Gap Stories #5

[Across The Stars]

Log Date: 5/22/12764

Data Sources: A Syntaritov

The universe is a shitty place sometimes.

Just, you know, as a generalized observation. I don’t mean in the sense that the universe itself is shitty. Like, all those infinite stars and whirling galaxies and breathtaking worlds and natural wonders? That stuff’s top-tier. I’d rate it ten stars, but I’d have to take a star off for the fact that the whole place is absolutely doused with cosmic radiation, and I’d have to take another star off because the distance between star systems is just ridiculous. Takes forever to go anywhere. But otherwise, this universe is pretty good. Eight out of ten stars. That’s a pretty solid rating, that right there.

So I suppose what I mean when I say the universe is a shitty place sometimes is that the people in it, and the groups and societies they form, can be pretty damn shitty.

Like, where do I even start? There’s murder, and inequality, and politics, and institutionalized prejudice, and bad remakes of classic stories, and powerhungry egomaniacs that drive entire nations into the ground, irresponsible corporations that will trample innocents for profit, and there’s diet soda, and religious fanatics that cruel to other people and ethnic groups because… actually I’m still not sure why they’re so mean to other people, so let me get back to you on that one… but there’s also wars, and genocides, and slavery, and man, I could just go on and on.

Anyhow, you get the point. The universe sucks sometimes. And with all that shit, you just need a little hope to ease the misery, a little light to cut through the dark, a little laugh to break through the sadness.

And that’s what we’ve got the Starstruck for.

You see that streak of light hurtling through the starry sky? Yeah, that’s one of them. C’mon, let’s go follow it. Tag along and see where she’s going. No, this is not optional. You stayed here for the monologue, so now you gotta see the rest of it through. That’s right, get on over here, you punk — maybe you’ll think twice next time you try to make small talk with a Syntaritov.

Let’s go explore.

Event Log: a Syntaritov

Aelevar: High Orbit

6:33pm SGT

Somewhere out there, a thousand lightyears or so above Myrrdicato’s warped disk, there’s a very special solar system. You won’t find it in any galactic registry, and for that matter, it doesn’t show up on starmaps either. As a result, it doesn’t have a name, or even a designation, because to most of the galaxy, it doesn’t exist. But the world that orbits around this lonely star has a name.

It’s called Aelevar, and it’s the home of the Starstruck.

It is, predictably, a paradise world. Rolling oceans blue, miles of beaches, vast valleys, majestic mountains, limpid lakes — you get the idea. Despite that, you’re not gonna find a sizable humanoid population on Aelevar. It’s mostly just the local fauna and flora, a few scattered settlements that are empty for most of the year, and— whoop, there it is. You see that green streak there? That sparkly thing that looks like a comet, currently passing over Aelevar’s ring system? Yep, that’s one of the locals. I think I know where she’s goin’; let’s get down there so you can see her arrive.

…

Right, so as you can tell, we are now standing in what appears to be some sort of hybrid abomination between a summer camp, a lakeside beach town, and a public academy schoolground… thing. Honestly, I don’t know who did the floor plan for this mess; it’s a hell of a hodgepodge, even by my standards. But it’s got charm, I’ll grant you that. Glance around, and you’ll see some of the long-term residents are enjoying a mild evening; it might look a little empty overall, but that’s because the summer rush hasn’t turned up yet. Give it… mmm, another week or so? This place’ll be full of teens and early twenny-somethings. It’ll be alive, and thrumming, and filled with emotion and drama and youth and so many fresh new mistakes just waiting to be made. It’ll be the beginning of a thousand new stories — can you feel the thrill, the shiver that sends down your spine? No? Just me? I’m the only one that gets this amped up about new stories? Alright then, guess I’ll just— oh hey, there’s the local we were talking about earlier! She’s coming in a little hot and a little too low, I think; if she doesn’t pull up, she’s gonna land in the lake—

“Shit shit shit no please aaahhhHHHHHH—”

The panicked screaming is cut off when the green comet hits the lake, sending up a massive spray of water. It doesn’t stop there, though; since it came in at a low angle, it bounces over the surface of the lake like a skipped stone, sending up a spray of emerald sparkles each time.

“Shit-! No!- Ow!- God-! Dammit-!”

I’m just going to say right now, for the record, that I didn’t teach her those words. Starstruck aren’t exactly known for having foul mouths, although I will say, I kinda like it. It’s a delightful subversion of the genre. In moderation, of course. Adds a little bit of variety and some much-needed spice to go along with the sugar.

There’s a loud crunch as the comet skips a last time, landing on the roof of one of the beachside restaurants. The green nimbus starts to fade, revealing a tan woman with short mahogany hair, in a white regalia uniform that’s got brilliant green highlights. Down below, a door opens as a red panda Halfie comes out of the cafe with a drying towel thrown over her shoulder. Walking across the dining porch, she steps up on one of the tables and shades her eyes, peering at the unannounced visitor on her roof. “Missed the landing pad at the Academy again, Caliya?”

“Shut up, Miqo! The sun was in my eyes!”

Miqo smiles. “You should’ve come around the other side of Aelevar, then. If you’d entered following Aelevar’s rotation, you could’ve come in over the mountains with the sun behind you.”

Caliya groans, rolling over on her side as she gets to her hands and knees. “Do I look like a rocket scientist to you? I don’t think about things like planetary rotation when I’m in a rushaaaaAHHH!” There’s another crunch as Caliya tries to stand, slips on one of the loose roof tiles, and faceplants back into the crater she left on the cafe’s roof. “God! Dammit! Why do these uniforms have heels?! These are not practical for battle!”

“It’s a self-image thing. Your regalia is an outward expression of your inward self.” Miqo says. “C’mon, dear. You’ve been doing this for a while now. You should know this; these are Starstruck basics.”

“My inward self does not wear heels!”

“Your inward self wants to look good, dear. I expect that’s why your skirt is as short as it is. Speaking of which, you should get back on your feet before you flash someone on accident.” Miqo says, stepping down off the table. “Would you like me to whip up something for you while you’re here?”

“No, I need to report to the Headmaster!” Tiles go clattering and skidding down the slope of the roof as Caliya scoots on her butt to the overhang, unwilling to risk walking on a slanted surface in heels. Once she’s there, she drops off the roof, landing on the porch and nearly falling over before Miqo steadies her. “She’s expecting me.”

“Ah, that does sound important.” Miqo says, letting go of her as Caliya starts wobbling towards the stairs on her heels. “Well, get up on to the Academy. While you’re up there, you can ask one of the professors about adjusting how your uniform manifests. They may be able to help you with that.”

“Yes, please! I miss the days when my Starstruck uniform had sneakers!” she calls back, making it about twenty feet before she gives up, stopping to pull off the heels and go running barefoot through the town. “See you later, Miqo!”

“Good to see you back, dear!” Miqo calls back, waving before turning and stepping back into the lakeside cafe.

So there you have it. Starstruck — they’re magical girls with the power of the stars at their fingertips, or something saccharine like that. I mean, they’re not always girls, we’ve got a good number of Starstruck lads running about as well. But it’s mostly the girls. This one, Caliya, she’s a real sweetheart, always gives it her best. Amazing enthusiasm and willpower. She’s got a heartbreaking backstory, but we’ll save that for later. For now let’s follow her back up the hill to the Academy.

