Hala

Earth Year: 1960

"Vanee-Gast to the simulation room. Vanee-Gast to the simulation room. Report within the next ten minutes," a voice over the intercom said in the girls' locker room.

The girl, Vanee-Gast, sighed in resignation as she finished assembling the last of her training gear.

Like most residents of Hala, Vanee was a Kree, specifically of the blue-skinned ethnic majority. She was a teenaged girl around the age of fifteen Earth years. Her skin was a light shade of azure with a long, flowing head of white hair and light blue eyes to match her skin. One could almost mistake her for an innocent child if it wasn't for the yellow and red cadet uniform she is wearing with the Kree star on her chest to signify her true affiliation to the ancient alien empire. The fact that she also had a child-sized blaster pistol holstered on her belt as well as a similar sized sword sheathed behind her back makes it perfectly clear that this child would probably become a cold-blooded killer in the future.

Such was the reality for all Kree growing up in the empire. As a fascist warrior race, every child of the empire was expected to go through training in the various training facilities all over the homeworld and beyond. While there were other vital occupations in the Kree Empire, every single Kree was expected to learn how to fight in case the empire needed to draft them into service. However, Kree youths were encouraged to become professional soldiers and many aspire to rise to the elite of the Kree military, specifically Starforce or the Accuser Corps, to bring honor to their families and houses.

Vanee-Gast was no exception. She also had additional motivation to strive for an elite position at Starforce.

The girl had her mother's example to live up to after all.

Vanee then placed her yellow cadet helmet over her head and fastened its leather straps in place. With her combat gear assembled, she took a deep breath and slapped both hands into her cheeks to psych herself up.

She exhaled. "Here goes nothing."

The Kree girl then closed her locker before running out of the room.

Vanee then found herself in an empty white room and in front of six humanoid androids- three with blaster rifles and the other three in front of them with melee weapons. The melee bots rushed in first with their weapons raised as their ranged counterparts covered them with phaser fire (painful but admittedly nonlethal projectiles).

However, Vanee-Gast stood undaunted as years of combat training kicked in. Like a rehearsed ballerina, Vanee effortlessly dodged and swayed away from the incoming phaser bolts as she unsheathed her sword and made an uninterrupted run towards the charging melee bots. The nearest bot to her was a brute with a giant hammer, durable model with a dangerous weapon that could crush a little girl like Vanee in one hit.

Too bad the bot couldn't land that hit. As the machine swung its weapon in an overhead arc, Vanee used her lighter body to nimbly dodge the hammer in a side slide before using her opening to stab her sword into the android's chest, rendering it offline as the machine's lights died and toppling over once Vanee removed her blade.

Vanee then looked over to the corner of her eye to see another android, a leaner model with a shield and a mace, a more challenging foe with better defensive options. As it charged at her, Vanee ran to it at the same running speed. But instead of attacking head-on, Vanee-Gast hopped on its shield before using it as a launchpad to leap over it as the machine was busy swinging its weapon.

As Vanee-Gast was in the air, she spotted the last melee bot, a light model with four arms and four daggers, lagging behind its compatriots. When Vanee's head was directly above the dagger bot's, she quickly swung her sword down to decapitate it, rendering the android offline.

Before it could fall down, however, Vanee-Gast landed directly behind it before grabbing the machine and running with it towards the gunner bots, using the dagger bot's carcass as a shield against the phaser bolts. When she was close enough, Vanee-Gast threw the robot carcass at one of the gunner bots, knocking it down, before driving her sword into the head of the nearest gunner bot to render it offline.

However, this action left Vanee exposed for a moment, allowing the third gunner bot to graze the Kree cadet on the shoulder. Vanee winced in pain as the phaser bolt burnt some skin. Gritting her teeth in anger, Vanee responded with a shout as she quickly drew her pistol with her other hand to fire three laser bolts in quick succession, one to the chest and two to the head, as the android toppled down with its head split open in a charred mess. Vanee then quickly turned around to fire two laser bolts at the last gunner bot, one at the dead android laying on top of it and the other at the living bot's head, shutting it down as a relatively clean hole was smoking out of it.

Vanee turned to the last robot alive as it was charging at her again with its shield. The Kree cadet fired blindly at the android at her laser bolts bouncing safely off the shield. Vanee was still in a rage after the gunner bot hit her, but thankfully she calmed herself down enough to think. "Don't muck this up, Vanee! You won't make mother proud acting like this! Remember, emotions make you weak. Control them. Calm down..."

Vanee took a deep breath as the shield boot was only a couple of feet away from her. She aimed down the sight of her gun before squeezing the trigger, firing a laser bolt that slid past the robot's shield and hit its head square on, killing it instantly.

