Byran Kale

Byran Kale is a technician selected for the five-person research team to intercept SYMMETRY in 7354. Aged approximately 45, he specializes in keeping spaceships intact — critical for a rushed mission into deep space with only 30 minutes of preparation. Unlike Tomas, Kristopher Yette, and others, Byran was not working in the Royal Research Guild lab before the mission — Tomas first met him when they were assembled at the Royal Palace.

Appearance

• Age: Approximately 45 (maybe a little older than Tomas and Kristopher)

Expertise

Technician specializing in spaceship maintenance and integrity — ensures the vessel remains functional and safe during the mission. Essential role for:

• A 23-hour journey to the interception point using ion thrusters
• Operating in deep space (medium Lukyr orbit, semi-major axis of 100 million kilometers)
• Potential emergency scenarios if SYMMETRY proves dangerous

Role

SYMMETRY intercept team member — one of five researchers selected by the Royal Research Guild to travel to space and study SYMMETRY during the 2-3 hour research window before it passes out of range.

Mission parameters:

• 23-hour journey to interception point
• 2-3 hours for meaningful research
• 15-minute critical window for data retrieval experiments
• Option to destroy SYMMETRY if deemed necessary

Story Arc — SFL-TA

Year 7354 — SYMMETRY Intercept Mission

Palace assembly (SFL-TA Chapter 3): Unlike the scientists who had been working in the Royal Research Guild lab, Byran was not part of that team. He was assembled directly at the Royal Palace for the mission briefing led by Styvin Fring-Warpine.

This was Tomas's first meeting with Byran.

When a young scientist attempted to withdraw, Styvin froze him in place — deterring anyone else from questioning the mission.

Launch: Byran boarded the research ship with the team at the regional spaceport on Lukyr Prime. The ship launched with barely 30 minutes of preparation. Given his role as spaceship technician, Byran is responsible for ensuring the vessel's integrity during the 23-hour journey and 2-3 hour research window.

Surveillance sabotage (SFL-TA Chapter 4): Shortly after leaving Lukyr Prime's atmosphere, Byran unbuckled and disappeared into the ship. Tomas and Miryana Dorense found him working inside the communications console. He installed an audio filter allowing the team to control what the ship's surveillance system transmits — currently set to ambient noise only, no voices.

His justification: "If they're going to send me on a spontaneous mission to check out who-knows-what, they're going to have to live with my way of living with that."

Anti-Empire sentiment: Byran immediately used the privacy to express strong hostility toward the Empire:

"Things like how they are all a bunch of assholes for sending me up here so suddenly… In service of my ass. If I never have to lift a finger for this 'Empire' again, it'll be too soon."

This is extreme even by standards of quiet Imperial dislike. Tomas recognizes the inherent danger in Byran's words and feels uneasy trusting his confidence in the audio filter.

Confrontation: Kristopher Yette challenges Byran: "How did you even know how to do that? Why did you have that device with you?" Byran responds dismissively: "I've worked on these ships before… the rest of [your questions] are irrelevant, now get off my back."

The team reacts with varying levels of discomfort:

• Miryana Dorense stammers about service to the Empire
• Kristopher Yette is angry that Byran acted unilaterally
• Mera Serenol advises caution: work together, finish the mission, then separate

Suspicious activity in storage room: Later in the journey, Tomas finds Byran in a storage room, working with storage boxes. Byran is very skittish when Tomas approaches. Tomas feels suspicious but lacks technical expertise to determine what Byran is doing. Byran deflects and suggests Tomas check the cockpit for Mera.

Dismissal of spatial disruptions (SFL-TA Chapter 5): When Tomas calls a team meeting and presents evidence of spatial distortions, Byran is dismissive and hostile from the start. He can recall only that the storage room had "6-8" shelves — unhelpful for verifying Tomas's specific claim.

When Tomas leads the team to the storage room and attempts to demonstrate the duplicate aisle, Byran refuses to engage with the evidence. He responds to Tomas's escalating frustration with escalating aggression:

"This was an embarrassing display from a man who has clearly lost part of his sanity on the way up here."

He calls Mera Serenol an "old hag" when she tries to de-escalate, and dismisses Tomas as merely a geologist unworthy of being on the mission. He then leaves the storage room and retreats to the living quarters, removing himself from the investigation entirely.