What? I’m using this trip as a setting-building sequence? I would never be so crass or hackneyed! She’s just, you know, running through town, passing by all the major buildings and landmarks, exhibiting her familiarity with all the other locals, maybe jumping over a fountain or a pothole or some other conveniently unexplained obstacle to demonstrate her energy and youth, all while there’s upbeat, lighthearted music playing the background…

Just, y’know, an innocent run through town. You don’t seriously think I’d fall into a cliche like that without finding some way to subvert it, would you? Please, I’m not so—

WHUD

“Oh yikes, Caliya, that looks like it hurt. You good?”

Caliya jerks her head up out of flowerbed that she’d faceplanted into after tripping over a bag of mulch. “Mmnf good!” she sputters, spitting out some fresh loam. “Just, uh, tripped. Yeah. Wasn’t paying attention to where I was going.”

“Yeah, you were really tearing along there.” the gardener says, scratching the back of his head. “Saw you waving to the people at Seraph’s Shoppe. You should pay more attention when you’re moving that fast.”

“Yeah. Haha. You know me.” Caliya says, pushing up out of the flowerbed and shaking her hair, brushing the dirt out of it. “Jeez. Why am I running? I’ll just starblaze the rest of the way; that’s so much easier.”

“Fair point, although— OH JEEZ WAIT, NOT RIGHT HERE!”

The gardener throws up his arms as a green nimbus gathers around Caliya; crouching down, she launches up into the air, releasing a shockwave that knocks the gardener flat on his back and strips the petals from the flowers. Arcing high into the setting sky, she takes in the spread of the town below; the campgrounds that border the lake, and the buildings of the Academy that lie on the edge of town. Locking onto the Academy’s main building, she tilts forward, launching herself towards it and leaving behind a glittering trail of stardust.

Ah, the Academy. The place where countless generations of Starstruck have learned how to use and master their powers. School away from school, as the kids like to call it! Since most of the Starstruck visit Aelevar on summer break, the Academy doesn’t get as much love as the campgrounds and the town. Still, the Academy is the heart of the institution, where the Headmaster oversees the Starstruck Legion in the Myrrdicato Galaxy. Thousands of worlds, many of them with their own Starstruck teams — sometimes with multiple teams on a single world, depending on how densely populated it is. From the Academy, the Headmaster and the Cosmic Starstruck watch over and guide each team, deciding when to assign star shards to new candidates — and when to take them back from those that have aged out of their guardian duties.

What’s that? Oh yeah, aging out is definitely a thing. It’s easier to fight space monsters when you’re young and you’ve got plenty of time on your hands. As people get older, they end up with jobs, families, social lives… doesn’t leave a lot of time for defending the galaxy against the forces of darkness, y’know? And that’s okay. Everyone grows up eventually.

Anyway! Less exposition, more narrative. Let’s go check on Caliya.

The Academy, such as it is, is currently painted in the fading colors of the evening. Warm orange tones drape across the front of the school and the entry plaza; a collection of statues are elevated on a raised disc in the center: five Starstruck in their full regalia, each one reaching towards a glassy orb hanging in the air over their stone hands. Colors flit and swirl within the orb, while golden rings orbit around it, their polished reflections roaming lazily across the courtyard.

Standing at the base of this installation is the Headmaster, dressed sharply in the school’s uniform. Beside her is one of the professors, his uniform considerably less decorated than hers, but nonetheless distinguished. Both of them watch as the green comet arcs through the sky, descending towards the circular stone pad out in front of the school… and overshoots it by a dozen feet, slamming into the side of the hill with a loud WHUMFPH and an impressive geyser of dirt spraying into the air.

The Headmaster inhales deeply, and lets it out. “She missed the landing pad. Again.”

“Yes.” the professor agrees, arching a single dark eyebrow. “From less than a mile away, I would note.”

The Headmaster raises a hand, fingers finding their way underneath crimson bangs to massage at her forehead. “I know I should not say it, but…”

“There are second-years that can starblaze better than she can.” both of them say in unison.

“At least she’s got spirit.” the professor says as Caliya pops into view over the edge of the long stone path that links the landing pad to the rest of the plaza. The brown-haired woman waves a hand at both the Headmaster and the professor, and starts clambering up the hill to get onto the path.

“In the end, that’s what really matters, isn’t it?” the Headmaster says, watching Caliya brush the dirt and grass off her uniform as she trots towards the plaza. “Our innocent, well-meaning little wrecking ball.”

“Her heart’s in the right place. Getting her body to follow it is the only problem.” the professor agrees.

“Headmaster! Professor Irino! I’m back!” Caliya calls, skipping the rest of the way to her waiting instructors. “I helped with the Mokasha extraction, like you ordered!”

“I’m glad to see you made it back safe.” the Headmaster says. “Did everything go well?”

Caliya opens her mouth, then closes it, her green eyes averted to the side for a moment. Reaching into one of the pockets of her regalia, she pulls out a single yellow gem, its light wavering and flickering as she holds it out to the Headmaster.

“So we lost one.” Professor Irino says softly, watching as the Headmaster takes the gem from Caliya. “Did they go down fighting?”

Caliya shakes her head. “It was… she gave it up willingly.”

“Willingly?” Irino asks, his brow furrowing as the Headmaster’s fingers curl closed around the gem. “We sent you to Mokasha to help evacuate the team on that world, not to reclaim star shards. Why would she have given it up?”

“If she evacuated, then she would’ve left her family behind.” the Headmaster explains, staring down at the light of the gem peeking through her fingers. “Her family had been assimilated. They would not have been able to evacuate with her, so either she left her family behind, or she stayed on Mokasha to remain with them. She knew that if she remained on Mokasha, she would eventually be assimilated, and someone would be sent to reclaim her star shard to keep it from falling into the Collective’s hands. So she gave it up willingly.” She holds the gem out to Irino. “The memories in the shard are fresh, if you would like to examine them yourself.”

Irino starts to reach for the gem, then seems to think better of it, folding both hands behind his back once more. “No, I believe you. But that was brave of her, to choose to remain with her family even if it means being assimilated. I can’t imagine it was an easy choice to make.”

“That would be a very difficult choice for someone at that age.” the Headmaster agrees, tucking the gem into her jacket. “This one shard aside, did the rest of the Mokasha team and their families make it out, Caliya?”

Caliya nods. “Yes. The Professors you sent made sure the team and their families were relocated to Shinobe Kibe. They’re still with them, figuring out arrangements — it seems like the team will have to break up, since some of the parents are wanting to go to other worlds where they have family and can start anew.”

“Not ideal, but there’s not much we can do about that.” Irino says. “The important part is that they escaped assimilation. Even if the team has to break up, it’s better than losing it altogether.”

“If they end up on worlds with existing Starstruck teams, we can see about integrating them into those teams.” the Headmaster says. “Well done, Caliya. You’re free to take the rest of the night off. Go get some dinner and some rest — more teams are starting to arrive for summer camp, and we’ll need someone to show the first-years around.”

