Chapter 12
The Scientist
Serion didn’t open his eyes. He didn’t want them to know he had already regained consciousness. The later they noticed, the later they would start dealing with him.
He couldn’t move. He felt his arms were tied to something. Someone was talking softly around him, but he couldn’t understand anything. Once again, he regretted not having learned the extremely complicated language of the Tencous.
He was curious if they had caught anyone else from his team.
Serion didn’t raise his head; he just cautiously opened one eye and looked around. The place reminded him of an experimental laboratory. Everything was filled with various machines, the purpose of which he had no idea. Rows of glass containers lined the walls, filled with all kinds of substances. Glancing to the side, he saw some tired Tencous working on something at one of the tables.
Opposite him was Solar. She was tied to a vertically positioned table, just like him. She was conscious but still. She was trying to remain as inconspicuous as Serion.
He looked down and tried to move his arm, but to no avail.
He looked back at Solar, and she winked, flashing her long claws. She must have been equally angry. He returned the wink, and they both closed their eyes again, pretending to still be unconscious. They had time to think about escape.
***
Daron realized that he had never been alone with Sephra. She surprised him. Based on what he had seen of her so far, he didn’t imagine her like this. He knew she liked to talk about things, but if it wasn’t necessary or if they didn’t ask, she preferred to remain silent. Towards those close to her, she showed some kindness, but towards him and others she saw here, she didn’t even smile. In these particular moments, she seemed distinctly hostile. The last thing he learned about her was that making her angry wasn’t a smart move. She wasn’t just capable of killing with her gaze.
When he asked where they were headed, Sephra only grunted, then stated that only one place came to mind where they could take their companions. Daron followed her, wherever they were going.
To protect themselves, they needed weapons first and foremost. Since they couldn’t find their own, the most obvious solution was to take the guards’. They found an abandoned corridor, waited for two soldiers, and snuck up behind them. While Daron simply knocked out the guard he was tasked with, Sephra effortlessly snapped the neck of her soldier. Then, when she saw that the boy had left the guard he was in charge of alive, she went over and stepped on his neck. Daron flinched at the sound of the crack, feeling some fear as he saw the expression on the admiral’s face. He had the feeling that Sephra enjoyed killing the two guards.
She took the weapon from their hands and offered one to him.
“Was it really a good idea to kill them?” he asked.
“They started it,” she replied coldly as she started walking.
She didn’t care about the bodies left behind.
“We don’t even know what they did to the others.”
“I prefer to assume the worst. That way, I can pleasantly surprise myself.”
“Why are you so nervous about them? You barely know them.”
“The camaraderie of soldiers. Those with us, we protect. Those against us, we kill without hesitation.”
“As an admiral, shouldn’t you strive to resolve such matters without violence?”
Sephra then turned to face him, aiming the weapon at him. Daron involuntarily stepped back, sensing something in the woman’s gaze. There was no anger in her voice, but rather something that very much wanted to warn the boy of his place in line.
“No. As the Grand Admiral, I do as I please. I don’t respect any moral code or law. Only the Emperor is above me, but he is not here right now. If I wish, I can kill you here and now, and no one will hold me accountable. If I want, standing on my ship, I can destroy an entire city with a single word, and no one can stop me. I hope you understand what I’m getting at.”
Daron nodded at the barrel of the gun. Sephra lowered the rifle, turned around, and started walking down the corridor again. She hardly seemed to care whether the boy was following her or not.
“This woman is a one-woman army,” thought the boy as he hurried to catch up.
No matter how he looked at it, there was something very unsettling about her.
***
Serion was bored. He was starting to get fed up with the situation. It was time to do something about it.
Groaning, he lifted his head, blinking slowly as if just regaining consciousness.
“What happened? Where am I?” he asked.
He saw Solar glance up with a questioning expression. He jerked his arms as if only just noticing he was tied down.
The scientists gathered around him. There were six of them in total, four men and two women. They didn’t seem strong, not like soldiers. Their faces were tired and drawn, and they didn’t have any weapons on them, except perhaps for the sharp needles and other small devices they held in their hands. Obviously, they didn’t feel to be in danger.
Serion could hardly wait to break free and slit all their throats.
Solar blinked heavily in the background. The Tencous talked among themselves for a moment before turning back to him.
