Calysta let Illya take her home while she half dozed in his arms. It wasn't so much that she wanted to sleep, but that her eyes just wouldn't stay open. Rather than put up a fight about the tiredness she laid her head against his chest and drifted in and out as he carried her. Occasionally, she looked up at her Chip and tried to tell him something, she couldn't quite remember what, but it had to be important if she had woken to tell him. Her mouth opened and closed several times before she managed to get out a word...at least she thought it was a word. By the time they made it home the floating sensation was in full affect and Illya unclothed her with gentle care. When it came to her boots and leggings, she swayed and gave him little smiles which he seemed to ignore. Some how he put her in the bed and crawled in alongside her, pulling her close to him. "Mmmm...." she hummed, "I drank...and I feel good. You feel warm. It's good." Her little nose buried into his shoulder and she let out a contented sigh before drifting off.
The next thing she felt was a terrible spinning. Her eyes were closed. They were closed? Yes. Closed. But the world around her seemed to be swirling as if trapped in the gravity of a black hole and she was the twirling event horizon. "Uhg...no...oh no..." Half flopping over, she reached out for something, anything to steady herself while trying to find the floor. Her stomach was already trying to crawl up the back of her throat and she had no idea in which spinning direction the bathroom was. Suddenly, she felt the bed shift and a shadow crossed across the room, settling beside her with a bucket. A gentle tug at the nape of her neck captured her hair as her Chip's voice whispered it was okay. With a shudder, Calysta couldn't hold it down any more and heaved into the bucket. A large amount of splatter hit the bottom and she kept right on heaving until her ribs ached. Throwing up was horrible and she hated it beyond other kinds of sickness. Since she was a child her body always reacted poorly to the ejectment. Once she has even been given a concoction of medicine designed to help her immune system and it caused her stomach to rebel against even water. The doctors had to feed her intravenously and give her fluids until the side effect had faded. It was days before she could manage to sniff toast without hurling.
After another few rounds, her stomach seemed satisfied and she shivered as her damp forehead came to rest on Illya's bare bicep. "Last time I drink at a Terran place," she mumbled. That was all she could really remember beyond talking briefly to the manager. A towel was some how magically produced and she wiped her mouth down, criging at the sour taste. "Ugh...I'm sorry, Illya." He was having to deal with her mess and there was no telling what he might have heard her say while she was flying high on synthetics.
After a few more minutes sitting up and another gagging reflex which resulted in only a bit of bile, Calysta laid down with her Chip close and tried to calm her shaking body. The spins were the worst part, eyes closed or not, and she held to Illya as a warm, somewhat sweaty anchor. She was glad he was there. Having someone close when she was I'll still felt strange but not in a bad way. There was something to be said for the human touch of comfort. It didnt take nearly as long for her body to calm down and she managed to ignore the spinning world long enough to fall asleep.
Waking up the next day was no easy task. She had slept till mid morning, which was odd for her in general, and yet it made sense considering the synthetics poisoning. Illya was already up it seemed and whatever mess she had made the night before was gone. Slowly, she slipped off to the shower and began the hot water. She felt crusty and sticky with sickness sweat along with the general smell of vomit and synthetic wine.
The water was near steaming when she wobbled inside and leaned against the shower wall for a long moment to get her bearings. "Never again," she announced to herself. "Never again."
Once she was thoroughly scrubbed and her teeth brushed, she dressed and walked to the galley. Her father stood along side Illya, both men finishing up the dishes from breakfast for the kids. "Morning," she mumbled before standing on her toes to leave a gentle peck on her Chip's cheek while he did the dishes. When she turned around, her father was already pulling a bowl from the quick-heater, offering it over with a spoon. "Plain oatmeal." Her father knew her well enough to know after a bout with synthetic sickness she would want something easy on the stomach. "Thanks, dad." Settling into their little galley table, she scraped at the oatmeal with tiny bites. It wouldn't be good to eat fast and have it all come back up again. After a few bland bites, she glanced up at Illya, her cheeks reddening. "It wasn't bad was it?"
"No, it wasn't," her father assured her, "Nobody even picked it up on the news broadcast last night or this morning."
Her shoulders automatically relaxed and she nodded. "Thank you, Illya. I'm sorry about dinner..." Giving him an apologetic look, she took a last bite of her oatmeal before bringing the bowl over to the sink to wash it. Illya had been undoubtedly taking care of the kids all morning after taking care of her in the night an it made her feel guilty though it hadn't exactly been her fault. "We sort of missed that special dinner, yeah? Maybe we can take the kids to the bird sanctuary and do that tonight? We should celebrate."
