Xaleyp woke up earlier than he expected the next morning. A different doctor was in the hub, using the holocomputer to update some records. To Xaleyp’s right was a young boy he didn’t recognize that they must have brought in during the night. He felt a heavy weight over his body and found there was a blanket covering him he didn’t remember from before he fell asleep.

He sat up, expecting it to hurt in his stomach, but it was remarkably almost painless. His body ached all over, especially his head, but the agony he felt the day before vanished during his sleep. As the blanket fell off his chest, he saw the bandages were also missing after being removed in the night. He felt his nose, and it was exactly how he remembered it from before his fight with Max.

A sudden jolt made him look to his left. Sitting in one chair was Lina, her arms crossed and one foot on the side of the bed, laughing at the look of surprise on his face.

“Oh good, you’re awake.” She checked the time on her CAM. “And it’s only half-past eight. I think that’s a new record for you.”

“What are you doing here, Lina?”

“It’s the weekend, and I have nothing better to do. I figured I might as well come visit my idiot best friend.” She put her other leg overtop the first on the bed and leaned back, tipping the chair onto its rear legs. “Mian told me what happened. I knew I should’ve come with you, I just wish I was there to help. I’ve talked to Max a few times before, and he never seemed that crazy. Kind of an extrovert, but not that unusual.”

“Apparently he was.” Xaleyp tossed the blanket off him to stand, revealing the rest of his semi-clothed body. Mian tossed him a gray fatigue top, and he put it on carefully to avoid stressing any parts of his body that had not healed. He sat on the edge of the bed, his feet dangling just above the floor. “Thanks.”

“No problem.” She bit her lip, deep in thought. She crossed her arms and stared at him. “So what really happened up there on the Emperor’s ship? There are rumors, but I thought I’d ask the source.”

“What are the rumors?” Xaleyp wasn’t surprised in the slightest to discover that rumors were already spreading, and he was more curious to hear what the other cadets were saying.

“Well, one is that Ire killed Max then himself, another the other way around, then there’s the one that you killed both of them.” She chuckled. “It’s amazing what people will come up with.”

“Well, those are all wrong.” He tried to laugh with her but stopped when a pain shot through his chest at the movement. “Breaking your ribs is not fun. How’d they even know something happened up there?”

“Dunno exactly. I guess some of Max’s friends knew he went up there, maybe saw Ire being led up the same way, and you know how quickly stuff gets out.”

“What really happened is that the Emperor shot Ire and had Max taken away. It was not fun, to say the least.”

“It’s horrible to say, but it’s kind of a relief, you know?” She put her feet down and covered his hand with her own. “At least you don’t have to worry about him anymore.”

“Yeah.” He took a deep breath. A sharp pain radiated through his chest. He winced, drawing a worried look from Lina. “I’m fine, just a little pain still. There’s something… wrong about celebrating someone’s death.”

“When it’s someone like Ire, maybe they deserve it. When you get by on hurting other people, threatening them, making them feel like human garbage, then maybe it should be celebrated when you get your comeuppance.” She sighed and stood. “Want to get some breakfast? I’m starving. You can tell me everything that happened over some goop and toast.”

“You’re always starving.” He smiled and stood, and a grimace crossed his face with the movement. “Definitely don’t want to have to go through that again.”

“Ooh, all your showboating not paying off then?” She poked him in the ribs, and he recoiled at the touch. “Oh, sorry, I forgot.”

“I prefer being in a starfighter. Ground warfare is not really my thing.”

“Cadet Vah’Aris,” a voice called from across the room.

A man in about his early forties was standing in the doorway, standing patiently. His face was just starting to show signs of aging, but his hair already turned gray in places. He was wearing full dress robes, a solid flowing white with epaulets at the shoulders. On the ornaments hung an insignia comprised of two pointed, red lines over the Hyperion ‘Y.’

He approached the pair of them at a steady gait, his back straight and unbending, as if he were marching. As he reached them, he held out a gloved hand to each in turn, lingering longer with Xaleyp’s hand and shaking vigorously.

