January 30, 2096
A cold wind whistled across the landscape. Trees rustled and grass swayed gently. Up above, the night sky was clear as crystal. The whole Galaxy was laid out for a viewer to observe. Even though it was the middle of the night, the ground was illuminated by the heavenly bodies above. A stellar formation called the Shining Hinterlands emitted dim light, causing everything on the planet's surface to cast a shadow.
In the valley below, a city was nestled between two hills. It shone brightly with white and gold lights while starships came and went in an orderly manner. The scene was as tranquil as it possibly could be. On top of the west hill, two people were able to enjoy this tranquility.
Standing atop the hill, a pair of young lovers were so caught up in one another that neither noticed the cold breeze.
Both of these people were Humanoid, standing on two legs and holding each other with two arms as they kissed. Because of the chilly weather, they were both bundled up in very heavy winter clothes. It was difficult to tell at first what species the lovers belonged to. When they paused to breathe and pulled apart, a glance at their faces revealed that they belonged to different species.
The young man had brown skin, short silver hair, and vivid purple eyes. His face was incredibly Human-like and covered in an extensive tattoo. The image on his face contained patterns and images reminiscent of ocean waves. This man was clearly a descendant of the Maori people of Earth, yet he also had the look of someone who had never set foot on a Human planet. He was in fact, from the world of Aoraki. This man was a member of the Partogan race, a group of people descended from the Maori; abducted from Earth and transplanted to a new Homeworld across the Galaxy. The emblem of the Partogan-Levakian Commonwealth was stitched onto his winter jacket.
The young woman was also Human-like, but her body diverged from the so-called “Human template” in two certain ways. First: the upper half of her ears curved upward and tapered into a point. Second, she was shorter than her lover by a head. She needed to stand on the tips of her toes to reach his lips. Any Human looking at this woman would have (mistakenly) called her an “elf,” a name reserved for mythical pointy-eared people. Just like her lover, she had a tattoo on her face. Her left eyebrow was completely shaved off, and in its place, there was a small emblem. The narrow symbol was the emblem of Kiith Manaan, a clan of people known for seeking thrills and adventure. She was, as her tattoo implied, a native of the planet Hiigara.
The Partogan was called Kiri Ranginui.
The Hiigaran was named Mina Soban-Re.
They came to this planet separately because of their occupations. They met during a work-related event and soon fell in love, and this hilltop tryst was only the second time Kiri and Mina found the time to be alone together.
The wind howled and blew some leaves out of a tree, causing Mina to huddle up in Kiri’s arms.
“This view really is beautiful.” Mina said. “But it’s still winter. Next time, let’s try to get a hotel in the city, alright?”
“Are you willing to risk getting caught?” Kiri replied. “I thought your handler was really strict.”
He rubbed his hands across Mina’s back, trying to warm her up.
“Yeah, my handler would freak out.” Mina confessed. “I’m sorry, but… I can’t help it. I’ve never been as happy as when I’m with you.”
They looked at one another.
“I am too.” Kiri replied. “You’ve become the brightest Lightstone in my life.”
“You know,” Mina confessed. “I always thought Partogan Lightstones were the most beautiful things in the Galaxy. Means a lot that you’d compare me to one.”
Kiri and Mina kissed again, holding the embrace against the noisy wind. They locked lips for another few moments before a vibration caught their attention. Mina groaned and pressed one hand to her breast pocket.
“That’s probably my handler.” Mina grumbled.
“Ugh… same.” Kiri replied, reaching into his own pocket and withdrawing a smartphone.
Kiri and Mina stepped apart, making sure to put almost a hundred feet between each other before answering the calls from their respective bosses. Kiri and Mina listened to their respective employers for a few moments, and them simultaneously waved goodbye to one another, their faces downcast and forlorn.
…
About two hours later, in the seedy red-light district of the city, a nondescript storefront was the site of a very interesting scene:
Ten Partogans, dressed in construction worker outfits, patrolled around the building. They looked like ordinary workers, but the bulges in their clothes told otherwise. Each Partogan was carrying a concealed weapon under his or her clothes: pistols and submachineguns.
Kiri was among their number. Dressed up as a foreman, he was hiding a plasma pistol under his safety vest and a needle grenade in his cargo pocket. Kiri watched the building from across the street, pretending to talk about the local prostitutes with another disguised Partogan. There were so many people in the street, he could not do much else. Kiri nodded at a group of Voor as they passed by.
Inside the shop, six Hiigarans frantically moved from room to room. They destroyed all of their computers by shooting them with laser pistols. The Hiigarans also shredded papers and smashed their data drives. Finally, once the structure was purged of anything that could carry data, the Hiigarans moved into the basement. Underneath the building, a bookcase was moved from one of the walls, revealing a tunnel entrance.
Mina was standing inside of the tunnel, waiting for the bookcase to be moved. She carried a laser submachine gun in one hand and a portable scanner in the other. She verified the identities of all six Hiigarans before allowing them to enter the tunnel. Once they were through, Mina shifted the bookcase into its original position, hiding the tunnel entrance once more.
Finally, about an hour before sunrise, the red-light district was clear of civilians. The multispecies city of Rotorua was still and silent.
Moving swiftly and silently, the disguised Partogans started their raid. No weapons were drawn until one of the doors was forced and they gained entry. Kiri and his compatriots kicked open doors, expecting to find their Hiigaran enemies at any moment. Instead, the shop was deserted.
That night, clandestine operatives from the Hiigaran Empire and Partogan-Levakian Commonwealth narrowly avoided a gunfight that would have caused the Galactic Cold War to go hot. Kiri and Mina both breathed a sigh of relief in their separate hiding places, grateful to know that conflict was averted.
After all, they would not be able to see one another if there was a war on.