* * * * * * * * * *
They arrived at the bird sanctuary on the farthest island of Kinte after taking the heavy suspension bridge between the two pieces of the continent. There were multiple foot bridges connecting all of the islands, but this one was the largest which took pedestrians from one main island to the secondary island, then on to the furthest. Air spaces and docking was limited on that island of Kinte, so it was better to just walk. In all honesty, Calysta was glad for the fresh air despite the mist settled over the area. The bridge swayed only slightly as they walked along the path with dozens of other Kaereleans who were traveling by foot. The twins were tucked into Illya's jacket while she pushed Lohgan in her stroller and Cypher walked next to Rose who kept glancing over the side of the bridge, obviously curious to see if the mist might lift enough for her to see the Wilds. It wouldn't lift in the rainy season, of course, which was just as well. Illya was always a little nervous about crossing things like this and the grey mist blocked out exactly how long of a fall was below them.
The bird sanctuary was a place she had been to several time before and it was quite nice, even on rainy days, because it was indoors. They walked into a large, park-like area filled with trees and open meadow dotted with picnic tables and a few other amenities. Admission was free and there was a little cafeteria where patrons could purchase a limited menu of lunch items. Interspersed through the meadow and the trees trapped under the dome were small paddocks, each managed by worker wearing a uniform. There was already some sort of presentation going on down the small hill involving a large, female
cryn falcon with golden feathers. Her handler was tossing her bits of meat and allowing the great bird to snap them out of the air.
Cypher took one look at the great bird and took off running with excited puffs. "Mam! Look at dat bird!" Calysta's eyes widened and she had to pass Lohgan's stroller off to Rose to catch her son before he barreled into the crowd. He was surprisingly fast for his weight and size, but she managed to wrap her arms around him from behind and bring him to a stop right behind the crowd. "Don't run off like that, okay?" she whispered in his ear through his wild curls, "That big bird gets scared easy sometimes and you have to be gentle. She likes it nice and quiet."
Her son nodded in understanding and she let him go to guide him around to the side where he could see the falcon better. It's sharp, golden eyes swiveled in on another piece of meat and clamped down over the flying morsel as the caretaker explained. "Juyia here is a rare Rey, falcon. These birds were quite prominent on Kaereal before the Great War, largely making their home on the Reylian continent. Once their nesting ground was destroyed many of her ancestors were packed aboard with the Rey people and brought to Reylia to breed and flourish. Juyia here stands close to 10ft tall but is very light and that is because her bones are hollow for the most part, allowing her to fly for hours on end without landing. She was born on Reylia, but was injured as a young chick and was unable to adapt to living in the wild. Now, she lives here at the sanctuary helping us learn about the habits of
cryn falcons." The caretaker tossed yet another treat, then made a signal with her hands which prompted the bird to expand her wings which were well over 20ft in length. A few down feathers floated to the ground and Lohgan plucked one from her hair with a giggle. "Yellow. Et's yellow." The delicate feather stuck to the girls fingers as she marveled at it. Cypher's eyes widened when he saw how big the bird was. "Et's as big as Quoraz, Mam."
"Juyia is a medium sized falcon and she loves her meat treats. We have them brought in from Reylia special, premium nyte beast loin and intestine pellets. Yum." Rose made a grossed out snarl, but wrote down the information in her pad nonetheless before Juyia was allowed to give a show of her flying. With her wings spread, she hefted into the air with a bouncy running start and did a circuit of the dome high above their heads before obeying a whistle to return. Her reward was a round of applause and another meat treat before a trap door opened in the hillside and the bird stepped through to take a nice nap.
They visited several other paddocks, each with exotic and beautiful birds of Kaereal but none quite so impressive as the falcon. At the last part of their visit, Calysta got a little snack of soft breads at the cafeteria and they ate together at one of the picnic tables. Little
Pykr Birds waddled around the eating area hoping for a bite to eat and Cypher watched them as he tossed pieces of his bread out to them like he would his chicks at home. They snapped up the treats greedily then watched the boy for more which he was more than happy to supply. Lohgan took an interest in feeding them too, but she was going about it all wrong. Rather than throwing it, she squatted on the ground and offered the bite before tossing it just in front of her so she could get a better look at the bird brave enough to snap up the meal. Then she would do it again, leading them closer and closer to the paddock.
"Yah got tah throw et more Lohgan," Cypher told her, before demonstrating with his last piece of bread, "See?" It was a little too late for the warning however. The flock of tiny birds had gotten close enough to see Lohgan had extra bread in her hands and were converging on her with hungry eyes. Their little beaks wouldn't do much, but there was quite alot of them getting excited over the hunk of treat in the girls hands. Cypher grabbed his sister and began pulling her back to the picnic table where their Mam was feeding the twins. "Maybe we go dis way." Lohgan squealed in protest and that set off the frenzy. A horde of rodent sized birds fluttered toward them aiming for the bread and both children squealed in the excitement before running.