With all her enemies dead, Vanee put away her weapons and took another moment to make deep breaths in order to suppress her adrenaline fuelled rage. Once she has calmed down, Vanee-Gast ran forward and searched the shield bot, the 'leader' of the robot attack force, and took a white spherical device off its body. She then ran to the far side of the room to insert the sphere into faint indentation in the wall. The markings were so faint that it could have been easily missed with the white coat of the rest of the walls, but Vanee's eyes and observation skills have been finely honed over the years. To her, the markings were as plain as day.

Once the sphere went inside the indentation, the lines on the wall glowed bright blue before it parted to reveal a narrow walkway over a pit of boiling water and many swinging bags on the way meant to push any cadet into the pool of pain along with a sizeable gap before the end for extra challenge. They would be fished out before dying, of course, but not without failing the test. This obstacle course was enough to intimidate any would-be Starforce prospect, but not Vanee-Gast.

Her family lives for this kind of danger.

With a devilish smirk, Vanee ran forth the narrow walkway without fear. The cadet could be cautious, wait between the gaps before safely moving past the bags, but she wasted enough time already. Instead, Vanee-Gast ran full speed ahead, placing her faith on her speed and her timing, to avoid the swinging bags.

For a time, it worked. Through some stroke of luck, Vanee effortlessly avoided almost every bag in one uninterrupted rush. Key word being 'almost'.

The last bag managed to hit Vanee-Gast squarely at her side, but instead of sending her tumbling down to the water, Vanee made good use of her warrior reflexes and grabbed the bag's swinging chain to anchor herself before using the bag itself as a launchpad to leap over the final gap and land safely on the other side in a graceful roll.

"Damn, I'm good!", she exhaled proudly. Vanee then ran forward through the opening and entered the final stage of the test, a firing range. The objective of this final stretch is hit three targets with laser fire. Unfortunately, those targets happen to be floating several feet away from the firing table, are as small as tangerines, and are moving wildly all over their assigned space like an electron cloud.

Only hitting one of these balls was enough to pass the test, but Vanee didn't take this test to settle for mediocrity. She came here to prove that she was just like her mother and nothing like her father.

After inhaling deeply, Vanee-Gast pulled her pistol and fired off her first shot. Whether it was luck or pure skill, the laser bolt managed to hit one of the moving balls, searing a hole through it and dropping dead on the ground.

At that point, a male voice sounded through the intercom. "Vanee-Gast, you have passed your test. You may stop now, or continue for more points."

Vanee only had three more shots left in her blaster. In hindsight, it was a bad idea to expend that much ammo on the androids, but at least she has enough ammo to theoretically hit the last two balls. It was a small chance, but a chance none the less.

"I will continue!"

"Very well."

With that, Vanee raised her pistol, aimed down the sights, held her breath, and squeezed the trigger like she had so many times before.

Only to narrowly miss one of the balls by a vital centimeter.

"Damn it!", Vanee cursed. Her odds of scoring the remaining points have just plummeted even more now.

But Vanee-Gast wasn't deterred. She simply aimed down her sight again, tracking the pesky balls with one eye open, before firing another shot. This time, it hit the second ball.

"Yeah!", she grunted proudly.

"Do you still wish to continue?"

"Is that even a question?"

The voice behind the intercom groaned in irritation at Vanee's insolence, but decided to do nothing for now.

One shot left, but the final ball remains as quick and elusive as before. It can go either way now, but Vanee loved those odds all the same.

She aimed down her sight one last time before squeezing the trigger. The final shot...

Was a definite miss.

With all the charges used up, Vanee's weapon died down in a dreadful mechanical hiss.

"No! No! NO!", Vanee said panicking before she desperately squeezed the trigger in the vain hope that there was at least one more charge inside only for her optimism to die in the face of reality.

With the test over, the lights of the room died out before a red line shined to the far side of the wall to signal the exit.

"Well done, Vanee-Gast, you have passed your entrance test. Welcome to the Starforce program."

The words were meant to be a congratulations to the young Vanee-Gast for succeeding in this test where most others have failed. But to Vanee, this was a hollow victory. This was nothing next to mother's accomplishments... and this wouldn't be enough to wipe the shame her father brought to her family.

The ball stood suspended in midair for a moment before moving back towards its chamber almost mocking the cadet for her failure. Grinding her teeth hard in rage, Vanee, in a moment of passion, threw her gun at the insolent ball with a shout before storming off the obstacle course.

