Universal Target

It wasn't everyday that the universal corporation held a meeting, despite the convenience of technology, the major colonies were better off not seeing each other's faces less they want another war to happen.

Despite an urgent signal sent towards the major colonies, only three leaders seem to bother picking up the call. Other than the central system's colony, Ulric, it's leader, Takeo who called for the meeting, there was the Eastern System's planet Dex ruler, Primula, with their screen side by side, it was obvious they were from different parts of the universe. Takeo is what someone on Earth would call a robot, metal, not really human shaped, rather looking like a snowman if I say so myself, a three part metal chunks rolled into a ball and a three segmented body with a pair of glowing read beads for eyes. This species is called the Ince.

Primula, a humanoid with a pair of gill-shaped ears and long green hair, she wears a dress made up of expensive silk, a mirror in her hand.

Finally, there was the Southern System's colony, not the biggest but a notable one, the Fflam* colony, the leader is a one eyed giant red feathered creature with wings tucked and a rather sharp beak, he's named Bryning.

The three leaders were silent until a robot enters the meeting, in a smaller screen than the other leaders of course.

"My Lords, currently no one is responding from the West, shall I continue to try to contact them?" they ask.

"No need to waste time, you pile of junk, tell us why you have called us here!" unlike her delicate look, Primula's tone drips with merciless venom. Bryning internally tsks in distaste, Takeo seems rather used to it however.

"We are gathered here for a mild incident that happened just a few clicks ago," he replies." There is an attacker that claims to be from the Gelu* Empire," he adds.

"So? That empire was long extinct," Bryning interrupts," probably just a creature that just released from their hibernation."

"Yes, the only problem was, they manage to take out a squad of elite patrolmen," Takeo replies." I heard that the same creature broke into the Southern Jail and released all of it's prisoners."

"Yes, the Jail always has a clean record," Bryning huffs in a way like snorting.

"I also heard that a creature from the Gelu Empire was released from the prison," Takeo adds. Bryning stays silent and Primula brandishes her mirror, even if she can't exactly touch anybody and hisses.

"Harboring prisoners of war! I knew you Fflams were backstabbing Choeros!" she exclaims. Bryning's eyes turn red with anger.

"They don't live along anyway, What's wrong with keeping trophies? Weren't you Inbers* crying for us for help? We should at least get an interest," he replies, his tone sharp.

"I will not rest until every stinkin' primate is wiped off the face of the universe!" she exclaims.

"Alright alright, Primula, for all we know he might be dissolved into dust," Takeo replies, trying to mediate the situation.

"Now, it wouldn't be such a big deal if I hadn't found traces of condensed aura on the asteroid they were on," Takeo replies.

"Condensed aura? Impossible, aura technology hasn't even been made yet and magic has long been wiped out of this universe," Bryning replies, his feather ruffling under stress.

"It's in our best common interest if we work together on this incident, the faster we clear this the lesser stressed days you'll have," Takeo suggested. Primula howls in excitement and agreement. Bryning however seems rather more bristled.

"I'll have to discuss this with the Southern council when they are available," Bryning replies respectfully much to Primula's disappointment and annoyance.

"We can't do anything about it," Takeo looks at Primula apologetic and looks at Bryning with an understanding tone," it's your system's business after all, I can always spare a few patrolmen," he adds. Though the way he spoke could be mistaken as kind from an outsider's perspective, those words were nothing but kind.

Bryning says nothing else before logging off, to take out her anger one someone else, Primula logs off as well. The assistant that has been listening looks back up at their lord.

"Find some time to visit the Southern Bar," Takeo replies," see if you can find anything," he adds, the assistant blinks before logging off, leaving Takeo in the meeting room.

On the other side of the universe, Gretal gets a signal from the Aileorps. Frank looks up at them as they turned around from interrogating him. But he wasn't left off the hook easily, they land somewhere at the edge of the central system, though it's been years since he last saw it, he is pretty sure he could recognize Uranus when he sees it.

"Are you crazy?! What if someone tracked us here?" he hisses, Gretal glances at him, so he still has some attachment to his planet, good.

Gretal didn't know when he left the planet and what happened but he seems to have gotten updates from the planet. Unlike him however, they have pretty much still lived on the planet more so than he did. From the distant white bunker that is standing strong even in the cold winds of Uranus, unlike planets however, it has no solid ground less one wants to risk going into their icy waters.

The ships jerks into the landing room of the base and the thunderous slam of the door made Frank flinch a little. Gretal walks towards the exit, the cool air making Frank shiver a little. They seem to have forgotten the earlier interrogation and hesitated in alighting the ship less they decide to leave them here.

Besides, it was much warmer inside the ship.

Though Gretal left the door open, it didn't matter if he decided to alight or not. Seeing as he held some attachment, they would give them a chance to prove themselves through their actions. The barrier, powered by this station is the reason why Earth hasn't been noticed by other colonies.

They plug the recording they received from the Aileorps into the system, the technology was much more advanced than the one in their ship, that and it was a nice area to recharge.

Frank, in the ship was huddled near the heater when the ship suddenly jerks and turns, he quickly grab something solid but the ship didn't move again. He looks behind him, again, the blinding light could be seen in contrast towards the darkness of space.

He frowns, stepping out of the ship, his eyes widen at the familiar sky and green grass. Only instead of clear, white skies, he is met with dark clouds and sirens in the distance. He looks at the distant sound, he didn't know what was the sound but it's very unpleasant to the ear.

He looks around, but can't find any buildings he can see but only cottages and houses that belong to the old times he is not so familiar with other than that vague memory of his grandparents. He already knew the problem with this planet, his expression not changing as a distant explosion shakes the ground a little.

He walks back into the ship and turns on the engine, not waiting for Gretal to come for him, he drives the ship himself back towards Uranus. Even if there was a return portal to the base, he didn't want to use it as he drives past the planet, not caring if they were trapped there, he turns on the star warp and drives it towards the Southern System.

Meanwhile, in a location detector, it shows a little red dot across the screen, a holographic arrow taps the device.

"Sir, an unregistered aircraft has just left the Northern atmosphere."

Someone would have said impossible, only Takeo was very open minded.

"Send soldiers to investigate," Takeo replies.

"Sir," another Ince from the side calls," a Commutatia is on the line," he replies.

Takeo blinks, though it's hard to tell, he is rather hesitant about picking up.

"It's from the SS," he adds. Takeo immediately picks up.

-

Ince - is latin for 'innocent' is a robotic species from the central system, they have three segmented bodies, two circular one hemispheric with no limbs.

central time measurement: ticks (a second), streak (a minute), clicks (not to be confused with clicking on the internet in their galaxy it's just the name for an hour), rotation (24 hours), solstice (half a year)

Gelu - is latin for 'Frost' Gelu is an old empire/colony of the East, they used to conquer both the East and Southern systems but was wiped out by their own. Proelia, the species that Gretal disguised as was one of the species that worked in the empire.

Inber(s) - is latin for 'rain' a rare species in the East, a new species, they didn't exist during the destruction of the Gelu Empire hence might not know about them.

Fflam - means 'flame' in welsh is not only a planet and their colony but also the name of the species.

Commutatia - means 'commutator' in latin, it refers to a species in the eastern system that can change into smoke and teleport at high speeds. It's a new species that looks a lot like humans only with more smaller bodies.