The war room of the Earthen Hall was steeped in an unsettling silence, broken only by the soft hum of the floating holo-screens. Aedan sat on the far side of the circular table, his arms crossed tightly over his chest, his gaze shifting between the council members who stared back at him with faces etched in grim resignation. A few were hesitant, clearly uncomfortable with what was about to be said. Others, like Grand Councillor Leor, stood firm, the sharp lines of their faces betraying no doubt.
"…the Council has decided," Leor's voice droned over the stillness, each word landing heavily, "that no further military action will be taken against the Northern Star Empire."
The weight of those words hit Aedan harder than a plasma bolt. He clenched his fists under the table, teeth grinding. Of course, they'd decide that. After everything he'd told them, after the battles, after the warnings, they were just going to let the Empire continue its expansion unchecked.
"This is a mistake," Aedan muttered, his voice barely audible.
Leor raised an eyebrow, but his tone remained as level as ever. "There is no mistake, Knight Aedan. The Council's priority is the survival of humanity within the larger galactic framework. Another war could devastate the remnants of our forces, and the Northern Star Empire, despite their transgressions, has not made a direct move against the Hall or our worlds."
Aedan rose to his feet, his chair scraping loudly against the floor. His eyes burned with a mixture of frustration and disbelief. "You're afraid," he said coldly, meeting Leor's gaze. "You're afraid of what the Empire will do if we stand up to them. You'd rather sit on your hands and watch the galaxy fall to them piece by piece than fight back."
There was a pause. A heavy silence, as if the room itself was holding its breath. Some of the council members shifted uncomfortably in their seats.
Leor sighed, a tired sound. "Aedan, I understand your anger, but we must think of the bigger picture. Humanity is not what it once was. Our place in the galaxy is tenuous. We cannot afford to make more enemies."
More enemies? Aedan wanted to laugh. They already had one, the most dangerous of them all. The Northern Star Empire wasn't going to stop until it held the galaxy in its grip, and no amount of diplomacy was going to change that.
His gaze flicked over to Knight-Captain Noran, standing quietly by the side. Noran, a seasoned soldier and someone Aedan had fought alongside in the field. The captain met his eyes, his expression soft with unspoken sympathy, but there was no support there. No rebellion.
Ser Gwen stood further back, her usual stoic expression betraying nothing, though Aedan could see the conflict in her eyes. She believed in duty, in loyalty to the Hall. But she also believed in him. Right now, that wasn't enough.
Aedan's fists unclenched, and he exhaled, forcing himself to calm down. He wasn't going to get anywhere by shouting at these bureaucrats. He needed to think clearly. He needed to act.
"I see where this is going," he said quietly, his tone colder than before. "You're giving up before the fight's even begun."
Leor didn't respond, his eyes holding firm, but there was a faint shadow of guilt in his features.
Aedan turned away, his cloak swirling behind him as he marched out of the chamber. The doors slid shut behind him with a soft hiss, the council's discussions resuming in his absence.
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The hangar of the Earthen Hall was nearly empty at this hour, the cavernous space filled only with the soft hum of docked ships and the occasional flicker of emergency lighting. Aedan stood by his small, sleek vessel, running a hand over the hull as he prepared to leave.
The decision to go rogue hadn't been an easy one, but the longer he stayed, the more futile everything felt. He couldn't just sit by while the Empire continued to grow in strength. Someone had to take action. And if the Council wasn't going to do it, then it was up to him.
He finished prepping the ship's systems, the gentle thrum of the engine coming to life as the hatch opened with a hiss. As Aedan secured his pack and made his final adjustments, his mind raced with the rumors he had heard just days ago, whispers of a Pirate King deep in the Varhan System. If the stories were to be believed, this Pirate King had ties to the underbelly of the galaxy, connections with information brokers and smugglers. Perhaps even a lead on Esethia.
The Varhan System was dangerous, lawless and ungoverned, but Aedan had faced worse. He had to take the risk. Esethia was out there, somewhere. And if this Pirate King had information, then Aedan would find it.
As he prepared to board his ship, he couldn't help but glance back at the looming structure of the Earthen Hall. The place that had been his home, his family. And yet, it now felt foreign to him, filled with people too afraid to do what needed to be done.
Just as Aedan was about to step onto his ship, a soft voice stopped him in his tracks.
"You're not going to sneak away that easily, are you?"
Aedan turned sharply, his hand instinctively reaching for his sidearm, but then relaxed slightly when he saw who it was.
Lin stood there, her slender frame cloaked in the soft shadows of the hangar's dim light. Her dark red hair caught the glow of the overhead lamps, giving her an ethereal appearance. She wasn't wearing her usual formal robes, just a simple travel cloak that made her seem almost out of place here.
"I should have known," Aedan said, crossing his arms. "You were watching."
Lin stepped forward, her boots echoing faintly against the metal floor. "Of course I was. You were never good at hiding your intentions."
Aedan narrowed his eyes, not sure what to make of her tone. "You going to try and stop me?"
A soft smile tugged at the corner of her lips, but it didn't reach her eyes. "No. I'm not here to stop you."
