On a distant planet, far across the stars, a special train lay silent. It wasn't like any other train, it was the legendary Astral Express, built by the Aeon of Trailblaze, Akivili to explore the vast universe. Alongside his followers who called themselves Nameless, Akivili used the Express to journey through dangerous and unknown worlds, linking distant places and people together. It was a time of adventure and discovery. But after many years, Akivili suddenly disappeared. The once great Trailblaze explorers fell, leaving behind only one piece of his legacy, the Astral Express itself. Now, the Express sits in this forgotten corner of the universe, weathered by time. That is up until today.
"Ughh... should this wire go here, or maybe the other port?" muttered a young man, crouched inside the worn-down control room of the Astral Express. He was about 18, with a messy hair that looked like he'd walked through a hurricane, and his tired purplish-silver eyes still shine with excitement.
His face was smudged with grease and dust, evidence of hours spent crawling through narrow panels and rusted circuits, but there was a bright smile on his lips. His name was Noah Alden, relatively normal human boy who is a bit specially for being born to a well know family in his world. He is a Genestella and a Jedi, who felt the nudge of Force, chosen to leave his home world behind to start this Nameless journey.
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"Aiyo, thanks VA," Noah replied as he connected the wire exactly where the cube had indicated. The Void Archives or VA for short, wasn't just some gadget. It was a sentient, data-rich artifact packed with knowledge gathered over thousands of years from countless worlds. Culture, tech, history you name it, it knew it. It could even copy and mimic almost anything, from a basic spoon to advanced weapons.
"It's finally coming together, huh? All our weeks of effort might actually be worth it," Noah said with a tired but hopeful smile. A wrench formed in his hand, generated through VA's mimicking ability.
He remembered the day they met clearly. About a year ago, he followed a strange tug from the Force and saw a meteorite crash near his hometown. But instead of debris, he found a glowing cube that introduced itself as the Void Archives. Since then, VA had been his partner calling him "Captain" from day one, though Noah still didn't fully understand why.
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Noah snorted. "You just copied a screwdriver and got it stuck earlier."
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"Who?" Noah asked, now curious.
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Noah paused, one brow raised. "…You're telling me an actual bunny almost committed murder?"
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Noah sighed, deciding not to pursue the matter further. "You're weird."
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Shaking his head, Noah closed the final panel, rose to his feet, and turned toward the control console. He ran through the final diagnostics, making sure every fix was holding steady. It was almost time.
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"Right… because that's the easy part," Noah muttered, wiping the sweat from his face. His tone was dry, sarcastic, but the tired hope in his eyes said otherwise. "Are you actually sure this'll work? Using the Force to power up a multiversal express train?"
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Noah frowned. "That's still a huge gamble. You've always acted like I was meant for this, like I already fit the role."
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He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "You keep saying that. But you've never explained why."
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"—Yeah, yeah, because I'm the Captain," Noah cut in with a tired smile. "You've said that more times than I can count. Still don't get it. But… I guess I'll figure it out eventually."
He looked up at the cube and softened his voice. "Even if I don't know everything yet, I chose to trust you. And I'll keep trusting you."
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Noah gave the golden cube a quiet nod before stepping away. He took some time to refresh himself, took a bath at the lake, heated a simple meal, cleared his mind. Hours passed. When he returned to the driver's cabin, the silence felt different. Anticipation hung in the air.
Now came the last step: awakening the Astral Express.
He stepped up to the console and placed his hand on the heart of the train.
"Ready, VA?" he asked calmly.
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Noah closed his eyes and exhaled slowly. He reached inward, drawing on the Force. It answered.
A gentle current of prana flowed around him, swirling like stardust. The cabin lit up as the once-dormant train stirred for the first time in centuries. Lights flickered to life, humming with power. And in that moment, Noah didn't hesitate, he became the bridge between the Force and the Express.
Then, something shifted. The world faded.
His mind was no longer in the cabin. He had entered somewhere else entirely.
"I...huh...where... am I?" Noah murmured as he glanced around, surrounded by a vast sea of stars. It felt endless, like floating inside a dream. Then, out of nowhere, a silver streak darted past him. He instinctively braced himself—only to realize it wasn't a comet at all.
It was the Astral Express.
The train raced around him like a phantom, its form shimmering like starlight. Noah stared in awe, watching its path curve and spiral through the void. But as he gazed at it, he felt something strange, like the train was watching him back. Judging. Testing.
A strange pressure settled on him, like invisible eyes boring into his soul. He spun around but saw nothing. When he turned back, the Express had stopped ahead of him, almost... waiting.
Noah blinked. Then smiled.
"So that's how it is," he whispered.
He took one step forward. Then another. His boots tapped lightly in the emptiness, until he broke into a run, chasing the train as it moved beside him, like it was guiding him. Each step he made as he move forward power surged into him, light and warmth rising from deep inside his chest. It wasn't just speed or strength. It was clarity. Purpose.
He could feel it, his path.
As if answering his resolve, the Express glowed with golden and silver light. The glow wrapped around him, lifting him upward. Noah reached out, eyes filled with determination.
And then he leapt soaring toward the stars.
Noah slowly opened his eyes. The star-like lights of prana still floated gently around the cabin, and for the first time, he could hear the energetic hum from Express's engine. The once dark and lifeless console now glowed with color and light, humming like a heart finally beating again.
A holo screen flickered to life in front of him:
'Trailblaze Initiate: Yes or No'
<< Congratulations, Captain. You have successfully become a Trailblazer. >> said the Void Archives with a proud tone.
Noah chuckled softly, running a hand through his messy hair. "I still don't understand everything... but it feels like this is the right path." He looked at VA with a gentle smile. "You brought me here, so I'm counting on you, alright? No matter how hard it gets. No matter how crazy or impossible it looks. I want you by my side."
Something stirred within the Void Archives. Old data. Distant memories. The same laugh. The same promise.
That's why, just like before, it gave the same reply:
<< Always, Captain. In every victory, in every failure. I will be here. With you. >>
Noah smiled at the screen before him, then pressed 'Yes' without hesitation. In that instant, the Astral Express roared back to life. Its engines surged, lights flared, and the entire train pulsed with energy.
"Then let's go," he said with a grin. "Let's take our 'First Steps' toward whatever lies beyond."
Thus, on this day, Noah Alden, guided by the Force, accompanied by the Void Archives, set the gears of fate into motion aboard the legendary Astral Express.