Trel'Ka, standing in the middle of the room across from Savros, closed his eyes and spread his arms. Two little balls of light flew from his hands, hitting the walls on either side of the room and spreading to cover the walls, and continuing until the ceiling and floor were all glowing.

  "This is one form of the shield. It will enforce any structure or person it comes in contact with." He lifted his hand, and another ball shot out right at Savros. Striking him in the chest, the same glow spread and covered his body. His vision had a slight orange tint to it, reminding him of the view from inside a holo-suit.

  "This is a very simple but effective shield when used as structural support. If a ship crashed into this room right now, we would be fine. It's not quite as effective on a person. If a ship crashed into you right now, we'd be dead. It is most effective in the void, protecting you from vacuum."

  "This shield," he said, bringing his hands together in front of him and pulling them to his chest. A small circle of white light that seemed familiar to Savros appeared in between his crossed hands. Sliding his hands down the length of the opposite arms, the circle moved into his body. As his hands reached his elbows and his arms fully crossed, his whole body began to glow. A bubble of light emerged from his chest and continued to grow, encompassing his entire form. Moments later, the bubble had grown to encompass Savros and the bed and table, as well.

  Trel'Ka dropped his arms to his side. "Now it doesn't matter what falls on us, one ship or ten. This shield is one of the stronger but also one of the more dangerous. It is fed through my body. If I die, the shield goes with me. The shield is extremely strong, but it should it broken against my will, it will kill me."

  Savros watched as he explained and demonstrated, but he still had no idea how Trel'Ka was doing any of it. The look on his face must have given away his frustration. Trel'Ka frowned,

  "What is the issue that plagues your mind?"

  "There's more to it than just holding out my arm." He held it out as Trel'Ka had done to demonstrate.

  "There is. Now that you are in position, search your body for a certain feeling. It feels like nervous energy, barely detectable, but when you find it, you'll be surprised as it grows in strength. It's almost as though it were aware you were looking for it and runs to meet you." He looked knowingly at Savros as he spoke.

  "As it grows, you will feel it whirling and swirling around inside you. Your stomach may be uneasy and you may even feel as though the room is spinning."

  As Trel'Ka spoke, Savros had noticed the swirling, spinning sensation he was describing. It grew into a cyclone inside him before he knew what was happening. In a panic, he dropped his arms and tried to ignore the feeling.

  Trel'Ka rushed the few paces to reach Savros, helping him to the bed as he disposed of the shields he'd made.

  "That was different.", Savros said.

  "I could feel the energy you pooled from across the room! It must be due to your proximity to the energy source when it was released. Your conduit to the energy is wide open." He looked serious and rather concerned.

  "Does that mean I can do—?"

  Trel'Ka cut him off. "It means your use of tryptic energy will have as much power as you chose to channel. Assuming you learn to control the amount of energy you draw out. If you were to unleash a full blast, you would most likely kill yourself and those around you. You must learn to limit the amount of energy you use."

  "How am I supposed to do that?" He was growing suspicious that even with access to it, he wasn't going to be able to use magic in the ways he'd imagined as a child.

  "You find the energy inside you almost immediately. Now you just need to practice controlling the flow. To do that, just practice as you just did. Remain still, do not speak. Do not try to call upon the energy, just let it know you are there."

  "It may feel overwhelming for a while, but eventually you will get used to it and you will find you are able to exert much more control. Eventually, with enough practice, you'll fine tune the adjustments with in your self giving you ever greater control. It will always be swirling inside you."

  "As far as what you can actually do with the energy is entirely up to you. There are already reports of everything from miracle healers to life eaters to vigilantes for justice, popping up across Living Space. The more you practice and use it, the more you will hone your skills in an area."

  Savros had assumed that there were set instructions for different things. He was surprised by the amount of intuition and feeling involved in working with tryptic energy. Although he couldn't place why he'd always felt it would be a more scientific approach. Probably because growing up, the only exposure he'd ever had to tryptic energy was in the context of a sensor, a scientific instrument.

