Cosmo Crisis Spotlights

Space: It's nothing but science that no one really understands. It's a vast emptiness that no one will ever know. No one of no importance, that is. But there were those who were chosen. by those of importance. Those who were meant to know what no one else would ever know. He was one of those people. He was a man given importance by someone of importance. What did that make him? He wasn't sure himself, but had spent his last few months wondering.

Months... Days... how long had it been? Time was a funny concept. One that he had lost track of, or stopped believing in after everything that had happened. After all, he had enrolled himself into the Cosmo Control program way back in 2056. Back then, he was a younger man. Maybe not physically, but definitely spiritually.

Was being 44  physically really that old? When he looked at himself in the mirror, he often saw an older man. Then again, he had since his early twenties due to the grey that had settled into his hair at such a young age. Back in those days, he used to wish that his youthful traits would prove who he was. Funny enough, his youthful traits never proved anything, because his soul had always been old. Maybe that's what she liked about him? Maybe that's why she had chosen him?

Nicole Rios was her name. She approached him after his retirement from the army.  She said she wanted to make a new Kill Watch. Back in those days, everyone knew who the Kill Watch were. The greatest heroes ever known, first appearing back in 2017 after they took down the dreadful Court of Collectors. Ha. Yeah. Heroes. What a load of sh*t. At least that's what he had always thought. The Kill Watch were a supernatural gimmick. But, then again, they supposedly did save lives. In any case, why did she need a new one? 

The image of her lips moving filled his memories. Those words, that offer. Was it worth it?  When these memories resurfaced, he often contemplated if it was or not. 

"All you'll need to do," he remembered her low, thin accent stating,  "Is to die. I'll revive you in the next 40-60 years when technology has advanced, you'll wake up, and you'll lead a team out into the stars, Mr. Suta. See, the Kill Watch is dictated by supernatural forces of the earth. From what Devon Evil has taught me, as well as my extensive studying of my own power, the earth has it's own supernatural realm, which harnesses it's own power. The Other Side, Hell, Paradise? They're all realms of the earth. That's why I need you." 

"Need me for what exactly, Rios?" Suta scoffed scratching his beard. "I don't want to play this supernatural power quest. It's not my place to dictate life or death. And quite frankly, it's not yours either. But, I'm not going to tell you how to run your job."

Nicole gave her sly grin. It was a grin that she was known for, and a grin he would later come to terms with. It was her grin indicting that she knew how to operate it all.

"Mr. Suta, I don't want you to dictate life or death, but rather research it extensively. I want you to see how much life and death expands throughout the stars. How far does our earth-based supernatural abilities extend. If they are limited to earth itself, when does our power's die?" 

Fair enough. She wasn't wanting him to reap any souls, so he was slightly more interested after hearing that explanation. He leaned forward in his chair, and scratched his beard once again. 

"And why me exactly?" 

"Because you're wise, you're a commander, you know how to lead, and most of all... I know about what happened. I know your values of life, and I know that deep down you want to do the right thing, even if you're a bit gruff. I've read your files. You saved how many men during the war? You showed so much dedication for your fellow me--"

Suta's teal eyes glanced towards the ground. She knew. She had to have, or she wouldn't have brought that up. This basically meant that she had him on her strings, and even if he refused, it could have dire consequences. Either way, this was him being forced to listen no matter what. Nicole bringing up his past was just her coy way of reminding him.

"Shut it. I don't want to talk about. I'll do it, just shut up.", Suta commanded, silencing the Trinity member. 

"So gruff, Mr. Suta.  But, you're making a right choice. I need you to submit yourself through some papers, have them at Trinity tower, and we'll prep you to shoot for the stars. This is how it'll work. I'm going to give you one third of the trinity's power, and then launch you into space with a crew. You'll be near immortal. No one but the supernatural forces of Earth will be able to kill you. I'm choosing you for your resilience, your skills, and, of course, your dedication to your mission. I know you very well, and have kept an eye on you for quite sometime. And your job when you're up there? It's nothin'! You go up there, spend time on a ship for a few years, and just keep track of much power you're able to have when you're distant from the earth."

