"Do you really think this is a good idea?"

Rainus took a bite of the roasted ghanosh and grinned. It was exactly the way he liked it, cooked just enough to sear the outside, but still pink and tender on the inside. He cut off another bite before he responded to his son.

Tantis, his middle son and the one Rainus finally gave the position of Crown Prince of Avi-da after years of waiting on Markus to do his duty to his people, sat at the other end of the highly polished redwood table with his dinner untouched and a frown that seemed to be a permeant fixture on his son's face, especially the last few years.

"I wouldn't have suggested if I didn't," Rainus replied as he cut into another bite with gusto. He really would have to send his personal chief his compliments. The man could really cook an astounding meal. He silently congratulated himself once again for poaching the cook from King Wyndell.

"But, pavi––" Tantis started to insist, like he always did, but Rainus cut him off.

"We need to be more proactive, and this will allow us to be, which you'd think too if you could see past the reports and think of the bigger picture."

Tantis's jaw tightened, his knuckles whitening as his grip on his eating utensil increased. "I do see the bigger picture, pavi. That's exactly why I know this plan of yours will put us at risk."

"Risk?" Rainus raised an eyebrow, his telepathic senses picking up the familiar surge of frustration from his son. "The only risk is in not taking decisive action in this matter. We also need to look past just our Kingdom's needs and support the Empire as a whole."

"I understand the Empire is under attack by aliens who can breach our most advanced defenses," Tantis shot back, finally pushing his plate away entirely. "But do you really think the solution is to volunteer our resources for some experimental program instead of reinforcing Avi-da's own borders?"

Rainus set down his utensils with deliberate care, his diplomatic training taking over. He had expected this resistance from Tantis––the boy had always been too cautious, too concerned with immediate consequences rather than long-term strategy. But this was different. This was necessary.

"The Vanguard and Legion coming together to form a combined task force isn't experimental, Tantis. It's evolution." Rainus leaned back in his chair, studying his son's rigid posture. "When the ghost ship appeared and made our finest warships look like children's toys, what did that tell you about our current defenses?"

"That we need to strengthen our position, not take away from it," Tantis replied, his voice tight with controlled anger. "We should reassign ships to our borders, especially those in the Outer Reach, and do I need to remind you that Avi-da has the largest section of the border beacon network out of everyone else in the Empire? If we create a hybrid force right now, it will dilute the effectiveness of both militaries."

Rainus picked up his wineglass, swirling the deep burgundy liquid as he considered his words. The vintage was from the southern vineyard of his jazberry orchard.

"Tell me, son," he said quietly, "what good are all our ships when a single alien vessel can slip through our shields as if they don't exist?" He took a measured sip. "What use are fortified positions when the enemy possesses technology that renders our best defenses obsolete?"

"We don't know the extent of their capabilities," Tantis countered. "One ship doesn't represent their entire fleet. For all we know, that was their most advanced vessel."

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"And for all we know, it was their scout ship." Rainus set his glass down with a soft clink against the polished wood. "They're not here by accident, Tantis. They came here to take back what they think is theirs. If we do not stop them now while they are small in number, we might not stop them at all, and as things stand, we are struggling to stop just one ship. The priority is discovering a way to damage, and even destroy that ship, and any others they might send."

Tantis's frown deepened, if such a thing were possible. "Fine, if you don't want to send our fleets out to shore up our border defenses, then give me access to the border beacon network. I will increase the firmware security of beacons so they can at least keep any more ships from joining the one already here."

Rainus opened his mouth to respond when he immediately closed it and stared at the young man. There was something in what Tantis said that was wrong, but he couldn't quite figure it out. No, not wrong exactly. But it was something important. Something he couldn't quite understand or maybe remember. Rainus set his eating utensils down and rubbed his temples. His head ached so badly. It was making it hard to think straight.

"Father?" a concerned Tantis asked. "Are you all right?"

Rainus blinked as he looked at his middle son and smiled weakly at him. "Yes, of course, just a bit of a headache. What were we talking about?"

"You said that you were going to give me full access to the beacon network so I can enhance our border defenses."

The King blinked at Tantis, who sat at the other end of the table still not having touched his food. "I did?"

Tantis eagerly nodded. "Yes, pavi, you did."

"No." Rainus stared at his son, trying to recall the last bit of their conversation, but it was difficult to fully concentrate. "I don't think I said that," Rainus replied, but another stab of pain ripped through his skull, causing him to cry out.

Moments or maybe years passed as he rode the wave of utter agony. It was like someone had set fire to his brain, and it might start to melt any moment. When the pain finally subsided enough for him to register his surroundings, Rainus found himself on the floor next to the dining table. Tantis was holding him in his arms. His son's face was a mask of concern and something else the King couldn't quite place.

"Pavi, just give me access. Give me the codes, and the pain will stop. I promise."

Rainus reached up and touched the face of his son. His hand rested on the young man's cheek. He rubbed the soft flesh there and marveled at how time had gone so quickly. It didn't seem all that long ago that Rainus was holding Tantis in his arms after he was first born.

"Your mother would be so proud of you," Rainus whispered as he lightly patted the cheek. This time the pain that he felt was in his chest. It's stab so intense it nearly took his breath away. Oh, how he dearly missed his wife. It had been eleven years since her death, but in this moment, it felt like it had happened only yesterday.

"Father, please. Just give me the codes." Tantis replied, and this time there was a tone of frustration in his voice, which seemed odd to the King, but could not quite place why.

He supposed it didn't matter; nothing mattered now. Death had come for his dear Elynna, and now it was coming for him too. Rainus could hear it, could feel that black abyss pulling at his very essence. It wouldn't be long now, then the pain would finally stop, all of him would stop. It was for the best. He didn't remember why it would be better for him to die, but for some reason it seemed important.

Rainus hated to leave his children, though, and poor Tantis was still so new at being a leader. The boy still had a lot of growing up to do, but then so had Rainus when he'd first become King of Avi-da. Somehow Tantis would manage, and so would Revannah and Callus. And most certainly, Markus might even cheer his passing.

That thought made him sad. He regretted not putting things right with his eldest son, but Rainus supposed it was too late to do anything about that now. He supposed it was too late for a lot of things. There was only one thing left for him to do.

Rainus looked into the beautiful brown eyes of Tantis. Eyes that were the exact shade of his mother's––brown with flecks of gold. Tears stung at the corners of Rainus's eyes. "I love you, son. Do me and the Kingdom proud. I will tell your mother hello for you."

And then Rainus relaxed into the blackness that came rushing for him, and for a brief moment he remembered. He remembered why he was here in this place that was not a dream, a memory, or reality. He remembered why he was dying. He remembered that he was in fact dying to protect his beloved Empire. And that thought brought him peace, silencing all his regrets and the things he'd left half done. It caused King Rainus Nador to smile before he then took his last breath.

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