I held hands with Tenira as we stood on the airship’s deck, watching the landscape pass by below us. I still felt that faint, fluttery feeling in my stomach whenever my attention turned to that fact, and if I hadn’t been a cultivator, my facial muscles might have ached from smiling so much. It was probably a good thing no one else could see that, since we were heading into a war zone.

The thought sobered me up a little, and I glanced around. We’d already been in the air for a few hours, and would arrive at our destination soon. Two airships flew on either side of this one, carrying soldiers. The one I stood on was mostly for me and my companions, and the command staff. We’d had to leave most of the planes behind, though some would be ferried by ship to other destinations, and some did accompany us in the air.

Tenira pulled her hand away. I let it go and looked at her, then followed her gaze to the group of people approaching us. Yarani, Aston, and a few of the officers.

“We’re almost there, Your Highness,” Aston said. “Would you like to go over some plans again?”

“Fine.” I leaned against the railing and focused on what we were going to do here.

Going over the situation and our plans took long enough that the airship was in the process of setting down by the time we’d finished. I hopped over the railing, falling a few meters before hitting the ground and kicking up some dust. Aston and a few guards followed right away. I paused for Tenira and Yarani to catch up, then made my way through the camp being set up.

I noted the groups of soldiers preparing for battle and assembling several devices or formation arrays, but nothing really required my attention. From here, I couldn’t get a good look at our target, but I could make out the walls of the town rising only a short distance away. It was firmly in the hands of the conspirators, unfortunately. A dry, grassy plain spread around it, so at least there was room for battle. To one side, the ground rose up into the foot of a low mountain range. A river glittered in the fading sunlight, winding its way down the mountains and cutting through the plain ahead of us. I put on a bit of speed to hurry to the riverbank and take a good look. It had rained heavily over the last few days, and the river was carrying a lot of water, rushing along at a fast pace. Good.

“Let’s set up,” I said. “I’m curious to see how this is going to go.”

Tenira nodded and started taking tools from her storage ring. “Shame Lei isn’t here, but I’m curious, myself.”

Since we had prebuilt parts to work with, carried in storage rings, the setup went remarkably quickly. A few of the crafters we’d taken along had built these kinds of generators before, and quickly fit things together. The final product looked a bit like a typical watermill, if it wasn’t for all the wires. And the actual generator part, of course. Tenira and I double-checked that we got power without a problem. It actually put out a good wattage.

With the generator running, we started setting up the real experiment. I carefully arranged the formation plates with the help of the experts we’d taken along, then checked the casing. We’d assembled this before, in the palace, and they’d all weathered the transport undamaged.

Operation ray gun is on track. I grinned to myself.

At the core of the mechanism was an electrical lightbulb. Those were relatively simple, and they’d even known how to make one before I arrived. Waste heat might be an issue, and I certainly would have preferred LEDs, but we just didn’t have the technology to make those yet. Maybe a skilled cultivator could, if I got the right materials. But for now, this would do. The light it emitted was then put through several layers of the formation I’d designed to shift its wavelengths, as well as focus it to create a beam. It had worked out well in the palace testing grounds, and I was confident it would prove its worth in the field, as well.

“Okay, we’re ready,” I said, taking a step back.

“Just in time,” Aston said. He glanced at the camp, then at the town. “Everything is ready for the attack.”

Ru Lis stepped up to the weapon, adjusting the scope and letting her qi flare out to link with the formations. I would have preferred to do it myself, but no one wanted me near a barely-tested new weapon. We needed someone with great senses, precision and accuracy, so a high-stage cultivator was the natural pick.

“Good.” I took another step back, then circulated some qi to my eyes to sharpen my vision and get a better look at the town. “Let’s test their shielding.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

I couldn’t see the radiation leaving the weapon, of course. With the speed of light, it crossed the distance to the town in moments. I waited for the shield above the town to become visible, but only saw the roofs of several houses bursting into flame. I sensed the guard cut off the attack immediately.

“Don’t they have a shield?” Tenira asked, eyes wide as she stared at the damage.

I frowned, scratching my cheek. “They must have. But this isn’t a physical attack, and there’s no qi involved. It’s just radiation. I doubt they have a shield tuned for it.” I shrugged. “I considered the possibility, but didn’t think it would actually happen.”

There was a moment of silence, before Yarani spoke up. “What now?”

