Abandoned story-line: Don't mess with the kids

   Governor Luke Tal gave the door before him three sharp knocks. The muffled conversation inside stopped and a few seconds later the door was thrown open. The familiar bright form of Rift greeted him, her smile not even slipping for a second as she spotted the armed men standing behind the Officer.

   ‘Hullo! Sucram niaga uoy ees ot dalg os ma I’ She said, giving him a quick hug. ‘Yrros, excuse me, s’to long since you’ve stopped by, so sorry you missed the shower. The baby shower I mean, we all got rained on. Been busy with governor things? All that paperwork, the rest of us appreciate your sacrifice. Come in! Talk a spell with the old Scarecrow, thought not literally, we’re trying to cut back on that kind of thing. See the family! The guards can too, if they like, they’re adorable! Like… normal people, but tiny’

   ‘Hello to you to, Rift’ Governor Tal said, smiling despite himself. ‘Yes, I’d love to see the children, congratulations. That is why I’m here… in a manner of speaking’

   The Book’s homestead was a strange but welcoming place, decorated with curious relics, art pieces and many bookshelves. In the common room, Mathias and Governor Tal sat and talked about old times over a few steaming mugs of tea. Rift was nearby, absentmindedly watering the strange tree in their hallway. One of the troopers was bouncing the Book’s son on his knee.

   ‘Never thought I’d see the day you two settled down’ Luke was saying. ‘It seemed you were just going to keep going until you just disappeared into the unknown.’

   ‘It is temporary, I assure you’ Mathias said. ‘Just long enough for the Twins to learn how planetary life works. Then we are returning to Space.’

   ‘That… may not be necessary’ The Governor slowly suggested. ‘The new Academy was created specifically for cases like yours’

   ‘Ah, forgive me old friend’ Mathias said. ‘I am fearful that my grasp on humor norms has not improved any in the intervening years’

   ‘He’s not joking’ Rift suddenly interrupted, jumping onto the couch and fixing Luke with a piercing stare. ‘You know how much we care about these kids Tal, we’re not shipping them off to your military. You’re convicted though, why?’

   Before Governor Tal could answer, Mathias did it for him.

   ‘You have orders’ His eyes narrowed as he studied his friend. ‘From the highest level. High Leader has spoken with his Seer friend.’

   ‘The daughter of Book and Star, destroyer of Worlds, a new Dark Lord to wash the Galaxies in blood’ Luke Tal recited. ‘The High Leader’s friend is rarely mistaken, or rarely feels so strongly about his prophecy.’

   ‘Rarely mistaken?’ Rift huffed. ‘Seeing the future does not make you a prophet, it just makes you a reverse historian, just as likely to be wrong or flat out making up lies as the regular kind.’

   ‘Surely you of all people haven’t just dismissed this issue out of hand’ Governor Tal lifted an eyebrow. ‘It may not be the Word of God, but that doesn’t make it inherently false.’

   ‘Of course not’ Mathias assured him. ‘We discussed the Prophecy in depth before we even began courting one another.’

   ‘I’m sure that was romantic’ Governor Tal joked.

   ‘No, actually, it was quite awkward’ Mathias replied truthfully, while Rift shook her head. ‘But we agreed that the odds against this entire World Eater business, much less it referring to us, were astronomical.’

   ‘Oh, I’m agreed’ Governor said, though with a forced smile. ‘But I urge you to think it over, at least while you stick around here. It would be a great show of faith in the new regime, who knows? It may even buy you a favour later on. The Academy itself, I’m told has the finest of instructors, the most up to date facilities’

   ‘The greatest teacher in history would, still, not be the Twin’s parents’ Mathias pointed out.

   ‘Well, when it comes to that, I don’t think your son would have to attend. Or indeed, would be allowed’ Governor Tal told them, then hastily added. ‘He’d be able to visit, of course, very often, with the two of you.’

   ‘Aw, you’d let us see our own children, the Collective is too kind’ Rift stuck her tongue out. ‘Yech. Unless there’s a place for us on the campus itself, I’m not interested.’

