NOVEL NEXT Ch65.1 Jabari: Sacred Offerings (Scene 1)
Osram Time: 13:30, March 19, 2295
Adinkra Gardens, Sankofa District, Ndovu Zenith, Mare Nubium, Near Side, Osram
The highest hanging garden of the district stretched before them like a slice of Earth suspended in the void. Native African flora, carefully cultivated over generations, created winding paths between meditation pools and ceremonial spaces. Through the environmental dome above, Earth hung like a jewel in Osram's perpetual twilight.
Jabari stood near the Gyata, its wings folded. The Vibro-Spear at his back felt heavier than usual. Beside him, Ume had exchanged her gray combat suit for formal Directorate attire – an emerald robe with geometric patterns traced in gold thread.
"The modifications he made to the propulsion system," she said quietly, her eyes on the Gyata, "I'm still finding new optimizations in the code this morning. He thought of everything."
Before Jabari could respond, a ripple went through the gathered crowd. Prince Laurent appeared at the garden's entrance, his royal garments complementing the waves of his long hair. Wilhelm followed close behind.
"Lieutenant," Laurent's approach was purposeful. "I heard about what you said. To Kofi."
Jabari straightened, expecting reproach or scolding. Instead, the prince's expression held something else – understanding, perhaps?
"Sir, about the Chairman—"
"You spoke truth," Laurent cut him off. "Rare enough these days." He gestured toward the ceremonial space where Celine waited with the obsidian vessel. "Which is why I'd like you to speak for Seydou."
The request surprised Jabari. "Uh, sir, the protocol says that the warband's leader should address the dead."
"Protocol can wait. The man deserves words from someone who saw his last moments in person." Laurent's gaze flickered briefly to the Gyata, then to Ume. "Someone who's fought to keep his death clean."
The gathering was larger than Jabari had expected. Engineers, pilots, support staff – all those who had known Seydou, worked with him, shared meals and stories in the all-too-brief time they'd had. The traditional drums began, their rhythms carrying over the garden's environmental systems.
Celine stood with the obsidian vessel, its polished surface reflecting Earth's light. Within its depths lay not just Seydoo's ashes, but those of seventeen Ologun warriors who had fallen defending Outpost Tumi. Not all had been recovered. It made Jabari's chest feel heavy as he stepped forward.
"Seydou. You..." The words caught in his throat. How could he honor a man whose death was tied to his own decisions? The sheathed Vibro-Spear hummed against his back. Jabari wished it could offer him any strength.
"Seydou," he began again, his voice finding strength this time, "you saw potential where others saw limits. Whether it was machines, weapons, or people – you…knew to look deeper. Believed in what could be rather than what is."
Behind the gathered mourners, he caught glimpses of Wilhelm and Laurent in quiet conversation, their expressions grave. Wilhelm's hand traced something in the air – unit positions, maybe – while Laurent nodded with growing concern.
Their voices carried just enough for Jabari to catch fragments: "...the Alliance does not simply withdraw from Mare Imbrium." Laurent shook his head.
"...only a matter of time before the Imperium decides to take that Crystal on a field trip." The way Wilhelm's jaw tightened as he finished suggested more. Something was building, and neither man looked pleased about the timing.
"You gave us tools to fight with," Refocusing, Jabari continued, touching the Vibro-Spear's haft. "But more importantly, you showed us what we're fighting for. The belief that everyone – human, android, anyone willing to stand with us – deserves a chance. So, thank you."
The artificial wind carried the scent of night-blooming flowers as Celine stepped forward with the vessel. "In our reaching for the stars," she intoned, "we carry with us the wisdom of those who walked before. Anansi's web connects all things. Past to future, Earth to stars, life to death and back again."
She moved to the garden's edge, where an ornate platform extended over the vast drop between towers. The ashes caught the wind as she released them, spreading like stardust in the artificial currents. They flew between the towers, catching Earth's light.
Some of the ashes drifted past the Gyata, making its green-blue surface shimmer briefly. Ume watched them with curiosity.
As the drums faded, Celine raised a slender wooden instrument to her lips - a Kassa flute, its surface carved with the same geometric patterns that adorned her earrings. The first notes rang out clear and mournful, a traditional Akan funeral song that spoke of journeys beyond the physical realm.
