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Chapter Text

Bang! Bang! Bang! The sound of a gun firing echoes throughout the metallic chamber. I feel my blood run cold and time seems to slow as I see the blonde girl collapse, the blood seeming to float on the wind before falling down to its owner below. Her body hits the ground with a loud thud. In horror and despair, I turn around to see where the shots came from and see the brown haired Martian Count holding a silver gun out in front of him. When our eyes meet, he lowers the gun.

I can hardly breathe, but I manage to mutter out, “Count Saazbaum..?”

“You saved me, Slaine,” he says and I feel panic rush into my body. I clutch my chest and try to control my breathing. This is my fault. If I didn’t save him, Princess Asseylum…

The count smirks, “Well done.”

Something inside of me snaps. Fury and misery fight to take over and I scream, holding my own gun in front of me, shooting blindly. Tears fill my eyes, blurring my vision, but I continue to shoot until I no longer can. I pause and the tears stream down my face. Her Highness is dead, but this won’t bring her back . Count Saazbaum brings his hand to his head and gestures for me to shoot him there instead. I aim the gun, but hesitate. Even though he killed the person I love most in the world, he saved me from death not long ago.

I hear movement and turn towards it. The pilot of the orange kataphrakt steps forward and falls, but he still crawls towards the body of the princess despite being wounded himself.

Why, why, why! Have they wanted her dead so much, he even has to make sure the job’s finished? I stare as he helplessly crawls towards her. But she had gone over to him just before her death. Maybe they weren’t trying to exploit or kill her. Still, I can’t trust them. This man shot me down when I had only been trying to protect Her Highness. I cock my gun and point it at the pilot and try to silence the emotions flowing through me.

“Don’t. That’s far enough. Do not touch Her Highness...Orange.” He pauses, but I stay alert. This is the man that’s taken down several Counts and shot down my skycarrier; he’s dangerous.

He turns slightly to the right to look at me and I glare at him, hoping it’ll be enough to get him to stop. I don’t want to kill yet another person.

He smirks, “Bat.” He then turns so his back is to me once again and pauses. I don’t let my guard down. I don’t know what he has planned, but I can’t trust him and I know he won’t give up so easily.

As I predicted, he turns to the other side and lifts a sleek black gun towards me. I don’t hesitate and shoot my own gun before he has the chance. The bullet makes contact with his head and he falls back, his body going limp. I try not to let it get to me as I stare at his motionless body. If I didn’t shoot, I’d be the one dead. I can’t let that happen. 

I move past the brunet and make my way to the princess. I bend down and put my fingers to her neck, searching for a pulse. I feel the anguish flow back into my body and I don’t fight it anymore. I fall to my knees, bringing my hands to my eyes and sob. I let every emotion come to the surface and just cry even though it won’t bring her back.

“Prin..cess..” I manage to say between sobs. I remove my hands from my eyes and look over her lifeless body which lays in a pool of her own blood. “I-I’m so-sorry.”

My thoughts race. All I wanted was to protect the princess. I lived only for the princess. Now that she’s gone.. I feel no point in living. I raise the gun to my head and close my eyes. My finger hesitates over the trigger. Even though the princess is dead, I don’t truly want to die. No, I can’t die. I need to avenge Her Highness. I need to end the war like she would’ve wanted. That’s right. This is war, no matter how sad I feel, I don’t have time to mourn right now. I push my emotions down and vow to end this war for the princess’s sake. 

I take the princess’s hand and squeeze it one last time, then return to the boy. I lean down and feel his pulse. He’s still breathing. There’s still time to save him. The princess seemed to care very much for this boy, so I will save him. I carefully pick the boy up, taking care not to agitate his injury more, then look back at Count Saazbaum. He lays limp against the wall, but I’m unsure if he’s truly dead. Before I let my emotions resurface and distract me from my task, I turn my head and make my way to the door. 

Right before I reach the door, I hear the patter of feet on the ground. Someone’s coming. I brace myself for the enemy and two girls appear before me in the doorway: one with long black hair and hazel eyes and the other with short black hair and purple eyes. Both of their eyes go wide in horror.

“Nao!” “Inaho!” They yell simultaneously and burst into tears.

The girl with longer hair looks as if she'll collapse with the slightest breeze. Even so, she lifts her gun toward me. The other girl already let the tears stream down her face freely.

"P-put him down or I'll shoot, " she commands.

Hesitantly, I show my hands the best I can while still holding Orange. Trying to make it clear I'm not hurting him but helping. She seems to realize the situation because she lowers her gun enough that it's not aimed at my head, but with a stance that says she’s not afraid to shoot given reason. 

“H-how..?” The girl with purple eyes manages to muster.

I immediately feel my body go tense. I can’t tell them I did it. Not yet. I need them to trust me. Like all my other emotions, I push the guilt down. I can’t think about this right now. “That’s not important right now. He’s still alive. We need to get him medical attention immediately.”

That seems to calm the girls enough to compose themselves. Like me, they must have realized they need to push their emotions down for now. 

The girl with longer hair reaches for me. “Please, c-can I..?” Her hand extends for the boy in my arms and I hesitate before handing him over to her. I carefully put him in her arms. She holds him close to herself and bows her head over him. 

