Kaito stood in the middle of his room, staring at Astra's floating head above his bed. Her four glowing red eyes stared back at him without blinking.
"My time is limited. There is a matter I must discuss with you quickly."
Kaito's expression shifted.
"Limited?"
"Yes. Your license is not designed for extended communication with me due to… reasons. I am only able to reach you because I personally adjusted part of its system before it was given to you." Astra replied.
"I contacted you because I wish to speak about my previous captain."
His eyes lit up at her hearing that.
"Your captain… The former King of the Stars?"
"Yes. That is correct."
Her glowing eyes dimmed slightly, but her layered robotic voice remained even.
"Like yourself, my former captain desired to shape the universe in his own way. He wished to pull it away from the natural course of life, death, balance, and creation. He believed the universe could be changed through will alone. Through strength alone. Through the dream he carried inside him."
She paused for a short moment.
"And because he tried to fight the natural course of the universe, it led to his death."
Kaito gulped nervously.
Astra's gaze didn't move from his.
"Those who choose to defy the natural course of the universe are destined for death."
Her voice sharpened.
"And you are following that same path."
Kaito's jaw tightened almost instantly as the air in the room shifted.
Astra remained silent as she continued to observe him.
"So what?... You called me just to tell me I'm going to die?"
"I called to warn—"
"SHUT UP!" Kaito snapped.
"You called to tell me I can't do something… Just like everyone else."
His voice rose.
"I'm so damn tired of hearing that!"
His hands tightened into fists at his sides.
"You don't think I already know beating the captain is unlikely? You don't think I know everyone probably thinks I'm crazy for even trying? You don't think I see and hear this all the time!?"
His teeth clenched.
"I do… I know it all sounds ridiculous and impossible, but I made a promise to people that believe in me. I gave my word and I refuse to go back on it."
Astra's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Kaito—"
"I SAID SHUT THE FUCK UP!!!"
His voice thundered through the room. Astra went silent, watching as his breathing grew heavier.
"Nobody asked to be here…. Nobody asked to be born into this universe. Nobody asked to be dropped into a life already decided for them before they even got the chance to understand what living is supposed to mean."
His brown eyes trembled slightly, but he didn't look away from her.
"But we are here."
His hand pressed against his chest.
"And because we are, every single one of us deserves to live a life where we can chase our dreams. No matter who we are. No matter what we are. No matter if we actually reach them or fail trying."
His voice lowered slightly.
"Everyone should have the opportunity to try..."
For a moment, his room disappeared from his mind and he saw the city lights of Thalos again.
The dirty streets that were rarely cleaned. The broken neon lights.
The eyes of those glaring down at him like he was something disgusting stuck to the bottom of their shoes.
His fingers dug into his plain white t-shirt.
"That to me is what it truly means to be free. That should be the standard of living for everyone. But not everyone is fortunate enough to be born into a life where they can do that."
His eyes sharpened as he glared at her projection.
"Maybe it's because of what they look like. What they believe in. How much money they do or don't have. If they're a man, woman, hermaphrodite, non-binary, or anything else."
His hand dropped from his chest.
"None of that should matter. But most of us live in societies or under rule where it does."
A faint purple glow formed around his shoulders.
"If you're unfortunate enough to be born and not meet the correct criteria already preplanned for you and everyone else…"
He glanced down to the floor for a moment.
"Then you don't truly get to live."
Astra's four eyes reflected the growing purple energy around him as he slowly looked back up towards her.
"And that's bullshit…" He muttered.
The room became quiet again.
Then another memory surfaced.
It was Farro.
The old man's tired smile patching his knuckles, knees, and elbows after training. His large purple hand roughly running through his hair. The smell of warm food in the orphanage and the sound of the kids running to get first dibs. The voice of his old man telling him to keep his head up even when the world tried to force it down.
Farro cared for him. Protected him. Raised him. Even when the rest of Thalos looked at Kaito like he never should have existed.
"I want to be the person who changes all of that. I want to be there for the people who aren't fortunate enough to meet the bullshit criteria those in power created. To stand by their side and help them forge a life they truly deserve to live."
He raised his eyes to Astra again.
"That to me is what it means to be a king."
Astra stared at him silently as he continued.
"I don't give two fucks what destiny says my life is supposed to be like!"
His purple essence exploded around him like a raging inferno.
The bed shook and the card beneath Astra's projection rattled against the sheets.
"Nobody has the right to tell others how to live!"
The essence around him twisted violently.
"And if they try…"
He slammed his fist against his chest, right over his heart.
The room seemed to pulsate. Purple essence burst outward from his body, but something else flowed with it. Large white streaks stretched inside the purple flame.
Yet they didn't overtake one another.
The two separate essences seemingly began to merge.
