Seto grunted as he pulled the last box of supplies off the cargo ship, setting it aside with the others piled up on the floor. "There we go." He wiped some sweat off his face, and turned to look at the worker. "Is that everything?"
"Looks like it! Thanks for helping me unload." The four-eyed alien grinned as he reached into one more metal box. "Oh! I think you'll get a kick out of this! Look, there's a new tool on the market, I managed to get my claws on a few."
He tossed the item up, which Blue easily caught with an excited chirp. He floated over to his owner, handing over the tool. Seto gave him a thankful grin, patting the top of the robot as he looked over the tool.
It was a strange one, one side was covered with different colored wires while the other was some sharp pliers. They had a groove in the middle to easily separate them, and when pulled apart revealed the same wires on the other side and a small soldering wire connected to the pliers.
"Whoa… Cool!" Seto muttered excitedly as he looked up at the cargo worker. "How much for it?"
The four eyed man waved his hand. "Ah, keep it. You and Baulrad are good customers, think of it as a goodbye present. Your ship is finished, right? So that means you'll be heading back to that planet. What was it again? Ea-arth?"
"Earth," Seto corrected as he clicked the tool back into one piece and put it in his large pocket. "But, yeah. The Wyvern is ready for space travel, so I'll be heading back in a few days. I'm almost packed and ready to go."
The cargo worker grinned and held out his clawed hand. "Well then, I wish you luck on your journey! Don't forget about us once you're back home, alright?"
Seto smiled, he felt excited and yet sad at the same time when he thought about leaving space. Part of him wanted to stay, but he missed his brother too much. Maybe he could come back with Mokuba, if he was careful. Yeah, that could work! He reached out and shook the clawed hand. "I could never forget you guys. I'll be sure to visit sometime!"
The man opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off at the sound of a loud alarm blaring. They both spun around as a red light bathed the area. Then, there was a loud metal clanging noise, and the whole area shook so violently that they fell onto the ground, the metal crates they had unloaded tumbling from their pile.
"What's going on?!" The four eyed alien cried.
Seto's heart pounded against his chest as he heard some terrified yelling from outside the sphere. There was the sound of pounding feet, coming towards them. In a moment of clarity, Seto grabbed Blue and the cargo worker, diving behind one of the storage crates in the unloading area.
Just as they managed to hide, the footsteps entered the area. Seto covered his mouth and nose as he knelt down, pressing his eye against the small crevice between two crates. His eyes widened and his blood ran cold. No… No…
The Karalis… They're here…
Patrolling the area were four Karalis guards, wearing that damned armour they always seemed to be wearing. They held their blasters close as they patrolled around the area, two of them walking up into the cargo ship while the others continued to survey the storage room.
"Do you think the abomination is here?" One of them growled in the Karalis language.
The other scoffed. "The coward has to be. One of the visitors to the outpost said he works here. We find him, make an example of him, and then no one will stand in our way."
They began to circle towards the storage crates. Seto quickly pushed the cargo worker along, hurriedly crawling through a small hole between the crates and into a darkened nook. He held Blue against his chest tightly and held his breath.
"Why can't we just kill him?" The first Karalis asked. "I can barely tolerate the idea of even placing a hand on that freak, let alone leaving him alive."
The second one's foot stopped right in front of the small hole. "You heard what the Doyen said. These rebellions, the fighters, were all encouraged by him. Some of the major rebellions are led by those escaped prisoners. They see him as a leader. Even if we claim he is dead, they won't believe us unless we bring him forward and kill him in front of them. If we kill the human freak, we kill the rebellion."
Seto's eyes widened and he felt a sudden wash of relief. Other prisoners had survived the escape, and they were out there fighting too! He felt a surge of determination. I can't let these bastards take this outpost, I won't let them hurt anybody! I need to fight!
He looked above them, and noticed the opening above them. He turned to the cargo worker and made a shushing motion before he carefully began to climb upwards. He pulled himself on top of the crates, which shook slightly from the sudden weight.
Below him, he saw the two Karalis guards tense. They looked around them, searching for the source of the noise. Seto thought quickly, and used the force of his weight to send the crates careening downward.
