The Lumina Federation's capital planet, Lumina Prime, was a shimmering metropolis, its spires piercing an amethyst sky. The air thrummed with an almost ethereal energy. While Kaito and his crew had come seeking dangerous temporal experiments, they were met with a wall of polite, yet unnerving, smiles and evasive answers.
"They're like overly friendly mannequins," Lyra muttered, tapping her data pad. "Their energy signatures are off the charts, but their responses are… bland. Almost too bland."
"Perhaps they are hiding something," Jax observed, his sonic hammer resting loosely in his hand.
Zephyr, meanwhile, had vanished. He reappeared a moment later, tumbling out of a ventilation shaft with a yelp.
"Found something!" he announced, dusting himself off. "A rather… interesting chamber. Full of glowing tubes and… a very grumpy-looking robot guarding it. And he really didn't appreciate my singing."
Kaito's eyes narrowed. "Show us."
The chamber the Lumina's scientists had been so eager to keep secret was a marvel of intricate machinery. Pulsating coils of pure energy hummed within massive glass containment units. In the center, a device resembling a crystalline clockwork orb pulsed with an impossible light. This was the Temporal Nexus.
"By the stars…" Elara whispered, her hands instinctively reaching out as if to touch the delicate threads of time.
Suddenly, the room's defenses activated. Laser grids crisscrossed the space, and the grumpy robot from Zephyr's encounter, now armed with energy cannons, advanced.
"Looks like they didn't want us seeing their 'progress'," Lyra said, pulling out her plasma pistol. "Time to have a little… disagreement."
The battle was swift and chaotic. Kaito's Astro-Blade sliced through laser beams, its energy matching the Lumina's technology. Jax's sonic hammer shattered the robot's defenses, while Zephyr weaved through the chaos, disarming guards with blinding speed. Lyra, ever the strategist, disabled external security systems from her wrist-mounted device.
However, as Elara attempted to shield a fleeing Lumina scientist, a stray energy blast struck her. Her bio-kinetic aura flickered violently, and she cried out, collapsing.
"Elara!" Kaito yelled, rushing to her side. The Astro-Blade pulsed with alarm.
"The Nexus… it's unstable!" Lyra shouted, her voice strained. "We need to get out of here!"