“Okay! Just let me know if you need anything else!” Caliya says, giving a little salute and skipping backwards, heading to one of the paths leading from the Academy to town. The Headmaster and Irino watch her go, before the Headmaster turns and starts around the statues in the plaza, heading back to the Academy’s main building. Irino follows in short order.

“Do you think the surviving members of the Mokashan team are at risk of going dark?” he asks, following along behind her. “You know how teenagers can be sometimes.”

“We’ll provide support to them.” the Headmaster replies. “The Professors we sent will be watching for any signs of corruption.”

“Is that why you sent Professors, instead of Sentinels?” Irino asks.

“Yes, Professors have more experience with handling young ones.” the Headmaster explains. “Sentinels and Guardians tend to be predisposed to combat and spend less time around people. That’s not to say that they’re incapable of handling traumatized teenagers, but Professors are better equipped for it.”

“You say that, but…” Irino mumurs as they open the doors of the Academy and step inside.

“You’re still learning, Irino. You’ll get there.” the Headmaster says as the doors swing shut behind them. “With the calendar summer coming up, there’ll be a lot of teams here for summer camp. Lots of girls, lots of drama. You’ll get plenty of experience in sorting out the problems of teenagers.”

Irino lets off a shiver at the mention of drama. “…you’re sure there’s not a world I should go watch over while their Starstruck team is at summer camp?”

“Yes, very sure. All the slots for summer deployments have already been taken.” the Headmaster says as they make their way down the Academy’s main hall. “You’ll do fine. If you need advice, there are plenty of other Professors that have deep reserves of experience. They’d be more than happy to share it with you if you ask.”

“If you say so.” Irino says, sounding unconvinced as they arrive to the Academy’s central atrium, which has a spiraling staircase winding up through all of the Academy’s floors. Both of them start to ascend it, their polished shoes echoing on the stairs. “Will you immediately reassign the shard that Caliya brought back, or are we going hold off on that?”

“It’ll be going in the Vault for now.” the Headmaster replies. “Even though the one it belonged to gave it up willingly, it was still relinquished under duress. The shard still carries that trauma; it would be better to allow some time for those memories to fade before we assign it to another bearer.”

Irino presses his lips together as they pass a landing for one of the floors and continue up the stairs. “This wasn’t a problem in the past. We didn’t have to worry about bleedover between generations of Starstruck because each Starstruck got their own unique shard, at least in most cases.”

“It’s been a necessary adaptation ever since we lost contact with the Shardmaker.” the Headmaster replies, gliding a hand along the railing as they continue to climb the stairs. “We have to accept that he may not be coming back, and what we’ve got left in the Vault is what we’ll have to work with. We can’t afford to not recycle star shards.”

“I know.” Irino says, brushing his black hair from his eyes. “I’ve heard other Professors talk about the way things used to be. They tell me a lot’s changed since then.”

“A lot has changed.” the Headmaster confirms. “The Shardmaker disappeared close to seventy years ago, and it took us a while to realize he was not merely on sabbatical. It took us even longer to come to the realization that our supply of star shards was now finite, and that if we didn’t start recycling shards, then we would run out within a decade. Before his disappearance, Starstruck got to keep their star shards indefinitely — the shards usually got weaker and lost power as they aged out, becoming mementos that turned to dust when they died.”

“And the ones that didn’t age out became Cosmic Starstruck.” Irino deduces.

“Correct. We brought them to Aelevar to become Professors and Sentinels.” the Headmaster says as they crest another floor. “It was a natural, easy filtering process. You knew which Starstruck were cut out to be Cosmic just by seeing which ones still had their powers after they turned twenty-five. But after the Shardmaker disappeared, we had to overhaul everything about how we managed shards, which is why we now decide when Starstruck age out, instead of letting it happen naturally. The Starstruck at the time were not happy about the changes, but we didn’t really have much choice, given the circumstances.”

“But the changes have been in place long enough that the current generation of Starstruck don’t know any different.” Irino points out. “They know they’ll have to give their shards back one day, and they don’t fight it when the time comes.”

“Well. Most of them don’t fight it.” the Headmaster says as they arrive to the top floor, where two hallways lead off in opposite directions across the atrium from each other.

“There are Starstruck that have refused to give their shards back?” Irino queries.

“From time to time, yes. Not very often, usually only one or two every decade or so.” the Headmaster says as she starts down one of the halls. “They often become Dark Stars, corrupted by their selfishness or fear. About twenty-five years ago, there was one such case that would go on to become particularly problematic. She refused to give up her shard, used her powers to get into the Challenger program, and sought power at all costs while she was there.”

“Nova.” Irino murmurs. “The rest of the galaxy never realized she was a Dark Star.”

“Some knew. Most others couldn’t tell the difference.” the Headmaster says as they reach the door at the end of the hall. “The Challenger program marketed her as a hero, so that’s what the rest of the galaxy saw her as. And it didn’t stop there. There were the toy lines, the product sponsorships, the entertainment cameos, paid appearances… it makes me sick just thinking about it.”

Irino watches as the Headmaster fishes in her jacket for a key, pulling it out and slotting it into the door. “Capitalizing off your Starstruck powers isn’t great, but it’s not exactly evil, is it?”

“What she did was wrong, Irino.” the Headmaster says, opening the door and pulling the key out. Beyond lies a starry blue abyss with no apparent ceiling, floor, or walls, seeming to stretch on into eternity. But when the Headmaster takes a step through the threshold, a glassy panel forms beneath her foot, a process repeated with every step she takes into the abyss. “Starstruck exist to protect the galaxy from supernatural threats. Sometimes idol worship comes as a result of that, but that’s not what we’re here for. The fame and celebrity can go to your head, distract you from your true purpose. Our powers exist to help and protect other people, not to be used for our own gain. Nova used her powers for personal gain, and she took it to extremes I have never seen during my time as Headmaster.” Looking over her shoulder, she nods to the door. “Close the door behind you. Leaving the Vault open is a tad irresponsible.”

Irino looks around. “Oh. Right. Sorry, I was caught up in our conversation.” Turning, he strides back to the open door and closes it, finding that the back of the door is patterned like the starry abyss they’re walking through — and once it’s closed, it’s impossible to know where the door is. “But as part of the Challenger program, Nova helped defend the galaxy, right? She was still doing some good things.”

“She was doing good things because it was convenient, not because it was the right thing to do.” the Headmaster answers as Irino jogs to catch up with her. “The Challenger program gave her a platform and promoted her, and that gave her power and influence and status, both within the program and in the galaxy at large. In turn, she drew donors and corporations to the program, hawking their products in exchange for the funding they gave the to the Challenger program. Nova got power and influence, the Challenger program got vast amounts of money, and the corporations got more people to buy their stuff. It was a triangle of mutual benefit, but it was built by wringing money and idol worship out of normal people.”

“I see.” Irino says quietly. “I guess I’m just used to Dark Stars being more…”

“More combative? That is what you typically expect from a Dark Star.” the Headmaster says as the starry abyss slowly revolves around them. “They show up, try to destroy a city, or make a point about turning everyone into monsters, or trying to mind control a population into being their personal army of darkness… always taking out their grievances and their problems on normal people. It’s all usually very flashy and grand and obviously evil, and the Starstruck usually turn up to stop them. But Nova was not your average Dark Star. She knew a team of Starstruck would be sent to stop her if she tried to do something like that. So instead, she pretended to be a hero, while figuring out ways to get the power and influence that she craved.” A lull follows as the Headmaster comes to a stop, starring up into the endless constellations around them. “And the thing that irritates me the most is that… it worked.”

