Not far off from Diago, a massive military class a warship warped into orbital space. Long, bulky, and well armed, the Fervent loomed dangerously in the exosphere. It was far too large to land in most planetary ports as it required miles and miles of open area for docking. Its black and purple haul bore various symbols and lettering, alluding to its political ties. The sigil that was ornately displayed on the bow looked similar to the Omnia Council’s. However, the triangle was upside down and it was surrounded by a square. This warship belonged to none other than KolRa.

Despite having a preference for noiseless conquering, all weapons were charged, aimed, and ready. If it came down to it, seizing control by force would be a non issue. The citizens of Diago would not be aware of  the threat until it was too late. Their technology was far too simplistic and aged compared to the hightech Fervent to do a proper scan of the craft. It wouldn’t have mattered either way. Defensive measures were unnecessary for the Fervent, as KolRa’s initial scan of the planet revealed no serious weaponry. There wasn’t a single force on the surface or in orbital space that could break through the warship’s armor. This was no surprise. After all, Diago was nothing more than a backwater planet in the Outer. 

A simple transmission, a request to land, was sent to Diago’s space line control. When the affirmative response came from below, several class b galaxy soarers jettisoned from the fleet hangers. Upon landing, armored and armed soldiers disembarked their crafts. Their faces were masked by their helmets. It was impossible to tell what their individual genders or species were, though they all varied in size and shape. The Lieutenant, the tallest of the group who wore purple and gold pauldrons, removed a tablet device from the vambrace. The Major, the shortest of the group who wore a purple plume, paid the landing fee, 100 credits for each galaxy soarer, to the dock master. Once that was taken care of, the army began to march. They had their orders.

The Lieutenant, following a map on the device, led the team forwards through a crowded bazaar. There was no need for KolRa’s forces to worry about the civilians, as all were quick to make way for the small army. One soldier, the Scribe, took notes of their encounters. They continued through the village and came across a fence. It seemed to travel about a mile in each direction. Beyond the fence they could see a massive, densely overgrown wooded landscape. Property destruction was a specialty of the Major’s, who pulled out a thermal blade. It only took one swipe to tear through the rusty fence. Adjusting the heat level lower, the Major cut through the foliage. With the path cleared, they hiked the uneven landscape.

Unbeknownst to the legion, a group of bulky teenagers followed in pursuit, a tall purple haired teen leading the way. They had emerged from behind a bush after watching the army trespass their new hideout. These teenagers were also armed after they raided a hastily set up and eventually abandoned Council Outpost. 

In a dark, dim lit office aboard the Fervent, KolRa, a lavender skinned man, sat legs crossed, fingers rhythmically tapping the ebony wood of his desk. His cobalt hair was pulled back into a low ponytail with two strands left loose, framing his long face with high cheekbones. His outer robes were a deep red, while his inner robes were black with a purple and gold trim. His obi and arm wraps were a deep purple. He wore a square emblem that was pinned to his obi. In the center of the room was a massive terrarium full of various species of plants and bugs. Three of the surrounding walls were actually made of a thick specialized space glass, allowing for a near perfect view beyond the stern of the ship. The fourth wall led to the helm of the ship. 

Flickering through the informational display on his monitor with his other hand, he watched closely as his team progressed. Though he could not see the teenagers in pursuit on screen, he could sense them. He sent a message through the com-link built into his desk, warning his Lieutenant of the danger as well as ordering the capture of the would-be assailants for further information. Something in his gut advised him that they would hold some significance to his current quest. With the situation under control, he returned his attention to the data stream on another monitor. He had far more pressing matters at hand, after all. He had lost contact with his colleague nearly a year earlier. The war with the Council left his forces too thinned to investigate up until now. 

While in transit to Diago, he had intercepted an encrypted message from the Council. A small frown played at his lips as he skimmed through the report. The Council had made it to Diago before he had, weeks in advance it would seem, much to his displeasure. Master Caden had finally tracked Xeller down, something KolRa had hoped would not happen this quickly. He learned that Master Caden had Master Koen reassigned to his team in order to assist with the mission. The Masters had found his informant’s hideout, but thankfully they failed to discover the laboratory beneath the surface. To make matters worse, the old man had died, and that was something KolRa would now have to personally investigate. Xeller had meant to deliver a very important package to him, and it was imperative that he find it before the Council. They were sure to return if given the opportunity, despite abandoning their outpost after civil unrest. Still, to him, that was a sliver of hope that he would not have to rework his entire plan. Therefore, conquering Diago was now high on his priority list to prevent further Council interference. He couldn’t let all that time and funding go to waste. 

Reading further, he took notes of planetary politics and relevant names of powerful families and corporations for future reference. He added the Morgenstern’s Manor and High Top Casino to his list of places to visit. He could use the planet’s most powerful figures’ and the civilians’ natural distaste for the Council in his favor. Take over would be swift. He preferred good business over bad business, though it was all just business to him.

On the third page of the report, he noticed something strange. It was subtle, but his trained eyes could tell there was redacted information. He was once head of the Council’s Archives, after all. Prodding with several key commands, he opened a hidden file. His fingers stopped tapping his desk once he finished the summary.

“So, it would appear the Council has allowed my old friend, Master Caden, to take on another new student. Stealing Reyn away from me wasn’t enough for him, it seems.” He slammed his hand down on the desk, upper lip twitching. “Though I can’t imagine anyone from such a midden to have any raw talent,” he laughed, only to pause. “Unless… I wonder," he murmured to himself, stoking his chin, searching for the full report.

More information was redacted, and it required more effort than the first set of encryptions. Whoever had taken over his position as Archive Master had done an almost excellent job, but KolRa was still able to hack into the final document with relative ease. 

 “No, it couldn’t be…” he said. His frown had turned into a deep scowl. “Not the young girl Xeller was supposed to bring me.”

Pressing the com-link again, this time with force, he ordered his flight team to prepare his own galaxy soarer to be readied. Standing up, he pulled his dark red and black cloak over his shoulders and made his way towards the door, which slid open before him.