He raced down the hall towards his father's room, dodging other members of his family as they rushed towards the cry. All he could think of were those yellow eyes and the sinister being they belonged too. He knew that he had something to do with this, and now that the impossible had happened, it all made awful sense.

He rounded the wood paneled corner. The father's room was traditionally the final room in the hall. Oban realized sadly that their strictly regimented traditions had made it far too easy for the assassin to find his target. He reached out for the door knob. The door gave way without his touch.

He looked up into blazing eyes. They were so yellow and full of power, he was sure they were golden, but no soul resided behind the power. The perfect face also held no trace of caring for the heinous act he had just committed. If his chest hadn't been rising and falling with his breath, Oban would have sworn he was a machine. Frozen in fear, he could do nothing but stand stupidly as a black gloved hand reached up towards his throat.

"What's going on?" Lacy's intimidating voice boomed from not to far away. The hand faltered. Its owners head cocked at her for a moment, then pushed past Oban and disappeared down the hall. Lacy gave chase. Oban, blood still iced by fear, walked into the room. The powerful smell of blood was the first thing that caught him. It made his stomach heave. The light was out, but he could see a heavy shape moving in the corner. It was where the smell was coming from. He flicked the light on.

A low, heartbreaking moan slipped from his throat when he saw his father doubled over. He was clutching his stomach, his hands dyed red. A six inch blade, stained to the hilt, was lying on the carpet next to him. He was panting hard, and was trying hard to get up. Oban winced as he watched him flail like a downed animal. Oban rushed over to help him. Taking a hold of his shoulders to steady the big man.

"It's okay," Oban murmured. "It'll be okay, I'll get a doctor." He rose to leave, but one of his father's hands caught his arm and pulled him back.

"No," he growled, "there's no time... I'm already dead."

"Dad, don't say that! I'll get a doctor, they'll save you, I just have to..."

"Oban, shut up! Did he see you? The assassin, did he see you?"

"Y-yes."

"Dammit. Where is he now? No, that doesn't matter. You can't stay here."

"I'll go back to the station..."

"No I mean you can't stay here, in Boolie. If you stay, he'll come for you, to clean up his loose ends."

"I can't leave the system! Where do I go? Everyone I've ever known is here."

Regen hesitated, glancing towards a file that was sitting on the bed. I was barely visible in the darkness.

"I swore I would never tell you the truth, Oban. I swore it. But you're my family, and family comes before everything else. You need to know, it might save your life…" His voice trailed off. He couldn't explain, so he just tipped his head towards the file. Oban hesitated, then got up and crossed to the bed. He just stared at the file, not wanting to open it, not wanting to even touch it.

"Oban!" Regen rasped, "this is not the time for fear! Take the papers, on them is the way to a planet called Corneria in the Lylat system, there you'll find…" his words were cut off by his hacking and coughing, red appearing on his lips. "You… have to go… Take… your ship… Vent… will under…"

Oban couldn't breathe. He waited silently, begging his father to finish. His hands started to shake. He couldn't look, couldn't bear to think that he was really gone. He turned and ran from the room, crashing into his oldest brother on the way out.

"What happened? His dad alright?"

Oban couldn't answer, he was too terrified. He just ran past, out of the hall and into the night. The only way he could fulfill his father's wish for him to escape would be if he took the small excursion vessel that he and his friends set aside for their journey together. The ship they were going to take was sitting in the docks, not to far from the Hall.

Every shadow terrified him. Every corner he thought might hold his death. What if the assassin came back? What if he took out Lacy? Would that be his fault as well?

He turned a dark corner and was confronted by the back door of the ship bay. He yanked it open, nearly positive that the man would be waiting for him. To his relief, the only other person in the small bay was Vent, preparing a small, three man ship. It was dark in colour, will a peeling hull. It was nothing special, the ship that Vent had come in on. There would have been barely enough room for the three of them.

"Oban? What are you doing up, I thought we weren't leaving until morn…" The look of terror in his friend's face silenced him. "Oban, what's going on?"

"It's my dad… he's dead."

"What!?"

"The man I saw… he killed my dad."

"Oh, hell."

"He said I had to leave. I have to go to some place called Lylat."

"We'll go with you. Give me a sec' to get Zindi and--"

"There isn't time."