“Sorry, but you’ve been brought here on the Chancellor’s orders, and no matter how much they mistreated us, we can’t let either of you go. Believe me, if it were up to us, you’d both be free!”
“Why can’t you let us go?” Serion asked.
“You’ve meddled in things you shouldn’t have. Besides, you’re Imperials, and that poses a threat to Shouta. Soon, your companions will be brought here too, along with the traitorous prince.”
“Why? What did we do? Since when is the prince a traitor?”
“Since he joined the Empire.”
“Shouta was under imperial authority for a long time, wasn’t it?”
The scientists exchanged nervous glances. Serion could see they were intimidated. Not that it changed his desire to kill them.
Behind them, Solar looked around hurriedly, searching for something to free herself. No one was paying attention to her. Despite extending her claws, she couldn’t reach the straps. She turned her head from side to side, trying to move her body and limbs as quietly as possible, driven by her predatory instincts.
“We just happened to run into Angron. My friends and I needed a ride, and he happened to be convenient for us.”
“Obviously, Silerin Grand Admiral also just happens to be with you,” a scientist said with slight tease.
Solar looked up desperately, glancing at Serion. She couldn’t achieve anything.
One of the Tencous sighed. “I think we’ve heard enough. Let’s not waste any more time! It’s time to get to work.”
As the scientists moved away from him, Serion noticed what contraption he was facing. He cautiously moved his legs. They weren’t tied up. Perhaps they thought he wouldn’t need them anymore once they gave him something. He let out a cynical chuckle, thinking about what amateurs he was dealing with.
Solar glanced down and saw that her legs were free too. Then her gaze fell on the table in front of him, which was lined with various glass containers.
Serion nodded.
Then one of the women brought a small vial and a syringe. “Unfortunately, this is still in the early stages, but we’ve been ordered to test it. I’m sorry.”
The man waited until the woman approached, ready to administer the substance, then in a split second, he drew his legs up and kicked her with all his might. The woman, dropping everything, stumbled backward and hit the machine behind her, one of its sharp arms piercing her chest.
At the same time, Solar also swung her leg and kicked over the table, along with the vials. One flew towards a man standing further away, hitting him in the head.
Serion watched with a dark smile as the Tencous struggled in desperation, his face melting away. As he stepped on one of the vials, it shattered, and the substance inside exploded upon contact with the air. It wasn’t large enough to cause significant damage, but it was enough to tear him and the two scientists other standing beside him apart.
The other woman was caught by the momentum, crashing into a table, hitting her head, and losing consciousness. The last, perhaps the youngest of them all, ducked behind a machine, thus avoiding the explosion. A few moments later, he tremblingly stood up and peeked out from behind it.
“I’m sorry! It was an order. We would be dead too if we didn’t obey!” he exclaimed.
“Don’t you want to escape?” Solar asked kindly.
Serion looked down at where the substance spilled, sizzling as it melted the floor beneath it.
“We can’t get out from here! The door is locked, and besides, they would catch us!” the young man exclaimed.
“Some people aren’t bothered by a tiny lock. All it takes is for someone to get us out of here. Then you won’t have any trouble,” Solar replied.
“You’ll kill me!”
“I won’t. I promise,” Solar assured him.
“I won’t…!”
The young man screamed suddenly.
After Sephra kicked the door down, she looked at the bodies with interest.
“Nice work,” she complimented Serion and Solar. “Looks like we’re not needed here anymore.”
The scientist raised his hands in desperation.
“Please! I’ve only been here for a few months! I didn’t mean any harm!”
Sephra turned to the scientist, casting a disgusted look at him.
“Shut up! Daron, head to the control panel and pull the black lever! Now!”
The boy obediently rushed forward and did exactly as the woman commanded. The two captive companions were immediately freed.
In gratitude, Serion nodded. He already felt better.
Solar stretched contentedly with a satisfied purr.
“Where are our weapons?” she asked.
Sephra turned to the scientist, who immediately responded.
“They’re down there, in that cabinet. They brought them down. We were entrusted with studying them too, just to be safe, in case we find something interesting. The imperial weapons are slightly more advanced than the rebels’… We haven’t had time yet. Although that little robot seemed interesting…”
“Tell me,” Solar interjected, “do you know what’s wrong with the prince? Is it curable?”
