Jack Done and the Ether glove

The Orith Nexis communications satellite floated in cosmic silence, a massive, circular structure surrounded by a halo of giant antennas vibrating with each pulse of data streams. Raven's Wings approached for docking. Andy, seated in the cockpit, issued precise instructions.

"No signs of suspicion, Jack. The codes provided by the IDC are functional, but I suggest we remain inconspicuous. Their security systems are minimal. If they detect any anomalies, we'll have problems."

Jack, clad in a modified tactical suit, gathered his team around the ship's holographic table.

"We've gotten in undetected, but the infiltration won't take long. Andy and Kai, stay on the ship to ensure our extraction. Va'ar, Tsukiko, Kael, you're coming with me. We need to locate the main communications hub and extract the data on Project Progenitor."

Va'ar nodded, his bright blue eyes glimmering faintly.

"Jack, don't forget. We need to secure the evidence and escape quickly without raising alarms."

"Understood," Jack replied.

The team silently navigated through the auxiliary hangar, slipping past metal containers bearing the Orith Nexis seal. Diffuse holograms projected diagrams and data streams on the walls, and cold lights pulsed steadily. Tsukiko, armed with a compact weapon, stopped abruptly.

"According to the plans, the next door on the right should lead to the communications center."

Jack raised his hand, and Aetherion emitted a holographic beam, scanning the path.

"Something feels off. This satellite is too empty."

Upon reaching the communications center, the air grew denser. A faint energy field vibrated in front of a massive door. Aetherion projected a holographic schematic on Jack's arm.

"It's protected by an Ether field. We need a conduit to disable it."

"An Ether field? How far has their technology advanced?"

Jack raised Aetherion, channeling Ether to project a golden beam at the barrier. With a low hum, the field dissipated, and the door slid open. Inside, the light was blinding. It was a laboratory. Rows of biotech capsules, each containing an impossible creature: Progenitor beings. Their chests emitted blue pulses of energy, their bodies a seamless blend of flesh and metal. They were humans implanted with Elythron.

At the far end of the room, a holographic monitor displayed heartbeats and DNA diagrams. Below it, two separate capsules revealed familiar figures.

"My father… my mother," Jack whispered, taking a few steps forward. His voice was heavy with emotion.

Tsukiko grabbed Jack's arm.

"Jack, are you sure? Didn't your parents die in the explosion?"

Jack clenched his fists, and Aetherion began pulsing Ether.

"Their bodies were never found. I won't leave them here. They're right in front of me!"

At that moment, a cold voice echoed from behind them.

"A difficult choice, isn't it, Jack Done?"

They all turned. In an open doorway, Tharix stepped forward, wearing a black Elythron bracelet on his forearm. His dark eyes seemed to burn with an inner light.

"I was expecting you, Jack. Their DNA was only part of the key. But you already knew that, didn't you?" Tharix continued with a cynical smile. "I merely offered them a chance to contribute to something greater than they could have ever dreamed."

Jack felt his fury surge. He raised his hand, and a golden energy field exploded around him.

"You destroyed my family's lives! You ruined destinies just for power!"

Tharix chuckled softly, lifting his arm adorned with the Elythron bracelet.

"Power is the only constant in this universe. And Aetherion is boundless power, in the right hands."

The battle began with a blast of gravitational energy. Tharix manipulated the surrounding fields, turning the floor into a gravity minefield. Jack countered, using Aetherion to create barriers that deflected the gravitational fluxes.

Meanwhile, Va'ar, Tsukiko, and Kael faced another conflict. The Progenitor beings had escaped their capsules, unleashing chaos. Though incomplete, each creature exhibited a unique ability: one generated water projectiles, another partially controlled metal, and a third fired concentrated Ether as plasma. A fourth creature emitted an energy shield protecting the others.

"Kai! We need you here!" Tsukiko shouted into her wrist communicator, dodging an attack from one of the creatures.

Kai activated his super speed and joined the battle within two seconds. In rapid succession, he immobilized the shield-generating creature with a swift punch. Kael connected telepathically to the creatures' minds, finding only a general command: "Capture Aetherion, kill the insurgents." He managed to disrupt their coordination, slowing them down. Va'ar and Tsukiko fought relentlessly, shooting and cutting down the Progenitors as they lost ground.

Jack fixed his furious gaze on Tharix.

"Tharix, your Progenitors are defeated! Surrender!"

"How can you control your emotions? The shock of learning your parents are alive should have incapacitated you!" Tharix snarled, launching a powerful Ether pulse that activated an energy shield, separating his side of the lab from the rest of the team.

Jack raised Aetherion, focusing intently. Ether gathered around the glove, growing denser with each passing second.

In the brief pause, Tharix sprinted toward a control panel and activated the satellite's self-destruct sequence. He shouted at Jack:

"You're not as clever as you think, Jack. I lured you here to reclaim the glove and end your meddling in our plans! I can recover Aetherion even from the debris!"

"Maybe the real power isn't in Ether, lost technologies, or Aetherion, but in friends and love!" Jack yelled, striking the shield with Ether-concentrated force, shattering it.

"This is only a delay, Jack. The Drafalkar won't stop here," Tharix said, fleeing through a hidden passage that sealed behind him.

Jack concentrated with Aetherion, using gravitational manipulation to extract his parents' capsules.

"We need to get back to the ship! Move, we have two minutes!"

As they ran through the corridors toward the docking bay, distant explosions tore through the laboratory, destroying the satellite and all Progenitor research. In the final seconds, the entire team reached the ship. As Raven's Wings accelerated to safety, Jack watched the flames consume everything.

"This is only a delay," he murmured. "Tharix mentioned the Drafalkarii. They're behind Orith Nexis."

Back aboard the ship, Kael used his conduit to connect with Jack's parents.

"Jack, I'm sorry, but your parents aren't with us anymore. There's no cerebral activity. They were physically restored to extract DNA, likely to create Progenitor beings with enhanced Elythron compatibility. But their brain injuries are irreversible."

Jack stared at Aetherion, deep in thought.

"I knew. Aetherion told me when I saw them in the capsules. But I had to be sure. I want to thank all of you. Without your help, I wouldn't have uncovered the truth or succeeded today."

"Andy, have you analyzed the recovered data? Is it enough to dismantle Orith Nexis?"

"Affirmative. The data has already been transmitted to the Interstellar Diplomatic Council," the android confirmed from the ship's console.

Va'ar, his arms bandaged from cuts and burns healed by Kael, spoke with fury in his voice.

"It seems we've eliminated a dangerous tool of the Drafalkarii today. The third ancient race that helped create the portals. I thought they had abandoned their ideals of conquest and control, but it seems they've merely been waiting for the right moment."

Jack looked around at his team, proud of what they'd become.

"Even if Tharix escaped, we have everything we need to stop Orith Nexis and their abuses. And more importantly, we've uncovered part of the truth about the past."

The team nodded solemnly, sharing a silent sense of triumph laced with the weight of their losses. Though they had survived, the mission's aftermath left a deep mark on them all.