#nightar

[pippatis]

My second Starbound character is actually someone who has since been repurposed for one(or possibly more) of my comic stories. Still, I thought it would be fun to revisit her origins and incorporate some of the traits and family members I've given her since.

This is Rath, a member of the Nightar race. After playing the supposed hard-mode that was the X'i race, I chose something that was OP in comparison. Sue me.

Here's a summary of her story, as well.

.

Rath's family came from a very poor area of an already dangerous Dark world. Not long after she reached adulthood, her father, who'd previously been a prolific enough hunter to feed and care for the small group, suddenly passed away of a mysterious illness. Rath was forced to take his place. She'd practiced under him for long enough to become very skilled, but feeding her mother and two much younger brothers was still no easy task in such a place.

One day, a star traveler, a member of the Protectorate, arrived on her planet, and upon discovering her, wished to enlist her for a short quest. She agrees, knowing she'll be paid for her work, which would make her family's lives easier for at least a day. The traveler ends up being so impressed with her prowess, however, that he wants to bring her along on their travels. Rath refuses, adamant in her wish to stay and provide for her family. The traveler lets his invitation persist, but goes on his way for the time being.

Rath returns to the difficult life she's led for a while longer, but the traveler's offer sticks in her head. It could be a constant source of income, something she's never had the chance to have on her planet. She knew that the lives of her family could be made so much easier if she was able to find out how to procure food and other necessities elsewhere in the universe.

On the traveler's next visit back, Rath informs him of her change in mind, but on the condition that she be allowed to return and visit her family after each quest. He agrees and builds a teleport pad, placing it on the planet near her family's camp. He shows her that it can be used to return at will, from no matter the distance. Rath is ecstatic about this arrangement, and becomes much more confident in her decision.

Things were different while she lived on a ship with a like-minded crew, under the traveler who would become her captain. As the star-farers visited all sorts of planets and environments, she did in fact see how bad her family's quality of life had been. Of course, the work wasn't always easy either, but she never refused it. All that mattered to her was keeping her family safe and cared for, and she kept her word, visiting them after every single quest, bringing back food, clothing, and wealth. It wasn't a substantial amount, but it was still more than enough.

Eventually came the time where their captain would visit Earth. Instinctually, Rath knew something was wrong, and she refused to leave the ship and touch that world's grounds with the rest of the crew. All of the others left her behind to visit the rest of the Protectorate, but while they were there, the Ruin arrived.

The captain was the only one able to escape back to their ship, but was badly injured in the process. Unable to fly himself, the captain hastily attempted to teach Rath how to steer the ship so they could escape the dying planet. However, she ended up crashing them into a remote asteroid, far away.

Luckily the place was inhabited, and her captain was able to receive medical treatment, but he had been injured such that he was no longer able to travel the stars. Their ship, too, was all but destroyed, and Rath had no way to return to her family.

Knowing he would stay on this rock for the foreseeable future, the captain told Rath to scrap his destroyed ship and build her own, and that the builders here would help her on his word as a member of the Protectorate. He told her to take this ship and, hopefully, find her family again.

Rath had never truly been on her own before, even as independent of a hunter she was on her home planet. Still, she accepted, and was able to have the wrecked ship decommissioned. The captain had just enough money left to pay for the completion of the new ship, and was able to teach Rath the rest he knew about flying before she left, but she promised she would one day return and do the same for him that he allowed her to do for her family.

Eventually she tracked them down once again, and this time, she convinced them to join her on her travels and get away from the terrible land they'd called home for so long.

[corvaux]

Corvaux Llane

(Concept Art by @littlemacarons​)

Race: Nightar

Gender: CIS Male

Sexuality: Bisexual

Affiliation: Nightarian Brigade (formerly), Fang Empire (formerly), Terrene Protectorate 

Alias: Star Spectre (future)

Bio: Corvaux is a unique Nightar, with a human upbringing and a faulty cybernetic surgery, he is one of the few pacifistic Nightar in the galaxy. His transition from a moral, right or wrong, society to an amoral one was quite difficult. Narrowly graduating from the Farreach Academy, he took on spywork for the Fang Empire to earn his place in their society. 

