Red, orange and blue lights ignited the sky. A billion fireflies were silenced at once. The sight fell short of arising a reaction from Kazuki. The lake that separated the observation post from the inferno was alight with life.

He could barely see over the bannister railing, his grandfather having to lift him up. The people that fled from the inferno were being slaughtered enmasse. Their screams turned into gargles within the lake. The tenshu and citadel off the distance ruptured with an eclipsed eruption. It would be a strange sight, but death permeates around the galaxy…

“Kazuki, what do you think you see” asked his grandfather, the Senator Tatsuo-Ryzaku. Kazuki glanced up towards him, seeing his blue eyes reflect off his grandfather’s crimson irises.

Kazu glanced back down towards the inferno on the other side. Guards were walking the length of the observation post, shuttles flying by overhead. The flames were still being fanned. “I don’t know,” said Kazuki, putting his thoughts simply.

His grandfather grumbled under his breath, masqueraded by his grey hair and senatorial clothes.

“This is justice,” he said. “This is the price for rebellion, for not only going against the Republic: but against our people. Against the interests of all Trasia.”

“What did they do?” Kazuki asked inquisitively.

Lifting him back down to the floor, his grandfather looked down at him. He remained quiet. The retinue that surrounded both him and his grandfather had the black armour of the Trasian Imperial Guard. The armour was placed over the neat and orderly Imperial Guard dress uniforms. The guards held at their hips the Black blades of their ancestors.

“Your father did not tell you?” The old man shook his head in disbelief, continuing without waiting for a response. “I told your father to tell you before you arrived. The Jins have tried to usurp our family power.”

“Why?”

“Greed? Corruption? Who knows?” He placed his hands into his pockets, pulling out an observation lens, and placing it in front of his left eye. “Their keep should be under our control soon.”

“But… why?”

“Huh… inquisitive?” He asked, “Some say that the Belsaran Federation wanted the Trasian sector for themselves and that the Jara-Jins were promised wealth and power over this region if they would simply open up the gates…”

The last bit didn’t make sense to Kazuki. “Open the gates?”

“Not literally, of course!” The old man jested, “Figuratively, the federation wanted them to wipe out the ruling party of this sector, then claim the satrapy for themselves.”

“That would… kill us?”

“Yes. The Jara-Jins would have wanted us dead. That’s probably why they tried hiring mercenaries… Ruffians…” He knelt down to Kazuki’s level, the sign of age laced into the old man’s skin. “Never be like them…”

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“The Jins… or the—”

One of the guards approached the two, saluting and clicking their heels together. “Senator! Admiral Yamagata has reported a withdrawal of Belsaran forces from possible staging grounds along the Liberator’s Corridor.” His words interrupted Kazuki’s stream of thought.

“Aha! Thank you.” His grandfather nodded at the guard, as they turned and left. “I know you won’t understand much of what I say now, Kazuki, but it’ll serve you much better in the future.”

“I… don’t think it will,” Kazuki said meekly.

His grandfather let off a hearty chuckle, patting Kazuki on the back. The old man’s brooch was massive, even larger than his, filled to the brim with raw star power.

“So then, future Kazu, never forget who you are… Never forget your duties and responsibilities. Makara Jara-Jin forgot his duties to protect his family from himself. Now, they have lost everything.”

Turning back to the burning estate, everything was now so quiet… eerie. “What will happen?” asked Kazuki. Only the fire continued to wail.

“The land? We’ll just terraform it back to a tea plantation, more profitable for the trade sector. Then we lease ownership of it to a few key allies… political stuff that you won’t understand.”

“I do understand it!” Kazuki blurted out like an overly engaged Chyari ld. “I… understand… it?”

Old man Tatsuo-Ryzaku smiled, standing up. “One day, Kazuki, you’ll understand it one day…”

“But I’ll understand it now.”

“Not today, some other time perhaps. Remember: keep power close, very close. Keep both the people and your brokers happy, and you’ll have a very long reign…”

“What do you mean reign?” Kazuki inquired, “Reign like a king or an emperor?”

The old man took out a flask of sake, downing it before answering. “No, rules are more tedious for representatives… But we have time on our hands. We live in a time of peace, I’ll teach you one day.”

“Hmm, okay…” said Kazuki, “Promise?”

“Promise.” He then jokingly remarked. “Don’t try to learn them without me around!”

Kazuki replied instantly, “I won’t.”

“Of course you won’t, Kazuki. But for now, let’s let the Black blades deal with the fire.”

“And the Jins?” Kazuki once again found himself blurting out nonsense. “What will happen to them?”

His grandfather shrugged. “No idea, if any are left after tonight: they’ll be a threat to our family no more.” He pushed himself upwards, slowly walking away. Kazuki followed.

“The galaxy will not remember these people come ten years. You will, however, keep that to your chest and hold it tightly.”

He started to walk down the stairs of the makeshift observation post, guards pressing themselves against the railing to make way for the de facto Emperor of the Trasian Sector.

His voice echoed louder. “We have responsibilities… never forget what you are. You are a proud Leviathan - a phoenix. Never falter like them, never fall.”

“Yes…” Kazuki trailed off.

Tatsuo-Ryzaku continued, “One day, maybe the galaxy will forget who you are…”

The young kid remained silent.

“It’s a shame that so much has been lost to the echoes of time,” said the old man. Kazuki simply nodded, not finding much to say after all.

Kazuki… just wanted to go to sleep. He was feeling a bit tired. He touched his face, scratching for a moment. It felt strangely smooth.

The Senator kept talking, “There was once a story of an old man, rich and powerful, yet died all alone in his dreams before Irismas. He failed to create a legacy. He failed to impact anything. He didn’t play his cards right… Make sure you do. Make the galaxy remember you.”

“I will.” Kazuki’s reply was filled with a strange power behind his tongue, behind his mind.