December 2021 - KSO Ship near Mars

A month has gone by and the new research team sent from Earth has arrived to take over the study of the Efy Dolgh relic. It would be a slow start for them, with having to rebuild their biodome and the answers they would hope to receive would be put off. As much as the Captain wanted to stay behind and get his answers, they needed to continue moving forward, and to reach Chi-1. They were well behind schedule as it was, but he was afraid that what happened here on Mars has already happened elsewhere.

Assembled once again in the conference room, the room was buzzing with activity. Everyone was talking with one another about their continued embarkation to Chi-1, and how happy they would be to go back to their regular schedules. Although there was one person who wasn't as jovial.

"Alright, Officers, settle down." The Captain finally put a halt to the excited chatter. "I understand that this last month has put a lot of tension and stress on all of us, but we still have no idea what we're really up against. In fact, I'm quite disappointed in you lot. You're the best team we've got and we're still no closer to solving this mystery."

Whatever happy spirits the officers did have, died with his words. They gave one another guilty glances, all except for one.

"Damn it, father, we've worked our asses off trying to solve this problem. Do you honestly think we need to be berated on our work ethics?"

Oh, no, not again, Yukina thought, trying to make herself small while slumping further into her chair.

"That is enough disrespect out of you, Officer Borden." Adelina Grave scowled at Jake, finally stepping in for the Captain. The captain, however, didn't appreciate the backup.

"Silence!" He stood from his chair, clasping his hands behind his back. "You all have worked tirelessly this last month and for that I appreciate all of your efforts, but this is becoming a life or death situation for us all and we need to be prepared for the worst. The only way to do that is by knowing what we are up against and dammit to hell if I hate being left in the dark!" His facial features expressed his anger and for the first time since knowing him, Yukina felt terrified. Seeing the Captain undone was a little frightening and she couldn't help but feel a lot of it was her fault.

"Captain?" Yukina finally spoke, interrupting the tension the Borden men were once again having.

"What is it, Shirahane?" His hot gaze turned to her and his expression softened slightly.

"I've been going over the footage of what Mars has captured and I have a theory," Yukina waited for his approval to continue. The Captain sat down in his chair once more and cleared his throat, regaining his composure.

"Finally, some logic behind this madness. Do continue, Yukina."

Yukina placed pictures on the table that she pulled from a folder next to her chair.

"These pictures show that this piece is part of a larger whole. While we haven't recovered any other pieces, I believe they were disintegrated along with everything else."

"What are you saying?" The Captain's patience was wearing thin.

"Sir, I believe it was a weapon."

Everyone began speaking at once. Yukina caught bits and pieces of conversations, but she felt a headache coming on from all the shouting.

"Silence!" Adelina shouted this time and everyones attention returned to Yukina's.

"Jake and I have gone over the designs for both the GAUS and the Efy Dolgh's geoframes and that piece doesn't match anything in our database."

"We also don't know how it happened, it could possibly have been teleported or depending on the technology, it traveled at speeds unknown to man." Jake cut in, seeing what his Father was going to ask next.

Everyone pondered the news with grim expressions.

"I'd wager the weapon was sent for a specific reason, then." Sophie was glancing over the photos as all eyes turned towards her. "It didn't destroy the planet, which then leads to the next question, why just the biodome?" Sophie gave Yukina a pointed look then. Yukina started to feel sick to her stomach.

"Aren't the Efy Dolgh working alone?" Alex, for the first time, chimed in.

"That's been our misconception. Efy Dolgh isn't necessarily a who, but a what. They're a race that invades and conquers and uses the planets resources to their advantage. What's to say they haven't sent something from a planet they've already vanquished?" Sophie's confident gaze grazed over everyone in the room. Apparently she's been deliberating on this subject matter for awhile, and it struck a nerve.

The Captain raised his hand to keep Sophie from voicing any more opinions.

"Speculation is not needed here, Sophie. Bring me proof to back up your theories. Until then, what was said stays here in this room."

