Across from her, the lead guard waited, allowing her to absorb the fullness of her situation. His image flickered. A holovid projection. A tall man with short white hair and a pale complexion, his skin the color of frost on a window. Thin, with a rugged fitness hidden beneath his façade of officiousness. His gray uniform had blocky shoulders, and a canary-colored cloth wrapped about him. His ring and pinkie fingers were fused on his left hand. A scar ran from the corner of his mouth, up along his cheek; when he turned to her and smiled, his face opened into a terrible rictus.

The vehicle slowed to a halt. The guards stood up. Fela took their measure, noting their stances. The fight about to ensue, she tensed.

“Don’t,” the pale man said. “I’d also be remiss as a host if I didn’t inform you of the precarious position you find yourself in. You haven’t even surveilled your location. Rather than start a scuffle so you can run, chance an escape, why not simply walk out? We won’t stop you.”

Standing slowly, the guards backed out of her way. The lead guard half bowed; his arm swept toward the exit. Not quite taking her eyes from them, Fela inched toward the door. Ducking her head, she took a tentative step out.

They approached a sprawling building. Its entrance opened into a greater structure. A phalanx of soldiers stood in formation. When she stepped from the transport ship, the troops snapped from parade rest to sharp attention.

“It’s how we greet honored and respected guests.” The pale man’s scar sneered at her.

“With a show of strength to let her know what she was up against,” Fela said.

“Come,” the lead guard said. “Allow us to accompany you to your quarters.”

Recalling her specialized training at the Thmei Academy—including the advanced coursework for leaders: survival, evasion, escape, resistance, improvisation—Fela collected as much intel on them and their methods as she could as they walked. She wondered whether she’d be up for this test. The building was surprisingly low-tech. Physical doors opened like ancient vaults. The occasional banner decorated the halls. The soldiers peeled off to station themselves in teams of four at every door and junction. The mazelike structure reminded her of the labyrinth used as an initiation tool into Umlando, the Great Knowledge. Initiates had to walk through several gates in order to reach the center, performing rituals and encountering various dangers or tests before they could continue their journey forward.