Chapter 04

  The Silent Lies

  “Citizens of the Ophiuchus Sector…” Arcturus addressed the crowd before him. From his position atop the emperor’s palace, he had a wide view of the packed ceremonial auditorium glimmering in the white glow of the Ophiuchi nebula. He donned an orange toga, and the traditional crown of stars sat on his head. The very same from over 2000 years ago. “...And to the citizens of all sectors in the Greater Systems, I’m proud to announce our capture of the Travis System. Our heroes in the Blue Legion, led by Legate Pollux, have landed us mere light-years away from the final push to clear the Sagittarius Sector of the Ruber. We will squeak them out, and red flame will never be feared in the Greater Systems ever again. Nothing can stop the might of Ophiuchus!”

  The crowd below him erupted in applause. Fists of dark and light blue and sparse yellow flames splotted across the crowd. Arcturus raised his fist, igniting it in an orange light.

  Arcturus’s flame faded. He had failed to let them know of the growing pressure on the Taurus and Gemini fronts. He turned to the guard beside him. “Any word from Castor?”

  “Fuck Ophiuchus!” A voice echoed above the noise of the crowd. An object spiraled up through the air, a used nebulant. It was coated in an orange flame.

  From his right, one of Arcturus’s dark blue guards stepped in front of him, pushing him backwards. His chest hummed with a light blue energy. Like a bolt of lightning, a blue flare escaped from the guard’s chest, piercing the incoming object. In a small explosion, dark blue embers and ash dispersed over the palace.

  Silence befell the crowd, but only for a moment, as it burst into roars of laughter.

  The star broke from the crowd, flying up above them. The orange star burned the same color core as Arcturus, but he wore rugged clothes, a faded uniform battered with the grime of labor.

  “Let me speak to him.” Arcturus patted the guard’s shoulder.

  The guard was reluctant but let Arcturus push past him. “Please, citizen, speak your mind. We are listening.”

  “The hell you are,” the star grunted. An orange energy built in his chest.

  The guard intervened, pushing Arcturus to the side and igniting his own chest once again. The flare fired out, piercing the orange star before he could release his own.

  “Glory to the Reds forever,” the star spat in ashes before exploding in a colorful display of blue and orange. The embers and ashes of the nova faded out as they cooled in the void of space.

  Arcturus stumbled back, stopped by another guard behind him. Arcturus had to reorient himself. He could hear the jeers and laughs of the crowd. He stepped back up to the railing of the balcony, looking through the thin cloud of ashy remnants to the auditorium below.

  “It's not a show without some fireworks!” Arcturus yelled. “Glory to the Greater Systems! Glory to Ophiuchus!”

  The crowd responded accordingly.

  **BREAK**

  “Mira, wait,” Atlas yelled from down the hall, chasing after her. Mira was gliding through the corridors trying to lose Atlas on her trail.

  “Leave me alone,” Mira yelled back to him.

  “I’m sorry, Mira,” Atlas yelled back. He couldn’t keep up with her even if he tried. Mira turned a corner and shot down the corridor, leaving Atlas in her fog of purple dust. “Mira! Please!”

  Mira pretended to not hear him and continued onwards through the complex. She flew until she reached a metal door tucked away in one of the smaller corridors.

  A label on the door read: Observing Balcony. A warning label directly below it read, Please do not leave the balcony. Mira pushed on the door with a fist of flame. The metal door creaked open.

  The cool emptiness of space curled around her skin. She embraced it, exiting out and running to the ledge of the balcony. The metal barrier reached up to her chest. She drifted over it.

  From here she could see all of Helyx Academy. It sat in the blue haze of the nebula. It was made of interconnecting blocks, built in a curved shape around Helyx, the central star. The designers must’ve had a thing for gray and dull blue, seeing as it was what comprised most of the structure. She spotted Violet below her on her block. The UV bathing pad’s hexagonal shape and bright color were apparent amongst the cubes. Their star shone directly onto it, illuminating the cushionings.

