CHAPTER SEVEN.
welcome to Minerva.

      " SOMEBODY WAKE MURPHY UP, " KP declared, eyes darting up from the tracker as he glanced over his shoulder at Mars, who had traded him seats per his request to be able to stare outside. He grinned before announcing, " we're here. "

     " Your loud mouth is the only alarm clock I need, Barnes. " Murphy groaned, appearing in the doorway as the metal door slid shut behind him automatically; he lumbered over to his seat, sinking into it with a tired look on his face. Still, he met Mars' eyes, and, upon seeing a hint of concern in them, he smirked, " I know this face is irresistible, but you don't have to stare, Spacewalker. "

      Mars' eyebrows instantly scrunched as she frowned, turning away from him. KP glanced over at her with a look of question on his face at the way she scrunched her brows. She barely looked over at him before entirely averting her eyes away from him to lean forward, peering down at the approaching planet. It's light pink surface was hazy, almost like it wasn't completely there. Mars could make out a series of colorful buildings in a circle, she assumed it was probably the planet's central plaza. She couldn't really identify any of the buildings from their position, closing in on the atmosphere.

     " So, " Max called, making Mars turn around to see him looking right back at her. With an expectant expression, he continued, " what's the plan here? "

     When no one said anything, Mars glimpsed around to see that they were all waiting for her answer. She nearly choked when she tried to speak, clearing her throat promptly and narrowing her eyes.

    " Why are you all looking at me like that? None of you have any ideas of your own? " She questioned incredulously, and Murphy snorted, earning the attention of the others.

     " 'Course we do, Spacewalker, plenty of things running around up here. " He assured her, tapping the side of his forehead as he gave her a dryly amused look, " However, we are not the leader. That would be you. "

     Mars nearly laughed, shaking her head lightly as she began to stand, " No, no, I'm not the leader, I can't— "

     " That's what the Elders said, that's what the Prophecy— "

     " I don't care what the Prophecy or the Elders said. " Mars quickly cut Kanae off, gaining a grimace in return; she lowered her eyes to the ground and muttered out a quiet apology before sighing.

     A beat of silence passed before Mars raised her head again, explaining, " Look, I get that the Elders are stuck on this prophecy like it's the gods' word, but I'm... not a leader. You can't rely on me to be able to make up some plan that's supposed to save the galaxy, I just... that's not me. "

     While the four of them stared at her silently, Mars instantly felt a knot growing in her stomach as regret filled her. She shouldn't have voiced her doubt, she should've pushed it down and put on a confident face. They wouldn't have faith in her for anything if she didn't have faith in herself, but she wasn't sure if she could say she did. What kind of person would she be if she voluntarily took on the responsibility of the mission of saving the Andromeda Galaxy, and then decided she couldn't do it? She had to save Andromeda, she had to create this alliance, she had to come up with a plan. She had to be the leader.

     " It is you, Argo, " Max insisted abruptly, face hardened as Mars met his stare; it was like he had heard her own thoughts, " whether you like it or not, whether any of us like it, it's you. You volunteered for this, just like the rest of us. If your reason was to be a hero, it's time to show it.  "

    " That wasn't why I wanted to take their stupid 'test', " Mars denied, glaring at him. " I did it because I just want to find my dad, not to be a hero. What, is that why you're here? And you, too, Murphy? You don't want to be seen as a criminal anymore, so you help save the universe and bam, reputation erased? "

    Mars gestured frustratingly at the other lanky boy, who looked a bit shocked to have been dragged into the spiraling argument. The girl then pointed at Kanae, insisting, " At least she admitted why she was here, what about the rest of you? Why are you even here, why are you so confident that any of this will even work? "

    Max returned her glare, his pale eyes more sharp and focused than hers. He crossed his arms over his chest, leaning slightly forward in his seat, scoffing, " Is that seriously what you think? That I'm just here to have some stupid glory? That I'm not here for something important, too? "

    Mars blinked at his words, realizing how she sounded and the implications she was making about both Murphy and Max without even knowing them. He had made the same assumption, though, and she couldn't tell if he regretted it or not. She did regret how she said it, but there was no point in admitting that now. He waited for a response for a second, then turned his head for a moment before looking back to her with an irritated expression.

