Uniting Two Planets

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[bg=#663300]Charlotte is the princess of a planet called Durin. The alien inhabitants of Durin are very in touch with nature; their planet is abundant with green, and animals. There is a rival planet, named Lith, which has more frigid temperatures and lots of snow. Since the death of their ruler, the Liths' society has begun to crumble, because their prince has limited knowledge abour being a leader. He has asked for Charlotte's hand in marriage so they can bring the planet back to order. In exchange, he promised peace between Lith and Durin, plus his support for when there may be a war. Should Durin ever get involved with a battle, they can count on the Liths to assure victory.

"I will marry him, and my people will help his people grow food where the soil isn't frozen. His people will help my people learn to defend themselves. Our race is always teased, our planet is always targeted. It is for the best."

Charlotte knew she would be unhappy in the new environment, but still promised her parents, and her friends to visit when possible. The King and Queen did not want their daughter to marry someone she wasn't in love with... Nonetheless, they were proud for her decision.

She planned to depart from Durin today, after much preparation of mapping where she needed to go, what she was taking with her, and hiring her bodyguard. When he was summoned, they received the reply that said he would arrive as quickly as possible. Although she looked forward to meeting her protector, part of her wished he would take his time. Charlotte was really going to miss her planet...
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Lucijan Traharen was a man that grew up in a constant warzone, most people would feel sad or depressed for not having a fullfilling childhood, but he didnt mind his upbringing. War engulfed his home-planet that was one giant desert, killing was like breathing to him, it was needed to survive.
He was tall and of slim build, not overly packed with muscles but no slouch either. With blond hair that ended in a short ponytail right above his shoulders, his eyes a cold blue and with a slightly darker tan than the average everybody would believe that he was born and raised in a desert.
On his back hung a sniper rifle, gauss operated and able to pierce even hard armor at great distances. In two hidden pockets at his waist he stored small daggers, ideal for throwing it at an opponent that came to close for his liking. The armor he wore was light and seemed to be made of one piece that covered his whole body except his head, the matching helmet
was held by his left hand. The front was a dull black with a layer of silver below it that could be seen at his joints. It was a prototype armor that he earned from one of his jobs.
It could reflect the image of his sorroundings and made him nearly invisble, even if its use was limited due to the batterys depleting very fast, in his tests it could hold around 5 minutes if he stood still and 1 minute if he was constantly moving. After usage he needed to load it up with solar energy, that would be highly ineffective becuase it takes a long time, or at the nearest power output.
His mind wandered to his newest job, he pulled out his PDA and checked the description again, for the tenth time.
A Princess was to be escorted to her Fiance on another planet, the sum offered was huge and the job seemed fairly simple. Even if he would never admit to anyone, even himself, he was getting a little tired of the assasination jobs he accepted nearly all his life, but he still wouldnt hesitate to kill anyone that stood in his way, that was what he was trained to do after all.

He looked up and before him was the capital of Durin, with people full of thoughts of peace and friendship, with plants and wildlife everywhere. Even if the people and the terrain were discomforting to him, he didnt let it show.
He was here for a job after all, and a professional mercanery never let his emotions get his best.

"Now where is the palace...." he murmured while entering the city.
 
Charlotte knew she had to travel lightly, so most of her belongings were left behind. Everything would be as it was for days she might visit, except for items she requested be distributed to her friends, so they'd have a tangible way of remembering her. All she gathered were items that would be useful during travels. Durin had a lot of plants capable of healing wounds or curing illnesses, if consumed properly. Luckily, she had a lot of knowledge on medicine, so she was confident she'd be able to be of some help to her protector.

In addition to these little containers of plants, she also packed a sketchbook so she could draw during her travels. There would be times when she'd have to settle down for the night, or take a short break. Those opportunities could be spent drawing new things she stumbled on in her path, and this was the way she liked to make those kinds of memories. An extra change of clothes, and some food was also stuffed in.

A messenger-styled bag was put over her shoulder after she secured the buckle to close it. She pulled the hood of her brown cloak over her head of long, green hair. Inhabitants of Durin were dependent on this material when traveling... It could shield them from fire, and other harmful threats of nature that could kill them faster than anyone could believe. Underneath it, was her usual attire of a dress. She chose the simplest one she had, because she didn't want to risk ruining the prettier ones her maids put so much time into creating.

