The jail ward of the Echo Platform was rather larger than was necessary from Xaleyp’s perspective, as only one cell was being utilized. This section was towards the bottom of the station and took up the majority of the cube it was within, creating a secure environment inside over a total of four floors. At the far side was the large door leading in and out, and towards the center of the base level was a command center—consisting of a chair and half-hexagon desk with a holocomputer—currently sitting unused. Behind this was the lift that allowed access to any of the floors, ferrying passengers between them as needed. The top three were the cells arranged in a square with walkways and railings in front of them, and each door was made of a reinforced glass etched with its number. A microphone and speaker on both the inside and outside allowed the occupant to speak to any visitors.

Tober laid back on the bench in his small cell, letting one foot dangle over the edge while the other was up at an angle. His knuckles rapped against the metal wall next to him, beating out an incessant rhythm that seemed to change every few repetitions. Knights Jareth and Kata stood somewhat lazily to either side of the cell, keeping their hands resting on their assault rifles out of habit than actually thinking there would be danger. Xaleyp sat atop the railing directly in front of Tober, looking down from the top level and waiting for Ardus to arrive.

After about half an hour of waiting with only Tober’s tapping and the distant hum of the station’s engines, Ardus finally walked through the doorway, looking up at them with a smile on his face. Tober heard the sound of the approaching footsteps and immediately jumped up, running to the glass and pressing his face against.

‟Ardus Kaine!” Delargivic yelled, banging on the glass with all his might. ‟You tell these fools to let me out, or I swear you will regret every last action you ever take from here on out.”

‟I would love to let you out, Emperor, but it seems that your views and my own just do not align properly. You want to see the galaxy under your own control, and I see it as not belonging to any one man or planet, and those two differences are just too irreconcilable.” Ardus gestured to Xaleyp then to the lift, and the young man got off the railing and began making his way down. ‟However, as much as I would like to stay and chat, I have more important matters to attend to, but the two knights here will be more than happy to keep you company. I regret to inform you that you’re going to be occupying acell for an awfully long time, so you should make yourself comfortable. Oh, and try to avoid the mystery soup—spoiler, by the way: the mystery is how you survive after eating it.”

The microphone from inside the cell turned off just as Tober began screaming and banging against the glass. Dull thuds still sounded out in the area, but his cries of torment were left just as faces of twisted agony as he punched at the door. Xaleyp walked quickly after he got off the lift, wanting nothing more than to hurry with whatever Ardus wanted and be told he could go to Stariek and find Grimaldus and get his revenge.

‟Xaleyp, thank you for helping escort the Emperor here. I know I promised you no more nonsense, but there’s one more thing I need you to do, and I think you will like this quite a bit more than revenge.”

As Ardus spoke, Xaleyp’s heart lifted and sank again, the drive and fire for Lina’s revenge replaced by a hatred for Ardus. How could he just keep getting his hopes up just to have them thrashed to the ground, as if it were a toy that wasn’t good enough to play with?

‟You promised me months ago that I would get revenge, that is the only reason I agreed to sign up with you in the first place.” Xaleyp, feeling like his blood was beginning to boil, tried to keep his voice soft and impassive but found it increasingly difficult with each word. Ardus just seemed to stand there, letting him work out his frustrations without worrying about the content of the words. ‟You said if I joined you, I would get my revenge, but that I would have to capture Nevermoor first, and, fine, maybe that was the bigger threat. Then I get there, do it, and now you’re telling me I need to do more for you, without any sign of faith from you showing that I will get my reward? Where is the trust, and why should I do whatever the hell it is you want me to without knowing that there’s an end to this, that I eventually get what I want?”

As Xaleyp finished, his breathing came hard and ragged, but it felt good to get what he was thinking off his chest. Ardus simply crossed his arms and put his weight towards his back foot, staring at Xaleyp the entire time he talked and looking him up and down. Then, when he finished, Ardus still said nothing, instead continuing to focus on him for almost a minute before speaking.

‟If you’re quite satisfied that you’ve given me a decent thrashing for my actions, I do just want to let you know that I do indeed have reasons, though I may not be able to disclose them to you.” Ardus took a quick breath, continuing as Xaleyp opened his mouth to issue a rebuttal and cutting him off. ‟In any event, the mission I have for you now involves your parents and the man who took them from you.”

‟Colonel Ire killed my parents, and he is already dead, so what good does that do me?” Xaleyp’s blood, once at the point of boiling, turned an icy cold, seeming to penetrate down to his core. Who did Ardus think he was to mention Xaleyp’s parents so flippantly?

