Welcome to Gaia! ::

(This chapter is an example of my growing ability to stretch time into several paragraphs. Compared to my first works, which are still in my journal, these are much better. It's also frustrating, because I want to get through things faster, but I'm too nitpicky now to try to shorten my style, which is probably better for my literary work.)

Chapter 1
My name is...



My name is Jared Andrelia.

I'm just a plain, ordinary, human being born on Sol III. At least, I thought I was. Ever since that one day I've discovered amazing things about myself and nearly been killed a dozen times over. I mostly owe my survival to one thing, my amazing personal AI, Sabriel. She has been with me through all this and has been a calm voice for me when I was feeling down.

That day has shattered my life and left me in a world beyond anything I've ever heard of or imagined. A world of power, of beauty, and of magic.

This is a new age in the Milky Way Galaxy. A little over ten years ago a catastrophe struck the galaxy and nearly destroyed it. The people of our galaxy had delved too deeply into the science of symbology, the use of symbols to alter the world around us, and we were all sentenced to deletion by the creator of the universe, Luther. This creator, a man from the 4D Universe, was said to have created the universe from nothing but computer code. He sent terrible monsters called Enforcers to wipe out all life in the galaxy and stop our progression into this forbidden science.

However, a group of scientists found out about the disaster years ahead of time and took measures to stop it. For the good of the universe they genetically altered their children with powerful symbols inscribed on their DNA. When these children had grown up, they and a group of warriors fought against the creatures, infiltrated the 4D Universe, and defeated the creator. Everybody who was alive then remembers the few brief moments where nothing seemed to exist, and all seemed to be floating in a void. I remember that day clearly, and remember how the world suddenly returned to normal in the next instant.

But this victory didn't come without a price. The military force of the Pangalactic Federation, a republic of planets centered around Sol III - Earth - was crippled to a fraction of its former power. However, the ones who suffered most were the Aldians and the Vendeeni.

The Aldians were a people that operated under a hive mind; rather, they were a single consciousness with many bodies under its control. The Aldian Empire used to be the only constant military opponent to the Federation, but when the creatures attacked, their home world was destroyed and the source of their hive mind was killed.

The Vendeeni were a people that had only recently made contact with the Federation. The first contact was not peaceful, however, as the Vendeeni made it obvious from the start that they were hostile towards the Federation. They had learned of the creator's plans to destroy the galaxy and hoped to find the altered children and scientists to kill them and save themselves. They put the Federation down many times with advanced weaponry that drew upon a better understanding of space-time. When the creator was defeated the Vendeeni's military was non-existent, and the remaining government agreed to take a seat in the Federation.

The Federation has rebuilt since then, and many advancements in technology have been achieved thanks to combined effort between the people of different planets.

New people like the Klausians of Klaus III and Klaus IV have joined the federation after a long time of refusing. Since the Federation had been weakened, they were able to negotiate the fair changes they desired for all the worlds under the Federation. In general, the Federation is greater than it ever was before. The government is considered more balanced by many, and the economy is flourishing.

I don't even know why I'm writing this down. This is common knowledge. Everybody knows all about these events and all of the progress the Federation has made in the last ten years since those days. Maybe I'm just writing it to keep myself sane. The world as I know it has taken a truly dark turn, and perhaps I need to keep a foothold on what I know so that I won't fall away and lose myself. Or maybe I need to write about the way things were so I can move on. Usually people are hit hard by the fact that the world isn't as they thought it was, but what has happened to me has given me a purpose, something I thought I had, but now realize was only falsehood. Now, I'm a hero.

I'm also an orphan, but I've had a good life. I was adopted into a proud military family, when I was two, by my father, Nathan Andrelia, who is now a Vice Admiral in the Federation Navy. I don't have an adopted mother, as my father never married, and that was one of the first clues that led to my discovery that I'm an orphan. Even my father didn't know that I knew.

I'm nineteen years old. I have short, dirty-blond hair and emerald-green eyes. If you happened to see me out of uniform, usually wearing sneakers, jeans, and a light blue tank top, you wouldn't point me out as the clean-cut military boy. But once I get in that military uniform it's nothing but spit-shine and straight shoulders. I'm your average teenager, but I'm also a soldier.

