38
Enslaved
Why do the Skex wear those helmets that cover their heads? They have no discernible way to see, yet collectively they move like water through the bed of a stream. What gifts do they possess that allow for such graceful coordination?
—From First Contact to First Combat: The One-Month War
The world around Jace dematerialized, like reality had been nothing more than a drawing, an exquisite false rendering. He stood before a plane of darkness, but he was surrounded by wisps of lights, shifting like sand in a storm.
Before him he saw one such light. He understood that it was the orb. It seemed to swirl and then stop, as if it were regarding him.
He could hear a voice, but it was faint, as if from far away. He strained to hear it.
What you?
The voice was raspy and labored. Ar
