Astral Realms - A New Dawn

A couple of weeks had passed since Vindril had first set foot inside the Academy, securing a position inside the team that was going to venture forth inside the Plains of Desolation.

Just like six or seven people of the team, he had also moved in building that had been set up as living quarters for the occasion. By the stuff that was still laying around, that building must have been adhibited as a sort of storage space to throw stuff inside. It was a mess as living quarters, but Vindril couldn’t really complain. After all, they were free of charge.

The only real downside of his current living space was that he shared his room with another man that had long curly hair and a thick beard. Vindril had tried to strike up conversation with him, to make coexistence as doable as possible. He knew what it meant to have a roommate that didn’t respect personal spaces and preferences; and he didn’t want to be that way. But no matter how much he had tried, that man had not said a word. He just stared at him silently as a rock. So, with nothing else to do to occupy himself with, he decided to do a couple of things to pass the time.

First, he visited almost daily the facility that housed the gym. He had to do so in the hours when the students weren’t busy with one of their many lessons, so he didn’t have the possibility to mingle, as he used to say, with the well off; but nonetheless, the building provided some of the best equipment he had ever seen, so it was worth wait. The fact he had a chance to work out with expensive machines was also a big plus.

Second, he tried to get to know as many people as possible. The students, leaving aside the few assholes that were too far gone with their distorted perception (they believed they were so rich that nobody could ever touch them), were pretty much disinterested and neutral, but not entirely unfriendly. A common reaction, all things considered. The problem was the staff. They, unlike the students they taught, were outright diffident with anyone that wasn’t part of the Empire’s hierarchy, or the Academy; and in some isolated cases, they even turned quietly hostile. Needless to say, Vindril despised them, but instead of opting for a confrontation, he simply took a mental note to just stay clear of them.

Lastly, but not less important, Vindril decided to try to find out what that crate contained that was so important as to force the Academy, an important institution, to set up a team of freelancers to retrieve it. Usually those kinds of things were directly resolved by the Empire. That whole thing was suspicious to say the least. He had to know what was going on…

Easier said than done, given the hostile demeanour he was surrounded with and the tight guard the whole place was in. Be it by the guards that patrolled the entire compound day and night alike, or the amazing security droids and security measures that were installed in the strategic places, he could only see himself ending up getting caught. And he needed the money the Empire was going to pay at end of the job, so he was of two minds on the matter.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, that night all doubts came undone.

A sound woke him from his sleep. It was the sound of footsteps. Even if he had just woken up, his body reflectively darted under his pillow, trying to grab his trusty gun. He cursed inside his mind. Of course it wasn’t there. Like all others that had been hired to carry out that task, and that were residing inside the complex, their weapons had been confiscated under the pretence of security. He strongly suspected it was just another excuse to control them, but he didn’t voice his opinion and let his Mary go. That’s how he called his gun: Mary. As for why…, well, it was a long story.

Vindril got up, trying his very best to not make a sound. He slipped on his boots, the trusty pair of trousers he had washed the day before with that damned powder that smelled and felt chemical, and the hoodie jacket he had took from home. On Keelo Prime, the thermal excursion between day and night was pretty severe, going from the scorching hot temperatures of the daylight, to the cold breeze of the night, and his beloved white jacket wasn’t going to help. Also, if he was going to sneak around, wearing a light-coloured leather jacket wasn’t going to be smart.

Then, ready to set out and confront whatever had woken him up from his slumber, he walked the very short distance that separated him from the door that led into a short corridor.

Before opening it up, he put his ear near the cold steel surface it was made of. But even after spending a few seconds in a death like silence, his ears didn’t pick up another sound. As far as he could tell, the coast was clear. Problem was, he was under the distinctive impression that he was going to throw himself into a gigantic mess that could have potentially endangered his earnings, or in the worst-case scenario, his life. He would have loved to come out of…whatever the hell was going on with both intact.

Ignoring his better judgement, that was literally screaming at him to ignore his inquisitive nature that had forced him to face unpleasant situation in the past, Vindril turned the metallic handle to the left, opening the door and the setting out into-

The darkness that was reigning inside the corridor that led outside caught him off-guard. He wasn’t sure about it, but lights were supposed to be never turned off. It was a sort of practice the Academy used to constantly keep watch and keep security up to par with the strict imperial standard. Or at least that was the impression Vindril had. If that was true, or it was just another wrong interpretation, that still remained to be seen.

