Meridien
Astraeus Tower
Starlight Headquarters
Orbital space station
Agartha, Anu Solar system
Divine Federation
Krios 7th Y-1909
Admiral Wilcock sat in his office, bracing himself for his next appointment. It had been twelve minutes since he left the Senate assembly, where representatives from across the Federation were locked in a heated debate over the colony planet of Lamentias. The conservatives pushed for harsher control over the colony's unrest, while the progressives argued for listening to the voices of its people. Back and forth they went, the arguments circling endlessly until Wilcock could no longer tolerate it. Politics. A dirty business he wanted no part of.
They never learn, he thought grimly. Decades had passed since the Uprising when the Fallen Stars struck at the heart of the Federation. Yet the same old mistakes persisted. The only positive change had been Starlight's deliberate shift away from politics, focusing instead on their religious and moral duties, thanks to the efforts of the Grand Admiral. But Wilcock could see the warning signs clearly: if nothing was done, Lamentias would ignite into something far worse than the Uprising. That was why he'd returned to his office, ready with a plan. He glanced at the clock and sighed. She was taking her time. He longed to return to his fleet, currently charting the Berus Star Sea in the Beta Sector. But tensions had called him here, leaving his officers scattered on new assignments. As he reminisced about his earlier adventures, the door slid open. Meridien Karajan strode in, her boots clicking sharply against the floor. The sound commanded Wilcock's attention, drawing his gaze to her striking figure. Meridien's long, blue-tinted silver hair framed her face, the front braided to obscure her eyes while the rest fell past her shoulders. Her scarlet lips curved into a confident smile. She wore a tailored blue tunic jacket, a black skirt, and leggings tucked into combat boots—practical, yet undeniably elegant.
Meridien sat without invitation, her demeanor as casual as if she owned the place. Other admirals would have bristled at her tardiness and lack of decorum. But Wilcock wasn't offended. He knew her too well for that. Meridien wasn't like the rest of her Named Family. After graduating from Ascendant Academy, she had deliberately distanced herself from them, forging her path and earning privileges such as founding her mercenary guild. Her independence commanded respect.
"Admiral," she greeted with a sly smile, "a pleasure to see you again."
"Thank you for coming," Wilcock replied, not bothering to mention her lateness. That earned him another measure of her appreciation. Among the upper echelons of Starlight, Wilcock was the only one she truly enjoyed working with.
"I'm here because I assume there's something in this for me," Meri said, producing a small casket from her pocket. She opened it, pulled out a vape pen, and exhaled a puff of orange-scented vapor.
"As expected," Wilcock said, leaning back in his chair.
"So, tell me, Admiral," Meri began, exhaling smoke lazily. "Why did I have to leave my ship and come to this suffocating station?" Her tone carried a pointed edge, a reminder of her inconvenience. Still, she knew Wilcock wouldn't summon her without good reason—and without something that could benefit her guild. Wilcock pushed his personal datapad across the desk.
"An issue has come to my attention." He said. Meri picked it up, tapping the glowing red circle on the screen. A hologram flickered to life, displaying the image of a man in Starlight armor. His profile details streamed alongside his likeness, and she skimmed through them with practiced efficiency.
"So," she said, raising an eyebrow. "Knight Isarus. Seems like a decent Paladin."
"Was," Wilcock corrected. "I'm not even sure if he's alive."
"You lost contact with him?"
Wilcock nodded grimly. "He was on a high-stakes mission. The hunting-dog kind."
"Ah," Meri said with a faint smirk. "Just like I was."
"And you were damn good at it," Wilcock said.
"So, what does this have to do with me?" she asked.
"Knight Isarus was stationed on Lamentias, hunting traitors," Wilcock explained, standing to pace the room. "We suspect there are factions within the colony actively working against the Federation, possibly with connections in the Senate. Isarus was tasked with uncovering these links. During his mission, he uncovered critical intel. Sensitive enough that he couldn't risk transmitting it over the network. He planned to deliver it personally."
"What happened?" Meri asked, taking another pull from her vape.
"Last we heard, he managed to escape Lamentias but diverted to Litvain—the closest planet he could reach."
"Litvain? The desert planet that trades in spices?"