The second guard barely had time to turn around before the crates crashed on top of him. Seto jumped off at the last second, tumbling to the ground and then running towards the first guard.
The first one quickly fired shots from the blaster, which sent Seto ducking behind one of the overturned crates. He looked towards the crushed guard, noticing the blaster nearby. But he couldn't reach it, not when he was being shot at.
Suddenly there was a loud, angry beep. Out of the air, Blue flew down and latched his metal arms around the blaster. The Karalis let out an angry string of curses and fought with the robot to free his weapon.
"Thanks, Blue!" Seto called as he jumped out of his hiding spot and slammed into the guard. He crashed to the ground and lost his grip on the blaster, which Blue hurriedly dragged away from the invader's reach. Seto raised his hand above the air, and slashed his green claws across the Karalis's neck, the wound too deep to heal before he would bleed out.
The sound of pounding footsteps appeared again and Seto looked up just in time to see the two other guards running out of the cargo ship. "Shit!" He reached and grabbed the blaster, turning to shoot at one guard just as they shot at him.
The red beam hit his side and made him cry out as a burning sensation ran across the green skin. The guard he had shot stumbled backwards, giving Seto enough time to shoot him again. The fourth Karalis didn't have a chance to stop him, as a red beam from behind Seto hit him straight in the face and knocked him to the ground.
Seto spun around, finding the cargo worker standing shakily with the blaster pointed at the opening of his ship. He looked at the bleeding body on the ground, and then back at the half-alien. "A-a-are you okay?"
With a wince, Seto stood up and rubbed his side. He could feel his injury healing, but he knew he couldn't sit around until it finished. "I'll be fine." He looked towards where he heard the yelling and narrowed his eyes. "I'm not letting them take over this outpost. It's me they're after. If I can lead them away, if I can take them out… Whatever has to happen, I'm not letting them take this outpost!"
The cargo worker's shaky hands calmed somewhat, and he nodded firmly. "I'm not letting them either. What do we have to do to make that happen?"
Seto hesitated for a moment, and an idea came to him. He looked between Blue and the worker, and leaned in close. "I don't know if it's going to work, but I have an idea."
In the middle of the outpost's hub, the inhabitants had all been rounded up into the center. The terrified people could only huddle close to each other as the Karalis army watched them with weapons aimed and loaded.
"Now, now, this doesn't have to end badly for any of you. You will all live, provided you follow orders given to you by our Doyen." One of the Karalis standing up high said, his yellow eyes glaring at the crowd.
As the huddled group stood in fear, two Karalis guards that looked slightly off hurried by, Seto and the cargo worker, dressed in slightly blood stained guard armor, hurried past the group and to the elevator in the middle.
Once they were there, they pressed the button and waited impatiently, their eyes on every possible guard who may notice their ruse while they waited to be taken up to their destination. Come on, come on, come on… We have to get up before-
"All bow to the mighty Doyen!" A voice rang out.
Most of the Karalis guards instantly turned and bowed deeply, all gazing at one particular Karalis that was making his way to the makeshift stage by the crowd. Despite the danger of their situation, Seto couldn't help himself. The Doyen, the leader of the Karalis, was the one who had ordered him captured and let him be tortured. He needed to at least see his face.
The Doyen made it to the top, and turned to face the crowd. He moved and lifted his helmet off his head to reveal… Seto's heart froze. No… No way.
The leader of the Karalis wasn't some mysterious stranger… It was the Scientist.
The man that had tortured him day after day
The man that had killed Greer.
Seto's vision turned red as a burning hot rage took over his body. His hand began to form into a claw, and he moved to charge forward. But a hand on his shoulder dragged him backwards, shoving him into the now open elevator without giving him a chance to recover.
The surprise at being stopped before he could attack managed to snap him out of his anger. He shook his head as the elevator began to rise up, turning his head to look down at the crowd. He could see the scientist- no… The Doyen. He felt tears build up in his eyes, his hand grabbing the necklace he always wore. Greer… I won't let this bastard win, I promise.
"Are you okay?" The cargo worker asked him.
