A/N: Aside from the changes in the summary everyone should have read, Kayto is several years older than he is in Sunrider, that said, no other character age is changed, so character interactions between Ava and Kayto are changed as Kayto is now the one with Age Seniority. In addition to said age change, the crew of the Sunrider are not in fact teenagers, but for the most part, adults by the time of the Invasion of Cera

Galactic Year 499: Ceran News Network

"Hello and welcome to the Ceran News Network, I'm your host, Tom Spencer. Today is the long awaited conclusion to the trial of Captain Kayto Shields. On the scene is our correspondent Lisa Crescentia. Lisa, how does the situation look?"

"Tom, to say the least, the situation is incredibly tense. As you can see, there are many people who condemn the Captain, chanting 'Justice for Freeman' or even the military, holding 'Down with the Military Industrial Complex.' As you all know, Councillor Freeman was pressing for a decrease in Military Spending, along with a reduction in the fleets before her passing. Captain Shields is charged with her murder, which does provide one question: Why?. Meanwhile, there are several who are calling for Captain Shields' acquittal, as they claim that Shields wouldn't have considered committing the act, considering his previously exemplary service record. As many of you know, Shields has an impressive record, playing a crucial role in destroying many pirate groups. Before that, he was a member of the group that exposed Chancellor Valorum and the conspiracy to aid the New Empire retake the Neutral Rim in 489. After which, he was offered a chance to serve in the Ceran Guardsman Corps, but refused, instead joining the Compact force, an organization that fought against the New Empire which enslaved our people until The Treaty of Vespa in 400. Up until the recent incident, he had a spotless record, most speculating him a prime choice to become an Admiral."

"Lisa, we've been hearing rumors that Captain Shields' trial seems to be irregular, is there any information you can provide to further clear the situation?"

"Unfortunately, the crew of Captain Shields' warship, the Battlecruiser CSV Resolute have been unable to testify on behalf of the Captain, as he has been known to instill an unwavering loyalty towards him. What is also interesting is Captain Shields claims that it was Admiral Mikhail who had opened fire upon the Councillor's Ship, and the Captain had simply retaliated. Sadly the information cannot be confirmed as the military has already taken the audio recordings onboard the ship, but had found them cleared of all information, and their data recovery specialists have been unable to make progress. It doesn't sound as the captain will be walking away from this one."

"Thank you Lisa, we anticipate the results of the trial. Now to Ron Chartreuse with the weather."

Galactic Year 499: Ceran Military Court

If one were to ask him a year ago if he would be charged with treason against his own people, Kayto Shields would have arrested said person on the spot. For the four years he had served in the Ceran Navy, his record could be described only as exemplary. During his service his leadership and unconventional tactics and strategies had led the elimination of fifteen pirate groups, several of which had managed to evade the Ceran Navy for years. So to say that the first black mark on his record would include the assassination of a Councillor and the destruction of a Ceran Dreadnought with all hands lost would be thought of as an impossibility. Yet here he was, standing in his uniform, in the highest of courts in the Neutral Rim. He had been arrested not long after his ship had reached port, right in the middle of a conversation with his sister. It had been three days since his arrest when his case was announced, and the trial begun. That was three weeks ago. He had no doubt that the scandal would destroy his career, if he were to not be executed. He was awoken from his thoughts when the verdict arrived.

"Captain Kayto Shields, due to information found on the audio logs aboard the CSV Resolute, you are convicted of two counts of Murder, that of Councillor Freeman and Admiral Freeman, along with ordering the death of the crew aboard Battleship CVS Sunlightand the Diplomatic Cruiser Challenger. As such, the councillors of the Planet of Cera have declared you guilty of Treason." Kayto froze, the audio logs aboard his ship was supposed to become his alibi, not what brought his damnation. There had to be something wrong, aside the fact it took three weeks for the evidence to be brought up. Shields had to contest this.

"Your honour, this has to be an error! I would nev-"

"Would you like to hear it?" the Judge said as he gestured to an aide, who began to play the audio log.

Audio Log Start

"Captain, the Challenger took a direct hit! It's venting atmosphere. The Sunlight is moving to attack position!"

"Tell gunnery to target the Sunlight, prepare to fire the main gun."

"Captain, the consequences would be-"

"Damn the consequences! The Councillor is already dead, make sure that battleship is destroyed."

