• • Sunset: Heroes of the Milky Way
• November 30, 2025

Sunset: Heroes of the Milky Way (Chapter 27)

Clayton Knight

Will to Rule

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Today is the big day, the Ruleden Tourney. We’re supposed to be in the capital city of Ramone, but to be honest, I can’t say I know the differences between these cities all that well. 

The turnout really makes the place feel weird. Rivertans among the Riverti and the Watree below the city are mingling before the competition. They don’t like each other, anyone can tell that by how they avoid each other, different lines for each type… one moving along faster than the other, with different things like bathrooms, seating, and whatnot for them both. Reminds of back home, from before my time but not that long go.

I guess, it’s good they aren’t jumping at each other’s throats but there’s this air that something could change with just the right push. Hopefully, that won’t have to be us.

Everyone from the Rango has come, but we each have a different mission as we stand before the stadium. 

It doesn’t differ that greatly from Human design, though I supposed it uses more simple shapes. Not the ridged columns or whatever they’re called in Rome. Huh, I’ve never actually seen them in anything but pictures but you know.  

Hideo asks the group, “Hey, do we need to buy tickets? It be pretty dumb if we came all this way and couldn’t get in because we needed tickets.”

Pekipsea, while hanging onto the arm of her husband, informs my friend, “Actually the seating is free, we just have to be within the first 100,000 people here. Thankfully I’m sure we’ll skip the line since we’re, as the kids would say, rolling with a celeb.”

Torun puts his hand on his wife’s, “Honey, I don’t think anyone says that.” She shushes him. “Just being honest.”

“Still,” Alloya begins, ominously dressed in her combat duster, “Team Sunset got a personal invite to sit and watch the Tourney with the Prime Minister.” Then she pulls out an invite from her duster. “Came in the mail. Clay, I was hoping you could come with me to see Rom off.”

Hideo asks seriously, “We get mail?”

Alloya ignores him, waiting for me to nod my head.

Aleti asks, “What about me?”

Alloya tells her simply, “Sorry, Clay and I need to go over something with Rom before the competition. I figured you two have hung around each other enough the last few days.” 

She seems  disappointed that she’s being excluded from her mother’s plans, but accepts that she must do as she is told.

Now with a new kind of attitude, Aleti questions, “So what do you want me to do?”

“Take a seat with the Reeky-tites in the stands. You, Terra, and Hideo are going to guard them. Clay and I will come will try and find you later,” Alloya orders without giving her daughter a second look. “Later, we might split, try to keep an eye on things.”

As we continue walking Hideo asks, “Shouldn’t one of us at least go sit with Lamberine? Keep up appearances in some way.”

Alloya mumbles, “You’re probably right.”

Terra’rork groans then volunteers, “I’ll go. He can’t hurt me, and there’s less reason to expect that things will get physical, at least in comparison to any of you. No offense.”

Alloya and I reply, “None taken.”

Hideo places his palm over his heart before responding, “I am completely and utterly embarrassed.” 

Alloya thanks Terra’rork, “Taking one for the team, I appreciate it. I’d probably have a hard time, not wringing his neck and causing an international incident.” Then she puts the invitation in his Terra’rork’s bag, the one slung over his shoulder. “If you can’t find him, I’m sure any number of guards can tell you where to go if you ask them to just pull out the invitation.”

“Can do,” he replies, “though before that, Alloya I’ve been having this idea I’d like to talk to you about later.” 

Alloya tells him, “Later.” 

Then we get near the contestant registration entrance which is thankfully separated from everyone else with a wall. Without it, I doubt I could hear myself think. 

It takes sometime waiting on line to get in, but having a contestant with us let us skip a good chunk of the line.

When we get inside, I notice that we enter onto a floor below everyone else. Alloya tells the group, “This is where we split up. Terra, I guess we’ll find the elevator and then you find Lamberine. Hideo, Aleti, take the Reeky-tites to their seats. Clay and I will see Rom off.”

Aleti turns towards Rom to look him up and down, unsure what to say. He matches her gaze and waits for her to say something. 

