MUNDANITY

Six months had passed since the Carrigan Incident – and life, as it so often does, had returned to what approached normalcy. It had taken Kye months to recover from their experience – their doctors had said it was a miracle they’d survived it at all.

As it was, their tie to their magic seemed deeper, stronger, a phenomenon they simply couldn’t explain. 

New Holland, devastated in the Restoration, had received assistance from across the Eventide League. While the Kingdom’s coffers were deep, some materials simply weren’t available on-world, and with the expulsion of the Ibrea after their plans had fallen apart, the Olesians felt they owed Carrigan some amount of repayment.

So, as the city skyline once more began to climb into the sky, Kye Celan, the Lost Prince of Carrigan, was lost no longer.

Yet, Kye felt… restless. Their stargazing resumed.

The halls felt empty. Petitioners and courtesans, traders and politicians – transient, in the scheme of things. Their portrait was hung in the ancestral gallery, the latest in a line going back millennia, but it wasn’t really them. Their gaze always lingered on Hallek.

Sometimes they still saw blood on the tiles of the throne room. Still heard the sounds of pitched battle in the halls.

Still heard the whispers of the Darksea, and felt the raw horror of the crystal sun.

The Rime Nova had been consumed by Cursa – a weapon from the ancient past obliterated wholly and utterly. Even still, it had left a mark upon the Eventide League – a mark discussed endlessly in tired debates and trite arguments, even as Kye tried – and failed – to appear interested. Hesse was as it always was, an exercise in futility. 

Perhaps they weren’t quite made for this life, after all.

Their proper coronation had been scheduled, rescheduled, and pushed off into the future; a problem Kye didn’t quite see as a problem. They were the Prince, the last in their line – it wasn’t as if any other options were feasible. A regent, perhaps.

…or a steward.

Their dreams were filled with adventure – their time among the stars, seeing new worlds and new places. Carrigan felt hollow without the reassuring presence of their father’s court and the driving forces leading them home. 

They wanted to see the galaxy again on their terms.

So it was, one cold night, that Kye penned a letter. Addressed to the Red Council, an unheard of request – but one they could simply ignore no longer, as they marked the letter with their own seal and handed it off to a palace messenger. A regency, instated by a Prince who wasn’t quite sure the world needed one.

Despite his faults, the Director had offloaded many duties onto the Red Council in exchange for their complacency – and the planetary constitution was quite clear on what the Kingdom could do without one, anyway.

Perhaps their father was right. Time away might do them good.

Gone were their robes – they wore but a tunic, breeches and a cowl against the night chill, drifting through the rebuilding city like a ghost.

Gone was the prestige of recognition – they’d tied their hair back to fit beneath the cowl, carefully plucking all the flowers but one.

Gone was the Prince as they purchased a ticket off of Carrigan, they simply traveled as Kye.

As the ship lifted away into the sky, they watched the Autumn House retreat behind the midnight sky – and smiled.

Gone, for now, but not forgotten.

RUBICON

// endgame

The Restoration was finalized at Tanager. Groups from across the Eventide League, from mercenaries offered contracts to vengeful Olesians to the scattered remnants of the Red Council and Carriganite exiles, many had a vested interest in the fall of Director Jayne Illor – but none more than Kye.

Kye fought for their throne, for their homeworld, and for their fathers, struck down by a tyrant’s ambition and a despot’s desires.

So it was, drifting in the cerulean clouds of the Iris Nebula, that Ulyn sat down with the Prince.

“Our forces are ready to depart as soon as you give the order,” Ulyn said off-handedly, gazing out into the dark.

“I hope I have not doomed us all.” Kye said quietly.

“It is the Director who has attempted to.” Ulyn said, frowning. “On Olesia, I received… disturbing data from an old colleague. Jayne Illor has in his possession a weapon predating the Collaborate, and has likely already tested it multiple times. The Ibrea referred to it as Sunshard, but that’s… likely not what it is called. A stellar deprivation weapon.”

“The crystal suns.” Kye muttered.

“We must assume he will attempt to use it at Carrigan.” Ulyn said sharply, standing. “Which is why we must strike before he has prepared.”

Kye nodded, staring out the vessels drifting in the void beyond the window.

“Give the order, Ulyn. May the future smile upon today.”

Ulyn nodded, and left the room – leaving Kye to their thoughts as the drive began to spin up.

No plan, as it is said, survived contact with the enemy.

Throughout the long thread of history, well-laid plans have met knots – and, as Kye’s armored bulk touched the shattered flagstones of the Autumn House courtyard, this plan seemed to have met an unexpected knot all its own.

Clearly, their actions across the Eventide League had drawn the Director’s attention – mercenaries littered the grounds as the Reforged Guard opened fire, their own weapon kicking against their grip as they shouldered it.

“Lord Celan, please stay down!” One of the guards shouted, planting a solid maglocked palm against their shoulder plate and extending their own shield across it. 

“I shall not allow my guard to take my home back for me!” The Prince shouted back, a grin in their voice. 

Already, two other landing craft had touched down – spilling forth Carriganite rebels and four members of the Easy Blues, power-armored bulk and warform synthframe bodies singing against the sound of battle. As the unprepared mercenaries shifted their aim, trying to keep the push away from the palisade, the Prince saw their chance.

Kye, throwing their rifle aside, drew their blade – and shouted something lost to the cacophony, raising it high over their head. The archaeotech shortsword hummed and pulsed, ancient circuitry glowing a brilliant gold, before igniting a soft yellow.

With a cry of “Retake the House! Leave none standing!”, they charged forward, their guard in their wake.

The push shattered their lines, sending the mercenaries who survived the onslaught reeling as they began to be pushed back into the Autumn House proper – leaving the ancient hallways of baroque opulence marred by battle for the first time in millennia, at the very least.

Kye did not care – this was their birthright, their legacy – they would take it back for their father’s memory, if nothing else. To rule a palace of ash was still to rule, if a tyrant’s head adorned it.

Beyond the palace walls the city itself was embroiled in the conflict – the Carriganite Rebellion was fully awoken, spurred into action by the declaration of the Red Council that the heir had returned, and that the Count Illor was to be removed. Jayne Illor’s guards had attempted to silence the Council, but were met by Ulyn Variss and the House Guard who’d survived. Clearly he was ahead of schedule.

“Lord Celan,” crackled a voice in their helmet as a slash from their blade bisected a House Illor guard, sending his two halves to the floor in a spray of augmetic synthblood.

“Speak,” Kye grunted, slashing the steaming blade through the air to clear it. 

“Commander Variss has touched down on the palatial grounds,” The voice said calmly, finally appearing in the top right of their vision. A number of infomorph posthumans had joined the cause, wreaking havoc among the planetary networks to prevent quick responses to the assault.

“Link him in.”

“Already done.”

“Ulyn?”

“A moment,” came the reply, muted by gunfire. Ahead, one of the Reforged Guard unleashed their magic – the air itself rippled from the heat, a hapless guard igniting like so much kindling.

“I take it the courtyard fell?” Ulyn asked a moment later.

“Easily enough. It seems the Director has pulled his heaviest forces back.”

“Indeed. We’re encountering heavy resistance trying to push to the White Gallery, as well.”

Kye frowned, jogging forward as the fighting moved on – the throne room wasn’t particularly far, but the palace had designed to be defensible. Hopefully the two fronts would make this easier.

“Have some of your men watch the pads. I don’t want that snake slipping by us.”

“Aye,” Ulyn agreed, and cut the channel.

Kye charged ahead, meeting one of the rival guards mid-stride in an attempt to knock it off its feet, only to be met by a charging synthframe-clad guard from the side, both enormous arms raised in an attempt to crush them here and there. Kye managed to bring their blade up in time, but only just.

The blade hissed in protest against the bare metal of the synthframe, even as Kye pulled from the Darksea in spades to will the blade hotter, brighter, but the warform was simply too strong for conventional methods.

With a cry, the holding action failed, sending the Prince sprawling as the warform bellowed a digital war cry, knocking a pair of guards who stepped in to shield them out of the way with contemptuous ease. It began to increase in speed, clearly hoping to simply flatten the reclaimer – but was caught from the side by a flash of gold, sending it off-course and smashing through the wall into an adjoining gallery.

One of the heavy-framed Easy Blues vaulted the low remains of the wall, exomatter gauntlet reconfiguring around their forearm, before sending another shower of golden annihilation raining onto the frame as it bellowed another atonal cry. 

The particles left pitted scars across the synthframe’s body as their negative mass annihilated against normal matter, even as it charged again – meeting the mercenary hand to hand in a shower of sparks and visual distortions.

“Ahead!” The mercenary shouted with a laugh, gauntlet glowing blue-white against their armor as they met blow after blow with a counter. “Onwards!”

Nodding, Kye rushed up the stairs as another titanic blow shook the crumbling wall loose, sealing the fight away.

Glass shattered as Kye entered the royal gallery, a pitched running firefight engulfing the length of the room – some of their own forces had come through the ceiling from another landing craft, catching reinforcing guards by surprise. Unfortunately, they’d been able to recover, and as Kye crossed the outer circuit they were forced to take a few potshots simply to be able to pass. Their comms were alive with shouts and cries, even as the Reforged Guard began to regroup and push into the throne room proper, fighting their way through the ancient halls and past the great Carrigan steelwood doors.

Callister Rhose, steward to the Count Illor and Spymaster of the Carrigan Directorate, attempted to bar the doors – his own weapons singing as he cut through a pair of guards before falling.

Kye slammed into the vast chamber, eyes darting across the vast chamber for any signs of Jayne Illor, and found none.

The room had been more or less stripped bare, their house crest long destroyed and removed – but, as they watched, the throne flickered.

Holite sparks twinkled and flickered in the shimmering air, resolving into the figure of a reclining man – sharp, hawkish features somewhat older than the last time they’d laid eyes on him – and, worryingly, smug.

“Ah! The Lost Prince, I had so wondered when your presence would grace these halls once more.” Jayne Illor crowed, smiling.

“It’s over.” Kye said flatly, blade at the ready.

“A bold declaration, but is it?” 

“The transmission is being bounced,” one of the infomorphs whispered in their ear. “Tracing it. Keep him talking for a few moments more.”

“Where have you fled, traitor?” Kye shouted, pointing the blade accusingly. “Show yourself and surrender and I may show leniency!”

“I’m afraid I’m quite beyond your grasp,” Jayne Illor sneered, steepling his fingers. “You may have your petty kingdom, Prince Celan. I shall have the day.

“What are you saying, you bastard?”

“Ah! The Ibrea have granted me a device that shall shape the League in my image, of course. I believe you’ve seen its handiwork?”

Kye’s blood ran cold. Banne.

“A remarkable piece of pre-Collaborate technology, wondrous. They called it the Rime Nova, a weapon to turn stars to ice.

The Prince took a step closer, starting to reply – but the voice returned, whispering in their ear. “Carrigan low orbit and rising. Two of our vessels have been tasked to intercept, but something… something dropped in beneath the orbital plane.”

“Something?” Kye asked aloud, drawing a grin from the holite figure.

“I believe this is where our stories part,” Jayne Illor smiled, leaning back. “Goodbye, Little Prince. I shall pluck Cursa from the sky as a frigid pearl and leave your world to die.”

With that, the hologram dissolved.

Static washed across the comm, until, with urgency the Prince was unfamiliar hearing, Ulyn broke through.

“…unshard! It’s the weapon!”

Kye turned to their guards, and nodded. Both split away to finish the retaking of the Autumn House, leaving Kye alone before the empty throne.

How hollow it felt, now.

They tapped their ear, gazing through the glass ceiling at the darkening sky. Unnatural lightning flickered through the clouds as the vessel rose away. Debris rained down from on high, flaring as it burned up over the horizon.

“Rembrandt-”

“Already touching down at the northern pad. Hurry.”

Sprinting as fast as their armor would allow, they rushed through the devastated halls of the Autumn House into the cold night air of Carrigan, intimately familiar with each passing second. The Farsight was ready to leave as soon as their feet had passed the threshold, rising into the night.

“Catch that ship!” They shouted into their comm as the deck shuddered beneath the thrust of realspace engines spinning up, slicing upwards through the sky as a silver ribbon.

Ahead, the Rime Nova loomed – a black stain on the orange backdrop of space, crawling inexorably towards Carrigan’s star.

The battle around Carrigan was intense – the Ibrea had clearly fallen back to harass pursuit, blossoms of fire and shattered ships settling into a rough ring around the planet as the Farsight slipped through. The vessel itself was much too large to successfully get close to the defended weapon – but a plan had already formed in their mind, one they’d shared to much uproar.