Several patrons turned to see the two kids running from a roiling flock of fluff balls, all running over each other in pursuit. "Get tah the table!" He hauled his sister along until he reached the tables where his Mam and Dah were sitting, then grabbed the nearest piece of bread to toss at the horde. Rose's half eaten roll sailed through the air like a frizbee and landed in the center of the flock which stopped them all in their tracks so they could battle over it. "Hey!" Rose yelped, more in surprise than actual anger. Cypher smiled and pointed. "I had tah save Lohgan from the Picky birds."
Calysta bit her lips trying not to laugh and cleared her throat carefully. "It still wasn't nice to take without asking," she tried to correct.
His little brow furrowed for a minute and he nodded apologetically until another smile broke out over his face. "Okay, but et did work."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Later in the afternoon Calysta took Illya out flying. The day was stil grey and misty, but the weather wasn't bad considering it was the rainy season and it would be the first time she could take her new flyer out with him. Rey, what remained of it, was only 45 minutes from Kinte and it would have a good view of the sunset when the time came. After their little outing and adventure, they would go home to cook and celebrate a little more. The engines in her flyer hummed perfectly and landing was not a problem on the main hunk of Rey. It was a little over two miles wide, but hardly anything woul grow besides grass and a few trees amid the shattered cracks. Once they were landed, she took off her helmet and did a quick air test to make sure the air quality was good. Kaereal didn't have smog so much as they had issues with the lower floating continents sometimes getting a little too close to the Wilds gasses. A wind could pick up and occasionally make visitors sick if they weren't careful. With a green light on the air sample, she let loose the top and jumped to the ground, excited to go roaming. "The best spot is on the north end," she admitted, "You just can't land there because the ground isn't stable, but its easy to walk to."
They walked in silence for awhile and Calysta took the time to think over a few things. Illya was in Skycorp now and it was a good thing. He would be doing work he might actually like, maybe even going places no one had ever been depending on what commission he took . She had been trying to help him so much that it hadn't really sank in that he would be gone often when he made it through the training months. Calysta stole a glance at her Chip as he picked along the ground and felt a sort of heaviness that she hadn't felt in awhile. She had grown spoiled from having him close. Maybe it wasn't a bad thing. They had done so much in the last two years and she was irrevocably in love with him. He was her partner in life and she would feel his absence more than she had ever felt it. Yet, he deserved the opportunity to go where he wanted, if he wanted it.
Peeling her eyes away from Illya, Calysta stepped over the deep crack in the ground which revealed bright pink strips of metals being formed in the core of what remained of Rey, They were thin, but they were there and that meant given a few decades there might be a little bit more of the precious resource. "That's the Unbreakable Metal, the Goddess' ore," she nodded to Illya, "It forms over the course of millennia, starting out as a mix of symariam and Hylstarium. The two metals press together over time caught between the gravity of the planet and stuck above the jysairum which makes the continents float. Eventually, it combines the two into the hardest metal known to date." She smiled and winked at him. "It's what I had your armor made of when we were able to find a little more." Walking past the crack, she came to a rock that had probably once been part of the Rey continent surface but had been displaced in the blast 500 years or so ago. Now it looked like any other part of the scenery, moss covered and overgrown the a determined, yet stubby Omne tree. "You'll get to be going alot of new places when you take your first commission."
While Calysta stepped over the crack in the ground Illya knelt near it. He didn't want to get too close, but he wanted to see it better. This metal had been a bit of a mystery to him and the Elite had been most grateful for the metal that was used for the vests and armor they could. There had to be more of it somewhere, but the conditions would have to be right. After a long moment Illya got up and resumed walking with Kalizda. "I tink maybe wit dah war progressing dat et will be wise tah make unexpected trips as Council Woman. Yah become harder target tah find and den I will get commission to ride yah ship as navigator and bodyguard. Maybe I will learn more den dis." Those were things he already knew, but he wanted her to be a difficult person to find. The war was perhaps in a lull at this point, but it would be getting worse soon enough.
The war. Her mind slipped back to that dark cloud that always hovered in the back of her thoughts, despite the relative calm of the last year and half. Her smile faltered just a little and she turned her eyes from the setting sun to her Chip. He was smart, she already knew that, and she trusted him. It didn't mean she wanted to worry him any more than necessary. Sidling over, she came to his side and slipped a hand into his. "Little birds are hard to hit already, but the tour of Kaereal and the Fringe will give me some travel time. My schedule is meant to be publicly announced and documented, but I opted not to do that this time. Only a few people know of the actual itenerary and each continent leader only knows which dates to expect me on their continent. The fringe schedule I havent released at all, except for you." Her fingers curled over Illya's much thicker fingers and squeezed lightly. "I think you will learn much more and like Skycorp. You'd be able to choose any commission you like, I bet. If you wanted it, the job would be yours." It dawned on her that he had the chance to take any job her wanted and yet he was still talking of coming aboard her detail as a navigator. It felt selfish not to tell him he was free to choose what he wanted, if it wasn't playing guard to the councilwoman, even if she wanted badly for him to stay with her.