   ‘Well, that’s your choice of course’ Governor Tal assured them. ‘I wouldn’t dream of infringing on your lives. There was, er, a condition, however, for turning down the Academy option. A minor inconvenience, I assure you.’

  ‘We would prefer to avoid even temporary separations’ Mathias said. ‘We feel any weight the World Eater Prophecy might have is best mitigated by family connections.’

   ‘No, no, nothing like that’ Governor Tal told them. ‘Just a quick trip to the doctor’s office, in and out. A quick, painless procedure, I assure you. Just a tiny, er, bit of modification.’

   ‘Modification?’ Rift indignantly demanded. ‘If you’re trying to stop people from turning evil, I highly doubt tampering with their minds will help anything.’

   ‘Oh no, not mind control, I’d never dream of such a thing’ Governor Tal said quickly. ‘Just a small chip, a precaution really. The Safeguard Protocol they’ve named it, completely undetectable and unintrusive. If we ever did need to activate it, which I am sure we wouldn’t,, it causes instant celler degeneration, in the most Humane way poss-’

   ‘A kill switch’ Mathias said quietly. ‘You want to put a kill switch in our little girl.’

   ‘Well… not in as many words’ Governor Tal agreed.

   Rift had jumped to her feet, causing the guards to snap to attention. She looked, outrage coloring her eyes, from the apologetic Governor to Mathias’s calm face.

   ‘Times are changing, you must understand that’ Governor Tal insisted. ‘Like it or not, the Collective is here and we all have to pick sides. Everything we do is for a brighter future, for the greater-’

   ‘The greater good can never be gained on the backs of the innocent’ Rift snarled through clenched teeth. ‘That’s not any future I’m interested in.’

   The governor got to his feet and locked eyes with her, wearing a stern frown of his own. He was several heads taller, but she wasn’t the one shaking.

   ‘You’re being given leway because you’re my friends’ Governor Tal warned. ‘I hope you appreciate that. There will be a time, very soon, when you may not be as lucky.’

   ‘If this is luck, then uoy sa loof a gib a tsomla’ Rift replied. ‘Frigates, how has it come to this Luke? She’s a child, she’s not going to hurt anyone!’

   ‘But what if you’re wrong?’ Governor Tal pleaded. ‘What if the World Eater Prophecy is true? Do you really want to be the ones to raise the next great Dark Lord?’

   ‘At this rate, If it comes to that, then I’ll join her!’ Rift declared hottily. ‘We’ll raise her to be the best nrad hsog Dark Lord in history, the kind that doesn’t threaten little girls with bombs in their heads!’

‘That’s treason you’re talking’ Governor Tal warned.

   ‘I’ll show you tre-’ Rift growled, taking a step towards the governor but halting when Mathias raised his hand.

   ‘Enough. This is non-negotiable?’ He asked, and Governor Tal nodded. ‘Very well then. We will see you at headquarters tomorrow.’

   ‘Good. Thank you for the tea’ Governor Tal nodded, fumbling around for his coat. ‘I’m glad one of you can be reasoned with.’

   Rift and Mathias exchanged looks as their old friend headed for the door, pulling on his gloves.

   ‘I’m leaving my guard with you, purely as a token of goodwill. Procedure, you understand’ He called over his shoulder, before adding in a whisper to the Commander ‘Don’t let them out of your sights.’

   *The Next Morning

   Privately, Governor Luke Tal had known the call would come. It didn’t make him any happier about it.

   ‘Perhaps you should check your pockets’ He curtly told the holographic image of the Commander. ‘So easy to misplace unarmed prisoners these days.’

   ‘With all due respect sir, I know you’re joking, but I really do mean “Lost”, not escaped’ The Commander told him. ‘One second they’re in the common room playing with the kids, next they grab their Tree and simply vanish.’

   ‘Impossible’ Governor Tal insisted. ‘Personal teleports have been outlawed.’

