Chapter 367: Faelis Minor
Only Faelis minor lingered in the twilight sky above the core world of the Blessed Mau Collective. For the interim period, the smaller companion star of its binary system was a soothing presence that took center stage for a solo performance. The blue-colored celestial body cast its mellow glow upon the landscape, delicately illuminating the curved tips of an endless series of sand dunes.
Zalanth was its solitary devotee, arriving to witness its performance with hushed movements. She leaned her elbows on the railing of her elevated private balcony to observe the horizon from her penthouse suite. From her perspective, individual grains on each dune peak twinkled, reflecting light as her body shifted and caused her perspective to subtly change. Rather than a dark sky filled with celestial bodies, this planet had shifting constellations embedded in its topography, painting new pictures with the breeze of each day. It was unquestionably beautiful.
The hours that preceded the rise of Faelis major were her favorite of each celestial cycle. Her quarters glistened with a comfortable azure that accentuated her own skin, reflecting from the smooth walls designed for alien visitors to the representative world of the powerful feline faction. At the same time, the native cats formed lazy piles of fur on giant flat stones that decorated the sandy landscape, absorbing any remaining heat from the absent primary star while making the best of their universal break time. As a result, the world was uncharacteristically still.
For a few hours, the many stony oases hidden between ridges of soft sand were eerily calm. The quietude was only interrupted by the bubbling fresh water springs as they provided a cadence for the tiny glowing sprites to dance above. The sparse trees scattered throughout the terrain, trunks disproportionately thick compared to their diminutive leaf caps, stood like silent totems on the sand. The incredibly rough bark that protected the trunks had been marked by thousands of claws, but no scratches were being added in the twilight period. The popular trees were all unoccupied for a brief period.
None of the feathery grass tufts that lined the walkways on bouncy stalks were being batted by agile paws, nor were the stems hiding any rambunctious ambushers looking to play. The forests of catnip that snaked between sands and connected the oases were serene rivers of green, with just a touch of mist collecting above their crests, caught between the taller dunes of golden sand.
The planet may have been a perfect core world for the Blessed Mau Collective, but for former Prime Commander Zalanth, it was just a bit too warm when both suns were out. The low axial tilt meant that the temperature was consistent throughout the year and the fluctuations within each day were as extreme as it got. It was a bit like living within an all-encompassing incubator, perfect for naps, but not for productivity. She vaguely missed the seasonal variations of her home planet, finding the lack of variety a bit uncomfortable.
Zalanth sipped a cool herbaceous brew, held in the palms of both her hands, enjoying the best time of the day as her mind relaxed. As she watched, Faelis major was preparing to rise. After some time, when it was just barely below the edge of the planet, sending streaks of light perpendicular to the horizon, she took one last deep breath and finished clothing herself, placing her cup on a counter for later.
She left her private quarters through an automatic door and followed the elevated walkway that separated any guests from the cat habitats below, designed to prevent outsiders from disturbing the native inhabitants. As usual, she was the only person privileged enough to be staying within these particular accommodations, though that was partly because she was a personal guest of the elder council and partly because it was that rare to be offered the opportunity to visit the feline core world.
The complex where her quarters were situated had been isolated from any potential visitors, regardless of how limited they were, to keep her presence in absolute confidence. In fact, she was the lone non-feline occupant of the entire global capital, if that’s what the most populous of the sprawling cat habitats could be called.
She headed toward the Department of Strategic Planetary Initiatives to be briefed on the previous day’s observations. Faelis major was already above the horizon by the time she approached the carpeted megastructure cat-house that contained her office. The insistent heat pawed at her exposed skin as if demanding it be noticed. Before she went inside, she paused, absently plucking at the shoulder of her casual dress, and asked herself how she had become this person.