Planet: Unknown
Stellar System: Unknown
Number of Stars: 2
Star Type: G-type & G-type (Orange & Orange)
Number of Planets: 12 (7 in the habitable zone)
Galaxy: Astralis
Steam floated from a ginormous bath, drifting slowly upward until it disappeared into the vaulted ceiling above. Seraphine laid back with her eyes shut in the crystal-clear water just enough for her shoulders to be slightly submerged. Through towering windows, subtly glowing of purple and teal sprinkled across the distant mountain range with four moons floating in the night sky above in the distance.
She opened her eyes subtly as one by one, holographic figures shimmered into existence around the bath. Their projections were deliberately obscured, only mere silhouettes of their bodies with only faint glimmers of color marking their eyes.
The insectoid figure with multifaceted sapphire eyes spoke first, their voice reverberating with an odd harmonic sound.
"My fleets have meticulously combed every world within my territory, my lady. Yet we've found no trace of additional codex fragments."
"That's troubling indeed. Fragments of this significance don't simply appear without reason. Given that the fragment surfaced precisely where our jurisdiction ended, just beyond our fleet's immediate response… may suggest someone on the inside is leaking intelligence." The hulking projection of King Taeron said standing beside him.
The atmosphere shifted noticeably after his assumption. A subtle tension passed over the room, each leader processing the possible heavy implications.
A softer, distinctly feminine voice spoke up next. Her mint colored eyes flicked over to Taeron.
"How curious of you to suggest that, King Taeron. Isn't your own daughter aboard the Starlight at this very moment? If anyone were suspect, it'd naturally be the one with the strongest ties to them… wouldn't it?"
"Your attempt at deflection is noted, but futile. Talon's presence aboard the Starlight has no bearing on my loyalty or my ability to secure information. I suggest you direct your suspicion elsewhere." He replied, not even bothering to look her way.
"Awww, did I strike a nerve? Quite defensive, aren't you? How about we–"
"Enough." Seraphine's motherly yet authoritative voice sounded off throughout the bathroom.
"Petty squabbles and accusations get us nowhere. If indeed we have a mole, rest assured, they will be dealt with appropriately. But for now, our current priority remains the same, capturing Kaito and the Starlight crew, seizing their codex fragment, and locating the other nine."
"Before we adjourn my lady, there's some information I'd like to bring to your attention. Some that… well I'm not sure what to think about it." The same female leader arguing with King Taeron said.
"A few of my teams have reported encountering a few cosmic wells throughout our galaxy with their head guardians… missing. Specifically, it's affecting wells ranked C and higher—with the exception of the exceedingly rare S-rank ones."
"And you trust these teams of yours implicitly? Perhaps their competence—or lack thereof—is the real issue here." The insectoid leader said, his voice slightly filled with skepticism.
"I trust them far more than your bug drones things, whose greatest achievement is cataloguing lifeless rocks. Please, mind your words, you subspecies."
"Sub— You insolent brat! Who do you–"
"That's enough." Seraphine interrupted again.
"Your grievances can be settled privately. The disappearance of guardians is… noteworthy. I shall consider its implications carefully, and please keep me informed if you find any new information on your discoveries. But as I said before, our immediate priorities are the fragments and Kaito."
At the mention of Kaito's name, the previously silent hologram with orange and yellow eyes and amethyst star-like pupils spoke. The figure was slender, but seemed to be hidden under a oversized hoodie.
"Have we managed to pinpoint their location yet?" She asked calmly.
Seraphine looked towards her and began to smile slightly.
"Indeed, we have. One of my royal members and his team have been tracking the Starlight since they were in the Sirius star system and managed to pick up their location after their unexpected jump following the tournament. They're at the outskirts of a star system in the Viridion galaxy or what the humans call the Milky Way. It seems they're currently heading toward a licensing station and if that is indeed the case, it would be unwise to engage them there. The Space Rangers monitor those areas closely."
The water rippled around as she raised her arm up to about eye level. She reached out in front of her as if she was about to grab something, but nothing was there. That's when a small portal began to open in that same space, as if space itself began to tear open to her will.
"Any conflict in or around the station would inevitably draw unwanted attention from the Rangers. Therefore, we will wait until they make their next jump. Once they do, then we will strike."
She reached inside of the tear in space and pulled out an elegant brush. Just as her hand returned from the tear, it snapped closed instantly before a sparkling dust fizzled up in the air in its trail. She used her other hand to move her hair behind her black horns that protruded from her temples, and curved behind her head before beginning to brush the ends of her hair.
The leaders sat momentarily in quiet contemplation. Then, King Taeron finally broke the silence.
"How exactly do you plan on capturing Kaito?" He turned his entire massive body towards her, the glow of his golden holographic eyes intensifying.