“We can use this to drive them out,” I replied. “Then we’ll fight them the old-fashioned way. Ru Lis, take shots if you have opportunities, but be careful of friendly fire. And try not to damage the town too much or hit civilians.”

Ru Lis glanced at me for a moment, before she returned her gaze to her target. “Yes, my lady.”

She kept her fire high, mostly hitting the town wall and the roofs of the houses. It didn’t take long for cultivators to start ascending into the air. When they did, she switched targets and managed to hit a few of them, but couldn’t hold back their advance. Not that we wanted to.

Our own soldiers were ready for battle, and charged to meet the conspirators’ forces. Luckily, it was at a slight angle, so Ru Lis could still fire if she was careful. I watched with a familiar weight in my chest as the cultivators clashed in the field around the town while I paced up and down some distance from the raygun.

“It’s going well,” Yarani commented, stepping up beside me.

I nodded. With the new weapon threatening their base, our enemies obviously decided not to try and sit this out. Quite a few of them attempted to move in our direction, but the elites and guards held them off easily, at least for now.

“I admit I wasn’t sure why you’re so focused on this,” she continued. “I can see it’s effective, but honestly, it’s not that strong of an attack. Is it just your fondness for tinkering?”

I chuckled. “That’s part of it, yes. But I was actually thinking more of the big picture. I mean, this weapon relies on formations, but it doesn’t really use qi. At least, we could make a workable model that doesn’t. The main power source is electric, after all.” I sighed and lowered my voice as I continued. “I’ve been thinking of ways to make weapons using my knowledge and modern technology, that can close the gap to the power of qi and techniques.”

“I know that.” Yarani frowned sightly, a thoughtful look on her face. “Weapons that don’t rely on qi …”

She’s beginning to get it. I nodded. “Could be a game changer. After all, qi is essentially a limited resource. There’s only so much you can use for cultivation or formations. And there are very few real fighters compared to the population. But these weapons can potentially be used by anyone.”

Yarani winced, her eyes wide.

“Nari is thinking big.” Tenira came walking up to us, smiling grimly. “This is only one approach. You see the need for discretion.”

“Of course.” Yarani smiled at her. “Any help either of you need, I’ll be happy to help.”

The ground trembled faintly. Before we could continue the conversation, Aston called, “They’re trying to run.”

I turned my attention back to the battle, which had continued to rage and was now winding down. Already, medics were taking to the field in larger numbers, caring for the wounded.

I walked over to Aston. “The officers have this well in hand, but you can remind them I want all of the Zun captured.”

I continued to watch. The electromagnetic radiation released by the raygun was still too scattered for really long distances. It had been a pain getting it even this focused. But this battle clearly showed that we had a workable weapon, at least. Some more optimizing and I could see us rolling them out against the Zarian in larger numbers. If only they’d given us a few more years.

The aftermath of the battle took almost longer than the battle itself. As soon as Aston said it was safe, which was about half again the time I would have taken, I stepped on my flying sword and moved over the field of battle. Even with the guards swarming around us, I got a good look. The field was completely devastated, lined with great furrows, boulders, sheets of ice and even a bit of lava. Steam rose from it in large swathes, and a lot of dust had been kicked up. But by now, most of the wounded and dead had been moved off, and the approach to the town was clear. The conspirators’ qi shield had at least protected it from the effects of the battle.

After a few minutes of waiting, San Hashar came out of the town to greet my little party. She bowed. “Your Highness. The settlement is secure.”

“Thank you, San Hashar. Take me to whatever passed for their command center, please.”

We moved slowly, detouring around a few pieces of debris that had fallen onto the street. The houses were built mostly of stone, at least. Almost all windows were closed tightly, the shutters drawn closed. I couldn’t see a single person who wasn’t a soldier, although I could still sense them. Many had congregated in the more heavily fortified buildings.

“Were any civilians killed?” I asked.

San Hashar glanced at me and shook her head. “There were some injuries, my lady, but no fatalities.”

I exhaled, feeling some of my tension ebb. I didn’t comment on the bodies of enemy warriors that some soldiers were gathering. Later, I’d go over the reports of casualty numbers. At least the town was secured now.

In the center of town stood the Zun mansion, though its high walls and small windows showed it had once been intended as a castle. Most of them were shattered now, and the doors gaped open. I sensed that there were many fighters inside, and some familiar presences. While most of the town was almost deathly quiet, some sound spilled out from it still.

