Finished, she sat back.
"You look ridiculous," she told him.
The belt clung to the lower third of his sphere, not even giving the illusion of safety. Turning on his gravity booster would lift him right out of the safety strap.
"I'll remember this the next time you need me to save your ass," Jin hissed.
She rolled her eyes, becoming aware of the way the children stared at the two of them with wide eyes.
She didn't say anything, knowing how odd they appeared. For all the processing power of his AI, Jin could be incredibly childish and prone to mood swings as severe as a prepubescent girl's.
Kira ignored them, staring out the window as the planet grew under them, blotting out the darkness of space. The shuttle gave the slightest of shimmies as it slipped into the atmosphere.
It was the easiest transition Kira had ever experienced. Of course, she was normally in a military drop ship, whose primary goal was getting its cargo to the ground as quickly and efficiently as possible. Most times that included staying in one piece, but not always.
They punched through the clouds, trailing ribbons of white behind them. The land spread out below them, an endless forest, mountains stabbing the sky in the distance, the faint sparkle of sun against water hinting at an ocean or lake.
This was it, the place of Kira's birth, if Graydon was to be believed. She might have family down there.
The connection she'd missed upon her first glimpse of Ta Da’an hit her. She wasn't crazy enough to say she was home, but the potential was there. A tantalizing possibility that refused to go away no matter how hard she tried to root it out.
Feelings welled up out of nowhere, a sense of welcome and homecoming, as if the planet itself was glad to have her back. There was a pleasant buzz all around her, as if the very air crackled with energy, licking along her nerves and reaching deep to the core of her.
She shifted as the sensation increased, moving from pleasant to slightly painful.
"What's wrong?" Jin asked.
"Nothing, I'm fine," Kira said.
That turned out to be a lie as the sensation deepened, turning sharp and stabbing. She groaned and bent forward. She would not throw up. She would not throw up. She hadn't done so on a drop, not even the first time. She refused to vomit now when she was set to meet her family. What a first impression that would create. She'd have ruined her reputation before she even really had one.
Cool hands touched her face. She knew without looking it was Amila.
"She's experiencing overload," she said to someone Kira couldn't see. "She needs to modulate the energy flow."
"What does that mean?" Jin asked from above her.
The energy Kira was coming to associate as the planet surged forward, a tidal wave of power. Impossible to resist or delay.
Kira whimpered as she crumpled forward.
"I was afraid of this," Graydon said in a grim voice.
"Afraid of what?" Jin shouted.
"We could have the pilot take us out," Amila suggested.
Kira fought to stay conscious as the sensations amplified. It felt like something was pouring into her, burning out her nerves as it filled her to bursting.
A large hand landed on her neck, cool and reassuring. She knew without looking it belonged to Graydon. "No, the process has already started. Removing her now would make her next experience that much more painful."
Kira grunted. "I'm fine with never returning to this place again."
Screw any sense of connection she felt. It wasn't worth whatever this was. She wanted out. Her skin damn near felt like it was about to burst.
"Sorry, coli. You're not getting off that easily," Graydon said.
Strangely, he didn't sound sorry in the least, Kira noted.
She dug her nails into his wrist in wordless retaliation. His chuckle was warm.
"Steady. I'll help you through this," Graydon said soothingly.
Kira would prefer not to be in this at all, but if he was going to help, he needed to do it soon.
The current running through her was powerful and could turn dangerous. Memories of another time when she'd set that current free swamped her. If that happened, she doubted anybody on the shuttle would be landing safely.
"I've never felt such a strong reaction from the Mea'Ave," Amila said in a hushed voice.
"She's been gone a long time," Graydon said. "It seems the Mea'Ave knows it and is trying to make up for lost time."
"It's too much." Amila's voice sounded strained. "Her mind will break if this continues."
"Let me