“You need training. All of you. This circle is going to end in destruction if you can’t get it under control.” His aura is calmer now, a mellow orange instead of the fizzing and spitting red from earlier. “Tomorrow, then.” He leaves, the door slamming behind him.
“That was—”
The door swings open, and Master Rav marches in, her fighting stick at the ready. “Defend yourself, Omega.”
“Whoa, what?” Lana stumbles backwards, but I catch her.
“I’ll work with all of you fighting as a circle for the second half of lessons. First half?” Master Rav twirls her weapon. “It’s just you and me, Lana.”
“She wants to help.” I peer at her, the same sparks of fear as Master Lintaru dotting her aura. “What you read from Lintaru—that the council will come after us if we don’t prove ourselves—is true.”
“But she knew about Bartanz. They were all in on it. All of them watching me and keeping secrets. We can’t trust her.” Lana speaks up, giving voice to those thoughts. “You knew all along I wasn’t a real cadet, but you didn’t say anything. Why should I trust you now?”
Master Rav stills, her dark eyes fixed on Lana. “I was asked to make sure you were safe at all times. High Commander Bartanz made quite clear that you were to be treated as the other Omegas but also that you came with a great deal of fragility as well as importance. The fragility was thanks to your human lineage. The importance—” She shakes her head. “He never explained, and I knew better than to ask.”
“So you just do whatever the fleet tells you?” Lana challenges. “No matter what?”
Master Rav sighs. “The fleet hasn’t told me to come here and help you. Yet here I am. You can accept my tutelage or not, but I swear to you that I am here to help the circle, to helpyou.”
Lana lifts her chin, strength in the movement. “You don’t think the circle is going to start a war?”
“Absolutely not,” she scoffs. “The circle is the only thing that can stop it. I only wished I’d known you were the circle’s Omega ahead of time so I could’ve assigned you extra work to prepare.”
“In that case, I’m glad it was a secret,” Lana says under her breath.
I feel out Master Rav once more, trying to detect subterfuge, but there is none. “I think she’s telling the truth.”
“Let her help you.” Ceredes backs away, his arms crossed.
Master Rav coils, her body in fighting stance, her stick at the ready.
Jeren is more reluctant to retreat, but he does. “I agree. She’s the best combat teacher at the academy. Lana, you can do this. Keep to your feet, think three steps ahead.”
“Wait, I—” Lana is on her back in a flash, Master Rav dancing away from her. “I thought you were some super-powerful Omega. Doesn’t seem like it,” she taunts.
Lana climbs to her feet. “I’m not a fight—”
Down she goes again. I want to help her, to save her from the lesson. But I can’t. She needs this. We all need this. She is the beating heart of our circle, and if we are to survive, she has to be strong. So, despite the wrenching feeling in my chest, I step away.
“Really, Kyte?” She frowns at me and gets back on her feet.
“You can do this. I have faith in you.”
“We all do.” Jeren shimmers into shadow. “Use what you have. All of it.”
Her eyes open a little wider, as if she just remembered an answer to a test question. When she fades into shadow and creeps to the right, Master Rav strikes hard and fast, sending Lana sprawling. But she gets up. Again and again, she gets up.
Because sheisa fighter. And together, we will show the council that the universe needs us, whether they like it or not.
12
Lana
“Idon’t think I’m ready for this.” I look up at the brand new ship, this one silver and far sleeker than any of the other practice aircraft. Tingles race up my spine, and I keep shaking out my hands. “This one looks fast. Too fast. And, hang on—” I lean over and peer at the weapon bays under the nearest wing. “Those look live. Not a training module.”
Kyte follows my gaze. “Those are real energy loads. This ship isn’t for practice.”
I shake my hands out again and wonder why my ears are hot and my nose is cold.
