Journey to the Center of the Galaxy

"How would capturing Earth enable Voltson Jepps to hold The Milky Way hostage?" Kevin asked.

"Everything else in the galaxy depends on it as a cosmic circulatory system," Sillan explained.

They were both standing up now and the chairs had disappeared.

"Yes," said Leafson. "Earth exists to maintain the rest of the galaxy. That is another reason why it is a closed-off world, that very few beings from outside can affect."

"And all living beings experience a reincarnation journey through the planet as well..." Sillan added humbly. "Not to mention any new matter comes from Earth and then expands outwards...on the quantum level."

"If Voltson Jepps takes control of Earth," Kevin asked. "He will have every other planet by the balls?"

"Essentially, "said Leafson. "And once he takes control; he will find out about its computer existence and try to use the program. Most likely as a weapon."

"He doesn't mind breaking the universe he exits in?" Kevin asked.

"I told you," Said Leafson. "He is evil. He only truly cares what becomes of himself."

"That still doesn't make sense!" Kevin insisted.

"It doesn't!" Said Leafson.

Kevin and Sillan both looked at each other.

"For the last two-hundred and fifty years, on your planet, and with the aid of aliens nearby Earth; Voltson Jepps has been silently influencing the technological, political and spiritual developments of your planet to make invasion almost seamless when it's ready."

"I think I always knew that on some level..." Kevin said. "Earth has changed drastically since the industrial revolution."

"Just like your great-grandfather," said Leafson.

"He has secretly been using a philosophy called "Communism" to guide Earth in a totalitarian direction," Leafson continued to explain. "It is very easy for him to control human minds; especially with the help of those grey aliens...and other beings."

"We need to go now...don't we?" Sillan asked.

"Yes," Leafson replied with a calm but guarded smile.

"Spaceship Ksenia can land on the roof; on my private landing pad," Leafson explained. "I deactivated the control codes; so you can use your Lunerian technology to have your ship land there now."

Sillan facial tattoos rotated. Kevin and Sillan both looked at each other.

"Anything else we should know?" Kevin asked.

Leafson looked like he was thinking very hard.

"The journey is just as important as the destination," Leafson said with a warm smile. "Both of you will find yourselves changing in unexpected ways. Always stay true to yourselves and what you think is right; no matter what the cost!"

"Okay..." Sillan and Kevin said in unison.

Leafson looked upwards towards the ceiling of his presidential palace and towards the sky. Some more fireworks exploded in the vast distance.

"It's time for you two to go now!" He said.

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Leafson departed. Sillan and Kevin found their way to his private, presidential landing pad (on the roof). The Galactic Congress Dome could be seen towering with its gargantuan form, far off in the distance. It penetrated into the clouds further than the eye could see. The last celebrations of Enlo day were playing out; and it wouldn't be long before the planet (and its seven-hundred quadrants) returned to normal operations.

They boarded Spaceship Ksenia. It somehow seemed new and more complete than it did when they had landed on planet Enlo. They entered the piloting module and they both sat down. The A.I. greeted them.

"Anything special happen while you were on planet?" It asked.

Kevin and Sillan both looked at each other and then said nothing.

"Very well..." The A.I. replied.

"What is our next course of action?" The A.I. continued.

Kevin looked at Sillan. Sillan was clearly thinking about the UDF as much as Kevin was at that moment. Sillan didn't say anything for what felt like a long time.

"It's off the the Illawayan then?" Kevin asked.

"Yes..." said Sillan

"And then back to Earth..." Sillan continued.

"What am I going to do once this is done!?" Kevin asked.

Sillan didn't say anything and then began to pilot the ship. It lifted out of Enlo's atmosphere.

"Am I just going to move back to Earth?" Kevin insisted. "What will the planet be like when this is over?"

"There is no actual way to know that at this point," Sillan said. "You might as well go with it. It might be time to consider than you've moved on from Old Casadasius, and are now a citizen of the galaxy."

Kevin thought long and hard about that.

It was raining again when they reached the last layer of Enlo's atmosphere. A long chain of lighting streaked across the sky. Hard rain cascaded off of the piloting modules front window. Sillan began making the calculations for a worm-hole jump to the center of the galaxy.

"Then it's to the Illawayan?" The ships A.I. asked.

"Yes..." said Sillan.

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Spaceship Ksenia reached the near outer-space above Enlo. They were surrounded by space elevators, outer-orbit bases, mining facilities and a million other man made and celestial objects.

"I was wondering," Kevin asked as they rose even higher above the planet. "Why is this ship called Ksenia?"

"It's a lunerian word," the A.I. chimed in.

"For what?" Kevin asked.

"It means 'one who forges his own destiny," Sillan explained. "I chose that name when I selected my path as a Lunerian...once I was ready for my own ship and the greater galaxy."

