𝙎𝙊𝙇𝘼𝙍 𝙀𝘾𝙇𝙄𝙋𝙎𝙀, ᵀᴴᴱ ᴹᴬᴺᴰᴬᴸᴼᴿᴵᴬᴺ

𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙑𝘼𝙇𝙆𝙔𝙍𝙄𝙀𝙎

For as long as the people of Aurelia can remember, their gold supplies were prosperous. The planet refused to stop producing the precious metal, so who can blame the citizens for reaping the benefits? However, the shining gold was also a beacon of light, beaming out to all those seeking fortune across the galaxy. And so the devastating Aurelian Gold Rush began. Smugglers, pirates and bandits travelled thousands of miles from every edge of the rim to get their greedy hands on the glistening chunks of gold. But the Aurelians were also greedy, territorial and very materialistic. They wanted to keep it all to themselves and they didn't like sharing with outsiders. And as the hunters grew more vicious and sadistic towards the people of Aurelia, they knew that this invasion needed to be stopped before the Aurelians were slaughtered to extinction.

Thus, from the chaos of the gold rush era, the Valkyries rose.

The Valkyries were a group of Aurelians trained from a young age to become fierce warriors. They rode an ancient beast called the Pegasus into battle and were a formidable sight for anyone to be faced with. King Chrysus was credited with their creation after an assassination attempt was disrupted by a low-ranking soldier. King Chrysus realised how unprepared his guards were and immediately placed his saviour in charge of training a new generation of fighters. The new order of Valkyries swiftly chased any opposition from the planet and deterred those who would dare consider to try. The planet was left alone by the rest of the galaxy, who feared for their lives if they were to get too close. Aurelia thrived on its own as more Valkyries continued to be found and trained to ward off any enemies.

Valkyries were usually orphans who had nowhere else to go and were taken in to be of service to their planet. It was a far better life than what would've been in store for them if they were left alone on the streets of Aurelia's largest city, Jinyu. Poverty, disease and famine were overshadowed by the gleaming homes of the rich and the less fortunate were left to survive however they could. Aurelia was anything but the utopia it was rumoured to be. It was a harsh planet to live on if you were born into destitution. Training may have been harsh and demanding, but at least the Valkyries had a roof over their heads and food in their bellies.

Each Valkyrie's bronze skin was tattooed with gold Aurelian symbols so they could be easily identified. There had been various occasions where a Valkyrie had tried to run away to escape a life of fighting. Each one had been found by the time the sun set in the evening. The tattoos were a distinctive reminder of their dedication to the planet. A permanent taunting brand that marked who they belonged to; Aurelia and the monarchy.

The most recent ruler of Aurelia was Queen Theia. An unbelievably stern woman, it was easy to mistake her for a golden statue. She was hardheaded, stubborn and difficult to please. But she was a strong ruler, rigid in her own beliefs and uninterested in the corrupted opinions of the men around her. She knew exactly what her planet needed and she didn't listen to anyone who said otherwise. Her most trusted advisor was Eos Stantri, the current Commander of the Valkyries. The two women were good friends, a dream team for the planet. Under their guidance, Aurelia was thriving and the Valkyries drilled into perfect warriors.

Eos Stantri was the oldest of the Valkyries, therefore the title of Commander was hers by tradition. She was a strict teacher, nothing ever slipped past her beady eyes. She demanded perfection and expected perfection, anything less was a failure. However, no one could argue with her results. She had produced some of the most ruthless warriors Aurelia had ever seen, all of whom had become dedicated Valkyries. Perfect little soldiers.

Shivani Rai had spent her whole life training to be a Valkyrie under Eos' instruction. It was all she had ever known. Soon, she would be a full-fledged Valkyrie and take her place among the ranks next to the people who raised her. This thought did not fill her with the joy it should. She wanted to protect the innocent but she wasn't entirely sure that many of the Aurelians were truly worthy of protection. They were selfish, inconsiderate and only sought power and wealth. She didn't want to defend people like that, she couldn't. Thoughts like this were dangerous, and she only ever spoke her true feelings in front of Katali.

Katali T'pann had been the only mother figure she had ever known. Valkyries were often entrusted to mentor some of the younger warriors. Katali was asked to watch over Shivani. The younger girl used to believe that Katali was too kind to be a Valkyrie, until she watched her spar one day. There were no doubts after that day. The pair grew close and found they shared more loyalty for one another than they did for their planet. Secrets were shared and never spilled. A bond was formed that was never broken. In the brutal days of torment and suffering, a light was found that would never be dimmed.

Aurelia was in its golden age. But in its self-imposed exile, the inhabitants had no idea how much the galaxy had changed, how far technology had come and what wars had been fought. The Empire had its sights set on the golden cities of Aurelia. And nothing would get in the way of what they want. What the Aurelians didn't know, would inevitably kill them.