Chapter 13: Chapter 12: Herta Space Station
Herta Space Station, Outer Anchorage
The Radiance glided like a weary yet still elegant silver comet into the colossal, ring-shaped main port of Herta Space Station. Its streamlined form was precisely captured by the anti-gravity berth's tractor beams. With a resounding clunk of magnetic locks, the perilous journey found a temporary end.
Beneath the immense docking bay dome, a dazzling interstellar symphony unfolded: Ships of all sizes navigated invisible guide beams like notes on a cosmic score; holographic navigation tags flowed like liquid constellations, constantly updating complex routing data; a diverse array of beings – human engineers striding purposefully, tentacled Borisin merchants haggling with animated gestures, maintenance Automatons gliding across decks with blinking warning lights. The air carried a blend of ozone tang, sterile disinfectant, and the deeper, almost palpable hum of immense power cores.
**Ester's Arrival**
Ester emerged from the airlock. His silver-white Knight armor gleamed under the station's bright lights. Despite preliminary cleaning, the fine but deep scratches and the stubborn, faintly acrid scent of alien energy residue clinging to the seams spoke volumes of the recent brutal conflict. A stark contrast to the serene aura of the Knights of Beauty's core, a deep weariness and bowstring-taut vigilance lurked behind his ice-blue eyes. Each step on the polished metal deck rang with a soft, resolute echo.
"Ester! Over here!" A bright, genuinely pleased voice cut through the port's din.
Astral Express Station Master, Herta, hurried forward. Her tailored deep-blue uniform accentuated her stature, and data streams scrolled rapidly across the electronic pad she held. Her smile wasn't polite protocol, but the warm, concerned expression of seeing an old friend.
"Sounded urgent over comms. Must've been a hard push to get here! A top-tier regeneration suite is prepped and ready. Arlan's leading the med-team personally." She reached out naturally, lightly touching Ester's armored forearm – a small gesture of support.
"Herta. Always imposing on you." Ester's voice was low and sincere. Facing this station master, whose trust was built on the Knights' reputation and past collaboration, he allowed a fraction of his guard to lower. His gaze shifted past Herta to the man standing like bedrock behind her – Arlan. The Head of Security remained his usual iron-hard self, clad in specialized black security gear, his prominent mechanical arm joints gleaming coldly. His sharp eyes swept over Ester and the medical pod being wheeled out behind him. He gave Ester a curt nod. No words were needed; the steady gaze conveyed, *"Leave it to me."* He turned, issuing crisp commands: "Sector B-7. Priority Med-Channel. Highest clearance." The medical team moved with swift efficiency, taking Lyca away.
Herta watched them vanish into the access tunnel before turning back to Ester with a relieved sigh. "Come on. The 'Busy Big Shot of the Genius Society' knows you're coming. She's already waiting in her 'Playroom' – the usual spot, Collection Room 3. Seems to be in a... decent mood today?" Her tone held a familiar blend of resignation and wry amusement.
**Encounter on the Rails**
Navigating the city-artery-like main concourse once more, they boarded a high-speed shuttle elevator. Just as Herta swiped her access and the doors began to close, another elevator nearby slid open silently. The two figures who emerged instantly drew Ester's attention.
The woman leading possessed a presence as deep and warm as the cosmos itself, her fiery red hair like burning nebulae. Her tailored engineer's attire was both practical and uniquely elegant. Beside her stood a man radiating a mountain's steadiness. Intelligent, calm eyes peered from behind glasses, and the distinctive design of the cane in his hand seemed to hum with latent power. Beyond them, visible through the vast, curved observation dome, a ship of unmistakable style rested in its dedicated berth. Sleek silver and blue lines, an immense prow that seemed to drink starlight, and emblazoned on its hull, the unmistakable emblem of an infinite track – the Astral Express. It sat silently, yet exuded the vast aura of a vessel that bridged worlds and pioneered the unknown. Small maintenance bots scurried around its base.
"Miss Himeko, Mr. Welt. Just back?" Herta greeted them warmly, clearly familiar with the Express crew.
The woman called Himeko turned. Her gaze swept over Ester, taking in his iconic armor, the bloodstained edge of his cloak, and his unique bearing. Surprise flickered in her eyes, swiftly replaced by pure appreciation and respect.
"Indeed, Station Master Herta. A short stellar survey run," her voice was melodious, like a clear spring. "And this... if I'm not mistaken, is Captain Ester of the Knights of Beauty? An honor to finally meet you." Her eyes, brimming with intelligence and the zeal of exploration, held Ester's. He felt the pure, resilient, connective energy of the Trailblaze Path radiating from her – an instinctive sense of kinship.
