The sun had completely disappeared behind the Shahi Mountains as the prism reached their destination. The onset of the evening repainted Pohon’s red stone as a solemn blue-gray, only adding to the feel of death and decay. They had landed the shuttle at a distant corner of the city’s fifth level, preferring to walk the remainder of the journey. These streets were even more barren than those they had encountered before, though it looked as though this region of Pohon had been less than desirable even in the city’s heyday. What appeared to be storehouses and communal living spaces had been long ago abandoned, now overgrown with vegetation which itself had seen better days.

Kho’s eyes danced along the skyline as they walked, tracing the tops of buildings against the purple sky that was now fading to black. Kho was in the lead, with Vray and Hellan close behind. Kho found it difficult to discern if their persistent whispers were less-than-secretive flirting or genuine discussion of Vray’s medical feats. Morae followed next, still stroking the neck of the orvo lizard they had insisted on bringing. Aerynne strode confidently toward the rear, her face stoic but her red hair curls bouncing with each step. Vaesha followed behind, seemingly lost in a philosophical quandary of some kind. The Vindore, the Medicare, the Bellate, the Ouiore, the Dominare, and the Venefare; Together they formed a complete prism, representing all the abilities The Light could manifest.

As the six came around the corner of a tall, domed building, Kho reached up a hand to stop them. There before the Guardians was a wide cloister centered around a now-decrepit fountain. The cloister was lined with the ruins of tree-like pillars that once bordered the space. Etched into each pillar was the familiar six-pointed star of the Order, their points colored by worn blue, red, green, silver, purple, and gold fresco pigments. On one side was an ornate temple structure which faced a long dormitory on the other. The entire compound couldn’t have been much older than four or five centuries, but the jungles of Arbora were quick to reclaim that which was abandoned.

Kho instantly recognized the layout of the complex: A monastery. This had once been a site for Guardians of the past to bask in The Light and hone their powers. Places like these had been largely abandoned in favor of more structured academies, but they still fascinated the historian in the old Vindore. The place was undoubtedly unused – at least in its original intent to honor The Light. Graffiti covered most of the pillars while used medical capsules and food wrappers swirled in the wind with the dry leaves. It was likely home to any number of native ambulaplantae – Arbora’s animal-like plants – and was certainly well-known to any of the seedier sentient beings that found themselves on Pohon’s streets.

Looming tall over the temple complex was a tall stone tower – the same tower Kho had seen during his session of psychometry. It looked even bigger in person, but its shape was easily recognizable. He strained his eyes across the monastery’s cloister. Sure enough, a tall warehouse – part of a sizeable factory compound – was just beyond. The factory had undoubtedly been built by off-worlders; The buildings’ rusted metals and pale concrete foundations were in stark contrast to the rest of the city. No doubt the local Shumi had protested its construction; They were often a people of form over function. Now, though, the factory held a much greater threat than poor aesthetic.

“This is it,” Kho whispered to the five that had now gathered beside him.

“Cute.” Hellan said, staring at the factory in the distance. She tightened the armored bracer strapped to her non-cybernetic left forearm.

Aerynne turned to the tiny Naran Guardian. “Vaesha, do you sense him?”

Vaesha Cal said nothing, only gently closing her bright green eyes. She stood silently for a moment as the others watched in anticipation. The sounds of the city should have been all around them, but Pohon was still wrapped in an eerie quiet. Kho wondered if it might better allow her to concentrate.

Suddenly Vaesha’s breath quickened into desperate pants while her skin paled in color. With a desperate gasp, her eyes shot open in fear.

“Calm yourself, Vaesha.” Aerynne raised her hand before the Nara’s head, hoping to quiet her with her powers in The Light. “Did you sense him?”

Vaesha only nodded, her eyes still wide. She clutched her chest, trying to return her breathing to normal. Her forehead shined with sweat in the light of Arbora’s twin moons.

“Nice work, both of you.” Aerynne said, placing her hands firmly on her hips and giving a nod to both Vaesha and Kho. “Based on what we saw on the feed, the warehouse is a fairly long building, but it’s attached to several other structures in the factory compound. Our target could be anywhere.”

