Fracture - Book One of the Glass Galaxy Trilogy

Chapter 8: Queen Demmer

3:47 AM

Reaper's knock rang out sharply against the thick metal door, echoing around us as we stood with our weapons at the ready. Silence hung in the air as the knock died out, our tense breathing the only disturbance, and I tightened my grip on my carbine.

A moment later a voice, calm and commanding, came from behind the door, "Oh child of mine, why have you come to kill me?"

Reaper gingerly toughed the control panel to its side and opened the door.

The door opened to reveal a small, middle-aged woman leaning back in her chair. A heavy wooden desk dominated the room between us, and she eyed us from her position behind it. Her sharp face was strongly reminiscent of Reaper's, and she evaluated us with a cold detachment that sent a shiver up my spine. She looked at Reaper like I would look at a math equation, showing no hint of joy or happiness at the sight of her daughter.

Standing behind her to her left was a burly man holding a modified shotgun, its dual barrels possessing a mild red tint to them. He was clad in a heavy suit of Juggernaut armour that expanded his already prolific profile, and I pondered for a moment if my carbine would even be able to harm him through it. I could barely make out his face through the fully enclosed helmet, but I could feel him casting a glare at us as we very carefully entered into the room, and he shifted ever so slightly.

Reaper lowered her head to her mom ever so slightly, "I would prefer to end this peacefully, if possible."

Her mother's mouth twitched upwards for a moment, "You come to my station with an army, open fire on my defenses and forcefully board, and then ask for a peaceful resolution? I had hoped that Leo had taught you better than this. He has disappointed me again."

"He's disappointed you?" Reaper replied sharply, her voice raising as anger seeped into it. "You murdered his best friend!"

Her mom's face twitched again, a sneer forming on it for just a moment, "Your father had become a liability, so I did what I had to to keep my crew safe."

The eyes of her bodyguard flicked to her, and I could just make out a frown on his face.

"A liability!?" Reaper spat back with incredulity. "You murdered him so that you could be leader! You killed him for power, not to protect anyone."

"As I said," her mother responded, her voice lowering, "I did what I had to do. It's no different than my decision to send you to Leo."

Reaper snorted loudly. "You didn't send me to Leo out of concern. You sent me away because I started defending myself from your crew."

Her mother's face returned to its expressionless state. "If I hadn't sent you away then my crew would've retaliated for you resisting, and they would've hurt you, Lastic. I did the best-"

"Then they would've hurt me!?" Reaper interrupted. Her voice was shaking, heavy with emotion, and I felt those same emotions pressing their way into my head as well. "I was seven, and you did nothing to stop them! They came every day!" I didn't have to see Reaper's face to know that there were tears running down it, and I realized that Viliana and Abaddon were also shedding tears. They looked surprised at their crying, and I realized why I felt Reaper's emotions so strongly.

"Reaper!" I whispered to her through our Comms. "Reaper, what you're feeling right now, grab onto it. Bring it together, into a ball inside you, and squeeze it tightly. Squeeze it until it hurts- and then throw it at your mother."

Her mother's eyes widened as she, too, realized what was going on and snapped out of Reaper's emotional pressure. She whipped her right hand up at me and flicked her fingers, and in a flash of light my right leg burst into scorching flames. "Fire!" I roared through the pain.