《The last world》


 Characters

The boy named Eto.


    The girl named Veronica


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    A little robot called TYO


    The assassin called Morning Python

 Chapter 1.1 Arrival

    The night sky was clear and filled with stars when Veronica walked through the fields. A usual walk past the farm fields to see if everything was alright.


    While she was walking to check if all the animals had been locked up and the fields were good, she had trouble keeping her eyes off the stars that shone bright above her.


    She put her long brown hair in a ponytail with some ribbons she had in her pocket while trying to get the sweat off her face from the long day at work.


    Veronica lived with her mum and dad at a farm on the planet Borner which was known for its rich nature to farm all kinds of different fruits and vegetables. Their farm was known for their famous Borner beans. A local bean that would satisfy the eater for a whole meal with just one bite.


    Her father and his father were owners of this farm and they harvested the beans, to sell them to travelers that would visit the planet Borner.


    Often there would be travelers from long trips at their local market where their farm stood near and when they went there to sell their beans, she would often ask the travelers on what kind of planets they had been.


    She had heard great stories about huge cities, big deserts, cold planets and a deep dark space that all would lead to the center of the universe.


    Often Veronica tried to picture what the planets would look like depending on how the travelers described them but she couldn''t really picture it because she had never left her home. Her room was hanging full with pictures she would draw in hopes of uncovering how these strange worlds for her would look like.


    When Veronica had checked everything and she walked back to their house, she looked up to the stars. She would imagine the travelers she had met to be up there, flying through space in their spaceships and taking on great adventures to tell tales about to teenagers like her.


    She walked around the farm and like every night, she could tell her parents for sure that everything was fine. The animals were looked up and nothing was out of the ordinary. The fields looked like they did every night. Just fine.


    A little breeze came by and she heard the leaves on the trees surrounding the farm move in the wind. A breeze was normal this time of year but in a few seconds, the breeze took on and became harder. The sudden change of pace and strength of the wind was something that Veronica didn¡¯t see every night. She felt the chills going through her body and before she decided to run it back. When her first steps were set, a loud bang could be heard from the sky.


    She looked up to the stars who were there like they were every night but something was new.


    Something was happening in the sky that she hadn''t seen before.


    Right above her, in between the stars was a great white light that was flickering. It hurted her eyes but she tried to keep watching.


    She imagined the bang she heard must have been from the light entering the atmosphere as it was moving and getting bigger by the second. Soon it was too bright to look at and Veronica tried to run towards the house by remembering which way it was.


    Veronica squeezed her eyes and sometimes tried to open them to see. Flashes of the path before her were shown and she guessed the house was near.


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    ''Mom, dad. Watch out for the light!'' she screamed while she was running to the house, hoping she would reach it soon with her loss of clear sight.


    When she didn¡¯t get a response, Veronica imagined she was still too far away. She kept running as fast as she could towards the direction of which she thought was the house but a feeling made her think she wouldn¡¯t make it.


    Slowly she tried to open her eyes again, only to see that the ground around her began to lighten up, which gave her the idea that the light was coming closer and soon would reach the planet.


    Thinking she would face her end, Veronica stopped running and started to embrace the thought that whatever was coming from the sky, would hit her and the planet. She squeezed her eyes, preparing for a hit but it never came. Instead, she would notice that the brightness took off.


    Slowly she opened her eyes, noticing the light was still bright but it had moved. It was right in front of her and when she realized this, the light hit the ground between her and her house which was not as far as she had thought.


    The ground shook from the impact and Veronica was swept away to land in a little field of grass a few meters behind her. The trembling in the ground lasted for a few seconds but soon after that faded.


    While Veronica¡¯s arms and legs were scratched from her fall onto the ground, she didn''t pay attention to it and tried to stand up as fast as she could. Her legs were trembling when she tried to get up but her curiosity was much bigger than the trembling in her legs.


    The light had hit the ground on the path towards home and it had created a big hole in the ground. Right in the middle of the path, it took some space from the fields next to it but there was no denying it. A giant hole was created by whatever that light was that had hit the ground.


    She looked around quickly to see how much damage the hit could have brought with it beside the hole but the rest of the farm still looked intact. Some animals screaming of the impact was something she could understand. She barely could stand and her heart beated heavy from the thought what could have hit them.


    She heard the backdoor of the house open and the voice of her father screaming.


    ''Veronica, what is happening here?'' She heard her father scream those words but she didn''t pay much attention to it. If she was fine, then her parents should also be fine. What really took her interest was the big hole that was created in front of her. Smoke came from the hole, as if something was burning at the bottom of it.


    While she slowly walked towards it, she heard footsteps coming towards her.


    She gazed at the hole but her eyes could see the movement coming from the house. Her father must have grabbed his rifle and ran towards her.


    The light that was coming from the sky was still faintly present, coming from the hole. It didn¡¯t last long before the light dimmed and vanished, leaving nothing more than the smoke coming out of the hole.


    She was a few meters away from the hole and with the light gone, she saw her father approaching the hole, looking worried and confused. His eyes moved from her to the hole and back.


    ''What is this?'' she heard him ask with confusion but she did not respond.


    Knowing her father was there, her eyes were fixed on the hole that had swept a part of the path away.


    Veronica was almost at the edge, feeling the trembling of fear getting bigger. Why was she so curious? A question she could not answer because she already had reached the edge.


    Her father grabbed a light from his pocket that he had taken with him and clicked it on, shining his light towards Veronica.


    While they both stood next to the edge, he began to point the light down the hole, searching for whatever was down there.


    ''Easy Veronica, we don''t know what''s in there,'' her father said, not looking at his daughter but his eyes staring down the hole.


    Veronica could feel the edge underneath her booth as some dirt crumbled down as her father stood on the other side, shining his light down the hole.


    What they saw there made Veronica gasp for air, as she couldn''t comprehend what she saw. Her father kept quiet, knowing what he was seeing.


    At the bottom of the hole, where the light had come from that now had faded, layed the body of a young unconscious boy.

 Chapter 1.2 The boy named Eto

    The light had faded but the darkness of the night couldn¡¯t cover the boy that was laying at the bottom of the hole. While Veronica¡¯s mind was still racing with thoughts and questions, her instinct made her jump into the hole, ignoring her father¡¯s warning words.


    Sliding down the dirt, Veronica could hear her father going down as well, knowing he would never let his daughter go down there alone.


    The air smelled like burned wood and when she came down, she could finally see what the boy looked like.


    Dark black curly hair on top of a young face with his eyes shut. He wore a white shirt and a blue vest with yellow edges. A big red scarf wrapped around his neck covered much of his upper body. The boy made no sound or noise while Veronica and her father came down.


    ¡®Is he?¡¯ her father asked as Veronica kneeled down to look and listen to the boy.


    ¡®I hear some breathing. Let¡¯s get him to the house.¡¯


    She knew her father didn¡¯t like the idea of bringing something in their house that moments ago came down from the sky. But Veronica knew her father would never leave someone like this.


    Veronica helped her father get the boy up and out of the hole. Her mother had slowly come out of the house and searched the edge to find her husband and daughter. Without a word, she could tell what they were doing and she rushed back into the house to prepare a bed and medication.


    While they carried him, Veronica looked at the boy with so many questions.


    His face had a sweet look even though he was unconscious. She just couldn¡¯t understand why such a bright light could have struck their planet, only for this boy to remain here.


    They went inside and her mother prepared the guest bed that was never used and together with her father, they brought the boy upstairs and laid him into the bed.


    Her father and mother slowly removed the clothing from the boy to see if he had any wounds.


    Veronica took the clothing out of their hands; a red scarf, blue tunic and black pants and boots. While getting handed to her, she noticed how the clothes didn¡¯t seem damaged, thinking about the impact they have had.


    When the chest of the boy was revealed, herfather gasped for air as he pushed his wife back and away from the boy. Veronica jumped in and was grabbed by her father to prevent her from coming closer. Still, she could see what made her father gasp.


    A blue stone, shining bright like some gem, was stuck in the chest of the boy.


    It looked like it was pushed in his body, the skin around the stone lightly burned.


    ''Get back!'' her father screamed while he took his wife with him while he moved away from the bed. Veronica was a little harder to hold onto but he managed to pull her away too.


    ''What is the problem father?'' she asked, wondering why he was afraid of the stone. She had never seen her father as stressed out as he was now.


    ''He has a star shard,'' he said while gasping for air. His eyes were still focussed on the stone stuck in the boy¡¯s chest.


    Veronica couldn''t understand. Her mother raised her hand before her mouth like she understood what her father was talking about. It made Veronica wonder what was so terrible about it.


    ''Why? What''s wrong? What is a star shard?'' she asked, looking back and forth from the stone to her father.


    His voice became serious.


    ¡®It¡¯s not important what it is. All I know is that it is dangerous,¡¯ and he slowly pushed his wife towards the door to leave the room. He wanted to grab Veronica but she stepped back towards the bed. Her father balled his fist, showing his way of being angry.


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    ¡®Get back Veronica, it is not safe,¡¯ he said but she wouldn¡¯t listen as she looked at him.


    ¡®Why? Why is this so dangerous? Nothing happened while we were carrying him. What is going on?¡¯


    Anger became a part of her voice as she asked these questions to her father.


    Knowing his daughter, it took a while for him to accept that she wouldn¡¯t come with him without explanation.


    ''People with star shards are often gifted with huge powers. They are very rare but from what I have heard, most people who have a star shard power were nothing more but ordinary thieves or murderers.''


    His voice was serious and Veronica knew her father would never tell her something as a lie. She looked back to the boy, who laid there peacefully.


    Veronica was surprised and shocked by hearing the story. When she thought of murderers and thieves, she kept thinking about evil looking men and women. Not this boy who was laying here so calmly.


    ''What should we do?'' her mother asked. She was scared but she had remained by the doorpost to look at her husband and daughter.


    Veronica looked at her and saw the fear in her mother¡¯s eyes.


    While she already looked older with her long gray hair in between her brown hair and wrinkles, the rush and the frightening made her look so much older.


    ``We need to dispose of him, and quickly,'' her father answered without looking at his wife. He slowly stepped towards the bed and Veronica wanted to argue but her father gave her a certain look. A look that told her that whatever she wanted to tell or do, he would stick to his own plan.


    While her mother looked like it was impossible as she still was struck by fear, she followed her husband to the bed to help get rid of the body.


    They slowly walked towards the bed and prepared themselves to pull the boy up. Veronica¡¯s father bowed down to grab the boy when suddenly, the boy opened his eyes.


    ''Where¡­.am¡­..I?'' were the words that came out of his mouth. Slowly and with struggles.


    Both Veronica¡¯s father and mother jumped back but Veronica was the one who walked towards him.


    ''Veronica, watch out!'' her father yelled but this time, she ignored him.


    She could not understand how this boy with a stone in his chest could be a murderer or a thief. She walked towards the edge of the bed and kneeled down to be closer to the boy.


    ''Can you hear me?'' she asked while she sat on her knees next to the bed.


    She looked at the boy while his eyes were still adjusting to the light and slowly tried to open.


    When he succeeded, Veronica saw his big blue eyes. The eyes of someone innocent. Not the eyes of a murderer or a thief.


    ''Where am I?'' he asked slowly. He gazed to the ceiling before turning his head to look at the person who spoke to him. Veronica and the boy made eye contact.


    ''You are on the planet Borner. You fell from the sky and we carried you in our home'' she said at a slow pace.


    The boy looked back to the ceiling and a little smile appeared.


    ''Thank you'' he mumbled before his eyes closed again.


    Veronica waited for a few seconds but the boy looked exactly how they carried him in. In a vast deep sleep.


    A few hours passed and while her father took a blaster rifle from the basement to keep watch, they all agreed to wait until the boy woke up again. It took almost two hours but Veronica kept her eyes on him and finally she saw him wake up.


    This time, the boy tried to sit straight up. He adjusted his body on the bed and he looked around in the room, before looking at Veronica.


    ''Sorry for asking again but where am I again?'' the boy asked while a smile appeared on his face.


    ''You are on the planet Borner, my dear'' Veronica''s mother told him. Her husband looked at her, irritated by her interest in the boy but she ignored it like her daughter did a few hours ago.


    ''Where do you come from?'' she asked slowly but gentile. They all had the same thought of how the boy had crashed here like some meteorite.


    ''Hmm,'' the boy said and he looked as puzzled as them. ''You know, I really don''t know,'' he said without looking at them. He scratched his head as he looked at the blanket on top of him. It took a few seconds before he looked back at Veronica¡¯s mom and he only showed a smile.


    While the conversation was slowly starting, Veronica''s father walked towards him with the rifle in hand.


    ''Tell me who you are and what you want with that star shard!'' he almost screamed while pointing the rifle to the boy.


    While Veronica and her mother both were surprised by his action, the boy didn; t seemed to mind the rifle pointed towards him. Instead, it seemed like he was more puzzled by the question.


    He looked at the loop of the rifle and then towards his chest. The blue stone called a star shard was open to see and the boy slowly tapped it with his finger.


    ''Oh this thing? I don''t know. I have had it since I was born. Grandpa told me that it made me special.''


    Veronica¡¯s father was surprised by the boy¡¯s response and his gun lowered a little bit. His answers were not what they were expecting from the boy and quickly he looked back up with the same grin he had before.


    ''I''m sorry. Where are my manners? My name is Eto, nice to meet you.''

 Chapter 1.3 Recovering

    A few hours passed when the boy named Eto had woken up.


    Now they were all sitting downstairs at the dining table eating. The rifle of Veronica''s father was standing against the wall behind them.


    Her father looked serious but calm towards Eto. His gray hair and beard were still ruffled from the incident.


    ''I''m sorry if I scared you but I have only heard bad things about star shards and their wielders'' Veronica''s father said calmly while eating from his rice bowl. With every bite, he kept looking at the boy.


    Eto was eating like he hadn''t eaten for days but when he heard those words he stopped for a second. He looked at his chest where the shard was, now covered with a borrowed tunic.


    ''No problem. Ehh, I forgot your names again'' Eto said while blushing a bit. The smile the boy had earlier reapered.


    The Mouth of Veronica¡¯s father also slowly turned into a little smile.


    ''That''s okay. My name is Eugene and my wife here is called Elly,'' he said while his wife smiled at the boy. She seemed less stressed than before.


    ''And my daughter is named Veronica. She was the one that saw you crashing down.''


    Veronica was sitting next to Eto, wondering when she could open the topic again. She was like a vulture, lurking over a body, keeping him in eye range.


    The boy already explained as much as he could but she still wanted to know more. It almost seemed like she forgot details every time he told the story. Not that there were much details from what he told.


    ''Sorry for asking again but can you tell us again everything you know?''


    ''Veronica!'' her mother spurred. ''He is tired and he told us already.''


    She spoke to her daughter with a serious tone and the boy looked back and forth between them. He swallowed a bite before he spoke.


    ''That''s okay. I''m still curious about it myself.''


    He put his bowl down and took a deep breath. His smile disappeared and he gazed in front of him without really looking at someone.


    ''I don''t remember much beforeI came crashing down here. All I know was that I was training with my grandpa to become a holy knight while staying on the planet Green point.'' He looked around and everyone kept gazing at him to hear the story again.


    ¡®That was my homeplanet. Well, I think it was,¡¯ and confusion started to take over.


    Veronica kept her eyes at Eto, remembering as much as she could about the holy knights he spoke of. They have never reached a planet like Borner but it was told that the holy knights were the guardians of the universe, trained with special skills to defend all the planets against criminals and evil. Her thoughts started to take over but she ignored them as Eto continued to talk.


    ''I grew up with my grandpa and he has been training me my whole life in preparation to become a holy knight. Not much strange about it. But my last memories are very vague, as if they are shrouded in black haze. One thing I can see is my grandpa laid down as he told me something.''


    Eto grabbed his head with both hands and started shaking his head. It looked like he was struggling.


    ''Why can''t I remember what he said?'' he asked himself


    Veronica and his parents looked at him with sympathy. The thoughts of an evil boy with powers from a star shard soon turned to dust. Eto wasn¡¯t anything like it.


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    ''And the crash here? You fell from outer space covered in a bright light.


    Eto looked at Veronica and shook his head.


    ''I remember a feeling, like a huge blow but what it is I can''t tell. It must have something to do with my arrival and the crash.''


    Veronica saw that Eto started to  sweat with a troubled look. She could feel her mother watching her as she mentioned the topic again and she felt guilty.


    She wanted to change the subject but out of nothing, Eto stood up with a smile on his face.


    ''Thank you so much for taking care of me and giving me all this delicious food.''


    That changed quickly, Veronica thought to herself. Seeing his face, it almost looked like the whole conversation didn¡¯t happen.


    Eto looked at Eugene with a smile.


    ''I''m sorry that you only know bad stories about people with star shards. I got mine when I was little and my grandpa always told me about the days when people used the power of star shards to help people.''


    Eugene looked at Eto with a serious face but his mouth soon turned to a smile.


    ''Thank you Eto, for giving us a new look at star shard users like yourself. It makes me think the galaxy could use more people with your mindset.¡¯


    Eto looked at him, bit surprised by his words but nonetheless, his smile stayed on his face.


    Veronica tried to not look at the chest of the boy but she was wondering what kind of power Eto would hold if the shard really gave the user power. Her mother started a new topic now everybody was silent.


    ''Time for a bath'' she said, nodding to Eto who laughed and started to smell himself.


    ''Veronica, could you bring a towel to Eto?'' her mother asked her from downstairs.


    She had already taken one to the stairs to bring to Eto.


    While Veronica walked to the bathroom and laid the towel on the cabinet next to the door, she knocked, ready to say it layed there. Instead the door opened and Eto came out, butt naked.


    ''Cover yourself first!'' Veronica screamed while she walked away, leaving Eto with a puzzled face, not knowing what he did wrong.


    A few days passed and while not much of Eto''s memories came back, he tried to help Veronica and her parents while recovering from the crash.


    They worked together to cover the hole that he created, he helped them feed the animals, cooked dinner where he sometimes ate something already because he couldn''t resist.


    One week passed since Eto arrived and it almost felt like he belonged there but the main question was asked during dinner.


    ''So, what are you gonna do now?'' Eugene asked Eto. Eugene didn¡¯t look at him this time while he was eating a part of the beans they had prepared.


    Eto seemed prepared to answer that question and with full confidence he said: no idea!


    Veronica sighed. In the past few days they came to know Eto, knowing he was a lovely boy but all his actions were without thought or a plan.


    ''Well the best we could do is get you to the town nearby and see if there is any sort of transport to the capital.''


    ''The capital?'' Eto asked while wondering. Eugene nodded as he looked at him.


    ''The capital of the Emerald cluster on the planet Etoile. There should be someone who can help or bring you back to Green point, and back to your grandpa.''


    Edo looked up, lost in his thoughts. He never heard of any other planets before. As far as his memories seemed, he had always been on Green point.


    Eto really enjoyed his time here but thinking about returning to his grandpa made him smile and lose a tear. He missed home and he believed he was ready to make the journey back.


    ''What we can do is that Veronica will bring you to the town Apul near here and there you could look for someone to help you bring you to the capital.''


    Eto liked that idea and he smiled. He looked at Veronica who seemed to be suprised by her fathers idea. Eugene nodded at his daughter that that would be the plan. Whatever happened, Eto seemed to enjoy the idea.


    He was just about to take a bite when they heard some pops like thunder outside. They all looked at the door but Eugene stood up.


    ''What could it be?'' Elly asked as she watched her husband walk to the door.


    Eugene opened the door and walked outside but after a few seconds he returned, looking troubled.


    ''We got to hide, it''s Generation Zero'' he yelled and while Elly gasped, Veronica jumped up and ran to the window. When Eto saw what she did, he responded by following her.


    Outside, in the distance and high above in the clouds, different starships entered the atmosphere and were trying to land. Every ship that entered the atmosphere, made the sounds of thunder they heard earlier.


    They saw the ships in the distance above the trees, trying to land while some stayed in the air.


    ''Is that where the town of Apul is?'' Veronica asked and her father slowly nodded, worried about what was about to happen.


    ''What is Generation Zero? Eto asked, looking at Eugene.


    With a serious face he mumbled ''trouble.''

 Chapter 1.4 Attack on Apul

    More ships entered the atmosphere while Eto, Veronica and her parents were watching through the window. Soon the sky was filled with big ships from space hovering above the planet.


    ''That is right above Apul'' Elly said quietly while holding her hand right before her mouth.


    ''Damn those Generation people'' Eugene muttered while he held out his fist.


    ''Why? What is going to happen?'' Eto asked while looking at Eugene. Veronica was wondering the same thing. She heard the name before from travelers but her parents never bothered to tell her what it was when she asked.


    ''They are a growing group of troublemakers, thinking that they are the ones to rule and lead the galaxy. They pop out of nowhere and leave ruin and despair to the planets who stay true to the council of worlds. After they are done they vanish without a trace.''


    Eto kept looking at Eugene who was looking furious, burning a hate against Generation Zero and then he looked out of the window again.


    ''Those people need help'' Eto whispered. He felt a determination inside him.


    Without saying anything, Eto rushed to the door.


    ''What are you gonna do?'' Veronica screamed at him, surprised by his sudden movement.


    ''Help those people, '' Eto answered before he disappeared outside. Veronica quickly followed him.


    ''Wait Eto, you don''t know the way!'' she screamed and she followed him outside.


    Her parents called her back but she didn''t respond. Instead she followed Eto who had just gone up in the woods to the town.


    Eugene yelled to Veronica but she ignored him as she ran towards the forest where she had seen Eto disappear between the trees.


    Eto ran as fast as he could, trying to look above the trees to see where the ships were hovering in the air. He was so focussed that at first he couldn''t hear Veronica screaming behind him. At last when he tried to focus on his surroundings, he could hear her.


    ''What are you doing here?'' he asked as he had stopped running.


    Veronica caught up with him, breathing for air before she could talk.


    Eto took a moment to notice how dark the forest was. The trees were huge, as if they almost could touch the night sky.


    ''Like you know the way. Why are you running like that?'' Veronica said, still gasping for air.


    Eto looked at her like she said he said something stupid.


    ''I''m off to help those people. Didn''t you hear your dad? Those guys bring nothing but trouble.''


    Veronica, recovering, looked at him. ''I understand but what is it to you? You have never been to this planet or that town before.''


    At that moment Eto gave her the smile he had many times before.


    ''My grandpa taught me that a holy knight should always be there to help people, no matter what.''


    When Veronica looked at him, hearing those words, she could understand what a holy knight should be. And she had a feeling that it was the right way. Slowly, she nodded to him, returning a smile.


    ''Fine, but don''t go running off again. We need a plan.''


    Eto nodded. ''Great. You think of a plan, then I''m off to help the people,'' he said and he turned to run again.


    ''That is not the plan'' Veronica screamed angrily but she followed him as fast as she could through the trees of the thick forest.


    The long black ships that had entered the atmosphere were hanging above town, as big beasts looked down on their prey. A few smaller ships had landed and black coloured robots started to infiltrate the town.


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    Human Shaped robots with a round head with no marks made the robots intimidating. Carrying weapons, they marched through town, going after the townsfolk.


    The townsfolk tried to hide their women and children while the men tried to fight off the robots. Some fights got out of control and a part of the town was starting to get caught on fire.


    After a few hundred robots had been sent out, two figures came from the last ship that landed. A small, long stretched ship had landed in a street where it would fit and the two figures walked down the bridge to the street.


    Both were in black armor but one was taller than the other one. The big one holded a giant sword that matched the colors of his black armor, cape and helmet. The helmet had a mouth piece that was shaped like a bird beak. The small person only wore a helmet with two horns and the helmet was covered with white lining which made it look like a skull.


    ''Find the boy'' the small person said and the big knight nodded before he took off. He left the small person standing still, as he watched the giant knight make his way into town.


    Veronica reached the edge of the town but she had lost sight of Eto.


    For a moment, she was frozen with fear as she witnessed the terror in town.


    The town of Apul that she had been to since she was little, was now burning for some parts while she heard the people screaming.


    ''What are those guys?'' she mumbled as she still couldn''t believe what was happening.


    She looked at the giant ships in the air and figured there was no way they could stop them.


    She shook her head and came back to reality. Best thing she could do was try to help as many townsfolk as she could. And find Eto.


    She ran into town with people running past her into the woods. She felt the air getting hotter by the burning buildings she passed but she ignored it.


    She ran all the way to the townsquare where she stopped for a second.


    Most folk that she saw were already running away so she had to find the people who were still hiding.


    The wooden stalls of the market, along with the houses of the town were all getting caught in the fire. No one tried to extinguish the fire as people were running and hiding from the attack.


    Veronica thought she had seen some smaller ships land further in town and it didn¡¯t take her long to think that Eto would be going towards the danger.


    Before she could take off to find him, she heard a voice.


    ''You there, girl'' a heavy voice called to her.


    Veronica could feel the panic going through her body but slowly she turned around.


    A few steps away from her, stood a big knight wearing black armor and a big sword made of dark metal.


    ''Where is the boy?'' he said with the same heavy voice. It was partly muffled because of the helmet it wore.


    ''The boy should be here. Where are you hiding him?''


    Veronica panicked. They were searching for a boy and for a moment she whispered ''Eto'' as she thought of him.


    ''What did you say?'' he said and started to walk towards her. Veronica was shocked by her mistake. She tried to go against her fear and slowly tried to move backwards.


    ''Nothing. I didn''t say anything,'' she said as calmly as she could. Still, she could feel the tremor in her voice.


    ''Don''t lie to me, woman. I know what I heard. You said the name of that brat and you know where he is'' the knight said while walking towards her.


    ''No I don''t, I swear'' she said in fear but the knight ignored her words.


    ''Eto, that brat. Tell me where I can find him, now!''


    While he screamed his last word, he jumped to Veronica with a speed like she had never seen a man jump before.


    Veronica froze completely while she saw the knight jumping to her and the big blade he was carrying going towards her.


    She couldn''t do anything. Her legs froze and she closed her eyes, knowing the blade would soon get her and cut her up.


    She stood there, trembling in fear and when she expected the blade would hit her, she heard a loud bang but did not feel anything.


    Slowly she opened her eyes, only to see a bright light in front of her.


    The knight was standing almost in front of her, with his blade almost touching her.


    In between him and her was Eto, who held the blade in his hand while his arm was glowing like the light from the night he came crashing down the farm.


    ''Don''t hurt her'' he mumbled. His voice sounded serious. Veronica had not seen this side of Eto before.


    He squeezed his hand into the metal of the blade which made it break into a hundred pieces.


    ''What?'' the knight replied in confusion. The helmet he was wearing looked from his broken blade to Eto and he began to shake from frustration.


    ''You little brat'' he said but Eto ignored his words.


    ''Don''t hurt her'' he said, now loud and clear.


    Eto put his foot down and held his glowing arm back making a fist with his hand.


    Before the knight could understand what he was doing, Eto already released his punch.


    He hit the knight in the middle of his chest and the blow made a big sound.


    Cracks into the armor gave away that it was starting to break.


    The knight took the hit and flew away a few meters, crashing through a brick wall of a building leaving nothing but dust and stones.


    While Eto was still looking with anger at the hole where he had punched the knight through, Veronica looked to the shining arm of Eto.


    ''So that is the power of a star shard user'' she mumbled while she watched with great admiration to Eto.

 Chapter 1.5 Leaving Borner

    Eto stood there, still looking at the hole which appeared because of the impact of the knight. The sound around him was numb. Something in the distance could be heard. Veronica''s voice really had to get to him.


    ''Eto, Eto, are you listening?'' she said and finally, he returned to reality.


    The moment his mind returned and he reacted to Veronica, the glowing light on his arm disappeared.


    ''What is it?'' he asked like he forgot that she was standing behind him.


    In front of them the rubble of stones started to move and soon the soldier appeared out of the hole with scratches and dents all over his armor.


    ''Eto, little brat. And you,'' he said while the helmet turned at Veronica. ''Eto''s little helper is called Veronica. The lying bitch.''


    His helmet started making scanning sounds  and lights appeared on his helmet while watching Veronica.


    ''Send this to the captain. Let him know our brat has some helpers.''


    The moment he said those words, Veronica felt scared. They knew who she was and they would hunt her together with Eto. She looked at Eto who was looking determined towards the knight.


    ''Now I will take you both in,'' the knight said. He dropped what was left of the sword and jumped to Eto and Veronica.


    ''Oh no, you don''t,'' Eto replied and he also jumped forward and both their fists met in the air.


    The knight tried to kick Eto but he evaded it. The heavy black armor around the leg nearly touched Eto.


    Eto pushed back and prepared a new attack.


    His arm started to glow again and he hit the knight again in the chest, sending him away again. The knight disappeared again in the rubble he was thrown in before.


    While Eto came to the ground, the light on his arm faded again.


    ''Eto we have to go!'' Veronica screamed and she turned to run away. Eto looked in the direction he punched the knight and he couldn''t see him. Maybe this was the best moment to flee. He turned around and joined Veronica in their escape.


    It seemed like most of the townsfolk had escaped or were reaching the edge of the town. Eto looked up to the sky while running and he could see hundreds of spaceships coming from the surface, trying to escape from the planet in between the big black starships.


    ''This way,'' Veronica said and she ran towards a big green hangar.


    Unlike the stone houses, this hangar was made of wood, protected by iron plates.


    The front door was partly open and Veronica walked in while Eto was still observing the building.


    ''What is this place?'' he asked and even though Veronica was searching for something, she replied.


    ¡®This is the market hanger. We come here to store our products while we''re on the market selling them.'' She kept running in between huge crates and some ships that were parked here.


    She kept searching while Eto observed all the machines and crates he saw. They were all locked with a panel to enter a code and he was wondering what was inside them. He walked towards a crate to inspect it but Veronica yelled something.


    ''Ah, here it is,'' Veronica said and she dragged a huge cloth from a big machine.


    When the cloth was pulled off, Eto could see that the machine was actually a little spaceship.


    ''Wow,'' he said with surprise. He couldn''t remember the last time he saw a spaceship. When he quickly thought about it, he couldn¡¯t remember ever seeing a spaceship up this close.


    ''I knew it was here. One of the pilots of this cargoship told me on the market they would stay a few weeks'' Veronica said and she checked if the doors could be opened. She typed a password and the shutter from behind opened.


    ¡®Yes,¡¯ she said with happiness and she walked in.


    ¡®How do you know the password?¡¯ Eto asked puzzled but still he followed her inside.


    ¡®I was asked to place their order of Borner beans from the farm here. It seems they didn¡¯t change the password.¡¯


    She looked at Eto who still didn¡¯t quite understand and Veronica tried to calm his mind.


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    ¡®Borner is a peaceful planet to trade and rest. There is a lot of trust between the travelers and people here.¡¯


    She moved to the front in the little cargo ship and found her way in the cockpit.


    Eto walked around, looking at the inside of the ship with big eyes.


    The cargo ship had a little cube shaped cockpit at the front and the back was bigger and also cube shaped. Different boxes were stacked in the back, ready for transport. On the outside, the ship stood on four legs with two by the side and one on the back and one on the front.


    ''Can you fly this?'' Veronica asked. With a big smile Eto shook his head. ''No'' but now he wished he could, looking at different buttons in the cockpit. Veronica sighed.


    ''Well, I think I can give it a try. I flew the local ships with my dad. The only difference should be that this one can go into space.''


    Eto''s heart made a little jump. Thinking about going into space made him super excited. He noticed how his hands started to shake a little bit.


    Outside they heard another explosion and they both looked through the front window into the hangar.


    ''Could that be the knight?'' Eto asked while looking at the door they came through.


    ''Let''s not wait to find out,'' Veronica said. ''Get in.''


    Inside the cockpit were two chairs in front of the main window, surrounded by buttons and handels. Behind them were two other chairs but besides that there wasn¡¯t that much space.


    ''Let''s see,'' Veronica said while sitting on the left chair.


    She pushed a few buttons and the system started to power up. Eto saw in her face that she was glad she could get the ship working.


    ''Alright, then it''s this and this one'' she mumbled to herself while pushing a few buttons.


    The moment she pressed the last button, they could hear the engines on the back of the ship start. Slowly the ship started to tremble due to the engines.


    ''Alright'' she said and she strapped herself in. Eto didn''t say a word as he followed her example.


    A voice started talking in the cockpit.


    ''Cargoship 554627 preparing for takeoff, opening hatch now.''


    The sound of doors moving came from outside and Eto bended over the button to look out the window.


    The roof of the hangar started to open and he soon realized that the ship started to float and began to rise.


    The ship moved quicker by the second and it didn¡¯t take long for it to leave the hangar and it was floating in the air. A view of a burning Apul appeared in front of them.


    ''Hold on'' Veronica said when they were hanging above the hanger. She could see the big knight walking the street and making his way to the hangar.


    She pushed a stick that was made for steering and soon the ship moved to the front and started to make speed. Eto could feel his body being pressed in the chair.


    ''Once we get through the atmosphere I can check the stability. I just want to get out of here,'' she said with haste and Eto nodded, not wanting to complain.


    The town was still burning underneath them but after the ship gained speed, Veronica pulled another stick back to move the ship up, into the dark sky.


    She pressed a few buttons, not exactly knowing why they needed to be pressed but the system suggested it.


    More ships came from the planet and were moving in different directions. The cargo ship passed the first big ship but it didn''t move. They were just hanging there. Both Eto and Veronica looked outside, surprised by their easy pass.


    The light of the burning town started to fade behind them and the dark sky in front of them swallowed their view.


    The ship began to tremble and a warning sign indicated that the stability and gravity should be turned on. The moment Veronica pressed it, she could feel the ship getting more stable and both she and Eto didn''t feel the pressure anymore. Eto moved his arms, checking if he really could move again.


    ''Aren''t your parents going to be worried?'' Eto asked, remembering Eugene and Elly. Veronica had a troubled face and realized that she had to inform them.


    She searched for the communicator and pressed for the signal of their house. After a while it was answered and her father came up on the screen.


    ''Veronica, where are you? Are you alright?'' he asked and her mum came behind him. They both looked worried, seeing their daughter on a communicator of an unknown ship.


    ''I''m fine dad but there is trouble.''


    Eugene looked at Eto like he wanted to think that he was responsible for that. Eto saw his eyes and he couldn''t blame him. Somehow, this was indeed his fault.


    ''If you return home, we will try to figure something out'' but Veronica shook her head.


    ''I''m sorry dad but I''m not coming back. I''m going to bring Eto to Etoile. We are entering the atmosphere.''


    ''You are what?'' her mother responded, almost knocking Eugene to the side. Veronica tried to ignore the tears she saw appearing in the corners of her mothers eyes.


    ''Why are you leaving? It''s not up to you to bring Eto home.''


    Veronica looked at Eto and thought about the knight.


    ''Generation Zeo came searching for Eto. He is in danger and they are also after me for helping him. Both of us are not safe on the planet. You are not safe if we stay.'' Veronica tried really hard to make it sound like this was the best choice while deep down she wanted to return to her parents.


    Eugene sighed. ''The soldiers of the council just informed us that they are arriving soon. They will deal with Generation Zero and you guys can return. It would be safe.''


    Veronica wanted to believe that and she could feel tiny tears appearing, thinking about leaving her parents behind.


    ''It will not be safe, dad. For both of us.''


    ¡®Not out there, where the safety of the council can¡¯t help you,¡¯ Eugene yelled.


    Veronica looked at Eto, remembering the power he had when he fought against the knight.


    ''Can you believe me if I tell you that being with Eto is maybe the safest place for me to be?''


    She tried to hold her tears, just as her mum tried. Her father didn''t respond but he only looked at Eto who looked back at him.


    He knew his daughter. He knew she was determined to bring Eto to Etoile. He knew she would not turn around. He said nothing but turned to Eto.


    ''Take care of her. Take care of our little girl, Eto'' he said with a heavy heart.

 Chapter 1.6 Captain Hanzou

    Somewhere just beyond the planet of Borner, a fleet of black starships were making their way out of the Borner territory. A lot of ships disappeared in space through hyperjumps but a small cluster of ships remained, floating in dark space.


    Inside the main ship, a figure in black armor walked through the hallways.


    The atmosphere in the ship was tight and while the figure passed a few crewmembers who tried to walk around him, his mind was somewhere else.


    He was called upon by his master to report his mission, something that didn''t go as planned.


    The figure wore a black helmet with two black horns on top and the white lining on the helmet made it look like a skull. A helmet that struck fear in his enemies and also his crew members.


    There was no sound in the ship, only the sound of his heavy boots walking through the halls. Muffled and echoing through the hallways. This kept going for a while until he reached the door of a certain room.


    Before his gloved hand approached the panel to unlock the door, he stopped for a second.


    He felt a little bit of fear and he focused on getting rid of it. He couldn''t be scared. He did exactly as he should have but the mission seemed more difficult than he first thought. A few ideas came to mind.


    Did he have to do something more? Had he put too much trust in his knights?


    Slowly, the person shook his head.


    No. It wasn''t easy to begin with. The result of the mission was nothing to be ashamed of. He knew that and probably his master too.


    He pressed a few buttons on the panel and the door opened. A damp musty smell came from the room but he still walked in, trying to ignore the smell.


    The room was dark, the walls covered in thin yellow slime and in the back he knew his master would be.


    ''You called me for the report'' the knight said calmly. He only made a few steps inside but he thought it was enough.


    In the back of the room he heard a sound of bones cracking, slime dripping and movement.


    He couldn''t see it because it was too dark but he knew he was there.


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    He was always there.


    A voice that sounded like nails going over a chalkboard answered.


    ''Your mission to find the boy?'' the voice asked.


    The knight stood there, silent and wondering how he should tell it.


    ''The mission,'' he started but when he thought about it, it was best to tell him immediately.


    ''The mission was a failure. We didn''t retrieve the boy.''


    Fear struck him again. All his thoughts about the mission vanished and made place for fear of his master''s reaction.


    There was no reaction, only the sound of something cracking and ripping, like something was being eaten but bones were still in it while chewing.


    The knight could feel the fear growing but he tried to ignore it. He shouldn''t be afraid of his master, even though he had never fully seen him.


    ''A failure?'' the voice said and now his mouth was making a chewing sound.


    ''Why is that?'' he asked. Suppressed anger was being sensed in his voice.


    ''I''m sorry,'' the knight said and he bent his knee to bow.


    ''What?'' the voice said, louder and more angry.


    ''I''m sorry my master, my lord,'' the knight said quickly, which seemed to calm his master down.


    After a while the voice in the dark talked again.


    ''Captain Hanzou. You have led a part of my army with great successes but at the most important moment, you fail me.''


    Captain Hanzou wanted to tell him that one of his knights failed to retrieve the boy but that would be a weak escape. He had to face the consequences.


    ''Do you know where the boy is now?'' his master asked and the captain stood up.


    ''According to my knight, he left in a ship along with the other people fleeing. I can trace him. I even found him after he flew to that planet.''


    His master rumbled with his voice, irritated but not angry yet.


    ''Find him. This is your last chance to prove your usefulness,'' the voice said more calmly than before.


    ''Thank you, my master, my lord,'' the captain answered. He felt relieved.


    He wanted to turn around and leave but something inside of him made him stay and asked the question that was bugging him for a long time.


    ''I''m sorry to ask my master but why do we need the boy? What does he have that we can''t do?''


    The moment he said those words, he regretted it already.


    He heard something moving and rumbling around him in the dark and the cracking of bones started again. He could feel his master approaching him more but nothing more than a hand appeared from the dark. A hand with seven fingers, all bent in ways that shouldn''t be possible, skinny and malformed. It pointed towards him before it slowly bent unnaturally into a fist.


    ''You fool. I need the boy because he is the only one with a power like his.''


    ''And that power might be?'' the captain asked slowly.


    The voice of his master gave off a little laugh which sounded creepy before he spoke.


    ''That boy is the one that can open the Last world.''

 Chapter 1.7 Enter space

    The cargo ship was flying through the dark space and even though they were only with the two of them, both Eto and Veronica hadn''t spoken after leaving Borner.


    Veronica was focussing on flying the ship while trying to accept that she was not gonna see her parents for a while. Eto on the other hand was busy staring out of the window into space.


    A certain tension was present but neither of them wanted to start a conversation. Both of them were lost in thoughts of everything that had happened.


    After a while, Eto sat back, looked at Veronica and thought it was time that they spoke.


    ''You okay?'' he asked quietly. Veronica showed a little smile while some tears appeared in the corners of her eyes.


    ''I was hoping you would talk first,'' she said, still looking in front of her in the deep dark space outside.


    Without thinking about it, he said ¡®they are gonna be fine.¡¯


    Veronica turned to him, with a smile on her face and a few tears coming down while she nodded. ''I know they will.''


    Both looked through the window again without anything in sight.


    ''So what is the plan?'' Eto asked, having no idea where they were.


    Veronica sighed. ''Best we can do is get away from Borner as soon as possible but if I look at the status of the ship, he is not capable of bringing us all the way to Etoile.''


    Eto looked at the screens where different numbers, colors and signs he didn''t know were displayed.


    ''So again. What is the plan?'' he said confused as he turned to Veronica. She still smiled.


    ''The nearest planet we can get to is one called Capgelu. I believe I heard of that planet before. Many travelers land there to get up on fuel or rest a bit.''


    ''Sounds great,'' Eto responded and he put his legs on the edge in front of him, going into a relaxed position.


    ''The only problem we can encounter is that there would be nobody to help us fix the ship or get us a ride. And even if we find somebody, I don''t think you have any cash?''


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    She looked at Eto who had his eyes closed, smiled and said a simple ''nope.''


    Veronica sighed again, even though she expected it.


    ''Can you search the ship if you can find some food or materials. Maybe there is something we can sell for some money.''


    ''Can''t you search for it?'' Eto asked while he was still in his relaxed position.


    ''Someone has to fly the ship!'' Veronica screamed, now getting angry and she kicked Eto out of his chair. Not wanting to anger her even more he quickly crawled to the back to find some stuff.


    In the little hangar where normally the cargo would be, Eto only saw the small boxes he had seen earlier. Luckily they seemed to be unlocked.


    He opened them to find some safety jackets and some boxes contained some sort of food. He looked at it but he could not tell what the white bars could be.


    ¡®I found something,¡¯ he yelled to Veronica while trying to move the box into the cockpit and showing it to Veronica.


    Veronica searched the dashboard and put on the autopilot for now.


    She got up to look at what was in the box Eto found.


    Eto also brought the safety jackets but she put them aside. When she saw the white bars, she seemed to be happy.


    ¡®You know what they are?¡¯ Eto asked as he saw her surprise and she nodded.


    ¡®Travel bars. Full of the necessary vitamins for travelers who are traveling for a long time and don¡¯t have time to cook.¡¯


    Eto looked at a bar and he wanted to know what they tasted like.


    He opened one and took a bite, only to spit it out again.


    ¡®Disgusting. You call this food?¡¯ he said, trying to spit the sour taste out of his mouth. Veronica couldn¡¯t help herself and laughed about it.


    ¡®It¡¯s not meant to be tasty. It is meant to be helpful.¡¯


    Eto, still spitting, looked at her sourly.


    ¡®It should be tasty. It is food,¡¯ he mumbled, still trying to get the taste out of his mouth and Veronica laughed at him.


    ¡®There is a difference between good tasty food and quick and practical food,¡¯ she said but Eto didn¡¯t seem to listen. He kept looking sourly at the bars while thinking of the good food he had ever eaten.


    Veronica closed the box and put it aside.


    ¡®It¡¯s something for now, but we have to look for ways to get money or food,¡¯ she said, taking her place again in the chair.


    ¡®Just travel bars are not gonna be enough in the long run.¡¯


    Eto grabbed the chair next to her and put his legs back in front of him.


    ¡®Best we can do now is put it on auto pilot and try to get some sleep.¡¯


    She searched with the scanner and found the planet Capgelu. Veronica inserted the destination into the autopilot and the ship turned a little bit to make its way.


    The moment she said to get some sleep, Eto realized he was exhausted.


    He looked at his arm and thought back at the short fight with the knight.


    He yawned and so did Veronica in response. They both decided to close their eyes and took as much rest as they could.

 Chapter 1.8 Capgelu! Landing at Port Perdita

    ''There it is,'' Veronica said while watching out of the window. Eto opened his eyes, still sleepy from his rest while he was trying to focus on what Veronica saw. When he looked out of the window and saw what she meant, his eyes opened weider and he was excited in an instant.


    Before them in the dark space they were traveling through was now a big blue planet.


    ''Wow,'' Eto said with amazement. He almost climbed over the controls to get closer to the window.


    ''Is that our destination?'' he asked Veronica without taking his eyes off the planet.


    ''Yes,'' she said. ''That is the planet Capgelu by the map of the ship.''


    She pressed on for the ship to enter the atmosphere and she activated the ability for the computer to find a suitable landing spot. The autopilot took over and the scanner started to search.


    The clouds were thick when they flew in but soon they saw the ground of the planet.


    ''Arriving at port Perdita, nearest landing port,'' the computer said while moving closer to the planet.


    Eto and Veronica both now saw what the planet was like.


    Huge blue mountains and barren fields of blue rocks and dirt covered most of the planet.


    Right in front of them they saw a little town on the foot of a mountain with a huge castle towering over them higher up on the mountain.


    ''Carrier, state your business'' sounded through the computer. The voice sounded cracked and Eto almost fell off his chair from the sudden noise.


    ''Port Perdita, this is a cargo ship from Borner, requesting to land,'' Veronica answered through a mic. The moment she said where they were from she immediately regretted it. What if people from Generation Zero were here to find them.


    The radio went silent for a few seconds but soon the voice said ''permission to land. Find the green light to land your carrier.''


    Veronica looked for a light and soon she saw a green light flashing close by the edge of the city. It looked like a landing platform inside a building, just like the one they left from on Borner.


    The ship came closer to the town and soon Veronica saw that something was up. She looked at Eto who was still looking surprised about landing on a new planet. Veronica turned her eyes to the town, noticing how she didn¡¯t see anyone while it was a clear day.


    The hanger from which the green light erupted opened his roof just like the hangar on Borner.


    The autopilot made the ship move above the building, ready to land inside.


    Everything trembled and even though she didn¡¯t need to control the ship, Veronica held the controls tight.


    ''Whatever you do, keep quiet,'' she told Eto, who looked surprised.


    ''Why? What will I do?'' he asked and followed Veronica who walked back to the door of the ship. The ship descended and they started to see the inside of the building.


    ''Nothing. Just stay quiet till I figured out in which situation we were in,'' she replied.


    She could feel the cold coming from outside and quickly grabbed the safety jackets Eto found and put it on. It was a thick orange jacket that would keep her warm.


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    The ship stopped and they could feel that it had landed. A beeping sound from the cockpit made sure the ship had indeed landed.


    She pushed the buttons on the side of the door to open them and she could feel a cold breeze entering the ship.


    Down on the ground, next to the ship was an old man standing.


    His hair was gray and sticking out on all sides. He wore a brown coat and rested on a cane.


    ''Welcome to port Perdita. You must be survivors from Borner?'' the man asked gently.


    Veronica didn''t know what to think of the man but she slowly nodded.


    ''That damn Generation Zero. Always making a mess of things,'' the old man almost yelled.


    ¡®Thank you,¡¯ Veronica slowly said as she walked outside.


    ¡®How did you know we are survivors?¡¯ she asked. The old man looked at her with a warm smile on his face.


    ¡®We intercepted a signal that generation Zero had attacked Borner. I wasn¡¯t weird to think survivors would come here.¡¯


    A young girl ran towards them and grabbed the old man''s arm.


    ''Grandpa, don''t get all pumped up. It''s bad for your heart,'' the girl said with a squeaky voice.


    Veronica looked at the girl and Eto stood behind her, taking an interest in the old man and the girl.


    ''I''m sorry sweetie but I can''t help it. Those troublemakers should be dealt with,'' the man said in frustration but he soon calmed down like the little girl said. She had brown hair like Veronica and big pink ribbons wrapped in them.


    ''I''m sorry we had to make a stop here but,'' Veronica said but the old man interrupted.


    ''No problem girl'' the old man said and he waved to both her and Eto to follow him.


    ¡®At least we know our transmitter works,¡¯ the girl said with a squeaky voice.


    ¡®Your transmitter?¡¯Eto asked, talking for the first time.


    The girl turned around and walked backwards.


    ¡®Yeah. All communication is broken but we managed to build a new one,¡¯ she said but her grandpa interrupted her by petting her on her head.


    ¡®That¡¯s not their concern sweetie,¡¯ and he looked at Veronica and Eto with a smile.


    ''It''s cold outside and we have warm soup inside,'' the man said while walking away.


    ''Soup? Like real food?'' Eto asked, thinking about the food bars and already following the man.


    Veronica hit his head with her hand and luckily nobody saw it.


    The old man and the girl didn''t seem bad and she began to follow them too.


    The old man brought them to his home, next to the hangar.


    The houses were round and low when they stood inside but huge pipes with warm water were attached to the walls to keep it warm.


    ''Look, look,'' the little girl said and she pulled Eto with her to a small room. ''Here is the soup you wanted,'' knowing that the boy had a huge interest in the soup while they walked in.


    ''You can take the coat off dear,'' the old man said while ticking against the pipes with his cane.


    ''Great,'' Veronica said with a smile and she took her coat off, embracing the warmth in the house.


    Veronica began to sit on a chair she was offered. Eto on the other hand was already filling his second bowl of soup.


    ''Luckily it''s warm here.  We didn''t expect Capgelu to be an ice planet,'' she said while she talked to the man.


    Veronica never really heard from travelers what kind of planet it was. Only for what it was used.


    ''Oh but it is not an ice planet my dear,'' the man said, taking a seat on a coach in the shape of a half circle.


    ''But the cold outside?'' Veronica asked. ''And the blue mountains and ground?''


    ''That''s Capgelu dirt for you'' the old man said laughing with a smile.


    ''Capgelu always had blue dirt and rocks but it''s not an ice planet, oh no,'' he said and with those words his smile faded.


    ''But how come it''s so cold?'' Veronica asked as the young girl handed her a bowl of soup. The old man looked at her and he seemed distressed with something.


    ''Unlucky for us, port Perdita is now under the authority of Ased.''


    ''Ased?'' Veronica asked and the old man nodded.


    She took her first sip and could feel the warmth of the soup warming her body.


    ''He came a while back, holding the town hostage with his devilish star shard powers.''


    The old man stopped because Eto and Veronica both looked at him a little shocked.


    ''A star shard user, like me?'' Eto said with interest towards the man and the old man looked at Eto with fear in his eyes.


    Eto, you idiot, is what Veronica thought, remembering that she told him to keep quiet.

 Chapter 1.9 The state of Port Perdita

    The old man looked at Eto with fear in his eyes, and Eto suddenly realized what Veronica meant by keeping quiet.


    ''Don''t worry, I''m not a bad guy,'' he quickly said with a grin on his face that exposed how uncomfortable he was. Veronica was afraid that they had blown it but the old man seemed calmed down.


    ''I believe you, you don''t seem like the bad type,'' he said and the little girl laughed hard. ''Right grandpa. Eto is not a bad guy,'' she said and she squeezed and pulled Eto¡¯s cheeks.


    ''Would you cut that out?'' he mumbled and it made the old man laugh.


    ''Veronica sighed, grateful that Eto had helped himself out of this situation. She tried to focus on eating again while the rest calmed down.


    ''I''m so sorry. We now know your name but you don''t know ours,'' the man said.


    ''My name is Vieli and this is my granddaughter''s name,'' but the little girl jumped in and screamed ''Odila.''


    ''Lovely to meet you. My name is Veronica and that is Eto, of course,'' she said and she pointed to him. The three of them noticed he had already taken a third bowl of soup and was devouring it like an animal who had not eaten in days.


    ''Easy, there is more,'' Vieli said, trying to calm him down and Eto looked at him with a grateful face.


    ''I''m sorry to ask but you were telling us about Ased?'' Veronica asked, remembering the name Vieli mentioned.


    Both Odilia and Vieli started to look worried.


    ''Ased is a Nieve giant who came one day, attacking the town with his star shard power.''


    Veronica saw the man taking a quick glance at Eto but he soon looked away.


    ''He came to this town, searching for a man but when nobody wanted to tell where the man was, he froze the town, and took refuge in the castle up the mountain. Everyday the town gets more and more frozen. Some houses are already completely frozen in and soon the whole town and its folk will be completely frozen and imprisoned with nowhere to go. He gave us the opportunity to free the town if we gave him the man he was searching for but nobody is a traitor in these parts.''


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    Eto finished his soup and put his bowl down. He had listened to the story of Vieli.


    ''Who was he searching for?'' Eto asked and both  Vieli and Odilia said together ''professor Hawk.''


    ''Hmm'' Veronica said quietly. ''And calling in the soldiers of the worlds? Telling them about the situation?'' but Vieli shook his head.


    ''We believe that Ased has a contact within the soldiers. One who keeps a blind eye to port Perdita. All radio contact we try to other planets has been cut. We can only receive information by the transmitter I built not so long ago. That''s why we know about the attack on Borner. It was one of the few messages we received.¡¯


    ''And escaping?'' Veronica suggested, not wanting to believe that nothing was possible.


    ''Everybody is afraid Ased will get you when you try to escape. He is always watching from the castle. We tried reaching other towns on Capgelu but everybody is afraid that Ased will get them if they tried to help us.''


    Veronica didn''t say anything. She just couldn¡¯t believe these people could do nothing and others turned a blind eye to Port Perdita.


    It was quiet for a few moments before Eto started talking again.


    ''And giving the man he wants?'' he asked but Vieli started laughing.


    ''Giving the professor is the same as bowing down to criminals. We are not like that in Port Perdita,'' Vieli said and Eto suddenly realized that he could remember a few lessons he had from his grandpa.


    ''A holy knight should always be there to help people. They don''t give in to the crimes and temptations of criminals,'' were the words that echoed through his mind.


    The rest started to finish their soup before Vieli started to ask some questions.


    ''I hope you weren''t hurt during the attack of Generation Zero?'' he asked, looking at Veronica and Eto if maybe they were hurt.


    Veronica did briefly think about her parents but she shook her head. She didn¡¯t want to involve people in her problems.


    ''We got away in time,'' and the man showed a relieved face.


    ''So, what are you gonna do now?'' Odilia asked, now she was sitting calm.


    ``We have to find someone who can help us with our transport, or help us to,'''' but Eto was having trouble with the name he wanted to mention.


    ''Etoile,'' Veronica said to finish Eto''s sentence.


    ''We are trying to get to Etoile but we only have the cargo ship and no money,'' she quickly said, feeling guilty while looking at the soup they just had. They had nothing to give for the food they have been given.


    ''Hmm,'' Vieli said. He closed his eyes while thinking.


    ''Even with enough money, it''s still gonna be a problem to get someone to help you.''


    ''Why is that?'' Eto asked and Vieli opened his eyes to look at him.


    ''The one who can fix your ship is the same professor who Ased is looking for. We know where he is but he is frozen in and we have no idea how to reach him.''

 Chapter 1.10 The power of Ased

    Eto stood up and looked at Vieli.


    ''Show us where we can find this professor. We need him to get me back home,'' he said, suddenly very seriously. Veronica was surprised by Eto''s sudden change of attitude but she agreed with him. They had to find a way to keep going.


    ''If you want to,'' Vieli said before he stood up. He struggled a bit because of his old body.


    He pointed towards another door, opposite from the one they came from.


    The door through which they entered was connected to the landing platform.


    Odilia already ran to the other door and opened it, letting light come in with a breeze.


    The weather outside was sunny but with a cold wind going through the town.


    Veronica stepped outside , holding her jacket tight and looked at the buildings.


    They were all shaped differently with round and straight shaped houses. Most of them were covered in a thick layer of ice and even though it wasn''t snowing at the moment, a layer of the stuff was laying on the street.


    When Eto walked outside, the snow made a sound under his boots which took his attention.


    ''What is this?'' he asked, walking up and down to hear the snow crack under his boots.


    ''It is snow,'' Veronica said and at that moment she didn''t know what to think of Eto.


    He seemed to know enough of the world but sometimes it seemed like he didn''t know anything. It was hard for her to understand what was going on inside that head of his.


    ''Oh, so this is snow?'' he said while looking at her and back to his feet. He kept walking to hear the sound.


    ''Grandpa had told me about snow but I could never imagine what it looked like.''


    ''Are you not cold?'' Vieli asked while he and Odilia walked out wearing a thick coat.


    Eto looked at them and realized with their question, the cold temperature he was standing in with his short sleeves.


    ''No, I''m good,'' he said, not feeling the cold that much. It took Veronica and the old man by surprise as Odilia ran down the street.


    Vieli led Eto and Veronica through the streets to the center of the town, keeping an eye on his granddaughter.


    ''Is it always so quiet in the streets?'' Veronica asked while she looked at the houses. She noticed how some doors and windows were frozen in, like Vieli mentioned with the professor.


    ''Not before Ased came. The town was flourishing with people and everybody was always helping each other. Now they stay indoors. Some by choice, some because they are stuck.''


    ''Like the professor?'' Eto asked and Vieli nodded.


    ''Most people stay indoors, keeping the heat in and waiting. Waiting and hoping for Ased to go away for some reason.''


    Vieli sighed more and more when he told the story, releasing steam with every word he said.


    Odilia walked in front of them, running through the snow. Veronica looked at her and when she was out of ear range, Veronica stepped next to Vieli.


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    ''I''m sorry to ask but where are Odillia''s parents? Shouldn''t they be with you?''


    Vieli heard her but he didn''t look at her. Veronica saw a little tear appearing in the corner of his eye.


    ''When Ased came and searched for the professor, nobody helped him. When he tried to threaten or hurt people, some townsfolk came into resistance but Ased proved to be too strong with his star shard powers.''


    Veronica didn''t ask but she kept hearing her question about Odilia''s parents in her mind.


    ''They resisted to Ased, and they didn''t make it,'' Vieli said with a heavy heart.


    ''I''m so sorry,'' Veronica asked and she looked at Odillia who was still jumping around playing. She almost regretted asking it.


    ''They are away, to gather an army,'' Vieli said and he and Veronica looked at each other.


    ''That is what Odillia knows. I didn''t have the heart to tell her yet that her parents are gone.''


    Veronica felt the same feeling when she had said goodbye to her parents and she nodded that she understood.


    After a while they came into the center of town, where a big plaza was. It was decorated with trees and benches but they were all frozen in by the ice.


    Eto was struggling keeping balance on the stone ground which turned smooth because of the snow.


    ''How come the cold came here? You told us it came when Ased grabbed authority of port Perdita?'' Veronica asked, still baffled by how the whole town was almost covered in ice.


    ''That is his power,'' Vieli said while leaning on a bench to rest.


    ''The ice,'' he said. ''That is his power.''


    ''You mean to tell me that he froze the whole town with his power?'' Eto asked, getting closer and Vieli nodded.


    ''What kind of a man would do such a thing?'' he asked, thinking about his grandpa and what he taught him about using your powers for good.


    ''An evil man,'' Vieli said with anger to Eto and after that he called Odilia. When she came back, Vieli held her by the shoulder.


    ''From now on, I want you to stay with me. No doubt Ased is watching us from the castle.''


    Slowly both Eto and Veronica looked up.


    On the horizon beyond the town was a huge blue mountain. Towering above the town on the foot of the mountain they saw a blue castle, probably covered in ice.


    ''Could he?'' Veronica asked. She noticed she whispered. Vieli looked over his shoulder to the castle. It almost looked like he was afraid.


    ''We are not sure but for the past months we had the feeling he could tell what was going on.''


    Veronica felt scarred, feeling like she was being watched but she couldn''t tell from where.


    ''The professor?'' Eto asked, wanting to move on. He didn¡¯t seem to be affected by the atmosphere for too long. Vieli looked again over his shoulder but then responded ''this way.''


    They passed the plaza and walked to a large building that appeared in front of them.


    It was different from the houses they had passed.


    It was round shaped with another floor above that made it higher. It was completely covered in ice and in front of them was a huge round door made of iron, also covered in thick ice.


    ''The professor¡¯s house. This was the last place the professor was before Ased covered the whole town in ice. Even though the ice grew more and more the past months, this building has been covered and trapped from the beginning.''


    Veronica walked to the door, slowly touching the ice and she felt how the ice would try to freeze to her hand.


    ¡®If this one was frozen from the start, you think Ased knew where he could be?¡¯ she asked and Vieli raised his shoulders.


    `We don¡¯t know if he was still in there when the ice came. All we know is that we haven¡¯t seen him for some time.¡¯


    ''No way of getting in?'' she asked and Vieli shook his head.


    ''Me and other townsfolk tried it many times but after a while we stopped. Nothing seemed to work and we don''t know if the professor is holding up there.''


    ''Hmm,'' Veronica mumbled while holding her chin with her hand.


    ''Let me try,'' Eto said and he pushed Veronica gently to the side.


    He formed a fist and took his arm back, as if he was ready to punch the door.


    His arm started to glow again like Veronica had seen when he was fighting the knight. Again, it took her attention as she was curious what his powers were.


