[Hahaha, I can't hold it together.]
[I saw the question mark pop up above Firefly's head, and I'm dying laughing.]
[This is definitely a legendary moment.]
[Firefly: Huh? Wait, me? Robin?]
[I'm dead, this scene.]
— —
Sunday glanced at Firefly. "What trick are you pulling now?"
Gallagher burst out laughing. "Haha, just a joke. I mean, this young lady will take us to see Robin, right?"
Firefly pouted, looking quite upset. "Of course, and the Astral Express and I are here too. There are a lot of people you owe an explanation to."
"Haha, well, that's just perfect. This way, esteemed head of the Oak Family. Now all the actors… are finally assembled."
[Puffy-cheeked Firefly, yay!]
[Is Firefly mad?]
[So cute.]
[Adorably cute, but one slash and you're done.]
[Full cast assembled, the show begins!]
— —
Not long after…
The Astral Express crew stood before three tombstones. Two bore names, while the middle one was blank.
"These are the monuments I mentioned earlier. The names on them… you should recognize them," Micah said, pointing at the inscriptions, a trace of sadness crossing his face.
Welt Yang read the names slowly, one by one. "Razalina… and Tiernan."
"Back when Penacony was still called the Frontier Prison, it was 'Trailblaze' that connected it to the stars. They were heroes who saved Asdana, and their names deserve to be etched on the monument of time, not on these small stones. But now, the Star of Festivities is left with only the Dreamscape, and its heavy history, like that prison, has long been erased."
Robin: "Their names are carved on these monuments, which means…"
Himeko: "According to Mr. Micah, they passed away long ago."
Micah: "Razalina sacrificed herself during the War of Independence. To understand the flow of memoria, she piloted a shuttle alone into the heart of the star system and never returned…
Tiernan was a cowboy skilled with firearms, strong and reliable. He led people through brutal wars against external enemies but didn't live to see true peace.
In the decade after the war, Penacony was plagued by internal and external turmoil. For Asdana, Tiernan took up the path of Trailblaze again, leading the Moth Family to explore beyond the star system, only to be overwhelmed by a swarm of insects… His entire force was annihilated."
March 7th sighed. "Even though I expected it, the stories of our predecessors… they're still so heartbreaking."
Himeko spoke in a comforting tone. "Their lives were spent marching toward the unknown, true to the name of 'Trailblaze.' But… what about this blank monument?"
Suddenly, a familiar voice sounded from behind the group.
"When Dreamflux Reef was born, its master was still alive. But that person said, 'There's gotta be a day like this,' and insisted on setting up a blank monument for themselves."
Under everyone's gaze, Gallagher waved casually. "Astral Express folks, we meet again."
But Sunday, standing nearby, immediately spotted his sister. "Robin!"
[Hahaha, Sunday's got nothing but Robin on his mind.]
[Total siscon, no doubt.]
[The Nameless' journey of Trailblaze is truly full of unknowns and dangers.]
[Sigh, it's really kind of sad.]
— —
The scene shifted. Gallagher stood before the four members of the Express Crew.
Gallagher, one hand on his hip, spoke calmly. "I promised to give those siblings some private time, so let's talk about our business first. What do you say?"
"No objections," Welt Yang replied, continuing, "But Mr. Gallagher, you've gone to great lengths to bring together the Family's decision-maker, the Astral Express, and the Stellaron Hunters. I assume you have something important to discuss?"
Gallagher raised an eyebrow, feigning surprise. "Ho, even you guys noticed?"
March 7th gave a helpless smile. "You've practically got 'mastermind' written all over your face…"
[Even March 7th figured it out?]
[What's that supposed to mean? Underestimating our little March? Elio calls her Little March—do you know the weight that carries?]
— —
Gallagher took a deep breath. "Mr. Welt's right. It's time to lay things out in the open. The siblings know what they need to know, and they've made their choices. You Nameless arrived a bit late, so it's only fair I take some time to answer your questions.
Before we start, let me reintroduce myself—the founder of Dreamflux Reef, the Watchmaker's right-hand man, and the one who sent that invitation… 'Fictionologist' Gallagher, at your service."
[Fictionologist, or Fictorian for short.]
March 7th: "Oh, you Fictionologist! So all those stories you told us before were just made up, huh?"
"I can guarantee that the stories I told you were all true," Gallagher said, looking a bit guilty. "Er, mostly true, except for that part about 'the Family taking me back.'"
Himeko explained to March 7th, "I confirmed with Mr. Micah. The stories about the Family, the Watchmaker, and Mikhail are all verified."
Gallagher gave a thumbs-up. "Understanding is king! Now we can talk openly. I'm sure you're all dying to know why I went to such lengths to orchestrate a legacy dispute, sending invitations to so many factions and stirring up Penacony…
The answer is simple, and you're all familiar with it. The root of it all… is the Stellaron."
"The Stellaron?" Welt Yang rested his chin in his hand. "Penacony is a bustling interstellar hub with no signs of contamination. How could it be related to a Stellaron?"
"You're absolutely right, so why don't you take a guess at what that means?"
Caelus thought for a moment before answering, "Someone's manipulating the Stellaron?"
"Sharp as ever. What can I say? No surprise from the one here most familiar with Stellarons," Gallagher said, giving Caelus high praise. "The Dreamscape isn't something conjured out of thin air. If you compare the Dreamscape to an ocean, creating a dreamland is like filling land in a raging sea.
To achieve such a feat, it takes either an Emanator of Remembrance or Enigmata—or the use of a Stellaron.
And it's not as simple as making a wish. It requires a tremendous amount of knowledge, time, and manpower to pull it off so flawlessly. At this point, you should understand…
The current 'Star of Festivities' is Asdana's Stellaron calamity."