"You're well aware that the Starlight isn't some average crew, nor is their captain ordinary. Elara alone poses an immense threat, even to us."
A small smile began to creep up Seraphine's face as she continued brushing her hair, seemingly unbothered by the underlying skepticism in his voice.
"I won't have to seek out my dear Kaito. When the time comes, he will willingly come to me."
Her words rippled like a shockwave among the leaders, each of their silhouettes jerking back in disbelief.
King Taeron narrowed his glowing eyes, his skepticism now turned into frustration.
"What exactly do you mean by that? Why would he ever willingly approach the very beings responsible for nearly erasing his entire species?"
His voice grew louder as a gold aura began to flare up around his projection.
"Your secrecy and unilateral decisions have already begun stirring distrust among the Accord nations. If you continue withholding your true plans, your authority will be questioned. Now answer me clearly—what makes you so certain this human boy would come to you voluntarily, my lady?"
Before Seraphine could answer, another voice interrupted, calm and composed, yet laced with a subtle hint of… amusement.
"Perhaps I can offer clarity on this matter."
All heads turned toward the sound. From behind Seraphine stepped in a mysterious figure with a confident yet laid back strut. With a slight bow, he stepped fully into the bath's soft illumination, revealing himself to be the same elf man who had taught Kaito to conjure lightning at the Grand Sirius tournament.
King Taeron narrowed his eyes further, suspicion all over his face.
"Who exactly are you? You're not authorized to attend this council."
The man's grin widened beneath the brim of his hat as he completely ignored Taeron's question.
"Hmm… Tell me, my esteemed Accord leaders, have any of you ever taken a closer look at humanity? Do you know what truly makes these little creatures possibly the most dangerous species ever to crawl from the shadows of their tiny blue planet?"
He looked over to the projection of King Taeron and thought to himself.
"Ah, who am I kidding—I'm sure with all those bulging muscles you've got, you definitely haven't found much time to hit the books lately."
The insectoid leader started to speak up.
"It's clearly their—"
"Ah-ah-ah! Incorrect!" He interrupted cheerfully, wagging a finger at him.
"It's not just their special little cosmic ability that makes humans a problem, you see. It's something far simpler, yet profoundly sinister in nature."
"Enough with your cryptic rambling—just get to the point already." King Taeron said, clearly becoming more irritated by the second.
The man's smile didn't drop from his face, unbothered by Taeron's growing irritation as he leisurely walked around Seraphine's bath, glancing from one holographic figure to another.
"It's their hearts—their wonderfully stubborn and tenacious spirits. You see, after a thorough and admittedly fascinating dive into their history, I found one delightful trait repeated over and over among their greatest individuals… And that is humans possess a genuinely terrifying level of persistence. Defeat? Merely a temporary setback! Pain? Just another stepping stone! Death? A minor inconvenience! Humans, dear leaders, have an absolutely unsettling habit of getting back up no matter how many times they're knocked down."
King Taeron's eyes remained fixed on the man everywhere he went. He began to speak but was immediately silenced as the man continued to speak.
"Allow me to elaborate! Let's rewind a bit…Earth cycle 480 BCE. Sparta, a tiny civilization stood before a massive invading Persian army. Vastly outnumbered, did they flee? Of course not! A measly three hundred warriors held off tens of thousands of enemies for days. Sure, they knew defeat was pretty much guaranteed, but they still stood their ground, fighting to their very last breath."
The female leader that argued with King Taeron tilted her head, completely puzzled.
"So, what you're telling us is that these humans willingly embraced annihilation instead of retreating? How remarkably… foolish."
The man spun around and pointed at her.
"PRECISELY! And it doesn't end there. Earth cycle 1940 CE, during a conflict humans so adorably called 'World War II'. I'm sure you're familiar… we broadcasted snippets across the galaxies under our control as a cautionary tale of humanity's darker nature. Well during that time, the nation called Britain stood practically alone against an overwhelming enemy. Their cities were pummeled mercilessly, and yet their leader called Winston Churchill, refused to bow down. He rallied them with nothing more than words and sheer determination, ultimately turning their certain destruction into eventual triumph. Quite dramatic, isn't it?"
He paused, letting the leaders silently digest his words. Satisfied with their curious silence, he continued.
"And, for our final example, we have the Earth cycle 2027 CE, just fifteen stellar cycles before dear Kaito was born. Humanity teetered on the edge of extinction during what they fondly call the Great Collapse. Political chaos led by a nation called the United States of America and their orange ruler, widespread famine, wars erupting across continents, it was quite the spectacle really. Yet, from this grim time emerged visionary individuals who refused to let their world die. With remarkable tenacity, they united scattered remnants of their society and rebuilt from literal ruins. They ushered in an era of cooperation and advancement that would've taken them hundreds of stellar cycles in a mere few—just in time for first contact with us. This is why–"
"Enough!" King Taeron yelled out.
