After meeting the Council, it was time for Master Caden and Nexara to leave the Prydwen. Quickly, the preparations for travel were made. When Master Caden told her they would be traveling via a spacecraft envoy, a special fleet of class a, b, and c galaxy soarers, she nearly beamed. She was saddened they were not traveling in the Sagitta once more, but she was happy to at least finally be able to ride in a galaxy soarer. Maybe he’d even let her shoot the guns.

The Valkyrie was a dark blue class a soarer, larger and more powerful than a class c soarer, which was the most common type to see on Diago. This was Master Caden’s personal ship. If Omnia Masters got their own galaxy soarer, then she had definitely made the right choice. It had been her first dream to own one. Excitedly, she listed off the various classifications and offensive and defensive stats. Although Master Caden clearly knew these things, he allowed her to continue to ramble on anyway. He even entertained her by telling her about the personal modifications he made, making it more advanced than an average class a soarer.

 Before take off, Master Caden gave her a tour of his ship. No where near as large as the Sagitta, the Valkyrie still had its own flight deck, 4 sleeping quarters, kitchen, multipurpose room, and a Med-Bay chamber. 

He led her to a room, not his room she noticed with relief, and she ached to rest. There was a strange set of clothes on the cot, wrapped snugly in an obi, its silver emblem shining upwards. It was the badge Master Caden and the other Council members wore, only silver indicating her student status.

“Here are your training robes, Miss Sinclair,” he said, indicating the clothes on the bed. “Will you remember the way back to the deck?”

“Yes,” she nodded.

“Good. Change, and then return to the deck,” he instructed. “We have much to go over. Do not dally. You’ll miss take off.”

When Master Caden left, granting her privacy to change, she quickly pulled the clothes on. She was eager to be rid of her torn tunic and trousers. They smelt, though she had gotten used to it. She probably smelt too, now that she thought about it. She hadn’t had a proper bath in months. She hoped that she could bathe soon. She didn’t like being dirty even if that was her usual state. 

As she wrapped the obi around her waist, she took a moment to observe the silver badge. It glistened in the lighting. This would make her an official student. There was only a brief hesitation before she clipped it to her waste. Pulling on the boots, she stepped about. The leather felt foreign, too restrictive. Despite wearing socks and her feet being bandaged, the friction still bothered her. Blisters would be a big issue for her in the near future. She wondered if parts of the uniform were optional but decided against testing the waters. She could learn how to wear boots. The final pieces to the outfit were the arm wraps. Carefully, she wound them around her forearms. Now fully dressed, she hastily made her way to the bridge since missing take off would be tragic.

The bridge was small. Although there were other work stations besides the helm, there was no need for a full crew. The Valkyrie simply needed a capable pilot to manage defensive and offensive and navigational operations. She quickly spotted Master Caden sitting comfortably in his captain's chair. When he saw her, he gestured for her to come sit next to him. She shuffled over, grateful it was now just the two of them. He greeted her kindly, and she returned the greeting. It was time to depart.

Once in motion, Master Caden asked her if she wished to shower. She nodded, feeling embarrassed. She made her way to the back of the ship, to the room she had been shown to. There was a bathroom and washchamber attached. She undressed, turned the water as hot as it could go, and then stepped under. She examined the soap, and thought it smelt of wood and flowers. It felt good on her skin and hair as it cut through the grease, dust, and dirt. She stayed under the stream for a while, allowing herself to relax and feel good for the first time in a long time. 

Clean and dry, she made her way back to the flight deck. Master Caden beckoned her over to one of the monitors. She could see their flight trajectory. They were heading to the Milkyway Galaxy with a particular focus on one solar system.

“Is that where we're going?” Nexara asked, pointing to the third planet that was highlighted.

“Indeed it is,” he answered. “That is Earth.” 

“My mom was from Earth,” she said distantly.

“Oh?” Master Caden raised an eyebrow. “Where was your father from?”

Nexara refused to elaborate, claiming not to know more and asked, “Can I fire the blasters?”

