Read Star Rising: Heartless for Free Online

something I still don’t get. If the Black Sanction are behind the Dearg attacks, why not simply go to their headquarters and take them out?”
    “There lies the problem. We don’t know where their headquarters are. If we did, we would be able to anticipate the next Dearg attack. As it stands now, the Dearg holes appear in random planets, but always close to a town or city, and attack. By the time the Alioths arrive at the planet, the damage has been done.”
    “So we have to find the headquarters as soon as possible.”
    “That’s what I’ve been telling the Bastion since the Dearg attack began ten star cycles ago. Those politicians, however, think that our resources are better spent in anticipation.”
    “They’re trying to figure out a pattern so that they can predict where the next Dearg attack will be.” There was a layer of disgust in Reave’s voice. “So while lives are being lost, the Bastion continues to pour credits into this preventive program, when what they ought to do is eliminate the problem at the root. Destroy the Black Sanction.” Reave took a breath. “Anyhow. How about you rest for a while. It’s going to be a long trip to Chas.”
    “Chas?”
    “It’s a small moon close to the Bastion. I’ll tell you more when we get there. For now, let’s get some rest.” Reave laid down. Xalen could tell that even if he pressed him for more information, he would not produce more. A moment later, the ship was filled with Reave’s loud snores.
    Xalen shut his eyes, letting the excitement wash over him. He still couldn’t believe how ridiculous it sounded in his head. He was going to become a member of an elite group of space defenders: The Alioths. After a childhood of misery, life was finally going his way. Or at least that’s what he thought.
     
    ΩΩΩ
     
    “What do you mean I’m going to stay there?” asked Xalen, at a loss over what he was hearing. He had been woken minutes ago by Reave. The ship was now hovering over a blue marble that hung in space. Had it not been for what the man had just told him, he would have been admiring the cloudy ring around the moon that made it impossible to see past it.
    “It’s no trick statement,” said Reave. “I mean exactly what I said. You’re going to stay here in Chas.”
    “But … I thought I was going to travel with you. Aren’t you going to train me to become an Alioth?”
    “Me? Train someone?” The man got a good long chuckle at his own question, which made Xalen’s skin crawl with anger. “Trust me. I’m not cut out to teach anyone anything.”
    Xalen’s mind froze. “So how am I supposed to learn how to become an Alioth? On my own?”
    “Don’t be ridiculous,” said Reave. He pointed down at the moon, which, with the ship moving closer, was growing larger by the second. “You’ll be studying at the Zizor Dojo. Of the three Alioth academies, it is the best by far. It is headed by Sensei Kayos, one of the most legendary Alioth warriors in the history of our order.”
    Xalen took short, shallow breaths as he realized what he was going to have to do. He was going to spend his days locked up in a building with hundreds of people his own age. What would he say? What would he do? Besides Rund, he had only dealt with the children on a daily basis.
    “I know what you’re thinking,” said Reave. “You’re very behind in your training and you don’t think you’ll ever be able to catch up to the other students.”
    “That’s not what I was thinking,” admitted Xalen. He’d always been a hard worker, and being behind did not bother him. It only gave him further incentive to work harder to catch up to the students who promised to be light years ahead of him. “I’m not the same as all those other people.” He lifted his shirt, revealing the dark metal circle that could be seen under the skin. “I don’t even have a heart.” As the words flowed from his mouth, he vividly recalled that cold morning many star cycles ago.
    He