3 Time to get down

2,006,000 years later

Collisions were like the explosion of canons, the punches make Eastar slide meters before compose himself, staggered and could taste the sweet and loaded blue blood in his mouth. He knew his lip was cut, and probably his nose broken too — no news so far, but he refused to accept defeat.

— Come on, brat, enough. Your mother will fight me if you get passed out again. — His father shouted at him.

— No way!... Ouch! — He turned his nose into place. — I said it would be today. — He panted. — And it will be today!

Aros's laugh was booming.

— Very well then! I said it will take another million years before you hit me, and look, I'm being generous, but that's fine. — Held out his arms, inviting his son forward. — Come on! Come on!

Eastar go fast, sliding through space with his long black hair tossed back, he was moving fast even into his opponent's eyes.

Unlike his father, dressed in his dust armor, the boy thought lightness and speed were everything, so himself had made a simple gray overalls with the same material .

He advanced, believing in that speed, his right fist raised, determined to hit the old man in that smiling mouth that he displayed so much. The young star was glowing brightly, a warm bluish light that contained all his will in that attack.

A serious expression crossed Aros's face. That speed was beyond what he expected. Suddenly his son was already too close, and the commander barely had time to trim the punch with his left hand.

Regaining control, he raised his right fist with extraordinary force toward his son's chin, was time to knock out the brat. But Eastar could see his father's movement, leaned back, and the punch went right in front of his face.

The star, who now had his beard turning gray, allowed himself a small smile; he knew very well what his son would do before his body gave away the movement. A fight for him was a dance, and it wasn't about being stronger than his opponent, it was about knowing his timing. By understanding your dance, you would anticipate your movements. Eastar would learn this one day, Aros would make him learn.

The young man kept spinning and, in the blink of an eye, hit his knee in his father's face.

The commander was thrown back meters. When managed to hold again, he was staggering and blurred vision.

He didn't believe it for a while, knew what was coming, knew his son, and his timing, though wonderful to behold, was still predictable. But that speed didn't make sense, it was an abnormal impulse that didn't give him time to dodge. He looked at the young man, hiding the surprise on his face.

— Damn, brat. — He shook his head and held his mouth with one hand. – Yeah, looks like you finally got it.

— See? See? I got it! Just wait until mom knows that. Soon I'll be as strong as you, old man!

— Not even in your dreams.

But in fact he didn't know, the strength of that hit had surprised him as much as his son's speed, he wondered if the boy had inherited his strength beyond his mother's speed.

— Oh! That would be dangerous. — He put his thoughts into words without realizing it.

— What?

— Nothing. — The commander cut off, trying to change the subject. — Come on, or your mother will get my teeth out.

— Maybe she should, it would do good to your ego.

— Brat, you really know what to say to deserve a beating.

— Sorry, dad.

The young man smiled, and his father couldn't help laughing, it was amazing how his son remember him, despite his insolence and his mother's eyes. She had been right all along, as it usually did, that boy was a mix of they two.

Even though she had been around humans a lot after Eastar was born, it was still a very funny feeling to have a child. He put his arm around the young man's shoulder, and they moved quickly to where his wife was waiting.

***

— Hello, you two! — Luriel opened his arms to the newcomers.

She looked at her son, his hair would come close to his waist if it wasn't floating in space, it was messy and full of knots. She sighed, and the happy expression almost became a moan.

— Eastar, I think we could cut your hair.

— No. Don't start this hair story again, I have something much more important to tell.

— Really? So tell me, how was the beating session today?

— It's training mom! — Eastar rolled his eyes, having to repeat for the millionth time, but remembered the main subject and grinned. — The old man got it today!

Luriel looked surprised at Aros.

— Is that serious?

— Yeah. That brat managed to hit me after all. One knee only, but impressed me a little.

— You got dizzy! — Eastar said, outraged

— I pretended to be dizzy for you to be happy.

— Yeah, I'll pretend to believe it.

They leaned their foreheads defiantly and with fierce smiles on their faces.

— Boys, stop it, please, looks like a hundred thousand years' stars.

— Isn't that the age of this brat? — The commander said, patting his son's head without disengaging his.

— And you have an eternity! — The boy replied, facing his father firmly.

— It just makes me more experienced, boy.

— Could be... — Luriel told herself.

She was thoughtful, remembering the things that have happened since she had met Aros. He was already a powerful star even before she has power to enter the Legion. Looked at the matted hair of her husband, who went to his shoulders, and thick beard. Once so black, they were now gray.

— Hey, mom, I want to get down.

The two stars had already disengaged their heads and were looking curiously at the star, which seemed lost in thought.

— Get down? What? — She woke from her reverie.

— Get down, mom, go to the planet. I'm tired of just looking, can't enjoy nothing. I just can be watching you and dad taking credit for things, not to mention all I lose because of the training. — He began to turn his arm slowly, like a warm-up, and a defiant smile broke out on his face. — I can't wait to join the Legion at once, I could beat many of the South Troop!

