I hate myself. I really do. I just…why must I second guess everything that happens to me. It's almost become automatic, like I feel like I deserve it in some way. The day that I still think about the most when it comes to this, is the day I found out what happened to my father. I could never forget the look on my mother's face. I had entered the kitchen to get a drink. It was about midnight. The mother planet's light had made its way into the windows and to a single area of the kitchen. There sat two people. Uncle Phoenix and mom, who look like she had been crying for the past hour, considering how stressed her eyes were. Phoenix had his back to me so he was unaware of my presence until mom saw me and her eyes lit up. He turns around and looks me in the eye for a second, then smiles.
"Hey kid." He says reaching his hand.
I approach him, feeling a bit on edge. The atmosphere felt tense. Something was in the air and I could feel myself choking on it.
"What's going on?" I asked.
"Come, sit."
I sat in the open seat between them. Mom just looks at me and smiles, but it was that fake smile. The "everything is fine but it's actually not" smile. I know what this is. Phoenix looks out the window as mom speaks. She sounds choked up, like her lungs were exhausted and gasping for air as she spoke.
"What's going on?" I asked again.
"Demi. You remember that promise your father made?"
"Yes."
"Well, how do I say this..?"
"He's dead, isn't he?" I ask, interrupting her.
Mom was left shocked. She did know how to respond to my question. She struggles for an answer but can't find it.
"He lied again!"
"No, Demi."
"The both of you! This house is just full of liars!"
"Demi!"
What little sadness I have turns to anger. I just left the room. Looking back on it, I know I went a little overboard. I felt so stressed already that all my frustration and anger erupted all at once and I guess I couldn't cope with the reality before me. I lie in my bed, staring into the ring he gave me. It faintly glows a dark blue, but I saw nothing inside. I felt nothing too. Like I should be sad and disappointed, but I was just mad. Angry at myself for not doing anything to stop him. And it's not like I could. I don't know where he is, what he is doing, nothing. What am I supposed to do?
I didn't talk to either of them for the rest of the day. Phoenix later knocks on my door that night. I don't answer, however, and he opens it anyway.
"Hey kid." he whispers.
"Go away." I said with my head buried in my pillow.
He ignores me and sits on my bed. I had my back to him but I could feel the bed shift around. He reaches over and touches my shoulder, gently rubbing it up and down like he was petting my arm or something.
"Kid look, I know you are upset-."
"-Was it my fault?"
There was a hint of sadness and panic in his voice as he spoke.
"What?"
"Did I do something to him?"
"No!"
"He told me, he will come back but now he's gone forever."
Phoenix goes silent for a second. It was almost disturbing. I know he was still there because I could hear him breathing.
"Scoot over," he says.
"What?"
"Move over, I wanna lay down too."
With all his might he starts pushing me from behind.
"Wh-the hell are you-?"
"-Little more. And watch the language."
I could feel myself sliding toward the wall until he thought there was enough room for him to lay down. As soon as he got comfortable he reached his hand over my head. I finally turn around to see what's going on. He nudges his head, suggesting I slide under his arm.
"Why?" I asked.
"Just…come on. I want to show you something."
I look him in the eyes to see if he is serious. He didn't even twitch. I shift closer to him until he pulls me in and I am laying my head on his arm. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small box. It was old and beaten up. It had scratch marks and a worn maroon color to it. He observes it in his hand. He admires its craftsmanship and quality.
"What is it?" I ask.
"Whenever I get upset, I think about Caroline."
"Your…wife?"
"Um-hum."
"You don't talk about her much."
"I try not to." He says as he gives me a fake smile. I could see the strongest urge in his eyes to hold back his tears. "When I think about her, I pull out this box."
"What's in it?"
He opens the box. Inside was a picture of her, smiling in front of a large window facing out into a nebula. Her hair was short but curly and jet black. She had light skin but seemed to be short in stature. Her smile was so large it could cure any frown, including Phoenix, who smiled as he looked at the picture.
"Why are you showing me this?"
