Disclaimer- I don't own Star Ocean. It is the property of the great Square-Enix and Tri-Ace.

Chapter 2 Separation Anxiety

When the light disappeared, Peppita, Sophia, and Ursus with the unwilling Fayt on his back arrived at the shelter. There, a Federation Soldier stood, waiting for them. He nodded and greeted them. "Welcome to Iruba Shelter 5. This is an evacuation shelter located underneath Hyda IV. Please wait in your assigned rooms until the rescue ship arrives. You are allowed to move freely about the facility, but there are some restricted areas. Please refer to the consoles or ask the nearest official for detailed instructions." It was said flatly and without inflection, as if he was bored. Which he probably was.

Ursus put Fayt back down, and although Fayt huffed in annoyance at being dragged into the teleporter, he nodded in acknowledgement, knowing that the transporter could not take him back. He set down the metal pipe he had used in combat, Sophia having already left hers behind.

Peppita seemed uncomfortable with what she had done, and without looking at Fayt, she responded to the guard, "All right, then…" She trailed off, silence falling, before she added, "Well, we're going now."

The uncomfortable silence could have been thunder, for the disbelief and shock that numbed Fayt's every pore. My parents… they were… still back there…

Peppita looked at him for the first time since they arrived and placed a grin on her face born of her love of the stage, "Hey…cheer up!" She said in a tone that sounded fake and hollow to everyone's ears, even her own.

Ursus tapped her shoulder and nodded at her, and the two of them left, walking in silence, leaving a numb Fayt and a concerned Sophia behind.

Sopiha turned and looked at Fayt worriedly. "Fayt…"

"…Shall we go? There's nothing left to do here, anyway." Fayt said quietly. Although he couldn't help it, there was a choking tightness in his throat and a bitter tone in his voice when he spoke, and tears threatened to shove their way past his defenses and let his feelings out.

"Uh, yeah." Sophia agreed, swallowing the question of whether Fayt was alright down her throat that was parched with fear. "I'm sure your parents are okay. Don't worry…" She said comfortingly, patting his arm.

Fayt didn't seem to notice, and began to move forward. "…Yeah, I know. Let's go."

As the two headed out, a soldier stepped near them and raised his hand for them to stop, but didn't look hostile.

"Oh, one second, please. You've been assigned to room 506. Remember that." He said, a slight flush from his mistake on his cheeks.

Fayt nodded numbly. "Okay. 506, got it."

The soldier seemed to think that Fayt was afraid of being killed. "I expect the rescue transports will be here soon. Please try to relax and wait." He said reassuringly.

Fayt didn't seem to hear him, but Sophia took his hand and nodded at the soldier. "Okay."

The two of them walked out, and Sophia led a distant Fayt around the base, before a familiar voice inside one room caused Sophia, and by proxy Fayt, to stop. Sophia opened the door and peeked in, with an uncertain Fayt behind her.

Inside a man in a ringmaster's costume stood, looking at the assembled group with his back to the door. Two of those he addressed were Peppita and Ursus. "The Rosettis?" Sophia muttered.

"I'm just glad that everyone is okay. Alright, time to discuss our business plans…" The ringmaster said, before noticing Peppita's stare to the door. He turned, and looked at them curiously. "Hmm?"

"Fayt?" Peppita said uncertainly.

"What brings you hear young ones? The two of you look like you have a tale to tell, and Peppita told us some of your story. Would you like to sit down?" The ringmaster asked.

Sophia nodded and led a distracted Fayt to an empty bed, where they sat and began their tale…

The ringmaster, known as Piccolotto, and who was also Peppita's father, nodded compassionately. "Ahhh, your parents…" He muttered, understanding dawning on his features.

The clown, Gonnella, looked bewildered. "Ah well, what can you do, hey? Hey, at least you're still alive, eh?" He said jokingly.

Peppita glared at him. "Gonnella! You should really watch your tongue!" She chastised harshly.

Fayt, who had fought of the numbness while he told the tale, shook his head. "No, it's okay. It's just like he said. Even if I went to help them, I wouldn't have been able to do anything…" Fayt said bitterly, "If only I was a little stronger…" There was a wistful tone in his voice that Sophia had rarely heard before.