"Kalizda, I'm talking about oter trips. Not jes dis one. Yah need tah move around often. Dere will be times dat we stay in Pytra, but yah need tah change custom. Dis time we tour togeter like tradition, but dah next time yah dun travel all at one time. Yah make random trips. Dey will nut be able tah make target for yah at home, or traveling." Illya wanted her to know that he was already planning her future trips. "Meh first commission of choice es always at meh Kalizda's side."
He was talking more seriously about moving around more than just the Tour. Pyrta felt more like home than ever and it was where everyone was comfortable. Comfortable. That was what Illya was worried about. If they were comfortable, someone else would be comfortable enough to try something. She didn't want to be the cause of anymore loss for the Chippeqouti or the other Pyrtans either. The other half of what he said made her smile, betraying her happiness that he did, in fact, want to choose her commission. It was probably silly to think that he might want otherwise but the world was more open to now than ever before. He should have the right to choose. Lifting his hand, she kissed his wrist gently, her smile still evident on her lips. "Then we will become more mobile. It wont be easy all of the time with the kids, but it I think I have Pyrta in good stability now. With the school and with everyone working together. And I can't think of a better navigator or bodyguard....or agreed." She said the last with a pleased lilt to her voice.
Having her kiss his wrist was still difficult. He remembered vaguely what it meant and he kept a straight face for the time. "Kalizda, when I finish meh school yah put out standing commission. Den dah crew yah get will be always dah same ef yah accept and approve of dem. Yah make sure yah captain of yah own ship. Et would be best for yah tah hold command and commission. In dis case yah need dah power tah play dah game. Skycorp es good, but et es place for many spies tah enter."
He still seemed worried, and admittedly not without reason, and she nodded. "I think you're right. I keep a very close eye with those coming and going on Pyrta and I will have to do the same with my own ship. I know what will happen if the Federation kills me, Illya. I know the Alliance will most likely crumble. I know the Chippeqouti won't be able to trust anyone else in my shoes and without the influence of the home planet it will not go well. I've tried my best to put us in a position so that way when the time comes, and it's tested, we stand firm. We're more powerful together. That's how I play the game. Not just for now, but for the future too." Her eyes flicked to him once more. She knew it probably wasn't easy for him talk about this after what happened to his first family, but she need to have it said now that he would no longer be the general and be in Skycorp. She trusted him with those thoughts now, her worries and her goals.
A weak grin spread over Illya's face. "Such a confident little bird. I like et." Stepping a bit closer to one of the strange trees growing on the small continent Illya looked up the length of it and then back to Kalizda. "Yah tink I could climb dis tree?"
His hand slipped out of hers as he managed a small grin, still somewhat watery grin slipped over his lips and he said something he'd never said before. Confidence wasn't something she would call it so much as she would stubborn necessity, but either way she would take it and she let out a small chuckle. Looking to the tree, she shifted her weight to a singular hip and tilted her head. "Aye, I believe you could, though you're nearly tall as it is without that rock."
"Aye, but dat's nut dah point." Just beyond the tree there was a ledge and it was within leaping distance. Granted there was a considerable drop of about 50 feet if he missed, but he wanted to get to the ledge. If he got stuck there was always the flyer. "Yah come fly to dah top tah meet meh dere? I tink et would be interesting tah see eh?"
She chuckled at the proposition and then raised a brow. In reality, she might have wanted to climb with him, but the other part of her wondered if he might just need a minute to climb on his own. Tomorrow was a big day after all. As nervous as it made her for him to go climbing and vaulting, it would be a good warm up for what lay ahead. "Aye, I will meet you at the top," she agreed, "And that's a steep drop on the other side. You're under orders not to fall, Cadet." With the said, she shot him a somewhat playful look, then slipped off to go get the flyer.
"What yah mean ca..." Stopping himself short he grinned and shook his head. That was going to get some getting used to. Illya was used to being addressed by his name, or as General. Some of the Elite still called him General and in a way he liked it. That had been a big part of his life. Turning toward the tree once more he started to climb up the thick, stubby tree. Near the top of it he could see the edge of the ledge he wanted to catch. With a leap he caught onto it and the rest of him slammed against the stone face of the cliff. In a way it felt good to try something a bit more like he was used to. Climbing up the rest of the way he found himself looking into the eyes of a large black wolf. "Oooh." Illya made sure to stand up straight. It was like this was a different layer to the floating island. He was on top of a massive field that had been hidden by the clouds and hidden from view when they flew over. He could see the ledge plainly from the ground, but they couldn't see it from above. If she was looking for him and where to land she would be hard pressed not to crash. Glancing back down he saw that the wolf was sniffing curiously at him, but keeping a cautious distance. "Yeah, yah keep away and mind yah own business. I tink dere es enough trouble." Above, he could hear ship engines, but all he could see was the thick haze. It almost appeared that he had found a high valley. There were a few mountains beyond this and he could make them out from here, but they hadn't seen those flying over either.
