Author Note: God, this story and entire series' a mess. Let me take the liberties now to just list everything that I cut. I will edit everything after I finish this story. I thought I'd mention what happened to characters I seemingly forgot.
- The 'customer service' guy from the beginning will not be the customer service in the anime.
- Meta's not going to be as robotic. Dark Nebula will not be in this story or in Mirror
- Wolfwrath will not accompany Meta to the GSA (both she and Dark Nebula were originally intended to conflict Meta with which side he should fight for)
- Kamira aged more in this story and will not be in Angels
- Icronth will not be in Angels
On a side note, I'm a high school grad! I'm going to be in college in August to study business. I won't mention which college it is (sorry! I don't want random visits by strangers!), but it's a lovely small-town and peaceful place outside my home state and I really liked it when I visited.
X—X—X
-Chapter XII: Assassin's Knife-
Jecra knocked back Meta's sword as the demonbeast advanced another half-hearted attack. The metal of the blades rang in the empty training room. Meta felt dizzy from the bright white lights reflecting off their weapons and armor. Jecra's eyes were completely at rest, but staring straight through him. Meta's mind raced to follow Jecra's movements. He attempted another thrust, hoping to hook his opponent's sword hilt and disarm him. The ring of metal hurt his head. He was nowhere close and he nearly stumbled forward. Jecra had anticipated it and drove Meta against the wall.
"Wall's the worst place. Move yourself out in the open." Jecra said, grunting as he locked swords.
Then Jecra fought even harder, using his full strength to keep Meta sliding toward the corner. He moved to disarm Meta, but the demonbeast twisted his sword to block him.
"Get out in the open! Do it!"
Meta threw his weight against his sword, which did little. His body was so light in comparison to Jecra's. He tried several other defenses, but could not find the strength to make his own attacks. He couldn't breathe with the swords up against his throat.
He felt a faint flow of energy.
There it is!
His arms quivered as mushin burned through his body. His next sword strike forced Jecra to back off. Then just like that, it was gone. With a gasp, Meta slumped against the wall, dropping his sword. Jecra straightened and sheathed his sword.
"You alright?"
"Fine…" Meta answered breathlessly.
"Let's take a break. I could use one too, it's hot in here…"
Jecra walked over to the bench and threw Meta his flask. The demonbeast prince barely could turn its cap loose, lift up his mask, and take a deep drink as he listened to Jecra.
"You really need to move around more. You're trying to plant yourself to the floor… and okay, not to say anything about your race, but you're lightweight. You're not going to push me back with sheer arm strength anytime soon. And getting yourself in the open will help you judge better what my next moves will be."
He paused for a moment.
"But you can be trained to fight the weight issue. With the right techniques, you'll be able to stand your ground regardless of the size of your opponent."
Jecra opened his own flask and after taking a drink, he dumped its contents on his hair and shook out the water. He gazed outside the glass where a few women Star Warriors stood talking. They had been there spectating the entire time Meta and Jecra had been training. Jecra shooed them away.
"God, I'm dying of heat. If Eol and the other women out there hadn't been watching us the whole time, I would have taken off my shirt. How can you stand to wear that cape in here? I took mine off half an hour ago."
"I'm fine with it on." Meta answered simply, though he too was exhausted from the heat.
Jecra gave a shrug of his shoulders.
"Crazy. And why did it take so long for you to find mushin? That should have been the first thing you did before our swords were even drawn."
"I couldn't feel it today."
"No, you did. When you knocked me back, you definitely found it. Then you hesitated… don't ever hesitate. Your mushin will guide you if you let it."
Meta wiped his mask off with a towel that Jecra threw him.
"Remember, the only way that mushin can be useful to you is if you can use it in battle. You'll need to be able to find it quickly and block out all distractions." Jecra continued. I'd recommend you to not train out in the field for now. You just need more time, and I know that Garlude won't put you on the battlefront anytime soon until you're ready."
Meta held his tongue. He wanted to say something, but just then Jecra spoke again.
"Maybe we'll have a chance to work on your Sword Beam again once I return."
They both got up and left the private training room, relieved to finish for the day. Outside in the hall, Meta asked,
"Where are you going?"
"One of the border planets. There's… a lot of political turmoil going on in that entire region. The king wants to give in to NME, but the people still want to fight."
"Is… the GSA going to try to remove him from power?"
"No, unless he attempts to use demonbeasts to put down the rebels. We're going to be on the watch and waiting for them to settle it themselves."
"Why not just get rid of the delivery machine in the first place so he can't?"
"Hundreds and hundreds of laws regulating all of the free universe… we're not permitted to do anything unless it has to do with NME making a direct attack or maintaining peace."
"That doesn't make sense. Why do you have to wait? Why isn't preventing the killing a measure for maintaining the peace?"
"Don't ask me. I can't give you a good reason why the representatives in the Free Galaxies Confederacy would think that."
They passed by several more training rooms each with Star Warriors practicing different techniques, some in pairs. Meta watched as one held a meditative posture while floating above the ground. The force field she created rippled through her cape as she repelled the attacks of another warrior. In another room, a Star Warrior had set up a machine to fire bullets directly at him. His sword moved gracefully, slicing apart the projectiles with ease. He had not realized how many and diverse Star Warrior techniques ranged from. Meta turned his attention back to Jecra as the older Star Warrior opened a new conversation.
"You were in a second year regiment, isn't that right?"
"Yes."
"So, you haven't been trained on starship maneuvers and drills?"
"No, I haven't."
"… Do you want to practice some for a while? It won't take long to go over just the basics, then you can practice on your own anytime."
"I don't want to take too much of your time…"
"No, no, not at all. Let's do it. Time only gets harder to make available. And it's important too, not every battle is going to be fought on ground."
They changed direction, heading back the way they came from to take an elevator down to the starship port. Several new starships were being built below the walkway they stood on. They watched for a minute as several cranes were used to lift up the large sheets of metal where it was pulled to the naked hull of the ship and welded in. Meta pointed out his gray starship from the other Star Warrior ships parked in the port and they ventured down toward it.
"Hey, looks like they finished with all of the repairs. Looks almost as good as some of the brand new ships that the kids are driving these days." Jecra said with a small laugh.
Meta climbed in.
