Published: January 3rd 2025, 2:27:09 pm
“What is so important that you had to drag us to this chamber? We could be helping set up the defences, you know.” Gilgamesh said, a frustrated look on his face.
“Be a little patient.” Cerion muttered as he looked for a black box in the cabinet.
“You’re talking to an Eternal. All we know is patience.” Thena grumbled with a roll of her eyes.
“Aha!” Cerion exclaimed when he found the box.
He opened the box, took the small black cubes from inside, and presented them to the two Eternals.
“What is it?” Gilgamesh eyed the cubes with a frown.
“Vibranium.” Thena immediately recognised the metal.
“They’re suits meant to enhance your abilities in case the Celestials have an ace up their sleeve. I was working on the project, but I have not completed it. For now, it can provide a layer of protection to your bodies and give you flight capacity.” Cerion explained with an excited look.
“I don’t know…” Gilgamesh looked hesitant to take the cube while Thena plucked one away from his hand.
“Go on, take it.” Cerion urged.
Gilgamesh also took the cube from his hand with a curious look.
“Press that red dot on its side.”
When Thena and Gilgamesh followed his instruction, a suit of armour quickly spread over their bodies.
“There is a panel on your arms to activate flight mode.” he explained, pointing at their wrists.
“Hmm…” Gilgamesh murmured as he poked and prodded at the control panel on his wrist.
The antigrav thrusters in the suit flared up, and Gilgamesh was lifted off his feet. Cerion winced as Gilgamesh slammed into the roof of the room face-first.
“The rest of the suits‘ functions are not activated for the moment. I’ll need some time to tinker with it.” Cerion said with a meek voice.
“I shudder to think what else it‘ll do once it is complete.” Thena said with a deadpan look as Gilgamesh fell into the floor with a distinct thud after deactivating flight mode.
“The flight system works on a neural stimulus from your neural scheme. You‘ll need some practice to get used to it. But once you do, the suit will just become another part of your body.”
“Training sounds boring. Why don’t you hook up the suit's interface with our own and let us have total control? You know we are synthetic robots.” Gilgamesh suggested.
“Yeah, not happening.” Cerion shook his head as he explained his reasoning.
“I don’t think connecting the suit with your interface is a good idea. Although I’m confident of severing all of your connections with the Celestials, I like to be cautious. I designed the suit as a failsafe to assist you if the Celestials establish control over your bodies through some means beyond my knowledge.”
“You know…” Gilgamesh started to say but was cut off when their base started blaring with alarms.
“What’s that?” Thena muttered, “Are we under attack?”
“Optima?” Cerion called.
“Sir, Miss Jane recalibrated our dark matter spectroscopy program. She made some modifications using her own research and forged her own equipment using the quantum particle generator.”
“Wait a minute! How did she gain access to the particle generator?” Cerion asked with a heated look at the virtual face of Optima on his arm panel.
“Sir, you were the one to give her unrestricted access.” Optima reminded him.
“No, I did not.” Cerion said stubbornly.
“Yes, you did.” Optima repeated.
“Yes, you did.” Gilgamesh chimed in, “We were there. Your exact words were, ‘Give her everything and keep her engaged’.”
“I was trying to get her away from the notions of fighting the Kree. She might’ve awakened certain powers through Terrigenesis, but she is nowhere near ready to go into battle, especially against the Kree.” Cerion said with a note of frustration.
“Seems like you succeeded.” Thena commented with a shrug.
“Yeah, at increasing the chances of blowing us all up. The quantum particle generator is not something to mess with. I have yet to perfect the device.” Cerion said with a scowl as they walked across the base towards Jane’s location.
“Miss Jane activated the emergency alarms for some reason, though I don’t know why.” Optima said on their way to the lab.
“You didn’t ask?” Cerion asked with a raised eyebrow while he moved through the corridors faster.
“I did, sir, but she wouldn’t tell me. She only said to bring you to the lab immediately.”
When they finally entered the lab, they found Jane in the observatory with several massive metal rods pointing straight into the sky.
“Jane?”
“Oh, you came.” Jane shot him a wide smile, gushing with excitement. “Look what I did! I recalibrated the observatory sensors to increase the range and scope of your deep space scanners. The atmospheric data you have alone is priceless.”
“Jane. This lab is off-limits because the particle generator is not a stable device.” Cerion said patiently.
“Oh.” Jane hummed, tilting her head to the side, “Then you should’ve placed a warning sticker on it or something.”
“It’s right there with a big white skull and everything.” Cerion pointed at the danger sign plastered on the quantum chamber’s outer wall.
