The Fell-Star
Next AO3
Sigh.
He was so bored. So, so bored.
The red head leaned back in his seat, wiggling the pen between his lip and nose while he dazed lazily up at the ceiling.
Siiiiiiiigh.
“Sylvain,” Ingrid tensed beside him, but her fingers continued to glide across the screen of her navigation system as various symbols lit up on the screen in an array of colors. “Can you please stop that?”
The communications expert paused a moment, giving his childhood companion a side eye before looking back up at the ceiling.
Groooooan.
“What?” He laughed and took the pen off his lip to wave it at her, “It’s not the same thing~.”
She wanted to pull her hair out, long braid and all, then strangle him with it. “Why don’t you go do something productive?!”
“Like what?” Sylvain gestured around the empty command deck, “There’s nothing to do.”
Ingrid went back to piloting, tick mark pulsing on her forehead. “You’re supposed to be doing your job.”
“Right, my job…”
Sylvain frowned and put the pen back between his nose and lip. One glance at his terminal showed nothing but a blank map; black, lifeless, boring.
He’d gone to the Officers Academy for *this?* To sit at some desk and listening out into the void, waiting for someone to say hello. The red head had thought he’d hear some juicy gossip, get paid to chat people up, and maybe even answer distress calls to isolated colonies of beautiful women.
Instead all he got was the latter. Minus the isolated colony of beautiful women.
Sylvain gave Ingrid a pout, “My job sucks.”
Ingrid wished his seat was closer just so she could smack him. “Then why didn’t you study something else?!”
“Meh,” he shrugged and leaned back in his seat. “This seemed the easiest.”
She was getting a migraine, “Can you just….Just go bother someone else? I can watch everything here.”
Like always.
“They’re all busy.”
Ingrid huffed while focusing on her console again. “That never stopped you before. Felix isn’t on duty - I’m sure he could use some company.”
Sylvain deflated and the pen dropped to his lap. “He’s in the armory having a mood.”
Ingrid looked at him questioningly, but he didn’t elaborate. He merely waved his hand and spun slowly in his chair. She squinted at him as he stared at his lap.
“What did you do this time?”
He jerked, “It wasn’t me!!”
The doors to the command deck opened and they both looked to see three members of the crew walk in.
Ingrid stood immediately in a salute, gazing at their Captain with stern obedience that was beat into them throughout their Academy days. “My Lord!”
Sylvain was slower to stand, not really liking the formalities of it all. They were all former classmates, most even childhood friends and confidents. Heck, they’ve spent FIVE YEARS running and gunning Empire ships! Surely that meant they could relax in their off time?
He glanced at his friend’s Captain’s face, avoiding the eye patch that covered the ghastly scar from a battle long since forgotten. The heavy bags laid under his eyes as a constant reminder that the man never seemed to sleep and always seemed to be ready to strike. His blonde hair looked unkempt and long as it curled slightly at his collar. His black armor was worn from desperate battle after desperate battle while a long blue cloak with snow lion pelt at the collar. It all made him look like a towering giant; broad, powerful, deadly.
Then there was that lance.
Sylvain gulped, noting the emblem in the middle of the blade cackled like blue lightning. Thankfully it was merely flickers and not the thunderous storm that seemed to erupt from his old friend during battle. But Sylvain didn’t need the lance to tell him that the blonde was aching for battle. The bloodlust in his icy-blue eye was enough of a giveaway.
The red head looked away, unable to handle to see the once calm, and friendly boy of his youth turn into this. Sylvain focused on Annette instead, the cute and cheerful scientist of the group.
“What’s up?”
The small girl jerked in surprise, feeling as if she were back in school and the teacher had called on her.
“Oh! Ashe and I were calibrating the engine when we caught a strange signal on our computers!”
Panic settled on Sylvain’s face as he looked at his screen to see one, lone blinking red light right in the middle of his screen.
Oops.
“Oh!” Sylvain laughed nervously as all turned to him, “Sorry about that.”
Ingrid groaned while Dedue gave him a look of disapproval.
Dimitri ignored them all as he walked over to his chair, his heavily armored boots making the floor vibrate beneath all their feet. He plopped down in his chair, his whole body taking over the spot like a predator staking it’s claim.
“Show it to me.”
The red head didn’t need to be told twice. He sat back down and zeroed in on the signal, fingers dashing across the keys with ease as he turned on the flight screens for everyone.
Annette gasped in awe as the black, white, and blue panels covering the front half of the command deck’s ceiling changed into a vast expanse of stars. They twinkled like fire flies in streams as a lone nebula laid light years away. It shined bright in an aurora of periwinkle greens and cobalt blues, reaching out like in large wings that could easily dwarf a Faerghus warship.
It was breathtaking.
Dimitri gripped his lance as the screen zoomed in on a flying ship that zipped across the stars like a comet. His gaze narrowed as he raked it over the hull of the spaceship, then gave a sharp tooth grin when he found the symbol he so desperately hated.
The emblem in his lance began to spark and Dedue was immediately at his side, ready for orders. He was Dimitri’s second in command on this ship and closest confidant. The large man was ever loyal to the lost Prince of Faerghus and has been after he saved him from the Purge of Duscar.
