Nucleus 1: The Dust of Moon [Mature Sci-fi Romance]

13:35, March 20, 2295

Medical Bay, DSS Isazi, Earth Orbit (En route to Yosemite)

The first thing Jabari noticed when consciousness returned wasn't the soft hum of the Isazi's life support systems or the gentle sway that meant they were still in space. It was the absence of pain.

His eyes opened to the familiar green-tinted lighting and ebony black walls of the ship's medical bay, though everything felt strangely muted, as if he were seeing the world through frosted glass. Dr. Celine Kamara sat in a chair beside his bed, her Solar-enhanced hands still glowing faintly with healing energy.

"You've recovered quickly" she said, her voice carrying both relief and exhaustion. "A strong mind in a strong body."

"Thank you, madam." Jabari tried to sit up, but his body felt disconnected, sluggish. The last clear memory he had was the Moondust Crystal shard burning through his mind like molten metal, its consciousness pressing against his thoughts while he tried to control the Radi-Mons around Fuuka and himself. Everything after that was fragments: Prince Laurent's face, the sensation of falling, Wilhelm's voice, Ume's voice—.

"Ume," he said immediately, his voice hoarse. "Is she—"

"She's fine," Celine assured him, helping him sit up against the pillows. "Exhausted, but fine. Android's recovery capabilities are superhuman."

Relief flooded through him, followed immediately by another concern. "And Fuuka?"

Celine's expression grew somber. "Still unconscious. The Crystal's influence hit her harder than it did you. She used it first, after all." She paused, studying his eyes with a doctor's intensity. "How do you feel? Any lingering whispers, visions, compulsions?"

Jabari took mental inventory. There was something—a faint echo at the edges of his thoughts, like the memory of a song he couldn't quite recall.

CUSTODIAN OF PROGRESS... KEEPER OF BALANCE...

THE DUST OF MOON…THE OCEAN OF MINDS…

But it was distant, manageable. "Nothing severe. Just echoes."

"It should pass after a few hours." Celine said, her tone still cautious. "The fragment you used was small enough that the psychological integration shouldn't cause permanent damage."

"That's…good." Jabari managed.

Celine stood, checking readings on a medical scanner. "The physical healing was straightforward. My Solar energy works well on Crystal-induced trauma. But the mental aspects..." She shook her head. "the data obtained from Ume's brain discussed little about those."

"I'd like to see them, ma'am." Jabari said, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. The movement made his head spin slightly, but his body responded normally. "Ume and Fuuka."

"I expected as much," Celine replied with a small smile. "Ume hasn't left Fuuka's bedside since we got you both stabilized. I think she's been waiting for you to wake up."

The medical bay's adjoining recovery room was dimly lit, with warm yellow lighting cast across the ebony walls. Jabari found Ume sitting in a chair beside Fuuka's bed, her posture perfectly still in that uniquely android way. She wore her combat suit, though the armor panels had been removed for cleaning, leaving just the form-fitting undersuit that made her appear smaller, more vulnerable.

The Sand Lotus priestess lay unconscious on the medical bed, her breathing steady but her face pale. Monitoring equipment beeped softly, displaying vitals that Jabari couldn't interpret but which seemed stable enough.

"She has not awakened since our battle with the Dragonfort," Ume said without turning around. "I've reviewed the Moondust data in Seydou's notepad, and believe the Crystal's influence has created a feedback loop in her psionic pathways. Recovery time uncertain."

There was something in Ume's voice, a flatness that was such precise diction one could tell she was supressing emotions.

"How long have you been sitting here?" Jabari moved closer, asking.

"Five hours, forty-three minutes," she replied immediately. Then, after a pause: "I calculated that if our positions were reversed, she would have maintained vigil as well. It seemed... appropriate."

Jabari settled into the chair on the bed's other side, studying Fuuka's peaceful face. The woman who had awakened his psionic abilities, who had first seen him naked and been intimate with, who had risked herself to save Amir from the Crystal's burden, who had then used that same Crystal to try to save them all.

"This is my fault," he said, shoulder slumped.

Ume's head turned toward him, her amber eyes reflecting the room's warm lighting. "The mission parameters changed during execution. Blame allocation serves no productive purpose."

"If I hadn't given that shard to Skarn—"

"You saved me." The words came out sharp. "Without that action, I would have been slain.

"But then…the Sand Lotus would never have needed to do any of this. The mission we just survived would never have happened."

"Jabari…" Was all Ume could say.

Before either of them could continue, the medical bay doors hissed open with more force than necessary. Amir Talwar strode in, his warstaff clenched in one hand, his handsome, sun-tanned face a mask of barely controlled fury.