Vent looked sadly at the ship that he had put so much painstaking work into.

"I guess you better go then."

"Vent, I'm so sorry."

"Don't apologize, just go. I'll tell Xannon everything." He grabbed Oban and pushed him into the tiny ship. He landed heavily against the far wall, the strike padded slightly by the two coats he was still holding. He had almost left them on the bed in his room, but now he clutched them in fear. Vent stood hesitantly at the threshold, seemingly locked in indecision. Finally, he leaned back out of the way of the door. "Take care of yourself, pup."

Oban nodded, and Vent slid the door closed. He jumped as the seal hissed shut. No other sounds could be heard. Slowly, he slid to the floor, waiting for something to happen. He knew that Vent would be going to tell the dock stewards to launch the ship. Oban forced himself to get up and slowly found his way to the navigational station. With trembling hands he opened to the first page in the file. The picture inside was of a normal, one star solar system. There were things written next to them in small, neat cursive. His father's handwriting. He closed it again, not wanting to look at it.

"Do you have the co-ordinates?" Vent's voice asked him through the comm. system. Oban shook his head, even though he knew Vent couldn't see him.

"N-no."

"…Alright, don't lose your head, I'll just send you to the capital city of… Corneria, Lylat, right?"

"Yes. Vent, please come with me, I can't go alone and leave everyone here."

He heard Vent sigh.

"Oban, I know you're scared, but you're not a kid anymore, so it's time to suck it up and start acting like the man you are."

Oban didn't answer. He wanted to wake up out of his nightmare. He wanted to go back to being a boy, dreaming about his First Night. This was nothing like what he had dreamed of.

"Are you ready to launch?"

Oban connected the four-point harness. "Yes."

"Then good luck. And goodbye."

XxX

A sudden loud screech woke Oban unceremoniously. He tumbled out of the bunk, rushing over to the control consol to check the source of the noise. He prayed that it was trying to tell him that he would soon be landing at his destination. The ship had no warp capabilities, so he had spent nearly a week in the cramped soup can of a vessel with nothing but the sounds of the hull creaking around him and the tasteless rations Vent had packed. If he didn't escape soon, he was sure to go mad.

A few taps brought up the star map he had checked a million times. It showed Lylat's star, Solar, in the middle of the green view, and all the planets in their proper orbits. A crosshairs laid itself over the planet closest to the red dot that marked Oban's position. At his request, it zoomed in, showing off a gleaming city of steel and glass. Next to the picture was a scroll list of attractions, and a brief history, along with a little notice that read: Welcome to Corneria City.

"Corneria City," Oban repeated, reading over the information scroll.

"This is Corneria Space Traffic Control; you have not pre-registered your ship to land at this docking zone."

"Ah, no, sir."

"Please follow the ship that is being sent to retrieve you."

The star map fell so that Oban could see the large interceptor class ship that was heading towards him. It was white and blue, with a planet ringed with holly printed on it's side. L.S.S.D. was painted on its side, next to the emblem. Oban couldn't help but think it was overkill to send such a powerful ship after his little dingy.

"Unidentified vessel, this is the interceptor ship Chrono, you will follow me into port."

Oban did as he was told, following the Chrono through Corneria's atmosphere. Once he broke the cloud layer, he was greeted by the city from the ship's projection, brimming with green life in amongst steel and technology. It was a floating city, levitated slightly above the calm waters below it by powerful thrusters. Bridges came off of it from every side like tethers, tying it to islands still sunken and touching the sea. One such connected to the mainland, which could be seen not too far off.

The Chrono disappeared, and Oban followed the directions sent to him by traffic control, which found him a birth in amongst a slew of other ships his size. He stepped out onto the catwalk, impressed by the sheer size of the complex. There were different bays for each size and class of ship, and they were all managed with expert precision by a central computer aided by a contingent of stewards. Two of which were coming towards him, dressed in their blue uniforms. One was a young fox, about his age if not a little younger. The other was a much older looking, heavy set red frog. He shook hands with Oban very professionally. The fox followed his lead.

"Welcome to Corneria City. My name is Adams, and this Fox McCloud. Please don't be put off by our inspection. Protocols, you see. Are you the owner of this ship?"

"Ah, no, actually. It belongs to my friend, Ventus Starkiller?"

"But you are the captain?"

"Yes."