Kho nodded. “As I recall, there’s a separate entrance on the southern side of the structure. If we split up, I can lead-”

“No,” Aerynne said, cutting Kho off entirely. The rest of the prism seemed shocked by her abrupt tone. Kho, too, did his best to curl his face into an expression of surprise. The Dominare cleared her throat and began again. “I’m sorry for being curt, but this is my prism to command, Master Kho.”

The red-robed master brushed a fiery curl back behind her ear. “We will split up, but I’ll lead a team to the southern entrance. You can take a team to the main entrance. The Light led you to that entrance specifically. Let’s not question it. I’ll take Hellan and Morae with me and create a diversion. Then you can take Vray and Vaesha and slip in the main entrance. You’ll probably still have resistance, but hopefully it will be less so.”

Kho nodded his agreement, though it seemed he had little say in the matter. “And to be clear: Our objective is to capture Lyrryck-To and restrain him?” He had intended the words to be spoken as a statement, but the result was more of a question.

“The order was unclear,” Aerynne began, casting a side glance toward Vray. “But given how dangerous we believe him to be, killing him is likely our only acceptable option.”

“No way,” Morae immediately protested. The order was in stark contrast to a Guardian’s trained philosophy. “Everyone has the opportunity to –”

“I don’t intend to repeat myself, Ouiore.” Aerynne spoke Morae’s title with an obvious tone of distain. “As this prism’s commanding Dominare, I expect my orders to be followed. If we find a plant that needs repotting we’ll let you know. Until then, take your lizard and fall in line.”

The night suddenly became silent and still. The other five Guardians seemed shocked. Morae shot a bewildered look at Kho, who had no idea how to respond.

What was going on with Aerynne?

“My team will sneak around the back and create a diversion there,” She said, no longer trying to hide her Erissian accent. “Kho’s team will enter through the main gate. Classic pincer move; We’ll meet in the middle. Engage the target at will. Are we clear?”

The others silently nodded, still giving dumbfounded glances to each other. “Then let’s move into position,” she continued. “Go in The Light.”

“In the Light,” came the hesitant refrain.

Twenty minutes later, Kho and the others had moved into position. Aerynne had taken Hellan and a reluctant Morae while Kho took Vaesha and Vray. Now, the Vindore, Venefare, and Medicare waited carefully behind a giant shipping container, eager for the Dominare’s signal.

Peeking around the container, Kho carefully eyed the giant steel doors he had seen in his vision. They were only about fifty meters away, flanked by two guards. One guard was a portly male Rikkan, whose long beard was tied into a series of messy braids. The other was a thin human female, whose left eye was covered by a large cybernetic implant. Heavy burn marks covered much of the left side of her face and pushed her hair line toward the top of her head. Both were armed with heavy energy rifles. Yet far more intimidating than the guards was the sizeable automated cannon that loomed over the doors from an overhead eave. Two flashing red lights looked like eyes as the cannon’s three long barrels slowly traced the area in front of the entrance.

“Vaesha,” Kho whispered to the tiny Naran Guardian behind him. “How many guards are waiting inside?”

Vaesha took a deep breath and stretched out her hand. She squinted her eyes, calling out to The Light. Vaesha had always displayed an affinity for sensing the energies of life, typically a Ouiori gift. After just a few seconds, her hand retracted and her eyes opened again. “Eight,” she whispered back in a tone that was barely audible to Kho’s ancient auditory bulbs.

Kho nodded. “Then we definitely wait for the signal.”

Vaesha was certainly skilled. She was quietly crouching now, tightening the cybernetic braces around her legs. Kho had forgotten: The young Nara had been born with diminished leg musculature – a symptom of the plague the now-forgotten Yaru had released on her people centuries before. Technology was their means of compensating against the incurable ailments, but Kho knew that Vaesha’s knowledge of The Light was far greater medicine.

Kho looked past Vaesha toward the gray-clad knight behind her. Vray was quiet, staring idly into the street while resting on his saber like a cane.

“Vray,” Kho said, startling the young human a bit. “Are you alright?”

Vray looked as though he had just been woken up. He nodded quickly. “I’m alright,” he said, trying to assure the elder Khi’Hinn. “It’s just…” His words trailed off.