"Fayt…" Sophia said softly, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.

Ursus shook his head. "Strength, it's not enough. You can't beat them." He rumbled sagely.

Peppita's mother, Dulcinea, added, "He's right. It's not your fault. I bet they were professional soldiers… There's nothing we can do against people like that."

Piccolotto nodded at the good advice, and gave his own. "And, you know… Just because they didn't make it to this evacuation facility doesn't mean your parents are dead. You know, they might be hiding out somewhere. Don't give up so soon."

Fayt nodded, knowing how smart his parents were. They were definitely smart enough to keep their cool.

"Or, they might've been captured or something, eh." Gonnella chipped in.

"Gonnella!" Peppita scolded.

Ursus placed a hand on Peppita's shoulder. "It's all right. If they've been captured, then you can go rescue them." He said comfortingly, smiling at Fayt and Sophia.

Piccolotto took the final say. "Anyway, you'll just have to wait a little longer. What could you possibly do right now? We don't even know what's going on."

Fayt took the arguments to heart, and nodded wearily. "Yeah… You're right." The last few hours had finally caught up to him.

Dulcinea looked at them concernedly. "Why don't you go to your room and rest a bit? You're too tired to do anything right now."

"Or ya could just rest here with us. Wouldn't you feel safer here with everyone?" Peppita suggested, looking at Fayt.

Fayt felt touched by the Rosseti's and Peppita's offer, but he needed to mull things over alone. "Thank you, but I'm fine. I want to think things over, anyway." He said, offering a tired smile.

Peppita looked disappointed. "Uh, okay."

Fayt and Sophia bowed to Peppita and the Rosettis and left the room. They wandered around a bit more, each lost in their own thoughts, until Fayt and Sophia encountered Peppita sitting at the edge of the metal stairs leading down to the generators, her faithful protector Ursus standing next to her.

"Peppita?" Fayt asked.

Peppita looked up, startled. "Fayt!" Then her look turned sad and she dropped her gaze to the floor.

"What's wrong?" Sophia asked concernedly.

Peppita looked up, cuffing her foot on the steps nervously. "Fayt… did I do the right thing back there? Are you mad that I didn't let you go after your parents?" She asked, guilt seeping from her every word, as well as some hidden pain.

Fayt shook his head. "You did the right thing Peppita. I was being foolish by going back there. I'm no good to anyone if I'm dead." He smiled reassuringly at Peppita, who brightened up at hearing this.

As they said their good-byes, Fayt noticed Sophia giving him a particularly proud look. "What is it?" Fayt asked.

"That was very kind of you Fayt." Sophia said, smiling.

Fayt blushed lightly and rubbed his head, looking down. "It was nothing. And she really did do the right thing."

Sophia just kept on smiling, and the two of them continued on.

Soon, Fayt and Sophia had found Room 506, and went inside, finding the room unoccupied. "It looks like it's just us." Fayt said amusedly.

Sophia yawned, and weariness seemed to cover her features.

"Sophia? You okay?" Fayt asked concernedly. Sophia was the last tie to his normal life, and his best and oldest friend. He'd be damned if he lost her too.

"Yeah… I think." She said quietly, but her loud yawn easily defeated her weak argument.

"You're exhausted. You should rest."

Sophia nodded without protest, and let Fayt lead her to the bed. Sophia climbed into the bed blindly and pulled the sheets over her, settling herself down in the bed.

"Sorry to be a burden," She mumbled.

"Don't worry about it." Fayt said dismissively.

Although Sophia had felt tired before, now she felt scared, alone in an unknown environment, except for "Fayt?".

Fayt looked at her concernedly. "What is it?"

Sophia blushed a little and whispered, "Will you stay here until I fall asleep? I don't want to be alone." She seemed almost ashamed of asking Fayt to stay.

"Sure, I'll stay. Just relax and go to sleep." Fayt smiled, and pulled up a chair, and sat in it, watching her.

"Thanks." Sophia whispered gratefully, and closed her eyes, settling into the bed, soon drifting off to sleep, secure in the knowledge that Fayt was watching over her.

