The Return

[Hadrian Bjormund]

Macoda Haberon walked down one of the many decorated halls of the Palace. Though he informed no one of his recent return, his heavy boots thudding distinctively against the stone floor would've surely announced his presence to all those nearby. Mac stopped at an intersection of hallways, reading the signs to point him in the right direction to his quarters. Despite him living in the Palace for a while now, he could still find himself lost occasionally in the vast network of hallways and lounges and offices. The giant looked around until he saw a recognizable hallway, rekindling his memory of where he was. Mac adjusted the rucksack that was slung over his shoulder as he thudded off towards his quarters.

The Head of Security had been remiss in his duties as of late, or at least, that's what Mac felt. Though he was honored by the position which [member="Lady Kay"] had granted him, Mac couldn't help but feel that he was ill suited for the job. Much to his surprise, the position was more managerial than anything else. Paperwork was not Mac's forte and there was a lot to be had. He didn't know how Darlyn survived being cooped up all day in the office, viewing applications and security protocols and travel itineraries. The whole thing was tedious and Mac had no patience for it. He was nothing if not a fighter, and choose to spend most of his time training with the Commenori Royal Guard, while dumping most of the pencil pushing on unlucky interns and office assistants.

But more than anything else, Mac found himself not just outside the office but outside of Commenor altogether. Feeling a little trapped, Mac spent several months soul-searching in an attempt to explore not just the neighboring systems but also himself. Some answers were found and yet some questions still remain. He was a young man after all, and Mac was still not quite sure what would become of the son of Dorn.

But, as he arrived at his quarters, he pushed all those uncertainties to the back of his mind. One thing he did know was that it was good to be back. He opened the door and threw his rucksack on his bed without stepping into the room then closed the door again. Mac had more important things to attend to than to reunite with his quarters. He simply couldn't wait any longer to surprise Lady Kay. After dropping off his few belongings, he quickly walked to the office of Lady Kay, taking extra care to not thud as he walked in an effort to conceal his return. So much has happened over his journey, it felt like he had been gone for years, not months. He came upon the heavy oak door and gave it a heavy knock. Suddenly he became a little nervous. Would Kay think that Mac had been negligent of his duties as Head of Security? Mac would find out soon enough as he grasped the handle and opened the door to her office.

 

[Kay-Larr]

It had been a long time since Kay's assistant Olivia had seen [member="Macoda Haberon"] walk the hallways. Being Head of the House, it was up to her to know who was around and who wasn't. People came and went all the time. Mac however was one that stood out in more ways than just his height.

She gave a curt nod to the man as he stepped by her and placed his hand on the doorknob of Kay's office. No words were spoken. None were really needed.

As the door opened, Kay was sitting at her desk, datapad in one hand and a cup of tea in the other. There was plenty to go over, by way of contracts for new ship designs. Their shipyards have been busy. They had even outsourced some of it. Her eyes were drawn upwards as she finished reading a sentence, only to give him a double-take. "Mac? Is it really you?" Her words gave an air of disbelief without the slightest hint of anger or sarcasm. She was moreso in shock.

 

[Hadrian Bjormund]

Mac stepped into the room, ducking his head slightly as he passed through the door frame and shutting the door behind him. He looked up at the shocked [member="Lady Kay"] sitting behind her desk with her data pad in hand. He had probably caught her in the middle of some queenly business but Mac didn't care, the young man was clearly pleased with himself by successfully surprising her as evident by her tone and expression. Mac couldn't help but offer a soft chuckle in response to the Queen's disbelief. "The one and only, at your service." Mac offered his response with an exaggerated bow to Lady Kay.

It was good to see Kay again, she was looking good. Mac supposed that the world hadn't gone so topsy-turvy in his absence after all, though that remained to be seen. There was a lot of rumors that Mac had heard on his travel back to Commenor and there was a lot to discuss if Kay had the time for it. Commenor had certainly expanded its borders, that went unnoticed to no one. And royal twins? He even heard that Darlyn had a daughter! Of all people! Had everyone gotten busy once he had left? Mac straightened himself back up to face Lady Kay. Aye, there was a lot of catching up to do. For a moment, Mac paused to see if he could sense the Force surrounding Kay. It was an ability that he had tried to come to terms with during his soul-searching. An ability not to harness the Force as Kay or Veiere or Darlyn might, but to simply feel the aura of the force-users around him. He had felt Lady Kay's aura twice before, once during his failed kidnap attempt on the Free Lady, and once when she healed his knee in the catacombs. Mac discovered that was also why he broke down when he confronted Kaine Zambrano on Fornow, it was the Sith Lord's aura that had overwhelmed him. He was still having some trouble fully acknowledging his attunement to the force. However right now, in the presence of Kay, he sensed nothing at all. The Queen had too much practice at hiding her signature, her secret, from the rest of the world.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay grinned as [member="Macoda Haberon"] gave his mock bow. Without another moment's hesitation, she set down her datapad and tea, then got up from her chair and hurried over towards him, wrapping her arms around her old friend in as big of a hug as she could muster. "So good to see you again. Welcome home." And she meant it. He was home.

