July 5th, 2486 - Planet Bungirba, Raven’s Crater - Bungirba Spaceport

‘Don’t bow, Olivia Mar Kolla—like you I’m here in an unofficial capacity’, he told her, his voice cool and immediately charismatic.

‘I—I’m sorry your highness’, Olivia sputtered, straightening up quickly.

Yared was handsome, with a defined jaw and large, inviting eyes. His hair was kept in carefully maintained dreadlocks, which came down to his shoulders and gave the impression that he was larger than life; but he was unmistakably Abiona’s brother, with his chestnut coloured hair and skin the colour of freshly tanned leather. Even his clothing, which consisted of a standard, undecorated military uniform, felt casual and unthreatening.

‘Olivia—may I call you Olivia?’ He began, his exploratory tone becoming more friendly and familiar with Olivia’s nervous nod of approval. ‘Consider us equals in the field—perhaps even friends, once we’ve gotten to know each other better … and I’m sure we will, since we’ll be spending so much time together from now on.’

Olivia was glad that she didn’t have to reply, because she couldn’t; she stood, dumbstruck as Akira approached, clearing his throat, and began to explain the plan of action. As he did, Prince Yared waved away the other two in military uniform, who it seemed were just Spaceport Security.

‘Yared—who for the record has insisted on being called by his given name—thought it mysterious that his sister, the princess, did not greet him upon his return to The Phoenix from his holiday home, in the Savourhall Province on Goldagar’, Akira informed Olivia, gruffly. ‘He of course assumed that she was making another escape attempt, and called me … obviously I wasn’t going to lie to the prince of the Wulver Empire, so here he is.’

‘It was a good plan Mr. Choganta, and I agree that no one else needs to know that my sister is missing’, the Prince said. ‘I believe that we can handle this matter ourselves; it will be a good exercise for me, and it will keep those involved to a minimum—we wouldn’t want a scandal, especially now. As far as anyone aboard The Phoenix is aware my sister has taken ill, and is isolating in her chambers; and I have taken a pilgrimage to my family’s ancestral home on Planet Oostabar, along with Mr. Choganta.’

‘What’s out next move your high—I mean … Yared’, Olivia asked, awkwardly.

‘Well…’ the Prince mused for a moment, before replying, excitedly, ‘We should get some local food! Mr. Choganta told me all about this Café Cottontail that you visited—I just love Bungirban culture!’ His eyes narrowed suddenly, an almost malicious smirk suddenly forming on his lips. ‘…Then the hunt begins … those outlaws will pay for what they’ve done.’

July 5th, 2486 - Imperial Cruiser, ‘The Masamune’

‘Look at it—the boundless universe, just waiting to be explored.’

Innumerable stars glinted and flashed through the full-wall holographic display, which used cameras mounted to the hull to display real-time footage of whatever happened to be outside. Abiona’s eyes sparkled, reflecting the glittering starlight.

A memory stirred in Ichiro, of neon lights flashing above a puddle, where he crouched with a handful of children his age and played dice games on the roadside, beneath the awning of a corner shop. The rain came down hard and every drop dazzled, diamond-like, before shattering the placid puddle, sending ripples dancing across its surface. Three years later, all of those children had died when a mineshaft had collapsed, trapping them inside to meet their fate by suffocation. For a long time afterwards, he would sit at that puddle alone.

‘It’s just an empty void.’ He said, averting his eyes from her and blinking rapidly. There was no need to hide his tears, because they simply wouldn’t fall. He buried the memory in an ocean of similar memories. Individually they could not hurt him, but together they could force the tough façade to falter.

‘It’s not empty; it’s just too vast to take in all the details at once.’ Abiona replied.

They sat apart, on couches of leather, staring out into the impossible void beyond.