Satyo greeted his two guests with a warm smile. But Gara could feel the hair on the back of his neck stand.
"So, what brings our guests here at this hour?" Satyo asked, settling into a chair directly across from Gara.
The young man felt Satyo's gaze like a blade stripping away his defenses. Beside him, his mother was trembling.
She thought she'd come prepared to face Satyo. But sitting across from this Liner, Wina realized just how small she truly was.
Gara gently squeezed his mother's hand. They'd come this far. They couldn't back down now.
After a few moments of silence, Wina gathered her courage. Clearing her throat briefly, she spoke without preamble.
"Elder Jaya, about the upper mountain area—what they said about it being a training ground for the Liners—it's all a lie. They're planning to build a crystal refinery up there.