Incidentally, the thrown pistol managed to hit the ball and damaged it so hard that it short-circuited it and made it drop dead before it could reach the resting chamber.

Vanee-Gast left the simulation room frustrated and disappointed in herself as she practically ripped her helmet out of her head. She passed by other Kree cadets who have also finished their tests. Vanee paid them no mind until she saw the two whom she considered her friends waiting for her in the corner of the hallway.

Both cadets had blue skin and were around the same age as Vanee-Gast. One was a boy with shaved black hair, and the other was a girl with black hair as long as Vanee-Gast's. Their names were Att-Lass and Minn-Erva respectively.

Att-Lass smiled at Vanee-Gast's approach and said, "Here comes the girl of the hour. You bring good news, yes?"

Minn-Erva noticed the frustration in her friend's expression and asked, "What's wrong? Did you not pass your test, Va?"

Vanee sighed. "I did, but... not as much as I'd like."

"What do you mean?", Minn-Erva asked.

"I didn't get the last ball..."

"Is that it?", Att-Lass said before putting on a smile and lightly tapping Vanee in the shoulder, "Don't be too hard on yourself. That last bit was almost impossible. I was lucky I hit one of those things before I ran out of ammo."

"I got all three," Minn-Erva said proudly until she noticed Vanee wincing at her remark. She restated, "But then again, it did take me a while to take down those bots in the beginning. CQC is not exactly my area of expertise."

Att-Lass responded, "That part was easy. What almost got me was that damn obstacle run! Swinging bags over a pit of boiling water? What's that supposed to prove?"

"Speed, flexibility, courage," Minn-Erva teased.

"The ability to be calm under pressure," Vanee said smiling.

"I'm calm under pressure!", Att-Lass objected.

"Says the guy who's afraid of spiders," Minn-Erva said.

"I don't see how..."

"Didn't you try to take one out with your training pistol while you were in the showers?", Vanee pointed out.

Att-Lass blushed. "That was just that one time..."

"This month," Minn-Erva retorted. The two girls then laughed at their friend's expense. When they were done, Minn-Erva patted Att-Lass in the back and turned to Vanee-Gast. "So how did the test go down for you?"

"I took a hit from those bots, but I cut through them in about five minutes. And I made the run in about one minute, but I did get hit by one of the bags near the end. But then I used it to make it to the other side."

"Inventive," Att-Lass nodded approvingly, "You definitely are Starforce material."

"I guess...", Vanee said.

"I mean it. We are an elite squad in the making. We have a well-rounded scout," he said pointing at Vanee, "A master markswoman," he pointed at Minn-Erva who responded with a nod and a smug smirk. Att-Lass then tapped his chest and posed with his hands on his hips, "And, of course, we have a powerful squad leader at the helm."

Minn-Erva giggled. "More like a clumsy brute."

"Besides, I think out of all of us, Minny's more likely to achieve a command first," Vanee said as she smiled at her friend.

Minn-Erva blushed. Att-Lass rolled his eyes and said, "How about we go look at our scores then? They should be posted by now."

"Good idea. I want another reason to tease you again," Minn-Erva joked.

Att-Lass shook his head. "Please remind me why I am friends with you?"

"We laugh at your jokes, remember?", Vanee said before she and Minn-Erva began pulled out their issued communicators.

Att-Lass looked down and shrugged. "That is what friends do."

He then pulled out his own communicator and checked his message box to find a link to test's leaderboard of their 50 student class along with their 0-1000 score among other details.

Minn-Erva was the first to comment. "Well, look at that. 15th place, and a score of 705... I'll take it."

Att-Lass lit up like a Christmas tree and announced, "I made to the top ten! Well... 10th place and a score of 873."

"What the hell?!", Minn-Erva shouted indignantly before checking the leaderboard again, "I am seriously doubting the validity of this test..."

"You shouldn't say such treasonous things in front your future captain, Private Minn-Erva," Att-Lass teased.

"Well, I suppose even you deserve a win every once in a while," Minn-Erva grumbled before saying under her breath, "But I wish it's not at my expense..."

Att-Lass continued, "Tell you what. How about I give you one of the Galadorian sweetcakes I've been stashing and call it even. No more teasing. At least for a week?"

"Sure, whatever..."

Ever cheerful, Att-Lass looked at Vanee-Gast and asked, "So what did you make?"

Vanee didn't respond. She simply kept staring at her communicator with sad look on her face.

"Vanee?", Minn-Erva said as she moved closer to her friend and reached out to her shoulder.

Att-Lass looked at his own communicator and checked Vanee-Gast's score. His eyes widened in disbelief. "This is... 31st place and a score of 577?"