“Oh, that! I missed that.” Jane said with an innocent smile while Cerion shot her a disbelieving look.
“Anyway, I got something to show you.” Jane waved off his concerned look and pulled up some readings on a projected screen that took his attention, “My modifications to your device were spot on. Look, it even predicted a dark energy anomaly in deep space.”
Despite wanting to chastise Jane for using the particle generator, his attention shifted to the readings and what they meant.
“This reading… you got this now?” Cerion asked with a frown as he pushed the tracking model created by Jane to be rerun using his own model.
“Yep. Right after I made the modifications, that’s why I tripped the alarm. It shows….” Jane said in a rush.
“… an imminent space-time anomaly forming in a trajectory towards Aetheria,” Cerion said grimly, and at that exact time, the panel on his arm blinked in alarm.
“Sir, we have detected a dark energy surge breaching our system.” Optima suddenly chimed in.
Cerion examined the readings and found the energy readings slightly different from what he expected. He saw a more significant energy signature manifesting through the space of the current star system, but his sensors were not detecting multiple jump drives.
“This much energy in one space-time tear in space. Something is different…” Cerion trailed off with a frown.
“Shall I alert the Dauntless and Star Killer, sir?” Optima asked.
“No, not yet. Raise the shield on our facility.” said Cerion.
There was a low hum as the facility's power surged. The entire mountain and the Kyrlorians' refugee camp were placed under a protective energy dome thanks to Optima's prompt action.
“Shield emitters are stable, projecting optimum energy output into the barrier.” Optima reported.
Cerion didn’t care for that because he knew it was not a jump drive tearing a hole through space-time. The pooling of this level of concentrated dark energy was unprecedented. The only thing left to know was whether it was a weapon or some form of long-range teleportation technology.
“That anomaly‘s trajectory is shifting.” Cerion muttered, noticing the projected trajectory varying every second.
“It’s almost as if they‘ve got advanced scanners capable of detecting our shield.” Jane observed.
Optima showed the images outside as all their surveillance equipment was pinned on the crusting point of the dark energy. They saw a rainbow-coloured energy slamming into the ground right outside the edge of the energy dome through the video feed.
‘The Bifrost.’ Cerion thought as he stared at the live feed with wide eyes.
A single woman was left outside the energy dome when the energy dissipated. Their surveillance equipment zeroed in on the woman, and Cerion suspected the newcomer's identity to be none other than Sif.
“Is there a costume party I’m unaware of?” Jane cracked a joke to bring down the palpable tension in the room.
“There is now.” Cerion muttered before turning to Jane, “Suit up. We’ll greet this guest with caution.”
*****
Sif blinked away the bright colours from her eyes as the energy of Bifrost receded from her position. She surveyed her surroundings and realised she was slightly off her destination. When Heimdall opened the Bifrost on Odin's orders, she was promised swift transportation straight into the heart of the planet’s major settlement.
Instead, Sif found herself at the far edge of the settlement, where she could see a giant dome of energy shielding it.
‘I guess that’s reason enough for Heimdall to move the Bifrost.’ Sif thought.
When she was told that a new race from outside the Nine Realms was interfering in the affairs of Midgard, she was concerned. There were many terrifying beings out there that‘d even make Asgard think twice about confronting them. So, when she was told by the Allfather she was to be a messenger to said being making waves amongst the mortals, she expected the worst. However, the more she learned about this mysterious being and his actions from Heimdall she became somewhat relieved.
At least, it was not a Lorelei situation. She suspected the Allfather hadn’t deigned to intervene till now because this being had demonstrated no hostility towards the humans of Midgard. In fact, this being seems to have helped the mortals keep Midgard safe from many perils.
But now, the being was attracting the ire of powers that were best left unchallenged. It was up to Asgard to keep the unwanted attention of outside beings from compromising the peace in the Nine Realms.
Sif walked towards the energy barrier and pressed a palm against it. It didn’t harm her but didn’t budge an inch when she pushed against it.
‘I suppose I can wait. No doubt, they noticed my arrival.’ Sif mused, eyeing the settlement protected by the energy barrier.
Suddenly, a blasting sound reached her ears, making Sif look up. Her eyes zoomed in on a figure flying into the sky at speeds that shocked her. She had not seen many beings capable of flight in the Nine Realms. Even Thor needed Mjolnir to achieve flight capabilities. So, seeing that this being could fly without any aid from technology or a weapon like Mjolnir was surprising for Sif.
She stepped back and ensured her hand was near her sword, which was fastened on her belt as the being floated towards her.