"It was a long trip from Venus for us," he said, pointing at Jabari with his free hand. "Get away from Fuuka."

"Amir." Jabari stood slowly, placing himself between Amir and the bed. "I know you're upset—"

"Upset?" Amir's voice cracked like a whip. "My beloved lies unconscious because she took on a burden meant for me, to save a man who chose an android over his mission, over his duty, over everything that should matter!"

The words hit Jabari like physical blows. He felt Ume tense behind him, her chair creaking as she rose.

Ume said nothing, moving to stand beside Jabari rather than behind him. It was a small gesture, but one that placed her between potential conflict and her... what was Jabari to her, exactly? Partner? Friend? Something else he couldn't yet name?

Amir's eyes flicked to her, and his expression grew even darker. "Step away, android. Do you have any idea what protecting you has taken from real people?"

"Stop," Jabari said, stepping forward. But Amir wasn't finished.

"She subjected herself to intimacy with another man to spare me the Crystal's corruption." Amir continued, his voice rising. "And then she used that cursed artifact herself because you—because both of you—forced the situation to spiral beyond control!"

The accusation hung in the air like smoke. Jabari felt the truth of it settling in his chest, a weight that had nothing to do with Crystal influence. Every choice he'd made trying to protect Ume had created ripples, consequences that touched people he'd never intended to hurt.

"You're right," Jabari said quietly.

Amir had been preparing for another verbal assault, but Jabari's admission seemed to deflate him slightly.

"I am?"

"Fuuka's here because of my choices. The mission went wrong because I prioritized Ume over strategic objectives. I can't undo that." Jabari glanced back at Ume, whose expression was unreadable. "But I won't apologize for saving her life."

"Even if it costs others theirs?" Amir demanded.

"Even then—"

But Jabari didn't finish before Amir let his warstaff rest against the wall. The Djinno man surged forward, his strong hand forming a fist as he punched right into Jabari's gut.

Jabari let out a pained groan as he doubled over.

"Jabari!" Ume's voice rang out.

"It's an affront to Buddha to strike one's comrade," Amir said as he withdrew his fist, but it was clear the strike wasn't the last. "But you, someone who let his heart rule, are no comrade of mine!"

"You want a fight? Have it!" Rage, survival instinct, and his military training all taking over, Jabari shot back as he straightened, pain suppressed, fists raised.

Amir lunged forward, throwing a right cross that Jabari barely managed to deflect with his forearm. The impact sent shockwaves up his arm—Amir was stronger than he'd expected. Jabari countered with a quick jab toward Amir's ribs, but the Sand Lotus warrior twisted away, the blow glancing off his side.

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They circled each other in the confined space between medical beds, both men breathing hard. Amir feinted left, then drove his elbow toward Jabari's temple. Jabari ducked under it and came up with an uppercut that caught Amir in the solar plexus, making him grunt and stagger back.

But Amir recovered quickly, grabbing Jabari's extended arm and using his momentum to throw him against the wall. Jabari's shoulder struck the ebony paneling with a dull thud, medical equipment rattling on nearby shelves.

"Stop this!" Ume's yell was audible above their heavy breathing.

"Too late for that…" Amir pressed his advantage, throwing a combination of punches.

"Get to safety, Ume!" Jabari blocked the first two but the third caught him across the jaw, snapping his head to the side.

As he stumbled, Amir muttered something in Devavāṇī under his breath—"Tejasvi Āghāta!"—and his next punch blazed with golden Solar energy.

The psionic-enhanced blow caught Jabari completely off-guard, slamming into his ribs with the force of a sledgehammer. He gasped, the wind knocked out of him, and dropped to one knee.

Just as Jabari relented, his head lowered, panting and evidently losing, Amir prepared to deliver a heavy punch from above. This time, however, Ume stepped right in front of Jabari. Using both hands, she caught Amir's descending fist. Despite Ume's petite form, she managed to stop Amir's punch completely, the strength in her small android body extremely surprising.

"I won't let you hurt Jabari," Ume said, her form not moving an inch as she held Amir in place.

"Da-Ji models have strength like this?" Amir's brown eyes widened, his forehead where his black bindi sat creasing in surprise.

Before Ume could respond, another voice cut through the tension.

"That's enough!"

Elder Thorin Hǫggsson stood at the doorway, his presence immediately changing the room's dynamic. The old Sand Lotus warrior stood in the warm lighting, shadows cast over his wheat-hued features and silver facial hair.

"Elder Thorin…" Amir looked to Thorin, his fist still caught in Ume's grip. "Fuuka's pain…I demand satisfaction!"