Sephra sighed but said nothing. The scientist nervously nibbled at the corner of his mouth. His eyes darted around as if searching for eavesdroppers, even though to the best of his knowledge, there were no cameras or other recording devices. It wouldn’t have been wise to record everything that happened here.
“That was a long time ago. I wasn’t here then. I have nothing to do with any of it. All I know is that he received something and… At first, everything seemed fine, but then he started behaving strangely. They said he was hallucinating at first, which made him irritable. He was locked up and he charged at the wall. Then his brother visited him with a maid, despite the warnings. He tore both of them to pieces. After that, someone helped him escape. I don’t know anything more!”
“What was it they gave him?” Solar inquired.
The scientist hesitated and pointed to something on the shelf. It was a small bottle containing silver liquid, sealed behind a panel.
“I don’t know what it is. We never had any information about it, and we couldn’t use it. I’ve told you everything I know…”
Sephra grew tired of the conversation and approached the cabinet, tearing open the door. Solar eagerly picked up Hira with a joyful squeal, and the others gathered their own weapons.
Serion spun his dagger, then turned around and stabbed the young scientist in the chest with it. The Tencous’s eyes widened, and blood began to drip from his mouth. With a swift motion, Serion pulled out the weapon and wiped the blood on the creature’s white clothes. The scientist staggered backward and fell against the wall.
Sephra acknowledged his action with a single nod. Solar covered her mouth with her paw, then let out a sigh.
Serion then turned to the admiral and pointed to the last surviving scientist, who lay unconscious on the ground.
“That one is still alive,” he said.
Sephra nodded, then approached and shot the unconscious woman in the head without hesitation.
The only one who seemed unable to process what he had witnessed was Daron.
“Was this really necessary? They were harmless now,” he questioned.
Serion then grabbed the boy’s arm and dragged him to the machine where he had been strapped earlier. He pushed him to the ground, nearly pressing his head against the melted floor.
“Do you see this? If we didn’t escape, they would have given me that substance. Do you know what the result would have been? My veins would have burned! And then Solar would have been next, and soon after, you! Maybe you would have gotten something worse than me! That kid would have watched it all without blinking! And now you think he was harmless? The moment we were in danger, he would have sided with Rattern to save himself! He wasn’t harmless!”
Serion buried his face in his hands and leaned against a machine while Daron sat on the ground, rubbing his sore arm.
“I’m not evil, Daron. I’m just calculating. I’ve seen too much. You’ll realize that very few people deserve your unconditional trust. If you don’t understand this, your naivety will lead you to your death.”
Sephra nodded in agreement, while Solar stared at the boy with a strange expression.
Then Serion reached out his hand to help Daron up. After a moment of hesitation, the boy accepted it, only to flinch when Serion pulled him close and whispered in his ear.
“He would have killed us mercilessly. I gave him a much quicker and painless death than what we would have received from him. Think about that before you judge.”
***
Angron didn’t know what he should do. He was unable to get past everything he had seen and was terrified of the possible futures. Yet, it could easily have been just his imagination. Nevertheless, he was scared and trembled as he walked down the corridor, clutching himself.
He stopped in front of a statue. Mirella grinned mockingly down at him, as if teasing him. With one hand, the man swept away the massive statue. The marble shattered into tiny pieces. Angron kicked the remaining half-head, which flew against the wall and broke in two.
He didn’t know where he got the strength to knock such a weight from its place. He didn’t see blood, didn’t hear any sounds. He wasn’t transformed, yet it felt like someone else was controlling his movements. He didn’t feel angry, just sad.
Perhaps he would have missed the monster if it were no longer part of him. Maybe he would have been glad to finally be rid of it and his visions.
He knocked down every statue he saw. Sometimes he had to exert more effort, sometimes less. His mind fluctuated, swinging from one mood to another. He didn’t notice. He didn’t attack anyone. He didn’t care about anything.
Someone shouted at him and angrily pointed at the marble pieces on the ground. Someone shouted that they wished he had never come back to them. They wanted him to leave.
Someone hit him. In response, Angron grabbed the man’s arm and tore it off. The injured Tencous screamed as the prince turned on his heel and walked away. He didn’t care about the yelling. He didn’t care about anything.
