The stars stretched out like a field of diamonds beyond the shuttle's viewport, shimmering in the dark void as Aedan guided the small craft through a particularly dense asteroid field. His hands moved effortlessly over the controls, navigating the jagged rocks that drifted lazily in the emptiness. His destination lay hidden deep within the asteroid belt, a secret base where no one from the Earthen Hall could track him.
Seph's presence tugged at his consciousness. Even from a distance, she was there, lingering at the edge of his thoughts. Aedan felt the familiar warmth of their connection, the strange, unspoken bond between ship and pilot. It was more than neural links or advanced technology now, something far more profound was changing between them. He could feel her pulse in time with his own heartbeat, a resonance that hadn't been there before.
His shuttle dipped between two massive asteroids and soon the outline of the Leviathan Mothership came into view, nestled in the shadow of a moon-sized rock. Sephira, Seph for short, waited for him, her massive form anchored to the asteroid's surface, like a colossal beast resting in its lair. The once feral creature he had tamed was now far more than just a living ship.
As the shuttle docked, Aedan could feel the gentle hum of Seph's systems welcoming him. He stepped out, the familiar scent of the ship's cool, sterile air filling his lungs as he made his way toward her core chamber.
Seph's voice echoed softly in his mind. "You're back."
"I said I'd visit, didn't I?" Aedan replied with a smirk, though his tone was weighted with unspoken thoughts.
The chamber that housed Seph's neural core was quiet, illuminated by the faint, pulsing glow of the ship's organic-metal architecture. Her core, once a singular mass of metal and flesh, had changed. Now, swirling within it were streaks of color, reds, blues, greens, that shimmered in sync with Aedan's Heart Aura.
Aedan approached the core, gazing at it with a mix of awe and concern. "You're changing," he said, resting a hand against the chamber's wall. The metal beneath his hand was warm, almost alive, responding to his touch with a faint hum.
"As are you," Seph responded. Her voice had become softer, more nuanced, more like a real conversation than the direct, clipped speech of their earlier bond. "Your Enigma… your emotions... they're flowing into me, changing my systems. I'm... not sure what I'm becoming."
Aedan frowned. "I never meant for this to happen."
"Neither did I," Seph admitted, her tone contemplative. "But I can feel it. My systems are responding to your heart. They pulse with your anger, your hope, your sorrow. Your Heartspark drives me, shapes me. What's happening between us is… more than a connection, more than just technology. It's deeper."
He pulled his hand back, looking at the shifting colors in her core. "Does it hurt?"
"No. But it's... different." Seph paused, her voice softening. "I've never felt this before. And you're holding back."
Aedan tensed, but he didn't deny it. He had always been careful, always maintained a certain distance between himself and the Leviathan. She was a part of him, yes, but he wasn't sure if she should be this much a part of him. Seph felt it. his hesitation, and Aedan knew she could feel everything he did. His fear. His desire for control. His uncertainty.
"I've never been afraid of anything before," Seph added quietly. "But now, I'm afraid of losing you. Or maybe… afraid of what I'll become if I don't."
The words lingered in the chamber for a moment before Aedan broke the silence.
"You won't lose me," he said, his voice firm. "We're in this together."
"I know."
The two shared a moment of quiet understanding before Aedan sighed, stepping back from the core. His thoughts drifted to the stasis pods further inside the ship. His family, Kayla and Alina, remained frozen in time, still trapped in their comatose state.
"You're going to see them, aren't you?" Seph asked, though she already knew the answer.
Aedan didn't respond. He simply turned and walked away from the core chamber, his steps heavy as he moved through the Leviathan's silent halls.
The stasis chamber was cold, even by the Leviathan's usual standards. The lights were dimmed, casting long shadows across the sleek, metallic floor. Two pods stood in the center of the room, side by side, illuminated by the soft, pulsing light of the stasis field that kept his aunt and cousin alive.
Kayla, his aunt, was the closest thing he'd ever had to a mother, raising him after his adoptive parents were gone. And Alina, his cousin, had been like a sister. Now, they both lay motionless in their pods, faces peaceful but lifeless, trapped in a sleep from which they might never wake.
Aedan approached slowly, his gaze locked on their still forms. He had seen them like this countless times, but it never got easier. The guilt gnawed at him every time he looked at them. This was his burden. His responsibility. And no matter how far he ran, he could never escape it.
"We'll find a cure," Seph said softly in his mind. "We'll bring them back."
"I know," Aedan whispered, though the words felt hollow. He placed a hand on Alina's pod, the cold surface biting into his palm. "I'm not giving up on you. Either of you."
But how long could he keep hoping? How long could he keep waiting? The galaxy was vast, and he was no closer to finding the answers he needed than he had been three years ago.
