The Skyliner zipped past long-abandoned buildings on its way from the landing pad to the city's heart. The rail it suspended under groaned with the weight of the eighteen car train, five hundred years of ill-repair testing every bit of the Old Empire's engineering prowess. For now, it held.
The Peacekeeper had asked to land away from the center. It was a wise move, one designed to avoid attention, but Vas knew it was fruitless. The 19s had known when the Peacekeeper was coming. Vas himself had made sure of that. He doubted it mattered much though. The last Peacekeeper made no attempt to hide his arrival. Everyone knew when he arrived. It didn't matter then.
Vas turned in his seat to get another look at the man himself. He was staring out the window, exchanging an occasional word with one of the other passengers, but otherwise silent, almost contemplative. Vas was again struck by how different he was. He remembered the last Peacekeeper, old and menacing, yellowed smile sunken deep into dark memories. He had an aura about him that would have stood out anywhere, on anyone. This one was different, almost normal. Vas would have no reason to think anything about the man were it not for his robes and... of course... The Hand of God.
Once again, despite his best efforts, he found himself staring at the device on the man's left hand. It was so... simple. Vas had never been this close to one before, and that was the first thing that struck him about it. In his imagination, the Gauntlet had always been adorned with a level of ornamentation befitting its awesome power. In reality though, as he saw it up close for the first time, it lacked any decoration or design. It was just black, almost boring. As Vas looked closer though, it seemed to him that there was something unusual about the black, an almost gravitational pull. He leaned in a bit. There was something strange, something not of this...
"Never seen one before?"
Vas snapped back in his seat and tore his eyes upward and away from the Hand to where the voice had originated. It was the Peacekeeper, chuckling to himself. "Ummm... only from a distance."
The Peacekeeper nodded. "I suppose you might've. Maurius never was subtle."
Vas was 14 again, looking out from the crowd toward the raised platform and raised hand, horribly black even in the light of day. "No. He wasn't."
Something in the Peacekeeper's expression changed, and he nodded his head, beckoning Vas to stand up and join him at the window.
After a quick glance around the rest of the car, Vas obeyed, trying to avoid one of the guard's piercing stares as he moved to join the Peacekeeper.
For a minute there was silence. The Peacekeeper didn't say anything right away, and Vas certainly wasn't going to start. The decrepit city whizzing past appeared to transfix the man. Vas followed his gaze but couldn't catch what seemed to draw him. It was the same Tella he'd always known- broken buildings beneath an oppressive dome. Eventually, the Peacekeeper found his words. "Do you know the story of this planet?"
He did, but he wasn't sure he wanted to answer. It was a strange question, not overly suspicious, but strange nonetheless. He considered for a second, before deciding to answer honestly. He was supposed to be a guide after all.
"Yes."
There was a pause again, Vas still a little unsure how to proceed. He didn't want to be rude, not to a Peacekeeper at least, but he also didn't want to reveal too much.
The man turned to Vas and smiled warmly. "Enlighten me."
It was an unusual request. The man knew the story better than Vas did. It was his job to know the story. Why did he care? What did he know? Was he toying with him? Vas fought down the momentary panic. It didn't matter. He was overthinking it. The Peacekeeper wasn't omnipotent. He just wanted to know what his guide thought.
“It’s not that unusual of a story.” Vas paused, but the man said nothing. He continued. “Tella was a slow-growing mining colony, well-positioned next to the Imperial Core.” He was repeating the story almost verbatim from the records he himself had read before arriving. “Back then it harvested a lot of minerals, but it was known for...”
“Astrium.” The Peacekeeper interrupted him.
“Yeah, but back then its capabilities were only theoretical. They knew it was special. They just didn’t really know why. The Empire was half a century or more from realizing its potential.”
“And then the Betrayal.” The Peacekeeper muttered, more to himself than to Vas.
Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.
“And then the Betrayal.” Vas repeated, a little confused at the interruption. “It changed, well, everything. To beat the Kulari technological development accelerated at a pace nobody had ever seen. What was fifty years away was five years away. Astrium’s potential was unearthed, and Tella boomed.” The man was silent now, listening. “It grew and it grew. As the war wreaked havoc, Tella thrived. For half a century it grew. It and many other planets. Until… well…” This was a tricky subject to speak about. Vas wasn’t sure what to say.
Thankfully, the Peacekeeper finished it for him. “It all came crashing down.”
Vas didn’t say anything. That was not how you were supposed to talk about the Ascension. It was the same phrase his dad had used, once, long ago.