    " We're all here for a reason more than being a damn hero. We aren't confident, we just don't have another choice. " He stated in a slightly less aggressive tone, sounding a bit calmer and collected, " None of us have a choice, we have to do this or else we let everyone down. So whether you fake it or not, pretend like you know what you're doing. "

     Mars habitually gnawed on the side of her cheek as she nodded solemnly at Max. He was right, she knew everything he said was right before he even voiced it.  She had to step up, whether anyone believed her, whether or not she believed in herself. She had to, not only for her dad, but now for the entirety of the galaxy. Fake it, pretend like you know what you're doing.

     " Okay. " She quietly agreed, switching her gaze to the others as the Silver Wolf began to dip down gradually; they were almost to Minerva, minutes away from touching down on the surface. She was mildly surprised to see how intently each of their faces were as they waited for her to speak again.

     " The King, Maragos is his name. He created the Life Alliance in the Damning War, he's the most inclined to join it again. " Mars explained, having read up on the information left on the holographic screens that she assumed were built in to each station of the control panel; instead of napping like Murphy had after their conversation, or doing something else to pass the time, she had stayed near the screens to figure out exactly what they were supposed to be doing. " The Minervans are strategic, whatever you're thinking they've already thought of it and how to deflect it. If Maragos doesn't come easily, it's gonna be hard to convince him otherwise. "

     " Well, you said he was the most likely to join, right? " KP said, leaning forward in his seat as he shook his head a bit, puzzled, " What would make him change his mind? "

     Before Mars could even think of an answer, Kanae chimed in, " Bargaining. "

     The half-Titan didn't seem to mind when all pairs of eyes were on her, instead, she simply locked eyes with Mars and expanded, " If Amon has something Maragos wants or needs, he'll be wrapped around his finger. "

     " He's a king, what could she possibly have to offer him? " Murphy questioned, and Kanae lifted an eyebrow, eyes briefly moving to him.

     " The desperation to keep your people alive cannot be paid for with any amount of myos or gold. He's a strategist, not a warlord. "

     The others seemed a bit confused by her words, but Mars understood enough of what the girl meant. She was glad she had read the files programmed into the Silver Wolf by the Elders now, or else she'd be lost just like the three boys who watched the two girls go back and forth.

     " As far as he knows, there's no defense against the Titans. I can't imagine he'd try to start the Life Alliance again without a warning. " Mars added, Kanae nodded, confirming what she said. " If it looks better to side with the Titans at the moment, that's a possibility he's likely to take. "

     " So I guess we'd better hope he isn't easily paranoid. " Murphy commented, tying his bandana into his hair as he looked up at Mars. 

     " Alright, yeah, that makes sense. " Max agreed, standing with his arms still over his chest as he raised an eyebrow at Mars, " So, when we meet this King Maragos, what do you want us to do? "

    Mars thought it over a minute, crossing her arms to mirror him, casting a quick glance to the planet in the close distance, " Max, see if you can talk to some of the citizens, maybe they know more about the Titan Army than we do. Take Kanae with you. KP and Murphy are with me, we'll talk to the King. "

     " I don't know if you've noticed yet, Argo, but I'm not really a people person. " Murphy reminded her pointedly, and Mars gave him a small smirk as she nodded in agreement.

     " Well aware, which is exactly why I'm going to talk to Maragos, and you are going to find whatever you can to make sure they aren't already against us. " Mars insisted, a smug look on her face as she nodded towards KP. " And he's your backup. "

    " What?! " KP exclaimed, eyes nearly bugging from his skull as he turned to Mars with a pleading look, grabbing her shoulder, " Mars, c'mon, can't I just talk to Maragos with you or something? "

    " Hey, " She quickly responded, looking quite satisfied with herself as she glanced over at Max, " I'm the leader, right? "

    " That's what I said. " Max plainly confirmed, dryly looking at Murphy and KP before adding, " What she says goes, boys. "

     At that, both aforementioned boys made a face of distaste before Murphy gave Mars a two finger salute and commented, " Aye, aye, Captain. "

     " Approaching destination, prepare for landing. " The robotic auto pilot voice rang, and Silver let out a roar of agreement.

     The group wordlessly found their seats, Mars replacing KP at the front as they all leaned forward to look out the window to see a group of people standing around their marked landing spot. The legs of the Silver Wolf touched the dusty pink ground with a quiet sound, making the crowd step back slightly. As they landed, the exit hatch opened and the ramp unrolled, planting itself into the ground. Maybe this wouldn't be that difficult. Mars turned away from the window, looking between the four others with a half hearted smile.

     " Okay, let's get this show on a roll. "

xxx.