"I got it, Rios. I know." Suta replied dismissively. "I know what you want from me. You want me ... to be expendable. It's how it always is, isn't it? You're saying I'll be near immortal, but if that's the case, then why aren't you going up there yourself?" Suta's eyes rolled upwards, his fingers pointing towards the ceiling. "You don't want to risk losing your power down here, so you'd rather keep two-thirds for yourself and your team instead of risking losing it while doing your own expedition. I understand what you want from me." 

Nicole seemed to grimace at his comments. He was observant, that much was clear to her. But, then again, that is why she had chosen him. "You're right. You're right. You are expendable. Tricia, Rain... they aren't. Not to me. And only someone with a third of our power could do this mission. Since you're trained in combat, leadership, strategy, and show such dedication, I couldn't pass you up. So you're right. I do hope you're not mad at me. And I do want you to know the benefits will be wor--" 

"Will be sh*t. Like being a soldier, the benefits never outweigh what you have to do, or the consequence of what they hold. But people like you never care. They're just looking for someone to draft. What's next, Rios?" Suta leered his blues at the Trinity member. "You going to start drafting people into the Kill Watch?" 

"Wonderful idea, but..." That was a thought, but not one she was going to discuss with him. There was nothing more to discuss with him, after all. "I'll be in touch, Suta. Or should I say... 'Captain Suta?'" 

The footsteps she left. Those heels clacking against the floor. Click, clack, click, clac-- The memory was over, and the annoying buzz from an alarm clock rang through Suta's ears. Captain Suta opened his eyes, and lifted himself from his bed using his arms.

"Another day in paradise", groaned the captain as he stood up, pressing a palm to his back, and leaning his pelvis outwards.

CRACK, POP, CRACK! All those noises echoed from the bones in his back. Physical body of a 44-year-old man was right, and he felt it more and more each passing day. Morning time was always the best time to freshen up. After spending a few moments in the bathroom, he exited, got dressed into his leisure suit, and headed out towards the kitchen. 

 It had been 88 days enclosed on this steel beast of a ship. 88 long, empty days. The ship itself wasn't empty. Oh no; not at all.  He could tell that the Trinity had taken care of their permanent  Kill Watch members quite well. The ship was loaded with goods. All which included entertainment to roughly last a life time,  and enough food to, from what Suta had calculated, feed a small country for a year. 

After reaching the kitchen, Suta went for the cupboards and pulled out a large bag of otter feed. There was a colorful bowl on the ground which read the name 'Paddles'. Suta bent forward, and dumped some of the otter feed into the container. As the tiny pellets filled the bowl, a creature came scurrying towards it. 

It was a furry, yet slick looking otter. It's long body, yet stubby legs made him want to gush, despite him being masculine. Covering the otter was a tiny space suit. It looked decked out in technology that would make most question why an otter had such a suit.

Even Suta had to wonder why exactly an Otter had this sort of suit. Then again, Suta had always loved animals. Animals of all sorts, really. They often made better companions than men. Or, was it that he had lost too many men, and that made him weary of having bonds? Truthfully, he wasn't sure. Either way, the otter had the suit, because Suta wanted an animal companion that could accompany him on such a timeless flight. 

"Hey there, Paddles." Suta greeted, petting the Otter on his head. 

The otter's teeth chewed on the food pellets before swallowing it. The crunching was a soothing sound to Suta. One that he had grown to take comfort in. Space was a lonely place to be. An incredibly lonely one. But it was better this way. It was better to only have to look after an Otter. This way no one could get hurt, and no lives could be taken. He wouldn't have to see any people he got attached to bleed dry, shot down, or fall to their knees defeated, broken, and soon to be lifeless. 

Suta's teeth clenched, his fists balled. The memories came back. All of them. Everyone of them. Oh god, they were horrifying. They were like a shadow that never let him see the sun, that wrapped him in a darkness he just couldn't escape. He wanted to help h-- 

"UNAUTHORIZED ENTRANCE ON DECK 23." The alarm started to blare loudly.

