“I think I got something,” they said at the same time. They looked at each other, both curious.

“What do you have?” Mian asked, standing and walking over. She looked at the file on the screen, and her eyes went wide. “That’s the same one I just found.”

“Should I open it?” Xaleyp felt his throat constrict again. So close. He was so close.

“That’s what we came for, isn’t it?” She reached over her shoulder and tapped it. A series of paragraphs popped up on the screen.

Stariek has managed to stay out of the prying eyes of the public since the days of the Praesidium Union. It had previously been reported that it has no extraordinary natural resources: forests dot the landscape and there is plenty of freshwater for consumption, but nothing spectacular. However, it has recently been discovered that Stariek possesses vast amounts of what has been dubbed ‘tritinium.’

Tritinium is a unique element. It has been discovered in trace amounts on a dozen other planets, though not enough for any useful purposes beyond detection. Its properties allow it to function as an efficient energy source with little to no byproduct. A single ounce is able to power a hundred thousand homes for a decade. It is also able to release this energy in the form of destruction.

This is where part of Arcadian interests lie in the planet. By possessing such a resource, Arcadia will be able to expand its military to gain superiority over opposing forces across the galaxy. There will be none that stand in its way.

Hyperia has expressed an interest in this tritinium as well. They established an orbital training facility in orbit of Stariek approximately seven years ago. At the same time, they began the export of resources, including tritinium, to planets currently unknown for processing.

The Generals of Arcadia have considered the proposal of Arcadian Governor Tober Delargivic. His plan to invade Stariek while simultaneously deploying attacks against strategic Hyperion holdings across the galaxy is enticing.

The unusual portion, as well as the second Arcadian interest, is in regards to the boy known as Xaleyp Vah’Aris. Documents indicate the teenager is the first child of former Commander Skylar Vah’Aris, who ruled over Stariek before the Hyperion occupation. We do not currently have any reports of how he helps Arcadian interests.

General Korvak Grimaldus has expressed an interest in an assault on the planet, conveying two reasons for such an aggression: the first is to overthrow the Hyperion forces at Space Station Vertyn and successfully convert it for Arcadian applications; the second is to apprehend or assassinate Emperor Seth Drake. Secretary Nevermoor has authorized General Grimaldus’ proposal, allowing for an attack on Stariek with the bulk of the Arcadian fleet. Operative Nexla has reported that Emperor Seth Drake will be at the orbital training facility, Vertyn, in a month’s time. The attack will coincide with his visit. Further details will be made available as necessary.

Xaleyp’s heart pounded in his ears. The document was mostly fluff to hide what he wanted, but there it was. The name he was searching for: Korvak Grimaldus—the man responsible for Lina’s death. Now, he just had to find him.

“Where’s Grimaldus now?” Xaleyp asked. He could barely talk, his lips were dry, his hands were shaking. So close, he was so close to revenge he could practically feel it on his fingers.

Mian simply shrugged her shoulders and began typing different queries to the computer. The screen started jumping from file to file, cross-referencing her queries with the database. It stopped, revealing a matching document, moments before both of the holocomputers turned off. The sound of footsteps came from around the central lift. Mian gasped and grabbed his arm, digging her fingernails into his skin. Two men were walking towards them. Or, rather, one was dragging the other behind it.

“Very good, Xaleyp Vah’Aris,” the one said. He threw the other forward and clapped sarcastically with his now free hands. The man landed with a thud, and, when he looked up, Xaleyp realized it was the technician that had made the passes. “I’ve got to say, you shouldn’t have made it this far. I figured you needed a little closure though. He’s still stationed on Stariek, by the way. It was his operation, his reward.”

The man smiled, and Xaleyp recognized him as well. It was Tober Delargivic. He was no longer wearing the formal robes from his speech. Instead, he was in a standard jumpsuit, which was better to blend in that way. He stepped on the technician’s neck as the man started getting up, keeping him from standing.

“Go ahead.” Tober gestured to Xaleyp and Mian. “Ask me any questions you want. I’ll answer them to the best of my ability.”

Xaleyp merely stared at him. The Emperor of Arcadia. It was the last thing he had expected. So many questions ran through his head, each tumbling over one another faster and faster like a raging river that refuses to slow down, tearing through any unfortunate soul unlucky enough to get caught in its deadly grasp. Why? Why come in person? Why not send someone to stop him? Why go through all the trouble? Why even let them get this far? But when he tried to voice any of these, his mouth simply sat open, his eyes frantically darting side to side.

