Prologue:
2,371 astronomical miles away from the Milky Way's Galactic Core
12:27:13; Sunday the 15th of August
Being on border patrol wasn't exactly Kaymen's idea of fun. He didn't really have trouble finding fun. That time he led an assault against the cybernoid was fun. Watching the Kantarian home planet crumble away into a black hole was fun. But flying the same path around the Melosartifex capital ship was not fun. The capital ship was home to the family that ruled most of the known universe, the Melosartifex royalty, as well as almost half of the home planets population. It was a large white sphere nearly 190 miles in diameter, and contained its own ecosystem, gravity field, and a small rift reactor core that held enough power to supply energy to every part of the ship. Kaymen was completing his 63rd lap around the white globe of a spaceship in his FIREFIGHTER ship when his comrade in arms, Menosis, who was flying behind him, piped up on the COM channel. "Hey Kay Kay. How you holdin up over there?" he jested over the line. Kaymen replied flatly, "I'm fine. And I thought I told you not to call me that."Kaymen was constantly teased by his fellow officer because of his name, and he usually tried to not let it bug him. "Okay, I'll stop calling you that how does that sound Kay-man?" he laughed over the radio. "It's an improvement, but it still needs work." Kaymen replied with dripping sarcasm. They were now flying side by side together, almost racing to be in front. Suddenly the radio began to crackle wildly and a small object zipped in-between them, screeching as the metal object scrapped Menosis's ship. damaging the paint of his FIREFIGHTER. "As if I wasn't already a bad driver, now I have to explain this too!" he cursed loudly. But Kaymen was more interested in whatever the object was more than to be concerned about a paint job. The capital ship COM channel, which was hardly ever used, came to life as Astral, Captain of the royal guard, came into view on the screen. "Attention FIREFIGHTER patrols! Lady Lily has escaped once again. Your orders are to retrieve her unharmed and bring her back to the ship! She is flying in an unmarked rocket pod of her own creation." Lady Lily, eldest daughter of Lord Melosartifex, had just recently turned 17, and was always running away from home. This was the third time in a week. "Yes sir!", both Menosis and Kaymen said in unison, and began their pursuit after the unmarked capsule. They caught up to her with ease, and Kaymen opened up the intercom system. "Lady Lily, eldest daughter of Lord Melosartifex! This is patrol unit 23! Stop your ship and comply or we will use force!" Kaymen put the message on repeat to make sure she couldn't ignore it. Suddenly an orange shockwave blasted from the unidentified ship, and the intercom went dead. She had emitted an EMP pulse, knocking out any electricity on the ship. Thankfully the new models of FIREFIGHTER were installed with rift power cores, to prevent such situations from happening, but the pulse knocked out his persisting message. "Damn kid shut me up. The intercom system is out!" Kaymen yelled over the COM channel. "She doesn't like the sound of your voice apparently." Menosis said casually. "Shut up." Kaymen replied, now annoyed. He picked up the radio and said to Astral, "Sir, she is not responding to the message, permission to use class B weapons?" The radio was silent until he heard Astral sigh heavily, "Confirmed, Pilot 1, you have access to class B weapons, repeat, you have confirmation." Kaymen smiled and chuckled in satisfaction "Your time is up, princess." Kaymen grinned as he flicked open the box and activated the Calico missiles. He fired. The projectile was like Lady Lily's EMP burst, however this missile was specifically designed to sabotage circuitry of any kind. The missile caught up to the craft and began to glide parallel to Lady Lily's ship, and then lightly tapping the hull. The projectile burst, sending electricity coursing across the small vessel. "Target hit." Kaymen grinned with satisfaction. The small ship then slowed to a stop, its lights and thrusters flickering incoherently, completely incapable of moving.
Lily
The Calico missile had really done her ship in. Lady Lily was quite alive and alright, but her ship was dead weight in the middle of space. She watched as the patrol ships began to close in on her, and the bottom hatch was opening to activate the tractor beam that would take her home. "Dammit! I don't want to go home! I don't want to meet any more of the suitors or those teachers! I want out! "She screamed in frustration. She paused. Out. Her eyes gleamed as she found an idea to complete her escape. They could warp jump to her location, which is…if they knew where she was. And if her devious plan worked, she wouldn't even know where she was. It was a mad idea, absolutely crazy and insane. But it just might work and get her away from that fake moon. "Time to play boys." She laughed as she went to work.
Kaymen
Ten minutes had passed, the tractor beam still charging and calculating, and Lady Lily had not made any move at all, which concerned Kaymen. Had the shot wounded her? Possibly even killed her? No. Calico missiles were not built for destruction, only maiming space vessels. She is certainly alive in there, but no sign of any movement had occurred. Then suddenly, the airlock latches began to unlock. "She's up to something." He whispered to himself. With that the cockpit windshield violently flew off, as if it were trying to get away, and then the face of Lady Lily poked out, smiling in her custom made drop suit, modeled and designed to withstand entering an atmosphere and keeping the person wearing it alive. She got out of the capsule, looked up at the FIREFIGHTER ships, and waved cheerfully. Kaymen opened up his COM channel. "Be careful Menosis, she is making this way too easy, and she is too cheerful for my likings. Proceed with caution." Kaymen said sternly. Menosis replied with a quiet "Aye, cap'n." A light blue button blinked on Kaymen's dashboard. The tractor beam was ready. Kaymen looked back at Lady Lily, who was waving both her arms now, with a big smile on her face. "No tricks, princess. You are coming with us." He activated the beam and right as it hit her ship, she turned around and jumped into open space. "I knew it! Dammit!" Kaymen watched as Lady Lily fumbled with something in her pocket, and brought out a deep blue cylinder that chilled Kaymen to the bone. "She's got the wormhole generator!" Kaymen quickly opened up the capital ship COM line and screamed at Astral" Sir! Emergency, Lady Lily has a wormhole generator; I repeat she has a wormhole generator!" The small tube was still under the high speculation of the engineering corps, but it was just as deadly. Still a prototype, the device was made to create a tear in the fabric of space. Detonating one would open a temporary wormhole to somewhere in the universe, and Lady Lily was going to enter it. Astral responded with "WHAT?! HOW IN LORD MELOSARTIFEX'S NAME DID SHE GET HER HANDS ON ONE OF THOSE?!" Lady Lily looked back at the two FIREFIGHTER ships, now crazed with radio signals, and pointed at the little cylinder, then, she attached a small signal to it and did the unexpected. She threw it at the patrol ships. Kaymen screamed at Menosis, "GET BACK! If that thing detonates anywhere near us, it'll split us in two!" Menosis didn't need to be told twice. He put his ship in forward and zipped away so he was behind Lady Lily. Kaymen followed quickly and said hastily, "Quick, beam her up! Otherwise we ar-"At that moment, Kaymen's radio was silenced as the device exploded, creating a rip in space. And just as Menosis fired the beam, Lady Lily jumped, towards the wormhole, and in it Kaymen saw a green and blue planet, with white caps on top and bottom. Clouds lined the surface of the strange planet. Kaymen quickly shot a picture of the planet inside, and the computer began analyzing the photo. As Lady Lily jumped though the space rip, the wormhole closed, sealing the space continuum once again. The computer beeped, showing a set of data tables and coordinates. Kaymen contacted Astral, saying, "Sir, she's escaped. But I managed to take a picture of the planet I saw through the wormhole, and I have managed to identify it." Astral breathed in heavily. "Where is this planet?" he said quickly. "The planet exists in the 27th sector of the third quadrant near the Elipsis Star-zone, and database says it is home to a sentient species." Kaymen replied quietly, "Its inhabitants call it…Earth."