“This is hard for you,” Kho whispered, trying to speak the words he thought Vray was trying to say. “Lyrryck-To was your master. This can’t be easy.”

“Yeah,” Vray nodded. His face was solemn and as gray as his tunic. “And I’m just thinking about what Master Aerynne said.” His hands clenched the hilt of his saber. “If we can’t restrain him, I don’t know that I could do it.” He sighed and clarified: “I don’t know that I could kill him.”

Kho shook his head. “A Guardian never chooses death. We take life only when there is no other way open to us. The Light burns in all beings, and still – to some degree – exists within Lyrryck-To. There may yet be an opportunity to save him.”

Vray nodded again. “I hope so, Master.”

“Trust in The Light, Knight of the Order.”

The tiniest of smiles cracked across Vray’s face. The color seemed to be returning to his cheeks. “I do.”

A quiet chime sounded within Kho’s golden robes. He reached in and pulled out a comm unit. “This is Kho,” is said, his body already tensing for action.

“This is Hellan,” came a voice over the comm. “We’re moving in, Master. Go in the Light.”

“In the Light,” Kho echoed, tucking the comm unit back into his robes. He peeked around the container once more. The two guards seemed to be attentively listening to something over comm units of their own. The Rikkan nodded toward the human, then checked the energy level on his weapon. The human readied her own. They knew they were under attack, all right.

“The guards inside have left,” Vaesha whispered.

“Good.” Kho said, clearing his throat. “Vray, you take the Rikkan. Vaesha, the human.” Kho whirled his saber out in front of him. “I’ll take care of that cannon.”

Kho stepped out from behind the container. The sky had clouded, now, and a few raindrops were just beginning to fall from the sky. He walked silently toward the door, across what looked like a parking area for transports. The guards noticed him instantly. So did the cannon.

“Hey!” The human woman yelled out, training her gun on the intruder. “Stop where you are!” Above the door, gears ground as the cannon slowly turned to align itself in Kho’s direction.

Kho said nothing, only continuing to silently walk forward.

“That’s far enough, old timer!” The Rikkan now yelled. “Stop, or we’ll shoot!”

Still Kho said nothing. He was only about 30 meters from the door, now. He hoped the two knights were moving into place as well.

“Forget this,” the human said. “Take him down.”

All at once, the two rifles and automated cannon let lose a storm of bright orange energy bolts. Just as quickly – faster even – Kho raised his hands, crossing his forearms across his chest and pointing his index and middle fingers. Just as the volley should have struck Kho down, it instead splashed harmlessly back. It was as if the energy bolts were striking some invincible invisible wall.

Effortlessly maintaining the pose, Kho glanced up. Beyond the firestorm of energy before him, he could see the Rikkan’s eyes suddenly grow wide in terror. The guard dropped his weapon to his side, reaching up with his now-free hands to clutch at his chest and throat. He couldn’t breathe. Within seconds, the Rikkan had crumpled to the ground. At the same time, the human guard suddenly lurched into the air, her arms and legs flailing as she levitated above the ground. Her weapon clattered to the floor just as the woman was suddenly flung to the side, landing deep inside another shipping container whose doors were opened wide. The doors of the container suddenly slammed shut and locked, as if manipulated by a being Kho couldn’t see. Vray and Vaesha had done well.

But that cannon was still a problem. The weapon’s three rotating barrels were maintaining a constant barrage against Kho. Though its efforts were still in vain, it prevented Kho from being able to do anything else with his hands. Eventually, the weapon would need to rotate its energy cartridges, but when? How long had it been? Ten seconds? Thirty?

As if answering the question, the firestorm momentarily stopped, gears whirling as the cannon internally removed its depleted power cell and rotated in a new one. Just the opportunity Kho needed.

He dropped his stance, finally pulling his crystal saber from his yellow robes. The hilt was a design of silver and gold, with three sharp fins holding the pale white – and inert – crystal into place. With the grace and elegance of two centuries of swordsmanship, he pressed the activator and the crystal sprang to life. A glowing gold weapon now stretched out before him.