His thoughts flickered back to the rumors he had heard, the whispers of a planet in the Core Systems, one that bore a striking resemblance to Esethia, his homeworld. A lead, maybe. Or just another dead end. But he had to follow it. He had to try.
"Soon," he murmured, stepping back from the pods. "Soon, I'll have answers."
He turned away from the stasis chamber, leaving his family behind in their frozen slumber. As much as he hated it, he couldn't stay. Duty called. The Earthen Hall needed him.
Aedan boarded his personal shuttle, the door hissing shut behind him. As he settled into the pilot's seat, he let out a long breath, his fingers hovering over the controls. He wasn't sure how much longer he could keep doing this, balancing the life of a knight with his personal mission to save his family. But for now, there was no choice.
The shuttle's engines roared to life, and within moments, he was speeding away from the Leviathan and the secret base, leaving Seph and his family behind once more.
As he flew toward the Earthen Hall, he felt Seph's presence linger at the edge of his mind, a comforting weight amidst the chaos of his thoughts.
"I'll always be here," she said softly.
And Aedan, for all his doubt, believed her.
*************************
Aedan's shuttle hummed softly as it slipped through the blackness of space, cutting through the void toward Iskander IV. The barren planet loomed ahead, its surface a tapestry of jagged cliffs and endless expanses of rocky plains.
The base didn't appear on any charts or maps. From orbit, it was invisible, hidden beneath layers of rock and an energy field that masked it from any detection. Only those with the proper clearance, like Aedan, could enter this secret stronghold of the knights.
As he descended toward the base's entrance, nestled between two jagged cliffs, the ground parted in a mechanical dance. A hidden door opened, revealing the metallic underbelly of the Earthen Hall's hidden facility. The docking bay was quiet, discreet, far from the bustling public headquarters in Nexus City. There, politics and bureaucracy often dictated the Hall's actions. But here, under the surface of Iskander IV, the knights handled their most dangerous and classified operations.
Aedan stepped off his shuttle, greeted by the sight of Sir Vorgan, a veteran knight whose scarred armor told stories of countless battles, and an old friend of his mentor Enforcer Julian. He was one of the few who had served the Hall longer than most enforces and remained a knight just so he could keep going on dangerous missions. He was a guy that commanded respect without needing to demand it.
His footsteps echoed as he walked through the familiar, austere corridors of the underground facility he had walked through as a squire. Knights clad in their ceremonial armor, agents, and technicians moved about with purpose, but many paused briefly to acknowledge him with a nod of respect, word of his recent promotion had clearly spread.
"Knight Aedan," one of the younger squires saluted him, eyes gleaming with admiration as Aedan passed. He returned the gesture with a small nod, but his thoughts were distant. He had accepted his new role as a Knight, but the weight of responsibility sat heavy on his shoulders.
Soon, he arrived at the grand war room, a circular chamber filled with holographic displays, tactical readouts, and the steady hum of data being processed. Standing at the center was Knight-Captain Vorgan, a hardened veteran who wore his years of battle as plainly as the scars that marred his face. He raised a hand in greeting as Aedan approached.
"You're right on time," Vorgan said, his voice gruff but respectful. "Let's get straight to it."
Aedan took his place at the circular table, joining the other knights already assembled. The rest of his team was here: Ser Gwen, the grizzled warrior who had been a mentor to Aedan since his earliest days in the Hall, and Kai, the eager, fresh-faced knight who always looked up to him. The camaraderie between the group was palpable, and a flicker of amusement passed between them as Kai gave Aedan an exaggerated salute.
"Glad to see you didn't get yourself lost on the way down here," Kai joked, his smile bright, despite the tense atmosphere.
"Keep that enthusiasm, Kai," Ser Gwen said, her voice gruff but affectionate. "You're going to need it where we're headed."
Aedan smirked at the banter but quickly refocused as the Knight-Captain cleared his throat and the holographic display shifted to show the vast expanse of space before them.
"We've got a mission, and it's not a simple one," Vorgan began, pointing at the glowing projection of the nearby star systems. "This is a two-part operation, and both objectives are crucial."
The display shifted to show a planet in the system's core, Teris III. Its vast urban sprawl was overlaid with several flashing markers.
"Primary objective," Vorgan continued. "We've been tasked with escorting Ambassador Tyran, one of the leading diplomats in the system, to the capital city of Saranis. He's negotiating a peace between two factions on the brink of war. One more thing is that one of the factions is pushing for the end of slavery on the whole planet which would benefit the human race as a whole and is the source of conflict with the other faction. The factions are getting restless, and if the talks fall through, we're looking at a full-scale conflict that could spiral out of control. We need to ensure the ambassador's safe passage."
Aedan studied the map. "And the secondary objective?"
The Knight-Captain's gaze hardened as the display shifted once again, zooming in on a desolate, war-scarred planet covered in the ruins of an ancient battlefield, Drakos V.
