Seph had little time to warn Aedan when he felt a blur and a gust of wind rush past him, following all the way to the neural core at the lowest levels of the ship. The control room where the core was located was small. The figure raised its hand, which had only three fingers, towards the purple neural core, only to feel a shock that pushed it back against the wall. The figure grunted. It was too good to expect the space beast to be unbounded.
Before the figure could leave the room in search of the pilot, a red crystal ripped through the air behind it. The figure barely had time to dodge, and the crystal tore a hole through its arm. At the end of the corridor stood Aedan in his base Anger Heartspark Combo. "Identify yourself!" Aedan demanded, a heartspark in his hand morphing into an aura sword.
The figure snorted and dove forward. Aedan and the unknown figure exchanged blows, but the latter moved a bit too fast for Aedan to follow. In the end, Aedan took more hits, and the surface of his armor began to show cracks. Aedan looked down, stunned by the state of his armor; nothing had been able to breach it before. Not wanting to back down, Aedan flared his aura, causing all the dust to rise. Taking three blue heartsparks, he inserted them into his belt as the figure watched the transformation without interfering. Behind the cloak, the figure smiled and spoke for the first time.
"So this is the armor I heard about. Its energy readings are similar to an Enigma and I have a feeling it's more than a Standard Enigma."
The figure, to Aedan's shock, left its battle stance and pulled back the cloak, taking off the mask to reveal a human-looking face covered by light-toned scales, three-fingered hands with claws, cat-like amber eyes, and long hair falling to the waist. "I think introductions are due. Name's E'trickafallonis, a Tyrano-Sapiens from the planet of Thark. Elite Agent and Mercenary of the Bloodless Hall, currently in hire of the Northern Star Empire, but you can call me Trika. Now, lower your weapon and break your bond to the beast-class starship, or I will be forced to take necessary measures."
Aedan didn't lower his weapon and instead asked with a calm tone while he had Kayla and Alina move to a safer place. "I think I prefer to remain as Seph's pilot for the time being."
Right as he said that, Trika vanished from where she was standing and reappeared behind Aedan with a dagger at his waist and a blaster pointing at his head. Yet Aedan's aura of anger, dense as it was, prevented the blade of the dagger from getting closer than ten inches from his armor.
"Impressive," Trika remarked, her voice cool and analytical. "But futile."
With a surge of energy, Aedan spun around, knocking the dagger out of Trika's hand with a swift kick. He raised his aura sword, ready to strike, but Trika was already on the move. She dodged his attack with agility and speed that seemed almost supernatural.
"You are skilled, I'll give you that," Trika said, circling Aedan with her cat-like eyes fixed on him. "But you cannot win this fight."
Aedan's eyes narrowed. "We'll see about that."
He unleashed a barrage of attacks, his movements a blur as he pressed the assault. Trika countered with equal ferocity, her claws slashing through the air with deadly precision. The two combatants moved in a deadly dance, each strike and counterstrike echoing through the control room.
As the battle raged on, Aedan could feel his energy waning. The strain of maintaining his aura and the intensity of the fight were taking their toll. But he couldn't afford to back down. Not now.
"You won't take Seph," Aedan vowed, his voice a growl of determination.
"Your stubbornness is commendable," Trika replied, her tone almost mocking. "But ultimately pointless."
With a burst of speed, Trika closed the distance between them, her claws aimed for Aedan's throat. But Aedan was ready. He raised his aura sword, blocking the attack and countering with a powerful blow that sent Trika crashing into the wall.
Breathing heavily, Aedan watched as Trika slowly got to her feet, a smirk on her face despite the pain.
Before Aedan could follow up with an attack, Trika began to morph. Feathers sprouted over her arms and legs, her size decreased, and her muscles compacted, giving her a speed boost three times faster than before.
Aedan could barely keep track of the blows he received before his base Sorrow armor shattered and the belt turned gray. Desperation setting in, Aedan sent an aura-infused fist against the floor. The shockwave unbalanced Trika, who had to land a couple of feet away with a sprained ankle.
Breathing heavily, Aedan watched as Trika slowly got to her feet, a smirk on her face despite the pain. "You're stronger than I expected," she admitted. "Cute too, but you're still no match for the Empire."
Before Aedan could respond, a blinding light filled the room. When it faded, Trika was gone.
"Seph," Aedan called out, his voice filled with urgency. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Seph replied, his voice echoing in Aedan's mind. "But we need to act quickly. The Northern Star Empire won't give up easily."
Aedan nodded, his resolve hardening. "We need to leave, Seph. But first, I have to take care of a few things."