There was a pause, followed by a sigh

"Yes sir, targeting solution underway."

"Captain! Sunlight has fired torpedoes, ETA 30 seconds!"

"Fire point defense, adjust course by negative 30 degrees. Fire kinetics once targeting is complete."

"Savior Cannons have fired, hits confirmed. Engineering reports that the reactor is under eighty percent load, main cannon is ninety percent charged."

"Shutdown our port engines to increase turn rate, once we are aligned with the Sunlight's bow, you have permission to fire."

"Main Cannon firing… Confirmed hit! The Sunlight is breaking apart, we must have hit their ammunition stores. Sensors report no escape pods and communications hasn't registered any distress signals."

On the audio Shields sighed, "Status of the Challenger?"

"Its reactor went critical when the first volley landed. The ship slagged itself before the hull fragmented. Explosive decompression considering the debris. Still no escape pods or distress signals"

"Helmsman, take us back to Cera, there's nothing here for us."

"Are you alright sir?"

"Helmsman, just focus on getting us back home."

Audio Log End

"Is this enough evidence, Captain Shields?"

"Impossible…" Shields said to himself quietly.

"This is your voice, is it not?" Shields did not answer.

"Kayto Shields, you do know the punishment of treason, don't you?"

"Yes"

"You are stripped of your command of the Resolute and shall command the light cruiser Tajima in the offensive against the pirate group Black Hand alongside Admiral Yamamoto. While preparations are being made, you will be under constant surveillance."

The judge's words were met with mixed reactions. While the councillors and admirals remained passive, the crowd was in uproar. While many were decrying the perceived leniency of the sentence, those who were in the navy knew better. The entire crowd was in uproar, so much to the point that they did not notice Shields being escorted out of the building.

While the outrage distracted the onlookers inside the courtroom, the outside was a different matter entirely. As soon as the doors opened, he was met with a roar of shouts of different meanings, but most were negative. It only intensified when Shields walked through them. Immediately, the crowd surged in his direction, held back by the police blocking the way. It was complete chaos, the people shouting phrases such as 'Traitor' or 'Military Pig.' Some had gone to the point of throwing objects at him. Shields pressed on, back straight, chin up as he marched down to the street to the car designated to transport him to the residence attempting to drown out his surrounding, not flinching when objects held by some of the crowd hit him. Even after the car door closed next to him, the shouts could still be heard. To add to his torment, the driver did not turn off the radio, the word of his trial spread throughout all of Cera.

The ride was silent, tension filling the air. When the driver stopped, Shields exited and gazed upon the structure before him. It had been nearly a month since he was here last. The walk into the complex and to his family's door was a difficult one, thoughts of doubt filling his head. After all, there was no telling how his family would react to the results of the trial. 'Maray' That thought filled him with fear the most. How would his sister react to this? He had nearly forgotten that she had idolized Councillor Freeman for her actions towards peace and stability, along with how when Maray was younger, she would always talk about how much she wanted to be like Freeman. Eventually, Shields had to face reality, staring at the entrance. When he had opened the door, he was faced with an old friend. He hadn't seen her for years, not since he left to join the resistance.

"Ava" he said slowly, "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing Kayto" her tone was icy, no doubt she saw the Trial's results, "I would have thought someone with the likes of you would think twice before showing your face in public."

'Ouch' he thought to himself, "I should be asking the same thing. This is where I live, but what are you doing here? Speaking of which, where is everyone"

"Your parents are doing their jobs," Ava answered, "As for me, I've been here for the last month to help Maray."

"And where is she?"

"Her room. She's still distraught from earlier, not that you would care, Traitor." With that, she moved past Shields, and left.

It took several minutes for him to recover. Once upon a time, the two were almost inseparable, but Kayto speculated that it all changed when he became a resistance fighter. Despite the hostile attitude, she really had grown up. After hearing about her dreams when the two of them were younger, it looked like Ava was accepted to the Sunrider Military Academy. It would take a few years, but he could see her as a capable captain. After reminiscing about the past, he let out a sigh when he remembered that it was all the past. The two of them went their separate ways. But it was not her that he feared. He looked down the hall, all of the doors slightly open, all except for one. The occupant of the room was why Shields dedicated himself to the military, joined the resistance, and killed so many in the fight against the New Empire. He had walked to her door and knocked. No response.

