A suspended transport vehicle cruised along the road in front of Eagle Manor before coming to a halt at a nearby farm. On a large tree by the roadside, a nimble figure moved swiftly among the branches, eventually leaping to the ground. A young boy, around five or six years old, dashed excitedly toward Eagle Manor, shouting, "Uncle Bob, Sister Angel, there's a new neighbor at the vacant farm across the street!"
As the young boy approached the house, a girl of about twelve or thirteen years old emerged, dressed like a young woman. "Don't run, take it slow," she instructed, intercepting her brother's energetic path. She embraced the boy affectionately and used the scarf around her neck to wipe the sweat from his brow. "Sis, we have a visitor. How about we bake a cake together and welcome our new neighbors?" With that, she led her brother towards the house.
Upon entering the house, Bob approached them and said, "Miss and Master, I've just reached out to the local magistrate. Our new neighbors are Captain Russell Kate and his family. Captain Kate recently retired due to injury and purchased the neighboring empty farm."
"Thank you, Uncle Bob. I'll start baking a cake in the kitchen, and then we'll take Sylvan to visit Captain Kate's family. But for now, please help Sylvan get cleaned up; he can't visit the neighbors while he's all dirty," Angel said as she handed her brother's hand to Bob and headed to the kitchen.
About an hour later, a freshly dressed Sylvan and his sister stood in front of Captain Kate's house. Angel carried a small basket containing a homemade cake.
Russell Kate, a former captain of the Empire's Golden Lion Army who had retired after a leg injury in a border battle, had chosen this farm on Planet Mu3 as his new home after two months of interstellar travel. Just as they had settled in, the doorbell rang.
Russell opened the door to find a boy and a girl standing there. The girl exuded a sense of warmth, tranquility, and friendliness. She smiled at him and introduced herself as Angel, while the young boy at her side, dressed like a little gentleman, wore a bowtie that he occasionally adjusted. Russell was captivated by the boy's striking blue eyes that reminded him of the sea. Although they were still very young, he could sense a nobility about them.
"Hello, who might you be?" Russell inquired of the young girl.
"Hello, Mr. Kate. I'm Angel, and this is Sylvan. We live at Eagle Manor across from your house. My brother saw your transport vehicle, so I baked a cake for you to welcome you to the neighborhood. Please try it," Angel replied politely.
"Welcome! Please, come inside and make yourselves comfortable," Russell invited them in. "I'll let my wife know we have guests. Elena, bring Brov."
In response to Russell's call, a woman came out of a room in the back, a child at her side. Seeing the Angel siblings, the woman quickly wiped her hands on her scarf and then guided Angel to a chair in the living room.
"This is my wife, Elena, and this is our child, Brov," Russell introduced them.
"Hello, Mrs. Kate. I'm Angel, and this is my brother, Sylvan," Angel introduced herself and her brother politely. Sylvan, a young gentleman, bowed to the lady.
"You're so polite, and you've brought a gift," Mrs. Kate said as she seated Angel and took the basket. "I baked this cake myself. It's not anything special, but I thought you might be busy settling in after your move and hadn't had time to prepare food, so I wanted to offer you a homemade cake," Angel explained.
Elena fetched some bowls from the kitchen, and Angel helped distribute the cake. They sat together, sharing cake and conversation about home life, quickly becoming acquainted.
"This cake is absolutely delicious! Miss Angel, you're quite the baker," Mrs. Kate complimented.
"Well, if you like it, I'll make more for you in the future," Angel replied cheerfully. "And you and your brother are very welcome to come and play with us. You can bring Uncle Bob with you when you visit."
"Thank you, Mr. Kate," Angel responded.
Sylvan, however, was more focused on the boy seated near the hostess. Brov appeared somewhat shy, his face turning red when they had first met, and he frequently adjusted the tight bowtie. He sat quietly beside the hostess, seemingly hiding.
"Sis, can I go play with Brov?" Sylvan suddenly asked his sister.
"Of course! Brov, take Sylvan to visit your home and show him the interstellar travel photos you have," Russell said before Angel had a chance to respond.
With his sister's nod, Sylvan immediately stood up, approached Brov, and extended his hand. "Hi! I'm Sylvan. Could you show me your home?"
"Sure, okay," Brov replied, standing up and shaking Sylvan's hand. He led Sylvan to his room.
While perusing Brov's numerous photos, Sylvan remarked, "You've been to so many places!"
"Yes, my dad used to be stationed on different planets in the army, and our family would go with him," Brov explained.
