Page 28 of The Sovereign: Part One
Chiron chuckled, attempting to soften the Minister’s interrogation.“Just your overall assessment, Isara.As detailed as you can.”
I exhaled slowly, choosing my words with care.“It seems to me, in my rather… limited understanding, that Vale-born operate on instinct more than structure.It isn’t that they lack organization, they prioritize emotional intuition differently than Sovereign.Joss reflects that.His manner was open, not evasive, self-assured, even when he might’ve been out of his depth.His speech was plain, but precise when it mattered.He listened more than he spoke and answered directly unless the question carried an assumption he couldn’t confirm.When that happened, he redirected with care, never defensively.
“No signs of posturing or martial training.Joss’s stance was… relaxed, I suppose.Never aggressive.His clothing was practical, in my opinion.He adjusted quickly to our environment without pretending to be something he wasn’t.He mirrored just enough to build rapport but remained himself.If he avoided anything, it was idle conjecture or gossip; he stayed with what he knew.Unfamiliar with our courtesies, yes, but never dismissive.He met the room on terms that were respectful… in my… in my experience.But our regular time together ended prior to my Veritas, nearly a year ago.”
They exchanged another glance before Chiron adjusted and cleared his throat, prompting Artemis to lean forward, her elbows on her knees, her fingers intertwined.“And how do you believe we could make the Veritas process more accessible to Vale-born?Would you say the current scoring system accounts for the disparities Vale-born face?”
I straightened my posture, tempering caution with conviction.“It’s true, Vale-born enter the Veritas process at a disadvantage.Their scores consistently trail behind Sovereign in every metric.Education, cultural integration, even relationship aptitude as Hyperion defines it.Not a single Vale-born has earned advancements for their Supplicant; they are given only base models, while every Sovereign receives at least some level of personalization.If we’re to encourage true integration, we must acknowledge that the starting line is not the same for all participants.”
Chiron finally nodded, seemingly satisfied.“Your perspective is invaluable, Isara.We’d like you to continue updating us on your experience.Your insights have been illuminating.”
I forced a polite smile.“Of course.”
We exchanged pleasantries, and then I was excused.
As I stepped into the Ascens, my thoughts churned.I had expected a discussion on Veritas.I hadn’t expected the interrogation on Joss, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that the original reason for the meeting had been nothing more than a ruse.
As the Ascens descended, my stomach sank lower with each floor, anxiety building the closer I came to the world beyond The Citadel and its shadowed intentions.By the mid-levels, the sleek composure I had maintained in Chiron’s office had begun to fray.By the time the panel opened to the lobby, it had unraveled entirely.
I stepped out, my pace purposeful as I crossed the expanse of The Citadel’s atrium.The towering columns, the pristine, polished floors—none of it anchored me.I barely noticed the murmur of voices, the Sovereign, Hiven, and exponents moving around me.Everything blurred at the edges as I walked through the automated panels and into the open air.
I needed to think.More than that, I needed answers.
“Calyx, put a call through to Lev.”The connection engaged instantly, the familiar chime barely finishing before he answered.
“Isara?”I could already hear a faint trace of curiosity beneath it.I never called him during working hours unless it was important.
“I need to meet with you,” I said, forcing my voice to hold steady.“It’s urgent.”
There was a pause, brief but telling.Lev wasn’t one to waste words or time, and he would hear what I wasn’t saying.
“I was just on my way to the Enclave,” he said.“Meet me there.”
“On my way.”
I ended the call and inhaled deeply, but it did little to settle the coil of unease tightening in my chest.I had walked into that meeting prepared to advocate and aid in streamlining progress as I always did.But the way Chiron had probed, the way Artemis had leaned in with just enough curiosity to unsettle me, it had been more than a standard review.
They knew about Joss.But to what extent?And more importantly, what did they intend to do with that knowledge?Every instinct told me their interest had little to do with fairness.This felt more like the beginnings of subjugation, a quiet invasion, about sinking the teeth of Hyperion’s dominion past its gleaming walls and into the lives of those who had never asked for its oversight.
Joss’s words replayed in my mind.“I’ve rubbed elbows with Vanguard, Citadel officials, even the Ethics Council, but the deeper I got, the more I learned things I probably shouldn’t know.You don’t belong here, Isara.You belong in The Vale, with me.”
I exhaled, quickening my pace.Whatever this was, whatever their true motives had been, I couldn’t afford to be blindsided.Lev would know more.Or if he didn’t, he would know how to find out.
And I needed to be ready.Because whatever was coming, I had the gnawing feeling it had already begun.
Chapter Eight
I barely registered the journey to the Enclave, my mind circling the conversation with Chiron and Artemis like a predator assessing a trap.The meeting had started as expected, a formal discussion on Veritas, on the evolution of Vesture, Oathbond, and Accordance, and then, like a hand slowly closing around my throat, it had turned.
The moment I stepped into Lev’s former office, the words poured out of me.I recounted every detail, the meeting with Chiron and Artemis, how it had started as a discussion about Veritas but veered into something else entirely.I told him about their questions, their calculated interest in Joss, the way they already seemed to know more than they let on.I recounted what Joss had said to me at the café, how he had walked the same streets dozens of times, hoping to run into me.That he was considering leaving Hyperion behind and why.By the time I was finished, my pulse was erratic, my breath tight with unease.
Lev listened without interruption, his expression unreadable, though the slight furrow in his brow deepened when I told him the part about Joss learning something he shouldn’t know, and that he had asked if I would go back to The Vale with him, saying I didn’t belong here.
“You don’t believe this was about fairness,” Lev said finally, his tone neutral.
I shook my head.“No.If fairness was truly their concern, they would have asked how to bridge the gap, not just how the Vale-born experience it.The way they questioned me… it wasn’t curiosity, Lev, it was confirmation.They already knew about Joss.They either wanted me to validate what intelligence they already had, or they were… it was subtle, but it was an interrogation.No, it was an extraction.I know… I know how this sounds, but in the moment, it felt intentional, as if they were sifting through my words like a hunter tracking a wounded animal, waiting for the smallest misstep that might betray I knew something I wasn’t meant to.”
Lev studied me for a long moment before asking, “Do you really want the truth?”