"There will be days where you will be upset and alone. Before they come, I want you to get something like this, to help bring you to peace when it arrives."
He reaches over to my desk next to him and grabs the ring, holding it in front of us.
"Use this." He said. "This might help you out."
I grabbed the ring from him and held it in my hand. I looked at it closely, inspecting it, but there was nothing. I felt nothing! I broke down in tears, frustrated at myself. Phoenix held me under his arm and stayed there till I fell asleep.
Shortly afterward, I was awoken by a loud bang then silence and the gentle hum of the ship.
I didn't sleep well that night. The flight here was already rough as it is, but my dream left me, disturbed. I look out the window to observe our destination. We were in the Marcaria system. Home of the moon Cloud 9, the destination of Sulis' little event. The system was located on the border of the two countries so there was some strategic purpose for the location. That and its home to what is said to be the most beautiful waterfall. On the other end of the planet was the eerie shadow of the legendary Starfire. The most important engine in all of human existence. Everything uses it, from our ships to powering our homes. When taken and scaled to maximum capacity, it has the ability to shift planetary orbits. Two of them sat at the rear of the moon. They tower high into the sky and had a width at the nozzle of at least 3000 meters. The base engine compartment is much larger. It is at least another 1000 meters long along with several supporting structures. Though as I took a closer look at it, it was sparkling with lights. They had converted the building into the rest of the planet's cities. A common occurrence after Starfire has had its uses and is no longer needed. The systems are so big that they don't tear it down. I personally think they use it as a status symbol. A form of 'look what we can do' without saying anything.
Next, I find myself staring in the mirror. My hair was a mess and it was covering my right eye, making me look like some sort of monster. I sigh and get to work. I fix up my hair, straightening it out till it reaches my shoulders. I went to my closest and looked for an outfit. Phoenix told me that the chief of security will be meeting us here on the ship. Apparently, the king has invited us to his morning breakfast event. I had to look my absolute best. I went with a blue dress. It was given to me years ago by mom before we stopped talking to each other. The dress fits quite nicely and reaches halfway down my thigh. The cape that came with it was a mere inch from the floor. The cape had a shifting holographic design of a system facing from top to bottom. The sun stood still but the planets around it rotated around the star, like a star system. I stood in the mirror once again, doing a bunch of random poses to try and get a feel for everything. When I was satisfied, I search the box I had on my desk and pull out the necklace that held my ring. I remove its chain and look at it for a moment, admiring its faint glow and sparkle.
I sigh and place it on my left index finger.
I get a ping at the door. A screen opens near my desk where I get a view outside. It was Phoenix, dressed in an all black suit with its seams glowing a soft blue.
I opened the door and greeted him with a smile.
"You look handsome." I said.
He grunts, scanning me up and down. He had this strange look, almost like a look of disapproval. A chilly sensation tingles down my spine, like he was undressing me with his eyes or something.
"What?" I ask nervously.
"You look beautiful." He says.
"Thanks. I think."
"Come on, the officer is waiting for us."
He reaches his hand out for which I timidly grab. We made our way to the hangar which wasn't a far walk. It was quite busy. Ships were moving in and out the bay doors along the wall. Cargo containers were a constant hazard as we arrive at the landing location. It turns out we were right on time. As we approach, a ship flies over our heads. Its large thruster in the back rotates points down to hover while its small thrusters and propellers hidden inside the wings kept it steady. The ship kept itself level for a second, then slowly touched the ground. The words, "Pandoria" were written on it.
The doors behind the ship open out and down as the engine above continues to spin. Two figures stood inside. A man and a woman. The man was slightly taller and also had a slight blue hue emitting from himself. It was a bit strange and none of his clothing had any glowing edges. My mind went a little nuts trying to find out how he was glowing like that. The woman wore an elegant outfit. Her skin was pale and her brown hair was tied in a ponytail. She wore a long, black dress with a cut on the right hand side, allowing her right leg to poke out a little as she walked. The man wore a simple black suit. As they exit off the ship, the glowing man is chatting it up with the woman, who seemed very interested in the conversation. Man reaches his hand out first, firmly shaking phoenix's hand before gently shaking mine. His hand was cold, almost stiff as I grabbed it. It felt lifeless, in a way I couldn't quite explain.