“You surely can’t be expecting us to let you go alone?!” Ulyn was shouting over the comm, tied up planetside.

“I have no choice!” Kye shouted back, already locking spare magazines and their blade to the magnetic locks on their armor and checking the seals. “The ship can be boarded from other points, but I will not lose my Guard this way. Find your own ways in.”

There was silence on the comm.

The Farsight hurtled closer, realspace drives screaming as they redlined – and, as Kye watched the black expanse of the weapon fly beneath, they took a deep breath.

The red lights of the deployment airlock turned green, and with a fist, they hit the button.

The pressurized environment of the airlock exploded forwards, sucking the Prince into the vacuum of space. For a single terrifying moment they tumbled head over heels, the stars and the shrinking starship spinning away, before they managed to find their thruster controls and right themself. Fighting off nausea and adrenaline tremors, the posthuman rocketed forward, their combat armor rated for merely fifteen minutes in hard vacuum. 

Finding an airlock was easy – but they were all welded shut. Even their blade couldn’t make a dent, cooling too quickly in the void of space – until, out of sheer frustration and rage, Kye poured every ounce of energy they could into the plate – liquifying the hull like candle wax, and yanking the cooling material aside in a shower of sparks and steel.

Steeling themself, the Prince slipped inside – and sealed the airlock behind them, the rush of escaping air slowing to a trickle as the alarms sounded.

“I’m sure they noticed my entrance,” Kye muttered, reading their blade – picking a direction, and rushing onwards. Over the comm, they were notified that a few others had made it aboard the Rime Nova as it passed beyond the range of the Restoration. Already, pockets of fighting had broken out – some of which were members of Illor’s own retinue from Carrigan who’d learned of the Director’s goals.

The vessel was enormous, utilizing a tram system for movement between the decks. Kye had managed to board one of the trams, moving forward despite heavy resistance; until, with a lurching stop, the power was cut.

Bullets began to smash against the sides of the tram, exotic conduits casting the station it had stopped within in harsh violet – and, with an explosion of glass, Kye leapt outwards.

Their armor protested as bullets slammed into the kinetic shields, even as the Prince dealt with the first two guards in rapid succession. The third, however, managed to loose a round through their calf plate before the white-gold blade bisected him.

Kye collapsed to the deck, blood spurting from the wound – and tugged their helmet free, screaming in anguish.

Already, the armor had begun to inject heavy painkillers and coagulants, nanorepair systems attempting to repair the artery – but their vision swam, darkening at the edges.

To be so close, their thoughts swam – before, struggling to stay awake despite their heavy eyelids, Kye gave in.

Elsewhere, the four-person infiltration team that had followed the Prince in had broken free of their holding action – intending to shatter the bridge defenses before they arrived. They’d been notified when their vitals had yellow-lined, but their mission came first. None of them were Carriganites, and held a higher loyalty to the Eventide League itself – the weapon had to be stopped first and foremost.

The narrow halls of the hull had opened into vast tunnels, clearly meant for vehicular transit within the vessel – lines with power conduits the size of trees, carrying the vast amounts of energy from the Infraspace Drain Arrays to the weapon systems at the bow. The leader of the infiltration team held up a palm, before gesturing with two fingers, and smashing a fist into their open palm.

The second member of the team nodded, their spider-like frame leaping upwards into the dark to set demolition charges.

The other three continued on. All four were synths – forged for asymmetric warfare, and designed for ship-to-ship sabotage. 

A quartet of guards fell to nanoflechettes and exotic matter annihilation, clearing up their pathway to the forward transit nexus – and, as the tram pulled away, the station it had just left was destroyed.

Kye, groggy, sat up.

A gun was tucked neatly under their chin, the cold metal sending a shock through their system.

“Good morning, Little Prince.” The holder said coldly, staring. They were enormous, obsidian-black and berobed. The only visible part of their body beneath were the glowing red oculi, clicking and whirring as their focus changed.

The room behind came into focus – a vast, open space, a wrap-around bridge window showing the growing expanse of Carrigan’s sun. The bridge.

“I take it our guest has awoken, Karteh?”

Kye tensed. Bastard.

“They have.”

“It takes a certain amount of bravery to board a vessel, Lord Celan. For this, I applaud you. Truly! And to have nearly made it to me, through three dozen guards? Most impressive.”

Hazily, Kye noticed their armor had been stripped away – and their blade was missing.

“I’m afraid your mission is over.”

The Director frowned as his earpiece hummed. His frown deepened as something was said. 

The lights overhead flickered.

“Persistent. No matter. Once the weapon has fired, their wills shall shatter.”

“Sir,” One of the bridge staff said cautiously. “Cursa is within firing distance.”

Jayne Illor began to speak, but Karteh spoke first.

“Charge the subspace manifold system. Begin draining.”

The officer nodded, beginning to work on his console – and the ominous hum, omnipresent since Kye had come aboard, began to grow louder.

Space around the Rime Nova began to distort and crack, a roiling, ebon black effervescence boiling from the ship. The Farsight, engaged with an Ibrean cruiser, was in no position to assist – and the fleet around Carrigan was simply too far away.

“Ancillary systems are waking. The weapon has begun to charge.”

The Director scowled. “Boost their yield. I want it charged as quickly as possible.” 

His earpiece chimed again.

There was a commotion in the hallway, guards shouting orders.

A thud.

Nothing.

Jayne Illor turned to Karteh, and tilted his head towards the door. The light outside began to darken.

The man’s robes began to shift, four spindly metallic blade arms extending from within it – and he took a heavy step towards the door, intent on meeting whomever had decided to so rudely interrupt.

The ceiling blew open, shrapnel and sparks showering anything not armored or shielded. Kye shouted in pain as their cheek was cut, managing to fall out of the way of a larger chunk.

The heavily armored bulk of a multiframe fell through the hole, landing on an ensign with a sickening crunch of shattered bone and pulverized flesh – and it stood a moment later, dripping in the silence.

Karteh was moving in the instant the sound had reached him, blades a whir of silver – but the frame was too heavy, magnetic repulsors lifting it from the deck as it hovered backwards out of reach. 

Using the distraction to their advantage, Kye reached for a guard’s scabbard – drawing the force rapier from it in one smooth movement, and attempting to stand. Electric fire shot through their right leg from the wound, but they forced the pain down, hot blood flowing through their fur.

They sprang forward on their good leg, catching a guard with the blade – and the third infiltrator frame dropped through the hole, spindly arms a blur.

The multiframe was soundly losing to Karteh, his blades simply faster than the combined body could keep up with – and as he landed a heavy blow, it split. The two units that made it up, now fighting on equal footing, began to pick at his defenses – clearly not intending to kill him, but certainly keeping him occupied.

The third frame crouched near Kye, faceless steel plate regarding them.

“Designate CELAN. You are injured.”

“I’m aware.” 

“Brace.”

With lightning fast speed and unerring accuracy, a medical hypo was jammed directly into their leg – causing them to scream in pain, which quickly subsided. Already, it began to ache less – something which only worsened their tunnel vision on the man panicking on the command dais as his exit was blocked.

Space beyond the bridge was darker yet, the golden expanse of the star now a pale yellow.

“We have to stop the charge sequence!” Kye told the infiltrator, who nodded.

“Conduit 6B.” It said simply – and the deck rocked.

The lights on the bridge flickered again, before cutting to harsh red – and the polarity on the forward windows cut completely, harsh direct sunlight spilling in.

The vessel began to list, gravity worsening – and the two frames struck a vital blow as Karteh lost his footing, red vitality spinning away in low gravity. He certainly wasn’t down, though, retaining his bearings and renewing his assault.

The frame regarded Kye. “Tertiary operational status has been reclassified as expended. Vessel is adrift.”

The Prince wasn’t quite sure what that meant. “Thank you.”

Immediate concern closed, their attention turned to the man stalking their way – a familiar golden blade clutched in their shaking hands, fury coloring their face in the harsh red light.

“I’ll handle this.” They said simply, waving the synthframe away.

“I was this close.” Jayne Illor said quietly, rage seeping through. “This. CLOSE. YOUR WORLD IN MY PALM. Bleeding. A stepping stone for this whole-damned League!”

The slash came so suddenly Kye barely had time to react – their blade meeting the Carriganite blade with a resounding clash of steel, and then shattering – the force behind the Director’s blow utterly rending the rapier. 

Kye threw themself backwards just in time for it to sail through their underclothes, turning the pale white shirt into so many ribbons.

Blood dripped to the floor.

“I’ll have your life for this, you vermin.” Director Illor hissed.

One of the frames fell to Karteh, who shattered it utterly – scattering its remains across the bridge. The remaining frame of the duo paused for only an instant, before doubling it’s efforts.

Kye, despair beginning to creep in as even their protector was pulled away by an attempted attack on the Prince by a pair of guards, began to pull on the Darksea once more – but whatever the ship had done to charge had weakened the veil.

The usual cool, honey-thick creep of magic felt… wrong. Slimy.

It coiled around their soul like tar, dripping and flowing towards their fingers like a landslide – even as their hands began to shake, their eyes rolling back, they couldn’t stop what was coming. It was as if they were trying to dam the ocean, even small cracks were too huge to handle.

The Director drew the blade back, intent on severing the head of the Lost Prince – and was suddenly cast in white, searing light.

Pure energy leapt from the Prince to the Director’s body, setting Kye’s fur alight – and drowning out the screams of agony from both, flowing through the posthuman like a living capacitor. Whatever limiting factors prevented mages from pulling on the Darksea had been removed by the draining effect of the Rime Nova, and both paid a terrible, terrible price.

As suddenly as it had started, it was over.

Kye, arms burned black and charred, collapsed to the deck, their eyes a brilliant white and smoking.

Jayne Illor, Count of Olesia and Director of Carrigan, Kingmaker and traitor, was ash scattered to the stars.

The Carriganite blade, resonant to the Tides, glowed a brilliant orange as it hissed and sputtered against the red-hot deck.

The Rime Nova shuddered as another explosion rocked the vast vessel, superstructure groaning under increased gravitic pressure. The bridge crew had fled when the fight started. None would survive this. Karteh lay bleeding, prone beneath the remaining drone.

It had begun to fall into the star.

“Primary.” The remaining multiframe infiltrator said, urgency creeping into its voice. “Recovery limit is approximately four minutes thirty six seconds distant. Recommend breach.”

The tall, spindly unit regarded the smoking body on the floor. An expense of energy like that likely killed it. 

The decision took a microsecond.

Clasping a rebreather over the posthuman’s face and making sure the helmet enclosed the ears, its mind was made up.

Striding to the vast exoglass window, the synth curled its fingers into a fist. The first punch sent cracks a few inches.

The second sent cracks six feet.

The third began to whistle, atmosphere rushing through the gaps.

“Brace.” It said, glancing at the second frame and down at the still form of the Prince.

The last punch shattered the window, sucking the corpses and the screaming form of Karteh of Lusa into the open void – and, with almost passive disinterest, the two synthframes disengaged their magnetic soles.

“Package recovered.” Primary announced over an open comm, receiving a handshake in return.

It looked to Secondary, intending to tight-beam directional thrust orders, but the second synthframe had been shattered by stray debris.

No matter. 

Checking the Prince for signs of decompression and finding none, the synth marked its mission as complete as the star grew brighter, their path a wide orbit.

Kye awoke to birdsong and wind.

Slowly, carefully, they cracked an eye open – searing sunlight making them blink. They were laying on soft grass – they could feel it against their fur, green with the sweet smell of summer heavy on the breeze. Tree leaves overhead dappled the light in a way they’d never seen, before. 

Slowly, they sat up. They were in a forest by a small stream – and, as they looked around, beat up as they were, they saw a familiar face, dipping a hand into the water.

“…F-Father?”

The figure looked up, and smiled.

“Kye.”

Right there, that very moment, they began to cry – blood seeping from their damaged tear ducts and running red rivulets down their cheeks, staining the fur.

“I- I thi… I think I’ve avenged you,” Kye finally managed to sputter, the weight of the last few years feeling like a lifetime.

“You have.” Hallek said quietly, crouching next to the crying prince.

“Was it worth it?” He asked after a moment. 

“No.” Kye said, very small. 

“That was the lesson I was never able to teach.” Hallek said, giving the smaller rabbit a slight squeeze. “Sometimes no matter what we do, we lose. There’s no happy ending. There’s no curtain call and we’re not played off. It just… ends. There’s finality to it. That, is how life’s greatest adventures usually close.”