Calysta went to the flyer and grabbed her helmet before wiggling it on to her head. With a few quick steps, she was in the flyer and the engines were whirring. Anyone would have gone for something sportier, faster, but the twin engines of her flyer purred like kitten tyrei and the sound made her smile every time. With the engines going, she lifted off from the small patch they had landed on and took a gentle impulse over to where Illya would be emerging . There was a heavy bank of mist lurking on the steppe where they had been, growing thicker the higher she climbed, but that was no problem. She had been here before. It was harder to navigate in such whether for someone inexperienced but she was able to bring her flyer down slowly, causing the fog to swirl around. She searched for Illya, waiting for him to pop over the ledge. Just when she debated making a pass over the valley a form came through the mist and she called out. "Over here!"
With the sound of the engines the wolf started to cower and it scuttled away a few feet and then ran when it heard Kalizda yell. Illya followed the sound till he reached the flyer. There was something unusual about this spot and it made him want to explore, but they didn't exactly have the gear to do that safely. "Kalizda, I tink we should come back and explore anoter time. We need some equipment tah make et back to dah ship safely eh?" A compass wasn't much good around these parts. The metals seemed to mix a compass up and it would require a little different set of navigational tools. "Yah ever go to dah mountains out dere?" Illya pointed to the black looming figures in the distance.
Finally she saw Illya appear from the fog and she tilted her head when he mentioned wanting to come back and then asking about mountains. "Mountains?" her brow furrowed and she glanced to where he was pointing. "Oh. Those aren't mountains. When the attack on Rey happened, it was a blast strong enough to shatter the continent. The metal core cracked into several uneven and unbalanced pieces. Somewhat like you saw on Kinte when the ship displaced one of the islands. The unsupported pieces of land fell to the wilds below us, the parts that had enough ore to keep afloat stay up but are so displaced that they can't be used. They're just raw dirt and ore kept together on vines and whatever else grows now. They look like mountains in the mist mostly because what you're seeing are fragments of what was once the underbelly of Rey. Eventually, the rain will wear it away and there will be nothing left but the small bits of ore."
"Can yah climb dem and mine for dah metal?" If the metal was part of what held the continents together then it might prove to be an excellent source of the metal. They may have to use some specialized crews, but it could be worth it. "Yah ever go see dese pieces of Rey?"
"I've flown around them and seen them, but never landed on them myself," she admitted, "Mostly because it's illegal and that's because the underbelly are sheer cliffs and there's not much to grab on to, much less set a line in for roped climbing. Some people have tried poaching what ore might be developing on them. A few have died and others only came away with a little strip or two, which is probably all that's been able to develop over time. There was a more radical proposition offered about 50 galactic years ago that Henaiah's predecessor proposed. He offered to purchase what was left of Rey and they blast it apart to reach any remaining ore inside, but it would be a one shot deal. No more ore would develop on Rey ever again once that was done. Not to mention, Tikan's father refused to sell. This land is considered somewhat of a memorial and funeral grounds now. They didn't want anyone touching it. So, the idea was down voted substantially. Of course, these are different times."
It sounded like there were only a few pieces that had been explored. "Et's illegal?" Illya couldn't see how it would be. As for blasting the chunks of Rey apart he couldn't see the sense in that. "Es et illegal tah be here n..." Pausing he focused on the fog. It looked like something was moving in it and he started to step to the side to block Kalizda from whatever it was. "I tink yah better get in dah flyer."
She started to reply. It wasn't illegal to visit the main part, though strongly discouraged, only those pieces that were impassible were illegal. On occasion, a wealthy Reylain could visit the main portion that remained. Before she could tell him that Illya was stepping in front of her and ordered her into the flyer. She didn't hesitate. If he thought something was up then she needed to be in the cockpit to get the off the ground. "What is it?" she asked climbing in. As soon as her butt hit the bucket seat she readied to take off and pulled out her pistol.
