"What is?" Amila asked, cocking her head.
"That person removed the limiter. Bold move," Raider explained. "With waverunners, people don't understand it’s not how fast the board can go, it’s how much your body can withstand. The limiter creates a biofeedback with the pilot. It regulates the power output based on that person's condition. Not many waveboard runners are adept at making those second by second judgment calls. Without the limiter, you remove your upward limits, but you also have a lot more difficulty with control."
"Why do it then?" Solal asked.
"It's likely there was a conflict in the sequence of commands in the drive chain. This is the fastest way to fix that." Raider thought about it for a second. "And the most dangerous."
"More and more this person resembles Kira," Graydon said grimly.
Raider grunted. "It does smack of something she would do. It's certainly reckless enough."
The question remained whether it would be enough. Already the clump of racers had separated into two packs, one that lagged behind the first as the leaders started to draw away from the main body. They were almost through the first third of the course.
After this would be the tower, a nearly vertical climb up to an air buoy nearly two thousand feet above the ground. From there would be a breakneck descent heading into the gauntlet, a series of obstacles designed to thin the herd and test the racers' speed, maneuverability, and luck.
"Once the race is over, I want that person intercepted and brought to me," Graydon ordered.
His oshota acknowledged the order with determined expressions, anticipation in their bearing.
Graydon looked at the racer. Soon, he promised himself.
"This should be a good show," Raider said softly. He leaned back, peering over his shoulder to the row where Devon and his friends waited. "Yo, kid, if I were you, I'd watch that racer."
Devon's expression was serious as he nodded.
Ziva straightened. "Why? Is that person important?" Her expression brightened. "Is that Kira?"
The Luatha surrounding the children all looked down at the racer with renewed interest, where before they'd seemed bored with events. Their Overlord may have rescinded Luatha’s claim on Kira, but that didn't overshadow Kira's appearance in their hearts. A good number of them still felt gratitude and appreciation for her actions on Ta Da'an.
Raider smirked. "Just watch."
Graydon leaned forward. "Thanks for that."
The human knew very well they were trying to keep Kira's absence quiet.
Raider’s reaction was to send him another grin.
"Do you know something we don't?" Amila asked, studying the human closely.
Raider jutted his chin at the pits beneath the stands where the race teams were. "He seem familiar to anyone?"
The man he'd indicated had his back to them.
"Finn," Wren said.
To the casual observer it wouldn't be obvious, but Roake recognized their own. It was in the way the man moved, his size and bulk, his awareness of what was going on around him. There was no doubt; he was oshota, through and through.
"I can't think of a single reason why a controller would shield their identity," Raider said in an idle voice. "Can you?"
"It does seem unnecessary," Wren observed.
Raider smirked and nodded at the race. "There are two ways to win a race with a set up like this. You're first over the tower—or you're last. The thing most don't understand is how treacherous the wind currents are up there. The slightest turbulence can send you into a free fall. Stuck in the middle of the pack, it’s hard to draw out your greatest speed. Most won't even try for fear of crashing. But fall too far behind and you'll never catch up to the lead by the end."
"You're saying that person is hoping to be last over the tower," Amila guessed.
Raider's expression was devious "Do you know why we're called the Curs?"
Amila frowned. "I believe it is a term for a dog."