    ''But that is,'' Vieli said but he stopped because he was too baffled.


    ''A star shard power?'' Odilia finished the sentence, also looking baffled at the arm of Eto.

 Chapter 1.11 Meet the professor

    Eto kept his arm back, ready to punch it started to  glow even more.


    Even though Veronica had seen it before, she was still amazed by what she saw happening in front of them. Both Vieli and Odilia were looking at Eto with big eyes.


    ''Maybe this will work,'' Eto said and he punched against the ice where the door was behind.


    The moment his fist hit the ice, you could hear the ice crack and it only took a matter of seconds for not only the ice, but also the door behind it to break.


    The pieces of ice flew past them and the door, mostly shattered, fell inside.


    Eto''s arm stopped glowing and he smiled, knowing his plan worked.


    While the rest was still baffled about what just happened, Eto stepped over the rubble to enter the building.


    Inside, some lights burned which made it possible for Eto to look at the room.


    The round shaped room was filled with different desks, all filled with machines and stuff Eto never had seen. The walls were filled with papers with drawings on them. Some weird coloured liquid could be seen in different shapes of bottles on the tables.


    At the back was a staircase which would lead upstairs. On the other side of the room at a desk, sat a man who looked around to the sound of the door that had just been broken.


    ''Excuse me?'' the man said fairly calmly.


    Eto looked at the man. He wore a long white lab coat and his long silver hair was held together in a ponytail. On his head were some sort of goggles with which he looked at Eto.


    ''You the professor?'' Eto asked while pointing at him.


    ''And what if I am?'' the man asked, clearly not amused by his house break in.


    ''Easy, easy Eto,'' a voice said and Vieli came inside, grabbing Eto and waving at the professor.


    ''He is with me, professor,'' Vieli said and the tension disappeared.


    The professor took off his goggles and kept looking at Eto. It somehow made Eto nervous as Vieli walked past him.


    Vieli walked to the professor and they shook hands. They looked at each other as they hadn''t seen each other for some time.


    Still, Eto could feel the professor keeping an eye on him.


    ''We didn''t know how you were holding up,'' Vieli said and the professor nodded.


    ''I could survive,'' he said with a small smile but soon looked serious.


    ''How is the town?'' he asked and Vieli shook his head with a sad face.


    ''Not much has changed. People are getting more trapped and that damn Ased is still in the castle.''


    The professor looked behind Vieli to Veronica and Odilia who just stepped inside.


    ''I''m sorry to burst in like this professor, but these people need your help and this boy was the one who could help you get out.''


    Odilia jumped forward, almost jumping into the professor¡¯s arms who luckily could calm her by petting her head.


    The professor looked back at Eto and walked towards him until he was standing right in front of him.


    ''You''re Eto?'' he asked and he looked at him. Eto felt uncomfortable but he stayed still. The eyes of the professor looked at him like he had found something he had lost and somehow, Eto had a feeling he had seen those eyes before.


    ''Have I met you before?'' Eto asked. The professor kept studying his face.


    ''You don''t know who I am?'' he asked seriously and even though Eto thought he recognized him from somewhere, he could not tell from where so he shook his head. The professor''s face changed and a little smirk appeared on his face.


    ''I''m surprised. I''m a widely known professor after all.'' He folded his arms, making a grand post.


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    ''Of which name?'' Veronica asked who stepped into the picture.


    She looked at the professor. She thought the professor would be an old guy but this guy was maybe a little bit older than them.


    ''I''m so sorry for not introducing me yet,'' the professor said with a bow.


    ''I am Professor Hawk, at your service'' he said and he looked at Veronica.


    ''Nice to meet you, I''m Veronica and you already met this boy named Eto'' she said and Professor Hawk looked at Eto. ''Yes, we did'' he mumbled.


    Eto looked at the professor again and only now he saw that the professor''s right arm was a complete robotic arm covered by the sleeve of his lab coat.


    ''Wow, that is so cool,'' Eto responded and without asking, he grabbed the arm.


    The professor pulled it away. ''That is private, don''t you know what that is?'' the professor asked angrily.


    ''Unfortunately, he doesn''t,'' Veronica said with a sigh, remembering the bathroom moment at home.


    Vieli stepped in and put his hand on the shoulder of professor Hawk.


    ''I''m sorry for the door,'' he said but the professor laughed.


    ''No problem'' he said and he pulled the sleeve from his robotic arm.


    It was silver with a few buttons on them and he pushed a couple.


    Somewhere in the room, a sound was made and after a few seconds, a robot appeared.


    He was made of the same material, with four long rubber arms and on his head a few light bulbs that were going off.


    ''TYO-02, clean and fix the door please,'' the professor said and immediately the robot made his way to the door. It made some sounds before it started to pull together the rubble.


    ''That is so cool,'' Eto said with big eyes and he kept following the robot to study without getting in his way.


    The professor sighed, thinking it was better to let Eto alone for now.


    ''You told me they need my help?'' professor Hawk asked and Vieli nodded.


    ''Best to tell during a cup of tea?'' Vieli asked and the professor nodded.


    He guided them upstairs while Veronica had to pull Eto away from the robot who was still cleaning.


    On the upper floor was a big room with chairs and a lot of bookcases. Some doors led to different rooms.


    Upstairs they had a drink and Vieli explained why Veronica and Eto needed help. Veronica also explained their situation and how they came here, with the escape from Borner and Generation Zero. After that she mentioned how she got to know Eto and the professor looked at Eto, smiling.


    ''That explains the memories,'' he said and they looked at him, asking what he meant.


    ''Well, I''m no doctor, I''m a professor, but I can imagine getting down with a blast like that leaves some damage. In this case the memories. That explained why he didn''t recognize me,'' professor Hawk said with a little ego and a smile. They could all see he was faking the self confidence as much as he could


    ''I also didn''t recognise you,'' Veronica said and it cracked the professor''s ego.


    Soon he smiled and rubbed the back of his head with his hand.


    ¡®Guess it¡¯s not in my character to be that proud,¡¯ he said.


    They sat for a while and when the conversation and introductions ended, professor Hawk looked at both Eto and Veronica.


    ''So you need to get to Etoile, to get Eto home to Green point, am I correct?'' he asked and they both nodded.


    ''I thought you might be the one to help them,'' Vieli told him and professor Hawk nodded.


    ''I can but only not in this place. What type of cargo ship did you say you had?''


    '' A 554627 type,'' Vieli said, remembering it from the docking data.


    ''That''s no good,'' the professor said and Veronica asked why.


    ''Those type of cargo ships are not meant to travel far. Mostly a short distance between two planets and no further. No, we have to get my ship,'' he said and Eto looked at him with big eyes.


    ''A bigger ship?'' he asked with a look like he looked at the robot before.


    ¡®?ot necessary bigger but better. It can get us to any planet within the cluster. Unfortunately, it is not here.''


    ''Then where is it?'' Veronica asked and she noticed that both the professor and Vieli looked sad.


    ''In my main lab, up in the castle,'' Professor Hawk said quietly and calm.


    Veronica understood that it would be a problem but Eto didn''t get it.


    ''So? Why don''t we go there to get the ship?''


    Everbody looked like he said something stupid and the professor almost laughed.


    ''You wanna go there? Where Ased is?'' he asked and Eto nodded.


    Professor Hawk''s face turned more serious.


    ''That is ridiculous. We would all be in danger,''  Vieli told them and he grabbed odilia, almost like he was scared of losing her.


    ''We won''t,'' Eto said with a grin on his face. ''I will kick his butt and then we could get the ship. Heck, we could even rescue the town.''


    What Eto said almost sounded like a plan, a stupid plan but Veronica thought about it and looked to the professor and Vieli.


    ''I know this sounds crazy but he may be right. I don''t know how strong that Ased guy is and I still don''t understand what Eto can do but I have a feeling that he could do it.''


    ''Because of his starshard power?'' Vieli asked and both he and Odilia looked at Eto''s chest.


    ''Star shard user'' professor Hawk mumbled and he let out a laugh.


    ''I think this might actually work, but first let''s get some rest. I will make sure that TYO-02 will get some beds ready so I can make some dinner.''


    He stood up and walked to the other side of the room where a self made kitchen was installed.


    ''Do I need to help?'' Veronica asked politely but the professor shook his head with a smile.


    ''Sweetheart, if there is one thing I could be more interested in than machines, it''s cooking'' and he started to prepare the kitchen.

 Chapter 1.12 The night with the professor

    When everybody found a bed to sleep in, they all thought about the day they have had.


    Vieli and Veronica prepared a table to eat on while Eto was looking at how professor Hawk was cooking.


    He replaced his forearm from his robotic arm and put a part on it which had multiple tiny grapple hooks and a spatula in the middle.


    ''My best work,'' he said with a grin to Eto who got more amazed with every little thing the professor did.


    The tiny grapple hooks all worked to prepare different vegetables and spices while the professor was overlooking the pans with his normal arm.


    His whole cooking progress was like a show and when Veronica and Vieli were done dining the table, they joined Eto together with Odillia to the show that the professor was giving while cooking.


    When he was done they had so many different things to eat.


    Steamed vegetables, roasted meat and duck, potatoes in three different ways prepared and a little desert that stayed cold on the ice outside.


    Professor Hawk was besides a genius with machines, also a great cook who prepared a full dinner from his reservings.


    Eto ate like he never ate before, with every bite thinking that he doesn''t have to eat those awful food bars.


    ''Sorry, this is not the best. Normally I would try to make a real dish but I had to work with the food I had left.''


    ''Are you kidding me?'' Veronica said, baffled while quickly taking a bite. ''This is,'' but Eto interrupted her with his mouth full ''the best!''


    The professor smiled and thanked them. It had been a few months since he had eaten with people. Normally he would make something and eat it while he kept working.


    After dinner everybody felt tired and the night had already come so everybody searched for a place to sleep that TYO-02 had prepared.


    The front door was repaired to keep the cold out and the professor took this opportunity to place cameras outside.


    That night everybody slept deeply and Eto could be heard through the night, snoring.


    Veronica however couldn''t sleep and was gazing at the ceiling, thinking about how her life had changed so quickly with no idea how it would go on.


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    She noticed the professor leaving his bed and quietly going to his workplace downstairs and when she knew she couldn''t fall asleep, she got out and went to him.


    ''Can''t sleep?'' the professor asked while soldering something. He had his goggles on again and he kept looking at his tools. He noticed how Veronica came into the room.


    ''It''s hard. We are going up in a fight of which we don''t know how it will turn out. I saw my planet getting attacked and I got involved with Generation Zero and now I''m on the run with no idea how my lifes gonna be.''


    While saying those words, she suddenly realized how hard her life would be from now on. A reality that hit her hard.


    The professor stopped his work and looked at Veronica. He put his goggles off and offered her the chair next to him.


    ''Listen sweetheart, I can tell you from experience that life sometimes can make sudden changes. Sometimes bad but most of the time it is meant to be this way.''


    Veronica walked to the chair and sat next to him, rubbing her arm, feeling a little cold.


    ''It''s just, I''m afraid my parents are in trouble. We left them while the planet was under attack.''


    Professor Hawk put one of his tools away.


    ''Vieli told me that the soldiers of the worlds made their way to Borner. It is something he picked up with his transmitter. I¡¯m surprised that an old man like him was able to make something like that.¡¯


    He looked at Veronica but he saw in her eyes she was still worried.


    ¡®It is safe to say that the planet is under protection now. Generation Zero must be long gone.''


    ''Looking for us,'' she said, a little scared and slowly the professor nodded.


    ''That is indeed the case,'' he said and the conversation ended. From atop of the staircase they could hear Eto snoring.


    ''He is a special one, isn''t he?'' the professor asked and Veronica looked surprised.


    ''What do you mean?'' she asked him.


    ''I mean, you have helped him and now you are traveling with him to get him back home,'' he said and Veronica gave a smile.


    ''You were also the first one to believe he could fight Ased. That is something that must come from trust,'' the professor said and they could hear Eto snoring again. It made Veronica laugh.


    ''I don''t know. There is indeed something about him that makes me jump in to help him. Even though he sometimes irritates me,'' Veronica said with a laugh. The professor laughed too.


    ''That must be a good change in your life, like I said.''


    Veronica now understood what he meant and it made her feel better.


    She looked to his right arm, the robotic one who was still working with a tool.


    ''How did that happen?'' she asked and she nodded to the arm.


    Professor Hawk looked at his arm which stopped and turned a little bit. Then the corner of his mouth revealed a little smile.


    ''We all make sacrifices, for friends that we trust,'' he said without looking at Veronica. His robotic fingers moved a little bit.


    Their conversation came to an end as the professor started to continue his word. When Veronica made her way back to her bed, she could feel her eyes getting heavy. The moment she layed down, she fell into a deep sleep, ignoring the loud snoring of Eto.

 Chapter 1.13 Preparations for the plan

    The next morning, professor Hawk was already up and working on his machines. Veronica stayed in her bed longer than needed. It felt like she finally had a good sleep after everything that had happened. The empty beds beside her made her know for sure she needed her sleep.


    Eto was downstairs, following TYO-02 around and observing what he was doing. Vieli and Odilia made breakfast with what the professor had left.


    ''Morning,'' Veronica said and everybody responded, except for Eto who still had his attention on the robot.


    She looked around and for a moment, it looked like everything was fine. As if nothing was wrong and they all enjoyed their time. Ofcourse, this wasn''t the case.


    ''Hate to be the one to interrupt a lovely morning but if we are gonna get through with the idea by confronting Ased and taking back the castle and town, we need to make a plan. Now,'' the professor said, still looking at the machine he was working on.


    ''Well, what could be the plan?'' Veronica asked and she took a seat at the table. ''You guys know this Ased guy and the town better than us.''


    Vieli and Odilia joined her while serving something that looked like bread but was shaped differently. Some sort of raisins were mixed in the texture.


    ''Do you guys have any weapons?'' the professor asked. Veronica thought about Eto''s powers but other than that they had nothing. She took a bite from the food and slowly shook her head.


    ''Nope. Do you have some?'' she asked and the professor looked at her with a tony smile.


    Quickly he changed his forearm like he did with cooking only this time the replacement forearm was the loop of a gun.


    ''Multiple weapons in fact. But only usable by me,'' he said, for the first time looking into the room. He held his arm up, showing the weapon to everyone.


    They all looked at Eto who still had no idea the conversation was going.


    ''Well, he has something,'' Vieli said and they all agreed. Eto¡¯s powers were something everyone had witnessed.


    ''Do you know how to use a weapon?'' the professor asked Veronica and she laughed uncomfortably.


    ''I know how to use a stick. Worked with those on the farm,'' she said jokingly and the moment she said it, she thought how stupid it sounded.


    Still, the professor looked up and walked to another desk with machines.


    ''I think I have something,'' he said while searching between the parts.


    Veronica stood up and walked to him, looking at the table until the professor found what he was looking for.


    ''Aha, found it,'' he said and what he was holding up was indeed a stick.


    ''What''s that?'' she asked and he smiled while showing it to her.


    ''This is something I have been working on. It''s still a prototype but for now it will do,'' he explained. He held it in his hands while showing it to Veronica.


    The stick was just thirty centimeters long but the professor pushed a button and in an instant, it flipped out to a long stick.


    ''Wow, that is cool,'' Veronica said and her words took the attention of Eto, who quickly walked to them to take a look at it.


    ''Most batons are installed with a simple defense system such as electricity or fire. I''ve been working on this one to work with more than that. A more advanced system of the normal baton,'' he said and he gave it to Veronica.


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    ''She held it and gave it a few swings, noticing how light it was.


    ''If you are capable of handling a pitchfork or something, this will definitely feel natural'' he said with a wink. Veronica looked at it, feeling this was made for her and she could feel the confidence rise in her.


    ¡®And this,¡¯ Professor Hawk said and he pressed the last button.


    Veronica felt the baton moving and around the hand she used holding it, a shield formed, connected to the long sides of the baton.


    ¡®For self defense,¡¯ the professor said to explain. Veronica gazed at it with wonder and after pushing the button again, the shield disappeared and the stick returned to his smaller size.


    ''Cool, can I have one?'' Eto asked, looking at the baton. The professor put his hand on Eto''s face and pushed him away.


    ''May I remind you that you already own a weapon'' he said, laughing at Eto for interrupting the moment. ¡®You are a weapon,¡¯ he said laughing.


    Eto looked at his arms and smiled. ''That''s right.''


    They got to the table but Veronica looked at a little machine at the side of the table and picked it up.


    ''What is this?'' she asked. The machine was small, with a loop and different buttons.


    The professor looked and smiled, knowing he could tell about one of his inventions.


    ''That is a Snapper 2.6'' he said with pride.


    ''A snapper?'' she asked because the name sounded familiar.


    ''Yes. A normal snapper is used to capture images and information of different animals, plants or other things for the Encyclopedia of the worlds. Normally you have to bring the snapper to the capital to submit your information but with this one you can upload it directly.''


    ¡®Is it that hard to transmit stuff? Seems like something easy to do,¡¯ Veronica said, looking at the object with curiosity.


    ¡®True, but all information has to be screened before being uploaded. Misinformation is quickly spread and the council likes to keep things in order. Except for this baby here.¡¯


    ''Sounds like that can''t be really legal, now is it?'' Vieli asked and the professor''s smile turned into an evil grin.


    ''We can''t always be legal now can we,'' he said, enjoying the idea that he created something that goes beyond the legal boundaries.


    ''Cool,'' Veronica said and then pointed the loop to the professor and looked into the glass.


    ''So if I want to take a picture of a Dhunn cow, I can do it like this?''


    ''Are you suggesting I''m a cow?'' the professor asked softly. He seemed to enjoy seeing Veronica use his machine.


    Veronica looked again at the machine and gave a smile of joy.


    ''Can I keep it?'' she asked and the face of the professor suddenly changed. He looked at her seriously.


    ''Certainly not. That is a high priced prototype that I still have to show to the main center of professors. If I''m correct, that machine can make me rich.''


    Veronica''s face turned sad. ''Too bad,'' and she returned the machine to the desk.


    ''Can we get to the plan?'' Eto asked, waiting till they started to tell what they were gonna do.


    Professor Hawk began sitting next to him and Veronica joined them, taking some food Odilia gave her.


    ''The way to the castle is a path through the foot of the mountain. No doubt the snow and ice would be thicker and harder as we would approach it. There''s also a chance we would encounter some Capgelu bears although I don''t know if they stayed here with the cold.''


    ''Capgelu bears?'' Veronica asked. She loved to see some animals she had never seen but knowing it would be bears, she knew it could be dangerous.


    ''That''s right,'' professor Hawk said. ''Big furry monsters who roam the mountains. No doubt some are left who are hunting for food.''


    Veronica looked a bit scared but Eto seemed fully convinced to go.


    ''I want to see some bears,'' he said. It looked like he completely forgot why they would travel there for a moment.


    ''If it''s alright with you, we are gonna stay in town,'' Vieli said, holding Odilia near him.


    ''I believe this could be an adventure too great for us.''


    The professor and Veronica nodded, understanding why they would stay. The encounter with Ased could be dangerous and it was no place for an old man and a little girl.


    ''Alright, I think the only thing left is for us to go,'' Eto said while standing up.


    Even though how dangerous their mission was, he seemed completely convinced to go and it was something that made both Veronica and the professor laugh for a bit, thinking about their conversation last night.


    ''Let''s go!'' Eto said when he saw everybody smile and before they knew it, he already marched to the door to leave.


    ''Wait,'' the professor said and they all stood up.


    ''We''re gonna need some stuff before we go,'' and he walked to his desk to get some things before they left.

 Chapter 1.14 Dangers of the mountain

    Eto, Veronica and professor Hawk left his house and made their way to the outside of town. Vieli and Odilia stayed behind, hoping the plan would succeed. The cold and silent streets Eto and Veronica had walked through before seemed to spread through the whole town. All the while, the castle was lurking over them from a distance.


    Veronica moved her hand and felt the baton hanging on her hip, making sure she still was armed. This was the first time she would be engaged in combat, and it seemed like it could matter for life or death. The thought scared her but she managed to pull through. There was no choice. They had to do this to go further.


    Eto was walking in front, smiling and not bothering the cold at all. Professor Hawk walked behind them, checking the buildings of the town because he hadn''t seen them in a while.


    ''Sure got worse,'' he mumbled before they came to the edge of the town.


    What was left in front of them seemed like a small mountain path covered in snow with stones and rocks to the side which would lead to the castle.


    ''I guess this way?'' Eto asked while looking up the path.


    ''Yes,'' professor Hawk said and he stood beside him.


    ''There is a chance Ased already knows we are coming. That takes away the element of surprise.''


    Eto punched his fist into his other hand.


    ''No matter. I will still kick his butt anyway,'' he said with confidence.


    It was these moments, Veronica thought she was safe with him, even though she was still scared for their trip up the castle.


    They followed the path and after a while, the path became more steep and slippery, making it harder to walk.


    ''Be careful. One wrong step and you could get yourself hurt,'' professor Hawk said after feeling how unstable his steps sometimes were. The snow surely made a dangerous change to the area.


    Veronica was walking behind them now, taking small steps to make sure she could not fall.


    Eto, ofcourse, was almost jumping in front of him, not aware of the danger.


    A few climbs further, Eto stopped and pointed in front of him.


    ''What is that?'' he asked.


    Professor Hawk took a few careful steps to get next to him and looked to where Eto was pointing. When he saw what it was, he looked shocked.


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    ''Watch out. Like I thought, some Capgelu bears stayed even though the snow covered most of the mountain.''


    Eto watched the animals he had spotted.


    They were large with wooly blue fur. They did not seem dangerous but when Eto saw the claws that the bears had, he understood what the professor meant that they should be careful. He also noticed they had six legs and a large snout sticking to the front.


    ''So that is a Capgelu bear,'' Veronica said, who slowly joined them.


    They heard a little clicking sound beside them and the professor saw she was holding the snapper in her hands.


    ''You took it with you?'' he wanted to scream but he kept his voice down. He had to try to contain his anger.


    ''Yeah, I really wanted to test it,'' Veronica said, taking more pictures from the bears.


    ''I told you you could not take it. It''s an expensive prototype,'' the professor said angry but silently. Veronica gave him a smile. ''You''re the one who said you can''t always be legal.''


    While Veronica tried to get closer to the animals, professor Hawk gritted his teeth with anger.


    ''Let''s get closer,'' Eto said but when he took the first step, Veronica already feared what would happen. And it did.


    As always, Eto was louder than he thought he was and with the first steps he took, the bears got their attention. Both Eto and Veronica froze from their eyes staring at them and it didn''t take long for the animals to show their teeth and start to walk their way.


    ''Damn, what did I say to be careful,'' the professor said and he accepted that they could not run away from the animals.


    He quickly walked in front of Eto and Veronica, making sure they were behind him as he saw that the bears started to walk faster until they ran into their direction.


    Professor Hawk opened his lab coat, revealing a belt on which different types of metal forearms were attached. He pushed a button and the belt started to spin until an open spot was next to him.


    He put his arm in which made it happen that his forearm was released from his upper arm.


    The belt spun again and this time a different forearm stopped under his upper arm.


    He equipped the new forearm and this time he didn''t have a hand but it was more like canon.


    ''Stay back,'' he yelled and watched the bears getting closer.


    ''Don''t hurt them'' Veronica said, thinking the bears would only attack them out of defense.


    ''It''s gonna be hard when they try to kill us'' the professor yelled while aiming. He turned the loop on his arm which made a clicking sound.


    Just before the bears were almost near, the professor released his arm and from the loop a giant flame appeared.


    He swung it from left to right, not trying to hit the bears but to cover the parts in front of them.


    ''The snow is keeping it from staying burned'' he said, looking to the ground which didn''t catch the flames.


    The bears stopped running and looked at the flames who kept swinging in front of them.


    It took a few seconds for the bears to change their mind and run away.


    Professor Hawk made sure he didn''t see them anymore before he stopped the flame. Smoke came from the loop, giving off heat.


    Eto walked to the professor, wanting to say something but the professor interrupted him.


    ''Cool, right?'' he said with a smile and Eto nodded while looking at the belt with different forearms. The professor''s face turned serious and he looked up the mountain, to the castle.


    ''Now he definitely knows we are coming'' he said.

 Chapter 1.15 Inside the castle

    The castle that loomed over port Perdita, swept in the cold that covered most of the mountain right now but it was silent for most of the time.


    Deep within the castle, in a large hall which used to be the throne room, a giant chair made of ice and spikes stood on the end of the hall. On top of the chair sat a man. A giant man sitting and smiling while he was all alone.


    ''So, they finally decided to come,'' he said to himself in the empty hall.


    The castle got bigger as they approached. Eto, Veronica and professor Hawk made the climb and the closer they got to the castle, the more severe the snowstorm around it became.


    They noticed the weather getting worse when they approached it but this close to the castle, it almost seemed like a snowstorm.


    ''This is it,'' professor Hawk shouted to Veronica and Eto who both stood before him, looking at the large and dark castle. The wind and snow made it hard for them to focus.


    ''Not a nice invitation, is it?'' Veronica said and the professor shook his head.


    ''Once it was beautiful. For a short time I even stayed here but since Ased came here, the castle has been abandoned.''


    ''You stayed here?'' Eto asked.


    ''Yeah,'' the professor responded. ''When I came here to town, the people helped me and gave me a place to stay in the castle. In return I helped them with the techniques and the machines of the town. That is, until Ased came looking for me.''


    ''And why is he looking for you?'' Veronica yelled and she turned to professor Hawk.


    ''Beats me'' he said. ''He came here, half wrecking the town before he even said what he came here for. With that, the townsfolk already decided they would not give him what he wanted. They paid with that as you could see for the town. They tried to get me away from Ased but when they put me in their local lab to hide, Ased started to freeze the town.''


    ''Is it smart for you to go here? What if he captures you?'' Veronica asked with concern. She started to have trouble hiding from the snow hitting her face.


    ''Then Eto will kick his butt,'' he responded with a smile and after hearing it, Eto raised his fist.


    ''I don''t know what will happen or what he wants. All I know is that maybe after this, he will leave the town alone. Time to take responsibility.''


    Veronica took her eyes from professor Hawk and looked back to the castle.


    It was scary, dark and she had a little moment that she thought it was a bad idea to come here but they had to. According to the professor, the only way for them to leave Capgelu was for him to get his ship back.


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    ''Let''s go'' Eto said and he walked through the snow to the castle front door, not giving in to the cold.


    The front door was large and like the front door of the building the professor was trapped in, completely frozen.


    ''You think you can handle this?'' Veronica asked. Eto raised his shoulders.


    ''One way to find out,'' he said and like before, he took a stand to hit the door.


    When his arm started to glow again, the professor took a chance to look at it. He wasn''t as surprised as Veronica thought he would be but still he looked with much admiration.


    He pulled his arm back, took a step back and jumped in front of him, hitting the door with all his might. They could hear the ice crack and everything moved a little but it didn open. Eto jumped back and prepared himself again.


    This time it seemed like the light coming from his arm started to glow even more. Eto breathed heavily from the storm but he was determined to break the ice and the door.


    He jumped again towards the door and with another blow he broke the ice and the giant door behind it swung open. The doors hit the walls when they opened and the giant pop echoed through the building.


    ''That''s one way to do it,'' professor Hawk said with a smile. He followed Eto who started to go inside the castle and Veronica went after them.


    Even though it was cold inside, it was better than outside in the storm.


    The snow followed them inside while being carried by the wind but it didn¡¯t get far.


    The inside of the castle was huge. It was a giant hall with at the end a massive stair and to the side different doors. The one thing they had in common was that everything was covered in a layer of ice.


    ''Love what he has done with the place,'' Professor Hawk said sarcastically.


    Veronica stepped inside and she could feel how her boots would slip away if she didn''t pay attention to her steps. It was no different then walking up the mountain.


    She looked around and she had the same feeling as she had when she walked over the plaza in the town. Like they were being watched.


    ''Where do you think he could be?'' she asked softly but the professor didn''t respond. He was looking around, also looking where Ased could be.


    ''Where are you Ased?'' he mumbled as he took a few steps.


    There was no sound, only the sound of their steps when they walked. Professor Hawk tried to focus if he maybe could hear were Ased could be. Suddenly he was startled by a loud noise.


    ''ASED, WHERE ARE YOU?'' Eto yelled and both Veronica and the professor''s heart skipped a beat.


    ''Eto, you idiot!'' Veronica said, wanting to scream but she kept her voice down.


    They tried to listen if Eto''s shouting startled something and at first they couldn''t hear anything but soon they heard something from atop of the stairs.


    ''Up there,'' the professor said and in a second, Eto took a sprint to the stairs.


    ''That boy'' Veronica said disturbingly and she followed the professor''s example by following Eto.


    Eto almost jumped up the stairs, not caring if he could slip or fall.


    When he got to the top, he stopped and stayed still. Professor Hawk and Veronica also reached the top floor and stopped next to him.


    ''What is that?'' Eto said and for the first time, Veronica could hear a slight sliver of fear in his voice. When she looked at what he meant, she could understand why. She wanted to scream but she pressed her hands against her mouth.


    In front of them stood a few men, staring into their direction. They were humans but their bodies were white as snow and frozen in some parts, covered by chunks of ice.


    Like zombies they gazed their eyes to them, growling and slowly starting to move in their direction.

 chapter 1.16 The guards of the castle

    Fear struck into everyone, seeing the pale men standing in front of them


    Their skin white and parts of their bodies were covered in ice.


    ''What are those things?'' Veronica asked and Eto focused on them.


    ''They look like men but something is different about them.''


    The white men were growling and slowly started to make their way to Eto and the others as soon as they reached the top floor.


    The top floor was the same as downstairs only the ceiling was lower.


    The tiles on the floor were also covered with ice and the walls and support beam around were covered with big chunks of ice.


    ''Dammit. That monster,'' Professor Hawk said and he looked at the men with an angry face.


    ''Those are the castle guards. That bastard turned them into his puppets.''


    Eto got down to his knees, ready to jump ahead.


    ''I know what will fix this,'' he said and his arm started to glow.


    He was ready to make the jump until the professor stopped him.


    ''Wait Eto. Watch out,'' he said and Eto lost his balance, surprised by the professor''s words. He stayed up by leaning on his arm against the ice floor.


    ''They are the castle guards. We can''t hurt them. They are being used!''


    Eto''s face looked angry as he looked at the guards. How was he supposed to fight them without hurting them?


    The soldiers came in close, walking like mindless beings and the light on Eto''s arm faded.


    ''Try to make your way to the throne room in the back,'' the professor said. He turned to Veronica while switching a forearm.


    ''Use fire to repel them but don''t hit them,'' he said and he leaped forward.


    Veronica was stunned by the fact that she actually had to fight her way in. She knew what she signed up for back in the town but at the moment it felt like she wanted to turn and run. Ofcourse she wouldn''t do it.


    She saw both Eto and the professor move forward over the smooth ice floor.


    Eto jumped to the soldiers together with the professor and tried to jump in between the soldiers, dodging their attacks. The pale men all moved slowly and tried to grab them with their long white arms covered in ice.


    Veronica realized she had to go, otherwise she would be left behind.


    She grabbed her baton and flicked the switch the professor showed her.


    The baton stretched and became longer while Veronica looked at how to turn it into a flamethrower.


    She turned the handle in the middle like she remembered how the professor showed her during their trip to the castle and when she heard a click, she knew she had the right one.


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    She pointed the baton in front of her and started to run towards the group of soldiers.


    There was no escaping it. They were covering the place and when they got closer, Veronica understood why.


    Behind them was a huge door which had to be the throne room like the professor mentioned. Ased must be using the guards to protect himself.


    These thoughts and the thoughts about the town made Veronica hate the person even more.


    When the soldiers came to close, she pressed the button and a flame came out of the tip of her baton. She noticed that they reacted to it, screaming a louder tone when the fire got too close. Their screams echoed through the hall as everyone dodged and ran through the guards.


    She used the fire to repel the men and with caution, she made her way.


    Veronica followed the path that Eto and professor Hawk walked and the further they got, the more soldiers seemed to appear.


    Even though Eto awakened them by shouting, he had a feeling they had to pass them even when they wanted to reach the other side.


    Eto jumped through the crowd, dodging the attacks and sometimes pushing the guards gently, making them tip over. The professor saw how he handled it and when they got close he quickly said ¡®thanks,¡¯.


    One guard crawled to the professor, dodging the fire and ignoring his instincts. The professor knew he had to attack the guard to avoid getting hurt.


    The arm of the guard launched at him and with the hot loop of his arm, he pushed the arm away, making the guard open for an attack. Instead of attacking him, he pushed him with his other hand, making sure the guard fell on his back as he slipped on the ice before the professor moved ahead.


    ''How are you holding up?'' the professor asked Veronica. He looked back but was surprised with how she handled the situation.


    She used the flamethrower to keep most guards away and when it was needed, she dodged the attack as flexible as she could. It gave the professor a smile, knowing he didn''t need to worry about her.


    ''I''m done with this,'' Eto said and he stopped in the middle of the crowd of guards who had become larger and larger.


    Eto once again got down to his knees only this time, something different happened.


    Underneath his pants, a bright light on his legs started to glow. It got the attention of the professor as he watched what Eto would do.


    The guards came closer to Eto but before they reached him, he made a jump. And his jump was big.


    He leaped from the ground with his power coming from his legs and he jumped over all the guards to the big door in the back.


    When he landed, almost slipping, he knocked down a few remaining guards, making sure he only pushed them and not hurted them.


    He pushed the big door which also was covered in ice but he didn''t seem to notice it. Just like before, he used his power to hit the door, letting the light from his legs disappear and reappear in his arm.


    This time, the door opened a lot easier. The ice wasn¡¯t as thick and he hesitated for a moment if the door was really sealed off.


    When the door opened, both the professor and Veronica were on their way and Eto made sure that the group of soldiers didn''t get into the throne room.


    The horde of guards all walked towards him, seeing as he had opened the door they had to protect. Their attention to Veronica and the professor even disappeared and they used this opportunity to reach Eto.


    When everybody finally arrived and passed the door, Eto used his powers again to close the huge doors. Veronica and the professor repelled the incoming guards with their fire until Eto managed to close the door.


    The only sound they heard was the growling behind the door and the sound of scratching.


    When they stood next to each other and it was sure that the guards couldn''t open the door, they all let out a big sigh.


    ''Well, that was close,'' the professor said and he patted Eto on his back.


    Veronica breathed loudly for air as she turned the baton back to his normal size.


    ''I am not trained for this,'' she said, accepting that it was more than she thought it would be. It made Eto smile


    ''You managed,'' he said while looking at her.


    They all took a moment to breathe and started to realize they had to check in which room they entered. Before they even had the chance to look, a deep voice called to them from behind.


    ''So, you finally arrived,'' said the voice behind them.

 chapter 1.17 The man on the throne

    Eto and the others turned to see who was speaking.


    The room they stood in was big, with high pillars on the side. Everything was covered in ice and at the end with large windows in the back, a giant throne made of rough sharp pieces of ice stood there. On top of it a man was sitting.


    ''Professor Hawk. How good of you to come. Now I don''t have to deal with pesky townsfolk.''


    The words of the man irritated Eto as they still stood by the door, watching the man on the throne.


    From a distance it was hard to see but the man himself was huge, almost twice the size of a regular human. His long hair was as blue and spiky as the ice he sat on, sticking out to different sides.


    His chest was bare and he wore a thick robe of a soft blue color. On his chest was something Eto and Veronica recognised. A star shard.


    ''What did you do to the lord of the castle?'' Professor Hawk yelled and slowly he started walking to the throne. His voice and the sound of his steps echoed through the room.


    The man sitting on the throne was eating some fruit on a plate but he didn''t answer the question. Instead, he only laughed at the professor.


    ''Tell me, Ased!''


    ''Easy there professor. There is no reason for you to think about that. What you should be thinking is how you are gonna help those Generation guys with whatever it is they want from you.''


    Professor Hawk gave an angry look and Eto stepped beside him.


    ''He is Ased? The one who is searching for you and froze the town with its people?'' Eto asked quietly and the professor nodded.


    ''Done,'' Eto responded and he started walking towards Ased.


    ''Eto, wait,'' the professor said but Eto ignored him and kept walking towards the throne.


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    ''So, what is this? Somebody new?'' Ased asked and he ate another piece of fruit.


    Veronica felt the tension and was concerned for Eto for going in that close.


    ''The lord of the castle. Where is he? Tell me!'' Professor Hawk screamed and his voice filled the room.


    Ased started laughing again and nodded slowly.


    ''Over there, if you are that concerned,'' he said and with his giant hand, he slowly pointed to the side of the room.


    Professor Hawk followed where he was pointing and soon saw something behind the pillars.


    Chunks of ice were placed there and when the professor focused, he saw what they really were.


    The man he knew as lord of the castle and his family members were all frozen inside the chunks of ice.


    ''You bastard,'' professor Hawk yelled, trying to control his anger and not attack Ased head on.


    Ased started laughing again, louder and Eto was almost near the throne. He walked slowly and kept looking at Ased with an angry face and no trace of fear.


    Veronica walked more into the room until she stood beside the professor.


    Before the throne, a little stair made of tiny steps was made and Eto slowly walked up them. His eyes kept looking at Ased with anger.


    No words were said until Eto stood right in front of Ased.


    The Nieve giant was a bit larger than Eto and he looked down on him with a smile.


    Ased seemed amused that the boy had walked towards him with no trace of fear in his eyes.


    ''Well, well. Aren''t you a bold one?'' Ased said with a grin. Eto still looked angry.


    Eto kept standing in front of him without saying a word and Ased assumed that if Eto wouldn''t do anything, he could continue eating.


    When he grabbed a piece of fruit and wanted to take a bite, Eto smashed the plate from underneath, hitting Ased in the face.


    The plate fell on the floor, making sounds echoing through the chamber and the fruit was smashed in Ased''s face. Both Veronica and the professor were shocked by the blow.


    For a moment, nothing was said. Eto kept looking at Ased who''s face slowly turned from being surprised to angry. Pieces of fruit were hanging on his face until he removed them.


    ''You little brat,'' he said and in an instant, he threw a punch that hit Eto in his face and knocked him through the air, all the way back to the door where he took a big hit on the ice floor.


    It seemed that Ased was getting angrier. He stood up which made him even bigger and the veins on his head started to appear.


    ''You little runt. How dare you do that to me,'' he said angry and slowly he started to step down the stairs.


    ''I will kill you for that,'' he said with a maniac look in his eyes.

 chapter 1.18 The battle starts! Eto vs. Ased

    Veronica and the professor both looked back in the direction they just came into the room, only this time they were watching Eto who just got punched and was thrown over them.


    ''Eto,'' Veronica said quietly as she watched Eto, who lay on the floor and didn''t move.


    In front of them, Ased had gotten down the stairs in front of the throne and started making his way to them.


    ''That little piece of shit won''t know what he just did,'' he said with an angry voice. Veronica had the feeling that Ased assumed himself to be some sort of god. Even though she was scared, she pulled up her baton in a defensive position and looked at Ased.


    ''Well, well'' he said with an amusing laugh. ''The little girl is gonna protect the brat? Fine,'' he said and for a moment he stopped.


    ''Prepare to die with him'' he said seriously and he prepared himself.


    With force, he jumped in front of him towards Veronica.


    She could see him getting closer in a flash and the moment she thought she had to defend herself, something jumped next to her and hit Ased.


    A quick glance showed her that it was Eto whose legs were glowing underneath his pants and while he had jumped with one leg, he had hit Ased in his face with the other, sending him flying back.


    Eto came down to the floor in front of Veronica and watched Ased getting knocked back but he soon stood up. He growled while he looked at Eto.


    ''You brat,'' and Ased jumped towards him.


    He tried to hit Eto but he dodged the attack by diving down. Eto''s arm started to glow again and he wanted to punch Ased but he was fast enough to block it with his arm.


    Eto could feel the power of the Nieve giant against his arm, knowing he was gonna need all his strength to defeat him.


    Ased pushed Eto¡¯s arm away to attack him with his other fist.


    He hit Eto in the face and while Eto flew through the air, his red scarf stayed attached to Ased his fist.


    Ased grabbed the scarf, looked at it and before he wanted to throw it away, Eto already responded.


    ''Give that back!'' he screamed and this was the moment Ased could sense a little fear into his voice.


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    ''So, the brat has a precious piece of clothing,'' the giant said and he grabbed the scarf with both hands. He slowly started to pull it, making a ripping sound which made Eto aggressive.


    ''Stop. Give it back,'' he said and Ased started to laugh viciously. Eto had trouble getting up but he tried.


    ''And what if I don''t?'' he asked seriously and he started to pull harder, letting the scarf make more noises and it started to stretch.


    ''You bastard,'' Eto screamed and he jumped ahead with the power of his legs glowing.


    He wanted to punch Ased but he managed to dodge it, making Eto go past him.


    Luckily, Eto quickly recovered on his feet and jumped back to try to hit him again. It didn''t work but in the moment Ased tried to dodge his second attack, Eto was able to recover his scarf.


    He got on his feet, turned and with a lot of force he threw his scarf to Veronica and the professor.


    ''Keep this for me,'' he yelled without looking and the moment he let the scarf go, he got hit by Ased, sending him flying through the air and hitting one of the pillars on the side.


    ''Brats don''t know what''s good for them,'' Ased mumbled, sounding more serious.


    He looked at the professor who tried to jump and catch the scarf.


    Ased put his hand on the floor which was covered in ice and closed his eyes to concentrate.


    After a few seconds, right under the professor''s leggs, the ice suddenly started to grow and almost hit him if he didn''t dodge it. The sudden spike grabbed the scarf, making it attached to it on the top.


    ''Move!'' he yelled to Veronica who watched as the floor around them started to grow more spikes of ice.


    The professor got back up his feet and started to dodge the spikes who started to appear rappently.


    While he tried to run away, Veronica passed him.


    As flexible as she was with dodging the soldiers, she now moved over the floor, dodging the upcoming spikes of ice and sliding over the floor.


    She had her sights on the scarf which was still hanging on the top of the first spike.


    ''We can''t leave it after he asked us to hold it,'' she mumbled to herself and with confidence she made her way to the spike to grab the scarf.


    She saw Eto preparing to fight Ased again, hoping the Nieve giant¡¯s attention would get to her as she would try to grab the scarf back.


    ''Bitch'' Ased said, seeing that Veronica got more close and he wanted to try another attack.


    Eto jumped from the pillar he was thrown against and jumped in front of Ased, releasing a wave of punches for Ased to block with his arms.


    The giant looked at the boy who aggressively released his punches on him and decided he was done with it.


    He pulled one arm away, defending with the other while Eto was still hitting him.


    Then Ased took a quick jump back and hit the floor with his free fist.


    Just like the floor at the professor and Veronica, the floor in front of him started to create spikes of ice, and the plan he thought of succeeded.


    The spike of ice in front of him grew and hit Eto in his leg.


    Eto was shocked and screamed, as the spike cleaved a part of his leg and blood was starting to appear.

 chapter 1.19 Etos full might! The battle continues

    Eto looked at the ceiling of the throne room. He was shocked by the feeling of pain in his leg. It took some time for him to turn his eyes from the ceiling and face whatever happened to his leg.


    When he looked underneath him, he could feel what he saw.


    The spike of ice had hit his leg and penetrated it,letting blood drip off the ice and the moment he saw it, the pain became much worse.


    He started to scream and inbetween, Ased laughed, looking at his screaming opponent.


    ''Eto!'' Veronica screamed, surprised with what had happened. The spikes of ice around her and the professor also stopped, as if all attention was set on Eto.


    Eto kept screaming from the pain but his scream of pain slowly started to turn to an aggressive scream.


    Many thoughts went through his mind. Flashes of memories he didn¡¯t recognize. At the end, memories of his grandpa started to erupt.


    He pictured his grandpa, who always told him during training that it was the duty of a holy knight to protect the people in danger. Was the town not in danger of Ased? Were Veronica and the professor not in danger? He looked again at his leg and realized that this whole time, he was also in danger. He looked up to Ased who kept laughing and it fuelled Eto''s anger.


    ''You want to fight me but you are already defeated by a mere wound?'' Ased asked in his laughter but it soon stopped.


    Eto his legs started to glow again and some steam came from the place where the spike had penetrated his leg.


    ''You giant bastard. You will pay for what you have done. You will pay for everything you have done to the people of the town!'' Eto yelled and his eyes looked at Ased with anger.


    In that moment Eto broke the spike and with the strength left and he jumped towards Ased. For being wounded, Eto was quick in his movement, hitting Ased in his belly with a glowing arm.


    Even though Ased didn''t get thrown very far, he slided back and got to his knees, almost vomiting from the pain and looking for air. It was a punch with strength he hadn¡¯t forseen. It took effort to look up at Eto.


    Eto got on his feet again and immediately jumped towards him again, hitting Ased in his face and this time he threw him away, almost half the distance of the throne room. The giant hit the floor hard and slid towards the ice throne.


    Ased grabbed the floor with his big hands, making cracks in the ice as his fingers grabbed the ice to prevent him from sliding further.


    DAMN YOU!'' he screamed and the star shard on his chest slowly started to glow.


    ''YOU''LL PAY FOR THIS!'' he screamed as he got up.


    He lowered his shoulders and it almost looked like his neck stretched.


    The light that his star shard gave off started to move under his skin, all the way up to his throat.


    Ased threw his head back for a moment and when the light came into his mouth, he threw his head to the front with his mouth wide open.


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    A giant jet of ice came from his mouth and went to Eto at full speed.


    He barely had the time to dodge it and a part of his arm got scratched. He could feel the cold ice hitting his arm and like the soldiers of the castle, the ice started to grow on his arm. Pain and cold started to grow in Eto¡¯s arm and Eto yelled for a moment from the pain.


    Ased laughed and wanted to attack again but something got his attention.


    Behind him, the professor made his move and jumped in to attack him with a flamethrower.


    The fire got shot into Ased his direction but he was quick enough to dodge it.


    Some flames hit his robe but the fires that grabbed it quickly faded.


    He quickly ran and made his way past the fire. A quick dodge and move gave him the opportunity to  hit the professor in the stomach with his fist.


    Professor Hawk gasped for air and he fell to the floor, not moving at all.


    Veronica was already on her way to him but stopped at the sight of the professor being put down. Ased started to laugh maniacally as he looked her into the eyes.


    ''Little bitch scared?'' he asked with a grin. He turned to Veronica and he made the same gesture like he did before when he shot the jet of ice at Eto.


    Veronica froze for a moment, not knowing what she could do against an attack like that.


    The light came back into his throat and Ased attacked again with the jet of ice.


    The ice should have hit Veronica if Ased could attack, but Eto jumped in and hit the giant from the side in the face. This made sure the jet of ice missed Veronica by a few miles and it created a giant layer of ice in the throne room wherever the attack hit.


    ''If I ever want to be a holy knight, I should be able to handle villains like you,'' Eto said and he jumped over Ased.


    He landed on his feet behind the giant and grabbed one of Ased''s arms. Both Eto his legs and arms started to glow and with all his might, he threw Ased over him to the throne. It was something Veronica couldn¡¯t believe.


    As small as Eto looked compared to the giant, he used all his strength to lift the giant and throw it over him through the room.


    The giant hit the ground and slided over the floor, hitting the small stairs in front of the throne.


    ''I''m so done with you,'' the Nieve giant mumbled to himself while breathing heavily.


    Eto ran towards Ased and when the giant barely got up, he quickly attacked again with a jet of ice from his mouth, only this time Eto knew what to do.


    He got to his knees, dodging the attack by sliding underneath the attack.


    Eto got up quickly but stayed low, using the ice to slide faster and faster.


    Ased saw him coming and when Eto was near him, he wanted to hit him with his fists but Eto blocked them quickly and punched them away.


    Ased was wide open and Eto grabbed his hands together while both his arms started to glow.


    That was the moment he remembered something. Something his grandpa taught him about star shard users, and it was that lesson that he would use at this moment.


    With both his hands together in a fist that was glowing with power, with all his might, he punched Ased.


    He hit him right where he wanted to. In the middle of his star shard.


    That was the moment when Ased froze. The fist of Eto hit his shard shard with a full blow and it felt like his whole body started to burn.


    Ased gasped for air and you could see that this blow had weakened him.


    The giant stood there, paralyzed with blinking eyes.


    Eto threw back one arm, preparing a final attack while his arm started to glow even more.


    ''In the name of the holy knights,'' Eto said with a little grin. ''I ban you from this planet.''


    He hit him again in the star shard and Ased screamed from the pain.


    The punch came in hard and Ased got knocked back, right through the throne of ice that broke down and through a big window that was behind it, leaving parts of ice and glass behind him.


    The light in Eto''s arm faded and with a final look at the window where Ased just flew through, he closed his eyes and collapsed on the floor in front of him.

 chapter 1.20 The struggle is over. Freedom!

    Eto opened his eyes and when he tried to adjust to the light, he thought he was back again at Veronica''s home, waking up after the crash.


    When he started to see the details, he could tell that he was in a different place.


    The ceiling he was looking at was high and round. He tried to get up but his legs felt heavy. Still, he managed to get up a little and look in the room.


    He layed in a bed, in a room where more beds were placed. At the end of his bed was Veronica sitting on a chair, fast asleep.


    Eto didn''t want to wake her. Instead he took the opportunity to lay down and think about what happened. He could remember them getting to the castle and fighting off Ased before Eto punched him through the window. After that he must have blackened out.


    ''You''re awake!'' he heard Veronica saying a little too loud. Eto got up and saw that she also was adjusting to waking up.


    ''Yeah. How are you?'' he asked with effort and she nodded. ''Everything is fine.''


    Eto wanted to ask what happened but Veronica talking to him must have alerted the others because the main door of the room went open.


    Professor Hawk came in with an older man and behind them two guards in armor only this time their skin wasn''t pale and covered in ice. When Eto saw that, he looked around, noticing that nothing was covered in ice.


    ''How was the sleep?'' professor Hawk asked with a big smile on his face. Eto nodded while his attention went to the older man.


    ''I''m sorry for burstin in like this while you are still recovering, but I want to thank you for all you''ve done,'' the old man said. Slowly he grabbed Eto'' hand and shook it.


    ''Ehh, thanks but who are you?'' Eto asked, confused and the guards behind the man were shocked. Luckily the old man laughed.


    ''I''m sorry. I haven''t properly introduced myself. I am the lord of this castle and of port Perdita. Lord Kelvin is the name.''


    Eto looked at him, studying his face. The old man started to get bold but had a huge gray beard. The wrinkles in his face showed his age.


    ''Man, you must be really old,'' Eto asked and the guards quickly stood next to the lord.


    ''Show your manners, little boy!'' they said in sync. Eto ignored them and kept looking at the old man.


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    ''One day I want to have a cool beard like you'' he said and he stroked his bald chin. It made the lord laugh which calmed the guards down.


    When Eto was able to stand even though his legs were still hurt, they had made their way to the dining hal. The nurses insisted he took his rest to heal but they didn¡¯t seem to get into Eto¡¯s head as he already pushed through to get out of the nursing bed.


    It was clear to Eto that the rest of the castle no longer was covered in a layer of ice. The castle was beautiful, decorated with all kinds of fancy stuff.


    During dinner later, everything was explained to Eto who was eating like a beast.


    ''You see, when you defeated Ased, all the ice started to melt and disappear,'' Veronica said because she was the one seeing it happen.


    ''Right,'' the professor nodded and he continued the story.


    ''I came by and the ice was already disappearing. The lord and his family came free and the guards must have gotten out of Ased''s control.''


    Eto listened but part of his attention was to all the food he was eating.


    ''You saved us and the entire town,'' lord Kelvin said with a large smile, holding up his glass as a token of gratitude.


    ''I have a message from Vieli who helped you guys. He should be arriving with the assistance of my guards soon. They say the whole town is back to normal.''


    Eto smiled while he still stuffed his mouth with food.


    ''Andd Awsebd?'' he said with his mouth full which made both Veronica and the professor sigh. They figured he would not change at all.


    The lord''s face turned serious. ''Not a trace'' he said, troubled and the rest looked at him with confused faces.


    ''The moment we realized what had happened, I ordered my guards to look for Ased and imprison him. We couldn''t find him. The fall was deep into the mountain and no one should have survived that but it makes me uneasy that we couldn''t find the body.''


    The lord closed his eyes after his story and the only sound left was from Eto chewing.


    ''Maybe he got scared and ran away?'' Eto said, not worrying too much about it.


    ''Who knows,'' lord Kelvin said. ''He shouldn''t have survived that fall but maybe he did and now he is wandering somewhere.''


    Veronica took a moment to talk to the lord.


    ''Would you be alright? What if he returns?'' she asked but the lord smiled.


    ''We already got assistance underway. The other towns made their apologies for not bringing help sooner and we took this situation as an example that we always should be prepared for a coming fight. Last time Ased took us by surprise and scarred most of our people.''


    He looked at Eto and then back to Veronica.


    ''The young boy''s courage showed us that these situations can be handled. If we are prepared, we can overcome anything.''


    Veronica almost wanted to tell him that Eto never goes into a situation prepared but she thought it was best to leave it.


    ''And for now,'' the lord said while standing up.


    ''Let''s eat, drink, recover and celebrate as much as we can!''


    Everybody cheered for that, taking the moment to forget the problems they had or still have. This was a night to celebrate with friends.

 chapter 1.21 Preparations for take off!

    Eto looked with admiration to the ship that was docked in front of him. The professor showed him the way to the castle hangar while Veronica took a trip to the town to get some supplies.


    ''It looks amazing!'' Eto said and he couldn''t take his eyes off of it.


    The ship was a little bit larger than the cargo ship he and Veronica used to get here.


    The main part was round with the cockpit in front. It stood on two legs and two wings were on the roof mirrored to the legs.


    ''Thanks'' professor Hawk said with a grin of satisfaction.


    ''But it''s not that much bigger than the cargo ship,'' Eto said with disappointment after looking at how big it was.


    ''But it is better and faster!'' the professor yelled at him.


    Eto looked from the ship to the door. ''How long do you think Veronica is gonna need?''


    Port Perdita came back to normal and this was the moment that Veronica felt like she needed more time to explore the town.


    The houses were built simply like her hometown but many machine mechanics made sure it was more modern.


    Lord Kelvin decided that when Eto and she would travel to Etoile, he gave them the opportunity to buy some supplies.


    The townsfolk were sure to give them everything they needed for their journey after they had saved them but the lord insisted on using money for the people to rebuild their houses.


    Professor Hawk also gave a list of things she needed to buy for him because she went to the town anyway. She didn¡¯t mind. Veronica was happy to get out and have a breather after everything they went through.


    After buying things like food, medical stuff, and like Veronica stated that they needed it, some pair of new clothes.


    After she was done with their own list, she looked at the list from the professor.


    He needed a lot of different food and spices, probably because his stock ran out at home.


    When Veronica thought about the food he made that night, she would get hungry again, even though she just ate her breakfast.


    Lord Kelvin provided them with everything they needed that morning. Ofcourse, Eto would eat for twenty but they all didn¡¯t seem to mind. After all, they all know what he had done for Port Perdita.


    ''Excuse me,'' Veronica said to a man in a tools shop.


    A short hairy creature with three eyes and giant arms and hands looked at her with a sweet face.


    ''What is it darling?'' he asked with a low voice. Veronica handed him the paper.


    ''I need to get some tools for the professor but I don''t know exactly what everything is.''


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    The creature started laughing.


    ''That Hawk. Always building something. Sometimes I don''t get why he needs some stuff but then he makes things that are handy. He helped me with my shop,'' he said and he pushed a big red button.


    Veronica looked in the back and all his wares were sorted out and a huge machine started to twist and turn all the racks while the creature gathered the tools.


    ''There you go,'' he said and Veronica asked how much she had to pay, already looking at the different coins she had been given.


    ''Oh no. This is for you and the professor. If you know how much he has helped the people of the town since he got here, I think we owe him more than that.''


    Veronica remembered what the lord said and she told him that he wanted the people to accept the money. The creature started laughing.


    ''Still, I won''t accept it. I can''t,'' he said slowly with a smile.


    ``Give my best to the professor,'''' he said when Veronica thanked him and she left the shop.


    Back in the castle while the professor was waiting, he was already making something with a little machine in his hand. Eto on the other hand had found a ridge in the room which he used to rest.


    ''I''m back,'' Veronica said as she walked into the room.


    She put the bags with stuff for the professor next to him and he thanked her while continuing his work.


    She walked to Eto and showed him their stuff.


    ''We are ready to go,'' she said with a smile.


    ''No travel bars?'' he asked with concern and Veronica laughed. ''No travel bars'' she answered.


    Vieli and Odillia joined them when they reached the hanger and soon even lord Kelvin and a couple of guards entered.


    Vieli en Odilia thanked them and Odilia hugged Veronica, asking them if they couldn¡¯t stay.


    Vieli grabbed his grandchild and explained that they had to go, leaving them to say goodbye to the rest.


    ''You sure about this?'' the lord asked.


    Veronica turned and wanted to tell them they needed to go but she saw that he didn''t look at her. He was looking at the professor.


    ''Yes'' he said while looking at lord Kelvin.


    ''It is time for me to go. While I had a great time here, and I tried to thank you enough for rescuing and helping me after I came here, it feels like this is the moment for me to leave.''


    He showed his hand, wanting the lord to shake it. Instead, lord Kelvin grabbed him and put his arms around him, surprising the professor.


    ''You did more than enough, and you are always welcome here Hawk. In my eyes you are a Capgelu citizen and we will welcome you with open arms.''


    Eto and Veronica saw how a little tear came from the professor''s eye which he quickly rubbed away. When the lord let him go, he nodded and walked to Eto and Veronica.


    ''Guess you are stuck with me for now,'' he said with a smile.


    Veronica smiled back and Eto said with a grin ''why do you think we would let you go with us?''


    The professor didn''t respond as he thought.


    ''It is my ship for example,'' he yelled at Eto and everybody laughed.


    ''Welcome to the team professor'', Veronica said and he nodded with a smile.


    ''Now that we are gonna see each other more, it is best to drop the formalities. Just call me Hawk from now on.'' He took his admiration pose again like he had done before.


    ''Alright Hawk,'' Eto said and he patted his shoulder while walking past him. The professor immediately regretted it for not sounding fancy anymore.


    They boarded the ship and Hawk walked beside Veronica.


    ''You still have it?'' he asked and when Veronica knew what he meant, she felt sorry and slowly showed the Snapper. She handed it over but Hawk shook his head.


    ''Keep it, I think it is in better use in your hands,'' he said and Veronica smiled, looking surprised at first but grateful. She thanked him while they boarded the ship.


    She remembered when she used it to take pictures of the Capgelu bears and she also thought of all the pictures she took in town with the people while doing the shopping. She bet it would make some great memento for Hawk.

 chapter 1.22 The plan of Generation zero

    The blue planet of Capgelu was behind them when the group entered space.


    Hawk took control of his ship while Veronica stood beside him, watching and learning from everything he did to pilot the ship. She could see the professor was glad to be back on his ship as his smile revealed. Eto on the other hand took a deep nap behind them in a chair.


    ''You say you want to go to Etoile?'' he asked and Veronica nodded.


    ''We thought that was the best place to go. He originally needs to go to Green point but I can''t tell where that planet is. Maybe the archives on Etoile will know.''


    Hawk nodded that he understood it.


    ''Etoile indeed would be our best bet.''


    He looked behind at Eto who was sleeping and somehow it gave him a comforting feeling.


    While they traveled with the ship, somewhere else in the galaxy someone was preparing himself.


    Further away on the other side of the solar system, the giant fleet of Generation Zero was floating in the dark space.


    Deep within the main ship, a giant room filled with light was locked off. Nobody seemed to bother to enter it or go near it. The sounds the crewmembers heard from within the chamber gave them fright and when they had to pass the room, they did it in a hurry.


    The sound of blasters firing and metal scratching came from behind the closed doors.


    Inside the room, Captain Hanzou was busy with his training.


    The room was big and round. The lights filled the room and almost made it hard to see because of the brightness.


    Inside the room were dozens of black coloured robots. They were large and their bodies were shaped like humans. Their parts were all black and their faces were like a helmet with nothing on them. Some had markings painted on them but it was only to know which robots were ranked as a shooter or a melee type.


    In the middle of the group of robots stood captain Hanzou.


    He didn''t wear his black armor, except for his helmet which still hid his face.


    He was dressed in gray latex training gear and he watched the robots that surrounded them. In one of his hands was a sword with a black hilt and a long thin blade attached to it. He held it low to the ground.


    ''Come now,'' his voice said from behind the mask.


    The moment he said it, the robots started to move. Some of them moved in front of him while the others in the back prepared their rifles.


    The sound of the rifles went off and captain Hanzou made his move.


    Elegant as a skilled warrior he dodged the shots from the rifles while in the meantime he blocked the melee attacks from the coming robots with his sword.


    Quickly as he was, he took down some robots and used their own attacks to destroy the others.


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    The melee robots were quickly disabled and in a moment he took down the shooters until the floor was filled with robot parts.


