Story Arc: First Contact with a Rogue Trader Militant
Episode 1: The Supercarrier Moonbreaker
Chapter 1: A New Journey
Plot: Bruce Bahamut, aka Traveler, a Rogue Trader Militant of the USKY, committed a major theft from the Galvans, taking several samples of Azmuth's experimental technology.
Knowing that he will not have a moment to respite after such an act, he announces to his crew that they will have to take a Dimensional Journey to a Galaxy free of enemies and new business opportunities.
Unfortunately or fortunately, the human race is the first to encounter the YNSF Moonbreaker, the largest Supercarrier in the USKY.
XXX
POV Narrator
In a dimension where the most powerful weapon in the universe is a watch containing 1,000,903 DNA samples, a space battle is taking place between a planetary defense fleet and a single large Starship.
Not far from the planet known as Galvan Mark II, a fleet of hundreds of Galvan spaceships are facing a colossal enemy.
The Galvan planetary defense fleet has a clear numerical advantage and familiarity with the surrounding area, being the heart of their civilization.
Despite the advantage of engaging the enemy on their own territory and their greater numbers of spacecraft, the Galvans have three major disadvantages.
The Galvans are an extremely intelligent race, the average citizen a genius almost unmatched on the lower planets.
However, they are also a race whose average height is 15 centimeters, so their spaceships are quite small.
There are cases where one of their single-seater spaceships was mistaken for an expensive toy, and several children of species taller than one meter decided to take it home.
With this in mind, it is no surprise that the largest Starship in the Galvan planetary defense fleet is only one hundred meters long.
These small dimensions become even more evident when compared to the size of the enemy ship, a Supercarrier with a length of one hundred kilometers.
An outside observer might compare this naval space battle to a scenario where a school of small fish are attempting to attack a huge white whale.
The Galvan fleet is firing everything in their current arsenal in hopes of breaking through the enemy ship's energy barrier and destroying its engines.
Unfortunately, this is easier said than done.
The Galvans are one of the most intelligent races in this galaxy, their Prime Thinker, Azmuth, is considered the most intelligent being in three or five galaxies.
The Galvans' ranks are filled with doctors, teachers, scientists, engineers, spies, saboteurs, but they have no real soldiers and warriors.
Their enormous intellects are rarely used in the creation of weapons and war machines; even more rarely, the Galvans use these advanced weapons against other races.
In a frontal war against an unknown enemy that has not been carefully studied for countermeasures, the Galvans are at a disadvantage.
This disadvantage becomes even greater if the enemy is full of warriors ready to fight to the last drop of blood and have technologies that are not entirely "primitive".
The last disadvantage of the Galvans is that they are convinced that science can explain everything; the concept of magic or esoteric powers is not even considered.
This makes the Galvans' defenses ineffective against those who can wield magic and forces beyond the normal laws of physics.
XXX
The massive Starship being chased by the Galvan Planetary Defense Fleet is called the YNSF Moonbreaker.
The Moonbreaker is a Crownmaker-class Supercarrier, of which there are only two such Starships in the entire USKY (United Space Kingdom of Ysatnaf and its colonies).
The Moonbreaker and its sister ship, the Sunbreaker, are the latest masterpieces of USKY science and magic, slowly built in secret from 436 ARB (After the Return of the Bahamut) until 536 ARB, the year of their revelation to the entire Ysatnafian Kingdom.
This Supercarrier can be described as the pinnacle of Sci-Fi and Fantasy, brought together to make an ambitious madman's dream come true.
The underside of the Moonbreaker is purely science fiction, it can be described, vaguely, as a huge rectangular Starship, with a gleaming black armored chassis.
Two large neon purple-pink lines run across the front of the Supercarrier. The composition of the cut makes it seem as if the Starship's nose can move to reveal something.
On either side of the Moonbreaker are two large domes, filled with energy, likely two very powerful weapons.
This lower section of the Supercarrier boasts a length of 100,000 meters (100 kilometers), a width of 16,000 meters (16 kilometers), a height of 20,000 meters (20 kilometers), and a mass of 18,000 million metric tons.
The upper part of the Moonbreaker is purely fantasy, because on the 160,000,000 m² surface, what can be described as a gigantic, dark castle has been built, which is supposed to belong to a Demon King.
A very tall, massive turret, covered in armor and turrets, sits prominently in the rear of the Moonbreaker, near the engines.
The rest of the surface is covered with armored constructions of cubic and rectangular shapes, each armored and covered with heavy weapons.
The Ruler of this Supercarrier must have sought architectural advice from Malekith, The Witch King of Dark Elf, and Asdrubael Vect, The Drukhari archon.