Charlotte stepped out of her palace and looked around at the green surroundings. Her parents showed up behind her to make their farewells, which took longer than she'd of liked. The tears her Mother shed were heartbreaking, and she could tell that the smile her Father made was hiding genuine sorrow. "My little brother will be a perfect heir to the throne. I'll be proud of him," she told them, smiling as widely as she possibly could.

When the goodbye was over with, Charlotte insisted she could journey to the spacecraft that awaited her once her escort arrived. There was nothing to fear on Durin, anyway. The Princess was peaceful even with the predators. She was handed the money promised to him before they departed, which she stuffed safely into one of the pockets of her bag.
 
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:HyphenationZone>21</w:HyphenationZone> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:UseFELayout/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Normale Tabelle"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> The sun was shining and the birds were chirping their song in the clearing Lucijan was waiting in. He was told to wait at the starting platform, that seemed fairly small to him, and wait for the Princess to arrive, They were given a small spacecraft with 2 private rooms and little storage room. The ship had the latest auto-pilot systems installed but there was no weapons mounted on it.

"I don't like this setup, a ship with no weapons and a Princess with no combat experience, seems like it's going to be harder than I thought." Lucijan was murmuring to himself, he wasn't happy about this at all.

His ears picked up the sound of footsteps and he slowly turned his head in the direction of their origin. He could see one of the Durins walking to the launch pad. It was obviously a female and her head was covered by their usual cloak, he could glimpse a bit of green hair underneath.

While she walked in his direction he tried to analyze her as much as possible, it wouldn't hurt to know more about the person he needed to protect. Her walk seemed to be dignified, as befits a member of royalty, her posture and her calm hazel eyes suggested that she was fearing nothing and was at peace with her surroundings. She was a typical Durin.

"This girl has no sense of danger, might as well play my part." Lucijan thought while she closed the remaining distance.

He bowed deep and said with a loud clear voice: " I am Lucijan Traharen, I'm your escort and bodyguard for the journey to Lith. The ship is ready and we can start anytime you wish."

It wasn't the first time he dealt with royalty, he remained bowed and awaited her answer...
 
As expected, her protector bowed while speaking. Although it was a sign of respect, she wished there were other ways people could greet her. She's seen people just high five each other, or just hug. Then again, they weren't royalty...

"Princess Charlotte, but please, just call me Charlotte or anything else you wish," she replied in her sing-song voice, looking him over with he straightened up from bowing.

Charlotte could tell she would be safe in his hands. He looked nimble, and unafraid with those icy eyes. On his back was a weapon she was slightly familiar with, but her parents mostly shielded her from all tools of war. She could remember hearing that he came from an arid planet, which explained the dark tone of his skin. It coordinated well with that blond hair, she thought.

"Let us go then, Lucijan," she told him a bit slowly, pulling down the hood on her head. Her hazel eyes looked back and forth at some of the last scenery she'd see of her planet. Charlotte would definitely stand out on Lith with her green hair and the peacock feather patterns around her eyes. Some might call those daring tattoos, but they were markings her race was often born with.

She tried to look brave, though truthfully, she was terrified. This entire journey was just to have her wed to someone she wasn't even in love with and probably never would be. There wasn't anything fun about it, that she could think of.
Beside him, she started walking to the ship he would be transporting her with. Both her eyes were glued to the size of it as they got closer. She couldn't remember the last time she boarded one of these.
 
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:HyphenationZone>21</w:HyphenationZone> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:UseFELayout/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Normale Tabelle"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> While Lucijan straightened from his bow he took a closer look at her face, she seemed fairly good looking and intriguing markings decorated her eyes. He had to pull his eyes away, he didn't want to make a bad impression by staring at her, she was after all his employer.

With a beautiful voice she announced her name and ordered the start of their journey. He turned around and started to lead the way. Even with his back to her he could feel the anxiety and longing she was emitting. Clearly she didn't want to leave, but that was of no concern for him, he would just do as he always did. Do the job and ask no questions.