Seto glared down at the Karalis leader, blinking the tears from his eyes. "I will be…" He promised. Not to himself or the other alien, but to his deceased best friend. Greer… Please, help me be brave.
The elevator came to a sudden stop, and the group quickly hurried out. Seto led them to the room filled with machines, electronics, and a few computers. There was a large window on the side, which showed off the crowd below. Seto scanned the area, and then pointed to the sparking machine nearby. "That's the gravity generator. The computer is how they broadcast news on the screens and control environments in the six spheres."
His four-eyed companion examined all the technology around them. "Do you really think you can take control of this stuff? Will this plan even work?"
"I doubt it will work on their leader, he's too smart for his own good. But either way, it's me they're after. I just need to keep them focused on me, not the others." Seto quickly typed on the glowing blue keyboard. "Blue, can you hijack the generator?"
The little robot beeped an affirmative and floated over, using the many tools stored in him to break into the generator's casing. With better access to the controls, Blue connected himself to the gravity generator. His face glitched for a moment before the many options on the control transferred to his screen.
"Ready?" Seto asked.
The cargo worker walked over to the generator, his clawed hands hovering over the buttons. "Ready."
The half-human turned to the computer and typed quickly. A red dot appeared as the camera attached to the computer began to record him. Outside the room, the holograms that usually broadcast news began to turn on, showing his live footage to everyone in the Outpost.
Seto felt his heart rate skyrocket as he stared at the camera, forcing a determined expression on his face. "Everyone, listen to me! My name is Seto Kaiba, a half-human and half-Karalis from Earth. These invaders, the Karalis, have hurt us all! That's why most of us are here! Hiding or running after losing out homes to these bastards!"
The Doyen sneered at the images on the screen, looking towards his guards. "What are you fools doing!? Track that signal right now!"
"I stopped them from taking my planet, and when they imprisoned me, I took down a Karalis prison ship with the other prisoners! We fought back when they tried to break out spirits, and you can too!"
The crowd began to look away from the screen and towards each other, muttering and whispering while glaring at the Karalis guards around them.
He stared at the camera imploringly. "The Karalis have taken our homes, killed our families, killed our friends. They have taken so much, don't let them take any more! Stand with me now, and FIGHT!"
At that moment, the cargo worker pressed a button on Blue's screen. With a groan, the generator shut down. The loss of gravity caught the Karalis off guard, several of them struggling or attempting to swim in the air. As soon as the weightlessness began, it ended with the guards crashing like dead weight on the ground.
There was a loud yell as several of the outpost's citizens suddenly began charging and tackling the guards. Like a broken dam, these few first attackers led to a tidal wave of angry, vengeful aliens charging on the Karalis.
The Doyen's eyes widened as he grabbed a tossed blaster as the crowd began to advance. The guard next to him suddenly let out a gasp as his console beeped. "Sir! The signal is coming from there!"
From the large tower in the middle, Seto and the cargo worker's eyes widened as he saw one of the guards point to them. "Oh shit." He turned to the computer, his fingers flying on the keys as he hurried to deactivate the elevator.
It seemed his efforts were useless as three Karalis guards stepped forward. The back of their black uniforms rumbled and formed jetpacks. With a burst of pulsing energy, the guards flew through the sky and towards the glass with weapons raised. Oh no.
"DUCK!" Seto cried as he grabbed his robot and jumped down. The glass window exploded, sending shards everywhere as the trio tumbled to the ground.
The cargo worker let out a frantic noise as he reached for his blaster. "What do we do now?!"
"We join the fight!" Seto muttered as he let go of Blue and sped towards the open window. As one of the guards approached, Seto jumped.
They collided in the air, Seto latching on as tight as he could to the attacker. They flew and spun in the air as they both tried to out-do the other. Seto growled and grabbed the alien's shoulders, pushing him downwards and sending them both careening towards the pillar.
With a mighty crash, the two ripped through the metal and landed on a thankfully empty pocket in the pillar. The Karalis didn't get up, his helmet was completely ripped off and his face covered in blood.
Seto panted as he spun the limp body around, using his clawed hand to rip the jetpack off the man's back. He quickly placed it on himself and grabbed the large weapon as he tapped the end of the jet pack.
