JVMenjivar

Astashica: Eternal Starborn Dominion

"Listen well, child of the twin suns. The land speaks, the winds whisper, and the rivers carry old songs. But there is one voice that does not sing, one truth that sleeps beneath your feet. The world you stand upon is not what you believe it to be."

The Xothek Galaxy is gone, consumed by its own hunger for power. The Asemeri once shaped the stars, bending light and void to their will. Their greatest creation, the Formicrons, built empires that stood for millennia.  

But Xothek fell—not to time, nor to gods, but to its own arrogance.  

The Azurevat fire erased them. Cities vanished. Kingdoms dissolved into the abyss. And the last Asemeri fled aboard the Defiance Vanguard, a warship of lost power, its runes still pulsing with ancient knowledge. They sought refuge. They found Astashica.  

A world of twin suns. A world veiled in Light. A world that does not belong to them.  

For three hundred cycles, the Asemeri ruled. They carved their names into the mountains, built their towers over rivers, but Astashica is awake. It watches. It remembers.  

Now, the shadow returns.  

Cosmus has returned. The exile. The usurper. The last remnant of a dead empire. His fleet blackens the sky. His armies rise from the abyss. And in his grasp? The final Azurevat missile—the fire that once shattered the heavens.  

And in the path of destruction, one man stands.  

Tlandar. Son of two worlds. A man of soil and harvest. A man who should have lived his days in peace.  

But war does not ask who you wish to be. It demands who you must become.  

Flee, and the twin suns will set forever.  
Stand, and awaken the Light once more.  

He takes the blade. He spills the blood. He walks the path of no return.  

The Defiance Vanguard looms overhead.  
The Azurevat fire waits in silence.  
The Formicrons stir beneath the sands.  
The ancient Asemeri cores pulse in the dark.  

But beneath it all—beneath the ruins, beneath the rivers, beneath the very bones of this world—there is something older than the Asemeri.  

Something forgotten.  
Something that was never meant to wake.  

This is not a war for land. This is not a war for power.  

This is a war for the right to exist.  

And so I ask, child of the twin suns—will you fight for the Light, or will you let the darkness take it?"

ASTASHICA: Eternal Starborn Dominion

The Gathering at Boulderkeep

The fortified walls of Boulderkeep Stockade had become the stronghold of a new era. Tlandar's warriors, now composed of the Val'katlans, Salgaran pilots, and remnants of allied forces, had gathered under his banner. The fires of the forges burned bright, reforging salvaged alloys into new weapons. Damaged Formicrons were being repaired, and the warriors trained relentlessly, preparing for what lay ahead.

The battle of Leipira was over, but the war had only begun.

At the center of it all, Tlandar stood atop the great platform of Boulderkeep, where Val'katl once commanded. He was no longer just a warrior—he was a leader.

His dark red cape billowed in the wind, Khalzir and Asharuk glowing faintly in the torchlight.

The Speech of a Chieftain

Tlandar stepped forward, his voice steady and strong.

"Warriors of Val'katl! Pilots of Salgar! You have fought bravely, and you have won!"

A resounding cheer erupted through the ranks, the weight of victory still fresh in their hearts.

But Tlandar lifted a hand, quieting them. His gaze swept over his warriors, their faces worn from battle, yet filled with new purpose.

"But victory here does not mean we are finished. The war is not over."

The murmurs of warriors settled into a solemn silence.

"New Asemeri still stands, but its leaders have chosen to isolate themselves, to ignore the war happening beyond their walls."

"Governor Rasnar has not sent aid. He has not sent warriors. He has watched as we bled and did nothing."

A few voices growled in frustration, others muttered among themselves.

Tlandar nodded. "This cannot continue. We cannot let New Asemeri turn its back on its people. We must go there—not as conquerors, but as warriors seeking unity."

He raised Khalzir high, the blade gleaming under the twin suns.

"The time for waiting is over. We march to New Asemeri. We will see where Rasnar's loyalty lies."

The Seven Generals and Preparations

Before the march, Tlandar assigned the remaining seven warriors of Val'katl's Eight as his new generals.

One would oversee the defense of Boulderkeep. Another would ensure supplies and weapon production remained steady. The others would prepare strategies should war reach the city-states.

Tlandar left behind a small, skilled contingent to guard Val'katl's old trenches and the eastern marshes, ensuring no enemy forces could move unnoticed.

With the army organized, the march toward New Asemeri began.

The Road to the City-State

The march across the plains was unlike any seen before. Banners of Val'katl and Salgar flew together, the warriors moving in perfect coordination. The sound of marching feet and the hum of hovering Formicrons filled the air, a display of strength that could not be ignored.

Tlandar, Akashma at his side, led the army from the front.

The journey would take several days, but every step forward was another toward confronting the city-state's isolation.

Akashma glanced toward Tlandar, her expression thoughtful.

"Do you think Rasnar will willingly aid us?"

Tlandar's jaw tightened. "If he does not, then he is a fool. And fools cannot be allowed to stand in the way of what must be done."

The twin suns began to set over the land, casting a crimson glow across the horizon.

Ahead, in the distance, the walls of New Asemeri rose from the land, its great towers standing against the sky.

Tlandar would soon face the Governor.

And the fate of New Asemeri would be decided.

The Path to New Asemeri