I entered the Naval Academy when I was seventeen and graduated in a year. I was sixth in my class for navigation and fifth in my class for communication. That said, it was easy for me to get my first assignments, a four month communication duty on the destroyer Derelict and a seven month navigation duty on the military transport Phoenix.

After that, I had a month of free time, with my birthday set in the middle of it. I set down for some R and R on the former resort planet, Hyda IV, and relaxed for a good long while. And when I wasn't kicking it on the beach or playing in the combat simulator, I was helping with the renovation of the building.

Ten years ago, only months before the time Luther started his assault, this planet was attacked by the Vendeeni as they searched for the scientists and their children. The planet and many of its resorts had been ravaged, and the Navy was in charge of fixing it up so tourists could return. Right then, all of us used the resorts as bases for crewman to stay at when they're between ships and so we didn't have to go far to get work done.

This was all a half-year before my totally life-changing experience, but it's when important things started to happen. Believe it or not, the first domino towards my big change was a game. It happened because I was playing on a battle simulator.


I strode into the simulator room with a spring in my step. I had been having a good day so far, with a delicious breakfast, a swim at the beach, and, after a bologna sandwich and chips for lunch, I was ready for a workout. I sauntered up to the center of the small, four square meter room. The room pulsed coolly with evenly spaced blue lines everywhere.

"Welcome," a calm, female voice said to him, "Please proceed with palm-scan."

A holographic screen appeared before me, hovering in the air and I placed my hand on it. The area my hand touched pulsed green and my palm print left a ghostly after image that disappeared a moment later.

"Please input password," the computer said.

The screen immediately shifted to a keyboard. With a few deft keystrokes I typed out: "Dragon Knight." It was a password that I thought fit my abilities in the simulator and my lifelong interest in dragons.

"User Confirmed: Jared Andrelia; Skill Level: S; Character: Beast Slayer Alphonse; Abilities: Swordsmanship, basic symbology, and high mobility; Main Game Mode: One hundred percent completed; Custom Battle: Unlocked." The computer listed his parameters, then asked, "What mode would you like to play?"

"Custom Battle," I said eagerly, rubbing my hands together.

The screen flickered, then turned blank as it waited for his specifications.

"Specify your opponent or opponents," the soft voice requested.

"Single opponent. Dragon type," I said, then looked back and forth across the screen as it was filled with various pictures of different dragon species.

I saw an enormous dragon the size of a ten story building. I had fought it once, but I wanted an opponent more my size right then. I examined an Air Dragon, a reptile with broad leathery wings each twice its size and a long slender body, like a snake with legs. That day I wasn't feeling a desire to fight a flying dragon so I said, "Computer, narrow down the selections so there are only dragons that can't fly."

The images disappeared, then were replaced by three more pictures of dragons. Two of them were too small, but the last one looked to be only a foot taller and a few feet longer than a Saint Bernard. The middle sized dragon stood on two taloned feet with two scrawny forearms and a thick, heavy tail to balance it. On its back were two small bat-like wings greatly disproportionate to its body. I tapped the button.

The screen disappeared and was replaced by a full-sized replica of the dragon he had selected. This hologram was frozen in place like a picture, but would soon come to life as the simulator activated.

"Now," I cracked my knuckles, "I want my level at the maximum of one hundred. I want the dragon to have completely maxed out stats. Give it silver scales, make it immune to any elemental damage, and give it breath attacks of fire, ice, and lightning."

On last thing, "Set the battlefield to the standard holographic grid field and no environmental hazards."

Immediately the room around me shifted, becoming endlessly more expansive. The blue grid lines turned green and the dragon began to sway back and forth on its legs. The control station disappeared and I backed away a considerable from the dragon. I knew it wouldn't, but in the back of my mind I had the thought that it would come to life early and attack me.

As I stepped back, holographic grid lines formed around me and formed a totally realistic armored mantle with a cape, and a katana. The items were as good as the real thing in here, and I even felt their weight on my shoulders and in hand.

