Chapter 13

5 months ago.

154 days before Forza encounters Kiara on Tier.

The difference between showering on a space vessel and showering in my beachside home is immense. With my short fur, cleaning up used to be easy and enjoyable. But these showers are a different story. The water never gets hot enough, and the pressure from the nozzle is lacking. I could still taste the small hint of the recycling chemicals in the water.

As I dried my hair, I couldn't help but think about how lucky our position is; we're on the opposite side of the galaxy from Systems Alliance territory, with Sun Jin space sandwiched in between. If anyone were to stumble upon us first, it would most likely be the Sun Jin. The Alliance would have to navigate through our space for weeks, making it unlikely for them to reach us without taking a longer route around. This should continue to be a smooth ride, as it has been for the last few days.

Pushing thoughts of potential danger aside, I tied back my hair and walked into my living quarters where I found my book next to my dismantled handgun on the bedside table. I stared at it, giving it thought. It may seem like an unlikely pairing, but luckily there are books available for light reading in the living areas of the ship to pass the time. This really did feel like more of a high-speed personal yacht than a military vessel, but I couldn't let that distract me. I finished getting dressed in the casual, tight, tank top, and khaki cargo pants.

Once in the large control cockpit I made my way to the navigational computer near the forward window. No need to sit down in the chair. I didn’t plan on being here long. Everything checked out on first glance. No warning indicators, engineering systems seemed fine, navigation was accurate, and the path in front of us gave the beautiful dancing lightshow of slipspace.

I stepped backwards to leave, turned, and gasped as I nearly crashed into something solid. It was Akima, standing tall and imposing over me with her red eyes boring into mine. My heart raced as I stepped away from her, trying to regain my composure. Her long gray arms reached out on either side of her, the metal of the doorway creaking under the weight of her claws. A deep exhale rumbled from her throat and out her nose. She was dressed in cargo pants and a heavy black hoodie. I couldn't believe how easily she had managed to sneak up on me, sending shivers down my spine at her sudden and powerful presence.

"Late night stroll?" Her bare feet padded against the metal floor, her sharp claws clicking with each step. As she approached me, I couldn't help but take a few cautious steps back. Her slow and deliberate movements were almost intimidating. She stopped in front of me, her arms crossed over her chest, and I couldn't help but feel like I was being interrogated. Akima's intense presence and piercing gaze made it difficult to compose myself.

I took a deep breath to calm my nerves and gave Akima a small smile. "Yeah, just checking on things before heading to bed. You scared me there," I said, trying to make light of the situation. "Besides, what's night?" I asked with a chuckle, turning back to look out the forward window of the narrow cockpit. "We're in space. Yeah, back on Bethany it'd be pretty late right now, I suppose."

In response, her red eyes peered, she just lifted her nose a bit, watching me. She didn't have to say much to actually provide a meaningful response. After a moment she too softened for a brief moment before she returned to her stoic demeanor. "I didn't mean to startle you." She gestured towards the navigational computer. "Everything seems to be in order, then?"

I nodded, grateful for the distraction from our awkward encounter. This was probably the first time we’d seen each other all day. She spent most of time in her room. Of all our crossings on this trip so far this was the first time we’ve met in the command area besides our departure from Bethany, and even though it had only been a few moments so far this was looking like it was going to be the longest.

"Yeah, everything's running okay. Our route is still on track and no issues have popped up with the ship yet."

"Good." Akima said calmly, turning towards the door, her long gray hair swaying behind her as she started walking out of the cockpit.

"Were you heading somewhere?" I asked, following her out into the clean hallway.

"Just taking a walk around the ship," she replied casually.

I couldn't help but feel curious about where she was going late at night. It seemed out of character for someone as disciplined as Akima to take a leisurely stroll at this hour. But before I could ask any more questions, Akima spoke up again.

"I've been digging around in some of the items in the cargo hold. Seeing what we've got. Join me?" She glanced over at me with a slight tilt of her head.