"Come on! Work, work- WHOA!" Seto could only cry out as the force of the jetpack sent him spiraling through the outpost's main hub.
He careened for several seconds before he managed to right himself, floating in the air without spinning. "Whoa… " He muttered again as he turned himself around, just in time to see the other two guards speeding towards him.
Seto let himself sneer as he raised his weapon. "Come and get me!" He challenged as he flew forward, dodging the bright blue blasts from the large weapons as he flew above them in a circular pattern.
Just as he sped downwards, Seto aimed the weapon at the second guard's back and shot. It hit him square in the jet pack, making the machine burst into sudden flames as he began to free fall from the sky.
The other Karalis swerved around and slammed himself into Seto, aiming his weapon straight against the half-human's chest. Seto growled and grabbed his wrist, forcing it upwards just as he pulled the trigger.
The blast slammed into a light above them, the glass shattering and raining down on them as they continued to fight in mid air. They wrenched at hair, reached for jet packs, punched, and kicked but couldn't seem to throw the other off.
A sudden loud beep hit Seto's ears. He turned his head for a moment just in time to see Blue floating towards them. He thought for a split second and then threw his weapon. "Blue! SHOOT!"
The droid deftly caught the weapon, releasing a panicked yelp from the weight before he lifted it and slammed his metal claw on the trigger at the same time that Seto wrenched himself downwards. The blast slammed against the side of the jetpack, and sent the last flying guard tumbling out of the sky.
"Yes!" Seto pumped his fists in the air as he flew towards the droid, hugging him briefly in between the action. "Thank you, buddy!"
Below them, the fighting had only erupted further at the sight of Seto joining the fray. There were bodies on both sides, but it looked like the Karalis were being drawn back as they lost more weapons to the crowd, who had gained the advantage when they managed to overpower the guards and grab weapons. They were too overwhelmed to even try shooting Seto down.
Seto and Blue flew back down as the fighting continued. He grabbed one of the guards aiming at an unarmed alien, flying them up high and slamming them into the wall of the sphere. He used his blaster while Blue used the other, taking out any guards unlucky enough to catch their eye.
As the Karalis became less and less, Seto flew back to the generator where the cargo worker waited knelt by the ground with his own blaster. It looked as though he had been sniping from above while Seto distracted the flying Karalis.
The four eyed alien yelped as he came forward, but quickly recognized him and lowered the weapon. "Seto!" He cried in relief. "I nearly shot you, be careful!"
Seto turned towards the crowd without responding. He scanned the group, and frowned. Something was wrong… Someone was missing. "Where's the Doyen?"
Suddenly, the bodies and living guards began to convulse. With horrifying screeches, their bodies melted down until they were nothing more than disgusting green sludge. The crowd cried out in terror and scrambled away.
The half-human's eyes widened in horror as he looked all over. There were no Karalis bodies left… It was almost as if... "The Doyen destroyed them all?!"
"He did!" The cargo worker exclaimed in shock. "I've heard they did that, so nobody could examine their bodies but… I'd never seen it with my own eyes!"
A gentle beeping caught Seto's attention. He turned back towards the computer, where there was a flashing signal. Slowly, he lowered himself back into the small room, and leaned over to see what it said.
"Incoming transmission? From who?" The four eyed alien asked him.
"Who do you think?" Seto sneered as he pressed down on the accept key.
A screen popped up suddenly on the small computer as well as the broadcast screens outside, revealing none other than the Doyen. The background behind him was a pristine white ship, just like the prison ship (which meant the leader had likely retreated). His face had a smug smirk, but after spending so much time around him, Seto could see the underlying frustration in his yellow eyes.
With a sneer at the sight of the half-human, he raised his hands. "Congratulations, Seto Kaiba." He spat the name. "You and your feeble companions managed to defeat our small army. Good for you! But now, I ask you this, will what you see outside make you wish you had given up when you had the chance?"
What? Seto turned to the keyboard, typing out a program until a small pop-up hologram appeared. It would make the glass ceilings (which usually displayed a simulated sky) show the true outside world. With a shaky hand, Seto clicked yes.