“It‘s not often we get visitors, and the few we have had were not friendly.” Cerion commented with a pointed look as he floated down to the ground.
“Strange coming from a visitor to the Nine Realms.” Sif said with a raised eyebrow.
“Indeed.” Cerion inclined his head in her direction. “I must admit I never expected a visit from an Asgardian in this place. I would’ve thought you’d be happy that I left Midgard.”
“So, you know of us.” Sif observed with a guarded tone.
“Of course. Asgardians are not the only ones blessed with long eyesight.”
Sif was once again put on guard at the hidden meaning behind his words. She wondered whether the being before her had abilities similar to Heimdall. It was a terrifying thought if such an ability was in the possession of the being before her. To see into the folds of space and peer into the home of Asgardians and other realms was a terrifying power that could compromise their security. This made it imperative that her diplomatic mission succeed.
Taking a deep breath, she calmed her nerves before addressing the being before her with respect.
“I apologise for my abrupt arrival into your abode.” Sif dipped her head before straightening immediately, “I’m Sif of Asgard. I come under the orders of King Odin to establish formal diplomatic relations. I carry with me a message from my king and his seal of authority.”
“Well met, Lady Sif of Asgard.” Cerion inclined his head with a smile, “I am Cerion Vex. On behalf of Aetheria, I welcome you.”
Sif kept an eye out on the curious Kyrlorians eyeing her from their homes as she followed Cerion into the former Kree stronghold. The warrior within her wanted to bring the Kree to heel for their crimes against these people. But she was a pragmatic warrior sworn to serve the throne of Asgard. Even though it was abhorrent to see the Kree enslave multiple planets and send them off into mining planets to fuel their war machine, she knew there was nothing Asgard could do without sacrificing Asgardian lives. They had managed to keep the Kree away from the Nine Realms to the best of their ability.
So, she respected Cerion's work with Kyrlorians on the planet. The barrier surrounding the settlement collapsed around her as they approached the former Kree stronghold.
“So, what message do you carry from Odin, Lady Sif?” Cerion asked as they crossed through the stronghold's entrance with two sentries guarding the doorway.
“Your actions on this planet have attracted the attention of the Kree high command. They’re gathering their fleet to reclaim this planet.”
“This is not news to me. The Kree are welcome to try, but they’ll fail miserably.” Cerion said with confidence.
“It’d be a terrible mistake to underestimate the strength of the Kree Empire. Their empire spans many planets and galaxies with a dedicated military presence across galaxies and slave planets feeding resources into their empire.” Sif warned with a troubled look.
Even Asgard, with all its armies and power, refused to draw into a war against the Kree for the simple reason of mutually assured destruction. They preferred to keep to the Nine Realms and used the threat of open war to keep outside powers from interfering in the worlds of Yggdrasil. It was not a sound strategy, and Sif suspected whether it always worked, but it was better than Asgard sending its citizens to wage wars without end.
“You underestimate us, Lady Sif. It’s true we don’t have the power to challenge the Kree fleet with the meagre fleet of three ships. But we have more than enough firepower to turn this system into the graveyard of a Kree fleet.” said Cerion, leading Sif into a room full of bright screens and projected displays.
Sif’s eyes widened as she gazed at the brightly lit room covered with miniature screens with live feeds.
“Is this…?” Sif asked, her eyes blinking in surprise.
“All these plasma cannons dug in, covering every inch of this planet’s cislunar space to give the Kree fleet a warm welcome. We also have mined the cislunar space and are in the process of arming the twin moons with more weapons. If time allows, we’ll install a slew of military satellites to increase our precision strikes.” Cerion explained while the screens pulled each of those defensible military installations for Sif to see.
Sif watched the screens with surprise, but she took measures not to show it outwardly. It was no accident that Cerion showed off the planet’s defences to her. She suspected it was a warning to Asgard more than anything else. It was a subtle message to Asgard to stay out of the internal matters of this planet.
“As I said, we’re more than ready to match the Kree fleet in this star system.”
She believed him to some extent. She could see Cerion was not callous enough to dismiss the threat of Kree fleet and rest on his laurels. But she had her concerns.
“Asgard has guarded the Nine Realms from outside forces for more than a millennia to the best of our ability. If you pursue a war with the Kree Empire, you’ll be subject to continuous assaults from the vast Kree fleet. Are you ready to face such an onslaught? Are the Kyrlorians and the humans in your army ready to face the full might of the Kree Empire?” Sif asked.
Cerion just smiled before leading her out of the room into the other parts of the base. Along the way, she saw the humans and Kyrlorians training side by side in combat. She saw the humans working extensively on crafts and other giant metal contraptions within the stronghold. They watched her closely when she walked beside Cerion.
