She'd missed this.
No matter how many times she flew, it was like the first time all over again, when she was an angry, scared girl, outraged at the wrongs done her and painfully aware of the differences between her and her saviors.
The moment she stepped on a board, all those feelings vanished, leaving only Kira behind.
It was the same now. Freedom and control, even as she pushed the boundaries of what was possible.
Up here, power beneath her feet and wide-open space all around, nothing and no one could touch her.
Only when the last of the initiates had made it into the air did she join the rest.
She settled into a relaxed stance, weight balanced, legs slightly bent, her arms and torso relaxed. She hovered in midair, watching as those she'd taught that morning became comfortable with the greater heights.
Waveboards were most effective close to ground. Something about the technology meant they had the greatest thrust near a surface, whether vertical or horizontal. Almost like they needed a physical object to grab onto and propel them forward.
The further up you went, the less forward propulsion you had. Oh, you could make it work, but it burned fuel. The last thing anybody wanted was to be a few thousand feet up while flying on fumes. That was a recipe for a very rough landing.
When used as atmosphere insertion units, it was mainly about the fall, with the engines providing stability until you were close enough to the surface to get adequate thrust.
A roar of sound warned Kira. She glanced up as two boards flew past, with only feet to spare.
Amila waved a greeting before concentrating on chasing Isla down. Her legs bent, her body crouching slightly as the two women zipped through the sky.
Beneath them, a dark ocean stretched as far as the eye could see. A rocky coastline curved to her right, the city a shining gem overlooking it.
"Beautiful," Kira breathed.
In that unguarded moment, the planet's soul bathed her in warmth, its presence a comfortable heated blanket against her senses, an unmistakable welcome in its embrace.
It felt uncomfortably like a homecoming.
She instinctively resisted, gently pushing the Mea'Ave away.
It'd been so long since she'd considered anywhere home. She didn't know if she was ready to open that door again.
However, if there was ever a place to tempt her mind and soul, this was unmistakably it.
A wild and untamed world, incredibly dangerous to the unwary. Populated by people who were loyal to their bones. Yes, their customs were odd, and they clung to tradition with a tenacity Kira didn't understand, but they were also fierce and kind in their own way.
This place would have been an irresistible dream for someone much less damaged than Kira.
"Incoming," Jin murmured.
Kira took in the dark streak headed for her. Graydon looked like something out of a holovid, noble and fierce as he rode into battle on a variation of Kira's board rather than the steed of old.
Graydon's board was a more deranged and bulkier cousin to the one she used. It looked carved from wood; a surprising decision given the extreme forces it endured on a regular basis.
"I'm surprised how familiar the Tuann are with this technology," Kira said as he joined her.
They were too confident and at ease for this to be a new concept.
"You'll find many Tuann are appreciative of human ingenuity. It’s not unusual to find human inventions that have been modified for our use." Graydon allowed himself a small smile. "Your chosen people have proven themselves quite creative; something mine find endlessly fascinating."
Kira would have liked to ask more but was forced to wait as Wren and several others shot across the water in a wedge pattern.
"We should follow," Graydon informed her.
Kira didn't argue, racing across the sky after the patrol. She settled into a position at the back of the wedge, Raider slightly in front of her. Devon and the rest on the opposite flank.
Finn and Graydon took their spots a few lengths behind her, bringing up the rear. His oshota filled in the gaps as they set out.
It'd be easy to grow bored while flying over the ocean. The terrain had a certain monotony that lulled you into lowering your guard. A costly mistake Kira had no intention of making.
The oshota around her spent the time jockeying for position and playing small games, even as Kira noticed the alertness with which they watched their surroundings.
They were miles from shore when Wren raised his fist, signaling a stop. Kira's board bobbled as Wren's voice echoed in her ear, making it sound like he was standing right next to her.
"You may break formation if you like. Solal and Amila, keep watch on the perimeter. For the rest, you're free to explore."
How was he projecting his voice? None of them wore comms, a fact she'd been surprised about but now understood.
"Jin?"
"I don't know," her friend told her. "Best guess, he's manipulating sound waves in some way."
The implications of that were astounding. If you could manipulate the sound waves to carry your voice, you could do the same to others. As a tool for spying, it would be virtually undetectable.
Graydon's board dropped to match her trajectory as Finn broke away to monitor them from above. "How about a small wager?"
Raider glanced over, maneuvering to parallel their flight path.
"What did you have in mind?" Raider shouted.
"A race. Loser owes the winner a boon."
Kira scoffed. Like she was foolish enough to fall for that. Knowing Graydon, he'd have already skewed the odds in his favor.
"I'm game," Raider's smile was wicked as he shot a challenging glance at Kira. "Unless you're scared?"
She aimed a flat stare at him.
Raider shrugged. "I didn't want to assume since you've been living the soft civilian life."
A small smirk teased Graydon's lips as he waited. Why exert himself when Raider was doing the work for him?
Kira's eyes narrowed. Were the two of them working together to taunt her into this?
After a moment of consideration, she shook her head. Naw. Raider didn't like the Tuann enough to team up with them.
She rethought that conclusion seconds later when Graydon said, "Yes, we wouldn't want to force you to do anything you're not comfortable with. You are, after all, only barely out of your infancy."
The lizard snorted against her neck, knowing that word was guaranteed a reaction.
She didn't disappoint. Rising to the challenge was almost a compulsion. Letting Graydon have the last word wasn't an option.
"There has never been a day when you could out fly me, Raider," Kira declared, before fixing Graydon with a look. "You sure you can keep up?"
His chin bent down. "Only one way to see."
Trash talk, how she'd missed it.
Graydon was about to lose. Even better, both he and Raider would owe Kira a boon.
Her lips curved in anticipation.
Graydon was about to learn the true terror of facing a Cur in battle.
Graydon's expression darkened with expectancy at the challenge he saw on her face, saying without words he was eager to pit himself against her skill.
They'd see about that.
Graydon spread his arms, closing his eyes and tilting back as gravity pulled him down until he fell into a smooth backward dive.
Twenty feet above the waves, his board woke with a roar, bringing his descent to a quick stop as he shot forward, the force of the board's thrust kissing the surface, water flying up around him.