It had been just over a year since the trio had begun training and things were going rather swimmingly. They’d also gotten notice of several reports of unidentified transport capsules bound for Earth from somewhere on the outer edge of the star system.

Speculations among the military were that they contained Separatists who were making their way to Earth as some kind of scouting unit. For the time being there was a public alert on Earth to keep watch for any suspicious objects falling from the sky. If any were found, they were to be immediately reported to the nearest government authorities.

Today was like any other at North City High at least in most ways. As the day drew into the afternoon Takaru and the others were hanging out in the hall between classes, Takaru was at his locker and while things seemed pretty normal to him. He noticed something strange, there was a new student but as much as Takaru wanted to be accepting of him he got the strangest feeling that this new student wasn’t as unassuming as he made himself to be.

He was dressed in black clothes with gold accents, his eyes looked around with a cold and calculating look. As he looked around Takaru could tell he was glaring daggers through everyone he looked at. During lunch a few students Takaru and the others knew, as well as the class bullies walked up and decided to start harassing him.

As Toushi and Hikari watched Toushi’s attention suddenly snapped to something, a faint but still slightly noticeable aura. One that didn’t seem too distantly removed from the aura they'd developed from their training.

“Hey Kari, there’s something weird about that guy. I’m getting weird vibes from him and I think I just caught a glimpse of an aura on him.” Toushi said as he pointed over to the fight. As the new boy began to fight Hikari noticed his punches briefly intensified the aura on impact like it was focusing itself to the point of impact on reflex rather than by his will.

The aura was a faint gold trace that glimmered with each strike. Takaru stood up and leapt across the room hopping over a few tables to interfere. When he got over to the pile he managed to push the two football players off the boy as he moved back to back with him.

“Calm down, there’s no need to fight. Let’s settle this situation peacefully.” TK said as he reached over and spun the boy around to face him. The boy followed through with a punch which railed TK straight in the jaw.

“Ouch.” Toushi said as he saw the punch land. Knowing just by the fact that this kid was actually displaying an aura that he was hitting a lot harder than those punk seniors. The boy reared back and belted off a volley of punches into the group knocking them all down.

“Peace is for the weak and the primitive. We are meant to fight our way up to survive, War is the fire that purges the impure and undeserving from the world. Don’t dare speak of peaceful resolution in my presence.” the boy said, his voice seeming to echo through the cafeteria. He looked down at TK who was making his way to his feet and as their eyes met TK felt the boy’s stare pierce through him as though he was looking straight into his soul.

“Hmm you seem to be different from these weaklings. I’ll meet you at a location of your choosing in single combat. You actually seem like a worthy challenge for someone like myself.” he declared as he turned back toward the crowd and made himself a path out.

------

A few days later Takaru met up with the boy at an empty warehouse on the outskirts of the industrial district knowing full well if this guy was as strong as he thought, a full tilt fight would likely cause a decent amount of collateral damage in a populated area.

As they squared off Hikari and the others watched on from the North City Air Force base via unmanned drone. TK began to stretch and prepare himself for the fight as he looked over at the boy who was giving him a death glare.

“Before we begin this it's only fitting I ask your name.” the boy said, a faint undertone of satisfaction filling his voice, seeming more intrigued by Takaru’s willingness to fight than his outward appearance would let on.

Takaru smirked and pulled back the sleeve of his shirt revealing a small brace with an elevated object where the face of the watch would typically be. He grabbed the object and pulled it off the brace as he raised it into the air.

Within seconds it was shrouded in white and blue energy as a faint afterimage looking almost like a dragon blinked into the view and a loud roar rumbled through the air.

“My name is Takaru Inara, and this is the Blue Dragon Blade.” he said as the small device enlarged to form a long sword with dragon carvings and an almost bluish steel blade.

“How fitting, I knew there was something out of the ordinary about you. So you’re the offspring of that bumbling fool Dozara my father’s had us looking for since we left Valin. I see you haven’t been slouching in preparations for our arrival either. I nearly got shot down during reentry and it probably would have killed me. It was rather difficult to come up with false proof of identity on this backwater rock.” he said as his face let a grin begin to form across it.

