I landed on Earth—the place my father said he was going before he left.
There was construction everywhere. Buildings half-collapsed, roads broken, giant cracks running through entire neighborhoods. The atmosphere was heavy and grim. This must've been the fallout of the Sandeth's reign.
"Hello?" I asked one of the humans—a tall, skinny woman with pale skin and brown hair tied up in a bun. "Do you know someone named Dalthrek?"
She turned around slowly. For a moment, she looked startled. Then, her eyes narrowed with suspicion.
"D-Did you get permission from the President to be here?" she asked.
"Well… no. But I'm just here to find my father. Nothing more."
She seemed relieved—but still cautious.
"Who's your father?" she asked again.
I hesitated. My mouth went dry. But I gathered my courage.
"Dalthrek," I said. "His name is Dalthrek. And he's a Sandeth."
The woman didn't flinch at the word Sandeth.
She flinched at the name Dalthrek.
"O-oh… D-D-Dalthrek?" she stammered. "You mean Commander Dalthrek? The one from the Organization? The one who… liberated humanity?"
I nodded slowly. "Yes. I think so."
I didn't know everything about him. He had kids all across the galaxy and left all of them. But still… I remembered his voice. His warmth. He was kind to me. At least, until he left.
The woman stared at me. Frozen. Pale.
Then she finally spoke.
"I'm so sorry, honey. But… he's dead. He died in the Great War."