The boundaries of power mean nothing to me.

The Ordinance was surrounded by a hive of warships. The fleet hovered across space in a trafalgar formation, with the flagship Ordinance right at the centre of it. They were light years away from their sector. The silhouette of the warships broke the spherical glow of a nebula that was present at their port side. Any further, they would have crossed over to the sector of The New Galactic Dominion. A small ship neared the Ordinance, covered in gold and tan painting over weathered metal, The Overseer. It came from the Dominion sector as it broke through the formation, treating it as a mere obstacle.

The ship moved into the hangar, landing softly on the cold steel ground of the hangar itself. Troopers, branded with the GLF Axel signet, were in a tight platoon formation. They stood at attention as their platoon commander stood in front of them. The ship's cargo hold opened, steam flowing out of the back like a fog, a man stood behind it, a tall hat sitting rigidly over his head. As the fog cleared, there he stood, the man draped in a black suit and a top hat. Joe looked over to the platoon that stood before him as the platoon commander broke formation and walked up to him.

“Sir, I demand you follow security protocols. It is customary for every visitor.” The Commander demanded, holding handcuffs on his hand while holstering his rifle with the other to his hip. 

“Understood.” Joe looked at him, as he willingly held his hands out to be cuffed, looking the man in the eyes as he spoke up with a cold, 1800's American accent.

The Commander cuffed him without delaying any further. They seemed like they were in a rush for something. What that reason may be remains a mystery to Joe. The troopers formed a new position. In their escort formation, they marched Joe through the cold hallways of the Ordinance, navigating through the maze of doors inside the ship. They turned…and turned…and turned around corners that seemed to lead to an endless barrage of polished black steel floors and mundane lights until stopping at a door at the end. 

It had a golden frame. The decals imprinted right on it seemed…ancient and mystical. Though the very detail is hard to translate, it was clear it seemed of royalty. The formation broke, forming a path from Joe to the door. The hatted man looked around, his nose twitching as he eyed the incredible show of infrastructure that it appealed. Before Joe moved, the Commander broke formation, walking towards him casually. He pulled out a key that had buttons and began unlocking the cuffs. He toggled through cycles of numbers that made a click sound when it formed a code. The cuffs were taken from Joe’s hands as the Commander freed him from his restraints. Joe rubbed his arms, reddened marks left where the cuffs had been placed. He looked around the door, stepping forward as the door slid open with a satisfying noise. 

As the door shafts opened, Joe was greeted with an uncomfortably aggressive gush of wind. It swayed Joe’s coat and provoked the platoon to make their leave. As Joe took his steps into the room, the platoon marched in unison out of the hallways, disappearing into the darkness of the hallways. The room was larger than expected. It was a spherical room, walls made entirely out of a glass-like material, with a platform in the centre that was linked to a bridge where Joe is standing right now. An eerie aura was dispersed in the air, forming its own cloud inside the chamber as a panoramic view of space around them was visible. At the centre of it all, there was a throne and a table. Beside the Supreme Leader’s layout, the Tariol Commander Omega stood, staring intensely at the man who entered the chambers. Joe slid a leather journal out from his coat pocket, a pencil appeared abruptly in his hand though it could have come from his sleeve. He jotted down notes on everything in the room. Every single detail down to the singular screwed bolt that laid beside his feet on the bridge was taken note of in an instant before he had even paid any attention to whoever the monster before him was. He then looked at the Commander, a cold stare behind his grey soulless eyes.

“Forgive my trusted comrade, had he not been present in our presence, our meeting would have gone more…violent.” A voice called to Joe from behind the throne. 

As the voice finished his sentence, Omega vanished with his super speed. The same gush of wind that greeted Joe at first was felt again. Omega had already searched him before he entered the room.

“So…what are you?” The voice asked Joe.

Joe looked to the empty throne. He kept his effects appropriately before tucking his hands behind him.

“You carry no weapon or an offering.”

Joe looked at the throne once more, standing tall with a deadened look on his face. As his nose twitched once more he had spoken up.

"I'm a man, what else would I be?"

The aura cloud that hovered at the top of the room stopped flowing. It froze in the air. The man behind the voice walked past the silhouette throne, revealing himself to be the Supreme Leader Monarch. He rested his right palm onto the polished gold table before giving Joe an aggressive stare through his purple visor.

“It takes more than being a man to grab the attention of Emperor Soulas.” Monarch’s voice sharpened. He took a closer step to his throne as both his hands rested on the table.

Joe thought for five minutes or more about what he was to say next, it was a strange topic of what he was, after all he had already told the truth. 

"I am a man, nothing more, nothing less."

Monarch remained in his stare for a few seconds. Never before had he met someone so…mysterious. Eventually, he gave in. He sat down on his throne, stretching his arms out to grab the edges of the table as he began a new conversation.

“The Emperor demanded that I be your guide in this universe. He told me that you wished to record data of warfare in the Galaxy in the 22nd Century?”

"Where did your 'Emperor' learn such things? I do not recall such things."

“For starters, he had an inference. He inferred that with your book that seemed…out of place, you frequent it more than usual. You tend to record things that people don’t. Should I prove my point with the evidence that just occured minutes before we had our conversation?” He asked. Monarch then laid back onto the backrest of his throne, his hands now grabbing the edges of the armrest. He had observed him in every step of the way, right when his eyesight caught his ship breaking through the blockade. Joe looked at him, sliding the journal out of his coat yet again and into his hand, lifting it up into the air. 

