The ship rose again with a sickening lurch, the bowsprit seeming to aim for the sky, then fell as if the bottom had dropped out of the sea beneath them. The bow buried itself in a welter of water and foam that burst out to either side and along the deck, washing over Kira's feet. She clung to the mast, staring at the roaring seas towering about them, blinking away the rain sheeting across her face and flinching under the lash of the wind which had grown steadily colder.

Another wave, surging across the deck and tugging at Kira's ankles. I can handle this, she kept repeating to herself, wondering if it were true, as the fury of the storm battered at her inner illusions just as it tore at her on the outside. It's scary. I've never felt so tiny. But I can face this, I have to face this, just like my mother faced the Imperial legions. This can't be as bad as that was. I want you to be proud of me, Mother, even though I'm not you and could never be you. That's all I've ever really wanted. Please don't let me do anything that would make my mother ashamed.

Yells and pointing arms alerted her to something on the starboard quarter where the seas were coming at the ship. Kira looked aft, then froze, unable to move for a moment.

A wave stood there, coming higher and higher over the rail, rising above it like the hand of a giant, dark water tipped with white foam. It rushed down upon the ship with a thunderous blow that shook the vessel, breaking in solid water across the deck. Kira had only a moment to gape at the monstrous shape sweeping down on her, then it struck with tremendous force, driving the breath from her. Her grip on the mast failed instantly under the titanic force of the wave and Kira tumbled through the water, helpless, until she reached the end of the rope around her waist. It jerked her to a painful stop, then with a snap that sounded over the roar of the storm it broke where unseen rot had weakened it and Kira found herself borne by the onrushing water forward and toward the other side of the ship, grabbing frantically for anything she saw. A halyard dangled from above, whipping wildly in the wind, and Kira made a desperate lunge for it, getting only a partial grip on it, hanging on for a few seconds until the wet line slipped from her grasp.