They twisted around one another, creating a wild striped pattern that filled the room with purple and white light.
Astra's four eyes widened slightly as the white and purple essence roared around him.
Kaito stood in the center of it, breathing hard, his fist still pressed over his heart.
"THEN I'LL BE THERE TO BEAT THEIR ASS! EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM!"
Astra's four crimson eyes remained slightly widened as the purple and white essence roared around his body. The room shook faintly under the pressure leaking from him, yet her gaze wasn't only on him anymore.
It was on the figure standing beside him.
It was a young elf man.
He was roughly the same height as Kaito, about a few years older in appearance, dressed in black royal-like armor with pale skin, and short curly black hair.
He stood there silently beside Kaito with golden-orange eyes that seemed to burn with the same intensity as the human boy in front of her.
He wasn't truly there, yet for a short moment, Astra saw him as clear as the stars outside.
Then her eyes softened and a faint chuckle left her.
Kaito's brows lowered as the essence around him slowly began to calm.
"What's so funny?"
The chuckling grew louder until her robotic voice filled the room as she burst into full laughter.
Kaito's eye twitched.
"Are you seriously laughing right now!?"
Astra finally stopped, though a small trace of amusement still remained in her voice.
"You're a fool itching to die… Just like him."
Kaito's fists tightened again.
"If you called me just to belittle me and tell me not to chase my goals, then you're wasting your time."
"That is not why I called." She replied immediately.
"Then why did you?"
Astra's expression became serious again.
"If you allowed me to speak then you would know that I called to warn you."
Kaito's anger faded slightly.
"Warn me?" He repeated.
"Warn me from what?"
Astra's projection flickered for a short moment before steadying again.
"The rangers Orion created are not the same as they once were."
Kaito's face tightened.
"What does that mean?"
"It means a small section of the organization has been infiltrated and poisoned by the power and influence of the Accord."
Kaito's eyes squinted slightly.
"The Accord?"
"Yes. Though it is not yet the majority. Not yet. But corruption spreads like rot through a body. It begins small and quiet, then consumes everything before the body realizes it is dying. It will not be long before that small section spreads further. Once that happens, there will be no one left to stop Seraphine and the rest of the Accord from extending their control across the remaining free galaxies."
Her crimson eyes narrowed.
"The rangers are one of the sole reasons galaxies like the one you are in now remain free from their rule."
Her voice lowered.
"But the way things are occurring… that may not be true for much longer."
His license on his bed glowed suddenly, projecting a small star map between them.A set of coordinates appeared across the projection.
Kaito looked down at it.
"What is this?"
"Coordinates to a world inside a small galaxy over ten million light years away from your current location." Astra replied.
"It is the world Orion, myself, and the others once called home."
Kaito's expression shifted once he heard that.
"I believe it would be of great importance for you to visit that world one day."
He looked back up to her.
"Why?"
"Because there is someone there you must meet. He's an old elven man named Krios."
"Krios…?" He repeated confusedly.
Astra's eyes softened slightly.
"He was my former crewmate and the right hand of Orion."
Kaito's eyes nearly fell out of his sockets.
"The right hand man to the King of the Stars…? He's still alive?"
"To my knowledge yes, but I can't say for certain if that will remain true for long. Certain members of the upper echelon within the core elf races can live for tens of thousands of stellar cycles. Much like your captain and her right hand, Talon." She explained.
His eyes moved back to the coordinates floating over his bed.
"Why are you telling me all of this?"
Astra stared at him for a moment.
"Because I wish to keep my promise as well."
Kaito's eyes shifted to her projection.
"My promise to my former captain. After Orion's death, I joined the rangers to ensure his vision continued even without him. But that promise is beginning to slip away."
The room went quiet.
"When I watched you fight during the exams… and when I heard you speak just now… I could not help but see my old fool of a captain. In short, I believe in your words, my human boy."
Kaito's expression softened.
"I believe you truly have what it takes to become the next King of the Stars."
For a moment, the room felt still. Kaito opened his mouth to speak, but Astra continued before he could.
"This will likely be the last time we speak." She said firm and sudden.
His face changed instantly.
"Wh–What!?"
Astra's expression did not move.
"What do you mean by that!? Why would it be the last time we speak?" He asked.
"Due to my decision to withhold your exam footage out of concern that the wrong hands may gain access to it, I have been summoned to stand trial before the Court of Rangers."
Kaito's eyes widened.
"A trial? For what? You were trying to protect information that could put me and everyone else in danger."
"It is not that simple, my child."
"Yes it is!" Kaito snapped.
"You shouldn't get punished severely for something like that."
Astra stared at him quietly.
"There are laws even I must answer to. Also, other factors are at play here. There are those within the rangers who have been waiting for a reason to remove me from my position."