"You're lucky. I've lived here since I was little and have never been to the universe. I heard I was born in space, but I was too young to remember. And... my parents were there, but they passed away on the day I was born," Sylvan said, his tone growing somber.
"How...how did your parents pass away?" Brov inquired.
"I heard that pirates attacked on the day I was born, and they were killed by the pirates," Sylvan said, clenching his fists. "When I grow up, I want to join the army and fight pirates to avenge my parents."
Borov gazed directly at Sylvan, then reached out to hold his fist and said with conviction, "I...I want to fight pirates with you when we grow up. Together, we'll avenge your parents!"
"Okay! We have a deal!"
"It's a deal!"
"Let's stop talking about these sad things. Come on, tell me more about the stories in your photos," Sylvan quickly changed the subject and began laughing again. But when Brov was operating the photo browser, he discreetly wiped away a tear from the corner of his eye.
Throughout the afternoon, Sylvan and Brov spent two hours looking at photos, sharing stories, and enjoying each other's laughter. By the time Angel called Sylvan home, these two boys of the same age had forged a deep friendship.
In the Beta System, Planet Rosette was largely uninhabited and had extreme temperature variations. A pyramid-shaped structure stood at its south pole, featuring an intricate trident pattern.
Within this pyramid-shaped building lay a Roman-style Colosseum, and in the stands sat Yoda, alongside another man. They watched a black-robed warrior engaged in a life-or-death struggle with a black basalt tiger.
Basalt tigers were native to the Xuanwu planet in the Delta galaxy. Their appearance resembled tigers from the Origin planet, now extinct for thousands of years, with their bodies covered in thick
, triangular carapace, except for their bellies. Their carapace typically had a rock-colored hue, perfect for camouflaging in the rocky terrain. However, when they were about to attack or agitated, their carapace turned dark red, and their triangular plates stood up aggressively, giving them the appearance of stone hedgehogs from a distance.
In the Colosseum, the Xuanwu tiger faced the motionless black-robed warrior. It fixated its eager eyes on him and emitted a low growl. Then, the Xuanwu tiger lunged forward, approaching the unflinching man in a black robe.
The black-robed warrior remained still as if he were part of the Colosseum itself. As the Xuanwu tiger's razor-sharp claws were about to strike, he fell backward, executed a roll, and with a swift motion, he was armed with a laser light sword. A one-meter-long, green light blade extended from the hilt, emitting arcs of light and a fierce hum. The green blade lasted but a short while before vanishing, leaving only a 30-centimeter-long hilt in the warrior's hand.
The Xuanwu tiger's attack was thwarted, and upon landing, it swiftly turned to face the black-robed man once more. This sudden move seemed to enrage the Xuanwu tiger, which emitted a deep growl and turned into a stone hedgehog again. With a burst of speed, it charged towards the black-robed warrior.
The Xuanwu tiger, its claws poised to strike the unmoving man in black robes, suddenly experienced a cramp in its abdomen. It felt as though its internal organs were falling out, rendering it powerless. The Xuanwu tiger dropped heavily to the ground.
As it lay there, it stared up with eyes filled with confusion and frustration. Its life was slipping away, and it couldn't fathom what had just occurred. Behind the spot where the Xuanwu tiger had pounced, a pile of internal organs lay discarded.
Ignoring the dying creature, the black-robed warrior turned, bowed to the stands where Yoda sat, and departed the Colosseum.
"Very impressive, young man!" Yoda remarked to the man beside him. "As skilled as our previous candidates. Osho Ross, it won't be long before your Jedi Order welcomes new members."
"Master, thank you for your approval," Osho Ross replied respectfully. When Yoda stood up, he quickly followed suit. "Master, shall we watch the next trial?"
"No, I must continue my journey. It was for the sake of visiting this old friend that I came to Rosette."
"It's an honor to have you here, Master. May I accompany you?"
"No need; I know my way. However, I have felt a disturbance in the dark side recently. Dark forces are awakening, so be cautious here," Yoda said as he neared the exit.
"I understand, Master. I'll be vigilant," the figure behind him responded earnestly.
"Very well! We'll meet again at the Council of Elders in a few months." Yoda's form disappeared as he left the Colosseum.
A small spacecraft left the aura of Rosette and sped into outer space. Yoda sat inside with his eyes closed. "Master, we've departed from the Rosette planet. Please provide the destination," the spacecraft's central control computer inquired.
"Next stop, Alpha System Priest 3."