The colossal ruins of what was once the original Daura City loomed large ahead of the Dusty Maiden’s prow. Jon always wondered what the metropolis had looked like before the great war. Before those massive buildings were turned into decrepit unlivable shells of what they had once been. He gazed past the outer shell of ruins toward the center. It spanned dozens of kilometers with scores of massive skeletal remains reaching high into the sky that dwarfed even the tallest modern edifices.

He wondered what the technology and way of life had been like as the Dusty Maiden cruised over the less impressive outskirts of the ruins and into what would have been considered the hive of the metropolis.

Occasionally when Jon came and went from Daura, the skeletal remains of the old city would creak and groan, sometimes issuing small clouds of dust as some wall or other part of the ancient structures crumbled away. The once great city had been killed so long ago and yet it was still dying every single day. It reminded him of an ancient relic in which he would fight to preserve. But the eventuality was that even the most preciously preserved artifacts still decayed over time and would one day cease to exist.

Will we ever recover from what happened? he asked himself. Will we ever see another Golden Age?

Then he saw the two-hundred foot wall encircling the city of what was modern Daura. Along the wall were thousands of windmills and scores of landing pads. Cargo haulers, traders and Guardian war barges came and went day and night from what was one of the most modern hubs of commerce, trade and export.

Jon believed the edifices of the small metropolis were impressive in their own right. But the ruins of the old Daura still stunted even the Guardian temple which was the tallest construct known to the modern world. As he scanned the city, Jon made out the dozens of landing platforms which spiraled around the tall but slender construct of the temple. Most of the platforms were currently unused. He had told Captain Wentworth that it would be best to land at one of the unoccupied platforms near the lower levels of the temple and he’d agreed without argument.

It was obvious to Jon that Captain Wentworth didn’t like the order very much and was probably quite ready for them to get off his barge so that he could go back to hauling cargo for the cities. But ever since he had met the captain again, he could not stop thinking about Bryan.

“Is everything alright, Jon?” Emma asked.

“I’m fine,” Jon said. “Just thinking.”

Emma regarded the capital for several moments before she spoke again. “Jon, there’s something I don’t understand.”

“What’s that?”

“Why did you insist Captain Wentworth bring us here when we could have obtained other transportation,”—she gave the Dusty Maiden a dubious look—“better transportation?”

Jon breathed in a large lungful of air. It was not the best time or place to explain himself. But when would he get a chance to go over it with her? “Emma, it’s just us,” he said. “When Skydawn crashed we lost anyone trust worthy enough to help us.”

Emma blinked, her mouth slackening slightly. What they planned to do would be all but impossible without a barge and a good crew.

“There’s nobody else?”

“Kristhana is away in the Badlands and Arimato and his crew are off in the Razors up north. There are none that I would approach now,” Jon said. “It’s too risky, because all I’d have to do is tell the wrong person and our mission would amount to a complete failure.”

Emma looked horror struck. She turned away setting her eyes on the capital. Then she breathed in deeply before looking him in the eyes again. “But that still doesn’t answer my question.”

“Emma, we need Niles, his crew, and his barge.”

“Niles...” she looked at him curiously. “He can’t wait to get rid of us. What makes you think he’d lift a finger to help? What makes you think he’s even trustworthy?”

Jon turned away from Emma, watched the city expand in his field of vision. Can I tell her without making a scene on the barge?

“Jon?”

He waited for a beat before saying, “He’s Bryan’s son.”

Emma seemed to be taking in what he’d just said for a moment. “What do you mean he’s Bryan’s son?” she asked incredulously.

“Keep your voice down,” Jon said glancing back at Niles. He didn’t seem to notice her raised voice as he spoke to the pilot. “Listen. A long time ago, before you were even born, there was an internal scandal within the High Council.” Jon thought Emma’s expression seemed curious and sympathetic at the same time. “Bryan had married outside the Order’s consent to a woman not within the Guardian Order. They had a son.”

