There are secrets in the universe that may never be fully explained.

Where there are mysteries, there are always three kinds of people connected to them. One is the kind of people who want to seek the mysteries out to their fullest.

The other are the people who are out to destroy any secret they believe threatens their security or positions of power.

The third type are the defenders of mysteries.

This is the tale of several such defenders.



Outcast Legends: And Outlaw Star fanfic

Mysteries



Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from the original Outlaw Star TV anime. I'll make a list of those characters and concepts I do own at the end of the fic, if there are any.



Chapter 4- Dawning Truth

The briefing room was actually rather spacious, and as Suzuka walked in she couldn't help but notice that. The wall directly in front of her was either a large window showing off the starscape outside the base, or a computer-rendered image to give the room a more open feeling than the rest of the base. Since Suzuka hadn't seen any windows on the outside of the base, she assumed the second to be more likely. A large round metallic table was the centerpiece of the room, ringed with stationary chairs. Dawn Sword was standing in front of the 'window' when Suzuka entered, and quickly turned to look in her direction when he heard the doors open. Bluestone, stepping in first, was the first person Dawn Sword spoke to.

"Bluestone, I'd appreciate it if this could be sort of private."

"Sir,... since I've already stated my opinion, I'd just like to advise you that I don't consider her trustworthy." Bluestone stated with the unspoken meaning that she wouldn't put it past Suzuka to try to kill him.

"I appreciate your concern, Bluestone, but I can take care of myself."

Begrudgingly, Bluestone exited the room. Suzuka noted that 'Dawn Sword' was obviously carefully thinking over what he wanted to say. But Suzuka intended to be the first one to speak.

"I came here because I was looking for an old associate of mine who went my the name of Dawn Sword. It isn't hard to see that you aren't him, but several questions present themselves to me now. Since you're not the person I was looking for, I'd like to know who you are and why you seem to know me."

Dawn Sword looked at her for a second, then turned and looked out the window.

"There's a lot of history wrapped up in a question like that, probably more than even I can really give answer to." He looked at her directly, half the room still separating them. "There's a lot about yourself that you should know, too."

"What do you mean?" She inquired.

"... Maybe I should start at the beginning, and tell the story from there."



The year was 2659, and on the planet earth, exciting new things were underway. Technology was now advanced to the point where the both the moon and Mars were nearly completely terraformed for human life, humans had made their first few remote contacts with extraterrestrials, and the forerunner to the sub-ether drive, the phase-induction engine, was nearly ready to be released for public use. Humanity was both more prosperous and more powerful than ever, and on the surface everything looked good.

Then humanity got it's first taste of interstellar combat as the entire solar system erupted into warfare. Mars sided with the Kai Alliance, and the moon with the Earthsphere Unified Nations. The other space colonies that decided not to side with the Kai were quickly raided, ransacked, and destroyed. It was an apocalyptic age, and with the introduction of the Vernati virus, which was designed to instantly kill the nerve cells of anyone it encountered, human casualties were massive on both sides. Soldiers were given a burial in space, and thousands upon thousands of hollowed-out weapons shells, bearing within them the dead, were randomly and without destination jettisoned into the uncharted far reaches, perhaps in the hopes that one day a way to revive them would be found.

In fact, the cure found them.

The galactic leyline somehow, through some twist of destiny or fate, soon became the place where many of these warriors would end up. The history regarding how, why, or if there were other forces involved in sending these death-rended soldiers to the leyline, may forever be a mystery. All that is known is that somehow, no one knows how, the galactic leyline soon became harbor to these, and that it somehow revived them, returning all of the people who had died to a childlike state and giving them a second chance at life. Maybe the leyline somehow knew about the conflict, and had, somewhere amidst it's artificial intelligence, had mercy on the humans. And so, turning them to infants, making them incapable of waging war on each other, these soldiers became the children of the galactic leyline. As they grew, all their needs met by the leyline, they had no understanding or memory of the war they had fought amongst themselves, of the families they had left behind, of everything and anything previous to the leyline.

But suddenly, all that changed.

Despite what was almost doubtlessly the leyline's best attempts to make them forget, the memories began seeping through. For many, it was in dreams. For less than a handful, the memories simply began to return uncontrollably. The children, who had now grown to young adults, knew almost nothing of the leyline's ability to grant them indomitable power, bodies that would never wear out or grow old, or wisdom beyond understanding. Nonetheless, the war to own sole possession of the leyline, their home, began.