I followed San Hashar into the mansion, my girlfriends and guards escorting me. Inside, it looked mostly untouched. The tapestries and decorations stayed in their place, and if not for the subtle smell of blood and dust in the air, you wouldn’t know a battle had just been fought here. But that impression changed once she opened the door to the throne room. One entire wall was cracked, the plaster scattered over the ground along with bits of stonework. The ornate chair at the front had been toppled, and others lay in pieces across the room. In the center, a group of elites guarded several men kneeling on the ground.

“So much destruction,” Tenira mused, clicking her tongue. “Just because a clan didn’t like inevitable change.”

I snorted, striding forward to the prisoners. “I doubt Zun minded my new technology. Their clan was quick enough to try and take advantage of it. I rather suspect they intended on being the ones to profit from it after this conspiracy removed the Leri. Isn’t that right?”

I came to a stop in front of the prisoners, frowning as I looked them over. “Where’s Zun Chao?”

One of the younger men, probably in his thirties with a faint resemblance to the man I was looking for, lifted his head.

“The elder Zun Chao escaped, Your Highness,” San Hashar answered, her voice tight. “He flew soon after the battle started, and managed to escape our elites. We only have their Young Master, his grandson.”

I sighed. I’d really wanted to capture the old lord. His older brother had died in their rushed attempt to take the palace and kill Mother, slain by Kiyanu, but I didn’t doubt that he’d been running things. And was probably playing a major part in leading the conspiracy as a whole.

The younger Zun Chao smirked for a moment, before his face dropped back into an expressionless stare. I crossed my arms and glared down at him. I’d never liked his grandfather much, and this coup had only turned that dislike into low-key hate. The thought that he and General Wei, who’d barely been able to stand each other during the war against the nomads, had teamed up for this betrayal still rankled.

“You,” I addressed the man. “Do you know what your grandfather is planning?”

He shook his head, but dropped his gaze to the floor. “Would there be any point in claiming that I wasn’t involved in any of this, Your Highness?”

Probably not. But he was only in the fifth stage, and we did have interrogators skilled in telling the truth from a lie.

“Make sure they’re all properly secured,” I said to San Hashar. “Kariva will want to interrogate them. Then they’ll stand trial.” I paused. “And probably be executed.”

“Of course, Your Highness.” She paused and turned her head to the side, where there was a door set into the wall. “There’s something else we found that you should see.”

I turned away from the prisoners, watching with interest as I sensed a few presences approaching. Two were soldiers, and one felt familiar, although it was quite weak. Beside me, I heard Aston shift just a bit, while Tenira and Yarani were simply watching everything.

Then I sucked in a breath as I recognized the man the two soldiers carried into the room. He was bound with heavy metallic shackles and ankle-cuffs that glowed with qi in the shape of formations and drained his own qi. His eyes moved sluggishly, and judging by his movements, he might be drugged. They dropped him onto this knees before us.

“Suaki?” Tenira took a step closer, then stopped.

I shook my head. I knew he’d disappeared from the university around the same time as the coup, but with everything else going on, I hadn’t thought about this apparent betrayal much.

“Well, get the shackles off!” I told no one in particular. “And a healer.”

The soldiers hurried to comply, and one of my guards stepped forward. I watched as she used a nature affinity technique that brought a bit of vitality back to the scholar. Suaki blinked and glanced around, but quickly focused.

“Your Highness.” He dropped forward to the ground and kissed my shoe, then returned to a kneeling position.

I cleared my throat, hoping my embarrassment didn’t show. “Rise, Expert Suaki. I take it you didn’t go along with their treason.”

He stood up and shook his head. “My family may have served clan Zun, but I’m loyal to the Empire, my lady. They wanted my expertise with the new technology. When Zun Chao must have realized that I wasn’t going to go along with them, he took me by force.”

I nodded. “Well, your loyalty is laudable. I could use your help with our new projects.”

He could still be a plant, but I didn’t think so. Kariva or her people would no doubt check him, anyway.

Suaki smiled and bowed his head. “I’d be happy to provide what assistance I can. Although I’d also like to get back to the university.”

“Of course.”

I glanced at the prisoners from the clan, who other soldiers were escorting out of the room at the moment. It’s nice to see that at least some people are loyal to Mother and our dynasty. Though I knew that thought was unfair.