“Go. I’ll follow right after you.” I turn and run back to Princess Asseylum. Even if she’s already gone, she deserves a proper burial. It’s the least I can do for her. I hear the footsteps of the girls retreating. On my way over to her, a very familiar pendant catches my eye. I slowly reach down and pick it up, looking at the blue cross on top. She kept it with her all this time.. New tears threaten to leak from my eyes, but I fight them and put the pendant around my neck, then carefully pick up the princess. When I turn around, I hear a gasp and see the girl with short hair is still here, waiting for me. 

As I walk towards her, her question cuts through the air, “Princess Asseylum...is she..?”

The tears that I refused to let fall now come pouring out of my eyes and I hold the princess even closer. I can’t manage to answer, but her horrified look shows she understands my reaction. Wordlessly, she turns around and we make our way out of the landing castle with silence in the air.

When we exit the landing castle, white flakes flash in front of my eyes and add to the already thick blanket of snow on the ground. Under different circumstances, I would be mesmerized, but I can’t feel any such thing when the princess lies dead in my arms. The princess would have loved the snow.

It doesn’t take much longer before we reach a large battleship. The ship is dark, most-likely the power is cut. The girl nevertheless leads me through the ship and stops when we get to the cockpit. We enter to find a disoriented crew. An older lady with short brown hair looks over at us and sees the princess in my arms. A look of grief passes over her face before she looks up to meet my eyes. 

“Who are you?” She says with an authoritative tone filled with suspicion.

“Slaine Troyard, ma’am.”

Before the captain can ask another question, the girl beside me speaks up, “Captain Magbaredge, he saved Inaho!”

“Kaizuka Junior…where is he?”

A wave of grief passes over her face and she looks down at her feet. “He’s in critical condition. I believe Yuki took him to the medic bay.”

“Critical condition,” the captain repeats. “We need to find a way to get out of her. The supplies we have are only enough to stall a fatal wound. We need to find a way to get him out of here, but with the aldnoah drive down…”

I follow her gaze to an orb in the center of the room and realization strikes me. The princess was the one who powered the ship. I think back to when I powered up the Tharsis. I don’t know how, but it was able to power up.

“C-captian,” I say nervously and the woman’s gaze whips back to me. “I think I may be able to power it up.”

Everyone in the room turns to look at me. The captain seems to be curious, but given the situation, time is of the essence, so she nods at me to continue. I carefully put down the princess and slowly walk to the center of the room where the orb is and place my hand on it. Upon contact, the orb lights up and the lights to the cockpit flicker on. Before long, the ground shakes beneath us as the ship rises off the ground. 

“A-all systems check,” I hear a girl’s voice shakily call out. 

I hear voices sound around me as the crew prepares to take off, but I can’t make out what they’re saying. I feel all the emotions that I tried to bury, resurface and take over. Unable to handle the surge of emotions, my body locks up, my vision blurs, and I soon hit the floor. Everything goes black.

Chapter Text

I woke up in an unfamiliar place. I quickly sat up and scanned the plain looking room and decided that, due to the medical equipment, I must have been in some sort of medic bay. Upon the realization, the events of the past few days flooded in. Count Saazbaum set out to kill Her Highness. I powered and used the Tharsis. Count Saazbaum fought Orange. Princess Asseylum was shot. I shot Count Saazbaum, then Orange. Princess Asseylum was ripped from this world. I took Orange back to his ship. I activated the aldnoah drive on the ship. With the memories, all the emotions I had tucked away during battle came rushing in: sorrow, pain, anger, betrayal, anger, anguish.

I brought my hands to my face, covering my tear-filled eyes. Princess Asseylum died and I couldn’t do anything. I sought to protect Her Highness from all things bad, but she died because I was helpless and weak. She didn’t deserve to die; she was innocent and all she wanted was peace. I had let the sadness envelope me. The battle was over and I could finally mourn. I didn’t need to hold it in anymore. 

The door opened and an older man with short black hair and glasses entered the room. He looked surprised when he saw me fully awake and crying. “Oh, you’re up.”

I couldn’t do more than look at him, so he continued. “You gave the crew quite the fright when you suddenly collapsed. It seems like you’ve been through a lot of stress recently. Is that right?”

I manage to nod, trying to quell my tears.

An uncomfortable silence filled the air around us. I was unable to say anything due to the pain and grief I was feeling. 

“Are you feeling any dizziness or unusual pain?” I shook my head in response, so he continued to ask me questions.

“Do you feel nauseous?”

“Are you having any trouble breathing?”

I shook my head no to all his questions, but he decided to give me a short exam to be certain there aren’t any lasting effects. He did simple things like taking my temperature, blood pressure, and examining my eyes and ears. He asked me to do simple movements like raising my arms and legs.

When he finally deemed me fit enough he went on to give me a small amount of information regarding the current circumstances. “It’s been about 7 hours since you fainted. We’re now in the outskirts of a city nearby where the military base was.” He paused, maybe to gauge my response, but I didn’t feel any different knowing that information. It didn’t change the fact that Her Highness was dead and everything I knew was falling apart. He continued, “The ship took heavy damage during the battle, so it’s being repaired. Most of the crew is off the ship for the time being, recuperating and getting better medical treatment, but you’ll be staying onboard for the time being. Even though you seemed to help us, we can’t fully trust us yet. You understand that, right?”

I nodded. I was completely aware the moment I realized to help the UFE instead of Vers that it wouldn’t be easy. Even though I was born a Terran, I grew up on Mars and was trained to be their soldier. 