"There's something else of importance there," Vorgan said, his voice lowering slightly. "An ancient relic, one that predates even the oldest records in the Hall. Our sources say it could hold unimaginable power, power that certain... factions... might want to exploit. We need to secure it before anyone else does. Intel is limited, but the relic is located deep within the ruins of the battlefield. And one more thing... we've detected unusual energy signatures in the area."
Aedan's jaw clenched as he looked at the battlefield. The mention of ancient power sent a chill down his spine, and he couldn't help but think of his own connection to the Enigma and the mysteries it held.
Ser Gwen's grizzled voice cut through the momentary silence. "Sounds like we're in for a long day." She placed a hand on Aedan's shoulder, her weathered eyes sharp as she looked at him. "Keep your head clear out there, Aedan. The Hall may promote us, but it's up here," she tapped her temple, "that really decides if we're ready or not."
Aedan smiled, the tension in his chest loosening slightly. "I'll be fine, Ser Gwen."
"You better be. I'm too old to be pulling your sorry ass out of the fire." She smirked, but her words carried the weight of genuine concern.
Kai, standing nearby, grinned. "Between you two, I think I'll be the one doing the saving this time."
Aedan's smile widened at the younger knight's enthusiasm. "Let's hope you don't have to."
***************
The mission began smoothly. The squad's transport ship glided out of the underground facility, slipping into the vastness of space. As they approached Teris III, the atmosphere aboard the ship grew more somber. The diplomatic negotiations ahead were critical, but Aedan's thoughts remained scattered. His mind kept drifting back to his family, to the weight of the relic they were meant to retrieve, and to Seph's strange changes.
The diplomatic escort proceeded without incident, but the tension between the warring factions was palpable. Despite their success in getting the Ambassador to his destination, Aedan couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss. His senses were on high alert, but nothing came of it. For now, at least.
It wasn't until the squad shifted focus to their secondary objective, retrieving the relic, that things took a darker turn.
The ship touched down on Drakos V, a planet haunted by the remnants of a long-forgotten war. Jagged ruins and decaying war machines stretched as far as the eye could see, casting ominous shadows across the barren landscape.
"This place gives me the creeps," Kai muttered as the squad disembarked.
Aedan couldn't disagree. The battlefield was eerily quiet, the air thick with an oppressive energy that clung to his skin. As they moved through the ruins, guided by fragmented maps and old data, Aedan's senses prickled. There was something wrong here.
"Stay sharp," he warned, his hand instinctively brushing against the hilt of his weapon.
After hours of cautious exploration, they found it, a monolithic structure standing tall amidst the ruins. At its center was the relic they sought: an ancient device, pulsing faintly with a strange, otherworldly energy. It was embedded deep within the stone, dormant but undeniably powerful.
Just as they approached it, the ground trembled.
Aedan's eyes narrowed as he felt the sudden spike in energy. "Something's coming."
Without warning, the battlefield came to life. Hidden turrets and dormant automatons activated, their cold, mechanical eyes flaring to life. A swarm of ancient war machines erupted from the ground, attacking the squad with lethal precision.
The battle that followed was swift and brutal. Aedan's Heartspark Armor flared to life, crimson light surrounding him as he charged into the fray. Ser Gwen's blade cut through the air like a flash of lightning, while Kai fought with a wild intensity that belied his inexperience.
Aedan found himself face-to-face with one of the towering automatons, its mechanical arms thrumming with energy. His mind raced as he parried its strikes, focusing the power of his Heartspark through his weapon. With a final burst of energy, he cut through the automaton's core, watching as it collapsed in a heap of smoking metal.
The battle over, Aedan approached the relic, his breath steadying. As his fingers brushed the surface, a surge of energy shot through him. The Enigma within him flared in response, his heart racing as the relic reacted to his presence. For a brief moment, he felt a connection, a link between the ancient power within the relic and his own enigmatic abilities.
The sensation was fleeting, but the implications were profound. This relic... it was somehow tied to him.
A strange mark was left on his palm, glowing faintly before fading. Aedan pulled his hand back, unsettled.
"What is it?" Ser Gwen asked, watching him warily.
Aedan shook his head. "I don't know... but it's not just a relic."
With the relic secured, the squad returned to the Earthen Hall, victorious but wary of the power they had uncovered. As Aedan handed over the relic to the Knight-Captain, he felt a deep unease settling in his chest.
With the relic secured, the squad returned to the Earthen Hall, victorious but wary of the power they had uncovered. As Aedan handed over the relic to the Knight-Captain, he felt a deep unease settling in his chest.
The relic had reacted to him, why? What did it mean?
And what was it trying to tell him about his journey, about the secrets of the Enigma, and the darkness that loomed on the horizon?
As Aedan walked away, he knew that the answers lay far away.