The sky vanished, revealing a black void of space behind it… And three large Karalis ships with their weapons trained on the Outpost. The crowd let out a panicked cry of fear, and Seto felt his heart freeze in his chest.
"Let us make this simple for you. Come out, surrender and denounce your rebellious ways. Or… We will turn this little outpost into nothing but dust." The Doyen told him with a sharp toothed grin.
Seto felt his heart beat faster and faster. No, no I can't let anyone else get hurt. I don't want anyone else to die for me! Not after Greer… What could he do? There was no way he could stop three ships if they wanted to destroy the Outpost… What could he do?
"SETO!" A loud voice called, jerking the young man out of his fearful thoughts. He turned away from the screen, looking through the broken window to the crowd below.
Out of all people he expected to be calling for him, he hadn't expected it to be Klupzut! The same alien who had called him a freak and a monster for being half-Karalis.
But now, the other alien was staring at him with a determined expression, wearing several bloody wounds from the fight. Still, his eyes burned with the fires of rebellion as he cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled,"DON'T SURRENDER! Just like you told us! Don't let them win!"
The crowd was silent for a moment before several other encouraging yells rang out from the crowd.
"Don't give up!"
"We will still fight!"
"The Karalis won't beat us!"
"You can do it!"
Any doubts Seto had vanished at the yells. He nodded firmly and turned back to the screen, glaring down at the image of the Doyen. "I refuse to surrender! I will never give in no matter what!"
Instantly, the faux kindness on his face melted into an evil sneer. "Well then, so be it…" He raised his hand and yelled,"Goodbye, Seto Kai-"
BANG!
The video suddenly cut out as a blast of green invaded the screen. Seto gasped and spun around to look up at what could have caused the explosion.
It… it was a ship! A singular ship that, despite being a medium sized ship, was dwarfed by the giant Karalis ones. It was flying from ship to ship, attacking with a flurry of shots.
As Seto watched, he felt his eyes widen in shock. He knew that ship. "BAULRAD!"
"Baulrad?!" The Cargo worker cried out. "No! What is he thinking?! They'll kill him! We have to do something!"
Seto grabbed the cargo worker and his droid, speeding them down to the awed crowd below. Once they landed, he ran up to the group and yelled,"Does anyone know if this ship can do space travel?!"
"It can!" A top heavy alien nearby exclaimed. Seto recognized him as Jug, the owner of the whole outpost. "It can detach from the six spheres and become a functional ship that can use jump points."
The half-human pointed to him. "Can you make that happen? The Karalis will kill us all unless we make a break for it, the best bet is for everyone here to escape!"
The large alien gave a firm nod. "Of course I can make it happen! I made this damned flying machine. I'll get everyone out of here safe."
"What are you gonna do?" Klupzut asked from next to Jug.
Seto turned his attention to the scene above them, the three ships having turned to try and attack Baulrad's own. Steeling himself, he turned towards the crowd and returned their determination with his own.
"I'm going to buy you some time. Make sure that you all stay strong, okay?"
Jug and many people in the crowd seemed to realize the underlying message in Seto's voice. He wasn't coming back to the Outpost, he knew he couldn't anymore. The Karalis were on his heels, and he would be damned if he'd let them hurt anyone else.
He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to find the cargo worker's orange eyes glaring with determination. "Let me grab my ship, I'll join you up there!" He smirked. "I'm done standing back and letting the Karalis destroy this galaxy, it's time for me to fight back too!"
Seto smiled and made an affirmative noise. He looked back at the crowd and waved. "You all know the plan. We'll try to buy you enough time to make it to a jump point. Good luck!"
The half-human turned and sprinted towards the mechanic's shop, to his waiting ship while the cargo worker went for his own. At the front of the crowd, the proud Jug watched with a smile on his face.
"Good luck to you as well."
Seto pried the elevator doors open and sprinted to a tarped over object. He quickly wrenched the ropes off and yanked it down, revealing his completed ship- The Wyvern -in all of her glory.
The space ship was large, with a v-shaped hull and a dipped underbelly. It splayed out in the back with M shaped wings on each end that could expand or contract, much like the wings of a dragon. It was a mismatch of colors, and came with a bridge, a living room, a few rooms, a kitchen, a workshop, and a bathroom.
