Kena Cheyin landed her A-1 spacejet at the Tusca spaceport on the largest island, Seno, in the country Senol, on the planet Halan, in the small solar system of Umani. She had underestimated the amount of fuel her jet had, and needed refueling.

The ocean surrounding Senol sparkled in the sunlight. The waves rippled softly against the shore. The canals were filled with hydrocanoes transporting their owners around the city. From here, Kena couldn't see Pagoda Hill, which was located in the middle of the atoll, in the lagoon, but she could see the Enhidra Pagoda, which was located in the government section of the city. She could even see the Governing Spire, which rose above the other buildings of Tusca and definitely above the buildings of the entire atoll.

She summoned the fuel tender and wandered around as her jet was filled. Kena had made a long run to other solar systems, and it had been several months since she had been in Umani. One food stand was selling fruit wraps; she tossed a coin to the being behind the stand.

Kena munched on the wrap as she moved through the spaceport. The natives of Senol, the amphibious Seni, crowded the port, as well as humans, not to mention the other beings, mostly refugees from other systems. Senol, which consisted of a bunch of islands in the middle of the Kanac Ocean, was totally surrounded by water. Kena ached to control it once more, but she restrained herself. A display of her powers would definitely cause a ruckus.

She walked back to her ship, glancing around. Someone brushed against her accidently and Kena rubbed her wounded shoulder, wincing. That Bogata gunslinger sure knew how to aim. But he had paid a dear price for aiming so well. He had paid with his life. However, the rest of his gang hadn't been too happy about that, and had chased Kena far out into the lightspeed lanes.

Lightspeed lanes were pretty much like ocean currents, except in outer space. If you could maneuver a jet into the right one safely, they would take you wherever you wanted to go quickly. But navigating them could be dangerous, and often interfered with the jet's monitors, sometimes causing fatal crashes on leaving the lanes.

Kena had been all over the galaxy of Telassar, which was a spiral galaxy, and Umani was on the wing of it. She had been to the Central System, and to the Phir System, and to numerous others. She had tracked across unexplored space and discovered uncharted lightspeed lanes. She had even found the missing planet OOO, or Out Of Orbit, 1. But all that had earned her the title Rogue. Just because she had left Umani, she was labeled a Rogue. But she had to leave! She wasn't welcome in this solar system! All three planets of Umani continually kicked her out, Halan, Runo, and even Achion, her home planet. She wasn't welcome anywhere. And since traveling outside of Umani wasn't something the natives did, they named those that explored the galaxy beyond the asteroid belt that marked the boundaries of Umani Rogues.

A voice yanked her back to earth. "Kena Cheyin, how long will it take us to get to Haland? And why did we have to stop here at all?"

A beautiful young woman stood at the main entry hatch to Kena's jet. She had long wavy coffee brown hair, deep, kind, brown eyes, and wore a navy blue, simple traveling dress that touched her ankles. She had a snub nose, a heart-like face, and a gentle expression. A black cloak hung from her shoulders, clasped at the neck with a simple brooch. She was Leila Onik, a human from Bogata, a planet in the Central System, who was immigrating to Umani, and was about twenty years old. Her curious, kindly expression was trained on Kena.

Kena sighed through her nose. "I told you, we were running out of fuel. We needed to stop and refuel."

"Shouldn't you have made sure we would have had enough to get there in Bogata?"

"The lightspeed lanes take a lot out of a jet. Anyway, pulling out of the lanes to avoid those gunslingers didn't exactly save fuel."

Leila looked away. "When are we leaving?"

"As soon as I pay," Kena promised as the fuel tender approached her. She paid for the fuel, and climbed back into her spacejet.

The A-1 spacejet skimmed through the sky. Inu, the capital city of Haland, graced the skyline up ahead. Kena cursed as the skyscrapers loomed before them. She hated cities. The only reason she was here right now was because Leila had hired Kena to bring her to Halan.

Skyscrapers pierced through the clouds. Kena gazed down at the city. Paved streets were spread out in an orderly sequence. Air chariots were driven across the sky. Pedestrians walked quickly on the sidewalks, going wherever busy people go at two in the afternoon. A cool August breeze blew through the open window portholes of Kena's jet.