Being forced to spy on the Terrene Protectorate, he found his entire meaning of life had changed. His mission? Spending ten years on Earth, learning to be a Peacekeeper. Instead of spying however, he found his purpose, learned about the galaxy, and even fell in love. Just before his graduation from the academy (with a plan to defect completely to the Protectorate) a ravenous eldritch beast known as The Ruin destroyed planet Earth. Narrowly escaping the carnage, Corvaux is left adrift amongst the stars. 

His story begins on a lush planet in a forgotten star-system. Being forced to process another set of circumstances that have changed his life irreparably. 

[omni-geode]

[corvaux]

The Beginning of the End.

Blue eyes opened wide and provided a brief light in the soft darkness. With a grunt, the figure lifted himself up, feeling the grass underneath his feet. Everything had happened so fast. So fast that after passing out due to hunger, the covered man couldn’t remember how he arrived here. At first, the night reminded him of the capitol. But, the stars shining in the sky told him he was somewhere completely new. 

His eyes adjusted to the dark and everything was illuminated. Grassy hills as far as one could see. It was a barren plain, a tree here or there. The shadow weakly ventured forward, in search of somewhere safe to eat and rest. Even with the shrouded land, his body wasn’t able to keep up. Not being able to eat for two days was sending his body into shock. And the cybernetics couldn’t keep up. 

One step after the other, each one growing increasingly heavier. Looking to the south, he saw fire and smoke. But it wasn’t inviting. Instead of a gentle, quiet fire, it was one of a failed landing. Fuel cells popping off and causing the flames to roar every few minutes. The figure continued going west, climbing up the hillside. 

---------

It had been several hours and his body was on the verge of shutting down again. He had only climbed two hillsides and traversed through a relatively small cleft in this time. There was still no predators for him to hunt, or prey for him to see. His vision was blurred as his energy kept dropping. 

This... is the end, isn’t it? Dying on some barren planet? After everything I’ve survived?

The moment the words entered his mind, his legs gave way. Collapsing to the ground, but remaining conscious despite it all. Tiny machines were tingling across his body, attempting to repair the damage but softly burned as they had no energy to transform. His eyelids were twitching as he fought off the urge to fall out of consciousness.

Then, a sound. A loud humming and clanking across the empty hills. He attempted to look up but even craning his neck was difficult. Fear and exhaustion built up inside of him.

Over the hillside, a small, loud, and overall, unsophisticated machine flew out from the top of the hill in the north. It stopped just short of the shadow, lighting him up for just a moment. A boy with pale skin, blonde hair, and a gaudy blue uniform was illuminated in the black of night.  While a being made of pure red light hopped off of the machine, pulling out his rifle and shifting the barrel inches away from the boy’s forehead. 

“Now, who’re you and what’re you doin’ on my planet, kid?” the figure said, with some kind of unfamiliar twang. With his vision blurred, the boy couldn’t make out any features on the being. Just that he seemed to be the antithesis to the very thing that kept him safe; darkness. Using what energy he had left, he gave the mysterious junker a goofy grin.

“Food?” the boy said with all the innocence of a child before losing consciousness. The junker let out a sigh, mumbling something underneath his breath. The young man was placed on the back of the rickety machine and the junker revved up the engine. The boosters engaged and sent the two flying towards the north, in the black of night. Heading home.

[omni-geode]

[bandaiprojectsuperherotime]

nightar

citizen name: dickicker grayork.

citizen color: black middle hair, dark blue/light tan eyes, tan skin, orange t shirt, red short jacket, orange gloves, dark blue long jeans pants, orange shoes.

transforming vital bracelet: connetink.

super hero name: nightar.

super hero color: dark blue/black night star mask, black visor, dark blue/red/orange/black night star jumpsuit, red/orange night star gloves, dark blue/red/black night star belt, red/orange night star boots.

model based: star, night, cruise acrobat.

personality: he is from the great cruise land, he was very good at the cruise acrobat show, he fear the crime will come to the cruise as he heard the crime just doing rampage on the street, he meet bruce waynius the richest man of the richest family at the richest house, he was told by him, because he is batechnius, he will keep training to how to fight back against the crime, he can join batechnous to fight the crime for the innocent kind people of great wonderful city that his family build it for the people’s future lifes.

weapon: star night unarmed combat style, star night shuriken, star night staff, star night escrima stick, star night sword, star night grappling hook.