“Great. Are you feeling well enough to stand up? You’ll probably be more comfortable in a room rather than here.”

I slowly got up, ready to clutch something in case I fell. It wasn’t until my feet touched the floor that I realized my shoes were off. I quickly glanced over my appearance. It seemed they hadn’t really done much other than take off my shoes, gloves, and coat. All that’s left are the blue pants of the uniform, my white undershirt, and my socks.

I turned to him and finally spoke. “I get a room, not a cell?”

“For now. Under normal circumstances, we’d lock you in a cell, but given that most of the crew isn’t even on the ship right now, we decided to give you a room. But if you show any sign that you’re with the enemy, we won’t hesitate to put you in a cell. And don’t think being in a room means you’re able to escape and walk around freely. A guard will be posted outside your room at all hours unless we feel like you can be trusted.”

I nodded. It wasn’t at all what I had expected. Perhaps it’s because I helped them that they felt they shouldn’t treat me harshly without reason. Whatever the reason, I wouldn’t say anything. By no means did I want to be put in a cell, even if I wouldn’t be able to leave the room.

“Well,” the doctor said, “you seem like you can stand alright, so I’ll show you to your room.” 

He opened the door and led me out. I examined the ship as we walked.. The ship had originally been Martian and it showed. The dull colors and plain designs were very similar to what I experienced during my time on the Martian landing castles. Rather than being box-shaped and having definite walls and a ceiling, the top of the ship rounded out so the walls and ceiling were indistinguishable. The silver surroundings had slight horizontal grooves, but I don’t know if it was for looks or some strategic placing to make the ship more aerodynamic. 

The walk was silent other than the tapping of our feet against the ground, but it didn’t take long before we reached my room. A guard stood at the door and greeted the doctor in a friendly manner before the doctor opened the door and gestured for me to move inside; I obliged. He looked in at me from the doorway.

“There’s a spare set of clothes for you to change into on the bed, so feel free to use them. As for meals, someone will bring you something to eat for every meal and if you need to take a shower, the guard can escort you there. If you need anything else, you can ask, but you may or may not get it depending on what it is.” 

I nodded and the doctor looked me over. “Do you need anything before I go?”

I stared at him while I thought and suddenly remembered the brunet I shot. “What happened with Orange?”

“Orange?” 

“The boy in the orange kataphrakt.”

“Oh! Inaho,” his face went grim. “He’s alive, but in critical condition. That’s about all I can tell you for now.”

Relief flooded my body. He’s alive. I still felt the guilt that I had shot him without thinking. Even more so when it seemed the crew had definitely not been trying to exploit her. Even so, I felt just slightly better knowing that the boy was still alive. There was still a chance to make this right.

After that, the doctor left and I was left alone with my thoughts.

It’s been four days since then. The first two days, I hardly moved. All the emotions I felt during the battle washed over me.  I had cried for hours as they consumed me. I couldn’t eat or move from that spot. The guards tried to get me to eat, but I just couldn’t. I had no appetite. I felt hollow like part of me had died with Princess Asseylum and all that was left was a shell. The third day, I tried eating, but threw it up. I had been moved to the shower to clean myself up and when I had returned, the mess was already cleaned up, which made me feel guilty. They shouldn’t have had to clean it up. 

Today has been slightly better. I was able to eat today and keep it down. I’ve been able to sort through my feelings and turn the anger and sadness into determination. I will carry on Princess Asseylum’s dreams and get revenge on Saazbaum and the Orbital Knights; I won’t let these emotions overtake me. I’ve experienced these emotions before, even if they weren’t this intense. 

A knock on the door pulls me from my thoughts. The door opens to reveal a female guard. 

“The captain wants to speak to you,” she says, “But you’ll need to wear these.”

I look at the silver object in her hands: handcuffs. I nod and put my hands out. It wasn’t unexpected. I am a prisoner, afterall. It’s already baffling that they’d give me a room instead of a cell. 

The girl clips the handcuffs around my hands, seemingly glad that I didn’t resist it, then she leads me down the hallway until we reach a room with the small metal table. On one side of the table sits the brunette I recognize as the captain and a girl with short black hair. The guard gently nudges me forward into the room.

The captain lifts her hand and motions at the chair opposite of them. “Sit.”

I hesitate. It feels wrong to sit in front of my superiors. With Count Cruhteo, I was never allowed it. I was simply a servant in his eyes and servants don’t deserve the right to sit. Nevertheless, I sit and shift uncomfortably in the chair. 

“I’m Darzana Magbaredge, captain of this ship.” She says then gestures to the girl next to her. “And this is my executive officer, Kaoru Mizusaki. As of now, we haven’t told the higher ups in the UFE about you, but depending on your answers, it might not stay that way. Got it?”

I nod in response and she seems satisfied. “What’s your name?”

“Slaine Troyard, ma’am.”

“What’s your rank?”

“I’m just a pilot.”

“How old are you?”

“16.” 

She pauses and looks like she’s thinking about something, but quickly focuses on me again. “You activated aldnoah. How?”

I stop. I honestly don’t know. “I…” I struggle for the words. “I really don’t know, ma’am. I was surprised, too. When I was trying to get the Tharsis, the Martian kataphrakt I came here with, working, it just suddenly turned on when I touched the aldnoah drive. That’s how I knew it would work on the ship, but I really don’t know more.”