Yet this was no duel, Kho knew. Just as quickly, he changed his stance, letting go of the hilt with his left hand and drawing the blade back behind him. Calling on The Light, he heaved the weapon forward, throwing it with all his strength. It twirled rapidly through the air, looking more like a brightly-glowing gold disk than a saber. When it finally reached the automated cannon, a bright flash erupted amid a sea of sparks. Shards of burning metal and twisted wiring began to shower the ground while the great golden disk – unfazed by the explosion – abruptly changed course and headed back to its master. When it finally returned to Kho, he reached his hand out and caught it with no small degree of casual finesse. He powered the weapon down and it returned to the pale color of its inert state.

The evening was quiet again – save the distant sounds of a security alarm and the patter of the rain that was gradually growing into a downpour. The Rikkan guard was unconscious in a slowly-growing puddle while the doors of the shipping container continued to be locked tight. A pillar of orange flame danced where the gun turret once stood.

There were wet footsteps behind him as Vray jogged forward to check on his victim. The Medicare bent down to check his pulse and ensure that the man had begun breathing again. Vray looked tired, and rightfully so. Though using the powers of The Light was exhausting – mentally and physically – for any Guardian, it was particularly so for someone of Ordo Medicari. While Kho’s feat against the cannon had required the careful manipulation of his crystal saber, Vray’s neutralization of the guard had required the manipulation of dozens of biological systems and millions of cells. Kho was calling on The Light to rotate a weapon; Vray was using it to suppress capillaries, block blood flow, slow muscles, and generally asphyxiate the being into unconsciousness. The Medicari had always impressed Kho with their abilities. As far as he was concerned, they were fascinating – and terrifying.

When Vray seemed satisfied with his evaluation of the Rikkan, he joined Kho and Vaesha before the giant metal doors.

“That was impressive.” Vray said, referring to Kho’s saber throw. “Where’d you learn that?”

Kho smiled. “When you’re as old as I am, you learn a few things along the way. I was friends with a Bellate once upon a time. He died…” his voice trailed off a bit. “A century ago.”

Vray nodded, not sure of how to respond. He shifted his attention to the giant metal doors. “Now what?” Vray said. “Any way in?”

Kho chuckled and twisted his face into his attempt at a smile. He began to recall the numbers from his vision. “That’s the easy part. I actually have the code–”

He was interrupted by a great roaring and screeching sound as the doors buckled and wrenched out of shape. Hinges strained and whined as the concrete frame cracked and broke apart in showers of dust and debris. What seemed like the entire side of the building shook until, with a tremendous crunch, the doors broke free from the frame. As concrete disintegrated, the hydraulic system that had powered the doors appeared to go along for the ride. The doors hung suspended in mid-air for a moment, with rock, dust, and now rainwater gently falling beneath them. Then, with powerful speed, they raced over the three Guardians’ heads and toward the direction of the monastery. They landed with a distant crash.

Vaesha stood silently, her tiny hands raised with fingers outstretched.

“—which… I will no longer need, it seems.” Kho said, again imitating a smile.

“I’m sorry, Master.” Vaesha said with a sense of shame. She sounded as if she’d done something terribly wrong.

“No, no, my dear,” Kho assured her by grabbing her shoulder. “I had suspected the code I knew had been changed long ago. This was… efficient. Good work.”

“Pretty damn impressive, really,” Vray said, nodding his own approval.

“Now for the hard part,” Kho said, turning toward the gaping hole now torn into the side of the building. He activated his blade once more, spilling the golden light into the chasm. Vray and Vaesha did the same, casting beams of white and blue light of their own. The first room was a sizeable open space that enclosed a myriad of shipping containers in different sizes and colors. Judging by their rust and the whips of fivek spider laced over them, they had been here much longer than Lyrryck-To and his cronies.

They passed through the room with ease, arriving at another set of metal doors – far smaller than the ones Vaesha had done away with. It was unlocked, indicated by a pulsing green light from the panel beside them. Vray pressed the control, sliding the doors open with a creak.

The corridor before them was long, narrow, and poorly lit. It was lined with rusted support beams every meter or so which gave the impression of walking through the ribcage of some massive beast. Besides the crystal sabers, the only light came from a trio of red alarm lights that strobed along the corridor.

The comm unit chimed from Kho’s robes and he fumbled to pull it out. “Go ahead,” he whispered when he finally did.

