Thanks to easternSpirit who translated this fict for me ^^

I hope you will enjoy it :)


GALACTIK FOOTBALL PART I : SYMPHONIC OPENING

Chapter 1: Catch your Breath and go away.

Time stops.

Everything starts here. Everybody holds their breath.

The shot goes in. Rocket scores.

The crowd roars with joy. The Cup shines.

We cry, we laugh, we shout until our voice gets hoarse…

A flash of light, then another, thousands of them…

Life resumes her way.

They stand up, standing upright hand in hands. The accumulated tension of the lasts months suddenly goes evaporates. Their fight is over.

oOo

Crossing the hallway to the locker-room was not easy though. Journalists and some reckless fans rushed in from the corridor as soon as the door opened.

- " Where are you D'Jok ? I can't see anything with all those flashes ! " Shouted Micro-Ice, covering his face with one arm and moving forward while reaching forward hesitantly with the other.

Aarch's broad shoulders naturally intervened between the Snowkids and the mass of journalists. He explained that it was useless to question his players for now because they needed rest, a lot of rest.

The group used the opportunity to attempt a second time to reach the locker-room door. D'Jok entered first while dragging Micro-Ice by the arm, followed by the rest of the team who hurriedly got in, running away from the flashes and the distant shouts as if they're escaping the plague.

They sat in silence while taking off their white kneecap protectors, having a few gulps of fresh water and resting, unable to realize what had just happened. Mark, staring at the roof with empty eyes, finally whispered in a low voice;

- " We did it… I can't believe it… "

Nobody really believed it. They were still in a dreamlike state. The room suddenly turned silent for a moment, and as if they've just realized what Mark said, they all burst out laughing.

Aarch came in.

- " I am so proud of you..."

He was not the kind of man to show his feelings. However, his red cheeks, his sparkling eyes followed by a shy smile betrayed all the emotions he was trying to contain.

" I don't know how to thank you for this incredible match. Tonight you proved that you were the best, whatever the odds were. You proved that together, nothing is impossible for you; Snowkids."

A lot of understanding glances were exchanged during the coach's speech. Tia stared at Rocket with admiration. Micro-Ice peeped maliciously at his team-mates that quickly returned with some winks, and Thran sometimes glanced over at his brother with a mixture of concern and worry.

The coach concluded his speech;

" Tonight, we will celebrate a victory well earned. Yuki should also join in a few minutes. Dame Simbaï will give you a medical examination tomorrow to check your health, physic and emotional. Tonight, however, you're free to do what you want. See you, Snowkids."

oOo

Three days later.

Snowkids, Snowkids… Snowkids… That word was still echoing in his head. As if he was having a dream; while fantasy's merging with reality. His cat-like eyes half-closed, Ahito laid stretched out on the bench of the ship that was on its way back to Akillian. His head rested on his brother's lap, the latter bobbing his head in drowsiness, swaying slightly. The young goalie turned his attention to his fellow team-mates who were talking continuously, waiting for the huge port holes of Akillian to come in sight.

-" I can't wait to be back, a bit of tranquility will be good for me…" Mei sighed.

-" Oh, you're camera-phobic all of a sudden? " D'Jok teased.

His girlfriend answered him with a cold glare.

-" I – I agree with you Mei, I can't wait to be back too. I miss my family. " Yuki added, quickly stepping in to Mei's defense.

That moment Aarch announced they were reaching Akillian's orbit.

-" Wake up little brother, were're home… " Thran whispered, smiling to his twin.

-" But… There's fifteen minutes left before reaching the faculty… wake me up when we get there ! " He answered, avoiding the first sunny rays coming through the screens.

The ship landed without fail on the stadium's platform. Aarch made sure that there weren't any journalists waiting for them before letting go back to the buildings they knew so well by now. This is where they had learned everything, where they endured the hard and exhausting trainings. This is where they celebrated theirs victories, where they forgot their losses. These corridors were still echoing with their laughing voices, the training room still breathed the tense air of times they had arguments, and in their rooms they could vaguely feel as if their cries and words of consolation still lingered there.

