Aurania lay in bed, hair damp from her shower. She was exhausted, but sleep did not seem to want to take her. Her thoughts refused to settle, circling around the planet’s instability, around her people, and around Soren. She told herself she was just tired. By the time she finally did drift off, her headache had dulled to a low, molten throb. And the sleep was not kind.

  She found herself standing in a lab. Her body felt off, smaller than she was used to. When she moved, it was sluggish and disconnected. The room around her was dimly lit, sterile and humming. The walls were lined with terminals, some flickering with programs, and half-completed notes were chaotically scrawled on the walls.

  A man stood nearby facing a worktable cluttered with vials, dataslates, and neural interface tools. His hair was thinning and wiry, tufted like he’d run his hands through it too many times. He muttered to himself as he worked.

  “Soren,” the man suddenly said distractedly, “hand me that calibration node.”

  Her arm moved. Aurania reached out, no—Soren reached out and placed the small device in the man’s palm. Panic skittered along the edge of her mind. She was experiencing a memory of his again, witnessing it through his eyes.

  The man didn’t even look up. “Thank you,” he said absently, still focused on the machine in front of him. “We’re nearly there.”

  The door hissed open and a figure stepped inside. A woman, beautiful and fierce, her movements casual but… wrong. She wore a sleek bodysuit stitched with sensor nodes and reinforcement plating. Her hair was dark and long, but her eyes drew all focus. They were piercing and seemed to faintly glow with something cosmic and ethereal.

  Aurania felt Soren’s breath catch. She knew that kind of stillness. Recognition and disbelief. “Lulu?” Soren’s voice came out of her mouth—his mouth. “What the hell happened to you?”

  The woman tilted her head. Not quite mechanical, but not natural either. Her eyes studied him, but no warmth touched her face.

  The older man finally looked up. “She’s been enhanced,” he said, matter-of-fact. “Her cells exhibited a rare affinity for Aether Dust bonding. Do you understand what that means, Soren? She’s going to help us push back. Against those in the Earth's government that wish to halt my work. I think she will prove most effective.”

  Soren. Aurania. Sorania looked at the woman again and saw only a stranger. They searched for a flicker of the friend he’d known, but the expression she returned was neutral. There was nothing behind the glow but obedience.

  Aurania jerked awake, her skin damp with sweat, heart pounding in her throat. The room was quiet except for the whir of the ceiling fan. Her breath came in shallow bursts as she ran a hand down her face, seeking relief. “What the hell was that?” she whispered.

  She sat on the edge of the bed for a long time after waking. She hadn’t turned on the lights. The ceiling fan spun lazily above her, and she took long steady breaths while she massaged her temples, trying to smother the ache blooming there.

  She didn’t understand what she’d seen or why she'd seen it. It was obviously another of his memories, but last time that happened, she had been in the same room with him. She felt anger start to rise within her. I told him to stay out of my head. She closed her eyes and saw that woman's face again. Lulu. That vacant stare. The faint glow behind her eyes like some quiet apocalypse.

  Aurania forced herself to stand. She strode over to the wash basin and splashed water onto her face, gripping the edge of the sink as the droplets slid down her cheeks and into the hollow of her collarbone. The reflection in the mirror offered nothing useful. Just tired eyes and damp hair and the quiet echo of a stranger’s voice still ringing in her head.

  The water running down her body reached her nipples and she felt them stiffen in the cold air. It had been too long since she had lain with someone. Klix had not been the last, but the memory of his touch from years prior now felt as fresh as yesterday. She felt a grip in her chest, and confusion swirled as the memory entangled itself with the presence of the man who had slain him.

  He acted in self-defense. She growled aloud at herself—at the pain. Even alone she didn't want to sort through this mess of feelings.

  Turning, she walked to her wardrobe room, the cool air refreshing on her bare skin. She couldn't stand sleeping in any garments, it always caused restlessness. Not like it would have made any difference tonight.

  Berilinsk would be in full mourning today. Colorful garments, shared poems and stories of the fallen—and tonight, a banquet feast. Their Festival of Life had run all week despite the chaos, tomorrow would mark the final and most lively day. The following day, they would perform The Ceremony of Departure.