Only the battle lines were drawn far different than the previous war. There were two sides, both based upon decisions. The first group believed that the leyine was a treasure, a wonderful place that should be shared with the rest of humanity. The other side, including some of those who had at least a vague notion of the leyline's true power, believed that the leyline should be kept a secret, that somehow the leyline had selected them for some far greater purpose than the rest of humanity.

The leyline would have none of it.

There were, in existence, two 'sub-leylines' that had been created by the same race as had formed the leyline. The sub-leylines had been forerunners to the galactic leyline, and incorporated far less powerful but still adequete ion-synthesis technology than the leyline itself. The leyline, fearing to be drawn into either side of the conflict and forced to oppose those it had rescued, sent both groups each to one of the sub-leylines and arranged to have both groups needs met for on these sub-leylines just as it had done for them before the conflict.

It would be a long time before the two groups would meet again. Since their bodies had been revitalized and cared for by the galactic leyline, it became average for anyone amongst them to live for over 400 years or more, only beginning to show signs of aging around 300 years old. They were all fit and healthy, almost unquestionably stronger than the rest of the human race. The group that had treasured the sanctity of the leyline and had wished to share it with humanity had named themselves the Remnant, and their sub-leyline ZX7, for no real particular reason except that the name seemed to flow well. The other group, who had named themselves the Dragons after the dragon symbol that glowed on the floor right outside the access door to the inner leyline, a place none of them had ever been permitted to go to, quickly began to explore what the sub-leyline could offer them. After a few years, both groups grew to have an understanding of the technological marvels that had been given to them as their new home, although both also desired to return to the leyline.

The Dragons were the first to attack. Seeking to own both sub-leylines and increase their power enough to find a way to return to the leyline, they had attacked ZX7, and killed many people before they were defeated and driven back.

To the Remnant, the path before them now became clear. After years and years, their purpose became clear. They were far too far away from earth to return, and their technology was limited. They weren't even sure there was an earth to return to. How would they explain themselves, and what had happened? Nonetheless, they knew this much. They no longer feared death. The leyline had gone from being a mother figure to hundreds of thousands of people to a sought-after way to get intense power. A resolution was decided amongst the Remnant.

They would stay, and protect ZX7, and in some small way, also the galactic leyline. For no one should ever be given limitless, unchecked powers. To a large extent, greed, hatred, and distrust had brought about the war from which the leyline seemed to have saved them. They'd been given a second chance, and they were determined to make it a good one.



"And that's how it happened. The inhabitants of this base are the descendants of the first Remnant colonists. Ever since this war began, ages ago, the Remnant survivors have been determined to keep anyone from ever abusing the leyline's powers ever again." Dawn Sword stated. "My real name is Collin Jeran, but my code name is Dawn Sword. The Outcast Legends are all people who somehow were given different special powers by the leyline or sub-leyline ZX7, and I've been their leader ever since my father was assassinated."

For a few minutes, Suzuka could only stand there as all this sunk in. She could tell Dawn Sword was being honest, and plus no one could fabricate a story like that. She suddenly felt a tinge of guilt that she had come here intending to do nothing less than to kill Dawn Sword and destroy as much of this base as possible.

"I have a confession to make." Suzuka stated, looking away. "I came here with the intention of killing an old foe of mine, who had also gone by the name Dawn Sword. Assuming you to be him, I had planned to kill him and then create an explosive reaction in the nebula around your base to cover my escape. I apologize."

Dawn Sword looked at her for several long moments, then turned back to the stars displayed in front of him.

"My father didn't die in battle, or on this base or ZX7. It was during a time when the Dragon forces hadn't attacked in a long time, and he decided to take most of the family back towards earth, to teach my older sister and twin brothers about earth's history. He didn't want them to become caught up in the future battles, didn't want them to remember the fighting. He decided to leave me here so I could learn to be the leader in his place, since he could tell that I had great skills as not only just a leader and warrior, but that I had inherited the ability to have special powers, just like he had." He paused for a minute. "He didn't know my sister had those powers, too, just as strong as I did."

"I don't understand what you're trying to say." Suzuka stated.

