It was supposed to be a milk run for your merry band of Fearless Hawks. Go in, take out a few buildings, get out, get paid. You didn't anticipate however being taken by surprise by the one and only Radical Scoundrel. Before you could even react her mecha rocketed through, reducing your two support units into scrap metal in moments. You are left completely alone in your mech.

"You shouldn't have come here." Your comms light up. Illuminated on your control panel is the face of your enemy. At one time, she was Freya, your childhood friend. But now, from her expression, it is clear: she intends to kill you.

"This can go only one way Troll Man." Your comms bellow. "Sorry, but 2 million credits is not something I can just walk away from." You can see her pink mecha, 'The Petals Fall Softly', come to a graceful stop 200 meters away across an open field.

You have only moments to react. What do you do?

The rockets on The Petals Fall Softly are designed for both offense and defense. As you fire your rifle at one of them, the weapon's advanced targeting system quickly locks onto your shot and deflects it harmlessly away. However, the momentum of your attack throws off Freya's own aim momentarily, giving you a fleeting opportunity.

The Petals Fall Softly staggers back slightly from the impact of your shot, but immediately regains its composure.

As you hide behind the remains of your support units, you hear Radical Scoundrel laugh bitterly over the comms. "I admire your courage, Troll Man," she says, "but there's no hiding from me. I trained with you since we were kids; I know every move you make." Her pink mecha slowly advances towards your position, closing in on you relentlessly.

"No... not just that..." She hesitates, clearly struggling with her emotions. "You know what? Forget about this. Let's just end this fight and talk later, ok?" With those words, she abruptly stops moving and her weapons systems power down.

There's an uncomfortable silence on the comms as you both catch your breath. Finally, Freya speaks up. "So... umm... where should we go to talk?"

Her voice quivers slightly over the comms as she replies. "No, I won't let that happen. Not if we can help it. I love you, Troll Man. I always have. And I don't want us to fight anymore."

She waits for a response, her heart racing in anticipation of what might come next.

Her face hardens at your words, and her resolve seems to return. "Fine then," she snarls. "If that's how you feel..."

Without further warning, The Petals Fall Softly leaps into action once more, darting towards you at blinding speed. Laser rifle fire streaks across the open field, narrowly missing your mech as you desperately try to evade her attacks.

"Ah!" You cry out as one of her shots connects with your gun arm, disabling it completely. Now left only with your beam saber, you attempt to retaliate against Radical Scoundrel's relentless assault.

The Petals Fall Softly is quick and agile, though, dancing around your attacks like they're nothing. Another shot grazes your leg, leaving you limping and slowed down significantly.

"Freya, please...!" you cry out, tears streaming down your cheeks. "

As you surrender, Freya slowly brings The Petals Fall Softly to a stop, its weapons systems deactivating once again. She takes several deep breaths to calm herself before responding.

"What do you want from me, Troll Man?" she asks softly, her voice thick with emotion. "Do you still hate me after everything we've been through?"

You can sense the tension in the air as you wait for her reply. What do you say?

"No! Don't do that!"

She cries out, her voice panicked. Before you can react, she launches herself across the distance between your two mechs and wraps her arms around you, pulling you close.

"I love you, Troll Man,"

she whispers urgently into your ear. "I always have. It doesn't matter what anyone else says or what our superiors think; all that matters is us."

"Because I love you,"

she replies simply. "I'm sorry for hurting you, but I had no choice. If I didn't do this mission, my own people would come after us both. I had to protect us, even if it meant making things look real."

She looks deep into your eyes, searching for any sign of understanding.

"I want a new life with you, Toll Man. One where we don't have to fight anymore, where nobody can ever hurt us again."

"Troll Man..."

Her voice cracks as tears begin to fall down her cheeks. "Please... please don't say that."

You feel a sharp pain in your chest as she tightens her grip on you. Her breath comes in ragged gasps as she holds back sobs.

With one last desperate attempt, she speaks. "I promise, Troll Man. I will make this right. I will find a way for us to be together, free from all of this."

"No!"

She screams as she feels your body go limp against hers. In her shock and despair, she barely registers the explosion that engulfs her mecha seconds later.

The force of the impact throws her clear across the field, leaving her unconscious and badly injured. With a deafening roar, flames consume The Petals Fall Softly, reducing it to scraps scattered across the battlefield.

As you lie there, barely clinging to consciousness, you can see Freya's unmoving form amidst the wreckage of your fallen mechs. Your own injuries are severe; your leg and arm have been lost to the blast and you're bleeding out quickly.

Despite this, you muster the last of your strength to crawl over to where she lies. As you reach out to touch her face, her eyes flutter open. She looks at you with an expression of confusion and pain.

"T... Toll Man?"

Her voice is weak, but full of disbelief.

As you stare into her eyes, something shifts inside of you. You feel a surge of determination rise up within you, pushing back against the pain and fatigue. You know what you need to do now.

With your last remaining breath, you whisper three words: "I love you too."

Tears well up in her eyes as she hears your final words. A quiet sob escapes from her lips before she collapses forward, wrapping her arms around you tightly. Her heartbeat slows, becoming intertwined with yours as you both slip away into darkness.

The battlefield falls silent once more, the only sounds being the crackle of flames and the distant cries of medics searching for survivors among the carnage. But for these two young souls, their story has come to an end.