I hesitated for a moment before giving in to my curiosity and nodding my head. We made our way towards the back of the ship towards the rear cargo hold. As we walked down the well-lit hallway I could smell the clean disinfected metal and oil. It was as if this old ship was brand new, clean, purpose built.

As we walked towards the large metal doors, they smoothly slid open with a hiss. The artificial lights inside spilled out into the previously dark room until the lighting in the hold clicked on. Inside were rows of neatly stacked crates and containers, probably sixty total, stacked three tall. A few of them had their metal doors already open, some packaged goods stacked outside the doors. Probably Akima's doing.

"What do we have here?" I inquired, examining the scattered supplies for any identifying labels.

"A mix of things," Akima replied vaguely as she approached one of the crates, prying open its top flap.

I followed her lead and watched as she revealed a box containing what appeared to be medical equipment. There were first aid kits, both individual and group-sized, along with other assorted medical supplies. It could definitely come in handy.

"This one has medical supplies," she paused and gestured towards another open crate nearby, with a few more boxes outside. "And that one seems to have some sort of scanning equipment and scientific tools that I'm not familiar with."

I placed my hands on my hips and nodded thoughtfully. "There's more than enough here for just the two of us."

"I imagine it's meant for setting up a base camp of some kind. A forward operating base, perhaps. There are enough of firearms in the back to arm a small town."

I awkwardly smiled, only one side of my face responding. "See, that's more my style," I chuckled nervously, shifting my gaze to the floor for a moment. She was still kneeling by the open box, but she stopped and turned to look at me. We just sat there in silence, studying each other. The chill in the room intensified as we both felt the tension between us.

“I had some questions for you, Rio," Akima said, finally breaking the silence. "Thought maybe we could talk.”

Might as well be honest. I stepped over towards one of the containers, and leaned my butt against the cold metal, and folded my arms. “I had some questions too.”

“Makes sense," Akima snorted. "Why is a stranger being assigned to this mission." She dusted her hands off and stood up. "I have no rank or immediate loyalties to Kaisara. The Sun Jin hadn’t marched into my family's territory yet.”

I shrugged a bit. “She said you brought her intel and based on that intel she took the empires flagship to Quall.” I paused a second and reemphasized: "She took the Esther... to Quall."

She smiled a bit pushing herself against the cargo container next to her. “The Quallian family and my family have never seen eye to eye. It reminds me of these struggles that these Templar people are having. Small tribal squabbling. When my home was destroyed by the Quallians I retreated. Just in time to save my life as the city was vaporized by orbital bombardment.”

“So, you told her ‘sign me up for top secret work’ or something?” I couldn’t help but chuckle a bit.

“No, but a few words with Sun Jin command about Quallian space faring technology did strike their interests for a few moments. Word made it up the chain, but they didn't care about the technology. The Sun Jin Empire doesn't need any more technology. What piqued their attention was the planet itself, and its location. Only a few days later Kaisara herself invited me for a meeting and questioned me about everything I knew concerning Quall." Akima snorted a bit and shook her head, looking off to the side a bit.

I observed her, taking in every detail. The information I had received during the briefing only scratched the surface of what she had experienced. It was clear that the Quallians had left a deep psychological impact on her. Her cold and menacing demeanor seemed to reflect the darkness that they had inflicted upon her. As I studied her, I couldn't help but wonder what secrets lied beneath her hardened exterior and if I would ever be able to unravel them.

"My original intent was to tip the Sun Jin off to their technology so they could go in and raid them," she continued propping her foot up on the container and sliding her hands into the pockets of her hoodie. "Ruin them like they had done to me. I never knew that I would be invited for this, like you. I just had a big piece of the puzzle that Kaisara was looking for.”

“And now we’re running around doing her dirty work?”

“I guess so. She can’t go to Eveny like we can.”