Mei sat in the great common room, calmly reading the last fashion and beauty journals. Next to her Mark and Micro-Ice were watching the last Cyclopes versus Wambas match, when the six other members of the team came in with a rather serious look on their face. They were followed by Aarch and Clamp. The Snowkids sat on the couch, waiting for what their Coach had to say.

-" Sorry to ruin the atmosphere, but you will resume training soon…"

-" And here we are… tell us the sentence…" Micro-Ice thought.

-" I think that I will give you some extra days off… then we will have to resume work. I'll have you remember that the Wambas have already asked for a revenge match, and they're training hard since a couple of weeks. I count on you to keep your skills up!"

Some moments of negotiating back and forth, the team succeeded to convince their Coach to give them two more days of freedom before slowly restarting their training. After that, they would continue theirs training sessions fulltime. Mark and Micro-Ice went back to the holo-TV, Mei stood up to talk to Aarch before he could slip away, Ahito was rubbing his temples.

-" Coach ! " Mei called.

He turned around.

" I… got a question Sir… " She added, hesitantly.

-" I'm listening Mei. "

-" Well… I was wondering if… "

Suddenly, the sound of something falling down cut short her question.

-" Ahito ? " Thran called out worriedly.

Ahito was sprawled out on the floor, his short, ragged breathing warned his brother, who kneeled at his side with eyes open wide in panic.

" Ahito ! "

He turned Ahito on his back, putting his hands on each side of his face. By now the younger twin had turned pale, sweat streaming down his neck.

" He's shaking… he's shaking ! This isn't right ! " Thran shouted, hyperventilating from sheer panic.

It took a few seconds for Simbaï to rush into the room, already warned by Aarch. Eyes open wide but seemingly not looking at anything, Ahito didn't cease to shake, his hands clenching his brother's arm.

-" Thran… it hurts…" It was barely a whisper.

Simbaï checked his pupils, hastily took his pulse rate and called Aarch to quickly bring Ahito to the sickbay. The younger twin, though, refused to lose his grip on his brother's arm for even a second.

-" What's wrong ? Ahito ! "

-" I have to take him to the emergency care." Simbaï shouted out. Her voice was demanding, but despite her professionalism, traces of anxiety slipped through.

" Stay here Thran."

-" What ? ... No ! " he answered firmly, the look on his face switching between anger and incomprehension on being asked to leave.

Being away from his twin was a difficult task for him, especially at times when Ahito was suffering. D'Jok and Rocket strongly grabbed each of Thran's arms. Despite the fact that the defender was shorter than them, he was not weaker. His two friends hardly managed to control him while Aarch left carrying Ahito.

When the door closed shut, this room, usually one of the most warm and laidback of all places in the academy, turned eerily silent. D'Jok and Rocket let go of Thran's arms, the latter falling to the floor out of breath. He stayed like this a few seconds, then went to sit on the great sofa, breathing raggedly, his head buried in his hands. Yuki sat by his side, putting one arm over his shoulders. With her head resting on his, she tried to give him whatever comfort she could offer at that moment.

-" There… That's what I was talking about." Mei resumed her earlier conversation in a low voice.

-" What are you talking about ?" D'Jok asked.

-" I need a break…..we all need one." She said, looking at Thran and Yuki.

-" You mean… giving up football ?" Micro-Ice exclaimed.

-" Not definitively… rather…..temporarily"

-" Mei… we've just won the Cup for the second time ! This isn't the time to drop it all ! We're at the top of our career ! " D'Jok yelled.

-" And maybe that's the thing I'd like to think about ! " Mei countered, raising her voice.

-" Hey calm down ! " Mark shouted out, wedging his voice in between the arguing couple.

He quickly resumed, though lowering his voice.