  As Savros sat there, he wondered if he could access that vortex of energy at will. He looked around inside himself, and there it was, rushing back to full force. Instead of running or fighting it, he did his best to just feel it. He let it rage inside him until it seemed to reach a peak in intensity. He sat it in it for as long as he could handle before letting it go and turning his attention back to Trel'Ka.

  Trel'Ka had been watching him intently the whole time but waited until he'd finished playing with the energy before he spoke again. "Savros, I have never felt anyone access that much energy with such ease. If you learn to control it you should be able to conquer any obstacle before you. I urge you to be smart and be safe on your journeys ahead."

  "I will. It seems like for as long as I can remember now, all I've wanted to do is keep those closest to me safe. For the first time in my life, I have a way to do that." He gazed across the room, remembering the last, clear memory of them he had. They were all sitting in the galley, laughing. "I will be careful," he said, as much to himself and the energy spinning around inside him as to Trel'Ka.

  "I've already taken up most of your day." He said, standing, "I shall take my leave. You may seek me out, should you need anything more from me. Until the Center officially opens the Tryptic wing, my office is at the far end of the med-wing. Take care of yourself, Master Savros, and remember, practice with caution. Even knowledgeable and adept Az'Reign have lost their lives in their arrogance or lack of respect in handling the increased energy." Trel'Ka turned from the bed and made his exit.

  Savros stood and walked to the window, going over everything Trel'Ka had told him. He could see the lights of a ship, or possibly, a satellite sail by. Life ran him over and drug him across the stars, but here he was, still standing. His life with his parents seemed so long ago and felt so distant. It was almost as though he remembered the story of someone else's life. Even the day he met Polly seemed like a dream from long ago. Waiting another day for them to show up was going to be agony. He just wanted to be at home, to sleep in his bed, and get back to his life on the KaiStar. There had not been much peace, and they were on the run most of the time. But now, that was all behind them.

  It would just be the four of them now, he thought. Traveling the stars. Taking jobs and missions. Discovering all the wonders of this new existence… Witnessing all the pain… He thought about all the devastation suffered across Living Space since he returned the Kalibal. He had no way of knowing any of this would happen. He was only trying to protect himself and his friends and everyone else. Yet, because of his actions likely, billions of people have perished in horrific and violent ways because of him. He doubted enough good could ever come from this to outweigh the damage he'd caused. With all of Living Space affected and no life left untouched, he couldn't help but wish the assassins had gotten him when they got his parents.

  He couldn't shake the feeling of guilt. In the moment, he had only been able to make the best decision he could with the information he had at the time. The threat of doing nothing was total annihilation. But the consequences of doing the only thing he could do at the time were too heavy to bear. All those lives cut short.

  He glimpsed movement in the reflection from the window. Trel'Ka was standing behind him. His right arm pointed directly at Savros, his left arm bent so that his fist contacted the inside of his right elbow. In the matter of a heartbeat, Savros felt the vortex of power rise up in him. Savros still had his back to the man when Trel'Ka unleashed an attack.

  As the bolt of energy stormed toward him, Savros, from within the vortex, instinctively pushed all the energy swirling around inside of him outward. A bubble shot out of him, expanding even faster than Trel'Ka's attack was coming in. The walls of the bubble expanded, not only destroying Trel'Ka's attack but acting as a force field. It pushed Trel'Ka against the wall and pinned him there. It had all happened so fast, Savros never had time to turn around. Everything was based on instinct. Instinct activated by what he saw in the reflection.

  Looking back at the reflection, he was stunned that he couldn't even recognize himself. His hair, usually a nice sandy blue color, was black and burning. His eyes and most of his face were burned. He didn't understand what he was seeing. The next shock came when he brought his hand up to touch his face. His entire arm was burned as well. Under the burns, he couldn't see liquid fire tumbling and rolling beneath the surface while the surface was continuing to produce ember and ash that drifted upward, riding on the currents of heat coming off him.

  He turned, looking at Trel'Ka, trapped and unable to move. From the look on his face, Savros thought he probably couldn't breathe either. Savros felt no pity for the man. He felt nothing for him at all. He stood staring at the man from across the room.