Ester bowed slightly, executing a fluid, powerful knight's salute. "The honor is mine, Miss Himeko, Mr. Welt. The journeys of the Astral Express rank among the cosmos's most stirring epics. The Trailblaze Path walked by the Nameless – connecting civilizations, exploring the unknown – resonates deeply with the Knights of Beauty's creed to safeguard the pure beauty within the star sea." His words held sincere respect for the Trailblazer ideal.
Welt adjusted his glasses, nodding with the weight of experience. "You honor us, Captain. The Express merely follows paths laid by pioneers. It is the Knights who stand as bulwarks against the dark, guarding the hope and potential for beauty in countless souls, whose conviction and sacrifice command profound respect." His knowledge of the Knights' history and ethos was evident.
Himeko's smile warmed like sunlight. "Your words hearten fellow travelers, Captain. Though..." Her keen gaze noted the marks on Ester's armor and the gravity etched on his brow. "...your visit seems more than a social call? Should the Express's aid be needed along paths that cross in this sea of stars, consider it offered freely. Serendipity binds us." Ester felt the genuine warmth of this Trailblazer's offer. He nodded candidly. "Urgent matters indeed require discussion with Madam Herta. Your kindness is deeply appreciated, Miss Himeko. The Knights remember their allies. May the light of the Trailblaze ever guide your voyage to uncharted shores."
"And may the star rails guide you, Captain, to the answers you seek," Himeko offered sincerely. After this brief, respectful exchange, the groups parted at the elevator junction. Herta led Ester onward.
**The Genius's Lair**
Heavy alloy doors, etched with complex energy conduits, slid open without a sound. A wave of air washed over them – ancient dust, strange preservatives, the radiation of high-energy minerals, and the indefinable scent of potent energies – the signature of Herta's Collection Room 3.
It was less a room, more a gallery of cosmic grotesqueries: A colossal cylindrical vat held the preserved, multi-eyed, multi-limbed horror of a "Xianzhou Luofu Devouring Eel," its nerve clusters twitching faintly; a "Void Flint" core, suspended in a force field, pulsed with vision-warping, ominous darkness; in a corner, massive stone slabs covered in spiral etchings, relics of a lost civilization, exuded desolation. Harsh lighting rendered everything both mystifying and faintly unsettling, reflecting the collector's obsessive zeal.
At the room's heart, draped with improbable languor upon a slowly rotating, suspended stellar ring-shaped seat, sat a figure clad in intricate Lolita finery – the Herta puppet. Her slender legs swung idly. Eyes crafted from pure violet crystal, holding swirling microcosms within, locked onto Ester the moment he entered, blazing with naked, acquisitive curiosity.
"*Tch.* Look what the cosmic winds blew in?" A voice, distinctly electronic yet brimming with mischief, sarcasm, and a touch of deliberate provocation, resonated directly in Ester's mind. Herta.
"If it isn't our dear Knight Captain, scourer of half the galaxy for his misplaced 'Aesthetic Ideal'? Did Idrila finally grace you with an apparition out of sheer annoyance, or have you stumbled upon some new 'scrap metal' vaguely piquing my interest?" Her greeting was vintage Herta: barbed, irreverent towards divine matters.
Ester, long accustomed to her style, strode directly to the puppet, ignoring the floating oddities. His gaze burned into those violet stars. "Madam Herta. I require your intellect. I seek collaboration."
"Collaboration?" The puppet 'sat up' slightly (mostly an illusion created by the seat). The violet eyes flared with intense light.
"Let's be clear upfront. Those 'Star-Blessed Pebbles' you brought last time? Occupying prime display real estate and contributing precisely *squat* to my Simulated Universe model! My time is a finite, *precious* resource!" She deliberately drew out the last word, a familiar complaint laced with teasing.
"The 'stake' this time will interest you." Ester's voice was iron, carrying undeniable weight. "I offer unrestricted, deep research access to the Aegis of Poralgis. Duration: Until you deem your understanding complete."
The air seemed to freeze.
The puppet went utterly still. The light in the violet eyes shifted instantly from mockery to the incandescent heat of supernova-grade curiosity.
"...*That* shield?" Her electronic voice held an uncharacteristic tremor.
"The Aegis inscribed with the core tenets of the Path of Beauty? The one said to refract the breath of Destruction, deflect the arrows of The Hunt, even briefly shield against the gaze of Remembrance? *That* Aegis of Poralgis? And you're finally willing to *bargain* with it?" Her consciousness felt like a voracious scanner, already probing the distant artifact on Lucerius. "Last time, you guarded it tighter than your own life! Wouldn't even let me run a harmless spectral scan!"