" If you insist on arguing at this time take it elsewhere will you? I think we already have enough problems as it is… "

Mei took her journals, and left without uttering another word.

oOo

Dame Simbaï's words felt like someone dropped a bomb on them.

-" This is serious."

How many times Thran begged not to hear this. How many times he swore to no longer keep it a secret, to come forward and talk about it. Now it was too late, he had to take his responsibility, in spite of the overwhelming guilt.

The sickbay was a clear, clean and perfectly organized room, where if the artificial lights on the ceiling caused some decorations and medical devises to turn the walls green and blue with their reflections. A few plants here and there which were chosen by Dame Simbaï let out a delicate mint odor and provided the room with fresh oxygen. Not only was Simbaï one of the finest doctors on Akillian, but she was also an experienced herbalist.

The twins' parents were seated in the white and pale green seats in front of her desk as she was trying to reassure them. She may not know the reason of Ahito's suddenly worsened physical condition as of yet, but at least the crisis was over for now.

Behind them, his head resting on the thin glass which enclosed Ahito in his room, Thran observed his little brother with a painfully sad expression.

-" I begin to believe that I will see him more behind hospital glass than on the field. " He whispered to Yuki, who joined him a few minutes ago.

-" Don't worry, he will get over it, he always does. " She answered with a forced smile.

- " Perhaps… but we could've avoided it this time. This is my fault. I should never have covered up for him, he risked his health for us. I should have prevented him from doing that. "

A soft noise piped up.

A fine, blue light ran over Ahito's face, who was sleeping deeply.

-" What are you talking about ? " Yuki resumed. " You know very well that he did it for himself most of all. He did it to prove he was the best, even when he is ill. He wanted to do this, he often said that… "

" I will succeed, Thran, I can do it …"

At hearing Yuki's words, Thran remembered all the spirit his brother showed during the final. That spirit which gave them the chance to win, despite he was deadly tired.

Thran's parents stood up with empty eyes, trying to thank Dame Simbaï despite their distress. Thran's dad moved next to him, looking haggard.

-" Did you hear ? Your little brother… is coming back home. "


Letters and digits were sliding down the screen. Lines of codes, weird schemes, graphics, numbers… All of this information was running down the blue surface of the screen erratically, tiredly showing the same things over and over. So confusing….

Yet so important….

Who's information was it ? Technoïde's of course. The biggest firm if the galaxy, or at least, the known part of the galaxy. It was controlling everything. Security, politics, families, holo-TV, consumerism, media, children, work, education, entertainment.

Sport.

Technoïde had everything. Every day, it added more and more people to its circle, feasted on their fear, making more droids for their customers' 'security'.

For a better world.

Locked away in his fortress of glass and concrete, Maddox was getting impatient staring at the screen. Everybody knew it was unwise to make the Technoïde's director wait.

The door opened, Harris entered and cleared his throat.

-" Excuse my tardiness… I…"

-" I don't care Harris… do you have any NEWS from the first test data ? " The director asked annoyed, yet the disinterested undertone in his voice betrayed his assumption as what the answer to that question might be.

-" Well… this is precisely… "

-" DO you have any news or not ? " Maddox burst out angrily.

-" No your Excellency, the results are still negative." Harris answered with a sigh. " Though the scientist are devoting all their time to it… "

-" Time ? Do I have to remind you how much even a second of work on this project costs me ? We don't HAVE any more time! If things keep going at this rate and the project isn't over in one month, the Senate will begin to have serious doubts about Technoïd's financing ! And we don't want politicians meddling in our affairs, do we ? "

A short interval of silence.

Harris resumed.

-" N-No your Excellency…"

-" So tell them they should hurry up, or I will be forced to intervene …"

-" Yes, Director. " Harris stammered meekly, well aware of the mighty position of the man he was talking to. " I will contact you as soon as there is any news."

-" Which for your sake had better be good this time…"

Maddox turned around again, facing the window through which he could overlook the Genesis center. He observed the buildings and the great square which was abuzz with life, as if he was a spider waiting to strike. Harris left, sweating.