  "Why won't you just let me be?" His voice was not entirely his own. It sounded deeper, thicker, fuller. It carried a certain weight, and with every syllable, demanded attention. Trel'Ka was unable to respond, but Savros could see the panic in him growing exponentially.

  "You murder my family." He took a step towards Trel'Ka. "You pushed me into this." He took another and continued walking, slowly, toward him. "And now you try to murder me." His voice was calm, with no sign of malice or aggression. The panic in his captive's eyes was in a full frenzy as Savros closed the final few paces between them.

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  Savros, standing in front of Trel'Ka, leaned forward so that their faces were almost touching, "No more." Savros, with burning eyes, looked at the frantic man and felt nothing at all. "I will run no more. I will fear no more. And I will hold back, no more."

  Savros held his hand out and slowly made a fist while the field of light holding Trel'Ka began to contract further. There was no scream to be heard as the blanket of energy continued to tighten around the already suffocating man.

  Savros watched as the energy wrapped all the way around Trel'Ka and collapsed in on itself until nothing was left. Trel'Ka was gone, and Savros was alone. He watched his arm as the burns slowly receded and faded until all that was left was the last few embers and ash drifting from his bare skin.

  He made his way back to the bed and sat down. Before he even knew what was happening, the whole event was finished. He looked over to Where Trel'Ka had been pinned to the wall. No sign that he had ever been there. He looked back at his hand and arm. No sign of the ash and embers, not to mention the liquid fire under the surface.

  Savros took a deep breath. Now that he was feeling again, he felt angry and confused. Why the hell had Trel'Ka attacked him? And why was everyone always trying to kill him? What did he have to do to just live in peace? And where was Holand? Wasn't there supposed to be a guard at his door?

  Savros sneaked to the door, cracking it open enough to peek out. There was no one there. Shutting the door, he pulled a chair against the wall behind the door and waited. If another attack was coming tonight, he would be ready. He sat for hours waiting. Eventually, sleep took him.

  The door swinging inward and striking his chair jolted him awake. His immediate reaction was to prepare for an attack. The voice on the other side of the door calmed him only slightly.

  "Savros, are you here?" Doctor Amiel poked her head around the door.

  "Ah, there you are. Was the bed uncomfortable?" She asked with a curious grin. "And have you seen Holand this morning?"

  "No. No, I haven't seen Holand." He didn't know whether he should mention the attack on his life. What if she was in on it? But if she were in on it, then she would be here to finish the job. Either way, he didn't see the harm in mentioning it, and, hopefully, she would have some answers.

  "Last night, not long after he left, Trel'Ka returned and tried to kill me." He watched her face as he spoke but saw no sign of quilt, only astonishment, and outrage.

  "That Can't be! Where is he?" she demanded. "We will get to the bottom of this right now!"

  He pointed to the wall, "The last time I saw him he was right there."

  "Stay here, I will get the Service in here right away." She turned and ran down the corridor.

  A few minutes later, she returned with none other than Captain Iskatel. He felt relieved to see a face from the past and one he felt he could trust.

  "Hello again, Savros, Doctor Amiel informs me, wish to file a report of attack?" Captain Iskatel, as always, got straight to the point.

  "Well, I was attacked, but I'm not sure a report is necessary." He said, standing and walking to the window.

  "It is in your best interest to report all crimes while in the center. Tell me what happened." Captain Iskatel waited patiently.

  He stood in front of the window. "I was standing here last night, watching the lights of a ship flyby overhead. I saw movement in the reflection just in time to catch Trel'Ka attacking me from there." He pointed to the spot inside the doorway, where Trel'Ka had been standing.

  "He fired an attack at my back and I reacted. I pushed a wall of energy at him." He made eye contact with Captain Iskatel through his whole retelling of the events.

  "Then what happened?" she asked.

  "It pinned him to the wall." He said before another member of the Galactic Service came trotting into the room. They engaged in a hushed conversation before the Service member trotted back through the door.