Fun fact: New York City covers an area of 78,900,000 m², or 1/12 of the surface area of this unified expanse of Cyber-Gothic-esque fortresses.
One of the Moonbreaker's unique features, something that even its sister ship, the Sunbreaker, does not possess, is its satellite ring.
Around the Moonbreaker, seven constructs of obsidian black with silver highlights are floating in a clockwise circle at an equidistant distance.
These seven constructs/satellites have a height, length and width of exactly seven kilometers.
Simply put, the Moonbreaker is a heavily armored and weaponized supercarrier, equipped with all the features of a military fortress/city. It also features a ring of unique satellites that certainly serve a purpose.
XXX
The Moonbreaker's control room is a huge rectangular room, divided into a lower and an upper floor, connected by two symmetrical staircases, one on the right and one on the left.
On the wall at the back of the room is a giant holographic screen, flanked on either side by six smaller, but still enormous, screens.
On the lower floor there are three columns of five high-tech workstations to the left and right, with a free space in between the two work zones.
In front of each of the thirty workbenches is a gleaming metal chair, seated on it by alien women with silver-white hair, ivory skin, long, pointed ears, and an average height of 215 centimeters. All have black V-shaped visors over their eyes and wear elegant black and purple uniforms.
On the upper level of the room, which is designed to resemble an upside-down U, you have a full view of the lower level.
In this area there are three high-tech workstations for operating the Moonbreaker and a metallic obsidian throne.
At the moment, there are four important people on the upper floor.
In front of the throne, there is the helmsman, that is, the pilot of the Supercarrier, Amelia Blight, an elf woman with green eyes, long hair dyed neon yellow, two meters tall, with the three dimensions are: (B120-W70-H99).
She wears a high-tech, skintight spacesuit in black and honey yellow.
To the right of the throne is Admiral Ignis "Iggy" Scientia, an attractive man in his 30s or 40s, with long, pointed ears, 183 cm tall, wears sunglasses, and has short, light ash brown hair tied at the hairline.
He wears a black and white uniform with gold embroidery, a chest insignia, and a piece of obsidian armor on his left shoulder, decorated with neon purple bars. Clearly his rank.
To the left of the throne is First Officer White, a 175-centimeter-tall female android with blue-green eyes and long blonde hair tied in a large ponytail, with large golden ornaments on either side of her head.
Lady White resembles a human, despite being a completely official being.
On a minor note, its three dimensions are: (B92-W61-H94)
Her attire consists of a white dress with a high collar and gold trim, and an open neckline covered in lace-patterned fabric. She wears white gloves on her hands.
Her dress has a skirt with a deep slit, opening on the left side, revealing her legs and a small portion of her waist, and she wears black stockings with white thigh-high boots with golden heels.
Sitting on the throne is the one who commands all of Moonbreaker, the Rogue Trader Militant, Bruce Bel Bahamut Belmont, aka Traveler.
His entire body is covered in one of the high-quality armors.
The armor plate is obsidian black in color, with amethyst-colored engravings.
The armor is segmented, beautifully crafted to resemble a dragon, and designed specifically for the wearer's body.
The armored gloves and boots are equipped with claws.
At various points on the armor are red gems that resemble the eyes of a dragon.
The armor on his shoulders has two red eyes on each shoulder, two red eyes on the back of each hand, and each armor on his feet has two eyes.
The black helmet appears to be the most advanced and technologically advanced part of the armor, featuring a red cross-shaped visor.
The only things that are clear about the Traveler's build are that he is a slim, thin humanoid being, 175 centimeters tall, who has a tail, a pair of bat-like wings protruding from his back, and two purple horns that are exposed through two holes in his helmet.
Even if someone who doesn't pay attention would say that they are decorative horns, and not real horns.
Near the throne is a small floating black cube projecting a holographic chessboard with unusual pieces. Dozens of small white pieces surround a large black piece.
"For an alien race that claims to be among the most intelligent in the Galaxy, they are absolute idiots in a frontal war. They keep firing their lasers, but they can't penetrate our shields," Traveler said, his voice brimming with confidence.
He's certainly smiling under his helmet, enjoying proving that the Galvans' supposed intellectual superiority doesn't work in every field.
"Considering that our emergency defense system generators are larger than their spaceships, it stands to reason that they cannot breach our defenses," Lady White said in a calm voice, holding a white high-tech tablet in her arms.
The tablet displays detailed information on the integrity of the Moonbreaker's energy shield. Its integrity is over 90%.
"Traveler, we are far enough away from Galvan Mark II to attack the fleet without endangering the planet and its inhabitants." Amelia informs, without taking her eyes from the screen and navigation instruments.