— Son, calm down, it's not a simple matter of being strong. — Her mother adopted the condescending tone she always used to explain something simple to him. — And you know why I didn't let you get down on Forecast. You see how many of us died, saw what your father went through. Do you think I could live if something happened to you?

— Love, that was nothing, the water was still far from my team. Even if I had amputated my leg, I would reach one of the mountains. I would never let you take care of this insolent boy alone.

Once again Aros was trying to convince his wife that the accident he had been through for ages was nothing. Several soldiers, longtime friends, were buried in the rescue of the humans, and his leg would almost be amputated.

— Aros, you know you'll never convince me that that was nothing. Many died, and you were lucky enough to have enough strength and soldiers to lift the rubble.

She slid closer to the two men who represented what she loved most in the universe, sighed, and turned to her son.

— Eastar, you see, I don't wanted to be bad, just didn't think you were ready. — The young man began to get discouraged, but your mother smiled. — But it's not the same now. As you said, you managed to hit your father, and you never would if you couldn't think well when necessary, so of course you can come down. Even because you're already too beefy for me to say what to do.

— Mom, I've been that size a long time ago.

Eastar had been developing more slowly in recent centuries, but it still did not seem to have reached its heyday, a growth considered slow for stars, but for a stellar born of two others there was no way to say if it was abnormal, since it had never been seen by Luriel, Aros or anyone they knew.

— Cheeky again, see? Thank your mother, brat! — Aros put a hand on the child's head, forcing him to make a little bow, then turned to your wife and smirked. — That's why I say you could let me beat him a few more times.

The star laughed to see the happiness on her son's face until he turned to counter his father.

— Am I going to be beaten, or will be you?

— Look at this, a little hit and you're already boasting. You still have to grow a lot, brat.

Luriel scowled, and before either of them could even think of anything, she had already pulled them by their ears, causing them to stoop to face her.

— No more kidding, both of you, and if you keep arguing, the next beating session will be against me. Got it?

— Mom! It's not a session of ... Ouch! — The boy felt another hard tug on his ear. — Yes, yes, I get it! Sorry.

The commander, who also doubled over, gave his usual reply.

— Yes, ma'am .... Oh! I said nothing!

— Eastar, you can come down, Aros, you're going with him this time.

— But, mom!

— That's it, brat! The two of us together. There will be no one to mess with us! — The commander saw his wife's gaze, and a chill ran down his back. — I mean, I'll take good care of it, love, and not let him get into any trouble.

He dropped to his knees and saluted, mockingly at his wife's size.

— I honestly wonder who's going to take care of who. — She said, shaking her head. — But I have no choice, I can't come down, Urion has been needing me in those times.

— How are things in the east of the planet? Aros started to get up, now serious.

— Strange, the last kings were humans, which means things have changed very quickly. — They were greedy and have been trying to conquer other regions. The kingdom seems to have been going bad for a few centuries, which is sad, but we are watching what will happen now that the last king has died.

She paused for a moment to run the hand through her hair. That was a subject that had been much discussed in her troops. She looked back at her husband and saw that he was still waiting for a conclusion to the story. He sighed and continued:

— Lieutenant Ziran came down a while ago and accompanied the end of the last king's reign, becoming instructor of his two sons. We hope he can alleviate the situation by advising the elder as soon as he is crowned.

— You and Urion, always getting involved in politics, and yet you don't come down to meet them. I think I can count on your fingers how many times you went to Earth. They should do like us in the Central Troop, get down, meet them, laugh and fight together, but we don't get involved with any silly things in the distance.

— My dear, I know that, but understand, this is because you are a brute, and everyone in Sorya's legion knows it.

— We don't ... — He crossed his arms and glared at her, who stared back at him, raising an eyebrow as if threatening a denial. — Doesn't matter.

— No? Very well then, sir commander. — The mother winked at her son, who held back a laugh. — Besides, you know how old we get when we get down on the planet's atmosphere .... But then tell me, when do you intend to go?

— Now! — Said Eastar, impatient that the conversation was yielding too much.

— So suddenly? — She was surprised. — I can explain some things to you about what you'll need there, son. — Your body will change constitution, so you will need ...

— Mom, I learn all this there, dad can tell me everything when we go down.

— That's right, love, you know Eastar learns much faster in practice, just like me. — The commander wrapped an arm around his son, who rolled his eyes but didn't disagree.

— I understand. — Luriel was trying to convince herself, still with some fear, but she knew that was no way to delay it anymore. — Very well, I think I can only say goodbye now. Remember, my son, beware. And judgment for both of you, did you hear well?

— Yes ma'am! — Responded both together, kneel down to salute.

It was an old jest, but the three always laughed at this silly joke.