Codi didn’t sleep that night. The orphanage had managed to give her the small comfort of a private room so no-one could see the tears. She couldn’t say what brought the flood of midnight emotion, but after lying in bed for a few hours with the latest day’s events plaguing her thoughts she’d simply lost control.

Now sitting at her desk, she looked out the window at the rising red globe of Kantha’s sun. The angular structures of the city centre reared up like a mountain, the rays of morning light splitting through them in a dazzling burst of red-gold. She glanced at her battered old alarm clock. Six o’clock in the morning. Gazing around the rest of her pitiful abode she felt another surge of whatever it was, and the tears threatened to come again. The orphanage room was little more than a glorified closet and she’d been stuck living in this one for four years now.

That was her life, unremarkable in every way. School bored her to the verge of tears, the city was a filthy, industrial mining smog field; even the planet Kantha itself made her feel part of something insignificant. The fringe world never did anything, made no impact on the galactic stage in any arena. It just churned out raw materials and sucked in the money it could get.

With a curse she sent the pile of schoolwork flying across the room with a savage sweep of one arm. What was the point? She’d be expelled by the end of the week and shipped off to some other dump to repeat the process. The tears started to flow again, trickling down both her cheeks. She slumped dejectedly in her seat, fantasising about what could have been.

When the sharp knock on the door snapped her out of her daydream almost half an hour had passed. Codi frowned in confusion. Breakfast at the orphanage wasn’t till eight. Wiping her eyes on the sleeve of her hoody, she stood and walked to the door. Peering through the peep-hole she saw the vulpine features of a woman that she recognised as the head administrator of the orphanage and her stomach flipped. What had she done now? Swallowing hard, she braced herself and hauled the door open.

“Miss James,” the tall, grey-haired woman began. “You have a phone call from your school.”

Codi felt almost sick. “Am I being expelled?”

“No. However, the man was quite insistent upon speaking to you in person.”

“He was? Who was it?”

“Mr. Barrow, head disciplinarian.” She blinked in surprise as the administrator continued. “If you’ll accompany to the reception area…” The woman gestured with one arm. Codi wiped her eyes again then stepped out into the hallway, closing the door behind her. She walked quickly through the dilapidated, peeling corridors of the orphanage and down two flights of stairs till she reached the reception area. A young woman sat waiting expectantly with the phone beside her. Without a word Codi walked over and picked up the receiver.

“Hello?”

“Codi? Is that you?”

“Mr. Barrow?”

“Yes it’s me. Listen, I need you to meet me at eight o’clock sharp this morning. I’ll pick you up from the orphanage. This is important.”

Codi’s brow furrowed in bafflement. “What…has the headmaster decided yet?”

“Not yet, but I know which way he’s leaning.”

“So what do you need to meet me for?”

“So I can give you chance to fix your life before you screw it up for good, alright? Just meet me outside the orphanage at eight and I’ll explain everything. Oh, and best pack up all your clothes and anything sentimental you want to hang onto.” Before she could ask any more questions the line went dead. She handed the receiver back to the receptionist and stood there for a moment, mind racing over Barrow’s words.

“Miss James?”

She rounded on the administrator. “Do you know why he wants to meet me?”

“I suggest you do as Mr. Barrow says,” she replied icily. “It is in everyone’s best interests.”

“The hell does that mean?”

“It means that if you are indeed expelled from Winnover High we may not be able to find another school to take you. And frankly I wouldn’t blame them for refusing.”

Codi felt like she’d been slapped. Then her temper flared once again and she snarled, “Maybe I should’ve burned that dump to the ground then for all the good it did me.” Before the administrator could reply she stormed past, deliberately shouldering her on the way.

“Miss James!”

As she walked away from the outraged woman, the screech ringing in her ears, Codi allowed herself a fleeting smile. However, the smile evaporated as she started back up the stairs, making way for the flood of confusion sweeping into her thoughts. Barrow’s ultimatum was cryptic at best. So I can give you chance to fix your life. What on Kantha had he meant? She stepped into her room and locked the door behind her.

Regardless, Codi knew she didn’t have a choice in the matter. She would meet him with what little possessions she deemed important enough to take along for the ride. In a matter of minutes she bundled a small pile of clothes into her faded grey holdall, along with the small collection of make-up she bothered to use, and then she started hunting for things that actually meant something. She found two. The first, a worn, shabby brown teddy bear with her name embroidered in gold thread across the belly, and second, an empty locket that had been with her since the day her parents died.

With this pitiful collection brought together, Codi sat down cross-legged on her bed and waited. The sun crept upwards, the line of light edging towards her from the window. At exactly half past seven there was a knock at the door.