He was his everything the moment Dimitri pulled him from the rubble.
“Sire?”
The blonde chuckled, making Sylvain’s hair practically stand on end. “It’s time to hunt some rats.”
>>>>>
Felix’s upper lip snarled in distaste at the litter of corpses that laid in the narrow hallway, blood splattered over the floor and ceiling like it was a morbid painting. Most of the bodies had been gouged out with a blade while a few were headless or worse… He always looked away from the worst.
“What a disgusting brute.”
Sylvain didn’t respond as he checked one of the bodies for ammo, putting the ethics of it all in the back of his mind. He’d unpack this all later. Right now, he needed to make sure they were prepared. Felix may have his family shield with him, but that thing couldn’t protect the both of them. Not unless they wanted to straddle each other.
The red head felt the corner of his lip turn up at the idea, knowing it’d annoy the hell out of his prickly friend.
He stood and touched the comm in his ear, “All clear on the lower deck.”
”I don’t see anyone in the barracks.” Ashe responded, having gone with Annette as a third wave in case the first two groups missed anyone.
Dedue and Dimitri had charged in headfirst….Well, Dimitri had, Dedue followed after him with his heavy weapons and armor to keep the enemies off the Lord. Felix and Sylvain had followed after the first few minutes in case anyone came out of hiding to flank them, but lost them when a group of soldiers stormed from another hall. Speaking of…
”We found something in the engine room.”
Sylvain raised a brow, itching to ask what the Duscar man had found, but could only get out a ‘on our way’ as Felix stroke forward.
“Whoa, wait up!”
Felix glared at the path ahead, “Someone should take that thing away from him.”
Sylvain scratched the back of his head, knowing what his friend was talking about. “Yeah…probably.”
Except who’d be stupid enough to try?
“Look at this-this MESS!” Felix gestured around them as they turned the corner to find more blood and lifeless bodies. “It’s changing him! He’s sick!”
The red head bit his lip, not wanting to think about Dimitri being sick. Really, truly sick.
Dimitri had all the signs, all the madness that came with carrying one of the old relics. The irrationality, the paranoia, the hatred. He had to be forced to sleep and eat. They’d find him staring out into space, whispering and pledging to the dead that his goals would be met.
It made getting a drink at night…unsettling.
Sylvain kept his own lance in his room, not really caring for the alien object. The old weapons had always creeped him out. They looked too wrong to be normal and he could only wonder in amazement as to why their ancestors decided to play with them after discovering a tomb on some far off planet. Sure, they could cut through any armor and barrier like butter, and others could stop bullets and blasts. But holding them too long came with a price. A terrible price their Prince was paying for the longer he dwelled on his anger.
Heh. Thousands and thousands of years later and humans still fight with swords and daggers if angry enough.
Ashe and Annette had made it to the engine before them, both unharmed and standing side by side with the Captain and his Second as they stared at the back wall and talked. Sylvain raised a brow, wondering what could be so interesting about some machinery.
“It looks like a pod,” Annette said while bending her torso slightly to get a closer look without having to step forward.
Ashe looked excited, but uncertain. “Maybe it’s some kind of cryo-chamber?”
Annette turned her head when he heard their steps and gestured them over, making room for the two to stop and stare at the strange contraption before them.
Sylvain’s jaw dropped. “What the hell is that?”
Sitting on a pedestal was a marble. A giant, green marble that could roll over them all over with the right push. It was like some big, dull colored crystal ball just…sitting in some corner!
“Is this supposed to be important?” Felix asked with a wave of his hand.
Ashe was looking behind them, hand on his chin. “How did they get it through the door?”
“They had heavy guards protecting it and were quite determined to keep us away,” Dedue said thoughtfully.
“It’s kind of pretty.” Annette finally stepped closer, wanting to poke it.
Dimitri raised his lance and pierced it before the girl could even touch it. She screamed in shock while every hurried to stop him.
“You’re highness!”
“Whoa, dude!”
“BOAR!!”
But it was already too late, the blade of the deadly lance pierced the object with ease while it’s blue emblem roared to life. Sparks flew and a bright blue electric current rushed over the marble in a wave as a drip of lime green water started to drip out.
Everyone stood still, frozen mid grab for their Captain as he tore through the membrane like material (not glass like Sylvain had thought). They all gasped as a dribble of liquid spilled out.
Felix hissed, “You idiot! Are you trying to get us kill-!?!“
The object suddenly bursted open as swamp like water pooled at their feet and a cloud of gas sprayed out. It hit Dimitri first as he raised his arm to cover his mouth while the others quickly followed. The only sound that filled the room was their coughing and the hissing of gas that seemed louder then the ship’s own engines.
“D-Don’t breathe in!” Annette cried out, squinting her eyes through the slowing fog to try and see what was happening.
Ashe was already pulling out a small device to scan the air, his arms shaking with fear that they’d all suddenly drop dead. He blinked and slowly pulled his hand away, only to sneeze.