Then he heard his companions’ voice.
“Look, Angron is right there.”
Angron glanced up to see Solar tugging at Serion’s arm, with the girl running over to him.
“I see you’re all unharmed,” the prince remarked.
“Yes. Sephra helped,” Solar replied.
“And I did too,” added Daron, but the girl just shrugged.
“Got it. Where is she now?”
“She’s looking for you. We’re heading to the ship where we can defend ourselves. The guards attacked us one by one!” Solar explained urgently.
“Alright, go ahead! Whatever happens, just get the ship to the surface! I still have something to take care of down here,” Angron instructed.
“What about that thing we were looking for? Did you find it?” Solar asked.
In response, Angron simply opened the compartment of his blaster and pulled out the long, shimmering green shard. His three companions stared at it in awe.
“It might be better if you take it with you. If I see Sephra, I’ll send her after you,” Angron suggested.
As his companions hurried away, Angron headed towards the prison. Although he had never been there before, he knew where to look. Stepping over the dead guards, he entered through the open gate. Then he heard someone shouting after him, so he turned back. Sephra was rushing towards him.
“Solar said you succeeded, but what are you doing now? We need to leave!” she urged.
“Not yet. I have something to take care of first,” Angron replied.
“What is it?” Sephra’s voice carried a note of suspicion.
“I need to speak to Rattern one last time, but before that… Before that, there’s something I need to find out,” Angron explained.
“What is it?”
“Maybe I can figure out if there’s… If there’s a cure for my condition… Any kind of cure… I only have vague memories of what happened those days, but… Maybe. I’ll come after you as soon as I’m done,” Angron assured her.
After a brief silence, Sephra finally responded.
“I understand. Come as soon as you’re ready!”
After the woman left, Angron turned back towards the gate, entered, and started descending the staircase. He didn’t remember much from that day when they administered the strange silvery liquid to him. He wasn’t sure if this was the reason he came here, but he was certain that he was kept locked up afterwards. He didn’t know why until he began to feel unwell. He saw and heard strange things for which he couldn’t find an explanation.
He found himself first in the prison. He saw a long corridor with cells on both sides. The walls were black, and the energy barriers shone white. He noted that almost all of them had someone inside as he walked down the corridor. Not only were his fellow species imprisoned who refused to obey Rattern, but also outsiders. They all looked tired and barely glanced at him. He didn’t recognize any of his former three companions in any of the cells they walked past. Perhaps they had all died. Maybe they weren’t able to self-heal that quickly.
When he reached the end of the corridor, he found a broken door emitting flickering lights. He walked in and looked around. He found himself in an experimental laboratory, with the lights coming from one of the machines.
Dead bodies of scientists lay on the floor. Angron stepped over them and looked around until he found what he was looking for. The small vial, filled with silver liquid, was locked behind a panel. Angron grabbed the sides of the small compartment and tore it out of the wall, then removed the vial from it. If he remembered anything clearly, it was that this was what turned him into a monster.
Rattern must have known about this place. No one else would keep so many unfortunate prisoners here. The Chancellor always claimed to him that what they did to him was at his father’s command. However, when Angron looked around, one thing was certain. His father would never keep prisoners for experiments. If he had nothing to do with all of this…
He had to be careful not to break the vial in his hand.
After a hurried search, he found a manually operated device filled with needles inside to inject substances to individuals. When a needle wore out, it retracted into the machine’s interior, where it was cleaned and sterilized again in case it was needed. He filled the syringe part of the device with the liquid and discarded the vial. It was time to leave before the guards found him, so he started running out.
His fellow species he passed by looked at him, then calmly returned to their tasks. They had no idea what he was preparing for.
Sometime later, he broke into the Chancellor’s suite and faced the old man.
“Angron?”
“I thought I was a prince.”
His voice was so cold that the Chancellor involuntarily stepped back.
“Yes, but I thought you didn’t want to use your title.”
“Because then you can continue to rule, right?”
Rattern almost started laughing. Angron spoke as if he had ever desired the throne, as if he had done anything to improve the situation of the inhabitants. While he was flying around in space, he led Shouta, and everything was fine.