  "Excuse me." He heard the Service member say from out in the corridor and looked up just as Trel'Ka came through the door. Arms folded behind him. He didn't carry the look of someone who tried to murder him. Savros reached for the energy and found it waiting, hiding barely beneath the surface. He thought he'd killed the man last night. If need be, he was ready to do it again. But he didn't call on the energy just yet.

  Trel'Ka stood before them, looking confused but eager to help, which made Savros confused to say nothing for the two confused-looking women next to him.

  Captain Iskatel broke the ice, "Trel'Kaufrey'El'Sta'Az'Reign'Rasa you are accused of attacking with intent to kill, Savros, last night in these quarters. Can you account for your whereabouts after leaving his room last night?" She stared at him patiently, waiting for an answer.

  Obviously stunned by the charges, Trel'Ka took a step backward. "I would never attack anyone! That goes against my life's work!" He looked at Savros, "I assure you young Savros, it was not I that attacked you.", turning back to the captain, "I left this room and went to the dining hall. Where I stayed and enjoyed me meal until I retired to my office just midnight. There were many who can attest to my presence there."

  "We can get their statements later. How well do you know the attendant Holand?" Captain Iskatel again gave nothing away with her expression.

  "I have only met him yesterday, upon my first visit with Master Savros. Will you kindly tell me; what is going on?" Trel'Ka pleaded.

  "Based on the evidence my team has collected, it would appear as though Holand, disguised as yourself," she pointed at Trel'Ka, "attacked Savros. He must have fled the Center after being unsuccessful. I will dispatch crews to track him down at once."

  "You won't find him." Savros looked at Trel'Ka, then to the floor. "Last night when I saw he was attacking, I reacted, and he didn't survive. He died trapped inside a bubble of tryptic energy that compressed itself down until it disappeared." Savros walked over to the wall and pointed. "He was stuck right here until, poof, he was gone."

  Trel'Ka hung his head. "If this is true, then you will indeed not find him. He is no more. His entire essence and being converted to tryptic energy."

  Doctor Amiel, who had been quiet throughout the conversation, suddenly spoke up. "Savros, I am afraid this will not be an isolated incident. There are those of us who know the truth of the situation and understand that none of this is your fault. Any caring person trying to do the right thing would have made similar decisions."

  "However, there are others who do not know and do not understand. In their grief and rage, they look for someone to blame. There are already tall tales and legends of 'Savros and the infamous crew of the KaiStar', so when those people look for someone to blame, they see you." Doctor Ameil gave him a hug as she finished speaking. She had held onto him for an almost uncomfortable amount of time before letting him go and running from the room.

  Captain Iskatel put a hand on Savros' shoulder. "Just be careful. I'm sure you'll be fine. While I'm here and we are on the subject, I should tell you Tawkwa escaped from custody several months ago and so far has evaded detection. I don't mean to scare you just to inform you." She turned to leave, "Trel'Kaufrey'El'Sta'Az'Reign'Rasa, I apologize for the mixup, and for the record, no one would ever believe you actually did something like that. Stay safe, you two." She left the room as well, leaving Savros and Trel'Ka together.

  Savros rubbed his awkwardly and gave a half-chuckle a little, "Welp, this is weird. I spent all night, and this morning, thinking I killed you and trying to figure out why you attacked me. I'm sorry all this happened."

  "Savros, you must stop blaming yourself for everything happening around you and to you. Most people out there will never know who you are when they see you. It isn't as though everyone that you come in contact will want to kill you, but there will always be the threat of a crazed lunatic bent on taking out their rage on their target of their aggression; you."

  "So I can't trust anyone, ever? Never let my guard down?"

  "No, I'm not saying that. Just trust your instincts, try not to blame yourself, and keep your eyes open. You've already proven you can take care of yourself." He headed for the door. "I'll leave you be. Stay safe Savros."

  Alone again, with his thoughts, he decided to check in on Doctor Prashaad. After channeling the tryptic energy required to defeat Holand, or whoever that was, he was pretty sure he had inadvertently healed himself or conditioned his body to be active. He made it to the end of the corridor, and his heart wasn't beating hard, and he had no trouble breathing.

