The Xenon Insurgency

“The Emperor is here?” He asked, nervously. 

“Yes, and he’s most displeased.”

Brian paced through the room, calculating his next steps. 

“I made a call - a call based off the information I had at the time - what does he think I should have done instead?”

Cheyenne blinked; her steely-blue eyes penetrating Brian. “Whatever it is, he feels as though he needs to tell you it in the flesh.”

“If this flesh is still left standing,” Brian retorted. 

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door, but it was useless for the ones who knocked opened it anyways. There were probably two dozen people gathered around the entrance and as they entered they split off into two streams, one on either side of the door, which revealed the central figure in the middle of the swarm: the Emperor of the Galaxy himself. 

Brian and Cheyenne bowed, and held their bow until the Emperor spoke.

“Rise,” he murmured. 

They lifted their heads, and their gazes met his. 

“Your Majesty … we’re honoured to have you here,” Cheyenne said earnestly. The Emperor merely exhaled and shifted his gaze solely to Brian.

“I’m told your decision to ban the import of xenon has cost the guild a pretty penny.”

Brian didn’t want to speak; he wanted to shrivel up into a ball and hide in the corner until the royal parade left.

“What does he want from me?” He asked himself. “He knows the reason I banned xenon. It was being siphoned through back-end channels and falling into the hands of corrupt insurgents. What was I supposed to do, let them simply have it? It might be a blow to our bottom line but what use are finances if the system in which you wish to spend has been radicalized and taken over by those who seek to end our way of being forever? Unless …” and Brian gulped. “Unless he’s somehow apart of it all … No. That would be too much of a stretch. Although … he hasn’t really enforced the rule of law here very strongly, mainly leaving it up to me and my police force. He has the military on his side, and could intervene at any time. Is that what this is? Is he here to finally step in and stomp his boot down? However way I respond could determine my fate - if I lean into the notion that he’s here to help, I could befriend him perhaps, and move up in the ranks. But if he’s here because he’s enabling this scum, and I give even a slightest indication that I know that - maybe a certain inflection in my voice, or a shuffle of my feet - I might get turned into mincemeat.”

“Well?” The Emperor continued. “Have you lost your tongue, boy?”

“No, Your Grace,” he said carefully. “I’m sure the ban on this element did indeed impact the guild, but, sir, the insurgents—”

A glare flashed across the Emperor’s eyes. “This insurgency has little impact on the broader scheme of things,” he said to Brian. 

“But, sir, we’ve lost many men fighting them. How do you—”

“How do I what?”

“How do you suppose we deal with that?”

“Are you telling me you’re incapable of eliminating a few dozen terrorists?”

“It’s not a few dozen though, my Lord, it’s—”

“It doesn’t matter how many of them there are!” He spat. “You will reverse this ban or I will reverse it for you.”

That’s when anger began to grow in Brian, and as much as he tried to calm his boiling blood, he knew he couldn’t, and was moments away from a colossal misstep. 

“The insurgents want to end our way of life. They want to create a new world upon our ashes. Surely you must see that their reign of terror does not end here on Calopus. It will rise with fury right to the foot of your throne.”

The Emperor stared at him, but Brian could not decipher his mood. This was it - the critical moment upon which the fate of all those in the room would be decided. He could feel destiny spinning like a game of roulette; where the ball lands is out of anyone’s hands now. 

The Emperor sighed. “Take him away,” he said, motioning to the guards on either side of him. 

“Wait!” Cheyenne interrupted. “It was me. I was the one who advised Brian to ban xenon from being shipped to Calopus. Please, punish me, not him.”

“Is this true?” The Emperor asked Brian. 

Cheyenne looked at him, but Brian dared not look at her. If he did, whatever game she was playing might fall apart, and then they’d both be in major trouble. He couldn’t believe what was coming from her mouth, but as the moments passed in splits of seconds, Brian realized the gravity of the sacrifice she was making. If he were to fall, the insurgents would almost surely win, and it seemed more clear to him now that the Emperor was likely involved with them somehow, although he could not figure out why. 

“Yes, it’s true,” Brian said, his heart shattering for the woman he now realized he truly loved. “Cheyenne recommended this course of action.”

“And you were foolish enough to act upon that recommendation?” The Emperor asked, mockingly. 

Brian quickly scanned the room, realizing how tight the walls were, how the only exit was blocked by the most powerful man in the known universe, and how he was utterly and completely helpless to do anything about it. He knew he had to make a sacrifice himself now.

“No,” he replied. “I did not make this call. Cheyenne made it without my knowledge or consent.” And at that, Cheyenne’s heart now broke, not because of the betrayal, but because she knew this was the last time she would ever see him, and she was deeply proud of him for sacrificing the potential of their bond for the sake of the future of civilization. 

The Emperor smiled. “It looks like you live to see another day,” he said to Brian, chillingly. The guards took Cheyenne away, and as she was escorted out the two of them shared one final glance. Her eyes brimming with tears, she went through the door, and he never saw her again.

The Emperor spun on his feet and turned, but before he exited, he left Brian with one final word. “Xenon is to flow freely here on Calopus. And if I find out it isn’t anymore again, insurgents are going to be the least of your worries.” And at that he left through the great door, followed by the rest of his guards, leaving Brian standing there, alone and empty, once again.