"Exactly," Wilcock confirmed. "It's also one of the Federation's key colonies. But its conditions might be even worse than Lamentias."
"And it's SSA-tier," Meri noted. "Clergy jurisdiction, not military."
"Correct," Wilcock said. "But this isn't about conversion. It's about recovering that intel. I need you to track him—alive or dead—recover what he found, and return it."
"And what's in it for me?" Meri asked.
Wilcock tapped his wrist tablet. A soft ping sounded as Meri checked her Zodiak. Her eyes lit up at the offer.
"500,000 Dignir, plus access to the exclusive Intersection Highway routes," she read aloud, a greedy smile spreading across her face. "Not bad. But can you really authorize access to those routes?"
"It's within Starlight's special privileges," Wilcock assured her. "And there's an additional 500,000 upon mission completion."
"Sounds good," Meri said, leaning back. "But I'd like to add warships to the deal."
"Warships?" Wilcock stopped pacing. "Now you're pushing it."
"Oh, come on, Admiral," Meri said, raising an eyebrow. "If you want the job done right, you'll grant it."
Wilcock hesitated, but the stakes were too high to refuse. "Fine," he conceded. "A couple of decommissioned TK-fighters. Do we have a deal?"
Meri accepted the contract on her tab, her eyes gleaming. "We do."
She inhaled deeply from her vape, savoring the moment. If this mission was as important as Wilcock made it seem, she'd just struck gold.
****
Admiral Wilcock's office was situated on one of the highest floors of the orbital station, requiring Meri to take the transport lift all the way down to return to her ship. The journey mirrored the one she had made earlier, ascending to the upper floors. The station, aptly named the Watchtower, stood an impressive fifteen meters tall, its wide, spinning-top shape constructed from pure Seriphium metal. It orbited Nanna, Agartha's pale silver moon, which in turn circled the massive light-green planet surrounded by four colossal, circular defense rings. Each ring was a marvel of engineering, capable of drawing energy directly from Agartha's core to power the planet's defense systems. These rings weren't the only protective measures. A web of massive drones formed a net-like perimeter around the planet, scanning for any sign of danger. The sheer scale of the security made sense—Agartha was the heart of the Federation, and the memory of the Uprising twenty years ago still lingered in the minds of its citizens.
Meri glanced out of the lift's window at the sprawling planet below. Beautiful, she thought. Agartha had been her home for thirteen years before she left for Ascendant Academy, where she grew into the formidable woman she is today. Yet, despite its beauty, Meri hadn't returned to Agartha since. She had deliberately severed ties with her powerful family, choosing instead to forge her path with nothing but her strength, cunning, and determination. Now, she was one of the most dangerous warriors of the Starlight Order and the leader of a rising mercenary guild that was quickly making a name for itself. Over the past months, she and her team had taken on contract after contract, building their reputation and amassing the wealth Meri loved more than anything else in the universe. Today, she had secured a monumental deal—one that could propel her guild into the coveted S-Class. It meant tougher competition, more prestigious clients, and, most importantly, an influx of cash. For Meri, it was the ultimate prize. She allowed herself a small, satisfied smile as the lift descended. This contract could change everything.
"My Lady, we're ready for takeoff," Effie's voice came from the pilot's seat of the Dragonfly Essen, Meri's personal starcruiser. Meri was in the small kitchen, pouring herself a cup of coffee while studying the digital layout of Litvain on her datapad. The ship was docked in the bustling shipyard, surrounded by other vessels of varying shapes and sizes. She set the datapad aside, took a sip of her coffee, and left the kitchen, heading toward the cockpit.
The Dragonfly Essen was a striking ship, painted in sleek red and white. Its design was as unique as its owner—a nine-meter-tall vessel shaped like its namesake, with a sphere-shaped central compartment housing the cockpit, connected to a long, segmented tail. Its wings, asymmetrical with one shorter than the other, gave it a distinctive silhouette. Inside, the ship offered ample space for a crew, though today it held only Meri and her trusted pilot, Effie. This ship had been with Meri through countless battles and missions. It was her faithful companion during her days as a Star Knight when she traversed the galaxy hunting monsters and rogue Pleiadian operatives who dared disturb the fragile peace. Now, it served as the flagship for her mercenary operations, a relic of her past repurposed for her present ambitions.