  At the back quarter of the complex was a bright white orb that functioned as Helyx Academy's main energy source. It was similar in function to the star cores that made up their own internal energy, though larger to accommodate all of Helyx Academy.

  Mira, atop the barrier, looked back at the doorway, biting her lip. She shook her head. Leaping upwards from the balcony, she began to scale the wall, finding a crevice in the metal to squeeze into. The metal of the hole she found was already worn to a brighter gray. She came here quite often. It was a nice view, and the outdoors provided a sense of homeliness that the monotone Helyx corridors couldn’t offer.

  She knew Atlas would find her up here eventually. She was kind of hoping he would. She wanted to explain, and yell at him, but mostly explain. For now she just watched as the starlight reflected off the metal below.

  It took around 5 minutes for the door to open below her. “Mira?” she heard Atlas ask.

  Mira didn’t respond. She saw a hand reach over the barrier and Atlas climb on top of it. His head poked over, and he looked up to her. Mira looked away and crossed her arms, not giving him the satisfaction.

  The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  “Mira,” he muttered. He drifted up towards her, cautiously glancing around as he did. Atlas was a rule follower. He had to know he wasn’t being watched. He found a space next to her and made sure to position himself at least a few feet away from her. He sat there for a few seconds before saying anything.

  “I’m sorry, Mira,” he spoke softly.

  Mira kept quiet for a few seconds. The low hum of the star being the only audible noise. “Say what you need to say,” Mira replied.

  Atlas looked over to her and back out. “What would it mean if I said it?” Atlas asked.

  “Whatever you want it to mean.”

  “Not sure that’s how that works.”

  “Atlas, I messed up, ok?” Mira started. “I was caught up in the moment. Castor was there, and I wasn’t thinking. I didn’t mean to hit her like that.” She paused for a moment. “You don’t know what it's like.”

  “You always say that, Mira. It doesn't excuse you every time, you know.”

  “Maybe it doesn't, whatever. They still expect so much from me,” Mira huffed.

  “Mira, what are you trying to prove? They know you’re strong. They’re going to choose you over anyone else anytime.”

  “Castor didn’t at first.”

  “But he did, Mira. He was pretending to be fair to see what it’ll make you do,” Atlas replied. “And it worked. Look what you did.”

  “Ugh,” Mira groaned. “I'm not an idiot.”

  “I didn’t say you were, but you can be headstrong,” Atlas replied. “Don’t get mad at me for saying that.”

  Mira sighed, trying to let go of her anger. “I’m not saying you’re wrong, but it's not always easy. Again, you’re not me.”

  “I know. I’m just trying to tell you the things I see.”

  Mira looked down over the facility. “I appreciate it, Atlas.” She wiped her eyes before a tear could be shed.

  They sat there in silence for a moment. Listening to the song of the star and the soft noises echoing from the complex.

  Atlas looked over to Mira, itching to ask her about Rigel too, but let the questions wait for another time.

  **BREAK**

  There was a knock at Castor’s office door.

  “Rigel?” Castor questioned. “Come in.”

  The door creaked open. Castor had guessed correctly. Rigel stood in the doorway.

  “To what do I owe the pleasure?” Castor asked, unenthused by his presence.

  Rigel cleared his throat. “I don’t appreciate the way you’ve just taken my student out from under me,” he began.

  Castor dropped what he was working on and rubbed his forehead. “Be honest with yourself, Rigel; you know you didn’t deserve her.”

  “Regardless, I should’ve been issued a warning,” Rigel replied. “What makes you think you’ll be any better?”

  “Goddammit, Rigel. Really? You had your chance, and it was probably one of the worst mistakes Ophiuchus has made.”

  “Well maybe—,” he was cut short as Castor stood up, slamming his fists on the desk.