“Don’t die,” she practically demands. When everyone else finds her words to be strange, myself included, she tells Rom simply, “You know why.”

He smiles and assures her sarcastically, “I’ll do my best.”

Aleti snickers at him and begins walking away with the Reeky-tites.

Hideo nods his head starts to flap his wings after Aleti, but Alloya grabs his arm and pulls him back to speak.

“ACK! Captain, no need to be so rough. What is it?” Hideo croaks.

Alloya warns him, “Listen to me, if something happens, like a panic or a riot, just take the Reeky-tites and go.”

Hideo misunderstands her warning, “Okay, I guess, Aleti will just have to hang on to one of them. It’ll be a tight—”

Alloya interrupts him, “No. I mean only take the Reeky-tites, leave Aleti there.”

Hideo becomes confused, but I realize that Alloya doesn’t want him to be there to fuel Aleti’s power if something happens to Rom during the tournament. Though it is risky to leave her in danger in case Aleti doesn’t retain any of the power she took from me.

Alloya tries to explain while still being vague. “Please just trust me. If you stay with her it could become dangerous for all of you.”

Hideo questions Alloya seriously now. “Captain, what is going on? What could happen with Aleti?”

She responds, “I’m honestly not sure, but I’m also not sure I want to, or can accurately explain it.”

“Well try,” he demands from her.

“I promise I will later. When things aren’t as hectic, and we don’t have more pressing issues.” Alloya sighs and practically begs, “Please just do this for me, I can get her and keep an eye on her when you leave. It might not even be an issue.”

Hideo gives Alloya the most serious expression I’ve ever seen him give. 

I walk up to Hideo and put my hand on his shoulder, “Trust me, when I say this, if you knew you’d be distracted by what’s really important right now.” 

Hideo’s face points in my direction for a few seconds before he understandably fumes, “Fine.” 

“What’s wrong with Aleti?” Rom practically demands to know. His body language is set in stone and keenly astute, he is not moving without an answer.

I’m really not in the mood to have this conversation again, especially with someone who, if someone asked me, has no right to an answer. “Listen kid, you’ve known Aleti, for what? A few days? You’re not owed an answer. Just do what needs to be done, and let us worry about our teammates. She’s not going to get in your way.”

Rom recoils back, stunned by my words. He tries to respond, “I’m not asking because I think she’ll get in my way. I just care about her.”

I then aggressively I tell him, “Worry about winning. You’ve been friends for a week, and we have the fate of your entire species to worry about more, it ain’t the time, am I wrong?”

Rom is speechless in his thinking of a response to my words. “I- I don’t—”

“Let’s go,” I command with a snap of my fingers and point of my finger in the other direction. “We need to get a move on to make sure everything is ready for you. That’s what’s really important right now.” Rom turns around halfway and hesitates. I yell at him again, “Go! We don’t have time to waste.” He continues his way forward but not without giving me a dirty look. I’ve received worse.

Alloya compliments me, “You handled that well.”

“Think so?” I ask honestly.

“You got him to walk and not ask questions didn’t you?” she offers. I smile to myself, ego boosted. Alloya can tell what she just did when she shakes her head with a small smile on her face. “You go on ahead, Terra wants to talk about something.” 

I nod my head and leave to  follow Rom down the corridor. 

He’s following signs which are, hopefully arrows telling him where the locker rooms are. I can’t read in the Rivertan language, only understand when it is spoken.

In the minutes it takes to follow Rom to the locker room, I start to wonder if what I have volunteered to do will actually work. 

I’m not a smart guy, not really a deep thinker, I know what I am. I know shit like what’s happening on Riverteria happens on Earth, but I’ve never really figured out how to fix it or really do anything about it. I guess I feel like a firefighter, or sometimes a… a cop, just making problems worse. 

That’s something I missed about… you know, being a follower. Alloya gets to make the big decisions, and take the big risks. Maybe, just maybe, this will turn out for the better, but even if it doesn’t… I guess it being shit for everyone makes room for improvement.