It was eerie to hear such a word. Especially since he, Paddles, and the servicing robots were the only things on this ship. This... this had to be a glitch, didn't it? Either way, he had to check it out. Deck 23, huh? That was worth a look. Suta made sure that his gun was strapped to his side, and rushed to the deck. 

Something was wrong. When he had arrived at the deck, he found the lights turned off. He reached for his firearm, and  held it outwards. The light on his firearm shined through the darkness. He had the ears of a soldier. The kind that made even the tiniest sound become a signal of potential danger. He walked throughout the deck checking each corner

There was a noise behind him. He heard it, and immediately turned around. There it was. A ghastly sight. A man? No... a creature? Yeah, that's what it had to be. It was a creature cloaked in militaristic wear. The alien print on it's jacket indicated it was here to farm goods from the lower decks. Whatever it was, it must have been smart to get passed certain security. Suta figured it was pirates, and when it came to pirates, there were no prisoners to take. 

He held out his gun, and started to bast each energy round. Unfortunately, it was too quick, and seemed to dodge everything he had shot at it. It's speed was inhuman, unlike anything he had ever faced before. It was now sticking to the ceilings like some sort of insect. Suta counted his rounds on his firearm's ammo indicator. He had around six shots left until it needed a recharge pack. 

His gun was aimed towards the being, as one, two, and then three shots were fired. The being dodged the first three, as expected. Luckily Suta knew what he was doing. As the last one was dodged, he predicted where the creature would appear next, and shot a bullet there. In a confused state, it went towards that area, and collided with his energy bullet. 

It fell from the ceiling, and onto the ground. It gushed an oozing purple color. Suta approached the downed body, and bent down to examine it with the light of his gun. 

"You're one nasty son of a bitch, aren't you?" Suta groaned before aiming the light at it's head, and pulling the trigger to make sure it was done for good. "But how the f*** did you get i--" 

Suta's body went flying forward, and in some cargo boxes that were kept on this deck. Even with superhuman durability, he felt a knock on his head. Of course, it wasn't enough to kill him due to his pact with death, but it was enough to render him fuzzy. Above him stood another being. This one wore a mask and kicked him in his stomach. 

"Night, grandpa." the said with malice, before aiming a weapon at his head, and shooting another force of gravity at him. 

Suta's eyes slowly started to open. His arms were restrained. How long had he been out? How... wait... he had been out? Did... was...? He tried moving his feet, but they too were restrained. F***ing hell! He was a prisoner, and couldn't even use his bullsh*t trinity powers to aid him. His eyes glanced around at his surroundings. It was another steel beast. Cold, dark, with more alien words written everywhere. 

WAIT! WHAT HAPPENED TO PADDLES?  Suta grit his teeth. He had let down another companion. "GODDAMMIT!" yelled Suta angrily. "F***ING HELL! Where am I?! WHERE'S PADDLES?!"  

Something flashed in front of him, before he felt a force slam down on his head, knocking him against the wall that he was positioned against. Ugh. It was painful, and he was dizzy once again. But worst of all... Paddles was gone. Probably scared, probably alone. Oh god. The memories were coming back. No. No, how could he...?! 

"WHERE THE F*** IS PADDLES!?" His body shook it's hardest trying to break free.  

"Quiet, slave! You will follow the Workforce's orders!" A voice on an intercom shouted. "Or you will suffer the consequences."

Whatever this place was, they weren't going to be nice. But that was okay, because when he got out of here, neither was he. 












Just follow orders.  The three words that she felt dictated every fiber of her existence. Where did it all start? When did it these words become what she lived by? Sometimes she wondered when these words had become the backbone of her life. She had figured it all started a long time ago. 

She remembered it well. Sitting in the back of her father's small, cramped flighter. The aircraft smelled of cheap fastfood, and the angroth sticks that her dad used to smoke so frequently. He'd turn back to her, and talk to her; often justifying why they were the way they were as a family. 

"People don't you in a public school, Li. They don't want your kind, our kind. They hate what we are, because we're nothin' but rats 'em. People hate the Vahlteri." Her father would say to discourage her from getting en education. 