“Master,” Morae’s voice came from the other end. “We need your help.” Their voice was frantic, but quieted. “I’ve lost Hellan and Master Aerynne. I think they may have been captured… or worse.”

The trio had stopped, Vray and Vaesha intent on hearing the conversation.

“Where are you?” Kho answered back, a level of concern in his own voice.

“I’m safe,” Morae said, sounding as though they might have dropped the comm. “I’m in the security room. I can see you on one of the monitors.”

“Can you get to us?”

“I think if—” Their voice abruptly stopped. “Master, there’s a security team headed your way. You’ve got to get out of that death trap of a corridor! I’ll see if I can–”

The comm went instantly dead. Kho shot a glance at the two others.

“Go!” he yelled. All three began to sprint for the end of the tunnel, entering into another, sizeable square room. Another corridor exited the room on the opposite side, while a huge cargo door dominated the side between them. A network of gangplanks traversed the ceiling. Throughout the space, more supply cases lined the walls, but these were clean and new. The team maneuvered behind a wall of them, trying to keep an eye on both corridors.

“These are the shipments of CanopyGreen.” Vray noted, running his hand along the surface of the white containers. “There must be thousands of doses here.”

“Then we need to recover them,” Kho responded, as the first thugs began to pour into the corridor they had just exited. “I’ll see if I can—” His proposal was interrupted by voices from the opposite corridor behind them. Another team was converging on their location. They were trapped.

Kho let any fear of their circumstances wash over him. He was a servant of The Light. He had no time for fear. “New plan!” he finally called out to the two knights. “You two take that hallway.” He jabbed his blade at the way they’d come. “I’ll take the other. Hold them back.”

He said nothing more but leapt over the crates and ran toward the other corridor. There were beings charging down the narrow tunnel now – at least a dozen of them. They raised their weapons just in time for Kho to cross his arms and conjure another defensive wall. By the time their bolts reached him, they were useless. A few even ricocheted into their own people.

The enemy voices behind him were louder now, and he turned and watched as the first few charged into the room. The first – a tall and muscular human – swung a cruel-looking bladed weapon directly at Vray, who caught and severed it with his saber. Vray kicked the man back into the corridor, toppling several other thugs with him. Vaesha was dealing with an attacker of her own; She had already pulled the weapon out of the attacking Rikkan’s hand with The Light, sending it forcibly back into his face. His nose bones shattered, he recoiled and fell away. The two knights were doing well, but there were far too many enemy warriors.

Kho looked back to his shield. The thugs were at the end of the corridor, now, banging on the barrier like a piece of illuminated glass. They couldn’t breach the wall, but Kho couldn’t hold it forever.

Vray was now performing the same trick he’d used outside, pulling the oxygen from the lungs of four of his attackers. They crumbled unconscious on the floor. Vaesha, meanwhile, was whirling her saber around in a dangerous sort of dance, carefully slicing the weapons, arms, and shoulders of her attackers. They were still performing admirably but he could see the exhaustion in both of their stances.

Kho’s barrier was now a wall of angry, twisted faces and clawing hands. He could hear their muffled taunts though the energy but couldn’t make out what they were saying. He had to hold them back.

Looking back again, Kho watched as a Shumi thug – his skin bristling with thorny brambles – raised a thick ax against Vray. Vray cried out, and the Shumi’s arms snapped almost in half as if they’d been nothing more than a few dry twigs. The Shumi stumbled back away from Vray, and Kho realized the young knight was now down on his knees. Vaesha noticed, too, and adjusted her stance to back up toward her ally. Still twirling her saber with her right hand, she reached out her left and touched Vray’s shoulder. A faint glow moved down her arm and into Vray, who suddenly seemed to recover. She had passed her own Light into him. Immediately he returned to his feet, spinning his saber once more.

Jab. Block. Parry. Slice. Block. Jab. Parry. Parry.

The two knights moved elegantly, always being careful to disarm and debilitate the seemingly-endless attackers. Killing was not the way of the Guardian, no matter how hard that goal could be to achieve.

Slice. Parry. Block. Block. Jab. Parry. Slice. Slice. Jab.