"How does that matter? What does this so-called 'indomitable spirit' lead Kaito willingly to us?"
Seraphine, still casually brushing her hair, finally spoke up.
"Power."
Taeron looked over to her, slightly confused.
"Power?"
"Yes." She said, finally looking up to his projection, directly in his eyes.
The elf man chuckled as he stepped forward again in everyone's view, his sly smile widening as he raised a finger.
"Allow me to elaborate further. You see, humans aren't only driven by their noble spirits and courage. No, no, no, my dear council members—they also harbor an equally dark, sinister side, a desire for power that can lead them down rather… tragic paths."
King Taeron narrowed his eyes, clearly wary.
"What are you getting at now?"
The man tilted his head playfully, smirking as if he's about to share some delicious tea.
"Earth cycle 1258 CE. There was once a man named Genghis Khan. What made him so special you ask? Well, you see, this remarkable human built one of the largest empires their world had ever seen. Ah… but his ambition didn't stop at conquest alone. To ensure absolute power, his empire systematically eradicated entire cities, innocent men, women, and children alike. His thirst for power reshaped entire continents, at the cost of countless lives. Even long after his death, his blood still ran strong through countless humans before their destruction. The crazy bastard was trying to make their small world all his in every way shape or form… and he almost succeeded."
All of the leaders were dead silent now, their once curious filled quiet now turned visibly disturbed by the account. But he wasn't done just yet.
"You think that's crazy, listen to this. Earth cycle 1939 CE, once again returning to World War II. This time, a man named Adolf Hitler rose to power with charismatic speeches promising greatness to his people. But behind those captivating words was a twisted vision—an obsession with racial purity and domination that plunged their entire planet into chaos. Millions upon millions perished, cities burned, entire populations vanished simply because this one man's hunger for power was insatiable. He led his followers willingly into oblivion, all in pursuit of absolute supremacy."
He raised a finger, his voice lowering to an amused whisper.
"You see, that's the paradox of humanity, my dear Accord members. Their quest for strength can both uplift them to the stars… and plunge them into darkness. And believe me when I say this… our young Kaito, burdened by the legacy of an entire race, will soon find himself desperately craving that power. He'll reach for it, yearn for it…"
King Taeron stared silently, contemplating the unsettling truth behind the man's words before his thoughts were cut short by the motherly voice of Seraphine.
"You see, my dear Kaito will inevitably find himself haunted by countless questions throughout his journeys in the cosmos. Who is he truly? Where did he come from? What is the true history of humans? Answers to these questions are lost to him, just like his extinct people. But his human nature won't stand for that… the relentless human desire for understanding, will drive him to seek out these answers. Eventually, he'll realize that there is only one key capable of unlocking the truth."
King Taeron finished her thought, his voice nearly down to a whisper.
"Power..."
"Precisely. Kaito will pursue strength, because strength will be the only path toward the truths and dreams he desperately seeks. He'll wander, he'll struggle, and inevitably he'll realize that only one place holds all the answers he craves. Only one place in this universe has the answers to his questions about humanity."
King Taeron's gold essence flaring around him slowly dwindled down to nothing as he visibly began to piece together her words.
"And that place…is you."
Seraphine smiled, gently running her long black painted nails with star-like sparkles through the tips of her hair.
"Exactly."
King Taeron's voice lowered to a more casual level.
"Even if you're correct, how do you expect to deliver those answers without suspicion? Kaito will undoubtedly distrust anyone from the Accord, especially with Elara or Talon. They will certainly not allow him to simply turn himself into the very ones they wish to topple."
"That's already been handled." She replied confidently, glancing toward the mysterious elf man at her side.
"Baraqiel here has already established contact with Kaito. In fact, he taught him how to awaken his lightning affinity during the tournament. It seems they are already developing such a sweet mentor and pupil relationship."
Silence blanketed the room again, only being broken by water dripping from Seraphine's horns. The insectoid leader was the first to finally break it.
"That…is truly masterful, Lady Seraphine! Your foresight is as remarkable as always!"
"Does that satisfy your concerns? Is my plan now transparent enough for you—and for those who question my leadership?" Seraphine said as she glanced towards King Taeron again.
The hulking king remained silent for a moment, finally exhaling.
"Yes… it is. But I stand by what I said. The Accord must remain informed about your future actions and plans. Trust is fragile, even among allies. Especially with the rise of other new global empires and coalitions."
Seraphine chuckled softly and nodded.
The projection of the woman with the living tail spoke up, tilting her head curiously.
"Lady Seraphine, forgive me, but my worlds have only recently joined the Accord. I still don't fully understand… what exactly is this 'power' that humans produce, the one said makes them so dangerous?"
Seraphine looked directly toward the woman, her eyes meeting hers as a loving smile began to appear on her face.