"What?!", Minn-Erva said as she checked her own communicator, "But you cleared the course faster than even me or Att, and even nailed two of the fly balls! How does this even begin to make sense?!"

"It does if you lot remember your place in the pecking order," an unknown male voice taunted.

The three turned to see a cadet with white skin and blonde hair.

Minn-Erva practically snarled at his presence and said, "What is it now, Gla-Ree?"

The boy smirked arrogantly. "Just stating the facts. As the top student in class, it's becoming of me to remind you all of how lucky you are to make it into the program given your... deficiencies."

Vanee scowled. "Of course 'Captain Glory' made first place..."

Gla-Ree shrugged. "What can I say? It's all in the genetics, and my family ensured mine were cultivated well."

"Now that you made your point," Minn-Erva chimed in, "Would you kindly piss off?"

"Language," Gla-Ree said chuckling, "A filthy half-breed like yourself should learn to keep that mouth shut. We wouldn't want you to get in trouble, yes?"

This got to Minn-Erva. She gritted her teeth and clenched her fists. She took a few steps toward the ever-so-pompous noble boy before Att-Lass stopped her. "Hey. He's not worth the trouble."

Minn-Erva took a deep breath and started to calm down. However, Gla-Ree couldn't leave well enough alone. "Common sense. Impressive Att-Lass, but if you were any smarter, you should've stayed on your farm like a good peasant."

Att-Lass glared at Gla-Ree, resisting the urge to beat his smug face in.

Vanee took a deep breath and said, "Don't you have anything better to do, Gla-Ree? I'm sure Sergeant Yon-Rogg hasn't had his boots licked yet. Or has your rich family already paid him off?"

"You wanna look at family history, huh?", Gla-Ree said amused by Vanee's insult, "Let's look at yours. Your father was a coward. A deserter. I'm surprised you didn't inherit his cowardice and quit when the pressure was on, not that I think you'll make it through the program anyway. Your bloodline is weak, and nothing you can do will ever change that."

Vanee stayed quiet as Gla-Ree ranted. Her fists were shaking, and her eyes were glaring daggers at him for every word he said. However, she did not react. Gla-Ree isn't saying anything that Vanee hadn't heard before... or told herself. She wasn't about to get herself in trouble over this smug bastard. He was not...

"And your mother... the supposed war hero. If she was so great, why did she leave the military? It's probably because she never had the mettle for war and..."

Gla-Ree was then interrupted by a right hook to the face. The punch staggered him back, giving Vanee an opening to tackle him into the floor, pinning him there.

Vanee knelt on top of Gla-Ree with pure rage in her eyes. "SHUT UP!"

She then began to bloody Gla-Ree's face blue with her fists. After the fourth or fifth punch, Gla-Ree palm striked the rage blind Vanee-Gast on sternum, making her staggered back as she coughed and held her chest in pain. Gla-Ree then got up and rushed the girl, headbutting her face before landing his own right hook on her cheek before Vanee answered back by making the boy to bend over wheezing by punching him in the gut.

The fight lasted for about five more minutes before guards broke the two cadets up. They would be sent to their drill sergeant's office to be reprimanded.

An hour later, Vanee, now visibly covered in bruises, was in her drill sergeant's office, where she sat despondently in front of a white-skinned and brunette Kree man in his twenties. Despite his young age, the drill sergeant, Yon-Rogg, had eyes that managed to fill his charge with shame as he looked down on her from behind his desk.

He spoke, "I am very disappointed in you, Cadet Gast."

"But sir...", Vanee tried to meekly object.

"Do not interrupt me. I am appalled your behavior as of late. You seem to have forgotten the key tenant of the Kree military. Emotions are to be controlled. Such passions are to be held in check, yet you lash out like a toddler at the slightest provocation."

"But Gla-Ree started it..."

"It's not just about what happened with Cadet Gla-Ree, Vanee-Gast. Although, hitting a son of a prominent noble house doesn't help matters. No, the real problem has always been there. During your test, you expressed disturbing bouts of unchecked emotion. You even mouthed off to a superior officer. You're lucky that all you recieved was point deductions. And if we go past today, your record is stained with past infractions. Public rowdiness, inappropriate behavior during training, starting fights, fraternization... how you managed to avoid expulsion is beyond me."

"I'll... I'll do better."

"You better, because I don't think you can take another infraction after the stunt you just pulled today," Yon-Rogg sighed as he laid back into his chair, "You and Gla-Ree will both be leaving with only a warning today, but consider it your last. Any further misbehavior out of you, and I will expel you from the program. Are we clear?"