"This wasn't your first ship I thought?" Kevin asked.

"Correct," said Sillan. "This is my third ship. But I chose the title 'Ksenia' when I was ready."

"Sillan is known as a rebel among the Lunerians," said the A.I. "Ksenia is his title. Plus...he has a girlfriend; which is very rare for a Lunerian...to have a love interest."

"I think I've always been a 'Ksenia' myself," said Kevin, looking down at the pocket Earth Hammer was in.

They finally cleared away from all that was planet Enlo. Sillan started to do the final calculations (for the travel to center of the galaxy). The ship rose to the highest point away from the planet (needed to do a jump).

Kevin saw the worm-hole mapping program come up in the space around the piloting module. A route was quickly being automatically created. Several lines and trajectories popped up. They traced away from their current location and did a swift dance towards the exact center of the map.

Kevin could see the very center of the galaxy being displayed around him. It looked like the most ancient part of it. He could see the supermassive black-hole being displayed at its very center. It was causing all the space around it to bend inwards and flow into it's gargantuan, inescapable, deadly mouth. The ship began to move into worm-hole space. Suddenly, there was a large, laser generated explosion that knocked them out of worm-hole space. Lylan Afee forced a video display to come onto their end.

"Sillan Octavion!" She commanded.

Lylan could be seen sitting in the control room of her ship. There was a wide phalanx of commanders and officers behind her; each attending to their own part of the bridge. Her face came in clear and dead center.

"Fen EL!" Sillan yelled back. "How did you find us this fast?!"

"There is no escaping this time!" She insisted. "Surrender control of your ship!"

Sillan looked as confused as he was impressed. She was still piloting the same ship (from outside planet Avax). The dual rail cannons could been seen both towering on there respective sides.

"I'm wondering what you two are doing outside of Enlo!" She commanded. "But, either way, you are both under arrest!"

"I told you!" Sillan said. "I did not have a choice!"

"There is something else going on here..." Kevin said. "They wouldn't be this committed to arresting us unless they were getting something else out of it!"

Sillan didn't say anything; and tried to re-enter worm-hole space. The ship stalled out and nothing happened.

"What the hell!" Sillan said.

"There is no escaping the force field!" Lylan said. "You don't understand what technology The Federation has now. Surrender control of your ship now!"

"Something is wrong here!" Kevin yelled, leaning into their end of the video display. "Something is wrong with The Federation!"

"He's telling the truth!" Sillan also yelled.

Lylan looked genuinely concerned about what they were both saying. Her single, blue eye shone brightly again; before she spoke.

"I am under orders to detain both of you; and bring you before a Federation exportation tribunal. Please do as I say...to avoid further force!"

Sillan looked like he was still thinking about how to reason with her.

"The Ishmaru..." he began to say.

Kevin looked at Lylan's single blue eye again; he could tell she was already thinking about the same thing. She looked genuinely concerned and then began to talk.

"Despite any circumstances..." She interrupted. "I have orders! And orders are orders! This is your last chance to come in peacefully!"

"FENNN THIS!" Sillan yelled. "Bolan-crec to worm-hole program at a factor of five per-

It was too late. Lylan gave a gesture to someone else on the bridge (with two fingers above her head). They did some quick inputs and the rail gun from the upper left side of the ship fired. It ripped through outer space at an instant rate, tore directly through spaceship Ksenia's shield and caused the ship to immediately crack in half. Alarms from all over the ship started blaring in a torrent of chaos. Kevin and Sillan went flying across the floor of the piloting module. The A.I. went into panic mode.

"WE HAVE SUFFERED A CRITICAL DAMAGE!" The A.I. commanded. "WE HAVE SUFFERED A CRITICAL DAMAGE."

Sillan started yelling back to the A.I.

"COMPLETELY SEAL OFF THE PILOTING MODULE NOW!" He commanded. "NOW!"

"SEALING!"

The doorway at the entrance of the piloting module shot closed almost instantly. Creating a complete seal to the environment within. Half of the middle of the ship was still connected to the piloting module; while the back half of Spaceship Ksenia began to quickly float off into the void of space.

"FENN!!!!!" Sillan yelled.

Alarms were blaring within both halves of the ship.

"YOU ARE DONE FOR!" Lylan yelled through the video display. "We are seizing your ship now! Do not use any further maneuvers! Your lives are at stake!"

"You are going to start a war with Luneris!!!" Sillan yelled.

"Perhaps..." Lylan yelled back.

Sillan and Kevin both tried to lift themselves up into the piloting module as the chaos continued. The half of the ship they were on became completely restrained by the forcefield from Lylan's ship. They slowly began to be sucked into the giant, open mouth of the massive docking bay )below the bridge of the ship_.

"What the hell do we do Sillan?!" Kevin yelled.

"I'm thinking!" Sillan said as he was finally able to stand up entirely.

