The Spider Queen

(Andromeda Star System- Delta Quadrant)

(Private Starship- Cabin Room #43)

Sophie stepped out of the shower with water droplets still clinging to her long black hair.

She stretched out her arms and the towel wrapped around her body barely managed to contain her voluptuous curves.

Outside of a nearby window one could see a large blue planet rapidly approaching from the distance.

The Inter-University tournament would be held across various locations on planet Caorn

The second-year students would arrive on an island chain located in the planet's northern hemisphere.

The stadiums for the third- and fourth-year students were located on the supercontinent known as Pangrea.

Pangrea was the largest landmass on planet Caorn, and it had been artificially extended to cover more of the ocean's surface.

First year students would not be participating because it had only been around one month since the first semester of their university life had begun.

Sophie let out a light sigh as she reached for a spare towel on her bed and began to carefully dry her hair and face.

From the moment she landed, there would be reporters, live streamers from the virtual Net and important ministers from the government.

The Inter-University Tournament was heralded as the event where the brightest geniuses of the Federation would gather to determine the future powerhouses.

It was a famous event and many across the universe would eagerly watch the matches and analyse the young men and women who participated.

Sophie knew that there was a lot of pressure on her to project a perfect image.

She was one of the representative captains of Zrudread University, she was the daughter of the youngest god stage cultivator and… she was a hybrid.

Just one of those labels alone would be enough to draw attention to herself but the combination meant that she would more than likely be one of the main individuals of interest for reporters.

Perfection.

Nothing more… nothing less.

Truthfully Sophie did feel a little bit nervous inside, but this was nothing compared to what she had experienced in the Unovan Syndicate.

All she could do was keep calm and project the standard image of an aristocrat.

Keep an expressionless mask on her face and surround herself with an aura of dignity and nobility.

Hopefully that would be enough.

Sophie fastened her wrist communicator on her left hand and checked her messages. Most of her friends were asleep at this time.

The hybrid girl scrolled through her contact list before tapping on a profile that was highlighted with a small heart.

Sophie: [Hey babe… I just landed… talk to me soon, okay?]

Sophie: [Love you]

The messages had not been read but Sophie still felt happier as she looked at Cleo's adorable profile picture.

It was the two of them smiling cheek to cheek. She remembered that her girlfriend had taken the picture after one of their dates.

Sophie glanced one more time at the image and then shut her communicator off. It was time to prepare and get ready for her entrance.

She walked towards the closet in the back of the cabin room and opened its large metallic doors.

Inside the closet were multiple identical looking uniforms.

The standard formal attire of Zrudread University and the best way to portray herself as a student who had great pride in her college.

The uniform was pure white with gold trimmings along the shoulders and sides. It came with a slightly oversized jacket and a pair of dark black boots.

The symbol of a claw had been etched onto the upper left corner of the uniform and overall, it gave off the impression of a soldier's attire.

Sophie slipped into the uniform without much difficulty because it was composed of a special memory foam material that would adjust to her unusual physique.

However, she did have some trouble buttoning up the jacket since the golden buttons were a bit slippery to the touch.

The hybrid girl finally managed to complete the set by sliding on the black boots on her feet. She stood up and headed towards the body-sized mirror in the bathroom.

Sophie stepped inside and saw her reflection.

For a brief moment she did not even realise that the person staring back at her from inside the mirror was herself.

A hybrid girl over seven feet tall wearing a militaristic uniform looked back at her with a stern expression on her face.

The white colour and the gold trimmings on the jacket complemented her golden eyes and sharp angular features.

She looked… intimidating.

Pretty… but also intimidating…

Maybe it was the cold glare in her eyes or the way that her bladed appendages slowly swayed from side to side.

Sophie splashed some water on her face and then dried off using a towel. She checked her appearance one more time for any flaws and then slowly nodded.

It was not a moment too soon because just as she finished checking herself out, a loud voice blared out from the speaker in the corner of the room.

[Attention all passengers…  we will be arriving in ten minutes]

[I repeat… all passengers… we will be arriving in ten minutes!]

Showtime.

Sophie curled up her fingers into a tight fist and took in a deep breath. She could feel her body gradually beginning to calm down.

Her identity was the daughter of one of the most powerful men in the Federation.

She was the heiress to a proud and ancient family that was part of the upper echelon of society.

She would make her father and her friends proud.

Sophie walked out of the bathroom with her head held high. She was ready to face what was going to come next.

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.

.

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(Planet Caorn- Jasimin Island)

(International Spaceport- Gate 013)

"And here we have it folks! The first starship to arrive has just landed about forty minutes ago. I believe according to our sources that it belongs to Zrudread University!"

"As you may know the second-year representative captain is none other than the famous daughter of Duke Peterlor."

"She was involved in the teleportation incident about a year ago and has recovered from her injuries to become the top student at her school!"

"What a story! What an inspiration! Folks I'm sure that a lot of you are looking forward to seeing her appearance!"

A sharply dressed middle aged man wearing a black suit spoke towards a camera that was pointed in his direction.

He was not the only one and in fact a crowd of reporters had already formed along the temporary barricades that had just been constructed.

Each were currently covering the ongoing story with various angles.

Some focused on the fact that Sophie Peterlor was the daughter of Duke Peterlor while others talked about her hybrid nature.

A few gossip magazines were already writing up drafts about the forbidden love between an imperial princess and a duke's daughter.

Still… not everyone was so professional…

"Yo! What's up F-nation! It's your girl… Flavora!"

A young girl holding up a recording device that was directly connected to the virtual Net started up a livestream.

"I somehow managed to sneak in! So, if you like the content, please don't forget to hit that like… smash that bell… and turn on notifications!"

Comments began to fill up the screen and a satisfied smile flashed across the young girl's face.

She was gaining new followers by the minute!

Everyone was super excited to see the representative captains and now the first one from the Four Great Universities had arrived!

"Alright F- Family! So, as you know… I don't know much about this Sophie chick but I'm sure that she's going to be something special!" the young woman excitedly spoke.

Unfortunately, the responses that she got from her chat weren't too positive to say the least especially since there were quite a few trolls.

[Isn't she a hybrid? That's pretty fucking gross…]

[Eww… a hybrid? Fuck man… those people are disgusting]

[You got a problem with hybrids buddy? Your mother didn't have a problem with me last night…]

"Anyways… err… I think she's over there!" the young streamer tried to change the mood of the chat by pointing her recording device in a certain direction.

"Wait… what…"

Somehow by pure coincidence this was the moment when the gate's exit doors swung open to reveal the young woman that everyone was waiting for.