Shuttle Flight

— — Iradathin Morning, 33 Talorihi, 3 Cresoukim, 2469, 10th Age — —

“Shuttle Flight CI45659, Fast drop to (Iradath Spaceport A) from (Iradathkin Station C) is now boarding at gate L89.” In an empty corner of the chaotic terminal, the draiker ialar wearing the scarlet and flame jacket of the Imperium’s Kidorlus rose to her feet. She slung the duffel bag over her shoulder and let out a very strange sound, something halfway between a caw and whistle. The three large black birds who’d been busy tumbling under and around her bench let out answering cries and flew to the ialar. Two landed on her shoulders and the third took the arm the ialar offered. The birds chattered happily with the ialar, running their beaks through her hair and staring at the sea of sapients from across the Imperium and beyond. Hulking canine-like carnaven threaded through the crowd even taller than their draiker counter parts. The lizard-like rakath and migeyumsa talked in clumps with squat heavy-worlder vzeon and avian halinwas. Willowy sidhe and plant-like dryads shopped shoulder to shoulder with clattering insectoid formia. These hundreds of unique and different sapients were set against a backdrop of draikers in the thousands. The dominate species in this region of space, draikers were a tall species that favored a hunter’s grace to the willowy elegance that the equally tall sidhe favored or the raw muscled power of the carnaven. With skin tones of gold, silver and steel, a new visitor may very well think them automatons wrought from precious metals and not the near ageless masters of a thousand stars. 

The draiker ialar and her birds joined the steadily growing queue at L89 with barely a thought to the diversity of species around her. (Iradathkin Station C) was the largest civilian station orbiting Iraka, the capital planet of the Iradathkin Imperium and the younger of the twin homeworlds of the draiker species. Much like its sister in the Soudathkin Dominion, Iraka was the hub of power and commerce for trillions of sophonts and the beating heart of a vast interstellar empire. For the ialar and her birds, it was also home.

“Please speak your name and show your face to the sensor,” The harried halinwas managing the gate queue said to the ialar.

“Lieutenant Kaewer Jirvaerka.” The ialar intoned, placing her face in front of the appointed sensor.  The halinwas’ computer chimed pleasantly but the shuttle line staffer looked up sharply.

“Ji-Jirvaerka?” The aviod squawked in surprise and Kaewer Jirvaerka favored the staffer with a grin.

“Yes, I’m one of those Jirvaerkas but even we use the standard shuttle services. I believe my ticket says something about my friends,” Kaewer Jirvaerka shrugged her shoulders and the birds riding her all turned their attention on the staffer. The shuttleline staffer swallowed their next words and rechecked their computer screen.

“Y-yes, vinialar.” Kaewer didn’t quite hide her wince at the honorific but the halinwas was too focused on her screen to notice. “You and your familiars have been reserved a row in the rear of the shuttle.”

“Wonderful. Thank you,” Kaewer gave the shuttle staffer a grin and walked through the gate. Alerted shuttle crew met her at the far end of the boarding tube and with more bowing and ‘vinialar’s than she would’ve preferred, Kaewer was lead to her seat at the very back of the medium-sized express shuttle. The row was tucked right against the aft bulkhead and granted modest leg room for the six foot four inch draiker ialar. Several passengers who’d boarded before her scowled as Kaewer settled in the middle of her empty row. Immediately, the reason for her private space became apparent as the three ravens, two streaked with the iconic rust-coloured highlights of their species, tumbled off her shoulders and arm to begin exploring this new space. Rust ravens were a chronically curious species and Kaewer’s personal conspiracy always treated every shuttle as a new space to explore.

“Stay in this row only or Kisanheital will hear about it.” The sounds that left Kaewer’s mouth were perfect imitation of raven’s own vocalizations. All three ravens paused in their excited explorations to regard her with their somber black eyes.

“Yes, Emerald Rust,” The raven to Kaewer’s left, who’d been exploring the seat and emergency restraints built into it agreed. To the other passengers, the ravens and their owner in the back were making a minor racket of bird noises but Kaewer heard each of her feathered friends as a distinct voice.

