Chapter One: Deep Space Music

[CarcerKango]

Jake gritted his teeth, knowing that this could be the last moment of his life. He had no regrets, other than how short it'd been. The thought brought an anguished half-grin to his face. He'd always expected to die sometime in the far future, not on his very first 'real' mission. But it could've been worse. He'd lived without knowing, truly, the touch of war or death. He'd lived in relative comfort and peace, and if it was his time to die, so be it. But damned if he was going to go down easily. He clung to that idea, the concept of enduring, and held it close to his soul. He knew that if he went under now, he'd never awaken. I will endure, he thought to himself. I will endure.
The shuttle blasted on, its drives straining and its structure at maximum stress. Jake held the throttle in a death grip, even as the rest of him slowly weakened.