“Tell me, if Asgard was attacked by the Kree tomorrow, would you fight to the bitter end or throw your weapon down and meekly run away?” Cerion asked with a raised eyebrow.
“I’ll fight, of course. It’s a great honour to die on the battlefield in Asgard’s name.” Sif replied immediately with a glare offended at the insinuation that she’d do anything less for her homeland.
“You see… that’s the same will of the Kyrlorians and the humans on this planet. We’ll hold this planet no matter the cost. The Kree are welcome to test our resolve.”
“But you must understand the Kree won’t stop once they start hunting you. If you pull back from this planet to Midgard, they’ll follow you to Midgard and destroy everything on their path to get you.” Sif warned with a frown.
This was the crux of the problem and Asgard’s primary concern. Once the Kree had a tangible reason to attack Midgard, an all-out war between Asgard and the Kree Empire would be inevitable. This was not an enviable position King Odin wanted for Asgard.
“Then help us hold the Kree out of the Nine Realms. You know they’ve visited Midgard many times in the past to raise a slave army to fight their wars. They’ve systematically tested the level of your tolerance, and they won’t stop pushing their agenda in Midgard in the future.”
“What do you mean by that? The Kree has never visited Midgard. We have a pact with the Kree to leave the Nine Realms…” Sif said with a frown but paused as a drone brought forth a small metallic object before her eyes.
“This is a diviner. It holds a genetically mutating serum that can induce a genetic trigger within certain humans to transform them into metahumans with special powers. The Kree Empire did this experimentation to build an army of enhanced humans to use them as fodder in their many wars.” Cerion said without holding anything back, which only brought horror to Sif.
“No.” Sif whispered in horror.
“If Asgard intended to safeguard the Nine Realms from the threat of Kree expansion, then you’ve failed miserably.”
“But how… Heimdall watches the Nine Realms…” Sif’s eyes widened as realisation finally set in.
But she couldn’t fathom why Odin wouldn’t act against the Kree, and she doubted Heimdall wouldn’t inform the activities of the Kree. The peace treaty with the Kree Empire expressly stipulated their presence in the Nine Realms would incur a military response from Asgard’s army.
“I do not know why King Odin has ignored these incursions. Maybe he has gone back on his policy of protecting the Nine Realms from outside forces. It matters not because I – we have decided to fight back and destroy the Kree from this galaxy.” Cerion said firmly, his eyes shining with resolve.
“You intend to wage war against the Kree Empire?” Sif asked with wide eyes.
“Once we have the proper military strength to do so, we shall push the Kree out of this galaxy for good. Until then, we intend to hold Aetheria and turn it into a fortress against the Kree.”
Sif stared into Cerion's stormy grey eyes, seeing the resolve within before nodding in respect.
“If this be your intent, then I won’t dissuade you, son of Vex. I shall relay your intentions to King Odin and inform him of this revelation.” Sif’s eyes fell on the diviner with a disgusted look.
“Will Odin have a change of heart and provide us with support?” Cerion asked curiously.
“I cannot say for certain.” Sif admitted with some disappointment.
As much as she liked to think Odin would marshal all Asgard’s forces, she suspected nothing of the sort would happen. It was more than likely that Heimdall already informed Odin about these Kree incursions into Midgard. If Odin hadn’t acted till now, she suspected it would be foolish of her to expect anything else at this point.
“Nonetheless, I shall speak strongly in support of your cause to my king. In the meantime, this is the troop movements of the Kree fleet Asgard has noticed.” Sif handed over the information her king had allowed to pass on to Cerion.
“While I know this is not the help you need, consider it King Odin’s approval of your intent. The Kree are a scourge on this galaxy. Should you succeed in pushing their vile empire out of this galaxy, then you’d be doing the cause of peace a great service.”
“I appreciate the gesture. Please convey my thanks to Odin.” Cerion nodded before accepting the metallic cylinder containing the message.
“Shall I prepare quarters for you? It’d be impolite not to give you our hospitality when you have come this far.”
“I believe that’s not necessary. I shall be taking my leave soon.”
“I see. In that case, can I trouble you by asking for another favour?” Cerion asked as he led her to the very top of the stronghold.
“If it’s within my power, I shall see what I can do. Ask away.” Sif nodded encouragingly.
“I’d appreciate it if you could give me the location or a way to contact the Light Elves of Alfheim.”
“The Alfar!” Sif breathed with wide eyes. “What do you want with them?”
“Let’s just say I have something in common with them.” Cerion said with a grin, his whole body glowing with light.