The vast, sandy basin was dead silent as the golden energy completely dissipated into the thin planetary air. Emperor -Varn, despite his massive silver frame being covered in superficial scuffs from the intense hand-to-hand exchange, stood up with a slow, dignified grace.
He looked down at Elias, who was catching his breath as he returned back to normal.
Varn smiled. "Looks like you are worth my time after all."
Then the rest of the Xenocides and Astrons came to where Elias and Varn were staying, rushing across the fractured quartz floor plates. The alien citizens gathered in a massive, respectful perimeter, while Kross, Kiki, Nyx, and the rest of the Earth fighters slid to a halt right next to Elias, their hands still slightly twitching near their weapon holsters just in case.
Varn stood up, his towering silhouette casting a long shadow over the crater. He raised his massive hands, not in a defensive stance, but in a gesture of absolute truce.
"Ok I'll tell you everything you need to know," Varn said.
He paused, looking over his sprawling, beautiful city of blue spires before his four crystalline eyes locked onto Elias. "First of all, I am one of Malkor's Elites."
The Xenocides were shocked. Instantly, the atmosphere turned freezing cold. Nyx dropped into a low combat guard, her knuckles crackling .
"An Elite?!" Kross yelled, taking a step backward. "Are you kidding me? We just spent the last hour playing nice with the literal enemy!"
"Calm down let me finish," Varn bellowed, his voice cutting through the panic, He looked down at his huge, silver palms, his expression filling with centuries of heavy, heartbreaking sorrow. "I joined Malkor's Elites so he could spare my planet and people. I had no choice. It was the only way to save my people. When his mechanical fortress world consumed our solar system, he gave me an ultimatum: become his enforcer, or watch my entire civilization be ground into space dust."
Varn took a deep breath "Malkor is strong. When I mean strong, his strength can't be measured," Varn warned, his four eyes blinking in a dead, serious unison. "The only way to stop this planet is to kill him."
Their eyes widened. The absolute finality of the statement hung heavily in the air.
"If he's that strong, how would we kill him," Kahn said, his deep, gravelly voice laced with genuine concern as he tightened his iron fists. "If we fought against you I doubt we would survive, and you're telling us the guy at the top has unmeasurable power?"
"We can, if we fight together," Elias said, stepping forward to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the silver Emperor. "The Captains are probably on their way to him so we better hurry. Captain drakye and my brother aren't the type to sit around and wait. We can defeat him together, I know we can".
RUMBLE...
Before anyone could formulate a plan,a mechanical hum vibrated from the artificial sky above.
The clouds of the subterranean basin parted as a sleek, highly advanced Astron spacecraft descended gracefully into the center of the clearing. The vessel was shaped like a curved, aerodynamic crescent, forged from polished blue chrome and translucent glass that reflected the purple atmosphere perfectly.
As the primary boarding hatch slid open, Varn turned his gaze toward Elias.
"Elias, since you defeated me, according to our custom you have to marry my daughter," Varn stated casually.
"Whatttt!" Mira Ice screamed, her composure shattering instantly. A massive, accidental spike of sub-zero energy erupted from her boots, freezing a twenty-foot radius of the surrounding sand into solid, glittering ice.
"Huh... wait, why didn't you tell me," Elias stammered, He staggered back a step, his hands waving frantically in the air as his cheeks instantly flushed into a bright crimson red. "Marry?! We just had a sparring match! I didn't agree to an alliance wedding!"
Then she came out of the spaceship.
The entire group went completely, utterly breathless. The Emperor's daughter stepped onto the landing ramp, and she was very beautiful, Her skin was a flawless, translucent light blue.
She possessed long, hair that flowed like liquid starlight down to her waist.
"Oh... wow," Kealen murmured, as he stared at the alien princess. He rubbed the back of his neck, blinking rapidly. "Okay, I see the custom. That is... definitely an unexpected development."
Kross's jaw practically hit the frozen sand. He looked from the stunning alien girl back to Elias, his eyes full of a chaotic mixture of jealousy and sheer disbelief. "Are you kidding me right now, Elias?! You get a power-up, you win the fight, and now you just inherit a literal space princess? Why does the universe always reward the main guy?!
"Main guy don't make me laugh."Elena said.
Kahn let out a booming, deep laugh that shook the nearby quartz piles, clapping a massive hand over Kross's shoulder. "Bwahaha! Oh Kross don't feel sad".
While the guys were busy reacting to the shockwave, the female members of the Xenocides were experiencing a completely different kind of crisis.
Mira Ice stood completely frozen, her arms crossed so tightly over her chest that her knuckles were turning blue. A deep, furious crimson blush painted her entire face, extending all the way to the tips of her ears. "This is ridiculous! We are in the middle of a war to save our home planet from total annihilation, and we are talking about wedding customs?! Elias, you idiot, don't you dare say yes!"
"Um... she really is incredibly pretty... but... but Elias, you can't just get married on a moving world! We haven't even had a proper conversation about what happens after the war!" Lyra said her voice cracking as she stared at the alein princess.
Nyx, sharp features were twisted into a fierce pout, a bright pink blush highlighting her high cheekbones as she violently kicked a piece of broken metal across the basin. "Hey! Let's go we don't have time for this."
Kiki, however, was the only one who didn't look angry. She was grinning from ear to ear, though a light, amused blush dusted her cheeks as she bounced on the balls of her feet, waving cheerfully at the Emperor's daughter. "Aww, look how cute they look together! Don't worry, Elias, I'll be the maid of honor! We can plan the reception right after we blow up Malkor's main reactor!"
"Please, everyone, stop talking!" Elias pleaded, his voice cracking as he buried his face in his hands, his ears burning hot under the relentless teasing of his crew.
The alien princess walked down the ramp, She stopped directly in front of Elias, bowing her head with a graceful, fluid motion that made her liquid starlight hair sweep across her shoulders.
"I am Astraea-Thal," she said, her voice sounding like a melodic, beautiful harmony "Do not fear, traveler. My father honors the ancient laws of combat, but I know our world is running out of time. We can discuss the issue after the tyrant Malkor is turned
to ash. For now, I am your pilot."