Kena slowed and gently brought the jet down. She opened up the door and walked out, Leila following her. Then she stopped short and glared at the two beings awaiting her.

Standing by her spacejet, watching her intently, was the Ruler of Haland's heir, Rich Olnick, and Ferras Lixem.

Rich Olnick was just a few inches short of six feet, so Kena was taller than him, but he had a broad build. His short red hair stuck up, and he had greyish-blue angry eyes. His condescending expression kept his angular face in a permanent look of distaste. He wore simple gold tunics, if you can call wearing gold simple. His knee-high boots, made from exotic reptile skin, looked newly polished, and he carried a firer in a holster strapped to his waist. He sneered at Kena irritably.

Ferras Lixem was tall, six foot eight, and lean. His blonde hair was pushed out of his bright blue eyes. He had angular features, which were drawn into a scowl, with a straight nose, and he wore a regular grey tunic with a lighter grey surcoat. Two knives rested in his belt, and Kena recognized the canister that held a plasma-chitin shield. She had one herself. She just didn't use it that often. She didn't have to.

"I heard we had an A-1 spacejet approaching," Rich mentioned pleasantly, though his expression was the complete opposite of pleasant. "I don't like A-1s, but that's just my opinion."

Ferras placed his hands on the hilts of his knives. "Get out of here, Cheyin. Elemental Elitests don't belong on this world."

Kena gritted her teeth. "Former. I'm a former Elitest. They kicked me out."

"You still have their power," Ferras insisted. "The Enhidras are the Protectors here. Get out. And stay out."

Kena barely kept herself from cursing them. That would be the last straw, she knew. It wasn't the words she used; it was the reaction they could produce. She glanced at the stream that ran by the spaceport. It would only take one word...and she didn't even need to say anything....

Leila stared at them, horrified. "You're kicking her out?" she asked incredulously. "You can't do that!"

"Her kind would do the same if we were on Achion," Ferras scowled. "Elitests are threats. You can't trust them."

"Well then." Kena appeared calm, but all the while she was clenching her fists, wishing that she could destroy them with the nearby stream. "Miss Onik, this is your stop."

She turned to Leila and extended her hand. "But – but," Leila stammered.

"Mr. Lixem kindly requested me to leave," Kena hissed sarcastically. "Now, please. My fee, so I can get out of this dump that they call a city." Leila pulled a roll of money from her pocket and handed it to Kena. Kena counted it quickly, stuffed it into the pouch on her belt, and stormed into her jet, muttering. "You think this is a city? You should see Kanhetan, in Staten. That's a real city!"

"You're just going to let them force you away?" Leila questioned.

"They're right!" Kena shouted, her angry gaze boring into Ferras, Rich, and Leila. Her sky blue eyes flashed. "I don't belong. Here or anywhere!"

Leila stepped back and watched as the jet picked up and blasted out of the atmosphere. Rich grunted and strode away, muttering, "It's bad enough with Roquar showing up uninvited. I'm not going to allow Elemental Elitests to overrun us. We're still allowed to kick them out."

Leila glanced at the sky, and then at the surrounding city, clutching her luggage nervously. Ferras seemed to pick up on her nervousness. He gestured to Leila. "Follow me, Miss Onik. I'll take you to a hotel."

"Why did you do that?" Leila demanded as they started to walk. "You kicked her out of the country for no reason."

"We had plenty of reason." Ferras turned to face her. "First, she's an Elitest. They do not belong in an Enhidra planet. Second, she's a Rogue, leaving Umani to explore the galaxy."

"An Elitest?"

"An Elemental Elitest. They use the elements as weapons. Cowardly, if you ask me. Instead of fighting with swords or firers, or using the martial arts, they blast us with wind, douse us with water, or whip up a sand storm to blind us. They use the elements in place of other weapons."

"No," Leila said. "I know what an Elemental Elitest is. They are the Protectors throughout the galaxy. But why did you kick her out? What did she do, disgrace your order?"