"Alright, look at your dashboard," Jecra said, leaning over the cockpit rim. "Put your warpstar on that panel and get it started up."
Meta did so. The panel lit up and the ship began to softly hum.
"Oh, hm… your ship's a different than what I expected. Hold on a moment… this button here brings up the ship's status screen and shows you exactly where damages are or if you need to refuel… the lever down here on your chair revolves the seat three-sixty if you hold it down. This gauge shows the power in your ship, the one on the right is specific to hyper speed. I'd suggest using it only for a destination where you know you'd be able to refuel. You might be only able to get one or two uses…"
Jecra walked him through every button Meta's ship had. There was a lot, but Meta's memory was good. Many of them had little to do with the actual piloting of the ship and only adjusted the incline of the chair and its height or the brightness of the ship's lights.
"Let's test it out. Drive it down to the gates and wait for me to get mine."
It had been over one hundred and eighty years since he had lost flown this starship. Its inner workings had some upgrades and new wiring done by the GSA's mechanics. The seat had also been replaced with a brand new one. The cushion no longer had the tears from Wolwrath's claws. He felt the same as he did then when he was escaping NME. He felt free.
He was out away from the base and he turned around. Jecra's starship was nowhere in sight and he sat confused. The ship suddenly lurched and Meta jumped with surprise. Jecra pulled up from underneath his ship and gave him a grin, before giving his starship another nudge.
Jecra sped off, leaving Meta behind to follow after him. Meta stepped down on the accelerator and flew his starship to where he waited. Jecra showed him many maneuvers simply by flying ahead and demonstrating them to Meta to try, adding occasional comments about specific gears and warnings. He weaved around a drifting asteroid, explaining how to move confused enemy pilots and how to twist behind it with the same maneuver to make an attack on the rear. After that, he showed Meta several defensive stances and deflecting incoming lasers.
Finally, Jecra drew his starship to a halt and Meta pulled up alongside him.
"Not bad! Now that you've tried all the maneuvers, you can practice these on your own." Jecra said over the transmission. "Right off Zeil Star-5, there's a course just for GSA use. You'll have to test your aim too on your own. The GSA wants at least a ninety-eight percent accuracy."
Neither of them spoke for a long while. They simply stood staring out the glass, admiring the vast frontier. They began to talk more freely and Jecra shared some incidents between the men in the regiment.
"… Don't tell Sir Hallgo that I just told you all that. I think he'd shoot me if he knew. It's almost been a year and it still causes a riot every time someone mentions it."
"I'm not sure if I find it that funny."
"I think that there's a point to still enjoy some of the smaller moments, even when we are fighting this war. A lot of men, a lot of women try to act serious and tough all the time but…"
"But what?"
"The war gets to them and it kills their hope and reason to fight NME."
They sat back, looking out at the stars for a little while longer before Jecra spoke again.
"… Hey… Meta? Could I ask you for a small favor?"
"What is it?"
Over the transmission, Meta could hear Jecra breathe uncomfortably.
"It's… it's about Garlude… did you notice that she's… well… no… I… she's pregnant. With our children."
"Uh, I… didn't know you two…"
"… We were married, then divorced. A little while before you joined the Star Warrior regiment."
At this point, Meta already made up his mind that he wanted no involvement. The marriage counseling implication was too strong. He still listened though, only because he appreciated how much time Jecra had spent just to help him with training. And because he realized how awkward it was for Jecra to ask him about the subject when they still did not know each other very well.
"… It's a boy and a girl," Jecra continued. "I'm so afraid that I'll never see either of them. I don't know who else to ask for help. They're going to be born soon and Garlude's going back to our home planet probably sometime this week."
"But… I don't think I can…"
"Garlude likes you. I can see that. And you're under her regiment. She might listen to you because at least she'll give you a chance to talk."
"What happened between you two anyway?"
There was another long pause.
"I'll let her be the one to tell you if she's willing to say anything about it. Part of it's how we got married, part of it's just… us..."
"What do you want me to do?"
"Ask her to let me name my son. And see both of them after they're born. Please, Meta. I'm so sorry to ask you, but… I… I want nothing more in this world than to see them both become strong warriors someday. They're more than likely to both be Star Warriors because of Garlude and I."
Meta held his breath, thinking very hard about the situation and what he wanted to do for Jecra as a friend.
He gave his answer.
"Alright. I'll ask her."
Later, when both had returned to base, Meta approached Garlude's room in the women's hall. He was still criticizing with himself for agreeing.
I really don't know what to say… as much as I'd like to help Jecra. I shouldn't have accepted. And I really don't want to get too involved… but… he really put a lot of trust in me because he asked me to help him on such a personal issue…
He was at her door. He was fairly certain that she was in, although he was hoping she was not. Sighing, he finally knocked. Moments later, the door panel slid open and Garlude looked down to see him. She gave a pleasant smile.
"Oh, Meta. Is there something you need?"
"… it's about Jecra…"
Her expression suddenly changed. Meta took a step back, stunned by the dark look in her eyes.
"And he set you up for this? Tell him I'm not interested."
"He wants to name his son!" Meta said, just before the door closed shut in his face.
About a minute passed. Then the door reopened. Garlude leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed over her pregnant stomach. Under her malicious gaze, there was a mark of curiosity.
"You don't know him very well, do you? You don't know either of us, really. You're so new to the regiment and headquarters. Hah! Is that why he asked you, to go in like a field rat, just to test me first before he crawls here? Why are you so willing?"
"My own reasons," Meta defended. "And he asked me to talk to you because you won't let him do so."
She stared hard into his eyes. She was frustrated that his eyes were difficult to read.
"Come in. I don't want to talk about this out in the open for the entire base to hear."
She closed the door and she indicated him to sit down at her desk chair while she sat down on her bed. Her room slightly larger than his, only because her race's bodies were larger than that of Poptarian's. He noticed that was true for all of the rooms. All of her belongings were kept neat and the only real pieces of decoration were the few photos of her home planet's royal family. Meta looked at them for a moment, seeing her standing next to the king and queen, her parents. She was watching him.
"Did he tell you how we got married?"
"No, but he said you should be the one to tell it."
Garlude's lip moved a little. She had not expected his response.
