The Return

…. 15 years ago, the Aldnoah Gate utilized by the Vers Empire overloaded, and exploded. In what came to be known as Heaven's Fall, the moon fell apart upon Earth, destroying much of the population. This disaster would be long remembered on earth, but would also attract some rather dangerous eyes…

"Master, we're receiving a distress signal!"

"A distress signal?"

"Yes sir!"

"Trace it!"

"Tracing!"

"Master, shouldn't we alert headquarters first?"

"If our own are in danger, then we need to take action."

"Master, we've detected the source. It is the Ers System."

"The Ers System?"

"The Supremacy hasn't been there for thousands of years."

"From what I heard, it had only one habitable planet, populated by strange hairy beasts that lived in caves."

"Could this be a scouting mission that's experiencing issues?"

"One way to find out. Set an immediate course of the Ers System."

"So it will be done."

"I will contact headquarters of this voyage. It will take some time to reach the Ers System."

"Best estimation?"

"Several cycles at the least."

"Master, forgive my insubordination, but is not quicker to perform a Jump? We could be in the system within a few rotations."

"Any navigational charts for that part of the galaxy are either buried so deep it would take ages to find them, or lost. We need to plot the proper course before we dare to perform a Jump. We could crash right into Vers or Zers. Besides, what could happen in just several cycles."

(XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX)

(at Earth)

To call the current conflict one-sided would be considered generous. The Vers forces were completely annihilating the Earth forces using the Aldnoah technology, as the natives tried desperately. Watching over it from his landing castle, Count Cruheto watched looking so smug one would think he owned the universe (considering how the Vers saw others, he probably thought he did).

"This is so easy, I'm not even sure its worth recording," he said. Whatever feeble resistance the Terrans were putting up was being summarily crushed. The knowledge that Princess Asseylum's murderers would soon be burning in the wreckage of an inferior people was quite satisfying. Soon the Empire would have to start considering long term administration. Cruheto would definitely be nominating himself to the Emperor as planetary regent.

"My Lord, we're receiving a message from the moon base." Cruheto heard that and rolled his eyes.

"What could they possibly want?" he asked.

"They're saying that they detected a massive gravitational anomaly nearing Earth," the officer answered. Now that was not expected. Every so often, a stray asteroid would tumble near Earth, but never large enough to constitute such attention. In all likelihood, it wasn't anything of importance, but just in case….

"Get us a look at it," he instructed, "Best to at least know what it is."

(XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX)

"Master, we're reading large amounts of energy being released throughout the system, particularly focused on the third and fourth planets in the system."

"That would be Vers and Zers, yes?"

"Yes, Master."

"Give us a visual."

"So it will be done."

"That's…. bizarre."

"Bizarre? That's our technology."

"I thought the Ers system was abandoned."

"It was. Those aren't our's."

"Could it be being used by the natives?"

"Those beasts? Don't even imply such a thing, the idea is offensive."

"Well, we have one way to learn. Prepare a transport gate. We'll send a scouting team onto the ships."

"So it will be done."

(XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX)

"My Lord, we have visual."

"Then let's see it." On the visual screen, a familiar image appeared on it. It looked almost exactly like a landing castle, but with some fine differences. It was sleeker, and sharper, with red opposed to green features.

"Is that a landing castle?" one officer asked.

"There's no castle design like that on our records," another said. Cruheto scowled at the sight of the castle. There was enough competition for conquest as things were, he didn't need a completely new family coming in and upstaging him.

"Get into contact with that castle, I wish to know which Count leads it," Cruheto said. The officers obediently did as they were told.

(XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX)

"We seem to be receiving a transmission from the vessels."

"And?"

"Should we respond?"

"Do you respond when particles of dust fly at you?"

"...No Master, I suppose not."

"And the landing party?"

"Gate being opened… now."

(XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX)

Suddenly, the air turned hard, as if Cruheto was encased in stone. That was when what can only be described as a hole in air opened, and out of the hole, stepped a being.

Note: Having recently binged watched Aldnoah Zero on Netflix, this idea popped into my head, and I decided to quickly whip it up. Updates will probably be… sporadic, since my priorities are on my Fairy Tail stories for the time being.

That all said, I liked the idea of what if the aliens that created Aldnoah were not actually gone, and had simply left for reasons that will be revealed later. For the sake of the story, I'm going to be lowering the time since the aliens left the solar system. I don't know how long we're lead to believe it was since the aliens left, but I'm making it about 10,000 or so years.

This story takes place right in the beginning of the Vers invasion of Earth.

Be sure to review.