"Maray?" No Response

"Maray?" Still no answer "It's me, Kayto."

"Why did you do it?" the voice was faint on the other side of the door, but Kayto could hear every word.

"Maray…" Kayto paused. What was he supposed to say? That the Military Court, the highest court in Cera, presided by two admirals in addition to three councilors, was incorrect in its ruling, despite the fact that it never had before? Fortunately, or unfortunately, he was unable to answer as the door swung open, revealing his sister. Her blue eyes were bloodshot from crying, her white hair disheveled, from the dark bags under her eyes, it was obvious that she did not, or could not sleep.

"When they announced your arrest, I didn't believe it." She began, "I thought it was all a big mistake, that you were innocent. But when they played the audio… " she began to cry, "Why did you do it? Councillor Freeman only wanted peace, just like you. Do you remember what you said when you left that day? You said you wanted to fight the New Empire because you wanted a peaceful life for all of us. What happened to that? You didn't stay home long after you came back, you went and joined the Navy after six years. Six Years! Did the war change you that much? That you couldn't come home after being gone for so long?"

"Maray. Listen to me, I…"

"No Kayto, you listen!" she shouted "It's almost like you aren't the same person. I miss my brother, the kind and loving one that always made everyone happy. What happened to him? Now, you're more cold, detached, I don't know you anymore. We don't even talk much. Why did you leave for the military? Was it because you liked fighting so much?"

"Of course not" Shields shouted, "I did it to make the galaxy a safer place. For mom and dad, for Ava, for you! I wanted for you to be happy, and you know there was no future for us under Imperial rule."

"Don't you dare say that Kayto! Anyone else could have done what you did, but you had to be the hero, didn't you? You could've stopped and came home like dad did once Cera was free! You say you wanted me to be happy, but that's just your excuse. All I wanted was to my have my brother with me, but did you ask me? No, you just kept fighting after we had won."

"Maray… "

"Just, go away, Kayto." she turned away from him, "Please." The door shut.

Shields stood in front of the door, staring at it. Nothing could have been worse for Kayto. Seeing everything fall apart around him, powerless to do anything about it, was one thing, but when it was the family and friends that he had risked his life for, was too much. He slowly walked to his room, and laid on his bed, and did something that he had not done for years. Kayto Shields cried, for a sibling that wanted nothing to do with him, for a friend that despised him, and a future that could have been, but wasn't.

Two Weeks Later- Light Cruiser Tajima

At its creation, the Tajima was the most advanced warship of its kind. Now, it was an obsolete husk designated for the scrapyards, if not for Shields, who was alone on the bridge. Luckily for him, the Eclipse class light cruiser was designed to operate with a minimal amount of crew. On the other hand, its weapons systems were removed, replaced with what looked like a mass driver mounted along the spine of the ship with a rudimentary targeting system, which Shields had discovered that had barely enough computation to link with the Tactical Display he had managed to acquire from the spaceport requisitions officer.

'Damn it, I'll have to fire manually, if it even works.' he thought to himself. It was until the orders came from the admiral did he stop contemplating the possibility of having to ram a ship in order to fire an accurate shot.

"This is Admiral Yamamoto. Our general strategy is simple. The Tajima will warp in and draw the enemy fire before sending the signal for the fleet to warp in to destroy the base. Remember, our objective is to destroy the pirate base. If we succeed, they will have no resupply point for months, allowing for us to secure and destroy the remaining pirates in the quadrant. Captain Shields, status?"

"This is Shields reading loud and clear, Admiral. At least, as clear as this rust bucket shall allow."

"Remember, draw the enemy away long enough for us to establish stable warp coordinates, then proceed to destroy the base. Command has demanded that you ram your ship into the base and overload your reactor, but I shall only present it as an option. If you fail to destroy the base within an hour of the fleet entering combat, we shall continue with the original rules of engagement, which may include a spontaneous decommissioning of your vessel."

"Understood admiral. CSV Tajima engaging warp."

