Fated to Die to the Player, I'll Live Freely with My SSS-Class Ship! Chapter 27: Recovery

Major Terrence was a pivotal character in Trinity Star Online's main storyline. His involvent was connected to nurous quests, hidden missions, and vital plotlines. Losing him here would be a catastrophic blow—not just to the narrative, but to my chances of preventing multiple bad end routes of this fucking story.

Before I could fully process what was unfolding before my eyes, my body reacted instinctively.

My eyes locked onto the blaster in Henrich's hand as I thrust my left arm out, shielding Major Terrence. A bright flash of light seared through the dimly lit bridge. The impact hit my arm, at first soft, then searing, before blossoming into an unbearable, white-hot pain.

"Hurk...!"

I gritted my teeth, forcing myself to stay upright. The laser had burned through the first layer of my spacesuit but had thankfully been stopped by the reinforced fabric on the other layer. Major Terrence, still in his seat, stared at in stunned silence—safe and uninjured.

At that mont, Henrich's finger moved once more. However, before he could fire again, a shadow rushed faster than I could track.

"Bastard...!"

Eva was on him in a flash, her movents a blur. One mont, she was in the corner of the bridge; the next, she was beside Henrich. Her arms shot out like vipers, grabbing his wrist and elbow. With practiced precision, she twisted his arm, forcing the blaster down toward the floor.

A loud snap echoed as Henrich scread in agony, his arm now bending unnaturally at the elbow.

But Eva had only just started.

In a smooth motion, she wrapped her legs around his neck and spun the rest of her body to et him with artificial gravity. Her and his impact against the tal ground were enormous; her legs latched hard on his neck and his remaining arm, trapping him in a brutally strong triangle choke.

Another sharp crack echoed through the bridge as his skull hit the floor. Henrich's body went limp, unconscious but still breathing.

"Arthur, you moron!" Eva's voice cut across the silence as she rushed toward .

Her face was as pale as she normally was placid. "Asshole! Fucker! What would you do if that laser hit your chest?! Dead on the spot! Do you have a death wish or sothing?! Think before you move next ti! Idiot!"

"Uhh..."

I blinked at her outburst, unsure whether to respond or just let her vent. Did she really have to call an idiot in so many creative ways?

Well... she wasn't wrong. If Henrich had aid just a little to the right, the laser would've hit my chest instead of my arm. The thought sent a cold shiver down my spine. But even with hindsight, I knew I wouldn't have done anything differently if given another chance. Major Terrence was far too important to the main story for to let him die here.

Though of course, if I knew his aim beforehand, I would've used the shield to block the blaster, at least. It's too bad that booting it up takes a full second, so I couldn't use it this ti.

"... The wound's deep," Eva whispered as she stooped beside to study my arm. "The laser burned right through your muscle and even cracked the bone. But it's cauterized, so at least there isn't any bleeding."

She held my injured arm steady, tucking it under her armpit to keep it in place as she inspected it. The pain was unbearable, but... the softness of the thing pressed against my arm almost distracted from the pain. Almost.

Still, it was unusual to find Eva this agitated. Perhaps she—

"At least pay my share first before you go and try to commit suicide, you bastard!"

... I didn't need to hear anymore.

I settled back slightly as her words finally registered. No, of course not—there was no hidden tenderness in her worry; only the familiar blend of frustration and practicality—and an extre need for money. But for that brief, passing instant, I allowed myself to dream otherwise.

Even if it was just a montary fantasy... it wasn't so bad.

"Henrich..." Major Terrence's voice shook as he repeated the na, carrying a mix of anger and sadness.

I knew nothing of the man Eva had subdued, but Terrence's reaction suggested that Henrich had been more than a subordinate. Perhaps a friend? Soone he had trusted, to such an extent that this mont—getting betrayed by him—shook Terrence to his core.

But as would be expected from a man who had risen to the rank of Major solely on rit, he swallowed his emotions in a jiffy and donned a more pragmatic attitude.

"Officer Fardin," he barked out, his tone steady and authoritative, "drag that man to the isolation room. Make sure he doesn't die or wake up until we return ho."

"Sir, yes sir!"

The officer who had guided us earlier saluted sharply before stepping forward to grab Henrich's unconscious body. He heaved the man over his shoulder with little effort and dragged him out of the room.

So his na was Fardin. I'll definitely rember that.

