I was only eight cycles old when the scourge of the Crautis Empire attacked my home planet Xunara. Confused and Frightened, I ran with my mother Queen Na'lun to the underground bunker of the castle while my father, King Cirran VI, led our people into battle. "My dear son and beloved wife. Take the Staff of Celestis and if I do not return after the battle use the Gate located in the bunker to escape to a safe planet", exclaimed my father while handing the staff to my mother. We shared one final hug and that was the last I saw of him.
We made our way down farther and farther until we arrived at the bunker. Xunara follows an ancient custom when it comes to architecture, economy, and lifestyle. However we are not without advancing our technology. The bunker door was circular in shape and made of a high density metal only found here on Xunara. My mother quickly placed her hand upon the biometric scanner of the door to have it open. Once inside she quickly closed the door with another scanner and we proceeded further into the bunkers chambers.
This was the first time in the history of Xunara that the bunker would be used as intended, and as such it was my first time seeing what was inside. It was a spacious room with no windows or exits aside from the one. In the far corner was a stock of supplies such as food and water, but the most interesting thing was the large Holomap in the center of the room. The Holomap is a holographic computer designed for showing a map of the galaxy. The holograms were at about waist height for an adult Xunaran so for me I could just barely see over the edge of the table that projected it. Currently shown on the map was the full Voparth Galaxy, Mother quickly began using the Holomap to locate a planet in the galaxy that had survivable conditions for us while telling me, "Cirran VII, while I begin a search for a sustainable planet would you please gather some food and water." I replied, "Yes Mother."
As I made my way toward the supplies I walked past and glanced at what could only be the Gate. In my studies for becoming the next king I had learned everything I could about it. It is a Giant stone structure in the shape of an arch with Xunaran glyphs lining it. As stated in the ancient texts of our people, those with royal blood possess the ability to open Gates and are able to do so because of the power we were granted from the Divine Star. This power we could use without the Gate allowed us to open small gates that could reach as far as we could see and make the opening only as large as a single Xunaran. With the Assistance of the Gate we could expand our power to peer with our mind to see great distances across the galaxy and potentially further to others, however in order to make a Gate work it needs two special materials. The heart of a dying star and the blood of a royal Xunaran. For us we forged a dying star into a staff, the Staff of Celestis, and it worked as a focus while the royal blood was used to make the glyphs on the Gate. Not wanting to waste anymore time I swiftly shoved supplies into a bag and made my way back over to Mother.
"Cirran, I have found a sustainable planet where the inhabitants look similar to a Xunaran. It is one that possesses intelligent life but no access to knowledge of what is beyond its system. We should be able to blend in if we do have to leave." she stated. I nodded to her knowingly and studied the information she had pulled up. The planet was a mix of blue and green, third in its orbit of a celestial body, and by the inhabitants was deemed Earth. "I have already messaged our research team that has been living on this planet and they will be waiting at the coordinates of the Gate exit." she informed me.
We sat down on a bench near the Gate awaiting Father's return. I had faith that he would be victorious but could not remove thoughts of despair from my mind that I would never see him again. My face must have been showing my concern because my mother hugged me and assured me, " Don't worry my son. Your Father is strong and resilient, he will come back for us." I calmed a little after those words and reinforced my faith that he would return, but that only lasted for a small time. As the Xunaran sun began to make its descent we could no longer hear the explosions and rumbles from the battle above. Bang Bang Bang! Someone had begun to hammer away at the bunker door. My mother handed me the Staff of Celestis and approached the scanner to see who was trying to enter and her face whitened with horror as she quickly turned and yelled at me, "RUN!" BOOOOOOOOOOOOM! An explosion came from the bunker door and as I was starting to head toward the Gate's entrance. I glanced back toward my mother, tears streaming down my face as I watched her get bathed in flames. The last thing I saw before entering the Gate was a Crautis soldier.
A Stoval, a race similar to a reptile humanoid with differentiating scale colors and depending on their birth they could spawn a tail or wings. This soldier had scales as dark as space's void, a long sweeping tail, and was wearing the armor of the Crautis Empire, a reddish color uniform with their symbol over the breast. He was carrying a large blaster in his left hand and in his right was the head of my father. His voice was dipped with malice and hunger for battle as he shouted, " Hand over that staff boy and I'll only remove one of your limbs rather than all!" Though it was too late for him I quickly entered the Gate and upon landing on the ground at the exit I quickly turned back to close the Gate and as I did the Stoval's arm was reaching toward me and as the Gate shut his arm was sliced from his body and fell to the floor. Green blood began forming a small pool from the arm in the room. " Prince Cirran are you alright?", a Xunaran man clothed in weird attire, most likely the fabrics of this planet, approached and helped me to my feet. I couldn't respond, everything that transpired in that short amount of time began running through my mind over and over again. " Sire, I am Toh'sik, a member of the research team here on Earth. What happened on Xunara? … Sire?" I started to panic and the last thing I remember was blacking out.