Galactic High

The last class before homeroom and the end of the day was History, and Jack was happy to know that all of his housemates shared that class with him.

“We should take a different route…” Alora whispered to Jack as they turned the corridor to find a group of Korrigans with red armbands flanking a large hulking beast of white sweat-matted fur with too many eyes and a fanged maw with ugly-looking cybernetic implants. Guns out and looking menacing, they were clearly looking for someone, occasionally grabbing other students to ask them questions.

“You know them?” Jack whispered back as they headed back the way they came. “More Red Legion, are they after me?”

“Unlikely, I think they’re after me,” she whispered back as they quickly ascended a nearby set of stairs. “I’ve run into those guys before; if I had to guess, they hadn’t learned their lesson the last time they decided to harass me. ‘Kralk the Konquerer’ lost face when I took him and his group out. I had hoped they’d leave me be after that, but apparently not.”

“SHE WENT THAT WAY!”

“Fuck!” Jack raised his eyebrows as he had never heard the usually tame and mild-mannered Alora swear before. “Keep heading down the corridor and go down one floor at the second set of stairs; Chiyo should be able to find you. I’ll deal with this then be right behind you!” Alora chanted something under her breath, causing pale lights to shimmer around her as she drew one of her wands, a fresh sapling branch with tiny pink leaves.

“Screw that, I’m not leaving you,” Jack growled as he heard the heavy footsteps thud up the stairs. He timed his turn around the corner just as they approached them, and stared into the eyes of a very confused-looking cyber-wolf.

"What the fuck are you supposed to be?" The wolfman managed to blurt out before Alora pointed her wand above Jack's head and muttered a word of power, sending the guy flying back with a small explosion and smell of brimstone, tumbling down the stairs and taking out the Korrigans behind. They collapsed on a heap at the bottom with a groan.

“How rude!” She replied to the fallen unconscious bodies.

"Um…" Jack started.

"My friends really fall hard for the whole 'macho' thing." Alora grinned. "But this wasn't one of those 'heroic last stands' on my part, I just didn't want you to be late for class!”

"How long do we have?"

Alora looked at her device. "Not long!" She turned and ran down the corridor, Jack barely processing what had just happened before he followed.

"So you're saying the 'macho' thing doesn't work on you?" Jack grinned as he caught up to Alora and passed the first staircase.

She rolled her eyes and sighed, though her stifled smile told Jack she wasn't disappointed with him. "You have no idea how many people try that with me, at least you can pull it off properly!" They turned and descended the next set of stairs to meet Sephy, who was waiting for them with guns out.

“Chiyo said you might be in trouble, what happened this time?” She asked excitedly as she used her wings to propel herself alongside them.

“Kralk again,” Alora replied dismissively. “Gave him a fireball to the face and knocked the group down the stairs.”

“Wait, that was a fireball?” Jack asked, a little confused.

“Yeah?”

“Aren’t fireballs meant to be…like…bigger with more explosions?”

Sephy laughed loudly at that. “YES! I’VE BEEN TELLING YOU ALORA! NEEDS MORE BOOM!”

Alora sighed again before responding to Jack. “Yes I can make them bigger, but collateral damage isn’t fun for-”

“Yes it is!” replied Sephy, who shared a grin with Jack.

“Well it may be fun for some people without any sense of restraint whatsoever but it’s a pain to clear up, especially when you get put in detention and have to clean the mess. So really, Sephy, you should be thanking me; I hear Mr Szarite plans to volunteer some students to assist the cleaning bots…”

“No chance you could blow him up with a proper fireball and get me out of it?”

“I’m afraid not.” Alora giggled.

“What about a diddy fireball then?” Sephy grinned, as Alora playfully slapped her friend on the arm.

“So to answer your question, Jack,” Alora answered calmly as they saw Nika and Chiyo waiting for them in line. “My magic is focused on life, light, and fire. So yes, I can make bigger fireballs, it’s just a bad idea when both of us were standing next to the target. Maybe I’ll show you a proper one later?” Alora ended with a soft smile at Jack, which seemed to completely sober Sephy up as they joined the others.

“So Jack, Chiyo tells me you met ‘Kralk the Konquerer’ just now?” Nika smirked. “You just love messing around with the Red Legion, don’t you? We gonna have another fight on our hands, Alora?”

“I hope not, but he seemed pretty desperate to ambush me. I left them unconscious so hopefully that’ll keep them off our backs for a while, but just in case I’ll message Luvia when we’re done with class.”

Chiyo gently pulled on Jack’s arm and showed him a message

History is our favourite class! Even if you won’t know everything that’s going on you’ll like Mr Sparrel! He tends to go off topic and talk about interesting events!