    He took a moment to examine the fight in his mind until he was disturbed by the door opening.


    A man with an black official uniform came in slowly as he looked afraid at captain Hanzou.


    The captain looked at him and the light reflected on the man''s badge irritated him. It was a deep red circle with an Z in it, marking him as an elite officer of Generation Zero.


    ''What is it?'' he asked with the voice muffled from inside the helmet.


    ''Excuse me captain,'' the man said. He trembled a little bit and his voice was filled with fear.


    When Captain Hanzou turned his helmet that gave away he was waiting for the reason, the man quickly began to talk.


    ''I have an encrypted message for you only. It is waiting in your room.''


    For a moment, nothing happened. After a few seconds, captain Hanzou straightened his back and held onto his sword. He walked to the door and passed the man.


    ''Let the technician department know that the current version of the robots aren''t that much of an improvement. Let them analyze my training video and make sure they upgrade them to be worthy puppets of Generation Zero.''


    Captain Hanzou left the room, leaving the man behind.


    The man was afraid. He knew the guys at the tech department never could satisfy their captain. Nothing seems to satisfy their captain.


    Captain Hanzou left the training facility and walked through the dark hallways. In some parts the lights weren''t completely working but he didn''t bother. What he couldn''t understand is why everything that had happened turned out to be a failure. First his knights in which he had to be accountable to his master. And now those damn robots don''t seem to be as tough as they should be.


    He entered his room which like the rest of the ship was dark most of the time.


    Hanzou put his sword away and walked to his communicator.


    There he entered his code and received the message that had entered his system. It was indeed encrypted but his communicator seemed to open it.


    In front of him appeared a hologram. The hologram contained a man hidden in a large robe.


    ''Captain Hanzou. Even though I don''t like to have much interaction with you due to my status, I would like to inform you that I have received a message from my employees. They told me that my friend Ased had fallen and the town on the planet of Capgelu is back in control of the citizens.''


    Captain Hanzou listened to the message. When he thought he had enough failures, this one made him even more angry. Still he kept listening.


    ''I believe that the troublemaker you are looking for is responsible for that. It is a planet close to Borner and as this has happened as quickly after he escaped, there is no doubt about it.''


    This part of the message gave captain Hanzou some hope. Finally some good news. The message continued.


    ''I believe you know what to do as I keep doing what I can do for my part, for our master.''


    The message ended with the man in the robed slowly bending his knee before the hologram disappeared.


    Quickly, captain Hanzou opened a hologram of the map of the galaxy and looked for the planet Capgelu. While searching, he opened his communicator again until another hologram appeared.


    This time a small alien with pink scales for a skin and feelers appeared.


    ''Captain Hanzou, you called?'' the person said with a squeaky voice and he bent his knee.


    ''Get contact with the Vulture knight. Tell him that the target is in his area. Last sighted at Capgelu but probably he already left.''


    Then captain Hanzou saw something on the map that gave him an idea.


    ''Tell him to meet our contact on Etoile. Tell him I will soon be there as well.''


    The pink alien was shocked.


    ''But captain. Planet Etoile is the capital. It will be swarming with soldiers of the worlds.''


    Captain Hanzou gave a little laugh which sounded surprisingly weird coming from behind his helmet.


    ''Nothing to fear. They won''t notice us. Tell the other knights to come back to the fleet with haste. We will depart as soon as they land here.''


    The alien wanted to say something but captain Hanzou already turned off the communicator.


    Deep inside he still wanted to laugh and his thoughts made him.


    ''Eto, you little brat. Finally I will get you.''

 chapter 1.23 Meet TYO

    The spaceship Eto and his friends were traveling on was flying through the dark space with Etoile as their destiny.


    Inside, Eto had decided he wanted something to do so he took a look around the ship until he found something.


    He had entered a small room where a lot of machines and parts were lying.


    It kinda looked like the house where they found Hawk but more advanced and filled with more stuff.


    Eto didn''t know what to do with the machines or tools and he was sure the professor would yell at him for touching his stuff.


    But he did find something in between some crates that grabbed his intered. He decided to bring it with him to the cockpit.


    ''What is this?'' he asked with great joy.


    Hawk turned on the autopilot and turned to see what he meant.


    Eto had laid down a little cube with an antenna attached to the top. When Hawk saw it, he started to smile.


    ''Well, it feels like ages,'' he said and he took the cube in his hands.


    He studied it, remembering that it still looked exactly like how he got it.


    ''It''s a robot. I got it on a planet that wasn''t technology advanced. When the locals knew how to build a robot, I just had to take one with me to study it. Too bad other stuff demanded more priority.''


    Veronica stepped in and examined the cube, just like Eto did.


    ''TYO, can you run a diagnostic of the robot?'' Hawk asked. The AI of the ship started talking. Eto jumped up from the sudden voice which made the professor laugh.


    ''Surely professor,'' a voice said from the speakers and a blue light coming from a black orb on the ceiling scanned the tiny cube.


    ''Conformation. I can enter the cube if you would like me to?''


    Hawk looked at the cube. ''For diagnostics? Sure,'' he answered and TYO confirmed it.


    ''Entering the cube,'' the voice said and everybody saw how through tiny lines and holes on the robot, a blue light erupted from within the cube.


    On the bottom a hole opened with some sounds and a tiny wheel came out. From the sides to little arms with grappling hooks attached appeared and in the middle of the front, a little window opened. Behind it was a lens that was shaped as an eye.


    ''TYO?'' the professor asked and the eye on the robot started to move, looking from the professor to Eto and Veronica.


    ''It''s so cute,'' Veronica said with a squeaky voice and the robot started looking at her. She laid her hand on him to rub the metal surface.


    ''I''m 78% sure you are telling the truth, based on your facial expressions,'' the robot said. It was the voice of TYO but younger and more robotic.


    ''Well now I''m not so sure'' Veronica said, who was shocked by the sudden voice and pulled her hand back.


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    ''54%'' the robot said and he started to stand on the one wheel underneath him. He looked at Eto who, like always, was looking at the robot with much admiration. After that he looked at the professor.


    ''TYO, is that you?'' Hawk asked, confused. The original voice of TYO started to talk through the speakers.


    ''No, even though I am connected with the robot, it shares a different personality. Something written deep within the codes of the robot. I''m trying to find and translate it but it''s rare, even for my knowledge.''


    Hawk grabbed the robot and studied it, while the robot kept making eye contact.


    ''What do you know? Seems those creatures did have some interesting ideas.


    I would very much like to take it apart and study it,'' Hawk said and with those words, the robot jumped out of his hands and landed on the floor, seeking shelter behind Eto his leg.


    ''Please don''t, thank you very much,'' the robot said, still holding on to Eto''s leg.


    ''I''m sure that you are 67% more interested in taking me apart than keeping me together for my sake,'' the robot said worriedly and it made Eto laugh. Hawk started to laugh too.


    ''Well, I do want to know how you work, but who am I to break someone apart who doesn''t want it to'' he said with a smile as he looked at the robot.


    ''51%'' the tiny robot mumbled.


    Veronica dropped to her knees and reached out her hand at the robot.


    ¡äWhat is your name?'' she said with a smile, hoping to gain the trust of the robot.


    The robot looked back and forth from the hand to Veronica''s face.


    ''TYO'' he said and it confused everybody.


    ''No, that is the name of my AI. You must have another name,¡¯ Hawk said, thinking the robot was confused.


    The robot didn''t respond but the AI did.


    ''I''m sorry professor but the robot is telling the truth. He has no name in his codes and with my personality mixed within, he gained the same name as me.''


    Hawk looked at the computer, as if TYO was there.


    ''Can it look inside you? Into our archives?'' he asked, a little worried.


    A moment of silence followed until the AI started to talk.


    ''No. He is connected and with more capacity he should be able to but I''m not reading any motifs for him to do it.''


    ''Good,'' Hawk responded. He looked back at the robot with a more relieved expression. Eto also dropped to his knees and grabbed the robot with a smile and swung it in his arms.


    ''Are you going on our adventure?'' Eto asked while still swinging the robot.


    ''Why am I 97% sure that you are not gonna let me decide?'' the robot asked and Eto started to laugh, thinking about a new friend he made for their adventure.


    ''Does it include any dangers? Anything that can make my body break?'' the robot asked and Eto nodded with full confidence.


    ''Yup, we won''t know what we will find on our path,'' Eto said and from the robot came a sound that sounded like a sigh.


    ''Then an adventure is nothing for me,'' the robot named TYO said but Eto ignored it.


    ''Yes, you are coming with us,'' he said and the robot saw that he could not change Eto¡¯s decision.


    ''So, we have a new ally named TYO,'' Veronica said calmly , who looked at the robot and smiled.


    She would almost feel bad for the little guy but on the other hand, a robot could be quite handy.


    ''Ship is prepared for hyperjump, ready for coordinates,'' the AI spoke to them.


    ''Alright,'' Hawk said and he jumped back to his chair and Veronica followed him to sit next to the professor.


    ''To make it to Etoile, we have to jump to another Solar system,'' he said with a more serious tone.


    The thought of leaving this system where her home planet is, made Veronica a little scared but she wouldn''t turn back. She looked back at Eto who was too busy with the robot and to the professor. She had a feeling she didn¡¯t want to interrupt their plans by telling how she felt about going further away from her parents. And why would she? She decided when they left Borner that she wanted to bring Eto to Etoile.


    Thinking about it, she decided to stick with her decision, even though it was tough.


    ''Alright,'' Eto said and he jumped in between them with TYO in his hand.


    ''Etoile, here we come!'' he said with a huge grin, looking through the window to the stars in space outside.


    Outside the glass they saw how the stars around them started to twirl and how the ship jumped into a hole to travel to another solar system.

 chapter 2.1 A new road

    The ship was still flying through space while everybody sat inside, waiting for Hawk to finish dinner.


    ''Here we go,'' he said while serving the meal on the big table in the backroom. Veronica and Eto were both sitting and waiting eagerly for the food.


    ''A real Capgelu dish, especially for you guys,'' he said and he put the food on the table.


    Veronica looked and tried to figure out if she could recognize some food but she hadn''t seen most of them. This didn''t stop Eto from eating directly without using cutlery.


    TYO was sitting at the opposite end of the room on top of a large crate, studying his new ''friends''.


    Hawk looked at him and smiled. ''Guess a robot doesn''t eat, does it?''


    TYO was shocked by Hawk talking to him and quickly waved his little arms.


    ''No, no. I am 100% anti food based. I need updates and sometimes a change of part.''


    Eto looked up to the TYO. ''Twhat dosnd mean you ckant sith wit us,'' he mumbled with his mouth full. As usual, Veronica sighed but somehow, now she quite enjoyed it.


    She felt a lot for these moments where their biggest concerns were only to eat enough. She guessed it wouldn''t take long before that would change.


    ''How long before we reach Etoile?'' she asked Hawk who came to sit next to them.


    ''I believe it is not longer than a day for us. The solar system where Etoile is based was not far from the one we were in.''


    He also started to eat but Veronica kept looking at him.


    ''Have you been to Etoile before?'' she asked and Hawk decided to lay down his food to answer.


    ''Not this Etoile'' he said with a little grin. Veronica didn'' t understand what he meant and he guessed it by the expression on her face.


    ''Etoile is not as much of a planet. Rather a giant city. It was created by the Old council of the worlds to create a center for every cluster. It was a chance to give a lot of people homes.''


    Veronica listened to him and also Eto started to listen, while he kept eating ofcourse.


    ''But what do you mean by ''not this Etoile''?'' he asked and again Hawk showed his grin.


    ¡®Like I said. It was created by the Old council of the worlds. Etoile was a plan to unite citizens of many clusters. Before the first Etoile ever came to be, thousands of Etoile cities were already built, prepared to be launched at different clusters. From that point on, they began to be the capitals for every space cluster. Except the deeper galaxy parts of course.''


    ''Deeper galaxy parts?'' Eto asked


    ''Thousands of Etoile cities?'' Veronica asked after that.


    Hawk looked at them, surprised. ''Man, you guys seem to know nothing of the galaxy, do you?''


    Veronica seemed upset. She learned as much as she could from the travelers but their planet was but a simple one. Not one to learn about the outside world.


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    ''Well, as far as I know, I have only been at Green point with my grandpa. Most of my memories are from that planet, except for the last moments. My grandpa always tried to teach me things but I never heard about Etoile or the deeper parts of the galaxy.'' Eto starred in front of him, lost in the thoughts he just spoke of.


    When Eto said those things, it also piqued the interest of Veronica about those deeper parts.


    ''Yeah, what about the deeper parts? Why didn''t the council send Etoile cities there?''


    Hawk started to laugh louder. He didn''t know if he had to feel sorry for them.


    ''Excuse me. I forget that some people don''t have the opportunity to know about and travel the galaxy. The deeper parts of the galaxy are not in control of the council. It''s a dangerous place filled with inhabited planets and villains and criminals ruling the place. They say the deeper you go to the center of the galaxy, the darker the darkness gets.''


    The moment he said those words, Eto looked scared. Something triggered in his head and he could feel a massive headache appearing. He grabbed his head and started to scream.


    ''Eto, what is it?'' Veronica asked while she jumped back from Eto who kept screaming.


    Something came into Eto''s mind. He saw flashes of the galaxy and a dark cloud moving through it, swallowing planet after planet.


    After that he saw his grandpa, laying on the floor while Eto held his hand. ''Eto, get to the center of the galaxy. You must. It''s the galaxy'' only hope!''


    More parts of memories returned but they all went by so fast that Eto couldn''t think clearly. Instead, his headache became worse.


    ''Eto, stop it!'' Veronica yelled, who already covered her ears. Hawk jumped in front of him, knocking the table and the food on the floor.


    ''Eto, listen to me. Try to stay calm. Nothing can happen,'' he tried to tell him but Eto couldn''t listen to him. He kept screaming and holding his head.


    Hawk grabbed Eto¡¯s shoulders and started to shake him, in hopes he would get back at them but it didn¡¯t seem to work.


    TYO jumped over Hawk and injected a needle in Eto''s arm. After that the screaming stopped and it didn''t take long for Eto to pass out on the floor.


    ''Eto, Eto. Are you well?'' a voice asked and slowly he opened his eyes.


    Eto started to get used to waking up in a bed after passing out but this time he didn''t look at the ceiling. Hawk, Veronica and TYO were all hanging over him and watching how he woke up.


    ''Told you. I was 86% sure my sleep aid would work,'' TYO said with pride.


    ''Eto, what happened?'' Veronica asked, concerned.


    Slowly he got up, trying to think about what happened.


    ''My memories. They have returned. Well, some of them'' he said and he tried to remember.


    The darkness that he saw was a little unclear but the one thing that was clear was the memory of him holding his grandpa''s hand.


    ''Eto, get to the center of the galaxy. You must. It''s the galaxy''s only hope.''


    He explained his memory to the rest and Hawk stood up, holding his hand on his chin while thinking. He immediately turned towards the cockpit.


    ''I think it''s best if we get you to Green point as fast as we can. We need to find your grandpa and ask what he means with the only hope for the galaxy.''


    Eto nodded, even though he was more confused than before. A part of his memory came back but it was still a mystery.


    The headache was mostly gone but he could still feel something in his head.


    He tried to think but after that he only could remember a giant blow and the crash on Borner.


    Veronica looked at him, seeing that he was trying to piece together his memory. She was concerned about him and like before she had a feeling she needed to help him.


    Veronica supported Eto to get up and helped him to the couch. The table still layed on the floor with all the food but even Eto didn¡¯t seem to care for it.


    All he wanted to do was take a good rest and let his thoughts get at ease.


    `We have to get to Etoile. That way we can go to Green point faster,'' Veronica said.


    ''Well, we are in luck,'' Hawk answered and he watched a monitor on the wall.


    ''The computer detects Etoile within a few hour''s reach,'' he said.


    He looked at Eto who still was busy trying to think. It raised some concern with Hawk.


    ''I just hope we are on time,'' he mumbled without the rest hearing him.

 chapter 2.2 Entering Etoile

    When the ship stopped from the hyperjump and entered the Etoile atmosphere, the ship shook a little bit. Veronica and Eto looked a little worried at Hawk.


    ''Nothing wrong. She hasn''t flown in a long time,'' he said laughing softly.


    The space they entered was dark but soon they saw something shining in the distance.


    It had a top shape, where the top was wide and getting smaller to the bottom until it was a long tip. The ship entered the airzone and it began to become lighter around them.


    ''There it is,'' Hawk said and Veronica and Eto looked outside the window. ''That is Etoile,'' he said while pushing different buttons.


    The top shaped thing turned out to be a giant space station almost the size of a planet. When they came closer, they could see thousands of ships flying in and out of Etoile.


    ''Wow!'' both Eto and Veronica said at the same time while looking amazed at the giant city floating in space. TYO stepped beside them and also looked at Etoile.


    ''Too much calculations'' he said and his lens changed size like he was zooming in and out.


    The speaker on the ship started to talk.


    ''Flightship 12216625-EO. You are entering the Etoile atmosphere. State your name and business.''


    It was a deep rough voice of someone who seemed to work at Etoile security.


    Eto and Veronica looked a little shocked, not knowing what to say but Hawk looked like he knew how to play it.


    ''Hello, this is Professor Zipp. I am traveling from Borner and I''m searching for a place to rest and refuel. Do you want my identification code?''


    Eto and Veronica looked at him, questioning what he was saying but more concerned with what the person that asked them would say back.


    After a long silence the voice spoke again.


    ''No need. Flightship 12216625-EO, you are clear for landing. Landing platform 1-B-234 is waiting for you. Sending you the coordinates.''


    ''Thank you,'' Hawk said with confidence and the speaker went silent.


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    He looked at Veronica and Eto, seeing their surprised faces and he had to laugh.


    ''Best for them not to know we are here,'' he said.


    ''What if that didn''t work?'' Veronica asked and Hawk raised his shoulders.


    ''Then we had to think of a plan we didn''t have yet.''


    Veronica looked frustrated. She thought she only had to deal with one person here who doesn''t think ahead while looking at Eto. He was already lost to the view outside again.


    TYO jumped off the desk.


    ''You lied 100% about your name. The rest 50%'' he said and Hawk smiled.


    ''That''s true. We do have to rest and refuel. We just need to make sure people don''t know we are here.''


    ''Why is that?'' Eto asked, taking his eyes from the view to look at Hawk. Veronica wanted to know the same thing.


    ''Generation Zero is behind the three of us. Even in the capital with the order from the council around, they have many spies and we can''t be too careful.''


    Hawk slowly started to enter the atmosphere and daylight appeared.


    ¡®Artificial daylight. A whole system to copy nature,¡¯ Hawk mumbled while laughing mockingly for a bit.


    When they entered, the city was huge and everywhere you looked were ships flying or tall buildings. In front of them were hangers on which Hawk was located to land.


    Veronica looked at the different ships flying in and out. These were of a whole other level then the ones back home. Eto pressed his face against the window next to her. She looked at him and a little giggle escaped her.


    For some reason, she couldn¡¯t get mad at him. He made her happy deep down.


    ''Whatever happens, you are my assistants,'' Hawk said when the ship started to autoland.


    ¡®We will try to refuel and find someone who knows the way to Green point. Best to start at the harbor. There must be some underground pilots who can help us.''


    ''Underground pilots?'' Veronica asked and she wasn''t happy with what she heard. Her father always told her that the people in the underground were nothing more than thieves and criminals. She looked at Eto and her attention was on his chest.


    Then again, her father also always said that people with star shard powers are monsters. She felt uncomfortable doubting her father and thinking about him. She tried to ignore her thoughts and focus on the landing.


    The ship went into the hangar where more ships were stationed. Humans and different species  walked in and out of the place.


    While Eto was happy seeing everything, Veronica felt overwhelmed with everything new she saw.


    The ship came to the ground and the engine turned off. Lights went on next to the exit.


    ''Alright, follow me,'' Hawk said and he got up. Eto started to run to the door but Veronica grabbed him by his ear. ''Ouch, ouch'' Eto said while jumping back on one leg.


    ''Follow him,'' Veronica said bossily before she let him go. Hawk nodded to Eto and walked to the door.


    ''Remember. You are my assistants'' he said before opening the door.


    TYO jumped on Eto''s back, grabbed on and mumbled ''I have a bad feeling about this adventure.''

 chapter 2.3 Etoile, the capital of the worlds

    When they had landed and their ship was brought in for numbers, Eto and the rest waited until Hawk talked to the security guys.


    Soon he returned with a smile, assuring that everything was good and they could go into the city.


    Veronica remembered the stories from travelers about the city of Etoile. A giant city orbiting in space with millions and millions of travelers from different planets that visited it. Everything seemed so little when they walked out of the hangars.


    The city consisted of huge buildings, each with levels where people would walk, live or buy stuff. Small transport ships would fly across each other through the sky and the crowd was huge, ranging from different kinds of aliens from all kinds of planets.


    ¡®This place is huge,¡¯ Veronica said who looked in the sky to see where the buildings would end. She got a little sick from the heights and the crowded sky filled with ships.


    ¡®This is awesome!¡¯ Eto yelled and he got over to a railing from the level they stood on and looked down.


    Underneath them the buildings kept going with more levels and more ships.


    ¡®Well, that is Etoile,¡¯ Hawk said, who still looked amazed even though he had been there before. He enjoyed how much Eto and Veronica were amazed by this place.


    ¡®I¡¯m 100% sure we are gonna lose each other,¡¯ TYO said looking from Eto to the rest but nobody seemed to hear him.


    Eto kept shaking his head, looking at the different races he saw walking by.


    He was a man with a fish kind of head and membranes. He saw someone who looked like a wolf but more shaped like a human and even a giant slime with more than two eyes hanging in the slime getting by.


    ¡®THIS¡¯ he screamed.


    ¡®Is¡¯ Veronica sighed.


    ¡®Awesome¡¯ Hawk said softly together with Eto who screamed it. They all knew how he would respond.


    ¡®Let¡¯s try to spot different races and see what the shops are like,¡¯ Eto said and he wanted to run into the crowd. TYO fell off his back and grabbed his leg while Veronica pulled his ear again.


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    ¡®Wait. That is not why we are here,¡¯ Hawk said and while Veronica pulled Eto back to the group, Eto realized that they indeed were here for a different reason. To get to Green point.


    Hawk guided them through the crowd where they used different elevators to switch from levels and platforms. In the meantime, Eto was checking out the people they walked by, making it almost feel uncomfortable.


    He sometimes stopped to watch someone or something.


    Some of the species were uncomfortable about him staring at them, some even tried to pick a fight but luckily, Veronica pushed him away to follow Hawk.


    `We have to see how we are gonna do this,'' Hawk said and he looked at a card he had in his lab coat pocket.


    ¡®I did bring some money but not enough to last the entire journey. We have to find someone or something that can bring us for cheap.¡¯


    Veronica thought about it. Their plan was to get to Green point but during the rush of escaping Borner, she never really thought about the fact that they needed money to get anywhere.


    ¡®Maybe someone wants to help us,¡¯ Eto said with a smile and all of them, including TYO, looked at him with surprised looks.


    ¡®Eto, I don¡¯t think someone is going to help us for free,¡¯ Hawk said and Veronica remembered how naive Eto could be.


    ¡®Why not?¡¯ he asked with honest surprise.


    ¡®If someone needed help, I would help him.¡¯


    They all just sighed with a grin.


    ¡®To bad not everyone in the galaxy thinks like you Eto,¡¯ Hawk said and it made Veronica laugh. It was these little moments again she reminded herself again why she wanted to help Eto.


    They came to a platform with hanging above it a sign that said ¡®harbor¡¯.


    ¡®We¡¯re going in the right direction,¡¯ Hawk said, leading the rest.


    ¡®The plan is to find someone who can help us to Green point with our ship or theirs. We have to try to keep it discreet. That¡¯s why I wanted to try the underground part of the harbor. There¡¯s bound to be someone in need of money to bring us.¡¯


    Veronica walked behind Hawk, still not feeling comfortable with the whole plan.


    Her whole life she had lived an honest life and learned who was right and wrong. Now she felt like she stepped over to the other side and everything she had seen already proved otherwise. Hawk noticed her absence of mind.


    ¡®Don¡¯t worry Veronica. We¡¯re not gonna go with criminals. The underground is also full of people who make the wrong mistakes or are forced to this life and try to stay out of sight. People with families and friends like us. They are the ones we need to find.¡¯


    Veronica smiled. Hawk¡¯s words put her at ease.


    They found their way through the crowd and found a huge building with hangars to the side. Veronica could see smaller ships than they had seen before being docked next to it.


    ¡®The harbor,¡¯ Hawk said, who stopped to look at the amazing building.


    Veronica stopped next to him but it wasn¡¯t the building that caught her interest.


    She looked around and she felt a little shock going through her.


    ¡®Where is Eto?¡¯ she asked, not seeing him around them.

 chapter 2.4 Where is Eto?

    Veronica looked around but she couldn¡¯t see Eto anywhere. The crowd she was standing in was huge and people were walking by real quick.


    ¡®Eto?¡¯ she screamed and Veronica started walking.


    ¡®Wait!¡¯ Hawk yelled and he pulled her arm.


    ¡®If you go searching for him, you will get lost too.¡¯


    Veronica looked at him with a troublesome face. ¡®TYO is gone too¡¯ she said, not seeing the little robot by their side.


    ¡®Don¡¯t worry,¡¯ Hawk tried to tell with confidence. ¡®They knew we were on our way to the harbor. That¡¯s where they will try to go to find us once they realize they lost us.¡¯


    It took a moment for Veronica to realize this and soon she gave a look of comfort.


    ¡®That¡¯s right,¡¯ she said but still she wasn¡¯t fully convinced. Deep in her heart she still was troubled. It was Eto they were talking about.


    Somewhere in the city, Eto was walking through the crowd, searching for something. TYO held onto his leg.


    ¡®Eto, we should get back. Veronica and Hawk must be worried,¡¯ the robot said but Eto didn¡¯t hear him. ¡®I''m 87% sure we don¡¯t know where we are, except for the platform level and the planet.¡¯ This time Eto heard him.


    ¡®Don¡¯t worry TYO. We know they are going to the harbor. Let them handle that. I¡¯m no good at finding someone for the ride.¡¯


    TYO let out a sound that sounded like a sigh.


    ¡®What is it that you are looking for?¡¯ he asked while still holding onto Eto¡¯s leg.


    ¡®I heard someone mention the temple of the holy knights. I want to know where it is.¡¯


    After walking and searching, Eto decided to ask a few people who walked by him. Most of them sounded irritated but the last one gave a direction.


    ¡®Allllll the waaaaaay to the riiiiiiiight¡¯ a purple alien said with a nagging voice. Its skin looked like rubber and it wobbled with every move it made.


    ¡®Thanks,¡¯ Eto said quickly and he left. TYO let go of his leg and started riding behind him on his tiny wheel.


    Eto and TYO quickly passed some buildings and when Eto thought he should ask for directions again, TYO saw something.


    ¡®There!¡¯ he said and he pulled Eto¡¯s pants. Eto looked in the direction and saw what TYO meant.


    In the distance, between the buildings, they saw a huge temple which was completely out of place.


    The buildings of Etoile were all advanced with high tech, this was a building made of stone and it looked like it had been there for centuries.


    Eto made his way to the building and TYO came behind him, looking concerned.


    The temple stood on a little hill, with large stone pillars to the side holding the roof. A little stair of steps in front of the temple was made out of the same stone as the building. Next to the huge entrance were two statues of warriors and when Eto came to the entrance, he stopped to look at them.


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    Left was a woman in warrior''s armor holding a bow with arrows. On the right was a man wearing the same clothes, holding a spear and shield.


    ¡®Wow, would you look at that,¡¯ Eto whispered but TYO could hear him.


    ¡®The holy knights?¡¯ TYO asked and he tried to scan the statues.


    ¡®I guess,¡¯ Eto said, who was still amazed by them.


    After looking at them for a while, he took a glance at the entrance.


    A huge open door was inviting people to walk in but the inside of the temple looked dark.


    Slowly Eto started to walk inside but TYO drove next to him and grabbed his pants.


    ¡®Eto, are you sure? Hawk told us not to stand out. We should not show ourselves more than we should.¡¯


    Eto gave a little grin. ¡®Don¡¯t worry. It will be a quick look. I just never had any contact with something from the holy knights except for what my grandpa always told me.¡¯


    TYO wanted to talk it out of him but he accepted that he wasn¡¯t going to succeed. Slowly he followed Eto into the temple.


    Veronica and Hawk walked into the harbor. When Veronica saw what it was like, it kinda reminded her of the little harbor back home only this one was larger.


    It was a large room with bars to the side where everybody got their drinks and food. In the middle were tables where travelers would gather to eat, talk or rest. Like the city, it was filled with all kinds of species.


    ¡®Alright, let¡¯s see if I can get this right,¡¯ Hawk said and he slowly walked to a robot who was putting drinks on a plate at the bar.


    ¡®Excuse me, I¡¯m searching for a pilot who can help us get somewhere.¡¯


    The robot, red and tall with multiple arms to hold the plates looked at the professor. A voice came from a speaker on the robot¡¯s head.


    ¡®You are in the right place sweetie,¡¯ the robot said with a woman¡¯s voice.


    ¡®Yeah,¡¯ Hawk said with some concern and he stepped closer, looking around if someone was standing next to him.


    ¡®And what if we don¡¯t want to travel, let''s say, on paper if you know what I mean?¡¯


    The robot looked at him, checking him and Veronica out.


    ¡®Over at the back,¡¯ the robot said and she nodded to the other side.


    At the back of the room, Hawk saw a few people sitting, drinking and yelling loudly. The robot left him and Veronica behind.


    ¡®Let¡¯s try,¡¯ Hawk said, trying to convince Veronica who didn¡¯t like the look of the people in the back.


    Slowly they walked through the crowd to reach the tables in the back, Hawk in front and Veronica slowly behind him.


    ¡®Excuse me gentleman,¡¯ Hawk said when they approached the table.


    A few aliens who were drinking looked at him. They all looked horrible and scary but Hawk thought it was best not to show what he thought.


    ¡®What is it, coatboy?¡¯ one green alien with a long thin body and arms said before he took a sip. It only had one eye that was blinking a lot.


    ¡®We need a ride to a planet. Not officially if you understand. The lady told us we could ask for it here.¡¯


    The same alien laughed and took another sip. After that he spoke.


    ¡®The lady told you right, but it will cost something.¡¯


    The alien looked behind Hawk to Veronica.


    ¡®Both you and the cute girl,¡¯ he said while raising his eyebrow.


    Veronica wanted to pull out her baton and smack him to the floor but she held her anger. Instead she smiled fake at the alien.


    ¡®It also depends where,¡¯ a man behind the alien said.


    A giant alien with a lot of hair and a set of binoculars on his head said it while eating a dish without any table manners.


    ¡®We have to get to Green point,¡¯ Hawk said and the moment he said it, everybody on the table started looking at him with surprised gazes.


    For a few seconds, a silence occurred but it soon was interrupted by the sound of all the aliens laughing.


    ¡®Coatboy wants to go to Green point,¡¯ the green alien said, pointing to Hawk and Veronica while laughing.


    ¡®Oh boy. You guys sure are something,¡¯ the giant alien said who kept laughing as food fell out his mouth.


    Hawk didn¡¯t understand. ¡®Why? What is wrong with that?¡¯ he asked but it was hard for anyone to answer while they were all laughing.


    ¡®Don¡¯t you know that Green point has been marked as a Lost world?¡¯ the green alien said and Hawk was startled by those words.

 chapter 2.5 Help from an unexpected source

    Everybody in the harbor was laughing at Hawk and Veronica, leaving them in the dark without paying any attention. Their request must have been so stupid as it spread fast and more and more people started laughing.


    ¡®What do they mean with a Lost world?¡¯ Veronica asked Hawk who was still startled and staring in front of him.


    ¡®I¡¯m not sure. I¡¯ve only heard stories,¡¯ he mumbled while he swallowed nervously.


    ¡®What kind of stories?¡¯ Veronica asked who was in the impression that it was not something to take lightly.


    Hawk looked at her and she hadn¡¯t seen his face seriously that often.


    ¡®Lost worlds are to be said planets who vanish from the map. No one knows what happened, only that the planets disappear from the radar and no one finds them again,¡¯ he said and Veronica was shocked by his words.


    ¡®They disappear? No one can find them?¡¯ she asked.


    Hawk wanted to respond but someone interrupted.


    ¡®I can,¡¯ a voice said from behind them.


    Veronica turned around and Hawk looked in the direction the voice came from.


    In the corner of the harbor, hidden in the shade sat a man at a table.


    He had his legs on the table and he sat slumped in a chair.


    ¡®Excuse me,¡¯ Hawk said, who walked to the table with little steps.


    Veronica walked besides him and when they reached the table, it became clear who the person was sitting there.


    At the table sat an alien with his legs spread on top of it, smoking something that looked like a silver device.


    His skin was blue, covered with what looked like tribal tattoos.


    He had a beast-like face, sharp fangs showed when he laughed.


    On the top of his bald blue head was a huge horn sticking to the front.


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    A similar smaller horn was on his chin.


    His long black coat and heavy boots matched colors and dirt.


    ¡®Pirate,¡¯ Hawk mumbled so only Veronica could hear it.


    ¡®You kids wanna go to Green point? A lost world?¡¯ he asked and he smoked from his device. a little grin was showing on the alien¡¯s face.


    ¡®And you can get us there?¡¯ Hawk tried to ask with confidence.


    The alien at the table stopped smoking and showed him a cocky smile.


    ¡®Oh boy. I can,¡¯ he said and he started to laugh.


    Eto and TYO walked into the temple and they could hear their footsteps echo through the giant hall.


    The floor was made of marble and the same pillars outside were built on the inside. The hall was big but empty, except for some fire to the sides to brighten the place.


    Eto could only see a giant statue at the back of the temple. That, and a man sitting in front of the statue on the floor.


    Slowly but followed with the sounds of his footsteps, Eto walked to the back of the temple with TYO slowly driving behind him.


    ¡®Excuse me,¡¯ Eto said and he could hear his own voice echoing through the hall.


    The man who was sitting turned around. It was an alien with brown skin. He had no hair and his ears were pointy. His skin was covered in different spots of brown and three small tentacles hung over his mouth like some sort of beard.


    ¡®Yes my child,¡¯ he said with a relaxing voice.


    ¡®I¡¯m sorry. Is this the temple of the holy knights?¡¯ Eto asked and the man nodded with a little smile. Eto was enthusiastic about that.


    ¡®Can you tell me if I can meet them?¡¯ Eto asked and at the same time he was looking around, hoping he would see one.


    The man laughed calmy and shook his head.


    ¡®I¡¯m sorry dear boy but the holy knights are not here.¡¯


    ¡®They aren¡¯t?¡¯ Eto said with disappointment. His face showed his disappointment.


    ¡®No, no,¡¯ the man said and he turned around to look at the big statue in the temple. It was the same as the statue of the man outside.


    ¡®All the holy knights are out into space, fighting in the war.¡¯


    ¡®The war?¡¯ Eto asked  and he also looked at the statue as the man turned around. He looked at Eto with a surprised face.


    ¡®Yes, don¡¯t you know what is going on?¡¯ he asked and Eto shook his head.


    ¡®I¡¯m sorry. My memory is a little vague lately.¡¯


    The man smiled and walked towards Eto. He put his arm on his shoulder.


    ¡®I am glad you¡¯re still the same as we thought¡¯ the man said and this confused Eto.


    ¡®What do you mean?¡¯ he asked and he could feel the grip of the man getting tighter. TYO came from behind Eto. ¡®I don¡¯t like this,¡¯ he said.


    The man gave a grin, but with a face Eto didn¡¯t like.


    ¡®I¡¯m just glad to meet you here,¡¯ the man said and with his other arm, he also grabbed Eto. ¡®That will make things a lot easier.¡¯


    Eto didn¡¯t understand and he wanted to step back but the man kept his hold on him.


    ¡®Vulture knight. Your moment to shine¡¯ the man yelled and Eto could hear something moving on the ceiling of the temple.

 chapter 2.6 The plan to move

    While Veronica and Hawk were looking at the pirate, it seemed like the rest of the harbor went quiet in their heads. Their attention was fully on the alien at the table.


    ¡®You can bring us to Green point? A planet everybody mentions as a lost world?¡¯ Hawk asked to be sure, not knowing if he could believe him.


    The pirate kicked a chair next to them in their direction. ¡®Sit,¡¯ he said.


    Even though Hawk didn¡¯t like the situation they were in, he agreed by sitting next to the man. Veronica took her place next to Hawk without losing the man out of her sight.


    When they sat down, Hawk could see that the man had four arms in the black coat he was wearing. Two were laying on his stomach and the other two he used in the conversation.


    ¡®I can get you to Green point, even though it is a lost world.¡¯


    Hawk thought carefully about what he was gonna say but something caught his attention.


    ¡®If it really is a lost world, how come you can find it?¡¯ he asked and the man started to laugh.


    ¡®Oh man. Everybody nowadays is so stuck up with their radars and onboard maps.Nobody really knows where they are going. It takes a real traveler to remember the coordinates of the places he has been. Remembering the positions of the stars, the sun of the specific system. And for the record, I¡¯ve been to Green point.¡¯


    Hawk slowly nodded. He didn¡¯t like the situation they were in but hearing from the laughter everybody gave off, this man was their best chance. Even though he didn¡¯t like it.


    ¡®And the price?¡¯ he asked and the man again started to laugh.


    Hawk was no fool. He knew in these situations, everybody has a price.


    ¡®Money is no option. I need someone to help me with something.¡¯


    ¡®Which is?¡¯ Veronica asked, trying to involve herself in the conversation. The pirate looked at her and gave a cheeky smile.


    She felt uncomfortable. A brute alien looking at her like that.


    ¡®A girl wants to know?¡¯ the alien asked as he scratched the horn on his chin and it made Veronica furious.


    ¡®Why does it matter that I''m a girl?¡¯ she asked and again the man started to laugh, only this time a little louder.


    ¡®It doesn¡¯t. It¡¯s just I didn¡¯t hear you speak up before. In my opinion, most girls are more qualified for some jobs when they are quite like you,¡¯ he said and he winked at Veronica. She looked away, angry but blushing at the same time.


    ¡®Get to the point. You needed help with something?¡¯ Hawk asked and the man nodded while he was smiling. He started to sit more straight and Hawk and Veronica could see the blue skin of his chest under his coat. It was marked with many dark blue inked tattoos, just like the rest of his body.


    ¡®My ship has been taken from me by the soldiers of the worlds. They wanted to arrest me but I got away quickly. I do know they took my ship here to Etoile. Down in the shipyard basement. I want to get it back. And I need help with that.¡¯


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    Hawk looked at him with irritation.


    ¡®You¡¯re crazy. Why would you think we would help you get your ship back from the soldiers of the worlds?¡¯ he asked but the pirate laughed at his response.


    ¡®Because you¡¯re also crazy. Crazy enough to find someone to bring you to a lost world. Then you are crazy enough to steal my ship back for me.¡¯


    Hawk wanted to respond but Veronica pulled him back to whisper something in his ear.


    ¡®I don¡¯t like this. That way we are gonna be criminals,¡¯ she said and even though Hawk agreed with her, he didn¡¯t have another plan.


    ¡®We must do this, for Eto,¡¯ he whispered back at her.


    Eto grabbed the arms of the man that was holding him and tried to get free but the grip was too tight.


    He heard something moving above them and when he looked up, the man released him and jumped back, giving Eto a little push.


    Something big came down from the ceiling and Eto had just enough time to grab TYO and jump away before something almost hit him.


    A giant knight in black armor swung his sword towards them and hit the floor where Eto just was standing. Little pieces of marble flew through the air as the sword made a crack in the floor.


    Eto jumped back and landed on the floor a few meters from where he was standing. He put TYO down who drove behind him for shelter.


    ¡®You,¡¯ Eto said, recognizing the knight from Borner.


    ¡®Yes,¡¯ the knight said, who pulled his big sword from the floor. It was the same type of sword Eto had broken but now it was as new.


    ¡®Eto, you little brat. This time you won¡¯t get away,¡¯ the knight said with an irritated voice. He left no room to talk as he jumped to Eto in a second.


    His sword swung towards Eto but he managed to dodge it by jumping in the air.


    Up in the air, Eto started to make his arms glow. He watched for a second at the knight before his jump moved him towards him.


    ¡®Not this time,¡¯ the knight said and he dodged the attack from Eto by jumping in the air, quicker than Eto. The knight hit him with a full blown kick in his back. It made Eto swing across the hall and hit the marble floor.


    ¡®Eto!¡¯ TYO yelled and he wanted to move towards him but the knight hit the floor in front of TYO with his sword, blocking him from going to Eto.


    ¡®This time, you will be mine. I will deliver you personally to the master and our long search will end at last,¡¯ the knight said. His voice was muffled by the helmet and it sounded like he was laughing but was irritated at the same time.


    Eto slowly got up, surprised how damaged his body felt with that blow in the back but he tried to prepare himself.


    ¡®I, the Vulture knight will personally deliver you to my master!¡¯ the knight yelled when he jumped again towards Eto.


    Eto prepared for an attack and when the knight was close, he wanted to punch him with his glowing arm like he had done on Borner. The knight dove down to dodge it and he started to laugh harder.


    ¡®You¡¯re strong but you have no skill, no tactics¡¯ the knight said and he grabbed Eto¡¯s face with his big hands.


    The knight moved his arm back and threw Eto away. Just like Eto had punched him through a wall back at Borner, Eto was now smashed through the wall of the temple, leaving dust and bricks on the floor.


    Daylight started to make his way into the temple through the hole.


    ¡®Vulture knight!¡¯ the man screamed from a distance.


    ¡®Be careful not to damage the temple too much. I have to explain everything and Generation Zero is not planned in that report.¡¯


    The knight turned his head and watched the man behind him, making a sound that he was irritated.


    ¡®Easy there, councilman Kazerku. You don¡¯t get to tell me what I can or cannot do. If I want to bring this temple or the city down while beating that brat to a pulp, that is just the way it is.¡¯


    After that, the Vulture knight started to move to the hole where he threw Eto through, ready to finish the fight.

 chapter 2.7 Eto vs. the Vulture knight

    ¡®So what is the plan?¡¯ Hawk asked seriously, knowing this was the best option they had at the moment. The blue alien laughed.


    ¡®Hold on. Who are you guys? I can help you of course but don¡¯t think I would jump the moment someone accepts the offer. Well, technically I do but that¡¯s not the point now,¡¯ he said with a laugh.


    Hawk swallowed slowly, thinking what would be the best play.


    ¡®My name is Professor Zipp, and we are,¡¯ but the alien interrupted him.


    ¡®Save it professor Hawk. I know who you are but I would have liked to hear it from you. The truth. Professor, why don¡¯t you introduce me to your lady friend?¡¯ he said as he looked at Veronica


    Hawk looked at Veronica  and when she looked at him, she slowly nodded.


    ¡®This is Veronica. We are traveling along with another friend of ours who is in the city right now.¡¯ The moment he said it, he wondered where Eto was.


    ¡®Veronica,¡¯ the alien said and he stood up. His lower two arms rested beside its body but the other two made gestures that he wanted her hand.


    Slowly she gave it and he grabbed it firmly, pulling it to kiss it.


    ¡®Djon Barlow, at your service,¡¯ he said with a grin.


    ¡®Barlow?¡¯ Hawk asked. ¡®That¡¯s a very human name, is it?¡¯ and Djon started laughing.


    ¡®Named by my human mother but you can keep it with Djon.¡¯


    Even though Veronica still did not trust him, knowing his name made him more tolerable.


    ¡®So again, what¡¯s the plan?¡¯ Hawk asked and Jon sat down again.


    ¡®Aye. My ship was taken into custody and I would like to take it back.¡¯


    ¡®We have a ship,¡¯ Hawk said but Djon waved his hands.


    ¡®I¡¯m not leaving without my ship,¡¯ he said. He put his hands together and looked at Hawk. ¡®What kind of ship?¡¯ he asked with interest.


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    ¡®A  12216625-EO¡¯ he answered and Djon started laughing harder than he already did.


    ¡®It¡¯s a nice ship but not built for long distances. It will fit in the hangar of my ship,¡¯ he said.


    ¡®So what do we need to do?¡¯ Veronica asked him. Djon¡¯s laughter went silent but he still showed a little grin.


    ¡®We¡¯re gonna break into the shipyard basement and we will be taking my ship back.¡¯


    People on the street started to run away the moment a hole in the wall of the temple appeared. One of the pillars broke and something came out of it, taking dirt and stones with him.


    The body of a young boy came down on the ground with a huge hit. Nobody walked to him as they all were watching the hole and were wondering what had happened.


    Finally, one man started walking to the boy and wanted to ask if he was alright. Before he could ask it, someone yelled at him.


    ¡®Don¡¯t go near him. He is mine,¡¯ a heavy voice said and a large man in black armor came through the wall.


    The boy opened his eyes and tried to stand up.


    ¡®Get back¡¯! he yelled to the people behind him and they didn¡¯t stay to be told again.


    The crowd started to run and scream while the knight still approached Eto.


    ¡®You better give up, unless you want to be beaten up some more?¡¯ the knight asked and Eto could hear a flingering of laughter behind the words.


    ¡®You talking about yourself?¡¯ Eto said and he gave a little grin.


    Suddenly, Eto started to run to the knight but he was prepared.


    Eto jumped and the Vulture knight grabbed his sword, ready to strike again but the moment he did, Eto dodged it by sliding over the ground on his knees.


    When he was right under the knight, Eto''s legs started to glow and he prepared himself to jump.


    ¡®Take this!¡¯ Eto yelled and with full force he jumped, hitting the knight with his back and sending the knight with him into the air.


    The knight didn¡¯t expect it and he flew through the air with Eto behind him.


    ¡®Brat¡¯ the knight mumbled angrily and quickly grabbed his sword.


    He hit Eto with the back of his blade, sending him back into the ground and the knight slowly started falling.


    Eto hit the floor, sending pieces of it flying around. More screams could be heard from the crowd running around.


    The knight put his blade towards the ground, pointing at Eto who just got up. He looked up to the knight and he saw the blade coming near him.


    Eto quickly jumped back but the knight quickly followed him when his feet touched the ground.


    The arm of Eto started to glow and in his jump, he hit the knight who approached him. Unfortunately, he grabbed Eto¡¯s fist and stopped him.


    ¡®That won''t work anymore,¡¯ the knight said and he grabbed Eto¡¯s fist firmly.


    He pulled him and hit him on his chest with a huge kick, hitting the star shard under Eto¡¯s shirt with his armor.


    A flash of pain rushed through Eto before he could realize that he was falling.


    The knight had kicked him over the railing of the level they were standing on and Eto was falling down deeper into the city.

 chapter 2.8 Make haste! The plan is being implemented!

    Hawk, Veronica and the man called Djon Barlow all sat at the table, agreeing on the plan. They started to stand up until some people in the harbor started to scream.


    ¡®There is a fight near the temple of the holy knights. A big ass knight is fighting some boy,¡¯ a man screamed and everybody tried to get out of the harbor to look for the fight.


    ¡®Damn,¡¯ Veronica said, knowing that it had to be Eto and the knight they met on Borner.


    ¡®That friend of yours?¡¯ Djon asked after he saw both their faces.


    ¡®Yes,¡¯ Hawk said and he already began to walk to the entrance.


    ¡®Wait!¡¯ Djon said and he stood up. The way he moved his top arms, his lower arms followed.


    ¡®The plan is to get my ship back,¡¯ he said and Hawk turned to him.


    ¡®We have to help our friend first,¡¯ he said and Djon slowly nodded.


    ¡®I understand. Let the girl come with me and recover my ship while you go help your friend.¡¯


    Hawk looked at Veronica who looked like she didn¡¯t like this plan.


    ¡®How can she alone help you?¡¯ Hawk thought that the plan needed more help.


    Djon started laughing.


    ¡®Believe me. She will be enough help. We will get the ship and rendezvous with you at your ship. Where is it docked?¡¯ he asked.


    Hawk looked at Veronica and after a few seconds, she nodded, agreeing that this was the plan they should stick to.


    ¡®Landing platform 1-B-234,¡¯ Hawk said.


    ¡®Gotcha¡¯ Djon answered and he started walking to the door.


    ¡®Get there as quickly as possible. Taking my ship won¡¯t take that long,¡¯ he said but his face was serious for the first time.


    Veronica followed the pirate named Djon but before she left, she looked at Hawk.


    ¡®Take care of Eto,¡¯ she whispered before she walked away to follow the pirate.


    Eto was falling down while many ships flew past him, trying to dodge him.


    ¡®Damn,¡¯ he said, looking for a place to land.


    When he thought he would be falling forever, he landed on top of a ship.


    He hit it hard, rolling over the roof to the back. He grabbed something before he fell off.


    Behind him, the Vulture knight jumped down on another ship that was going in the same direction as the ship Eto was hanging on.


    Eto tried to pull himself up and find his balance when he stood but it was hard as the ship moved to ditch him.


    The Vulture knight jumped from ship to ship to get close to Eto and he almost reached him.


    Eto moved back to the front of the ship and looked in the window to the driver.


    A small alien with many eyes was shouting at Eto in a language he didn¡¯t understand. Behind him he heard the sound of something coming on the ship. Eto looked up and the knight was on the same ship, walking towards him with his sword in his hand.


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    ¡®What do you want?¡¯ Eto yelled as the black knight had almost reached him.


    ¡®You!¡¯ the knight yelled back while slowly walking towards Eto.


    ¡®Why? Who are you?¡¯ Eto asked, preparing himself to fight.


    He searched his balance and took a fighting position.


    The knight gave a little laugh.


    ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter who I am. What matters is getting you to my master,¡¯ the knight said and he almost was in front of Eto.


    Eto looked around and he quickly found a way to escape.


    He jumped from the ship and landed on another who was traveling underneath them. While he was looking for another ship to jump on, the knight already followed him on the one Eto was standing on.


    This ship was smaller and the knight landed much closer to Eto than he was before.


    ¡®Like always, you are an eyesore. You keep getting away.¡¯


    ¡®Shut up!¡¯ Eto yelled and he was getting angry.


    ¡®You talk like we should know each other but I have never seen you in my life¡¯ Eto yelled and the knight started to laugh louder than before.


    ¡®Of course you don¡¯t know me. I am only here for my purpose.¡¯


    The knight pointed to Eto.


    ¡®I bet you have lost a lot of your memories?¡¯ the knight asked but he already knew the answer. This piqued Eto¡¯s interest.


    ¡®What do you know about my memories?¡¯ he asked but the knight waved his arms.


    ¡®Don¡¯t know that much but I¡¯m not in the mood to tell you. I have been informed to get you to the master and that¡¯s all that matters.¡¯


    The vulture knight decided that Eto was gonna try to jump away again so he started to run towards him.


    ¡®Tell me what you know!¡¯ Eto yelled and he jumped forward to hit the knight. The big knight dodged the attack and kicked Eto off the ship into a platform where people were walking.


    Everyone that was walking there jumped back and started to scream from the impact Eto made.


    The knight jumped after him and landed a few meters further where Eto hit the platform.


    ¡®You know about me. I need to know why I can¡¯t remember my memories, '' Eto said while he tried to stand again. The impact was harder than he thought.


    ¡®You fool,¡¯ the knight said and he walked towards Eto.


    ¡®You are nothing more than a tool for the master. You better surrender and come with me. Or do we have to harm your new little friends to convince you? Just like your grandpa.¡¯


    That last word made Eto sharp and he looked at the knight, angry.


    ¡®What did you say?¡¯ he asked slowly and again the knight started to laugh.


    ¡®You don¡¯t remember that? Your Grandpa begged on his knees like the weak old man that he was.¡¯


    Eto remembered the memory that came back to him. The memory of his grandpa that he holded next to him. His grandpa wouldn¡¯t beg for his life. The knight was lying.


    ¡®That¡¯s a lie,¡¯ Eto said in a low voice as he looked at the ground. He could feel anger coming up and he tried to focus his mind. The knight was still approaching him.


    ¡®That¡¯s not true,¡¯ Eto said but he felt his anger grow. Slowly his arm started to glow again only this time, little sparks started to appear around his arm.


    ¡®You are lying¡¯ he said but this time he said it angrily and he looked up to the knight. The vulture knight laughed at the sight of an angry Eto.


    ¡®My grandpa was not begging on his knees!¡¯ Eto yelled and he could feel a power overtaking him.


    A dark place took Eto. He could see nothing but he felt a familiar feeling.


    ¡®Eto,¡¯ could be heard in the distance.


    ¡®Grandpa?¡¯ Eto asked.


    There was nothing but darkness.


    ¡®Grandpa!¡¯ Eto yelled but still no sound.


    He could feel the anger he felt before coming up.


    What was this feeling?


    A strike of light caught him and the darkness was swept away.


    The knight stopped walking and his laugh disappeared. In front of him stood Eto with glowing arms and sparks flying around him. The only difference was that his eyes were glowing with pure light.


    A different energy was surrounding the boy and the knight could feel a trace of fear inside of him.


    ¡®You are lying, you animal!¡¯ Eto yelled with a different heavy voice and he punched with his arm into the knight¡¯s direction.


    He was standing a few meters away from the knight so he wouldn¡¯t hit him but this time, something was different.


    When Eto pushed his arm to the front, the light glowing in his arm went to his fist. When the light reached his fist, it came out of his arm, like a giant forcefield shooting away.


    The lightforce moved with enormous speed towards the knight, who was amazed at what was happening, before he got hit by the lightforce and pushed back.

 chapter 2.9 Etos new powers?

    Veronica followed the pirate named Djon down some platforms without saying a word until they reached an elevator.


    ¡®Not the talkative type, right?¡¯ he asked while they were waiting.


    She looked at him and finally had a chance to see how he really looked.


    His face was creature-like with blue skin and in the corner of his mouth, some sharp teeth could be seen. His blue skin was covered with tattoos all the way up in his neck. A giant horn on his and a small one on his chin made him look dangerous. Still, his eyes had something generous and kind but Veronica wasn¡¯t ready to fall in some pirate trap.


    The long black coat he was wearing seemed heavy and dirty. The four arms all rested to his sides while they were waiting.


    ¡®Nothing?¡¯ he asked again with a grin on his face, showing a few teeth.


    He grabbed a pipe from out of his coat and put it in his mouth. For the first time since they entered the harbor, Veronica smiled a little.


    ¡®Sorry. I¡¯m just worried about our friend.¡¯


    Djon nodded and slowly he put one of his hands on her shoulder.


    ¡®When we get my ship, we will get them and bring you guys to Green point.¡¯


    Veronica didn¡¯t know what had changed but somehow she had the feeling that this man was gonna help them through it.


    Hawk sprinted through the crowd on the streets. He had no idea where the temple of the holy knights was but he followed the sound of the people screaming. The battle had to take place in that direction.


    Why didn¡¯t they look for Eto before they went to the harbor?


    Hawk was sure that it was the most logical solution but thinking back at it, he could have known something would happen.


    He saw a few people watching over a railing and talking to each other.


    ¡®Is that a knight from Generation Zero? What are those criminals doing here?¡¯ were the sentences he heard.


    ¡®Shit,¡¯ Hawk mumbled to himself. If Generation Zero was here on the hunt for Eto, they would have a hard time escaping.


    He remembered Eto and Veronica talking about how Generation Zero had attacked Borner in pursuit of them and how they wreaked havoc. He didn¡¯t think they would dare to go to the capital of the cluster.


    A memory of a knight who was wearing a helmet with horns flashed before Hawk¡¯s eyes.


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    ¡®Hanzou,¡¯ Hawk mumbled to himself while he continued to look for Eto.


    It wasn¡¯t the first time Hawk encountered Generation Zero and the memories came to him with a heavy heart.


    ¡®I guess it soon is time for him to learn the truth,¡¯ he mumbled again.


    The Vulture knight got hit by the lightforce as he tried to dodge it. He jumped to the side but the side of his armor got hit and big parts of it got damaged.


    ¡®Damn this brat. What is he capable of?¡¯ the knight asked slowly when he looked at his damaged armor.


    In front of him, Eto was still standing, looking at him with the light in his eyes. His face was serious and it was at that moment that the knight was afraid of the battle.


    The Vulture knight quickly reached for a button on his helmet and pressed it.


    ¡®Captain, I¡¯m gonna need help,¡¯ he said and when he finished the sentence, Eto jumped towards him.


    His speed was even faster than before and the knight didn¡¯t expect him to be in front of him that fast.


    Eto stopped right in front of him and the knight could see the light in his eyes, staring at him with anger.


    He quickly grabbed his sword and slashed away at Eto but just like on Borner, Eto grabbed the blade and stopped the attack with ease.


    ¡®No,¡¯ the knight whispered and in front of him, his sword broke into little pieces again. Before he could realize that his weapon was destroyed, Eto hit him in the stomach with a quick punch.


    While the knight flew back, he could hear his armor breaking where Eto had punched him.


    With pain in his stomach, the knight flew through the air with speed. He was sure he would hit something but he saw Eto going after him.


    With speed like he had never seen, the boy came behind him, stopping the knight going through the air.


    Eto pushed his arm forward to stop the knight and again the sound of armor getting broken was heard only this time, the knight was sure that he could hear a few bones break too.


    ¡®Who are you?¡¯ Eto asked and his voice sounded way deeper than before.


    Eto grabbed the shoulder of the knight and jumped up, landing his feet on the shoulders of the knight.


    ¡®What do you know of me?¡¯ Eto yelled and with both hands he grabbed the edge of the knight¡¯s helmet.


    ¡®NO! PLEASE DON¡¯T!¡¯ the knight screamed. His voice made it sound like he was desperate.


    ¡®Who are you?¡¯ Eto kept asking and he started to pull the helmet. He could feel that it stayed on with force.


    ¡®NO!¡¯ the Vulture knight screamed and he swung his body, hoping to get rid of the boy.


    Eto pulled harder and harder and while the helmet seemed to be stuck to the armor, he could feel it moving very slowly.


    ¡®No!¡¯ the knight screamed and he dropped to his knees. He tried to grab Eto but he held on too hard to the helmet.


    Eto could feel the helmet moving and it didn¡¯t need much more for it to be removed.


    ¡®NO!¡¯ the knight screamed but his voice disappeared when Eto was able to remove the helmet.


    It felt like he pulled something tight with tension.


    The moment Eto pulled the helmet from the armor, he could feel a force getting released from the armor, like steam getting released under pressure.


    Eto jumped off, holding the helmet in his hand and looking at the armor.


    He didn¡¯t see anything but he could hear the voices of the crowd who were watching and scream.


    Eto looked around the armor and at that moment he saw why the people were screaming.


    The place where the head should have been was empty.


    The rest of the armor was empty too and soon it fell down, empty and cold like no one was inside.


    Somewhere in the crowd, Eto could hear someone scream his name.


    ¡®Eto!¡¯ Hawk screamed who had reached his friend.

 chapter 2.10 Getting the ship back

    ¡®Eto!¡¯ Hawk screamed who had reached his friend.


    He saw Eto in the middle of a surrounding crowd. Next to him lay a body of armor which was empty and in Eto¡¯s hand the big black helmet.


    It seemed that his words had distracted him as he searched the crowd for Hawk¡¯s voice. When he found him, Hawk quickly saw his eyes glowing with light before they turned back to normal.


    ¡®Hawk?¡¯ Eto asked while looking at him scared.


    Hawk tried to walk through the people and when he entered the empty space where Eto was, TYO came riding from behind the legs of the crowd.


    ¡®Eto! We have trouble. The soldiers of the worlds have been informed about the fight. We need to get out of here!¡¯


    TYO saw Hawk approaching Eto and for a moment he was shocked but relieved at the same time.


    ¡®Professor. It was terrible. We were attacked and,¡¯ but Hawk didn¡¯t pay him attention. Instead he looked at Eto who was looking at him with scared eyes.


    ¡®Hawk. I don¡¯t know what happened,¡¯ he said slowly and he looked at the helmet in his hands and the armor on the floor in front of him.


    There was no trace of the person of the Vulture knight. The only thing left was his armor which laid empty on the streets.


    ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter,¡¯ Hawk said and he grabbed Eto and held him tight. Then he looked at TYO and nodded that he understood what TYO just had said.


    ¡®TYO, return to the ship and be ready. We depart as soon as we arrive.¡¯


    TYO jumped on his little wheel. ¡®But professor. By my calculations we will not get Veronica and escape this planet. The chance is 38%¡¯


    ¡®We don¡¯t need to get Veronica. She will come to us,¡¯ he said and this took the attention of Eto.


    Hawk looked around and saw the huge crowd of people looking at them.


    ¡®I can¡¯t believe I have to do this,¡¯ he whispered.


    His belt switched until a certain forearm was under his mechanical arm and he switched it. After that, he quickly put it up in the air and released a few shots from his arm. Just like he imagined, the crowd started to panic and screamed, losing their attention on them.