Vanee clenched the hem on her pants as she suppressed the feelings she kept inside- her anger and self-loathing. She didn't like coming here and being talked down to, but she preferred not to waste the chance that was given to her.

"I... understand, sir. It won't happen again."

"Very good," Yon-Rogg then drew his eyes away from Vanee-Gast as he pulled out his personal computer, "You may report to your new quarters, Cadet Gast. As punishment for your misconduct, you may not leave it for the entire week outside your scheduled training."

Vanee took a deep and shaky breath. "Y-Yes sir..."

The young cadet then got up and stepped out the office. She focused her mind on getting to her new quarters through the instructions set on her communicator rather than lament on her troubles.

Hours later, Vanee-Gast found her way to her new quarters. She took off her uniform and put on her casual wear, a pair of trousers and simple white shirt, and she placed her small bag's worth of belongings in the corner as she spent most of the day collapsed on her bunk before grumpily consuming her daily rations of a bland nutrition bar and a water bottle. With nothing better to do, she occupied herself by thinking about all the ways she would kill Gla-Ree if it wasn't for the rules.

Vanee had killed him in an honorable duel to the cheers of her peers and teachers.

She and her friends had managed to catch Gla-Ree unawares in the bathroom before shiving him unceremoniously and dumped his body in a vat of acid.

And then there was the time Vanee did something particularly unsightly to Gla-Ree involving a rusty knife, bags of Skrull blood, and her imaginary flerken pet named Chewie.

And things just get even darker as Vanee stewed in her bed.

Fortunately, the young cadet's dark fantasies were interrupted when she recieved a call from her mother, Mari-Ell. Once Vanee saw the caller ID, she rushed back to her bed, laying on her stomach as she opened the call, which projected a scale hologram of her likeness.

Unlike Vanee, Mari-Ell was a white skinned Kree with long, blonde hair, and she wore an adult sized uniform colored white and red. Vanee's mother was a beautiful woman with a warm smile present whenever she was with her beloved daughter. At least, that's always the first image Vanee thinks of her in her mind. While she knew Mari was an accomplished warrior in the past, Vanee could barely imagine her mother in her glory days, as much as she wants to.

Mari initiated the conversation, saying, "Congratulations on passing your test, Va. You deserved it."

"Thanks mother," Vanee said smiling. For a moment, her mother's approval made Vanee forget the adversity she had to face today. Almost.

Vanee's face fell. Mari noticed her daughter's sadness and sighed. She nodded knowingly. "I heard about what happened today. I'm sorry."

"No, the fault is all mine," Vanee admitted bitterly at herself, "I never should have given in to my passions in the first place. I'm sorry for disappointing you."

Mari let out a small laugh. "You could never disappoint me, Vanee, and I know you're trying your best to fit into the program. Honestly, I don't think there's anything I could say that you don't already know yourself. Just stay the course. I know you can do it."

"I'm not sure I deserve that... but thank you none the less mother," Vanee said as she forced a smile. Wanting to avoid the subject, Vanee said, "So how's work. Was your day as exciting as mine?"

Mari laughed again. "I'm afraid not so much. Believe it or not, it's hard to get excited over watching gene samples grow and writing reports all day long, but it's a service and I'm happy enough for that."

"If you say so...", Vanee droned as she became deep in thought.

Twenty years ago when the Klyntar invaded the Kree frontier worlds, Mari-Ell, who was a scientist by trade, was drafted into the army and assigned to one of the most dangerous fronts in the war. No one expected a low-level scientist to even survive the post she was assigned to, but when Virmire was beset by Klyntar symbiotes and her commanding officer was killed in battle, Mari rose to the occassion and led the defense against the alien monsters. Despite the odds, Mari-Ell managed to hold back the Klyntar scourge long enough for reinforcements to arrive and helped them drive the enemy out of the sector.

For her bravery and skill, Mari-Ell was given a command and participated in many vital missions in the Klyntar War. Her battles and victories would become famous throughout the empire, and her personal killing of the Klyntar queen leading the invasion cemented her status as an honored war hero. After the war, Mari-Ell was given some of the most highest honors in the Kree Empire and was offered a permanent command in the Kree Armada. But much to the shock of everyone, Mari declined the offer and returned to her previous life as a scientist, where she better honed her skills and became a more respected member of the Kree scientific community.

As the years passed, Mari's legend all but faded into memory save for in her hometown, where her daughter and her close-knit group of friends would grow up enchanted by the stories of her mother's past accomplishments, inspiring them to follow in her footsteps. While Vanee thought the world of her mother, there was something in her story that never really set in well with her.

"What is on your mind, Va?"