[corvaux]

The Nightar Part 4

Here it is, the grand conclusion Lunaris’ grand plot. The end of the Scarlet Empire and the rise of the Nightar. One of the greatest legends of the Milky Way. It all begins with Rose and how she handled one of the most complicated assassinations in history. 

Before Rose’s surgery, her father had been a kind and warm man. Sometimes distant, but loving nonetheless. Ever since the surgery, she noticed he had been a changed man. Ruthless, methodical, scheming. It was as if something had possessed him. The only thing that reminded her that he was the same man was his appreciation for her. While he wasn’t as whole with his love anymore, it would peak out on occasion.

Her curriculum had changed drastically as well. Instead of modern academics, she was being taught the skills of a murderer, a rogue, an assassin. Language turned into the teachings of social manipulation and hierarchy. Mathematics was shifted to coding and modern computer language. But most of all, her physical development was put under a magnifying glass. Instead of basic exercises to tire her out or teach her new ways to stay healthy, they were intense, all day practices. Any and every form of physical development was pushed on her. The only reason she her muscles had torn or her body wither from constant strain was due to the cybernetic enhancements constantly healing the tissues with little effort. 

Dr Dage Lunaris had done it. After a few years of experimentation, then eighteen years of raising her, he had created the perfect assassin. Rose grew hardened and distant. After seven years of being pushed beyond her limits and being treated like an experiment more than a daughter, it wore on her mind. Even though her training and ‘schooling’ took up much of her life, she figured out Lunaris would rarely notice if she took the ship somewhere. At first, this became a display of freedom. Over time, with Lunaris’ teachings, it became a reminder of the bleakness of the galaxy. The happiest day in her life ended up being the day she ‘graduated’. Her father took her out shopping for a cake, and a blade. 

It hadn’t been a week before her first official mission. She had been sent on errands or simple requests to tail someone, but never something so official. Rose was tasked with murdering a dignitary who, unknown to her, was the very scientist who petitioned to stop Project RISE. The mission had been an immediate success. Clean kill, no witnesses. Again, her father praised her talents and would celebrate. This would become a trend after every successful mission, which was one of the few things Rose had to look forward to in life. 

By the age of twenty-two, Rose had assassinated over fifty-two targets. And even more who were not even targets, but caught in the crossfire. She made few mistakes, but never enough to be outed by the Scarlet Empire. The only thing that was known was a serial killer had been going around, murdering chief scientists and researchers. As well as dignitaries, military officers, and even a foreign ambassador. Lunaris was delighted with her progress. Each kill was either easy and simple revenge or a step towards her final mission.

Lunaris had rushed his plan, his age was getting to him and it left him unsure if he’d see this through. After the successful assassination of an imperial general, Rose was given the final mission. Everything had lead up to this, the murder of Empress Elwinn. This mission would push Rose even further than before. While her previous kills had left gaps and holes in the empress’ defenses, the security was nigh impossible to slip past. 

The Nightar assassin created her own plan based on everything she had learned on Earth. The first part involved her impersonating a nobleman of high repute to create a gala, killing him, and his family to pose further as the nobility. The second was to create a military affair that would leave the empress further exposed. And finally, she planned to slay the empress in front of the entire gala. 

Everything went off without a hitch. Aside from one issue, the escort the empress brought was mercenary. Somewhere along the line, she had hired a group of freelance soldiers to keep her safe and keep eyes within the gala. Worse, they were much more intelligent than the pig-headed soldiers Rose was used to dealing with. Meaning, a public assassination would be even more difficult than before. Though Rose could’ve finished the job then and there, she knew her life would’ve been forfeit. The entire plan was put into jeopardy, every step she had taken, every painstaking detail she organized. 