In the upper left corner of my vision, a green gauge appeared with the numbers 350,000/350,000 over it. In the upper right corner of my vision, a blue bar appeared with the numbers 6000/6000 over it. The red gauge was my health points, to show the extent of damage and blue gauge was my magic points, to show energy used to cast symbology.

The battle simulator was doing just what it was designed to do, create solid holograms that looked, felt, smelled, and sounded just like the real thing. Creatures and environments also behaved perfectly, just like they would naturally. But it was still a truly harmless game, as the gauges attested.

With a eager smile, I lowered myself into a battle-ready position. I had to be careful. The dragon and my weapon may have been holograms, but I would still feel any injury I was inflicted with.

"Battle begin!" I shouted vigorously.

It was then that the dragon really came alive, it's silver hide rippled as it shot at me like a rocket. It roared a challenge as it brought its tail around and whipped it at me.

I hadn't been expecting such an immediate attack, so I was caught on my cheek by the blow and was sent spinning to the floor. I quickly righted myself and struck at the dragon while it had its back turned. With each strike a small fracture appeared in the dragon's hide, and numeric damage scrolled up from the creature. When the dragon struck again with its tail, I ducked under it and backed away.

I checked the damage I had taken.

289,000/350,000.

The dragon had the advantage. It dealt more damage with each blow and took less damage from my attacks. It also had 999,999 health points and 99,999 magic points. The only thing I matched the dragon on was the speed stat, which was the only stat that maxed out when I reached the maximum level. I had to win this based on my own abilities. Reflexes, skill, and technique were the only parts of the battle that were influenced by the user, as they couldn't be artificially enhanced.

I felt the stinging area where the dragon had slapped my cheek, and winced when I touched the seemingly scraped skin. I shook it off though, because I knew it was only a stimulation of my nerves. It was only a simulated injury.

Tiny lines of dark blood ran from the small injuries on the dragon's hide, and the creature roared in anger at being wounded. It opened its toothy maw, and a torrent of fire burst forth from its throat. I rolled to the side just in time to avoid a direct hit, but took minor damage from the extreme heat of the flames.

Before I could get to my feet, the dragon rammed into me, slamming my ribs and sending me tumbling. The force was enough to knock my sword out of my hand, and now my weapon lay on the ground right in front of the dragon.

Without a weapon, my next tactic was symbology. Usually symbology requires either a genetic affinity or inscribed symbols on ones body to be cast, but in a simulator, it was unnecessary. I held my palm out towards the dragon as I pushed myself to my knees, and dozens of blue symbols began to orbit around my hand. The symbols' speed and number grew until it reached the climax point, and the power was fully released.

"Flare!" I shouted as a bright yellow orb appeared before my palm and shot at the dragon with incredible speed.

I closed my eyes a moment before the orb struck the dragon, and felt piercingly bright light wash through my eyelids. I opened my eyes again to see the dragon screeching in agony as it flailed around, squinting its eyes shut in pain. Flare was the only spell I could use against the dragon, as it didn't deal damage, but rather stunned and blinded its victim.

While the dragon was writhing and howling, Jared ran and scooped up his sword from the gridded floor. Then, taking advantage of the dragon's weakness, he kicked it in the side of the head and slashed at its side repeatedly.

It was then that the dragon regained its eyesight and it roared in anger at the one that was hurting it, me. I answered by kicking out and knocking it hard on it's chin, flipping it over onto its back.

With amazing speed and strength, the dragon used its tail to push itself back up and spat a fireball at me. The molten orb struck me in the chest, partially melting my mantle and singeing my cape. I retreated quickly and cast a healing spell to mend my simulated aches and pains.

The battle raged back and forth like that, with me striking at every opening and evading as many blows as I could. When my damage grew too high, I would back away and heal. The battle wasn't the hardest one I had fought, but it definitely was hard. There were multiple times where my health was brought down to only a sliver, but I'd just barely manage to get away and cast a healing spell.

Finally, with a powerful thrust, my blade pierced through the dragon's flank and sprouted out the other side. I yanked the blade out and stood, weary and exhausted, over the creature as it fell over on its side. A small smile tugged at the side of my mouth, but I was too tired to fully express my triumph.

