Echoes of Harmony

Frostwing Estate

Llewellyn Mountains outside Mornage

21 November 3296

The following morning, Provost Hayden Reid leaned on a wooden railing. He basked in the cold sunlight as it landed on his face. His breath came in clouds of vapor quickly dispersing in the wind. A chill ran down his spine even through his thermally insulated coat. Remnants of the previous night’s snowstorm in the form of errant winds blew particles of snow in all directions around the mountainside cottage. The expansive deck was covered in a fresh blanket of snow—at least, what would have been fresh had it not been disturbed by two pairs of small footsteps forming a path down the steps and out into the yard.

A childish shriek pierced the still air as Skylar threw a clunky snowball at the head of Rachel Torlin. The glob exploded with a cloud of white mist. Wind swirled it around for a moment, temporarily obscuring her, before it cleared to reveal a smile on her face. A perfectly round ball of her own was in her hands. Skylar tried to duck under it but was too slow. It slammed into his chest, causing him to fall backwards into the foot of snow with a squelch.

The sound of movement behind Hayden prompted him to turn his head. Coming from the automatically closing doorway to the house was his wife, Kaylee, with two steaming mugs of hot chocolate in a pair of gloved hands. Her smile was accented by the curly brown hair framing either side of her face. A red wool cap rested on top of her head, pulled down to just above her eyebrows.

He took one of the mugs from her with a gloved hand and wrapped his other arm around her shoulders. Pressed against each other, they watched as the two children continued playing in the snow. The snowball fight, if it could be called such, had devolved into nothing more than the pair flinging loose handfuls at one another. Stifling a laugh, Hayden raised the mug to his lips, letting the hot liquid flow down his throat. Immediately, his body warmed. He let out a sigh which sent another cloud of his breath into the cold air.

“Thanks, I needed that,” he said, planting a kiss on his wife’s forehead.

“I can’t take all the credit.” She shook her head, a slight smile on her lips. “The droids are the ones who did the real work. I just acted as the messenger.”

“It’s the thought that counts.”

Hayden released her and leaned over the railing again, using the hot mug to warm both his hands. They were only able to get up into the mountains once, perhaps twice, a year. The view was stunning every time he saw it. The pine trees—some imported from Earth during the original colonization and others created by grafting them with trees native to Stariek—sparkled with the millions of tiny ice crystals decorating their needles. Blankets of snow stretched before him as a sea of pure white. Far in the distance sat the metropolis of Mornage, the skyscrapers piercing the clouds.

“They really love it up here, don’t they?” Kaylee asked, watching Skylar and Rachel with a fond smile. “I’m glad that Travis lets us take Rach up here when we can. Ever since Clara died… It’s good for her to be out of the house besides going to school, and Skylar enjoys having company from someone his age. It’s so much better for them to have a chance to do something outside the city.”

“It’s good to spend time with friends and family.” He nodded his agreement. “If my work didn’t keep me so busy…”

“If you didn’t have your work, we wouldn’t be able to come up here at all. Hell, we probably wouldn’t even have this cabin.” She sipped from her own mug before resting her head on his shoulder. “Though, it would be nice if they didn’t rely on you so much. Sometimes, it seems like everything has to go through you.”

“That’s sort of my job as provost, Kaylee,” he said, nudging her with his elbow and smiling. “No one said ruling a planet was going to be a walk in the park. Or a snowball fight on the mountainside for that matter.”

As if on cue, Rachel squealed as Skylar dumped an armful of snow onto her head. Before she could retaliate, he took off as fast as he could, his legs pumping up and down in the knee high snow. She threw clumps of wet snow after him. Most of the blobs sailed over his head before one struck him in the back of the head. He stumbled slightly before toppling into the snow, compressing it beneath him.

Hayden couldn’t help but laugh at the scene, though he quickly stifled it. A frown crossed his lips, creasing his forehead. Kaylee took notice and poked him with her elbow.

“What’s the matter?” she asked.

“I’m worried he’ll never be ready to become ruler.” His voice was hardly above a whisper, barely audible over the howl of a gust of wind. He stuck his mug in a patch of snow on the railing then grasped the wood with both hands. “He has that dream of becoming a pilot too ingrained in his head. If he doesn’t get over it soon…”

“Honey, it’s just a phase.” She put one of her hands over his, gently squeezing it. “Give it a little more time, maybe a year or two, and he’ll realize what his destiny is.”