The dark, myriad stars of the void of space were slowly fading away as they were pulled into the cold, clinical looking bay. Many Federation ships were lying in wait; with their pilots ready to launch.

Sillan started rapidly calculating something on the main control panel of the ship. The trajectory from the center of the map changed quickly.

"A.I.!" Sillan yelled. "Initiate emergency program thirty-seven B! IMMEDIATELY!"

"INITIATING!!!"

The alarm pattern within the remaining ship changed and the lights turned blue. Jet thrusters cracked out of the bottom of the piloting module; as a large panel below it fell away. They started to pull against the tractor beam; but not entirely. It still held them is its grasp. The half of the ship they were in was now powered by an internal, emergency engine. The remaining part of the ship was about to make a short range-lightspeed jump; now powered by an emergency; one time use; back up engine built into the piloting module.

"MAKE THE JUMP NO-

It was too late. The power of the tractor beam accelerated dramatically as Lylan could be seen (from their perspective) yelling dramatic orders from behind the (mostly translucent) blue windows from her bridge.

Something incredibly strange happened at this point. The side of the piloting module (that Sillan was now on) continued to be pulled into the hangar; while the side with Kevin did not. The short-range worm-hole jump continued to initiate. Kevin was pulled into the worm-hole himself; while Sillan and the piloting module were drawn into the hangar.

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Sillan watched in horror as Kevin was sucked away into the original trajectory for the short-range worm-hole jump. He took comfort in knowing that Kevin was now being teleported into a closed location; and not just the void of space. Kevin, he knew, did not know this yet. His companion quickly disappeared as light stretched out around him. The hangar bay slowly and ominously closed in front of Sillan and the rest of Spaceship Ksenia.

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Federation security officers, clad in the their blue uniforms (armed with standard Federation laser-rifles) quickly swarmed around the ruins of Spaceship Ksenia. Fire fighting staff rushed in and quickly put out the fire (that had ignited around the piloting module). Sillan watched on in horror at the ruins of spaceship Ksenia.

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The security staff all pointed their laser-rifles towards the opening of the ship; which was now facing upwards. They formed a full circle around it, making it impossible for anyone to escape. Sillan didn't talk or make a move. He was more concerned about what had now happened to Kevin; there wasn't time to worry however.

Suddenly, he thew Fyzak over the opening to the piloting module. It landed in front of all of the security officers. They all looked down in unison and then back up towards the opening (in unison). Sillan slowly rose up, as if he was floating, and poked out from the piloting module with his hands in the air.

"Um...." He announced. "I have to make a phone call to Luneris."

"Sillan Octavion!" Lylan yelled as she marched onto the hangar and through the soldiers; directly approaching Sillan. Her black Federation boots echoed loudly and authoritatively through the hangar and in the ears of her soldiers.

"How old are you!?" Sillan yelled, his hands still in the air. "You look like you are twenty."

"Enough of that!" She yelled back. "Tell your companion to come out too!"

"He's not in here!" Sillan yelled back.

"How ridiculous!" Lylan yelled, brushing hear hair aside.

"Search it!" She yelled.

A swarm of soldiers began to climb into the ruins of the ship with their laser-rifles pointed at Sillan. Three of them climbed inside, while the rest detained Sillan and pulled him down from the ship and then began to shackle him.

"No one is in here!" One of the security officers yelled back.

"WHAT!" Lylan insisted. "Search harder!"

Sillan was on his knees, detained by two security officers. He was now wearing a pair of hand-shackles, composed of a solid energy ring (connecting the parts restraining his hands). Sillan was horribly worried about Kevin.

"There is definitely no one in here!" One of the other security officers yelled. "There are no other escape routes from the piloting module!"

Lylan looked incredibly vexed. She scuffed her right, recently polished boot against the seamlessly clean floor of the hangar

Sillan was now completely detained, on his knees, with his hands bound. Lylan was standing over him with her hands authoritatively on her hips. Ten security officers were still aiming their rifles at him. None of them had ever been in the situation of detaining and arresting a Lunerian. No further searching of the ship was possible. It became completely clear that no one was left.

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Sillan sat in the interrogation room (within the detention center of Lylan's ship). His hands were no longer bound. He sat in a clinical, plain room at a metal table. He stared into a mirror that was most definitely a one-way window. Something was wrong with his facial tattoos.

Absolutely none of them were functioning, and his powers had become severely limited. He was still very worried about Kevin; as he had now been warped to a place that would be completely unfamiliar to him. Kevin wouldn't know where he was in the galaxy at all. Sillan sat and waited for a very long time. Someone finally entered the room.

A tall man with a mustache, wearing a blue Federation uniform entered. He had several medals adoring his uniform; which were much less than Lylan had. He sat down coldly, across the table from Sillan and began to open a series of documents and files (he had in his left hand). He gestured towards the mirror. Sillan knew they were now recording on the other side.