One Day Previous

Kayto had gone about his day as usual. The house was empty, his parents at their jobs, and Maray at school. Ever since his return, his family had ignored him for the majority of the time. However, today was unlike the rest. In Twenty-four hours, he would assist in an attack that everyone in the Navy knew was suicide for him. The time he was given by the court was a gift in light of his service, a final time period to say goodbye to any relatives or next of kin. Knowing what awaited him, he had made his preparations. On the table in front of him was the Laser Rifle, the weapon that he used to fight the New Empire across the galaxy. It was in its collapsed position, resting along with his service pistol. Before he left, he had performed one more act. He walked into his sister's room, and placed an envelope on her desk along with his rifle and a picture frame. On it, the words, "Happy 18th Birthday Maray. No Peeking." With that, he turned and left the house one final time.

Black Hand Base

The Tajima had exited warp. What it met could be swept aside by a standard patrol fleet, but the Tajima was anything but. Immediately, he had brought the bow of the ship to face the sole ship of the group, a destroyer. Thanks to the close range of the shot, only a hundred kilometers, the steel round punched through its thin armor, striking the reactor, it exploding in a spectacular fashion. It appeared that the attack had taken the pirate group off guard and no doubt they were mobilizing to retaliate. For now, Shields held the advantage. However, with only a scrapped cruiser that didn't have proper weapons systems,, he had three options in his current situation. The first would be to run, which would save his life, but his warp drive needed to spin up, making him vulnerable to the oncoming pirates. The second would be to fight, which would result in his death as the Tajima not only had a makeshift weapon, but was outnumbered fourty to one until the fleet arrived, where he would be destroyed along with the pirates. The final, was the most insane plan of them all. The Tajima was designed to have its bridge in the center of the ship's hull, allowing it to survive longer. Using that advantage, he would rush straight for the pirate base, using the spinal cannon to destroy the main structure, allowing him to take out the base while the fleet dealt with the enemy in space. Of course, it meant running the gauntlet along with ramming an asteroid, but if he did so correctly, the goals would be achieved:the base would be destroyed, and he wouldn't die. Deciding on the best course of action, he pointed the bow of the ship towards the pirate base, a massive complex built into the surface of an asteroid, and engaged the engines.

That action took the pirates by surprise. Ceran military doctrine was very conservative, and no captain in their right mind would order their ship to head directly towards them full speed, and the ship showed no signs of slowing down. Immediately, every available ship was maneuvering to intercept, but the ship did not slow down. Lasers melted entire sections of the hull, kinetics punched the light cruiser's thin armour, exiting the other end, but the ship continued course. When the ship was only a thousand kilometers from the base, the worst happened.

The Ceran Fleet Warped into the system.

Ceran Fleet- Battleship Artemis

Few things were as spectacular as a ship exiting warp travel. The distortion of space before the bright flash of light as the ship exited subspace was a testament to the advances of human technology. The ships of the Ceran Navy were no different. As per protocol, the lead ship exited warp. Standing at a kilometer in length, the Battleship was a powerful piece of the fleet, armed with the latest kinetics and energy weapons that were available, with a long range energy shield to support nearby ships. Once the ship exited warp travel, the bridge was alight with activity, officers were reporting the status of the ship's individual sections to each other. Meanwhile, Admiral Yamamoto stood behind the helmsman, observing the crew at work. Once the sensors came online, the displays around him were filled with ship positions, enemy placements, and a updates from the different sections. All around the Battleship, other ships began to enter the system, repeating the same process. Soon, the twelve ships of the fleet warped into the system, armed for battle.

"Admiral, all ships accounted" an officer reported.

"Admiral, the Radiant reports the Tajima engaged with the enemy force and is requesting permission to assist." said another

"Tell the Radiant to hold position, we are to engage at the designated time." he ordered, voice unwavering.

"Sir?" the officer asked, confused "Aren't we going to help Captain Shields?"

"Are you questioning my orders, Lieutenant?" he asked, gazing at said crew member, she avoided his gaze

"No, sir." she replied, looking down, "Ordering Radiant to return to formation."

"Good, have all ships maintain maximum engagement range and prepare the Trinity Lasers. Shields has three minutes left, let's see what he can do with them."

"Yes sir, weapons charging. Gunnery is beginning to target hostiles"

"Admiral, the Tajima is moving to ram the pirate base"

"What could be thinking? Perhaps… No, that would be too stupid, even for him"

Light Cruiser Tajima

"This is the stupidest thing I've ever done!"

