Galactic Gale

Chapter Twenty-Three

Abe and Honour

Do not stop. Refuse to give in. Do not let others get the last say, do not let them walk over you.

Kael remembered the first lesion his mother had given him as if had occurred an hour ago. The memory was fresh in his mind – the freshest of all those he had with his family. He could still recall his father's face when Nona had tried to cut her own hair or when his sister had locked him in the library for a cruel joke. Yet nothing was quite like Telion's first lesion, so vivid and clear.

Her voice still cut though him like a knife. The authority - the force - of her words so strong and sure. She had trained him in a golden palace to be a king since he had been a small child. Sculpted him into the prefect ruler.

Yet that first lesion had never felt more relevant to Kael than it did as he sat in a window bay on the Rapid's upper levels, legs crossed, and a book forgotten about on his lap. Blackness streaked by outside, the rare star reflecting its light against the glass.

Do not stop. Refuse to give in. Do not let others get the last say, do not let them walk over you.

The words ran in a loop in Kael's mind.

Since leaving Yolkemi, he had been concerned about the future of his companions, unable to sleep thanks to the idea of the Rapid becoming a cargo vessel for Retch's foes. A cart which brought unfortunate souls to their doom. He didn't believe Retch would let them just walk away from this one.

He shook his head and tried to drive the dark thoughts from his mind. They were going to Retch because of Alex. She had promised them information in return for them giving her ride – information that Kael needed to make sure the gales stopped for good. Whatever Retch could offer them would make all the difference with their search.

A rattle from the Rapid's engine shook the frame of the ship. Kael's book slipped and he quickly recovered it, closing the cover, and running a hand over the title. Metals and Mechanics. The pages were falling out thanks to Kael's fixation of learning all he could about ships.

He had had no intentions of reading, though. The book was here to be used as a prop if Amara came snooping, a topic which he knew well enough and could use to hide his real intentions. Amara might have been the most understanding of his friends, but she would still laugh at him for being worried over their next course of action.

Kael had made a promise to himself; his mother's words used a guide. He would not let Retch torture Meldrom and Don to a bitter end. They needed to be questioned, yes, but there was never a good reason for tearing someone apart piece by piece.

The elevator chimed and Kael quickly opened his book at a random page. Something about rigging material was printed in grey ink, a diagram in the corner. He could recite the page if asked.

"I thought I'd find you here," Ry said, swinging out the lift with a hand over his head. A flock of messy waves had tumbled from behind the googles he used to push back his hair. "A Watch barrier is coming up. We're crossing into the First Region."

"Thanks for the warning." Kael acted as if he was annoyed about abandoning his reading and moved away from the window. There would be no point on holding his breath to avoid detection if he was going to let the Celestial Watch see him.

"Here's a tip for when you try that with Amara. Don't sigh. You never sigh when anyone interrupts your reading. You love a good conversation." Ry slapped Kael on the shoulder playfully and Kael swatted him back.

"I wasn't aware I was such a social creature."

"You're really not into this Retch thing, are you?" Ry shifted his weight between his feet. If Kael had not known it was the elder boy's nerves, he would have thought Ry was sizing him up.