Vanee was silent for a moment. "Why did you leave the military?"

Mari coughed uncomfortably. "I... what?"

"You were a legend back in the day. You were offered an opportunity that most other Kree could only dream of, but you turned it all away. You never really told me why."

It was Mari's turn to be silent as she was deep in thought. When she finally found the words, the old warrior said, "A life of war... it was never really for me. I know we've been taught at an early age that war is glorious, but... nothing stable could be built out of violence. That's why I stuck to science. My work here has helped more people than I ever did with a sword."

"Do you... ever regret not living to your full potential?", Vanee asked uneasily.

Mari simply responded, "No, because it led me to having you, my little Voyager."

Vanee blushed a noticeable shade of blue. She tried to hide her face in her pillow out of embarrassment, but it was too little, too late. Her mother saw her daughter's flustered face and found it adorable.

Mari laughed as Vanee deflated her breath into her pillow like a very goofy looking balloon.

"Curfew is coming soon. We better end this before you get into more trouble."

"Of course. Good luck with your... gene thing."

"Call me soon," Mari said before the call ended and her form dissipating.

Vanee smiled to herself. She was blessed to have a mother like Mari, she thought. Most other Kree parents treated their children like things to be groomed and disciplined when needed in the service of Kree ideals and traditions. Mari was different. While she can be strict, Mari always made sure to care about and tend to her daughter's feelings even if they're stupid and need to be repressed. Most would call that a weakness, but Vanee admitted that she would've fallen apart a long time ago without her mother's support.

It was then that Vanee's bunkmate entered their room. Vanee-Gast was pleasantly surprised to see that her roommate for the next four years was none other than Minn-Erva herself.

"Hey stranger," Minn said as the door closed behind her.

"Hello," Vanee said as she forgotten all her troubles at the sight of her childhood friend.

Minn-Erva then pulled out a paper bag and placed her main bag next to Vanee's as she laid down next to her on the bottom bunk. She handed Vanee-Gast the paper bag and told her, "Sorry you got to miss the day off at the base. Att-Lass is sorry too, so here's some of his contraband cakes to make you feel better."

Vanee eagerly pulled out the first fluffy, pink cake and sighed happily. "Damn, I love that goofball."

"Should I be jealous now, Va?", Minn-Erva teased.

"Of course not," Vanee hummed before placing a light kiss on her friend's lips.

Minn-Erva sighed wistfully as she watched Vanee gorge on the sinfully sweet cake. "We've been doing this for over a year now. You'd think waiting would get easier for me."

Vanee finished off her first cake and said, "I wish we didn't have to hide."

Minn-Erva reached for her girlfriend's hand and said, "Me too, but whatever keeps us together is worth it. It's unfair, but that's just how it is."

"No fraternization," Vanee quoted bitterly from the rulebook.

"Especially the 'deviant' kind."

Vanee sighed. "At least Captain Glory is sharing my misery."

Minn-Erva winced and tried to keep her mouth shut.

However, Vanee figured her out and sighed. "He wasn't punished, wasn't he?"

"Sorry Va."

"So apparently picking fights and breaking rules is only okay if you're parents are rich and your targets are nobodies. Good to know."

"It's all crap, Va. But what can you do? At least we'll finally get some respect after we graduate."

"Hope so," Vanee said as she looked away in pondering to herself.

Minn-Erva noticed the doubt in her love's eyes. She carressed her cheek and asked, "Do you think otherwise?"

"I mean... I'm the daughter of a deserter. You are half Sakaaran. Even if we become part of the Starforce, do you really think people will ever see us as anything more than rejects? Losers?"

"I'm not saying it'll be perfect, but we shouldn't let a bunch of narrow-minded idiots stop us from making our legend."

"I suppose you're right..."

Minn-Erva smirked smugly. "Of course, I'm right. I'm the brains of this relationship."

"Well, I'm the better kisser," Vanee said attempting to sound suave.

Minn-Erva chuckled. "No argument here."

The two moved in for another kiss. This one lasted for a bit longer this time and was more heated and a touch more passionate. When the two girls finally separated, they were breathing heavily and smiling.

Vanee said, "I wish we could hold each other at night like we used to."

"Me too, but I don't think the infraction is worth it."

"What a shame," Vanee said before giving Minn-Erva a small peck in the cheek, "Sweet dreams, my love."

"I always do when you're around," Minn-Erva responded as she stepped out of Vanee's bed before climbing up to the top bunk.

As the two settled into their beds, the room's lights go out, signaling the start of the curfew. The two girls then closed their eyes and drifted to sleep as soon as possible for tomorrow will be the first day of rigorous training for the next four years.