He quickly walked to the ship and his hands typed in the password for the aircraft, he was told all the necessary information regarding the ship, things like fuel capacity, traveling speed and general usage of the board computer. With everything going smooth they would arrive at the target location in about two weeks.

The next step would be to show the princess her quarters.

"Princess Charlotte, if you would like to inspect your quarters I will bring you to them immediately. We will start in about 10 minutes, so you should settle down a bit, the start will be a bit rough so it would be wise to put your valuable possessions somewhere safe. If something bothers you just call me over the COM device."
 
Cautious as Charlotte was in new surroundings, she wanted to explore the ship a little after it got on course. Seeking out her private quarters was first on the list, so she could set her bag down and get comfortable. "Yes, that would be wonderful. Thank you."

As she was led to their destination, she was taking in the feeling of the ship. It was different with its metallic interior and no signs of plant or animal life. That put a weight of sadness on her heart, but she didn't allow that to effect her too much. When this traveling was over with, she would do everything in her power to cover Lith with green so she wouldn't be so homesick.

The door slid open to reveal a room specially decorated for her. It was put together in shades of greens and browns so she would be comfortable, and there were even potted plants in a box for her to take care of. These plants were more than likely for her to keep and use as a start for her plans on Lith. Overjoyed by the sight, she walked in with cheerful steps, immediately setting her messenger bag down on her rather large bed.

"It's.. Perfect," she commented, turning around to smile at Lucijan. "I'll leave you to your work."

Charlotte's gaze shifted to where there was a desk and a chair. She supposed she would spend most of her time there when she wasn't wandering aimlessly around the spacecraft. Minutes would be spent writing, or sketching whatever came to mind. In honesty, she would have preferred to be where Lucijan was so she wouldn't be by her lonesome. Entertaining her wasn't part of his job, though. That would be just silly.
 
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:HyphenationZone>21</w:HyphenationZone> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:UseFELayout/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Normale Tabelle"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> The princess seemed to like her room, it was specially prepared by her parents. She turned around with a smile on her face and gave her ok for the room. He gave a small bow and made his way to the bridge. On the short way he once again went trough the plan again, he had checked the plan before, and not only once, but it was a habit of him to recheck the plans when he could. It kept his mind off from things he didn't want to remember.

He arrived at the bridge and took a look around. There were two seats in front of the command panel, but one could operate it alone just as fine as two could. Sitting down on one of the chairs he booted the board computer. After it was finished he began the starting sequence, it would take a while to heat up the engines, run through a checklist and calculate their flight curve, he estimated that they would be ready to go in about 8 minutes, enough time for the princess to calm down a little.

He calmly watched the board computer making the necessary steps for their sequence, he was used to waiting and having patience. His job sometimes required him to wait for days at the same position, just to get a perfect shot at his target, waiting 8 minutes was nothing to him.

When the sequence finished he gave the start command, he could hear the engines ignite and their roaring to push the steel-giant off the ground. His hand wandered to the COM device.

"Princess Charlotte, as you may have heard we will be starting now, the next few minutes could be a bit rough so be careful." It wouldn't be good if she fell and broke something after all. The ship was above the treetops now and he could feel the engines accelerating them vertically now. He noted that this ships start was milder than most ships he was on.

"Seems like they wanted every bit of comfort for their daughter." He mused while he was lightly pushed into his seat.
 
It didn't take much time for Charlotte to get situated. She could see that the plants left in her care had already been watered, and everything was arranged perfectly to the last detail. So, she chose to sit at her desk where it was safe to be when the ship would begin to launch. She also just wanted to get used to this being her artistic study until they got to Lith.

Charlotte stayed seated in her chair, stiff against the back of it when he said they were going to be leaving. She remained that way as the spacecraft rose from the ground, floating above the treetops without damaging a single twig. "Goodbye," she whispered, when she felt the ship begin to move out of the planet's atmosphere.

Despite her growing sorrow, she managed a smile to keep herself from collapsing in a sea of tears. This was the starting chapter of her new life, so she felt like she should be excited instead of grieved. Perhaps she'd be pleasantly surprised by Lith, and turn out liking it. A likely fact was the children she and her future husband made would be able to survive in both cold and hot climates. Plus, they would be beautiful.