“Yes, Emerald Rust,” The other two birds agreed as they turned back to their explorations of the environment.

“Pitch, this row doesn’t include going under the seats in front of me.” Kaewer warned as the raven who lacked any of his species’ rusting feathers wedged himself halfway under the seat in front of Kaewer. Grumbling quietly, for a raven, Kaewer’s constant companion extracted himself from under the seat and turned his attention to whatever was under the seat she was sitting on.

“Busted,” The third raven laughed, the same harsh raucous sound that they shared with their cousins and plucked an abandon piece of tissue from the dark corner of the inner seat and shuttle wall. Kaewer chuckled but flicked a finger at the third raven. A light gust of wind ruffled his tail feathers and the bird turned a reproachful glare on his unfeathered flockmate. 

A soft chime in Kaewer’s inner ear brought her attention away from the birds. With a thought, she opened the notification that flashed in the upper left corner of her vision. chat program, in unobtrusive but perfectly contrasted colours, appeared in the air before her.

Relia-Kaewer: Knock knock. How’s the trip? A small grin flitted across Kaewer’s face. It’d been a few days since she’d talked to Relia. Her best friend had been in the final stages of a tour during the last week and had been sporadic about responding. Kaewer replied at the speed of thought, pausing only long enough to read the message. Even a thousand years of thought-to-text programs hadn’t perfected the system’s heuristic learning and mistakes still happened.

Kaewer-Relia: Hey stranger. Just boarded the shuttle. Only a few more hours until I’m back on home soil!

Relia-Kaewer: Lucky. (Planet Name 1)is pretty but sand just doesn’t cut it for me. Kaewer glanced to her right to find Furigido tugging hard at some miscellaneous bit of cloth. With a grin she saved a freeze frame of her view and attaches it to her next message.

Kaewer-Relia: Some people have no appreciation for resort worlds do they? Furigido send his regards.

Relia-Kaewer: Listen not all of us are tougher than lygasharif Kidorlus, we can’t all just bowl through discomfort. What a brat! The (shuttleline) better watch out, I know what kind of havoc you and three rust ravens can cause when given time to yourselves.

Kaewer-Relia: We always behave. Relia’s answer was emotional ping that somehow captured the exact sensation of her arching an eyebrow. Kaewer snorted and retorted with a sensation of innocent disbelief and then blinked her attention back to the shuttle as a chime sound.

“On behalf of the crew and (shuttleline), we would like to welcome you aboard Shuttle Flight CI45659, on fast drop to (Iradath Spaceport A). We’re supposed to have clear skies the whole way down but would like to remind everyone that IOTC regulations require everyone to remain seated and secured at all times as conditions may change.” Kaewer turned her attention back to the chat messenger hanging in the air before her as the crew began to discuss the safety features of the shuttle. If she had to rely on those features during a fast descent, very little besides the grace of the stars and luck itself would matter.

Relia-Kaewer: So you have a ride from the spaceport?

Kaewer-Relia: Nope, I’m taking the trams. I haven’t had a chance to really dig into a real city in over nine years. My time (outer-system city name)doesn’t really count. They still had a stockyard in the center of town. I’ll ping the Guard for a ride once I make the Palace district. Plus, unless mama spoiled it, papa has no idea I’m coming home at all.

Relia-Kaewer: Hard to surprise your mom when she cut the orders to bring you home, eh? Kaewer chuckled while the shuttle shook around her.

Kaewer-Relia: As long as I travel at the Navy’s pleasure. Kaewer injected the barest sensation of an exasperated sigh into the message. Not that I mind too much. Grandfather’s visit is genuinely historic and missing it because I’m on deployment would be a shame. 

Kaewer-Relia: On the other hand, I managed to snag a seat on an earlier flight and the way bureaucracy moves, I may just surprise both of them. Besides, if I was traveling as a civilian I’d have a compliment of the Guard with me and they report back to dad so…   

Relia-Kaewer: Poor little Elder Family girl, it’s just no fun being you is it?