I snorted a bit and cocked an eyebrow in question. "Yeah, I remember her saying that. She was from Magnum. She would go to Eveny for diplomatic reasons but because of the Sun Jin Empire and Alliance war she said she couldn't set foot there."

“That man that she was talking too before she met with you, did you see him?”

“The white furred wolf in the robes?”

“His name’s Atomis Silverwolf. He’s the tribal leader of the Nightfall Templar, at least right now anyway.”

I sighed heavily and closed my eyes. This was getting more and more complicated. What was Kaisara planning? She has so many secret plans. A whole agenda nobody knows about but her and her Templar cabal. “What do you mean?”

“Who do you suppose is the real leader of the Nightfall Templar Tribe that Atomis is only filling in for?”

I frowned a bit, and that sinking feeling gripped my pit. “Kai... it's not Kaisara, is it?"

She shook her head. A somewhat relieving sign. “This Flarion we’re looking for. She says he’s gone off the deep end and has been acting on his own agenda apart from the Nightfall. Atomis has only recently stepped in. With Flarion turning up at Quall he came to visit Kaisara to plan their next move. Kaisara, Atomis, and Flarion are all major members of the Nightfall.”

As the pieces fell into place, an unsettling realization dawned on me. The Sun Jin Empire's plans for domination were much more sinister than I had imagined. Not only was Kaisara deeply embedded within these Templar, but she and Atomis were pulling the strings behind the scenes. They were using us as pawns to find Flarion and wield the power of the Nightfall Templar against the Alliance. Kaisara had already proven the abilities of a single Templar, her ability to turn the tide of war in their favor all by herself. But now, I feared what an entire army of these super soldiers could do under her control. A shiver ran down my spine as I thought about the impending battle against this formidable force. A momentary flashback of the gust of wind blowing past my face as the tank exploded under a single attack from Kaisara's magic.

“Atomis is the current Redken, or leader, of the Nightfall, replacing Redken Flarion for the time being. Whenever Flarion leaves he assigns one of his closest to lead in his stead, giving them the title of Redken for life, and he does this frequently. This time, however, Flarion disappeared without notice, causing concern for Kaisara and her plans for the future. She had been counting on Flarion's assistance when the time came, but now he is missing."

I shook my head in disbelief. "How do you have all this information?"

Akima lifted her snout and let out a small snort. "Kaisara likes to talk," she explained nonchalantly.

"Kaisara would get the aid of Flarion, huh? Is she one of the Redken leaders?"

Akima nodded her head. “Redken... Sun Jin... Kaisara."

"Looks like you've been getting some special treatment from Kaisara. She's spilled more to you than she has to me. What makes you so special?"

“Probably because I saw Flarion myself. She told me most of these details on the trip back to Bethany just before we picked you up." Akima got a big grin on her face behind closed lips. "I saw him, Rio. His power was something else."

I couldn't help but get a hint of admiration of this power from Akima. She spoke about her vendetta against the Quallian people and how she had ended up leading the Sun Jin Empire to Quall. Flarion appeared there, and his power was so immense that Kaisara personally took the Esther there to witness it. It was clear that Akima was hungry for this same power, to exact her own revenge on her enemies. She had already aimed the Sun Jin Empire at the Quallians and they had done her the favor of wiping out a whole city as part of her vendetta.

"I've personally seen what Kaisara can do in battle. And she needs Flarion's help? So, you were there when Flarion appeared?"

"Yeah," she confirmed with a nod. "It was an incredible sight. This incredible, black, bird. He smashed his way around and had these almost magical abilities at his command that-"

"And you want that kind of power for yourself?"

Akima gave me a sly smile. "Who wouldn't? With that kind of power, I could finally have my revenge on those who have been haunting me for years. Against Kiara Quall for destroying my home."

I couldn't argue with that logic, but I also knew firsthand the danger and destruction that came along with such immense power.

"But what about your loyalty to Kaisara and the Sun Jin Empire?" I asked skeptically.

