Hiro Kuat

I notice Nomi shuffling about nervously as Mari hands over our deployment earrings to the priestess of Iros standing by just outside the transmission room. The priestess's assistant, a young fox woman looks on with naked curiosity, her bright eyes taking in every detail. I spare a moment to check whether the iron door of the independent transmission station is securely locked before returning my attention to the group. The very obvious threat made by the patrol leader at the trafficker's yard a few days ago had hung heavily on each of us and it didn't hurt to be careful.

"And you know what to do?" Mari asks the priestess once again, worry all over her eyes.

"I am a certified Operator, Eliminator." the priestess huffs without any venom, her voice muffled by the full face hood of her plain robe, "Show some faith. I can do more than send boiler plate prayers to Iros you know."

"Good. Send the recharge prayers to Regina." Mari insists, "And let us know immediately once Regina sends back her response. Your transmitter still works right?"

Nomi snorts lightly at this question and I understand exactly what she's thinking. Unlike the trim and well kept facilities maintained at the Citadel, this independent station is in absolutely deplorable state. The tower resembles a rusty nail more than a functioning device, attached to the roof of a dusty beige colored building. A quick peek into the transmission room also tells me that the equipment is very badly obsolete. Most likely fished out from a pile of surplus somewhere.

"My gear all comes straight from the Citadel." the priestess smiles, "Its a bit slow, but Regina will hear your prayers, have no fear."

"Straight from the Citadel's dump more likely." Nomi snorts dismissively, rolling her eyes.

"And selected by experts from the Cathedral." the priestess replies not in the least put out, "Humble tools for humble work you know."

"Wonderful. Just wonderful." Mari cuts in before Nomi can pick a quarrel with the priestess, "Is the prayer room ready? I want to start recording our recharge prayers as soon as possible."

"I cleaned the prayer room up!" the fox girl pipes up happily, "Sara did a good job right?"

"That you did Sara." the priestess favors the fox girl with a warm gaze before turning back to Mari, "You can use the prayer room whenever you're ready, Eliminator."

"Who wants to go first?" Mari asks no one in particular and when neither Nomi nor myself respond, she simply nods to herself and heads towards the prayer room without further preamble.

"Well then," the priestess muses as she glances at the fox girl, "I'd better go warm up the tower. Could you keep our guests company Sara?" The apprentice gives a cheerful thumbs up to the request and the priestess disappears into the transmission room to begin booting up the slumbering equipment.

"You don't have to do that Sara." I turn to the fox girl who stands a head shorter than me, with her fluffy tail bobbing gently about, "We've caused enough trouble for you and the priestess for the past few days."

"Yeah, you cleaned up the guest room for us and everything." Nomi speaks up from her corner, "Its all Mari's fault though. We could have stayed in a hotel like Madam, but nooo, Mari wanted to bring us here."

"Stay in a hotel?" Sara blinks at us, her fox ears twitching, "But aren't you all in trouble? That's what I heard from your friend?"

"The Coalition doesn't have the balls to do anything to us in the city." Nomi scoffs, "Madam hasn't been touched so far either. And Mari has us skulking about for no reason."

"There have been air patrols conducted by Coalition bulwarks at the city's perimeter." I reply, "We saw them while scouting the other day, right Nomi? Nothing like that when we first showed up."

"So all of you are trapped in Rais Land?" Sara exclaims, "You can't leave?"

"Madam's scared of getting jumped when crossing the border." Nomi admits reluctantly, "And I'll admit to being a little worried of the same thing as well. But that's no reason to be creeping about like this."

"Madam's probably being watched." I point out to my friend.

"So what?" Nomi grumbles, "There's air surveillance looking for us, Hiro. We will be spotted the moment we make a break for it. Plus, we're hiding in a transmission station. You know, a public area?"

"Come to think about it," I mutter, "I haven't seen anyone other than us come into the station for the past few days. Why is that?"

Sara demurely covers her mouth as she laughs, "Oh, that's because the station at the Coalition's embassy is so much better. And they don't charge for prayers like we do. We get a few folks who still come here now and then, usually old timers used to the place, but its usually pretty quiet."