Both of the girls look at me suspiciously. I don’t blame them. It’s hard to believe, even for me, but I have no idea how the right to activate aldnoah is transferred. I don’t have a better explanation. 

“Alright,” the captain says, obviously still unsure if she can trust my words, “What is- was- your relationship with the princess?”

I feel my stomach drop at the mention of Her Highness. I’m still not ready to admit I’ll never see her again; that the last memory I have of her is her falling to the ground after being shot. I try to keep myself composed. “She was very special to me,” I choke back tears and try to find the words to describe our relationship. She was my everything. She was the closest thing I had to a friend. “I cared for her and vowed to protect her at all costs.” I wince at my own words, knowing I was so close to her, but failed to keep her alive. “I spent a lot of time with her on Mars and taught her about Earth.”

“You seemed to be close friends.” The captain’s features softened, but only slightly.

I feel my face heat up and reject the idea immediately, “I could never think such a thing! Her Highness was royalty and I a mere servant. No matter how kind Her Highness was, I could never wish such a selfish thought as being her friend.”

The two women share a look, but don’t say anything else. The captain speaks again, “What happened to the princess and Kaizuka Junior- er, the boy you brought back.”

I had expected this question eventually, but even so, a pang of guilt runs through me. I shouldn’t have shot him. I want to be honest and tell them, but I can’t. I must keep this a secret at all costs. At least until the war ends. I can’t help end the war if I’m locked up. I choose my words carefully. “I got involved with the battle between the orange kataphrakt and the Martian count. We all went crashing through the wall and the aldnoah drive was on the other side. Orange was severely wounded and Princess Asseylum went to help him. Before I could move to her, she was...shot.” I choke out the words. “I ran over to the princess and while I was checking her pulse, the count shot the pilot. Then I shot the count.” 

It’s very risky to say Count Saazbaum was the one who shot Orange. If Orange wakes up, he’ll remember it was me and probably not hesitate to tell them, but I can’t be seen as the enemy. Not now. And if I stray too much from the truth, it’ll be easy to see through it. I have to hope Orange doesn’t go into too much detail of who shot him.

Both women look at me closely, trying to discern whether or not what I’m saying is true. A few minutes go by in silence. It’s suffocating. I try my hardest to say calm and focus on the truths of my statement. 

The captain finally breaks the silence. “Why did you save him and help us escape?”

“After seeing Princess Asseylum’s desperation to help the pilot, even when she herself was in danger, I realized there was very little chance you had been exploiting her. That’s what I originally thought when I fought with you before-”

The black haired girl, who had been remaining mostly silent before, interrupted me. “You fought with us before?”

I hesitate. Orange had shot me down, so that won’t particularly help my case in proving my trustworthiness, but I did help them defeat the countess, so it might help it, too. Either way, I already mentioned it, so there’s no getting out of it now. “Against Countess Femieanne.” I realize they probably didn’t know her name. “She was the one with the projectile fists. The battle happened near a crescent shaped island.”

The women share a look with each other and the captain speaks, “Carry on from before.”

“Well, after that battle, Orange said some things which led me to believe you were only exploiting Her Highness, but I realized that didn’t seem to be the case. And I decided I need to help fulfill Her Highness’s wish of peace. The Orbital Knights were behind the assassination. They used her for their own self gain. They didn’t start this war because they thought she was dead, they only used it as an outlet to let their anger out on Earth. The princess was innocent...” I feel tears fill my eyes and try to blink them away. “If the Martian’s win, there is no chance at peace. They hate Terrans and wish them dead. But Earth is only defending themselves. I want to carry on what Her Highness wished for and put an end to this war. I saved Orange because he didn’t deserve to die like that.”

I look at them with determination, then bow my head. “Please allow me to serve aboard this ship and fight alongside the United Forces of Earth.”

I raise my head and see them looking at me thoughtfully. 

“You’re a Martian soldier. You would betray your comrades to serve alongside us?”

“I was born Terran. My father went to Mars to research aldnoah. Princess Asseylum was the only Martian who was kind to me. I am loyal to her, not to Vers. I’ve seen first hand how Martians treat the Terrans, so I know better than anyone what would happen if Vers won the war.”

“I’ve heard enough for now. Kobayashi!” She calls the guard.

The guard reenters the room and salutes the captain. The captain continues, “Please escort Troyard from the room.” The guard salutes again, then the captain turns to me, “We’ll discuss the information you provided and come find you when we’ve come to a conclusion.”

I nod and get up, following the guard back to my room.

A few hours pass before I hear a knock on the door. The door creaks open to reveal Captain Magbaredge and her Executive Officer Mizusaki. I immediately stand up stiffly and salute the two.

“We’ve decided to keep you aboard the Deucalion for the time being; however, we’re not giving you full privileges as of now. Although we’ve decided to believe your intentions, we cannot fully trust you yet.”

I bow my head, “Thank you very much, captain.”

“There are conditions. You will only be able to walk around the ship with supervision, you will only be allowed off the ship if given permission from me, you’ll only be given simple duties for now, and you will not be allowed into battle until you are trusted. Do you understand?” 

“Yes, ma’am. I will not disappoint.” I feel a small weight lift from my chest. This is the first step to achieving Princess Asseylum’s dream and finishing the war.