Kye, realizing what was being said, stayed silent.

“It is, as Rhys would call it, “filler.”, The elder posthuman chuckled, staring up at the blue sky.

“Am… am I dead?” Kye managed after a few moments of silence.

“No. At least, not yet, I suppose.” Hallek shrugged. “You certainly came close. But not today.”

Kye, having so many questions to ask – so much advice they needed – started, but Hallek raised a hand. “All will come to you in time, Kye. Trust me. It did to me, and my father, and his father before him. You will do fine, and when the time comes the path you choose is yours, and yours alone. Remember that.”

He took the prince’s hand in his, and placed his other over it.

“Remember me. I have one last thing to ask you.”

Hallek smiled.

“I just need you to promise me you’ll wake up.”

Kye’s world shattered. They squeezed their eyes shut, wanting for all the stars in the sky to stay right there forever, but…

“-aking up! Get the surgeon!”

Kye opened their eyes, to little more than hazy gray shapes. The smell of medical supplies and ionized air stung at their nose, mixed with the stench of burned fur and seared skin. 

A figure leaned over them, darkening the scene – before, after a warning of brightness, the bandages were carefully removed.

It was a large and open hospital room – packed with equipment and with an open window, a bright winter’s day shining in from outside.

“Welcome back to the land of the living, my Lord,” The doctor said after a moment, taking the smallest of bows.

“Please,” Kye croaked, their throat parched. 

“Call me Kye.”

RIMELIGHT

//ice

The bridge of the Farsight was largely empty apart from two figures, staring out at the stars.

Rembrandt, the pilot, glanced up. “Something on your mind? You look like you’re about to cry.”

“I’m… nervous.” Kye said, after a moment.

“Why?”

“Olesia is his homeworld, Kye. He has ties running back there decades before you were even born. He’ll be fine.”

The Prince sighed, running a palm through their hair, before nodding, once. The Farsight was currently cruising on sublight until it was far enough from Olesia to jump – which, due to the world’s lower mass than Carrigan, wasn’t very far at all.

As the ship’s pilot, Rembrandt got a more intimate view of the Prince than the guards did – and right now, they were terrified. Ulyn Variss was practically the thing holding their world together after the Exile, but he was a tough bastard – he’d be fine.

“So where are we headed next?” Kye suddenly asked, changing the topic.

“The wake we captured in the Heart was a directional one,” Rembrandt began, swiping their screen upwards so the contents resolved in midair from the mesh. A star map, highlighted with an estimated path based on systems in the direction the wake faced.

“Three systems of interest within a 90% margin, one of which could be marked off immediately as being openly hostile to the Directorate – that’s Avan, by the way, we’re not welcome there either – so that leaves… these two. Gyra, and Banne.”

Kye thought back to what they knew of the Eventide League. Gyra they knew nearly nothing of, but Banne was a name they recognized. 

“That’s the breadbasket, right? My father preferred Banne imports to all others in the League.”

“Bingo. Gyra’s a backwater industrial system, but Banne is a vital food production center… and a tempting target.”

They shared a glance.

“Get us underway as soon as you’re clear,” The Prince affirmed, hoping the sinking feeling in their stomach wasn’t a portent. “I want to be there as soon as possible.”

“Aye, Captain. Spinning up the drive.”

The journey of sixty lightyears took nearly a day and a half, but soon enough Kye was once more on the bridge of the Farsight, peering out into the pale nothing that was the Tides.

“Transition in five… four… three…”

The crew braced as the ship shuddered – and the void parted. A moon filled their view, airless and dead.

“… Rembrandt, this isn’t Banne.”

“…There’s no way we drifted that far,” The pilot began, checking their instruments – and shouting in alarm as multiple contacts began to fill in on the sensor map. A veritable fleet was on the far side of the world, escorting… something.

Killing the active systems and keeping the bare minimums alive, the Farsight began to drift – the quiet ambience of the ship the only sound as the strange vessels prowled about in the far distance.

“Can we get closer to Banne with maneuvering thrust? I want to see what’s going on down there.” Kye asked, eyes on the screen.

“Plotting a course now. Shouldn’t take too long.”

The ship shuddered as the control thrusters began to fire, shifting their ragged orbit into one carrying the vessel across the far side of the moon.

The sun rose as the vessel drifted, and instantly Kye’s stomach dropped. Where warm sunlight once shone, cold, sterile light remained. They didn’t need to get closer to know what had happened.

The vessel’s orbit took it closer. The strange ships were leaving, now – jumping away, their job complete. Banne rose in the forward observation window, and the crew collectively gasped.

Gone was the world of verdant greens and blue seas. Where once crop fields and agricultural arcologies coated the world from pole to pole, now only barren ice remained – feet of water vapor and particulates, an atmosphere flash-frozen. Cities preserved as if in amber.

A world, dead.

“This…” Kye began, but found they couldn’t quite manage the words. The rings in the Heart had been horrific, but there’d been no hard numbers, no expedition. Banne was a world of billions.

“Captain, huge signature. It’s making for the jump line.”

Kye found their composure. “Show me.”

It was… monstrous.

Kilometers long, the dark shape glided across the void away from the frozen sun, black effervescence still leaking from it like ichor from a wound. Reality recoiled from it, as if spacetime itself had been wounded by the use.

With the flash of a transit, the behemoth was gone – and the system’s map was empty.

“Give me readings on that… thing. On Banne. The star. I want every piece of information you can find me, and I want it now.

The bridge crew sprung into action as Kye crossed the room, placing a palm against the window. An expanse of ice stretched to the sloping curve of the planet’s horizon. How many had seen it coming? Had the star’s death been instant?

“…I’m getting a signal?”

Kye blinked.

“From the ship?”

“From the surface. Weak, but it’s there.”

The planet loomed below, silent.

“Patch it through.”

“Aye, Captain. Audio only.”

“—k, sta– your —nce!” The broadcast was choppy and awash with static. Clearly the antenna array it was traveling through had issues.

Kye glanced over, receiving only a shrug from the comms officer. The officer tapped a few things, before nodding.

“This is the League vessel Farsight, responding to your broadcast. Are you in need of assistance?”

The reply was static.

“I am going down there.” The Prince said simply, more command than query. 

“You cannot be serious. What if it’s a trap?”

“A trap left behind on a dead world when the ships could have done the work easier in half the time?”

“…I’ll admit, that is a fair point.”

Kye offered little else, turning and heading off.

Banne was… dead.

A wasteland of frigid ice and bare ruin stretched in every direction as the pinnace set down. Joined by a trio of guards, Kye ventured forth into the flash-frozen landscape, their suit helpfully notifying them the surface temperature was nearly absolute zero.

“Comms quiet,” one of the guards muttered, flipping through the bands. “Just the beacon signal. About four hundred meters that way, and down.”

He pointed, singling out a shelter half-buried in ice. It looked surprisingly airtight, a blessing.

“I want that airlock open.” Kye said suddenly. “Get whoever is in there aboard the pinnace, I don’t care how.

It turned out, as contact was established, to be a small gathering of colonial militia and civilians – around a hundred strong, survivors of the cataclysmic event that had struck Banne. Luckily, they possessed a number of exposure suits – and soon enough the first loads of rescues were being ferried into orbit.

Kye, though, had a different interest.

“Tell me of the ship,” They were saying, speaking to the captain of the guard, Anton Hull. “Did they land here? Who were they?”

“I know little of their actions, Lord Celan,” The guard sighed, salt and pepper hair falling over his face. “I was simply warned by the orbital command office that strange vessels had slipped in beneath the command and control altitude and began destroying communication satellites. Next thing we knew that behemoth had hit Banne, and there was little we could do but grab who we could.”

“Did you see it fire? What happened?”

“It blackened the sky. It was hard to… to observe. Difficult to explain.”

“Please attempt to do so, for our sake. We intend to stop it.”

“Stop it? Are you mad?”

“Quite. But that’s beside the point.”

The guard sighed. “It reminded me of a transition point, only… larger. If I’d have to wager, it’s pulling on the Tides – but I’m no scientist, and my opinion’s as good as dust, there.”

Kye nodded, as if placated. “I see. Thank you for the information, and I personally assure you your people will be welcomed aboard my vessel.”

With that, they bowed, and turned away.

Their thoughts were whirling. A weapon that drew upon the Tides for energy? The star’s readings had more or less revealed it was a resonance weapon of some description, and now they had the source of the energy used – but… how? A relic from the Collaborate? Older?

Who were the mysterious escorts? 

The thoughts followed them back to their ship, and further still – even as the Reforged Guard scattered across the Eventide League, seeking repaid favors and interested parties, Kye sat in their study, watching the stars.

They felt as if they had half of the puzzle – this was clearly tied to the Director, somehow. But how?

It stayed with them into the night, just out of reach.

THE GATHERING STORM

//OLD FRIENDS

Olesia was an ancient, craggy world of deep forests and towering mountains. Once the foremost power of the Eventide League, it had long ago been overshadowed by the rising stars of the League and the influence of distant Hesse – a low brought even lower with the advent of piracy along the frontiers, based in nearby systems. Now, much of Olesia’s effort was expended outwards, a fact worsened by the estranged Count’s recent actions.

Still, Ulyn knew it well – he’d served time here in his younger years as a mercenary hired on by one of the smaller merchant houses, protecting claims on Olesia’s moon, Tyche. It felt like a lifetime ago.

That same pale moon hung high above as the synth watched the retreating white bulk of the Farsight lift into the night sky, intent on following another lead the Prince had managed to track down in the days following the discovery in the Heart. Fine by him, he mused.

He had business to take care of.

The Count’s plays had been sloppy. Callister Rhose had been sloppier, still. Sentiment, as far as one could feel the pulse of a world from light-years away, was negative – and, with the world now neglected by the so-called Director playing king, Ulyn knew a few well-placed problems might just be the thing to set the house of cards tumbling.

He’d not counted on one small detail, though.

They called themselves the Ibrea, towering warriors of black robes and interlocking plates. The starport was guarded, but years of playing commander of the guard had taught Ulyn the benefits of being quick on your feet. Whoever – whatever – the Ibrea were, they were clearly aligned with the Count Illor, and as such… needed to be avoided. Whenever possible.

He was just finishing his last cigarette when the quiet of the night was disrupted by the approach of a vehicle, the whine of an electrolytic engine carrying on the wind. An older model, certainly; few drove, anymore.

The silver vehicle slowly slid to a stop in front of him, the driver’s window rolling down – and a familiar scruffy grey bearded face grinned back. “Thought you’d bought the farm, Variss. What’d I say about jobs that get you killed?”

“Haven’t got me yet, Holland,” Ulyn grunted, giving the hood a pat as he rounded the car and yanked the door open, piling in. “But I’m sure you’ll manage.”

The man laughed, putting it back in drive, and they turned away onto one of the many roads criss-crossing the outskirts of Olesia’s capital.

“So what brings you to our little slice of rust?” Holland offered, carefully avoiding a security checkpoint as they left the spaceport.

“I’m here to get the band back together,” Ulyn grinned, tapping the dash of the car. “Remember the border wars?”

“How could I forget? Every little noble with a grudge had a deeper pocket book than the last.”

“Big fan of the Count Illor, Jayme?”

“Fuck you. I’d kill him myself if he hadn’t run off to some core rock and taken half his cronies with him. Best thing to happen to Olesia in centuries and the people who took his place won’t take bribes.”

Holland sighed after a moment, connecting the dots. “Let me guess. You’re roped up in that mess, aren’t you.”

Ulyn laughed, a genuine, actual laugh.

“When I said don’t take jobs that’ll get you killed I wasn’t kidding, Ulyn. You sure have a hard-on for danger.”

“And you don’t?”

“We’re not talking about me here, are we?” The car shook slightly as the roads grew rougher, not as well maintained beyond the spaceport’s perimeter.

“So who the hell are these guys?” Ulyn asked suddenly, looking out at a gathering of the tall figures in armor, staring at the passing traffic. “They certainly weren’t here the last time I passed through.”

Ibrea. They’re some sort of… what the fuck’s the word, a PMC or something. Nobody’s sure. When the Count grabbed his guard and ran off, he had these ballbusters step in for him. They’re running this place like a dictatorship, and it’s really starting to grind against the other houses. Last I heard they were considering declaring the Count absent until the Ibrea disappeared a few of the loudest voices.”

Interesting. So even Olesia wasn’t a fan of their mutual friend.

“Any idea where they went?”

“What, in the prison breaking business again?”

Ulyn held his hands up, shrugging. “Can’t say it doesn’t spice things up.”