‟Not quite the truth, actually,” Ardus said, somewhat matter-of-factly. ‟Colonel Ire is the one who went to Stariek in the early days of the Hyperion invasion and, yes, kidnapped your parents; however, it was Seth Drake who found out and hid them away from you, spreading the rumor that they were killed and forcing Ire to go along with it. Some of my agents have discovered where they were taken and are working on extracting them without anyone noticing. However, Seth Drake is working on rebuilding the old Hyperion Empire, and you must go and capture him and bring him back to Siatia to stand trial, just as Tober is, and ensure that he will never hurt anyone ever again. Also, if you could retrieve the Sword of Razeph for me on the off chance you find it, that’d be great.”

Xaleyp felt his blood now roaring through his ears, and his heart was trying to explode out of his chest in excitement. After eight years of believing they were dead, of thinking he didn’t do enough to protect them and keep them alive, could it be true?

‟My parents are alive?” were the only words he was able to form as he felt his chest constrict.

‟And I want to reunite you with them.” Ardus nodded, and his gaze was soft now instead of the perpetual piercing look he usually had. He managed a small smile and get his voice soft when he spoke, lulling Xaleyp in. ‟You just need to stay with me for a little while longer, help me do this and take down Seth, and by then I should have your parents in my custody and arrange for the reunification. Now, please, take the Pyrrhus to Arcadia and find Seth in New Alexandria, bring him back, and let justice run its course, if not for me, then for your parents.”

Xaleyp felt himself nod, though he didn’t consciously realize what he was doing. Just the thought of being able to see his parents again was more than enough to keep him going and distract him from Lina. Ardus smiled and placed his hand on Xaleyp’s shoulder, squeezing firmly.

‟You will not regret this, I promise you that much. There are a few familiar faces waiting for you onboard the sister carrier of the Starkiller, Pyrrhus, and they’ll be able to help you on your mission, so I wouldn’t keep them waiting if I were you. Good luck, and send my regards to Captain Tameron.”

Ardus turned on his heel and walked back out of the prison, his footsteps receding until they were inaudible. Only then did Xaleyp’s legs cooperate and let him leave, ignoring the dull thuds still coming from Tober’s cell.

His parents were alive. His parents were alive! For the first time since Lina’s death, he felt a spark in his chest and wanted to actually skip through the hallways to the hangar rather than walk. With each step he took, his legs propelled him forward faster and faster, and he had to physically restrain himself from running.

He quickly found his way to the hangar, boarding the Helios-Two dropship waiting to ferry him to the where the Pyrrhus was positioned on standby. The flight over, though relatively short, felt like an eternity, and he wished that he could will it to go faster. Finally, it flew along the landing strip of the ship and retroburned to slow itself down to come to a rest where the lift brought it into the hangar underbelly of the Pyrrhus.

Inside was the familiar bustling interior he had seen many times before, and not much had changed since the last time he was in it. Drones flew from end to end of the hangar—transporting materials and parts wherever they were needed—crewmen moved back and forth to work on different ships and ensure everything was operational, and a girl with striking blonde hair whom he hadn’t see in three months was waiting for him when the door opened.

‟Eve, what are you doing here?” he asked, not unkindly. ‟Are you who Ardus said I was meeting here?”

‟One of them, yes.” She nodded and gestured for him to follow her to the lift out of the hangar. ‟The Director—or I guess I should say Acusiont now—gave both me and Mian orders to accompany you back to Arcadia. Apparently he saw that we worked well together or something, and he wanted to play to our strengths, especially the fact that I grew up in New Alexandria.”

‟So, what’s the plan, then?” There was a brief silence as neither of them spoke after he asked the question while they were waiting for the lift. Finally, he broke it himself when he saw the uneasy look in her eye. ‟What are we doing, just going in guns blazing as we try to capture someone who has eluded the Arcadians for months?”

‟Ardus hasn’t told us much beyond that we’re supposed to go with you, though I did try getting him to give us at least a little more information.” When the lift arrived and the door opened, they got on, letting it carry them up the relatively short distance to the bridge. ‟We’re going into this just as blind as you are, unfortunately.”

‟Does he know we’re coming, or do we at least have that much going for us?”

‟Oh, no, he definitely knows what’s going on, especially after the attack on Nevermoor Hold and this whole security summit Ardus planned. Have you heard of the Obsidian Order?” She paused for a fraction of a second, which was more than enough time for her to properly analyze the confused look on his face. "No, I didn’t think you would’ve, not many people have. It’s Hyperia’s network of spies, thought to have been disbanded when their empire collapsed, but it still shows signs of activity, especially from their leader, Lym Fradovette. I would be surprised if they haven’t told Seth everything that’s going on.”

‟Where’s Mian then?” Xaleyp tried to make his voice sound as impassive as possible, but knew as soon as the words were out of his mouth that he failed horribly.

‟Waiting on the bridge for us.” Eve looked at him out of the corner of her eye, a slight smile touching her lips. ‟Why do you ask?”

‟Oh, no reason in particular, just curious is all,” Xaleyp said quickly, his words tumbling over each other.

