Tuskon and Marcy were shocked when Terra told them of our activities. Their reactions were very amusing, but they didn't show enough emotion to exactly classify it as priceless. What a shame.

Since our visit with Marcy's sister, our schedule had gone back to normal. The past couple of days were filled with patrols of ships with a few having unusually large amounts of crawlers on board. It was unnerving to find so many in one place. The crew have been getting very lucky as no one has been attacked by these hidden assassins yet.

Yesterday's patrol revealed no crawlers and we were hoping that would be the same today.

We walked out the front door as I was clicking to watch my surroundings. I heard an odd caw and I turned my head to observe it. It had the shape of a bird. With more thought I finally realized that it was a single crow. I haven't seen a crow in ages.

The crow stayed were it was as it watched us walk away. I couldn't see them, but I could feel it's eyes staring harshly at us. A chill ran down my back that I couldn't shake away. I turned away from the bird and tried to ignore it. The chill continued to stay present.

We met up with the two guards who always tagged along with us. We only saw them while on our patrols so I never bothered to learn their names. One of them might be called Grovyel, but I wasn't entirely sure.

Tuskon spoke with the port master for a short time before we headed where we were needed. Over a dozen armed guards were now with us. Apparently, a fairly large cargo ship has been in orbit for a few days without responding to hails. No life signs could only mean one terrible thing.

I cursed my luck at needing to deal with a sicora today. They were nasty dangerous creatures.

This ship was from the same planet with crawler problems as most of the other ships we've patrolled this week. It was likely there would be one sicora and possibly a few crawlers on board. I couldn't wait to see them dead.We entered a shuttle and got ready to be taken up.

I didn't like being so high off the ground. There weren't any land marks to guide my echolocation in the sky. I am always afraid that I'll fly in the wrong direction and get terribly lost. That's what I have Dan for anyway.

I didn't have any need to constantly use my echolocation in the tiny shuttle, so I patiently waited as Dan curiously watched out the small nearby window. He showed me the small glimpses that he saw of our world below. It wasn't exactly Earth anymore. That was what it was called when it was inhabited by humans. Now that they were all gone, it is just classified as a backwater planet, only fit to give more space to the invading aliens. Either way, this planet was still my home.

I took in a deep breath as the shuttle docked and we were lead out. The disgusting stench of sicora filled my nose all too quickly causing me to sneeze. A growl was vibrating through my chest instantly, close to becoming a hiss. Dan was just as uneasy.

Tuskon kept us on leash as we pointed the way to the freshest scent around us. I could feel myself running out of control and was having a hard time using my echolocation with my verbal aggravation.

The scent of sicora was getting stronger with every door we went through. However, another smell was also getting stronger. I've never smelled something so horrifying in my life. I wrinkled my nose with another growl. It smelled like rancid meat.

We turned a bend and came into a large shelved room. Both scents were strongest in this room. I felt ready to puke at any minute.

Dan's mindvoice was horrified, "Oh man, this is awful..."

He felt my confusion and an image was sent to me that left me speechless. There was blood everywhere. With this new insight, I now knew where that rancid smell was coming from. We also now knew where the rest of the crew disappeared to.

I tried to push the image and putrid smells out of my mind. It was hard to concentrate and locate the sicora with the reoccurring reminder of blood. The smell was all over the room. Still hissing, I turn my head in multiple different directions to try and pinpoint the freshest scent. But I couldn't. It all mixed together too well.

With both Dan and I unsure of where to go, Tuskon unclipped our leashes. We both took different paths as we searched for the sicora's trail. The doorways were checked first, but they didn't seem to lead anywhere. I sent a few clicks in between my hisses to help my search.

My ear tuffs flattened against my head as I backed up from where I stood. There were at least three sicora on the shelves in front of me. That was way too many for comfort. I quickly flew back to the safety of Tuskon's shoulder as the guards rushed in the direction of the deadly creatures.

My leash was resecured, but before Tuskon could call Dan back, he launched himself behind us. I turned my head with a few clicks, but couldn't react to what blurred in front of me.

Dan's battle cry filled the air as it mixed with the scream of the sicora. I tried to fly up to help him, but my leash flung me back.

I threw some fire where I thought the sicora would be, "Dan!"

There was chaos everywhere. The guards were trying to handle three sicora while Dan was holding one off on his own. I couldn't tell what Tuskon was doing. I gripped the leash in my teeth and pulled. Tuskon's hold loosened and I flew off to help Dan.