She gestured to the chairs. "Have a seat and tell me what happened. Did you want some tea? You've missed plenty here." Yes, he had missed a lot. But Kay was certain that he had plenty of his own stories to share as well.

 

[Hadrian Bjormund]

"Oof"

Mac was pleasantly surprised if not caught off guard by [member="Lady Kay"]'s sudden embrace. He seized up a bit as she hugged him, her head pressing into his stomach. Mac was not exactly used to receiving physical affection, and it certainly wasn't a queenly thing for Kay to do. But the hug reminded Mac that their relationship was not of mere employment but genuine friendship. He didn't realize how much he had missed Commenor until that moment, Kay was one of the few friends that he had left. The word "home" had quickly brought Mac back to reality. He was home indeed. The young man bent down a little and returned the embrace with an enormous bear hug. "I missed you too, Kay".

She then gestured towards the chairs in front of her desk. Mac took the liberty of seating himself. He had always appreciated that the chairs in Kay's office were large enough to accommodate a man of his size. Mac looked up at Lady Kay from his chair once she offered him tea. He let loose another soft chuckle at Kay's obsession with tea. Though he had missed a lot, somethings never seem to change. The thought comforted him somewhat. As for the tea.... Mac offered the kindest "No thank you, m'lady" that he could muster. Truth be told, he hated the damned bitter beverage. "But I could use some water if you've got any." Mac then addressed the first question that Kay asked. What had happened? As usual, Mac was hesitant to reveal anything personal, anything deeper would have to be coaxed out, yet he was sure that Lady Kay was more than willing to do so. Part of him hoped that she would.

"I went and visited an old friend for a while. I wanted to see if I could learn anything about myself, where I belonged, who I really am." He went a little quiet once he mentioned his past mentor.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay was glad that [member="Macoda Haberon"] had decided to come back. For whatever reason, he was back. That was all that mattered. She was used to her dearest friends coming and going. Outside of Veiere and their children, her friends were all of the family that she had. Each one held a special place.

As requested, Kay poured Mac a glass of cool water, handing it to him first before retrieving her tea cup from her desk. There was no need for a refill just yet.

She took a seat across from him, cradling her cup in her hands while she tucked her feet underneath herself. "And did you get the answers that you had sought? Or was the search very complicated?" Mac had been gone for quite a while, so she knew that his search hadn't been an easy one.

 

[Hadrian Bjormund]

Did he get the answers that he had sought? When Mac left initially, he didn't even know the questions he was trying to answer, only that an explanation felt absent. Perhaps the only question he was trying to figure out was why he was still alive when everyone around him had died. What made Mac so special? He looked up at [member="Lady Kay"] and continued with his answer, this time divulging a little bit more information than he usually would. "I guess I was just trying to figure out why I am still alive after all the things I have been through. For the longest time, I had just been focused on fighting for survival but I had never considered why I was fighting in the first place. What was my purpose in this whole thing?" Mac gave a slight pause, collecting his emotions and thoughts before he continued.

"As far as I know, I am the last of the Fornosi Epicanthix. My people are gone with no trace left behind." The young man was quite literally the king of the ashes. Fornow he knew was set on fire and reduced to a filthy breeding pit for Graug, its 1.1 billion inhabitants were gone with it. He was just 26 years old at the time, still just a kid for an Epicanthix. He looked at Kay. "Why did I survive?"