Kaewer-Relia: Tell you what, you can attend the next Sundering Day in my stead, then you can tell me how much fun it is being me.

Relia-Kaewer: Is that a promise? 

Kaewer-Relia: Ladishi, I forgot you enjoy those sorts of events. Tell you what, if you’re really nice to me. I’ll let you be my date this year. For old time’s sake. The lighting in the shuttle changed as it plunged into Iraka’s atmosphere. Plasma rippled along the craft’s energy shield as the blue jewel grew rapidly larger. 

Relia-Kaewer: Kae…

Kaewer-Relia: I’m kidding, Rel. Mostly. I mean do you know how many “dear family friends” I’ve never heard of try to set me up with their children? Having you as my ‘date’ this year would save me a lot of heartache.

Relia-Kaewer: I’m sure you can find a date for the largest party of the year. You’re a Jirvaerka after all.

Kaewer-Relia: Low blow! Also ew, I don’t want a groupie for a date. Regardless of whether you’re my date or not, let me know if you want to go. I can definitely swing you an invite. I am a Jirvaerka after all. 

Relia-Kaewer: That’s fair. And I’ll consider it, hopefully my tour schedule works out because I’d love to see the Palace during Sundering again.

Relia-Kaewer: Have to run, somethings up on my end. Ping me when you make it home?

Kaewer-Relia: It has been a while. You better! It’s been too long since we’ve seen each in the flesh.

Kaewer-Relia: Will do, I’m sure the conspiracy will want to say hello.

Kaewer gave Pitch a slight swat on the rear as she turned her attention back to her ravens and the shuttle around her. The all-black rust raven squawked indignantly at her but stopped trying to slowly yank the bit of cloth sticking through the seat gap in front of them.

“If you’re not going to behave, I guess I don’t get to take a nap,” she said, noting Imugemare was eating something as she watched the rest of the cabin’s interior with interest. Given that the pouch she kept raven snacks in wasn’t opened and fast drops didn’t do a refreshment service, Kaewer decided she didn’t want to know what the raven was eating. The boss of her current ‘detachment’ of ravens, Imugemare was normally the closest thing to a level-headed and responsible rust raven Kaewer had ever met. Unfortunately, despite what most people thought, Kaewer’s ‘familiars’ were still wild animals. Incredibly intelligent, borderline sapient wild animals but wild animals nonetheless. Even the most ‘responsible’ of them operated in a realm of completely different rules and acceptable behaviors. On the other hand, Kaewer’s feathered friends were a scavengers and nothing short of actual toxins or poisons upset their iron stomachs.

With a rattling shudder that jarred her teeth despite the inertial dampeners of the shuttle, her flight broke out of its plasma wave, dropping into the much safer speeds of hypersonic atmospheric flight. As the waves of fire roiled off the shuttle’s flaring shielding, the compartment’s walls transformed from the matte blandness of a shuttle interior into a pair of broad panoramic windows as incredibly high resolution screens shifted modes. Kaewer’s ravens let out shrieks of startled delight and crowded the wall at the end of her row, Imugemare and Furigido a bit more cautiously than Pitch. Pitch was Kaewer’s constant. An unrepentant prankster, he’d attached himself to Kaewer’s ‘detachment’ as soon as he was old enough and refused to let her go. Unlike every other bird in the greater Jirvaerka Conspiracy, Pitch had never tired of traveling with his unfeathered flockmate no matter how dangerous or crazy a deployment she faced. In return, she tended to spoil him a bit more than was proper. It also meant he was far more used to the oddities of the Imperium than their other flockmates.

In the rising dawn below and beyond, a billion lights twinkling from horizon to horizon as the capital city of the Iradathkin Imperium spread out below the shuttle. Monoliths rose to the heavens, the massive towers that made up the bulk of the city’s living space rising up over two hundred stories each. Hosts of shorter buildings huddled in the shadow of their looming cousins, casting their own lights into the darkness. Between it all, drove and flew the infinite rivers of Iradath’s traffic. Kaewer let out a sigh as she gazed over the vast madness of her home and the ravens crooned their agreement.