Now that she could relax from the departure, she picked up a pencil from her desk and began drawing random shapes. Until she got bored with it, she would draw whatever pictures came to mind. It also kept her focused on something other than the family she dearly missed already.
 
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His mind wandered, back to his home, the blazing sun and a endless sea of sand, sounds of war in the distance and wreckage everywhere. It was a hostile environment, as hostile as one could imagine, but still he didn't hate his planet. For all the bad memories he had of it, he had at least some good, memories of his comrades and friends, his friends that w...

Lucijan was torn out of his thoughts from a warn signal of the ship. His eyes darted to the monitor and he could see that a ship that was hiding behind Durin was closing in on them with great speed. He expected to face trouble on their journey, but he didn't think they would act so fast. He cursed his own carelessness, letting his thoughts make him unaware of his surroundings was a fault that could cost them dearly.

If he had seen them sooner he might would have been able to escape them, but with their speed already accelerated this much he couldn't hope to outrun them. He pushed the accelerator to maximum and switched to manual control. Activating the COM device he took a deep breath and tried to sound as calm and composed as he could, it wouldn't help to make the princess panic.

"Princess Charlotte, we have encountered some trouble but I will take care of it. It could get a bit turbulent so be careful."

He shut down the COM device to deny further conversation, he would need his full attention on the task at hand. holding the current course he observed the enemy's spaceship, it was a small destroyer disguised as a freighter, they should be able to outrun it once they reached their max speed. But the destroyer could kill them with just a few shots of his plasma weapons.

It would all come down to luck, evading the shots and escaping would not be easy, but Lucijan wasn't known for one of the best mercenaries for nothing.
 
Honestly, Charlotte expected this trip to go pretty well. Hiring a bodyguard was just to reassure her safety, and because he knew the universe much better than she did. Going there on her own or with someone inexperienced would have been nothing but trouble! She sat there imagining what it would have been like it she chose one of her friends to accompany her.

"Princess Charlotte, we have encountered some trouble but I will take care of it. It could get a bit turbulent so be careful."

Now that he mentioned it, the ship's course was getting a little faster. Actually, a lot faster. She went to the COM to shout back at him and ask what was going on, but to no avail. To her dismay, he silenced the device. Staying in here without knowing what exactly threatened them frightened her. So, she straightened her posture and boldly left her room to find out for herself.

Charlotte journeyed to the bridge where she knew Lucijan was maneuvering the spacecraft. Once she got him in her sights, she rushed over to him, nearly tripping on the way there. Having to run on this different surface was somewhat challenging for her.

"Lucijan, who is after us?" she asked, wrapping her arms around the back of his seat. There was a surprising amount of calmness in her voice, but it really did betray how panicky she was getting.
 
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As his frown deepened even more he could hear footsteps from behind him. He should have known that Charlotte wouldn't stay patient in a situation like this, but if he would send her away now it would only worsen her panic. He felt her hands wrap around the back of his seat.

"Lucijan, who is after us?"He heard her ask. Despite her surprisingly calm voice he could still hear a twinge of fear in it. At least she had some courage in her to come to the bridge and ask him in person. Looks like he would have to open her eyes regarding some things.

"They are most likely Lith terrorists that are after our lives. It will be hard to escape them but I will get you to safety, ok? So please don't panic and stay quiet, I need to concentrate on this." He tried to sound as calm as possible, but even he couldn't keep all his doubts about this out off his voice.

It looked like there was no other choice, when one was a mercenary one learned quite a few tricks. He typed in some commands into the control panels and a computer voice questioned him:

"Please affirm override of engine limits."

His hand pressed the accept button and he could hear the engine roaring, a terrible loud roaring, they were burning tons of fuel and probably damaging the engine beyond repairs. But he could feel the ship getting more and more speed. He hoped that Charlotte wouldn't get a heart attack by the sudden screaming of the ship.

Seeing their target escape them the destroyer fired his plasma gun, but at this distance Lucijan was able to avoid it, letting the hot plasma ball fly over them. He could see they were finally increasing the distance between the two ships, but how long would this safety last.
 
