Pearl
Karnvas City

For some reason I woke up in a dark, smelly alleyway filled with rank water and bulging trash bags with a killer headache and an aching heart. A small fire was blazing in front of me.

Had a drunken myself to unconsciousness? If so, why was I in an alleyway?

I didn't find that I particularly cared anymore.

I sat up shakily with a faint groan, rubbing my forehead.

"I was wondering when you were going to wake up, young cub." A smooth, accented voice purred behind me.

I whipped around, reaching for a gun that wasn't there. I tried to stand, but almost fell from the dizziness. Soft, almost fuzzy and stripped hands caught me.

"Whoa there. Get some rest. I'm not an enemy." the dude said, sitting me back down. I was too weak to resist.

The guy finally stepped into sight, and I almost ran again.

He was humanoid, but he was more like Ivan than actually human. He had the literal head and fur of a white tiger. He had a scar running down the length of his face. One eye had been rendered completely useless, and the left side of his face had been badly burned. He wore a buttoned-up, muddy and brown duster, a leather gun holster, torn-up navy jeans, cowboy boots, and a cowboy hat. He had a long rifle and a scimitar slung in an X on his back, and a six-shooter on his hip. A bulging sling hung from his shoulders, but both of his thick arms were folded in front of him. A white striped tail swished behind him.

"My name is Mowgli. I have been waiting for you a long time, Miss Moon. Would you like tea?" he purred. His accent was heavily Middle-Eastern, deep and imposing. His amber eyes regarded me carefully, as if trying to decide if I would attack.

"...no, thanks. Don't take this the wrong way, but... what are you?" I asked.

Instead of pouncing and ripping my throat out, Mowgli barked out laughing. It was a deep, rich sound.

"I am a Shereian, a near-extinct species from the desert world of Ares. Xisuma saved my life, and I have owed him it ever since. And ever since his passing, I have made it my duty to find protect you the best I can. I didn't realize you would be the Scarlet Killer, in need of no such thing. So I am here to deliver you a message." He said once he caught his breath.

My frown deepened.

Mowgli sighed.

"I suppose it would be better to just show you, eh?" He said, tossing a trio of beads onto the ground.

They floated up, projecting into a holographic picture. A small, lone Gigacorp ship floated there.

As I watched, another slipped out of FTL. And another. And another. Until the holographic sky was so packed with ships that I could barely tell individual ones apart. My jaw dropped in disbelief at what I was seeing.

Like a well-oiled war machine, they drifted into a grid-like formation. Mowgli paused.

"This was sped-up, taken over the course of the past few months." He explained.

"What IS this?" I asked, slightly awestruck at the sheer size of the fleet.

"The opening wave of a Gigacorp invasion force. This is the Gigacorp Reserve Force." Mowgli said.

"RESERVE force?! You're kidding." My jaw dropped even lower this time.

"I am very serious." He responded gravely.

"Where would they have even hid this kind of manpower? Someone would've stumbled across it." I said, slightly suspicious now.

"Simple. The Andromeda Galaxy."

. . .

I was shocked into silence. Then I erupted.

"The WHAT?! You can't expect me to believe that. We don't have the technology for Intergalactic Travel yet." I exploded.

"Gigacorp has withheld many secrets from the Milky Way for hundreds of years. They've seized almost complete control of Andromeda by now, I would expect. No real resistance when you have a fleet of planet killing weapons. But perhaps you would believe it if an old friend told you." Mowgli said calmly, unpausing.

Scar appeared, and my heart practically stopped. He still had that glint of mischief that bordered on insanity in his eyes, the same cocky stance. But weariness hung on his shoulders. He had no smile. He wore a black suit of armor and a black hood, but it was beat up, burnt, and torn.

"I know you don't know me, or why I'm here. But my name is Legend, and everything that I just showed you is real. Now listen to me: Gigacorp has been lying to us for centuries. We've had access to Intergalactic travel and unknowable prosperity, but Gigacorp hid it away for themselves. And now, under the command of Admiral Barnes, they intend to muster every ounce of manpower they have from both the Milky Way and Andromeda Galaxies and invade the Milky Way. They will not stop until every planet and every people are under their iron fist. Even now, the Tri Orion Alliance is falling apart.

"But we can stop them. If we can stop the Andromeda Fleet from meeting the Milky Way Fleet, we CAN win. But Earth can't do it alone.

"I'm broadcasting to you from the Third Battle for Earth. NEWUN is throwing everything they've got at the Moon, to attempt and cut the head from the snake and stop this madman. The Great Empire is mobilizing their military on Therllyria and is sailing to meet the Milky Way Fleet in the Karnvas System as we speak. But we cannot do this alone.

