But none of that mattered.

What was with all the constant, asinine reminders of her past? Why couldn't her blood loss-induced hallucinations show her something happier?!

But perhaps, that was a good thing.

Her answer and the questions that followed, were enough for her to pull herself back from what could've been her final rest.

"Uuugh!" Her scream was hoarse, cracked, and painful to hear. Yet it was a sign of life.

Although, she could barely even hear herself from the constant ringing in her ears.

Shallow gasps escaped her lips as she looked at herself. Her state, it was far worse than she even remembered - no.

It was because of adrenaline.

Now that it was gone, the aching in her back from almost being crushed, her wounded leg, battered body, and possibly some sort of concussion - all of it came at once.

"Eurgh… hrk…!" Sobbing was all she could do for now. Thoughts raced through her head. What if her mind dredged up memories that were there to help? For her to die painlessly?

Her gasps sped up, as she tried to raise her arm and pull herself off the floor. But there was nothing to grab. Nothing but smooth, flush metal containers on either side.

She knew that. She must've.

But her arm still flailed aimlessly, hoping that she would get out this somehow. That fate would open the way for her.

Hope.

That accursed, fleeting, painful thing.

It was all that kept her alive until now, the only reason that she could keep walking forward, ever since that day she threw herself into the flames.

Selfish, ugly hope.

She knew that. She understood just how disgusting of a monster she was. But she still wanted to live.

If she was going to die, at least not in this desolate place, empty and dark. She wanted to die somewhere different to what her life had been until now.

As chills and tremors racked her body, she pursed her lips and closed her eyes. Then, with tears running down her pale, dirt-smeared cheeks, she hung her head down and pleaded.

"Please… let me live…"

To who? She did not know. Faith in the Divines had faded long before she was born. But she pleaded again.

"I promise… I won't ask for anything else… I'll stop being selfish… I'll even accept the dol-"

She cut herself off. Even during what could've been her final moments, she could not say such a lie. For if there was anyone listening, they would know.

"... I really don't… deserve it… don't I…?"

A self-deprecating smile formed from her lips as the tears stopped flowing.

She had found happiness.

Happiness in acceptance of her fate.

Slowly, as the seconds ticked by, she gave herself to the emptiness.

And then, the last of her senses disappeared...

That was when the ringing finally stopped and she felt something grab her shoulders.

She was shook violently, torn away from peaceful darkness and back into the light.

Wait… light…? Her eyes took a moment to adjust to the torch being flashed directly at her face. She couldn't see the figure holding it, but she knew the hand that held her was that of a woman's. Small and thin, like hers.

"Tell Sereni… found… find others…!" Her words were distant, even when she was so close. But Guila understood she was accompanied by and led a team. Rescuers, then?

New life sprung forth from her exhausted heart, pumping much needed blood to her extremities.

"Thank… you…" There were no more tears left to cry.

The exhaustion was far too much for her. But she still made sure to stay awake for as long as possible.

Yet she never heard a response. Not even an encouragement, as she was placed onto a stretcher.

*** *** ***

None of it really did matter. Whatever actions the people on the ship did, whether they lived or died. None of it would change anything.

The ship had been travelling at hyperspeed for almost three hours now. Far, far longer than the original travel time of five minutes for a 50 light-year jump which was to be followed by a week of cruising towards their destination.

Artificial gravity in most of the ship had been shut down or damaged while a third of the mini-planet had been torn off in a large chunk, left to float somewhere in the emptiness of space.

Even if a rescue attempt was to be made, the speed at which the piece was flung off and the lack of friction in space, meant that it could be anywhere. Any survivors left inside would be doomed to a slow death.

Those left on the ship wouldn't fare much better.

The Count understood this, as he watched a diagram on the ship's status on the large LED screen. The image then shifted to a live recording of… a star? It was held inside some sort of glass container and pulsating violently.

"We have no way of stopping the ship from here, or directly. Something is keeping the engine on. We are locked out of navigation as well." A voice came from behind him to the right. It was the Captain of the vessel, a tall, wide man with graying hair on his temples.

"Our engineering team tried to detach the hydrogen fuel cells-"

"But that didn't work and only caused a massive explosion. That fissure which tore across the rainforest safari was caused by that, wasn't it?"

"Yes…" The burly man hung his head in shame, before turning to the screen beside him. "The sun's fusion rate is far beyond what it should even theoretically be capable of. Another mistake could see the entire ship explode in a supernova."

"That's why you aren't doing anything?" Cold and distant, the Count turned around and asked.

All the while, his men surrounded the bridge, brandishing bulky weapons that glowed a distinct bright green, even underneath the sharp white light from the ceiling.

"If you and your crew are the best the Federation can offer, then there's no blaming my wife fo-"

He cut himself off. This was no time to be antagonistic - to be driven by emotions. Not right now. He had to first gather as much information as he could, so that he could see his men to safety.

However, it was a bit late for that, as the once meek and ashamed crewmen now raised their heads and glared back with twice the hate of the Imperials.

But the Count was not one to buckle under such gazes. Not when he was protected by people that he trusted. Especially his older brother.

Though it would do no harm to have had them beside him too.

"Do you at least have any idea, why?"

A short, yet lasting silence befell the room, before the screen behind him changed into a… glass marble? It shone and pulsed before a solid blue background.

[Greetings, Lord Count.] A woman's voice, though clearly artifical, came from the PA system. [My name is Serenity, please allow me to answer for my own actions.]