“Good. We’ll bring you a change of uniform and give you your duties within the next few days.” She holds out the tablet. “For now, I want you to give me everything you know about the Martian military. Any opponents, kataphrakts, practices. Anything useful.”

I nod and take the tablet. “Of course.”

“Do you have any questions?”

I hesitate. “If I may be so bold, can I make a request?”

“A request?”

“The Tharsis should still be at Count Saazbaum’s landing castle. If we could secure that, it may play a vital role in changing the direction of the war. I would like to return to the landing castle to retrieve it. I’m not asking to go alone, of course.”

She studies me. “I’ll think about it.”

“Thank you, ma’am.”

She turns and leaves. The black-haired girl beside her gives me one last look before turning to follow. Then the door closes to leave me alone in the room with the tablet.

Chapter Text

I look at the tablet with my brows furrowed, reviewing the information I’ve entered. I’ve spent the last couple days recording everything I could think of: soldier training; all the counts and their kataphrakts, making sure to include their abilities if I knew them; the current state of politics; any weaknesses I could think of; and any machinery or other equipment the Vers Empire uses. I need to make sure I haven’t left anything out; I need them to trust me and any missing or incorrect information could lead to my imprisonment or even death. 

As I read through the information for the fourth time, I hear a knock followed by the opening of the door. The captain’s figure replaces the door as it opens, and I immediately stand and salute her. 

She holds out a Terran uniform. “Change into this, you’re going back to the sight of the last battle to retrieve the Martian kataphrakt.”

I take the uniform. They’re actually letting me go? That must either mean there’s no one else able to fly the Tharsis or they’re testing my trustworthiness. 

“Two of our soldiers will be escorting you to and from the battleground. Should you try anything suspicious, they have orders to shoot you immediately, so don’t even think about trying to escape.”

As she finishes, she steps away from the door to the side which reveals two girls in a similar uniform to the one the captain handed me. I recognize one of the girls as the short-haired girl I encountered on the battlefield, but the redhead is unfamiliar. 

I nod in acknowledgement to the captain’s remark and she continues. “You are to report to me immediately after returning.” With that, she dismisses herself and leaves me with the two girls.

“I’m Inko Amifumi and this is Rayet Areash,” the girl from before, Inko, tells me. I look over at the redhead, Rayet, and see a scowl on her face. 

“I’m Slaine Troyard,” I tell her and bow my head curtly.

“Well, Slaine,” Inko says with a friendly smile, “We’ll close the door and let you change so just knock when you’re done.” 

I nod and the door closes, leaving me alone in my room. I change into the Terran uniform and glance in the mirror to make sure it’s correct, and then knock to signal I’m ready. Shortly after, the door opens again.

Inko waves me over and I step out cautiously. Just because she’s acting friendly doesn’t mean she trusts me even a little; the look on Rayet’s face tells me that my suspicion isn’t wrong. 

The girls turn and start walking down the hallway so I follow them. “Um, is it okay if I ask something?”

“Yeah,” the black haired girl says, “but we were told there are things we can’t tell you, so we might not be able to give you an answer.”

“It’s about the princess…” I start. I’m not really sure how to word the question that’s been weighing on my mind, so I trail off, but the girl seems to understand what I’m trying to ask. 

“There was a small service yesterday for her. There were only a few people from the crew that attended because the higher ups didn’t want to attract a lot of attention, especially since most the people on Earth don’t know she had still been alive after the assassination. They didn’t want people to think the war was for nothing.” She has a hint of sadness staining her voice. “I’m sorry you couldn’t attend. You seemed to really care about her. Were you two close?”

I feel a pang in my heart.I know that attending her funeral wouldn’t have been possible with the position I’m in now, but I can’t help but wish I could have been there. I feel like I was never able to give her a proper “goodbye.”  I shake away the sadness that tries to envelope me. I can visit her grave soon. It will be okay. Instead of giving in to it,, I try to focus on answering her question, but that brings about a different sadness: one of longing for the past. “I like to believe we were. She was a very friendly person and I’m very grateful she showed me that kindness, too. She saved my life when I was younger, and I will forever be thankful to her. Being from Earth, I was later given the opportunity to teach her about this planet, and the time we spent together was when I was happiest.”

“You’re Terran?” I look over and see the redhead has a curious expression. 

“Ah- yes,” I reply. “I was born on Earth and lived here for part of my childhood, but my father took me to Vers several years ago.”

“Oh. Well if you like the princess so much, why are you betraying her nation and fighting with us?”

“Rayet!” 

“It’s okay,” I assure Inko. Rayet’s forwardness didn’t bother me and I had expected people to show disbelief in my intentions. They deserve to know why I’m fighting with them and being willing to answer their questions might help ease their suspicions. “Her Highness only wished for peace. The Martians betrayed her and started this war while the people on Earth only showed her kindness from what I can see. I want to help the people who helped her and bring an end to this war quickly.”

“It sounds like you just want revenge,” she says. I open my mouth to dispute the claim, but she continues before I can say anything. “Don’t worry. I am, too. The princess isn’t the only one they killed in cold blood.” Her tone becomes dark. “They murdered my father, too.”

“Oh. I’m sorry,” I tell her. I feel both sadness for her loss and anger at the Martians. The anger in her tone tells me he hadn’t been killed in battle; it had been personal. I can’t imagine the circumstances, but it had been another cruel death most-likely by the hands of the Orbital Knights.