“You need to get a better hobby,” Holland scoffed, pulling off onto a smaller road. “And to answer your question – which, by the way, you made me have to dig through a decade of shit to find the cypher – fine. I know a few people, have plenty of strings to pull. I have no problem helping send that dickhead to whatever hell he doesn’t believe in and I doubt anyone else here does, either.”

“Apart from the Ibrea.”

“Yeah, well, they can get fucked.”

Slowly, the car slid to a stop. A small roadside bar was lighting up the night, invitingly loud and baudy. Julie’s Roadstop was a tradition going back to even before Ulyn had left for the stars – of course it would be this place.

“Really?”

“Oh, too good for the classics now, Variss?” Holland rolled his eyes. “Told the rest of the Blues to meet us here, everybody knows Julie’s. Practically the start of any good job, these days.”

With a shrug, they both piled out, and headed in. It was just as he’d remembered it – loud, bright, and welcoming.

The same couldn’t be said of the Easy Blues.

“Well, well, somebody dug up the tin can,” One of the three mercs seated at the booth quipped, rolling her eyes. “Surprised you came back, Ulyn. Let me guess, bills too big to keep you dirtside for long?”

“Shove it, Triss.” Holland snapped, taking a seat.

“What’s this all about, anyway?” A second merc, Harell, stated flatly, crossing his arms.

“I said I wouldn’t work with him again after Vind, Holland, you can’t just–”

“Can you all shut up for once? He’s here about a job, and if you want to settle your tabs you’ll listen.”

That shut them up.

“Ladies and… men,” Ulyn began, taking a seat. “Our good friend the Count Illor has bitten off more than he can chew, and I believe it’s about time he choked.”

Surprise flashed across their faces.

“I need his power base here on Olesia crippled. I’ve got a few names and targets, but… it’s been some time since I called this world home, and I’m sure my info’s outdated. Each of you keeps an ear to the ground – I remember the Easy Blues of yesteryear, and old habits die hard.”

Triss, scowling, took a sip of her drink, dark hair and silver scales on her cheeks glinting in the light. “I’ve had my people following a few big shots, sure. Mostly for blackmail, but I’ve got patterns and routines down. Taking a shot or two would be child’s play. But what’s in it for us, Ulyn? You hit it big out there when we weren’t looking?”

“One twenty five, split three ways.”

Even Holland blanched at that.

“You can’t be serious?”

“Dead serious.”

“How the hell did you get that kind of money?”

Ulyn shrugged. “I ran in high circles.”

“Fuck… not much of a choice now, is it?” Harell chuckled darkly, placing his elbows on the table. He was a mountain of a man, with a voice like a landslide.

Harell was the Easy Blues’ munitions expert and quartermaster – outfitting a few dozen mercs across the Eventide League was tough business, but few were tougher than him.

“You’re really going after Jayne, huh?” He said after a moment, a look in his eyes the synth couldn’t place.

“It’s… personal.” Ulyn said quietly, thinking of Hallek, and his heir. Probably most of the way to Banne, by now. “He’s a murderer and a usurper. Putting him down like a dog is what he deserves.”

“Didn’t think you were one to play hero.” Harell raised an eyebrow.

“I’m not. I’m here to get the dirty work done so the heroes can play hero. You know how our jobs end.”

“That I do. Fine, I’m on board. I’m sure I’ll find a few fun things to try out.” He grinned.

The third merc, the company’s personnel ops officer, frowned. Ulyn hadn’t met him before – he’d clearly joined the Blues after he’d left for Carrigan.

“No. I’m not risking people on this.”

“Gage-” Holland began.

“Holland, do you know who the Ibrea are? What they’d do if they thought we were starting a rebellion?”

“Frankly no, and I don’t give a damn, either.”

“Triss tapped their comms when she was building her network. They’re not from around here.”

“Well, surprise surprise.

Triss interjected. “No. I mean, they’re not from the Spur. They’re some… other, thing. Warriors from some kingdom deep in the black. They made some deal with the Count, and it’s what’s keeping him afloat.”

“That’s just further reason to why we have to get this ball rolling,” Ulyn muttered darkly, leaning in. “There’s something out there that can turn stars to ice. I saw it with my own eyes, a system killed as surely as with a bullet. I don’t know if they’re related, somehow, but the timing is too convenient for my liking.”

“Ice…?”

Ice. The whole damn thing crystallized.”

The table fell silent.

“…I’ll, see what I can do,” Gage said quietly, already working on his wristcom.

“That explains something.”

Ulyn frowned, turning to Triss. She wore a mask of concern, brows furrowed. “What?”

“The Ibrea kept mentioning something in offworld communiques, I thought it pertained to the Directorate matter. Something called “Project Sunshard”, whatever that means.”

“Sunshard?”

“I don’t know. They were vague, and the parts I couldn’t see were encrypted in ways I’d never seen before. I’ve got the relevant dumps, but…”

“Send them to me,” Ulyn said, standing. “If you hear anything else about it, send that along, too.”

She nodded.

“I’m sending a list of targets and sites – most grabbed from orbit, but a few scoped out by… other means. Hit these, and the payday’s yours.”

“And what will you be doing while the Blues get busy?” Holland asked, raising an eyebrow.

Ulyn turned, already looking over the info he’d been sent. “Finding out what the hell this is.”

HEARTBREAK

//DISCOVERY

“We should be breaking through any moment, now.”

The Farsight’s crew was gathered in the command bridge, peering into the thick mists. The Glittershoal was denser than any natural nebula, formed of ever shifting clouds of strange material – and, thus far, had shielded their movements from the League patrol prowling the border edges like a deep-sea predator.

All members of the Reforged Guard were present, along with the two members of the ship’s engineering contingent – despite Chief Olson’s insistence the damage they’d taken at Tanis still wasn’t completely fixed, and likely wouldn’t be for days. This was simply too important, too… captivating.

None in living memory had reached the Heart. Only scrap made it back.

The ship began to groan.

“… We’re hitting gravitic turbulence.” The ship’s pilot, Rembrandt Kase, frowned. “Space itself is… strange, here, in a way the sensors can’t really make heads or tails of. I’m trying to compensate.”

“Simply do what is required.” Prince Celan said simply, golden gaze drifting outwards. “I have faith in your ability to deliver us without harm.”

The pilot nodded.

The shaking grew worse, one of the tiles along the bridge ceiling popping loose with a slam.

Beyond the viewports, the Glittershoal seemed to solidify, as if actively resisting the vessel. Pressure warnings began to blare as Rembrandt fought with the controls.

One of the guards put a hand on Kye’s shoulder, and in the chaos of reaching the Heart they weren’t sure who it was.

Their eyes flicked from the view, to the pilot, to the guard – and his hand, reaching for his scabbard–

In an instant Kye was moving, throwing themself backwards against the guard with enough force to cause him to drop the blade in surprise. The other members of the Guard shouted in alarm as the offender attempted to grab for the rabbit, but Kye was ready this time, their own sword at the ready.

“You damned traitor!” Kye shouted, fury in their eyes and voice. “At least show the decency of making your face known!”

The “guard” laughed, and reached up – removing their House helmet and tossing it aside. The person beneath was fair, almost Sylvan, with long braided gray hair and crystal blue eyes. Their fingertips crackled as magic oozed into the bridge, and with a fury unbridled they lashed at the closest guard, hitting him with three punches that sent him denting into the bulkhead.

Two more guards fell before Kye charged in, sword ready – and slashed downwards, intending to end the fight right then and there. Their own magic augmented their swing, the air singing as the blade parted it like nothing, but it was simply not fast enough. The man ducked out of the way, tugging a pair of hythel daggers free from their belt.

“My, what a dance!” The man laughed, giving a mocking bow. “It’s been some time since my last true duel, Prince Celan – please do not disappoint.”

“How long have you laid in wait in my Guard?” The Prince snarled, fury pouring down the blade in electric light, casting their face in relief.

“Long enough,” He smirked, pirouetting to his left and bringing one of the daggers down in a deadly arc. Kye slashed their sword to the side, catching their wrist on the flat and twisting it out of the way. One of the other guards attempted to grab their other arm from behind, receiving a hole in their helmet for the trouble. “My! How unsporting, duels are invite only.

The guard fell without a sound.

Fortunately for Kye, the killing blow had deprived the assassin of one of their blades, and in a brief moment of clarity they sliced inwards. The Carrigan-forged blade cut through the Guard chestpiece the man wore, slicing a bloody gash across his midsection that elicited a sharp cry of pain and surprise even as the undergarments began to wet.

By now the other guards on the bridge – including Ulyn Variss, the Bulwark, had begun to close, and any good assassin knew when to call it off. Eyes darting wildly, he spotted a conduit on the ceiling – and with a marksman’s aim the sparks coiling around his free wrist jumped away, overloading it. It exploded in a shower of sparks and smoke, and the assassin leapt from the bridge down the command deck access hallway. He stumbled slightly as the shaking grew worse.

“Seize him!” Kye cried, charging after – and followed closely behind by the Guard.

There was only place he’d be headed aboard the Farsight, and he could not be allowed to reach it.

“Take the lift! Cut him off in the rear hangar!” Ulyn was shouting, ordering a pair of guards into the level below – and squeezing off a shot from his sidearm, missing the fleeing assassin by scant millimeters and singing the doorframe.

The pursuit through the ship was short-lived, however, as another guard fell to his blades – and Kye managed to close the gap as the hangar doors flew open, catching the dagger on their crossguard. With a vicious kick Kye was knocked backwards into Ulyn’s armored bulk, prismatic lance readied and charged.

“The Director sends his regards,” The man sing-songed, clearly intending to make a run for the ship – but made it three steps.

One.

Two.

As his foot hit the ramp boarding the shuttle, the hurled lance pierced his lower back, exploding from his stomach in a shower of gore-spattered light. The weapon had been thrown with such force it continued onwards after spearing the assassin, embedding in the hull of the shuttle to the hilt.

He took one more step, and collapsed to the deck.

“A waste of a good throw,” Ulyn muttered, calling the lance back to his palm.

Kye stared as the blood ran down the ramp, pooling on the hangar floor.

Blood, pooling on the floor of the throne room. White fur stained pink.

They closed their eyes, and turned away.

The lift opposite opened, the pair of guards rushing into the room as the rest followed from behind the Prince and the Bulwark.

“Ulyn, please… deal with the bodies. I cannot.”

The synth removed his helmet, and slightly bowed. “My Liege.”

His sympathetic gaze lingered a moment too long, before he was gone.

The ship’s shuddering abruptly stopped.

Blue-white light poured in from somewhere beyond, utterly unlike any starlight Kye had glimpsed before – omnipresent and harsh, yet soft. It reminded them of ice.

“Captain, you’re… gonna want to see this for yourself.” Their comm buzzed, the pilot’s voice a mix of wonder and apprehension. “We’ve pierced the Heart.”

It was… beautiful.

In the core of the Glittershoal, sculpted from swirling, thick clouds of miasma, was a… thing.

Metallic lattices of cyclopean scale and unknown make stretched the width and breadth of the unimaginably vast space the Farsight had entered – culminating in a lonely, centrally placed star. It had once been a standard K-class star of similar type to any other, but this star was surrounded by a system of six rings. Each ring was easily the size of Carrigan’s orbit, their inner faces once sporting habitable land and atmospheres, supported by a coronal shunt mounted around the star’s poles.

This star no longer shone, however.

Where once roiling seas of flaming gas had roared, was harsh crystal – a star of ice, and death. The coronal jets had frozen mid-transmission, shattering the collection apparatus on both poles and sending the rings spiraling into asymmetric orbits. Their surfaces, no longer graced by the warmth of their parent sun, were frigid and dead.

“What… happened here?” Rembrandt managed, the Farsight drifting over the furthest ring.

“A crystal sun…” Kye finally managed, the words of the Ovelle rising in their mind.

It was real? What did this? Who?

“Rembrandt, have you checked the Heart for wakes?”

“No, Captain. Should I?”

“Yes. I believe our friend may be involved, here.”

The pilot set to work, leaving Kye with a palm on the window, staring at the dead world below.

“Woah. We’ve got a wake, alright. Must be the size of a moon…

“Are you certain it’s not a mass transition?”

“Yeah. Sig’s too uniform, when ships jump together it’s more like… a collection of holes. This is one big one.”

Kye, brow furrowed, turned their gaze from the view. “What do you think did it?”

The pilot, tugging a little lighter from their pocket and shakily lighting the cigarette clenched in their teeth, shrugged.