"We can finally strike back and get rid of these pesky flies." Traveler said, appreciating the good news.
The Moonbreaker is an extremely advanced Supercarrier, ready to face any adversity, but it is not a perfect Starship.
When its energy barrier is raised to its maximum, the power of the engines drops considerably.
Ignis turns his attention to the numerous operations officers downstairs who serve to operate the Moonbreaker.
"We are in position. The Astra Telepathica has been ordered to release the psychic wave!" Ignis exclaims, giving the order to begin the countermove.
One of the many women working at the high-tech stations sends the order to Astra Telepathica, the division of Moonbreaker that develops and uses psychic powers.
The Rogue Trader rests his head against the fist of his left arm, striking the pose of a bored ruler who knows what is coming.
"The aggressive approach will put us on the bad side of the Galvans for a long time to come, but it has given us spoils fit for a king," Traveler said, taking the black piece from the chessboard.
"Checkmate." Traveler exclaims, moving his black piece to the center of the board.
Then a small wave comes out of the black piece and hits the white pieces, knocking them off the board, then they disappear.
XXX
Out in space, the Galvan fleet has surrounded the Moonbreaker and continues to fire lasers at various points in search of a weak point.
Without warning, a wave of psychic energy erupted from the Moonbreaker.
Being pure psychic energy, it cannot be detected by the Galvan ship systems.
The wave continued to disperse into space, eventually hitting the Galvan spacecraft.
They were not damaged, this happened because they were not the target of the psychic wave, but the crew.
The attack produced by Moonbreaker's Astra Telepathica overwhelmed the Galvans' minds, causing them to drop like flies.
Without a crew to guide them, all the ships stopped.
This is a victory for Moonbreaker and her crew.
XXX
"The Galvan fleet has been neutralized." One of the women on the upper floor announces loudly.
Hearing these words, all the workers on the lower floor stand up, preparing to celebrate with applause for the success they have just achieved.
"No one celebrates until the Moonbreaker leaves Galvan territory," Admiral Ignis said, not allowing his subordinates to let their guard down in enemy territory.
All the staff sit down abruptly, returning to their duties.
"Lower shield power to 30%, channel the rest of the power to the engines. We must move!" First Officer White ordered, relaying the order via digital messages as well as vocally.
"I'm setting the shortest course out of Galvan territory." Amelia said, quickly glancing at the navigation system.
Bruce stood in silence, contemplating, as his crew moved like clockwork.
The Black Cube floating near him stopped projecting a holographic chessboard, then moved so that it hovered over Bruce's head like a strange halo.
The true name of this object is Daedalus Cube, it is an extremely advanced Techno-magical artifact, created by Bruce himself during his youth and improved up to the present.
This Black Cube may seem harmless, but it is a versatile tool, a dangerous weapon, and a key to mastering the Moonbreaker.
"Iggy, White, Amelia, I'm bored of this size." Bruce said, as he raised his left hand and touched a specific spot on the left side of his helmet.
At the same moment, the heavy helmet covering his face broke in two, becoming one with the armor.
Bruce's face features soft, delicate features, thin eyelashes, and facial features reminiscent of Artoria Pendragon or Morgan Le Fay, some of his ancestors through his maternal grandmother.
Thanks to these two characteristics, it is easy to mistake him for a girl, and his androgynous and pleasant voice doesn't help either.
Her skin color is light purple/white, smooth and free of blemishes.
Its ears are long and pointed, like those of an elf.
Bruce's hair is a light lilac, almost white, and is extremely long, reaching the floor if it wasn't tied in a bun or braid.
For today, the back hair is tied in a complex bun. As always, the front hair is braided, covering the left eye, then thinning out and continuing down to the heart.
This braid is decorated with a purple ribbon and at the end there are four silver beads.
The right eye is visible and has a fluorescent purple color with the pupil of a raptor.
Finally, two large curved amethyst-colored horns on top of the head.
The Admiral, the First Officer and the Helmsman have suddenly become tense, when the Rogue Trader Militant uses the word boredom, it is a harbinger of something bad.
"Iggy, order the crew to prepare for a dimensional journey. Once we're in safe space, we'll all get out of here." Bruce proclaims, setting the next big journey for the Moonbreaker.
"Are you sure, My Lord? The Milky Way Galaxy of this reality is proving to be a place rich in resources, advanced technologies, and worthy enemies to fight." Ignis asks, believing that the current Galaxy is still a useful place for exploration, study, and trade.