Sophie looked as though she wanted to argue back but chose to not indulge in that temptation. Yukina watched as Sophie curled her hands into fists and placed them in her lap. This wasn't like Sophie and Yukina decided she would need to set her aside and talk. They both could use one another's company at the moment.

"With us continuing on to our final destination, crew members have returned to their duties diligently. I understand many have questions that need answering, but until we know those answers ourselves we mustn't stoke the fire, as it were." The Captain stood and gave everyone his dismissal salute. He left everyone with rather low spirits, after what was discussed, but it was best to move on from those feelings and towards their upcoming arrival to Chi-1. Preparations would need to be made, and everyone would be too busy with their work to think about anything else.

January 2022 - KSO Ship

"Happy New Year!" Dozens of champagne glasses were clinked together and the liquid contents were drunk. Majority of the crew was gathered together to celebrate Earth's New Year and hopefully a triumphant year for themselves.

Yukina arrived with Sophie, who didn't seem overly thrilled to be there. She was also not interested with mingling with the others.

"Sophie, what's wrong with you lately? Do you want to talk about it?" Her question was leaving it open but she knew the real problem lay with Efy Dolgh.

"Whatever do you mean?" Sophie took a large drink of the alcohol and, once drained, she gestured for another that came all too quickly by someone who was handing them out.

"You've been, er, more distant than usual. We've grown close over the years but now it's like I'm back to square one with you." Yukina watched Sophie drink half the contents of the new drink.

"I'm fine," Sophie chose then to walk away from her. Yukina was going to follow after her when Alex showed up.

"I'll stay with her, make sure she keeps out of trouble." Alex gave Yukina a glass of champagne that was much needed and took off after a slightly stumbling Sophie.

As much as she wanted to be there for her friend, she didn't want Sophie to revert back to being stiff and distant. Besides, she trusted Alex and there was no better time for him than now to be there for her.

Yukina took a drink as she glanced over the large room and the masses of bodies gathered together. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves and for once she felt at ease. That, or it was the alcohol kicking in.

She missed the New Year celebrations back home, and immediately began feeling homesick. It wasn't just the festivals but also the feel of the warm sun against her skin, or a cold breeze flowing through her hair. Watching the seasons come and go was something she took for granted.

But her reminiscing was cut short when a large commotion could be heard coming from the center of the room. Everyone was just as curious as to what was happening as Yukina shoved her way through the gathering crowd and closer to the disturbance. She was beginning to hear what was being said...

"Gerroff me!"

"Calm down, Kiel, let's get you back to your room."

"No! Yer jus' tryin' to lock me away, but no more!"

"No one is locking you away, you just need to sober up, man."

"It's not fair... she's dead... DEAD!"

Yukina finally broke through the crowd and saw three men circled around each other. Two of them were trying to reign in the man who had apparently too much to drink. It was causing quite the scene. Yukina stepped closer, hoping to be of assistance when the eyes of the drunk man turned to her.

"YOU!" He shouted and stumbled past the two men blocking his path. "'Tis your fault she's dead!"

"I-I don't.." Yukina was baffled and took a step back from the oncoming threat. Confused, she tried to see if she recognized the man at all but was at a complete loss. Maybe he had her confused with someone else?

"Me sister was 'ere... on Mars... when it blew up!" He stumbled slightly and was a big enough man to shake off the other two men who tried to hold him back.

"I'm.. so sorry, I didn't know-" Dismayed, Yukina could only stare in shock from his accusations.

"Yer'll pay for that!" He finally reached her and it was so sudden when he pulled back his right arm, aiming to punch her. Yukina, who wasn't clear of mind herself, raised her arms up defensively in an "X" shape and closed her eyes, hoping the impact wouldn't be as strong as he looked. She heard collective gasps and then nothing. After a few seconds of waiting, Yukina opened her eyes and peeked over her arms to find Jake standing in front of her.

She couldn't see past his broad back, but everyone else saw Jake catch the punch the other man threw.

