CTS TIME RE250.09.01 – 9:00 AM
ISA HQ – Central Hangar Bay
Valerian stood abruptly, his chair sliding back with a controlled scrape against the cafeteria floor. His storm-gray coat brushed against his legs, falling perfectly into place without effort. He adjusted the wrist display on his gauntlet, scanning the mission time.
"Departure," he said flatly, his voice low but final.
Luna blinked, startled out of her thoughts as she finished her last bite of cake. She looked up at him, fork halfway to her lips.
"D-Departure? Already?"
His silence was answer enough.
"Oh!" She nearly jumped to her feet, wiping her hands quickly on a napkin. Her chair scraped loudly as she pushed it back, fumbling to gather herself. She smoothed down the hem of her long ISA-issued uniform coat, the color of soft lavender with shimmering blue embroidery. The coat split at the sides for mobility, and beneath it, she wore a fitted white combat bodysuit trimmed with pale silver lines that glowed faintly when her reactor pulsed. Around her waist, a flowing sash of translucent fabric shifted like liquid moonlight when she moved.
She clutched at the sash nervously, realizing half the cafeteria was now watching.
Several S-Rank heroes leaned back in their chairs, whispering behind their hands.
"Luna? Acting… awkward?"
"In front of a junior?"
"She's always the radiant one… what's with her?"
Luna forced a soft laugh, brushing her hair over her shoulder as she followed Valerian. Her cheeks were tinged pink. "Why am I so jumpy? Just walking with him… and my legs feel lighter than air."
The walk to the hangar stretched long, their boots echoing on metallic floors lit by reactor-light strips along the walls.
Luna, unable to hold silence, filled it with her voice.
"So… um… have you flown ISA ships before? They're amazing, right? Smooth, fast, almost like you're riding on light beams." She laughed softly, tilting her head toward him. "I mean… Hyperion crafts are tough and reliable, I've heard, but ISA ones are stylish. They make you feel like you're someone important."
Valerian didn't look at her. His storm-blue eyes stayed ahead.
"Mission tool."
She blinked, lips parting. Then she puffed her cheeks slightly before letting out a quiet giggle.
"Right, right. A mission tool. Of course."
They entered the hangar, and the sheer scale swallowed them. The cavernous space stretched wider than most cities, filled with rows of crafts—sleek ISA interceptors, cargo haulers, shimmering warp-capable frigates. Technicians in crisp uniforms guided drones that floated crates of supplies, while holographic mission maps flickered above command decks.
Their assigned craft waited at the center: a brand-new ISA prototype transport, small enough for duo missions but sharp-edged, aerodynamic, and dripping with chrome-black plating etched in faint silver lines. The cockpit canopy gleamed like liquid glass, and the engines hummed with a low growl of restrained power.
Luna's eyes widened.
"Waaah… look at it! It's beautiful!" She clasped her hands in front of her chest, smiling with childlike delight. "It's like… like someone stitched starlight into metal."
Valerian gave the craft a single glance.
"Drip," he murmured.
Luna turned her head sharply, staring at him.
"…Wait. Did you just… did you compliment something?"
He didn't answer.
Just as they approached, two ISA officials stepped forward, their uniforms crisp, faces serious. One raised a hand.
"Stormbane."
Valerian stopped immediately, turning his body with military precision to face them. He nodded slightly.
"Report."
Luna froze mid-step, blinking. She stayed by the spacecraft ramp, her fingers gripping the edge of her sash nervously. Her thoughts tangled into a storm.
"Are they… reassigning him? Is he telling them he doesn't want me as his partner? Oh no… he probably thinks I'm clumsy, careless, unfit for him. What if he refuses me? What if they replace me with someone more serious?!"
Her hands tightened, fidgeting with her sleeve. She shifted from one foot to the other, chewing her lip as she tried not to stare too hard at the three men talking.
She couldn't hear all of it—just Valerian's voice, low and steady, occasionally responding with clipped answers:
"Understood."
"Secured."
"Confirmed."
Each word only made her heart sink further. "He really doesn't want me, does he…?"
Finally, Valerian turned and walked back, his boots heavy against the hangar floor. His expression was unchanged, unreadable.
Luna straightened quickly, plastering a small nervous smile onto her face as he approached. Her hands twisted her sash tighter.
"So… um… everything alright? They didn't… they didn't ask about your partner, did they?"
Valerian's eyes flicked toward her briefly, then forward again as he mounted the spacecraft ramp.
"Confidential."
Her heart skipped. She laughed softly, rubbing her cheek.
"R-right. Confidential. Hehe… of course."
Inside, the spacecraft was even more dazzling. The cabin was compact but cutting-edge, a fusion of ISA elegance and battlefield efficiency. Sleek black alloy walls curved smoothly around them, accented with silver conduits glowing with faint reactor light. The seats were deep navy, reinforced but comfortable, with control panels embedded directly into the armrests.
The forward canopy stretched wide, giving them a panoramic view of the hangar and the city beyond.
Valerian moved first, his Hyperion suit gleaming under the lights—storm-gray coat with silver-etched lightning insignias, reinforced nanofiber plating beneath, gauntlets faintly humming with static. He adjusted his wristwatch, checking his tactical readouts without hesitation.
Luna slid into the co-pilot seat, her lavender coat flowing around her, the sash pooling like liquid light across the chair. She fiddled nervously with the straps, trying to act composed.
She peeked sideways at him, lips curving into a shy smile.
"So… partner… should we… um… talk strategy? Or are you just going to glare at the controls the whole trip?"
Valerian's voice was calm, even.
"Mission."
She laughed softly, covering her mouth with her hand.
"Right, right. Mission first. Always so serious…"
Her gaze softened, her smile lingering despite her nerves.
