Epilogue: A Debt Repaid
The years had not been kind to Avaleris. The world had kept turning, as it always did, but the scars left behind from the shapeshifters’ failed plot had never fully healed. The wilderness beyond the cities had become more dangerous, and the uneasy peace that followed Joseph Smitthy’s sacrifice hung like a shadow over the planet’s future. But far above Avaleris, in the floating metal spires of the Station Nations, Vust Oreamia thrived.
Vust had grown his criminal empire from the embers of what he’d once been—a petty thief running scams with Joseph—and now, he was something else entirely. His gang, known simply as The Treaders, controlled vast networks of illicit trade across the Stations, running everything from smuggled goods to information that could topple governments. The cold, calculated man who had stood in the cave that fateful night had become even more dangerous in the years since.
The Stations were a different world altogether, a series of floating metropolises that orbited Avaleris, governed by their own laws, their own rulers. Here, the air was thick with the hum of industry, the glow of artificial lights illuminating the sprawling streets and towering structures. The rich lived in the upper levels, looking down upon the teeming masses below, while the underbelly—where Vust operated—was a place of shadows, deals made in dark corners, and the constant scent of oil and decay.
Vust sat in his office, high above the bustling streets of the lower station. The room was sleek, minimalist, with a wide window that gave him a view of the endless expanse of space and the distant glow of Avaleris below. He leaned back in his chair, fingers drumming lightly on the metal desk, his mind wandering as it often did in these quiet moments between deals. The years had hardened him even further, his once expressive face now a mask of calm indifference. There were no more second thoughts, no more regrets. The boy who had once ridden alongside Joseph Smitthy was long gone, buried beneath layers of survival and ambition.
A knock on the door broke his reverie.
“Come in,” Vust called, his voice steady, though the tension of constant vigilance never truly left him.
The door slid open with a soft hiss, revealing one of his lieutenants, a wiry man named Dero, who had been with Vust since the early days of his rise to power. But this time, Dero wasn’t alone. Standing beside him, dwarfed by the older man’s lanky frame, was a boy—no older than fifteen, maybe sixteen at most.
The boy had a quiet confidence about him, though his youth was evident in the way his eyes darted around the room, taking in every detail. His clothes were simple, worn but sturdy, the kind you’d expect from someone used to hard work, not the polished look of a street-smart orphan trying to make a name for himself. There was something familiar about him, though Vust couldn’t place it right away.
“What’s this?” Vust asked, raising an eyebrow as he looked from the boy to Dero.
The lieutenant cleared his throat, gesturing toward the boy. “This kid says he’s here to see you. Said it’s about a debt you owe.”
Vust’s eyes narrowed. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk. “I don’t owe anyone anything.”
The boy stepped forward, unflinching under Vust’s cold gaze. “My mama sent me. She said you owed my family a debt, and that you’d give me a job.”
Vust studied him for a long moment, his sharp eyes searching the boy’s face. There was something in the way he spoke, something about the tone of his voice that tugged at the edges of Vust’s memory. He frowned.
“And who exactly is your mother?” Vust asked, his voice low and measured.
The boy didn’t hesitate. “Lila Smitthy.”
The name hit Vust like a punch to the gut, his calm exterior cracking ever so slightly. For a moment, the room seemed to tilt, his mind rushing back to the days on Avaleris, to the ranch, to Joseph. He hadn’t thought about Joseph Smitthy in years—hadn’t allowed himself to—but hearing that name again, seeing this boy standing in front of him, brought it all flooding back.
Vust swallowed hard, keeping his expression neutral despite the sudden storm of emotions swirling inside him. “Joseph’s son?” he asked, though he already knew the answer.
The boy nodded. “I’m Jack. His youngest.”
Joseph’s youngest. The words hung in the air, heavy with meaning. Vust’s mind reeled as the realization hit him—Joseph had died not knowing that Lila was pregnant again. He had sacrificed himself for Avaleris, for his family, without knowing that a part of him would live on in this boy.
“You weren’t born when your father…” Vust’s voice trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.
“No,” Jack replied, his voice quiet but steady. “But my mama told me about him. She told me about what he did… and about you.”
Vust’s throat tightened. Lila had sent this boy to him, a boy who looked so much like Joseph it made Vust’s heart ache. And now he stood here, asking for a place in Vust’s world. A world Joseph had fought to protect him from.
