• "Remember son, you are truly something special and no matter how this ends you will forever be in my heart as I in yours." These words were the last I'd hear from my father. I've been told to be proud and give thanks for having him in my life and I am really I am but...I just want my dad back.

    It all began when we heard news of a new weapon in development, our country had been at war with the Kaitier Regime for several years now and it seemed as though we were going to win until this horrible news broke out onto our televisions. It was said to be a sky piercing missile that would break the clouds and impale the vastness that is space until it would come crashing down and bring with it the fallen stars. At first no one believed it, no one believed that a mildly sizable regime struggling to take over could develop such a weapon and we dismissed it. Regardless of our dismissal our Government seemed to take a different approach and began developing a system that could prevent such a catastrophe, Project Nova. Being that my father was the head of Astronak the Astral department in our Government's military he was the lead scientist on Project Nova.

    Its completion came near and my father was around less and less leaving me alone being that my mother died shortly after my birth due to health complications. I cursed it at first going with the public calling it a false, a lie to scare us into backing down and letting the Regime have its land across the sea. Though the closer and closer the project came to completion I started noticing my father tiring more and more, he'd been staying later and later. Why? What could be so important about a stupid precaution for something that was made up? When we were told of something entering the clouds and breaking them like ripples in water we knew that those warnings weren't fake they weren't just phoney rumors to scare us...they were indeed very much real.

    Project Nova had not been completed yet and their was no other way to protect our country or any other country that may face similar attacks. Though it required only one person minimum to operate it a team had been trained previously to pilot Nova; This team was completely ready to risk everything for the off chance that Nova may function properly. As they were preparing to suit up they were stopped by none other than Nova's creator my father whom told them to lay down their suits and return to their families. Instead he took up the reigns and as he entered the building for one last briefing sharp gasps lit the whole room ablaze, I most of all. Something I had never felt before began to curdle within my heart, fear. He walked to me and with one last embrace whispered something I will never forget, "Remember son, you are truly something special and no matter how this ends you will forever be in my heart as I in yours."

    Soon came the countdown
    10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1...Blast off. As the ship's engines ignited so did my eyes in a flurry of tears. Salutes and God speeds' followed it's take off into space its destination was met and its mission succeeded the missile was turned upon it's launchers. Now came the decent, people thought that if this could be achieved with an incomplete machine surely something even simpler could. We were wrong and the ship began to break apart and in the last moments contact was made for any words that might be left unspoken what came were only three words that mean everything to me, "I love you." I began quietly replying saying the same until I reached a high shout of the words. It reentered atmosphere breaking and burning up. All I could think of were the words my father told me many times, "A hero is not something to be squandered, especially not one that acts out of the kindness of their heart and not duty or lust." I finally understood what was so important, protecting those that you hold precious to you at all costs.