Eden Raid - Thanks for your advice. Btw, I read "Plushie Madness!", it was funny (evil Colette XD)!

star-rikku - Heh, sorry about the "gruesomeness", it'll probably appear a lot, but I'll try to minimize (emphasis of TRY).

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Ocean nor any of the Rurouni Kenshin based stuff.

Chapter 1:Aldian Assault and theMeeting

Aboard the Federation ship The Radish, fear and panic had taken hold. The Aldians had launched consecutive attacks on several Federation territories and were decimating any oppositions with their superior numbers. Among those onboard the ship watched the terrible scene through the display screen, were a 12 year old little girl and her mother.

(Flashback)

"No, Daddy! I wanna stay, too!" cried a little girl with long blue hair.

"I'm sorry, honey, but we have no choice. Now listen to me. This place isn't safe. They've already broadcast the evacuation announcement for all civilians." Richard replied.

When the child started to protest, Jessie, her mother intervened, "Listen to your father. It's hard enough for him already. Come along with me. And don't worry about Daddy, he'll take care of those Aldians and then meet up with us on Arakh."

"Really? You promise?" asked Maria in a teary voice.

"I promise!" Her father assured her.

After reassuring their daughter once more, Richard then turns to his wife, ""Jessie, take good care of her."

"I will, dear..."

As he leaves his family to join in the resistance against the invaders, Jessie and Maria hurries to board The Radish and escape the Federation Station #17.

(End Flashback)

As Maria stared at the display, shaking from head to toe, her mother tried to calm her. She remined Maria that her father did promise to meet up with them later. Maria settled down a bit, but still remained unstable. Suddenly, the Federation Station #17, which was under heavy bombardment, took a critical hit, and the whole construct began to fall apart. There was no way anyone could've survived the following devastation. The crowd fell completely silent.

"No... Richard!" Jessie gasped with a hand over her mouth.

"Daddy..." Maria could barely get the word out, as if something was lodged in her throat, disabling her ability to speak properly.

Without warning, The Radish gave a sudden, violent jerk as something hit it hard. Some people lost their balance and fell down, while the rest clutched onto something. They began murmuring in unease, had that shot come from an Aldian battleship? Had they been overtaken? Were they in danger? Shortly after, a Federation officer burst into the room and informed the civilians that they have indeed been targeted by the Aldians, and that it was no longer safe to remain here. He instructed them to head for the escape pods immediately. Just as they were about to leave, another shot rocked the ship, harder this time, and most of the people were flung across the room. There was panick and everyone started running out screaming madly.

"Ouch!" Maria yelled in pain as she crashed into the replicator.

"Are you okay Maria?" Jessie got up quickly and tried to get her to walk, but Maria merely winced in pain as she struggled to stand up. "Oh, no, your leg in injured..." Jessie was on the verge of panicking.

"You should hurry to the pods..." Jessie jumped as a voice spoke behind her.

"I-It's my daughter Maria! She hurt her leg and can't move!" Jessie replied after she got over the initial surprise.

Maria saw that the one who spoke was a tall figure wearing a dark-blue cape. She couldn't see any part of his body except for his lower face. There was also some long, thin object, perhaps 7 feet or so in length, wrapped in a cloth, strapped diagonally across his back. She wondered how he could act so calm in a situation like this, she was scared to death at the moment! He stood there for a second, then picked her up in his arms. Maria had a glimpse of something black beneath his cape as he did so.

The trio were now running across corridors towards the escape pods. Along the way, another blast shook the ship, forcing them to hold on to a door frame. As the shock subsided, Jessie started to move just as the stranger shouted "Don't!". The ship shook again, but this time with so much force that objects were dislodged completely. Jessie, who had no time to regain her grasp on a handhold, was flung aside. The stranger held Maria in one hand and grabbed Jessie's arm with the other, hooking his right foot in a groove of the door frame as he did so. Yet another blast hit The Radish from the other side, sending Jessie right towards the stranger. He snarled in pain as both Jessie and Maria crashed into him and he smashed into the wall from the impact. His hood had fallen back and Maria was able to see his face. He wore a black bandana that had unfamiliar symbols of sorts on it, although only the front was visible, the rest of it was covered by his shoulder-length dark red hair. His eyes were crystal blue. Maria shuddered. Something about those eyes gave her the chills. They were sharp and gleamed as if some strange light shone within, the gaze was cold, so very cold. What surprised her though, was the fact that he looked so... young, 14 or 15 perhaps. Getting up on his feet, he helped Jessie rise and secured Maria back in his arms, and they resumed their trek.

As they reached the entrance to the Escape pod chamber, Jessie stopped them and looked Maria in the eyes.

"Look Maria, we might never meet again, and there's something I need to tell you."

"No! Don't say that! You get in an escape pod, too, Mommy!" Maria was close to breaking down.

An official announcement stated that there was one minute to warp engine core collapse. Once it did, the ship was finished, they had to get off immediately. Despite all this thought running around his mind, the red-haired youth remained still and silent.

"No, if I don't say this now, I'll regret it for the rest of my life." Jessie seemed to be struggling "...Your father and I are not you real parents."

Maria looked dumbfounded. "Huh? What are you talking about?"

"We love you with all our hearts, just as if you were our own child. But, your real parents are still out there somewhere." Jessie told her with sad eyes.

"Mommy, I don't understand. What are you-" Truth is, she understood perfectly, she simply dind't want to accept it.

"You don't need to understand right now. You'll know the truth someday." Jessie interrupted.

Official Announcement sounded again, '30 seconds to warp engine core collapse.'

"You're very important! You must not give up. You must survive! You havethe power within yourself..." ('15 seconds to warp engine core collapse.') "I love you, Maria." Jessie whispered and gave the red-haired youth a nod.

He nodded in return and turned away slowly towards the escape pod, just as Jessie asked "Please, take her somewhere safe, please help her..."

He stopped, turned his head slightly, and replied "...I'll do what I can".

'10 seconds to warp engine core collapse.' The door closed.

"Mommy! Mommy!" Maria cried out, as the youth accessed the last pod.

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On the other side of the closed door... 'Warp engine core collapse in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0...'

"You must survive." said Jessie, as she closed her eyes...