Knight Read online

  The hangar was open to the forest and the sound of the rain was almost deafening out here. Rain was not unusual on Levala, but the thunder and lightning had grounded all the ships. Pilots and personnel milled about, waiting for the storm to pass. And there, sitting on the dented skeleton of a ship in repair, were Toshi and Taz.

  Knight approached them from behind. It didn't appear like they were working on the ship, currently. They just sat on its wing, staring out the hangar at the pouring rain. Knight hopped up on the wing.

  "Hey," Taz said by way of greeting, turning to look at her. Toshi didn't move. Knight settled down beside the aquarin and crossed her legs.

  "You were late for dinner," Knight said.

  "Yeah," Taz said, and shrugged. "Toshi wanted to listen to the rain."

  Knight glanced over at the aquarin, trying to catch her eye. "Oh?"

  Toshi exhaled. "It reminds me of home," she said simply.

  Oh. Knight turned her head forward. She was homesick. Nakut's atmosphere was something akin to a liquid. A gaseous atmosphere was about as alien as a world could get to them. Rain was the closest thing other planets had to mimicking the conditions of Toshi's home world.

  "Do you ever think about going home?" Knight asked her.

  Toshi looked down at her hands and shook her head. "I could never breathe Nakut's atmosphere too good. My lungs weren't strong enough. I was on a ventilator since before I can remember. I like having the freedom to go places without it." She paused. "Besides, Ferrao can't spare a ship to take me back to a Hegemonist world even if I wanted to go."

  There was that small detail. Knight felt a pang of empathy for the poor girl. She'd left everything she'd ever known to fight for a cause she believed in, and she'd done it alone. That took courage. Knight may have threatened to leave Taz back before they joined the Remnant, but a part of her doubted she could ever have gone through with it. The pair of them had done too much together. Everything else in Knight's life had changed, but Taz had remained constant.

  "Sometimes," Toshi continued, "on days when breathing was really difficult for me and I couldn't go outside to play, my dad would drape blankets over the furniture and make forts for me. We pretended we were soldiers at war, fighting the rebels."

  "You mean the Remnant," Knight corrected. Toshi laughed bitterly and nodded.

  "Yeah. It's ironic, now." She paused. "I know my parents are bad people," she said, and sucked in a shaking breath. "But I miss them anyway."

  Knight didn't know what to say to that. Deny that her parents were bad people? They'd supported the coup that had ruined her life. If it wasn't for Lhiyrra's supporters Knight's own parents wouldn't be dead. Toshi's mom and dad were bad people. And because of that, Knight realized, she wasn't so good at this comforting thing.

  Thank Syrina for Vartaz. The equina rested xer tail on the young girl's shoulders. "No one blames you for missing them. You made a hard decision. Of course you miss them. There's nothing wrong with that."

  Toshi sniffled and tried to shrug Taz off. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be like this. I should be stronger."

  "You are strong," Knight finally said. "Stronger than I would've been." And she meant it.

  Another clap of thunder rocked the base. Toshi's parietal antennae pricked. "This is one thing we didn't have on Nakut," she said. "Sometimes the currents in the atmosphere would knock down buildings, but it never thundered. I like that about here."

  "It does make life here a little more exciting," Knight agreed. Her stomach growled, angry that it had been denied food for so long. Knight ignored it. Toshi clearly didn't want to be alone, and what kind of friend would Knight be if she decided to leave? Besides, they could always get leftovers later, even if those leftovers were cold ravera beast stew.

  So there the three sat, watching the rain, for a long, long time.

  -~-~-~-

  The day dawned bright and fresh the next morning, with the storm having moved on in the middle of the night. It was perfect weather for training. Knight spent the early morning in the temple with Ulahim, healing whatever needed healing. It was just a military base, though, not an active war zone, and as such her services were only needed occasionally. She spent most of the day bored out of her skull. After dinner Knight went straight to the training fields, desperate for something fun to do. Other Remnant sparred around her on the freshly watered fields, but Knight trained alone. Weinan found Knight in the courtyard that evening.

  "Need a partner?" Weinan asked, walking up to the young avian. Knight dropped her hands and blew her veil out of her face.

  "Does a captain really have time to practice with a new recruit?"

  Weinan smiled and stopped before Knight. "She makes time. And you aren't so new now."

  Knight shrugged. She could use a partner. There was only so much one could improve using a punching bag alone. "Sure. Throw 'em up."

  Weinan obliged with a grin, and the two circled each other, each waiting for the other to move. Knight struck first, going low. Weinan easily dodged, grabbing Knight's arm as she dove past and twisting it behind her back.

  "You're advertising your movements. It makes them easy to block," she instructed. "Keep your hands tight to your body. They will be less easy to track." Weinan released her.

  Knight nodded and tried again, this time landing a blow before Weinan threw her flat on her back. She grunted as the surface of the field dug into her stubs.

  "Better," Weinan said. Knight didn't feel like it had been better. There was nothing like going up against a seasoned fighter to keep your ego in check.

  "What did I do wrong this time?" she asked.

  "You were too slow and left yourself open to a counterattack. Faster movements, shorter movements. Try again."

