Chapter 6:

The Price of Control

There was an unforeseen price to the population control and it came in the form

Of the soulless, heartless and merciless natures in battle the Saturian

People soon became infamous for.

Without being born in the womb of their mother, the children never

Had been given a Spirit Crystal to become their soul at birth.

And without a living mother, they had no Pure Heart Crystal.

They only had their Star Seeds to insure their existences.

It was discovered that life was possible even if they only had bodies when the

First child was completed. This paved the way for the new educational

Opportunities in the way of beaming the information directly into their brains.

The subneural education continued from infancy to 12 years of age until the

Next generation of warriors was sent to be trained for 3 years in the arts of killing.

It was over these 3 years that the new ranking systems were put heavily into play.

Morva had Hotaru against him as they laid together on her couch back at her apartment. He was snuggling her while she, yet again, set aside the book, putting it on her coffee table. He gently rubbed her bicep as she slowly understood why she was Public Enemy Number 1 on some worlds. Gods above, she was as monstrous as the creatures she killed in Cosmos's Sacred Name.

"I now understand why other systems hate me so much. I'm the representation of such a self-destructive Star." Hotaru muttered feeling depressed again, on the verge of tears once more.

"Hey, hey-we are not to blame for what one bastard did to our pacifistic race. You are not to blame for being our protecting Angel. Apollo is to blame, he and the rest of the Solarian race." Morva pushed himself up a little and made Hotaru roll over and face him. He caressed her cheek with the back of his fingers. "You are innocent. You only did as your superiors ordered, thus washing the blame and dishonor from your hands. All that you have to be ashamed for is hiding yourself from me for so long."

Hotaru looked up at him with a small smile as she gently cupped his face in her hands. "I guess I was hiding from everything and everyone…but now, I guess I don't have to hide anymore. I think it'll be a nice change from being in the shadows everyday."

Morva was a little surprised at that admission but he smiled and nuzzled one of her hands. He lowered himself on to his side again and held her against his body, never wanting to let her go.