One looking at the tall man sitting perfectly still on the ice floor would have sworn that he or she saw a tear run down the man's face. However, if a tear had run down his face it would have immediately disappeared in an icy puff.

That memory had haunted this man for all the years that he had been on this planet. Not a day passed during these 250 years without him remembering and trying to think of a way that he could've prevented it. He remembered again that day, and regretted it yet another time...

Homstar was brought into the dark chamber in chains. His head was hanging down, and no emotion showed on his face. All he could think of was Kurtis's, his lifeless face contorted in a finall scream of terror. How could he have done that? Planet security had arrived in minutes. They had found Homstar kneeling over Kurtis's body hopelessly clinging to his friend. They had taken him away, and held him in prison for three days before deciding what to do with him. Finally the decision was made to take him to the Council of Ten.

That was where he was now, however he barely noticed that fact...much less cared. He didn't care about anything anymore. How could he have done that? He forced himself to find an answer. Suddenly, his thoughts were shattered by a deep voice. "Homstar Tetra." It was spoken softly, and seemed to have a measure of pity in it. He finally looked up. Slowly raising his head, he realized that he was surrounded by ten tall chairs, forming a complete circle around him. The words had be spoken by an old looking man with a full white beard that reached his chest. All the men looked old, but this man looked especially experianced and grey. He was dressed in a soft silver robe. He looked at Homstar with compassion and knowledge, and Homstar suddenly felt slightly comforted. He said nothing.
"We shall make this short." The old man stated gently. "What you have done, some may consider to be a crime...a murder. The council has agreed that it is not. It could not have been restrained, and the incident was not in your power to be controled."
"What am I...what did I do?" Homstar asked.
"You have a gift, Homstar Tetra. A very speciall gift that is not given to everyone. You have certain abilities that are powerful, mysterious, and dangerous. The bodies have been examined. They have been coated with a sheet of ice that is the temperature of 1,000 degrees below zero. You have the power to create and deploy ice. You may not understand this, but you will learn to harness and control it over time."
Homstar didn't know what they were talking about. Why were they taking this so casually? They had just discovered a man within their ranks in the Navy that had a power to create ice, and they acted like it happened every week. "Have you seen this before?" He asked with exasperation.
The old man looked at a member on his right. They shared a questioning glance. The man looked back at Homstar. "You do not need to know everything that we know right now, but I will tell you this: Your case has been predicted, and we know how to deal with it. Do you have any other questions?" The question was not asked in a sarcastic or threatening way, but sincerely.
Homstar hesitated. Did he? He didn't know. It seemed to him as if the whole world was a stranger to him now. His mind seemed now longer his own. "No."
The council member nodded gravely at Homstar, and turned to his fellow member once again, who nodded as well. Once again the old man turned back to Homstar. "Most of your questions will be answered where we are about to send you. You will learn much about yourself. More than you ever knew. You are being sent to the planet Plutonar."
Homstar gave a start. Plutonar. When he had been sent to Rano, one of Plutonar's moons, he had barely seen any civilizations. But Plutonar...it was a wasteland. A prisoner holding location. He had heard some serious rumors about it from fellow officers. "Plutonar, sir?"
"Yes, Plutonar." The man replied in his slow talk. "I understand how you must feel right now. I know that you are frightened, confused, and you are still grieving for you friend. But a time has come where none of us can afford to be frightened. The council has forseen a great shadow coming to the system, and we must be on our gaurd. You will learn to harness your powers and hone your skills. By dong this, you will be preparing yourself for a great battle ahead. You will be your planet's defender. You will guard it so that when the enemy comes, he cannot use it as a place of operations. That is your sole perpose from here on."
As Homstar watched, the council member stepped gingerly out of his chair, and walked with a surprisingly smooth pace towards him. He stood in front of him, and ordered the guards to relieve him of his chains, and leave them. They did so and left the room, the door hissing shut behind them.
The old man reached in to his robe, and something out. He took hold of Homstar's hand and placed the long object in it. Once this was done, he took a few steps back. "This is your new weapon, only given to those who are proven worthy. Those who are chosen. Only you can wield it." He then stood quiet and waited.
Homstar looked at the surprisingly light weapon, and found that it was in the shape of a sword. Its blade was sheathed in a white sheath which glistened even though there was barely any light in the room. The only visible part of the sword other than the sheath, was the handle. It was a cylindrical shaped handle, about 15 centimeters long and had a silver look. It was slightly curved down on the bottom to make a graceful finnish of it. It seemed to have smooth carvings in it, and though it looked metal, it was not. Homstar had never seen or felt such a material. It was not technological, it seemed to be simply an extension to something. It looked as if it would fit perfectly in his hand. Homstar was curious to see was the blade looked like. If he had taken the handle and held the sword pointing downward, the tip of the sheath would have touched the floor. He took hold of the handle cautiously almost hesitantly, and holding the sheath in one hand, and the handle in the other, drew the blade. Homstar frowned. There was nothing there. No blade where it should've been. He looked up at the old man standing a few steps in front of him as if to find an answer. All the old man said was, "Only your power can wield it."
Homstar looked at the silver handle, then back at the Council Memebers. Then he understood. He concentrated hard on the sword, at the same time, he naturaly found the core of his being and woke it. Something sprang to life within him. It was as if it had been waiting all this time...all these years to be let free. The sword became a blaze of light, filling the chamber with its glory. Homstar looked away instinctively. When he looked back, a blade that appeared to be ice like had formed in his hand. It looked as if it could melt, freeze, and cut all at the same time. Homstar looked closer. It was not made of ice. Somehow he knew that it was made of his sheer power all concentrated in one area. It was a blaze of light and white color eminated from it gently surrounding the blade, which was barely wider than Homstar's thumb.
The Council Members smiled. The old man standing said, "There is a long journey ahead of you, Homstar Tetra. And it has only just begun."
Homstar's expression became determined, and he looked the man squarely in the eyes. "I am ready."

In the ice cave Homstar, who is now 250 years old, waits for the call of the Council. Waits for his time to come...
He still seems to be concentrating. He furrows his brow suddenly as if searching for something in his mind...a connect to something. Silence. He is remains still, yet his brow relaxes once again. He found it. From deep within himself he located something very familiar to him now. He hears a voice..."You will learn to harness your power..." The corners of his mouth barely retract to smile ever so slightly. His head comes up. His silvery eyes fly open. And, in an eye blink, all the stones around him turn to ice...and shatter!