"B-But, why daddy? We didn't do anything to them, did we?" Lifen asked in response. 

"We were born. We didn't do nothin', but our people, Li. Our people ain't loved. It's because our people are mostly pirates, criminals, murderers, thieves. So if one of us is one, then all of us are one. You understand, baby-girl?" 

Lifen hung her head, thinking over that her race was one that was hated."I understand, daddy. But we're not criminals are we?" 

"Criminal is a harsh word, sweetie. Criminals are anything these days. Anyone can pin a Vahlteri to a crime. So, as that's why I gotta teach ya how to live, Li. I gotta teach ya how to live as Vahlteri who ain't never gonna be more than a criminal in the eyes of the Astro-Corps. We gotta sneak around the Astro-Corps, stay under their radar, make sure we hide the fact that we're Vahlteri." 

"But the Astro-Corps are good guys, aren't they? Why would we want t--" 

Her father turned around, placing his hand on the back of the vehicle's passenger seat. His fingers gripped deeply into the fabric stitched to the seat. There was frustration in his tone, and anger in his eyes.

 "You been listenin', Li? People don't like us Vahlteri People are afraid of us, and this is why we're reduced to bein' criminals. No one gives us a shot in life. No one hires Vahlteri, no one lets us work, cuz we're nothin' but scum, and we search for nothin' but scraps. Have I ever steered ya wrong?" 

"I-I..." Lifen had a hard time swallowing it, but she nodded. "I-I understand daddy.

She trusted in her father. She loved him a lot, after all. After her mother had been killed by the Astro-Corp, she hadn't had much but her father's love to cherish. No education, no true skills, no nothing. Her father was quite literally the only thing in her life that had any semblance of support in her life. 

"That's why I gotta teach. How old are you, baby girl?" 

"Eight years old." 

"You're one year younger than me when I started, but you're ready. Your daddy's special baby girl, and he needs you since you're so small. So daddy's gonna teach you how to live as the trash species you were born into, ya get me?" 

"Mhm. I understand." 

"Alright." Her father faced forward, staring out the space-craft's window. His voice was brought to a hush as he thought over what he needed to tell his daughter for the task at hand. "Daddy's gonna need you to sneak into a place, unlock some doors with some of daddy's encryption tools, got it? When you get the door opened, daddy's gonna need you to stick by, as close as you can be, understood? You're a smart girl, Li. But I need you to just follow my orders." 

Just follow his orders. Lifen understood. She nodded in agreement, and took a deep breath. It didn't sound too hard. But still, she was wondering why he wanted to do this so badly. What was it about this job that was better than scraping for scraps in order to survive. Maybe she shouldn't have questioned it. After all, it was about following orders. 

After her father had parked his air-craft in a remote location, he led his daughter to the building. It was a technology warehouse to one of the biggest companies in the sector. Lifen's father headed towards the back of the building, with Lifen sneakily following behind. Slung across the father's back was a bag full of heist supplies. 

Of course this job would have been better if he had a larger team, but who wanted to work with a Valhteri? No one, that's who. Even other Valhteri hated other Valhteri. They were all scum in the eyes of all who came across. After pulling out some encryption decoders, the father looked down to his young daughter. His eyes had sorrow in them. No father wanted to see their daughter be forced into a life like this. Valhteri or not, he wasn't heartless. He wanted what was best for his baby girl, but this had always been the only way. 

"Alright baby girl jus--" 

BLAM, BLAM, BLAM! It came out of nowhere, and was one of those moments where time seemed to stop in place. A light shined from behind Lifen, and onto her father. Her brain was trying to process what was happening  before her very eyes. His knees became weak, and he fell onto the ground. His own inner fluids were dripping down his torso . His eyes flickered, until narrowing into a tired daze. His body was shivering in shock. He had been shot three times in the chest. 

Lifen bent down with speed. She could feel the emotion building in her eyes, her hand touching his chest. 

"D-Daddy?!" Lifen cried, sniffing. 

