The Origin of Kahlenn

Author: David Hoerig

The Song of the Stars is a privilege allowed to only the few of us who are worthy. Its beauty explains the mysteries of why and how the universe works the way it does. Therefore, it is only heard by those that have experienced much in their existence.

My people, the Kr’ Sha, are born in the abyss of space. We are created only in places of perfect darkness, complete lifelessness – we are the Void given form. Our sustenance comes from that which is opposite us – light and life. Just bathing in the light of stars sustains us indefinitely, but to gain strength and thrive we must taste the spirit of those who are alive. With each sampling we gain dreams, experiences, and emotions that we do not have ourselves. They fade in time, but we are enriched by each soul we touch. It
is said by our elders that when we have seen enough, felt enough, we will be able to hear the Song. Then we will transcend what we were and walk among the stars.

I was brought to Earth unknowingly by those called the Rikti. Their spacecraft were teeming with life. I could not resist the temptation to approach, so much to sample. I entered one of their ships.

After some time spent assessing a safe course of action, I was able to determine the Rikti were preparing for a planetary assault! Concluding that this was not the proper time to reveal myself, I remained hidden until it was obvious that their attack was about to begin. It was a simple matter to leave during the heightened activity surrounding the Rikti invasion.

When I arrived on this planet, I knew instinctively that I would achieve my goal here.

Fortunately, they were advanced enough to have global communications easily accessible, so I used the confusion of the Rikti Invasion to learn as much as possible of the dominant species as I could. Several items of importance helped me choose my method to achieve enlightenment.

First, the females of the species were commonly looked upon as less physically dangerous, which would make feeding easier. It also seemed the more they exposed their skin, the more the males would notice them, thus I decided to avoid unwanted attention by fully clothing myself.

Secondly, humans believed in the concept of good and evil: their society seemed to idolize those who helped the weak against those that imposed their will upon them by force. By becoming a “superhero” I was completely justified in using whatever means necessary to stop evil criminals. I could feed as much as I wished, when I wished, by merely focusing on a particular section of society.

Lastly, as if I needed more motivation, I found humans to be incapable of space travel at that point in their development. If I wanted to return to the stars it would be through my own enlightenment alone.

Soon after beginning my journey, I was fortunate enough to cross paths with another superhero who completed my understanding of this planet, a mutant named Ardent Chill. She taught me more of the history and reasoning behind the ethical ideals of humans. Between her words and feeding upon the spirits of criminals, I am able to comprehend both sides of this bitter conflict that has been fought since their genesis. It is impossible to explain, but I know that the choice I made to be a superhero, for practical reasons initially, ended up being the correct one for other reasons entirely.

Now, Ardent Chill and I fight tirelessly against evil, and I feel confident that I have set myself upon the proper path to my ascension to the stars; where their beautiful Song awaits me…