“Plenty of weird shit out there these days, Lord Celan. My bet’s on someone testing something. Can’t imagine a better place than the Glittershoal – who’d see? Aside from, you know, those down there on the rings…”

He took a drag, exhaling a long sigh. “Poor bastards. Nobody even knew they were here.”

Kye was already deep in thought, and after bidding the pilot farewell for the time being, headed back down towards the hangar. Already the guards lost in the fight had been given their rites and committed to the void, but… Kye wanted answers.

“Ulyn.”

“Ah, I was about to call for you,” The synth grunted, staring down at the corpse. “He’s one of the two we picked up on Tanis. Knew I recognized his face, but he’d looked… different, before. When he died this cut out.”

Ulyn opened his palm, a small holite emitter perched upon it.

“He’d been disguised for weeks. Just to get a shot at you.”

Fury rising, Kye gave the body a kick – and turned away, unable to look it in the eyes. “He was sent by the Director himself. Said as much. I highly doubt he hadn’t reported back to the man in the time we’ve been within the League.”

“We’ll simply have to accelerate our plans,” Kye stated darkly, signaling for a pair of guards to carry the body of the assassin away for disposal. “Carrigan is in striking distance.”

“You intend to simply charge in and try to kill him?”

“What choice do I have, Ulyn? My throne and the hall of my forefathers in the clutches of a kingslayer? My people, suffering beneath a petty king?”

“And what if he kills you?”

Kye said nothing.

Ulyn stared.

“What if he does, Kye? You’d waste every ounce of momentum we’ve gained in this year among the stars for the slightest chance at revenge?”

“You don’t know what it’s like!” Kye practically screamed, voice cracking. “I shed my blood, sweat and tears for this cause, Ulyn – I’ll be damned if I don’t have his head!”

Ulyn fell silent, regarding the Prince with a strange mixture of pity and sorrow. They were too young for this, too naïve, too simple. A child raised on stories of heroes and knights who believed all evil in the world was solved by the flick of a wrist. Ulyn had seen the truth of the Eventide League; fought on the rimward reaches with pirates, had participated in the Chalcyrus Nightfall. Wars were not won by heroics and one final blow.

A resolve burned behind those eyes, though – a will to move the stars themselves. The heir to the Kingdom of Carrigan, the last of their line.

“I am not endorsing your plan.” Ulyn said after a moment, carefully choosing his words. “We don’t have the men, or the arms. But I… may know a few people. Have a bit of sway. All I ask is a week.”

Done.” Kye said simply.

“Rembrandt?” Ulyn said into his comm, waiting for a reply.

Reading you.”

“Get us underway. We’re headed for Olesia.”

“Uh, correct me if I’m wrong – Olesia is where the Bad Guy’s from? Why the hell are we headin’ there?”

“Old friends.” Ulyn said simply.

“…If you say so. We’re locked in, we’ll be underway shortly.”

The comm clicked as the channel closed.

“Go get some sleep,” Ulyn said, gesturing to the hall.

“You’ll need it.”

Kye shuffled away, spent. Ulyn stayed behind, staring intently at the blood-stained ramp, and sighed. He’d left the mercenary life behind long ago, dragged along by another young prince fresh out of the Carrigan Military Academy much like the one he served today. What was it that kept bringing him back? Fate? Bad luck? Or was he simply attracted to danger and trouble like a moth to a flame?

Maybe that’s why he’d genuinely enjoyed the past few weeks – a return to form, as it were.

A cleaning drone puttered by, beeping in protest at the dirty floor as it began to scrub away the drying blood.

Ulyn knew there’d be a lot more of it, sooner or later.

With that, he turned, and headed for his quarters. He had a few calls to make.

INTERLUDE: MEMORY

//iceheart. stained glass. distance.

Carrigan’s sun hung low on the horizon, bathing the Autumn House in just enough sunshine to offset the deep winter chill. The Gardens were dormant, their verdant greenery hidden beneath soft frost and rime – but that didn’t matter to Kye. Not today.

Today, they were learning – receiving their first lessons in swordplay from the captain of the house guard, Van Sascha. 

“Your stance, my Prince – you must position yourself properly. Like so.”

Sascha was a tan-faced seaworlder from Hesse, scraggly brown beard and bright eyes at home in the dress whites of a guard captain off duty. His “opponent”, fuming, was the Heir Apparent themself – Kye Celan, Prince of Carrigan. Sascha had rarely met Savhara before being selected from the planetary guard to join the ranks of the House, but in his experience this one was much less… intimidating than their father, or the royal consort.

For one thing they weren’t particularly imposing, being little more than a teenager, and it certainly showed in their technique, all raw strength and no finesse.

“Again. Attempt to disarm me, without… dis-arming.” Sascha grinned, dropping into a guard.

Kye attempted a strike, stepping to their left and trying to bring the blade up – clumsily overextending themself and allowing their opponent to, in a single move, knock the training blade from their paws.

“Ugh!” Kye shouted in frustration, stomping away for a moment before slowly wandering back. “I just… I can’t! I don’t want to do this today, I don’t get why I need lessons, that’s what we have guards for! Why do I need to know how to swing a stupid sword?!”

“My Prince,” Sascha began, but paused.

“Have you heard the tales of the wars of the ancient past, by chance? Surely your tutors have mentioned them.”

Kye, still fuming, nodded.

“Kaln Tevyaga, the Tyrant, conquered the Shoals. His fleets ruled the stars, his armies fought without equal. But he made a mistake.”

He lifted his blade, gesturing towards it. 

“He grew so complacent in his throne, surrounded by supplicants, that when the fight came to him, and the Red Thief drew its own blade, he had no fight to offer. By my own words, you shall not suffer a similar fate.”

Kye, slowly, nodded again – and glanced down at the training blade in their palms, cold metal reflecting their frown.

“Your stance, my Prince.”

Kye gritted their teeth, spreading their feet into as close to the stance as they could remember.

“Good. Again!”

The clanging of blades and frustration lasted into the evening, the passing of the day giving way to a winter night’s chill – and, as the lights of New Holland illuminated the western promenade of the Autumn House, two figures leaned against the balcony.

One, a tall, white furred hare with golden holite strands running through his steel-grey hair and a sweeping cerulean and gray robe and cloak – the other a shorter, stockier rabbit, steel grey eyes at odds with his soft brown and tan features and simple brown jacket and green trousers. This was the King of Carrigan, Hallek Celan, and his consort, Rhys.

“Perhaps I was hasty in wanting a walk of the grounds,” Hallek muttered, tugging their robes closer. “I’d forgotten how damnable the Carrigan winters can be.”

“Oh, chin up,” Rhys offered with a chuckle, leaning against him. “I’m plenty warm, and ready to share when His Highness is tired of shivering.”

“Hmph.”

“It works, honest.”

Hallek allowed himself a smile, gazing down. New Holland was by far the largest city on Carrigan – nearly sixteen million called it home, the bustling metropolitan landscapes beneath Regent Hill spreading far into the distance. Perhaps it was why his ancient ancestor, Syn Celan, had built the Autumn House here. His mind drifted to the future, and he frowned.

“…I’m worried about Kye,” Hallek sighed.

“Why so?” Rhys queried, tugging a small cigarette from their lapel pocket.

“I’ve heard from the palace tutors that they’ve been absent for the past six sessions, and Van Sascha’s report on their swordsmanship is… lacking. They’re content to daydream in the royal libraries and watch seabirds, but not to actually learn any of the skills needed to be my successor.”

Rhys frowned. “Simply because they’re not your mirror doesn’t mean they won’t rule just fine, Hal. They’re kind, and knowledgeable about all manner of things – trust me, those lessons are as dry as a Sulyn summer. Can’t blame the kid for thinking the statecraft stuff is worth playing hooky.”

“I… suppose,” Hallek chuckled. “Can’t say I was the greatest student, either.”

“The same Hallek Celan who nearly crashed their skysail trying to impress me at the academy instead of continuing their stellar career sleeping through Admiral Gheel’s strategy courses? Why, I remember his marks being… awful.” Rhys stuck out his tongue at his husband’s chuckle, before finally continuing. “If it’s truly an issue, talk to them. I don’t think it’s a big deal, but if you do there’s no sense waiting until it’s a problem.”

Hallek ran their fingers through their hair, before reaching out and hugging the shorter man to him – planting a kiss on his forehead. “Thanks, Rhys. Too much time at court lends itself to missing the obvious, sometimes.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Rhys offered, returning the gesture with a gentle squeeze. “Heard it all before. Run along before you freeze solid, by the way – maybe wear something more than a robe for a walk?”

Hallek chuckled, and turned for the door.

Kye, of course, was found easily in the royal library, studying texts from the Seventh Cycle – A Treatise on Stellar Collapse, it seemed. So engrossed were they, in fact, that they hardly noticed the entrance, much less the figure of their father, flanked by a pair of house guards.

“Kye.”

The prince started in surprise, datapad clattering to the table, before they whipped around to face the speaker.

“F-Father, I-“

“Come.”

Bowing, the shorter rabbit wandered over, falling in behind their father as he turned away down the long corridor. Vast windows opened to the evening beyond, starlight filtering through amidst the indirect orange lights of the palace.

“Soon you will be of age to claim your position as heir,” Hallek said quietly, glancing slightly to his left. “Have you given this any thought?”

Kye, staring out at the stars, shook their head. “I will do what is asked of me, as any lord of our house shall.”

“That’s not what I asked and you know it.” There was a chiding tone there, as if Hallek knew better.

Kye sighed. 

“I… am not quite sure what you ask of me,” The Prince said simply, crestfallen. “If you mean to ask if I would shirk the responsibility, no, I will not.”

“I mean to ask if you’re…”

Hallek paused, slowing. “If you’re alright. You’re falling behind in your studies, and hardly ever wander the palace as you did in your younger years – it’s simply the royal libraries, the observatory, or your quarters. Why?”

Kye seemed… frustrated. Odd.

“I need reasons to study?”

“Of course not.’

There was a brief moment of tense silence, before Kye sighed. “I… it is a lot of responsibility to bear. I suppose I’ve been trying to feel…”

They search for a word, glancing around.

“…ready.”

“I’ve been King for a decade and I’m still not ready,” Hallek chuckled, taking a knee. “It’s not exactly a job that comes with a manual, you know. You make mistakes. Our line has ruled Carrigan alongside the Red Council for millennia, and I can’t think of a single Celan who was flawless. Yet the Council chose us, all the same.”

Kye was silent, musing.

“And… you have my backing, and that of the Council. Your position is secured. It’s not unheard of for an heir to take leave to see the League before they take the throne.”

Hallek winked. “I did.”

With that, he turned, striding off down the lamp-lit corridor with purpose.

Kye, mind whirling, gazed out into the cold night beyond the warm confines of the Autumn House – and smiled, the first snowflakes of winter beginning to fall.

BINDING TIES

//BEST LAID PLANS

It began, as these things always do, in a bar. 

Rembrandt Kase was by no means a drifter – even if he looked the part, worn spacer’s badge looped through his belt with pride. He was an older man of four centuries, silver hair and scruffy beard clinging to his olive chin like snow on a mountainside. Sharp blue eyes took in the half-glass of Sygian scotch currently warming on the bar counter, reflecting the slowly spinning fan overhead.

He’d been a pilot for hire once, out on the frontiers of the Spur – fighting pirates and worse for those who couldn’t do so themselves, cash and booze flowing like rivers. These days he was more likely to pull a muscle than a trigger.

Still, odd jobs kept the liquor pouring and the lights on, and at the end of the day that’s all that mattered.

The door to the bar slid open, and… something walked in.

Curiously, the man half-turned, realizing the newcomer was a bit shorter than his gaze had expected. Furred and robed, the creature resembled… well. A rabbit.

Sort of.

Savhara weren’t particularly common across the Spur, but he’d encountered a few in his travels – this one looked to be on a mission, if the curious look they gave him meant anything.

Turning back to his drink and the news, he was surprised to hear the stool to his right slide out, little paws landing on the bartop with the sound of shifting cloth.

“No pets allowed,” The bartender offered, giving the Savhara a look.

“It is no longer funny,” They replied, frowning. 

The bartender shrugged, and went back to cleaning glasses.

“Your name is known to me,” The Savhara said after a long moment, drawing Rembrandt’s attention mid-gulp of scotch. “A mister Kase? Former starfighter pilot?”

“Yeah, that’d be me. Not quite sure who you are.”

The rabbit seemed pensive. “My name is not relevant to the situation at hand. You may simply refer to me as Kye.”

