Darju's eyes could not have been wider as the shutter rolled upwards. The most beautiful spacecraft she had ever seen sat before her. She had expected to see Mylico's craft, but this was completely different. It was a light cobalt blue, and the sun's light could only just reach the front of the vessel, and it appeared to shimmer. It dwarfed Mylico's usual ship, and as Darju approached, she could easily stand underneath its bow where it was parked. The ramp was down, and as they walked towards it, Mylico appeared in the entranceway.
"Good timing. I have just finished prepping her, and she is good to go." Mylico said.
"This is yours?" Darju stammered, trying to take in the ship in its full glory.
"Yes, it is ours. It is a slight upgrade from Cylius, " Mylico said, smiling. "Now that you are here, please tell me what is happening. We are suddenly going to be heading back home!"
"Once we are onboard and out of orbit," Cylion said. "I am guessing you got authorisation from the spaceport?"
"For Cylius, yes, but I will amend the transuniversal codec once we are out of orbit. So, for now, they will think it is Cylius," Mylico replied.
"Excellent. Well, then, let us get on board and get going. The sooner we leave orbit, the sooner Darju can send Flurew a message. She will probably be getting up soon."
Darju followed Mylico into the ship as he turned to enter. The inside of the craft was as beautiful as the outside. It was pure brilliant white and chrome everywhere. It looked like it was brand new in every detail. There were no sharp edges anywhere, and everything was perfectly moulded together. She followed Mylico into what could only be classed as a hangar bay. It was large enough to fit two of the speedsters in. A corridor led from the hangar towards the front of the vessel, while another directed to the rear.
“Okay. Let’s get her in the air then,” Mylico said, walking towards the corridor leading to the front. Darju walked behind Mylico as the ramp closed behind them.
The ship's cockpit was wide enough to seat four beings comfortably, and the holographic displays showed swirling maps of the universe and so much information it was mind-boggling. Mylico climbed into a pilot cradle and, holding his paw in the air, swiped at the projected display details.
Darju felt a low vibration under her feet, and the vessel began to inch forward out of the hangar. “I would advise you to climb into one of the cradles,” Mylico said.
Cylion walked in behind her and pointed to one on the right, slightly offset from Mylico’s, as she headed to the one on the left of the main cradle. Darju climbed into the cradle. The chair's material seemed to adjust to her body, and it appeared to grip her body, securing her while her arms were still free to move.
“It is nanotech,” Cylion said, looking at her shocked face.
“As soon as we are out, I will hit the burner, so be ready. The first time can be a bit of a shock,” Mylico said, turning and smiling at Darju.
The tall city buildings loomed out of the cockpit window, and Darju was unsure how a ship this size could manoeuvre through them quickly. She did not expect what happened next.
“Ready?” Mylico asked.
“Ready,” Cylion replied.
“For what?” Darju answered and then screamed.
The vessel went from almost a standing start to a speed she could not have ever imagined travelling at. It spun on the spot, instantly pointing upwards and hurtling into the sky. It had to be one of the fastest vessels she had ever seen. The feeling of terror that she felt having no control over the vessel had made her scream. The cradle absorbed much of the acceleration, but she still sensed the pressure against her body as her arms were locked against the cradle's sides. She could not move her hand forward even if she had wanted to. The sensation lasted a while before the brilliant burning flames poured over the vessel as it pushed into space.
Moments later, they were in orbit above the planet. It had been so sudden and fast that she was lost for words. Her body suddenly felt strange and weightless.
“Gravitational fields will come online in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, now,” Mylico said.
Darju’s body suddenly retained its usual sensations, and she sighed deeply.
“Welcome to space,” Cylion said, hopping down from her cradle. “Mylico. Set the AI and then meet us in the lounge.”
“Will do,” he replied.
“Darju. Come with me. I will show you around, and you probably need a drink after that,” Cylion said.
Darju was not going to argue and climbed from her cradle. The sensation of gravity felt strange when all she could see out of the cockpit window were stars. She felt lightheaded and staggered as she went to walk.
“Drunk on deck,” Mylico said, laughing as he saw Darju stagger.
Darju turned and glared at him. “If you had just been thrown into space for the first time, I am sure you would be a little uncertain.” She snapped back.
Mylico flashed his wickedly seductive grin, and Darju could not help but feel her cheeks colour. She gathered herself and continued to follow Cylion. Cylion led her through the hangar and down the opposite corridor before entering a sliding door on the right. The panel moved without making a sound. A kitchen unit, table, chairs, and two large sofas were inside.
“Take a seat, and I will make a tellic,” Cylion said as she walked to the kitchen unit.
Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
Darju walked to one of the sofas and sat down. The luxurious material felt wonderful against her scales, absorbing her form quickly and supporting it perfectly. Everything on the ship seemed strange to her. She was shocked at what had happened so fast that she did not know what to say. She had been looking forward to going into space for so long, but with everything going on, she had not even thought about it and was now floating amongst the stars she had dreamed about for so many PT.
Cylion walked over with two large mugs of tellic, handing her one before sitting next to her. She briefly looked at Darju before speaking, “Are you ok?”
“I am not sure.”
“I know this may be a bit of a shock, but if you are the Sunstar, I need to keep you safe.”
Mylico entered the lounge area. “AI is set, five cinteps, give or take, depending on the wormhole traffic. I have not flagged diplomatic status, so we may end up in a queue.”