"Hmph. He's right. Jecra and I both come from the same home planet. My brother was to be named king and I… I was put up as a prize in a tournament my father devised. He only wanted the strongest of knights to become my husband…"
"And Jecra won?"
"Yes. Then we married."
"I'm… sorry that you weren't given much choice."
"Choice… most things in life are done without choice. Jecra's a nice guy. I do love him… but he and I disagree on so many things because… he's such a pacifist in many respects and I'm a queen… when you're queen, you have to keep order and you have to punish. Do you understand that?"
Meta nodded.
I think you underestimate just how well I know that.
"Well, that wasn't the only issue… you know what? You're not our marriage counselor. I don't care what Jecra wants to say to me. We're done. And the GSA is certainly not an environment for couples anyway."
"I told you already. He only asks for two things: he wants to name his son, and he wants to see both his son and daughter after they're born."
The comment seemed to trigger some new emotion. Garlude stared off into space. Thinking. Picturing her children.
"My daughter's name will be Silica. I hope that someday, she will be strong and… if she's a Star Warrior, I'll have to let her go and sleep two hundred years… but I want to see her become a warrior. If she is a Star Warrior, I'll find her someday. I will."
"He hopes the same for your son."
Garlude's eyes softened a little. She let out her breath, sadly. In one last attempt, she bitterly asked,
"Oh, not for his daughter too?"
"No, both. But he knows you'll never let him have both."
She closed her eyes, exhaling.
"I'm going to be leaving this afternoon and staying on my home planet until they're born. When they are… he may come and see them…"
Jecra left the base the next day and did not return for over a month. Meta was forced to train under several other officers, all of which he quickly hated. They insisted that he train out on the main field among the other Star Warriors and it was then that Meta understood why Jecra had them practice sparring in the smaller training rooms. He was a spectacle to watch, especially on the first day he came. Garlude and some of the other commanding officers would watch from above to see his progress… or lack of progress.
None of them knew how to teach a Star Warrior because no Star Warrior ever needed teaching.
On some of the days after the commotion had died down, Meta began to notice the Duke training elsewhere on the field. Everyday just before the dinner hour. Meta gazed at the magenta Popstarian's pure white wings. It was hard for him not the look. The light shone off the feathers like a halo as the Duke flexed them in a fighting stance.
If only I could show-off my wings like a piece of gold…
After training one day, Meta climbed up the steps out away from the field and away from the other Star Warriors. He was especially frustrated but he found solace in that he could shower now and nap until dinner. He needed to be alone for some time.
The hall he had just entered led him to a row of offices and meeting rooms where some of the commanding officers used from time to time. One was definitely occupied. Meta was stunned to watch Kit Cosmos, who had just come back to headquarters, march out of the room, still barking at whoever else he had just met with.
"THE GSA DOESN'T PAY INCOMPETENT SLOBS LIKE YOU TO SIT HERE AND ARGUE ABOUT THINGS YOU SHOULD HAVE DONE A MONTH AGO. GET OUT YOUR CHAIR, SHUT YOUR BABBLING, AND GO FIND SOMEONE ELSE WHO WILL DO YOUR JOB RIGHT."
He slammed the door, drawing attention from a few other soldiers who were near. Meta noticed that it was the Head of Security's office. The drill sergeant turned and headed down the hall. In Meta's direction. He was not sure how to react.
"Sir!" He said, saluting him.
The scowl on Kit Cosmos' face disappeared as he looked up and saw him.
"Lad! Good to see you! First respectable face I've seen all day. Come take a walk with me, lad. I need one."
He started off at a brisk pace, powered by heated aggravation. Meta had to force his tired body to keep up.
"I loathe every one of the war council's "officials". They're STILL arguing over just the basic details about what happened. What is there to argue?! The assassin broke into Arty's apartment, tried to stick him with a knife, and fled! This was a month ago! They still can't draw closure to it!"
It was the first time Meta had heard any of the details about the incident. He was not even sure if Kit Cosmos was supposed to be telling anyone outside the council about the case. The drill sergeant was too fired up to silence his rant.
"Did they… find who it was?"
"By the stars, no, the guy got clean away! I don't understand how someone could so easily slip into Arty's private apartment. Top security in the universe… THAT APARTMENT WAS NOT SECURE! None of the security camera feeds showed a glimpse of the attack. Whoever it was, was in there for god knows how long, waiting for him to come back and stick a knife into him. If Arty hadn't been with Sir Jekefl and Lady Eori, he'd be dead and the GSA would be well on its way to collapsing. No one knows how the assassin could have gotten in or how he or she got out. The halls were busy. All the starships had been scanned in that day and all the cargo accounted for…"
Speaking about it only made Kit Cosmos even more infuriated. His bushy mustache shook. Taking one look at Meta, he took him by the shoulder plate and led him back to the offices where he searched for his keycard.
"I've got to show you the weapon they found. You wouldn't believe the thing until you see it. I have never seen a knife blade like the one on that one. One hell of a knife."
He opened one of the doors and turning on the lights, Kit Cosmos brought out a box and set it on the table in front of Meta. He also took off his work gloves and put on a pair of plastic ones. He lifted the lid and Meta couldn't hide his shock.
The knife was a deep crimson and had a rounded blade with several notches lined with pointed hooks. The tip had a large barb; Meta could only imagine that it was to keep the victim from removing it once the blade met its target. Everything about the weapon was designed to kill messily.
"Not much of an assassin's knife, isn't it?" Kit Cosmos asked, before muttering something to himself and picking it up. "More like a butcher's knife."
Meta gazed down at the edges. They were blackened with poison.
"The assassin didn't actually get to him though, right?"
"No, thank the stars. The guy didn't even get within a meter to him. Arty stayed in the medical wing for a few days, and I went there and gave him hell for not being concerned about his own safety. I convinced him to change apartments because they STILL don't know how the attacker got in there. He or she could just as easily come back and try again the same way. It just CAN'T be a demonbeast though! It has to be someone from headquarters! Maybe even from the war council! There's an entire regiment of Star Warriors in this base and no enemy ship would even get close to headquarters without getting eliminated by the patrol starships…"
Meta considered the thought and he waited a moment before asking,
"Does the war council have an idea who might have done it?"