“That’s why I’ll fight with all I’ve got. I’ll kill all the Martians I can.” 

Had I heard this as little as months earlier, I would have tried to contest her route of revenge, but I have killed, tried to kill, and will continue to kill in order to avenge Princess Asseylum, so I can’t help but understand her mindset as twisted as it might seem.  “Right,” is all I’m able to say. 

Before another conversation can form, we arrive at a docking area and we walk over to a black, four-person vehicle. Rayet opens the back door and motions for me to get in and I oblige. She closes the door and gets in the driver’s seat while Inko gets in beside me. I hear the sound of the engine turning on and the car moves forward. 

I watch as the car leaves the once Martian ship and the metal overhead is replaced by the bright blue sky dotted with white clouds. A small thunk sounds as the car moves off the metal and onto the pavement. I look out the window and admire the surroundings. We seem to be on a military base on the outskirts of a city. Snow is piled up on the sides of the concrete lot and continues to fall from the sky to create a thin sheet of snow in front of us. Not far from the Deucalion are multiple Terran vehicles and kataphrakts.

I admire our surroundings as we drive as I’m not sure when I’ll get another chance. It’s been a long time since I’ve been back on Earth, so I don’t want to miss my chance to see it’s beauty. There are many more people on Earth, so it’s only a matter of time before Earth tries to draw the battle into space and away from innocents. I don’t want to go back without seeing the things I missed so much about Earth. 

The drive is fairly quiet. I spend most of my time looking out the window. Taking in the sights calms my mind and allows me to mentally rest before we arrive at the landing castle. Rayet and Inko share few words here and there, mostly about the mission. It isn’t until we get closer that Inko strikes up a conversation with me.

“So, Slaine,” she says, causing me to tear my eyes from the outside and focus on her instead. “What happened with Inaho, er, the guy you saved? Did you see what happened?”

I feel guilt start to rise, but push it back. Once again, I’m reminded of what I did to Orange and I have to lie about it. I quickly try to think back to the story I told Magbaredge. It would be suspicious if the stories didn’t line up. “I saw Orange battling my superior and got involved, but we ended up crashing through the wall, which ended up being where the princess was turning off the aldnoah drive. Before I could understand what was going on, my superior shot Her Highness and the pilot, who had already taken damage from the battle. Then I shot my superior and went over to assist them. I had thought Orange was threatening the princess, but after I saw her trying to help him get away, I realized he wasn’t, so I decided to help him.”

She looks sad, but thoughtful, until she finally says, “You call him Orange..?” She trails off, but then seems to get it. “Oh! Because of the color of his kataphrakt?”

I nod and she gives me a small smile, “That’s cute.”

I feel my face instantly heat up, “W-well, he’s the one who calls me Bat, which is way weirder!”

“Bat?”

“He said my skycarrier looked like a Bat when we fought together before.”

“Huh? What do you mean ‘before?’”

“Against Countess Femienne. The one with the flying fists.”

“Oh, that was you?”

I nod and Rayet cuts us off before we can go on. “We’re here.” 

I look out the window to see the large landing castle in front of us. I had been so caught up in the conversation that I hadn’t realized we were already here. I take in the sight of the landing castle and prepare for what comes next. This is where my life was destroyed.

Rayet parks the car outside the landing castle and Inko speaks, “We probably won’t run into anyone, but people from the UFE have been in and out checking the casualties and cleaning up, so it’s possible someone is still around. If we run into anyone, don’t let it show that you’re not a UFE soldier. That’s what Captain Magbaredge said.”

I nod and we all get out of the car. I feel the cold air immediately wrap around my body and touch my skin through the thin fabric of the uniform. The wet, cold snow grabs at my feet as we walk towards the abandoned landing castle. Once we enter, we move cautiously and quickly, keeping alert. It’s been about a week since the battle, so it’s unlikely any enemies remain, but we can’t dismiss the idea. 

For the most part, the area has been cleared out. Blood splatters and small pieces of metal litter the walls and floor, but I have yet to see any bodies; the UFE must have cleared them out. As we get closer to the room with the aldnoah drive, I feel my heartbeat quicken, remembering the events of that day and the feelings that went with it. I try to calm myself and focus on weaving through the dilapidated building. 

We reach the room before long and I avert my eyes from the blood stains near the center of the room. Despite avoiding the area, the memories grip at my consciousness, forcing me to relive the horrifying scene. The sounds of the gunshot penetrating the princess’s body are so vivid in my mind I can almost hear them sound in the empty room. I’m afraid if I turn my head back to the blood stains, I will see the Princess once again lay dead before me without me being able to do a thing. I’m afraid if I look, I’ll see myself standing there, shooting Count Saazbaum and Orange without a second thought. 

I bring my hand to clutch at my father’s pendant, but realize I left it in the room to avoid looking out of place. Instead, I grab one of the belts on the uniform; feeling the leather in my hand, I bring myself back to reality. That’s already happened. It can’t happen again. You did what you had to, I try to reassure myself.