Charlotte obeyed his request for her to remain calm and quiet so he could focus on this escape scene. She kept a strong hold on the back of his seat, since she had no other way to secure herself. Much as she trusted Lucijan, there was doubt settling in her mind. They barely got away from the planet and already, they were being chased down by terrorists.

This had her wondering if Liths might have been spying and learned the day of her departure. She was on the way to marry their Prince to affirm peace between the planets! Why would they want to exterminate her? Charlotte didn't mean harm to anyone, after all.

The ship then began screeching, which only worried her more. This wasn't even close to a good sign, even if they were leaving the enemy far behind. A ball of plasma went zooming above them, probably because of this distance Lucijan accomplished. For how long, though? Charlotte worried that they might crash land on another planet, or the ship would just die and they'd be stuck in the middle of nowhere.

Even though it was his job to protect and transport her, she couldn't help but feel guilty. Having to drag this kind stranger into this situation just didn't sit right with her. Charlotte wasn't expecting these dangers, otherwise she might have hired more than one person! If his life would at any time be sacrificed for her safety, she couldn't live with it. Not just because she'd be left alone...

"Be careful," she plead.
 
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:HyphenationZone>21</w:HyphenationZone> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:UseFELayout/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id=ieooui></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Normale Tabelle"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> Be Careful. Her words still echoed in his head. Even when her own life was at risk she valued that of others still highly. He had to admit that her strong spirit somewhat impressed him, not even crying or complaining once after they departed. One day she would be a great Queen, no doubt about it. He shouldn't let Charlotte meet her end here.

The destroyer was slowly fading in the distance, Lucijan avoided to more of their plasma balls but they too noticed, that firing from that distance was worthless. Even though the situation liked better than before his frown didn't lift the whole time. The reports of the engine were bad, very bad. Driving the engine to it's limits and beyond left some deep scars on the machine, he hoped that they could reach the nearest system with it.

According to the map the planet he could already see as more than just a tiny ball of mass, was called Mashur17. It was a unpopulated planet with a hot tropical clime and dense jungles. The planet was wild and unrefined, lurking with wild animals and other scum of the universe. He had seen many of these planets, hideouts for criminal, gangs and mercenaries. While he accepted some fellow mercenaries as equals and comrades, he didn't give a damn about these hot-blooded and unprofessional killers that charged in with weapons like wild boars. They were no different from lowly thugs and murderers, they didn't deserve this title.

"Princess, we will have to make a short stop on a planet called Mashur17, our ship will not be able to fly any further. I will call in some favors and get us a new ship as soon as possible."

He indeed had some favors left he could call upon. While he did make a lot of enemies he also made some good acquaintances, most of them liked him because of the good work he had done for them, his jobs were always done effective and without causing a ruckus. Employers that wanted discretion were always pleased by his work. He estimated that they would have to wait for a day or two at least, even his acquaintances needed some time to get here.

Mashur17 drew closer at a fast rate, the enemy ship was only a tiny spot on his monitor but he was sure they were still following them. The spaceship slowed down and entered the atmosphere of the planet. It was a planet with a atmosphere highly identical to the earth, the countless trees growing beneath them were a living testimony for that. The shit slowed down even more and was now about 2 miles above the ground and changing the flight-mode to hovering to gently land them...but the ship couldn't handle his last task and the engine died completely.

Silence engulfed them as Lucijan jumped out of his seat and screamed at the top of his lungs:

"We are crashing, get down!"

Her life was the highest priority on this mission, so he drew her to the ground with him, shielding her with his armor.

The shuttle accelerated towards the ground and he could feel himself begin to float. Holding Charlotte tight he braced for the inevitable impact. His body was propelled against the ceiling and he could hear the glass shatter around him when they hit the ground. The air escaped his lungs and he could feel his head hitting something hard.

"Should have worn my helmet...." were his thoughts while he was descending to the ground again, he could hear someone screaming and blood was flowing into one of his eyes. He tried to focus, but the darkness claimed him, slowly but surely.....
 
Everything was happening too quickly for her to process everything. She was beginning to relax since he had a place in mind to obtain a new ship and they were headed there seemingly safely. At this point, she just wanted them to be out of harm's grasp. There was no set date when she would arrive on Lith; they only said she'd be there during the month. If she didn't get there in good time, though, that would surely cause some conflict between them and Durin.