Mac continued before Kay could give an answer. "So I went to the only place I knew, in search of answers. Loovria. I was a slave there for nearly fifteen years, fighting in the grand Arena. When I first arrived, I thought I would die within the month. I'd be slaughtered by a veteran or ripped apart by gundarks in front of an applauding audience. But I didn't ... I survived. I was good too, I was very good. I had help of course. I befriended a great warrior, one of the best in the Arena, a Wookie named Isshara. Isshara taught me how to fight, how to think, how to feel, how to survive. I don't know what he saw in me or why he took me under his wing, protected me when no one else would've. He was the older brother I never had."

"So when I left on my trip. I decided to pay him a visit. To see what I could learn, about why he did the things he did for me. It was only when I reached Loovria did I find out the truth. Isshara swore a life debt to me during one of my first battles, when I watched his back and saved him from one of the gundarks that we were fighting." Mac paused for a moment, trying his best to hide the fact that he was choking up a little. Mac didn't really visit Isshara, only his grave.

"It wasn't really the answer I was looking for. It wasn't as luminary as I had hoped it to be. But when I looked down into the Arena from the outside, I realized that there must have been a reason why I didn't die in that pit, a reason larger than myself. It wasn't just pure luck or a matter of circumstance. I don't know what that reason is, but its comforting to think that there is one." Mac collected himself again, his eyes weren't watering but he came close. He took a large gulp of his water and looked around the office from his chair. "And I think, you know, I could maybe find.... some sort of redemption here." His words petered out at the end.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay sipped her tea as she listened to [member="Macoda Haberon"] explain his absence. She listened with due care and attention, drawn in by his tale of his gladiator days. At least he had someone to look out for him. His search for the answers to why things happened to him in the way that they did was normal. She'd pondered the same things herself.

"I don't....have much faith in fate. Trouble and really bad people are drawn to me like as if I was some beacon calling out to them. I've been experimented on, tortured, been forced to watch my first husband get murdered in front of me. And now...even now the safest thing seems to be for both my husband and our twins to be far away from me." Her words came out a lot darker than she had intended. Her gaze dropped down to her cup as she had a welcoming sip of her tea. "You were right you know, about me being a slave to my position. I couldn't see it before, I refused to. But I recognize it now."

Kay remained quiet for a moment as she thought back on what Mac had told her about his history. "Maybe you are meant to be for me what Loovria is for you." It was a little far fetched, maybe. But given that he had already seen to her security and safety, it fell in line with that.

 

[Hadrian Bjormund]

Mac offered a pained, dry laugh at [member="Lady Kay"]'s response. He was glad that she finally recognized how constraining her position was, and he truly felt sorry for her. He knew what that was like after all. "I'm glad you finally realized that I was right. I know what its like to feel that way. When I was a gladiator at Loovria, I felt for the longest time that I was free. After I established myself as one of the best and most profitable gladiators in the arena, I was spared from the most suicidal of fights. I was rewarded with food, shelter, luxuries, women, just for doing something that I loved to do. And I did love fighting in the arena. I loved the control, the power, that I felt. It was both exhilarating and cathartic. The audience loved me. Every time I stepped out into the arena. AXEMAN! AXEMAN! AXEMAN! Hell, I even signed autographs."

At this point, Mac's rather nostalgic tone turned much more solemn. "Life was so good there. I rejected my freedom twice. My freedom was offered to me both times after I won the Loovrian Bloodbowl, a tournament of the best fighters that took place every four years. Why would I leave? I had everything I wanted and I had no where else to go. Isshara was always there for me as well..." Mac paused with a heavy sigh before he continued. "But when I entered the Bloodbowl championship for the third time. When I stepped out into the arena and saw Isshara on the other side, that was when I realized the truth. I wasn't free, I was a slave both to the arena and to myself. Of course, Isshara could've beaten me if he wanted to. But he didn't.... and here I am. I took my freedom when they offered it to me a third time. I had to get free before I killed anyone else I cared about. "

Mac looked back up at Kay, realizing how much he had been talking about himself. "I'm sorry for rambling about all of this. It's just that I know what you might be feeling." He addressed what Kay had said about herself, there was something that she wasn't telling him. "What do you mean when you say that I could be for you what Loovria was for me? And is something wrong Kay? Did something happen with the twins or [member="Veiere Arenais"]? How are they doing?" That was enough talk about his own personal life, Mac was eager to direct the spotlight somewhere else.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Again she listened to @Macoda Habeton as he spoke, picturing the sights and sounds of such events and of what that kind of life must've been like. Of course such tournaments were held on Commenor in the past. She had found an old arena tucked in the Twin Canyons. There she had tried to help [member="Ghorua the Shark"] get over his blood frenzy. It didn't really work, but still, it gave her some idea of what a life like that must have been like.