"Any other passengers?"

"No sir."

"And what is your business here?"

This was the question Oban had been fearing in the back of his mind. He couldn't tell them the truth, but then what did he tell them? Why had his father sent him to this place he had never been before?

"I'm here meeting family."

"I see. Well, that's almost everything, I'd just like to see your residence card, if your home system issues such things."

"Of course." He pulled out a green card that had his name and place of birth on it. He handed it to the fox, who was closer. He inspected it closely, and surprised Oban when he scoffed.

"Is this some kind of a joke?" he snapped. Oban stared at him like he had lost his mind.

"What do you mean?"

"Ethnicity: Space pirate? Who do you think you're kidding?"

Oban felt the fur on his neck raise as the young man sneered at him. Who was this little furball to challenge his heritage? Adams tried to silence the fox, but he wasn't picking up the hint. Oban tried to stay calm.

"I'm not sure what the problem is."

"My problem is this obviously forged residence card. Is there even a place called Boolie?"

"I'm sorry?"

"Can you not hear me?"

"I heard your words perfectly clearly, but I'm afraid I don't speak idiot."

"Why you--!"

"Alright, that'll be enough," Adams barked, snatching the card back from Fox and handing it to Oban. "I'm very sorry sir, he's new."

"I understand." Oban did his best to look professional as he walked away, but he was still blown away by his encounter. He could hear Adams ringing out the young man.

"Fox, you never…"

"…didn't seem real!"

"…Ethnic groups… different from here, remember that!"

While it was amusing to listen to, it bothered Oban that he had met with such a reaction regarding his heritage. It was obvious that there would be no solace found in his peers in this strange place.

He wandered around the large, brightly lit, glass roofed lounge areas, wondering what his next move would be. The same thoughts that had tortured him all week came flooding back. The party, the man, his father…

Would the assassin come this far to get him? Was Lacy all right, since she had chased after him? What was he supposed to do now that he was here? He figured that the answer to at least one of those questions was in the plain yellow file that was sitting in his ship, but he couldn't bring himself to open it just yet. Whatever was inside he was never meant to see.

He stood, looking for the exit. He had never been so many people in one place before, even at mass in the Pirate's Hall, and all the noise and commotion was starting to get to him. For all his wanderings though, he wasn't able to find the exit. The glass walls that showed the city outside were starting to infuriate him.

"No! Aria, get back here!" screamed a young female voice. Oban turned and saw a small, furry brown animal that resembled a small fox with a pink bow around its neck. It was racing across the lounge in his direction. He watched as it ran through people's legs and dodged everyone trying to catch it.

These people, are pathetic. He stayed still until the creature was nearby, just barely out of arms reach. Then he lashed out, the furry thing running right into his hand. It made a squealing noise like a pig as he pressed it close to his chest so it couldn't escape. A female lupine came running over.

"Thank you for catching Aria! I was scared she was going to get squashed. Come here Aria, come to mommy."

Aria wiggled out of Oban's grasp and into the young woman's arms. She shifted it to one arm and held her hand out for him. Oban wasn't really sure what to do. He didn't know why she was holding out her hand, so he simply mirrored her. After a second of akwardness, she took his and shook it.

"My name is Kia O'Donnell."

"Ah, Oban Sarr."

"Hmn, that's not a name I recognize."

"Well, I'm not really from around here."

"But you seem so familiar, you've really never been here before?"

"Never. I don't even know how to get out of this place yet."

"Kia, where did you and your rodent get off to?"

"It's not a rodent, and you know it! I'm sorry, that's my brother calling me. I have to go, but it was nice meeting you. Oh, and…" she pointed behind Oban. He glanced over his shoulder, and saw that she was pointing at a large red sign that read "Exit."

"I supposed you think you're funny," Oban murmured as she ran off.

It was good to be outside again. The terrain was completely different than Inloya. The town he had grown up with was tiny, and technology was sparse. Here, the huge buildings towered up into the sky, and he was surrounded by the most advanced tech he had ever seen. And there was no snow, anywhere. Every living thing was lush and green, and he was sweltering inside his heavy coat. He was completely out of his element, and he didn't know where to turn, so he just wandered around the streets, hoping to find something that might tell him what was supposed to happen next.

Something that wasn't in the file, so he didn't have to look at that handwriting.