So I ask one thing of the people of the Galactic Coalition: take up arms! Meet the Andromeda Fleet and hold them back! I promise you, victory and freedom will be ours. But freedom has never come without a price, has it? The American Revolutionaries knew it. The Allies of the Second World War knew it. Samuel the Great, founder of the Tri Orion Alliance knew it. We need to learn the same lesson if we are to stay free. So stand up! Fight! It will be a long, dark, difficult road, and some nights you'll lay awake, finding yourself questioning "this is worth it?" But rest assured: no matter the cost, we must FIGHT! We will fight to the last man! We will NEVER surrender, lest we all fall on the battlefield! And if we find ourselves at the gates of hell, we shall walk through those gates with the pride of a thousand worlds! Rise up, brothers and sisters! Together!"

The transmission cut off. I looked up at Mowgli. He looked tired.

"When was this?" I demanded.

"Last night, as you slept. I listened live. Good man, that Scar." he said wearily.

A feeling of dread had slowly risen up in me during the entire speech. Sure, it had been rallying. But something was off. Something we were missing.

"What about the people? Will they fight?" I asked.

"Some. But for the most part, no. They're too scared." He said.

I frowned even deeper.

"There's something we're missing, isn't there? Something big." I said.

"Ah... so you understand. They do not know of Gigacorp's secret weapon." Mowgli said.

"What weapon?" I asked.

He looked at me gravely. Fire and ash seemed to swirl in his amber eyes.

"Stars, girl. They wield the power of stars."

. . .
Scar
Times Square, New York, Earth
3 Hours Previously

The Orion Officials had quickly rushed me out of the tower after the shootout, driving me like maniacs to a hotel along Times Square.

"Stay." One ordered me at the doorway to my room, and left without another word.

I sighed, stepping in and throwing myself onto the overly comfy couch. I clicked the TV on to the news.

"—Are still unable to get a clear picture of what happened at this time, but it would appear something disrupted the Tri Orion Alliance Meeting in New York City tonight. The small amount of information we've been able to gather at this time suggests a significant shift in Galactic stability, as it would seem that Gigacorp, of all people, has turned AGAINST The Alliance." A news reporter was saying, standing in the rain in Central Park and yelling over the wind. I could vaguely see the outline of a gigantic structure in the background. The New York Planetary Gun, built just outside the Lower Harbor back in 2098. The thing could blast through any kind of shield and the thing said shield was protecting, as well as all of its neighbors, in a single blast. And the thing was charging up red for the first time in seven hundred years.

The Reporter tapped her earpiece, paling from behind her twenty pounds worth of makeup.

"Um... this just in, folks. NEWUN has approved of an assault using the Planetary Guns on the Moon. The United States, The Republic of Texas, and Canada are charging theirs up now, and should be firing any seco—"

She never finished her sentence.

The New York City Planetary Gun, the NYCPG, glowed blindingly red through the storm and fired.

Even my hotel room, all the way in the middle of Manhattan, trembled like a leaf from the sheer power of the weapon. I could see the red light glowing through the window.

I rushed over, throwing it open and shoving my head out.

The rain was gone.

The gun had blasted the whole storm apart.

A continuous beam of vicious red light rocketed into the now clear night sky for a moment before shutting off completely. The red beam disappeared into the night sky, straight for the now visible Moon high above.

A cold chill ran down my spine as I remembered what this things had been built for in the first place, during the fifth and final World War: flattening Europe and parts of Asia to end it. The majority of Europe was still below sea level, and Paris has been completely relocated. Mount Everest, which had the capital of the Asian Commonwealth at the time, became no more than a pebble after one shot from the New York City gun.

Needless to say, the Atlantic Alliance (America, Canada, and Britain) won the war.

And now it was being fired again, seven hundred years later. As the opening play of a Galactic war. The second most destructive weapon in the galaxy, fired on other humans.

I felt sick.

"Y-yes, that's right folks. The NYCPG has fired, just b-behind me there. Back to you, Studio. I need to sit down for a moment..." the reporter stammered. Silence for a moment.

"...I'm not sure if I know how politics work, but I'm guessing that's the start of the first major war, and possibly the first galactic war ever, in seven. Hundred. Years." The news anchor finally said, in shock.

I stepped away from the window, not bothering to close it.

I collapsed into bed, listening to yelling reporters, rapidly mobilizing armies, and panicking politicians on the Television as I fell asleep.

.  .  .

I woke up three hours later to the building shaking.

Again.

But not the NYCPG.

I shot up, grabbing my sniper and hunting knife from the side of my bed before running to the open window.

Drop ships with the Gigacorp seal were depositing troops, tanks, and other nasty war stuff. And troops were firing on unarmed, fleeing civilians.

Cold fingers of anger closed around my chest. I pulled myself out onto the fire escape, kneeling and flicking my rifle from bullets to disruptor.