“Why didn’t we try to stop her?” Irino asks. “Or did we try, and fail?”

“Nova made it hard for us to stop her. We weren’t prepared to deal with the kind of problems she created.” the Headmaster says, reaching up. Around them, the stars start to twist and turn, rushing by as if they were moving through space. “Most Dark Stars create physical, clear-cut problems. The way we deal with those problems is pretty straightforward: we send a team of Starstruck to fight it or destroy it. Good versus evil. Light and dark. Heroes and villains. Maybe there are some lessons to be had about friendship and forgiveness and teamwork, but on the whole, it’s usually not complicated. See the bad guy, punch the bad guy, save the day, go home.”

“But we couldn’t send someone to punch her and call it a day.” Irino guesses as the stars sliding past them start to slow down. “Because the Challengers portrayed her as a hero to the rest of the galaxy.”

“Exactly. We would look like jerks if we sent a bunch of Starstruck to go clobber some sense into her, because to the rest of the galaxy, she hadn’t done anything wrong.” the Headmaster concurs as the stars start to align beneath their feet in a pattern that resembles a large ring with paths leading off from it. “We are very rarely in the position of being made to look like the bad guys, but that is the position that Nova put us in, and we didn’t have a good way to respond. I personally went and spoke to the Administrator of the Challenger program at the time and asked him to stop using Nova the way that they were. That conversation is a story for another day, but suffice to say, he refused, and Nova kept abusing her powers to gain fame and influence.”

“At least until Songbird took her down.” Irino points out, following as the Headmaster starts walking along the ring, its negative space outlined by stars.

“Yes. I do feel sorry for him, and what he suffered for it.” the Headmaster says after a moment. “When he took down Nova, it saved us from having to do it. Because whoever took down Nova would have to deal with the fallout, and that meant becoming a galactic pariah, and being hated and despised in countless systems. If we had done it, the reputation of the Starstruck would’ve suffered.”

“And we would’ve been blamed for the collapse of the Challenger program.” Irino adds.

“Maybe. We don’t know how history would’ve turned out if we made different choices.” the Headmaster says, slowing down to turn onto a path leading from the ring. “But I am fairly certain the fallout would’ve been bad. At any rate, you now know why Nova was such a problem for us, and how that problem stemmed from the way we have to manage star shards now.”

“I’m just glad she’s gone. Having to deal with a Dark Star like Nova sounds like it would be a nightmare.” Irino says as the starry path ends, and a circle of glassy orbs shimmer into view around them. Many of them contain gems like the one that the Headmaster is currently retrieving from the inside pocket of her jacket. In the center of the circle is an image of Mokasha as visible from space, its urban centers slowly being overtaken by the creep of fungal biomass. “The Starstruck are meant to fight simple battles. Getting dragged into a political brawl or fighting against commercialized idol worship just feels… nauseating to me.”

“Nova was taken down, yes. But I did not say that she was gone.” the Headmaster says, walking to one of the orbs and pushing the hand with the gem into it. The glassy surface ripples, and she lets go of the gem, withdrawing her hand.

It takes Irino a moment to process that. “Nova’s still alive?” he asks in disbelief. “But you’ve seen the video of the Songbird Incident—”

“I have.” the Headmaster says as the yellow gem settles into its new home. “It’s possible she is dead. It’s also possible she is still alive. But what I know for sure is that her star shard is still out there, and the reason I know this is that one of the other rooms in this vault contains orbs for the shards of the team that she belonged to. And the orb for her shard has not blipped out of existence, meaning that her shard, even if it’s corrupted, is still out there somewhere. It has not been destroyed.”

Irino’s brow furrows. “…not a guarantee, but there is a possibility that she may one day return.”

“It’s been sixteen years. We’ve not seen nor heard anything to indicate that she’s still alive, and if she was, you figure she would’ve resurfaced by now.” the Headmaster says, turning about and starting back along the path they came by. “There’s been no sign she’s still alive, and yet… something in me tells me she is still out there, lurking and biding her time. It seems silly, until I remember that she was not like other Dark Stars. She was clever, and ambitious, and I find myself realizing she might be capable of playing the long game.”

“What will we do if she comes back?” Irino asks as he follows the Headmaster back the way they came. “If she takes the same approach that she did all those years ago, we’ll find ourselves back in the same situation, struggling to find a way to respond to someone that… that refuses to do things the way one of our traditional villains would do them.”

The Headmaster smiles slightly at that. “An odd complaint to have, isn’t it? That someone’s not doing villainy ‘properly’, at least by how we define it, and how we’re used to dealing with it. We Starstruck like our simple villains and our happy endings, so when someone breaks the pattern, it’s jarring to us. There’s good ways to break the pattern, to reinvent it, but Nova didn’t do either of those. She just destroyed it outright. As for what we will do if she returns…” She takes a deep breath, clasping her hands behind her back as they return to the ring, standing amidst a star-lined path. “We will have to play the game. We can’t do what we did last time.”

“What did we do last time?” Irino asks as the Headmaster extends a hand once more, the stars around them starting to turn, revolve, and rush by.

“We did nothing. We frittered away our time, fretting over how to respond, and how the galaxy would view us, and worried about what it would do to our reputation.” the Headmaster replies. “We talked and talked and talked, but we never took action. And the whole time, Nova was building her clout and fandom, setting a bad example for other Starstruck across the galaxy.” The Headmaster starts walking again as the stars begin to slow down. “If Nova does return, we cannot let that happen again. We will need to play the game. Throw our weight behind contenders that will stand up to her and tell her, and the rest of the galaxy, that what she is doing is wrong.”

“Who would we pick for something like that?” Irino says as the starry abyss slows to a halt around them. “It couldn’t be any of the normal teams; they’re young and there’d be an experience gap. If Nova’s still around, she’ll be very proficient with her powers — she’s had them for decades, after all. We’d need to send Cosmic Starstruck to deal with her.”

“Yes, as a last resort. But there are others we could send that may be better equipped to deal with her.” the Headmaster says, reaching out to grab a star that morphs into a handle. Opening the door to the Vault, she motions for Irino to go first. “We still have the shards that belonged to the members of her old team — at least the ones that had the grace to give them up when we asked for them.”

“You’d want to bring her old teammates out of retirement to fight her? Most of them would be middle-aged now — forty or fifty.” Irino says, stepping back into the hall that they came from.

“They would be. But they were once her friends. They would know her better than any of the other Starstruck would — and sometimes that is more dangerous than skill, experience, or power.” the Headmaster says, closing the door to the Vault behind her.

In their absence, the Vault is silent once more… if only for a moment or two. After a few seconds, there’s a gasp and a thud as a certain tanned somebody in Starstruck regalia drops down from where they’d been floating overhead, a glass panel forming to catch them at what is presumably ‘floor’ height.

