Colored gases exploded in the sky of Jupiter like cosmic fireworks, while eternal storms roared like a wounded beast.
In the heart of this chaos, Jupiter stood on his floating platform, his huge body casting a majestic shadow over Mars who looked like a small soldier before an emperor. His eyes of different colors, appeared as two shining discs lost within an endless whirlwind, were watching the visitor with strange focus.
The leader of the sixth planet, with his cautious nature, had immediately understood that Mars didn't come here just for a visit, but to tell him something more important. He didn't need to hear the words to read between the lines.. as Mars wasn't the type who visits others without a good reason.
"You've finally come. Does something have to concern you for you to visit me?" said Jupiter with his voice that resembles the sound of thunder, then continued with a more cautious tone:
"I know you're carrying something in your chest... let it out."
Mars sighed quietly, ignored the other's mockery ignoring it, then launched his bomb without hesitation:
"Haven't you ever wondered about the incident of my moon? Or... do you want to ignore the matter.."
"I don't understand what you're getting at.. can you speak without riddles please?"
A small smile was drawn on Mars's face while he was looking at him with disappointment saying:
"I thought you were smarter than this.. your moons, Giant.. a group of your moons are the ones who attacked Phobos."
Jupiter's features didn't change, but he remained silent, as if analyzing every letter in the sentence. He wasn't the type to easily show his emotions, but his extraordinary intelligence was known to everyone.
Then, his body began to shrink, as if life was being drawn from him bit by bit, like a deflated balloon being dissolved by an invisible hand, until he equaled in size with Mars; that leader who seemed beside him like a small child. And now, he stood before him as an equal, as if the universe itself was erasing the differences between giants.
And with slight sarcasm, a faint smile was drawn on his face, before answering in a calm tone but carrying a hidden weight:
"Are they really my moons or... Uranus's moons?"
Then, a light laugh erupted from the red leader, this was exactly what he expected, as Jupiter wouldn't easily be drawn into that obvious trap.
Every step Mars took, every word he uttered, was passing under the microscope of that mighty mind that hadn't been defeated for millions of cosmic years.
The leader of the fourth planet didn't need to say more, as the scene returned to him as if it was happening before him again...
Before Mars and Earth left the Castibas room after interrogating Phobos, the latter stood in front of the crystal in which Mars's damaged moon was confined, looked at him carefully, while everyone's eyes were watching Earth with anticipation mixed with suspicion, and with a slow deliberate movement, he leaned slightly towards the transparent crystal that holds Phobos, so that his breath condensed on the cold surface.
"Listen to me carefully..." he whispered in a voice as quiet as a knife before stabbing, but he deliberately made it audible to all present, and continued:
"When you get out of here, you will go directly to Jupiter..."
He paused intentionally, while his blue eyes were catching a slight tremor of terror in Phobos's eyes
"and you will tell him that those you fought... were Neptune's moons.. then Deimos goes to him and says that Phobos was lying and that Saturn's moons are the ones who fought him.."
He said it while Phobos remained standing like an ice statue, his eyes widening as he realizes the gravity of the game he has become an integral part of, not alone, but the answer was clear in everyone's eyes:
This isn't a plan.. but a declaration of war.
Mars closed his eyes, then opened them again, as if he quickly recalled all the events in his mind. But Jupiter destroyed his memory store, and extended his giant hand, as if trying to grasp the air itself saying:
"I've uncovered your little test.. I didn't remain still waiting for your arrival but investigated the matter on my own with all of them.. except you. I also discovered something else."
He paused, then unleashed his next strike that made the other freeze in place:
"There is a traitor among us... I discovered that since the day your moon was injured."
But Mars quickly regained his composure, he knew that Jupiter's intelligence was exceptional, but he didn't expect him to uncover everything so quickly. However, this wasn't entirely surprising, as everyone knows that Jupiter and Haumea were the smartest minds in the group, but now... only this tall one remains.
And at a distance not far away, upon Earth's arrival to the planet adjacent to Jupiter, Saturn welcomed him with obvious joy. Saturn was a shy and quiet personality, but he was one of the strongest fighters when it came to cosmic weapons, if not the strongest.
Golden rings extended before them, rotating endlessly around the giant planet, like a cosmic clock that doesn't know haste, reflecting a magical sparkle under the distant sunlight. The dense clouds covering its surface seemed as if they were hiding many secrets, just like its leader.
After the greeting, and while Earth was about to speak, he suddenly turned around avoiding a golden light ring in the shape of a semicircle, that rushed towards him with lightning speed, almost cutting him in half!
Saturn smiled innocently, but his blue eyes were like the ice of the North Pole, as if nothing had happened, then said in a calm tone:
"Cautious as usual. Why.."
Earth laughed mockingly, and imitating his voice in a funny way roared:
"Cautious as usual?! You almost cut me, you clumsy tall one!"
But Saturn's smile faded, and was replaced by serious features, before saying in a low voice but heavy with meaning:
"So... there is a traitor among us.. why.."
Earth hadn't yet absorbed his shock, until the leader of the seventh planet continued with a tone tinged with concern:
"You're here to tell me about that.. about the Phobos incident... and rumors of Pluto's expulsion... and not forgetting the leaked encrypted information... why..
Damn, what's happening in our group? Why.."
Earth looked at him in amazement, he didn't expect that Saturn was hiding all this in his quiver, even rumors of Pluto's expulsion, so how did that information reach him?
As if he read his thoughts, Saturn answered with a calm smile:
"I learned about the rumors of Pluto's expulsion thanks to assigning a group of my moons to investigate everything unusual after the end of the battles.. why.."
Earth's features froze, he remained standing like a statue of solid marble. His blue eyes widened a little, while his tightened lips relaxed as if they wanted to say something... but he remained silent.
Saturn continued, placing his hand on his chin thoughtfully:
"As for the Phobos incident, I was with you during his interrogation, and he said then that it wasn't 'Miranda' who did it, but Triton: Neptune's moon. Why.."
Then, with a mysterious smile, he ended his speech with:
"And finally, regarding the leaked information... well... I'm the one who leaked it to you guys... heh. Why.."
The Chosen One knew that Saturn was like a well sunk in secrets, but he didn't expect him to exceed his expectations in this way. He took a deep breath, then asked in surprise:
"But how did the information reach you in the first place? And why did you leak it to us in the first place?"
Saturn closed his eyes, then opened them again, before answering in a quiet voice but carrying within it a hidden weight:
"I'll keep the answer to the first question, but as for the second... well... I'm not good at dealing with these matters, heh. Why.."
His smile that flowed on his lips while he put his hand on the back of his head, was nothing but a transparent mask trying to hide what was brewing inside him, but Earth didn't smile at first.. as he realized that without the need for expression.
And here we are approaching the end.. it's over for the leaders of the two rocky planets, the closest to the blazing heat of the sun, and after the intentions of the gas giants who surround themselves with mystery were revealed, only those icy ones remain... sunk in the darkness of distant space, where secrets are buried under ice that doesn't melt, and where the truth may be colder than the deadly frost of their planets.
So how will the situation be with the bosses of the eighth and ninth planet?
— End of Chapter —