An expedition into the Maelstrom had entered the preparation stage.
Lu Jin went to the Navigator's Sanctuary aboard the Ragefang to make sure Onaas was in good shape. The Webway was sure to play an important role in the operation to behead Huron.
When he stepped into the sanctuary and saw Onaas, Lu Jin realized that he really had needed to come.
Onaas looked as though she'd lost a few pounds. Two dark circles hung beneath her eyes, like heavy black eyeliner.
"You're not allowed to play games for a while."
Lu Jin entered Onaas's room, picked up the game console beside the holographic display—a device meant to entertain the Navigator—and prepared to confiscate it.
The day before, Kao had heard from his sister that the Navigator was obsessed with games, playing so much that she neglected sleep and meals. He had immediately gone to report it to Lu Jin.
"No—"
Onaas rose onto her toes and reached for the console.
Lu Jin lifted it just a little higher, putting it completely out of the Navigator's reach.
Onaas drew back and lowered her head. Lu Jin pressed his lips together, then asked, "Are the games on Manros really that fun? You've played until you're wasting away, and you're not even eating?"
"It's not because of the console—" Onaas shook her head. "I really am obsessed with it, that's true. But the reason I'm in such a bad state is that I keep seeing visions."
After hearing that, Lu Jin sat cross-legged to bring himself level with the standing Onaas, and listened carefully.
"Whenever I close my eyes, I can hear my parents screaming," Onaas confided. "Then, when I go looking for them, they take me to a ship... I see my people and my sister being subjected to inhuman torture