  As one of the village's leaders, she always had eyes on her. She draped herself in a high-collared couture robe of sheer charcoal embroidered with gold. She also painted several golden lacravida designs across her skin, and adorned several pieces of jewelry. She didn't have the energy to braid her hair, so she pulled it up and tied it out of her face, letting it hang freely down her back. She reached for her traditional lacravida mourning shroud, a sheer crimson band that signaled grief without obscuring vision, and wrapped it around her eyes. Her headache pulsed in a dull rhythm beneath her temples, but she ignored it. Pain was easy. Pain made sense.

  She slipped out of her front door and spied the dawn sunlight negotiating with the horizon, her vision obscured by the color of blood. Berilinsk was quiet at this hour and the scent of damp stone and jungle dust lingered, grounding her.

  She would not speak of the dream.

  Aurania did not live far from the town square or Silvara's Hall, not far beyond it. She wasn't sure where she felt like heading, but she didn't want to interact with anyone yet. She placed one hoof in front of the other with no direction, and when she eventually looked up, she found herself near the western gate. She was staring up at the murals Klix had painted. Some of them cracked in the quake and he would never be able to repair them. She didn't sob, but she did feel tears fall from her eyes.

  Despite the natural blades his race grew from their wrists, he had always been gentle with her. She couldn't say she really returned the favor. Trained lacravida like herself could manually trigger their adrenaline reflex. It activated a biological response that made their skin temporarily tougher. She chuckled quietly to herself, thinking how she had abused the ability.

  But Klix never claimed to dislike it.

  She drew the left corner of her bottom lip into her mouth, then forced herself to bite hard. She felt the sharp canine puncture and tasted iron as a small bead of red welled up. Silently approaching one of his paintings, she planted an echo of her lips. Then she wiped her mouth with the tip of her index finger, and as she walked away, she struck a red line through her painted kiss.

  By the time she stepped into Silvara’s Hall, the daylight outside had sharpened into late morning glare. The walls of the central chamber were washed in filtered gold, the heavy tapestries still drawn low to cool the space.

  The long table was already partially filled, and along the middle of the table, several trays of various fruits were laid out along with refreshments. Samara was seated with her hands folded and Inelius was three spots to her right. Elias was on his left and they were leaning in chatting about something to each other. Raine sat to the right of Inelius, she appeared to be listening to whatever was being discussed with quiet amusement while casually snacking on berries.

  Tamiyo was standing behind the chair she had occupied the other day, facing the door as if she had been waiting for Aurania to arrive. Soren stood behind his chair as well, but his back was to her. He seemed to be lost in thought, gazing up at the mural above the table.

  Aurania approached him and said, “It's called The Mother's Inheritance. It depicts how the lacravida were chosen to bear life to all other sentient races in the universe.”

  Soren did not immediately look at her or respond.

  Aurania looked at one CIPHER girl. “Good morning Miss Tamiyo,” she said, then, “Raine,” nodding to the other. She chose a tone that was respectful without slipping into hollow kindness.

  Tamiyo nodded back and said “Ma'am,” sounding defensive but not disrespectful.

  If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

  Raine nodded but said nothing, returning a stern stare.

  Soren turned to look at Aurania, and for once, he didn’t look away. His eyes flicked over her robes and shroud. His gaze didn't linger, but it was focused, like he was recalibrating something in his mind. He seemed thrown by her outfit.

  Or maybe he's thrown by what's under the outfit.

  Fuck off Kizara.

  She narrowed her eyes slightly. “What?”

  He hesitated, then said, “You look nice.” It wasn’t flirty, he sounded like he meant it.

  She felt herself flush slightly and her headache sharpened like a splinter driving deeper into her skull.

  Inelius and Elias were whispering to each other and casting quick glances in her direction.

  She ignored Soren’s comment and stepped past him to her seat. “What are you two schoolgirls giggling about?” she muttered as she sat, not expecting a real answer.

  Tamiyo and Soren followed suit, taking their seats in silence. A moment later, Samara’s voice cut through the room: “Let’s begin.”

  A gentle hush fell over the group.

  “Soren,” Samara started. “I want to begin by thanking you for cooperating with assessing the situation. I told you that doing so would help ease the burden you have placed on our community, and I meant it. While the pain and grief our people are feeling is still real, I will inform them that you acted in self-defense and have been more than helpful in aiding us since then.”

  Soren sat reading the translator tablet, and before he had a moment to respond, Raine spoke up.

