Nya woke up on a bed, it didn't take her long to realize that it was the bed from her cabin aboard their ship.
[Are you feeling better?] Merlin asked
"Shouldn't you already know?" Nya replied
[I find that asking is another part of the corporeal experience.] Merlin said, [I already know that you do feel better.]
"Have we left Adryn-VI?"
[Yes, your children are resting.] Merlin said
"My what?" Nya exclaimed, sitting up abruptly,
[The children grown from the DNA of you and Josa Davos. I assumed you'd be taking custody of them.]
"Why?"
[Because they share much more of your DNA than those phase two children, they're probably more dangerous than I can estimate at this time, and I doubt that anyone else could be able to control them.]
"You're probably right," Nya pondered as she called up holographic screens showing the three children. "This might even be a worthwhile endeavor."
[So what would you call them?]
She thought about it for a bit, before tapping on each screen, starting with the first, deciding to name her after the wife of her past life, "she's Morgan."
She then tapped the screen of her second daughter, naming her after her past daughter, "Astrid."
She then tapped on her son's screen, naming him after her past son, "Eli."
[Morgan Crimson, Astrid Crimson and Eli Crimson. Fine names for the children of Nya Crimson.] Merlin noted.
"Let's go see the little ones," Nya said getting up, "I need to introduce myself."
Nya walked into the room with a large bed, each child turned to face her as she walked in. According to the files Merlin got, each of the children were at different stages of maturation while they were in the artificial wombs before absorbing the blood aura from Nya woke them up.
Morgan was apparently the eldest and was in her mid-teens, probably around 15, she had pale skin with her hair a deep amethyst color, her eyes were blue with black sclera, like Nya's and there was a beauty mark on her left cheek. She seemed to be just like her mother, she was also a vampire. Astrid appeared to be a preteen, maybe about 12 years old biologically, with olive complexion and azure blue hair, her eyes were dazzlingly kaleidoscopic, like brilliant jewels that shifted color in the light. She didn't seem to have any of the signs of vampirism, meaning she likely took more after her father and was human. Eli was the youngest, and looked about 10 or 11 years of age, he also had olive complexion with auburn hair, he also had heterochromia, with one eye green and the other eye blue, other than that, he seemed like a normal human.
When she laid eyes on them, Nya felt a primal compulsion stir deep within. Maternal instincts she didn't even know she had, suddenly kicked in, as the three of them instinctively imprinted on her.
"H-hello," Nya said as she sat at the edge of one of the beds, "How are you?"
"Um… who are you, miss?" Eli asked
"My name is Nya, Nya Crimson. I'm your... I'm your mother." Nya revealed
"Our… mother?" Morgan said slowly, trying to wrap her head around the concept.
"Yes, and from now on you'll be living with me." Nya smiled
"Where are we going?" Astrid inquired looking out the window
"My home, a place called Avalon." Nya explained
"What happened to us?" Morgan asked, "Why don't we remember anything?"
Nya briefly considered making up an elaborate story that would explain any questions they would have, but disregarded this line of thought. If she was going to be their mother, she was going to be as honest as she could.
"Honestly? The three of you were loomed, genetically engineered from combining my DNA with that of another individual." Nya said, "You were made by a madman for something terrible, but I put an end to that, and now I'm taking you in."
"Was this madman our father?" Astrid asked
"No, the other half of your DNA was taken from a man named Josa Davos. He was a powerful adept and the leader of an entire planet." she found it ironic how she ended up having the children of Josa Davos years after his death.
"Was?" Eli noted
"He's dead, I killed him when I led a revolt against him." Nya explained, "He was a man whom I respected as a worthy adversary; he was strong, intelligent and driven. As our children, I'm sure you'll be even greater than either of us."
"C-can I call you mother?" Eli asked
Nya smiled tenderly as she caressed his cheek, "Of course, you can call me anything that makes you comfortable around me. I want to get to know you and help you grow."
"Th-then… mom," Morgan said, testing it out
"Yes sweetie?" Nya asked with a bright smile
"What happened to your other arm?"
"I lost it in my fight with your father. It's proof of what a powerful enemy he was,"
"Can we learn more about our father?" Astrid asked
"Of course," Nya replied, "You can learn as much about him as you want on Avalon, there is a museum about him and his regime in the capital."
"Thank you, mom," Astrid said as she got off her bed and hugged Nya. The gesture shocked the Grand Marshal, but she slowly reciprocated, wrapping her arm around her daughter in a loving embrace.
"Alright you three, get some rest, we'll be arriving at Avalon soon and then I can show you all sorts of things."
"Okay," Morgan said as she pulled her sister back from their mother and helped her get back into her bed. "Good night, mother."
"Good night, my dears." Nya said as she turned off the lights and closed the door. In the span of just a few minutes, Nya's core directives had shifted and her number one priority was now to ensure that those kids got the best life she could provide for them, and it didn't matter who she had to go against –or through— to get it.
Terror was in his office on Avalon, when a holo-comm notification caught his attention. When he answered, the hologram of Nya greeted him,
"Hey Nya, how was your trip?" he asked
"Eventful," she replied, "I'm on my way back, and I'm bringing my kids."
"Whoa, that was fast." Terror said, "You already have babies? Did you stop by a fertility clinic or something, or did you just do it the old fashion way and something weird happen?"
"They were made from mixing my DNA and Josa Davos'." Nya explained, "and they're not babies, the youngest is about 11."
"How'd that happen?"
