Starbound: A Space Odyssey

After he was done training with Peri, John went back to his room to take a shower.

Looking at his naked body through the mirror, he could see that all his injuries that he suffered in the Ceremonial Hunting Caverns left only faint scars.

Scars wasn't a problem, he could just go to an advanced hospital and have them removed, for a hefty price.

He never really cared about his own appearance, and this didn't change a bit over time, so he didn't see the need to get rid of the scars and was planning to just leave them.

After taking a bath and cleaning up the dirt and some blood from scratches he suffered when battling with Peri, he walked out of the bathroom only with his towel covering his waist.

In the room's wardrobe there was some clothing that could be used by him, he tried out those plant-based, natural, usual clothing style of Florans, he couldn't keep them for more than a few minutes. He immediately switched back to his blue Terrene Protectorate uniform.

Since he kept himself only with the towel and underwear, while his Terrene Protectorate's uniform was being cleaned by a worker of Akna's mansion.

Feeling somewhat bored he switched his PIPS on and decided to watch some TV while connected in the SkyNet.

SkyNet was the network that spanned across the whole Center of the Universe, the six sectors. There were satellites in the whole universe that provided connection to the universal internet to everyone.

The project was created by the ISU, Independent Scientific Union, with the help of Letheia Corporation, Terrene Protectorate and the Miniknog.

The Independent Scientific Union was a non-governmental and non-profit driven organization that focus completely on scientific inventions and advancements while abiding to moral codes and laws of the Terrene Protectorate, different from the Miniknog that seek knowledge and scientific advancements whatever the cost and without any moral and ethical standards.

They work with all governments and organizations, but they never deal with military science. Their inventions and advancements were focused on the betterment of everyone in the universe.

That's why SkyNet was free and without any kind of censorship.

While some governments restrict the access of SkyNet in their planets, like the Miniknog. They couldn't block it everywhere, since the amount of SkyNet satellites were unknown even to ISU that constantly build new ones.

As John was roaming in the SkyNet, he decided to check up the news channel.

The moment he clicked in it, the holographic screen in front of him just got bigger and started to show images after a short period of static.

It was a charming Hylotl female behind a a large table.

She had a big, casual smile plastered on her face.

On the panel on her back, there was the number of the channel, 196, and the three red dots in an L, forming the symbol of Letheia Corporation.

It was clear that the news channel had some strong connection with the Corporation.

"Good day people of the universe, I'm you let host, Hiraki, and you're watching channel 196's news." She said calmly with a pleasant voice for the ears, "For the first story, we have breaking news coming from Sector Beta. Two days ago, Mars and Mercury planets from Milky Way Galaxy were destroyed by the same mysterious red tentacles that attacked Earth and some other places, mainly Terrene Protectorate's outposts across the universe..."

John's hands closed in a tight grip as his whole body started to tremble.

His face was expressionless and he was apparently calm, but his body actions showed his true emotions.

She continued, "...In response to this sudden attack, the United Earth Government, UEG, called an emergency meeting in the new political central planet for the Humans, Pandora. We don't have specific information of what was discussed there in details, but just a few minutes ago they met with representatives of the Independent Scientific Union, ISU, and they said in a press conference that they had valuable information about this mysterious threat that was destroying planets and it needed to be shared and known to the public. For this intention, ISU and UEG, announced that they are organizing an assembly with governments that represent each race, and giant organizations. The appointed representative of the UEG in this reunion have been decided, from our sources, it is said that Esther Bright, the previous Grand Protector, is the one they chose, together with the president of the UEG. The reunion has been set in the Unity Day, the universal holiday that take place every year in the day that the Terrene Protectorate was founded..."

John fell on the bed and absentmindedly stared at ceiling.

[First Earth, now Mars and Mercury...] He thought, [I must act faster...the seal is getting weaker and weaker. More people are going to die.] His eyes flared open as his determination to search for the Artefacts was rekindled with even stronger flames.

He was about to turn off the new when Hiraki started to speak about the next news.

"Now, for the breaking news at Sector Gamma. A Letheia Corporation's employee was recently arrested, suspected of selling trade secrets. Jevil Redhook, a white young man, apparently 23 to 25 years old, with bright red hair, he was a successful and rather high member in Letheia Corporation's Ark Outpost, but it seems that his loyalty was in another place. Our sources say that he was closely working with the terrorist group known as Nova Rebellion that strikes terror across the whole universe for decades. He is also being investigated and charged for his previous crimes as a pirate that terrorized Sector Beta before the cleaning operation by the Terrene Protectorate that took place there years ago..."

"Jevil? Nova Rebellion?" John only saw images of the Ark Outpost's Underworld leader. The reason he remembered the name was because Lenny commented that he had spoke with Jevil while was completely drunk during the competition at the Iron Fist Arena.

As for Nova Rebellion, he heard about their history during one of his lessons in the Terrene Protectorate's School.

They were a group formed many, many years ago. The founders were all Apexes that grew tired of being ruled by the ruthless Big Ape and his Miniknog.

The rebels fought and grew against the Miniknog, and time pass, more and more people joined the Rebellion.

As it grew in numbers, and diversity of race, their objective changed from fighting against the opressive Big Ape, to fight against the establishment, against the norms. People that wanted change, even if changes might not bring something good, they still wanted changes.

Their growth threatened Miniknog that decided to make deals with Letheia Corporation to help them deal with this rising organization.

Letheia Corporation's Hyperion was the main arms dealer with Nova Rebellion. Soon after Miniknog and the Corporation closed the deal, Hyperion stopped selling cheap and powerful weapons to the Rebellion.

Letheia also released a statement that any arms dealer making deals with Nova Rebellion would be blacklisted by the Corporation and hunt down by Miniknog agents.

Terrene Protectorate also started to crack down at Nova Rebellion personal.

Surrounded by every side, it was no wonder that the once rising Nova Rebellion saw a fast downfall.

They were in the verge of disappearing when a new leader took over the Nova Rebellion.

His name was Husk, the leader of the Rebellion that adopted the title of President.