In an advanced scientific facility at the outskirts of Hala's capital city, Mari-Ell busied herself by taking the Kree equivalent of a lab rat (a rather sickly looking specimen dying in a box) and placing it inside a spherical device on her desk. Once she closed the lid and activated the device, it started to glow a bright violet and made loud bang at its climax. Once the machine's lights and its whirling died down, Mari carefully opened the lid, pulled out the box, and analyzed the mouse inside it with a scanner. To her amusement, the mouse, previously skinny and gaunt, was now perfectly healthy and energetic with the only real side-effect being its eyes glowing a luminescent violet.

Satisfied with herself, Mari-Ell took out a recording device and said, "Trial 38 was a success. The modified quantum ray/nano serum treatment was able to cure the specimen of all traces of Mac-Greger's disease. Like the other trials, Subject 38's cells also seem to be supercharged with quantum energy if the eyes are anything to go by. We have to keep the affected mice on the monitor for possible side effects and..."

"Doctor Mari-Ell..."

"Intelligence almighty!", Mari screamed as she practically jumped out of her spot and dropped her recorder. When she turned around, Mari-Ell saw her lab assistant, a twenty something white skinned Kree with short brown hair. The former war hero frowned at her. "Damn it, Mar-Vell. Don't sneak up on me like that! If I had a scalpel on my hands, you'd be dead right now, and that wouldn't end so well for either of us."

Mar-Vell ignored that comment and told her boss, "We just recieved a new supervisor from command. As the lead scientist of Project Voyager, he requested your presence."

"We have a new supervisor already?"

"Yes, he'll be replacing that Skrull spy, whose throat you cut with a scalpel."

"Except I did that on purpose that time obviously," Mari lied, "I suppose being free to experiment at my leisure without some bureaucrat watching over my every move was always going to be a temporary arrangement. Well, it was fun while it lasted. Let him in."

"Yes, ma'am," Mar-Vell said before leaving.

"You'd think command would trust me to do my damn job by now," Mari complained under her breath.

After a few minutes of waiting, the new supervisor walked into the room. He was a blue skinned Kree wearing a bulky suit of dark green plate armor and carrying a heavy warhammer in one hand. He had an armored cowl on that covered his entire head except for his face, which looked like it was in a perpetual state of grim seriousness despite his young age. From that look alone, Mari-Ell can tell this man was from the empire's dreaded Accuser Corps. She could tell at that instant that this man didn't have the best intentions for her pet project.

"Am I correct to assume that you're Mari-Ell? Head scientist for Project Voyager?", he asked rather bluntly.

Mari cleared her throat and explained, "I... yes. Yes, I am. What may I do for you... um..."

"I am called Ronan."

"Ronan. Pleased to meet you, Accuser Ronan," Mari said as she extended her hand. However, all she got back from Ronan was a cold glare. She lowered her hand and continued, "I assume you are here to check on our progress. Come with me, and I'll show you around."

Ronan followed Mari-Ell to another chamber in her lab, where she first pointed him to cages of cured mice on a bench. "As a reminder, the purpose of Project Voyager is to jumpstart the stagnant Kree genome through extradimensional means. Due to centuries of insularly selective breeding and genetic tampering from external sources, whole sorts of genetic defects and diseases have plagued our collective gene pool. If not dealt with now, the Supreme Intelligence predicts that our race will become an evolutionary dead-end by the end of the century."

"I am aware of those facts," he then noticed the odd colors in the mouse's eyes, "What happened to them?"

"They are my test subjects. You see, I injected these mice with regenerative nanites that affect the mice's genes at the cellular level. Once I subjected them with quantum energies, the nanites in the mice's system becomes supercharged and are able to repair all of the genetic ailments I induced in them so far."

"Intriguing," Ronan said with a look that is actually hard to gauge.

"Of course the treatment needs to be modified to account for Kree physiology, but I believe we are in the right track here."

"Yes... very charitable work," Ronan said as he started to walk around the room, "Any serious side effects?"

"None so far, but the treatment does seem to slightly boost the mice's physical performance to above average levels."

"That so?", Ronan said as he stopped and glared at Mari-Ell, "Can those benefits be used for military application perhaps?"

Mari coughed uncomfortably, "Well, I, uh, sure our warriors would appreciate the cure for Cotati's foot."

"Deflecting are we, Mari-Ell? I thought you better than that. Perhaps I was being too subtle. I'm here because I recieved word that a previous version of this sad, little treatment produced rather... marvelous results."

"I... don't what you're talking about."