C’mon, you didn’t think we were going to keep following those two snores, did you? This episode ain’t about them, it’s about Caliya. The Headmaster and Irino are just supporting characters. That… happened to have a lot of screen time. Look, I don’t have to explain myself to you! Take yer damn popcorn, it’s fresh out of the microwave. Let’s watch the kid get into trouble. Don’t tell me you haven’t watched this movie before; you know exactly what happens when a young subordinate sneaks into a place they’re not supposed to be. Seen it a million times. So predictable.

Standing up, Caliya looks around — not that there’s much to see, aside from an endless blue cosmos filled with stars. She checks over her shoulder, as if expecting the Headmaster and Irino to return, but there’s nothing to that effect. Straightening up, she takes a tentative step forward, and when a glass panel forms beneath that foot, she starts walking, then running, sprinting across the vast blue cosmos.

“Wish they had signs in here.” Caliya mutters, looking from side to side as she runs. She’d never been in the Vault before, and at first, it just seemed to be exactly what it was — a big blue space filled with points of light. But as she runs, some of those points align to form the outline of paths, thresholds, doorways, and other structures — and then disappear as she passes by, and the points of light moved out of alignment. She was quickly realizing that you had to stand in particular places within the Vault in order to access the rooms and areas it contained — and unfortunately, there was no manual or map explaining what or where those places were. For that matter, it was hard to orient yourself in an endless room of shifting stars, especially when you had no point of reference for where you’d entered.

A chirp at her ear draws her attention, and Caliya glances to see that a white-and-neon-green chipmunk-looking thing has clambered up on her shoulder. Rolling her eyes, she starts to slow down, looking around as she does so. “Look, I know it’s unlikely we’re gonna find anything in here that can reverse Collective assimilation. But I promised her I’d look! So that’s what we’re doing. We’re just… looking.”

A judgmental chirp makes it clear the familiar does not approve of said looking, but it doesn’t stop Caliya, who’s starting to peek into some of the doorways and paths that form when the stars in the room align. “Besides, if there is a cure for assimilation in here, you’d figure we’d want to share that with the rest of the galaxy, right? No one wants to be assimilated, but the Collective keeps doing it over and over and over again. They’re the textbook definition of an evil empire! That’s what the Starstruck are supposed to defend the galaxy against, right?”

The familiar makes a point of trilling as it scrambles up the back of Caliya’s neck, perching on her head as she pokes her head through a star-lined doorway. “What? What do you mean, that’s not what we defend the galaxy against? The Collective isn’t a supernatural force, so we’re not allowed to take the fight to them? That’s just stupid, Chips. We can all obviously see the damage that they’re doing to the rest of the galaxy! We’re not really defending the galaxy if we pick and choose what we defend it from.”

Stepping into the small room, Caliya peers around, catching sight of the glass orbs ringing its sides. There’s five of them in total, with three of them containing star shards, and two of them empty. In the center of the room, there’s the image of a world, one robed in oceans and islands — presumably the planet the shards are associated with or tied to. “I guess these are the rooms where they store star shards that aren’t being used.” she remarks, studying the image of the world in the center of the room. “There must be thousands of these rooms, since we have teams on thousands of planets.”

Chips makes a point of finding a couple pawfuls of Caliya’s hair, tugging it in the direction that they came from. Caliya winces, batting at the familiar perched on her head. “Hey, stop that. We’re just taking a look, remember? We won’t be messing with anything. I’m just curious.” Walking around the room, she sizes up the orbs with the yellow and green shards, before pausing at the one with the blue shard. Unlike the other two, the blue shard isn’t floating idly in its orb; it instead sits at the center of what looks like miniature, translucent vorcruelian, pressed up again the side of its orb.

“Hey, look at this one, Chips.” Caliya says, tilting her head to one side. “This one looks like it’s still imprinted. But that’s weird; I thought that shards didn’t retain their imprints after they’re given up by the Starstruck they belong to.” As the vorcruelian plants its paws against the inside of its orb, Caliya lifts a hand, her fingers grazing through the sphere to brush against the familiar, which nuzzles up against her knuckles. “Look at that, he’s friendly. Geez, I wonder how long he’s been in here. Must be terribly lonely.”

Chips lets out a cautionary chip, but Caliya isn’t having it. The vorcruelian plants its paws on her hand, little wings flaring and flapping as it tries to scramble onto her hand; she turns it so it can comfortably pull itself into her cupped hand. Pulling it back through the orb, she lifts the small familiar so she can get a closer look at it. “Aren’t you interesting? I wonder what kind of Starstruck you belonged to. I’ve never seen one that looked like a cat dragon.”

The transparent familiar blinks all six eyes at her, and then without warning, collapses back into the blue shard, which zips out of her hand and towards the star-lined doorway she came through.

“Whoa wait, what?” Caliya yells, twisting and tripping over her own feet as the shard jerks hard to the left upon exiting the doorway. “Hey! Get back here!”

Chips lets out a squeaking scream as he struggles to cling to Caliya’s head while she skids after the room, pelting after the fleeing star shard. “Hey, stop!” she shouts after it, glass panels pounding into existence beneath her feet with every running step she takes. “Come back here! You’re not supposed to get out! Stooooooop!”

The star shard, of course, does no such thing, merely zooming faster through the blue cosmos of the Vault until it reaches the hidden door. Once there, it starts spinning around the doorknob, faster and faster until it twists open. The shard jerks back at that point with enough force to yank the door open, then zips forward, slipping through the cracked doorway and back out into the Academy proper. Reaching the door, Caliya throws it wide and pelts out into the hall, chasing after the rogue shard. “Get back here! You’re gonna get me in trouble!”

Ah, never fails. Youth just can’t help itself. Curiosity is a wonderful catalyst, you know that? One of my favorites, a true classic. A story can go a lot of places which a little bit of curiosity sprinkled in, if you know how to deploy it correctly. I’m gonna go refill my drink since this is a chase scene; you want me to get you anything? No? Aight, I’ll be back in a few, then.

“Do you hear that?” Irino asks, pausing in the hall. He and the Headmaster, having made their way back to the ground floor of the Academy, were on their way to the front doors when the faint sound of shouting and crashing started to echo through the halls.

The Headmaster likewise pauses upon hearing the ruckus, and both of them turn and look back down the hall, where a pinpoint of blue light has shot down to the bottom of the central atrium. Without warning, it turns at a hard right angle without losing speed, zipping past both of them on its way to the Academy’s front doors. Behind it is Caliya in her full regalia, surrounded by a nimbus of green light as she starblazes after the rogue shard. “Sorry, Headmaster! I’ve got it under control, I promise!”

Both Irino and the Headmaster stagger out of the way as Caliya blasts past them. At the end of the hall, the shard ignores the door handles and just slams through one of the windows in the left door, sending broken glass flying as it curves up into the sky. Caliya likewise forgoes the handles and rams through the doors, smashing them open with raw momentum and the sound of splintering wood. In their wake, the Headmaster and Irino stare through the broken doors in shock.

“Was that…” Irino begins.

“That’s one of the shards from Nova’s old team.” the Headmaster hisses, bursting into a sprint. “Irino, we cannot let that shard get offworld!”