"How long until we reach Litvain?" Meri asked, stepping into the cockpit and taking her seat beside Effie.
"Not long," Effie replied, activating the ship's systems.
The Essen rumbled softly as it glided through the dock's runway, then shot into space. A beam of Xeta energy enveloped the ship, propelling it into the Interspace—a kaleidoscopic dimension of swirling lights and intersecting pathways that served as the universe's shortcut between realms. Effie navigated the shimmering expanse with practiced ease.
"Are you sure it's wise to take this job yourself, my Lady?" she asked, her tone hesitant.
Meri leaned back, her gaze fixed on the swirling patterns outside the viewport. "The admiral wouldn't have entrusted this mission to an outsider if it wasn't critical. And let's be honest, there aren't many paladins left who could handle this job." Effie nodded but pressed on.
"Still, requesting—"Her words were cut short as warning symbols flared across the interface. Effie's sharp eyes scanned the readings.
"Seems like we're being followed," she said.
"It does," Meri replied, her voice calm. "Prepare for battle."
The cockpit came alive with activity as Effie initiated evasive maneuvers. The sphere-shaped compartment rotated, the asymmetrical wings shifting—one rising and the other lowering—to optimize the ship's aerodynamics. The Essen accelerated sharply, weaving through the Interspace paths as enemy ships closed in, plasma fire lighting up the void around them.
Effie's skillful piloting kept the enemy's volleys at bay, but the relentless barrage left little room for comfort. Meri stood and gave Effie a nod before heading to the weapon control station at the back of the ship. She slid into the seat, activating the targeting system. The interface displayed six hostile ships on their tail. Meri reached deep into her training, projecting her Internal Sense to enhance her reflexes and focus. Her hands moved deftly over the controls as she locked onto the closest target. With a series of precise plasma shots, two enemy ships exploded in brilliant bursts of light. The Essen jolted violently as Effie executed a sharp turn to dodge incoming fire, causing Meri's next shot to miss. She clenched her jaw, muttering under her breath as she adjusted her aim.
The turbulence made it increasingly difficult to target the remaining ships. Meri closed her eyes for a moment, centering herself. She reached out to the Odyllic, the energy that flowed through her very being, allowing it to sharpen her focus and steady her aim. Her eyes snapped open, and with a deep breath, she fired a volley of plasma blasts. The final shot struck true, hitting the last enemy ship and triggering a brilliant explosion that illuminated the Interspace around them. The cockpit fell quiet for a moment, save for the hum of the ship's engines. Effie glanced back at Meri, a wry smile tugging at her lips. "That was close."
Meri smirked, brushing her hair out of her face. "Too close. But close doesn't count when you're still alive. Let's keep moving—we have a planet to reach."
"Yes, my Lady," Effie replied, her voice steady and professional. Meri offered her a small smile, acknowledging Effie's impeccable piloting, yet sighed inwardly. A heaviness lingered in her chest—an unease about the lives they had just taken without the chance for dialogue. It wasn't the first time unknown attackers had emerged from the shadows to confront Meridien Karajan. For someone like her, who operated in the Neutral Free Zone—a chaotic expanse rife with conflicts and warlords—such encounters had become routine. This volatile region was the perfect place for Meri to establish her mercenary guild, but it had also earned her a long list of enemies. Yet something about this attack felt different. They weren't in the Neutral Free Zone anymore—they were in the heart of Federation space.
The Divine Federation was a bastion of peace, a utopic civilization that prided itself on stamping out violence before it could take root. The Uprising twenty years ago had been a prime example of the Federation's ruthless efficiency in maintaining its ideal of tranquility. For the trillions of souls living within its borders, life was harmonious—at least on the surface. Few understood the steep cost of that peace, a truth Meri had come to know all too well. The thought weighed on her as she left the weapons control station and headed toward the living area, where Effie was reviewing data on a holographic display. The circular table projected images of the ships they had destroyed, their charred remnants now floating somewhere in the void.
