[IC] Eternal Galaxy: Shards of Starlight - Part I

[Cucoo5]

Nexion System
Planet: Nexus

"Oh, don't worry too much about that. If the core does get near overloading, then it'll eject the core. Before it does, it makes the armor light and able to move manually. And only Nova Engine Replicas are known to go Nova. What the suit has is a bit more stable because it takes energy that is in contact with it to overcharge the core. A Nova engine has two Aura crystals feeding power into the other to simulate the effect and make it continuous. unfortunately, bringing two crystals out of that state is nearly impossible, hence the Super Nova...though It might be more accurate to just say it explodes with the force of a nova, not a super nova. We're taught to say super nova so as to scare people from ever trying to replicate the technology." She bowed slightly. "Be safe. And bring back data of any battles you put the armor through!"

[S121]

Nexion System
Planet: Nexus

John bowed back, thinking it was some kind of equivalent to a handshake or some other custom.

"I'll be sure to try and send you data after every battle.", John said as he began to leave.

Righ before John left the room, he stopped and asked two more questions that had been lingering in his mind.

"Oh. Two more things. What's going to happen to the MJOLNIR armor, and do you know of a place I could go to for ship upgrades?", John asked Starla.

[Cucoo5]

Nexion System
Planet: Nexus

"I'll keep your old armor here and have it under lock and key so as to prevent anything from happening to it. As for your ship...If you were sent here by Lady Avonna, she might have sent a team to augment in upgrades so that it matches the standards of a gunship." She then clapped her hands together. "And thank you so much! I will await any data you send!"

[S121]

Nexion System
Planet: Nexus

"Thank you again. Bye.", John said to Starla.

And with that, John left the weapons development lab and walked back to his ship.

[Cucoo5]

Nexion System
Planet: Nexus
Hangar Bay

"Well that was one heck of an outfitting for a gunship."
"I've replaced a lot of parts in one ship...but this..."
"Oi, shake it off mate."

The ship that John came in on had been completely retrofitted with newer technology. keeping the same structure, the armor plates had been replaced, the guns no longer utilized physical projectiles, instead Concentrated Aura Energy pulse technology, and the shield generator has been replaced with a newer shield generator along side a generously sized Aura Crystal Core. All the systems had also been reconfigured to the current standards using crystal conduits instead of wires.

[S121]

Nexion System
Planet: Nexus
Hangar Bay

John stopped walking and stood there as he looked at his ship. From what he could see, the mechanics might as well have made him a new ship. Almost everything in the ship was replaced, save for the interior.

"That's awfully generous of them. I guess we're about to do them a big favor by getting those ancient relics.", Cortana said to John.

"Probably.", John simply replied.

John walked towards the ship and looked it over. He was surprised by the kinds of things they did to it. He didn't think that they would simply give him all of these upgrades and items, yet it seemed ass if they were. What exactly was John doing that would give them the incentive to give him their best technology? John didn't really know, but he was sure that he would find out soon.

John walked over to the lead mechanic and spoke.

"Thank you for all of the modifications. Is there anything I should know about the ship's new systems?", John asked the mechanic.

[Cucoo5]

Nexion System
Planet: Nexus
Hangar Bay

"Compared to what was in there...the first thing you'll notice is that she'll have a bit more power behind everything she's got. We just brought her up to standards. 'tain't much, but she'll fly a helluvalot smoother. The core has standard limiters, which will consistently keep it to at least standard shields and flight. It's really hard to drain the core we put in her. The only way ya'd activate the limiter is if you were flying at max velocity or acceleration and having all guns open fire for...I'd say...ten hours."

"Overall, she's just a lot more efficient when it comes to gunships. Nothing else is really glaringly different other than the fact the guns no longer use ammo and the shields are just a lot better."

[Kristia]

Helios System
Delta Division Flagship | Excalibur

Mara was delighted that her prototype was working, and she was enjoying that it was by her own investigation, yet she felt that hollowness inside her

"Yeah.. it took me four years and a near death explosion so I could test this without having to risk a living being" she chuckled darkly. Looking at her own arm, the bioroid noticed the syntetic skin on her body.

"Am I still a human?" the question appeared on her mind. She remembered her first time waking up with her cybernetics. She felt stronger and smarter at first, but looking at a mirror scared her to death, she just had a mask of her face, white hair and pale skin, but what scared her the most were here eyes. Instead of white globes were black mechanical ones with golden irises.