"Good night…" Fayt whispered, finding a sudden urge to kiss her on the head. He shrugged it off as more confusion from the day, and climbed into his own bed, not bothering to change and quickly being pulled into the blissful oblivion of a dreamless sleep.

Fayt woke up in the middle of the night, sudden but peacefully, as if he had just been gently shaken awake as he had been when he was a child.

He looked around, expecting to see the bland hotel room, but instead he found a cold, dark metal room, glancing at the sleeping Sophia next to him.

Where am I? … He wondered. The events of the last twenty-four hours flashed within his mind in a blur and mix of memories. He blinked back the flash of pain when he thought of his lost parents, and glanced at the darkened clock on the wall. "…It's 03:52 AM. Still so early." He mumbled to himself.

He lay back down, and for a few minutes trying to fall back asleep, before he gave up. He glanced at Sophia, who still remained securely within her dreams, looking peaceful.

At least before an alarm shrieked into the darkness, and lights snapped on in blood red, flooding the room with light and breaking the peace.

"What the hell!" Fayt swore, leaping out of bed in a flash. Beside him, Sophia mumbled incoherently and opened her eyes slowly. She looked frightened for a moment, before she spotted Fayt's familiar visage.

"Fayt… What's that sound?" She whispered.

Fayt turned towards the door, not looking at Sophia, but he answered her. "Sounds like they're going to make an announcement."

The darkened room lit up in a flash of bright light, illuminating it fully.

The slightly annoying jingle that told of an announcement rang out. "This is an update for all refugees. We now know the recent raid on the resort planet Hyda was a surprise attack by Vendeen."

Fayt flashed back to the times he had read a few articles in class. Vendeen? Aren't they that military power that's currently at war with Aldian? Aldian was the Federation's enemy, not Vendeen. They did turn down the Federation's offer of aid some time ago, but there were no open hostilities. The new information did not settle his questions, but rather heightened his need to know what was going on.

Before he could mull over the rest of the information, the announcer continued.

"Remote Station 7 mounted an attempt to defend Hyda IV, but it was thwarted by a tactical Vendeeni strike. Currently, the Pangalactic Administration is scrambling ships from surrounding regions, but Vendeeni forces still have control of this sector. We request that all civilians begin boarding rescue shuttles for immediate evacuation to Remote Station 6. Please do not panic. Refer to the nearest console or attendant for further instructions."

"Sophia, we need to go. …You okay?" He asked, thinking she must be still tired.

"Yeah, I'm fine. A little sleep helped me calm down." She reassured Fayt.

"Hold on just a little longer. We'll be safe once we reach Remote Station 6." Fayt said, hoping that his parents would be safe too.

Sophia agreed, and Fayt went over to the console of the computer, quickly typing in a few commands. Sophia walked over, rubbing her eyes and looking over his shoulder curiously.

"Computer. Tell me the present location of Robert and Ryoko Leingod." Fayt beseeched quietly.

The computer beeped for a moment, before responding. "The present location of the specified individuals is unknown."

"What do you mean 'unknown'?" Fayt demanded angrily, grabbing the computer. Sophia put a hand on his shoulder, softening his anger.

"Both Robert Leingod and Ryoko Leingod's positions were lost on Galactic Year 772-12141923." The computer chirped in its damned monotone voice, Fayt noted.

"Lost! What then?" Fayt whispered. "Answer me."

"The information system is currently experiencing technical difficulties. Confirmation is not possible at present." The computer beeped once, and fell silent once more.

"What? Damn it! Answer me!" Fayt demanded angrily. He grabbed the console and shook it, before collapsing against it helplessly, powerlessly. "Answer me…"

Sophia put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Fayt…" She soothed, "We should get going."

Fayt nodded, regaining his composure. "Sure…" He said shakily. "We should see if Peppita and the Rossetis are ready to leave too."

Sophia nodded, and the two of them quickly ran over to the Rosseti's room. When they got there, they found the Rossetis in a state of disarray.

"Peppita! Come on! We need to get going!" Fayt urged, slightly panicked.

"You heard him!" Piccolotto said, "Come on!"

The group ran out in the direction of the teleporter room as others poured out of their rooms, a tide of bodies escaping the wave of destruction that would undoubtedly follow.

