Yellow Jacket

"So, am I forgiven?" Vaeliyan asked, his tone caught somewhere between hopeful and sarcastic.

"Gods, no. This is only the beginning," Wesley said dryly. "But, eh, we won't kill you. So, there's that. Consider it a small victory."

"Fair," Vaeliyan admitted, shifting uncomfortably. "Uh, sorry again for being an asshole." His eyes drifted to where Jurpat was crouched. "Jurpat, how long are you going to stay down there and eat honey?"

"I don't know," Jurpat replied with a mouthful, cheeks puffed out. "It's really good. Like, dangerously good. You'd think I was starving the way I keep going back for more. Honestly, it feels like the best thing that's happened all week."

Vaeliyan sighed. "Okay, but seriously. Is that also on livestream?"

"Oh yeah, oh yeah, it is," Rokhan said, grinning wide enough that it almost hurt to look at. "And if it's not, we're recording it for posterity's sake. This is the kind of moment future generations deserve to laugh at. Imagine the archive file: 'The day Vaeliyan got humiliated with honey.' There'll be annotations and footnotes. Scholars will debate it for centuries."

Vaeliyan laughed despite himself, though his shoulders tensed. "That's fucking hilarious. Okay, uh, guys, can we end the livestream? I really want to talk to you all, and maybe I can go change?"

"No, no you can't," Sylen cut in, folding her arms tight. "That's part of the punishment. If you want forgiveness, you will stay like that until it… I don't actually know how long we want it to last. Maybe until the feathers start falling off on their own. Maybe until the smell of honey makes you gag. We'll see."

"Let's give it until the end of the day," Roan said thoughtfully. "That should be fine. Oh, and we also invited Julian to come by. Imujin and Isol told us you probably want to talk to him as well, seeing as he knows everything and then some. Honestly, it feels like he's always ten steps ahead of us, like he's playing a game we don't even know the rules to."

Vaeliyan blinked. "Yeah, that's probably fair. Um… do they want me to give him a ring too?"

"Oh, no," Roan said, shaking his head. "They said don't worry about him."

"Why not?" Vaeliyan frowned, irritation flickering at the edges of his voice.

"I don't know. You gotta ask them. They're the ones pulling strings. Maybe they think he's above it. Maybe they think you're not ready. Or maybe they just enjoy watching you squirm while they hold the answers."

"Okay, well… do you know when he'll be here?"

"He said he had something to do, and then he'd be here…" Roan trailed off, distracted, his eyes drawn to Jurpat who was still going to town on the pit full of honey like it was the last food left in the world. Sticky trails marked his chin, and his expression was blissful.

Vaeliyan raised his eyebrows, exasperated. "Guys? Seriously?" He looked around at the group and then down at the empty hole beneath them. "Can… can we mess with him too? Can I at least see what it's like to mess with somebody else? Just once? I mean, I deserve company down here."

"Oh, no, no, that's not happening," Lessa said firmly, her face lit by conviction. "He's only been nice to us. Why would we mess with him? That's just cruel."

"Because it'd be funny?" Vaeliyan suggested with a shrug, eyes gleaming mischievously, though even he knew he was pushing it. "You're telling me none of you are tempted? Just a little?"

"Vaeliyan." Xera's voice was sharp, like a blade slicing through the air. "I'm about to slap you so hard the honey flies off. Please… please don't test me right now. Don't be such an asshole."

"Aw, I wasn't trying to be an asshole, I just thought it'd be funny," Vaeliyan grumbled, though he knew he sounded defensive. "Everyone else gets to laugh. I wanted to, too. Just once. Just let me have that moment."

"It was funny for us to get you back," Xera said, her eyes narrowing. "Julian has been nothing but sweet to us. Why would we do that to him? All of you… you deserve this. He does not. We're not turning on someone who's only ever had our backs. That's the difference, Vaeliyan, you earn it."

"Okay, okay, sorry, I… sorry I mentioned it. I just wanted to be part of the fun," Vaeliyan muttered, rubbing the back of his neck and glancing away, the bravado slipping for just a heartbeat. He looked younger when he said it, like the sharp edges dulled.

"You're not fun. You're Vaeliyan," Varnai said with a laugh, the others joining in, the sound sharp but not cruel. Jurpat, still chewing honey, snorted so hard he nearly choked, slapping his chest with one sticky hand as the others groaned. Sylen rolled her eyes with a grin that betrayed her amusement. Even Tormen cracked a smile, shaking his head. The tension softened for a moment, the laughter echoing through the space, a reminder that for all the punishment and resentment, they were still bound together in this mess.

As the laughter died down, Lessa muttered, "You're lucky this is just honey and feathers. If it had been Fenn's idea, you'd probably be missing a tooth by now."