As he made his way out of the control room, Aedan couldn't shake the feeling that time was running out. The Northern Star Empire could breach the space beast at any moment, and in a stroke of luck, they had been unable to steal it this time. He had to act now.
"Seph, warn Kayla and Alina that we can't stay here anymore. Have them move to the bridge where I'll be waiting. Turn up the engines and prepare to take flight."
"Understood," Seph responded, his voice calm yet urgent. "Relaying the message now."
Aedan moved swiftly through the corridors of the space beast, his mind racing with the weight of their situation. He couldn't afford any mistakes. Each step echoed his determination to protect those he cared about and ensure their escape.
Kayla and Alina received Seph's message as they were securing their belongings. Kayla, with her sharp mind and quick reflexes, immediately understood the gravity of the situation. She grabbed Alina's hand and started moving towards the bridge.
"Come on, Alina. We need to hurry," Kayla urged, her voice steady despite the urgency.
As they reached the bridge, Aedan was already there, his face set with resolve. The hum of the engines vibrated through the space beast, a sign that Seph had initiated the pre-flight sequence. The bridge was a mix of ancient technology and organic components, a testament to Seph's unique nature as a living starship.
"Kayla, Alina, take your seats and strap in," Aedan instructed, his eyes scanning the control panels. "Seph, status report."
"The engines are warming up and will be ready for takeoff in a few minutes but the energy reserves are only at 40%," Seph replied. "I've also tried to initiate the cloaking systems to minimize our visibility to the Northern Star fleet but it seems to have been damaged."
Aedan nodded, his mind calculating their next move. "Good. Once we're airborne, prepare a breach to any planet outside the Northern Star Empire's control and devoid of civilization."
As the engines roared to life, Aedan took a deep breath, steadying himself for what was to come. The bridge's view screen flickered, displaying the outside world as the mountain where it had come from collapsed bellow them. The lush forests and mountains of Esethia rolled by, a reminder of the beauty and danger they were leaving behind.
Just as they were about to lift off, an alarm blared through the bridge. "Warning: Incoming hostile signals detected," Seph announced.
Aedan's eyes closed as he felt his connection as pilot flare up, for a moment feeling as if he had become the ship and could see from Seph's perspective. "Preparing for evasive maneuvers. Seph and I are one now, we can do it."
The space beast began to rise, its massive form shaking off the weight of the world below. As they ascended, Aedan spotted a squadron of Northern Star fighters approaching fast.
"Seph, engage the thrusters. We need to outrun them."
"There is not enough energy. If we do that, we lose our shields or won't have enough to warp." Aedan willed, guiding Seph through a series of sharp turns and evasive maneuvers. But it was far from enough; the lasers hit one of the primary systems, making them lose altitude.
"Aedan, this is bad." Seph's voice in his mind warned. "That agent had damaged my spatial control engine. I can't open the spatial breach for us to escape. I will be forced to land. Sorry, but it seems you will have to fight them in the end."
Aedan sighed. "Fine, but land away from civilization. I don't want to cause more carnage to this world."
The ship then flew to the extreme north, passing the Nordlands until the Void, a region of Esethia that no one currently lived in according to Seph's sensors. Landing on a giant piece of ice floating in the air, Aedan leapt off the ship and looked down to see his belt already repaired from the damage from before. He willed two heartsparks of Anger, Joy, and Sorrow, inserting them into the slots.
Aedan stood tall, ready for transformation. The belt hummed with energy as the heartsparks clicked into place. The sky around him seemed to darken momentarily, the air charged with an otherworldly energy.
"Harmony Combo, engage!" Aedan shouted.
A surge of energy enveloped him, his body lifted slightly off the ground as light burst from the heartsparks. Red, yellow, and blue energy swirled around him, intertwining in a dazzling display of color and power. The Anger heartspark infused him with a fierce, fiery aura, the Joy heartspark added a vibrant, golden glow, and the Sorrow heartspark surrounded him with a calm, azure light.
The armor began to morph, integrating the three energies into a harmonious blend. His base suit thickened, becoming more resilient and flexible. The red, yellow, and blue crystals embedded into the armor started to pulse, syncing with his heartbeat.
"Transformation complete," Seph announced, impressed with Aedan's current form.
Aedan now stood in his Harmony Combo, his new weapon materialized in his hands: a human-sized shield, intricately designed with sections of red, yellow, and blue crystals. The shield shimmered, reflecting the light in mesmerizing patterns. With a thought, Aedan activated its morphing ability. The shield extended and transformed, segments clicking and shifting until it became a giant claymore, the blade's edge glowing with the combined power of the three heartsparks.