"Hello." The woman said. "My name is Melena, this is my A.I. Soul."
"Your…soul?" Phoenix asked, grabbing his chest where his heart would be.
"No, A.I. Soul is his name."
"Oh. Sorry."
"No worries m'am. I am currently operating a skeleton and projecting myself from the ship."
"Wait, a what?"
I look up at the starship and sure enough, there is what looks to be some sort of camera protruding from the bottom of the ship and seems to be following Soul's location. Melena smiles a little.
"Anyways," Melena continues, "he was giving me a tour of the ship. It's very impressive."
"Tour?" I asked, "You just got here."
"One of my specialties." Soul said. "Your ship is quite the masterpiece. It has enough firepower here to take on several capital ships at once."
"Thanks?" I hesitantly responded.
"Shall we get going, the king is waiting for us."
Melena nods and immediately turns toward her ship. Soul reaches his hand out toward me and greets me with a friendly smile as I reach back out to him. Still a bit on edge he guides me up the ramp, his cold hands leading the way. He sits me down in a seat just outside the ramp where I can still see everything below me as well as out the window beside me. Phoenix sits next to me smiling in excitement as we prepare for take off. I could hear Melena in the cockpit talking with the tower.
"Boseman tower, this is Pandoria requesting permission for takeoff."
"Stand by Pandoria. Alright you are cleared to head downstairs. Good hunting Pandoria."
"Thanks tower."
The ship lifts off the ground as the ramp closes. Dust kicks up into the air as the rear booster expands, increasing its thrust. As the ramp is nearing its close, I spot Marcus. I can see the disappointment on his face but waves us goodbye as we float away. I yell at him to try and get his attention over the increasingly loud thruster in the rear but it's too late.
I assume he couldn't hear me because all he did was salute as we pull away and finally exit through the hanger. The ship tears through the atmosphere of the small moon. Red plums of fire raced alongside the heat shield until the view was completely obstructed. It only took a few seconds before everything began to calm down again. The heat shield retracts. We hit the cloud layer where I spot a massive festival-like event at the base of a huge glowing waterfall. There were rides, attractions and expos, all in one location. In fact, the last thing you would think was that this was a government-sponsored event. All of this is located against the bright city in the background. The sun rises as the ship arrives at the government tower at the top of the waterfall. A 20-story structure whose bridges on either end stretched across the falls till they touched land. The rest of the building stretches backward, though not at the same height as the rest of the tower. We land on a pad reaching just over the edge of the water where I can catch a glimpse of the entire falls. Below us was the stadium for the main event. It was much larger than I originally thought. The main podium stood in the middle of three massive sets of seats for the viewers and all were facing the waterfall. They are at least five or six stories high or at least that's what it looks like from up here. I make my way to the exit ramp as the ship touches down on the surface. The door opens, greeting me with a loud, deep rumble from the waterfall. The sheer force generated from the falls creates a misty atmosphere as the vapors from the water could be felt everywhere as we exit the ship. It's almost like I've gone swimming in shallow waters. Its roar echoes so intensely that the engine of the ship couldn't even be heard anymore. Phoenix tries to say something to me but I can't hear him. He eventually has to point. It was toward a balcony hanging off the side of the tower about five stories up. It had a dome roof and arched supports all the way around. As we enter the building and into the lobby Melena gets a call from her comms device. She picks up the radio and answers it. I cannot hear what she says but after her conversation, she turns to Phoenix and I.
"You and Phoenix go ahead to the banquet, we'll catch up with you."
"Are you sure?" I asked.
"Yeah go, the king is waiting to meet the both of you."