"True, but I think we've gotten far too involved in local affairs. We've been instrumental in the collapse of the Incursean Empire, annihilated several piracy groups, resolved sensitive issues for several galactic superpowers, and accepted countless high-risk, high-stakes business proposals. We've done more than enough here." Bruce gave a very brief summary of the countless adventures they've been involved in.
"The Moonbreaker and crew have had a busy couple of years," Amelia comments, agreeing with Bruce that they've been far too involved in local disputes.
Amelia speaks not only as the helmsman of the Moonbreaker, but as a woman who is part of the High Command and has been involved in many of these events as an elite Starship pilot, a Star-Mecha pilot, or a female scientist from behind the scenes.
"With a frontal attack on the Galvan capital and the sacking of Azmuth's Tower, we would have years so crowded that we would have no time to breathe. It's best to avoid such a scenario; endless conflict is not one of our goals," Bruce said, not wanting to see Moonbreaker and the rest of his forces engage in pointless conflict against the Space Police, rogue factions who want Azmuth's experimental technology.
"This was our last shot from the very beginning, before we disappear and leave only theories and rumors behind us." Ignis said, understanding why his leader had decided to deploy the Moonbreaker and crew in a full-frontal attack without any exclusive shots.
Normally, the Moonbreaker and its crew avoid such displays of power, except when participating in real wars, to avoid receiving severe reprisals, preferring surgical operations.
"I'm not surprised; in the last month we've emptied our accounts in local galactic banks, purchased useful materials, advanced technologies, replenished our supply depots, and finalized previously outstanding contracts." Lady White said, always keeping an eye on the fleet's financial, contractual, and operational records.
"This dimension has served us well, we will certainly return in the future, but for now I want to see a new landscape and a new Galaxy to explore without worrying about old acquaintances with grudges against me." said Bruce, able to write down more than a thousand names of inhabitants of this space sector who want to see him headless.
"As you wish, the crew will prepare for an upcoming dimensional journey." Ignis said, accepting the Rogue Trader Militant's orders.
Admiral Ignis turns his attention to the station next to him, beginning to send out orders to prepare the entire crew.
While Dimensional Travel is possible, it is not an easy or quick thing to do. It takes several hours to set up security measures and make preparations in case they arrive in a high-conflict area, etc.
"Bruce, don't overdo it. Once we're done with this little trip, you and I need to have a little private chat." Amelia said, worried that the Rogue Trader might be dealing with her workload, especially since he's the key to executing the dimensional journey.
Bruce tilts his head slightly, looking at Amelia with his good eye.
"Is this a professional discussion between the Rogue Trader Militant and the Lord High Scientist of Mechanicus, or a personal discussion between Bruce and Amelia?" Bruce asks, preferring to know in advance what he needs to prepare for.
"Maybe a little of both." Amelia confesses with a light blush on her cheeks, wanting to fulfill her duties as a member of the High Command and as a Life Partner.
Bruce turns to the female android, White.
"First Officer White, coordinate the Maid Corps' preparation of a VIP room, with a detailed log of our loot, a holographic projector, a honey cake, and finally, an erotic maid costume for Amelia and a tight yellow evening gown for me." Bruce said, wanting to be ready for both conversations, plus a very likely extra ending.
Lady White nods, showing no discomfort or embarrassment, having already received similar or stranger requests from her leader.
Ignis increases his focus on his work, preferring not to get involved unless necessary.
"Bruce, you might not say certain things in public," Amelia said, her face completely red.
The neon-blonde elf woman, unlike her Life Partner, has a sense of modesty and embarrassment.
"It's common knowledge what happens between us. On Ysatnaf, we have five organic adult daughters, twenty granddaughters, and nine great-grandchildren from our eldest, not to mention the numerous synthetic creations who consider us their parents. It's understood that we and our lineage are very sexually active," Bruce said, feeling no shame in making love to Amelia.
"I prefer that certain details remain between me, you, and the rest of our Cabal," Amelia said, maintaining her privacy.
"Iggy is an honorary member of our Cabal. White, well, she was personally created by us, which makes her, technically, a member of our family," Bruce said, quite good at finding loopholes.
"I care about White. We built her, but we didn't design her. The physical design and programming came from Commander White of the YoRHa from that dimension where the human race was exterminated," Amelia said, not considering herself the mother of First Officer White of the Starship Moonbreaker.
"No offense, White." Amelia said, not wanting the First Officer because of his background.
"I'm not offended, Mrs. Amelia. I respect you greatly and will always be grateful for your participation in my creation, but our relationship has never been one of parent-child." The android woman replies, not sharing the need for a parental figure like Amelia's other synthetic creations.
"I'm going to do my part of the preparations, without me the Moonbreaker can't leave this Galaxy." Bruce said, rising from the black throne.