"What could be wrong with noting down your expeditions? Nothing wrong with memories."

“War Journalists is a profession that became very common after a Cold War in the 1950s to 1970s on Earth. Since then, humans and other sentient life have taken part of that profession as a profitable career. I know that because I have one on duty right now. They did exactly what you were doing.” His fingers steepled as he said so. Their eyes connected. They began staring at each other, almost as if they were having a conversation without words.

“Which reminds me. I took the liberty of sending my best operators to dig through every corner of the universe to find out about you. It is not common for the Emperor of the Dominion to cease every operation on the same day for one person. It turns out that you had left no digital footprint in the galaxy.” Joe tucked his hands behind his waist, grabbing on to his journal as he gently strolled to view the nebula outside the glass dome while Monarch spoke.

“There had been no reports of a top hat Joe on Earth or any planet that is a home for humanoid sentients and your choice of garments is highly irregular for this time of age.” Joe halted as he was inches away from the walls. His eyes looked out to the nebula as he began admiring its destructive beauty.

“I toyed with the idea that you are a time traveller. Why wouldn’t I? Your fashion sense dates back to the 1800s of Earth but even with the best scientists and researchers in the galaxy, none of them proved possibilities of time travel in our time.”

Joe gave a light shrug to the entire document of reasons for his appearance, he didn't see much problem with himself roaming the galaxy, but perhaps in this age they'd have a problem with it. "I apologise that my appearance disturbs you so greatly, and it can be confirmed that I, myself, am not some time travelling Deity."

“Of course you’re not, that would be apocryphal.” Monarch rested his hands on the armrest as his throne turned to the nebula. His legs crossed as he stared into it.

“I think…you have reason to be recording everything. There will be a time, where the information you gathered, would be of great value. When or for what purpose, I may not know.”

"Well, sorry to disappoint you, but no."

“Nothing is concrete in this vast compilation of stars. You can pursue a path of goodness and end up a villain over the course of your service. It’s an old dance routine.” He turned to Joe.

Joe looked at him, before turning to face out the window. He looked at Monarch once more, as black and white flowed in them like ink, before they reformed into his pupils.

"Again, I am but a man, nothing more and nothing less. If you cannot handle the complexity of such simple words, I'd wish you on your best to figure them out."

Monarch chuckled, his hands steepling once more as his legs went back to a neutral position.

“Life of this world is only the enjoyment of deception. You can carry on your charade, Mr?”

He looked at him, as he mumbles something to himself before speaking once again.

"Joe."

“Mr Joe.” He paused. “I have ordered my men to treat you with royalty and respect. One of my trusted accomplices, Admiral Eclion, will conduct a proper introduction to the Galactic Liberation Front.”

Joe looked outside, as he turned to the door and began walking towards it and outside.

"There will be no need for an introduction. We will meet again, when I do not know, but we will meet again."

“This concludes it, then…” Monarch glared at the man disappearing into the darkness of the hallways. He looked to his hand, an unclean patch of blood remained on his palm as he examined it oddly. He suspected it to be from a battle he participated in recently, since it appeared crimson in colour. He clenched his hand, closing his eyes as he breathed slowly. 

His focus drifted and then he opened his eyes. The memory of the meeting that happened 2 years ago played back like it happened yesterday. For what reason it may be would remain a mystery to the Supreme Leader. He took a look back at his palm and that patch of blood is now gone. He stood up, taking a look at the scene outside the glass dome. The royal blue glow emitted from Earth reflected itself onto the polished floors of the chamber as Monarch glared at it. His moment of silence was abrupt as the doors to his chambers opened. A hissing sound formed, followed by the clicking steps of boots.

A female officer walked in, with a holo pad in her hands. She halted in front of the table as she spoke to Monarch from afar.

“The Secretariat is hovering above Singapore. Admiral Eclion and the Tariol Operators are on route to rendezvous Barnaby.”

Monarch remained silent as he took in the news.

“We have yet to receive reports of infiltration or attacks on outposts in the sector and the borders remain unaffected. However, the Council of the Cosmos are…curious as to how recent events have affected your-

“My grip over my side of the universe is tight. Their concern is not a priority.” Monarch turned to the officer.

“Have the Ordinance parked on the northern side of Singapore.”

The officer nodded.

Monarch pivoted to the glass walls. He took off his hood as he exposed his helm to the officer. The glow of the planet was disrupted by the silhouette of Monarch, looming over the planet. He remained in his own aura before sparking another conversation with the officer who had yet to leave.

“You want to know what is rendezvous Barnaby.” 

The officer looked at him. It was her first time speaking to the Supreme Leader during her service to the GLF. She didn’t know how to reply to him as it would seem like an officer questioning their superiors. Nevertheless, Monarch continued.

“Rendezvous Barnaby is a location on Earth where people who are important to shaping the next step for the Front meet to discuss strategy. As of this hour, the next step is being formed.” He slowly turned back to the officer, taking his steps slowly as his figure was completely visible. The officer looked up in fear. She looked down to show respect, and subjection.

“Vacate the planet from the atmosphere blockades.” Monarch demanded.

The officer looked up in confusion, before toggling her holopad to send the instructions to the blockade ships that surrounded Earth. 

As the Ordinance crept up on Earth, the countless blockade ships would pull out of the atmosphere. Fleets of warships vacated their posts. For the first time in years, Earth was cleared of ships covering the surface. Only the Ordinance was flying right into the planet. One sole ship hovering to the damned planet for the ‘next step’ of this destructive war.