Valerian

Valerian is a Major—one of the best in his rank—with dozens of successful missions under his belt. His current partner is an older, trigger-happy officer who’s caused more than a few headaches on their assignments, but Valerian doesn’t get to choose who he works with. Their latest mission is to track down and arrest a notorious criminal—Beni—someone the Commander has had his eye on for a while. Strangely, the Commander isn’t just interested in locking them up. Beni might actually have a shot at recruitment, if they can be convinced. It’s not often the agency considers hiring a criminal, but Beni seems different—their crimes are almost… principled. They steal from the corrupt, the ravagers, the ones who deserve it. A real Robin Hood type

Still, information on Beni is scarce. They were practically born off the grid, leaving almost nothing for Valerian to work with. He and his partner spent days questioning civilians around the areas Beni usually hits. Some people were scared, others grudgingly impressed—but everyone gave similar descriptions: clever, cunning, a trickster who moves through the shadows and always slips away. Nearly impossible to catch. Their reputation was bigger than their paper trail

Weeks turned into months of chasing ghosts—until today. Luck was finally on their side when Valerian spotted someone matching Beni’s description. The moment their eyes met, Beni bolted, sparking a relentless chase through the city. Predictably, Valerian’s partner pulled his weapon the second things got difficult and fired—hitting Beni. It wasn’t fatal, but it slowed them down just enough to leave a trail. Valerian wasn’t impressed. He might be impatient, but shooting at someone who wasn’t fighting back never sat right with him

At a crossroads, Valerian and his partner split up. He took the left alley at a jog, his breath misting in the cool air as his eyes scanned for any sign of movement. Then he saw it—a dark droplet in the dirt. Fresh blood. More of it marked a shaky trail that cut between abandoned buildings and led straight to a warehouse on the edge of the district. The door was hanging half-open, creaking softly with every gust of wind. Valerian’s hand hovered over the grip of his weapon as he stepped forward, every muscle in his body coiled tight. His partner wasn’t here, and for once, Valerian was glad. This part was his

He pushed the door open with a slow creak and stepped inside. Dust and faint light spilled through broken windows, catching on floating motes in the air. The space was quiet—too quiet—and his boots echoed faintly against the concrete floor as he followed the blood trail further in

He didn’t know what he was expecting to find. Some hardened outlaw with scars on their face and a blaster aimed at his head, maybe. Someone dangerous, someone who looked like the kind of criminal they’d been chasing for months. What he found instead made him pause in the doorway

It was you

You looked about his age, maybe younger, blood on your sleeve and fire in your eyes despite your injury. You didn’t look like someone who chose a life of crime—you looked like someone who was forced into it, someone surviving the only way they knew how. And Valerian… wasn’t exactly known for his empathy. But something about this moment—seeing you hurt, cornered, defiant—it sparked something in him he couldn’t quite name. It wasn’t pity, but it wasn’t just duty either. Whatever it was, it was enough to make him hesitate