Hey there, everyone, BassDS back once again and bringing a new chapter in tow for you all to enjoy. It's been a long time since I've done updates this close to one another, but it shows how serious I am in wanting to see this entire project to its end, however long that may take. And while in the past I've tried to strive for longer chapters just to cram as much in as I can, it's probably a better idea I try to balance shorter and longer chapters, but tending to lean more on the shorter side that way it gives me a chance for consistent updates.

I will say for now, my goal is to get Part 1 finished in the coming months and hopefully start up Part 2 and finish it off by the end of the year, then take a little bit of time off to get Part 3's story structure organized with all my key notes, because Parts 1 and 2 are JUST the opening acts; but it should hopefully pay off well in the end.

But now then, with that out of the way, let's continue the show, shall we? I hope you all enjoy this update and feel free to leave a review and tell me what you think so far. Until next update!

Star Lovers Ꝏ: Part 1 - Beginnings

Chapter 4: Secrets

"Dr. Weil…" Geo looked on at the image of the old scientist.

"Worse part is, I haven't the foggiest idea what he's planning, and the scan that we ran after the server was broken into shows nothing of significant information was taken. It just doesn't make since." Ace sighed as he crossed his arms.

"What about that girl you were fighting? Do you really think she's a Murian."

"I don't see how that could be. As far as we know, Solo is the only surviving Murian; but when she wave changed, she did have what looked to be a Star Carrier similar to the one Solo had before we issued his Hunter-VG and Transcode Number to him. But all the evidence is pointing to that being the case." Ace added as he rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"Question is...does Solo know anything about this?" Geo pondered.

"I mean...sure, we don't know much about him; you know how he keeps to himself, but everyone has their secrets, right?" Sonia asked.

"Yet this could easily be a case where he's got no clue whatsoever. There's that to consider." Jack added in.

"So, what shall we do?" Tia looked to Ace.

"I get the feeling we're going to have to haul him in, because we know he's not going to come voluntarily." Ace admitted.

"Me and the kid would go...but ever since we took out Sirius and Geo got that Mu Metal stuck in his body, it probably wouldn't be the best idea to provoke him, considering how hellbent we wants the stuff." Mega quipped.

"No...maybe I should go. You know how Solo can get, and I bet the last thing you'd want is to have a few Satella officers out of commission for a while. Let me bring him here. We do have his coordinates, right?" Geo asked.

"Yeah, we do. But if you're going to do this, don't inform him of anything until we get him in here. For all we know, he MAY know something, so it's best to keep the cards in our favor and get him on our turf first." Ace instructed.

"I'm going with you, and I'm not taking no for an answer. A little backup can't hurt, right?" Sonia suggested.

"That might be a good idea...I'd tag along, but as you can see, I'm not in the best of shape; not to mention I'm being watched like a hawk right now, heheh…" Ace let a small laugh as Tia eyed him.

"Not much of a choice, I suppose." Geo said in a jokingly defeated tone. "We'll go and start heading out on the wave roads; just send up his Hunter's signal when you pinpoint it." Geo said as he and Sonia made their way to the elevator.

"We'll be back!" Sonia chirped happily in response as the doors closed behind them.

"Damn, sucks we roped them into this when they were already having a good night." Jack lamented.

"What do you mean by that?" Tia asked of her brother.

"When you had me call them to give Ace some backup, I caught them on a date; least I think it was from the looks of it anyway." he admitted.

"Oh my…" Tia replied with a surprised tone in her voice.

"Well, they're growing up; they aren't the young kids I enlisted into Project TC all those years ago. Though once this is all over, probably best we stay out of things." Ace added.

Elsewhere, in a hidden location:

"Forgive me, Dr. Weil. I...was not adequate enough to deter our enemies, and I was unable to siphon enough code from the databases to search for what you desire." The girl spoke as she remained on her knees.

"I do not tolerate failure, D-44….normally, anyway. This was the first time I put your battle prowess to any use, and my programming over you is only at 50%; but I'm certain once I have what I need, we can improve you better." Dr. Weil rose from his chair and put his arms behind his back. "We simply need to adopt a new method to get what I desire. I'm sure now that upon seeing my Variants, Ace is aware I am the one behind the break-in to WAZA's server room. It's not like I could hide forever. If I desire to control all, I DO have to make my presence known. However...the boy who bested Mr. King; Mega Man. I anticipated he would get involved at some point, but seeing how he effortlessly deleted my Variants...he could be a problem."

"What is your plan to deal with him, Doctor?" The girl responded.

"I witnessed him accomplish many feats: being the instrument of King's downfall, and the savior to the galaxy upon felling Sirius...in addition to all his other struggles that took place during the Meteor G calamity. I'm certain there's a pawn I can use to my advantage…"

"A pawn?"

Dr. Weil could only grin as the plan began to formulate within his mind. "I will hold all the cards that ensure I come out on top."