“No, it’s not a phase!” His voice rose in volume as he turned to her, though a playful yell from the children told him they didn’t hear. He closed his eyes and took several deep breaths before speaking again, this time at a much lower volume. What happened yesterday with Skylar was not going to happen again. “It’s not just a phase. He’s going to grow up and take over when I’m gone, then he’ll spend the rest of his life resenting me for forcing him to do something he didn’t want to in the first place.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Yes, I do.” He looked at her out of the corner of his eye, a sad smile forming on his face. His hand reached up and gripped a pendant at his neck consisting of a crown, a spade, and a phoenix each separated by a star. Hayden’s father had bequeathed it to him when he became provost, and he intended to do the same for Skylar. “Why do you think I have the workshop? I wanted to be a great inventor, but my father told me I needed to rule, that that’s where my destiny was. And not a day goes by where I don’t wonder what might have been if I wasn’t supposed to be provost. Skylar is going to feel the same way when he gains his birthright.”

“He’s not you, though.” She gripped his hand tighter. “We’ll raise him to want to become provost rather than force him to. He won’t resent you.”

“It might already be too late.”

“Is this about your fight yesterday?” She released his hand and scowled at him. “When are you going to tell me what happened?”

Before either of them could say anything further, the sound of the door to the house opening drew their attention to the opposite side of the deck. Coming out the door was a man about the same age as Hayden wearing a set of nanoweave armor reminiscent of chain mail covering his torso and legs. He had black hair slicked back against the top of his head, and a thin beard of the same color glistened on his chin and cheeks as snow blew against it. Behind him were two of Hayden’s protective detail, both wearing armor similar to the first man and wielding assault rifles. Their boots crunched in the snow, steadily growing louder until they stopped two meters away from the pair of them. With crisp movements, they brought their hands to their foreheads in salute.

“Sir, we have a situation.” The grave look on his face told Hayden how dire the matter was. “We need to get inside.”

“Zayne, what’s going on?” Hayden asked as he took a step closer. Captain Zayne Alcatar was one of Hayden’s oldest friends and the head of his personal protection. “What’s the matter?”

“There have been some unauthorized ships spotted approaching from the edge of the system,” he replied, lowering his voice. “Hyperion military ships. And they’re making their way towards Stariek.”

Immediately, the blood drained from Hayden’s face. His heart and mind began to race at the implications. If the Hyperions were here, it could only mean one thing: they planned on conquering Stariek. He thought this day would come eventually but hoped it wouldn’t. Kaylee must have felt the same, as her hand dropped to his and held tight, almost crushing his bones.

“Well, lead on then.” He did his best to sound unconcerned, not just for Kaylee’s sake but for his own. Taking a deep breath, Hayden motioned Zayne toward the house. “I’ll need to call an emergency meeting with our military leaders to see what we can do.”

“Fleet Marshal Tyn has already gathered them.” Zayne turned on his heel and started making his way back to the door, Hayden and Kaylee close behind. “They’re waiting to connect via holoprojector in your conference room as soon as you’re ready.”

“In that case, I won’t keep them waiting.” Hayden turned to Kaylee and placed his hands on the sides of her shoulders. “Get the kids inside and to the safe room. I’ll let Travis know what’s going on and that Rachel is safe. Do not come out for any reason, no matter what you hear or see, got it? And… stay safe. All of you.”

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His gaze knowingly dropped to her stomach for a fraction of a second before going back to her eyes. She nodded, a hardened expression on her face. As he followed Zayne to the door, Kaylee went back to the railing to call the kids over. A gust of wind sent a blast of snow like a whip at Hayden’s face, stinging his cheeks, before the door closed behind them and shut them off from the outside.

They stepped directly into the kitchen spanning nearly the entirety of the back side of the house. In the center of the room sat a large island with a white, nano-ceramic alloy countertop capable of cleaning itself. The cabinets, which lined the walls to their right, were made from a metal able to change color per the owner’s preference. A large fridge and wall oven, as well as a food replicator, blending into the cabinets finished the room. At the island stood a limited intelligence android, programmed specifically to produce meals. Programming limitations prevented it from evolving to a higher intelligence level, something most governments agreed with.

“I always forget the things you’re able to afford as Provost,” Zayne said, gesturing to the room as they walked by. “You really can’t want for anything, can you?”

“Most of it is because of Kaylee, though it is useful. Not having to make our own food is a plus.”

“Must be nice,” Zayne muttered. Hayden chose to ignore the comment.

Ahead of them was the living room, which Zayne led Hayden through to reach the stairs. Despite Kaylee’s best attempts, Hayden was able to keep this room rather plain, consisting of a fireplace, two couches, and two armchairs.