    ¡®Come on Eto. We have to get back to the ship¡¯ he said while looking for a way through the people. Hawk imagined if the soldiers of the worlds caught them, it was sure they couldn''t go to Green point with that pirate called Djon.


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    Veronica and Djon had arrived at the shipyard basement and the pirate tried to take as much cover as needed.


    ¡®Nothing to worry but I can¡¯t be sure if my face is on any wanted signs,¡¯ he said to Veronica who followed him.


    They tried to blend in with the crowd until Djon was certain of the hangar part they arrived at.


    ¡®Here it is,¡¯ he said and he looked around a wall to the door where two guards were standing. Veronica looked together with Jon and she saw the two soldiers of the worlds.


    They were dressed in white protection armor with the connecting parts being gray. Both wore helmets that covered their face with a visor and in their hands were rifles.


    ¡®How do you know that your ship is there?¡¯ Veronica asked while whispering.


    ¡®Because I tried to get it back before. It¡¯s in this hangar, waiting to get stripped by those bastards of the council. On my own, I couldn¡¯t get it.¡¯


    Veronica heard him and she looked at the soldiers, thinking of what the plan could be. ¡®Any ideas?¡¯ she asked.


    Djon smiled and pulled her back behind the wall.


    ¡®Alright, this is the plan. You go in and play a damsel in distress and while the guards are busy helping you, I sneak in and get my ship.¡¯


    Veronica was not pleased with that idea. As a matter of fact, it seemed like a dumb and too simple plan.


    ¡®How come I have to play the damsel in distress?¡¯ she asked and Djon could hear her voice getting furious.


    ¡®Don¡¯t get me wrong. I believe you are of better use than that. It¡¯s just that they will recognize me and I believe that a good looking girl like you will definitely draw their attention.¡¯


    It made Veronica blush but she tried to look angry.


    ¡®Yeah well,¡¯ but she didn¡¯t know what to say against his words about her. Djon winked at her.


    ¡®A beautiful girl like you is something no one can ignore. I bet everyone would be ready to jump in and help you.¡¯


    Veronica didn¡¯t say anything. It felt wrong to be tricked like this for a simple role in the plan but at the same time, she did enjoy the words spoken of her of which she tried to ignore her feelings about it.


    ¡®And after that?¡¯ she asked quickly while trying to still sound serious.


    ¡®After that, you jump in and get on the ship. When my engines are starting, get into the hangar. I will let the gate open.¡¯


    Veronica took another peak at the soldiers and sighed. ¡®Fine,¡¯ she mumbled.


    Djon took his position against another wall where he had a good view of the door and the soldiers.


    Veronica took her place and started running.


    She kept running along the hallway and passed the guards. Right before them, Jon saw that she tripped and hit the floor.


    She yelled while grabbing her leg and just like Djon predicted, the soldiers stepped in to help her.


    He waited a few seconds to check if they really fell for it and if one of them did not think to return. When they both stayed at Veronica, Djon slipped in.


    He moved along them, looking at Veronica who really played her part before entering the open door.


    When he followed the hall a few meters, he came to a big open hangar in which he saw a ship docked that he recognised as his own.


    ¡®My sweet Tortoise. I¡¯m back.¡¯

 chapter 2.11. Ready to take off!

    Hawk Pulled Eto through the panic of the crowd while TYO drove right behind them. They could hear alarm bells ring everywhere and Hawk wasn¡¯t surprised. A giant fight between Eto and Generation Zero and later him shooting in an open space. Chaos was sure to break out.


    Hawk didn¡¯t want to try the elevators because those were points where they could be stuck so he searched for the stairs to get to another platform.


    ¡®You alright?¡¯ he asked Eto who he kept his arm tight in his hand.


    ¡®Yeah,¡¯ Eto mumbled and he looked troubled. He looked at Hawk and Hawk could see the distortion in his eyes. It was a sight he didn¡¯t want to see but he tried to ignore his feelings.


    ¡®Can you run on your own?¡¯ he asked Eto and he nodded.


    Slowly he released Eto who started running besides Hawk. TYO drove behind him.


    ¡®It is still 73% of our route to the harbor,¡¯ TYO yelled with a squeaky voice.


    Eto quickly grabbed TYO and held him in his arms of which TYO made a sigh sound that he was happy for getting carried.


    The crowd they ran through here was more quiet but still aware that something had happened close by. They could hear the different aliens talk to each other.


    ¡®I got a notification that the soldiers are deployed. Do you know what happened?¡¯


    ¡®I heard there was a big fight somewhere. Do you think the war has come all this way?


    ¡®I need to get home to secure my children.¡¯


    Hawk heard the people talking to each other and he felt responsible for the commotion but it was the only way to disappear in a chaotic crowd with Eto.


    ¡®There!¡¯ Hawk said and he pointed with his robotic arm to the harbor that came in front of them. Eto recognised the building from where they had landed their ship.


    ¡®What about Veronica?¡¯ Eto asked, wanting to know where she was for a while. Hawk gave a little smile in hope of calming him.


    ¡®Don¡¯t worry. Veronica is handling our new transport. They will meet us here soon.¡¯


    ¡®They?¡¯ Eto thought and he figured they had found someone to help them. Even though he should be happy with their plan being successful, he couldn''t help but feel weird after his battle with the vulture knight.


    ¡®What happened to him and why was the armor of the knight empty after Eto pulled the helmet off?


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    Djon sneaked through the room to the door of his ship. While he ran, he took a look at his ship, appreciating the fact that he was together with her again.


    The Tortoise was in the same shape as the animal.


    The body of the ship was round like a tortoise shell. The two parts at the back which resemble the legs were the engines and at the front there were two little cockpits with firearms. In the middle where the head of the animal is, the main cockpit to control the ship was placed. Jon even let the ship be painted with blue lines over the silverwork to resemble the seas where those beautiful creatures live. A quick reminder of home went through his mind.


    He came to the door and quickly pushed his password to open it.


    Inside he made his way through the halls to the front to find the cockpit.


    It was round with one main chair behind the wheel and two smaller chairs behind them for co-pilots.


    He sat down and started the ship. Now was the moment he had to handle it quickly. When the engines would start, he would alert all the soldiers in the shipyard and he still had to wait for the girl.


    First he checked the scanners for the best way to fly out of here and he put in the coordinations for the landing platform. luckily, It wasn¡¯t that far.


    Djon looked out the window and through the small hall he could see that Veronica was still laying on the floor with the soldiers near her.


    It was now or never. He checked if the door still was open before he pushed the buttons that turned on the engines. He could hear the sound he knew from his ship blasting outside.


    Veronica made it look like she had twisted her ankle.


    ¡®Better get you to a medic center,¡¯ the soldier proposed while he tried to grab her.


    ¡®No wait, I think I can walk,¡¯ she said and slowly she pretended like she needed to find balance while standing up.


    She tried to figure out how long she could keep this act up but then she heard some engines going on.


    While the soldier in front of her was still busy looking how she could stand, the other soldier turned his head towards the hangar with the ship.


    ¡®What is that?¡¯ he asked slowly and that was the moment Veronica had to act.


    She quickly put her leg behind the soldier in front of her and pushed him so he tripped. After that she grabbed her baton and made it with the push on a button longer before hitting the other soldier at his helmet.


    He was surprised by the attack and also fell down after which Veronica made the jump for it.


    ¡®All soldiers in the area. we have a violation for violence against soldiers and use of a ship marked as prohibited entry. Please respond,¡¯ the first soldier screamed while pushing a button on his helmet.


    Veronica couldn¡¯t believe what she just did. A rush of adrenaline went through her as her feet felt heavy from the rush of excitement.


    She tried not to look behind her as she gave it her all to run towards the hall.


    Veronica ran through the door but she could hear the clicking sound of guns being prepared. She tried to wiggle while she ran, in hopes that they couldn¡¯t have a clear shot but she didn¡¯t hear anything.


    In front of her, a huge tortoise shaped ship started to lift off, turning so an open door came clear in front of her.


    The door was lowered as a drawbridge and it was hanging slightly above the floor, waiting for her to jump in.


    ¡®Stop her!¡¯ the soldiers behind her said and without looking, Veronica could tell there were more soldiers.


    Their footsteps could be heard in the hallways.

 chapter 2.12 Escape Etoile

    Veronica ran as fast as she could. The giant ship that was in front of her had started his engines and was hovering right above the floor.


    ''All soldiers in the area. Ship in custody B89YU is being hijacked. Target on the run. Shoot to paralyze,'' a soldier said who ran into the hangar and turned his rifle to stun.


    Veronica didn''t dare to look behind her and she kept running.


    In the corners of her eyes, she could see soldiers coming from different doors in the area. A quick look at the cockpit showed Djon behind the window, waiting for her.


    At first she heard a clicking sound which was followed by a blaster shot passing close to her and hitting a crate right next to her. She could feel her heart beating fast. She couldn''t believe she was on the run for the soldiers of the worlds while being shot at. A rush of fear and adrenaline went through her and she tried hard to ignore it and focus on getting to the ship.


    She was almost there but when she turned her head to look around, a stupid mistake, more and more soldiers were entering the hangar.


    ''Jump!'' she heard a voice yell through an intercom and the ship started to take off.


    Veronica poured all her energy to sprint and when she was almost near, she jumped at the door while it was moving from the ground.


    The weight in her feet made the jump almost impossible.


    She thought she didn''t make it and she could hear multiple shots being shot.


    Her fingertips barely touched the edge of the ship and she couldn''t make it.


    Suddenly, a hand grabbed hers.


    A blue hand grabbed her and she could see Djon standing at the edge of the door while his other three hands reached in to get a hold of her.


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    When he had pulled her into the ship, he quickly maneuvered her inside and closed the door.


    ''That was close,'' he said and he started to run back to the cockpit as soon as the door was shut. Veronica caved in and for a while, kept laying on the floor, thinking about what would have happened if she didn''t have made it.


    Djon sat back in the cockpit and tried to adjust the ship for takeoff.


    ''Open fire!'' was heard being yelled on the outside and soon after, many rifle shots were fired at the ship.


    ''Hang on! '' Jon said through the intercom and he pushed a control stick that made the engines blast.


    Soon he was dodging parts of the harbor to get out and on his way to the ship of Hawk and Veronica.


    A few bumps against the building or stuff was necessary to make a quick escape.


    Veronica, who had to guess how to get to the front of the ship, tried to grab hold onto something as the ship took off and maneuvered in different positions to escape the harbor.


    Finally, she found the pirate named Djon sitting and she took her place behind him. Quickly she put on the safety belt and she could relax from trying to stay up because of the moving ship.


    ¡®If you put in the codes of your ship, we will try to make contact while we are on our way,¡¯ Djon said while smiling. Even though they just escaped from the soldiers, he was happy he was reunited again with his ship.


    Eto and Hawk entered the landing port and Hawk ran to the person in charge.


    ¡®Get to the ship and wait for me,¡¯ Hawk said to Eto who nodded and ran towards the main area where the ships were being docked.


    He grabbed TYO while he ran off, who started to yell in panic because of all the commotion.


    ¡®I''m 67% not sure what is happening and I can¡¯t calculate if we''re gonna make it, whatever is happening.¡¯


    Eto turned him upside so he could look into the lens of TYO.


    ¡®You don¡¯t have to know and we will make it,¡¯ Eto said and he put on his recognizable grin.


    ¡®I''m 100% not comfortable with that,¡¯ TYO whispered but Eto ignored it.


    He kept running and searched for the part where they left the ship. Luckily he recognised it and found the ship that Hawk used to bring them here.


    ¡®So now what?¡¯ TYO asked who was put on the ground.


    ¡®Now we wait for Hawk,¡¯ Eto said who looked around to see if he could see him.

 chapter 2.13 Escaping! The group reunites

    Djon navigated the tortoise through the holes and tunnels of the hangar. While he passed them, the alarms went off and he could see that they were closing. Giant doors of steel were trying to close and lock them in.


    ¡®Piece of cake¡¯ he said with a smile while he turned the ship so he wouldn¡¯t hit anything that came in front of him


    ¡®Easy?¡¯ Veronica asked who grabbed something to stay in her chair.


    Even though she was strapped in, she felt being tossed around by Djon¡¯s flying maneuvers.


    ¡®Sorry,¡¯ Djon said but his laugh made it seem like he didn¡¯t mean it.


    They got to open space and Veronica could see the traffic from the flying ships in the city.


    ¡®Do you know where to go?¡¯ she asked Jon. He looked over his shoulder.


    ¡®Sweetheart, I know this city like none other. Just put in the codes of your ship and I will know where to look,¡¯


    She didn''t like his words of choice but she had a feeling of relief while sitting back to insert the codes and then wait for them to reach Eto, Hawk and TYO.


    Suddenly, a loud bang was heard from the outside. It startled Veronica.


    ¡®What was that?¡¯ who looked around, searching through the window for where it came from.


    Djon looked in his scanners and gave a big sigh.


    ¡®They are firing at us. Didn¡¯t take them too long to notice that mine ship was stolen. Everybody is on alert.¡¯


    Veronica looked at Djon¡¯s back and started to wonder.


    ¡®What kind of pirate are you?¡¯ she asked and again he turned his head with a smile. His beastly teeth were showing but it was not terrifying. Veronica almost started to think that he wasn¡¯t so bad for what she thought a pirate could be.


    ¡®A one of a kind¡¯, he said and his other arms quickly moved to control the ship.


    While two of his arms steered the ship, the other two pushed different buttons which made the ship go faster.


    ¡®Hold on tight,¡¯ he said to Veronica without looking at her and she could feel how she was pushed into the chair due to the speed of the ship.


    ¡®It won¡¯t take long until we arrive at your ship,¡¯ Djon said while looking at the scanners for attacks.


    Eto and TYO kept waiting but nothing happened. Eto kept looking back where they came from if he could see Hawk returning but he saw nothing.


    ¡®Do you think everything is ok?¡¯ Eto asked and TYO drove to stand next to him.


    ¡®He went to the checkout corner. Maybe it¡¯s busy?¡¯ TYO asked and Eto nodded, accepting that that could be the reason why it took so long.


    They kept quiet and stood there, thinking of when Hawk would return. Suddenly, TYO rolled forward and said something.


    ¡®I¡¯m 84% sure this is not a logical planned thing but I¡¯m sure it¡¯s 87% effective,¡¯ TYO said and he turned to look at Eto who looked surprised.


    ¡®Eto, get to the checkout corner and get Hawk. We are gonna move,¡¯ TYO said.


    ¡®What do you mean?¡¯ Eto asked but TYO pulled up one of his little hands.


    ¡®Don¡¯t worry. I will have the ship ready. Just be back quickly to escape this place.¡¯


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    Eto nodded and he jumped over TYO, making his way to the checkout corner.


    At the checkout corner, Hawk was overlooking a crowd of people.


    ¡®Damn. Everybody tries to flee because of a certain incident¡¯ he told himself.


    He kept looking through the crowd but it seemed there was no way for him to get the checkout card in time. Suddenly, someone grabbed his robot arm and pulled him back.


    ¡®What the,¡¯ but when he saw it was Eto, he calmed down.


    ¡®Sorry for making you wait but it¡¯s impossible to get the card,¡¯ he said but as always, Eto had that grin on his face that could tell he didn¡¯t worry.


    ¡®No problem. TYO got a plan,¡¯ Eto said and he pulled Hawk out of the crowd and moved back to where the ship was docked.


    ¡®What plan?¡¯ Hawk asked.


    ¡®I don¡¯ t know,¡¯ Eto said while smiling as he ran in front of Hawk back to the ship.


    They returned to the ship and they saw TYO standing next to the door, ready to open it.


    ¡®What did you do?¡¯ Hawk asked and TYO put his arms to the side, like he wanted to stand proud.


    ¡®A little overwriting and disabling the borders placed on the ship for stealing if taken without a checkout card.¡¯


    Eto looked at him, not quite understanding what he meant but he was happy.


    Hawk, on the other hand, grabbed TYO and hugged him quickly with relief.


    ¡®That¡¯s one smart robot.¡¯


    TYO looked over his shoulder to Eto who was still smiling.


    ¡®I''m 100% sure you mean it and the fact you want to tear me apart for research has dropped to 38%.¡¯


    Hawk opened the door and everybody got in and took a place.


    TYO jumped on the controls and a tiny arm came from a little hole on his body which he plugged into the controls. The lights of the buttons went fast and the light on his lens flickered a few times.


    ¡®Now. You should be able to overload the gate that is shut,¡¯ TYO said.


    Hawk looked at the gate and started to program with the controls.


    After a few seconds they saw the gate behind the glass of their cockpit opening slowly.


    ¡®Yes¡¯ Hawk said and he pulled his arm up for victory. Finally something that worked.


    ¡®Let¡¯s get this show on the road,¡¯ Hawk said and he started the engines.


    He pulled up the ship and moved it towards the gate but suddenly alarms started to ring on the landing platform.


    ¡®Warning. Unauthorized departure active. Assistance is alarmed,¡¯ was heard outside through some speakers.


    ¡®What now?¡¯ Eto asked who looked outside and saw red alarm lights going on and off.


    ¡®It must be the checkout card. It¡¯s not scanned. I removed all the security on the ship,¡¯ TYO said while jumping up and down, feeling displeased with himself.


    ¡®My calculations were incorrect. How could this happen?¡¯ he said and his robotic voice sounded heavy.


    ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter,¡¯ Hawk said and he looked serious.


    ¡®We need to get out of here,¡¯ he said and he pushed the control stick that made the ship move faster towards the gate.


    They moved through the gate and  the computer started to bring in a message.


    ¡®This is Admiral Gustia. You are leaving without permission after a rule has been filed that no ship may leave Etoile after recent incidents.¡¯


    The voice wanted to say more but it sounded like the message was being overwritten.


    ¡®How does it work out my friend?¡¯ a voice said that Hawk recognised.


    ¡®Who are you?¡¯ Hawk asked, not sure if it was who he thought it would be.


    ¡®Who am I? I¡¯m the great,¡¯ but it sounded like the person was pushed away from the mic. Quickly, they heard the voice of Veronica.


    ¡®Hawk, do you hear me?¡¯


    Before Hawk could answer, Eto pushed him aside and moved to the mic.


    ¡®Veronica, how are you?¡¯ he asked, happy to hear her voice.


    ¡®Eto? I¡¯m so glad to hear your voice. Do you guys see a tortoise shaped ship above you? We can see the ship underneath us.¡¯


    Eto, Hawk and TYO all looked through the glass to the sky and they did see a ship shaped as a tortoise.


    ''We are on it¡¯ Hawk said and he already pulled the controls so the ship went up.


    ¡®Almost there¡¯ Hawk said to the rest who made a little jump of joy while holding on to something.


    They could still hear the alarms go off behind them from the escape.


    The sound of the alarms was soon followed by the sound of an explosion and the whole ship started to shake.


    The wave of the explosion they heard and the heat from it could be felt behind them and when they looked around, they saw that the back of the ship had been shot and was damaged heavily.


    ¡®No!¡¯ Hawk yelled, looking at the controls of the ship to keep it going, followed by Eto who asked what they should do.


    ¡®I''m 100% sure we are going to crash,¡¯ TYO said while the ship slowly started to move downwards.

 chapter 2.14 Crashing into the city

    ¡®We are gonna crash!¡¯ TYO screamed in fear while the ship started to go down. Hawk tried pulling the steering stick but the ship didn¡¯t respond. Instead, the ship was going down faster and faster.


    ¡®What are we gonna do?¡¯ Eto asked who looked through the window and saw the platforms of the city getting closer and closer.


    ¡®Emergency landing,¡¯ Hawk said while he was focussing on the ship and its controls.


    The tortoise came flying next to the crashing ship.


    ¡®We saw the blast. Is there something you can do?¡¯ Djon said through the communicator.


    ¡®Nothing. We are going down,¡¯ Hawk said and he started to make preparations for a hard crash. TYO was still panicking and driving around like he was defunctioning. Eto on the other hand seemed very calm.


    He kept looking through the window and focussed on the Tortoise outside.


    ¡®We are getting out of here,'' he mumbled softly but Hawk heard him speak.


    ¡®Excuse me?¡¯ he asked but Eto didn¡¯t look like he wanted to explain.


    `We are getting out!'' Eto said louder this time and he looked at the side of the ship where an emergency exit was placed.


    ¡®Djon, can you open your information relay for me?¡¯ Hawk asked through the communicator.


    ¡®Done!¡¯ Hawk heard from the other side of the communicator.


    ¡®Great. TYO, can you transfer all my data to the Tortoise!¡¯ Hawk yelled.


    TYO kept driving around but he answered.


    ¡®I don¡¯t know how!¡¯ he screamed in panic and Hawk quickly grabbed him.


    ¡®Not you. The ship,¡¯ hawk said and quickly the AI of the ship started talking.


    ¡®Downloading now,¡¯ was said but it was hard to hear with the trembles from the ship going down.


    ¡®I have to upload everything,¡¯ Hawk said while looking at the monitor.


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    ¡®No time,¡¯ Eto said and he opened the emergency exit which created a stream of wind going outside.


    ¡®No, wait!¡¯ Hawk yelled but Eto grabbed him and TYO.


    TYO panically grabbed Eto to make sure he didn¡¯t fall down down


    ¡®No time,¡¯ Eto repeated and he pulled them towards the door.


    Outside flew the Tortoise and Eto saw what he was hoping for. The hatch that was open for them to land on.


    ¡®Get ready!¡¯ Eto yelled and he bends his knees a little.


    Hawk could see that Eto his legs started to glow while he was looking at the Tortoise.


    ¡®No! No!¡¯ Hawk yelled. He started to understand what Eto was planning to do.


    ¡®Yes!¡¯ Eto said and fully convinced, he jumped off the ship.


    With an unsuspected speed, they got launched from out of the ship and met the air in between the crashing ship and the Tortoise.


    They flew through the air and Hawk could feel the different pressures of wind going against them but it didn¡¯t seem to bother Eto. It seemed he was focussed on landing on the platform.


    The ship behind them started to go down fast and the Tortoise slowly started to move in their direction.


    For the reassurance of Hawk and TYO, Eto landed on the floor of the Tortoise, inside the hatch at the back of the ship.


    He threw TYO and Hawk down on the floor to make sure they were inside and the hatch slowly started to close behind them.


    Veronica looked at the monitor and saw they had entered the ship.


    ¡®Get us out of here!¡¯ she yelled with tension and Djon nodded.


    ¡®Aye sweetheart,¡¯ he said as he saw multiple ships from the soldiers getting up in the air.


    ''We will lose them in the atmosphere, where we will make a hyperjump.¡¯


    Jon pulled the steering stick and started his escape.


    With a speed and movement like Veronica had never seen and felt before, Djon maneuvered the ship out of the city and up in the air. The ship was faster than the tiny ships of the soldiers and soon they escaped the blaster shots getting shot at them.


    The intercom started to crack and suddenly a voice was heard.


    ¡®Passengers of the Tortoise. This is Admiral Gustia. You are,¡¯ but Djon turned it off. Veronica looked at him and he smiled back. ¡®No need for us to hear an Admiral tell us we need to return.¡¯


    The tortoise made his way from the city and soon they left the clouds and started to enter the atmosphere.


    ¡®That went easy¡¯ Djon said with sarcasm while he looked at the radars. Behind them, Eto and the rest came into the cockpit.


    ¡®I guess we won¡¯t be having any more surprises,¡¯ Djon said while looking outside into the dark space filled with stars.


    Suddenly, a loud bang was heard and a giant black ship entered the atmosphere before them from a hyperjump.


    ¡®Oh no,¡¯ Hawk said with fear and Veronica immediately saw why.


    It was the same ship that had landed and attacked Borner.


    It was the ship of Generation Zero.

 chapter 2.15 Leaving Etoile behind! Generation Zero makes a move!

    Eto, Veronica, Hawk, Djon and TYO all looked outside to the giant black ship that had just entered from deep space.


    ¡®Prepare for attack,¡¯ Djon whispered as if Generation Zero could hear it while he pushed different buttons, preparing the ship for a counterattack.


    While preparing for an incoming attack, it seemed like nothing would happen. The ship just stayed still, like they didn¡¯t notice them.


    ¡®What¡¯s happening?¡¯ Veronica whispered like she also was afraid that Generation Zero could hear them.


    ¡®Beats me,¡¯ Hawk said, just as surprised.


    ¡®Do we need to get them?¡¯ Eto asked while he clenched his fists like he was ready to attack.


    ¡®I¡¯m 87,6% sure that is a bad plan,¡¯ TYO responded.


    ¡®Wait,¡¯ Djon said and he whispered that everybody should stay quiet.


    The tortoise drifted through space, passing the giant black ship and for a moment it seemed like they didn¡¯t notice they were there.


    ¡®That¡¯s odd,¡¯ Djon said and he opened another screen.


    ¡®They are definitely noticeable on my scanner so we should be able to be seen on theirs.¡¯


    ¡®What are they doing so close to the capitol?¡¯ Hawk asked and in response, Djon looked at another scanner.


    ¡®Don¡¯t know but they are not my problem,¡¯ Djon said and he noticed something coming from the capital.


    ¡®Let¡¯s get out of here,¡¯ Eto said and Djon nodded.


    ¡®I will get us away first. After that we will make our way to Green point.¡¯


    He checked again if something was happening on the scanner but when he saw nothing came from the big ship, he put in some coordinates and prepared the ship for a hyperjump.


    A few ships emerged from Etoile right before the Tortoise jumped into a hyperjump and disappeared from space.


    After the tortoise had disappeared in deep space, the big ship from Generation Zero also suddenly disappeared and jumped into a hyperjump, leaving Etoile and the coming ships behind.


    In a dark room on the ship from Generation Zero, Captain Hanzou stood in front of his master that was hiding in the shadows.


    ¡®The boy?¡¯ a raspy voice said from the shadows.


    ¡®Marked, but I know which way he is going,¡¯ Captain Hanzou said with confidence. His voice sounded muffled and tense behind his mask.


    ¡®Oh?¡¯ the raspy voice said with interest. ¡®And where is he going?¡¯


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    Captain Hanzou stopped before he talked, thinking about the whole situation.


    ¡®Our scanners picked up a conversation. They left the system to flee the soldiers of the worlds and then they are set for Green point.¡¯


    His master in the shadows sounded like he was impressed.


    ¡®Than your risky operation for getting so close to Etoile was not unnecessary.¡¯


    Bones could be heard cracking in the dark and Hanzou almost became nauseated.


    While captain Hanzou kept talking to inform his master in front of him, something moved aside from him in the shadows.


    ¡®Captain Hanzou. I gave you control of the flagship of Generation Zero. Your master said you would not disappoint me. Even though you made me doubt his decision, it seems you are useful after all.¡¯


    Captain Hanzou remembered his master. The dark master he was assigned to. The one who works for their master. The one in front of Hanzou.


    ''I will not fail you, my master, my lord,¡¯ Captain Hanzou said and he bowed to his knees.


    ¡®I think I¡¯m ready to take the boy on¡¯ he said and a tone of disapproval was heard.


    ¡®Just when it seems you are doing exactly as I want, you try to reach so high,¡¯ his master said. ¡®Your Dark master said you were full of yourself.¡¯


    Those words stung Hanzou but he didn¡¯t move.


    ¡®I will not fail you my master, my lord,¡¯ Hanzou repeated and for a while, it stayed quiet.


    ¡®Fine,¡¯ his master said with irritation in his voice and Hanzou could hear multiple things move around him, like body parts who were moving through slime and water.


    ¡®Make way to Green point. Let¡¯s await our guests. You know where it is,¡¯ the master said and he pulled back more into the darkness, making clear he was done speaking.


    Hanzou indeed knew where Green point was. After all, he was there when it turned into a lost world.


    The mask of the captain striked fear among his crew members. He ordered the fleet to move to the location he knew as the lost planet called Green point.


    After that, he returned to his headquarters and opened his communication.


    He tried to reach someone as he waited some time.


    The hologram that appeared showed a man disguised with a cloak and robe.


    ¡®That was unwise, Captain Hanzou, to get so near the capitol,¡¯ the man in the robe said and he looked around as if he was checking something.


    ¡®And I also don¡¯t like it when you call me unexpected,¡¯ the robbed figure said.


    ¡®You don¡¯t get to decide that!¡¯ Hanzou said with anger and he pointed towards the hologram.


    ¡®I gave you one of my knights to protect you and get the boy. What happened? I lost contact with the Vulture knight.¡ä


    The man in the hologram looked up as if he was surprised.


    ¡®Didn¡¯t you hear? The boy defeated him. Ripped off his helmet and exposed him for what he was. I didn¡¯t know you had possessed ones working for you?¡¯


    ¡®And you don¡¯t have to worry about it,¡¯ Hanzou quickly said with an angry tone.


    ¡®So, what now?¡¯ the man asked, accepting that he would never get a fair talk with the captain.


    ¡®Nothing¡¯ Hanzou said with a heavy voice from behind his mask.


    ¡®The master and I are on our way to the boy. You just stay there and be the good boy that you are.¡¯


    The man in the hologram seemed irritated but he didn¡¯t respond to it.


    ¡®As you wish,¡¯ he said and bowed with his knee a little bit before the hologram disappeared.


    For a moment, Hanzou stayed quiet while leaning on the controls, thinking about their new plan. After a while he pushed a button.


    ¡®Tell the Ostrich knight to accompany me. The rest need to scatter across the cluster. We don¡¯t want the soldiers of the worlds to catch us. Let them stay on standby until the time is right for them to strike.¡¯


    After the message, Hanzou turned around and clenched his fist, hearing his rubber gloves squeak from the force.


    ¡®Eto. The time has come for you to meet your match.¡¯

 chapter 2.16 On our way to green point

    Everybody sat on the Tortoise, waiting till somebody started talking.


    The main room was a lot bigger than Hawks his ship but it was more bright with white and gray colors matching the furniture.


    The silence was hard and present and soon Hawk stood up. He was still thinking of his ship that he had just lost. The ship that had transported him so many times.


    ¡®I¡¯ll try to make some food. Is there anything on board?¡¯ he asked and he looked at Djon who slowly nodded, feeling the tension in the room.


    ¡®There should be some food in the back if those Etoile soldiers didn¡¯t take it.¡¯


    Hawk understood and made his way to the back of the ship through the door Djon had pointed to.


    The silence returned and Djon looked at everybody who were sitting and staring into nothing.


    ¡®Alright, I do need to ask,¡¯ he said and he stood up to take everyone''s attention.


    Eto, Veronica and TYO all looked up to the pirate who stood in front of them.


    ¡®Thank you for getting me my ship back but I have to know. A girl who helped me manipulate the soldiers and a professor with a metal arm are asking me to guide them to a Lost planet. Not only that but at the same time they have a pet robot and a friend who shoots lights from his arms.¡¯


    Eto looked up, wondering how he could have known and the pirate bowed into his direction. ¡®Yeah, I have seen the city videos,¡¯ he said to Eto''s amazed face.


    ¡®After that we try to escape while a big portion of soldiers are chasing us. I have my fair share in that but when we are leaving the city, Generation Zero of all are also coming in. And don¡¯t tell me they didn¡¯t come for you because they arrived exactly when we tried to escape and those guys aren''t the type to let themselves be seen in the capitol.¡¯


    Both Eto and Veronica said nothing while they looked at each other.


    Even TYO kept quiet without saying his calculations.


    ¡®Don¡¯t get me wrong,¡¯ Djon said. ¡®I freaking love this!¡¯ and that caught their attention.


    ¡®What do you mean?¡¯ Eto asked and Djon took a seat next to him.


    He was a bit taller than Eto and his four arms also made him look big.


    ¡®Going through the universe escaping from both the government and the local hot shots of criminals? That is a life I¡¯m living for.¡¯


    He pulled up two of his arms and Eto slowly grabbed one.


    ¡®Name¡¯s Djon. Djon Barlow. I was named after my human mother,¡¯ he said as Eto looked at his alien face.


    Slowly Eto pulled up his arm and before they knew it, he was touching the horns on Jon¡¯s face.


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    ¡®I see you are a man of no shame,¡¯ Djon said and he could hear Veronica sigh next to them. It made him smile. ¡®I think we are gonna be good friends,¡¯ Djon said with a grin.


    Slowly Eto¡¯s face started to turn into a smile.


    ¡®I¡¯m Eto,¡¯ he said and Djon nodded. ¡®I heard,¡¯ and he stood up to stand in the room again.


    ¡®So, now that you have your ship back,¡¯ Veronica said and Djon interrupted her.


    ¡®Isn¡¯t she beautiful?¡¯ Djon said to her while petting the table as a token of appreciation for the ship.


    ¡®Lovely,¡¯ Veronica said as a quick response as she wanted to talk about something else.


    ¡®Green point?¡¯ she asked and Djon turned his head to look at her.


    ¡®I know. I made a promise,¡¯ he said and he started walking to the front of the shop.


    The control room was bigger. Two seats in front and a large bank behind it for passengers.


    Veronica looked around while Djon took his place and turned off the auto pilot. There were a lot more buttons and screens than there were in Hawk¡¯s ship. Djon started to talk as he sat down.


    ¡®I have the location of the planet memorized. I will lock into it and make the ship go there. The scanner will indicate that there is no planet but we know better. Only problem is that it¡¯s gonna take some time to get there.¡¯


    ¡®We have time,¡¯ Veronica slowly said and she sat next to Eto and grabbed his shoulder. It gave Eto a comfortable feeling. That kind of feeling you get when you know you can rely on your friends.


    Djon saw it and he gave a little smile.


    ¡®Alright then. Off to Green point,¡¯ he said and he pushed the ship into the right direction.


    ¡®But I do want to know what the whole story is,¡¯ he said after he turned to look at the rest.


    Later, Hawk returned with some food he had found in the back.


    Djon had inspected his ship and he was surprised how much of his stuff had stayed.


    In the middle of the ship were the sleeping accommodations and everybody was assigned to one.


    ¡®The professor and the boy can stay in one. Veronica can have this one,¡¯ he said and he showed her a big room with a large bed together with a bathroom.


    ¡®This is great¡¯ Veronica said with amazed eyes and Djon gave a grin.


    ¡®If you need some company, then I,¡¯ but Veronica pushed him outside and closed the door.


    ¡®Spicy,¡¯ he said laughing when he returned to the rest.


    Later, while they were eating, Veronica told Djon together with Hawk the whole story. All the way from Borner up until this moment.¡¯


    Djon looked at Eto who didn¡¯t pay attention and kept eating.


    ¡®A starshard user with lost memories. I believe I once knew someone like you,¡¯ he said and Eto jumped up.


    ¡®You did?¡¯ he almost yelled, losing food from his mouth but Djon waved his hands, letting him know he needed to sit down.


    ¡®That was a long time ago, and I¡¯m not sure who it was. All I knew he was someone with starshard power, wandering the galaxy, searching for something.¡¯


    Not only Eto, but Veronica was also interested in this story. Her world had expanded and turned upside down since she left home, it only made sense that there were other mysteries in the galaxy.


    ¡®And this guy,¡¯ Djon said as he pointed his finger at TYO.


    ¡®I¡¯m glad to say I¡¯m 91,7% sure you are not hostile towards me,¡¯ TYO said and he grabbed the finger of Djon with his tiny hand.


    ¡®I gotta be honest. I have dealt with a lot of misfits but you guys sure make me laugh out loud,¡¯ Djon said and Veronica wasn''t sure if that was a good or a bad thing.


    ¡®If you need any repairs to the ship, I¡¯m happy to help,¡¯ Hawk said to him and Djon thanked him.


    ¡®That¡¯s good but for now, let''s rest. I¡¯m pretty sure we are gonna be in one hell of a ride when we get to Green point.¡¯


    Eto looked up with a smile, thinking of going back to his grandpa. Without him knowing, Hawk sat on the other end of the table, looking at Eto with a worrying face.

 chapter 2.17 Eto is worried

    A few days had passed since the group had left Etoile behind.


    They weren''t going to Green point at full speed, as they wanted some time to prepare for their arrival. Hawk was inspecting the ship for maintenance when he passed the bedrooms and he saw Eto sitting on the side of his bed.


    It occurred to him that Eto had not been the youthful boy he always was but instead he seemed distracted and distant from the group for the past few days.


    ¡®Eto, you¡¯re alright?¡¯ he asked after he knocked on the side of the door to let him know he was there.


    Eto didn¡¯t look his way but he slowly nodded, letting Hawk know he heard him.


    Hawk walked in and sat on his bed that stood across Eto, looking at his distracted face.


    ¡®You¡¯re not alright,¡¯ Hawk said and it took a while for Eto to let off a huge sigh and slowly to nod again.


    ¡®What¡¯s wrong?¡¯ he asked and for the first time, Eto looked at him in his eyes.


    ¡®I¡¯m just worried,¡¯ he said, troubled  and Hawk asked if it was because of his grandpa or Green point but Eto shook his head.


    ¡®No that¡¯s not it,¡¯ he said.


    ¡®Then what is it?¡¯


    Eto looked distracted again but he quickly looked back at Hawk.


    ¡®I don¡¯t know. I was always confident that I was strong enough to protect everyone around me but the last battle was harder than I imagined. I only won because something happened to me.¡¯


    Eto pulled up his arms and looked at them.


    ¡®I¡¯m not even sure what is wrong with me and I¡¯m afraid that if I don¡¯t learn to control it, I¡¯m not able to protect you guys from danger.¡¯


    He quickly looked up to Hawk and his face seemed worried.


    ¡®Or from myself?¡¯ he said with a bit of fear in his eyes while he was looking for answers.


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    Hawk felt pity and he moved to Eto¡¯s bed, sitting next to him.


    Even though his metal arm was heavy, he placed it comfortably around Eto¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡®Listen to me. There is nothing wrong with you. In my case, you are one of the best people in the galaxy. You just have to figure out how to handle it. I bet when we get to Green point, you will be able to get an explanation of what is happening with you.¡¯


    ¡®You really think so?¡¯ Eto asked and he slowly looked at Hawk.


    Hawk looked in front of him, hiding his face a little bit from Eto.


    Eto couldn''t see it but Hawk also had a worried face now when he slowly said ¡®sure,¡¯.


    Eto started to feel a little better. For the past days he had only been thinking how to handle the power that was inside of him. He didn¡¯t know how to control it or where it came from and it made him worry for the safety of his friends.


    They stayed quiet for a while until Djon¡¯s voice could be heard over the speakers. He requested everyone to come to the cockpit.


    Eto and Hawk stood up and Hawk quickly held him tight, letting Eto know he wasn¡¯t alone in this situation.


    ¡®It¡¯s gonna be okay,¡¯  he whispered in Eto¡¯s ear before he let him go and left the room.


    When Hawk and later Eto arrived at the cockpit, Veronica was standing next to the door and when she saw Eto, she grabbed his arm. Hawk walked towards Djon, leaving the two of them behind.


    ¡®You alright?¡¯ Veronica asked, letting Eto know she was also worried about him for the past few days.


    ¡®Yeah, I¡¯m fine. Thanks. I was just worried about you guys,¡¯ he said while scratching the back of his head and Veronica quickly hugged him.


    ¡®You two lovebirds done?¡¯ Djon asked and as quickly as he said it, Veronica pushed Eto away and yelled at Djon.


    It was that moment that made Eto realize that his friends were gonna be fine and he also thought of how lucky he was to have them by his side.


    ¡®I just looked at the coordinates and if we are ready, we can make the jump to Green point,¡¯ Djon slowly said as he looked back from the monitors.


    He looked at everyone but the rest was looking at Eto, who stared through the glass into space.


    It took him a few seconds to show them the bright smile they were used to from him and he nodded.


    ¡®I¡¯m ready. I want to see my grandpa,¡¯ Eto said and the rest nodded that they agreed.


    TYO jumped on the dashboard and started to push some buttons.


    ¡®He helped me a lot with the ship''s general control,¡¯ Djon said with some admiration and he slowly petted TYO who was still working.


    ¡®Destination is marked as unknown space,¡¯ TYO said with his robotic voice. ¡®Destination marked as Green point by Djon,¡¯ Djon said loudly.


    ¡®Ready to engage.¡¯


    They all sat down and prepared for the hyper jump.


    The space outside started to turn as the ship prepared itself and soon jumped into space with full speed.


    It was making its way to Green point.

 chapter 2.18 Arriving at Green point

    Everybody sat in front of the cockpit, staring outside into the dark space.


    Nothing was said and all their attention was focussed on the outside.


    ¡®I don¡¯t see it,¡¯ Veronica said while still looking, breaking the silence.


    TYO stood beside her, making little noises while he was making calculations.


    Hawk tried to focus more and Djon looked like he saw something, which he didn¡¯t.


    They all kept looking and staring into the darkness until Eto interrupted them.


    ¡®There!¡¯ he yelled and he pointed forward.


    They all followed where he was pointing at but they all didn¡¯t seem to see anything.


    ¡®You sure?¡¯ Hawk asked and Eto nodded.


    ¡®I believe the kid,¡¯ Djon said and he started to move the ship into the direction that Eto was pointing at.


    While the rest didn¡¯t seem to see what Eto was seeing, they didn¡¯t argue because they wouldn¡¯t know the answer. Instead they all kept quite, waiting to find something that Eto already had seen


    Slowly the Tortoise started to move forward and as it went faster and faster, it seemed that what Eto was seeing became more clear to the rest.


    ¡®You see,¡¯ Eto said but even though he was right, he couldn¡¯t bring up a smile for what he saw.


    The rest now slowly started to see it too.


    In the midst of the dark space was something. Hidden.


    What seemed to be covered by dark shadows was the size of a planet. The shadows were so dark that someone would pass it as there seemed like there was no planet at all. Slowly the shadows moved along the surface but hid in plain sight.


    ¡®That is Green point?¡¯ Eto asked seriously as he didn¡¯t remember it like that.


    ¡®That is a Lost world,¡¯ Djon said with a heavy feeling seeing Eto standing and staring. He could feel Veronica looking at him.


    Ever since it was mentioned, she wanted to know what a Lost world was but there was never any time to ask. It was like Jon could read her mind as he turned to her.


    ¡®You want to know?¡¯ he asked while stroking the horn on his chin.


    ¡®I do,¡¯ she said softly and she quickly looked outside. Eto also looked at Djon for answers.


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    ¡®A Lost world is a planet lost on the map of the galaxy. Only memories of the ones who weren¡¯t on the planet when it became a Lost world. Covered by the darkness that is spreading through the galaxy, it becomes unknown to the galaxy whether the planet is still alive or not. Even though I can¡¯t believe it has reached sector 7, knowing the darkness should only be around the center of the galaxy.¡¯


    ¡®I can¡¯t believe I am seeing one in real life,¡¯ Hawk said as he was still looking outside at the darkness-covered planet.


    ¡®That¡¯s horrible,¡¯ Veronica said to Djon and she also kept looking outside.


    She could imagine how bad Generation Zero was but a planet completely covered and lost in darkness? That was just horrible.


    As she thought about it, she thought of Eto and how this was his home planet.


    She turned to him and she caught him staring outside, looking surprised.


    Veronica said ¡®it''s gonna be fine,¡¯ even though she had trouble believing it herself. She grabbed Eto by his arm but he seemed to ignore her. Instead he raised his arm and pointed outside.


    ¡®To the left. That is where we should landm¡¯ he said without emotion in his voice.


    ¡®You sure?¡¯ Hawk asked and Eto nodded. He kept his eyes on the shadows outside.


    ¡®Something is telling me to go there,¡¯ he said and Hawk turned to Djon, nodding that he could try to land the ship.


    For a moment it stayed quiet and Djon looked at the rest.


    Everybody ok with this? We are about to land into darkness. I never heard what could happen if you find a Lost world and land on it.¡¯


    Nobody said anything. Instead they all looked outside with a little fear in their eyes.


    ¡®Alright,¡¯ Djon said and he started to take control of the ship.


    ¡®Better hold on, I have no idea what we are gonna encounter.¡¯


    Even though Veronica would disagree with a plan like that, she couldn¡¯t speak. She didn¡¯t want to let Eto down.


    The ship started to move in and when it reached the shadows, the Tortoise was soon swallowed and covered by it.


    The ship started to tremble as it made its way to the planet''s surface. The waves of darkness spread around the ship like smoke, as if it was trying to stop it from landing on the planet.


    Everybody held onto something and TYO grabbed Eto¡¯s leg.


    What seemed to take forever, luckily ended as they had reached the end of the shadows.


    They left the shadows behind them as clouds over the planet and found the surface.


    Djon landed the tortoise on the ground and TYO jumped on the control board. He quickly worked through some numbers before speaking.


    ¡®It¡¯s 100% safe to breathe outside. Watch out for moving sand in the air.¡¯


    They all moved to the back and the main door opened to the planet.


    The surface was covered in dirt and a little sandstorm combined with mist made it hard to see in front of you.


    The planet was covered in darkness that stayed in the air like clouds as a thick layer. Some flashes of what looked like explosives coming from behind them, barely bringing light to the planet.


    Eto jumped out at first and when he looked at the scenery, he felt a little heartbroken as it wasn¡¯t how he remembered his home.


    ''We should stay together,'' Veronica said as she tried to cover her face from the incoming sand in the air but Eto kept walking, moving further away from the group.


    He could feel that he started to panic. His home planet was covered in darkness and nothing looked like he remembered it.


    He could feel his heart getting heavy and the tension of tears started to appear in his eyes.


    ¡®GRANDPA!¡¯ he screamed as loud as he could.

 chapter 2.19 What has happened to Green point?

    The group almost lost sight of Eto due to the storm and Veronica hurried to follow him while the rest stayed behind.


    Djon was looking around, not recognizing Green point as the planet he once visited, long ago. He also noticed Hawk who was looking nervous and for some reason started sweating.


    ''You alright?'' Djon asked him.


    In front of them, in the midst of the sandstorm, Veronica caught Eto who again yelled for his grandpa.


    ''Eto, easy. We have to think of a plan instead of shouting.''


    Veronica wanted to grab his arm to have his attention but he kept walking, wandering with his own thoughts.


    Eto did not pay attention to her. Instead the fear that he had lost his home got the better of him and the tears began to appear. He kept looking around, desperate to find something he recognised but he saw nothing.


    Nothing but barren wastelands and sand.


    He landed on his knees and punched his fists into the ground.


    Veronica could feel his power create shockwaves through the ground.


    The sandstorm covered most of the surface and nothing could be seen through. Veronica looked back and luckily she still could see the rest who slowly started walking their way.


    ¡®You guys alright?¡¯ Djon asked, covering his face from the sand and with a nervous Hawk behind him.


    ¡®Yes,¡¯ Veronica said and she slowly grabbed Eto, who didn¡¯t yell anymore.


    ¡®I thought Green point would be a little more lively,¡¯ Veronica said as Djon and Hawk came standing next to them. TYO also moved next to them but his tiny wheel was moving heavy with the dirt that got stuck in between.


    ¡®It¡¯s not like I remember,¡¯ Djon said and he looked around. ¡®Not this part at least.¡¯


    They all started to look at Eto who still kept looking around, ignoring the rest as he sat on the ground.


    ¡®Eto. Maybe we should fly the ship and look around,¡¯ Veronica slowly said so she wouldn¡¯t startle him. She hoped to bring him some reason, instead of staying here.


    ¡®No,¡¯ Eto mumbled. ¡®This is the place. Here is where grandpa trained me.¡¯


    ¡®Is it really?¡¯ Veronica asked, thinking that the place would look a little different and slowly Eto shook his head.


    ¡®It¡¯s different. My home is gone. I need to find my grandpa,¡¯ he said so softly that only Veronica could hear him.


    Eto felt like his heart was ripped out of his chest as more and more it became clear that his home was gone and turned into a desert.


    He looked up and saw the clouds of darkness moving over the surface.


    A feeling of anger came to him but he didn¡¯t let it consume him.


    Veronica looked back at Djon and Hawk with a face that asked what they should do. She noticed that Hawk was looking nervous and that his face was full of sweat. When she wanted to ask what was wrong, Eto started to say something.


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    ¡®Do you guys hear that?¡¯ Eto asked and he looked up. His tears were gone but his face was a little red as he looked around for something.


    ¡®What did you hear?¡¯ Veronica asked and Djon, Hawk and TYO came closer to him.


    ¡®What¡¯s wrong Eto?¡¯ TYO asked but Eto didn¡¯t look at him. He kept staring in front of him, through the sand.


    ¡®Don¡¯t you guys hear that?¡¯ he asked again and everybody started to focus if they could hear anything.


    After a while it came clear that they didn¡¯t hear anything and Eto finally looked at them with a surprised face.


    ¡®How could you guys not hear that?¡¯ Eto asked as he clearly heard something. They all looked at him with surprise as they indeed didn¡¯t hear anything.


    Eto accepted the fact that he was the only one hearing something and he decided to focus on the sound. He turned back towards the storm to focus on the sound.


    The sound came from a distance and Eto couldn¡¯t quite understand what he heard.


    At first it sounded like a voice mumbling but soon it turned into words.


    ¡®Eto¡­¡­...Eto¡­...¡ä


    Eto his eyes widened as he heard his name.


    Slowly he stood up and the rest looked at him as to what he was doing.


    ¡®Eto¡­¡­..Eto¡­¡­¡¯ he heard again.


    ¡®Don¡¯t you guys hear it?¡¯ he asked again while staring into the storm.


    When he got no response, he slowly turned around and saw that everybody had disappeared.


    ¡®Guys?¡¯ he slowly asked, looking around but the only thing that answered was the voice.


    ¡®Eto¡­¡­...Eto¡­¡­..¡¯


    Eto turned around, searching the storm and after a while, something appeared a few meters in front of him.


    It almost looked like a ghost, or a mirage of something.


    Even though he wasn¡¯t sure what it was, he slowly took one step in the direction of the mirage.


    ¡®Eto¡­¡­...Eto¡­¡­¡­¡¯ he heard again.


    The voice sounded like it was searching for him.


    ¡®Yes?¡¯ he answered with a stutter and suddenly the mirage moved, as if it was looking in his direction.


    Now Eto could see what the mirage was.


    It seemed like someone in a large gray robe that moved like smoke in the wind. On top of it was a rhombus shaped mask of wood that almost seemed like it was floating on top of the robe. The edges of the mask were marked with pink paint. The mask had looked into Eto¡¯s direction since he had reacted to it.


    ¡®Eto¡­¡­...Eto¡­¡­..¡¯ the figure said again, slowly.


    ¡®Yes? Who are you?¡¯ Eto asked and slowly he moved closer to the mirage.


    The mirage was shocked again and the mask took his attention to Eto.


    It floated above the smoke-like robe, as if it was not attached to it. Still, the movement looked natural as if someone was wearing it.


    ¡®You¡­...can¡­...see¡­..me?¡¯ the voice of the mirage asked and after that it slowly faded.


    ¡®Wait!¡¯ Eto yelled and he jumped in front of him where the mirage stood but it was already gone. Nothing but wind and sand was left on the spot Eto jumped to.


    ¡®Eto, what happened?¡¯ he heard Veronica say from behind him and he turned around.


    Everybody stood there like they were before, looking at him with surprise.


    ¡®What do you mean?¡¯ he asked and it made them look more surprised.


    ¡®You started mumbling and out of the nothing you moved to the front,¡¯ Veronica said and Eto took it that not only didn¡¯t they hear the voice but also they didn¡¯t see the mirage.


    ¡®I was,¡¯ but his words were interrupted by the sound of Hawk who was breathing heavily. So much that it grabbed everyone''s attention.


    ¡®Hawk, are you alright?¡¯ Veronica asked and she turned around to grab him.


    He pushed her arms away and it almost seemed like he was about to cry.


    He stared at the ground, with eyes that showed desperation.


    ¡®I¡¯m sorry Eto,¡¯ he said slowly and he looked up and directly at him.


    ¡®What do you mean?¡¯ Eto asked, confused about how Hawk suddenly was reacting and the rest were looking at him with the same face.


    Hawk kept looking at Eto and it almost looked like he was going to break down. His eyes were wild and it started to creep Eto out.


    ¡®I missed you and I am so sorry that I didn¡¯t tell you anything but I couldn¡¯t. I promised,¡¯ Hawk said.


    ¡®Promised what?¡¯ Eto asked and he started to get scared of how Hawk was reacting.


    ¡®I¡¯m sorry Eto. I want to tell you but I hope you don¡¯t look at me any differently after you know who I am or what I did¡¯ Hawk said and with a heavy breath, he started telling a story.

 chapter 2.20 Hawks backstory. Part I

    When he walked the halls of the huge spacebase, Hawk couldn¡¯t believe that he was appointed as the personal assistant of the famous professor Khalcazar. As he thought about it, he should address himself now as Professor Hawk. The thought of that made him blush.


    For now he had not met his master yet but he was well aware of what he needed to do.


    The space station they were currently residing on orbited in space, close to sector 4 where the war was going on.


    Hawk had heard from his master that they planned on making an army to fight and end the war. And that was where he was needed.


    Hawk was tasked with checking the subjects as they were created to grow and become soldiers.


    Hawk entered a long hallway to the main facility as he looked to the dark space outside the windows.


    A few years back he was gathering information from little inhabited planets with creatures and now he was under the study of the famous professor Khalcazar. The professor he heard so much about in college and field research. It is said that the professor was used by the government to study everything in the universe. From advanced machinery to the origin of the universe.


    All those thoughts made Hawk so excited that he made a little jump of joy.


    He quickly looked around if no one had seen him do it and he quickly walked on.


    He entered the main facility after typing the password he had received  and when he came to the main hall which he reconsigned, he took a deep breath to focus on his work.


    To the sides were cubes filled with water where the test subjects were placed.


    Some cubes held babies while others had almost full grown boys.


    They all looked the same, looking like a young boy but Hawk checked their vital signs and luckily everything worked according to the system professor Khalcazar had put up.


    The last part he had to check was in a tube in the middle of the room. It was isolated because it was the main subject. The original donor of all the projects and the one he had to maintain at all times.


    Hawk walked to the door and entered the personal code only he had.


    The door slid open and he walked in. Inside was the boy he recognized as the subject.


    He had dark messy hair and like always he had a big smile on his face when Hawk came to visit him. He had turned around in his white test suit and looked happy at Hawk who had just arrived.


    In the middle of his chest was a bright light of a star shard that was stuck in his body.


    ¡®Hawk!¡¯ he almost screamed and it made Hawk smile.


    ¡®Easy there,¡¯ Hawk said and he stopped the boy from trying to jump in and hug him.


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    ¡®First I have to check your vital signs and I have to take some blood.¡¯


    ¡®Again?¡¯ the boy said with a sad face. He let out a huge sigh and turned around to his bed where he went to sit on the edge.


    ¡®No big deal today,¡¯ Hawk said as he checked the monitor.


    ¡®Why do you guys keep taking blood? What for?¡¯ the boy asked.


    Even if Hawk wanted to tell him, he couldn¡¯t because he didn¡¯t know.


    He was assigned to keep track of the test and the main subject and that was it. Orders were given in code and he had to keep doing them strictly.


    ¡®Maybe the professor can tell you,¡¯ Hawk said with a grin as he prepared the boy for taking some blood.


    ¡®But aren¡¯t you a professor?¡¯ he asked.


    Hawk laughed. ¡®Assistant professor but I love the way you think.¡¯


    The boy looked at him as the needle went into his arm.


    ¡®If you ask me, you are the professor. You keep track of me and that¡¯s what a professor should do, right?¡¯


    Again, Hawk laughed. ¡®Amongst other things,¡¯ and the boy laughed back at him.


    ¡®Can we go outside? I wanna play,¡¯ the boy asked and Hawk looked at the communicator on his wrist.


    ¡®Not today but I can check if we can do something in a few days.¡¯


    That was enough for the boy as he laughed with the idea that he would go outside soon.


    That was how Hawk¡¯s work would go on for weeks. He checked the test subjects and after that the main subject. Sometimes he was allowed to take him outside and play with him and that was all.


    One night Hawk communicated with professor Khalcazar through a communicator. There was no hologram and the professor''s voice seemed modified. Crispy almost.


    ¡®So the test subjects are doing fine again. How about the main subject?¡¯ the professor asked.


    Hawk, who was drinking a little beverage at the same time, laughed as he thought about the boy.


    ¡®He is doing great. He does sometimes wonder why we need so much blood.¡¯


    It became quiet for a moment and Hawk started to think about it. He even dared to ask why they needed so much.


    ¡®For the test subjects of course. We need more and we need a reliable foundation to build them.¡¯


    Hawk thought about it.


    ¡®Excuse me professor. I have checked the test subjects for weeks and sometimes some are transported and replaced with new ones. Do you mind me asking where they go?¡¯


    It kept quiet for a moment but the professor responded.


    ¡®Of to the training facility. We can¡¯t have soldiers who aren¡¯t trained, can we?¡¯


    Hawk seemed to agree with that one. He took another zip of his drink and thought of something else.


    ¡®Does the boy have a name? He didn¡¯t tell me and I don¡¯t even know it.¡¯


    ¡®Neither should you,¡¯ the crispy voice of the professor said.


    Hawk was a little shocked by the sudden change of tone in the voice of the professor.


    It became silent again and Hawk feared he was too rude.


    ¡®I¡¯m sorry,¡¯ Hawk said and he almost forgot who he was talking to.


    It stayed quiet again for a while until the professor spoke again.


    ¡®Don¡¯t get too attached to the boy. He is a subject of our experiments. The experiments for the best of the universe.¡¯


    ¡®Yes, professor,¡¯ Hawk said and he was nervous because of this sudden change of conversation.


    The professor had nothing more to say and logged off.


    Hawk took a deep breath and took another zip of his drink.


    He knew he was just a starting assistent of the famous professor but he would have liked to know a little bit more of how the experiment would work in a bigger stage.


    He drank his drink and thought about shutting down early today.


    Too much data and his head felt like it could burst open.


    A good night''s sleep was what he needed and slowly Hawk got up and made his way to bed.

 chapter 2.21 Hawks backstory. Part II

    Work was the same for the next few weeks. Hawk checked the signs of the test subjects and the boy. Sometimes he took him out to do something besides being in his room.


    For the boy it seemed like the space station was abandoned but the truth was that Hawk was told to keep him away from any people.


    Hawk tried to follow his master''s command but somehow it couldn¡¯t be stopped. Questions were starting to come in Hawk¡¯s mind and slowly Hawk became attached to the boy as he enjoyed his time playing with him.


    The boy also confirmed it one day when they tried to hunt some space bugs.


    ¡®You know, professor. I think you are my best friend,¡¯ the boy said while they ran after some bugs.


    Hawk could feel his chest getting heavy. He didn¡¯t want to go there because of his master''s command but he couldn¡¯t stop it. He tried to laugh it off with a joke.


    ¡®That is because I am your only friend,¡¯ he said with a smile.


    The boy laughed. ¡®So we are friends?¡¯ the boy asked him.


    Hawk was afraid he couldn¡¯t deny it. He really hadn''t had a good friend in a long time and as he tried to reject it, he became more attached to the boy.


    ¡®Yes. We are friends, '' he slowly said.


    One evening, after returning the boy to his bed, Hawk saw something on the way back to his room.


    A transporter team came by to the lab Hawk walked away from and they were ready to take the last test subject with them as they always did.


    Normally, Hawk would pass by and not pay much attention but this time he was curious. He wanted to know what was happening with the subject. He blamed his professor''s mind for wanting to know more answers.


    When the little purple aliens that were the transporters didn¡¯t pay attention, Hawk sneaked onboard of the transporter in the middle of the tubes filled with water and the test subjects.


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    He looked at them, recognizing the facial structures of the boy he just put to bed.


    ¡®They are literal copies,¡¯ Hawk whispered to himself.


    He had known when he checked the older subjects and it was clear where the blood was for but now looking so closely, it didn¡¯t feel right for Hawk.


    The transporter moved all the way to the other side of the station.


    When they arrived at their destination, Hawk jumped off and found a hiding spot as he watched what the aliens did.


    They moved the tubes to a large hole but they soon stopped and Hawk tried to see what was going on.


    Suddenly a large hologram appeared and if his memory was correct, Hawk recognized the professor, his master, in the hologram. He had seen so many interviews and articles when he was studying.This was professor Khalcazar.


    An older man with his last bits of long gray hair hanging loosely behind him as the man was standing bent forward and his arms behind his back.


    ¡®The latest subjects,¡¯ the crispy voice said that Hawk recognised as his master¡¯s voice.


    The purple aliens didn¡¯t respond but they jumped a little which seemed as an interaction.


    ¡®They are still not perfect,¡¯ the professor said and the hole in the ground that had been shut suddenly opened.


    One of the aliens activated the transporter and the tubes were taken off, falling into the hole where filthy air came out, followed by an explosion.


    ¡®They are destroying them,¡¯ Hawk thought, shocked as he looked at how the subjects were destroyed. The professor continued talking.


    ¡®I fear that the results are dreadful. Time to move up the plan. Tomorrow you start to destroy the rest of the subjects and take the boy to my private station.¡¯


    One of the aliens jumped, making a squeaky sound.