All was not lost however. Rose caught the Elwinn’s eyes upon exchanging pleasantries. She picked up the empress’ attraction and seized this chance. While Rose had very little knowledge in the way of sexuality or intimacy, she did have a knack for luring men and women using her charms. Over the course of the gala, Elwinn found herself speaking more and more with Rose, who had at this time, taken the name Drivus von Delgada. The two spent the night laughing, toying around, and by the end of the night, in intimate hushed tones. Empress Elwinn extended a subtle, yet, suggestive invite to the Scarlet Spire. To see the ‘collection’ she had amassed in her bedroom. 

Lady Delgada and the Empress said their goodbyes, taking to the Spire. The couple found themselves locked in a night of passion, one of which the Lady Delgada, had never experienced before. After the event had concluded, Delgada made her move, attempting to stab the Empress with one of her letter openers. But to her surprise, Elwinn wasn’t as helpless as she seemed. In a furious scuffle, leading to the calling of guards and soldiers, Rose failed to make her mark. Knowing she couldn’t escape by normal means, she threw herself off of the Scarlet Spire, smashing into a tower below. Her body was ripped apart. But her nanobots went to work, repairing the battered assassin in the short span of an hour. Afterwards, she made good on her escape, returning in shame to her father. 

Lunaris was disappointed to hear of the failed attempt. Especially now, the Empress would surely remember Rose’s face and her guard has most likely multiplied drastically since then. Not only that, but the alias of Delgada was called into question and any similar attempts to seize nobility would be observed immediately. The mad doctor grew cold and distant, believing he had failed. Rose was devastated to see him give up after all this time. They rarely spoke after the events that had transpired. His plan, her plan, it was in flames and they would never get another shot like this. 

Or maybe... they didn’t need another. The things Rose had learned about seduction, attraction, and intimate actions gave her a new idea. A new plan that no human, apex, avian, or otherwise would even consider. 

The Long Game.

[corvaux]

The Nightar Part 3

In this chapter of the story we will talk about the birth of the first Nightar and how her upbringing would change the fate of the known galaxy.

Doctor Dage Lunaris had successfully completed a project that even the most advanced technology and fifty-something odd scientists couldn’t figure out. Thanks largely in part due his mind. Both for it’s capability to remember the intricacies of this project, as well as it’s ability to dip into the sea of the void without being lost. For the moment.

The infant wailed and she appeared to be in perfect health. The one thing the good doctor didn’t consider was the fact that he would have to raise this child and figure out how to direct her towards his goals. He wouldn’t admit it to himself at the time, but he treasured her as if she were his own. 

Several years went by on the dark planet. Lunaris’ mind edged closer to insanity and he had to do everything in his power to keep himself sane. In the beginning, it was a much more difficult task. Either using old clips he had on a holo-disk or exercising excessively to break free from the void’s grasp. Yet, it continued to whisper to him, every day the words grew clearer than the last. He believed it was inevitable that he would, indeed, succumb. After his first year of dealing with this, he finally got aid.

Rose, the Nightar infant was now a toddler. Becoming vocal and chaotic as all children are wont to do, gave Lunaris a distraction from the whispers. Sometimes it would be a brief respite only lasting a few minutes due to the child’s crying. As time went on, days went by, she became a distraction in his life. One, that would save his mind. 

Rose learned to walk in her first year of life, then very basic Common half a year later. Her development was so quick, that by the time she was no longer a toddler she had full capability to speak and matched the eloquency of her father. Yet, she was still far from understanding. Being stuck on a dark planet for years was difficult when the stories and books she grew up with described a ‘sun’ or cities. Magical far-off places that could not be seen.

Feeling sympathy for the child, on her seventh birthday, he took her to the capital of the Scarlet Empire: Earth. The spires had multiplied in the relatively short time Lunaris was there and he could only feel his hatred reigniting. Although, the hatred would be extinguished upon seeing his daughter’s pure and innocent glow as she explored the streets of Crimson Heart, the largest city. Stopping strangers to ask them random questions, collecting what most would consider trash, and admiring the buildings. 