For a long moment, Vust didn’t speak, his mind racing. He could turn the boy away. It would be easy. Send him back to Avaleris, back to the ranch, where he could live out his days in the quiet, simple life his father had died to preserve. But as Vust looked into Jack’s eyes, he saw the same fire, the same determination that Joseph had once carried. This boy was here for a reason, and Vust knew he couldn’t deny him.
“What do you want, Jack?” Vust asked, his voice softer now, the edge of authority tempered by something more personal. “Why come here? Why not stay on the ranch?”
Jack met his gaze, unwavering. “I want to see the world. I want to see what my father never did. Mama told me you could show me that.”
Vust leaned back in his chair, the weight of the moment pressing down on him. Joseph had died to keep this boy safe, to keep him away from the dangers of the wider world. And now, here he was, asking for the very thing Joseph had tried to protect him from.
But Vust understood. He understood that hunger, that need to see more, to break free from the small world you were born into. It was the same drive that had pushed him to leave Avaleris all those years ago.
With a deep sigh, Vust nodded. “Alright, Jack. I’ll give you a position. But it won’t be easy. This world… it’s not like the ranch. It’s dangerous, unforgiving.”
“I’m not afraid,” Jack said, his voice steady.
Vust smiled faintly, a flicker of the old Vust showing through for just a moment. “No, I don’t suppose you are.”
He stood, walking over to the window and looking out at the expanse of the Station Nations, the vastness of space stretching out before him. “I’ll start you as a carrier. You’ll travel between the Stations, see the world, meet people. It’s a dangerous job, but it’ll show you more than you ever imagined.”
Jack’s eyes lit up with excitement, but Vust’s gaze remained fixed on the stars outside. His heart was heavy with memories of Joseph, of the days they had spent together, of the choices that had led them down such different paths. He had lost his friend that night in the cave, and now, years later, he was faced with the son Joseph had never known he had.
Turning back to Jack, Vust crossed his arms, his voice firm but not unkind. “I’ll honor the debt, Jack. Your father… he was a good man. Better than I ever was.”
Jack nodded, his expression serious. “I know.”
As Jack left the office, Vust stood alone, his mind filled with thoughts of the past, of Joseph’s sacrifice, and of the boy who had just walked out the door—his best friend’s son, now part of the world that Joseph had fought to keep him from.
Vust sat back down at his desk, his gaze distant, the weight of the years heavy on his shoulders. He had built an empire, a life far removed from the ranches of Avaleris, but in that moment, as the stars blinked outside his window, he couldn’t help but think of Joseph Smitthy, the man who had given everything to protect the ones he loved.
And now, it was Vust’s turn to protect Jack, to give him a chance to see the world his father had never known.
Maybe, in some small way, this was how Vust could repay the debt that had lingered between them all these years.
////////////////
Years had passed since Joseph Smitthy’s sacrifice, and Avaleris was now a distant memory for Vust Oreamia. He had carved out a new life for himself among the Station Nations, high above the planet, where lawlessness and opportunity thrived in equal measure. The gang he now led, The Treaders, controlled vast portions of the black market, from smuggled goods to high-stakes information brokering. The climb to the top had been ruthless, and the man Vust had once been—reckless, playful, and bound by loyalty—was long gone, replaced by someone harder, colder.
The Stations were a marvel of human ingenuity, floating cities of steel and glass that orbited Avaleris like glittering beacons in the darkness of space. But beneath the shimmering surface, the underworld thrived, and Vust had built his empire within its shadows. He sat in his office, high in the lower levels of one of the largest Stations, looking out through the massive windows that offered a sweeping view of the world below. The stars blinked faintly against the inky blackness, the lights of the Station flickering like distant fireflies.
He was interrupted by a knock at the door.
“Come in,” Vust called, his voice calm but edged with the authority of someone who no longer needed to prove his power.
The door slid open, and one of his lieutenants, Dero, entered. But Dero wasn’t alone. Behind him stood a young man, tall, broad-shouldered, with a worn, travel-stained jacket and a quiet determination in his eyes. There was something familiar about him, though Vust couldn’t place it right away.
“Boss,” Dero began, “this guy says you owe his family a debt.”
Vust raised an eyebrow, leaning back in his chair. “I don’t owe anyone anything.”
The young man stepped forward, unflinching. “My name’s Jack Smitthy,” he said, his voice steady. “My mama’s Lila. You owed my father a debt.”