"It currently safeguards another world," Ester's voice was low. "But I pledge this: Once this matter is resolved, I will personally escort it to the Station and place it in your hands. Its material composition, energy conduits, the intrinsic imprints of Beauty's Law within its core, its unique resonance frequency with Idrila's divine power... Are these not sufficient to transform the crude sketch of 'Beauty' within your Simulated Universe into a fully realized, living hologram?" His words were a scalpel, slicing directly to the heart of Herta's deepest desire.
*(Herta's Internal Monologue: Sharp intake of simulated breath! The Aegis! Full access! What cosmic-scale trouble has this knight stumbled into?!... But... it IS compelling. Deconstructing that shield is like acquiring a fragment of Idrila's source code. Not only perfect replication of her form and power within the Simulated Universe, but potentially modeling the energy dispersal pattern at the moment of her fall... analyzing the Path of Beauty's stability post-Aeon disappearance... This key is practically custom-forged for my research. Intriguing.)*
"Deal!" The puppet 'shot upright' (the seat obligingly rose). A mental snap echoed loudly. The violet light in her eyes threatened to solidify. "Ester! You've finally developed a shred of sense! Now, spill it. What cataclysmic secret drives the Knight Captain to pawn his 'Sacred Shield'?" Her tone vibrated with eager anticipation.
**The Hunter Revealed**
"Intelligence," Ester stated without preamble. He described the terrifying figure from Caelus's memory shard with the precision of courtroom testimony: Encountered deep within the icy wreck of a derelict starship. Clad head-to-toe in deep grey, razor-edged, streamlined armor, joints hinting at internal blue energy glow. Head a featureless, expressionless silver-white metal faceplate scrolling cold data. Most chilling: the eyes – not biological orbs, but two unwavering beams of soul-chilling, icy-blue optical sensors. The inhuman, purely combat-engineered presence, and the palpable aura of intense wariness and bone-deep fear emanating from Caelus's memory, were conveyed clearly. "I need this entity's identity, its affiliation, and its true purpose in contacting the Knights."
The puppet fell silent. The starlight in the violet eyes transformed into cascading data waterfalls. Only the gurgle of the vat and the low thrum of energy fields filled the room.
After a moment, Herta's voice returned, laced with a "called it" smugness and deeper analytical zeal:
"Hmph... Deep grey, sharp angles, silver data-mask, constant blue optics... reeking even through memory of burnt circuits and machine oil..." Her electronic tone pinpointed the target. "No doubt. The craziest lunatic among that pack of Star Hunters – **Sam**."
She paused, the information stream carrying the weight of unearthed secrets:
"His 'pedigree,' however, is ancient history. According to... *unconventional* sources... this construct likely originated from the long-vanished military empire – **Glamoth**." Her tone turned colder, brushing off historical dust. "Legends say Glamoth's **Iron Cavalry** were highly mechanized, fanatical believers in absolute force, efficiency-driven engines of war. They fought countless battles during the Swarm Disaster."
"Sam's combat patterns, energy signatures, even that emotionless, ice-cold efficiency – they match Glamoth Iron Cavalry archival data perfectly. He is likely one of the very few (perhaps the *only*) Iron Cavalry remnants to 'escape' Glamoth's collapse. Somehow reactivated and acquired by the Star Hunters, becoming their sharpest blade."
"Power level? Conservatively, **Emanator**-tier. Specializes in channeling and unleashing terrifying energy bursts. Destructive potential... sufficient to scour the surface civilization from a small planet in a short timeframe."
Ester frowned slightly. A relic of Glamoth's Iron Cavalry – this origin carried far more weight than a mere berserker, implying vastly greater combat experience and destructive potential. An ultimate weapon forged by a fallen empire, now wielded by the Star Hunters...
"Purpose?" Herta's voice dripped with her trademark disdain for grand narratives. "The Star Hunters operate in shadows, their logic often inscrutable. They are widely believed to be enacting the prophecies of the Aeon of **Finality**, that entity forever chanting 'All Things Return to Nothingness,' 'The Inevitable End.'"
"Sam, the pure weapon, contacting your fallen comrade? Ninety-nine point nine percent probability it involves a Stellaron. Either leveraging the 'Omen Knight's' troublesome power to seize or detonate a specific Stellaron, accelerating some star system's 'Finality,' or simply executing some inscrutable prophecy." Her contempt was palpable.
**The Pact Sealed**
"The Stellaron..." Ester mused internally. "I require verified intelligence on Sam and the Star Hunters' recent movements."