“You’ve got an early breakfast, Codi,” a young woman said. She recognised Amelia’s voice and stood laboriously upright. Unlatching the door, she found the diminutive orphanage volunteer standing with a small tray in her hands, her short brown hair tied up in what looked like an uncomfortably tight bun. “I hear you’re leaving us this morning,” she continued.

“Apparently,” Codi replied, eyeing up the food. It wasn’t anything spectacular – a bowl of porridge, a few slices of apple and a cup of coffee – but her stomach was already rumbling due to her lack of sleep. “You know anything more about it?”

“Afraid not.” Amelia gave her an apologetic look. “But all the best wherever you’re going.” She offered the tray.

Codi took it and forced a smile. Amelia was okay in her books. The woman beamed a smile back then strode off down the corridor to attend whatever tasks awaited her.

By eight o’clock Codi had polished off the breakfast, showered, and now stood outside the main entrance of the orphanage with the head administrator alongside her, awaiting Barrow’s arrival. Behind her the ugly brown block of the orphanage itself loomed over them like a disapproving father staring down at his children.

Five minutes later than promised Barrow’s dull blue car hummed to a halt in front of them where it’s gravitic repellors disengaged, letting the chassis sink gently to the surface of the road. Codi glanced at the administrator only to receive a cold glare. The passenger side door of the car swung open and she saw Barrow leaning towards them, beckoning.

“Alright, Codi, time to pack up your troubles,” he said. “Quick now, we’ve got an appointment to keep.”

“On you go.” The administrator nodded. “And Miss James, I’d advise you to make the best of the opportunity you’re being given.” With that she rounded and stormed back into the orphanage. Codi watched her go then looked back to the inviting open door of Barrow’s car.

After a moment of hesitation she swallowed her pride and started forward. Slinging her holdall between her legs, she sat down against the cushioned passenger seat and hauled the door shut. Before she knew what was happening the car was up and moving again, zipping through the busy morning streets of Kantha’s capital city.

“How are you doing?” Barrow asked.

“I’m alright.” She looked at him suspiciously. “Are you going to tell me what this is all about?”

“There was no way I could stop the headmaster from expelling you this time, Codi. This was the only other option I could think of.”

“Well what is it?!”

Barrow blew out his cheeks in a sigh. “I thought about what you told me, about wanting to do something, be something special, and about your violent track record. And then I had an idea.”

Codi bristled, beginning to lose her patience. “Which is?”

“How much do you know about the Gauntlet?” She blinked in surprise and for a moment was stuck for an answer. He looked at her. “Well?”

“As much as most people I guess,” she replied. “It’s a big fighting tournament.”

Barrow laughed. “That’s a fairly minimalist description of the biggest sporting competition in the whole of colonised space. It’s where the best of the best of every planet’s young fighters battle it out.”

“Well I’m not exactly part of the mainstream,” she snapped. “Why, what’s the Gauntlet got to do with me?”

“You know there’s a Gauntlet academy in the city, right?”

“Yeah, Brax-Delta.”

“Exactly. Now they were recently appointed a new head instructor to coach this year’s Gauntlet team, and he happens to be a friend who owes me a favour.”

“Wait a minute…” Codi’s eyes widened as she put the pieces together. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

“I’m going to be blunt, you’re a violent little pain in the arse, Codi,” Barrow replied. “So I figured competing in the Gauntlet might be something you’re actually good at. And who knows. If you win it then you’ll have done something pretty special.”

“How’s that?”

“Brax-Delta is the only academy on Kantha, and has never put a competitor past the group opening rounds. If someone from there won the tournament…well it’d get people talking.”

“So…so what happens now?” she stammered.

“We’re on our way to the academy now,” he said. “You’ll meet Drake Vasco, the instructor, and then you’re going to be living there for as long as you can stick it out.”

“Live there?!”

“Training for the Gauntlet is full-time, Codi. You’ll be up at seven, asleep by ten, and you’ll spend the time in between getting the crap kicked out of you by a bunch of other kids who’ll be your team mates. It’ll do you good.”

Codi stared at him in amazement. When she’d woken up this morning her life had been a train wreck and now, thanks to this teacher, she’d been given a bizarre opportunity to set things back on track. But this favour the instructor owed, it sounded like a one time thing, which launched a single question into her mind.

“Why me?”

Barrow pressed his lips together, guiding the car down a rightward turn. “Because I couldn’t stand by and watch you piss your life away. I know you needed a fresh start and I saw an opportunity to give it to you.”