“Yes, I had heard of that before... but him?” She glanced back for a moment toward Niles, who was still occupied with his Andrea, talking, no doubt about them. “I remember reading how badly the council had reacted.”

“Yes, well...” Jon glanced back towards Niles, then back to Emma. “As soon as we land I intend to show him the truth. And not just the truth about his own past,” he said fervently, “but of the history of this world as well.” Then he added, “He deserves to know who his father was at least.”

“Do you really think he will believe you?”

“He has to,” Jon said as he gripped the prow railing as tight as he could. “We have no one else to turn to, Emma.”

Emma’s eyes looked wild. She was obviously in some level of conflict. Or perhaps she was simply in shock at what he’d just told her.

But then he could see the tears forming. “I can’t believe they’re gone. I was just with them.”

He sighed. “I know. I grieve for them as well. Lorena was…” He couldn’t say the rest. “Gods rest their eternal spirits.”

“Well,” Niles said loudly.

They both turned.

The Captain was walking up to Jon and Emma. “Looks like we’re there.”

“Indeed,” Jon said feigning nonchalance. “As soon as we land I’ll take you to be paid.”

“Good,” Niles said, ignoring Emma’s visibly distraught state. “I’ll leave you to it.” Then he turned and made his way back toward the pilot.

Jon could see the landing platforms spiraling around the Guardian temple in clear view now. He could even see the colored flags which indicated which platforms were reserved. A few moments later the Dusty Maiden was directly over an unoccupied landing space. “Stay with the barge,” he told Emma over the buzzing of the props but quiet enough so that no one would hear him as they descended into a landing. “I’ll return shortly.”

He patted her on the shoulder.

“Of course,” she said, nodding.

After the barge had been securely anchored to the landing platform the props stopped buzzing and the propellers spun to a halt. “Alright, let’s do this,” Niles said to Jon as he walked to the edge of the deck.

“After you,” Jon said. Then he followed Niles off the barge and onto the landing platform with Emma and the pilot close behind. It was late morning now and Jon could feel the breeze starting to get warmer as the sun rose higher into the sky. It felt good on his face and neck. He handed Emma his larger bag but kept the smaller one slung over his shoulder. “Just Niles and myself will be going to collect the payment.”

The pilot made a slight face but didn’t say anything. “Fine with me,” Niles said.

Jon shot Emma one last serious look before he and the captain set off. He saw that she returned him a minute nod as he walked past. “Follow me,” he told Niles, making his way to the base of the tower where a glass door was located. He pulled the lever which brought down a lift.

“Going up, then?” Niles said.

They stepped into the lift and Jon pulled a second lever which made the glass door close and the lift begin to go up. Then he pulled his bag to his front and pulled out a brown cloak. “Put this on.”

Niles took the cloak with raised a eyebrow. “And why do I have to wear this?”

Jon was ready for the question. “Guardian dress code,” he lied. “It’s for the temple.

“It doesn’t look very much like what you’re wearing.”

“That’s because you’re not a Guardian.” He smiled. If this doesn’t work, he thought, we’ll have to get out of here pretty quick. Non Guardians were strictly prohibited from entering the temple. He hoped they would get through and into the information vaults without any problems. If Jon was seen in the temple, no other Guardian would give him a second glance, but Niles... he wasn’t a Guardian, and neither did he look the part. Not really. If Niles was spotted at his side, maybe it would give the impression they were working together and that Niles was simply returning from some wayward clandestine mission. “When we reach the top, keep quiet, and stay close.”

Niles furrowed his brow. “This seems strangely secretive, Swords.”

He wondered if Niles was beginning to catch on to the ruse. The best he could do to keep him in the dark until they reached the information vaults was to stay the course. But it felt so... fake. Will Niles realize what’s going on and refuse to continue, he wondered? “It’s not every day the order hands out large sums of money as a reward. I don’t want to make a scene about it, so if anyone speaks to you, let me do the talking.”

“Alright.”