I let go of the leather belt and focus my eyes on the white kataphrakt. It’s beaten up, but it still looks usable. I quickly walk over to it to try to keep my mind away from that day, and get inside. Memories of Count Cruhteo flash briefly in my head, but I have to remind myself that he, too, is dead. I touch the aldnoah drive and it lights up, bringing the kataphrakt to life once again. Warnings flash to tell me of the damage so I clear them and check to make sure everything’s good to go, then I step out and look at the girls, waiting for instruction.

“You can go ahead and get it moving, but don’t get out of our sight. When we get outside, wait for us to get in the car before going anywhere and make sure we can see you the whole way to the Deucalion,” Rayet tells me. It sounds scripted, so it must be what she was told to tell me. I nod at the instructions and get back in, closing the hatch and moving the Tharsis. Once I have it running properly, we all make our way out of the landing castle, back through the broken hallways. I sigh a breath of relief as I leave that room, never to return to it. I can only hope I can leave the memories with the room and they won’t continue to haunt me.

When I get outside, I do as instructed and wait for the girls to get into the vehicle we came in. Once it starts moving, I follow behind it and keep them in my sights. With my mind focused on the task at hand, the trip back to the Deucalion is short and I land the Tharsis. After I get out, the two girls escort me to the cockpit to meet with the captain. A guard stands outside the door and nods to us to go in as we approach.

When we enter, the captain shows a small smile, then masks it with a neutral expression. She must be happy to see that I didn’t betray them and harm Inko nor Rayet. The mission was successful and I have proven, to some extent, that I intend on helping the UFE and have no plans at present to escape back to Vers.

“Was the mission a success?”

“Yes, ma’am. The Tharsis is secured and in the loading area,” I tell her with a salute.

She nods in approval. “Were there any complications?”

“No, everything was according to plan,” Rayet says, almost boredly. I half expect Captain Magbaredge to scold her for the blatant disrespect, but she either doesn’t notice it or ignores it.

“Good,” she says and looks between the girls. “You two are free to go.” After the girls leave, she turns to me. “Have you finished recording the information you have on the Martians?”

“Yes, ma’am, I finished this morning. I recorded everything I could think of, but I’ll answer any questions if you find something missing.”

“I’d expect no less if you want to stay on this ship, but for now, we need to review the information and see if there’s more we need. Starting tomorrow, your next task will be to help with repairing the ship. Someone will come early tomorrow to teach you what you need to do and keep watch on you. Do you understand?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

She studies me carefully, then calls in the guard to usher me back to my room.

Chapter Text

It was a flicker in time but it felt like forever. The sound of a gunshot, her hand slipping from mine, the blood splattering on my face. The feeling of dread and helplessness flooding my mind. Memories of Okisuke's hand slipping from my grasp resurfacing. My hand still outstretched reaching for the empty air where he should be. A sudden rush of heat filled my body, propelling me into motion. I had to get to her--I had to save Seylum. My mind replayed  the memories of my friend, causing my chest to grow heavy. She couldn't be dead, no, she was so close I could save her still. Climbing from the cockpit with a wave of adrenaline I could make out the silhouette of her body at least. 

Motionless. 

I could tell even with the blood impairing my vision it was too late. Reeling with memories and regrets I moved without thought. Crawling toward her lifeless body. My own screaming in pain from the injuries I had attained in battle a few moments prior. I was nearly to her when the sound of a voice stopped me.

“Don’t. That’s far enough. Do not touch Her Highness...Orange.”

It was a boy's voice, with a unique raspy tone. His words felt empty and emotionless. Nothing like I remembered it to be. But I still recognized it in an instant. 

Turning to affirm my suspicions, "bat," I smirk. 

In the darkness and with the blood in my eye it was hard to make out his features. But in his silhouette I notice the shape of a gun. Quickly I pull out my own and point it at him. Not a second later I feel an eruption of pain in my head--the world fades from view and is replaced by a warm whiteness that engulfs my consciousness. Everything I see and feel disappears in an instant. Everything turns to nothing.

***

The soft repetitive beep of a monitor echoed in his ears, gently leading him to consciousness. The room filled with a warm glow of sunlight draped over the bedsheets like a painting. From the look of it this was sunset, and the thought of that gave Inaho a bad feeling for some reason. Turning his head best he could to see his sister sleeping in a chair beside his hospital bed, the blanket on her lap was covered in the same golden sunlight as his. The pit in his stomach grew as he reached out to his sister, attempting to pull the blanket over her shoulders and failing. He hadn’t quite realized it till then, his left eye was completely covered. Before that train of thought could go anywhere, though Yuki had woken up. Her eyes filled with tears and lip trembling. 

“oh...Nao,” she said about to break into sobs.

I smile in an attempt to cheer her up, “hey, Yuki.” 

She gets up from the chair, blanket sliding off her lap hitting the floor. Soon I’m  enveloped in a warm hug. It’s almost hard to breathe, I pretend it’s from the hug and not the aching feeling in my chest. 

"You're so careless! You shouldn't even be here," she sobbed, hot tears soaking my hospital gown. "You almost died, Nao! If it weren't for--" she stopped herself suddenly. 

"If it weren't for?" I tilted my head in an attempt to see her face, but it was no use. 

Yuki suddenly cutting herself off meant one of two things. Either she was not permitted to tell me this information, or she thought it would spare my feelings. I assume its the later and my mind flashes to the image of Seylum's limp body and my throat suddenly feels dry. Not wanting to think of that now I try to push it aside and focus on my sister. 

"Well, you see… you were saved by a Martian." 