"We know about Subject 18, Doctor. I order you to take me to it," Ronan said as he moved nearer to Mari-Ell and gripping his Universal Weapon threateningly.

Mari scowled at her supervisor's thuggish behavior. She contemplated beating the young brute with the power mace she kept under the desk next to her, but she decided that it would be better not to not lose her job for now. Mari sighed as she reluctantly led Ronan to a sealed chamber on the lab next door. After inputting the password and the retinal scan, Mari opened the door and led Ronan to an energy containment field, the kind used to detain dangerous criminals, that held Subject 18.

What he saw was enough for the usually stoic Ronan to gasp in amazement.

The mouse crawling all over the floor was fully immersed in a luminescent violet aura unlike its other brethren. It's fur grew longer and silkier than normal with a rich purple shade as its eyes glowed pure white with power. All around it, any object that wasn't bolted down were phasing in and out of existence to appear in a different location in the cell. This series of teleporting objects seem to go in and out with the mouse at its epicenter as if they were subject to its will... or indifference.

"Incredible... all this through replicable means?"

"Subject 18 is dangerous, Accuser Ronan. I lost three coworkers trying to contain it."

"Impressive..."

"Accuser Ronan!", Mari scolded.

Ronan paid her no mind as he continued, "The Supreme Intelligence has been searching for a living weapon like this for quite some time now. With the increasing genetic advantages of our enemies, the empire could use a soldier with these abilities. This is quite the breakthrough, Mari-Ell."

"If only it were that simple," Mari explained trying to sound as urgent as possible, "Subject 18 is not stable. It is manipulating quantum energies at the subatomic level, entangling other particles through will alone. Even if we can transplant these abilities to a Kree, we run the risk of destabilizing reality itself if we're not careful!"

"Isn't that what we have you and your team here for? To work out the... quirks."

"I don't think you fully understand the consequences of tampering with the quantum makeup of the universe!"

"I don't think it's any more dangerous than keeping a major discovery a secret from High Command," Ronan stated in a threatening tone. Mari winced as the Accuser continued, "We would like you put your gene therapy on hold for now. I want these powers ready to be transferred to a Kree test subject by the end of the month. Do I make myself clear?"

Mari gritted her teeth. "Yes sir..."

"Good. I shall be making my report to Command. As a matter of professional courtesy, I will not be so derogatory on your secrecy. Be grateful."

"Appreciated sir...", Mari hummed as Ronan stepped out of her lab. Once he was out of earshot, Mari-Ell let out a frustrated roar and slammed her fist against Subject 18's containment field. "Damn it!"

Project Voyager was supposed to be a purely humanitarian experiment, Mari thought. But now her warmongering superiors plan to warp the good she was doing to make weapons out of their own citizens for their neverending wars. They didn't even consider the consequences of manipulating this kind of power.

How did it come to this?

"I wish I never discovered the Quantum Realm...", Mari said as she looked into Subject 18's eyes. For moment she could've sworn she had seen a flash of a head's silhouette in the white of the mouse's eyes. One with unusually bright azure eyes.

After reading The Life of Captain Marvel, I became enamored with the inner workings of the Danvers family. In particular, I love the twist where we find out that Carol's mother, Marie, was a Kree defector the entire time. I loved the character moments that followed from that reveal, and I was very disappointed to see that the writers chose to kill off Marie so early when there was a lot more to see from her and her relationship with her daughter. From those thoughts, came this fic.

I wanted to adapt elements of The Life of Captain Marvel into the MCU, and I wanna explore the Danvers family's Kree side a bit more by introducing a potential wrench in their dynamic, i.e. a full blooded Kree daughter that Mari-Ell had in a previous marriage. For that function, I chose to adapt a relatively new hero from the comics named Voyager. Va Nee Gast isn't a Kree in the comics, but she has blue skin and has her fair share of family issues (which I will probably explore in the future). She also has a cool powerset that I think would contrast quite well with her half-sister, so she was just perfect in my mind for this.

While I look forward to writing the Danvers family in the present day, we have to set up the circumstances needed to get there. Mari-Ell needs to become disillusioned with the Kree Empire and leave for Earth, and Vanee has to gain her powers and... well, I'll keep that to myself for now.

Needless to say, I will keep the MCU timeline mostly intact, and there will be a reason why no one has heard of Voyager until the present day. I'm not spoiling it here, but I will involve the Grandmaster later in the story as a way to honor some of Voyager's own history. And considering Voyager's powers are based from quantum entanglement, it would also be fitting to cameo that part of the Marvel Universe for this story.

That's about it for now. Thank you for the read, leave some constructive criticism if you can, and have a nice day!