Evergreen parks and graceful rivers flowers through Iradath, now tinted orange and pink in the growing light. Imperium architecture was modern, daring and visually striking but the city planners of Iradath worked hard to meld it with nature. Their efforts had resulted in two-hundred-story living parks that spiraled up along the sides of these towers and monoliths, splashes of a million different greens rising high above their normal homes. The parks transformed the city into a glowing forest towering thousands of feet over the surface. The city rolled on below as the shuttled rocketed by at hypersonic speeds, banking now and then to the directions of an air traffic controller.  Suddenly, like the mark of the gods or the work of the stars, a near perfect eighty-mile diameter circle was punched from the sprawling urbanity. This aberration was barely glimpsed on the horizon before the shuttle curved away but Kaewer didn’t need to see it long to know what it was. The buildings would be low and ancient, the entire district a maze of lavish estates and low rise office towers. At the heart of the circle would lay the immense fortification of stone that was the Vinalmi’s Palace. That district was the core of Iradath and the pulsing heart and nerve-center of the entire Imperium and it, more than any other part of the crazy continent spanning megalopolis that shuttle was rocketing over, was her home.

“This is the pilot speaking. We’ll be beginning final approach to (Iradath Spaceport A) in about ten minutes. Our arrival is on time and touchdown is scheduled to be 0119 and the weather forecast calls for a mild day. On behalf of the crew and (shuttleline), I would like to take this moment to thank you for choosing us for you orbital needs and welcome you to Iraka.”

Homecoming

— — 0049 Early Morning, 33 Talorihi, 3 Cresoukim, 2469, 10th Age — —

The shuttle banked eastward one final time as it raced toward another large gap in the megapolis’s sprawling grip on continent. The eighteen mile diameter circle that cut through the megacity’s sprawl consisted of nearly untouched forest, a half mile clear zone and the solid bulk of (Iradath Spaceport A). The spaceport itself occupied nearly three square miles itself, neat orderly lines glowing as landing pad and runway lights bloomed into existence out of the falling darkness. The oldest of Iradath’s five major spaceports, (Iradath Spaceport A) wasn’t remotely as pretty or large as later ‘ports were.  It was an ancient spaceport, built for a time when the Imperium lacked the capacity to control it’s own capital system against the threats it face. It had also spent centuries doubling as one of the Imperium’s earliest shipyards. As such, (Iradath Spaceport A) seemed to have been molded out of the world itself and the impression was far from wrong. Magically shaped granite had mixed with space-age concrete had formed the bones of the spaceport. From above, the spaceport seemed like a collection of squat, heavily reinforced warehouses bustling with countless shuttles and larger orbital haulers. Those warehouses, now cracked apart in places, hid the much deeper complex that had helped build the ships which had launched the Imperium into the most holy of realms. These once massive ‘dry docks’, foundries and hangars were now honeycombed with terminals, restaurants and shops, the complex’s bones too deep and sturdy for anyone to have thought about reshaping them in earnest. Instead, later generations had reshaped this engine of war and industry into a hub of travel and tourism, taking advantage of the highly modular, if unreshapable, design of the complex.

Thanks to the (Iradath Spaceport A)’s duo of modern Artificial Intelligences and the small army of Fragment Intelligences that the more advanced constructs managed, Shuttle Flight CI45659 barely slowed as it merged with the other air traffic flowing out of the ancient complex. The wall panels faded back to their neutral “inside shuttle” state as Shuttle Flight CI45659 raced down the tunnel. The little ovaloid craft whipped past docking bay after docking bay in a constant flicker of light to dark. Other shuttles and small craft maneuvered, docked and undocked around them, often passing within mere tens of feet before Shuttle Flight CI145659 decelerated with a speed that would’ve killed its inhabitants if it wasn’t for the inertial buffers and settled into its designated docking cradle with the lightness of a feather.

