A sleek, triangular shaped starship emerged abruptly from hyperdrive, switching over to its pulse drive system and slowing down more rapidly than it should to a cruising speed.
Different colored, brightly glowing energy circuits ran across its beautiful black alloy hull in a multitude of patterns. Several shone more intensely than the others as they produced and stacked many woven layers of energy shielding around the vessel.
Now woken, the captain's eyes snapped open, revealing two piercing scarlet orbs that burned with an inner fire.
His fiery red hair was a stark contrast to his stern expression. His broad shoulders and back seemed too wide for the rear of the chair, there were also hints of a powerful physique hidden beneath his crisp uniform.
Despite his imposing stature, there was an air of reserve about him, as if he was conserving energy or waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
Captain Duval, having been woken from a sound sleep, swiveled in his chair to confront the first mate, whom also happened to be the smaller sized battle-class starships pilot.
"Why did we exit hyperdrive prematurely?" The wild, yet stern looking man demanded.
His right hand man, whom was nearly as large as Captain Duval himself, explained that the long-range quantum sensors had detected a subtle electromagnetic anomaly directly in their flight path that had just come into range.
Strangely, it seemed to be emanating from a planet positioned on the outer fringes of a twin star system their hyperdrive path took them near – a planet not appearing in the ship's database. If the ships artificial intelligence had not caught it last second they could have plowed right into the planet!
'Hhhmm this is super strange...undoc--ed planet...that kinda thing is pretty much unheard of in this sector...'
Duval's brow furrowed as he pondered the significance of this mysterious discovery.
How could it be a previously undiscovered celestial body? Or perhaps something much more enigmatic was going on?
The system was well-mapped, but this planet was absent from any known star charts – a mystery that only added to the captain's growing curiosity.
New planets were discovered all the time, but the likelihood of one being lost was…next to zero.
With a sense of anticipation mixed with caution, the crew prepared to investigate this mysterious anomaly, the allure of the unknown beckoning them forward into uncharted territory. They knew that their captain would never pass this up.
Sure enough, Duval ordered the ship forward to approach at their current speed.
When the ship drew closer that same magnetic energy got stronger until it suddenly gathered into one point of the blue and green planet. The mass of electromagnetic power paused for a moment before shooting out into space and created an invisible barrier around the entire sphere!
"What was that?!" Duval questioned his chief science officer, a slender man named Tassel.
"The scan of the planet indicates the energy signature grew in strength proportionally to us drawing nearer to it…and it emerged from the only unnatural structure on the planet, forming a shield for unknown reasons…but our ships teleporter can bypass that magnetic field. We can go down there if you want captain."
Duval smiled and said "Very good Tass." He pressed a button on his chair and his voice carried over the ship.
"Away team to teleport chamber. Duval out."
Two minutes later and the away team was already geared up and standing on the teleport platform.
Twenty seconds after that, they were standing on the ground of the lush planet, looking at the massive dome looming in the distance.
Duval and his chosen team started making their way through the dense jungle towards the mysterious structure that was responsible for the powerful magnetic energy. The atmosphere of the planet was charged with energy and it felt strangely good to breath in.
Lush foliage teemed with unseen wildlife and the air hummed with an otherworldly vibration that set Duval's senses on edge.
A scan on the ship earlier had detected quite a few lifeforms but nothing with a high energy or battle rating; this planet also had a breathable atmosphere and everyone on the away team was a 'Dynamo' grade super or greater, so most of them weren't too concerned, mostly just curious and excited to be off of the ship early.
There wasn't as single member on Duval's entire starship that wasn't a super. The weakest member of the star faring vessel was a cook at the 'Enhanced' level.
The 'Enhanced' level was the weakest of the super classes with 'Dynamo' being the next.
An 'Enhanced' super could easily deal with several normal variants of whatever race they hail from and it was the same every grade up with the gap in power growing with each step you took. 'Sovereigns', 'Saints' and 'Supremes' take the top spots, at class S, SS and SSS respectively.
F Grades were the 'Fundamental' grade, essentially any normal member of any given race, with the exceptions of some massive beasts whom held massive physical power due to their size. They could compete with higher grades than themselves due to sheer mass. These type of creatures were special cases and outliers.
An excellent, outstanding elite could be physically close to a grade E super but they wouldn't have any sort of energy based ability and would lose drastically in a fight, like an adult teasing a child during rough housing.
Grade E, or the 'Enhanced' level, were supers that had at least gained access to an individual energy source. Any average 'Enhanced' has around the strength of several 'Fundamental' grades and haven't started to specialize in one of the five super classes yet, which are Magicians/Mages, Psychics, Metas/Espers, Super Armorers and Pugilists aka Super Fighters.
A large step up from 'Enhanced' is the 'Dynamo' Grade, or just grade D for short. The supers of this class are more than capable of hoisting a tank or similarly heavy object over their head and then tossing it like a baseball, especially the pugilists. At this stage the super will have a super class locked in and it is usually too late to walk down another path.
The next Grade is where things really start to pick up, the 'Catastrophe' grade is also known as the 'City' grade and of course grade C for short. They have this second nickname as most are proficient enough with their energies and powers to wipe out a city with ease.