"Amir, your grief is understandable, but this serves no purpose," Thorin said, stepping into the room. "Fuuka made her choices as a warrior and as a woman who loves you. Honor that. Do not diminish it with blame."

Amir's shoulders sagged. "She shouldn't have had to choose."

"No," Thorin agreed. "But she did. And now we must choose how to move forward." He looked at Jabari. "You've done well retrieving the Crystal fragment. If you wish, I can offer you training in deeper Solar psionics. The awakening Fuuka gave you is only the beginning."

"You'd what?"

"I'm saying your talents could be put to better use." Thorin suggested. "Perhaps when the time allows, we can discuss your career and future—"

Before he could answer, the medical bay doors opened again, and Prince Laurent N'Guessan entered with grace, his curly long hair fluttering.

"I heard raised voices," Laurent said, his gaze taking in the tableau—Amir with his warstaff, Thorin's imposing presence, Jabari and Ume standing together beside Fuuka's bed. "I trust we're not about to lose valuable allies to infighting?"

"Prince Laurent," Thorin inclined his head respectfully. "Your young Jabari isn't half bad in a scrap."

"I'm sure." Laurent's smile was polite but predatory. "Though I'm afraid his services will be needed for more immediate concerns." He moved closer to Fuuka's bed, studying the unconscious woman with what might have been genuine concern. "The situation has evolved."

"Sir?" Jabari asked as he rose back up.

"Have Celine look over that minor injury of yours before we walk to the dining hall." Laurent said, his voice carrying an odd anticipation, "I'll be leading the Yosemite mission personally. And I have a feeling we're going to need every advantage we can get."

13:55, March 20, 2295

The Mess Hall, DSS Isazi, Earth Orbit (En route to Yosemite)

The Isazi's mess hall carried the same warm ambiance Jabari remembered from their time Outpost Tumi. The verdant green lighting, the ebony walls, and the long dining table sets. But where that previous gathering had been about lamenting Ologuns who perished and welcoming Ume a new member, this felt more like a war council disguised as a meal.

The spread was unusually elaborate, more feast than standard ship's rations. Rich oxtail stew with root vegetables steamed in large bowls, mountains of fufu and pounded yam sat alongside perfectly grilled tilapia glazed with pepper sauce. Golden plantains fried to perfection filled one platter, while bowls of groundnut soup that smelled like home were placed at each setting.

"Better than orange wine before a mission," Wilhelm was already seated at his usual spot, pouring himself steaming Rooibos tea before Ume went on to do so for everyone at the table, as if the fist fight at the med bay had never happened.

"Earth imports?" Jabari asked.

"Keeps the mind sharp, settles the stomach." Wilhelm said before taking a sip. "My ouma always said it had protective properties."

Jabari sat beside Wilhelm, noting how Ume quietly ensured his plate stayed full despite the lingering ache in his ribs from Amir's Solar-enhanced punch. He struggled with properly forming the fufu into the right consistency for dipping, but Ume helped him do it quickly and precisely.

"I've updated my databases with the recent readings I've done in the Direcorate Cultural Archives," she said before taking her seat at the far end of the table.

Did she research that specifically for me? Jabari thought to himself.

In the next minute, their hands briefly touched when she passed him the groundnut soup. He remembered their dishwashing scene that felt like it had happened years ago rather than weeks. The contact lasted perhaps a second longer than necessary.

Laurent sat at the head of the table. Celine had remained in the medical bay with Fuuka, while Amir sat at the opposite side, pointedly avoiding eye contact with Jabari. Thorin took the seat next to Amir, a buffer against further conflict.

"We're eating better today," Jabari said, trying to ease the tension.

"That was the intention," Laurent replied, cutting into his tilapia with deliberate care. "When we reach Yosemite, we may not have another opportunity for a proper meal. Consider this a last taste of civilization before we enter the wilderness."

"Speaking of Yosemite," Wilhelm said, gesturing with his fork, "have we heard anything from the GSR? Last reports suggested they let both the Imperium and the Alliance in."

"Chairman Kofi sent words. Our diplomats have convinced Executiuve Reeves to grant entrance." Laurent said. "Seems the man is willing to side with anyone able to get their hands on the Moondust shard."

Before anyone could ask what he meant, the wall-mounted television suddenly switched from routine ship status updates to a breaking news alert. The Atomic News Network logo flashed red across the screen.

"ATOMIC NEWS ALERT: IMPERIAL DRAGONFORT UNDER ATTACK ABOVE CALIFORNIA"

Conversations at the table ceased. Jabari's fork stopped halfway to his mouth as the screen showed orbital footage of a massive Imperial battlecruiser—one they'd literally fought just hours earlier—being torn apart by what looked like a living cloud of Radi-Mons.