Back in reality, the white-haired sighed, having no actual friends, just coworkers ("Possibly the little one..?") she thought of Anankerisa, even though she was anything but a small girl, Anankerisa was the first person to see her like a person, not a machine, but an actual person.

"Probably I should befriend an AI, that would probably be easier" she mumbled to herself

[Cucoo5]

Helios System
Delta Division Flagship | Excalibur
Viewing Deck

Aion looked out to the stars in solitude in the viewing deck. He was listening to the chime of the notepad.
Ding...Ding...Ding...

Six years earlier

...Tink...Tink...Tink...
Aion watched drops of rainwater fall from the roof onto the metal plate that rested on the ground.

Tink...Tink...Tink...

There were words etched into the metal...

Tink...Tink...Tink...

"Here Lies..."

Tink...Tink...Tink...

"...Tina Leonares..."

Tink...Tink...Tink...

His hand reached up to the golden pendant with the sky blue gem in it...

Tink...Tink-Tink...Tink...Tink-Tink-Tink....

Tears...

***

Aion had closed his eyes as the memory was brought to the forefront. When he opened them again, he realized he had subconsciously grasped the pendant he wore. "...Tina..."

***

Nero was still in a foul mood because of what was happening to him. He walked past the table where Mara sat. He then tripped over his own feet and face-planted the floor. "...I deserved that..."

[Kristia]

Helios System
Delta Division Flagship | Excalibur

Seeing a man fall close to her table put the bioroid out of her trance and noticed he fell on his face, and she didnīt laugh just.. stare

Getting up from her seat, Mara walked towards the man and offered her hand "Need some help?" she asked

[Cucoo5]

Helios System
Delta Division Flagship | Excalibur

"Aye......" Nero responded without moving, thus talking into the floor. He reached up and grabbed her hand and pulled himself up. "Women...they're going to-" Nero then realized the person that helped him up was a woman. "Uhm...uh...please tell me you don't know who I am...I already have enough people trying to take advantage of me being the head defense coordinat- oh shoot. YOU DIDN'T HEAR THAT!" He then ran off to the kitchen area.
"Yo Nero! What's- ...and he's gone." Joe, who had took off after Nero when he left the group, walked up to where Mara was. "Ah...say, miss, mind if I ask what got into him just then?"

[Kristia]

Helios System
Delta Division Flagship | Excalibur

At first, the man took hers with ease as he was saying something about women and apologized seeng she was a female too, but then he started rambling something and fled like a maniac

It was awkward indeed, but in the back of her mind was still the idea of being alienated. Thankfully the ched asked what was going on so she answered what she knew

"I donīt know, he just tripped on his foot and rambled some stuff of he being of some high rank area, then he stopped like if he said the wrong thing and ran to your direction" Mara said with a calm yet worried tone

[Cucoo5]

Helios System
Delta Division Flagship | Excalibur

Joe heard the explanation and had to laugh. "Hahaha! Two women take advantage of him being the Head Defense Coordinator and now he's gone paranoid! I'll have to ask Kiara if this is normal for him...anyway..." Joe shook his head and doing so caught sight of the device Mara was working on. "Hm? Say that's interesting...never seen anything like that before..."

[Kristia]

Helios System
Delta Division Flagship | Excalibur

"Oh! this? it is a portal creator, like the warp gates on the different systems, but in more personal size" Mara explains about it and finds a lone tray on a table

its better a show instead of words" the bioroid said pointing her portal gun to the floor shooting a portal next to her and another one near the table. Walking towards the table, the white haired led the tray fall to one portal and it jumped on the second one and so the loop kept going for another three jumps until she took the tray again and gave it to the man

its still a prototype, but im getting the hang on it" Mara finished

(not feling good, going to sleep)

[bookdragon2000]

Sol Inceneron
Near Inopia - Alpha fleet

"landing bay D-601? So I assume this Revere is not on your ship and able to just talk using long range's communications? I'm sorry, but I will not land there where I might be trapped, don't take offense, I did not survive this long by trusting everyone. I will follow your ship to wherever you need me to go to talk to this person." Once said, Nhiome established a lock on the Gamma class battle cruiser, as he was sure they were doing right now, just in case he tried to run. But he kept his word and fell in just behind the cruiser. He then checked his remote and was assured that the ships were where they were supposed to be.