---
In the upper ledges, some of the drones copied the motion without really knowing why.
Kai felt the strain of the last allocations settle into his bones, a faint, pleasant ache.
He stepped down off the low platform and walked close enough to set a hand briefly on Shadeclaw's shoulder, on Silvershadow's, on Yavri's, on each of them in turn.
"Get up," he said. "I need you on your feet, not kneeling at me. If I ever start enjoying that too much, knock me down a rank."
"That would take a lot of knocking now," Vexor muttered, but he obeyed.
They rose.
The hall felt different.
Not because of some mystical glow, but because the atmosphere had shifted from barely-holding to something more like coiled readiness.
Luna came to stand beside Kai, shoulder brushing his.
"You know," she said quietly, out of the corner of her mouth, "you could have just told them to train harder."
"I do tell them that," Kai said. "Every day. This is just… back pay. I used all my store powers."