“Understood; I’m on it!” Irino answers, slamming his hands together. A rush of indigo light and glitter rips across his frame, instantly redressing him in his Starstruck regalia, and seconds later he hurtles through the broken front doors, starblazing up into the sky after Caliya and the fleeing shard.

Skidding out into the courtyard, the Headmaster stares up into the sky, watching the sparkling comets streak across the sunset in pursuit of the fleeing shard. Realizing that they may not catch it before it reaches orbit, she rolls up her sleeves, muttering to herself as she raises her hands to the sky. “Always thought I’d use this to keep something out. Never thought I’d be using it to keep something in…”

It takes a moment, but the darkening sky overhead suddenly explodes with color as the ribbons of the aurora race across its vast expanse. On most planets this would be a limited display, a few dancing ribbons of light weaving over parts of the sky — but on the homeworld of the Starstruck, it’s a full show. Undulating waves of color fill the sky above for as far as the eye can see, completely sealing Aelevar behind a magical barrier. Nothing gets in — and nothing gets out.

Something the fleeing shard finds out when it slams into the barrier sealing off the sky, and bounces right off it.

Alright, I’m back. Topped off our drinks and grabbed some candy from the lobby. We should bring our own next time, prices are a goddamn war crime at the theatre. What’s going on now? A sky chase? Oh, that’s good stuff. You ever wonder how they manage to fly at those speeds without goggles? It’s the nimbus of stardust they’ve got around them, protects them from the wear and tear of high-velocity travel. Brilliant, if you ask me, though stealth is pretty much impossible when you’re rocketing around like a sparkly firework.

“Caliya, we need to catch that shard!” Irino shouts as he draws level with her. “It needs to go back into the Vault; we cannot afford to lose it!”

“Professor! Oh! Hey!” Caliya shouts back, sounding panicked. “Look, if I’d known that shards behaved like that, I never would’ve messed with it. I didn’t know they stayed imprinted after a Starstruck gives them back!”

“Most don’t. This one is a dangerous exception.” Irino calls back as they streak through the sky side by side. “We’ll talk about you sneaking into the Vault later. Right now, we need to chase this shard back to the Academy, where the Headmaster can help us catch up. You stay on its tail, and I’ll chase it from the sides to keep it moving back in the direction of the Academy. Got it?”

“Yeah! Yeah, I can do that!” Caliya calls back, doing her best to hide her dread at being disciplined. As Irino peels away, she focuses on the star shard ahead of her, following it when it curves away hard to evade the Professor.

Hey, you want to take bets on who’s going to catch it? Personally, I’m putting my money on Caliya; she’s got big protagonist vibes. Meaning the vibes are big, not the protagonist. I mean, there’s also a good chance that the Headmaster’s the one that catches it, I’ll grant you that. It’d be a fitting way to round out this scene. I wouldn’t put any money on Irino, personally. No offense to him, but he’s a side character in this episode and side characters don’t catch the big moments.

Ack! What do you mean, I’m ruining the experience? Stop hitting me! Alright, alright, I’ll be quiet!

“I’m stayin’ on it, Professor, but I don’t think it’s going where we want it to go!” Caliya shouts, swerving and rolling as she chases the shard ever downwards, back towards Aelevar’s surface. “It’s heading back to the Academy, but it’s headed straight for the lake and the town in order to get there!”

“I noticed.” Irino replies, dropping speed to fall back beside Caliya as the shard levels out little more than five or six feet above the ground, still fleeing away from them. “It might try to hide in one of the alleys or buildings. We’ll need to stay tight on its tail and be ready for sharp turns.”

“What happens if we lose it?” Caliya asks as the ground beneath them turns to beach sand, and then water, as they hurtle over the lake, furrowing the glassy surface in their wake.

“We can’t lose it. If it escapes Aelevar, it’ll try to go back to the person it’s imprinted on. We can’t allow that, so the Headmaster won’t unseal the sky until we’ve captured it.” Irino explains. “But that also means that none of the teams that are supposed to be arriving for summer camp will be able to get onto the planet. So unless we want to leave teams of Starstruck stuck in orbit for hours or days, we need to catch this shard and get it back to the Vault.”

“Easier said than done, but I’ll give it a try.” Caliya says as the opposite shore speeds towards them. “Maybe we try to pincer it from either side before it gets there?”

“Worth a shot.” Irino says, already starting to lean away. Caliya does the same on the other side, their paths diverging before both of them swerve back towards each other, putting on a burst of speed as they do so. For a moment, it looks like the fleeing streak of blue light is about to be caught between them — but then it bolts in the second before they close on it, shooting forward and leaving the two Starstruck to slam into each other. They do manage to right themselves, instead of going into the lake, but both of them look forward to see that the shard’s reached the shoreline — and is zipping between and around some of the visiting teams and locals playing on the beach.

“Oh shit.” Caliya gasps.

“Language!” Irino snaps, then calls up ahead. “Everyone out of the way!”

Everyone that hears, and sees the two Starstruck barreling down on them, is quick to scramble or lunge from their path, many of the girls giving shrieks or screams of surprise. But there are a fair few that do not hear, and are only aware of the starblazing duo as they skid and twist around those that haven’t gotten out of the way. By the time they’re past the beach, the shard is on a straight shot to town — and set to zip right through or around Miqo, who’s stepping off the porch of her cafe with a bag in hand.

“Miqo, watch out!” Caliya shouts, hoping to catch the Halfie’s attention before it’s too late.

Miqo’s fuzzy ears, rimmed with white fur, flick and twist at the shout. Her head swivels to see the shard and the two Starstruck barreling down on her, and instead of stepping out of the way, she stops on the last step of the porch. In the second before the shard reaches her, it angles sharply to the side to swing around her.

With a single smooth movement, Miqo raises her free arm, the fleeing shard slamming into her furred palm with a soft whumph as her fingers curl shut around it.

Irino and Caliya are both caught off guard by the sudden end to the chase. Both of them put on the brakes, and Irino manages to skid past Miqo to a safe stop on the street. But Caliya’s path takes her straight into the porch of the cafe, hitting the railing hard enough to flip over it and fly over the tables, slamming into the cafe’s wall with a crunch similar to when she landed on the roof just an hour earlier. Miqo looks over her shoulder as Caliya falls to the porch with a hollow wooden thud. “That looks like it hurt, darling.”

“Nah nah I’m good.” Caliya groans. As she rolls over, Chips falls out of her hair, chittering angrily. “Yeah, yeah, I know. I’ll put you in my pocket next time.”

“Miqo!” Irino gasps, running over to her. “Thank you for catching that shard. It escaped from the Vault, and we must ensure it returns there.”

“Escaped, mmm?” Miqo says, pinching the shard between her fingers as she holds it up to the auroral sky, closing one eye to peer at it. “This one’s got spirit. I remember when Solebarr first carved it; he said it would be trouble. But he always liked trouble.” Lowering it, she holds it out to Irino. “The Headmaster doesn’t plan on recycling this shard, does she?”

“I… I don’t know. I can’t speak for her.” Irino says, taking the shard in a firmly closed fist. “I can ask her, if you like.”