Kho knew that his efforts were holding back an equally-powerful and seemingly-growing force, but he still felt useless. He wanted to assist the younger knights in the worst way. Though the army of mercenaries was growing thinner, the Guardians were still dangerously exhausted.

Another two muscled Rikkan collapsed from asphyxiation while a third rushed Vray, throwing a shoulder into his chest and sending him flying into a tower of crates.

Vaesha noticed almost instantly and leapt back from the crowd. She landed on top of her own stack of crates. Surprising even Kho, she suddenly switched off her saber, quickly sheathing it in the scabbard she had strapped to her back. Then, taking a deep breath, she reached out her hands toward the floor.

Just as she did, a sizeable panel of concrete ripped from the ground and lurched into the air, rotating itself ninety degrees onto its side. With a twist of her hands, Vaesha swung the panel to the right and then the left, knocking aside more than a dozen of the remaining thugs. Kho could see her tiny arms shaking as she performed the maneuver once more, forcibly knocking aside those who had dodged her newfound weapon on the first pass. The trickle of warriors still exiting the corridor suddenly gave pause. Even the thugs on the other side of Kho’s barrier grew quiet, watching in amazement and horror at the power of the Naran Venefare.

A sudden gunshot shattered the current lull. Kho could see the source – the same Rikkan that had knocked Vray aside had raised a pistol from his prone position on the ground. The room shook as the concrete panel slammed into the ground, echoed by several screams from the beings beneath it. Kho looked to Vaesha to see her clutching her side. A look of agonizing pain was across her face. The Vindore could only watch in horror as the Rikkan fired his pistol once more. This time, the bolt caught Vaesha beneath her chin.

Her head snapped back and her tiny body fell from its perch.

Kho instinctively cried out as the thug laughed wickedly. With a strained groan, the Rikkan took to his feet, carefully replacing the power cartridge in his pistol. Three more mercenaries – a human and two Shumi – had also found their footing. The faces beyond the barrier again began to cackle and taunt as the four warriors began to converge on Kho. Like a pack of predators slinking toward their prey, they moved toward him, readying weapons.

Kho tried to consider his options. If he dropped the barrier, he would at least have the use of his saber – but to what end? There were dozens of enemies and he’d be encircled for sure. If he did nothing, he’d almost certainly be giving the four thugs behind him the satisfaction of taking down a third Guardian.

Perhaps this was it. Perhaps this was finally his time.

The human lurched toward Kho, brandishing a long spear-like weapon, but the Rikkan threw an arm in front of her and pushed her back. He raised his weapon at Kho’s head and growled something in a language that Kho couldn’t understand. Kho sighed and closed his eyes.

Expecting the sound of a gunshot, Kho instead heard a series quick, small movements — like darts racing through the air. When he opened his eyes again, all four of his attackers were on the ground. Their eyes were rolled back and foam oozed from their mouths. Crude gray quills extended from their faces.

“I knew that Hax would come in handy.”

Kho looked up to see Morae standing on a gangplank above him. The orvo lizard was still perched on their shoulder, a few tiny trickles of blood descending from a set of missing spikes in its dorsal crest. It purred as Morae pet it under the chin.

Kho would have laughed if the situation hadn’t been so dire.

“Oh,” Morae added, placing two of their fingers in their mouth and giving a whistle. “Apparently Lyrryck-To is a qana hound collector. I found the kennel.” The gangplank lurched as a trio of qana hounds – powerful beasts nearly as tall as Morae with long armored tails — leapt onto Kho’s level. Their feet ended in long, curved claws and their striped fur rippled over their bulging muscles. Baying and barking, one sniffed at Kho’s robes, pulling its lips back and giving a terrifying growl to the thugs waiting beyond the barrier.

Kho could see the fear in his enemies’ eyes. “You’re in control?” he called up to Morae.

“Absolutely, Master,” Morae smiled back with a strained, pleasured grin.

“Good.” Kho said, finally dropping the barrier. He leapt to the side of the door just in time for the biggest qana hound to give a deafening howl and charge into the corridor. The screams were horrifying, but they began to retreat as the other two hounds followed suit.

Morae jumped down from the gangplank. “Are you alright?” they asked Kho, who finally realized how exhausted he truly was. The room was still filled with dozens of wounded warriors. If any of them were strong enough to pose a threat, they certainly weren’t acting on it.

