The impregnable Fort Bane stood on Planet Barzeke, the world of lifeless grey stone deep in Nemesis territory. Within the fortress were the empire’s most high-security war prisoners. In addition to the captured United Planets soldiers, there were also members of numerous independent militias. The ranks of the prisoners contained fighters from independent worlds, paramilitary groups, various rebel factions, and more.

  Other than housing their most secure prison, Barzeke held a secondary purpose. Its very land contained the rare mineral Nimue ore, vital for Zola’s devastating battleships to function. It was so rare that even after scouring vast light-years of space, Mavor’s forces located only two other planets to mine.

  Inside the towering metallic walls of the prison, Ros chipped away at the earth alongside her fellow inmates in the blazing heat. “By the divinus!” But as she wiped the sweat off her forehead, heat disappeared, replaced by bitter cold as black clouds swallowed the sun, raining seas of snow.

  “Quite a world this is!”

  Over the months of their imprisonment, Ros had gotten used to the planet’s extreme changes in weather. Barzeke was known for being the world of the ever-shifting seasons. Summer and winter would alternate in weekly or even daily intervals. It made the land nearly inhabitable for most species in the galaxy. But the nemesis used this to their advantage, employing their prisoners to mine the ore instead of their people or even machines.

  As Ros continued picking away at the earth with her shovel, she witnessed a fellow inmate collapse, running to his aid.”I’m coming!”

  As Ros helped the prisoner to his feet, he angrily pushed her away. “For the last time, don’t touch me, nemesis!”

  “I just wanted to help!”

  “I would rather die than get help from you!”

  “But-“ Ros reached her hand out to the prisoner.

  The prisoner slapped Ros’s hand away.”Learn to understand Novice. Leave me alone!”

  The prisoner staggered away from Ros, still hurt but too consumed by pride and hatred to accept her help. But as he left, a wheezing laughter filled the air. Upon recognizing the voice, Ros followed the sound to witness Captain Corbin overjoyed at her misfortune, with the veins on her forehead bulging with a quiet rage.

  Ros forced a smile. “Corbin Zak, my old friend! Have you come to rescue me?”

  “I’m afraid not, Ros! Though I would enjoy a quick chat!”

  Ros began her work again, her smile gone.”You’ll talk even if I say no!”

  “Too true!”

  “So what do you want?”

  “I suppose to discuss important matters. Why did you and so many of our comrades defect?”

  “You can ask that standing in this hellish place?”

  “This hellish place, as you put it, exists for the greater good!”

  “And who decides that, Mavor?”

  “It isn’t just the emperor, Ros! We nemesis have been given a noble goal in the face of the existential void!”

  “If that’s what you think, then I have nothing else to say!”

  Corbin slowly drew his gun, catching Ros’s attention. Thinking he was going to shoot, she remained calm, determined to face her doom with dignity. But he instead fired it at the back of another prisoner. As Ros witnessed the act, she fearfully ran to his aid. And the other prisoners and guards stopped their work, watching the confrontation.

  “Corbin, what the chaos?”

  “To make a point.”

  “A point?”

  “To show there is no meaning outside of the empire!”

  “Is that what this war is about? Making a point, something stupid point!”

  “You and those that think like you are responsible for this bloodshed,” Corbin spat.

  Ros’s jaw dropped in shock and horror. “I made you shoot this poor man?”

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  “If you only would yield to the empire’s cause. Just surrender your precious freedom. The war would have ended long ago!”

  “You’ve gone mad!” Ros shouted.

  “I’ll talk to you later, old friend.”

  As Corbin turned to leave, he noticed the legions gazing at him and Ros, looking back wrathfully. ”Return to work or else!” Sending them fearfully to their duties as he left.

  Within a dark, colorless, windowless chamber, Norn hung midair during the afternoon. She lay in the center of the room, her arms hanging above her head. The omega cuffs the Nemesis had fixed to her wrists left her suspended, using an electromagnetic field. They were one of Zola’s many creations, unbreakable and capable of restraining the victim’s ability to use Kai. But that didn’t stop her from trying.

  “Come on, please!”

  As Norn tried to summon her mystic strings, the cuffs stopped her. Usually, calling upon the powers of their galaxy was like unlocking the pressure on a dam, allowing the rushing waters to wash over you. The user was merely a humble borrower, a guide leading a fraction of its vastness toward selective channels. But the cuffs were like an impregnable lock on that dam that caused searing pain to her soul each time she tried to pick it.

  “What black magic did Zola infuse into these cuffs?”

