Sabine made her way around the ring and up the ramp on the other side that led to the fighters’ area. The changing area was empty, but Sabine heard practiced grunting coming from the training area beyond.
K’aia was armed, with two swords.
Sabine paused by the door to watch the four-legged Yollin work her way through a kata. She was surprised to see that some of the techniques looked remarkably familiar, while some were…well, alien to her.
K’aia spotted Sabine and came to a stop, her arms dropping to her sides. “I hope you don’t mind. I saw the swords…”
Sabine waved her apology away. “It’s not a problem. You have an interesting style, blending techniques from different worlds like that. Who trained you?”
K’aia’s mandibles clicked a somewhat haughty reply. “I trained myself.”
Sabine narrowed her eyes. She’d recognized a couple of the steps in the kata as being adapted from some of Bethany Anne’s repertoire. K’aia’s story might be a little more complicated than she had originally suspected.
“Where are you from, K’aia?” she pressed gently. “How did you end up learning those moves from Bethany Anne?”
K’aia gave Sabine a look, hearing the familiarity in the way this woman spoke about her Empress. “How did you know that?”
Sabine smiled. “If you’ve met Bethany Anne, then you must also have met Michael? I’m going to take a guess and say they helped you out like they did me.”
K’aia narrowed her eyes. “It’s true, I was a slave in a mine near City-On-The-Lake until I escaped. The Empress freed the rest of the slaves, and I went on my way to look for my family.” She looked away.
Sabine nodded, reading between the lines. “But you didn’t find them,” she finished softly. This was a sad situation, and one that had occurred far too often on this planet before Bethany Anne came along and put a stop to slavery.
K’aia shook her head. “Oh, no. I found them, but they were long gone from this life. I decided to go and find my Empress and serve whatever cause she has.” She shrugged. “Problem is, you need funds to travel, so here I am. Will the Noel-ni forgive me and allow me to fight?”
“I don’t think that will be the issue,” Sabine told the young Yollin. “I can see that you’re an excellent fighter, but you’re too young to fight in the adult leagues.”
K’aia’s shoulders sank. “You’re not going to let me fight, are you?” She walked over to the bench where she'd left her belongings and dropped the swords in favor of picking up her pack. “I'm sorry for wasting your time. I'll get out of here.”
Sabine shook her head. “Wait,” she called after K'aia as the female went to leave. “If your story checks out, I will get you passage to High Tortuga.”
K'aia paused at the entrance to the changing room and turned back to Sabine. “High Tortuga. That's where my Empress is?”
Sabine nodded. “Yeah. Just…don't go back out there by yourself. Let us help you.”
The young Yollin raised a hand in farewell as she turned to leave. “You just did. I know where I'm headed. Thanks, lady.”
“My name is Sabine.” She ran after K'aia, catching up before they got to the arena entrance. “And I'm serious about helping you.”
K'aia kept walking. “I don't need the help. I can just work for passage on whatever ship is going to High Tortuga.”
Sabine sighed inwardly and followed her into the arena. She put a hand on K'aia's arm to halt her progression. “That's not going to get you there. Travel to High Tortuga is heavily restricted.”
That worked. K'aia paused as she turned to eye the human. “So how do I get there?”
Sabine swept a hand toward the door to the living quarters. “You get a shower and a decent meal while I confirm your story, which is just procedure, and I book you onto a transport.”
K'aia narrowed her eyes. “Why would you do that?”
Sabine's heart broke at the suspicion in K'aia's question. “Because I was young and alone once, just like you. You aren't even the only former slave. Demon had it even worse than that before we rescued her.”
K'aia's eyes bugged out as Winstanley's translation missed the mark. “You have a
rift beast?”
Sabine frowned and shook her head. “No?” She chuckled when she realized what the confusion was. “Demon is a cat, an Earth species. You will meet the others, who all have their own stories. If we can help, it's not just our duty. It's our pleasure to give people options where they had none.”
She thought she saw K'aia relent. “What do you say. Will you let us help?”
K’aia shook her head. “I’m good, thanks.”
Sabine didn’t try to prevent her from leaving.
She did, however, pull a move worthy of Michael’s love as soon as the young female was out of hearing range. “Winstanley, put a surveillance drone on her. I want to know if she gets into trouble.”
High Tortuga, Space Fleet Base, SSE Fleet Communications Hub
The fleet escort surrounded the prearranged coordinates, waiting to learn whether the SSE ships they were waiting for had made it back from the Ooken system without a tail.
The first Gate opened, and everyone in the room held their collective breath as the gen III scout ships nosed into the system.
Alone.
Bethany Anne released the back of the chair she was gripping. “SSE fleet, good to have you home in one piece.”
Mirabelle’s voice came over, sounding static through the speaker. “Not entirely intact, my Queen. Those slimy fucknuts got Loralei again.”
Bethany Anne hung her head. “I can believe it. She’s damn heroic. Did you manage to retrieve her?”
Another Gate opened, spitting out three SSE ships and a hail of kinetic fire. The Gate snapped shut before the pursuers got the chance to follow, and the two EIs towed the third ship behind them toward the closest dreadnought.
All three ships were banged up almost beyond recognition.
Bethany Anne sent a mental instruction to ADAM to check them out. It wouldn’t do to take a Trojan horse in.
>>Very true. However, these three ships are legit.<<
The lead ship opened a link to the hub. “This is the SSE Savannah. We managed to retrieve Loralei, but it’s not looking good for her.”
“Come on in,” Bethany Anne told the fleet. “We'll have her good as new in no time.” She nodded to the SSE techs and left the hub for the next task on her to-do list that day.
All’s Fair in Blood and War (The Kurtherian Endgame Book 4) Page 5