"Congratulations," the computer said. "Your rank for this fight was an 'S'."

I breathed a weary sigh and fell over onto my back, gasping for breath. I just laid there for about five minutes, when I heard a knock at the door.

I stood up and pulled out my Communicator, "Terminate the program and save all my data to my Communicator. Delete all of my data on the hard drive after that."

My mantle, cape and sword disappeared as the simulation ended, and I walked to the door that seemed to materialize out of nowhere. As I approached, the door slid open.

I froze, and my adrenaline spiked when I saw who it was.

It was a tall and imposing man, probably in his mid fifties. He had dark gray hair with flecks of white in it, and a broad mustache of the same color. His sharp, icy-blue eyes swept over me in an instant, just as I was doing to him. He was wearing a crisp uniform, unmistakably of high command. I had no idea how high until I saw the three silver stars set on each of his shoulders and on his hat.

"Admiral!" I barked, standing straight and giving a rigid salute.

Up until that moment, I might as well have been a citizen. But being face to face with a superior officer - a very superior officer - snapped all military discipline and protocol back into place. I was a soldier once more.

"At ease," the Admiral said flatly.

I dropped my arm and attempted to relax, but every joint in my body was stiff. I had never met an admiral before - beside my father - and I had nothing but bad reasons coming to mind as to why one would show up unexpectedly. Of course, I couldn't think of anything I had done wrong, but my mind wasn't listening to me at that point.

"Ensign Andrelia," the admiral said with an air of deserved authority.

"S-sir?" I mentally kicked myself at the stutter, something that only came up when I was really nervous. Whatever this was about, the admiral wasn't talking to the wrong person.

"If your file is correct, you are the son of Vice Admiral Nathan Andrelia," the admiral went on. It wasn't a question, it was a statement.

"That's correct," I answered anyway, my stutter under control now. I pressed my palms against my pant-legs to hide the sweat accumulating on them.

"And you also graduated from the Pangalactic Naval Academy in a year, sixth in your class in navigation and fifth in communication," he continued casually, another statement. His ice-blue eyes seemed to bore into me, as if seeing everything about me at a glance.

"That's me," I nodded, sounding much calmer than I felt.

"It seems that there was one thing your file didn't mention," the admiral said, his tone growing more serious.

"What's that?" I asked, barely managing to sound curious rather than scared-shitless. I didn't even convince myself that well.

"It wasn't mentioned how talented you are in combat," the admiral said with a hint of a smile.

This relieved me greatly, now that I knew that I wasn't in trouble, I was actually able to calm down. Still, it wouldn't be a good idea for me to get to casual with an admiral.

"Sir, it's just a silly hobby," I said modestly. "It isn't worth anything in my profession."

"Well," the admiral said thoughtfully, "have you ever thought of taking a different line of work in the Navy?"

I blinked, surprised at what he said, and answered, "No, I've seen all of the job opportunities in the Navy, and none of them appealed to me more than navigation and communication. I know there are jobs that have to do with combat, but none of them felt right to me."

"I watched that fight you just won from my quarters," the admiral said. "You have an amazing talent that is wasted in your current occupation, and I'm looking to recruit you into a special program. I won't take no for an answer."

I was getting nervous all over again. This admiral seemed determined to get me for what he wanted, and I felt like I was backed into a corner. Admirals had a unnerving ability to pull strings to get things their way.

"I guess I have no choice," I said sullenly. "What do you want me for?"

The admiral put a hand on my shoulder, a strange gesture that seemed almost fatherly. "Look," he said understandingly, "I don't mean make you feel trapped in this, but you are the most qualified candidate I've ever seen. This project is unlike anything the Federation has ever tried, and is mostly thanks to the combined efforts of scientists from all planets."

I still felt trapped, but now I was curious. This actually was beginning to sound like something I would like. "What is this new technology?"

The admiral looked around, seeing if there was anyone around to listen in, then said, "Well, there are many cases where this kind of device has been imagined in science fiction, but until now it has never been put to the test. All I can tell you is that it is a humanoid battle mech."