Ferras looked insulted. "No! She was never part of my order."

"But she's a former Elitest. Aren't you –?"

"No!" Ferras exclaimed. "I am not an Elemental Elitest! I am an Enhidra, the group of Protectors on this planet."

Leila looked confused. "But Elitests are –"

"On Achion," Ferras finished. "Not here. Each planet in Umani has a different group of protectors. Here, it's the Enhidra. On Runo, it is the ISA. So, that is why she is not allowed here. Also, she is a Rogue, and we do not invite those kinds of beings to stay here."

"And what is so bad about leaving Umani?" Leila asked, crossing her arms.

"She leaves to go elsewhere and comes back. Umani is safe. Why would you want to go see the galaxy?"

"I'm not from here, though. I'm from Bogata, from the Central System. Yet you're being friendly to me."

"We like refugees. Not Rogues."

"What's an Enhidra anyway?" Leila queried. She could tell Ferras was getting annoyed, but this was confusing. Why wouldn't they have Elemental Protectors, of which the Elemental Elitests were a branch?

"The Enhidras are masters of the martial arts," Ferras said. "That is how we keep order. We are equipped with two knives and a shield, but otherwise we use the martial arts. On Runo, the Protectors are the ISA, a group of beings who are more like a special police force, using firers and swords to maintain order. Achion uses Elitests."

"Aren't the Enhidras part of the Elemental Protectors?" Leila queried, vaguely remembering hearing about them in connection to that.

"No!" Ferras shouted. "Of course we're not!"

Ferras strode silently down the street. Leila quietly followed him.

The sound of engines whining filled the air. Leila glanced up. Black fighter jets with pointed wings approached Inu at top speed. A red symbol was on the underside of the wing, a circle with an arrow through it. The beings on the street screamed and ran for cover as bombs released by the fighter jets fell rapidly toward the city.

Ferras grabbed Leila and pulled her into a metal doorway, and then pushed her into a crouch. He took a small container from his belt and activated a plasma-chitin shield. He held it in front of them to shield them from the explosions.

"What's happening?" Leila whispered frantically.

"Roquar is getting restless," Ferras murmured in her ear. "They have been doing this more often recently."

Bombs exploded all around them. The doorway shuddered. Cracks began forming in the top. A bomb went off near them, and Ferras moved the shield to protect them from the flying shrapnel. Unlucky pedestrians were blown off their feet. Leila squeezed her eyes shut. She couldn't bear to see the carnage.

Screams and explosions echoed in her ears. Ferras pressed her against the doorway, one arm wrapped around her, the other holding the shield. Her cheek was pushed roughly into the siding of the doorway, but she didn't care. The engine whining filled the air, and drowned out everything else. Leila felt like screaming, but Ferras was right next to her. She didn't want to hurt his hearing. Anyway, nobody else would be able to hear her, and Leila did not want to act scared, even though she was deathly afraid.

Most of the jets stayed above the city, swooping back and forth dropping bombs. But one pilot raced through the wide city streets, shooting a machine mortar at the pedestrians. Bullets sprayed across the road and strafed the buildings. The jet flew past Ferras and Leila, unleashing a barrage of bullets. Leila heard them pepper the doorway and the building. They pinged off Ferras' shield. Leila felt one skim her cheek and yelped.

Ferras pressed closer to Leila, positioning himself in front of her. Leila couldn't see anything more even if she wanted to. Ferras was muttering something, but she couldn't hear him.

Eventually, the high whine of the engines faded into the distance. Ferras deactivated the shield and it shrank into a small round circle that he replaced on his belt. He cautiously stood, surveying the sky.

He helped Leila to her feet and they stared at the wreckage. Buildings that had been hit extensively by the bombs had collapsed, leaving only ruins. Most of the buildings had pieces missing and other signs from the attack. Pedestrians had been killed. The street was paved with rubble, pits, and the bodies of the victims, with bloodstains on the road. Now she noticed the dried blood on the sidewalks and roads that obviously was from previous bombings.

