Star Ocean: Their Only Hope

Theme Song

”In the vast reaches of space, there are many mysteries left to be discovered. Some can be benevolent, and some can be malevolent. When we received that mysterious signal... We thought it was going to be nothing more than a derelict ship, or something that is benevolent and waiting to join the Pangalactic Federation. How wrong we were... Now it has become a fight for survival from an evil that is trying to destroy the entire universe and rebuild it in their own image...”

-Gideon Jerand, crew member of the PFSRF Calnus III

Space... in a mid 20th television show it was called the “last frontier”. Nobody could be even more right. For the Pangalactic Federation, space has become an open territory to explore for new life and to find new advanced civilizations to add to it. Though have been under developed civilizations found. These civilizations are protected by the Universal Planetary Preservation Pact. A document that prevents advanced civilizations within the Federation to interact with these under developed civilizations. As in the past it lead to an alternate Earth to be destroyed, killing everyone inhabiting it. It caused the famous hero Edge Maverick, to help write the law.

But that was hundreds of years ago. The UP3 continues to be in effect to this day. As the Earth and the rest of the Federation have mapped about 75% of the Milky Way Galaxy. Hoping to explore past the galaxy into other galaxies eventually. Meanwhile the Federation continues to explore to map all 100% of the galaxy. One day near the star system of Alpha Equulei, in the Equuleus constellation, a strange signal was picked up by a Federation battle ship called the Valor. It's transmission indicates that it is not anything they have in their databanks or from any known advanced civilization known currently.

“Captain we've picked up a transmission.” said the communications officer. As she sits in front of her station's console. “It's currently unknown and we can't figure out who it belongs to...”

“We should go investigate it none the less.” the male Captain Arthur Castor said. “But send a recording of this transmission to Federation Command on Earth.”

“Yes sir.”

Three weeks later

The Calnus III recon star ship dropped out of light speed warp. It's crew ready for anything to come out and ambush them. On the bridge Captain Ronyx C. Kenny and his youngest child Ensign Aster Kenny looked on the main screen of their ship. Staring at the third planet of the Alpha Equulei system. An Earth like planet where the moon isn't orbiting the planet at all. Like something has to move it around the planet itself.

“What a strange planet Captain.” Aster said getting formal with her father while they were on the bridge or see together among the rest of the crew.

“I've told you that I don't like you being formal with me.” Ronyx said. “But I do appreciate that you are to keep up appearances with your superior officer.”

“Captain...” said the Science Officer of the Calnus III, Ensign Gideon Jerand, a Featherfolk from the planet Roak. “We don't seem to be receiving any transmissions, but this planet is weird. The moon isn't even orbiting around the planet like our moon.”

“That is strange indeed Ensign Jerand.” Ronyx said. “Everyone keep an eye out for any strange transmissions.”

Just then a strange object appeared on the radar at Gideon's station. “Captain something just appeared. It's heading straight for us!”

“All hands report to your battle stations! Set alert to Code Yellow! We may have hostiles incoming!”

The incoming object grew closer and closer. Coming at them like a bullet. The crew on the bridge finally got a good look at what took out the Valor weeks ago... It was a dark cloud... With purple lightning?

“What is that?” Ronyx asked aloud.

“No idea Captain!” Gideon said. His fingers went all over the keyboard of his computer. The only they could see the black cloud is from the purple lightning exploding all over it.

“Target and fire at the cloud!” Ronyx ordered. Though the orders were kind of idiotic. Considering that not even plasma torpedoes or beams will just pass right through it. The crew in charge of arming the weapons did as they were ordered and opened fir with everything they had at the cloud. Surprisingly they didn't even penetrate the cloud. The cloud merely dodged all shots fired, before continuing it's charge at the Calnus III.

“Keep firing!”

More and more shots were fired and the cloud slimmed down to dodge them. When the cloud expanded. It grew menacing fanged teeth, green and purple eyes with red slitted pupils and a curved red horn. Then it took shape of some kind of horse head as the mouth opened wide and engulfed the entire recon ship whole. On board all hell was breaking loose as time seemed to slow down to a crawl...

–-

Aster opened her eyes. She yawned and shook her head clear of her blurry vision. When perfect vision was restored. She found herself laying on the floor of an old abandoned castle laying in ruin. It looked to her like it was the throne room, and someone was working to clean it up as if they were going to use it. But most of the redecoration was destroyed by what Aster assumed was some kind of war that raged nearby recently. She looked around and saw Gideon investigating the throne room with his camera. Taking pictures and analyzing the ruins.

“Oh hey you're awake.” he said before walking over to her and sitting down next to her. He flipped through the pictures on his camera. One such picture was of a winged unicorn statue in what is the library. Thousands of books were found to be located there. Suggesting they landed on a planet that is under developed.

'Where are we? What has happened to the rest of the crew? Did they escape the destruction of the Calnus?” Aster kept asking Gideon questions as he examined the pictures he took of the ruins.

“Are you listening?” Aster asked.

“Sorry!” Gideon puts his camera on the floor to acknowledge Aster. “I have no clue where we are, what happened to your father and the rest of the crew. I don't know anything beyond grabbing you and taking you to an escape shuttle as per your father's orders. You were knocked out during the attack, and as we escaped our shuttle crash landed in this alien forest. I found these ruins and brought you here while I explored this place.”

“Find anything interesting?”

“Yeah definitely interesting.” Gideon showed on picture to Aster. It was a star system globe of some kind. Only with five stone spheres with one larger stone sphere in the center. “I thought this was a map of the entire Alpha Equulei star system. But there is only three planets orbiting around Alpha Equulei, and this is the only one inhabited with life, last time I checked before we were attacked. Then I found this weird broken statue of a winged unicorn in the ruins library. It is some kind of strange equine creature. I don't know what it is but from the library filled with old books written in an alien language that the universal translator wasn't needed. I'd say we landed on an under developed planet.”

“Alien language that the Universal Translator on our com units wasn't needed?” Aster asked.

“Yeah it was like English. Yet it couldn't be English... English is an Earth language, being taught on every planet of the Federation.”

“Weird...” Aster said. “You think we should get out of here and investigate. It's starting to get dark out...”

Within the span of a few minutes, the sun sets and the moon rises, signaling night. The two Federation officers were literally in the dark. Until Gideon pulled a lantern from his pack only a few feet away. Once they had light they decided to leave the ruins and explore their new surroundings. Though first they should be properly equipped in case they are attacked. Luckily their shuttle has a machine to create any item they would need on any planet, and it was close to the ruins too. So it was best that they create simple weapons like a sword for Gideon, and a pair of cestus gauntlets for Aster.

“Okay we should get weapons for us to defend ourselves.” Gideon said. “Something primitive in case we're on an under developed planet.”

“Sounds good to me...” Aster said.

Gideon created a longsword for him to wield, a weapon he is familiar with on his home planet of Roak. He used a wooden sword for training or to fend off Lesser Fellpools that tried to eat him. For his friend and comrade, he created a pair of titanium gauntlets. These to gauntlets were sturdy and strong, they even had a little mechanical device installed that will bring out metal claws. Once both were armed, they were going to explore the forest and find some civilization. That is if they didn't hear a loud roar coming from some bushes nearby, showing yellow menacing eyes as the creature was slowly making it's way out from it's hiding spot, to pounce on the two humanoids...