"Ah, yes. Your territories are indeed quite new to the Accord, barely a stellar cycle in."
She paused momentarily, before looking out the large windows towards the 4 moons and the night sky filled with stars.
"The power humans produce—the one that makes them one of the most feared species in the known universe—is known as..."
"A…drenaline…" Kaito muttered out, sounding slightly confused.
Elysia's eyes sparkled with excitement as she leaned closer.
"Yes! Exactly, my dear Kaito! After analyzing your blood from the tournament, I pinpointed exactly what triggered your sudden surge of essence. You see, humans have this remarkable chemical that floods their bodies during life-or-death moments and intense emotional scenarios—C9H13NO3, better known as adrenaline."
"Adrenaline…?" Kaito muttered out again, sounding even more confused than before.
"Yes yes yes yes Kaito dear, adrenaline! When your body senses extreme danger or heightened emotion, this chemical surges through you, significantly amplifying your physical abilities. But the fascinating part for humans—especially for you—is that adrenaline doesn't just boost your physical traits, it synchronizes with your essence, dramatically increasing your cosmic essence reserves many times over for short periods of time."
Kaeline, standing quietly to the side, finally chimed in as she looked over to her.
"Hold on… where exactly did you learn all this from? Information like that wouldn't be available to just anyone, much less a star traveler."
Elysia's enthusiasm slowly faded away. Her pink skin began to glow slightly as she nervously twirled strands of her short hair around her finger.
"Oh… um, about that…" She hesitated, glancing shyly toward Kaeline.
"Miss Kaeline… promise me you won't get mad?"
Kaeline's eyes narrowed slowly but menacingly.
"Elysia…what did you do?"
Kaito quickly glanced back and forth between the two women, before slowly taking a gigantic step backwards to put distance between himself and the brewing catastrophe.
"I...may or may not have contacted my sensei back on my homeworld." Elysia admitted, biting her lower lip and attempting a weak and obviously fake apologetic smile.
Kaeline's narrowed eyes slowly widened as her black essence began to intensify around her. Elysia squeaked in terror and immediately ducked behind Kaito, gripping him tightly around his waist as her entire body began to glow ever brighter.
"WHY THE HELL ARE YOU HIDING BEHIND ME?! AND WHY ARE YOU GLOWING!?!?" Kaito cried out, flailing around trying to break free from her grip.
"My people, our skin glows when we're frightened. It's a defensive mechanism for some of the wildlife that inhabit our worlds. I can't–."
"AAAAAAAAAHHHH!!! LET ME FUCKING GOOOOO!!!!"
However, just as Kaeline's essence grew, it abruptly faded. Her fierce expression dimmed down before turning into one of confusion before looking over towards the training room's main door.
"Someone's at the door." She thought to herself.
"How did they manage to suppress their essence this well? No, the question is…just how long have they been there?"
She straightened up before calling out firmly.
"Come in."
Elysia relaxed her grip on Kaito slightly, exchanging a puzzled glance with him. A moment later, her eyes widened a bit, the realization dawning on her that someone was at the door listening to them.
The door hissed open and in walked…
Finn.
"Finn?" Kaeline thought to herself, completely astonished.
She glanced over momentarily to Elysia, making eye contact with her like they were silently speaking to one another before returning her attention to Finn.
"What are you doing here—"
"Ex–Excuse me!...Miss…Kaeline." Finn interrupted, his voice trembling at first but quickly finding his strength.
"Miss Kaeline…please." Finn continued before bowing his head respectfully.
"Allow me to become your pupil."
"Finn…what are you—" Kaito began to whisper before Kaeline silenced him by quickly raising her hand.
She studied Finn carefully before calmly speaking.
"Out of all the people on the ship, why choose me? My training is brutal—unforgiving, even. Many wouldn't be able to survive it and frankly, I believe you're one of those people, Finn. Explain to me why I should even consider you to become my pupil, and then show me."
Finn lifted his head and made eye contact with her, his voice filled with unfamiliar confidence.
"Ever since meeting Kaito, my view on a lot of things have changed. I used to think strength was something only the naturally gifted possessed—something I'd never have. But Kaito showed me differently. Strength isn't a gift…it's earned through determination and hard work."
He paused briefly, his eyes lowering as a recent memory of Nara's words from the previous night in the medical bay resurfaced..
"Ugh, if the exams are this tough, how the heck do you expect all of us to pass?"
Finn remembered vividly how his chest tightened, how his heart had sunk under the weight of her condescending look.
That same look…
His trembling fist at his side steadied, then looked back up to Kaeline.
"I realize now that if Kaito wants to challenge the Captain—he'll first have to get past Nara. But he can't do that alone. That's why…I'll defeat her myself. I'll become strong enough to stand by Kaito's side as his right-hand man on his own crew!"