Interstellar Age

Erich and the rest of the pilots were quickly transferred to the last remnant of the Imperial Navy. These few hundred ships were all that was left standing after repeated losses to their enemy. Once getting on board, Erich, in particular, was under constant surveillance and protection. This plan relied on his ability to succeed once more in an unwinnable scenario. Something he severely doubted he could pull off.

However, it was not until he ended up in the bunks where Erich nearly lost his mind. Because a familiar face, one which he had thought he had lost forever, was sitting alone on her bunk, with a haggard expression on her pretty face.

Disregarding his own bodyguard, Erich rushed forward and hugged the woman, while crying tears of joy. She herself was surprised to see the man, as she had been told that he had previously perished in battle against the Naraku Hive Fleet.

"S'aleth! I don't believe it! You're alive! How? How is this possible?"

Considering Erich was already sentenced with life in a Penal Battalion, he no longer gave a damn about publically showing his affection for the Dvrakian beauty, who, like him, was sobbing profusely when she realized the only man she had ever loved was still alive.

"Oh Erich!"

The two of them hugged in silence for some time, much to the displeasure of the rest of the crew, before finally S'aleth answered his question.

"We were dispatched to intercept the Naraku the moment they had entered our space.... The fleet tried its best, but there was simply no way for us to win. When the last of my unit had perished in battle against the Naraku Drones, I was finally willing to embrace death. But then I thought about you, and whether or not you truly had known about this awful plan which has resulted in the near extinction of my people, and I just had to know the truth....

So I decided to spool up my quantum drive and flee the battlefield. Throughout my entire journey, I was only one step ahead of the Naraku. Fleeing system to system, and doing my best to refuel my starfighter before they arrived at the location where I was at.

Eventually I made my way back to the Empire, but by the time I arrived, your fleet was already dispatched to deal with the Naraku who were just behind me. After the battle was over… I heard that you had died in the battle, and I was beside myself. At first I thought of committing suicide, but in the end I had decided to honor your memory by doing my best to fight for the survival of our people. I fought mission after mission, and somehow had made it through them all, until now...."

Erich could hardly believe his ears, but he did not care, because he finally had something to live for again, something to fight for. Because even if he died in this battle, if S'aleth survived, then something good could come from his death. And because of this, he was quick to try to convince the woman to escape when she still had the chance.

"S'aleth, I can't do what they are asking of me. Not with a single life. We are all going to die! The truth of the matter is that due to certain circumstances, I am now in the custody of the Empire. They have set my NeuroLink to trigger an explosion if I dare attempt to flee. But you can still live, my love, please, while you still can, run to the Ennochian Theocracy. I hear they are accepting Dvrakian Asylum seekers who have managed to escape from the Empire's conscription!"

S'aleth could not believe what she was hearing. She would never leave Erich to die alone, and she was quick to protest this, or was about to until a certain thought entered her mind. Where her expression turned sullen and her voice cold.

"Erich.... I need to know. Did you know?"

This question confused Erich at first, and he was quick to voice this sentiment.

"Did I know what?"

S'aleth gave Erich a grave look as she asked the question in its entirety.

"Did you know about the Empire's plan to invade my people to use them as a buffer against Terminus?!"

The moment Erich heard this word, he grimaced and looked away. He did not say a word, because he did not need to. His face said everything for him. S'aleth could only stare in disbelief as she saw this, and was quick to try to convince herself this was not the case.

"No... No! You're lying to me! How could you possibly know, when most of the Empire wasn't even aware?"

Erich sighed heavily and shook his head, knowing that he had done a really rotten thing by not warning S'aleth about the threat that loomed on the horizon. He was about to die, and quite possibly for the second and final time. Thus, he spilled his guts to the woman, knowing she would hate him for it. Just so she would do as he requested and flee while she still could.

"S'aleth, I'm a special forces operator. I have a level of security clearance on par with most admirals. We were warned before we even invaded the Dvrakian Consortium about the Naraku, and why we were going to war in the first place. I should have told you, but I feared you would hate me, and I let my selfishness get in the way.... I'm sorry, if you hate me, I will understand, but no matter how you now feel about me, you must promise me that you will take what time you have, and flee to the Ennochian Theocracy!"

S'aleth recoiled back in disbelief as she heard these words. After everything they had been through together, he did not even have the common courtesy to tell her what the future entailed? If she had known, she would have insisted they leave their societies behind and run away together to a safer and more welcoming part of the galaxy. So why? Why did he keep this from her?

There was a look of complete and total defeat in the Dvrakian Beauty's blood-red eyes as she fell back onto her cot in bewilderment. Erich knew that she would never look at him the same way again, and might even despise him for what he had done. Which was why he had never told her in the first place. But right now all he cared about was her survival, and so he insisted that she run away, as far away as she possibly could, from the horrific slaughter that was about to occur to what remained of their people.

"S'aleth, please, leave me behind... There is nothing left for you here, only pain, suffering, and death. You deserve better...."

Despite the sense that Erich spoke, S'aleth refused to let him die alone, and thus she looked at him with a fierce gaze, like a lover who had been scorned, but could not get over the feelings she had. Because of this, she insisted that she stay behind and die together with her man.

"I don't care... None of it matters now. You and I are together, from this moment until our last. I won't let you die alone, and I can not live without you. Not now, now that I know you still breathe… So I will do everything in my power to make sure you succeed in your mission, or die alongside you. Erich please go, I need some time alone...."

Erich could only sigh in defeat as he got up from his knees and began to walk away, though he left one final remark as he did so, one which made S'aleth cry.

"I don't deserve you...."

After saying this Erich walked away, and towards his own bunk, where he lied down, and tried to get some sleep before the final hour of his life arrived. The only regret he had in life was that he had not told S'aleth the truth sooner, because if he had, the two of them could have run away together and finally be happy. But now.... Now only tragedy awaited them.

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