Page 2 of Stars in Halo

The Sable Riders community outreach centres were where he spent much of his free time training and shooting the shit with groups of misguided youth.

For many of these minors, he was a big brother figure, and Xion took great pride in knowing that he was able to provide some stability in their lives.

‘Hey, Commander,’ a voice called out.

He turned to see Jakim running after him.

The kid skidded to a stop before the Rider.

‘Out with it,’ Xion cocked a brow, crossing sinewy arms across his broad chest.

The younger man went beet red and shuffled his feet prior to responding. ‘The real reason I haven’t been present is that I’m studying to get into the Guards intern and trainee program. I want to be like you.’

Xion reared back in pleasant surprise. Then, a smile broke out of his face. ‘Brother, that’s righteous.’

‘Don’t tell anyone; I dinna wanna fail and embarrass myself.’

Xion clapped a hand on the youth’s shoulders. ‘Word is bond. Jakim, from all accounts and what I’ve seen, you’re a bright kinai. We’d be lucky to have you in the force. If you get stuck on any topics, come by my office, and I’ll run over a few things with you.’

The kid’s eyes lit up. ‘For real?’

Xion’s meta eyes gleamed. ‘I never say what I don’t mean.’

‘Sante, Commander, I will.’

The youth beamed, gave the Rider a sharp salute and ran off.

The Rider’s gaze tracked Jakim as he rejoined his mates, who crowded around him, curious about what he and the legendary Rider had shared.

With an upturned lip curl, Xion took off again, this time heading toward Old Eden, the historic sector of the rock.

Strolling through this ancient district, his eyes lit on its magnificent temples. They sported gargoyles and carved windows depicting long-gone deities and the pantheon of mythical Paladian gods.

Despite their distorted appearance, these creations possessed an inexplicable beauty, yet the identities of their makers have been lost to the passage of time.

The quarter was bustling with locals and vacationers browsing the sellers’ stalls in front of the iconic landmarks for Paladian-themed trinkets and relics.

The tourists were easy to pick out.

They tilted their heads back to the cupola and roof lines of the moonscape buildings, which almost touched the silvery ceiling of the vast dome.

Xion kept a few of his security teams on the rock’s visitors. This was imperative given the unscrupulous kinais who lurked in the ancient monasteries, expansive halls, and packed squares for an easy mark.

It was twilight, and a stream of workers poured into the maglev stations to be whisked home to their domiciles in the various districts, above and below ground.

Over it all was a black sky, dark and dotted with stars, even during the lunar day when the system’s twin suns shone high in Eden II’s sky.

Snaking midair was a daisy chain of flyer lanes. This evening, the metro city’s traffic churned.

Bored and impatient passengers whipped past in luxurious machines with gold, chrome and diamond-plated exteriors.

A few smiling faces waved to each other when they passed.

The avenues he strolled along were treelined, a metropolitan-sweeping initiative by the Eden Council members to green the city.

Xion marvelled that not long ago, every street corner had its watering hole and gangs that controlled the distribution of alcohol, the coveted synth drug koko and the sale of illicit weapons.

On a whim, the Rider strode into a maglev station and took one of the bullet trains back to Sable HQ.

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