When the blinding light ceased, Fayt, Sophia, and the Rosseti troupe found themselves on a Federation ship. Another uniformed soldier waited for them, a forced smile on his face borne of crisis.

"Welcome to the Federation transport ship GFSS-12372 Helre." He greeted, a tense edge to his voice, before he smiled warmly. "You must have been through a lot. We will soon be departing for Remote Station 6. The observation bay is located directly through the corridor leading out of this room. Please wait there until we reach our destination. Gravitic warp will get us there shortly." He assured them, but there was an obvious tension by the way he looked.

Still, the group made their way into the observation bay calmly, at least as calmly as refugees attacked in the middle of the day could be. The observation bay was just as the rest of the ship, blandly metallic, with giant windows for observing and large amounts of slightly uncomfortable seats, all in uniform rows and with the same design. All in all, quite a featureless room, save for the giant computer that dominated the northern wall.

"So this is a Federation transport ship…" Fayt commented, "They leave a lot to be desired, don't they?" He added sardonically.

Sophia and Peppita giggled in response, and out of the corner of his eye, Fayt could have sworn he saw one of the Federation soldiers nod in agreement.

As they moved deeper into the observation bay, Sophia noticed that all the people were gathering in front of the computer.

"Hey, Fayt. What's that? They're all watching something."

Fayt, who had been looking out into space (literally), turned his head towards the northern wall. "Huh? You're right… What is that? Something on the monitor?"

"Let's take a look." Peppita said, and the group moved towards the monitor.

Perhaps it would have been best not to look at it. After all, seeing the planet where your parents might still be trapped on being bombarded by a ship mercilessly, could give you nightmares and haunt your waking moments for a long, long time.

"No...that...can't...be." Fayt whispered, his voice full of denial and disbelief.

"Fayt-" Sophia began, but another announcement cut her off.

"We are about to enter gravitic warp to escape the battle zone. I repeat: We are about to enter gravitic warp to escape the battle zone. All evacuees prepare for warp turbulence." The artificial, falsely cheery voice made Fayt want to break the computer into tiny little pieces. He also knew that even if his body was taken away from this place, his mind would dwell at Hyda IV for a long, long time.

Four hours later, Fayt found himself lightly dozing in one of the standard chairs, with Sophia napping on his shoulder. The events of the past few hours, heck, the past day were still draining on the teenagers. However, although it was nice and familiar having Sophia sleeping on his shoulder, it was killing him not to move it. Finally, he shifted ever so slightly, and Sophia gave a tiny yawn.

"Mmm… Fayt…?" Sophia said softly, sleepily.

Fayt felt a little guilty at waking his best friend up. "Oh, I woke you up. Sorry." He apologized in a soft tone, "Go back to sleep."

Sophia instead leaned back a bit, yawning. "No, it's all right. Where do you think we are now?"

"No clue," Fayt answered, "There haven't been any announcements yet."

Sophia stood up, stretching, her tank top pulling a little higher than her belly button, causing Fayt to blush for some reason for staring. "We should ask one of the crew." Sophia said, oblivious to Fayt looking aside in discomfort.

"Yeah, good idea." Fayt swallowed his discomfort and stepped with her, walking out of the observation bay. They entered a room that led up to the bridge, where an argument was brewing between an officer and a civilian.

"Hey, you. What's the big idea, letting the Vendeeni forces get this far? Maybe it happened during nap time on Remote Station 7?" The pretentious man sneered. He wore a vibrant colored shirt reminiscent of the old Hawaiian shirts, and had a graying and receding hairline.

"What an ass," Fayt muttered under his breath as he remembered the soldiers that died helping them escape. Sophia nodded, but said nothing.

"I'm sorry, but this particular incident is currently under investigation. We have no further comments at this time." The petty officer responded uncomfortably.

"What are you trying to pull? Do you have any idea who I am?" The man demanded.

Fayt decided enough was enough. "An arrogant asshole who doesn't know when to shut the HELL UP!" Fayt snapped furiously.

The rather portly man turned on his heel. "Stay out of this kid!" The man snarled, glaring at the blue haired teen, but Fayt didn't back down in the slightest.

"Not until you stop and remember that those soldiers died helping us!" Fayt shot back.

