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Jina was in a piss poor mood. Kara had won their last three rematches. Though like every race they ran together or against one another they spent time together afterward. It became their own little tradition.

Kara and Jina sat at the tallest point in the stadium and faced out toward the city. Jina chose to look up at the sky while Kara sat up and looked at the city. Jina always wondered how they haven't died yet getting up there. Her eyes wandered over to Kara to see her hugging her knees and staring out onto the cityscape in front of them.

Jina pushed herself up onto her elbows. "Any reason you look like your trying to burn down the city?"

Kara blinked and looked down at Jina. "What?"

Jina sat up and hung her legs over the edge. "That thousand yard long stare you get when your brain is working more than usual." She gently pushed Kara's arm. "No judgment here." Jina paused. "Maybe a little judgment."

Kara smiled and rolled her eyes. "By the time my dad was my age he was already a hero. My mom was an accomplished mechanic and inventor." She shrugged. "Sure I can race against hoodlums like you but I can't do all the stuff my dad can do."

Jina touched Kara's arm. "Who says you have to?" She brushed Kara's bangs out of the way. "You're not your dad. You're just lucky your dad is the strong silent type so you don't have to deal with Dad jokes."

Kara looked at Jina with a raised eyebrow. "My Uncle Daxter makes those."

Jina patted Kara's shoulder. "My condolences."

Kara laughed and buried her face in her arms.

Jina bit her lip. "So...have you talked to Asher recently?"

"He's been busy with running a city, you know."

Jina nodded and leaned back on her elbows again. "He talks about you all the time."

Kara rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right."

Jina laughed and smiled. "He told me how cool you are." She rubbed the back of her neck. "How pretty your hair looks at sunset."

"He said that?" Kara smiled and curled up tighter.

Jina blushed and laid down on her back. "Yeah. He told me how he likes how your eyes sparkle when you win a race. How your smile makes his stomach jumble up." She looked away from the sky and away from Kara. "How cute you look when your nose scrunches when you're focused on something. And that when you're really concentrating your tongue sticks out."

Kara bit her lip and smiled. "Asher didn't say that…" She pulled a hair behind her ear. "I mean he doesn't know I…"

A voice screamed up from street level. Kara and Jina both looked down to see Jak waving his hand over his head. Kara sighed and waved goodbye to Jina. "See you later." She got on her hoverboard and headed down to street level riding the tops of the bleacher seats.

Jina smiled and shouted after her. "I'll beat you tomorrow!" Kara waved again without looking back. Jina sat back down and looked out at the city. "That was close." She rested a hand on her chest to hopefully slow down her racing heart.

Kara got down to her dad and the smile she had on her face wore away when she saw the look on his face. "What's wrong, Daddy?" Her heart dropped. "Is Mom okay?"

Jak held up his hand. "Your mom is fine but…" he sighed, "Sig got called back to the Wasteland. He says we have to go with him."

Kara nodded. "Get on, Daddy." Jak hopped on and held onto Kara as she sped off back home. "Any idea why we need to go to the Wasteland?"

Jak shook his head. "Sig only said to get there. He didn't say why."

Kara nodded. "Well we'll pick up Mom and we'll go." They rushed down a side street to their house. They picked up Kiera and met Sig at the transport. The four of them entered the transport in silence.

When they got there Kleiver was waiting there to pick them up. He didn't speak to any of them and apparently, he was just there to drive them. Kleiver was not happy. They entered Spargus and were directed to the palace.

At the far end of the room next to the throne was Ember, covered in armor and holding her father's scepter. Ember smiled wide. "Welcome back! I see most of us are well." She walked down the steps and Kara saw she had a crown on her head...or in her head… "My dearest brother Jak, you have a cane."

Jak smiled a sad smile. "If I could go without it, I would."

Ember met him at the bottom of the stairs. "If there is anything you need, please don't hesitate." She smiled and put a hand onto the amulet around her neck. "You are my guests." Ember moved onto Kara. "Such a grown up miss, Kara." She put down her scepter and clasped both of her hands on Kara's shoulders. "I can hardly believe it." Ember moved to Keira and gave her a hug. "I'm so happy you all could be here."

Keira smiled back. "We received your call and we rushed over as soon as we could."

Ember's face turned somber. "Yes, my message." She turned away and walked back up the stairs. "I called you because I am in great need of your help." Ember nodded. "I have a problem with one of my subjects, he has been causing me great trouble."

Jak stepped up a step. "What kind of trouble?"

Ember sighed. "He thinks he can push me around and make demands of me." She glanced at her brother. "It's like he believes he should be King."

Jak frowned. "Where is he?"

Ember nodded solemnly. "I'll go get him." She left out the side door.

Keira wrapped her hand around Kara. "Are you sure about this, Jak?"

Jak shrugged and looked at Keira.

A baby's babble entered the room, everyone turned to see Ember carrying in a tiny green-haired infant, about 4 months old. The little bugger grasped the amulet around her neck and stuck it in his mouth. Kara gasped and covered her mouth with her hands.

Ember smiled and took the amulet out of the baby's mouth. "I've calmed him enough for your visit."

Jak looked from Ember to the babe in her arms. "You...have a child?"

Ember nodded. "We didn't know if he would make it this far, I didn't want to disappoint you." She sat on the throne and rocked the baby. "But he'll make his demands until he's old enough to know better. My real problem with him is what I should name him."