The camera zoomed in, revealing hundreds of Sky Shredders swarming the vessel like angry wasps, their acidic attacks eating through the hull plating. Massive pale blue worms burst from the ground below, their ice-breath creating crystalline explosions that shattered entire sections of the burning ship.

"That's the Dragonfort Shūn-Huáng…" Celine's voice came from the doorway where she'd appeared, drawn by the alert, approaching Jabari's table.

"Carrying the Moondust Crystal to Yosemite, it appears," Laurent said, stroking his chin. "Were they convinced they have impunity?"

The news anchor's voice filled the room: "—unprecedented coordinated assault by what military analysts believe to be Fenris forces and an unidentified Radi-Mon horde local to Yosemite. The Dragonfort appears to be breaking apart—"

"I doubt that's a local horde." Laurent said as his utensil paused on his plate, his eyes focused on the giant blue worms. "Hmm. Could be those man-made packs fromm that Jovian moon, Europa."

"The Jokull." Celine nodded grimly as she took a seat opposite Jabari, her fork digging into what Ume had already prepared orderly on her plate.

As they ate and watched, something massive detached from the disintegrating vessel's core. It was easily the size of multiple building floors, crystalline and pulsing with an ethereal blue glow that was visible even through the orbital camera's filters.

"Is that—" Wilhelm started.

"The Moondust Crystal itself," Laurent confirmed, his eyes bright with sudden interest. "So Prefect Dilinur lost control of her prize."

The Crystal tumbled through the air like a falling star, its surface blazing with energy as it plummeted toward the Yosemite wilderness. The camera tracked its descent until it disappeared behind the mountain ranges that surrounded the valley.

"That changes everything," Wilhelm murmured. "If the Crystal is just sitting in Yosemite..."

"We're not just hunting fragments anymore." Laurent said, leaning forward. "The main prize is in play."

Ume had been looking between others throughout the meal, but now she focused specifically on Jabari. "Your heart rate has increased by forty percent."

Jabari realized he was gripping his fork hard enough to leave sweat marks in the metal.

"Our goal has always been the Crystal," Celine explained. "But now, instead of Osram's core, or Imperium's battlecruiser, it's sent right into Radi-Mon territory"

Amir spoke for the first time since sitting down. "At this point, if we're planning to seize the Crystal—a brute force approach won't suffice."

"We'll need every advantage," Laurent agreed. "Which brings me to the composition of our strike team."

He stood, moving to a wall display that showed tactical information about their destination. "Celine will remain on the Isazi to care for Fuuka. The rest of us—myself, Wilhelm, Jabari, Ume and Elder Thorin—will go into Yosemite. We secure the Crystal before the Radi-Mons can claim it."

"Or the Imperium and Alliance. Assuming either are present in there." Celine added before refocusing on her own meal.

"Wait," Jabari said, looking at Thorin. "He is joining us?"

"Indeed." Laurent turned to face Thorin with a smile. "He insisted on recommending himself."

Thorin inclined his head slightly. "We Sand Lotus possess techniques for mental fortification against psionic artifacts. If you're to confront the Crystal directly, you'll need protection against its influence."

"But what about Fuuka?" Jabari asked. "Shouldn't you stay with her?"

"Amir will remain on your ship to watch over her," Thorin replied, his deep green eyes reflecting the room's lighting. "My aim is to ensure the Crystal doesn't fall into the wrong hands. And," he glanced at Jabari intently, "that our new Solar psion uses his powers responsibly."

"Right." Jabari felt the challenge in the Sand Lotus Elder's words.

Amir looked up at Thorin. "What are my orders, Master?"

"If needed, coordinate strategies with Celine. Ready our Krypts and their Ologuns for deployment. Most importantly, monitor Fuuka's condition," Thorin said with precision. "Your emotional state makes you a liability right now. See that it recovers."

The words hit Amir like a physical blow, but he didn't argue.

"Then our team is set," Laurent continued. "Ume, once we're through the atmosphere, use what you know to navigate the Isazi through Yosemite. We do not want to end up Radi-Mon chow like the Imperium."

"I will." Ume replied tersely.

The ship suddenly lurched, throwing everyone against their seats. Wilhelm's tea splashed across the table as emergency klaxons began wailing.

"Anansi's arse—" Laurent started.

The intercom crackled to life with the bridge officer's panicked voice: "All hands, brace for impact! Prince Laurent, we've got incoming—something just breached Earth's atmosphere behind us!"

Through the viewports, they could see it—a massive shape wreathed in a mist of frost, following their descent trajectory with predatory precision.

"An enemy starship?" Jabari asked.

"No," Thorin said, his weathered face grave. "That's something far more dangerous."