I took down soldier after soldier, but more took their places. Civilians screamed and ran, and the Gigacorp soldiers in their navy blue and pitch black uniforms chased after.

A few more tanks and a new platoon rolled in behind the Gigacorp guys, wearing green and tan camouflage fatigues and helmets. American, Tri Orion, and NEWUN flag patches were worn on their shoulders proudly.

The New York National Guard had arrived.

I stopped shooting, lowing the gun and watching the carnage as the Guardsmen caught the Gigacorp guys by surprise.

I quickly clambered down to the ground, jumping the last few feet to the ground. A pair of guardsmen immediately whirled, rifles aimed. I raised my hands.

"Whoa! Friendly!" I yelped. They tentatively lowered their rifles.

"Looks like a Gigacorp uniform." One mused.

"Defected last night. Listen, I need to get to the Transmission Line. Galactic, preferably." I said.

"...why?" The other questioned, raising his rifle again.

I sighed.

"Look, I'm Legend. I was Barnes's right hand man for a while, before I figured out what he had planned. Brought the information down to the Alliance meeting last night. The Galaxy has no idea what's coming for them. I need to warn them. Please." I said. They didn't look so certain.

"Please. You can come with me and shoot me if I'm lying but I swear to you, I am telling the truth." I begged.

They hesitated. Then lowered the guns.

"Is it gonna help?" The first guy asked. I nodded vigorously.

"Fine. Walk." The second growled.

. . .

They got me up to the room without any resistance.

"There. You're all good to go." one of them said, handing me a microphone.

I sighed, and nodded.

Then gave my speech.

. . .
Gem
Derelict Ship, Polaris System

Jimmy screamed.

I immediately rocketed in his direction, Blackbox momentarily forgotten.

I rushed into the hangar, and I knew the sight that met me would stick with me the rest of my life.

Jimmy, reaching for a little black and red disk stuck on his back, face twisted in horror.

A Gigacorp soldier, launcher aimed at Jimmy, his other hand reaching for a red button on the side of it.

Jimmy caught my eye.

Froze.

Mouthed five words at me: Take care of Free Station

Then the explosive detonated, taking Jimmy with it.

And I was thrown back through the cockpit and out of the shattered canopy into open space.

. . .

You think you'd start having thoughts like hey, the stars are really pretty, or, hey, I'm floating in space when you get thrown into outer space.

Not me. For me, I was thinking one word over and over again like a mantra: shit shit shit shit shit shit shit—!

It went on like that for a while, my body spinning and heart pounding, until I remembered through my panic the stabilizers Jimmy had shown me.

Jimmy.

I pulled on the levers gently, trying not to overdo it and start spinning the other direction.

Focus. Don't go too far. Don't overshoot. Pearl's voice was whispering in my head, and I ignored the fact she was talking about shooting a bow.

I stabilized my spin, now just free-floating and sailing backwards, away from the two wrecked ships. The blast had ripped the transport open, too.

Shit, my brain said one more time, just for good measure.

Calm your breathing. Tune out distractions. Pearls voice said.

"Kinda hard to do that when it feels like the damn stars are staring at you!" I snapped, but tried. I leaned my body forwards, aiming the propulsion forwards.

Yes!

I moved forwards quickly, right for the shattered canopy. I had somehow gotten lucky enough to not get shredded by the glass the first time, but there was no way I could do it again.

Still, it was the only way.

I blasting through, grabbing the Blackbox as I did, slowing down slightly as I shot directly at the Gigacorp dude.

His eyes widened in shock a moment before I accidentally slammed the Blackbox into his visor and leaving a long crack that kept spreading, even after I slammed into the wall. Black spots danced in my vision and jolts of pain shot up arm.

The Gigacorp dude was panicking as the cracks spread, watching his oxygen leak out.

Then the glass shattered.

His eyes practically bulged out of his head. Blood started leaking out of his mouth and ears and immediately started freezing. His face swelled way more than what would've been natural. Frost started forming on his face.

I shut my eyes, feeling sick.

You will NOT throw up in your thousand year old helmet, Gem! Do NOT! I yelled at myself.

Then a frozen chunk of white spacesuit hit my visor. I risked a peak, and almost threw up again.

It had a burnt French flag on it. And the flesh was still attached.

"Ooooooooooh...." I moaned, sick, as I grabbed the Blackbox again and boosted myself out into open space.

"Rat, this is Gem. Can-can you hear me? I got the Blackbox, but Jimmy and the pilot are dead." I said, voice breaking.

All that met me was static. I gasped for air, panicking again.

Then a massive fleet of Gigacorp ships blasted out of FTL, and my heart stopped.

Polaris cruisers entered my vision just above me and that was the point I decided to faint.

One name rang through my head as I did: Jimmy. Jimmy.