“It’s not about that, Your Highness. It’s just that I and the council still don’t know what to make of your sudden appearance, nor those you brought with you. We hope it’s not about the unfortunate incident years ago.”
“Unfortunate incident? Is that all? Unfortunate incident?!”
“Look, Your Highness, what happened happened. No one could have known how it would end. No one could help what eventually…”
“Did you really act on my father’s orders?”
“I told you so.”
“You said something, yes… And I believed you as a child. What evidence is there that it was really like that?”
Rattern’s actions surprised Angron. The elderly Chancellor threw the copy of Kha he held in his hand to the ground and erupted.
“What do you expect from me?! To tell the truth?! Fine! Your father loved you and would never harm you! Everything happened on the Emperor’s orders! What could I have done?! He would have killed me otherwise! I had no idea what the substance would do to you! I even begged him not to hurt you! You were just a kid and it was my duty to protect you while your father was away. I faithfully served him until he disappeared, and his parents until their deaths! It wouldn’t have been any different with you, your brother, or your sister if you had ascended to the throne! Do you really think I wanted to take power from the king?! Do you have any idea what it meant?! I was terrified when he left! Running a planet is not so pleasant when you have to answer to the Emperor personally for everything! You would have broken down within a week! I was relieved when his reign finally ended!”
Angron remained silent. The Chancellor trembled with the emotion that surfaced within him. No one heard him. There was no need to impress anyone.
“I don’t wish to return. If it were up to me, I’d stay clear of this miserable planet.”
“Then why didn’t you?! It would be best for everyone! At least I know how to endure all this chaos!”
Angron stared silently into the darkness of the ocean before turning around with a deep sigh.
“You’re right. I’m sorry. I’ll leave here today with the others, and I promise I’ll never come back.”
Rattern picked up the book from the floor and walked with it to his desk.
“You went down, didn’t you? You went to the Lady.”
“Yes.”
“Did you find what you were looking for?”
“I think so.”
Rattern set his book down and looked back with a sad smile.
“I can’t stop you, but I hope you know what you’re doing… Although knowing you, I doubt you have a clue. You’ve always followed wherever that woman led you, regardless of whether it was right or wrong. It doesn’t even occur to you that you’re just being manipulated like a puppet, does it?”
The prince remembered that Mirella had said exactly the same thing to him.
“Just go, Angron! There’s nothing left for you here.”
Rattern sat down at his desk and started to deal with the papers lying on it. As far as he was concerned, the conversation was over.
At that moment, Angron walked up to him and looked down at him.
“Do you really believe in Mirella?”
Rattern answered without looking up.
“I don’t care what you saw down there. I don’t want to know if she exists or not. If I wanted answers, I’d have tried to get into that cave. However, believing in her and hoping that she would protect me was the only thing that kept me sane whenever I was kneeling in front of the Emperor, praying for my life to be spared.”
Angron hummed, then stepped even closer.
“I hereby renounce my princely title and any claim to the planet. Everything is yours, Rattern. Everything that remains.”
As he said this, Angron swiftly seized the Chancellor’s wrist, took the syringe from his pocket, and plunged it into his arm. Rattern yelled something and tried to pull his hand away, but the prince’s strength left him no chance.
Angron finally admitted to himself that despite what he had said, he had returned to Shouta with hope. He hoped that those who had once been by his side still remembered him. He hoped that the places he loved so much would help him forget his pain. He wanted to believe that he still had a chance, but he realized he was wrong.
A pleasant calmness washed over him. He now knew that his planet would never welcome him back. This place had finally killed the tiny spark of hope he had hidden in his heart.
Then he released Rattern’s arm and stepped back with an empty smile.
“What have you done, you foolish child?!” the Chancellor screamed in despair.
His face was pale, his eyes widened with terror. He was not young to begin with, but now he looked even older.
“Perhaps you should have developed the antidote after all, shouldn’t you? You don’t have much time before you start to change…”
“Innocent people will die because of you!”
“It’s possible. I told you, everything that remains is yours. It’s up to you to decide how much that will be.”
Angron tossed aside the syringe, turned his back, and walked away. He was sure the spaceship had already begun its ascent, and if they were lucky, they might be halfway there. Swimming wouldn’t give him enough time, so he started running towards where the vehicles for outsiders were kept. Along the way, he took out any guards he encountered. He regretted granting them a merciful death, but he had no time to waste on them.