“No need. I was simply curious. If she does plan on reassigning it, let her know that I think it should be held in reserve for a little longer. Give it another decade or so, then you can see about reassigning it.” Miqo says, turning to hold out the bag to Caliya, who’s starting to stagger back upright. “Caliya, dear, you’re heading back up to the Academy with the Professor, right? Take these to the Headmaster for me, would you? They’re the welcome cookies for the first-years that’ll be arriving tomorrow, so be gentle with them.”

Caliya blinks, stumbling over to Miqo and gingerly taking the bag. “Oh. Sure, yeah. I can do that.”

“Perfect.” Miqo says, placing a hand on the small of Caliya’s back and guiding her down the porch stairs. Once Caliya’s back on the street with Irino, Miqo gives both of them a wave from the porch stairs. “Take care now and have a good evening! Give the Headmaster my regards!”

“You too, Miqo!” Caliya calls, waving over her shoulder as she trots along after Irino. Once they’re far enough down the street, she turns to Irino. “Did you see her catch that thing?That was insane! How does she know so much about star shards?”

Irino glances at Caliya. “Seriously?”

“What?” Caliya asks, confused.

“That’s the Shardmaker’s older sister!” Irino hisses.

Caliya gapes. “What? Nobody knows anything about the Shardmaker! How was I supposed to know Miqo was his older sister? Why is the Shardmaker’s sister running a cafe? I’m so confused!”

“A better question is why you were sneaking around in the Vault in the first place! Now c’mon, you’ve got cookies to deliver, and the Headmaster wants to have a talk with you.”

Event Log: a Syntaritov

Aelevar: The Academy — Headmaster’s Office

8:37pm SGT

“You thought we had something that could reverse Collective assimilation?”

Caliya shrinks into her chair a little. Sitting in the Headmaster’s office, with the Headmaster seated behind her desk and Irino seated in the chair next to her, it has all the hallmarks of a visit to the principal’s office.

“I mean, we’ve got a lot of stuff in the Vault, and I’ve seen other Starstruck do some pretty crazy things, so I figured I’d at least check, you know? It was the least we could do for her.” Caliya says reluctantly.

“Understandable, but there is a reason we keep the Vault sealed and locked.” the Headmaster says, her eyes going to the glass dodecahedron on her desk that currently contains the shard that tried to escape. “Did it occur to you to ask us, instead of trying to sneak in under our noses?”

“Yeah… I guess I should’ve done that instead.” Caliya sighs. “So is there anything in the Vault that can reverse assimilation?”

“There is. The problem is deploying it quickly enough for it to make a difference. In the time it would take us to get back to Mokasha, it would be too late.” Irino says, fingers laced together in his lap. “We also don’t use it often — only in situations where we absolutely cannot accept the assimilation of an individual. This was not one of those situations.”

“Why not?” Caliya asks as Chips clambers over her shoulder and slides down her arm to her wrist. “If we’ve got the power to revert assimilation, why aren’t we using it?”

“For the same reason we never go to outright war with the Collective.” the Headmaster answers. “They would retaliate against us, and we do not want that.”

“Yeah, but we literally have the power of the stars at our fingertips.” Caliya protests. “They might have a lot of people and ships, but they can’t rival our power.”

“Actually, they can.” Irino says quietly.

“What?” Caliya says, looking at him, then at the Headmaster. “Is that true?”

“In a sense.” the Headmaster sighs. “You are young, so you don’t quite understand, but the Collective is… a considerable force to contend with. They do not just exist in this galaxy; they’re spread among many galaxies in the local supercluster. Even across the vast emptiness between galaxies, they are linked by the hivemind.”

“Okay. So?” Caliya says that Chips climbs into her hand.

“Individually, Collective Symbiotes are… well, unremarkable, at least in terms of power, in most instances.” Irino says. “But they are all linked together, quintillions of individuals across multiple galaxies. If you channel the willpower of even a fraction of those individuals into a single individual—”

“A Harbinger.” the Headmaster interjects at this point.

“—usually a Harbinger,” Irino says, nodding to the Headmaster. “then you end up with someone that can exercise tremendous power. Something that can easily match a Starstruck, or even a full team of them, depending on how many Symbiotes are bending their will through a Harbinger.”

“Seriously?” Caliya asks in disbelief. “Why don’t we ever hear of them doing that?”

“Because it’s against the Rules that govern the interactions of deminatural and hypernatural powers.” the Headmaster explains. “Using godlike powers to destroy and conquer helpless mortals isn’t allowed. That is why the Collective does not use their Harbingers in that manner against planets — and it is why we are not allowed to attack Collective worlds with any of our more experienced Starstruck.”

“Unless… unless the Collective attacks a planet that already has Starstruck on it.” Caliya points out. “Because the Mokasha team was allowed to fight back for as long as they could, right?”

“That is one of the exceptions that the Academy hashed out with the Prime of the Collective, yes.” Irino says. “Local Starstruck are allowed to participate in the defense of their homeworld if it is attacked. It’s a concession the Collective only made because normal Starstruck aren’t as powerful as Cosmic Starstruck, and wouldn’t be able to stop an invasion on their own.”

“One of the concessions we had to make in exchange is that we were not to interfere with, or reverse assimilation on a large scale.” the Headmaster continues. “It was a concession that itself had small exceptions built into it for unusual circumstances on our part, but the Mokasha team was not one of them.”

Caliya leans forward, rubbing her forehead. “I had no idea that being a Cosmic Starstruck was so complicated.”

“Most planetary Starstruck are used to dealing with problems on a planetary scale. If you make the cut to be Cosmic, you quickly realize that things are a little more complicated on a galactic stage.” Irino says. “What it boils down to is that if we don’t mess with the Collective, then they won’t mess with us. We keep it so that our spheres only brush up against each other at the edges every now and then — such as in the case of Mokasha.”

“So basically, we can’t go back and un-assimilate the Starstruck that gave up her shard.” Caliya says, sitting up.

“It’s too late for that, yes.” the Headmaster confirms. “And she’s not so important that we’d risk the truce we have with the Collective.”

It’s obvious that it doesn’t sit right with Caliya. “We should send someone sooner next time, so we have more time to get the team and their families out if the Collective attacks a world that has Starstruck on it.”

“It’s something we are considering.” the Headmaster says, tilting her head to the glass polyhedron on her desk. “But the reason you are here is that we wanted to discuss the consequences of your little incursion into the Vault.”

Caliya shrinks back into her chair once more. “Right.”

“We understand now why you did it, but we cannot stress enough that there is a reason the Vault is locked and sealed.” Irino says. “It is a place we use to protect things of great value, and also a place we use to contain dangerous things. It is not a place one idly rifles through.”

“So is this like… a corrupted star shard, or something?” Caliya asks, motioning to the polyhedron cage on the Headmaster’s desk.

“I only wish it was that simple.” the Headmaster says. “No, this is an anomaly. It is a star shard that has retained its imprint, and as such, we cannot reassign it, since it is still loyal to the Starstruck it was originally assigned to. Moreover, it belongs to a former member of Nova’s team who is still very much alive. We are holding this shard, and the shards belonging to the other members of that team, in reserve. Just in case Nova, or her corrupted shard, ever resurface.”

“But wasn’t Nova killed in the Songbird Incident?” Caliya asks, looking confused.

“So we assume, and we hope we are not proven wrong. But a body was never recovered, and Nova’s corrupted shard was never found or accounted for.” Irino says. “So we are making sure we are ready for that day, if it ever does come.”