  So Knight did. She made it all of half a minute before she was on her back again. Weinan helped her to her feet.

  "You're getting there. Again."

  Fighting with Weinan was more grueling than basic training had been. She expected more, pushed harder, and was not as clumsy as the recruits Knight regularly sparred with. She was fast, agile, and strong. Her wings, which one might think as a hinderance, didn't appear to get in her way. Knight began to last longer and longer against her, but she had the distinct feeling the other avian was pulling punches.

  "You don't have to go easy on me," Knight said after a few rounds. Weinan raised an eyebrow and grinned cheekily. The next thing Knight knew, she was on the ground again, chest aching from where Weinan's foot had connected with her sternum. She winced as she sat up.

  "I didn't hurt you too bad, did I?" the captain asked. Knight pressed her hand to her chest and called her Luminance. The ache subsided to nothing.

  "Nothing I can't handle," she said.

  "This is why I go easy on you. You're not there yet. You'll get better, though, I have no doubt." Weinan gripped Knight's hand and hauled her to her feet. "Shall we call it a night?"

  The sun had set, leaving a dark void behind. The immune lamps blotted out any starlight that might have come out. All but a few people were left on the field, standing by the benches as they cooled off. Knight didn't want to stop. She liked learning under Weinan. But she was exhausted, and she knew she'd feel the soreness in the morning.

  "Sure," Knight panted. They picked their way over to the benches.

  "It's recruits like you that give me hope for the Remnant yet, you know," Weinan said as they walked. "Eager, fast learners. We need more of you."

  "Too bad I'm Luminant," Knight said. "Too valuable to do much else."

  Weinan shrugged. "You have your place. Being a healer is honorable. A blessing from the Divari."

  Knight wrinkled her nose but said nothing. They'd reached the benches by then. Knight dropped heavily onto the seat and rubbed her neck. The soreness was already starting. Off in the distance, the sound of night bugs could be heard from the trees. A soft breeze drifted across the training field, cooling the sweat on Knight's brow.

  "What I mean to say is," Weinan took
a seat beside Knight. "Seeing people like you makes me think we've actually got a chance."

  Knight tilted her head. "Didn't we just take Hlean?"

  "Yes, well. Hlean is only one primary world of three. And we have no idea what the Hegemony is planning."

  There was that. The Hegemony wouldn't have left Hlean if they didn't have a backup plan, a way to resecure the world they'd lost. Especially since the Hegemony had bowed out of the fight despite their imminent victory.

  Weinan sighed and turned to Knight.

  "I've got a meeting to get to. Duty calls and all that." She cocked an eyebrow. "I'll see you tomorrow evening. Same time?"

  Knight grinned. "Sure thing."

  -~-~-~-

  The next day’s session went much better, despite the soreness dragging at Knight’s bones. Weinan was among the Remnant’s top fighters in hand-to-hand combat, seemingly skilled beyond her years. Knight managed to last a full minute against her mentor before succumbing the next night. Weinan was smiling as they finished.

  “You’re a natural,” she commented. Knight glowed, bolstered by the praise.

  They kept up a regular schedule of training. Not every night, no, but at least four out of the tenday she spent putting in some extra time against Weinan. Occasionally Taz and Toshi would come to watch, cheering on their friend. Toshi loved to see Knight in action; Taz just liked to see that Knight wouldn’t be entirely helpless should the worst happen.

  Life went on. Knight trained under Ulahim, and she trained under Weinan. She felt less and less like the scrappy vigilante who had prowled Roirse’s streets and more like a competent soldier in the war. Like she was making a difference.

  A month later, Knight anticipated making the usual trek out to the training fields after dinner for yet another round against Weinan. Instead, Weinan approached Knight at her table in the mess hall that morning. She nodded to Taz, who was watching Weinan through narrowed eyes. Despite seeing the good that training with Weinan was doing for Knight, xe still wasn’t too fond of the Remnant officer.

  "Need something, captain?" the equina asked in a tone that some might interpret as insubordinate. If Weinan noticed, she didn't show it.

  "Actually, yes." The captain looked to Knight. "The admiral wants to speak with you."

  Knight choked on her breakfast. She quickly composed herself and looked up at Weinan. "Me? Why me?"

  "I can't say," was all Weinan replied. Knight exchanged a glance with Taz. The admiral calling a meeting with a new recruit was almost unheard of. He rarely interfered with day-to-day life on the base, too wrapped up in the war itself. If he needed to speak with Knight, it was undoubtedly about something important. Knight recalled her first thoughts back when she'd arrived on base, of needing a Luminant shipped out to Hlean. Was that why the admiral wanted to see her?

  With no other choice, Knight left the table and followed Weinan out of the mess hall. She felt Taz's eyes follow her as she trailed behind the captain. The duo walked in silence through the base, with Weinan leading Knight through a series of twists and turns that led ever deeper into the mountain. They stopped outside a thick helite blast door some few minutes later. Weinan motioned Knight inside.

  "I can wait for you, if you'd like," she offered. Knight blinked.

  "You're not coming in?"

  "The admiral was very specific."