"The ships appear to be of Klatio origin," Effie Long'Shah said, her sharp gaze fixed on the projections. Her long brown hair was tied into a thick braid that trailed down her back, revealing a pointed ear—an unmistakable hallmark of the Elven race, one of the Nine Races of the universe. Her green, armor-padded jacket bore the insignia of the Black Lamia guild: a black-scaled lamia impaled by a sword. It was a symbol of resilience, a creed that Effie and Meri both embodied. Effie, Meri's trusted assistant, confidant, and closest friend, had a keen knowledge of the factions that prowled the Neutral Free Zone. "It's an SK-90 fighter jet," Effie continued, zooming in on the schematic. "A model capable of tearing through Adamant-class hulls like paper."
Meri's brows furrowed. "Strange to see one here in Federation territory," she remarked, her tone tinged with suspicion.
Effie tapped the console, bringing up another hologram—a rotating image of Knight Isarus, a Federation operative whose mission statement had brought them here. "Do you think it wasn't the Klatio?" Effie asked. "That there's more to this than we're seeing?"
"Anything's possible," Meri replied.
"But, my Lady... if that's true, it would mean there's a traitor within Starlight," Effie said, her voice dropping to a whisper.
"There always is," Meri said bitterly, her mind flashing back to her days as a Star Knight. She had once hunted the Federation's corrupt enforcers—those who betrayed the very ideals they swore to uphold. It was a harsh lesson, one that had stripped her of her familial ideals and forged her into the pragmatic leader she is today.
Effie shifted the projection to a map of Lamentias. "What kind of information could Knight Isarus have uncovered there?" she asked. "And why Lamentias of all places?"
Lamentias was a mining planet, its surface rich with rare and mystical resources. The Federation had siphoned its wealth for generations, making it the first and most exploited of its colonies. Recently, tensions had flared there, with the local populace growing increasingly resistant to Federation control. It was a breeding ground for rebellion, much like Litvain.
"Forget about Lamentias for now," Meri said. "Litvain is six light-years away. If Isarus needed to escape, there were far closer colonies with full Federation support."
"True," Effie said, "but Litvain is known for more than its spices." She paused, her tone growing serious. "It has a Tempus Warp System." Meri raised an eyebrow. A Tempus Warp System—an advanced interstitial pathway network that allowed near-instantaneous travel between planets—was a rare and invaluable asset. Few planets possessed such natural technology.
"Was he so desperate for a shortcut to Agartha that he'd risk going to Litvain?" Meri wondered aloud.
"Whatever intel he has must be critical," Effie replied.
Meri studied the holograms again, her intuition stirring with possibilities. She chose not to voice them yet.
"Should I inform the Magistrate that a representative of Starlight is en route?" Effie asked.
"We should let them know before we land," Meri said with a faint smile.
Effie nodded and began drafting the message. Meri leaned back, pondering the vast expanse of Federation territory. It was likely their arrival wouldn't go unnoticed, especially by the colony's magistrate. Better to appear courteous than risk offending local authorities.
As Effie worked, Meri retreated to the sleeping quarters. She lay on the bed briefly before crossing her legs into a lotus pose. Closing her eyes, she began a breathing technique she had created during her academic days. Her breaths grew steady as her mana flow activated, circulating through her body. With each cycle, her mana infused her muscles, organs, and cells, fortifying her entire being. Her soul core, the wellspring of her power, absorbed the ambient energy of the Odyllic around her, refining it into pure mana. In this trance-like state, Meri seemed almost asleep. But within, she was preparing—mentally and physically—for whatever awaited her on Litvain. Meanwhile, in the cockpit, Effie finished sending the message and took the ship off autopilot. She felt the faint vibrations of Meri's presence in the Odyllic. It was vast, monumental like a mountain dwarfing everything around it. Effie could only marvel at her Lady's strength as she focused on the task at hand.
A notification blinked on the console. They were nearing their destination. The Dragonfly Essen emerged from Xeta-beam travel, reentering normal space in the Osa Solar System. Before them loomed a large, azure planet orbiting a dazzling blue supergiant star. As the ship slowed, Meri emerged from her quarters, her composure serene and focused. Effie turned to greet her.
"Litvain," Meri said, her gaze fixed on the planet. "Let's see what you have in store for us."