    ¡®The assistant?¡¯ the professor asked and the alien responded by jumping.


    ¡®No one must know our true plan. He has seen the boy and he knows too much. Luckily, I have a plan with him. Bring him down and take him with you.¡¯


    The professor laughed with an evil tone before the hologram disappeared.


    Hawk took his eyes off the aliens, retreated and thought about what he just heard. His heart pounded in his chest.


    They were gonna destroy the subject and take the boy with them. What were they gonna do with him? Then he thought about how he was marked as a target. He couldn''t believe they would just take him with them after the experiments went wrong. Why was the professor like this? This was not the man Hawk looked up to since he was a young boy. In fact, it was a totally different man then he showed himself to the rest of the galaxy.


    Hawk tried to stay calm and breathe slowly while he thought of a plan.


    ¡®I have to get out of here,¡¯ he thought to himself and then he thought of the boy.


    ¡®We have to get out of here.¡¯

 chapter 2.22 Hawks backstory. Part III

    The station seemed so dark and every corner made Hawk look around with paranoia if no one was there. A few hours ago he was happily working and now it felt like he was running for his life.


    He entered his room and even though he was prepared that someone was there, he was relieved it was empty.


    He grabbed a few of his most important things and made his way to the door.


    ¡®Got to get the boy,¡¯ he said to himself and he looked around outside his room to see if no one was around.


    Slowly and careful he made his way to the room of the subjects. He was afraid that the transporter team already went there even though professor Khalazar said they needed to do it tomorrow.


    When he arrived, he opened the doors and he had trouble getting used to the scenery.


    The room was dark and only the emergency lights were on.


    A different vibe was present then when he was working here.


    The test subjects were in their cubes and they all looked like dead bodies in the dark, drifting in the water, attached to different cables. For some reason, Hawk couldn¡¯t believe he never looked at it this way and never thought how wrong it was.


    He ran to the middle of the room to the big tube in the middle and opened it with his password.


    When the door opened, the room was dark but Hawk knew where to go.


    He ran to the bed and woke the boy up who was sleeping in the room.


    ¡®Wake up, we have to go,¡¯ he tried to say as softly as he could.


    He shook the boy to wake him.


    The boy woke up and turned around while opening his eyes.


    ¡®Professor Hawk? What are you doing here? I was sleeping,¡¯ he said and he yawned.


    ¡®No time,¡¯ Hawk said and he almost pulled him out of his bed.


    ¡®Alright, easy. I can do it myself,¡¯ the boy said as he tried to get up.


    ¡®What¡¯s wrong?¡¯ he asked as Hawk looked nervous and started sweating.


    ¡®I can¡¯t explain but I need you to come with me.¡¯


    ¡®Why?¡¯ the boy asked again.


    ¡®No time, but do you trust me?¡¯ Hawk said and he raised his arm.


    The boy immediately started smiling.


    ¡®Ofcourse. You¡¯re my friend,¡¯ and he grabbed his hand.


    Hawk pulled the boy up and took him with him after which they left the room.


    The moment the boy left the door, an alarm went off.


    ¡®Warning! Subject leaving restricted area. Code 6580. Subject not authorized to leave the area,¡¯ was heard through the speakers.


    In a matter of seconds, all the alarms in the station went off.


    Red lights started to flicker and illuminated the dark room.


    ¡®Damn, we have to hurry,¡¯ Hawk said, nervous because he thought it would be easier and he pulled the boy with him. He thought of a hanger nearby in the hopes of getting a ship to get out of here.


    Luckily, Hawk memorized the patterns of the security in case he needed to ask about the subjects if something had happened. This was his opportunity to avoid them and get to the hangar.


    He ran and turned in multiple hallways, hoping not to find security. Otherwise he had no idea what to do as he had no weapons.


    As they ran, the boy was silent, looking around through the dark hallways filled with the alarm lights and sound. Hawk feared he made a grave mistake and they wouldn¡¯t make it. Still, it seemed better than to be taken and shipped to some place where he didn¡¯t even know what would happen to them.


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    He took the boy in a long hallway and he remembered a hanger at the end.


    When they almost reached it, a security guard came around the corner.


    ¡®There you are,¡¯ the man in the armor said and he raised his gun.


    ¡®Set to stun,¡¯ the guard said and he blasted his rifle.


    Hawk didn¡¯t know what to do. The blast became bigger and went their way and he could never dodge it. He almost accepted that he was gonna be stopped there but the boy grabbed him with both his hands and pulled him aside


    The boy swung Hawk around and suddenly his right arm and leg started to glow.


    ¡®Don¡¯t touch him!¡¯ the boy yelled angry and with the glowing leg he jumped forward.


    Within that jump he reached the security guard and he punched him with his glowing arm, knocking the guard a few meters away against the wall that knocked him out.


    ¡®What just happened?¡¯ Hawk asked while the glow in the boy¡¯s arm and leg started to fade. This was something he had never seen before or noticed from the data. The boy was as surprised as he was and he looked at his arm while mumbling ¡®I don¡¯t know.¡¯


    Hawk thought that they didn¡¯t have time to think about it. He stood up after the boy had thrown him away and he grabbed the boy again, making his way to the hangar.


    They went around the corner, past the guard who was still past out against the wall.


    On the other side of the hall was the door to the hangar but something was in the middle of the hall.


    Someone stood in front of them, in the middle of the hall.


    Hawk stopped and looked at who was standing there. He didn¡¯t recognize him as the man turned around to look at Hawk and the boy.


    His body was covered in dark shadows so Hawk couldn¡¯t see what he looked like. There was someone standing there and he was looking at them.


    ¡®So, you are gonna escape with the subject?¡¯ a voice asked, coming from the man in the shadows.


    ¡®Are you going to stop us?¡¯ Hawk asked and he could feel that the boy prepared himself to fight. Hawk tried to hold his arm against the boy to hold him.


    ¡®Nah. This is exactly how I planned it,¡¯ the man said and it confused Hawk.


    ¡®What do you mean?¡¯ he asked the man in the shadows.


    ¡®It means that I have bigger plans. And every big plan has to start small. These small steps are needed,¡¯ the man in the shadows said and he moved his fingers from the boy to Hawk.


    Hawk couldn¡¯t understand what he was trying to say. The man in the shadows had a feeling Hawk and the boy didn¡¯t understand.


    ¡®When the heart is filled with darkness, a seed of light is planted to sprout. We can only wait for it to evolve and devour the darkness that has our worlds.¡¯


    The man in the shadows looked more like he was talking to himself than to Hawk and the boy.


    A silence occurred and the man¡¯s head turned to them, looking at them.


    ¡®A ship is ready to leave. Take it and I will make sure that you can leave safely.¡¯


    ¡®You are not here to betray us?¡¯ Hawk asked because he didn¡¯t trust the man.


    A laughter was heard.


    Betray you? Nah. I¡¯m only here to help you. Give you a little push for the grand scheme.¡¯


    The shadow moved to the side and an arm of darkness pointed to the door of the hanger.


    ¡®The ship. Take it. I will make sure you get away.¡¯


    Hawk looked at the man, still not trusting him but he had no choice.


    Slowly he pulled the boy with him and passed the shadow, constantly looking at the shadows as they passed it.


    Just when they passed him, an arm of the shadow grabbed Hawk and pulled him closer.


    ¡®Eto,¡¯ he whispered in his ear.


    Hawk was preparing himself for an attack but his eyes widened when he heard it.


    ¡®His name is Eto,¡¯ the shadow said and he pushed Hawk in the right direction.


    As they walked towards the hangar, the shadow behind them slowly started to fade and disappear.


    ¡®What was that?¡¯ the boy asked, searching for the man that had stood there a few seconds ago and Hawk looked at him.


    ¡®Nothing,¡¯ he responded. ¡®But I have great news when we get out of here.¡¯


    They went to the hangar and there was a ship standing ready to fly.


    Hawk didn¡¯t recognize the ship and he had a feeling that it was placed there for them to escape.


    The main part was round with the cockpit in front. It stood on two legs and two wings were on the roof mirrored to the legs.


    They entered the ship and Hawk opened the main control door of the station after he made sure that the boy sat next to him.


    ¡®Nothing on the scanner. I can¡¯t believe we can just fly away,¡¯ Hawk said with concern and the boy looked around.


    ¡®Where are we going?¡¯ he asked and Hawk looked at the scanner.


    ¡®It seems a destination is already planned,¡¯ Hawk said and he thought of the man who said he had everything planned. Hawk wasn¡¯t sure if he could trust him but he had a feeling he had no other choice.


    Slowly he started the ship and maneuvered it out of the hangar into open space.


    They just flew outside and the boy pulled Hawk on his arm.


    ¡®Look,¡¯ the boy said and he pointed outside.


    Hawk looked and what he saw caught him by surprise.


    The whole station went dark, as if the power was cut.


    ¡®This is our chance¡¯ Hawk said to himself and the boy and immediately he prepared the ship for a hyperjump.


    ¡®What is going to happen?¡¯ the boy asked a little scared but Hawk kept looking at the screen.


    `We are about to find out,¡¯ he said before the ship jumped into space.

 chapter 2.23 Hawks backstory. Part IV

    It was some weeks ago since Hawk had escaped with the boy. The boy whose name was given as Eto and who seemed to be a very special someone.


    The ship in which Hawk and Eto had escaped had taken them to a planet in Cluster 7 called Green point.


    For some mysterious reason, their destination in the little ship made them cross almost half the galaxy. It wasn¡¯t possible, according to the science Hawk knew but somehow it happened.


    They were on this planet, on the other side of the galaxy with no signs of the space station or professor Khalcazar.


    There they had found an old man named Tlaw who happened to have been expecting them.


    ¡®It seems our mutual contact has sent you,¡¯ the man called Tlaw said and Hawk thought about the man in the shadows.


    Later, Tlaw explained that he did not know who the man was, only that he contacted him about the boy named Eto and his arrival at Green point.


    It was an old man, with a kind face behind a long gray beard that matched his long gray hair.


    Hawk sat on a little hill, watching over the mountains of Green point.


    It was a green filled planet with small mountains rising with waterfalls and little villages built on top of them. The clouds hang lower than on other planets and sometimes it felt like you went beyond them to the sky.


    Together they agreed to tell Eto the story that this was his grandpa and that it was time for him to come here. To come home.


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    It seemed best not to tell what was going on in the laboratory where Eto was held to make sure the boy didn¡¯t have to think a lot about it.


    The man named Tlaw also seemed to know about the mysterious power Eto had but he couldn¡¯t explain how it worked. He only knew he had it.


    ¡®Does it have to do with the shard in his chest?¡¯ Hawk had asked but Tlaw couldn¡¯t tell.


    ¡®I know of star shard users with powers but as you described, this was a very powerful power.¡¯


    ''Tell me about it,¡¯ Hawk said and he saw the whole memory of Eto¡¯s power in his head.


    Hawk had decided to stay here for a while until he figured out what his next step would be.


    The man called Tlaw took the responsibility to train Eto with his powers so one day he could use them for good, like the holy knights. The protectors of the galaxy.


    Hawk had already known who the holy knights were but he was intrigued in hearing the stories told to Eto.


    Sometimes after his training, Hawk would take Eto for a stroll through the mountains or forests. It was a moment he shared with his friend, just like they did on the space station.


    Every time they walked, it seems that Eto was more intrigued by the Holy knights and sometimes he used a stick and pretended it was a sword. Then he always told Hawk that he couldn¡¯t wait to be a holy knight, as they were the bravest of the universe. According to the stories, of course.


    Life like this passed on for a few weeks and every evening, Hawk took a rest at an usual hill next to the cabin in which they all stayed.


    It was a moment he thought that he wanted to stay here forever. He could really find peace on this planet, leaving all the miserable thoughts of professor Khalcazar behind.


    Slowly Hawk started to rest his eyes  a bit but quickly looked up as a loud bang came from the sky.


    He looked up and above the forests and the mountains appeared a huge black ship.


    ¡®Oh no¡¯ he mumbled. He recognised the ship immediately.


    It was the ship of Generation Zero. He had seen the ship on the news reports and they were known as troublemakers in the galaxy.


    ¡®What can they possibly be doing here?¡¯ he asked himself and the moment he said it, he knew it.


    ¡®Eto¡¯ he whispered.

 chapter 2.24 Hawks backstory. Final part

    Tiny ships came from behind the big ship of Generation Zero. Hawk jumped off the hill and made his way to the cabin. Inside were Tlaw and Eto, eating something.


    ¡®What was that sound?¡¯ Eto asked with his mouth stuffed. Hawk looked at them seriously.


    ¡®There is no time. Generation Zero is here!¡¯


    The old man looked at Hawk and he knew exactly what he thought. It wasn''t a coincidence that they arrived here after Eto and Hawk had come.


    ¡®We must leave,¡¯ Tlaw said and he got up and pulled Eto with him.


    ¡®Grandpa, look,¡¯ Eto said and they all looked at him.


    The glow Hawk had seen on the space station and Eto was training with Tlaw seemed to go on and off on his arm.


    ¡®What can that mean?¡¯ Hawk whispered but Tlaw said they had no time.


    They made their way to the door but outside, a huge bang was heard.


    ¡®No,¡¯ Tlaw said and they could hear a lot of footsteps outside.


    ¡®Open the door for the captain,¡¯ was heard from a robotic voice.


    Tlaw accepted they had no choice as this whole area seemed to be surrounded.


    Slowly he opened the wooden door to see what was outside.


    A medium ship in the same black color as the big ship had landed a little bit further. The cabin was surrounded by black robots who all seemed to carry rifles.


    In between the cabin and the ship stood a knight dressed in black armor. His helmet had horns and white paint formed a skull on his helmet.


    ¡®Well, well, well,¡¯ the knight said as he slowly stepped to the cabin.


    The group had stepped outside but both Tlaw and Hawk kept Eto behind them.


    Tlaw and Hawk quickly looked around. The other hills and forests in the distance were being attacked and burned.


    ¡®We are looking for you, Professor Hawk, as you like to call yourself. And the boy,¡¯ the knight said. He stopped a few meters away.


    ¡®How do you know who I am?¡¯ Hawk asked angrily.


    The knight laughed. His voice was muffled by the helmet.


    ¡®Your master told us to retrieve you. And the subject you stole,¡¯ and the knight¡¯s helmet turned to Eto.


    Eto looked worried as he looked from the knight to Hawk.


    ¡®Who is that?¡¯ he whispered but both Tlaw and Hawk didn¡¯t respond. Their attention was on the knight.


    ¡®Eto,¡¯ the knight said and the boy looked back at him.


    So he also knows his name, Hawk thought to himself.


    ¡®It seems our master wants you back alive but I would love to see you die in an accident,¡¯ the knight said.


    Tight to his side, he pulled up a large black sword which was long and thin.


    ¡®Get them,¡¯ the knight said and the robots started to walk towards the group.


    Hawk pushed Eto back and grabbed a blaster he had borrowed from Tlaw.


    Tlaw grabbed a stick with which he trained Eto and they started fighting the robots.


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    The robots started to fire but both Hawk and Tlaw dodged the shots and Hawk fired back, taking down some robots.


    Eto wanted to help but he was a little shocked by how many robots were attacking. Then he remembered the words his grandpa had told him about the holy knights. How they must be brave in any situation.


    Eto pulled himself up and started to run, joining the fight.


    ¡®No, no. You are mine,¡¯ the knight said and he jumped towards Eto with speed.


    He grabbed his sword, ready to attack while Eto was struck by fear of the coming attack.


    The sword was swung and it reached Eto.


    The boy prepared himself for the blade to hit him but when he closed his eyes, he felt nothing. Only a push on his side.


    He opened his eyes and what he saw widened his eyes with unbelieve.


    Hawk had jumped in, pushing Eto away.


    In the process the blad swung down and cut off Hawk¡¯s arm.


    Blood flew everywhere and Hawk screamed of the pain as he crashed into the ground.


    ¡®No!¡¯ Tlaw said and he pushed a robot away to jump in.


    He wanted to reach Hawk and Eto but the knight quickly turned around and pressed his sword in the old man¡¯s belly.


    ¡®That¡¯s what you get for hiding fugitives,¡¯ the knight said before he pulled his sword out.


    While Hawk laid on the ground in pain, the old man fell to his knees with blood coming from his stomach.


    ¡®No!¡¯ Eto yelled and fear grabbed him. His grandpa and his best friend were both hurt because of the knight.


    ¡®You bastard,¡¯ Eto told the knight who started to laugh from behind the mask.


    ¡®You will pay!¡¯ Eto screamed and the light in his arms and legs returned, only this time, also his eyes were starting to glow.


    He got up and punched in the direction of the knight.


    A huge blow of light erupted from his arm, pushing the knight away and the robots off the cliff. Even the ship behind them slowly moved to the back.


    The light faded away and Eto was breathing heavily.


    Hawk looked at Tlaw to see what was going on. He quickly grabbed a medic pack from his coat which sealed off his arm for more blood loss.


    Eto ran and  jumped to the floor next to his grandpa.


    ¡®No, no, nooooo!¡¯ he yelled and he started to cry as he looked at his grandpa.


    The old man, who gave off a little smile.


    Eto. It is time for you to leave. You have a bigger role to play.¡¯


    ¡®No,¡¯ Eto said and he tried to grab his grandpa, hoping he could help him.


    ¡®Yes¡¯ Tlaw said as he stopped Eto in grabbing him.


    ¡®Eto, get to the center of the galaxy. You must. It''s the galaxy''s only hope!''


    Eto didn¡¯t understand what he meant by it but he was more occupied with the pain his grandpa went through.


    Then the old man raised his hand and touched Eto on his forehead.


    A light erupted from his hand and went into Eto¡¯s head, vanishing.


    Flashes appeared in Eto¡¯s head and pain got hold of him.


    ¡®It is best if you don¡¯t remember this. You must start anew, find your own path,¡¯ Tlaw said and the boy looked at him with confusion.


    ¡®I hope someday you remember me and we get to see each other again. I have grown quite fond of you,¡¯ the old man said and he gave Eto something.


    He pulled a red scarf he was wearing and wrapped it around Eto¡¯s neck.


    ¡®Goodbye,¡¯ Tlaw said with a smile and tears.


    He put his hand on Eto''s chest and suddenly with a loud bang as if a ship was entering the atmosphere, Eto was shot away and disappeared into the air and space without leaving a trace.


    Hawk looked at what happened and he couldn¡¯t believe his eyes.


    The boy had been blown away by Tlaw and he couldn¡¯t tell where to.


    ¡®You must go,¡¯ Tlaw said in pain to Hawk who was standing up.


    At the other end, the knight also returned.


    Hawk said he needed to help him but Tlaw yelled at him.


    ¡®No! I am done. Get out of here. Find Eto and guide him. Don¡¯t tell him anything that you know. Let him find out on his own.¡¯


    Hawk wanted to help him but the old man made his decision.


    Tlaw looked at the group that was returning and his eyes demanded Hawk to leave him.


    Quickly, Hawk turned  away with regret and made his way to the ship.


    The black knight appeared a few meters from the old man.


    ¡®You bastard. Where is the boy?¡¯ he yelled from behind the mask but Tlaw did not respond.


    ¡®Dammit,¡¯ the knight said and he pushed a button on his helmet for the communicator.


    ¡®Contact the master. Tell him to swallow this world in darkness,¡¯ he said angrily as he returned to the ship.


    Hawk made his way back to the ship and jumped in. The coordinator asked for an entry for departure and Hawk quickly pushed some buttons.


    ¡®Anywhere,¡¯ he mumbled as he looked at his arm, which got held together by a medic pack.


    The computer started talking.


    ¡®Autopilot activated. Destination marked for Capgelu.¡¯

 chapter 2.25 The truth

    Eto was standing, shocked by hearing the story from Hawk who still looked at him with tears in his eyes.


    ¡®I¡¯m sorry Eto. I wanted to tell you everything but your grandpa told me not to. I¡¯m sorry I was working for someone like Khalcazar. I¡¯m sorry!¡¯


    Eto didn¡¯t respond. He was processing the story but at the same time, he felt like his head was gonna burst.


    Hawk slowly tried to walk to Eto, telling him he should have known better when he was young. That he never should have worked for Khalcazar but he didn¡¯t know.


    Eto grabbed his head and just like had happened in the ship, flashes of memories came to but this time they all seemed sorted, like his memories were complete. The only downside was the headache that followed.


    ¡®Noooo!¡¯ Eto screamed and Veronica ran towards him.


    ¡®Don¡¯t touch me!¡¯ he yelled at her and Veronica stopped, shocked by Eto¡¯s response.


    The pain, the memories and the sight of his home. It all was too much for Eto to handle.


    He wanted it to go away. He wanted to disappear.


    And just like that, he ran away. Leaving the group behind in the storm.


    Eto kept running and running. He ran as far as he could until his feet tripped over a rock and he fell down in the dirt.


    He crawled back up on his knees and hands and he started to scream and cry.


    He wanted to scream for his grandpa but he just figured out that it was just an old man taking care of him. Still, he missed him.


    ¡®Grandpa,¡¯ he said as the tears fell from his eyes.


    ¡®Yes?¡¯ a voice said in the distance.


    Eto looked up and something was standing in front of him in the storm.


    It slowly approached him and as it got closer, Eto recognised the man he had called grandpa.


    ¡®Grandpa?¡¯ Eto asked with wonder and the man appearing in front of him nodded.


    ¡®Eto,¡¯ the old man said as he bent his knee to be next to Eto.


    Eto stared at him, looking surprised to see him.


    ¡®You must have a lot of questions,¡¯ the man said as he stood up and waved his arm to Eto, saying he should follow him.


    Further away, Eto was walking beside the man that looked like his grandpa.


    A small man with long gray hair and a beard. He wore a cap and was dressed in small training gear with a cape.


    ¡®What do you want to know?¡¯ his grandpa asked, feeling Eto was staring at him.


    Eto had so many questions, even though it was all clear to him thanks to the returning memories. Still he wanted to ask.


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    ¡®You are not my real grandpa?¡¯ he asked and the man stopped and gave a smile.


    ¡®Biological, no. But we trained a lot together and I have grown quite fond of you Eto. I see you as my family. Just as I have seen Hawk as a part of my family in those times we have known each other.¡¯


    Eto looked back  through the storm and thought about Hawk who had opened up to him. It seemed like grandpa, Tlaw, knew what Eto was thinking.


    ¡®Don¡¯t be hard on him. He only did what I asked him to.¡¯


    Eto looked at him, surprised.


    ¡®Why would I be hard on him?¡¯ he asked and his grandpa looked at him with a questionable face.


    ¡®You are not mad at him?¡¯ he asked and now Eto was looking questionable.


    ¡®No. Of course not. Why would I be?¡¯


    Tlaw slowly nodded.


    ¡®Don¡¯t misunderstand Eto. Hawk is feeling guilty. I know because I have talked to him while training you. He was working for professor Khalcazar who by now is known to be working for the darkness. Deep in his heart he knew it was wrong what he was doing but it was an opportunity for him and he took it. Looking back now, Hawk must be feeling regret and pain for not taking action sooner. He is afraid that the rest will hate him for it.¡¯


    Tlaw stopped walking and also turned around to watch through the storm.


    ¡®A young man wanted to find something in science, using all the tools he could get. He is searching for something, just like you are, my boy.¡¯


    Eto looked through the storm in the direction they had come from.


    He could not be angry at Hawk. He was his friend then and he is his friend now.


    He turned to his grandpa with a smile.


    ¡®Don¡¯t worry. I will let him know,¡¯ Eto said and his grandpa smiled and nodded.


    They stayed quiet for a long time as Eto tried to think of all his memories. After that he asked.


    ¡®The center of the galaxy. Why do I need to go there?¡¯ he asked.


    Grandpa Tlaw let out a sigh before answering Eto¡¯s question.


    ¡®It¡¯s the last world. It¡¯s where the journey of the universe ends but also where it started. You are the key to unlocking that world.¡¯


    Eto was surprised by hearing this. He never thought he had such a grand role to play and he looked worried. His grandpa continued.


    ¡®The last world is now covered in darkness, waiting and trying to open it. The only one to stop the darkness is the one that can open the last world. That is you,¡¯ he said.


    Eto stopped walking and looked at his grandpa.


    ¡®Why? Why am I the only one who can open the last world? What is there?¡¯ he asked but his grandpa didn¡¯t seem to know.


    ¡®Power. That is the only thing everyone in the galaxy can think of. There must be something there, hidden, that should not be in the hands of anyone.¡¯


    Tlaw seemed to think about it, thinking of the help he had had.


    ¡®All I know is that a man, the same man who helped you guys, had let me see why you are important and tasked me with training you with your powers. I¡¯m sorry I am not able to do it anymore.¡¯


    ¡®What?¡¯ Eto asked and slowly tried to put his hand on his grandpa''s shoulders but it went right through him. His grandpa was not really there. Eto could feel his tears coming back, realizing this was not really his grandpa standing here.


    ¡®Don¡¯t worry Eto. I will always be with you. In the Nexus¡¯ Tlaw said.


    ¡®The nexus?¡¯ Eto asked and his grandpa nodded.


    ¡®When it¡¯s time, you¡¯ll know what it is. And then you will find me to complete your training.¡¯


    Eto didn¡¯t want to but he had to understand.


    ¡®You can do this Eto. I have faith in you,¡¯ his grandpa said, also with a smile and some tears appearing.


    ¡®With the right friends, you can travel to the center of the universe and destroy the darkness. Eto, don¡¯t ever think you can¡¯t do something. If it¡¯s in your heart, it is ready to be done. And you can do this.¡¯


    Eto felt like the tears wouldn¡¯t stop but he smiled. He smiled because he knew he was not gonna let his grandpa down.


    Tlaw slowly moved his hand over the scarf Eto was wearing, but he didn¡¯t touch it.


    ¡®I see you''re still wearing it,¡¯ he said with a smile. Eto looked at his scarf and remembered something.


    ¡®How come some of my memories were not gone? I could remember you and this planet,¡¯ he said and Tlaw smiled.


    ¡®Some things are too important to be forgotten,¡¯ Tlaw said and even though he could not feel him, his grandpa hugged him.


    ¡®And now it is time to make new memories, with new friends,¡¯ Tlaw said and behind them, Eto could hear the voices of his friends calling for him.

 chapter 2.26 Etos destiny! The adventure continues

    When Veronica, Hawk, TYO and Djon arrived where Eto was standing, his grandpa had disappeared. Even though Eto missed him, he wasn¡¯t feeling sad anymore. He trusted his grandpa¡¯s words that one day he would see him again. In this Nexus thing that he had told him.


    ¡®Eto,¡¯ Veronica called slowly to him and she stepped beside him. She was relieved that he was smiling and he slowly looked at her.


    ¡®Sorry for putting you guys through so much trouble,¡¯ he said softly and Veronica shook her head, letting him know that she didn¡¯t mind.


    Instead she looked back at Hawk who looked at Eto with a scared look on his face. Eto followed her gaze and also looked at him.


    ¡®Eto,¡¯ he said but he didn¡¯t know what to say. He wanted to say sorry again for not telling him.


    ¡®I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry for not telling you anything. To all of you,¡¯ he said and quickly looked at the rest.


    Eto slowly walked up to him.


    ¡®I¡¯m sorry that I worked for someone like professor Khalcazar and I should have known better, but the thing is,¡¯ he said but Eto interrupted him.


    He had come before him and grabbed Hawk, hugging him.


    ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter,¡¯ Eto whispered to him. Hawk¡¯s eyes became wider.


    Eto¡¯s words made tears come up but he didn¡¯t mind. It were the words he hoped to hear and slowly he grabbed Eto, hugging him back.


    When they let each other go, Eto looked at him with the recognizable smile he always had.


    ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter what you did or what you said. We were friends then, and we are friends now.¡¯


    Hawk still felt the tears coming but he held them back. He put his hand on Eto¡¯s shoulder and slowly said ¡®thank you¡¯.


    Everybody gathered around them and finally Hawk was brave enough to talk to Eto about it.


    ¡®What had happened to you? You have been gone a year,¡¯ he said and the moment he said those words, Eto was shocked.


    ¡®A year? What do you mean a year?¡¯


    Hawk started counting with the fingers on his metal arm, making sure he was right.


    ¡®When you had been blasted away by Tlaw, I fled this planet and crashed on Capgelu. It took almost a year when you arrived.¡¯


    Everybody looked at him with confusion.


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    ¡®That can¡¯t be right. I was blasted off and landed on Veronica¡¯s planet. After that we went to Capgelu. It can¡¯t be that long?¡¯ Eto asked, now wondering if he was right.


    Hawk shook his head.


    ¡®I crashed right after this planet was attacked on Capgelu. I have been helping the people there for over a year. In the meantime I tried so many experiments in the hope to find you. Until one day you opened my door and stood there. You don¡¯t know how hard it was to keep calm and not to let you know that I already knew you.¡¯


    Eto slammed his fist into his other hand.


    ¡®That¡¯s why I recognized you. Because we already knew each other. Not because you are a famous professor,¡¯ Eto said.


    Hawk looked a little bit defeated.


    ¡®I became famous as the assistant of the famous professor,¡¯ he mumbled and Veronica laughed about it.


    ¡®You were afraid you would damage his memories if you would make him remember you, didn¡¯t you?¡¯ Veronica said to Hawk.


    ¡®That, and I promised Tlaw. He wanted to make sure Eto would find his own way and memories.¡¯


    ¡®Pleep meep¡¯ TYO said with his high-pitched voice.


    ¡®If the timeline is correct, it seems that the only part that is unclear is where Eto was shot into space until he landed.¡¯


    Veronica looked at TYO.


    ¡®But that can¡¯t be possible. That means Eto must have traveled through space for a year,¡¯ she said with a nervous smile.


    They all looked at each other with surprise. It stayed quiet for a while until Djon started talking.


    ¡®Not wanting to be the one to crack the riddle but there are weirder things going on in space than something traveling through dark space for a year.¡¯


    ¡®So that means it¡¯s true?¡¯ Eto almost yelled, shocked by the idea.


    ¡®Easy there boy. I¡¯m only saying that we shouldn¡¯t exclude it. Until we know for sure.¡¯


    They all looked at each other and Djon gave a little grin.


    ¡®Man, what a bunch of wackos I end up with.¡¯


    Hawk wanted to respond to that but Djon already started to say ¡®I love it¡¯ with a big smile, showing his sharp teeth.


    ¡®So what now?¡¯ he said enthusiastically.


    They all looked at Eto and for the first time since he smiled, he looked serious again.


    ¡®I have to get to the center of the universe. To the last world,¡¯ he said with confidence.


    ¡®Why?¡¯ Veronica asked and he looked at her.


    ¡®It is being held by darkness and according to my grandpa, I am the only one who can stop it there.¡¯


    ¡®You¡¯re grandpa?¡¯ Djon asked and Eto nodded.


    ¡®I have seen him just now, right there,¡¯ he said and he pointed through the dust.


    ¡®Tlaw?¡¯ Hawk asked and he took a few steps, hoping he could see the old man again. Instead he saw nothing but the dirt and sandstorm.


    ¡®There is 0% chance he is still there. In a world like this, swallowed by the darkness, nothing could be left alive,¡¯ TYO said slowly.


    Hawk looked disappointed but he tried to change his expression before turning around.


    ¡®Alright, so what do we do?¡¯ he asked.


    Eto looked at his friends. He didn¡¯t want to put them at risk by going with him but on the other hand, he believed he needed them to help him on his journey.


    ¡®I want to ask you guys,¡¯ but his words were interrupted.


    Above the storm, loud bangs were heard.


    ¡®Back to the ship¡¯ Djon said who looked up like the rest.


    ¡®We got company.¡¯

 chapter 2.27 An unexpected guest

    The bangs from above the storm didn¡¯t stop while the group tried to run for the ship.


    Sand and dirt started to swirl harder as something was landing on the planet.


    ¡®This way,¡¯ Hawk said as TYO rolled beside him towards the ship.


    Eto held Veronica¡¯s arm while they ran and Djon was coming behind them, checking if something came from behind the group.


    The ship was still open and when Hawk came to the ship, he was knocked back by an airstream.


    The sky above them opened up and the darkness above the sandstorm also opened up to reveal a black night sky.


    ¡®What the,¡¯ Hawk said as the rest approached him.


    ¡®What is happening?¡¯ Veronica asked while covering her face from the sand that flew through the air.


    ¡®I don¡¯t know,¡¯ Hawk yelled and Djon grabbed TYO, making sure the wind didn¡¯t take him.


    Eto still held Veronica but he looked around. He felt something was coming though the storm and was already near.


    ''''Guys, we have a problem,'''' he said and everybody turned around.


    The darkness made sure that their ship was the center of an open area with the night sky above them. Through the darkness, something arrived.


    A huge black ship they had seen many times by now, had arrived and landed to the edge of the area.


    ¡®Generation Zero,¡¯ Veronica said.


    ¡®I¡¯m so done with these guys,¡¯ Eto said angrily.


    The storm was calming down around them and Eto let go of Veronica, stepping up in the direction of the ship.


    ¡®Wait Eto!¡¯ Hawk yelled. ''We are not ready to take them on,¡¯ he said but Eto didn¡¯t listen.


    It seemed he was angry and determined. He slowly walked away from the group in the direction of the ship.


    The big black ship had landed and opened its hatches, releasing a few robot soldiers who started running in their direction.


    Eto recognized the robots. They were the same that attacked Borner with the Vulture knight.


    Behind them, a stair came down and through the door came a person now Eto and also Hawk  recognised as captain Hanzou.


    ¡®Hanzou,¡¯ Hawk said without raising his voice.


    ¡®Who?¡¯ Djon asked and he explained to him that he had attacked this and Veronica¡¯s planet and he had been chasing them.


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    The robots stopped walking and opened up a path in between them where captain Hanzou walked through.


    At the end stood Eto, who quickly had his friends next to them.


    Captain Hanzou approached them and stopped a few meters before the group.


    ¡®Eto. I wanted to make sure we get you this time so I came to get you myself,¡¯ Hanzou said with the muffled voice behind his mask.


    Hanzou looked around the group.


    ¡®I see you have some new friends. And also the would-be-professor,¡¯ Hanzou said and it made Hawk angry.


    ¡®I will never forgive you for what you¡¯ve done,¡¯ Hawk said and he raised his balded metal fist. It made Hanzou laugh.


    ¡®You did that to yourself. You should have let the boy go. You should even have let him with our master,¡¯ he told him.


    Hawk wanted to attack him but Eto stopped him. This made Hanzou laugh.


    ¡®I don¡¯t have time to play. Guards, kill everyone except the boy. He is mine,¡¯ he said and the robots started to run to the group, attacking them with rifles and swords.


    ¡®Let¡¯s go,¡¯ Hawk said and he switched his arm to a firepower arm.


    Veronica grabbed her baton and started fighting. Even TYO ran around and started to make a robot trip, even though he was more trying to hide than attack.


    Djon opened his coat, revealing his tattooed chest and the belt around his waist. Hanging attached to his belt, he grabbed two pistols and started shooting at the robots.


    Eto was still looking at Hanzou, who grabbed his sword and before Eto could tell, jumped in front of him.


    He tried to hit Eto with his sword but Eto dodged it.


    After that attack, Eto grabbed Hanzou with his hands, blocking his sword attack.


    ¡®You really want to fight me?¡¯ Hanzou asked as a joke but his voice sounded serious.


    ¡®If it makes sure you will leave us alone,¡¯ Eto responded and his arms started to glow. Hanzou could feel that there was more pressure in Eto¡¯s grab as he couldn''t hold it longer.


    Hanzou tried to jump away but Eto jumped after him.


    He let go of Hanouz¡¯s hands after which he started attacking again.


    Eto dodged his attacks and the moment he saw an opening, Eto hit Hanzou¡¯s hands, knocking the sword out of his hands.


    ¡®What?¡¯ Hanzou said surprised but Eto didn¡¯t quit. He stood steady on his feet and he jumped forward towards Hanzou again, trying to hit him with his glowing fist.


    Hanzou blocked Eto¡¯s punch by grabbing his fists with his hands.


    While he held Eto¡¯s fists, he put up enough strength to stop Eto from attacking.


    There they stood, with Eto¡¯s fists clenched into Hanzou¡¯s hands.


    ¡®Now I will show you what I can do,¡¯ Hanzou said with a manic voice.


    Eto was surprised with what he saw. Even though it was not as bright as him, Hanzou¡¯s arms also started to glow through his armor.


    Eto could feel more strength in Hanzou¡¯s hands as he pushed Eto back.


    ¡®After I have grabbed you, I will take your friends and make sure they all die a very slow death,¡¯ Hanzou said with a manic laugh.


    ¡®No!¡¯ Eto yelled and he could feel losing power. He wasn¡¯t ready. Not ready to fight him and not ready to defend his friends.


    ¡®NO!¡¯ he screamed in panic and he pulled his fists back, making sure he could deliver one final blow with all his might.


    Luckily, he hit Hanzou in his helmet, making it crack and break before he flew through the group of soldiers, a few meters away.


    ¡®Everybody, run!¡¯ Eto yelled so everybody could hear him.


    He made his way through the group of robots, hitting everything he could on his way to the ship.


    From the sides he could see the rest joining him and they were almost with him, close to the ship.


    ¡®Eto!¡¯


    A voice that sounded like nails going over a chalkboard could be heard over the whole area. Fear struck everyone as they stopped running and slowly turned around in fear.

 chapter 2.28 Xeladross arrives

    Everything went silent after the voice reached Eto.


    The group stopped running and slowly turned around. The voice made everyone feel chills down their spine and fear struck them.


    Eto looked back and he saw that even captain Hanzou and the robots looked back at the ship.


    On top of the stair where the door to the ship was, something emerged from the darkness within.


    At first, multiple hands emerged from the darkness and grabbed the edges of the doorway.


    The hands had more fingers than a human hand and the fingers were long, bent in weird ways. They looked skinny and malformed.


    Eto¡¯s heart made a little jump. Even though he didn¡¯t have any memories or returning memories, he had a feeling this wasn¡¯t the first time he encountered whatever called him.


    The hands grabbed the edge tight and pulled whatever it was outside.


    A huge creature came outside and the group was shocked by what they saw.


    The skin of the creature was just as pale as the fingers. It had multiple arms and legs but they all were long and weirdly shaped. It¡¯s body looked like it had not eaten in days and you could see the bones coming though the flesh.


    Long black and dark red hairs and feathers were scattered on the body, like a bird that was plucked.


    The head had longer hair that was shaped as a mane, with horns sticking out and a pair of big yellow eyes looking outside.


    ¡®Eto,¡¯ the voice said again and they could see the creature talking.


    Its voice was clear to everyone, even though they were standing far away from the creature.


    ¡®Master, wait! You are not strong enough!¡¯ Hanzou yelled back at the ship but the creature threw up one of his arms.


    ¡®Silence!¡¯ it screamed as it had trouble getting down the stairs.


    Like it was tired or hurt, it slowly moved from the stairs to the planet''s ground.


    From a distance, he didn¡¯t look that big but when the creature got to the robots, they saw it was three times the size of a robot''s length.


    Eto slowly stepped back into the direction of the creature and the robots.


    ¡®Eto, wait!¡¯ Veronica yelled but he didn¡¯t respond. It was almost like he was hypnotized.


    ¡®Who are you?¡¯ Eto mumbled while walking but the creature reacted with his head, like it heard him.


    ¡®My dear Eto,¡¯ the raspy voice said and slowly it moved through the group of soldiers to the front.


    ¡®Don¡¯t you know me?¡¯ the creature asked but Eto did not respond.


    ¡®I¡¯m so sorry to hear that. Then again, we haven¡¯t probably seen each other.¡¯


    Suddenly, Eto remembered the memory back at the ship. From a dark cloud swallowing planet after planet. Eto had a feeling this creature was linked to that.


    ¡®You. You are the one who did this, aren¡¯t you?¡¯ Eto asked and he pointed to the darkness at the edge of the open area, surrounding the planet.


    The creature started laughing, filling the emptiness that filled the place.


    ¡®It seems my work speaks before me,¡¯ and he tried to get closer to Eto.


    Eto, on the other hand, took a step back.


    ¡®What are you afraid of Eto? I can help you with your destiny,¡¯ the creature said and Eto raised his eyebrow, questioning the creature.


    The raspy voice of the creature didn¡¯t help to make him sound reliable.


    ¡®What do you know of my destiny?¡¯ Eto asked.


    ¡®The creature, still laughing, responded.


    ¡®Is it not that you have to travel to the center of the galaxy? To reach the last world? I know why you need to go there. I can help you with it.¡¯


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    Eto could hear footsteps coming from behind him and he saw that the group slowly had approached him, weapons ready and their eyes focussed on the creature.


    ¡®Your friends can¡¯t help you with that Eto. I can. I can bring you to the last world and let you walk your destiny.¡¯


    Eto did not trust the creature but he wanted to know. He wanted answers to what his destiny was.


    ¡®What is there? At the center? What is the last world?¡¯ he asked, almost yelling.


    The creature turned his head a little, making the sound of bones cracking.


    ¡®That is for you to find out,¡¯ the creature said and he raised his hand as an invitation, making more sounds of cracking bones.


    Eto looked at him and captain Hanzou slowly came standing next to the creature, as some sort of servant.


    ¡®It would be wise to listen to my master, Eto. No one can defy what master Xeladross has planned.¡¯


    That name, Eto thought. He had heard it before.


    Flashes came again, only this time, his head didn¡¯t hurt.


    He saw the darkness from his memories again, swallowing planets. Meanwhile the voice of his grandpa could be heard, as Eto remembered something he told him.


    ¡®Xeladross, the pure darkness. Like a fly it came to the last world, swallowing the world, hoping to get what is inside it. He is pure evil and must be stopped before he swallows the whole universe with darkness.¡¯


    Eto shook his head as the memory faded and then looked again to the creature.


    ¡®Are you Xeladross?¡¯ he asked, ignoring what he just heard from Hanzou and the creature laughed again, harder this time.


    ¡®I¡¯m glad my name isn¡¯t forgotten in these parts of the universe. It would be wise to remember it,¡¯ Xeladross said and he bends his fingers quickly, showing that his invitation still stands.


    ¡®No,¡¯ Eto mumbled and Xeladross stopped laughing.


    ¡®That is unfortunate,¡¯ Xeladross said slowly.


    After that he suddenly jumped up, moving his weird body in ways that seemed unnatural as it rushed towards Eto.


    The group wanted to attack but Eto raised his arm to stop them.


    The creature called Xeladross came rushing toward them with speed.


    ¡®Get the ship ready. I will deal with this,¡¯ Eto said.


    Even though they wanted to go against it and help Eto, Djon pulled everyone back to run towards the ship.


    Eto slowly walked towards the rushing Xeladross.


    He was coming closer but Eto was prepared for the attack.


    ¡®You are the darkness that swallows planets. You are the one that destroyed my home and took my grandpa. I won¡¯t let you take my friends, '' Eto said.


    He put his arm aside and he thought of something he wanted to try for a while. A feeling he had for some time but never knew how it would turn out.


    He focussed deep and thought of the feeling back on Etoile, against the Vulture knight. The darkness that had surrounded him and the power that overwhelmed him.


    Slowly his arm started to glow as always and Eto opened his eyes.


    ¡®Ring formation,¡¯ he said and the light on his arm started to change and divide.


    Eto kept thinking about what he wanted and he felt his power being channeled inside his body.


    The light started to form in rings all over his arm, all the way from his hand to his elbow.


    Xeladross was closing in with his rage as a mad creature and Eto took a step back to stand steady.


    He pulled his arm with the rings back as he wanted to punch and right before Xeladross would reach him, Eto punched and he saw what he wanted to happen.


    The rings followed his punch through his arms and out of his fist, a ring of light shot away, getting bigger and bigger with the distance it made.


    It hit the creature Xeladross, who let out a scream of pain and sent him flying away to the side, crashing in the sand of the ground.


    The ring didn¡¯t stop and destroyed almost the whole group of robots before impacting on the big black ship of Generation Zero.


    It created a huge explosion and smoke came from the ship as the lights of the ship flickered out.


    The light on Eto¡¯s arms faded and he could feel that he had lost a lot of energy, but this didn¡¯t stop him from running back to the ship.


    He grabbed the arm that he just used with his other arm and he could feel it becoming paralyzed, as if he used up all of its power.


    The tortoise had already started and it was waiting for him. Slowly it started to rise above the ground, waiting for Eto to reach it.


    After jumping in, Djon made sure to close the hatch and fly away, leaving damage at Generation Zero behind them.


    The storm and darkness hit the ship hard but Djon ignored it. His only objective was getting out of here and leaving this planet as fast as he could.


    The tortoise had left the sky and vanished through the darkness. Captain Hanzou, who barely dodged the attack of Eto, was rushing towards the body of his master.


    He saw it lying broken on the ground and when he wanted to help him, a hand pushed him away.


    Leave it, fool¡¯ Xeladross said. Hanzou took a step back as his master tried to get up on his broken body.


    ¡®That boy is more trouble than he is worth,¡¯ Xeladross said with anger.


    His voice sounded even scarier than before and Hanzou was afraid how his master would react to what just happened.


    After standing up, the creature called Xeladross looked at Hanzou.


    ¡®You are no better,¡¯ he said with anger.


    Hanzou''s face could not be seen behind his mask but that comment stung him.


    ¡®Return to the dark master. Let him decide what to do with you. You are not worthy to help me,¡¯ Xeladross said as he slowly tried to walk.


    ¡®What about you? My master, my lord,¡¯ Hanzou quickly said, not knowing what to do after the comments of Xeladross.


    At first, Xeladross didn¡¯t say anything but after a while, he slowly spoke.


    ¡®I will leave this weak vessel behind and return to my former body. There I will wait until I am strong enough.¡¯


    After those words, the body of Xeladross collapsed as if something had left it and it was now an empty shell, leaving Captain Hanzou behind in the storm of darkness.

 chapter 2.29 Getting away! Eto prepares for his journey

    The tortoise made haste through space while a silence was present on board.


    Everybody sat apart from each other but everyone was thinking the same thing.


    What is happening with Eto?


    Eto sat in his room, in the dark, thinking about everything that had happened on Green point. From the returning memories to the point he met Xelandross.


    At first he didn¡¯t want to admit it but soon the feeling was so present, he couldn¡¯t deny it.


    He was scared. Scared to face whatever would come on his path towards the center of the galaxy.


    But most of all, he was scared to ask his friends to accompany him.


    The door opened and Veronica stood in the doorway.


    ¡®Are you alright?¡¯ she asked slowly. Eto looked up and nodded slowly, not wanting her to know how bad he felt.


    She came into the room and sat down next to him on the bed.


    For some time, both of them said nothing. Until Veronica spoke.


    ¡®You know, it¡¯s so strange to be on an adventure like this. Far away from home and traveling even farther,¡¯ she said.


    Eto slowly looked at her with a surprised look and she looked back at him, smiling.


    ¡®All the way to the center of the galaxy,¡¯ she said and Eto¡¯s mouth slowly also turned into a smile.


    The dining chamber was packed with everyone on board. Veronica guided Eto inside and insisted he ate something. Hawk, as usual, had made some dishes for everyone.


    ¡®I¡¯m 89% sure something is wrong with you,¡¯ TYO said while he jumped up on the couch where Eto sat and took his place on his lap. His lens widened as he looked Eto in his eyes.


    Eto couldn¡¯t deny it. He had felt a little down the past few hours but now he wasn¡¯t sure how to feel. He only felt scared.


    ¡®Eat,¡¯ Hawk said demanding and he pushed the plate with different sorts of meat in front of Eto.


    Even though Eto was not hungry, he slowly began to eat.


    ¡®That was a wild ride,¡¯ Djon said, sitting opposite of Eto and looking at him.


    ¡®What the hell did you even do?¡¯ Djon asked and he remembered Eto¡¯s attack. The rings of light were still fresh in everyone''s minds.


    Eto looked up and looked at Djon, noticing everyone was looking at him with the same question.


    ¡®I don¡¯t know. I remembered the feeling back on Etoile. It felt like my power was taking over but at the same time it felt, I don¡¯t know, controllable.¡¯


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    Eto looked at his arm and back to the rest.


    ¡®I had a feeling I could bring it back,like it really was a part of me. It took all my energy to focus it but that way I could use my powers like I have never done.¡¯


    He looked back at his arm and his face started to look worried. Veronica noticed.


    ¡®What is wrong? Clearly you are still thinking about something.¡¯


    Eto did think of something. Something that was going through his mind ever since they had left.


    ¡®Hanzou,¡¯ he said and he looked at her.


    ¡®What about him?


    ¡®He, ¡® Eto said and he sighed deeply. ¡®He used some sort of power. It almost looked like mine, only weaker. I think.¡¯


    Everybody switched looks and looked back at Eto.


    ¡®I¡¯m sorry kid, but I¡¯m not gonna go back to ask him,¡¯ Djon said and for the first time, Eto let out a laugh, not controlling his emotions.


    ¡®Best if we didn¡¯t,¡¯ he replied to Djon and after a few days, his smile returned.


    They all started talking and laughing again, not worrying about what was happening or could happen. For a moment, they were just a bunch of friends having fun, not thinking about the danger they had evaded on Green point.


    ¡®Alright, I¡¯m done,¡¯ Djon said and he put down his drink. A large metal cup which before was filled with some sort of beverage.


    One of his arms grabbed a pipe from his coat and he started lighting it.


    ¡®What is the next plan?¡¯ he asked and he looked at Eto.


    Eto, who was surprised by the sudden question, felt the fear coming back.


    ¡®Well, I guess I have to get to the center of the galaxy. For the sake of the universe.¡¯


    He said it silently and everybody looked at him.


    Slowly Eto looked down, wondering if he was ever able to ask them for their help, putting their lives on the line for him.


    When the silence stayed too long, Hawk stood up and slapped Eto on the back.


    ¡®You really gonna let us say it, don¡¯t you?¡¯


    Eto looked up, surprised with his words.


    ¡®What do you mean?¡¯ he asked.


    Veronica stepped in. ¡®Don¡¯t be a fool. Do you really think we would let you go to the last world without us?¡¯


    Before Eto could answer, TYO jumped on the table in front of him.


    ¡®Even though the danger is not truly inviting, I¡¯m for 97% sure you would not survive without us.¡¯


    Eto slowly started to smile, but at the same time he could feel the tears coming up.


    It was exactly what he wanted but of which he was afraid to ask.


    ¡®Thank you guys so much,¡¯ Eto replied and some tears already came through.


    He grabbed TYO who waved his little arms in protest to be hugged.


    ¡®Well, I¡¯m down for another wacky space adventure with a bunch of weirdos,¡¯ Djon said and this time, Hawk smiled at him.


    ¡®It means you¡¯re a weirdo as well.¡¯


    Djon looked like he wanted to protest but he figured he was right and nodded at Hawk which made the rest laugh.


    ¡®But first, let¡¯s get to another solar system and leave Generation Zero behind us,¡¯ Djon said, who stood up to make his way to the control room.


    ¡®Do you know which way we should be going?¡¯ Eto asked but Djon shook his head.


    ¡®We¡¯re just gonna have to find out. There is an adventure on every planet and we have to find the route towards the center of the universe.¡¯


    Eto smiled and nodded after which Djon went his way to pilot the ship.


    ¡®We will stay with you until the very end,¡¯ Veronica said while giving Eto a little push, remembering the feeling she had when she first met Eto. A feeling that she needed to help him.


    ¡®You¡¯re kinda stuck with us,¡¯ Hawk replied with a wide smile and he quickly grabbed TYO who had already escaped from Eto¡¯s arms and tried to get away.


    ¡®Thanks,¡¯ Eto slowly said and for the first time in a few hours, he had a feeling that his journey would not be as bad as he thought it would be.

 chapter 2.30 Gustia. Commander of the soldiers

    Back at Etoile, deep in the heart of the city, a man dressed in a robe walked the big and long hallways of the city hall.


    The man turned a corner and stopped before a door, removing his hood.


    The bald brown head of councilman Kazerku was revealed and he breathed deeply before opening the door and entering the room.


    Inside was a small conference room, round and only lit by lights on the ceiling. In the middle, a man was standing and waiting.


    ¡®Commander Gustia,¡¯ Kazerku said and the man in the room turned around.


    It was an old man, having a big white beard and mustache, matching his long white hair.


    His skin was pale and wrinkled and his pointy ears were even longer than those of Kazerku.


    ¡®Councilman Kazerku,¡¯ the man responded with a deep voice.


    Kazerku walked to the middle of the room and the man called Gustia began to stand straight with his arms on his back.


    ¡®You have been debriefed?¡¯ Kazerku asked.


    ¡®Yes, sir,¡¯ Gustia responded but his face still seemed puzzled.


    ¡®What is it?¡¯ Kazerku asked, seeing the man¡¯s face.


    ¡®Sir, if I may. The debriefing came from the council after your report. A boy named Eto is the target. You bring me back from the war for a boy?¡¯


    Kazerku''s eyes showed some anger, as if he couldn¡¯t understand the ignorance of the commander.


    ¡®A dangerous boy. My reports show me how he has been working with Generation Zero, fighting off my information man on Capgelu and destroying parts of the city.¡¯


    Gustia seemed confused.


    ¡®I believe the images showed the boy fighting against Generation Zero at the temple, not with them.¡¯


    Kazerku gave a smug smile.


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    ¡®As a diversion.¡¯


    Kazerku looked at Gustia with a look that showed the councilman''s irritation.


    ¡®I take it your ¡®approach¡¯ to talk to the individuals before they escape didn¡¯t work?¡¯


    Commander Gustia felt attacked.


    ¡®Councilman Kazerku, I had just arrived in the city and told what was happening. It was the only option I could do for that moment but if the boy is so important, I will track it down and bring him back.¡¯


    Kazerku sniffed and mumbled ¡®as you should,¡¯ before he started walking slowly through the room.


    A silence occurred and stayed for a few minutes. Kazerku stopped and started talking.


    Have you heard that one of the pearls has been stolen?¡¯


    Suddenly, a little bit of fear had struck Gustia.


    ¡®The pearls?¡¯ he asked and he remembered the information he got from them.


    Kazerku nodded.


    ¡®A power is needed by the rebels and the darkness, only for now to fall into enemy hands,¡¯ Kazerku said.


    Gustia looked puzzled at the floor, thinking about the situation.


    ¡®You are sure this Eto is the culprit?¡¯ he asked the councilman.


    ¡®Of course,¡¯ Kazerku responded. ¡®It is not a coincidence that Generation Zero attacked Etoile with his fleet at the same time this boy is here. After they left, the pearl was gone.¡¯


    Gustia thought about it and slowly he nodded.


    ¡®Anything else, sir?¡¯ he asked but Kazerku shook his head.


    ¡®That would be all, commander. Don¡¯t fail me,¡¯ Kazerku said with a demanding voice.


    Without other words being said, Gustia left Kazerku in the room and walked through the door that opened and closed when Gustia approached and left.


    Outside, a small boy with spiky pink hair in training armor stood waiting for commander Gustia.


    ¡®You¡¯re back,¡¯ Gustia said to the boy with a little suprise.


    The boy, who was a little smaller, gave a big smile to his commander.


    ¡®I brought you some food,¡¯ the boy said and Gustia looked at him with anger in his eyes.


    ¡®A commander doesn¡¯t get food. He eats when he is ready¡¯ he said and he slapped the food out of the boy''s hands.


    ¡®You should learn that now if you want to become a commander.¡¯


    The boy looked frightened but soon his smile returned.


    ¡®Yes sir,¡¯ he said and he followed his commander who started walking.


    After a few halls, Gustia turned to the boy and the anger on his face had disappeared.


    ¡®Kazan, how are your powers going?¡¯ he asked.


    The boy looked confused after hearing the question but he knew what the commander was talking about.


    He slowly rolled the sleeve of his arm, revealing a star shard deep in the skin of his arm, with dark burned veins around it.


    ¡®The pain gets less and I have a feeling I can control it more,¡¯ the boy named Kazan answered.


    ¡®Good,¡¯ Gustia said and he turned his gaze in front of him through the long hallway.


    ¡®We are gonna need it.¡¯

 chapter 3.1 Leaving the emerald cluster

    After the escape from Green point, Djon prepared for a launch out of the Emerald Cluster. It was time to leave the rest behind and start going on their long quest.


    The next cluster was the one called Ruby and the Tortoise made a hyperjump to travel to it.


    He had seen that their fuel would be empty by the time of arrival so they had to search for a place to refuel.


    They all discussed the route they would take and Djon and Hawk seemed the only one who knew a little bit how the galaxy map worked.


    ¡®We are in Galaxy seven,'''' Djon had told them.


    He explained that the galaxy was like a circle, with the outside galaxies being bigger and circling around the center where the galaxies would get smaller and smaller. Each galaxy was divided in clusters like the galaxy cluster they were traveling from. And in each cluster, there were stars with planets around them.


    Eto asked if they could go in a straight line through the galaxies to reach the center but Hawk quickly explained that wasn¡¯t possible.


    ¡®The borders of the galaxy are streams of dark space, filled with monsters and storms. No one can pass it. The only way is to reach the short sides and use special portals to get to another galaxy.¡¯


    Djon opened a hologram map to show them a rough sketch of the entire galaxy. In the middle, a light shined which showed how unknown it was.


    Hawk had told them about the portals to travel between galaxies but Djon sighed and explained that it wasn¡¯t gonna be easy.


    ¡®These portals are built and used by the council and I¡¯m afraid we are not going to come in undetected to use them.¡¯


    It became silent for a moment as everyone thought about it.


    ¡®Well, that is a problem for later. At first we have to travel through Galaxy seven to reach the borders and it¡¯s gonna be a long ride,¡¯ Djon said.


    Everyone began to do their own thing after the conversation.


    Djon went back to the cockpit and Veronica came sitting next to him to learn more about the ship¡¯s controls.


    Without him noticing, Veronica looked at Djon, wondering what kind of species he was, as he had not told himself.


    She remembered her mothers lesson, not to ask people where they are from or what they are. Everyone is the same in a galaxy with peace, her mother always said.


    Then Veronica realized she had already seen enough to know the galaxy wasn¡¯t at peace. And before she knew it, she asked.


    ¡®Sorry but what kind of species are you, Djon?¡¯ she asked.


    Jon began to laugh loudly. His sharp teeth were showing but they didn¡¯t feel dangerous with how they knew Djon was as a person.


    ¡®Didn¡¯t I tell you guys?¡¯


    ¡®Only that your mother was human. Because of your name,¡¯ Veronica replied.


    The laugh of Djon went silent and his mouth turned into a brighter smile, showing more teeth.


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    ¡®I''m Velpar,¡¯ he said with his smile.


    Veronica tried to think if she had read something about het Velpar but nothing came to mind. She wanted to ask more but she got distracted by a sound behind her.


    She turned around and saw Hawk and Eto talking on the other side of the room, but she couldn¡¯t hear what they were talking about.


    ¡®So, what kind of girls do you like?¡¯ Hawk asked Eto.


    Hawk had poured a drink and looked for a moment to talk to his buddy Eto.


    He had put his arm around Eto¡¯s neck with a grin on his face.


    Hawk knew Eto hadn¡¯t seen much of the world but he was quite curious what kind of interest had taken Eto¡¯s mind.


    ¡®Ehhmmm,¡¯ Eto said with a questionable face.


    ¡®I don¡¯t know. I like Veronica,¡¯ Eto said and he quickly looked at her, seeing that she was talking to Djon. He realized she was the only girl he knew.


    Hawk also looked at her and gave a little smile of approval.


    ¡®I can understand. But how much do you like her?¡¯ he asked, being a little cheeky.


    Eto thought about it. She really helped him when he came to Borner and stuck with him ever since. She really was a good friend of his.


    ¡®I like her a lot,¡¯ he replied and Hawk smiled.


    ¡®Alright. Then if you really like her, next time you have to ask if she can sit next to you,¡¯ he said.


    ¡®Why?¡¯ Eto asked, not knowing what Hawk meant by it.


    Hawk used his metal arm to lean his head on the table with a troubled face.


    ¡®Because that¡¯s what you do when you like someone.¡¯


    At first they said nothing. After that, Eto looked at him with understanding.


    ¡®I got it,¡¯ he said.


    A few hours later, Hawk came into the dinning room, having prepared another meal but he made clear they really had to restock soon.


    Eto found his place on the couch along the wall next to the table and looked at Veronica who walked by.


    ¡®Veronica, would you like to sit next to me?¡¯ he asked.


    Veronica looked at him, thinking about the question and she smiled.


    ¡®Sure,¡¯ she answered and she began to sit next to him.


    Hawk saw what was happening from a little distance and a little grin turned on his face.


    The grin soon turned away after Eto asked something.


    ¡®Hawk, would you like to also sit next to me?¡¯ Eto asked with a big smile.


    Hawk wasn¡¯t sure what was happening.


    ¡®Ehh, sure. I guess¡¯ he said and he began to sit next to Eto on the other side.


    Veronica looked at Hawk, not understanding why he was looking so troubled.


