Chapter 61 - Part 1

“Uh oh, looks like trouble.”

Lina looked up from her datapad and nodded over Skylar’s shoulder at the door to the common room. She managed to quell the majority of her emotion after the announcement. Skylar could tell it was still there, just hidden better. A sharp intake of breath came from Mian. He turned and found a most unwelcome sight: General Zorn’s stood there, scanning the room. A groan came from his throat. As if on cue, the general’s eyes locked with Skylar’s. He immediately headed for him. Barely half a dozen steps later, Zorn stood in front of Skylar.

“Cadet Reid, your presence is needed in my office.”

“I didn’t do it,” Skylar said reflexively, trying to think of what the general may have wanted to punish him for this time.

“Unfortunately, this order comes from above my head.” He reached down and gripped Skylar’s shoulder, pulling him to his feet. His hand dug into the boy’s skin, and he was sure there would be a handprint there. “Our Lord Emperor is requesting you specifically, and you will obey his orders even if you argue with mine.”

With a shove, Zorn directed Skylar towards the door. He stumbled slightly before turning back to Lina and Mian. The latter looked at him with something of a curious expression while Lina’s approached that of nervousness.

“Well, see you guys in a little bit then.”

They waved their goodbyes as Zorn pushed Skylar once more. Skylar scowled at the older man but made his way out the door nonetheless. The two of them traveled through the station in silence. Zorn seemed on the verge of bursting. Never had Skylar seen him with such a vein popping out of his forehead.

The quiet was perfectly fine with Skylar. Not only did he not particularly enjoy most things the general had to say, but it gave him time to think about what Zorn said. The Emperor was requesting him. Had he made such a name for himself? Or was it just to do with the fact his father used to be in charge of the planet? Not that it mattered much at this point considering not only had the Hyperions removed him, he was killed in the attack by the Druthagar near the onset of the war.

The thought of his father’s murder brought a new swell inside him. His hands balled into fists around the fabric jumpsuit covering his legs. Tears came to the corners of his eyes that he fought to keep from flowing. One of their last conversations had been that stupid fight. If he only had the chance to take that back, to tell his dad he was sorry. But now there was no possibility of that.

After several minutes, General Zorn finally spoke.

“When you are in the presence of the Emperor, you will be on your best behavior.” Zorn took a deep breath and refused to look at Skylar. “No shenanigans, no talking back. Just look him in the eye, salute, and answer ‘Yes, sir’ to whatever he asks. Is that understood?”

“What if he asks me if I dislike you? That should be a ‘No, sir,’ right?”

A sharp blow to the back of his head nearly sent Skylar sprawling to the floor. For a second, he wondered if the comment had been worth it. A small smile came to his face even as tears stung his eyes for an entirely different reason now. It definitely was.

“What did I just say about talking back?” Zorn’s face turned red. Perhaps he was pushing the general too far. Something seemed to be bothering him more than usual. “If you do not take this seriously, I will make the rest of your time here miserable. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, sir,” Skylar responded, rubbing his head gently. Though as he answered, he wondered what this was if not already miserable. As he glanced at the general, he noticed something both new and familiar around his neck. Something he had seen countless times in his childhood. It was a necklace consisting of a crown, a spade, and a phoenix each separated by a five-pointed star. His father’s necklace. Immediately, Skylar’s throat went dry. When he spoke, it came out as little more than a croak. “Sir, where did you get that?”

“What?” His surprise at the question could not be concealed. He turned to look at the younger boy to find Skylar pointed at his neck. With a smile, he held up the necklace. “Oh, I relieved its previous owner of it when he was imprisoned. And it’s a good thing I did, otherwise it would’ve been lost to the void when the cell block was destroyed.”

Skylar looked away, willing himself to not start crying. This was not the time or place. Especially with Zorn standing right there. He would never be able to live it down if he started crying in front of the general. Instead, he took several deep breaths and did what he could to settle himself, which was much easier said than done.

Finally, after several moments of silence, he thought he had mastered his emotions enough to ask a new question that occurred to him.

“Did the Emperor say what he wanted with me?” After no response came for a few moments, he hastily added, “Sir.”

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“No, whelp,” Zorn replied with a snarl. “If he wanted me to know, he would have told me. As it stands, he has decided to keep that much secret. Unfortunately for you, you still need to go, whether you know what it’s about or not. Something I have been trying to get through that thick skull of yours is that you follow orders without question. I see I still need to do some work there.”

Skylar resisted the urge to make a comment on the insult, though he felt his insides churn. The man never missed an opportunity for a dig at him for one thing or another. Having to stand there and take it got old after the hundredth or so time. But now was neither the time nor the place, he knew.

Several minutes, they made it to Zorn’s office. It felt unusually quiet and quite larger than it typically was. The secretary outside was nowhere to be seen, and the door was slightly ajar. Zorn pushed Skylar towards it, causing to stumble forward. He recovered, casting a scornful look back at the general, then made his way to the door.