Phoenix nods, grabbing my hand and guiding me toward the elevators. We made our way inside, pressing the fifth button that was available and sat down, knowing this was going to be a long trip. The elevator begins its rise. The views of the planet started to become more apparent as I grew higher and higher. The stadium down below was huge and magnificent, and the city surrounding it gave it a nice touch. The bay could be made out as the city begins to shrink around it, revealing its outline. A recording plays over the speakers. It had a rough and very deep voice to it. I was a bit intrigued.
"Hello," it said, "This is King Immora Alexander, Ruler of the Sulis Empire. Today I have some exciting news for you. In exactly three days, my daughter, Immora Cadence, will be named next to be ruler of Sulis. If you are listening to this video, you have been invited to join us on this special occasion. There will be food, fun and much more on the gorgeous landscape of this wonderful moon. I hope to see you there!"
The screen cuts away as the elevator arrives at its stop. I could see the entire horizon stretching across the window and the other eight planets were dotting away in the sky, looking down upon our small little moon. The doors behind me open, greeting me with a massive doorway and what sounds like orchestrated music echoing behind it, and filling the room I stood in. At the entrance of the door were two guards in full suit and attire, quickly swarming us when they spot our movements. Phoenix pulls in front of me to take care of them.
"Name please?" One of the guards asked.
"Phoenix." he responded, "Irving Phoenix."
"Phoenix, one moment."
"You two." The other guard calls from the back of the room. He signals for us with his fingers to approach him.
There he was, a man standing across from me behind the guard. He had a dark skin tone but his body was huge, like he works out everyday. His muscles were as big as my head and his suit looked like it was struggling to hold together. He wore a black shirt and white blazer and pants to complement it. He opens his arms, ready to greet us as soon as we enter. His short hair stands firm in the wind as he waits at the entrance with a smile as wide as the horizon. This was him, the one we have all heard about but never truly seen before. The ruler of the Sulis Empire, King Alexander Immora. I was truly starstruck.
"Hello there, Captain." He says,
"Your highness." Phoenix responds as we both bow.
"How are you? How was the flight here, no trouble?"
"Good, it was good."
"Wonderful!"
He looks straight at me and I suddenly feel extremely nervous. I have never met someone like this before. His voice was just like the recording. Deep and imposing, but gentle and calm. With enough force though, you will know for sure that he was angry. I twist and turn my ring, trying not to give him eye contact but it seems he became way more interested because of it.
"And who is this beautiful lady? Your date?"
Phoenix goes red in the face.
"No, she's not!"
"Really?"
He puts his hand under my chin and turns me toward him. We are now looking face to face. His eyes were a dark brown and his smile grew even larger as he studied me.
"Your eyes are simply stunning." he says, "I'd never seen someone with purple eyes before."
"Yes." I stumbled a little, "It's considered…rare genetics…Sorry."
"-No worries. Words are hard to come by in my presence."
"What?"
"What is your name?"
"Demi. Commander…Nasa…Demi."
"Your second in command then, Phoenix. How interesting."
I don't know what it was, but there was just something about him that just clicked. Was it his smile? The aroma that came from him, the scent of…trees? To be honest though I don't care, he had me and all I did was smile and laugh. I took a peek toward Phoenix, and he had a look I had never seen on him before. Was he jealous? Mad? Alex reaches out his hand in front of me, that smile is still on his face.
"Come, you must both be hungry after that long flight."
I had become flustered at this point. I could barely respond to anything.
"Yes...yes, of course." I say as I reach for his hand.
He quickly pulls me close under his arm and the marbled doors open behind us. As I turn around, I am greeted with the most beautiful view. From our height, in space, every moon is visible, dotted around the sky at variable distances. Ahead is the event itself, located in a massive open auditorium. The open pillars we saw earlier surround the entire area. The auditorium itself sat at the edge of the waterfall and as we approached the edges of the platform, I could see the massive drop below. It was strangely quiet considering where we were. The low rumble could still be heard and felt throughout the building. The party was filled with politicians and the rich, about over 100 in total. The king leads us to a massive table at the very end of the building. It overlooks the capital and the many ships that could be seen coming and going around the city and tower. The Boseman was directly above. Standing in full glory for all to see, including the king. At the far edge of the city, "it" was there. Starfire in its fullest form. The engine's top is blocked by the clouds, as expected, but it's way bigger in person than I thought. The end of the waterfall could also be seen, its low rumble being the most intense here. In the center of the table sat a massive chair, fit for a king. Two chairs sat on both sides on the king's seat with an extra on the left next to it. All three were unoccupied. The king guides us to two additional seats to his right. They are extended out for us by two men already waiting behind our seats. We thank them both and sit down. The same happens for King Alex, as he sits in his seat, which is closest to me.