  “What else do you plan to tell everyone about what happened in Altina?” She wore the defensive and unyielding expression that Aurania had seen multiple times on Tamiyo’s face.

  So that’s where she gets it from.

  “Your concern is well-warranted,” Samara responded, turning her eyes toward her. “And I recognize that your experiences, particularly in the Conservatory, likely make you wary of those who hold power.” Samara glanced at Tamiyo, speaking to both of them. Her voice remained steady, but not cold. “I’ve led for a long time. I’ve made difficult calls. I know how words shape consequences, and how easily they can be twisted by those who weren’t there.”

  She let that hang for a moment before continuing.

  “But I also know what I don’t know. You saw what happened in that lab. I didn’t. And I’m not interested in pretending your account doesn't matter.” Then, with a measured pause: “So tell me: what do you believe the people should know?”

  Neither Tamiyo nor Raine had been expecting such candor from Samara. They exchanged a glance.

  “Your sister attacked an unarmed man who pleaded for her to stop,” Raine said. “Then she ordered Tamiyo to be threatened in order to further provoke him.” Her tone was definitely passionate, but Aurania sensed she was intentionally trying to keep her temper in check.

  “But,” Tamiyo spoke up. “We discussed it and we do understand why Aurania acted the way she did. I can’t necessarily say that we agree with it, but… your home is in danger, and I can’t say with certainty I would act any differently if I were in your position.”

  Aurania watched as the CIPHERs and her sister traded verbal blows like a game of chess. They each were surprising the other, and Tamiyo at least seemed to be enjoying it the same way Samara was.

  “I’m happy to hear you say that,” Samara answered.

  Raine looked contemplative. “It doesn’t hurt that Riza apologized.”

  “She did?” Samara said in a surprised tone.

  Aurania found herself feeling the same way. “That is… incredibly rare for her.”

  Samara glanced at Aurania before continuing to address the table. “I heard my sister invoked Volkara in Altina, I hope you all understand how drastic an action that was. Riza’s apology alone tells us how much of an impact that order had on the team, not just yourselves.”

  Tamiyo, Raine, and Soren all exchanged glances.

  “While I can only speak for myself,” Tamiyo said, “I do not harbor any ill will toward Aurania.”

  Aurania shifted her eyes to Raine, who was staring back tensely. She inhaled slightly through her nose and then sighed. “We’re cool.”

  Aurania reached out and grabbed a small cluster of berries from the platter on the table. She grabbed one with her teeth and pulled it free from the rest before tossing the cluster at Raine. “You’ve got an attitude,” she said with a small grin.

  Raine caught it and plucked a single berry the same way. She ripped the cluster in two, tossed one half to Tamiyo, and the other back to Aurania. “I have good role models,” she said, never breaking eye contact.

  Even through her headache, Aurania found herself pleasantly surprised by the two CIPHERs. After a few moments, she let out a hearty laugh that echoed through the hall. “You two,” she pointed to Raine and Tamiyo. “You may call me Aura.”

  Tamiyo’s face lit up with happiness, and she said, “Thank you Aura.”

  Raine grinned casually and grabbed a slice of melon.

  Soren caught up via translator and looked back and forth between Aurania, Raine, and Tamiyo, almost in an exaggerated fashion. Then he looked at her and said, “Can I call you Aura?”

  “No.”

  Elias and Inelius choked back laughter.

  Smiling, Samara brought them back on track. “So Raine? Tamiyo? What should we tell our people?”

  The girls glanced at each other.

  “You know your people better than we do,” Tamiyo said. “You have been most hospitable with us considering the circumstances. It’s not our place to sow animosity. I’m sure however much detail of Aura’s actions you choose to share, it will be best.”

  Aurania and Samara nodded warmly at her.

  “That being said,” Tamiyo continued, “If you don’t tell them what’s coming, they won’t be ready. I’m not sure what resources you have at your disposal for figuring out how to save the planet, but the further the message spreads, the more likely we get in contact with someone that can possibly help.”

  Samara didn’t respond right away. She seemed to be analyzing Tamiyo and measuring the girl’s ever-growing character. Finally, she said, “how ‘we’ can get in contact?” Samara had a grin on her face, she was enjoying fencing with the girl through words.

  “I had something to do with the tragedy brought to your doorstep,” Tamiyo said. “I plan to help fix it, however I can.”