With a snap of his fingers, the technological throne vanished as if it had never existed, the cause being advanced science or complex magic, likely a union of the two principles.
Without saying anything else, Bruce leaves the control room.
As soon as he stepped out, a segment of the floor opened up, revealing two high-tech armchairs, positioned side by side.
These are the seats for Admiral Ignis and First Officer White.
"Ladies, you heard our Leader. We have an imminent Dimensional Journey to perform. Follow standard procedure, and with any luck, we shouldn't have any fighting in the first few minutes." Ignis said, preferring to remain standing and direct the entire operation.
White, on the other hand, sat in the left seat, carrying out her tasks via her tablet, which is connected to her technological brain.
XXX
Brief explanation of what's going on.
In the dimension 2216 exists the United Space Kingdom of Ysatnaf and its colonies, USKY for short.
A nascent space-faring superpower in the Segmentum Obscurus of the galaxy, they have expanded their borders over the past few centuries, gaining as many as five hundred worlds under their banner.
Naturally, territorial expansion led to the discovery of other alien races, some friendly, some unfriendly.
When the USKY reached five hundred worlds, there were eleven races that obeyed the royal family: Ysatnafians, Klyntar, Synthetics, Eliksni, Au-Ras, Vieras, Lalafells, Gundaldians, Neathians, Transylians, Loboans, Thep-Khufans.
The USKY prides itself on having trade relations and military alliances with other spacefaring nations in the Segmentum Obscurus such as the Vestal Republic or the Etherian Alliance.
In some cases trade relations with less advanced worlds such as Amphibia or Duckworld.
The home planet of this Space Kingdom, Ysatnaf was unified under the leadership of a single King in Year 36 ARB, beginning a Golden Age of progress and expansion.
In the Year 536 of the Ysatnafian Calendar, during the great anniversary of the Unification and the achievement of five hundred worlds under their control, the First King of the USKY announces his retirement.
The throne of USKY was passed without conflict to Princess Adara Orfea Etheria B. Tsuruhime Kurata, who became the Second King of USKY, beginning what historians consider the Silver Age.
When the First King ceased to be King, almost all of Bruce Bahamut's obligations and responsibilities to the Ysatnafian Kingdom vanished.
As a reward for all his actions, Bruce Bahamut received the title of Rogue Trader Militant and command of the Supercarrier Moonbreaker, one of the two largest and most powerful Starships in the USKY.
A Rogue Trader is a unique and powerful individual who serves as freelance explorers, conquerors, and interstellar traders for the USKY.
Each Rogue Trader receives a noble status equal to a marquis, a military authority equal to that of a Senior Officer such as the Captain of the Astra Navy or Colonel of the Astra Militarum.
In addition to his new social status and authority over the military, the Rogue Trader is given a brand new Starship, a naval crew, troops of the Astra Militarum, and carte blanche to roam those worlds of the galaxy that still lie outside the control or knowledge of the Realm.
Once the Moonbreaker set sail into unknown space, the newly appointed Rogue Trader Militant, Bruce Bahamut, took on the codename Traveler, for old times' sake.
For fourteen years, from 536 to 550 ARB, or 2550 to 2564 AD by the Terran Calendar, the Moonbreaker traveled widely, collecting a vast number of titles that brought both fame and infamy.
But unlike other Rogue Traders who are limited to exploring the Unknown Galaxy, Rogue Trader Militant Bruce Bahamut has a larger area to explore.
Bruce Bel Bahamut Belmont is a Planeswalker, beings who are among the most powerful in the multiverse.
The defining characteristic of planeswalkers is the ability to travel between different universes with ease, while the vast majority of people in the multiverse are not even aware of the existence of worlds other than their own.
Planeswalking is a form of magic. With enough time and mana, or specialized spell knowledge, or access to enormous power, it's possible for a planeswalker to transfer clothing, artifacts, and/or creatures with them as they travel between planes.
A planeswalker is specifically a being who possesses a planeswalker spark, an imprint of aether on a being's soul.
In a sense, planeswalkers function as avatars of the Blind Eternities.
One in several million sentient beings is born with a planeswalker spark, and seeing it ignite is extremely rare.
Using his Planeswalker Spark and the forbidden Magitek of the USKY, Bruce Bahamut has taken the Moonbreaker to places no other Starship in the Realm could ever imagine.
Using and combining technologies taken from planets located in different corners of the entire creation, the Moonbreaker receives an Upgrade that allows it to traverse dimensions safely, multiplying the number of worlds to explore by an infinite number of times.
End of explanation.
XXX
To get close to his destination, Bruce had to take one of the trains on Moonbreaker's internal rail system.
