Villain Retirement

"Is it really okay for you to leave your crew like that?"

In the almost infinite expanse of space, Captain Nana's ship, Taladier, was once again able to soar through the colorful darkness; a lot lighter, of course, but not because it was no longer towing the large compressed metal ball, but because Nana decided to leave the rest of her crew back on Febuvan. Weight didn't matter much in space, but the absence of her crew is felt nonetheless.

"It's fine."

Captain Nana, however, did not seem to mind as she just focused on the screen embedded flat on her table,

"I can control everything using my station, that includes piloting it on my own."

"I didn't mean that," Hera's sigh whispered throughout the quiet deck as she approached Nana, leaning down as she also focused her eyes on the feed being shown on the table screen, "Aren't they also your children?"

"...They are," Captain Nana subtly glanced at Hera, before turning to look at Riley who was just casually walking around the control deck and examining everything, "That's why I had to leave them."

"...Right," Hera quickly noticed where Nana was looking, "That's…understandable. But children, you don't look that much older than them."

"You mean we're all small?"

"I…" Hera blinked a couple of times from Nana's bluntness, "In…the modeling industry, we prefer to use the term fun-sized."

"Fun-sized… I might start using that too," Nana chuckled, before letting out a sigh and shaking her head, "I don't know how your people's biology works, but with my people, the females reproduce asexually. I don't really know all the science stuff behind it, but it's because of our short lifespan compared to most races."

"That… is different," Hera didn't really know what to say. She could try using Earth's logic, but she just literally saw a couple of tentacle people back in Febuvanir—she needed to relearn everything she knew,

"Theran… have you ever been there?" And so, the only thing she could really do was change the topic.

"Kh!"

And as soon as Hera's words reached her ears, Nana almost choked on her own breath as she closed all the windows on her screen. She then jumped from her chair and started coughing vehemently.

"Do… you want some water?" Hera didn't really know what to do as she kneeled on the floor to try and support Nana up. Nana, however, just waved her hand.

"I'm… I'm alright," Nana gasped as she wiped the sweat on her forehead, "Theran… No one's really been to Theran,"

"Right… I heard only Themarians are able to go there?"

"For good reason," Nana nodded several times, "No one wants to accidentally piss them off."

"...How are you planning to get us there, then?" Hera squinted her eyes as she glanced at Riley for a bit, "And safely… we don't want our friend here to get any more bright ideas."

"Hm. I am already charting the safest course to Theran," Nana once again nodded as she returned to her station, "We need to stop by several planets to recharge our fissions since we're basically blitzing our way through hyperdrive."

"...It wasn't possible to get all the fission… cells back in Febuvan?"

"I'm… afraid this is only a scavenger ship," Nana let out an awkward chuckle, "There's a chance of us going kaboom if I store that many orbs."

"I… see."

"If you were rushing, then why didn't… our friend just steal a race ship? I can also drive one."

"...Riley Ross doesn't steal."

"...What?"

"I know," Hera also chuckled, before sighing deeply, "Just how does this hyperdrive thing work? Is it similar to those warp things I watch in Sci-Fi movies?"

"Oh, no. Warp relay is different," Nana shook her head, "It's… I guess infinitely faster?"

"What? Why didn't we go with that?"

"It's… also infinitely more expensive," Nana looked at Hera before sighing, "And also, it requires us to input and surrender our IDs so—"

"Say no more."

Hera and Nana's sighs almost harmonized. Their frustrated and exhausted breaths were alone in their plight, however, as both their eyes also turned to look at Riley in unison. They were already having a hard time with their journey with him being so famous… and he just had to become even more popular by pulling his crazy stunt back in Febuvan.

"I'm… really sorry about this, Captain Nana."

"...You're a good person, you know that? What are you even doing with… someone like him?"

"It's… a long and weird story," Hera shook her head, "But wait, isn't hyperdrive supposed to be faster than the warp thing? I watched both Stellar Wars and Star Hike… I think hyperdrive was fast in both cases."

"...I forgot you guys are from the Unknown. Wait, how much do you know about… well, everything?"

"..." Hera turned to look at Riley, who seemed to have finished exploring the small room and decided to join and listen in to their conversation,

"We… practically know nothing," Hera then said as she looked Nana in the eyes.