“So I take it your dad must be the head of the Separatists then. I had a suspicion you were casing the school, looking for weaknesses both in the building and in the people. That gives your little tirade earlier a bit more weight, a monster like him probably wouldn’t know peace.” TK replied as he drew his sword and began to make a charge at the boy.

The boy began to cackle thinking Takaru’s charge was futile as he leaned back and extended his hand into the air catching the blade with a set of retractable claws that extended from his outer forearm. “The name is Kouji Isagarra. Remember that.” he said as he leaped back to gain a bit of distance.

Hikari and Toushi watched on via the drone as Takaru and Kouji fought, while Takaru restrained himself from using the full power of his sword’s Knight Guard armor he could tell that in spite of Kouji lack of training in how to use spirit energy he still had a comparable aura to them.

“Hmm it looks like he’s got an electrical affinity.” Anya said as she watched the video feed.

“Of course, though he’s still only exuding an aura due to the extent of his physical training. If he were actually able to use spirit energy he’d be an easy match for TK. That being said I do believe TK’s dad mentioned something about there being a long standing connection between their families on Valin.” she thought to herself as her mind drifted back to the memory of that discussion.

(“Our families have a pretty long lasting history back on Valin, since the dawn of modern society the Four Great Royal Houses ruled over their domains. The first and the oldest of the four was the Inara family but there’s a bit more to it than that. You see the Inara and one of the other houses share a common ancestry, the two of them having split off from the elder family due to them wanting to remain to themselves.

Originally the two of them, the Inara's and the Kosaharra clan’s descended from a larger family known as the Hisanarra clan who had relocated to Inara's former homelands because they needed the room for their people to grow and prosper. Over the years the Hisanarra family became split between those who sought power, resources and domination, and those who simply wanted to rule alongside their fellow people and allow a fair and just system of rule for the world.

It was that split in ideology that led to the families splitting apart. The Kosaharra family went to the northern lands while the Inara’s ruled the southern lands. Over many generations infighting between the two of them left bloodstains on their lands. It wasn’t until nearly a thousand years later that the other families emerged onto the scene.

From the eastern lands came the Isagarra clan, a family who ruled with honor and followed the way of the warrior. They were assertive but just people who tried to maintain the balance rather than tip it in favor of one or the other when they started the initiative to form the global council.

And finally from the western lands came the Nisaharra clan, a fiery and bold family who always spoke their minds and were honest to a fault. While they weren’t the most eager to join the council initiative. Their hesitation stemmed from their unwillingness to be considered equals with the Kosoharra clan. In the time leading up to the first attempt at forming the council they had instigated a few bloody battles between them which set back the establishment of a few key treaties needed to act as the backbone of the council.

As a piecemeal between the families of five strange people who had exhibited otherworldly powers.. not unlike what i’ve seen from Magia at times in my studies since we arrived on Earth. The five of them crafted weapons of magnificent power and according to the legends of the Hisanarra clan who watch over them to this day it's believed the weapons are still watched over by the spirits of those whose power they contain.

One weapon went to each family: two swords, a pair of guns and a pair of magical gauntlets. The swords were divided to the Inara’s and Kosaharra’s while the guns went with the Nisaharra clan and the gauntlets went to the Isagarra clan.

Each weapon was believed to be infused with a great elemental power. The two swords represented light and darkness while the guns embodied fire and ice while the gauntlets carried the power of Wind and Lightning.

It wasn’t known how they were crafted but most rumors point to a small sect of the Hisanarra clan which seemed to divide and assimilate into each of the four families to act as the guardians of the weapons. These members of the family weren’t originally members of the Hisanarra line, but rather they were believed to be the powerful beings who made the weapons. Seeing the sights of what you other Magia are capable of. I wouldn’t doubt that they may have been ancient magia of some kind but due to lack of information from that time period it's hard to tell.”)