"Who? WHO? The war council can't decide even a list of suspects. I KNOW who did it. Every gut in my body says it's the Duke. I don't know if he himself was the attacker or if he hired someone else to do the dirty work, but I wouldn't trust a guy who's family inheritance is the main source of funding and who's got his grubby hands in the GSA's most top secret dealings… if only I could accuse him right there in council… what I'd do to boot that guy out of the GSA…"
While Kit Cosmos went off about his hate for the Duke, he turned the blade and Meta saw the backside was filled with writing carved into the knife.
Meta felt himself choke. Although the blade was foreign to him, he found the runes written across it hauntingly familiar. Why the runes? Where had he seen the symbols? He remembered that they were not of any surviving language. It could be written on any assassin knife, and written with different variations. However, the meaning was always the same:
Purge the devil.
His eyes flashed orange. He knew who carried a knife like it. Filled with horror and disbelief, Meta could have run out of the office then and flew his starship straight out to find him, but he held himself back.
Not him. Not him… anyone could have bought this off of just about any black market trader. He wouldn't do it.
I know he wouldn't.
Kit Cosmos had not noticed his horrified expression. Meta had the impression that the drill sergeant's hate for the Duke was mainly out of hate for his higher position in the war council. He could not find reason to suspect the magenta Star Warrior, but he was willing to believe it was anyone, anyone else.
He saluted Kit Cosmos, saying he had other duties to tend to, and left. He needed to ask Kabu and settle his fears, he hoped, before he would go make a visit…
Meta headed up to the top floor garden. He pushed the elevator button and stood back against the glass as it lifted.
…Why do I even bother? It hasn't talked to me every time I've tried to seek answers.
The light moved from each floor number as the elevator sped towards the stars. If Kabu was the universe's oracle, he was determined to ask about the knife's owner. He had no other duties or training sessions for another seventeen hours. He could skip dinner if he needed to. Meta already knew he would not rest easily until he knew that the assassin wasn't him. He had time to wait, if waiting was what he had to do to get answers.
He heard a voice speaking as soon as the doors reopened. Meta approached the looming statue in the otherwise completely silence. The irrigation system was off, and the water in the streams surrounding the plants was still. The Duke stopped talking as soon as Meta came closer.
"Who's there?"
Meta showed himself, walking up the last few steps.
"I apologize for intruding. I didn't… expect you here."
"Nor did I expect you." He answered before with a sigh, said, "Kabu hasn't spoken very much the last few days, if you came to see it for counseling."
The Duke stood up, dusting off his cape, and he bowed to Kabu. He stood off to the side, gesturing to Meta to go ahead and consult the statue. Meta could not ask in front of him. Instead, he sighed,
"… Maybe I will try some other time."
Duke Galacta was about to say something more when the elevator doors rang again. Several Star Warriors approached him.
"Duke, Sir Arthur has just issued an order. You are to come with us to Ceilon. Be ready at the starship port in a half hour. We expect to stay there for a few days."
"Eh? Why am I called for? I was supposed to meet with—"
"You have already been excused from all other tasks. We'll explain it there. We need to get going now."
They led the Duke away and Meta finally saw a chance to speak with Kabu alone, now that he was left to himself. The others had not gotten far when suddenly, the great statue's mouth moved and its voice filled the entire room.
"THE STAR WARRIOR META IS TO ACCOMPANY." Kabu said.
No one talked for a long moment. Meta was sure to indicate through his confused glances at them that he too had no idea what was happening or why Kabu, after remaining silent to him for so long, had finally decided to speak.
One of the Star Warriors came forward.
"Sir Arthur has specifically named which of us he wanted to go speak with Ceilon's queen. Why do you ask us to bring him?"
Kabu would not clarify.
Finally, after waiting, the soldier turned to Meta.
"Then you too, get ready to leave. There's another statue there on Ceilon and I presume that Kabu either intends you to speak to it there, or join us, we do as planned, and you act when you know what your own mission is."
"I hate submarines. I'm not going in." Duke Galacta muttered.
"You don't have a choice. Get in. Make it quick." The soldier behind him replied. "It won't take long anyway. The palace is close to this base."
While the other Star Warriors talked, Meta approached the edge of the landing platform. The frothy waves crashed against the barren chain of islands that made up the GSA base. There was little here. On the piece of land they stood on, there was only a runway strip for starships to land, a hangar, a small satellite tower with a conjoined office, and the dock where the rest of the group were boarding a submarine.
Meta stared into the water. Far below them, he finally traced a glimmer of light. City lights. He could faintly make out the bright neon signs from the cloudy green sea, followed by windows of lit buildings and intertwined street-like paths. The satellite disks on the other islands slowly rotated in union. Above them, two suns, one a hazy red and the other a more natural gold, shown down. The spires of some of the buildings stood out of the water under the reflection of the red sun in the distance. One of the other Star Warriors noticed them too.
"Look at that! The ocean line's dropped. None of the buildings were out of the water like this just a decade ago. This isn't good…"
"Ceilon also didn't have two suns. The red one's dying out but that other one's intense." Another added. "That star must have just been born recently. And it's even closer to Ceilon than its old star."
"The queen will be more concerned about the planet's future, if the ocean's really drying up. Negotiations are going to be rough…"
"Let's get in the sub first. I'll explain everything about the situation on the way to the palace. That means now, Duke."
Meta followed the others in and the hatch door was sealed shut. It was his first time in a submarine and he had to agree with the Duke that he did not like the way the ship rocked with the waves. He took the remaining seat beside Duke Galacta, whose hands were clenched tight to the armrests as he muttered something about drowning.
The driver, another GSA soldier, started up the submarine and it slowly sank under the waves. Meta watched the massive cloud of bubbles erupt from outside the porthole window as the ship expelled air.
The Star Warriors turned on an overhead light and they set up a small conference room.
"Unlatch the seat and pull it up to the table." One of the Star Warriors called to Meta, who was surprised to find that all the chairs were movable along a track on the floor.
When they were all settled, the Star Warrior leading the group began to speak,
"Here's the gist: the GSA needs Ceilon's metal to build more destroyer star ships. Without them, the GSA can't hope to take on NME's massive armada. Our spies out on the border tipped us off that the entire fleet has been moving, although it's still far from the war zone. If we secure resources today, the GSA will be able make a sizeable opposition in time."
