Xaleyp nodded and walked to one of the two armchairs ahead of the Chancellor, who followed behind to resume his seat on the opposite side of the desk. The man sunk heavily into the chair, releasing a sigh as he hit the fabric. He made a hand gesture to the three escorts still standing by the door.

“Reaver, the Ascendancy’s service is no longer needed at this time. Please, get yourselves to bed, it’s quite late.”

“Sir, do you not need us to escort him back down to the transport?” Elyssa asked.

“No, I think I am quite capable of doing that myself, thank you very much.” He looked at her over the frames of his glasses, a dark expression forming in his eyes.

“Of course, sir.” She nodded then bowed before leading the way out of the room.

The Chancellor said nothing, simply tapping his fingers on the wood of the desk, until the door hissed closed.

“Xaleyp Vah’Aris, I have heard lots about you, though I expect you’re tired of hearing that.” The Chancellor managed a weak smile before it quickly disappearing, replaced by a grave look. “I know how tough your life has been, being kidnapped as a child and having your parents killed.”

There was the slightest hesitation as he finished the sentence, as if he knew something more, but Xaleyp didn’t notice. Instead, he shifted uncomfortably in the chair, unsure of where the Chancellor was going with the conversation. When Xaleyp said nothing, the older man turned in his chair, leaning back and staring out the window.

“What do you think of it?” He made a hand gesture to the city outside, where the lights of cars streaked by and those in windows flicked on and off.

“It’s amazing,” Xaleyp said, not entirely sure if he meant it.

“A true engineering marvel. No other planet in the galaxy has done this, you know. Siatia is the first, possibly only, to achieve this.” His voice was contemplative as he reminisced and cross one leg over the other, bouncing it gently. “I oversaw some construction during my days in the military, though it was just some touch-ups here and there. All of the districts had already been built, some just needed a little updating.”

Is that really all the Chancellor wanted to talk about? How hard a life that he, Xaleyp, had and architecture?

“But, all of that is past me now, and, then again, we’re here to talk about you.” He turned back to Xaleyp and pointed a slender finger at him. “You see, there has been an operation in progress since before I became Chancellor. Maybe even before I was born, I don’t know. It involves the leaders of Hyperia—or at least, it did, before Arcadia took over. Now, it involves them—and the reestablishment of Siatia as the powerful planet it once was. We have ambitious plans that will help achieve a better future for the galaxy, one that does not rely on the whims of dictators masquerading as diplomats. We’ve been working in the shadows, carefully playing our role wherever necessary, but that is going to be coming to an end soon, and we want you to help us there. I trust that Director Kaine has told you about Ciovyr?”

“Who’s Director Kaine?” Xaleyp asked, cocking his head to the side as he tried to recall if he heard the name before.

“Ardus Kaine, the Director of the Celestial Order, the man who brought you here.” The Chancellor’s voice was impatient and hurried, as if he didn’t have time for such trivial matters. “Now, did he tell you about Ciovyr or not?”

“Yes, he did. I just didn’t know his name.” Xaleyp’s face started to burn, and he tried to look anywhere but at the Chancellor. “He didn’t tell me what his name was.”

“Well, that’s neither here nor there.” He waved a dismissive hand, moving the conversation along. “Now, Ciovyr is one of the only things that can stop us in our goal for galactic dominance. It is necessary that you agree to help us reach our objective. The first step in that is the mission Director Kaine told you of. However, I suspect treachery within our ranks, and there are very few I trust. When you were brought to my attention, I just knew that you were the one that could help us achieve our goals, even if I would not be there to witness them. You see, there are plots to possibly overthrow me, assassinate me, abduct and imprison me, I don’t know what, but I doubt that I will see a peaceful end to my term as Chancellor. But do not get me wrong, this is not something that I intend for you to stop or save me from. I know my fate, and diverting resources to try to prevent it takes us that much further from our ultimate objective.”

The Chancellor looked into Xaleyp’s eyes, studying him, as he leaned forward over his desk. Their eyes were locked, neither one wanting or able to look away. Finally, the Chancellor sat back in the chair and stroked his chin in thought.

“Go back to the Director and complete the mission he gave you. Once that’s done, all of the pieces will start falling into place, and I respectfully request that you work for the greater good, rather than that of one man.” The man’s face went dark, and he looked at Xaleyp from overtop the rims of his glasses. “Remember, there are traitors in our midst. Be very careful about who you place your trust in. You never know who is out to thwart our plans. I’ll walk you out.”

The Chancellor stood, smoothing his robes once more, and walked towards the door with Xaleyp following behind. As they exited, the older man turned off the lights and briefly glanced back before moving Xaleyp along. Out in the hall, the silence of the building at night was palpable, with each of their footsteps piercing the air as they walked. Neither of them talked, which was fine by Xaleyp, as it gave him plenty of time to mull over the Chancellor’s words.

