The giant screen flared to life with a burst of white light.

“Aha!” Mica flung her arms over her head. “It’s alive! It’s alive!”

“Still not helping.” Reena scrambled to the keyboard where Mica was standing. “Help Bast find a back door.”

Mica saluted awkwardly and dropped to the floor, crawling under the computer system to search in the darkness for an access panel. With every burst of red light, more of the computer terminal grew in Reena’s vision. Keyboards and switchers and sliders and dials and gauges—it was too much to take in at one time.

The main viewing screen shone pure white light into the chamber, and it displayed a single prompt in a language that didn’t look familiar.

“Bast!” Reena called.

The little red panda crawled onto the panel and blinked at the screen.

“What language is that?” Reena asked.

“Inyangan,” he said sourly. “Not that it helps you any if you know nothing about it.”

Reena set the glowing pink jewel on the control panel dash and started typing on the main keyboard. Characters filled the screen, but the prompt didn’t accept them. It would allow the characters, but the screen would flash and delete them all.

“This is impossible.” Reena pulled on her braids. “I don’t even know the language.”

The jewel on the dash winked at her.

“It needs a passcode.” Bast folded his furry arms.

The blinking red lights illuminated the dashboard where a u-shaped wire sparked with electricity between its two contact points. Reena glanced between it and the glowing pink jewel.

“A passcode? Or a fingerprint?” She snatched the jewel and set it in between the contact points of the fork.

Instantly, the entire computer terminal came to life. Lights hiccupped and blinked throughout the chamber, clicking and whirring until they flared to full strength. But the alarms were still sounding, and the red lights were still flashing.

An automated voice spoke in a language Reena didn’t know. “Bast?”

The red panda scooted closer to her. “The computer has recognized you as one of the Queen’s protectors. Now you will have access.”

Reena gaped at him for a moment. “The queen’s protectors?” She held up a hand. “Never mind. No time. Tell me later.”

The screen flashed and showed several open windows of streaming characters. Mica got to her feet behind Reena and stared.

“It’s gibberish,” she whispered.

Reena gaped, her mind whirring to keep up. “It’s Quantum pseudocode.”

“It’s what?” Mica asked.

“It’s a programming language Jim taught me.” Reena regarded the foreign keyboard on the terminal. “I know the syntax, but I don’t know these characters.”

Bast slid under her arm and tapped a dial in the corner of the terminal. A screen appeared and began flipping through language options.

“Pick one! Quickly!” He pointed.

Each option the screen displayed was more confusing than the next. Squiggles. Intricate characters. Something vaguely cuneiform based. And then—Latin!

Reena hit the dial, and instantly the characters on the screen changed to something that looked a little more familiar.

“Tenestelian Basic?” Bast looked at her with disgust. “Why do you speak that? It’s not even in this galaxy.”

“It’s close enough.” Reena ignored him and focused on the screen and her fingers, adding the lines of code she needed to access the systems that were currently active in the base. “Mica, remind me to thank Jim for forcing me to learn Latin.”

Mica grunted in response and clung to her shirt.

Heart thumping in her chest, brain whirring through all the possible options and nested statements she’d need to mine for the necessary data, Reena muttered under her breath and kept entering code. Finally a screen popped open that listed currently active security precautions.

“Got it!” Reena squealed.

She accessed the root commands for the equivalent of the lockdown systems and deactivated them.

Immediately, the alarm cut off mid-warble, and the red lights quit flashing. Reena held her breath. So did Mica. Bast stared at her in shock.

“You did it,” he breathed. “How did you do that? I only ever saw the Custodian deactivate the Ikroza’s security systems.”

Reena sank to the floor and bunched the collar of her shirt in her fist. “I was guessing really. But it made sense.”

Mica hugged her tightly, and they sat still and quiet for a moment. Then, the other systems inside the chamber began to whir and activate. A loud THUNK jolted them both back to their feet, clinging to each other.

“What was that?” Mica yelped. “Are we dying?”

Ahead of them, the giant metal bulkhead split in the center and opened, like a curtain being parted. Behind it lay the vast expanse of the night sky, black velvet studded with twinkling stars, and the shimmering atmosphere of the Earth itself.

Reena’s mouth hung open. Mica squeaked like a hyperventilating gerbil.

Earth.

Planet Earth.

“Reena?” Mica gasped. “That’s Earth.”

“Yes.”

“If we’re looking at Earth that means we’re not on Earth.”

“Yes.”

They both turned to Bast who stood at their feet.

“Bast? Explain!” Reena trembled.

