[Oded's Place: Habitat D1234]

Oded is pacing around the room. His chair, so recently in use, is still warm. On the bed, Benny lies back, his brows are raised, his cheeks are flushed. As Oded, clad in his gray sweats and tank top, passes by him for the third time, Benny sighs, and speaks.

"You know, your mom is pretty chill. She-" Oded stops mid-pace and turns on him, interrupting him with a finger in his direction. Almost every muscle in his body is visibly flexed.

"Don't go there, You are not close to being pretty enough for me to tolerate that. " At that Benny almost glows. Oeded pauses for a moment, he tilts his head, seemingly considering how it could come across. He does not get flushed, but he does slap his own face in self annoyance.

"You think I'm pretty? Handsome pretty? Or platonic pretty, I just wa-" Oded interrupts him again.

"No. You do not have a shot with me. You are younger than me, more than the age my grandma was when she had my mom."

Benny gets up and walks to the mirror behind Oded. "Oh, but I look older than you."

Oded smirks at that, turning to Benny.

"And yet, I changed your diapers." He takes a breath. "Thank you, I needed a distraction." Bennys own smirk turns to a genuine smile. Then it fades.

"So, You are nervous about your mom's habitat crossing with us, right?" Benny has Odeds shoulder in his palm as he asks. Oded rests a hand on the wall.

"Yeah. Mom is freaking Odelia Star-Crusher; The inventor and still champion of void wars. All I've ever don-" Benny interrupts him, already intimately aware of the rules of this little song and dance, and his role in it.

"You revolutionized in a single step both space construction, computation and communication with an *algorithm,* not even hardware, you gave a better user manual to humanity as a whole… lower middle class people can now get their own habitats, and really tailor them." He shakes Oded firmly once, in order to better reaffirm the truthfulness of his point. "Until you, the best a normal person could do, with hard work, at that, was a less comfortable version of Serenity."

Oded pulls back a step. "You did not just disparage Firefly."

…

[Heart of the Solar System: The Sun]

In the outer layers of the sun's corona, the Solar Processor Station Medusa, is about to send several dozen tons of harvested Star-metal plasma towards its primary customer; the Habitat Yard Philosophy. The Yard, upon receipt of the shipment, will remake it into habitats and goods. This is only possible of course, because EM holographic printing is borderline magic. As such, these marvels have lost their luster to man; This is a normal day. Even calm, for as calm as the atmosphere of the Sun can be called. Calm and normal with the barely notable exception of some telescope records. A notice is sent of some irregular images that were taken moments ago, and while it's assumed to be a malfunction… Resources will be wasted on checking.

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

Now, Natty would prefer to not waste his own, or others' time on this. But regulations are regulations. He sighs as the message is sent.

Then he nods to himself, and goes for coffee. Medusa can keep to herself for a bit.

…

[5LY out from the Solar Heliopause: The Oort Cloud of Barnard's Star.]

A fleet has been on the way for twenty years, If your clock is on earth. For the fleet it was a few minutes. Now it begins to slow down. It doesn't bother to try to mask itself. Most of its kinetic energy is converted to gamma rays directed at the direction of the target, both to slow down, also, to soften the target.

For humanity though. A more apt wording would be *telegraphing.*

…

[Void Wars Mobile Arena: Team Staging Area]

Odelia, twitches with excited energy. She did not drink coffee this morning, and after her day of training the day before, she should be at least a little groggy, but today her Star Coliseum will enter into a comfortable two way video communication range of Of Habitat D1234, Odedi's Place!!! And at the thought of seeing her "baby boy" she cannot stop herself from smiling.

"Madam Odelia, sir? T minus 10. Game."

At hearing the speaker, she uses her earbuds to answer. "Sure Renny, coming out."

Five minutes later, The Star Coliseum Team gets into the void hanger. A cross between An industrial ship hanger, and an astronaut space door. Each team member falls out, and casts four electromagnetic hooks; Electromagnets that are tethered to the players by articulated stick/ropes. Two directed to the hull of the hanger, meant to stick to it, two directed away. For counter force. As they land, they strike a power pose, and they hear in their speakers the cheers from the crowd.

In their sky, The habitat of the other team is docked, habitat towards them so that their hangars are facing each other from across the field. The Stardust Junkies Team do the same, striking their own power poses as they affix themselves. In her helmet Odelia smirks at the display. "Gaya, Seph, Peripheral duty. Jake, Garion, All near zero X axis duty. Remember, be opportunistic if the ball is near you."

They each give a hearty, "Yes, Ma'am," and She can hear the grins in their agreements. She's very proud.

…

[Void Wars Mobile Arena: The Stands]

Tinna sits at daddys lap.

"Daddy, tell me again how this works?"

Zeak bounces her a bit on his knee.

"Well, little starwind, you see, each team is at their Hanger there?"

She nods.

"Well, they are soon going to get the ball thrown in to start the game."

She nods again, then begins to ask, but he interrupts her.

"Yes, it's not at all an actual ball, we just call it that."

She looks at the picture of it on her phone. three electromagnetic hooks, on articulated, stick/ropes, much like those they use themselves, only anchored together. Like a gorgon head. Not that she would use any of those words to describe it. She doesn't know them.

He waits patiently until she looks back at him. It's not like the game began already. She smiles back at him.

"Daddy, are you going to continue? Sorry I didn't listen for a bit."

He smiles. "Sure sweety, I just wanted to make sure you still want me to tell you. Anyway:

The general point,is either A: The player goes to bring it to their own hanger, then they can't throw it, their hooks must not extend more than 30cm, also the player they hand it to, *before* that player takes it, must not extend their hook."

She nods, eyes wide.

He continues when he's sure she finished digesting.

"Or B. They want to score it at the other team hanger. Then, then they can do all *that* and the reverse. What can be done at A, and what can't be done at A."

She begins to jump a bit. He smiles at her. "What do you think, little wind?"

She smiles the biggest, most huge smile ever.

"Tossing to the other gate is the easiest!!"

He smiles at her, so very happy himself.

"And you know what I think of that?"

She tilts her head a bit.

"Taking it to your hanger will get you more points?"

He kisses her bead.

"Exactly Tinna."

He relaxes, tnen remembers the last of it.

"Oh, forgot, beyond all that, only the player's suits and the ball are ok in the game. Radio communication, any kind, only in your team."

She nods. It makes sense.

Then they both turned to the screen. The announcer drew their attention, because the game just began.