“That was the teacher who interrupted our fight earlier,” Nika added, confirming Jack’s suspicions.

“The guy with the sword?”

“Yep!” Added Sephy. “And the knives, the rare guns, the wands and the magic artefacts. Usually, if there’s something bad that the bots can’t take care of, he’s the one that fixes it. Dude used to be a Starseeker!”

“That and much more, Sephirina!” A cheerful posh voice spoke up from behind her. “And as I thought! You, sir, must be our newest student!”

The hawk-like avian with spectacles was smiling at Jack with a glint in his eyes.

“Yes sir, I’m Jack.”

“An absolute pleasure to make your acquaintance once again in a more official capacity Jack! Such a gallant display of ability I rarely see. As you no doubt heard earlier when I spoke to Master Kull, you may call me Mr Sparrel, history teacher extraordinaire!” The flamboyant teacher gave a bow as Jack tried not to let his confused expression show too much before Mr Sparrel waved the class in.

“We can sit where we like,” Nika mentioned to Jack, pointing to a set of desks in the middle against the far wall. “Over there looks good!”

As they sat down, Jack could feel the energy of the room. The other students were looking forward to the lesson, but his previous experience learning history had been a bit hit-and-miss depending on the teacher. Still, the girls seemed to like this class and Mr Sparrel seemed a bit of a character, so he quickly took out his books and opened a new page in his notes, with Chiyo sitting next to him, typing something on her device before showing it to Jack with a smile.

Starseeker = In layman’s terms a mix of adventurer, investigator, explorer, mercenary and scholar. Many of them are famous heroes that make the news! Their society is particularly famous for rediscovering lost history and discovering new worlds and sapient peoples!

“Thanks Chiyo!” Jack smiled. “That in one of your books? I’ve nearly finished with the one you gave me!” It was true too - any spare time Jack had during the day was spent scouring the pages. He was quite a quick reader, and had spent time noting down the races and species that appeared in it. Though Alora and Chiyo’s species of Eladrie and Ilithii were mentioned as influential powers, the book did not contain as much information as Jack would have liked on them, serving as more of a timeline of certain events rather than offering much context. He planned to either check the datanet with Sephy’s help to clarify certain things and maybe get a few pictures of the species frequently mentioned, or just ask the others when they had time.

You read quickly! Come to my room later and we can look at some more!

Chiyo grinned sweetly at Jack, though he had no idea if it was due to his rapid progress reading the book or whether she read his mind and realised the ‘come to my room later’ struck a chord with him. Whichever it was, she wasn’t telling.

“Right then!” Mr Sparrel rapped on his desk to get everybody’s attention. “Today we’re going to cover historical battles. Sometimes a battle is just one blip in a long and gruelling war, and other times it can shift and define the course of history, and it will be these that we will cover today! Does anybody have any examples of history-defining battles? Ah, Crill?”

Crill had eagerly put his hand up. “The Battle of the Twin Flights!”

“Yes!” Mr Sparrel clapped excitedly and began drawing on the board. “I am not surprised you mentioned that one as it’s a major part of Squarri history which most Avian kind celebrate even now!”

After writing a few diagrams on the board Mr Sparrel looked around at the rest of the class and emphasised his words with excited hand gestures. “So! In order to better understand The Battle of the Twin Flights, we need to gain some context on the background of this engagement. Though they are less of a threat now than they used to be, The Flock was a major force several centuries back that was known for the monstrous avian beings that compose it in its entirety, and it was because of this that there was severe persecution of avian species across the galaxy before the nature of The Flock as a Demon Lord’s minions became more widely known. They had successfully conquered several planets, where the adults were put to work as slaves while the children and elderly were killed for food, until Kwark, God of Birds, empowered a Squarri hero called Khassu Quickfeather, who united the Avian species into a coalition, which after several battles was able to decisively defeat and wipe out the vast majority of The Flock by using the strong gravitational pull of a neutron star.”

The teacher then turned to the board and wiped away a few of the diagrams he had used for reference before. “Now how does this battle define the course of history as we know it?” he started, writing a few lines on the board.

“Well, the persecution of Avians all but ended at that time due to this decisive battle, as well as the increase in Avians joining military organisations around the time, which is an honoured tradition that continues to this day. The Tengu system where the battle occurred is now a holy site for Kwark worshipers, and families that have ancestors that fought in the battle are honoured.”

“Sir!” One of the other students called to ask a question. Jack looked round and saw one of the jewellery-clad girls from before, who according to Alora were from an avaricious species known as the Hoduth. “Isn’t The Flock still active? What happened to them?”