"… The Dragon forces found out about my father and family leaving the Remnant and Outcast Legends, and sent an assassin to kill not only him, but the whole family." He turned and looked at Suzuka, his eyes making direct contact with her. "But one escaped. My older sister."

The meaning, and truth, of his words was unquestionable. Suzuka's eyes widened as the reality of what Dawn Sword was saying to her began to sink in.

"I believe you know that assassin, Suzuka." Dawn Sword stated. "Nowadays he goes by the code name Cerpa, but when he was working covertly with the Kai pirates he was known as-"

"Hitiriga." Suzuka said in a low voice, shaken by what Dawn Sword was telling her. "You mean he's alive?"

"Yes, he's alive. Why would you think otherwise?"

"Because I killed him in the galactic leyline." She paused, realizing that it was Hitiriga whom had had her in that stranglehold when she first met up with Bluestone. "But apparently he's survived somehow." She put her sword down on the table and looked at Dawn Sword with a soft, somewhat confused but gentle look in her eyes. " . . . So, you're my … brother?"

He nodded.

"I know this is a lot to take in, not to mention hard to believe, but it's all true." He paused, then pulled out his sword and laid it on the table. "You told Bluestone that you recognized this?" He inquired.

Suzuka looked carefully at it for a minute, making certain it was the same sword, then nodded in agreement.

"It seems that the Dawn Sword you met on Dead Man's Sheer," He paused, looking at the sword. "Is the Cameron that I met when I was almost dead."

"What do you mean?" Suzuka inquired.

"… It happened during a mission I was involved in on the third moon of Tassadar. I was taking a small force on a recon mission when suddenly, out of nowhere, we were attacked. We all fought our hardest, but DragonMage himself was on the front lines of the attack. He demolished the entire force, but somehow I survived. I remember him looking down on me, hold hatred in his eyes, and driving his sword through my chest, then turning and leaving me for dead." He paused. "Then, the next thing I knew, a figure in blue armor was standing over me helping me to my feet. I still have a scar on both my chest and back from where the sword went through, but somehow all the internal damage DragonMage did to me was gone. He told me his name was Cameron, then gave me this sword and left." He sighed and shook his head. "Until now, I couldn't make heads or tails of it."

"Do you think he might somehow be linked to the galactic leyline?" Suzuka inquired.

Dawn Sword was silent for a moment, then looked out the window in silent thought. Suzuka came up alongside him silently, and he glanced at her for a second before continuing to speak.

"Maybe. Like I said, there's some mysteries not even I have the answers to." He was silent for a second. "The universe is just so filled with mysteries. I think that's why the leyline exists."

"What do you mean?"

"Suzuka, did you ever think about the fact that every atom in the universe vibrates at a pitch and frequency unique to it's element?" He inquired, not taking his eyes off the stars. "It's like one giant symphony, only we can't hear it. Can you imagine it? If all of our universe was a song, what would it sound like? The void of space is like pauses in the music, giving it rhythm and flow." He paused for a minute. "From what the Remnant has learned about the leyline, I personally think it's possible that whoever created the leyline and sub-leylines was trying to understand that music, perhaps, in some way, figure out the meaning of life. The leyline's primary function seems to be the acquiring of knowledge; why else would someone create a massive supercomputer capable of both a degree of intelligent thought and of creating and altering matter in any way it wished?"

"…Perhaps they hoped that eventually someone would come along and make the right wish, and then it would all make sense." Suzuka proposed.

Dawn Sword looked at her for a long moment, then nodded and turned back to the starscape.

"Maybe. Maybe."

There was a long period of silence that passed between them.

"… It's so strange, suddenly having a brother after thinking for years that my entire family was dead." She paused. "Collin, if the leyline could grant you one wish, what would it be? To have your,… our family back?"

"No. Even if the leyline could revive them after all these years, it wouldn't be the same. Besides, I just couldn't feel right about using the leyline for personal reasons, even to bring our family back, because if I did then I might be tempted to use it for other things. I suppose no one would trust themselves with a limitless 'genie in a bottle' if they knew there was a chance they could lose control and hurt others." He looked at her. "For now, I'm thankful that you're here. For years, I thought you were dead."

"Should I tell my Jean and the others about this?" She inquired.

"If you want to, I suppose." He paused. "How did you and your friends get into the galactic leyline?"