“And it would’ve been problematic if one of those remaining shards had escaped. As it almost did.” the Headmaster says sternly. “The Starstruck that this shard belonged to is an adult now, with political entanglements in galactic affairs and conflicted loyalties to a number of organizations or groups. Having someone like that suddenly reacquire the Starstruck powers that they have not had for twenty-five years would be an… issue.”

“You know the lengths we go to avoid getting pulled into politics.” Irino adds. “It’s a quagmire that the Starstruck want no part in. We are neutral — our duty is the protection of the galaxy against supernatural threats. We will stand by the principles and ideals that we believe in, but we have no interest in culture wars or meddling in the galaxy’s politics.”

“Yeah. I understand.” Caliya says meekly. “I won’t sneak into the Vault again.”

“I’m glad to hear it. Still, we can’t let a breach like this go unpunished.” the Headmaster says. “So, you’ll be on guide duty for the first-years for the next two weeks.”

“What? But they’re so… whiny and airheaded and dramatic!” Caliya protests.

Irino smirks. “I seem to recall that the same thing could be said about you almost a decade ago, young lady.”

“And I seem to recall you were a rather edgy teenager yourself two decades ago, Irino.” the Headmaster says, giving him a sharp look.

“Let’s… not talk about that.” Irino mumbles, sinking into his chair a little and averting his eyes. “It was a phase. I grew out of it.”

“The point is that everyone was a teenager once.” the Headmaster says, returning her attention to Caliya. “So instead of complaining about it, maybe provide them some of the guidance and support you wish you could’ve had at that age. Mhmm?”

“Yeah… I suppose.” Caliya concedes. “I guess I’ll be starting that once the teams arrive tomorrow?”

“Correct.” the Headmaster says, reaching over to the bag from Miqo and pulling out one of the star-shaped cookies. “I see that Miqo’s thoughtful as ever. Cookies for the first-years?”

“Yes. It was very kind of her.” Irino says. “I was thinking of stopping by later on to thank her for helping catch the shard.”

“Please do. She is entirely too kind to us.” the Headmaster says, talking a bite out of the cookie. “Oh gracious, this is excellent. Here, Irino, you need to try one.”

“Well, I wouldn’t want to deprive the first-years…”

“Eat the cookie, Irino.”

“If you insist.” Irino says, taking one of the cookies, which is covered in deep blue icing with little gleaming sparkles on it, like a star-shaped chunk of the night sky. “Oh dang, I forgot how good Miqo’s cooking was. This tastes like stars.”

“One for you too, Caliya.” the Headmaster says, holding out a cookie to her. “ Go home and get some rest — you’ll have a lot to do tomorrow. Teenagers are a rowdy bunch.”

“Don’t I know it.” Caliya sighs, taking the cookie and standing up. “Thanks for the cookie, Headmaster.”

“Don’t mention it. And Caliya?” The Headmaster waits until Caliya’s turned around before she goes on. “Next time you want to take a look in the Vault, just ask. You’ll find what you’re looking for much quicker, and you won’t get in trouble for it.”

“Ah… yeah. I suppose that is a lot better than sneaking around.” Caliya concedes, sounding embarrassed. “Sorry, Headmaster. I’ll do that next time.”

“Good. Now get along. Sun’s down and you ought to be getting some rest.” the Headmaster says, making a shooing motion. Caliya nods, giving a little wave as she heads for the door and leaves the office, letting her familiar nibble on the cookie as she goes.

I can personally attest that Miqo’s cooking is pretty good. Might even been on par with my cooking. It’s a family thing; comes with the territory when you own or manage an immortal cafe that’s superpositioned in multiple spots across the universe simultaneously. Don’t tell her that I told you my cooking’s better, though. She’ll deny it, even though she knows it’s true.

Hmm. Looks like we’re all out of popcorn. That’s okay, the episode’s almost over. Guess I’ll just sip on my fizzwater until we’re done.

Irino waits until the sounds of Caliya’s footsteps have faded, then turns his attention back to the caged shard on the Headmaster’s desk. “Are you going to put it back in the Vault?”

“No. I want to have it where I can keep an eye on it.” the Headmaster says, staring at the glass dodecahedron. “You said that Miqo recognized it?”

“Yes. And she said that we should not try to recycle or reassign it. We should keep it in reserve for at least a decade more.”

“Did she say why?”

“Of course not. Creatures of the Dreaming never do.” Irino scoffs. “They’ll tell you what to do all day long, but they never tell you why you should do it, or what will happen if you don’t.”

“But there is always a reason, even if they never tell you what it is.” the Headmaster points out. “Do you think we should risk ignoring the counsel of a Dreamkeeper?”

Irino purses his lips, glancing to the shard. “I just… don’t like it. You always feel like they know something you don’t, but they won’t tell you what it is.”

“That’s part of what they are. They perceive reality differently than Wakers.” the Headmaster says. “Besides, you’ve known Miqo for years. You know she would not withhold information out of malice. If she were here right now, she would tell us that we are not obligated to heed her advice.”

“But you think we should.” Irino deduces.

The Headmaster shrugs. “We have always benefitted when we have taken her advice. She is not as capricious as her brother and his descendants; her counsel is generally intended towards benevolent ends, even if the benefit is not immediately apparent.”

“Yes, well, she is not a Syntaritov, so that makes all the difference.” Irino mutters, shifting in his chair. “Forgive me if it sounds like I’m griping. I prefer to be well-informed, and Dreamers are notoriously selective about the information they dispense.”

“That’s understandable. Knowledge is your strong suit.” the Headmaster says, standing and moving over to the window behind her desk, which looks out over the Academy, the town beyond it, and the lake that it borders. “I know it’s hard for you to take things on faith.”

“I’m aware it’s something I should work on.” he says, watching as the Headmaster clasps her wrists behind her back. “I have never comported with normal Starstruck in that regard.”

“We find our strength in our diversity, Irino. You are not as spontaneous as other Starstruck, but there is value in being methodical.” the Headmaster says, motioning for him to join her at the window. “Come take a look. It seems like Caliya and her familiar are fighting over that cookie I gave her.”

Irino tilts his head, then rises from his chair to join the Headmaster at the window. Staring down into the courtyard below, they can see that Caliya and Chips are indeed fighting over Miqo’s star cookie, Chips floating in the air with one end in his mouth, while Caliya has both hands on the other side, tugging on it while she bickers with her familiar.

“Life goes on.” Irino observes with a small smile. “In the little moments.”

“Yes. Little moments often give life its flavor.” the Headmaster agrees softly. “The galaxy may look bleak right now, but there is hope for the future. Even if it is a little clumsy sometimes.”

“How much do you want to bet that Chips will end up with most of the cookie?”

“Oh, I’m not gonna bet against that. We both know what Caliya’s luck is like.”

“Indeed. Did you see the way she crashed into the Cafe today?”

“Bounced clear across the lake and ended up in the roof. Then did it again a little over an hour later, except she ended up in a wall. And between that, crashed into the side of the Academy’s landing pad.”

“She’s earnest, but sometimes I wonder how she wakes up in the morning without destroying the town on accident…”