“Here it is,” Rom interrupts my train of thought. “My place to get ready for the next few hours. Locker room 1.7.”

As Rom opens the door, I hear Alloya running down the corridor. She nods her head towards me with a confident smile, making me wonder what Terra had wanted to talk to her about. When we enter behind him, we walk in on a Watree boy reading a book, and hear someone in the shower. He quickly picks up his head, and forms this flabbergasted look on his face.

He starts pointing between Alloya and me, but Alloya asks him first, “Who are you? If you don’t mind me asking.”

The boy brings his finger to his chest and stutters, “Uh-, I’m Reynold Die-”

Alloya interrupts him, which causes Reynold to slightly jump. “Reynold, are you the Watree contestant for the Mental challenge?” I don’t see why she asked, I could tell by looking at him that he was not in shape for either physical exam. He makes me look chubby. Also, I just noticed the glasses, which doesn’t seem like a smart idea if one is going to be doing a lot of physical labor.

He stammers, “Yes, I am.”

“Not anymore,” she tells him. Now he seems appalled that she would even say that. Then Alloya sticks her thumb out and points to Rom, “Now he is the Mental challenge contestant.”

Reynold stutters loudly, but still with a noticeable lack of nerves, “What?! He, he, he can’t compete in the Mental Challenge. I’m the highest ranked student in the city of-”

“I don’t care. Wherever you were the smartest in, you were the smartest of the Watree. Rom here, he’s been taught information that the Riverti will actually test you on.”

“Really? Prove it,” Reynold challenges.

Alloya turns her head to look at Rom. Rom walks up to Reynold, looks down at him, and asks, “What is the next element on the periodic table after Au?”

“Gold!” Reynold answers with confidence. 

Rom informs Reynold, “Au is the element symbol for gold. You answered wrong.”

Reynold argues, “Well Chemistry isn’t nearly as important as History, and anyone can learn that.”

Rom points out, “True, but the Watree are not taught the same history that Riverti are. The Riverti history is what they put on the test. You can tell by studying any of the previous Ruleden Tourneys. Did you?”

Reynold doesn’t answer the question, he just demands to know, “How would you even know any of this?”

Alloya informs him, “Because we have an advanced supercomputer and access to Riverti information, probably more so than Watree.”

I add, “But most importantly we’re not delusional enough to think that the Riverti have ever, or will ever play fair. You’re not competing. Take our word for it, Rom is the best chance of winning.”

Reynold look between us all as he uncrosses his arms. Then he spits out one simple word. “No.”

Alloya looks to me and shrugs. “Well, we tried.” 

She grabs him by the cuff of his neck and lifts Reynold off the ground in one fell swoop. As he’s hooting and hollering, she lights her eyes up with cosmic energy and threatens, “My patience for this has run thin. How’s your tolerance for cosmic burns?” 

Reynold looks deep into her glowing eyes. He shows a hint of intelligence by agreeing, “Rom is the new contestant.” 

Alloya sets him down as she chimes, “Good. Now scram.” He runs out, not needing to be told twice. When he’s gone she turns to us to give orders. “You two know what to do, so get it done. I need to check something out.”

“Does that something have to do with whatever Terra wanted to talk about?” I ask. 

She nods and then reminds us that, “Listen, I’m counting on the two of you, so please get this done.” We nod our heads and watch as she leaves us alone in the locker room.  

Rom and I stand there awkwardly alone, just the two of us for a minute.

Rom turns his head towards me slowly. He asks, “So, do you want to put it in my mouth, or can I?” When I hesitate to answer, he comments and moves his hand in a hurrying motion, “We should hurry before the Endurance contestant gets out of the shower.”

 I shake my head, “Yeah, you’re right. I’ll put the capsule on the front of your molar. You can’t activate it or bite it yourself, only I can with a trigger I have.” A part of me thinks it would be cruel to let him possibly sign his own death warrant. I reach in my pocket to get it out and into my hands. “Now open wide.”

Terra’rork

I have to complement Titrainan, he had a good idea that prompted me to talk to Alloya before seeing Lamberine. 