"I don't have time to waste with children," The man said disdainfully, and turned back to the petty officer in a huff. "Don't you play games with me! Bah! Talking to you is a waste of time. Get me the captain! I want to speak with the captain!" The man demanded.

Sophia grabbed Fayt's arm to restrain the blue-haired teen from ripping the man apart with his bare hands, and the Federation officer, heartened by Fayt's defiance, spoke firmly. "I'm afraid I can't do that. As long as the captain is the commanding officer aboard this ship, his orders are absolute. My orders from the captain state that I am not to allow civilians to enter any area but the lounge, for any reason." The petty officer said. "Now please sir, go back to the lounge."

"What? You blithering idiot! I'll remember you! I'll use my influence to get you canned the second I arrive on Remote Station 6!" The man blustered, but it was obvious that he was lying through his teeth.

"Be my guest." The petty officer replied smugly, before adding with a smirk, "Sir."

"Hmph! You'll regret this!" The man vowed, before turning with a scowl towards the two teens. "Get out of my sight!" He snarled, pushing forward.

Before Fayt could respond, and probably say something that would spark a fight, Sophia pulled Fayt aside and out of the way.

"Jerk." Fayt muttered under his breath.

On the bridge of the transport, Captain Volga, commander of the ship, would have been very grateful to his petty officer for avoiding any distractions, if he had known. "Navigator? Status report." He said briskly, slightly disturbed by the unexpected drop out of gravitic warp.

"Yes captain. We were cruising at warp 15 on course 231, mark 330 when the gravitic warp field collapsed and the computer detected an anomaly, forcing us to return to conventional space." The navigator replied, a tone of worry in her voice.

"Computer, what causes the ship's warp field to collapse?" The captain asked.

The artificial intelligence paused, making a few odd whirring and beeping sounds before replying, "There is not enough data to determine the cause."

Captain Volga rubbed his temple in frustration and sighed. Computers tried his patience at times like these. "All right. Even if you can't determine the cause, how about a theory?" He asked tiredly.

"Prior to the collapse, sensors detected a space-time disturbance. Our database does not contain any record of such a

disturbance, but there is a 77 probability it was the cause of the collapse." The computer theorized with all the life of a dead man.

"Space-time disturbance? Come to think of it, Vendeeni military technology is based on space-time manipulation." The captain voiced his thoughts out loud, remembering the stats he had received a few times on the reclusive Vendeen.

"That is not an established fact, but the Federation Institute of Technology has theorized this is the case." The computer beeped.

"So, it was likely a Vendeeni attack that stopped us, then." The captain paused worriedly. If the attack was enough to knock them out of gravitic warp, then-

As he was thinking, his thoughts were broken by his Navigator's sudden shout of, "Screen, on!"

Like massive, bulbous crimson whales, two Vendeen ships appeared on screen, weapons charged and ready to blast the Helre out of the proverbial sky.

Captain Volga swore, and yelled, "Divert all power to shields! Evasion course 291, mark 030!"

"Course entered!" The navigator replied hurriedly.

The captain sank into his seat. A transport ship against two Vendeen ships? This was hopeless.

Inside the observation bay, Fay was thinking along the same lines. So that's a Vendeeni battleship? A rescue frigate's shields are no match for the likes of that!

Sophia bit her lip worriedly. "Fayt…"

But before Fayt could say anything to help Sophia, a rough, masculine voice came on. "This is your Captain speaking. Our ship is currently under attack by a Vendeeni battleship. Our gravitic warp engine has already been disabled, which means escape is not an option. All power has been diverted to our shields to buy us some time, but I wanted you all to know: our chances are slim. I had hoped to transport you all the way to Remote Station 6, but it seems that is now beyond my power. All evacuees are requested to proceed to the ship's escape pods. Please remain calm and follow the instructions of the attendant nearest you as you board your pod.…" The captain paused, as if he was overcome with nerves, before adding softly, "Good luck to you all."

"We'd better-" Fayt began, before a massive crimson beam delivered a vicious blow to the Helre, causing the hull to shake violently under the impact.

Sophia gave a loud shriek and grabbed onto Fayt. "A direct hit?" Fayt mumbled to himself worriedly.