"I'll tell you later." Nya said, "The reason for this call is that I was wondering if you'd be their godfather."
"What?" Terror asked, turning to the hologram
"Well you already made me godmother for your kids, I figured I'd return the favor." Nya explained, "Plus, you're one of my closest confidantes and there's no one I would trust more."
"Careful, or I'll start to suspect you're going soft on me." Terror teased
"Never. As soon as I get back, we're gonna get busy." Nya said with a smirk
"Yikes, I don't like that smirk," he joked, "forget I said anything,"
"So?" Nya asked
"Of course I'll be your kids godfather." Terror said
"Good, then that means you can lodge them for a few days while I get the necessary accommodations and other amenities ready?"
"Uh, what?" Terror asked
"Thanks for your help. Nya out." The hologram dissipated, leaving Terror alone
"Great, now I gotta call the wife and let her know we're getting some house guests." Terror chuckled to himself. "Nya Crimson, Grand Marshal, terrifying general, doting mother. Mari's never gonna believe this."
* * *
After they arrived at Avalon, Morgan, Astrid and Eli were introduced to Terror Quinn, their mother's closest friend and subordinate, as well as his wife, Mari, who was the leader of the nation. Their children, Erin and Noah, were much younger than the three children and didn't offer much in the ways of stimulating interactions. The Quinn household was fairly lavish, since it belonged to the first family of the planet.
While they were there, they learned about their mother, and how the people of Avalon viewed her, they also learned about the old regime of the World Lord.
When Nya finally returned for them half a week later, she took them to the Black Excalibur, where they would be living. While they were occupied, Nya went to get them registered in the central citizen database, where they would be officially recognized as her children and citizens of Avalon.
Unlike a regular ship of its size, the main power source of the Excalibur was not a plasma ion reactor, but instead something called a Stellar Drive, which from what Nya understood, was some kind of Dyson sphere, containing a miniature artificial sun that could act like a perpetual power source so long as there was mana to maintain it. The Black Excalibur was a technological chimera, incorporating multiple technical aspects from different sources and amalgamating them in singular purpose, this was mainly thanks to something called a 'bespoke circuit', devised by Merlin, which could alter the ship's interior configuration utilizing the bytes advanced nano-matter matrix. Thanks to this system, the ship featured a number of new amenities to facilitate its new role; lounges, labs, workshops, and even a massive terrarium.
The ship was designed to accommodate a total of a thousand people, and since the current crew complement wasn't even half that, there was more then enough room. On the executive level, where Nya's suite was located, there were three other specialized suites for her children. Each room had their names engraved on the door.
"We'll be living here now?" Astrid asked, looking inside her room.
"Yeah, I do, and I want to spend as much time with each of you as I can." Nya said.
"But what about if we don't want to live here?" Morgan asked
"I have a residence on the planet. I don't use it, but it could be yours." Nya said, she had a look of anxiety, like she didn't want them to be too far away, a first for the indomitable Grand Marshal.
"Okay, I was just wandering." Morgan said
Nya placed her hand on a small glass panel by the door, and it slid closed with a silent hiss.
"How'd you do that?" Astrid asked
"The entire ship has biometric security; you've all been granted mid-level clearance to any of the public facilities of the ship." Nya informed them
"So we can go anywhere on the ship?" Eli asked
"Within reason, there are places that are restricted access." Nya said, "Only the person with the command ring can go anywhere on the ship," she showed them her black ring.
"Do we get those too?" Astrid asked
"No, there's only one." Nya said, "this ring doesn't just give me control of this ship, it also allows me to access all of Avalon's executive and military infrastructure. Only the Grand Marshal can have it."
"Alright," Astrid said, placing her hand on the panel, it beeped and the door slid open. "so cool."
"If you guys want anything, my room is down the hall," Nya said, "And Merlin is also available."
Eli looked at a small panel with interest, "can I have that?"
"No, but I'll have a data-pad made for you." Nya replied
"Thanks mom," Eli said giving her a quick hug, Morgan and Astrid also joined in too.
The warm feeling in Nya's chest doubled, then tripled, as she found herself in the middle of a group hug. The goofy smile she'd been fighting the last half hour to keep under control finally broke through and she even felt herself blush. This was what it felt like to have the love of family. She'd almost forgotten.
* * *
After being introduced to her children, Nya decided to go on maternity leave, putting off all her plans and duties to spend time getting to know her new kids. Mari approved her leave… not that she or anyone else could actually do anything to stop her, This allowed Mari and Terror to do their work as the first family of Avalon without being in the shadow of the Grand Marshal.
Nya took them to all the sights and attractions Avalon had to offer, from the natural wonders, to the artificial marvels. Nya had sold her primary residence in the capital district, but she had kept her secondary residence as a vacation home, and it had seen a lot of use during this time, whenever they weren't on the Excalibur, they were living in the private villa on an island along the outskirts of the capital, with black sand beaches and crystal blue waters. At night they would watch the stars.
In their time together, she had managed to get them out of their shells and she learned so much about her kids;
Eli was incredibly smart for his age, he had an inquisitive nature and was always curious about how everything he came across worked, mostly by taking it apart and seeing its insides. He was most fascinated by Merlin, who took it upon herself to become his private tutor.
Astrid seemed to be the most outgoing and intuitive, she was definitely the most expressive, her eyes would often change color to reflect her mood, and everyone she interacted with found her charming and endearing. She had quite the adventurous spirit within her, a wanderlust to see and do everything.
