A cool breeze swept through one of the remaining shisham forests of south Yeupis, a sign of its mild and snowless winters. Even under the night sky, the man trudging past the tree roots and fallen branches would’ve been hard to see. His body was covered head-to-toe in armor—although not the most elegant set he owned--and a large rucksack was slung around his strong shoulders. He made sure to keep the sleek, metallic road that cut through the forest within sight, as that would help guide him to wherever he was going. The stars and occasional hovering street lamp lit his way.
It's been far too long since I’ve been down here, he thought. He’d stayed in various small towns close to Haldor’s Pass for the previous few weeks, keeping his body rested as much as possible. He would’ve been at his destination much earlier, but he was not welcome where he was going. Staying there too long would’ve increased the risk of being seen by unwanted eyes.
Having walked for five hours straight, he had only just started to feel tired. He decided that it was time for a pause, and so found a log to rest on. With his back against it, and one foot on the ground to keep himself from falling to the ground. His visored eyes were fixed onto the dark sky, painted with yellow dots, interrupted with a few blue and purple streaks as if a brush had been stroked against it.
“The sky looks the same everywhere, north or south.” he sighed.
From the top left corner of his vision, a white shape zipped across the sky. It was thin but its brightness and speed told the man that it was different from the rest of shapes in his sight.
It was a shooting star.
“That’s something she would’ve loved to see,” he said, a smile spreading across his obscured face. “Ah, she would’ve grabbed my arm and told me to look up at it before I could notice it.”
Maybe if he’d heard her laughter and seen the grin on her face, it would’ve been distinct from the past night skies he had seen throughout the years.
When she called me Papa, I didn’t deserve it… how could I have left her after so long?
Before he could descend down another trail of somber thoughts, a honk had interrupted him. He shot up to his feet and quickly found the source of the sound.
“What are you doing over there, brother?” a man’s voice called out, being transmitted from the inside of a hovering car that had parked not far from him on the side of the road.
“Who are you?” the man on the log asked.
“Just someone who doesn’t want to see another person out in this dark forest all alone. Come on, get in my car.” the motorist offered.
I have nothing better to do, the man in the forest reasoned. It might save a few hours of travel.
The left sided door of the car opened to a spacious interior, even though the seating was designed for one other passenger besides a driver. The man in question was a Titanian, and judging by the clothing he wore, was someone who spent a lot of time outdoors.
“Thank you,” the armored man said with gratitude, before going straight to his most important question. “Where are you headed, if I may ask?”
“South, to Shargara. What about you?” the friendly driver asked.
“Ah, I just so happened to be headed there myself. What a pleasant surprise.” the corners of the armored man’s lips raised.
“By any chance, are you attending the general’s conference? I see that you’re dressed in some pretty impressive garb.”
“I’m just a mercenary.” the armored man lied. “My contract’s over, so I’m looking to find a new boss in Shargara. I prefer to look the part.”
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“Ah, I see. I’m a trader, so I don’t get to spend much time on the mainland,” the driver said pleasantly, referring to Titan. “I’ll spend a few days in the capital before I go home.”
“I haven’t been home in years,” the armored man said. “I want to go back soon. But money has to be made, right?”
“I couldn’t agree more. I have to feed the wife and kids, somehow. I’m sure you know how it feels.” he said with a chuckled.
The armored man had simply tried to feign small talk but ended up unintentionally steering the conversation to a topic he strongly preferred not to discuss. He immediately changed it.
“Why’s the General coming down from the mainland suddenly?” he asked. “I thought the military top brass’ policy was not to interfere with the colonies unless the Emperor orders it.”
“The General practically is the Emperor now! Ever since Emperor Halsten was last seen in public, she’s been in charge. Are you not aware of that? She’s been so for a while now. Well, I can’t really blame you. She doesn’t really make appearances.”
“…she?” the armored man muttered, unaware that General Gunnar Karesti’s successor was a woman.
“Hey, times have changed. Initially, a lot of people—especially the old folks 40 and up—thought it was absurd for a young, strong woman to give up her right to marry and bear the next generation, but they’re all dead or dying now. Hell, even I thought so too, but it seems she’s doing a good job. At least, good enough to concern herself with this dirty old colony, anyway.”
The armored man understood that since the last time he had been on Titan, drastic changes had occurred. The slow reforms put into place by Emperor Halsten were becoming undone. But to be sure, he wanted to confirm that thought by making a claim. He could tell just how talkative this driver was.
“I guess the Karesti’s never will get rid of these floating rocks in space.” he said, faking a laugh.
“It’s what they do best, but I’m not complaining,” the driver chuckled. “That lady’s got a lot on her hands. Why not make use of it?”
So Rhona’s the general. How lovely.
The armored man shrugged and looked out through the front window for several minutes. He didn’t know what to say. He’d remembered the last time Karesti’s led the military and the government at the same time—but now it was one person doing both, not two members of the family in charge. A civil war had nearly broken out on Mars, and it had only been quelled due to Halsten’s intervention, his first official act as Emperor.
“So, you’re a mercenary. What town were you hired to protect?” the driver asked when he could no longer bear the silence.
“Pardon me?” the passenger asked.
“You came from the border region, didn’t you? What else is there to do as a mercenary besides making sure the slaves being processed don’t act out?”
Due to the Marius mountains, the land immediately south of it was sparsely populated. The few settlements that were there were settled for the purpose of sheltering slave merchants and raiders and were concentrated around Haldor’s Pass. These were where slaves were sold on to merchants by the raiders and kept for processing. The healthy, strong ones would then be transported to a Spaceport near Shargara and shipped off to either Mars or Titan.
“Why do you ask?”
“I can hire you the next time I’m back on Terra. There’s no such thing as having too many helping hands.”
“Are you a slave trader?” the armored man asked.
“Yes, my friend, you’d be—
A laser blast penetrated the Titanian’s skull before he could finish his sentence. With the gun having been concealed and drawn out in the blink of an eye, he never knew what took his life. The armored man quickly grabbed a hold of the wheel and used an on-dashboard quick-brake to bring the car to a stop at the side of the road.
He looked down the road both ways, cautious of any witnesses who might’ve seen the act take place. When he determined that the coast was clear, he pulled the body of the man he murdered and pulled it over his shoulder with ease. He walked to an area about 300 yards from the road, in a clearing that was void of trees, but also surrounded by enough of them that anything that happened in it would be. Laying the corpse on the ground, he extended his arms in front of him, his hands facing flat out towards the body.
Leiche verbrennen, he thought. Instantly, a purple, person-shaped Reserve construct appeared in the air in the same orientation as the dead man, before floating down and imposing itself on him. The moment they touched, the body went up in raging, but heatless flames.
“Your wife and kids don’t need blood money.” he said as he walked away from the scene, back towards the car.
Entering on the driver’s door, he fished through the glove compartment, where he found a communicator. Up till that point, he had only a broad idea of what he was going to do once he reached the southern Yeupisian capital. Now, thanks to the words of the man he had killed, he had a clear goal in mind before ultimately returning to Titan.
“I’ll give them hellfire,” Gareth said. “Rhona, it’s about time you see our bloodline’s power from the other side.”
He put the car into full throttle, before speeding off further south.