  Aurania spoke up, “Does he feel the same way?” she indicated at Soren.

  “Yes, I do,” he responded almost immediately.

  Aurania’s headache pulsed. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Elias and Inelius talk to each other again in hushed voices while staring directly at her.

  “I’m glad to hear that,” Samara continued. “To answer your query Tamiyo, we don’t have a ton of resources that could help us combat a threat on such a grand scale. I’ve put out a message to our homeworld of Lacravi, but I don’t expect them to be able to assist much. Our people’s resources are strictly allocated and primarily focused on investing into our communities, not altering orbital trajectories.” Her tone had a twinge of irritated sarcasm at the situation.

  “Have you spoken with the Liberty Union yet?” Elias chimed in.

  “Well, we’re in a bit of a tough spot when it comes to them,” Samara said. “There’s been pressure on the independent local governments on Nox over the past several years to join the Liberty Union, but we are far from reaching a consensus. Without a formal charter, I doubt they’d be willing to expend resources to assist.”

  “We could submit a formal request for assistance citing the emergency,” Aurania said. “Tell them we’ll collaborate with the other planetary leaders for acceptance into the LU in exchange for helping us keep our home safe.”

  “They may view it as too little too late,” Inelius said.

  “Yeah, and even if not,” Elias added, “Liberty Union politics is notorious for being slower than frozen molasses. There’s a solid chance that if we go that route, they’ll accept our request just in time to tow our asses out of the sun, nevermind we’ll all cook before then.”

  There was some murmuring around the table.

  Soren’s translator caught up and he chimed in. “So go around the government.”

  That caught everyone’s attention.

  “That’s no simple ask,” Samara said.

  “I don’t think you have many other options,” he retorted.

  Aurania noticed he was speaking a bit more boldly than he normally did. “You sound almost as if you speak from experience.”

  “Yeah well we can get to the specifics later but I’ve had to go directly to military commanders before to get missions accomplished. Some things are so time sensitive that if you wait for the politicians to get their heads out of their asses it’ll already be too late.”

  The table exchanged glances and nods.

  “Elias,” Soren continued. “You said you and Riza served in the Liberty Union military, right? You know anyone in that sweet spot of command that has enough pull to get shit done but isn’t too high up that their job is to kiss ass all day?”

  Elias cracked a big smile. “I like this side of you buddy. Unfortunately I think most of the people I know wouldn’t be in a position to help. I’ll ask just to make sure, but we should definitely see who Riza knows.”

  “I assume she’s better connected than you then?” Soren asked innocently.

  Everyone but Tamiyo chuckled a bit at his question.

  Inelius leaned back slightly and said, “We're not joking when we call her a legend. From what I've heard, there are fleets of veteran gunships with less confirmed kills than her. Would you say that's an exaggeration Elias?”

  Elias shrugged a little. “If it's exaggerated, it's not by much. There's a real chance that more than half of all active members in the LU military owe Riza their life in one way or another. If anyone can call in a favor, it's her.”

  Samara rose from her chair and adjusted the drape of her robe. “I’ll speak with Riza directly. If we’re going to ask her to burn a favor that big, I’d prefer to ask her myself.” She looked at Raine. “Would you care to join me? If Riza felt the need to apologize to you, it couldn’t hurt having your help asking her for a favor.” Samara didn’t need the help, she was just playing friendly politics with the girl.

  “Little old me?” Raine said. “Don’t tell me Chieftess Samara is afraid of Big Bad Riza.”

  “Didn’t you hear what they just said?” Samara indicated to Elias and Inelius playfully. “I’d be an idiot to not be a little scared of her.”

  “In that case I’d be happy to back you up Mama.”

  Samara regarded her with a warm smile. Then her gaze swept over the room in a more serious manner. “Take some time and clear your heads. Participate in the Festival of Life and I’ll send word when we’re done speaking with Riza.”

  Without waiting for protest, she motioned for Raine to follow, then turned and left through the side hall that led deeper into the building. Raine grabbed one last piece of fruit and hurried after her.

  Aurania stood not long after and muttered, “I need air.”

  “You feeling alright, Aura?” Elias asked.

  She grimaced at the sound of his voice. The headache had been steadily building the entire time they had been speaking, and was now a bladed crescendo, throbbing against her skull.

  She pushed past the others and strode from the hall without answering his question.