Kaito's chest tightened.
"So what? They're just gonna punish you because you didn't hand them footage?"
"They will call it obstruction. Abuse of authority. Interference with official examination records."
Kaito took a step closer to the bed.
"That's bullshit!"
"Perhaps… But if you wish to help me, then go to our old home and speak with Krios. There, you will begin to understand what Orion and the rest of us failed to do."
She suddenly paused. Her eyes shifted slightly, as if something outside of the projection had grabbed her attention. Kaito noticed immediately.
"What is it?"
She looked back at him.
"I must to go. I am being summoned."
The projection flickered worse than before.
"Good luck with everything, Kaito."
The light around her began to fade.
"Wait!" He shouted
Astra stopped and looked at him.
Kaito's hands lowered to his sides and his eyes radiated a firm gratitude.
"Thank you. For believing in me." He began.
"And no matter what happens, I'm going to save you too. You and everyone out there who needs help. I promise you."
Astra watched him for a short moment. Then, very faintly, her lips curved into something that almost looked like a smile.
"I will be highly disappointed if you do not." She said calmly.
The projection flickered once more then vanished leaving him in the now silent room.
Only the thin black license card remained on his bed, glowing faintly with the coordinates still burned across its surface.
He stood there for a long moment before he looked down at his hand as the last remnants of purple and white essence faded from his fingers.
Far away from the Starlight, the licensing station's command center sat empty and silent. The hundreds of floating screens that once displayed exam footage were gone. The holographic feeds were shut off. The long rows of stations where the green exam workers sat were dark, leaving only the pale blue glow of the central monitor shining over the room.
Astra sat alone in her chair.
Her four red eyes stared forward as the final trace of Kaito's call disappeared from the air in front of her.
For a short moment, there was silence. Then the large monitor in front of her flickered and a new call connected.
This time, two elves stood on the other side of the screen.
On the left was a young adult elven woman with glistening dark chocolate skin and bright pink eyes. Her black hair was tied into two long braided ponytails that rested over her shoulders. She stood with her hands folded neatly in front of her, her face calm, but her eyes watching Astra closely.
On the right was an elderly elven man with a bald head and deep black eyes.
His wrinkled pale face alone told a story. Not one of peace nor happiness. Instead one carved through war, death, and many years of watching people he once knew disappear one after another.
Astra stared at him.
"Astra of the Star Traveler Licensing Authority." The old elf began, his voice rough and cold.
"Under the authority of the Ranger Court and the Central Regiment of the Rangers, you are hereby ordered to surrender yourself for judgment."
Astra said nothing.
"You are being charged with obstruction of official examination records, abuse of authority, unauthorized suppression of classified footage, interference with ranger evidence protocols, and unlawful contact with an examinee under investigation."
The young woman beside him lowered her eyes slightly, but didn't speak.
The old elf continued.
"You have the right to present your defense before the court. You have the right to request witness testimony from any licensed ranger or star traveler relevant to the investigation. You have the right to remain silent until the hearing begins. Anything you say before then may be used against you during sentencing."
Astra's glowing eyes did not move from him, instead deepened with something that seemed hot and heavy.
"Refusal to report to the nearest ranger station will result in your immediate classification as a rogue official and enemy of ranger law."
The room remained still.
The old elf's black eyes narrowed.
"This day has been a long time coming. Ever since the death of our captain."
Astra finally tilted her head slightly.
"Has it?"
His jaw tightened.
For the first time, something shifted in Astra's expression.
"I'm surprised you're still alive to see the day you would arrest me." She said.
The young woman's pink eyes widened slightly. Astra stared directly at the old elf.
"How old are you now, Apollo? You must be over ten thousand cycles by now."
Apollo's face twisted.
"Silence!"
His voice thundered through the monitor.
"You have no right to speak to me as such you vile traitor."
Astra's four eyes narrowed.
"Traitor…" She repeated quietly.
"You abandoned everything he built." Apollo stated.
"No. I protected what little remained of it."
Apollo's wrinkled face tightened.
"You protected nothing but your own arrogance."
The young elf woman glanced at Apollo, then back to Astra, but still remained silent.
Apollo pointed a finger toward her.
"Report to the nearest ranger station immediately. From there, you will be transported to the Court of Rangers."
His black eyes hardened.
"There, I and the rest of the regiment will decide your punishment."
Astra stared at him for a long moment. Then her eyes dimmed slightly.
"Understood."
Apollo's expression didn't soften.
"Do not make us come for you."
The call ended and the large monitor went dark.
Astra remained seated in the empty command center, the silence around her heavier than before.
For a moment, she stared at her own faint reflection in the black screen.
Then her four red eyes slowly lifted.
"Orion…" She muttered quietly.
"I hope I chose correctly."