Her father was barely clinging to life. His mouth trembled, but he was able to speak. "Li, baby girl, don't... die like this. Don't... aspire to be more than a Valhteri. Be... someone better. Live... better..." 

The father grew silent, motionless, and cold. What had just happened? How did it happen so quickly? Why did it happen so quickly? Answer were soon to come to her as she felt someone soon slam her down towards the floor with brute force. She was barely able to react, and groaned when she hit the ground. 

"W-What is...!" she stuttered, still trying to process everything. 

"Astro-Ranger Red here, you're under arrest for attempting to commit an unlawful entry. But I should have never expected any less from Vahltrick scum.piece of sh*t like you." 

She wanted to cry, she wanted to mourn for her father, and spend a few last moments with him, hugging his dead body, convincing herself it wasn't real, but the Astro-Rangers seemed to have a hold on her. He even called her 'Vahltrick,' which was one of those most derogatory words to the Valhteri. How could this happen? How. 

Lifen never forgot that day. Not for a moment. As the next fifteen years passed, she had lost count of how many times she had vividly imagined that fateful scene. Her father's words struck her. He never wanted her to be born a a Vahlteri. He never asked for that, and deep down he was a good man who just believed something that was apparent: the Valhteri were a hated species. 

 Today was a day that she had wished that her father could see. It was her graduation from the Astro-Crop Academy. She would finally become a legitimate Astro-Ranger, rather than a trainee. She had done the impossible, and dedicated her life to being the best of the ne recruits, and her efforts definitely succeeded. Lifen had been at the top of her training squad in gravity and force manipulation, combat, diplomacy, and law enforcement. Her dad would have been proud that a Vahlteri, especially his daughter, never backed down despite the odds being against her. 

There were rows of people in the audience. Most of them were family members to other Astro-Rangers recruit. This saddened lifen, as so many years had past, and her father never got to see her grow into this, yet all of these others had their families share these moments. In the end, she was a lonely soul, with dedication and hard work to fill that void. 

Lifen could hear the announcer calling each and every recruit that would be in her squad to come up on stage. Lifen had spent so much time mastering everything she could, that she knew she'd be ranked with Gold. She just knew it. The ranking system was relatively simple. Astro-Ranger red was the second highest. Then came blue, yellow, black, and green.  Green was a bottom-tier ranking, and one that you would have to be the absolute worst in order to receive. At the very top of the, above all others, was the shining ray of hope, Astro-Ranger Gold.

Being Astro-Ranger gold meant that you led the team, as well as could switch from squads. It was the highest accomplishment that the justice-keeping Astro-Rangers had. Lifen was shaking with excitement. She knew she had to be chosen as either Red or Gold. Gold... she wanted it so much. So much that she could taste it.

"Lifen!" the announcer called, "Come up and receive your suit, badge, and assigned area."

Lifen immediately zoomed towards the front stage. When she stood there, closed her legs, her body stiffening, and her hand saluting near her forehead.

"Here I am, sir!" she exclaimed, "I'm ready to receive my honors."

The announcer glanced at the eager, soon-to-be ranger before rolling his eyes. His hands reached behind him, grabbing her outfit, and visor.

"Lifen, I am proud to award you with," The supplies in his hands over to the green-skinned girl. "The badge, suit, and honor of being Astro-Ranger Green." 

Wait, what?! Astro Ranger green? N-No, that couldn't have been. It SHOULDN'T have been. She was the top of her class! Why was she green, when green was the lowest of the ranks? Lifen took the badge, outfit, and visor with a sullen, disheartened expression slathered on her face.

"B-But..." she muttered softly, before whispering to the announcer. "I-I'm the top of my recruit squad. Why am I green?"

The announcer shut his eyes, and leaned forward. His voice was a low whisper. "Because you're a  Vahltrick. We can't have the face of the Astro-Rangers led by someone the public fears." 

Valhtrick. There it was again. That word. That horrible, ugly word. That word that constantly reminded her that she was less of a being than the other races that were on this planet.  Despite her accomplishments, dedication, and undying drive, her father was right. The people never gave the Vahlteri a chance, nor would they. Was this really a happy moment anymore? 