As soon as Kalizda was in the flyer Illya jumped in behind her. "I tink dere's someone here. We need tah go now." Whatever it was happened to be strange. Part of him was curious, but another part of him knew it could be dangerous. It might not be worth the risk to stay behind and find out. The figure in the mist moved closer and closer. It looked like a man carrying a sword and at his side there was a black wolf. Illya couldn't help leaning closer to the flyer's edge. Somehow it looked like a Chip, but there weren't any down here. "What dah hell es dis. Yah see dat Kalizda?:
Calysta's stomach steeled and she clicked the slide of her pistol into place as Illya spoke. She could see whatever...or whoever...was coming toward them. They were large and accompanied by an animal stalking along beside them. It could have been anyone, another Rey, though they would be a rather large one if they were and they didn't carry much in the way of swords. They stuck to their scythes. "I see it alright," she said, "I don't think it's a Rey or Kaerelean unless they are very large." Keeping her pistol out of sight, she gazed at the figure coming closer. "Who are you?" she asked loudly. Friend or foe, they were going to find out. If he was only carrying a sword he couldn't get to them so fast as she could take off and if they were Tannas it would be hard to combat them at best, but she had a contingency for that too.
The figure stopped a short distance off and then sheathed the weapon. "I've been waiting for this for a long time." Calling out in Quoti the figure still remained in the mist. Illya looked at Kalizda and he nodded to her. "Yah jes make sure yah ready tah leave ef I tell yah too." Making sure his gun was cocked and ready to go he slipped out of the flyer. "Yah tell meh who yah are or I will spill yah guts for dah wolf tah eat." A chuckle sounded and it was strangely familiar sounding. Illya crouched and raised his gun. Whoever it was he couldn't quite place, but it was entirely disturbing. "I ask yah one more time." Finally the figure answered. "I died so you could become the man I raised you to be."
She felt her jaw clench as Illya slipped out of the flyer again and this time she let her weapon be seen, since Illya was already out and couching for a steady shot. If Illya missed, which she doubted he would, she could put a bullet in the strangers head as a last resort. There was no way she would let the man close to Illya with that sword or otherwise. The voice was familiar and chuckled wryly, a bit too pleased with itself. It sent a cold shiver down her spine. "Stop," she said, "Halt and state your name. Last warning." Whoever it was they were playing games with riddles, perhaps stalling for time and she didnt much care for it.
Whoever it was never answered back in Trader's Tongue and Illya wasn't about to play their game. Hearing Kalizda yell again made him feel slightly more on edge. It was only a reminder that if this was a Tannas they were in danger. "Ef yah claiming tah be dah man dat raised meh, den yah tell meh one ting." It was only something that Markus would know the answer to. "What was yah order on dah day I lost meh men?" There was a strange silence and then the man sighed. "My order was to accomplish the mission, or die." The answer was entirely unnerving. No one knew that order except Illya. It had been a verbal order and one that they both regretted in time. "Step out where I can see yah!" Finally the man stepped closer and he made no move to draw his sword. It was indeed Markus and a black wolf with him.
Calysta felt her stomach knot for the second time as she stared at what should have been a ghost. Markus had died on Uria in the same blast that had almost killed her 7 years ago. She didn't move her gun or her gaze off the man in front of him, despite his answer, disturbing as it was. "That doesn't make sense. Yvonne and Illya saw your dead body," she said firmly.
Markus sighed and answered in Quoti. "A body so mangled they only identified it by the sword." He waited for a long moment. It didn't appear that his son trusted him and he wouldn't blame him. "I'll wait here for as long as it takes for you to summon the guard to come pick me up."
Illya was being stone dead quiet in the matter and Calysta swallowed hard. It all seemed far too convenient and she didn't trust him as far as she could throw him. And if he really was a Chip he weighed close to three hundred pounds or more, so that wasn't even an inch of trust in her book. Who she did trust was Illya, and he needed to trust her. Rather than directing any sort of action to Markus, she stole a glance at her Chip who had yet to move. "Illya...lets go. I will have guards come to escort him till we can determine what's going on. Please."
It was a lot to try and process. He hadn't been able to tell it was his father after that blast with the exception of the sword. They all knew it was his father's sword and how it got on someone else was a mystery. One that if this was Markus, only he would know. Kalizda was trying to talk in the background and Illya cringed. He wanted to stay here and make sure this shadow didn't move. Someone had to pick him up and they had to find out if he was truly Markus. If he was not they still needed him. He knew things he shouldn't if he wasn't Markus. Things that were never recorded. "Yah stay here wit dah wolf." Somehow the black wolf with the man was entirely disturbing too. This wasn't a coincidence. Slowly backing up Illya felt the flyer behind himself and then got into it. "I'll be back wit dah guard tah pick yah up."