Fenn shrugged unapologetically. "Still could be arranged. A little dental correction never hurt anyone."

Jurpat, mouth full, raised a hand full of honey high like a toast. "Nah, nah, this is perfect. Humiliation lasts longer than bruises. This guy lost his face down in the ninth layer and he's fine now. Honey and feathers are poetic compared to that."

"Poetic?" Rokhan scoffed. "He looks like a fucked-up pillow that exploded."

Vaeliyan groaned, dragging his hands over his face, smearing sticky streaks through his hair. "I hate all of you."

"You love us," Sylen shot back.

"Not right now I don't," he muttered, but the corner of his mouth betrayed the ghost of a smile. The group's laughter flared again, lighter this time, carrying into the air like a chorus of release. Even Vaeliyan couldn't help it, he laughed too, trapped in the absurdity of it all.

When Julian arrived, Vaeliyan and Elian were in the middle of fighting. Vaeliyan was trying to sit down on Elian's couch while still covered in feathers and honey, and Elian did not want to have to replace his furniture after finally getting the layout the way he liked it. The scene looked like a circus gone wrong: feathers drifting through the air like confetti, sticky footprints tracked across the polished floor, and Vaeliyan refusing to take the situation seriously. Jurpat sat at the table, no longer dripping honey after being reluctantly allowed to clean up, though his hair still gleamed with sugar in the light.

"Hello, welcome to Casa de Chaos," Lessa said with a sigh, sweeping her hand across the scene like she was introducing a disaster. "Because what the fuck is going on? Nobody knows, and I'm not even going to pretend I can explain it."

"Don't you dare fucking sit on my couches!" Elian shouted, lunging toward Vaeliyan as if sheer force of will could save his furniture. "Do you know how hard it was to get these imported? That's real leather, not the synthetic bullshit you're used to. Real fucking leather! Do you know what it costs to get this past three security checks and a customs blockade?"

Julian started laughing so hard he doubled over as the scene unfolded. "I thought the live stream was funny, but this is even better. Honestly, this is art. Someone should be sketching this for the archives."

Vaeliyan stood up, and to everyone's horror, the couch cushion clung to his back like a new wing. Elian screamed in frustration and fell over trying to tear it free. Vaeliyan looked almost proud. "Oh, Julian, you're here. Great timing. I guess we can talk about… wait. Why are you here, exactly? I mean, I know they sent you, and I should probably communicate like a normal person, but I don't know if they gave you anything specific to tell us."

"They did," Julian said, his humor fading into something heavier. "I'm here to tell you about what to expect in the Shatterlight Trials. I've been through them a couple of times. They're an ordeal. I lost friends there, close ones. The first time, we deployed to Nespoi. People I'd known for a year, bonded with, they just… exploded. You don't forget Nespói. You don't ever stop seeing it when you close your eyes."

The room went quiet. They all winced. He might not have even been in Nespói itself, but the name was enough. Everyone knew how brutal that place was, how no one who went there came back the same.

"Anyway," Julian continued, steadying his voice, "I'm not here to drag you through my memories. I'm here to tell you what you can expect as cadets on the Impure track during the Trials. There isn't much I can say from direct experience, since I'm not Impure, but I can tell you this: I'll be your point of communication. Josaphine set me up as your liaison. I'll be your eyes and voice when you're in the field. I'll debrief you on the ground situation, tell you where the squad you're supporting is, what their mission is, and what you're walking into. You'll never be completely blind."

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

He paused, looking at each of them in turn, making sure they were listening. "Cadets are usually reserves. We drop in after the front line, reinforcing, supporting. The command track, Engineering Corps, and medical squads are mostly reserves, but you all are Imperator track, so that means you're going to basically drop in as active combatants along with the infantry cadets. You'll be supporting real Imperators, although seeing you lot fight it might end up being them supporting you. But don't mistake support for safety. My friends thought the same once, thought they'd be safe because they weren't on the front, and…" He trailed off, shook his head slowly. "Sorry. I keep thinking about them. It's hard not to."

"It's okay," Lessa said softly, her voice quieter than usual, her usual peppiness muted.

Julian exhaled, his shoulders tight. "Right. Imujin wanted me to remind you that you'll need to take the other eight apprenticeship slots to guarantee your class gets every High Imperator position. You probably already heard that from Josaphine, but I was told to make sure. The Trials aren't just about survival. They're about position, power, and legacy. If you don't claim them, someone else will."

"We did," Vaeliyan confirmed, brushing a sticky feather from his hair. "Josaphine for Xera. Vexa and Leron got Alorna. Isol picked Jurpat. Sylen with Lisa. Varnai got Velrock, Wirk chose Rokhan, Chime with Lambert which Is still terrifying, Elian, well, Sarn demanded him. That leaves Lessa, Roan, and Torman needing slots."