“Ialan, we have arrived at (Iradathkin Spaceport A). It is 0151 local time. I would like to take this moment to remind you that if you have any luggage in stowage, it will be waiting for you at the appropriate carousel. On behalf of (shuttleline) and the crew, I would like to thank you once again for flying with us.” Kaewer sat placidly while the shuttle’s others passengers erupted into motion, pulling down duffel bags from overhead compartments and crowding the aisle as they hurried to be the earliest off the transorbital craft. As she waited, she sent a short text to Relia.

Kaewer-Relia: Alive! We didn’t crash!

It was the text Kaewer had come to think of as her landing text, and she sent some variation of it whenever she reached a new location, if it wasn’t classified. Normally, she’d send it to more than just Rel, but she was trying to surprise her parents and her friends might blab. Relia hadn’t responded by the time Kaewer sauntered down the gangway with her kit bag slung over her shoulder at a jaunty angle and the ravens riding on her shoulders, but that didn’t bother Kaewer. Relia would see it eventually. So much of their communication had become the simple act of dropping messages and letting the other person answer when they could. It was almost like leaving little text presents.

Kaewer smiled to herself as she stepped out of the gangway and into the utter chaos that was (Iradath Spaceport A). The bland but comfortable seating folded into the pleasantly calm colours of the walls and carpet patterns with an effect that broadcast a pleasant sense of welcome temporarancy.  It could’ve been a spaceport terminal from anywhere in the Imperium except for three things. The first was the breathtaking view of the honeycomb hive that was (Iradath Spaceport A).  One entire wall of the terminal was transparent, revealing the absolutely overwhelming flow of high speed traffic in its carefully coordinated dance and the other honeycombed terminals glowing in the relative low light.

The second was the abundance of straight lines and rigid walls. Drailleon architecture favoured curves and circles, often creating structures of interconnected circles and ovoids in spiraling patterns. (Iradath Spaceport A) had been built as a raw industrial foundry of war and the military designers had abandoned any architectural sensibilities to create the fastest most sensible structures they could. The spaceport designers had worked hard to soften the rigid lines, putting up curved baffles and faux arcs but it was impossible to genuinely hide.

The final difference was just how insanely busy everything was. (Iradath Spaceport A) was the smallest and most exclusive spaceport on the capital world but that description lost the sheer scale that the Imperium’s capital operated at. Kaewer braced herself almost physically as the cacophonous chaos washed over her. Hundreds of passengers milled about, coming, going or waiting as their personal needs dictated in this terminal alone. Many of them were accompanied by well-muscled ialan in stiff business attire. To Kaewer, the world slowed as her brain scrambled to sort the sudden tide of visual and audio information into threat categories. Her eyes flicked with ever sharpening intensity across the the crowd, narrowing when she spotted the armed security. She marked flaws in watch patterns and gaps in the private security with automatic reflex. Another passenger flexed their magic casually and Kaewer spun to lock eyes with them as she felt the weaves of energy bend. The sea of data was overwhelming and Kaewer felt the urge to seek cover rising up.

“Lieutenant!”

“Emerald Rust!” The sharp pain in her ear snapped Kaewer back. The worried expressions of the three spaceport staff who’d approached her registered almost immediately, as did the pair of spaceport security who’d taken up positions a few feet behind them. It was only then that the warm trickle of liquid down her neck registered, as did the sharp pain from her left ear.  The source of the pain was obvious, as the feathered assailant was still clinging determinedly to the wounded ear and shoulder.

“Stars! I’m fine Imugemare. I’m back.” Kaewer croaked, raising her hands to spaceport staff. Imugemare let go immediately, crow hopping on top of Kaewer’s head with only the lightest slap of her wings.

“Lieutenant, are you okay?” The same staffer repeated her question. Her body language relaxed as the ravens settled down and returned to their friend.

