Chapter Four: First Battle at Starsea

Leon opened the public channel. "First touch." The arena froze for half a second. Then it exploded. Rafe's face hardened. He had said one touch would be enough to admit Leon's right to stand here. Leon had not merely touched him. He had driven him back in the first exchange. "Do not get arrogant," Rafe said coldly. "That was a test." "Then we start now?" Leon asked. There was no mockery in the line, which made it cut deeper. Rafe disengaged the spear lock and unfolded a second layer of thruster wings. The Vanguard-S became more dangerous at once. It stopped charging in a straight line and began to fold through the arena at high speed, using the field's gravity assists to cut angle after angle. Red-and-white afterimages circled Astra-X.