Lunaris called his desires into question as he watched his daughter. Is this hatred worth it? Do I really need to dismantle this great city? Maybe I should bring her here and we could carve out a life for ourselves. 

After the week of exploring the city, Rose asked thousands of questions about not only Earth but beyond. She had read about so many wonderful things across the galaxy, unique people of all shapes and sizes, robots and plants that could talk. Though sometimes tedious, the doctor found her enthusiasm too great for this dark, secluded planet. Taking the ship to a remote planet very similar to Earth with a society that kept it’s distance, but allowed Rose to learn more about the universe first hand. 

Around her eleventh year, she had come down with an illness. In the past, she had minor illnesses caused by the penumbral radiation or this lush planet’s completely alien bacteria. But the symptoms were quite severe. What started as casual mentions of being warm or hot during cold climates became a burning sensation very similar to that of a fever. Lunaris had begun to panic as she had never shown any serious illnesses before, the genes allowed her body to create the perfect defense against such things. No other child or even adult showed these symptoms on the entire planet which lead the good doctor to one conclusion: This is because of her genetic makeup.

Returning to the Mebsuta system, the penumbral laboratory, he ran as many tests as possible. The routine physical he performed came up with nothing, which led him to begin exploratory surgeries. The thought of hurting his own daughter, especially since he didn’t have anesthetic, pained him deeply. The tests finally discovered the issue, her body was not just overworking itself but overheating. All energy was being diverted just to keep her body alive, the genetic makeup was coming undone and causing her body to slowly collapse.

Lunaris traveled to Earth in hopes of talking to some of his old colleagues into helping him save his daughter. He contacted and met with dozens of scientists but they either turned him down to avoid being caught in the same situation he had years ago or because of her origins. All hope seemed lost, his one and only daughter would die any day now due to an imperfection he couldn’t fix. Or maybe he could. Maybe the very thing that helped create her... could be asked to help save her. 

As fast as he could, he took his overheating daughter who had completely collapsed into a coma back to the penumbral planet. The whispers had never truly ceased, only pauses when his daughter was in his life. Now that her life was on the line, he admitted his mind to dip into the sea of the metaphysical once again. 

And like magic, the answer came to him. Another part of his life’s work was the improvement of nanobots, a subject that he ceased upon his facilities’ destruction. The void gave him exactly what he needed, schematics, memories of his previous life. The bargain seemed to be in Lunaris’ favor as he worked day and night to create cybernetics and nanobots that would recreate the human’s immune system. Said nanobots would replace most of her blood cells, bacteria, and even act as it’s own immune system. Replacing the need for most would consider vital organs. Some parts of the body would go into shock during this procedure and cease to work from not only stress, but a lack of connection to the brain. They had to be cut out and replaced with implants that would perform the same features as the organs or nerves. 

By the end of the gruesome surgery, Rose was revitalized. Her body returned to normal temperatures, ceasing to overwork itself. And thanks to the cybernetics, she had begun exploring her new capabilities. Her energy levels tripled, eating was no longer a chore as it no longer caused ‘weight’ in the stomach, she even felt lighter. She was in perfect health and felt better than she ever could’ve. But the doctor could not say the same. His surgery was perfect, which would’ve been impossible for him if it wasn’t for the void taking his senses. During the surgery, his stress, his pain, his hatred, his fear, grew to such unmanageable level. The man who had fought insanity for so long finally gave in completely.

The years would be difficult for Rose as her warm and caring father had become a fraction of his former self. Losing his mind in all of these emotions changed him into a terrifying exaggeration of his hatred during the years following his fall from grace. Exploration was no longer a vacation, it was a mission. Games went from being simple exercises to deadly practices. Every year, Rose found her hope and light dwindle away. She too, was changing. Instead of the hopeful daughter who saw a bright universe, she had become the antithesis for modern society. 

Next time we will tell the story of Rose’s dark descent and how her actions lead to the greatest assassination in the recent history of mankind.