  “I don’t want to hear you sob about how I stole your star,” Castor growled. “You're a bad teacher, it's as simple as that. I don’t know how that nova scrambled your brain, but it sure as hell made you a lot weaker. Hell, you’re not even all there.” He motioned to his missing right arm. “Mira needs someone who can properly teach her. Frankly, I’m surprised Ophiuchus kept up with you for so long, so let me do my job and give her a proper stellar education, and you can train the other three shitheads to their quick death on the battlefield.” Rigel still stood in the doorway, unmoved from when Castor had started his scolding. He tried to mouth some words, but nothing came out. “So we're done here?” Castor asked, sitting back down at his desk.

  Rigel broke from his trance and put his foot down, making a huff. “No. I’m not going to stand around and let you turn Mira into yo—.”

  With a flick of flame, Castor slammed the door shut on his face. “What an idiot,” he muttered to himself.

  **BREAK**

  Mira and Atlas had entered back into the complex, gliding through the steel passageways. They were still partaking in their shared silence, headed back to the library. A few people offered them glances. Mira wondered how much word had gotten around.

  They passed by the infirmary. Mira eyed it, a hinge of guilt swinging in her chest.

  Atlas looked to her as if to infer something.

  “I’m not going in there,” Mira responded to his look.

  “I think it’d be good.”

  Mira sighed. She glanced back at the infirmary door but shook her head. “I think it’d kill her if she saw me honestly,” she tried to excuse herself.

  Minutes later, they both landed on the dock to the library. Stephen and Yue were still sitting at the same table. Yue was still reading her book, but Stephen had put his down and seemed to be trying to make conversation with her, unsuccessfully.

  The glass doors slid open, and Stephen looked up. He gave them an awkward wave with a smile.

  Mira and Atlas both took their seats opposite to them at the table.

  “Have a good conversation?” Yue asked, turning a page in her book.

  “I suppose,” Atlas responded, looking at Mira.

  “It was fine,” Mira replied.

  “So are we all chill now?” Yue questioned.

  They both nodded.

  Stephen gave them a thumbs-up and a wink. “Yue and I also had a lovely conversation,” Stephen said. “Isn’t that right, Yue?”

  Yue looked at him. “You had one, all right.”

  Stephen sighed, putting his head down. “I know. I try.”

  “Anyways, Mira, I want to know, how was training with Castor?” Yue asked, now putting her open book down on the table.

  Mira met her light blue eyes. “Oh, it was great,” she replied. “He trains the way I've always wanted. Feel like I've learned more than I have in years.”

  Yue saw Atlas glance at her. She assumed the question from him. “Do you think Rigel’s a bad teacher?”

  “I mean…,” she paused for a moment. “For me, yeah, he is. And Castor seems to think so too.” She added. “But I'm higher class than you all, so maybe he’s fine for you.” She sensed she made a mistake.

  Atlas sighed.

  “I don’t mean it like that,” Mira tried to save herself.

  “Mira, listen, we’re happy for you, but don’t do that thing where you think you’re better than us,” Yue said.

  Mira was caught off guard by her comment, thinking she had made a mostly reasonable statement. “I really didn’t mean it like that.” Mira replied. “But physically I am different, and it means they have to do things differently.”

  “I guess so,” Yue responded. “But don’t assume we’re weak because of it.” She picked her book back up.

  “We’ll miss you at Rigel’s,” Stephen said, trying to break some tension. “Felt so weird today.”

  “Well, there’s no going back now,” Mira replied. “Hope it's not too boring without me.”

  “Don’t forget about us,” Stephen fake sniffled.

  “We’re still going to live together, dumbass,” Mira answered. “Can’t lose me that easily.”

  “Yeah, I know,” he replied, smiling. There was a second of silence.

  “Hey Mira,” Atlas replied, thinking it was his chance to chime in. “Do you think you could talk to Rigel? It just seems like you left kind of quietly. He didn’t even know you had.”

  Mira paused for a moment, considering the words she had shared with him earlier in the day. “Yeah, yeah, I can do that,” Mira replied, 90% sure it was going to be a lie.

  “Thanks,” Atlas answered. “Promise?”

  “Totally,” Mira replied.