Sun Killers

Sauscin’s moon was a dented glass ball.

Inside, Owen stood brooding. The orb’s transparent contour was a towering window to space. Owen stared gravely at a modest green speck in the extreme distance.

“You don’t have to watch it, you know,” said a woman as she placed a hand on his shoulder.

“That was our home, Elessa,” Owen said. His eyes remained fixed on the watery green speck.

“It was nothing more than a dream, and a bad one at that. The sun wasn’t going to last forever. It’s been sick since the day it erupted into existence. We’re putting it out of its misery.” She paused. “You’re the softest space-terrorist alive.”

“I resent that, Elessa.” Owen’s absent stare finally broke from the green speck. He looked at the woman draped in platinum robes. “I started this, remember? I intended to change our world—”

“Through force.”

“Yes, but the force had a purpose back then. It was meant to send a message.”

“It was meant to kill them.”

“It was meant to kill some of them, in order to send a message to the rest.”

Owen returned his gaze to the lonely green speck. Elessa checked her timestick. “Look away, Owen,” she said. “Let’s look away together.” She took his hand and kissed him for longer than he would have liked. Then she looked down at her timestick once more and squinted in confusion.

The moment had come and gone without incident! There was no explosion, no light, no whiskers of a dying star stretching out across space.

“I’ve changed my mind, Elessa, and I’m not alone. We’re winning support. We’re winning regret. I’ll die before I kill another sun -- especially my own.”

Crimson screaming sirens filled the room. Something had gone wrong, and it made Owen smile.

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300 Words containing dream, window, and whiskers.