“I told you. This is the Ikroza.” He shrugged, his tail flicking back and forth. “This is very bad. Very bad indeed.”

“We’re in space!” Mica’s voice had risen three octaves.

“We are in geosynchronous orbit of Planet Bet-Hadash, yes.” Bast gestured to the viewing window where Earth hung like a swirling white, blue, and green gemstone. “And that is not where the Ikroza should be.” He gazed out the window. “The Ikroza was stationed on Ebi Inyanga. The moon of Bet-Hadash.”

Reena took a long, deep breath. “Bast, what is this?”

The little red panda turned back to them, his expression mournful. “Ebi Inyanga has fallen. That is the only explanation. The Inyanga Bukhosi is no more. The Lunar Empire of the Great Queen Aiyetoro is gone.” He shuddered. “How can it be? How?”

Reena lowered herself to the metal floor, and Bast approached her quietly.

“Since we’re not in danger of dying now, I assume?” Reena raised her eyebrows.

“The system is secure, yes.” Bast settled at her knees.

“Can you explain what’s happening?” Reena asked. “Please? The visions I saw of my aunt made no sense.”

Bast regarded her with a scowl. “Your aunt? Lady Hanihaweeyo is your father’s sister?”

“Yes, Eedo Hani.”

“Ah.” Bast folded his arms again. “Then your father is Prince Jameilas.”

“Prince?” Reena frowned.

“Yes, the Crown Prince of Arawelo.” Bast tilted his head. “The High King of Arawelo had two children, Prince Jameilas and Princess Hanihaweeyo. The Princess was selected as all Inyanga Bukhosi princesses are to serve as the guardian of the Queen Under the Moon. And I am the Khonzi of Inamba Yeziko.”

Reena held up her hands. “Stop. My father isn’t royalty. My family is from Mercury, but he’s not a prince.”

Her heart pounded against her ribs. Her father had always been up front about their heritage, or so she’d thought. But he’d never said anything about this. Surely the little furry alien creature was wrong. Surely he had her mixed up with someone else.

“The Heart of Arawelo is never mistaken.” Bast patted her knee gently. “Your family is the royal family of Arawelo—Mercury, perhaps is what the people of Bet-Hadash call it.”

“Bet-Hadash?” Mica asked and pointed out the window. “Earth?”

Bast wrinkled his snout. “Earth?” He said the word like it tasted bad. “What a disgusting name.”

Mica lowered herself to crouch next to Reena. “What are you thinking?”

“I’m thinking my dad has a lot of storytelling to do when I get home.” She chewed on her lip. “Why didn’t he tell me this?”

“You knew your family wasn’t from Earth.” Mica snickered. “Bast is right. Bet-Hadash sounds way better.”

“Dad told Mom when they met,” Reena said. “He’s always been honest, but he’s never told us everything. He always said that when we needed to know he would.”

“Now maybe you know why.” Mica smiled.

“Yeah.” Reena clenched her fists.

Mica stood and walked off to stare out the window at Earth some more. Bast crawled up in Reena’s lap.

“I am sorry, amiirad,” Bast said. “This was not the revelation I had hoped to provide you with.”

“So you can turn into a giant pink sparkly dragon, huh?”

He smirked again. “Yes, with your help.”

“Why me?”

Bast nodded toward the glowing pink jewel on the dash of the computer terminal. “You are the Heart of Arawelo now. We are bonded.”

“That’s why I could see and hear your thoughts,” Reena said.

“Yes. Our bond will grow stronger with time.” 

“Why were you in my dad’s safe?” Reena leaned back with her hands spread on the floor. “Why did he have you locked in there?”

“I can only assume His Highness intended to reveal my existence to you when you came of age,” Bast said. “But I do not know what our purpose is now. If Ebi Inyanga has indeed fallen, we have no reason to be. The Dragons of the Diamond Throne exist to protect the Queen Under the Moon, and if she gone? And her whole family with her?”

Reena patted his head again, and this time he didn’t swat her hand away.

“Reena!”

Reena turned toward Mica’s voice. Somehow her friend had wandered into another room within the Ikroza.

“What is it?” Reena got to her feet, carrying Bast with her.

“Come here!”

Bast nodded. “Yes, you should see what your strange little friend has found.”

Reena carried Bast into the adjoining chamber. As they entered the lights around the circumference of the room sparked and brightened.

“Whoa,” Reena gasped.

A gigantic stone statue of a dragon loomed at the center of the chamber, wings spread, clawed talons outstretched, tooth-filled snout open wide in a silent roar. The spikes adorning its head studded its spine all the way down to its spiked tail.