On the outskirts of Wilshire Hills:

Inside a stone building within the park not far from the heart of Wilshire, a white haired teen with tan skin rested his back against the inner wall of the small structure, his arm resting atop his raised knee as he looked towards his Hunter-VG to see its occupant resting.

Solo had still kept his distance from everyone all these years later, preferring his lonely solitude alongside his partner Laplace. Not much changed about his attire either; the lower part of his usual outfit remained; his ears were still adorned with the ancient ear-wear of his people, while what had used to be the top part was now torn and turned into a sash that wrapped around his waist, the Mu insignia displayed upon it, while for his upper body, he kept things to a minimum with a sleeveless black top that clung to his strong frame; a result of his constant training to pass the time away.

Said training was also useful in heightening his other senses as he rose up and abruptly forced Laplace away by summoning him into his hand and forming his blade upon hearing the faintest footsteps.

"If you value your life, I offer you this one chance to leave, whoever you might be!"

"Just chill and put that thing away, will you?" came Mega's voice as Geo and Sonia slowly walked up the stairs towards the small building.

"Still tense and standoffish as ever, I see…" Geo lamented as they finally stopped.

"We're not here to fight; just talk." Sonia added.

"Hmph…" Solo huffed as he retreated Laplace back into his Hunter. "We've nothing to talk about; I'm not one of your little friends you can just chat up whenever you feel like it, you know." he retorted. "And last I recall, the last fragment of my people's heritage is still hidden inside you, so the only time I ever want to see you is when the Mu Metal is ready to crest from your body so I can defeat you once and for all and reclaim it."

"It's been 4 years and it hasn't reacted at all; what are you gonna do if it never comes out? Kinda makes your existence a bit pointless, don't you think?" Mega boasted. "Besides, me and the kid can take you."

"We are not here to antagonize him, you mutt!" Lyra barked out.

"You are trying my patience with this incessant rambling…" Solo glared.

"Mega, just be calm, alright?" Geo asked before turning his focus back to Solo. "Listen, we need you to come with us to WAZA, it's importantly vital."

"What do I look like to you; a dog that beckons to its master at its beckoning call? No thanks, I'll pass." Solo stated as he turned away.

Sonia watched on and recalled Geo's earlier words; he was being standoffish indeed, but they had to find a way to get him to come with it.

"Geo's right, it's very important…" she plucked up courage and spoke. "Someone broke into the servers and tried to siphon data away, and we don't know why."

Solo turned and moved toward her as he stared down at her, finding her not backing down from his gaze at all; a move which brought back to his mind their one-side battle that ended in his favor back in the Bermuda Maze. "And why is it any of my business? I could care less."

Geo extended an arm in front of Sonia to try and deter Solo from doing anything. "Don't do something you'll regret. I don't want to fight you, but I will if I have to." he said before feeling Sonia's hand on his arm as she motioned him to put it down.

"I'll be fine…" she reassured him.

Geo relented and did so, putting his faith in whatever Sonia was doing...and finding it impressive she was standing up to the Murian and not even backing down.

Sonia pondered on what to say; she knew she couldn't straight up tell him what was going on or about Aether...but she could very easily distort the details.

"We don't know who broke in, but we know there were large traces of EM energy used to access the terminal, and the reading is similar to the Mu tech Dr. Vega had used in the past, but its abilities are amplified and its something we're finding out is something out of our league. We figured since you know the most about your people's technology...you could help us." She proclaimed.

Solo remained quiet as he continued to stare at her.

"Oh...she's good." Mega whispered to Lyra.

After a short bit, Solo turned to face away from them as he crossed his arms. Could there be more Mu Tech? If so, how? Perhaps someone was able to find where the remains of Mu were deep beneath the sea's dark abyss and mined whatever they could find. At the very least, he couldn't let the desecration of his heritage's birthplace go unpunished.

"Let's make this absolutely clear: I could care less about your affairs in all this, I'm doing this for me, understood?" he uttered.

"Crystal." Geo nodded in response.

A short time later back at WAZA:

The elevator reached the top floor as the doors opened, allowing its occupants to exit and make their way towards the control room.

"I have to say, that was pretty impressive of you back there, Sonia." Geo nudged near her and spoke quietly.

"Well, we very well couldn't have you two starting a fight when we've already got an issue on our hands. I had to do something. I know, it might have seem out of place for me to do that, but we had to make Solo listen to reason." Sonia quietly replied as she looked toward the back of the Murian in front of them. "Plus, even though I know you can hold your own, I didn't want you getting hurt by some chance, either. Whatever it is we're dealing with, we need you, Geo."

"How considerate of you." he chuckled back a bit. "But you're right, something tells me we're about to be thrown headfirst into a mess." he remained quiet for a bit. "But...as long as I have you to help me, I can handle anything that comes my way."