Morgan seemed to take after Nya the most, she was strong, intelligent, and a bit reserved, she knew what she wanted and didn't take shit from anyone, though she also seemed to have quite the temper. All in all her younger siblings looked up to her a great deal.
In the time they spent together, they had settled into this new life, accepting the Crimson name, with Nya and their mother and family matriarch.
One morning, Morgan was on her morning jog through the terrarium of the Black Excalibur, it had been modeled after Liberty Park, and had a retractable ceiling to look out into the majesty of space under the protective atmoshell, it even included an artificial climate. She was jogging down one of its paths, when she came across Nya, in a secluded grotto. Nya seemed to be doing something that was a mix between dancing, gymnastics, and yoga, but was actually a martial art that Nya had devised herself utilizing omnidirectional movement and gymnastics she called rote-kunst.
"Good morning, mom," she greeted
"Good morning, Morgan," Nya greeted back
"What are you doing?"
"Training," Nya said,
Morgan remembered the first time she had seen her mother training; testing herself against a squad of jaegers, both sides had been evenly matched.
"But you're the most powerful person on the planet, why bother?" she had asked
"Power isn't everything." Nya advised, "Great power can even be a hindrance if the person that wields it is weak. I also do this because it's good exercise."
Morgan hadn't really understood the value of exercise until she started training herself, since then, her own physical strength had increased.
"Can you… teach me?" Morgan asked out of the blue
Nya paused for a moment, looking at her, "You want to learn rote-kunst?"
Morgan nodded.
"I don't see why not," Nya shrugged, "I'm in need of a sparring partner anyway."
After taking her through the basics of the martial arts, and showing her a few more advanced moves and stances, Nya faced Morgan, both of them getting into a starting position,
"Go easy on me, mom," Morgan said with a nervous smile, "I'm new to this."
"Experience is life's best teacher, sweetie, and pain is its greatest tool." Nya said as she lunged for her daughter. In seconds, Nya found herself face down on the floor with her daughter's knee resting at the base of her neck, and her arm restrained behind her.
"I-I don't know how I did that," Morgan gaped, as she let Nya up.
"I wasn't taking it that serious, and yet to countered my charge perfectly… exactly how I would've done it." Nya mused
"Yeah, I saw you do that during one of your sparring sessions and tried to copy your technique," Morgan admitted, she had been watching Nya train and practice her martial arts for weeks. "It seemed like the most efficient reaction to your opening move."
"Interesting," Nya said, placing a hand on her shoulder, "Morgan, do you think you'd be interested in training with the Jaeger corps?"
"Your personal forces?"
"Yes, I think you could learn a lot from them… if you wish." Nya said, she had noticed that her eldest had a keen interest in the military,
"That sounds very cool," Morgan said, "I was thinking about enlisting in Cerberus when I came of age."
"Forget Cerberus, let's go see Amara." Nya said as they walked towards the exit.
Elsewhere on the ship, Amara was in her quarters, in bed with Kiva. The both of them were naked and cuddling under the sheets.
"That was some vigor," Kiva panted, "I've never seen you so forceful."
"Sorry. I was thinking about Kahl and I guess I still had some unresolved aggression," Amara apologizes.
"You were thinking about your father while in bed with me? I'll try not to be offended," Kiva joked, before gently rubbing her lovers shoulder, "It's alright, I understand, he was an asshole. Believe me; I can relate to having monster parents."
"Do you want to talk about it?" Amara asked tenderly, placing a hand on Kiva's hand.
Kiva had never talked about her past before, but every once in a while, she gave the impression that it wasn't a happy one.
"My mother… she didn't want a daughter, she wanted an heir to pass on the family line." Kiva started, "For most of my childhood, I was alienated at the grand ziggurat. I had no friends, just servants and tutors whose purpose were to groom me into the worthy successor my mother wanted." Kiva explained, "Do you know I've never met my father? I don't even know who or what he was, yet I can recite all the past matriarchs of my mother's line going back generations. I've only met my mother in person about a dozen or so times in total, and those were mainly for her private lessons."
"That sounds so lonely," Amara sympathized
"Yeah, combat training was the worse. They began when I was a hundred and ninety, barely into my adolescence, and she had master adepts go all out against me, I almost died more times than I care to remember, only to be berated for my mistakes each time afterwards. This one time, they blamed my weakness on my origins, that the situation around my birth was the reason I wasn't a 'true elf', they beat me half to death for talking back to them, then healed me afterwards."
"That's horrible." Amara gasped, while Kiva's body was flawless, Amara did notice faded scars that crisscrossed her body, barely perceptible against her skin except to someone who had observed her for an extended time. How could a mother allow such treatment to her only child?
"Is that why you still keep this on?" Amara asked, tracing the camouflage sigil on her chest with a finger. It was what kept Kiva looking like a human.
"I guess," Kiva shrugged, "I'm too scared to take it off."
"Scared about what?"
"What if my mother is still looking for me? She was so controlling; how do I know she doesn't have people scanning for a rouge elf?" Kiva said
"You said it's been over a hundred years since you left,"
"That's barely anything to an elf." Kiva said, "I've thought about removing the sigil before, but I can't risk it."
"You're not alone," Amara said, kissing the engagement ring on Kiva's hand, her ring. "You don't have to hide from me."
