Jaca walked over to his Counselman and handed him the device that held the message Sky sent to her father. Together, they listened to the encrypted message and was stunned to what they were hearing. Esio especially took it hard to when he heard his adopted daughter had turned sides. “Do you want me to respond sir? She did mention she wasn’t sure when she could send another one.” Jaca turned off the hologram device then placed it on Esio’s desk.

  Esio stood up and walked around pondering what to do next. The view from his office was breathtaking... It allowed him to think in silence while watching the sun rise over the horizon. “No,” He responded. “I trust in their ability to get the job done. My suspicion was right about Queen Nira but Luna... I’m having a hard time understanding the why. The thought of her using her powers for the rebels is a hard pill to swallow.” Esio finally turned his attention to his advisor and asked, “I need to know as much as I can about Queen Nira’s son. This Yousef, the Red Banner Clan leader. How did they meet? Was he a target? I have so many questions... My question is, did Nira turn Luna against us?” The Counselman slammed his fist on the desk.

  Jaca didn’t know what to say. He knew his Counselman was hurting and upset, has been ever since the attack a while ago. “Sir... I promise to find out what I can. In the meantime, what are you going to do about Queen Nira? It may not go over so well without concrete evidence. Sky’s word is of course solid however, I see the Council wanting more.”

  “I agree, Jaca. Plus, we don’t know who all is working with her. I know now without a doubt, that attack was staged. If the rebels know that we are not on one accord, the attacks will continue. That’s what I would do if I were their leader.” Esio picked up the hologram message and placed it in his pocket.

  “Sir, how did you know it was Queen Nira helping the rebels. What led you to her?” asked Jaca as he gathered up some paperwork.

  Esio plopped back down into his desk chair. “Honestly, I wasn’t sure until I found out about her son. The rumor about her and Ephrim having a son was true.” The Counselman pulled a large book from the bookshelf nearby. He opened it to the record about the battle on Takeaway. “This is where it all began...”

  “Sir? I thought the battle of Takeaway was about getting the land back from the Barbarians? I was a very young lad then, but I remember the other advisors mentioning how this order came from Arkaminus himself.”

  Esio closed his eyes for a moment. Memories flooded into his mind... The screams, the clashing of the weapons, the explosions. There was a sandstorm that day, he remembered, it covered everyone in thick layers of sand and debris. Everyone was fully enthroned in battle... By the time it was all over, some of the bodies were buried and forever forgotten. Their skeletons still remain there to this day. He picked up the book from the desk and pointed to the top of the page which went into detail about the battle. “Do you see that number, Jaca? That’s the number of individuals who lost their lives. It was never supposed to be that way. We had specific orders to only take down certain Barbarians and they all ended up dead.”

  “Everyone, sir? You mean, including…” Jaca place his hand over his mouth.

  “Yes, including the woman and children. All that was done by one person, Ephrim. He went against direct orders, which seems to be a trend around here. It was a really bad day for all of us, and I know most of the queens were against this battle. We were specifically told what needed to be done in order to accomplish what Arkaminus wanted. The orders came from the Ancients which are treated like divine interventions. However, Ephrim took it upon himself to make sure the next generations wouldn’t follow. It’s to my understanding Arkaminus found out what he did and well,” Esio put his head down lost in the memory. “He paid the price... Ephrim was my best friend. It wasn’t until he decided to break the rules that he started to change. I blamed Queen Nira this whole time.”

  The two men sat in silence for a moment. Jaca studied his Counselman once more for he felt sorry for Esio. Jaca met Esio when he was very young, around the age of ten. At the time, Esio was not a Counselman but a promising young captain who was just appointed his own regiment. From day one, Esio took good care of him and Jaca’s family. Many of Jaca’s relatives had worked for the Star Counsel for many generations, so they were no strangers to the honorable job of servitude.

  Today however, Jaca noticed that the current events and how they were going were slowly breaking Esio down. The Counselman wasn’t an old man, but he also wasn’t in his prime anymore. His responsibilities shifted to making sure certain missions were correctly carried out by his adopted daughters. Separating from them then hearing one may have joined the other side was turning into a problem Esio felt like he couldn’t fix. That’s when it hit him... Jaca remembered the last conversation he had with Luna then the answer became clear. The advisor to the Counselman opened his database and reviewed the notes he had written some months earlier. “Of course, it’s been right here the whole time...”

  “What’s been right here? What did you find, Jaca?” Asked Esio with enthusiasm.

  “Well yes, sir. A few months back Luna and I had our monthly check-in, and she told me something she never disclosed before.” Jaca replied. Esio paid close attention to his advisor’s words. “Luna mentioned how disappointed she was in her parents for allowing us to take her from them. I remember Luna was crying very hard and could barely even talk because she was in so much pain. She said she never wanted to be a killer... Her understanding of being a part of the quad, sharing the Star Lord’s powers meant something. She believed her and her sisters would be the next rulers not assassins, sir. Luna believed she was made to be a monster, not the bringers of peace. What I’m saying is sir, Luna doesn’t want to be an Angel of Death anymore, but she knows quitting is not an option. Therefore, I believe she’s taking her own fate into her hands.”

  Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  A single tear fell from Esio’s eye. He quickly wiped it away then regained his composure. “You know, none of us would be here right now if it wasn't for the Sagen queen Iya the Great. Her and her people fought their asses off to the defeat the newly appointed Star Lord who turned out to be an enemy to the Star Counsel. After the battle was won, the Council feared it could happen again. Queen Iya handpicked Brooke, Kahree, Luna and even her own granddaughter, Sakiya to complete the task of being an Angel. It was not her idea however, to turn the girls into assassins. I remember Queen Iya saying this direction didn’t feel right. Her main concern was not repeating what just happened; one person or creature with the powers of the Creator. Splitting them into four was to help with the checks and balances. Jaca, none of this was supposed to happen...”

  Jaca put his hand under his chin letting what he just learned sink in his head. “Why would twelve queens be threatened by four Star Children, sir?”

  Esio slowly closed the history book and placed both hands on top before replying, “Because my dear friend, the Angels were supposed to replace the Star Counsel... there was no more need for them... Therefore, they pushed their agenda to the Ancients saying the girls were better off working as secret assassins then rulers over the universe. I see now, who has been the problem all along.”

  *

  Luna was just about to be finished packing her bags when she heard a knock on her door. “Who is it?” she asked.

  “It’s me, Yousef. Can I come in?” Yousef wiggled the doorknob, but it was locked. Luna stared at the door for a few moments before Yousef knocked again.

  Luna sighed deeply before walking over to the door and letting him inside. “I’m almost ready to leave...” Her demeanor was cold and stand-offish. She really wasn’t in the mood for company but what could she say when she was staying at Yousef’s mother’s palace.

  Yousef, also fully dressed and his bags packed, threw his stuff in the corner then walked slowly over to Luna. He was hesitant for he knew he had really made her upset earlier. “Luna, the other day... I’m sorry. I got out of hand and... I shouldn’t have did what I did to you. I guess I was hoping you would be impressed by the idea of us using Takeaway, but I guess I was wrong.” The whole time Luna has been with Yousef, he has never apologized to anyone or for anything. Saying ‘I’m sorry’ just wasn’t who he was but when it came to Luna, she was his everything.

  Luna stopped what she was doing and turned to her lover then said, “You all seem to not understand the danger of this place. What’s more alarming is your mother does... There is no way to take our powers away, but there is a way we can live with them without it being a burden.” Again, Luna started shoving clothes and other personal items into her bag. Yousef tried to touch her arm, but she pulled it back. The way she saw things were changing... she realized she didn’t need them, but Yousef, his mother and their militia needed her. This realization sparked a new idea. Luna quickly twisted her long blonde hair into a bun then continued what she was saying. “If you want me to help you then you’ll need to listen what I have to say. Do you understand me, Yousef?”

  The Red Banner Clan leader nodded his head yes in agreement. “I’m listening...”

  “Good, because I propose a new plan. One that will actually work and make sense.” Luna began changing her clothes as she continued speaking, “When I left my home as a child, I was told I was going to be a hero not a killer. My sisters and I are the strongest physical beings known to man but somehow are below the fucking Council advisors!” Luna slammed her fist down on her bag. “I can’t go back home now; I don’t even have kin to go back to. I have forgiven my parents years ago however I cannot forgive those queen bitches for what they made us to be.”

  “So, what do you propose we do my love?” Yousef asked. In this moment, he saw Luna in a totally different light. The Child of Chaos had returned...

  “I propose my sisters and I take back our rightful place in this universe. To become the true Lords and rule the universe the way it was originally planned. The Star Counsel will end at our hands, and we will be the only council needed. Anyone who opposes that will die... This is my plan. This is what will come to past...”

  Yousef stood up and said, “It’s too late now to change the plans. My mother set us back by putting too much trust in those other rebel clans.”

  Luna was not taking no for an answer. Her face dropped showing clear disappointment in her lover’s response. She closed her eyes tight then lifted her arms from her side. Moments later, Yousef heard screaming coming from down the hall. He’s never seen her powers in action before. “You still fail to understand...”

  “Luna!” Yousef screamed as he dashed towards the exit. When he opened the door, he couldn’t believe what he was witnessing. Members of his militia were running around holding their heads screaming in agony. One soldier repeatedly slammed his head into the wall while screaming, ‘make it stop!’ Another soldier took his knife from his belt then started stabbing anyone in his path. Everyone in the hallway was uncontrollably losing their minds including Queen Nira’s staff. A maid stripped naked then ran back and forward between the rooms.

  “My power is limitless... There is no end to the chaos I can cause. I am the true Star Lord.” With her eyes still closed and arms raised, the screams intensified.

  Yousef quickly turned around and faced the Child of Chaos. He placed both hands on her arms. “Ok! Ok, Luna I get your point! Stop before you kill everyone in here! Yes, you are the true Star Lord. What if your sisters don’t agree with your proposal?”

  When Luna opened her eyes all the screams stopped at once. “Don’t worry about them, I will handle my sisters. I’m glad you finally understand. For now, let’s focus on getting Arkaminus back.”