Of cpurse she cpuldn't escape politics. Unlike Mac that had chosen not to gain his freedom until it was offered for the third time, Kay had left politics twice. And both times it had found her again. Perhaps it was her calling and all that she was meant for. She didn't know. Kind of tough to believe so when she was born a Force User. Politics and Force Users were a bad mix.

She sipped her tea and remained silent for a moment as she wanted to collect her thoughts and figure out how best to explain herself. "The twins are fine, each on their own seperate journies. I don't like having to split them up, but it's for their safety. We never had them out in the public too much, so they aren't easily recognized. As for Veiere...he's returned his crown and removed himself from any and all stately responsibilities. Our marriage is fine, don't get me wrong. But his path is going to where I can't follow. He's severed most ties so that his actions couldn't be linked to me. How long that would last, I don't know...." To gain control of both Veiere's Order and the CSA for a time, all that one would have to do is hold either of them hostage. At least that was her thoughts on it. More than likely others would figure that out too.

"I'll need you to help me think more clearly, and to not get lost in politics all the time."

 

[Hadrian Bjormund]

Mac frowned a little. Nothing that [member="Lady Kay"] said was necessarily good. A part of him questioned why Kay even bothered adopting the twins in the first place if she was just going to split them up and send them away. Did she not realize that she was not in the position to be a mother? Did she learn nothing from what happened with [member="Bradshaw Ku"] and Rae? What was the point in adopting them in the first place? However Mac would not dare lecture the Queen of Commenor on how to raise her kids and would just keep his disapproval to himself.

What was more surprising was the news of Veiere. Mac was a smart man, he could venture a guess on what had caused Veiere to relinquish his crown. It didn't take a genius to figure out what had happened from what little Kay had said about it. The ideal Jedi had fallen to the dark side. Mac really didn't know how to feel about that. A part of him was afraid of course, having a dark side user this close to Kay would undoubtedly trigger some bad memories for himself, but Mac possessed enough self-awareness to realize that he would probably be a dark user himself if he was Force-sensitive. But he wasn't. Sensing the force and harnessing it were two different things altogether. Mac had also always questioned the holier-than-thou mentality of the few Jedi that he had encountered. He remained skeptical when Veiere first tried to convince him that the light side of the Force was different from the dark side in that it could be used for good and to secure peace. Now it appears that Mac had the last laugh of that conversation. However the laugh would be forced and hollow. Mac now realized that he wanted to be proven wrong by Veiere in that enclave in what seemed like such a long time ago. Mac then looked back at Kay, breaking his train of thought. He studied her while contemplating all that he had learned so far. What the hell had happened here? She seemed more stressed than usual. Trapped, almost.

"I'll need you to help me think more clearly, and to not get lost in politics all the time."
So that was it. Was Kay looking to Mac for some sort of relief or rescue from her current predicament? Or perhaps she felt alone again, isolated from her dearly beloved husband and adopted children. It must've been lonely at the top. Whatever it was, Mac would surely be happy to do it. He was loyal to her and her alone, after all. Not to Daryln or Veiere or the people of Commenor, but to this singular person sitting in front of him.

That's it! Mac had an idea. The giant rose eagerly from his chair to his full height and held out a hand for Lady Kay. "Come with me, Kay. I think its time for you to break your bonds. Time for a little liberation."

 

[Kay-Larr]

With the expression that [member="Macoda Haberon"] gave, Kay knew that he didn't like what she was saying. But it wasn't as though she liked it either. If she had her way, her family wouldn't be seperated. If she had her way, she could retire and leave Commenor in good hands. It was origionally inted for her to rule in seclusion, hiding away like the Elders did and to have elected officials run things while she oversaw them. But no. Kay had always been the 'hands on' type of person. She wasn't a typical politician that stayed only in her office or only sat in the throne room.

Kay nearly spilled her tea when Mac had suddenly gotten to his feet, holding out his hand to her. "Go....where? What are you thinking?" There was a certain kind of hope in his eyes, yet she was hesitant. Whatever means he was going to use to 'break her bonds', she couldn't think of what they would be. Yet she trusted him. He wasn't her Head of Security for a time out of just giving him something to do. Mac had earned it. So she slowly got to her feet and placed her hand gingerly in his.