"You actually ask for money before allowing people to use this place?" Nomi blurts out in surprise, her eyes taking in the cracked walls and spartan furnishings of the station.

"We get donations from the Cathedral," Sara sighs as she tugs at her fraying levy's robe, "but it really isn't enough. I think the Coalition wants to shut us down completely, but don't dare offending the divines."

"So they're hoping to starve you into submission?" I ask and Sara nods sadly.

"Duh." Nomi comments, "The Citadel doesn't tolerate independent stations within its walls either. This place is lucky that the Coalition is not fully in charge. They would have just smashed down the door and thrashed your equipment."

"The divines wouldn't allow that!" Sara protests, her ears twitching in agitation and her hands bunched up in tiny fists.

"That's cute." Nomi pats Sara's head patronizingly, "But the divines would allow it. It doesn't take much to placate them."

"How do you know that Nomi?" I ask my best friend.

"Well ..." Nomi glances about, her eyes wandering with no point of focus.

"I don't believe it!" Sara blares in outrage, her cheeks puffing up, "This station has been operating even before there was Rais Land. And it will continue to operate! The divines wouldn't abandon us!"

"Before Rais Land?" I say in surprise as Nomi retreats back to her corner of the room, "You've been here for this long? But I thought the Priestess came from the Cathedral?"

"She's part of the Cathedral." Sara clarifies, "But didn't come from there. She became a missionary before the Cathedral was even built."

"Then why didn't she return to the Citadel?" Nomi probes, "Missionaries usually don't stick around for decades."

"Its because of me actually." Sara's face turns somewhat regretful, "The priestess adopted me when she first got here. And if she went back to the Citadel ..."

"We get it." I reassure Sara. The fox girl would not be able to follow the priestess back to the Citadel. And with the station shut down, Sara would also have no place to go in Rais Land.

"You're lucky." Nomi says with surprising sincerity. I turn and look at my friend, expecting a follow up barb or sarcasm, but her face is clear in its honesty.

"I am. I really am." Sara agrees firmly, "The priestess told me once that Iros was watching over me and I believe it."

"But why does she wear that hood all the time," I ask Sara, "even inside the station?"

"Divines!" Nomi curses as she raps me on the head, "Sometimes you're so thick Hiro. A woman has her pride you know."

"Pride?" I repeat dumbly.

"Well, we are working right now." Sara murmurs, "That's why I don't use her name when addressing her in front of all of you. And the hood is part of a full priestess's official robe."

"Please don't spell it out any further for Hiro." Nomi instructs Sara, "He can be so incredibly dense sometimes." Sara just giggles in response, a wordless consensus forming between her and Nomi.

"Anyway," Sara claps her hands to bring our attention back to her, "If you're going to be charging your bulwarks, that means you'll be leaving us soon right?"

"Probably. But that's really up to Mari." I shrug, "We're supposed to be coordinating with Madam about our escape, and Mari's handling all that."

"There's no need to hurry." Sara urges, "Its nice to have guests again in the station, just like the old days. It was really lonely with just me and mo - the priestess you know."

"Even though you've had to cook and clean for three extra people?" I ask with an eyebrow raised.

"I don't mind!" Sara rebuts, "A house is not a home until there are people living in it. And everyone has been a wonderful guest."

"How much is Mari paying you anyway?" Nomi asks dryly.

"Uh, not much?" Sara blushes with embarrassment, "Maybe enough for a new robe? But it really isn't much!"

"We're just messing with you." I smile and pat Sara on the head, causing her to huff in protest.

"Why does everyone like to do that with me?" she wails in consternation.

"Cause its funny." Nomi smirks as the door to the prayer room opens and Mari emerges.

"I'm done." Mari announces, "Who's next?"

Nomi raises her hand in an affirmative and walks off to perform her recharge prayer, leaving me with Sara. We might be in danger, but sometimes all it takes is some kindness to make it all bearable. I don't know how long these peaceful days will last, but I'll savor and appreciate them.

To the fullest.