Kate wanted to leave. She wanted to win this fight. She wanted to get away from the Alexanders. It didn't even matter what life would be like on Jupiter Station. She was convinced that she would have more freedom. But not if James won.
•••
The training room was a perfect square. High ceilings opened up above them. Bamboo floors cooled their feet. Staffs lined the walls, memorializing all the Alexanders that came before them. The twins stood face to face.
James slowly raised his staff level to his eye line, his left hand in front and the right behind. Kate held her staff at her waist with her right hand.
"Are you ready?" James asked.
Kate smiled. "Begin."
She tumbled forward, using the staff to lift herself from the ground and pushing off just as a shockwave blew across the floor. Kate rotated the staff around so that the end pointed right at her brother's face. A light flashed out from the end. James blinked as the other end of her staff came around and smacked him in the temple.
He stumbled back and started swinging blindly. Kate sped up her attack. Her blood pumped fast like a predator close to the kill. James remembered his training, controlled his movements and used her confidence against her. He stumbled again, stepping back and appeared to lose his footing.
She saw the moment of weakness and stepped forward, jabbing her staff at his torso. He pulled back, as if trying to avoid the gut-wrenching blow, then suddenly twisted out of the way and slammed his staff to the ground. The shockwave spread out from the point of contact and knocked Kate off her feet before she could react.
He swung around and stabbed at the ground where she laid, but Kate rolled out of the way and avoided the blow. She jumped to her feet and attempted to blind him again with a flash of light from the side of her staff. James closed his eyes and turned away just in time.
The two began to battle fiercely. James shot out shockwaves at his sister, one after the other. He wanted to knock her off her feet and disorient her long enough to make the final blow. But Kate moved too quickly, backing off enough to avoid the small waves and jumping up when the larger ones blew past her.
Each time he sent waves at her, she flashed light in all directions. She was hoping to unsettle her opponent and force him to look away from the real attack.
She jabbed at his chest and swung low to take out his feet. Then she lifted her staff to his eye line, sending out strobe lights. James started to blink. He tried to keep focused on the ground and his own attack, but the light was starting to wear on him.
Kate saw the opening. She quickly swung her staff around her head and stung him in the temple. James fell back to the ground and Kate thrust her staff at him, stopping just short of penetrating his left eye.
James closed his eyes and sighed. She won again and he knew it.
•••
It was still light out, but getting darker by the moment. The marble bench was casting shadows across the alcove floor, just touching the bottom of the council doors. They were tall and imposing with a patina that turned the light oak a deep, weathered brown.
Kate stared into them, imaging the council members and how they would handle the news. They wanted to make the decision for her. They had wanted to choose who went to Jupiter Station. But Kate wasn't one to let anyone tell her where she would go. She made her own choices. She didn't even change her clothes from the battle with her brother. She barely paused to put her staff away before heading to the council chamber and requesting a conference.
"Just be honest," she whispered to herself. "They'll make up their own minds anyway."
The doors creaked open like an alarm. Kate turned to see her father in the doorway.
"They're ready to see you."
•••
The training room was a perfect square. High ceilings opened up above them. Bamboo floors cooled their feet. Staffs lined the walls, memorializing all the Alexanders that came before them. The twins stood face to face.
James slowly raised his staff level to his eye line, his left hand in front and the right behind. Kate held her staff at her waist with her right hand.
"Are you ready?" James asked.
Kate smiled. "Begin."
She tumbled forward, using the staff to lift herself from the ground and pushing off just as a shockwave blew across the floor. Kate rotated the staff around so that the end pointed right at her brother's face. A light flashed out from the end. James blinked as the other end of her staff came around and smacked him in the temple.
He stumbled back and started swinging blindly. Kate sped up her attack. Her blood pumped fast like a predator close to the kill. James remembered his training, controlled his movements and used her confidence against her. He stumbled again, stepping back and appeared to lose his footing.
She saw the moment of weakness and stepped forward, jabbing her staff at his torso. He pulled back, as if trying to avoid the gut-wrenching blow, then suddenly twisted out of the way and slammed his staff to the ground. The shockwave spread out from the point of contact and knocked Kate off her feet before she could react.
He swung around and stabbed at the ground where she laid, but Kate rolled out of the way and avoided the blow. She jumped to her feet and attempted to blind him again with a flash of light from the side of her staff. James closed his eyes and turned away just in time.
The two began to battle fiercely. James shot out shockwaves at his sister, one after the other. He wanted to knock her off her feet and disorient her long enough to make the final blow. But Kate moved too quickly, backing off enough to avoid the small waves and jumping up when the larger ones blew past her.
Each time he sent waves at her, she flashed light in all directions. She was hoping to unsettle her opponent and force him to look away from the real attack.
She jabbed at his chest and swung low to take out his feet. Then she lifted her staff to his eye line, sending out strobe lights. James started to blink. He tried to keep focused on the ground and his own attack, but the light was starting to wear on him.
Kate saw the opening. She quickly swung her staff around her head and stung him in the temple. James fell back to the ground and Kate thrust her staff at him, stopping just short of penetrating his left eye.
James closed his eyes and sighed. She won again and he knew it.
•••
It was still light out, but getting darker by the moment. The marble bench was casting shadows across the alcove floor, just touching the bottom of the council doors. They were tall and imposing with a patina that turned the light oak a deep, weathered brown.
Kate stared into them, imaging the council members and how they would handle the news. They wanted to make the decision for her. They had wanted to choose who went to Jupiter Station. But Kate wasn't one to let anyone tell her where she would go. She made her own choices. She didn't even change her clothes from the battle with her brother. She barely paused to put her staff away before heading to the council chamber and requesting a conference.
"Just be honest," she whispered to herself. "They'll make up their own minds anyway."
The doors creaked open like an alarm. Kate turned to see her father in the doorway.
"They're ready to see you."
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