Every meeting with Maddox was even tenser than the last one. But he was reaching his goal, nothing should be able to stop him, especially now. Nothing should hinder his… plan.

The vice-president went down to his office, a room colored in gray and red, and furnished rather sparsely. He sat on his black seat and sighed.

-" Don't you worry Maddox ..." He whispered sinisterly . "There will be good news... for me. "

A buzz made him snap out of his evil thoughts. A droid appeared on his holo-screen.

- "Sir, one of your contacts would like to speak with you on screen. Should I put him through to you ? "

- "Who is it? " Harris asked, folding his hands under his chin.

The robot processes the question for a moment, a red light activated on his forehead.

- "Accessing directory..…contact unknown. "

Harris smiled.

- "Put him through on holo-screen and decline any other calls while we're engaged. I don't want to be disturbed. "

- "Yes, Vice-president. "The droid complied.

A large blue screen appeared on the opposite wall. A Xenon, face half-veiled, appeared on the screen. His sharp teeth stuck out slightly from his open jaw.

- "We have considered your offer." He said in a gravely serious voice.

- "Well then! Let's talk business! " Harris said, spreading his arms.

- "We accept…..under one condition. "

Harris stood up, folded his hands behind his back and walked around his desk with a sigh.

- "I'm listening. "

The Xenon exhaled his animal-like breath through his widened nostrils.

- "We want full security for the rest of the clan. We want to be sure they will not be harmed in any way."

- " You have my word ! You can trust me. " Said Harris, approaching the screen. "We will send your clan to Tashio, a small, rocky deserted planet, no one will be able to touch them there. We will send food and water. My droids will be charged with their continuous… …protection... "

This last word was hard to swallow.

- "Then it's a deal." The Xenon said. He raised his head and exposed his yellow, snake like eyes.

- "In return, it goes without saying that your involvement in this alliance is absolute, body and soul ..."

- "As long as our deal is respected, we will not disappoint you. "

- " Very well! Harris said in a tone testifying to his satisfaction. "I'll contact you for the first phase of our plan. Until then, I must add more people to our circle ... "

The screen disappeared and he turned to the bay window of his office.

"Everything will happen as planned, don't worry. "

oOo

A blue light. A red light. They flashed on and off one after the other, fading ... and disappeared. The container was left empty. Again.

- " We can't do it! " One of the scientists shouted, his eyes fixed on the glass container.

- "Don't say that! "Another chided him. "They could hear us !"

- "But it's impossible! You all know it is! We will never find the right sequence, it's a one in a million chance! "

The main door opened, and the room grew eerily silent. Maddox came in and looked at the laboratory that stretched out below him with a dark, uncompromising gaze. The researchers, paralyzed with fear by the surprise visit, watched him, waiting for a sign.

- "I don't pay you to stare at me! " the Director roared.

The scientists immediately resumed their research while the chief-scientist, Mr. Ages, quickly came to the director's side to greet him and update him on the latest results.

- "S-Sir, it's an honor to see you in our workplace... as you know, the first experiments didn't bear any positive results as of yet….."

He told him about all their adjustments and recalculations since his last visit. The director didn't care about it. He observed the small glass containers located in the center of the room, where sometimes a gentle puff of steam floated, colored by green, purple or blue... All around the container were busy scientists, eyes fixed on the screens in front of them. They were all dressed in white, as white as the light of the central generator suspended from the ceiling, from where the sound of the ventilation system could be heard. If it wasn't for the generator and the computer monitors the room would have been completely dark, save for the luminous vapors that appeared from time to time in the containers. The metal grids that made the floor and stairs resounded at every step amplified the already tense atmosphere caused by the Director's presence. He has stopped listening to the boring excuses offered by Mr. Ages for quite some time now, and turned his attention instead to the largest container in the center of the room.

- "You have two weeks. "He said, interrupting the researcher.

- "S-sorry ?"