The Moonbreaker's vast size and complexity make it less of a Starship and more of a city unto itself, necessitating the creation of a rail system to allow for the rapid transportation of large numbers of crew.
"PANDORA, come to me." Bruce said, as he stepped into one of the Moonbreaker's express elevators, another necessity for rapid transportation.
A few seconds after he said these words, a hologram of a young woman appeared at the Rogue Trader's side.
PANDORA (Personalized Advanced Networked for Defense and Operations Remote Assistant) is the Moonbreaker's AI, always present, always vigilant, a helper to all crew members, especially the Rogue Trader Militant and the High Command.
Pandora's avatar takes the form of a young woman of haunting beauty and sorrowful grace, whose porcelain skin contrasts starkly with the darkness she serves.
With long, flowing dark purple hair and purple eyes that shine with sadness and determination, she moves like a mourning shadow.
She mostly wears the dark clothes of a high-ranking woman, one of her ever-present accessories being a necklace that symbolizes her rank as the Lead AI of the Rogue Trader Fleet.
"What can I help you with, Dad?" PANDORA asks in a gentle voice.
Moonbreaker's AI was created from scratch by Amelia and Bruce.
As has happened so many times in the past, Amelia has become attached to PANDORA at first sight, encouraging her to see her and Bruce as her parents, which, technically, they are.
"Send a message to the Black Cabal. My witches, unless they're performing an important task or assisting with preparations, are to remain in their private quarters in the Gold Zone. They're the safest places on Moonbreaker." Bruce said, showing his protective side.
The Moonbreaker High Command chambers and all Black Cabal members have defenses comparable to those of a planetary bombing bunker and a secret three-month emergency food supply.
"I'll send the message, but, dad, the rest of the moms probably won't listen. They don't like playing the role of a little bird in a golden cage," said PANDORA, knowing all the members of the Black Cabal very well.
"My witches are women with character," Bruce comments, agreeing with PANDORA that the Black Cabal members won't listen to him this time.
"If they want to contribute, they can. But they can't abandon their positions to see how I'm doing at the end of my dimensional journey, especially Mash, she's Moonbreaker's last line of defense. Amelia will be keeping an eye on me this time," Bruce said, knowing his witches care about him as much as he cares about them.
"Anything else, Dad?" PANDORA asks, wanting to help.
"I am about to enter the Chamber of the Spark. I want guards inside and outside the room. Inside the Chamber, I want only Gladio, the Captain of the Kingsglaive. The outside is to be protected by the Grey Knights; Centurion Cornelia's presence is not required. The rest of the sector can be patrolled by regular Kingsglaives." Bruce said, carefully choosing who stands beside him in a moment of tiredness or weakness.
"Dad, you're as paranoid as usual." PANDORA said, putting a hand to her forehead, feeling sorry for having a father who was constantly looking over his shoulder.
"Honestly, I don't understand you, Dad. You created the Blackguard yourself. These 1,000,000 men and women who make up the Moonbreaker's crew aren't just ordinary soldiers, they're your private army who have faithfully obeyed you for 14 years. Some of them have been listening to you for over 500 years, before I became an explorer with the fancy title of Rogue Trader Militant and founded the Blackguard." PANDORA said, having no qualms about openly criticizing her own father.
"I have my reasons for doing so." Bruce replies, beginning to slowly tap his foot against the floor, willing the elevator to move faster.
"With a crew of 1,000,000 men and women loyal to you, any one of them would make a fine guard. But you only choose the most loyal of the loyal." PANDORA said, confident that any member of the Blackguard is trustworthy.
PANDORA being the Starship's Prime AI sees the entire crew as her people and the members of the High Command as her extended family of aunts, uncles and some cousins.
"Paranoia has kept me alive this far. The Kingsglaive are my personal elite honor guard, and Gladio, their captain, has been my Shield since I was fifteen. His loyalty and the way he trains his subordinates is unshakeable.
"Paranoia has kept me alive this far. The Kingsglaive are my personal elite honor guard, and Gladio, their captain, has been my Shield since I was fifteen. His loyalty and the way he trains his subordinates is unshakeable." The Rogue Trader said, admiring and appreciating Captain Gladio, as he is one of the few people he truly trusts.
"The Grey Knights are the product of one of my secret personal projects, a group of 1,001 peerless super-soldiers. I have been personally involved in their recruitment, training, enhancement, and arming. Their loyalty is ensured in more ways than one," Bruce said, fully confident that the Grey Knights could not willingly betray him.
"I don't think I can solve your trust issues today, but I can send your orders," PANDORA said, before her holographic avatar disappeared.