  Norn soon heard footsteps approaching the door, and she quickly stopped. The door opened, revealing three guards transporting a single prisoner wearing a mask similar to the kind one would place on a rabid dog. The guards angrily shoved their prisoner, Clive, into the chamber, activating his omega cuffs and suspending him beside Norn.

  “Good afternoon, Lieutenant Rogers. How are you holding up?”

  “I guess things could be worse. And didn’t I tell you to call me Clive?”

  “My apologies. Force of habit!” Norn released a slight chuckle.

  “Enough small talk!” Corbin entered the chamber, his arms crossed behind his back.

  Corbin looked between the two prisoners before him as he gave both a glare of simmering hatred, and they reciprocated.

  “Let’s get this over with. What’s today’s torture?” Clive asked.

  “Today, I have very little patience to burn, Lieutenant Rogers. So, allow me to make a deal with you!”

  Clive and Norn answered Corbin in silence, both giving him another glare!

  “Merely answer a few of our questions. And there won’t be torture. The remainder of your stay with us will be rather comfortable.”

  “Name, Norn Heigoatus. Rank, Primary lieutenant under General Lev Papilleo. Serial number: 557208. And that’s all you’ll get from me.”

  Corbin turned his gaze to Clive, awaiting his answer.

  “Go to h-“

  Corbin hastily snapped his fingers, and one of the guards pressed a button on her holophone panel. It ignited a surge of intense electricity within the omega cuffs, sending it through Clive and Norn’s bodies. And they uttered bloodcurdling screams for several seconds until it stopped!

  “We’ll never talk, Corbin! Just give up,” Clive said.

  “If that’s how you want to play it, then from now on, each day you don’t tell us anything, we execute one of your soldiers,” Corbin spat.

  “Don’t it, and we bite off our tongues!” Norn shouted.

  Corbin gazed at Norn, stunned by her statement. But he soon took a deep breath, walking closer to her. As he angrily punched her in the face. However, even with her face bruised and bleeding from the mouth, she refused to show the slightest hint of fear, gazing at him with another glare.

  “Guards, get these two out of my sight. I must think of a new strategy!”

  Later nighttime, Clive sat alone in his cell, watching the twin moons of Barzeke take their place in the sky through the lone, narrow window.

  “Good night, moon. Or moons?” Clive exhaled heavily.

  He turned his attention to the cuffs binding his hands. Looking at them, he gathered his strength, attempting to pull them apart. But as he went to part his arms, he stopped the attempt with a deep sigh escaping his mouth.

  “Don’t be stupid, Rogers.”

  Soon, guards arrived at the door to his cell, one with a food tray in his hand. As they opened the door, another pressed a button on his holophone panel, opening a hole in Clive’s mask large enough to allow him to eat. And as the guard scornfully threw the tray at him, scattering the food across the floor, the group left, locking the door behind them.

  Witnessing their callousness toward him, Clive wanted to utter every swear and cuss word he knew. But he ultimately decided against it, viewing it as a waste of energy, using his precious breath on sentient garbage. Instead, he chose to take a loaf of bread off the floor, sitting quietly in a corner eating it, again watching the moons.

  A knocking sound came against the wall Clive was sitting by. He drew his ear closer, listening to it. As he recognized the rhythm, he swiftly scanned the area, ensuring he was alone before rushing closer to the window, gazing downwards.”Ros!”

  “Sorry for being late.” Ros began chipping away at the earth, pretending to work.

  “Don’t worry about it. Just tell me, how were things on your end?”

  “I was able to sweet-talk a few more prisoners today. If my mathematics is correct, we have over fifty thousand troops ready to move!”

  “Man, things are slow. Ros, I don’t know if that’s enough to fight the guards and possible reinforcements!”

  “Me neither. But we might have to do more with less!”

  “Ros, be honest with me. They’re giving you a hard time because you’re a nemesis?”

  “Yeah, and I can’t blame them! May I ask what Corbin did to you guys today?”

  “It wasn’t pretty. I can’t believe you used to be friends with that guy!”

  Ros took a deep breath.”Clive, I can’t figure it out. I don’t know if he was always that way, and I was too blind to see it. Or the years he spent serving Mavor drove him mad!”

  “In either case, it’s ancient history.”

  “I guess you’re right.”

  Clive took a deep breath.”Ros, just in case this is the end of me, I l-“

  “Clive, please don’t!” Ros interrupted.

  Two guards ran over to Ros.

  “Prisoner, what are you doing here?”

  “Just a little work!”

  “I think I saw you talking!”

  “I was talking to myself to pass the time.”

  The guard narrowed her eyes on Ros.“Come with us!”

  The guards quickly took Ros, one grabbing her arm and dragging her away. And as they left, she glanced back wistfully, catching a glimpse of Clive’s face before he left her line of sight.