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Killen twisted midair and reversed direction, going up with great force.

The King floundered and wheeled through the air, unable to match the trajectory.

It was the break Killen needed. He dove back down and turned across Tempest Light’s flight path at a sharp angle.

The unhinged plumage battle went on as the King used swoops of his oversized wings to swat at his grandson. Killen nimbly avoided each blow and raced past to pull up into theKíríga’sblind spot. But the older Katánian was not content to fly straight and level.

Before Killen had a chance to fire, he slewed to one side, and seeing the newcomer on his tail, he rose into the only defensive maneuver possible.

Killen banked over to the right and pulled back, striving to get him once more into his aiming sight.

The violent manipulation applied terrific G’s to his K?str?l form, and he swayed, losing elevation.

Riv jolted. ‘Fokk! He’s starting to black out as the blood rushes from his head because of moving so fast. Pull up, Killen, and take a moment so the enemy is below you and can’t see you. Giving you enough time to recover and allow for the correct deflection.’

Again, it was as if his son discerned him and fell away from his grandfather’s reach before realigning himself to climb high above the enragedKíríga.

Killen used his elevated advantage to swoop down on the King from the sun’s direction to hide his approach within the glare of the brilliant luminescence.

Using a high-side pass, he dived at the larger K?str?l, firing off a set of his lethal feathers in one high-speed pass. Finally, one of the serrated quills sank deep into the chest and heart of the attacking K?str?l King.

He let out a mighty, screeching cry. A guttural bellow that thundered all over the salt pan and the skies above it.

TheKíríga, the great Tempest Light, sank, his plumage failing, falling off him in tufts of silver and gold. He lost air and plunged towards the salt-crusted earth.

Straightening out, Killen rose over a bank of clouds. Gazing down as the massive winged warrior fell into a cloud of white salty dust, his body convulsing into a dune on the dry lake.

Not wishing to tempt the gods of fate further, Killen flew toward Glimmer’s protective cover.

He joined Riv, hovering beside the Sable gunship as both men kept a close eye on the King’s personal capital ship, hovering over the fallen warrior on the sands below.

Riv turned his head to his son.Shall we see to his condition?

Naam.

It was all Riv needed to hear.Mirage, give us close cover. We’re going in to check on the King.

Done.

How’s Kainan faring?Riv asked.

His missile load and beam cannons hit the remaining Katánian ships. Each volley was heavy enough to cut and smash through the enemy’s hull plating, chewing through reinforced armor like soft candy. The few that survived tried to attack, but we disabled them. After Tempest Light fell, some ships broke off and fled into hyperspace. I’d say the Katánian lead assault is dead in the water.

Riv grunted with thanks at Mirage’s concise report.Sante.However, keep an eye out for the second wave. We need to be gone before they get here.

ÉLISA

Élisa stepped out of Glimmer, her heart racing, wiping away tears so her son wouldn’t catch them and think she blamed him for what he’d had to do.

She glanced up at the Katánian capital ship, the King’s carrier, which hovered high above the body of her fallen father, which lay half buried under a salt drift.

‘It’s the Kogun War Eagle, your father’s ship. They’ve sent a message of surrender.’ Zane rasped in relief beside her. ‘Nonetheless, the Phantasm’s rail guns are aimed at it, and if it even tries a thing, it’ll be obliterated in seconds.’

‘So much death,’ Élisa whispered. ‘No more, please, no more.’

She walked towards two silhouettes that were making their way to the ground.

Her man and her son.