"Oh… how do I even explain this…" Nana's eyes started to squint, "Harith is usually the one good with this science stuff. But basically, the Warp Relay is similar to teleportation, but at the same time… not really?"

"..."

"Hyperdrive is linear. And it's already in the name, drive—all spaceships are required to have them. As for Warp relays, you could find stations of them in the main and major stellar systems."

"...So, Star Hike was wrong?" Hera placed her hand on her chin, "I am actually even more confused now."

"I thought your ability helps you in matters like this, Miss Hera?" Riley finally joined in.

"I think you are gravely misunderstanding my powers. It's not omnipotent," Hera rolled her eyes, "I can't just conjure up things I have no idea about in my mind. We're practically in a different dimension here. Waitspeaking of dimensions…

…does the multiverse exist!?"

"Multi… oh, you mean that theory?" And almost in contrast to Hera's sudden excitement, Nana just shrugged her shoulders as she heard her question, "I don't really believe it. I mean, the Known Universe is already big enough and even expanding as we know it—if the multiverse does exist, it's probably just in the Unknown or something."

"...Right."

"And did you hear that there's a theory that the Universe is flat? Ridiculous."

"Actually, I think that theory has some credi—you know what, never mind," Hera shook her head off the unnecessary thoughts, only to be replaced by another one that is even more so, "Does… god exist?"

"...God?" Nana blinked a couple of times, before turning to look at Riley Ross, "We have one right here, though?"

"No," Hera's shoulders started to drop, "I meant real ones. I heard there's this… Messenger? People that are larger than planets?"

"Oh, they're just big. I've actually seen one before in Hotis 4J before it got destroyed, quite the spectacle. I heard they are actually afraid of Themarians, though."

"That's… crazy."

"Hm. But real gods…" Nana seemed to have also let her thoughts drift away as she also started to become engrossed with the conversation, "I think I learned this in school back then, but I think the last one died millions of years ago or something—the Evaniel's progenitor. He died after killing every other god."

"...What?"

"Or so they say, I don't really believe whatever they teach in school," Nana scoffed, "The only thing I believe in is loot."

"...Damn, the universe seems so… hardcore. Are you hearing all of this, Riley?"

"Yes, I am disappointed I will not be able to kill gods."

"...That's all you got in that long conversation?"

"It is the only thing that mattered, Miss Hera," Riley just shrugged as he walked near Nana, "Is there a way I can check my bounty there, Captain Nana? I wish to know if they raised it."

"You...You can just check it with that," Captain Nana quickly pointed at the device hanging around Hera's waist, "It'll be much faster and easier."

"Wait, this thing can browse?" Hera quickly grabbed the Teera X120.

"...That's capable of a lot of other things. Wait… don't tell me you don't know how to use it?"

"Well… this was actually just forced on me," Hera sighed, "I know it can access a map and it has a camera—other than that, I'm in the dark."

"...I wish someone would force a Teera X120 on me too," Nana also let out a sigh as she stared at the device, "I'll teach you how to use it once we get out of hyperdrive. We can't really activate most of its features as it would interfere with the—"

[Warning: Anomaly detected in the current path. Overriding controls and deactivating hyperdrive in 3…]

"...What!?" Nana quickly tapped her screen to see what was going on, but before she could check the readings, the ship got out of hyperdrive—automatically opening the blinders of the ship's windows.

Nana didn't even have to check the readings anymore, as directly in front of their ship, in a distance far away… was a pink sun.

"That's… a cute sun," Hera quickly commented.

"No. Oh no, no, no…" Nana's face, however, was just filled with horror and shock, "That's… not a star. It… It's the Cherbi."

"...A what now?"

"We need to get out of here, fast!" Nana started to tap on her screen; her hands, almost moving wildly. Soon, however, she and Hera found themselves slightly taking a step as the ship suddenly trembled.

"No, no… we're being pulled!"

"Wait, just what is that!? What's happening!?"

"It's the Pink Void!" Nana did not look at Hera and just focused on trying to regain control of her ship, "You were asking me about gods earlier… that's the closest thing we have!"

"What is it!?" Hera had no idea what was going on—but her entire body was sending her signals that if they don't leave now… she will die, "What's a Cherbi, Nana!?"

"A creature that swallows everything in its path. Planets, entire stellar systems, galaxies..." Nana finally stopped tapping on her console as she looked Hera straight in the eyes, "A black hole…

...A sentient black hole."