    ¡®Hawk told me that if I like someone, I should ask if they want to sit next to me,¡¯ Eto said to Veronica, looking at her.


    After that he turned to Hawk.


    ¡®And I like you Hawk,¡¯ he said with a big smile.


    Hawk quickly nodded with a fake smile and looked the other way after that.


    ¡®That¡¯s not what I meant,¡¯ he mumbled so no one could hear as he slapped his face with his hand.


    It took another day before Djon used the intercom to alert everyone that they almost would reach the Ruby cluster and everyone gathered in the cockpit.


    The swirls of light outside started to go slower as the ship approached his destination and soon they vanished.


    Before them, dark space appeared with a hint of red through it, like a glow.


    ¡®Welcome to the Ruby sector¡¯ Djon said with a smile and he rubbed his horned chin with one of his hands.


    ¡®Cool!¡¯ Eto said who jumped forward to look outside through the window.


    TYO jumped on the controls and looked around.


    ¡®Scanning and analyzing data. Will take some time. In the meantime, can you respond to your receiver?¡¯ he said to Djon with his robot voice.


    Djon looked to a side screen and he just noticed that his receiver was bleeping, noting that they had an incoming message.


    He found it suspicious they received a message the moment they arrived in the Ruby cluster but still he moved to open the message.


    He opened the intercom and activated the message.


    At first, only the sounds of cracks could be heard, as if the message was gone. But then the voice of a woman could be heard on the other side.


    ¡®Help. Please, can anybody hear me? I need help.

 chapter 3.2 Help is needed! The group is on his way

    Everybody looked at the screen which was blank but of which the sound of help came from.


    ¡®Is it on?¡¯ Veronica asked slowly about the video but Djon shook his head.


    ¡®No. It¡¯s a message. A transmitter must send it out constantly.¡¯


    ¡®What should we do?¡¯ Hawk asked but Eto jumped in front of everyone.


    ¡®Help her of course!¡¯ he almost yelled.


    Hawk got a reminder of Etoile, where Eto couldn¡¯t understand why people just wouldn¡¯t help one or another. It gave him a feeling of admiration towards the boy.


    TYO plugged in a part of itself in the computer and started reading.


    ¡®The message sends a location. It¡¯s not far from here,¡¯ he said.


    Everyone looked at each other and then at Eto, who looked determined.


    ¡®Can we argue?¡¯ Veronica asked and she had to laugh. The rest smiled and understood what she meant. If Eto wanted to help, he was gonna help.


    ¡®You really have the spirit of a holy knight,¡¯ Hawk said and that made Eto smile.


    Djon put in the coordinates that TYO had found and he maneuvered the Tortoise into the direction of the signal.


    They traveled through the dark red space and soon arrived at the destination provided by the coordinates.


    ¡®This is the place,¡¯ Djon said and they all looked around through the glass.


    Just in front of the Tortoise, a few wreckages of ships had appeared, floating in space.


    ¡®The signal is coming from there?¡¯ Veronica asked and Djon nodded.


    ¡®Scanning the wreckage. There is 100% lifeform located,¡¯ TYO said.


    ¡®Should we scan the area more?¡¯ Hawk suggested but Eto jumped in, almost looking angry.


    ¡®What are we waiting for? There is someone who needs our help!¡¯


    ¡®Alright, alright. Calm down,¡¯ Djon said and he started to move closer to the wreckage.


    He flew and searched until he found a hatch to attach the ship to.


    ¡®TYO, scan for oxygen,¡¯ Hawk said and TYO went to work.


    ¡®Oxygen detected. Save to enter the parts that are not open to dark space,¡¯ TYO said.


    The ship made contact with the hatch and soon the side door attached itself to the wreckage.


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    ¡®Who¡¯s going?¡¯ Djon said who already prepared his blaster rifles.


    Everyone raised their hand except for TYO who quickly waved his little hands as a sign of not wanting to go in.


    ¡®I think I will stay on the ship. For safekeeping,¡¯ TYO quickly said and Djon couldn¡¯t help himself but laugh. He knew what kind of a scaredy cat the robot was.


    ¡®Fine. Then we will go and TYO stays on the ship,¡¯ he said and everyone nodded.


    They walked to the door and when everyone was prepared, Jon grabbed his rifles and opened the hatch.


    Hawk looked at the rifles and noticed how old the models were.


    ¡®Don¡¯t you ever think about taking some new weapons?¡¯ he asked and Djon showed his teeth with a grin.


    ¡®No way. These ones will stay with me until the end,¡¯ he said without looking away from the entrance and he started walking.


    Eto walked behind him and tried to look what was going on.


    The part of the wreckage they walked in was a long dark tunnel with emergency lights on, some flickering.


    On the outside of the windows they saw the broken parts of the wreckage.


    They entered a huge hall after the tunnel and noticed that some holes in the wreckage were filled with an energy shield, preventing everything from getting sucked out.


    ¡®Emergency shield. Someone has activated those, to keep everything inside,¡¯ Hawk said and he analyzed the room.


    ¡®Hello!¡¯ Eto yelled and quickly, Veronica hit him in the head.


    ¡®Idiot. There is a reason why someone needs help,¡¯ she said, frustrated by how Eto scared her with his loud voice.


    Hawk nodded, making sure Eto knew they all agreed with keeping quiet.


    ¡®Let¡¯s look around,¡¯ Djon said and he pointed his rifles in a direction as he walked to the right.


    Soon Hawk started walking to the front and when Veronica wanted to bring the idea of staying together, Eto already started walking left, making the group split.


    She quickly jumped after him, looking at the back while Eto looked to the front of where they were going.


    The hall was huge with multiple levels and balconies to the side with different doors going in different directions. The only thing that was different from any other ship were the broken pieces everywhere. The ship definitely had a hard time and whatever did this to the ship, must have been the reason why help was called out.


    Eto and Veronica kept walking until they reached a long dark hallway in which nothing was seen.


    Veronica made sure Eto didn¡¯t yell something but she also thought of how they could get the attention of the one who sent the message.


    On the other side of the hall, Djon was walking into a hallway which stopped into a room where the ceiling was blasted off and protected by the energy shield.


    ¡®Where could they be?¡¯ Djon mumbled to himself. There was no sign of life, even though TYO traced it after scanning the wreckage.


    He quickly grabbed a little device from his pocket which made contact with the Tortoise.


    ¡®TYO, can you hear me?¡¯ he asked.


    After a few moments, the robot responded.


    ¡®Yes sir,¡¯ was heard through the device.


    ¡®Can you scan the wreckage again for lifeforms? Excluding us four.¡¯


    ¡®Scanning,¡¯ TYO answered.


    It took some time until TYO spoke again.


    ¡®Yes. Besides you four, there is one other lifeform on the ship.¡¯


    ¡®Just one?¡¯ Djon mumbled and he heard something behind him.


    He turned around and luckily, he was quick enough.


    Someone in a dark suit holding long metal knives had jumped off a balcony.


    It was going for Djon and it tried to cut him with a knife.


    Luckily, Djon was quick and he jumped back, dodging the incoming attack.


    He looked at the person who was covered by a black latex suit and a helmet, holding only the knives.


    ¡®Guys! Trouble!¡¯ yelled in the direction he had come from.

 chapter 3.3 Attack of the assassin

    Djon jumped back as the person who attacked him jumped after him.


    The long metal knives in the hands of the person swung by Djon¡¯s head as he tried to dodge it as fast as he could.


    Behind the person, Hawk was the first one to arrive.


    ¡®What is happening?¡¯ he asked as he saw Djon dodging the attacks of the strange person. It didn¡¯t take long for him to realize he had to help.


    He switched his forearm as he ran towards them. The hand he had was switched for a rifle and he started firing.


    The person who attacked was quick to look back, seeing the incoming bullets and dodging them smoothly.


    ¡®I got him,¡¯ Hawk yelled and when he got closer, he prepared his arm for a swing to hit the person. Just before his arm would hit, it stopped midair.


    ¡®What the?¡¯ Hawk said as he looked at his arm, struck by wonder what just happened.


    His arm stopped midair and it felt like something invincible was holding it. Hawk couldn¡¯t move or pull it.


    He looked at the person, who was holding his arm up with his hand facing Hawk¡¯s arm.


    ¡®What are you doing?¡¯ Hawk almost screamed, trying to move his arm.


    Djon jumped from the back, prepared to hit the person.


    The person turned around towards Djon and immediately, Hawk felt the pressure on his arm disappearing.


    Djon tried to punch but the person dodged it. The person grabbed the floor with its arm and threw his legs in the air, hitting Djon on his chest, sending him back to where he came from.


    ¡®Damn it,¡¯ Hawk said and he heard footsteps behind him.


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    He looked around and saw Eto and Veronica running towards them.


    ¡®What¡¯s wrong?¡¯ Eto asked as he ran and he also quickly saw the person fighting with Djon.


    ¡®We have company,'''' Hawk said sarcastically.


    Eto ran past him towards the fighting couple.


    ¡®Alright then,¡¯ he yelled and he raised his arm, letting it glow for an attack.


    The person jumped back from Djon and turned to see Eto coming at him.


    It grabbed the long metal blades and threw them in Eto¡¯s direction.


    The two blades swung towards them but Eto quickly dodged them, smiling how easy it was as he kept running.


    The person swirled his hands and moved like it was pulling an invincible rope.


    ¡®Eto, look out!¡¯ Veronica screamed.


    Eto looked back, still running towards the person but he already saw what she meant. And he was too late.


    The two blades, for some reason, were swinging back at him.


    He tried to dodge them but one cut his shoulder and he almost fell while he ran.


    He tried to find balance in his run but in the meantime, the person came towards him.


    It caught the blades and kicked the unstable Eto, letting him fall to the ground.


    Veronica jumped in with her baton switched on.


    She remembered a trick Hawk had shown her and electricity appeared at the top.


    ¡®Take this!¡¯ she yelled as she jumped in front of the person.


    Djon got up and also jumped in.


    Even though Veronica and Djon did everything they could, the person dodged all their attacks and kicked and punched them.


    Veronica felt the heavy boot in her stomach and fell to the floor, gasping for air.


    Djon managed to dodge something but he also came down after one of the blades made a cut in one of his four arms through his jacket.


    ¡®Enough!¡¯ was heard screaming next to them and a loud bang was heard.


    The person quickly looked to the side but it was too late.


    With arms and legs glowing, Eto had jumped in, hitting the person with his full body, like a rampaging bull.


    The person flew to the side with speed, hitting a standing rail and making an impact to the wall.


    There it laid still, as if it was knocked unconscious.


    ¡®Grab a narcotic handcuff from the ship. Hurry!¡¯ Djon yelled at Hawk while he held his hand on his wound.


    Hawk ran away to fetch it, as Eto jumped next to the person and looked angry at it, making sure it wouldn¡¯t stand up.

 chapter 3.4 Unmasked! The bounty on Eto

    Hawk had returned and they cuffed the person and put him against the wall.


    The rest looked at him and analyzed the person.


    He was wearing a black suit and helmet. It was made of material that would make it easier for the person who wears it to move. The two blades layed on the ground next to Hawk.


    ¡®Narcotic handcuffs,¡¯ Djon said while keeping his attention to the person.


    ¡®It paralyzes the entire body to make sure a prisoner won¡¯t do anything.¡¯


    Veronica took a step closer and looked at the person.


    ¡®Who are you?¡¯ she asked, trying to sound intimidating but the person didn¡¯t respond.


    ¡®Allow me,¡¯ Hawk said, who recognized the helmet and walked to the person.


    Underneath the chin was a button that would open the helmet.


    He pushed it and in a matter of seconds, the helmet opened and folded itself away until it was gone.


    What they saw was not what they expected.


    The person was a woman.


    She had long green hair with smooth skin which had a little darker tone.


    Her ears were a little pointy, filled with jewelry.


    Hawk and Djon looked at her and were amazed by her beauty.


    She smiled at them, knowing that some losers would quickly fall for her charms.


    ¡®These handcuffs are really tight. Do I have to wear them?¡¯ she asked with a charming voice to Hawk who looked like he almost agreed with her.


    ¡®Wait a minute,¡¯ Veronica said and she pulled Hawk back as she pulled his ear.


    ¡®She attacked you,¡¯ she said and Hawk shook his head, as if he needed to be reminded she was indeed the enemy.


    Eto stepped in and the girl looked at him with much interest.


    Everybody stayed quiet and looked at how the girl looked at Eto.


    ¡®What is going on?¡¯ Hawk asked and Djon stepped in, kneeling next to the girl.


    ¡®Tell us Miss. What are you after?¡¯ he asked.


    His teeth were not showing when he looked at her but the big horn on his head and small one on his chin looked intimidating.


    The girl looked at him but said nothing. Instead she laughed at him.


    ¡®Nothing to say? Fine, '' Djon said and he stood up.


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    He grabbed one of his rifles and it made a sound as it was being prepared to be fired.


    Hawk tried to jump in to stop him but Djon, as the creature that he was, was too big for him to move. Luckily, he didn¡¯t fire but said something.


    ¡®Hawk. Tell our little friend to scan where her ship is. There is bound to be some info there.¡¯


    The laugh on the girl''s face disappeared and she looked serious.


    Eto couldn¡¯t help but notice something on the girl.


    He kneeled before her and studied her face.


    She looked at Eto, feeling awkward as he stared at her.


    After looking for a few seconds, he was sure of what he saw.


    ¡®She is a star shard user,¡¯ he said and everyone turned to him to look.


    Eto pointed towards her left eye. What at first seemed like little marks underneath it, you could see that it was little pieces of star shard stuck in her skin. Almost cosmetic.


    ¡®Now I¡¯m sure I want to find her ship,¡¯ Djon said, who still was pointing his rifle.


    Hawk grabbed hold of the girl and walked her towards their ship, as Veronica kept her eye on him in case he got charmed again.


    ¡®Who are you?¡¯ Eto asked who walked besides the girl and looked at her.


    She turned her head towards him but said nothing. She just kept looking at him.


    ¡®TYO, run a diagnostic. See if you can find some working ships on this wreck,¡¯ Djon said on his transponder.


    After a while, TYO responded.


    ¡®There are a few minor escape pods to the south of the wreck. The only ship that is still functionable is located to the west. I¡¯m sending the coordinates now.¡¯


    ¡®Good,¡¯ Djon said. ¡®You are coming with us,¡¯ Djon said through the transponder.


    ¡®What?¡¯ TYO yelled but there was no point in arguing.


    They worked their way through the wreckage until they found a small ship docked at an open space.


    ¡®Wait here,¡¯ Djon said and he pulled his second rifle. He nodded that TYO should come with him.


    Slowly, Djon walked to the ship with TYO riding next to him.


    They checked the entrance for any traps but they found nothing. Djon wanted to open the door but it was stuck.


    ¡®Can you open it?¡¯ he asked TYO and he was already scanning the ship.


    ¡®With a little help?¡¯ TYO said and Djon nodded towards Hawk who quickly walked to them. Veronica took over the prisoner.


    When she held the woman, she could see her skin vibrate, as she was constantly stung to stay paralyzed.


    Eto stayed by her side as Hawk worked his way through the door with TYO. Soon the door opened and they entered the ship.


    Hawk looked around. It was a small ship for short distance travels. A lot of cloaking devices were inserted and instead of basic necessities, there were a lot of weapons.


    ¡®TYO, check the communicator and the harddrive. See if you can find out who our pretty lady is,¡¯ Hawk said.


    TYO drove to the controls, mumbling something about humans getting carried away quickly in the presence of a beautiful woman.


    He started inserting his hand into the main computer and worked through the files.


    After a while, TYO said what he had found.


    ¡®Mostly travel logs. No real information has been kept about her. She really wanted to make sure no traces were left.¡¯


    TYO kept searching until he found a message.


    ¡®Here,¡¯ he said and he opened the hologram transporter.


    Before them, captain Hanzou appeared, as a hologram.


    ¡®The famous assassin, Morning Python. I hear you are in great debt by Generation Zero but I have a job for you that would erase everything, if you do well.  Most likely, a target will come into your area. We placed a tracker on their ship as we crossed them near Etoile. No doubt they traveled fast after our encounter on Green point but I guess this is your chance to prove yourself. Find the ship and locate the target. Bring him to me alive.¡¯


    After that, the hologram of captain Hanzou disappeared and a hologram of Eto was shown. Quickly after, the message stopped and the hologram disappeared.


    ¡®She is an assassin,¡¯ Hawk said softly.


    ¡®Named Morning Python,¡¯ Djon said.


    ¡®Who is going after Eto!¡¯ TYO almost yelled in fear.

 chapter 3.5 The plan with Morning python

    Hawk, Djon and TYO returned from the ship to Eto and Veronica.


    Hawk took over the guard of their prisoner and Djon took Eto and Veronica a few steps away.


    ¡®Alright, I don¡¯t want to scare you guys but this girl is an assassin named Morning Python. She was tasked by Hanzou to bring Eto to him.¡¯


    Eto quickly turned around and looked at the girl, who still was staring at him.


    ¡®So now what?¡¯ Veronica asked. Djon rubbed his horned chin.


    ¡®I don¡¯t know,¡¯ he said. He wanted to suggest something but he looked at Eto who walked back to the assassin.


    He bent his knees and stared at the girl, face to face.


    ¡®Why do you help Hanzou?¡¯ he asked with a serious face.


    The girl showed a little smile and started to grin.


    ¡®Why would I share information with the target?¡¯ she replied.


    Eto looked at the handcuffs and back at her.


    ¡®Because you are stuck. And we can decide what to do with you. Best to tell us something to make it easier.¡¯


    The girl started laughing a bit harder.


    ¡®You don¡¯t know why Hanzou wants you?¡¯ she asked, now looking a bit intrigued.


    Eto thought about it and he didn¡¯t want to tell why Hanzou wanted him. He knew Hanzou was after him, but he couldn¡¯t understand why someone would help an organization like Generation Zero.


    ¡®Look kid, it¡¯s nothing personal. I was hired and I work to get the job done,¡¯ she said.


    Djon stepped in.


    ¡®I say we leave her to rot. Blow up her ship and leave her on this wreckage.¡¯


    Eto, still staying low, looked up and he saw Djon¡¯s face.


    ¡®That would be the same as killing her,¡¯ Eto said and Djon slowly nodded.


    "We are not gonna do that,'''' Eto said and he looked back at the girl.


    ¡®She is the one that tried to get to Hanzou. Who knows what could have happened. You could have been killed,¡¯ Djon said but Eto quickly shook his head.


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    ¡®But I am not, and we are not anything like Generation Zero or Hanzou.¡¯


    A silence appeared and they all stared at Eto, who kept looking at the girl who looked back at him with a confused face.


    ¡®So what do you suggest?¡¯ Veronica asked him and for the first time since they entered the wreckage, Eto gave a smile.


    ¡®We will take her with us. We will drop her somewhere where she can find a way home. In the meantime she can think about her way of living,¡¯ Eto said and he stared at the girl who gave a little blush and looked away, angry.


    The rest looked at each other, not completely fan of the plan but they knew that if Eto had something in mind, it would happen.


    Hawk grabbed the girl and lifted her until she stood. Right after that, a flash appeared and they looked at Veronica who held her Snapper.


    ¡®Just in case she runs off. I have her photo,¡¯ she said, looking at the girl while the assassin looked at Veronica with frustration.


    They all slowly returned to the Tortoise and right before they entered, Hawk said something.


    ¡®What about her ship?¡¯ he asked and Djon looked like he wanted to share his idea of the blow up plan again. Instead, Veronica came with a plan.


    ¡®Take it with us. We lost your ship Hawk. Maybe we can use this one.¡¯


    The girl looked angry and yelled at her.


    ¡®Don¡¯t touch my ship,¡¯ the assassin yelled and for the first time, Veronica felt confident enough to look her in the eyes with a smile.


    ¡®You don¡¯t get to decide that,¡¯ she said as she took her over from Hawk.


    ¡®I¡¯ll grab it and park it in the back,¡¯ Hawk said as he rushed back to where the ship was.


    Djon walked to the controls of the Tortoise as Veronica took the girl inside and put her in a single bedroom and locked the door behind her.


    ¡®All set,¡¯ Veronica said to Djon who nodded and started the ship¡¯s engines.


    They saw the tiny ship of the assassin fly out of the wreckage and came closer.


    ¡®I don¡¯t know,¡¯ Djon said and he looked at Veronica.


    ¡®Taking the assassin with us, and the ship. It doesn¡¯t feel right. I have seen plenty of mistakes made in the past by choices like this.¡¯


    Veronica nodded slightly. ¡®I understand but for now we have to keep our eye on her. It¡¯s not like we can change Eto¡¯s plan.¡¯


    In the back, Eto had made his way to the room where the girl was put in.


    He opened the door and he saw the girl sitting, who looked up to the person coming in.


    ¡®You?¡¯ she asked and Eto said nothing.


    Ever since they had found her, he somehow became obsessed with her.


    He walked towards her and sat down in front of her.


    ¡®You need to eat,¡¯ he said and he pulled out a travel bar. He made a dirty face for a second when he saw the bar in his hand.


    ¡®I¡¯m not hungry,¡¯ the girl responded softly with a little anger in her voice.


    Unfortunately, Eto pushed the bar into her mouth and she quickly began to chew on it as Eto kept pushing.


    ¡®You must eat something,¡¯ he said and when the bar was gone, the girl coughed.


    ¡®What the hell?¡¯ she asked while coughing. ¡®I told you I wasn¡¯t hungry¡¯ she almost yelled.


    Eto put up the big smile he normally had stuck on his face.


    ¡®You have to rethink your life and live it to the fullest. For that you need to stay healthy and eat enough.¡¯


    The girl looked at Eto, surprised by his sudden words as his big smile stayed on his face.

 chapter 3.6 The next planet in sight!

    The group kept traveling through space, with someone guarding the assassin from time to time. Eto, unlike the rest, had taken quite a liking to their guest. Even though she tried to capture him, he spent a lot of time with her even though she didn¡¯t seem to enjoy it.


    ¡®Let me go!¡¯ Morning python yelled at Eto who was preparing some food for her.


    ¡®We will. When we find a suitable planet to land on,¡¯ Eto said as Djon and Hawk had discussed earlier.


    Djon made it clear that they soon had to stop for fuel and supplies if they wanted to keep going.


    Eto kept talking to the assassin when he was with her and was trying to feed her when the door behind him opened. Veronica stepped in.


    ¡®Eto, could you come real quick?¡¯ she asked, looking concerned at Eto and the assassin.


    ¡®Sure,¡¯ he said and he got up to leave.


    When the door was closed behind them, Veronica started to talk.


    ¡®Eto, you are staying with her too much. Remember, she is an assassin sent to take you to Generation Zero.¡¯


    Eto looked at her with his bright smile as always. It didn¡¯t seem to bother him.


    ¡®I don¡¯t think she is that bad,¡¯ he said and Veronica was surprised by his words.


    ¡®Not so bad? Eto, she is an assassin. She is hired to track and kill people,¡¯ Veronica tried to explain to him. Still, Eto¡¯s expression wouldn¡¯t change.


    ¡®I know but maybe she can change. I don¡¯t get a violent feeling from her. Besides, I still try to get her to tell me about her starshard powers.¡¯


    Veronica sighed, accepting he would not change his opinion.


    Luckily before he wanted to return, the intercom of the ship opened.


    ¡®Can everybody gather at the cockpit¡¯ could be heard from Djon.


    Without a word to say, both Eto and Veronica made their way to the front of the ship. Hawk and TYO were already there.


    ¡®I found a planet where we can drop her,¡¯ Djon said as he pointed to the radar on the screen.


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    Veronica quickly looked at Eto how he would respond to the news but he kept the same face.


    ¡®It¡¯s a wild planet, not really inhabited by people of the council, although I do detect some activity. Radar shows some code by the soldiers being used.¡¯


    ¡®How do we get fuel and supplies?¡¯ Hawk asked.


    Djon responded while his four arms kept controlling the ship.


    ¡®I think we can find enough food on the planet itself. The fuel could be tricky. If the operations of the council are small, we can try to steal some.¡¯


    Everyone, including Eto, looked at Veronica.


    ¡®What?¡¯ she asked, curious why everyone was staring at her.


    ¡®Well, you are the one who has a problem with doing something illegal,¡¯ Hawk responded. It made Veronica angry.


    Ofcourse she wasn¡¯t happy with doing something against the law but she had a feeling that for the journey she was going through, it sometimes would be necessary.


    ¡®And there is nothing else besides them?¡¯ she asked, hoping for another solution but Djon looked honest enough.


    ¡®If there is, we have to find it. I can¡¯t find anything else on the scanners.¡¯


    Veronica sighed, knowing why they looked at her but she agreed. She didn¡¯t expect it but she felt a hand rubbing her back. She looked and it was Eto¡¯s, even though he was looking at the rest.


    ¡®Fine,¡¯ Veronica mumbled, not wanting to go against everyone.


    ¡®Alright,¡¯ Djon said and he pushed a few more buttons.


    ¡®Better prepare my blades. We don¡¯t know what we will find there,¡¯ he said with a grin and the moment he said it, Veronica quickly felt if the Baton was still hanging on her belt.


    ¡®Daisugi?¡¯ Hawk asked when he read it on the map.


    ¡®Yes,¡¯ Djon said and Veronica and Eto took a seat behind them.


    ¡®It¡¯s a wild planet. Protected to not be torn apart for everyone to live there. It¡¯s one of the reasons why there is so little information about it. It is not stated but it is almost illegal to land on these kinds of planets.¡¯


    ¡®It must be full of rare animals then¡¯ Veronica thought and she thought about her snapper. Maybe she could take some photos from extraordinary creatures.


    Djon pushed a lever which made the ship move faster.


    ¡®In a few seconds we will arrive there. Best to think how we are gonna drop the girl when we land there.¡¯


    Everybody seemed to think about it but no one had a plan yet to drop the assassin and leave her.


    In the meantime, the ship shook and slowly stopped from hyper travel to enter the area of the planet.


    A big green planet appeared in front of them but instead of being impressed by its beauty, they were all shocked with what they saw.


    Hundreds of council ships were floating around the planet, as a massive barrier.


    ¡®Ship codenamed Tortoise. You are entering a forbidden area. We are authorized to take immediate action,¡¯ was heard over the intercom as an incoming message.


    They all looked at each other to understand the warning they just had.


    Before anyone could say something, shots could be heard being fired from the other ships.

 chapter 3.7 An unexpected landing!

    ¡®What is happening?¡¯ Djon yelled as he pulled the ship in different directions to dodge the incoming blasts.


    ¡®I don¡¯t know!¡¯ Hawk yelled too as he held onto something.


    ¡®Since when does the council immediately start to attack?¡¯ Veronica asked but she didn¡¯t expect an answer. Instead, she tried her best to stay standing.


    ¡®Can we land?¡¯ Eto quickly asked as he grabbed the same chair Veronica held onto from falling down.


    TYO tried to get close on his tiny wheel but kept getting moved back and forth due to the quick movements of the ship.


    ¡®It¡¯s a 54% chance we can¡¯t land!¡¯ he screamed in fear.


    ¡®Can you please tell us something more positive! Like how much chance we have at actually landing,¡¯ Veronica yelled.


    TYO tried to look at her, feeling complicated by her question.


    ¡®Landing % is lower than not landing. Therefore it is not a positive number, therefore I would like to tell you the option that is more likely to happen.¡¯


    ¡®Shut up!¡¯ Djon yelled frustrated as he had much trouble flying the ship.


    Through the glass, it seemed like all the ships on this side of the planet were firing at them.


    ¡®Can we get out?¡¯ Hawk asked while looking at the monitors.


    ¡®No chance,¡¯ Djon said. ¡®We don¡¯t have enough fuel. We have to make it to the surface and find something there.¡¯


    At the same moment, the ship shook after an explosion was heard.


    ¡®Is that?¡¯ Veronica asked and Djon nodded.


    ¡®We are going down fast if we don¡¯t do something.¡¯


    Hawk looked at Veronica and Eto and thought of a plan.


    ¡®We have to escape. The escape pods can be launched at the planet,¡¯ he said and looked back at Djon who wasn¡¯t looking amused.


    ¡®I don¡¯t like the sound of that but it¡¯s the only option. Go!¡¯ he yelled at the end and Hawk started to pull Eto and Veronica away into the hallway. TYO jumped behind them and started driving fast to keep up.


    ¡®Morning python!¡¯ Eto yelled and even though Hawk didn¡¯t like it, he was sure Eto would get her himself if he didn''t.


    ¡®One moment,¡¯ as he took another way to get the assassin.


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    Veronica and Eto kept running and in the room with the pods, they waited until Hawk came with the assassin.


    At the back of the ship, three ball shaped escape pods were positioned in the wall.


    ¡®We''ll mark the planet as a landing point. It would shoot us straight through the blockade. Jon could make the ship go on autopilot.¡¯


    Hawk pushed different buttons on the panels next to the pods. Soon they started to glow and shed light as if they were activated.


    Hawk pushed Veronica into an escape pod and let her take over the assassin while Eto took his place in the pod next to it. TYO jumped in next to him.


    ¡®Djon, we are you?¡¯ Hawk said while he pushed the communicator button.


    After a few explosions outside and the ship shook a few times, Djon¡¯s voice was heard.


    ¡®I told you I don¡¯t like the sound of that,¡¯ Djon said and a laugh could be heard.


    ¡®What do you mean?¡¯ Hawk asked and the laughter continued.


    ¡®I won¡¯t abandon my baby. Go escape to the planet. I will make sure I get there with the Tortoise, '' Djon answered.


    ¡®That is suicide!¡¯ Hawk yelled through the communicator and Djon started to laugh even harder.


    ¡®My whole life is a huge suicide mission. I will make it. Now go!¡¯


    Hawk wanted to argue but they didn¡¯t have much time. He looked at the pods and based on the sound of the explosions, this was his only chance.


    He jumped in next to Veronica, not wanting to leave her alone with the assassin.


    ¡®What the hell is happening?¡¯ the assassin asked but no one responded.


    Hawk pushed a few buttons and a communicator opened up.


    ¡®Eto, can you hear me?¡¯ he asked.


    Eto could be heard on the other side, answering he heard him.


    ¡®I set the destination for both pods. We will rendezvous on the planet and mark our location to Djon.¡¯


    ¡®Jon isn''t coming with us?¡¯ Eto asked surprised and Hawk could feel the surprised look of Veronica staring at him.


    ¡®No,¡¯ he quickly mumbled and he pushed a few buttons.


    He could hear Eto yelling for Djon but it was too late. Hawk had already put in the coordinates and pushed the button.


    He heard a loud bang coming from next to them until they were too shot into space.


    The pressure inside the ship pushed them against the wall, making the pod shake and spin while it was shot at the planet.


    ¡®I don¡¯t like this!¡¯ Veronica yelled and even though Hawk didn¡¯t make a sound, he felt the same.


    In the other pod, Eto and TYO were launched against the wall while the pod made a landing towards the planet.


    ¡®I¡¯m 67% sure we will not make it,¡¯ TYO screamed in fear and Eto started to laugh loudly.


    ¡®How can you be so sure? Isn¡¯t it 50-50%? Eto asked while laughing.


    TYO looked at him with his lens and couldn¡¯t tell if Eto was serious or not.


    ¡®Warning, warning. Overheat detected. Escape pod coming into location,¡¯ was heard through a speaker.


    ¡®Almost there,¡¯ TYO said, holding his little hands like it was praying.


    A shot could be heard outside and before they figured out what happened, a part of the pod blew away in a tiny explosion.


    In a quick glimpse, blue air could be seen outside but that was not the point of attention.


    TYO was sucked out of the ship and swung into the sky.


    ¡®Eto!¡¯ it yelled before it vanished out of Eto¡¯s sight.


    ¡®TYO!¡¯ Eto screamed as the half part of the pod started to spin really hard and before Eto could grab something, he felt how his body got swung out of the pod into the air.

 chapter 3.8 The group on Daisugi

    Eto woke up, feeling his head pounding in pain. He slowly opened his eyes and he tried to think of what happened. Suddenly a memory flashed before his eyes of TYO falling out of the pod and later how he himself got swung out of it.


    He remembered falling but after that it went completely dark.


    While he held his hand against his head, he slowly started to get up but soon he heard a voice next to him.


    ¡®Better stay down, council worm,¡¯ a voice said and while Eto tried to look who was saying it, he slowly went down to the ground.


    Behind him were a lot of trees but one tree caught his attention.


    It was a tree shaped like a man, with arms and legs. In the tree, a face was shaped and it held a spear towards Eto.


    ¡®You humans keep polluting our lands but not on my watch. Not anymore,¡¯ the tree said as the mouth on the bark moved and he pulled his spear back, preparing for an attack.


    Eto¡¯s arms slowly started to glow, preparing to dodge it but right before the attack happened, someone shouted towards them.


    ¡®Gongarza, don¡¯t!¡¯ a high voice of a woman said.


    The tree stopped his attack and looked back, surprised by the voice.


    Eto also felt his power disappearing as he rolled over to look in the direction of the voice.


    From behind the tree, someone approached them and when Eto could see who it was, he could feel his heart beat a little faster.


    Behind the tree creature, a girl walked towards them.


    She had green skin and parts of her skin was covered like the bark of a tree.


    Her long dark green hair was mixed with different leaves as it almost reached the ground. The place where her clothes should be were covered up by leaves, formed elegantly around her body.


    ¡®Gongarza, I command you to stand down. Pain and death do not solve problems,¡¯ she said and even though the tree creature called Gongarza looked like he had a different opinion about it, he stepped back.


    ¡®Princess, be careful. He is not from around here,¡¯ he said on his guard for Eto.


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    When she slowly walked towards Eto, he could tell she was the same age as him. When their eyes met, he could see her being shocked by him.


    On another part of the planet, a pod opened and Veronica, Hawk and the prisoner climbed out.


    ¡®Well, that was heavy,¡¯ Veronica said, trying to stand straight after spinning so much. She felt dizzy and she felt how parts of her body were bruised.


    ¡®Yeah, luckily we made a safe landing,¡¯ Hawk said with a sarcastic tone as he also felt the pain around his body. He looked at the prisoner who looked like she had pain from the landing too.


    ¡®You alright?¡¯ he asked and she looked at him, angrily.


    ¡®Why do you care?¡¯ she almost shouted angry and Hawk pulled up his shoulders.


    ¡®Fine,¡¯ he said, ignoring her but Veronica walked up to her.


    ¡®What is wrong? Veronica asked as she didn¡¯t feel like leaving her like this, even though she attacked them.


    ¡®Nothing,¡¯ the assassin said grumpily and she looked away.


    Veronica wasn¡¯t gonna take it and she pulled up the girl''s shirt.


    ¡®What are you doing?¡¯ the assassin asked in frustration, trying to stand straight with her cuffs still on.


    ¡®Stand still,¡¯ Veronica said as she pulled up a bit of the assassin''s shirt, revealing a bruise on her stomach.


    ¡®One moment,¡¯ Veronica said as she grabbed something from her pocket.


    ¡®I don¡¯t need help,¡¯ the assassin said but Veronica ignored her.


    She grabbed a spray and started to spray on the bruise.


    ¡®Could sting a little,¡¯ Veronica mumbled but the girl looked at her with anger.


    ¡®I don¡¯t feel pain,¡¯ she said but Veronica could see through her mask of pride.


    ¡®Sure you do,¡¯ Veronica said as  she pulled the shirt back down.


    After that she looked around, noticing a wild jungle around them.


    ¡®This is Daisugi?¡¯ Veronica asked and Hawk nodded who already looked around. When they were on the ship, he had seen the bits of info on the screen about the planet. Showing a wide range of flora and fauna.


    Quickly, Hawk switched his forearm for another one and held it like a weapon in his good arm.


    ¡®Watch out. We got company¡¯ he said while looking through the trees of the jungle, noticing something had approached them.


    TYO slowly opened his lens. He could feel his tiny body being broken in different places but luckily he could get up.


    His tiny wheel got stuck in the dirt and he tried to get out.


    He looked around in panic, not recognizing the area and no one he knew.


    ¡®I''m 100% in trouble,¡¯ he mumbled to himself.


    In the distance, he heard something and hoped to find someone returned to the robot.


    With all his power left, he tried to make his way through the dirt and passed the trees around him.


    When he came to where the sound came from, he jumped from fear and tried to hide as quickly as he could.


    In the middle of the jungle stood a huge station where smoke was coming from. In and around the station, soldiers of the council could be seen.


    TYO shook with fear as he tried to calculate how much more in trouble he got into.

 chapter 3.9 Eto meets the princess

    As TYO looked around and saw that the government building was occupied with soldiers, he slowly tried to get away before he heard some words.


    ¡®Did you hear? That ship, the Tortoise, is in the planet¡¯s atmosphere. You know, from the guys who attacked Etoile.¡¯


    TYO stopped and analyzed those words and calculated all the possibilities.


    He looked up to the sky and wondered if Djon or the rest got down safely.


    Even though he had known them for a short time, it felt like he had been friends for a long time already.


    He analyzed the possibilities again and he was sure that being captured or being attacked was larger than the chance of doing something to help his friends. Even though his fear got him, he turned around and made his way to the building.


    Quickly he drove over the dirt towards the building, hiding against the wall.


    He looked around and found a ventilation shaft low to the floor.


    TYO used his little arms to remove the screws and entered the shaft when he had removed the rack in front of it.


    It was dark inside and a little light next to his lens turned on to see something.


    A strange creature that resembled a rat with scalps screeched at him when the light turned on before it ran and disappeared in the shaft.


    ¡®Why am I doing this?¡¯ TYO said with a low voice against himself.


    Hawk had his gun arm facing the jungle where he heard the noise. He tried to find something that moved but it was hard to see with all the plants and trees.


    Just when he thought that he had seen something, he heard Veronica scream behind him.


    He turned around and he saw a creature holding her.


    He was big, like the size of two humans and he resembled a lion only he stood on two feet and he wore some sort of self made clothing of leaves and leather.


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    He was very muscular and his yellow skin was partly covered with thick brown fur.


    Along with the creature, several others stood besides them, all looking a little different with different colors and hairstyles.


    Hawk could feel a giant wooden stick getting over his head and be put against his throat.


    ¡®Drop it,¡¯ a deep low voice said.


    Hawk put his arms beside him. ¡®What do you mean?¡¯ he asked.


    ¡®The weapon,¡¯ the creature behind him said and he tapped Hawk¡¯s metal arm with the stick.


    ¡®I can¡¯t. It¡¯s my arm,¡¯ he answered.


    In front of him, one of the creatures grabbed the assassin by her stomach to lift her. Hawk saw Morning python gasp for air and she had a painful face.


    ¡®Don¡¯t hurt her!¡¯ Veronica yelled, thinking about the bruises on her stomach.


    Morning python looked at her with anger. The same anger that once told her to leave her be.


    ¡®Enough!¡¯ a deep voice screamed from beside them. Another creature came walking from behind the trees even though they couldn¡¯t see who he was or what he looked like.


    Eto began to sit on the ground as he looked at the girl. She slowly walked towards him and the tree creature called Gorgarza grabbed his weapon.


    ¡®Princess, please. You do not know how dangerous he is¡¯ he said with despair in his voice. Still, the girl kept walking towards Eto.


    Eto looked at her, amazed by her beauty but soon his face turned serious.


    His arm started to glow and so did his legs.


    Gorgarza started to run towards him. ¡®You see!¡¯ he almost screamed, aiming at Eto.


    Eto got up and quickly used the force in his legs to jump forwards but he didn¡¯t jump towards the girl or Gongarza.


    Instead he jumped past them and when they turned around, they saw a giant lizard creature jump from behind some trees, aiming a bite towards the girl.


    Eto got in between them and hit the creature with a fist full of power.


    The lizard creature screeched and got blown aside. It got up and started to run away.


    Eto got down on the ground and turned around to look at the girl and Gongarza, smiling like he always did.


    ¡®You should pay your attention to the real dangers,¡¯ Eto said against Gongarza, who was surprised by the sudden attack and the moves of the boy to protect the girl.


    ¡®You see,¡¯ the girl said to her companion and she ran towards Eto, this time sure he wasn¡¯t a threat.


    ¡®I¡¯m sorry for Gongarza. He is my personal guard and he is just very protective.¡¯


    Eto looked to the tree creature called Gorgarza, who still looked at Eto with caution. It made Eto smile.


    ¡®That¡¯s alright. He just wants to protect you,¡¯ he said.


    ¡®Like you did,¡¯ the girl said with admiration towards Eto.


    ¡®I¡¯m princess Morinojo, princess of the Kojo tribe,¡¯ she said with a sweet voice and she layed out both her arms of which the skin was slightly green and covered in fine leaves.


    Eto noticed that she was more a creature than Gorgarza, who was literally a tree shaped like a human.


    ¡®I¡¯m Eto,¡¯ he said and he didn¡¯t know what to do with her arms so he slapped her hand with his own, giving a high five. She looked at him with a surprised look, as did Gongarza but afterwards she laughed, realizing he didn¡¯t know the customs of the Kojo tribe.

 chapter 3.10 Meet Lowe, the Ricu clan lord

    Eto, princess Morinojo and Gongarza stood there in silence and Gongarza thought it was time to speak.


    ¡®Princess, we should be going. The jungle is not safe anymore,¡¯ he said.


    Princess Morinojo turned to him and nodded.


    Even though Gongarza already started walking away, he feared what could happen next and before he knew it, it happened.


    ¡®Eto, would you like to come with me to my tribe?¡¯ the princess asked.


    Gongarza wasn¡¯t a fan of the idea but he couldn¡¯t go against the princess¡¯s wishes. He sighed, knowing what the princess would do.


    ¡®Sure,¡¯ Eto said with a smile and he slowly started walking towards Gongarza while the princess kept walking next to him.


    ¡®You can protect me, like you did before,¡¯ she said with a smile and a little blush on her green skin.


    They started walking but Eto soon stopped and looked at the sky.


    ¡®What is wrong, Eto?¡¯ the princess asked as she also stopped.


    ¡®Nothing. I just hope Djon is okay,¡¯ Eto said while he kept looking up to the sky.


    Hawk was caught by one of the lion creatures and they all looked to the figure who appeared from the trees.


    A similar creature appeared but this one looked much older and bigger.


    Hig brown fur started to turn gray and multiple scars were shown on his body.


    ¡®Trust your instincts. They are not our enemy,¡¯ he said with a deep voice.


    The other creatures all nodded at the same time and let go of Hawk, Veronica and Morning Python.


    ¡®Thanks,¡¯ Hawk mumbled towards the creature. He switched his forearm to a normal hand.


    ¡®Show some respect. That is lord Lowe,¡¯ the creature behind Hawk said but the big creature waved at them that it wasn¡¯t necessary.


    ¡®Easy there. They are new to this planet and don¡¯t know the customs or titles. We can¡¯t blame them for something they don¡¯t know.¡¯


    Hawk walked to Veronica and Morning python and the giant creature walked towards them.


    He bowed so he was at the same height as them.


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    ¡®My apologies. My name is Lord Lowe of the ricu clan. My humble guards just tried to be protective of me.¡¯


    Hawk studied his body and gave a smile.


    ¡®I¡¯m Hawk and you don¡¯t look like the type who needs a bodyguard,¡¯ he said with a grin and Lowe started to laugh. Then he looked at Veronica and Morning python.


    ¡®I¡¯m Veronica, pleased to meet you,¡¯ Veronica said and then Lowe looked at the assassin. She didn¡¯t say anything and didn¡¯t look him in the eyes.


    After a silence, Hawk started talking.


    ¡®She is an assassin who attacked us. That¡¯s why we put the cuffs on her.¡¯


    Lowe slowly made his way towards her and started sniffing next to her.


    It seemed to bother her and she tried to look away every time he came close.


    ¡®Stop it,¡¯ she suddenly yelled and Lowe pulled his face back. He stroked through his giant mane as he studied her.


    ¡®That¡¯s funny,¡¯ he said and Veronica asked what was wrong.


    He turned to her and started to explain.


    ¡®You tell me she is an assassin but her soul does not contain darkness. Rather, she has a tortured and damaged soul,¡¯ he said and everyone''s attention went to Morning Python.


    ¡®Shut up!¡¯ she yelled to the creature and Lowe quickly leaned in, grabbing the cuffs and started breaking them, releasing the assassin.


    ¡®What did you do?¡¯ Hawk yelled with fear in his voice.


    TYO still drove through the shaft, analyzing different rooms and trying to find out where he was.


    He soon found an opening to a conference room and quickly stopped.


    He looked in the room and saw a man sitting at the table. He scanned him and searched his own data.


    There was no doubt about it. It was the man he and Eto encountered in the temple on Etoile, before the knight started fighting Eto.


    At first, the brown skinned man looked like he sat alone but someone walked in, passing the man.


    ¡®Councilman Kazerku. What are you gonna do with the boy who entered the planet?¡¯ the other person said.


    TYO looked at the person and recognized the same armor as the Vulture knight, only more smooth and the voice sounded like a lady.


    The brown skinned man named Kazerku started talking.


    ¡®Nothing,¡¯ he said without giving more attention to the conversation.


    ¡®I¡¯m not gonna send my entire fleet onto the planet to search for one boy. My whole operation of years of planning will go to waste. Let Generation Zero handle this,¡¯ he said. TYO saw Kazerku looking up to the knight.


    The feminine knight slowly walked towards Kazerku, bowing so she got close to him.


    ¡®Generation Zero won¡¯t come. They already risked going so close to Etoile. They won¡¯t come close to an occupied planet of the council again.¡¯


    Kazerku started to laugh.


    ¡®I thought you, the Ostrich knight was sent here to help me,¡¯ he said and the knight again stood straight.


    ¡®I have my orders. I am to stay close by your side only and help you with direct danger. The rest is not my problem according to my master.¡¯


    Kazerku gave a smug smile.


    ¡®Yes. Hanzou really knows what he is doing,¡¯ he said and the knight punched her fist on the table.


    ¡®Don¡¯t ever talk disrespectfully about my master again. Have you forgotten how much trouble we saved you from?¡¯


    The helmet of the knight stared at Kazerku and he stared back.


    ¡®Fine,¡¯ he finally said.


    ¡®I will send my own soldiers into the jungle. Let them find the kid with his friends,¡¯  and after that he got up and walked away.


    TYO jumped back in the shaft, worried with what he just had heard.


    ¡®I got to find everyone,¡¯ he slowly said to himself with some panic.

 chapter 3.11 Moving through the jungle. The group finds their way

    TYO made haste through the ventilation shafts. He was panicking about how he should handle the situation. At first he had flashes of images of him staying in the shafts forever. He also thought about leaving into the jungle but some unknown monster would definitely stamp on him or eat him.


    No. He had to help everyone and let them know that the Kazerku guy and Generation Zero were also on the planet.


    He stopped above a room where through a roster, he saw some data machines.


    Slowly he opened the roster and looked if someone was inside the room.


    When he calculated that it was safe to go on, he jumped in, dropping to the floor.


    He searched the main computer and plugged in a part of him. In the meantime, he kept his eye on the door if someone would come in.


    ¡®Interesting data. Planet Daisugi as Djon had told us. Something about a Kojo tribe and a Ricu clan.¡¯


    He kept searching the data and stopped for a second.


    ¡®What is this?¡¯ he said to himself.


    He found some camera images of cameras stationed in the jungle.


    They all showed giant trees and the sky above it but something was odd in some pictures.


    On one he saw a giant tree atop the jungle trees, as it was overlooking the jungle. It all happened fast but he saw a little dot from the sky land next to the tree, releasing smoke in the air.


    On some other cameras he saw how further away in the jungle, some other things came from the sky and landed.


    TYO looked at the images and he saw two details from the images.


    He recognized the escape pods he and the rest used to escape the Tortoise.


    ¡®That must be where Eto and the rest came down.¡¯


    He looked again at the images of the giant tree overlooking the jungle.


    ¡®That could be Djon with the ship,¡¯ he mumbled to himself as he looked at the thing coming down with smoke near the giant tree.


    ¡®I¡¯ve got to get to the tree. The rest would surely go there too. Downloading coordinates now.¡¯


    When he was done, TYO wanted to ride away but he changed his mind.


    He plugged in again and searched all the files linked to the camera screens of his friend crashing on the planet.


    ¡®No one needs to see this,¡¯ he said as he deleted everything.


    Veronica and Hawk all looked at Morning python, who now was released from her cuffs.


    Lowe looked at them, surprised at their reaction and then he looked at the assassin.


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    She looked at the palms of her hands, rubbing them after being released. After that she looked at Veronica and Hawk with an evil smile.


    Both of them started to panic when she looked at them, preparing for a fight.


    ¡®Oh, relax. You weren¡¯t my target in the first place,¡¯ Morning python said with a relaxed voice. Even though they kept their eyes on her, both Veronica and Hawk relaxed a little more.


    ¡®You will not get Eto,¡¯ Veronica said with a serious voice and Morning python looked around to the jungle.


    ¡®Bet you won''t either. But that¡¯s fine. My contract should have ended already. No point for me to get him.¡¯


    She walked away a little bit, stretching her arms.


    ¡®Can we trust this?¡¯ Veronica asked Hawk while covering her mouth to whisper.


    ¡®Who knows. But we need to find a way out of this jungle,¡¯ he replied.


    The other lion creatures from the Ricu clan all turned and started walking.


    Lowe walked to Hawk and Veronica and lowered himself to get eye contact.


    ¡®The jungle is not safe, especially for outsiders. Why don¡¯t you come with us to our village? Nice place to eat something and get some sleep.¡¯


    Hawk and Veronica looked at each other. It was a nice offer but they felt like they should look for Eto, TYO and Djon.


    ¡®Thanks. But we are searching for our friends, '' Veronica said and Lowe stood up.


    ¡®You won¡¯t find them here. Alone in the jungle. Come with us. We can help you with our scouts. Bet we will find them in no time,¡¯ he said and Lowe also started walking.


    Hawk and Veronica looked at the group who was walking away through the trees. Even Morning Python followed the group.


    ¡®What now?¡¯ Veronica asked without looking at Hawk.


    ¡®We will search for Eto,'' he said seriously and Veronica looked at him.


    Then he looked at her and his face made a nervous laugh.


    ¡®In the direction of their village?¡¯


    They both kept quiet until they both started running after the group.


    ¡®Excellent plan¡¯ Veronica said.


    Eto walked with princess Morinojo and Gongarza through the jungle.


    The whole way Morinojo kept asking Eto about the places he had been and Eto kept talking about it.


    He told her about his grandpa and how he came to Borner and how he met Veronica.


    ¡®Who is Veronica?¡¯ the princess said with slightest concern.


    ¡®My friend,¡¯ Eto said with a smile. He thought about her and his friends and wondered where they could be. He was sure they would be fine. They would be more worried about him and he was fine so everything would work out the way he thought it would be.


    ¡®And then?¡¯ princess Morinojo asked, filling the silence.


    After that, Eto told about Capgelu and his battle with Ased and how they all went to the capital of Etoile. He mentioned Generation Zero and his battles. He kept a little quiet when Green point came into the picture and the princess noticed his absence of mind.


    ¡®If you don¡¯t want to talk about it, you don¡¯t have to,¡¯ she said as she grabbed his arm. Gongarza made a sound like he was hit by a weapon, seeing the princess react to Eto like that.


    ¡®No it¡¯s fine. It¡¯s just that I have not known these people for a long time but they already feel so close to me. With all the adventures we had.¡¯


    Eto wandered with his mind as he stared into the jungle as they walked.


    He then realized that he had known Hawk for a longer time but due to the memory loss and then returning, it felt like he just met him but he already is a great friend.¡¯


    Eto could feel a little tear going down his cheek.


    ¡®Eto, are you alright?¡¯ Morinojo asked in panic.


    ¡®I¡¯m fine,¡¯ Eto said and he waved it off.


    ¡®Just thinking about them gives me a good feeling,¡¯ he said.


    The princess looked at him but couldn''t understand. How could he have a good feeling but still have a tear?


    ¡®We are almost there,¡¯ Gongarza interrupted them and he pointed up.


    Eto looked and he was amazed with what he saw.


    Above the trees in the distance, he saw a huge tree on top of the other trees, as if it was overlooking the jungle.

 chapter 3.12 Journey through the jungle

    Eto and the princess were led by Gongarza through the jungle and after two hours, they arrived at the base of the giant tree but it wasn¡¯t the tree itself.


    A huge pack of giant but smaller trees all grew together, having almost the same height as the trees in the jungle. On top of it should be the giant tree they saw while walking the jungle. As if the leaves of these trees were the base for the giant tree to grow on.


    ¡®Our home,¡¯ Princess Morinojo said to Eto while giving a smile.


    ¡®You ready princess?¡¯ Gongarza asked and she nodded. She quickly turned to Eto and grabbed him. Almost too tight.


    ¡®Hold on,¡¯ she whispered and Eto was wondering what they were talking about.


    He looked at Gongarza and noticed that multiple roots and branches of the trees started to move and form around him.


    Before Eto could tell what really was going on, Gorganza was lifted in the air and brought to the top of the trees by the moving branches and roots.


    ¡®Wow,¡¯ Eto said, amazed and he felt how he also was being lifted from the ground.


    The roots and branches had formed around him and the princess and while they were launched, the princess laughed while she held Eto tight against her.


    Eto noticed she was a bit smaller than Veronica, as she was also smaller than him.


    After a while, they reached the top of the trees and maneuvered through the leaves and branches until they were at the top.


    Gongarza walked on top of the leaves and Eto saw that the leaves on the top of the trees almost made a floor to walk on.


    He and Morinojo were released and he could feel how the floor of leaves were springy.


    "We''re home," the princess said and she grabbed Eto¡¯s hand to guide him.


    He looked up and saw the giant tree from before.


    It stood on the trees of the jungle, as if it was grown on it.


    It was huge and almost seemed mythical.


    When Eto tried to look at the top, he had to bow his head all the way back and still he couldn¡¯t see it really.


    He heard some rumbling in the distance and when his attention focussed on where it came from,  he was surprised by what he saw.


    On top of the trees, a little further, was the Tortoise. It was broken in many places and Eto saw more of the tree creatures walk and climb around it.


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    ¡®Hey! Get off of there!¡¯ he yelled at them.


    Veronica and Hawk followed the group of the Ricu clan but kept their distance from Morning Python, even though she walked without paying attention to them.


    ¡®Just a little walk through the canyon, then we will arrive at our village,¡¯ Lowe said to calm them.


    Hawk nodded and Veronica looked up above the trees. In the distance, she saw a giant tree, hanging over all the other trees in the jungle.


    ¡®What is that giant tree?¡¯ she asked and she could hear one of the Ricu warriors growl.


    ¡®Best to stay away from it,¡¯ Lowe said with a deep voice. He also looked up towards the tree and slowly his lips raised as if he wanted to show his teeth.


    ¡®Why?¡¯ Veronica asked but she realized it wasn¡¯t smart to ask it.


    ¡®We¡¯ll tell you when we are back. Best to tell that when we are safe,¡¯ he responded and with his tone, he ended the conversation.


    After a while, they reached a canyon at the edge of the jungle.


    Veronica saw giant cliffs and on the other side was the rest of the jungle.


    ¡®A giant river flows through the jungle and there is no way of passing it. The river runs through the canyon from a waterfall. Behind it, we can pass to the other side,¡¯ Lowe said to the newcomers as many of his warriors already started to climb in the canyon to make their way.


    ¡®Be careful,¡¯ a Ricu warrior with silver hair said. ¡®Some parts are fragile and will break. You don¡¯t want to fall that deep.¡¯


    Morning python walked after the group and Hawk and Veronica looked at the situation.


    ¡®I don¡¯t like it,¡¯ Hawk said as he looked at the fragile rocks on the edges.


    ¡®Me neither but we can¡¯t stay here. Lowe said that they can help us find the rest.¡¯


    Hawk agreed with Veronica and slowly they followed the rest, soon to be walking right behind Morning Python.


    ¡®Keep your distance,¡¯ Morning python commanded behind her and Hawk even stopped for a moment.


    ¡®What is wrong with you?¡¯ he asked and she looked back at him with an angry face.


    ¡®I don¡¯t want you around. Who knows what you people might do to me after I have attacked you.¡¯


    Veronica became angry by hearing that.


    ¡®What could we do? How about what you still can do? You say you don¡¯t have us as a target anymore but why should we believe you?¡¯


    ¡®Because,¡¯ Morning Python said but the rest of her words were interrupted by a scream. Her own scream.


    The ground underneath her crumbled with speed and before she could understand it, Morning python fell down into the canyon with pieces of rock falling behind her.


    TYO made his way back outside and he scanned the jungle around him.


    ¡®With the camera images I have seen, I should be able to recognize some parts and find my way to the pods,¡¯ he mumbled to himself.


    He quickly jumped back and hid behind some crates as two soldiers walked by. TYO could hear them speak.


    ¡®Have you seen the knight with councilman Kazerku? Word around is that he is one of Generation Zero.¡¯


    ¡®What? Like the council would work with that scum.¡¯


    ¡®Who knows. Do you even think the council knows what we are doing here?¡¯


    One of the soldiers started to laugh.


    ¡®I firmly believe the reports to the council tell otherwise than what we actually do.¡¯


    The soldiers disappeared and TYO looked to where they walked to.


    ¡®Interesting,¡¯ and TYO looked at a gap between two trees in the jungle.


    ¡®I can¡¯t wait to tell the rest what I''ve discovered here,¡¯ as he drove away into the jungle.

 chapter 3.13 Eto on the rescue for the Tortoise

    Weird shaped birds suddenly started flapping their wings and flying off. It was just one of the many sounds that haunted TYO as he made his way through the jungle.


    ''Bad idea. Bad idea,'' he repeated to himself multiple times but everytime he convinced himself why he did it.


    ''I need to find the others and tell them what is going on here.''


    Something behind him rattled the bushes and TYO stopped driving, turning around slowly and being afraid to see something dangerous.


    The jungle was still the same and the only sounds he heard were from a distance. But he could swear he heard something close by.


    He kept watching to the side he heard the noise coming from, only to hear it again behind him.


    ''I''m armed!¡¯ TYO almost screamed in fear as he jumped around, pointing his little arm, which now showed some sparks he normally used to start machines.


    Again he couldn''t hear the sound he heard before, only the sparks on his arm but he soon wished he only had heard the sound of the sparks.


    Right in front of him between the bushes, two evil looking red eyes were staring back at him.


    Rocks fell in the canyon and Morning Python felt how the steady ground underneath her feet disappeared.


    The fall went by quicker than her thoughts could go, but only one thing kept going back and forth in her mind.


    She was about to die. She would die while falling in a canyon while she did a deadly job almost all her life. All her life she had hunted targets with the risk of getting caught and dying and for the first time she had only one thought.


    Was it all worth it?


    She could see the Rica clan and the people from the Tortoise in the corners of her eyes but she didn¡¯t want to pay attention to them.


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    Her last thoughts would appear and when Morning python was sure the fall would kill her, a hand grabbed her.


    ¡®Hang on!¡¯ the girl said as she grabbed Morning Python''s arm.


    Her weight made the girl fall to the ground but she held on until the rest jumped in to help her.


    Morning python looked underneath her and she could see the rocks fall and break apart at the bottom and fall in a river deep down.


    Fear struck her, a feeling she mostly ignored all her life but it was soon replaced with hope when she could feel herself being pulled up.


    Once she was back on steady ground, she looked around to the rest.


    Everybody was standing and looking at her but only the girl was laying on the ground, getting her breath.


    ¡®Why did you do that?¡¯ was the first thing that came out of Morning Python''s mouth.


    The girl started to laugh and looked up to her.


    ¡®I think I just reacted how Eto would react. We won¡¯t let you die,¡¯ the girl said and Morning Python was shocked by her reaction.


    Eto started to run towards the ship in an aggressive way.


    ¡®Get off our ship!¡¯ he yelled as he jumped towards it. The tree creatures like the princess and Gongarza on the ship looked up, surprised at Eto for suddenly running towards them.


    ¡®Eto, wait!¡¯ the princess yelled but Eto couldn¡¯t hear her. He was too focussed on the ship and the creatures.


    It was Djon¡¯s ship that had helped them and now it was being taken apart.


    His legs slowly started to glow and he used it to jump up high enough to get on top of the ship.


    The creatures dropped everything they held and assumed an attack position.


    Eto looked at them and when he wanted to jump towards him, something hit him hard and threw him off the ship.


    He fell on his back to the ground and he could feel a long weapon being pushed against his neck.


    He looked up and saw another tree creature like Gongarza holding his weapon against him to keep him on the ground.


    Somewhere from behind the creature, a voice started to talk.


    ¡®I knew you were crazy but that crazy?¡¯ the voice said.


    Eto was surprised. He thought he recognised the voice.


    Footsteps could be heard coming from behind the creature while Eto wrestled to get free from the weapon.


    He looked to the side when the footsteps stopped next to him.


    Above him, Djon was looking down on Eto while holding a bowl he drank from.


    ¡®Glad to see you¡¯re still in one piece,¡¯ he said with a laugh.