     Mars was the first to step off the ramp, her boot-clad foot falling on the rough surface of the planet. Her first reaction was to look up at the sky, which was an odd gray color that seemed to be translucent. It was kind of insane to think that they had just been up there and they didn't even notice the gray tint. She felt a small smile cross her face as she leveled her gaze again, faltering a little when her eyes landed on the small group of people standing several feet away from them.

     They seemed to have landed right on the outskirts of the center of the planet. Mars could see the buildings, but they looked much shorter now. They were an array of vibrant colors, but they seemed like smaller versions of the apartment complexes on Ceren that surrounded the Council Building. Looking ahead, Mars could see that they were just a few feet away from the pale brick path that led to the heart of the center.

     " This place is. . " KP trailed off, noticing the growing crowd and the various little huts and houses that surrounded the center; the Silver Wolf had landed in what looked like the only spot on the planet that wasn't covered by a result of civilization.

     " Overpopulated. " Mars decided, and KP shrugged slightly as he stepped down beside her, the other three still taking in the scenery as they joined them.

     " I was going for something more hopeful, but, yeah. " He agreed dryly, scratching the back of his neck.

     Mars looked at one of the Minervans that stood before them, about Kanae's height with a complexion like her own. While they were the size of a teenager, the Minervan's face held scars and wrinkles that told of age. Their hair was short and dark, the same color as their widened eyes as they stared at Mars in what she hoped was just curiosity. She'd prefer if the people they were trying to ally with weren't scared of them.

     " Um, hi, hello, we're the crew of the Silver Wolf. " Mars began, tripping over her words a bit; KP gently nudged her side with his elbow as he looked amongst the Minervans, who had seemed a bit taken back when she spoke. She was pretty sure that most Ceren languages were considered universal, but she didn't know if every being in the galaxy knew them all fluently. " We're not here to hurt you, we're here to talk to the King. . . Could, uh, could any of you take us to him? "

     They were all silent, and Mars considered rewording her phrase in Spanish, the only other language she knew fluently. She swallowed thickly at their lack of response, but, thankfully, the person she had locked eyes with stepped forward.

     " You are here to help. " They repeated, a bit blunter than Mars expected. " Did you bring food? "

     Mars opened her mouth but made an answerless noise as she felt KP grab her arm. She looked up at him, and he gave her a solemn nod before plastering a warm smile on his face as he looked at the Minervans.

     " No, not that kind of help, but we can get right on that. " He assured them, earning a few quiet murmurs and their figures all visibly relaxed. " We need to speak to King Maragos first. "

     The Minervans all seemed to share a collective look, and Mars waited tensely as the crowd suddenly began to disperse. She watched, eyebrows furrowed together in confusion as they walked off towards their presumed homes and went on about their day. She could hear Murphy behind her, starting to say something she was sure was less than encouraging, when a single Minervan stood before them. He wore a navy blue uniform, the dullest color she had seen yet, and his black hair was slicked back neatly on his head. He approached the group, hands clasped in front of him before he stopped, just a foot away from Mars.

     The Argo girl waited, watching the man as he looked each of them up and down with analytic eyes. She noticed the small golden badges stitched on to his jacket, noting that he must've been a respected guard of sorts. He lifted his eyes to hers, similar shades of amber clashing as he seemed to deem them safe. Mars could tell that nothing around here went without intensive overthinking and plotting. He was most likely calculating every possible outcome and scenario and what he would have to do in result.

     " You are Mars Argo. " It wasn't a question, but a statement. His eyes were hard and emotionless as she nodded in confirmation.

     " Uh, yeah, I am. This is— "

     " I know. " He stopped her, sparing a twitch of a smile to instill some friendliness; Mars tried to not show the slight annoyance she felt, but she nodded in return. " My name is Nota, I'm here to bring you to King Maragos. "

    " By all means, " Mars said, watching as the man waited for the group's first move; she took a small step forward and added, " lead the way. "

     He gave her a strange once over again before pursing his lips, turning around and marching pristinely towards the center of Minerva. The other Minervans that had gathered around the Silver Wolf dispersed, almost on cue. Mars spun on her heel, walking backwards as she looked to the four teens, who all wore a skeptical expression. She raised an eyebrow at them questionably.

     " You sure about this, Argo? " Murphy asked, voice low enough so that Nota in front of them couldn't hear; Mars gave him a brief shrug.