“Well, Kye, what brings you to a starport dive? We don’t tend to get rabbits here.” Rembrandt sniffed, figuring this rabbit was full to the eartips of shit.

“A desire to find a pilot.” Kye stated irritably, reaching into their robes for something. “Though I seem to have found a drunk, instead.”

Rembrandt scowled. “A pilot for what? Can’t pay skipper fare?”

His smugness faded as he saw what the Savhara had removed from their robes. A small, reddish-brown intricate cuboid device made of smaller cubes. Interesting.

“I see from your gaze you recognize it.”

“Damn right I do. That’s a Cavican tyras. Where the hell did you get it, and why?”

“That’s a rather long story for someone clearly wanting to be rid of me,” Kye snipped, frowning.

“Piqued my interest, kid. Those might be more rare than you are.”

Kye turned, watching the bartender for a moment, before deciding it wasn’t worth the risk. “Dock 6E. Red lights. Can’t miss it.”

With that, they were gone.

“Ugh,” Rembrandt groaned, turning back to his drink. Either a trap or a job, and… well, he didn’t wear a holster for nothing. He drained the glass, and brought it back down on the bar with a pointed clink.

“Give me something stronger, man. Get the feeling I’m going to need it.”

Two drinks later, and a few dozen ked lighter, he was on his way.

Dock 6E was one of the smaller docks surrounding the roughly star-shaped Port Chapel, largely servicing vessels of corvette tonnage and lighter. Seeing as this was most of the system’s traffic, that made it the busiest dock by far – dozens of vessels and hundreds of dock workers and crews milling about, discussing trophies and local bars and the dusty, tired urbworld beyond the starport and the city that surrounded it.

Still, as Rembrandt began to wonder if he’d been led on a wild goose chase, red lights caught his eye.

More specifically, a red light – and a tall figure beneath it, staring at him through the crowd.

Drawing closer, the figure was synthetic – a tall, myomer-wrapped tungsten frame with an in-set vertical white holite bar for a faceplate, garbed in neutral greens and a brown cloak.

“You’re Kase?” The synth stated bluntly, voice rough.

“What’s it to you?”

“I was told you were coming. Didn’t expect you to show.”

“Full of surprises. Where’s the little guy, anyway? Expected to see him here.”

“On the ship.”

The synth turned, striding away into the dark.

Hand drifting to his holster, Rembrandt followed. 

It wasn’t particularly far – an old alleyway, running perpendicular to the starport’s many thoroughfares. Clearly used for more clandestine access to one of the old docking areas, it opened up soon after to reveal a modest hangar – and a ship, angled away towards the vast hangar doors.

From what Rembrandt could tell, the vessel was around seventy feet in length, standing off the floor on six recessed landing gear. Arrays and comms equipment jutted here and there, along with the gossamer solar collectors required for a functioning tideshift device – but that was where the things he recognized ended. Odd markings dotted the hull here and there, itself made of a composite he didn’t recall. The hull was a soft, almost pearlescent white – and, combined with the gentle sloping angles to the “wings” of the vessel, it seemed more like a sea creature than a starship.

Still, he couldn’t help but whistle. 

“I take it you’re fascinated?” The synth offered, glancing back slightly as the two crossed the hangar. “It was… difficult to acquire. But I have connections.”

“It’s yours?” Rembrandt queried, raising an eyebrow.

“It is the property of the Lord Celan,” The synth replied dismissively. “For now.”

Rembrandt frowned. Lord Celan?

With a hiss, a section of the hull along the underside separated – and, slowly, a gangway descended to the hangar floor. Atop it, the rabbit from earlier glanced downward – no longer garbed in their robes, but a simple grey tunic, brown trousers, and a tool belt. Holite stars drifted around their palms.

“I see you’ve come to parlay, mister Kase! Do come aboard, it’s rather drafty in the hangar.”

Beckoned forth by the synth, he walked aboard. The vessel had clearly once been a luxury liner – seats for many, with ostentatious golden carpets and wall art scattered about. Holite ceilings showed alien skies and starry nights, though the small study he was guided to held none of these luxuries – merely synthwood shelves, a desk, and few chairs, one of which the rabbit occupied.

“You may leave us, Ulyn. I have business to discuss.”

The synth nodded, and shut the door behind themself. Turning back to Rembrandt, the rabbit sighed. “I hope you’ll excuse how formal they can be. As a former member of my House Guard, the weight of my house name carries more formality to them than most – I certainly do appreciate your brusqueness, as an aside.”

Again, they produced the small cube – but this time, sat it upon the desk. Ominous soft vibrations shook through the wood.

“To answer your question, first and foremost, I was given this tyras by the tide-wytch Kephylas on the world of Tannen. Within it was a vision of my future – and the future of my home, if I was to not act.”

The rabbit lifted their gaze, an intensity there that burned like the stars themselves. “My previous introduction bore no weight. I am Kye Celan, known across the Shoals as the Lost Prince of Carrigan. A name I do not share lightly. I understand if you would rather not get involved.”

Rembrandt frowned. That explained… some things, but left others. Nobility? Well. Exiled nobility. “What brings an exile to the Shallows?”

The question was simple, but the prince’s face was conflicted – dark and restless, like a stormy sea.

“I have my reasons, mister Kase. It is best that you know little of my goals, apart from the destinations.”

“Vengeance, huh?” Rembrandt offered, a corner of his mouth tugging upwards. “The Lost Prince and their stolen throne.”

Kye shifted, uncertain of what to share.

“That is… partially, why I need a pilot. The other component is much less mundane.”

Rembrandt raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. The Shoals were the frontier of the Spur – ancient worlds and older stars. Strange tidings indeed.

“I’m not agreeing to a damn thing without the whole picture. You knew this when you met me, I’m sure – my reputation hinges upon it.”

Kye, with the slightest of nods, sat up straighter.

“Rembrandt Kase, what you are about to be entrusted with cannot be shared beyond the confines of this room. Do you agree to this?”

Slowly, he nodded.

Gently, Kye lifted the tyras – and rotated the hemispheres of it in a complicated pattern of half rotations and double-backs, before with a click it began to hum, a masterwork of tidecraft forged of clay and technomancy.

The room grew noticeably colder.

Kye closed their eyes, holding the tyras aloft – and, softly, Rembrandt began to see… things.

A vista – the sky above alight with colors he’d never dreamed of, space itself a riot of orange and purple and gold. It was a forested hilltop – but something was deeply, deeply wrong here.

Ice crusted every surface, flash-frozen plants still mid-bloom. For miles around, an ice age had seemingly appeared overnight – farmsteads and homes frozen solid. High above, the world’s star hung, cold and dead. 

A crystal sun.

There was something else there, too – a warning of ages past, whispered echoes of the Collaborate and the Awakening, weapons that birthed The Wound. Battles that had scarred the galaxy for many thousands of years afterwards, and the horrible remnants lurking in the dark between the stars.

With the echoing cackle of a witch’s portent, Kye stopped channeling into the device, letting it fall silent.

Rembrandt said nothing. 

Kye said nothing, a pensive look seemingly etched into their face, a few stray strands of hair falling low.

“You have evidence of this?” Rembrandt said after a moment longer, softly.

“Little.” Kye admitted. “Mostly dreams. Tide-visions. Rumors of stars dimming in the depths of the Shoals.”

Rembrandt seemed thoughtful. “For a tide-witch to entrust you with a tyras… you must be held to high esteem. Its presence vouches for your merit.”

“I thank you for your confidence.” 

“Don’t thank me just yet. I’m no Carriganite, you’re not getting the princely treatment from me. I want a number, Kye Celan. I’m no charity case, and I’m certainly not fighting a liberation or hunting down glass stars on promises of I-owe-yous and titles I can’t use.”

“I see your mercenary mind is still intact, at least,” Kye frowned. “Fine. A letter of credit, Rembrandt Kase. Thirty thousand ked, upon completion of duties outlined within – and with ten thousand up front, for incentive.

Rembrandt struggled not to blink. His last piloting gig had netted barely a quarter of that. Less.

“I trust you’re also trained in combat?”

“I… well, I’m certainly not a swordsman, but I’m alright with a gun.”

The rabbit waved a hand dismissively. “Pah. The Core truly is soft. You will learn from Ulyn.”

They turned their gaze upon him, an intensity burning within. “Well? Are these terms agreeable, mister Kase?”

Rembrandt thought for a moment. Port Chapel had held little for him in prospects, otherwise – becoming a regular at a dive wasn’t exactly glamorous. All the local outfits weren’t looking for new members or were pirates in corporate guise, and joining some local navy to get stationed on a dirt-farmer’s moon claim wasn’t particularly appealing.

Sure. Why the hell not.

“They are.”

Kye grinned, allowing the man a look at their fangs for the first time. “Rembrandt Kase, welcome aboard the Blessed Be The Far Sighted. Ulyn simply refers to it as the Farsight. Not quite sure why.”

Kye offered a paw – which Rembrandt shook, an ancient symbolic gesture. Business had concluded.

As if on cue, the door opened once more – and Ulyn, impassive as ever, stepped in.

They regarded Kye for a moment, then Rembrandt – before, with a subtle nod, gestured outwards. “Allow me to show your quarters, and the bridge, ser Kase. I believe you will find both to your liking.”

Kye, turning away towards the odd collection of papers and minutia scattered across the study, summoned a map into existence – but Rembrandt was only able to see it for a moment before the door shut behind him.

The Shoals…?

Over the next month, new members were added to the crew. Some were sought out at the advice of Rembrandt, such as Chief Engineer Rylem Olson, a sky-rider from the aerostat colonies on Vandyre. 

Others, like the starfighter pilot Syn Tamar, took more to convince – but soon enough, the crew of the Farsight hit ten permanent members, all seated around the mess tables as the ship drifted through the strange otherness of the Tide.

There was Olm Sanvarre, astrocartographer and navigator from the Tide-guilds of Yhut. Short, pale and squat, he was more at home behind a desk or console than on the battlefield – which was, much to his relief, where he was expected to be.

Chief Engineer Olson was next, lanky frame and holite frame wrist-augments symbolizing their past as a sky-rider on Vandyre. Toxic atmospheres and ancient machinery meant quick repairs were paramount, resulting in some of the finest starship engineers in the Spur – and Rylem Olson was certainly among their number.

The next two were stranger – a pair of disaffected void-borne drifters known as Vynce and Kale, driven from the Shoals by the Duke Illor’s closure of relations with the Spur at large. They had a score to settle they kept to themselves, and as a pair of hardened soldiers Kye was glad to have them aboard.

Rembrandt himself was the fifth addition, serving as the pilot of the Farsight – and Syn Tamar, former ace pilot of the Tri-Sun Commonality, seated to his right.

A heavy-frame synth was next, occupying space next to the table – this was Ophiuchus, a Castegan warbody who sought out conflict across the Spur for improvement data. Luckily, his weaponry was concealed for the moment.

Finally, standing beside the Prince, was Ulyn – garbed in the off-whites and soft orange of the House Celan, rank pins affixed to his lapel.

“I thank you for meeting in such short notice,” Kye began, the lights in the room dimming as the table’s holite displays ignited. Murmured assent drifted around them.

A map ignited on the table – the local Spur, trade lands and populated systems drifting about like snow in a snow globe. Here and there, borders were drawn; demarcating the many star-nations of Cradlespace and the Near Rim.

“Each of you has been brought aboard due to prior experience and relevant skills,” Kye continued, gesturing to the map as it suddenly zoomed out, highlighting a region of space beyond even the Shoals. “But most of all, for a willingness to fight for a cause. Many of you are doubtless aware of my past, and my quest – but a higher purpose supersedes my homecoming.”

The map zoomed in, highlighting a roughly lightyear wide region of space in the depths of the Shoals.

“We are heading rimwards, to a region of space known as the Glittershoal.”

“To fight?” Ophiuchus asked plainly, shifting heavily.

“To learn.” Kye gestured, the false-color ice blue of the Glittershoal filling in. “In the past month, six systems have gone utterly dark – and, due to the nature of the nebula, none have managed to find out why. I have an unsettling hunch it may have something to do with my vision.”

“Psh. Tides.” Syn Tamar sighed, leaning back. “I signed on for combat, I’ll wait for the mystic shit to pass, thanks.”

Ignoring the pilot, the rabbit continued. “We’ll be passing through plenty of populated systems on the way, but our first major stop will be Tanis, on the coreward reaches of the Eventide League. We’ll pick up supplies for the expedition there, and… hopefully more current news about the League, if we’re lucky.”