 Chapter 3.14 The conflict between the Ricu and the Kojo

    ¡®Djon?¡¯ Eto asked, surprised as he looked at the pirate standing next to him.


    ''It''s me alright,¡¯ he said with a smile but he was overwhelmed by Eto, who jumped up and grabbed his neck.


    ¡®Djon, I¡¯m so glad you are okay,¡¯ Eto said with a smile and some tears.


    Djon laughed with how Eto reacted but quickly tried to put him down, even though Eto tried to keep hanging on.


    ¡®Yeah, well. Nothing I couldn¡¯t handle,¡¯ Djon answered.


    When he finally got Eto down, they both looked at the Tortoise while the tree creatures continued working.


    ¡®They are helping us. She took quite some damage in my escape.¡¯


    Both Eto and Djon kept looking at the ship.


    Eto started to feel bad. Why was his first intention that the creatures were doing the ship harm? He could have thought it through before jumping in.


    ¡®How did you get here?¡¯ Eto asked slowly and Djon used two of his four arms to presentate the Tortoise.


    ¡®I crashed here. Luckily the Kojo tribe were very supportive and they helped me with my wounds, '' he said as he showed some leaves wrapped around his belly as a bandage.


    They kept watching at the ship for some time until Djon started to talk.


    ¡®So how did you get here? I was afraid I would lose you guys for sure.¡¯


    Eto looked around and saw that the princess called Morinojo was still standing a little further, watching Eto and Djon.


    Eto pointed at her. ¡®She found me,¡¯ he said and Djon looked at the princess, smiling as he did.


    ¡®Quite a catch Eto,¡¯ he said but Eto didn¡¯t understand.


    TYO was struck with fear. As the pair of red eyes moved in closer, he could start to hear a sound of an animal growling.


    ¡®Oh no¡¯ TYO kept thinking as he slowly tried to ride backwards but everytime he moved a little more, the creature approached him.


    What can I do? He kept thinking that but everytime he started to think for a solution, he had a feeling he would end up broken here on this jungle planet.


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    Some steps could be heard and the creature almost had to show himself outside the bushes.


    ¡®What would Eto do?¡¯ TYO thought in desperation and he was afraid of the answer.


    Eto would fight the creature but TYO wasn¡¯t brave enough for that.


    ¡®No¡¯ he thought to himself. He had to be brave, for the rest of the group. They had to know what was happening here and TYO was the only one who could tell them.


    TYO steadied his wheel, making sure his spark was active to maybe attack the creature.


    The growls of the creature became louder and he moved in closer.


    ¡®This is it¡¯ TYO thought and even though he never was this scared, something in him flickered to press the attack.


    Suddenly without thinking, TYO jumped to the front and apparently, the creature also decided to attack.


    Out of the bushes, a reptile-like creature appeared.


    He ran on four legs, was a little bigger than TYO and had two big black eyes of which you couldn¡¯t tell where they were looking.


    On his back were spines that stuck out to both the left and right.


    ¡®Die creature!¡¯ TYO screamed with fear as he jumped towards it.


    The creature opened his mouth and TYO pointed his arm with the sparks, hitting the creature in his mouth.


    As the spark ignited inside his mouth, the creature screamed and backed down.


    TYO stopped and he looked at the creature who was trying to spit something as his tongue hung out of his mouth.


    ¡®There is more where that came from!¡¯ TYO yelled as he showed the sparks again on his arm. The creature was shocked and curled up, giving a squeak as he was afraid.


    ¡®That¡¯s right!¡¯ TYO yelled with a little unconfident at the creature.


    ¡®I am the boss now!¡¯


    The group of the ricu clan kept walking and even though they stayed behind the group, Morning Python walked alone, not facing Veronica or Hawk.


    Soon, one of the ricu creatures moved to the back and walked beside them.


    ¡®Don¡¯t take it so seriously that she won¡¯t speak. I can tell from her aura that she has troubles she needs to deal with.¡¯


    ¡®A lot of troubles,¡¯ Veronica said with an angry face, looking at Morning Python.


    ¡®Yet you saved her,¡¯ the creature said and Veronica felt a little shame coming up.


    ¡®Yeah, well. You know. You have to save everyone. It¡¯s part of being a good person.¡¯


    The creature started to laugh.


    ¡®If only our enemies would think that way, we would not be at war.¡¯


    ¡®Your enemies?¡¯ Hawk asked as he heard the conversation and Veronica had a feeling it had something to do with the giant tree they saw earlier. They told her it was dangerous there.


    The creature¡¯s face turned serious but he kept walking.


    ¡®Those awful creatures of the Kojo tribe. We wouldn¡¯t be at war if they shared their treasures with us. Like our ancestors always did.¡¯


    Hawk noticed it was a sensitive topic so he was cautious with his questions.


    ¡®Yeah, Lowe told us something when we saw that big tree.¡¯ Veronica heard the word and kept her attention to the conversation.


    The creature mumbled a lot but some words were heard.


    ¡®Hideous tree creatures. Evil in nature,¡¯ he mumbled and Hawk looked at Veronica who kept looking back from the jungle they came from.


    She only thought about Eto and hoped he wasn¡¯t in danger.

 chapter 3.15 The village of the Ricu clan

    The night came quickly as Veronica and Hawk arrived at the village of the Ricu clan. They entered the jungle again and soon arrived at a big open spot.


    The trees here were a little larger than the rest and Veronica thought of the stories she heard back home from the travelers. That there were planets where giants lived. When she saw the trees being high and mighty, she almost thought she would see a giant.


    ¡®We¡¯re here,¡¯ Lowe said and the rest of the group started to split and go their own way. It was at this moment Hawk gave Veronica a little push to let her notice something.


    On the top of the trees, it seemed there were different sizes of wooden houses, built to hang on the sides of the trees. Between them were bridges built to connect them.


    ¡®Climb aboard,¡¯ Lowe said with a low voice and he bent his knees so he was a little lower than the rest.


    ¡®Wait. What do you mean?¡¯ Veronica asked with a little panic. If she thought of what was about to happen, she wasn¡¯t happy with it.


    Nobody said anything and Morning Python started to climb on Lowe¡¯s back.


    ¡®Get on,¡¯ she said with an irritated voice and without looking at them.


    While Veronica was irritated by her, she would follow Hawk who was already climbing on Lowe¡¯s back.


    When they were all together, Lowe ran towards the nearest tree.


    ¡®Hang on,¡¯ he said with a grin and before they could really sit steady, he made a big jump towards the tree, holding onto the wood as he landed.


    Veronica gave a screech, thinking they would fall but when she noticed they kept going up, she looked to Lowe.


    He was climbing the tree with his big claws while they held onto his back.


    It seemed to take so long but finally they reached the top and Veronica finally could breath as she felt the wooden floor underneath her from one of the houses.


    ¡®Welcome to our village,¡¯ Lowe said and as he said that, two female Rico came to him.


    ¡®Welcome back our lord,¡¯ they both said in sync with a little bow but Lowe waved at them, letting them know he didn¡¯t need the formalities.


    ¡®Please, our guests have crashed onto Daisugi. Please help them on their way to clean themselves and eat something.¡¯


    The two Rico women nodded and looked at Veronica, Hawk and Morning Python.


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    ¡®Please follow us to the waterfall. In the meantime we will prepare some food.¡¯


    ¡®Do you mind if I meddle with the food? I would like to know the dishes on this planet,¡¯ Hawk said and both the Ricu women started to laugh.


    ¡®First a bath. After that we will guide you to our cooking house,¡¯ they said and they started pushing them inside the house.


    At the other side of the houses, they were guided towards an open area which led to a huge cliff. A giant waterfall rained down next to the giant trees and the Ricu clan made something that guided some water from the waterfall in a huge bowl of water. Where the water would overflow, it would fall like a waterfall down over the edge.


    ¡®Normally, we use these to wash stuff as the Ricu wash themselves but for now it can be used for you to wash yourself. Humans don¡¯t do it by themselves,¡¯ they said and Hawk would let them know with a nervous laugh that they didn¡¯t.


    ¡®It¡¯s cold,¡¯ he said as he touched the water, thinking how it would feel if he went in to wash himself.


    The ricu woman started to ask for assistance to heat the water and Hawk quickly felt bad for being a whiny person for saying that.


    After the water was warmer and Hawk quickly washed himself, saying that as a man he should be done quickly, it was now the turn for the women.


    He left the place, hoping to know more about the Ricu food and he left Veronica and Morning python alone.


    It was something Veronica didn¡¯t like but luckily, one of the female Ricu stayed behind to watch them.


    Veronica laid in the water, all the way on the other side from Morning Python but still they were very close.


    Veronica didn¡¯t want to look at her so she looked the other way as she washed herself. Unlike her, Morning Python would sit still in the water, looking in front of her in the direction of Veronica.


    When Veronica was done and the silence was still going on, she decided to say something.


    ¡®Isn¡¯t it time for you to leave? Don¡¯t you have some assassin friends who you can call to pick you up?¡¯


    Her words surprised Morning Python and she looked at Veronica.


    ¡®If I could. My ship is on your ship so I can¡¯t. And even if I got my ship, I don¡¯t have someone to call,¡¯ Morning Python said and she lowered herself more into the water to cover her face partly.


    It was the first time Veronica looked at her and felt some sort of guilt.


    She was angry at her for targeting Eto but after that, she never made another move to attack them.


    It kept quiet for a while and Veronica almost thought about getting out and leaving until Morning Python said something.


    ¡®Why did you save me?¡¯ Morning Python asked after a while. This time, Veronica was surprised by her words.


    ¡®Well, it is the right thing to do. You help people, instead of assassinating them,¡¯ she responded and she felt good about her response towards her.


    Morning Python looked away for a moment but quickly looked back at Veronica.


    ¡®Would Eto rescue me like you did?¡¯ she asked.


    Veronica looked at her, not knowing what she meant with that.


    ¡®Yes¡¯ Veronica answered while being confused about her question.


    ¡®Even though you tried to kill him.¡¯


    Again, Morning Python looked away but soon she stood up, letting the water fall off her body.


    ¡®Then we should help him,¡¯ she said and Veronica couldn¡¯t believe what she just heard. All she could do was look at Morning Python with ambiguity.


    Morning Python slowly walked towards her and reached her hand towards Veronica.


    ¡®Vanessa,¡¯ she said slowly as if she was ashamed of it.

 chapter 3.16 The evening with the princess

    Djon guided Eto with the rest towards the giant tree. Eto now just realized that the giant tree he had seen on the skyline was actually growing on top of the giant trees of the jungle.


    He stopped for a moment and looked up towards the tree, holding his head back.


    Gongarza walked past Eto and bumped him into his shoulder, letting out a sound that he was irritated.


    Eto wanted to say something against him but before he said anything, his hand was grabbed by someone.


    The princess came standing next to him, holding Eto''s arm while she was smiling.


    ''Come, I''ll show you where you can wash yourself and eat something,'' she said with her soft voice.


    Eto smelled under his arms, looking at her questionably.


    ''Do you think I smell?'' he asked and quickly the princess let go of his arm.


    ''No, no! That''s not what I meant,'' she said in despair. She looked like she really was ashamed and Djon, looking from the side, could do nothing but laugh about it. He pushed Eto towards the tree and said ¡®Yes, you smell.¡¯


    At the base of the tree, a giant pool was created in a hole. The water was warm and had a strong scent from all the herbs the tree creatures had put in.


    ¡®The Kojo are a peaceful race. When I crashed here, they immediately nursed me and wanted to help me repair the ship, '' Djon said. He sat on a giant tree branch which covered the pool from the others in the tribe.


    Eto sat in the pool with only his face above the water, listening to Djon.


    ¡®Do you have any clue where the others are?¡¯ Eto asked and Djon shook his head.


    ¡®I¡¯m afraid they are somewhere in the jungle. I¡¯m kinda surprised that you made it here.¡¯


    Eto smiled. ¡®Yeah, luckily the princess found me,¡¯ he said and after that, they heard a squeaky sound from behind the branch on which Djon said.


    ¡®I can do it,¡¯ could be heard with an irritated voice and soon after, princess Morinojo came from behind the branch, partly looking away with a shy face.


    ¡®Eto, I have some food for you if you would like it¡¯ she said and immediately, Eto jumped out of the pool for the food. The princess was shocked.


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    ¡®What are you doing?! You should cover yourself!¡¯ she yelled while trying not to look at the naked body of Eto.


    ¡®Why?¡¯ he asked as he grabbed the fruit she took with her and started eating.


    ¡®Because,¡¯ the princess only said before she ran away.


    When she disappeared, Gongarza came out of nowhere.


    ¡®How dare you to show yourself like that to the princess!¡¯ he yelled as he walked towards Eto, angry as he was.


    ¡®Easy there captain,¡¯ Djon said and he got up to stand in between them.


    ¡®Excuse my friend. It was not on purpose,¡¯ he said and Gorganza stopped, still looking angry at Eto.


    He stayed for a while, not saying anything.


    ¡®Anything else to say?¡¯ Djon asked, thinking it would be best if these two would not interact with each other again.


    ¡®The princess¡­..tonight¡­.¡¯ Gorganza mumbled.


    ¡®What?¡¯ Djon asked.¡¯


    ¡®The princess would like to spend her time with the boy tonight,¡¯ he said like a robot, not liking the words coming out of his mouth.


    Djon laughed and walked away with Gorganza, leaving Eto behind at the pool with the food.


    After Eto was done, he got some spare clothes from the Tortoise while his own were being washed. Still, he held onto the scarf from his grandpa.


    At night, the tree was lit up by flowers who gave off light and different tiny houses from wood made a little village around the giant tree.


    Princess Morinojo took Eto with her for an evening walk.


    ¡®I heard you got more friends stuck in the jungle. Maybe we will learn where they are when we have the big meeting tomorrow.¡¯


    ¡®Big meeting tomorrow?¡¯ Eto asked and the princess looked a little sad.


    ¡®Since a while, our tribe has been at war with the Ricu clan. Normally we leave each other alone and sometimes our captains get together with their leader to make sure the boundaries are still set. They could ask them if they have found your friends.¡¯


    A smile appeared on Eto¡¯s face as he heard the story.


    ¡®Then I will join the meeting, so I can ask them if they found Veronica, Hawk and TYO.¡¯


    The princess''s face responded when she heard the name Veronica and she looked at Eto. She wanted to say something but she was distracted.


    The shirt Eto was wearing revealed some of his chest and she could see the star shard.


    ¡®What is that?¡¯ she asked and Eto looked at where she was pointing.


    ¡®This? This is my star shard. It is what is giving me my powers,¡¯ he said and before he knew it, the princess opened his shirt more and looked at the shard.


    ¡®I recognize this. My brother also has one.¡¯


    ¡®Really?¡¯ Eto asked and he smiled at her.


    ¡®Can I meet him? I would like to know about his powers,¡¯ he said but then the princess looked sad again.


    ¡®I wish you could but my brother has been away for a long time,¡¯ she said as she looked at the dark trees in the jungle.


    It was quiet for a while and then Eto grabbed her hand, making her blush.


    `We can ask the Ricu clan if they have seen your brother,'' he said with a smile.


    It didn¡¯t take long for the sad face of the princess to turn into a smile.

 chapter 3.17 The morning before the meeting

    The sun shined bright in the morning. The jungle looked more at ease than the day before and Eto woke up, feeling rested again.


    Djon was already up and was helping a few Kojos to prepare for breakfast.


    When Eto opened his eyes and wanted to stand up, he was shocked by two big eyes watching him.


    ¡®Wow!¡¯ he let out before he realized who it was.


    The princess had been sitting next to him and apparently studied him in his sleep.


    ¡®Morning sleepyhead,¡¯ she said with a smile on her face.


    She walked away to get some clothes that looked like they belonged to Eto.


    ¡®Here they are. Nice and clean,¡¯ she said and Eto grabbed them with a smile.


    ¡®Thanks,¡¯ he quickly replied and he already started to undress himself.


    The princess started to blush and walk backwards.


    ¡®What are you doing?!¡¯ she yelled again and Eto looked up, confused but later he understood that the princess didn¡¯t like it.


    Before he could stop, she already left him, blushing and ashamed by Eto¡¯s undressing.


    Djon walked in, looking at the princess who ran past him and back at Eto, seeing how he stood, he completely understood the situation.


    ¡®Woman. They will never get used to it,¡¯ he said with a grin but Eto didn¡¯t understand. While Djon began to pack some things, Eto made sure he was dressed before they left.


    ¡®Ready for the meeting?¡¯ Djon asked and Eto nodded.


    ¡®Let¡¯s hope the Ricu clan knows something about the rest of the group.¡¯


    Veronica woke up, feeling like she was still dreaming. She had the same feeling from her dream, like she was being watched.


    After she opened her eyes and adjusted to the light, she could see someone looking at her.


    ¡®Wow!¡¯ she yelled as she saw Morning Python, now named Vanessa looking at her.


    ¡®I brought breakfast,¡¯ Vanessa mumbled as she showed a wooden bowl with different fruits.


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    ¡®You could have waited until I was awake and ready,¡¯ Veronica almost yelled, a bit irritated.


    ¡®Sorry. I just hoped I could help you get up,¡¯ Vanessa said and it looked like she had trouble with the situation.


    Veronica slowly got up and grabbed the bowl. Becoming friends with the assassin was the last thing on her mind.


    Even though she still didn¡¯t trust her, she tried to make the best of it and she had told Hawk how Morning python was gonna help them.


    ¡®I will wait until you are ready,¡¯ Vanessa said before she left.


    When Veronica had the feeling she was alone and could eat, Hawk walked into the cabin where Veronica stayed in.


    ¡®Morning sunshine,¡¯ he said and by the look on Veronica¡¯s face, it wasn¡¯t a bright morning.


    ¡®Still bummed about Morning...I mean, Vanessa?¡¯ he asked.


    Veronica shook her head.


    ¡®No, that¡¯s not it. I¡¯m just worried about Eto, TYO and even Djon,¡¯ she said.


    Hawk nodded. ¡®I can understand,¡¯ he said while he slowly came near her.


    ¡®Let¡¯s try to make haste. I heard Lowe wanted to leave soon. This is our chance to get to know more if Eto and the others were found by those other guys,¡¯ he said and while Veronica nodded, she quickly devoured the different fruits that Vanessa had brought.


    They all gathered outside. Lowe brought like ten Ricu warriors with them. Together with Veronica, Hawk and Vanessa, they would walk towards the giant river to meet with the enemy of the Ricu clan. The Kojo tribe.


    When they walked through the jungle, Veronica noticed that it seemed more at ease than yesterday, as if everything was being prepared for their journey.


    Veronica looked at Vanessa who sometimes looked at her. She looked away when their eyes met and no one said a word.


    Hawk noticed the tension and slowly walked next to Vanessa.


    ¡®Don¡¯t get me wrong, it will take a long time before I completely trust you. I just want you to know that you have to give her some time. Veronica is new to the wide worlds of the galaxy and maybe too naive. She just needs time to get to know something or someone.¡¯


    Vanessa still looked at Veronica but turned her head to Hawk.


    ¡®Thanks,¡¯ she mumbled and Hawk nodded.


    After that, he walked up in the group to get next to Lowe.


    ¡®So what¡¯s the plan?¡¯ Hawk asked and Lowe gave a grin.


    ¡®We will meet with the enemy, letting them know where the boundaries are and if we notice something between our turfs. It¡¯s more of a report to each other that we had always done before. Better this than fighting and killing each other, even though it¡¯s not fair how they treat us.¡¯


    After that, Lowe¡¯s grin became a little more irritated as he laughed it off a bit.


    ¡®As promised, we will ask about your friends first,¡¯ he said and he moved his pace in walking.


    ¡®First?¡¯ Hawk asked as he tried to keep up.


    ¡®What do you mean by that?¡¯ and Lowe looked at him.


    ¡®It is time to take what should have been ours. The juice of the planet¡¯s lifetree. It should have been for everyone but the Kojo kept it for themselves. Luckily, we got some help to get everything back,¡¯ he said.


    Hawk stopped for a moment but soon rushed back to Lowe.


    ¡®What kind of help?¡¯ he asked and Lowe looked at him with a sinister smile.


    ¡®The soldiers of the worlds are here to be back up,¡¯ he said and he laughed while he said it.

 chapter 3.18 Kazerkus plan

    Kazerku walked through the halls of the base until he had reached the meeting room. It was locked and only a security code from Kazerku himself would unlock it. Quickly he looked around if no one was around before he opened the door and walked in. He closed the door behind him and found the Ostrich knight standing in the room, looking at monitors.


    ¡®If someone would find you, I have to answer for that,¡¯ Kazeruku said irritatedly.


    The Ostrich knight slowly moved her helmet towards him and answered.


    ¡®Luckily you have enough plans so it won¡¯t happen,¡¯ she said with some sarcasm. Kazerku let out some sort of growl before he stopped next to her to look at the monitors.


    ¡®Someone has been interfering with our security. One of my men could find a hidden backup of some videos that had been deleted.¡¯


    Kazerku pushed some buttons and on the monitors, new videos were shown.


    Both him and the Ostrich knight looked at it and they all showed some escape pods crashing into the planet. One screen even showed an entire ship crashing near the giant tree of Daisugi.


    ¡®Our friends,¡¯ the knight said and Kazerku became more irritated.


    ¡®My men won¡¯t find him. Why don¡¯t you show some of your skills?¡¯ he asked the knight who turned to him.


    ¡®Like I said. I have my orders to stay here and protect you.¡¯


    Kazerku wasn¡¯t enjoying his time with her. In fact, he never liked those special guards of Captain Hanzou. They thought they owned the world even though it was him who was in charge. It was him who kept feeding them information about the council.


    ¡®No matter,¡¯ Kazerku said, like it sounded it wasn¡¯t part of his plan.


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    ¡®My real plan will soon unfold.¡¯


    The Ostrich knight was triggered by those words and looked at him. Kazerku could feel the knight watching and he gave an evil smile.


    ¡®You want to know?¡¯ he asked but the knight didn¡¯t respond. Still, he started to explain.


    ¡®That tree contains a juice that helps heal and grow everything here. We discovered some in the trees in the jungle but it all leads towards the giant tree as a base. Too bad that a bunch of horrible creatures called the Kojo are protecting it well.¡¯


    ¡®So, how are you gonna get the juice?¡¯ the knight slowly said knowing that Kazerku would keep talking. Again he showed an evil smile.


    ¡®I have been here a long time and slowly I managed to get those creatures to go to war with the other creatures that were also protecting it. Those filthy Ricu monsters. A little misunderstanding with mine help quickly evolved into a war between those two. Now I just need to wait for the right moment to strike.¡¯


    The Ostrich knight walked to the wall and leaned on it.


    ¡®And that big plan is?¡¯ she asked.


    ¡®I have a feeling the war will soon unfold. We monitored and noticed they are gathering every month to discuss their territories. Slowly, I have been in contact with both of them, offering help from the council. They have no clue I have been working on both sides. The moment they are together, we will come in and start the fight. It would be a huge battle, leaving the tree open for me to infiltrate.¡¯


    This time, the knight was surprised by the story.


    ¡®You are gonna lose your own men in battle by doing that.¡¯


    Kazerku turned to the knight.


    ¡®These are necessary sacrifices¡¯ he said. ¡®To benefit me to gather the juice. With that juice, I would be one step closer to becoming a part of the council for my service. After that, I can benefit the galaxy more. All because of their sacrifices.''


    ¡®Speaking of which,¡¯ the Ostrich knight said. ¡®How did the council approve of this operation?¡¯


    Kazerku started to laugh, in an evil way.


    ¡®Who says they know of this? So many operations through the galaxy. They have no clue what is going on here. I am there to be a good councilman and the rest fall out of their reach.¡¯


    The moment he said those words, Kazerku started to laugh and enjoy the thoughts of his own plan. He looked at the monitors, thinking about his plan as the Ostrich knight was standing in the back, looking at the councilman getting a little bit crazy.

 chapter 3.19 The gathering

    The river was wild as the Ricu clan gathered to his side. Veronica, Hawk and Vanessa stood in front of the group, staring at the river and the other side.


    No one said a word until Hawk became irritated by his own questions.


    ''We just stay here?¡¯ he asked Lowe who stood next to him. The giant creature slowly turned his head towards him and nodded.


    ¡®If there is one thing I can say is good about the Kojo, it is their ability to be on time.¡¯


    When he said it, he nodded towards the river and Hawk looked in the same direction. At first he thought he saw nothing, except for trees. Soon it looked like some of them moved. He kept looking at them and he could Veronica gasp for air.


    The trees moved towards the river. They were in different sizes, with arms and legs. Different colors and leaves covered their bodies. For some, they almost seemed human. Hawk saw a young girl like a tree walking in the middle. She was beautiful but it didn¡¯t hold his attention. What grabbed his attention was the boy walking next to her. It was Eto!


    ¡®There they are,¡¯ Gongarza said with a low voice and he pointed towards the river. Eto looked to the other side and he could see some creatures standing next to the river. They were huge and they looked like lions only they stood on two legs and they wore selfmade armor.


    Amongst them were three humans and Eto recognised them.


    ¡®Veronica. Hawk!¡¯ he yelled and he ran towards the river.


    His legs started to glow as he was ready to jump to the other side.


    ¡®Eto, wait!¡¯ Princess Morinojo yelled and she grabbed Eto by his shoulders. Even though he was surprised by her, he still jumped, pulling the weight of the princess with him as he jumped over the river.


    A little further from the river, a few soldiers masked with green armor were hiding in the bushes. One of them was holding a sniper, switching his view between the Ricu en the Kojo. The pressed his communicator which directly linked him with councilman Kazerku.


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    ¡®Sir, I have eyes on the target,¡¯ he said but there was no response. After some time, a voice he recognised from the councilmen said something.


    ¡®Prepare for attack. I don¡¯t want to drag this to failure.¡¯


    One of the soldiers was looking with binoculars. He stopped looking and turned his head to the man holding the sniper.


    ¡®I see movement,¡¯ he said and the man looked through his weapon.


    A boy on the side of the Kojo started running towards the river.


    ¡®Sir, we have movement from one group towards the other.¡¯


    Quickly, a  response was heard.


    ¡®Shoot them. Start the fight!¡¯ the councilman almost yelled.


    The man locked onto the boy and saw him jump with one of those tree creatures on his back. In less than a second, he pulled the trigger. Letting go of his shot.


    Eto jumped while the princess held tight on his back. When he jumped, he could see the river running underneath them and the other group on the other side getting closer and closer. Soon Eto heard something else.


    A bang could be heard and the sound moved past him. Before he could tell what it was, he could feel something hitting his chest. A shot of pain entered his body and he could feel himself stop in the air and fall down towards the river.


    Eto had jumped while the princess held his back. Gongarza ran towards the river, screaming for the princess. Before he could tell what was happening, a shot could be heard. His instinct made him look immediately for the princess and he saw what happened.


    Something hit the boy in the air and they fell down towards the river.


    ¡®Princess!¡¯ he yelled, feeling his fear and anger grow within him.


    He saw some soldiers a little farther down the river coming out of the bushes.


    Gongarza turned to his men.


    ¡®They attacked. It¡¯s an act of war. They shot the princess!¡¯ he yelled and he saw his fellow soldiers looking with shock in their eyes.


    ¡®Attack!¡¯ he yelled again and everyone rushed towards the river.


    Hawk, Veronica and even Vanessa couldn¡¯t believe what they saw. Eto wanted to jump towards him but something shot him. They saw him and the girl who grabbed him fall down into the river. The sound of their splash was the last thing they heard before Lowe started to yell.


    ¡®They are running towards us,¡¯  he said as he saw the many soldiers of the Kojo run towards the river, holding their weapons to attack.


    A little further, he could see the soldiers of the worlds coming out of the bushes after hiding.


    ¡®It is time!" he yelled at the other Ricu.


    ¡®It is time to start the fight and take back what is our right!¡¯


    He grabbed a giant spear and ran towards the river as his fellow Ricu followed him, ready to fight.

 chapter 3.20 The fight starts

    Hawk looked at the scene and he couldn¡¯t grasp what was happening. Eto had fallen into the river while he was shot, Veronica jumped into the river while screaming his name. Vanessa stood next to him, as shocked as he was while the Ricu warriors ran past them to fight the tree creatures. Those creatures who started running towards them. Before Hawk could have an idea what was happening, shots could be heard and soon he saw blaster bolts coming from a different direction.


    The Ricu warriors jumped over the river, like some of the tree creatures. They collided in midair and the battle started. Some fell in the river while fighting, some rushed through the river to fight.


    Veronica walked into the water, ignoring the fights in front of her and also the power of the river.


    ¡®Eto! Eto, where are you?¡¯ she yelled. Hawk saw it all happen and while he was still processing it, he made sure he checked the water where Eto fell in. Soon he saw something that looked like him drifting in the water. It looked like his back and Hawk didn¡¯t want to take chances.


    ¡®Veronica! Here!¡¯ he yelled and he quickly ran towards the river.


    He clicked a button in his belt and he quickly switched to one of his forearms hanging on it. It was shaped like a gun but instead of bullets, it could shoot a rope.


    He ran into the river until his knees reached the water and he shot towards what he thought was Eto. A rope launched from his arm and spun towards the body in the river. Hawk kept shooting until he thought he had a grab on him. When he locked the rope, he could feel the weight hanging on his arm.


    ¡®Veronica! Quickly!¡¯ he yelled. Veronica already was making her way through the river to the end of the rope, ignoring all the battles happening around her.


    She reached the end and grabbed the body.


    ¡®It¡¯s Eto!¡¯ she yelled back at Hawk. It looked like she was overjoyed from knowing it was actually him.


    Hawk started to bring in the rope as Veronica moved Eto through the water.


    His body was heavy and even though the water level wasn¡¯t high, the force of the river was heavy.


    When they reached the edge and Hawk started to help her take him out of the water, they noticed something clinging on him.


    It was one of the tree creatures Hawk saw before. The girl who had grabbed Eto when he jumped over the river.


    Together, they moved both Eto and the creature away from the riverside to be away from the battles.


    ¡®Is he dead?¡¯ Veronica asked with fear, noticing how Eto was not responding to them.


    ¡®What now?¡¯ she asked and looked at Hawk, terrified. He knew what to do.


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    He grabbed Eto¡¯s clothes and ripped them apart, trying to find the wound. He pulled the scarf off of him and threw it to Veronica.


    He examined Eto¡¯s naked upper body and saw a hole in his chest where he was shot.


    ¡®Dammit,¡¯ Hawk yelled angrily and he tried to wake Eto.


    While he didn¡¯t wake him up, the creature next to him started to open her eyes.


    While she just woke up, she immediately started to hang over Eto.


    ¡®No, Eto!¡ä she yelled, almost pushing Hawk away.


    He wanted to yell at her and push her aside but Veronica stepped in. She held Hawk back as she pointed to what the creature was doing. When Hawk noticed it, he looked at it with a fascinated look.


    The creature started to put her elegant wood hands over the wound of Eto. It looked like some light erupted from underneath and the creature started to shake from the pressure.


    Veronica and Hawk looked at the creature as it seemed she was doing something that required much power.


    The light soon started to fade and the creature let out a big moan before falling aside. In a reaction, Hawk jumped in to catch her but not before he saw what happened. The wound was gone and Eto slowly started to open his eyes.


    ¡®What? Where am I?¡¯ he asked with much trouble. Slowly he started to sit straight and Veronica jumped in to support him.


    ¡®Eto!¡¯ she yelled and it didn¡¯t take long before she hugged him.


    ¡®I thought we lost you,¡¯ she said with tears in her eyes. Eto still looked like he didn¡¯t understand what happened. Al he could do was look at the battles in front of him.


    ¡®What is going on?¡¯ he asked as he saw both the Ricu and the Kojo fight.


    Princess Morinojo jumped in to hug him, pushing Veronica a bit aside.


    ¡®I don¡¯t know Eto. I¡¯m scared,¡¯ she said with fear, searching for protection with him.


    Hawk looked to the fights, not wanting to accept that all of this was happening right now.


    ¡®The Kojo attacked us,¡¯ he said and Princess Morinojo looked at him with an angry face.


    ¡®We? It was the Ricu who started to attack us!¡¯ she said and Hawk looked at her.


    ¡®You sure about that?¡¯ he asked her, questioning her words because she was the one to fall into the river.


    ¡®I don¡¯t know what is happening because I fell in the river but I do know that this is not the solution,¡¯ Eto said and he slowly got up. The princess still hung onto him while he was trying to get up.


    ¡®You got shot and fell down,¡¯ Veronica mumbled and she stared in front of her. Soon she had an idea.


    Neither the Kojo or the Ricu attacked first,¡¯ Veronica slowly said and everyone looked at her.


    ¡®What do you mean?¡¯ Hawk asked her.


    Veronica pointed to the soldiers who ran up next to the river and started to join the fight.


    ¡®The first shot came from afar and I bet they have something to do with it.¡¯


    They looked at the soldiers and the princess let go of Eto.


    ¡®The soldiers! They promised to help us preserve our lands,¡¯ she said. Hawk growled something.


    ¡®Something similar was promised to Lowe,¡¯ he said as he remembered Lowe¡¯s words and the princess looked at him with a surprised face.


    ¡®I bet they started this,¡¯ Eto said as he walked to the front of the group. He touched his chest and his neck and started to panic.


    ¡®Wait! Where is,¡¯ but Veronica stepped in to hand him his wet scarf.


    ¡®Right here,¡¯ she said as Eto put it on, even though it was cold and wet.


    Hawk¡¯s mechanic arm started to make sounds and they looked at him, wondering what it was.


    He looked at his arm and a tiny smile appeared on his face.


    ¡®TYO is coming in,¡¯ he said as he turned to look at the jungle.

 chapter 3.21 The group reunited

    Screams could be heard when the fighting continued.


    Ricu and Kojo warriors fighting on land and in the water, yelling and screaming at each other.


    To the side of the river, soldiers of the worlds ran through the bushes to get closer to the fight. That was, until one of them stopped.


    ¡®That¡¯s enough,¡¯  the soldier who stopped said and he quickly opened his communicator.


    ¡®Councilman Kazerku. The fight has started. The plan can be launched.¡¯


    At first, nothing could be heard but after a while, only a deep voice saying ¡®good¡¯ could be heard through the speaker before the communication ended.


    ¡®Let¡¯s go,¡¯ the soldier said to his companion.


    When the other soldier nodded, they disappeared in the jungle, running into a different direction.


    ¡®We should stop this,¡¯ Eto said as he looked desperately at the fighting warriors.


    A scene of screams, splashing water and Kojo and Ricu going at each other created a terrible view.


    ¡®But what can we do?¡¯ Veronica asked and she looked at the tree creature that they pulled out of the river with Eto.


    She was small, beautiful to say with her green skin, long hair and leaves covering her elegant body like clothing.


    The creature walked slowly until she stood next to Eto and slowly grabbed his arm.


    ¡®There is nothing we can do,¡¯ a sudden voice said behind them and Eto looked around, seeing Morning Python walk up to them.


    ¡®You,¡¯ he said but he didn¡¯t react angrily. Somehow he had always known she wasn¡¯t dangerous anymore.


    ¡®Eto, let me explain,¡¯ Hawk said, wondering if Eto wouldn''t understand why Vanessa was with them but Eto shook his head, still looking at Morning Python.


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    Eto pushed his hand towards Morning Python and gave a tiny smile.


    ¡®New introduction,¡¯ he said.


    Morning python looked confused at his hand but soon she realized and also smiled.


    ¡®Vanessa,¡¯ she answered as she quickly shook Eto¡¯s hand.


    They all turned to the fight and desperation started to creep into their minds.


    Everyone wanted to find a solution but nothing seemed reasonable to stop the warriors from fighting.


    Hawk remembered how Lowe¡¯s whole mood had changed since they had traveled to this point. Hawk thought that these warriors couldn¡¯t be talked to once they were in the rage of battle.


    Their thoughts were disturbed from sounds coming from behind them.


    They turned to the bushes which rattled and the sound of footsteps could be heard.


    After a few seconds, a small reptile-like creature jumped towards them from the bushes, revealing itself.


    It was small but he carried something the rest recognized.


    On top of the creature was TYO, riding the creature like a mount.


    ¡®That¡¯s right! TYO is here to save the day,¡¯ the tiny robot said with pride and self confidence.


    Vanessa walked towards it and dropped to her knees to greet the robot.


    Quickly, his bravery vanished.


    ¡®Oh, no. You are the last person I want to see. I''m 87% in danger.¡¯


    Eto ran past Vanessa and grabbed TYO who still held on to the creature that also got pulled up.


    ¡®TYO, I¡¯m so glad to see you,¡¯ Eto said as he hugged him.


    ¡®And don¡¯t worry. She is one of us now,¡¯ he said to TYO¡¯s reaction to Vanessa.


    A big sigh could be heard from TYO.


    ¡®One of us?¡¯ he asked slowly, not sure if he liked that idea.


    His calculation percentage of danger dropped in his head after Eto had grabbed him.


    ¡®TYO, so glad you are okay. Where were you?¡¯ Hawk asked as Eto dropped down the robot. The creature TYO was riding saw a chance and slipped away through the bushes.


    Eto remembered TYO flying out of the escape pod and asked him what had happened.


    TYO quickly thought of the information he gathered in the base and he drove to get in the center of everyone, ready to explain what happened and what he discovered.


    ¡®You guys are not gonna believe what i discovered. I found some information about¡¯ but his words were interrupted.


    Not only his words but also the fighting was interrupted and the warriors all stopped to turn their gaze towards the skyline of the jungle.


    Far away in the distance, near the giant tree overlooking the jungle, a huge explosion could be heard.

 chapter 3.22 Attack on the giant tree

    Luckily, he was rested.


    Djon checked again if his guns were in their holsters with two hands while the other two held scimitars.


    He had stayed behind with the rest of the Kojo tribe, waiting for the rest to return from the meeting. Instead, something else made their way to the giant tree.


    Five flying jets had appeared from the jungle, hovering before the tribe of the Kojo near the giant tree.


    Djon recognized the jets. They were from the soldiers of the worlds.


    Like a preparation for a fight, soldiers came zipping down from the jets, making their way over the top of the trees, holding up their guns towards Djon and the Kojo.


    Djon gave a little grin which showed his teeth. Somehow he could have known there was something going on where these bastards would dig their claws in.


    ¡®Are we going to give up?¡¯ he asked without looking.


    A Kojo member who stood beside him shook his head, also not looking at Djon but he could tell what the Kojo¡¯s answer was.


    ¡®Let¡¯s give them hell then,¡¯ Djon said, almost enjoying the idea of getting into a fight.


    Rifles were fired when Djon and Kojo warriors ran towards the soldiers.


    Luckily, he knew how to handle a battle like this.


    Spears and arrows flew through the air and impacted the soldiers who didn¡¯t expect a fight.


    ¡®Jet 769-P, come in with the bomb,¡¯ a soldier said through a communicator.


    Beside the five jets that were already there, a sixth one arrived. Underneath it, what looked like a bomb, was hanging on a cable.


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    ¡®Don¡¯t let it reach the tree!¡¯ Djon yelled, figuring out quickly what that bomb was for. There could only be one reason these bastards would attack the tribe.


    Djon looked behind him and looked at the giant tree with wonder.


    He heard some stories last night from the Kojo and that tree was no ordinary tree.


    Kojo warriors threw spears and arrows towards the jet but it was easy to dodge. Djon wanted to run towards the Tortoise to lend them a hand in the air but something blocked his path.


    ¡®Well, well, well. A fugitive with a high bounty in my reach,¡¯ a female voice said.


    In front of Djon, a soldier appeared but the armor seemed more advanced, like a commander. The female voice came from behind the mask.


    The mask of the commander made some beeping sounds.


    ¡®Well, well. It seems you are quite a fugitive. Even changing your name and all. What is wrong Djonathan?¡¯


    ''Shut up!¡¯ Djon said angrily and the commander laughed a bit.


    ¡®And who are you supposed to be?¡¯ Djon asked and he couldn¡¯t suppress the little anger he felt.


    ¡®That is of no matter to you. All I know is that you are a fugitive and you are trespassing in an unauthorized area,¡¯ the commander said.


    A baton was grabbed from her hip and it unfolded to a larger fighting weapon.


    ¡®I will take you in. I reckon you won¡¯t come with me on your own,¡¯ and the commander took a battle position.


    Djon also took a fighting stance, holding his scimitars to prepare for an attack.


    ¡®We shall see if I will come along,¡¯ he said.


    He was eager to fight, like he had always done in situations like this, but something took him by surprise.


    Behind the commander, a giant explosion could be heard and Djon could feel the heatwave pressing against him.


    After adjusting his eyes to the heat, all he could see was fire and smoke near the giant tree.


    Far away in the distance, near the giant tree overlooking the jungle, a huge explosion could be heard.


    ¡®What was that?¡¯ Veronica asked, looking in the direction where she could hear the explosion.


    ¡®Oh no,¡¯ the princess said in shock. ¡®My father,¡¯ she said slowly and Eto looked at her.


    ¡®Your father?¡¯ he asked and princess Morinojo slowly nodded.


    She pointed in the direction of the giant tree, seeing trails of smoke appear.


    ¡®My father is hurt,¡¯ as her finger pointed to the giant tree.


    ¡®Wait, let me get this straight,¡¯ Hawk said and he walked towards her.


    ¡®The tree is your father?¡¯ he asked her with confusion.


    She looked at him, not saying anything but with tears appearing from her eyes.

 chapter 3.23 The battle of the giant tree. The group needs a plan!

    ¡®Sir, are we really attacking the giant tree of the Kojo?¡¯ a voice asked with haste in his voice.


    Councilman Kazerku, who looked over some monitors, heard the voice of a soldier commander and silently laughed.


    ¡®Yes we are commander. I have arranged the battle plans through step 3.2.3.


    Your men should know what to do.¡¯


    Before the commander could respond, Kazerku broke the communication and gazed again at the monitors.


    Hidden camera¡¯s, placed in the jungle or worn by soldiers and machines showed Kazerku what was happening on this side of the planet.


    The planet Daisugi. rich in healing plants and rare flora. But the most interesting of them all, was hidden deep within the ruler of the forest.


    Kazerku looked at the giant tree on the screen, and his soldiers who started the fight with the Kojo creatures.


    ¡®So, this was your plan?¡¯ the Ostrich knight said who appeared from the shadows of the room.


    Kazerku still seemed annoyed.


    ¡®Yes, and now if you will excuse me, I have to maintain my plan and I can¡¯t be distracted by your presence.¡¯


    Hastily and irritated, the councilman started pressing different buttons to continue his plan.


    ¡®Fine,¡¯ the Ostrich knight said so softly that Kazerku couldn¡¯t hear her.


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    A morningstar appeared that the knight was holding onto and she put it down, making it possible for her to lean on.


    ¡®We will see what will unfold,¡¯ she said softly again.


    Hawk put his hand on the princess''s shoulder as she kept holding on to Eto.


    It was after a while, Eto suddenly realized what she meant before.


    ¡®Wait, so the tree is your father? How is that possible? He is a tree!¡¯ he said, confused.


    This time, Veronica slapped her hand to her head, knowing Eto wouldn¡¯t get the link between the tree creatures called Kojo and the trees itself.


    Vanessa looked at Veronica, understanding how she reacted to Eto.


    Still, she stepped forward to stand next to Eto.


    ¡®Is it our job to handle this battle?¡¯ she asked, calculating the connections between them and the Kojo and the Ricu.


    ¡®Ofcourse,¡¯ Eto said with confidence.


    ¡®If only Djon was here, we could use his ship,¡¯ Veronica said with a big sigh.


    ¡®Oh,¡¯ Eto said and he turned to the rest.


    ¡®Djon is here. He is up there with the giant tree. I mean, her father, I mean, I think so.¡¯


    Hawk and Veronica looked at him with amazed eyes.


    ¡®That¡¯s great,¡¯ Veronica said and Hawk turned to TYO.


    ¡®Can you connect to the tortoise? Ask him to pick us up?¡¯


    TYO moved his hand to the top of his body.


    ¡®Yes sir,¡¯ he answered and he started to connect, making different sounds.


    ¡®Great,¡¯ Eto said. ¡®While you guys wait for Djon, I will take the princess and go ahead.¡¯


    ¡®Wait Eto,¡¯ Veronica said.


    ¡®That might not be,¡¯ Hawk said.


    ¡®The best idea,¡¯ Vanessa said.


    They were all too late. Eto had already grabbed hold onto the princess who already held him and in a quick reaction, his legs started to glow again, ready to jump.


    ¡®Not again,¡¯ princess Morinojo said as she thought of their jump over the river but she could already feel her body move up in the air.


    Eto jumped away through the jungle, on his way to the giant tree with the princess screaming beside him.

 chapter 3.24 Djon vs. commander

    ¡®Eto, slow down!¡¯ the princess yelled while she tried her best to hold on.


    Eto jumped through the jungle, landing on clear spots to jump ahead again. Somehow, he smiled, even though the situation wasn¡¯t something to laugh about.


    ¡®We have to. Otherwise we won¡¯t make it¡¯ he said without looking at her.


    His focus was purely at the giant tree and the explosion it had heard from it.


    Weapons clashed again between Djon and the commander, after the explosion happened.


    ¡®Surrender you fugitive, and maybe they will let you live,¡¯ the commander said with trouble and anger, holding the weapons against the swords of Djon.


    Even though he had four arms, the commander was skilled in battle as he knew they would not be at use to grapple her.


    ¡®You know you are at a disadvantage, right?¡¯ Djon bluffed as he tried to show a smirky smile.


    He couldn¡¯t tell what the person beneath the mask was expressing but by the feeling of the struggling power, it was hard for her.


    He pushed her behind, having time to breath before the commander jumped back in to attack again.


    ¡®You know, we can stop this and have a drink together. Work it out with the weapons called words.¡¯


    He hoped for a giggle but clearly, the commander was too serious for the conversation.


    ¡®You wish, fugitive. Once I am done with you, we will take the other ones you have been carrying in your ship and continue with our plan.¡¯


    She smacked her weapon again, and Djon managed to jump back to avoid it.


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    ¡®And what would that plan be?¡¯ he asked as he tried to provoke her.


    For the first time, a laugh could be heard from underneath the mask.


    ¡®Like before, it is of no concern to you what our plan is.¡¯


    Djon showed his teeth while smiling a little.


    ¡®Guess I will have to force it out of you.¡¯


    He could hear the screams of battle behind him and it also felt like it was getting warmer behind him. Unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t look behind him. Dropping his guard against the commander was the last thing to do.


    This time, he jumped ahead and their weapons clashed multiple times as they moved back and forward, depending who had the upper hand.


    The commander made a sudden move, one Djon hadn¡¯t recognized from her fighting style before. And with that, he saw an opening.


    He moved his sword to the front, hoping to do some damage and weaken the commander.


    Instead, he had taken the bait and with much power, he could feel his swords being swung out of his hand before he was kicked to the ground.


    ¡®That¡¯s it for you,¡¯ the commander said as she pointed her weapon towards him.


    ¡®Dammit,¡¯ Djon grumbled and this time, it was the commander who laughed a little.


    ¡®Get up and get to my ship,¡¯ the commander said demandingly as she pointed her weapon almost to his tattooed chest.


    There was a moment that Djon thought there was nothing more he could do.


    And right before he wanted to get up, a scream could be heard.


    A different scream than the ones from the battle behind him.


    And when the scream became louder, he could see something coming from the jungle, all the way up here.


    Behind the commander, something swung up from the trees below and made its way to the top.


    And it only took a few seconds for the thing to hit the commander in front of Djon.


    He closed his eyes for impact but when he looked again, a smile returned on his face.


    The commander laid on the floor, unconscious by the looks of it, and on top of her was Eto and the princess who held Eto with fear in her eyes.


    ¡®Eto!¡¯ he yelled loudly and happily to his friend.


    ¡®Djon!¡¯ Eto responded but his face soon turned serious as he looked behind Djon.


    He also turned around and saw what Eto was looking at.


    Behind a huge battle between Kojo warriors and soldiers of the worlds, was the giant tree, burning with fire.

 chapter 3.25 Eto tries to stop the battle

    ¡®Oh no. What is happening?¡¯ Princess Morinojo said with tears in her eyes.


    She looked at the giant tree, which was burning heavily.


    She heard the screams from the battle, just like she had heard and seen in the jungle.


    ¡®Why are they doing this?¡¯ she said, wondering what the point of fighting was.


    She looked around and saw both Kojo warriors as soldiers falling in battle.


    ¡®Why?¡¯ she said softly and more tears appeared.


    ¡®Why!¡¯ she yelled as she couldn¡¯t hold herself anymore.


    She began to cry and fall to her knees.


    Eto jumped in and put his arms around her.


    ¡®It¡¯s okay. We are gonna try to stop them,¡¯ he said and the princess looked at him with tears in her eyes.


    ¡®How?¡¯ she said desperately and even though Eto didn¡¯t know how, he didn¡¯t show it to her.


    "Leave it all to me," he said while he showed his smile.


    He got up and walked back to Djon.


    ¡®The others are in the jungle, straight back. TYO is with them so try to communicate with them and bring them here. Maybe try to find a water spot to put out the flames.¡¯


    Djon looked up at the giant fire. He knew that would be a hard task but he didn¡¯t say anything. He only wanted to go back to his ship as soon as he could to start the plan.


    ¡®What about you?¡¯ he asked as Eto had turned and walked past the princess.


    ¡®I will try to stop this fight,¡¯ he said with a serious tone and face.


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    Djon looked at the princess and walked towards her. Slowly he tried to get her up.


    ¡®Come princess. It is safer on my ship. Eto will handle this.¡¯


    She looked at Eto, who quickly turned to her and raised his arm and put his thumb up.


    ¡®It will be fine,¡¯ he said and after those words, his leg started to glow and he jumped forward into the battle.


    As the tortoise departed, Eto had involved himself into the battle.


    ¡®Everyone, please stop this,¡¯ he tried to say.


    He didn¡¯t want to use his power to stop the fight. Fighting would only lead to more fighting, he thought.


    ¡®Please stop this,¡¯ Eto said as he tried to grab a Kojo member but the creature looked at him angrily, pulled his arm back and continued the fight.


    ¡®Stop this,¡¯ Eto said as he pulled up his hand to stop two soldiers.


    They both ignored him and started to blast with their rifles.


    Eto looked around, noticing how he was ignored by everyone and the battle kept going.


    Kojo members started to catch on fire, fall down or scream in pain.


    Soldiers of the worlds started to fall down as they were pierced with different kinds of wooden weapons.


    Everything happened under the light of the fires on the burning tree.


    ¡®Please stop!¡¯ Eto yelled in the middle of the battle.


    ¡®Well, well, well. Would you look at that,¡¯ Kazerku said as he looked at the monitors.


    A few cameras hanging to the jets near the giant tree started to zoom in on the boy in the middle of the battle.


    ¡®It¡¯s Eto,¡¯ the Ostrich knight said and Kazerku showed an evil laugh.


    ¡®Guess it is our lucky day. You guys get to grab that kid for your boss, and I will get to test a new weapon.¡¯


    He turned around quickly, moving to a side panel which he opened with a special code.


    ¡®New weapon?¡¯ the Ostrich knight asked and Kazerku¡¯s laugh started to become louder.


    ¡®Yes. A prototype from the famous professor Khalcazar. A special something to add to those with star shards.¡¯


    ¡®What kind of prototype?¡¯ the knight asked who moved towards Kazerku.


    After pushing a few buttons on the panel, Kazerku walked back to the monitors, focussing on one that had shown a new camera angle.


    It showed a barred cage, not revealing what was in it due to the darkness in it.


    ¡®A special shard to influence those with star shard powers,¡¯ he said.


    From the monitor''s speakers, a growl could be heard that was coming from the cage.


    ¡®A shard of darkness,¡¯ Kazerku said with fascination towards the screen.

 chapter 3.26 The battle continues. The fire is spreading!

    Djon had put the princess in the back in Eto¡¯s room and after that, he quickly moved to the front to start the ship.


    The fire on the giant tree created big and thick streams of smoke in the air as he left it all behind.


    He opened up his communicator.


    ¡® TYO, TYO, can you hear me?¡¯ he yelled as he flew over the top of the trees in the jungle.


    Nothing.


    Djon followed straight ahead as Eto had said. He repeated its words on record and made it repeat through the communicator.


    He kept flying straight forward, hoping to find the rest beneath him in between the trees.


    While he didn¡¯t find the rest, he saw something else moving.


    Lion-like creatures jumped through the jungle, agile and on their way to the giant tree he just left.


    Djon¡¯s instinct wanted to make him turn around but he remembered what Eto said.


    He kept going, hoping to find the rest.


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    The fire was spreading more and more. It started to reach the trees in the jungle underneath the giant tree.


    Eto tried to stop the fire but he couldn¡¯t. There was nothing he could do.


    ¡®Damn it,¡¯ he yelled in the air.


    He turned to the soldiers who kept running and shooting at the Kojo members.


    Eto saw women and children flee from the wooden houses as the fires began to catch them and soldiers started to close in.


    ¡®Stop it!¡¯ Eto yelled and in reaction, he jumped to the houses where the woman and children were fleeing from.


    He got down and punched two soldiers to the ground. He began to notice that his anger got the better of him as the helmets of the soldiers were blown off their heads in the impact.


    The eyes of young men looked at Eto, scared and wondering why they did what they were doing.


    ¡®Quickly,¡¯ Hawk said while running. Vanessa ran next to him and Veronica was running behind them, trying to keep up while getting exhausted.


    ¡®We will never get to them in time. Those Ricu warriors are way faster,¡¯ Vanessa said as they made their way through the jungle.


    ¡® Wait! I got a connection with the Tortoise!¡¯ TYO said who drove besides them.


    Veronica quickly looked up and it didn¡¯t take long for her to see the ship flying above them.


    ¡®Thank you,¡¯ Veronica whispered to herself as TYO said he sent their location.


    The ship stopped and started to go down right above them.


    The hatch was opened and they could see Djon with the female tree creature that she had seen with Eto at the river.


    ¡®Need a lift?¡¯ Djon said with his recognizable grin.

 chapter 3.27 The will to fight. The determination of soldiers!

    Veronica, Vanessa, Hawk and TYO all got up in the tortoise.


    While Hawk and Vanessa made their way to the cockpit to help Djon, Veronica was intrigued with something else.


    In the door opening of Eto¡¯s room, stood the Kojo girl that Veronica had seen with Eto when he was shot down by the river.


    ¡®Hello,¡¯ Veronica said slowly and the girl looked at her, checking her out.


    She said nothing and for a while, they were just standing there, looking at each other.


    Slowly, the girl walked out of the opening and towards Veronica.


    She was smaller than Veronica and when the girl stood before her, Veronica could see how beautiful she was.


    ¡®Are you Veronica?¡¯ she asked with a calm and soft voice.


    Veronica nodded, not sure how this girl could know her name.


    A tiny smile appeared on the girl¡¯s face and she looked down.


    ¡®Must be nice to have a good friend like Eto,¡¯ she said.


    Veronica didn¡¯t know why she said that and she wanted to answer if they were not interrupted by Djon.


    ¡®Ah, I see you have already met the princess,¡¯ Djon said quickly and Veronica looked from him back to the girl again.


    ¡®Princess?¡¯ she said softly, surprised by the status of this girl.


    Djon grabbed the princess on her shoulder and wanted to guide her towards the cockpit.


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    ¡®We need your help, you know this world better than us. We are gonna need to find a source of much water to fight the fires at the giant tree.¡¯


    Like a snap, the princess was out of her thoughts and suddenly she looked at Djon with a serious gaze.


    ¡®Yes, I will show you,¡¯ she said and the princess led the way to the cockpit, leaving Veronica behind as Djon followed the Kojo princess.


    The eyes of the soldiers looked at Eto, with fear overtaking them.


    It was that moment that Eto calmed down.


    When it seemed he wasn¡¯t angry anymore, the soldiers crawled away, hoping for a chance to get away from Eto and the fight.


    ¡®They are just following orders, even though the orders are wrong,¡¯ Eto mumbled to himself.


    He looked around and when he saw the other soldiers fight the Kojo members, he could tell that this was all instructions.


    These soldiers were not doing this because they wanted to, but because they needed to. It was expected of them as it was their job. And they were loyal to that.


    It made Eto even more angrier, knowing there was someone higher up asking this of them.


    He jumped forward, not with rage but with the determination of taking the soldiers down without hurting them.


    He knocked a few unconscious and realized that he could only convince the Kojo members to stop the fighting if he was calm.


    ¡®Please stop,¡¯ he asked again, hoping that this time they would listen.


    They did not respond. Instead, they kept to their fighting, trying to protect their sacred tree.


    In the distance, Eto saw multiple Kojo creatures try to put out the water. But it failed when new soldiers arrived with orders to spread the fire.


    ¡®What now?¡¯ Eto asked himself, feeling he was gonna lose hope.


    Behind him, at the edge of the trees to the jungle, he could hear the sound of something approaching.


    He turned around and behind him, the lion-like creatures he had seen by the river had arrived.


    They looked with fury in their eyes towards him, the soldiers, the Kojo and the giant tree. Eto didn¡¯t know if that was a good or a bad sign.


    As the lion-like creatures started to run to what seemed to join the battle, Eto saw something else that sparkled a little bit of hope.


    In the sky, in the distance, he saw the Tortoise approaching.

 chapter 3.28 The Tortoise has landed. A plan to stop the battle!

    The Tortoise landed close to the top of the tree which served as the base of the Kojo tribe. Eto was standing underneath it, seeing his friends arrive.


    ¡®You made it!¡¯ he yelled with a big smile on his face.


    Veronica, Djon, TYO, Vanessa and the princess jumped down from the ship.


    Veronica wanted to hug Eto but the princess quickly jumped in ahead and started to hug Eto.


    ¡®I¡¯m so glad you are safe,¡¯ she said with a caring voice.


    Eto didn¡¯t know what to do so he slowly made her release him so he could talk to the others.


    ¡®How are you?¡¯ Veronica asked while the princess held onto Eto¡¯s arm.


    ¡®Bad. Everybody keeps fighting,¡¯ he answered and Hawk looked past him to the battle.


    ¡®Damn those soldiers. They ruined everything,¡¯ he said angry but Eto interrupted him.


    ¡®I got close to some soldiers. It seems they even doubt why they are doing this. There must be a leader who commands them to do such awful things.¡¯


    ¡®Oh,¡¯ TYO responded while jumping up and down on his tiny wheel.


    ¡®I couldn¡¯t tell because of the explosion but while I was in the jungle, I discovered some really interesting news.¡¯


    ''What news?¡¯ Hawk asked, looking down to the robot.


    ¡®There is a base nearby and while I was scouting through the ventilation shafts, I discovered that the man we encountered in the Holy knight temple on Etoile is here. Councilman Kazerku. And to make things worse, one of the Generation Zero knights is here as well!¡¯


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    Eto thought about his encounter with Kazerku on Etoile and his battle with the knight.


    ¡®I guess there are more of them,¡¯ he said softly.


    ¡®Then he must be the one who commands these soldiers,¡¯ Veronica said.


    ¡®Guess they are doing the job of an evil mind,¡¯ Hawk responded, looking at the battle further away.


    ¡®What man?¡¯ Princess Morinojo asked Eto but they all heard a voice above them.


    ¡®I love to stay for chats but we have work to do,¡¯ Djon said while standing on the hanging platform next to the Tortoise.


    ¡®Right,¡¯ Eto said and he saw the ship coming down, closer to them.


    Djon jumped next to them, getting two swords in his hands.


    ¡®I will try to knock some sense into that guy Gongarza, maybe he will listen to me.¡¯


    The princess looked at him with a worried face but Djon responded with a grin.


    ¡®Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not gonna hurt him. I think because he knows me, I have a better chance of calming him down. Better than Eto that is,¡¯ reminding them that Gongarza didn¡¯t like Eto from the start.


    ¡®You two will fly the ship with the water we quickly gathered to help take down the flames.


    Veronica saw that Djon was pointing to her and Vanessa.


    Unlike Vanessa, Veronica gave a look that she wasn¡¯t happy with who she had to work with.


    ¡®Can she fly your ship?¡¯ Veronica asked but Vanessa didn¡¯t respond to her.


    ''Of course. I saw the ship she was flying. I think she can handle it,¡¯ he answered and Vanessa only nodded, jumping back into the ship.


    ¡®You. Best to try to calm down that Lion leader. You know him right?¡¯ Djon asked Hawk.


    He nodded. ¡®Lowe. I will try my best.¡¯


    While TYO wasn¡¯t given a command, he drove to Hawk to follow him.


    ¡®What about me?¡¯ Eto asked, still having the princess hanging to his arm.


    Djon smiled.


    ¡®Try to convince the Kojo members to stop attacking the soldiers, or protect them when needed. It is what you can do,¡¯ he said.