‟If you’re going to lie, you should at least make it a better one than that.” The door hissed open and Eve stood to the side, motioning for Xaleyp to lead the way out. She followed him off, and both of the footsteps clicked loudly on the metal floor in the rather silent interior of the bridge. ‟The navigator already has the coordinates input, we’re just waiting on your command to launch into hyperspace.”

Standing at the far side of the bridge, in front of the screen that currently showed a view of the protoplanetary disk of the Cerberi System, was Mian. She faced away from him, staring at the screen with her hands clasped behind her back and standing next to another woman who was slightly taller. Her black hair was wrapped into a tight bun at the top of her head, and she had a fit figure suited for a captain.

When they heard the sound of approaching footsteps, however, they turned and saw the pair of them approaching, and Mian’s face lit up slightly upon seeing Xaleyp. Eve broke off from him with a knowing smile, heading to one of the side chambers of the bridge where navigation was located.

The other woman moved forward, cutting in front of Mian with a stiff gait and stopped just a couple meters in front of Xaleyp. She saluted briskly, waiting for him to return it before speaking.

‟Levion Vah’Aris, the Acusiont told me that you would be coming.” Her voice was deep and commanding, resonating in the small bridge. ‟My name is Captain Leah Tameron, and it is an honor to have you aboard my vessel, and it is my utmost priority to ensure your safe travel to Arcadia. Is there anything I can do to make you more comfortable?”

‟No, thank you, Captain,” Xaleyp said, trying to avoid sounding like he was attempting to avoid her.

‟Very well. I’ll tell the navigator we are ready to depart, then.” She snapped her heels together and bowed slightly before heading to one of the hexagonal chambers.

As he neared Mian, the ship shifted slightly as it went into hyperspace, and the screen changed to show its normal solid white background. When he was within an arm’s reach, she started to lean in to hug him but hesitated, holding back and watching his face with a precision he’d never seen from her before.

‟Is everything alright between us?” she asked, her voice faltering slightly and her arms halfway in the air. ‟Do you mind if I hug you?”

He didn’t answer, instead wrapping his arms around her and holding her tight. She seemed shocked for a moment, her arms still hanging uselessly in the air, before she returned the hug. Something about having her in his arms felt right, as if that was where they both belonged.

***

It was another somewhat boring two week trip through hyperspace, but Xaleyp and Mian passed the time together, playing different games, using the CAM simulators for virtual fighter training, and just enjoying each other’s presence. Ever since Lina was killed, he never thought he would find someone that he enjoyed being with as much as her, but somehow Mian filled that void more than he expected.

Finally, the captain sent him a message informing him they were minutes away from Arcadia, and they both hurried to the bridge. When they arrived, the screen showed the countdown at less than two minutes and ticked down with each passing second. Eve was already sitting in one of the chairs closest to it, casually pivoting back and forth in it as she stared off into nothingness, with Captain Tameron making a lap around the bridge. Xaleyp and Mian sat down nearby to Eve, drawing her attention to them, and she smiled slyly.

‟I see you two have made up them,” she said. While she smiled at the pair of them, her voice sounded somewhat disappointed, though neither of them questioned her about it. Each of them pulled a strap from the side of the seat and around their laps, securing them to the chairs. ‟Our first order of business, from what the Acusiont told me, is to meet with the Arcadian government and work out the logistics of our operation. Under the passed bill, we shouldn’t have any issues getting in, so at least we don’t have to worry about that again.”

As she finished speaking, the countdown hit zero, and the ship shifted as it came out of hyperspace. Immediately, klaxons began blaring and red lights flashed in the bridge. They all looked around in panicked surprise, trying to figure out what was going on, when the navigator yelled out.

‟I lost control of all sensors and systems.” His voice was shaking and panting as he desperately tried to do anything to fix the errors. ‟It looks like we dropped out of hyperspace a fraction of a second too early, and we’re moving too fast for entry into the atmosphere. Everyone might want to brace for impact, because if we don’t fix this quickly, we’re going to crash.”

Xaleyp’s heart leapt into his throat at the words, and he gripped the chair he was in tightly, scraping his fingernails against the metal. He looked at the screen and saw Arcadia and its rings rapidly approaching, as well as the two Arcadian frigates that had replaced the ones destroyed during his last visit. Sounds of hails from the vessels came through on the communications channel but went unanswered. They were approaching fast, far faster than he had ever gone outside of hyperspace before, the and planet loomed ever larger.

The ship shuddered as it hit the top layer of the atmosphere at speed, and fire spread out over the hull in large waves. Clouds sped by as the navigator continued his efforts, though they were in vain. Technicians in the different sections shouted in surprise as their computers began to shutdown from the overload, and the screen itself seemed to be cracking under the pressure. The swamp outside of New Alexandria was growing larger and larger as they broke through the cloud cover.

Xaleyp looked to Mian then Eve, both of whom had a terrified look on their faces, as the colossal ship broke apart and crashed into the swamp with a resounding roar.