“Well Sveta, The Flock certainly hasn’t returned in those numbers since, and we know more about them, as Ilithii diviners were able to identify Raven, Lord of the Flock, as the Demon Lord commanding them at the time, though it is unknown if they are dead or not. It is not believed that the Demon Core was destroyed in the conflict, however, little had been seen since to indicate that The Flock has a coordinated leadership behind it. My personal suspicion is that The Flock is acting independent of its original leadership after being decimated by a third party. Any other questions?“

“I do, Sir.” Alora raised her hand politely, and Mr Sparrel nodded at her to continue. “I’ve heard a bit about Demon Lords but don’t know much about them. They seem to vary heavily from each other and I don’t see the correlation between them and actual demons. Are you able to explain what they are?”

“That is a good question!” Mr Sparrel turned around and wrote some more notes on the board. “Demon Lords are not related to actual demons native to the corrupted planes, but Demon Cores are. You see, Demon Lords are merely the conduit, the sentient being bestowed near god-like power by their paired Demon Core. Now Demon Cores are powerful, unique forces of chaotic energy, but they lack any kind of awareness individually, which is why they require a symbiotic relationship with an eligible mortal being. Now this eligibility is extraordinarily rare and exotic, so much so that a Demon Core can transcend the perceived omniverse and bring outsiders from completely alien existences to it to bond with…”

Jack took a start at that. He was brought to this universe somehow, could this Demon Core stuff be related?

“Now it is near impossible to mention the Demon Lords without speaking about Heroes, like Khassu Quickfeather as we’ve already mentioned. These are powerful agents of a god that act as a counter-force to enemies of the faith, most notably Demon Lords but other threats may warrant the Rite of Heroism. They act with the support of the church, and while they are often existing mortals that embody the tenets of their chosen god, occasionally they are pulled from other realms or realities similar to Demon Lords if the God senses that they possess a rare heroic spirit.”

Several of the heads around the class turned to glance at Jack at that, including a few of his friends around him, though most had the tact to immediately face the teacher afterwards, with several wandering eyes staring at the human. Certainly Sveta and her sisters were ramping up their body language from the last class as if reminded that he was there…

Sparrel seemed to note the attention on Jack, but didn’t mention it as he carried on.

“Right! We’ve spoken about one definitive battle, do we have any others?” He gazed at the class, awaiting volunteers.

“There’s the Eladriel Civil War?” Kritch, the rat-like alien spoke up, but seemed to recoil within himself when he saw a few faces turn to look at Alora, who for her part looked every picture of calm, though Jack could see her grip tense ever so slightly on her pen.

“Yes,” Mr Sparrel commented more seriously. “A devastating conflict without winners that decimated the Eladriel people, and split them into the nature-revering Eladrie and the ship-bound paramilitary fleet dwellers known as the Eladra. Both sides are so different that they are now considered completely different species. History defining indeed.”

Mr Sparrel seemed to lull on those words for a few seconds before his gaze fixed on Jack. “Jack. I wonder if you have any examples of decisive battles from your world?”

The teacher’s body language looked relaxed, but his facial expression looked tense. It seemed to Jack like this was some kind of set-up, but for what he didn’t know.

“Well…” Jack began, trying to think of some examples that would be relatable. He knew little of the Battle of Tours, which stopped Islam from being the dominant religion in Europe in the early years of recorded history, and though the Battle of Waterloo was pretty awesome in giving the French what they deserved, it would be hard to explain to the class.

“We had the D-Day landings during the Second World War.” Jack slowly began. “This was when my people had to invade an occupied country by boat and push through heavy defences. Imagine a chokepoint with enemy guns pointing right at it firing non-stop and imagine having to take that point and push through. That was what my people and our allies had to do to ultimately defeat the Nazis, and we lost thousands in that battle at several different locations. Before that we had the Battle of Britain, in which my country was able to maintain air superiority. Basically, we had a lot of definitive battles during that time.”

“But you won, right?”

“We did. The Nazis were defeated by the allied nations and the crimes of their regime were soon to be discovered. However, that wasn’t the end of it. One of the allies of the Nazis, Japan, refused to give up in the face of defeat, and an allied state at the time, the Soviet Union, were likely to turn on us.”

“So what happened?”

Jack sighed. “A new devastating weapon was created to cause a decisive end to the war and serve as a statement to the world. One that could devastate entire cities and turn the ashes into a toxic wasteland in a flash. Our allies, the United States, deployed this weapon on a Japanese city, killing hundreds of thousands of people in the blink of an eye.”

Several shocked whispers erupted from the class, talking in hushed tones.

“And this caused these Japanese to offer their unconditional surrender?” Mr Sparrel asked stoically.