"…But I'll keep trying to make you laugh, Valerian."
He didn't look at her. Didn't answer.
But for the briefest moment, his storm-blue eyes flickered sideways, just once, before returning to the console.
CTS TIME RE250.09.01 – 9:30 AM
ISA Transport Prototype – En Route to Mecha Trade Expanse
The spacecraft shuddered as its reactor core ignited. Blue-white light rippled along its edges, and the hangar bay floor retracted below them. Slowly, gracefully, the craft lifted into the void. The canopy stretched wide, revealing Central City shrinking below—a maze of gleaming spires and floating rings bathed in morning light.
Inside the cockpit, the hum of the engines grew steady, a pulse like a heart beating in the metal walls.
Valerian sat rigid in the pilot's chair, storm-gray Hyperion uniform catching faint gleams of reactor light. His hands moved with mechanical precision over the projected control panel. Each gesture was measured: swipe, press, confirm.
His wristwatch clicked open, projecting a holographic interface in the air. Lines of data scrolled past, and with a wave, he summoned a glowing map—a string of universes linked by trade routes. A bright red trail pulsed across it.
"Kid: Flame Stormbringer, twelve years," he recited, voice flat. "Last seen: Shinobi Trade Expanse, black-market dock. Kidnapper fled with him through warp gate—destination: Mecha Trade Expanse. Now heading: Universe 03A, Mecha Empire."
He expanded the hologram, a sharp light cutting through the cabin. The child's image flickered into view: a small figure with fiery hair and frightened eyes. Luna's breath caught in her throat.
Her hands curled against her lap as she leaned closer. "He looks so young…" Her voice was soft, almost trembling. "Poor thing… He must be so scared right now."
Valerian didn't respond. His gaze was locked on the data stream.
She shifted, tilting her head toward him, her purple locks swaying with the movement. A nervous smile tugged at her lips. "You're… um… really good at this. Efficient. Focused." She let out a light laugh, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Almost makes me feel lazy, watching you."
His eyes flicked toward her once, sharp and cold.
"Pathetic," he said, tone clipped. "If you're senior… I'm the one doing all the tasks."
Luna froze. Her cheeks flared pink instantly, and her heart skipped a beat. She gripped the edge of her seat, puffed her cheeks, then forced a wobbly laugh.
"Y-you don't have to say it like that…" She reached toward the console, pressing a few buttons with shaky fingers. The system beeped, and she leaned closer as if concentrating hard. "See? I can help too. We… we'll reach the Mecha Trade Expanse in about two hours."
The navigation display confirmed her words, a clean arc of light showing their trajectory.
She glanced sideways, hoping for approval.
Nothing.
Valerian leaned back in his chair, disengaging the wristwatch projection. He stood, his movements smooth, almost too calm. Without a word, he left the cockpit and walked into the hall.
Luna sat frozen for a second, her smile faltering. Then she sighed softly and unclipped her belt, following a moment later.
The hall stretched wide, designed with ISA elegance. Alloy walls curved in seamless arcs, lit with soft blue glows along the edges. A long sofa lined one side, opposite a panel of windows showing the vast sweep of stars outside.
A projection screen hung in the center, linked to mission data, though Valerian wasn't using it. Instead, he sat on the sofa, posture composed, wristwatch flickering again—this time as a flat interactive panel hovering over his lap. His fingers tapped with quick precision, typing in silence.
Luna paused at the doorway, her lavender coat brushing against her legs. She hugged her sash with both hands, then slowly crossed the room. She sat carefully at the opposite end of the sofa, leaving a respectful distance between them.
For a moment, only the faint hum of the reactor filled the silence.
She fidgeted, her fingers tangling together in her lap. Then she forced a bright smile, tilting her head toward him.
"So… you're always this serious, huh? Even outside of battle?"
"Unnecessary," he said without looking up.
Her smile wavered, but she let out a small laugh anyway.
"I guess that was unnecessary too, huh? Hehe…" She pressed her palms together, fidgeting again.
Her eyes flicked to the window, then back to him.
"You know, you don't have to be so cold. I mean… I am your partner. At least for this mission. Don't you think it'd be easier if we… you know… acted like partners?"
Valerian's fingers didn't stop typing. His eyes stayed on the panel.
"Irrelevant."
Luna's heart squeezed, but she laughed nervously again, cheeks flushed. "You… you always say that, don't you? Irrelevant, unnecessary. You sound like a broken logic core." She tried to mimic a robot voice, puffing her cheeks playfully. "Beep boop—'Irrelevant'—hehe…"
This time, his hands paused mid-gesture. Just for a second. Then he resumed typing, expression unreadable.
Luna caught the pause. Her eyes softened. She leaned back against the sofa, tilting her head.
"…I'll take that as progress."
Silence fell again, broken only by the hum of the engines and the faint glow of starlight spilling through the window.
On the far wall, a panel displayed the ship's layout in 4D hologram:
One shared bedroom: wide enough for two, fitted with twin beds that could merge into one if reconfigured.
One hall: the room they sat in, doubling as a briefing and rest space.
One kitchen unit: compact, stocked with nutrient packs and—much to Luna's delight—dessert capsules.
One bathroom: sleek, chrome-tiled, fully automated.
Luna's eyes flicked to the display. Her cheeks turned a deeper red.
"One… bedroom…?" she whispered under her breath, then quickly shook her head, waving her hands as if brushing the thought away. "N-nope, nope, don't think about it, Luna!"
She peeked at Valerian again. He hadn't reacted. He was buried in his data, face calm, utterly composed.
Still, her lips curved into a faint smile.
"…Even if you ignore me all mission long, Valerian… I'll keep trying."
Her voice was quiet, almost to herself. But in the silence of the hall, it lingered like a soft echo.