Leila touched her cheek, and pulled her hand away at the feel of blood. Ferras turned and his eyes showed concern. "The bullets?" he asked. At Leila's nod, Ferras tried to smile reassuringly. "Let's get you to your hotel. I'll fix you up there."

Leila shook her head. "I can do it. I know first aid."

Ferras looked a little dubious, but he conceded to her wishes. He trudged on after glancing at the medical assistants, and other beings that wore two knives, placing the wounded on stretchers.

Leila hurried after him. "Are you just going to let them do that?" she demanded. "Aren't you going to fight them back?"

Ferras just looked at her, like he had heard it all before. His eyes were weary, like he hadn't had a good night's rest in ages. "Our Ruler, Marae Olnick, has issued strict orders not to defend ourselves. She believes that if we do nothing, Roquar will fade away and leave us alone. She has commanded all Haland Enhidras to stand down."

Leila studied Ferras in astonishment. "And you believe that?"

Ferras shook his head. "No. None of us do. The Enhidra Skyanni even transferred to Riverquois because of this. Enhidras are trained to fight. I think Ruler Olnick is afraid that if we attack Roquar, or even defend ourselves, they will win if it comes to war. Haland may be the capital country, but Roquar is far larger than us. It would be easier, she thinks, for them to defeat us in open warfare than it would for us to defeat them."

"Do the Enhidras have a base in Roquar?" Leila queried.

"Not anymore. After Saurec the Insane took over, he vanquished all Enhidras from Roquar. A few he even killed. By the way, I'm Ferras Lixem, an Enhidra. I'm sorry. I assumed that Kena's introductions would be adequate."

"I am Leila Onik."

"Why'd you leave?"

"It was getting too violent, and more wars were breaking out. I couldn't take it anymore. I heard that Umani wasn't affected by the wars in the rest of Telassar, so I decided to move here."

Ferras nodded. "I'll take you to a hotel where you can stay until you've found a residence."

As they walked, Leila asked more questions. "So, Saurec is still the King of Roquar?"

Ferras shook his head. "No. He died, about sixteen years ago. Rumor goes he killed himself. The Prime Minister, Zana, has been ruling ever since."

"Didn't he have any heirs?"

"He had three children, but they are all missing. His daughter is dead, I assume. The beings who were trying to hide her from him were all killed, so I suppose she was, too. The Princess is considered lost, anyway. Saurec's one surviving sister left the planet with her family, and won't return. Probably because she's afraid to be killed if she does. His other sister he killed and his soldiers slaughtered her husband and son. His own sons have been missing for sixteen years. Unless they show up soon, Zana will be the dictator of Roquar permanently. The twenty-year waiting period only has four years left. If no heirs are found before then...she'll be queen. Nobody has challenged her yet. Some say she is too powerful."

Leila nodded, overwhelmed. "Here we are," Ferras said. They stood before a large hotel, which was barely damaged from the bombing. The sign read: Residential Hotel. He nodded towards the door. "Go on in."

Leila started for the door. "And, Miss Onik?" Ferras called after her.

Leila turned. "Yes?"

"Be careful."

***********

Rich Olnick hurried home. He had survived the bombing, but he wanted to see if his wife and children were all right.

He slammed the door entering his home, and his wife Cillata started up from her seat. Rich sighed in relief. "Cillata, you're safe!"

"Yes, and you're safe, too," she said, a relieved expression in her blue eyes. She got up and hugged him. "I was worried."

"Daddy!" a voice cried, and Rich's six year old, red-headed son Eger rushed into the room. Rich hugged him too, and then picked up his one year old daughter, Anika, who resembled her mother with her blue eyes and blonde hair.

They were safe; however, Rich wondered how long that would remain so. He considered them the three most important people in his life. Their safety was his top priority.

His mother, the Ruler of Haland, Marae Olnick, obviously didn't have the same priorities. She let Haland take Roquar's bombings, let the people die. Rich was so worried that one day the Roquarians would come while Cillata and the children were at one of the parks, or even walking down the street. He couldn't let them die. His family was everything to him. He would do anything to ensure their safety, even to the point of going to war with Roquar without any allies.