With the leash dangling behind me, I bit angrily into the black creatures neck. I let go and flew to the side to check around me. Dan was alright and standing by a wall.

The sicora stumbled and soon went into convulsions as I hugged Dan tightly. Another sicora cry came from behind us and Dan pushed me away. I rolled a few yards with a worried cry.

Dan's vision filled my mind and I saw the sicora's razor sharp teeth clamp down around him. I jumped up and bit the evil creature with a torrent of flame to go along with it.

I couldn't tell what was going on around me. The sound of Kymari weapons and sicora deaths filled the air as I tried to find Dan in the madness.

I found him laying where he had pushed me away from. I dashed to his side while stepping in his fresh pooling blood.

Tears were forming in my eyes, "Dan! You're bleeding!"

He coughed, "I'll be alright."

I nuzzled his chin, "Don't do stuff like that! What would I do if I lost you?"

His voice was getting weaker, "I'm sorry Aspen. If anything were to happen to you, I wouldn't be able to live with myself."

"Dan, don't say that. I'll be right here. Always."

He coughed again, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I tried so hard. I just wanted to be there for you."

I ignored the blood and the approaching Kymari as I laid next to Dan, "I'm right here. You're right here. They'll fix you up just as they did for me."

I could barely hear Dan's mindvoice, "I'm sorry, Aspen. I really am."

"Dan, Dan. Stop. You're fine! You're fine!"

I couldn't hear him breathing. His scales were going cold. I sprawled over his body to keep in his warmth. I couldn't lose him now, not after all these years.

I could feel Tuskon's hand wrap around my weak form to lift me up. I couldn't stop myself from jumping out to get to Dan. There was no way I was just going to leave him here.

The room was quiet. All eyes were on me. The scent of death was heavy in the room and heavy on my heart. I could smell the long dead crew, the freshly killed sicoras, and strongest of them all, the scent of my lifeless mate.

Tuskon knelt next to me and gently picked up Dan's silver body. I scrambled to stay with him.

My cheek brushed against his as I whispered to him, "Dan. Wake up, Dan. Please. Please!"

My words bounced back to me as if hitting a wall. I tried again and again only for the same result.

My whole world was turned on its head. Everything was suddenly meaningless. Dan was gone.

* * *

Everything around me was a blur. I tried to stay with Dan for as long as I could, but he was taken away when they determined they couldn't do anything and sent him for burial. I was blind from the world around me as he was just taken away.

The last time I felt this empty was when my dog had died. He was the only one in my family who seemed to understand me. When he was suddenly gone, it was all over. That was the week I tried to take my own life.

I hadn't needed my antidepressants since I was human. Without the medicine, I wouldn't have realized just how much I loved art. Now I had no medication, no art, and no Dan. My will to live was now gone.

I had no desire to use my echolocation anymore. I didn't even realize we were back home until I was placed underneath the heat lamp. My body soaked up the heat like a sponge, but it made me feel no better. Dan wasn't here sharing the heat with me.

I never told Dan I had depression. It was my biggest secret I didn't want to bother him with. I didn't need him worrying over me even more than he already has.

I moped under the heat for hours. All there was, was darkness and thoughts of Dan's death. Tuskon called to me a few times, but I didn't even look up. I ignored everything he said. No amount of food, oiling, or kind words were going to make me feel better. Not even words of my father could bring me out of this.

I kept my eyes closed and didn't complain when I was picked up by Marcy. She held a piece of strawberry up to my muzzle. I sniffed it, but made no move to eat it. My stomach demanded food, but my heart was stronger as it longed for Dan.

Marcy was clearly worried, "She's never passed up her favorite food before. Her mate's death has really hit her hard."

The renewed memory of Dan made my heart clench. I shut my hurting eyes tighter to stop the tears from forming.

Tuskon sounded unsure, "She'll come out of it to eat eventually. Until then, we'll just need to watch her."

Marcy set me back underneath the heat lamp, "I hope so."

I curled up around myself and cried silently into my wing. All I could picture in my mind was Dan. I never told him just how much I loved him and how badly I wanted to raise children with him. Now it was all too late.

Life was yet again unfair to me. I couldn't stop thinking of all the scenarios that could have played through if I was just faster when fighting the sicora. I was angry at life for what it did. The only casualty, other than the crew, was Dan and I was enraged that no one was able to stop it. Not even me.