The hug of a slender woman caught Luke by surprise. Hot tears welled down a cheek before they touched his neck.
"I'm so glad to see you doing well, Luke."
The voice of his mother calmed him. Finally at peace, he turned around and gave her a hug in return. The two reunited, and time clicked into place.
After she finished crying, Mia Jaywalker cleared her moistened eyes. "Thank you for making a way for us to stay together." She added.
"No, mother, it's by great chance alone. I've been afforded a precious opportunity."
"Mm."
After they shared their stories of the past few days on the couch, Mia handed him a note. "A courier dropped this off a little bit ago."
Luke picked up the paper and glanced over it. Excited, he began to read it fully.
"Luke Jaywalker, your ascension to the Ruler of Xilec was sudden. Fortunately, I was able to hold enough sway in your favor to prevent any major uprisings. I would love to meet with you to discuss your vision. I would request that you meet with me here on Xilec to discuss your vision for the planet as soon as you are able. Signed, the Prime Minister of Xilec, Alphaeus Rimeren."
He resolved to discuss it with Lawrence tomorrow.
After further discussion with his mother, and a small meal, he let her pick one of the guest bedrooms and went to his room. He quickly pounded out some more cards before falling asleep. His nightly ritual, it slowly but surely raised the energy value of his Origin Card.
The next day, his alarm woke him on time. He quickly slurped a bowl of the closest thing he had found to cereal before getting ready for the day. He managed to finish his preparations in 15 minutes.
Luke left a note for his mother and immediately teleported to the nearest popcorn stand. Spending a few coins, he picked up a bag of popcorn. He then picked a couple of pieces. They were a bit buttery for his liking, but meh.
Teleporting back to the research base, he quietly altered the clone to match his current appearance. Handing it an identical pair of clothes, he waited. After they were similarly set, he waited for the right moment and began to countdown.
Elsewhere, a group of pilots plotted mercilessly. A certain technical guru spoke. "I've disabled teleportation exits for this room and the surrounding area. He can enter but he can never leave. Luke Jaywalker is ours today. Lawrence, how'd he do in the weapons assessments?"
"He completed the melee assessments, but I won't have a definitive answer until he's completed the ranged assessments as well."
The pilots quickly reaponded.
"He didn't get to ranged yesterday?"
"No? I was past that on the first day."
"Most of us were too." Another pilot chimed in.
"What was his score?" Tad asked.
Pinching his thumb and forefinger together, Lawrence held up three fingers. "Flawless."
The small crowd of pilots held their breath before letting it out in an explosive gasp.
'I didn't even tell them about the lack of spiritual energy and body training.' Lawrence snickered.
A short moment later, a man with flawless, flowing blonde hair walked in the entryway. "Hello there."
"General Jaywalker. You are a bold one. Kill him." A pilot mercilessly commanded his brethren. In a surge of physical power, the horde of pilots tackled him. The clone shouted its repeated taunts mercilessly.
As the Grand Admiral entered into the room, a smiling Luke appeared beside him with a bag of popcorn. "Want some?" He offered the admiral.
The man shook his head. Quietly, he murmured, "They don't make popcorn here like they should." The two enjoyed the scene as Luke's clone began to fight back where it could. The pilots that managed to hit it shrunk back in fear.
"My hand!" One pilot screamed, his fist fractured by the titanium bones.
"My foot!" Another yelled, his foot having experienced the same treatment.
The fight devolved once again into a mad melee as they began to miss their mark. Luke assumed it was, at least, partially purposeful.
Turning to the admiral, he asked the question pressing upon his mind. "How far are EX-Class pilots allowed to undergo gene experimentation?"
The admiral grinned. Not only was the young pilot conning experienced veterans many years his senior, he had further plans already laid.
"The pilots of the EX Division are not only protectors, but also figureheads for the Federation. You can increase your chances as long as you are outwardly identifiable as human, and not another subrace."
Luke grinned wholeheartedly. "I will do my best to guide the Federation in the position granted me!"
"Good!" The grand admiral boomed. The ensuing melee came to a standstill. "Two days. Best not make it three, yeah? Lawrence, take him to finish the weapons tests and start him on the training supplies. Afterwards, take him and a squad of Shadow Envoys, and teach him everything he needs to know about the stewardship of his home planet."
"Yes, boss!"
Before leaving, Luke smiled towards his would-be-assailants. "Battalion, teleport the clone back to the research lab once he's able."
The gobsmacked pilots watched as the poor clone quickly returned to full health. Another insult later, he was smacked into the wall.
"Somebody take him out of here." One of the older pilots spoke in a calmer tone.
"Wait." Another spoke.