 

[Hadrian Bjormund]

Mac let out a mischievous smirk as Kay placed her hand into his own. "I'm thinking that we should go have some fun." Mac quickly cut [member="Lady Kay"] off before she could raise any objections about her very verrrry busy schedule. As Kay stood up, Mac placed a large hand on her back and gently pushed her out the door of her office. He took on a characteristically teasing tone as he lead her down the hallway to the Palace hanger, walking past Olivia and her raised eyebrows. "Now as your Head of Security, I am sworn to look after your personal well being no matter what. As such, I have concluded that trapping yourself in that office and stressing over a million different things is detrimental to your health. Now you may be the Queen of Commenor but I have jurisdiction over you in this situation....for security reasons of course." Mac turned around and offered a large smile to Kay as they approached the hanger. His conversation with Kay so far had been a solemn one to say the least, and Mac felt that his return shouldn't be marked by the shackles of stress and obligation that constrain Kay on a daily basis. He had a mission, nay, a duty, to show Kay a good time.

"Besides, there is a rumor around the barracks that the Queen of Commenor can be pretty handy on a swoop bike." Finally in the hangar, Mac turned to Kay with his iconic toothy grin. "Do you know anything about that?"

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay raised a brow, but already [member="Macoda Haberon"] was leading her out of her office. Olivia was puzzled, perhaps even mildly concerned. But then Mac's tone caused her to leave them well enough alone.

In mock shock, Kay started to protest his words. "Jurisdiction? Over me? That's a little presumptuous, isn't it?" At first she had no clue of where he was taking her. That is until the hanger came into view.

A smile started to grow as he pointed out one of her old hobbies. There were many times that her canyon rides had scared people. She was quite good at riding, if she could say so herself. "I do. But it's been a while. For you more so than for me. Are you sure that you'll be able to keep up?" Kay wasn't sure of where he wanted to go or whether or not he had a route in mind. She had her own favourite places. And with Mac out there with her, she should be okay.

 

[Hadrian Bjormund]

[member="Lady Kay"]'s smile was all the answer that Mac needed, that was all that he wanted. Mac playfully responded with his own smile after Kay's response. "Are you challenging me you highness?" The giant began lumbering towards the corner of the hanger and beckoned Kay to follow him. "Aye, it has been a while for me but I'm sure I can handle my own. Fornow was a backwater planet, you see, and starships weren't too common." Mac continued as he approached two objects which were clearly bikes under a tarp. "Instead, we had to make do with these."

He yanked off the tarps to reveal two impressive looking swoop bikes. "We used to ride these all the time when I was a kid. I took the liberty of budgeting out enough for these bad boys for the city patrol. But don't be fooled by their size. These are swoop bikes, not speeders. They can reach higher elevations and faster speeds. Basically an aesthetically pleasing engine with a seat and handlebars."

Mac, who was now looking like a kid who was very pleased with his toys, proceeded to open a small hanger door. He then motioned for Kay to get on the swoop bike that was closest to her before getting on his own. "Well go on! Give it a whirl! I'll follow you as you know these canyons better than I do. See if you can loose me." Mac chuckled and offered a mischievous wink.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay tilted her head to the side a bit as [member="Macoda Haberon"] had removed the tarp. The two swoop bikes were very impressive, and not exactly for an inexperienced rider. Fortunately she wasn't inexperienced. "These are certainly a step up from what I'm used to...." But it wasn't as though she didn't think that she could handle it.

Mac soon told her to hop on, and so she did, glad that at the moment, she wasn't wearing a gown. Kay had planned on spending the day alone in her office, so there was no need to dress up as no official meetings had been set. She grabbed a helmet and secured it on her head before hitting the ignition that brought the swoop engine to life. It purred with such intensity that gave insight to it's power. A step up from her speederbike indeed.

Kay hunkered down and pushed on the accelerator, which happened to be quite touchy! She shot out of the hanger and started across the back field in no time. It took her a few moments to adjust to it and get a feel for the bike. She used the field to test out how the bike handled, bringing it around in a wide circle. She wanted to be comfortable with it before going into the canyon.

Once that was done, she hit the accelerator again and shot out in a straight line towards the cliff face. This was what usually scared people. Kay didn't slow down. Instead she went right over the edge, only to drop 15 feet to a thin outcropping that led them down to the bottom of the canyon. Now they were in the maze of it. Kay merely grinned beneath her helmet. Now they could have some fun.