"Oh please...I...I don't do much; I just do what I can that's within my power to do so…" Sonia said as she found herself caught off-guard by the compliment and blushed slightly, turning her head so Geo couldn't get a glimpse of the forming pink tint.

"This sweetness is making me sick…" groaned Mega.

"Oh put a sock in it." Lyra barked back, taking in the small moment the two were having.

The trio made it to the control room as the door to it opened, allowing them to enter.

"Well…" Ace said as he turned in his chair to face him. "I'm surprised you didn't bring him here kicking and screaming...or well...at least bruised up." he added, having expected some sort of resistance from bringing Solo here.

"Smooth, Ace...real smooth." Jack retorted.

"Don't patronize me; I'm only here to find the snake who's using the Mu tech to break into your systems." Solo bemoaned.

"Tech?" Ace muttered with a confused look, before looking towards Geo and Sonia and taking a moment to contemplate everything. "Ahh...right, had to lead him astray to get him here, ok…" he uttered under his breath and scratched his head nonchalantly.

"Well...the break-in we suffered DID involve some Mu tech...but it's probably NOT EXACTLY what Geo and Sonia told you." Jack relayed.

Solo glared over at the two.

"Look, let's not worry about the reasoning for how they brought you here, Solo. Yes, Mu tech was used, but it wasn't used on our systems...the intruder had a Murian Star Carrier on their person." Ace said, getting straight to the point. "More importantly, it was used for a Wave Change."

"Do you take me for an idiot?" Solo said in an annoyed tone. "The only Star Carrier from Mu is mine which I still keep on me." he added as he pulled it out. "And if you're insinuating I had anything to do with this, then your brain isn't functioning properly."

"Did you hear me thrown any accusations your way? No, I didn't. I know you aren't behind it, Solo, because I saw the culprit use it before my eyes." Ace replied. "Not to mention...they looked to be a woman around your age."

"If this is your idea of a joke, it's not funny. Are you suggesting a Murian was behind this?; because in case you haven't realized, I'm all that's left." Solo angrily retorted. "I won't allow any slander to the name of my people..."

"Then...maybe you should see with your own eyes." Ace moved his hand to the keyboard and inputted a few keystrokes as an air display appeared before them showing the security footage.

Solo looked on as he could see the feminine figure on the screen, holding the Star Carrier in her hand.

"Let me zoom in a bit." Ace added as he enhanced the video feed, lightening up the darker parts of it and getting a better shot of her face, the red mark on the side of her cheek and white hair lifting up as EM waves surrounded her and assumed her wave form.

Solo watched on, seeing the mark on her face as he felt a cold sensation ripple through his body as if he had just witnessed a ghost. "Go back...I SAID GO BACK!" Solo demanded as his eyes widened.

His tone caught both Geo and Sonia off-guard as Ace did so, rewinding the feed and stopping it on her face.

"It...it can't be...How!?" Solo thought as he looked on, memories flashing back in his mind from years long passed.

"Judging from the look on your face, I take it you know her." observed Ace.

"Solo, who is she?" Geo asked.

"None of your concern…" Solo grimly stated. "Where is she?" he turned to Ace.

"I don't know, but I also believe it is our concern, seeing as how she's likely working with a former scientist from Dealer. Tell us what you know." Ace pleaded.

Sonia looked on, seeing at how on-edge the whole situation was putting Solo, never having him express this much emotion to anyone. It made her wonder...who was she to him?

"I don't give a damn for your concerns! This is personal!" Solo clenched his fist and slammed it into the floor; his body becoming consumed by EM waves as he transformed into Rogue and as his body turned to energy, shot out from the room.

"Way to be tactful…" Jack quipped.

"Well, this just left us with more questions than answers." Geo looked up at the ceiling as the EM ripple slowly faded away.

"I second that." Mega added.

"Part of me knew we likely wouldn't get anything out of him, but I had to at least try. It's my job, after all." Ace sighed.

"But still…" Sonia started up.

"What is it?" Geo asked.

"I'm not sure if you saw it, but I saw the look in his eyes when he got a good glimpse of her. It...it was like his soul had left his body and I could see he felt pained." admitted Sonia.

Geo looked up as his gaze met the cold, empty eyes of the woman on the screen. "For Solo to act like THAT...he knows something we don't; that's for sure, and I don't think we're going to get it out of him."

Rogue dashed along the wave road as his mind raced with questions over and over, fragments of his past replaying in his head over and over.

"How…"

"C'mon, Solo! The water feels great!"

"What? You don't want me to be your bride?"

"I can't imagine life with you, you know?"

"How…"

"The...the island! It's falling!"

"I'm sorry, Solo...I'm so…"

Rogue soon found himself atop the Sky Road, breathing heavily as he tried to process everything, before he slowly sunk to his knees before he looked down and rose his hand up to his face, looking dead square at his palm.

"Galea…"

Chapter 4 END