They were just a short distance from the ground, but apparently, the ship couldn't last that much longer. Charlotte began to enter another mode of panic when everything went silent and dark. Lucijan acted immediately, taking her into his arms to shield her on the floor. She trembled beneath him, afraid for what might happen to them. The ship was going to make a crash landing amongst trees; they must be in the middle of nowhere.

The princess shrieked when she felt her body being lifted from the floor. She stayed tucked against him with a firm hold around whatever part of his body she could grasp. Glass shattered against the poor man's back, and she could hear his lungs gasping for air when they landed on something. After a cruel slam against the planet's turf, Charlotte opened her eyes to the new environment. It was much like a forest, so not too new to her.

"Lucijan!" Charlotte felt his hold on her weaken, which she knew couldn't be a good sign. She separated from him to stand in her hands and knees, staring into his face with moist eyes. There was a bloody wound on his head and his eyes were beginning to shut. "Lucijan, stay awake!"

This wasn't a good time to panic and shout at him. Charlotte looked behind her, where the broken down ship was. It was on its side, which explained why they ended up crashing through the glass roof to end up over here. Without hesitation, she rushed back to the ship so she could retrieve her messenger bag. There were medical supplies she wasn't going to abandon! She was confident in being able to nurse him.

It was a matter of seconds in between the time she left him to get her bag and returning to him. She fell back onto her knees with the bag on her shoulder. From there, she examined the wound on his head. What seemed most important was to stop the bleeding, so she reached into her bag where medical tape was stashed. Charlotte also pulled out a vial of liquid that would help lighten the bleeding, as well as disinfect the damage. As she unscrewed the lid, there was a swab protruding from the bottom of it, the cotton having absorbed some of the medicine.

"If you're a little bit awake, um, this might hurt," she warned him, whether or not he could hear her. So that he wasn't laying on this nasty rock anymore, she put her free arm under him and moved him so that he leaned against her body. This also allowed easier access to the injury his head had. She sat still so his weight wouldn't push her over, then began applying the medicine, hopeful that she wouldn't get too much in his hair.
 
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:HyphenationZone>21</w:HyphenationZone> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:UseFELayout/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Normale Tabelle"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> Lucijan's mind was blank. He felt a sensation akin to floating in the air. Around there was only darkness, a pitch black darkness with no end. Time felt like an eternity here, or just a tiny moment, he couldn't really tell. He completely lost his sense of time and direction.

He thought that there was a voice, trying to tell him something. But he couldn't understand a single thing it was saying. Every time he reached with all his senses for this elusive voice it only made him feel even more lost and his head began to feel dizzy. Waiting was hard when one couldn't estimate how long they would have to wait, and how long they already had.

Lucijan was just about to let himself fall deeper into his mindless state when he felt a unknown sensation run through him. It was something warm....heat spread through his body, warming him to his very core. He began to recognize this sensation, it was something long forgotten, something he lost, something he believed could never be felt by him again. It reminded him of his past, not the hot sun shining on his back, but the warmth he always felt when his comrades where near him, his friends...

He couldn't stop a small smile from creeping upon his face. It was the feeling of love and friendship, the feeling of heat from another body...
 
In time, Charlotte got gauze over his head injury and then secured it with medical tape. She made note to check it as often as needed so she could change the gauze and give him more medicine, if necessary. While putting her supplies away, she tried to think of what to do next. It didn't seem wise to just stay here, especially since he wasn't conscious! She didn't have very much confidence in her ability to protect him, let alone herself.

As she looked down, she saw a little smile on his face. She idly wondered if he was dreaming, or somehow could tell that she was tending to him. Whatever the reason may be, it lifted some weight from her shoulders to see he was somewhat content, instead of stirring and groaning. When he woke up fully, she expected him to experience quite some pain. At least then, she'd know if she'd need to get him something to swallow. Charlotte didn't want Lucijan to go without any kind of pain killer if he needed it.

One of her hands absently combed through his hair while her eyes darted from place to place. There were trees, trees and more trees... Somewhere beyond this thicket they were trapped in, she could see a cave they could use for shelter. Right now, their survival was number one on the list. Being out in the open only got more dangerous as they sat here.