Despite its size, it was a versatile ship with plenty of weapons. He knew he and his ship would be able to distract the Karalis long enough for the Outpost to escape… Then he'd worry about himself.
He and Blue climbed in the ship, rushing up to the front and hopping into the seat. He strapped himself in, and pressed several buttons to turn the power on.
The little droid let out anxious beeps as he set himself in his own outlet specifically built for him. It would give him access to the ship's navigation and weapons.
"I know, I know I've only piloted this like twice but we don't have a choice, Blue! We have to help Baulrad and let everyone escape! Are you with me?"
The robot's blue eyes narrowed and he let out an indignant beep that meant 'of course I am!'.
With a grin, Seto turned his attention to the controls. He placed his hands on the steering wheel, similar to one he had in his jet on earth. With a deep breath, he pushed down on the control and sent them shooting out of the small hangar bay and out of the Outpost.
The Wyvern flew awkwardly at first before Seto managed to calm his nerves. He flew around the hangar and up, towards the fire fight above him. As he flew past the Outpost, one of the six spheres was floating aimlessly away from the main one.
Seto stared for a moment and then grinned. "They're already detaching! Hopefully we won't have to stall for as long as we thought!" He pushed them forward. "Either way, let's do this!"
Blue beeped out as they shot towards the middle most ship, using his attachment to the ship to open the hatches on the side, revealing the mini-guns attached. As they pulled up, the weapons left a string of damage along the side of the ship.
"Hah! Yes!" Seto spun them around in the air, pulling the wings in as they sped downard and shot again, leaving another trail in their wake.
The ship began to slowly turn towards him, the cannons firing as best they could. But the large ships were slow, too slow to catch up with the Wyvern.
Movement out of the corner of his eye made Seto swerve, dodging a shot from the third ship as they focused on him. It seemed they were trying to catch him off guard, but they could only shoot at him once before the large cargo ship flew around the outpost and joined the fight.
He heard Blue beep again, warning him of an audio call from Baulrad's ship. "Patch it through, buddy!" He ordered, focusing his attention on more damage.
"Seto!" Baulrad's angry voice quickly exclaimed through the speakers. "What the hell are you doing?! Get out of here while you can!"
The half human dodged another shot, his ship spinning around the third ship."I'm not going anywhere, Baulrad! I'm here to help!"
Their ships barely avoided each other as they spun around, both aiming for the middle ship. "I can handle myself, kid! You need to leave!"
"I told you!" Seto swerved to hit the first ship with gunfire as the third sphere detached. "I'm not leaving!"
"I'm not losing both my sons in the same way!" Baulrad yelled across the receiver, the pain in his voice loud and clear.
Seto felt his heart seize again. He had known his mentor saw him as a son, but this was the first time it had been admitted so plainly. It felt good to hear it, and it also strengthened Seto's resolve even more.
"I'm not leaving." He repeated again. "We're family now, just like you said. And I never leave my family behind. So I'm staying here, and we'll fight together! Once the Outpost has escaped, so can we!"
The mechanic was silent for a moment, and then let out a sigh. "Alright, son. Let's do this."
Seto grinned, and glanced at his droid. "Blue! Send an audio call to our cargo bud, and get the big guns! Let's make it hard for them to follow any of us!"
The cargo ship worker focused his fire on the first ship, Seto on the second, and Baulrad on the third. They spun and flew, dodging shots and aiming for the guns.
With a quick swerve, Seto dove down towards the right wing. He shot as fast as he could, damaging the wing and pulling up at the last minute.
The fourth sphere detached.
Baulrad swerved in front, hitting the cannons and breaking one of them down.
The fifth sphere detached.
The cargo worker dove down, his fire smashing into the glass front and damaging their view.
The last of the spheres finally broke free. As soon as they were gone, the two pillars on top ripped free. Out of the metal bottom of the sphere, some rockets appeared, and the ship shot forward.
The ships suddenly realized what was happening. They spun around, trying to aim their fire at the retreating outpost ship.
The three rebels quickly flew down in front, aiming their fire at every weapon they saw until the Outpost was too far away to hit.