Skylar entered the office feeling anxious and excited simultaneously. It was just as he remembered it from a few days prior with its relatively spartan appearance. Though in the chair behind the desk to the left, one leg crossed over the other as he stared sideways out the glass wall for a window, was the man that had been standing at the podium and talking to the cadets less than half an hour ago. His hood was pulled down, revealing chestnut brown hair. The tarnished metal mask still covered his face.

At the sound of the door opening, the Emperor stood and looked at the newcomers. His expression was impossible to discern from underneath the mask, though Skylar imagined he was being scrutinized. After several seconds of silence, the man spoke.

“Skylar Reid, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” The Emperor stepped forward and held out his hand. Skylar hesitated for a moment before taking it. The man’s grip was stronger than he expected. His head flicked to where Zorn still stood in the doorway. “General, please have a seat. You as well, Skylar. I think the general is more than welcome to stay. For the time being at least.”

Skylar heard the slight scoff from Zorn behind him and couldn’t keep a smile from crossing his lips. He sat in one of the two chairs in front of the desk. Zorn took the other, looking out of place on this side of the desk rather than the other. The Emperor resumed his seat opposite both of them. He swiveled back and forth in silence for several seconds. Then he stopped and turned to Skylar.

“I hear you’re quite the accomplished pilot.” Zorn scoffed again, but the Emperor seemed to ignore it. He pressed a button to activate the holoprojector in the desk. A document that held Skylar’s picture sprang out and hung in the air. “Top marks, though with a minor penchant for recklessness. Then again, it’s not unusual for teenage boys to act in such a manner.”

Skylar had no idea what to say in response. Instead, he remained silent, his face heating slightly at what he assumed was a compliment.

“Have you put any thought into what position you want to serve as in the Hyperion Empire?”

“I’d like to be a pilot, sir.” There was no delay in his words. The idea of being able to fly around in space, exploring the emptiness of it, was always a dream of his.

“Yes, I can certainly see that. With some more training, I’m sure we can make that happen.” He glanced back at the holoprojection. “And you’ve been recommended for continued study at the Imperial Academy. Very good. Not very many people get the opportunity to attend. Fewer make it all the way through the coursework. But from what I’ve seen of you, I think you have what it takes. Do you just want to be a pilot, or anything beyond that?”

Skylar considered the question. He stared down at the desk, thinking hard of what he’d want to do. A nagging in the back of his head told him he wouldn’t be able to protect that many people with just a starfighter. If he had a larger ship like one of the cruisers or even a battleship, he’d be able to keep that many more people he cared about safe.

“Maybe some sort of ship job?” As he spoke, he realized how unconfident he sounded. But the Emperor just nodded along. Bolstered, he continued, “On a larger vessel. Like a battleship or something.”

“Indeed? Well, the Imperial Academy will be able to show you the different options available for you there. Who knows? Maybe one day you’ll be able to lead an entire fleet as a general or legate.”

The thought of commanding an entire fleet sat in Skylar’s brain like a new fire was lit. It would be that much easier to protect people with that many ships under his command. A snicker from beside him told Skylar that General Zorn didn’t think too highly of the idea. Skylar’s face immediately went hot, and he tried to melt away into his chair. The Emperor appeared to take no notice of the offense.

“I’ll see what I can do to help you out there. Maybe one of our military leaders can mentor you.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“That’s enough of that ‘sir’ business.” He waved a dismissive hand that drew a look of derision from Zorn. “Anywhere else, sure, but I give you permission to drop it for now in this office.”

“What should I call you then?” Skylar asked. He couldn’t help but look confused. If he shouldn’t call the Emperor sir, then using his title was out of the question.

“You look like the sort of boy who can keep a secret,” he said after several seconds of silence. Though Skylar could not see his face, he sounded as if it were smiling and lowered his voice in a conspiratorial manner. “Tell no one else, but my name is Lucius Valkor. You may call me Lucius for the duration of this meeting.”

“Okay… Lucius.” The word sounded weird on his tongue and was made that much more so by the tutting that came from Zorn.

“Do you have something to say, General?” the Emperor—Lucius—asked. His gaze switched to Zorn. Even obscured, there was a certain fury behind the stare.

“I just feel this entire exercise is meaningless, and that we should move on to the true purpose of your desire to meet with this boy with no real talent.” Zorn sneered at Skylar. “Or were my reports on the boy’s demeanor excluded from what you received?”

“Oh no, they were.” Lucius sat back in the chair and folded his hands on the desk. “I just felt they weren’t entirely relevant.”

“The notes of this cadet’s behavior from his commanding office were not relevant?” Zorn scoffed and shook his head. “Your father would’ve placed great stock in my opinions.”

“I am not my father, as I’m sure you noticed.”

“Quite.”