     " I'm not sure about anything, but the plan seems to be doing okay so far. " She insisted, and that seemed to be enough to convince the Eol boy, who exhaled with a laugh and followed after her. Kanae jogged forward to join them as Mars faced forward again. Max patted KP's shoulder as he passed him, making the bulkier boy follow suit with a sigh.

     The walk to the plaza was quicker than Mars expected, and, soon enough, they were walking down the brick path that continued on through the road full of busy Minervans bustling around from building to building. Mars could see what the path was leading to, now that she was actually inside the middle of the plaza, her eyes locking on to the golden castle that stood on the opposite end. It captivated the group of teens in awe, its exterior seeming to glitter and shine with every ray of sunlight that hit it. If there was one thing Mars was going to actually be excited for during this mission, it was getting to see the other planets she'd been dreaming of. The guard hadn't spoken much, but he was quick to observe their awestruck faces.

    " That's where the King lives. " Mars assumed, and Nota nodded in confirmation, not bothering to look back as the group of teenagers glanced around at all the decorated buildings around them, the dull yet bright sky above them, and the almost sparkling ground they walked on.

     " King Maragos and the princess, yes. "

    His sentence struck a chord within the group, specifically Mars. She felt her stomach twist and her mind immediately wandered. Why hadn't there been anything in the files about a princess? If she didn't like them or didn't agree with them, could she sway her father's answer? The addition of another person of authority only made the task slightly more difficult. Mars felt KP nudge her purposefully and she slowed her pace so that she was walking in between him and Murphy. She grabbed both of their wrists, pulling them down slightly to make them lean close enough for her to speak to them.

     " Princess? " Murphy hissed, and KP let out a noise of agreement, sweat beading on his forehead.

     " Yeah, little change of plans. " Mars told them, keeping her eyes locked on to the guard's back; there was no telling what he would think or say if he saw the way they were whispering amongst each other. " KP, princess duty. Which means you're on your own, Murphy. "

     " Well, letting the one person on 8 planets' wanted lists wander the castle alone, I wonder what could go wrong? " He rhetorically muttered, and Mars released their wrists, rolling her eyes at him.

     " Just do what you do best: sneak. " She insisted, and he clicked his tongue.

     " I don't think that's what I do best— "

     " Save it, Murphy. " KP shot him down as they finally approached the entrance of the castle.

     Nota stopped in front of them, turning slightly as he stood near the archway of gold, where several black spikes formed a gate through it. He whistled a small tune that was fairly simple but rather quick, then, almost on cue, the spikes lifted. He glanced over at the group for a moment, then went back to staring straight as he marched inside the castle.

     Mars and the others followed after him, trying to stick with his fast, purposeful pace as they weaved through several corridors and halls that were all decorated with only the finest clothes and paintings. Mars very vaguely remembered one they passed that seemed to be of the King and what she assumed was a late wife, seeing as Nota didn't mention a queen.

     Then, they were led to a set of double doors that were opened by unseen hands. Nota didn't stop, though, and he walked straight into what Mars could only guess was the throne room. A long, mauve carpet stretched from underneath their feet to a tall, golden throne, with a significantly smaller one sitting beside it. There were plenty of decorations inside, too, but Mars was more drawn to the pair sitting on the thrones.

     " King Maragos, the members of the Silver Wolf are here. " Nota announced, and, as they walked further inside, Mars noticed two more guards that stood on either side of the door.

     " Thank you, Nota, you're dismissed. " A deep, stern voice insisted, and Nota passed by Mars without another word before he left, the doors closing behind him with a loud echoing slam. " Please, come forward. "

     Mars hadn't even realized she had stopped walking, making the others still behind her. She quickly moved closer, standing just a few feet away from the throne as she finally looked at the man sitting amongst it. Mars decided that Minervans were just shorter than most species in general, because even the King didn't reach an above average height. He had sharp, elegant features, and even Mars could see the array of dark freckles that covered his nose and forehead. Underneath the golden crown, encrusted with rose colored jewels, his black hair was sleek and perfected in every strand. Everything was calculated. He seemed to be staring down at the group, analyzing them much like Nota had done, but then a wide smile broke out onto his face, and he lifted his hands in gesture.