There was a shimmer in the distance, a jump point! The outpost's rockets grew stronger as they threw all their effort into getting to freedom. As they hit the shimmer, the ship was sucked into the wormhole and vanished. They escaped.
"YES!" Seto yelled across the three-way call.
He heard the cargo worker whoop. "We did it, we did it!"
"We did!" Baulrad said, his voice full of pride. "Now let's get out of here! Follow me, we'll take a different jump point!"
The older man swerved around, shooting off past the ships with the two younger men following after him towards another jump point. The ships tried to shoot them down as well, but with only one working cannon between the three ships, they had no chance.
They shot through the jump point, flying for a good ten minutes before they were spat out the other side. Only when they saw the jump point shimmer away did they all breathe a collective sigh of relief.
"We did it… We did it!" Seto repeated loudly as he threw his hands up.
Blue beeped excited from his outlet, copying his owner and raising his metal claws in celebration.
The cargo worker whooped again, and Baulrad let out a happy chuckle, but a sudden beeping made them all freeze.
Seto watched as a jump point seemed to appear a little ways in front of them, and out of it shot three small ships.
A hologram popped up in front of Seto, reading 'incoming transmission.' The half-human hesitated, but decided he had gone too far to cower over a little message. "Blue, get the others on this call too." Then, he pressed accept.
A screen appeared, showing live video of his two companions, and three familiar faces. Seto let out a shocked gasp.
It was the lavender, red, and yellow alien from the prison ship. The ones that had escaped from the prison ship with him at a time that felt like ages ago.
The lavender alien gasped. "No way! It is you!" He grinned excitedly. "I knew you were alive, I just knew it!"
"Oh my gods, you guys made it!" Seto felt just as excited, and couldn't stop a smile from appearing on his face. "After I saw the yellow guy get shot, I thought that maybe you hadn't but… oh it's so good to see you!"
Baulrad cleared his throat. "Seto, do you know these strangers?"
Seto quickly nodded. "They were on the prison ship with me and Greer. We all escaped together, but I wasn't sure if they had made it or not. Not like I had a chance to check, since I crash landed on Derth."
The little red alien chuckled. "Well it will be good to see both of you now that we finally tracked you down!"
In an instant, the half human's face fell. "Oh… No, Greer… He… he didn't make it."
A pained silence fell over them, and for a while nobody knew what to say. Baulrad and the cargo worker watched in silence, unsure how to help the four others who mourned someone they never knew.
Eventually Seto cleared his throat and returned his attention to the group. "Maybe it would be best for us to find somewhere safe to go and catch up? I'm sure we both have stories to tell."
The lavender one grinned. "I know just the place."
They took another jump point and landed on a snow covered planet. It was supposedly uninhabited, but had become a harbor for those trying to escape the Karalis.
The lavender alien, Emmak, had landed there after escaping the prison ship, so he knew it would be a safe place for them to stay at least for a day or two.
They parked their ships in a metal hanger that had been built into one of the snowy mountains, the entrance of which was hidden behind a surprisingly well crafted fake-mountain side.
Emmak then led them all through the snow to an igloo-like building. Inside was a warm, comfortable bar. It was empty except for the bartender, who greeted the lavender alien with an air of familiarity.
With warm drinks in hand, they sat down and began to explain their stories.
The small red alien's name was Lozo, and she had crash landed with the yellow one, who was called Mognai. They managed to land on an inhabited planet, but it was overtaken by Karalis.
While Mognai healed, they had stayed hidden from the Karalis in the forests of the planet. Once the large creature was in good shape, they spread the story of the prison ship before taking off to find Emmek.
Like he had mentioned, Emmek landed on the snowy planet. He had thought he was done for until the hidden rebels found him. They nursed him back to health and listened to his stories of the escape.
He helped them spread the story and get supplies until he found Lozo and Mognai. Once reunited, they decided to search for other survivors, and eventually they managed to find Seto after following rumors of large Karalis ships planning to attack an Outpost.
In return for their stories, he told them his long and painful one. He explained Greer's death, surviving on Derth, meeting Baulrad and building his ship, and how they and Avoll (the cargo worker) had managed to let the Outpost escape.