"What sort of man punches a woman? You're pathetic scum." Jake squeezed, crushing the man's fist all the while bringing his right arm back to effectively sucker punch the inebriated adversary, right fist colliding heavily upon his opponent's left chin; down, in a heap, fell the recipient of the devastating blow. Jake then gestured for the two friends of the drunk man to seek medical attention before finally turning towards Yukina.

"Are you alright?" Concern was etched across his face. Yukina let out a shaky breath.

"Am I alright? That man accused me of murder. I-" Yukina stopped short and saw that there was still a crowd gathered around them.

Jake saw her struggling to get the words out and grabbed her arm, shoving past the whispering people.

"Where are we going?" Yukina tried to break free from his clasp.

"I want to show you something." They left the room and headed towards a location Yukina was unfamiliar with.

"You can let go of my arm now," Yukina pulled free from his grasp and rubbed her arm subconsciously. She didn't receive a response but continued to follow him to wherever he was taking her. It wasn't long until they entered into a dark room that lit up once they stepped fully inside. A ring of couches were centered in the room and that was the only furnishings in sight. The walls appeared to be a cohesive screen.

"What is this place?" She looked around until she finally landed her confused gaze back on Jake.

"You'll see," Jake sat on the couch and gestured for her to sit next to him. She debated with herself whether that was a good idea or not but then she remembered he saved her from a most formidable drunk foe. Sighing impatiently, she sat and looked up towards the ceiling.

"If this is some joke or prank-" Yukina started to chastise him but he cut her off.

"Caira, take us to Kurobe Dam." Jake shouted out and glanced over at Yukina. "You're familiar with the place, right?"

Before Yukina could reply, the screen lit up and suddenly an image of the Kurobe Dam where her mother's research laboratory is, appeared. It was so realistic, it was like she was there herself.

"But how-" Yukina cut herself off again, suddenly noticing that the scenery was moving, as if in real time. The water was flowing out of the floodgates and chirping birds were flying high in the air. If she didn't know any better, she could feel the soft breeze and smell the water from where she sat.

"Space life can make anyone feel homesick. It can also drive many insane, so they built this virtual scenery room that can take you anywhere back on Earth. I believe all of it is pre-recorded, but it should have most every famous site in the world. It can also do some basic scenery, like a sunset or open ocean." Jake looked relaxed at the moment and Yukina envied him for it. Some time passed in silence as they enjoyed the view.

"How did you know this is what I needed?" She watched him shrug his shoulders and turn his burnished-hues in her direction.

"Believe it or not, I can read people like a book." Jake gave her a confident smirk as Yukina rolled her eyes and looked back at the scenery she missed the most. If only she had her sketch pad...

"What's your favorite place to view?" Yukina asked without taking her eyes off the screen. Jake seemed to be arguing with himself about something and finally he said,

"It's, uh, pretty personal to be honest and bloody embarrassing." Jake's cheeks tinged a slight pink color and he rubbed the back of his head nervously.

"I didn't think anything embarrassed you, but now you have to show me." Yukina gave a small laugh and realized she was back to being clear-headed.

"What I'm about to show and tell you, you can't tell my father." Jake turned towards her then and stared her straight in the eyes.

"This must be quite the secret, but you do have my word." Yukina was slightly worried now and wasn't quite sure what he'd be showing her. Jake nodded and took in a deep breath.

"Caira, take us to New Forest Park." Yukina was anxious, to say the least, and was blown away by what changed on the screen. Beech and Oak trees covered most of the screen while flowers of a variety of color covered the forest floor. Part of the screen showed a river not too far out and she also noticed some wildlife, such as deer and squirrels, roaming about. It was utterly breathtaking and she couldn't see why Jake would be embarrassed.

"I used to come here a lot as a young lad. When my father was working for MI6, my family would be holed up in the countryside while he was away." Jake began explaining his story while Yukina tried to take everything in all at once. "I'd been going to this forest for several years and eventually found a private spot that would be hard enough to navigate to unless you were familiar with the terrain. Anyways, long story short, I took a girl there that I used to love and asked her to marry me."