“I am Lieutenant Colonel Austin Linkovich. I’m replacing the late Colonel Ire as commander of this facility, and I heard that you are our star pupil here. High Command piqued my curiosity with this assignment, I admit, so I thought I would meet you and see if I could talk to you for a moment.” He turned to Lina and gave her a small, placating bow. “And Cadet Guezal, I’ve heard good things about you as well. It’s an honor to meet such impressive members of the next generation of Hyperion soldiers.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir,” Xaleyp said, bowing. “I would love to accept your offer, but we were just about to go get some breakfast.”

“Allow me to join you.” He gestured for them to go, and Xaleyp and Lina shared a nervous look. “Please, lead the way.”

“Are you sure you want to eat our food, sir?” Lina asked. “We’ve always heard that officers get treated to better meals than us.”

“I don’t mind in the slightest.” He shook his head. A slight smile touched his lips. “My first deployment was on Venator about twenty years ago. I’m used to it.”

“Sir, I appreciate the opportunity.” Xaleyp tried to straighten himself up a little, but a jab of pain prevented it. “I hope you understand, but I’d like to just enjoy some breakfast in peace and quiet with my friend after what happened yesterday.”

“Very well.” A somewhat annoyed look washed over the man’s face, but he clicked his heels together and bowed to each of them in turn without mentioning it. “I’ll leave you to it, then. At some point, Cadet Vah’Aris, I would like to get to know you better than what’s written in your file. A bit of the person behind the numbers, if you will. You as well, Cadet Guezal. Enjoy your breakfast. I look forward to seeing your progress in your training over the next few weeks.”

Without waiting for their response, he walked out of the medical bay. His footsteps slowly receded until they disappeared. The doctor walked over to the pair of them.

“Cadet Vah’Aris, I just need to run a quick diagnostic before I can release you.”

The doctor sent an access request to Xaleyp’s CAM, which he accepted. A brief surge went through him as the device scanned his body. The man clicked his tongue as he filtered through the report it generated.

“Mhm, yes, everything appears to be in order. Scans are mostly the same as the last time you were in here, just still a bit of bruising on the ribs. Very well, you can go, just try to behave yourself from now on.”

He hurried over to the other boy, who had awoken from the activity in the room. Quiet groans came from behind Xaleyp and Lina as they left, making their way to the mess hall in a comfortable silence. It was mostly empty, with only two tables occupied. There was no line, and they walked up to get their food. A bowl of watery looking oatmeal, two pieces of toast, and an assortment of fruit.

“This… actually looks somewhat appetizing,” Lina said as they sat. She pierced an apple slice with her fork and bit a chunk off. “I can’t remember the last time they gave us proper food.”

“Careful what you wish for.”

“So, tell me everything.” Some toast spattered from Lina’s mouth. “Tell me about Mian, Ire, Max, that sword, the Emperor. I want all the details.”

Without hesitating, he did. He tried to keep his voice quiet so that the other cadets couldn’t hear, but they were frequently stealing glances his way in attempts to pick up as much as they could. He told her all he knew and saw and heard the previous day. There were brief pauses as they both continued to eat, and Lina sat quietly, listening closely.

After he finished, she still said nothing for several moments. She simply ate and stared at him, her eyes piercing into his as if trying to read his soul. Finally, she spoke.

“So, you and Max are the only two who could use that sword?”

“That’s what the Emperor told me.” He nodded. “Whether or not it’s true, who knows?”

“Did he tell you what it goes to? What it’s for?”

“No, he said he has no idea. I don’t really believe that, though.” Xaleyp spooned some of the oatmeal into his mouth. “He seemed like he knew a lot more than he wanted to tell me.”

“What do you think it does?”

“I really don’t know. You can’t even begin to imagine the power that’s in it, though. Like I said yesterday, it’s amazing, but scary.”

An alarm went off in the space station. A pulsing red light bathed the room in its eerie glow.. The few people there started murmuring in surprise. None of them had seen this before. And none expected the voice that blared through the speakers next.

“All cadets immediately return to your dormitories and await further orders.”

It echoed for a few seconds, silencing all of them. Lina and Xaleyp stared at each other for a few seconds before following the command. They grabbed their empty trays and brought them over to the bin, throwing them in. Xaleyp’s heart thumped in his chest, and he was sure Lina’s was doing the same.