"Wow…" Emmek whispered as he slipped his third drink. "A whole outpost of people who fought back…"
Lozo grinned as she looked towards the lavender man. "Maybe causing a full-scale rebellion isn't as difficult as we think."
Baulrad chuckled. "Oh, it is. Believe me, it is. A whole planet can revolt, but that revolt can die just as easily if people lose hope… Just like I once did."
Mognai tilted his head and let out a grunt. "Why here now then?" He asked in a garbled voice.
The older man smiled, and turned his beady eyes towards Seto. "Well… Someone helped me to find hope again."
Emmek smiled as he followed Baulrad's gaze. "You know, it's the same for us. If it weren't for Seto, I don't think any of us would have fought back on that ship."
"Or on the Outpost." Avoll mentioned. "The fighting didn't start until after your speech, Seto!"
The half-human blushed and looked down at his drink. "You guys are giving me too much credit… I never would have survived if you guys hadn't fought with me."
"But none of us would have fought without you." Lozo teasingly pointed out.
Baulrad held up his hands. "Alright, alright. Let's agree that we all had a part in fighting back against the Karalis. But the question is, what do we do next?"
Emmek jumped to his feet. "We keep fighting! If we can hit them where it hurts, and get more people to ride up and be brave, then maybe one day we can take down the Karalis once and for all!"
"I don't see any other option!" Avoll motioned to where they were. "We're all wanted rebels hiding on a rebel planet. We're dead if they defeat us, so we might as well try to save more people."
Lozo jumped on top of her seat. "We won't lose! We are escapees from the prison, we were the first to show they can be fought against. We have each other, and we have Seto! A freaking half-Karalis with some damn good speech skills! We'll win together, I know we will!"
"Hold on, hold on." Baulrad called over the noise, and glanced at his honorary son. "Before we all get too excited, what do you want to do? If I remember correctly, you were wanting to go back to Earth, right?"
Seto's ear fin lowered as he was suddenly put on the spot. "I did…" He reached up to grab Greer's necklace, and then looked at the group around him. He lowered his head and sighed. "But… Not anymore."
At the worried expressions, he closed his eyes and looked away. "This whole time, I have been trying to get back to Earth but… I never stopped to think about if that was a good idea."
He placed a hand on his chest. "The leader of the Karalis is after me, just as they're after all of you. If I were to go back, they would find me, just like they did at the Outpost. Earth isn't ready for an alien invasion, they won't be for a long time. The Karalis would kill everyone… But if they're focused on me, and a rebellion causing trouble, then my planet might be safe."
Seto felt his eyes burn with tears and sniffed. "I can't go back… A-and… I think I've known that for a while now. I just wasn't ready to admit it yet…" He turned his determined gaze upward. "So if I can't go back, I'll stay and fight. I'll make sure that those bastards will never win."
"Then maybe one day, the universe will be free of their rule, and it will be safe to go back home."
The group listened on in silence, and then Baulrad ruffled his hair gently. "That's a very noble reason, son. I think your little brother would understand why you didn't come back."
Seto gave his father figure a weak grin. "I hope I can tell him myself one day…"
Mognai made a stubborn noise and placed his hand on the center of the table. "We will. Because we will keep the fight until we win."
Emmek smirked and placed his hand on top. "Agreed!"
"Same here!" Avoll joined in.
Lozo leaned forward to reach the pile. "The rebellion won't die on our watch!"
Baulrad smirked. "I'm a little old to be in a rebellion, but…" He added his hand to the pile. "That won't stop me."
Blue let out an excited chirp and placed his metal claw on top of Baulrad's own hand, letting everyone know he was wanting to join in too.
Seto looked at his companions, his friends, and felt his sorrow fade the slightest bit. Mokuba… I hope one day I can come back home to you… But it looks like you will have to wait for me a little longer.
He leaned forward, placing his hand on the very top of the pile. "This is one rebellion they won't be able to stop. We'll fight the Karalis till the end of the line. Together!"
"Together!" Everyone repeated proudly.
In that moment, on a snow-covered planet far out in space, the rebellion truly began.