Kiva gazed into the eyes of her fiance and gave in, "Alright,"
She traced a finger over the sigil and snapped her fingers and the sigil faded away. For a moment, she looked exactly the same, then her ears were suddenly longer, her shoulder length hair turned from dirty blonde to a shiny golden color, her dull green eyes were now a vibrant kaleidoscopic rainbow of color, and her creamy skin now gave off a soft glow as the feel of her being changed, she now seemed more majestic, like a divine being. proof she was a high elf.
"W-what do you think?" Kiva asked self-conscious.
"You look as beautiful as always," Amara said, taking the sides of her face in her hands and pulling her into a passionate kiss.
It was at that moment when Nya and Morgan walked in. The door slid open and the lights flashed on as the Grand Marshal and her daughter entered the spacious room.
"Hey, Amara, you bus—?" Nya started before realizing that Amara was, in fact, busy
"Oh my god!" Kiva cried as she buried herself under the sheets, "You could've knocked at least."
"It's my ship." Nya said, "Kiva, you look different"
Kiva pops her head out from her covering, "I took off my camouflage sigil."
"Huh, so that's what you look like naturally?" Nya said with barely a raised eyebrow
"So that's what an elf looks like?" Morgan notes, the blush on her cheeks is evident, but she seems to be emulating Nya's neutral reaction.
"What do you want?" Amara demanded
"I was wondering if you'd take Morgan here for Jaeger training." Nya said, "Didn't know you were busy."
"Alright, I can add her to the batch going for out basic training." Amara stated, "though she's younger than we usually recruit, but I guess I can make an exception for the Grand Marshal's own daughter."
"Excellent." Nya said, "We'll leave you to your business."
Morgan cast a final curious look towards the lovers as she left.
"Um… m-mom?" Morgan called as they would out onto the corridor
"What?" Nya asked, she then looked at her daughter, the slight blush in her cheeks and the unusual longing look in her eyes. It reminded her of when she first became a vampire, her daughter was horny. "O-oh,"
Nya was caught completely off-guard; she hadn't intended to explain sexuality to any of her kids so soon. She'd hoped to have more time.
"When I saw the two of them… together, I felt this odd sensation… in my nether regions," Morgan said,
"Well, uh, what's happening to you is… c-completely natural," Nya explained awkwardly. As her own sexual awakening wasn't that long after she became a vampire, Nya discovered that vampires were very hedonistic creatures. It was practically in their nature to be decadent and spoiled.
"Um, I had intended on discussing this with you when you were a little older, but it seems that I now have no choice."
As they walked towards the lift, Nya began to explain to her daughter the birds and the bees.
* * *
A week later, Nya and Amara both saw Morgan off as she walked aboard the transport shuttle along with dozens of other eager recruits, all of who were much older than her.
"Do you think this will work out?" Amara asked
"You've seen how she moves, she's a natural, " Nya said, proudly, "I have no doubt she'll be a fine Jaeger,"
"But whether or not she'll be popular is up to her," Amara added
"I'm not too worried," Nya replied, "us Crimsons are excellent judges of character, it's why I didn't rip your guts out when we first met."
"Uh… thanks?"
"No problem," Nya smirked, "I can't wait to see what kind of Jaeger she becomes."
While Morgan was off at basic training, Nya spent her time with Astrid and Eli. They were both too young for her to start at the state academy, so she and Marlin were homeschooling them. So far, they both proved to be taking well to their civil lessons so, as a treat, Nya decided to take them on a little sightseeing excursion.
They were visiting the Throne of Valor to see the hub of government.
"Do you work here?" Eli asked
"Not really," Nya answers, "I'm the Grand Marshal, so technically my office should be in Cerberus headquarters, but I haven't really had much to do at an official capacity since the Primark took office. For some reason I'm still a part of the High Order."
"And you set up this system of government?" Eli asked
"Yes, after I killed the last World Lord, I took his place," Nya said, "his regime didn't really fit with me so I had to change the whole thing."
"The last World Lord… you mean our father?" Astrid asked
Nya paused briefly, before replying, "Yes. Davos was your biological father, but only because his DNA was used to make you."
"We know," Astrid said, "you've told us this already,"
As Nya was giving the tour, they were met by Primark Mari Quinn. She had changed quite a bit in the time since she first met Nya, she was taller than Nya by a head, her buxom figure was clothed in a smart dark gray office dress and white business blazer with a pin of the Avalon crest on her lapel. Her bright auburn hair was neatly styled, making her horns more profound, her single whole horn was polished and stylish. Her eyes were a sharp gray and were full of compassion. Her phantasm, that Nya had discovered was enhanced empathic abilities, was one of the reason she was such an effective Primark.
"Hello Primark lady," Eli greeted cheerfully
Mira chuckled, "Well hello to you too, Eli. What brings you here to the seat of government?"
"Mom brought us, she wanted to show us the capitol." Astrid answered
"Well, aren't you a doting mother," Mira said smiling at Nya
"What can I say; these kids grew on me," Nya shrugged, "How are things with your own kids, mother to mother?"
"My kids are doing fine," Mari said, "Noah and Eris have just started preschool."
"What's preschool?" Eli asked
"It's a form of schooling for young children under 5 years old, it helps set up the foundation for their education as they grow up," Nya explained,
"Shouldn't we be in preschool then?" Astrid asked
"While you guys have only been alive for a few months, you are already both developmentally past that stage," Nya informed them, "which is why Merlin and I have been tutoring you; to fill in any gaps you might have."