Soon everyone in the room goes silent. A man walks through the doors facing us and begins to make an announcement.
"Ladies and gentlemen, Prince Dillon of Sulis and Princess Estelle of Mysticar."
A loud applause erupts as they both enter the room. The prince had curly black hair and wore a lavish suit similar to Phoenix, but it was made of a softer material from what I could see. There was no glow on it, but he wore a red banner that ran across his chest from shoulder to torso. An assortment of jewels and patches were everywhere along the banner but I had no idea what they meant. He did not have the same build as the king. He was much skinnier. The woman with him also had short black hair, but her skin tone was pale white. She had a similar build to the prince but was slightly taller than him. She had an elaborate green dress that twinkles little stars in the night sky. Behind them were Melena and Soul, smiling and waving. The prince approaches our table and sits down with the princess sitting next to him. Melena and Soul sit at another table on the other side of the balcony. Estelle quickly takes interest and sparks a chatter as everyone calms down or takes pictures.
"So. You must be Commander Demi?" Estelle says. "A little smaller than the pictures."
"Sorry?" I ask.
"I love your outfit. Where did you get it?"
"It was my mothers."
"Well she has great tastes. How is the new position treating you?"
"Good. I guess, wait how did you-?"
"I'm the princess, Demi. I am required to know everything."
The man continues with his announcements, cutting our conversation off.
"And now, the main event. I present to you, Princess Immora Cadence!"
All eyes turn toward the arches. At first I was confused. There is no way someone is able to enter from where everyone was looking. After some time, a buzzing sound could be heard. We didn't know where it was coming from at first but when I turn my attention back to the balcony, I saw it. A woman with beautiful long black hair enters, floating down from above on what looks to be angelic wings. They sprout from a backpack she wore and particles eject from the wings as she approaches her landing. There is a thunderous applause from everyone. As she lands I get a better look at her. She looks to be near my age. She was very tall and wore a long black dress. Her build was bulky but formed. She's very toned in her arms and her legs look as if she could snap a neck in two. I can see where most of their father's charm and build went. While the prince definitely had some of it, she almost stole the whole show, her smile doing most of the work. She takes off the backpack as the wings disengage and gives them to someone waiting for them. She approaches the table and smiles toward me before sitting down next to the king and I.
Suddenly, hundreds of waiters enter through a door on the side. A louder applause roars through the dining area. The waiters wore black suits and dresses. As the servers arrived at our table, the head waiter stood in the middle. He places a headset on his head and his voice starts playing over speakers to allow us to hear him over the rumble of the falls.
"Good Morning Ladies and Gentlemen! Today, we welcome you to the Dinner in the Clouds. I would like to thank you all for coming."
An applause follows shortly afterward.
"I would also like to thank the Immora family for sponsoring this event for all of you. Today is going to be something special. You all are going to experience a feast unlike anything this system has ever seen! A nine course meal, featuring the best cuisine from each of the nine moons. May our mother and father watch over you. Welcome to the Dinner in the Clouds!"
The waiters brought out loads of food, everything from bread to soup and it was all so delicious. At this point, it felt like for a solid 30 minutes, no one was talking, just enjoying the food. As we continue eating, a man approaches Phoenix. He leans into Phoenix's ear and whispers something. His eyes light up, he apologies and excuses himself from the table, leaving me by myself with Alex, who was staring me down. It wasn't a look of anger, but it was very nerve-racking. It looked like he wanted to break the ice between us, but Cadence butts in first.