‘I have my many moments,’  he speaks as a narcissist. Cannot compliment this guy. 

Right now though, with the help of a few others I find my way up to the Prime Minister’s viewing box. It’s not in an obvious place, it’s one of many overhanging viewing boxes, probably rented out by rich Riverti. 

I assume it’s this way so the Prime Minister is not an easy target for assassination. I walk up to the door, which has two guards standing on each side, like most of the doors, assuring any would be assassin that they have too many choices to go through. I take notice that the guards are not armed with blaster rifles, so I can assume Lamberine has taken precautions not to incriminate himself.

When they see me it’s not hard to figure out who I am. They probably know that I have an invitation to come. 

I open my mouth to speak but they have the door open for me already. “We were expecting you, more of you honestly.”

“Well, hopefully I’m better than nothing,” I kid to the guards. They don’t even crack a smile.

Then as I enter, I see that the room is relatively empty. There are several couches and a couple chairs facing outside the one way window. There is also a bar, which is run by one young Riverti woman, who I am sure is armed. Besides her, the only other person in the room is one man sitting in a chair facing the outside, a glass drink in his hand.

The man turns around, and I recognize him as the infamous Prime Minister Lamberine. This Rivertan is relatively old, small, and incapable of hurting me, but when he gives me a smile I feel a shiver run down my spine.

‘Not all power has to be physical,’ my demon reminds, as if he speaks from experience. ‘Sometimes power over people is just as good, if not at least more fun.’

Lamberine greets me like I am an old friend, even though I don’t think we’ve ever actually spoken to each other before. “Dr. Terra’rork, how good of you to make it. Should we expect any of your other companions?”

“I apologize, but it will only be the two of us unless you invited others,” I respond to him.

“No, just us, though admittedly I figured you wouldn’t all come. I was wondering who’d be the proverbial lamb to the slaughter,” he utters in a hush. “Figuratively speaking, of course,” he assures me, as if the eye-rolling threat fazed me. 

“Of course.” 

I think Lamberine is more intimidating when he isn’t trying to be. I can forget how small he is when he does, but the second he tried being… threatening, I supposed… it didn’t work.

Then he notices one of the guards behind me. “You can leave us alone. There’s better luck of a insect harming me in here than this one,” he comments about me. 

Okay, I don’t appreciate that.

Lamberine regains my attention, “Come Dr. Terra’rork.” He points to the large lounge chair closest to him. “You space out sometimes as young Wombinal does. I assume you’re talking to your demon, correct?”

I answer, “Yes, are you well versed about my kind?” as I make my way to my seat

As I’m sitting down, Lamberine fuels his own ego. “I’m a bit of an amateur really. I’ve been spending a lot of time analyzing Riverteria’s own. I’ve learned many interesting things.” 

Right now I really wish I wasn’t the best choice to sit with him. I don’t like the way he speaks about Wombinal, or really anything. I’m sure it’s occurred to him that unlike the others, I can’t quite hurt him so easily.

“I have to say though, I would have thought that the Captain would have sent Hideo to speak with me, based on what Wombinal has told me of the Waverite’s personality.” 

For some reason I feel some aggression pooling in me. “Hideo? Were you hoping to have a conversation between psychopaths?” 

Why did I say that about Hideo?

‘Asides from it being true? I gave you a little push. Calm your conscience,’ Titrainan informs me.

Why?! 

‘This kind of man isn’t going to respect anything but you need a backbone and some bite to keep him from walking all over you. I’m going to have to step up your game if we plan to learn anything from him.’

I’m not comfortable with this, I inform him.

‘I didn’t ask.’

Then I notice Lamberine watching me. He most likely turned around after my comment, and noticed me zoning out. I can tell by the way he knowingly looks at me and smirks, he knows I was talking to my demon. 

Then he turns back around to look at the empty arena, which I haven’t taken a look at yet.

Before I can turn to see, Lamberine changes the tone of conversation. “Dr. Terra’rork, it has been brought to my knowledge that you and my Wombinal were especially close.” The use of the word, ‘were’ is not lost on me. 