Suzuka told him the whole story, about how both Melfina and the Outlaw Star were connected to the galactic leyline and how Hazanka and the Antean 7 had broken through the leyline's protective shield, and all the chaos that ensued when both groups had landed on the surface of the leyline.

Dawn Sword looked aside for a second, a worried look in his face.

"So that's why DragonMage attacked…" He thought out loud. "He was trying to verify that you and your friends had come here. I'd bet my life that he's gonna try to use the Outlaw Star to get into the leyline."

"But if Hitiriga is working with DragonMage, he'd know how Hazanka broke through the leyline's shield. Why doesn't he just do what Hazanka did?"

"Probably because he knows that it would take time, and that we'd attack immediately and destroy his efforts. In this case, we need to make sure the Outlaw Star and your friend Melfina are protected, because if DragonMage breaks into the leyline, there's no telling just how powerful he could become."



Jean scanned the room quickly as the automated doors behind him slid silently closed. A metallic desk stood in one corner, jutting out of the wall. Opposite it was a rather large bed, simple but nicely designed. An open doorway to his left led into a bathroom, and right in front of him on the wall was a rather large computer screen. His first thought was that it reminded him of a large hotel room, but he figured it could've been worse. He was curious, however, as to what that computer screen did. Walking over to it, he examined the different options it had available on the large touch pad part of the screen.

"Hm, let's see here,…maps of the base, list of mealtimes, hey, what's this do?" He wondered, tapping a button labeled 'Change Environment'. Several other sub-options instantly popped up, including 'starscape', 'woodlands', 'rainforest', 'under water', and others. Becoming even more curious, Jean tapped the 'starscape' option, and suddenly all the walls of the room faded away to display the vast void of space.

Suddenly, Jean could feel that old, irritating, irrational space-phobia welling up inside of him, and quickly selected another option.



While Jean toyed with the holographic room environment system, Jim was busy doing some serious research. Unlike Jean, who'd missed the 'history logs' option on first view, Jim had caught sight of it immediately. Scrolling through general explanations of the history of this base and it's inhabitants, Jim couldn't help but be amazed. After nearly twenty minutes, he decided to switch from the general history to the holographic archive, watching as visual records of explosive battles between the Remnant forces and Dragon armies played out in front of him.



Aisha, unlike any of the others, had decided to go check out the base's battle and strength training locations. She got a few odd looks as she walked down the hallways, but nothing much happened until she got to her destination, a zone the computer map had labeled as the holo-gym. Seeing that there were no guards or anything outside the doors, she decided to slip quietly inside and see what was going on.

The first thing she noticed was that the holo-gym reminded her a lot of a cyber game room, with odd looking glowing blue panels on the walls, floor, and ceiling. The second thing was that a guy in a black jumpsuit and dark blue chest armor, who was carrying a rather large scythe, was in the very center of the room, battling against what looked like half a dozen ninjas. The ninjas were pretty quick, but the scythe fighter was even faster, dodging throwing stars, kicks, punches, and sword-swipes from at least three ninjas at a time, and managing to land decisive blows with his scythe in-between evasions. Aisha watched quietly as the figure suddenly slashed his scythe in mid-air, sending out a long, thin boomerang of white energy, slicing cleanly through the few remaining ninjas.

"Hey, not bad." Aisha said out loud, stepping into plain view. The figure looked up at her for a second, startled, and quickly brushed one long strand of dark chestnut hair out of his face. His skin was a dark chocolate color, which worked rather well with the outfit he wore. Aisha thought for a second, then added. "In fact, you remind me a lot of Suzuka. The name's Aisha Clan-Clan."

"Hey, aren't you one of those people who stole the Grappler Pods earlier today?" He inquired in a serious tone, then cracked a smile. "Nice flying out there. You and your friends aren't half-bad GP pilots. Name's Reaper; nice ta meet you."

"So, were those holograms or something?"

"Sorta. Ion-synthesis projections; and they fight almost as good as the real thing."

"Mind if I give it a try?"

"Sure, I guess."



While Aisha battled, Jim studied, and Jean got comfortable with his new surroundings, Melfina sat silently on the edge of the bed in her room.

She knew what this strange feeling was, at least to some degree. The leyline, or something very much like it. Nearby.

She could remember feeling like this the last time the group had been to the leyline itself. Only it was different somehow this time.

Something was happening to the leyline. She could feel it.

Something very wrong was happening.