Galactic Gale

Chapter Thirty-Two

Free Falling

Kael had been twelve, perched on the small stool behind his desk, Nona at his side.

His sister played with the golden rings on her wrist, eyes distant. She had never taken to their tutor, but Kael had discovered the woman's hidden sweet side and had quickly grown fond of having her around.

It was the same day Nona had been caught in the queen's jewellery box. Telion had sent them to class after a terrible scolding and Nona had been particularly troublesome for the remained of the day.

Dragging her finger over the star map on the desk, their tutor had explained the dotted grey region. Her manner had changed that day – it had been the first time Kael had encountered his tutor as sad, despite prior lessons being far drearier. Great wars had not made the woman wince. He had been startled as to why a spot on the map made her sombre.

"What's wrong?" Kael recalled asking, his voice chirpy.

"Once people lived here," the tutor had said. Her blue eyes slimmed a little, the lids dropping. Kael had wondered if her tears would be blue like her skin was, or if they would be the same hazy green as the Fellen's blood.

"In the wasteland?" Nona stopped kicking her legs to scoff. "It should be a good thing they left. I can't imagine why anyone would want to live there."

Their tutor stiffened. "There was a time, not long ago, that the Forelong Stretch was not a wasteland. There were colonies and very small cities." She traced a finger in a circle through the grey area, then shook her head and redirected the topic elsewhere.

But Kael had insisted she explained the Stretch, even when Nona tutted and complained. He had stayed in his seat, listening to how the Fellen's colonies had been slowly destroyed by the dumping of waste from other cities. Compensation had been given in the form of money and the Fellen had been give no choice but to relocate.

Their new city lacked the charm of their pervious settlements, Kael's tutor had said sadly. There was no allure to their new home, no buildings from their old traditions, no ancient temples for them to warship their ancestors in. The Fellen had been forced to restart their society.

Why had the other cities done so to their people? Kael continued to wonder. His tutor had never given him a satisfying answer. She claimed it was because the small colonies had little power. Later, when Kael had asked Telion, she had insisted the Fellen required less work to relocate than other peoples.

"What happened to the Fellen is not the fault of those your weapon is being used against." Kael raised his eyes to meet Kallhan's dark ones. The King's crew barely listened to his words. "No one can undo the past. I understand you want justice, but- "

An officer appeared at Kallhan's side, a screen in his hands. While the report was given and Kallhan was distracted, Kael passed a sympathetic looked to Amara. She looked tired, undoubtedly due to the blackhole she had opened not long ago.

"I don't think talking with him is working," she said.

"You have another method in mind?" Kael wiggled his fingers to highlight their current lack of freedom.

Amara smiled. "Maybe."

As the officer hurried back to his station below and Kallhan returned his attention to them, Kael gently eased himself back. The armoured stranger holding his elbows gave a grizzly laugh. Kael ignored him. Whatever Amara was about to do, he knew it was best he got as far out the way as possible.

"There must be a reckoning for people such as Retch," Kallhan said, hands tightly clamped together. "If they continue to run freely, they will destroy everything with their leftovers."