“I am. Vray and Vaesha, though…” his voice trailed off.

“I know. I think I saw Hellan get captured.” The Ouiore’s face grew solemn. “And I don’t know what happened to Master Aerynne.”

“I do.” Came a deep, wheezing voice from the gangplank above them.

Morae and Kho spun around to see a tall, armored figure. On his left, Aerynne’s angry face peaked out from behind a tight fabric gag. On his right, Hellan looked bruised and defeated, her cybernetic forearm having been torn from its socket. Both Guardians were tightly bound and tethered by a cord to the armor.

Kho scoffed. “The armor’s a nice touch, Lyrryck-To. Too afraid to face us without it?”

Behind a transparent faceplate, Lyrryck-To’s mottled green skin twisted into a sneer. “It’s not armor, Master Kho. It’s a precaution.” He gestured with his inert saber toward the crates around the room. “Surely you’ve heard there’s a plague crippling my world?”

“We have.” Kho nodded. “That’s why we’re here. The Order has –”

“The Order has done nothing!” The fallen master snapped back. He glared at Kho, who could finally see that the entirety of the Shumi’s eyes were a deep black color: A tell-tale sign of a Guardian who had fallen into Shadow.

Lyrryck-To continued. “If the Order had done something when this all began, millions of my people would still be alive.” As he spoke, he could see that both Hellan and Aerynne were having trouble breathing. He was choking them with his twisted understanding of The Light. “Instead, the Order has failed the Shumi. You want to make me out to be the bad guy in your story? Fine. But the people of Arbora will know better.” The two captives were turning red.

Kho gave a careful glance at Morae, who nodded ever-so-slightly.

“There’s not the time to—”

Hax suddenly hissed and a volley of quills exploded from the lizard’s back. Most of them splashed harmlessly off of Lyrryck-To’s faceplate, but one lodged itself deep into a breathing tube that descended from his mask. Gas began hissing out, surprising the fallen Master.

It was all the time they needed. Both Morae and Kho leapt onto the walkway as they ignited their sabers, using them to slash through the cords that held Aerynne and Hellan to their captor. Both women gasped as the Shadowed Guardian lost his focus.

Morae rushed toward Lyrryck-To, but he simply raised his hand in defense. Morae watched in horror as their arms contorted and pressed their green-lit saber back toward their shoulder. They cried out as the blade began to sear flesh and bone. Kho leapt over Hellan – who was scrambling to get to her feet – and swung at Lyrryck-To, cutting both his arm and his concentration. Morae fell back onto the walkway as the orvo lizard scurried away. Kho readied another strike, but his opponent had whirled around, catching Kho’s saber on a brightly-shining silver blade. The two stared at each other before Kho pulled his saber back and the duel continued.

“Come back to us,” Kho pleaded, staring deep into the blackened eyes. He parried away a blow from his fallen comrade, then tried to sweep the blade toward his legs.

Lyrryck-To only cackled, countering the move and jabbing at Kho’s torso. “Never.”

Kho knocked the jab aside, then doubled over as a sharp pain erupted from his abdomen. The former Medicare was using his power in full force, rupturing some organ Kho couldn’t quite place. The pain was excruciating, but he fought on.

“We can help you…” Kho winced, still swinging his blade. “And you can help the Order. It’s the best thing to save Arbora.”

The Shumi hissed, and Kho could feel his throat beginning to close. Kho caught another blow. And another. And a third. But his vision was beginning to blur and his lungs were starting to ache.

Suddenly a bright green blade erupted behind Lyrryck-To, and the Shumi spun around to defend himself. Kho could suddenly breathe again, and he coughed as his lungs opened to the air. On the other side of his opponent, Hellan – weilding Morae’s saber – was swinging the weapon wildly with her remaining hand. As Kho tried to stand, Lyrryck-To shot him a glance and a muscle spasm knocked Kho to the ground once more. His head hit the guardrail and once again his vision began to blur.

Hellan and Lyrryck-To locked sabers again, but now the fallen Master was giving her his full attention. Hellan similarly lurched to the side in a spasm, and the Shumi brought his blade down into the Bellate’s only remaining arm. With a painful scream, the young Rikkan fell back across the still writhing Morae.