He blinked. That wasn't what he had expected. "What?"
Lin sighed, stepping closer until she was standing just a few paces away. "I knew you'd do this, Aedan. The council made their decision, and I knew it wouldn't sit right with you. It's… why I'm here."
Aedan didn't move, his mind whirling. "You're the leader of the Hall. You could change their minds if you wanted."
Lin let out a soft, almost bitter laugh. "You give me too much credit. My power isn't as absolute as you think."
Her words threw him off. He had always seen her as the iron-fisted leader, the one who controlled the Hall with unwavering authority. But now… she seemed almost vulnerable. He stepped closer, lowering his voice.
"What are you talking about, Lin?"
For a moment, she seemed to hesitate, as if weighing whether or not to tell him something. Then, with a slow, deliberate motion, she reached into her cloak and pulled out a small, old photograph. She handed it to him wordlessly.
Aedan took the photograph, frowning as he studied it. It was worn and faded, the edges creased from years of handling. In the image, a little girl with dark hair and fair skin stood next to a tall, middle-aged man. They were smiling, the sun shining down on them in what looked like a beautiful Earth-like landscape.
He flipped the photo over and saw the handwritten message scrawled on the back: "Celine and Daddy, Havai, November 13th, 2083."
Aedan's heart skipped a beat. He might not have been fully familiar with Earth's ancient history, but one thing he was certain of, the date written here was from over 100,000 years ago.
His eyes snapped up to meet hers. "This… this is from Earth?"
Celine nodded, her expression unreadable.
"You… were human?" Aedan asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Her lips pressed together into a thin line as she looked away for a moment, almost as if the memory pained her. "A long time ago."
Aedan stood in stunned silence, the weight of the revelation settling over him like a heavy fog. He knew the thunderblood like Lin were a variation of human species, one ancient and powerful but to think that she had once been human… it was almost impossible to grasp.
"Why are you telling me this?" he asked finally.
Celine's gaze softened, her voice quiet. "Because, Aedan, I know what it's like to fight for something you believe in. To make impossible choices. But you need to understand, I can't interfere. I made a promise a long time ago to stay out of human affairs. Even though I lead the Hall, that promise still holds weight."
Aedan swallowed hard. "So you're just going to let me go?"
Celine nodded. "Yes. But… just remember what you're fighting for. Don't lose yourself in this. My husband would be disappointed if he lost his drinking buddy. And, if you find yourself someone to love, don't hold back or you will regret when you get at my age."
With that, she turned and began walking away, her footsteps echoing softly in the hangar.
The journey to the Varhan System was long since he wasn't with Seph, with the ship going through the natural spatial wells. Aedan sat quietly in the cockpit, his thoughts swirling as he prepared himself for what was to come. The Varhan System wasn't just dangerous, it was notorious. Smugglers, pirates, and warlords had carved it up over the years, each claiming parts of the fractured system for themselves. But one figure stood above the rest: the Pirate King.
Rumor had it that the Pirate King controlled the most powerful fleet in the system, reigning over the chaos like a dark lord. His influence stretched far beyond Varhan, even touching distant trade routes and fringe planets. If anyone had information about Esethia, it would be him.
Aedan's thoughts drifted to the photograph in his jacket pocket, the image of a young Celine and her father on Earth so many millennia ago. Celine's revelation still weighed on him, but he pushed it aside. He couldn't afford distractions. He needed answers, and they lay ahead, deep within the lawless territories of Varhan.
The ship's navigation systems beeped softly as the Varhan System came into view. The first thing that struck Aedan was the sheer chaos of it. The system was home to a decaying red giant star, casting an eerie crimson glow over its planets. Broken hulks of ships, remnants of past battles, floated aimlessly in orbit around the star, their twisted metal skeletons a testament to the violence that had taken place here.
His ship's sensors picked up a nearby cluster of ships, small frigates, battlecruisers, and freighters, all clustered around a larger vessel that sat in the center of the formation like a spider in its web. It had to be the Pirate King's flagship.
Aedan felt a rush of adrenaline. He hadn't come here to negotiate. He'd come for answers, and if the Pirate King refused to cooperate, well… he was prepared to take them by force.
Sure, this could all be an ambush, something he was prepared to deal with in his plan B or it was D, sometimes it is hard to keep up.
As he guided his ship closer, a voice crackled over his comms.
"Unidentified vessel, you are entering the territory of the Varhan Sovereign Fleet. State your purpose, or prepare to be fired upon."
Aedan leaned forward and keyed the comms. "This is Knight Aedan of the Earthen Hall. I'm here to speak with the Pirate King. I have no quarrel with you, yet."
There was a long pause, the kind that made Aedan wonder if they were about to open fire on him anyway. Then, the voice responded.
"You've got guts, Knight. Fine. Proceed to the flagship. But if you try anything, we'll blow you out of the sky."
Aedan smirked as he angled his ship toward the massive flagship. Let them try, he thought. He'd dealt with worse than pirates.
Aedan docked in the flagship's hangar bay, stepping out of his ship as several pirate guards approached, weapons trained on him. He moved slowly, hands raised to show he meant no harm, but he kept his posture relaxed, ready for anything.