“O-Oh,” he rubbed his nose. “It’s safe. Nothing you wouldn’t find in a rainforest on Almyra.”
Everyone sighed in relief, opening their eyes and looking around at the strange conditions. The engine room felt less dark and dank and more…bright, nature-y.
Felix jerked away when something touched his cheek and quickly raised his gun, “What is this!?”
Sylvain couldn’t help but laugh. His friend was waving his weapon around at what looked like giant, glowing dandelion seeds.
Annette’s eyes sparkled as one floated past her face. “So pretty~!”
“Step back, my Lord!”
They all looked to see Dedue suddenly in front of Dimitri, his arm out to shield him while his other held his large gun, pointed and ready to fire at the broken marble. No one knew what was happening until the gas began to thin and the spores lit the room up like little lamps. Sylvain held his breath as a dainty figure stepped out of the object.
“Oh!” Annette covered her mouth while Felix aimed his gun, all of them wide eyed as a woman with glowing green hair stepped out. Wait, even her eyes!
Everything about her seemed to be bright, yet soft. Like a warm night light that lulled children to a peaceful sleep.
Her skin looked porcelain, fragile and mark free of any kind of battle or accident. Her features beautiful, sharp and blank, almost…inhuman. Then they noticed her ears and Ashe jolted with amazement.
“I-Is she…?!” He daren’t say it.
Space had been in their grasp for a good while now. Their race had traveled many light years and colonized many planets, moons, and even asteroids. But they’d always be alone with no sign of others living in this vast universe. But now…?
The woman(?) swept her gaze over them, stopping to stare at each of their faces as they all stood still in shock. It took her to fully step out for Dedue to aim his gun again.
“Halt, or I will be forced to shoot!”
She continued to stare at them all blankly, her eyes blinking at Dedue’s weapon. The girl tilted her head, her hand on her cheek as if in deep thought as she studied the heavy gun. Then her lips parted slightly, a small puff of air coming out in surprise(???) when she saw Dimitri’s lance.
Her hand reached for it and Dedue shot at her feet.
Annette paled when the strange woman didn’t react to the shot, her eyes now glowing as bright as the orb on Dimitri’s weapon. The lance practically shook as their Captain snarled, unwilling to let this stranger take what was his. He raised his lance as he had with the marble and shot forward, aiming straight for her head-!!
There was a scream and a scrambling of feet as half of the team backed away and the other stepped forward, ready to fight - but the scuffle never came. Nor did the blood or mangled body falling to the floor like all their enemies.
Instead they could only stare in awe as the blade froze in mid air, the shaft shaking in Dimitri’s hands as he seemed to be fighting to spear her.
“W-What is this!?”
She didn’t react to his snarl, her focus solely on the orb as it continued on with it’s thunderous rage. A small hand reached out again, ghosting over the emblem with a soft caress. It did not quell under touch, but also seemed to grow brighter the moment her skin made contact.
Dimitri snarled and the woman looked at his face, her own void of any emotion as she moved both her hands to his chest. The blonde recoiled, but didn’t move again when the mist in the room finally faded away.
Sylvain blinked, once, twice. Three times he had to make sure he knew what he was seeing.
“She’s naked!” Annette gasped while Ashe covered his eyes - all of them more or less agreeing this *was* a woman.
Dimitri’s gaze flickered down then shot right back up, cheeks turning a ruddy red as his arms began to twist.
“Idiot!” Felix hissed as she moved closer to lay her head on his chest. “Grab her!!”
Sylvain had to hold in a guffaw when their Captain looked over his shoulder with panic, one hand now holding his weapon while the other tried to find a place to grab.
“W-Where?!”
“Anywhere!”
He didn’t seem to like that answer. It meant he had to look at her again, take in her form and try to…restrain her. Sylvain could only look on fondly as Dimitri began to fluster as the woman seemed to be resting against where his heart was. It reminded the red head how painfully bad Dimitri was with women.
Who would have thought this raging beast would fall apart before some girl?
Dimitri swallowed hard when she looked up, eye wild with uncertainty as she reached up to cup his cheeks. He held his breath, thankful for the armor that separated his body from hers. All he had to do was not look too far down at her…ample….c-c-c-chest.
But he didn’t have to worry about that, not when she was tugging his head down into a kiss that made him drop his lance.
Annette gasped, Ashe asked what was happening from behind his arm while Felix and Dedue seemed at a loss. Sylvain was the only one doing something about the situation, and that was taking a few sneaky pictures to laugh at later.
The Prince was no better, his body tense in shock as the woman’s soft lips pressed his cracked ones. She held fast to his face while turning her head slightly, her eyes closed as if this was her long lost lover. Dimitri almost, almost closed his eye too, not wanting to admit that it was…nice. Yes, very nice.
But she had stopped before he could, letting his face go and staring up at him expectantly.
Dimitri blinked, body trembling like a teenage girl as he stared back.
Ashe finally took the time to look, having missed the strange kiss during his nervousness. But now he was interested and he couldn’t help but finally say it. “D-Did we just make first contact?!”
Sylvain snickered, glancing at their lost Captain. “Someone here sure did~”