"So, when I'm officially thirteen, can I go to normal school then?" Astrid asked, looking at Mari pleadingly
"I don't see why not," Mari answered, then her band started beeping. As she tapped it, and a hologram of Marshal Dax appeared, "What is it, Marshal?"
"Forgive the interruption, Primark, Grand Marshal," the cyclops said, nodding his head to the two women, he looked just like a regular human, with the exception that he had only one singular eye and a less pronounced nose. "Long range sensors have detected a formation of about half a dozen ships coming out of hyperspace near systems edge, should we mobilize our forces to engage?"
"Not yet," Nya said "First send a warning transmission to this formation, but ready the Phalanx to deploy, and send a few ships to meet them at the edge of the system."
"I agree with that," Mari said, "And also issue a level 3 emergency across all off world facilities."
"It will be done." Dax answered as the holo-comm faded
"Are we going into battle?" Eli asked excitedly
"No, my little warrior, we don't know who they are or what they want yet." Nya said, "Unfortunately we'll have to cut our outing short. You need to get back to the Excalibur and I need to be on the Phalanx to meet them."
"Can we come with you?" Astrid asked,
"No, it's not safe," Nya said
"The safest place anywhere is next to you, mum," Eli said hugging her waist and looking up at her with pleading eyes.
Mari snickered at Nya's lost expression; one of the fiercest beings in Avalon, and she was powerless against a child's whims
"You manipulative little…" Nya hissed to herself, before sighing, "Aright, fine, but you will need to do everything I say."
"Yay!" the two of them cheered
"I'll leave you to it," Mari chuckled, "We should really get together, have dinner or something,"
"I'm always free, unless there's trouble." Nya said, "just name a time and place."
Orbiting the planet Avalon was a massive battle station, named the Phalanx. It was first constructed during the World Lord's reign and had been renovated and upgraded by Cerberus as the headquarters of Cerberus space command. The massive cube-shaped superstructure served as the main anchorage for the home fleet.
On the domed command post at the top, Nya was standing by a window, dressed in her uniform and looking out into space, with the hologram of the unidentified fleet quickly approaching the edge of their territory.
"So far they've ignored all our proximity warnings," Marshal Dax explained
"They're approaching weapon's range," one of the officers reported from their station
"Open a communications channel," Nya ordered
"Channel opened," their comm officer said
"This is Nya Crimson, Grand Marshal of the forces of Avalon." Nya said with all the force and authority she could muster, "Unidentified fleet, you are entering our territory uninvited. Please stand down and respond or we will be forced to open fire."
For a few moments, they were met with silence, then a response came through. A hologram appeared showing an elderly woman in a naval uniform.
"Greetings Grand Marshal, this is Admiral Marcher of Providence security fleet 3-Alpha." Came her reply, "We are escorting an important emissary on a diplomatic mission to meet you."
"We would've appreciated a heads up first," Nya said, "We have guns primed to blast you to kingdom come with nothing to do now,"
"Sorry for the inconvenience," the Admiral chuckled, "our emissary wanted it to be a surprise."
"Alright, an escort ship will bring you in." Nya said, as the hologram faded, she then turned to the Marshal, "Keep your guns on them at all time. I don't like Providence being here unannounced."
"Of course, ma'am." Marshal Dax affirmed
"What's Providence?" Astrid asked
"They're the largest private security force in the cosmos." Nya explained, "offering protection to the rich and powerful across Hyperion."
"Are we in trouble?" Eli asked
"No," Nya said, "At least, not to my knowledge."
Within an hour, about a dozen blue starships were docking into the Phalanx-A, they were all sleek and streamlined with powerful engines at the stern of the ship, all in an electric blue with the providence emblem emblazoned on their side,
"Nya," Terror called as he rushed onto the command center, "What's going on?"
"There you are. What took you so long?" Nya chided
"I was at home when I get an emergency call demanding my presence on the Phalanx," Terror explained
"Well we have a surprise visit by Providence. They're here escorting a VIP."
"May I remind you that we have a bit of a not-so-good history with Providence?" Terror cautioned
"We are in trouble!" Astrid gasped
"Are they coming to take you away mom?" Eli said hugging her possessively, "I won't let them."
Nya glared daggers at Terror, "Now see what you've done. Besides, our run-in with them was years ago, they obviously have more important things to care about than a couple of young hooligans who ran from them a decade ago."
She then had to spend the next five minutes to calm her children down from the panic that Terror had incited in them.
Some time later, Nya, along with the three Marshals and Mari were in a conference room waiting for the Providence delegation. A moment later, a group of several people dressed in Providence uniforms entered the room, at the head of the group, was a young woman, she had dark hair and light brown skin with dark hazel eyes. Her demeanor was professional, her face was stony, and her eyes were cold and calculating.
"Hello, my name is Lycia Ayona, I have come as a representative of my daughter, the current head of Providence." She introduced herself taking a seat
"Welcome to Avalon," Mari greeted, "I am Primark Mari Quinn, first of the High Order. Your sudden arrival has caught us unawares, however, I trust you enjoy the reception we have put together for you."
"Thank you for the hospitality," Lycia said, "it has been a long journey, and－"
"Why are you here?" Nya demanded, forgoing the pleasantries and getting to the point.
"So, you are the infamous Nya Crimson?" Lycia said eyeing her suspiciously, "We've been briefed on you and your actions. Your warship is quite impressive."
"You didn't answer my question," Nya said
"Well, the authority of Providence is recognized across all of Hyperion. We provide security and safety to the hundreds of thousands of worlds under our protection." Lycia started, "As we pride ourselves in establishing a working relationship with all the major powers in Hyperion, and we would like to extend that courtesy to Avalon."