Before I have the chance to question her further I hear the door slide open. In its wake is a familiar face. Her eyes meet mine and instantly sparkle with tears. Her small feminine figure trembled before her legs broke out into a sprint. The short black hair that framed her face bounced with the movement till it all collided with my other shoulder that Yuki wasn't occupying. 

"Inaho!" She cried, smothering her face into my shoulder.

"Hey, Inko." I said simply.

"That's all you got to say?!" She shrieked in disbelief. Her face came up from my shoulder and looked at me in the eye. Her face was all red and puffed up like she had been crying a lot. "You scared us all half to death! You can't do everything on your own, Inaho! Rely on us more!" 

I felt a small smile tug my lips. Even though I was being berated there was something about the normalcy that was nice. Inko was my oldest friend, she knew about as much as Yuki did. It was like having another nagging sister. But he loved her, nagging and all.

"You know it was the only logical course of action--" 

"Oh don't give us that crap," Yuki interrupted. A small smile on her lips. "You always use that excuse."

"It's not an excuse, it's a fact. And it turned out to be the correct course of action in the end. We won, correct?" I reply, not knowing if my reasoning was correct. 

The two girls become quiet. I look between them waiting for a response. But the way Yuki balled her fists and Inko bites her bottom lip tells me there is a lot I need to catch up on. 

"I need to speak with Captain Magbarage," I say breaking the silence. 

"Oh no you don't!" Chides Yuki wuth a disapproving look. She gets up from the bed and gently adjusts the pillow behind my head. "You're staying right here and seeing Dr. Yagari before anyone else." 

Inko nods her head in agreement and gets up as well. "You need rest! You just woke up from a two week coma for heaven sake!"

Two weeks? Had I really been out that long? I really needed a briefing then. There was so much that happened back on Saazbaum's landing castle. I don't know how it all ended, who won, and the relations between Mars now that Seylum… I stop myself again at that train of thought even though I know it's inevitable.

"I can see all the gears turning in that big head of yours. Don't worry about everything else, Nao. Just focus on healing." Yuki smiled reassuring me it would be alright. 

I sigh and look toward Inko, "could you bring me Dr. Yagari?" 

Her face lights up, apparently that's exactly what she wanted to hear because she rushes off to accomplish the task. Yuki hovers by my bedside, knowing full well I don't intend to stay in the dark on anything. 

"Look… a lot happened after we...found you. And I'm not supposed to tell you about him but--I just can't stand this! He saved your life! But he's being treated like a prisoner!" 

I try to remain patient as my head is throbbing painfully, but my need to know what had happened back there kept me going. 

"Who is he?" I ask in the same monotone I always do. Even though my curiosity is at its breaking point. 

"His name is Slaine Troyard. A Martian soldier that saved his enemy."

The atmosphere turns tense between us. The golden glow of the sunset seeping below the line of sight of my room's window. The warmth from before fading with the sun.

"Why would he save an enemy?" I ask, mind reeling with possible scenarios. 

"Because of…" she hesitates before continuing, "the Princess." I can see the words sting and know it can't be avoided any longer. 

"She's dead." I say it as a fact. 

Yuki nods. We enter into silence. 

My hands feel cold and I have the urge to grip the blanket. I quell it though since it's irrational. Instead I work to gather my thoughts and find a way to pose the next questions I have. Tact and delicacy are not my strengths, but if I am not careful it might cause my sister pain which I aim to avoid as much as possible. 

"Who was told?" 

"Just the Deucalion knows I think." 

I nod. "That's probably best for this Slaine Toryard. Captain Magbaredge must realize this and that's why she's trying to keep it secret." 

Yuki shifts uncomfortably in her chair, leaning closer to me. "Nao… don't get involved." 

The tone of her voice was more like a warning than a demand. I could see her face twisting with concern and it made my headache worse. I know she won't like any answer I give. Luckily Dr. Yagari arrives to save us the trouble. 

"You gave us quite a scare, Inaho." He smiles and walks over to my bedside. "How's your head feeling?" 

I instinctively touch the bandages over my left eye before responding. "It hurts, but that is to be expected." 

He nods and takes out a flashlight, checking my good eye. After a few moments of examination he sighs. 

"Well, you seem to be healing well. But I'm sure you're well aware you're going to need  time adjusting to the loss of your eye. I'd recommend taking at least a year to do so." He glanced at Yuki who looked extremely relieved by the idea. 

I knew she would use that to get me out of the military, but I had other plans. 

"I can go through the process of adjusting anywhere?" I ask. 

Yuki gives me a look, but I ignore it. 

"Well, yes… I know you want to keep fighting, Inaho. We all want to win this war. But what you really need is a good rest away from this mess." 

"There won't be anywhere away from it if I leave." 

He sighs and looks defeated by that statement. "I'll talk to the captain, but take things slow. Your body and especially your head went through a lot of trauma.  Don't over do it, doctor's orders."

 With that he left us. Yuki was ready to start a fight with me but stopped herself. She must've picked up on the pain I was in and decided to drop it for now. Instead she leaned over and kissed the top of my head. 

"Get some rest, Nao. And don't think about anything!" She said as she walked out the door. 

Alone now I close my eyes. I plan to take my sister's advice and rest, but even if I try I won't be able to stop thinking. Because my mind is full of thoughts of this Slaine Troyard.