Jon could feel his heart beating against his chest. If they got caught he and Niles would probably be put under arrest until an official inquiry followed up with an investigation was resolved. It was strictly forbidden to bring any outsider into the temple, and if the council discovered what was about to transpire, it was likely he and Jon, would be forced to undergo the Quieting before being permanently barred from the order. “Remember, keep close,” he whispered as the lift stopped. He stepped out into a vestibule corridor, Niles shadowing close behind. There was a junior Guardian stationed at the door on the other end.

Jon did his absolute best to seem normal and confident. He was a senior Guardian of the order after all and confidence was something people of his status exuded. He realized the sentry was quite young and probably not out of his middle twenties yet.

Jon knew the sentry would no doubt ask him to verify his identity, and of course, he would also ask Niles to do the same.

As they approached, the sentry nodded to Jon. “Senior.” It meant he could pass through without a check. The boy obviously recognized him. But Jon couldn’t remember seeing the sentry before...

“You,” the sentry said to Niles. “Stop.”

Jon felt a surge travel through his stomach and into his throat.

What was he thinking? They’d be caught for sure. This was foolish.

“Your proper identification...“ The sentry began, but Jon interrupted him.

“Son, he’s with me,” he said firmly hoping to cow the junior into neglecting proper procedure. Jon, a senior Guardian, was standing right there and he had said Niles was with him. The sentry should just let them pass.

“I’m sorry, senior Swords,” The sentry said. “But I have to check everyone’s proper identification before letting them into the temple.”

He jumped at the opportunity presenting itself. “You didn’t check mine,” he said, trying to seem slightly exasperated.

The sentry cocked his head back in surprise. “I...” he paused.

Jon took the moment and said, “Then let us through, sentry,” with a slight edge to his voice. “This Guardian,” he continued, indicating Niles impatiently, “has just been through a harrowing ordeal.”

Did I go too far? he wondered. Will the sentry catch on?

The sentry’s eyes widened slightly. “Yes, Senior,” the sentry said. “My apologies.” Then he gestured Niles through.

Jon almost smiled. It had worked. Luckily he was a senior Guardian and known to be an occasional advisor to the High Council, or things might not have gone the way they just had.

Jon continued though the corridor with Niles at his side for several moments. Then Niles said in a heated whisper, “What the hell was that?”

Jon ignored the captain’s question. He was hoping that Niles’ greed would spur him onward. It seemed to be working. They entered a large room through double doors that opened automatically with a soft pneumatic wheeze. Jon saw Niles’ eyes widen as his gaze jumped around the room. “Stop that,” he said. “You’re going to give yourself away. Remember, you’re a Guardian.”

“To the hells I am, Swords,” Niles hissed through his teeth. “What are you getting me into?”

“Just a little further now,” he said, dodging the four guards who were standing back to back in the center of the room. Jon knew they were stationed there to watch whoever entered the room. But he ignored them as he approached the proper terminal.

Glancing toward Niles, he could see the captain had changed little in the way of his curious behavior as he surveyed the large computer screens mounted over the walls. “These are the scheduled departure and arrival times for any guardians going out or coming in from scavenging missions or dig site research,” he whispered to Niles subtly indicating the screens. He left out the part about some of the missions actually being raids. Then, fleetingly, he thought about the raids he had been on in his younger days as a junior Guardian and how he and his team confiscated illegally-owned technological relics.

He quickly broke out of his reverie as he approached the terminal. “Good morning, senior Evans,” he said, smiling to the woman he had seen countless times as he went into the vaults to study and deposited relics.

“Good morning, senior Swords,” the woman said, smiling back. “Will you be needing to go into the vaults today?”

“Yes,” he said

“And who is this?” She asked indicating Niles.

“My new assistant. Newly ordained.”

“Wonderful,” she said as she smiled. “Welcome to the Guardian Order.”

“Uh—thanks,” Niles said.

It was a horrible performance, but perhaps his lack of sincerity simply came off as timidity in the presence of two seniors.