Vynce, glancing over, elbowed Kale, gesturing to the map.

“Tanis?” Kale repeated, glancing up. 

“…Yes, why?” Kye paused.

“Tanis is our birthworld,” Vynce clarified, weathered features softening slightly. “It’ll be nice to see it again.”

“For you, maybe.” Kale frowned, sliding down in his chair. “No love lost for me, there.”

“…If that’s all,” Kye clarified, closing the map with a small clap. “I suggest we all begin preparations – it’s a two week journey, but it’ll go faster than you think.”

As one, the crew of the Farsight parted – Chief Olson returned to the drive bay, Tamar wandering off to work on his personal starfighter in the ship’s small shuttle bay. Sanvarre returned to the bridge to recalibrate the astrogation sensors, and the rest… 

…Kye wasn’t sure. Their paws carried them to their cabin, taking a seat near the window and staring out into the nothing beyond.

Soon, they’d be within the League again. It should feel nice, after a year and a half.

It felt like anything but. Dread hung in the recesses of their mind, fear of reprisal if the Director was to discover they’d returned prematurely.

Still, they had a plan. Somewhat.

Kye sighed. 

Here goes nothing.

INTERLUDE: ENVOY

//all is not well.

Dusk on Carrigan, and the traitor, Jayne Illor, was restless.

His reign was unchallenged, his White Legion sweeping the Kingdom- no, Directorate, for any loyalists to House Celan, council seat secured among the ever shifting and byzantine politics of the Eventide League upon distant Hesse.

Yet…

Tap tap tap. Tap tap tap.

One after another, his fingers drummed against the hard durite of the Bismuth Throne, loud against the silence of the Autumn House. Supplicants came fewer and fewer these past months – the city below preferred to steer clear, and with the recent tension on distant Martell, travelers to Carrigan were few and far between.

This, of course, left his mood dour.

An aide – his name wasn’t important – finally spoke up, averting his gaze as the Director turned to glare. “Milord, perhaps… perhaps you should consider a walk of the grounds?” 

“Of the grounds?” He repeated.

“Y-Yes, Carrigan winters are truly quite mild…”

His gaze burned into the aide, before relenting. “Perhaps. Callister, you shall join me.”

The steward smiled as he stepped forward, but there was no warmth there.

Ah, Callister Rhose. A lighthouse in the dark seas of politik. A bulwark against the storms of inadequacy. A blade better wielded than sheathed, for a sheathed blade can strike the wielder more surely than any other.

The House Rhose had been minor nobility on Olesia – a diminished trading house, operating a miniscule fleet of light-skipper routes across the Shoals. Callister Rhose, however, had never had a nose for trade – he’d been ambitious, scheming, always putting others against one another for gain.

It was truly no wonder he’d set his sights higher than one world alone.

“Callister,” Jayne Illor began, stepping into the cool night air amid the cries of catha and chittering of insects. “Tell me again of your… contacts. I wish to hear of their offer, once more.”

A raised eyebrow was all he received in reply, the shorter, stockier balding man seeming to search his memory.

“Ah, the… how was it put, “interested party.” I dare say they’re likely still awaiting your reply.”

“Who are they? I’ve never seen their like in my decades amid the people of the League.”

“We shall say outsiders, my liege. It is simply easier.”

“Do not presume, Callister Rhose. I am asking for a reason.”

“I cannot supply more information because I was not given more information, my liege. They arrived a day ago aboard a vessel we weren’t able to track, and asked for an audience with the Director, specifically.”

Callister’s expression soured. “Their offer was simply “assistance with extending His reach.” As to who “he” is, I am uncertain.”

“An ally at all is what I need the most,” The Director muttered, leaning against the outer rail before realizing Rhose was watching. “My play was too sudden. While the other members of the League are content to watch, your urging nearly cost us the throne – it was my plan that won the day and ousted that damnable Hallek from this world… and left us with few options. The Directorate’s neighbors are cold at best, Avan are damnable pirates in all but name, and Hesse? Hesse is not worth the skipper fare.”

The Director glanced skyward, watching the silver dot of a distant ship drift across the sky. “Perhaps an ally from beyond the League is exactly what I need.”

Hiding his distaste, Callister nodded. “An ally unbeholden to the local power structure could prove useful. Though be wary, my liege, I am not sure of what they will want in return.”

“That is what worries me.”

They called themselves the Ibrea.

The figure before the Autumn Throne was… imposing. Nearly ten feet tall and ashen gray, he was garbed in swirling red, white and black robes, intricate strings of jewels and beads draped here and there. Two orange ocular devices regarded the Director from beneath an ornate gossamer cowl as he stared back, trying to make sense of the newcomer.

“I am Karteh, of Lusa.” The figure bowed, strange multilayered tones in his voice. “I come as a representative of the Ibrean King Mas Valeda Lusa, and bring mutual enlightenment for yourself and all.”

“I… am Jayne Illor,” The Director began, pointedly not bowing in return. “Director of the Carrigan Directorate, and Count of Olesia. I am honored by your presence, if I am also confused by it.” His gaze flashed to Callister, and back. “Why not entreat the Eventide League as a whole?”

“To usurp requires strength. Conviction. Resolve. Traits thought forgotten by the Spur long ago.” Karteh, oculi alight, studied the Director. “We have watched from afar for long enough. The decision was made.”

“This offer was not for your League, nor do we harbor any apprehension of your love for it. We seek an ally on the shores of the Spur, and you seek an ally who does not see you as a kingslayer.”

The Duke bristled, but the Ibrean continued.

“Long ago, our civilization left the weakness of the Spur for the Far Rim amidst the embers of the Collaborate. Against the alien and the outcast we sharpened our sword and tempered our shield, and today we stand poised for the return promised to the Kingdoms millennia ago. You shall have His Wrath to back your might, and we shall have our inroad. Are these terms acceptable?”

Jayne Illor, a man given pause by little, paused. The Ibrea were a complete unknown – but clearly powerful, the ship they’d arrived in dwarfed the local skippers. Kingdoms? Beyond the Spur? Logically, he knew humans lived beyond – but to meet one…?

Shaking his head, Jayne Illor, the Director of Carrigan, saw two paths – one to glory, and one to ruin. Both started with this. 

“Karteh of Lusa, by my authority as the Director of Carrigan and Count of Olesia, I hereby deem your offer… acceptable.”

With a slow, slow nod, the Ibrean produced a small holite datacube – holding a palm out with it resting upon it, as it impossibly began to drift across the room towards the Director.

“Your cooperation is much welcomed, Director Jayne Illor. A token of gratitude, from my King – the wisdom of the ancients, made manifest.”

The cube slowed to a stop, and the Director peered within. Coordinates flashed across their mind, followed by images of a great black shape, a world of ice, and…

He blinked, peering again. This…

“I… thank you for the gift, Karteh. May this relationship bear fruit.”

“It shall,” The newcomer smiled, unsettlingly predatory beneath their cowl. “It shall.”

WHISPERS

//THROUGH STARLESS NIGHT, HOPE FOR DAWN

“I still don’t understand what you’re looking for out here.”

The starless void beyond the bridge of the light-skipper Tharkesh provided little answer – nor did the posthuman currently occupying one of the nearby seats, gazing out into the black. “The Wound has been uninhabited for cycles, ser Celan. There’s nothing but ash and ghosts for light-years.”

“I was informed you knew of a world known as Serphyros,” Kye said after a moment, golden gaze landing on the skipper’s pilot as they turned from the vista. “I was not aware I’d have your counsel, as well.”

The pilot simply lifted his hands in a gesture of supplication, palms outstretched. “Merely curious, is all. It isn’t often I’m chartered, much less for journeys to the far edge of the Spur. Something about these places are setting my teeth on edge.”

To that, Kye could agree.

Serphyros, a name they only half-remembered. Imparted by the Tide in a moment of communion, whispered in their dreams for nights uncounted. It tugged at their consciousness, urging them forward across the stars, promising answers to questions unasked and questions to answers always known.

First impressions of the world were not promising. Gray and still, it was a tomb long sealed – slagged continents and shattered mountains, buried cities and ash-choked seas. This world had not gone quietly.

Still, as the skipper slid from the embrace of the Tide, something about the world called to them – an echo brushing against some part of them they’d never felt before, rhythmic like heartbeats.

The pale half-moon of Serphyros loomed large ahead as, with the whisper of rustling cloth, Kye stood.

This world had no sun, no atmosphere. A rogue casualty of wars lost to history, the surface was pocked and scarred. Suit affixed, Kye set off alone – trusting the Tide to guide their path.

A vast plain of unbroken gray stretched away in every direction beneath a pitch black sky. The Tide felt almost suffocating here, as if the Real was fighting to maintain a hold. The only light here was their own.

They began to walk.

Ruins dotted the surface, shattered and broken – but one in particular seemed to call out to the rabbit, drawing them in like a moth to a flame. The Tide was heavy, flowing in and around this place like whirlpools in a stream – and, as they cautiously started to report back to the Tharkesh they’d likely be losing contact, they received only dead air. The Tide whistled, a not-wind against their mind.

Sighing, they reached out with their senses, trying to get some sense of what waited within. Something pushed back.

“There is no need, Little Prince.”

Kye paused.

“Come.”

Their feet moved, carrying them onwards. Darkness fell, lit by only the suit’s lights and the faint glow of their holite displays.

Whispers pooled about them, an impossibility through the vacuum of the airless surface and the thick protection of the suit, drifting lazily around them. Names. Places. Futures. Pasts.

The hallway opened, suddenly – a vast atrium, exposed to the suffocating nothing of Serphyros.

Their mind buzzed, static feedback washing over their comms like rhythmic ocean waves.

As if in tandem, the whispers spoke – a chorus of voices, some closer, some distant.

“Why have you come?”

“I seek answers,” Kye said plainly, peering into the dark.

“Serphyros only offers questions to those who bring them, Little Prince. Answers are not the way.”

“I was guided by the Tide,” They replied uncertainly, now certain they weren’t alone here. There was no recipient on the comms broadcast – yet they’d been answered, nonetheless.

The whispers said nothing concrete in reply, swirling about.

Something moved in the dark.

Kye, nerves on edge, turned – lights flashing across something enormous, unfolding from the spot in the corner of the ruin to tower against the faintly lit walls.

A marble white mask hung high above like a half-moon, ritual marks scratched into it. Terror gripped their mind, but they forced it down, standing straighter.

“You are brave, Little Prince.” The chorus intoned, layered thickly with… something. Their mind felt naked, laid bare as the Ovelle peered within.

“I shall answer your question.”

Perception of the Ovelle made their vision hazy, the very bronze it was constructed from hissing with the void. Its voices slammed into their psyche like thunder, chittering and tugging at every nook and cranny.

Their mind was wracked with agony, sending the posthuman to their knees. Scenes flashed through their mind, faster than they could parse. The flag of the Eventide League, alight. Jayne Illor atop a throne. A ship, drifting through golden-tinged clouds. A crystal sun, as cold and dead as glass, surrounded by worlds of ice. Kye, dead on the cold earth. Kye, alive on their throne, unhappy.

Kye, cloaked in gold and blood, shouting something they couldn’t hear.

“Y-You…” They finally managed to stand, panting against the pain.

The Ovelle remained silent.

Courage rising, Kye took a step closer.

“The Little Prince asks much indeed,” It intoned, tilting its head. The mask leered down at them, a mocking half-visage of a man. There was something behind those eyes carved into the mask, a cold regard that spoke of interest.

“Seek the folly of the ancients, in the worlds you know as the Far Spur. You will find your answer there, and a new question. The answer shall not be to your liking.”

The whispers grew louder, a chorus of cackling reverberating through their mind and speakers as the chittering colossus raised one of its many arms and began to ascend out of the light of their suit, bone-white mask receding into the darkness.

Silently relieved, the rabbit gave a quick Carriganite bow, and hastily retreated.

The walk to the ship was silent. Takeoff was silent. Once or twice the charter captain had started to say something, but… thought better of it – Kye clearly had a look he recognized.

Still, as orbit was achieved and the running lights of the light-skipper twinkled beyond the cabin, Kye’s mind was awash in thought. The Ovelle had strengthened their vision – clarifying some things, adding others. What was the crystal sun? Why had Jayne Illor been there? It hasn’t been a memory, this time – many of the events had yet to occur, if they would at all.

Why would-

“-r Celan, ah, a moment?”

Kye, opening their eyes, sat up slightly straighter. “Yes?”

“Well, it’s just… where to next, I suppose? You’d chartered for a tad longer than one measly expedition into the Wound…”

The Captain seemed… antsy.