"Why?"
"Avalon now controls its local system, as well as has a presence in neighboring systems. Your military prowess is nothing to scoff at, and with your dreadnought, you have considerable arsenal at your disposal. You have proven yourselves to be an emerging power, and some might not like that. So we can offer you our full support and protection."
"In exchange for?" Mari asked
"Well we would need to set up a permanent garrison in this sector and open an embassy for you on the Templar. And we also require that you supply us with any additional resources, equipment, or personnel we may require and pay an annual tithe of ten billion Hyperion credits."
"10,000,000,000 credits?" Mari practically choked, "That's absurdly expensive,"
"That is our regular rate for full planetary security," Lycia said, "considering the quality of service we provide it is, with all due respect, more than generous of us for keeping you safe."
"With respect; you can shove that deal right up your posh ass." Nya sneered
"Excuse me?" Lycia said, not hiding her outrage
"You come here making demands of us without giving us any guarantee that all this will mean shit when something actually happens." Nya said, "I'm pretty confident in our ability to protect ourselves."
"I apologize for the Grand Marshal, she's impetuous and isn't known for her patience, but she is also very insightful in matters of foreign affairs." Mari said, "I'm afraid I have to agree with her assessment."
It was clear from Lycia's expression that she wasn't accustomed to being rejected.
"Alright, tensions are a bit high right now" Lycia said, "Why don't you take some time to consider our offer. We will be hosting a gala at the Templar in a few months, all the major players will be attending. You should come, see how it's like in the big leagues."
Before Nya could say anything, Mari interrupted her, "We'd love too."
"Good, we will send you the invitation data shortly." Lycia said, "In the meantime I feel this meeting is adjourned?"
"Yes," Mari said, "It was nice to meet you."
As the delegation exit the meeting room, Nya turns to Mari, "You accepted their invitation?"
"Providence is one of Hyperion's premier powers, their influence rivals that of the Alfheim Theocracy and the Surtr Guilds." Mari said, "We do not want to make them an enemy."
"I'm currently working on a fleet of Excalibur-class ships," Nya said, "We can match them,"
"Are they going to be ready within the next few months?" Mari asked
"Not really, I had to override the constructor protocols to build the first one on such a short deadline," Nya said
"Then we accept her invitation." Mari said, "You'll accompany me to the Templar?"
"Well you are the face of the High Order and the representative of Avalon, I can't let you go there on your own." Nya shrugged,
* * *
Later, Nya found herself on one of the barren moons of Avalon. Before her was a vast plain that had just recently been riddled with smoldering craters. The intense heat emanating from the craters was the only fallout of Nya's recently tested Divine Sanction; [Gates of Purgatory]. Nya herself was protected from the blast by an energy barrier made of blood aura that she had named [Blood Aegis].
Beside her, Merlin applauded. [Impressive. Devastatingly effective.] the Prime congratulated
"So that's what my divine sanction was like?" Nya wondered, "That's alright for a first try, but I feel like it should be more."
In her mind, a window appeared;
[ALERT: DIVINE SANCTION; [GATES OF PURGATORY] HAS EVOLVED! FURTHER UPGRADES ARE NOW AVAILABLE AT YOUR DISCRETION! PREVIOUS VARIANT HAS NOW BEEN DESIGNATED [GATE OF PURGATORY]: ARES' BLESSINGS!]
"Wow!" Nya exclaimed, "this system is very intuitive."
[Why thank you,] Merlin smirked, [with your rate of growth and adaptive style, I didn't think you would be satisfied with just one gift. You can continue to grow and expand the capabilities of your Divine Sanction since it is linked to you.]
"Useful, now, we should probably get back before someone asks me how I defaced the dark side of the moon."
Back on the Excalibur, Nya was in the terrarium, sitting in the lotus position and floating a foot of her cushion, locked in meditation when Astrid approaches.
"Uh, mom? I-is this a bad time?" Astrid asked timidly
"No, not really." Nya said as she floated down to the cushion, "nothing is more important to me then you kids. What's up, why are you up so late?"
"I could feel you… in my head." Astrid said, "It's how I knew you were here."
"Really?" Nya said curiously, she then held out her hand, in her palm was a glowing crystalline stone. Astrid took it without hesitation and gasped as dropped it.
"W-what was that?" Astrid said
"That was a mythril," Nya said, picking it up.
The stone was no longer glowing,
"What was that about?"
"It was a test, I had to be sure," Nya said,
"Be sure of what?"
"You're mana sensitive; it means you have the aptitude to become an adept." Nya revealed, "since your father was a powerful adept, I suspected one of you would take after him. like how Morgan's vampirism comes from me,"
"Is it a bad thing?" Astrid asked
"No, it just means that when start your civil lessons, you'll also have to study with Kiva at the Mage Tower." Nya said as she hugged her daughter, "I am so proud of you."
"Thanks mom, I love you,"
"I love you more," Nya said as she kissed her forehead.
* * *
It had been a few months since Morgan had left for Jaeger basic training, and it was some of the best times of her very short life. When she first showed up at the Jaeger training camp located on an isolated island, she was a bit homesick, now this island was like her second home.