They wanted to overthrow Hyperia—or, they did before Arcadia did that for them—which was something he wanted. Maybe not as explicitly as the Chancellor had explained it, but dismantling the largest empire in galaxy surely would have given him the power he desired. Doing the same to Arcadia would achieve that same goal. But what treachery could be coming, and from who, and why? Was it something he was supposed to stop, despite the Chancellor telling him not to? Was that what he didn’t tell the Director, because he didn’t know if he could trust him or not?

They soon found themselves walking back out the door into the chilly air. In front of them, the car that had brought Xaleyp to the Senate Building was waiting for them again, with the Director leaning against the side, his legs crossed at the ankle and arms folded over one another. He watched as they approached, standing upright and walking to meet them partway. As they reached each other, the Director held out his hand, and the Chancellor took it firmly, though there was the momentary flicker in his eyes that seemed to confirm what Xaleyp deduced.

“Chancellor Irani, it is wonderful to see you,” the Director said, a forced smile on his lips. He made a gesture with his free hand to Xaleyp. “I assume that you are done with him, and he can be returned to me?”

“Of course, Director. He’s all yours. Now, if you’ll excuse me, there is a wonderfully plush bed, and an even more wonderful Lady Irani, waiting for me at home. Good evening.”

Without waiting for a response, the Chancellor continued walking away, his hands behind his back and whistling a jovial tune, eventually disappearing around the corner of an apartment building. The Director turned to Xaleyp.

“Well, let’s get you back to the Starkiller.” He wrapped his arm around the younger boy’s shoulders and guided him towards the open door of the vehicle. “Your team has been assembled and is waiting for you at the Helios. I’m sure you’re dying to meet them.”

“I can hardly wait, Director Kaine.”

The man’s eyebrows rose a fraction of an inch before resuming their place in his attempt to hide his surprise. They stepped into the transport and sat in the same seats as before. No one else was in the vehicle, not even the two other agents.

“I see the Chancellor told you my name.” As the transport took off back towards the spaceport, the Director leaned back in his chair as much as the straps allowed and threw an arm over the headrest next to him and one leg over the other. He stared at Xaleyp, a passive expression on his face. “Don’t let it go to your head. He is always trying to get one over me, and I would have told you my name eventually anyway, so nothing is really lost. Now, I have a few last preparations to make, so please try to keep quiet.”

The ride back to the landing pad at the spaceport passed in silence. Xaleyp recognized some of the buildings they passed for the second time but hardly paid any attention to them. He was so close to his goal, so close he could practically grasp it in his hand. He didn’t even notice when the Director gripped him by the arm and brought him to his feet, pulling him out the door. The tunnel went by in a blur, and he was soon standing outside the dropship, a group of four people standing outside in very states of activity.

On the right were four men mostly talking animatedly towards the front of the ship. Xaleyp recognized one as Agent Pollard, who stood as stoic-faced as usual, nodding slowly from time to time. The other three were the men assigned to the mission: Tyler Hudson—whose hair was no longer speckled with blue but tinges of green instead—Finnegan Crowley—who looked exactly as the picture depicted him—and Adric Zechiel—whose hair had grown out slightly longer than the picture had shown and was now sporting a thick beard. On the left leaning against the wall of the dropship by herself was Evangeline Plenskach, her arms crossed at her chest and her eye twitching slightly to use her CAM. Each of them were wearing the same black jumpsuit, and each turned to look at the pair approaching the ship.

Crowley was the first to move forward, holding his hand out to Xaleyp, who took it after a fraction of a second’s hesitation.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Commander. Agent Pollard’s told me about you.” He flashed a smile and exposed perfectly white teeth. “I gotta say, I’m lookin’ forward to this mission.”

“Nice to meet you too,” Xaleyp said, releasing the man’s hand and grasping Hudson’s, who had moved up to greet him. “Tyler Hudson, nice to have you with us.”

The man’s face was a mixture of perplexed and sullen. He said nothing in response, instead getting into the dropship and taking a seat. Xaleyp looked at Crowley, who simply shrugged and sat across from Hudson. Adric walked forward and shook hands before Xaleyp had a chance to move, his face stoic and staying as silent as Hudson.

The girl moved forward to meet the pair, and Xaleyp felt his heart pounding in his ears. From the picture, he knew it was the girl in his vision, but seeing her up close cemented the fact in a way he never expected. His lips were dry, and he was unable to form any words. Luckily, she did the work for him.

“Evangeline Plenskach, but you can just call me Eve.” A corner of her mouth lifted in a slight smile. There was the faintest glimmer in her eye as she looked him up and down. “If we have a moment before we get to Arcadia, I’d like to have a word.”

“Okay, sure,” he somehow managed to stutter out.

She gave him a curious look before stepping into the dropship and sitting down. Agent Pollard glanced briefly at him before getting inside himself, followed by Ardus moving up and placing his hand on Xaleyp’s shoulder.

“Come on, now. We don’t have a moment to waste.” The Director smiled brightly, and, to Xaleyp, it looked somewhat painful on the man’s face. “We have lots to do and so little time to do it.”