Significant detail: During the investigation, Tomas asks Byran specifically which aisle in the storage room he had been working in. Byran points to the second aisle from the left — the original aisle, not the newly materialized one.

Course sabotage (SFL-TA Chapter 6): While the team was occupied in the medical room with the Mera duplication aftermath, Byran (and possibly Miryana Dorense) reprogrammed the ship's course to Gamma Eona — another star system — and erased the mission parameters. When caught on the bridge by Tomas, he and Miryana claimed to be verifying approach vectors Mera Serenol had already computed. Kristopher Yette's Sylvian Contingency Override prevented the course change from taking effect.

Armed attack: Moments after the Sylvian Override cut the engines, Byran entered the medical bay firing a real gun — not a tranq weapon — directly at Kristopher Yette, hitting him in the shoulder. He continued firing at Kristopher while dodging Mera Serenol's tranq shots. Miryana Dorense intervened physically, but her causal loop condition caused her to loop back in a 2-3 second rhythm; Byran eventually predicted the pattern and deflected her.

He was finally stunned by one of the two Meras (impossible to determine which). His last word — "Why?" — was addressed to Miryana as he lost consciousness, implying he expected her loyalty and was surprised and wounded by her intervention against him.

Treason trial (SFL-TA Chapter 7): When Byran wakes restrained, he is hostile and refuses to acknowledge Kristopher Yette — calling him a "Sylvian bastard" and a "Dronehead," forcing Kristopher to reveal his Sylvian Order membership. In his formal treason hearing, Byran bypasses Kristopher entirely and addresses Tomas and Mera Serenol directly:

"This Empire — this so-called greatest society that ever was — it's inhumane. Life here is no life at all. All I wanted was a better life — for all of us. Somewhere else, where they can't get to us."

His motive was defection, not sabotage for external interests: he wanted to take the entire crew to Gamma Eona, to live outside the Empire's reach. Both Tomas and Mera decline — Tomas because of Alex Prane on Lukyr Prime, Mera because any single person's refusal is enough to end the plan, and because loyalty cannot survive attempted murder. Byran appears genuinely sad at their refusal.

Citizenship revoked; physically imprisoned: Kristopher formally pronounces: "By the authority of Emperor Rovin, your status as a citizen of Lukyr is revoked. By the authority of Emperor Rovin, you are imprisoned." Using his Sylvian neural interface, Kristopher freezes Byran's body — his face locks into a neutral expression; his body drifts motionless except for eye tracking. He is subsequently strapped to the medical bed so he cannot float away during maneuvers.

Byran is the only ship technician aboard. The crew's ability to manage the vessel without him is uncertain.

SFL-TA Chapter 9 — Epilogue

Remains locked up: After the crew's return to Lukyr Prime, Byran remains imprisoned. Alex Prane relays to Tomas that Byran was "locked up," which makes sense given his treason, attempted defection, and attack on Kristopher Yette. Whether he remains in Kristopher's neural-interface physical imprisonment or has been transferred to another form of custody is not specified.

Relationships

Tomas Lithe — fellow team member; planetary geologist; first met Byran at the palace assembly.

Mera Serenol — fellow team member; orbital mechanics expert.

Kristopher Yette — fellow team member; theoretical exobiologist.

Miryana Dorense — fellow team member; astronomer.

Open Questions

1. Where was Byran before the palace assembly — why wasn't he in the Guild lab?
2. What is his background in spaceship maintenance? He's worked on "these ships" before — what does that mean?
3. What is Byran doing in the storage room? Was he hiding equipment for the planned defection?
4. His motive was personal ideology and a desire for freedom — was he acting entirely alone, or did he have a contact who encouraged or informed the plan?
5. He says he knew for a fact that Tomas and Mera "must understand" — what did he know about them that made him believe they might defect?
6. Who revealed Kristopher Yette's Sylvian identity to Byran? (Kristopher implies someone "would have probably told" him.)
7. What exactly is at Gamma Eona? Was it a planned meeting point, a free society, or simply "far enough away"?
8. Was Miryana Dorense his willing accomplice or coerced? Why did she intervene against him?
9. Will Byran ever be un-imprisoned? The crew may need his technical expertise before the mission ends.

Sources

• SFL-TA Chapter 3
• SFL-TA Chapter 4
• SFL-TA Chapter 5
• SFL-TA Chapter 6
• SFL-TA Chapter 7
• SFL-TA Chapter 9