The melody seemed to pull at something deep within the gathered mourners. Even the environmental systems seemed to quiet down, like Ndovu Zenith, the city itself, was pausing to give her a listen. Each note carried the weight of those they'd lost - Seydou and all seventeen warriors.
Laurent closed his eyes briefly, and when he opened them, they were harder than before.
As the music concluded, he noticed Celine drawn into Laurent and Wilhelm's discussion. Her gold earrings caught the starlight as she leaned in, her composure slipping slightly at whatever Wilhelm was showing her on his tactical pad.
"They have that many Radi-Mons on the leash?" she murmured, "Gods preserve us…"
Laurent's response was too quiet to hear, but his gesture toward Earth hinted at something. Three weeks since Zeeman Crater, and already the board was shifting. The three of them shared a look that Jabari had learned to recognize: the calm before the storm.
On his back, the Vibro-Spear's weight felt different now. Not lighter, exactly, but more purposeful. Ahead lay the Fenris Horde, the Imperium of Dragons, the Terra Alliance, and whatever other challenges the Great Void might hold. But they would face them with tools that scholars like Seydou had given them.
"I believe Seydou would have appreciated this view," Ume said from the side, her hand running along the Gyata's frame. "All these systems working in harmony, reaching for something greater."
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Jabari nodded, watching the last of the ashes disappear into Ndovu Zenith's twilight. The Moondust Crystal was still out there, and with it, the promise of both salvation and destruction. But Jabari now remembered what he was fighting for. And it wasn't just for the artifact.
"Ume." he turned to the android, staring into the twin jewels that were her amber-colored irises. "To be honest, I don't really dream big or fight to save the universe or whatever. Ekwensu, I don't even know how big the universe is..."
"No one does. According to theories proven true during the Digital Age, the observable universe continues to expand over time since the Big Bang," Ume replied, the technical specificity catching Jabari off-guard.
"Ah...right," Jabari's mouth hung slightly open as he struggled to find words.
"My apologies, that was my scientific module being triggered," Ume ran a hand through her sleek bob. "What were you going to say?"
"What I mean is," Jabari shifted his weight, choosing his words carefully, "I'm not fighting for some grand vision or artifact. I'm fighting for the people right in front of me. People like Seydou. People like you, who prove him right every day." He gestured at the Gyata. "That's enough purpose for me."
Ume's hand stilled on the hoverbike's frame. For a moment, those amber irises seemed to shimmer with something beyond usual diagnostic patterns. "That is..." she tilted her head slightly, "...a very efficient way of thinking, actually. Simple parameters, clear objectives."
Jabari couldn't help but smile at her characteristically precise response. But there was warmth in it too – the same warmth Seydou had seen when he'd given her a chance.
"Yeah," he said softly, nodding. "Something like that."
A moment of sillence settled between them. The Vibro-Spear sheathed on Jabari's back hummed, ready for whatever came next.
A new presence made itself known. An Imperial woman in pristine robes approached from the garden's eastern entrance, her movements fluid despite the formal attire. The white fabric was accented with golden patterns that seemed to shift in the Earth's reflected light.
"If it isn't Fuuka herself!" Wilhelm straightened, genuine surprise crossing his features. "Didn't expect Sand Lotus representation at a Directorate ceremony."
Fuuka Natsukawa offered a slight bow, her expression appropriately solemn. "Wilhelm." Her dark eyes then found Laurent. "Your prince extended an invitation. Given recent collaborative efforts, it seemed appropriate to pay respects."
She paused, her gaze settling briefly on the Vibro-Spear across Jabari's back. "Seydou Diop's modifications to the harmonic resonance frequencies were quite ingenious. The integration with the retractable blade mechanism..." She shook her head with what appeared to be genuine admiration. "A true loss to the engineering community."
Jabari blinked, surprised. "You knew his work?"
"I make it a point to understand the tools that other factions possess." Fuuka replied simply. "Friends and foes."
"A respectable habit." Celine said carefully, studying Fuuka intently. Jabari felt her expression. As stern as one would be during tactical assessments.
