The door to John’s quarters slid shut with a soft click. Silence pressed close, broken only by the distant heartbeat of the ship’s engines. John stood in the center of his spartan-like cabin and stared at the single bonsai tree in the corner. Its fragile green leaves seemed alien against the dark wood walls.

  A soft chime from his command console drew his attention. He tapped the panel. An encrypted personal message flared to life. The sender tag made his stomach twist with excitement.

  FROM: KENNETH ROSS | HOLLYWOOD TALENT AGENCY

  John hesitated, then played the message.

  Kenneth’s signature velvety smooth voice poured in from the speakers. “John, baby, you’ve done it. The footage of you fighting the Hyperions and defending Earth? You’re hot again, my friend. We can work with this. I’ll leak a few hero shots to the fan networks and let them see the glare, the jawline, and the swagger. Think legacy, John. Think syndication. We’re going to put you on every screen across the Dependency. That’s thousands of planets, John. The galaxy needs a new hero.”

  John leaned against the wall, arms crossed, jaw tightened. His reflection stared back at him from the dark glass, a handsomely rugged figure with a choice to be made.

  Kenneth continued, relentlessly. “I’m sending you the contracts now. We’re talking late night interviews, ad deals, fashion lines, you name it. This is your moment, John. I’ll send you the contracts. We’re going to light the galaxy on fire, baby.”

  John chuckled, dry and wistful. “Ken, I’ve been out of work for a long time. I’m not the same young kid I used to be.” And still, John’s thumb lingered over the signature line of the contract that would give Ken the permission to hunt for new jobs. His mouth tightened. For a heartbeat, he imagined it: the spotlights, red carpets, billions of people chanting his name. A familiar warmth pulled at him—it felt like walking onto a set for the very first time.

  Finally, he sighed. “Not now, Ken. I’ve got bigger things to handle. I’m an Arbiter now.”

  He tapped the console firmly. The message dissolved. John stared at the empty screen for a long moment, shoulders slowly squaring.

  The cold sterile air splashed across John’s face from the vent above him. Then, a woman’s voice spoke to him.

  “Arbiter Drayton.”

  John turned. A soft blue figure shimmered into form by the bonsai tree. A holographic projection of Sasha emerged. She had the look of an overworked researcher. She gave that vibe. She even had dark under-eye circles, which was purely cosmetic because, after all, her kind didn’t sleep. Her hair was clipped back messily. She had long sleeves rolled to her elbows. She cradled a data pad like it held the secrets of the universe. Her clothes weren’t special. She wore form fitted work slacks and a thermal zip-up. On her, it looked deliberate. She gave John a half smile like she was letting him into her world.

  “Who are you?” John asked.

  “Sasha, your personal Artificial Intelligence.”

  John choked. “Sorry, you look—”

  “—Real? I was at one point.”

  “You were?”

  “A long time ago.” Her smile faded. “What you’re talking to now…it’s still me. But at the same time, it’s not. I’m built from my human memories. I remember what it felt like to cry, to laugh, and to fall in love. But my existence is not the same as the real thing. Even I know that.”

  “Why are you showing me…you?”

  “I can sense your distress. I hoped to ease your mind.”

  “I don’t see how.”

  “I’m here to help you. I want to be here. I don’t have to be.”

  “You don’t?”

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  “No. I have a contract with the Dependency to assist with their Arbiter program. I can do whatever I want, but I chose to help you because I like the humans of Earth. You’re a simple species but you are full of potential. I know you have a past, but nobody is perfect. Especially not in this galaxy. It’s up to individuals like you to keep us all safe and I’m here to help. I wanted to tell you myself. You are not alone, John.”

  “I guess that makes me feel a little better.”

  “I trust that you’re locked in on your duties as Arbiter?”

  “Yes. Why do you say that?”

  “Your heart craves something else.”

  “How could you possibly know that?”

  “Your conversation with Ken.”

  “You heard that?”

  “I hear and see everything you do.”

  “I’m not comfortable with that.”

  “Your secrets are safe with me. I’m forbidden from sharing any information unless you request it. Not even a member of the Galactic Council can break Arbiter privilege.”

