Four days of preparation was all that Tara needed before descent - less than half the time it usually supposedly took. According to the crew's planetary scientists, M3096 had an atmosphere in which she and her fellow Explorers could breathe without any immediate health implications. Given that there was much that remained mysterious about the planet, however, they were advised to keep their suits on as much as possible.

One of the main obstacles that lay ahead was scavenging for food; the suits, which were chosen to prioritize movement and agility over utility, could only carry so much. Even as compressed as the tasteless meals were, each Explorer would only have approximately seven days worth to get started.

Tara stood at the dock, staring out of the small window that faced the central continent. Their landing zone, according to Eren, was a point along its most prominent river which flowed through the south. Though it bordered a desert, the population of indigineous peoples nearby was sparse compared to within the eastern region.

The princess was ready for the descent in every way except in a mental sense. Something beyond her control had always prevented her from being able to in the past. Most of the time, the planet was deemed unfit or on the verge of collapse upon closer analysis. M3096, on the other hand, was nearly perfect.

"T-20 minutes 'til we're off!" exclaimed Annah cheerfully, "You ready princess?"

Tara felt the glove of her comrade's suit touch her own. "As ready as I'll ever be, I suppose."

Annah's beautiful, pale face beamed as she chuckled. Tara instinctively rolled her eyes. Her own tanner complexion had always been one of her deepest insecurities. Her mother constantly reminded her that it was nothing to be ashamed of, for her father, the savior of their people, had an even darker skin tone.

"Think of it as a sign of strength and purity," the mother whom she was named after used to say, "I remember how your father fell from the heavens. He didn't land like an angel, by any means, but he was as good as one nevertheless."

Tara's fellow Explorers were conversing among themselves. They treated the upcoming mission as though it were clockwork. Despite their ages being mere fractions of her own, they had far more experience traversing the surfaces of planets with extinct civilizations almost as ancient as their own.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

"Have you tried out your implanted companion yet?" Annah piped up. Tara tapped on a slightly protruding piece of metal next to her right ear, which prompted an interface to appear on the inside of her transparent helmet.

"Operating system booting," the princess read out loud, "Why the hell is this thing so slow?"

Annah shrugged. "I wouldn't worry about it. That's happened for me before. It'll boot up by the time we make our landing."

"I can't even scan the continent for our exact landing zone. Isn't this something I should have working before we leave?"

"The technical specialists can't be bothered with something so trivial," the Explorer explained, "especially since it's never caused any extensive issues in our hundreds of years of missions."

Before Tara could answer, a familiar voice spoke up from the other side of the dock. "Tara!" Eren greeted gleefully. The two of them hadn't seen each other since their talk in her room days prior.

"It's your lover!" Annah gasped. Tara shot her a menacing glare before turning back to face the captain, who smiled.

"My, my. Am I interrupting something, ladies?"

"No," Tara muttered. She half-heartedly laughed.

"Well, I just came by to remind you not to get mixed up with the locals. They may be far more primitive than us, but they are one of the few that we've ever encountered."

"In other words, they're dangerous," yelled out an eavesdropping Explorer sitting a short distance away.

"Couldn't have worded it better myself, Janson," Eren replied as he pointed at the man with a finger pistol, "So, obviously it's too late to ask any detrimental questions but, does anybody have any?"

Tara shook her head. She wasn't a fan of how off-putting the captain became when addressing a large crowd. It was far different than the nurturing demeanor he had when speaking with her in private.

"I've got one!" Janson shouted, "How's the princess in bed?"

Eren's smile dropped into a frown as Tara's cheeks blushed a bright red. "Private Janson, need I remind you of your place?"

The private's shit-eating grin shut immediately.

"We're not buddies just because I speak to you as though you are one," Eren continued, "It's simply my way of making you all more comfortable."

A few Explorers mumbled to one another. Janson remained frozen with sheer terror in his eyes, as did Tara.

"Silence!" the captain commanded, glaring at everyone in the room except for Tara, "From now on, I'll treat you all with the respect you deserve!"

He turned away and walked promptly toward the exit. He paused before turning back to face them one more time.

"None!"

For the next minute, all anybody could hear were the sounds of Eren's footsteps echoing down the hall. Tara felt the stares bearing down on her as she shrunk away in a feeble attempt to hide her existence.