     " Welcome to Minerva! " He exclaimed, making the group flinch as a whole when his voice seemed to boom like fireworks; he didn't seem to notice, though. " As I assume you know, I am King Maragos. This is my child, Princess Ekaterina. "

     He gestured to the girl at his right, and Mars glanced over to see what looked like just a younger version of Maragos sitting there. She had the same, copper colored skin and sparkling brown eyes, and the regal looking nose that made her look even more royal. Her dark brown hair barely reached her shoulders, where it curled up into little tufts. She even had the same splatter of freckles that covered the center of her face. Her violet gown clashed with the russet robes her father wore. She barely offered them a smile, and Mars could already see the gears turning in her head.

     " It's a pleasure, your Majesty. " Mars said, even if her voice sounded a bit unsteady, and she side eyed KP in a silent question to whether they should bow or not; he looked back at her and shrugged before averting his eyes. The odd red tint to his face didn't go unnoticed, but Mars only frowned questionably.

     She quickly turned her attention back to Maragos, though, as she looked up at him, " My name is— "

     " Mars Argo, yes. You are the spitting image of your father, did you know that? " The King asked, a gleaming smile on his face as he leaned forward.

     Mars was really starting to get annoyed with people announcing her before she could even introduce herself, but she pushed away that irritation as she plastered a smile to her face.

     " So I've heard. " She said rather enthusiastically, trying to remind herself what they were really there for. " Sir, we've come on behalf of the Council of Elders to see if you would join the new Life Alliance against the Titans. "

     " Yes, Carlyle sent a short message about this meeting earlier. " He insisted with a longing sigh, placing his chin in his hand. " And, here I was, hoping that you might've been here to listen to some of my war stories about your father. "

    Mars felt a pang in her heart, but she kept her  
smile on as she swallowed thickly, " I would love to hear some, but I think we need to discuss the Alliance first. "

    " Of course, of course. " Maragos agreed, waving dismissively before looking to Mars again; she had noticed that he hadn't even bothered to spare any attention to the other members of the crew.

    " This is the rest of the Silver Wolf, KP Barnes, Max Arkon— " Again, before she could finish, King Maragos cut her off, looking very uninterested.

     " Yes, yes, hello to you all, but, Miss Argo, I am more interested in talking to you. " He stated shamelessly. Murphy let out a scoff, but it was quieted when Mars glared at him over her shoulder. Maybe his favoritism towards her would be a good thing, he'd be less distracted by the others as they went on. As Mars looked over at the princess, who was staring hard at her, she felt as though she might have a different take on it.

    " Well, you wouldn't mind if we went somewhere private to speak then? " Mars suggested, waving her hand behind her as the princess raised an eyebrow, " My friends have never seen Minerva and would like to go explore while we talk, if that's alright. "

     " I don't see why not, Minerva is a beautiful planet. Enjoy it. " He insisted, and Mars smiled at him gratefully before turning her head back to the others. She locked eyes with Max and tilted her head, to which he nodded in understanding and slung his arm over Kanae's shoulders, hurriedly walking them both out of the doors before Maragos could change his mind. She didn't blame him, the king did seem a bit extravagant, and most people Mars knew like that were very wishy-washy about their decisions. Not to mention, his erratic attitude was probably a little uncomfortable for someone like Max or Kanae.

     " And, KP and Murphy are big monarch buffs. They'd love to have a personal tour of the castle, " Mars told him, subtly hitting KP's arm through his jacket when he didn't respond, " isn't that right, boys? "

    " Ow, uh, yeah, yeah, I'd love a tour, " KP hurriedly agreed, nodding as he shouldered Mars, clenching his jaw in annoyance, " if you don't mind, of course. "

    " Certainly. I love when outsiders take an interest in Minervan culture. " King Maragos proudly insisted, eyes finally leaving Mars to look down at his daughter. " Show the gentlemen around the castle, would you, Ekko? "

     The princess didn't seem thrilled, and Mars could just tell by the narrowed look she was giving the trio that she, for some reason, didn't entirely trust them. Still, she rose from her throne and glanced at her father, " Yes, Father. "

     He smiled at her in return, and Ekko walked down the carpet, not waiting for KP and Mars to part as she brushed past them rather unnecessarily. Mars turned around as she continued walking, heading out the door and taking a sharp turn without saying a word to them. KP had an unreadable look on his face as he jogged after her, and Mars met Murphy's amused look. He raised his eyebrows, and Mars gave him a two finger salute in response, to which he grinned in response. He lazily turned on his feet before following KP out of the throne room.

     Hoping that the plan would set itself in action from then on, Mars turned around with a small exhale and looked up at the ecstatic King and declared, " Okay, let's start talking. "

xxx.