“Did the Emperor tell you something was going to happen?” Lina asked as they left the mess. Her voice shuddered.

Xaleyp shook his head. He had absolutely no idea what was happening. When they approached a window in the hallway, however, they found out. Other cadets gathered around to gawk with them.

Coming from the opposite side of the planet was a fleet of hundreds of ships. Missiles were flying through space. Fighters streaked by the window to join the fray. He couldn’t see them, but his CAM marked the lasers arcing between the ships. Flashes emitted from both sides where projectiles were launched and impacted. Several of the Hyperion frigates and cruisers were already torn apart. The metal and bodies of the wreckage slowly scattered, drifting uselessly. More of them were heavily damaged, attempting to limp away from the battle. Just two of the five Badanov cruisers were still in the battle.

Above them, the tube still attached the Royal carrier to the space station. There was minimal damage to it and the outside of Vertyn. Whoever the attackers were, they were attempting to capture the station, not destroy it. More starfighters were shooting out of the hangars of the giant ship. They joined the fray in dazzling spirals, some disappearing in a bright flash before they even got into the thick of battle.

“Holy shit,” Lina whispered. The explosion of one of the Badanovs lit up her face, and some of the other cadets gasped. “What are we going to do?”

“I don’t know.” He felt his throat closing up as a sudden panic began running up in him. All that simulation training, all that boasting, it didn’t prepare him for the real thing. When it was actually a life or death situation, it was scary and real. Too real. He tugged gently on Lina’s sleeve. “Let’s go.”

A stray missile impacted somewhere on the station, and a deep rumble passed through the metal structure around them. It vibrated up their feet into their bodies, causing some of the younger cadets to yell in fright. More ships appeared from the far side of the planet. They outnumbered the Hyperions at least twenty to one. Wherever they came from, they didn’t want just a victory. They wanted complete subjugation.

Lina and Xaleyp began making their way through the corridors to the dormitory. The fast walk they were taking sent a dull ache through his stomach and chest. Soldiers were running in the opposite direction. They wore full exosuits, giving them enhanced strength and endurance, and assault rifles were loaded and ready in their arms. There were some younger kids panicking and racing down the halls, trying to follow the order given. As they reached the door, a message came through on his CAM. A message from the Emperor.

“Xaleyp, I need you to report to my office. Now.”

Now, of all times? The Emperor wanted him now?

He stopped dead in his tracks. Lina pressed the button to open the door before she realized Xaleyp wasn’t following anymore. Inside, there were dozens of people all crowding together and talking, trying to figure out what was going on. Mian was standing in a corner, but when she saw them, she began moving towards the door.

“Come on, Xaleyp,” Lina said. “Maybe they’ll tell us what’s going on.”

“The Emperor just sent me a message. He wants me there.”

Xaleyp began to turn and leave when he stopped. He turned back to Lina and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a tight hug. It hurt his still healing ribs, but he ignored it. After a moment of surprise, she held him, too. He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before releasing her.

“What was that for?” she asked. Her face turned slightly red.

“Just in case I don’t see you again. You’re the best thing about this place. I’d hate to leave without you knowing it.”

“Of course you’ll see me again, you stupid idiot.” She smiled at him.

“You’re leaving?” Mian asked as she reached them. “Where?”

“Just back up to the Emperor. I have no idea what he wants this time.”

“Let me go with you.” Mian walked forward and past Lina, who was standing in the door frame. “After what happened last time, you should have someone with you. Just in case.”

Xaleyp thought for a moment. This girl, who he had met less than a day ago, and who had seemed to appear out of thin air, was willing to dive headfirst into whatever messed up adventure he was getting into. And she did it without a second thought. As if this was exactly what she was looking for. Who was this girl? Was she the one his memory told him to trust? But what if she wasn’t?

“Both of you come with me,” Xaleyp said. “Lina, you know you’re my best friend. I don’t want to risk abandoning you here and losing you forever. Mian, I have absolutely no clue who you are, or what caused us to come together like this, but I’ll be damned if I’m not going to find out."

They both nodded, and the trio took off back down the hallway to the lifts. Some of the lights flickered with the impact of a missile. Another rumble ran through the space station.