Rise of a Valkyrie

Part 14

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Kayla and Rose travelled by starliner to the interstellar hub at Raisa. Kayla had never left the surface of Caldera before, and she kept herself glued to the cabin window as they approached the impossibly large station. Hundreds of large vessels drifted near the docks and terminals of the station's outer ring, as shoals of smaller craft threaded between and around them. The inner core consisted of an immense rotating tube a dozen miles in diameter. Urban construction sprawled across the inner surface, while along the main axis a complex mirror structure captured sunlight, directing it into the depths of the habitation zone.

Kayla had seen pictures, but they had not prepared her for the real thing. The sheer size and complexity of the station made her feel so small. How could her home resist a civilization that could build such things?

As their ship closed on a docking clamp, Kayla drew her eyes away from the glass and prepared herself to disembark. The flight had been peaceful. Rose had left her alone, and Kayla expected to find her own way through the station. But as she stepped out of the boarding walkway into the terminal, she saw her rival waiting for her.

"This is your first interstellar trip, isn't it?" Rose asked.

Kayla scoffed. "Are you afraid I'll go crazy and start attacking people?"

She glanced around the terminal. It was bigger than she had imagined, almost the size of one of Rackeye's shopping malls. Crowds of travelers hurried past in both directions.

Through a viewport, Kayla saw the sun rising over Planet Raisa and she caught her breath. Warm sunlight softly revealed the ripples of a mountain range, interrupted by the occasional reflected glare of a large lake. Creamy white sheets of cloud drifted across an ocean. On the dark side, intricate spider webs of yellow light outlined the denser cities. Kayla had never seen a world from orbit before—their shuttle having left Caldera during the night. She hadn't imagined it could be so... humbling.

"Let's not dally," Rose said impatiently. "I'm sure the Academy staff will expect us to be punctual.

"What, are you my babysitter now?" Kayla said as she dragged her gaze away from the view.

"Actually, I'm following Madam Lefevre's guidance. I would not be making a good impression for our school if I let you get lost or kidnapped in one of the largest space stations in the galaxy."

"Kidnapped? Seriously? I bet tens of thousands of people travel through here every day in complete safety."

"Well, one never knows with these public thoroughfares."

Kayla rolled her eyes. "Could you be any more out of touch?"

"Stay with me please until we find..." Rose checked her phone. "Gate seventy-nine."

The route took them through a vast shopping mall, and Kayla craned her neck around to take in the view. Ten floors surrounded a large atrium, ringed with balconies that contained trees and hanging vines. Overhead, a specially coated glass roof enhanced the star light. The effect was like a diamond shattered into millions of fragments.

"I don't suppose Masey told you—" Rose began.

"That's incredible," Kayla interrupted. She couldn't pull her eyes away from the ceiling. "Is that the milky way? There's so much more of it than you can see on Caldera."

"Yes," Rose said. "But I was just wondering..." Her voice trailed off as she seemed to lose interest in the question.

"What?" Kayla turned to Rose. "Don't you care about the ceiling?"