'Organic or synthetic, all my offspring are a pain to manage. I should have sterilized myself once I had my thirteenth child, my first boy.' Bruce thinks, running a hand over his forehead.
XXX
The Moonbreaker is a Starship divided into two parts, an upper area, called Noiresville, which can be considered the interior of a haunted castle filled with corridors, archaic objects and a large number of rooms forbidden to all but the Rogue Trader and the High Command.
The lower area, called the Catacombes, is the part of the Moonbreaker that resembles an authentic Starship, filled with advanced technology and numerous rooms with many functions.
The Rogue Trader is walking through the corridors of one of the restricted areas of Noiresville.
This part of the Moonbreaker is currently patrolled and protected by the Kingsglaive and the Grey Knights.
The Kingsglaive are easily identifiable by their black uniform with gold symbols and the presence of a glaive among their arsenal.
About 2/3 of the Kingsglaive are Ysatnafians (space elves) who are of two types on the Moonbreaker.
Those born on Ysatnaf or one of the Kingdom's colonies are the normal ones, being quite similar to a human in terms of appearance, build and height.
Those born, well, created on the seventh moon of the seventh planet of the Ysatnafian home star system, Tanabata.
The Ysatnafians born/created on Tanabata, Y-Tabanians for short, are the elf women with very white skin, white hair, red eyes, around 215 centimeters tall.
The rest of the Kingsglaive are made up of members of the various races that have been assimilated into the USKY: Klyntar, Synthetics, Eliksni, Au-Ras, Vieras, Lalafells, Gundaldians, Neathians, Transylians, Loboans, Thep-Khufans.
Approaching the Chamber of the Spark, the Rogue Trader saw how the Kingsglaive were slowly being replaced by the Grey Knights.
The Grey Knights, unlike the Kingsglaive, are a group made up entirely of Ysatnafians, all born through natural and traditional means, but have been transformed into something beyond nature.
The male Grey Knights are 250-centimeter-tall behemoths, with a physical structure comparable to the incredibly Hulk.
Their herculean physiques are hidden by Power Armor, colored primarily in dark gray and designed to not show a millimeter of skin.
Female Grey Knights are just as tall as their male counterparts, reaching 8 feet 5 inches.
Sexual dimorphism is strongly present, it is quickly understood that they are women, having an hourglass figure, long, thin arms and legs.
Despite lacking the monstrous brute strength of their male counterparts, female Grey Knights possess speed, agility, and precision beyond belief.
They wear Power Armor tailored to their build, colored light gray.
A unique detail on the helmets of Grey Knights of both genders are the obsidian black horn ornaments, a symbol of respect, belonging and loyalty to Bruce Bahamut.
'I've invested a lot of time and resources, but the end result is worth it. With soldiers like these, only beings with god-like power can hope to reach me.' Bruce thinks as he walks down a large, long corridor.
To the left and right are a dozen or so Grey Knights on high alert, ready to draw their weapons at the slightest sign of danger.
The Rogue Trader has reached the end of the corridor, ending up in front of two Grey Knights, who are protecting an armored gate.
Bruce doesn't immediately go through the gate to enter the Spark Chamber, instead remaining there to observe who would be the last line of defense in a worst-case scenario.
On the left is a male Grey Knight, wearing custom Power Armor for even greater strength and durability, along with the addition of blue glyphs. In his hands, he holds a massive Gatling gun that fires high-caliber armor-piercing rounds, and on his back is a techno-magical battle axe.
On the right is a female Grey Knight, her Power Armor shining with clarity, her left side dyed crimson red. She wields a techno-magical spear, which can transform into a sniper rifle.
Bruce knows all the Grey Knights, albeit to varying degrees, depending on their generation; the first 101 of them were forged by himself and he knows them like the back of their hand.
The remainder were trained by the original Grey Knights, leaving Bruce with a more secondary role.
But all Grey Knights before being considered True and Complete Grey Knights must perform a "Graduation Ceremony", an oath of allegiance before Bruce Bel Bahamut Belmont himself.
Because of these reasons, Bruce immediately realizes that the man on the left is one of the original 101, a veteran. While the woman on the right is a more recent Grey Knight, not a recent graduate, but not a veteran either.
"Gregor, see that you teach your battle-sister how to perform guard duty. Nothing enters or leaves without my permission," Bruce said calmly as he walked through the reinforced gate, which closed behind him.
The Gatling-wielding Grey Knight raises his weapon, ready to die before letting anyone get past him.
XXX
The Spark Chamber is a large room that can easily accommodate a thousand people.
Two objects make this room special: the throne and the asto-sphere.