"What's the queen's name again?"
The soldier laughed dryly.
"We refer to her only as 'Her Majesty', nothing else… unless you want to replicate all that dolphin clicking…"
"And what are we exchanging for the metal? I mean… the GSA doesn't have a whole lot of funds left."
A silence.
"That's the problem. The GSA has absolutely nothing that Ceilon could possibly want, paired with the ocean drying up. There's nothing we can do to save their ocean, only evacuate the people to some other planet. I highly doubt they'll oblige though. The people here are a proud race. For our purposes now, we basically have to convince the queen to give us a generous donation. Ceilon's the only planet left that has the resources like this that isn't under NME's control."
"And it's one of the richest planets too, with the best access to trade routes. Anything we offer is worthless to them."
"Then… we don't actually have a plan then, do we?"
"Not one with the queen, no, if she opposes it. Her daughter's shown a lot more interest in working with the GSA, but she won't be in power until her mother passes on the crown. Who knows when that will be?"
Meta had turned away from the conversation to watch the submarine completely submerge and the last glimpse of daylight disappear. The inside of the submarine went instantly dark.
"Duke, you're going to be our spokesman."
"What?! No, I can't—"
"We can't afford to lose the queen's support. Sir Arthur specifically requested you to join us just to do the talking."
The Duke sank back against his chair, too sick to keep arguing.
"We just have to wait and see what happens from here. Unfortunately, we don't have any other options."
For the rest of the trip, the Star Warriors did not talk. The Duke busied himself with his short proposition to the queen. Meta gazed outside the porthole windows, astounded by the sights of the half-fish-like people and twisted buildings. The submarine merged into the traffic flowing between the stone arches where civilians bustled around them. They continued descending into the depths of the city.
Several minutes later, the palace came into view. They approached the outer gates and the submarine passed through the giant, metal doors. It was now that Meta saw the astoundingly advanced technology. From the outside, the palace appeared to be completely submerged underwater. Inside the gates, he saw the hexagonal panels that blocked out the ocean's water in a dome surrounding the palace. Each glowed with inscriptions in some foreign language, passing small dots of light between the bonded panels. The palace itself was only half sunken in the pristine water. From out of the clear, deep blue water, the white palace walls and towers stood. Unlike the ocean waves above, the water here was perfectly still in complete tranquility.
The submarine slowly rose to the surface, careful to equalize the pressure before it began drifting toward the harbor. Several palace workers swam toward the submarine and secured lines to pull it in. Everything was done quickly and smoothly. Meta did not even feel the submarine hit the dock when the hatch door was finally opened and they all exited.
The harbor was half submerged under water and looking down the hallways, Meta saw that the entire palace was this way. The dry walkways hanging over the water was designed for Ceilon's split population between its air-breathing civilians and the rest who were more fish-like. Below them, workers busily swam transporting supply crates and repairing the other submarines in port.
A guard emerged out of the water. He resembled a man with fins and a head of a swordfish. He awkwardly gazed at them from the side of his head where his eye was.
"Her Majesty awaits you all. May I escort you?"
"Yes, lead us on."
He swam off down one of the halls and the soldiers followed him on the walkway. The palace was beautifully built, but every wall seemed to hide greater intricacies. As they walked, the wall panels behind them reconfigured and sealed shut the way they had come, only to open new hallways before them. The planet's history was told through a series of wall murals, which animated following the motion of waves. From brief glimpse he saw, Meta understood the long succession of kings and queens that held reign over the planet and the great turmoil that existed between other planets and Ceilon.
They came to a new area: the main entry hall leading to the throne room. Meta paused, looking up at the towering glass columns of water and live jellyfish that glowed like chandeliers. He felt cold again. Dizzy. He felt as though he was standing in the halls in NME's palace for the briefest of moments. He remembered so much… the icy palace walls and floor. The lasting sadness and staring out of the palace windows all day, wishing he were elsewhere. He forced his mind to return to the present.
It's been a long time since I last was in a palace…
"You ready, Duke?" One of the other Star Warriors asked.
"Yes… but to be honest, I'm doubtful that we're going to be welcomed."
"We'll see."
They nodded to the half-swordfish guards and the two parted their dual-bladed axes and opened the heavy doors for them.
The throne room was a tall cylindrical structure with ridges lining the walls spiraling in the shape of a shell. The sound effect was achieved from the room's shape, Meta noticed with interest. The distant thundering of waves surrounded them. They approached the center of the pillars of water holding up the roof and under the large chandelier made with the most delicate glasswork Meta ever saw. It illuminated the stairs, where he now looked, that led to the throne and seated figure.
They all bowed down before the queen.
"Your Majesty, we represent the GSA," the Duke said.
Meta stole a glance up at Ceilon's queen. She was a beastly creature, whale-like and obviously elderly. She wore a long robe of strung pearls, which glistened from the lights. The queen did not respond. Meta wondered if she was even awake. Finally, she answered.
"Thy sight faileth me, but I do not believe that I see Sir Arthur here."
"He is not present. He gives his deepest apologies, but other affairs required him."
"'Other affairs' requireth myself as well. I know what thou hast come for, but I cannot give it." She replied curtly.
"Your Majesty… we—"
"Didst thou notice how close the tops of thy kingdom's towers come to the surface? In generations past, we were far below, before Atar-2 was born. With two suns now baking Ceilon, the oceans are evaporating. The waterline falls fast. It may take less than a few centuries before the ocean becomes desert. I hast far greater concerns at this time."
"Your Majesty, won't you evacuate your people? The GSA can help save your people! We can have everyone moved to another!"
"I doubt it. The GSA hast few rights to mass migrate an entire planet's civilization into another. 'Tis the arrogance of the GSA. No, thy people hast voiced their fate. We chooseth not to leave our beloved home planet."
Duke Galacta could not find a good response.
"Send Sir Arthur this message: thy planet's metal is purposeless to him. NME's starship force is far too great. It will not benefit the GSA to squander thy planet's precious resources. The metal will not win the war for him."
She motioned to the guards and the Star Warriors were forced to bow once more, and leave the throne room with no success. The throne room doors were shut close. Outside, the others were dumbfounded.
