Goerld Pov
We descended unto the surface of Pararis with Commander Wilneth as she reported our arrival to the military governor, Commander Ryland.
"What is Pararis like, you think?" Tessa asked, her voice full of excitement.
I glanced at her, sharing her curiosity.
"From what I've heard, it used to be a war full of warring tribes. But Commander Ryland has managed to get most of them to stop fighting. Originally it was because he was a common enemy to the native Pararisians. But once he took over the planet, he instituted reforms to attempt to stop the bad blood."
I smiled. A Titanos promoting peace? Guess not all of them were bad. Well, commander Wilneth was also a good person, well as far as I knew.
My gaze shifted to the prince of Titanos, Huitlo. Although this Yusan person he mentioned seemed like a bad guy. Trying to sabotage other people was deeply frown upon back in my universe.
In Uto, one lived in harmony with others, for the most part. And if people had disagreements, we were to talk about them. And if that didn't work out, we consult the gods and see who was in the right and who was in the wrong. If for whatever reason the gods didn't respond, then a game would be played.
I sighed, thinking about how different things were here. The stakes felt so much higher, and the consequences of failure seemed much graver.
"Hey, you okay?" Tessa asked, nudging me gently.
"Yeah, just thinking about home," I replied. "Things were so different there. Problems were solved with words or games, not with weapons."
"I know what you mean," Roan said, overhearing our conversation. "But we have to adapt. We got a mission to do. This Yusan guy is a warped guy. We have to be ready for whatever comes our way."
I nodded.
Once we descended, we put the mechas on autopilot and walked. The people here seemed used to our machines. Unlike us Uto. When I was little the mechas were a fantastical side. The rest of the people also found them interesting. It wasn't until one of them started shooting, that we knew they didn't come in peace.
I mean, who attacked civilians who stood in awe instead of fighting you?
We continued walking through the city, the sights and sounds becoming slightly less overwhelming as we focused on the task at hand. The buildings around us grew more utilitarian as we approached the military base, a stark contrast to the bustling city we had just traversed.
As we arrived at the base, the high walls and armed guards made it clear that this was a place of great importance and security. Commander Wilneth led the way, her presence commanding respect from everyone around.
Inside, the base was a hive of activity. Technicians worked diligently on various pieces of equipment, and soldiers chatted away. We followed Wilneth through the labyrinth of corridors until we reached a command center.
"Wait here," Wilneth instructed. "I'll inform the commander of your arrival."
As we waited, I couldn't help but feel a mix of excitement and anxiety.
Wilneth returned shortly with Commander Ryland, a tall man in a crisp uniform. His presence commanded respect, and his eyes were sharp and assessing.
A white-haired young man stepped forward and smiled slightly. "Hey, Wilneth."
She smiled back, "Ret. Nice to see you're alive. Now, let's get back on my spaceship, I'll take you lot to Retra. We need to track down Yusan."
Ret felt... familiar for some reason. Almost in a reflection kind of way.
Ret felt... familiar for some reason. Almost in a reflection kind of way. I couldn't shake the feeling that we had crossed paths before, even if only in a fleeting moment or in some distant memory.
Ret glanced at me, his eyes narrowing slightly as if he too felt the same strange familiarity. "And who might you be?" he asked, his tone curious but cautious.
"I'm Goerld," I replied, extending a hand. "We're here to help with the mission to track down Yusan."
Ret shook my hand firmly. "Good to have you on board, Goerld. Any help is welcome. Yusan is a dangerous man, and we need all the support we can get."
Commander Ryland cleared his throat, drawing our attention back to him. "Let's not waste any time. We need to move quickly if we're going to intercept Yusan. We'll brief you further on the way to Retra."
We made our way outside. Raising our hands, our mechas descended from the sky, landing in front of us.
The cockpits opened, and we boarded them. The familiar hum of the machinery enveloped me as I settled into the pilot seat. The controls felt comforting, a reminder of the power and responsibility we carried.
"Ready?" Commander Wilneth's voice crackled over the comms.
"Ready," I replied, my gaze fixed on the horizon. "Let's get to that ship."
With a synchronized motion, our mechas lifted off the ground, their thrusters propelling us into the sky. The Pararisian city quickly shrank below us as we ascended, the bustling streets and towering four-story buildings becoming distant specks.
The flight to Wilneth's spaceship was swift. The blue sky gave way to the inky blackness of space, the stars twinkling like distant beacons. The ship came into view, a sleek and imposing vessel that seemed to blend seamlessly with the cosmos.
"Approaching the ship," Commander Retas announced. "Prepare for docking procedures."
We guided our mechas into the docking bay, the machine's A.I. aligning us with precision. The landing was smooth, and the docking clamps secured our mechas in place. The cockpits opened, and we climbed out.
Commander Retas, Prince Huilo, Lt. Zairus, and Lt. Tira all followed Wilneth while the rest of us stayed behind.
A girl with reddish-brown hair smiled at me. "Hello, I'm Sarudei. But all my friends call me Day."
I smiled back and shook her hand. "Hello, nice to meet you."
My eyes went to the guy standing behind her. He also felt familiar for some reason.
He smiled at me too. "Hey, I'm Vyran."
"I'm Goerld," I said, shaking his hand.
Roan stretched his arms and smiled at our new guests. "Say, wanna play a game while all the big wigs are chatting away?"
"A game? I would love to!" Arare said, grinning.
A white-haired girl with red highlights sighed. "I'm starting to feel embarrassed that I got outsmarted by the likes of you back at the Edesian main base."
Arare must've been a resident of that half forest, half desert world then.
"You two fought before?" Mirasa asked, eyes wide.
He nodded. "Yeah... But now we're allies!"
"Only for the time being," the white-haired girl clarified.
Arare sighed. "Yeah, but it would be nice if we could stay friends and not return to fighting once Yusan was dealt with."
I smiled. Hopefully, his words reached the ear of the heavens. People, even those from different universes needed to get along. Life was too short to spend it fighting.