Lukai actually had an idea who it could be.

  Quite unexpected.

  They hadn’t seen each other for two years, around. Lukai avoided her as much as he could. Not because he needed to. It was because he didn’t want her to unfold any drama.

  His political goals were the most important.

  How did they meet, and who was she?

  The story was simple. However, the present situation was not.

  Five years after with Yura they established the OFF, there was the first attack. The Moon number Two was destroyed; many people died—well over one hundred million. It was a tragedy.

  All research centers were destroyed. This moon was focused on Ability and Crystals research, on energy collisions. All the great scientists who were stationed there died. Data was restored; the attack destroyed only biological forms.

  In connection to this, Lukai met Tara.

  Her son died on this moon.

  Tara Alena. From one of the most influential families. At least then, her surname still had a meaning. She contacted the OFF; Yura was the Leader already, and they met—three of them, as Yura always wanted Lukai to be involved in politics.

  She was dissatisfied with Unio politics and contacted them. It was very useful for them to work with her. The Alena family had an impressive library and datasets. Tara shared it with them, as well as the results her son gave her to archive.

  During the next four years, the attacks happened again, and one of them destroyed another moon completely.

  Crystalers died in millions.

  They conducted research; they observed these energy forms and discovered that they were pure energy, without mind. The energy forms—these weapons—needed to be guided by someone with consciousness.

  The alliance collapsed. It also deepened the division between energy users. Crystalers didn’t respect Shadows and Abilitiers and accused them of all the evil that happened. Shadows were more open, so they didn’t accuse, but they closed themselves, detached.

  Abilitiers from the OFF radicalized—Lukai was not satisfied with the direction the OFF headed in.

  166 ACD brought hope. Shadows managed to defend Planet Two. But they lost more than seventy percent of their negative wave users.

  Tara Alena also died on Planet Two.

  A few days after her death, Lukai attended her official valediction in Unio. It was troublesome; his Ability always collided with Crystals energy outside the OFF camps. He went there, though.

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  It was the third time he met her granddaughter—at the farewell ceremony of her grandmother.

  Luna Alena.

  Tara did not value her granddaughter; she complained about how weak and scared her granddaughter was.

  They met for the first time when Tara was wounded. She wanted to see how Ability healing worked, as Crystalers couldn’t heal others—pass energy outside their bodies. Lukai, as Abilitier, demonstrated natural energy and showed how it felt. Then, Tara invited him to stay overnight as a guest. It was troublesome; he needed to create his energy shield not to have an energy collision. He was curious, though, and hoped Tara would talk more about her son’s discoveries.

  Luna came to his room late at night with alcohol and snacks. He thought she was just another silly girl and scolded her. She didn’t manage to say anything. She left.

  The next day, Lukai described the situation to Tara; he wanted to highlight that he did not approve of this kind of behavior.

  Tara was visibly dissatisfied with her granddaughter.

  Then Lukai understood that it was not Luna’s idea. It was the attempt of Tara to pair them, which failed. She wanted to use her granddaughter to bond with the OFF.

  Lukai was aware that Unio people were obsessed with alliance marriages between families; he didn’t pay attention, didn’t take it as something to be concerned about.

  He felt disappointed with Tara’s morality.

  Tara never again did something like this. He would stop cooperating with her if she insisted.

  For many months, Lukai didn’t meet Luna; she was not mentioned in their discussions. But, once, when he visited Tara again, she said her granddaughter was not only useless but was acting crazier.

  He asked what Tara meant by that. She replied that her granddaughter danced near the lake all the time, didn’t want to talk to anybody—just danced.

  Lukai, the OFF General, busy with politics, busy with defense preparations, somehow wanted to see. Now, when he thought about it, he wasn’t sure why exactly.

  He went to the lake, and, in fact, Luna was acting peculiar.

  She was dancing. He could remember; he observed her for more than ten minutes.

  Lukai couldn’t resist; he had to ask what she was doing.

  Luna answered that she was dancing.

  He asked for what; why not do something useful.

  She said it was useful.

  It irritated him; later he thought it was unusual to irritate him that fast. She had talent.

  He spotted her holding a small Crystal. Still annoyed, he said he wanted to see it. Luna didn’t want to give it to him. He said that she should train defense instead of dancing. He wanted to prove to her how easy it was to take it from her and show her how defenseless she was.

  Lukai wanted her to do something useful. Dancing was not useful in his eyes.

  He did not pay attention to this small Crystal he took from her. He made his point. But then he observed her crying. She was not a child anymore, yet she was crying in panic because she lost her shiny Crystal.

  Useless girl, he thought. He felt more annoyed than before.

  He threw her Crystal into the water, just to see her running to the lake. She was screaming something. When he heard what she was shouting—that this was the only thing she had left after her mother—

  Lukai then felt uneasy.

  Her mother died giving birth to her. It was known.

  He was a fighter; he was always composed and focused. Why was he so stirred by one girl’s behavior?

  Why did he act as he acted?

  Lukai came back to visit her after a few days. He gave her a duplicate of her small Crystal and said he was sorry. Lukai remembered it clearly; she didn’t comment on it. Her lack of response bothered him.

  Again, he couldn’t calm down his emotions; before he could manage himself, he needed to add, ‘I said I was sorry.’

  He remembered; she replied that he was forcing apologies.

  Lukai then couldn’t deny.

  She was right.

  What was he thinking? He wronged her, wanted to make amends, and was angry she didn’t accept it fast enough. What was happening to him?

  The whole situation was cleared after he officially bowed and formally apologized.

  She accepted. It eased tension between them. He gave her this duplicate and left.

  It was their second meeting.