“Pardon?” Kaewer blinked, turning her attention from the raven chattering away on her head. “Oh. Right. Yes, I’m fine. Now.” Kaewer threw the hot flush of embarrassed energy threatening to bring a blush to her face into a healing spell. The throbbing pain from her ear faded and the wet trickle down her neck stopped.  Behind the three spaceport staff, the two security relaxed with almost visible sighs of relief.

“Do you need anything from us, ma’am?”

“It’s.. It’s fine,” Kaewer said. “It’s just been a while since I’ve been back in the capital, I’d forgotten how crazy it can be.”

“Completely understandable. Would you allow security to escort you to your ride, to help avoid any further episodes?” The ialar’s two hundred watt smile didn’t waver as she locked eyes with the Kidorlus lieutenant but Kaewer knew there was only one answer. Security would be escorting her one way or the other.

“Of course, I’d appreciate the support,” Kaewer agreed with a wan smile. Both the security guards smiled and dipped their heads, one gesturing for her to lead on. Kaewer settled her kit bag over her shoulder and strode off toward the trams.

——

“Ma’am,” The spaceport security guard’s tone was deferential but the question and warning in his voice were clear as Kaewer lead the small entourage down past the secure air and ground skimmer terminals.

“I know. I should probably avoid public transit right now but by the ancestors, I will not allow myself to sit in a rent-a-skimmer and dwell on what almost happened. I’m going to take the surface tram to the Palace district, just like I’d originally planned. Now that I know what to expect, I’ll be okay,” Kaewer took another deep breath, holding it for three seconds before letting it out slowly. The familiar motion helped center her frayed nerves further. “I’d thought the orbitals had gotten me used to the bustle and chaos but I’d forgotten how much… More groundside is.”

“Lieutenant, how old are you?” The other guard asked, her voice a bit more worn and worldly than her compatriot.

“Almost 125.”

“Ah, I see. Still on your first tour then?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Kaewer smiled as the steady confidence in the ialar’s voice registered. “First time home in just over nine years and the last time I came down through a military spaceport.”

“Then take it from an old hand, take it easy coming back home. You don’t have to act like things aren’t different now that you’re home. If half the rumours and stories about what the Kidorlus do out there are true, you’ve seen some truly monstrous action. That changes things for everyone and it’s okay. Talk to someone who cares about you, admit what happened and listen to advice, older heads have been where you are.” The ialar moved as if to lay a hand on Kaewer’s shoulder but the two massive ravens riding them changed her mind.

“It’s funny how often you can be told that but it doesn’t really stick until it happens to you,” Kaewer shook herself, though less forcefully than she might’ve if she’d not had passengers. “Thank you, Sergeant …”

“(Draiker name 1) and just (Draiker name 1), or Agent if you must give me a title. I chose to go down the civics service track after my second tour. I haven’t been an active sergeant in a couple thousand years.”

“I’m pretty sure nothing can take the sergeant out of a person,” Kaewer chuckled.

(Draiker name 1) chuckled dryly and shrugged to acknowledge her point. “We help more than a few first timers every year, and sometimes second or third timers, I don’t think anything can truly prepare a person for coming back to Iradath, not after their first active tour. The sergeant in me gets plenty of use still,” (Draiker name 1) said as they stepped into tramway station’s central hub. (Iradath Spaceport A)’s tramway station was often considered small, cramped and ugly by travelers used to the Imperium’s traditionally open and winding architecture but Kaewer adored it. The station hub had been built at the same time as (Iradath Spaceport A) and had faced many of the same limitations of growing from a top secret orbital-strike resistant engine of war into the high-security, high-volume spaceport that it was currently.  As a result, the designers had been forced to work with and around the hard military lines and highly-density materials of the original structure and their response had always awed Kaewer’s childhood mind.