Kayto cursed his luck, a torpedo had penetrated the hull, blowing a large portion of the starboard side of the ship. He was still a hundred kilometers from his target, and his ship wasn't holding as well as he had expected. He couldn't even fire the main gun, as not only was the reactor's power dedicated solely to the engines, but the main gun was useless as a particularly accurate laser volley had slagged it.

"Warning: Critical Damage in Decks Two through Seven, Reactor Critical, All Hands, Abandon Ship"

He hated that sound, the ship's automatic systems alerting him of the obvious, most of the ship was destroyed, the hull was perforated more so than the plot line of a movie he had heard Maray talking about, which contained vampires if he remembered correctly. There were other things that reminded him of the ship's status, such as his apparel, which was now a Marine Boarding Armour unit that he had managed to get, as the ship had completely lost atmosphere ten minutes ago, and a kinetic round had penetrated the rear half of the bridge, leaving a gaping hole not too far behind Shields. In short, the Tajima was a lost cause. From one of the readouts, it estimated that he had less than five minutes before the ship's fusion reactor would go critical, detonating whatever fuel was left on the ship in addition to the ammunition in the stores. If that wasn't adding enough pressure, the Ceran Fleet had warped in the system minutes earlier, so there was also the impending death caused by friendly fire. Still, there were twelve kilometers between him and his target. Crossing that would take thirty seconds. Thirty seconds that he didn't have. Now within range of the Base's defenses, flak rounds filled the space between the two craft. Shards of metal punctured the already crippled ship, adjusting their aim as the firing continued. Missiles exited from their tubes, streaking towards him, and he was close enough to see the massive cannons built on the base aim in his direction. With flashes of light, 800mm Kinetic Rounds streaked through the void and slammed into the ship, now only held together by structural supports as it violently shook, sections of the hull snapping off, careening away.

When the Tajima crossed the threshold of two kilometers, he grabbed the weapons aboard the ship and ran towards the hole that should have killed him. With no other way to go, he went ahead and lept from the ship and engaged the suit's thrusters to reduce his velocity. As he turned, he saw the ship smash into the asteroid's surface and erupt in a fireball as the several hundred tonnes of fuel mixed with a now uncontained fusion reaction. To add to the fire were the multitude of explosives within the ammunition stores, adding several kilotons to the blast. Said blast had enough force to break apart the asteroid, rendering the base inoperable, as thanks to the forces of explosive decompression and about several trillion joules of kinetic energy. (Estimation that the Tajima is about 47k metric tonnes, and moving at 400 m/s) For Shields, it was mission accomplished, except for two factors. One, was the remainder of the pirate fleet, who might get away and take him prisoner. The second, was that he was trapped in the void of space with nothing except for an outdated laser rifle, service pistol, and armor that was rated for twenty four hours of continuous use in space, longer if he was fortunate enough to find any oxygen tanks in the debris. All he could do was search for something to keep alive, and watch the battle unfold before him. All he could do was wait.

Warning: Suit Rupture Detected.

"Shit."

Ceran Battleship- Artemis

"Admiral, Pirate Base has been destroyed."

"Repeat that again." Yamamoto responded with shock

"Sir, the CSV Tajima had rammed the enemy base, both are completely destroyed sir."

"Any escape pods?"

"No sir, nothing but debris. It looks like the Tajima had managed to punch through the surface before detonating. Nothing left sir."

"I see. Mark the Tajima as destroyed and Captain Shields as KIA." Yamamoto paused, "Bring up communications to all ships, we have a change of plans."

"Yes sir."

"This is Admiral Yamamoto. Captain Shields of the CSV Tajima has been Killed in Action. Shields gave his life to end this pirate group so that this region of space would be secure. Do not let his sacrifice be in vain. All ships are weapons free, I want no prisoners. Yamamoto out."

The resulting battle was a slaughter. The name of Kayto Shields was known throughout the Ceran Military. For the few hardened veterans that fought either against the conspiracy to defend Cera from the New Empire, or with him in Compact, he was a legend of the battlefield, a man who could inspire men twice his age to fight insurmountable odds, leading the charge whether it be on the ground, in the void, or on the negotiation tables. For those who didn't fight in the rebellion, he was a respected leader, one who was fair and just, fighting for justice and making sure he did just as much work as everyone else on whatever ship he was placed on, no matter the difference of rank. When word of his death passed through the fleet, every Ceran felt one emotion, Revenge.