"That went absolutely poorly."
"I don't get it! If she won't evacuate her people, what use does she have for the metal?! She's against NME, but she won't help the GSA?"
"It can only be because she isn't impressed with the GSA or our presentation."
"She wasn't going to be receptive to anything regardless of which of us had spoken," Duke Galacta shot back. "I barely even spoke. She already had made up her mind that she was not going to give us the metal."
"We need to gain audience with the princess. We know that she's willing to support the GSA. There might be something that she can do."
"The queen will have to see that she's mistaken. Give her another day. We'll try again."
The Star Warriors retired to the guest suites, which Ceilon provided them in the palace.
So they choose to wait?
Meta looked at the large room given all to himself. There was a king-sized bed covered with plush pillows and bed covers, a large balcony, and an entire glass wall with a sea anemone aquarium. He felt slightly disgusted by the extravagance. He left his room and went to stand outside the palace on one of the connecting bridges between the towers. He was surprised to find a pleasant breeze. Somehow, the engineers of the palace dome had found some way to create it.
A small shrimp-like creature with long antennae and beady eyes climbed on to Meta's shoulder, making him jump. It wore a fine suit with Ceilon's emblem on its many sleeves. A servant.
"Sir? Her Majesty requests that you follow me. She would like to see you privately."
"Eh… what… for?" Meta asked, confused.
"She did not give a reason. Please, Sir. She's waiting."
Uncertainly, Meta walked after the shrimp as it climbed off of him and scuttled away. It took him to the backrooms behind the throne chamber where the walls were mirror-like. Meta's eyes in his reflection were apprehensive. Other servants that they came across stood aside to let Meta through. Their glassy fish eyes bothered Meta a lot but he said nothing. Suddenly, the walkway disappeared into the water-filled hallway. Meta hesitated as he watched the shrimp-like servant enter the water the slightest faltering.
He quietly exhaled. At some point or another, he was going to get his cape wet on a planet completely submerged under the ocean. He waded into the waist-deep water and continued following the servant at a much slower rate.
Light streamed into the hall up ahead. Meta entered a large atrium with a glistening polished floor under a large dome of blue-hue glass. The light came from a large clump of jellyfish that gave off different colors ranging from a soft pink and orange to a bright green and blue. Their glow illuminated the large Kabu statue standing alone in the center.
Of course…
Meta found the queen seated at a small tea table with an empty chair across from her close by the statue.
"Come… dear, taketh a seat…"
Meta slowly did, sitting down in a clamshell chair across from her at the table. A servant offered him what appeared to be black sludge in an elegant teacup. He politely declined. Sitting here this close to her, he heard her labored breaths.
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
"I pray thee, speak with greater voice. Thy hearing groweth weak."
"I thank you, Your Majesty." Meta said, a little louder.
It took her some time to register his words, and then she leaned back satisfied. She smiled kindly, which stretched across the entirety of her aged face. She was acting very different now outside of the throne room and away from the other Star Warriors.
"Mayhap I should be the one to stand humble before you, demonbeast prince."
Meta's blood instantly ran cold as he gasped with horror. He looked at her, searching for signs of hostility but he found none. No guards rushed in to arrest him on the spot. They were completely alone with all of the servants off to tend to other duties.
"H… how did you… know who…" He stammered.
She had already expected his reaction, but her expression became more serious.
"Thy blood reeks of darkness… a foul smell it is! Only one as dark as Lord Nightmare could spawn such shadows into a physical form. The moment thou touched the ocean of thy kingdom, I felt thy presence here. I have also known that Lord Nightmare produced an heir. Seeing you, I could only guess you were the prince. However, I sense that thou is not here to do any evil. Thou hast joined the GSA in order to oppose the dark empire. I admire it."
Meta was still too shocked to answer.
"T'was not I who called you here to Ceilon. Kabu senses greater future in you."
Meta shuddered a little as he looked up at the looming statue. Kabu did not speak and continued staring up toward the ocean surface.
"Hast anyone spoken to you about the Photrons?" The queen asked suddenly, leaning a little closer to him.
"I… no…"
The queen was silent, gently stroking the pearls on her necklace. Her eyes were partially clouded with blindness, but they still showed great thought.
"… 'tis only a story, an ancient one. I do not expect that Lord Nightmare hast mentioned it?"
"No…" Meta answered, confused.
What is she talking about? Father? Who or what are the Photrons?
"Lord Nightmare is among the oldest physical beings in this universe, as thou knoweth. We do not know with certainty what the universe held before, but then cameth light. T'was the Photrons. Lord Nightmare's power was shattered and the darkness was expelled from his kingdom."
"My father… he can't be destroyed like that! He overpowers light easily."
"But the Photrons art different, dear. They art beings of light, far brighter than the light of any star. Their presence alone posed threat to Lord Nightmare, but t'was their single product of their civilization, the sacred sword Galaxia, that destroyed his power for hundreds of thousands of years."
"A sword?"
"Aye, Galaxia, the sacred blade. It is the bane of darkness and forged across the millennium while the Photrons existed. It holds the spirits of the Star Warriors who bore it in the ancient past. The GSA must possess it. No amount of thy planet's metal will win this war without the blade, that is the only reason why I declined to give the metal at this time. Lord Nightmare deeply fears the sword, and it is the only thing that can bringeth him down once more. Kabu hast brought thou here to retrieve the lost sword and to become its new bearer."
Meta swallowed.
"How do… I obtain it?"
"The sword's resting place lieth in the cave of Skylla and Kharybdis where thy planet's hero and last bearer, Sir Gereik, was laid to rest before it became their dwelling. 'Tis the darkest trench of Ceilon guarded by the two-headed monster. The path is treacherous. Skylla and Kharybdis have slain many great warriors before you. Tis' a destiny only thou may chooseth. I only speak of this quest because I know that it will aid the GSA."
The queen took a long drink of the tar-like substance before setting down her cup. Meta did not know how to respond.
"Thou questions wherefore Kabu hast chosen you over the other Star Warriors? If I were to ask them, they would choose the Duke to challenge Skylla and Kharybdis. However, he will fail and the sword lost to eternity, because he hast not the destiny to fight them nor the destiny to draw the sacred blade."