She felt the flyer shift again as Illya retreated slowly. Her pistol's position didn't move until he was fully on board and able to cover them until the glass top covered them. Once they were sealed inside, she clicked the air circulator to internal only. No Tannas would get in without difficulty and if they did, she would vaccuum them out with a blast of outside air. When it seemed they were ready to go, she placed to shaking hands on the controls and lifted them into the air, sending a whirl of mist and the gray hair of the man claiming to be Markus' hair wisping in the breeze. It took 30 minutes to reach the nearest airbase and the entire ride was silent. She wasn't sure what to say, but all in all, she wanted Illya away from that man, whether he was his father or not. They were given permission to land with her counselors code and she pulled her helmet off as several Kaerelean hangarmen came around. She ran a hand through her hair and shooed them off for a moment, so Illya could have a minute. Whatever was happening, it was cruel. Her Chip looked blank faced and colder than she should too. After a long moment, she dared to meet Illya's gaze, her eyes filled with concern. "Illya...I'm..." She almost said she was sorry, but that wouldn't change matters. Stepping closer to him, she offered a hand out to him. "Whatever is going on, we can deal with it together, yeah?"
For the ride back to Kinte Illya remained silent. He wasn't sure what to think of all this. If it was his father he had to go back to get him. If it wasn't his father he had to find out who it was. He didn't want to do this, but it was necessary. Without even realizing it Illya got out of the flyer once they reached the port and he stood next to the ship only long enough to reach back in to grab his jacket. Slipping it on he took his first step to go get some of the guard and then Kalizda was standing in his way. A couple of men were vacating the area as she spoke to him. "We'll deal wit et. Right now I need tah get dah guard and go get dat man and his wolf."
He was gruff with her and refused her hand. She let it drop by her side and gazed at him, knowing he was probably freaking out on the inside. "I'm going with the transport too. I don't want you to have to go alone."
"No." Illya shook his head and then met Kalizda's gaze. "Yah stay here for now. Et doesn't matter who et es. Right now et would be dangerous for yah tah go wit meh. I will come right back to yah after dis and den yah ask meh what yah will." Illya didn't need her to be so close to danger.
Her jaw clamped down and this time her hands started to shake. It wasn't anger though. It was fear. She'd heard those words before and the last time she heard them he had come home with a shattered brain an no idea who she was. A different man. Knowing what she did about Markus, it felt like the same thing all over again. A visible shudder echoed through her despite her attempt to control it and she gazed back at him, searching him over. "Then you'd best come back fast. Please be safe."
Kalizda looked beyond upset and Illya could only guess why. For now he had other things to take care of and he nodded to her. "Dun worry. I be back before dinner eh?"
He was acting like this was some easy thing to do rather than being Markus, the second most dangerous man Calysta had ever met and it bothered her. Still, she managed a slow nod then leaned up to kiss his cheek and whisper in his ear. "I love you. Be safe." She didn't care who saw her do it. He didn't walk out the door without having heard that from her now or ever. It would probably sound dumb if she explained why to him and so she didn't. Instead, she let him go and sent him off to gather whoever he wanted.
Making her way to the control room, she opened the door and immediately the commanding officers along with the staff stood up, saluting. "Madam Councilwoman?" They had cleared her landing and knew she was here, but stood at attention nonetheless. "At ease. And it's just Calysta or Monroe, if you will." The officers relaxed some, but still looked at her waiting to see what she wanted. "My husband is cleared to take a team of men to the old Rey ruins to pick up an individual of interest. I need eyes on the transport ship and links to the comms ready. I want back up to ready to respond if this mission goes south. I also need you to prepare a detention room. One with a bed and toilet access but no other additions. This person is to be treated with respectful caution until we can verify his identity or unless Illya states otherwise." None of the the men bothered questioning her about the orders. The councilwoman looked pallid and her mouth was set in a straight line, but there was a look of storm in her pretty grey eyes that everyone knew to avoid setting off. Their only action that wasn't a direct order or part of their work was a young man slipping out of his flight control chair and returning with a steaming cup of lemony tea, offering it to the councilwoman without a word. Calysta's eyes softened for a brief moment, and she gave a nod of thanks before turning to the screens to see what would happen.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
When Illya returned Calysta allowed him to do whatever he deemed necessary with the man and then checked the time. They would be getting home very late to the children who would be wondering where they were. Cypher was at the age he would begin to question such things just as Rose had. Illya came into the hangar with a reddened and quickly growing bruise along his jaw causing a flare of absolute anger to wash over Calysta. How could Markus have done such a thing. She knew he wanted an empire, but this was...she wasn't even sure there was a word for it that didn't make her sound like she was some fainting old lady. It horrible. Unthinkable. If that man really was Markus, didn't he know the pain he had caused Illya with his passing? His wife? Yvonne had died in the attack on Pyrta and he didn't even seem to know it. Was an empire truly that desirable and worth what he had done? The thought was further compounded by what the man was capable of and it was obvious he could vie for the favor of the remaining imperialists within the Chippeqouti. They might even hail him as some sort of hero. That idea combined with the image of Illya's bruised face was enough to make her sick.