“I don’t think we’re fully done with you, Master Kho.” Lyrryck-To said turning around once more. Kho felt his muscles go rigid and he tried to fight his newfound paralysis. It was no use. He couldn’t move.

Lyrryck-To raised his saber when a second white blade suddenly slashed down his side and across his own back. His saber hand fell to the floor below, along with the blade. He fell to his knees, revealing Vray – his face bloodied and bruised – holding high his own saber.

“I’m sorry, Master,” Vray said. Holding the saber to Lyrryck-To’s neck.

“I understand, my boy,” the Shumi hissed back, seemingly accepting his defeat. He wheezed as severed atmospheric tubes flailed wildly. A thought suddenly dawned on Kho. Lyrryck-To’s suit wasn’t protecting him from the plague; It was keeping him alive because he was already infected. His own labored breathing and mottled complexion betrayed his condition.

“You’ve become a powerful Guardian.” Lyrryck-To said to his former Page. “Good.”

“Don’t try anything.”

Lyrryck-To smirked, but his face betrayed his pain. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

Kho got to his feet. “So glad you’re alright, William.” His head and his back both hurt. A lot. “Let’s get him bound and we can get him back to the ship.”

“No,” came a voice from the ground level.

Kho looked to see Aerynne clutching the knife of one of the fallen mercenaries. She had freed herself and removed her gag.

“Kill him, William,” she said with a complete lack of emotion.

“No!” Kho shot back. “He’s wounded and we have him captured. We need to bring him back to Sellonae!”

“Silence!” Aerynne called out in a cry that echoed through the expansive room.

Kho suddenly found himself unable to speak. Not paralyzed as he’d been before. This was something different. It was almost as though he didn’t want to speak anymore.

“William Vray,” Aerynne said again, with no small degree of authority dripping from her voice. “You will execute the prisoner.”

“I…I can’t!” Vray called back, his hands suddenly quivering.

“William Vray,” she repeated, this time even more forcibly. “You will execute the prisoner.”

“I must… I… but I can’t!” The young knight was fighting the persuasive power of the Master Dominare. He didn’t seem to be succeeding. Kho wanted to help but continued to lack the ability… or the motivation. He still couldn’t pinpoint which.

“William Vray!” She yelled, now. “You will execute the prisoner!”

Vray yelled in pain, fighting the urges burning in his mind – but he was not nearly powerful enough. With a simple stroke, his saber swung around, lobbing off his former Master’s head entirely. Lyrryck-To was dead, and Vray collapsed on the metal of the gangplank.

Kho instantly felt free of Aerynne’s influence.

“What have you done?” He yelled out to the red-clad woman as he shakily got to his feet. Aerynne was ignoring him, walking towards Vaesha’s cold body.

“Don’t worry,” she said without any emotion in her voice. “Vray won’t remember a thing when he wakes up.”

Kho was furious. As if murdering a captive wasn’t enough, Aerynne had deliberately turned her powers in the light against a fellow Guardian.

“He was a significant threat, Kho,” she continued, gesturing to the team as she knelt beside Vaesha. Hellan and Morae were both struggling to their feet, nursing their devastating injuries. Vray was still unconscious on the gangplank. “Just look at what he did to this prism.”

“It doesn’t matter. He was disarmed. He was captured. He should have—”

A comms tone sounded in the cavernous room. Not from Kho’s robes, though.

The Dominare held up a hand and reached the other into her own robe. “Aerynne.”

Kho heard muffled speech, but nothing he could interpret from this distance.

“Un…understood. In the Light.”

Aerynne paused for a moment, then carefully placed her comm unit back into her robe. She stood silently, her back still facing Kho for a time. When she finally turned, Kho could see a tear gently falling down her cheek.

The old Khi’Hinn was confused. He never understood human emotion.

“We’re being recalled,” she said, brushing away the tear. “The mission is over.”

“What?” Kho responded quizzically. “Why?”

“Our orders are to wrap things up here, bring back the body of Lyrryck-To, and return to the capital.”

“Why?” Kho tried again.

Aerynne was silent for another moment, composing herself.

 

“The emperor is dead.”