Of the forty destroyers and hundreds of Ryders the Black Hand could field, all were torn apart. The frigates would cut off any route of escape and destroy anything that wasn't fighting. Cruisers would hunt down the destroyers and corral them into choke points in the debris of the asteroid. The single battleship on the other hand charged through the enemy positions, using its flak cannons and pulse lasers to obliterate anything in its path. After the carnage, the fleet left as soon as it had arrived, not waiting to do one final scan of the area. For if they had, the struggle of one man could have been averted.

Later

Kayto Shields was getting desperate. He had spent the last twelve hours scouring the wreckage for anything that he could use to survive, to no avail. He was getting tired, but he knew that sleep was suicide. It was getting ridiculous, as it became his plan became too effective. There was nothing to use. The escape pods were destroyed, none of the wrecked ships had their life-support systems intact, and with the departure of the Ceran Fleet, there was no way home. To make matters worse, the blast from the Tajima had caused a small rupture in his suit, so slowly but surely, he was losing air.

Caution: Oxygen at Twenty Percent. Battery at Ten Percent

'Already… That happened too quick.' he thought to himself. It was getting bad, in a last ditch attempt, he engaged emergency power mode. Doing so would give him several hours of battery life, and the lack of moving would buy him several minutes of extra air.

Warning: Oxygen Levels Five Percent

Shields realized that the small rupture before had been worse than he thought. Already, he began to feel lightheaded, darkness creeping in at the edges of his vision. He tried to fight it, but he was growing weaker. As his body began to convulse from the lack of oxygen, everything became darker. For the first time in a while, he felt fear.

Fear of losing his life, of leaving family behind.

Warning: Oxygen Levels Critical

Of not being able to amend the divide between him and his sister.

Warning: Oxygen Levels Critical

He couldn't die like this. Not now.

Warning: Oxygen Depleted

Kayto froze. He had several breaths left in his helmet at the very least. His luck had run out. It was over.a Shields struggled due to the lack of oxygen. He grasped at his helmet, trying to claw for a breath that would never come. Slowly, his movements began to slow, the struggle more desperate.

In the last seconds of consciousness, a bright light had appeared in the center of his vision. It was distant, but growing closer, growing brighter.

But at that moment, everything went black.

Cera- Ceran Academy of the Arts: High School Branch

Maray Shields was irritated. During the two weeks, she had began to think about what she had said to Kayto. The more she did, the guiltier she felt. It didn't make sense. His actions, why he did things after the war, none of it, and it irritated her. What more so was the fact that the more she thought about it, the more she began to question whether or not Kayto had killed Freeman. Both had the goal of peace, although the two went about it in completely different ways, and Kayto had no issue with the cuts to military spending when she had brought it up a year ago. None of it made any sense. After most of the day in thought, she decided as soon as she got home, she would talk to him. When that thought graced her mind, she felt guilty once again. For the past two weeks, she purposely ignored him, and she was almost certain she heard crying on the other side of her wall, in the room her brother was.

Shaking her head, she snapped herself out of her thoughts and went back to her school work.

When school had ended, she had told her friend that she would be heading directly home that day and to let the club president that she would be absent that day. She had rushed home as quickly as she could, maneuvering through crowds of people. When she got home, she threw open the door and made her way to her brother's room.

"Kayto" she shouted as she slammed open his door, only to find the room empty.

Once she recovered from the initial shock of her brother not being present, Maray searched the house. Every room, cabinet and crevice was searched, to no avail. Remembering the recent actions of her brother, she figured he was in the city and would return. So she sat down near the door and waited.

And waited.

And waited.

Soon, the sky was dark and she slowly but surely drifted into a tense slumber. 'As soon as he gets home, I'm going to apologize for how I treated him recently. And then, try to get my brother back.'

The next day was much of the same. Kayto had not returned home by the time Maray had awoken. She had awoken and had to go to school. The entire day, she was distracted, thinking why her brother was gone for so long. Today was also the day their parents would return from their business trip. It was until after school that her world began to turn upside-down.

"Man, did you hear about the operation going on today" one of her classmates asked another as they passed by Maray

'Military club. It would be great if they weren't talking about matters of national security in such a nonchalant manner' she thought to herself in what she realized was a very Kayto-like manner

"Yeah, my dad was talking about it," he replied "his group spent all last week getting an old cruiser ready for its use. I heard that one traitor was forced to use it"

"Damn, sounds like a suicide mission. Wouldn't like to be him"

Maray stopped where she was, and sprinted home. She didn't stop until she reached home and ran inside, running into her parents.