It had to be forty feet tall. It was bigger than Bast had been in dragon form.

“Incredible,” Reena breathed.

“No.” Bast hid his face in Reena’s shoulder, his voice shaking with grief. “Then it is true.”

Reena gazed down at him. “What’s wrong?”

“That is not a statue, amiirad.” Bast gazed mournfully at the dragon. “That is the mighty Khanyiso, our great commander.”

Mica poked her head around the side of the dragon’s tail. “This is a real dragon?”

“Yes.” Bast nodded sadly. “My dearest friend.”

Reena approached quietly and placed her hand on the dragon’s tail. “I’m so sorry, Bast. How did this happen?”

Bast didn’t respond right away and turned his gaze to the platform where Khanyiso sat. He pointed to the glass containment chambers encircling the statue. The one closest to them was empty.

“Behold.”

Mica came around the side of the dragon and peered into the glass container. “It’s–an egg.”

Reena looked as well. Inside the glass chamber, a large egg about the size of a gallon of milk sparkled in the overhead lights. The skin of the shell seemed iridescent, shifting between blue and green.

“This is the Khonzi of Kaiohana.” Bast turned in Reena’s arms and pointed to the next container, which held an egg that shimmered violet. “That is the Khonzi of Haleine. Beyond it, the Khonzi of Mishnota.”

“Wait, are you saying all of these are dragons?” Reena stopped him. “Like you?”

Bast nodded. “Yes. One for each of the eight worlds within the Inyanga Bukhosi.”

Mica frowned. “Eight worlds? But there are nine planets.”

Bast sniffed. “Bet-Hadash never joined the empire. Not in the traditional sense.”

Reena slowly walked the perimeter of the room as Bast continued to talk, pointing out the different eggs in the containment chambers and sharing personal details about each occupant. Reena had mostly tuned him out until his voice cut off.

“Where is the Khonzi of Yematenga?” Bast gasped.

He leaped out of her arms and scrambled up onto the platform where the empty glass container shone dully in the lights.

“Yematenga?” Reena asked.

“The Ringed Planet.”

“Saturn?”

Bast dismissed her with a wave. “This is most irregular. The Khonzi would only be absent in a situation like this if the Inamba had been chosen, but if Inamba Yamoya has been selected, why isn’t she here?”

“Reena!”

Reena tried not to roll her eyes. “What now, Mica?” She stepped into the further darkness at the back of the chamber, and the lights brightened again.

Reena froze mid-step.

Nine glass chambers lined the back wall of the chamber. Within each chamber, except one, stood silver mannequins wearing armor—dragon armor.

Mica pointed with her mouth hanging open. “Look at this! Reena, look!”

The centermost chamber bore an armor of green and blue scales. The armor in the chamber beside it was pink and bronze—the same armor Reena had seen Eedo Hani wearing in her visions. Displayed on the wall behind it hung a bronze and silver bow that shimmered in the lights.

Bast smiled up at her. “Inamba Yeziko.” Then he smiled at the armor. “The Heart of Arawelo. The Dragon of Mercury.”

“That’s me?” Reena whispered.

“Yes,” Bast said.

“I get armor?”

“Surely you did not expect to go into battle with nothing but your skin and your little knife tool?” Bast snickered.

“Battle?” Reena stared at him. “Battle with what? With who? I don’t know how to fight. I’m a techie computer nerd, not a warrior.”

I couldn’t even make it as a Peregrine field agent. I’m not a superhero!

With a whirring sound, another alarm began to sound. This one was different than the original security alarm. Less panic-inducing but no less urgent.

“What now?” Mica groaned.

Reena let Bast jump down, and she ran to the computer terminal where a yellow light flashed to the same rhythm of the alarm. On the screen, a message blinked in large Latin characters.

“Pro-pen-quit-us money-toe-um?” Mica sounded out the syllables.

Reena tried not to groan. Kansans could mispronounce anything.

“Propinquitas Monitionem,” Reena corrected. “Latin remember? It’s a proximity alarm. But for what?” She typed a line of code on the keyboard, and a topographical map of Earth appeared on the screen.

It showed a red dot blinking and began to zoom in on it. The image increased in magnification until it was clear the alert was pointing to Kansas. Wichita specifically.

“Uh-oh,” Reena groaned.

“Does that mean what I think it means?” Mica pointed.

Bast turned a grim expression on both of them. “Whatever triggered the alarm is headed directly for your city.”