Since this was a different planet, she doubted she could call to any animals for assistance. They'd probably be too frightened, if not distrusting. Carrying him wouldn't exactly work, especially since he wore all this armour. Then again, she could try...

"I feel useless," she murmured, fighting against the urge to weep. She decided to just sit here and defend him in every way she could, because it would be terrible to try and drag him to someplace safe, only to discover something life threatening was dwelling in the cave she saw. Although Charlotte was a very peaceful creature, she had a savage side to her. That could very well be enough to scare something away, if she put enough bite into the defensive stance.

A protective embrace was kept around him as she waited for him to wake. She even undid her cloak so she could drape it over him like a blanket; some warmth might help bring his senses back to life. At least she was able to do this much for Lucijan. After all he did for her so far, it was the least she could do.
 
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:HyphenationZone>21</w:HyphenationZone> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:UseFELayout/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Normale Tabelle"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> Lucijan's mind slowly got clearer and he could start to at least feel his surroundings a bit. He was lying somewhere and something covered him, something warm and soft. He could feel something that felt akin to someone embracing him, but he couldn't think of a reason why anyone would do that.

It all came crashing down on him, the escape, the landing and the crash that was about to happen. While his mind strained to remember everything he couldn't help this feeling that he forgot something important...

"Charlotte" He screamed as his eyes shot open and he tried to jump up. He felt a burst of pain when he wanted to move his back, so his try to sit up was met with a sudden end. Finally concentrating and taking in his surroundings he noticed the hazel eyes that looked a bit startled at him. He still couldn't take his eyes away from the markings her eyes had, pulling his eyes forcefully away from hers he said:

"Sorry for startling you, could you tell me what happened and how my...injuries are?" He was a bit hesitant about talking with a stranger about injuries, he didn't like anyone knowing about his weaknesses, but he had no choice but to trust her. And from the feel of gauze on his head he could tell that she already did her best to help him.
 
Surprised as she was by him waking up, a lot of relief washed over her. She gave his chest a tender pat with her hand, even if it didn't do much on his armour. Even though he was functioning again, she didn't want him panicking or doing anything rash. That could only make his injuries worse, after all.

"Our ship died mid-air. You flew through the window and hit your head on this rock... I'm sure your back muscles ache, too. I haven't checked if you broke anything," she explained calmly. "I patched up the wound on your head, though. You must have an awful headache..."

Charlotte made a sympathetic look, her gaze never leaving him because she was too afraid to stare into their new surroundings. Nothing dangerous happened since their arrival, but she was shy to get acquainted with wherever they were now. It felt like a peaceful place; it reminded her of home. When they weren't so shaken up, she figured she might explore it some more. It was silly to be afraid of every little thing!

"Do tell me if anything else hurts," she nearly begged him. "And... We should go somewhere safer. I don't think we should be out in the open like this."
 
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:HyphenationZone>21</w:HyphenationZone> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:UseFELayout/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id=ieooui></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Normale Tabelle"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> Being surprised by her calm demeanor he gained some trust in Charlotte. If she could keep her cool they might have a good chance to survive this whole mess. Feeling inside of him he checked for broken limbs or more cuts, he also tried flexing all his muscles. Despite the flexing feeling heavy and painful there seemed to be nothing wrong with his body. A few days rest and he should be back at full power, but did they have so much time?

Lucijan's foggy mind quickly tried to analyze the situation. They were stranded on a hostile planet, pursued by their enemies and their only hope was a favor he could call on. It seemed pretty much hopeless, but he would have to try nevertheless.

Considering their current options Charlotte's suggestion seemed to be their best shot at the moment. Even a enemy ship would have trouble finding them as long as they stayed hidden. He felt a little bit safer, knowing that his companion was able to walk on her own feet, he wouldn't have to worry about her all the time.

But hiding alone won't do them any good. They would need some weapons and supplies, a source of heat wouldn't be bad either.

"Charlotte, I think your decision to seek a place more safe is the best option we have. But we do need some supplies, and weapons would be good as well. I still have my throwing knives but can you see my rifle somewhere? Did you check the ship for the food rations already?"

He hoped he didn't overburden her, but they needed to get going as fast as possible.