“Which vault will it be today?”

“Ark vault seven, please?”

“Of course, Jon” the woman said.

Jon thanked senior Evans before making his way through the now unlocked door beside the terminal. He sighed in relief as he made his way down the narrow corridor, Niles at his heels. If she had asked Niles for his proper clearance they would have surely been caught. Luckily enough, Jon had been up there almost every day for the past two years making him a familiar, not to mention, a trusted face. And besides, Evans was a friend—to a point.

“What are you playing at, Swords?” Niles said in a low but serious tone. ”I know ark vault seven—whatever the hells that is—isn’t where my reward money is.”

“Patience. You will get paid,” Jon said reassuringly. “But first I need to show you something.” He moved through a large vault door at the end of the corridor that had opened automatically as they had approached. The large metal door shut behind them, and with clicking sounds, Jon knew they would be locked in until he sent word to senior Evans at the front terminal to let them out.

“What in the...” Niles trailed off as his eyes darted around the large rectangular room. His reaction was hardly surprising. Very few people that were not part of the order had knowledge this kind of technology even existed.

Most the walls inside the lab were covered with monitors. Readouts scrolled down the screens while below equipment quietly hummed and whirred. X-ray scans of various relics being scrutinized by the engineering department hung on other portions of the walls.

Good... we have the lab to ourselves, Jon thought, dragging his fingers along the elongated work bench in the center of the room, dodging various machines and gadgets used by different science departments for the cataloguing and study of finds. “I know it can be a lot to take in at once,” he said. “Most guardians don’t see this level of technology until they reach senior status. And the magic labs are in an even higher level of restriction.”

“Wow,” Niles said in a dazed-like voice as he continued eying everything in the room. He made to grab something.

“Please. Don’t touch anything,” Jon told him. “Most of these finds are irreplaceable. They must be properly catalogued, studied and then replicated by our engineering department.”

“I can’t believe it,” Niles said.

“I know,” Jon said with a wry smile. “I’ll give you a few minutes to take it all in, and when you’re done I’d like to talk to you about something.”

Niles seemingly didn’t hear him, but Jon knew the captain did indeed hear him. He remembered when he had reached senior status in the order. He had not been exposed to so much tech and magic so quickly, so his reaction—though nearly the same—had not been quite as awestruck.

After a few minutes Jon suspected Niles had taken in as much as he could without asking questions. Niles would want answers... and he would be the one to give them to him. “What do you think about our world, Niles?” he asked

Niles paused for a moment, his eyebrow raised. He was probably still overwhelmed by it all. “Can you be more specific?”

“I’m talking about the Great War.”

Niles seemed like he was thinking for a moment. Then he said, “It happened so long ago. Does it matter?”

“Actually,” Jon said, “it matters quite a bit... So?”

“So, I think the same thing as anyone else. We became too advanced for our own good and nearly destroyed ourselves. That tends to happen when you mix science and magic.” There was a beat between them. Then Niles added, “That’s why you Guardian types horde technology. It’s a good excuse to stay on top insuring you remain in power I suppose.”

Jon almost chuckled at Niles’ last remark. “It’s true. It is about power. But it’s also about fear.”

“I think we should have learned from the first war,” Niles said doubtfully.

“Maybe. Maybe not. But that’s not what I’m talking about,” Jon said. “Are you sure it was the Great War that nearly destroyed us?”

Niles seemed to be contemplating Jon’s question for a moment. “What else could have happened?”

He didn’t answer Niles immediately. Instead he moved to a computer console and started punching commands into the holographic keys. “What do you know about the war?”

“Not much. Why?”

Again he didn’t answer Niles as he continued punching commands into the console. After a few moments he brought up some files and said, “These are ancient video files found within the ruins of Daura City.” He pointed at the files before imputing another command which started playing the first video. The monitor immediately changed from a screen showing an organized layout of files into playback of what made up the first video file.