With a shrug, Master Caden sent a message to the rest of the envoy to alert them that they would be firing a single blast. He placed the Valkyrie on autopilot and led her to the weapons chamber. After showing her how to aim and what button to press to fire, he motioned for her to take control. 

“Just point and shoot, right?” She asked, head tilted. “I’ve never done this before.”

“It’s a tad more complex than that, Miss Sinclair,” he laughed. “But that is the general gist of it.”

“Okay,” she smiled. 

She sat down, spotted an asteroid, aimed and fired. 

The energy blast pierced the rock. The rock burst apart, leaving behind dust and debris.

“Nice shot…” Master Caden said in disbelief. “I’m impressed. I truly believed the steering controls were too heavy for you to operate that smoothly.”

“Thank you,” she beamed. “Can I fly the Valkyrie next? Please!”

“Perhaps another time,” he chuckled. “For now, we are on a tight schedule. Let us return to the flight deck.”

With that said and done, Master Caden took control and turned off autopilot. After maneuvering through a rather treacherous part of space, he  began to explain what life would look like for her on Earth. She would be living at a monastery. Spirituality was not one of Diago’s strong suits, and she worried about her abilities despite being assured that spirituality could be taught. Training and chores would start off light, only to gradually increase. She wasn’t too sure how she felt about the training and work schedule he was detailing. It all sounded strange to her. She wasn’t used to strict regiments. 

What’s more, it would seem she wouldn't be alone at the monastery with Master Caden, as he had two others living with him: Reyn, his ward, and Dragoljub, Ekin’s cousin and a traveler from Nevrod, a moon off of Dev-Nerod. It took her a second to understand the similarities behind Master Caden being Reyn’s guardian and Xeller being her guardian. Only Reyn was much younger than Nexara, as the toddler had just celebrated her third birthday. It would seem that Nexara was also expected to help with childcare duties. She wasn’t sure if she would be a good helper. She had never taken care of a child before, but she was determined to do her best. 

As they descended to Earth, Nexara watched flames lick the sides of the ship from the spaceshield. Once they had landed, it was time to disembark. 

“Come along,” he said, nudging her. “Let’s get you settled in, shall we?”

They walked to the back end of the ship. The bay door hissed open. With a clunk, the boarding ramp extended. Not used to her new boots, Nexara uncomfortably followed after Master Caden. 

She took a moment to take in her new surroundings. The landing dock was wooden, something that surprised her. They stood in the middle of four strange pillars. The Omnia Council’s sigil was carved into the ground. To her left was a pathway. Beyond the path, she saw what she assumed to be the monastery, a collection of wooden and stone buildings with steep and flat roofs. This place was much different than Diago’s desert. Down on the pathway to the right, which led to a beach, she could see two spots, one blue and the other orange, running towards the dock. 

When the shapes came into view, Nexara immediately noticed the blue haired half-human little girl, who must be Reyn. Her cheeks were dotted with freckles. The toddler rushed towards Master Caden, who was eagerly hurrying towards her. She watched him pick up the little girl and twirl her around. The child giggled, happily engaging in the embrace. Gently, Master Caden placed her on her feet. 

Just then, the orange spot, which must be Dragoljub, had caught up. He looked almost identical to his cousin despite hailing from different planets. He doubled over, panting, trying to speak but only managed to splutter a rushed greeting. 

“Reyn, Dragoljub,” Master Caden started pleasantly. “I would like to introduce you to my newest student and your newest housemate, Nexara Sinclair.”

Nexara shifted on the balls of her feet. When Reyn glanced over, she hid behind Master Caden. Nexara craned her neck to get a better look at Reyn, and nearly gasped, noticing the familiar blue stripes and circle on the small girl's forearms. Eyes wide, Nexara could barely utter a hello. Only, she didn’t need to, as Dragoljub appeared to have finally caught his breath.