Herta's mental voice conveyed mild annoyance. "Tracking him is like finding a specific water molecule in the Quantum Sea. However... I will task the Station's deep-space sensor arrays. Priority scanning for anomalous energy signatures matching 'high-yield Void implosions' and all vessels exhibiting extreme stealth protocols and erratic, illogical trajectories. Findings will be packaged and forwarded to you promptly. Consider it... warranty service."
"As recompense," Ester stated, meeting Herta's research-obsessed gaze directly, "Upon Lyca's recovery, and once my immediate duties permit, I *will* personally deliver the Aegis of Poralgis to the Station. It will remain under your exclusive study for a mutually agreed, uninterrupted duration."
"Done! Shake on it! Pre-payment of intel granted! Herta always honors her bargains!" The puppet's voice was jubilant, the seat spinning excitedly.
"Also... given your 'generosity,' a little parting gift. Save you buzzing around the cosmos like a lost drone." A nearby mechanical arm extended smoothly, offering an object.
It was a palm-sized prism, forged from matte black alloy, its structure unnervingly complex. Subtle energy patterns flowed across its surface. At its heart pulsed a core of shifting, deep blue crystal, swirling like a contained nebula, emitting a faint yet stable stream of information.
"'Hound' Prototype – Designation 'Tracker Alpha'," Herta announced with a hint of pride. "Don't let the name fool you; it doesn't bite (physically). Core is my latest-gen AI matrix, hardwired with high-sensitivity Void energy tracking and behavioral prediction algorithms specifically designed for high-threat combatants."
"It actively scans and analyzes spatial residue for anomalous energy spectra, locks onto the subspace wake signatures of specific targets, cross-references with vast stellar cartography databases *and* the Station's 'Stellaron Anomaly Hotspot' feeds, predicting their most probable hideouts and next moves." It was a cutting-edge fusion of AI, spatial mapping, energy detection, and tactical foresight.
Ester took the Tracker Alpha. It was cool and heavy in his grasp. He could feel the faint, living pulse of information emanating from its core crystal. This was more than a tool; it was a silent, deadly hunting companion. "This is invaluable, Herta. I owe you."
"Owe me? Just tack it onto the Aegis research time!" The puppet's attention was already fully consumed by a nearby, shape-shifting blob of exotic energy fluid, scanning beams eagerly bathing it. "Alright, deal done! Don't let the door hit you on the way out! Notify me *immediately* when the Aegis arrives. Patience isn't my strong suit." Her voice crackled with the thrill of a new project and clear dismissal.
Departure
Ester offered no further words, turning his back on the bizarre chamber of wonders, secrets, and Herta's capricious genius. On the path back to the docks, he encountered Herta once more, waiting.
"Mr. Lyca's condition is slightly better than projected," Herta offered a reassuring smile. "Deep cellular regeneration and neural reconnection are progressing smoothly. Arlan remains stationed outside Medical. Estimated time to basic mobility: ten days. The Station is the best sanatorium. Please, rest assured."
"Herta. Arlan..." Ester stopped, his ice-blue eyes filled with profound gratitude. "This debt will not be forgotten by the Knights of Beauty. When stability returns, it will be repaid."
No more needed to be said. Ester strode up the Radiance's ramp.
The ship disengaged from its berth with elegant grace, a silver fish slipping into the fathomless star sea. Alone on the spacious bridge, Ester stood before the panoramic viewport. The colossal Herta Space Station dwindled into a cluster of bright pinpricks. Further out, the Astral Express rested, a beacon of boundless exploration and hope. In his hand, Herta's Tracker Alpha pulsed with a cool, guiding azure light – a lodestar in the dark.
"Main Control," Ester's voice cut through the bridge's silence, cold and resolute as drawn steel, yet carrying the faintest echo of warmth left by the Express's blessing.
"Integrate Tracker Alpha Core. Authorization Level Alpha. Set course: Initial high-probability activity zone indicated by its energy trace model – periphery of the Shattered Star Abyss. Engage Protocol Three. Full stealth mode. Maximum power."
The Radiance*'s thrusters flared, expelling a far denser, fiercer beam of deep blue plasma than before. The great vessel seemed to dissolve into the starlight itself, transforming into a silent, silver specter. It plunged resolutely forward, piercing the deeper, perilous darkness ahead. The lights of the Station and the Express vanished astern, like pearls sinking into an ocean abyss, marking the end of a brief respite, the forging of alliances, and the acquisition of vital tools. A hunt spanning the star sea, targeting the shadow of Finality itself, had now truly begun.