The aircraft descended slowly toward the mountain fortress of House Voss. From above the structure appeared quiet, no movement or defences mounted on the walls, just the cold silent wind striking on concrete and steel.
The craft landed on the landing platform, across numerous men came rushing over and stood apart. The engines began to fade into silence just as the doors opened and Wein stepped out.
He wore a large black coat, while underneath with his usual daily attire, a suit. Deep down he resented that he would now have to always be dressed presentable when he was going anyway, such was the way to preserve optics. He would miss his simple life that did not require this.
As he stepped out the craft a cold mountain air struck his face first, an icy cold that he did not seem bothered by. He walked out to the ramp to the guards who immediately saluted him.
He did not say a word, he just acknowledged them with a small nod before walking deeper into the fortress, Vaelstine in hand like an accessory.
The stronghold was massive, and to get to the other side would take hours but fortunately there were elevators that cut the time in half. Upon entering the building from the entrance Wein entered such an elevator which took him deep underground where only a few had clearance to even approach.
This time Wein was alone, knowing the direction to go to and with Astra there to assist him, he did not need a guide. And the stronghold was far more secure, he did not need security.
The elevator doors opened and Wein stepped out. He walked for several minutes until he reached a heavy security door guarded by two elite troopers. When they saw him, none spoke but simply stepped aside.
The door slid open slowly with a deep mechanical sound, beyond it was an elevator descending far below the mountain, even deeper. Wein stepped inside, the doors closed and the elevator began its silent descent.
The deeper it travelled, the older the structure became. The polished steel of the upper fortress gradually gave way to rougher stonework carved directly into the mountain itself.
Fewer people in House Voss even knew this place existed, even fewer who were allowed to enter.
After several minutes, the elevator stopped and the doors opened.
The dim corridor was quiet and stretched forward, illuminated only by pale white lights embedded into the floor. At the end of the corridor stood another reinforced door, Wein approached it calmly as a scan went over his face.
The locks disengaged. The door opened and inside a large chamber unlike anything else in the fortress behind a glass viewport.
Inside was a cabin of sorts, and life with trees, water, and birds like a small forest with life. This place was, of course, sealed by some kind of domed structure, as though it were a zoo built to observe something rare.
Wein approached the glass to get a better view of the inside. Almost instantly, before he could reach the glass, figures emerged and knelt before him like subjects before a king.
"We greet you, Lord Wein" they said in unison.
Wein stopped a few steps from the glass, observing the kneeling figures.
The Inquisitors, his most trusted fanatical faction in House Voss remained perfectly still, their dark cloaks pooling around them like shadows given form. Each of them wore the same featureless mask, their identities concealed even from each other. They were not simple soldiers but watchers, wardens who followed the Voss family as gods.
"You may rise," Wein said calmly. The figures stood in unison.
"The subjects remain stable, by your order they have regained their health" one of them reported.
Wein nodded slightly and shifted his gaze beyond them. Inside the massive containment dome was a fully sustainable environment. Though it was a prison it was a sanctuary.
"I had hoped to see Kyra" he said.
"The High Inquisitor was reported to have left planet" replied another.
"Right" Wein remembered the prisoners taken before the war started. Kyra must have been dealing with them. They could find more information about the forces that attacked Voss besides Ulix.
"I desire to meet them" Wein continued looking at the cabin.
"As you wish, my lord."
The figures vanished out of sight as if they had never even been there while Wein watched as there was movement.
Two figures stepped into the clearing, glued together, and walked through the habitat. They wore simple clothing, vastly different from Velmora's casual attire. Theirs was loose garments designed for comfort not restraint. Their posture carried a natural grace that seemed almost effortless despite slight limps.
Wein slightly twitched. He felt sympathy for them, knowing the years of torture they'd suffered under an enraged father who'd lost everything. They bore the brunt of his wrath, but at least they were brighter now than before when he first met them.
"Zaelith and Zaya" he murmured under his breath.
The Vornkir were a truly genius race and he had royalty in his grasp. With everything, Wein realised just how fortunate he was. Even if he was to inherit another house but being Voss, he received many more advantages. He had a shot to survive where he would not have, had it been another house under different circumstances.
Afterward, Wein walked to a patch where four androids already hauling crates with fruits, vegetables, and different food for the siblings. The doors opened and they stepped in the enclosure.