I’ve been having my dad’s research team doing periodic looks through the archives of the old Shruria period since that seems to be the closest time period we could estimate by the data Dozara had submitted between his testimony and his ancestor Hayato’s journal which has a more expansive account due to his time spent among the Hisanarra’s descendants while he was training to wield the sword.

Nothing conclusive has come back yet but it's a known fact that due to the Great Expansion of that period there were several cases of Magia interacting with underdeveloped races in ways that were disallowed by their treaties with the Federation. Namely the clause that dealt with using advanced technology to take advantage of a lesser race for personal benefits.

(“The typical punishment involved stripping the offender of the lion's share of their powers and banishing them to a distant world. This Kouji fellow seems like he bears the same potential as TK and the others but with him being on the enemy side of things it seems like that may go to waste.”) Anya thought to herself as she watched the fight via monitoring drones.

As the fight continued it seemed like the two of them were at a stalemate. Kouji’s years of training helped him to make up for the difference between his and Takaru’s power level. Kouji smirked a bit as he jumped away from one of TK’s charges, noticing just from the gradual increase in collateral damage that they both seemed to be fighting with a decent amount of force.

“So I’m guessing you’re fighting full tilt then? Seeing as we don’t have any pitiful civilians around to get in our way I guess it makes sense that you’re bothering to fight with at least a decent amount of what you’re capable of. I can sense you’re holding back a bit mostly to gauge my strength but It is giving me a bit of insight into how you think.” Kouji said as he deflected a slash from Takaru’s sword.

“I take it you’re hardly a people person. You kinda struck me as the cold brutally analytical type. But there’s more to you than that, something you’re hiding or rather something that’s hidden from you.” Takaru said as he noticed something change about how Kouji seemed to be acting after that statement. It was as though something resonated in him and threw him off balance and broke his focus.

Takaru took advantage of this moment of distraction and charged forward delivering a powerful overhead slash that managed to break through the claws on Kouji’s gauntlets. Stopping short he pulled the sword back and stood there looking at Kouji who was rather awestruck that he’d managed to break the blades.

Suddenly a loud noise came from the airspace above them as a shuttlecraft came down and opened its bay doors. Takaru quickly inverted his grip on his sword and jabbed the pommel into Kouji’s forehead as a blast of spirit energy jutted into Kouji’s body.

“Hopefully this will help you wake up.” as he lifted the pommel of the sword away leaving a dragon indent in its place. Kouji staggered back toward the ship and boarded it. Takaru stood there and pulled out his communicator to make a quick call back to the base.

“HQ the ship that just showed up is a Separatist vessel but it looks to be unarmed. So let them leave, if nothing less I don’t want to seem like I personally allowed this to escalate by having them shot down.” he said as Commander Garrison passed on the order from base.

---

Aboard the shuttle

“He seems to think he knows more about this situation than what he appears.” Kouji hissed under his breath as he felt a slight burning sensation from his forehead. “That sword he wielded seemed kind of unusual like it was some new technology beyond what we have back on Valin. I’d guess it must be something Dozara must have developed in conjunction with those aliens that cohabitate on that world.” he continued as the ship breached the atmosphere.

A familiar voice rang across the intercom saying in a slightly playful tone “So it looks like we’ve got a clear shot out of here. That boy you were fighting with seems pretty strong for being the son of a scientist. Seems like he even managed to leave his mark on you, so to speak.” the voice said giggling as a viewing monitor off to the side of the room he was in came on showing the face of the speaker.

“You could say that Tali.” he dead panned, raising his bangs away from the mark so it would be visible to her. “He actually managed to total my gauntlets which is kinda surprising. By looking at him you couldn’t tell he was that strong, although he seemed to be exuding some strange energy that was amplifying his strength. I can only guess the advanced tech behind that weapon was the source of it.” he continued with a slight grin on his face.