One of the guards barked an order. "Weapons on the ground. You're meeting the Pirate King unarmed."
Aedan chuckled. "That's not going to happen."
Before the guards could protest, another voice interrupted. "Let him through."
The guards stepped aside, revealing a tall figure emerging from the shadows. At first glance, she looked human, but as she stepped into the light, Aedan recognized the telltale signs of heavy biomechanical augmentation. Her skin was pale, her eyes cold and calculating, with metallic plates visible along her arms and neck. And she was unmistakable.
"Captain Shara," Aedan muttered, his eyes narrowing.
Captain Shara had once been a formidable Narheil, the same species as the emperor of Northern Star Empire, but now… now she was something else entirely.
"I thought you were dead," Aedan said, his voice hard.
Shara grinned, though the smile didn't reach her eyes. "A common mistake, Aedan. The emperor saw fit to enhance me with the power of Zengorth after I… failed them the first time. I'm not so easy to kill now."
Aedan's mind raced. Shara had been one of the Empire's elite soldiers, and now she was standing between him and the Pirate King. There was no telling what else she had been equipped with since her transformation.
"I'm not here for you, Shara," Aedan said, his hand inching toward his sidearm. "I just want to speak with the Pirate King."
Shara's smile widened, a dangerous glint in her eyes. "You think it's that easy? The Pirate King doesn't just meet with anyone. And especially not with someone like you."
Aedan's muscles tensed as he assessed the situation. He could feel the shift in the air, the tension rising. This wasn't going to end peacefully.
Shara's eyes gleamed. "You always were stubborn, Aedan. But you're in over your head. I've been waiting for this."
Without warning, her body began to change, her limbs elongating, her form swelling as the biomechanical enhancements activated. In seconds, she had grown to twice her original size, her armor plating rippling over her expanded body. She was monstrous, towering over Aedan with a terrifying presence.
"Shara," Aedan warned, his voice low. "Stand down."
But Shara wasn't listening. With a roar, she lunged at him, her massive fist crashing toward him with blinding speed.
Aedan rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the strike as her fist slammed into the metal floor, sending a shockwave through the hangar. He scrambled to his feet, drawing his blade as he turned to face her. There was no time for hesitation. Shara was far more dangerous now than she had ever been before.
"Still think you can handle me?" Shara growled, her voice distorted by the mechanical enhancements.
Aedan steadied himself, his grip tightening on his blade. "I've handled worse."
Shara laughed, a chilling, metallic sound, and then she came at him again, her colossal fists swinging with relentless force.
The hangar bay erupted into chaos as the battle between Aedan and Captain Shara unfolded. Shara moved with terrifying speed for someone of her size, her enhanced strength making each strike a deadly blow. Aedan ducked and weaved, narrowly avoiding the crushing fists that sent shockwaves through the metal beneath their feet.
Aedan's blade flashed as he slashed at Shara's armor, but her biomechanical enhancements made her nearly impervious to conventional weapons. The sword left only superficial gashes along her metallic plating, and she barely flinched.
"You'll have to do better than that!" Shara roared, her voice a thunderous echo in the hangar.
Aedan spun to the side, dodging another heavy swing that smashed into the wall behind him, denting the thick metal. He activated his armor's combat boosters, propelling himself upward, slashing at Shara's exposed neck. This time, the blade found purchase, sparks flying as it cut through the wiring beneath her skin.
Shara hissed in pain, her hand swatting at Aedan like a fly. He narrowly dodged, landing back on the ground as her enormous fist slammed into the deck again, creating a deep crater where he had just been standing.
"You can't win this, Aedan!" Shara taunted, her voice booming. "You're just a human. I'm something more."
Aedan gritted his teeth. She wasn't wrong, at least not entirely. Even before becoming an Zengorth, Shara was enhanced in ways that went far beyond human capabilities, but he had something she didn't: control over the heart, and the will to fight for something greater than himself.
Shara charged again, and this time, Aedan made his move. He sidestepped her attack, positioning himself behind her as her momentum carried her forward. In one fluid motion, he leapt onto her back, driving his blade deep into the joint between her neck and shoulder.
Shara screamed in rage, but Aedan wasn't finished. He twisted the blade, severing critical circuits as sparks flew from the wound.
But before he could deliver a final blow, Shara's body surged with a burst of energy, and she threw him off with an inhuman strength. Aedan was sent flying across the hangar, slamming into the far wall with a grunt of pain.
As he struggled to get back to his feet, Shara loomed over him, her form crackling with power, her eyes glowing a menacing red.
"You're outmatched, Aedan," she growled, her voice distorted by the mechanical enhancements. "And now, you'll die."
Aedan's vision blurred as he tried to stand, his body aching from the impact. Shara raised her massive fist, preparing to deliver the final blow.
This is it, he thought grimly.
And then, an explosion rocked the hangar, followed by the sound of alarms blaring throughout the ship. Shara hesitated, her eyes narrowing in confusion.
Aedan seized the opportunity, rolling to the side as Shara's fist slammed into the floor where he had just been.