"Maray!" her mother exclaimed, "What's wrong? Are you alright? You look worried."

"It's Kayto," she blurted, her speech quick, "Do you know where he is?"

None could answer as a knock was heard on the other side of the door. Slowly, Mrs. Shields reached the knob and turned it. On the other side of the door were two officers in uniform, each wearing a black uniform, carrying a small folder and several parcels.

"Hello Mrs. Shields, we're with the Ceran Navy. We have news regarding your son." Maray's mother was confused, but she felt a sense of dread fill her stomach. Upon hearing the voices, her father moved to the door and stiffened up. Maray on the other hand was utterly terrified. She heard the stories from Kayto about the ritual of notifying families of a soldier's death. It was not a pretty one, but from his descriptions, it fit the description word for word.

"Ma'am," the other officer began speaking stiffening up. "I have been asked to inform you that your son has been reported dead.."

No, it couldn't be.

"... Aboard the CSV Tajima in combat against the Pirate group Black Hand at 0837 on April 18th, 498… "

It was impossible, Kayto couldn't have died, there was no way. After all he had been through…

"... On behalf of the Councilors and Admirals of Cera… "

She was supposed to say sorry, Kayto would forgive her, and they would be siblings again…

"I extend to you and your family my deepest sympathy in your great loss."

But that would never happen.

"We are also here to inform you that in light of service, Kayto Shields is cleared of all charges, and is Posthumously Awarded the Medal of Honour." The officer handed her several boxes. One containing a folded flag of Cera, the other containing the medal.

She had thrown that chance away two weeks ago.

"Thank you," her mother said calmly, beginning to close the door, only to be stopped by one of the officers. "I believe it is time for you to go now."

"Ma'am," he began handing her a card, "I understand the pain you're going through. If there's anything you need, please give us a call." With that, they left.

Maray's father went to her mother and began holding her.

Her mother was still in shock.

Maray herself was devastated. Even when he was deployed to some far off region, or even when he was halfway across the galaxy, fighting an empire, she was always assured that he would come back, but not anymore. She would never have that chance to say goodbye. In her grief, she ran to her room, and immediately, she saw something she never had before. An envelope. An actual paper envelope. She slowly walked towards it, each step like an eternity. Next to it rested a picture frame of Kayto and Maray right before he left to fight the New Empire. She was almost ten, and had life in her eyes, happy to see her brother after he was gone for several months. She didn't know what her brother was doing then, nor would she find out until she was in middle school. Kayto was the complete opposite from her optimistic and cheerful expression He stood behind her, red tinted goggles resting above his eyes, his rifle in one hand over his shoulder, and the other holding a duffel bag by his syde.. His face was calm, with a smile at his sister's happiness. That was the day he left. On the table was another object that surprised her. There laid Kayto's rifle. She had remembered learning about it when she asked him questions before he left to join the rebellion against the New Empire, that was called Compact. It was an experimental variant of the signature laser rifles used by the soldiers that oppressed the residents of Cera a hundred years ago, focused on reliability and sheer power. Kayto never parted with it, even when he joined the Navy. To see an item that had been with him since the beginning set aside as if the owner knew he would not need it again left her disheartened. She nearly began to cry, until she saw the words written on the photograph.

Maray, if you have this, I've probably bit the dust. I know you won't understand why I did it, but you will in time. Don't be sad, you've got your entire life ahead of you. You'll become an amazing woman, I just know it. I couldn't have asked for a better sister in all the universe, I'm just sorry you were stuck with me as a brother. Take care, find love, live a happy life. And remember, whether you like it or not, I'll always be with you.

-Kayto

P.S. I mean it Maray, Don't open the letter early.

Maray held the photograph, read the words over and over. Those word were her brother's final words to her. All this time, even when he knew he was going to die, he still focused on her happiness. The feelings of loss began to catch up to her. Maray looked down at the photo, and wept.

She would not stop until sleep overcame her.

A/N: So there you have it. If you found anything different, please comment so we can discuss it. If you have any ideas, let me know via PM. Also, if you would like to beta-read, contact me via PM.