the heroine's threshold

[jaded_of_mara]

The gathered crowd stared at the bloodshed. The screams must have drawn out onlookers eventually. 

Arthelais stood, covered in viscera, before her audience.

She-- no, Kora, wanted to explain. She couldn't. She could almost hear her father's voice: If you're explaining, you're losing.

Kora and the villagers continued their standoff. The peaceful people had taken her in, taken these soldiers in. They were all from the Imperium. Was there really any difference between them?

"She saved me," a voice piped up from behind her.

It was Sam, the well-tender. "She saved me, and the private, and Jimmy."

Hagen spoke up. "Of course she saved you. But what will she do next?"

Kora looked around. She knew the Imperium. She knew what would happen next. Unless...

She walked over to the young man who had tried to intervene. "You. Private. What is your name?"

"Aris, ma'am."

Kora nodded. "Private Aris, when the dreadnought calls for an update, you will answer," she ordered. "You have received a field promotion to communications officer. Things in the village are well, and the harvest will be as scheduled. Tell the Jimmy that this story will prevent more bloodshed. He will help you sell it."

"What will we do when the Imperium sends more soldiers?" Hagen asked.

"Forget what happened here tonight. And pray."

---

Hagen found her at home, packing her bags.

"I'm no expert in politics, but I think you just incited a rebellion," he started. "You want to flee about that, and leave the rest of us to Admiral Cockstain's tender mercies?"

Kora looked up at him, incredulous. "Today was merciful. The Imperium killed one man, and came after one girl."

"You heard that admiral. The Imperium needs workers toiling in the fields, not fertilizing them." Hagen countered.

Kora looked down.

"I am glad to have you in my home. But I saw the way you fought tonight."

Hagen got up and crossed the house, stooping to pull something from his cedar chest.

As he walked back over, Kora stood to meet him, eye to eye.

"I saw the way you fought tonight," he said, handing her something. "Find some friends, ally us with Gunnar's rebels, and fight that way tomorrow."

Kora saw what was in her hands: the lava-cork pistol she'd crashed with, filigreed and in its matching holster. It had originally been a gift from Balisarius. Now, Hagen was giving it to her again.

Hagen walked back to his bunk. "Sleep, first. It's a long road to Providence."

The lights flicked out.

---

Kora saddled up her uraki at dawn. Facing the system's yellow star, away from Mara's rings, this could just be any other world.

The village sat on the cliffs above, a mountain stream running off them to create the fertile valley below.

Hagen had presented the community with an ultimatum: flee and become refugees, but live; or send Kora on this quest, and fight back.

Kora expected to take the quest alone. She didn't expect to see Gunnar and Sam run to the stables at the edge of town.

"I'm coming with you," Sam yelled as she reached Kora.

Gunnar panted as he reached the pair. "I am coming with you. Sam is staying home."

"Why should I?" she shot back.

Gunnar sighed. "Because you are a child."

"That made no difference to the Imperium. Perhaps you should be the one to stay," Sam said.

"I can't have Kora take this on alone. Why should I sit in safety while she risks her life for the community?" he asked.

Kora looked between the two. Sam, painfully innocent, or Gunnar, who couldn't sell a story to save anyone's life. Sam, who the Imperium wanted, or Gunnar, who the Imperium trusted.

Kora decided. "Gunnar."

"Yes?"

"You know these fields. You know the harvest. I can not pull you from your post."

Sam looked up, hopeful.

Kora sighed. "Sam, you can come with me. It's best not to travel alone.

"Thank you," Sam said.

"At least let me prepare your uraki for you," Gunnar said.

"That's fine," Sam sighed.

When Gunnar finished, he sent the women on the road, and they could finally talk. Veldt had rotated enough for Mara to reflect red light on the fields of grain.

The two rode in tandem, light casting Sam's edges into sharp relief. She looked such like Issa, it hurt Kora to look at her.

"Why didn't you want Gunnar coming on this mission?" Kora asked.

"He got my father killed," Sam replied.

"He did not know he would get Sindri killed. The Imperium aren't syndicalists, like home. Hierarchy matters more than truth."

"Does that make a difference? And why do you call this a mission, like some army commander?"

"Because I did not always live on Veldt," Kora replied.

After that, they rode to Providence in silence.