Meta tried to imagine the Duke, who clearly feared the water, being forced to accept the quest. The queen gazed back at Meta's bewildered expression.
"Dost thou believeth in destiny?"
"I… don't know."
"Thou must know, 'tis a question of the events that hast led you here. I suspect that thou hast come a long ways from NME's palace to thine own kingdom, standing here in GSA uniform. I told thou of the sword, I will leaveth the decision to you. Should thou chooseth to undertake it, you may find a sword, shield, oxygen tank, and an escort to leadeth thou to their lair."
She excused him and Meta thanked her stiffly, leaving the atrium. He was not sure what to think. If the sword would destroy his father, he wanted nothing else than to obtain it for the GSA and to have the satisfaction that his father was cowering in his palace in fear of him. He had never heard of Galaxia before, although unsurprisingly since Nightmare feared it. He wondered if the sword would destroy him as well, being a demonbeast.
But… that's not a question for me to worry about now… she and Kabu want me to swim down there and fight some beast and I don't have the power or strength to do so.
He was back in the hallways now. He did not feel like going back to his room so he wandered for a bit to give himself time to think.
"Are you going… there?" A voice suddenly asked.
Meta looked up to see the princess for the first time. She had not been present earlier when they had come to the throne room. She was a much smaller whale-like creature adorned with bright shells along her fins and back. She too wore long strings of pearls as her mother, along with painted designs across her body. She swam up next to him from where he stood on the platform.
"Yes… I think… Your Highness." He answered.
"You 'think'?"
"I… don't know if I can be the one to fight Skylla and Kharybdis. I can't be the one. How does Kabu even know that I'm… the prince? I've barely even talked to it."
"Kabu knows a great deal, but all of its knowledge comes from those who share theirs. Someone out there in the universe knew of Lord Nightmare's heir, and others might have added other bits. And Kabu senses the hearts of those that come before it. It knows who you are."
"Will Kabu… tell anyone?"
"No, of course, unless the future calls for your identity to be known in such a way. Only my mother and myself know at present as far as I know. Neither of us will tell."
Meta was only somewhat relieved, but he turned back to the bigger issue.
"I can't go, Your Highness."
"But what if you are the one and you left your own destiny behind?"
"Pardon me, your Highness, but may I ask? Why do you and the queen care so much about destiny?"
"It is what we believe our lives our worth to this universe. My mother lived through great wars and times of chaos and she believed her destiny to be restoring the peace and bringing Ceilon's great economic prosperity. And I… I will see this planet through to its final days… I am to lead my people through the chaos then."
Although she insisted it as her honored duty, there was a mark of sadness in her voice. Meta figured that at the rate the ocean was evaporating the other Star Warriors suggested, Ceilon would see its demise within a few centuries. The new queen would not even reach adulthood before…
"That's… unfortunate, being the queen-to-be of a dying planet…"
"No more than it is to be an exiled prince of an imprisoned race."
"I suppose so."
What is my destiny? It must be to destroy my father. I am the only demonbeast to make it this far. They mistake my demonbeast powers as Star Warrior abilities. Father created me to be a puppet for him to reside in if his power broke… no, I'M going to be the one to destroy him. I have to get this sword. For the GSA.
She could see that he had made up his mind from the flicker in his eyes.
"Sir, listen to me: fight Skylla first, she is by far more vicious than her sister head, Kharybdis. She moves faster. If you slay her first, I believe that you will easily defeat Kharybdis as well."
"Thank you."
"I would wish you luck, like I've done for every warrior who has tried and failed to slay Skylla and Kharybdis, but I feel that it is not needed. You do not have luck, you have destiny on your side. Your destiny calls you, if you are willing to fulfill it."
The escort turned out to be the same swordfish guard that led them to the queen's throne room. Meta found him down a flight of stairs leading into the water and back entrance of the palace.
"I should introduce myself, I am Sir Kei. Her Majesty has informed me of your mission to reclaim the great sword, Galaxia. It is my duty to lead you to their lair, but… it would be my honor, Sir, to fight alongside you. Skylla and Kharybdis have left my people at peace in the recent years, but they have been Ceilon's nightmare for as long as they have existed for."
"I would be honored that you joined me."
Meta edged closer to the water and glanced at the equipment laid on the ground for him. The sword was made from a stronger metal, and surprisingly light. Meta decided to take it with him instead of his own sword. He also decided that even though he had never used a shield before to fight, he still wanted it.
"If you tap the sword or shield while they're in the water, they will light up for a short while. It's very dark down there in the rift."
Meta did so, finding the blue stone-like emblems welded into the metal react and glow brightly. Sir Kei nodded toward the oxygen tank, tapping it with his sword-like snout.
"Would you like to take a minute to try the equipment first before we go? Also, take care that it will be heavy and restrict your arm movement."
Meta nodded and he hoisted the tank on his back. He immediately fell from the weight. He rolled on to his side; slowly, he lifted himself down into the water. The swordfish guard handed him an eye mask and mouthpiece and Meta plunged down under the surface. The weight of the tank keeping him from resurfacing almost shattered his relative calm demeanor. Breathing through the small tube and being pulled down by the tank felt too much like drowning. He grabbed the staircase and drew himself back up, gasping for air. He waited until his panicked subsided.
I need to obtain the sword for the GSA. I won't back down.
"Sir! Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, I'm fine…"
"Try it again," the guard encouraged.
After a few more tries, Meta finally grew more comfortable. The guard already knew about his wings so he let them out, using them to push him upwards. For once, they were no longer a burden and were instead useful for something.
"There's just one last thing. Fight me, Sir." The swordfish said underwater.
Meta barely had a chance to draw his sword when the swordfish guard sped toward him, slashing his namesake weapon. He blocked the attacks and they fenced. It did not take long for him to figure out how to fight underwater. Although his movement was drastically slowed down, with mushin, he still could anticipate every attack driven at him and react in time. He resurfaced. He was as confident as he was going to be.
"I'm ready."
Meta grabbed hold of the final piece of equipment, a large, metal propeller-like contraption with handles that lit up with his touch. The blades began turning and it pulled Meta forward, faster and faster. He and Sir Kei left the palace and began traveling into the open ocean.