The first thing the fresh recruits were told to do they entered boot camp was to strip down and discard their clothes, then they received single gray patch the size of their hand, and were told that that was their uniform. The others had assumed it was some sort of prank or tease, but Morgan was already familiar with byte nanotechnology and the Jaegers biotic suits, she slapped the patch onto her torso. Upon coming in contact with living flesh, the material became active spreading across her body on its own until it covered her up to her neck and took the form of a fitted gray bodysuit. The others had copied her and also put on their own custom bodysuit, then they were met by instructors who carted them off to different barracks.
The following two months were harrowing, highlighted by the recruits being put through grueling physical and mental training that pushed them to their limits, those who couldn't cope left naked as they were stripped of their only uniform. At the end of the two month, of the 800 plus that had arrived as recruits, only about 250 remained.
Morgan had had a rough time at the start, her training platoon were skeptical when she was introduced as the Grand Marshal's daughter, some were even hostile towards her, either not believing her parentage or thinking she would flaunt her elite status, but her earnest determination and perseverance had won them over… well, most of them anyway.
Morgan was in her barrack, resting on her bunk after another long hard day of combat training, when a tall girl peeked her head up to look at her.
"Hey Morgan," she greeted
"Hey Valla," she greeted back with a smile.
"You okay? You were unusually violent today." Valla commented, "You really went at it demolishing Rex during sparing,"
"Hey, it's not my fault he likes the taste of dirt," she shrugged, she was still seething. After all those rude things Rex said about her and her mother, he was lucky she only left him with one less tooth.
"I know Rex can be an ass, but the instructor who took him to the infirmary said that you should expect disciplinary actions." Valla said,
"No problem," Morgan shrugged,
At the biological age of 15 and only being an actual living person for just over a year now, she was the youngest recruit ever. She only got in because of special connections, which hadn't helped her credibility. In order to prove she was qualified, she had to put in 200% to show up all the naysayers and sometimes she got overaggressive. She had a temper and had been in several fights already, and became acquainted with the disciplinary officers as a result.
"What do we have tomorrow? Shooting practice again?"
"No, tomorrow we have a special lesson, taught by a guest instructor." Valla said,
"It's probably Amara," Morgan guessed,
"What's she like? The head of the Jaegers?"
"Moody. She really loves her fiance, though,"
"She's getting married? I heard she was a hard-ass, who would be brave enough to try?"
"Kiva Warren,"
"The grandmaster of the Mage Tower?"
"That's her," Morgan said, "I even walked in on them having sex."
"That sounds hot," Valla cooed, "Why can't I find someone for myself."
"Because you're a little intimidating," Morgan said, "you scare off all potential mates."
"That hurts," Valla pouted tapping her chest, over her heart, "right here."
"Well, as long as it doesn't hurt me, I'm fine with it." Morgan joked back as the two of them chatted.
Valla was the closest thing Morgan had to a best friend. She was an undine, an amphibious species of fae, and was seventeen year old, which made her technically two years older than Morgan was supposed to be, but they still regarded each other as equals. Valla seemed to not care that Morgan was a vampire, unlike most other cadets who avoided her because of this, even with the equal status of omen on Avalon, some were still feared more than others.
The next day, when her platoon gathered at the training area, when they met with their guest instructor, murmurs spread among the cadets.
"Hello," the Grand Marshal greeted, "My name is Nya, and I'm here to break you... in."
"M-mom?" Morgan gasped, breaking rank and going over to meet her after being beckoned by her mother.
"Hi sweetie," Nya beamed as she hugged her eldest daughter lovingly, "how is your basic training going?"
"Uh, good?" Morgan said, "what are you doing here?"
"Well, I'm here to give you guys a lesson." Nya said.
Morgan fell back in line as Nya paced in front of the platoon. She then pulled a firearm from her Crimson Void. It was sleek and had a distinct 'A' shape.
"This is a phase-7 plasma bolt-caster." Nya said aloud. "It is basic and compact with serious penetrating power. A standard weapon used by most forces in Hyperion. Are we like most armies in Hyperion?"
"NO MA'AM!" came the group response
"I thought not," She then tossed the bolt-caster aside and pulled a different firearm from a leg holster. This one looked more like a mix between a large pistol and a sub-machine gun with a long barrel and thick muzzle. "This is a Lancelot-V blaster. Made right here on Avalon. When you complete this course and become Jaegers, you will each have earned the right to carry one of these. But any one of you who can knock me down gets to keep this one here right now."
The cadets looked at her confused, unsure what she meant.
"I'm telling you all to spar with me, I'll go easy on you, I'll use standard fighting form; no fancy stuff," Nya said as she holstered the blaster, she then took off her military coat, revealing the fitted sleeveless top she wore underneath, similar in design to their own fitted bodysuit, except black and red with gold patterns, "Well? Come at me."
The bulk of them hesitated, but an ambitious young kobal stepped forward, he was well built and had thick muscles for his species.
"I'm sorry if this hurts, Grand Marshal," he said as he launched a barrage of quick jabs, all of which, Nya effortlessly parried. When he tried a wide attack, Nya found her opening and drove her offensive, pushing him back, she then drove her knee into his gut and, while he was wincing, she gave a sweeping kick that knocked him off his feet.
"Nice try, who's next?" Nya said
Three other cadets then rushed her, two were omen and one was an adept. the two omen, a lykan and an orc, relied on their size and strength to overpower her, and the adept tried to use psionic power to restrain her movement. Moments later, the three of them were reeling on the ground, and Nya pushed her hair out of her face.
"Very good, that was the solid teamwork," Nya said, "C'mon, I expected a few of you to want to show me up. I'm honestly disappointed."