“We are close.”

“Hmm, tell me, why do you think Wombinal hasn’t tried to reconvene with you then?” he asks knowingly.

‘This is a moment where honesty can garner respect,’ Titrainan informs me.

I admit, I’m not sure if it’s a respect I want to have.

I feel my demon again, though this time with my knowledge, infuse in me a sense of aggression. I tell Lamberine honestly, “I think he hasn’t been able to talk to me because you don’t allow him.”

Lamberine turns to face me with the look of a pleasantly surprised man. “And what makes you say that?”

“Surely, you know that we reacquired the Reeky-tites,” I start. The language I use, feels somewhat heartless. “Did you not think they would tell us how you forced your way into their home, and threatened their lives to force Womby to cooperate?”

I know how someone can smile in so many different ways. Lamberine gives me a look that just says, ‘really?’ 

“I’m getting a feel for what you know, like anyone should when playing this game of ours. What one should not do, is get so demeaning so early. That’s a trait you Guardians seem to have in common.”

Titrainan backs off of my emotions, seeing that his ploy didn’t work as well as he had hoped. He can puppet me if he likes, but he’s not going to make me a master of wordplay. I am who I am. 

So this time, I ask him calmly, with my own words, “Why are you doing this? What have you done to my friend?”

Lamberine sets down his drink and asks me, “Let’s tackle the latter question first. What do you think I’ve done to your friend?”

“I think you’re mind controlling him. That’s the only way I can rationalize the inconsistencies in his behavior. It’s the only way I can explain the lack of guards watching over the Reeky-tites.” Then I bring up a strange word Womby said to me at the Shatter Drive. “I know it has some connection to the word Targent.”

Finally, Lamberine drops his condescending smirk. He turns his head slowly, and asks me, “How do you know that word?”

“Womby mentioned it to me. I think it’s the name of some sort of project, or a trigger word. Something associated with whatever is messing with Womby’s head.” I reveal a significant amount of the team’s information, but this seems to be working out in my favor. Titrainan may have been wrong on playing the aggressive card, but he was right about the truth. It can show cracks in the armor.

Lamberine turns away from me and ignores me, muttering to himself  strangely, “Womby said that? He shouldn’t be able to say that. He shouldn’t have anyway to express what’s wrong…”

“Sounds like you underestimated your weapon. Maybe now you’ll realize that you can’t treat people like this.”

Lamberine chuckles almost instantly. Then suddenly he turns around in his chair and looks at me with a more unhinged grin. “Listen Guardian, I don’t know how this never occurred to you with your own abilities, but when you have a lot of real power, you can treat people however you want.” Then he leans back as I lay silence in response to his outburst. He continues more calmly, “Maybe it’s because you were born with your power, but I had to take mine.”

I try to glean more information from him, “How exactly did you take your power?”

Lamberine grins, I can tell he knows what I am trying to do. “Money, how do people get elected in the Regnorian Republic? Actually being likeable? Don’t make me laugh.”

I ignore him, and flat out yell at Lamberine, “Just answer the goddamn question. What did you do to my friend?!”

“Why don’t we go around back to the original question? Why am I doing this?” Lamberine challenges. “It’s fun making all the people do what I want, being able to get away with whatever I want, but making all you self-titled ‘heroes’ run around in rage brings me more pride than I could have thought.

“You Guardians don’t truly understand what is to have power. You have it, but you don’t use it properly. You’re slaves to your own morality, and allow yourselves to be so easily manipulated. 

“It took me one afternoon, no barely fifteen minutes to bring Wombinal to his knees, and he has the ability to destroy everyone on the planet. A being that powerful answers to me; he does my bidding; that’s how you really use power.” 

I lean back in my seat. I have the information I needed, the closest I’ll get to a confession. Lamberine mistakes my body’s lack of tension for his own victory. 

Lamberine actually compliments me, and insults me at the same time, as he reaches back for his drink. “You know Dr. Terra’rork, I never expected any real challenge from you, but I must admit, you have at least a little bit of bark.” 

Most do not, and that makes them stupid.