Legacy of Aerin - Origination

Chapter 3 - Estranged and Misunderstood

Turning fourteen years old was about as disheartening and mundane as his previous eight birthdays. There was never an acknowledgment of his or any of other orphans' birthdays by Dria or Jayla. Dria made sure to let everyone know when it was her birthday though. If any of the orphans didn't at least pretend to be happy for her, he/she would be dismissed to the bedroom, not allowed to play with the other orphans for the entire day.

As far as Aerin knew, his mother was still never found. Kilobi and Hawseff appeared to have never checked in or attempted to visit him. Not befriending any of the orphans, his lack of friendships was partly to blame on him. Avoiding interactions did not help in the least bit with establishing a social status, but in his mind, maintaining his own sanity was paramount. Keeping to himself was the only way to ensure his stability. As a result, he felt lonely and wished he wasn't trapped in the orphanage.

All hope in seeing his mother again was lost about six years earlier. The numbing reality of his current existence became apparent when Dria smirked at him as he questioned her for an update. The supplement he was given by Kilobi ran out about one year after arriving at the orphanage. He ended up developing the mind control ability, but made sure to be as careful as possible not to expose his newfound discovery. Mind control was the only he was successful in getting the orphans to leave him alone. They antagonized him by calling him a crybaby and other foul names.

Dria and Jayla did not pay mind to or feel pity towards Aerin's pleas for help. They advised the other orphans behavior was perfectly normal and that he needed to stand up for himself to earn the their respect. Fearing he might lose a handle on his mind control ability, he chose not to improve the situation for himself. His only resolve was to remain the passive punching bag. The sad truth was that he felt more alone in the orphanage than he had on the fateful night of his father's death.

During his near nine year stay at the orphanage, Aerin read everything he could get his hands on regarding spaceships, from their flight statistics to how they work. He went as far as devising a detailed plan to escape into space and leave Haraxis behind to search for a better world. The desire to no longer lose anyone and to evade the burdensome mental chains instilled within were the driving forces. He aspired to help Gervalians like himself come out of their proverbial shells and be proud of who they were.

His favorite spaceship was the S9-74 Grisheld Heraldion, a military battle station operated by the Poltemic Dynasty. It was fast, fuel-efficient, and held a record in feasibility and speed for twenty-three years. It was also very agile, but not as agile as the Drodonic Empire's R58-X Fervibal Piedra, the close second contender in speed. He promised himself he would commandeer the S9-74 one day.

Aerin also found solace in reading about the complex alliances, diplomacy, and wars in the Andromeda Galaxy. The military powerhouse he looked up to was the Poltemic Dynasty, which closely aligned it's values with the Tritian Government's.

The citizens of Haraxis stayed out of most politics relating to the Tritian Government. Although indirectly allied with them, Haraxis kept a low profile regarding any interplanetary diplomacy.

The Tritian Government and Poltemic Dynasty were both known for upholding righteous values, fairness, and open ended diplomacy. Their greatest enemy, the Drodonic Empire, was an authoritative government with the ultimate goal of overtaking and collapsing the free market economic structure backing the Tritian Government. They had been in a seemingly endless conflict, known as the Perilous War, for over two hundred years, and there was no sign of a cease in conflict.

The war hadn't reached as far as Haraxis; thanks to the inhabitants decision to keep a low profile. Aerin contemplated joining up with the Poltemic Dynasty but remained skeptical of how they would respond to having a Gervalian in their ranks. There wasn't any feasible information about their species enlistment requirements.