Yukina covered her mouth to hold back both a gasp and a laugh. Trying to picture him asking some girl to marry him was quite the image.

"Laugh all you want, I was only seventeen at the time and thankfully she turned me down. Would have been the biggest mistake of my life if she agreed. To this day no one else knows that I made a stupid proposal and so I then decided to follow in my father's footsteps from there on out." The pink on his cheeks remained and instead of nervously rubbing his head, he now scratched at it irritatedly.

"I don't mean to laugh, but it is quite funny when you think about it. I mean, you? Married?" Yukina laughed again and it took a minute for her to calm down. Jake stood then and waved an annoyed hand at her.

"Well, part of the point was to make you laugh."

"... And the other point?" Yukina stood also and waited for his reply when suddenly, her communication device began ringing.

"Call from Alex Conrad. Accept?"

"Accept."

"Yukina! Glad I caught you, I need your help. Sophie is-" Alex began but Sophie suddenly appeared on the screen.

"Yuuukiiiinaaaa, where aaare yooou?" Sophie slurred.

"Give me that-" Yukina watched as Sophie disappeared and Alex reappeared on the screen. "She keeps asking for you, would you mind stopping by her room?"

"Yes, of course, I'll be right there." Yukina ended the call and placed the device back in her pocket. "Looks like I'm needed elsewhere, I'll see you around." Yukina hurried towards the exit but paused before leaving. "Jake? Thanks for showing me this, I'll keep this place in mind when I'm feeling down again." Giving a small wave she disappeared.

Jake shoved his hands into his pockets and looked back at the familiar scenery. It brought back a myriad of feelings and he wasn't so sure telling Yukina something so personal was a good idea. It was certainly a weight lifted off his chest, telling someone about that, but for it to be someone like Yukina?

"Hell's bells."

Yukina reached Sophie's room and just as she was about to knock, Alex opened the door.

"Thank God you're here, but she's finally asleep." Alex let Yukina in and she looked over to where Sophie was drunkenly passed out on the bed. Giving a sigh, she went over and checked on her friend.

"Thank you for taking care of her, how did it go?" Yukina brushed blonde hair out of Sophie's face and tried to make her a little more comfortable by adjusting her position and covering her with a blanket. Sophie, in the meantime, let out a few loud snorts to the movement.

"Well, for one, she didn't brush me off like she normally does. She actually talked quite a bit."

"Really?" Yukina finished tucking Sophie in for the night and turned a surprised look at Alex. He was blushing.

"She had a lot to say, although most of it was about you."

"Me?" Yukina gestured for them to sit at the small table while she prepared them some tea.

"She cares a lot about you, you know. She also sounded... envious."

"Sophie isn't the envy type."

"Tonight she was. She talked about you and Kennosuke and how you have this hopelessly romantic love that she wishes she had."

With tea prepared, Yukina brought it back to the table and deliberated his comment.

"Anyways, a lot of it was rambling and I couldn't get my own two cents in."

"But don't you see? This is your in. This is how we get Sophie to open up to you."

"You mean getting her drunk?" Alex sipped his tea and gave her an unsure glance.

"I mean talking about me. Sophie and I talk about everything and everyone else on occasion, but it sounds like she needs someone to talk to about me." Yukina then pursed her lips. "Although I'm not sure I want to know what she has to say about me..."

"Maybe you're right. It's worth a shot at least. Even though I enjoyed being with Sophie, not sure I like this side of her. It's... just not her." Alex shrugged his shoulders as Yukina gave him a sad head shake. "Oh, I also have a favor to ask."

"What's that?"

"Can you teach me about the Bushido code?"

Yukina gave him a warm smile and nodded her head.

The Next Day...

"My head..." Sophie sat up in bed while holding her head, wincing from the pain.

"It's unlike you to sleep in." Yukina brought over some tea for Sophie to drink and sat at the edge of the bed.

"Yukina? What are you doing here and... ouch." Sophie rubbed her head some more before grabbing the tea.

"You had too much to drink last night."