Nonetheless, it was a proven fact that he had never found the lights turned off before. Something was clearly going on.

Vindril closed the door, gently accompanying it until the lock clicked. No matter what he thought about that whole situation, if he had to investigate around the compound, as he was slowly convincing himself to, he had to make sure everything looked perfectly normal. In the case a patrol came looking to check on them, it was a must to-

He froze in place, without moving a muscle. A blade, or at least something sharp and pointy, was pressed against his throat. The lack of trembling, or uneven breath, signs of an untrained and nervous opponent, made him realize how serious the situation was. Whoever was at the other hand of it, was calm and collected. Shit…

“…Why are you sneaking out of your room?” asked a distorted voice. Even if a couple of weeks had passed, he immediately recognized who it belonged to. It was that mysterious person that always wore a helmet. Thinking about it, it was strange how they constantly hid their face. He smiled.

“Heh! ‘Felt like taking a stroll. It’s such a beautiful night.”

The blade pressed deeper, drawing a tiny rivulet of blood.

“…I won’t ask again.”

Vindril laughed. Or something that resembled a laugh. He just couldn’t help but find all that situation to be very entertaining. He had survived accident after accident, a lonely childhood that had forced him to grow way quickly then he should had to, smuggled goods in the most secure places around the galaxy, and here he was risking his life inside a damned room on that dusty desolation that was Keelo Prime. The irony of it all…

“Why are you laughing? Are you mad?”

“No, no. I just- never mind. Anyway, you asked why I’m sneaking out, yes?”

The silence that greeted him in that moment served as an answer.

“Well, something woke me up. A pity, really. I was having such a wonderful dream.” How was he still able to joke with a blade pressed against his throat was something that even the most brilliant of minds across the galaxy would have had trouble interpreting. But it was Vindril who was acting that way, so it sort of looked…normal, if that word could ever be used to describe him. “And I suspect that something is you, isn’t it? I mean, it’s the only explanation I can think off.”

“That still doesn’t explain why you simply didn’t go right back to sleep.”

The blade pressed a little bit deeper. It wasn’t deep enough that it could have caused serious injuries, but it still was an uncomfortable feeling.

“Are you lying to me? Are you one of them? I will not-”

“Have you seen me? Do I look like I’m part of anything? I’m not hiding anything.”

“…Why should I believe you.” They asked after silently staring at him for a few seconds.

“Because I have a fucking blade pressed against my throat? Is that not enough of a reason?”

“You could still be lying. Don’t take me for a fool who would believe anything at face value.”

“Then let me ask you something instead.” said Vindril.

By the barely perceptible movement he perceived through the blade’s cold metal, he must have surprised that person.

“Why haven’t you killed me yet? If you feel that way, you could have slit my throat at any moment. So why did you not do it?”

Silence dropped heavier than Vindril ever remembered. It was like all the weight of the entire planet had just been transformed into an invisible force and thrown into that minuscule corridor. Yeah, that was it. He could feel it. He had fucked up. And now he had to pay the price. He just hoped he didn’t bleed out before help came. He could survive a slit throat with modern technology. It wouldn’t be a pleasant experience, but he certainly could. He couldn’t survive however, a beheading. If that happened, he was going to be as dead as they came.

Exactly when he had closed his eyes, ready to face whatever destiny had in place for him head on, that person removed the blade. Surprise, like visceral surprise, hit him in all its strength, making his eyes open wide.

“…Why did you let me go?” he asked after the initial surprise had passed. “Not that I’m complaining, but still…”

“…I suppose you can be of use.”

“Well, it depends on-”

“Come! We’re almost out of time.”

“W-wait, wha-”

The person didn’t let him finished whatever was passing through his mind. He simply grabbed his wrist and pushed him out the entrance door, exactly on time to avoid being spotted.

Vindril sighed. He didn’t know what the hell was waiting for him ahead. But he was sure of one thing. Now that he was involved, he had to be smart if he didn’t want to end up being caught.

It was on those time he cursed his curious mind.