As the formal ceremony concluded, the mourners began to disperse in small groups. But the core leadership lingered, and Jabari noticed how they seemed to orbit around Fuuka's presence like planets drawn to new star.
"The Imperium's movements and the Radi-Mons under their control," Laurent said quietly, picking up his earlier conversation with Wilhelm but now including Fuuka. "You've heard?"
"I have." Fuuka replied. "The Alliance did suffer defeat on the Near Side, and the Sand Lotus's own warriors were—unable to intercept. The board is being cleared."
"It's good that the Alliance is weakened, though that leaves the Imperium stronger." Celine interjected. "What we do next could change the game."
"The Imperium has got themselves a Dragonfort." Wilhelm pulled up his tactical pad, the holographic display showing a giant red vessel's movements over Osram's gray surface.
"Been a few years since we last saw one deployed. What do you see?" Fuuka replied, her pearl-like eyes reflecting the holographic light.
"A staging formation, it looks like? Care to guess where they're headed?" Wilhelm stroked his chin.
"With the Moondust Crystal on their side," Fuuka mused, "none other than Yosemite, where the next shard awaits."
The implications hung heavy between them. Three weeks since their retreat from Zeeman Crater on the other side of Osram, there had been no time like the present.
"Speaking of the Crystal," Laurent's voice carried an edge, "we need every advantage for what's coming. Which brings me to why I invited Fuuka." His eyes found Jabari. "Lieutenant, a word?"
The prince's request effectively dismissed the others. Celine touched Jabari's shoulder briefly—a gesture of support or warning, he couldn't tell—before following Wilhelm toward the garden's exit. Their quiet discussion continued, but their words were lost to distance.
"I should check the Gyata's systems," Ume said, though her amber eyes lingered on Fuuka with something that might have been curiosity. Or concern. "The ceremony's dust might have affected the intake filters."
"That would be best," Fuuka smiled politely at the android.
Ume's expression shifted through several micro-expressions too quick for most human eyes to catch. "Of course. I'll be conducting maintenance by the landing platform."
As Ume departed, her movements carried an unusual stiffness that had nothing to do with her mechanical nature. Jabari watched her go, puzzled by the interaction.
"She cares for you," Fuuka observed once they were alone. "More than her programming would typically allow."
"Yeah. Something like that." Jabari shifted his weight, suddenly aware of how isolated they were in this corner of the garden.
"The Directorate is fortunate to have such a diverse roster." Fuuka moved closer, and Jabari caught a hint of something floral—jasmine, he guessed. He'd heard of how many Imperial women favored perfumes of those types. "Which is why Laurent and I have been discussing your potential."
Jabari's hand instinctively moved toward his back. "My potential?"
"The Moondust Crystal responds to psionic energy. What you found in Zeeman Crater was merely a fraction of its power." She paused, seeming to gather herself. "The more psionics who can interface with it, the better our chances of keeping it from consuming its wielder. Or worse, consuming us all."
"I'm not psionic," Jabari stated flatly. "They test for that at Cape Coast. Thoroughly."
"Not yet," Fuuka corrected. "The Sand Lotus has methods of...awakening latent potential. Ancient techniques, refined over centuries." She took a breath, and for the first time since her arrival, her professional composure showed cracks. "With Laurent's permission, I've been authorized to offer you that awakening."
The garden suddenly felt smaller, the air thicker. "And what exactly does this 'awakening' involve?"
Color rose in Fuuka's cheeks, but her voice remained steady. "The Moaning Lotus Ritual. Through the intimate exchange of Aether between a trained practitioner and a recipient, we can activate dormant psionic pathways."
Jabari stared at her, certain he'd misunderstood. The words seemed to rearrange themselves in his mind, refusing to form a coherent meaning. "Exchange of…what?"
"The ritual requires complete physical and spiritual connection." She spoke with the clinical tone of someone desperately trying to maintain professional distance. "To properly channel Aether between participants."
"Uh…" Jabari's throat had gone dry. He swallowed, tried again. "Could you say that in English?"
"I have been." her retort was instant.
"Okay. Less fancy words, just...say what you mean."
Fuuka's composure cracked. A flush spread across her pale features as her pearl-like eyes met his directly. "Sex, Jabari. The ritual requires us to have sex."