In the video there was a large metropolis with scores of massive buildings reaching high into the sky. Among the city were hundreds of flying ships of many makes and sizes that didn’t require the use of heated drylium and gasbags. Past the cityscape were tall rocky-red mountains.

“What is this?” Niles asked.

“Well...” Jon said as he punched in another command. The video skipped forward. Now a massive landing pad was in view, a large ship that had been docked was taking off.

Niles’ eyes were wide. “I’ve always known we had technology like that from the stories I’d been told, but...”

“They even corroborated perfectly with the skeletal relics which remain littered across our own world, but you never really could be completely sure until seeing the proof for yourself,” Jon said as more of a statement than a question.

Niles nodded absently as he continued watching the video play. The ship that had taken off a few moments later was now ascending at a thirty degree angle as it disappeared out of view. Then, questioningly, he half turned his head while keeping his eyes on the screen.

Jon told Niles to keep watching as he made the video skip forward again, the red planet now visible from orbit. He noticed how riveted Niles was to the screen as he silently hoped that he was not showing too much too soon. Everything rested on Niles accepting the truth.

The ship that had been ascending into the upper atmosphere now broke orbit. “Keep playing it,” Niles said vehemently.

Jon smiled. It was working. Niles was eating up the truth like a man who hadn’t had water in days.

Then the perspective of the camera switched from the exterior of the ship to the interior of the bridge, the backs of the command crew now visible as they issued and received orders.

The vessel was a new prototype—or at least that’s what Jon thought from his studies after viewing the sequence literally tousands of times. But this particular video was not the only one. There were hundreds of them locked away in safe storage for further study—a treasure trove for the order’s historians.

The video stopped playing. Niles blinked. “Wait. Where did it go?”

“I’m sorry, Niles. The video was corrupted past that point. That’s all we have.” He thought Niles seemed slightly stricken. Is shock setting in? he wondered. Or is he still digesting what he’d seen in the video? Jon didn’t say anything. It would be better for Niles to ask him questions rather than for him to do all the talking.

Then after a few short moments of waiting, Niles said, “Why was the planet red in that video?”

“Because...” Jon said, “that was Verdana.”

Niles’ eyes widened with incredulity. “No,” he scoffed.

“There’s more,” Jon said. “A lot more.”

Niles scowled. “Why are you showing me these things?”

He was pushing Niles to the edge by showing him everything at once, but there was no other way. He would just have to spoon feed the captain one piece of information at a time and hope that the doubt now emanating from him would not overpower what Jon thought he had to know made perfect sense... it was logical. And it was true.

Jon waited for a moment before speaking. “When we first met, I had just discovered the Skydawn had been destroyed. The Skydawn was my barge.”

“And?” Niles said.

“And I have a very important mission to complete. I can’t do it without help.”

“Then get help,” Niles said. “You have the whole Guardian order at your disposal.”

Jon moved nearer the work bench and took a chair. He breathed out a long breath of air and said, “I wish that were so.”

Over the next hour Jon showed Niles several more short video clips before unlocking some of the various artifacts from the pull down rack above the work bench, each of which demonstrated more proofs than Jon thought necessary.

“Alright,” Niles said, “suppose I believe all this. You still haven’t told me why you’re showing me in the first place. In fact the only thing you’ve really shown me is how power hungry the Guardian order is by hording it and keeping it secret.”

Jon was sure he heard a note of defiance from the captain as he spoke those last words. Was this a mistake? he wondered... No. There is no other way. “I’m sorry to say there are far more startling things the order is keeping secret.”

Niles raised an eyebrow “Like what?”

Jon looked Niles straight in the eyes. “The truth about what really happened during the time of the Great War.”

“What happened?”

Jon didn’t want to say right away. He wondered where it would be best to begin. “The scorg... what do you make of them?”

“What are you getting at?” Niles asked, slightly impatiently.

“The scorg didn’t come into existence because of magically altered genetic mutation in the hopes of building a viable bio weapon like you’ve been lead to believe” Jon said.