“It’s an honor to meet you!” Dragoljub squeaked. “You’re going to love it here, Nexara!” Almost at lightning speed, he rushed over to her, aggressively bowing up and down while shaking her hand, his antenna just barely grazing her nose. When she took back her hand, she  sheepishly rubbed the back of her neck and looked to Master Caden. 

“Dragoljub,” Master Caden coughed sternly into his hand.

Immediately the orange creature backed off, smiling wide. “Sorry! Sorry!” he squealed. “I just get so excited sometimes!”

“Reyn,” Master Caden coaxed in a sing-song voice. “Come out and say hello.”

Hesitantly, she peaked her head out. She mumbled a greeting, clutching the hems of Master Caden’s robes. 

Still recovering from shock, Nexara waved and muttered a greeting back, shyly waving her hand. Reyn offered her a giggle before giving a loud yawn, and hid behind Master Caden again. Patting Reyn’s head, Master Caden turned to Dragoljub. 

“I believe it is time for Reyn’s nap,” Master Caden said. “Dragoljub, would you mind setting her down while I show Nexara around?”

Dragoljub gave an excited vocalization. “Oh! Absolutely!” He clapped his hands together. “Come along, Reyn!”

Nexara watched the two of them walk away. When Reyn glanced back, Nexara gave another affectionate wave, which was something the young girl delighted in. With a curious glance to Master Caden, she prepared to ask a question, but paused. He was already walking forwards and gesturing to her to follow. So instead, she let him lead her through the grounds.

It wasn’t long until her feet began to ache from her boots. Blisters were slowly developing on her feet and toes. Nevertheless, she trudged alongside Master Caden. There were various walking and hiking trails. Though there were far too many for him to show her in one afternoon, she excitedly longed for the day she could explore them on her own. As they walked, she asked him questions about the Omnia Council. 

Briefly, he explained the hierarchy of titles. She listened carefully as he detailed what was expected of her as an Omnia Novice. After becoming more versed with Omnia, she would be given her very first test. Upon completion she would achieve Warrior status, which would grant her her own O-Decoder and allow her to be sent on quests. To achieve the title of Champion, she would have to win multiple ranked tournaments as an Omnia Warrior. Omnia Master was a much more difficult title to reach, it would seem, as it required years and years of long dedicated hard work. Still, she dreamed of owning her own galaxy soarer. 

It was a lot to take in all at once. The information sent her mind swirling. Silently, they made their way through the main garden. As she watched two birds dance about a fountain, she built up enough courage to say what was on her mind. 

“Reyn and I share the same markings,” she said at last. “She’s half-human like me.”

Master Caden eyed her carefully, thinking for a moment before he spoke. “It is why the Council assigned you here,” he said carefully. “It’s why I wanted you here.”

She poked at her arm, “What do they mean? Xeller said they made me ‘special’ but never told me why.” 

With a sigh, he knelt down to her eye level. He placed a hand on her shoulder, and she could feel the warmth of power beneath his palm. 

“Can you keep a secret?” He asked gently. 

With determination, she nodded. Keeping secrets was something she was good at. 

“Both you and Reyn share an intense connection to Omnia. Those markings are symbolic of that relationship,” he explained. “There is more to them than that, but for now that is enough. When the time is right, we will talk further on the matter.”

“Okay,” she replied. 

Well, that’s a start, she thought to herself.

Pondering what he meant, she let him lead her to the library. She was overwhelmed at the size and amount of books lining the walls. Reading wasn’t her strong suit as she was never formally taught how to read, but she loved the books Xeller would read to her. Maybe if she worked hard enough she could learn more about The Mark in the library, but that would have to wait. The tour continued. 

Finally, he led her to her final destination, her bedroom. It was simple and empty. There was a made bed, a dresser full of training robes, a closet, an empty book shelf, and a desk. She had never had her own room before, let alone anything to display. 

“I hope this is adequate,” Master Caden said. “Reyn’s room is just down the hall.” When she beamed up at him, he ruffled her hair. “The monastery’s grounds are yours to explore. Tomorrow morning, we will start your training.” With that, he left her on her own.