Flipping the Script (Honkai: Star Rail - Stellaron Hunter AU)

Chapter 4: A Blade and a Bat

"To restate, the Xianzhou Luofu is one of the six flagships of the Xianzhou Alliance. It shoots for the Lord of the Hunt's predetermined enemy as it flies over an unending sea of stars like a one-way arrow," Silver Wolf detailed as she and Caelus sat comfortably in their space shuttle, "People arrived at the Luofu to seek medical treatment, study, and trade; throngs of visitors filled the docks as they traveled between densely populated interstellar regions, trading and conducting cultural exchange between different worlds; they signed agreements with the IPC, and assisted many worlds devastated by the Denizens of Abundances in rebuilding their ecosystems."

"Yeah, I could tell as much," Caelus said, waving around a visitors pamphlet that Silver Wolf had swiped for him, "and Blade is from this place, you said?"

"No one besides Elio knows the nitty gritty about Blade's past. We don't know if he had any friends or family he left behind before joining the Stellaron Hunters. But I'll tell you what I do know..." Silver Wolf popped some gum into her mouth as she leaned back against her seat, "first of all, he's already one of the Xianzhou's Long-Life species."

"Long...life?" Caelus asked.

"It's basically what it says on the tin," she said, "Long-life species have extended lifespans, often derived from the blessings of The Abundance, except for Vidyadhara's longevity from The Permanence. Most people say they're immortal, but they're not invulnerable...Well, except for Blade, I guess."

"What happened to him?" Caelus asked.

"A long time ago, he sacrificed everything to become the ultimate weapon, including his own body. The result was that he gained incredible regeneration abilities, and supposedly, he's impossible to kill. Something that he really doesn't like one bit, especially since he became Mara-struck in that time," Silver elaborated.

"Mara-struck?" Caelus parroted, "what's that?"

"Honestly, I'm not sure whether to define it as a "curse" or a "disease," but either way, its an affliction that affects long-life species through cell transformation, causing bodily growths and sanity loss," Silver explained, "A lot of the time, those affected become monsters with no sense of self."

"Um...and...is Blade...one of these monsters?" Caelus asked, suddenly becoming worried. Silver Wolf scoffed.

"Depends on your definition. Despite his immortality, Blade longs for nothing more than to be free and return to mortal life. That's why he joined forces with us Stellaron Hunters. Elio promised him a "cure" for his immortality, and  since then, Blade's always hunted down our enemies with ruthless precision and primal rage."

She peered out the window of their shuttle as they approached the Luofu.

"At least that's what I know. You'll have to ask Kafka or Firefly for any more details," she said, "Blade joined the Stellaron Hunters long before I did..."

"I see..." Caelus affirmed, "what's he like as a person."

"All sunshine and rainbows," Silver slumped in the seat, making the sarcasm in her voice apparent, "I'm sure you and he will get along like a house on fire."

"Riiiiight..." Caelus smiled awkwardly, "here's another question then. We're wanted criminals, aren't we? How exactly where you planning on getting us on the Luofu through the checkpoints? And even if we do get on, how are we gonna track down Blade?"

Silver Wolf pursed her lips, then pointed to herself as if to say "Hello? Master hacker?"

"Right..." Caelus nodded, realizing the stupidity of his question, "what if we get snatched up by the guards though?"

"That, newbie, I will leave to you to sort out," she smirked. 

For what was a highly secure warship, getting onto the Luofu turned out to be a piece of cake for Silver Wolf and Caelus.