"I did? Oh..." Sophie took a long drink of the warm tea and once finished, looked over at Yukina. "What happened?"

"You tried drowning your sorrows in alcohol, I'd wager."

"Wait... you don't know?"

"Alex was with you the whole night, you'd have to ask him what happened."

"I was with who?!" Sophie stood up too quickly but fell back on the bed from the sharp sting in the head.

"Calm down, not like that. Alex took care of you when you had too much to drink. He took you back to your room to make sure you didn't get into any trouble."

"Then... why are you here now?"

"He called me when you passed out and I came over to watch over you for the night. Apparently you're quite the talker."

"Oh no..." Sophie groaned and covered herself with the blanket.

"Oh yes." Yukina gave a mischievous smile. Teasing Sophie in this state was quite fun.

"What did I say?" She poked her head out from underneath the blanket, quite worried.

"I don't know, you'd have to ask Alex." This was the second time she told her.

"Who's Alex?"

Yukina glared at her. "You can't be serious."

"I am, who's Alex?" Sophie returned the look.

"He's the operations officer, you see him once a week to give your weekly reports to. You can't be that oblivious."

"Well, can't say the guy is very impressionable then." Sophie got up and went to pour herself another cup of tea. Yukina's jaw went slack.

"Not impressionable? He's..." Yukina sighed and really didn't want to argue with Sophie about Alex's whimsical looks. "Look, you owe him a great deal for taking care of you."

"It matters this much to you?"

"You think it doesn't? He's become a very good friend of mine and he cares about you. He'd appreciate a word of thanks at the least."

"Consider it done, then." Sophie returned to the bed with a full cup of tea and ignored Yukina's stare. It would appear Sophie was back to her usual standoff-ish ways. Yukina inwardly sigh. She wanted to discuss Efy Dolgh next but received a video message for her to meet with the Captain and Officer Munche, the communication specialist. Sophie didn't seem perturbed by the message but ignored Yukina as she got ready to leave.

"Oh, here," Yukina pulled out a folded handkerchief and set it on the table for Sophie. "This is Alex's, I believe you know what to do with it." Then she left, leaving Sophie to gaze thoughtfully at the small, square cloth. A few minutes went by and Sophie finally went over and picked it up. It was warm and soft to the touch. She slowly brought it to her nose and breathed in the masculine scent. The headache she was feeling seemed to disappear and she felt an overwhelming sense of calm.

The last thing Yukina wanted to do was have a personal meeting with the Captain right now. With the night she had, she wanted a day just for herself. She first thought it would be about last nights fight, but with Olivia Munche being there, she thought it might have something to do with Kennosuke. She quickened her pace.

"Glad you can join us." The Captain greeted Yukina as she entered the meeting room. Olivia gave a small wave of her hand before adjusting her glasses on the bridge of her nose.

"I know it's early, but we have a message for you." Olivia held up a piece of paper and handed it over once Yukina reached them at the table. Their expressions didn't reveal what the message contained about. She had a few questions already but decided reading the message might answer them.

Yukina,

I have received word from Zelleager of their successful mission to save his home planet.

They have allied themselves with a formidable force and will continue their mission to seek out Efy Dolgh.

He has sent their headquarters coordinates, which I will forward to you, in the hopes of you reaching them in due time.

I have also sent them a message in reply of your status and to be expecting you.

Until then, take care of yourself.

Director Hiromi Shirahane

What a huge relief it was to hear from her mother, but to hear that Kennosuke and the others were alive and well was even greater news. Even though her mother made no mention of him in the message she sent, she knew now without a doubt that he was alive.

"We can no longer receive or send live video messages for the sake of our safety. Your mother knew this and sent us this letter instead. It takes longer to receive untraceable messages, so this was most likely sent a couple months ago. Just in time, too." The Captain took the letter back and placed it carefully in his pocket. "We'll be able to make our last hyper jump to their location in two months, but we have a lot of preparations to do before we get there."