He reached the area where the vehicles were kept locked. With a few button presses, he opened the double gate leading to the ocean. Normally, they wouldn’t open both gates at once to prevent flooding, but he didn’t care. By the time he reached the chosen vehicle, the water had already risen to his knees. He thought it would eventually engulf the whole city, sweeping away the remaining vehicles. Some might have a chance to escape if they threw themselves into the ocean and hid.
He jumped into the vehicle and started it up, letting the top close over him. He didn’t need to think about controls; he instinctively knew which button did what, as always. He shot the gates with the vehicle and left the city behind. Looking up, he saw their spaceship was far ahead. It was just a tiny dot, not yet reaching the surface. He had a little time.
Angron stopped in front of the Chancellor’s huge panoramic window and looked inside. Rattern sat against the wall, burying his face in his hands. Perhaps his hallucinations had already begun. Perhaps he would soon undergo the transformation and attack his subjects. Angron would have liked to watch the scene, but he decided not to stay any longer.
Not long after, he reached the surface and joined his companions. The spaceship hovered above the ocean’s surface. Inside, they all stood in silence. Angron was the only one making any noise. Since he jumped from the vehicle to the ramp, he had been sitting on the floor, pounding the ground, and laughing.
“He’s completely lost it,” Solar whispered to Serion, who nervously nodded. “What should we do with him?”
Sephra didn’t respond immediately. Her purple eyes gleamed emptily as she watched her friend.
“Honestly? I have no idea. This time, I really don’t know.”
They decided to leave the man there and hurried into another room.
“Do you know what he did?” Daron asked the woman, who shook her head.
“No… Maybe it’s for the best.”
Solar apologized and left, locking herself in his own bedroom. Perhaps she was scared of Angron, or maybe she just wanted to be alone. Daron decided to check the ship’s condition.
As they left, Sephra activated the map and looked up, observing the tiny planets floating in front of her.
“Alright… So one is found. Where should we go now?”
She didn’t get an answer. Looking sideways, she saw the silver-haired man staring at her.
“We have work to do.”
“How can you remain so calm?! He’s gone mad.”
“I’ve seen worse. Whatever he did, it doesn’t matter now. We need to move on!”
Serion cleared his throat and looked up. He tried everything to remain calm, though his heart pounded with fear.
“We could go to Gadzen or Rangza… Daron’s or Solar’s planets. They’ll probably kill each other eventually. Let’s go to Gadzen! Sort things out with Daron, then Solar can torture him however she wants.”
“What if Solar leaves afterward? If she kills him halfway, she might just leave us there.”
“She won’t kill Daron yet. Didn’t you see? She hesitated, otherwise, she would have done it already. But also consider that Gadzen is under rebel authority.”
Sephra shrugged.
“As if that matters. It’ll just be harder to leave from there. But if you’re worried about that, Rangza is an imperial planet. The only one likely to leave right now is Solar. She’s terrified. The others will stay for sure. Angron doesn’t even know where he is, although Shouta doesn’t matter anymore, and Daron won’t dare to run away since you threatened him. Let’s go to Rangza!”
“As you wish,” Serion agreed. “They’re in completely different directions, so start the ship wherever you think!”
Sephra nodded, taking her gaze off the map and looking at the man. She watched his long, shiny hair, which contrasted with the darkness of his skin. She amused herself when she saw Serion blush and turn away.
“We will find them. Everything will be fine. I’ll go start the ship.”
With that, she got up and walked out of the room. Serion watched her leave for a long moment, then turned back to the two shards lying in front of him. He picked one up and clenched it tightly. He could feel his blood starting to drip. He murmured to himself.
“The oath… I told you not to forget about it!”
A minute passed before he suddenly felt someone standing behind him, so he turned around. Angron was leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed, staring at him. He wasn’t laughing anymore, nor was he smiling. His face was expressionless. Nothing could be read from it, while his blue eyes stared piercingly at him.
“What?” Serion asked irritably, tightening his grip on the shard. At the moment, it was the only weapon within his reach. He didn’t feel like being alone with the other man.