Vust’s heart skipped a beat, though he showed no outward sign of it. The name hit him like a cold wind, dragging him back to a time and a place he’d tried to forget. Joseph Smitthy. The ranch. That night in the cave. He hadn’t thought about Joseph in years, but now, here stood his son, not the boy Vust had once met, but a man.
“Joseph’s son?” Vust asked, his voice low, the weight of the past creeping into his tone.
Jack nodded, stepping further into the room. “Third-born. I know my father died before I had the chance to grow up, but I’ve come to collect on what you owe. It’s not for me.”
Vust leaned forward, the icy mask he wore slipping just a fraction. “What do you mean?”
“The ranch… it’s gone,” Jack explained, his voice faltering slightly, but he recovered quickly. “Mama’s sick. And my youngest brother—my father’s fourth child—he’s sick too. He was born after Dad died. The medicine he needs… we can’t get it on Avaleris. The doctors said there’s no chance unless we get him to the Stations.”
Vust’s brow furrowed. Joseph had never known about this fourth child, a son born in the aftermath of his sacrifice. And now this boy—this child—was sick. The ranch, once Joseph’s pride and joy, was gone. Lila was ill. The weight of it all settled heavily on Vust, memories of the man he had once been, the friendship he had once shared with Joseph, clawing at his chest.
“I’ve come here to accept the debt you owed my father,” Jack continued, his voice firm. “Not just for my brother’s care but also for the future he’ll have. I found a clan—a good clan, not a criminal one. They’ve agreed to take him in, raise him right, and make sure he gets the treatment he needs.”
Vust said nothing for a moment, his mind racing. The debt Joseph had died for, the sacrifice he’d made—could this be the moment Vust repaid it? His heart sank. He had long since pushed aside any guilt or attachment to his old life, but hearing Jack’s story now, knowing that the boy’s family had suffered so much, something inside him stirred.
“And what do you want from me?” Vust finally asked, though he already had a sense of where this conversation was headed.
“I need your help,” Jack said plainly. “To get the medicine. To get my brother safe. And to make sure this debt is paid.”
Vust clenched his jaw. He had the resources, the power, to help Jack, to save Joseph’s son. But nothing in this world came without a price. His instincts told him to be cautious—he had built his empire on deals and leverage, and he wasn’t in the habit of giving anything for free.
He studied Jack for a long moment. The kid had Joseph’s determination, his sense of righteousness. It was in the way he stood, the way he looked Vust in the eye without flinching. It was like looking into the past.
“I’ll help you,” Vust said slowly, “but on one condition.”
Jack tilted his head, waiting for the terms.
“You come work for me.”
Jack’s brow furrowed. “Work for you? I didn’t come here to get mixed up in your world.”
Vust smirked, though there was no humor in it. “No, I imagine you didn’t. But nothing in the Stations is free, and you’re asking for a lot. The medicine your brother needs—it’s expensive, and it’s rare. I can get it, but I’m not running a charity.”
Jack’s eyes narrowed. “What kind of work?”
“Nothing you’ll have to sell your soul for,” Vust replied, leaning back in his chair. “I need people I can trust, and despite everything, I know I can trust you. Your father may have had his head in the clouds, but he raised his kids right. You’ll be a carrier. It’s dangerous work, moving things between the Stations, but you’ll get to see the world your father never did.”
The room fell silent as Jack considered the offer. He had come here with one purpose—to save his brother—but he hadn’t expected to be dragged into Vust’s world in the process. Yet, what choice did he have? His father had sacrificed everything to protect them, and now it was his turn.
Finally, Jack nodded. “Alright. I’ll work for you. But once this debt is paid, I’m done.”
Vust’s expression softened ever so slightly. “Fair enough.”
As Jack turned to leave, Vust called out to him. “Jack.”
The young man stopped, glancing back over his shoulder.
“I didn’t know about your brother,” Vust said quietly, something in his voice that almost resembled regret. “If I had… things might have been different.”
Jack nodded, saying nothing, and then he was gone.
Vust sat back in his chair, his gaze drifting to the stars beyond the window. The years had hardened him, but tonight, the weight of the past felt heavier than it had in a long time. Joseph Smitthy had died to protect his family, and now, all these years later, Vust would honor that sacrifice—not just by helping Jack, but by ensuring that Joseph’s youngest son lived the life his father had fought for.
For the first time in a long time, Vust Oreamia allowed himself to feel something more than cold ambition.
A debt was owed, and it would be paid.