"Yes, sir!" Yukina felt like she was floating on air. She was dismissed then, and on the way back to her room all she could think about was how much Kennosuke would have changed over the years. She wagered not much, and hoped the news of her arrival was just as exciting news for him as it was for her.

January 2022 - Intergalactic Syndicate Headquarters

Kennosuke, along with a man he recognized but didn't know who he was exactly, stood together at the end of what appeared to be an altar.

"You nervous?" The unknown man asked.

"What kind of question is that? He's getting married, the lucky dog!" Another man appeared and slapped Kennosuke hard on the back. "What I would give to marry this girl!"

"No woman in her right mind would want to marry you!" The man standing next to Kennosuke argued back.

But Kennosuke ignored their continued boisterous conversation and looked down the aisle to the closed double door. People littered the room, once again being faces he recognized but couldn't place names to. Music was playing softly in the background but all Kennosuke could focus on was that door. Who was behind it? Why couldn't he remember anything up until this moment?

Sweat started to form and he wiped helplessly at his brow. As he brought his hand down, he noticed they were shaking.

"It's called wedding jitters, everyone gets it!" Another slap on the back. So help him if his back received another slap...

Suddenly, the music changed and everyone was in their seats. A moment later the doors opened and a flood of girls came rushing through. But they weren't what he was looking for. He searched frantically as the girls all took their seats, one by one.

Kennosuke could hear the whispers of guests:

"She's so beautiful!"

"She was a sight to behold."

"This is such a momentous occasion!"

He listened halfheartedly as he tried to see whom they were talking about, noticing no one else entering the room. The double doors were still open and the room fell to a hush as footsteps echoed through the outside halls and into the room. This was it, he'd finally see who they were talking about. As the steps drew nearer, he noticed the doors began to close and he panicked.

No! He took off running down the aisle, hoping to stop the doors from closing. His ears began ringing from the sound of the footsteps and just as he reached the doors to keep them from closing, he saw her.

Or rather, a glimpse. A figure with a shadowed face.

The doors slammed shut and Kennosuke banged his fists against the doors, letting out an angry cry...

Kennosuke sat up in bed, shouting.

Muetta came in then, as if on cue, and set aside the breakfast plate she held for him.

"Same dream?" Muetta went over to a washbin and dipped a dry towel in the cool water and wrung it out. She brought it over to a sweating Kennosuke, who seemed to be trying to catch his breath.

"Who is she?" Kennosuke accepted the cloth and laid back down, covering his eyes with the towel.

"You haven't seen her face?" The silence that followed after answered her question. "As frustrating as it is right now, it's best to not let it bother you."

"It's a damn wedding. It seems important.. or rather, she is important."

"It's taken you months to slowly remember me and Zell. She will too."

"It's very vague, of what I remember about you two. The only thing I remember is Efy Dolgh, and to do everything in my power to stop them. People are just... fragments."

"Do you remember where you're from?" Muetta was warned to not ask him questions about what he remembers. The doctors said it may trigger something even deeper than just memories.

"Can we not have this conversation?" Kennosuke sounded defeated. Letting out a sigh, she set the tray next to his futon bed and left without a word.

Once she left, Kennosuke removed the towel from his eyes and pulled out an orange colored ribbon he kept under his pillow. Other than his sword, this was the only other item he possessed and he kept it a secret. The ribbon smelt feminine and he knew, without a doubt, that whoever this belonged to, was the same woman he was trying to see in his dream. He just knew.

He also knew that she was someone important to him, but why wasn't she here with him now? No one seemed inclined to help him solve this mystery and it was driving him crazy. He held the ribbon against his chest now, and closed his eyes. He could only rely on his dream right now, and as aggravating as it was, it still gave him hope to answer the one question he wanted answered: Who was she?

Author's Note: Thank you so much to those who have loved this story, who are following this story, and especially to those who leave reviews! It makes my heart sing knowing a lot of you are enjoying the story so far. Sorry it's taken me several weeks to post updates, but fear not, updates are always coming! Hope you enjoyed the chapter and will be anticipating the next one...!
RxB