Angron then pushed himself off the door and sat down next to him where Sephra had been just moments ago. From then on, he didn’t move or say anything, just stared at him.
Serion didn’t understand, but he was shocked when the pilot suddenly grabbed his hair, pulled his head back, and snatched the shard from his hand, pressing it against his throat. He did it so quickly that Serion couldn’t even defend himself.
He grabbed Angron’s wrist and tried to push him away, but he couldn’t move.
“Let go!”
In response, the pilot yanked his hair again, causing Serion’s mouth to twist in pain.
“Try to move again and I’ll slit your throat. Got it?”
The soldier whispered a ‘yes’.
Then Angron leaned closer to him, almost touching his face, and murmured.
“I saw how you looked at her. There’s just one thing I want you to remember. Sephra is mine. If you dare to touch her, I’ll kill you very slowly.”
Serion remained silent. There were many things he wanted to say, but he chose to stay quiet. All in all, he could fight better, but Angron was unfairly strong and fast. If he couldn’t even injure him, he stood no chance against him.
Then, the pilot suddenly slashed his face with the shard, then threw it away and let go of his hair. Serion grabbed his face with both hands, wincing in sudden pain.
Angron laughed at himself, got up, and left the room, heading to the cockpit.
Serion stood up from the chair and hurried to clean the wound. Looking in the mirror, he saw that the cut on the left side of his face wasn’t long, but it was deep and bleeding.
He didn’t think their situation would become so tense. Everyone was threatening everyone, and no one trusted each other. They needed to find harmony if they didn’t want to end up killing each other.
***
The starship lingered at a space base. The base was a massive machine, not tethered to any planet, simply floating alone. Due to its importance, its defense was unbeatable, starting with the generator that made the whole monstrosity invisible to unwanted eyes. It was a specifically rebellious invention; only their sensors could detect its location, which made it extremely secure. There were many similar bases scattered throughout the rebel empire. They trained many soldiers here in case they were needed nearby, so they could be mobilized immediately. It had been a while since they last restocked supplies. It was time for them to stop for a short while.
The Captain understood all this, yet he was nervous. He would have preferred to continue, but the Leader’s order was clear: they had to stop, so he couldn’t do anything about it. Their lord clearly expressed his opinion that if they were to accidentally encounter an imperial starship in their current condition, they wouldn’t have much chance in the long run, no matter how well they strategized. The Captain agreed with him, but he still couldn’t shake off the uneasy feeling that haunted him.
He knew Angron was home. He was surprised when they tracked the group on Shouta, as he didn’t think they would be able to convince his son to return so easily and quickly. Of course, he remembered that Sephra was extremely manipulative and could easily influence Angron, but he still considered it a significant step, even by her standards. At times, he thought that maybe he had made a mistake when he left Shouta, but he didn’t want to go back. Not anymore. The grief he felt for the death of his wife and daughter was too deep. When he later learned that his younger son, Azrin, was also dead, he didn’t know who to blame for it. He didn’t believe that Angron intentionally did what he did.
The Captain recalled the time when he thought his son would be capable of ruling the planet, as he had taught him everything he needed to know about governance as the firstborn. He was a smart boy, a quick learner, although he didn’t feel very comfortable in the presence of official figures. Nevertheless, the man was confident that his son would have been able to handle the task. Yet, he couldn’t shake off a feeling of disappointment that Angron had fled after the events. Chancellor Rattern, who had previously been his chief advisor and whom he had always trusted implicitly, kept him informed about everything. Angron stubbornly participated in some experiment despite all requests to the contrary, which changed his behavior. Allegedly, he became jealous of his brother, who wanted to take the throne from him, so he killed him. The king didn’t believe any of this. No one knew better than him that Angron loved freedom and didn’t desire the throne as much, while Azrin had been saying since childhood that he wanted to be a doctor. The only one among the children who might have truly wanted to assume power was his daughter.
However, since he himself didn’t want to return to Shouta and Angron had disappeared, he eventually stopped questioning the events. Although distance and time didn’t heal the traumas of the past, at least he had enough work to keep himself from dwelling on them.
Suddenly, a sound interrupted his thoughts. Someone was knocking.
The man got up from the bed and hurried to the door to open it. A young soldier bowed before him.
“Lord Quilen summons you, sir. He said you didn’t respond to his signal.”