Her fingers gripped onto the suit in her hands as she hung her head low. She didn't feel like celebrating, and the words of the announcer were still stings to her ego. Her feet started to move, as she left the front stage. Did she have anymore reason to be here? Was being a green Astro-Ranger worth it? The green rangers were always known as the laziest, stupidest, and least trained on the forces, and had little to know jurisdiction aside from making arrest. The green ranger status was a reminder of how much you can fail even when you succeed. 

After leaving the stage, Lifen made her way out of the Astro Ranger academy. She'd start her job soon, and probably be looked down upon in whatever squad she was assigned with. After finding a seat by a nearby tree planted outside of the academy, she looked down at the suit she had been given. Her head shook in dismay. 

"I'm sorry, daddy. I'm sorry for not being more. I'm sorry for being a disappointment. I'm sorry for being... a no good Vahltrick." She stated aloud. 

Oh god, how she hated herself. She hated every ounce of her race, and the fact that they had even existed. Why did she have to be born a Vahltrick? Why did she have to be born in the first place? Her existence was painful. Not only to herself, but to the others around her. Painful and worthless, just like her. 


How did she get in this situation? How? How on earth did it become like this? Sweat rolled down her forehead as her green, leather ranger suit was slowly being unzipped from the top to the bottom.  Due to the tightness of her astro-corps attire, she never wore anything underneath. Her wrists were held down by shackles which were connected to the floor. The same could be said for her ankles. Her head shook back and forth with fear in her eyes. 

The male leering above her wore an unsettling mask. It was that of a criminal. It terrified her to no end. It's face looked deformed, it's lips inflated, it's eyes bulging. Her throat made a gulping sound, as her body quivered. 

"P-Please, don't do this!" she commanded with fear in her eyes. 

The man didn't respond. Instead, he remained quiet, and slid his finger to her womanhood. His finger pressed deep inside, feeling it's dampness. Lifen's body tensed when she felt the stroking of her insides with his fingers. Her face had a blueish tint, and her body was rendered in a heated state. Her fluids covered the criminal hands once he had retracted it from her opening. 

"Don't worry, just let this happen." He whispered, before unbuckling his pants.

His erection was already at it's fullest. Behind the mask, she could only imagine that his eyes were filled with a lecherous desire. With her legs already spread due to the shackles on the floor, he had an easy access. It pushed deep into her slit, before thrusting movements went forward. Why did her body react to such a vile touch? There must have been something wrong with her. She couldn't help but whimper in a pleasure she had yet to understand. 

"W-Why are you doing this?" Lifen huffed after another few thrusts were given. 

"Because, I want you to just let this happen." 

"I-I don't even know who you are. I don't even know how I got here! I don't know what yo-- Aaah!" 

His penetration continued, his sinister voice laughing as her pleasurable torment continued. His right hand held up upwards, his hips still moving back and forth. With his free left hand, he pulled off his mask which revealed his identity. Lifen's grimaced when she saw who it was. It was... No, no. It couldn't have been. 

"N-No... I-I... I saw you get shot! Y-You're dead! I-I saw it! D-Daddy?!" Lifen squealed. 

Her father smirked, and then lowered his head towards her neck. Small pecks were given before a whisper was heard. "Be prepare to be bred, you dirty Vahltrick. Embrace it." 

It felt so good, but so wrong. The emotions, the concept, the words, and the fact that it was her father was so... disgusting, yet... her body listened. She gave into his words, and swayed her hips with the rhythm of his movements. 

"I don't want this to be... how it is..." Lifen moaned with her eyes closed.  

"It's too late. You are who you are, and I'll show you what you were meant to be."

His body started to shake. His pace quickened. This only meant one thing, and Lifen knew it. She shook her head with her teeth biting her the bottom portion of her lip.

"N-N-No, please! Please, please, please! No! I don't want to be this anymore! I ..." Her voice lowered, her eyes opening as she gave a sultry smile at her father.  "I am a Vahltrick. It's time you made me more."