At the far end of the room is a huge throne, with a cubic hole at the top, connected by numerous metal cables to a huge machine that takes up the entire wall and undoubtedly has extensions that continue into places where the eye cannot see.
On the ceiling is a large techno-magical ring that holds in an energy field a large sphere of a bronze-like material, made up of numerous gears, crystals, and golden glyphs.
Before the throne stands Gladiolus Amicitia, Captain of the Kingsglaive. He is a tall, well-built man with elven ears, amber eyes, and a long scar above his left eye.
Gladiolus has a large tattoo of a bird of prey that covers his entire back and extends down his arms.
He wears a uniform consisting of a black frock coat, black trousers, black fingerless gloves, and black knee-high boots.
"Bahamut, I see you've finally grown tired of this place. I was wondering when you'd be looking for new places to ruin." Gladiolus said, addressing Bruce by his family name from Ysatnaf.
"I am a Planeswalker, my soul is made for travel, the only difference from the others is that I know how to travel in style." Bruce said, walking towards the Throne of the Spark.
"I wouldn't use the word style to describe you. You travel with the equivalent of a fortress city. The word I would use would be paranoid or prepared for anything." Gladiolus said, being one of the lieutenants who can speak freely with the Rogue Trader and joke at his expense.
"I have set foot on many worlds as a lone Traveler or in the company of a few individuals. My experiences have taught me that my life would have been easier if I had had an army and a strong industry at my side," Bruce said as he sat on the techno-magical throne.
The Daedalus Cube moves on its own, stops floating above Bruce's head, and fits into the hole in the throne.
"This is my least favorite part," Gladiolus said, watching the scene, already knowing how this was going to end.
The Black Cube begins to glow, signs and symbols on the circuit board begin to glow on the throne, and the machinery inside begins to turn on.
Metal cables emerge from the throne and connect to the Rogue Trader's body as if they were biting snakes.
"I feel like I'm the Corpse Emperor stuck on the Golden Throne," Bruce mutters, feeling the machine drain some of his unique energy to function.
"I won't let anything like this happen." Gladiolus said, understanding the meaning of Bruce's words.
XXX
Hours later, the Moonbreaker crew is ready, and the Spark Chamber machinery has charged.
Moonbreaker came to rest in empty space, far from any planet or satellite.
The seven cubic-shaped satellites began emitting a subtle rainbow glow, composed of red, blue, black, green and white.
These constructs suddenly split into a billion little cubes, then they all married in front of the Moonbreaker.
As if they were futuristic Lego pieces, they began to fit together, creating a huge ring big enough to fit the entire Supercarrier through.
The Starship fired a beam of five colors at the center of the ring. The unique energy generated by the ring's functions spread within it, creating a gigantic portal that can transport the Moonbreaker to every corner of Existence.
XXX
Dimension ME-JS-01, Alpha Universe, Milky Way Galaxy, Skyllian Verge, Year 2182.
Captain David Edward Anderson stands on the bridge of the SSV Tokyo, a 700-meter-long Systems Alliance cruiser.
The SSV Tokyo is accompanied by four 100-meter-long frigates.
This patrol fleet is tasked with patrolling the Skyllian Verge, reporting unusual sightings, and attacking batarian pirates who enter their borders.
For Captain Anderson, it looks like he's having a quiet day.
Then, suddenly...
"Captain Anderson, the sensors are going crazy!" exclaims one of the Starship Officers.
"What's going on?" Anderson asks, wanting to know if the ship and crew are at risk.
"I don't know, I've never seen anything like it," the Officer admits, barely able to make out what the ship's sensors are showing.
Without warning, a giant portal opened in plain sight for the SSV Tokyo.
Anderson and everyone else on the bridge were left speechless at the sight of the gigantic, multi-colored portal.
"Is it a black hole, but less black and more colorful?" mutters the SSV Tokyo pilot, not knowing much about astrophysics.
"Whatever it is, use every means possible to gather information about it!" Anderson orders, certain that such a phenomenon must be studied.
The crew moved in celebration, meeting all the equipment present on the Starship towards the mysterious phenomenon.
"Something big is coming out of the anomaly!" one of the Officers shouts.
Slowly, the Moonbreaker is entering this dimension.
"Is this a space station?" asks the Vice-Captain, who can see with his naked eye as the Moonbreaker exits the portal.
"Is this a castle?" asks one of the officers, with an incredulous expression.
"Is that a Starship!?" exclaims the communications officer.
"That's why my pants are dirty," the SSV Tokyo driver mutters under his breath.
"Call the Alliance! Call the Council! We have the greatest First Contact in history!" Anderson orders, managing to keep his head on his shoulders in this unprecedented situation.
Continues ...