The Captain didn’t recall hearing the beep.
“I understand. Thank you. I’ll go immediately.”
The soldier left, and the man turned around to check the monitor of his device. Indeed, there was the message blinking on it. He couldn’t understand how he hadn’t noticed it. He decided that once he returned to his room, he would finally allow himself some time for sleep.
Hastily adjusting his uniform, he set out to find the leader.
Most people didn’t know his background. He was simply the man who emerged from nowhere, quickly rising to the position of captain and becoming the right hand of the leader. Knowing that Quilen wasn’t particularly trusting, the soldiers found the situation odd but didn’t question it. Perhaps they thought they knew each other from before, which was true to some extent. Not that their previous encounters had anything to do with the current situation.
The man shivered as he remembered the former Emperor. While he was king, he didn’t want to form an alliance with him. As the Tencous were famously among the most peaceful beings, he wanted to keep Shouta neutral to avoid getting involved in any wars. Initially, this worked primarily because the deeply buried city made it almost impossible to attack. However, he was certain that the Emperor would have found a way to subjugate them by force, something his people wouldn’t have appreciated.
Later, when he joined the rebels, Shouta was expelled from both nominal neutrality and the Emperor’s power. However, he knew that Rattern didn’t care about which side they were on. The Chancellor didn’t allow them to occupy the city, so legally they belonged to them, but in practice, they remained somewhat independent. The Captain himself always tried to achieve this, so he was somewhat proud of it and admired that Rattern remained true to his principles.
Not that he cared about it now. The Rebel Empire had a vast territory, almost half the galaxy, so one planet didn’t really matter. However, they had stopped expanding for a while. Quilen handled the affairs, maintained order, and ruled over the rebel territory, but he didn’t take any action against the Empire. Not only was this surprising to the people, but it was also surprising that the new ruler listened and remained hidden in the background just like the old ruler. The Captain suspected that even Quilen didn’t know who the current leader of the Empire was. No one had heard anything about them. Occasionally, skirmishes broke out on the border of the two powers, but they hadn’t encountered a real war. It was as if the Galaxy had split in two. If only the old Emperor was still out there…
The Captain shivered again and tried to distract his thoughts. He reached the room he was looking for. With a soft greeting, he entered the room filled with computers. Not only was Lord Quilen present, but several others were working in the background. They were going through data, saving files, reading reports, drafting some themselves, and responding to messages. They were an elite circle, personally selected by the leader. They were completely engrossed in their work. The Captain didn’t pay them any mind; instead, he turned to his master, who sat in front of the central computer, staring at the monitor. His face looked troubled.
The Captain waited until the leader glanced at him before bowing. “My Lord.”
“There’s something here that you might want to read. Although I know you never planned on going back to Shouta, this might interest you,” Quilen said.
The man silently approached his lord and leaned down to look at the report. He was surprised to see that the message was from the chancellor. Quilen rewound the video to the beginning.
Rattern appeared on the screen with a distorted expression. His body trembled, and occasionally he flinched, jerking his head to the side as if he heard something. He sat in the corner, hunched over, holding a pistol. His voice was deeper than usual, and he occasionally stumbled over his words as if searching for them.
“My Lord… Your Highness… Whoever sees this… Angron was here… He attacked me and injected me with that substance… That changed him too. He’s already left… I… I can see things… I don’t know how long it will take, but… You need to help… The people… I don’t want to hurt anyone… I… I tried, but… It’s not working…”
Then the Chancellor lifted the pistol and shot himself in the head. The Captain flinched, while Quilen’s expression remained tense. Rattern’s gaze didn’t change despite the bullet passing through his skull, as if he didn’t even feel it. His eyes flickered for a moment, but then he looked back at the camera.
“It’s… Not working… It’s already begun… You must save them… Please… I… I don’t want to…”
Then the Chancellor fell silent, his head drooped forward, and the camera slipped from his hand.
Quilen stopped the video and looked up. “From this point on, nothing more happens; the recording just stops a little later. He’s probably turned by now. I’m sorry. Do you want to handle the situation?”
The Captain opened his mouth to say something, then closed it. Finally, he just nodded, turned on his heel, and hurried out. Quilen didn’t stop him.
Stella Watson author/író 