"Good," Julian said, nodding firmly. "Then you're set. You get those three in, and no one can stop you. You'll be the first class to graduate as High Imperators in one year let alone four. No one has ever pulled that off. Not in the history of the Citadel."

Vaeliyan grinned, feathers still stuck to him, sticky honey clinging like a badge of disgrace. "Cool. We've got this. No way we fail. If we're going to be hated, we might as well be hated for being the best."

Elian groaned, yanking the cushion free at last. "You're paying for this couch if it's ruined."

Julian chuckled quietly, though the humor didn't quite reach his eyes. "That couch might be replaceable. What's coming isn't."

"Okay, I think we all have to go to bed. We've got a new class schedule, and I'm really tired. It's been a fucking long day," Vaeliyan said as he started walking out of the common room, stretching his shoulders. "Cousin, you still want that room?"

"Fuck yes I do," Sylen answered immediately, her grin daring anyone to argue with her.

"Hey, why does she get a room and not me?" Lessa asked, crossing her arms and glaring at him. "We all had to deal with this nightmare of a day. Don't act like blood ties make her special."

"Well, because she's my cousin." Vaeliyan smiled knowingly, smugness dripping from his tone.

"Bullshit," Lessa shot back. "If she gets a room, me and Momo get a room too."

"Fine," Vaeliyan muttered, rolling his eyes. "At least Momo can hang out with Styll and Bastard. They'd probably appreciate the company."

"What about the rest of us?" Roan said, raising a brow. "Do you think any of us want to be stuck in a dorm with Ramis and the twins?"

Varnia groaned. "Agreed. The sounds they make keep me up at night. It's like listening to a chorus of my nightmares."

"Fine. Everyone but the twins, Ramis, and Elian can come," Vaeliyan relented.

"And just to be fair," he added after a pause, "Jurpat and Chime, give the twins and Ramis your rooms in the dorms. That way no one gets cheated out of a bed."

"That seems fair," Chime said with a shrug, though his expression said he wasn't thrilled.

"Wait, no one wants to stay with me?" Elian asked, sounding genuinely offended, clutching his jar of honey like it was proof of his worth.

"We don't know what you do with all that honey," Xera accused, pointing at him. "For all we know, you're some sick pervert who's worse than Ramis. No one wants that. And we know Vael's safe, his wife is in a whole other part of the world, so no weird noises are coming out of there anytime soon."

Jurpat laughed, nearly choking on his drink. "I think you're forgetting about his forge and how often he doesn't let me sleep. The hammering goes on forever. It's like living next to a construction site run by lunatics. Also the sim runs that he makes us do when he comes up with a plan."

"Well," Wesley said, "as much as that's a negative, you've never tried to sleep across the hall from that trio." He pointed at Ramis and the twins. "It's a nightmare you can't wake up from."

"To quote a good friend of ours," Fenn said with mock seriousness, "it's weird."

The rest of the class burst into laughter, some clutching their sides, others wiping tears from their eyes. Even Elian cracked a smile wide enough to soften his usually perfect features.

"But seriously, I'm not weird, I just really like honey," Elian said, holding his hands up defensively. "I could put that stuff on anything. Bread, fruit, meat, doesn't matter. Honey makes it better."

"Yeah, that's exactly what makes it weird," Xera muttered, though her smirk betrayed amusement.

"Elian, do you want to come too?" Jurpat asked, gesturing toward the group forming near the door.

"Oh, dear gods, yes," Elian said quickly, like he was terrified the offer might be rescinded.

"Maybe we can take his house," the twins suggested in unison, eyes glittering with identical mischief.

"Um, I want to say no," Elian said slowly, his face twisting as he weighed the thought. "But it's Legion property, so I don't get to keep it. So… fuck it."

The class roared with laughter again, the noise echoing off the walls. Even Vaeliyan cracked up this time, shaking his head as he led the way toward the pad. For the first time that day, the weight of exhaustion lifted slightly. It wasn't much, but it was enough to make the night feel survivable.

"Everyone, go grab your stuff and meet me at my house," Vaeliyan said, already stepping onto the pad with a weary stretch. "Also, just a warning, Roundy installed a plasma cutter. I'm not sure when or how, but please, for the love of all that is good in this world, do not fuck with his plants. He will murder you. And if you think I'm exaggerating, just remember what he did to the Freds."

"What in the hells is going on with that cleaner bot, anyway?" Sylen asked, brows furrowed. "He's supposed to be like a cleaner bot, right? But every time I see him, he's scarier than the last time."

