Nikki opened her glider and leaped into the air.  It wasn’t easy, flying at night, but it could be done if one was careful, familiar with the area, or foolish.  Nikki was some of the second but mostly the latter, though she didn’t try any reckless stunts in the dark, aside from flying in the first place.  She landed in a sprint in front of her house, nearly knocking her father over as she dashed inside.

“Excited about the proclamation, I take it?” he called after her retreating back.  The young woman stopped dead.  “Proclamation?” she asked, puzzled.

“Everyone’s talking about it.”  Jasper ran his hand through his graying hair.  “I can’t really imagine you as queen, though.  Or an adviser.  I’d leave the country.”  He smiled at his daughter.  While the girl far surpassed him in terms of energy and how far she’d take things, the foundation of her sense of humor she’d gotten from him.

“Huh?”
“You were planning on going after the star, weren’t you?”
“I -- but -- how’d you know?”

---

Not long after, Nikki was off again, heading back for Blank’s home.  It took a lot of convincing to extract a promise that he’d go with the group since he didn’t like lots of people around, but she managed to wear him down.  Certain that he’d keep his word, she took off, this time going to find Eli and Rahna.  She didn’t see Blin, but if these two went, Blin was sure to be informed as well, and would probably join in too.  They didn’t take nearly as much persuading as Blank.  Eli was on board when she mentioned the reward, which was interesting.  She’d thought he’d be intrigued more by the adventure.  Whatever, they were coming.  That was good enough for her.

Filled with restless eagerness, the young woman was up several more hours preparing for the next day’s journey.  But despite her late night, when her alarm woke her in the morning, she was wide-awake at once.  “Today’s the day~” she whispered to herself as she scrambled to grab breakfast and get dressed.  “The surface!  This is going to be the biggest adventure of my life!”  She kissed her dad farewell, trying not to squirm away when he hugged her longer than she would have liked.  Nikki knew she’d likely be gone for a while, so it was only fair to have a proper goodbye.  “I’ll come back.  You can’t get rid of me~” she assured him, a broad grin on her face.

“I know -- I’ve tried.”  Jasper smiled at his daughter, but his eyes were serious.  “You be careful down there.  Nobody knows exactly what’s there, and it might be dangerous.  Stay alert, try to think ahead, and for the love of all that’s holy, /listen/ if someone says not to do something.”
“Yes, father, I will.”
“You mean you’ll try.”  The man sighed and shook his head.  “Go on.  I know you’re dying to set off.”
“Love you, Dad.  I’ll have so much to tell you when we come back, just you wait!”  With that she grabbed her pack and glider, dashing off and leaping from the nearest launch point, her glider soaring upward into the faint light that preceded dawn.

There were already a few people gathered below the Weatherman’s balloon, but Nikki was far too twitchy to be happy landing yet, and instead set to spiraling overhead as more of them arrived.  She doubted all of them would be going, but she figured the tomboy ruins-crawler might be one of them.  She’d be fun to have around.  And...Gaius?  No, surely not.  Well, maybe, he had all sorts of stories after all.  So he must have some interest, right?  At least it’d be fun pranking him, but he was sure to try to make all sorts of rules, and that would be a bother.  Eventually she caught sight of Blank’s distinctive glider, and swooped to join him.

“Blank!” she called, landing not too far from him.  “You’re here!”  The young woman collapsed her glider and slid it through the straps of her backpack.  She couldn’t carry much, but she had some supplies and her usual adventure kit of things that might come in handy.  “I’m so excited~  I could barely sleep!”  She danced around him, unable to stay still.  “This is going to be /amazing/.  The surface!  I can’t /wait/ to get going~”