    A dull expression turned into a smile as Eto nodded and started to run, while the princess did her best to hold on and keep up with him.

 chapter 3.29 The battle must stop! Asking for reason

    Eto jumped through the fight, using strength to block attacks from both tribes to hit each other. The princess also let go and started to talk to her fellow members. Some stopped and listened to her, not understanding why she wanted them to stop the attack on their tribe and the giant tree.


    When she wanted to explain, they already continued fighting.


    Eto looked around, jumping and running to disable the weapons from the soldiers.


    With a lot of shouting, he used his powers to break the rifles and stop the attacks from the Kojo.


    When soldiers were left without a weapon, Eto made sure they could escape the attacks or he blocked them.


    The princess looked around and found Gongarza a few miles ahead, with Djon running towards him.


    Gongarza fought bravely, hitting different soldiers and hearing their armor crack. With a giant spear and a sharp stone at the end, he quickly disabled them from their rifles.


    One soldier fell down, with his helmet broken, he quickly removed it.


    A frightened boy looked up and his eyes said he regretted ever going into this fight.


    Gongarza quickly walked up to him, holding his spear high and ready to stab him.


    The spear went down and the eyes of the boy closed, afraid of the incoming attack.


    A sound of a clash could be heard.


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    The boy opened his eyes and he saw a huge alien in black robes, holding four swords with four arms, blocking the attack.


    ¡®Run,¡¯ he yelled to the boy and he quickly got away.


    ¡®I thought you were a friend. Someone we could trust,¡¯ Gongarza said with anger to Djon. He only responded with a grin.


    ¡®I still am. We all are,¡¯ he answered and he quickly looked up with Gongarza following his gaze.


    The tortoise flew over and started to drop and shoot beams of water over the fires.


    Gongarza turned his eyes back to Djon who looked at him with the same grin.


    ¡®If you can see through the shadow of your anger, you¡¯ll notice that these soldiers do not wish to harm you. They are just doing what they are told. There is someone responsible but without that voice to tell them what to do, they wouldn¡¯t be here.¡¯


    Gongarza, still confused, pushed harder with his spear, still being blocked by Djon.


    ¡®If they don¡¯t want to do this, then why listen? They can doubt their master¡¯s intentions and act on their own, can¡¯t they?¡¯ he shouted.


    ¡®Would your soldiers?¡¯ Djon asked and Gongarza felt the sudden impact of doubt.


    He looked around, seeing his soldiers fight against the soldiers in armor, some already broken and down. What he could see, now that he focussed, were young humans, afraid and fighting against their will. Fighting against his soldiers who keep fighting, no matter the enemy.


    ¡®Stop,¡¯ Gongarza said quietly and he pushed back, making the attack on Djon end.


    ¡®Stop,¡¯ he said again, realizing what was happening here.


    ¡®Stop!¡¯ he shouted and his voice echoed through the whole tribe.


    All Kojo soldiers stopped their attack, turning their gaze towards their commander.


    Not one soldier used this opportunity.


    Instead, they all tried to run or broke down, low on energy.


    The battle stopped and the sound of fires going out by the water could be heard. That, and the sound of something approaching.


    At the end of the tribe, to the edge of the jungle, figures came climbing up the trees and entered the tribe.


    Lowe and his Ricu warriors had come to the battlefield.


    ¡®Time to take what is ours,¡¯ he said to his warriors as they stormed the battlefield.

 chapter 3.30 Battle conclusion at the giant tree

    Lowe and his warriors ran towards the giant tree, seeing soldiers and Kojo members on the battlefield. An attack of opportunity came to Lowe¡¯s mind but he was soon stopped by someone.


    Hawk jumped in front of him, holding his arms wide to stop Lowe.


    ¡®What are you doing?¡¯ Lowe asked with irritation as he looked at Hawk.


    ¡®Are you helping them? Turning your back¡¯s on me. Me, who helped you?¡¯


    Hawk kept looking at him with a serious face but when he noticed that Lowe and his warriors would not move, he lowered his arms.


    ¡®You once said that your ancestors and those of the Kojo were living together, sharing the treasures of the giant tree. What made you stop?¡¯


    Lowe looked over Hawk to the many Kojo members and the giant tree, still with flames behind them.


    ¡®They betrayed us, killing our kind and taking the tree for themselves.¡¯


    Hawk wouldn¡¯t know but he kept looking at Lowe with a straight face.


    ¡®Have you seen it? Heard from them? ''Asked them?¡¯


    ¡®Ask?¡¯ Lowe said and a sinister laugh appeared on his face.


    ¡®As soon as they killed our kind, it was war. We wanted revenge but we were outnumbered and driven from our homes here. Driven to build new ones outside the jungle.¡¯


    Hawk quickly looked around and saw everybody standing still, with only one Kojo member walking towards them.


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    ¡®You sure?¡¯ he asked again and the creature named Gongarza stepped past Hawk.


    He stopped a few meters before Lowe and when their eyes met, Gongarza threw his spear on the ground.


    ¡®No more,¡¯ he said seriously and he looked at Lowe.


    He looked back at Gongarza and gave a grin.


    ¡®Easy for you to say. You started this,¡¯ he said and his grin disappeared.


    ¡®We started only something when you attacked us,¡¯


    ¡®Nonsense,¡¯ Lowe yelled with an angry voice.


    ¡®It was your kind that killed ours. And I can¡¯t even think why you suddenly wanted it all for yourself, after decades of living together!¡¯


    Gongarza looked at him, steady but serious.


    ¡®You read the questions in my mind, Lowe. Why would you guys attack and kill us? For the treasures of the giant tree? One we shared for so long?¡¯


    Lowe started to get angry.


    ¡®We found the bodies, attacked and murdered by weapons. The Kojo are the only ones strong enough to kill our kind,¡¯ he yelled.


    A few warriors started to move forward, driven by Lowe¡¯s anger.


    Gongarza started to look puzzled.


    ¡®We found the bodies of our kind, brutally murdered, which could only happen because of the strongest on our planet. The Ricu warriors.¡¯


    Lowe took a few steps to get closer to Gongarza but he stayed on his spot.


    ¡®You are telling me that you didn¡¯t do it?¡¯ he said angry and questionably.


    ¡®Who else could have done such a horrifying thing?¡¯ he almost whispered now that he was so close to Gongarza.


    ¡®That is a question I am wondering myself, Lowe. I am sure we didn¡¯t murder your members, and if you say that you didn¡¯t start killing ours in the first place, I am wondering who did.¡¯


    In the distance, a roar could be heard coming from the lower jungle, followed by the sounds of trees moving. The sounds kept coming closer and closer.


    Eto, walking through the battle that was stopped, reached Hawk and walked past Gongarza and Lowe, looking to the jungle.


    He caught their intention, making them look to the jungle to hear the sounds.


    ¡®I think I know who did it,¡¯ Eto said with anger as he felt something coming towards them.

 chapter 3.31 A threat approaching. Everybody hide!

    The trees started to move quicker. Eto could clearly see something moving towards them. The wind set up and clouds started to gather in the sky.


    ¡®Make everyone get to shelter. I feel this is gonna end badly,¡¯ he said seriously without taking his eyes off the movement.


    ¡®Wait a minute. What is it?¡¯ Lowe asked who also looked at the movement of the trees.


    Gongarza stepped in and stood beside them.


    ¡®I don¡¯t know but I have a feeling it has something to do with the battle that you guys have been keeping going.¡¯


    Eto stepped forward, turning his head to look at both Lowe and Gongarza with a serious gaze.


    ¡®Move. Shelter,¡¯ he said almost demanding and from behind Lowe and Gongarza, the rest looked at Eto.


    Hawk hadn¡¯t seen Eto seriously that much, but there was something about the boy that had changed. The happy and smiley boy had disappeared for someone who was ready to give it all.


    ¡®We better start listening,¡¯ Djon said, interrupting the silence.


    ¡®I guess so,¡¯ Lowe said, looking at Eto.


    Cloud began to appear more and more and from somewhere in the distance, thunder could be heard.


    ¡®You heard them, let¡¯s get everyone to shelter. Help the Kojo!¡¯ Lowe yelled at his soldiers.


    They all looked at him, confused how the thoughts of battle had changed so quickly. Lowe noticed their troubled minds but he kept to his command.


    ¡®Now!¡¯


    The tortoise flew around the tree, dropping water on the bigger fires.


    Vanessa sat in the cockpit, overlooking the tree and Veronica, who had been at the back to open the gates with water, had appeared next to her.


    ¡®What is happening?¡¯ she asked, confused about the scene down below.


    ¡®I don¡¯t know,¡¯ Vanessa answered, also looking at the scene.


    ¡®The battle stopped when those Ricu creatures came to the scene. And now they are all running, trying to hide.¡¯


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    Vanessa looked down, seeing Ricu warriors helping the tree creatures get to safety. They even helped the soldiers, who also started to help the others. As if they all became allies in a short time.


    ¡®I can¡¯t believe this,¡¯ Veronica said and she grabbed a communicator.


    ¡®Djon, Djon. Can you hear me?¡¯ she asked through the device.


    Some cracks and a few silent seconds before her call was answered.


    ¡®Djon here,¡¯ he said with some noise in the background.


    ¡®What is happening?¡¯ Veronica asked, starting to see if she could spot Djon.


    ¡®I don¡¯t know. Something is approaching and the kid has a strange vibe to him,¡¯ he answered.


    The kid, Veronica thought to herself and she quickly realized he meant Eto.


    She looked around, hoping to find him and when the large groups started to move to the giant tree to hide, she could see Eto standing at the edge overlooking the jungle.


    ¡®What can we do?¡¯ she asked with more panic in her voice.


    ¡®What we agreed to do,¡¯ Djon answered and the answer surprised Veronica.


    ¡®We all have our job to do, and you guys have yours. Keep putting those fires out and maybe we are in luck, seeing the weather.¡¯


    Both Vanessa and Veronica looked up to the gray clouds, hinting that it could start to rain soon.


    ¡®And Eto?¡¯ she asked quickly, concerned for him.


    ¡®The boy will do fine,¡¯ Djon answered and she could hear him laugh.


    ¡®When was the last time he didn¡¯t get out of a situation?¡¯


    Eto overlooked the jungle with the wind blowing through his black curly hair.


    Whatever it was that was approaching them, it was almost near.


    Eto turned around, walking back over the tops of the trees until he was some distance away from the edge.


    Princess Morinojo came running towards him, with Gongarza yelling at her.


    ¡®Eto, come with us. Something dangerous is approaching.¡¯


    She reached him, grabbing his arm and looking at the serious eyes of the boy.


    ¡®I know. But if I don¡¯t stop it, it will only attack you and everybody else. Running and hiding is no option for me. I have to protect everyone and end this useless battle between your kind and the others.¡¯


    His gaze turned to the edge, hearing the rumbling, something climbing up the tree where they were.


    ¡®Hold this for me,¡¯ Eto said and he pulled his scarf from his neck.


    Princess Morinojo looked at the red scarf, moving in the wind as she grabbed it.


    ¡®Now run,¡¯ Eto said as he pushed her gently towards Gongarza.


    Behind him, something had reached the edge.


    Eto turned to see, and he couldn¡¯t quite understand what he saw.


    A large creature, almost four times the size of Eto, came climbing up the trees.


    Two arms, two legs and a body, completely made of sand, leaves and branches, moving around like a storm in the shape of a monster.


    In the middle, a purple light emitted from deep within the body.


    ¡®Oh no,¡¯ Princess Morinojo said and sadness could be heard from her voice.


    ¡®That is my brother,¡¯ she squeaked.

 chapter 3.32 Prince Otzareta

    The creature stood on the edge, moving quickly with what seemed to be the head, looking around. When it spotted Eto, it kept staring at it.


    Her brother, Eto thought and he remembered the conversation he had with the princess. How Eto¡¯s star shard reminded her of her brother. The one that went away some time ago.


    Eto looked at the purple light coming from within the creature.


    Was that his star shard? Why did it look so different from his?


    The creature slammed into the trees with two giant fists, leaving marks of sand and branches as it jumped forward, towards Eto.


    Eto embraced himself, ready to stop the creature from attacking him.


    An arm hit Eto and he stopped it with both his arms, holding it above him as the creature tried to push him down.


    His hands started to get wounds from the sand and branches moving around fast, scratching Eto¡¯s skin.


    He could barely hold it and when he heard something moving beside him, it was already too late to look.


    The other arm of the creature moved quickly, changing shape and formed some sort of whip.


    It hit Eto hard and with much speed, Eto was knocked back, hitting the giant tree with a huge impact.


    Everyone who was still running towards shelter, stopped to see the boy being swung so hard towards the giant tree.


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    Some branches still caught on fire fell beside Eto, as he slowly fell forward from the place of impact, like a lifeless puppet to the bottom of the giant tree.


    Some Kojo members who stood close by wanted to approach him but they were told to continue moving towards shelter.


    The members ignored Eto, laying on the smaller treetops, getting wet in the rain.


    ¡®Eto, he has been hit,¡¯ Veronica yelled through the device to Djon.


    ¡®What is that thing?¡¯ Vanessa said who flew the ship above the scene, looking at the creature that had just arrived and hit Eto.


    It looked like a contained storm, shaped out of materials from the jungle. a strange purple light emitted from the body.


    Vanessa quickly rubbed over the shards under her eye, thinking it had something to do with star shard powers.


    ¡®DJON!¡¯ Veronica yelled, not containing her emotion because of Eto.


    ¡®Stay there,¡¯ Djon¡¯s voice finally answered.


    ¡®I will try to get to him, but it¡¯s getting damned hard with the rain and that creature approaching.¡¯


    Veronica looked outside, seeing that the creature started to move quickly towards the giant tree, like it was going mad.


    ¡®What should we,¡¯ she said but Vanessa interrupted her.


    ¡®We are gonna do what we promised. Like he said, the boy will manage. Now open up the pods to catch the rain for water,¡¯ she yelled at Veronica.


    Without a word, Veronica hesitated for a second but then she turned around and ran to the back of the ship to open the latches.


    ¡®Eto!¡¯ Princess Morinojo yelled and she stopped to walk back.


    Gongarza stopped and grabbed her.


    ¡®No, princess. It is too dangerous.¡¯


    ¡®But brother Otzareta is here,¡¯ she yelled. She looked at the creature which was her brother.


    Gongarza also looked at him, thinking the same as the princess.


    Why was he using his powers like this? And what is that strange light?

 chapter 3.33 The fight till the end

    The rain poured on Eto but he could only hear sounds as his eyes were closed.


    The rain, fires going out, fires still burning and the troubled sounds of panic.


    Why did Eto feel so weird? He knew what he had to do but why was he struggling?


    He opened his eyes and saw the top of the trees where he was laying on getting wet from the rain.


    It took some time but the shouting from the creature the princess called brother could be heard.


    Why was her brother doing this? What was happening?


    Eto couldn¡¯t understand. The fighting between the creatures, her brother fighting like this. Why was it all necessary?


    Slowly, Eto stood up. He could feel his body becoming sore but he tried to ignore it.


    In the distance, the giant creature rampaged, getting closer to the giant tree. The giant tree where Eto was smacked against.


    Eto spit and he could see blood falling on the leaves.


    He didn¡¯t want to hurt him. He was the brother of the princess. And she was his friend.


    Eto saw it all happening.


    The tortoise flew in the air, unleashed water to bring down the fires faster.


    He saw Djon, Hawk and that warrior from the princess escorting as many as possible to safety.


    They all did their part. And it was time he was gonna do his.


    Eto stretched his arm in front of him towards the creature in the distance.


    ¡®Let¡¯s try this again,¡¯ Eto mumbled.


    Rings around his skin started to glow.


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    ¡®Ring formation,¡¯ he whispered.


    He could feel the light charging, just as it would when he needed to jump and punch, only this time it felt channeled.


    The light shone bright and it caught the attention of the creature.


    It yelled and started to run towards Eto.


    ¡®Almost,¡¯ Eto said as he waited for the perfect opportunity.


    When he thought the creature was near enough, Eto unleashed his attack.


    The rings shot away from his arm, forming a real ring of light rushing towards the creature, getting bigger and bigger as it moved.


    The impact was near but the creature somehow managed to grab the ring, holding the light as it tried to push against him.


    But Eto was quick.


    He jumped ahead with a charge and while the creature was occupied with holding the ring of light, Eto punched him with a glowing fist on it¡¯s chest.


    The creature screeched, throwing the ring in the air to disappear as it was pushed back.


    Eto came down and in a moment when he saw the creature falling behind, he saw an opening.


    Inside the storm of dirt and branches which was the creature, a star shard could be seen. Only this time it seemed different.


    A purple light pulsed from it and Eto wondered what kind of shard it was.


    The creature put his feet down, stopping himself from moving and he jumped forward, meeting Eto in the air to strike.


    What followed was an intense battle with Eto trying to punch his way through the creature, leaving trails of branches and dirt everywhere.


    Sometimes, the creature managed to grab Eto and swing him away, letting him impact on something hard.


    The fight kept going and it didn¡¯t seem to get a winner.


    The creature dove down to attack Eto¡¯s feet and just as he wanted to block the attack, Eto fell for the trap.


    The creature¡¯s entire body turned quickly, slamming Eto hard and pushing him back against the giant tree again.


    This is not gonna work, Eto thought as he started to cough some blood.


    The creature ran towards him, ready to finish the job.


    There may only be one way to do it, Eto thought and he remembered the fight against Ased, and his attacks against Eto¡¯s star shard.


    The creature was near and Eto felt that this was his last energy and chance.


    Eto bended his knees, pouring all of the energy he had left to his legs who started to glow.


    The creature ran wild, sure he would finish his target soon.


    ¡®Almost,¡¯ Eto said.


    He could feel the energy in his legs overflow and when he looked up to see the creature near him, he let go.


    With an insane speed and impact, Eto jumped forward, going through the arms of the creature trying to block him, and getting inside the storm of branches and sand which was the monster.


    Fast and hard enough to reach what he had seen earlier.


    The purple star shard which floated inside the creature.

 chapter 3.34 The final attack

    Eto could feel the sand and branches cut wounds on his skin but he kept going. Inside, he found what he was looking for.


    A star shard, pulsing with a purple light.


    Not like the ones Eto had seen, he thought when he saw it.


    He reached out and got hold of the shard.


    The creature screeched when he grabbed it and Eto could feel the arms going inside the body, grabbing his legs.


    As the creature tried to pull him out, Eto held onto the star shard.


    Once he had touched it, Eto could feel something was wrong. As if the shard was pulsing with some sort of energy. A negative energy.


    Eto held on tight, feeling the creature pull his legs but he wouldn¡¯t let go.


    Something dark emitted from the shard and it inflicted Eto¡¯s mind.


    He could feel darkness. Darkness followed with pain and fear.


    But something blocked it.


    Eto could feel how his mind tried to resist.


    The shard started to pulse and emit more darkness.


    Shadows of purple light erupted from the shard and started to move around Eto¡¯s arms.


    He could feel becoming weaker as the darkness closed in.


    His grip started to get loose but he didn¡¯t want to let go.


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    The arms pulled harder and when Eto thought he couldn¡¯t hold on any longer, yellow light erupted from within him.


    Just like his attacks, yellow light erupted from his arms, banishing the shadows away that had grabbed him.


    Eto could feel his power getting back and the creature had trouble pulling him out again.


    The light moved through his arm, banishing the darkness until it reached his fingertips and started to get into the star shard.


    A screech, only this time louder.


    Eto could see what was happening.


    The light color from him and the purple color, both moving with rapid paste through the shard, as if they were battling.


    The creature screeched louder and louder and luckily, Eto could see the purple light getting weaker.


    Eto wanted to let go but he had to be sure.


    It was almost done and some fingertips started to lose grip.


    The last purple light had vanished.


    Eto let go.


    With force, he could feel himself getting pulled out, thrown away and crashing into parts of the trees.


    He could feel his body being weak, as if all his strength had left him.


    With a last look, he could see the creature screech but getting smaller, as the storm of branches around him was getting weaker and weaker.


    That was the last thing Eto saw before his eyes closed.


    When his eyes opened again, Eto could see himself laying in one of the beds he had slept in before.


    He was still at the giant tree and when he looked around, he could see everybody in the same room as him.


    Veronica, Hawk, TYO, Djon, Vanessa, princess Morinojo and Gongarza.


    ¡®Hey everyone,¡¯ he said slowly while he felt his body in pain.


    ¡®Stay down you,¡¯ Veronica demanded from him.


    ¡®I''m 100% sure his body has not recovered for 100%. But I''m also 100% sure he would ignore it if we don¡¯t stop him,¡¯ TYO said.


    Everyone laughed, including Eto, who felt the pain coming with it.


    The princess looked at him but her eyes moved to something else.


    Eto followed her gaze and saw what she was looking at.


    On a bed near them, layed a tree creature. One Eto hadn¡¯t seen before.


    He laid still, deep in sleep as his chest pounded slowly.


    From his chest, a blue light erupted from behind the branches that were his body. The light came from a star shard

 chapter 3.35 Fighting the root of evil!

    The rain kept going and even though he still had to recover, Eto stood outside looking at the skyline of the jungle. Dark clouds let in a little bit of sunlight.


    TYO stood beside him, looking in the same direction.


    ¡®You are sure it was there?¡¯ Eto asked.


    ¡®100% positive,¡¯ TYO said as his lens widened.


    ¡®Hmm,¡¯ Eto said as he was deep in thought.


    ¡®Eto?¡¯ a voice said behind them. They turned around to see who was coming for them.


    The princess, Gongarza, Veronica, Hawk and one of the lion-creatures came walking towards him.


    ¡®What are you doing?¡¯ Veronica asked, knowing she didn¡¯t like the look in his eyes.


    ¡®There is still evil here. TYO knows who is behind it. He has seen them.¡¯


    TYO drove in between them.


    ¡®Councilman Kazerku and one of the knights. They were at the base. I believe they had kept the one you called brother there captive.¡¯


    He pointed at princess Morinojo and she trembled a little bit.


    ¡®They must be the ones that hurted him. Bringing the darkness to his star shard,¡¯ Eto said.


    ¡®Was it darkness?¡¯ Hawk asked and Eto looked back towards the jungle.


    ¡®Not sure but it sure didn¡¯t feel right. I¡¯m just glad I could stop it. ''Somehow.''


    The princess jumped towards him and grabbed his arm.


    ¡®Thank you. Without you, my brother would be,¡¯ but her own tears interrupted her words and Gongarza walked up to Eto.


    ¡®We have to come up with a plan. If we gather enough tribes from the planet, we can stop the council from polluting this world with darkness.¡¯


    Gently, Eto took his arm from the princess and he shook his head.


    ¡®I don¡¯t think that the council is evil, or the soldiers working for them. I have seen how scared they were in battle and how they just followed orders. I believe there is one man responsible for this evil. And he is hiding away in that base.¡¯


    ¡®Wait. I know the meaning behind those words. You are not thinking about going on your own?¡¯ the lion-creature asked.


    Eto turned his head towards everyone.


    ¡®It¡¯s time to end this now. Without delay. Before he escapes.¡¯


    ¡®Eto, wait!¡¯ Both the princess and Veronica yelled but they were too late.


    Eto¡¯s legs had already been filled with light and without saying anything else, he jumped away, into the jungle.


    ¡®What is this?¡¯ councilman Kazerku said with big confusion.


    He looked at the screens and monitors from the drones in the jungle.


    The battle was already over for a while and he had damned everyone in the base for his plan to have failed.


    But now he saw something else.


    That brat he had met on Etoile, the one his master was looking for. He had left the base of the giant tree that was now recovering from the fires.


    Kazerku quickly changed through different monitor views as the Ostrich knight came standing next to him.


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    ¡®Problem?¡¯ she asked and the councilmen answered frustrated.


    ¡®You think? Everything is ruined and it seems the brat is coming this way.¡¯


    He turned his gaze to the knight in armor and an evil grin came to his face.


    ¡®Time to show your worth. Time for Generation zero to show how important I am to you. Protect me and fight the brat.¡¯


    He walked back a few steps and the Ostrich knight looked at the monitor, viewing how the boy jumped through the jungle.


    ¡®Like I said before, I have my orders. And I have already been told what to do if a situation like this unfolds.¡¯


    ¡®And that is?¡¯ Kazerku asked, irritated.


    The knight turned to him and in its turn, it grabbed a cane that expanded to a morningstar kind of weapon.


    In that same turn, the knight quickly moved, and hit the councilmen on his legs.


    He fell down, with pain, quickly realizing he couldn¡¯t move his legs anymore, at all.


    Through the pain, he yelled at the knight.


    ¡®What the hell do you think you are doing?¡¯


    The knight walked to Kazerku who laid on the floor.


    Knowing he couldn¡¯t respond because of the pain, the knight kneeled and grabbed something from Kazerku¡¯s robes.


    A round, red, orb shaped object was in the knight¡¯s hand.


    ¡®Wait. What are you doing?¡¯ he asked in pain as he breathed heavily.


    ¡®Delivering something to my master that you grabbed for us from the capitol.¡¯


    The knight walked away to one of the doors.


    ¡®Wait. You can¡¯t leave me like this,¡¯ Kazerku said as he tried to crawl over the floor, feeling the pain getting heavier.


    The knight turned her head a little bit to respond.


    ¡®I have to tell you that your services are no longer needed.¡¯


    After those words, the knight disappeared through the door, leaving the councilman alone on the floor.


    How long was he lying there? Kazerku couldn¡¯t know. Someone had to show up, right?


    He laid there, not feeling his legs but the rest of his body screamed of the pain.


    One of the guards had to find him on his parol. He had to.


    Kazerku moved his hand over his robes and remembered he had a communicator when he felt it.


    He grabbed it slowly but was shocked when one of the walls next to him exploded, pieces flying though the room, revealing the daylight.


    In the rubble, the boy stood, with the glow in his arm fading.


    The boy looked at the councilman with anger in his eyes.


    ¡®You,¡¯ he said and Kazerku tried to crawl away.


    ¡®No. Please don¡¯t hurt me. I am already wounded,¡¯ he yelled but the boy jumped up, landing above him as he leaned over him.


    ¡®You. You put evil in this world.¡¯


    The boy grabbed his robes, pulling the councilman up which made him suffer more.


    All the cheerfulness Kazerku had seen from the boy on Etoile was gone.


    Anger was now the state of mind.


    ¡®I-I-I,¡¯ Kazerku mumbled but he couldn¡¯t speak.


    "Leave this planet now, and never return,¡¯ the boy said threateningly.


    Kazerku looked into the boy¡¯s eyes with fear, and in a quick response, he grabbed his communicator.


    ¡®SOUND THE ALARM! THE BOY NAMED ETO HAS ATTACKED ME AND HAS INFILTRATED THE BASE!¡¯


    Almost immediately, an alarm went off and footsteps could be heard in the distance.


    ¡®Hide all you want. If I discover you hurt someone again, I will find you,¡¯ the boy whispered to him.


    Footsteps had reached the door and the boy turned his head to see soldiers coming in with rifles.


    ¡®Last warning,¡¯ the boy said and his arm started to glow.


    ¡®Halt,¡¯ one of the soldiers said, pointing his gun at the boy.


    Quickly, the boy punched the councilman¡¯s head so hard, he was immediately knocked out.


    A few shots fired and the boy jumped back, making his way through the open wall and disappearing in the jungle.


    The soldiers ran towards the councilman and two walked to the wall to see if they could see the boy fleeing.


    One of them opened his communicator.


    ¡®Commander Gustia will arrive soon. He wants to speak to councilman Kazerku. We should bring him a rapport from the boy and this incident. Gather all video evidence we can find.¡¯


    Eto ran through the jungle, looking back to check if he was not followed.


    He held his hand on his belly and quickly glanced.


    A wound was burning, as he was a little too late for one shot.


    Doesn¡¯t matter, he thought. He had to make sure the councilman would never try something again.


    Eto kept running, feeling his energy slip away. He didn¡¯t even have enough energy to jump back to the giant tree.


    After a while, he thought he would pass out. Not just from the wound but the loss of energy.


    He tripped over some roots and fell down in the mud, accepting that he didn¡¯t have enough strength to get back up.


    While he had to get back up, laying down felt good. He just hadn¡¯t any more energy so he stayed there for a while.


    It seemed like hours but later, a sound from the distance caught his attention.


    Jet engines could be heard coming close and it seemed someone had found him. A familiar voice said something.


    ¡®Grab him, before it is too late!¡¯

 chapter 3.36 A new dawn

    After what seemed to be a long night, the rain had made way for the sun.


    The treetops on the planet Daisugi seemed to reflect this light, and the planet felt warm.


    While the giant tree, that stood as a eyecatcher on the skyline of the planet, had burned down, everyone came in to help.


    Veronica stood on the side, watching as both the tree-like and the lion-like creatures were helping each other.


    Even strange creatures she had not ever seen before came from the jungle to help.


    She even saw TYO driving around, overcoming his fears from the creatures to help out anywhere he could.


    ¡®Mind helping me a little?¡¯ a voice asked, friendly.


    Veronica turned around and saw Vanessa walking with small logs.


    ¡®I¡¯m gathering them for the Kojo tribe to rebuild their homes.¡¯


    Veronica looked at Vanessa, not feeling the hate or fear she felt for her before.


    She also remembered how she got introduced to the tree-creatures, known as the Kojo.


    She quickly shook her head, feeling she was staring at Vanessa with her own thoughts.


    ¡®You okay?¡¯ she asked Veronica, who responded with a smile.


    ¡®Yes. I¡¯m fine. Thanks. Of course I will help.¡¯


    Veronica took over the logs and followed Vanessa to gather more and help the rest to rebuild the homes.


    ¡®Okay, keep it steady!¡¯ Djon yelled to the Ricu warriors.


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    They all walked in lines to gather water from the nearby river, and returned to the ship the Tortoise.


    ¡®Once we are done here, we will check how much more water is needed. I believe most of the fires have been dealt with but we don¡¯t want to take any risks.¡¯


    Hawk was standing beside him, looking at a tiny monitor in his hand which he had grabbed from the ship.


    He kept getting data on the screen and sometimes the voice of TYO popped up.


    ¡®Keep driving around. Report when you find some missed fires,¡¯ Hawk said through the monitor to TYO.


    ¡®Do you think he will wake up soon? We have to get going. Just to be sure.¡¯


    Djon said this to Hawk who looked up to him.


    ¡®I can only think about him waking up. Leaving seems so far off from everything that has happened.¡¯


    Princess Morinojo was the only one allowed in the cabin on one of the tree branches. She looked at Eto who was asleep in bed.


    She had tried to heal his wound when they found him but something blocked her healing ability. The other Kojo member did everything they could to treat the wound. It was now up to nature to help him.


    Hours passed but the princess wouldn¡¯t move from her spot. She wanted to keep an eye on him at all times.


    Eventually, someone entered the room, other than the healing Kojo members.


    ¡®Little sister. I thought I would find you here,¡¯ a man said.


    Princess Morinojo looked up and saw her brother enter the room.


    She jumped up and hugged him tightly.


    ¡®I¡¯m sorry I wasn¡¯t there when you woke up. But I had a feeling Eto needed more attention. I believed you were strong enough to recover.¡¯


    Her brother, Otzareta, smiled as he looked her into her eyes.


    ¡®I know, I know,¡¯ and he looked at the boy. The boy who had saved him.


    ¡®Tell me what happened,¡¯ the princess said but Otzareta slowly shook his head.


    ¡®Later. I¡¯m still struggling with the idea of the damage I have caused. Give me time to process it.¡¯


    Morinojo quickly nodded, understanding how her brother must feel.


    ¡®In the meantime, I guess you must have figured out what is the next step?¡¯


    The princess, looking away, knowing what her role would be, knew what he was talking about.


    ¡®Yes,¡¯ she mumbled and Otzareta let her go and walked slowly towards the boy.


    ¡®But first. I would like you and your friend to see something.¡¯


    She looked around, wondering what her brother was talking about.


    He turned towards her with the same smile he had when he walked in.


    ¡®The ruins of our father are open for us to enter.¡¯

 chapter 3.37 Inside the giant tree. The secrets of Daisugi

    While everyone in and around the tribe worked hard to restore everything, the princess followed her brother into the giant tree.


    The fire burned most of the tree, leaving only the stump, which was now open for them to enter.


    The root of the tree went deep and as they walked further and further down, the light of the sun became less and less.


    ¡®Brother, what are the ruins?¡¯ princess Morinojo asked as they found their way deep into the roots.


    ¡®I¡¯m not sure. Father never mentioned it before he began his progress. My guess is that it is all the information about our clan and history. Information that needs to be preserved in our roots.¡¯


    The princess thought about it as they continued.


    She also never had any information from her father. Everything she knew about the planet and its history were from her tribe.


    A distant memory surfaced as she thought about her father.


    A Kojo member who was strong and wise.


    She remembered how he loved her and her brother. She also thought about her mother, how she had left them to become one with the planet, feeding the life that lived on it.


    It was the way of the Kojo. Something Morinojo knew and even though her mother was not with her now, she was always with her through Daisugi.


    The memory Morinojo had was fuzzy.


    She remembered how her father had meetings, in which he shared information with others he wouldn¡¯t tell her and her brother.


    Often when Morinojo asked about it, her father would take her to look at the stars. He then explained how worlds in the distant, and how they moved, could tell about the past, present and future.


    He told her it would give information, sometimes best not told to everyone. It was information he had to preserve, and that¡¯s why he couldn¡¯t tell them.


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    The sun was faint in the distance above them as Otzareta lighted a torch to shine on their way.


    ¡®I believe we are almost there,¡¯ he said.


    ¡®Wait, don¡¯t tell me,¡¯ TYO said as he looked over the bed in which Eto layed.


    One of the Kojo who overlooked Eto, looked at the tiny robot who started to jump and make sound.


    ¡®I have to alert everyone,¡¯ he yelled and quickly he left the room and drove away.


    Outside, Hawk and Djon gathered somewhere near the giant tree. They had overlooked the area multiple times but they couldn¡¯t find any more fires.


    The Tortoise was docked on the edge of the treetops, where some Kojo members with the help of the Ricu clan, started to repair and clean the ship.


    Soon they were accompanied by Veronica and Vanessa, who sighed and wished they could go in a bath after all the work.


    In the background, houses were built by Kojo and Ricu and some strange looking creatures from the jungle had come in to help them.


    ¡®Something to drink?¡¯ Hawk asked but he already threw two bottles to Veronica and Vanessa.


    ¡®Gathered from the spring,¡¯ Djon said, who put out his coat because the sun started to get warm.


    They just sat there, saying nothing but enjoying the moment of rest after everything that had happened.


    After a while, Hawk started to talk with a little grin on his face.


    ¡®So, Vanessa. ''What is your plan?¡¯


    She looked at Hawk and then at the Tortoise.


    ¡®I have to check my ship. I don¡¯t know what kind of damage it took with the emergency landing of the Tortoise.¡¯


    Hawk turned to look at the ship.


    ¡®Worst case we have to bring you to a planet to get your ship fixed. Even though you attacked us, I can¡¯t see after your help why we can¡¯t help you a little.¡¯


    Vanessa nodded, showing a look of appreciation.


    ¡®What will you do?'' Are you gonna work for Generation zero again?¡¯ Veronica asked her.


    ¡®No. I¡¯m done with those guys. Believe it or not, getting to know that immature boy of yours, I think I feel like starting anew. A blank page so to say.¡¯


    Djon smiled, hearing the conversation.


    ¡®Speaking of our little boy, I sure hope that,¡¯ but he was interrupted.


    With a lot of sound, TYO came driving towards the group.


    ¡®Everyone, everyone gather!¡¯


    ¡®Wow, TYO. Slow down,¡¯ Hawk said, scared the tiny robot would hurt himself.


    With a quick brake and some tumbling, the tiny robot stopped in front of them.


    ¡®Everyone. ''It has happened!¡¯


    ¡®What has happened?¡¯ Veronica asked.


    TYO jumped, waving his little arms.


    ¡®Eto woke up!¡¯ he yelled with joy.

 chapter 3.38 Eto is awake!

    Everyone ran towards the houses that held the injured. They were some who didn¡¯t get caught by the fire.


    Some of the Kojo had to jump aside for the entire group to pass by.


    TYO drove as fast as he could and he was way ahead when he reached the room where Eto was lying.


    ¡®Eto!¡¯ Everyone yelled when they reached the door.


    There, in bed, already eating, a surprised Eto looked at them.


    ¡®Yes?¡¯ he asked, surprised when everyone ran in.


    Veronica hit him on the head, where the Kojo member who looked after Eto became infuriated with.


    ¡®Don¡¯t just ¡®yes¡¯ us. We were worried sick.¡¯


    ¡®Well, I¡¯m fine,¡¯ he answered, smiling as he had always done.


    Hawk walked beside him on the other side than Veronica.


    ¡®We couldn¡¯t assume. You were asleep for a few days. We didn¡¯t want to think about it but we started to get worried when you would wake up.¡¯


    Djon looked at Eto from the end of the bed.


    ¡®Do you remember what happened?¡¯ he asked slowly.


    Eto looked confused, thinking what he could remember.


    ¡®Well. I remember the fight, and I also remember the giant tree creature with the purple star shard.¡¯


    ¡®Purple star shard?¡¯ Hawk asked.


    Eto nodded. ¡®Yeah. It was definitely a star shard but I could feel the darkness in it. Maybe that¡¯s why it was a different color.¡¯


    Everyone looked at each other, a bit confused.


    ¡®Corrupted maybe?¡¯ Vanessa suggested, standing behind everyone.


    Eto looked at her and smiled.


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    ¡®I guess. So you decided to stay?¡¯


    Everyone turned to Vanessa who blushed a bit from the attention.


    ¡®For now, until I can fix my ship,¡¯


    Eto still smiled and put his thumb up to her, letting her know he was happy with it.


    ¡®But Eto, can¡¯t you remember something else?¡¯ Veronica asked him.


    Eto looked at her with a surprised look.


    ¡®What do you mean?¡¯ Eto asked.


    Veronica looked at the others, who all agreed something was strange.


    ¡®After the fight, you asked where the council base was from TYO. And then you jumped into the jungle. We presume you went there but when we had the Tortoise finally flying to follow you, we found you laying in the jungle.¡¯


    Eto heard her story and thought deeply. At first, he didn¡¯t remember. But soon, some flashes in his mind returned.


    Memories formed and even though it was a haze, he could remember how he addressed councilman Kazerku at the base.


    ¡®Yeah I found the base, and I remember the man I encountered on Etoile. ''He was there.¡¯


    ¡®Which man?¡¯ Hawk asked and Eto turned to TYO.


    ¡®The man in the temple of the holy knights.¡¯


    TYO jumped up. ¡®Yes, councilman Kazerku. I saw him in the base, together with one of Generation Zero¡¯s knights.¡¯


    ¡®Generation Zero was there?¡¯ Veronica asked both TYO and Eto.


    While TYO jumped, Eto slowly shook his head. He said he didn¡¯t remember encountering one of the knights like on Etoile.


    He thought again and remembered how the man was laying on the floor when he arrived.


    ¡®He was already hurt, before I knocked him out. Maybe he got in a fight with them?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®You knocked him out? Someone from the council?¡¯ Hawk asked, a little scared.


    ¡®Now you are definitely on a wanted list,¡¯ Vanessa said.


    ¡®What are you gonna do?¡¯ Veronica asked Eto and Djon interrupted them.


    ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter for now. What we need to think of is how we are gonna continue and what the next plan is.¡¯


    Everyone went silent for a moment to think of a plan and after a while, someone entered the room.


    Gongaraza entered the room and looked at Eto, who smiled at him.


    ¡®I am happy to see you are recovering. I guess I owe you some sort of apology.¡¯


    Eto waved his hand a little, giving a gesture that it wasn¡¯t needed.


    ¡®It¡¯s fine. What matters most is that everyone is safe. How about the princess? How is she? And her brother?¡¯


    Everyone turned to Gongarza, wondering indeed how it was with the princess and her brother. They all knew he was awake already but they never got the chance to talk to them.


    ¡®About that,¡¯ he said before clearing his throat.


    ¡®The princess and her brother would like to invite you, when you are healed, to join them to the base of the giant tree.¡¯


    ¡®What for?¡¯ Eto asked and wondered.


    Gongarza put his arms on his back, making an official pose.


    ¡®It seems there are some secrets in the ruins they would like to share with you.¡¯

 chapter 3.39 The ruins of Daisugi

    Everyone followed Gongarza into the base of the giant tree.


    Giant parts were burned away but it somehow seemed to grant them passage to the roots.


    While finding their way down on different parts of the tree, the group followed each other in a line.


    Gongarza was in front, with Eto behind him.


    Behind Eto was Veronica, who kept an eye on Eto who had just recovered but was already jumping around, smiling and looking around.


    Hawk looked around, breaking the silence to question something.


    ¡®This place seems awfully burned. Was it always this accessible?¡¯


    Gongarza turned his head while he kept walking and shook it.


    ¡®No. Our former master buried the ruins with his roots. It seems he had secrets he wanted to keep from the rest.¡¯


    ¡®Why keep secrets from your people? Sounds to me like he had something to hide,¡¯ Vanessa answered.


    ¡®Could be. Some secrets could hurt people. Best to keep them a secret. I believe our former master would have had his reasons.¡¯


    The silence returned as they made their way deeper and deeper.


    Soon, TYO turned on a light and some torches were being lit.


    Their way was long and seemed to last a long time before they finally reached what seemed to be a level.


    Stone pillars and platforms were woven in between the roots and made it look like ruins which were grabbed and tangled in the roots of the trees.


    Gongarza kept walking and led the party inside.


    At the end of a long hall, a room surrounded by stone and roots came into sight.


    Inside were princess Morinojo and her brother, Otzareta.


    ¡®Eto!¡¯ the princess yelled and when she ran towards Eto, she almost jumped in to hug him.


    ¡®Hello princess,¡¯ Eto said and he didn¡¯t seem to know how to respond to the hug. Veronica walked by with misplaced shame.


    ¡®Prince Otzareta, I bring you the group as requested,¡¯ Gongarza said as he kneeled in front of the prince.


    ¡®Thank you, Gongarza. And that is not necessary,¡¯ the prince said as he waved his hands to let Gongarza know he could stand up.


    The rest walked to the middle of the room and looked around.


    ¡®Would you look at that! These stones hold old text and drawings,¡¯ Hawk said, who jumped forward to study some of the stones up close.


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    Now everyone could see it.


    On the different stones stuck between the vines, drawings and numbers could be seen.


    ¡®Ancient?¡¯ Djon asked and the prince nodded.


    ¡®From our people, a long time ago. I knew my father had these ruins passed on but he decided to bury them with him. When he took his role as the leading tree.¡¯


    Vanessa thought about the giant tree and the words of the princess about her father.


    ¡®I¡¯m sorry. If it really was your father, it¡¯s a shame he was burned away.¡¯


    Otzareta nodded but he smiled.


    ¡®That¡¯s okay. Maybe it¡¯s a sign that the next one in line should be ready.¡¯


    Without anyone noticing, he looked at his sister for a moment.


    ¡®What do you think these mean?¡¯ Vanessa asked who also walked around to look at the stones.


    ¡®For as far as I can tell, they tell the story of the ancient beasts,¡¯ Otzareta said.


    ¡®Ancient beasts?¡¯ Eto asked with wonder.


    Otzareta walked to one of the drawings.


    They looked like simple drawn creatures in the stone, all in a huge circle.


    Each creature had a line drawn to a circle in the middle of them.


    ¡®It seems the ancient beasts have something to do with the center of the universe.¡¯


    Eto walked next to him and looked at the drawings.


    ¡®The last world?¡¯ Veronica said with a soft voice.


    ¡®Where I need to go,¡¯ Eto mumbled.


    Otzareta looked at Eto and sighed.


    ¡®You have a long and dangerous journey ahead of you. I don¡¯t know why you need to go there,¡¯


    Eto also gave a sigh.


    ¡®Wish I knew. My grandpa told me the fate of the galaxy rests on my shoulders. And it means going there.¡¯


    Otzareta nodded and gave a smile, understanding the determination Eto had for his unknown mission.


    ¡®Wait a second,¡¯ Djon said and he walked to the drawing where Eto and Otzareta were looking.


    He walked past them, rubbing dirt and leaves from around the drawings.


    Symbols and numbers came to light at which Djon looked.


    ¡®These are coordinates,¡¯ he said, reading all the symbols and numbers.


    ¡®To where?¡¯ Eto asked but Djon held up his shoulders.


    ¡®Don¡¯t know. It is still in our sector but I don¡¯t know any planets or what happens to be there.¡¯


    ¡®Maybe an ancient beast?¡¯ Veronica asked but Otzareta shook his head.


    ¡®It can¡¯t be possible. The ancient beasts haven''t been seen for a long time.¡¯


    ¡®Well, whatever that is, it has to have something to do with them. Otherwise the coordinates wouldn¡¯t be there.¡¯


    Everyone looked at the symbols and drawings and a silence occurred for a few minutes.


    ¡®You know how to get there?¡¯ Eto asked and without looking, Djon nodded.


    ¡®Than that¡¯s where we will be going.¡¯


    They heard footsteps behind them and when they looked, they saw princess Morinojo running away, back up again.


    ¡®I guess she really would have liked for you to stay,¡¯ Veronica said to Eto who still looked in the direction in which the princess had run away.


    ¡®I don¡¯t understand. She knew we had to keep going. Maybe she wants to come with us.¡¯


    Both Veronica and Gongarza looked at each other in a little shock. Both knew that the princess needed to stay here.


    Veronica slowly walked to Eto to tell him why but Hawk interrupted her.


    ¡®Eto, why don¡¯t you go up and talk to her? Then we will make sure we are ready to leave.¡¯


    ¡®Alright,¡¯ Eto nodded and he also started to make his way back to the surface.


    They waited till he was gone before they spoke again.


    ¡®Best for her to see and tell him everything she wants. He will understand. He has to. It¡¯s gonna be a long road.¡¯


    ¡®Yeah,¡¯ Veronica nodded and understood why Hawk stopped her.


    ¡®Well then. Let¡¯s get ready,¡¯ Djon said as he walked past them with Vanessa following him. ¡®We have a long way to go, according to these coordinates.¡¯


    ¡®Can¡¯t wait,¡¯ TYO said sarcastically as he drove to follow the rest.

 chapter 3.40 Farewell

    The day went by and as the sun had already passed them and was starting to set, everyone was finishing up to leave.


    Eto drove through the Tortoise, rubbing and admiring everything which meant he would leave the jungle.


    Djon was busy getting supplies. Both the Kojo and the Ricu were grateful for their help and finding out what was causing the fight between the two clans.


    It seemed it was solved and they were helping each other building a new, shared home.


    ¡®Do you think he will get here?¡¯ Veronica asked, standing on the deck to enter the ship, overlooking the place.


    She hadn¡¯t seen Eto since he left them to talk to the princess.


    Vanessa walked and stood beside her.


    ¡®Easy girl''. Your man is not gonna leave us,¡¯.


    While Vanessa walked into the ship, Veronica turned around, blushing a bit.


    ¡®What do you mean with ¡®my¡¯ man?¡¯ she yelled nervously.


    Hawk was still walking to what used to be the Kojo village.


    While the rest was ready and waiting for Eto, he took the opportunity to study the plants real quickly.


    ¡®Anything I can help you with?¡¯ a male Kojo member asked while he walked up to him.


    He seemed old, like an older human and the bark of his body also seemed pretty old.


    ¡®Just admiring the trees,¡¯ Hawk said as he looked at them.


    ¡®Your admiration seems more like studying,¡¯ the old Kojo man said with a laugh. Hawk laughed in return.


    ¡®Can¡¯t help it. I used to study it a lot. ''For research.¡¯


    ¡®What kind of research?¡¯ the man asked.


    For a moment, Hawk fell into thoughts. Memories which seemed so long ago and lost due to recent activities resurfaced in his mind.


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    He quickly shook his head and forced a tiny smile on his face.


    ¡®For healing,¡¯ he mumbled.


    ¡®Oh, my,¡¯ the old man said and he turned away and walked to some other plants. Here, he started to pluck some leaves and branches off of them and handed them to Hawk.


    ¡®Maybe these would be good for your study,¡¯ the man said.


    Hawk studied the strange purple branch and the orange star shaped leaves on it.


    ¡®What is it?¡¯ he asked.


    ¡®The Aludenlac leaves,¡¯ the man said.


    ¡®We used these in our food. It seems to benefit the food for our growth and health. Don¡¯t know how it will work with creatures outside of the planet but I guess that is something you can find out.¡¯


    Hawk pulled it in, keeping it close to his chest.


    ¡®Thanks. I appreciate this,¡¯ he said calmy and the old man nodded.


    ¡®Just make sure that when you discover something, you are gonna use it for good use.¡¯


    Hawk¡¯s tiny smile turned into a bigger and more honest smile.


    ¡®I will,¡¯ he said.


    On the other side of the giant tree, overlooking the other part of the jungle, princess Morinojo was looking at the sun setting down.


    ¡®Princess,¡¯ she heard from a distance and when she looked, she saw Eto walking towards her.


    ¡®I have been looking everywhere for you, he said with a smile as he reached her.


    She smiled, not looking at him.


    Eto first looked at her but then looked at the setting sun, admiring the view of the jungle which now seemed at peace.


    ¡®I guess you are leaving?¡¯ she said, still not looking at Eto.


    He looked at her, not understanding why she was acting like this.


    ¡®Yes. I thought you knew. We kinda crashed here but it seemed like a good thing.¡¯


    At that moment, the princess looked Eto in his eyes. He could see some tears appearing in the corners of her eyes.


    ¡®You can¡¯t stay?¡¯ she asked.


    Eto sighed. He was ready to tell his story. Why he needed to leave and find the center of the galaxy, where the last world was.


    Before he could speak, the princess put her finger on his lips.


    She smiled and rubbed her tears away with her other arm.


    ¡®I¡¯m kidding,¡¯ she said with a heavier voice than usual.


    ¡®I know you have to leave. And I am grateful for everything you have done for us.¡¯


    Eto looked into her eyes, not understanding what was going on.


    She seemed to cry but she also looked happy.


    He wanted to ask but then they both looked to the side, where in the distance, Veronica looked at them, waving to Eto that they were leaving.


    The princess smiled. ¡®She is lucky.¡¯


    Veronica walked back and vanished from their sight.


    ¡®Lucky?¡¯ Eto asked and he looked at the princess who quickly jumped in and kissed him.


    After that, the princess turned away and walked back quickly towards the village, leaving Eto on the edge above the jungle.

 chapter 3.41 Destination unknown

    The engines of the Tortoise were already on. Waves of heat made plants move fast as everyone had gathered around the ship.


    Eto and the group stood in front of the entrance, while Gongarza spoke a few words of their heroism on the planet.


    ¡®And especially you, Eto,¡¯ he now said, less loud.


    ¡®You, who I distrusted from the beginning, has proven to me that not everyone from outside our planet is bad.¡¯


    Eto didn¡¯t know how to respond. He was more confused why Gongarza didn¡¯t like him in the first place but before he could ask, the Kojo member bowed before him. And not only him, soon all the Kojo and the Ricu members bowed before Eto and the group.


    ¡®Please get up,¡¯ Eto whispered while he felt embarrassed.


    Everyone else in the group laughed, as Gongarza and the rest got up.


    Prince Otzareta slowly walked to him and thanked him, not only for saving their tribe but also him personally.


    ¡®What about the soldiers on the planet?¡¯ Veronica asked and the prince smiled.


    ¡®We believe in Eto¡¯s words. That they were just soldiers following orders. We think that given enough time, they will leave, because their leader went down.¡¯


    They saw more members in the crowd nod to this idea. Even Lowe nodded, with his Ricu warriors spread out in the crowd amongst the Kojo members.


    Eto looked past the prince, looking for the princess. But he could not find her.


    ¡®She won¡¯t come. She already said goodbye, she said¡¯ the prince said Eto who looked around. Eto sighed.


    ¡®Too bad. I would have loved to see her before we went away.¡¯


    Hawk slowly walked next to him and put his mechanical arm on Eto¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡®Maybe it¡¯s for the best. Goodbyes are hard. Best to leave it to themselves to handle it how they want it.¡¯


    ¡®I guess,¡¯ Eto said sadly but still he showed his little smile.


    The group turned around and all started to walk up the hatch to get into the ship.


    ¡®May your paths be full of light, and it will always guide you to Daisugi, which is now a home for all of you,¡¯ the prince said as the hatch started to close.


    Djon took his place in the cockpit, and started to prepare for takeoff.


    Veronica took a place beside him, looking quickly over her shoulder to Eto who took a seat behind them.


    TYO drove by silently, stopping quickly to rub his tiny hand on Eto¡¯s leg as comfort before continuing to the machines of the ship.


    ¡®Cheer up,¡¯ Vanessa said who patted Eto on the back and took a place next to him.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡®Yeah,¡¯ Eto said. He couldn¡¯t explain why he felt so bad about leaving. He couldn¡¯t help thinking about how the princess was when they last saw each other. Partly, Eto thought he had made her feel bad but he couldn''t tell why.


    As the Tortoise started to get up and turn slowly towards the giant tree to fly away, Hawk saw something through the window.


    ¡®Would you look at that? Just in time.¡¯


    Eto and the rest also looked outside and there they saw the princess.


    On top of the burned tree, high in the sky, she was standing there, waving.


    Eto smiled and jumped forward to put his face against the glass.


    Even though they were far apart, he could tell she could see him. And he waved back at her.


    ¡®Nice goodbye,¡¯ Djon mumbled as he pushed the thruster and the ship moved forward, flying over the tree and over the princess.


    Soon, they were leaving the surface of Daisugi behind them.


    ¡®Insert shield, we don¡¯t want to attract the remaining ships of the council,¡¯ Djon said and Veronica nodded, pushing some buttons of which she learned what they meant.


    After that, they soon found the darkness in space and made their way to a new destination.


    ¡®So what is the plan?¡¯ Veronica asked as she turned around.


    Everyone was sitting quietly and didn¡¯t speak for a while as they had travelled away from Daisugi.


    ¡®Well, I guess we will go to those coordinates. Do you still have them? Hawk asked Djon.


    ¡®Already put in. Should take a while to travel. Not wanting to go in heavy as we won¡¯t know what we will encounter.¡¯


    ¡®Right,¡¯ Hawk answered and he looked at Eto who just kinda gazed in front of him.


    ¡®What about Morning Python? I mean, Vanessa,¡¯ TYO said.


    They all looked at Vanessa, including Eto.


    ¡®We still have your ship, you are free to go,¡¯ Hawk said to her. Then, Eto looked confused at Hawk and went back to Vanessa.


    ¡®You are not leaving are you?¡¯ he asked. A question everyone had in their minds but not dared to ask yet.


    Vanessa stood up, walked to the back, not looking at them.


    ¡®I owe you no debt. I am free to go my own way.¡¯


    ¡®Well, you kinda wanted to kill Eto so by calculations, you still have a debt,¡¯ TYO answered but Vanessa ignored him.


    ¡®But it seems our little friend doesn''t want me to leave?¡¯ Vanessa said and she turned, looking at Eto with a grin. He smiled back at her.


    ¡®I guess I can stick around for a while, seeing I don¡¯t have a job at the moment.¡¯


    ¡®A new friend!¡¯ Eto yelled, having back his cheerful mood he always has.


    ¡®A killer on board,¡¯ TYO sighed but Hawk patted him on his top.


    ¡®A private assassin,¡¯ Hawk corrected him.


    Veronica stood up and walked to Vanessa, grabbing her hand.


    ¡®A friend,¡¯ she said with a smile.


    Vanessa blushed but smiled back, quickly, before she changed the subject.


    ¡®Alright, enough for this moment. How long before we get to the location?¡¯


    ¡®A few days,¡¯ Djon answered. ¡®Maybe more, maybe less. Depends on what we encounter on the road.¡¯


    ¡®Not another wreckage with an assassin, I hope¡¯ Hawk said jokingly.


    Even Vanessa laughed at his joke.


    ¡®Fine, then I hope I will have some private quarters?¡¯


    Djon nodded to Veronica who took over.


    ¡®I will show you where you sleep,¡¯ and she grabbed Vanessa¡¯s hand and pulled her to the back of the ship.


    ¡®Guess I will do some research on the different plants we got on Daisugi,¡¯ Hawk said as he also walked away.


    ¡®I will let everyone know if we encounter something,¡¯ Djon said, pushing different buttons.


    ¡®What about you?¡¯ he asked Eto who started to think.


    ¡®I guess I will find something to play with,¡¯ he said and his eyes quickly gazed at TYO.


    ¡®Oh no,¡¯ TYO sighed.

 chapter 4.1 The Ancient beast

    Far away, in the darkness of space, two figures stare into the darkness.


    On a ship that itself is full of shadows, the figures slowly speak.


    ¡®Did you retrieve the orb?¡¯


    A figure covered in shadows asks with a raspy voice to the smaller figure, dressed in battle armor.


    ¡®Yes. One of my knights managed to retrieve it.¡¯


    With a quick handling, the figure showed a red orb in its hand.


    ¡®Good,¡¯ the shadowy figure said.


    ¡®Remember. The master has turned you down. This is one of your last chances,¡¯ the shadowy figure said.


    It turned and walked away, leaving the one holding the orb to overlook the depths of space.


    Further away, the Tortoise slows down and floats through the darkness of space.


    Djon looks out the window, seeing the emptiness of space and checking the coordinates.


    ¡®This must be it,¡¯ he whispers to himself before he calls everyone to the cockpit.


    ¡®What is it?¡¯ Veronica asks as she takes her place beside him.


    The rest slowly enter the cockpit, wondering why they have been called.


    ¡®We¡¯re here,¡¯ Djon says and he puts down the engine, letting the ship float on its own.


    As the Tortoise slowly floated forward, nothing was there to be seen in sight, until slowly a part of the stars were disappearing behind something dark.


    As the ship got closer, everyone could see what they had found.


    A giant creature, bigger than most starships, was coming into view.


    Curled up and moon shaped, it was laying there in the darkness of space.


    ¡®Is that?¡¯ Eto asked but his own amazement threw himself out of words.


    ¡®It looks like one of the drawings back at Daisugi,¡¯ Hawk said, also amazed by what they had found.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    ¡®The Ancient beast,¡¯ Vanessa said who watched with suspicion.


    TYO jumped on the dashboard and started to input data on the main computer.


    ¡®Do you think it is dangerous?¡¯ Djon asked as he turned down the lights of the Tortoise, making sure that they wouldn¡¯t be spotted.


    ¡®It depends, I think,¡¯ Veronica said. ¡®Back at the farms on Borner, most animals react dangerously because they feel threatened.¡¯


    TYO was still pushing different buttons but then he stopped.


    ¡®It is not an animal,¡¯ he said as he was still calculating something.¡¯


    ''What do you mean?¡¯ Eto asked the question everyone thought of.


    ¡®It is mechanical, based on the scans I have done. Like a machine or a space station.¡¯


    They all turned their heads from TYO back to the view outside.


    Still very slowly, the Tortoise started to enter the atmosphere of the Ancient beast. It was now that the rest could see that it was indeed mechanical, only shaped as a beast from afar.


    ¡®What should we do?¡¯ Hawk asked, mostly to himself.


    Something showed up on the screens that TYO discovered.


    ¡®Hmm. It seems there are loading bays on the Ancient beast. As if it expects ships to dock.¡¯


    ''Save?'' Veronica asked but Djon shook his head.


    ¡®Can¡¯t tell from here,¡¯ he answered.


    Eto punched his fist into his other hand.


    ¡®Then we have to go in there and find out.¡¯


    TYO turned from Eto to the view of the Ancient beast and sighed.


    ¡®I can¡¯t even calculate how much trouble this is gonna be.¡¯


    The darkness of the Ancient beast slowly crawled over the Tortoise as it entered one of the docks they found.


    It was at this moment, everyone realised the Ancient beast was way bigger than they thought.


    Small light illuminated the interior of the beast and what they mostly saw were paths, hundreds of them, all crossing over each other in a giant open place inside the beast.


    When the door opened and they slowly walked out, the first thing they noticed were shadows that filled the floors like mist. And not just the floors, but the machines and the walls too.


    The outside of the Ancient beast seemed to be made of glass, giving view to the darkness of space behind it.


    "It is huge,¡¯ Eto said and Veronica shushed him to be more quiet.


    ¡®It is indeed magnificent," Hawk said, who started to record what they encountered.


    TYO slowly drove to one of the machines next to a path and scanned it.


    ¡®Seems this shadow mist has completely drained the machines of energy. If we want to find out what it is or how it works, we need to find a way to get rid of these shadows.¡¯


    Eto heard TYO¡¯s words and grinned.


    ¡®Then let¡¯s go in and find the source, shall we?¡¯ he said and he wanted to walk further. Then, a voice reached him.


    ¡®I don¡¯t think you will find the source,¡¯ a muffled voice said from a distance.


    At first, the group looked around where the voice was coming from.


    Vanessa was the first one to see who was speaking to them and pointed upward.


    A few pathways and bridges above them, a figure stood, overlooking the group.


    A figure they recognized by the armour and helmet it wore.


    It was Captain Hanzou.