"So, Demi," she says. " What's a pretty lady like you doing here?"
Dillon gains some interest as they both stare at me.
"Well, what's there to say?"
"Start from the beginning."
"Hmm. My mother and father worked in the armed forces. That's why i am here"
I pause for a moment.
"My father died a long time ago. All I have left of him is this ring he gave me."
I reach out my hand and show Cadence the ring. She gently holds it for closer inspection.
"I'm so sorry. It's beautiful." He said.
"Thanks."
Cadence lets go of my hand and continues to eat. When she finishes, a waiter approaches her, grabs the plate from the table and takes it away. She turns her attention back to me as I finish eating.
"So, I have a request for you. I was hoping you would be willing to hear out a proposition I have for you."
"A proposition?"
"Yeah. I've been working on something. And-"
"-Cadence!" Alex interrupts.
She goes quiet and turns to him with a look of annoyance. Alex on the other hand was not happy.
"What did I tell you?" He continues.
"But dad!"
"I told you we are not doing that. We are focusing on this event and this only."
"You told me I have to work on-."
"-I know, but not right now!"
"Dad-."
There was a sudden tension in the room. It felt immense. Like I walked into some deep quicksand and was stuck. I couldn't move out of my seat to give some space. The charming monster of a man I was facing had turned into something else. His face was angry and this enormous power emanated out of him as he turned to her.
"Because there is a time and place for this! And this is neither the time or the place!"
"You said yourself that I'll be making my own decisions but it sure as hell doesn't feel like it!"
"We are not talking about this while we have guests."
"Why?" Cadence yells as she stands up.
The commotion starts to draw attention toward us. Cadence is left in complete silence as no one talks, just the waterfall was left to fill the gap. Alex stands up, slowly and with such anger and power that even I was afraid to look at him. He didn't say a word. He just looks at her for several seconds. Eventually she backs down and he follows. After they sit, he grabs her hard by the arm and pulls her ear toward him. The chatter around the room resumed so I couldn't hear much but the only thing I caught was his spout at the end."...do you understand me?" I think that is what he said. Cadence nods and apologizes.
Phoenix returns from his conversation. Alex greets him along with everyone else. A guard approaches him and whispers something into his ear as well. Alex nods and swiftly stands up.
"Ladies and Gentlemen." He says, "I'd hate to cut the meal short but I have very important matters to attend to before tomorrow. I'd like to thank you all for coming, the main event will start tomorrow morning."
Alex turns to Phoenix and I.
"Please enjoy the food darling, I hope to see you again."
He waves his hand toward his children and Estalla, who all swiftly exited their seats and stood next to him. As everyone applauds, the four of them enter the elevator on the outside of the platform and it slowly drops downward.
"What happened?" Phoenix asked.
"I have no idea." I said, stunned. "What happened to you?"
"What do you mean?"
"You left earlier, everything ok?"
Phoenix takes a deep sigh.
"I don't know."
"Phoenix?"
"Got contacted by defense platform 27. An immensely large object was detected 30 light years outside the system. They sent out a drone to investigate but it will take some time."
"Strange, can they include me in that report?"
"Yeah. I'll let them know."
Hmm, interesting, why would…Wait a minute. This is sounding all too familiar.
"Phoenix, how big are we talking?"
"Huge, why?"
I stare into his eyes. Almost like I was hoping he would read into what I was leading too. Luckily, he knows me too well as a sudden shock swarms around his face.
"No Demi."
"You can't say it's not possible."
"No it is not."
"Something tore through the Dekara system, obliterating a planet. How?"
"I don't know."
"How do we know that's not it? A massive object is passing through jump space."
Phoenix sighs, shaking his head as he ponders what to think.
"Fine." He says. "Prepare the Boseman. Just in case."
"Yes sir."
I ran for the elevator. Phoenix yells out to me and grabs my hand, keeping me from moving.
"And Demi." He says. "Keep this between us."
I nod and head for the doors.