Sang the Setari

40. Take Heed

"...Sean? Are you okay?" I ask, concerned.  He looked quite flushed.

"FINE!" He shouted, suddenly. Then more calmly, "I mean...I'm perfectly fine, Pookie."

"So...?" I prompt.

"Soooo...We should talk about that later...in fact, I'll tell Kota to set aside some time for us alone...Tonight...Yeah... Because there isn't enough time to...I mean, because Tsur Buble is expecting us and Owen will give us a kasse if we are any later," he rambled off in one breath then jumped up from his seat and offered me a hand.

"Okay," I replied, taking his hand and standing.

*****

We entered the appointed meeting place to find the others assembled and engaged in various pursuits to pass the time as they waited for our arrival.

Victor and Nathan were chatting. Kota was on the Interface, probably playing a game. Luke had clearly been antagonizing North and Silas was watching the show.  Gabe was sketching on an art app that was pulled up in the Common Space. Owen paused mid-step, as if he'd been pacing.

Arms crossing, he levelled us with an assessing gaze and asked, "Miss Sorenson, you are well?"

I blushed under his scrutiny but responded, "Yes...I had a medical inquiry and Ista Green answered my question.  Thank you for granting us the delay."

Owen simply nodded and said,"Very good then. I've messaged Tsur Buble to let him know we are ready."

"Any clue what this is about?" Sean asks the group as he takes a seat near Kota.

"No fucking idea," Gabriel responds and swipes away the digital sketch. I frown, hoping he had saved the file. It was a beautiful rendition of the scenery in Maze Rotation. I think I even saw a small Ghost snoozing among the flowers. I would ask him later to draw something similar for my current collection of Gabe Sketches.

Tsur Buble entered briskly and as soon as the door slid closed behind him turned to the empty space at his left and said, "Reveal yourself."

Inisar the Nurian appeared in a blink sending a ripple of surprised alarm through my Squadmates. North and Silas blatantly moved to block the Nurians access to me. The others assumed tense defense positions. Inisar remained unmoved by their aggressive stances.

"Stand down," Tsur Buble ordered the Setari. Then he nodded to Inisar. "This room is shielded. You may speak freely."

Inisar turned and spoke to the group, "I know of your plans to use the Aveonix to access Kalasa.  I come to warn you against such recklessness. She is too important to put in such danger." 

Tsee Blackbourne asked, "Is there any other pathway into Kalasa? We've tried every other avenue. This is a last resort."

"No, there is no other way to the Great City. And you know not what you might awaken if you open it," Inisar answered.

"We will be taking precautions. We wouldn't let anything happen to her," Tsur Buble stated.

Inisar's ominous reply echoed through the room as he disappeared, "Your so-called precautions may not be enough." 

We were all quietly contemplative until Luke broke the silence, "So we are going back to Muina?"

Tsur Buble said, "Yes, Miss Sorenson has made sufficient progress in Sights training. She has enough control."

"If risk is so great, should Sang really do this?" Nathan furrowed his brow in worry.

"I don't like it. However, Inisar confirms it is the only way to get back to the city. We have no choice," Tsee Blackbourne.

Kota added, "Based on all our aerial data scans, we are assuming the pearlescent dome that Tset Coleman described is surely Lantaren cloaking technology keeping Kalasa hidden.  We simply can't find it. Now, in objective assessment, the potential wealth of knowledge preserved there alone makes the risk worth it.  Though personally anything that would put Sang in such danger, I can't be eager for."

North said, "Everyone was caught off-guard before. This time we can go prepared with weapons and multiple squads to exterminate any Voltzatch encountered."

"Indeed," Tsur Buble agreed. "Fourth Squad, you will prepare to leave at third shift."

Soon Tsur Buble, Tsee Blackbourne, and Kota were bent together, consulting on which squads to include. North, Nathan and Victor hunched over a map of Kalasa drawn from Gabriel's file to plan battle strategy. As for Gabriel, Luke and myself we were packing and saying goodbye to Ghost, while Sean returned to MedBay to check on Blake.

In a whirlwind we were loading onto a tanz bound for the Deep Space Rift leading to Muina.  Lying in my pod and trying to relax, I realized that I was really looking forward to returning to our Muinian residence. It was much more conducive to our Squad spending time all together as a family. I would also get to visit Charlie and hopefully see the island Avalon again. As I drifted off to sleep, I thought it was such a shame my and Sean's evening was cancelled and we didn't get a chance to finish our conversation.  I still had so many questions.