“And who has lead me to believe that?”

“I don’t know,” Jon said. “Your friends? Family? Everyone you have every met?”

Niles snorted. “All right. Fine.”

“But who led them to believe that?” Jon asked. Then he added, “The order did. They’ve been muddying the past while changing history for hundreds of years.”

“Sounds like a conspiracy theory to me.”

“It is true,” Jon said fervently.

“Alright, Jon. Suppose you’re right, hypothetically speaking. Where did they come from then?”

“They came from off planet.”

Niles shook his head. “Now you’re really out there.”

Jon shrugged. “You’ve already accepted the fact that we were able to colonize Verdana. Why couldn’t the scorg have come from another world?”

Niles seemed to be pondering what he’d just said. There was still doubt in the air, but to Jon it felt more like denial rather than genuine disbelief. He knew it had to be hard to take in. All this information... so suddenly. So radical. It must have been difficult for the captain to accept something he had believed to be different his whole life.

“Look,” Niles said. “Does it really matter where the scorg came from?”

“Well I think it does,” Jon said.

“Fine. Keep going.”

Jon cleared his throat. If there was anything the captain would have trouble accepting, then it would be his next words. “They were...” He paused finding it difficult to say. What if Niles went berserk, demanded to be paid and let on his way?

“Well?”

He had no choice. He had to move forward and see what would happen. He could always stop Niles from leaving until he was finished. “The scorg were left here... on this world.”

“Okay,” Niles said. “But by who?”

This was it. He was going to say it. There was no turning back and if he didn’t tell Niles now, then there would have been no point in bringing him up here in the first place. “They were brought and left by off world beings,” he said. Then, before Niles could object, he quickly added, “And their purpose was—is, to eradicate human life on this planet.”

Niles didn’t say anything. He stared into Jon’s eyes for several moments. Then he smiled and his head fell back.

The captain was laughing.

It was no surprise to Jon that Niles didn’t believe him. Who, without hard proof, would believe something as extraordinary as alien beings coming to this world? Nobody would—not if they were in their right minds. “I can show you the proof.”

Niles had stopped laughing and was now standing up. “Guardian Swords, I appreciate the tour, but I think it’s time you paid me so we can both be on our way.”

Jon tried his best to seem disappointed as he sighed, then said, “Very well, Captain Wentworth. Please follow me.” He gestured for the other man to follow.

This is it, he thought. My last chance.

Jon got up out of his chair and started moving deeper into the room. He moved up to a large metal door without windows. He punched in a key code that unlocked the door and he entered. The room was cold and frost was caked on the walls. “This way, Captain.”

“What is this?” Niles said, scowling as he stepped into the room. “You plan to pay me in frozen foods?”

Jon ignored the rhetorical question. The first few times he had entered the room to study the subject it had sent chills up his spine, and not because he’d been cold. He moved toward a large coiled hose and picked up the nozzle end. “Pull that, will you?” he said, pointing to a large lever on the wall.

“Swords, I don’t have time for this.” He pulled the lever.

Jon could feel warmth from inside the hose as it stiffened. He pointed the nozzle towards a large ice-crusted cylindrical object that was bolted to the wall. “Prepare yourself,” he said. He opened the nozzle and boiling hot water came spraying out onto the cylinder. The front was made of glass and the thick crusted ice began to melt.

After a few minutes Jon could make out the form of what was inside, though without any fine detail.

“What the hells is that?” Niles asked as he moved up beside Jon.

Jon shut off the nozzle. He was looking through what was now clear glass. He didn’t turn to watch the expression on Niles’ face. Instead he moved close to the glass and said, “We found this six years ago.”

Niles moved forward, putting his hands over the glass cylinder. It fogged slightly as he peered at the creature inside. “My gods...”