Grade B is known as the 'Blights', they are like the 'Catastrophe' grade supers but instead of mere cities they can cause havoc and destruction on a national level, nuclear weaponry and orbital weapons of mass destruction from more advanced races are barely effective against them.
On a planet that hasn't reached space, a 'Blight' grade would be able to rule without question if he or she played their cards right.
As rare as they are powerful, grade As, or the 'Apex' class, are equivalent in power to a planet wide natural disaster and more than capable of wiping out an entire surface level civilization, or ruling a little corner of space for themselves.
Finally there are the S, SS and SSS rated Grades, 'Sovereigns', 'Saints' and 'Supremes'. Only the most elite in all the reaches of the universe have attained one of these levels, mere hundreds out of the trillions of creatures that inhabit the star ocean have attained this lofty height. They are seen as gods by most and answer to nearly none, only the most powerful of civilizations has one of these or are able to combat one.
Captain Duval himself is an 'Apex' grade Pugilist, one of the strongest 'Super Fighters' to have ever stepped onto the cosmic battlefield.
Duval wrinkled his nose as he observed his surroundings with his powerful senses.
'Hhhmmm...the creatures here seem overly strong for some reason...even though they have low life level energy signatures...they move funny too...'
Captain Duval was starting to get apprehensive about the local flora and fauna. Their energy level was low or non existent and yet these beasts felt extra dangerous for some reason.
"Hey guys, keep your wits about you, some of these things are close to C grade in raw physical strength alone!"
He then released some of his Pugilist energy in the form of a glowing aura! The hidden eyes watching the team retreated a little. The pressure was enough to show every creature nearby how superior he was yet gentle enough to not harm his team.
Despite the allure of the scenery and the quiet tranquility it now suggested, Duval and company remained vigilant, his grade A life force keeping almost everything away from them as he led his team towards their objective through the thick foliage.
Weapons were only needed once involving the local wildlife on their approach to the structure. One solitary feline like creature had challenged the group. That decision cut the beast's lifespan down to a mere second.
When that was dealt with, they walk and walked until the dome suddenly appeared even bigger before them, its metallic surface reflecting the dappled sunlight that filtered through the trees. The closer they got, the more the magnetic field intensified, crackling with energy so thick it seemed to form a protective barrier around the structure, it was mostly just remnants of the wild discharge from earlier that enveloped the planet.
They all felt more lively and energetic as they got near.
With a nod to his men, Duval signaled for quiet. The team moved stealthily, relying on their training to navigate the terrain as softy as possible. Reaching the fifty foot perimeter of the dome, Duval and his team paused, assessing the situation before making their next move.
The structure was of an ancient alien origin. Much of the outside was covered in vines and other greenery but not enough to deny its sleek design and mysterious purpose shrouded in secrecy. Duval's curiosity burned within him, driving him forward as he prepared to unlock the secrets that lay hidden within the enigmatic dome with no match from the database.
With a determined glint in his eye, he gestured for his team to follow, steeling himself for whatever challenges awaited them inside. The thrill of the unknown beckoned, and Captain Duval was more than ready to answer its call!
As the away team stealthily made their way around the mysterious dome structure, a total hush finally fell over the group, broken only by the soft rustle of foliage underfoot. Amidst the quiet, a young man, no older than twenty two, leaned in towards the tough-looking companion walking beside him, his voice at a volume that barely could be called a whisper.
"Did you see Captain Duval take down that strange cat creature back there on the path? It was huge! The size of a freaking hover tank! I couldn't feel much energy coming from it but damn it moved fast...I swear, I looked down for a second to switch my safety off and Captain already had it pinned to the ground with his blade!" the young man murmured in awe.
The older man beside him, a seasoned soldier with a grizzled countenance, rolled his eyes at the youth's astonishment and replied in a hushed tone.
"How could I not notice that beast, and the beast that killed that beast? You may be new here, but you must have heard whispers of Captain Duval's prowess. He's a force to be reckoned with, second only to Lord Grem himself! Duval may not possess the extra gifts of an Oracle, but his personal strengths and skill surpass even the most formidable Lieutenants in our ranks."
The older man hit his junior on the back of the head lightly while cocking his head left at him, giving him side eyes and falling back a pace or two while he finished his lecture.
"By the way, leave that safety off and keep your finger off the trigger….and walk slightly in front of me from now on. That weirdly strong cat would have murdered your ass if you looked down long enough to make your weapon useable…on a strange planet we know nothing about….smarten up."
The young man's eyes widened in realization, the gravity of his captain's reputation and his own shortcomings sinking in as they continued their cautious approach towards their target ahead. In that moment, a newfound respect for Captain Duval and sense of duty bloomed within him, mingling with a healthy dose of trepidation at what challenges lay ahead on this enigmatic planet with unnaturally overpowered grade F creatures!
'If the captain can compete with the Lord's Oracles and not take a step back, he must be an 'Apex' grade super!' The new recruit was trying to guess just how strong the captain was but had not been able to see any of the action as it was over too quickly for him to even see anything happen!
When they had ventured close enough to the exterior of the dome to touch it, the young man suddenly couldn't help but feel grateful for the formidable leader at the helm of their expedition, 'Oracle' or not!