For a short while there was silence. Vas stared out the window again, once more following the Peacekeeper’s gaze. This time, he thought he saw something of what the man saw- Tella, as it was: booming, full of money, corruption, beauty, and monstrosity. He blinked. He saw Tella again- ruins.
“I suppose I should introduce myself properly.” The man said after a short minute. “My name’s Talian, Peacekeeper of the Order.” He paused and smiled. “But I suppose you already know that.” Vas nodded, not sure what he was supposed to say. The man didn’t seem to care. “Now, do you mind if I ask you a personal question?”
“Depends on the question.” Thought Vas. “Of course not, sir.” Said Vas.
“Mind telling me where you’re from?”
Vas had not expected this. He would already know the answer. Everything he could possibly want to know about his guide was recorded on a database, one he would have looked at before arriving. Perhaps he was being friendly? Vas doubted it.
The man noticed his hesitation and smiled warmly. “C’mon. I know you’re not from here. Not with that accent.”
“Prime 2.” Vas blurted it out suddenly.
The Peacekeeper raised an eyebrow. “Oh, that must be quite the story.”
“Pretty normal actually.” Vas cursed inwardly. His response had been rude. A few simple questions and the man had already wormed past his guard. He'd need to do better.
The Peacekeeper shifted his head, feigning surprise, before breaking into another grin. “Yes… I suppose you’re right. Just trying to be polite. You understand? You and I will be working together quite a bit.”
“Of course, sir.” Vas said before turning away to face the ruins of Tella and the approaching heart of the city. In the distance, he spotted Creighton's glass mansion, where they'd be going. Next to it, leering out over the city, was the tallest building left on Tella, the Tower. The grey metal cylinder, almost invisible in the night, was Tella's only still operating prison. It was sinister, even from a distance, but now, he was almost glad to see it, maybe for the first time.
Then, without warning, Talian said something truly surprising. “I am sorry about your father, by the way. Was a sad story to read.” Stunned, Vas whirled from the view and to Talian’s eyes, expecting mockery or another grin. He didn’t find one. Instead, he thought he saw genuine sympathy. “Good man, I think. Caught up in a cruel machine.”
Vas didn’t know what to say. He could only stand there, replaying Talian’s words and wondering if he misheard. Thankfully, Talian didn’t expect a reply. He was taking in the view again, seeming to forget Vas was even there.
Seeing the obvious dismissal, Vas returned to his seat in time to watch Creighton nervously strut over, carefully playing with the strands of his hair in just a way to cover the worst of his growing bald spots. "Well, here it is," The governor began. "Tella." He stretched an arm out wide, gesturing at the approaching city. The Peacekeeper said nothing, and Creighton fiddled with his ornate clothing. "Miserable pile of scrap, I know... but I assure you, with just a little help, we'll turn this place around. I'll draw gold blood from this stone if it kills me." He laughed. Talian smiled politely.
The Governor swallowed. "Do not fret though. Your quarters will be of the highest quality. Your colleague Maurius before you was very complimentary of them. Even on Prime 2, my mansion would fit in wonderfully."
"Maurius has never been complementary of anything." Talian said it kindly, but there was a mocking glimmer in his eye.
Again, Creighton swallowed. "Ah, yes. Well, he didn't complain, at least not in front of me. I was only an advisor at the time." He dashed at a growing stream of sweat on his forehead.
"Oh," Talian smiled. "What happened to the previous governor?"
For the third time, Creighton swallowed deeply. "Well... uh..." He dabbed at the sweat again. "As you know... Maurius was... unsatisfied with his performance..."
"And why was that?"
Creighton laughed, almost choking as he did. "Peacekeeper... sir... you know all this." He looked around. "He had... failed..."
"To deal with the local unrest in a satisfying manner?" Talian finished with a smile.
"Uh... yes."
"Interesting. Shouldn't be a problem with us though."
"I certainly hope not."
"Would be a welcome change from how it usually goes." Talian grinned, wide and friendly.
Creighton swallowed deep for a fourth time and dismissed himself politely.
Vas smiled. Talian was still smiling too.
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Vas' father had been a good man, but he had also always been a busy man. Not necessarily absent, but busy. An educator, but always working after school, after classes. Doing something. Whatever it was, Vas had been too young to care. He only cared about his father’s tired smile and warm words when he did return home. They were happy, whatever that was worth. Then, everything changed. There was the arrest, the trial, the accusations. “Dissident.” Vas would never forget the word.
He was killed a few weeks later. Vas would never learn why. He only knew that his father was kind, soft, and loving- a man with a gentle word for everyone he met. He also knew it didn’t matter. Because, in the end, he was swept aside like dust in the wind. Three days after his death, Vas was sent to Tella.