"Is the princess ready?" asked Eren, not bothering to look at the lieutenant with whom he spoke. His gaze remained fixated on the spectacle of a world outside of the bridge windows.

"I believe so, captain," the lieutenant replied. He glanced at his superior from where he sat slumped on the cushioned chair, with his feet perched precariously close to the control panel. "She's in her quarters as we speak."

Eren nodded. Even though the seasoned captain had hundreds of missions under his belt, the view from the safety of The Starbell was like nothing he had ever seen. The delicate, untouched planet glimmered and shined in the star's light. From the moment their ship fell into its orbit, Entity M3096 was practically begging to be explored.

The ship had been orbiting M3096 for three of its moon cycles, closely monitoring the properties deemed too intricate to observe from their home world.

Now that Central Command had given them the green light, it was time to deploy the Explorers. Eren was anxious, but managed to conceal his concern to avoid jeopardizing crew morale. There existed only one individual he confided in.

Fortunately for him, that person's quarters were but a short walk from the bridge. "I'll be back," he instructed the lieutenant as he turned and hurriedly headed down the steps toward the exit.

"W-wait, captain!" The young man suddenly straightened up but remained seated.

Eren halted and let out a deep sigh. He turned to face his subordinate with his lips curled inward in annoyance. "Yes, lieutenant? What is it?"

"You know Central Command is wary of your relationship with her."

The captain scowled. He didn't need a subordinate to warn him. Without another word, he continued on his way, glaring at the lieutenant before slamming the metallic hatch shut.

~

The princess heard a knock on her door, mimicking the opening line to her favorite song. That alone indicated who it was that had graced her with their presence.

"Captain Eren!" she greeted warmly as she flew open the door, "Please, come in."

"Thank you, princess," he replied. As he stepped over the threshold, he glanced around the cramped bedroom which she had called home for the past year. The trinkets she collected on past journeys were scattered all over the floor, and seldom washed clothing hung from everything even slightly resembling a hook.

"I know what you're thinking," she admittedly defeatedly as she shut the door and locked the hatch, "I need to be more composed, especially before this mission."

Eren glanced at her mirror on the other end of the room, which was stained with a message she had written to herself. It read something that the princess had been loathing for months:

Mission: Explore the central continent of Entity M3906.

Upon closer inspection, he realized that it was written with bright red lipstick that had long since dried. "You really simplified your objective." He paused before turning toward her. "I should point out that you'll be exploring Entity M3096, not Entity M3906," Eren chuckled, "Unless you'd like to be the first person to set foot on a gas giant."

The princess sighed. "Just add that to the huge list of screw ups I've made in this lifetime alone." A sudden burst of anger struck her; she reached for the nearest book and chucked it at the mirror, shattering the overhead light bulbs. "I was going nuts just thinking about everything at stake!"

"Calm down." He reached up to caress her freckled cheek. "You've spent nearly centuries preparing for this. You're more ready than anybody I've ever known," he added reassuringly.

"I know," she said as she placed her hands on his, "I'm sorry. It's just that I've been having nightmares."

"About the Devil's Mouth?"

"Mhm." She paused before taking a deep breath. "My mother told me that father's sacrifice ended the yearly ritual that our people were forced to endure. So on that day, when those monstrous black holes reappeared, I thought it was some terrible dream."

"But you're here now. We all are," Eren reminded her, "We're ready to explore this new world that we may call our new home in a few month's time."

Before the princess could utter another word, a furious pounding hammered on the hatch. "Captain! You're needed in the bridge!" a voice yelled out.

Eren headed for the door. "I'd better get going. We'll speak again soon."

The bright lights of the hall flooded the dim room, blinding the princess briefly. She squinted as she gazed at his chiseled silhouette standing in the entryway. "Take care, Eren."

"Take care, Princess Tara." The heavy metal door clamped shut with a bang.