- "You have two weeks to find me the right sequence, and fill this container. "

For the first time since the arrival of Maddox, the chef-scientist was speechless, his face betraying his astonishment at such a demand. His dull and tired eyes , always hidden behind his glasses, were wide open for once.

- "But, your Excellency, I am afraid it is not possible ..."

- "Believe me… It is in your best interest to succeed… "

Some of the researchers who accidentally heard that last sentence started working even harder, harder than they had even done before. They had to succeed, their lives depended on it now. It would be too ironic to die by the hand of the Universe's biggest supplier of public safety electronics…

oOo

Harris was still looking at the gigantic city of the Genesis. Again, a buzz snapped him out of his thoughts.

- "Sir, the Director came down to the research laboratories. " the same droid that had previously contacted him reported.

- "Good. " Harris said, turning back towards his screen. "Let me know when he comes out immediately. "

- "Yes sir. "

Harris came out of his office, and went to the huge door leading to the director's office. The guardian droids let him enter, as they did earlier that day. As expected, the room was empty, but the atmosphere was still heavy even without Maddox's presence. Harris moved behind the imposing black-glassed desk, and sat on the seat. The mere fact of being seated here gave a sensation of incredible power. He looked at the transmitter on his wrist, and tapped a series of codes. A hoarse voice came out of the unit.

- "What do you want? "

- "Well! What rudeness! "Exclaimed Harris. " I didn't expect anything else from a pirate ..."

- "I can't give ya all my time Sir, you know there's a price on me head! "

- "You mean that you don't have time because you're afraid of being located by my droids ..."

- "Yeah... so ? " Said the voice after a short pause. "Are ya ready? "

- "I am," replied Harris.

- "Well, synchronize yer transmitter on Maddox's computer, I take care of the rest. "

Harris calibrated his watch to the frequency of the director's computer. A few series of beeps followed.

"Here, do ya have any idea of what the password is? "

Harris thought for a moment, tapping the desk with the tips of his cold fingers while considering some options.

- "Try 'Nora'."

The screen lit up.

- "Welcome Mr. Director. " A female robotic voice said.

- "Haha! And ya say that Technoïde is supposed to be at the forefront of technology in security! " The voice on the other side of the transmitter exclaimed.

- "Keep your comments to yourself " Harris shouted in an exasperated tone. "You try and open the confidential files instead, those are guarded by REAL codes! "

- "Nothing is impossible for a pirate, Vice-Director! "

- "It will be 'Director' soon, and I remind you that this act makes you more of a traitor than a pirate. "Harris added mockingly.

- "A well paid traitor! "

The files appeared on screen, but a red square appeared.

- "Let's see ..." The pirate says.

A long series of numbers appeared, gradually filling up the screen. After a few seconds, the code was cracked, the files were accessible. Harris watched every piece of information they contained.

"I transferred it all to yer computer, ya will have constant access, and ya won't need any access codes in the future ..."

- "Tell me ..." Harris replied. "Would you be interested in full immunity in exchange of your services? "

The voice seemed to think.

"Take it or leave it…..your choice "

- "Ya Technoid's agents are still the kings of dirty tricks ... We've all seen what happened to Blackbones's so called 'immunity'! "

- " Just so you know, the cancellation of Sonny's immunity was not ordered by the Technoïd's Director. Everything was planned by ex-general Bleylock… it was a personal revenge."

The download ended. Harris turned off the director's computer.

- "Maybe I'll take ya up on that offer..."The pirate contemplated. "I'll discuss this with the others. It certainly is an offer that would suit us well. "

Harris stood up. His transmitter buzzed. A small hologram appeared on his wrist, displaying a droid.

- "The Director prepares to leave the laboratory Sir. "

- "Good. " Harris said. "We'll resume this conversation later if you wish. I'll give you time to think about my offer. "

He cut off communication abruptly and hurriedly paced out of the office.

"So THAT is your secret plan..." He thought, as the door closed behind him in a last, dull thud.

To be continued….