“What are you going to do to us?” Mian asked.

“Oh, come on.” Tober groaned loudly and shook his head. “That’s not really what you want to know, is it? Everything that’s happened from the time you met this… thing to now, and you ask that? Come on, give me a hard one.”

“Why?” Xaleyp heard his voice, but it didn’t feel like it came from his lips. Tober’s eyes lit up. Once he started and opened the floodgates, he couldn’t stop. “Why are you here? Why didn’t you stop us before? Why didn’t you just kill us with the drones? Why did you let us get up here?”

“Now, there’s some good ones. Has Seth told you about Ciovyr?” Tober eyed him curiously. Xaleyp nodded. “Good. So you know then that you possess some scientific mumbo jumbo that I don’t fully understand that lets you control the Sword of Razeph. We tried to kill you at Stariek, tried to kill you on the Royal Carrier, tried to kill you at Avalon. You always survived, always found a way out, but we never stopped plotting. You were going to ruin all of our plans, and we couldn’t have that. We couldn’t have you preventing Ciovyr from returning.”

“You want to bring back a god?” Xaleyp’s chest tightened. It wasn’t the question he wanted to ask at first, but the shock prevented him from asking any other. The Arcadians weren’t after Seth. They didn’t want to kill the fallen emperor of Hyperia. They wanted… him. “You were trying to kill me?”

“When you are given the opportunity to work alongside that which has but one weakness, why wouldn’t you be on the side bending reality? Ciovyr will return with or without our help. But imagine how they will reward us when we tell them that we prevented its downfall. We will be revered, immortalized, for killing a teenager.”

“But why kill all those people if you just wanted me?”

“I didn’t really care.” Tober shrugged. “They were just in the way. We needed you out of the picture. Now, we have people like this one in the way.”

Tober gestured to the technician. His foot depressed slightly, putting more pressure on the man’s neck. He struggled underneath, trying to work his way out. Mian started to move forward, but Xaleyp put his arm out to stop her. Tober pulled a gun from a holster at his waist.

“Those who go against the Dominion go against Ciovyr.” He pulled the hammer back on the pistol. “Those who go against Ciovyr must be punished."

A bang echoed in the office as Tober pulled the trigger. Mian yelled out, but it was too late. The man immediately stopped struggling as blood leaked out from the hole in the back of his head, spilling onto the floor.

“Just another pawn.” Tober put the pistol back in its holster. He pointed at Xaleyp. “The real prize is you.”

“You didn’t have to do that!” Xaleyp wanted to feel angry, wanted to feel the rage flowing through him, but he didn’t. He felt nauseous at the sight. He felt numb. His fingers and toes were tingling. Mian. He didn’t want her to come. This was exactly why.

“Oh, but I did. I must make an example of those who dare go against me. Otherwise, there will be chaos. Chaos like…”

An explosion came from somewhere in the building. It shook as the shockwave ran through it. Xaleyp staggered with the force. He looked out the window and saw the fire raging twenty floors beneath them. So many people. Innocent people For what? For some game Tober wanted to play?

“Why are you doing this?” Mian asked, her voice unnaturally shrill.

“Because I can.” Tober remained calm, walking over to the window and staring out over the city. He took a deep breath and admired the view, folding his hands behind his back. “Because I’m in control. Because Ciovyr demands it. Now, Reapers, take these two away.”

A series of guns clicked behind them. Xaleyp turned and saw half a dozen soldiers pointing assault rifles at him and Mian. Each was wearing chitinous armor that danced and curved over their bodies. There was no way out.

But there always was. Every other time he was in danger, he was able to work his way out of it, whether through skill or sheer dumb luck. There had to be something. Some way to escape.

He looked to the window. Going out on his own terms sounded tempting. Not giving Tober the pleasure, the satisfaction, of feeling in control. But what about Mian? What would they do to her if he jumped? What would they do if he didn’t? He felt a sudden welling of emotions. So much he wanted to say to her. When he looked at her, her eye was twitching and looking around the room. Searching for a way out, no doubt.

Before he had a chance to make a decision, a stunning round struck him in the neck, and he fell sideways, hitting the ground in an awkward slump. The last thing he saw before his vision went black was Mian stumbling over a desk as she fell.