When they reached the top of the stairs, a video forced its way to Hayden’s CAM, bypassing all security measures. Standing there was an older man with graying hair and a clean shave. He wore standard military robes, the black cloth with red trim flowing down to his ankles. Behind him was a flag bearing a symbol Hayden thought he would never see at his doorstep: A gold Y atop a laurel wreath with a red backdrop. The symbol of the Hyperion Empire.

“People of Stariek,” the man said, “my name is General Augusta Zorn. I am the commanding officer of the HMV Wagener which currently sits in orbit behind your moon, Helaris, and I come with an offer of peace and prosperity: Join the Hyperion Empire, and you will become citizens of our great society with all the benefits that entails. We do not wish for battle and will regret any blood that is spilled because your leaders refuse our generosity. Allow us to care for you, protect you, and ensure your future growth. Demand your leaders stand down and enable our safe passage, or we will do what is necessary to keep you safe. I will give your fleet twenty-four hours to make their decision.”

The video blinked away, and Hayden could tell by the look on Zayne’s face he received it as well.

“Zayne, what the hell is going on?” Hayden attempted to keep his voice calm but found it difficult. “You said they were approaching from the edge of the system. How can they be in orbit already?”

“I have no idea.” Zayne scowled at Hayden and folded his hands behind his back. “You’ll need to ask your military leaders. They’ll know much more than I do.”

Hayden scoffed but continued moving towards his office. It sat at the end of the hall, its door embellished with the symbol of a phoenix. He strode inside as it hissed open at his approach. Within sat a long table with a dozen empty chairs on either side. At its center was a hexagonal hologram projector. To his right, joined to the table, was his desk with the standard holoprojector computer built into it. A flag stood in the corner of two blues bars on either side of a white one with four black diamonds together forming a larger fifth one. The opposite wall was a bay of glass windows reinforced with nanotechnology to protect against near any attack. Snow from the previous night’s storm rested at the bottoms, clinging to the material.

While Zayne moved to the window, glancing out it to the sky, Hayden sat in the familiar chair at his desk. Without missing a beat, he activated the computer and typed in his security code. In front of him, the screen sprung to life, and a series of commands activated the secure transmission to the waiting military commanders. The projector in the center of the table activated and projected images of six people into the chairs. He recognized all but one of them immediately: Fleet Marshal Eli Tyn, Secretary of Defense Naomi Rivas, Director of Intelligence Rowan Garcia, and Admirals Aiden Wilkins and Blake Chapman.

“Secretary Rivas, give me the bad news,” Hayden said, folding his hands as he looked at the image of the woman in the center of the trio on his right. “And make it quick. We don’t have much time.”

“Sir, obviously, the Hyperion Empire has finally decided to make a move against our independence.” Rivas pressed a button on her tablet, and an image of Stariek along with Helaris appeared in the center of the room. Four red dots representing the Hyperion ships pulsed slowly behind the moon. “Though, it is best that Lieutenant Colonel Rhyse Jackson be the one to explain everything. He has been monitoring the situation.”

Rivas motioned to the man who sat directly across from her, the one Hayden didn’t recognize. The provost gestured for him to speak.

“Alright, out with it, colonel.” Hayden managed a tight smile. “We don’t have all day.”

“Of course, sir.” The man sat up straighter. “At approximately 2330 the night of the nineteenth, analysts in the Bastion detected four unannounced ships jumping into the system. We attempted communicating with them to see what their goals were, but they ignored us. As such, we kept an eye on their approach towards the planet.”

As he spoke, Fleet Marshal Tyn cleared his throat and gestured for the colonel to stop. Jackson obliged as soon as he recognized the signal, his mouth hanging open for a moment before he closed it. Hayden furrowed his brow and glanced at his holographic screen for the current date.

“You’re telling me it’s been almost two days since these ships were detected, and I’m just hearing about it now?” He looked between each of those assembled, staring them in the eyes. Somehow, he managed to keep his voice level, surprising even himself. “This is unacceptable. I need to know everything that goes on in this system. Nothing gets done without my approval, especially matters relating to the military.”

“Sir, I don’t disagree,” Tyn said, folding his hands in front of him. “However, it was necessary for us to assess the situation in order to properly brief you. After all, we knew you were going away for a well deserved vacation.”

“That is bullshit, and you know it, Fleet Marshal. These aren’t just random pirate ships trying to make a quick credit. This is a highly trained military strike force hoping to intimidate and possibly attack us.”