"My loyalty is to myself above all else," Akima replied coolly, crossing her arms again. "But for now, Kaisara's goals align with mine. We both want to find Flarion."

I could see the fire in her eyes as she spoke about taking down her enemies. But there was also something unsettling about her thirst for revenge and power. Surely, Kaisara knew this about her, right? Kaisara and Akima clearly had spent some time together. Akima was able to get all this information from Kaisara but what did Kaisara glean about Akima during that same time? Kaisara obviously thought her capable enough to put her on this ship with me.

"Just be careful, Akima," I warned. "The Nightfall Templar are not to be taken lightly."

She scoffed at my cautionary words. "What do you know?" She shook her head a moment, full of herself. Akima continued. "Anyway... Kaisara says the last time Flarion left Magnum, planned, she was appointed the majordomo of the clan. When he returned, she left Magnum. There was some business on Amber Krowe for a few years, and then she started her rebellion against the Alliance. I imagine that now her military and empire is, to Atomis, a major tool for destroying the Neverborn, while Atomis’s Templar are now her ultimate weapon against the System’s Alliance.”

“It sounds like a good trade,” I said, feeling a bit warm in the cheeks. So there were two wars being fought here, not just one. The Sun Jin Empire from Bethany against the Systems Alliance on Amber Krowe, and the Nightfall of Magnum against the Neverborn Templar on Eveny.

I stared off a bit as I started to feel wrong about all of this. I tried not to show it. This just kept getting more and more intense. Everything was sort of falling apart and I couldn’t help but realize that what I’m doing right now may single handedly change everything. Closing my eyes I thought about what would happen when Kaisara touched down on Amber Krowe. The Systems Alliance would be crushed, and these Nightfall Templar would, through Kaisara, control the galaxy. Likewise, with all that military might of the Sun Jin on the Nightfall’s side, Eveny would be destroyed.

Guilt set in. Am I about to bear witness to a new generation of warfare? The technological advantage the Empire had over the Alliance with its energy technology was unmeasurable. What would happen when magical powers I didn't understand were brought into the fold. The slaughter to come would destroy everything. The technology of Kaisara's fleet. It was Templar... Their vessels would tear through the Alliance's fleet, and their super soldiers would finish the job on Amber Krowe. I felt like I could throw up. I helped her. I helped start this war... I was in awe of her power and so happy to free Caisteal and Bethany from Alliance control. But this?

I slowly kicked off the container and with a slow breath started towards the door leading out of the hanger.

Akima remained where she was, and I thought I saw her smile a bit looking up at the ceiling. Her next words sent chills down my back, “The Sun Jin will control the galaxy with a legion of powerful Templar Knights, and Redken Flarion will break any planet that stands in our way.”

“One day, right?” I choked down the words as I walked out the exit. Genocide...

Akima, she didn't get to ask me any return questions. I asked, she answered, and yet I feel like my reactions were probably answering any questions she may have had about me. Time to take another crappy shower.

This was the day. The pivotal moment that would change everything for me and my people. I had dedicated my life to fighting for Bethany's freedom, believing it would lead to a brighter future. But as I retired from battle, I started rejecting lucrative opportunities, because the doubts began to gnaw at me. Something didn't feel right about the Sun Jin's ultimate goal. Now, as events unfold, it seems my suspicions were true all along. This is not the righteous cause I thought I signed up for. Instead, it is a dangerous path of destruction that will leave a trail of devastation across countless worlds and millions of lives lost. I can no longer stand idly by and watch this happen. It's time to take action before it's too late.

The question burned in my mind. What could have possibly driven Kaisara to this point? It wasn't just about the rebellion anymore; she had gathered powerful allies and built an empire with a fierce fleet at her command. This wasn't just about independence, there was a deeper purpose behind it all. I couldn't help but wonder if this had been her plan all along, a tool for the Nightfall Templar to use against their enemy, the Neverborn. Her ties with the Nightfall went back decades before the rebellion even began. What secrets did she carry from that time? And what event triggered this thirst for war?