A few more stepped up to fight her, but they were all quickly flattened minutes later.
Nya looked around, but it seemed that none more wanted to attack her, "Morgan, why don't you come and show your mother what you got?"
Morgan steps forward, "Um, do I have to?"
"Try," Nya said assuming her fighting stance
Morgan took a breath and attacked her mother, being that Morgan had also been training in rote-kunst, she could match her mother's mobility in combat. Nya, being true to her word, only stuck with the standard fighting forms she taught to the Jaegers, but against someone who had studied her fighting style and had full use of all her appendages, she was at a disadvantage.
The fight went on longer than previous ones, and attracted the interest of several instructors and trainers as well as other cadets. After going for several minutes, before both combatants still refused to admit defeat. Halfway through the fight, Nya had been forced to take up rote-kunst as well in order to keep up, and now she had managed to get her daughter in a strangle hold that she just couldn't break.
"Say it." Nya hissed into her daughter's ear as she tightened her hold around her throat
"I… I lose," Morgan gasped, then her mother let her go
"That was an interesting bout," the instructor applauded
"Yes it was," Nya said, she then turned to the rest of the cadets, "I hope you all learned something from that?"
"Yeah, don't mess with a Crimson," Valla whispered as Morgan got back in line beside her.
"I had originally intended on teaching you some advanced fighting forms, but I believe my fight with my daughter was lesson enough if you were paying attention." Nya said as she retrieved her coat from the instructor.
"Now I must be off," Nya said, "But from what I've seen so far, I expect great things in the future, you are certainly training them well, instructors. Carry on."
* * *
Eli was in his room, working on the tablet that his mom gave him, when Merlin appeared.
"Hi Merlin," he greeted absently, his focus centered on the device in his hands, there are cables that are connecting the tablet to the wall.
[What are you doing?] she asked, [You've linked your tablet to the ship's main data core and you're using a lot of processing power]
"I was working on something for mom," Eli admitted
[What?]
"I'm looking into byte nanotechnology, and I was using the ship's processor because this one is too limited."
[Nano-tech?] Merlin asked, [you could've just come to me. What are you working on?]
"Well, we make use of the current hologram technology available across the rest Hyperion space," Eli said, "but from what I've found out, byte constructs are far more versatile than holograms, and is thousands of years more advanced. The most advancement anyone has made with hologram technology is the holo-comm and hard light shielding."
[Eh, Nya and I thought that utilizing only byte construct instead of holograms would be tricky for everyone else.] Merlin scoffed, [Besides, the Praxians byte-construct imaging isn't as detailed as our holograms.]
"But you could work it out, right?" Eli asked, "a way to improve the byte-construct imaging?"
[Well, of course. Easily.] Merlin boasted [But that's because I'm superior technology.]
"And I would love a chance to study you one day." Eli said, "But for right now, do you think you could help me?"
[With what?]
"Well, I was thinking of maybe taking what we know of hard-light technology and applying that to byte constructs, maybe improving it or even creating a new form of construct projection." Eli said
[Combining the two…?] Merlin mused [Impressive, you're an interesting human, Eli Crimson.] Merlin smiled. All of Nya's children possessed high IQ according to Merlin's tests, but Eli seemed to have an equally robust hunger for knowledge and discovery. Even Merlin hadn't even considered something like that. [Alright, I'll help, but its gonna cost you.]
"How much?"
[To be determined, this is a big favor you're asking. Now, I feel we're going to need to look into the progression of hologram technology through history for inspiration.]
* * *
In a far off planet on the other side of Hyperion, along the mountain range that marked the coast, a robed figure walked a narrow path towards a cave. This is no ordinary cave thought, the insides of the cave have been fashioned into a temple of sorts; with old hieroglyphs carved into the walls depicting ancient history lit by the lamps that hung overhead with glowing orbs of energy casting light instead of flames. Steps chiseled into the cave leading deeper and deeper, with each landing, an older accounting of history is revealed, as the figure descends, they pass robed women in masks, tending to different duties in the subterranean temple. At the lowest level sat an alter with a brazier roaring with multi-colored flames atop the alter and several robed women sitting on benches around the fire. It is impossible to tell, but these women are old beyond imagining, possibly the oldest on the planet, and their faces are covered with ornate veils, as they stare into the fires, mesmerized, chanting with whispered breath in ancient tongues.
"Esteemed order of the silent sisters," the figure greets, bowing its head, "keepers of the primal flame, witness of the past and seers of the future, I beseech your counsel."
All the elders spoke in unison, "WHAT DO YOU SEEK?"
"What does the future hold? Does my mission succeed? Do the galaxies become united?"
"YES!" they answer, "WE HAVE SEEN IT IN THE FLAMES OF ETERNITY. HYPERION WILL BOW BEFORE A SINGLE POWER!"
The figure smiles in satisfaction underneath their cloak
"HOWEVER, IT WILL NOT BE YOU THAT WEILDS THIS POWER!" They explain, "WE SEE A TIME WHEN ALL GALAXIES LIES UNDER THE BANNER OF ANOTHER, UNIFIED BY THE MIGHT OF A LORD EMPEROR, AND ALL OF HYPERION TREMBLES AT HER NAME; NYA CRIMSON!"
Outraged by the revelation, the figure rips off their hood and Titania Vaux Oberon, Supreme Pontiff of the Alfheim Theocracy loudly demands, "Who the fuck is Nya Crimson?"