Disclaimer: I don't own any part of Xenosaga, just Zayn, the Onberis, and the crew including Captain Rowan. Enjoy.

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14 years ago, deep space

Zayn escaped from Vector and joined with a band of Space Pirates 20 years ago. Joining them hadn't been her original plan when she commandeered the space craft. She had no choice when she crashed into the pirates' ship, Onberis. At first they were reluctant to let her join, but the captain demanded it because she had to work off the damage. When she earned the money for the repairs, they were unwilling to let her go, so she decided to stay on. Where else did she have to go? She quickly became a valuable member to the crew and was made First Mate when the original mate had been found planning to kill the captain and take over the Onberis.

"Zayn, wake up, the Captain's calling for you." She was being shaken awake by one of the crew members.

"Give me five minutes," she responded sleepily and the man was gone. Zayn got out of bed and stretched. She stood no taller than 5' 3" and was petite at that. She had a serial number engraved in the back of her neck; the number was "000." She also had one other distinguishing mark, a tattoo of butterfly wings on her upper back, below the neck. Zayn pulled on her jacket and stepped nimbly toward the door, it slid open automatically. She hesitated before leaving, wondering if she should take her gun. She looked over at the clock projected on the wall and it read 600 hrs. It was odd that the Captain had called for her so early. Thinking it suspicious, she grabbed the gun off of the nightstand and holstered it and walked out the open door into the ship's dormitory hallway. The door slid closed behind her.

"Evening Zayn."

"Evening," Zayn continued to walk then turned around and called after him. "Hey, Biff, is something going on out there?"

"I don't know, the captain hasn't announced anything, and if he had, you'd be the first to know."

"Right…" She turned and kept walking toward the bridge of the ship.

She reached two door large doors and they slid open, admitting her into the bridge. She saw only the captain, hunched over, his hands on the U.M.N. console. br

"You wanted to see me, Captain."

"Zayn…"

"Sir, are you okay? You don't look too well."

"Stop with that 'sir' crap; you've known me for 20 years; you more than anyone on this ship has the right to call me 'Rowan.'"

"Rowan," she was a little cross when she used his name but kept going. She was irritated that he had woken her up for what seemed like no reason. "You had something you wanted to discuss with me."

He gave a short chuckle at her sternness, but continued to be hunched over the console. He stopped and became serious again. "So I guess you haven't heard yet if you're still able to joke with me like that."

"Heard…what?" Zayn began looking at him, more worried than before; he had also piqued her curiosity and waited for him to continue.

"The U.M.N. broadcast; surely you would have picked it up."

"No, I haven't heard anything."

The captain, shook his head then took his grip off the side of the console and began typing into it. The U.M.N. connection projected onto the holographic screen. It was a news broadcast.

I before dawn this morning, an army of realians went on a rampage throughout Militia, killing and destroying anything and everything.

Zayn started at the screen with a look of terror as she watched the footage.

No one knows why the realians are acting this way. A few survivors have been quoted as saying that a few hours ago, they began hearing mysterious song. They have been called insane because many others say they didn't hear anything. They claim that the realians just snapped. Many are dead or dieing on Miltia. Rescue teams are being sent in but are finding it difficult to fight against these weapons trained beings. Nobody knows how many casualties there are, but it is feared that it will be extremely steap…

Rowan pulled one of the chairs out of the floor and through it at the console; it sparked and the broadcast quickly faded. "Those damn realians! Always knew they couldn't be trusted with that damn override connection!" The captain seemed to be in an emotional trance. He began throwing things and breaking the consoles.

"CAPTAIN, STOP!" Zayn rushed and tried grabbing the captains arm to keep him from throwing one of the consoles at the hull's window. She tried calming him down but to no avail. He turned on her.

"IT'S YOURKIND THAT'S DOING THIS! You all can't think for yourselves and are controlled by a faulty intergalactic connection that anyone can hack into!" He pulled out a gun and pointed it her forehead. "I should blow your head off right now to keep you from going berserk on us all."

Zayn stood and stared at him. She knew if he pulled the trigger, her brain would die as would her heart. She could be repaired but her life would be gone. Rowan calked the gun then he let go of it and began laughing hysterically.

"You are so easy to scare, Zayn." She still stared at him with that expression in her eyes. She knew the captain too well and knew he was still contemplating shooting her. He didn't shoot her, but he went to the only working U.M.N. console. Biff appeared on the screen. "Biff, I need you to come take the First Mate to holding. Make sure you put her in the reinforced room so she doesn't blast her way out."

"Yes sir, right away. But may I ask why?"

"Just do it." He closed the connection and turned back to Zayn. "I don't think you, the real you, is a danger to us, but you still have the same connection as the other realians do. Your free will isn't strong enough to combat whatever is making the others go crazy."

Biff entered the room and walked over, grabbing Zayn's arm. He started walking her away. She continued to stare at the captain. She had only seen him question the sanity of one of his crew once before: it was when she was promoted to 'First Mate.' She then saw the look of sadness in his eyes and looked away. She knew he didn't have the heart to end her life. He turned around and stared sadly out the hull's window.

Once out in the hallway, Biff let go of Zayn's arm. He didn't want to treat her like a criminal because he didn't believe her to be one. He was curious as to why the captain wanted to put her in holding. "Why does the captain want to confine you?"

"Haven't you heard? Apparently the whole realian race has turned into an army of murderers," she said bitterly.

"I still don't understand."

"You really haven't heard about Miltia?"

"No I haven't." Zayn stared at him in disbelief then gathered herself. She had to get away.

They continued down corridor when she started hearing something in her ears. It was a song. She listened carefully then clutched her ears and hunched over the ground, screaming in pain. What was this music? Biff looked at Zayn, frightened. He couldn't hear the music. The music then stopped, but Zayn stood, hunched in pain for a few more minutes. It was a song that was making the realians revolt. She had to get to Miltia to do something. Also, if she stayed, she knew with news of this outbreak, the captain would not risk the life of the rest of his crew just to keep her alive. Swiftly, Zayn punched Biff hard in the stomach, kneed him in the face while he was hunched over then punched him in the face, knocking him out. She ran along the corridor and came to the elevator that led to the launch deck. She stepped onto it and it took her down. When she got out, she shot the console next to it so that no one could come after her. She entered the launch deck and walked over to the U.M.N. console. It reminded her of the day she escaped from Vector. She would be stealing the exact same craft she had that day…

Zayn walked along the row of crafts and found it. Launch pad was open now and she climbed in, started it up, and was soon racing towards the Miltian Star System. The Captain watched sadly from the window as Zayn sped off. He said quietly to himself, "Don't get yourself killed…Butterfly."