Jak shook his head. "You haven't named him yet?"

Kara recovered from her shock. "Can I hold him?" She asked quietly.

Ember smiled. "Yes, Kara." Kara quickly came up and got the baby from her aunt and held him as gently as she could.

Jak raised a hand to his head. "Who is his father?"

Ember's smile cooled. "I'm afraid I can't tell you." She shook her head. "A leader must be strong. Only the people of Spargus know about my son and if they used him to get to me…" Ember's eyes turned dark. "There would be hell to pay."

Kara took the baby to her mother and Keira smiled at the tiny boy. "Any names you had in mind?"

Ember brightened up again. "I had two names in mind." She smiled at Jak. "They're both family names. One is Mar and the other is Damas." Ember walked down to meet her brother again. "Mar has been used to recently I think." She gently elbowed him. "So...I was hoping that my son could share the name of our father."

The throne room door opened but a puff of smoke came in before any person did. A blonde and greying man came in with a cigar in his mouth. "Jakkie, I didn't know you were coming." He laughed when he saw Jak's cane. "Boy, what happened to you?"

Jak stepped back in surprise. "Jinx? What are you doing here?"

Jinx smiled and went up to Ember. "Just visiting my girl and my boy." He tried to put an arm around Ember but she waved him and his cigar smoke away. He wasn't too hurt by it. "Where is Jinx Junior anyway?"

Ember took a deep breath. "I told you, Jinx, that's not his name." She pinched her nose and closed her eyes. "And how many times do I have to tell you not to smoke those damn things in here?"

Jinx just shrugged and tried to grab the baby from Kara but Ember intercepted and took the baby herself. "Also you're not smoking those damn things around my son." She turned from Jinx and held her baby close to her heart. "Go to the room, Jinx. I will come to fetch you when I am done."

Jinx breathed smoke into Keira and Kara's face, causing them both to start coughing, but he turned and said goodbye to Jak before leaving.

Jak paused for a moment before turning to Ember. "Jinx, really?"

Ember rubbed the baby's back. "I can't say I'm proud of my past decisions but I won't go back on them now or ever." She gave the baby to Keira. "I would never regret him. Jinx may now forever attached to me, even when I don't want him to be, but there isn't a thing in the world that would make me regret my son."

The baby smiled at Keira and his mother. Keira smiled at Jak and rubbed the baby's head. "I like the name Mar...he looks just like you Jak." She ran her finger on the baby's soft cheek.

Kara got her little cousin to grasp her finger. "His hair is green, Daddy's hair in almost all white." She giggled and glanced at her father, who gave her a stern look. "But I think Grandpa Damas would be honored to have this rugrat share his name."

Jak softened and smiled. "I think he would too Kara."

Ember clapped her hands together. "Then it's settled." She gently took the baby from Keira. "Welcome to Spargus, Prince Damas." Ember put her forehead to the baby's. "Hopefully you take after your mother's side of the family." Prince Damas laughed and pulled on his mother's earrings. "Damas, please." She pulled the earrings from his hands and smiled.

Keira smiled. "I remember when Kara was like that." She laughed and elbowed her daughter.

Kara blushed and smiled. "I wasn't that bad though."

Ember smiled and looked at her brother. "Please, sit Jak." She had a chair brought out for him. "Everyone has held Damas but you." She helped Jak into the chair, took his cane and leaned it against the chair, and plopped the baby in his arms.

Jak smiled and held Damas though the little one kept trying to grab Jak's ears. "Yes, this I remember but the baby had blue and green hair." He glanced at Kara with laughing eyes. "Son of the Queen of Spargus and a Freedom Fighter. This kid has steel in his blood."

Ember smiled for a moment before she looked toward the windows. She briskly ran to the microphone. "Prepare the city." Her voice carried through the city. "Everyone must get in and remain inside until the all clear is given." Ember turned to the group. "I do apologize but it seems your visit has been extended. It would be dangerous to go into the desert now, there is a storm coming soon."

Jak looked at her. "How can you tell?"

Ember smiled. "I am my father's daughter and I set up wind gauges in all the windows so that when the wind picks up past a certain point we will barricade the city and protect ourselves."

Jak smiled. "We can stay in the house Damas gave me when I became a Wastelander."

Ember shook her head. "It would be the honor of Spargus to have you and your family stay in the palace. Space can easily be made for you." She smiled at young Damas. "Plus I don't think this little guy wants to be separate from you."

Jak handed Ember baby Damas and pulled himself from the chair. "The royal treatment isn't necessary, just Kara will need her own room because I'm sure she won't want to share a room with her folks." He smiled at his daughter and winked.

Kara laughed. "I'm fine." She rubbed her neck. "But a separate room from Mom and Daddy sounds great." Kara lowered her voice. "Daddy snores." She whispered.

Jak frowned. "Hey." He said indignantly while laughter broke out among the group.

Ember smiled and nodded. "Of course Kara." She rubbed a smudge off Damas' face and sighed. "I'll have Jinx leave so I don't have the smell of his disgusting cigars in the presence of my family."

Jak furrowed his eyebrows. "He can't leave, the sandstorm is too dangerous."

Ember turned and walked away. "I know." She petted Damas's head. "I'm going to put this one to sleep and I'll personally show you to your rooms."


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