Once Fardin had left, Major Terrence turned his attention to , this ti with a look of thanks and remorse. "Thanks to you for saving , Young Master Gerard—or should I say Arthur now? Either way, without your help, I wouldn't be alive right now."

"Don't think too much about it, Major," I said, smiling hopefully. "Saving you is just saving myself in the long run, so there's no need for thanks."

Terrence shook his head firmly. "No, that won't do. ritorious deeds should always be recognized and rewarded. Once we return to the Calut Star System, expect a generous reward for your efforts."

"Well, I wouldn't say no if you insist." I allowed a small grin to creep across my face before continuing. "But before we think about rewards, we need to get you to our ship. We can't rule out the possibility of more traitors being onboard, and it's safer there. We've got a dical pod ready too—one that's guaranteed to be functional."

Terrence let out a deep sigh and nodded. "That's a good plan. I'll take you up on your offer."

"Leave it to us!" I said confidently. Then, turning to Eva, I added, "Go grab a stretcher from over there. We'll get the Major back to safety."

"... Alright."

Eva hesitated for a mont, her glance darting to my injured arm before she let out a resigned sigh. Striding over to the ergency dical section with precision, she avoided the bloody, scattered bodies that littered the floor. A mont later, she returned with a Maglev stretcher, placing it next to Major Terrence's seat.

Unlike manual stretchers, the Maglev version hovered just off the ground, making it much easier to transport the injured. Eva carefully helped Terrence onto the stretcher, ensuring he was positioned comfortably before activating its hovering chanism.

I stepped forward, intending to take over and push the stretcher, but Eva stopped with a sharp glare.

"I'll handle it," she said firmly. "You just follow behind."

Sotis, her reasoning and actions were a mystery to , but I wasn't in the mood to argue. Instead, I walked right behind her as we made our way back to the ship.

Even while being transported, Major Terrence did not forget his duties. He gave orders to the remaining crew, making sure they knew their priorities: use the Del Pravvio's nurous Revitalizer Modules to wake up the rest of the fleet, secure the petrified traitors in one place, and clean up the bodies of the fallen.

We walked to our ship, guiding the stretcher into the dical bay. Terrence groaned softly as we transferred him from the stretcher into the dical Pod.

The sight of his legs—one of them turning an ominous shade of black—made it clear we'd brought him back just in ti. If we'd delayed even a little longer, ischemia or permanent nerve damage would have been inevitable.

"Ugh..." he groaned as Eva adjusted the oxygen mask over his face.

"Don't worry, Major," I said, doing my best to sound reassuring. "By the ti you wake up, we'll all be out of this accursed place."

Terrence smiled faintly as the pod began to shut. "I leave my n in your hands, Young Master."

The mont the pod was sealed, a green liquid started filling the chamber. It was not magic juice or anything, but a dense solution of dical nanomachines designed to work on the most grievous injuries. Once they got to work, the pod started dissolving the ergency seals on Terrence's thigh, his entire spacesuit, accessories, and everything else, exposing his body to the "healing" solution.

I looked away quickly. A naked, well-endowed, male superior officer wasn't sothing I would want to be seared into my brain. I'd rather stay cooped inside the bridge while keeping an eye on his subordinates around us.

But before I could get away, Eva grabbed my shoulder, halting in my tracks.

"And where do you think you're going?" she asked, her voice laced with irritation.

"Uh, back to the cockpit?" I offered weakly.

She narrowed her eyes. "You're a patient too. Sit your ass down. I'll attend to your injuries first."

Inside ships, unless they're of the Militia, there's usually only one dical Pod for ergency use—the sa goes for the Range Falcon. I can only use the pod after Major Terrence is done using it. Thus, Eva offered to attend to my injuries herself.

"What? No, really, it's not—"

"Shut up and do as I say."

Her tone didn't allow for debate, so I sat down with a degree of reluctance.

Eva moved with a practiced air, gathering supplies from the first aid kit near one wall of the room. When I saw the massive syringes filled with green liquid, the sa nanomachine-rich solution used in the dical pod, I couldn't help but flinch.

"Actually, on second thought—"

"Sit still," Eva snapped, pushing back into the chair with a strength that belied her slender fra. "Unless you want to miss and make things worse."

"... Fine," I muttered, resigning myself to my fate.

I hated needles. No matter the world, no matter the occasion—they were the worst.