The androids moved with quiet precision, their polished frames reflecting the artificial daylight of the dome as they hauled crates to the cabin.
Zaelith and Zaya slowed their steps when they noticed the activity. For a moment they simply watched. They had grown accustomed to the pattern of deliveries, Inquisitors rarely appeared in the open unless necessary. Instead the Inquisitors were behind the glass watching them.
But today felt different. Zaelith's sharp eyes lifted past the androids and he saw Wein walking towards them. They both did not know how to react, on one hand Wein was their jailer but also he had released them from torment, healed them, and gave them a better life than they lived under Neilson.
Zaya hid behind her brother when the group got closer. By the time they arrived, the androids had already moved past them to deliver the crates while Wein remained with them.
"Lord Voss" spoke Zaelith.
The three stood facing each other, Wein alone with just Vaelstine in hand and the two siblings with nothing but each other. On their legs were devices strapped on them.
"I see you are doing much better" Wein spoke.
Zaelith was the first to bow his head and his sister followed after. "Thanks to your grace my lord" he said.
Wein smiled.
"Aren't you going to invite me in?"
The siblings, stunned, replied. "Of course, after you, my lord."
They led him to their cabin, it was well made. A cozy place where one would go to unwind and enjoy nature. The sight was beautiful and the smell was indistinguishable from the real outside world.
The androids began unloading the crates and taking the previous ones while Zaya ran to the cabin and brought back a slightly better chair than the ones already outside. Wein could tell they were wary of him and were only submissive because of who he was.
For a moment, the three sat in silence until Zaelith finally broke the silence.
"What brought you here, my lord?"
Wein's expression shifted slightly.
"Well…" he began "I came to ask for your assistance."
The siblings were surprised. They understood that his ending their suffering had a purpose behind it, but that did not mean they expected him to ask for their assistance.
"I understand your shock," he continued. "The last time I visited you, I told you my story and that I wanted us to work together. I was honest and intend to keep the relationship. As a commoner, I have many disadvantages stacked against me but with you I can neutralise most."
Zaelith studied him carefully. The young Vornkir prince had learned long ago that words meant little without intent behind them. As a prince, he had seen the promises made in earnest broken without a second thought.
It was foolish to trust anyone. Even Wein, who had stopped the hurting, was not above betrayal. He briefly glanced at Zaya before speaking again.
"You already hold our lives in your hands, Lord Wein," he said calmly. "You do not need to ask for our permission."
Wein shook his head slightly.
"Yes I do"
Zaya tilted her head, studying him.
"…You command a great house," she said quietly. "What more can we possibly offer you?"
Her voice distracted Wein. It was the first time he'd heard her speak so frankly. He leaned back on the chair and watched the cabin they had been living in the past months.
"I have a great task ahead of me," he finally said. "House Voss has a lot of enemies, most are too powerful and could wipe it in one strike. I will need the ability to contest with them and overcome them should they come."
The siblings exchanged glances. Wein continued.
"You two are the royal children of the Vornkir civilisation. Your people were not merely advanced, they were capable. So capable they could launch multiple front wars against the entire galaxy and almost be victorious. You are ahead in mathematics, bioengineering, energy systems, and theoretical physics, truly impressive."
Zaelith's expression hardened slightly.
"Though your race has fallen, that intellect is still there and I intend to use it and grow my house."
Zaya spoke up.
"That is dangerous, if the others… If they realise you are harbouring Vornkir, Voss could be in danger. Even our lives."
Wein smiled back.
"Precisely, Voss will inevitably be against the empire. So I need power to protect it and to protect you from them too."
"What could we offer you as ourselves?" Zaelith asked.
Wein stood up as if to stretch his muscles.
"It just so happens, I have made progress in my divine psychic abilities. I am aware that Vornkir are mentally impenetrable, I want you to teach me your ways."
Saying that was enough to stun the siblings, while Wein remained with a slight smile. He harboured dangerous intentions for the empire and the secrets he would have would be of utmost secrecy.
He needed to ensure that no noble, no matter how strong could infiltrate his mind, else they could find secrets he wants to keep or worse find out about the siblings which would force even the emperor to wipe out Voss.
So that was the goal: to strengthen his mental fortitude so no one could peek into his memories.