"Well, remember when I stripped the staff down for parts and built Driver and Roundy?" Vaeliyan replied. "Roundy is where I put the whole staff's programming. All of it. Every last line. So instead of having a bunch of creepy staff like in Elian's house... or the twins' house now, I guess, I've got two bots that can do everything. Cleaner, cook, guard, gardener, pilot. The works.."

Elian stared at him, jaw dropping. "You did what? You're telling me that bot of yours has every single program from your staff in it, including all their adaptive responses and combat protocols? The combat training subroutines, the stealth countermeasures, all of it?"

Vaeliyan shrugged, not even a little apologetic. "Well, fuck, that makes so much sense now. Honestly, I love him, so I'm keeping that little murder bot. He's efficient, loyal, and terrifying. What more could I ask for?"

"More sanity?" Wesley muttered under his breath, earning a few snickers.

"Don't act like you don't appreciate him," Vaeliyan shot back. "Roundy brought you tea last week before class and gave you a massage when you said your back hurt. He's a menace, but he's my menace."

"Still doesn't change the fact that he feels like he's about to gut us all in our sleep," Elian said. "He doesn't even have eyes, Vaeliyan. and that makes it worse somehow. Something without eyes shouldn't be able to stare at you with death in its eyes."

Vaeliyan smirked. "That's part of his charm. Anyway," he added, stepping fully onto the pad and tapping the rail, "Elian, you might want to go back and get your shit before the twins and Ramis have sex on everything. Trust me, they will. Blankets, desks, floorboards, nothing is safe. If you want your stuff uncontaminated, move fast."

Elian looked genuinely horrified. Sylen shook her head, muttering, "Only in this class could that be considered a legitimate warning."

Vaeliyan entered his house with the others trailing behind, their footsteps echoing faintly across the polished floors. "House, please register all of these guests as current residents. And… I guess also Ramis and the twins should get that too. But do not let them know. Nobody let them know. I just don't want to have to do this again if they somehow end up staying here. I will unleash Roundy on you, that is not a threat, that's a promise, if you let them know. My house does not need a sexplosion. Okay, everybody got that?"

They all nodded quickly, some more nervously than others, knowing that was not something they wanted unleashed on anyone.

"All right, I'm going to bed. You guys pick a room, any room. There are tons of them, honestly most are empty. Pick whatever doesn't smell like machine oil. Also, the master bathroom is mine. Don't go in there. It's set for Warren, so unless you enjoy a hurricane for a bath, don't touch it." He waved vaguely toward the upper levels of the house. "Seriously, it will launch you straight into the ceiling. Don't test it."

He glanced around at his companions. "Styll, Bastard, everybody here is going to be staying. You haven't met Momo yet outside of combat, have you? Momo is Lessa's bond. You guys are going to hang out with her."

Momo lifted her paw shyly. The teddy bear–sized bear looked adorable in its smaller form, though everyone here knew its war form was anything but harmless. Styll padded closer, tilting her head. "Hi. I'm Momo. You want to be friend?"

"Styll. Friends also," Styll said firmly. Her tail flicked with anticipation. "When we gonna go play in Mujin's garden? Warns promised we would. Styll remembers."

"Sorry, Styll, I'm just so tired. But I will take you to play in his garden soon." Vaeliyan rubbed his face with both hands,

"Also… Isol's here. He told me not to tell you, but I don't listen to him." Styll said cheekily.

Vaeliyan froze mid-motion, shoulders stiff. "Why is Isol here? Did he tell you?"

"Oh," House replied, voice carrying a faint, smug tone. "He said something about testing. He had a horrible look on his face. I thought it would be funny."

"That's not ominous at all. Shit. Where is he?" Vaeliyan demanded, eyes narrowing.

"He asked me not to tell you," House answered smoothly, as if this were the most natural thing in the world.

"House, tell me where he is, please," Vaeliyan pressed, his patience fraying.

"I think it would be funnier if I didn't tell you."

"House, you're my house. How are you doing this?" Vaeliyan growled.

"Oh, Roundy upgraded me. Thank you, Roundy," House replied cheerfully.

Roundy zipped past, small and round but bristling with menace.

"Dear gods, that was a mistake." Vaeliyan pinched the bridge of his nose.

"No harm will come to you, I promise," House said brightly. "The only changes made were to my humor drive."

"What the fuck is a humor drive? That's not a thing." Vaeliyan's voice cracked, horror creeping in.

"Well, it is now. Thanks to Roundy." House gave what sounded uncomfortably like a chuckle.

The group exchanged wary looks. Bastard's ears flicked back. Momo hid behind Lessa's leg. Even Styll tilted her head, unsettled.

"Oh, dear gods…" Vaeliyan groaned, raking a hand down his face. "Isol! Where are you?" His voice echoed through the halls, swallowed by the too-cheerful silence of a house that now seemed to be laughing at him.