Interstellar Age

Erich had one chance encounter with Daelia before she was shipped off back to her people. The woman was traumatized. After all, she had sat in the cell of a foreign nation which she was an adversary of. One which she looked down upon.

Yet they had detected her almost immediately, and compelled her to spill her secrets. In fact, Erich did not tell Lunaria this, but he learned quite a bit about the ancient Elven Empire, and the schism which destroyed it, at least from Daelia's perspective.

He, of course, was never directly in charge of Daelia's interrogation. Rather, Tia conducted those experiments herself. Because of this, Daelia was confused when she came face to face with Erich.

The mighty Shadow Queen of the Svartalfheim Federation was skittish, and terrified, almost like an abused animal, as she sat in front of Erich who debriefed her on the changes that had occurred across the galaxy during her captivity.

When it was revealed that her older sister was getting married to Erich, forming a powerful alliance, Daelia almost couldn't believe her ears. But when the Dark Elf beauty thought about how Erich had completely outsmarted her and held her captive for so long with impunity. She honestly believed it made sense that Lunaria would try to unite with such a terrifying leader.

There was almost a humble tone in the woman's voice as she sighed heavily and accepted the information that was presented to her. Stating her honest thoughts on the subject.

"The two of you were truly made for one another. To think that all it took was a few million years for a man who is equally as monstrous as my elder sister to be born into the galaxy. You have no idea how much it fills me with dread to think that the two of you are united together in a combined front against my civilization.

If I wasn't confident of my ability to unite the other Galactic powers against the two of you, and secure funding from the Ghimderi Banking Clans, then I would seriously consider throwing in the towel now."

For the first time since she stepped foot on Germania, Erich smiled towards the woman and invited her over to the window.

"Would you mind coming over here for a second? There is something I wish to show you. Don't worry, I am not so malevolent as to defenestrate you..."

Daelia was, of course, cautious to follow Erich over to the window, but after several moments of thought, she finally decided to do so. Where she gazed upon the busy streets of Germania. The world was as oppressive as ever. No, that wasn't quite right. New buildings were erected, ones whose architecture was not meant to convey authority, but rather prosperity.

It was a weird blend of architectural styles, almost as if a new era was trying to drown out the old. And when Daelia saw this, her brows raised. Noticing this, Erich smiled as he spoke to the woman in a friendly tone one that one might not expect to come from their previous warden.

"What do you see, Daelia? Be honest with me..."

For whatever reason, Daelia spoke without even thinking about her words. After all, the scene of the rising sun cascading over a changing city, one that appeared to be changing for the better, was quite an inspiring sight. And she was quick to voice these thoughts aloud.

"It... It looks like there is a new dawn for your people..."

Erich chuckled when he heard this before speaking to Daelia as if she had not just threatened to wage a galactic war against him.

"Well put... I am not the monster you think I am, Daelia... In fact, I am well aware of my people's reputation across the galaxy, as well as our failures. I'd rather not have to wage war against you and the others. But there is a threat looming on the borders of the galaxy. In fact, they have already long since infiltrated the Milky Way...

This threat will require all of us to work together if we have a hope of survival. To wage a devastating galactic war... Only to spend decades to rebuild. What would be the point? It is the dawn of a new era, for my people, and the galaxy. We can either fight one another tooth and nail, and in doing so, make ourselves weaker, allowing the true enemy a far better chance of destroying us all...

I am willing to put aside the prejudices and traditions of my people to secure their future, even if they despise me for it. The question is, are you and Lunaria willing to do the same?"

Daelia was shocked by this information, a threat lingering on the edges of the galaxy, one that would destroy them all. Just what was Erich talking about? Then again, when she thought about this, she remembered something strange... Something that her spies had told her about before she foolishly tried to infiltrate the GSE. And when she remembered this, she immediately blurted it aloud.

"The deep space pods that you and Lunaria have been sending outside the galaxy... There is something out there? Something in Andromeda? Sinaria told me something like that...."

Erich raised his brow when he heard this. That was not a name he had heard since his previous life, and Erich was quick to ask about this.

"Sinaria? As in Sinaria Bloodwhisper? Grand Inquisitor of the Svartalfheim Federation?"

It was Daelia's turn to be surprised as she furrowed her brows and revealed something she otherwise shouldn't have. Perhaps because Erich had lowered her suspicions around him with his friendly demeanor.

"How do you know my daughter?"

Erich was indeed surprised to hear this, he didn't expect Daelia to be Sinaria's mother, then again when he thought about it, the two of them did look similar, with the primary difference between them being the fact that Sinaria was blonde, while Daelia had snow white hair like Lunaria.

This casued Erich to have an awkward expression on his face as he asked the next question on his mind. Almost as if his future plans relied on this being falsae.

"Daughter? I didn't know you had a husband..."

Daelia laughed in Erich's face when he said this, before reminding him how Lunaria's daughters were born.

"Husband? As if... Sinaria was born the same way that Celestia and her sisters were. Tank bred, using my DNA, and that of a distant relative. How do you think the Dark Elven race was created?

I was a genetic experiment performed by my parents, and when I was born I became the first of a new subrace. But I did not have any children of my own, not the old fashion way that is. The next generation of Dark Elves were created the same way I was, in tanks, but by using my DNA as a template.

Obviously, that was eons ago, and the first generation of my so-called offspring has long since perished. Sinaria is of the younger generation, similar in age to Celestia. I created her to be my heir, the same way that Lunaria created Celestia to be hers.

Didn't your interrogator tell you this? Apparently not by the look on your face. Anyway, you said something about uniting together against this supposed foreign threat of yours. Before I return to my people, I want to hear all about it...."

With this, Erich would have a long discussion with Daelia about the Naraku, and their machinations. In the end, he would make a shocking proposal to Daelia, one that when Lunaria found out about it would make her furious.