“Again, no disagreement.” The fleet marshal sat forward and brought up information on each of the Hyperion vessels. “Three strike cruisers and a battleship. Honestly, if this is an intimidation tactic, it’s a rather poor one. They must know we have the superior firepower, especially with the orbital satellites.”

“What is your plan then, Tyn?” Hayden asked. He glanced between all six people once more. “Seeing how you took it upon yourselves to keep this secret from me for two days, what steps have been taken to keep the people of Stariek safe?”

“My plan, sir, is to destroy these vessels.” His mouth turned into a fierce grin, one the fleet marshal always had before battle. “Smash these Hyperion ships and convince them whatever they want is not worth the risk.”

“The home fleet is on standby, awaiting orders, sir,” Admiral Wilkins said. “The Celestial Phoenix is down half a dozen neutron beam emitters due to a recent refit, but all of its fighters are onboard and ready to launch.”

“And we have been able to get half of the patrol fleet in motion to return to Stariek,” Admiral Chapman added. “They are projected to arrive approximately two hours before the twenty-four hours is up.”

“The orbital defense system has also been activated and double and triple checked to ensure it is operational in the event of a battle,” Tyn finished.

At least they show initiative where it counts. Having the carrier, the Celestial Phoenix, at half its combat efficiency was a major setback, but most of its power came from the fighters it deployed anyway. However, the mention of the twenty-four hours put another question to the forefront of Hayden’s mind.

“Director Garcia, do you know how the video from this General Augusta Zorn was able to break through my CAM’s encryption?” Hayden subconsciously drummed his fingers on the desktop. “From what I understand, nothing should be able to do that.”

“From the brief analysis already done, sir, it appears they used a governmental override code.” The director adjusted the image to show a line emanating from the battleship, the HMV Wagener, and move to a point in orbit before hundreds of lines spread from it to the planet. “They sent the message to one of our emergency alert satellites, and, from there, it hit the ground based stations before reaching out to everyone on Stariek.”

Hayden did his best not to gasp, stopping just short with his mouth slightly agape. It was not entirely unexpected for the message to have reached the entire planet, but it still came as a shock. Nearly seven billion people lived on Stariek. Them knowing they may be facing certain death would not be good for morale. He could only imagine how he would feel if he were in their position.

“Do we have any idea what kind of reaction is spreading?” Hayden’s hands shook, and he placed them on his lap beneath his desk to hide the fact. No member of his family, not since the Praesidium Union, had needed to deal with a planetwide emergency like this. “Social media posts, blogs, news articles, anything?”

“So far, they seem to mostly be supportive of Hyperion ‘intervention,’ as they call it.” The director tapped a series of commands on his tablet, and the image in the holoprojector changed to show a rapidly scrolling page of text, all posts on the most used social media. “We think the Hyperions may have some fake accounts pushing a narrative but no definitive proof yet. The reaction is not exactly surprising given the Hyperion’s infamy in the galaxy, but not good for optics if we destroy them as Fleet Marshal Tyn suggests.”

“Secretary, what do you suggest?” Hayden asked.

“Permission to speak freely, sir?” Rivas replied. When he nodded, she continued, “I believe it is foolish to attack these ships.”

Tyn scoffed and started to talk when Hayden held up a hand to stop him then gestured for Rivas to keep speaking.

“The odds these are the only ships the Hyperions have in the area are virtually none. As the fleet marshal stated, this is a poor intimidation tactic to us, but, as Director Garcia showed, not to the masses. If public opinion is veering towards acceptance of the Hyperion Empire, then we attack and get who knows how many soldiers killed, it’s going to look bad.”

“Good points, both of you,” Hayden muttered as he stroked his chin.

It was times such as these he wished he wasn’t the leader of the planet. The decision of whether to attack was his and his alone; there was no one he could hide behind. If this escalated, what would Skylar think? Would his son understand the choices he made? With the start of a major conflict, there was the possibility Hayden wouldn’t make it out the other side. How can I leave my son without a father?

As the thought passed through his mind, another immediately replaced it. How can I simply give up everything our family has struggled with tirelessly for generations?

Several seconds passed in silence before Hayden spoke again.

“Director, have we received any reports of more Hyperion ships in nearby systems?”

“None, sir,” Garcia replied, shaking his head.

“Very well.” Hayden looked at Fleet Marshal Tyn. “Fleet marshal, we’ll go with your plan. Destroy the vessels and prepare for the worst. Gentlemen and lady, we just may be going to war.”

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