Around them, a symphony of panicked voices began to emerge.

"Let's get out of here!"

"Right behind you!"

"Ohhh! We're doomed…"

"W-w-whoa…! What will become of me… Ohh…"

Suddenly, a crew member appeared, motioning them to follow him. "To the pods everyone, hurry! They're located one level up in the hangar bay. Don't panic!" He said urgently, obviously agitated at the hopeless situation they were stuck in.

The crowd began running, and Fayt grabbed Sophia's hand and tugged her along with him. "We gotta go, Sophia." Fayt said quickly, breathlessly.

The brown haired girl nodded, and the two made their way upstairs to the escape pods.

"Good. The pod's still here!" Fayt said, noticing there was a small, ship-like pods left. "Get in quick. We're running out of time." the blue haired teen motioned his friend over to the escape pod.

Still, Sophia had her doubts, and the pressures of the situation and the thought of being separated from her friend caused her to hesitate. "Fayt… I'm scared."

Fayt smiled at her reassuringly. "Don't worry…"

"But…"

"A Federation ship will recover our pods in no time. I'll see you at Remote Station 6." He kept smiling as he reassured her, before adding in a firmer tone, "Now get going."

"…O-okay. You'll follow, right? Promise?" Sophia whispered, clutching Fayt's hand tightly.

"I promise." Fayt replied softly, before letting go and pushing her forward. Sophia cast one last look at Fayt, and he smiled at her again, and then she turned back and went inside the escape pod. Both parted believing they would encounter each other within just a few days.

Little did they know, it would be a long time before they ever saw each other again.

"This way, hurry! There's still a pod here!" A gray uniformed soldier motioned to the blue haired teen.

Fayt nodded gratefully and ran inside, quickly descending into the escape pod. Keying in the start up commands that all children are required to know in school, the computer beeped its confirmation.

"Activation complete… Ejection in 10 seconds."

As the escape pod was ejected from the Helre, another beam from the Vendeen ship blasted the Helre, causing a silent, but massive explosion in the abyss of space. Luckily for Fayt, his escape pod managed to clear the explosion just in time.

"Dear God..." Fayt whispered in horror at the drifting pieces of burning slag that was the remains of the Helre.

"Distress signal operational." The computer beeped, bringing Fayt back from his thoughts. "Searching for life-supporting planets… Planet found."

This managed to perk Fayt's interest to a degree. "Where?"

"Vanguard III, located approximately 0.5 light years from present location. Axial tilt of 35 degrees results in extreme seasonal

weather. Existence of humanoid life forms confirmed. The Federation has classified Vanguard III as an Underdeveloped Planet. Civilization level: approximately equivalent to 16th-century Earth. Would you like to review the Underdeveloped Planet Preservation Pact?" The computer prompted.

"Yes." Fayt replied, nodding slowly and easing himself into the relatively uncomfortable seats of the escape pod.

"The Underdeveloped Planet Preservation Pact was established in order to protect planets with developing civilizations. Contact with civilizations that have not reached a certain level of development is strictly prohibited by Federation law. This is due to the fact that contact with advanced civilizations has a high probability of greatly influencing the course of history on a less developed planet. All individuals and organizations belonging to the Pangalactic Federation are required to adhere to the tenets of this Pact, unless faced with a clear danger to life and limb. This Pact is one of the most important components of Pangalactic Federation law. It also serves as a guideline for civilization conduct in emergency situations. Violators will be tried by the Pangalactic Council."

Fayt nodded slowly, digesting the information. "How long till we get there?" He asked slowly.

"At out present speed of warp 6, arrival is estimated in 144 hours." The computer beeped.

"Are there any foreseeable problems in getting to Vanguard III? How's our energy reserves?"

"No foreseeable problems. An adequate supply of energy and food is on board."

The blue haired teen gave a low sigh, and nodded. "Okay. I guess I'll get some sleep. Notify me if anything happens." He ordered the computer, before closing his eyes.

"Affirmative." The computer responded almost sounding bored.

Within seconds, Fayt was plunged into the land of slumber... a small escape from the epic journey that he will undertake shortly.

"Entering Vanguard III's gravitational field. Prepare for entry turbulence." The computer droned out, jolting Fayt out of his slumber.

