I understand completely what you mean, but I'm more used to the full phrase "bastard child," rather than the singular "bastard," in the descriptor case. Just food for thought.
Typo:
Quote:
No debris insight,
Should be "in sight."
This line:
Quote:
There was something more wrong than a broken altimeter.
Is just incredibly awkward to me. I would phrase it "Something more was wrong than a broken altimeter."
I think this line:
Quote:
someone in the court was going to make a move against House Kestrel, though he didn’t know exactly who or didn’t want to commit it to writing.
Would read better if it had an "either," like "though he either didn't know exactly who or"...
I like this piece more than the other, but it really is very leading, to the point of feeling unfinished, like a single chapter from a novel. If you're building on this further, or at least plan to, then I'm all for it; but I'll hold off for now until I work through your other Adrisar stories.