The rift was at the center of a large mountainous terrain on the sea floor. Sir Kei pointed out a small cove where there was a pocket of air. Meta replenished the air tank before they swam down to Skylla and Kharybdis' lair.
Sir Kei nodded to the device and Meta let go of it. It returned to a dormant state and he left it at the cave opening. He really hoped that he would have the luxury of returning to the palace alive with it. Although the region of ocean the city was built in was dark, it was even darker here hundreds of meters away from the surface. The cave opening was near pitch-black and it challenged his demonbeast night vision. He refused to acknowledge his nervousness. Meta opened his wings and he "flew" forward with Sir Kei as they entered.
Meta had expected a deep chasm but was surprised to find the mouth of the cave rather shallow before dropping off into darkness. Thousands of swords lay among the cave floor, scattered between the skeletons of fallen warriors. Was Galaxia among them? Each were beautifully crafted and inlaid with rich jewels across the hilt and blade.
Something moved below him. Something very, very large. The black serpent rose from the darkness and in the glow of his sword and shield, Meta saw that it split into two… the two heads of Skylla and Kharybdis. The swords and skeletons below clattered away as the beast moved. Meta drew his weapon and spread open his wings. Skylla and Kharybdis suddenly arched their necks and let loose a flash of colors from their pigmented neck spines, their fighting stance.
Sir Kei made the first move, slipping between their separated heads and slashing at their necks. Both moved to bite him, only to knock heads against the other. He distracted them for Meta to distinguish which of the heads was Skylla's. With a burst of speed from his wings, he stabbed the back of her head.
The creature roared, it's cry thundering through the water and shaking the cave walls. He grabbed hold of Skylla's spines and stabbed it again, this time slicing back a larger gash. She threw him off of her and he was pushed back out into the open water.
"Look out!" Sir Kei shouted.
Meta saw a flash of color, followed by Kharybdis' closing jaws coming over him. He threw his shield against her sickle-like fangs. He fought to keep her from shutting her jaws, arms shaking to push his way out of her mouth. Her teeth scraped across his shield. He reached for mushin and feeling awareness of it flood his body, he let out a blast of energy, forcing its jaw to open and the entire head to snap back from the blow.
He swam out to see the swordfish guard slash at the beast's stomach. A cloud of murky green flooded out from the wound.
Skylla and Kharybdis retreated back into the darkness and he and Sir Kei floated back to back, watching the shadows for the beast.
Both of them are fast! I can't even see where they're coming from in this darkness!
He spotted a trail of bubbles. The two separated just as Skylla and Kharybdis shot up from below. Ceiling fragments and smaller rocks rained down as they hit the cave ceiling. Meta was back in pursuit of Skylla.
The sister head pulled back, still stunned from the impact while Skylla lashed out at Meta with her full head. Her spines carved through his wings and the sudden blast of water threw him against the wall.
He lost sight of Skylla within a matter of seconds. Just as fast, she was back, fighting to get a bite out of him. Her teeth snapped at his face, then just above his arm and wings. Her size was pushing him and water in every direction as she thrashed. Sir Kei darted in front of him, stabbing Skylla between her eyes in full force. He wriggled, trying to pull himself free as the monster flew into a full rage.
"I'm stuck!"
The monster rammed against the wall, causing the cave to collapse further. Meta swam out of the way of several boulders toward the beast. With one final thrust, Sir Kei pulled himself free and darted away to get a better vantage point. Skylla came barreling toward Meta by surprise and knocked his sword away from him.
Meta gasped, watching his sword sink to into the depths of the cave. He reached for its hilt but the sudden rush of water around him let it slip beyond his grasp. In only a few seconds, the gleaming sword was swallowed up by the darkness, never to be seen again.
He was suddenly so defenseless. The shield he held only pushed and pulled him as the serpent heads spun around him and dispelled the water. It too was wrenched out of his hands. The swords! He looked down at the cave floor. They were so far away…
He moved to swim for them, but Kharybdis' gnashing teeth blocked him. Skylla was waiting above, shooting her head for him. He narrowly dodged and she instead brushed by her sister head that came in for another attack.
It was then that Meta was distracted by a small glint of light, the only one that he saw in the darkness. Lodged deep into Kharybdis' blinded eye was a jagged sword. The blade was blackened with rust and encrusted by old blood, but its small, fire-like jewel faintly glowed from its hilt. He began swimming toward it without a second thought. He was too focused on getting a weapon to remember that it was embedded into the same monster that was trying to eat him alive.
Skylla suddenly shot out from the darkness and coiled around him. This time, she snagged him. Her crushing weight forced the air out of Meta's lungs and he heard his shoulder plates creak under the pressure. He dug his wing's claws into the scaly flesh but neither left a serious mark. Mushin… he was panicking. He couldn't clear his mind.
Then, the air tank on his back hissed and spluttered. Meta looked behind him just as air exploded from it and it launched him out of Skylla's grip. The metal capsule tore loose from one of the straps and Meta was spun wildly. His flailing hands could not grab hold of it. Then he slammed into the cave wall and the air tank broke free. He had no air now.
Sir Kei's shouts were far away. Meta was breathing in water and with every gasp for air, he only took in more. Skylla and Kharybdis both dove for him and he was pushed above their fearsome jaws and over their faces. He was above the blinded eye and within arm's reach to the rusted sword. Meta's hands closed around the sword's hilt.
Pain. His body was on fire. He could not react or think. The rust and blood peeled off the sword and blinding light filled the once eternally dark lair. The sword out shown the other swords that lay on the cave floor in its brilliance. Its blade was of the sun's gold and of fire's burn. The sword was electrocuting him and the monster. On the verge of death, he was afraid; but his hands would not let go of the sword…
The power raging through the sword won out. He fainted.
X—X—X
Author Note: Skylla and Kharybdis (pronounced cill-ah and car-ib-dis) are names from greek mythology (from the Odyssey). There are probably better famous sea monsters out there to reference, but I really wanted two that were associated with each other. They live on opposite sides of the strait Odysseus sailed through and he was advised to lose a few men to Skylla rather than lose the entire ship to Kharybdis.
By the way, yes, Meta and Garlude reclaim Galaxia from Kirisakin. That's still coming up, though maybe in a different way than you might have expected me to do.
Please review!