The young man yawned, before realizing what the computer stated, and grabbed on tight.

To the people of Vanguard III, it was like a shooting star fell from the sky, a burning metal orb that was bringing not just a young man to this backwater planet, but freedom.

"Here we go." Fayt muttered to himself, and stepped outside, immediately having to use his hand to shield himself from the system's sun. "So this is Vanguard III…" the green eyed man commented, eyes taking in the lush, verdant forest landscape. Before, the blue haired boy had yearned for adventure, yearned for some new journey that was reminiscent of the simulators he loved so much. Now that he was having an adventure, he was finding himself distracted by worry and doubt and fear.

Since they haven't contacted me yet, I suppose it will be a few days before they come rescue me, Fayt thought to himself, retrieving his Quad Scanner, an all purpose device that served as a translator, positioning device, homing beacon, and a communicator. I better keep an eye out of danger. After all, this is an underdeveloped planet, he thought to himself.Eying it, he noticed immediately that there was a rapid blip about forty clicks away from his position.

Hmm? My quad scanner's picking something up…moving at 40 klicks. Might be an animal… I hope it's not dangerous, Fayt remembered the healed burn on his arm from the Incapacitator and glanced back at the ship, wishing desperately for a weapon, before he remembered his replicator.

Walking over to the console on the side of the ship, he briefly wondered what weapon he should create. Basic, low-level weapons could be created by Federation Military replicators on escape pods such as these, as well as other useful items for survival. "A sword would be a good match for this planet's level of development. I don't wanna get arrested for violating the UP3."

The machine whirred and whizzed, and then in a small flash of light, a basic one handed broadsword appeared, matching Fayt's strength and skill appropriately. Luckily, I've gotten used to this kind of weapon in the battle simulators, he thought wryly to himself, but the thought of battle simulators brought him home to thoughts about Sophia and his parents, erasing any cheer from his thoughts. Not that I feel very lucky now. I sure hope I don't end up having to use this thing.

After swinging the sword to make sure it was right, Fayt checked his Quad Scanner, discovering the location of a village nearby. Deciding that circumstances would allow him to forgo the UP3, he made his way to the village.

Much of the day had passed for Fayt, who had journeyed through the woods, battling the various animals that lived on the planet along the way. Although he defeated them, his body ached after each consecutive battle, and the fact that he kept pushing it without rest did not help at all.

Finally, he reached the small rural village, which indeed was the equivalent of sixteenth century Earth. Giving a low, relived sigh, he began walking, but stopped suddenly, feeling dizzy and light-headed.

"Must...have...taken a lot out of me." He muttered brokenly, shaking his head in vain.

As Fayt took a step closer to the village, the aching weariness that was plaguing him and his protesting body finally overwhelmed him, and he fell onto the floor, unconscious.

Thanks to That Kid Crying In the Corner, Z.A.G., Lloyd (Irving) Aurion, Firedude328, mk1236, basteng, IceDragon2k, Krile, Pyschadelic Mushroom, and Bobboky for reviewing!

QA

That Kid Crying In the Corner- Probably going to keep this the way the game does it. There wasn't really anything I didn't like.

Z.A.G.- Yeah, I was expecting that to happen all the time in the game, but it never did, so I'll keep the Maria/Fayt thing open.

basteng- Well, that's what I'm planning to do for a while, but in the end, only one pairing will remain standing.

IceDragon2k- No Mirage/Fayt here, mainly because I'm fairly sure the game was gearing for Mirage/Cliff. Plus, three girls is enough for Fayt anyway... we're going to need a woman not in love with Fayt.

Krile- Thanks for that. And yeah, the Fayt/Maria ending shows their feelings, but you have to remember that there were other endings too (Fayt/Sophia, Fayt/Nel, etc.) Its all a matter of how you play the game.

Pyschadelic Mushroom- I'm trying to skip the long dialogue, but I do prefer to have the characters say something rather just giving a description.

AN: If Fayt seems to be acting differently than in the game, I'm putting my own spin on his character, since he should be a lot more moody seeing as how he was forced to leave his parents behind. Don't worry though, its just stress. He'll be back to how he acts in the game, more or less. Thanks for reading and please review!