“That is fine. At least we should be safe now we are on route.”
“First wormhole jump is in five yhuse. I will check details as we near.”
“Now, will someone please tell me what is going on?” Mylico asked.
“I will let Darju tell you the story,” Cylion replied.
Mylico sat himself on the other sofa and quietly waited for Darju to speak.
“Where do I start?” Darju asked.
“At the beginning of your journey from the pod,” Cylion replied, smiling at her.
Darju relayed her story from the initial visit to the cave and the incident with Dralcor, the God of War. As she spoke, she could see Mylico’s facial hair shift. As soon as she mentioned the word Sunstar, he could no longer hold back.
“What did you just say?”
“Sunstar,” Darju repeated.
“Oh my. You do know what this means if it is true,” Mylico said excitedly.
“I wish I did. I have no idea what this means. In a few cinteps, I have gone from being in the pod and dreaming of being in space to working at the cantina, and now I am flying across the universe, and I still do not know what has happened,” Darju replied.
“Let Darju finish, Mylico,” Cylion said.
“Sorry. Please continue.”
As Darju continued to explain what had happened to Dralcor, Mylico’s eyes grew wide, and his mouth dropped open.
“You killed a God!” he exclaimed when she finished talking.
“I don’t know if it was me or not. Something killed him,” Darju replied defensively.
“At least I now understand the importance of why we have left so suddenly,” Mylico replied.
“I don’t,” Darju said.
“Have you not told Darju anything yet?” Mylico asked his sister.
“I told her some backstory, but you were the one who was more current on the history of our species,” Cylion replied.
“Okay then. Where do I begin?” Mylico asked.
“We have time, so you may as well start at the very beginning,” Cylion said.
“Time for a universal history lesson, then. Life originated on a planet called Earth thousands of millennia ago. Our race is derived from a species known as the Felis catus, more commonly known as the domestic cat. Over the millennia, cats were revered in some old religious sects on Earth, but we eventually became what was understood as pets to the beings now known as the Gods. It was only after the transition 250,000PT ago that our race of the Catlopians first appeared. The exact details are now known even by our scholars. Since our creation, we have then been in a neverending conflict with God’s over rights and territorial disputes. Initially, things started amicably, and although the God’s believed themselves better, and they always have done, we kept pace with their development.”
“What is a pet?” Darju interjected as Mylico took a breath.
“A pet was a creature that another being keeps and looks after. It is hard to explain as pet ownership was banned hundreds of millennia ago, although these days slavery has replaced it, which is thousands of times worse,” Mylico replied.
"These days, the Gods believe that they have full control over the universe, and in some aspects, they do. They manipulate many of the interplanetary conflicts that occur. Then, when things do not go as they hope, they send in individuals like Dralcor."
Darju was stunned listening to the information from Mylico as he went on to explain the political games that the Gods played. The Battle Royale is one of the most recent historical twists to continue their control.
"If you know the Gods are doing this, why has no one ever stepped forward to stop them?" Darju asked.
"Many races aren't aware of what occurs due to the methods the Gods use. The subterfuge is never by one of their own," Cylion replied.
"But if you know. Why have you not said anything or shown them for what they are?" Darju asked again.
"It is easier said than done. They are so entwined into many of the species' political systems that any sign of malcontent would be thwarted before it even had a chance to start. Over the centuries, there have been uprisings, although these only bring conflict and hardship to any who challenge them. The Gods control the communications network and hold power over most races through technology. There are very few that can compete against them," Mylico replied.
"So they bully others to do what they want?" Darju asked.
"Simply put. Yes. This is never direct, though," Cylion replied.
"I hate bullies," Darju stated. She had always been bullied from being a young Lyzord in the pod, and the anxiety she had suffered with the persistent name-calling and abuse at the hands of Poltu and his followers had always upset her and made her angry. Why did those who held more power always try to prevent others from excelling? To Darju the Gods sounded the same as Poltu but on a universal scale.
"What about the Sunstars?" Darju asked.
"That is a little trickier to explain and consider. It may be better to wait until we are back on Catalopia, and then I can introduce you to the Oracle. She will be able to give you more guidance than I ever could and explain its meaning fully."
"Is it safe to message Flurew yet?" Darju asked.
Cylion pressed her communicator and read the display before replying. "We should be far enough away now. Make sure you do not say anything about what has happened. If she knows, it may put her in danger. The Gods will stop at nothing to maintain their hold."
"Can I use your communicator?" Darju asked.
"Sure," Cylion replied, slipping it from her wrist and handing it to Darju.
Darju had never seen a communicator like the one Cylion owned. It was so advanced compared to the ones she had seen before. "How does it work?" she asked.
"Hold your hand over the display; when it asks for function, hit the comm button and then say Flurew; it will automatically send the message to her," Cylion replied.
Darju did as Cylion said, and a small green light blinked on the display. She tapped the red cancel sign and turned to the pair of Catlop's. "I have no idea what to say."
Mylico replied first. "Just say you have decided to return to the pod to see your mum. Flurew will understand, and then she won't know anything about what has happened."
"I can't lie to her," Darju replied.
"Then don't call; I will message her instead," Cylion said.
"No. I will do it," Darju replied with uncertainty. She followed Cylion's instructions, and the green light flashed again. "Hi Flurew. Darju here..."