I was shocked, I had read many bits of science fiction that fantasized about fighting mechs, but whenever such ideas had been tested in reality, they had fallen short of being true strategic advantages. The Federation just hadn't figured out how to make them stand up to battleships and their powerful weapons. If the admiral was actually on the right path to making such effective machines, then it was definitely something I was interested in.

A smile came to my lips and I said, "What do you need me for?" This time, I had genuine enthusiasm.

The admiral nodded in satisfaction. "I want you to join me, along with many other soldiers on the Combat Explorer, Armageddon. Your new appointment comes with a promotion to lieutenant. Our mission is to test our new technology and also to scout out an unexplored sector of the Milky Way."

"I'd be honored to be one of your soldiers." I snapped a salute.

The admiral's almost imperceptible smile widened by a millimeter. He pulled out a small metal box and put it in my hand. "The paperwork will catch up by tomorrow. Report to the beach at 0700 standard time tomorrow to be taken aboard. This assignment could last anywhere from one year to four, so if you want to let your father know, do it tonight."

I clasped my hand around the box and gave a nod of gratitude, my hand still saluting.

The admiral turned away, and called back to me, "Have a good day, Lieutenant Andrelia." Then he left, his long, straight stride taking him out the nearest door.

I had to put my hand against the door frame to keep myself steady. It took me all of five seconds to figure out that I needed to do some research. I couldn't go onto an admiral's ship without knowing who that admiral was; knowing more about the ship was important as well.

I looked around the unusually empty room, a sort of lobby set in the middle of the ground floor of the resort. I walked to a door on the opposite side of the lobby and paused as I passed by a large rectangular device. I took a moment to push a button on the machine and said "Bacon Cheeseburger: Lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and a mix of forty percent ketchup and sixty percent mayonnaise."

A second later a hatch opened on the machine and I retrieved the burger. The replicator made the burger perfectly; the best temperature, and the freshest ingredients. In fact, the ingredients had all just been created from base elements. The machine had a reservoir of minerals stored inside it. If a person requested an item that had an atomic blueprint in the system, then the device would pull all of the necessary elements from the reservoir and put them together in perfect order. Replicators had saved the Pangalactic Federation from famine centuries ago, and had a continually growing supply of minerals to draw from thanks to the mineral resources of inhospitable planets.

I took the burger to a table and sat down for a few minutes as I enjoyed my meal. When I finished I walked back to the door I had been heading to, and entered the teleporter room. I stepped in one of the devices and felt the familiar sensation of my molecules being torn apart, shot through space, then reassembled again in perfect order. A split second later, I emerged from the teleporter and went to my quarters. The cool room had a twin-size bed pushed up against one wall, and at the opposite wall was a desk with a memory-cell chair set in front of it. The comfy seat was calling my name, and I was more than happy to answer the call.

I sat down and, with the slow care of a pilot flying through an asteroid belt, placed the small metal box on the desk. I opened the mirror-like cube and beamed with pride at the sight of the two silver bars that would designate me as a lieutenant. In an instant I flung open the doors to my closet and slapped on my best dress uniform , then I happily sat back down at the desk and replaced my single gold bar with the twin silvers.

I was excited to call my father and tell him the news, but before that I tapped into the network from my desk and looked through a list of the Admiralty. After twenty seconds of searching I found the picture of the admiral I had met and I opened his public file.

His name was Admiral Vincent Torin, a recently ordained admiral who is credited with being one of the primary influences in negotiating fair and peaceful terms to bring the planets of the Federation together. The Klausians praised him for being a strong voice of reason in meetings between the people of the Klaus system and the Federation. He supported their valid requests for reform in the Federation's systems and left the Navy for a few years to continue political amendment before renouncing his position and returning to the Navy.

I was happy to know that my new commanding officer was someone who had proven to be so reliable and sensible. Some admirals could be power-hungry jerks who only look out for their better interests. I also had a feeling of pride for having been personally chosen by Admiral Torin to be a part of this mission, which was the first big exploratory mission ordered in a decade.

Unable to sit still, I pushed away from the desk and activated the long-range communicator set into the desk. With a few keystrokes a connection was being made to the Admiralty HQ on Sol III.