Tallia “Tali” Evergrove was his third in command aboard their unit’s vessel the Amaterasu MK 4, the latest prototype in the separatist fleet. She was a skilled pilot, technician and all around useful member of the crew. Kouji had always kept an eye out for members of the different units to pull into his crew and she was one of his personal picks. When she wasn’t exerting her power aboard the ship as a head officer she also did extensive work on communications as her secondary role was executive communications engineering officer

In the time since they’d left Valin they were almost in perfect synch when it came to planning their mode of attack. Between the two of them they’d managed to sneak him onto Earth with little notice. Since she’d joined the crew they seemed to develop a rather close connection to each other. There had always been speculation among the crew that they were in some kind of relationship but of course no one was willing to address the issue seeing as he was the head of the unit.

It was a general rule that most members of the Separatist army were disallowed from getting involved in relationships with each other while in active duty due to it being believed to cloud rational judgement.

Kouji wouldn’t hesitate to admit he at least had a physical attraction to her if the situation were different. Her unique blend of intelligence and beauty is the thing that sticks out the most to him. While his analytical and tactful mind and fighting prowess are her big points of interest.

Lately things between them had been rather apparent. Prior to his departure he noticed a less than subtle attempt by her to flirt with him. While he brushed it off as his mind playing tricks on him at the time with the time spent off site thinking back on it, he realized it was genuine.

It made him wonder as he sat there aboard the small shuttle thinking to himself, “Is she resisting the hormone suppression systems built into their combat suits. It would be interesting to imagine the idea of people developing a resistance to them. After all I’ve heard the chems used in the system are a synthetic hormone inhibitor and enough exposure could result in developing one over time. Plus being that she’s an officer she’s not extensively required to wear the gear outside of actual combat protocol.” he pondered to himself as Tali sat there staring blankly into her monitor over the course of the long pause.

A smirk crossed her face as she leaned back in her chair in front of her communication console. She was located in her personal quarters and the communication was happening on an entirely private channel between them so none of the others would catch wind.

“Zzzip” went the zipper on the front of her uniform as she leaned back a little further letting her chest relax and sink forward into the opening left by the material loosening. Kouji’s ears perked up and he seemed to snap back to attention as the neckline of her uniform sank and began to give a view of her newly filled cleavage. The outfit normally shrinks them in toward the body using a special pressure retention system.

His eyes locked on them as a blush began to cross his face. “I guess that got your attention?” she said grinning from ear to ear. “It seems from your observations that society is back on that planet “Earth” I think it's called. Seems to be a lot more open minded than back on Valin under the Admiral. While I don’t mind the straight laced lifestyle I have to admit I find the idea of being able to be a bit more casual once in a while interesting as well. When you're back aboard I’ll give you a check over and tend to your gauntlets since that guy seemed to bang them up pretty badly.” he nodded and turned off the video feed.

“That confirms it, she’s fighting it off. Not that that’s a bad thing.” he thought to himself an equally wide grin crossing his face.

Separatist army troops are typically required to wear uniforms which have various systems equipped to them that serve purposes ranging from providing air purification to metabolism management. One of these subsystems includes a hormone suppression which is designed to reduce the production of sexual hormones and limit the urges of the wearer to prevent them being distracted from duty by sexual desires.

Normally when worn they form fit the wearer in such a way that they deemphasize the secondary sexual traits of the wearer more so on the female troops. Most common troops are expected to be in these uniforms or at least the internals of the uniform at all times.

Officers aboard ships are allowed to set policies that are contrary to this for their troops specifically but it is noted that during large combat only officers are allowed to wear non standard gear.

When the shuttle landed in the transport bay of the Amaterasu Kouji was greeted by the sight of his first mate Genichi Hissatsu who reported that it seemed as though he’d arrived with no signs of being followed.

“Hmm that’s a surprise. Either the shuttle was too small to track or they were held back by the order of an officer. But this does make an interesting turn of events. It may mean that the Inara boy has some sort of connections in the military since he was the only one present to give the order. I can’t be sure what his intentions are but it's as though he’s intentionally trying to avoid any direct confrontation.” Kouji thought to himself as he made his way to his quarters.