A fresh purpose gnawed at the corners of my mind, burning like a sun. Hurtling through the star-studded void, we're bound for Eveny, the secluded sanctuary of the Neverborn Templar. We're meant to be hunting Flarion down, all so Kaisara can probably puppeteer him in her violent orchestra of war. The mere thought of it fills my veins with a cold dread. I won't stand idle as she turns another pawn in her game. I... I was already one of them. Back in my room, I twisted the top off the bottle and took a drink. A loud exhale left my mouth.

Who's to say what secrets she'd already weaved about the Templar into the Sun Jin Empire? Countless hours spent in hushed whispers over schematics and theories perhaps? I shuddered to think what more she could unveil. It's dawned on me now - the seamless integration, the impossible intricacies - all hallmarks of her Templar ingenuity. This had to be a quality of genius that got her honored with the Nightfall rank of Redken years before the war even began. And now there's two of them on the Esther! She had done all of this from the shadows. Nobody in her Empire knew anything about what I had learned over the last few days. They believed in the propaganda that the war against the Alliance was purely for their safety and survival. Fear tugged at my heart when I imagined what they've already achieved under her watchful eye.

I'm caught between a rock and a hard place, wrestling with an internal conflict as old as time itself. Duty versus morality. I can't just turn a blind eye, let Kaisara lead us down this path unchallenged. Yet, how much weight do I carry in this cosmic chessboard? It's an ocean against a drop scenario but one thing’s for sure, I had to do something.

I stared into the bottle, feeling it's cold bite against the inside of my cheeks. In only a few moments I had already drank half of it. I could feel it coursing through my veins as I tried to escape this feeling.

I'm just one person floating aimlessly in this vast universe, but I can't shake off the feeling; even a ripple can change the tide given enough persistence. That's something Kaisara did teach me. She alone won the rebellion victory against the Alliance. So, here I am struggling with the pieces of this puzzle that is far bigger than me, far bigger than any of us. I don't have the grand solution, but I will do what I can. Because in the end, isn't that all any of us can truly do?

Akima... there's a name that twists my gut in knots, a name that encapsulates the uncertainty. Her loyalty, like the facets of a complex jewel, shimmers different shades at different angles. Is it shadowy figures of the Nightfall Templar that hold her heart or is it merely survival, an allegiance to herself. Loyalties shift. People change. These are truths I am feeling right now more than ever.

It's not the quantity of knowledge she carries that scares me. After all, we live in an age where information rides on beams of light and echoes in every corner, but the potential application of it. Could she wield this power as mercilessly as Kaisara, turning words into weapons and truths into traps?

She's lost her home, a place she loved, vaporized by the Quallians. Yet, how does one calculate right or wrong when cities become ashes and lives become numbers on cold tactical screens? I drank, the pieces clicking into place. Was Akima truly a victim, or had she brought that destruction upon herself?

For now, in this limbo of fear and faith, I wait. Wait for tomorrow’s truth to unravel today’s doubts about Akima. Allie or adversary? This is a game of survival and power, yet I dare not confront her, not here on this ship. I simply can't beat her. I know I can't. She'd overpower me and the fight would be over in moments. I'll need to bide my time, allow her to lead me to Eveny under the pretense of cooperation. There, if the opportunity arose, I'll try to warn them of the coming storm.

My trembling hand fumbled in the darkness of the shower stall, searching for the temperature dial. My naked drunk body huddled against the wall, drenched and vulnerable. I turned on the hot water, trying to drown out my thoughts with the scalding spray. Every moment felt like an eternity as I waited for Akima to slam open the door to my room and murder me, reconsidering my value after all that I had discovered. I wished desperately for a way to escape this looming confrontation, but as I stood shivering under the harsh shower, I knew there was no turning back. Akima could appear at any moment, ready to end my life in a single swift blow. I glanced at my hand, holding my assembled pistol. These showers were a small comfort compared to the terror that awaited me outside.