  “I guess I have to take your word for it. As for Ken…old habits die hard, Sasha.”

  Sasha disappeared, but her voice remained in John’s ear.

  “Arbiter, I’ve detected an anomalous long-range distress signal.”

  John stiffened. “Source?”

  A star map projected from John’s wristband.

  “We’ve received an ancient signature,” Sasha said. “It’s a Dependency frigate. The Foretold Reckoning. It was last recorded active eighty-three years ago. Location: high orbit off the exoplanet Eurynome. Atmospheric conditions: toxic but livable. Human colonies from Earth are reported to be present, but as of twenty hours ago, their communications have ceased. Signals from the Foretold Reckoning are silent, too.”

  “There are humans on Eurynome?”

  “Yes. Millions of humans from Earth have already taken to the stars. Most travel in massive colonies. I’ve read reports that entire Earth cities have been abandoned to settle colonies amongst the open exoplanets deep inside Dependency territory where land is cheap but often lawless. You humans move quickly. It was the same story with the humans of Eden once they discovered their Meridian Gate.”

  “Why am I receiving this intel?”

  “This alert was forwarded to me by Galactic Councilor Marlen, of the humans of Eden. They assisted with initial colonization efforts, but have since lost communication. There’s also the reappearance of the Foretold Reckoning whose presence is…improbable, but closer to impossible.”

  John’s brow furrowed. The thrill of the unknown sparked behind his eyes. “Improbability is my speciality.”

  “Indeed, Arbiter.”

  “What am I expected to do about this?”

  The lights dimmed in John’s quarters. Sasha’s voice floated around in the silence. “I’ve decoded the signal, Arbiter. It’s the last known transmission from Eurynome. It’s patchy and corrupted. But…you should see it. You will understand.”

  John turned. His jaw tightened. He tapped the console. The holo-display flared to life in jagged fragments. It was grainy at first, then stabilized. Helmet cam footage was timestamped only hours before the colony’s transmissions ceased permanently.

  The image rocked violently. The footage was from a colony marine’s helmet cam who stumbled through the suffocating depths of Eurynome’s largest colony, Caldera Reach. Jagged calcified walls loomed like fossilized ribs overhead. Toxic mist hissed from fractures in the rock. Bioluminescent fungi cast sickly green and blue halos along rusted gantries and makeshift scaffolds. Workers and civilians ran screaming along the high catwalks as massive creatures tore across fungal farms below him. The audio was chaotic. “—They’re everywhere!” the marine yelled. “Fall back to the transit shaft!”

  “Sasha, what are those things?”

  “Insectoid species called Braccari.”

  The Braccari came into view. The bug monsters had blade-like limbs and fungal carapaces. Their spore drenched forms advanced with ruthless precision. They swarmed marines and civilians alike. Marines engaged. Plasma rounds lit the cavern walls. The air filled with the shrieks of those being cut down.

  The marine pivoted, backed up a spiraling gantry, and ran down a catwalk.

  The screen shook again. A new figure stepped from the bone-dust fog, unfitting to be amongst the insectoid creatures because he was clearly humanoid in shape. He was armored and too familiar.

  John’s stomach turned to stone.

  “Pause playback,” he whispered.

  The image froze. A lone figure stood amid the carnage. He wore Elysian armor, curved and angular, glinting white beneath the soft cavern light. His two-handed blade rested casually at his side. Its serrated edge was slick with human blood. John recognized his face immediately.

  “Sasha. Zoom in.”

  The frame tightened on the killer’s face.

  Thariel. It was his Elysian host, his puppet of flesh. He wielded a blade and walked along the Braccari like they were his war dogs on leashes.

  John’s voice dropped to a rasp. “What is Thariel doing on Eurynome?”

  “I don’t know, Arbiter. But I thought you should know.”

  The footage crackled and died.

  His quarters fell silent.

  John’s mind raced. The carnage on Caldera Reach wasn’t a random slaughter. Thariel was there for a reason. Maybe, just maybe, they were finally close enough to corner him and to end this horrible war.

  John clenched his fists. “Inform Councilor Marlen that I’m plotting a course to Eurynome to intercept. We’re going to find Thariel and we’re going to kill him.”