  This made Knight all the more anxious. Taking a deep breath, she squared her shoulders. "I think I can find my way back," she said earnestly. Weinan nodded.

  "Then head on in whenever you’re ready."

  Without a second thought Knight waved the command center open and stepped inside. The door slid shut behind her with a resounding bang. She found herself in a low-ceilinged room studded with computers and holoscreens that cast an eerie blue hue on everything around them. The immune lamps were dimmer in here, adding to the somber atmosphere. And standing in the center of the room were two figures: Toshi, of all people, and Admiral Ferrao.

  The admiral was an imposing man, tall even for an avian. The tips of his crimson wings nearly touched the ground, and scars marked his forearms where scales refused to grow. His gaze was sharp, his eyes deeply set above a nose that had been broken and unsuccessfully reset more than a few times. He stood with his arms crossed, dwarfing the aquarin standing next to him. Knight snapped into a salute.

  "At ease," he said in a deep voice, acknowledging her salute. "Knight, I presume?"

  "That's me, sir." She was motioned closer.

  "I know of your work on Valiant. Good stuff," he said, and Knight relaxed. Perhaps being known so widely was a good thing. "It is precisely because of that work that I've called you here." He cleared his throat.

  "My work, sir?" Did he need someone assassinated?

  "Your skills of infiltration and security evasion make you a prime candidate for the mission I have in mind. You would be breaking into a Hegemonist-aligned facility. Is this something you think you can do?"

  Yes, Knight thought, that was something she could do rather well, if she had the time to prepare. Vire had been a particularly tricky target given the bodyguards he had on him at all times, and the biometric security on his office. She'd managed to not only sneak past the extensive security measures, but dispatch the bodyguards unnoticed by the cameras and whisk Vire away to the lip of Roirse's canyon with ease as well. Infiltration was a strong suit of hers. Ivet had always taught Knight that any ruler needed to be observant. Who could’ve known xer teaching would aid in Knight’s illicit activities? Whatever mission Ferrao had for her, Knight was confident in her abilities.

  "I can do that, sir," she assured the admiral. He simply nodded and cleared his throat.

  "I'm glad to hear that. Now, for the details. Toshi?"

  Knight glanced at Toshi, waiting for an explanation. The aquarin stepped up.

  "Remember how I told you I program computers?" she asked. Knight nodded. "Well, I created something. A worm. It can break through any Hegemonist firewall."

  Knight's eyebrows shot up. A piece of code like that could easily turn the tide of the war in the Remnant's favor. It would allow them access to the Hegemony's strategies, troop movements, technologies…

  "That's amazing," Knight said, awed.

  "I'm sure by now you've heard of the developments on Hlean," the admiral spoke. "How they retreated just before their victory."

  Knight nodded.

  "I want to know why. Toshi's worm would allow us to learn their motive. All we need is someone to get it into the Hegemony's computer systems. It doesn't need to be a military facility, so long as it's connected to the Hegemony's network. The target we’ve settled on wouldn't be anything heavily guarded." He turned to a computer and tapped a few buttons, bringing up a dossier on what looked like a shipping company located on Valiant. "This is the Sixth Star Shipping Company. We have it on a good authority that they are supplying the Hegemony with ammunition and equipment. If there is a link, their computers will be on the Hegemonist network. This worm will punch a hole in security and give you access to all you need without the risk of breaking into a military facility."

  "And if it's not on the network?" Knight asked.

  Ferrao's lips thinned into a line. "Then we send another infiltrator after a military target. You are too important to risk. But the reconnaissance is promising. We are confident there will be a link."

  It sounded simple enough.

  "What does security look like around the building I'm going after?" she asked, eyes poring over the document.

  "Minimal. A few security guards, some grainy cameras. It serves as a headquarters for the entire company, not a warehouse where goods are kept. The Hegemony has no reason to think we'd strike there." Ferrao handed her a pad inscribed with what looked to be a blueprint on it. Knight reached for it, making note of the box-like shape and the single entrance at the building's front.

  "I can't stress enough the secrecy surrounding this mission," Ferrao said. "Very few on this base know about the wo
rm, and we need to keep it that way. We don't want to take any chance of the Hegemony getting word of it. You can say that you're being deployed to Valiant, but nothing more."

  Knight understood. She set her mouth into a thin line. "Yes, sir."

  Ferrao's lip twitched into a small smile. "Good. Get some rest. You ship out in two days’ time."

  -~-~-~-

  "You're doing what?" Taz was incredulous. Xe glared across the cafeteria table. "You promised you wouldn't go putting yourself in danger."

  "This isn't like nothing I've done before," Knight said.

  "And remember how you got caught last time? Weinan isn't there to bail you out if you get arrested."

  "I won't get caught. I was stupid last time. Besides, Arlei and Vire and the rest all had top-level security. I've dealt with worse. This will be no problem for me, I promise."

  "And you're going to Valiant. That's where you're from. I don’t think it will be too difficult for you," Toshi added. She actually looked excited, most likely because it was her worm that was being tested. She had to be eager to see if it would work like she'd designed. Practicing on Remnant computers was one thing. Deploying the device in the field was something else entirely.