  He grinned as he entered the next section, a garden, very much like the one near Le'Ander's desk. He concluded the Center must have a repeating layout for each side. Not knowing what else to do, he headed for the corridor at the far end of the garden. If it really was repeating, there should be a desk and attendant just around the corner. With any luck, he'd be able to get directions from there. The History wing had been bustling with activity while they were there before. But here, he hadn't seen anyone since he left his room.

  The garden here had several smaller trees with three very large, jagged-looking boulders and several smaller ones scattered about. Each of the larger rocks was of a darker gray color than its smaller counterparts. He could hear water running and trickling, but he couldn't see it until he was in the middle of the room. Waterfall fountains poured from the three boulders into a small pond between the three of them. If it had been outside, it would be a picturesque camping spot.

  He casually rounded the corner and, as he suspected, found a desk a few paces away in the center of the corridor. A hologram AI manned this station. An orange glow illuminated the space around the hologram, otherwise at first glance, one might think it was an actual person. As he came into view, the hologram approached him.

  "Greetings, Savros. Welcome back to the Center. I am CP-Zeta, center liaison for the medical wing. There is a message on file for you, if you'd like to see it."

  "A message? Who is it from?"

  "It was left by Captain Iskatel, several months ago."

  "Sure, let me see it," he said, assuming it was the same message about Tawkwa's escape from custody. He was correct. However, accompanying the message was a short clip of Tawkwa just before his escape. The man's voice was somehow more grating than it had been before. The sounds coming from his mouth reminded Savros of a fur-fight.

  Tawkwa, restrained in a chair, screeched, "He will pay! Savros will pay! His arrogance has doomed us all! We must have retribution! The universe demands vengeance!". He threw his hands in the air wildly, light bursting forth in every direction. When the light faded, he was in the middle of the room, unrestrained. Savros watched as the man screamed at whoever he imagined being in front of him. Tawkwa had degraded into a fit of wild, incoherent screaming and screeching before suddenly disappearing.

  Savros waited for a second, thinking there would be more. After a few seconds, he realized that's why the Service hadn't been able to locate him. The video didn't leave a lot to go on.

  "Thank you CP-Zeta."

  "You are most welcome."

  "How far am I from the History wing? I'd like to visit Doctor Prashaad while I am here."

  "You are quite far from the history wing. You are welcome to use the internal teleport relay next to my desk, however, I should inform you that Doctor Prashaad is out on an expedition for the foreseeable future."

  "Oh, well, I guess I don't need to go to the history wing then. Thank you CP-Zeta, I think I'll just head back to my room."

  "You are quite welcome, Savros. Should you need anything, don't hesitate to ask."

  On his way back to his room, he stopped by the dining hall, hoping for a meal. Doctor Ameil had cleared him to walk around the center but hadn't cleared him at the dining hall yet. He was able to get a glass of juice, but nothing more. His stomach growled the rest of the way to his room, but when he opened the door, he discovered another tray on the table next to the bed. Suspiciously lifting the lid, the smell hit his nose, and his mouth began watering.

  This time, it was a real stew. Floating in a thick broth were actual pieces of meat and chunks of vegetables. It was a very small bowl, but it smelled as good as an entire feast. Savros ate it slowly, not wanting to set back his recovery in any way. He found the task difficult, and before he knew it, he sat an empty bowl back on the tabletop.

  He walked back to the window and tried to run through all the things that would be different. Some people loved him and thanked him, and some hated him and wanted to kill him. Not least of all was Tawkwa. He wondered if Polly and Jaen had been dealing with attacks themselves. He wasn't so much worried about them as he felt bad for them. The toll it took, always looking over his shoulder, was weighing on him.

  He paced back and forth a few times before sitting on the edge of the bed. He knew it was getting late, and they would be here soon. Savros looked around the room. He didn't have any gear or things to collect. He was still wearing the med wing garb but hadn't seen his clothes anywhere. There were no drawers or closets in the room. There was one button on the far wall that he had paid no attention to.