“That won’t be necessary. What is the nearest port to us?”

The man thought for a moment.

“Kurin. Triarchy space.”

“Take me there. Please.”

The Captain looked as if he was about to say something, wrinkled visage tightening up, before, with a simple shrug, he turned and headed for the bridge.

Kye, summoning forth a holographic map of the Spur, frowned. The Far Spur was a long, long way…

They needed a ship.

KINGMAKER

Regicide, or: A Tragedy in Red

Chief among the Eventide League, Carrigan hangs within the great tapestry as a blue and grey marble, flecked with verdant lowlands and shallow seas. From this bustling world extends the reach of House Celan, an economic hammer to blunt any sword of conquest – as has been proven, time and time again, since the settlement of the world in the mists of antiquity.

However, as with every prize, there stands one poised to play for it. The Kingdom of Carrigan has made many enemies, scorned trading partners, ousted corporate powers, distant players intending to move into the Shoals – and, as the sun sets on Carrigan, tonight is to be his last.

We do not, however, focus on the King, tonight. 

We focus instead on his heir.

So it was, as Kye Celan wandered the sprawling gardens of their estate in the golden evening sun, following their usual route along the walls that overlooked the vast city beneath, they felt… nervous.

A sickening, twisting feeling in the depths of their gut, as if they were once again in their years of tutelage and had forgotten to study before an exam. It had been this feeling that had drawn the leporine posthuman from their room into the garden proper in the first place, seeking fresh air and tranquility beneath the guanya trees and roses.

Perhaps, it was also what spurred the scion to bring along their weapon – or perhaps merely contributed to their heightened awareness, realizing nearly immediately that something was wrong as a distant shout sent a flock of catha screeching away into the sky in a flurry of feathers and protest. 

Confusion gripped them as their gaze drifted back from the city to the gardens, spotting for the first time one of their father’s guards, orange and silver armor impassive and imposing, making their way down the aisle. Two lances of ferroglass hovered behind their shoulders like the wings of a raptor.

“Lord Celan!”

Kye palmed their weapon, the hilt of their blade sprouting holite blooms as the n-link synched.

“Yes?”

“Your father…” The man trailed off behind his tri-visored helmet, seemingly trying to think of what to say next. “Requests your presence in the August Theatre.”

“Does he? And why was a guard sent to inform me?”

That damned pause again. “The adjutants are occupied with other matters.”

None of this added up. Nothing was fitting together properly. Kye, sensitive ears picking up the distant sound of shattering glass, sprung into action – just as the guard, clearly prepared for this, open palmed the air in the rabbit’s direction just as Kye hit the ground, coming up with their sword bared. The resultant wave of force tore lilies from their beds, scattering guanya seeds to the wind. Glittering motes of exotic energy drifted in the air around the two as they faced off, faintly glowing eyes meeting impassive visor.

The guard slammed their palms together. Both lances of ferroglass, standing to like guard dogs alerted, shot forwards with blinding speed. With a panicked slice that made the blade sing in resonance Kye brought their blade up, shattering one of the lances as it swooped past, but missing the other, taking a long, bloody gash along their left flank for their trouble.

Pouring more focus into their blade, Kye made a clumsy strike at the guard, only to be rebuffed by an armored forearm plate and backhanded onto the soft grass with a surprising amount of force. Unfortunately, the blow had left the combat-averse scion winded, and at the greatest disadvantage of their life.

The sudden sensation of being crushed gripped Kye as their body was lifted from the grass into the air, exotic force whipping around their body like a silent hurricane. The guard, helmet off, gazed on as they tightened their outstretched grip. Kye knew this guard – one of his father’s personal retinue, a Captain Gaynes.

“My orders were to take you alive, and this I swear I shall.”

The squeeze grew tighter.

Kye’s lungs burned, the pressure having forced whatever air remained within them out – and, as their vision began to swim, the last few thoughts that swam through the murky depths of consciousness were of home, and the stars.

The Count Illor was smiling from ear to ear as the reports came in. The plan had, without even the smallest amount of boasting, gone off perfectly. The elite House troops of House Illor had caught the guards of the Autumn House unaware, dispatching them and replacing the last shift with their own men without losing a single man. It was a shame about the court adjutant who’d discovered their deception, but… these things simply happened, didn’t they?

Still, as he steepled his fingers and leaned back in his stolen throne, he imagined the King’s family kneeled before it, the red and silver crest of House Celan alight. Yes, that would do. That would do nicely. He glanced to his left, at the hawkish man standing rigidly a few steps from the throne.

“Callister. Have the remaining members been found, yet?”

“Yes, my Lord. The Prince was apprehended by one of their very own protectors in the palatial gardens. One of the few we managed to pay off, if I recall correctly.”

“And the… husband? His whereabouts?”

If a grimace could smile, this expression haunted the crypt that was his steward’s façade. “Dead, my Lord. A nasty business involving the north walls and the sea below.”

“Hm. Break a few eggs, and all that.”

As Count of Olesia, Jayne Illor had long fallen into the long shadow the Kingdom of Carrigan cast – a founding member of the Eventide League in eons past, the world of Olesia had been in economic freefall for centuries as piracy in the Far Shoals grew rampant, driving trade away into safer seas. Determined, some would say to maddening lengths, to restore the prosperity of his world and lineage, the Count today intended to force legitimacy by the point of a sword.

“My Lord, your guests have arrived.”

“Well, what are we waiting for? Send them in.”

The doors opened, and in walked three pairs of guards – each escorting a bloodied, defeated figure in robes and holite imagery. The King himself, Hallek Celan, his heir Kye, and the Steward, Manche duPasse. The royal consort, Rhys Celan, had… fallen. Quite some distance, if Callister Rhose was to be believed.

“Oh, Hallek. To see you like this breaks my heart.”

The King’s bloodstained face darkened, almost to the point of bared teeth. “Treasonous bastard. When the others find out what you’ve done, they’ll-“

“They’ll thank me for, what was it, “ending the influence of the man who would be king”, I believe?”

Hallek Celan, with the dawning horror of a man realizing his own doom, stared up at the sneering despot sitting upon his throne. 

“Now, then. Your trial.”

The air in the throne room began to grow stifling, as if the greatest electrical charge in history had begun to build within it. The Count, raising his palms as if moving mountains, slammed them down on the arms of the glass throne with a force that beggared belief – and, in response, reality itself shrieked and folded back.

From the howling madness of the Wild Mesh crawled a pair of error-beasts, gnashing clouds of raw data-holite and arcane ancient knowledge formed into the idea of a beast, vicious and unyielding. The guards – and even Callister Rhose – recoiled slightly as the breaches sealed themselves, every piece of technology in the room reacting to the beasts’ presence.

“These,” The Count said calmly, holding his palms out in reference. “Are to be my Arbiters. I am your judge, and jury, but they,”

He gestured, and the one in his right stepped forward with a horrible gurgling bitcrushed growl. 

“Are to be your executioner.”

The Duke attempted to protest, trying to stand – but one of the guards buried a stunstick into his ribs, sending the white-furred posthuman to his knees coughing.

“Piracy has long been rampant within the League,” The Count began, gesturing in great histrionics. “For six centuries the Far Shoals have been plagued, our worlds despoiled, our shipments stolen by pirates driven from the Kingdom of Carrigan. Is it not the regent’s responsibility to oversee his realm?”

Hallek did not rise for the bait, fuming quietly as blood dripped to the lapis tiles below.

“For a man who has consolidated so much, demanded so much authority, you yet shirk this one. For shame, Hallek Celan. But this is not the crime that brought me to your doorstep.”

Jayne Illor stood, arms spread wide. “Hallek Celan was not satisfied with merely the Kingdom of Carrigan, no. He desired it all, a fiefdom all his own. He funded the pirates to weaken Olesia, to strike Talega until her military relied on you for rations, and to render the Eventide League subservient to you, alone.

The Count had rehearsed this so many times on the journey he couldn’t help but be impressed with his own delivery, so heartfelt and earnest he might be mistaken for a true patriot fighting for a state he believed in. Might.

“That’s all lies, you sack of shit! You think these people are stupid? You think I’m stupid? You’ll be killed for this! The Red Council will never…!”

Kye tensed, hoping that something, anything would be said in opposition. Nothing came.

The Count turned to his steward, ignoring the Baron entirely. “What say you in the matter? As a part of my jury, what verdict do you pass along for treason against the League?”

“Death, my liege.”

“Hm. And you, Captain Gaynes?”

The man holding Kye stiffened. This wasn’t supposed to happen. It was an arrest, not an execution. “I… do not know, my liege.”

“So it is settled. I, Count Jayne Illor, hereby sentence the King of Carrigan, Hallek Celan, and his steward, Manche duPasse, to death. So it is written, so it shall be.”

With passive disinterest the Count ordered the error-beasts forward, both descending upon the two like a swarm of Victrian skin-cleavers. It was an over in a single, horrible instant – neither man was armed, nor were they shielded. They lasted no time at all.

As the error-beasts returned to their posts, the Count could hardly contain his glee. “It is a grand day, Kye Celan – to witness such an august and just ruler ascend to their throne. Long have you prepared for this… and long shall you still.”

The Count stood, gesturing to the guards to clean up the mess and to bring Kye to their feet, wracked with sobs.

“I hereby proclaim myself and my house as the sole rulers of the Kingdom of Carrigan, and hereby… remove, House Celan, from it. The line ends today.”

In a flash, despair turned to rage – and, if Captain Gaynes had not stopped them, Kye too would have died that day.

“My liege,” The Captain interjected. “It would be… prudent, to not kill the heir. The other members of the League may object, and damage your claim, here. To have killed an aspiring tyrant is one thing, but to replace him in that, as well…”

Captain Gaynes shared a look with the scion, trying his best to will the heir to be quiet. It appeared his intent was, at the very least, acknowledged.

“Hm. You may be right. Callister?”

The Steward, squinting at the two of them on the dais below, shook his head. “I do not believe it wise, my liege. While politically savvy, it may… lead to trouble.”

“Trouble I can handle,” Jayne Illor scoffed. “Your plea is heard and granted, Captain Gaynes. Lord Kye Celan, you are hereby expelled from Carrigan, and shall you return you shall be sentenced as your fathers were. Leave this world, and do not return. Such is my edict, and such shall it be carried out.”

Fury in their eyes, Kye did not break eye contact until the doors to the throne room hissed shut.

There was silence in the vast hallway as they were led through the palace, unfamiliar guards cleaning up blood and shattered furniture and bagging things Kye didn’t want to think about, until finally they emerged into the cool, night air of Carrigan, the vast landing yards of the Autumn House sprawling out before them.

“Master Celan.”

Kye paused in their thoughts, looking back slightly. Gaynes, helmet removed, had the absolute gall to look apologetic. “I… I had no idea any of that would happen. We were told… told it was an arrest. Nothing more.”

“You lay with vipers, Captain.” Kye hissed, shock having finally abated enough for the pain in their flank to burn through. “A shame you escaped their venom, today.”

Gaynes, turmoil falling away behind a stoic mask, simply looked out over the landing yards towards a distant pad, lit up beneath the stars. “Pad 6D. Light-skipper, helmed by an Orold Uves. It’s under orders to take you as far as Jhut, and from there…”

He shook his head.

“A word of advice, Master Celan.”

The guard, reaching behind himself, unsheathed Kye’s sword, handing it over to the shocked scion.

“Few things you can trust in this universe. A blade is one of them. Trust it with your life, and it will save yours, and end those you despise most.”

With that, he touched the reinforced collar of his suit, sliding his helmet back into place – and left the stunned scion staring down at the brass-and-blue blade, reflecting the stars and their tears back at them.

Carrigan fell away, gossamer threads of star-sails pulling the light-skipper skywards. Orold Uves was an unbound, housed in a marble and gold statue of a body adorned with a solid onyx death mask. Evidently, it was something indicative of whatever culture it hailed from – Kye simply found the rictus it displayed unsettling. Still, as the light-skipper rode the currents away from Carrigan into the great Tides of infraspace, they kept returning to their blade, chipped and worn from years of barely any use, reflecting their face – and reminding them of their father, hands up to protect himself as the horror descended upon him.

A sharp prick brought their attention back to the present, as they’d clenched so hard the blade had bitten their palms.

One day they’d return to Carrigan.

One day, they’d topple the Count Illor.

Beyond the windows, the distant disc of Carrigan faded away as Orold Uves slipped the ship into the in-between nothing of the Tide.

One day.