 

[Hadrian Bjormund]

"WOAH"

Mac was caught off guard on how quickly [member="Lady Kay"] took off with the bike. He figured she would take some time to get comfortable before building ripping out of the hanger. Clearly he had underestimated her handling. Now under pressure to keep up, he quickly donned on a pair of goggles and started up the swoop bike. As the vehicle lifted off the ground, he steadily accelerated the bike. Unlike Kay, he had some familiarity on how these things typically handled. He sped out of the hangar and onto the field after the Queen.

However as soon as he emerged onto the field, Kay had already completed her test circle and left him in the dust as she zipped towards the canyon. Mac slammed on the accelerator a little too hard in order to make up for the distance. He was jolted back in his seat by the pure power of the swoop bike and he clenched every muscle he could in an effort to keep from sliding off. Maybe it had been a while since he rode one of these....

Nevertheless, Mac zipped after Kay as they entered the mouth of the canyon. The wind combed through his hair and whipped the tails of his long black duster as he flew down the drop. He was slowing gaining ground against Kay. Feeling a little bit more comfortable with closing the distance, Mac had allowed a large smile to appear across his face as he re-familiarized himself with the bike. It had been a long time since he rode a something like this. This was going to be a blast.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay was surprised that [member="Macoda Haberon"] hadn't stopped at the edge of the cliff like most. Instead he had gone after her, probably trusting in that she wouldn't want to kill him and didn't have a deathwish. She tore through the canyon, knowing many of it's twists and turns off by heart, which was a good thing, given the speed of the swoop bike.

On past visits, she would slow down where Prazutis had killed her guards and abducted her, bringing about months of torture for her. But now? Now she just zoomed right past it, her focus purely on what was ahead, instead of what was behind.

The roars of the engines echoed through the canyons, bouncing off the walls enough to confuse anyone as to where they were. And that was probably a good thing.

She led Mac through a series of twists and turns and tunnels until they broke out of the canyon and onto a rocky beach. There she pushed the accelerator as far as it would go, creating a huge wake in the shallow water behind her. If Mac was too close, he'd get soaked. Kay grinned and looked behind her to try to spot him.

 

[Hadrian Bjormund]

As predicted by [member="Lady Kay"], Mac was having a little bit of trouble keeping up with her on the swoop bike. This was not necessarily due to Mac's lack of experience, but Kay knew the labyrinth of unforgiving rock much better than he did. As such, Mac white-knuckled the handle bars while in the canyon, concentrating hard on tailing Kay, for one wrong turn could render him lost.

Thankfully, after a couple of harrowing close calls, Mac and Kay emerged from the canyon onto a rocky beach. Now was his chance to close the distance! Mac slammed on the accelerator to finally catch up to Kay but as he was shrinking the gap between them, water from Kay's wake stung him in the form of thousands of rock-hard droplets.

Alright Kay, two can play that game.

A drenched Mac pulled back on his handle bars and shot up into the air. He lowered himself at the level of his handles to make him more aerodynamic, the powerful wind now clearing the water form his goggles. He slammed on the accelerator again, this time hovering well over Kay as they continued to glide across the shallow water. Kay looked to see Mac behind her but in truth, he was over top. Once having surpassed her, Mac then tilted the bike down in front and landed above the shallow water, sending up a massive wake of his own.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay had expected to see [member="Macoda Haberon"] behind her, yet she didn't. And that was surprising. She turned her head forward again, just in time to see Mac's swoop bike drop from above and land in front of her with a huge splash. The resulting wave hit her hard. Despite wearing a helmet, she still gasped for breath.

"Why you little...." She hunkered down in her seat and hit the accelerator as far as it would go, moving along side him. The two were neck in neck as they barrelled through at speeds that would make a podracer envious.

And then an alarm on the swoop started to sound. Kay looked down to the instrument panel and noticed that her fuel gage was low. She smirked beneath her helmet. Mac probably did that on purpose. She sat up straight and cut her speed after signalling to him that she was heading to the shoreline. The swoop bike wasn't running on empty, but it was low. Kay eased it to the pebbled shore and then brought it to a halt. She cut the engine and removed her helmet, now taking note at how soaked she was. But despite all that, she felt exhilarated as she surveyed the area. There was nothing to worry about or stress over here.