The designers hadn’t strayed from the Imperium tradition of blending nature into public spaces but they’d eschewed the traditional underground garden of green. Instead, the station glowed with life that swarmed, scuttled and clung to the walls in a 360-degree experience. A glass walkway had been raised to ensure travels felt truly in an alien world and the hard military lines and walls had been softened, cracked or roughened to give the impression of a natural cavern. The bioluminescent plants, algae, lichen and fungi of a dozen worlds had been carefully seeded so that only the occasional light panel was needed. Passages ran off away from the accessible tunnels at seemingly random intervals, winding away into fading darkness to give the impression of a sprawling underground network. Young Kaewer had filled those mysterious passageways with lost treasures, ancient ruins and sprawling underground kingdoms of bioluminescent beings. Her imagination had wandered down those tunnels into tragedies and adventures a thousand times.

“… ma’am?” Kaewer flashed Agent (Draiker name 1) a crooked grin as she realized she’d been star-gazing.

“Sorry, (draiker name 1), I went star-gazing for a second there. What was that?”

“I asked if you needed help finding the right tram line. Are you sure you’re okay, ma’am?”

“I’m fine, I grew up flying in and out of this spaceport and I adored this hub as a kid. I just let myself wander a bit too far down memory lane for a moment,” Kaewer’s grin got a bit more crooked. “I still take the Eternity line to the palace right?”

“Things in Iradath don’t change that much in nine years,” (Draiker name 1) laughed.

“I suppose not. In that case, this is where we part. Thank you for the sergeantly advice, (draiker name 1),” Kaewer clasped arms with the security agent. “If you get tired of airport security, I hope you’ll give the Guard a consideration. We could always use someone with a steady head.”

“Me in private security? Stars above, my husband and wife would both kill me. We run a dance conservatory over in (Iraka district name) and it eats up all three of our spare time. Luckily, I’m the only one mustered up right now and my track doesn’t take me off world.” Kaewer barked a laugh at the ex-sergeant’s statement. It wasn’t that she couldn’t see the airport security agent as a dance instructor or owner of a dance school, that was all too easy. For Kaewer, it was the sudden and colorful reminder that life beyond the military, or its civilian reflections, existed.

 What sort of dancing do you teach?”

“What?” (Draiker name 1) stared at Kaewer, head cocked to the side like a confused dog.

“What sort of dancing does your school teach?”

“Oh, a bit of everything really. You have all your typical classical dances, formal and informal, and some of the modern incarnations. Tunnel Shuffle is really popular right now but our real specialty is (carnaven waltz name). Our students have taken medals all over the Imperium for it.”

“Isn’t that a carnaven word?” It was Kaewer’s turn to tilt her head in confusion. (Draiker name 2) let out a pained groan all too familiar to Kaewer. Oops, now I’ve done it she thought as the ialar’s eyes lit with a passionate fire.

“It’s a carnaven dance, originally. Back in the days of the Empire, it became quite popular in the new colonies with the so-called ‘wild nobility’ and the common public. In its competition and performance forms, it’s a beautifully complex dance but it’s still a popular folk dance across the old ‘new colonies’. The demand for teachers and performing troupes is still surprisingly high and my husband was one of the best performers in the… oh ancestors,” (Draiker name 1)’s voice got real small as she realized she’d started rambling and Kaewer’s amusement turned into real laughter. “I’m sorry, ma’am.”

“I’m not,” Kaewer managed between breaths. “I can see you’ve found a true calling and that my offer was a folly of the highest order. It’d be a shame to take you away from something you’re so passionate about. Thanks for the reminder though.”

“The reminder?”

“That life is more than just service to the Imperium. With my family, its easy to forget that sometimes.”

“Your family, ma’am?” (Draiker name 2) spoke up for the first time and Kaewer blinked at him.

“You mean… of course not. No one mentioned my name down here,” Kaewer muttered to herself and the smiled at the younger security agent. “Let’s just say I have big shoes to fill and sometimes it feels like the whole Imperium expects something of me.” The status board flashed with the impending arrival of an Eternity line train and Kaewer resettled her kit bag. “It was a pleasure, Agents. I appreciate the help and the advice. May the stars guide you!”

“You as well!” Kaewer heard as she and her feathered riders hurried down one of the winding bio-luminescent tunnels towards their ride home.