Jon was also looking intently at the being, at its leathery rusty-red skin, the short claws on its long four-fingered hands, and the teeth showing through its slightly parted lips. The creature... the off world being, looked as if it had been frozen just after slipping out of a drowsy sleep. Anger seemed to be exuding from its ugly visage as well as an aura of smart intelligence. It sent chills down Jon’s spine every single time he’d entered the cryogenic chamber over the years.

Now he understands, Jon told himself. “We were investigating a meteor crash and instead, we found a ship. This... otherworldly being inside.”

Niles didn’t say anything for several seconds. Then he rushed passed Jon and out of the room. Jon followed Niles and shut the door to the cryogenics chamber.

The captain was sitting on the floor, his back up against the wall.

Was he in shock? Jon decided to continue despite what he thought, no what he knew, Niles was going through. “The order has suspected for sentries that the Great War fought amongst various human factions was a farce pulled over the eyes of the world through earlier Guardian subterfuge and muddying of facts.” Jon paused for a moment to make sure Niles heard him. “We weren’t completely sure until we found the ship. The build and materials of the hull matches one of the so called ‘factions’ we fought against during the war.”

Niles rubbed his eyes and faced Jon. He didn’t say anything.

Jon waited for a moment before speaking... “Niles, there’s more.”

“No.”

“Niles...“

“I said no. I’ve had enough. I don’t want to hear any more.”

Had Jon been this way when the order first showed him the corpse? He couldn’t remember, but he couldn’t blame Niles either. And he wouldn’t let him leave. “Niles, listen to me,” he said with an air of urgently. “These... aliens”—he could never get used to saying the word—“they intend on returning to our world, and the high council isn’t going to do anything about it. Do you know what that means?”

“I don’t care,” Niles said as he made his way for the exit.

“You should, because we’re talking about the extinction of mankind,” Jon snarled. He could feel the blood throbbing through his neck and forehead. “Don’t walk away from me, Captain.”

Niles, still ignoring him, moved up to the door and pulled. “Dammit! Let me out of here.”

“You’re not leaving until I’m finished.”

Niles wheeled around looking straight into Jon’s eyes. Jon held his gaze for what seemed like an eternity. Would Niles attack and force him to open the door?

How can he dismiss everything he just saw?

The captain closed his eyes and exhaled. He moved slowly past Jon toward a chair.

Jon followed.

Niles touched the backrest of the chair as if he was about to sit. “Do you know why these aliens are coming back?”

Jon felt an air of relief rush over him. He had persuaded Niles, albeit, forcefully, to remain and listen to what he had to say. “I do, Jon said.”

“But why? Why come to me with this?” Niles asked imploringly. “There’s a thousand other barges out there, not to mention your precious Guardian order.”

“As I’ve told you before, Niles. The order has decided to do nothing about the return of these star-faring beings. My barge—“

A pang of regret passed through him. He should have been there...

“Everyone I know... knew,” he corrected himself, “who could have helped me, died on the Skydawn. I need you.”

“Why me?” Niles asked again more fervently.

Jon didn’t answer. It was best if Niles saw for himself. He moved to the wall console and started imparting commands to bring up the proper files.

Niles watched as the files cascaded over the screen. There was a file of a senior Guardian named Bryan Parting lettered in red. It was an official order and reprimand from the high council to cease an unsanctioned relationship he was having with a woman not associated with the order.

“And this means, what?” Niles asked impatiently.

Jon punched in a few more commands into the console and the file expanded. A photo of the woman Bryan had had a relationship with—a marriage with—was now displayed across the screen.

“I already know my father was a Guardian,” Niles said defiantly.

How does he know? Jon wondered. Then he came to the conclusion that she must have told him. Jon punched in more commands which brought up a slew of digital photographs of Jon, together with Bryan, his friend. “I knew all along about Bryan’s unsanctioned marriage,” Jon said. “He was my friend and that’s why I never told the rest of the council about his relationship with your mother. But when they found out they expected me to testify against him. I refused of course, so they removed me from the council.

Niles’ eyes widened.

“There’s more.”