North arrived first.
Two Windward sky-controllers stepped off their shuttle with clipped salutes and steady eyes. Not swordsmen—air traffic artists who keep a dozen lanes in their head and never let two ships share the same sky. They shook Kade's hand like equals, which bought them goodwill.
"Keep our launch windows clean if we whistle," he said.
"We already have them penciled," the taller one answered. "We'll erase if you don't need us."
East followed: three array scholars from Mount Hua—robes simple, eyes bright—and Elder Bai, who Seraphina bowed to without words. He bowed back. "We will not touch," he told Kade. "We will only look."
"Looking is the point," Kade said.
West landed with Jin and two Ashbluff techs who smelled like dust and old war. Jin's glance took in the crowns, the belt, the ghost skins, and came back to me. "Pretty," he said. "I brought boring people to break your pretty."
"Break what you can," I said.