“No Sir,” Jack continued. He did not think this was wise given the reaction, but he had already come this far. “The Japanese refused to surrender, so the weapon was deployed again, forcing a surrender after the second attack.”

The voices among the other students recoiled in horror at his words.

“That was the end of the Second World War, and the start of the Cold War.” Jack finished. “The only thing stopping further major wars from breaking out is the concept of ‘Mutually Assured Destruction’. Any use of the weapon against a foreign power with their own weapon would meet an equal or more powerful response.”

The class was silent at that. Even his new friends looked at him with worried eyes. Eventually, Mr Sparrel spoke.

“It is unlikely that you know this Jack, but what you have described is something similar, or perhaps the same as ‘Blightfire’. Very little is known about the rituals needed to create and use it, and the history books have only described it in the darkest possible tones. It has been utilised several times in history, and each time it has unleashed nothing but evil into the galaxy.”

Mr Sparrel sighed.

“The last time Blightfire was seen in the galaxy was over ten years ago during the battle for the Xenankor Cluster, in which the Red Legion fought a coalition of the Dread Lords. Sometime during that battle, Blightfire was unleashed on the victorious Red Legion and the remaining Dread Lords which wiped them all out. It is unknown why this happened, or what the reason for doing it was, but it is widely agreed that the one that likely conjured it is Lucian Vile, as from the ashes of this conflict arose the Vile Fleet which has filled the resulting power vacuum.”

“Well, we did not possess that kind of magic, Sir,” Jack replied nervously, trying to distance himself from that grim tale. “So it is possibly something different.”

“As you say,” Sparrel replied with a smile and relaxed tone, which seemed to quickly serve to reassure the rest of the class. Though the way the teacher thumbed the end of his sword did not put Jack at ease. “Regardless, your story is fascinating! Please see me after class…”

Jack did his best to concentrate on the rest of the lesson. It really was fascinating learning about these key points in history, but something in the back of his mind put him on edge.

“You asked to see me after class sir?” Jack asked politely as the class left, his friends lingering outside waiting for him. There was a decent length of time before they had to be at homeroom class, but still, he hoped this wouldn’t be long.

“That’s right, Jack.” Mr Sparrel smiled. “Please take a seat.”

The teacher waited for Jack to do so before swiftly continuing.

“Now you are an enigma to me Jack. I have been to most all of Nearspace and much of the nearby uncharted territories, and I do not believe I have encountered a being such as yourself before.”

“No Sir, I…don’t belong here.”

“Oh come now, I wouldn’t go that far! I have encountered some truly dark entities and evil people in my time. The Cult of the Destroyer seeks to end all existence in the name of their god, the Augmented become so machine-like and evil in the name of perfection they lose their souls, and the Vile Fleet are the deadliest militant arm of necromancers recorded in millennia! They are what I would consider as ‘not belonging’. As for you, you seem to have adjusted well. You seem to have made some good friends already, and young Nya seemed to speak quite highly of you when she told me about the summoned Moringu. So I think you ‘belong’, but the question I am wondering is ‘why’. Do you know how you came to be here?”

Jack hesitated for a moment. He had only just met this teacher and they were already asking him some rather pointed questions.

“I understand your trepidation, Jack.” Sparrel began slowly and reassuringly. “I would be worried too, however, I can help. As I said during the lesson, the arrival of an outsider isn’t a situation unique to you, though it is exceedingly rare, and not limited to Heroes and Demon Lords. Unravelling the mystery could help you get answers, or possibly reverse the process if you wish.”

“Well…” Jack wasn’t sure how much he could trust this guy, but he figured that if anyone could help him understand why he was here and how he could get back to his family, it was likely the former Starseeker.

So he told the teacher everything.

Mr Sparrel hummed in thought as Jack finished. “It is curious that the church of Astara received a vision. High Priestess Cornelia is honourable and I know her well, so I have no doubt she answered your questions to the best of her ability; however, Astara herself will know more if she deigns to speak with you. That doesn’t necessarily mean you are a hero however, as the ones I know started out well aware of the process.” He pursed his beak as he contemplated something. “As for the location you appeared in, any symbols or residual signs of a summoning will make themselves apparent to those that know how to find them. Do you have a commlink?” The teacher asked, still in thought.

Jack reluctantly gave his device to the teacher, who tapped away before handing it back. “I’ve just given you the coordinates to a remote district that houses a friend of mine, an oracle. It’s a tough trip for those that can’t handle themselves, but if you ever find yourself there, you can probably get some answers. I myself will speak to some contacts of mine more knowledgeable in the subject. If I have anything else for you, I’ll be sure to let you know next class! Now off you go! Mrs Schlart is not known for her patience with latecomers!”