Illya came up to her quiet, but he had the look in his eye like he would talk to her right then if she asked. Instead, her expression softened and she held out his helmet so he could board the flyer. "Lets go home, yeah?" She didn't know what else to say or do just yet other than take him home, take care of the children, and let it process for awhile. The flight home was silent, save for the hum of the engines, and they kept that trend until the ramp of the Silver Mountain opened up allowing Lohgan and Cypher to come running down to greet them after they landed.
"Mam! Looket!" Lohgan waved a paper sporting a very crooked and colorful rainbow she had drawn after dinner. Cypher held up his own drawing to Illya which consisted of big, mean monster eyes and pointy teeth. "Papa said et looked like'em when he had no coffeh," he grinned. Calysta met both of her children with an easy smile and chuckled. "Oh, aye. That's about right. Papa likes his coffee just that much. C'mon, lets go inside, yeah?" As they walked inside together, Cypher had to be the one to ask. "Where did yah go? We ate all dah food wit out yah."
"We had to take the big flyer out and we had a little trouble," Calysta said. It was as close to the truth as she could make it without ending up with more questions. "But Dah and I took care of it as fast as we could so we could come home, yeah?"
That seemed to satisfy him for now and they went inside to listen to their son give more tales of what happened over dinner. She met them all with smiles, genuine ones, and when the time came she and Illya tucked them into bed. Once all the children and babies alike were snoozing, she heated up the left over meat pie in the food warmer, giving Illya their biggest bowl and ate with him before taking him to bed too. There were a thousand questions running around her mind coupled with fears and yet she pushed them all to the back of her mind to focus solely on her husband. With a slow start, she undressed him and he didn't question the idea of hard work. There were bruises on his torso and the sight made some of those fears flare up, if only for a moment. Staring at him for a second, she continued and took him through a long session of love making, with special care not to hit his bruises. He didn't seem to have any objects with her taking as long as she wanted to treat him with little caresses over his chest and shoulders or nibbling playfully at his ears. Between gentle kisses here and there, she finished her work and stayed beside him, one leg laid tiredly over his and her fingers playing at the hair near the nape of his neck. Her eyes met his and she smiled a little. "Tell me what you're thinking," she said, kissing him once more. He didn't have to, but she hoped he would. More than her fear of Markus, she worried about her husband she wanted to know what he thought.
* * * * * * * * * * *
The next morning, Calysta walked with Illya out into the drizzling rain. His packed lunch was in one of her hands and her jumbo sized umbrella was clutched in the other. She kissed him, her breath leaving a smokey trail of steam and then smiled. "Good luck, love. You will do well and I'll see you tonight, yeah?" With Illya on his way to the Skycorp compound carrying his lunch along with a sack of the overnight items he would need, she watched him until he disappeared from view, then went inside. It would be a long wait until tonight when they could talk and work would be a passable distraction.
The entire class turned to look at the big man as he entered the gymnasium with a dripping raincoat along with his bag. Many familiar faces were standing there, all staring at him, including the Yurian man and the Udine woman, until the instructor cleared his throat. "You're late..." -the man checked his pad- "Cadet Blackwolf." It was easier to call him that than to figure out what in the Wilds his last name meant. A few of his class mates shuffled to the side, allowing him room to join the staggered row formations and the instructor continued. "Since roll call is complete, finally, I suppose some introductions are in order. I am Commander Swyft, 45 years strong at Skycorp and you are the newest recruit unit placed under my instruction. I expect hard work, both on the training field, flights
and in the class room. You give me your best, and you'll get that from me." He spoke in clearly enunciated traders tongue, then examined the pad once more. "You've been assigned team mates through the training process. Let me just go ahead and say this now: Yes, they were assigned randomly, no you may not swap, and yes, your ability to work with your team will determine part of how well you score in training.When I call out your name, step up and meet your partners for the next 8 months."
With that out of the way, Commander Swyft flicked his finger over his pad. "Group One..." He began to list out names and those individuals steps forward, giving each other curious looks. "Group two.... Uzia, Rymnan, and Karlsson." The Udine woman took one giant step forward, nearly blocking her other two teammates from view which consisted of the rat faced Yurian man carrying a fancy leather satchel, and skinny, tall boy with blonde hair and blue eyes with nothing but a tiny sack. They exchanged looks, each vastly different, then stepped to the side.
"Hyzn, Blackwolf, Smith." Woman with blonde ringlets and not much larger than Calysta stepped forward with her carpet bag along with a man with perfectly combed hair and manicured goatee. "You are team three. Welcome. Now, follow the other teams through the double doors at the end and down the hall. There you'll find your quarters for the next week." Swyft gave his orders and then moved on to the next set of names, calling the out to meet their new members.