Immediately, a computerized voice replied, "Please speak the password."

Barely able to keep my voice straight, I flatly answered, "New powers come to light and destiny reveals itself." The password was something that only my father and I knew, and it opened a private channel that was specifically designated for the two of us. I could call him at any time and he would answer.

I stood straight and faced the desk with a sharp salute, proudly displaying my new pin as five seconds passed. A green light winked on my desk and floating, two-dimensional screen snapped into focus. A tall, strong man with short blond hair and bright blue eyes stood in the screen. The hard shine of his eyes was only matched by the two stars pinned to his uniform. A broad smile was on my father's face.

"Jared!" he hollered joyfully. "How long has it been since you last called me? Six months?" He eyed my uniform curiously, then exclaimed, ""You're a lieutenant? You were only an ensign when I checked your file a week ago! What happened?"

"That's why I called, Dad," I laughed. "I wanted to tell you that I was just taken into a special program by Admiral Torin."

"Admiral Torin?" my father blinked. Even he knew the man's reputation. "He spoke to you personally?"

I nodded, "Yeah, I was selected by him to be one of the first pilots of a new machine that has been in development for a while. As a part of the position, I was promoted from ensign to lieutenant. While I'm training, Admiral Torin will also be leading an expedition into unexplored regions of the galaxy."

"That's my boy," my father puffed with parental pride. "Leaping through the ranks and taking advantage of golden opportunities. I know all about this project, The Star Knight Project, and I know it will be everything you need to be the warrior you are at heart. I always knew that navigation and communication were too mediocre to be your true calling. I would think that if you had been born in medieval times, or on an underdeveloped planet in a similar era, you would have become a great knight."

What can I say? My father knew me well. I had always fantasized about being a valiant knight who fought on the side of justice, but I also had the sense to know that that wasn't possible for me. At least now I was getting the closest thing to it.

Dad's look suddenly grew more serious, and I too dropped my smile. Now we would talk about the serious aspects of this assignment.

"I know that The Star Knight Program you are a part of is also assigned to protect the Armageddon in case of danger. Since only one ship is going on the mission, combat explorer or not, it won't be enough if you encounter overwhelming hostile force. Peaceful interaction will of course be a priority, but we can't say the same for any other lifeforms you may encounter. There's a good chance you and everyone on the Armageddon could die."

Dad scratched at his cheekbone, right under his eye, a habit he had when he was thinking. He gave a dismissive with his hand, as though waving the thought away, then said, "Well, you're in the best hands I could recommend. I've known Admiral Torin for many years, and he has survived many space battles with the odds against him. He's a brilliant tactician, and knows how to handle any tough situation."

He inhaled deeply then sighed long and slow. "Since there's a chance that I'll never see you again, I think you need to know something."

"What?" I smiled knowingly. "That I'm an orphan?"

I swear if Dad had been any more surprised, his eyes would have popped out of his head. "How did you know?"

I laughed, "It wasn't that hard. You don't have a wife and never did, which got me to thinking. It was easy enough to find my adoption documents."

Dad laughed heartily, "You always were too damn resourceful, and you're often too perceptive for your own good."

I learned from you," I shot back.

"That you did," he nodded. "Well, it's been great talking to you, but I have some work that I need to get finished tonight. Do your best to stay alive, Lieutenant Andrelia." He saluted.

I returned the gesture and the screen snapped off.

I promise, I thought as I put on my pajamas and laid down to rest. Tomorrow was a big day, and I needed to be ready for it.

Thank you, it is a blend of The Legend of Dragoon and Star Ocean. I figured the change between the prologue and the first chapter would throw people for a little loop. I'll finish the next chapter as soon as I can.

Well, I already have about six or seven pages written on paper, I just need the time to type it out and change the outdated parts that I've re-imagined.

Same for me, it's a great way to get classes to fly by, and you get much more ideas if you write it down and then type it. It's like, you get to one part and you say, "Hey, I could do this THIS way and it would be even better!" Then you end up making the whole thing longer or shorter depending on if you add or take away parts.