"Please state your name for the record," the man insisted.

"What's your name?!" Sillan retorted.

"My name is Horos Draco," the man explained. "I am in charge of security on this ship."

Sillan stared back at Horos with a perplexed look on his face. They both dared each other to say something first; before Sillan finally spoke.

"My name is Sillan Octavion," Sillan said.

"Yes," said Horos. "And where are you from?"

"I am from planet Luneris; located at the outer edges of The Cygnus Arm of the galaxy."

"What is your occupation?"

"I am currently working as a free-lance mercenary for..."

Sillan had to think hard for a moment now. What was his occupation at this moment? Who was he working for?"

"I am currently unemployed."

"How old are you?"

"I am seven-hundred and forty-two years old."

"Have you ever been arrested before?"

"No."

"Do you understand what you are being charged with?"

"I am being charged with a violation of the Underdeveloped Planets Preservation Act..."

"At a historic level..." Horos insisted as he shifted the (now opened) files closer to the middle of the table.

"At a historic level..." Sillan continued. "For using a laser weapon at a business establishment on Old Casadasius."

"And what were the circumstances of that?" Horos insisted.

"I did not have a choice!" Sillan explained. "I was on orders from The Vend to pick up a resident of the planet and safely transport him to The Illawayan. He would have died."

"Yes," said Horos. "Unfortunately...the Fanyen Treaty was repealed and you are no longer protected under it."

"You don't see how this is wrong?" Sillan insisted.

"You may have changed the course for Old Casadasius' social, political and technological developments."

Sillan thought about Leafson Ableson telling him about the Ishmaru's soon to be invasion of Earth.

"It was a historical violation," Sillan said. "I reset the consciousness of a large majority of the witnesses."

"All of them?" Horos insisted.

"No..." said Sillan. "There were a considerable amount of witnesses still inside the building. But you know how it goes on planets like that..."

"I know how it goes?"

"Stage-zero planets have a way of rationalizing away events that challenge their concept of reality."

"The event itself spread quickly through cyber media..." Horos continued. "Before dying away after a three month period. The general consensus on the planets cyber media eventually became labeled as a 'conspiracy theory."

"I told you!" Said Sillan.

"The individual witnesses personally involved still retain their memories; at least the ones whose consciousness you didn't reset; however, you still broke the law at a historic level of violation; something that hasn't happened on that planet for two-hundred years."

"I had no choice!" Sillan insisted. "I was doing my duty as a Lunerian."

Horos looked perplexed himself as he continued to read through the file he had now opened. He didn't say anything for a long moment.

"The punishment for this crime is facing an exportation tribunal. The most likely outcome is being moved to the manufactured solar systems region; facing an eighty-year sentence there."

"You know this is going to create serious tensions between Luneris and The Federation!" Sillan insisted. "Not to mention...The Ishmaru created an act of war when they destroyed planet Avax."

"When what happened!?" Horos asked, looking genuinely confused. "Planet Avax's oceans were eradicated by a militant branch of a conglomeration of space-pirates."

Sillan stared back blankly at Horos for a long time.

"What?!" Sillan finally said.

"You didn't watch the Galactic News?" Horos insisted. "How is that something you wouldn't know. Is this what Lunerians are like?"

Sillan continued to stare back at Horos. He was now presented with information that was contradictory to an event he himself had witnessed and participated in first-hand.

"Planet Avax was attacked by a large, newly formed conglomeration of space-pirates and other rouges; who seemed to be in possession of illegal and mostly unheard of weaponry."

"Of course," Sillan said, still with the same look on his face.

"The Ishmaru aided The Federation in defending the planet; before the catastrophe occurred and it's oceans were destroyed. At which point, the battle ended."

Sillan began to wonder how it was even possible, for the true nature of a battle, at that scale, could possibly be covered up. He had seen himself the epic clash between legions of Federation and Ishmaru ships. Horos continued to interrogate him.

"What was the nature of you extracting the Old Casadasius resident?"

"The nature is Triple A security," Sillan explained. "Source redacted!"

"Indeed..." said Horos, squinting at the files.

"You will have to take that up with The Vend," said Sillan. "That's out of my control...but good luck doing that."

Horos was about to say something; but suddenly became distracted by an incoming transmition on the ear-piece he was wearing. It must have been a message from his superiors. He stood up quickly, gathered up his files and exited the room. The door to the interrogation room closed behind him.

Sillan waited in the room for a long time. Gazing into the one-way mirror and wondering who could possibly be on the other side. Not only did he have a galaxy sized mystery to uncover; but now an entire war had been covered up, and at an alarming rate. He started to wonder about The UDF and when they would come into play. It could be anyone, anywhere, at any point. Despite the guidance of Leafson Ableson, he knew there was so much he still didn't know.