   ‘Again, with all due respect’ The Commander replied. ‘If they were law abiding citizens, they probably wouldn’t have escaped police custody.’

   Governor Tal rolled his eyes and dismissed the Hologram, just as a nearby officer reported:

   ‘Sir! Orbital platforms have just detected an unauthorized ship in the lower atmosphere.’

   ‘Describe it’ Governor Tal ordered, walking over to the main tactical screen of his sprawling command base.

   ‘Private vessel, lightly armed’ The Officer read off. ‘But emitting… all kinds of strange energies.’

   ‘That’s them’ Governor Tal said grimly. ‘I had hoped they had more sense than this.’

   ‘They’re hailing us’ The Communications Lieutenant reported. ‘Shall I put them through?’

   Governor Tal nodded and the holographic image of Mathias appeared where the Commander had been, face as composed as ever.

   ‘Apologies Commander’ He said curtly. ‘But a pressing matter has come up that requires our attention. We will be missing your rendezvous.’

   ‘Please, turn your ship around old friend’ Governor Tal said. ‘You’ll never make it past our orbital guns. I know it’s hard to accept, but times are cha-’

   ‘Times do not change’ Mathias interrupted. ‘Empires rise and fall and rise again, history repeats and repeats. Tyrants are old hat, as the expression goes, and tin pot dictators are a dime a dozen. Times do not change, but people do, Governor Tal. Quite a lot, it would seem.’

   ‘What the High Leader is doing, what I’M doing, is necessary’ Governor Tal insisted. ‘It’s your duty to follow us, to serve your country and your God first.’

   ‘The Universe weeps for a man like you, so blind you can not see the Stars’ Mathias shook his head. ‘My duty is to my God first but my Family second.’

   An officer signaled to the Governor.

   ‘This is your last chance, our guns have almost locked onto you’ Governor Tal warned. ‘I’m beggin you, please, turn around. How long have we known each other? You trusted me!’

   ‘An error’ Mathias said. ‘One I have corrected.’

   ‘I’m… I’m done talking’ Governor Tal said icely. ‘Gunners, fire on my mark.’

   ‘Ironic’ Mathias said quietly. ‘I was done talking the second you threatened my daughter.’

   ‘Then why did you even’ Governor Tal demanded, before the realization hit him. ‘BLOCK THEIR TRANSMISSION! CUT THE SIGNAL BEFORE-’

   Too late, as a second transmission hidden beneath the first finished downloading and Mathias’s figure was replaced by Elanor.

   ‘Hullo!’ She said brightly. ‘My, don’t these files look important.’

   Chaos reigned. The smart A.I jumped from console to console, scrambling codes, deleting programs and downloading viruses. The Governor shouted orders no one could hear, wires shorted out, an add for space wax played in the background and above, in orbit, the Homebound shot past inoperative defense platforms.

   ‘Shouldn’t we go back for you?’ Rift asked, even as she concentrated fiercely on her piloting. ‘The rest of you, I mean.’

   ‘Nah, it was just an “echo”’ Elanor assured her, busy calculating their escape. ‘It only had my indignation program. I’m going to be unbearably tolerant for the next few days.’

   ‘The subterfuge was successful’ Mathias reported, walking onto the Bridge. ‘Elanor, we require a closer management of the Engine’s containment.’

   ‘Sure!’ Elanor said brightly, before making a face and disappearing.

   ‘Heading: aim for the lunar orbit’ Mathias directed, examining his own console. ‘We have disabled the Headquarters, but there is a Collective Cruiser on the opposite side of the planet. They are not impaired and are likely faster.’

   ‘Yeah, but I bet their pilot has training wheels’ Rift snarked. ‘You’ll never catch a Collective ship doing THIS.’

   ‘I… am going back to engineering’ Mathias reported. ‘There may be a reason Collective pilots do not do that.’

   The Collective Cruiser roared around the side of the planet, just as the Homebound slipped behind the moon. By the time they followed it, the smaller, more nimble craft had broken free and disappeared in a flash.